John Trapp on Malachi 3:10-11

Verſe 10. Bring ye all the tythes into the ſtore-houſe] All, whether praediall, or perſonall, all, and of every kind.

into the ſtore-houſe] the ſtanding place for tythes, as it is called Neh. 13.11, 12, 13. the tyth-barn, as the Vulgar hath it.

that there may be meat in my houſe] Tereph, unde [non-Latin text not transcribed]: and the Engliſh, prey: that there may be maintenance for my Miniſters;Cibus qui diſcerpi, dividi, diſiribuiq, poleſt. enough not for themſelves only, but for to be diſtributed to thoſe that are about them: that they may not cat their morſels alone, that they may not be ſlaves to others, ſervants to themſelves: that they may not bite with their teeth, and cry peace, teach for hire, and divine for money Mic. 3.5, 11. that is, be fain to maintain themſelves with ſordid and unworthy flatteries. Balaam the falſe Prophet rode with his two men Num. 22. God; Levite had one man Iudg. 19.11. Aug[illegible: 2 letters]ſtin lived neither like a Lord, for he cate his meat in woodden and marble diſhes: neither lived he like a begger, for he uſed to eat with ſilver ſpoons.Poſſidon. in vit. Aug. What pitty was it that Luther was forced to cry out in his Comment on Gen. 47. Niſi ſupereſſer ſpolium Egypti quod rapuimus Papae, omnibus miniſtris verbi fame percundum oſſet. Quod ſi ſuſtentandi eſſent die contributione populi miſerc profectò & d[illegible: 2 letters]iter viverent. If it were not for the ſpoil of Egypt which we have ſnatcht from the Pope, all the Miniſters of the word muſt have been affamiſhed. For if they ſhould be put to live upon the free contribution of the people, they would certainly have a miſerable hard living of it. Alimar ergo &c. We are maintained then, as I ſaid of the ſpoiles of Egypt: and yet that little that we have is prey'd upon by the Magiſtrate: for the pariſhes and Schooles are ſo ſpoyled and peeled, aſ if they meant to ſtarve us all. Thus Luther. Melancthon comes after him and complaines in the year 1559. Principes favebant Luthero: ſed jam iterum vi letis ing ratitudinem mundi orga miniſtros &c. The Princes did at firſt favour Luther: but now ye ſee again the unkindneſſe of the world to the Miniſters of the word. Calvia was ſo ill dealt with at Geneva (together with other faithfull Miniſters there that he was forced once to ſay, Certè ſi hominibus ſerviviſſem &c. Truly if I had ſerved men in my Miniſtry, I had been very ill requited.Melch. Adam. in vita. But its well that I have ſerved Him who never failes his: but faithfully performeth with the better who ſever he hath promiſed them. Our Doctour Stoughton obſerved, that the manner of very many in the City was to deal with their miniſter as Carriers doe with their horſes; viz. to lay heavy burthens upon them, and then to hang bels about their necks; they ſhall have hard work, and great commendations,Serm. [illegible: 1 letter]n 1 Sam. 2.30. but eaſy commons; be applauded for excellent preachers, have good words, but ſlight wages. Thus in the City; but what meaſure meet men with in the Countrey? Hear it from a Countrey-Miniſter mouth. How many thouſands in this land (faith He) ſtand obnexious in an high-degree to the judgements of God for this ſin of ſacriledge, which is the bane of our people, and blemiſh of our Church? Some there are who rob God of his main tythes, yet are content to leave him ſtill the leſſes: they pluck our fleeces, and leave us the taglocks, poor Vicarage tithes, whileſt themſelves and children are kept warme in our wooll, the Parſonage. And and others yet more injurious, who think that too much, would the law but allow them a pair of ſheers, they would clip the very taglocks off. Mr. Reg. his Strange Vin. in Valeſt pag. 303. Theſe (with the deceitfull taylour) are not content to ſhrink the whole and fair broad-cloth to a dozen of buttons, but they muſt likewiſe take part of them away, and nimme the very ſhreds, which only we have left. After they have full gorged themſelves with the Parſonage grains, they can ſinde means either by uncoſcionable leaſes or compoſitions, to pick the Vicaridge-bones &c. Thus He and much more to the like purpoſe. Our bleſſings (faith Another eminent Divine) are more then thoſe of old, our burthen leſſe. And yet how unwilling comes even a little to the painſulleſt Miniſter? And thoſe, that upon a kind of conſcience pay other duties, think all loſt that goes to the maintenance of the Miniſtery, D. Sclaiter. and that wiſh ſuch repining, as if that were mony of all other worſt beſtowed &c.

and prove me now herewith] Dignatio ſtupenda, A wonderful condeſcenſion, that God ſhould call upon man to take experiment of him, to make but a triall, to put it to the proof whether he will not proſper the penitent. This is ſomewhat like that other paſſage Pſal. 34. O taſt and ſee that the Lord is good &c. or that, Come and let us reaſon together. O the never-enough adored depth of Gods goodneſſe, that he ſhould ſtoop ſo low to us clay and dirt, dung and wormes-meat 1 He is ſo high,Pſal 113.6. that he is ſaid to humble himſelf to behold things done in heaven. If he look at all out of himſelf, to ſee but what the Angels do, he doth therein abaſe himſelf. That he will deal ſo familiarly with us (who are no better then ſo many walking-dunghils) as to bid us prove him what he will do for us, this deſerves acknowledgement and admiration in the higheſt degree. Should he have uſed martiall law with theſe malapert miſcreants in the text that had robbed him of his rights: and not only have reproved them and curſed them wit a curſe of penury, but have (Draco-like) written his lawes in blood upon them, he might have juſtified his proceedings. But thus to commune with them, and not only to preſcribe them a remedy for removall of the curſe, Bring ye all the Tythes &c. but thus to perſwade with them,Suheſt jurandi ſpectes. Figuier. and to permit them to prove his bountifulneſſe in giving, and his faithfulneſſe in keeping promiſe with them, and that with an oath (as ſome conceive.)

if I will not open the windowes of heaven] then never beleeve me more; what a wonderfull goodneſſe was this? Surely we may well ſay of it, as Chryſoſtom doth of the happineſſe of heaven, Sermo non valet exprimere: experimento opus eſt; We can never ſufficiently praiſe it, but muſt take the counſell he gives us, and prove it, Prove me &c. There is an unlawfull and damnable proving or rather provoking of God, when men ſeparate the means from the end, holineſſe from happineſſe, will needs live as they lift, and yet preſume they ſhall be ſaved by the unknown mercies of God. Such were thoſe that tempted and provoked he moſt high God, and kept not his teſtimonies Pſal. 78.56. like as before they had luſted exceedingly in the wilderneſſe,Pſal. 106.14. and tempted God in the deſert; whileſt, bearing themſelves over-bold upon their external priviledges, they refuſed to obſerve his ſtatutes, and keep his lawes. This ſin, in the new Teſtament is called tempting the Spirit of the Lord Act. 5.9. Ananias and Sapphira did ſo, when by a cunning concrivance they would needs prove and make triall whether God could deicry and would puniſh their hypocriſy: So did Judas the traytour when he boldly demanded, Is it I Lord. So do all groſs hypocrites that preſent unto God acarcaſe of holineſſe, like Cham, or that curſed Cozener Mal. 1.14. Such alſo as refuſe Chriſts offers of grace: and when he bids them as here, Prove him if upon their obedience to the lawes of his kingdome, he will not open the windowes of heaven and rain down righteouſneſſe upon them, even mercies without meaſure: and (for confirmation) wills them as once he did wicked Ahaz, Ask thee a ſigne of the Lord thy God, Ask it either in the depth, or height above; they churliſhly anſwer him in effect as he did, I will not ask, neither will I try the Lord. Whereupon the Prophet that made the motion, in an holy indignation, Heare ye now ſaith He, ye houſe of David, Is it a ſmall thing for you to weary men, but ye will weary my God alſo? Iſa. 7.12.13.

if I will no open you the windowes of heaven] Vulg. the cataracts or floodgates, or ſpouts of heaven: meaning the clouds, thoſe bottles of raine, which God here promiſeth to ſhour down abundantly,Gorn. & Lapid. tantâ copiâ, impetu, & fragore, ut ruere potius quam fluere videatur. A phraſe noting great plenty 2 King. 7.2. for in thoſe hot countries drought ever made a dearth. Hence the proud Egyptians whoſe land is watered and made fruitfull by the overflow of the river Nilus, were wont in mockery to tell the neighbour nations, that if God ſhould forget to raine, they might chance to ſtarve for it. They thought the rain was of God, but not the river. God therefore threateneth to dry it up Ezech 29.9. Iſa. 19.5.6. and ſo he did: Creditur Aegyptus caruiſſe juvantibus arva. Imbribus,Ovid. at que annis ſicca fuiſſe novem. To teach both them and us, that both plenty and ſcarcity, drought, and rain are his work: he carries the keyes of the grave, of the heart, and of the windows of heaven the clouds, under his own giroſe. Veſſels they are as thin as the Equ[illegible: 3 letters] which is contained in them. There they hang and move, though weighty with their. burden. How they are upheld, and why they fall here, and now, we know not, but wonder at it, as Gods handy work. In the iſland of [illegible: 1 letter]t. Thomas, [illegible: 4 letters]s Grg. pag 251. on the backſide of Airike, in the middeſt of it is an hill: and over that, a continuall cloud, wherewith the whole Iſland is watered. In the middle region of the air, God [illegible: 1 word] made druk[illegible: 1 letter]eſſe his ſecret place: has pavilion round about [illegible: 1 word] is d[illegible: 2 letters]k [illegible: 1 span] cloude of the skie, Pſal. 18.11. Theſe he weighes by meaſure, ſo that not a dr[illegible: 3 letters] falls in vain, nor in a wrong place, Job 28.15. When he uttereth his voice [illegible: 1 word] is a multitude (or noiſe) or waters in the heavens, and he cauſeth the [illegible: 1 word] to aſcend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightenings with rain, &c. Job. 10.[illegible: 2 letters]. A wonderfull thing ſurely, that out of the middeſt or water, God ſetcheth [illegible: 1 word], and hard ſtones out of the midſt of thin vapours. This is the Lords own do[illegible: 3 letters] and it is (worthily) marvellous in our eyes. Are there any among the vanit[illegible: 3 letters] or the Gentiles that can given rain? or can the heavens give ſnowres? (So the [illegible: 4 letters] raliſis will needs have it: but what ſaith the Prophet?) [illegible: 1 span] Gad? therefore we will wan upon thee: for [illegible: 1 span], Jer. [illegible: 1 word] A pious reſolution ſurely, and that which the Lord here would have this people to take up: viz. in the way of his judgements to wait upon him,Eſay 25.3. and work b[illegible: 5 letters] him, to honour him with their ſubſtance, and with the firſt fruits of al[illegible: 1 letter] their increaſe. So ſhould their barnes be filled with piency, and their preſſes burſt out with new wine, Prov. 2.9, 10. The [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] ſhall be [illegible: 1 span], Prov. 11.25.

God will poure him our a bleſſing] becauſe he [illegible: 1 span], as the Hebrew hath it in that place of the Proverbs laſt cited, and he ſhall have rain [illegible: 1 span] pl[illegible: 1 letter]v[illegible: 1 letter]a erir, as K[illegible: 2 letters]chr rendreth the laſt words there. [illegible: 1 letter]e ſhall be a ſweet and [illegible: 1 word] ſhowre to himſelf and others. Thereſore they ſhall [illegible: 1 span] of Zion, and ſhall flow together to the goodneſſe of the Lord, for whe[illegible: 2 letters], [illegible: 1 span] and for oil, and for the young of the ſtock, and of the he[illegible: 1 letter]d: and their [illegible: 1 span] a wa[illegible: 1 letter]ered garden, and they ſhall not ſorrow any more [illegible: 1 span], Gen. 31.12. O precious promiſe, every ſyllable whereof drops myrrhe, and merey! [illegible: 1 span] that [illegible: 1 word] of [illegible: 1 word], (ſo we may call him as the [illegible: 1 span] the [illegible: 1 letter]ather of Vows, becauſe he is the firſt we read of in Scripture that vowed a vow unto the Lord) had this promiſe of abundance plentifully performed unto him. So had [illegible: 1 word] the firſt Chriſtian Emperour, the Churches great Beneſactour. [illegible: 1 span],De civ. Dei i 5. c 25. faith A[illegible: 1 letter]g[illegible: 1 letter]ſtine, Conſtimum Alagnum [illegible: 1 span] mullus under et. The good Lord filled [illegible: 1 span], with ſo many temporall bleſſings, as never any man durſt with for.

There ſhall not be [illegible: 1 span] ] [illegible: 1 span],Nop tan[illegible: 2 letters]m quod ſufficiat, ſed[illegible: 1 letter]ti mquod ſuperſit Rah. Drvil. Ʋltra ſufficiens. Montat. ſo that you ſhall ſay, It is enough: Thus the Chaldee rendreth it. [illegible: 1 span] ſhall hove more then enough, as the areptan had, [illegible: 1 letter] King. [illegible: 1 word] the cruſe never ceaſed running till there was no room. Borrow of [illegible: 1 span], [illegible: 1 word] the Prophet, but ſh[illegible: 2 letters]: the doors [illegible: 1 word]. It was time to ſhut the doors, [illegible: 1 word] One, when many greater veſſels muſt be ſupplied from one little one. ſhee had a Prephets reword with a witneſſe. And ſo had the Shunamite. Her table, and bed, and ſtool was well beſtowed: That candleſtick repaid her the light of her future life and condition; that table, the means of maintenance; that ſtool, a ſeat of [illegible: 1 span] bed, a quiet reſt from the common calamities of her nation. So [illegible: 1 word] a paymaſter is God: his retributions are more then bountifull: he will not be overcome by his creature in liberality, Jam. 1.5. They ſhall be ſure to have their own again with uſury, either in money, or moneys-worth. What they want in temporalls (a ſufficiency whereof they ſhall be ſure of, if not a [illegible: 1 word]) he will a [illegible: 1 word] up in ſpirituals, joy and peace through beleeving, as much, or more then heart can hold. Some holy men have ſo over-abounded exceedingly with joy, that they have been forced to cry out, Hold Lord, ſtay thine hand, &c. their ſpirits were even ready to expire, with an exuberancy of ſpirituall raviſhment: as the Church in the Canticles was ſick of love, and therefore calls to the Miniſters,Cmt. 2.5. to ſtay her from ſinking and ſwooning, to bolſier her up, being ſurprized with a love-qualme: as the Queen of Sheba rapt with admiration, had no more ſpirit in her: as Jacobs heart ſaintd,Godfr. in ult. Bern. Epiſt I. 1. Confeſſ. l. 6. e. 22. when he heard the good news of Joſeph alive. Bernard, for a certain time after his converſion, remained as it were, deprived of his ſenſes, by the exceſſive conſolations he had from God. Cypran and Auſtin teſtifie the like of themſelves.

Ve[illegible: 1 letter]ſe 11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your ſakes] Caterpillars, Cankerwormes, and ſuch hurtiull creatures, Gods terrible army, as they are notably ſet forth in their march and miſchief, Joel 2.2, 3, 4, 5, &c. with chap. 1.4. to tame his rebels to eaſe him of his adverſaries, and to avenge him of his enemies, Eſay 1.24. Theſe he will rebuke (for every creature is at his beck, and check) as he rebuked the red-ſea, and it was dried up, Pſal. 105. and as he rebuked the winds, Mat. 8.26. the fever, Luk. 4.39. the devil, Mat. 7.18. he will ſay unto them, Abite [illegible: 1 word] hine. Get you hence, and that's enough, for they are all his ſervants, Pſal. 119.91, He is the great Centurion (or rather Lord of Hoſts) that faith to this creature Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, &c. if he do but ſay, Who is on my ſide, who? all creatures look out at their windows, as ready preſt to do his pleaſure: neither is there any ſo mean amongſt them, or ſo deſpicable that cannot, if ſet on by him, make the proudeſt on earth ſtoop, and ſay, This is the ſinge of God. But of this ſee more in the 1. Doſt. on verſ. 18. of this Chapter. Let all that look for Gods bleſſing, either upon their perſons or poſſeſſions, make their peace with God (the genealogie of corn, and wine is reſolved into him, Hoſ. 2.22.) and bring him all his tythes into the ſtore-houſe, &c. leſ hee blaſt their fair hopes, out off the meat from their mouthes, take his own and bee gone, take away his corn in the time thereof, and his wine in the ſeaſon thereof, &c. Hoſ. 2.9. The Jews in our Saviours time, ſuis malis edoſthi, were punctuail in paying their tythes, even to a potherb, Marth. 23. And at this day, though not in their own countrey, nor have a beviticall Prieſthood, yet thoſe of them that would bee reputed religious,Godw. Heb. Antiq p. 277. do diſtribute, in lieu of tythes, the tenth of their increaſe unto the poor: being perſwaded that God doth bleſſe their increaſe the more: For their uſuall proverb is, Dectma in dives fias, [illegible: 1 letter]ythe and be rich. Of the young Lord Harrington (the laſt of that name) it is reported by Mr. Stock, who preached his Funerall, that he conſtantly gave the tenth of his yearly revenue to pious and charitable uſes. And of reverend Mr. Will Whately Miniſter of Banbary, it is likewiſe recorded in his life, that he ſet apart and expended for many years before he died for good uſes, the tenth part of his yearly comings in, both out of his temporall and eccleſiaſticall means of maintenance: and that he never thrived in his outward eſtate, till he took that courſe. Beſides the ſweet comfort that the ſpirits of his wealth thus diſtilled, as it were, brought to his conſcience, both in life and at death: and the bleſſing of a good name left behind him, according to that which follows next in the text, And all nations, &c.