John Trapp on Malachi 3:2

Verſe 2. But who may abide the day of his coming?] The Prophet Eſay asketh, Who ſhall declare his generation? Eſay 53.8. Daniel. 2.11. that is, the myſtery of his incarnation, (that habitatio Dei cum carne, which the Magicians held impoſlible) or the hiſtory of his birth, life, and death (as ſome ſence it) whoſe tongue ſhall be able to ſpeak it, or pen to write it? Who can think of the day of his coming? ſo the Vulgar reads this text: viz. of all the glory, graces, benefits of that day? But the Hebrew word is the ſame, as Prov. 18.14. The ſpirit of a man will ſuſtain his infirmity: and is ſo rendred here by the Chaldee and Kimchi. Who can ſuſtain, or abide the day of his coming, ſc. in the fleſh? What wicked man will be able to endre it? for he ſhall ſmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, (that is, the conſciences of carnall men glued to the earth) and with the breath of his lips ſhall he ſlay the wicked, Eſay 11.4. And this is ſpoken of the Branch that grew out of the root of Jeſſe, verſ. 1. when th[illegible: 2 letters] goodly family was ſunk ſo low, as from David the king, to Joſeph the Carpenter. With what terrour ſtruck he the hearts of Herod, and all Jeruſalem by the news of his nativity? Mat. 2.3. And ſi praeſepe vagientis Herodem tantum terruit, quid tribunal judicantis? If Chriſt in the cradle were ſo terrible, what will he be on the Tribunall? The Text that troubled thoſe miſcreants, was Mic. 5.2. which ſome (taking tſagnir in the Neuter Gender) render thus: And thou Bethlehem Ephrata, it is a ſmall thing to be among the Princes of Judah: out of thee ſhall come a ruler, &c. This, Herod and his complices could not hear of without horrour: as neither could that other Herod, of the ſame of Chriſts mighty works, Mart. 14.1, 2. ſuch a glimpſe of Divine glory ſhone in them. The ſinners in Zion are afraid: fearfulneſſe ſurprizeth the hypocrites: and they run as farre, and as faſt as they can from Chriſt, with theſe frightfull words in their mouthes. Who amongst us ſhall dwell with the devouring fire? who ſhall abide with the everlaſting burnings? The Ruffianly ſouldiers were flung flat on their backs, when he ſaid no more but, Lam he, Auguſt. Joh. 18.6. Quid autem judicaturus ſaciet, qui udicandus hoc fecit? What will he do when he comes to judgement, who was thus terrible now that he was to be judged? Oh that the terrour of the Lord might perſwade people to forſake their ſins, and to kiſſe the Son, leſt he be angry. Though a lamb, he can be terrible to the kings of the earth: and though he break not the bruiſed reed, Matth. 12.20. yet his enemies he will break with a rod of iron, and daſh them in pieces like a potters veſſell. Be wiſe now therefore, O ye kings, &c. Pſal. 2.9, 10. And as the Sun, Moon, and eleven Starres in Joſcphs viſion, did obeyſance to him; ſo let our ſouls, bodies, all our temporall, naturall, morall, and ſpirituall abilities bee ſubject and ſerviceable to Chriſt, as ever wee hope to look him in the face with comfort.

and who ſhall ſtand when he appeareth?] Heb. at the ſight of him. True it is, that Chriſt coming to help us in diſtreſſe, for the want of externall pomp in his Ordinances, and worldly glory in his Miniſters, and members, and ſplendour of humane Eloquence in his Doctrines, is deſpiſed by thoſe that form and frame to themſelves a Chriſt like to the mighty Monarchs of the earth: like as Ageſilaus King of Spartans, coming to help the King of Egypt, was ſlighted in that countrey for his mean habit, and contemptible outſide. But if the Centurion were worthy of reſpect, becauſe he loved the Jewiſh Nation, and built them a Synagogue; Shall not Chriſt much more, even as Prince of the Kings of the earth, ſith hee loved us, and waſhed us with his own blood, and hath made us kings and prieſts unto God and his Father, Revel. 1.5, 6? By whom alſo hee is made unto us, righteouſneſſe, (imputatively) wiſdom, ſanctiſication, and redemption, effectively, by way of inherency and gracious operation? Who is able to ſtand before this holy Lord God? 1 Sam. 6.20. Jer. 10.7. as the men of Bethſhemeſh once ſaid. Who would not fear this king of Nations, ſaith Jeremy, this king of Saints, ſaith John? for to him doth it appertain: Rev. 15.3, 4. ſith there is none like unto him: neither can any ſtand before him when he appeareth, any more then a glaſſe bottle can ſtand before a Cannon ſhot. O come, let us worſhip, and bow aown, Pſal. 95. let us keel befo[illegible: 1 letter]e this Lord our maker. If we harden our hearts he will harden his hand, and haſten our deſtruction. There's no ſtanding before this Lion, no bearing up ſail in the tempeſt of his wrath: you muſt either be his ſubjects, or his footſtool: either vail to him, or periſh by him. Thine arrows are ſharp i[illegible: 1 letter] the hoa[illegible: 1 letter]t of the kings enemtes, whereby the people ſall under thee, Pſal. 45.5. What a world of miſeries have the refractary Jews ſuffered, and do yet, for rejecting the Lord Jeſus? They might have known out of their own Cabaliſts (beſides D[illegible: 1 letter]ntels ſeventy weeks, and other Scripture-evidences) that the Meſliah was amongſt them: for it is there expreſſely recorded,Vide Malcolin. in Act. 18.28. that Meſſias ſhould come in the time of Hillels diſciples: one of whom was S[illegible: 3 letters]on the [illegible: 1 word], who embraced the child Jeſus in his arms: who alſo foretold that that child was ſet for the [illegible: 1 word] and riſing again of many in Iſrael, and ſo[illegible: 1 letter] a ſigne which ſhoui[illegible: 3 letters] sp[illegible: 1 letter]k[illegible: 1 letter]n againſt, Luk. 2.34, 35. th[illegible: 1 letter]u the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed. And to the ſame purpoſe St. Peter 1 Epiſt. cap. 2. ver. 7, 8. But before them both, Our Prophet here.

For he is like a refiners fire] Intimating, that the times of the Meſſiah would be diſcriminating, ſhedding times: and that he would ſeparate the precious from the vile, the gold from the droſſe, the ſheep from the goats: That Nabal ſhould no more be called Nadib, the vile perſon liberali, the churle bountifull, Eſay 32.5. but that good people ſhould be diſcerned, and honoured; hypocrites detected, and deteſted, as was Judas, Magus, Denias, &c. ſlit up and ſlain by Chriſts two-edged ſword, by his preſence and preaching,. Surely his ſanne is [illegible: 2 letters] his hand, though the devil and his imps would fain wring it out, Auguſtin. Mat. 3.12. Jer 23.20. and he will th[illegible: 1 letter]roughly pur[illegible: 1 letter]ge his [illegible: 1 letter]loo (mali in area nobiſcum eſſe poſſum, in horrco non peſſunt) he will drive the chaff one way, and the wheat another: for what is the chiff to the wheat, ſaith the Lord? he will purifie the ſouls of his Saints, in obeying the truth through the ſpirit, unto unfained love of the brethren, 1 Pet. 1.22. So that they ſhall be united to ſuch, and ſeparated from ſinners. Fire, we know, congregat homog nea, ſegregat heterogenea: for what fellowſhip hath light with darkneſſe? The ſpirit of Chriſt, called a ſpirit of judgement, and of burning, waſheth away (lo here reſiners fire, and ſullers [illegible: 1 word] ) the filth of the daughter of Zion, and purgeth the blood of Jeruſalem from the mideſt thereof, Eſay 4.4. By ſilth and blood underſtand their exceſlive bravery, mentioned chap. 3. which now they had learned to call by another name, ſince their own names were written among the living in Jeruſalem, verſe 3. And here God made good to them that he had promiſed, Chap. 1.25. that he would purely purge away theeir droſſe, and take away all their tinne: and that though their ſinnes were as ſear let, they ſhould be white as [illegible: 1 word]: though red like crimſon, they ſhould be as wooll verſe 18. Fullers [illegible: 1 span], as ſome render it) is of ſingular uſe to fetch out ſtains and ſpots, and to a biter wooll: 5 P[illegible: 1 letter]naria. [illegible: 2 letters]de Puin. lib. 1[illegible: 1 letter]. chap. 3. [illegible: 1 span]. So (much more) is the blood and ſpirit of Chriſt, to whiten ſinfull [illegible: 1 word], and to make men his Candidates. Such were thoſe Corinthians 1 Eph. 6.11. Such were ſome of you, (that is, as bad as bad might be, lepers all over) but ye are waſhed ſc. by that Fuller of ſoules Chriſt Jeſus. And if any ask, How waſhed? It ſollowes, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſt ified in the name, that is, [illegible: 1 word]. by the merit of the Lord Jeſus, and by the ſpirit of our God. The Jews in their Talmud hammer at this, when they queſtion, What is the name of Meſſias? Their anſwer is Hhevara Leprous (ſc. by imputation 2 Cor. 5.[illegible: 1 letter]0. Eſay 53.6.Auguſt. de R[illegible: 2 letters]na in Concil. Baſil. whence alſo he is ſaid by one to be Maximus peccatorum, the greateſt of ſinners) and he ſitteth among the poor in the gates of Rome, carrying their ſickneſſes, according to that, Himſelf took our infirmities, and here our [illegible: 2 letters]kneſſes. There are two things in guilt. 1. The meit and deſert of it [illegible: 1 span] took not. 2. The obligation to puniſhment: this he took, and ſo he [illegible: 1 word], that is, bound to the puniſhment of ſin: which alſo he ſuffered even to the [illegible: 3 letters]ſion of his blood (that true Pactolus, or rather Jordan) whereby he hath cleamed his people from ſins both guiltineſſe and filthineſſe. We have inveterate ſtaines, which will hardly be got out till the cloth be allmoſt rub'd to peeces [illegible: 1 span] leaves ſo cloſe to us,Jer. 1[illegible: 1 letter].13. that fire and fullers ſope is but needfull to ſetch it off. Nature and cuſtome have made our ſpots like that of the Leopard, which no art can cure, no water waſh off: becauſe they are not in the skin only, but in the fleſh and bones, in the ſinews and in the moſt inner parts. Hence David prayeth again and again to be waſhed thorowly, to be purged with hyſſop, to be waſhed and wrung in this fullers ſope of Chriſts blood, and with the clean water of his holy ſpirit. This is the only true Purgatory, the Kings bath, the fountain opened for ſin and for uncleanneſle Zach. 13.1. Here Chriſt waſheth his, not only from outward defilement, but from their ſwiniſh nature: that when waſhed clean they may not, (as elſe they would) wallow in the next guzzle. Here are thoſe ſoveraign mundifying waters of the Sanctuary, which ſo waſh off the corruption of the ulcer, that they cool the heat, and ſtay the ſpred of the infection: and by degrees heal the ſame. Hither poor ſinners need not come as to the poole of Betheſda one by one, but, as Turks to their Mahomet, Papiſts to their Lady, by troops and Caravans, true Chriſtians to their All-ſufficient Saviour, how much more? In that poole of Betheſda, the Prieſts uſed to waſh their ſacrifices; becauſe no unclean thing might come within the Temple.Itinerar. Scrip. pag. 20. The water was of reddiſh colour, and ran into that place in great abundance; and therefore it was called ſaith One, the houſe of effuſion. This ſhadowed out, that every of Chriſts ſheep muſt be waſhed in the poole of his blood, before they can be meet ſacrifices, an offering unto the Lord in righteouſneſſe, as it is in the next verſe. Other blood ſlaines what is waſhed in it: this blood of the ſpotleſſe lambe whiteneth as fuilers ſope, and purifieth from all pollution of fleſh and ſpirit Rev. 7.14. This is he that came by water and blood, even Jeſus Chriſt: not by water only but by water and blood 1 Ioh. 5.6. The Prieſts of the old law were conſecrated firſt with oyle, and then with blood: So was Chriſt, firſt with the ſpirit Eſa. 61.1. and then with his own blood for our benefit.