John Trapp on Malachi 4:6

Verſe 6. And he ſhall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, &c.] John Baptiſts office and efficacie is here deſcribed; He ſhall, as a powerfull inſtrument (by preaching repentance, Mat. 3.2. and prevailing, as he did, with all ſorts, even to admiration; ſo that all men muſed in their hearts, whether he were the Chriſt or not, Luke 3.10, 12, 14, 15.) convert ſinners from the errours of their way, reduce them to the faith of the old Patriarches, make them unanimous in the love of God and of one another, and tye them up together, as it were, by his Baptiſme. For the multitude of beleevers were of one heart and one ſoul, Act. 4.32. (animo animaque inter ſe miſcebantur, as Tertullian phraſeth it) neither was there any controverſie at all amongst them, as One ancient Greek copy ſubjoyneth there. Controverſies there were great ſtore among the Jews, when the Baptiſt came. As Joſeph found his brethren in Dothan, (which ſignifieth Defection) ſo did he. They were all gone out of the way: and, being led aſide by the errour of the wicked, they were fallen from their own ſtedfaſtneſſe. Many ſtrange opinions and dotages they had taken up, and were wofully divided: ſpecially by thoſe three different Sects, Phariſees, Sadduces, and Eſſenes: which the Prophet Zachary calleth three ſhepherds, that were to be deſtroyed in one moneth, at Johns coming, Zach. 11.8. The Phariſees were held the beſt of thoſe three, ſi ad legem respexeris, ſaith Tremellius, if you look to the law: and Saint Paul, who was once a Phariſee of the Phariſees, calleth them the moſt ſtricteſt Sect of the Jewiſh religion, Act. 26.5. (like thoſe diſtrict ſſimi Monachi among the Papiſts:) and yet there were ſeven ſorts of Phariſees,Talm. tract. Suta. cap. 3. as we find in their Talmud. Hence much alienation of affection amongſt them, and great animoſities: father hating ſonne, and ſonne father, for truths ſake, as Mat. 10.35. So powerfull ſhould John be in his Miniſtery, that although the leproſie were gotten into their heads, and were therofore held incurable Lev. 13.44. yet he ſhould tuen the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the diſobedient to the wiſdome of the juſt, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord Luke 1.17. All head-ſtrong and b[illegible: 1 letter]uti[illegible: 1 letter]h affections ſhould be calmed and corrected, as Iſa. 21.6, 7, 8. and the peaceable v. iſdome from above in[illegible: 1 letter]tilled lam. Eph. 4.3. 3.17. ſo that they ſhall indeav[illegible: 1 letter]ur to keep the unity of the ſpirit in the bond of peace. And albeit ſome jarrs may fall out (a betwixt Paul and Barnabas) yet Gods people can ſoon pecce again, and reunite.Job. Worver. in Polymath. Ʋt [illegible: 1 word] percuſſus non laeditur, into no dividitur quid[illegible: 1 letter]m, ſed reſundit [illegible: 1 letter]eſ[illegible: 1 letter], & ſpiſſior redit &c. As the ayre divided by a ſtone or ſtroke, ſoon cloſeth and thickencth the more. Certainly, there is no ſuch oneneſſe, and entireneſſe any where as among the ſaints: their love is ſpirituall Cant. 6.9. The very Heathen[illegible: 1 letter] acknowledged that no people in the world, did hold together and love one another ſo as Chriſtians did. Tacitus obſerveth of the Jews, that there was miſericordia in promptu apud ſuos, but contra om[illegible: 2 letters]s alios hoſtile odium, mercy enough for their own countreymen amongſt them, but hoſtile hatred againſt all others: they uſe to ſay, that there is no Gentile but deſerves to have his head bruiſed &c. But John Baptiſt by hi[illegible: 1 letter] preaching made Jewiſh Phariſees, and Roman ſoubliers (according to the phraſe that Joſephus uſeth of him) to convent, and knit together in baptiſ[illegible: 1 letter]ne. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Anti[illegible: 1 letter]dib. 18. cap 7.

[illegible: 1 word] I conte and ſinite the earth with a curſe] that is, leſt coming I ſmite &c. For there is no doubt to be made of his coming: and as little of his ſmiting, if men amend not. Theſe words menace as many as reſiſted Iohns miniſtry, with utte[illegible: 1 letter] deſtruction; whether it be done againſt the whole nation, or againſt a m[illegible: 2 letters] only. Iob 34.29. The Romans came and took amay both their place and their Nation: not for le[illegible: 2 letters]ng Chriſt alone (as they feared Iob. 11.48.) but for laying wicked hands upon him, and putting to death the Lorn or life. Act. 2.23. Iohn alſo preached damnation to them Mat 3. and ſo did our Saviour A[illegible: 1 letter]at. 23. where by eight dreadfull woes, as by ſo many links of an adamantine chain, he drawes choſe irreformable hypoerites down to hell, their place: and th[illegible: 1 letter]n l[illegible: 1 letter]aves them to be reſerved unto judgement. S. Jerome wa[illegible: 1 letter] called [illegible: 1 span] the Churchthunderbolt. Mr. Perkins was a moſt ca[illegible: 2 letters]ſt preacher, and would pr[illegible: 1 letter]n unce the word Damne with ſuch an Emphaſis, M. Fullers Holy State 90. as leſt a [illegible: 1 span] in his Auditouts eares a good while after. And when, Catechiſt of Chriſt-co[illegible: 2 letters]eage, [illegible: 1 word] p[illegible: 1 letter]unding the commandernents he applyed them ſo home, that he made his hearers hearts ſall down, and their hairs to ſtand opright almoſt. And ſurely this [illegible: 1 word] the way to work upon hard-harted ſinners: whence the Apoſtle bids T[illegible: 1 letter]ns rebuke with all aut[illegible: 1 letter]o[illegible: 1 letter]ty: and then turning him to the people (as Carvin ſ[illegible: 3 letters]th it) chang th [illegible: 2 letters]em not to deſpiſe him for ſo doing. Tit. 1.15. The Apeille knew well that men are, for moſt part, of delicate eares: and can [illegible: 1 word] abide plain dealing. Ahab hates Mic[illegible: 1 letter]iah, and hath him in priſon, ever ſince that creadſull denunciation of diſpleaſore and death, for diſmiſſing Benhadad (for he was, probably, that diſguiſed P[illegible: 1 letter]ophet:) for which he was ever ſince ſaſt in priſ[illegible: 1 letter]n, deep in diſgrace. But truth muſt be ſpoken, how ever it be [illegible: 2 letters]ken: and thoſe that will not be pricked at heart as Act. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 2. [illegible: 1 letter]ut take up bucklers to ward oſſ the blow, muſt have the ſword of the ſpirit ſheathed in their bowels, and b[illegible: 1 letter]thed in their blood: for mall this we are a ſweet ſavour unto God 2 Cor. 2.15. yea though a ſavour of death unto death. The barren earth muſt be ſmitten with cu[illegible: 1 letter]ſing, and they that minde earthly things (Terra autem ſunt, qui terrona ſapiunt, ſai[illegible: 2 letters] A ſbon) have damnation for their end, De civ Deil. 20. c. 29. ſo that St. Paul cannot ſpeak of them [illegible: 1 word] teares of comp[illegible: 1 letter]ssion Philip. 3.18, 19. Oh that it might expreſſe from them teares of compunction! Oh that they would be forewarned to ſlee from the wrath to come ! Oh that they would think upon eternity, and by breaking [illegible: 1 letter]f[illegible: 1 letter] their ſins, diſarme Gods indignation juſtly conceived againſt them. He therefore threateneth that he may not ſmite: he proceed, not to puniſh till there be no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16. Crudelem medicum intemperans aeger ſacit: An un[illegible: 2 letters]ly patient makes a cruell Phyſician. O that we could all reſolve to deal by our ſins as Levis King of Fiance did by the Popes Bulls (whereby he required the fruits of vacancies of all Cathedrall Churches of France,Speed. 496. about the year 1152.) he caſt them into the fire, ſaying, he had rather the Popes Bulls ſhould reſtin the fire, then his own ſoul ſhould fiy in heil.

For a percloſe of all, take an obſervation of Amamas, and before him of Baxtorfes: that in many Hebrew Bibles, the laſt verſe ſave one of this Propeſy (as alſo of Eccleſiaſtes, Iſaiah, and Lamentations) is repeated again in the end thereof, though without pricks, leſt any thing ſhould be thought added to Gods word. Factum hoc ex Scriharum decreto &c. This the ſcribes thought fit to do, either for the dignity of thoſe repeated verſes, that the Reader might again ruminate and remind them: or elſe (as ſome will have it) becauſe all thoſe bookes end in threatenings and ſad ſpeeches. And therefore, leſt the Sun of Righteouſneſſe ſhould ſeem to ſet in a cloud, or not to ſhine upon the departing paſſenger, they thought ſit to leave the verſe before to be laſt; as being ſweet and full of comfort, that the Reader might Sampſon-like, goe his way, feeding on that hony-comb.