Commentary on the Minor Prophets, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. The Text opened and analyzed.
THAT which was anciently ſpoken of Iohn Baptuſt, who was more then a Prophet, aMath. 11.9.may not unfitly be applyed to Malachy the laſt of Prophets,bProphetarum ultimum & veluti ſigillum &c. Petrus à Figuiero proaem in Mal. Judaei in hujus prophaeta obitum collocant. foreign id eſi obfignationem proplietrae. In ejus locum ſucceſſiſſe aixnt foreign filam voci…, id eſt, oraculum divinum, quo poſt prophetarwn tempo a dicunt ſuiſſe revelata futura. Alſted. Chron. that he is the boundary cMalachias à Terrulliano limes in tervetus & novum Teſtam. vocatur, ad quem deſineret Judaiſmus, & à que inciperet chriſtianiſmusand buckle dIoh Baptiſta fuit ut ita dicam legis & gratiae fibula Chryſolof the Law and Goſpel, the golden girdle that knitsup and ties together thoſe two breſts of Conſolation eIf. 66.11.the old and new Teſtament: between the which he ſeemes to lie as a bundle of Myrrhe, or cluſter of Camphire, the ſweet ſcent whereof fills the whole houſe of God, f1 Tim. 3. 15.and greatly affects all ſuch as have their ſenſes habitually exerciſed to diſcern both good and evill gHeb. 5.1. Summa libri eſt, quòd cùm Judaei nuper reverſi eſſent in patriam, ſtatim ſimul redieru… ad ingenium: & immemores gratiae dei, ita ſe dediderant multis corruptelis, ut nihilo melior eſſe…ſtatus eorum, quam patrum antè ſuerat, quaſi Deus operam luſiſſet caſtigando corum ſcclera. Calvin. in Malach. proem.Such were theſe good ſoules, the ſubject of our text. Reſerv'd they were to thoſe laſt and loſeſt times of the Jewiſh Church after the return from Babylon; where it ſeemes their ſeventy years captivity had not much mended the moſt of them: h ſuch (alaſſe) is the hardneſſe of mens hearts, that till the Spirit mollify and make them mallcable, Afflictions (Gods hammers) do but beat cold iron. Little good is done, nay much hurt by accident: for unſanctified perſons grow worſe with afflictions, as water more cold after a heat: witneſſe theſe proud miſereants that gave the occaſion of this text. Gods correcting hand had laine long time ſore upon them, to turn them from their enterprizes, and to hide pride from their hearts iIob. 33.17.. But he had not his end upon this untoward generation, Cohaerence.nor they the beſt uſe of this affliction. Witneſſe their words above the text, where they ſtand ſtouting it out with the Lord of Hoſts ver. ver. 13.13. and ſtick not to charge him with deep oſcitancy, and forlorne neglect of his beſt ſervants, ver. 14. yea with flat iniquity, and moſt unequall adminiſtation of his earthly kingdome.14. For now we call the proud happy, ſay they, and thoſe that work wickedneſſe are ſet up, yea they that tempt God are even delivered. As who ſhould ſay,15. Surely there is no reward for the rightcous: verily there is not a God that doth judge in the earth. Either things are not ordered by a divine providence, but left at randome, and let run at ſixes and ſevens, as it happens: or elſe, there is not an equall hand held over the ſons of men, but partiality, and unrig hteouſneſſe found with the judge of all the earth: kGen. 18.25.whiles the proud thus tempt God, and trample upon his people, and are not only not puniſht, but even preferr'd for their labour. Thus they in their madneſſe ſet their mouthes againſt heaven, lPſal. 73.9.and ſpare not deſpitefully to ſpit their venome in the face of God himſelf. At the bearing of which abhorred blaſphemies,‖Mirum videtur coelum hoc dicto non ſudare, terram hiare, mare non conuno veri &c Cart. Hiſt. Xpti. I wonder, if the heavens did not ſwear, the Sun bluſh, the Earth wax weary of her burthen, and Hell gape wide and enlarge her ſelf, mEſay 5.14.for theſe prodigious Atheiſts, theſe Gyants‖foreign. Act. 5.39. & 23, 9. theſe monſtrous men of condition. I am ſure the Godly of theſe times were much affected with it, and met often about it; not without a great deal of good conference, and much holy duty perform'd, on all hands, to that God with whom they found all beſt audience and acceptance for the preſent, together with a promiſe of fuller and further reward for the future, to the comſort of his people, and conſuſion of his enemies. 16. The they that feared the Lord, ſpake often one to another: and the Lord harkened and heard it, and there was a booke of remembrance written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his Name. 17. And they ſhall be mine, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts &c.
The words preſent unto us
1. aduty performed: ſet forth
1. in the circumſtances.
1. of time, Then
2. of perſons, they that
feared the Lord.
thought upon his Name.
2. in the ſubſtance, they ſpake often one to another
2. A mercy returned: and that's double.
1. Gods grcious acceptation, in that for
preſent, he regards what they did, the Lord harkened, and heard is.
future, he records it; And a booke of remembrance was written &c.
2. his righteous retribution of
1. Mercy to his people, reſpecting.
1. their perſons which
1. own, they ſhall be mine &c.
2. honour, in the day when I make up my Jewels.
he will
2. their performances, I will ſpare them, as a man ſpareth his owne ſon that ſorveth him.
2. Judgment to his enemies: ver. 18. Then ſhall ye return, and diſcern &c.