Commentary on Malachi, Summary – Commentary
The Summe or Argument of the whole Propheſie.
THE Iſraelites provoked to anger and heavy diſpleaſure by their ſinnes the Monarch of the whole world: Wherefore he being thus diſpleaſed, ſent againſt them Nebuchadnezar, who tooke them, and carried the King, his Princes and the whole people into Babel, after that he had ſpoyled their ſtately Temple, deſtroy'd their ſtrong Walls, and laid waſte Jeruſalem it ſelfe; where they endured 70. yeares exile and baniſhment: which yeares expired, they were againe brought to their Countrey, when and where better things were expected from them, both in way of thankefulneſſe, and in remembrance of their former Captivity, leſt a worſe thing ſhould afterwards befall them. But they forgetfull of former things, both beatings & benefits, as children are, returned to their ſinnes, polluted the Divine worſhip, gave themſelves to divers vices, began to make marriages with Infidels, againe embraced Polygamy, took up the cuſtome of giving bills of divorce, committed ſacriledges, caſt out ſtrange contempts againſt God, and blaſphemies: By all which the Lord being againe provoked, ſent the Prophet Malachy to reprove them ſharply, and to threaten them ſeverely with certaine new judgments, and to the impenitent certaine & finall deſtruction; yet in the meane time cheering up the good with comforts, provoking them to Repentance, perſwading them to faith in Chriſt, refreſhing them with many ſweet promiſes.
Now it is no hard thing to make the Compariſon, and apply theſe things to our times, that it may appeare, the handling of this is no unfit thing, but apt to the time.
For the ſinnes of the Land God was diſpleaſed, and gave over the people to captivity (though in their owne Land ſomewhat leſſe than this, yet it was) both of body and ſoule to a new Nebuchadnezar, which makes it the greater, the Church and ſpirituall Jeruſalem much defaced, the Reliques of it partly put to flight, partly to the fire. But ſee how good God was, after a time he brought againe our Captivity. After which he looked for better things from us, and haply had them while the benefit was freſh, and the bondage yet felt. But ſee, theſe are worne out of minde, and we againe have committed great ſins againſt God, by which we juſtly have provoked Gods indignation againſt us, yea and alas, we ceaſe not to provoke it; for how great contempt of the ſervice of God is there in every place? what prophaneneſſe? what corruption of manners? what unfaithfulneſſe in covenant breaking? what uncleaneneſſe in marriage? what horrible oaths? what fearefull perjuries? what execrable blaſphemies againſt the Higheſt? not in meane perſons, but of the higheſt rankes; not in Countries only, but in famous Cities; not in meane mens Cottages onelyonly, but in noble mens places and Palaces, in Church and Common-wealth: ſo that the Lord may ſay to us, as he ſaid to Iſrael by Malachy, Chap. 1.6. becauſe neither honour nor feare be performed to him. So that not onelyonly juſt are thoſe plagues that are come upon us, peſtilence to the body now almoſt three yeares, and famine to the ſoule begun, and threatned more, but alſo particular & generall judgments. Whatſoever is in this Propheſie, may juſtly both be threatned and executed upon us; when it is juſt with God, where like ſins are, to bring upon them like puniſhments.
This is the reaſon of my choyſe, as alſo the ſumme and argument of this Propheſie.
The parts of it are divers. After the Inſcription, or Preface, we have,
1. Expoſtulations with the people and Prieſts touching their great and grievous ſins.
2. Threatnings of puniſhments deſerved by them.
3. Propheſies of the calling of the Gentiles, and the comming of Chriſt.
4. Exhortations to Repentance, and exerciſe of the duties of piety.
All which are to be found promiſcuouſly, and intermixed one with another; the particular reſolution of which is better in their place, and more profitable, than now to ſpend time in pointing out every particular where it is to be found.
The time when this Propheſie was written, is, in generall, after they were returned from their captivity; more ſpeciall, after Hagge and Zachary, the two Prophets of the Church, and yet more, after the building and finiſhing the Temple about ſome 24. yeares:Ezra 6. for it was built in the ſixt yeare of Darius King of Perſia. Hagge and Zachary the ſecond yeare of Darius, (after ſome 41. yeares interruption of the worke, all the time of Artaſhaſhte or Artaxerxes Longimanus) propheſied, and perſwaded the people to build it; who by the favour and exhibition of the King did finiſh the worke in his ſixth yeare, who reigned in all 30, after the finiſhing of the Temple 24. After whoſe dayes, in the time of Artaxerxes, Darius his ſucceſſour, our Prophet began to propheſie, being the laſt of all ſuch as did propheſie till the fore-runner of Chriſt John the Baptiſt.