Commentary on Malachi, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 4
VERS. IV.
And ye ſhall know, that I have ſent this commandement unto you, that my covenant which I made with Levi, might ſtand, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes.
ANd yee ſhall know.] The Prophet proceedeth to the cauſes of this condemnation. Theſe are three: the firſt is, becauſe they had neglected their care of Gods worſhip, not of any ignorance, but againſt their knowledge: for they knew that the dutie belonged to them, and the commandment was to them. For thus it is to be read: For you know.
Doctrine. 1 Their ſinne is the greater, and deſerveth the more puniſhment, who have the knowledge what they ought to do, and yet follow their corrupt affections, then theirs which know not.
Now the knowledge here ſpoken of, is of two things: of their dutie, and what they ought to do; and of their dignity, and what God had beſtowed upon them. And both makes their ſinne the greater, becauſe they have gone againſt their owne knowledge, and Gods kindneſſe. That though God had beſtowed great bleſſings upon them, they had forgot it, though they knew it, and were unthankfull unto him.
Doctrine 2 Unthankfulneſſe is a ſinne, when men do not anſwer Gods love as he hath had care and dealt liberally with them. vide Chap. 1. verſe 2.
I ſend this commandment unto you, that my covenant might ſtand.] They muſt performe, that is their parts; or elſe he would performe no covenant with them.
Doctrine 3 God will not, neither is bound to performe covenant with man to give him any thing he hath promiſed, whether ſpirituall or temporall, of this life, or that is to come, unleſſe he performe his covenant and conditions. The covenant of God is either generall or ſpeciall. The generall, either legall or Evangelicall. All which requires the conditions to be performed on mans part, if he would have God performe; or elſe, &c. Levit. 18.5. Gal. 3.11. Mark. 16.16. 1 Sam. 2.30. 2 Chron. 15.2.
Reaſon 1 Becauſe their not performing, frees him from his promiſe, and bindes him not to performe it, to give ſuch good things to ſuch unworthy fedifragies, covenant breakers; not to give, as it were, the childrens bread to dogs.
Reaſon 2 When they performe, he will becauſe he is moſt faithfull that hath promiſed, and can neither lye nor deceive, he being true, and Truth it ſelfe.
Object. Rom. 3.3.4. For what though ſome did not beleeve? ſhall their unbeliefe make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, and every man a lyer, as it is written, That thou mighteſt be juſtified in thy words, and overcome when thou art judged. Then will he performe when man doth not.
Anſwer. That will not follow from this, which is manifeſt thus: The Apoſtle asketh the queſtion: Whereas many of the Jewes were unfaithfull, and covenant breakers, whether their infidelity ſhould abrogate and make void the covenant of God, that he ſhould ſhew no fruit of it among them: and, as man, ſhould break his promiſe, and performe to none that which was promiſed to all. He anſwereth, that cannot be; but howſoever the greater part of them had broken covenant, with whom he might juſtly breake, and would, yet his covenant ſhould have his full force and efficacie; though not in all, yet in the Nation: becauſe there was ever ſome good men among that people; who believed the promiſes, and lived uncorruptly and holily; therefore in them, and to them ſhould that be performed which was promiſed. Shewing, that the wickedneſſe of a multitude ſhall not make the promiſe of God void, and of none effect; but he will perform them to the beleevers, and they who performe conditions, though they be but a very few. And ſo the place makes for the point, not againſt it.
Object. Many enjoy Gods bleſſings, and never perform the condition, but live wickedly and prophanely.
Anſwer. They enjoy not the bleſſing of eternity, neither ever ſhall: and as for temporall things, they may enjoy them, but not any bleſſing by them: it were better for them to be without them; for they increaſe their ſinne, and are but fed and ſuſtained by them for the ſlaughter, as the damned are by Gods power to endure his wrath and puniſhment.
Vſe 1 If in our obſervation we finde, that many promiſes God hath made, are not performed to our ſelves, or others. As there are many other things which may be anſwered for clearing and acquitting the truth and fidelity of God, in this kinde; eſpecially in temporall things; he gives ſpirituall, an ounce of which is better then many a pound of the other. And if he breaks not, that promiſeth ſilver, and gives the greater ſumme in gold: ſo not God. If he promiſe deliverance, and gives patience under the croſſe, which is better for the ſufferer, he ſtill performes, becauſe ſuch things had thoſe exceptions: And ſo in many other things, but this eſpecially, when the good things promiſed are not performed, the cauſe is in our ſelves and other men, why they are not performed, and not in God; becauſe we performe not conditions. And this being, makes us, not him, covenant-breakers, who have made our ſelves uncapable, and unworthy of his bleſſings, and ſo have freed him from his promiſe, by our breaking with him. Now he that is freed, cannot breake covenant, though he do not the thing before covenanted.
Ʋſe 2 To let us ſee the folly of thoſe men who thinke to have Gods promiſes performed unto them, and him to keep covenant with them; and in many things make no doubt but he hath done, and in future times aſſure themſelves he will, when they neither have done, nor yet endevour to keep any covenant with him. If the former be true, do they not deceive themſelves? and are they not (though how wiſe ſoever in other things, yet in this) ſtark fools? For if he be a foole, that becauſe he hath the word, or the bond of a good man, one able, and that never broke for the payment of a thouſand pounds at ſuch a time, and ſuch a place, but upon condition he performe ſuch a ſervice, or effect ſuch a worke, to lay his whole ſtate and his whole condition upon that, that it will be performed in the ſame time and place; and yet he never go about to perform the conditions at all, or as it ſhould be performed; were he not a foole? Sure in all your judgements he were very unwiſe. And yet, alas! how many fools and unwiſe men have we, who deale thus, lay all upon Gods fidelitie, and performe nothing themſelves at all? As if God muſt needs performe, becauſe he had promiſed, and could not be faithfull, unleſſe he did perform, when they keep no condition. Many a man deluded by Satan, and his owne ſecure heart, perſwades himſelfe God hath been mercifull unto him, and forgiven him his ſins, though he never came truly to ſee ſinne, nor to ſorrow for ſinne, nor forſake and reforme his corruptions, wherein true repentance conſiſteth, and which is the condition on mans part, if ever he would have God take away his ſinne, and put them out of his remembrance. Many one thinkes God had performed his covenant of temporall things, becauſe he is in the middeſt of abundance, and hath his barnes full, and his bagges full, and every where findes he increaſeth, though he never made any conſcience of his wayes, and the workes of God; but at beſt lived but civilly, and kept his credit with men: and ſees not that he is deceived, & ſees that theſe are but things that are common things, wherewith he is but fatted for the ſhambles, and ſuch as are reſerved for his evill. And for time to come many doubt not but they ſhall obtaine great things in this life, and that God will give them honour, and favour, and riches and abundance, though, they never keepe condition with him. Fools and blinde, who know they cannot live, except they eate; not reap, except they ſow; not recover health, except they uſe phyſicke, and the means appointed: And yet thinke, without performing the grand meanes and condition with God, they ſhall have what he hath promiſed; and ſo happily they may: But as Iſrael had a King in Gods wrath, and quails in his diſpleaſure: And as the Phyſitian gives his patient liberty to eate what he liſt, when he is out of all hope, and deſpaires of ever recovering him. Many a man perſwades himſelfe that God will ſave him, though he never was able to performe the condition of the Law, neither ever endevoured to performe the condition of the Goſpell. Truly this is not to beleeve, but deceive himſelfe with an opinion of faith, he neither having the knowledge of the promiſes, the ground of it, nor workes the anſwerable fruits of it. And ſo hath but a vaine, fooliſh, and dead faith. But he ſhall know his folly, when God ſhall manifeſt unto him, that he is not bound to perform promiſe, becauſe he never kept condition.
Ʋſe 3 To teach every man that hath any deſire that God ſhould performe covenant with him, to endevour to performe conditions with God.*Cum dominus promittit ne dubites ſed illa fac, per quae tales attrahere poteris promiſſiones. Chry. hom. 25. ad popul. Anti. He muſt firſt ſeek to know what they are God requires of him, and then do them: for without that he cannot do. And his ſearching for knowledge muſt not onelyonly be for the generall, but for the particulars of his place, what command is ſent to him; and then faithfully do it, that Gods covenant may ſtand: We muſt repent, beleeve and obey the Goſpell and Commandments of God: For it is godlineſſe that hath the promiſes, and ſhall have the performance. Let ſuch a one remember, 1 Tim. 4.8. and Prov. 21.21. Yea, he may aſſure himſelfe, that if he apply himſelf to that which God requireth of him, and he hath covenanted for, he ſhall be ſure to finde him that hath been a willing promiſer, a moſt faithfull performer. For parum erat promiſsio, etiam ſcripto ſe teneri voluit, Aug. in Pſal. 119. And ſo no good thing that he hath promiſed ſhall faile, but ſhall all be made good, Joſhua 22.15.
My covenant with Levi,] Here is the honour and dignity he had beſtowed upon them, having made a ſpeciall agreement and covenant with them.
Doctrine. The Lord hath ſpecially honoured his meſſengers and ſervants the Prieſts in the old, and the Miniſters in the new Teſtament: for he hath not onelyonly made the generall covenant with them. I will be their God, they my people; but hath made a particular and ſpeciall agreement and covenant with them: So here, and Numb. 8.13.14. Thou ſhalt ſet the Levites before Aaron, and before his ſons, and offer them as a ſhake offering to the Lord. Thus thou ſhalt ſeparate the Levites from among the children of Iſrael, and the Levites ſhall be mine. 1 Sam. 2.28. And I choſe him out of all the tribes of Iſrael to be my Prieſt, to offer upon mine Altar, and to burn Incenſe and to weare an Ephod before me; and I gave unto the houſe of thy father, all the offerings made by fire of the children of Iſrael. Joh. 15.15. 2 Cor. 3.6.
Reaſon 1 Becauſe they are of his privy counſell, and know his ſecret. Amos 3.7. Surely the Lord God will doe nothing, but he revealeth his ſecrets unto his ſervants the Prophets. Privy counſellours are ſpecially honoured and have a particular covenant made with them.
Reaſon, 2 Becauſe they are his meſſengers, his embaſſadours, 2 Cor. 5.20. they are ſpecially honoured, and new ſworne, a new covenant.
Ʋſe 1 No reaſon why the great and rich men of the world ſhould contemne the miniſtry for their children, as too baſe a thing, and not fit for their ſonnes, when as God hath thus honoured it, and taken them ſo neere unto himſelfe. In reſpect of which, Amos, who was beleeved to be the brother of Azariah, the King of Judah, thought it no baſe thing his ſonne ſhould be a Prophet; neither Chriſt himſelfe to be a preacher.
Vſe 2 This may be a caveat for men to take heede how they abuſe or injure the miniſters who are ſo neere unto him, and whom he hath thus honoured: certainly they ought to honour him, though it goe againſt the haire, and ſtomacke with them, as with Haman, becauſe he would have them honoured; but if not, but they abuſe and diſgrace them, and uſe them as the Ammonites did Davids ſervants: Let them take heede they ſtinke not in his noſtrils; for if Princes be tender hearted and ſtone affected, with the injuries of their common ſubjects, and will revenge them; what will they doe for their counſellours, their embaſſadours? And yet meane men will now abuſe them in words, and contemne as farre as they can for the law of man; if they ſing not placentia, if they teach croſſe to their humours; but their portion is with the Lord, and ſo is theirs who ſo abuſe them. And one day they ſhall both know whether is better to reprove and lift up his voyce and ſpare not, or to ſpare and reforme nothing.
Ʋſe 3 It may comfort the miniſter againſt contempt when he is faithfull, yet to be ſtill ſo, and bold, remembring his honour God hath given him, which is better then all the honour man can affoord. And though men may thinke their faithfulneſſe may hinder them from honour, as Balaak ſaid to Balaam, Numb. 24.11. Therefore now flee unto thy place, I thought ſurely to promote thee to honour, but loe, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour yet it is not ſo: for that is the true honour which God gives, and will give, and no man can take, and they ought as it is 2 Cor. 3.12. ſeeing they have ſuch hope, to uſe boldneſſe of ſpeech.
Vſe 4 This may teach what manner of men Miniſters ought to be, how ſanctified, of what puritie and integritie, ſeeing God hath taken them to be ſo … unto himſelfe: therefore ought they to be carefull that offer them to God, and they that receive them when they offer; and when they receive, not for favour, or money, or kindred, or any ſuch thing. A man will be marvellous carefull whom he commendeth but for a common ſervant to a mean man his friend, more, to a Prince; moſt, to be ſo nigh to him. If the Steward of a houſe be permitted and truſted to admit ſuch as are fit, how carefull will he be? If the Preſident of a Princes Councell to take in ſuch as are able men, how vigilant and inquiſitive will he be, that they be ſuch as be competent for the place: So ſhould it be in this, the like care ſhould be had, and wo unto him that hath not. And men that are in the place, ought to looke marvellous carefully to their converſation, & to keep themſelves holy. It was taught, Lev. 22.2. ad 10. how unblemiſhed the Prieſt ſhould be: for if the whole people muſt be holy, more they. And if they muſt be darefull of their offering and ſacrifices, more of themſelves. And if they be not, then ought authoritie, like Aſhpenaz; Dan. 1.3.4.5. to chuſe out the moſt unblemiſhed, and looke to them, and ſuffer not them to be good fellows, gameſters, and ſuch like.
Covenant with Levi.] They took not this calling to themſelves, but were choſen to it of God, and he made the agreement and covenant with them.
Doctrine. None may take this calling upon them, to be Gods Miniſters, Gods Meſſengers, and to meddle in theſe ſpirituall things, which are proper to the Miniſters, but he that is called of God, and with whom God hath made this covenant. The affirmative inferres the negative. Hereto belongs that, Numb. 1.51. and 16.10. and 4.15.20. Ezra 2.62.63. Heb. 5.4. This made the Apoſtles ever avouch their calling, Gal. 1.1. Jam. 1.1. Pet. 1.1. Hereto is that Rom. 10.15. There are three kindes of callings, when men are called by men, and not by God, as firſt, all reachers: Secondly of God by Miniſtery of the Word, all ordinary Miniſterie: Thirdly, by Chriſt immediately, as Apoſtles, Gal. 1.1. The firſt to be abhorred, the third to be admired, the ſecond to be expected of all in an ordinary planted Church, Rom. 10.15. The calling is double, or hath two parts; the firſt inward ability for gifts, and aptneſſe for minde, willingneſſe and abilitie. The ſecond is outward, the calling by man, and the Church. Hereto belongs the deſcriptions of a Biſhops and Miniſters, ſet out by Saint Paul 1. Tim. 3.2. whereto elſe may it tend? if every one may intrude himſelfe into the Church and the calling, without the call of it, and that, 1 Tim. 5.22.
Reaſon 1 Becauſe it is a ſin unto them who ſhall, and a curſe belongs to them for medling with things that are holy, when they are not ſeparated and appointed for them. They are thereby liable to Gods judgements, as was Vzzah, 1 Chron. 13.10. and Vzziah, 2 Chron. 26.18.19.
Reaſon. 2 Becauſe elſe the Church ſhould be too much burdened: for when as, 1 Tim. 5.17. The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour; Therefore many for ambition and eaſe would chalenge the Miniſtery, and take it upon them for the honours ſake.
Reaſon 3 Becauſe, 1 Cor. 14.40. Let all things be done decently and in order. Therefore muſt there be a calling and chuſing of them by the Church: for the other is to make all confuſion and diſorder.
Vſe 1 This ſerves to confute all Anabaptiſticall dreames, who contemne all ordinary callings, vocations, and thinke that every man may at his pleaſure, and when he liſt, take this calling, and thoſe Eccleſiaſticall functions upon them. For if this be found and true, that muſt needs be falſe and corrupt, that any ſhould take any part of this calling, without warrant from God, and beſides the order that God hath appointed. Yet I deny not but there is a difference where a Church is not yet planted, where every one that knowes Chriſt may preach him, and labour to gaine others that are ignorant of Chriſtian religion, and are not to look for an ordinary ordination. For then is he choſen by the ſilent ſuffrages and voices of thoſe who heare, and that is his calling; yet is he not to refuſe the ordinary calling, if after it be to be had. But when a Church is already planted; and eſtabliſhed; becauſe all things muſt bee done in order, then is required an apparant ordination by voyces or impoſition of hands; that trouble and confuſion might be avoided. Neither do I deny, but ſometime there is an extraordinary function, as were the Prophets, not of the Leviticall ſtocke, not ordained of the Prieſts, which God ſtirred up, when ordinary Miniſters could not reforme the corruptions of the time; but what he did extraordinarily, is to be admired rather then imitated: For we muſt follow the preſcript rule that is given us, which is, that every man have his ordinary calling which is from God by men.
Object. 1 Cor. 16.15. Now brethren, I beſeech you, know ye the houſe of Stephanus, that it is the firſt fruits of Achaia, and that they have given themſelves to miniſter unto the Saints.
Anſwer. The meaning is not, that they called themſelves, but that they ſet themſelves apart to the Miniſterie of the Saints, in the purpoſe & reſolution of their owne hearts, and not contemning or neglecting the calling of God by the Church.
Ʋſe 2 To let private men and women ſee their danger in medling with thoſe things which are proper to the Miniſter, when they have not a calling to it. If Vzzah if Vzziah were ſmitten, how ſhall they eſcape? whether they can pretend the authority of the Church, as in the Romiſh Church they can, for women to baptize, yet ſhall they not eſcape for excuſe of neceſſitie; it will not ſerve, becauſe that it is not from God, but it is from mans folly, or ignorance. If it be objected, that it is not then a Sacrament which is given by them, when they have no authoritie to deliver a Sacrament; I anſwer: yes, for the Seale is the Princes, though ſome other then the Lord Keeper ſet it to by ſome indirect dealing. And though ſuch a Miniſter ſinne in dealing with the Word and Sacraments, yet are they ſuch to the hearer and receiver. Againe, that which S. Auguſtine *Vera ſacramenta licet non veri miniſtri quia dant non ſua, ſed Dei, Aug. lib. 2. cont. Peril.hath in his ſecond book againſt Petill. They are true Sacraments though they are not true Miniſters; becauſe what they give is not their owne, but Gods.
Vſe 3 To teach every man to be ſure, that he hath a calling of God to the Miniſtery before he take it upon him, that he may be able to ſay, as Jer. 7.16. I have not thruſt in my ſelfe for a Paſtor after thee; neither have I deſired the day of miſery; thou knoweſt that which came out of my lips was right before thee. His calling is his inward gifts and conſcience, abilitie and care to uſe them; and the outward calling of the Church, 1 Tim. 3.10. For without this may he not do it, though he be never ſo excellent, as it is dangerous for him to meddle with this without the other. And if his gifts be inferiour to many, or as it may be but in his owne ſenſe: yet if it be the judgement of others, he may not by modeſty or ſhamefaſtneſſe refuſe, though at firſt he may profeſſe what he thinketh of himſelfe: yet if they will not change, then muſt he yeeld and ſubmit himſelfe.