Commentary on Malachi, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 13
VERS. XIII.
Your words have been ſtout againſt me, ſaith the Lord: yet yee ſay, What have we ſpoken againſt thee?
YOur words have been ſtout againſt me.] Your words have been ſtout againſt me, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts. The Prophet proceedeth to reprove this people of another ſinne, and to expoſtulate the thing with them. The ſinne of it is, the denying of Gods providence, both over the evill and good; not puniſhing the one, and not providing for the other. This people afflicted of God with penury, and want, for other of their ſinnes, but eſpecially for ſpoiling God, his Levits and Church, they thought and ſpoke blaſphemouſly againſt God; but accuſing his providence, as not regarding thoſe who worſhip and profeſſe him, but ſuch as diſhonoured him, and were wicked, and never would they accuſe themſelves of their ſinnes: which is that he ſaith, their words have been great againſt him, they ſpoke hard and odious things of him, as the words following ſhew, that theſe were they.
Yet yee ſay, What have we ſpoken againſt thee?] They anſwer for themſelves, not denying ſimply that they had ſpoken any ſuch thing, but putting God to his proofe, as thinking that he did not know nor underſtand; as thoſe who had oftentimes ſaid among themſelves, that God regarded not the things here below, neither tooke notice of what men did: Therefore this queſtion of theirs tendeth not to any deniall of the deed, but to the tempting of God: For if hee could not, or did not anſwer directly, and ſhew them what they had ſaid; then would they conclude, as before they had, that he did not regard nor underſtand the things that were ſaid and done by men: which if he did, then could he tell in particular what words they had ſpoken againſt him, and not thus inſiſt in the generall.
Doctrine Your words have been ſtout.] Obſerve:
God takes notice of the words of men, as well as their actions, and will reprove them for them, and call them to an account and judge them, Jam. 2.12.
Your words have been ſtout againſt me.] They deny the providence of God, and his wiſe diſpoſing of things upon earth among men, as the verſes following ſhew; and ſo are accuſed to have ſpoken againſt God himſelfe, though they have not denied him, or blaſphemed him.
Doctrine They who deny the providence of God, and his governing of things here below, do ſpeak proudly, and wickedly againſt God; ſpecially if they deny his providence and government in diſpoſing the ſtates and affaires of men. This is the ſinne theſe are chalenged withall. Such was that which we have, Pſal. 73.11. And they ſay, How doth God know it? or is there knowledge in the moſt High? If it be referred to the tenth verſe, it is the infirmitie of Gods people: if to the ninth, it is the pride of the wicked. In either, it is a ſinne againſt God. And that, Pſal. 94.4.5.6.7. They prate and ſpeake fiercely: all the workers of iniquitie vaunt themſelves, they ſmite downe thy people, O Lord, and trouble thine heritage: they ſlay the widow and the ſtranger, and murther the fatherleſſe; yet they ſay, The Lord ſhall not ſee, neither will the God of Iacob regard it. Such were they, Zeph. 1.12. And at that time will I ſearch Jeruſalem with lights, and viſit the men that are frozen in their dregges, and ſay in their hearts, The Lord will neither do good, nor do evill. Job. 22.13.14. But thou ſayeſt, How ſhould God know? Can he judge through the darke cloud? The clouds hide him that he cannot ſee, and hee walketh in the circle of heaven. Ezek. 9.9. Then ſaid he unto me; the iniquity of the houſe of Iſrael and Judah is exceeding great, ſo that the land is full of bloud, and the citie full of corrupt judgement. For they ſay, The Lord hath forſaken the earth, and the Lord ſeeth us not.
Reaſon 1 Becauſe God doth chalenge theſe things unto himſelfe, the Scripture giveth it unto him, Iſai. 45.6.7. Prov. 15.3. The eyes of the Lord in every place, behold the evill and the good. Pſal. 28.18.19. & 34.15.16. Then without ſinne this cannot be denied, which were to give God and his Truth the lie.
Reaſon 2 Becauſe by denying this, they deny the wiſedome, the power, and the goodneſſe of God: for ſeeing God hath created the world, and all things, ſpecially men, how ſhould he be wiſe, if he knew not? how omnipotent, if he could not? how good, if hee would not regard and governe the things and men he had made? For who would account him a good father of a family, who when he can, and knowes well how to governe and diſpoſe of the children he hath begotten, and of the houſe he hath erected, and his whole family, yet will not, but neglects them? And when they deny this of God, do they not deny his goodneſſe?
Vſe 1 Then have we many proud ſpeakers, many that utter ſtout words againſt the Lord: for we have many, and too many, who deny the providence of God, ſome in one thing, ſome in another, ſome after one manner, ſome after another: ſome deny any providence at all; ſome affirme it only to be in heavenly things; ſome if in earthly things, then but in great matters, and about the greateſt creatures, not the ſmalleſt: If in man for the generall, not in the particular actions and affaires of men. Theſe are all ſpeakers againſt God, when the Word and Reaſon witneſſeth of him, that his providence is over all theſe: as in generall, Pſal. 113.5.6. in great things, Prov. 16.9.21.1. in particular actions, Jerem. 10.23. Acts 17.28. in ſmaller, Job 38.3. Matth. 6.26.28. and 10.50. and many other of the like kinde, beſide reaſon; as that the world doth ſo long continue, that the heavens ſtill keep their certaine and perpetuall motion, that there are interchanging of things; and as the day ſucceeding of the night, and the winter of the ſummer; that the earth being founded upon the waters, & compaſſed about with it, and yet it neither ſinketh nor is over-flowed: will not all theſe prove his providence? ſpecially when they are created of nothing, when many things are compounded of contraries, and by a naturall enmitie ſeeke the ruine, and would wrack one another. For they muſt needs be preſerved of ſome other; but of none but God: for who elſe is able to ſuſtain, to rule and govern ſo great a maſſe, and ſo infinite creatures, but an infinite power? To deny them this, is to ſpeake againſt God himſelfe; of which all theſe are guilty, either out of the dulneſſe of their braines, as being not able to comprehend greater things then are before their eyes, and which may be groped and felt; or elſe out of the wickedneſſe and corruption of their hearts, who living wickedly and filthily, leſt the continuall remembrance of this ſhould vex and diſquiet them, and the perpetuall feare of puniſhment torment them, they frame this comfort to themſelves. As children, when they have offended, could wiſh and deſire they had neither a Father at home, nor a Maſter at Schoole: and theſe perſwade them ſo it is with themſelves.
Vſe 2 This may teach men to take heed how they deny or call into queſtion the providence of God, leſt they be found fighters and ſpeakers againſt God, and that proudly and contemptuouſly. For what if they cannot ſee God, how he doth it, yet ſeeing they ſee it is done, and the world and all things in it governed after a marvellous manner, they ought to beleeve it is ſo? If a man ſhall ſee a ſhip come ſailing into the haven; or ſtanding upon the ſhore, ſee it go along upon the ſea, and often ſailing proſperouſly in the midſt of great tempeſts, though he ſee never a Mariner, never a Maſter and Pilot, yet he doubts not but he is there. Or as Gregory Nazianzen: If thou heare a Harp ſound of divers ſtrings, and all keep one harmony, thou wilt conceive of one that ſtrikes them, though thou ſee him not: ſo in the government of the world. Yea, when they cannot ſee the reaſon of things that are done, yet men ought to admire the wiſedome of God. As in States, men do give more to the wiſedome of thoſe which hold and ſit at the ſterne, and governe the State, that they thinke well of things done and projected, though they ſee not the reaſon; nay, when their reaſon is contrary. Finally, well and with good reaſon may they imagine, that if a Father will governe his houſe, and a King will not forſake his kingdome, God will much more governe the world, and not forſake it. And if a ſhip, though well built and ſtrong, as Chryſoſtom, cannot be preſerved in the ſea without a governour; no, not a day in the middeſt of the waves, nor the body ſeparated from the ſoule, how ſhould this be? All which may keep us from denying the providence of God, and ſo ſpeaking againſt God.