Commentary on Malachi 2, Preface – Chapter 1
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. 16. 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. Ezra 6.yeares: 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.
AN EXPOSITION UPON THE WHOLE Booke of the Propheſie of Malachy, delivered in certaine Sermons.
CHAP. I.
THE burden of the word of the Lord to Iſrael by the miniſtery of Malachy.
2 I have loved you, ſayth the Lord: yet yee ſay. Wherein haſt thou loved us? Was not Eſau Jacobs brother, ſaith the Lord? yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Eſau, and made his mountaines waſte, and his heritage a wilderneſſe for dragons.
4 Though Edom ſay, We are impoveriſhed, but we will returne and build the deſolate places; yet ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes, They ſhall build, but I will deſtroy it, and they ſhall call them, The border of wickedneſſe, and the people, with whom the Lord is angry for ever.
5 And your eyes ſhall ſee it, and ye ſhall ſay, The Lord will be magnified upon the border of Iſrael.
6 A ſonne honoureth his father, and a ſervant his maſter. If then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a maſter, where is my feare, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes unto you, O Prieſts that deſpiſe my Name? and ye ſay, Wherein have we deſpiſed thy Name?
7 Ye offer uncleane bread upon mine Altar, and you ſay, wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye ſay, The Table of the Lord is not to be regarded.
8 And if ye offer the blind for ſacrifice, it is not evill: and if ye offer the lame and ſick, it is not evill: offer it now unto thy Prince; will he be content with thee, or accept thy perſon, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes?
9 And now, I pray you, pray before God, that he may have mercy upon us: this hath beene by your meanes: will he reward your perſons, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes?
10 Who is there even among you, that would ſhut the doores, and kindle not fire on mine Altar in vaine? I have no pleaſure in you, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the riſing of the Sunne unto the going downe of the ſame, my Name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place incenſe ſhall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name is great among the Heathen, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes.
12 But ye have polluted it, in that ye ſay, The Table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even his meate is not to be regarded.
13 Ye ſaid alſo, Behold, it is a wearineſſe, and ye have ſnuffed at it, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes, and ye offered that which was torne, and the lame, and the ſick: thus ye offered an offering: ſhould I accept this at your hand, ſaith the Lord?
14 But curſed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and ſacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am agreat King, ſaith the Lord of Hoſtes, and my Name is terrible among the Heathen.
The parts of this Chapter are two:
1. A Preface or Inſcription.
2. The Oracle or Prophecy.
1. The Preface in the firſt verſe, generall to the whole.
2. The Prophecy in the reſt.
1. An expoſtulation with the people and Prieſt for their ingratitude and corrupting of his worſhip, from verſe 2. to the 9.
2. A Commination of judgment deſerved by it; or a Commination of divers judgments, from verſ. 9. to the end.
In the Preface or Inſcription we conceive two things: The ſubſtance and circumſtance of it.
1. The ſubſtance, being the ſubject or matter of the whole, is in that it is called a Burden.
2. The Circumſtance of the perſon, which is three-fold.
1. From whom, as the Efficient.
2. To whom, as the Object.
3. By whom, as the Inſtrument.