Commentary on Malachi 2, Chapter 2 · Exposition on verse 1
VERS. I.
And now, O yee Prieſts, this commandment is for you.
THE parts of this Chapter are Curſes and Judgements, threatned againſt 1. the Prieſts. 2. the People. In the firſt verſe is noted the preface to the Prieſts.
He applieth his doctrine to the Prieſts.
It is the dutie of the Miniſter, Doctrine. not onelyonly to teach generall doctrine, but to deliver that which may concerne every man, and every ſtate and condition of men; ſpecially being his auditory & charge, to apply things to ſeverall eſtates of men. So is it here, as Rom. 13.7. So, reproofe to whom reproofe, judgement, merciemercy, encouragement, or terrour to whom it is due and belongs, Ezech. 3.17.18.19.20.
Becauſe he is the Lords Steward of his houſhold, Reaſon 1 to diſpoſe to all his ſervants their due portion. 1 Cor. 4.1.2. Let a man ſo account of us, as of the Miniſters of Chriſt and Stewards of the Myſteries of God. Moreover, it is required in Stewards, that a man be found faithfull.
Becauſe if they deale thus faithfully, Reaſon 2 their reward ſhall be great at the comming of their Lord and Maſter. If otherwiſe, their recompence ſhall be fearfull, Luk. 12.42. to 47.
To condemne thoſe who teach onelyonly generall things, Vſe 1 generall duties of Chriſtianity, or generall points; and ſpeake, as it were, in the clouds, never applying the Doctrine to any particular, to no men, no conditions, no ſtate; who deale ſo, as civill honeſt men would be aſhamed to do, defraud men of their portion. In the ages wherſoever they lived, they would be accounted the beſt Miniſters, and the onelyonly men; but being unfaithfull ſervants, Luke 12.46. The Lord of that ſervant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an houre when he is not aware, and will cut him in ſunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
To ſtop their mouths who ſay, Ʋſe 2 The Miniſter is beſide his text, if he ſpeake and apply any thing in particular to mens particular ſtates and callings. It is a ſtrange thing men can endure that for the body, they cannot for the ſoule; nay that, which for the body is complained of, as diſhoneſt and unfaithfull when it is not done, they cry out of it, if it be done to the ſoule. In the body, for the health of it, men can endure not only preſcription, but application of Phyſicke; yea, of ſharpe, bitter, and biting things. If they ſend for a Phyſitian who feeles their pulſe, diſcerneth their urine, and conceiveth of their diſeaſe, and yet fall onelyonly to diſcourſe of the excellentneſſe of Phyſicke, and other diſeaſes, and never come any thing to theirs at all, they would happily judge him a great Scholar, but no wiſe man, nor fit for a Phyſitian; and happily call in queſtion his fidelity. But for the ſoule, if the ſpirituall Phyſitian apply any thing, if it have any ſharpneſſe in it, if being with them, and living among them, and ſeeing their eſtate, he touch them, and apply it to them, he is accounted no wiſe man, hapily a buſie and indiſcreet fellow. The Phyſitian takes not the way to ſave their bodies, and he is cried out on: the Miniſter takes the way to ſave their ſoules, and he is cried out of. The Phyſitian that will preſcribe, and ſee his patient take it, and come to ſee how it workes with him, is much commended for his honeſty, care and fidelity: But if the Miniſter do the like, he is buſie and medling; but he that will pleaſe men, is not the ſervant of Chriſt: and theſe muſt know, when he deales with their particular ſinnes, out of a generall text, he hath his warrant enough, ſuch as ſhall acquit him.
To teach the hearer to endevour to apply that he heareth delivered to himſelfe, and to learne what is for him, Ʋſe 3 and that to apply to himſelfe: for if the Miniſter, 2. Tim. 2.15. muſt ſtudy to approve himſelfe a workman, that needeth not to be aſhamed, dividing the Word aright, then ſhall the hearer approve himſelfe a workman that needeth not to be aſhamed, receiving the Word aright. They muſt therefore apply it to themſelves. The Miniſters application may diſcharge himſelfe, but not profit them, unleſſe they will apply and keep it. The Patient, if he take not, and endevour to keep the potion preſcribed and brought, by ſmelling of vinegar, or the like, labouring againſt the bad humours of the ſtomacke, ſhall have little profit by the Phyſick, but rather hurt: So it is in this, they muſt heare all, and labour to retain all; but learne that eſpecially which concernes themſelves, places and conditions. One man ſhould not ſo greedily receive that which toucheth another man, and let paſſe that which is to him; or apply that to others which is to himſelfe, but every man that which is for himſelfe. He never proves a good Scholar, which is buſie to learne other of his fellowes leſſons, and neglecteth his owne: nor he a good Chriſtian that can take out other mens duties, and not his owne, not know what is for him.
O yee Prieſts.] It may ſeeme he goeth too farre in dealing with the Prieſts, who were the greateſt men the time had, except their Ruler, who then was no King, and Malacchy but a mean man, as other the Prophets were; and yet he dealeth with the Prieſts, not excepting the high Prieſt himſelfe. Beſides, this corruption was the perſonall fault of the people, and the Prieſts might excuſe themſelves, as not to be reproved for other mens faults: yet he deals with them.
This commandment is for you.] The reaſon why they are reproved, becauſe the charge hereof was by God laid on them: God had commanded them to look to this; he is thought by this, to cut off every excuſe which might be made againſt his reproof, either why they have not done it, or why hereafter they ſhould not do it. As for the people, they might ſay, they were bare with their long journey and coſt of building, and they were growne old, and if they were not tolerated thus to do, they would bring nothing at all, and his worſhip would fall to the ground. The Prophet anſwereth, That God hath commanded, and therefore they are to doe it, whatſoever come of it.
Whatſoever God commandeth men, Doctrine. or calleth them to, that they muſt obey and do; whatſoever inconvenience may follow of it, they muſt ſhut their eyes againſt them all, and put their hand into Gods hand, to be led by him whitherſoever he will. So with theſe: Abraham obeyed God to go out of his owne countrey when God called him, not objecting the inconveniences, Gen. 12.4. And when to offer up Iſaac, not objecting, as he might if he had conſulted with fleſh and blood, infinite things againſt it. Gen. 22. Hereto is that, Exod. 34.23.24. Levit. 25.20. Galat. 1.16.
Becauſe all inconveniences in the world, Reaſon 1 will not excuſe the fact, mans diſobedience; it may ſometime leſſen it in mans reaſon, but not defend it in Gods judgement.
Becauſe God is able either to take away thoſe inconveniences, Reaſon 2 or to make them turne to his owne glory, and the advantage of man, who in a ſincere conſcience doth obey him. And he will do ſo as in Daniel, and the three Children.
To reprove all thoſe who refuſe to obey thoſe things they are taught and ſhewed, Vſe 1 that God hath commanded, becauſe of ſome inconveniences they foreſee will follow: They ſhall happily be debarred of their pleaſure, or deprived of their profit, or be diſcountenanced of great ones, or derided of inferiours: therefore they will not be religious, nor profeſſors, nor reforme their manners, nor be carefull of their lives, and ſeek to make conſcience of their wayes, as if God cannot bring theſe upon them for evill, as well and more then man for good: Or as if theſe had not befallen men in their diſobedience, as well as thoſe who have obeyed him. As if theſe can excuſe a man when he ſhal come before the Judge, or he ſhall not be ſtript naked of them all, and be left alone to anſwer for his diſobedience. Men are taught they ought to deale plainly and truly with others in weight and meaſure, to ſpeake truth, and not to lie, and ſuch like: They ſee then they ſhall not grow rich as others, and be eſteemed of as others, as they think; and therefore they chuſe rather by ſuch meanes to grow rich, then to obey God: as if their comming into the world was onelyonly to get riches, and not to honour and obey God. Teach them to be liberall unto the poore for good cauſes, and to make them friends with the riches of iniquity, Luk. 10.9. and that God will give them uſe for it: They will anſwer or thinke as the widow of Sarepta did, 1 Kings 17. they have little enough for themſelves and theirs, and they feare to want before they die, or not to leave enough for theirs. As if that they left behinde them were theirs, and not rather that they ſent before. As Princes have more uſe of that they ſend by their Harbingers, then of that they leave in their ſtanding houſes: ſo ſhould they have more profit by that they give before, then that they leave behinde. Perſwade them to make reſtitution of that they have wrongfully taken from men, or elſe God will not juſtifie them but condemne them, Micha 6.10.11. They ſee they ſhall call their names in queſtion, they pretend ſlandering of the Goſpel. To theſe I ſay, Saul diſobeyed God, as he pretended to ſacrifice to God, or to have that he might, and not for private uſe; but it excuſed him not, he loſt his kingdome for it: let them take heed they loſe not the kingdome they ſay they hope and look for.
To teach every man when he hath a commandment of God, Vſe 2 to obey, and not to caſt at the inconveniences, to hinder himſelfe from obeying: for he that will looke at ſuch things, ſhall be like him, Eccleſ. 11.4. He that obſerveth the winde, ſhall not ſow; and he that regardeth the clouds, ſhall not reap: he ſhall neither ſow any obedience, nor reap any reward. If he ſee no inconvenience imminent, and obey, it is not much worth: for he pleaſeth himſelfe rather then God; but if there be, it is the more acceptable. As diſobedience in ſmall things is more offenſive, becauſe the obedience was eaſie: ſo obedience in great things, and when there are great inconveniences, is more acceptable, becauſe it is harder. Therefore if God command, we muſt ſhew our ſelves the children of Abraham, and of the faithfull. What though inconveniences will follow? what though the world ſhall condemne us, and the wicked flout us, and the Divell and our owne fleſh ſet themſelves againſt us? Deny thy ſelfe as Abraham did, and thine owne reaſon; diſpute not of the commandment of God, but obey, and commit the event to God. Worthy is that ſaying of*Quihabet certum Dei verbum in quacunque vocatione, credat tantū & audeat, & dabit Deus haud dubia, ſecundos exitus. Luth. Luther to be written in the tables of our hearts: He that hath Gods word for what he doth in any calling, let him beleeve, and go boldly on, and no doubt God will give a good iſſue. If God command them, and they ſee great inconvenience, paſſe and mount over them all by thy faith, as Abraham did, and beleeve, Gen. 22.8. God will give an evaſion, and thou ſhalt have occaſion to ſay, verſ. 14. In the mount the Lord will provide. And as Philo, when he pleaded the cauſe of his Nation, being brought to a great exigent before Caligula, ſaid; It cannot be but that Gods aid is neer, when all mens help faileth us.
This commandment is for you.] The care of Gods ſervice, to ſee it be done as it ought, to direct the people, to reprove their corruption, to refine their corrupt offerings, belongeth to the Miniſter; of which I have ſpoken in the former Chapter.