Commentary on Malachi 2, Chapter 3 · Exposition on verse 15
VERS. XV.
Therefore we count the proud bleſſed: even they that work wickedneſſe are ſet up, and they that tempt God, yea, they are delivered.
THerefore we accounted the proud bleſſed.] Theſe had denied the providence of God, and his government of the world, by the ſmall profit that came to ſuch as had care to keepe his commandments and walke in his waies: now they aſſay to deny it, by the proſperity of ſuch as tranſgreſſe and contemne him: yea, by this they would not onelyonly diſgrace piety, but prefer iniquity before it. For now they make the ſtudy and indeavour in impiety, to be honeſt and profitable; when of piety it was unfruitfull, for the one neither brought honour nor profit, to them who imbraced it: the other brought both.
Therefore we account.] As ſome, and now we, or we alſo, i. out of our owne experience, we who have been diligent in our duties, forward in piety, followers of modeſty, imbracers of temperance and al other vertues, have only got this by it, that we cannot without envie ſpeak of the happineſſe and proſperity of thoſe, who have taken a cleane contrary courſe: for our obediencè, piety, and humility hath made us but baſe and contemptible in the eies of men, whereas others by their pride and arrogancy, have gotten a name and renowne unto themſelves.
Even they that work wickedneſſe are ſet up,] or, are built up. The meaning is, they are increaſed in wealth and abundance: They who had nothing while they lived in upright and juſt courſes, and could get nothing by plaine and honeſt dealing, now that they are growne corrupt, and fallen into wicked & lewd courſes, and uſed cunning and deceit, they have gained unſpeakable wealth, and from nothing are ſo riſen, that they are equall to any in wealth and dignity: for this ſenſe is by the phraſe of the Scripture to be built up, Pſal. 127.1.
And they who tempt God, they are delivered] Not onelyonly they who injure and oppreſſe men and commit wickedneſſe, by fraud and deceit, and ſuch like; but they who contemne God, alſo are happy; ſuch as ſet light by his power and judgements, and of ſet purpoſe, committed and undertooke heinous ſinnes, to trie whether he was ſo juſt and ſevere a Judge and revenger, as he was accounted to be: and yet for all this boldneſſe and contempt, we ſee they go free without any puniſhment, which if God were ſuch a one as he is accounted, a ſevere Judge and revenger of the injuries againſt men, and indignities againſt himſelfe, he ought not to have overpaſt, but to have ſhewed it in this. And thus theſe wicked men thinke they have ſufficiently proved, that God hath not a care of the things done upon the earth.
Their ſecond ground on which they deny Gods providence, is, the proſperity of the wicked, or making him to love them. Vide doctr. 2. in verſe ult. C. 2.
They that work wickedneſſe are ſet up.] Many wicked men proſper and increaſe in the world: theſe men ſpeak ſo here out of their obſervation, as a truth, though it be evilly applied and uſed againſt God, as Iobs friends wreſted many generall things againſt him, which were true in the generall, but corrupted in the application.
Oftentimes it falls out, Doctrine that wicked men do increaſe and grow great in the world, by their wicked means, and impious crafts, which is not true onelyonly becauſe theſe have ſaid it, but that it is ſo ſhewed us by others. Pſal. 73.12. Loe, theſe are the wicked, yet proſper they alway, and increaſe in riches. Job 21.7. Wherefore do the wicked wax old and grow in wealth? Jer. 12.1.2. O Lord! if I diſpute with thee, thou art righteous: yet let me talke with thee of thy judgements: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked proſper? Why are all they in wealth that rebelliouſly tranſgreſſe? Thou haſt planted them, and they have taken roote: they grow and bring forth fruit. Thou art neer in their mouth, and far from their reines. Pſal. 17.14. Men of this world, who have their portion in this life, whoſe bellies thou filleſt with thine hid treaſure; their children have enough and leave the reſt of their ſubſtance for their children.
Becauſe God doth uſe them to puniſh and correct his, Reaſon 1 *Ʋtitur in ſalut em ſuorum irrationali & inſenſibili &c. Bern. degr. & lib. arbit.for the good & ſafety of his people, he uſeth the irrationall and inſenſible creature, as a labouring beaſt or an inſtrument, which when the worke is done, is of no further uſe; he uſeth the reaſonable creature but ill affected, as his rod of correction, which when his ſon is beaten, he throwes into the fire as an unprofitable twig; and he uſeth good Angels and men, as coadjutors and fellow ſouldiers, whom when the victory is had, he liberally rewards. Now for this, every one muſt have their proportionable ſtrength and power: and ſo the wicked, therefore they grow.
Becauſe by it many are and may be tried, who live in the Church, Reaſon 2 who not proſpering by their piety and profeſſion, becauſe of their hypocriſie in it, when they ſee the proſperity of the wicked, and ſee the afflictions and poverty of the Church, will leave and forſake the ſociety of it, and joining themſelves to the other, accounting it to be the better. Pſal. 73.10. And ſo they ſhew themſelves: and hereto I apply that, Prov. 28.12. When the wicked come, the man is tried.
Becauſe his judgements and juſtice might be more eminent, Reaſon 3 and perſpicuous, when he ſhall caſt them downe that are aloft and were in the eies of men for their greatneſſe and riches, and glory. For as in States, though a thouſand petty theeves be hanged, yet nothing ſuch notice is taken of the juſtice of the State, as when one great offendor of ſome great note and eminence is executed, and hath the cenſure of the law executed againſt him.
Do they not then deceive us, or go about to doe it, Vſe 1 when they would perſwade us there is the truth, and there is piety, in that company and ſociety where is plenty and abundance, and for that perſwade us to turne in thither? becauſe waters in a full cup, are wrung out unto us, and ſeparated from them, many afflictions and many miſeries and calamities: as the Champions of the Church of Rome do, with as good reaſon the people withſtood Ieremie, or would have perſwaded him that the worſhip of the Queen of Heaven, was rather the better, then the worſhip of the King of Heaven, and earth, becauſe they proſpered for a while in outward things, more in the one, then the other. Jer. 44.16.17. And ſo may any Idolaters perſwade us.
To teach us not to wonder or be offended, Vſe 2 with the growing or increaſing of the wicked, ſpecially if it come by wicked arts and impieties; for it is no new thing, nor ſtrange to be wondered at, nor much diſadvantage to be offended with. It is no new thing, for all ages and places have their examples of it; many Atheiſts, Idolaters, oppreſſors, perſecutors, have grown to exceeding height of glory and outward eminency; now as that which is, hath been, ſo that which hath been is, no wonder to ſee it againe; that men by flattery, injuſtice, oppreſſion, Idolatry, and ſuch like, ſhould be built up, and build up their houſes and families; neither is there cauſe we ſhould be offended, for they build but to their deſtruction, all ſhall be but a Babel. As they ſay the Phenix builds her neſt with hot ſpices: neither is it our diſadvantage, that we ſhould grieve though they be our rods, for that were too childiſh to grieve, to ſee willowes & birch trees grow, becauſe rods are made of them, when as it is not in them they hurt us, but in our ſelves: for if it were not our own ſins, they ſhould not be our ſcourges, as rods ſhould never hurt children, nor they find the ſmart of them, that rebell not againſt their father and governours: leſſe ſhould we ſo be offended that we ſhould turne into them, for that were as if a travailer ſhould joine himſelfe with a rout of theeves, upon hope to keepe that he hath, and incurre by that means the common juſtice of the land, to loſe all, and life with it. Vide Auguſt. in Pſal. 91. Nullum mare tam profundum quam eſt Dei co gitatio ut mali floreant &c. Conſider that they muſt be ſcourges, remember theſe are to trie, forget not that they ſhall make his juſtice more eminent. That as the ſtate carries ſome to execution by poſternes and by-gates, and others through the market place. So God ſome to hel and deſtruction by poverty, others by plenty; ſome by baſeneſſe, others by honour: in the meane time they know they ſtand but upon ſlippery places.
And they that tempt God yea, they are delivered.] Such as live wickedly and contemptuouſly againſt him, eſcape his judgements, and often are delivered, when others fall in them.
It oftentimes fals out with wicked men, ſuch as live in the contempt of God, Doctrine and provoke him every day, not to be of a long puniſhed, and to eſcape when others are ſmitten; ſo with theſe, and Job 21.9. Hoſ. 4.14. Pſal. 81.12. Jer. 10.25. He praieth as thinking it too too long that they eſcaped. So Ioab and Shimes, eſcaped in the plague.
Becauſe the Lord is very ſlow to wrath, Reaſon. 1 both to execute and to exerciſe his diſpleaſure: the reaſon that Ionah gave, why he went not to Nineveh, fearing God would ſpare when he had ſpoken, and ſo call his word into queſtion. Jonah 4.2.
Becauſe their iniquities are not yet full, nor they grown ripe for the harveſt, Reaſon 2 that God might thruſt in the ſickle of his wrath. Gen. 15.16.
Not to thinke it ſtrange if we ſee wicked men, prophane men, contemners of God, Vſe 1 his word and worſhip, go on, and enjoy proſperity and peace, and no evill happen to them, like as to other men, but they eſcape, when they fall; but thinke then of the great patience of God, and cenſure not his juſtice for ſparing of them, who knowes his times better then we can deſcerne, and reprives but men for their plagues, as Judges do malefactors, till their iniquity be found out, and till their Epha be full: and in compaſſion towards them trouble at the remembrance of their fearfull end, when that ſhall be Job 21.30. But the wicked is kept unto the day of deſtruction, and they ſhal be brought forth to the day of wrath.
This may inſtruct men, Vſe 2 that in a plague and miſery, to be ſpared and to be delivered, is not ſimply, and in it ſelfe a bleſſing, for as all outward things are as the mind of a man is, and meates as the ſtomack, ſo in this deliverance. A theefe accounts it a benefit to be reprived for a while, yet it is not but according to the intent of the Judge and the uſe he makes of it. So in this: we have all eſcaped Gods rod and his plague, blowing up and deſtruction offer it: we all bleſſe God, but to all it is not a benefit in it ſelfe, ſeeing even wicked men are ſpared and delivered, that their ſin may be full, and they receive the more full revenge, and a more fearefull reward. Vnuſquiſque conſideret non quid alius paſſus ſit, ſed quid pati ipſe mereatur nec evaſiſſe ſe credat, ſi eum interim poena diſtulerit, cum timere plus debeat, quem ſibi Dei judicis cenſura fervavit. Cyprian de lapſis 21. As he that hath eſcaped a ſerpent, and is fallen into the power of a Lion: Therefore let every one examine whether it be a bleſſing to him to be thus delivered, if the patience of God hath brought him to repentance and reformation: but otherwiſe thou art delivered rather in anger then in mercy: and art deceived as the ſicke man that thinks a good turn is done him, when he hath what meat and drinke he deſires; unleſſe that which the fire could not ſoften, the ſunne do, and that thy heart relent as Sault at Davids kindneſſe, who had ſpared his life, when he might have taken it away. 1. Sam. 24.17.