Commentary on Malachi 2, Chapter 3 · Exposition on verse 6
VERS. VI.
For J am the Lord: I change not, and ye ſons of Iaakob are not conſumed.
FOR I am the Lord: I change not.] This ſome take as a reaſon to confirme the former judgement threatned; that as he was the Lord of hoaſts able to doe all what he would, ſo is he in himſelfe and in his decrees immutable, as he cannot change, no more can they be changed, Quod eſt 9. Be ye well aſſured of this, that as I am Lord and Jehovah, eternall and without change, ſo are all my judgements, and whatſoever I have ſpoken, that know you, they ſhal come to paſſe in their time, and not one thing ſhal come to the ground, howſoever they are not ſo ſpeedily as you thinke executed, yet they ſhall, for they cannot but be accompliſhed.
And ye ſonnes of Iaakob.] And that you are not conſumed and deſtroyed already for theſe ſinnes; doe not thinke me mutable or your ſelves without merit, that you ſhould be ſpared; but this is meerely from my mercy, and love, and long ſuffering, I have not dealt with you according to your ſinnes.
God is immutable, Doctrine 1 and without change, both in himſelfe and his nature, Jam. 1.17.
He is immutable in his will and his decrees. Doctrine 2
And ye ſonnes of Iaakob are not conſumed.] I change not, therefore are you not conſumed; for being in my ſelfe mercifull and long ſuffering, yea, mercy and patience it ſelfe, I have ſpared you, when you deſerved long ſince to have beene confounded and deſtroyed by my judgements: and this by reſemblance may we interpret out of Lam. 3.22. It is the Lords mercies that we are not conſumed, becauſe his compaſſions faile not.
That men eſcape deſtruction, Doctrine and are not conſumed with Gods judgements for their ſinnes, it is onelyonly the mercy and goodneſſe of God. So much is here: And that Lam. 3.22. Gen. 19.19. 2 Sam. 24.14. 2 Chron. 30.9. Therefore is that Iſaiah 30.19. and 54.7 8. and Matth. 15.22. and 20.30. God hath two feet whereby he walketh towards men, ſo hath he two hands whereby he handleth or dealeth with men; mercy and juſtice; and theſe are both infinite. What City upheld when an infinite hand will caſt downe? nothing but an infinite hand and power.
Becauſe ſinne deſerving Gods anger, Reaſon 1 which anger is as God himſelfe, infinite, cannot be ſatisfied nor appeaſed by any that is no more then a finite creature, or a finite thing; for this cannot ballance with that, but onelyonly his infinite mercy with his infinite wrath. And this Lam. 3.22. his great mercies are infinite for meaſure and continuance. i. Such are our ſinnes, that if he ſhould deale righteouſly with us, we miſerable wretches had beene ten thouſand times utterly undone, but we are preſerved in the middeſt of our diſtreſſes. Ergo, Not from us but his infinite mercy, Iſaiah 1.9. Except the Lord of hoaſtes had reſtored unto us a ſmall remnant: we ſhould have beene as Sodom, and ſhould have beene like unto Gomorrah.
Becauſe without the pardon of thoſe ſinnes the wrath cannot be avoided, nor deſtruction eſcaped, Reaſon 2 ſeeing God will not juſtifie the wicked. Now pardon of ſinne is onelyonly from the mercy of God, Luk. 1.77.78. Pſ. 32.1. Al ſin is againſt God, Pſ. 51.4. Tibi ſoli cu… ſoli reddenda eſt ratie de peccate, qui ſolus es ſine peccate, Ruff. He onelyonly can pardon ſinne, againſt whom onelyonly it is: Now he pardoneth ſinnes in mercy, and ſo David prayeth there for mercy; Gratiae tuae deputo & miſericordiae quod peccata mea tanquaem glaciem ſolviſti: gratiae tuae deputo & quaecunque non feci mals, Auguſt. confeſſ. 7.2. cap 7.
This will confute the doctrine of Popery, Vſe 1 who hold by their workes and ſatisfactions, to have if not remiſſion of great ſinnes, yet of veniall; or if not of ſinne, yet deliverance from the puniſhment, wherein they are the flat enemies of the mercy of God, and rob him of his honour, to give it to themſelves; as if finite workes and ſatisfactions could deliver from infinite wrath. But when they ſee this will not hold water, then they flye to this, that it is onelyonly from temporall puniſhments, and the fire of purgatory; but firſt for this, that it is but a new coyned ſhift, I manifeſt from their prayers for the dead, whereby they thought to bring them remiſſion of ſinne. Breviar. ſecund uſum Sarum in vigil. mortuorum. O God of the faithfull! the maker and redeemer of all men, give to the ſoules of all the faithfull deceaſed, remiſſion of all their ſins, that by godly prayers they may obtaine the pardon which they alwaies deſired, through Chriſt our Lord. And againe, Lord we beſeech thee, let the prayers of thy humble ſervants be helpfull to the ſoules of al the faithful deceaſed, that thou mayeſt both relieve them from all their ſinnes, and make them partakers of thy redemption, who liveſt, &c. Now hence I reaſon, that if by their prayers they would helpe the faithfull, whom they preſumed to be free from purgatory, to bring them remiſſion of ſinne, can they make us believe that they intend onelyonly deliverance from the paines of purgatory, for ſuch as are there, and not from the guilt of ſinne, by their ſacrifices and maſſes? Againe, it is manifeſtly falſe, that the ſinne pardoned, yet the puniſhment ſhould remaine; yea, it is againſt the juſtice of God, and ſo cannot be unleſſe he can ceaſe to be God: for the inſtance of David, 2 Sam. 12.13.14. and ſome other of Gods children whoſe ſinne remitted the affliction remained, is not againſt this, becauſe in him it was not a puniſhment, but a clearing of the juſtice of God, before the wicked, as the place ſheweth, and in others they are but purgers or preventers.
To teach the Church and every particular, Vſe 2 to acknowledge it to be the mercy of God, that they live and are not conſumed, when they ſee many others are, and know themſelves to have deſerved the like. The Church wherein we live, and we our ſelves here preſent, have beene delivered from many and ſtrange dangers and confuſions; whom ſhall we aſcribe this unto? ſhall we ſacrifice to the wiſedome of our ſtate, to the valor of Marſhall men, to the power of armes, to the multitude of our people, to our owne workes and worthineſſe, to our profeſſion of his truth, or practiſe of piety, our juſtice and equity, and ſuch like? ſo may we provoke the Lords anger indeed to conſume us. Whither elſe muſt we aſcribe it, but to this? being taught every where, it is the mercy of God that we are not conſumed, whoſe compaſſions failed not; and ſo as the Church begunne her prayer, we may our prayſes, Pſal. 115.1. Not unto us O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory for thy loving mercy, and for thy truthes ſake. For conſidering the height of our ſinnes, the greatneſſe of our iniquities and rebellions, whereto elſe can it be aſcribed? And his mercy hath drawne him to ſpare us, partly for our ſelves, and partly for poſterity, and thoſe who ſhall come of us: As Saint Chryſoſtome, hom. 80. ad popul. Antioch. for our ſelves, that his mercy might draw us to repentance, and to fear him for poſterity. *Parcit frequenter radici ut fructus conſervet, & qualiter audi: Terah pater Abrahae fuit Idolorum cultor. ſed in hoc mundo impietatis poenas non dedit, & merito. Nam ſi Deus praeveniens cadicem praecidiſſet unde tantus fidei fructus exortus fuiſſet. Sic Eſau fornicator fuit & immundus, & matricida, & patricida, & fratricida quantum in ipſius fuit propoſito, & Deo exoſus. Mal. 1.2. Quarè non perditur? quarè non exciditur? Bonum eſt verâ, dilectiſſimi, causâ dicere, ſi ſucciſus fuiſſet maximam eleemoſynae fructum & juſtitiae mundus amiſiſſet, & qualem audi: Eſau genuit Raguel, hic Zara, hic Iob. Vides quantus tolerantiae fructus eſſet perditus ſi praeveniens Deus à radice poenas exigiſſet, Chryſoſt. hom. 8. ad popul. Antioch.He ſpares oftimes the roote, that he may preſerve the fruit. And heare how Terah, Abrahams father, was a worſhipper of Idolls; yet in this life God puniſht not his impiety; for if God had cut downe the roote, then whence had we had ſuch great fruit of faith as in his ſonne. So Eſau was a fornicator and uncleane, and as much as in him lay a murtherer of father, mother, and brother, and of God hated, Mal. 1.2. Why is he not deſtroyed, why is he not cut downe? Truely, beloved, to tell you the cauſe, twas good to be ſo. Eſau begat Raguel, he Zara, and he Iob; you ſee what plentifull fruit of patience had been loſt, if God preventing had ſtricken the roote. So of us that we might leave the ſeede of the Church and piety behinde us. This is mercy, but the former the greater; elſe we have as little profit of it, as Terah and Eſau. And it is to be acknowledged the ſpeciall mercy of God, when others periſh and their workes like that they eſcape. As Saint Auguſt. de Nat & grat. 8. c. 5. of the great ſalvation. Vniverſa maſſa poenas debet. Qui ergò inde per gratiam liber antur non vaſa meritorum ſuorum, ſed vaſa miſericordiae nominantur.
To teach men when deſtruction and calamity is at hand, Ʋſe 3 and Gods judgements are threatned; the way how they may eſcape and not be confounded, is, they have Gods mercy towards them, and upon them; therefore for this muſt they pray and labour, their flying truely to this, will be like the City of refuge, where the avenger of blood could not ſlay a man-ſlayer: Then ſhall they be ſure either to be kept from them, or delivered from them, kept in them or taken out of them; for when as Gods mercy doth bring remiſſion of ſinne, it muſt needs bring the removall or change of the puniſhment; either it will be gone, or if it abide, the nature will be changed: for ſinne taken away, that cannot continue, or not in the former nature; and a man ſhall be ſafer and more comfortable with this in divers afflictions then without it, though he be never ſo free:*Verius acjucundius gaude bis de bona conſcieutia inter moleſtias, quam de mala inter delicias. Auguſt. you ſhal rejoyce more cheerefully and more truely with a good conſcience in the midſt of troubles, then with an evill in the midſt of many pleaſures. Now thus it is from the feeling of the mercy of God and remiſſion of ſinne.*Si Deum benevolū habeas licet in furnacem cadas, ne deſperes, ſicut ſi ſuccenſeat licet in paradiſo ſis ne confidas. Adae peccanti nihil profuit paradiſus: pueris benè agentibus nihil obfuit fornax. Chry. ho. 4 adpo. A. If you have Gods favour, deſpaire not though you fall into a fornace; whereas if he be angry you may not be bold in Paradice. Paradice did no good to Adam ſinning, and the hot fornace could doe no harme to the three Children that were innocent: And if they obtaine this, it ſhall not onelyonly be their ſanctuary thus, but it ſhall be to them as a fountaine whence all bleſſings, as rivers ſhal riſe and ſpring. It will be like the Philoſophers ſtone, that will turne all mettall into gold; ſo this, all miſeries into happy comforts: Even like the Arke brought into the houſe of Obed Edom, 2 Sam. 6.11. that brought a bleſſing upon the houſe, and al that he had: So Gods mercy brought into the heart, will be the cauſe that they and their houſe, and all that they have, ſhall proſper and be preſerved for ever, to his glory and their eternall comfort.