reproached and greatly hurt this way expect the sentence of the Judge If another mans servant shall reproach thee thou wilt not beat him thy selfe but complaine to his master how much more ought thou to do this in respect of God who hath said Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Chrysost hom 22. ad pop Antioch But thou art desirous to be revenged that is the way not to revenge for that is a true though a strange position and speech That they are onely hurt and injured who hurt others and injure them And the injury which is done to others hurts none but those who do it so those who suffer do not repay or be brought to sinne For example what was more unhappy then Cain The death he brought upon Abel hath made him that suffered it to be accounted just in all ages and him that did it a parricide and murtherer What was more miserable then Herodias who desired Iohn Baptists head in a dish and so plunged her owne head in the eternall fire and flames of hell What worse then the Divell who by his malice made Iob more famous that as his glory increased so did the others torments So now And if men be not brought to commit sinne and this in particular what hurt have they by it It is another truth Nemo laeditur nisi a seipso Chrys that there is no man hurt but of himselfe for admit a man have his goods taken from him or other injuries done to him if he fall not into sinne by it keeping the injury boiling in his stomacke or falling to revenge impatiently or blaspheme or such like if he do then is he hurt and greatly not of another but of himselfe Example Iob and Paul These and the like should perswade us to patience and not to resist And why should such things be hard If I let him alone he will be worse Hast thou more care of him then of thy selfe But are not these words of corruption and pride who establish things against God Admit he be hurt yet God ought to be obeyed Neither ought we to make lawes against that which God hath ratified but it will hurt neither thee nor him for Prov. 15.1 A soft answer putteth away wrath but grievous words stirre up anger And if thou wouldest do thy selfe and him good the more he is in choler and heat the more yeeld thou for this heat had need of the greater remedy And the more reproaches there are there is the more need of patience and gentlenesse And when the feaver is hottest there is most need of cooling so when a man is angriest of yeelding But this will be a reproach and there is no manhood in it Nay it is no reproach but compassion and humanity Finally in all these things thou shalt finde that true of Abigail to David 1 Sam. 25.31 Then shall it be no griefe unto thee nor offence of minde unto my Lord that he hath not shed bloud causelesse nor that my Lord hath not revenged himselfe And when the Lord shall have dealt wel with my Lord remember thine hand-maid And of him touching her verse 32.33 Then David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy counsell and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from comming to shed blood and that mine hand hath not saved me Because the offering is no more regarded Or more plainly So that I will no more regard your offerings The second reason condemning Polygamy because it makes their worship and service unacceptable to God while the injuries they did to their wives and their sighes and teares came before him and were in his ears as the bloud of Abel calling rather for vengeance and a curse then a blessing Now a generall from this is this Doctrine 1 They who come to performe any service to God and would have it accepted must be holy and uncorrupt and not uncleane and polluted Vide Malach. 1.6.7 Further a more speciall thing hence may we observe Doctrine 2 They who grieve oppresse and injury others whatsoever he be and they to him whether he be Husband or Magistrate or Master whether rich or his Landlord or howsoever shall finde that their prayers and worship of God shall not be accepted nor finde any place or favour with God So here and Isaiah 1.15 and 58.3.4 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest it not we have punished our selves and thou regardest it not Behold in the day of your fast you will seeke your will and require all your debts Behold ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse yee shall not fast as yee do to day to make your voyce to be heard above To this purpose may that be applied Prov. 27.13 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall also cry and not be heard And that may shadow it Luke 16.24 Old Isaac accepted the prayers of Iacob and his voyce the better because of his rough and hairy hands but with our Isaac it is cleane contrarie Reason 1 Because they are in their sins and that which is more they are not capable of remission of sins seeing Christ hath said Mat. 6.15 But if ye doe not forgive men their trespasses no more will your father forgive you your trespasses For if they who remit not other mens injuries against them are uncapable what are they who doe injure others and oppresse and wrong them Nay if they had had remission yet the guilt of them would returne Rediant dimissa peccata ubi fraterna charitas non est As the parable sheweth Matthew 18.34 Now where a mans sins are there his prayers must needs be unaccepted Reason 2 Because the cryes of those who are oppressed and injured are in his eares James 5.4 speaks of one kinde And though his ears are not subject to any prejudice yet when they are justly possessed with injustice and injury they stop them against the prayers of the oppressour Vse The judgements of God are upon us and that justly because of these grievances oppressions and injuries that are amongst us we pray to have them removed we prevaile not but it increaseth and spreadeth is it any marvaile how should our prayers finde favor in his eares when the cryes of the oppressed and injured have filled them for these grievances are amongst us then no marvaile if they are come upon us and that God is come to revenge them and that neither their prayers nor the prayers of his Ministers can prevaile James 5.4 VERS XIV Yet ye say wherein because the Lord hath been witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant YET ye say wherein The second thing by which the Prophet condemneth this sinne of poligamy is that it is against Gods ordinance which is set downe in this verse and that which
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 a great 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 VERSE I. The burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel by the ministery of Malachy THE Burden Here is the matter or subject of this Booke or Prophecy He calleth it a burden usuall with Prophets in their writings all almost in some place or other But Nahum Habakkuk and Malachy thus begin their prophecies It signifies as Hierome a woefull and sorrowfull prophecy full of threats and judgments called therefore a Burden because it presseth those against whom it is spoken the hearts and spirits of them as a burden the body and suffers them not to lift up their heads and themselves as in former times Some thinke it signifies not onely this but also the Commandement of the Lord by which the Prophet was burdened as from the Lord that he should declare it in so many words unto Israel which they thinke follows thence because it is to Israel not against but I feare this is somewhat nice for it was so to them as it was against them for their sinnes and that which is against is as much as a burden to the Prophet but this must be understood Tropicè here being a Synecdoche for the whole Prophecy is not a burden or threatning of punishment but part onely of it and so the whole is denominated of the part Doctrine The punishment of sinne the affliction God inflicts upon men for their sinnes and transgressions is a burden not a light one not such as are the feathers of a bird onus sine onere but as a talent of Lead spoken of Zach. 5.7 heavy and grievous so is it here and in many places of the Prophets as Nah. 1.1 Hab. 1.1 Jerem. 23.33 fine he shewes what is the burden I will cast you off and send you into Babel captives vers 36. that is whosoever shall say The burden he shall for that word beare his burden that is be punished of the Lord it is proved further by Matth. 7.9 Galat. 6.8 Hence is the complaint of David Psal 32.4 Thy hand was heavy upon me Reas 1 Because sinne the deserving and procuring cause is a very grievous burden Psal 38.4 Matth. 27.38 that is to living men and such as have the use of their sences not to dead and benummed men then the punishment is grievous Reas 2 Because the wrath and displeasure of God which is the efficient cause of it is very heavy and grievous The displeasure of a Prince is heavy the Kings wrath is as the roaring of a Lion Prov. 19.12 Now hence are afflictions heavy and burdensome Reas 3 Because none can give ease in it or deliver from it save God onely Hos 1.6 1 Sam. 2.25 2 King 6.26 27. The wound that is had by the biting of a Scorpion is grievous when nothing can cure it but the ashes of that Scorpion much more this Vse 1 This may teach us what to judge of those men who are in some affliction under a judgment and yet finde no burden but goe as light under them as a bird doth under her feathers and sometimes make advantage of them as beggers doe make gaine of their sores they are senselesse they are benummed they are dead men In common sence if any have halfe an hundreth weight laid upon his hand or foot and pressing him sore and he feele it not what judgment is to be given of it but to be a mortified and a dead member so alas how many dead men are in our times and daies The burden not of the Word onely but of the rod of the Lord not threatned but executed hath beene upon our Land and Church by the fearefull Plague now well towards three yeares wee have walked in the land of the dead we have beene in the house of mourning Indeed the living hath laid it to his heart but so few have done it that the dead are more than the living not onely our wanton women and voluptuous men to whom that 1 Tim. 5.6 They are dead while they live but our worldly men our ambitious and others all dead for this they have not felt We sorrowed for fifty odde thousands that dyed in the former yeare we have as much need to sorrow for so many thousands yet living and dead amongst us they never indeed felt nor yet doe feele this burden Their irreligious carriage when it was here amongst us both at home abroad in the City and abroad their small conformity since to the Law of God little reforming of their corruptions nay their monstrous deformity in themselves wives and children perswades my heart as 't is Psal 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart there is no feare of God before my eyes so that they had no feeling of this at all for they who truely felt it would grow somewhat better if not altogether reformed If an heathenish people who knew not God at the burden of the Word of the Lord did so humble themselves that the Lord said Jonah 8.10 He repented of the evill he said he would doe to you and did it not what shall be thought of Christian men by profession living in the Church of God if at the burden of his Word they repent not nor depart from their evill wayes but Isaiah 8.8 Though they be stricken revolt more and more it is because they are dead men and cannot feele it Oh then weepe not for me but for your selves and children as those not for the departed but for the living dead for if it be true The beginning of the remedy is the sence and acknowledgment of the malady how farre are they from cure that have not yet
hate but in those that are deare to him Vse 1 If God will and must deale thus with his owne generall and particular let the whole Church and every member thinke of it that they be not deceived as if to them there were no feare of judgments and punishments though they feare not sinne because they are his It is such a corruption and deceit that may seize upon those who are his even truely his though usually they are deceived by the sleight of Sathan whom he hath before deceived with another perswading them they are gods when they are not for commonly none so confident as those none so bold as these blind byards but whosoever he is that is tainted with this let him know that as the Husbandman preserveth the sheepe of his pasture in a moist yeare from rotting in the heart and liver when they are a little tainted by the salt waters of the Sea so may he be recovered and preserved by those waters of the Sanctuary even by those salt waters when the streame runnes thus that he will not nor he hath not spared those who are as deare to him as the apple of his eye untoothsome happily may they be but without doubt wholesome they are let no Church then trust in lying words Jer. 7.4 if they continue in their wickednesse vers 9. and make his house a den of theeves vers 11. but let them know he sees it and goe to Shiloh vers 12. and other Churches and see what he hath done to them and the like will he doe to it vers 14. Let no particular man thinke he may sinne as presuming he is Gods for if he spared not Moses Miriam David and others how him could they not have challenged more than he or is it not likely that God would have spared them as well as he Let him thinke of that to Solomon I will be his Father and he shall be my sonne if he commit iniquity I will chasten him with the rod of Iron but my mercy shall not depart from him 2 Sam. 7.14 15. if God make it true in him it is the best he can looke for If any aske what benefit it is to be Gods I answer much every way as that God will passe by many infirmities of thine when thou servest him many sinnes of passion when they are not continued in Have you not heard of the patience of Job Againe is it no benefit to be his Fathers Heire unlesse he may be suffered to doe what he list without controlement or correction Besides even this is a benefit for if that be true Let the righteous smite me and it shall be a kindnesse Psalm 141.8 much more this when that we are chastned that we may not be condemned 1. Cor. 2.32 Vse 2 This may serve for comfort when affliction and punishment is befallen one who is his In such a condition a man is ready to faint and his heart to faile him for feare as if God had utterly cast him off but it riseth from the ignorance of this that God hath and will afflict his children and because they have not beene experienced under the hand of God A child when he is young and tender not acquainted with his Fathers threats and corrections no sooner sees his father lay hand upon rods but feares he hates him but a little use under this teacheth him there is indeed love where hatred is in show And so with them but they must learne this that their hearts may rest upon it as the Arke did stay upon the mountaine of Ararat after it had floted a long time upon the waters seeing he afflicts his owne yea more than the wicked in this life and yet still his people Israel having forgotten their late miseries and calamities the sence and feeling of them being worne cleane out of memory they returne againe to their former corruptions and sinnes and are newly threatned with other and more heavy judgments Doctr. If men many or few a County or City one or a company after they have beene delivered or freed from some calamity and judgment doe forget it passing it over without profit and returning to their sinnes and corruptions againe they are in danger of new and more fearefull judgments for he did this to the greene tree what will he doe to the dry if to the naturall Olive-tree what can the wild Olive looke for This is manifest by Esay who reproveth the people because they profited not by former judgments but remained obstinate and in their sinnes Chap. 1. ver 5. specially vers 21 22 23. How is the faithfull City become an Harlot it was full of judgment and justice lodged therein but now they are murtherers thy silver is become drosse thy wine is mixt with water thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the fatherlesse neither doth the Widows cause come before them whereunto he addeth therefore saith the Lord God of Hostes the mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of my adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies vers 24. To this I adde Esay 12.9.17.21 inferred upon vers 13. manifest by Deut. 28.45 Jerem. 5.3 John 5.14 An example of this also the Ninevites may be comparing together the Prophecies of Jonah and Nahum Reas 1 Because it cannot be equall and right that God should goe away and give over as overcome by the obstinacy and stubbornnesse of men that were as if a Prince should give over a Rebell because he were not able to subdue him with a small company and not gather more forces it were too much indignity and dishonour So in this for God striking for sinne must not lay downe his Armes till the Rebells come in as Joab gave not over the siege of Abel till Shebaes head was given him 2 Sam. 20.22 Reas 2 Because it is dangerous for a people to harden them in their sinnes for if because sentence against an evill worke is not exeted speedily therefore the heart is fully set to doe evill Eccles 8.11 if the deferring be thus dangerous what is the removing and not renewing or doubling the judgment it hardens men Reas 3 Because he must doe it whether his owne or not if his owne that he may cure them as Physitians or Chirurgians double the dose of their medicines and use more violent meanes when they finde the body hard to worke upon the disease more setled so the Lord when he findes his owne more obstinate if not his that he may consume them and shew his power upon them that he is able to abase and destroy every one that is obstinate against him Vse Learne then to feare before God and to profit under his hand to turne unto him that smites us and to seeke the Lord of Hostes lest otherwise God be provoked to cut off from us head and tayle branch and roote in one day Esay 9.13 14. By the ministery of Malachy or by the hand of
not a mans private enemies so of rejoycing against the enemies of God and his truth not their owne Therefore saith Solomon Prov. 24.17 Rejoyce not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth Vse 1 Then may men expect for this retribution from the Lord upon many whom they see oppressing undermining disgracing and triumphing over others when they have wrought their fall often by indirect and vile meanes Histories of all times are full of examples besides the Scripture one we may observe of Constantine sonne of the Empresse Irene who put out the eyes of Nicephorus and by retribution from God had his owne eyes put out by the cruelty of his Mother the very same day sixe yeares or there abouts The like of the destruction of Jerusalem that it was as in the same day that they crucified Christ Lege Euseb l. 3. c. 5. fine so it was by the same men that put him to death the Romans as Basil observes They are living who can remember in former Princes times Henry 8 Edward 6 Qu. Mary how justly God did repay our Nobility when they cut off one anothers heads The like may be expected in future time as they have done shall be done unto them nay the like we have a comfortable aspect or may have to see how God justly doth make that true 1 King 21.19 And thou shalt speake unto him saying Thus saith the Lord thy God Hast thou killed and also taken possession and thou shalt speak unto him thus saith the Lord In the place where dogs lickt the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood even thine When our Papists had thought our blood should have beene licked up theirs shall be God holding his owne law doing to them as they would have done to us or seeing that is not done in the strict justice that God requireth we may fearefully expect for this sinne of ours this retribution from the Lord as in 1 King 20.42 And he said unto him Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast let goe out of thine hand a man whom I appointed for utter destruction therefore thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people Vse 2 To teach every man to take heed how he carries himselfe to others how he injures and oppresseth them and to doe but that to others the like he would have others to doe and receive from them The rule of nature is Quod tibi non vis alteri ne feceris and that of Christ Matth. 7.12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should doe to you doe ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Of which Tertul. God hath measured out my actions by my will that I should not doe that unto others which I would not have done unto my selfe and should doe to others as I would have others to doe to me And if that of James will and shall be true Jam. 2.13 He shall have judgement without mercy that sheweth no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against judgment how much more extream cruelty shall be inflicted upon them who carry themselves cruelly to others men should take heed then how they abuse their power and authority to the oppressing and wronging of the weak their skill and cunning to circumvent and beguile the simple their countenance and credit to use men at their pleasure lest God meet with them as he did the Edomites Vse 3 In the particular to take heed how that he insult not over the fall of his enemy lesse of another lest God give them the like occasion by so casting us downe It is that which Solomon advised Prov. 24.17 18. It is a crime which Job laboureth to cleare himselfe of Job 31.29 30. If I rejoyced at the destruction of him that hated mee or lift up my self when evill found him neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soule Teaching that a man should be free not onely from outward shew but from inward touch of joy the first is easie partly by nature and partly by cunning and hypocrisie to cover it at least from a multitude or many but the other is hard and the harder more commendable more to be laboured for the outward odious to man so the inward to God which look not in facie but in corde as Cyprian And a speciall meanes to make him turne his hands upon us Avoyd it labor against it if it steale upon us check it repell and cast it out And yee shall say the Lord will be magnified The second thing in this verse the magnifying of God the thing is a speciall effect which Gods judgments work in his people Church differing from the wicked and Gentiles for they see it and but jibe and jest onely at the Edomites as they had at Israel but Israel sees it and magnifies God for it the words are originally somewhat otherwise the Lord doth magnifie himselfe true for so he doth in destroying these magnifies and honors himselfe and they religiously so confesse it and celebrate his magnificence and greatnesse for delivering themselves his Church and people and destroying their enemies hence we may observe two things and lessons Doct. It is the glory of God to deliver his people and destroy their enemyes it is that which doth honor and magnifie him much and spreadeth his fame farre and nigh So it is here and Isay 30.18 And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgment blessed are all they that waite for him Dan. 9.15 19. And now O Lord our God that hast brought the people forth out of the Land of Aegypt with a mightty hand and hast gotten thee renowne as at this day we have sinned we have done wickedly O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thine own sake O my God for thy City and thy people are called by thy name Psalm 74.10 11. O God how long shall the adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever Why withdrawest thou thy hand even thy right hand pluck it out of thy bosome Reas 1 Because he is their God and King these his people and subjects Psal 74.12 For God is my King of old working salvation in the midst of the earth It were a shame and dishonour for a Prince to suffer his subjects to lye in misery distresse specially if he be able to releeve them è contra it spreads his fame farre and neare when he succoreth and saveth them Reas 2 Because they are rebels 't is the princes honor to overthrow them They shall say the Lord doth magnifie himselfe That is they shall give the honor of their deliverance and the glory of their preservation to God when the enemy is destroyed and they safe Doctr. The people of God in all deliverance and preservation from what
conventionis by right of Covenant and agreement Those who live in his Church have made a Covenant with him by sacrifice Psal 50. and have bound themselves by Oath to serve him and have covenanted to be his people Jer. 40. Here he meanes both but not of the whole in both but onely of government and covenant for the other in the former and by these he challengeth obedience and service as by the former for that which is required under honour is here under feare the same thing but differing in affection and some circumstances as before But first of his government and jurisdiction in respect of his blessings and preservation Doctrine Men in respect of Gods government over them ought to serve and obey him being under him as subjects are under their Lords and Princes by whose authority and Lawes they enjoy their lives and liberties increase in state and riches So under God he preserving protecting increasing them and their states himselfe If I be a Master and Lord and you enjoy these things by me where is my service and obedience This is proved by Isaiah 1.2 3. That of the devill in accusing Job Chap. 1.9 10. shews that Gods government requires this and his answer to his wife Chap. 2.10 also shews it That of David Psal 71.6 is pertinent and that of Jer. 5.24 Reas Because this is no lesse benefit than the former of Creation for that was once done this is alwayes and as it were every day after a sort God creates man anew ever preserving that he once created shewing in this no lesse power nor love than in the other and if for that obedience is debt for creating in a moment how much more for a continuall preservation Vse This may admonish all men that as their Creation before so their continuall preservation under Gods government his Lordship and Dominion over them requires all the service and obedience they can performe because they are his subjects and servants he their Master and Lord. All Soveraignes and Lords looke for all feare and obedience from such as they governe protect and whose good and peace they procure All Masters from servants they feed and cloath and governe and this they yeeld unto them how much more all men to God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords their Soveraigne and Lord of all and over all Therefore all high and low Kings and Subjects Male and Female bond and free rich and poore owe this to him and are bound unto him for it For Kings rule the great ones governe the rich prosper the poore live by him yea all are under him he preserveth and governeth all Whatsoever priviledge one man hath above another yet there is no priviledge in respect of God If the King reigned without him if the Noble ruled without him if the rich increased without him it were somewhat but when none of these all is by his providence and from his power which makes him say to all If I be a Master or Lord where is my feare The King is great but in respect of his subjects nothing greater in respect of God than another as the earth is but a small mote or point in respect of the Heavens the rich are wealthy in respect of the poore but but poore compared with the Kings treasure more poore compared with God so that be they all great and as high and as rich as may be yet their Crownes and Crownets their honours and riches their states and lives are in his hands And as a Ship in one day upon the Sea would perish without a governour so would all these in a moment come to nought without him his government protection and providence See then how every one that acknowledgeth God his Lord and Master and feeleth indeed his government and providence for good ought to serve and feare him If thou doest not beleeve that God moves all thy members when thou doest move thou art not worthy the name of a Christian saith one for St. Paul hath taught it Acts 17.28 But if thou doest beleeve it that thou receivest such from him and yet darest provoke and offend him I know not what name is evill enough for thee so for this if thou acknowledge not all is from God through his providence and from his care that thou art as thou art thou art not worthy the name of a sonne or servant but if thou acknowledge it and yet shakest off his feare and performest not obedience to him what name is bad enough for thee nay what punishment is sufficient for such an offence what then if for life and continuance how much more for a well and wealthy being when mens portions are made fatter and their state better both than in former times and also than thousand others Gods providence and care more to them their obedience and service should be more to him And yet it is a lamentable thing my eyes could cast out teares for it in secret as the Prophet to see many men risen of nothing when they had little were diligent and carefull to serve and obey God in themselves and in their families and those who belong to them but after that Gods government was more good to them and they prospering better by it I know not how such is the corruption of our nature they serve him now farre lesse in them and theirs and yet it is thought excusable as if a Subject who lived under his King and that onely lived without wealth or honour or advancement or but with a small pittance of these and then gave him service and all loyall duty should after when he had received these in bountifull measure by his gracious bounty and government either lesse respect him or be lesse loyall or more rebellious and thinke it were tolerable enough because he is now more wealthy worshipfull and honourable But whatsoever he thinks others would condemne him and every of these who deale thus with God then shall they be judged by their owne mouth Oh that they would indeed judge themselves that they be not judged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11.31 else undoubtedly he will judge them if his in this life punishing them in those things which have made them by their corruption lesse loyall unto him as wealth riches honour friends and such like that he may so bring them home againe and let them see how they have wronged him for great things giving him lesse If he doe not the case is more fearefull he meanes to condemne them with the world And though they will not now acknowledge they injure God any wise in thus dealing outwardly with him yet the day shall come and it is now at hand when this injury shall be made manifest and when as these complaints which are now made by us shall be heard though men have now their eares so heavy and their eyes so shut up and their hearts so fat that they cannot see or heare or understand to be converted and healed It
66.17 or in quality only that is when it comes by some accident of which Deut. 17.1 of this is meant in this place as the 8. verse sheweth And so here seemes to be a double fault taxed by the Spirit of God one in the people and the other in the Priests and so a double duty exacted of them the peoples fault was in bringing of polluted offerings and presenting them unto the Priests their duty was to have brought such as were sound entire and perfect the Priests fault was in receiving them at their hands and not reproving and prohibiting them his duty was to have instructed them what sacrifice they were to bring and to reject that which was uncleane and not according to the Law Now these sacrifices were to be cleane and pure and perfect ad typum capitis to shew the perfect purity of Christs humane nature 2 Cor. 5.21 1 Pet. 1.17 Secondly ad typum corporis to shew what they should be who are members of him and that offer these sacrifices unto God that they should be perfect to every good worke 2 Tim. 5. and Rom. 12.1 3. So that then besides that which hath been spoken for the sacrifice we may gather out of the peoples fault comparing outward things with inward the type with the truth that seeing God reasons on this sort if they who bring polluted offerings unto me contemne me then such as come polluted in themselves much more Doctrine They who come to the publique service of God and come to offer him any sacrifice must not be uncleane and polluted in their hearts and lives but must come with holinesse and purity for if their sacrifice must be such then themselves and the sacrifices were commanded to be such because they themselves ought to be such When God reproved Israel for it Isaiah 1. and 66.3 and Jerm 7.9 10. he sheweth what he required of them and of others to this purpose is Psal 4.4 5. Gen. 35.2 Joshua 24.16 19 23. Reas 1 Because God else will not accept their service for he first looks to their person and then their service Gen. 4.4 for the sacrifice doth not sanctifie the person but the person it as Haggai 2.13 14. Proverb 15.8 Reas 2 Because else that which God offers and gives to them is made hurtfull unto them not that God gives any evill but because they are evill that receive it As the Sacrament to Judas Christ gave not that which was evill nor did he being the Physitian give the poyson but Judas being wicked it became evill unto him for as the spyder and the adder turn good meat into poyson and as a corrupt stomacke abounding with choler and such like turneth the meat they eate into choler and the finer the meat is it is the sooner turned to corruption so is it in this thing Titus 1.15 Vnto the pure are all things pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeving is nothing pure but even their mindes and consciences are defiled Vse 1 To reprove all such as have no care to purge and purifie themselves before they come unto the house of God to his service that come without repentance without preparation full of their drunkennes whoredomes usuries adulteries and such like sinnes They are more guilty of contempt against the Lord then if they withdrew themselves altogether from his obedience and house A man having committed some offence against his Prince being summoned to appeare personally in his presence if he refuse to come at him and shun his sight may well be condemned of contumacy but not of contempt for he may do it out of fear and contempt and fear cannot stand together in one subject but if he shall confidently come appeare before him as if he had done no such thing or not offended him shew no sorrow for his offence make no promise of amendement nay shall rather stand in it with an impudent face avow it professe to persist in it this must needs be judged a grosse outragious contempt Now the place of Gods worship is his presence and he that commeth thither commeth to look God full in the face as Cain was cast out from the face of the Lord. Gen. 4.16 If he come not he shall suffer as contumax as rebellious and disobedient but he that commeth polluted with the filth of his sin unrepented of with a purpose to persist he shall be punished as a contemner They who refused to come were shut out but he that came in his old cloathes was bound hand and foot cast into utter darknes Math. 22. he that is willfully absent excluding himselfe from the society of the Saints in the time of grace shal be barred their company in the time of glory for ever but he that presumeth to appeare there with the guilt of his sinne on him shall have a farre greater portion in Hell fire he shall suffer as in case of contempt like an insolent rebell that bourdeth his Prince to his face in his owne Palace and in the mean time all their prayers are unaccepted yea they are turned into sinne to them they obtaine nothing of God more then he would give them though they never prayed with which he feeds them but for the slaughter yea and hence we profit nor them by preaching but make them worse wee are not the savour of life unto them but of death by the word they are hardned in their sins by this two edged sword they are daily wounded because their sinnes are not wounded their persons are and the more fearefully because their wounds are not sensible yea by the Sacraments the Devill as upon Judas so upon them taketh more sure possession and raignes in them Vse 2 To teach every one to labour to be holy when he commeth to Gods house holines becomes it to put away iniquity and sin farre from him when God cals him cast of his patched cloak as did blinde Bartimaeus Mark 9. we deal so when we go before Princes as Joseph did Gen. 41.14 much more we ought to doe so with God Moses and Joshua were commanded to put off their shoes when they approached to God and were to stand upon holy ground we are hereby taught saith Ambrose Ep. 16. to shake off the dust and scoure off the soyle that our soules and lives gathered by fleshly occasions and worldly courses ere wee come to tread the Courts of Gods house There was a Laver of brasse Exod. 30.18 19. for Aaron and his sonnes to wash in before they offered any thing at the Altar to shew what we should doe being made the Lords Preists to this David alluded Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency O Lord and compasse thine Altar And this ought we to doe that our prayers may be heard and be acceptable that our hearing and receiving of the Sacraments may be fruitfull unto us else Psal 66.18 If I regard wickednesse in mine heart the Lord will not heare me and we being
the Lord your God and his testimonies his ordinances which he hath commanded thee And thou shalt doe that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord that thou maiest prosper and that thou maiest goe in and possesse that good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers And by that Matth. 4.6.7 for if it be tempting of him to seeke and to looke for his promise and faithfulnesse in things not commanded either omitting the commanded then è contra Hag. 2.18.19 I smot you with blasting and with mildew and with haile in all the labours of your hands yet you turned not to me saith the Lord. Consider I pray you in your mindes from this day and afore from the foure and twentieth day of the ninth month even from the day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laid consider it in your minds That is because they had begunne to build the Temple hee would blesse them by that they should try his goodnesse Isaiah 1.18 If you will repent and doe as you ought then shall you see and try how good I will be and Isai 7.11.12 Reason 1 Because it is no unfaithfulnesse of God nor want of goodnesse and bounty not to give or not to performe things he hath promised if men doe not the things he hath commanded in as much as he otherwise did not binde himselfe he hath made himselfe a debtor by his promise but so as the condition upon which hee promised be performed But this not performed no man can expect that and so without it can they not make triall of his goodnesse and fidelity Reason 2 Because it is no faithfulnesse nor goodnesse of God to give things that he hath promised as blessings to those who doe not the things he requires for them but is rather the anger and displeasure Magna est ira Dei peccatoribus non irasci Saint Hierom. And that Hosea 4.14 And so to blesse them and give them the things he hath promised they not performing is a hurt to them and a curse rather then a blessing Vse 1 Then have we many more tempters of God then religious tryers of his faithfulnesse and goodnesse seeing most men make account of and promise to themselves to finde the faithfulnesse of God though they never doe the things he requires they should doe but rather the cleane contrary for whereas he hath promised all earthly blessings to such as feare him and keepe his commandements Levit. 24.1 howsoever they have cast off his feare and the care of his commandements yet they doubt not but to enjoy his blessings and they will put him to the tryall whether he will be his words master or no and make no doubt but to finde him performing these to them and often when they enjoy some of these things promised it may be in a plentifull measure their deceitfull hearts flatter them that they come from the faithfulnesse of God and his goodnesse though they never did the things he required to be done and as in earthly things so in spirituall things and matters of salvation they no lesse tempt God because they perswade themselves to have and obtaine remission of their sinnes though they never repent to have salvation though they live in blindnesse ignorance and infidelity or unbeliefe though hee hath promised none of these but upon condition that they know him and believe and repent John 17.3 and 3.16 Acts 2.38 Must not these then tempt God and not try him had not Christ tempted him when there was an ordinary way if hee had taken the extraordinary at the suggestion of Satan because of Gods promise◠should not they tempt him if when they should passe over the water upon some mans suggestion they should refuse the bridge or boate and leape into the water because he hath promised to give his Angels c. It will be granted yet because the Lord hath appointed an ordinary and the promise is onely in their wayes that is doing that he hath commanded Is it not then so in this And if in those kindes they can looke for no performance of his faithfulnesse why in this but that they are deluded by Satan and their corruption and as fooles led to the stockes and as oxen to the slaughter Vse 2 Seeing God hath put himselfe and his faithfulnesse upon their tryall and is so content that they doe not tempt him but try him that is they looke for his goodnesse and fidelity when they performe that he requires of them for till then they have made no tryall of him but tempted him and if he performe not then cannot they blame him nay they must blame themselves for if they had not forsaken him and beene wanting to themselves hee would never have beene wanting to them If I will not open the windowes of Heaven The blessing promised as the second reason to make them to bring tithes into his house and not to withhold the portion of his Ministers then he will give them plenty Doctrine The Lord he will blesse with plenty and abundance all such as deale faithfully with him and give to his Church and Ministers liberally and plentifully give unto them their due competent maintenance So much is affirmed here no lesse is laid downe Prov. 3.9.10 Honour the Lord with thy riches and with the first fruits of all thine encrease so shall thy barnes be filled with abundance and thy presses shall burst with new wine Hagg. 2.20 Deut. 26.12.13.15 God would not bid them pray for a plentifull blessing but that he meant to give it them for their bounty to him and his Levites Reason 1 Because of that Matth. 25.40 In as much as ye have done it unto these ye have done it unto me is true in this Now such is the magnificence and greatnesse of his minde that he will give much more then he received as Princes in the greatnesse of their mindes give many fold more then they receive much more will God even an hundred fold Reason 2 Because it is a speciall meanes for upholding and maintaining of his worship and service because it enables the present Ministers to follow their studies with chearefulnesse and with freedome of minde and encourageth others that are the seed of the Ministery to goe forward with their studies that there may be still men to preach the Gospell Then no marveile if he promise and will performe a blessing to those who shall doe it Reason 3 Because the Ministery of the word and the labour of the Ministers is for the good and nourishment of the soule and for the making of it every day more and more like unto him the renewing of the image of him and the making of men his and every day more and more like unto him James 1.18 Now when men are carefull to have their soules made his and made like to him and will be liberall that way which argues their care he will be liberall to them and for their bodies Vse 1
Cardinals but the businesse was through the occasions of the Roman Sea intermitted more then 20 yeeres from the dissolving of the Councell till Sixtus the V. performed it Lucas Burgensis in a particular tract hath collected all the Corrections made in that Edition That of Sixtus was two or three yeeres after purged by Clement the VIII and yet Brugensis hath found a Catalogue of Errata still and brings in Bellarmine confessing as much and yet the worke from the first to the last was not lesse then of 46. yeeres and boasted of with high and Papall language Sixtus his Bull is now left out of the Bibles and so is Clements Breve Apostolicum out of most Antib Bibl. p. 162. which yet the reader shall finde carefully preserved and to good use by Amama in his Antibarbarus Biblicus Wee for our part count no Translation authenticall and esteem it a tyrannie both in the Popish and Lutheran Churches that no man without circumlocutions and insinuations and apologies may shew the very least dissent But the strife about the Translation equals not that which hath been about the Sence The Acts that have beene used by the Romanists for the settling and establishing The Right of Interpretation upon the Bishop of Rome have been well known wherby they have laboured to make him the Oracle to the world as the Turkish Mufti is by the relation of Busbequius in those parts Busbeq epist 3. finding it to be the most expedite way to gaine the opinion of the publique and authorised interpreter But we have little reason to yeeld over the Title to him knowing how readie he and his servants are to make advantage of every thing that hath any likelihood to advance them yea how they wrest and abuse Scriptures to the maintenance of everie cause of theirs especiallie the intolerable pride and usurpations of the Pope Arch B. of Cant. in his 2 enlarged Edition of his most learned relation of the Confe sect 26. nu 12. p. 209. An instance of this wee have in that notable observation which my Lord of Canterbury his Grace hath made upon the Frontispice of John de Puente his booke of The Agreement of the two Catholike Monarchies where the Text Genes 1.16 is applyed as Innocentius had done long before and the words Luminare Majus The greater light are over the Portraiture of Rome An observation out of a Picture whereby his Grace hath done the same service for the discovery of the Romish Arts which that other noble protestant my Lord Duplessis Myster Iniqui in presat did out of another picture or Frontispice printed before two bookes one at Bononia An. 1608. the other at Naples An. 1609. wherein Pope Paul the V. is lively pictured in a Table with this Inscription TO PAUL THE FIFTH VICE-GOD THE MOST INVINCIBLE MONARCH OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMON WEALTH AND THE MOST STOUT MAINTAINER OF THE PONTIFICIAN OMNIPOTENCIE This Table hangs within a triumphall Arch on either side hung with Crowns Diadems and Scepters after the severall fashions and wearings of the Kings of the whole world At the foot of the Arch sit on the one hand Europe and Africa with these words of the Prophet Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queens thy nursing mothers on the other hand Asia and America with the following words With their face towards the earth they shall licke up the dust of thy feet Esai 49.23 Above there are winged Schroles in one upon the right hand over some ruines of buildings is that text in Jer. 27.8 but somewhat altered The Nation and Kingdome which will not serve him that Nation will I punish saith the Lord with the Sword and with Famine and with pestilence In the other on the left hand that place Dan. 7.14 applyed with more blasphemy There was given him dominion and a Kingdome and all people shall serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed Others also of them have beene as bold with the holy Text. The Bishop of Bitonto in his Sermon at the opening of the Councell at Trent Hist. Conc. Trid. l. 2. adan 1545. advising men to obey the Councell said Else it will be said the Popes light is come into the world and men loved darknesse rather then light So applying the Text Joh. 3.18 But the judicious writer of the History notes it That many were offended with that speech It will alwaies prove an intangled title to the Pope Who then must be the Judge Erasinus is faine to leave his Butcher and Fishmonger wrangling in this point Eaas Colloq 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and when they have said all yet unresolved There are many that would cast it upon the Fathers and that we must stand to what they say But that were to make them not expounders but lawgivers Wee regard them highly but yeeld them not the Royalty of a Mint as Mornay speakes D. F◠White Orth. Faith ch 4. parag 1. besides we neither finde all difficulties explicated by them nor in what they doe explicate an agreement In the very Councell of Trent another saying of Cardinall Cajetans That a new sence of Scripture is not to be rejected though it be against the old Doctors seeing power is left now also to interpret was by some much commended who thought it a tyranny to forbid the faithfull the use of their owne proper ingenie others indeed opposed it accounting License worse then Tyranny among others Richard of Mans a Franciscan friar went so farre as to say The Doctrine of faith is now so cleared that we ought to learne it no more out of the Scriptures which heretofore were read in the Church for instruction but now only are read to pray by not to study There were not many that adhered to him the better part elivered themselves as Dominicus à Soto did That it was fit to keepe every wit within limits for matters of faith and manners but else to leave them to their liberty for the sense Others of them yet more plainely That it was not fit to restraine the understanding of the Scriptures to the fathers only whose expositions were most part Allegoricall seldome ltierall and those fitted to their owne time And many men have profitably used their liberty especially such as have sought out the literall sence The Allegory Luth. in Gen. 30. Luther cals it a beauteous whore that inticeth idle men who thinke themselves in Paradise and Gods bosome when they fall upon such speculations Such was their interpretation who by the cleane beasts in the Arke understood Virgins and by the uncleane Married Persons See Bp. Morton Appl. pn 2. l. 5. Ch. 15. And theirs upon Psal 74.13 Thou brakest the heads of the Dragons in the waters that is Devils are expelled by holy water sprinkled by the Priests Luke 5.4 Duc in altum that is Peter goe thou to Rome the head and
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 onely 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. 1.6 because neither honour nor feare be performed to him So that not onely 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. yeares Ezra 6. 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
the feeling of it I feared the Plague by a naturall infirmity though God enabled me to abide upon my calling in the hottest brunt of it and mercifully preserved me hitherto to his Church and to speake this to you this day But if it should now come by the providence of God upon me that he beginnes to threaten it to the City I should willingly embrace it as thinking God to be marvellous mercifull unto me and whosoever he should smite by it to take it thus into his owne hand and not to leave us to more fearefull judgments which I cannot say but I marvellously feare is even at the doore to the wakening of dead men and women or the sweeping of them away I am no Prophet I pray God my words be no prophecy but what peace c. This ought to teach men in affliction if a judgment come and imposed by the hand of God to beare it patiently and meekely as David 2 Sam. 15.25 26. for it is a burden The way to be eased is not strugling with it but meekely to beare it for a prisoner to be free from his fetters is not in the Jaylors sight to seeke to breake them or to file them off that is the way to procure more or the longer lying in them So to be eased of a burden is not to wrestle with it when one is under it but to goe softly there is more ease while it is on his back and sooner comes he to be released of it A man may with impatiency wrestle and use unlawfull meanes to ease himselfe and God happly will let them prosper for a while but after he will bring a more heavy and inevitable burden on him that with his former shifts shall make more heavy to him There is a fable but it hath his Morall for this purpose A certaine Asse laded with Salt fell into a river and after he had risen found his burthen lighter for the moisture made it melt away whereupon he would ever after lye him downe in the water as he travailed with his burthen and so ease himselfe His owner perceiving his craft after laded him as heavy with Wooll the Asse purposing to ease himselfe as before laid himselfe downe in the next water and thinking to have ease rising againe to feele his weight found it heavier as it continued with him all the day The Morall is that they who impatiently seeke meanes contrary to the will of God to ease themselves of their burden shall have it more and more encrease upon them Vse 3 That men should make a speciall restraint to themselves to keepe from sinning because an heavy and grievous burden else is ready to be laid upon their shoulders Sinne it selfe is an heavy burden but few feele it and fewer feare it but to this burden shall the burden of punishment be added and who is sufficient for these things if the first burden feare them not because there is some pleasure in sinne to the flesh yet let the second which hath no pleasure at all When thou art tempted to sinne by which thou must needs tempt and provoke God learne to cast thy accompts well consult if thou bee able to meete him that comes against thee Luke 14. so if thou bee'st able to meete him and beare his burden goe on and spare not delight in all thy wayes restraine thy selfe from no sinne but if not if we may invert and resolve Doe we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he 1 Cor. 20.22 then let this restraine us if nothing else will let us imitate Porters who called and offered money to beare a burden will poise and weigh the burden in their hands first which when they see they are not able to beare no gaine will entice them so in this case let us doe Of the Word of the Lord The circumstance of the person sending the efficient and authour as of other prophecies so of this he comes not unsent he spoke not of himselfe hee came not without the Lord but from him so he affirmeth and truely to get more reverence credit and authority with them and that it was thus from the Lord and so Canonicall the testimonies of Christ and his Apostles alledging him divers times for confirmation of Doctrine and reformation of manners proveth it but he addeth the Word of the Lord not onely to shew that he had but the word the rod and execution would come after God making his word good but as some thinke to shew that he had not a free Embassage but that he was to deliver it in certaine and set prescribed words Sometime when Prophets were more frequent and perpetuall in the Church and God spoke to them by dreames or by visions and apparitions they had divers kinds of words and had liberty for divers manners of speaking and delivery But our Prophet was such a messenger that the Commandement hee had received and was credited with he must deliver in so many words and the same he received them in and so he doth for in the whole he never useth his owne person but the Lord onely as Chap. 1.2 and 2.1 and 3.1 and 4.1 Here we might observe that the Writers of the Scriptures are not the Authors but God himselfe of which Rev. 2.7 But one particular may we herein observe this following Doctrine This Prophesie is the very word of the Lord it is of divine not humane authority which is not onely here affirmed but lest it should be doubtfull it hath the testimony of the new Testament the 3. Chap. ver 1. hath testimony Mark 1.2 and Chap. 4.2 hath testimony Luke 1.78 and Chap. 1 2 3. Rom. 9.23 Reas 1 Because this was written by a Prophet for as all the Old Testament was written by the Prophets so whatsoever was written by them was and is Canonicall Scripture therefore 2 Pet. 1.19 Luke 16.39 Heb. 1.1 Ephes 2.20 now all men hold Malachy for a Prophet the last among the Jewes till the comming of John Baptist Reas 2 Because the Church of the Jewes the onely Church of God did receive this and so acknowledged it as the word of God That they did so appeares Matth. 17.10 and the Apostles and the Evangelists alleadging of it for it is a farre more impious and heinous thing to take away Scripture than corruptly to interpret them or to adde Scripture if it were not of it Vse 1 I take instructions from hence entering the opening and expounding of this prophesie how I ought to labour with my owne heart and to seeke from the Lord assistance and grace to handle this as his word not carelessely handling the word and worke of God negligently taking his name in vaine comming to speake out of it without due preparation and constant study and speaking so talke as of the word of God 1 Pet. 4.11 not handling it with vanity and affectation not making merchandize and playing the huckster with it delivering it with a sincere affection dealing faithfully
Malachy The third person is the Instrument and by his hand that is by his worke and ministery some thinke it is said rather by the hand than the mouth to shew how uncorruptly hee delivered this and not by the mouth because the mind and mouth are more apt to corrupt a message than the hand which carrieth sealed letters But without opposition I take it to be the phrase of the Scripture to note the Ministery of him and others as 1 Sam. 11.7 and 28.17 The Lord hath done as he hath spoke by my hand Malachy signifies my Messenger or my Angell whence riseth the errour of Origen as Hieronimus in hunc locum that an Angell came and tooke the shape of man and delivered this But Hierome shews that the nature of a person is not to be taken notice of from the notation or Etymologie of his name for then whereas Hoseah signifies a Saviour and Joel the Lord God these should not be men but Angels or the Lord or the Saviour of the world which if it follows not then not this But whether he was Mordecai as some thinke or Ezra as most it is not certaine the conjectures of men for the latter are probable but easily answered It is safer to content our selves with that which is revealed than rashly or slenderly to affirme any thing in so weighty matters especially when it is not so needfull that we should enquire into it whether hee had his name from his birth or circumcision or it is a name of office it is not knowne It hath ever beene thought a vaine curiosity to make enquiry for the Messengers name and title when the message is most certaine Judg. 13.18 as here it is by the testimony of the New Testament There were in the Church three sorts of Prophets some that were to be perpetually in it and to exercise a perpetuall office to answer men when they enquir'd of them after the custome of time and manner as Samuel Hosea Elishar Some for a time both for this and also to stand up in Gods person for some particular thing to fore-tell it which being done they ended their office as Amos who prophesied for two yeares before the Earthquake Thirdly some who were onely once to prophesie and fore-tell things which done their office ceased as Jonah to the Ninevites Abdias to the Edomites and of this sort is our Prophet Doctrine God in revealing his will and publishing of his heavenly riches the mysteries of Christ and his Salvation hath and doth ordinarily use the ministery of Man ordinarily I say because at some time he hath used Angels to some particular and upon extraordinary occasions yet never ordinarily and generally in an ordinary established Church but alwayes the ministery of men which thing is witnessed by the testimony of all times and all Churches as well in the Stories of the Scriptures as other Prophets Priests Apostles Ministers How often that in the Old Testament I rose up earely and sent my Prophets In the New as they were men imployed under Christ Ephes 4.8 We have this treasure in earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 and we are Embassadors for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 Reas 1 Because Angels presence would have beene fearefull as Luke 1.12 and so unprofitable their Ministery for things would have passed away as they heard it for feare breeds such a lassitude in the joynts that man lets that goe he seemed to hold so of the mind Reas 2 To honour the nature of man for if to be mans much more Gods Embassadour He could have done all by an Angell Poterat utique per Angelum omnia fieri sed abjecta esset humana conditio se per homines hominibus Verbum suum administrare nolle videretur Aug. De 〈◊〉 Christiana 〈…〉 praefat but the humane condition had beene vilified if he had seem'd not to administer his Word by men unto men Reas 3 Because the message rather than the messengers should be regarded and if any thing be effected it might be given to the power of God and not the meanes If hee had not sent it in earthen vessels but by some glorious Angell they would have left the thing and have worshipped the person Revel 22.8 or if any thing had beene wrought they would have attributed it to the power of the meanes not to God but that they should not he thus disposed 2 Cor. 4.7 Vse 1 This ought to be matter of encouragement to the Ministers of God that their labour in preaching and performing the worke of their Ministery be not tedious unto them when it is so thank lesse an office unto men and the more they labour in it the lesse they partake of their double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 nay full of contempt and as Jeremy 20.7 8. yet they serving the Lord in their Ministery he vouchsafing them that honour ought to swallow up all these knowing that we are not to be ashamed of the Gospell of Christ because it is the power of God to salvation Rom. 1 1◠and whosoever shall finde it and receive it by them to beleeve beautifull shall their feet be unto them though others charge them as Pharaoh did Moses that they see their face no more But if none will yet he will not suffer them to goe unregarded because he hath set them on worke they are his Ministers as Esay 49.4 5. I said I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought yet surely my worke or my reward is with my God And though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord. Vse 2 To teach men not to be offended or basely to accompt of the ministery of the Word and the mysteries of Salvation because they are brought unto them in such earthen vessels by so weake meanes for it is the worke and word of the Lord howsoever by the ministery of man weake and base Was it that he wanted glorious Angels that he used not them he had thousand thousands of them but for mans infirmity Was it that he had no power over the Kings and Nobles of the Earth that hee imployed not them if he had spoken the word they could not have resisted He that had David a Prophet and Solomon a Preacher though not ordinary could have made them and other Princes ordinary Preachers and Ministers but their greatnesse would have obscured his power Why then hath he chosen meane men That the basenesse and meane condition of the person might give place to his glory that men might not dote on the person but delight in the ministery and message therefore as Princes shut up their treasures not in goodly and sumptuous chests but in caskets of no price and of base matter to deceive the theefe and to convay it whither they would have it so God these to lay a stumbling blocke to the reprobate but as many as are called and chosen to make it the power of God and the wisdome of God to them
to thinke so of them because they seeme now to condemne this more than barbarous enterprise I thinke as every man abounds in his owne sense I should doe them no wrong nay every learned Papist if he were in place where he durst speake it would not think I should doe him wrong if I should judge him disliking this which is so meritorious and commendable by their doctrine and practice for if for one and the King to lay their hands upon the Lords anointed why not for the rest And for others of them though a little humane pitty makes them a while to abhorre them yet the schooling of a Jesuite or Priest will easily and in short time harden and I doubt not but he that seems now most pittifull would have been an Edomite as Obadiah shews them what they were by telling them what they should not have been vers 11 12 13 14. But to leave these we have others who imitate the Edomites would raise up themselves by themselves and evill meanes not seeking to the Lord hee that is in disgrace seeks to rise by undermining of others and by flattery and fraude to make himselfe great againe In sickenesse to expect his health by unlawfull meanes or unlawfully using them seldome or not at all seeking the Lord In poverty and decay by lying and swearing and deceiving and breaking which once done is better then many yeeres trading Yet saith the Lord of hosts Here is the second part Gods threatning against their swelling bragges vowing as it were to disappoint all their Counsell and indeavour And to the end that they may be assured it shall be so the Lord sets himselfe downe with such an adjoynt as may assure them hee is able to doe what he saith hee will for he that speakes this is the Lord of Hosts such and so great and mighty that he commands all creatures to helpe and hurt whom and when he pleaseth to save and to destroy to further and hinder as the generall Commands all the army and all the Bands so hee all creatures Doctrine The Lord our God is the Lord of Hosts hee that is able to command all creatures for the saving of his or the destroying of others the wicked to helpe where hee will or to punish whom hee will and when hee will Hee is here called the Lord of Hosts applyed to this Hence it is that this title is given unto him in infinite places sometimes for good and sometimes for evill 2 King 19.35 1 Chronic. 2.9 Isa 1.24 and 2.12 This is manifest by his manifold commanding of Creatures both for good and evill both to save and to destroy Angels are his Ministers Psalm 104.4 They are sent by him Psalm 78.49 Isa 37.36 Hee commands the Sunne Josh 10.12 13. the Sea Exod. 14.21 the Windes Matth. 8.26 the Fire Dan. 3. the Lyons Dan. 6. Reas 1 Because hee is the Creator of all creatures and such a one as still sustaines and upholds them in being not as a Shippe-wright he makes another maintaynes no marvell if he can command what he will Reas 2 Because of his omnipotent power his wise providence to guide and govern them to twine and turne them whither so ever he will if he have given it to weak man in his skill and with his weaknes to guide a ship and turn other creatures how much more himself Vse 1 This may teach every man when he findes any of the host of God against him any creature to worke for his hurt to affront him in body and goods and name or howsoever to say as 2 Sam. 26.10 Let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him curse David who shall then say wherefore hast thou done so So bid him curse not as sinne but as a punishment or judgment or chastisement for he cannot be author but ordinator peccati one who doth dispose of their sinne and evill to the end not they but himselfe aimes at The malice is Shimeis the Lord he disposeth it to afflict David to humble him so in every particular thing thy meat and drinke the ayre fire water beasts any creature man great or small if they hurt say it is the Lord who bid them complaine to him of it seeke to him for redresse of it humble thy selfe and by the mediator seeke reconcilement they who are annoyed by a band of men or the wing of a battle will seek redresse from their Captaine or Generall So here as Act. 12.20 Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon but they came unto him with one accord and having made Blastus the kings Chamberlain their freind they desired peace because their Country was nourished by the Kings Country So seeke to God on whom you depend Otherwise if Absolom will stand out when Joab and the rest of the Host is sent against him he must looke to be pierced with darts Vse 2 To teach every man who would have the Host of God to bee for him and with him to pray unto God the Lord of Hosts who can dispose of them who hath them all at command who can take from them their malice and malignity or as a wise Physitian make a wholesome medicine of that which is poyson for he hath farre more absolute command of them then any Generall over his souldiers as the Centurion insinuates Luk. 7.7 8. Hence did Jacob when he feared Esau and his band pray Gen. 32.9 and found the fruit of it cap. 33.4 Hence in the Gospell they sought from him the ejection and dispossession of Devils of what number and quality soever the curing of diseases the rebuking of windes and sea the conversion or restraining of enemyes for he was the Lord of Hosts so must we still for he is the Lord of Hosts Meanes we must use as for defence weapons for health Physick as the Jewes used the disciples but he must be looked unto on both sides because he is the Lord of Hosts for that any can helpe that is not from themselves but from him Vse 3 If any would be free from their hurt and have their help let him seek to be at peace with God and to have him his friend for to whomsoever he is a friend they will all be friendly When there was peace betwixt the two Kings of Israel and Judah Jehoram Jehosaphat each people with horses served other when it was I am as thou art then it followed my people as thy people and mine horses and thine horses 2 King 3.7 So here Prov. 16.7 When a mans wayes please God he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him Many men would have all the hosts of God for him and his friends but seekes not the favour of his love as if these being more then naturally his could love where he hated or where he is hated But he that would have all things serviceable must seek his favor to be at one with him then Rom. 8.28 We know that all things worke together for good
to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose But who have more enemies then these they make themselves as a prey all hate them Answ When their love and favor shal be better to them then their hatred they favor them and shall doe so but when their hatred is good for them they profit by it are exercised and purged and made fitter for heaven The Lord is the Lord of hosts who thus can make it work They shall build but I will destroy He threatens to overthrow them and all the meanes they have to establish themselves that though they prosper a little by his connivence and suffer them yet they should faile of their hope for he would destroy all they had done Doctr. All the hopes and endevours of the wicked shall be frustrated and vaine so that that which they hoped to establish themselves by shall be their ruine God will destroy it after them by it so here Ps 112.10 The wicked shall melt away his desire shal perish all their studies counsels desires endeavours this hath usually fallen out as Hosea 10.6 Ephraim shall receive shame and Israel shall be ashamed of his owne Counsell Vse 1 No marvell then if we see every day wicked men disappointed of their hopes when they thinke by any unlawfull meanes to build up or edify themselves their names houses or posterity they may happily build a while and prevaile as Babel but it wil be their ruine nay it hath been to many of them by usury and oppression they have got lands and livings they have left them to their babes they have builded houses and called them by their names but in a few successions how they are destroyed and come to others how they hold not herein to the third heire how they have been their destruction who sees not so for ambition many seeking to rise like Haman accusing despising and maligning the people of God have had like ends and destruction above all we may remember as others so this last enterprise of the Papists with joyfull remembrance I pray God with as thankfull hearts and lives how God hath disappointed the hope of our wicked perjured and perfidious Catholiques and Papists who had thought to have built up themselves and to have reestablished all their Idolatrous estates by their bloudy and cruell barbarous and savage attempt yet that they built God hath and none else destroyed and we doubt not but it wil be to their greater ruine among us for howsoever the State hath used too much mildnesse towards them yet they will no doubt upon this lay to their hand and draw forth the sword Vse 2 To admonish a State as ours that it will be in vaine for them to imagin to establish themselves without the Lord by using unlawfull meanes and policy for God will destroy them The danger hath been lively before our eyes upon that connivence of ours and little strength they had gotten what if they should be suffered to grow with us is not that which Pharaoh feared of Israel Exod. 1.10 Come on let us deale wisely with them lest they multiply and it come to passe that when there falleth out any war they joyne also unto our enemies and fight against us and so get them up out of the Land more justly to be feared of these for they never held it lawfull to take away lives of Princes to take up armes against them to depose them because they were Idolatrous and rejected of God But these doe as Simanca in his institutions Tit. 23. sect ij and 13. and Dominicus Bannes in 22. Sum. Tho. quaest 12. Art 2. that subjects are bound to deny obedience to such Soveraignes and to take up armes against them if they have power to doe it for by Heresie he is deprived of all dominion and he expresseth himselfe what is meant if they have power because saith he with great detriment with the danger of life and losse of goods they are not bound to take armes against them or to exempt themselves from obedience if they be not in danger of a mortall sin that is of falling from the catholique faith and therefore it follows that the faithfull of England and Saxony are to be excused who do not exempt themselves from the power of their Princes neither take up armes against them because they have not power to make their wars against their Princes and they are incident to great perils if they stirre By which it is apparent that they waite but till they have strength if their secret plots bee thus frustrated So that he which will speake for favour to be shewed towards them he is either ignorant of this or else he is a secret enemy to the State in plaine reason besides the judgments of God who will overthrow when men thinke thus to build But I will destroy it The Lord takes this to himselfe to overturne all their buildings and destroy their strength and their kingdome Doctr. It is the Lord that as he plants so puls up Kingdomes Nations and men that casts out and brings in that sets up and puls downe that make and destroyes states publique or private at his pleasure they are all in his hand and done by him and fall not out by any fortune or by an ordinary revolution and vicissitude of things or yet from men though they be the meanes but this evill is of the Lord as here so Micha 2.4 Jer. 18.6 7. O house of Israel cannot I doe with you as this Potter sayth the Lord behold as the clay in the Potters hand so are yee in my hand O house of Israel Dan. 2.21 He changeth the times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he giveth wisedome to the wise and knowledge to them that know understanding Luk. 1.52 He hath put down the Mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree Reas 1 Because he is absolute Lord over all all the kingdomes of the Earth are not Satans as he falsely affirmed Math. 4. but the Lords Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lords yea 1 Sam. 2.8 The pillars of the earth are the Lords and he hath set the world upon them Reas 2 Because the smallest things are not without but by his power and providence In omnibus quaedam dispositio divina ordinat quaedam potentia divina sustinet quaedam sententia divina judicat the falling of a sparrow the putting downe of one mans estate and from his estate Psal 75.6 7. in all these a certaine divine disposition orders divine power susteines divine sentence judges Reas 3 Because it happens unto them then onely when they have defiled the land and defied the Lord and as it were set up sin and Satan against his will and word Vse 1 This may teach us when we see kingdomes overturned and wars raised whereto to impute it what to make the cause of it vid. Mich. 1.15 I will bring an heire unto thee O inhabitant of
Revel 18.8 9. Psal 58.7 10. Dan. 3.22 and 6.24 Reas 1 Because God will not only as is said of wisedome be justified of his children but of the wicked and prophane for that may have some exception against it lest it should be partiall this none in that kinde but God wresting this from them making them as Balaams asse to speake against nature so they against their mindes Reas 2 Because they might be without excuse when the judgments of God come upon them they have not humbled themselves when they were made eye witnesses or such as had certaine notice of Gods judgments so Daniel inferres Dan. 5.22 and without doubt that is it which doth amplifie the sinnes of men to make them riper for judgment as of Cain and Lots daughters Vse 1 This may teach us when wee heare of wicked and prophane men speaking of the judgements of God upon others not upon Gods people onely which they may doe in hatred of them because they like Israel sacrifice that to God which they as Aegyptians worship as God their lusts and affections and such like Nor upon such whose persons for some private respects they hate but others whose persons and sinnes they liked well enough before the judgement yet now they speake of them and give testimony to the judgment of God as just For say they he was an adulterer an usurer an oppresser or a grievous blasphemer when they live not in the same judgments nor in the same sinnes but in as great sinnes of another kinde living voyd of the feare of God being wicked and prophane therein observe the wisdome and providence of God which makes even the wicked to witnesse for him who by his powerfull providence makes the wicked whether in truth or hypocrisie it skils not give testimony unto him if the good will be silent as these hold their peace the stones shall speake one instance we have worth the noting agreeable to the times our Papists for their late more then hellish plot are taken and nye to their deserved ruine and confusion they who are out of the snare cry It is just with them whether they speake out of ignorance and humane piety or out of cunning and dissembling policy very tolerable in their superstition for the Churches good it skils not much as Philip. 1.15 16. If such comparisons be nor odious howsoever God is justified and hee hath testimony of his justice from the wicked while they say These are the border of wickednesse these are but a few desperate Papists and this is just upon them Vse 2 To teach men though wicked yet by the company encouragment example or applause of other wicked not to commit that which may bring the judgment of God upon them for come when it will they shall be as ready as other to justifie God and condemne them whether in hypocrisy and sinister respect it is not to the purpose or in truth when the other did not so strengthen their hands to sinne as that will presse them and make their hearts to sink in them But let them learne to look to those judgements of which God hath made them eye witnesses and given them as certaine intelligence of them and humble themselves to God and avoyd such and the like lest as they give now testimony to the justice of God in seeing his punishments upon others so others may give of them yea and by such things their sinnes be made the greater and their judgements be the heavier The border of wickednesse That is a Nation or Country where the people are marvellous wicked who have this recompence for their wickednesse insinuating in them the cause of their destruction the mooving and deserving cause their sinnes Doctr. Mens sins are the causers procurers of their own destruction what ever it be Isa 3.11 woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him And a people of whom the Lord is angry for ever Here two things are intimated unto us the one the cause in God which moves him to punish the wicked his anger and displeasure as sinne the cause in themselves Another the perpetuity of their punishment their destruction is for ever first for the cause then the continuance Doct. When the Lord bringeth vengeance and punishment upon the wicked it is in indignation and wrath whether temporall or eternall upon few or many Isa 27.4 God sayth in his care of his Vineyard fury is not in mee by the opposition and comparison we see his fury against the wicked hee corrects his owne in love not in anger but he is as fire which hath no pitty against wicked men Rom. 2.6 8. who will render to every man according to is workes but unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath and Rom. 9.22 Jer. 10.25 Reas 1 Because when he commeth to judge them he comes as a Judge who intends not the mending of malefactors arraigned before him but the ending of them and the cutting of them off so he with these minds only their destruction Reas 2 Because the Lord accompts them as enemies and adversaries such as he hates and abhorres Psal 5.6 now when men come against their enemies it is in indignation and wrath as Isa 1.24 Therefore saith the Lord the Lord of hosts the mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge mee of mine enemyes mourning that to them hee must come in wrath as to enemies Vse 1 This proves that there is a manifest difference betwixt the afflictions and corrections of the godly the punishments of the wicked those from love these from hatred those from a friend these from an enemy those from a Physitian who seeks to cure and mend them these from a judge to end them one in wrath the other in love Vse 2 To admonish wicked men to carry themselves very warily and to take heed how they procure punishment by their sinnes not onely for the thing it selfe but for the affection wherewith God will lay it upon them The thing of it selfe is heavy enough intolerable to be borne which the children of God with all the helpes and stayes they have have enough to undergoe and not to faint under how is it to them who are voyd of such things But how when they onely want not it but this is added his indignation and wrath grievous to a patient is the lancing cutting searing and corcives of the Chirurgeon though he do it with all the love and care he can possibly and expresse his fervent desire to cure them how grievous would it be if he should come raging and seek to fill himselfe with wrath and indignation when he comes to it so in this As the prayers and sacrifices of the wicked are abominable how much more when they are offered with a wicked minde so in this if they be heavy in themselves what when they are
as they think God will deale farre better with them than the other If he care for servants more for sonnes so to think he will no lesse spare them than servants because they thinke he loves them his judgments then must they especially look upon and consider As children are specially affected with their fathers anger when it is but against servants or others then they feare and tremble seeke to please him and to avoid such things by which he is provoked especially when there is any good nature in them at all so ought they that as it is written of the Lion that he trembles to see a Dog beaten before him so if they have any alliance to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah they must see and feare feare and flee when the wicked are smitten more when it is upon his owne who are in the Church and of the Church as David Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am affraid of thy judgments And 2 Sam. 6.9 And David was affraid of the Lord that day and said How shall the Arke of the Lord come to me And Act. 5.5 11. And Ananias hearing these words fell downe and gave up the Ghost and great feare came on all them that heard these things And great feare came upon all the Church and upon as many as heard those things not on as many as take no notice of the judgments of God at all as not of other of his workes but as they thinke all things fall out by naturall course or common skill and providing and fore-cast of men for good so they thinke for evill and as they are not affected with Gods blessings to love him because they are common so not with his judgments but onely when they feele them Your eyes shall see it Edom hated Israel enemy unto her whose destruction as they sought and had rejoyced at so Israel would have beene glad to have seene Edom's and for feare was ready to faint as if they should never see it The Lord descends to her infirmity and assures her she shall see it Doctr. The Lord he often descends to the infirmities of his to let them see their desires upon their enemies and to see their destruction as here so Psal 37.8 9.10 Cease from anger and forsake wrath fret not thy selfe in any wise to doe evill for evill-doers shall be cut off but those that waite upon the Lord they shall inherit the earth for yet a litle while and the wicked shall not be yea thou shalt diligently consider his place and it shall not be Psal 59.10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies And Psal 54.7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble and mine eye hath seene his desire upon mine enemies Israel saw Egypts ruine the Jewes Hamans and their enemies Daniel his accusers Dan. 6. Peter Herods Act. 12. Reas 1 Because he might strengthen and confirme the weake faith of his children which would often stagger in this kind without these stayes as the best have done upon the sight of the prosperity of the wicked as Davids Psal 37. and their suffering at their hands Therefore God deales with them as Parents with their children when they are not able to goe alone and of themselves they have tressels and formes to goe along by so God affords these helps Reas 2 Because he would asswage and appease their impatient minds that can hardly be perswarded God is appeased towards them and at one with them after he had scourged and afflicted them by the hand of the wicked till they see his hand turned upon the wicked the rather because God saith Psal 81.13.14 O that my people had hearkened unto me and Israel had walked in my waies I should soone have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries As then a father to shew his child he is friends with him againe is content to throw the rod into the fire and to burne it before his eyes and face so God to shew him pacified againe towards his people is content in their fight to plague those he hath punished them by before But this must be understood not as a thing that God alwayes doth but as it is said of signes that he gave some though not many and usuall lest men should depend on them and be out of heart when they want them yet some for the confirming of the feeble and converting of the unbeleevers so he doth not alwayes shew them the confusion of the wicked their enemies in this life because he would not have them to looke for it and to inure them to goe without a stay and to swim as it were without helpe without blathers and yet sometimes lest they should faint when they see the rod of the wicked rest upon the lot of the righteous and never turne againe upon their oppressors but if ever he deny it he gives them another prop to assure them they shall see it though not now when they shalt judge with him the world and Angels Vse 1 To admonish the wicked enemies of Gods people if they would take notice of it that oppose themselves and persecute the people of God to give over in time and not to doe it with such despight and malice as usually they doe lest God comfort his servants in their confusion and recompence unto them that they have done unto the Church and measure to them as they have meted and having beene fire to them that is to purge them he extinguish them for though they have them never so sure as they suppose in their clutches yet God can free them as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler and take them in their net they thought to have taken others his people in who would have believed it at least Haman himselfe would never have given credit to it that Mordecai should ever have seene him hang upon the tree that he had prepared in his owne house for Mordecai or that the Jewes that he had enclosed by vertue of the Kings Letters as Deere in a toyle should ever have had their will upon his house and see that end of his sonnes that after they came unto yet so it was a thing so unlikely God brought to passe even he 2 Pet. 2.9 He knows how to deliver his out of trouble yea and how to lay trouble upon those that trouble them to the refreshing and comfort of his who would have believed at least not our Nobles Knights and Esquires with their dependants who are now forth comming with hundreths more of the said associates If the day before it had beene told them that the Church and people of God should have seene them in hold and see them come to their just reward to the ruine of themselves and their houses when they intended all their destructions and to have subverted Church and Common-wealth Or if it had beene told the Pope at Rome whence
not doe without But he may doe it unlawfully when he hath no such occasion yet thou must doe it and may so he imploy thee not about servile workes on that day and in that time The reason is because the Lords day may be sanctified privately and publique exercises are not of absolute necessity in the sanctifying of it for then prisoners and sicke persons and such as lye lame should not be able to sanctifie it They onely are of necessity when they can be had without apparent breach of some other commandements and yet maist thou make this unlawfull to thee when if thou be left at home thy Master and Mistris are gone to Church but thou art with a child in thy armes or without gazing at the dore or gadding abroad or having thy companions comming to thee and spendest thy time prophanely when thou oughtest so much as may be to spend it in reading the word meditating on that thou hast heard in the forenoon or former time or such like And in this thou must take heed how thou setst God and thy master one against another another instance thy master commands that is unlawfull for him to bid not for the thing but his affection thou must obey having first wisely and humbly sought to turne thy master from such a sinne As betwixt David and Joabs numbring of the people 2 Sam. 24.2 3. But the thing he commands is unlawfull as well as his affection I meane not simply but by circumstance or consequent yet thou mayst obey as being an Officers Clerke to receive more fees then is due being extortion or a Noble mans bailiffe his extreame racke rents providing that in humility thou shew thy dislike of it seeke to reforme it or doe it with sorrow and griefe while thou art bound to it and get thy self rid of such a service so soone as thou may But if he command thee any thing simply that is sinne as to sweare for his gaine to lye for his commodity to deceive to steale or any such things thou mayst not obey and yet not rebell but suffer Quest 2 If the Magistrate and my Master command divers thing whether must I obey Answ The Magistrate ut supra and for the reasons there besides if it carry not any excuse neither is it any plea in law my Master bids me doe it It must needs follow that the Magistrate must be obeyed It would not excuse Absolons servants their Master bade them kill Amnon for which he was glad to flee for the power of the master is but subordinate to the Magistrate thy obedience then to thy Master hath this restraint because it cannot be lawfull But say the Magistrate commands me that which doth marvellously redound to the hurt of my master whose good I am bound to procure If it be very profitable to the Common-wealth a publique good must be preferred if not prejudiciall to it so there be no contempt of the Magistrate and his authority he being content to beare the penalty if it be executed and exacted from him I see not but he may preferre his master before as in the case of Children and instance of Ester Quest 3 My Master and my Father are opposites whether must I obey Answ I answer as before in Children there is somewhat besides in those who are borne servants Exod. 21.4 Quest 4 My Master and my Husband as the case may fall out in the meaner sort who are to be instructed as others or my state requires this of me wife and children but my Master another Answ I answer his Master the Master is to be obeyed because he ought Psal 15.4 not to change though he swore to his hurt The equity of it stands for any covenant that must be preferred before his profit and if before his owne then his wives or husbands for the man see an example in Jacob who would not labour for his owne family but obey his Master Gen. 30.30 For the woman if she be a servant borne and given in marriage as the manner was still she was to obey her Master Exod. 21.4 If she be a servant by covenant and consent of her Husband during the time of her covenant she is to obey and keepe the conditions of the covenant for he for the time hath remitted his authority The third duty of servants is submission that is to their reproofe and corrections for those men whom they feare they will suffer both at their hands Doctr. Servants must submit themselves unto their Masters to be controuled and corrected by them whether they doe it justly or unjustly whether deservedly or not they must feare them and therefore suffer from them When God allows the Master to reprove and correct his servant as he doth Prov. 29.19 then it must imply that his servant must suffer it 1 Pet. 2.19 for this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrongfully Tit. 2.9 not giving crosse words one for another Hence is that Gen. 16.9 And the Angell of the Lord said unto her Returne to thy Mistris and submit thy selfe under her hands The example of Abrahams servants is commendable Gen. 17.23 his servants submitted to Circumcision and by proportion the example serves for this purpose Reas 1 Because if it be for well doing in conscience it is thanke-worthy and if it be borne with meeknesse the Lord shall give a man the more reward 1 Pet. 2.19 20. Reas 2 Because they are called to this 1 Pet. 2.21 this is the Crosse that Christ hath called them to take up and beare after him this is the Crosse that God hath annexed to their calling as every calling hath some crosse or other and for the wrong that is offered them God as St. Paul saith Coloss 3.25 will right and revenge them c. Vse 1 To reprove many and most servants amongst us who goe not so farre as nature it selfe would teach them few so farre as Religion doth teach them for some cannot so farre subdue their crooked natures to submit themselves to their masters so farre as they can doe no otherwise because it is in vaine to struggle with the yoke when a man cannot slip it nor shift it off But if some come to this yet can they hardly suffer with patience hard measure though they suffer deservedly when as naturall equity condemneth him that doth otherwise And be it that some can thus subdue themselves yet is it no more than the Heathens and Publicanes will doe it is but Canina patientia a dog-like enduring saith Bernard such as God will not accept when either he dare not whine or hath done some foule fact and deserved it But if they have not or thinke they have not deserved it how ready are their answers how soone will they turne upon their Masters and take the rod by the end and if they be rebuked they murmure if they be corrected they either will resist or clamorously complaine or wickedly seeke revenge Let these know and
father Here is first the father-hood of God to be considered and so he is in two respects of his Creation and Election out of both we have somewhat to learne Doctrine Men in regard of their Creation being so the sonnes of God ought to honour him and doe him service and obedience thus much the Lords reasoning imports and inforceth It is manifest also by that Deut. 32.6 Doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee Hath he not made thee and established thee Thus much David prayed Psal 119.73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learne thy Commandements this shews he ought to pay so much to God Reas 1 Because by all Lawes humane and divine of God nature and Nations a man owes as much as he hath received and ought to repay it as it is due and is called for Therefore owes a man all he hath unto God and ought to pay it to the service of his Creator unlesse he will be accounted a thiefe and an ungratefull man to him who hath bestowed so great things upon him for he hath received from him his being that is his body with all his senses and his soule with all the powers of it then is he debtor to pay all these Reas 2 Because as nothing else so man is not borne with all perfections he hath many things perfect but many things wanting which must be perfected afterwards Now it is a rule that he must give the complement and perfection who hath begun the worke or given the beginning Therefore it is that every effect lookes to the cause to receive from it his last perfection The Trees search for the Sunne and stretch their roots into the earth which brought them forth Fishes also will not out of the waters which bred them The Chicken no sooner out of the shell but shrowds it selfe under the feathers of the Hen and follows whithersoever she goes The little Lambe after it is borne seeketh to the Dams teate and if there be a thousand sheepe of the same wooll and colour it knows the owne damme and will follow her whithersoever she goes as if she said here I received that I have and here I seeke for that I want Then ought reasonable man not to doe lesse than unreasonable creatures but being not perfect seeke to him and serve him that made him that he may receive perfections Vse 1 This will serve to confute the dreame of Libertines and Valentinians of which not a few in our dayes who have the name of Christians but not the thing who think that the Gospell Christ being come men are not bound to obedience as before whether the Gospell bind or no that will follow after in the next point for this that men are still bound and by the Law for all the Gospell to obey appeares plainely because the Reasons are the same to us now which were then to them Receive they not now all their bodies and soules all the members and parts all the faculties and powers of them from him and as they have those beginnings must they not have the proceedings also and perfections from him If any have not let him goe out free he is bound to no such thing but if all men have then is every one bound even by the Law now in time of the Gospell as before Gods reason stands thus now if I be a father if I have made thee and created thee honour me if thou haddest that thou hast else-where I challenge it not if thou canst have any thing from others without me to perfect thy defects and supply thy wants I challenge no such thing but if not then give me my honour Know thus much that the Law requires honour to God as a Father in regard of Creation which if it be a continuall worke of God for all times and to all men then it follows that now as then Vse 2 To teach men and every one if there be no other reason that this requires of all obedience and honour to God because they are his he their father that made them For if a man build the house whose turne must it serve but the Lords that built it if he plant a Vineyard who shall gather the Grapes but he that planted it If a father beget a sonne whom shall he rather serve and honour than his father which begat him And if this then how much more to him that is the Father of Fathers and of all things in earth and Heaven It is heard from many men when they reprove others for some dishonouring of God and often but as they thinke It is not for your profession doth it become a man of that zeale you make shew of professing so greatly as you doe If they speake it that they are more bound it is true but if that they themselves are not bound and more than they can performe it is false for wherein have they dishonoured God by the profession that thy Creation binds not thee to doe or from doing Set faith and repentance aside things invisible not commanded in the Law what is it thou art not bound to either for piety or honesty and that by the Creation for the Law holds fast there and Creation onely binds to all such duties For even as the Heathen man saith Aristotle A man can never returne so much to his father as he ought how can he to God who hath given us more than all the fathers in the world And if to dishonour a father be a vile crime in a sonne what is it to sinne and rebell against God who is father so many wayes Let every man then bethink himselfe of this and see in himselfe how many things he hath to move him to honour God though he never looke without himselfe body soule all the faculties and powers and parts of both because his hands made them And if the Axe may not boast it selfe against him that heweth with it Isa 10.15 how may it against him that made it How may man dishonour his Creator if not the Axe against the hewer how the heart against the master Shall those hands made by him those eyes enlightened by him that tongue made and made speaking by him dishonour provoke and revile with oaths and blasphemies if they doe know that as all things are possible with him and like easie to him he can destroy them as easily as he made them in a word both Oh then let those hands worke the workes of God let those feet walke the paths of God those eyes delight in the wayes of God and that tongue speake the praises of God and that whole man honour him that hath made it for thus he calls If I be a Father where is my honour if I have made you where is the service you doe me Amongst men a Chapman of credit payes as much as hee received and he would scorne not to
be accounted a good pay master and yet such deale nothing so currantly with God neither when we looke for so much from God Man will not give God so much give him our selves and that we have received one will give him his heart another his body not his heart another will part both with him as if he created not both as one as if his title be not as great to one as to another or to the whole as to part He is the Father of our spirits and the Father of our bodies or if thou wilt give one and not the other thou condemnest thy selfe by the one for with-holding the other for his right is in this respect to both and must have both and be honoured in the whole But why pay they as much because they would receive more and have not yet enough So in this no man is perfect though he have received much And why hath not God made him perfect Verily it was as one said not because he was covetous and niggard but because he was loving and bountifull knowing that it was good for him to be such an one not that he should be poore but humble not as alwayes needy but as alwayes looking up to him and remembring to honour him with that he hath given him that he may receive that he wants and further perfection pay then thy debt and pay it to receive more that thou mayest be perfect and thinke he speakes to every one If I be thy Father honour me remember me thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth and thy age even as one saith so often as thou breathest so often thou oughtest to remember God And seeing thy being is ever in one so thy thankfulnesse should be ever both for thy ever being And as Chrysostome thou wilt say Lord keepe me as the Apple of thine Eye he will answer thee againe Keepe my Commandements as the Apple of thine eye so thou wilt come to God and say Lord keepe me for thou hast made me I am thine and the workes of thy hands God will answer thee then Keepe the words of my mouth and so honour me for thou art the workes of my hands Doctr. The election of God by which he hath freely chosen men to be his sonnes and to be heires of eternall life binds them to obedience service and honouring of him so the Lord reasoneth here if I be a father if I have adopted and chosen you for sonnes where is my honour He challengeth but that he hath title To this purpose is that Ephe. 1.4 1 Pet. 1.17 Math. 5.16 Reas Because his choise and adoption is so free for it is without any merits or deserts of man of his owne free will and pleasure Ephe. 1.5 long before there was any merit of man for it was before he was it is ancienter then the world it is coeternall with God himselfe for as he is from all eternities so he hath loved his from all eternity then free and most franke is this choice of men to be sonnes Now benefits the more free undeserved the more they bind men to performe thankfulnesse for them So in this And this is that God would have for it Honour him Reas 2 Because it is so rare a benefit not all not many but few of many Math. 20.16 few chosen Benefits that are rare are pretious rara chara and so deserve and exact more when as then God amongst so many Nations of barbarous men and in such a multitude of condemned men hath called a man to so happy a condition that he should be in the number of those who are chosen his sons and to inherit eternall life the benefit being so much the greater as the number is smaller must needs binde to this duty Vse 1 This may serve to stop the mouth of desperate wretches that make the doctrine of Gods decree an occasion of carelesnesse and from it take liberty to dishonour God that reason if they be elected they are sure to be saved whether they live well or ill and so è contra whence they give all liberty to themselves and live licentiously and dishonour God of these I would demand whether they thinke the former testimonies and this particular preface was written by the spirit of Christ If they say no they shew themselves in the state of reprobation whatsoever God hath decreed of them If they say it is then let them compare the spirit they speake with and this spirit by which these are written and see themselves not to be led with the spirit of Christ which can not so contradict it selfe It requireth duty and reverence service and honour because thou art his thou wilt give none because if perhaps thou beest thou needest not if not it is bootlesse and doubtfull in this thou determinest not to honour God but to dishonour him Tell me this thou thou art a father and disposest of all thy goods in secret before ever thy sonne knows how or hath enquired and used means to know how if he should set light by thee and carry himself undutifully towards thee as if he would give thee an occasion to give all away from him if thou hast not done it already wouldest thou not thinke it a marvellous preposterous and impious course and yet this is that which thou wilt doe with God like a desperate miscreant not knowing whether God hath purposed thee salvation and heaven which he had disposed and made his will of in secret yea not taking so much paines to search and enquire by the booke of God and the notes in it whether thou be in the number but yer ever thou seeke after it to know whether thou be in his booke so wilfully behavest thy selfe as if thou meantst to make him alter his will if it were possible if he were purposed to deale well with thee before But know thou if he were purposed to disinherit thee yet thou oughtest to honor him because he is the father And this without all consideration of Heaven and Hell much more if he have elected thee and thou be his sonne this way too oughtst thou to honour him And know that if thou beest his no such thought can possesse thy heart long lesse allow thy mouth to speake it boastingly in a secure and carelesse course of life what may come from a man of a troubled minde and in a temptation that is not to this purpose but the other can never bee Nay know that God disposeth all things sweetly and orderly to bring a man to this end if he have once chosen him As a father that aymes at some state of life for his sonne as to make him a Lawyer or a Divine he traines him up so and brings him up in learning and studies and directions Vse 2 This should admonish every one who by a divine search findeth himselfe the son of God by adoption or election or thinks himselfe is one to remember what he is and what it requires of him
corrupt this must needs be hurtfull unto us unlesse we learne that wisdome from the Serpent to cast our poyson before we come to drinke Out of the peoples fault comparing outward things with inward the type with the truth we have gathered that the people that bring offerings to God they who perform any service to him ought to be holy and pure for if their sacrifice much more they Now out of the Priests fault we may gather that if they ought to reject unclean and unfit sacrifices then those also who brought them being unclean yea they ought to put a difference and to distinguish betwixt the clean and unclean to receive the one and refuse the other as Levit. 10.10 And so from the proportion we may gather some observation for our times Doctr. The Ministers of the Gospell and new Testament ought to make difference betwixt the godly and the wicked as much as lyeth in them to accept and receive the one and to reject and exclude the other from the publique prayers of the Church and from the sacred Table of Christ Hence is the command to the Church of Corinth and to the Pastor as the principall-man 2. Cor. 5.13 Jer. 15.19 the Liturgie of our Church commendeth Ambrose then Bishop of Millaine for dealing so with the Emperour himselfe Theodosius the younger till he shewed himselfe sorry for his sinnes So 1 Tim. 1.20 Reas 1 Because if they under the Law Priests and Prophets ought to doe it much more they in the Gospell For as many things were then tolerable which now are not because saith Augustine Many things are tolerated in the darknesse and dawning which are not in the day when the Sunne is up so must it follow that that which was not tolerable then cannot be now Reas 2 Because by their continuance and suffering them and not censuring them they may by many meanes be hurtfull and infect the cleane and holy these being more capable of the others evill than they are able to communicate their good to them As health is not so communicable as contagion 1 Cor. 5.6 then if they desire to keepe them whole from pollutions they must separate the wicked as Shepherds saith Chrysost separate the infected and scabbed from the whole Object Christ admitted Judas to the Supper a devill after he knew he had taken money to betray him Answ First it is denyed that he was admitted to it but say he did as to the Passeover yet this follows not that a Minister must not as much as in him lyeth exclude the wicked for first this was a hidden sinne not open but smothered and kept close Christ tooke notice of it by his divine power not humane nature Now the exclusion is for knowne sinnes not secret those must be left to Gods judgment and this crosseth not the excluding for known sinnes And it is probable that our Saviour admitted him to the Passeover because his hypocrisie was not yet unmasked whereas after when he had unmasked him by giving the sop to him as St. Hilarie well observeth and so made him knowne what he was to the rest he sent him out of the way while he celebrated the new Passeover Vse 1 This sheweth what manner of men they ought to be who must exclude and shut out others if not without sinne yet without open scandall and blame as St. Hierome Sine crimine non sine peccato Hence was it ordained that whosoever of the Priests or Levites had erred and beene defiled by Idolatry in the time of the Captivity or of any of the Idolatrous Princes and so became a scandall should not serve any more in the Temple Ezek. 44.10 12 13 15. Neither yet the Levites that are gone back from me when Israel went astray which went astray from me after their Idols but they shall beare their iniquity Because they served before thee Idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity therefore have I lift up mine hand against them saith the Lord God and they shall beare their iniquity And they shall not come neere unto me to doe the office of the Priest unto me neither shall they come neare unto any of my holy things in the most holy place but they shall beare their shame and their abhominations which they have committed But the Priests of the Levites the sonnes of Zadok that kept the charge of my Sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me they shall come neare me to serve me and they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood saith the Lord God 2 King 23.9 And this the Church after Christ did observe for Cyprian Epist 2.1 mentioneth a Canon made by him and other of the Bishops of Africk that no Bishop or Priest that had beene ordained in the Church and after either had fallen into heresie or beene touched with Idolatry should be received againe upon their repentance otherwise than as lay-men And Epistola 1.7 he chideth Fortunatianus who once was a Bishop and had in the time of persecution burnt incense to Idols and after came home againe to the Church and would have kept his place still Audet sibi sacerdotium quod prodidit vendicare quasi pest aras Diaboli ad altaâ—e Dei fas sit accedere c Dares he challenge that Office or Priesthood which he hath betrayed as if it were lawfull after he hath served at the Idoll stoole of the Devill to draw neere to Gods Altar Novatianus and Novatus made a Schisme from the Church because one Trophimus a Priest with some other were received after they had fallen for feare in those horrible times Cyprian answereth Epist 4.2 * Susceptus est Trophimus sic tamen admissus ut laicus communicet non quasi locum sacerdotis usurpet Cyprian Trophimus is indeed received but admitted onely into the place where Lay-men communicate not into the place of a Priest All reach that such should not be received for what if Peter and Paul the example of the one and the calling of the other extraordinary were received yet the equity is great that those who must judge the leprosie of others should be free from it themselves or if they be not should be expelled as Vzzah when the leprosie once sprung out of his forehead And that the Church should not receive Popish Priests to be Ministers at Gods table besides that it is like to be hurtfull because the mystery of iniquity workes thus cunningly as they Ezra 4.2 They came to Zerubbabel and to the chiefe Fathers and said unto them we will build with you for we seeke the Lord your God as you doe and we have sacrificed unto him since the time of Esar Haddon King of Ashur which brought us up hither To whom answer should be vers 3. Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chiefe of the Fathers of Israel said unto them it is not for you but for us to build the House unto our God for we
day of the mourning for the Gospell is not farre at least in Gods justice and his dealing with others because though corruption hath not seased upon his worship yet contempt of the word is every where Vse 3 The Church and the chiefe in it the Magistrates are here admonished if they desire that the Gospell and his worship should abide amongst us that they take heed it be not corrupted nor contemned which is the very life and breath of the Church the vitall spirits which being corrupted bring death to the whole they ought to make lawes against error and heresie superstition other corruptions and severely to execute them against whosoever dare privately or publiquely secretly or openly sowe any cockle with the pure wheat of Gods word and labor to keep it in as much sincerity and simplicity as may bee labouring to keep the fire upon the Lords Altar the Lampes burning in the Temple and the Levites unforsaken labouring for the mainteynance of the faith which was given unto the Saints Jude verse 3. correcting and punishing all contemners of it who or howsoever lest God doe remove it from us Vse 4 To teach every man as he desireth there should be peace and truth in his dayes so to repent of his corrupting polluting or contemning of this whether before or since his calling and now to labor for his part to keep it in integrity and purity to have it in all honor and high esteeme that if God for the generall doe remove it yet his sinne be not a provocation to it The removing of it will be griefe enough more when he shal be guilty himselfe as a procurer of it As sicknesse and trouble is heavy so more when a man is guilty by his own intemperancy or miscarrying of himselfe by surfetting and such like he hath brought it upon himself and pulled it with his own hands upon him so in this In that you say the table of the Lord is polluted This is the first particular their thoughts according to the phrase often used in this Chapter whence it is not only manifest that the Lord knowes the thoughts of Men and the things they doe in secret but he reveales them to others his liefetenants upon earth his Ministers and Magistrates to reprove or correct and punish Table polluted They contemned the Table because it was but rudely built and the offering because it was burnt to ashes Hierom. Doctr. The thing that makes men contemne holy duties and the worship of God is because they looke too much upon the basenesse of the meanes Vide vers 7. ut ante And the fruit thereof even his meate not to be regarded The Priests part they thought any thing would serve them contemning Gods worship they contemned the meanes of his worship Doctrine The contempt of Gods worship and the contempt of his Ministers goe together they are in one people one age one place the fruit of the Altar and the meate of it despised together So it is here so 1 Sam. 2.17 It is all one whether the cause be just and they justly despised or no. 2 Chron. 36.14 15 16. Nehem. 13.10 11. Reas 1 Because all the honour and account that the Ministers can have or looke for is for their worke for the worship and service of God they performe amongst them 1 Thes 5.12 13. Now if their worke once grow into contempt and disgrace they needs must which was the reason why Demetrius pleaded so hard for the honour of Diana for their owne gaine and honour knowing that they were honoured for her who if once dishonoured would make them to be dishonoured Acts 19.24 c. so in this of the true worship Reas 2 Because the corruption of man is such that when he should respect the Minister for his worke the chest for the treasure he respects the worke for the Minister the treasure for the chest Therefore if he once grow to dislike him he will dislike it Vse 1 This noteth the cause why the worship of God and his service is in these dayes in that contempt that we find it to be in all places it is amongst us still God hath not taken away the Arke of his presence but it is in small account little esteeme and reverence It is no marvell seeing the Lords Ministers are in such contempt as they are what difference or distinction soever men make of them yet herein they differ not but are all in contempt No sort nor condition of men no men of any profession in the Land are any thing like neere in the like generall contempt and disgrace that they are by Courtiers and Countreymen by Citizens and men abroad by rich and poore by old and young they are as 2 Chron. 36.16 marked despised misused Is it then any marvell if the worship of God be contemned when the Embassadour is contemned the embassage will and must be worse liked of when the Physitian the physick he brings Nothing that Micha can say or doe can be liked Ahab dislikes his person And againe è converso this layes out unto us why the Ministers are in such contempt the worship it selfe is in contempt They are deprived of their double honour in the most part because the most honour not the Word and worship of God When as the message of David sent by his servants is misconstrued by the Ammonites then are his messengers abused 2 Sam. 10. so when the worship of God then the Ministers These are two twinnes as it were the contempt of the one and the contempt of the other it is hard to tell which first comes forth happily some may thinke the one some the other as with the twinnes Gen. 38.28 c. Vse 2 This must instruct the Ministers of God if they have any desire that the worship of God should be had in account and reverence and not in contempt that they carry themselves wisely and discreetly sincerely and soberly both in the worke of their Ministery and in other carriage of their life that they give no just cause of contempt of the Word but that they may rather adorne it So Saint Paul perswades both Timothy and Titus and in them other Ministers for his charges were not personall nor temporary 1 Tim. 4.12 2 Tim. 4.5 Titus 2.7 8. for if all must so live and carry themselves that the Gospell of God may be well spoken of and his worship regarded if servants Titus 2.10 if women even young women verses 4 5. if all professors Titus 3.8 much more ought Preachers they ought so to handle those mysteries and worship of God that they may strike reverence and esteeme into the people so to carry themselves that they may get account and estimation to themselves and so to the worship of God for when the Ministers of God handle the Word simply and profitably and other parts of Gods worship with great reverence and when they practise it carefully then will it be better affected and reverenced of others
but when they handle them corruptly and carelesly when they are not the same men in their lives they seeme to be in the Pulpit they make the ordinances of God to be out of request and to be loathed as Elies wicked sonnes made men abhorre the offering of the Lord 1 Sam. 2.17 both by their using of it and carriage of their lives for even wholesome meate-men loath an unwholesome and sluttish huswives or Cookes dressing Vse 3 This may admonish all those who contemne the Ministers of God who doe scoffe deride and disgrace them most who seeke most that the worship of God should be had in honour whatsoever profession they make outwardly it is yet manifest they have no inward love to religion nay that they contemne and despise the worship of God They may use the works of his service and performe worship for the outward act but it is without any love and reverence to it but as the Heathen man would have his Tyrant to seeme religious that his people might feare him because they might think the Gods would helpe him if they should rebell or rise against him so these for one sinisterrespect or other Doctr. It hath beene a continuall portion of the Ministers of God to be contemned and not regarded to be basely thought of and spoken of though in this place it may seeme to be a just judgement upon these yet the best and the most sincere Ministers have beene no better esteemed or regarded 2 Kings 9.11 Jer. 29.26 Acts 2.13 and 26.24 Matth. 11.18 1 Cor. 4.9 ad 14. Reas 1 Because it befell to Christ who was many wayes evill spoken of John 10.20 Matth. 11.19 then no marvell if his Ministers and members be in the same condition for Matth. 10.24 25. The Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the Disciple to be as his Master is and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold Reas 2 Because the Ministers of God must deale with and reprove the sinnes of men and not spare them but threaten them for them Now when they are as Basil speaketh like Physitians who make warre not with their patient but with his disease and passion so not with them but their sinnes they thinke hee is their enemy and maketh warre against them therefore they speake evill of him Vse 1 To teach us not to be offended if we finde now many mockers and scorners of the Ministers and Ministery many who regard them not but contemne them and raise up all manner of evill speeches against them it is no new thing for there is none under Heaven It was prophesied it should be 2 Pet. 3.3 mockers 2 Tim. 3.3 despisers of them who are good and therefore still will be while the accuser of the brethren doth rule in the Ayre and is Prince of this world and doth rule in the children of disobedience he will make them mock and despise contemne and slander and oftentimes such as would make reasonable men affraid lest their slanders should be found false yet that troubles them not because they still hope it will make for their advantage he instructing them who taught Machiavill * Detrabe audacter aliquid adhaerebit Machiavil Slander one confidently and somewhat will sticke to him If that be true which Tertullian writeth Adversus Gent. Apol. cap. 1. * Nihil iniquius quà m ut oderint homines quos ignorant etiamsi res meretur odium Tertul. Nothing is worse than to hate men whom they know not though they deserve to be hated What is it then that they should slander men whom they know not when the thing deserveth great honour Vse 2 This must teach the Ministers patiently to abide the base conceits and opinions of men It is no new thing if they did it to the greene tree what will they doe to the dry if to those who have lived before more to these It is that whereunto they were appointed 1 Thes 3.3 that of Christ will be true Matth. 5.11 12. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you for my Name falsely Rejoyce and be glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you which if any incurre not lesse or more in his portion he may feare and suspect himselfe whether he be Christs or no seeing Christ so speaketh Luke 6.26 Woe unto you when all men shall speake well of you for so did their fathers to the false Prophets he may suspect himselfe rather false than true That of Plinius Cecilius which he was wont to set upon his Schooles may be applyed Sciamus eum pessimè dixisse cui maximè si◠applausum Wee know he that hath most applause hath made the worst Oration VERSE XIII 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 of your hand saith the Lord YE say also behold it is a wearinesse The second corruption here reproved is outward pollution which is double in speech and gesture The speech some expound as spoken by the Priests taking up the breast or shoulder of a carrion sheepe which was his due Levit 7.31 32. see what I have for my labour but the Priests themselves had a hand in this sinne This speech is expounded as if it were spoken by a crafty dissimulation and arrogant bragging See how I am wearied with carrying this weighty sheepe when a man might have blowne it over or they say they are marvellously weary with carrying so weighty and tidie a beast upon their shoulders and that they might faine it by their gesture they shew it by panting and fetching their breath deepe and drawing of it short Montanus Some expound what a toile is this that we spend all in the service of God the complaint of the people that they were at great toile and paines and excessive cost and charge in Gods service as over-wearied with labour and eaten out and undone with expences especially comming so raw and bare home and therefore God was to content himselfe with it though worse You have snuffed at it Either you blow and pant as tyred with bringing a tidie beast still their arrogant dissembling continued or by a disdainfull and contemptuous gesture you shew your unwillingnesse to serve God and how vile and tedious it is to you it is the gesture of one refusing a thing with disdaine and contempt as Psal 10.5 Saith the Lord of Hoasts Who is most good and pure and a powerfull and just revenger of all such wickednesse And ye offered that which was torne Their practice and dealing their Sacrifice faulty two wayes they brought blind and lame or if any good not their
will inflict much evill upon them and punish them with all kind and variety of curses As here so 2 Chron. 7.13 Deut. 28.16 60 61. This he shewed in Ely 1 Sam. 2.8 c. and 2. 12 13. In David 2 Sam. 7. In Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.30 The tryalls of Job shew what he can doe when he will punish Reas 1 Because in blessing he can deale thus not onely take away the evill but showre downe many blessings upon them so in cursing for these are the two armes of God his mercy and justice neither is shorter nor longer than the other unlesse he be unperfect these are his treasures or he hath treasures of both neither fuller nor emptier than the other Reas 2 Because he is a true God and so infinite in all things he is not as the false gods of the Heathen who had little even their great god Jupiter who they thought would be soone drawne dry if he should punish much and many if send abroad apace his revenging arrows his quiver would be empty not so with God whose mercy is a treasure inexhaustible so his justice not as the Sea but as the fire the Sunne Chrysost Reas 3 Because it more manifests his displeasure and men are more sensible of it to be humbled by it either in truth or hypocrisie Vse 1 To stand in awe and feare God to feare to displease or provoke him who cannot onely take from us that we have but bring the contrary upon us many and strange and grievous plagues Men we feare and avoid to provoke them when they are of power and yet often we hold them at defiance because we know their worst is but to take our place livings credit or liberty from us at the worst but our lives and can then not hurt us but God can goe further not onely deprive us of that we have and all that is deare to us and take away life but lay crosses infinite upon us in this life and the life to come If men much more he is to be feared Matth. 10.28 if Jacob was affraid of Isaacs curse Gen. 22.12 much more of Gods being reall things and not verball for so is mans onely he is but the mouth of God and sure they are they will light where he will lay them Vse 2 To instruct every man who finds Gods judgments that he is deprived of any good thing he hath to humble himselfe and seeke to God and search his owne wayes that he may turne unto him lest he bring curses upon him for as it is both just and usuall with God when men profit not by the lesse judgment to bring greater as a father when his sonne bowes not with a twigge to beate him with a greater rod so it is when men turne not to him by his private judgments to bring positive curses upon them as Princes who first withdraw their favours from Traytors confiscate their goods restraine their liberty and after lay upon them some fearefull punishment Hath God then taken any thing from thee that thou hast or that was beloved of thee as thy goods children or any such thing thinke seriously of it and impute it not to secondary causes though they may be greatly faulty but looke unto the Lord and turne unto him thinke not to make it good againe or recover thy selfe but thinke of the other curses God hath threatened and know these must come if the other doe not reforme thee yea though he love thee Physitians that desire the health of their patient if they can will happily recover it by injoyning them abstinence and fasting and a strict dyet if not they will to purging bleeding and such like so with God much more if he hate thee Vse 3 If thou be freed from any curse be not secure he hath variety of curses The contempt of his worship he hath threatened with the deprivation of it the taking of it way now it may be thought this would not much trouble them who thought it a wearinesse and could happily be content with it and in their corruption account it a blessing he therefore threateneth the punishng of it with positive curses and plagues Doctr. The contempt and corruption of Gods worship the means of it as of the Word and Sacraments and such like sacrifice and Prayer the Lord will sometime punish with the taking of it away and sometime with it and other fearfull curses and plagues both spirituall temporall which as it is here threatened so was it performed to this people who are now not only without the meanes of his worship but are under many fearefull judgments as any Nation in the world It is that was threatened Deuter. 28.47 48. 2 Chro. 36.16 17. Math. 21.41 1 Cor. 11.30 2 Thessal 2.11 12. 1 Sam. 2. Elies sonnes Acts 20.9 Eutychus Reas 1 Because most men finde no judgment in it at all to be deprived of that they love not as they account that no blessing to have that they delight not in and so as in this they will never be drawn to see the mercy and favor of God so not in that his justice and displeasure that they might come to the sight of their sins when as then those judgements open the eyes of their minde the better and cleare their spirituall sight the Lord doth it more to torment them and affect them Reas 2 Because these being most sensible men are by them usually made more carefull of his service either in hypocrisie as Ahab and Saul and others or in truth as Manasses Vse 1 This may teach us a point which few men have thought of but many have felt it the cause why God hath so afflicted us with with the plague and pestilence his curses have been upon us many have happily thought of many sinnes of their owne and others but few have thought of this sinne that therefore it was because the word was contemned amongst us and his worship corrupted by us such wearinesse in his service such great shews and nothing indeed such offering of sick lame and blind unto the Lord such offering of corrupt things unto him If this bee true that such are accursed of God then the other must needs be certaine The Philistims had the Arke of Gods presence 1 Sam. 5. But because they used not it as they ought therefore verse 6. they were smitten so had the men of Bethshemesh 1 Sam. 6. but because they used not it as they ought therefore the Lord slew among them fiftie thousand threescore and ten men verse 19. The Gospell the meanes of his worship as the Arke of his presence hath been amongst us but we have not used it well therefore hath the hand of God been heavy upon us as upon the Philistims the number the Lord hath slaine hath surmounted the number of them of Bethshemesh If it were just upon them it is so upon us And though this be removed yet we cannot but feare that the curses of God hang over our heads
of the Tabernacle of Jaacob and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hostes 13 And this have ye done againe and covered the altar of the Lord with teares with weeping and with mourning because the offering is no more regarded neither received acceptably at your hands 14 Yet yee say Wherein Because the Lord hath beene witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant 15 And did not he make one yet had he abundance of spirit and wherefore one because he sought a godly seede therefore keepe your selves in your spirit and let none trespasse against the wife of his youth 16 If thou hatest her put her away sayth the Lord God of Israel yet he covereth the injury under his garment sayth the Lord of hosts therefore keep your selves in your spirit and transgresse not 17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein have we wearied him When ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord and he delighteth in them Or where is the God of judgement 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 Doctrine It is the dutie of the Minister not onely 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 mercie encouragement or terrour to whom it is due and belongs Ezech. 3.17.18.19.20 Reason 1 Because he is the Lords Steward of his houshold 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 Reason 2 Because if they deale thus faithfully 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. Vse 1 To condemne those who teach onely generall things 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 onely 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 Vse 2 To stop their mouths who say 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 onely 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 Vse 3 To teach the hearer to endevour to apply that he heareth delivered to himselfe and to learne what is for him 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 Malachy 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
such meanes then will the Lord take his rod in hand to punish and gird his sword unto him to cut off every one so sinning and so spared So here So when Adam the Prince of the earth and Magistrate of his sonnes let passe the murther of Abel because Cain was his first borne and his possession yet the Lord did lay to his hand and did punish him Gen. 4.11.12 c. So of the sonnes of Eli 1 Sam. 2.23.24 and 4.11 not simply a judgement to fall in battell but because it was prophesied of them Chap. 2.34 This is manifest further out of the story of Achan while by ignorance of the fact Ioshua did not punish it the Lord did it in the whole people but after the knowledge of it when Iosua had punished it the Lord put up his sword and his wrath ceased Josh 7. To these we may adde that of Numb 25.3.4 c. the cause of the great famine 2 Sam. 21. was the Kings not punishing of a sinne committed by Sauls house which done the famine ended Reason 1 Because as Iehosaphat told the Judges their judgements were his which if they executed he will not because he will not punish one fact twice but if not they then will he because he is just and else should be unjust as well as they for if it be injustice in them to spare the wicked it would be in him Reason 2 Because impunity from the Magistrate makes impenitencie in the offenders and brings them on to hardnesse of heart and security so that they never judge themselves and so neither judged by authority nor by themselves they are judged of the Lord as the contrary proves 1 Cor. 11. For I take it it will hold not onely of those sinnes a man is guilty in foro conscientiae but in foro civili Vse 1 This sheweth the folly of those men who as they make conscience of no sinne and onely care to avoid those sinnes the lawes of men and state will punish them for so when they are fallen into any such offences care onely how to escape the punishment of the law and the hands of the Magistrate which if they can by favour or friendship by bribes or the countenance of others or by dissembling or covering of the fault or howsoever the care is taken and they never feare more Their folly appeareth because then the Lord will take them into his owne hands and that saith the Apostle is a fearfull thing And more cause of feare as Christ speaketh Matth. 10.28 What will it profit them then to escape the one and fall into the hands of the other As much as if a murderer should by means and money either get his fact passed over at the Sessions and fall into the hands of the Judges at the Assizes or scape their hands either by corrupting the Judge or the Sheriffe to pack a Jury for his purpose or the fore-man to lead the rest when the next of kindred is ready to enter an appeale to the Kings Bench where there shall be no such packing All he hath got by it is his repriving for a while but to his greater shame and punishment So with these Many a great man lives in oppressing and injuring others his tenants and inferiours and either there is no civill law against him or if there be either his greatnesse or purse will carry it out well enough that no punishment shall come upon him or take hold of him and then hee sleepeth without feare when he is as a man that hath escaped the rage of a foole and is fallen into the power of a Bear robbed of her whelps As Masters if they live in oppression or usury or deceit or drunkennesse or adultery or some such like and can escape the Magistrates hands by the meanes they make feare nothing That is their folly there is more cause of feare God will take them into his hand Many servants when they have injured and dealt deceitfully with their Masters stealing from them or serving them with eye-service mis-spending their goods and not furthering by their endevours their profites if they can escape their masters hands by lying or shifting or dissembling or by his negligence lenity or remisnesse they never feare this is their folly there is now more cause of feare God will take them into his hand to cut them off by the plague or some other judgement Finally let these and all the like see their folly that thinke there is no feare if they can escape the hand and sword of man by such meanes yet there will be no escaping of the hand of God who will as he saith send serpents that will not be charmed Jerem. 8.17 O consider this yee that forget God! as if hee would not judge the earth when men neglect it least hee teare you in pieces Vse 2 The cause why God sendeth generall judgements upon such a City or Land as ours is why he drawes forth his sword or sends famine pestilence plague or such like It is because the Magistrates of that country or towne are remisse and carelesse suffer sinne unpunished and uncensured for some respect or other making either munera oris or manus or officii For if these did not let them but they would purge the land from the bloud and the adulteries whoredomes thefts oppressions blasphemies and such things wherewith it is defiled there would never come any such generall judgements For if the Justices at the Sessions should reforme throughly and deliver the goale every one to his severall punishment the Judges should have little cause to ride circuit or if they did but to make short ones So if Magistrates God would not punish or if he did yet not so long as three yeares famine and three yeares pestilence So that of all the enemies of a Common-wealth none is so great as remisse carelesse and corrupt Magistrates for they are a cause of Gods generall judgements when as their severity would prevent And none such a fore-runner of some generall judgement as they and their remisnesse and in a Magistrate it is better for the generall good that he be too severe punishing some he ought and might spare then remisse passing by others that deserve it As a Surgeon better too deepe or too nigh then too little in tenting or cutting To teach every inferiour not to seeke and labour to escape the hand and punishing of the Magistrate or his superior who is as a Magistrate unto him his master or parent if he have offended and deserved it specially remaining by that immunity impenitent in his sin for besides that it is sinne to him so to avoyde it it will be but a further meanes to bring him to the hands of God who will punish him more severely and fearefully cut him off from the tents of Iaakob If any say this falls but out seldome here and there one and so no such feare of it I answer with Cyprian l. de laps Plectuntur interim
he come and seek him by outward things never shewing any sorrow for his offence make no promise of his amendment but thinke thus to stay justice it must needs be judged a grosse contempt And where once contempt appeareth there no reconcilement at all can be expected So in this Vse 1 By the former poynt wee saw the policy of Popery by this we may see the impiety of it By the former they please many by this they perish as many And herein appeares their grosse impiety that for their owne gaine they care not how many thousands they lose not that of purpose they would perish them but that else they cannot profit themselves for if they should not teach them that such things forespoken of would please the Lord and free them from his wrath they would be of a small account and lower price and so their gaine and wealth decay because they may say as Acts 19.25 Sirs ye know that by this craft we have our goods Their impiety then is this that they hold them in the error that these things will please God and will not till they perish by such a conceit like deceitfull and unfaithfull Lawyers who to get mony and gaine to themselves perswade their Clyents tearme after tearme till the day of hearing come that a plea they have drawne for them will hold good and then they confesse themselves to be in an error when sentence goes against them and they deprived of their heritage like unskilfull or unfaithfull Physitians who finding what kinde of physicke their patients pallet doth best rellish though it be neither of force to preserve or recover him yet to keepe themselves in request and practice ever prescribe him that though he die for it in the end Such Physitians are they of no value If any man thinke I slander them because they talke much of pennance and confession and such things I answer I doe not to instance in one The schoole-men teach that salvation is in the sacrament or sacrifice of the masse as health is in a medicine which cures though the party doe nothing to helpe never beleeve only receive it They teach then that these reconcile without repentance I deny not that our latter Papists when they find things written scanned and so prove scandalous they have helped things with their late expositions but it is one thing what they are forced to say by argument another thing what they commonly teach to the people who have the one taught to them without the other They deale like some Physitians who when they have to deale with common patients who savour no religion and thinke indeed health is in their power and their medicines they promise them simply and absolutely health by them But when they have patients that know religion or finde a Minister with them who knowes health is not in their power or medicine then they tell them they must looke to God and reconcile themselves to God and then by his blessing they shall doe them good So these Vse 2 To let us see the folly of those men who thinke by those outward things outward meanes to appease and escape and when they have once performed them rest as sure as if they had the band in statute Marchant he should not touch them The Church is full of these fooles for how many are there who if they heare by the Word or see by the shaking of the rod that the Lord is angry thinke by an offering giving almes to the poore by fasting and bowing themselves by a little more frequenting of prayer or comming to heare the Word to escape well enough though they never repent and forsake their sinnes or if God smite them that they are sicke upon their bedâ— and draw neere to the buriall if they give somewhat largely to hospitals and holy uses to Schooles and Churches though they never truly sorrow before God nor satisfie the injuries done to men by restitution and such like yet God will be well pleased with them and they shall not be cut off but enjoy the everlasting Tabernacles of Iacob But fools blinde why should they imagine that should help them which will not another neither ever would Is not he the same and is there not still the same meanes to appease him that which could not then can it now If the body be to be cured if any thing be brought unto them they enquire who ever used it and what effect it had with them and if they heare of many who did use it and none ever recovered by it they will never trust to it and yet for the soule they will go contrary But if these doe not appease him why are they commanded or why is that Heb. 13.16 To doe good and distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased I answer they are commanded for other purposes as duties and testimonies and signes of thankfulnesse for it followes not that there is no use of them unlesse this be God ordained them for other purposes And as it is in salves they cure that they were ordained for saith Chrysostome For the salve for the eye cannot cure the cut of the hand And for that Do and live that is understood of the whole and of perfect doing which is impossible for any because of their weaknesse Rom. 8. And that of the Hebrewes doth not tell us that that doth appease God when he is angry but that they please him after he is appeased and reconciled for then he accepts them graciously and favourably For so much riseth out of Heb. 13.15 Let us therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes to God that is the fruit of the lips confesse to his Name Where he makes mention of Christ shewing that they please him comming from faith in Christ But when a man lies in his sinne and so purposeth and is without faith and without Christ all the sacrifices of such a wicked man are abomination to the Lord more when they are offered with a wicked minde of deserving at his hands and derogating from Christ and making him to justifie the wicked Vse 3 To teach us now that the Lord shewes himselfe displeased and threatneth to cut us off not to thinke by any outward things to appease and escape it it is not offering and almes not fasting and prayer that will doe it though they are such things as God calls us unto by such judgements as Isaiah 22.12 But in vaine shall we trust unto them if we remaine in our sinnes without repentance and forsaking of them In vaine trusts any man to the Chyrurgion and his salves to cure his disease all the while there is in the wound within the flesh iron remaining August de rectit Catholicae conversat So shall not his prayers and other things prevaile all the while hatred and other sinnes remaine All the while that Achan and his execrable bootie was in the Lords Campe the teares and prayers of the whole prevailed
cognosce quid debeas habere in correptione tuo te vitio non habere in oratione unde accipias quid vis habere De corrept gratia c. 3. what strength thou shouldest have in every reproofe what strength by thy own fault thou wantest in every prayer whence thou mayest have what thou wantest Doctrine The hands must be purged as well as the heart the outward man as the inward VERS XVI If thou hatest her put her away saith the Lord God of Israel yet he covereth the injury under his garment saith the Lord of hostes therefore keep your selves in your spirit and transgresse not I Hate putting away saith the Lord God of Israel In this verse the Prophet proceeded to the third maine sinne here reproved in this people Divorces not simply condemning divorce as if in no case it were lawfull but for every vaine cause and light dislike when they hated or disliked them for that to put them away is that he reproves In the verse we observe two things First the reproofe of this sinne secondly an admonition generall including the particular In the first which is the sinne we observe the amplifications of it which is first from Gods hatred Secondly from an effect of those husbands who used and practised divorces that they made the law of God a covert to cover with it that violent injury and indignity they did to their wives as men cover the body and defaults of it with their garment If thou hatest her put her away Some thinke this dependeth upon the former as an objection made by this people in their own defence against the former accusation as unjustly cast upon them because they had not committed Polygamy seeing they had put away their first wives and that according to the Law Deut. 24. The Prophet answeres the Lord hates putting away and will not indure that they should make his Law a cover for their iniquity Some as S. Hierom understand them as words of the Priest and people in their owne defence pretending the law of God for that they did but most take them as Gods words shewing his dislike of their dealing And if the words be read thus as our vulgar translation hath them then they think them spoken by an Irony which they manifest as they suppose by the words following by which they take a judgement to be threatned And they thinke it is manifest by the like Eccles 11.9 but seeing the words in the originall will not beare the reading neither the second sentence will carry the sense they would have of them They must be thus read For I hate putting away or putting away is an hatred unto me It is a thing that I am so far from approving and liking that I utterly hate and abhor whatsoever Moses for the hardnesse of your hearts did grant unto you and so remitted the judiciall law that it proceeded not against you to death as adulterers when you had put them away for slight causes and married others yet that hath not excused it before me but that it is still a sin and odious unto me It is that which my soule abhorreth Saith the Lord God of Israel This he addeth for confirmation of the former That the Lord God of Israel doth affirme and testifie this who hath before professed himselfe Author of the conjunction betwixt them and witnesse of that covenant And doth professe himselfe protector of the whole Nation of the Israelites and therefore with what indignation must he needs behold their dealing with their wives and how can he suffer that indignity they are offered to be put away and others taken in their places specially when they are strangers and infidells Yet he covereth the injury under his garment The second amplification because they pretended law for that they did covering it by that as the body with a garment which maketh him to abhorre it the more to pretend his law for them when it is cleane against them and all that was was but a permission by Moses in his care and compassion of the women who were abused by them To the former sentence some adde for being a particle which hath the force not of a cause but oftentimes of an affirmation and to this because shewing that therefore he hated it the more because they thus covered it Saith the Lord of hostes He that is able and can command all the hostes of heaven and earth to revenge the injuries and indignities done to his people and daughters Therefore keepe your selves in your spirits The admonition such as we have had before that is seeing you know what the Lord hates and what he loves and likes look well to your selves and your owne hearts take heed of transgressing and dealing perfidiously with your wives Doctrine Divorce that is for a man to put away his wife for any cause save onely for the cause of adultery and for adultery is utterly unlawfull and forbidden of God a thing that doth dislike and displease him so the Prophet affirmeth here This our Saviour the oracle of his father more faithfull in the house then Moses doth shew and teach Mat. 5.32 Mat. 19.9 It hath his force I say unto you that is many assigne other causes but I this one onely adultery To this we may adde that the Apostle allowes not a man to put away his wife for infidelity 1 Cor. 7.12.13 onely if the infidell will depart and make a desertion he sets then the beleever at liberty but else he allowes him not to put her away And if not for Idolatry then not for other causes of farre lesse weight Reason 1 Because as Christ himselfe giveth the reason the bond betwixt them is greater then that which is betwixt parents and children Mat. 19.5 for it was before that for Adam and Eve were man and wife before they were parents and they were man and wife that they might be parents And againe the bond is greater because the good is more publique for this for the propagation of mankinde that onely for the good of the parents Now then if the bond be greater and that is not to be broken for any cause then not this If that rather then this then not this for small and frivolous causes but onely for that which he who bound the knot hath allowed the dissolution of it Reason 2 Because this were for man to take upon him to fever that which God hath joyned when it is done not for such a cause as he hath allowed it to be for for when it is for such a cause then is it God and not man that hath dissolved it Vse 1 To reprove all those who allow and contend for many other causes that divorces may be made besides adultery which opinion of theirs they would establish first from the law Deut. 24.1 When a man taketh a wife and marrieth her if so be she finde no favour in his eyes because he hath spyed some filthinesse in her then let him write her a
have so received it that by it they are brought to the sight and feeling of their sins and to see and acknowledge their fearefull condition and damnable estate by reason of their sins Therefore it is that one speaking of this of Iohns comming and preparing saith it is like as when the sicke is admonished of the comming of the Physitian that he knowing and feeling his disease might reverently receive him and submit himselfe to him So in this And to this end belongs that Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden and I will ease you As also when he sendeth his Apostles abroad Matth. 10.6 7. But goe rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel And as ye go preach saying the kingdome of Heaven is at hand Luke 1.76 77. And thou babe shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his waies And to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins And the Lord whom ye seek The second Prophesie touching Christ the Lord In this verse he Prophesieth of his person and comming and he is first called the Lord that is King and Governour of the Church Doctrine Christ is the Lord and King and the Governour of his Church the government of it is his peculiar and proper Whom ye seek whom ye desire Christ was desired and sought for of the Jewes two waies as they were diversly affected some were meer naturall men they sought for him as a temporall deliverer others had faith and they sought for him as he was a spirituall deliverer It is like in all circumstances he meaneth here the faithfull seeking of him and their desire who desired his comming Doctrine The fathers in the old testament sought for and desired the comming of Christ There is a double comming of his one in the flesh another to judgement one in humility another in honour one as a servant another as a King to be judged and to judge of the first and the base comming is it here spoken This Christ sheweth in Abraham being the father of the Church and and so hath the more weight for he desiring of it they must needs John 8.56 Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day And more generally Luke 10.24 I tell you many Prophets and Kings desired to see the things that ye see And 2.25 Old Simeon waited for the consolation of Israel Reason 1 Because they had so many promises of his comming every where in the law and the Prophets which believing they could not but expect and desire Faith breeds hope and hope is a patient abiding for the thing hoped for Rom. 8.25 Now that a man hopes for that he desires Reason 2 Because they had so many Prophesies and promises of his sufferings to free them from the wrath of God and to bring them happinesse Now that they well knew could not be as he was God which is impatible and incorruptible therefore he must be man which made them desire that this might be Vse 1 This condemns the Anabaptists who thinke the faithfull people before Christ did only taste of the sweetnesse of Gods temporall blessings without any hope of eternall happinesse for if they had a desire and a seeking after Christ and his comming they must needs have more then temporall things they looked after when the Prophets did so often and so fully speake of his outward basenes and sufferings As Isaiah 53. By whom they would not looke for outward things so many as were enlightened like unto the Anabaptist is the Catechisme of Trent In explicatione symboli making a difference betwixt Church and Synagogue they say that Synagogue is therefore applied to the people that were under the law because like bruit beasts which most properly are said to be congregated and gathered together they respected intended and sought nothing but only outward sensible earthly and transitory things Who if they sought for Christ and desired him and waited for salvation by him must needs waite for more Vse 2 To teach us that now we have the injoying of that they hoped for and desired we should as much joy and rejoyce in it as they desired it It is that which Christ specially reproved in the Jewes John 8.56 That they were so unlike Abraham he rejoycing and desiring him being absent but they contemned him being present As if he expected that if they were the children of Abraham they should have more rejoyced in his presence and in him being come then he could desire the day and comming And so ought we to do Seing Christ saith Luke 10.23.24 Blessed are the eies which see that ye see for I tell you that many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things that you see and have not seen them and to heare those things which ye heare and have not heard them It is that which if we see indeed by faith makes us happy For though we cannot see him now bodily or heare him personally as they who lived in same age yet we may both hear and see him in the preaching of the Gospel face to face As 2. Cor. 3.18 And so ought to rejoyce in him Not as Christ saith of the Jewes touching Iohn John 5.35 They rejoyced for a season in his light but more constanly if we have faith so we will S August de doct Christi 1.38 saith * Jnter temporaliae at que aeterna hoc interest quod temporale aliquid plus diligitur antequam habeatur vilescit autem cum advenerit non enim satiat ani mam Aeternum autem ardentius diligitur adeptum quam desideratum August de doct Christi 1.38 This is the difference betwixt things temporall and eternall that which is temporall is more affected before it is enjoyed but when we have it we grow weary of it because it satisfies not the soule But that which is eternall is more loved when we once enjoy it then while we look for it Vse 3 To teach us if they desired so greatly his first comming we ought more his second comming seeing that was but as Bernard in infirmitate ut justificat in weaknesse to justifie us This shall be in gloria ut glorificat In glory to Crowne us The spirit of God Revelat. 22.17 Useth a borrowed speech from a Virgin espoused desiring the day of marriage that as she desireth it much more then her espousalls though that she did so ought they and as she desireth his person though in infirmity and basenesse but more when he is in glory and comes to endow her yea possesse her of infinite riches possessions and glory So it should be in a soule espoused to Christ If they desired him as a servant and we ought to rejoyce in him while he was in the shape of a servant how ought we to desire him as a King If his standing at bar where he was condemned as a Malefactor how his comming
the Lord and Iosias 2. Kings 23.24 And this as well such as hurt as helpe and though they do neither yet if they have familiarity with a spirit as both the law of God and our Land requires And slender it is which is objected to say now there are none when this place speaketh of the time of the Gospell and never would the Apostle have threatned any if there had not beene such sinnes and such offendors to have thus fought with a shadow Vse 2 To perswade men to avoide this sin and not to fal into it to become sooth-sayers wizards wisemen c. upon hope of gaine for desire of revenge affecting vaine-glory to know and reveale things to come or for any such cause knowing that though they can escape the law and punishment of man either hurting not or covering their sorcery and witch-craft by medicines and hearbes or deny they consult with any spirit yet shall they not the judgement of Christ who is the witnesse and sees the secret of their compact with Satan beholds their invocation and worshipping of him either in secret place or in secret maner and howsoever it is and will judge them and doth judge them in this life with blindenesse hardnesse of heart oftentimes poverty and such like but sure he shall judge them in the life to come and give them their portion with him who have sought to better their portion by him Vse 3 To disswade men from seeking to sooth-sayers and sorcerers c. or having any commerce or fellowship with them in their art to seeke from them the knowledge of things to come the finding of things lost the helping of creatures ill affected and such like for besides that it is absolutely forbidden in the word God and threatned Levit. 20.6 Manifested in the example of Saul 1 Sam. 28. This may disswade because they shall be partakers of their sinne and consequently of their punishment and be judged by Christ for judging these he will judge them who communicate with them in the same sinne yet is it lamentable and fearefull to see what flocking there is of men but more of women to men and women who cannot chuse but be witches and have familiarity or commerce openly or closely with the Divell sometimes for things lost sometimes for barrennesse sometimes for long and extreame diseases of their children not fearing this that Christ will judge them then those who communicate with them and are the causes of their practises for as no receivers no theeves so no frequenter to those no such specially such as are called white and good witches or sorcerers but they will say they are bewitched Ergò they may seeke to be helpt Answer As if there were not a God in Israel that ye goe to enquire of Beelzebub the God of Ekron 2 Kings 1.3 Or that God were not able to dissolve the workes of the Divell Did Iob this when no doubt he discerned as well as these that he was bewitched But ease and deliverance often followeth after this In possessions Divells depart in other extremities thing◠are appeased Answer This is nothing for first Divells know how to agree among themselves to deceive men and none of us would trust or commit his businesse to one that is deceitfull and perfidious Now the Divell is not onely a lyer but the father of a lye Secondly if health and ease follow it may be it is the effect of the lawfull meanes which was used before and God seeing how corrupt and impatient thy heart was to abide his leasure and make use of them gave thee over to thy corruption and let thee have thine owne will even then to use such an unlawfull meanes when health and ease was at hand as if it had been an effect of that to confirme thee in thy blindenesse and infidelity or lastly it may be like that Deut. 13.3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet or unto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule And therefore for thee to take heede how thou hearkenst to these lest thou bewray thou lovest not the Lord. But they use nothing but good words and lawfull meanes prayers and hearbs and simples and such like I answer first with Saint Chrysost * Christianae mulier est haec excantaus nihil aliud loquitur quam Christi nomen Chrysost ho. 21. ad popul Antioch Proptere à namque magis odi aversar◠quod Dei nomine ad contumelium utitur quod se dicens esse Christianam gentilium opera facit Etenim Daemones Dei nomen fatebantur tamen erunt Daemones Chryso she is a Christian woman that useth the spell and nothing but the name of Christ They spake these words before going when they excused themselves for the like He answereth For that cause hate and detest her the more because she vilely abuses the name of God professing her selfe a Christian she doth the workes of an heathen for so the Divells confesse the name of God and yet were Divells still For they said Luke 4.4.1 Thou art Christ the son of God yet he rebuked them and cast them out Therefore I would intreate you to beware of this deceit for as they who are tempering bitter cups for children first rub the mouth with hony that that headlesse age when it shall perceive the sweetnesse shall not feele and feare the bitternesse and they who give poysonfull hearbes give them the titles of medicines that no man then reading the superscription of a remedy should suspect poison So deal these Besides in their hearbes the Divell is but Gods Ape who seeing him not doe things but by meanes useth the like that no man might suspect him as he appeared in like habit to Samuel But to conclude what colour and covert soever is made Christ is the witnesse and knowes all and he wil be the Judge to reward all who shall thus pollute and defile themselves And against the adulterers The second particular adultery in the Etymology of it is a going up to another mans bed As Gen. 49.4 Thou wast light as water thou shalt not be excellent because thou wentest up to thy fathers bed then didst thou defile my bed thy dignity is gone In the nature of it it is the carnall knowledge of a woman who is bound to another man but no doubt in this place not onely this but under it fornication and wantonnesse and all uncleanenesse is contained as in the commandement Doctrine The Lord as he will judge condemne and destroy all wicked men so adulterers whoremongers fornicators buggerers and other uncleane persons here and Gal. 5.19.21 Ephes 5.5 Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled but whore-mongers and adulterers God will judge Revelat 21.8 Vse This ought to make every one flye adultery though he can escape the punishment of men yet for Gods
light to many places Of the name Israel the diverse absurd derivations of it among the fathers and the true and genuine originall of it see Sixtiu Amama in his Antibarb Bibl. p. 428. 429. ad Gen. 32.28 III. The Minister By whom By Malachy or by the hand or In the hand of Malachy or as the French By the meanes d Par le moyen de Malachie of Malachy That is by the ministry of Malachy by his mouth the Mouth being called the Hand by a Catachresis see Exod. 9.35 As the Lord spake by the hand of Moses 1 by his mouth Num. 4.37.45 Accordingly the spirit of prophecy in the mouth of the prophets is called The hand of the Lord. 2 King 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The hand of the Lord which the Targum renders the spirit of prophecy from the Lord. Came upon him Esa 8.11 The Lord spake to me with a strong hand or in the strength of hand and instructed me By Malachy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tremell reades it Maleaci Piscator well findes fault with that because Caph having not a point in the belly of it sounds as Ch and reades Maleachi and so Montan The vulgar Malachias both our Engl. Malachy For the signification of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thence Maleach is the same that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Angel is in the Greeke that is A messenger or One that is sent Minshieu enterprets it The Angel of the Lord compounding it of Malach and Iah upon a mistake and mistaking his author too for hee cites Isidore the place he meanes though he name it not is lib. 7. cap. 8. and the words there though somewhat obscure seeme to mee to carry another meaning for following the reading of the Lxx hee gives that sense of the word that they doe not The messenger or Angel of the Lord but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Angel which Etymon also Hierom gives in his Preface to Ioel where hee derives the names of all the Prophets and hee is followed not onely by the composer of the table of proper names to the Geneva and by Rob. F. Herrey the corrector and enlarger of that table printed with our authorised translation but our last translators also themselves have so rendred the very same word into English in the Text of Esa 42.19 Who is deafe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as my messenger But to leave this the greatest a doe is who this Malachy should be First the LXX as was said turne it my Angel which reading as the ancients generally follow so Origen tooke thence an occasion to conceive that it was an heavenly Angel in humane conversation whom God employed and Tertullian seemes to be of that opinion 2. But 't is more generally received and upon better grounds that hee was a man 1. Some say some man of another name and called an Angel for his office sake and because of his eminency The Iewes some of them thinke he was Mordecai some that he was Zachary some as Deodate notes because of that Hag. 1.13 that hee was Hagge but the most of them that hee was Ezra according to Buxtorfius in comment Masoretico cap. 3. who having set down Elias Levita his preface in Hebr. rythme beginning Aala Eezra his Mal chi e Ezra went up The same is Malachy upon occasion of that quotes R. David in Loc. affirming it to be the generall opinion Yet see in his 1â— Chap. Abarbanel and Maâ—mony alledged who seem to be of another mind reckoning Malachy and Ezra as distinct men in the catalogue of the heads of the great Synagogue But the most are that he was the same with Ezra a man indeed very eminent who though he were not high priest was next in dignity and of great autority both with his own and the Persians of notable sanctity and of that age that hee saw both temples see the learned Bishop of Chichester now of Norwich his Apparatus ad Orig Eccles App. vs. sect 23. being borne to Saraiah before the captivity as appeares Ezr. 7.1 compared with 2 Ki 25.18.21 and returned into the land about the 130. yeare of his age about the time of this prophecy where he dealt also in the same subject and against the same corruptions which was one argument that led the Iewes and after them S. Hierom Remigius Rupertus of late Ribera the Pontifician and our Pet. Martyr Loc. Commun Claus 3. cap. 15. sect 48. to be of that conceit that he was Ezra or at least that it is probable as Luc. Osiander and Dav. Pareus proleg 1. ad Hos Who would see the reasons such as they are for this opinion I referre him to the following commentary where they are also answered Secondly I follow those that take this name of Malachy to be the Prophets own proper name And so besides that Aben-Ezra quoted by Buxtorfius in the place recited Athanasius Chrysost Theo. Aug. Lyran. Vatabl Montan. and Genebrard too though hee speake obscurely Chro. p. 180.4 distiâ—guish Ezra and this Prophet It seemes also to be so taken by the Apocryphall Ezra lib. 2. c. 1. v. 40. who reckons his name among the other Prophets and then adds the signification of it for I assent not unto Iunius his reading and his note upon the place which the reader may see After the Captivity as they brought with them from Babylon the names of Angels not proper names as Iacob Bonfrerius discourseth it comment in Iudic. c. 13. v. 17. Where hee purposely handles the question whether Angels have any names but of their office as Gabriel Raphael Vriel so it is likely they might more usually call their sonnes Angells that manner of language seeming to bee very ordinary with them and our Prophet oft useth it so hee calls the Priest Cap. 2.7 and Christ Cap. 3.1 and Iohn Baptist in the same Verse T' was his name and I suppose given him not by the people as Epiphanius tells us in his life who because of his comely forme and holy life called him so but by his father at his birth or circumcision It was a commendable practise of the Iewes to give their children the names of such as had formerly exceld in vertue a custome imitated by Christians who used to call such children as were borne to them upon or neare the festivalls of any of the Apostles or others by their names which custome Philip Pareus in the life of his father David Pareus tells us was observed in his country and that for that reason his Father had that name given him or for the remembrance of some event or for the foretelling of some thing to come to passe But however usually they gave them names of a good signification Which though wee are not bound to imitate as some doe even unto superstition but have a liberty to impose such names as are in use in our Country though haply wee know not the signification of them yet it hath beene also the piety of Christian
will he be content with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of hosts that is he will be displeased with thee he will not accept it at thy hand much lesse will I saith the Lord. Thy Governor the Lxx. and the vul Thy Captaine The Genev. thy Prince Those that ruled in the time of the second Temple were not called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Captaines or Governours because they were then under the power of other nations and were not Kings or supreame Princes but had praefecture granted unto them Such an one Nehemiah was Neh. 5.14 and Zerobabel and others who as Deodate observes had their provision of beasts and other food brought in for their use and the maintenance of their house by the people To which this present Text seemes to allude Yet such an one much lesse a King will not bee well pleased with a sorry worthlesse present or a neglective service Accept thy Person Vulg. and Pagn Accept thy Countenance or face Hebr. Thy faces but it is to bee translated in the singular for Pane the singular is out of use and it is here taken for the person and so it is other where as 2 Sam. 17.11 Goe to battle in thine own person Or I counsell thee that thy face or presence goe Accept thy Face or will hee lift up thy face for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was said upon the first verse but when Nasa is used De facie alterius it signifies to honor one or to doe somewhat for his sake Will he honor thee as great ones use to doe such as bring them presents that they like will he gratify thee with his favour will he be benevolous towards thee He will not Luc. Osiander here takes occasion gravely to apply this passage against their sinne who destinate unto Gods ministry such as are of dull wit and of defective or blemished bodies as if any were good enough and fit enough for God The Papacy which as Card. Allen Apolog. cap. 6. sayth is discreetly menaged is wise in this point doing as the master of the Eunuches under the King of Babylon who chose out of the Israelites such children as were without blemish well-favored wise and skilfull and had ability in them that they might be taught in the art and tongue of the Chaldeans Dan. 1.3 4 5. Wee have this place notably applyed and enlarged by D. Reynolds in his preface to the Conference It were to be wished that that order which the ingenious Spaniard Huarte in his Examen de ingeniis in the dedication to King Philip speaketh of were taken that some men of great wisedome were deputed to discover each ones propension in his youth and so accordingly to dispose of them That they be not set to the study of divinity that are fit onely for Carpenters or Taylors For as hee well observes They are such as have not a wit for Divinity that destroy Christian Religion See his 10th Chapter But of this by the way And so much of Gods expostulating with them in the next II. Hee threatnes judgements against them ver 9. to the end of the first Chapter Judgements 1. privative ver 9. to the 14th 2 positive ver 14. I. Privative Judgements 1. The rejecting of their prayers ver 9.2 the rejecting of their sacrifices ver 10.3 The removall of his worship ver 11 12 13. Verse 9 First he threatens the rejecting of their prayers ver 9. And now I pray beseech God or the Face of God that hee will bee gracious unto us this hath beene by your meanes or from your Hand will he regard your person saith the Lord of Hosts Many doe take this as an wholesome counsell to the Priests or a serious advise that they would repent and fly to Gods Grace to avert his wrath and to pray unto him that hee would bee reconciled So S. Hierom. and they that usually follow him Theodor. Rupert Lyr. Haymo Menochius as also Jo. Piscat and the Geneva note But I encline to Montan. Junius Deodate and the authour of this following commentary That it is an Ironie try now I pray beseech God see if you can prevaile you have reason to try what you can doe for you are they that have provoked God but you shall not be accepted Beseech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weary God with your prayers It comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To bee grieved To bee sicke To bee weake and when it is joyned with Panim as it is here Hhalluná Pené-el It is to weary one with prayer to deprecate The Geneva is Pray before God which our commentary followes and gives this sense Pray before him in the place of his worship But the Hebr. is as our Margin beseech the face of God the Face of your God so the Lxx. That hee will bee gracious unto us That he may have mercy upon us so the Gen. and Italian It is the same phrase which is used in that forme of prayer or blessing which was ordered for the Priests Num. 6.25 and haply this place alludes to that See Maimon alleadged by Ainsw ad loc This hath beene by your meanes or From your hand so Hebr. Chald Lxx. The Tigur and Tremell This evill hath beene done by you meanes So our old authorised English doth expresse it and it seemes to answer to the interpretation of S. Hierom and his followers This hath not beene so much your Fathers sinne as yours not so much the peoples as your the Priests Therefore you that have angred the Lord doe you Pray Will hee regard your persons Wee had the same phrase in the former Verse see it there Onely the Vulg. taking this whole Verse for a councell not an Ironie reades If by any meanes he may receive you Others If by any meanes hee may take his face 1 his anger from you And the word will beare that too for Nasa is Auferre as well as suscipere Theodoret yet otherwise Doe you thinke God will receive you to favour without repentance and Prayer Others will he regard you more then the rest will he be partiall no you shall smart also Verse 10 Secondly hee threatens the rejecting of their sacrifices ver 10. Who is there even among you that would shut the dores for naught neither doe you kindle fire on my Altar for naught I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept an offering at your hand Winkleman thinkes hee passes here to a new reproofe to condemne their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeking dishonest gaine even in Minutissimis And so it seemes the composer of the short notes in our old large Eng. bibles thought whose margine hath onely this Against all those that follow Religion for lucres sake St. Cyrill and St. Hierom seeme to take it as a provocation of them to serve God better you doe nothing in my service but you get by it why then doe
As wee now also doe use the words Heathen Gentiles Pagans for such people as are without Christ or are without the covenant As in the Apostles time they ordinarily called all such as were not of the Church or which used to bee called Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greekes because the greatest part of the East Country spake Greeke and that people were the principall among the Gentiles which were knowne unto the Iewes But the Syriacke of the new Testament instead of Grecians usually turnes it Aramaeans see Tremell Marg. ad Act. 20.21.21.28 Rom. 29. And the difference of the Graecian and Graecist in the language of the new Testament see in Goodwyn Mos Ar. lib. 1. cap. 3. And in every place incense offered So also the Lxx. Arab. Syr. Pagn The Tigur Arias Mont. For Kitter and Ktora Ktoreth and the word that is here Muktar doe all signifie Incense or Persume It is spoken in the language of the Leviticall Law which is ordinary with the Prophets to set out the spirituall worship of God under the time of the Gospell Yea under the Law it selfe Prayer was resembled by the Psalmist unto Incense Psal 141.2 And the same resemblance is used in the new Testament Apoc. cap. 5.8 Offered and so the Lxx Pagn Tigur Put so the Syr. the Arab. of Antioch Made but the other Arab. reades it Brought All agreeable both to the signification of the word Muggash of Nagash To drawe neare Or To come neare that which is offred it Drawes neare unto God and to the use of Incensing Onely the Vulg. Lat. translates it Sacrificed but improperly Yet the popish interpreters make use of that translation for their purpose in the interpreting of the next words of the Sacrifice of the Masse though without reason as wee shall see And a pure Offering This I say the Pontificians interpret of the Masse for say they the word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minhha signifies specially that offering of fine flower Levit. 2.1 which was say they a type of the Eucharist But 1 Mincha doth not alwayes signify a sacrifice as wee shall see afterwards And 2. The words of the Prophet cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 literally bee understood of the Masse for the popish Priests doe not offer Fine flower and oyle and frankincense which goe all to the making of this Mincha of which see the place Levit. 2.1.2 and Maimon Tr. de Sacrif cap. 13. s 5. And for farther answer to this interpretation see the following commentary fully together with Chemnit Examen parte 2ª lib. 6. de Missa arg 8. There are diverse other interpretations The roote of this Hebr. word is Manahh an Arabique verbe signifying To give and Minhha is any solemne gift or present To man as Genes 32.13 Iacob tooke Mincha a present for Esau So Genes 43.11 1. Sam. 10.27 and 2 Sam 8.6 The Syrians became servants to David brought gifts He. Mincha gr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But especially it is a present or gift to God which when it is of cattel it is called Korban and when of things inanimate as flower cakes wafers c. it is called Mincha So Gen. 4 3. Cain brought of the fruite of the ground Mincha an offring to the Lord. But most strictly it signified those particular kindes of meate offerings mentioned Lev. 2. There were five kinds of thē in that Chapter and among them that of fine flower which was to be offred every morning and evening Exod. 29.38.39.40.41 This Mincha was primarily a figure of Christs Oblation who gave himselfe for an offering to God for us Eph. 5.2 So Heb. 10.5 c. The Apostle openeth the 40th Psalme A type of Christ but not of the Eucharist Secondly it figured the persons of Christians who through Christ are sanctifyed to bee pure Oblations to God Prophecyed of Esa 66.20 The Gentiles shall bee brought for an offring Mincha to the Lord. To which place or rather to this of the Prophet Malachy the Apostle seemes to allude Rom. 15.16 where hee calls the convrtsion of the Gentiles through the Gospell An oblation or offering or Sacrificing of the Gentiles unto God in which respect also hee calls his preaching a Sacrifice as Erasmus reades it also Sacrificans Evangelium Though the phrase be obscure Hugo's interpretation here was of the Proselytes who should be an offring to the Lord to the Temple Ex omni loco from every place But it is not so in the Text but In every place And this sense agrees better with the conversion of us the Gentiles Thirdly it figured the fruites of grace and good works particularly Prayer The Iewish interpeters say this pure offering is meant of the prayers of the holy Iewes every were disperst So the Chalde paraphrase I will receive your prayers and it shall bee like a pure offering before mee But the place speakes of the Gentiles Therefore it is that Tertullian occasionally and Vatabl. and Calvin ad Loc. understand it of Christians their performing of worship to God in the dueties of holinesse and love Hence dueties of love are called Sacrifices Hebr. 13.16 Philip. 4.18 but chiefely the duties of Holinesse prayses of and prayers unto God when Every where there is a lifting up of pure hands to the Lord. 1 Tim. 2.8 And it is observable that the time of the Mincha which was dayly morning and evening was the time of Set prayer among the Jewes Dan. 9.21 While I was speaking in prayer Gabriel touched me about the time of the evening oblation Mincha This is that which the Rabbins call Tephilla Mincha The prayer of the evening Sacrifice Which was about Three of the Clock in the afternoone called in Scripture according to the Iewes reckoning of the time The ninth houre which is sayd to bee Acts 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The houre of Prayer Secondly the other part of the comparison or reddition shewes on the Contrary the Jewes neglect and profaning of that worship which the Gentiles would so reverently entertaine ver 12.13 This is set downe Verse 12 I. Generally ver 12. But yee have profaned it But yee Priests and others that have reason to entertaine and reverence my name and worship yee have polluted it Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee have dishonored it And so Pagn The Geneva and Deodates margin II. Particularly 1. In their thoughts 2. in their words and 3. In their deeds First in their thoughts or base conceit for it is not so likely that they uttered it in words In that yee say The Table of the Lord is polluted and the fruite thereof even his meate is contemptible They had a base conceit and prophane of Gods Altar and the Sacrifices The Table that is the Altar See before ver 7. And the fruite thereof even his meate our old autorised Eng. hath it The fruite and in the margin Or the word It is true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fructus fruit is by a metaphor
transferred to speech which is the fruite of the tongue as Esay 57.19 I create 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fruite of the lippe Where the Targum is Mamlal and the Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the sense seemes to bee so I create speech or the word of the lippes But here it is in its proper signification the fruite The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which the Vulg. followes That which is put upon it with the fire that doth consume it So the Vulg. mistaking the originall word as if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Comedens illum but the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cibus ejus His meate The Chald. The Table of the Lord is despised and the gifts thereof The Tigur The provision thereof is vile because as Vatabl. notes the fat and entrailes that were offered were vile S. Hier. otherwise The fruite that is the fire and the meate of the fire that is the victime or sacrifice I rather take it as our translation hath exprest it for two nounes put absolutely or as wee say per appositionem Both the Altar and the fruite even the meate upon it were despised by them The revenue The Income of it so the Italian in the Text Or the fruite so in the margin Vers 13 Secondly in their words ver 13. Yee said also Behold what a wearinesse is it Besides what conceit yee have cherished yee have also uttered enough to discover your hypocrisie and profanenesse Behold what a wearines is it or as the Geneva It is a wearinesse The Vulg. Behold this out of our labour Somewhat like to that of the Lxx Behold these out of our affliction We are returned poore this is as much as our labour or poverty can allow But it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De labore of labour but as Pagn and Vatabl. observe and as it is in our best copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matlaa either there is a double Heemanticke as they call it or it is two words as Rab. Abr. would have it read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so also Sixt. Amama ad loc in his Anomal Special Quis Labor Oh how I am weary How I pant in bringing it it is so fat and heavy or how are we tyred and spent in Gods service This I take to bee the sense There are other interpretations as that of Winkleman the beast is not faulty but onely it is weary The Priests so hypocritically excusing themselves in taking any offering that came to hand Or as some others who also make these the words of the Priest some one of them taking up the shoulder or the breast of some carrion sheepe saying See what we have for our labour what a wearinesse is it to serve so fruitelesly But I rest in the sense before Thirdly in their deeds expressed 1. More darkely II. More clearely First more darkly And yee have snuffed at it Or Whereas yee might have blowen it away your very cariage hath exprest your hypocrisie and pride and contempt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Huntly the Scottish Iesuite contends from Galâ—â—anus that for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was formerly reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the vindication of the uncorrupted reading of which place See Solom Glassius Philol. sacr lib. 1. Tr. 1 pag. 50. Yee have snuffed at it Behold what a labour and yee throwe it down So Pagnin As if they would take breath pretending to be weary in the carying of it being so fat and weighty Yee say Oh how weary because the beast is fat and heavy whereas ye might have blown it away being so thin light So Tremell expresseth it and Iohn Tarnovius Or It is worthy to be blowen away so Hier. Remig. Lyr. you paht as if it were weighty but I blow it away with scorne So also Hier and Theodoret. The Septuag in editione Romana reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have blowen it away But Cornel. A lap tells us that in the edition of the Lxx in Bibliis Regiis which I had not yee have puffed or blowne Ioh. Winkleman gives a singular sense That the Priests by a kinde of writhing of their mouthes and drawing in their breath would though in a scornefull way extenuate lessen their fault in receiving corrupt offerings Why The beast is not faulty but only weary Is this such a matter As if forsooth c. I rather will propound this sense you blow and pant as if tyred and thinke all too wearisome and snuffe and shew dislike at it Snuffing or Puffing with the breath being a signe of dislike and contempt and pride So the souldier in Plautus Quojus tu legiones difflavisti Quasi ventus solia aut peniculum tectorium So God shewes his contempt of his enemies Psal 10.5 As for all his enemies he puffeth at them So Prov. 29.8 Scornefull men bring a City into a snare or Set a City on fire That is with their breath Or Difflant ciuitatem As Drusius renders it Hebraic Quaest lib. 3. qu. 22. Secondly more expressely And yee brought that which was torne and the lame and the sicke Thus yee brought an offering should I accept this at your hand saith the Lord yee cared not what you brought or offered Thus yee brought Mincha observe that that word is used here too as well as verse 11. where the Papists so much contend for it an offering indeed such as it is but such as I cannot nor will accept That which was torne That which you got by rapine and oppression so the Vulg. Yee say yee afford it out of your labour but yee lie It is what you steale and of that too not of the best So that here are three sinnes discovered together Rapine Irreligion and lying And thus S. Hier. Remigius and Lyran. understand it That which was rent and torne so Tremel and therefore Calvin understood it that they brought sheepe that were worried But they brought the beasts alwaies alive therefore the former exposition is received by most That which you snatcht away by oppression But how doth this agree with the description of the offering in the next words lame and sick I therefore encline to Calvins and it might be woorried and torne and yet alive Deodate in his Italian gives both senses and leaves it to the readers choyce Thus much of the threatning of judgements privative we have in the next II. A positive judgement threatned ver 14. where V erse 14 First the judgement threatned A curse But cursed be the deceiver Cursed with curses temporall spirituall and eternall Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forespoken or execrated The ordinary word of the Lxx Deut. 27.15 c. And of the new Testament as Gal. 3.13 Secondly the sinne 1. generally 2. in particular First Generally set downe The deceiver deceitfull against the faith of Religion and against ordinary justice Tremel calls him Machinator Hee that can devise wayes of deceite covertly The crafty deceiver The Lxx 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
it making it pinch the poore and favour the rich You flatter the rich so Vatabl You accept the riâ—h mans lame sacrifice and have an evasion for it in some glosse but yee reject the poores and are precise in the letter To this purpose Theodoret the Syr and both the Arabiques which I finde in Corn. a lap ad loc who also in prooem ad proph min. pag. 5. tells us that the double Arab. version one of Alexandria the other of Antioch are at Rome both in the Vatican and in the library of Cardinal Medices translated into Latine by Sergius Risius Arch-Bishop of Damascus Yee accepted or tooke the law in the face of it yee looke but to the shell and skinne of the law and are hypocriticall in it wresting the law to serve men So the Pharise's dealt with Christ The law allowed circumcision on the Sabbath that they approved Christ did but heale a poore diseased man on the Sabbath and that in him they condemned as if it were against the law Therefore Christ bids them not to judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our translation is According to appearance I understand it thus according to the face with respect of persons but to judge righteous judgement Ioh. 7.24 And I am confirmed by the learned Heinsius whom I consulted after the collecting of these notes in his Aristarchus Sacer. pt 2. ca. 8. where he parallelleth this very place of our Prophet with that of Iohn Thus we have seene the first contestation largely for that supply which Tremellius makes unto the Text by adding the word Saying so to joyne this to the following verse is both needlesse and obscures the sense In the next verse we proceed to a new head II. The second Contestation Verse 10 This second Contestation is onely in the 10th Verse wherin hee contests with them for their unequall and unrighteous dealing arguing it to bee against nature and Religion First against nature All being of one flesh Have we not all one Father God saith Deodate or Abraham according to others and so he takes it We come all of Iacob or at least of Abraham or at least of Adam Secondly against Religion Being all of one Church Hath not one God created us or made us wee serve the same God the Creator Thirdly another evidence against nature We are brothers of the same stock Why doe wee deale treacherously every man against his brother Why doe we the Prophet includes himselfe that his reproofe may bee the milder a rhetoricall communicating Why doe we that is Why doe yee Deale treacherously the Geneva why doe wee transgresse every one against his brother our old English Why is every one deceived of his brother and so Mont. But Pagn otherwise every one despiseth his brother Fourthly another evidence that their dealing was against Religion By prophaning the Covenant of our Fathers They broke or violated the Covenant that their Fathers and Ancestors entered into to which they should have had regard and been answerable unto it in all equall and righteous conversation S. Hierome and some others take this verse as a particular reproofe of their injurious dealing with their wives and taking others and that here two arguments are brought to reconcile their love the Communion of blood and the Communion of Religion And that it is the violation of the particular covenant of marriage or the Covenant against marrying of strangers which is here reproved That they dealt treacherously against their Brethren that is either the brethren of their wives or their wives themselves the females also among the Hebrewes being included under the terme of Brethren But I rest in the sense above which is that also which Deodate in his margin prefers though hee give the other also which is that of S. Hierome and comes in the next verse to bee considered The reader may finde another interpretation in the learned Tarnovius the younger which to me gives no satisfaction let the reader judge And thus much of the second Contestation III. The third Contestation Thirdly hee contests with them for their marrying with strangers and infidels verse 11.12 we have 1. The sinne discovered ver 11. 2. The sinne threatned ver 12. Verse 11 I. The sinne discovered The marrying the daughter of a strange God verse 11. It is discovered in many aggravations 1. From the persons 2. From the subject place 3. From the quality of the sinne 4. From the effect First from the Persons Iudah hath dealt treacherously and an abomination is committed in Israel and Ierusalem Hee exaggerates the same with more and sharper words for Israel was now no other then Iudah Iudah that is The Iewish people the people of the returne from the captivity of whatsoever Tribe as Esth 2.5 Mordecai though of the tribe of Benjamin is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iudaeus A Iew. The word is here in the Foeminine Gender it being usuall to compare a Nation to a woman and hence that ordinary phrase The daughter of Tyre The daughter of Zion c. The aggravation from the persons here is this Iudah the sonne of praise or confession as wee finde the reason of the name in the imposition Genes 29.35 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confessus est laudavit he even Iudah the sonne of praise and he in whom I am well knowne Psal 76.2 hee hath done that which is unto my dishonour Secondly from the subject place In Israel and Ierusalem of Israel see verse 1. Ierusalem was the Metropolis of Iudaea It was first called Salem where Melchisedec was King Genes 14.18 Afterwards it was called Iebus Judg. 19.10 being in the hands of the Iebusites which made our Minsheiu compound it of Iebus and Salem as if the name were Iebusalem and for better sound the B changed into R. But when David got it out of the Iebusites hands he called it Ierusalem of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Videbunt paecem They shall see peace And I the rather assent to this derivation then to that of G. Pasor in his Etyma nom propr at the end of his Lexic in N.T. who would derive it of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timete Schalemum Feare yee Salem A name as hee thinkes given by the Iebusites to the place out of the confidence of their strength which cannot bee made evident neither doe his other reasons hold See the place in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I the rather I say assent to the former derivation because David built to the old City of Iebus or Salem a new addition unto mount Sion which was mount Moriah lying in the midst betwixt Sion and Salem the very place which Abraham long before had named Iireh will â—ee as it is Genes 22.14 Hee called the name of that place Iehovah-Iireh The Lord will see Which haply is the reason why the name of this City hath a duall forme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but ordinarily without Iod as it is
is alleaged as it is also in the Constitutions of Odo Archbishop of Canterbury An. 943. cap. 10. Hee may see also K. Offa's gift An. 793. pag. 308. K. Ethelwulphs gift in the Councell at Winchester An. 855. pag. 348. K. Alureds Eccles lawes cap 9. pag 377. K. Edwards the elder cap. 6. pag. 392. K. Aethelstans cap. 1. pag. 402. K. Edmunds cap. 2. pag. 420. K. Edgars cap. 3. pag. 444. and the Canons of his time Can. 54. pag. 454. Tythes they are Gods portion hence when the Jewes tythed their flocks as the young passed thorow the doore of the fold the Levite stood with a rod in his hand and marking the Tenth that came out said This tenth is the Lords According to that Levit. 27.32 Whatsoever passeth under the rod the tenth shall bee the Lords And so they have ever been accounted although the Church have sometimes taken libertie to assigne them to other uses as those Decimae Saladinides which the Councell of Paris granted to Philip of France for his warre against Saladine the Mahumedan An. 1189. which as Matth. Paris Monk of St. Albans writeth Richard 1. the King of England obtained also for the same purpose the next yeare and others since though the pretence were altered But see the liberty of the antienter Church concerning Tythes in Gratian Caus 1. qu. 3. pervenit ad caus 13. qu. 1. 2. caus 16. qu. 1. Si quis Laicus and Ecclesiae antiquitus and In canonibus in Gangrensi and quaest 7. Decimas quas And for ours for the times he writ of and collected see Wilhelm Lyndewood Constitut lib. 1. pag. 13. z. pag. 14. f. pag. 15. 0. c. and largely De Decimis lib. 3. pag. 101. c. Concerning the Question Quo Jure besides the skirmishes of our men about it and which you shall finde in the reverend and godly Author of the following Commentary pertinent and full I doe referre to Bellarm. Tom. 2. De clericis lib. 1. cap. 25. Against whom in that place Guil. Amesius sayes nothing and Joh. Alsted in his Supplement of a Fifth Tome to Dan. Chamier Panstrat lib. 4. cap. 10. Paragr 2. Confesses in a manner that to object against him in this is to seek a knot in a bulrush See Dr. Thomas Ridley his learned Discourse of Tythes In his View of the Civill and Ecclesiastical Law pag. 124. c. And in Offerings Terumah The Oblation Elevation Offering or First fruit did also belong to God The Terumah gdolah The Great Oblation and the Bikkurim The severall sorts and other matters worth knowing concerning as well Tythes as these Oblations See in Ioh. Weemse Christian Synag lib. 1. cap. 6. sect 4. paragr 2. 3. And more fully in our owne Goodwyn Mos and Ar. lib. 6. cap. 2.3 And thus having argued against their sinne 2. He expostulates with them their unreasonablnes in this thing and that it were better for them to deale righteously in the maintenance of Gods Priests both 1. For the avoyding of evill ver 9. and 2. For the procuring of good ver 10 11 12. Vers 9 I. In defrauding God of tythes they brought themselves under the curse Yee are cursed with a curse for yee have robbed mee even this whole Nation Not one or few but all dealt ill with God in the matter of tythes and therefore God brought a curse upon the whole Nation The Vulg. and others take it for a curse of penury and scarcity of victualls a great curse in that land Meerah of Arar signifies penury want or barrennes Winkleman derives the word of Maar To gnaw or Pill but not so soundly The Lxx here take the word to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and upon that mistake render the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Anomalie in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text see Sixt. Amam in Anom Spec. ad locum II. In bringing of tythes justly they should finde 1. Their estates blessed verse 10.11 2. Their reputation cleared ver 12. So there are here two promises Vers 10 11. First a blessing on their estates ver 10.11 Bring yee all the Tythes into the storehouse that there may be meate in mine house and prove mee now herewith saith the Lord of hosts if I will not open unto you the windowes of Heaven and poure you out a blessing that there shall not bee roome enough to receive it And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes and hee shall not destroy the fruites of your ground neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field saith the Lord of hosts A place often and pertinently applyed and pressed by such as have had occasion to declame on this subject and surely of great force to such as have faith in the promises of God A place which had well deserved more then a bare marginall note from the late author of the profitable Treatise of Divine promises lib. 3. p. 231. Bring yee all the tythes Our old authorised English Bring yee every tythe Men have made distinctions of tythes and some of their owne coyning to save something from God but ranke them under what heads you will all must bee brought and of every kinde Into the storehouse Vulg. Into the barne The tyth-barne So the word is Ioel. 1.17 The Garners are layd desolate the barnes are broken down But it is usually rendred Treasury Beth haozar The house of treasure or store It seemes they had a standing place for tythes as it is called Nehem. 13.11.12 13. see the place and 1. Chron. 26.20 That there may be meate in my house Vulg. That there may bee spoyle and the Hebr. Tereph signifies so much It is a Synechdoche and the affection of the Trope is a Catachresis Spoyle that is meate there 's the Catachresis the spoyle which the beast makes to get food being put for meate and then the Synechdoche meate put for all necessary provision Meate in my house that is in the storehouse for the use and necessity of my house that is of my Priests and Levites that serve in my house my temple And prove mee now herewith saith the Lord of hosts Menasseh Ben-Israel Quaest 3. in Deut. makes the doubt how these words may be reconciled to those in Deut. 6.16 Yee shall not tempt the Lord your God and answers well that Malachies words are not to bee understood Causaliter but Consecutivè namely that they should indeed finde by experience that if they offered their tythes they should finde the Lord gracious and bountifull See him more fully in the place cited in his Conciliator So that here the promise of good things followes In which let us observe the artifice used in persuading Prove me c. If I will not open you the windowes of Heaven whether I will not Piscat and our Comment make this forme If I will not an oath Which cannot bee cleare without some supply to the text to make up the sense which needs not