k Ezypt ſhould think, though they had no Rain, they ſhould not * De, be much Loſers by that, having Nils to water their Ground, and 11,1, make it jruitful. God by his Prophet anſwers them, They ſhall tall under Penury and Famine, the yery ſelf-ſame Puniſkment which ſhall tall on other Nations, 1t they neglefted his worſhip; the Lord hath more ways than one to with-hold the Fruits of the Earth, and ſend Famine among Pcople,
19 This ihali be the || puniſhment of Egypt 7, and |0:\ che puniſhment of all nations that come not up to keep the tcalt of rabernacles.
{ And what he faith of Egypt, he faith of all Contemners of his Laiv and Worlhip, their f1n is che ſame, their puniſhment ſhall bethe ſame, for with God is no reſpe& of Perſons.
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20 © :n that day » ſhall there be upon of the horſes o, HOLINESS UNTO THE LOKDÞ : fit
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m When the Nations are converted to God, as *tis, wer. 16; n Written as twere vn eyery common thing 3 ſuch as the Bells, Bri- dies or Collars, or Stables of Horſes; in theſe very things, 7. e. the Uſe of them, they ſhould make it appear they were for God, aud for his Worſhip, whereſoever theſe things may ſerve, or proimore it, 0 This waz the Inſcriptionon the rich Mitre of the Jewiſh High Prieſt, denoting the great Holineſs of his Office, and how he was dedicated co God, and that he ought to keep himſelf holy in all things, eſpeci- ally in things of Divine Worſhip. Now in theſe Days of the Goſpel, when Gentiles are converted to Chriſt, made Prieſts unto God. arc made holy Nations, a Royal Prieſthood, the Grace of God ſhall ſo abound and prevail, that common ordinary things in the Hands of Chriſtians, much more their Perſons, ſhall bear the dedicating In- ſcription of Holineſs to the Lord, and by their ſtudy of Holineſs they ſhall make good their Motto. p Which were uſed in the Kitchen: of che Temple, for the uſe of the Prieſts, and were not accounted to fa- cred as the Urenfils nearer to the Sacrifices and Altar. g Which re- ceived the Blood of the Sacrifices, and retain'd It, until the mini- ſtring Prieſt had finiſh'd his Service, and ſprinkled it ascommanded : now theſe, as appropriated to be uſed nearer to the Altar, were more eſteemed as more holy z ſo ſhould Holineſs in theſe Days ſpo- ken of, exceed the Holineſs of thoſe former Days.
21 Yea, every potg in Jeruſalem and in Judah 7 ſhall be Holineſs unto the LURD of hoſts s: and all they that facritice 7, ſhall come and take of them , and ſeethe therein-x: and in that day there ſhall be no more
the * Canaanite y in the houſe of the LORD of hoſts 2.
q The Utenſils of private Houſes ſhall be ſo dedicated to God's Ser- vice,that without ſcruple they ſhall on occaſion be uſed, or might bc uſed in the worſhip ot God. r The Types, but the Goſpel-Church is the Antitypez in the times hereof every Family ſhall be a Temple 10 which God ſhall be worſhipped, and their Houſe-pots in the wor- ſhip of God ſhall be in extraordinary Caſes uſed without ſcruples- s See ver. 20. let. # In allufion to Sacrifices the Prophet ex- preſleth all religious Affettions, Pratice and Worſhip, which ſhall be as pleaſing to God, as were the Sacrifices of his People offercd up with Divine Warrant and Appfobation. « Freely, without ſcruple- x Scethe that part of the Sacrifice which pertaineth to the ?rieſts, and to the Offerer to feaſt on, in their Houſe Pots. y Any of the ac- curſed Nation, or one who makes Merchandife of Religion. In 4 word, by allufion uſed here, we underſtand, that time will come, when ſcrupulous adhering to Ceremonies ſhall not be as formerly *rwas dcemed, ſo neceſſary, ſo material in the Worſhip. x But all ſhall know that the Lord hath greateſt Pleaſure in upright, hearty and figcere Loye and Holineſs.
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MALACH I
The ARGUMENT.
Oncerning this Prophet ſome have thought (but rortDour good and ſufficient Ground) that be was an Angel inthe C Form of a Man others think him to be Ezra : but as *tis the plainer, ſo the ſurer Opinion, that be was a Prophet of that Name, an d a Man diſtin from Ezra, and ſent the laſt of all the Prophets. His time of appearing among the Fews cannot be determined preciſely, but 'tis beſt gueſſed to have been about the times of Nehemiah's reforming the ftrange Marriages, Neh. 13. 23, 28. with Mal. 2. 11. and when be reformed the ſacrilegious Detainure of Tithes, Neh. 13. 10, 11. with Mal. 3.8. as Dr. Lightioot obſerveth, Now this Reformation of Nehemiah tas about Anno M. 3519.44 Dr, Lightfoot, or 3545, 4s Helvicusz or 3589, as Archbiſhop Uſher's Annals. Whatever was his time of appearing, *tis certain he [rved in a very VICIOus ABC, 1 which both Prieſts, as well as People, were leaven'd with either perverſe Thoughts of the Divine Providence, or brutiſh Atheiſm, denying the Deity and Providence ; contenf'- 10s Thoughts of the Worſhip of God; Sacrilegious Pratlices, robbing God of Tithes and Offerings ;, ſhameleſs juſtify- ing theſe their Praftices;, boundleſs or monſtrous Unfaithfulneſs to their Wives, caſting off Jewiſh to marry Gentile IWroes, or elſe ſuperinducing the Gentile Women,and enſlaving the Fewiſh to them caſting off the Law of God, or zobich 1s equally bad, (if not worſe ) wreſting 1t 10 their own Jinful Sentiments. All w ich he doth ſeverely reprove, and requires them to reform, and foretels the Day of the Meſſiah's Coming to ſit as a Refiner and Purifier , whoſe ap- pearing, ſuch Sinners and Sins would not be able to bear, and tells them of his Forerunner, who in the Spirit and Power of Elias ſhould come and prepare a People for the Mefttah : 1 then, (as their Duty was) he commands them in the Name, and by Authority from God, that they remember the Law of Moſes, which God commanded in Horeb; bereby intimating, ſome great Change in the Law at the Comimg of the Meſſiah ; and intimating alſo, that they
ſhould expett no more Prophet till the Great Prophet himſelf ſhould come unto them.