4 When the Lord, Meſſenger or Angel of the Coyenant, the Ring Mefſfiah ſhall be come, and ſet up his Kingdom, framed his Goſpel- Church. e The Services and Duties required of the Church, and performed by it, expreſs'd here, in an allufton to the Law-Services ſuch are now fervent Prayers, Pſal. 141. 2. lively Praiſes, thankful Memorials of the Death of Chriſt in the Sacraments,attentive hearing the Word, and giving up our ſelyes, Scul and Body, a holy, living Sacrifice to God, Rom. 12. 1. and Alms, Heb. 13.15, 16. f The whole Chriſtian Churchzexpreſs'd by.the Names of 1ts Type. g De- lighttul as ſweet Odours to the Smell, as ſayoury Meats to the Taſte, as comely Objets to the Eye, every way acceptable to God, þ This Acceptance God will give, ſhall be as great and gracious as ever he gaveto any of the Services of his Saints of old z we need not deter. mine the preciſe Times to which theſe Expreſſions refer. It is cer- rain, God did greatly delight in the Sacrificesand Offerings of his Peo- ple, when they offered them in right manner, He will give as graci- ous Acceptance ſtill; which implieth a continuance of theſe Sacri- fices which he will accept, and inferreth that this coming of Chriſt is not his coming to judge the World, his laſt coming. .
5 And T z will come near & to you / to Judgment 27, and I will be a ſwift witneſs z againſt the ſorcerers o ; and againft the adulterers p, and againſt talſe ſwear- ers 9, and againſt thoſe that || oppreſs the hireling ia hs wages 7,, the widow s,and the farherleſs 7, and that turn alide the ſtranger z {rom his wght, and tear not me ,
faith the LORD of hoſts. .
{ Either God the Father, or Chriſt the Meſſiah, to whom the Fa- ther hath committed all Judgment, Fobn 5. 22. & You have ſpoken as if you thought I was far off, but by what I do you ſhall ſee, Iam rear to you, and you ſhall feel my Hand, that you may believe I am 2 God of Judgment, and they happy who wait for me, and they mi- ſerable who fall under my Judgments. / O Jews, not thoſe very Perſons Malachi preach'd to, but thoſe who ſhould be then living, when the Meſſiah cometh, which was more than 400 Years after Ma- lachi's Preaching,by which time his Hearers were all dead. m Againſt the Wicked, to whom he would be what Fire is to the Drols in the Furnace ;, to the Righteous, what the Fire is to purer Parts of the Gold : He will conſume the Wicked, he will refine the Good, he will be terrible to both in doi ng this. 2» In thathe will he a Witneſs, they may be affured, that they ſhould not be quitted in Judgment for want of Evidence; and in that a ſwitc W itneſs, they may be ſure he will come 'n timely cnough againſt cher. And farther yer, he that comes near 3%. Judge, to call them t2 an Acccunt, was always near them, to ob- ſerve all they dwl, all they 1pake or thought, and he will be near, as Witnels agnanſi them, 5 Soreery was forbidden, and God teſtifies
loved them, and preſervecth them. In brief, God is the ſame in his Wiſdom to order the Rewards of Goed and Bad in fitteſt Seaſon, and therefore neither the one or other are conſumed, bur both pre- ſerved to theSeaſon appointed of God,the juſt Judge; and then each ſhall be dealt with according to what they are.
7 « Even from the days of your fathers c ye are gone away d trom mine ordinances e, and have not kept them f : * return unto me g, and I will return unto you. faith the LO RD of hoſts: but ye ſaid, Wherein thall.
we return 2 ®
c Weneed not fix a particular Time or Age wherein this Apoftacy began ; it is an old Apoſtacy that is here charged on them, and they were notoriouſly guilty of ic. &4 Are turned away by the Examples, and by the corrupt Dodrines of your Fathers, and talſe Teachers ; yea, you have voluntarily and of Choice gone away. e Which either dire&ed my Worſhip, or your Dealings ove with another, ſo that you have finned greatly by polluting my Temple with your own Additiuns or Diminutions, with Idolarry or corrupt manner of performing my Service; and you have finned againſt one another by Injuſtice, Un- faithfulneſs, and Cruelty, fince you have gone away from wy Laws, which dire@& the way of Righteouſneſs and Equiry. f It is 2 farther Affeveration, confirming the Truth of the Charge,and added to make them more ſenſible of their fin, Some tell us that this chargeth on them their fins againſt negative Preceprs, as the other charged them with fins againft poſitive Precepts; fo the whole Law was vow, and had long been broken bv their Fathers and themſelves. 2 Ir is rhe only Courſe you can take, repent e're 'tis too late, return whilſt there is hope. h I will yet pardon, accept you, efta»liſh, and »lets you ; | amend your Ways and Doings, and I will ſoon amend the State of your Affairs. 7 As to other, ſo now to this Advice, they return 2 proud, ſhameleſs and ſelf-juſtifying Queſtion, Wherein, or wha: i; the Evil from which we ſhould return to thee? What is our tic ?
8 © Will a man rob God 7 ? yer ye have robuzd me # : but ye lay, Wherein have we robbed thee x 2 * In tithes y and ofterings 2.