Ver. 8.-The law of acceptable sar:rifice. It must be such as would be acceptable if offered to any earthly official. This, indeed, is but t11kiug low ground, but that the 12 THE BOOK OF .MALAOBI. [on. r. 1-14.
prophet should take this position, and use this argument., is in itself a revelation of the sad condition into which the priesthood of the day had fallen. He could not take high grounds, and make his appeal directly t.o the holiness of the claims of the infinitely Holy One. "It argnes a great contempt of Almighty God when men are less onreful in maintainiag the decencies of his worship than they are in giving proper respects to their snperiors." It should be borne in mind that the Levitical system very rigorously demanded that only sound and clean animals should be presented in sacrifice. It is always necessary to check the meanness of men, which tempts them to put God oil'. with that which they themselves do not greatly value (see Lev. xxiL 22, eto.). The sin of offering the imperfect to God can be tested in two very simple ways. L OFFER AN IMPERFECT GIFT TO YOUR FRmNo. For a birthday-time find something you have done with; something you do not care for; something out of taste in your own house, which you are glad to get rid of; something damaged, or soiled, or broken. You send it, saying in your heart, "It is good enough for him." That gift dishonours the friend, and morally degrades you as the giver. If that friend has any spirit, he despises such gilts, and sends the coldest of acknowledgments of their receipt. Is God in Christ our Friend? What shall be the love-gifts which alone can be acceptable to him? II. OFFER AN IMPERFECT GIFT TO YOUR GOVERNOR. If a man wants to show bis respect, or to indicate bis gratitude for some favour received, be is always most par- ticular in the ~election of his present. He takes care that there.is no flaw in it; he select!' the best possible; he is most anxious about its being conveyed without injury. If the governor has any spirit, he will not look at or receive anything but the very best. Is God our supreme Governor? '!'hen how can we fail to offer the very best possible to him? IIL OFFER AN IMPEBFEOT GIFT TO YOUR GoD. Has he not more claim than either friend or governor to the perfect offering? How should we respond to (1) his authority; (2) his hc,liness; (3) his redemption? Though out of our sight, he searchingly tests all our gifts, offerings, and sacrifices. Open out how we may be offering the imperfect in (1) our acts of worship; (2) our acts of benevolence; (3) our acts of ministry and service.-R. T. Ver. 9.-Begarding the persoo. "Will he regard your persons?" The idea of the verse is somewhat difficult to trace; but it appears to he this : "You are expecting that God will accept yon just because you are priests, on account of your official standing alone. You think that it does not matter to him what you are morally, so long as you go through the routine of his service according to the standards." It is intimated plainly enough that their intercessions on behalf of the people must he in vain so long as they are acting unworthily. L THE BENSE IN wmca GoD DOES REGARD THE PERSON. 1. He deals with each individual, never loses the one in the many; each person stands out distinctly before him ai; if there were no other. This truth needs to be dwelt on, because men readily hide themselves from their own view, and think to hide themselves from God's view, in the class to which they belong. The sins of the priests may not deeply humble any particular priest. 2. He deals with a man's moral condition. That belongs exclusively to the man. It is his personality. It is the matter of supreme concern to God. II. THE SENSE IN WHICH GoD DOES NOT REGARD THE PERSON. He is no "Respecter of persons." This enlarges the idea, and we may see: 1. That God takes no account of bodily peculiarities. "Man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart." 2. God takes no account of social rank. He pays no deference to the high-born and rich; be shows no indifference to the low-born and poor. His supreme interest is in men, not in the accidents of men. This is not meant to imply any failure in our estimating the value of social status and influence; it only emphasizes that these are not the matters of Divine consideration. 'l'bey do not belong to the <•ss"'uce of mnnbood. 3. God takes no account of official position. No man ijtands in tLt ~pecial favour of God becau8e be is a king, and no man bas any special ground for pleading with Gorl in the fact that he is a priest or clergyman. A man's power of intt:rce8eion with God is dependent on his personal relations with God, but it is assumed 1 bat evt:ry priest and every minister ie what he ought to b&-in a.ccepted personal OH, t, 1--14.] THE BOOK OF MALACHI.