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God's service, nor do the least office for his house, or for their poor neighbours, unless they can get by it. Such services cannot be acceptable to God. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept the offerings at your hands. Though God hath given orders that his servants should be well paid, even in this world; yet those are not acceptable servants to him, who are mercenary, and would never do the work but for the wages.

4. Let us long for the universal spread of the gospel. We should often direct the eye of faith to those delightful promises, which, through all the darkness of the prophecies sparkle like stars in the midnight sky. Let us treasure them up in our memory, in order to strengthen our faith and hope, and animate our devotion. Let us accustom ourselves to turn these promises into prayers, and say, as in v. 11. from the rising of the sun even unio the going down of the same, let thy name be great among the Gentiles; and in every place let incense be offered unto thy name and a pure offering: O Lord of hosts, let thy name be great through all the earth.

5. We should all be concerned to serve God with the best that we have. He is a great king, and deserves the best we can offer him. He is the proprietor and giver of all, and therefore has a right to the best. Let him therefore have our best days, our best affections, our best powers and capacities; the best of our time, and talents, and strength; nor should we grudge any pains or expense to serve and honour him. Let us not think to put God off with the torn, the lame, and the sick, that is, with the refuse of our time, our strength, and our substance, that which we know not how to employ any other way. God will meet such persons with this awful question; Should I accept this at your hands? and will follow it with this awful sentence, Cursed be the deceiver, saith the great king, the Lord of hosts, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing.

CHAP. II. 1—16.

The prophet continues to reprove the friests for their unfaithfulness in their office; and the people for marrying strange and idolatrows

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women.

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ND now, O ye priests, this commandment [is] for you, to whom it chiefly belongs to reform abuses in the worship 2 of God. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your bless

ings; that is, the portion of the priests: yea, I have cursed them already, by sending you unfruitful seasons, because ye 3 do not lay [it] to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, or, as it should be rendered, I will take away from you the shoulder,' which was the part that belonged to the priest, and spread dung upon your faces, [even] the dung of your solemn feasts; than which nothing could be a greater token of contempt; yea, I will cover you with it, so that nothing else shall be seen, and all must look upon you as totally polluted; and [one,] that 4 is, the scavenger, shall take you away with it. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts; or, because my covenant was with him, and I have showed him and 5 his posterity particular favour, My covenant was with him of life and peace; the peculiar covenant of the priesthood, which was an honourable, important, and profitable office; and I gave them to him [for] the fear wherewith he feared me, 6 and was afraid before my name; for his great piety. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips; this was the case with the tribe while they continued pious he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn 7 many away from iniquity. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, he should be able and ready to instruct others, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger of the LORD of hosts; or, the angel of the church. 8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law: ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, by a misrepresentation of it, saith the LORD of hosts. 9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, that ye should neither be reverenced nor regarded, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law; either in giving judgment or taking bribes ; having one decision for the poor and another for the rich.

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Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? we ought therefore to behave in a friendly and loving manner to all why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? in consequence of this covenant of peculiarity we should have had no 11 connexion with idolaters. Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, his holy institutions, and hath married the daughter of a strange god; that is, a worshipper of a different god from Jehovah. 12 The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob; or, him that waketh, and him that answereth ; in allusion to teachers calling their pupils early in the morning, and the scholar answering at

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the first call, and him that offereth an offering unto the LOR of hosts.

And this have ye done again, ye have committed another fault upon occasion of the former of marrying strange wives, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth [it] with good will at your hand; he 14 doth not receive it as an acceptable sacrifice. Yet ye say, Wherefore should we not be accepted? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet [is] she 15 thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? that is, one wife for Adam? Yet had he the residue of the spirit; and could have made an hundred, or a thousand. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed; a strong argument against polygamy; which, though tolerated, was never approved. God knew that if it had been encouraged, the consequences would have been enmity among the different wives and their respective children; and less care in their education, Therefore take heed to your spirit, keep a guard upon your affections, and let none deal treacherously 16 against the wife of his youth, For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away for [one,] or, as one that covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts; God hateth divorcements, as he doth him that endeavoureth to conceal under his garment what he hath taken by violence: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

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REFLECTIONS.

ET us give glory to God that his curse is not come into our blessings, v, 2. that there is not a worm at the root of all our comforts, to eat up and destroy them. If we will not hear God's law, and lay it to heart; seriously and attentively consider it, try our hearts by it, and give glory to his name, by repentance and reformation; he can send a curse into our blessings; make our plenty and prosperity to be our plague and ruin. We have reason to fear this is often the case; the rich and great and prosperous are often miserable, amidst all their stores; and we here see the cause of it; they will not lay God's word to heart, nor give glory to his name; therefore he curses their blessings: agree. able to what Solomon says, The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

2. If we desire to enjoy the blessing and success of Levi, we should imitate his character, v. 6. God made with the tribe of Levi a covenant of life and peace, He confirmed the priesthood

to them; which was intended for the support of religion, and to bring life and peace to the souls of men. Under the New Testament, God enters into a similar covenant with all good men : he makes them kings and priests unto God, and promises life from the dead, and peace and comfort to their souls. If we desire to *share in these blessings, we must preserve the character of God's ancient servants. They feared God, and were afraid before his name; afraid to do any thing to displease or dishonour him. This was the great principle of religion in their hearts, and it expressed itself in their lips and lives. They spake truth, and no deceit was in their lips. They walked in peace and love among themselves and their neighbours; in equity and justice toward all men. They were zealous for God and his service; studied the law of God themselves; taught it to others; and turned many from iniquity. If this be our character, God will establish with us a covenant of life and peace. He will bless our blessings; sanctify our afflictions; make us honourable and happy in this world; and we shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of our Father for ever.

3. Let us often reflect on our common relation to God and to each other, v. 10. Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us? Are we not all children of the same father; brethren of the same family; and bound by the same laws, the same ties of obligation, gratitude, and love? Why then should we injure and persecute one another? Why should we deal treacherously every man against his brother? Why should there be any wrath, or malice, or hatred, or enmity among us? If we call God our creator, let us remember that we are all equally obliged to him, and dependent upon him. If we call God our father, let us live as brethren; be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love. Let us do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with him : otherwise, God will disown the relation; he that made us, will have no mercy on us; he that formed us, will show us no favour.

4. We should often think of God as a witness to the manner in which we discharge our relative duties. It is of great impor tance to remember that his eye is continually upon us; and to consider him as a witness how we perform the duties we owe to our wives, our children, our servants, and all under our care. This will be a constant check to passion, pride, cruelty, and unfaithfulness and a constant motive to duty, love, and kindness. The day is coming when this witness will give in evidence for us, or against us; and it will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.' Brethren, if our consciences condemn us not, of wilfully neglecting the duties we owe to those about us, then we may have confidence with God, and humbly hope that he will have mercy on us. But if our consciences do indeed condemn us, remember, God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things. Therefore, take heed to your spirits, that you deal not treacherously.

CHAP. II. 17. CHAP. III. 1-15.

The prophet reproves the Jews for their immoralities and impieties, for their withholding legal tithes and offerings, and their hard and profane speeches against Providence; and declares that God will make a fearful distinction between the righteous and the wicked.

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E have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, wearied [him?] When ye say, or rather, in that ye say, Every one that doeth evil [is] good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where [is] the God of judgment? either there is no God at all, or he is very slow in executing judgment and punishing the wicked.

CHAP. III. Behold, I will send my messenger, John the Baptist, (Matt. xi. 10.) and he shall prepare the way before me and the Lord, the Messiah, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, just after the appearance of his forerunner, even the messenger of the covenant; he, who shall establish a new covenant between me and mankind, whom ye delight in, and earnestly wish to appear: behold, he shall come, saith 2 the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? men shall then undergo a strict scrutiny; and he shall clearly show, that I delight in him that doeth good, and will execute vengeance on the wicked: for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap; he shall consume the wicked by his judgments, and purify those 3 who are sincere, by his doctrine. And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver; he shall be diligently employed in his office and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD. an offering in righteousness; he shall produce a great reformation among the priests and people, and not only cleanse them. 4 from external spots, but refine and purify their souls. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, that is, of the christian church, especially in the latter day, be pleasant unto the 5 LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness; whose heart is so full of the cause, and so desirous to convict a malefactor, that he makes haste, pressing into court that he may give in his evidence against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right,] and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts; crimes which 6 shall prevail among the Jews in Christ's time. For, or, never