of the Lord shall be as
the phials before the altar.

That which is upon the bridle, etc... The golden ornaments of the
bridles, etc., shall be turned into offerings in the house of God. And
there shall be an abundance of caldrons and phials for the sacrifices of
the temple; by which is meant, under a figure, the great resort there
shall be to the temple, that is, to the church of Christ, and her
sacrifice.

14:21. And every caldron in Jerusalem and Juda shall be sanctified to
the Lord of hosts: and all that sacrifice shall come, and take of them,
and shall seethe in them: and the merchant shall be no more in the house
of the Lord of hosts in that day.

The merchant shall be no more, etc... Or, as some render it, The
Chanaanite shall be no more, etc., that is, the profane and unbelievers
shall have no title to be in the house of the Lord. Or there shall be no
occasion for buyers or sellers of oxen, or sheep, or doves, in the house
of God, such as Jesus Christ cast out of the temple.

THE PROPHECY OF MALACHIAS

MALACHIAS, whose name signifies The Angel of the Lord, was contemporary
with NEHEMIAS, and by some is believed to have been the same person as
ESDRAS. He was the last of the prophets, in the order of time, and
flourished about four hundred years before Christ. He foretells the
coming of Christ; the reprobation of the Jews and their sacrifices; and
the calling of the Gentiles, who shall offer up to God in every place an
acceptable sacrifice.

Malachias Chapter 1

God reproaches the Jews with their ingratitude: and the priests for not
offering pure sacrifices. He will accept of the sacrifice that shall be
offered in every place among the Gentiles.

1:1. The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by the hand of
Malachias.

1:2. I have loved you, saith the Lord: and you have said: Wherein hast
thou loved us? Was not Esau brother to Jacob, saith the Lord, and I have
loved Jacob,

I have loved Jacob, etc... I have preferred his posterity, to make them
my chosen people, and to lead them with my blessings, without any merit
on their part, and though they have been always ungrateful; whilst I
have rejected Esau, and executed severe judgments upon his posterity.
Not that God punished Esau, or his posterity, beyond their desert: but
that by his free election and grace he loved Jacob, and favoured his
posterity above their deserts. See the annotations upon Rom. 9.

1:3. But have hated Esau? and I