Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: Thoughts suggested by the day. As Christ was presented pure in the temple, so it should be our prayer that by His blood and righteousness, and by the sanctifying power of His Spirit, we may be presented unto God by Him, at the last day, pure and spotless. We will consider — I. THE COMING OF THE LORD. I. John the Baptist prepared the way for that event — (1) By giving warning that it was near at hand. (2) By calling men to repent. 2. Christ is called ' the messenger of the covenant," because that covenant began to be spoken by Him (Hebrews 2:3). He who was also the prince of the covenant, condescended to be its messenger. 3. "Whom ye delight in." Christ is called "the desire of all nations." (Haggai 2:7); but especially was He the desire of the Jewish nation, because He was especially promised to them, and was to be one of themselves. II. WHO MAY ABIDE THE DAY OF HIS COMING? Not the hypocrite, not the formalist, not the self-righteous, not the lukewarm Laodicean, not the stony-ground hearer who is ashamed when tribulation or persecution because of the Word ariseth; but he who can endure the refiner's fire and the fuller's soap. III. CHRIST SHALL SIT AS A REFINER AND PURIFIER OF SILVER. 1. By this process He will purify His visible Church, by sifting and testing it. 2. He will purify His own people by purging them. 3. The refiner of silver always sits, in order that he may watch the silver carefully; for if it be a minute too long or too short a time in the fire, the whole is spoiled, or at least injured. The sign which tells him when the silver is fit for use is his being able to see in it his own image. All this is a picture of the manner in which Christ purifies His people by trial, and of the end which He aims at. (Ven. Archd. Whately, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: |
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