Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-07-25
&eading fur the Sabbath.
. CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lOriginal ]

1884,. CONDUCTED BY l
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
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MALACHI, iii: 2, 8.
"He Is like refners fire, and like fuller's
soap; and he shall sit as a refner and purifier Of
silver"
He who undertakes to interpret the Scrip
tures,- must exercise common sense IF he
would bring out the meaning of any particu.
lar passage of the sacred record, be must take
into consideration the person speaking, the
time during which he lived, and the circum-
stances by which he was surrounded. He
must also be careful to note the primary, as
we'll as the secondary design contemplated to
be effected by the particular passage under
consideration. No passage Of Scripture should
be detached from its connection. The Bible is
one whole, and all the parts must fit together
completely otherwise we may be sure our in
depreciation is at fault. In the Bible, some
times God speaks. What he says is always
true. Sometimes men and Satan speak.
What these persons speak is sometimes true,
and sometimes false.
Malachi was the last Of the prophets. Of
his personal history we know nothing. Ira
dition has preserved much concerning him.
but nothing that is worthy of credence A
number of circumstances enable us to fix, with
a good degree Of certainty, the period Of his
official career. His prophecies we're deliver
ed about four hundred years before the COM
ing of Christ. They are called "tbe burden
of the word of the Lord" Generally, this
expression denotes that what the prophet has
10 announce, is of denunciatory or threaten
ing character. The true speaker is the Lord
the instrument used as secondary agent, is
the man, Malachi The individuals to whom
"the burden Of the Lord" was primarily de-
lvered, were the Israelites-all the Jews in.
dividually and collectively. 1t still remains
a warning, to all Adams race who are simi.
larly circumstanced, and act as the Jews were
acting at the time the prophecies we're an
nounced. ....... .... ;....ra. .a-S
In order that we may understand what is
meant by the expressions, "re6ner's fire" and
"fuller's SOAP" it is necessary that we have
correct knowledge of the moral condition Of
the Jews during the time of Malachi. This
we may learn from the prophecies themselves.
From them the beliefs and practices of the
Jews at that time can be accurately and mi
nutely learned. Whoever will carefully read
these prophecies, will discover that Malachi
lived in wicked and profigate age. The
mass of the Jews had become deplorably cor
rupt and sinful in the sight of God, and des.
pisers of the rights Of each other. Their no.
tions of God were low and groveling, and
they held the appointed mode of worshiping
the Supreme Being in the most sacreligious
contempt. A british unfaithfulness was prac-
ticed by husbands and wives The mar
riage relation was ignored. Adultery, forni.
cation and divorce we're things Of every day
practice. The whole Jewish nation-priest
and people-neither feared God nor regarded
man. Such, briefly, was the moral condition
of the people to whom the prophecies of NAL
ach were originally addressed. ..
For these shameless iniquities, the Lord, by
the mouth of his servant. Malachi, threatened
to infct a dreadful curse upon the Jews.
The time when this remarkable purifying and
cleansing would take place, is specified. The
time was not designated by specifying a par.
ticular day in the worlds history; but still
pointed out with equal de6niteness. A great
personage-the Lord-the messenger of the
covenant, is to come into bis temple His
arrival is to be preceded by another wonder
full parsonage. The latter is John; the for.
mer is the Lord Jesus Christ. Both these
persons have long since actually arrived.
John, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth,
came into the country about Jordan, pro-
claiming, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight" Suddenly, Jesus
came into his temple and began his refining
and purifying work.
The language of the prophet is manifestly
6gurative, but exceedingly expressive. Met
ais, especially gold and silver, are purified
from dross by casting them into the midst Of
burning, fiery furnace. The dross is con.
sumed and the precious metal remains.
Cloths are cleansed by soaking them in wa.
ter in which soap has been dissolved. The
cloths are taken out of the water and rubbed
Thus they are freed from dirt and stains and
made white. The process was once called
fullng. All that seems TO be meant BY the
phrases, "refner's fire" and "fuller's soap" is
that when Jesus Christ should come into the
world, he would act the part of a moral pu'
rifer of the nations Of, the earth. .,,..
No doubt there is reference to the troub-
lous times which were to succeed the coming
of Jesus Christ. This is indicated by the
fire and water through which the Jews were
to pass. We know from the testimony of
history, that the poor, miserably deluded
Jews were sorely dealt with. Jerusalem, the
capital of their country, was taken and des-
troyed, and ever since, at short intervals, it
has been the scene of fierce conflict and heart
rending carnage The saddest thing of all
is, that the Jews-God's ancient people-bave
been scattered to the four quarters Of the globe
and deprived of nationality. When Jerusa-
lem was taken by the Romans, those of the
citizens who escaped death during the siege,
were either slaughtered or sold into slavery.
The Christians only escaped unhurt. Jesus
Christ, whom the prophet calls "the Lord,
the messenger of the covenant" came into
our world to save sinners. Hence his name
Jesus-a Saviour. He is q twofold Saviour.
He redeems US from the guilt of sin. That