Malachi 1:12-14

It should seem, from the solemn expressions with which the Chapter concludes, and connected with what was said in a preceding part, at the sixth verse, concerning the priests that despised the Lord's name; that the threatenings were particularly and personally directed to them. And how truly awful they are! They are charged with despising the Lord's name; polluting the Altar; profaning the table of the Lord; offering the torn, and the lame for sacrifice, and begrudging their labor, yea, counting it a weary service. And are we the priests of the Lord, who minister in holy things, now free from these solemn charges? It is an awful enquiry! If our services, which we declare with our lips, to be perfect freedom, become irksome and unpleasant to the heart; if we count our attendance a weariness, and wish to avoid it; if we offer ourselves the torn and the lame; I mean our offerings, which are all torn indeed, and lame, instead of the one pure and perfect offering of Christ, as the sole cause of acceptance, or teach our people so; - what shall I say? If we enter upon our ministry for filthy lucre, and when entered, consider the service as a drudgery, and follow it no further than as it brings worldly gain; in either case, or in all these instances, wherein doth the Christian priest, of every rank and character, escape the awful sentence pronounced in these solemn charges on the Jewish? Blessed Lord, manifest the greatness of thy grace, as thou hast here proclaimed thy great name, and put thy fear in our hearts; for indeed thy name is dreadful, even among the heathen, however lightly, regarded by thy people.