John Trapp on Amos 3:6

Verſe 6. Shall a trumpet be blowen,] ſc. out of a watch-tower in time of war, to ſound an alarme, and to ſay, Hannibal ad portas, the enemy is at hand, the Philiſtines are upon you.

and the people not be afraid,] or run together to make reſiſtance?Jer. 5.22. Pſal 114.7. Will ye not then tremble at my threats, ſaith the Lord? Tremble thou earth at the preſence of the Lord, at the preſence of the God of Jacob. Fear is an affection of the ſoul, ſhrinking in it ſelf from ſome imminent evil. God is the proper object of it, whence hee is called Fear in the abſtract, Pſal. 76.11. and thoſe that come on his errand ſhould bee received with reverence, yea with fear [illegible: 1 letter]and trembling, as was Titus, 2 Cor. 7.15. and before him Samuel, by thoſe Elders of Bethlehem, 1 Sam. 16.4. as ſuſpecting it was the purpoſe of ſome judgement that brought him thither. Commeſt thou peaceably? ſaid they. It is a good thing to ſtand in awe of Gods Meſſengers, and to tremble at his judgements, whileſt they yet hang in the threatnings. It appeareth by this Prophet, that carnall ſecurity was grown epid emicall, and had over-ſpread the land, chap. 6.2, 3. Some there were that ſaid, God had not ſent the Prophets to denounce thoſe evils, but that they had done it of their own heads, as we ſay. Others doubted of the certainty of thoſe evils denounced, chap. 6.3. againſt whom He here diſputeth by theſe fore-going ſimilitudes; and in the next words plainly aſſerteth the Divine providence, and the authority of the Prophets, Gods privy-Counſellours.

Shall there be evil in a city,] Underſtand it of the evil of puniſhment. See Lam. 3.37. Eſay 45.7 Mic. 1.12. Eccleſ. 7.14. 1 King. 9.9. and 21.29. See my Treatiſe called, Gods love-tokens, pag. 3, 4. &c.

and the Lord hath not done it?] Although God doth it not but onely as it is bonum Juſtitiae, good in order to his glory. That which we are here advertiſed is, that it is not Luck and Fortune that doth toſſe and tumble things here below: but that God ſits at the ſtern, and ſteers the affairs of the world. The Gentiles indeed, held Fortune as a goddeſſe: repreſenting her by a Woman ſitting upon a Ball, as if the whole world were at her command; having with her a razor, as if ſhe could at her pleaſure cut off and end mans happineſſe; bearing in her right hand the ſtern of a ſhip, as if ſhe could turn about all things at her pleaſure, and in her left hand the horn of abundance, as though all plenty came from her. This was abominable idolatry, to be ſhunned by Chriſtians: yea the very name of Luck or Fortune, is to be ſpet out of their mouthes with utmoſt deteſtation. It repented Auſtin that ever he had uſed that wicked word, Fortuna. Aug. Retract.