John Trapp on Amos 4:10

Verſe 10. I have ſent among you the peſtilence] that evill angell Pſal. 78.49. that [non-Latin text not transcribed] eminent hand of God, as Hippocrates calleth it: that deſtruction that walketh in darkneſſe, and waſteth at noon day, as the Pſalmiſt ſtileth it.In prognoſt. Pſal. 91.6. This God ſent: for it is a meſſenger of his ſending, an arrow of his ſhooting 2 Sam. 24.15. and may better be called morbus ſacer, then the falling ſickneſſe; as being an extraordinary hand of God, ſuch as was that Sudor Anglicus in the dayes of Edward the ſixth,Sennert. de febrib. l. 4. c. 15. the ſweating ſickneſſe that raged very violently for forty yeares together here in England (as Sennertus teſtifieth) and ſlew ſo many, that ſtrangers wondred how this Iſland could be ſo populous as to beare and bury ſuch incredible multitudes. No ſtranger in England was touched with this diſeaſe: and yet the Engliſh were chaſed therewith, not only here but in other countries abroad:Life of Ed. & by Sr. Io. Heyw. pag. 126. which made them like tyrants both feared and avoyded, where ever they came. So long as the ferventneſſe of this plague laſted, there was crying Peccavi Peccavi: and ſome pretences of turning to the Lord. The Miniſters were ſought for in every corner (ſaith Mr. Bradford) oh you muſt come to my Lord, you muſt come to my Lady &c. Thus, when he ſlew them, then they ſought him: Pſal. 78.34.36. and they returned and enquired earely after God: Nevertheleſſe they did flatter him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongues. As the fox, when taken in a ſnare, lookes pittifully; but 'tis only that he may get out: as Ice melts in the day and hardeneth againe in the night; or as Iron is very ſoft and malleable whiles in the fire, but ſoon after returneth to its former hardneſſe.

after the manner of Egypt] In the way to Egypt (ſo ſome reade it) as you were trudging down to Egypt for help againſt enemies, or for corn in time of famine (for Egypt was the worlds granary) I have ſtretcht my net over you: Egypt hath gathered you up, Memphis hath buried you, Hoſ. 9.6. But taking the words as we tranſlate them, After the manner of Egypt, i. e. ſo as I plagued the Egyptians, when you were amongſt them (See Exod. 12.29.)Exod. 9.15. with mortality of men and murraine of cattel. The plague of Athens is graphically deſcribed by Thucydides: Lib. 2. bell. Pelopon. Metam. l. 7. Georg. l. 3. whence Ovid and Virgil are thought to have borrowed their deſcriptions of the peſtilence. The plague of Italy is ſet forth in lively colours by Dionyſ: Halycarnaſſ: lib. 11. Antiq. That of Conſtantinople, by Nicephorus and Sigebertus.

your young men have I ſlaine with the ſword] Juvenes à juvando ſaith Varro: becauſe they are able and apt by armes to defend the commonwealth, and to help it at a dead lift. In Hebrew they have their name à delectu: becauſe they are choſen to fight and do buſineſſe, as fitteſt for the purpoſe Exod. 17.9. 2 Sam. 6.1. Theſe God had ſlaine with the ſword which cutteth its way thorough a wood of men, and heweth down the youngeſt and ſtrongeſt; ſpareth neither Lord nor loſcll, as they ſay: is diſpatched with confuſed noiſe, and garments rolled in blood Eſay. 9.5.

and I have made the ſtink of your campes] by meanes of the ſlaine, both men and horſes that lye unburied, and poyſon the ayre; See Ioel. 2.20. Eſay 34.3.

and yet have ye not returned] Nec ſic tamen: Vide contumaciam, ſaith Mercer here. Obſtinate men will ſooner break, then bend. Monoceros interimi poteſt, non capi.