John Trapp on Haggai 1:10-11

Verſe 10, 11. Therefore the heaven over you is ſtayed from rain, &c.] It's never well with man (whoſe life is ever in fuga, as the Philoſopher hath it, and muſt be maintained by meat, as the fire is by fuell) till God hear the heaven, and the heaven hear the earth, and the earth hear the corn, the wine, and the oyl, and theſe hear Jezreel, Hoſ. 2.21, 22. where we may ſee the genealogie of theſe good creatures reſolved into God. The earth (though a kind mother) cannot open her bowels, and yeeld ſeed to the ſower, and bread to the eater, if not watered from above. The heaven (though the ſtore-houſe of Gods good treaſure, which he openeth to our profit and nouriſhment, Deut. 28.12.) cannot drop down fatneſſe upon the earth, if God cloſe it up, and with-hold the ſeaſonable ſhowres. This the very Heathens acknowledged in their fictions of Jupiter and Juno: Strabo. and the Metapontines, having had a good harveſt, conſecrated [non-Latin text not transcribed], an harveſt cut in gold, to their God, in the Temple at Delphos. Now, when a rabble of Rebels ſhall conſpire againſt God, and fight againſt him with his own weapons, as Jehu did againſt Jeboram with his own men, what can He do leſſe then cut them ſhort? then make them know the worth of his benefits by the want of them? then call for a drought, (verſe 11.) and ſo for a dearth, (which inevitably followed in thoſe hot countreys) and conſequently for peſtilence and ſword, the uſuall concomitants?Pro cherebh legunt cherib. the Septuagint for drought here (by a miſtake of points) tranſlate a ſword. And in the Originall there is an elegancy paſt Engliſhing. Becauſe my houſe is chareb, that is, waſt, therefore I have called for a choreb, a drought, or for a chereb, a ſword, which ſhall in like ſort lay your land waſt, and make your houſes deſolate: according to that is threatened, Deut. 28. and Matth. 23.38. And in the very next chap. verſe 7. Chriſt telleth his Apoſtles that thoſe refractary Jewes, and others, that rejected Him the true Temple, in whom the Godhead dwelt bodily, that is Eſſentially (and not in clouds and ceremonies,Col. 2.9. as once between the Cherubims, which they uſed to call Shechinah) becauſe they loathed the heavenly Manna, therefore they ſhould be pined with famine. They that would have none of the Goſpel of peace, ſhould taſt deeply of the miſeries of warre. They that deſpiſed the onely medicine of their ſouls, ſhould be viſited with peſtilence. The black horſe is ever at the heels of the red; and the pale, of the black, Rev. 6.4. As there hath been a conjuncture of offences, ſo there will be of miſeries: A conflux of them abideth the neglecters of Gods Houſe, the contemners of his Goſpel. Ʋrſine tells us, that thoſe that fled out of England for Religion in Queen Maries dayes acknowledged that that great inundation of miſery came juſtly upon them, for their unprofitableneſſe under the means of grace, which they had enjoyed in King Edwards dayes. Zanchy likewiſe tells us, that when he firſt came to be Paſtour at Clavenna, there fell out a grievous peſtilence in that Town, ſo that in ſeven moneths ſpace, there died 1200. perſons. Their former Paſtour Mainardus, that man of God, as he calleth him, had often foretold ſuch a calamity,Zanch. Miſcel. ep. ad Lantgrav. for their profaneneſſe and Popery: But he could never be beleeved, till the plague had proved him a true Prophet; and then they remembred his words, and wiſht they had been warned by him. Let us alſo fear, Am. 5.12. Peccata oſſea i. e. fortia. leſt for our many and bony ſinnes (as the Prophets expreſſion is) but eſpecially, for our hatefull and horrible contempt of his ſervants and ſervices (never the like known) we pull upon our land Amos his famine, not of bread, but (which is a thouſand-fold worſe) of hearing the words of the Lord. A famine long ſince foretold and feared by our Martyrs and Confeſſours;Am. 8.11. and now, if ever (if God forefend not) in procinctu to fall upon us, as the moſt unworthy and unthankfull people that ever the Sun of heaven beheld, or the ſun of Chriſts Goſpel ſhone upon ſo fair, and ſo long together. The beſt way of prevention is previſion, and reformation: beginning at our own, as Gidcon did at his fathers houſhold, Judg. 6.27. And the beſt Almanack we can rely upon for ſeaſonable weather, and the lengthening of our tranquillity is our obedience to God, love to our neighbours, care of our ſelves, &c.