John Trapp on Haggai 2:17

Verſ. 17. I ſmote you with blaſting, and with mildew, and with hail] Pugnis pluvi, colaphis grandinavi, I have followed you cloſe with one judgement upon another:Perdidiſtis fruc[illegible: 1 letter]um calamitatis, &c. Aug. and all to bring you back into mine own boſome: that as ye had runne from me by your ſinnes, ſo ye might return to me by repentance: but behold, I have loſt my labour, and ye have loſt the fruit of your ſufferings, which indeed is a very great loſſe, were ye but ſoundly ſenſible of it. Theſe Jewes were ſenſible of their calamities and diſaſters abroad and at home, but they did not wiſely inquire into the cauſe thereof; as David did into the cauſe of the famine that fell out in his dayes, 2 Sam. 21.1. God had not hitherto give them an heart to perceive, and eyes to ſee, and ears to hear, as it is Deut. 29.4. And as Eſay 9.13. The people turneth not unto him that ſmiteth them, neither do they ſeek the Lord of hoſts. But after their hardneſſe and impenitent heart, treaſured up wrath, &c. Rom. 2.5. They could not but ſee them[illegible: 1 letter]elves grievouſly croſſed, and curſed in all the labours of their hands. Lib. 3. de nat. deor. Neither were they ſo blind as not to ſee God in that they ſuffered. They had learned that out of Pſal. 78.47, 48. Pſal. 29.3, &c. Tully indeed thought that God minds not mildew, or hail, &c. Nee ſi uredo aut grando quippiam nocuit, id Iovi animadvert endum fuit: neque enim in regnis reges omnia minima curant, &c. As kings take not notice of ſmaller buſineſſes in their kingdoms, ſaith He, ſo neither doth God of theſe ordinary occurrences. But the Jewes (for the generality) had learned better things. And the Apoſtle tells thoſe Heathens too, Acts 14. that God had not left himſelf without witneſſe amongst them, in that he did good and gave rain from b[illegible: 1 letter]aven, and fruitfull ſeaſons, &c. [illegible: 1 letter]Cicero himſelf likewiſe, another time, could ſay, Curioſus eſt & plenus negotii Deus, God taketh care of all, and is full of buſineſſe. And oh that this truth were as fruitfully improved, as it is generally acknowledged! Oh that men would turn at Gods reproof; his recall reproofs, his vocall rods, Mic. 6.9. and not put him to his old complaint; Why ſhould ye be ſmitten any more? Eſay 1.5. ye revolt more and more. This we may wiſh, but God alone can effect. For till he pleaſe to thruſt his holy hand into mens boſomes, and pull off the fore-skin of their hearts; Afflictions (thoſe hammers of his) do but beat cold iron.Salvian. See Ier. 2.30, 31. and 6.29, 30. Lev. 26.41. Plectimur à Deo, nec flectimur tamen: corripimur ſed non corrigimur. We are put to pain, but to no proſit, Jer. 12.13. as Abaz, that ſtiffe ſtigmatick, 2 Chron. 28.23. and Ahaziah, who ſent a third Captain to ſurprize the Prophet,2 King. 1. after two before conſumed with fire from heaven: as if he would deſpitefully ſpit in the face of God, and wreſtle a fall with the Almighty.