John Trapp on Micah 4:10

Verſe 10. Be in pain and labour to bring forth &c.] Be ſenſible of thine enſuing captivity, and take on: but yet with hope of a gracious deliverance in due time. See the Note on ver. 9. It is no leſſe a fault to deſpiſe the chaſtening of the Lord, then to faint when thou art rebuked Heb. 12.5. The hypocrite in heart heapeth up wrath ſaith Elihu, and why? he crieth not when God bindeth him Iob. 3[illegible: 1 letter].11. The wicked ſaith Hannah, are ſilent in darkneſſe, and ſhall therefore lie down in ſorrow. This is not patience but pertinacy,1 Sam. 2.9. Eſay. 50.10. the ſtrength of ſtones and fleſh of braſſe Iob 6.12. It is not vaſour but apathie, ſtupidity and indolency, much complained of in ſcripture, and threatened with a ſucceſſion of ſorrowes Lev. 26.18, 28. ſeven more, and ſeven more, and ſeven to that. Three times in that chapter God raiſeth his note of threatening, and he raiſeth it by ſevens, and thoſe are diſcords in muſick. Such ſayings will be heavy ſongs; and their execution heavy pangs: worſe then thoſe of a woman in travel.

for now ſhalt thou go forth out of the city] This Now fell not out of an hundred yeares after. Foule weather ſeldome rotteth in the ayre. Time weareth not out Gods threatenings. Nullum tempus occurrit Regi, nedum Deo, Time can be no prejudice to the Ancient of dayes: ſooner or later his word ſhall be accompliſhed. When the ſins of the Amorites are full, they ſhall be ſure of their payment. The bottle of wickedneſſe, when once filled with thoſe bitter waters, will ſink to the bottom.

and thou ſhalt dwell in the field] Sub dio, having no canopie over thee, but the azured skie: ſo little account is made of poore captives: If they may have the open ayre to breath in, though they lie without dores, 'its better then a ſtinking dungeon, or to be ſhut up cloſe under hatches among the excrements of nature, as Barbaruſſa Chriſtian priſoners taken in Greece were:Turk hiſt. 750. ſo that all the way as he went home with them to Conſtantinople, every houre almoſt ſome of them were caſt dead over-board.

and thou ſhalt go even to Babylon] there to dwell among plants and hedges, making flower-pots for a forreine prince. There they dwelt with the King for his work: 1 Chron. 4.23.

there ſhalt thou be delivered, there the Lord ſhall redeem thee] This There, is as Emphaticall as that Yet ſo oft repeated Zech. 1.17. See the Note there. It ſeemed improbable to many, and to ſome impoſſible, that ever they ſhould return out of Babylon. But God effected it to the great aſtoniſhment of his poore people, who were like them that dream Pſal. 126.1. and could ſcarce beleeve their own eyes. God loves to deliver thoſe that are forſaken of their hopes. Ad nos ergo transferamus promiſſionemiſtam, ſaith Gualther upon the text. Let us apply this promiſe to our ſelves: and as oft as we are pincht with poverty, or tormented with diſeaſes, or caſt out into baniſhment, or are in any great danger by water or land, or under terrours of conſcience, let us think we heare God thus ſpeaking to us, There ſhalt thou be delivered: there I will redeem thee &c.