John Trapp on Micah 6:8

Verſe 8. Hee hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good] i. e. What is right, juſt, and acceptable to himſelf. Hee ſhewed it by the light of Nature: for Ariſtotle (Natures ſecretary) ſaith, It is not likely that God is ſo well pleaſed with the coſtlineſſe of the ſacrifices, as with the godlineſſe of the ſacrificers. He hath ſhewed it much more by the light of Scripture: there he hath told thee,Ariſt. in Rheto[illegible: 1 letter] what is the unum neceſſarium, One thing neceſſary; in compariſon whereof all other things are but by-buſineſſes: what is the Totum hominis, the whole duty of man, ſc. to fear God, and keep his commandements, Eccleſ. 12.13. What is the Bonum hominis, as here, yea, the Summum Bonum, or chiefeſt good of man, attainable in this life; viz. Communion with God, and Conformity to God.

And what doth the Lord require of thee] But thee? Quia in omni creatura terrena nihil melius fecit te, ipſe quaerit te à tu, quia in perdideras te, in te, Aug. ſerm. 136. de temp. as Auguſtine elegantly paraphraſeth this Text. In as much, as God hath among all earthly creatures, made nothing better then thee, therefore he requireth thee, of thee, &c.

But to do juſtly, and to love mercy] This is the ſumme of the ſecond Table: as that which followeth, is of the firſt, to walk humbly with thy God. Here then is a brief of the whole Bible, a little Bible, as the eleventh to the Hebrews, is by One not unfitly called, A little Book of Martyrs. Do this and live: Do this here enjoyned, and thou ſhalt never fall: yea, thou ſhalt go gallantly into heaven, as Saint Peter hath it, 2 Epiſt. 1.10, 11. Certa ſemper ſunt in paucis, ſaith Tertullian. Things ſimply neceſſaryk, whether to be beleeved or practiſed, are few in number, but many in vertue; in ſight ſmall, but great in weight: like gold, which being ſolid, is contracted into a narrow room: but may be drawn into ſo large an extent, that one angel may cover an acre of ground, as the Naturaliſts have obſerved. To do juſtly, is the duty; not onely of Magiſtrates, whom God hath entruſted with the adminiſtration of his earthly kingdom, by the due execution of vindicative and remunerative juſtice, but alſo of all other perſons, in their ſerver all places and ſtations, whoſe rule muſt be that golden ſaying of our Saviour, Whatſoever ye would that men ſhould do unto you, do ye even ſo to them: for this is the law and the prophets, Mat. 7.12. See the Note there.

And to love mercy] This is more then to ſhew mercy: for that a man may do, and yet, for want of love, loſe all, 1 Cor. 13. He muſt not onely draw out his ſheaf, but his ſoul to the hungry, Eſay 58.10. nor diſtribute ſpirituall alms, but do it out of deep affection, as Titus, 2 Cor. 7. he muſt be ready to diſtribute, willing to communicate, 1 Tim. 6.18. his mercy muſt flow from him, as water doth from the fountain, or light from the Sun: it muſt not be wrung from him, as verjuyce from a crab, or as diſtilled water is forced out by the heat of the fire. Let the love of Chriſt conſtrain us to look out ſome of his receivers, (as David did Jonathans ſtock) to whom we may ſhew mercy for his ſake. What though we be weak, yet if willing to ſhew mercy,2 Cor. 8. God accepteth according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. The widows mite is beyond the rich mans magnificence: becauſe it came out of a richer minde: The Apoſtle bids, Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindneſſe, Col. 3.12. ſuch as the Gaoler had toward Paul and Silas: ſuch as the Samaritan had toward the wounded man by the way-ſide: ſuch as thoſe primitive Chriſtians had, who came to the Church, with ſtrong affections, with large contributions, Acts 4.34. The like is foretold of Tyrus when converted, Eſay 23.18. and of Ethiopia, Pſal. 68.31. that ſhee ſhall haſtily ſtretch her hands unto God, Heb. ſhe ſhall make them run, noting her readineſſe, and ſpeedineſſe, in giving her goods unto the ſaints. The tender mercies of the Almighty, ſhed forth abundantly upon His, leave a compaſſionate frame upon their hearts, and do dye their thoughts, as the die-fat doth the cloth.

And to walk humbly with thy God] Or, Baſhfully, with an holy ſhamefacedneſſe, and ſollicitoſneſſe of doing any thing that may offend the eyes of Gods glory. Yea, what care, faith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 7.11. ſc. of walking worthy of the Lord, unto all-pleaſing, Coloſ. 1.10. as proving your hearts and lives to him in every part and point of obedience. This the Lord in a myſtery taught his people, Deut. 23.13, 14. when commanding them to cover their excrements with a paddle, hee giveth this reaſon thereof. For the Lord thy God walketh in the middeſt of thy camp, &c, therefore ſhall thy camp be holy, that he ſeen no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. They that ſtand in the preſence of Princes muſt be every way exact: and give them all due reſpect. Now a good man, like a good Angel, is ever in Gods preſence: and muſt therefore walk worthy of the vocation wherewith he is called, with all lowlineſſe and meekneſſe, Epheſ. 4.1, 2. with all modeſty, and demiſſion of mind, and of demeanour, (as the word here ſignifieth) and eſpecially, when he draweth night to God in holy duties.1 Chro. 29.14. Then it muſt be his care to exerciſe a three-fold humility. Firſt, precedent, before he ſets upon Gods ſervice, he muſt in heart devote, and dedicate all that he is, and hath, as a due debt to the Almighty, ſaying with David, Juſtinian. It is of thine own, Lord, that I give thee: [non-Latin text not transcribed], as that good Emperour ſaid. The ſecond is concomitant: when in the performance of good duties, he hath grace, (this lovely grace of humility eſpecially) whereby hee may ſerve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; which is nothing elſe but an awfull reſpect to the divine Majeſty,Heb. 12.28. with whom wee have to do, Heb. 4.13. The third is ſubſequent; when after hee hath done his beſt, he is dejected in the ſenſe of his many failings in the manner; and looking on his plumes, he looketh alſo on his black feet, and is abaſhed, and abaſed before the Lord. Lo, this is to humble himſelf to walk with his God. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Iſrael of God.