John Trapp on Micah 6:9

Verſe 9. The Lords voice crieth unto the city] Or, ſhall cry, viz. by his Prophets. [non-Latin text not transcribed],Herodet. ſaid the Heathen. God loves to fore-ſignifie, to warn before he woundeth, to foretell a judgement, before he inflicteth it. He had ſhewed his people what was good, and what he required of them: but to little purpoſe, through their unteachableneſſe, and ſtubbornneſſe. He thereatneth therefore here to take another courſe with them.

And the man of wiſdome ſhall ſee thy name] Gualther rendreth it, And the man of Eſſence, &c. that is, qui revera vir eſt, non caudex aut truncus, hee that is a man indeed, or not a ſtock, or trunck (ſuch an one as was that ſapleſſe fellow Nabal, in whom all true reaſon was decayed and faded) will eaſily ſee Gods name, that is, the divine majeſty of the word, working powerfully upon his heart, as the Sun-beams beat upon Jonas his head, and diſquieted him. Danaeus rendreth it, And wiſdom ſeeth thy name, that is, wiſdoms children, as Luke 7.35. which will juſtifie her, when others are either ſo froward, that nothing can pleaſe them, (neither John faſting, nor Chriſt eating, Mat. 11.16, &c.) or ſo dull, that nothing can affect them, as theſe here: the word of God was worſe then ſpilt upon them. Sure it is, that wiſdoms children are not many. Who is wiſe, and he ſhall underſtand theſe things? ſaith Hoſea chap. 14.9. the very queſtion imports a paucity. See the Note there. Though a gunne be diſcharged at a whole flight of birds, there are but a few killed: though the net be ſpread over the whole pond, but a few fiſhes are taken. Rari ſunt qui philoſophantur, ſaith Ʋlpian. It is with our hearers, as it was with Jonathans ſignal arrows, two fell ſhort, and but one beyond the mark: So where one ſhoots home to the mark of the high-calling in Chriſt Jeſus, many fall ſhort. Three ſorts of four of thoſe that heard our Saviour, were naught, Mat. 13. And of thoſe that heard Paul at Athens, ſome derided, others doubted, and but a very few beleeved: as Dennis, and Damaris, and ſome others with them, Act. 17.34.

Hear ye the rod] Sith ye would not hear the word, and ſo redeem your own ſorrows. All Gods rods are vocall, they are ſpeaking as well as ſmiting: they are not mute, but mingled with inſtructions. They are his Free-ſchool-maſter; curſt, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and crabbed, but ſuch as whereby he openeth mens ears (till then, uncircumciſed, and ſtopt with the ſuperfluity of naughtineſſe) to diſcipline, and commandeth them to return from iniquity, Job 36.8, 9. By chaſtening men, God teacheth them out of his Law, Pſal. 64.12. Hence Luther calleth Affliction, Theologiam Chriſtianorum, the Chriſtian mans Divinity: and Another ſaith, that Schola crucis eſt ſchola lucis. There ſhall be onely fear, to make you underſtand the hearing, Eſay 28.19. As God is ſaid to hold his peace, when he puniſheth not, Pſal. 50.21. Eſay 41.14. ſo, to preach and teach, when he doth. And look how Gideon, by threſhing the men of Succoth with thorns and briars of the wilderneſſe, taught them, Judg. 8.7.16. ſo here. I have a meſſage from God unto thee, O King, ſaid Ehud, Judg. 3.20. Lo, his ponyard was Gods meſſage. Whence, One well obſerveth, that not onely the vocall admonitions, but the reall judgements of God, are his errands and inſtructions to the world. For when thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteouſneſſe, Eſay 26.9. Smart makes wit; and Vexation giveth underſtanding.

and who hath appointed it] God, who hath not onely a permiſſive, but an active hand in all our afflictions. Others render the text, Quis ſit, qui accerſatiſtud, who it is that hath procured it, or ſent for it, Who, but your ſelves? according to Hoſ. 13.9. See the Note there. Nemo laeditur niſi à ſeipſo. Men may thank themſelves for all their ſufferings: for God afflicteth not willingly, Lam. 3.35. He cometh forth of his place to do it, Eſay 16.21. and counteth it his work, his ſtrange work, Eſay 28.21. He doth juſtice, (when there is no other remedy) but hee loveth mercy, and ſo requireth us to do in the verſe next afore-going.