John Trapp on Zechariah 1:6

Verſe 6. Did they not take hold of your fathers] Overtake and catch them (as Huntſmen their prey, or as one enemy doth another in flight 1 King. 18.27. 2 King. 25.5.) to drag them down to the bottome of hell. A godly man, as he hath peace with God, with himſelfe, and with the creatures: ſo he hath alſo with the Ordinances, and may ſay as Hezekiah, Good is the Word of the Lord which thou haſt ſpoken. Are not my words alwaies good ſaith God, to them that walk uprightly, Mic. 2.7? Excellently Auguſtine, Adverſarius eſt nobis, quamdiu ſumus & ipſi nobis: quamdiu tu tibi inimicus es, inimicum habebis ſermonem Dei. Gods word is adverſary to none but ſuch as are adverſaries to themſelves: Neither doth it condemn any, but ſuch as ſhall be aſſuredly condemned by the Lord;Cor & anima Dei Greg. in 3. Reg. for what is the Word, but the heart and ſoul of God, as Gregory ſaith. And what ſaith the Eſſential Word of God, who came out of the boſome of his father and knew all his counſell? He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have ſpoken, the ſome ſhall judge him in the laſt day, Iohn 12.48? Oh conſider this ye that forget God, that ſlight his word as if it were but wind, that bely the Lord and ſay, It is not he neither ſhall the cvill (foretold) come upon us, neither ſhall we ſee ſword nor famine. And the Prophets ſhall become wind, and the word is not in them, thus ſhall it bee done unto them, Wherefore thus ſaith the Lord God of hoſts, becauſe ye ſpeak this word (and is there not ſuch language of many mens hearts now-adayes?) Behold I will make my words (not wind, but) fire and this people wood, and it ſhall devour them, Ier. 5.12, 13, 14. The Word of God in the mouths of his Miniſters may well be likened to Moſes his rod: which whiles he held it in his hand, it flouriſhed, and brought forth almonds: but being caſt upon the ground it became a ſerpent. Semblably, Gods words and ſtatutes, if laid to heart, they yeeld fruit and comfort: but if ſlighted or ſnuffed at (as Mal. 1.13.) ſerpent-like they will ſting the ſoul, and become a ſavour of death &c. This contempt will alſo call for a ſword, to revenge the quarrel of the Covenant: as it did upon theſe mens fathers for their inſtance, and admonition. It is reckoned by Daniel as a great aggravation of Belſhazzars ſinne Dan. 5.22. that hee was not ſenſible of his father Nebuchadnezzars pride and fall. And thou his ſ[illegible: 1 letter]nne Belſhazzar, haſt not humbled thine heart, though thou kneweſt all this. The ſinne of theſe Jewes in the Text was the greater, becauſe their Fathers and Elders (either out of ſound converſion, or at leaſt out of clear conviction of conſcience) had confeſſed and remonſtrated the truth and juſtice of God in threatening and executing his judgements upon themſelves, ſaying as Lam. 1.18. The Lord is righteous, for we have rebelled againſt his commandements: and as chap. 2.17. The Lord hath done that which he had deviſed, he hath fulfilled his word, he hath thrown down and hath not pittied &c. Hear them in their own words here like as the Lord of hoſts (whoſe power is irreſiſtible) thought (deviſed, determined with himſelfe,Zamam and accordingly denounced by his Prophets) to doe unto us (who did not the words which he commanded us, Ier. 11.8.) according to our wayes (which were alwaies grievous, Pſal. 10.5.) and according to our doings (that were not good, Ezek. 36.31.) ſo hath he dealt with us: for he loves to retaliate and to render to every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience, a juſt recompence of reward, Heb. 2.2.