John Trapp on Zechariah 8:10

Verſe 10.Ez 3. Iohn 2. Zach. 7. For before theſe dayes] ſc. during thoſe fourty and four yeers, wherein they ceaſed from the work, minding only their own houſes and managing their own affairs, their labour was unprofitable, their ſtate unquiet thorought forraine forragers, and homebred Malecontents.

there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beaſt] Nulla emolumenta laborum, Both man and beaſt did their parts, but to little purpoſe. Ludit qui ſterili ſemina mandat humoOvid. They ſowed much, and brought in little: they earned money, but put it into a bottomeleſſe bag Hag. 1.6. (See the Note there) the gaines did not countervaile the paines, the wages the work.

neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in] whether a man were within dores or without, he was in danger of the enemy (See the like 2 Chron. 15.5.) he did eat the bread of his ſoul in the perill of his life: being wholy at the enemies mercy,1 Sam. 24.19. which is mere cruelty. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go away? ſaid Saul: I trow not, till he have his penniworth of him; as that Monſter of Millaine, as the bloody Papiſts in the Maſſacre of Paris, as the mercileſſe Spaniards on the harmeleſſe Indians, (fifty millions of whom they have murthered in forty two yeers, as Acoſta the Jeſuite teſtifieth) as Ptolomaeus, Lathur us king of Egypt on theſe poor lewes, thirty thouſand of whom he cruelly killed: and compelled the living to feed upon the fleſh of the dead: And laſtly as the Iewes themſelves, of whom Tacitus takes notice, and gives them this character, that there was miſericordia in promptu apud ſuos, ſed contra omnes alios hoſtile odium, that they were kind enough to their own, but cruel to all others, whom they look upon as Idolaters, and therefore think they may ſafely kill, as they did the Cyprians and Cyrenians in Tra[illegible: 1 letter]ans time to the number of 240000.Dio in Tra. thouſand? and as they ſtill do Chriſtians where they can without danger of being diſcovered: whom alſo they curſe in their daily prayers with a Maledic Domine Nazaraeis: and by whom they are every where ſo contemned and hated, that they are exiled out of the world, caſt out of many countries, and where they are ſuffered (as in Turkey) they are at every Eaſter in danger of death. For Biddulph telleth us, that if they ſtirr out of doors between Maundy-Thurſday at noon, and Eaſter-eve at night, the Chriſtians among whom they dwell will ſtone them: becauſe at that time they crucified our Saviour, derided and buffeted him.

for I ſet all men, every one againſt his neighbour] And I ſet, emiſi or commiſi, not permiſi or dimiſi, as the Vulgar hath it: I ſet on or ſent out, not I let or ſuffered all men. Gods holy hand hath a ſpeciall ſtroke in the Churches afflictions, whoſoever be the inſtrument. Herehin his all-diſpoſing Providence is not only permiſſive, but active.Eſay 45.7. I make peace and create evill, that is, warr and contention: which is called evill by a ſpecialty, as including all evills. Omega noſtrorum Mars eſt, Mars Alpha malorum. But is there evill in a city, and I have not done it? Am. 3.6. (for a puniſhment) ſent an evill ſpirit of diviſion and diſcord between Abimelech and the men of Shechem Iudg. 9.23. not by inſtilling any evill motions into their minds: but in a way of juſt revenge for their treachery and cruelty to Gideons family. This God doth 1. by letting looſe Satan upon them (that great kindle-coale, and makebate of the world) to raiſe jealouſies, heart-burnings and diſcontents between them. 2. By giving them up to the luſts and corruptions of their own wicked hearts. 3. By giving occaſions of enraging them more and more one againſt another. And here the wickedneſſe of theſe factions and fallings out is wholy from their luſts that warr in their members Iam. 4.1. and not at all of God, though his providence do concurr like as the ſtench of the dung hill riſeth not from the Sun, though the Sun-ſhine upon it be the occaſion of it.

every one againſt his neighbour] A ſad caſe, that common miſery ſhould not breed unity amongſt them: that neceſſity had not made them lay down their private enmities: that being vexed ſo by the common adverſary, they ſhould yet vex and interteare one another. Blowes enough were not dealt by the Samaritans, Ammonites, and other Malignants; but their own muſt add to the violence. Still Satan is thus buſy, and Chriſtians are thus malicious: that they muſt needs fall out by the way home, and give bloody-noſes too ſometimes. St. Iames calls upon ſuch to reſiſt the devil, that is, their unruly paſſions of rage and revenge,Iam. 4.1.[illegible: 1 letter]. wherewith the devill empeſtereth and embroileth their ſpirits; and, like your cockmaſters, ſets one to kill another, that at night he may feed upon both.