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Verse 6. Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?
In this v. the Prophet repeats, and confirmes and incul∣cares what hath been said concerning threatning and af∣flictions, that so he may stir them up, and let them see their stupidity; and 1. As for threatnings, he declareth that
they in any of their Cities, would presently feare some danger, and gather together for preventing it, if the watch∣man sounded the trumpet at an extraordinary time, and gave them the alarme; And why then would they not be sensible, when God by him threatned them with his wrath, and that the enemy should come against them? 2. As for the evils that had come, or were to come upon them in any of their Cities, he declareth that they could not deny but they were of God, and therefore why did they sleep so securely? Whence learn, 1. Alarmes and threat∣nings from the word, are as terrible as any thing can be, and would be thought so if they we well considered upon; therefore are they compared to a trumpet blown in the city, giving the alarme of an enemies approach. 2. Mens own consciences may convince them of dreadful stupidity, if they feare not when they are threatned; and their sense of common and visible dangers will plead against them, and tell them that they feare God lesse then any thing; for, saith he, shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? where he brings in their feares in such dangers, as witnessing against their stupidity, when they are threatned, and puts the matter to their consciences, if they could excuse them in this. 3. It would help much to make threatnings effectual, if men would look over these who carry them, to God who sendeth them, and to what they portend; for, so much also doth this similitude teach: A watchman in himselfe is not terrible, nor wisheth ill un∣to the City, nor is the sound of his trumpet in it selfe dread∣full, but as it warneth of the approach of a furious enemy; and so is it here. 4. Threatnings do not prove false a∣larmes, but are seconded with plagues on these who make no use of them; and it is very rare to see it otherwise, but they who debord so far as to need threatnings, do also provoke God to smite; for, the one doth follow on the other here, and Israel tasted of both, having before this been visited with many rods, chap. 4.6. &c. to prevent the finall sentence, all which they had also abused. 5. Albeit afflictions for sin be the holy works of an holy God, and acts of justice, and so good; and albeit they do worke for good to the Lords penitent people, Psal. 119.67.71. yet as they are evil in themselves, so they are and will prove an evil to the wicked and impenitent; as here they
are called, evil in the City, or in any of their Cities. For they are sent to be bitter and crosse to men who walk con∣trary to God, and to thwart their corruptions and rob them of their enjoyments; They should also discover the evil and bitternesse of mens departing from God, Jer. 2.19. (and where they have not this effect, it will not avail that men finde them evil unto them) Yea they will prove evil to make men worse and more wicked then they found them. 6. As the not seeing of Gods hand in trouble, and that we have to do with him, is a chief cause of our mis∣carriage under it; so this is an evil not soon remedied, and a lesson not easily learned; Therefore, after what is said, v. 5. it must be again inculcate, shall there be evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it? 7. Whatever be mens stupi∣dity, and wilfull blindnesse; yet the Lord hath a witnesse in every mans bosome, who doth not utterly renounce a deity, that he is the author of afflictions; Therefore doth he pose their consciences, to see if they could shift this, shall there be evil, and the Lord hath not done it? 8. Let men be never so unwilling, yet it is their duty never to give over, till they have seen God in their afflictions; There∣fore doth the Lord so presse it upon them, as a needful les∣son. For (beside what is marked of our own advantage and duty, on v. 5.) it is our glorifying of God, to acknow∣ledge his providence, and that not onely in general, but as it shines in particular actions; and in particular, to look upon afflictions for sin, as beseeming an holy and just God; and this would help us to our duty under them.