Micah 6

The heavens call to us to behold God's glory (Psalm 19:1). Conscience calls to us, God's judgments call to us — Repent (Micah 6:9). Hear the rod.

He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand. Can they be holy which are not just (Micah 6:11)? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances?

Quest. But what profit is in affliction? Answ. 1. Afflictions are disciplinary, they teach us Schola Crucis, Schola Lucis: many Psalms have this inscription Maschil, a Psalm giving instruction: affliction may have this inscription upon it Maschil, an affliction giving instructio…

This is more than any mere creature can possibly do: there is no created being, that is such and nothing more, that is able to stand in the judgment before God for sinners, and obtain their absolution. That man cannot by his own righteousness obtain this for himself, has been al…

Q. What is the sum of the ninth commandment? A. Truth in speeches, promises, and our dealings among men; and the contrary forbidden is all lying and false speaking (Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9, 10; Psalms 15:2; Micah 6:12; Psalms 12:2). Q. What is the sum of the tenth command…

Or they run to a formal performance of duties, as poor souls under popery when stung by the friars' sermons were set penances and good works to be done, which stilled them for a while, and for these they thought they should have pardon. So men run now to holy duties, but with th…

They could not do it by any means, nor at any time: the word is a vehement negation, respecting all the powers of those sacrifices, and all the times wherein they were used. And therefore as to those things which might seem to give them their efficacy, as their multiplication, t…

But if any thing within the power or ability of men, any thing they could invent or accomplish, had been useful to this end, there would have been no need that the Son of God should have offered himself. To this purpose, see Chap. 10. 5, 6, 7, 8. Micah 6:8, 9. 2dly, The next thi…

First; the matter of our works must be according to the Law of God, or, His will revealed in His Word. The Prophet could say, in (Micah 6:8), He has showed you, O man, the thing that is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to wal…

The word for alms in the Syriac, signifies justice; to show that Alms must be of that which is justly gotten. The Scripture puts them together, Micah 6. 8. To do justice, to love mercy, we must not make ex rapina holocaustum, a sacrifice of sacrilege. Isaiah 61. 8. For I the Lor…

If they pray, there is no intention beyond self, and the welfare of their own natures; the matter is but the outward work of the law, and their aim is but the freedom and welfare of nature. 3. There are legal ends: when wicked men are most devout, it is but to quiet conscience,…

And this should awe and humble the vainest heart that ever was in the breast of a saint. Know for certain that the Lord records all the mercies that ever he gave you, from the beginning to the end of your life (Micah 6:5): 'Remember, O my people, from Shittim to Gilgal.' Indeed,…

Having run into great arrears by gross neglects in moral obedience, they think to make it up with ceremonials, either of God's appointing, or of their own devising. Wherewith shall I come before God? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of river…

Meanwhile, others, worn down continually by fear and a certain foreboding of the wrath and vengeance of God, are keenly mocked by Plutarch in his little book on superstition. The sacred page also depicts them (Micah 6:6, 7). There were also those who, resting on ancient traditio…

Hence the impulse to sacrifice themselves and others. That a conscience, tormented and terrified by the sense of sin and the fear of punishment, was the root of this evil, the prophet shows (Micah 6:7); and, with Satan serving as midwife, this monster was brought to light. They…

And therefore all these were instituted for this purpose: that they should prefigure another, more excellent sacrifice. Hence it came about that when true theologians had lost the understanding of the proper use of these sacrifices and had so diminished their faith in the coming…

The word properly signifies "the pangs of those in labor." The prophet testifies that superstition afflicts and torments the consciences of men with like pangs (Micah 6:7). X. In this same respect they are also called by a term meaning "something shapeless and confused" — also d…

And it is not improbable that the Israelites also imitated these practices. V. The prophet sets forth the causes of so great a crime: (Micah 6:6, 7), "With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God most high? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with…

Some are pleased with a righteousness as it were from works of law (Romans 9:32), and while they strive to establish this righteousness — which is the crime and folly of corrupt nature and has passed into an ecclesiastical dogma among very many — they do not submit to the righte…

The second, which we owe to our brethren (Matthew 22:36; Romans 13:8-9). In this division we are charged two things: First, that to perfect obedience of the Law, we should bring these two sorts of duties sound and whole, as those which then only are pleasing to God, when they ar…

Where he is not esteemed of, he is not taken up to be real, in good earnest, and faithful in what he says; his offers are looked upon as having neither solidity nor reality in them, therefore (Revelation 19) these two are put together, first it's said, "Blessed are they that are…

The blood of bulls and of goats could not take away sin, neither is, as it is (Acts 4:12), there any other name under heaven given to sinners whereby they can be saved, but the name of Jesus. I shall not speak here of the nature of Christ's offering and sacrifice; but sure, thou…

Or, who are now before the throne that ever made the keeping up of this secret from them, a bar or impediment to their believing? God's eternal purpose or decree is not the rule of our duty, nor the warrant of our faith, but his revealed will in his Word; let us seek to come to…

Judgments speak in the dark, but we hear not: the Lord fattens some slaughter-oxen for hell, and death is on some men's faces, even the second death on their person, but they see not. To hear the Lord's rods, and who has appointed it, is the man of wisdom's part (Micah 6:9). The…

Verse 27: "But these my enemies that would not that I should reign over them, bring here and slay them before me" [illegible]. These to me seem to be allusions to Israel's wearying of the Lord of old (Isaiah 43:23): "I have not wearied you with incense" (Jeremiah 2:5); "What ini…

1. The sins and guilty fears of mankind needs such a remedy; we are naturally sensible that the punishment of death is deserved and due to us by the law of God (Romans 1:32): They which commit such things are worthy of death. Now these fears are not easily appeased (Micah 6:6-7)…

Hebrews 9:14: How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The carnal offer thousands of rams, and rivers of oil, and the fruit of the body for the sin of…

"If you restore the pledge, and repay that which you have robbed, you shall live, and not die." The Lord says, "Are the treasures of wickedness yet in the house of the wicked?" and he adds, that he will not justify the false balance (Micah 6:10-11). Zacchaeus, in his conversion…

And he calls that which is bestowed upon the ministers of the word, seed, which being sown, does recompense the cost, thirty, sixty, a hundred fold: that so they might not think their labor lost, nor their cost bestowed in vain, seeing they were to receive, that which they laid…

Also Micah: Does the Lord delight in thousands of rams, or in ten thousands of fat beasts of the valleys? By and by after he adds: I will show you, O man, what is good: and what it is the Lord your God requires of you, to wit, To do judgment, to love mercy, and to humble yoursel…

Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of Mint, and Anise, and Cummin, and have omitted the weightier Matters of the Law, Judgment, Mercy, and Faith. To the like Purpose is that, Micah 6. 8. He hath showed thee, O Man, what is good; And what doth the Lo…

Isaiah 66:1, 2. Thus saith the Lord, the Heaven is my Throne, and the Earth is my footstool:—But to this Man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at my Word. Micah 6:8. He hath shown thee, O Man, what is good; and what doth the Lord thy…

God requires nothing of us to make atonement for sin — the Gospel declares and tenders to sinners an absolute free pardon of all their sins without any satisfaction or compensation made on their part, on account of the atonement made by Jesus Christ; all attempts at works or dut…

How confounding a thing were it, if he should say, as sometimes to others in a case resembling yours (and why should you not take it as equally belonging to you)? O my people, What have I done to you? and wherein have I wearied you? testify against me: (Micah 6:3). And while the…

When David languished under a disease, and his Enemies began to triumph in the hopes of his downfall; he prays, Psalm 41:10 that God would be merciful to him, and raise him up; and by that, he says, he knew the Lord favoured him, because his Enemy did not triumph over him, ver.…

Sometimes the Lord manifests his displeasure and anger against the sins of his people in correcting and rebuking Providences. His rods have a chiding voice, Micah 6:9 Hear the rod and who has appointed it. This discovery of Gods anger kindly melts and thaws a gracious soul, and…

As there are various affections planted in your souls, so are there several graces planted in those affections, and several Providences appointed to draw forth, and exercise these graces. When the Providences of God are sad, and afflictive either upon the Church in general, or y…

See Isaiah 46. 3, 4. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are carryed from the Womb: and even to your old age I am he, and even to hoar hairs will I carry. you: I have made, and I will bear, eve…

This is our duty, because God has expresly commanded it, and called his people to make the most serious reflections, and animadversions upon his works, whether of mercy or judgement. So when that dreadfullest of all Judgements was executed upon his professing people for their Ap…

You shall lose all you get, and all you sow, and all you labor for, because you would not look after God's worship. So (Micah 6:13-14): I will make you sick in smiting you, and desolate because of your sins. You shall eat, and not be satisfied; you shall sow, and not reap; you s…

The natural notion hereof the vilest hypocrites among them were sometimes perplexed withall. See (Isaiah 33:14, 15; Micah 6:8). But the generality of them have long endeavoured by prejudicate imaginations, to cast out the true and real sense of it.

Thirdly, the Scripture expressly rejects all the Sacrifices of the Law, when they are trusted in for any such end and purpose, which sufficiently demonstrates that they were never appointed thereunto. See Psalm 40:6, 7, 8; Psalm 50:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13; Isaiah 1:11, 12, 13; Chap…

They are not such, as a cursed guilty sinner might justly expect, but such as are meet for an infinitely Good and Gracious God to propose; not suited to the wisdom of man, but full of the wisdom of God, 2 Corinthians 2:6, 7. The poor convinced wretch, thinking of dealing with Go…

God's providing mercies, God's preventing mercies, God's preserving mercies, God's delivering mercies, the number of God's mercies which cannot be reckoned, the order and strange method of God's mercies, which cannot be declared, the greatness of God's mercies in the kinds and s…

Ephraim is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand. And both their sin and God's anger are set forth (Micah 6:10-13): Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the houses of the wicked, and the scant measure which is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wic…

By speaking such terrible things in the City of London? The Lord has not only spoken but cried and shouted, he has lifted up his voice like a Trumpet; and his voice has not been inarticulate and insignificant; but has had a meaning; and they that have an ear to hear, may underst…

By T. V. Micah 6:9. The voice of the Lord cries to the city, and the man of wisdom shall see your name: Hear you the rod, and who has appointed it.

What is the way of acceptance with God? is that enquiry which gives men their first initiation into religion: see Acts 2:37; chapter 16:30; Micah 6:6, 7, 8. This question being once raised in the conscience, an answer must be returned to it: I will consider, says the Prophet, wh…

Yes, 34. let Heaven and Earth praise him; then must he be great and high above the mourners, yet he owns their tears (Psalm 102:19, 20). 3. And the Lord's sovereignty hinders him not to give a sort of reckoning of his doings, Isaiah 5. Judge between me and my vineyard, Micah 6:3…

Secondly, an extraordinary multiplication of such duties, as for the substance of them are required of us. An instance in both kinds we have (Micah 6:6, 7): Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow my self before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,…