I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, [and] corrupted all their doings.
Ver. 7. I said, surely thou wilt fear me] As in a school, when one boy is whipped the rest tremble; and as in the commonwealth, poena ad paucos, metus ad omnes; punishment for the few, fear for everybody so it should be in the Church. Other men's woes should be our warnings; others' sufferings our sermons; others' lashes our lessons; God's house of correction a school of instruction, where we should hear and fear, and do no more so, Deuteronomy 17:13. He that trembleth not in hearing shall be crushed to pieces in feeling, said that martyr.
And receive instruction] This I promised myself of thee, but am disappointed, Jeremiah 15:3. See Zephaniah 3:2, thou art therefore ripe for destruction.
So their dwelling should not be cut off] They should have redeemed their sorrows and saved their city. And this God speaks to others, as weary of speaking any longer to them to so little purpose.
But they rose early and corrupted, &c.] Manicabant, they made haste, that no time might be lost; they woefully wasted that best part of the day, the morning (which παν εργον οφελλει, furthereth every business), in corrupting their practices, doing evil as they could. Once (saith a reverend man) Peter's argument was more than probable; These men are not drunk, for it is but the third hour of the day. Now, men are grown such husbands, as that by that time they will return their stocks, and have their brains crowing before day.