thy Body lye rotting in the Grave and Worms consume thy flesh yet God is Almighty and can raise these vile bodies and make them like to Christs glorious Body Phil. 3.21 Though for a time we may lye in the dust yet the time is at hand when we shall awake and sing Esay 26.19 Hee that made all things out of nothing he can raise us out of something Thy ashes are precious in his sight and all thy bones are kept by him yea the very hairs of thy head are numbred 6 It may comfort and assure us that the Iewes in Gods due time shall be called Though now they be a scattered cursed contemptible people for their rejecting Christ yet the Apostle argues from Gods Power and comforts us with this that God is able to raise them up again Rom. 11.23 2 Obs. The serious consideration of Gods Omnipotency should move us to meet him by repentance No wise man will stand it out against a potent enemy that is far too strong for him We are all by nature Traytors and Rebels against God hee is marching against us in wrath and wee have no way to help our selves but to meet him and humble our selves before him 1 Pet. 5 6. imploring his pitty and his pardon Hence it is that the Lord so oft in Scripture doth set forth to the life his glorious Majesty and transcendent Soveraignty Iob 9. 36.24 to 33. cha 37. 38. 39. 40. Esay 40.12 to 27. Ier. 10.6 7. Amos 5.8 9.6 We should not only tremble at Gods Word Esay 66.2 but also at the consideration of his glorious Majesty appearing both in his Works of Creation and Providence 3 Obs. It is Gods Prerogative Royal to be the heart-searching God None can exactly and thoroughly know the heart but he alone he only is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deus cordiscius the Heart-seeing and the Heart-searching God 1 Chron. 28.9 Prov. 17.3 Ier. 17.9 10. Acts 1.24 15.8 Rev. 2.23 Hee knowes all the secret plots and projects all the turnings and windings of our deceitful souls Hee knows not only what is in our hearts at present but also what hath been and what will be there Psal. 139.1 2. Esay 46.10 The Lord trieth the heart as the furnace trieth the gold when Mettals come to bee put into the Furnace there is a great deal of dross in them so that the Mettal sometimes can hardly be discerned by the Artificer till the Furnace hath separated the dross from the mettal so the All-seeing eye of God which is compared to a flaming fire Revel 1.14 searcheth and separateth good from evil For 1 God hath made all hearts and therefore he must needs know what is in them They are beasts and bruitish that will not acknowledge this Psal. 94.8 9 10 11. Every Artificer knowes best the thing that he hath made a man that makes a Watch knowes every wheel of the Watch and every Pin which another cannot discern Known to God are all his Works Acts. 15.18 but the chief of Gods Works is Man and therefore mans heart must needs be known to him and if the spirit of man knowes what is in man Prov. 20.27 1 Cor. 2.11 then God who hath made that spirit must much more know what is in man Ioh. 2.24 25. 1 Ioh. 3.20 2 He takes the wise in their owne Plots which hee could not doe if he did not know their hearts Iob 5.13 1 Cor. 3.19 Of all men God delights to befool the grand Polititians of the World he takes them in their owne traps and blowes them up as it were with their own Gun-powder As a man that will goe beyond a man in discourse hee must know the Arguments which he will bring that so hee may bring other Arguments beyond them so God out-shoots the Achitophels of the World in their owne bow Haman was a subtile man and thought he had made all sure but we know how the Lord turned his Plot upon his owne pate In the thing wherein he dealt subtilly and proudly the Lord was above him Exod. 18.11 Pharaoh was a subtile Persecutor yet see how God takes him in his owne Net Exod. 1.10 hee would work wisely and will kill all the Male-Children of the Hebrews yet see how God blasts his Project for amongst them he saved Moses yea Pharaohs Daughter shall bring him up at Court who shall be Pharaohs destruction Many Polititians walk in the Clouds as if the Lord should not see them Psal. 94.7 but they must know that the Lord is a God of knowledge and all their actions are weighed by him 1 Sam 2.3 3 God is the Judge of all the World and this hee could not be if he did not know the hearts as well as the acts of men How should he distribute Rewards and Punishments according to mens demerits if he knew not the intents and thoughts of their hearts If God did not search the heart how many secret sins would goe unpunished and many secret wrongs done to the godly and innocent man goe unrevenged The Lord therefore searcheth the heart that hee may give to every one according to his works Ier. 17.9 10. Obj. Prov. 25.3 The heart of the King is unsearchable how then can God search the heart A. He speaks in respect of men God useth many times to endue his Vice-gerents with such depth of wisdome that it surpasseth the ordinary judgement of Subjects to finde them out but it doth not surpass Gods knowledge God could not turn Kings hearts if he knew them not Prov. 21.1 When we are to deal with a man whose disposition wee are not acquainted withall we know not what Motives will perswade him whereas if we have to deal with one that we know then we know what Motives will perswade him so the Lord that made the hearts of Kings he knows how to perswade them and win upon them 2 This searching must not be taken properly but figuratively as for man he must search and by discourse and going from one thing to another labour to finde out a matter but it is not so with God who is perfectly wise and knowes every thing in it self without discoursing God is all eye Suppose a mans whole body were an eye he need not then to turn himself to see things for he would see on every side but he that hath but one eye must turn himself about to see things But God who is all eye and seeth into the nature of things needs no turning about to discourse and so to search out things as we doe and therefore one said well Things that are spoken after the manner of men must be understood according to the Majesty of God 3 This Metaphor of searching is taken 1. Either from Students who when they come to a hard point they are put to a great deal of pains to search out the matter before they can know the depth of it Or 2. From Refiners the Lord tries the heart Prov. 17.3
in this life may be brought to a very low condition It may seem like a poor little Tent or tattered Cottage full of breaches and ruines Isa. 1.8 so that it is scarcely visible and yet be a true Church 1 King 19 20. as the Moon is the Moon and in Heaven still though it lye hid for a time under the Clouds from our sight 3 After deep humiliation comes great consolation Never any so deeply humbled as Christ and never any more highly exalted Phil. 2.6 to 12. after this people had for many years been sifted and tossed and captivated and the family of David brought to the dust and no Human help appearing but they lay like dry bones scattâ—red up and down yet now doth the Lord appear and raise up the Tabernacle of David that was fallen by sending the Messiah that little Branch or Sprig out of the stock or contemptible stump of Iesse that was hewn down and cut off Isa. 11.1 when mans help fails then God appears our extremity is his opportunity Cum duplicantur lateres venit Moses In the Mount will the Lord be seen Christ came not here till all seemed to bee lost and laid on heaps he still reserves his holy hand for a dead lift and delights to help those that are forsaken of their hopes Deut. 32.36 Psal. 10.14 22.11 when this goodly Family was sunk so low as from David the King to Ioseph the Carpenter so that there was neither King nor Prince left then Christ appears and raiseth it up when the Scepter was departed from Iudah then Shilo comes Gen. 49.10 when all was here in confusion both in Church and State then comes the Messiah that Horn of Salvation and the glory of his people Israel 4 The Churches comforts are hid in Christ. It is he that makes up our breaches raiseth us out of our ruines and restores comfort to Sion and to her Mourners All our comforts and all our fresh Springs are in him our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification Salvation come all from this Fountain Ephes. 1.3 to 15. He is Bread to strengthen us Wine to comfort us Water to wash us a King to defend us a Prophet to teach us a Priest to intercede for us In a word he is All in All unto us as I have shewed elsewhere 5 The Old Testament is the Word of God and abides in New Testament times Iames the Apostle when he would prove the calling of the Gentiles he goes to the Old Testament the written Word of God and from thence proves it now had it not been Authentical the Apostles allegation had been invalid But of this at large elsewhere 6 Gospel priviledges are glorious priviledges The Church was glorious of old in Davids time when men went by troops to the House of God and fled as the Clouds and flockt as the Doves unto their windows But the Spiritual glory of the Church in the dayes of the Gospel is farre more glorious than in the dayes of Israel of old They had but the shadow we have the substance they saw Christ but darkly in Types and Figures but we see him with open face Hence the glory of the latter Temple is said to be greater than the glory of the former Hag. 2.9 But how can that be since the glory of the first Temple was farre more excellent for building than the latter insomuch that the ancient now wept to see how farre short it came of the former I but the glory of this latter House though inferiour for structure yet shall be greater than the glory of the former because Christ the Messiah should personally appear there and from thence should the Gospel of peace goe forth into all the world which should work a true and blessed tranquillity in the hearts of all beleevers Hence Iohn the Baptist is preferred before the Old Testament Prophets both in dignity and doctrine and New Testament Ministers who publish the whole Gospel are preferred before him Mat. 11.11 Let us then bless the Lord for Gospel-priviledges keeping them in purity and simplicity for though in Old Testament-times God allowed them Musick in publick Services with Altars Holy Vestments c. yet Christ their substance being come these shadowes are gone and now Christ will demand Who required these things at your hands In vain is all such Will-worship the Worship that Christ calls for now is a worship in spirit and in truth VER 12. That they may possess the remnant of Edom and of all the Heathen which are called by my name saith the Lord that doth this THe Prophet goes on to comfort the remnant of the faithful in Israel and Iudah in their low condition with the promises of better times under the Messiah then should Davids Spiritual Kingdom be more glorious than ever and the bounds of it more ample than in the dayes of old for when the Messiah shall come the Gentiles shall be called and the very Edomites which were deadly enemies to Gods wayes and people Amos 1.9 11. Obad. 10 11 12. shall submit their necks to Christs yoke and be brought into the communion of Christs Church by the operation of the Spirit in the preaching of the Gospel yea and all the elect Heathen shall come in with them according to that Promise Psal. 2.8 Isa. 19. ult Formerly the Church was shut up within narrow bounds and confined to the Iewes only but now it shall spread it self over all Nations The Prophet begins and names Edom first because they were near Neighbours and though Brethren to the Iewes yet were they bitter enemies to them rejoycing in their calamity and laughing at their downfall Lam. 4.21 Obad. 22. Yet now these should be converted and of foes become friends and at unity with Gods people These Lions should be turned into Lambs and these Wolves into Sheep and some remnants out of all Nations though never so rude and barbarous should bee brought unto Christs Sheep-fold God had plagued Edom very sore Numb 24.18 Isa. 63.1 especially by the hands of Nebuchadnezzar yet now he promiseth that a remnant of them shall be joyned with the Iewes in one Church whereof Christ is the Head Obad. 18 19. and therefore the Apostle Iames tells the Iewes that they ought not to wonder that the Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost as well as they since it was fore-told by the Prophets and amongst the rest by our Prophet here Acts 15.15 16 17. 2 Here is a further description of these Gospel-Converts they are such as upon whom my name is called that is they are such as are called by my name who are indeed my people The like expression we have Gen. 48.16 The Lord blesse the Lads and let my name be called on them that is let them be accounted my Progeny saith Iacob and be called my children The like parallel expression we have Isa. 4.1 63 ult Let us be called by thy name that is let us be
us much in this duty of Prayer The Lord repented also for this this also shall not be vers 6. I will hold my hand saith God the fire which I threatned shall not yet come the Land shall not be deâ—troyed at this time So gracious is the Lord and ready to forgive and so quickly he repents him of the evil which he intends against his people especially when his Ministers intercede for them Ioel 2.13 he afflicts not willingly Judgement is his strange work and Fury is not in him Isa. 27.4 But though the Lord at the intercession of his Servants may suspend his fiery Judgements here though oft-times hee pleads with them here by Fire Sword Famine c. Isa. 66.15 16. Ezek. 38.22 yet without repentance the fire of the last Day will certainly devour them God will then contend with fire and execute the fierceness of his fury upon the workers of iniquity 3 Obs. Hence note That short Prayers full of faith and fervency may prevail very much with God for a People It is not the loudness or the length or the neat expressions which take with God 1 King 18.26 Eccles. 5.2 Mat. 6.7 7.21 But it is the faith and sincerity of him that prayes poor broken Prayers coming from a broken heart are of great worth in the sight of God Matth 15.25 Eliâ—ahs Prayer was short and pithy and prevailed 1 King 18.36 so Psal. 6.3 My soul is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long viz. wilt thou delay to help me It is an abrupt broken speech but God can pick sense out of our non-sense Prayer is a work of the Heart and not of the Tongue words are but the out-side of Prayer it is the Hearts desire which God eyes and respects and if thy affections fly aloft though thy words doe but creep yet thy faith shall get what thy words cannot yea if thou canst not speak yet if thou canst weep God will hear the voyce of thy weeping Tears have a voyce Psal. 6.8 as well as words The Lord called to contend with fire Or the Lord proclaimed that he would contend with fire or plead that is punish them with fire Thus Hos. 4.1 The Lord hath a Controversie that is a Plea or Process not only verbal but real that is he had Judgements ready to execute on them This contending notes Israels obstinacy we use not to contend or goe to suit till we have tried all other means to get our right yet cannot get it then we are constrained to contend As War so Law is or ought to be our last refuge God had used all means to win this People but in vaine and therefore he is now constrained to contend with Fire and Sword against them Q. But what is meant by Fire here A. Interpreters vary 1. Some take it Literally for some extraordinary fire which should fall from Heaven and consume them as it did Sodom and Gomorrah and Aarons Sons Levit. 10.2 and Iobs Sheep and Servants Iob 1.16 So say some God called his Angels to execute judgement on these wicked men and to contend or plead for him by fire in their destruction 2 By fire others understand a great Drought when the violent heat of the Sun-beams should pierce the deepest parts of the earth below the roots of the Corn and Trees and so should make a perfect famine This extream heat and scorching of the Sun is called a Fire Ioel 1.19 20. A fire hath consumed the Pastures of the Wilderness and a flame hath burnt up all the trees of the field that is the great heat of the Sun like to a fire hath consumed all 3 By Fire may be meant the Wrath of God which was now inflamed against this stubborn People and this is the kindler of all Penal fires and is oft in Scripture called Fire Iob 31.12 Isa. 26.11 Amos 5.6 Heb. 12. ult 4 And most genuinely Fire is here taken Metaphorically for some direful and dreadful Judgement for Fire of all the Elements is most terrible which should consume their men money health strength Iob 15.31 34 More especially here it adumbrates War which should be managed by some fiery furious enemy who like fire should wast and consume all before it So Ezek. 20.48 Behold I will kindle a fire in thee which shall devour every green tree and every dry tree that is all sorts of people both old and young rich and poor the fire of War shall consume them all So Numb 21.28 Isa. 66.15 16. Ier. 48.45 Lam. 2.3 Amos 1.4 7 10. 2.5 OBSERVATIONS 1 When lesser Iudgements will not mend a People God usually comes with greater The devouring Locusts could not stir this people God wil now see what the Fire will doe Great impenitency calls for great punishment Levit. 26.18 But of this elsewhere 2 Sin is the great make-bate between God and his people It breeds contention and dissention between them God hath a Suit and an Action against such Hos. 4.1 God had a Controversie against Israel and cites them to answer the Plea which he had against them for their ignorance cruelty swearing lying c. God loves his Creature as it is his Creature but when it becomes a sinful rebellious Creature he abhors it and delights in its destruction Prov. 1.26 This bred the Quarrel between God and the Old world Gen. 6.2 3. and between him and Ierusalem Jer. 30.15 Hos. 12.2 Micha 6.2 3. Sin bred the first Controversie and Quarrel between God and the Angels and between God and Adam This turns him who is sweetness it self and mercy it self into wrath and fury Isa. 64.5 it is sin that warres against God and therefore no wonder if he warre against it it is directly opposite to his holy Nature Psal. 5.5 and dishonours him in all his Attributes Sinners deny his Omniscience as if he did not see what they doe and his Omnipotence as if he were unable to punish and his Iustice as if he would never call them to an account c. no wonder then if God have a quarrel with such Sin warres against the Lawes of God against the Spirit of God Isa. 7.13 Ephes. 4.30 against the Saints of God against the wayes and Worship of God yea against all that is Gods No wonder then if he contend by Fire against that which so fiercely contends and fights against him and his 3 Warre is a dreadful Iudgement It is one of Gods last and sore Rods Ezek. 14.21 hence it is compared here to fire which is one of the most terrible elements that are If the Lord should contend with Water and send a floud upon the world that were sad but Fire Fire is farre more terrible to the nature of man As Peace is one of the choycest Mercies so War is the saddest Judgement Peace sweetens our blessings and makes them blessings indeed To have Houses Goods Lands and be in continual danger of losing by enemies imbitters all to us Hence when the Lord
the Margent of a Book points to some notable thing and is like the sounding of a Trumpet before some famous proclamation or the ringing of a Bell before an excellent Sermon 3. Here is the Vision to be attended and observed and that is A basket of Summer fruit Amos saw a basket of Summer fruit After all the Visions means and menaces which the Lord had given them he adds yet this Of a basket of Summer fruit if at last he might work upon their hard hearts By this sacred Hieroglyphick the Lord typifies the manner of Israels end and shews it to the Prophet in Vision the better to affect both Prophet and People A basket of Summer fruit is quickly ripe as the great heat of the Sun doth more speedily ripen fruit so the great means and mercies which this people did injoy hastened the maturity of their sin and made them as the Rod of an Almond-tree which blossometh before other trees Ier. 1.11 12. When fruit is ripe and gathered 't is a sign that Summer is past and Winter is at hand so this Vision did shew that the Winter of a final overthrow was nigh to the ten Tribes The word which we render Basket the Vulgar render it Uncinus an Hook wherewith we get the fruits which are past our reach from the tops of trees 'T is true the word is Homonymous in the Original and admits of divers significations as a Basket a Hook a Cage but most properly it signifies a Basket though there is a truth in all these for as the Hook pulls down those Apples which are ripe with ease and brings the boughs to our hands and as ripe fruit in a Basket or birds in a Cage Ier. 5.27 are easily carried whithersoever the owner pleaseth so the Israelites which were ripe for ruine should be easily and suddenly carried away out of their own Land by the Assyrians as appears 2 King 17. OBSERVATIONS 1. The Servants of God must persevere in their Ministery notwithstanding peoples obstinacy The Prophet had preacht five Sermons before and though he were affronted by Amaziah the Priest and accused of sedition and advised to fly and be gone that so the Kingdome might be shut of him yet he goes on in his duty still and adds a sixth Sermon to the rest and publisheth another Vision to his former Visions if by any means he might reclaim them The barrenness and baseness of a people must not make us barren Ezek. 2.3 6 7. 1 Cor. 9.16 but by an holy Antiperistasis the more vile our people are the more zealous must we be for God as Elijah was in the midst of an Idolatrous Generation If men be hardened in their sins and oppose the truth we must harden our fore-heads against their oppositions and set our faces as a flint against them as our Saviour did Isa. 50.7 and Ier. 1.18 Yeelding to the wicked in their wickedness makes them more Tyrannical and violent Wee must therefore add Sermon to Sermon and Precept to precept Isa. 28.13 If one blow or one woe will not awaken sinners we must add seven more Mat. 23.13 to 29. 2. 'T is lawful in weighty cases to use a Preface before wee speak The Prophet here begins with a Thus hath the Lord shewed mee to quicken their Attention But of this elsewhere 3. Ministers must preach plainly to their people Hence the Lord so oft useth similitudes by his servants the Prophets Isa. 5.1 c. Ier. 2.21 Ezek. 17.6 Mat. 13. 3 c. and condescends to our capacities by setting forth Visions signs and sights before his Prophets for the better instruction of his people Numb 12.6 24.4 Isa. 6.1 Ier. 24.1 2 3. Ezek. 1.1 c 8.3 Dan. 1.17 2.19 Amos 1.1 7.1 4 7. Zach. 3.1 In those Visions the Lord revealed himself in an extraordinary manner to his Prophets yet so clearly and certainly as if they had seen the things presently fulfilled which they fore-told hence they were called Seers 1 Sam. 9.9 And though these Visions and Revelations be ceased in our daies yet in these Gospel-daies he hath spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 2. and hath given to us a more sure word of Prophecie both for perspicuity and certainty because 't is both written and sealed 2 Pet. 1.19 4. Ministers must preach nothing to their people but what they have received from the Lord. Of this see before Amos 4.1 Obs. 3. 5. Matters of moment must bee marked Therefore the Lord sets a Behold here upon this Vision and questions with Amos about it the better to excite him and his hearers to the due observation of it Wee are all dull and slow of heart to beleeve the holy things of God and had great need of quickning VERSE 2. And he said Amos what seest thou and I said A basket of summer fruit then said the Lord unto mee the end is come upon my people Israel I will not again pass by them any more IN the precedent Verse we had the Type propounded in this Verse it is expounded The better to awaken both Prophet and People and to quicken their attention 1 The Lord questions with the Prophet Amos what seest thou Questions and Colloquies are more lively and make a deeper impression than plain positive assertions hence the Lord so often useth them Amos 7.8 Zach. 4.2 5.1 2 Here is the Prophets answer And I said a basket of summer fruit This was the Vision which the Lord shewed him what these ripe fruits were whether Cherries as some affirm or Figgs as others or Pears Plumbs Grapes as others or Apples as A Lapide labours more subtilly than solidly to prove by eight Analogies it is not material for us to know it is sufficient that they were summer fruits gathered towards the end of summer when fruits ripen and even fall into the hands of the gatherer 3 Here is the Lords explanation of this Vision Then said the Lord unto me the end is come upon my people of Israel There is an elegant Paranomasy between the two Hebrew words viz. that which signifies summer fruits and that which signifies an end they both sound much alike so that the one may easily put us in mind of the other the ripeness of their sins of the nearness of their ruine The Lord had tried all means and medicines both as a Father and a Physitian to cure this people but since they were incorrigible and incurable he now resolves to trouble himself and his Prophets no more with them for now he intends utterly to destroy them The end is come Hypocrites and presumptuous sinners are wont to promise themselves a longer time still No saith the Lord you are ripe for ruine and therefore now you shall reap the fruit of your owne wayes I will bear no longer with you but as ripe fruit falls of its own akind with ease so shall this people drop into the mouth of the Assyrian now that the term and
to think that God is delighted as they are with Musick Singing and a little formal sacrificing in the Temple but the Prophet tells them such carnal joy shall end in howling The Lord had given them a little success and they conceited presently that they were highly in Gods favour for wicked men are apt to measure Gods favour to them by present enjoyments and outward prosperity and therefore they goe to singing as Papists now use to doe in their Temples yet with self-respects hence the Prophet thunders out wrath and Judgement against them for those that will not sincerely sing to God in a time of grace shall be forced to howl in a time of wrath Those that will not serve God with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things shall serve him in sadness of heart in the want of all things Deut. 28.47 48. In Nehemiahs time neither Princes Priests nor people would serve God in that fat Land which he had given them therefore they were made Slaves to their enemies Neh. 9.34 35 36 37. So Psal. 106.39 40 41 42. when they fell from God to Idols he sold them into their enemies hands for a prey When the Gospel comes with tenders of grace to a people and they reâ—ect them such shall be slain Luke 19.14 27. 2 Sin brings Gods sore Iudgements upon a people It brings Sword Plague Famine Ezek. 14.21 which lay heaps upon heaps and sweep away thousands in a short space so that there are many dead bodies in all places Sin makes men fall and fly before Gods Judgements as leaves before a mighty wind Isa. 64.6 See more before on Amos 4.10 6.9 3. Want of decent burial is reckoned as a temporal Iudgement upon the wicked They shall cast them out with silence and none shall make lamentation for them as they usually did in those daies But of this at large on Amos 6.10 VERSE 4 5. Hear this yee that swallow up the needy even to make the poor of the Land to fail Saying when will the New-Moon be gone that we may sell Corn c. THe prophet having set forth the calamities which were coming upon Israel hee now comes to set forth the ground and cause of these calamities and that was 1. Their oppression cruelty covetousness and unrighteousness towards men vers 4 5 6. 2. Irreligion and Idolatry towards God vers 5 14. They had broken both Tables both high and low and that with an high hand against great light and love and therefore the Lord resolves now to root them out And because secure sinners especially great men are apt to flatter themselves and to think themselves priviledged and that God loves them because he doth not presently punish them therefore the Prophet by an Apostrophe turns his speech unto them and that he might the better awaken them he begins as oft before with an Audite hoc Hear this O yee brutish men that swallow up the poor and needy Hear and fear those threatnings which I denounce against you from the Lord vers 2 3. Awaken at last and see what dreadful destruction is at your doors that by unfained repentance ye may prevent it In this Verse we have 1. The Prophets Alarum to drowsie sinners Hear this 2. Here are the parties alarumed and these are primarily the tyrannical oppressing Rulers of Israel 2. The inferiour sort who sinned in their degree and had their peculiar sins as well as others These covetous Cormorants are here set forth Paraphrastically by their greedy devouring of the poor O yee that swallow up the needy that pant and gape as almost windless after them Amos 2.7 getting their goods eating their flesh drinking their blood and making them live so slavishly that their life was but a lingring death and this they did by laying heavy burdens upon them partly by Bribery and Usury partly by racking their Rents and by inhauncing the rate of food and other necessarie things which they had ingrossed into their own hands and so made the poor to spend what they had and for meer necessity to become their slaves The word in the fountain signifies to soop up to devour and earnestly to pant after a thing As a thirsty man swallows down drink with abundance of eagerness and delight or as the Whale and great beasts swallow the little ones up at a bit Gen. 37.20 41.21 So did these cruel covetous Harpys devour the poor without any pity or compassion Iob 5.5 7.2 Psal. 56.2 57.4 The participle of the Present Tense notes the constancy of their cruelty they were alwaies devouring it was their very Trade to press upon the poor 3. Here is the height of their cruelty they so opprest the poor that they were not able to subsist They make the poor of the Land to fail They used all means to dispatch and destroy them out of the Land that so they might live alone in the Earth Object But sure they were some wicked men whom they used thus Answ. No they were the afflicted meek and lowly of the Land The meek and modest poor are exposed to many miseries and injuries of mighty men thsee cannot resist and so become a prey to them Iames 2.6 5.6 as little fish do to the great ones Unreasonable creatures know whom they may be bold withall and so do oppressors A Crow will stand on a Sheeps back and pull off wooll they durst not be so bold with a Woolf or Mastiff OBSERVATIONS 1. Men are very deaf and hard of hearing especially when they are told of their sins And therefore the Prophet begins with an Emphatical Hear yee this They were deaf and loath to attend because they had no desire to amend Sinners have so many shifts and their deceitful hearts finde out so many evasions that the Lord is fain to bid his Prophet cry and cry aloud that all may hear and be awakened out of their deep sleep So Isa. 58.1 Micah 6.9 2. Ministers must not stick to reprove great men when they are great sinners They must cry with the Prophet Hear this O yee Rulers They do more mischief by their evil example and therefore the Prophet begins with them besides they set their hearts as the heart of God Ezek. 28.6 and think themselves above reproof and above controul and therefore the Lord will have his Prophets reprove them that they may know they be but men 3. Oppressing of the poor is a crying sin It provokes the Lord to a controversie with a Land Hos. 4.1 2 3. and makes him swear their ruine as here vers 14. 'T is an eating up and devouring of men Psal. 14.4 Micah 3.2 3. and therefore oppressors are called Dogs Wolves Bears Lions c. as I have shewed elsewhere 'T is a death far more merciless than present slaying as hanging in chains alive is worse than beheading 4. Wicked men are all for themselves They devour the poor they swallow up the needy
AN EXPOSITION By way of Supplement ON THE Fourth fifth sixth seventh eighth and ninth Chapters of the Prophecy OF AMOS Where you have the Text fully explained other Texts occasionally cleared many Cases Stated many Practical Observations raised and many Polemical Points debated Together VVith a Confutation of Dr. Homes and Sir Henry Vane In the end of the Commentary By THO. HALL B. D. and Pastor of Kings-norton O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of way-faring men that I might leave my people and go from them for they be all Adulterers an assembly of treacherous men Jer. 9.2 They bend their tongue like their bow for lyes but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth for they proceed from evil to evil and they know not mee saith the Lord. Verse 3. LONDON Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Pauls Church-yard near the Little North-door 1661. Ornatissimo Viro amico amicissimo Ecclesiae Pastorumque fidelium Patrono notissimo Orthodoxae fidei propugnatori acerrimo Gervasio Piggot de Thrumpton in Comitatu Nottingham Armigero TAm à Romanistarum faece ac Scabie quà m à Fanaticorum Spuma ac rabie liberrimo Qui Natales eruditione Eruditionem virtute Virtutem moribus usque quáque nobilibus adornavit Cui medulla inest Quintessentia Pietatis Poesios Philosophiae ac Theologiae Lucubrationes hasce quales quales Amoris Honoris ergô D. D. D. THO. HALL TO THE READER IN my Exposition on Hosea I had occasion to consult the Prophet Amos who was Hosea's Contemporary and finding that Dr. Benefield Lady Margaret-Professor in Oxford had commented on that Prophecy upon perusal I found that hee had expounded onely the three first Chapters whereupon I finding the fourth to bee very suitable to our times I onely set upon that not intending to go any further for the clouds thickned so fast over us that I despaired of proceeding to another Chapter but being incouraged by some to go on with so useful a work begun I made a further Essay and by a good hand of providence have brought the work totally beyond my own expectation to a total perfection having finisht the Exposition of the whole Prophecy Many Posthumous works have had Supplementators surpassing their Predecessors this cannot bee expected here All that I can promise thee is this that I have not baulkt any doubt or difficulty but have as fully and faithfully explained the Text as possibly I could I have spared for no cost or pains I have spent both Purse and Person freely in the work 'T is for the Lord and I have not offered to him of that which cost mee nothing I have studied brevity the times will not bear long discourses besides I naturally affect brevity and love to see much matter compact together in a little room Here thou hast Practicals Polemicals References and what ever else might compleat the work Here wee have a Glass wherein wee may see the Misery of Security the Downfall of Sensuality and Idolatry the Sword Plague and Famine pursuing an obstinate and incurable people to destruction Here wee have the sins that ruined Israel viz. Oppression and Cruelty Amos 2.8 and 8.6 7. Bribery Amos 4.1 and 5.12 Notorious Lust Amos 2.7 Odious Ingratitude Amos 2.9 10 11 12 13. Wilful Ignorance Amos 3.10 Hating of Reproof Amos 5.10 13. Formality and a Ceremonious Religion Amos 5 21 22. Unrighteousness in dealing Amos 8.5 And Weariness of Gods worship Amos 8.5 And if these be Englands sins these will be likewise Englands ruine Parity of sin will bring parity in suffering All the Symptomes of Iudgements approaching are upon the Land 1 Good men fall Psa. 12.1 Isa. 57. 1. 2 Ill men rise 2 Chron. 19.2 Psal. 12. ult 3 Gods Vine the Church is grown wilde and luxuriant for want of pruning Professors are turned Blasphemers and instead of the Grapes of Obedience they bring forth the wilde Grapes of Apostacy Idolatry Security Pride and Hypocrisie Wee grow weary of Mannah and long to be at our Garlick and Leeks and Onions in Egypt again It was the great sin of Israel that when the Lord had brought them out of Egyptian bondage into Canaan yet then they cryed Come let us make us a Captain that so wee may return into Egypt again Numb 14.4 Such horrid Apostacy alwaies ends in misery Isa. 1.4 7. Ezek. 9.9 Heb. 10.38 Besides the sad divisions and subdivisions which are amongst us fore-tell some approaching Iudgement Wee cannot gratifie Antichrist more than to weaken our selves by our divisions England is like a great Animal as the Duke of Rohan hath well observed and cannot dye unless she help to kill her self Like a Diamond she is not so easily broken with hammers and swords as she is cut in peeces with her own dust 'T was our divisions at first that brought in the Romans Normans and Saxons into this Land what they may do again a little time will shew Many amongst us have run round to Popery and therefore 't is just with God to make that the scourge which so many have made their refuge and after the Rod hath done its work then hee 'l burn it God is letting Antichrist loose once more to hasten his fall the more blood he sheds the greater will the cry be against him The measure of Babylons sins will be made up in blood before her final ruine and when she shall have once more filled her self with the blood of the Saints she shall have blood given her to drink for she is worthy The good Lord awaken us and humble us all for our own sins and for the sins of the times we live in and make us to mourn for the things wee cannot mend and inable us to receive the Truth in the love of it and make us at last to serve him with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things that wee may not provoke him to make us serve our enemies in want and misery This is and shall bee the prayer of Thy Servant in the Lord THO HALL Kingsn July 25. 1661. Israels Obstinacy A COMMENTARY ON The fourth Chapter of Amos. AMOS 4.1 Hear this word yee Kine of Bashan that are in the mountains of Samaria which oppress the poor which crush or destroy the needy which say to their Masters bring and let us drink THis Chapter contains the summe of the Third Sermon which the Prophet Amos made to Israel wherein he exhorts them to Repentance and because by nature we are very averse and backward to this duty 1 He sets before them their hainous and hideous Sins which for number and nature were very great and grievous 2 He rehearseth the Judgements which they had already endured and tells them of greater Judgements which would follow unless by speedy repentance they did prevent them 3 He sets before them the Goodness and the Greatness of God the better to draw and drive them home unto him 1 He sets before them his
Wee pitty the Poor and love them we never took any thing from them Ans. Dives who is now in Hell did not rob Lazarus but because hee did not releeve him he was damned so those reprobates Mat. 25 42 43. 2 Many doe hate the Poor and tyrannize over them and if there be so much love in their hearts how comes so little to appear in their lives He that hath a loving heart will have a bountiful hand for love is bountiful 1 Cor. 13.4 it is in vain to boast of love unless we shew it in our works Iam. 2.16 1 Ioh. 3.17 18. Now did men but consider who it is that askes and what an honour it is to be his Almoners and what profit comes by so doing they would never excuse themselves as they doe from this eminent duty We therefore that are the Ministers of Christ observing the backwardness of our people to this necessary duty should get the words of the wise which are as Goads to rouse men out of their security neither is it sufficient that wee only preach and press the duty but we must in our spheres and places see that those precepts be put in practice according to the mind of Christ the Deacons and Collectors must gather it yet the Minister by counsel and advice should see to the right distributing of it Hence the Apostles call upon Paul to remember the poor which thing saith he I was diligent to doe Gal. 2.10 neither is it sufficient that wee direct our people but by our Practice also we must lead them the way so did Paul himself did minister to the Saints at Ierusalem Rom. 15.25.28 he doth not put off the duty to others but himself leads them the way People look more what wee doe than what we say Then we may preach and press it with more zeal and confidence on others when we our selves doe goe before them in the duty else they will quickly upbraid us with a Thou that teachest another to be merciful art thou unmerciful Hence the best of men only have been the greatest pressors and promoters of this duty How oft doth Solomon the wisest of men by Precepts and Promises quicken us to this duty Prov. 11.24 19.17 22.9 28.27 Eccles. 11.1 2. and Christ himself a greater than Solomon did both by Precepts Promises and Practice incite his Disciples to this duty Matth. 5.7.42 19.25 25.34 35. Luke 11.42 12.33 Acts 20.35 How oft did Paul press this duty upon the People in all his Epistles 1 Cor. 16.1 2. 2.8.7 9.5 Heb. 6.10 13.16 and gives a strict charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 6.17 18. that he charge those that are rich to be rich in good works And the ancient Fathers the better to excite their people to works of Mercy have written whole Books in the praise of it But since God looks more at the manner than matter of our duties and loves Adverbs as Austin hath it better than Adjectives hee lookes not so much quam bonum how good the thing is as quam bene how well we doe it I shall therefore give some directions for the right performance of it for Modus rei cadit sub praecepto God hath prescribed the manner as well as the matter of our duties according to that old saying Est modus in dando quid cur cui quomodo quando Now he that will give Rightly must Give 1 Beleevingly 2 Cheerfully 3 Righteously 4 Sincerely 5 Speedily 6 Sensibly 7 Largely 8 Discreetly 9 Constantly 1 VVe must give beleevingly for without faith it is impossible to please God our persons must please before our performances can be acceptable God had first respect to Abel and then to his Offering A wicked man may give an Almes and doe an act which is materially good but as it comes from him who is in rebellion against God it is odious to him for the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. To make an action Morally good three circumstances must concur 1. The man must be Righteous he must have both an imputed and imparted Righteousness 2. He must doe righteous things 3. He must doe them righteously Hee must be a Beleever that will be a right Almes-giver for it is not the Almes of every one but of a beleeving Abraham Iob Zacheus Barnabas c. that is pleasing unto God 2. Get faith to beleeve the Promises God hath made many precious Promises to the merciful it is meer unbelief that makes men question the truth of them and this distrusting of God is the very root of all that unmercifulness that is in the world if men did but beleeve that for one corn which they sow they should have an hundred and that if they give rightly to the poor they should never lack men would not sow so sparingly as they doe get faith in the Promises and this will loosen your hearts from these low enjoyments Hee is rich who hath interest in the Promises though hee hath nothing else in the world for they are virtually every thing they are better than money in our Purses or bread in our Cupboards Shall the Husband-man Plow and Sow in hope of a doubtful Crop and the Merchant venture thorow many dangers at Sea for uncertain Riches and shall not wee venture to give who are promised a sure reward 2 Give cheerfully God loves a cheerful giver hee prefers the willingness of the mind before the worthiness of the gift 2 Cor. 8.11 12. we must be ready to distribute willing to communicate Rom. 12.8 1 Tim. 6.18 Free-will-offerings are most pleasing to God that is the best Honey which flowes from the Comb without crushing and the best Wine which comes from the Grape with least pressing We should rejoyce when God calls us to works of Mercy and honours us so farre as to be his Almoners upon earth when men give grudgingly and unwillingly and give Panem lapidosum a bit and a knock they loose their almes Unwilling obedience is no obedience it must not be forced from us by Law but flow from love we must not only doe mercy but love mercy Micah 6.8 Love is a bountiful affection it thinks it can never doe enough for the party beloved it is the weight which sets all the wheels of the Soul on going When David had set his affections on God then he thinks all the thousands that he gives to be as nothing 1 Chron. 29.3 Many give but it is with much calling upon and importunity it should come like water from a Spring freely and fluently and it comes like fire from a flint with much knocking it comes from them as if you pluckt a Rib a Leg or an Arm from them They should speak comfortably to the poor and they give them hard words and ugly looks and so marre all 3 Give Righteously as we must love Mercy so wee must doe justly Micha 6.8 we must give of our own goods justly gotten not by oppression
about Tything of Mint and Cummin and Annise but the weighty matters of the Law lay unregarded these forget that obedience is better than sacrifice Thus our perfect Pharisees the Quakers how precise seeme they in their words even beyond the rule What adoe doe they make about Pulpits Hour-glasses Churches Steeples Bells Gownes Clokes Laces Fringes Hatbands making of Leggs Curchies Titles of Honour c. and yet these Atheistical Libertines whose Religion is meer Irreligion make no bones of Blasphemy Heresie Lying Equivocating Rayling Witch-craft c. God will smite such gross Hipocrites 2 Obs. Sacrifices of praise are due only to God The Lord was here greatly displeased with Israel for offering their Sacrifices of praise to their Idols which were due to him As it was their Sin that they spent the silver and the gold which God had given them in the service of Baal Hos. 2.8 so to give the calves of their lips as Praises are called Hos. 14.2 as well as the calves of their stalls to Idols must needs be a God-provoking sin As all our Blessings come from him so it is great reason that all our Praises should bee given to him This hath ever been the practice of the Saints Psal. 56.12 93.30.33 107.22 Ionah 2.9 and is oft commanded Psal. 50.14 15. Ephes. 5.20 3 Obs. God delighteth in Free-will offerings The Prayers and Praises that we offer unto God must be voluntary ingenuous free Exod. 25.2 1 Chron. 28.9 Esa. 1.19 2 Cor. 8.12 Christ saved us willingly Psal. 40.6 7. and therefore we should serve him willingly yea the Angels which are more noble Creatures than we yet serve God willingly Psal. 103.20 we must resemble them yea the unreasonable creatures delight to serve God Psal. 19.5 Compulsive obedience is no obedience the service wee perform to God must have three ingredients in it it must bee done Scienter Volenter Constanter 1 Our service must be reasonable service for blind obedience is no obedience Rom. 12.1 2 It must be performed cheerfully and willingly for as God loves a cheerful Giver so he loves a cheerful Hearer a cheerful Prayer and a cheerful observer of his Sabbaths Isa. 58.15 It was Prophesied that in Gospel times Gods people should be willingnesses in the abstract and Plural Number that is they should bee a prompt People that are even composed as it were of willingness so ready should they bee to worship him Psal. 110.3 3 It must be constant we must not only doe righteousness at sometimes but at all times Psal. 106.3 4 Obs. Idolatry is marvellous pleasing to our corrupt natures Men love to have it so Ier. 5. ult Corrupt Principles suit well with our corrupt hearts Hence it is that men are said to be wedded to their Idols Hos. 4.17 those they love and serve and seek to worship Jer. 8.2 this makes multitudes goe after the Whore with her bewitching alluring golden Cup Revel 13.3 on this side Hell there is not a sorer Judgement than thus to be given up to our own currupt affections VERSE 6. And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your Cities and want of bread in all your places yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. WHen God would convert a People he useth Blessings and Curses Mercies and Judgements one or both of which usually work upon all ingenuous natures Levit. 26. Deut. 28. 30.1 2. God had tried all conclusions upon this people he had tried to reclaime them by Mercies Amos 2.9 10 11. 3.2 but these being ineffectual he now tries what Judgements will doe and therefore sends his three Arrowes of Famine Pestilence and Sword amongst them to convert them if it might be and not to destroy them as appears by that Emphatical Epistrophe annext to every punishment yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. Not only his Mercies but his Menaces not only his favours but his frownes and rods were all ineffectual upon the hearts of this impenitent people As a tender father will use all means to reclaime his rebellious Son so God had used all means to reclaim this People from their Idolatry and Apostacy but all in vain for they were so wedded to their lusts that they had rather lose their Land and Lives than part with them so that this is the third Sin which the Lord by his Prophet chargeth them withall viz. Obstinacy and incorrigibleness no cords of love could draw them nor judgements drive them The Lord had wasted all his rods on them in vain five or six he mentions here viz. 1 Famine 2 Drought 3 Blasting 4 Mildew 5 Plague 6 Sword But they were so farre from returning that they grew worse and worse and therefore the Lord resolves to make a final end with them In this Verse we have 1 A Judgement executed and that is Famine which is Paraphrastically set forth by cleanness of teeth and is exegetically explained in the next Clause by want of Bread and provision I have given you cleanness of teeth what is that why want of bread in all places when men have nothing to eat their teeth are clean nothing adheres to them to foul them In the precedent Verse the Lord tells us what pleased Israel viz. Sin and now hee tells us what pleased him viz. to punish them for their sin as they had abused their food like fat Beasts to luxury and riot so now they should fast for it and I also have given you or therefore have I given you cleanness of teeth it is a suitable Judgement that unclean hearts and lives should be punisht with cleanness of teeth This Judgement was in part fulfilled in Elijahs and Elishaes dayes when in Ahabs reign there was a three years famine 1 King 17. 18. 2 King 6.25 8.1 and in the dayes of King Ioram for the Idolatry that then reinged 2 King 4.38 yet some conceive that the Prophet here speaks of some latter famine which was then fresh in their memories 2 Here is the Extent or Universality of this Judgement the famine was not in one or two but in all their Cities and in all places 3 Here is the effect which this Judgement had upon them viz. It was ineffectual yet have yee not returned to me saith Lord. Their hearts were so hardned and they so indurate in sin that they were become incorrigible and incurable they were Judgement-proof no chastning could work upon them Yet have yee not c. This yet shewes that there was great reason why God should expect their return and that hee had done that which in all probability might have caused them to return when he sent these Judgements on them therefore God inculcates and oft repeats this sentence Yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord as being greatly troubled that his corrections had no better operations on them when even Phrygians and Barbarians are bettered by blows yea the dull Asse is quickned by the
in another case God will provide Obj. But thou mayest dye by the Famine A True saith faith and that is best of all for me for that will free me from sin and from all the miseries that attend it He cannot dye ill that lives well let him dye by Famine Sword Pestilence or whatever Disease yet if he dye in the Lord in his fear and favour he is blessed Revel 14.13 Though the Fig-tree should not blossom yet a beleever can rejoyce in the Lord in the want of all Hab. 3.17 hee knowes that the Lord can bless a little and make the Widdows meal to increase by spending 1 King 17.17 he knows that God can put vertue and nourishment into the Creature and make us walke in the strength of one meal for many dayes together as he did Elijah who went forty dayes together in the strength of one dinner or if he take away our meat as the Martyr said he will take away our appetite also Man lives not by bread only but by every word of God Mat. 4.4 2 Obs. God payes Sinners many times in their own coyn As men deal with others so God deals with them These Idolatrous Israelites kept Gods faithful Ministers hungry and spent all on Idols and false Prophets and now God keeps them hungry they like fat Beasts were luxurious and abused their food and now they shall be kept short and want food they abused their Wine and now they shall want Water and though Great men many times escape in times of famine yet God can smite them with such Diseases that they shall neither eate nor drink In quo quis pescat in eo punitur Absolon that was proud of his hair at last it became an Halter that helpt to hang him David that abused anothers bed hath his own bed defiled by Absolon who lay with his Concubines when he proudly numbred the people hee lost them by the Pestilence so Hezekiah that was lifted up with his Treasures lost them Isa. 39.5 Such is our corruption that we seldome know the worth of Mercies till we want them Carendo potius quam fruendo when wee want food health wealth peace and the Gospel of Peace then wee begin to know the price of these mercies 3 Obs. The principal end that God aimes at in our corrections is our conversion He corrects us for our profit that wee might be partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12.10 he sent the Famine on this People that so they might return unto him This is his special end Iob 33.19 to 28. 36.8 9. Psal. 94.12 119.71 Luke 15.14 to 30. wee should not therefore lose the benefit of our Afflictions nor frustrate Gods end in correcting us but say with the Martyr Lord doe thou beat and I will bend As the Apostle saies of Patience Iam. 1.4 Let patience have its perfect work that is let it be sincere and endure to the end so say I of Repentance let it not be a half turn or make you howl as the Famine did those Israelites Hos. 7.14 but let his rods bring us home fully to himself that we may return to him with all our hearts and then we shall be happy 4 Obs. Such as turn truly must turn to God This is implied here in that the Lord complains Yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord. Many turn from sin to sin they turn from Drunkenness to Covetousness from Idolatry to Libertinism c. This is a changing of one sin for another but true conversion is a turning from all sin to God it is a turning from sin which is the greatest evil unto God who is the chiefest good Deut. 4.30 Ier. 3.1 22. Lam. 3.40 Hos. 14.1 Ioel 2.12 5 Obs. Hardned Sinners are incorrigible and incurable When men have got a custom of sinning and have long rejected the Word of God then it is not all that Mount Sinai or Mount Sion can afford not all the dreadful Curses of the one nor all the gracious Promises of the other that can work upon them as wee see in Cain Pharaoh Saul and others Let the Lord spend all his Arrows upon them yet they return not unto him that smites them Isa. 9.13 but the more they are smitten the worse they are Isa. 1.5 like the Smiths stithy the more it is stricken the harder it is let God smite them yet they refuse to receive correction Ier. 2.30 The Bellows are burnt the Prophets Lungs are consumed and the Founder melts in vain for the wicked are not turned from their wickedness therefore reprobate silver shall men call them Ier. 6.29 30. because their scum still abides in them Ezek. 24.6.12.13 How impregnable are the consciences of wicked men who are no more moved with the threatnings of Gods Ministers than the people which live under the fall of Nilus are at the sound thereof their continual familiarity with that noyse either quite deafs them or else makes them dis-regard it They are as senseless of what is spoken as the Pillars which they leane to or the Seats which they sit upon so that many men come short of the very faith of Devils for they beleeve there is a God and that all which he hath spoken in his Word is true they beleeve the Power Justice and Wrath of God so far as to tremble at it and herein they goe beyond most wicked men who never goe so farre as to quake and tremble at Gods threatnings yea the Devil hath taught them a lesson which he cannot learn himself viz. to mock at Gods threatnings saying in their hearts they shall never come upon us The Devil quakes and fears whilst these are sensless and incorrigible How many are corrected but not amended beaten but not bettered this doubles mens sins and makes them out of measure sinful when neither the Word nor the Sword neither Mercies nor Menaces neither Promises nor Threatnings can work upon men when sin is grown too strong for that means which God hath ordained to suppress it they are nigh to utter destruction This plainly appears by this people of Israel after their defection and Apostacy from the Worship of God they never Prospered but had one Judgement after another till they were quite destroyed We are apt to wonder at Israels induration and yet this is Englands Sin God hath done as much to reclaim us as ever he did for Israel and yet we have not returned to him 1 The Lord hath punisht our neighbour Nations to make us fear we have seen what he hath done to Germany Ireland Savoy c. he expected that their desolation should have been our Instruction Zeph. 3.6 7. but yet we have not returned to the Lord. 2 He hath sent amongst us many Elijahâ— and Elisha's to wooe us and to warn us and yet we have not returned to the Lord. 3 He hath drawn us with the cords of love and given us Mercy upon Mercy Deliverance upon Deliverance Victory upon Victory and yet yee have
not returned to me saith the Lord. 4 VVe have had Sword Plague and Famine amongst us and yet yee have not returned unto me saith the Lord. 5 And now the Lord seems to threaten greater Judgements and to deal more severely with us for our obstinacy and impenitency and yet we are as stupid and stubborn as ever and never once think of returning to him that smites us O that the Lord would awaken every soul of us out of this deep and deadly sleep oh that every one would now goe into his Closet and there seriously ask his soul What have I done Against what light and love against what wooings and warnings against what Mercies and Judgements have I rebelled None so beloved of his God as I and none that hath so abused his love as I have done Oh that we could now take shame to our selves for our stubborn standing out so long against so good and gracious a God! oh that we could judge our selves for our rebellion and loathe our selves for our great provocations then would the Lord repent of the evil he intended against us and we might hope to see better days than yet we have seen 6 Obs. Hipocritical turning is no turning in Gods esteem This People did sometimes howl in their misery and fast and pray Hos. 7.14 but it was but counterfeit and therefore the Lord chargeth them still with this Yet have yee not returned to me saith the Lord. False things in Scripture are counted as no things A wicked man is accounted as no man Ier. 5.1 the streets of Ierusalem were full of men but because they were not good men God calls them no men Thus the wicked are said to have no heart i. e. no good heart and so as good have none at all Hos. 7.11 VERSE 7.8 And I also have with-holden the rain from you when there were yet three months to the Harvest and I caused it to raine upon one City and caused it not to raine upon another City one peece was rained upon and the peece whereupon it rained not withered So two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water but they were not satisfied yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. THe Prophet descends to the enumeration of new Judgements two of which were the Causes of the Famine The first was Drought and want of Rain vers 7 8. The second was Blasting Mil-dew and the Palmer-worm vers 9. This People were like Clouds without water and yeelded no obedience to God but followed Idols and now his clouds have no water for them When God is against us all are against us so that here we have a second Scourge where-with the Lord chastised this people that he might bring them home to himself viz. Drought and Barrenness he had before punisht them with Famine and want of Bread now he punisheth them with Thirst and want of Water Thus the Lord tried all conclusions to better them but in vain as will appear by the sequel In this Verse we have 1. The efficient cause of this Judgement viz. the Lord I have with-holden the rain from you viz. the latter rain which that hot Country had most need of I have forbidden it to fall upon you saith God 2 Here is the continuance of the Judgement it was not for a week or two but for three months even till the fruits of the earth withered and were destroyed and this the Lord did the more deeply to affect them with their sins One months want of rain in that hot Country especially should have startled them two months should have astonisht them but three months should have fully awakened them yet such was their gross senslesness and stupidity that they laid it not to heart And therefore the Lord the better to set forth his patience and this peoples impenitency sets forth his dealings particularly with them and tells us how he brought the Famine the Drought the Palmer-worm and the Pestilence c. upon them He came not suddenly upon them but gave them space to repent and time to consider their wayes and the tokens of his displeasure against them But such was their obstinacy and malice that nothing could work upon them their Disease was too strong for the Physick and their Maladies for Gods remedies his labour was lost upon them 3 Here is the juncture of time when this rain was with-held from them viz. three months before Harvest which was about March for about the latter end of May in that hot Country was their Harvest this was called the latter rain and was very needful to fit fill and ripen the Corn for Harvest For the better understanding of this we must know that the Land of Canaan was not like the Land of Aegypt for in Aegypt they seldome or never had any rain Zech. 14.18 for the River Nilus did once a year over-flow the greatest part of their Country and so did mellow and soften the earth for all the year after But Canaan was a mountanous place and could not be so watered and therefore the Lord took more special care of it and watered it with rain from Heaven Deut. 11.10 11. In this Land there were two more especial seasons for rain viz. the former rain about September when the Seed was sown that it might take the better rooting and the latter rain in the Spring time when the Corn was grown up and earing to fit it for the Harvest and this was called the latter rain which is said to fall in the first month that is in March which with them was the beginning of the year Ioel 2.23 Hence are those frequent expressions in Scripture of the former and the latter rain Deut. 11.14 Ier. 5.24 Hos. 6.3 Zech. 10.2 Iam. 5.7 for in Harvest it seldome or never rained in those hot Countries and therefore when Samuel by Prayer had obtained rain in Harvest they looked upon it as a prodigious thing 1 Sam. 12.16 17 18 19. now the want of either of these rains was sad but specially the latter when a man shall see his Corn sown grown up and then when he expects a Harvest after all his pains for want of rain to have it wither and dye before his eyes this must needs be grievous to him 4 Here is the accurateness of Gods Judgements he distinguisheth between City and City Feild and Feild I caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another As hee commanded the Sun to shine on Goshen and not on Aegypt so he commands the rain to fall on some and not on others These things came not by chance but by providence it is I faith the Lord that commanded it to rain upon one parcel of ground and not upon another 5 Here is the effect of this Judgement it makes them run from City to City for water vers 8. but in vain for they could not get enough to satisfie their necessities They were sensible of bodily wants but insensible of Spiritual wants
Pestilent curiosity of tormenting fear and deadly slavery The learned and laborious Knight hath long since condemned this Devillish Art take it in his own words Astrologia eventu fallax usu superstitiosa à Barbaris nationibus importata bonis temporibus Graeciae ignota etiam malis Roma pulsa Ars quod in arte turpissimum est nullis texta principiis nulla subjux demonstratione nullo constans syllogismo Against this cursed Art see Arch-Bishop Abbots Thesis tertia Fulleri Miscelan l. 1. c. 16. p. 99. Spanheim Dub. 33. P. 2. p. 331. Brochman Cas. consc p. 88. folio Gataker against Lilly Lord Virulams Advancement of Learning p. 147. Weemse Vol. 4. p. 21 c. Barclaies Argenis chap. 17. Calvin Opuscula Tract adversus Astrologiam p. 801. Vicars against Heyden Waterhouse Defence of Humane Learning p. 30 c. VERSE 8. So two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water but they were not satisfied yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. RAin in the Land of Canaan where Israel dwelt it being a very hot Eastern Country was very necessary not only for the fruites of the earth but also for the quenching of thirst both of Man and Beast especially if it be true which some learned men affirm viz. That there were but few Springs here and no considerable rivers but only Iordan this made them glad to keep Rain-water in Cisterns for all uses being most afflicted with Thirst and Drought if it rained not This made them run from one City to another to seek water for as hunger so thirst breaks thorow all diâ—ficulties Those Cities that had no water did run to those Cities that had either Spring-Water or Rain-water but they were not sufficed saith the text so great was the Drought and so many that wanted that they could not get water enough to relieve their necessities no not in those places where they had heard that it had rained This shewes the great straight that they were in no digging nor delving for Water at home could help them no new nor old Springs could supply them but they were forced to leave their houses and to goe from City to City to seek water and yet they could not be satisfied for the Wells or Water which might supply one City yet could not supply so many This one would think should have awakened them and brought them to Repentance no doubt but it did afright them and made them sad but yet they were not bettered by their sadness for they went on still in their sins and superstitions dangerously and desperately without any returning and therefore the Lord upbraids them once more with a yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. OBSERVATIONS 1 Sin and specially the sin of Idolatry brings a People into great straights The Earth here languisheth the Corn withereth and men run up and down for water to quench their thirst and yet cannot get it and why is all this why for the sin and Apostacy of this people 1 King 8.35 17.1 2 Obs. God hath variety of Iudgements in store wherewith to punish a rebellious people If want of Bread will not mend them he will try what want of VVater will doe and if neither of these will work yet he hath the Pestilence and Sword to follow Great Judgements are like great men they seldom goe alone they have many attendants Hence when the Lord had threatned many sore Judgements against his People hee tells them that if they will not be reformed by these things he will yet plague them seven times more according to their sins yea and seven to that and seven to that Levit. 26.18.21.24.28 seven times that is many times and more extreamly than formerly if one Judgement will not work upon Pharaoh he hath nine more that shall and if lesser will not stir and mend him he hath greater that shall end him Exod. 11. 12. God hath not only written Judgements but also many unwritten ones to send upon a rebellious people Deut. 28.61 3 Obs. True repentance is a very difficult thing It is not so easily wrought as many imagine This people here had Line upon Line Sermon upon Sermon Prophet upon Prophet and Plague upon Plague and yet you see the charge lies against them still that they had not yet returned to the Lord. The change of nature is no easie thing it is an act of Omnipotency now true repentance is no less than the changing of the nature it is not only a change of the words or of the works but of the heart and inward man it is the changing of a Lion into a Lamb of a VVolf into a Sheep of Fire into VVater and of Darkness into Light Isa. 11.8 Ephes. 5.8 None can change Nature but the God of Nature no rods or afflictions of themselves can doe it they rather stupifie men or else make them fret and so drive them further from God till he by his grace doe sanctifie them and set them home upon our hearts they will never better us how many are corrected but are never taught but when the Lord teacheth Mortification Sanctification Humiliation and obedience by our sufferings then happy are we Psal. 94.12 VERSE 9. I have smitten you with Blasting and Mildew when your Gardens and your Vineyards and your Fig-trees and your Olive-trees increased the Palmer-worm devoured them yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord. WE are now come to the third Scourge which God used for the amendment of this People and that is the smiting of their fruit which grew in their Fields Gardens and Vine-yards They had abused them to Luxury and Idolatry and now they lose them God had given them Corne to supply their necessity and Vines and Figgs and Olives for delight but their sins deprived them both of the one and the other In the words we have 1 The Person smiting and that is the Lord it is I your Creator Preserver Deliverer that hath blest you so long that now doth blast you It is I that have smitten you 2 Here is the Rod with which hee smites them consisting of three Lashes 1 Blasting 2 Mildew 3 The Palmer-worm Blasting and Mildew that may have relation to the Corn and be one cause of the Famine before mentioned Vers. 6. and the Palmer-worm may have relation to the fruit God used variety of Judgements that they might the better see his hand in all and not attribute things to Fate or Fortune to Stars or second causes Blasting is a Curse threatned against a disobedient People Deut. 28.22 it usually comes from an East-wind which is a scorching drying Wind withering the Corn and making it look yellow Gen. 41.6 Mildew is the spoyling of the Corn by excessive moysture making it look pase so that it never comes to maturity for the natural greenness is gone before it bee ripe and the colour is faded The Palmer-worm is a noysome devouring
may justly provoke the Lord to blast thy Corn indeed Little better is that of the Popish Processions about the Fields with Flaggs and Banners and Bables The best and only remedy in this case is humble penitential Prayer 1 King 8.37 38 39. to such the Promise runs If Blasting Mildew Locust or Caterpillars be in the Land if Gods people shall pray and know every man the plague of his own heart that is his Sin which is the cause of all other Plagues then will the Lord hear in heaven and forgive and heal the Land 2 Chron. 6.28 29 30. 2.7 13 14. 2 Obs. Loss of fruit is a punishment for sin and a sign of Gods displeasure against a people Fruit Corn Cattel Trees all fare the worse for sinful man God turns a fruitful Land into a Wilderness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Psal. 107.34 and therefore when the Lord is angry with a People we read how he brake their trees with hayl and destroyed their Vines and Fig-trees Exod. 9.25 10.5 Deut. 28.16 17 18.39 40. Psal. 78.48 105.33 we should therefore over-look second causes and see Gods hand afflicting us in these losses Many impute that to Winds Frosts Blasts c. which are indeed the finger of God pointing to our abuse of the Creatures which provokes him to take them from us It will be our wisdome therefore when ever the Lord gives us plenty to take notice of Gods hand and praise him and when we want them to be humbled before him and to beg the restoring of them at his hand who gives to all that ask in faith liberally and upbraideth no man VERSE 10. I have sent among you the Pestilence after the manner of Aegypt your young men have I slaine with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your Camps to come up into your nostrils yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. IN this Verse we have a Fourth and Fifth Rod where-with the Lord chastned this stubborn people viz. the Pestilence and the Sword Before they were smitten with the Famine which rich men many times feel not now follows the Plague and Sword as usual Concomitants on the former hence all these three are so oft joyned together in Scripture These meet with the rich as well as the poor yea the Sword ayms principally at rich men Souldiers doe not use to enquire where dwells the poor man but where dwells the Vsurer the rich Oppressor c. the poor scape best many times in such combustions Ier. 39.20 Q. The Question will be what Pestilence this was and when it fell upon Israel A. 1. It is conceived that the Pestilence of Aegypt here meant was not any one particular Plague but a complication of Plagues and specially the Fifth and Tenth Plague of Aegypt which brought Murrain on the Cattle and Mortality on men First there was so great and so grievous a destruction of Cattel that all the Horses Asses Camels and all the Cattel of Aegypt dyed Exod. 9.6 9. 2 All their first-born dyed there was not a house in which there was not one dead Exod. 12.29 Psal. 78.50 51. so it was amongst this people there was a sore slaughter both of men and horses The Prophet seems to allude to the dayes of King Iehoahaz King of Israel when the King of Syria made so great a slaughter amongst them that of the whole Army of Israel there were left but fifty Horse-men ten Chariots and ten thousand Foot all the rest were destroyed and made like the dust by threshing 2 King 13.7 Hereupon the Air was corrupted and the loathsome stench of so many dead Bodies helpt to bring the Pestilence amongst them In this Verse wee have these parts considerable 1 The Judgements inflicted which are two 1 The Pestilence 2 The Sword 2 Here is the nature of this Pestilence it is not an ordinary one but it is a most noysome grievous deadly Pestilence such a one as God inflicted upon his professed enemies the Aegyptians when Man and Beast suddenly dyed Ieroboam when he was in Aegypt learnt the Worship of the golden Calves this he taught to Israel and having made them like the Aegyptians in Idolatry and Sin the Lord now makes them alike in Judgement I have sent amongst you the Pestilence after the manner of Aegypt The words in the fountain are I have smitten you with Pestilence in the way of Aegypt it is an Hebraism used in other places as Isa. 10.24 26. Ezek. 20.30 and is as much as after the manner of Aegypt as our Translation renders it well q. d. As I sent sore Plagues upon the Aegyptians in like severity will I deal with you who have walked in their obstinacy and Idolatry 3 Here is the special Object or the Persons slaine by the Sword and these are their young and strong men Your young men have I slaine with the sword Young men are for Warre and more fit for service than old men by reason of their strength spirit boldness and activity Old men are for counsel and young men for action Young men in the height of their bloud sin with more heat and violence and so their sins are more displeasing unto God and therefore he oft cuts them off in the height of their sin 4 Here are two Adjuncts and Concomitants which usually attend upon Warre the first is the loss of horses I have taken away your horses and carried them into captivity with your haughty young men who trusted in them These are the strength of the battail but the Riders being taken the Horses must needs be taken with them 2 Loathsome stench and noysome smells I have made the stench of your Camps to come up into your nostrils partly by such as dyed of the Plague and partly by the multitude of men and horses that were slain and lay unburied and so infected the air 5 Here is the old complaint continued still yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. Though yee have been thus sadly smitten with all my great Rods yet all my labour is but lost upon you for you still contemn the remedy of your recovery and have not yet returned unto me saith the Lord. OBSERVATIONS 1 When lesser Rods will not mend a people God usually comes with greater Blasting Mildew Palmer-worms did not work upon this People and now comes Pestilence and Sword Gods great Rods to destroy them utterly 2 Obs. Iudgements especially great ones seldome goe alone Sword Plague Famine often goe together As men multiply Sins so God multiples Plagues and as they have variety of sins so he hath variety of punishments as I have shewed before on Vers. 8. Obs. 2. 3 Obs. Parity of Sin brings parity of Iudgement The Aegyptians were obstinate Idolaters no Plagues could work upon them therefore God destroyed them And this was Israels case they were obstinate Idolaters like the Aegyptians and now God
But why doth the Lord call upon his people to prepare themselves when their hearts were hardned and he tells us that the way of man is not in himself and that the preparation of the heart is his work and not ours Psal. 10.17 Besides he had decreed here to carry them into captivity and hee tells them as much and therefore all their repentance was but vain Ans. 1. The Lord had some elect and hidden ones both called and to be called amongst them and to these he principally speaks for all Gods commands are effectual in beleevers they are not an empty sound as they are in the ears of unbeleevers but there goes forth a power from god inableing them to obey if he command them to beleeve hee inables them so to doe If he command them to prepare to meet him by repentance there goes forth a power from him which inables them so to doe As when our Saviour commanded Lazarus to arise there went forth a power from him that raised him Moti movemus acti agimus when the will is regenerate and made pliable then it readily obeyes all Gods commands be they never so hard or harsh to flesh and bloud yet they can doe all things Evangelically through Christ that strengthens them God gives them his preventing assisting co-operating persevering grace Iob 11.13 14. 2 Such commands as these shew us our duty not our ability and must make us in the sense of our own inability prepare our selves to sue unto him for preparation 3 Such commands make the wicked more inexcusable who had power in Adam to obey all Gods commands but they in him have lost it and by their daily obstinacy and falling away from God and his wayes they have justified that grand Apostasie of our first Parents 4 The threatnings of God are not alwayes absolute and irrevocable but for the most part they are conditional and to be understood with this exception viz. except they repent and amend and this condition is sometimes expressed as Ier. 18.7 8. Ioel 2.13 14. and sometimes suppressed and concealed as Ionah 3.9 Yet forty dayes and Niniveh shall bee destroyed that is if they repented not So here though Israels case seemed desperate yet the Lord bids them turn and he would be propitious to them 5 Admit the Judgement be irrevocable and Gods people must notwithstanding their repentance bee Captives to the Assyrians yet their repentance had not been fruitless for they should have escaped eternal misery 2 In this Life the punishment of such Penitents is oft mitigated though not totally removed Hence we usually see that in times of publick Calamity it goeth best with the best men to them these are but fatherly Chastisements when to the wicked they are fore-runners of greater wrath A Ieremy Ezekiel Daniel may goe into Captivity but it is for good as the Lord said sometimes of his People I will send them into the Land of Caldea for good Ier. 24.5 such mourners shall be marked for Mercy when Judgement comes Ezek. 9.4 4 Here are the Persons to whom this Exhortation is applied and directed and that is to the ten Tribes who are often called by the name of Israel as being his off-spring 1 King 14.18 2 King 3.3 10.32 hee names them twice and ingeminates the title the better to awaken them and quicken their attention as also to shew his great affection to them as David named Absolon twice whom he loved So our Saviour speaking to Ierusalem doubles the title O Ierusalem Ierusalem Mat. 23.37 to awaken them to shew his tender love and compassion to them and to shew his anger against their sins he Pathetically cries out O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets c. q. d. Thou that hast been the place which God hath honoured with his special presence and chosen above all the places of the earth for his habitation to fix his name there art thou become a den of Devils and Murderers So the Lord here the better to rouze these Israelites out of their security and impenitency by an Epanodos doubles their name saying Thus will I doe to thee O Israel and because I will doe thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel 5 Since we are backward and averse to this duty of Returning he backs his Exhortation with a double Motive 1 The first is a drawing Motive taken from the consideration of Gods readiness to pardon Penitents Hee is thy God prepare to meet thy God hee is thine by Profession though thou hast walkt unanswerably to it And 2. he is Thy God in Covenant with thee and so ready to receive thee if thou wilt but truly turn to him The second is a driving Motive and is drawn from the consideration of Gods Almighty Power vers 13. who was now marching against them This power the better to awaken them he sets forth by six Royalties 1 He formeth the Mountains 2 Creates the Winds 3 Knows mens Thoughts 4 Maketh the Morning-darkness 5 Treads upon the high places of the Earth 6 He is the Lord of Hosts OBSERVATIONS 1 When lesser Iudgements will not mend a People God usually comes with greater When Blasting Mildew Famine Pestilence and Sword can doe no good then look for a Thus will I doe unto thee that is I will utterly destroy thee for remedies are in vain when the sore is so desperate So Isa. 1.5 Why should yee be smitten any more q. d. your case is desperate and incurable and therefore I will trouble my self no more with you but will now utterly destroy you And this is that which highly aggravates Englands Sin we have been long incorrigible under lesser Judgements and therefore what can we now expect but that the Lord should come with a Thus will I doe unto thee O England and because I will doe thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O England 2 Obs. God will not stick to punish his owne people and that severely when they sin against him Where he bestowes the greatest Priviledges there he inflicts the greatest Judgements He is sharper with them than with Heathens because they are nearer to him and so their sins doe more dishonour him The sins of a David doe more dishonour God than the sins of many uncircumcised Philistims God will be sanctified of all his nigh ones Levit. 10.2 He dwells amongst his people and cannot endure their provocations We can endure dung in our fields but not in our houses we can bear with briars and thorns in the Wilderness which we cannot endure in our inclosed Gardens Such sin against great light and great love and therefore will bee surely and sharply punisht for their iniquity Amos 3.2 as wee see in Eli David Hezekiah Zachariah Ierusalem Esa. 22.1 Dan. 9.12 3 Obs. Ministers must apply the Word unto their people Thus will I doe to thee O Israel This is the only way to convince and convert men what is spoken in general to all few will
Lord alwaies before us it would keep us from falling either on the right hand or on the left Psal. 16.8 David kept all Gods Precepts because he knew that all his wayes were before him Psal. 119.168 So Iob 34.21 22. There is much in the eye of men to keep us from sin and quicken us to duty how much more in Gods All-seeing eye Iob 24.17 He looks upon Sinners with a Vindictive eye It is said of Hercules and some others that they had such sparkling eyes that they terrified men so that they durst not look upon them This is most true of God in a Spiritual sense if he but look on Pharaoh and his Host it puts them all into terror Exod. 14.24 yea if he but look upon the earth which never sinned it trembles before him Psal. 97.4 Men may dissemble with men but there is none can deceive God No Sinner is more hated of God than the Hypocrite because no sin is so directly opposite to his Nature Iehu his zeal was to settle himself in Ahabs Throne but God sees through such Tiffany-designs and sayes to such as the Prophet said to the Wife of Ieroboam Come in thou Wife of Jeroboam why feignest thou thy self to be another than thou art God will one day smite such painted walls Esau a cunning Hunter may get the Venison of this World but it is plaine sincere single-hearted Iacob that gets the blessing Let us therefore alwaies walk as in the presence of God as Enoch Gen. 5.24 Abraham Gen. 17.1 and Hezekiah did Esay 38.3 4 This should make us to keep a strict watch over out Thoughts God is a Spirit and he more especially eyes the bent of our spirits It is not so much our words and workes as our hearts which the Lord ponders So that what the Apostle saith of our words is most true of our Thoughts he that offendeth not in thought the same is a perfect man He is right indeed who is right within When the Lord comes to search men he ransacks the heart and observes what imaginations and thoughts lodge there and judgeth of men accordingly Gen. 6.5 5 It may inform us that the holy Scriptures are the Word of God because of that lively powerful heart-searching excellency that is in them Heb. 4.12 13. Mens words are dead but here is living water sharp and quick discovering the very thoughts and intents of the heart wee should not then quarrel with the Word when it nakedly discovers our selves unto our selves but fall on our faces and worship God confessing that he is in his Ministers of a truth 1 Cor. 14.24 25. We must bless and not blaspheam as some that say The Devil is in the Minister he hath some Familiar else how could he know my thoughts when it is not we that know your thoughts but it is God who searcheth your hearts and by his Word doth discover the secrets of your hearts though wee know not your faces It is the Lord who directs the Word to the hearts of his people Austin reports of himself that when he had been Preaching to his owne people he fell from the subject he intended to confute the Manichees When hee came home he said to those at dinner with him Did you not observe how I went from the subject intended they answered yes Then said he Surely the Lord did this for the good of some soul that was present Not long after came one Firmus a Merchant to him with tears in his eyes blessing God that had brought him to confute the Manichees whereby he was converted God is a free Agent and works when he will on whom he will and by whom he will 6 It serves for Consolation many waies 1 It may comfort us against the reproaches and slanders of the wicked This comforted Iob when his friends accused him falsely that the Lord knew the way which he took Job 23.10 q. d. Though my friends accuse me for an Hypocrite yet Lord thou knowest not only an act or two of mine but thou knowest the very way that I take He knowes the bent of our Souls and will reward us accordingly This uphold Ieremy under this very temptation Ier. 15.10 15. and Paul 1 Cor. 4.3 4 5. The godly have hidden Mannah which comforts them against the calumnies of the world and a white Stone which armes them against the black Stones which are thrown at them by the world and a new Name to comfort them against the nick-names of the world 2 It may comfort us in all our troubles that the Lord sees them Exod. 3.9 Acts 7.34 Our groanings are not hid from him Psal. 38.9 Though wheels goe cross yet God hath a wheel in those wheels Though wee know not how yet he knowes how and when it is best to deliver his 2 Pet. 2.9 3 It may comfort us in point of Weakness It may be thou canst not express thy mind in words I but the Lord knows our thoughts and desires afarre off even before we think them and our words before we speak them Before we call he answers and if we have but sincere desires he hath promised to hear them Psal. 10.17 It may bee that thou art under a Tentation and canst see no faith nor love in thy heart yea but God can Grace is Gods hand-writing in our heaâ—â—s Ier. 31.33 which he can read when we cannot so that as Paul said I know no evil by my self yet am I not thereby justified so mayest thou say I know no good by my self yet herein am I not condemned 4 It may incourage us to be much in secret with God in secret Prayer Meditation and Communion Thy Father which sees in secret he shall reward thee openly Thy secret obedience shall have open recompence Ieremy that wept in secret had his life given him when the King had his eyes put out and many Nobles were slaine 4 Obs. The Lord can turn our light into darkness Hee can turn the morning which usually brings light with it into the darkest night Thus he dealt with Aegypt he brought a dismal darkness on them for three dayes even such darkness as might be felt Exod. 10.21 22. So when Christ was Crucified there came a great darkness on the Land Mat. 27.45 If we provoke the Lord to anger he can quickly turn our day into night Amos 5.8 and our mirth into mourning Hee is the God of Nature and can when pleaseth him invert the order of Nature and stifle us with gross darkness The Light is a pleasant thing but the light of the Gospel that Supernatural Light oh how pleasant and precious is that We may better want the Sun in the Firmament for that is but a common blessing than the glorious light of the Gospel which shewes us the way to eternal life Wee should therefore bee thankful to God for all manner of Light and take heed of offending him who can at once deprive us both of Natural and Supernatural light He can
but an hundred and an hundred shall be brought to ten saith the Lord who doth this OBSERVATIONS Sin is the grand depopulator of a Kingdome It makes Cities that go out by thousands to return by hundreds and reduceth their hundreds to tens Wee use to complain of such as unpeople Towns and Villages sin is the Arch-depopulation of Towns and Cities it brings the Sword Plague and Famine upon Nations which sweep men away by thousands As obedience multiplies a people and makes them like the sand of the Sea for multitude 1 King 4.20 So disobedience makes men few in number which were before as the Stars of heaven for multitude Deut. 28.62 We should therefore unanimously rise in arms against this Cut-throat sin if an enemy should come to Town that had killed our fathers mothers wives and children and robbed us of all our pleasant things with what indignation and fury would men women and children joyntly rise to ruine such an enemy Sin is this adversary it robs Sovereigns of their subjects Pastors of their people and robs us of our dearest relations We should therefore do by it as the Iews did by Paul whom they lookt upon as their adversary Act. 22.27 28. when they saw him they stirred up all the people and laid hands on him saying Men of Israel help This is he that is against this people and against the Law and against this place So should we encourage each other against sin and suppress it saying Magistrates Ministers men and brethren help this is that which destroyes our people wastes our Cities unpeoples our Towns opposeth the Laws and brings confusion every where 2 Obs. In the midst of judgement God remembers mercy All had deserved death here yet such is his clemency that hee spares a Tenth and leaves a remnant Isa. 1.9 and 6.11 12 13. 'T is the Lords singular mercy that any remain alive and it is his overflowing goodness that wee are not all utterly consumed and hurled out of the world at once Lam. 3.22 In the midst of these devastations here is a gleaning left to praise him 3 Obs. The threatnings of Gods Ministers are Gods threatnings Thus saith the Lord the City that went out by a thousand shall leave an hundred T is not I saith Amos but the Lord by mee his weak instrument that tells you this Wee are Ambassadors for Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 Now the words of an Ambassador are esteemed as the words of him that sent him This made Cornelius though a Souldier and a Commander yet to set himself as in Gods presence and so to hear as if God himself spake to him Act. 10.33 and so did the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 2.13 when our preaching agrees with the word of God it is to bee esteemed as the word of God himself If this were truly beleeved it would make us come with other affections to hear the word than most now do VERSE 4. For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel seek yee mee and yee shall live THe Prophet having shewed this people their misery and affrighted them with the Threatnings hee comes now unto the Remedy and shews them how they may prevent all that misery which like a flood was rushing in upon them especially for their Idolatry and that is by Repentance by forsaking their Idols and turning to the Lord. Where there is no ground of hope people grow desperate and run from God and therefore the Prophet gives them some glimpse of mercy inviting them once and again to seek the Lord that so they might prevent his fury In the words we have 1 A preface Thus saith the Lord. This is oft used before by this our Prophet in the first second third and fourth Chapters and this hee doth 1 To quicken attention 2 To make them attend with the greater reverence and fear since it is the word of God and not of man 3 To assure them of the certainty and truth of what hee spake and that it should bee certainly and suddenly effected for hee that is Almighty hath said it 2 Here are the persons to whom hee speaks viz. To the house of Israel i. e. to the ten Tribes The invitation is general to take off all excuse that none might say They were not exhorted to the duty 3 Here is a Precept Seek yee mee Where wee have 1 The Act Seek 2 The Object Mee 4 A Promise And yee shall live The Precept is short but very comprehensive It is indeed a brief of the whole body of Religion or a summary of the whole duty of man The Scripture doth in many places epitomize our duties reducing them sometimes to eleven heads as Psal. 15. Sometimes to six as Isa. 33.15 and Heb. 6.1.2 Sometimes to three viz. Justice Mercy and humble walking with God Micah 6.8 Our Saviour hath epitomized them and reduced them all unto two viz. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy self But our Prophet here comes and summes them all up in one saying Seek the Lord. The word Seek is emphatical and signifies not a bare wishing or woulding or some cold velleities but an earnest accurate exquisite inquiring after God and his wayes and therefore the Septuagint render it by a compound word which signifies to seek out with earnestness and diligence till wee finde the Lord. The Apostle useth the same word Heb. 11.6 The Lord is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him The word implies labour industry and constancy wee must never rest till wee have found the Lord as the woman that had lost her groat continued seeking till shee had found it Luke 15.8 3 Here is the causative particle For which may bee rendred therefore and then the sense will bee more current thus q. d. Since the Lord hath threatned to make such havock amongst you therefore seek him sincerely that yee may live for hee desires not your ruine but your returning Yet some make the particle redundant here and look upon it onely as an expletive particle oft so used by the Hebrews The sense is here entire without it 4 Here is the object of our seeking and that is God Seek yee mee Excellent things are the object of our desires now there is none like God and therefore none to bee desired like him Hee is our Creator Redeemer Preserver ours in all sweet Relations our Father Husband Lord King c. and therefore to bee sought and served by us in an especial manner One of these obligations call for observance and duty but when all shall concenter and meet in one how great should our observance bee 2 This seeking of God implies a sincere turning to him a loving him with all our heart a seeking him simply for himself it notes a trusting in him a fear to offend him a forsaking of all Idols and false wayes as it follows in the next verse delighting only in his pure word and worship 1 Chron. 16.10 and praying to him
Psal. 34.4 Matth. 7.7 It implies also an obeying his Commands 2 Chron. 14.4 and seeking his face and favour at all times Psal. 27.10 Isa. 55.6 These are those things above which we are commanded to seek Colos. 3.1 Thus we see what a Magazine of matter is comprehended in this little Precept Seek yee me Obj. This command to seek God say Papists and Arminians implyes that we have Free-will of our selves to seek him and turn to him else why doth the Lord command us so to doe if we had no power to doe it Ans. It doth not follow that because the Lord commands us to seek him therefore we have power of our selves to doe it For 1 These commands shew us our duty but not our ability they shew what we ought to be but not what we are 2 Yet these Exhortations are not in vain for the Lord makes them effectual in the hearts of his people what he bids them doe he enables them in some measure to doe 3 The Lord had a remnant of his Elect mingled amongst this heap of chaff and their wills being changed and made conformable to Gods will are willing and ready to seek and serve him 4 Hereby the wicked are made more inexcusable and their malice and obstinacy made more apparent to the world since they stand out against so many invitations to come in Against Free-will see Davenants Determ Q. 9. p. 45. D. Sibbs Concio ad clerum p. 69. Laurent in Apoc. 2.5 p. 125. Camero Theses de Grat. Lib. arb p. 273. ad 296. Paraeus contra Bellar. Tom. 1. Totaliter Alting Loc. com P. 2. p. 460. Hornbec contra Socin l. 3. c. 5. p. 611. Brochmand Cas. Cons. de homine primo cap. 1. p. 134. folio Walaeus Loâ—â— com P. 1. p. 16. p. 437. Mr. Burgess against Orig. sin l. 2. ch 4. p. 289. Rolloc in Rom. 8. p. 152 c. Dr. Arrowsmith on John 1.13 p. 189. 198 Mr. Case Morn Lect. quarto p. 207. 5 Here is a promise to incourage them to seek the Lord drawn ab utili from the benefit they should reap thereby Yee shall live or live yee the Imperative Mood is put for the Future tense by an usual Hebraism Prov. 3.4 4.4 to shew the certainty of a thing as here Seek the Lord and live that is yee shall certainly live You shall have a Natural Life You shall have a Spiritual Life You shall have a Eternal Life 1 If you seek the Lord and return to him you shall have your Natural life prolonged whereas you are in danger of dying by the hand of the Assyrian yet doe but return to me unfeignedly and you shall experimentally find that your lives shall be given you for a prey at least yee shall not be utterly destroyed but instead of Warre you shall have peace and prosperity in your borders This seems to be the most genuine sense of this place though we may not exclude the other for it is a known Rule that it is safe taking the words in the largest sense if neither matter phrase nor scope hinder for in the fore-going verse the Lord tells them what slaughter he would make amongst them therefore he bids them here returne and live Yet we may not solely confine it to a Natural life because it is a Legal promise and they usually doe comprehend Spiritual mercies in them The Hebrews frequently under the name of Life doe comprehend all manner of prosperity and felicity both Temporal Spiritual and Eternal Deut. 4.1 5. ult Psal. 34.12 133.8 Prov. 4.4 Ezek. 18.9 The like expression we use at this day at the Inauguration of Kings when we cry Vivat Rex let the King live that is all health prosperity and happiness attend him 2 You shall live a spiritual life of Grace here your souls shall enjoy communion with God they shall live to him here and at last shall live with him for ever for Grace is the suburbs of glory 3 You shall live eternally Ezek. 18.17 ult Obj. But had not the Lord decreed the destruction of this people how then doth he bid them return and live A. Such threatnings of Temporal Judgements are not alwayes absolute but conditional viz. if they repent not I will destroy them and though this condition be not alwayes exprest yet it is understood as appears by that notable place Ier. 18.7 8 9 10. so that when people repent of their sin God will repent of the punishment and stay the execution of the sentence which he had denounced against them as he did by the Ninivites The changes is in us and not in God OBSERVATIONS 1 Such as seek God rightly shall live assuredly I say such as seek God rightly which cuts off many pretenders to religion who seem to seek and serve the Lord but it is feignedly and hypocritically they halt between God and Baal between Christ and Belial like Agrippa they are almost but not altogether Christians they have a name to live but they are dead indeed 2 Others seek for the living amongst the dead They seek the Lord amongst the traditions and customs of men Such mens religion is vain Mat. 15.9 Amos 5.5 3 Others seek but it is too late like Esau that never cries till he had lost the Blessing So those Luke 13.24 25. 4 Others instead of seeking the Lord sit all the day idle they forget the Lord days without number he is not in any of their thoughts Ier. 2.32 It is not the somnolent but the violent that get heaven Mat. 11.12 where then will those Idle Atheistical Seekers of our time appear who are meer Scepticks in religion that question every thing but beleeve and practice nothing some of them have been Professors this forty years yet now they are to seek their religion These men have laid good foundations the while that are going out of the world before they know how to live in the world when the Lord hath so clearly shewed us what he requires of us Micah 6.8 what madness is it to be still running after New Lights which are no Lights for directions 5 Others instead of seeking God they persecute those that doe sincerely seek him like the Scribes and Pharisees that would neither follow Christ themselves nor suffer others so to doe Stripes are prepared for scorners and such mockers shall have their bonds made strong Isa. 28.22 6 Others seek but it is amiss for they seek riches honour pleasures instead of God and things above Those three are the Worlds Trinity they are the grand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our times David tells us there be many of this stamp Psal. 4.6 Many say who will shew us goods Paul goes further and tells us All men seek their owne ease wealth ends and respects that is All comparatively they are but few that seek the things of Christ Phil. 2.21 Q. Since there are so many Seekers and so few good ones how must I seek
of villany so that it would be safer living amongst so many wilde Beasts than amongst men Justice is Rulers duty security and glory as I have shewed at large on Psalm 82.4 p. 35 36 111 139. VERSE 8. Seek him that maketh the seven Starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning and maketh the day dark with night that calleth for the waters of the Seas and poureth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his name THis rustick plain Prophet begins here to raise his stile The better to awaken these sensual and secure sinners he sets before them the dreadful glorious Majesty of that God with whom they had to doe q. d. you have not to doe with a dead and impotent Idol that will be pleased with dead and dull services and pacified with childish toyes and trifles but you have to doe with the living and Omnipotent God who is the Creator and Governour of all things who appoints the vicissitudes of Day and Night of Summer and Winter who numbers the Starres of Heaven and calls them all by their names who waters the earth with rain and strengthens the weak against the strong and makes the spoyled victorious over the spoyler It was the great study of the Prophets and specially of this our Prophet to set forth the Lord in his Majesty and Glory that they might the better work upon their Hearers See Amos 4.13 6.14 9.6 In this Verse we have a magnificent description of Gods Omnipotency he is The Creator of the Starres The Disposer of the Times The Former of the Clouds and The Orderer of VVarres And therefore the Prophet calls upon them yet once more to seek this Great Almighty one This oft pressing of this duty notes the necessity Excellency and difficulty of it It is not so easie a matter to repent as many imagine the heart of man is exceeding hard and his eares are stopt against Gods counfels so that the Lord is forced to call again and again for audience and admittance See yee him These words are not in the Original but are necessarily understood and to be supplied from Vers. 4 6. Who maketh the seven Starres and Orion The Prophet begins first with the Stars because the Majesty Power and VVisdome of God is wonderfully seen in their motion order multitude and magnitude Under these two Constellations all the rest of the Starres are comprehended by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole for he that made one made all and the least are ordered by him as wel as the greatest But because these two were most eminent and obvious and commonly known therefore he chiefly instanceth in these two they are mentioned only three times in Scripture viz. Iob 9.9 38.31 and in the Text. The Pleiades oâ— seven Starres and Orion are opposite one to another 1 They have contrary situations Orion dwells in the East and Pleiades in the West 2 They appear in contrary seasons Pleiades ariseth about March and brings in the Spring but Orion appears about November and brings in Winter so that when hee saith Seek the Lord who made Pleiades and Orion it is as if hee had said in plain English Seek him who makes Summer and Winter 3 They have different Influences 1 Pleiades is a Constellation usually called the seven Stars They arise in our Hemisphere about the Spring and are therefore called Vergiliae quasi ver is vigiles Hence wee read in Iob 38.31 of Pleiadum deliciae the sweet influences of the Pleiades because they bring in the sweet and pleasant Spring with them when they appear the trees and plants begin to flourish These Pleiades have their name from sayling because after the cold and stormy Winter is past Saylers begin to put to Sea These Chimah or seven Stars appear in a cluster about the midst of heaven they are commonly known by Shepherds and Rusticks Amos being an Herdsman had taken notice of them Orion is a Conâ—tellation of Stars that produceth cold when it appears then Winter comes It ariseth in our Hemisphere about November As the Pleiades do loose the earth and set it at liberty that it may bring forth delightful fruit so Orion by his frosty bands is said to binde up the earth Iob 38.31 and bring in variety and change of weather with many storms and tempests Hence the word Chesil as it signifies a fool and one who is unconstant now of one minde and anon of another so this Star is called by this name by reason of the unconstancy and mutability of weather which it brings with it Seek yee him who turns the shadow of death into the morning These words are taken by some literally and by others metaphorically I shall take in both though the literal bee most genuine q. d. It is this great and mighty Lord who makes great changes in the Air and wonderful alterations in States and Kingdomes It is hee that turns the grossest darkness into the brighrest day and the lowest adversity into the highest prosperity and on the contrary hee can when pleaseth him turn our day into night ourlight into darkness and our mirth into mourning By the shadow of death here is meant great gross horrible and terrible darkness such as is the very image of death Any darkness is sad but darkness and the shadow of death is the height of sadness Such deadly darkness Iob wisheth to the day of his birth Iob 3.4 5. and David put the worst of his case and the best of his faith when hee said Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil Psal. 23.4 that is in the greatest of evils I will fear none evil In the very danger of dangers in exceeding great dangers hee would comfort himself in his God It may also signifie symbolically and metaphorically great dangers and deep distress And maketh the day-dark with night The vicissitudes of day and night are not casual but providential It is the Lord who is the great disposer and dispenser of time that by his Almighty power hath appointed the day to succeed the night and the night the day which no gods nor Idols can do Who calleth for the waters of the Sea by vapours and clouds and powreth them out upon the face of the earth by showers of rain Hee calls for the waters of the Sea viz. beyond its ordinary bounds that it may overflow the earth with inundations so some But more genuinely thus It is the Lord that appoints and orders the waters as by express command to rise up from the Seas and turn into rain which afterwards hee powres forth upon the earth The Sun draws up vapours out of the Sea which are condensed in the middle region of the air into rain and then fall down upon the earth These waters which come salt and bitter from the Sea and so in all probability should make things barren yet are so
23. Colos. 3.9 10.1 Pet. 3.11 It is not sufficient that we turne from evil but we must doe good A negative Christian is no Christian. Dives did not rob Lazarus yet is condemned for not releeving him So those Matth. 25 42 43. c. Many would have God and their sins too like the Samaritans that served God and their Idols too 2 King 17.33 34 but he that turns to God must give a bill of divorce to his former sins he must forget his kindred and his fathers house Psal. 45.10 11. we that were sometimes slaves to sin must now become servants to God and it must be as natural and delightful to us to serve him as ever it was to sin against him As a vessel that is full of poyson must bee emptied of it before it can bee filled with better liquor so our hearts must be purged from corruption before they can be filled with grace Most pretend that they are the Lords people and that they belong to him but if we be his he saies to us as Iehu said to the men of Samaria when they complemented with him and told him they were his servants and would do all that he should bid them If you will be mine saith Iehu then cut off the heads of your Masters sons and send them to me 2 King 10.5 6. So if we be the Lords real servants we must cut off not the heads of our sons but of our sins nor sacrifice our children but our selves to God mortifying our beloved corruptions and then he will be our God and we shall be his people 4 Obs. The special presence of God with a people is a choice mercy Hence the Church so oft glories in this Psal. 46.1 7.11 The Lord of hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our refuge and sadly laments the want of it Ier. 14.8 9 as the in-let into all misery Deut. 31.17 Ier. 6.8 Gods special presence is the glory of a place Zach. 2.5 God himself will be an impregnable wall of fire to defend his people and to offend their adversaries and their glory in the midst of them Where God comes peace and plenty consolation and protection and all good comes Hence they are pronounced blessed and happy that have the Lord for their God Psal. 144. ult as I have shewed at large elsewhere As the residence of a King is the glory of a place so Gods presence amongst his people makes them glorious Hence the name of Gods Church is Iehovah-Shammah The Lord is there Ezek. 48. ult hee is there as the founder favourer and preserver of it It is more to say The Lord is here than to say peace and plenty and all creature-comforts are here you may make what you will out of it for all happiness is summed up in this short promise I am with thee 5 Obs. Impenitent sinners may think themselves highly in Gods favour when he is greatly incensed against them for their wickedness These Israelites because they had some priviledges therefore they concluded that God loved them and would never punish them for their Idolatry bribery cruelty But they conceited that he would abide still amongst them as they had vainly said but the Lord tells them That he abhorred both them and their services whilst they walked in such irreligious practises vers 21 22 23. So it was in Iudah their Judges were corrupt and their Prophets covetous yet they lean upon the Lord and conclude that God was amongst them and for them still Micah 3.11 but vers 12. they found that he was amongst them to their sorrow VERSE 15. Hate the evil and love the good and establish judgement in the gate it may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph THe Prophet still goes on with his Exhortation to Repentance he had to do with an hardened people upon whom sleight Exhortations would make no impression such hard knots and knarls must have hard beetles and wedges such tough humours must have stronger physick and therefore the Prophet that he might drive this nail to the head renews his Exhortation and calls upon them a fifth time to forsake their evâ—l wayes and to turn to the Lord who was ready to receive them Repentance consists of two parts The first is dying to sin The second is a living to Righteousness We have both in the Text. 1 We must hate evil there is dying to sin 2 Love good there is living to Righteousness Hate evil that is hate sin which is the evil of evils It is evil in it self and the cause of all the evils in the world Do not onely forbear sin and refrain from it for a time and then return with the dog to his vomit but hate it not with a sleight toothless hatred but with a deep implacable hatred such as men use to have against their deadly enemies whom they prosecute with the greatest violence Do good It is not sufficient that we shun evil but we must also do good We must not onely pull up weeds but we must bring forth good fruit for man matter and manner We must do good not compulsively and forcedly but freely Psal. 110.3 sincerely out of love to goodness cheerfully Deut. 28.47 and constantly Luke 1.5 6 7. Zachary and Eliazabeth lived in the dayes of Herod a known Tyrant yet they feared him not but kept their righteousness not onely in their youth but in their old age the Text saith they were well stricken in years yet they continued righteous before God 3 Because their Master-sin was injustice therefore he calls upon them to testifie the truth of their repentance by parting with their beloved sin establishing justice openly in the gate by setting up such just Judges as should execute justice faithfully and impartially without respect of persons q. d. Hitherto ye have neglected â—ustice Amos 4.1 and 5.12 and have made your lusts your Laws and have ruled according to your own will and not according to my will but now repent and execute justice then will I shew mercy and favour to you 4 The better to encourage them here is a promise of mercy The Lord will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph The Assyrian had made great slaughters amongst them and left them but a remnant 2 King 14 26. yet he bids this remnant reâ—urn for then he would be gracious to the remnant of Joseph that is to the remnant of â—srael as before verse 6. He had told them before vers 3. that God would decimate them and here he tells them that God would be merciful to this decimated Remnant if they would but return to him 5 To keep them from security the Prophet comes in with a peradventure the Lord will bee gracious to you He sayes not positively and absolutely The Lord will destroy you for then hee had made them desperate nor yet assertively that God would deliver them for that would have made them presumptuous and
come and it is made a kinde of a Periphrasis of a beleever that he is one that longs for the day of the Lord 2 Tim. 48. Answ. We must distinguish 1 Of dayes 2 Of persons 1 There is a double day of Judgement 1 There is a day of temporal judgement when the Lord ariseth to execute judgement upon the heads of incorrigible sinners such as the old world Sodom Ierusalem and these dayes have in them a glimpse and shadow of that great day of the Lord and therefore they are called a day of blackness and darkness a great and terrible day which none can abide when the earth shall tremble and the Sun and Moon be dark and the Stars withdraw their light Ioel 2.2 10 11. All these hyperbolical termes set forth the dreadful desolation which should fall upon the wicked in this life But this is not that day which the Saints desire The day which the godly so much desire and long for is that great and general day of Judgement that day of their full Redemption when they shall enjoy both in body and soul full communion with Christ their head 2 We must distinguish of persons some are beleevers and some are unbeleevers and hypocrites the Prophet speaks not here of beleevers but of self-conceited-hypocrites who being puft up with high conceits of their own innocency thoughts that God would acquit them though the Prophets condemned them they conceited that would God deal more gently with them than those harsh plain-dealing Prophets and would not judge them so bad as they had reported them to be But 〈◊〉 alas to you that thus desire the day of the Lord for if our day â—e terrible how terrible will the day of the Lord be if you cannot bear our words how will you endure his heavy hands you think us Lions and therefore you flye from our day but the day of the Lord will be as a Bear which will tear and torment you worse The summe of all is this Wo to you incredulous and 〈◊〉 sinners that mock at the tydings of the dark and disâ—â—â— day which is coming on you scornfully asking when will it come assure your selves it will come soon enough to your sorrow you shall finde that it is not a day of mirth and pleasure but of anguish and trouble when you shall flye from 〈◊〉 danger 〈◊〉 into another as if one should flye from a Lion and a Bear should 〈◊〉 him OBSERVATIONS 1 In all ages there have been some prophane mockers and deriders of Gods judgements Thus it was in the Prophets times when they told the wicked of the burden of the Lord that is of Gods wrath which should light upon them in some heavy judgements for their sins Isa 13.1 and 22.2 they usually mocke them for their pains saying What is the burden of the Lord and when will it come you have often told us of it but as we do not feel it so we do not beleeve it and therefore let it make 〈◊〉 that we may 〈…〉 Prophet tells them of a night of misery that was coming on them but those accursed Edomites tauntingly ask Watchman what of the night Isa. 21.11 12. q. d. You talk much of a night of horror and desolation of war and confusion but when will it come Oh saith the Prophet the morning comes and also the night you have had a morning of prosperity assure your selves you shall also have a night of adversity and therefore if you will enquire of the Lord by me his Watchman do it seriously and not sarcastically return and come to God with speed Thus some conceive that the Prophet recites the scoffes of prophane ones when he sayes Precept must be upon precept and line upon line Tsaf latsaph Kaf lakaf the very tone and sound of the words carrieth a jeer in them Isa. 28.10 Peter and Iude both foretell us what we have found too true in our own dayes That in the last dayes there should be mockers which should walk after their own ungodly lusts 2 Pet. 3 3.4 Jude 18. Of old they mocked at the particular dayes of judgement which the Prophets threatned them withall but in the last dayes they will mock at the general day of Judgement saying Where is the promise of his coming since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the world Because judgement is not presently executed on the heads of wicked men therefore they set their mouths against heaven and blaspheme the most High 2 Obs. God will not bear with scorners When sinners are come to that height of impudency and prophaneness that they jeer at Judgements and mock at Gods Messengers then shall their bonds be made strong and their sorrows multiplied Isa. 28.14 15 16 17.22 2 Chron. 36.16 Prov. 3.3 4. Ier. 23.33 34. Ezek. 7.5 6. and 12.22 to 28. The day of the Lord especially that last day will be a dreadful and a dismal day to fueh they will not be able then to stand-in the Judgement Psal. 1.5 and therefore the Apostle asks Where shall the ungodly and sinner appear 1 Pet. 4.18 the Apostles interrogation is not dubitative but assertive they shall appear no where with comfort nor with confidence especially in three dayes 1 In a day of publick calamity when Sword Plague Famine comes then the hearts of the wicked shall fail when they shall howl upon their beds for the loss of their creature-comforts and shall have a trembling heart failing eyes and sorrow of minde Deut. 28.65 As the righteous that prepare for troubles shall rejoyce in the midst of them Iob 5.22 Hab. 3.17 so the wicked shall be overwhelmed with amazement and horrour and shall rage like wilde Bulls in a net Isa. 51.20 2 The day of death is a dismal day to the wicked even the King of Terrours Job 18.14 the most terrible of all terribles said Aristotle when he came to dye The thoughts of it will make a Belshazzars knees to knock one against another for fear 3 But specially that great day of the Lord when he shall come as a Thief in the night suddenly terribly and unexpectedly upon the wicked of the world 1 Thess. 5.2 3. 2 Pet. 3.10 that will be a dark and terrible day to them when even the Kings and Captains of the earth shall cry to hills and mountains to hide them Rev. 6.16 17. Where then will those blasphemers of our time appear that scoff at Gods Threatnings and desire their own damnation which the Devils themselves dare not do for they beleeve and tremble Who are these that provoke the Lord to anger are they stronger than he who can abide his wrath or the thunder of his power Iob 26. ult Shall the whelp challenge the Lion the clay its Potter or the creature its Creator Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth but wo to him that striveth with his Maker Isa. 45.9 To such as these the day of the Lord
the first and second year that they were in the wilderness yet after they did not so ordinarily and so frequently as when they came to Canaan for in the wilderness they lived in want and had not that plenty of Sheep and Oxen as they had when they came into Canaan They had scarce any flesh to eat much less to sacrifice therefore the Lord fed them with Mannah and Quails Besides they were in a fleeting condition and so unfit for sacrificing or for circumcision and therefore 't was omitted in the wilderness for a time They were not settled nor fixed but as the Tabernacle removed so they removed and till they came to fix and settle they could not so wel sacrifice 2 The Answer lyes most genuinely in that little Emphatical word Mee Have yee offered sacrifice to mee q. d. 'T is true I grant you have offered sacrifice saith the Lord but 't was to your Idols and to Devils Deut. 32.16 17. and not to mee both you and your Fathers worshipped Calves and Creatures and the host of Heaven as in the next verse and not mee and therefore I will punish you as I did them Ezek. 20.15 16 18 21. Isa. 43.22 23 24. 'T is true they thought they worshipped God and did him good service but since they kept not to the Rule but worshipped the Lord according to their own inventions with rotten hearts and unhallowed lives therefore the Lord disowns all that they did and tells us that they did not sacrifice to him at all Quest. 4. How is it said that for forty years space in the wilderness they did not sacrifice whereas 't is apparent that the two first years at least they did offer sacrifice The Answer is easie 'T is usual in Scripture for roundness of number though some few years may be under or over to name a full and compleat number as here forty years for thirty eight that is not forty precisely but well nigh forty So Abimelech is said to kill his seventy Brethren when he killed but sixty nine for Iotham escaped Iudg. 9.5 So the seventy two Disciples are called the seventy So Gen. 42.13 it is said Thy servants are twelve brethren yet in the same verse it is said one is not By the like Synecdoche they are called twelve Apostles when one was wanting 1 Cor. 15.5 So the Lord threatned to punish Israel forty years in the wilderness whereas they were not punisht forty years compleat for the punishment began to be inflicted on them about the second year of their departure out of Egypt as appears by comparing Numb 1.1 with 14.33 and 32.13 See more Deut. 29.5 Iudg. 20.46 2 Sam. 5.5 OBSERVATIONS 1. Teaching by Questions and Interrogations is very Emphatical and lively Have yee offered sacrifice to mee did yee serve mee or rather did yee not serve your selves in the wilderness The Scripture abounds with such Questions Adam where art thou Gen. 3.9 So said Christ How readest thou what think you Mat. 18.12 and 21.28 Luke 7.42 James 4.5 This quickens and awakens men it makes them heed things better and consider what to answer Be not then offended when Gods Ministers ransack thy soul and question and quicken thee out of thy Lethargy and deep security 2. God bears long with sinners Forty years he was grieved with Israel in the wilderness He bore with those ten Tribes well nigh three hundred years before he destroyed them He bore with the old world a hundred and twenty years He bore with the Amorites four hundred years 'T is one of his Royal Attributes that he is a God of infinite Patience and Long-suffering Exod. 34.6 Psal. 103.8 Ionah 4.2 We have all daily experience of this his goodness to us 3. To sin against mercy aggravates sin For this people to sin against God in the wilderness where he led them and fed them miraculously and upheld them in the midst of so many dangers doth greatly heighten their sin 4. Long continuance in sin is very displeasing unto God Hence the Lord so often mentions this forty years obstinacy of Israel as that which exceedingly offended and grieved him Numb 32.13 Psal. 95.11 Act. 7.42 13.18 This made the Lord to complain of Ierusalem Jer. 13. ult Oh Ierusalem wilt thou not bee made clean when shall it once bee He denounceth a woe against them for their hypocritical dallying and delaying Woe unto thee wilt thou not be made clean 't is not canst thou not but wilt thou not They were wilfully impenitent 't is this rebellious will of men that destroyes them Psal. 78.10 Isa. 30.9 15. 42.24 Ier. 5.3 6.16 8.5 44.17 Zach. 7.11 Rom. 8.7 Obj. Wee will turn Answ. You do but dissemble saith God with mee When shall it once bee what not after so many wooings and warnings what not after so many years purifying Sermons nor so many melting mercies nor so many awakening judgements nor after so many Sabbaths and Sacraments fasts and feasts will nothing cleanse thee from thy old abominations Oh when shall it once be This obstinate persevering and continuing in sin makes the Lord so oft to upbraid men with it as that which will be their bane Exod. 16.28 Neh. 9.30 Psal. 78.40 Luk. 13.44 5. Children that imitate their Fore-fathers in sin shall bee like them in punishment God will visit the sins of the Fathers upon those children that tread in their steps Exod. 20.5 Hence the Lord so oft forbids us to follow sinful Fore-fathers Psal. 78.5 6 8. Ezek. 20.18 Zech. 1.4 And Stephen aggravates the sins of the Israelites saying That as your Fathers did so do yee Act. 7.51 6. Idolatrous Hypocritical service is no service Have ye offered Sacrifice to mee saith the Lord to those Hypocrites no you have not served mee at all 1. Since you do not worship mee according to Rule but accordâ—ng to your own inventions I abhor it and account it as null 2. Your hearts are rotten what the heart doth not God accounts as not done Isa. 43.22 23 24. Though they abounded with sacrifices yet God saith there They brought him none viz. in sincerity As knowledge without practice is no knowledge 1 Sam. 2.12 so duties not practised are no duties in Gods esteem 3. They served not God alone but served him and their Idols too and therefore God disowns all they did as not done to him for he will be served truly and totally without halting or halving 1 King 18.21 2 King 17.33 Ezek. 20.30 Zeph. 1.5 VERSE 26. But yee have born the Tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your Images the star of your god which yee made to your selves THese Hypocrites were ever and anon boasting of their Sacrifices to them the Prophet in the person of the Lord here further answers and tels them it is true Your fore-fathers made a shew of serving me carrying my Tabernacle and all things belonging to it in the Wilderness but their hearts were set
little Wheel sets the great one a going A little Defeat at first may become a total Rout at last Per scelera ad scelus one sin usually makes way for another Sin and error is endless wicked men when the Devil drives know not where nor when they shall stop or stay Prov. 23. ult Hos. 10.1 13.2 Ier. 9.3 5. Sin hath no foundation but runs on and multiplies in infinitum Ahaz that at first burnt Incense to Idols at last burnt his children to them 2 Chron. 28.3 as these Jews did theirs to Moloch It concerns us then to keep close to the Rule for if wee swarve never so little from that we shall suddenly run our selves into a Labyrinth of Superstition sin and error 3. Fore-fathers must not be followed in sin These Israelites forsook the Rule to follow their Fore-fathers in their Idolatry and now they perish with them But of this before 4. Idolaters are deeply in love with their Idols They hug them they carry them they kiss them Hos. 13.2 In Ier. 8.2 we have five expressions to set forth the strong affections which Idolaters bear to their Idols They love serve seek worship and walk after them as if they could never do enough for them They had as lieve part with their lives as part with them Iudg. 18.24 Yee have taken away my gods saith Micah and what have I more q. d. you have even taken all since you have taken away mine Idols which are so near and dear to mee They are married to them no wonder then if they love them Hos. 4.17 Besides they are gods of their own making Exod. 32.1 and 't is natural to every one to love its own workmanship 5. Idolatry besots men It makes men worship Posts and Pictures Stars and Planets Dogs and Cats Onyons and Leeks any thing save God As those that are given up to corporal uncleanness care not with whom they commit it So 't is in spiritual Whoredome Affection blindes the judgement and besots men Idolatry is a bewitching flesh-pleasing-sin which steals away the heart and therefore is compared to fornication Ezek. 23.2 to 18. which infatuates and steals away mens hearts The Whore of Babylon hath all alluring Ceremonies Altars Images Gorgeous Vestments Musick c. with many other inchantments to seduce men Rev. 17. 1 2 4. Hence we read of the delectable things of Idolaters Isa. 44.9 The sight of the Sun Moon Stars and all the host of Heaven should have convinced them of the Majesty and Glory of their Creator and have induced them to worship him but they being besotted and blinded by sin and Satan worshipped the creature instead of God and serve those which were made for their service Besides what man that is well in his wits will trust in such gods for safety as cannot save themselves from fire and spoil All their Idols the Calves and all Hos. 10.5 6. were carried away by the Conquering Assyrian according to the custome of Conquerers which was to carry away the gods of the Conquered Nations Ier. 43.12 6. God hath many Hosts and Armies at command Hee hath the Host of Heaven 1. Angels 1 King 22.19 Luk. 2.13 2. Hee hath Sun Moon and Stars even the Stars in their kinde shall fight against Sisera Judg. 5.20 These Stephen calls the Host of Heaven 3. All creatures are his Hosts and Armies ready to execute what ever he commands Iob 25.3 Amos 9.6 Fear therefore to offend this Lord of Hosts But of this before 7. To worship the Host of Heaven is a great sin Hence the Lord upbraids these Israelites both fathers and children with this sin and threatens to send them into captivity for it This the Lord oft forbade them Deut. 4.19 and blames them for it 2 King 17.16 2 Chron. 33.3 5. Ier. 8.2 3. 19.13 44.17 Ezek. 8.16 and commands that he should dye that did it Deut. 17.3 4 5. Iob calls this kinde of Idolatry a denying of God and a sin to be punisht by the Judges Iob 31.26 27 28. How much greater is their sin which worship gods of their own making gods of Wood and Stone Crosses Crucifixes Images c. Idols which their own heads invented and their own hands have made yea that with five words of consecration can create their Creator and then worship the works of their own hands How great this Idolatry is Costerus the Jesuite shall tell you if saith hee Christ be not really and corporally present in the Eucharist then are the Catholicks the grossest Idolaters in the world 8. Will-worship is displeasing unto God When men make Gods to themselves they make Rods for themselves God will rid his hands of such and send them beyond Damascus yea beyond Babylon there they shall live in misery and slavery serving sin and Satan in the want of all things who would not serve God with joy and gladness of heart in the abundance of all things The Israelites of old made a golden Calf and worshipped the works of their own hands but it cost many of them their lives Exod. 32.27 'T is a good Rule De Deo nil sine Deo In Gods worship we must do nothing without the warrant of his Word Deut. 12. ult Mat. 28.20 all must be done according to the Pattern even to a Pin Exod. 27.19 hence 't is said nine times in one chapter That all was done as the Lord commanded Moses Exod. 39.1 5 7 21 26 29 32 42 43. VERSE 27. Therefore I will cause you to go into Captivity beyond Damascus saith the Lord whose Name is the God of Hosts WEE have all along seen Israels sin wee are now come to their suffering I will cause you to go into Captivity The Lord had freely given them the holy Land for their Inheritance to the end that they might serve him with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things but since they had defiled that good Land with their abominations the Lord resolved to rid the Land of them and to send them into captivity beyond Damascus which was fulfilled when Salmaneser took Samaria and subdued the Kingdome of Israel to himself 2 King 17.6 c. q. d. Since your Fore-fathers were bad and you are worse treading in their Idolatrous steps and out-going them in sin therefore I will bring upon you the judgements threatned driving you out of your own Land and despersing you in forein Countries In the words we have 1. A judgement threatned and that is banishment and captivity I will cause you to go into captivity 2. Here is the extent of this captivity 't is beyond Damascus saith Amos beyond Babylon saith Stephen 3 Here is the meritorious and procuring cause of this suffering and that is their sin implied in the Illative particle Therefore you have been Idolatrous superstitious hypocritical c. therefore you shall go into captivity 4. Here is the confirmation of this commination 't is not I but the Lord whose
name is the God of Hosts that hath said it and he both can and will do it unless by timely repentance ye prevent it I will cause you to go into Captivity beyond Damascus q. d. I will send you packing farther than the people of Damascus for the Syrians of Damascus were carried captives but to Kir 2 King 16.9 but you shall be carried captives far beyond them even to Persia and the Region of the Caspians Ezra 8.17 2. And more genuinely whereas they looked on Damascus the Metropolis of Syria a City of praise i. e. a renowned goodly wealthy strong City Isa. 7.8 8.4 Ier. 49.25 as an impregnable fortress and frontier defence for all their Country and they might think to get shelter there the King thereof being their confederate the Prophet tells them that Damascus should not save them for they should be carried captives beyond Damascus even into the farthest and remotest parts of Assyria beyond Babylon Quest. But how shall we reconcile Amos and Stephen Amos saith they shall go beyond Damascus but Stephen saies they shall go further even beyond Babylon Act. 7.43 Ans. 1. Some conceive it might be some mistake of the Scribe beyond Babylon for beyond Damascus but there is no ground for such a conceit 2. The Answer is easie the difference is onely verbal not material in words but not in sense What the Prophet spake somewhat darkly Stephen declares more clearly according to the truth of the history and the verity of what was done and 't is a known Rule that the Penmen of the New Testament do give the sense though not the very words of the Prophets which they quote when they cite places they do not translate but explain and expound them rather Luke writing in Greek followeth the Greek Version which then was so common amongst them 3. Peradventure the Prophet might mention Damascus that he might not add affliction to the afflicted and utterly dismay them had he told them they should go beyond Babylon the very thoughts of their banishment into such a forein Land so far distant from their native Country would have broken their hearts and therefore he conceals what St. Stephen utters Ye shall go beyond Babylon and so they did for they were dispersed into Persia Media and Assyria This was fulfilled in part by Salmaneser King of Assyria 2 King 17.6 but fully by Esar-haddon 2 King 17.23 24. OBSERVATIONS 1. Idolatry is a Land-destroying sin This great sin brings with it great destruction This cast Israel here out of all 2 King 17.22 23. This is a Covenant-breaking and a God-provoking sin what ever sin hee bears with hee cannot hee will not bear with this As I have elsewhere shewed before And did the Lord punish Israel for this sin and shall England think to escape No no parity of sin will bring parity in punishment How are we infatuated and given up to strong delusions to beleeve lyes The lyes of Popery Arminianism Socinianism Anabaptism Quakerism c. Yea have wee not Judicial Astrologers Satans familiars who sacrifice to Moloch and Chiun and all the host of Heaven that make the stars their Gods and Guides by them they can calculate mens nativities help men to their stollen goods cast figures yea fore-tell if you 'l beleeve them famine sword pestilence peace plenty and what not what is this but to draw mens hearts from confiding in God to trust in lying vanities and shall not the Lord visit for these things and doth not his wrath burn against us for that wee have Sorcerers like the Philistims Isa. 2.6 The good Lord quicken the hearts and strengthen the hands of our Magistrates against all the workers of iniquity before Gods wrath break forth upon us and it be too late The end of the Fifth Chapter AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical OBSERVATIONS UPON The Sixth Chapter of Amos. VERSE I. Woe to them that are at ease in Sion and trust in the Mountain of Samaria which are named chief of the Nations to whom the house of Israel came IN this Chapter the blunt Prophet raiseth his stile grows Rhetorical and is very eloquent as St. Austin from this very Chapter hath long since observed not with a fantastick frothy affected eloquence but with a grave and decent elegancy of speech suitable to the dignity of the matter which hee treats of Hee that makes the dumb to speak and out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hath ordained strength to confound his enemies can by his Word and Spirit make a stammering Moses a rustical Amos and silly fisher-men fluent of speech No matter what the Instrument is if God be but the Teacher In this Chapter is contained the Sum of Amos his fifth Sermon where we have sin and sorrow security and misery attending each other 1 Here is a reprehension of Iudah and Israel for their carnal security sensuality V. 1. to 6th 2 For their stupidity and sottishness in taking no warning by the example of their rich and populous neighbour Cities which God had destroyed for their sins Vers. 2. 3 For their contempt of Gods Threatnings which brought forth oppression and tyranny Vers. 3. 4 For Pride Luxury and Riot especially in their Rulers and rich men Vers. 4 5 6. 5 For Inhumanity want of sympathy and brotherly compassion towards such as were in distress Though the whole Land was depopulated and all the open Country was exposed to the fury of the merciless enemy yet because their fenced Cities whereof Ierusalem and Samaria were the chief were at present free they lived at ease and never regarded the miseries of others Vers. 6. 6 There was amongst them perverseness obstinacy and rebellion Vers. 12. 7 Perverting of Justice Vers. 12. 8 Carnal confidence and gloriation in that which could not help them Vers. 13. The Lord had born long with these their great provocations and used all means to amend them but all in vain and therefore now follows their woe and punishment As first Captivity banishment and deportation out of their own Land Vers. 7. 2 Detestation of them and their priviledges Vers. 8. 3 Desolation and destruction of their Cities by the Sword confirmed by Gods Oath Vers. 8. 4 Desperation and sinking under their carnal confidences They should be so terrified that they should not once dare to make mention of the name of the Lord. Veâ—s 10. 5 The Pestilence should rage so terribly that if a numerous family be reduced to ten those ten shall dye and for want of others a mans Uncle shall bury him Vers. 9 10. 6 An Epidemical and general destruction of rich and poor Palaces and Cottages none shall escape but as all had sinned so all should now be punisht for their sins from one end of the Land to the other A forein enemy like a violent flood should over-run the whole land from North to South and from one side to the other Woe to them that are at ease in Sion In this first
this That it was in vain for them to trust in their Mountains Riches and strong Cities since other Nations with their Metropolies which were greater and stronger than theirs were now decayed and ruined That Almighty hand which brought them down notwithstanding all their Ammunition and Fortifications will also bring Israel down notwithstanding all their riches and strength Behold therefore as in a glass whither Luxury Oppression Security and abuse of Mercies hath brought those Cities and do you fear by their Examples The summe of all is this O yee Inhabitants of Jerusalem and Samaria that glory in Mount Sion and trust in the Mountain of Samaria Go and see what I have done to Calneh Hemath and Gath three potent populous famous Cities seated in three different Kingdomes viz. Babylon Syria and Palestina consider how I have made them a desolation for their sins and have brought their borders into a narrower compass though they were larger and pleasanter than theirs and were fortified both by Art and Nature Bee warned therefore by their example and go not on in your Idolatry Luxury Security and Obstinacy lest you also become a desolation like to them OBSERVATIONS 1. Wee should diligently observe and carefully consider the Iudgements of God on others We should not let a judgement passe that we see at home or hear of abroad without learning something of God from it As wee should consider his mercies to make us love him so we should consider his judgements to make us fear him Hence 't is that God bids his people here Go Go Go Go to Calneh Go to Hemath Go to Gath and consider what I have done to them for their sins Go not with your feet but with your affections go not in body to view the ruines of those places for that you may do and be never the better but in your Meditations go thither and observe Gods hand upon them to awaken you As a man may go to Heaven even whilst his body is on earth yet by Meditation hee may ascend thither so by Meditation we may go to Germany Savoy Ireland Poland and see Gods Judgements there Do not barely think of Gods Judgements but ponder every circumstance and rest not till you have suckt some benefit out of them and got your heart affected with them Wicked men never once think of God or his judgements they forget him daies without number and he is not in any of their thoughts and as for his judgements they are far above out of his sight or if he sleightly think of them that is all But you must know that there are three Acts of the Soul 1. Cogitation 2. Meditation 3. Consideration Cogitation is a thought and away Meditation is a dwelling longer upon an Object But Consideration looks round about and weighs all Circumstances of Judgements and Mercies that they may take a deeper impression upon our hearts and this is that which the Lord so oft calls for Hee would have us consider our waies to humble us Hag. 1.5 7. His Iudgements to fear us Iob 23.15 His Mercies to allure us 1 Sam. 12.24 His Word that wee may attain the practical knowledge of it 2 Tim. 2.7 This consideration fortifies the soul against sin it layes before us the losse and hurt which attends upon sin so that wee cannot rush into it with that boldnesse as the wicked and inconsiderate do Ier. 8.6 2. Gods Iudgements on others must awaken us Their destruction must be our instruction As Gods people here must go to Calneh Hemath and Gath so he bids them go to Shiloh and consider what hee did to that priviledged place and be warned by their woes Ier. 7.12 'T is a great favour when the Lord teacheth us our lessons on other mens books and backs making them examples unto us when hee might have made us examples unto them 3. Sin brings famous Cities to ruine Wee see here three famous Cities with all their Territories made a desolation for their sins Let men make walls as high as heaven and ditches as deep as hell yet if sin reign within it will ruine all Deut. 18.9 12. This brought the Kingdome of Israel into the hands of the Assyrians 2 King 17.7 to 19. and Iudah into the hands of the Chaldeans Sins especially crying sins do emasculate mens spirits and weaken the hearts and hands of a people so that they become an easie prey to a cruel adversary VERSE 3. Yee that put far away the evil day and cause the seat of violence to draw near IN this Verse the Prophet goes on with his charge especially against the Judges Rulers Counsellours and those in Power and Authority in the Kingdome of Iudah and Israel Hee chargeth them in this Verse with two sins which were the effects and evidence of their security before mentioned Verse 1. The first is the contempt of Gods Threatnings God oft foretold them by his Prophets that Judgements were coming upon them but they would not beleeve it but put the evil day far from them Sleighting Gods Threatnings as if they had been but fables and would never surprize them Though they walk in wayes of wickednesse adding sin to sin and daily provoked the Lord to anger yet they blest themselves in their evil wayes promising themselves peace and prosperity for all that They were setled upon their lees and lived without any fear or thought of danger giving themselves up to Idlenesse Wantonnesse Pride Luxury Violence and all manner of Iniquity not once thinking of the destruction which was coming upon themselves and the Kingdome Yea they counted it a loathsome thing as the word in the Original signifies once to mention the evil day They were so given up to mirth and jollity that they would not once hear of sorrow They thought themselves priviledged by having the Temple and Gods worship amongst them against all storms and tempests But the further they put away the evil day the nearer it was to them and though they could have wished there had been no such day yet their wishes were but vain for the Lord had decreed to bring a dismal day upon them and it is not the counsels of men but the counsels of the Lord that shal stand and the thoughts of his heart unto all generations Psal. 33.10 11. As they had their evil day of sinning so God was determined to bring upon them an evil day of suffering Q. But what was that evil day A. The evil day here meant was more especially the day of their Captivity when the Assyrian should come and carry away Israel and the Babylonian should come and carry away Iudah out of their own Land into Captivity and banishment This evil day the Prophet calls before a day of darkness and not of light Amos 5.18 19 20. The words are read by some passively thus Yee are separated and set apart by divine Justice for an evil day even for a day of banishment and slaughter q. d. Yee
men whilst the Choristers ney descant like a sort of Colts others bellow a tenor like a company of Oxen others bark a Counter-point like a kennel of Doggs others roar a treble like a sort of Bulls others grunt out a base like a company of Hoggs so that a foul ill-favoured noise is made but the matter is not understood Thus he 'T is clear against the Rule which commands That all things should be done to edification and with understanding 1 Cor. 14.19 but such a hideous noise breeds confusion as is apparent in Popery and is condemned by all our learned Modern Divines 2. The Organs used by David differed much from ours Theirs were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pulsatilia such as the Harp Viol c. which they plaid upon with the Quill or with the fingers they were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flatilia such as our Organs are which are acted by wind Iubal was called the Father of such as handle the Organ Gen. 4.21 hee was the first Inventor of Musical Instruments where by the Organ is not meant such Organs as are used in our daies which were invented some thousands of years after but 't was an Instrument of joy then in use as appears Iob 21.12 and 30.31 Psal. 150.4 De Croy fetcheth the Original of Church-Musick from the Heathen it was practised in Numa Pompilius his time which was above one thousand years before Pope Vitalian as appears by Ovid. Object This is but some novel opinion of some Precise persons Answ. Such kinde of Church-Musick was not used in the Church in Iustin Martyrs time who lived in the first Century Bellarmine confesseth that for 820 years after Christ the Church wanted it Had such Organical Musick been necessary and useful in all probability it would have found a speedier admission into the Church Hence 't is that the wiser sort of Papists have condemned it as Judaizing So did Aquinas and Cardinal Cajetan on Aquinas and in his Commentary on 1 Cor. 14.19 and the Jesuit Salmeron on the same place Yea the Jesuit de Valentia tells us expresly that in Aquinas his time which was about 1270 years after Christ. Musical Instruments were not used in the Church for fear least they should seem to Judaize That curiosity of singing and quavering so that the matter which is sung cannot be understood is condemned by the Learned Hooker and by Queen Elizabeth Injunct 49. and by the Homily of the Place and Time of Prayer Part 2. p. 131. where such chaunting and playing on Organs is said to have displeased God sore and filthily defiled his house and place of prayer and that for it justly hee destroyed many Nations and if this kinde of worship were of absolute necessity then not onely Cathedrals but all Churches and Chappels were bound to get it Latin service I suppose is abhorred by all but this kinde of chaunting when people know nor whether men curse or bless wherein is it better Caution yet this must not take away Vocal Musick which is still to be practised by Gods people in the solemn Assemblies The melody of the heart and voice is the sweetest harmony in Gods ear This is Apostolical and is oft commanded 1 Cor. 14.15 26. Ephes. 5.19 Col. 3.16 Iames 5.13 'T was practised by Christ himself Mat. 26.30 and by the Primitive Christians in Trajan the Emperours time whilst St. Iohn the Evangelist lived When ever the people of God received any signal mercy they presently framed it into a song of praise that they might the better remember it Numb 21.17 Deut. 31.19 Iudg. 5. Yea many portions of Scripture were put into songs as the book of Iob Proverbs Ecclesiastes Solomon Song Singing of Psalms is an antient Ordinance practised by Saints both in the Old and New Testament Holy singing is an excellent means to scatter the Devils temptations to allay passions and to make us couragious in Gods wayes When wee are dull and heavy this is a means to quicken our affections and refresh our spirits Be not drunk with Wine but be filled with the Spirit How by singing of spiritual songs in a spiritual manner Ephes. 5.18 19. Paul and Silas the better to quicken and comfort themselves in Prison sing Psalmes there Acts 16.25 In the Psalme that is intituled for the Sabbath Psal. 92.1 2. the Psalmist tells us it is good to praise the Lord and to sing to the name of the most high God delights to see his people practise this Ordinance he is not only pleased with the Prayers but also with the Praises of his people and gives them victory not only for Prayers but for Praises also 2 Chron. 20.21 22. When the Ark was brought into the Temple with singing it is said The glory of the Lord filled the house 2 Chron. 5.13 Woe then to those that glory in their shame viz. in singing prophane filthy obscene Songs but are ashamed of their glory viz. of singing the Songs of Sion which is not only our duty but our glory not a burden but a blessing not only a service but an Angelical priviledge yet how many dare not sing a Psalm in their Families for fear of reproach and suffering Christ will be ashamed of such as are ashamed of him and his Worship and will shut them out of Heaven that fear men more than him Mark 8. ult Revelations 21.8 We must begin our Heaven here if ever we will sing with the Saints in glory hereafter Revel 14.3 15.3 They that will not sing here must howl hereafter Our Tongues are called our glory and we cannot use them better than in glorifying God with them That we may perform this Duty rightly Wee must doe it 1 Understandingly 2 Affectionately 3 Religiously 4 Decently 1 We must sing with the Spirit and with understanding Psal. 47.7 1 Cor. 14.15 Many sing but understand not a word of what is Sung God abhors such blind sacrifices It is reasonable service that he requires Rom. 12.1 2 Affectionately with grace in the heart Col. 3.16 that is we must exercise the graces of the Spirit in singing wee must sing with joy faith fear We must act the graces of the Spirit in singing when we sing of Iudgements we must tremble when of Promises beleeve when of Commandements obey This is to sing Davids Psalmes with Davids Spirit Get your spirits tuned and framed to what is Sung that it may not be a Carnal but a Spiritual Song Hence David used to tune and prepare his heart before he sang Psal. 57.8 9. Heart and Voyce must goe together Singing with Musick in Publick was Ceremonial and Typical it is now gone but singing with Heart and Voyce is Moral and perpetual Wee should therefore labour rather to get our hearts affected with the matter than our ears and senses with the manner of singing 3 Religiously To the Lord and not to Saints must we sing praise and it must be done as all other Duties with
precious Psal. 56.8 their Desires are precious Psal. 10.17 their Names are precious and their Death is precious Psal. 112.6 116.15 Now if we must pray for all men even for Pagans then much more for these precious ones if we must pray for our enemies Matth. 5.44 and must be affected with their miseries Psal. 35.13 14. then much more for our friends If the Prophet wept for Moab and Babylon what should wee doe for Zionâ— Esay 16.11 and if Abraham were so importunate for wicked Sodom and all the people must lament for Nadab and Abihu two notorious wicked men who perisht for their Sin Levit. 10.6 how tender should we be of Sion and if we must sympathize and be sensible of the sorrowes of a particular good man Iob 2.13 how much more when a community of good men suffers And if Gods Servants have been affected with Impendent Judgements that were but in the Clouds and afarre off how should we bee affected with the present miseries of Gods people When Elisha fore-saw the evil that Hazael would doe to Israel some years after he wept and Daniel ch 8.11 12 13. fore-seeing the misery which would come upon Ierusalem two hundred years after his death he was even sick with sorrow vers 27. How would those Saints have wept in our dayes to have seen these present real evils which press and oppresse the people of God To incourage us let us know that this work never goes unrewarded God takes the kindness we shew to his people as done to himself he is fed when they are fed Matth. 25.35 36. The Kenites kindness unto Israel was rewarded four hundred years after 1 Sam. 15.6 Wee never please God better than when we seek the good of his people though we forget such labour of love yet he will not Heb. 6 10. Laban was blest for Iacobs sake and Pharaoh for Iosephs Rahab that hid the Spies was hid her self Obadiah that sheltred the Prophets of the Lord was himself sheltred by God Ebedmelech for the kindness which he shewed to Ieremy had his life for a prey God hath a Book of remembrance wherein he records all that we doe for him or his Mal. 3.16 How sad then is the condition of those that are sensless and regardless of Sions miseries So themselves can but live in wealth and ease they never regard the afflictions of Ioseph like Gallio they care for no such matters Christ looks upon such Luke-warm Newters as his profest enemies he that is not with him is against him Matth 12.30 and Meroz was cursed not for hurting but for not helping Gods people in their troubles Iudg. 5.23 and so was Edom Obad. 11 12 13 c. But most sad is the condition of those that instead of praying for Gods people they persecute them and adde affliction to the afflictions of those whom he hath wounded These may forget their owne cruelty but God will not he hath not only said but sworn it that he will not forget their cruelty Amos 8.7 He punisht Amaleck four hundred years after for his inhumanity towards Israel 1 Sam. 15.2 3. In all Ages God hath shewed himself terrible to such he will spoyl the spoylers of his People If Pharaoh pursue Israel God will pursue him If Edom shed Israels bloud God will have Edoms bloud Ezek. 35. Let us then every one sympathize with Sion and give the Lord no rest till he make our Ierusalem the praise of the earth Isa. 62.1 Every one in his place must help and doe something for Gods afflicted Ioseph Those that can pray must pray those that are in Power and Authority and have parts must assist in their places Souldiers that can fight must fight for Gods Church At the building of the Tabernacle every one did something In the body Natural each part is serviceable to the head The Church of Christ throughout the Christian World is in deep distress and cryes as the men of Macedonia did Come and help us Let us therefore by our Prayers and Tears come forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty Inquire how it fares with Sion as Eli and Nenemiah did 1 Sam. 4.13 Neh. 1.2 and then pray for them accordingly Psal. 122.6 Isa. 45.11 Ier. 51.50 Get affectionate desires Psal. 14. ult Isa. 64.1 Affectionate prayers Psal. 25. ult 51.18 and Affectionate endeavours in your places as Magistrates Ministers c. for the good of Sion here and then you shall rejoyce with Sion hereafter VERSE 7. Therefore shall they goe Captive with the first that goe Captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed WE have before seen the Sin of the Rulers of Israel we are now come to the several branches of their Punishment whereof the first is Captivity and deportation out of their owne Land The Lord had borne long with them and waited many years for their returne but they abused his Patience and turned his grace into wantonness and therefore now he is resolved to put an end to all their Pastimes and pleasures In this Verse we have 1. A Iudgement threatned and that is Captivity Yee shall goe into captivity 2 Here are the Persons which must goe into Captivity and those are the secure Grandees and Voluptuous Rulers of Israel They shall goe Captive with the first that goe Captive of the Inhabitants of those Cities for the Country was spoyled and many of them captivated before But the Rulers who were the prime offendors and had been first in sin should now bee first in punishment They shall have the primacy amongst the Captives they shall goe in the front of them and lead them the way into Captivity As in Dignity and Luxury they went before others so now they shall have precedency in Punishment as you may see 2 King 17. Before they were all for the head of the Oyntments and now they should have the head in Punishment They must have the head and chief delights and now they shall have the head and chief of sorrows 3 Here is the Time when they should goe into Captivity and that is suddenly Now shall they goe i. e. it shall not be long but the Assyrian shall carry them out of their owne Land into Captivity in Gods due time it shall come to pass It was about sixty years after that the Captivity came which was but a short time comparatively it is said even now to come upon them because Gods decrees are sure and what he determines to doe is as sure as if it were already done Thus to shew the certainty of Babylons downfall it is said Babylon is fallen Revel 14.8 that is It shall as certainly be destroyed as if it were already done Her fall is decreed by God and is already begun in the hearts of Gods people and shall from henceforth be more and more advanced till it be utterly destroyed So the Lord had decreed the Captivity of this People and exercised them with
abused to my dishonour 3 Here is the confirmation of this Commination The Lord hath sworn it even the Lord of Hosts who is Omnipotent and hath all power in his hand to execute his purposes The Lord doth not only say it but swear it the Iewes were hard of belief and sleighted the threatnings of the Prophets therefore the Lord confirms it with an Oath saying I have sworn by my self or as the words are in the fountain I have sworn Benaphsho in anima sua by my Soul or Life the Lord swears by himself because there is none greater than he The soul is the man and he that swears by his soul swears by himself and therefore the soul according to the Hebrew Idiom is oft put for a mans self as Psal. 3.2 Ier. 51.6 Matth. 25.26 It is an Anthropopathy frequent in Scripture Gen. 22.16 Ier. 51.14 it is spoken of God after the manner of men as an Hand an Eye a Face a Foot is oft ascribed to God so here and elsewhere a Soul is ascribed to God Isa. 1.14 Ier. 5.9 29. which is God himself for whatsoever is in God is God Q. d. If we beleeve men who swear by their soul or life which yet is as nothing how weighty ought my Oathes to bee with you saith the Lord when I put my self to pledge and if yee will not beleeve my Prophets yet beleeve me whose Decrees are immutable whose Iudgements are intolerable who cannot deceive nor be deceived who am Omnipotent and able to put all my Threatnings in execution against you since I am the Lord of Hosts whom all Creatures doe obey as their supreame Commander OBSERVATIONS 1 Swearing in it self is lawful God himself who cannot sin yet swears by himself Isa 45. 23. 62.8 Heb. 6.13 The Lord to strengthen our faith in the truth of his Promises sometimes swears Gen. 22.16 Psal. 132.11 Heb. 6.17 and sometimes he confirmes the truth of his Threatnings with an Oath to make us fear Psal. 95.11 Heb. 3.11 thrice happy they for whose sake the Lord swears and most unhappy they that beleeve him not when he swears since he that beleeves not God makes him a Lyar 1 Ioh. 5.10 not by any transmutation of God but because hee esteemes his Word and Promises as a false thing 2 Wicked men are hardly brought to beleeve the Threatnings of God The Lord must swear here to awaken them out of their stupidity so sottish are men by nature especially when hardned in a way of sin and if Gods owne people in whom there is a Principle of Grace be slow of heart to beleeve the Doctrin of the Gospel Luke 24.25 26. how hard is it to work those truths upon those who have neither eyes to see nor ears to hear 1 Cor. 2.9 3 God is the Lord of Hosts He hath all Power in his hands and all Creatures at his command ready to execute his wrath upon wicked men This Title is given to God above two hundred times in the Old Testament and but once in the New Iam. 5.4 the reason is because this is a name of Majesty and Terror suitable to Old Testament times but in the New Testament he hath more sweet and mild Titles as Father of Mercies God of all consolation the Saviour of all men c. We should therefore fear to displease him who hath the higher Host of Heaven Myriads of Angels and the lower Host of Creatures on earth all ready at the least beck of their Lord and Master to destroy his enemies 4 No Privilâ—dges can preserve a sinful people from ruine Let them be exalted to Heaven in excellency and glory and be loaded with riches nobility dignity and preheminence yet if they abuse those Priviledges they shall be thrown down to Hell Matth. 11.23 God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation such as work righteousness are accepted of him and such as work unrighteousness be they Iewes or Gentiles are rejected of him When God shall chuse a people to be an holy people to himself and they shall walk unholily and live like the prophane of the world it is just with God that they should perish with them Many boast that they are Christians they are Baptized they hear the Word and receive the Sacrament Aye but do you walk up to those Priviledges and answer them with obedience if not you are but baptized Heathens yea a drunken Turk is nearer Heaven than a drunken and dissolute Christian. Meer Titular Christians are no Christians As he is not a Jew that is one outwardly so he is not a Christian that is one only nominally we must be internal ones in spirit and in truth answering our Gospel Priviledges with Gospel-Practises and then we shall be happy Rom. 2.25 28 29. 5 Sin makes God to hate our very dwellings and Palaces He loathes the habitations of wicked men and looks upon them as so many Swine-styes and sinks of sin The habitations of the wicked are cursed of God Iob 12.6 15.34 Zach. 5.4 As we should keep our bodies pure as becomes the Temples of the Holy Ghost so wee should keep our Houses pure from sin and put away iniquity farre from our Tabernacles that they may be Bethels houses of God and not Bethâ—avens houses of vanity and iniquity Iob 11.14 22.23 this is the way to keep our houses in peace Iob 5.24 Prov. 1. ult 8.6 and to make our Families flourish Prov. 14.11 We should rather desire with those holy Patriarcks Abraham Isaac and Iacob to live in Tents and mean houses where we may serve God remembring that we are but Strangers and Pilgrims here but Citizens of Heaven than to live as these Epicures in the Text in stately Palaces abounding with sensual luxury and all manner of riot till they be destroyed 6 When men will not beleeve the Threatnings they shall feel the punishment The righteous doe hear and fear but the wicked never fear till they feel the Sword and Pestilence upon them When no warnings can mend a People then Judgements end them as we see in the old World Ierusalem and others Lots Sons in Law would not beleeve till they were burnt Gen. 19.14 nor Pharaoh till he was drowned 7 It is Sin that ruines Cities Israel sinned and now City and all is taken It is this that hath brought fire and sword desolation and destruction upon the most glorious Cities Many complaine of Instruments that have betrayed them but it is our sins that have betrayed us into their hands and therefore Magistrates Ministers and Governours should improve their interest for the stopping of sin that so they may prevent the ruine of those places where they dwell VERSE 9. And it shall come to pass if there remaine ten men in one house that they shall dye WEE have heard of Israels Captivity before but since that could doe no good now comes the Pestilence and that no ordinary one which usually leaves some
untoucht But such a terrible destructive Pestilence that should sweep away all before it insomuch that if ten men remaine alive they shall all dye and they shall be buried not in an ordinary way but they shall be burnt and that by the nearest relations which was used by the people of Israel only in cases of extream necessity 1 Sam. 31.12 In this Verse we have 1 A Iudgement threatned viz. death Yee shall dye i. e. by the Pestilence Those that escaped the Sword and were not killed or carried away by the enemy the Pestilence or some other Judgement shall slay them as appears by the next verse 2 Here is the fierceness of this Pestilence it shall sweep all before it this is more than the Pestilence usually doth God had corrected them before with lighter rods yet he left some alive but now if ten men remaine in some very numerous Family they shall all dye together This sets forth the dreadfulness of Gods wrath against this people for when the Plague rageth very fiercely yet it usually spares some if there bee four or five in an house usually one is spared or if eight in a Family it may be two are spared but when there are ten in a Family and they must all dye this is dreadful indeed By Ten the Prophet signifies many because ten is the utmost of single number It is a certain and distinct number put for an uncertain the like we find Numb 14.22 Levit. 26.26 1 Sam. 1.8 Iob 19.3 Psal. 91.7 Eccles. 7.19 Isa. 5.10 Zach. 8.23 Mat. 25.1 3 Here is the certainty of this dreadful destruction It shall come to pass that is it shall certainly come to pass for God hath so decreed it and there is no resisting OBSERVATIONS 1 Iudgements seldome goe alone When God begins to correct a people he takes them up for all together and spends one rod upon them after another till he hath either mended or ended them God wants not variety of wayes to cut off rebellious sinners if they escape one Judgement yet he hath another to arrest them Amos 5.19 9.1 2 3. Mat. 24.7 he hath moths thieves rust and cankers to rob us of our comforts Iam. 5.2 3. 2 Desperate Diseases must have desperate Cures When gentler corrections will not work on a people then come direful plagues and end them Those sinners were become desperate and incurable and now the Lord sets upon them with direful judgements and consumes them that so all the Nations round about might hear and fear and doe no more so wickedly 3 Incorrigible sinners are cut off by the Pestilence God had used all means to reclaime this People but all in vaine therefore now they must dye for it So true is that of the Apostle The wages of sin is death Rom. 1.31 6.23 Sin and Death came into the world together Gen. 2.17 Dan. 9.11 Rom. 5.12 How blind then are the Socinians that can finde no place in Scripture where it is said that death is the punishment of sin 4 What God hath decreed shall certainly be effected Though we cannot bring it to pass yet he can and will whether it be for the overthrow of the wicked as here or for the comfort of the godly The counsel of the Lord shall stand and the thoughts of his heart unto all generations Men may plot and contrive wayes to overthrow the Doctrine and Discipline of Christ but these devices and counsels of men shall not stand it is the counsels of the Lord only that shall abide Psal. 33.10 11. VER 10. And a mans Uncle shall take him up and he that burneth him to bring out the bones out of the house and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house Is there yet any with thee and he shall say No then shall he say Hold thy tongue for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord. WHat the Prophet had exprest somewhat obscurely in the precedent Verse he sets down more fully and clearly in this viz. That the Pestilence should be so dreadful that it should destroy whole Families insomuch that there should not be living men enough to bury the dead There should neither be Father nor Mother Brother nor Sister Son nor Daughter left alive to doe the last office of Burial for them but a mans Uncle or Kinsman must doe it for him else hee may lye and rot above ground This shews what great desolation the Pestilence had made amongst them that the Uncle or nearest Kinsman to whom the right of succession to the Inheritance belongs must bee constrained to burn the Body that so he might carry the bones out of the house with more ease This was servile work and belonged to mercenary men appointed for that purpose Ezek. 39.14 but for want of such ordinary Officers to doe it the Kinsman must doe it So that in this Verse we have 1. An Amplification of that great desolation which the Pestilence should make amongst them it should be so terrible that it should destroy whole Families and cut off those ordinary Officers which were appointed to bury the dead insomuch that the next Kinsman must be forced to doe it neither shall he doe it in an ordinary way but he must burne his bones Calvin and others make the Uncle alone to be both the burner of the dead and the burier of his bones they read the words thus His Uncle shall take him up and burne him that he may carry the bones out of the house This reading seems to be most genuine and agreeable to the Text and context setting forth the dreadful hand of God upon them in that the Pestilence should be so fierce that they should want ordinary Officers to bury the dead Q. But how are they said to burne their dead when it appears both by the Old and New Testament that the Jewes did bury their dead Gen. 23.4 49.31 50.5 25 26. Mat. 8.21 22. Joh. 19.41 42. A. It is true usually they did bury their dead in times of Peace but in times of Warre they sometimes did burn their dead as they did Saul and his Sons to prevent further abuse which might be offered to their bodies by the Philistims 1 Sam. 31.12 13. so in times of great contagion to prevent stench and further infection they burnt their dead as in the text They might also burne them to cleanse the house which was fallen to the Kinsman from legal uncleanness by the dead Numb 19.14 Hence we read of their Vespillones and Polâ—inctores their buriers and their burners of the dead and so had the Gentiles and the Romans they burnt their dead to ashes and put their ashes into Urns as appears by Virgil Ovid and others and Pitchers of Gold Silver Brass or Marble with great care and ceremoniousness These Iewes being themselves Idolaters did symbolize too much with Heathens and Idolaters in this thing 2 Here is the reason why
21.23 so that this conspiring implies that Amos had some confederates with him that helped to carry on this conspiracy against the King when alas Amos was so farre from conspiring that he was now considering how he might prevent the ruine both of King and Kingdom and avert the approaching judgements By his Prayers he had prevented two judgements and now counsels them to prevent the third yet Amos is a Conspirator and troubler of Israel when it was their owne Idolatry and Apostacy and not Amos that troubled them 2 Amos did not vent his Passion or speak his owne private opinion but he tells them the mind and Message of God which he had shewed him in a Vision and commanded him to publish touching the destruction not of the King himself for we read not that Ieroboam dyed by the sword but of the Kings Posterity vers 9. I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword But Amaziah conceiving that the King would be more inraged against Amos for Prophecying against him than for Prophecying against his Children thereupon forgets this accusation and saith Amos hath conspired against thee and hath said the King shall dye by the Sword Not a word of truth for Amos did not conspire against the King neither did he say that he should dye by the Sword yet this hath been the lot of all Gods faithful Ministers to bee counted Seditious and the troublers of a State solely for discharging the duty of their places faithfully Now by this high Charge we may see that this false Prophet sought the life of the true one as will appear if we frame his Accusation into an Argument thus He that hath conspired the ruine both of King and Kingdom ought to dye But Amos hath done so Ergo. But it pleased the Lord in whose hand is the heart of the King to make the King so farre to favour the Prophet as that hee sleighted this Priests accusation and therefore Amaziah pretends friendship to ths Prophet as we shall see hereafter Now let us view the Transactions of this High-Priest and we shall finde a compleat Character of a false Prophet or the perfect picture of a Polititian 1 They use to flatter and delude great ones making them to beleeve that none are their friends but such as say as they say and doe whatever they would have them doe and humour them in their sins and that they are their foes that like Amos here deal faithfully and plainly with them and this is no small part of great mens misery that they have few about them that dare or will deal faithfully with them They may use the Letany in this sense with that alteration which the poor Curate used when he saw his Lord come into the Church O God the Father of Heaven have mercy upon us Right Honourable Sinners Their state in this respect is farre worse than that of inferiour persons who are plainly and truly told of their sins when these are soothed up to their destruction 2 They calumniate and belye the true Prophets they observe Machiavels rule Calumniare audacter saltem aliquid adhaerebit Lye lustily somewhat will stick though it be never so false So it was with Amos here 3 They labour with might and maine to suppress and silence the true Prophets they know that their Kingdom cannot long stand if once the faithful Ministers of Christ bee countenanced Light and Darkness the Ark and Dagon Christ and Belial can never subsist together This made Amaziah here to use both force and fraud to rid the Land of Amos. 4 They labour to suppresse good men before they can be heard They must not speak nor dispute the case Thus Amaziah here clancularly accuseth Amos to the King when he could make no defence for himself 5 They usually mingle some truth with their lyes As Fowlers doe mixe some Wheat with their Chaff to catch the Birds the sooner So did Amaziah here he mixed some truth with his lyes Amos hath said Ieroboam shall dye by the Sword that was false and Israel shall surely goe into Captivity that was true OBSERVATIONS 1 In all ages there have been false Prophets to oppose the true There was a Iannes and a Iambres to resist Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 and four hundred false Prophets against one good Micaiah a Pashur and an Hananiah against the Prophet Ieremy and here Amaziah against Amos. So in the New Testament how bitter were the High Priests against Christ Ioh. 11.47 48. accusing him as an enemy to the State and no friend to Caesar. How did the Stribes and Pharisees oppose the Apostles and since Antichrists Kingdom hath been set up how have Gods faithful witnesses been persecuted and slaine Persecution hath ever been the lot especially of Gods zealous Messengers Acts 7.51 let a man faithfully discharge the duties of his place and then let him look for some Idolatrous Amaziah to oppose him When we have opportunities of doing any good we must look for many adversaries 1 Cor. 16.9 Let us not then be offended when we meet with the like usage from the world 2 It is the porperty of Persecutors to undermine Gods Servants clancularly Amaziah sends to the King privily unknown to Amos and accuseth him for a Traytor that so he might be condemned without hearing or answering for himself Thus they deal with Ieremy when they could finde nothing justly against him then they secretly devise devices against him Ier. 11.19 12.6 18.18 where we may observe the vile ingratitude of men this Prophet had by his Prayers averted two Judgements from Israel yet now they seek his death who saved their life and accuse him of Rebellion who saved them from destruction Valiant men charge their adversaries in the face it is for Cowards to creep behind Truth seeks no shifts nor corners it loves the light as true gold fears neither the Touch-stone nor the ballance but falshood being a work of darknesse loves darknesse and is not able to stand bare-faced before truth and therefore it makes lyes and falshood its refuge 3 Wicked men what ever they pretend yet intend Self Haman pretended the Kings profit when his owne ambition envie and revenge was that he really sought Hest. 3.8 So this Idolatrous Priest here pretended great love and service to the King when Self was in the bottom of the design Hee was the Priest of Bethel and got much profit by the place and therefore he hated Amos heartily who forbad the people to come any more at Bethel but to shun it as a place infected with Superstition and Idolatry Amos 5.5 and so all the fat of this self-seeking Priest of Bethel ran into the fire This he could not bear for it struck at his dignity and livelihood Such men make their bellies their gods and little regard what becomes of truth modo hic sit bene as the Monk said when he stroked his fat paunch Wee read of low and
render it thus The Lord hath sworn against the pride of Iacob But the Original is expresse against it for though the word Gaon signifie Pride as well as Excellency yet the prefix Beâ—h notes that form of swearing which is usual with the Hebrews as appears Amos 4.2 6.8 and it signifies not contra but per and therefore is fitly rendred By the excellency of Iacob and not against the pride of Israel 3 What doth the Lord swear why he swears he will forget none of their wicked workes the words in the Original run thus If I forget any of their works for ever q. d. let me not live or let me not be God or let me not be accounted true but repute me for a Liar if ever I forget to punish this great wickedness of Israel they shall surely pay for it according to their demerits See the like expression Deut. 1.35 1 Sam. 3.14 14.45 Psal. 89.36 Isa. 14.24 62.8 Ezek. 34.8 The Prophet by an Euphemismus omits that open form of swearing As I live or as sure as I am God c. because of the horror and dreadfulnesse of it and to make us render of using Imprecations therefore the Holy Ghost oft times conceals the Imprecation in swearing This abrupt manner of speaking is usual in Oathes it is a kind of Aposiopesis usual in Scripture when we cut off some word or part of a sentence which yet is understood such Oathes cum reticentia are very dreadful and set forth Gods greatest Wrath against a People as Psal. 95.11 To whom I sware in my wrath if they enter into my rest q. d. They shall never enter into my rest if ever they come there let me not be God or let me not be true It is a very strong Negation a stronger cannot be expressed I will never forget any of their works It is an Antropopathy God speaks to men after the manner of men he is said to remember those sins which hee punisheth and to forget those sins which he pardoneth Any of their works i. e. None of their works not one shall be forgotten by me to all eternity but they shall certainly and suddenly pay for all their crying Crimes committed against mee OBSERVATIONS 1 Sin and sorrow are inseparable companions Flagitium flagellum are like the Needle and the Thread the one goes before and the other follows Isa. 63.10 1 Cor. 10.8.9.10 we read before of Israels Sin and now we read of his Suffering and to assure them of it The Lord swears it If men will sin against the Lord let them be sure at first or last their sin will finde them out Numb 32.23 Gods Word had been sufficient to assure us of this but because we are incredulous he confirms it with an Oath that none might doubt of it Ask Men and Angels Houses Cities Kingdoms and they will all tell you that it was sin that laid them in the dust 2 A People may so far incense the Lord to wrath by their sins that hee may swear their ruine When Israel had long hardned their hearts against God at last he swears they should never enter into his rest Psal. 95.11 Patience abused turns into fury and makes the Lord to swear mens utter rejection 1 Sam. 15.28 29. this people had highly provoked the Lord and therefore this is the third time which the Lord swears against them Amos 4.2 6.8 3 The favour and presence of God with a People is the glory and excellencâ— of a people It is not Corn Wine Women Health Wealth or multitudes of people that make a Nation happy for then Turks and Tartars Barbarians and Indians should excell Gods People for they abound with these external comforts but happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal. 144. ult Hence the Lord is called The excellency of Iacob and the Glory of Israel He was their inestimable Treasure and true Honour who made them truly glorious Psal. 106.20 148.14 Ier. 2.11 Luke 2.32 Hence Moses glories in this above all other Priviledges That there was no people that had the Lord their God so nigh unto them in all that they called upon him for as the Lord our God hath been to them Deut. 4.7 8. The Wife shines with the rayes of her Husband Ezek. 16.14 the fruition and enjoyment of Gods favour is the life of our lives and the honour of our honours without this we may write Ichabod upon all that we have There is no glory The greater is their sin then who dishonour him by their sin who is their real excellency and turn the glory which he hath put upon them into shame This makes the Lord to swear that he will strip them of their Priviledges and make them naked as in the day when they were born He will take away not only his Corn and Wine but his Sabbaths and Sacraments which are the real glory of a people and give them to a people which shall yeeld him better obedience 4 Cathes are tremendous and dreadful things They must be taken with abundance of fear and reverence Hence it is that the Holy Ghost here conceals the Imprecation implying thereby that men should tremble at the very thoughts of what will follow if they swear falsly 5 God records and remembers all the wickedness of the wicked He forgets none no not one of their works though they themselves do As hee hath a book of remembrance for all the good which his people have done which shall at the last Day be publisht to their everlasting praise Mal. 3.16 Mat. 25.34 35. so he hath a book of remembrance for all the wicked works of the ungodly which shall be opened at the last Day and set in order before them to their everlasting shame Psal. 50.21 Mat. 25.41 42. then shall they give an account of their Stewardship and must be no longer Stewards Luke 16.2 nothing can pass his All-seeing-Eye hee records not some but All their works and though he may seem for a time to connive and take no notice of their sins but le ts them prosper in their wickedness yet at last he will make them know that he hath not forgot any of their works when he shall execute his Justice fully upon them VERSE 8. Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a floud and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the floud of Aegypt THe Prophet having in the precedent Verse shewed the certainty of Israels punishment in this Verse he comes to shew the greatness and grievousness of that misery which like a floud was rushing in upon them They had been extraordinary â—inners and now he tells them of extraordinary sufferings They had their flouds of sin and now follow flouds of sorrow The Prophet the better to awaken them begins 1. With an Emphatical Interrogation which is equivalent to a strong Affirmation as Amos 5.20
inward excellencies Socrates and Esop were deformed in body yet who more wise and witty 3. Sin sweeps all before it It deprives us not onely of bread but also of water too yea it deprives us not onely of corporal but also of spiritual bread It robs us of all our comforts great reason then we have to hate it 'T is like that weed which we call Bishopsweed which frets away all the corn and good grain that grows neer it 4. The sins of young persons provoke the Lord to cut them off Their sins are committed with more wilfulnes heat and violence and so are more displeasing unto God As I have shewed before on Amos 4.10 Obs. 6. 5. 'T is the great misery of wicked man that they have no comfort in their misery VVhen they be scorched with the wrath of God yet they faint for thirst The godly that thirst in a right spiritual manner have Gods Spirit and Ministers to comfort them and pronounce them blessed Mat. 5.6 But the wicked faint and sink under their burdens and have not so much as one shower of Rain from Heaven to quench and allay the flaming fire of Gods indignation Ezek. 22.24 VERSE 14. They that swear by the sin of Samaria and say Thy God O Dan liveth and the manner of Beersheba liveth even they shall fall and never rise up again THe Prophet having reproved them before for their oppression and unrighteousness towards men comes now to denounce Gods Judgements against them for their Superstition and Idolatry towards God In the words we have 1. A Commination or a Judgement threatned and that is the irreparable ruine of the Ten Tribes They shall fall and never rise up again They shall so fall for their cruelty and Idolatry that they shall rise no more If a man fall and yet hath hope of rising again it upholds and comforts him but these Israelites felt into captivity and never were restored Iudah which was the better of the two after the seventy years captivity returned again into their own Land but the Ten Tribes were carried out of their own Land by Salmaneser King of Assyria and never returned any more Amos 5.2 The Lord had tried all gentle means to cure them but all in vain and therefore now he resolves to make a final end with them and to smite them so as they shall fall irrecoverably and never rise up again nor return more to their own Land as appears 2 King 17. To fall and never rise to dye and not live to be set below and not above to sit in darkness and have no light such amplifications in Scripture are vehement asseverations and are not used in vain by God 2. Here is the ground or reason of this Commination and that is their Superstition and Idolatry They sware 1. By the sin of Samaria 2. By the God of Dan. 3. By the manner of Beersheba That is They sware by the Molten Images and Golden Calves which Ieroboam the King of Samaria had set up at Dan and Bethel These Idols are called The sin of Samaria because Samaria was the Metropolis and chief seat of their Kings and they setting up Idolatry at Bethel which was not far from Samaria drew Samaria and all the people of the Land with them and therefore this sin is properly laid at their doors When the people of Israel in Moses his time did worship the golden Calf it is called their Sin Deut. 9.21 I took your Sin that is I took the Molten Calf wherewith you had committed that abominable sin of Idolatry and burnt it with fire and the Scripture frequently calls Idols by the name of sin 1 King 12.29 30. Isa. 27.9 31.7 Hos. 10.8 Zach. 5.8 They thought they had done God an high peece of service in sacrificing and swearing by the Calves but the Lord plainly tells them that 't was their great sin so to do 3. He goes on to prove their Idolatry by their forms of swearing then in use for our oaths are a kinde of confession of our Faith whereby we testifie that hee whom we swear by knows our hearts and is able to punish us if we swear falsly hence swearing is frequently put for religious worship This swearing by Idols and fictitious Gods as Idolaters use to do as if they had no other God to swear by could not but highly provoke the Lord to cast them off who thus ungratefully and dis-ingenuously forsook him the fountain of all their happiness They say Thy God O Dan live or they swear by the life of Dan which yet was a dead Idol and had no life in it This was the usual form of swearing in those daies as you may see Gen. 42.15 Iudg. 8.19 Ruth 3.13 Ier. 12.16 They used the same form of swearing by their Idols as the godly did by the true God Thy God O Dan lives i. e. Let thy Calf live O Dan or as sure as thy Calf lives O Dan. They sware by this Idol as if there were some Deity and Divinity in it when 't was a meer abomination and Idol of their own inventing Hos. 8.5 6. Ieroboam when he came first to the Crown set up two Golden Calves as tutelar Gods the one at Bethel not far from Samaria the other in Dan which was in the North part of Canaan it being one of the utmost coasts thereof 1 King 12.29 30. Ier. 4.15 4. Yet more They swear by the manner of Beersheba Beersheba was a City of Canaan Iosh. 19.2 being the utmost bound of the holy Land toward the South as Dan was toward the North hence from Dan to Beersheba are oft put for the whole Land of Israel from one end to the other they being the utmost borders of the whole Land Iudg. 20.1 1 Sam. 3.20 2 Sam. 3.10 1 Chron. 8.2 ` T was a famous City where the Judges used to sit 1. Sam. 8.2 yet this place was infected with Idolatry as well as Bethel and Gilgal and therefore they are commanded to pass by it Amos 5.5 and yet they swear that the manner of Beersheba lives Or the way of Beersheba lives as 't is in the fountain that is they swear by a strange God whose way Rites Ceremonies and manner of Worship they had set up at Beersheba for by way in Scripture is meant the manner of divine worship and serving of God 'T is here taken in a bad sense See Ier. 32.39 Act. 9.2 18.25 24.14 Thus we see how the whole Land was infected with Idolatry from one side to another there was no sound part in it which serves to justifie Gods Justice in their universal ruine OBSERVATIONS 1 Idolatry it is a sinning sin It is the Sin with an Emphasis and by way of eminency which destroys a Land Deut. 9.21 it is a great sin in it self and the root of many other abominations whatever Sin God bears withall yet he cannot he will not bear with this as I have shewed at
posts might shake Denoting thereby the certainty of their ruine and transportation without any possibility of escaping 2. The Vision is expounded vers 1. where we have 1. The persons that shall be cut off and those are the body of the people the generality of the Land both great and small as all had sinned so all must now suffer for sin 1. He commands Smite them in the head that is cut off Kings Princes and Priests both in Israel and Iudah 2. Rest not there but slay the rest of them with the sword that is cut-off the inferiour sort 3. Here is the certainty and inevitableness of their suffering confirmed by Arguments drawn first from the Omnipresence of God no place what ever can protect a sinful people from his revenging hand and this is set forth 1. Generally vers 1. Hee that flyeth shall not flee away and hee that escapeth shall not bee delivered There is no escaping when God pursues 2. By a notable enumeration of some particular places shewing that they should not escape though they hid themselves 1. In Hell vers 2. 2. In Heaven 3. In the tops of inaccessible mountains vers 3. 4. In the bottome of the Sea 5. In Captivity Though they went into banishment out of their own Land yet there the Lord would command the sword and it should slay them vers 4. So that they were safe neither at home nor abroad neither in their own Land nor in strange Countries 4. Their total overthrow is further confirmed by Arguments drawn 1. From the anger of God vers 4 8. I will set mine eyes upon them for evil 'T is a Metaphor from men in whom the anger of the heart discovers it self in the eyes and face 2. From the might and majesty of God who hath power to punish them and this power is set forth 1. By his Titles Hee is the Lord God of hosts vers 5. 2. By the effects of his power 1. If he but touch the Land it shall melt vers 5. with a touch he can destroy a Land and turn it into us first Chaos 2. He can bring an overflowing flood upon it that shall quickly over-run all vers 5. 3. By his work of Creation 1. In Heaven 't is hee that builds the stories of Heaven By his power and wisdome hee created the Heavens and the several sphears and regions of the Air as so many stories one above another vers 6. 2. In the earth he hath founded his Troops in the earth vers 6. He hath variety of creatures as so many Troops on earth ready prest to serve him and execute his commands they are all his servants Psal. 119.91 3. In the Sea He calleth for the waters of the Sea and they presently cover the face of the earth vers 6. By all which he proves himself to be The Great Iehovah of all the world 5. He confirms the certainty of their destruction from the sinfulness of their condition As first They were dis-ingenuous and ungrateful whereas he had brought them up out of the Land of Egypt and made them his Israel yet they behaved themselves more like Ethiopians than Israeliteâ— and therefore as they had been like to Heathens in sinning so now they should be like them in suffering vers 7. 2. They were very secure and regardless of Gods threatnings contemning the warnings of Gods Prophets and therefore the Lord threatens that they should fall by the sword vers 10. 3. The Prophet having before used Driving Motives drawn from the Judgements of God comes now to Drawing Motives taken from the mercies and comfortable promises of God Before he had brought them to Mount Ebal the Mount of cursing but now he brings them to Mount Gerizim the Mount of Blessing Before he tried them with legal Menaces and dreadful Comminations now he closeth his Prophecy with Gospel-mercies and Evangelical consolations 1. He tells them that an elect remnant should be saved in the midst of these calamities till better daies should come under the Gospel Though the Lord were resolved to punish the body of that rebellious Nation yet he would not utterly destroy them all but would preserve some because of his Covenant and though they might be fifted tossed and tried with many afflictions and go into captivity as well as others yet not one grain should fall to the ground nor any one of Gods elect perish eternally vers 8 9. 2. Here is the happy Restauration of the Church in Gospel-times set forth 1. Under the type of raising up the Tabernacle of David which is fallen vers 11. Though the house of David and the men of Iudah and Israel were sorely shattered and sunk very low by reason of their captivity and other miseries which lay upon them so that they were like a Tabernacle fallen down or a Garden laid open the fence being broken down yet in Christ the true heir of David it should in Gospel-times be restored and repaired 3. According to the custome of the Prophets in Old-Testament times he prophesieth of the glory and happiness of the Church which he sets forth by the magnificence and affluence of outward blessings typifying thereby those spiritual mercies which God would give to the elect remnant after their sufferings 1. He promiseth that the Nations should be subdued under them and their bounds should be inlarged by taking in the Gentiles in these Gospel-times into communion with them vers 12. 2. Great plenty in their fields and Vineyards vers 13 14. 3. Re-edifying of their ruined Cities vers 14. 4. Returning from captivity and banishment and re-establisment in their own Land in despight of all their enemies vers 15. Object But 't is impossible that ever such things should be effected Answ. To men who are led by sense and carnal reason these things may seem impossible but to the Almighty all things are possible Now 't is he that undertakes the work and 't is he that will effect it in his due time 'T is I that will bring them again and I will plant them in the Land that I have given them even I will do this saith the Lord Almighty who am Thy God in covenant with thee VERSE 1. I saw the Lord standing upon the Altar c. THe destruction of this people was shadowed out before by four visions This is the fifth and last by which the Prophet confirms that Commination which he had publisht in the precedent chapters The better to confirm the truth and authority of what he should speak he begins first with his usual Preface Amos 1.1 8.1 I saw the Lord the King of Kings and supream Monarch of all the world whom Israel and Iudah have provoked to wrath with their Idolatry him I say I saw in a trance or Prophetical vision standing which implies two things 1. That he was ready to depart from this rebellious people his gracious presence should now no longer abide amongst them 2. Stat ut vindex he stands ready to pronounce the
us from his All-seeing-eye nor secure us from his All-mighty-hand as appears in the next verses VERSE 2. Though they dig into Hell thence shall mine hand take them though they climbe up to Heaven thence will I bring them down THese Apostatizing Israelites being puft up with their Priviledges conceiting that God loved them because he had given them some success and victories hereupon they grew secure and impenitent promising themselves impunity in their sins which makes the Prophet here to thunder out Gods dreadful judgements against them with vehemency and variety of words and to use very lofty and hyperbolical expressions the better to awaken them and drive them out of their vain conceits In the end of the fore-going verse he had shewed them that though they fled yet they should not escape and this he proves in the three following verses by a notable enumeration of five particular places thereby shewing them that they should not escape though they hid themselves 1. In Hell 2. In Heaven 3. In the tops of inaccessible Mountains 4. In the bottome of the Sea 5. In captivity and banishment out of their own Land yet there the Lord would command the sword and it should slay them They should be safe neither at home nor abroad neither in their own Country nor yet in a strange Land so sad it is for a people to have God for their enemy 1. The first means whereby they thought to hide themselves from Gods revenging hand was by digging and taking great pains to hide themselves as low as Hell We have the same word used Ionah 1.13 where the Mariners are said to row hard to save Ionah the word is Iachteru they digged in the Sea by rowing that is they used the utmost means to save him Quest. The Question will be What is here meant by Hell and Heaven Answ. 1. Some take the words literally thus If it were possible for these incorrigible sinners to descend into Hell or ascend up into Heaven yet Gods hand of Justice should finde them out in the one and cast them out of the other 2. Others take the words in an Hyperbolical sense thus By Hell they understand the most abstruse deep secret places of the earth The word Scheol hath many significations 1. Sometimes 't is put for the grave Gen. 37.35 Psal. 16.10 2. Sometimes 't is put for Hell it self as Iob 11.8 26.6 3. Here it signifies the lowest part of the earth and neerest to the center q. d. Though these wicked men should dig ditches or pits never so deep in the earth to hide themselves so that they should get â—lmost as low as Hell yet this digging and delving should not avail them nor be able to shelter them from Gods wrath for even thence would God take them and deliver them into their enemies hands to be slain Hell is naked before him and destruction hath no covering Job 26.6 Prov. 15.11 Let Adam hide himself amongst the trees and Ionah lye never so close to the sides of the ship yet Gods Almighty hand found out both the one and the other 2. If this will not do and Hell will afford no help they 'l climbe to Heaven and try what that will do but all in vain for thence will God cast them down that the Assyrian may slay them The like Hyperbolical speeches of mounting up to Heaven we read of Gen. 11.4 Deut. 1.28 Iob 20.6 Ier. 49.16 51.53 Obad. 4. Some by Heaven understand high and lofty Refuges and Towers whose tops seemed to touch the Heavens q. d. Let these wicked men seek for refuge in Heaven or Hell above or beneath in Sea or Land yet they shall not secure them in this day of wrath all their hearts their holes and hiding-places are naked before the eyes of him with whom they have to do OBSERVATIONS 1. When God is against a people no place can shelter them from his wrath If men sin against the Lord let them go whither they will the punishment of their sin will finde them out Numb 32.23 Though insolent Edom make his nest in the Stars and think himself out of Gun-shot and free from danger yet his sins will bring him down Obad. 4. God hath a sharp eye and a strong hand to pull men out of their strong holds or to destroy them in them Zimri got into Tirzah a fortified City and then into the Kings Palace and there he burnt himself to death 1 King 16.8 Had we all the power and policy of all the Kingdomes of the Earth for us yet if God be against us these cannot help us Amos 2.14 15 16. Though the wicked mount on high yet at last hee casts them down to the ground Psal. 147.6 'T is not height nor depth Sea or Land Heaven or Hell that can shelter us from Gods fury If God be against us all the elements and all the creatures are against us As when God is for us all are for us Rom. 8.31 and we need not fear Psal. 27.1 56.4 Isa. 43.1 2. There is no flying from Gods Arrests if a man have done wickedly in one place he may escape the Law by flying to another he may get out of our bounds and then he is safe but who can get out of Gods bounds he hath power to arrest us where ever he findes us and he can finde us where ever we are He is higher than Heaven and deeper than Hell and therefore David cryes out Whither shall I go from thy presence Surely no whither Neither men nor Devils are able to go from the common and general presence of God for he fills Heaven and Earth Psal. 139.7 to 13. is a kinde of Comment on this Text and therefore I shall briefly open it vers 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit what 's that why he tells you in the next clause Whither shall I flee from thy presence q. d. Thou art an infinite Spirit and I can go no where to avoid or escape thee Vers. 8. If I ascend into Heaven thou art there By Heaven is meant the upper Region of the world and if I make my bed in Hell and go down to the lowest parts of the earth he hold thou art there q. d. Let mee go whither I will thy presence will finde mee out Vers. 9. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the world q. d. should I fly never so early or swiftly from East to West as the light of the morning doth vers 10. Even there should thy hand lead mee and thy right hand should hold mee q. d. I should still lye under thy divine disposing and government and finde thee efficaciously present with mee Vers. 11. If I say the darkness shall cover mee viz. so as thou shalt not be able to finde mee out then is the night light about mee that is I shall be as little hid from thine eyes as if 't were noon day why so vers 12. for the
joyning themselves to Iudah came again into the holy Land after the seventy years Captivity It was usual with the Prophets to mollifie their Threatnings with the intermixture of some Promises the better to incourage them to return by giving them some glimpse of acceptance and hope of mercy for the Prophet having before uttered hard things against this people he comes now in the close of all to end his Prophesie with promises of comfort to a remnant whom God would hide in the midst of their Captivity till better times should come under the Gospel Some construe the words Ironically and make them a confirmation of the punishment q. d. I have punished Nations that never had the teaching which you have had and do you think to go scot-free But this sense seems to be racked It is better therefore to take the words as they simply import a promise of mitigation moderation and favour to a remnant because of the Covenant and because of the Elect amongst them and their Seed who were to be the Seminary of the Church This is most agreeable to the contexture and suits best with the next Verse where the Prophet promiseth that albeit God be resolved to sift the house of Israel yet the least grain should not fall to the ground and therefore the Geneva translation renders it well Nevertheless I will not utterly destroy the house of Iacob Destroying I will not destroy it that is I will not totally destroy the family and stock of Israel but will preserve a remnant for my self though they be captives in Assyria and Chaldea yet as I have brought them in so I will bring some of them out again that they may praise me 5 Here is the confirmation both of the Commination and the Consolation Dixit Dominus the Lord who cannot lye hath said it who both can and will perform what ever he hath spoken OBSERVATIONS 1 The eyes of the Lord are upon sinful Kingdomes to destroy them The Kingdomes that will not submit to Christ and serve him be they never so many or mighty must perish Isa. 60.12 As his eye is upon the righteous to preserve them so his eye is upon the wicked to destroy them as I have shewed before on vers 4. As he looks upon the righteous not with a bare look of intuition but with a look of approbation in order to their assistance to do them good and to exert his strength for them so he looks upon the wicked with an eye of indignation for evil and not for good 1 Pet. 3.12 When men are given up to sin and are become hardened and habituated in iniquity as these were then judgement is near Ier. 13.23 24. especially when Kingdomes are defiled with Idolatry that wickedness with a witness that sin with an accent which truly and properly denominates a Kingdome to be The sinful Kingdome Where ever this sin goes before destruction is at the heels of it It is a soul-damning and a land-destroying sin Iudg. 5.8 Psal. 78.58 to 63. Ier. 22.7 8 9. one such a sinner in grain destroyes much good Eccles. 9.17 The Idolater is a grand Traitor to the state he lives in He helps to bring Sword Plague Famine and all curses upon a Land Ezek. 14.7 8 21. Gods eye is upon such to cut them off from the face of the earth 2 Gods Ministers must wisely intermix Iudgement and Mercy They must like the good Samaritan have Wine and Oyl Wine to search and cleanse mens wounds and Oyl to supple and heal them The sharpness of the Law must be allayed with the sweetness of the Gospel Luke 10.34 Amos had often threatned now he comforts Obstinate sinners must be certified and pulled with violence out of Satans jaws others that are humbled must be handled gently Iude 23. We must frame our reproofs according to the necessities of our Auditors All sores are not cured with one salve that may be poyson to one which is medicinal to another The soul must be throughly purged from sin before it can be cured or expect any health It is in this case as it is in sores if any corruption be left unexpelled the wound will wrankle and may become mortal For sin is like Bishops-weed if you leave but little spangs unweeded they will run over your garden and suffer nothing that is good to grow near it Ministers then had need to have the Tongue of the Learned to know how to speak a word in season for if we preach al mercy we shall teach men to presume if all Judgement to despond and despair We must therefore wisely sing both of Mercy and Judgement hence the Prophets did usually give some glimpses of comfort and grounds of hope to Gods people in their distresse They had some peradventure you may be hid and heard Joel 2.14 Ionah 3.9 Zeph. 2.3 Take away hope and you take away endeavours impossibility of obtaining breaks the heart and therefore 't is that the Lord usually gives people some crumbs of comfort in their deepest distresse that so they might be incouraged to come in unto him 3. In the midst of Iudgement God usually spares a remnant Isa. 1.9 37.32 Ier. 5.18 Rom. 9.27 11.5 Though God make a full and final end of other Nations yet he makes not a full end with his people but corrects them in measure and in mercy Ier. 46. ult Though he punish some yet he destroys not all but moderates publick calamities for the Elects sake Mat. 24.22 In the Babylonish captivity the Lord preserved Ieremy Daniel and others When all the Old World was drowned yet a little remnant was spared viz. Noah and his family God is ever mindful of his Covenant to his people and in the midst of all confusions he is a Tower to his As I have shewed elsewhere VER 9. For loe I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as Corn is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least grain fall upon the Earth THe Prophet having mentioned a mitigation of the punishmen in the cloze of the precedent verse he comes in this verse to confirm and illustrate this mitigation and moderation by a Metaphor or Allusion taken from Husbandmen who sift and winnow away the Chaff but carefully preserve the Wheat For loe I will command the Assâ—rians and Babylonians and they shall seize on Israel and Iudah and shall sift them and if I command who shall hinder it how Israel was sifted we have seen how Iudah was sifted up and down you may see Lam. 1.3 5.5 6. And I will sift them as corn is sifted in a sieve which similitude implies three things 1. That the men of Israel and Iudah should be tossed and scattered among all Nations as Corn is tossed to and fro in a sieve 2. As the Corn and Wheat is preserved in the sieve when the Chaff flies away and falls to the ground so in the midst of all these tossings and
not only as a Load-stone but like a Furnace to separate the gold from the dross when God comes to search the heart of his Elect he hath a power beyond all other refiners for look what is good hee makes it better and what is nought hee takes away and makes it good He turns the vilest earth into the purest Gold and the vilest Mettal a proud heart he turns into an humble heart Hee casts a Christ-despising-soul into the Furnace and it comes out a high-prizing soul of Christ. Obj. How is it said that God only knowes and searcheth the hearts of men 1 King 8.39 whereas it is said that a man knows his own heart 1 Cor. 2.11 yea Samuel could tell Saul all that was in his heart 1 Sam. 9.19 and if the evil Angels know our hearts Joh. 13.2 then good Angels much more Ans. There is so great a difference between Creatures knowing of the hearts and the Creators knowledge of them that ours is nothing in comparison of his 1 They differ in respect of their Original God knows the heart of himself and needs not that any man should tell him Iohn 2. ult But Angels and Men know by revelation from God or revelation from others Thus God revealed to Samuel which was Saul that should bee King of Israel 1 Sam. 9.15 17. Thus Elisha knew the covetousness of Gehazi and Peter the Hipocrisie of Annanias and Sapphira Thus the good Angels know what is in us by Revelation and the evil ones by the working of our fancies they know what will take with us 1 King 22.22 2 In respect of Certainty we know things but conjecturally darkly and by halves but God knoweth all things exactly and perfectly he knowes us better than wee know our selves Christ knew Peters heart when hee knew it not himself and God knew Hazaels heart when himself could not beleeve the wickedness which was there Thus hee knowes our thoughts afarre off Psal. 139.2 men may see the thoughts of others near hand when they begin to break out and bewray themselves in the face and countenance in gestures words and looks by these we sometimes pump out what is in men Prov. 20.5 But this is but conjectural and we are oft deceived as we see in David he thought Absoloms purpose had been sincere in going to fulfill his Vow at Hebron and that Achitophel had been a faithful Counsellor Thus the Disciples took Iudas to be like themselves and therefore when Christ said One of you shall betray mee every one asked Master is it I But God did most certainly know Absoloms Hypocrisie Achitophels Policy and Iudas his Treachery In our thoughts there is the object which we think on and the impress of it as it lieth in our fancy and this the Angels being Spirits may know and see what is in the fancy But now to make up a full thought there must be an act that passeth on this object that carrieth with it an Affirmative or Negative for an hundred men may think on one and the same object and yet they may act diversly now because the mind of man may work several ways on one and the same object the Angels cannot certainly know the hearts of men which made the Devils Oracles to speak so ambiguously because they knew not certainly what should come to pass But God hath a clear and exact knowledge of all things and perfectly knowes all the turnings and windings all the imaginations and thoughts of our hearts whether good or bad sudden or deliberate past present or to come Gen. 6.5 Iob 42.2 Psal. 44.21 He knowes our thoughts before we think them Deut. 31.21 though men have fair words yet hee knowes they have many times foul hearts Deut. 5.28 29. God takes notice of every wanton thought which is in our hearts which made Iob ch 31.1 to make a covenant with his eyes that he might not so much as think on a Maid least he should sin against God and displease him who takes notice of all the motions of our hearts God took notice of Sauls murderous thoughts towards David when he was playing before him he thought to have murdered him and of Felix his covetous thoughts when he sent so oft for Paul thinking that money should have been given him But God in goodness to us hath lockt up the hearts of men from the knowledge of men for the preservation of Humane society for man is a sociable Creature now if there were a window made in the Soul of every man to know what is in him there would bee no living one by another so vile and fierce we are by nature Titus 3.3 every one hath several ends and if we could see whose heart opposeth us in the pursuit of them we should hate them Besides every man hath secret fins which if all the world should know we should be ashamed to look one another in the face and afraid one of another 1 Woe then to Quakers who assume to themselves Gods Prerogative Royal of knowing the heart How oft have they told us that they know mens hearts when it may bee they know nor their names so soon as ever they see their faces they know who are Hypocrites or prophane at first-sight But it is no wonder that those who have printed that they are equal to God as holy as God as just as God as good as God if they also say they are as knowing as God These high-flown Atheistical ones assume more to themselves than the very glorified Saints or Angels dare doe Such prodigious Pride and Blasphemy will be punisht with some signall faâ—l 2 This must humble us in all our approaches before this Omniscient Heart-searching God We have not to doe with men but with the All-seeing God who cannot and will not be mocked We are apt to think highly of our selves but God knowes that by us which we know not by our selves Wee know but in part but he knowes us thorowly and if our Conscience doe accuse us of something yet he is greater than our Conscience and knoweth all things Men may secretly and subtilly hide their sins from men but nothing is hid from God he sets our secret sins in the light of his countenance It is dangerous to plot any thing either against him or any thing which relates unto him for as he sees mens sins so hee hath power to punish them Woe then to such as oppose Gods Truth these oppose God and rob his people of the choycest purchase 2. Such as oppose his Embassadours doe oppose him he accounts the indignities done to them as done to himself 3. Such as abuse his people and despise them for their purity despise God who made them so 3 It must make us serious and sincere in all that we doe since we have to doe with a God that searcheth the heart and ponders the spirits of men and if they be but a graine too light his beam will soon discover it Prov. 16.2 Did we but set the
shewed before what in justice he might have done and have done them no wrong yet such is his Mercy and Clemency that he will not doe it but waits yet longer for their return It shall not be saith the Lord whose word is good security the Locusts shall be recalled they shall not devour Israel I will at thy intercession spare them yet a little longer OBSERVATIONS 1 The Prayers of the faithful are very powerful and succesful The Prophet can but speak here and he presently speeds What is it that Prayer hath not done It is a kind of Omnipotent engine that layes all flat before it if any thing can help at a dead lift it is this or nothing All things are possible to faith no Mountains of dangers fears or difficulties but it removes them Mark 9.23 this binds as it were the hands of God and commands the Commander of all things Isa. 45.11 The effectual fervent prayer of one righteous man how much more of many avayls much Iam. 5.16 to these the Promise runs Psal. 34.17 Ioel 2.17 18. God never sayes to the seed of Iacob Seek my face in vaine Isa. 45.19 The Prayer of an holy Moses Samuel Daniel c. what hath it not done If there had been but ten righteous persons in those five Sodomitical Cities that is but two in a City they had been spared We should therefore love the godly and value them according to their true worth who can doe such great things by their prayers It is the happiness of a Nation to have such men in it praying Saints are the Pillars and Supporters of the world and the blessings of a Land Isa. 19.24 they are such a blessing as preserves all other blessings amongst a people they are the strength of a Land Zach. 12.5 the walls and bulwarks of a place to save such praying holy ones God will destroy both Kings and Kingdoms Isa. 43.3 4. the Lord is alwayes nigh to help and to deliver them Deut. 4.7 they advance Gods Name and set the Crown upon Gods head giving the glory of all they have or can doe to him alone and therefore the Lord delights to make them glorious So that the prayers of good men are very precious things Gen. 20.7 Iob 42.8 Obj. The Prayers of an holy Amos might prevail much but we are no Prophets A. Amos was a man subject to infirmities as we are and he was not heard as a Prophet but for the Promises which all beleevers have interest in as well as Prophets VERSE 4 5 6. Thus hath the Lord shewed me and behold the Lord God called to contend by fire and it devoured the great deep and did eat up a part Then said I O Lord God cease I beseech thee by whom shall Jacob arise for he is small The Lord repented for this This also shall not be saith the Lord God WEE are now come to the second Vision and that is of Fire denoting a greater Judgement than the former Locusts devour but the blade and blossoms but fire consumes both roots and fruits The Lord had wasted many Rods in vaine upon them he now casts them into the fire to see whether that will melt or mend them These three Visions are a kind of Gradation that of the Locusts was sad that of Fire was worse and that of a Plumb-line was worst of all This Vision though it differ in matter yet for method it is alike 1 Here is the Preamble or Preface to the Vision Thus hath the Lord God shewed me 2 Here is the Vision it self with an Ecce in the front of it Behold the Lord God called to contend by fire that is by War which the King of Assyria a fierce enemy should bring upon them 3 Here is the fruit and effect of this fire 1 It devoured the great deep or it devoured a great abyss and depth of waters This fire devoured not only wood and waters above the earth but also the waters inclosed in the hollow parts of the earth from whence fountains and rivers doe issue Gen. 7.11 By this devouring fire most understand the Kingdome of Syria which was laid waft and totally devoured by Tiglath-pileser King of Assyria 2 King 16.9 and by the abyss of waters is here meant multitudes of people as Ezek. 31.4 Revel 17.1 the Whore sits upon many waters that is she hath rule and power over many people 2 After this it did eate up a part and had devoured all but that the Prophet interceded for them or it consumed a peece of the Land or a part of the portion and possession of Gods people By this is understood some part of Israel viz. two Tribes and a half which Tiglath-Pileser carried away Captive into Assyria and thereupon is said to eate up a part of Israel 2 King 15.29 2 Chron. 5.26 Isa. 9.1 2. 3 Here is the Prophets sympathy and sense of this Judgement vers 5. it put him upon Prayer and made him deprecate the averting of it Then said I O Lord God cease I beseech thee by whom shall Jacob arise for he is small It is the very same Prayer and the same Arguments that he used before vers 2. only in the place of forgiving he puts ceasing Cease Lord this thine anger against thy people and the sheep of thy pasture hold thy hand for if thou thus goe on to affict thy people who shall remaine of Iacob surely none at all This â—orbearing being a visible effect of pardon he desires that God would manifest it and so it is the same Prayer in effect with the former 1 Obs. Hence note that it is lawful as occasion requires to pray the same Prayer and use the same Arguments as formerly we have done Amos doth so here and speeds So did Christ Mat. 27.44 he prayed the third time saying the same words this he did out of fervency of spirit 2 Obs. We must persevere in Prayer for the people of God As their misery doth renew so must our Prayers for them be renewed Thus did Amos God threatens a second Judgement and Amos by a second Prayer averts that also The work is good and no difficulties should discourage us The Church is near and dear to God t is his Beulah and Hephzibah Isa. 62.4 his beloved Spouse and we never please him better than when we are importunate with him for Sions good Hence he so oft commands us to pray for the peace of Ierusalem and promiseth that they shall prosper who love it yea he bids us command him when it is for the good oâ— his Sons and Daughters Isa. 45.11 4 Here is the good success and happy issue of his Prayer he obtains his request since it is for Israel that he prayes it is but ask and have By his Prayers and Tears he extinguisheth this fire when nothing else could doe it and gets the Judgement suspended for a time to see if their hard hearts would at length relent and return This may incourage