to go otherwise then according to the words verdict yet at last all things will certainly and visibly be according to what the word sayth for so much doth this hold out in general that it is from the word whoever carry it that men may know what God thinks of their way and such as cleave to the word in duty may expect that Gods dealing will in due time be according as they are warranted from the word to expect 7. It is needful work to stir up our own hearts again and again to see God in threatnings and to read his dreadfulnesse therein that so we may be ashamed of our own stupidity that will not fear his anger albeit it have not burst forth in execution Therefore is it again inculcate The lion hath roared who will not feare 8. There is small cause to be offended at ministers freedome in publishing their Commission considering that it is an evidence of their zeal to be imitate by all rather then quarrelled and that they stand strictly engaged to be faithful upon their greatest perill for whereas they could not indure this Prophets freedome he excuseth himselfe with this that the Lord God hath spoken by giving Commission who can but prophesie Whereby we are not onely to understand a strong impulse upon their hearts with the Commission though Prophets had that Jer. 20.9 and conscience and love and zeal for God will set all on edge to plead for God who have his Comission but that his calling laid a necessity on him were he never so unwilling as Cor. 9.17 And that he was in great hazard having his own soul at the stake if he were not faithful as Ezek. 33.6 And therefore he behoved to preach however they quarrelled or contemned him Verse 9. Publish in the palaces at Ashdod and in the palaces in the land of Egypt and say Assemble your selves upon the mountains of Samaria and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof and the oppressed in the midst thereof 10. For they know not to doe right saith the Lord who store up violence and robbery in their palaces These exceptions being thus removed and refuted the Lord by the Prophet goeth on to the processe to accuse and sentence them And for this end forraign Nations about such as Egyptians and Philistines are called to come and bear witnesse against their sinne and to justifie the Lord in the judgements that were to come upon them The sinnes for which they are accused are horrid tumults and oppression v. 9. Wherein they bewrayed much obstinacy and voluntarily contracted blindnesse through custome in sinne and great insatiablenesse in that they heaped up goods taken by oppression in their houses v. 10. He names the Mountains of Samaria though it appeareth there was but one hill on which the City was built 1 Kings 16.24 either because he understands the whole hilly Country that depended on that City or rather since he seems to speak chiefly to the ills done in that City because that hill had several risings in it And so he intimates that in every corner of the City these iniquities were to be found Doct. 1. Whatever be the vain-gloriation of a sinful and corrupt Church yet their course is oft-times worse then the way of very heathens and such as they would condemn for albeit Israel despised all other Nations and these among and above the rest yet they are called to assemble and behold their great wickednesse which they would abhor In which we may consider 1. Albeit Israel would not hear nor could bear these threatnings as appeareth from the former doctrine in this Chapter yet it is here intimated that the Nations about would see they were deserved as 1 Kings 9.8 9. 2. How blind soever Pagan Nations be in matters of the first Table and of Religion though even in that their cleaving to what they chose for a deity will aggravate the inconstancy of the Church Jer. 2.10 11. yet in matters of justice and equity and of the second Table which are here spoken of the practice of many of them by the light of nature may condemn them who have the clear light of the written word Rom. 2.26 27. And so also will the use they make of any means that at any time hath been offered unto them Matth. 12.41 3. In particular these Nations of Egypt and the Philistines of whom Ashdod was a part were noted and infamous among the very Pagans for luxury and other vices And yet even these and they who lived in palaces among them would condemn Israel So is Judah called worse then Sodom Ezek. 16 46 47 48. To shew how vile a people who have visible interest in God may grow when once they decline even to be matter of admiration to the vilest of Pagans and to shew how odious sin is in such Doct. 2. The Lord will also imbitter the cup of such as provoke him by making their enemies witnesses of his judgements upon them for it is for this end also they are assembled to be witnesses and spectators of what he here threatens to afflict upon them And the Egyptians and Philistines are called to in particular partly because they had seen most of Gods glorious actings for Israel therefore now he will vindicate his own holinesse in their view that none may think that he who had owned Israel did approve their sin And partly because these Nations had been inveterate and bitter enemies to Israel and therefore the Lord will add to Israels calamities by letting even such enemies behold that upon them which would be so sweet a sight unto them See 2 Sam. 1.20 Mic. 1.10 3. Times of licentiousnesse tumults and disorders are times of great provocation both in themselves and in their effects for their great sinne which he would have remarked is their great tumults which were sins in themselves and causes and occasions of many other sinnes 4. Oppression is one of the fruits of licentiousnesse and disorder which God is highly offended at for the same word signifieth both tumults and troubles or vexations and then it clearly followeth that there are the oppressed 5. Oppression is so much the more odious when it is not committed in the remote corners of a land but in the midst of Cities where justice should be executed and bear sway for these great tumults and the oppressed are in the midst thereof to wit of the mountain of Samaria where the City stood 6. It is an horrid aggravation of sinne when men do voluntarily blind themselves and will not acknowledge God nor his law to be their rule that so they may sinne without a check and when through a custom and habit in sinne they put out all light and cannot do any thing that is right for both these are in this challenge as an aggravation of their course for or and they know not to do right 7. Whatever course men take to shift the challenges of the word yet they should know that it is God
of whoredomes and children of whoredomes for the land hath committed great whoredome departing from the LORD 3. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim which conceived and bare him a son Diblaim The first Message wherewith Hosea is intrusted and the divine authority of which is in particular asserted is an accusation of Israel for their spiritual whoredome or idolatry and violation of the Marriage-Covenant betwixt God and them represented by the Prophets taking a wife of whoredomes which however some understand literally and that Hosea did this pretending to justifie it by Gods extraordinary command who might warrant Israel to spoile the Egyptians and Abraham to offer up his own Son yet beside what difference may be conceived in the actions themselves between mens taking of reward and wages for their long and hard service and offering up to God what was his own and this fact of a Prophet making himself the member of an harlot this would seem probable 1. That the Prophet took not so long a time in preaching this one Sermon as was requisite for marrying a woman and having three children by her she her self giving them suck and weaning them far lesse that he should take yet another as he is commanded Chap. 3.1 either with her or after her in so short time and should multiplie such strange facts 2. That in a time wherein the Prophets person and calling was already much in contempt the Lord would not enjoyne him that as a duty which might justly adde to it as being not only specially prohibited unto the Ministers of holy things Lev. 21.1 7. but at the same time wherein Hosea lived was threatened as a curse upon a false Priest Amos 7.17 Therefore I rather understand it typically that the Prophet is commanded under this type to point out the great Idolatry of the land and their defection thereby from God and to declare that the Nation was such to God as if after he had taken a wife she had plaid the harlot and particular persons were such as if his wives children were children of whoredomes that is suspected to be Bastards being borne of such a mother though going under his name or given to whoredome in imitation of their mother And accordingly the Prophets taking Gomer the daughter of Diblaim is his preaching their case under such a type and the names here used may either be taken properly for the name of a famous strumpet in that time daughter to such a one who might fitly resemble Israels filthinesse or they may be taken appellatively the first word Gomer signifying either perfection or consumption and the second Diblaim being either the name of a great wildernesse called Diblath Ezek. 6.14 or signifying a cluster or cakes of figs as a word like this is translated 1 Chron. 12.40 1 Sam 30.12 which were used in Feasts Both these may very fitly point out the condition of Israel whom God is now challenging as being brought from an howling wildernesse and desolate condition and made perfect through his comliness Ezek. 16.3 14. but now because of her sensuality drawing her unto and attending her Idolatry was to be consumed Doctrine 1. Such as would profit by the Word will finde it not enough to acknowledge in general the authority thereof unlesse they have serious thoughts of it in receiving every particular message and particularly hard tydings Therefore beside the general inscription v. 1. we have the divine authority of this particular message twice asserted it is The word of the Lord by Hosea or in Hosea to wit by divine inspiration And The Lord said it to Hosea 2. Whatever be the Lords tendernesse and meeknesse and his allowance that his servants deal so with such as sin through ignorance and infirmity and are not hardened in their sin yet when a people are obstinate and desperate in sinning it is the Lords will they be handled sharply and peremptorily dealt with For this sad challenge is the first Message put in Hoseas mouth to this people It is the beginning of the word of the Lord or the first message he got in commission 3. Albeit it should be the care of Ministers to gain the affections of people that way may be made for their message yet they would guard lest in so doing they blunt the edge of zeal and quit their faiâ—hfulness and a good conscience but they would first and last declare their opposition to sin Therefore also is Hosea commanded to begin thus without any previous insinuation to the prejudice of this duty 4. Whatever grosse iniquities may be in the visible Church and whatever Gods controversie may be because of them yet the great sin and cause of Gods controversie is when she corrupts Religion and especially when she makes Apostasy unto Idolatry Therefore doth the Lord begin with this as the great challenge against Israel 5. Idolatry especially in the Church is spiritual whoredome because it strikes at the marriage-tie and relation betwixt God and his people and takes in another lover and therefore is more hainous in the Church then among Pagans and because it is an irreconcileable fault as awaking jealousie which the Scripture calleth the rage of a man Therefore is it called whoredome and their sinfulness is represented by a wife of whoredomes See Exod. 20.4 5. 6 As Idolatry is exceedingly aggreaged by the consideration of the partie whom Idolaters do desert who is the Lord Jehovah and by their obligations unto him by reason of many favours being the land or the people who were setled in that promised land by his especial hand and who enjoyed special dignities and priviledges in it and by the gene above flowing of this sin when it is not some few only but the land all of them and the body of the Nation who fall in it So whatever Idolaters may pretend of cleaving to God together with their Idols as Jeroboam did 1 Kings 12.28 yet the Lord will look upon them as rejecters of him and his yoke and such as he wil have no communion with Therefore saith he The land hath committed whoredome departing from the Lord or whoredome from after the Lord as in effect renouncing all subjection to him and casting him off whatever they pretend See 2 Cor. 6.15 16. 7. It is the plague of God on a visible Church that when she renounceth God and his Worship she is given up to be exceedingly grosse in Idolatry and corrupting the Worship of God as not only the fruit of her inclination but that Gods judicial upgiving of her may also be seen in it Therefore is Israel resembled to a wife of whoredomes or a wife eminently and superlatively whorish as the Original forme of speech imports See 2 Chron. 33.9 Ezek. 16.46 47 48 51 52. 2 Thess 2.10 11. 8. Idolatry is also an intangling sin which when the Church once falleth into she is still the more enamoured and taken with it and goeth the more incessantly on adding one degree of defection to
So such as are rash swearers will readily make no conscience of lies Therefore is lying subjoyned to swearing as frequently conjoyned with it and as another cause of the controversie 15. God hath fenced the lives estates and chastity of men by his Law which when it is transgressed God will reckon with men for blood cheating idlenesse oppression filthinesse and other wayes whereby they violate these and for the least as well as the greatest of them as drawing on wrath For he contends because of killing stealing and committing adultery all of them as causes of this controversie though not all alike hainous 16. It is a great aggravation of sin when men in committing of it do break over all banks of Law moderation or civility and do sin without remorse shame or fear For he challengeth that in all these they break or burst out as a torrent of waters do burst through the banks which are set to keep them in 17. Ordinarily one sin given way unto or entertained doth draw on another till there be no end and till the measure be filled up For blood toucheth blood or their bloody crimes are heaped one upon and after another or their murthers were so many that dead carcases lay by heaps one upon another Vers 3. Therefore shall the land mourne and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of heaven yea the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away The Lords sentence or threatening for these sins is that extream desolation shall come not only on the people but on the land and all the creatures for their sakes even on the fishes which were in lakes or ponds in the land Compare Zeph. 1.2 3. Doct. 1. The judgements of God upon the visible Church will be very sad and grievous when they are inflicted and as universal as sin hath been For it will be on every one that dwelleth in the land and they shall languish and the land and creatures with them 2. Albeit the Lords judgements on sinful and impenitent people do at first utterly consume them yet that will be only that they may live a while to feel their own miseries and then be consumed by them if they repent not For they shall languish or pine away till they be consumed and cut off as the word also signifieth 3. Sinful man is a great enemy to all the creatures as well as himself he makes both himself and them to mourne and pine away because he will not mourne indeed For The land mourneth the dwellers languish with the beasts of the field c. who are taken away See Gen. 3.17 18 4. As the glory of all the creatures is but a flower which God will soon make to wither and languish when he pursueth for sin So the creatures will not help man when God is angry at him but as these draw him from God so God is provoked to cut him short in them as here they are consumed with him Ver. 4. Yet let no man strive nor reprove another for this people are as they that strive with the Priest The second Article of the accusation containeth a challenge for their desperate and incorrigible impenitency that albeit they were guilty of these grosse sins mentioned v. 1 2. and of many others yet it was to no purpose to reprove or seek to reclaime them For they would admit of no admonition private or publick and if any did essay to do it they would reject and oppose though it were even their teachers urging the sentence of the Law He saith as they that strive which as in Scripture-language is not only a note of similitude but a declaration that certainly they did so See Job 1.14 We saw his glory as the glory c. that is not like unto it but certainly the same which became the Son of God Or it may be conceived that many of their Priests did not rebuke them but the people were so obstinate as to strive with them if they did Or he speaks so of their striving with their Priests set up by Jeroboam because they were not true Priests but though they had been so yet the people would have contended and they held them to be such and yet contended with them In summe the challenge is that their case was so desperate as use of needful means would rather irritate then amend them Whence learn 1. Albeit decliners may seem to be little engaged at first yet when sin is given way unto it is not easily removed nor without much strife For so is imported here that any who hoped to reclaime them behoved to strive 2. Every man in his station is bound to oppose the growth and continuance of sin albeit he should meet with much opposition and strife and to keep peace with God in doing duty albeit he should incurre the hatred of all the world For it is imported that it is the duty of every man to strive and reprove another See Lev. 19.17 3. It is an hainous aggravation of sin when men become incorrigible and much more when they rise against these who would reclaim them and become their enemie who tell the truth For this is the expresse challenge Let no man strive c. that is it is to no purpose to deal with them for they not only amend not but grow worse and strive again as is usual that where means are not blessed men become worse 4. As it renders men base and thy people when they turne incorrigible and haters and persecuters of the light and such as bring it to them so then they are to be left to God to take course with them For it is then The Lord hath a controversie v. 1. and then let no man strive c. that is albeit the Prophet here give out Gods doom yet in ordinary they were dogs and swine before whom pearles were not to be cast Matth. 7.6 5. Albeit Ministers be not infallible and when they erre may be opposed by any yet it is an hainous impiety when they become the eye-sore of a time because of their opposition unto iniquity and defection For it is in this respect they are challenged to be as they that strive with the Priest See 1 Kings 22.8 Ver. 5. Therefore shalt thou fall in the day and the Prophet also shall fall with thee in the night and I will destroy thy mother The sentence or threatening for this is that destruction should come upon such sinners and on the false Prophets who scattered and soothed them up in this course yea he would cut off the Nation and Mother-Church and so destroy the Dame and all Whence learn 1. Mens opposing of the Word their rejecting of reproof and blessing themselves when they are rid of it will not availe them nor hold off wrath but rather hasten it For albeit they were not to be reproved v. 4. yet what gain they by that anger is not the further off but
rather Therefore shalt thou fall c. 2. How high soever men exalt themselves in their opposition to God and his truth yet that guilt will bring them down and when God begins to reckon he will reach every sinner particularly For his height will bring a fall and the higher up the greater fall and the threatening is directed against every one in particular thou shalt fall 3. Vengeance can reach sinners in the height of their prosperity and can ruine them suddenly and inavoidably For Thou shalt fall in the day that is not only shortly on this day but in a time when none would expect it as there is no cause of stumbling in the day 4. It is a plague upon sinners that when they go furthest wrong and oppose the faithful Servants of God yet they will never want corrupt men pretending to come in Gods Name to bolster them up in their evil way and God hath a sad controversie against such seducers For there is the Prophet who is threatened also 5. This sentence of falling in the night with them threatened against the false Prophet doth teach not only that the one and other shall be cut off in a continued tract of judgements as the night followeth upon the day or that their calamitie shall turne their day into night wherein they cannot choose but fall or that the Prophets whatever light they pretend to shall yet be in the dark and ignorant of this calamity till it come But chiefly it teacheth that when calamities come such as have been seducers and soothers up of others shall fall with greater horrour then any as having been the cause of the ruine of so many It shall be night with them and day with others in comparison of them 6. However sinners shelter themselves under the priviledges of a visible Church or State yet the Lord may let them finde that their sin doth not only undo themselves but bring utter desolation also on he Church and Nation whereof they are Therefore it is suboyned and I will destroy thy mother Vers 6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God I will also forget thy children The third Article of this accusation is against the corrupt Priests and teachers and is intended not so much against these Priests of Aarons family and other Levites who after the rent and defection of the ten Tribes staid still in Israel because of their inheritance as against Jeroboams Priests who whatever they were before God yet since they took the name and office on them the Lord threatens them for not walking answerably This Article hath several branches in the first whereof he reprehends them for the ignorance of the people occasioned through their negligence and their rejecting and sleighting of the means of knowledge which might enable them to teach others For which he threatens to cast them out of the office they seemed to have and to reject their posterity that they should not exceed them Whence learn 1. As ignorance is a very rise and destroying sin in the visible Church so the guilt thereof doth oft-times lie in great part at Preachers doors with whom God will reckon according to the priviledges of his people whatever they be in themselves For saith he My people perish for lack of knowledge and this the Lord challengeth the Priests for and as being the occasion of it in those who were his people though they deserved not the name as v. 4. 2. Such as would be able to teach others ought to take much pains that they may be instructed themselves from God in his Word Ignorant Ministers are great plagues their private idlenesse is the cause why they do not edifie in publick and when the Lord doth not teach them they will not reach others to purpose Therefore it is a challenge against them and a cause of the former ill thou hast rejected knowledge to wit of the Law as is after cleared 3. The more familiar occasion of converse men have with holy things wanting holinesse their contempt and dislike of them will be the greater and their opposition to light have the more of perversity and lesse of infirmity in it For these Priests do reject knowledge or wickedly and with contempt despise it 4. Such as do for a time reject and resist means of knowledge when it bears it self upon them may at last come to forget it without a challenge to lose the light they had and to be nothing moved with any stamp of authority that is in what God saith Therefore it is added to the former thou hast forgotten the Law that is not only lost any small knowledge of it they had but they had as little minde of it and it as litâ—le authority in their hearts or bred them as little disquiet when they neglected it or went otherwise wrong as if they had never heard of it See Psal 50 17. 5. The more relation any pretend to God by vertue of their general or particular calling the Lord will make use thereof to aggreage their sin and unanswerable walking Therefore doth the Lord name himself thy God because they pretended so and to shew that if they got not benefit by such a relation it should adde to their wo. And so the blinde presumption of many will but make their ditty the greater while they pretend to much interest in God and yet their way looks nothing like such a pretence 6. Unfaithfulnesse in offices especially in the Church will cast men out of it as unsavoury salt with much guilt which is a sad judgement service to such a Master being honourable and especially to minister to him in holy things For it is his sentence I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me to wit as they pretended they were However men may spare such who by neglecting duty prove that they keep the office injustly yet God will not 7. However the posterity of godly Ministers may oft-times meet with hard measure from an ingrate world as well as Ministers themselves yet it is the righteous judgement of God on unfaithful Ministers that as they neglect and forget Gods children committed to their charge so God suffers their posterity to be neglected For I will also forget thy children who it seemeth succeeded to them in imitation of the order established by God in Aarons Family Ver. 7. As they were increased so they sinned against me therefore will I change their glory into shame In the second branch of this Article the Lord accuseth them of ingratitude that the more they prospered or increased in number or glory they were the more bold on sin Therefore he threatens them with ignominie to come in place of that glory which made them to miscarry so far Whence learne 1. Such as do provoke God highly may yet in his long-suffering patience not
learn 1. In times of defection it is good to be well acquainted with and scene in the causes of it and what distempers draw men to that height they go Therefore doth the Prophet here point at it 2. It is a great plague on men that they cannot guide prosperity well and know no way how to use it but to feed sensuall lusts by it for all the use they made of Gods bounty was Whoredome and wine 3. Sinnes go seldome there alone but are linked together and draw on one another and particularly Whoredome and intemperancy go often hand in hand together Therefore are they conjoyned Whoredome and wine and new wine He mentions wine and new wine because as drunkards use to do they tried all kinds of it or the latter is by way of explication because new wine makes soonest drunk 4. It is a great plague on unclean and sensual men that thereby they not only abuse their bodies and become guilty of self-murther and do wear out any spark of conscience that they had but that by following these brutish lusts they renounce even humanity and turne brutish without sense and common understanding so that they know not what they do nor can discerne or be ashamed of any ill course nor fear any threatening of danger and do render themselves unuseful either in Church or State and effeminate and unable to encounter any trouble for Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart or sense and understanding The word signifieth oft-times to take by force or by industry to shew that however at first there may be some wrastlings betwixt lust and mens sens sense and principles of reason yet at last lusts given way unto will carry it 5. As it is Gods judgement on unfaithful Ministers that they are given up to sensuality so that will soone besot them and make them saplesse in their doctrine and carelesse in their duty for in particular it is true of them whom he had challenged before Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart Vers 12. My people aske counsel at their stocks and their staffe declareth unto them for the spirit of whordomes hath caused them to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God 13. They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains and burne incense upon the hils under oakes and poplers and elmes because the shadow thereof is good therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery The fourth article of this accusation is general against the whole people for their grosse and heathenish idolatry which is as adultery a forsaking of God and their duty of subjection to which they stand bound by the marriage-Covenant This is instanced in their consulting with their stocks of Images and their staves or arrowes which flowed from their strong inclinations to Idolatry cherished by Satan and in their sacrificing openly to Idols on mountains under the shade of groves esteeming that heathenish way best for this the Lord threatens to give up their daughters and daughters in law and others whom they would have chaste to bodily filthinesse Whence learn 1. When ever the visible Church forsakes God he will not forget his kindness to her to aggreage her sinne and to prove that she hath done it without provocation Therefore againe the title is my people to shew that he had intreated them as such and that he having chosen them from among all people for himself and as his portion Deut. 32.8 9. Isa 43.21 it was a greater sinne in them then in any so to behave themselves 2. Albeit Idolaters will not take with it that they worship stocks and sticks yet in reality they do so and hereby they prove their own madnesse in subjecting themselves to these creatures that are inferior to them and the basenesse of their Religion in that they have so poore wayes to know the mindes of their Idols for they aske counsell at their stocks and so consult with them as their gods and performe religious worship to them that they may know their minde and their staffe declareth unto them that is any illusion they get they take it for a divine response For the way of divination by a staffe or arrowes See Ezek. 21.21 22. It seemes that when he doubted which City to assault first severall staves or artowes having the names of the severall places on them being shaken together in a quiver that which was first drawn out determined the question And so Idolaters resolved other cases 3. The backsliding and Idolatry of the visible Church is not to be looked on lightly or as an infirmity but as flowing from the power of Satan working upon that strong inclination that is naturally in all men and specially in these who have not received the love of the truth to follow error Therefore is it given as a reason For the spirit of whoredomes hath caused them to erre which is to be understood both of their own inclinations and of the working of the evill spirit 2 Thes 2.9 which makes them so bent and zealous in it and warnes us not to be taken up with every zeale nor with every religion wherein men seeme to be zealous 4. They who commit Idolatry and follow false Religions and so do renounce subjection to God and put themselves from under his directions they do also put themselves from under his protection for in both these respects it is true they have gone a whoring from under their God renouncing that subjection due to him by violating the Marriage-Covenant and so depriving themselves of that protection which was ensured to them by the Covenant 5. Sin is then come to a great height and very ripe for judgement when men cast off all veiles of pretences or shame and do openly and avowedly commit it for he challengeth when they sacrifice upon the tops of the mountaines c. avowedly without shame and not in corners onely 6. It is high presumption in fraile men to think to invent finer ordinances of worship by their wit then what God hath appointed or that they can put holinesse on things or places for it was their sin to choose mountaines and hils and shadowes of trees and groves in imitation of he Patriarchs whom the heathen did also imitate as if these places were more sacred and to do this as good and better and more apt to strike men with reverence then what God had appointed 7. It is no strange thing that men in choosing their Religion be led by their own fleshly lusts and that they account that best which pleaseth these most for in this respect also they accounted the shadow good that is more delectable to their flesh 8. Sin may be very sadly punished when no stroakes are inflicted but the sinner given up to more sin and particularly spirituall adultery may be punished with bodily filthinesse for Therefore your daughters shall commit whoredome and your spouses shall commit adultery to which they
are up with carnal pleasures and joy and benummed with sensuality they care not what they do they stand in aw of none and they will scorne all that contradict them or are not of their minde and way For it is imported here there are scorners in the day of their King that is either mockers of all such as applaud not their way as Psal 35.16 or such as are come to an height of impiety to scorne and defie God and his threatenings and therefore are called the scornful Psal 1.1 7. It is also the great sin of drunkards that by their sensuality they deprive themselves of the use of reason and render themselves contemptible and like beasts that they can neither know their place nor dutie For the King in his drunkennesse stretched out his hand with scorners that is debased himself to keep society with such lewd persons and looked liker one of these then a King 8 It is the sin of Kings and Rulers or any in lawful power to prostitute that authority wherewith God hath stamped them in their office and to render it contemptible by their own miscarriage by countenancing insolent sinners whom they should suppresse and by conversing with base and vile persons and joyning with them in base courses unbeseeming their station and dignitie For herein did their King sin in stretching out his hand with scorners Vers 6. For they have made ready their heart like an oven while they lie in wait their baker sleepeth all the night in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire A sixth challenge is for their fraudulent carrying on of wickednesse to a maturity He maketh use of the former similitude shewimg that as a Baker heats his Oven by putting in fire and fuel enough and then sleeps on till it be ready at which time it will burne up in a flame though he had been sleeping so they did subtilly with leasure and length of time premeditate and plot their wickednesse and did dissemble it as if they were sleeping till they had an opportunity and then they were all on fire to execute that which they had been so hot and serious in contriving Whence learn 1. Raging and lustful sinnes are nothing the lesse discerned by God nor the lesse odious that they are managed with policy and subtilly conveighed Therefore saith he for or certainly as the word will also import they have made or applied and fitted their heart like an oven violent hot and raging and that whiles they lie in wait 2. Men who are wicked and subtile may seem to be lying by and doing nothing when yet 1. Their hearts are very bent on their course their Oven is heating while they sleep 2. Their designes are still going on the heat is tending to burning as a flaming fire while the baker sleeps Doct. 3. Iniquity that is hatched through abundance of lust is most violently executed when an opportunity offers and the more violently that it hath been long delayed For this Oven it burneth as a flaming fire and the more violently that their baker sleepeth all the night Vers 7. They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their Judges all their kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth unto me An instance is given of this challenge shewing that these plots which were so generall among them grâ—w to the height of frequent conspiracies against their Kings and Judgess that every one might set himself upmost according as we finde it was among them after Jeroboam the second in whose dayes Hosea first began to prophesy See 2 Kings 15. Their condition under all these confusions is amplified from the great and universal stupidity that was among them in that they called not on God nor employed him in all these distempers Doct. 1. An ill ordered Church is ordinarily plagued in justice with an ill ordered State and when men inflamed with lusts get leave to rage over all bounds in the matters of God and in other things it is righteous with God to let them loose to the overturning of policy and humane society For they who were as an heated oven in adultery bodily or spiritual v. 4. are now hot as aen oven and devoured their Judges c. 2. Sedition and conspiracies against authority are in effect but the fruits of strong and raging lusts let them have what pretext soever men please to put upon them and the actors pretend to what they will For They are all hot as an oven and upon this followeth and have devoured their Judges all their Kings are fallen that is many or most of them are cut off by violent deaths And by Judges we are to understand either the Kings themselves or inferiour Officers their creatures who were cut off by these who made the change to establish their own faction 3. Profane and corrupt men their fawning upon or seeming to comply with the humors of these in authority even in every thing and without any respect to the commands of God is yet no assurance but they may when they have opportunity turn disloyal And they may take as little notice of Gods Law subjecting them to the higher powers as they did of his other commands in their sinful compliances with Rulers humours For they who make the King glad with their wickednesse v. 3. and who observed their Birth or Coronation-dayes with much riot sensuality v. 5. now they have devoured their Judges c. 4. These violent lusts and turbulent effects of them are the fruit of not calling on God who being sought unto would subdue these lusts and correct these evils which lust leads men to apply violent remedies unto When God giveth up a people to such courses of sedition and conspiracy it is a token that neither the Land which is in such a distemper nor the actors in these courses are given to prayer at least in a right and sincere way For where these courses are it may be said there is none among them that calleth unto me or generally they neglect it 5. It is an evidence of great stupidity and the cause of a controversie from the Lord when greatest commotions alterations and confusions will not make a people sensible nor stir them up to look to God and call on him For the words may import also this challenge that all these overturnings of the state did nothing at them the people never thought on turning to God or employing of him there is none among them that calleth unto me Vers 8. Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the people Ephraim is a cake not turned The seventh sin for which they are challenged is their mixture with the Heathen Nations carried on especially by Ephraim or their Rulers whereby they became a cake not turned by which I do not understand so much a threatening that the hungry enemy of whom v. 9. shall cat him up as a hungry man would eat a cake lying on the fire not staying till it be baked as a declaration of
Lord conferres upon his people ought to be employed for him especially when he hath recovered it after many sad breaches upon it and it must be hainous guilt when instead of being so it is employed against him and when a peoples recovery makes them more bold on sin and in casting off his yoke and contemning of his authority For such is their sin here they plotted treason and rebellion against God when their power was recovered 4. Sin is so much the more hainous that men do fall in it not of ignorance but of purpose and do deliberate and devise upon it In which case the Lord will reckon with sinners as if they could or had acted all that they project For they imagine mischiefe against me He that taketh notice that all they attempted against him was imagined or devised and plotted and chargeth all these designes against him upon them albeit they could not effectuate any thing to his prejudice Vers 16. They returne but not to the most High they are like a deceitfull bowe their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt The last confirmation of the equity of the sentence is held forth in a new challenge of their hypocrisie that their repentance at any time was nothing but a shew and they aimed at nothing in it but to deceive God like a deceitful bowe that sends the arrow rather any where then to the marke Upon all these confirmations the Lord closeth with a repetition of the sentence threatening that for these sins and for their blasphemies in defending their false worship and courses and boasting of their own strength when the Prophets threatned them with judgements even their Princes should be cut off by the sword much more the meaner sort of people and that in their calamities they should be mocked by Egypt their confederate Doct. 1. Such as are very wicked may yet have some shewes of repentance and that they are so is a great snare to themselves For They returne and this might be a ready objection against the Prophets challenges 2. Whatever length men may come in externall shewes yet they will not be approven unlesse they be through in their conversion and turning to God not putting on hypocrisie or formality in place of prophanity or a lesse odious vice in place of a grosser nor pleasing themselves with any lesse then a through and reall change from sin to God and a closing with God in Christ For it is their fault they return but not to the most high See Jer. 4.1 3. Such as would indeed repent and turn to God ought to take up God rightly in his greatnesse and excellency that so they may tremble to dally with him and offend him that they may be humble in their approaches and may be encouraged to come to him who is so far above all things they can choose beside and who can make them happy oppose it who will Therefore is he here described to be the most high 4. Mens short-coming in the matter of repentance and conversion to God floweth from their want of straitnesse in not intending what they pretend to which is also a great sin For therefore it is added they are like a deceitful bowe that is as a bowe that hath a throw in it doth never direct the arrow to the mark however it seem to aime at it so however they pretend true repentance yet they do not intend it but only to deceive and flatter God till they might get out of trouble and then returne to their wonted courses and therefore it was that they returned but not to the most high 5. As the sword is one of Gods scourges whereby he chastiseth his sinful people So great ones need not think to be exempted when God draweth it nor need people place their hope of safety in their Rulers who by having chief hand in the defections of the time do provoke God to have a special controversie against them For their Princes shall fall by the sword 6. Mens blasphemous insolency in defending sin when God by his servants reproveth it glorying in their own strength when God threatens is an hainous provocation especially when they dare utter and expresse it and it is a provocation that will not escape vengeance For this seemeth especially to have been the rage of their tongue which is put in the sentence that it might not be forgotten as a chief cause of their stroak 7. Such as forsake God and joyne in confederacies with wicked men are justly not only disappointed of help by them but left destitute of all pity in their extremities and meet with derision in stead of comfort from these they confided so much in for this to wit their calamities for sin shall be their derision in the land of Egypt whither many of them fled ch 9.6 CHAP. VIII THis Chap. is of the same subject with the former as containing denunciations of sad judgements to come upon Israel for sin Only a word is subjoyned against Judah which was not in the former Chap. And by these repetitions of reproofes and threatnings the Lord would inculcate upon them what was their duty would vindicate his own justice clear his long-suffering and patience terrifie them from sin and put them to silence who were ready to murmur against his proceeding In the Chap. there is First A generall proposition of speedy judgement to come upon Israel for their sin vers 1. notwithstanding any thing they could pretend to the contrary vers 2 3. Secondly The causes of this judgement are specified and the judgements for these causes particularized The first cause is their sinfull change of civill government ver 4. the second cause is the Idolatry of the calves to maintain this change which should be their ruine v. 4. Seeing thereby and by their continuing therein they provoked God to anger ver 5. And since the calves were their own vain invention therefore God would prove the vanity of these Idols by the destroying of them ver 6. And would cause Israel to reap the fruit of their wayes with sad disadvantages ver 7. and drive them into exile where they should live in a low and contemptible condition ver 8. The third cause of the judgement is their seeking to the heathen for help to uphold them in that their Kingdome and Idolatry ver 9. For which God will plague them and give them greater cause of sorrow then any they felt by reason of the Assyrian tribute ver 10. The fourth cause is their further corrupting of worship by multiplying Idolatry and superstition ver 11. by contemning of the written Word ver 12. and by their prophanity and selfishnesse in what worship they pretended to offer to God ver 13. For which the Lord rejects them and threatens to send them into exile verse 13. Thirdly in the close of the Chap. Judah is taken in with Israel as being as busie in
they were guilty of as grosse abominations as these for which they did pursue Benjamin witnesse their Idolatry in Laish and elsewhere Judg. 17. 4 5 and 18.30 31. yet they repented not nor keeped the impression of that battel and of Benjamins lot in memory for that end And so was it now with them they went on in their fathers wayes and would not be reclaimed by the punishment of others Whence learn 1. Continuance in sin through many generations is a sad aggravation thereof and matter of a sad challenge And the sins of a present generation will bring the former sins of a Nation to remembrance to be put on their account For O Israel saith he by way of expostulation and challenge thou hast sinned from the dayes of Gibeah See Ezr. 9.7 2. The longer sin be continued in it groweth still the greater and worse as being the more hainous when it is against so many frequent admonitions and experiences and sinners growing still the more impudent the more they sin In these respects the other reading holds true thou hast sinned more then in the dayes of Gibeah 3. The carrying of a people through trouble and their successe and preservation in a good cause is no mark of divine approbation of their persons being guilty of grosse sins For there they that is their fathers stood or fought against wickedness and were preserved and the battell in Gibeah against the children of iniquity the Benjamines did not over-take them that is they escaped the danger and were victorious though many of them fell And yet they sinned then wherein their posterity did imitate them God may make men scourges of sin in others who yet are but vile themselves may carry through a good cause in a peoples hand with whom he is not pleased and may spare a people not because they are holy but because he will not destroy the face of a Church which would be if he proceeded according to their deservings 4. It is a very great aggravation of sin when people persist in it without being bettered either by the punishment of others or by their own sparing For so is imported in this challenge that though Israel escaped when Benjamin fell yet neither the one nor the other prevailed with their fathers and they their children were as incorrigible as they See Zeph. 3.6 7. Vers 10. It is in my desire that I should chastise them and the people shall be gathered against them when they shall binde themselves in their two furrowes Unto this a sentence is subjoyned in two branches and first The Lord declareth that he hath a purpose now to punish them by exposing them as a prey to the Nations The amplification subjoyned in the end of the v. is made obscure by the different acceptations of the Original text They who read it when I shall binde them for their two iniquities or eyes that is their two calves which were dear and precious to them as their eyes do indeed hold out these truths That their idols were the great cause of their ruine and that delectable and sweet iniquities will draw out the bitterer plagues But the Original construction and pointing will not bear that translation Therefore I adhere to that signification of furrowes which is insisted on in the following verses not secluding that of habitations which may be also pointed at under that Metaphor of furrowes and so the reading is when they that is Israel or the enemies who shall be gathered shall binde themselves in or against their two furrowes Both these come to one purpose that the Lord will thus punish them when they shall unite all their strength and fix themselves for their own defence as a yoke of Oxen are coupled together every one in their own furrow to draw And more particularly when they shall unite their strength in their two furrowes or habitations to defend their Countrey and the two portions of land which they possessed on both sides of Jordan which were destroyed by two several invasions of the Assyrian 2 Kings 15.29 c. 17.6 And so on the other hand the people and Nations did thus destroy them when they bent their forces against these two furrowes or habitations and drew deep furrowes of trouble upon them one after another by making them tributaries 2 Kings 15.19 and by captivating first that part beyond Jordan 2 Kings 15.29 and then the rest 2 Kings 17. Doct. 1. Though God spare the wicked long yet at last he will punish the incorrigible and bring them under the yoke For albeit they were spared before v. 9. yet now he will chastise them 2. When God is provoked to anger he will not only notwith-hold a stroak but will make it bitter by iflicting it so as one that takes pleasure in it For it is in my desire that I should chastise them imports not only that he had irrevocably purposed it but that being weary with repenting and suffering their manners he would now shew no proof of pity but many evidences of his being well pleased with their ruine See Prov. 1.26 28. 3. God hath all Nations at his command to convocate and let them loose against whom he will and to make an holy use of their inveterate malice against his people when they provoke him For the people shall be gathered against them saith he when he would chastise them See Isa 7.18 19. 4. Mens conjunction of strength and forces to uphold themselves in sinful courses and against Gods wrath and the instruments thereof will not availe them nor hinder the successe of enemies For all this shall be when they shall binde themselves in their two furrowes when they shall use all endeavours mens enterprizes against them shall succeed 5. A sinful Nation may expect that God will pursue them in every corner and give them alike successe every where For they shall meet with this in their two furrowes and come as ill â—peed on that side of Jordan where the bulk of the Kingdome lay as they did in the other Vers 11. And Ephraim is as an heiser that is taught and loveth to tread out the corne but I passed over upon her fair neck I will make Ephraim to ride Judah shall plow and Jacob shall break his clods The second branch of the sentence is that albeit Ephraim bred themselves delicately and could not endure trouble or Gods yoke as an heifer would love to tread out the corne as was their custome because it was easie work and wanted a yoke and afforded abundance of food Deut. 25.4 yet God would put a yoke upon them and would put both Judah and Ephraim to trouble and to endure bondage and captivity as an horse that is tossed and ridden upon in long journeys and as an heifer made to plough and harrow Whence learn 1. It is a fault incident to our nature to be much addicted to our own ease and that which brings present content and comfort and to abhorre any lot or way of Gods
the pitiful mothers and then dashed the mothers to death and laid them in heaps above their children Ver. 15. So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickednesse in a morning shall the King of Israel be utterly cut off Secondly as for their confidence in their way of Religion and settled State the Lord threatens First that that sore calamity mentioned v. 14. should come upon them because of their great sin of Idolatry at Bethel Secondly that their King and Kingdome should fall by a sudden and speedy blow Whence learn 1. Idolatry and corrupting of Religion is the great wickednesse of a visible Church and the cause of saddest judgements For So as is before threatned shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickednesse to wit which is committed there and under Bethel the other place of their corrupt worship are comprehended 2. As we are ready enough to see instruments in our calamities and ought to acknowledge Gods hand in them So we should see the great influence of our own sin in procuring them For So shall Bethel do unto you to wit by your provoking of God there 3. Impenitent Rulers and their Kingdomes may not only be sore afflicted and wasted but it may draw at length to utter cutting off even though they be Gods people in visible Covenant with him for the King of Israel and the Kingdome with him shall utterly be cut off 4. God can very speedily and suddenly bring about great revolutions and overturnings of Kingdomes And he would have the greatnesse of their sin and of his displeasure seen in such a dispensation for in a morning shall this be done which imports a short time as a morning before the Sun rise and a sudden stroak as if in a morning before men were awake an Army or City were surprized And it seemes that albeit Samaria endured a three years siege 2 King 17.5 yet some one morning it was surprized and so their King and Kingdome came to an end CHAP. XI IN the first part of this Chap. the Lord continueth to accuse and give out sentence against Israel And 1. He accuseth them of ingratitude in that albeit he had loved them in their Infant-condition and delivered them out of Egypt ver 1. and had sent Prophets to them to teach them their duty v. 2. yet they walked contrary to their directions and served Idols v. 2. And albeit he did carry them through the wildernesse yet they did not consider nor acknowledge this v. 3. and that notwithstanding he did gently draw them to their duty and provide for them v. 4. For this the Lord threatens that they should finde Egypt no refuge to them but should be carried to Assyria v. 5. and that the sword should abide upon their Townes and Villages till it consumed them according as they deserved v. 6. 2. He accuseth them for their pronenesse to Apostasie and ill intertainment given to the messages sent from God unto them v. 7. In the second part of the Chap. the godly are comforted against the judgements imminent and deserved by their sinnes wherein is held forth the mercy of God interposing to hold off the judgements deserved by them v. 8. and his expresse promise to moderate the execution of his just displeasure in not consuming the Nation utterly v. 9. and to convert and restore them after their rejection and exile v. 10 11. In the third part of the Ch. the Lord rejects all their pretences wherewith they would cover their faults and sheweth how much they were worse then Judah ver 12. Ver. 1. WHen Israel was a childe then I loved him and called my sonne out of Egypt 2. As they called them so they went from them they sacrificed unto Baalâ—m and burnt incense to graven images THis Chap. begins with a challenge of Israels ingratitude And for this end the Lord brings to remembrance his favour and his benefits conferred upon them and subjoynes what their ingrate carriage had been In these Verses he calls to minde his love toward them in their infant-condition in Egypt his preserving and delivering them out of Egypt as his adopted children and as a type of Christ and his sending Prophets particularly Moses to call them to obedience and to entertain fellowship with him in the use of his worship which trust these Prophets faithfully discharged All which doth aggreage their sin and convince them of ingratitude who walked so crosse to the directions of the Prophets and multiplied Idols and Images which they worshipped Doct. 1. Ingratitude and walking unanswerably to many received mercies is the great and crying sin of the Lords people and Church as this challenge teacheth Unfruitfulnesse under rods will not be rightly mourned for till this sin be begun at See Deut. 28.47 48. 2. The Church and people of God are in themselves very unlike the great dignities to which he advanceth them And particularly Israel was in a very mean and low condition till God did forme them both into a distinct and potent Nation and into a visible Church for himselfe For Israel was a child or in an infant-condition not as yet grown up No more like to the condition God put them in when he increased and delivered them and when he exalted and established them in the promised land then a child is like a grown up man And at that time they were not formed in a Church-State till after their deliverance from Egypt Which may put us in minde of the mercy of a grown up Church-State under the Gospel and what obligations a perfected reformation layeth upon them who attain to it 3. Gods love to the Church is her first and great priviledge which prevents her in her lowest condition when she is unworthy and base and which is the fountain of all his bounty and so makes it comfortable For when Israel was a child witlesse and worthlesse then I loved him and this is the fountain of all his bounty after mentioned Deut 7.7 8. 4. The Lord will make his love to his people conspicuous in their preservation in a low condition and under much trouble when he seeth it not fit to deliver them from it For so is supposed he dealt with Israel in Egypt preserving them from being extinguished by the fury of Pharaoh till he called them out of Egypt See Exod. 1.12 5. The Lord also will magnifie his love in their deliverance from trouble and bondage not only spirituall but outward also in so far as is for their good For I called my Son out of Egypt or brought him out with my invitation by the Ministery of such as were sent to speak to Pharaoh and them which I made effectuall And this was not only a type of the Churches delivery from spirituall bondage but a pledge also of his doing great things for his people See Exod. 12.42 Psal 34.19 6. As the Lord doth oft-times manifest his love and put speciall honour on his people by putting them to sufferings
when they had gone astray but they openly and avowedly refused when they were seriously invited See Jer. 8.4 5. Vers 6. And the sword shall abide on his cities and shall consume his branches and devour thee because of their own counsels Secondly the Lord threatens them with an abiding sword upon their cities and their villages which as branches spring out from the cities or on their bars that is their strong holds Rulers and valiant inhabitants and that because of their following their owne wayes and counsels rejecting the Lords Of this See Chap. 10.6 Doct. 1. The sword ought to be looked on as one of the Lords scourges because of his peoples ingratitude and abuse of mercies and their trusting to their own counsels and not regarding Gods Word For because of these provocations it is threatned here 2. The sword is then a most sharp scourge and speakes much of Gods displeasure when it rageth not only amongst armies in the fields but falls in upon Cities when it is universall upon Cities and branches or villages or Forts or Rulers and other inhabitants and when it continueth long thus and abideth till it consume and devour See Jer. 47.6 7. 3. However men trust much to their own inventions and projects neglecting God and his way as here is supposed Yet all this their wit and policy will be so far from holding off a judgement that on the contrary it doth draw it on For it is added as a reason of the sentence because of their owne counsels Vers 7. And my people are bent to backsliding from me though they called thee to the most High none at all would exalt him The first part of this v is by many taken as a further threatning that they should be in suspense and anxiety being pressed on every hand because of their backsliding from God Which though it be a truth in it selfe Deut. 28.66 and the word doth also signifie to be in suspense yet the Originall construction will not beare this interpretation for it is not because of but to backsliding Therefore I understand it with the translation as a second accusation against Israel for their backslidings to which they were so prone that their inclination and course did still hang sway and bend toward it And if they were at any time in suspense and doubt about their course as the word also imports yet all that but tended to more Apostasy and testified their inclination to it in that no such hesitation stopped their course This generall challenge is more particularly confirmed in the end of the v. from the ill entertainment they gave to the Messages sent by Gods servants to them Doct. 1. Backsliding and Apostasy is the great sin of the visible Church to which she hath a strong inclination naturally even in her best frame any other course she followeth being but a motion against nature For it is a challenge that they not only backslide from what they attained but are bent to backsliding See Chap. 6.4 2. Mens hanging sometime in suspense and having some inclinations to returne will neither double out their point against the power of corruption within them nor will it extenuate but rather aggreage their backsliding that it overfloweth such banks So much doth the other reading teach they are in suspense and yet it tends but to backsliding 3. The great backsliding of Gods people is their backsliding from God and communion with him which draweth on all other Apostasies and defections And every backsliding of the Church in duty or worship is a backsliding from God in so far as men thereby do renounce his prerogative to be the sovereigne Lord to prescribe their duty and the way of his own service and do renounce these wayes and means wherein only communion with God is to be found and intertained In these respects it is challenged that they backslide from me saith the Lord. 4. God will not forget a backsliding peoples interest and pretences of interest in him to aggravate their sin For it adds to the challenge my people are bent to backsliding It cannot but grieve God when these whom he hath choosen to be his peculiar people and hath put them in possession of speciall favours and gained their consent in part do recede from him as unworthy and do choose husks whereon the world feeds as the only desirable portion And it is a sad case when all a peoples priviledges and advantages serve only to make their ditty the sadder 5. As it is of the Lords great mercy that he ceaseth not to follow backsliders with Messages from his Word as here it is supposed that yet there were and that diverse and many who called them So by the entertainment that is given to the Word men may trie whether they have backsliden or not or whether they be persisting in it or turning from it For by this is the charge of Apostasy and bentnesse in following it proven in that they obeyed not the call though they called them none at all would exalt him 6. When the Lord by his Word reclaimes his people from their backsliding it is not because he needs them who is glorious and high in himselfe but for their own advantage For he called them from these base things which drew them away to the most high 7. We are never free of backsliding but when God is most high to us and in our estimation and when he is exalted in our hearts and in our respect to his commands and directions and conscience made of his praise the neglect whereof is an evidence of Apostasy and portends more of it For so is imported in that they are called from their backsliding to come to him as the most high and to exalt him 8. Backsliding is by so much the sadder and the cause of a greater quarrell that it is universall For none at all would exalt him but all refused the call Though it may be also understood and read together they exalted not that is not only with one consent they refused but they joyned not in that work as indeed want of union is a speciall mean of carrying on backsliding and defection Vers 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together In the second part of the Chap. the Lord comforts the godly against the imminent and deserved judgements with some blenks of his mercy And first in this v. the mercy of God is held forth in coming over their provocations to do any thing for them and interposing to hold off the extremity of judgements deserved by them wherein 1. It is insinuate by way of sentence for their Apostasy that their sins deserved hard things even such calamities as befell Sodom and the neighbouring Cities of which See Gen. 19.24 Deut. 29.23 But 2. in the execution the Lord was willing to make a stand
waiting for such an advantage 5. It is also an argument of pitie and ground of pleading to the penitent that enemies are lying at wait to take advantage of their distresse and that trouble may drive them on tentations and put them to hard shifts Therefore is it pleaded as another inconvenient following on their reproachfull trouble that the Heathen should rule over them Which though some read it as an explication of that reproach to use a by-word against them yet as it is translated it signifieth that their want did not only give the Heathen occasion of reproach against them but they might be ready also to take advantage of their weaknesse to invade them And they might be ready to sell themselves into bondage to get meat or to wander among the Heathen as Ruth 1.1 2 Kings 8.1 5. And therefore they pray that God wousd prevent this 6. Affliction will be yet sadder to the penitent when it seemeth to reflect on God and his honour as if he were not willing or able to supply his people And this reproaching of God is an argument of pitie especially when it becometh the penitents affliction for it is another ground of pleading that they say among the people Where is their God and that they are affected with this as a chief ingredient in their distresse Wherefore should they say among the people Where is their God Ver. 18. Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pitie his people Followeth in the third part of the Chapter the encouragements unto repentance held forth by God wherein he promiseth that upon their repentance and seeking unto him he will bestow upon them many blessings and these both temporal relating to their present affliction and spiritual The temporal promises are first propounded to v. 21. then they are applied and amplified to v. 28. In this verse we have the first promise wherein they are assured that upon their repentance Gods affection toward them and their land shall appear in compassion and pity as the cause of staying further vengeance and of the blessings following Whence learn 1. Penitents will undoubtedly finde good acceptance at Gods hand whatever their deservings have been for upon their performing what is enjoyned before it is subjoyned then will the Lord be jealous 2. Penitents are allowed to plead an interest in God and will be owned and confirmed in so doing by God for whereas they had pleaded themselves thy people v. 17. now the Lord confirmeth that declaring that they are his people 3. Gods people are not only dear to him being penitents but all their enjoyments and concernments will be respected for their sakes and as coming to them by Covenant for not only his people but their lands distresse is considered as being his land given them by Covenant Which though it was true of the promised land in a peculiar way Yet it is still of general verity that the Lord hath a special respect to what belongs to penitents 4. A roome in Gods affection is the first and chief mercy conferred on penitents for it is here the first promise from whence all the rest do flow 5. Affection in God toward his people and their enjoyments for their sake will do whatsoever can be expected from marriage or parental affection in distresse His affliction will resent injuries done to them as an husband doth in behalfe of his wife and will pitied stresse and upon that will spare as the word imports for the Lord will be jealous for his land and pitie his people See Psal 103.13 His jealousie for the land relates to what is said of its being married Isa 63.4 Which was a pledge of their being married to him Vers 19. Yea the LORD will answer and say unto his people Behold I will send you corne and wine and oile and ye shall be satisfied therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen The second promise sheweth that in answer to their prayers he will provide liberally for them in things of this present life to their satisfaction and the taking away of their reproach Whence learn 1. God will prove his affection to penitents by reall effects and may answer them in the very particular which they seeke when it good for them And particularly he may give plenty to them to let them see that piety is the shortest cut even to do well outwardly for so much is held out in this promise subjoyned to the former wherein he satisfieth their desire and evidenceth his jealousie and pitie I will send you corne and wine and oile 2. Mercies unto penitents and supplicants are twice mercies both in themselves and in that they are the answer of prayers and do evidence his love to them and interest in them for so this mercie cometh the Lord will answer and say and that unto his people 3. Mercies are also sweet when we see Gods hand in them And it is especially to be remarked when he who formerly had smitten begins to deale favourably and when his hand makes an admirable change from great distresse and want to great abundance Therefore doth he owne this mercie and prefix a behold to it Behold I send you câ—rne c. 4. Penitents get their mercies first by promise that so their faith may be tried and they may have the advantage of spiritual exercise even about temporal favours And that the mercie when it cometh may be so much the sweeter unto them Therefore is their plenty first held out in a promise I will send or I am sending you corne c. 5. Penitents mercies will be satisfactorie by their getting abundance of them or a blessing with what they get and by their contentment and quiet of minde with what they enjoy which the simple favour of it self could not produce for and ye shall be satisfied therewith 6. As reproach is a very sad affliction especially when it ariseth upon Gods hard dealing giving occasion to enemies to be insolent So however the Lord will smite his impenitent people and see to his own glory another way Yet in due time he will take away the visible marks of his displeasure from penitents and so remove the occasion of their reproach Therefore albeit before this time he had justly given them over to the sad trial of reproach yet now he promiseth I will no more make you a repraach among the heathen Ver. 20. But I will remove farre off from you the Northerne army and will drive him into a land barren and desolate with his face toward the East-sea and his hinder part toward the utmost sea and his stink shall come up and his ill savour shall come up because he hath done great things The third promise which secureth their plenty v. 19. and removeth the great cause of their fear is that he will drive away these devouring creatures who were driven upon them as a great army by a North-winde and that he will kill them so that nothing shall
wheat and the fats shall overflow with oile 7. The Lord can and will make up the losses of penitents And when ever sinners do turne to God he will convince them in due time that they have been no losers by their afflictions of this truth we have a particular proof and instance in this promise and I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten c. 8. Our seeing of God and his hand in saddest scourges and losses will assure us that he can soon and easily make them up For saith he they were my great army which I sent among you and if he sent them and made them able to make such havoke then certainly he can not only remove them but send as remarkable plenty Vers 26. And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the Name of the LORD your God that hath dealt wonderously with you and my people shall never be ashamed 27. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your God and none else and my people shall never be ashamed These promises and causes of their joy are amplified from some effects As 1. That they shall have the use of this plenty to their satisfaction 2. That they shall praise God for it 3. That by this his dealing and his other mercies toward them he will convince them of his relation to them who is God only and will confirme them and all the godly that they shall never be disappointed of their hope in him which he asserts twice for further confirmation And this is the first spiritual promise whereby he encourageth them to repent Doct. 1. It is an addition to the mercy of plenty when men are allowed the use of creatures to satisfaction without challenge of conscience and are not denied a blessing upon and with them nor are others permitted to take them away after they are growen up as Isa 62.8 For it is a promise Ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied 2. It is the duty of such as receive the good things of this life to make conscience of thankfulnesse to God whose providence supplieth their wants And true penitents and such as are turned to God will make conscience of this duty considering especially that these common favours come to them in special love and from their own God in Covenant with them Therefore it is added to their eating and satisfaction and shall praise the Name of the LORD your God See Isa 62.8 9. Deut. 8.10 3. It is our duty to stir up our selves to praise in this by considering the wonderfulnesse of the providence of God in providing continually our daily bread And especially in his sending great plenty after famine in which change of dealing both his providence and mercy shineth For it is added as an argument of praise that he hath dealt wonderously with you both in his ordinary providence and especially in that great change 4. The chief blessing and advantage of temporal benefits unto the godly is that by receiving and using of them they reap some spiritual benefit and advantage by confirmation of their faith and discovering of the love of God unto them so much are we taught by subjoyning this spiritual promise containing an effect of conferring this temporal favour 5. Gods dealing kindly with his Church or any one of them in any particular according to the Covenant may be a pledge that none be who they will that are his people will ever finde it in vaine to seek him or be ashamed or disappointed of their hope in him according to his Word For this is a general conclusion drawn from this particular proof of his love and my people shall never be ashamed 6. An interest in God by vertue of a Covenant and his manifested presence following upon that is the choice of mercies And it is sweet when this maybe read and seen shining in his mercies as a penitent is allowed to do For it is held out as the sweet effect and consequent of his bounty toward penitents ye shall know not only that I am the Lord your God but that he hath not withdrawn himself though the interest stand but that I am in the midst of Israel or these who are now left of Israel to be a people to him And however the Lord here promiseth prosperity to evidence this yet if the Lord clear it any other way it is sufficient 7. It is also a great addition to the Churches mercy that he who alone is her God is also the only true God and therefore is the only portion and above all the opposition that can be made to her felicity For I am the Lord your God and none else none beside him to prove a God unto her let her choose never so many 8. However the people of God may be oft put to pray against that sad affliction of being ashamed of their confidence as Psal 119.116 Yet it is to be believed and again and again inculcate that not only now but for ever Gods people have no cause of fearing disappontment that God will by actual performance of his promises put them from all cause of fear Therefore in opposition to the recurring of such tentations it is again repeated and my people shall never be ashamed Where it is given them as a ground of hope that God who chooseth and calleth them to be his peculiar people will not raise such an ill report upon his own love or service as thus to entertain them Nor will he make his own purpose and grace in election and calling void albeit they be worthlesse Vers 28. And it shall come to passe afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions 29. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I poure out my Spirit The second spirituall promise is that under Christ and in the dayes of the Gospel as it is expounded Acts 2.16 17 c. he will poure out his Spirit more amply then before upon all sorts of persons of all Nations both old and young sons and daughters bond and free whereby they shall be endued with such knowledge of the mysteries of salvation as may be compared with the knowledge of the ancient Prophets For clearing this a little Consider 1. By the Spirit here promised is not to be understood any natural or moral endowments conferred upon men But partly the spiritual common gifts conferred upon men for the edification of the Church And partly the saving graces of the Spirit conferred upon the Elect in order to their eternal salvation 2. By all flesh on whom the Spirit is to be poured out we are not to understand all and every one for this promise is made only to these within the Church and to these who at least by visible Covenant become the Lords as it is
it in sons and daughters old men and young servants and handmaids It may teach 1. No rank or sex or condition of persons are secluded from the promise of the Spirit â—e they old or young male or female bond or free 2. The efficacy and fulnesse of the Spirit of God is such as to refresh and prevaile with all these sorts of persons young ones who are not capable of mans teaching yet are not secluded from his teaching Mark 10.14 16. Luke 1.15 The Spirit hath vertue to illuminate and subdue young men notwithstanding all the power of their corruptions 1 John 2.13 14. to keep men fresh and lively in old age Psal 92.13 14. and to make servants happy in their condition 1 Cor. 7.22 3. It is Gods sure promise to the Church of the Gospel that the knowledge of him and of his truth shall be continued and propagated therein from generation to generation For therefore is it put in the first place your sons and daughters rising up to succeed you shall prophesie Doct. 10. As for these wayes of revealing the will of God of old by prophecie visions and dreams albeit they point all at one thing and seem to be named all here to let out the fulnesse of Gospel-knowledge answering to all of them and therefore seem to be comprehended all under prophesying as it is attributed to his servants of all sorts and ages Acts 2.18 Yet seeing they are distinctly named and attributed to several sorts of persons as prophesying to sons and daughters visions to young men and dreames to old men We may from it take up some steps and degrees of the knowledge of God wherein they grow up who are under the Spirits teaching As 1. By prophesying attributed to sons and daughters we may understand simply the knowledge of divine things 2. By visions attributed to young men we may understand their clearer insight and uptaking of these mysteries then they had in their younger dayes For vision doth represent the thing revealed more sensibly 3. By dreams wherein men have their senses shut up from the world and which are attributed to old men we may understand a further degree of illumination when light received doth take hold on the affections to sanctifie and subdue them So that mens hearts are taken off the world and filled with the things of God And so this gradation will teach That the knowledge of God which is communicated unto men by the Spirit will be on the growing hand till from a common notion and remembring of it it come to be more seriously pondered and laid to heart and till it take hold upon the affections and conquer the whole heart to God Ver. 30. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoake 31. The Sunne shall be turned into darknesse and the Moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the LORD come To prevent all secure and carnal thoughts as if upon embracing of the Gospel and receiving of the Spirit men should be rid of all outward trouble The Lord foretells of great commotions which were to be in the world after the pouring out of the Spirit Whereof though there were some particular accomplishments in these primitive times and before that dreadful day of the destruction of Jerusalem Yet the prediction stretcheth forth to all ages after the pouring out of the Spirit till the second coming of Christ to judgement which is here called the great and terrible day of the LORD The expressions pointing out these commotions of wonders in heaven earth c. may be understood either literally that there shall be signes of blood fire darknesse and eclipses of Sun and Moon going before these calamities as presages thereof or figuratively that there shall be such commotions and such signes of Gods anger for sin such judgements and calamities of sword famine and sicknesses such persecutions desertions tentations heresies schismes c. as if heaven and earth were going through other the course of nature overturned and the world full of dreadfull fights of blood fire and darknesse and neither Sunne or Moon affording wonted light or comfort To dip further into what may be connceived to be figuratively pointed at under every one of these I conceive is not very safe Doct. 1. Whatever breathing times God may allow upon his Gospel-Church yet it is her duty to look for commotions and troubles especially after times of pouring out of the Spirit and times of much light and reformation For upon the one hand Satan will bend all his power to oppose the progresse of the Gospel and will set the world in opposition to the Church and on the other hand God will poure out all sorts of calamities upon the visible Church to punish them who contemne his rich offer and do not walk answerably to such dispensations and to trie the graces of his own that they may aspire toward spiritual happinesse in heaven And he will punish secret and open enemies for the injuries they do to the Church For these causes is this prediction subjoyned to the former promise 2. It is the Churches duty not only to look for troubles but to expect that they will be great and very dreadful such as may testifie the greatnesse of Gods displeasure against sin and of mens fury against the Church such as may throughly trie the godly and bring about Gods deep counsels For there will be wonders in the heavens or the firmament and several regions of the aire and in the earth blood and fire c. 3. Whoever be employed in raising these great commotions and whatever be the designes and malice of men in them yet it is the Churches good and safety to see a supreme hand of God in all of them For saith he I will shew wonders c. 4. Though the Church in several ages may get times of breathing and tranquillity yet these will not be permanent but interrupted with sad blasts till the second coming of Christ which as it is certainly approaching so it will put a period to all stormes wherewith the godly are tossed For these things will be before the great and terrible day of the Lord come that is in all ages till that time and belike very violently immediately before Math. 24.29 30. 5. The day of Christs second coming will be great and terrible and as it is Acts 2.20 a notable or illustrious day A despised Christ will be seen great there great things will be done in that day He will then reach his full and final end of all his works All things will then be revealed and made patent the glory of God will be seen face to face the secrets of hearts the glory of Saints and the truth of promises and threatenings will then be made manifest And though the godly will then be free of all terrour yet it will be in it self a day of much state and majesty of the Lord and of great
is v. 15. should deliver them nor strength of body or courage of minde as the two words v. 14. may be distinguished nor provision of armour and skill to use it for offence at distance make them dare to stand and face their enemies But even the stoutest shall think it fares well with him if he escape with his life when he hath cast away his apparrel Whence learn 1. When Gods patience is come to a period it will appeare in sad judgements and in his casting off that burden which he hath born so long for Therefore because I am pressed c. v. 13. the flight shall perish c. 2. When God lets out judgements upon a Nation they will certainly reach all who are aimed at by them for though some get away v. 16. yet all that he hath a minde to cut off be they swift or strong will be reached 3. As all outward accommodations and advantages are in themselves empty and can availe nothing without a providence of God Eccl. 9.11 nor are they to be gloried in Jer. 9.23 24. so when God is angry all probable means that have availed at other times will prove vain either for resisting the judgement or escaping from it for so are we here taught that swiftnesse of men and horses strength or courage will do no good 4. Such as do oppresse others and do not spare the very garments of the poor so they may inrich themselves are justly invironed with these straits that it shall be a deliverance to them to get their life for a prey though they have not so much left them as to cover their nakednesse for these cruel exactors who pilled the poor v. 8. get now this doome he that is couragious among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day saith the Lord. CHAP. III. THe Doctrine of this chapter seemeth to have been preached in a time wherein the prosperity of Israel under Jeroboam made them despise and reject all hard messages And therefore in the first part of the chapter the Lord by his Prophet having called them to hear his processe and sentence against them v. 1. doth refute all their exceptions whereby they indeavoured to make void his threatnings Shewing that interest in him and his former kindenesse toward them would rather hasten then hold off the stroaks deserved by them v. 2. that sin would separate them from him whom they pretended to enjoy and be familiar with v. 3. that threatnings were not vain nor without cause v. 4. that afflictions came not by chance nor would they be rid of them or of threatnings for sin till they had done their work v. 5. and therefore it was their stupidity not to be alarmed with threatnings and not to see God in troubles v. 6. and that when he warned them by his messengers v. 7. it became them to fear and not to quarrel his servants who carried their Masters minde v. 8. In the second part of the chapter he goeth on to the processe calling the Nations to judge of their wickednesse and of the justice of his judgements and accusing them for oppression and disorders v. 9. and that they did voluntarily blind themselves through custome in sin and heaped up wealth by oppression v. 10. for which he threatens that he will invirone them with enemies on all hands who should break their power and spoile their houses v. 11. that a very few shall escape these judgements v. 12. that he will also punish them for their idolatrous worship wherein they confided and will cause break and deface their Altars v. 13.14 and that he will punish their rich and great ones by destroying their stately Palaces v. 15. Verse 1. HEar this word that the Lord hath spoken against you O children of Israel against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt saying In this verse they are cited to heare this message of challenges and threatnings which God had sent by this prophet unto them wherein he obviates their exception at the Prophets basenesse by shewing that it is his word and their trusting in their own priviledges by shewing that this should not exempt them as is at lengeth deduced in the following purpose Doct. 1. When the Lord condescends to choose a people to himselfe it is his way to prevent them in their low condition by his goodnesse and to purchase a dominion over them and engage them to be his by many mercies shewed unto them for such was his dealing with Israel he brought them up from the land of Egypt where they were in bondage and upon this he grounds his plea and chalenge 2. A delivered and dignified people do ofttimes so carry themselves as God hath much to say against them for there is this word which the Lord hath spoken against you O children of Israel 3. Such as God hath done good unto are bound not to slight his word but to heare and ponder what he hath to say though it were even against them considering what misery it portends if not prevented to have the word against them and how little it will availe them not to hearken to it and considering what their obligations to God are and that he can reach them otherwise who will not heare the word Therefore saith he heare this word c. 4. It is the duty of these who would have the word effectual on their hearts not to fixe their eye upon the basenesse of the instruments who carry it but on God who putteth these messages in their mouths Therefore are they led from looking to this herdman and to hear this word that the Lord hath spoken 5. All a peoples reall priviledges and what they please to arrogate to themselves beside will not availe them before God when they provoke him nor will they be a shelter to protect them in their slighting of the word for saith he hear this word against the whole family which I have brought up c. Albeit Israel to whom the Prophet is sent were not this whole Family yet they were the greatest part and they thought little of Judah in comparison of themselves accounting that as they were the most in number so they were the Lords chief people to whom the adoption and promises did belong And the Lord declares that granting all that were true as it was not yea and though Judah were joyned with them and so the sentence should import a rejection not onely of a part but of all that people yet all that could not availe to excuse their sin or keep in this sad sentence Verse 2. You onely have I knowne of all the Families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Followeth the Lords express obviating and refuting of all their exceptions against what the Prophet had in commission against them And first whereas they might alledge that they onely of all the Nations were Gods peculiar and chosen peoplâ— and therefore could not be rejected nor ruined unless God
that I shall visit the transsions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground The third branch of the sentence the certainty whereof is intimate in a new Commission to publish it and wherein more of Gods quarrel is held forth is that when God comes to punish them for their other sins he will also take course with their idolatry at Bethel and that the horns of their altar there which they made in imitation of that in Judah Exod. 27.2 shall be broken down It appears that this was done by the Assyrians who defaced their altars and places of worship because their Religion did not agree with theirs though it was idolatrous also But it was Josiah who after that did quite demolish that altar 2. Kings 23.15 Doct. 1. Such as are to carry Gods minde unto his people have need frequently to rouze up themselves and to be rouzed up by God to take up his minde and authority in it therefore in the midst of his purpose is there a new charge given to Amos and the rest of the Prophets Hear ye saith the Lord God c. 2. When God is threatning a people and declaring the causes of his displeasure they have need to be stirred up again and again to hear for this charge to the Prophets is not onely for themselves but to shew to the people what they need also 3. When God is either chalenging or threatning it is needful to consider what his power is to avenge the fault he chalengeth and to execute what he threatens therefore is he designed in this the Lord God the God of hosts 4. What the Lord doth give his servants to hear and understand they are bound to communicate it and that so seriously as they give not occasion to hearers to slight it for hear ye and testifie in the house of Jacob saith he 5. Albeit men do place their confidence in their idolatrous and corrupt way of religion and worship as thinking thereby to escape the punishments deserved by their other sins yet this will deceive them and what was their confidence will prove a land destroying sin with and above the rest for in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel as his great sin See Jer. 48.13 6. Idolatry once admitted is so hard to remove that it may continue till a period be put unto it by the utter ruine of a Nation for their altar of Bethel continueth till the Assyrians break them and it both 7. A people once addicted to idotatry are very averse and incapable of seeing either the evil of it or the danger that cometh by it therefore this challenge and sentence especially must be testified in the house of Jacob. 8. Such as will not put away idolatry nor destroy the monuments of it will finde that God will cause others though they were idolaters themselves do it upon their cost and expence for God sent the Assyrians upon them who made the hornes of the altar be cut off and fall to the ground though they had kept them up with great respect Verse 15. And I will smite the winter house with the summer house and the houses of ivory shall perish and the great houses shall have an end saith the Lord. The last branch of the sentence is that he will take course especially with the great ones and richer sort of people who had winter houses for repelling the cold and summer houses wherein they might get coole aire See Jer. 36.22 Judg. 3.20 These the Lord threatens to destroy and cast to the ground albeit for pleasure and pomp they had adorned them with Ivory and built them ample and large Whence learn 1. Such as tast most of prosperity in a wicked Nation may look for a peculiar stroak therefore is a particular sentence directed against such here 2. Mens pride and keeping up much state and pomp while they wallow in their sin will not hold off vengeance but is another cause of Gods controversie against them and as prodigality in apparrell so also mens sumptuousnesse in their habitations and dwellings may be a cause of Gods anger therefore will God testifie his displeasure against the winter house and the summer house the houses of ivory and great houses of such sinners 3. Mens pleasant and commodious habitations wherein they do not honour God will but help to augment their misery when God doth overturn them in his kindled displeasure for this shall be one part of their calamity that these their statly and pleasant habitations shall perish and have an end CHAP. IV. IN this chapter the Lord goeth on with the processe against Israel yet inviting them to repentance that they may prevent the small stroak and 1. He accuseth and sentenceth their great ones for their cruel oppression v. 1.2.3 2. He challengeth them for and giveth them up unto the idolatry of the calves in following whereof they were so obstinate v. 4.5 3. He challengeth them for incorrigiblnesse and impenitence under all the judgements that formerly had been sent to reclaim them v. 6. 11. Unto which he sub-joines a sentence of further judgements v. 12. which since they were not able to resist he exhorts them to prevent by repentance considering the advantage they had of a Covenant yet standing betwixt God and them v. 12. and considering what a Lord he was with whom they had to do v. 13. Verse 1. HEar this word ye kine of Bashan that are in the mountain of Samaria which oppresse the poor which crush the needy which say to their masters Bring and let us drink In this first article of accusation the Lord prosecuts that processe for cruel and covetous oppression which he had begun chap. 3.9 10. And in this v. he calls the Nobles and Judges of the chief City Samaria to hear what he had to say against them for their oppression and crushing of the poor and meaner sort and he laieth to their charge that they stirred up one another as they had power over the poor by being Creditors or Judges in their causes to poll them that so they might have among them wherewith to satisfie their lusts Or they being Judges did conspire with the Creditors and Masters of the poor to crush them providing they got a bribe wherewith to make merry He compareth them to kine of Bashan which was fit place for pasturage Num. 32.4 Deut. 32.14 because they were not onely fatted and made brutish and insolent by prosperity upon which grounds enemies are compared to bulls of Bashan Psal 22.12 but were also become effeminate thereby Doct. 1. Nobles Judges and great and potent men are ordinarily the ringleaders of all provocations in a land and such as God hath most to say against for these are understood by kine of Bashan that are in the mountain of Samaria and especially the Judges as
the purpose maketh clear 2. While Amos is directed to call them kine of Bashan we are not to conceive that he conâ—emns and affronts what lawful authority any of them had for that is contrary to duty and sound principles Jude v. 8.9 But he doth onely point out what their course was in it selfe and laieth to their charge that they had prostituted and abused their place and office and rendered it and themselves contemptible And in particular by this he would teach 1. That however great men do ordinarily despise ministers especially if they be mean persons yet their sinful courses do render themselves more base and contemptible notwithstanding all their grandour for whereas they thought little of him as being an herdman he declareth that they were yet worse then he and but like beasts and so an herdman was a fit enough messenger for them 2. Albeit also great men be readily puffed up by reason of their wealth and outward prosperity yet that affords but poor matter of gloriation and abused wealth doth not augment the honour but rather increase the contempt of the abusers for in oppositon to the high thoughts they had of themselves by reason of their wealth he declareth that they had no more to glory of then beasts which got a good pasture as well as they and that all their wealth and greatnesse did but render them more brutish and effeminate See Psal 49.20 Doct. 3. Albeit that men and especially great ones be unwilling to hearken to God speaking in his word and albeit their grandour and prosperity doth but hinder them to hear and harden them that they will not hear Jer. 5.5 and 22 21. yet they are bound to hear and will be made to hear upon their own cost if they do it not willingly for hear this word to wit of the challenge but especially the sentence as the construction of the purpose bears imports that preaching to them needs a preface to attention that it is even their duty to hear and however they stop their eares yet God will inforce audience one way or other 4. Whatever be the prosperity of men or their apparent stability in it yet they are still in a wofull case so long as the word is a party against them condemning their way or writing bitter things against them for it for though they were fat and settled and wanton on their mountain yet hear this word is still an alarme unto them and that which may mixe their cup with wormwood 5. Oppression is one chief sin for which God contends with a land and specially when Magistrates who are appointed for the protection and support of the weak and indigent do rather by fraud or force crush them for it is the challenge against these kine of Bashan that they oppresse the poor and crush the needy The first word may signifie their oppression by fraud and the other their violent oppression and crushing them so that they were made utterly unable to subsist And so oppression is distingushed Luke 3.14 It is a sin in any to oppresse and especially in Magistrates to oppresse their subjects and most of all to oppresse these who are already miserable Naboths Vineyard lost Ahab a Kingdome and Rehoboams oppressing humour lost him ten Tribes See Jer. 34.17 Neh. 5.1 13. 6. Albeit the poor and indigent have none to owne them nor to resent the injuries done to them yet God who is the supreme Lord will not faile to plead their cause with the greatest for here he pleads it against the kine of Bashan and how much more will he plead their cause if they be his own people and cry to him under oppression See Psal 12.5 Luke 18.7 8. 7. It is a great height of sin which God will not passe over when men and especially Judges dare encourage and stir up others to oppresse and dare concurre with them for their own interests for this the Lord doth specially challenge they say to their Masters Bring and let us drink 8. It is but a poor benefit men reap by their oppression when all is employed to satisfie their lusts and that is the height of the good that ever men will get of ill purchase that they provoke God yet more against them by the ill use thereof for all they mind in their bribery and oppression is Bring and let us drink which was a vice they were addicted to Isa 28.1 And for this the Lord also challengeth 9. Though nature be content with little and sobriety and religion would teach men so Yet men devoted to their lusts are in Gods judgement insatiable and have never enough for albeit they be like fat beasts yet they must drink more and albeit they have much yet their lusts consume it all and they must oppresse and take bribes and all little enough to furnish them wherewith to drink Verse 2. The Lord God hath sworn by his holinesse that lo the dayes shall come upon you that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish hooks The sentence for this sinne which is confirmed with an oath is that these great ones and their posterity should shortly be carried into captivity and that as easily and exactly as men do catch little fish Whence learn 1. It is the great plague of secure sinners that notwithstanding their punishment be certain yet they will not believe it but are surprized therewith for that the Lord God hath sworn it doth import that this matter is certain and without all controversie and yet that they will not credit it but are surprized the dayes come upon them 2. The holinesse of God may assure wicked men that their impenitent courses will not escape vengeance for he hath sworn by his holiness not only to prove that he is the most High who swears bâ— himselfe Heb. 6.13 but to shew that his holinesse could not endure such courses especially in them See Hab. 1.13.3 When mens grandour power and wealth tempts them to become oppressours and give up themselves to sinful pleasures it doth portend some suddain and remarkable shake for upon that challenge v. 1. it followeth lo the dayes shall come upon you that he will take you away c. 4. Oppression and mens setling on the world and pleasures thereof doth deserve not onely spoile and poverty but captivity also and the rooting of them and theirs out of all their enjoyments for this is the particular stroak threatned he will take you away and your posterity 5. God in inflicting general stroaks can finde out and reach particular sinners and every one of them for so much doth the similitude from fishing import that God will single and finde them out as the fisher man doth take out his fish one after another with hooks and fish hooks And thus the similitude seems to be understood Jer. 16.16 6. How great and strong soever wealthy oppressours think themselves yet Gods judgements will find them light and will easily reach and bring them
this 〈…〉 continuance and when rain was most needed 〈…〉 â—vidence also was visible in sending raine on 〈…〉 yea and parcel of ground and not on another and 〈◊〉 themselves were made sensible of this stroak by the want of water causing them seek it from place to place but to no purpose v. 7 8. Thirdly which is yet another cause of famine they were smittin by blasting windes putrefaction and insects devouring all the fruits of their ground v. 9. Fourthly they were smitten with pestilence such as was inflicted on Egypt of old and by the sword upon their young men their horses were taken away by their conquering enemies 2. Kings 13.7 or were consumed in the war or with the pestilence and by reason of mortality and slaughter in their camps there was such an ill savour as could not be indured v. 10. Fifthly They were for the most part so consumed with judgements as Sodom was so that any remnant that was left were but like a stick halfe burnt plucked out of the fire v. 11. And yet to all these and every one of them it is sub-joyned that they made no right use of one or other of them From this whole challenge in the general learn 1. When God begins to reckon with a visible Church he will finde her guilty not of one or few but of many grosse faults for in this processe beside the faults formerly challenged he findes her guilty of this also that she is incorrigible See Ezek. 8.6 13 15. 2. A course of sin will not prove a thriving way in end to any but especially to the Church which the Lord will either make a theatre of mercy or a field of blood and he hath many rods for that end for as they liked their way of sin v. 5. so he also chooseth their judgements and pours out a quivet full of them upon them 3. When the Lord strikes his Church sorest and with most rods either together or one after another yet he doth but hereby call her to repentance and drive her to his mercy for it is his challenge that being under all these judgements yet they set not about turning to him as the thing he was driving at 4. It must not be mens own conceits or their partial selfe love but God who judgeth of the truth and reality of their repentance for whatever they might pretend to offer to 〈…〉 â—â—â—ictions yet he assumes the judgement thereof 〈…〉 to himselfe ye have not returned saith 〈…〉 Whatever exercise judgements may put sin◠〈◊〉 to yet it is not easie to attain to true repentance â—â—â—er them for this is the constant challenge yet have ye not returned to me or even to me This is not to limite the Lord but he both can and doth drive many to him by rods inflicted for sin yet it is no small difficulty as sad experience proves in too many Considering 1. Even sad stroaks are not soon felt by every one or so felt as to stir them up to any exercise Isa 42.25 Hos 7.9.2 When stroaks are felt bitternesse resentment discouragement c. are soon attained and without any pains but repentance is a more difficult task and is oft-times impeded by these distempers 3. Gods hand is not soon nor easily seen in felt rods to invite us to repentance as the onely remedy or it is but little seen by reason of our eyeing of instruments and second causes 4. When we do in general acknowledge an hand of God in our calamities yet we may deceive our selves with a deluded conceit of being delivered some other way or by some other mean then by turning to him 5. When we are convinced of the necessity of repentance yet it is not easie to attain sincerity and stedfastnesse in it Psal 78.34 35 36.37 6. When we desire most sincerely to repent under calamities yet it cannot succeed till first we look back and mourn for our sleighting the word which drew on the rod. 7. In a word no outward dispensation can produce repentance without the grace of God but crosses of themselves will rather drive men further from it See Isa 57.17 Jer. 31.18 So that all have great need to set about this duty in the sense of these great difficulties that they may eye God the more and they who finde mercy to get another use of trouble ought to acknowledge the singular grace of God in it Doct. 6. It speaks very sad wrath on Gods part and much impenitency on our part when not onely the same judgements continue but new judgements are inflicted one after another for this variety of rods doth declare that Israel had not yet returned to God and that he was still pursuing them Such a condition doth declare that no rods formerly inflicted have wrought upon us that God is still angry Isa 9.12 17 21. and 5.25 and 10.4 and that we are walking contrary to God which provokes him to walk contrary to us and punish us yet seven times more Lev. 26.21 23 24. c. 7. Such as do not repent nor are bettered by one rod may also abuse and harden themselves under never so many for this was their fault under all of them yet have ye not returned to me Men must get the plague of their own heart cured before any affliction worke upon them judgements are in themselves stupifying and do harden sinners if grace prevent not and abuse of one rod draweth on more hardnesse and fits a sinner for the abuse of more rods so that still the longer it is still the more easie to go wrong 8. Incorrigiblenesse and impenitency under multiplicity of rods is a great height of defection in a people and the cause of a sad controversie for here this is the great challenge God hath against them which draweth on yet a sadder quarrel in the following purpose See Isa 1.5 and 9.13 Jer. 5.3 and 6.29 30. Ezek. 24.13 In particular that we may enlarge this incorrigiblnesse from the text from v. 6. learn 1. As famine is a sad stroak however sinners think little of their daily bread for here it is mentioned as a rod which might have reclaimed them So when a people become brutish and will not be led so much as by principles of reason to acknowledge God or to take up their duty nor will take notice of other evidences of Gods displeasure against them it is just with him to pinch them by the belly like beasts whom they resemble in practice for they who were kine of Bashan v. 1. and were so brutish as to take no notice of Gods giving them up to their own counsels v. 4 5. are given up to cleannesse of teeth and want of bread as to a stroak which they would feel And whenever the Lord smites a people with famine they ought to read their own brutish disposition in that rod. 2. Such as do abuse prosperity and do not maintain the service of God and his ministry with the good things given to them it is
they may know him to be the true God infinitly above all idols and that therefore his commands are not to be sleighted nor will he be pleased with outside service and that all they who seek him sincerely have cause to be encouraged in him Therefore doth he describe himselfe to presse them to seek him and comprehendes all in this the Lord is his name 2. The Lord is the Creatour and Supreme Governour of all the creatures in Heaven and Earth And he is to be seen and acknowledged as such without resting on these creatures themselves or ascribing their courses motions and influences to fate or any second cause Therefore is it declared that he maketh the seven stars and Orion c. 3. It is not enough to see God and his providence in the works of nature or motions of second causes But we ought so to see him in them as may commend piety to our hearts and presse us to it Therefore doth the exhortation run seek him that maketh the seven stars c. And particularly first it is an argument to seek him that he maketh the seven stars and Orion Whereby is held out 1 That God is worthy and ought to be sought unto and served who is not onely above men and creatures on earth but his power is in the heavens 2. He is able either to ruine or refresh men by means and second causes which are at a great distance from them even by the influences of the stars and therefore he ought to be sought unto 3. The very vicissitudes and change of seasons and weather are Gods work wherein he is to be seen and which should invite us to seek him Secondly his turning the shadow of death into the morning and making the day dark with clouds teacheth that God is he who can change or settle conditions as he pleaseth He can turn adversity into prosperity and prosperity into adversity as he pleaseth And if he settle none will shake and if he shake none can establish And therefore the short path to well-being is to seek him Thirdly his calling for the waters of the sea and pouring them out upon the face of the earth teacheth that God hath showres of comforts and deluges of miseries to pour out as he pleaseth When they who seek him stand in need he can bring abundance of comforts unto them in as strange a way as to call up sea-waters into the aire and purifie them and pour them out upon the earth And when sinners neglect him he can wonderfully plague them as if he made void his decree concerning the bounds of the sea and let it in upon the land Verse 9. That strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress In this v. the power and providence of God are further commended from what he doth in humane affairs Wherein it is declared that he can employ contemptible and subdued people and make them prevaile over the strongest and their strong holds This may be understood either generally that the Lord doth this among all Nations as he pleaseth Or more particularly that he speaks it with relation to them and that either by way of threatning that if they sought not to him but trusted in their strength and forts he could make most contemptible and weak means crush them and it Or by way of promise that if they would repent and seek him he would strengthen them though sore broken to recover and prevaile over their enemies Doct. 1. The power and providence of God do shine not onely in the works of nature and of natural second causes but also in over ruling the actions of men according to his pleasure and he and not chance or fortune is to be seen suprem in all of them and a right sight thereof will invite men to seek him who is supreme over them and their enterprizes Therefore also is this held out as an argument pressing them to seek him 2. Mens strength and valour or their forts and strong holds will prove but weak defences when God is angry and is about to bring destruction for so is here held forth 3. God needs not any great or probable means to oppose what men account their great strength or to bring it down for he strengtheneth or recreats and gives courage to the spoiled against the strong so that the spoiled shall not onely hazard to go to the fields against enemies but shall come against the fortresse Verse 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly This duty which hath been pressed from the consideration of Gods power is yet further inculcate from the consideration of their own sins and of the judgements deserved thereby both which he laieth before them And first which he speaketh of them as not worthy to be spoken unto he challengeth That in the gate they could not endure any rebuke or upright speaking that is their Judges especially who sat in the gate were so wicked and so incorrigible that they could not endure any who opposed or reproved their unrighteous decrees or who spake and pleaded for righteousnesse and equity And they could not endure the Prophets who did publickly reprove their vices and counsel them to do righteously Whence learn 1. Administration of justice being appointed for the genral good of a society should be so managed as Courts of judgement may be open and patent to all who are wronged And Judges should carry themselves openly and fairly in it So much was signified by administration of justice of old in the gate where the meanest might have easie accesse and the Judges determined in open view of all 2. In times of publick and general defections God hath ordinarily much to say to Judges and Rulers for here they who manage matters in the gate as appears from the following verses do that which is worthy to be rebuked and which is not upright 3. It is the commendation of men in a declining time that they are not drawen from their duty by the impetuous streame of the time and that they do in their stations oppose others who do wrong which is a meane to guard themselves when they are zealous against evils in others for here there are Prophets and others in their stations who rebuke and speak uprightly and that publickly in the gate 4. Upright men and such as are faithful and free in an evil time may expect not onely that they will not alwayes prevaile with these they deal with but that they shall meet with contempt and hatred for their pains for such was their lot here See Isa 29.21 5. It is a great height of impiety when men not onely do wrong but cannot endure them who joyne not with them or would reclaim them when they sin with an high hand This is an evil that if it be not repented of and amended will provoke God to take the reproofe in his own hand As here he doth and Rulers
cannot be free of it when they will not be medled with nor endure counsel and admonition from these who are warranted by God to offer it unto them This is the summe of the challenge They hate him who rebuketh in the gate c. Verse 11. Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor and ye take from him burdens of wheat ye have built houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant vineyards but ye shall not drink wine of them Secondly he challengeth them for cruel oppression of the poor and that having taken all their silver from them they did cause them bring their very meat and livelihood on their shoulders to them And he declareth that however they did this to inrich themselves and to make themselves stately houses and pleasant vineyards yet they should not enjoy them Whence learn 1. Oppression of the poor is an hainous sin before God who is the author of justice and Patron of the poor especially And it is a sin which when men are truly convinced of they will finde themselves in a woful condition and in a condition calling aloud to repent Therefore it is here challenged and made use of to presse them to repent 2. God doth take notice of the degrees of oppression and doth ponder all the cruelties in it to lay them to their charge who will not judge themselves and repent thereof for he lateth to their charge that they trod upon the poor or did so oppresse them as if they were but mire to be trod upon and that they had a habite of this their treading is upon the poor as if they stepped not a step but upon oppressed ones And he challengeth them that they deprived them of their very livelihood Ye take from him burdens of wheat which he had provided for his own maintenance 3. Oppression is so much the more odious as the oppressor hath not a pretence of necessity for his course but having enough he must yet ruine others to make him live in more state for he callengeth hereby ye have built houses of hewen stone and planted plesant vineyards 4. As all things in the world are but uncertain even when men have them among their hands and the use and enjoyment of what we have is a new gift of God after he hath given it So mens ill purchase and raising of themselves by cruel oppression is an unsure foundation and may strip men of faire possessions for ye have built houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant vineyards but ye shall not drink wine of them Verse 12. For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a bribe and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right Thirdly to confirme this challenge and shew the equity of his sentence He declareth that however they did palliat these their sins under the pretence of Law and right yet he knew perfectly both the number and the nature of their sins And to witnesse this he chalengeth them further concerning their oppression that beside what was committed by great men in an extrajudical way their very publick judicatories were corrupted by afflicting the man who had a righteous cause by taking a bribe or ransome as the Original imports to absolve the wicked who ought to be condemned and by depriving the poor of their right Whence learn 1. Albeit men be great palliaters and excusers of their own way that so they may deceive and silence others and may delude and harden themselves Yet God doth perfectly know their wayes in all the aggravations thereof as here he declareth For I know your transgressions 2. As men who once corrupt their way within the visible Church will soon turn monstrous So it is an hainous provocation when sins are grosse and transgressions or rebellions When these are not few but multiplied and manifold and when men are violent and impetuous in following thereof and do break over all banks and bear down all opposition in their way Therefore are they called mighty or strong sins 3. Oppression committed under the pretext of justice is especially marked by God as hateful and as grosse and violent iniquity for it is supposed that men who are employed to administrate justice do know their duty and danger better then others and therefore it must be violent corruption in them that drives them to transgresse and beside the prostituting of justice which is Gods ordinance that it may be subservient to mens corrupt ends is abominable iniquity Therefore doth he instance that general challenge as being evident in the matter of justice And he declareth it to be so hateful that the actors thereof are not worthy so much as of a reproofe from God And therefore having spoken to them in the former part of the v. he speaks this particular challenge of them They afflict the just c. 4. As injustice may be several wayes committed So all the kindes thereof are hateful to God And whether men do afflict the innocent or absolve the guilty for a reward or wrong a man in his right because he is poor they will still finde their course abhorred of God So that men need not please themselves that they are free of one kinde of oppression and injustice if yet they be involved in another Therefore doth he mark and challenge these several kindes of it They afflict the just they take a bribe and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right See Prov. 17.15 Verse 13. Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time for it is an evil time Some take this v. as a further challenge and aggravation of their sin that they were so impetuous and incorrigible v. 10. that prudent men would meddle no more with them nor speak against that which they could not amend Which yet doth not so much commend or justifie their silence in their station nor warrant others to follow it as a rule as it declareth what was the great pride of that people who shut all doors upon good counsels But it seemeth rather to be a threatning because of these their iniquities formerly challenged And it may be conceived either thus That as they would not suffer any admonitions v. 10. so the time should come wherein their evils and oppressions should be so great and their oppressours so cruel that any who had their wits about them should not dare to mutter Or which seemeth to be the more simple interpretation that judgements should come wherein the godly and prudent wisely considering the iniquity of the times procuring the same should silently and without murmuring adore the justice of God and should have nothing to say or plead on their behalfe why it should not be so with them Doct. 1. Insolent and imprudent boldnesse in sinning is justly punished with such cruel usage from men as that they dare not speak nor bemoan
of their Idolatry in the matter of the golden calfe as is cleared Act. 7.40 41 42. 8. It is the great folly and madnesse of men to think that a deitie is in their choice to choose and make what they will a God unto themselves Or to think to represent a deitie by Images which are of their making or to worship these Images as in reality they do whatever they pretend to the contrary for it was also their fault that they had Images the star of your God which ye made to your selves And Act. 7.43 it is said figures which ye made to worship them 9. Idolatry being continued in will at last draw on exile and captivity Therefore is the sentence given out against the present generation that since that course had gone such a length Therefore I will cause you go into captivity beyond Damascus And by this expression beyond Damascus is imported not onely that they should be carried far away beyond that place which Stephen Act. 7.43 respecting the event declareth how far it was even so far beyond Damascus that it was beyond Babylon also But further the expression may also import 1. Whereas they thought much of the stroaks had been inflicted on them by the Syrians of Damascus and that belike some of them were carried into captivity by them The Lord declareth that they should be carried further off then ever they were carried by the Syrians And that their continued in provocations should make them think little of what they had felt in respect of what was to come upon them 2. Whereas they might think strange of that sentence given out against the Syrians and of their threatned captivity chap. 1.5 The Lord declareth that they should be carried further off then the Syrians and that the stroak to come on them who were his people and yet proved incorrigible should be sadder in that respect then his stroak on a pagan Nation 3 Whereas they might look on the Kingdome of Syria and Damascus as a strong bulwark betwixt them and any remoter enemy on that quater as being a potent Kingdome not easily to be subdued The Lord declareth that this refuge shall faile them and an enemy should come further-off who should carry them beyond it Doct. 10. Men will very readily sleep securely under saddest threatnings unlesse they consider again and again that God is their party and do seriously meditate upon his greatnesse and power Therefore are they again advertised that this is said by the Lord whose name is the God of hosts CHAP. VI. ALbeit Israel was Amos peculiar charge yet in this chap. Iudah is joyned with them both in the challenge v. 1. And all alongst as appeareth from the last threatning v. 14. And by so doing the Lord would have it cleared that his servant was not partial in his doctrine nor led by any private spleen against Israel And he would let Israel see how little cause they had to be secure seing Iudah is so dealt with also In the first part of the chap. the Lord challengeth and denounceth a wo upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and Samaria and especially the great ones for their prophane security relieing upon their strength and eminency v. 1. which yet was but a weak ground if they considered other Nations and cities v. 2. for their contempt of threatnings and the oppression that followed thereupon v. 3. And for their sensualty and luxury little regarding the afflictions of the rest of the countrey v. 4.5.6 In the second part of the chap. the Lord explains that wo v. 1. and pronounceth sentence against them That these secure voluptuous persons should go into captivity with the first and so their jollity should be removed v. 7. That certainly he would not regard their priviledges and execellencies but would trample upon them and deliver up their city to the enemies v. 8. That there should be a great mortality among them v. 9.10 And that he would ruine the families and houses of great and small v. 11. In the third part of the chap. the Lord confirmeth this sentence shewing that however hitherto he had manifested his patience and taken pains upon them Yet now it was to no purpose to use any further meanes to reclaime them as appeared from their horrid injustice v. 12. And however they were insolent and boasters of their own strength v. 13. Yet he would refute that carnal confidence by sending an enemy who should overrun the Land of Canaan from one end to another Verse 1. Wo to them that are at ease in Zion and trust in the mountain of Samaria which are named chief of the nations to whom the house of Israel came In this v. a wo is pronounced against the inhabitants of the chief Cities of both Judah and Israel and especially against the great ones there because they were stupidly secure as trusting in their strength by situation and their own and the places eminency these two places being the two chief places of both the Nations or Kingdomes to which all Israel did resort as to the chief Cities of the Kingdomes and places of publick justice and of publick worship also in Jerusalem Doct. 1. Albeit ease and a quiet settled condition be that which men love well and do hunt after by all means and take too well with when they enjoy it Yet ofttimes such a condition breeds so much presumption and carnal security that it brings a wo and curse with it for wo to them that are at ease or secure as these at ease ordinarily are 2. Such as seeme to cleave or really do cleave to God and his way better then others may readily make a sleeping pillow of that and yet that doth not warrant them to be secure but will rather put them in the front of those that are under the wo if they prove so Therefore doth he begin with this wo to them that are at ease in Zion before Samaria Where it is imported that they may be at ease and that then they get the first of the wo. And he names Zion rather then Jerusalem because among other reasons this mount was the eminent part of their City being the City of David the man according to Gods heart with whom the Covenant was made and who herein was a type of Christ and the place whereunto David brought the Arke 2. Sam. 6.12 And therefore it is that however the Temple stood on mount Morijah 2. Chron. 3.1 yet mount Zion is often named as the place of Gods residence to which the promises are made being a type of the Church where Christ the Son of David reignes and dwells And yet the Lord declareth that all this should no avert the wo. 3. Albeit that the strength of places by situation do breed carnal confidence and that draw on security yet all that is no warrant for it nor will guard against the wo Therefore also is Zion named because it was strong and long a taking from the Jebusites 2.
with his doctrine will side with him and rise up against authority or which is more likely to be the sense the people cannot endure him and his doctrine and are but waiting for the Kings decree against him that they may execute it or are ready to do it of their own head in a tumultuous way if he will not appeare And so he would insinuate to the King that it was a way to lose the hearts of his subjects if he did tolerate such a man so odious to him 3. To make good this his charge and assertion he repeats some of Amos doctrine to the King but unfaithfully and not fully Doct. 1. Such as are and resolve to be faithful messengers and servants to God in corrupt and declining times ought to lay their account for persecution for so much doth Amos lot warn us of 2. As false teachers prove readily most cruel persecuters of faithful Ministers because of their own interests that are like to suffer prejudice So this course is more horrid in them then any others Therefore is it chiefly marked what Amaziah the priest of Bethel did See Jer. 20.2 3. 3. It is a special meane taught by Satan for driving on a course of persecution when persecuters do delate the faithful servants of God unto Kings and Rulers as enemies to them and when having Kings eares they do informe against them behinde their back when they know not of it nor are admitted to speak for themselves for this was Amaziahs way he sent to Jeroboam King of Israel c. 4. It is the ordinary trick of persecuters and a great injury to these whom they informe as well as to the party troubled that they do misrepresent matters and do hide the true cause of their splene and onely pretend great friendship to authority and accordingly hold out what may be plausible to them and effectual to sharpen their rage against Gods servants for though his own interest really grieved him and that Amos cried down his high places as afterward appeareth yet there is not a word of that in the delation but onely of treason and loseing the Kings subjects one way or other by Amos preachings 5. It is an old but an injust scandal cast upon faithful Ministers that by their free preaching they are the trumpets of sedition and rebellion affronters of authority and withdrawers of their subjects from their duty for such is the charge against Amos Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel the land is not able to bear all his words Whereas Amos was his best friend seeking his real good and learning him how to prevent the loseing both of himselfe and his subjects and to rebuke his sin openly being publick and general I was not to affront him but to apply a publick remedy to a publick inveterate evil and to think otherwise were for a man to lift up himselfe against God as if he should not be reproved by him And in a word Amos doctrine could be intolerable to none but such as proclamed their contempt of God and their own incorrigiblenesse in sin 6. It is also an old and injust trick in calumniatours and persecuters to repeat the doctrine of honest ministers unfaithfully in the eares of Rulers by diminishing perverting corrupting what they say for such is the account that he gives of Amos doctrine v. 11. for albeit he repeat truly concerning the captivity of the people yet neither in that nor what concerns the King doth he repeat the causes procureing these stroaks which Amos had clearly told And he puts in Jeroboam himselfe in place of his house which Amos had threatned v. 9. to set the King more on edge 7. It is an evidence of the desperate and deadly condition of a land when a people do by sin procure saddest judgements and yet will not see them approaching and are ready to persecute any who tell them of their danger for such was the temper of this false priest He supposeth it a quarrel great enough that Amos had told the Kings house and the land of their approaching hazard Vers 12. Also Amaziah said unto Amos O thou seer go flee thee away into the land of Judah and there eat bread and prophesie there 13. But prophesie not again any more at Beth-el for it is the Kings chappel and it is the Kings court This course not succeeding as it seemes Jeroboam would not meddle with Amos either out of feare or policy he takes another course And pretending friendship and a respect to the prophets good He. 1. adviseth him to leave that land and go to Judah alledging that now he might go easily if he went soone but if he fled not shortly he was in hazard to be taken or ill intreated and withal he laieth before him how he might live better in Judah and exercise his calling with more peace and fruit then in Israel v. 12. 2. He adviseth him especially not to prophesie any more in Beth el and that because it was the Kings Sanctuary as the word will bear appointed by him for publick worship and so none might challenge it and withal it was the Kings chappel where he himselfe performed publick worship and therefore he could not endure any contradiction there which would reflect both upon his authority enjoyning that worship and upon his own practising of it Likewise he tels him that Beth el is the Kings Court where he remains and hath his residence at some times especially when he came to worship or the house of the Kingdome a place of publick judicatories where his opposition could be lesse hid or endured then elsewhere Doct. 1. As the Lord can when he will disappoynt and break the snares of persecuters when they are most subtilly laid as here it appeareth Jeroboam did nothing upon this subtile and nettling desolation So persecuters are endlesse in their projects and when one faileth they will be sure to essay another As the practice of this false priest may teach us 2. As persecuting enemies may pretend friendship that they may overthrow Gods servants So they are most dangerous when they do so and do insinuate by flattery that they may suggest ill counsels or otherwise ensnare them for this was Amaziahs last refuge to insinuate with Amos that he might be rid of him And therefore he who counted but basely of the prophet and in his delation to the King calls him onely Amos now he insinuates with him and called him the Seer a name given of old to prophets 1. Sam. 9.9 He who would have incensed the King against him pretends now a great solicitude for his safety good and ease and that his hazard was from others onely flee saith he for thy selfe as it is in the original or for thine own behoofe and eat bread in Judah which thou wilt not get here And he who could not endure good doctrine pretends that he is not against prophesying but acknowledgeth it is good onely he
would not have his person in hazard but let him prophesy with safety in Judah prophesy there So subtile are pesecuters and can turn themselves into so many shapes that they have need of much light from God who would discern and avoyd them 3. Whatever persecuters and especially corrupt Church-men may pretend for their way of zeal to Religion or of respect to the servants of God or to these whom they incense against them Yet it is but themselves and their gain and advantage which is their snare and sets them to worke for so much doth he discover in that particular counsel prophesie not at Bethel though he tell not the true causes of that counsel for he drave his great trade there and he was affraid lest the Prophets doctrine should bring down his market and therefore he would be rid of him 4. The discourses and insinuations of this subtile persecuter which were unsound and nothing else but so many tentations and snares laid in Amos way may afford unto faithful Ministers especially several cautions and directions in prosecuting their calling And 1. Gods servants as they must be simple harmlesse and innocent so they must be wise and prudent not trusting every flattering insinuater or giving simple credit to every insinuation Otherwise they may get a persecuting Amaziah in their bosome in place of a friend and be drawn upon a snare 2. It is a great snare and very unbeseeming the servants of God to be affrighted in or for their duty so as to abandon it for flee for thy selfe as a man affrighted and minding onely his own safety was an ill counsel See Neh. 6.10 11. 3. A seeming creditable pretence of retreat will not warrant mens faithlesse terrour in performing duty or their neglect of it for though he propound fleeing to the land of Judah as creditable enough to withdraw into his own Country and home yet that is also but a snare 4. Men must not abuse providential opportunities concurring with other tentations to withdraw them from their duty in a time of hazard or to draw them any way wrong for albeit he propound his counsel as that providence gave him now liberty of retreat if he would flee and make haste and that he would not meet with the like again when possibly he would desire it yet that was no sufficient argument to Amos. Providence must never be so read as to draw men from their duty revealed in Scripture 5. A Minister must not make choice of places wherein to exercise his calling according as he may get respect or commodity thereby But he must follow the call of God whatever his lot be or though it should seeme he would be better elsewhere for it is but a poor argument that he may eat bread in Judah and therefore should leave Israel where he was not well respected nor entertained 6. Ministers must not quit a station wherein God hath put them pretending they do no good in it and that they might be more useful elsewhere But it is their duty to sow the seed of the word wherever he commands them and let him make what use of their service he pleaseth for it is another unsound insinuation in this counsel that he might prophesie in Judah and his calling be more respected and prove more successful there then in Israel 7. Ministers must not be allured with promises of immunity for by-gons to omit duty for the future for this was another snare laid prophesie not again any more at Bethel which imports that nothing would be said for what was past If he took heed for time to come 8. Faithful Ministers must not be borne down nor their hands weakened by the general applause and countenance given to ill courses But they must do their duty in opposing evils that are generally countenanced and cried up for it was Amos duty to prophesie at Bethel and he did so not onely because it was a publick place to preach in but he would witnesse against their idolatry in the place where their calves were worshipped and most in request 9. Faithful Ministers must not give way to this corrupt principle that Rulers must not be controuled but their will stand for a law in matters of Religion and that it is a contempt of and enjury done to their authority to warn them of their sin But they are bound to condemn both their injunctions in matters of Religion and their practices if they be contrary to the word for it is no valid argument for silence at Bethel that it is the Kings Sanctuary or Chappel 10. Ministers must not be dazzled with the greatnesse of men or danger of hazard from them nor with eminency of places in doing their duty But they must set their faces like a flint against all such discouragements and tentations for that Bethel is the Kings Court or house of the Kingdome is no sufficient argument for Amos silence and flight Verse 14. Then answered Amos and said to Amaziah I was no prophet neither was I a prophets son but I was an herdman and a gatherer of sycomore fruit 15. And the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said unto me Go prophesie unto my people Israel Amos in this first part of his reply doth assert his authority to prophesie particularly against Israel shewing that he was extraordinarily called to it when he dreamt not of it but was earning his bread and living soberly in a mean calling and that before that calling came he was neither a Prophet nor so much as a Prophets son that is trained up in the schooles of the Prophets in order to that calling See 2. Kings 6.1 But he was brought to it as David to the Kingdome from following the ewes And by this he cleareth that he prophesied not thus of his own head or at the command of any other but God onely And that he never turned a prophet for his food being meanely bred and content with sober diet Doct. 1. A clear calling from God to any station is a sweet support under any distresse or opposition men may meet with in it and they who have this ought to be comforted in it whatever come for Amos opposeth his cleare call to all these insinuate hazards 2. Albeit men be bound to means and to walke by a rule yet God is not bound but may call and employ whom he will and make them able and eminent for of a mean herdman he maketh an eminent Prophet 3. No lawful calling how meane soever is a disparagement to any but it is rather a commendation when God laieth a mans lot low that he stoops to a meane calling and keeps by it and lives soberly in it for Amos thinks it no disparagement that he was an herdman and a gatherer of sycomore fruit for himself and family or possibly to sell 4. It is no disparagement to the word nor should it be the lesse respected that meane men are employed to carry it seeing it is
wait any more upon them or spare them But as summer fruits do portend a ripe harvest or that it is near approaching so their sins were such as made them ripe for destruction And as ripe fruits are plucked down and gathered into baskets and eaten So should the greedy enemies devour and destroy them Whence learn 1. People that are nearest destruction are ordinarily so stupid that they need to be often told of their danger And God seeth it ofttimes meet to give them frequent warnings that they may be without excuse Therefore is this new type held forth with the explication thereof containing the same in substance that was spoken to chap. 7.7 8. 2. As threatnings according to the word in the mouths of Gods servants are of him and not devised by them for the Lord God shewed this type and expounded it So they have need to be still of new excited to consider what God reveals and to have raised thoughts upon it that so they may excite others to the like attention Therefore a Behold is prefixed to the type and Amos is put to consider it by a question Amos what seest thou which points also at the duty of all who hear it 3. Sin though it be long forborne will at last ripen and come to an height and when it is so the Lord will not spare notwithstanding his former long-suffering and moderation So much doth this type point out and the explication thereof The end is come I will not again passe by them any more which is the same with chap. 7 8. 4. It is mens duty to see that what God saieth may take deep impression And for this end as Ministers should avoid the wisdom of words which corrupt the simplicity of Religion and the Gospel so it is lawful and needful that they expresse the matters of God so as may render them most taking and make them stick fastest Therefore is there not onely a type used but in the Original there is an affinity in sound and almost in the word betwixt the type summer fruits and the thing signified the end And this is made use of to inculcate the matter and cause it stick in their memory 5. Men are so prone to lean to carnal confidences and particularly on their visible interest in God as if that would hold off deserved judgements that it is the duty of Gods servants frequently to discover the deceitfulnesse of such a course Therefore again do they get a name of interest in the sentence my people Israel to shew that such a pretence will faile them 6. When God proceeds to severity against his people it will adde to the bitternesse thereof that he had dealt otherwise and they have made no use thereof Therefore is it put in the sentence that he will not passe by them again any more as he had done formerly Verse 3. And the songs of the temples shall be howlings in that day saith the Lord God there shall be many dead bodies in every place they shall cast them forth with silence The greatnesse of this near approaching calamity is held forth from two effectes 1. That their joyful songs even in their Temples and at their sacred solemnities should cease and in place thereof there should be the howling of the afflicted 2. That there should be so great a mortality by reason of sword or famine or pestilence or altogether that they should cast the dead out of the way or in common pits and bury them without lamentation or publick solemnity Whence learn 1. It is a sad evidence of Gods displeasure when sacred solemnities cease and nothing is left in place thereof but sorrow and lamentation for so much doth this sentence teach in general whatever their Religion was 2. Whatever be the joy of the wicked and their pleasing of themselves in their corrupt and idoratrous worship yet it will at last end in sorow for the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day saith the Lord God 3. When God pleads a controversie with a Nation it is righteous with him not onely to break their power and bring them in subjection unto their enemies but also to pursue particular persons with plagues to the cutting off of not a few of them for there shall be many dead bodies in every place 4. Albeit it may be the lot even of the godly under calamities and persecutions to be cut off and want burial Psal 79.2 3. Yet the want of ordinary burial or to be buried without usual decency and lamentation is a judgement upon the wicked wherein Gods hand is to be seen in pouring contempt upon them after they are dead and stupifying the living with multitudes of calamities for it is a judgement they shall cast them forth with silence where by silence is to be understood especially want of funeral lamentations usually among them though chap. 6.10 it be taken in another sense Verse 4. Hear this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the poor of the land to fail 5. Saying When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn and the sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the ephah small and the shekel great and falsifying the balances by deceit 6. That we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes and sell the refuse of the wheat The equity of this sad sentence is cleared by shewing what are the causes procuring it one whereof relating chiefly to the second Table is here laid to their charge another concerning Religion is spoken to v. 14. In these verses he calls the richer and greater sort especially to hear these sad tidings and chargeth upon them 1. That they were cruel and inhumane to the poor and swallowed them up by oppression so that they were made to fail or cease that is they were not able to subsist but were put off the world by their cruelty v. 4. 2. That they wearied off dayes of solemnity and sacred meetings which they kept in imitation of Judah and longed to have them over that they might follow their gain and satisfie their coveteous humours v. 5. 3. That they were not onely covetous and followed gain eagerly in a lawful calling but they were both deceitful and cruel in their bargains They both wronged and falsified the measuers whereby they sold out their commodities and their weights whereby they weighed the mony according to their custome at that time that came in unto them They were not content to spoile the poor of their money but got them made slaves and bondmen to them for a thing of nought and though they had corrupted both measures and weights yet they sold not good commodities but corrupted their wares and made gain of the chaffe and refuse of wheat as if it were good v. 5 6. Doct. 1. The Lord would not have rods dumb but speaking to guilt and when he threatens it concerns the guilty to hear and though they be averse from
it yet God will make them hear ere all be done Therefore is it subjoined to the former sentence Hear this O ye c. 2. Oppression of the poor is an inhumane beastly sin and a great cause of Gods controversie against a land provoking him to prove himself higher then the highest Eccl. 5.8 Therefore is this brought in as his quarrel and pointed out as a beastly sin ye swallow up the needy or pant and gape to get him swallowed down even to make the poor of the land to fail And albeit this be the sin of the richer sort onely yet it is held out as the cause of the lands destruction Because however the poorer have their own sins yet the greater sort are ordinarily ring-leaders in procuring National judgements and it may be here the meaner followed the footsteps of the greater so far as they had power 3. As the covetous are never without their own sorrows were they never so thriving 1. Tim. 6.9 so it is matter of sad challenge when the cares of the world turn an enemy unto and make men weary of Religion and attendance upon the duties thereof And when men not onely have their hearts upon the world on sabbaths and times of religious duties but do look on all these as distractions and matters in the by and make the world and gain their great earand for this was their fault here When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn and the sabbath that we may set forth wheat They mention onely sabbaths and new moons though they had other solemnities because these recurred more frequently and other solemnities came about but once a year and therefore did not so often vexe them And if this was a land destroying sin how much more is God provoked when men dare openly by actions profane the Sabbath and neglect duties of worship See Neh. 13.15 16. c. 4. When men do make a prey of the poor by falsifying of wares measures weights and coine they will finde that they do highly provoke God whatever they gain thereby for such is the challenge they make the ephah small and the shekel great by adding to the weight whereby it is weighed They falsifie the balances by deceit either in weighing money or other commodities and they sell the refuse of the wheat 5 As the Lord seeth it meet to exercise some with poverty and by putting them in the reverence of great men so their condition is not onely an exercise to themselves but a trial to others wherein God takes special notice how they are intreated Therefore doth the Lord challenge for what they did to the poor and needy 6. Albeit oppression in the matter of goods and means be very intolerable and horrid yet that is but little in comparison of injuries done to the persons of men and when for small things the poor are brought in bondage slavery or restraint for they buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes or for a mean thing they made bondmen of them abusing that law Lev. 25.39 Verse 7. The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob Surely I will never forget any of their works Followeth an explication and enlargement of the grievousnesse of the judgements formerly denounced for these sins This is contained in several branches The first whereof holds out in general that certainly punishment would ensue the Lord having sworn by himself that he would not forget their carriage but put all their doings upon their account till he return them a meet recompence Whence learn 1. When wrath is most deserved and ready to be let forth men are ordinarily least sensible and will least beleeve it Therefore must the sentence be again confirmed by an oath which is the third time an oath is given in this prophecy See chap. 4.2 and 6.8 2. The Lord swears here by the excellency of Jacob which is himself seeing he cannot swear by another Heb. 6.13 and he is expressly called the excellency or glory of his people Psal 106.20 Luk. 2.32 And by this title he would teach 1. That nothing beside God can make a people truly excellent enjoy what dignity and excellency they will 2. That it is the great ingratitude and dittay of a people when being excellent through him they do not acknowledge him nor walk answerable for it is to aggreage their sin that he gives himself this title in this sentence 3. That whatever be mens confidence in their priviledges Yet when they provoke God they will be disappointed yea their sin will turn what they gloried most in to plead against them Therefore also is this brought in in the sentence Doct. 1. Oaths when men are called to give them should be taken and given with much gravity reverence and dread for so much may be imported in the way of this oath of the Lord which is in the Original if I ever forget c. which imports not onely the certainty of what he swears as it is translated and therefore the certification is suppressed in silence But this covering of it in silence doth import that men in giving an oath should tremble at the very mentioning of what will follow if they sweare falsly 4. Albeit an impenitent people when they are spared do think that all is forgotten Yet they have Gods word and oath for it that where pardon is not obtained through Christ the account is but growing and that all their sins lesser and greater will at last be brought forth to make their case the sadder when he reckons for all together for saith he Surely I will never forget any of their works He will remember all of them and not any of them but they shall be brought out in the processe Verse 8. Shall not the land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a flood and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the flood of Egypt In the second branch of this enlargement of the sentence it is declared that as the very land might be astonished and shake at their provocations which their consciences could tell them was deserved so it should be filled with horrible confusions causing all to lament And that they should no more get dwelling or abiding in it then if it were drowned and overflowed as Egypt is at some seasons by the River Nilus This seemeth to be the sense of this verse the first part thereof concerning the lands trembling imports not onely that the insensible earth might tremble under such a burden of sin and sinners and be ready to testifie its indignation against them as it may be he speaks this about the time of that earthquake chap. 1. 1. and pointing at it But further it imports there should be horrible confusions upon the land as if it were trembling to cast them out of it and make them mourn as it is subjoined and so the speech is taken Psalm 60.2 and 75. 3. The