Worm it is one of Gods great Armies which he sends against a rebellious People to destroy their Vine-yards and Fig-trees that is the fruites of their Vines Fig-trees and Olives by a Metonimy of the subject These are worse than Locusts for that feeds only on the tops of the ears of Corn as he flies but the Palmer-worm sticks close to the Fruites and Flowers they light on and will not off till they have consumed them It makes clean work leaving nothing behind it These Israelites that neglected their Souls yet used great care and pains about their Vines Olives Gardens and Orchards but all your cost and care saith the Lord shall be lost and become a prey to the Palmer-worm 3 Here is the time when the Lord smote them and that was in the very flower and prime when Gardens and Vineyards c. were increased and loaden with fruit when they were multiplying then he blasted them or the multitude of your Gardens and Vineyards did the Palmer-worm devour so the Margin of our Bible 4 Here are the Persons whose fruites were smitten viz. the rebellious Israelites included in the Pronoun Possessive yours yours yours your Gardens your Vine-yards your Fig-trees your Olive-trees it is for your sins and your sakes that these are smitten 5 Here is the unsuccessfulness of these rods upon them yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. One Judgement should have wrought upon them or a second at least but when a third and fourth shall come and yet a people shall not be wrought upon it argues the height of obstinacy and malice and that such Persons are exceedingly blinded and besotted by the Devil to their own destruction it is a God-provoking Sin thus still to sin against the remedy of their recovery and therefore the Lord still layes his finger on this sore and oft complaines of it as here so elsewhere Isa. 9.13 Ier. 3.10 5.3 8.5 Hos. 7.10 Hag. 2.17 How oft doth he require the amendment of this fault making many promises to incourage them Ier. 3.1.7.14.22 and threatens them if they will not Ier. 15.7 and yet still they continue impenitent OBSERVATIONS 1 God wants not Hosts and Armies of Creatures to subdue a stubborn and rebellious people He hath the Host of Heaven and the Hosts of the Earth at his beck and if he but hiss or stamp or give the least intimation to them they are presently up in armes against us Isa. 5.26 7.18 Frost and Snow Hayl and Tempests are all his servants ready prest to doe his will Exod. 9.23 Psal. 147.16 17 18. Hag. 2.17 with these hee can destroy our Fruites in the bud or in the blade or when they are come to maturity yea when they are in the Barn he can send Lightning and consume them If hee be angry with us he can call for an Army of Insects and contemptible Animals and by these he can destroy us When Pharaoh rebelled against him the Lord sent an Army of Froggs Flies and Lice against him and by these hee vext him Exod. 8.2.16.21 the Lord hath Hosts of Men and Angels at command but hee chuseth rather to confound his enemies by these contemptible Creatures that he may exalt his own power and abase proud man hee hath the Cankerworm the Palmer-worm the Locust and the Caterpiller these are called his great army which he sends against a disobedient people Ioel 2.11.25 Obj. We are not troubled with an Army of Locusts Palmer-worms c. these were proper to those Eastern Countries Ans. It is true literally our cold Southern Climate is not subject to the annoyance of these yet if the Lord bee angry with us he can send even these upon us for South and East are alike to him Mystically and Metaphorically hee hath troubled us with an Army of Locusts Caterpillars Canker-worms c. yea in kind he sent a strange Grub which devoured only the Barley which is most abused by Drunkenness in many parts of the Land in the year one thousand six hundred forty nine yea and he can and will if England goe on to fin after the rate that it hath done of late years bring in an Army of Forreigners fierce and savage men whose Language we understand not who shall shew no mercy to the Old nor pitty to the Young what is said of the Natural is most true of these Metaphorical Palmer-worms they are the last and the worst of evils they sweep all away before them and make clean work where they goe Ioel 2.3 and this is that Judgement which the Lord seems at this day to bee preparing for England and yet we are not affected with it The Churches enemies are strongly united and have made a kind of Universal peace amongst themselves Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck the Moabites the Ismalites the Hagarens c. France Spain Italy Curland Holland Denmark c. are all confederate and united and the Churches of Christ who should joyn to their Dove-like simplicity Serpentine wisdome when in this juncture of time they should be most strongly united they are most sadly divided both within and without the King of Denmark with the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburg joyn with Papists against the Protestant interest and so doth the Hollander What sad Massacres have been in Savoy and Poland is well known to the world and Plots are preparing for the destruction of the Protestants both in France and Switzerland and England that was alwaies wont to preserve the Protestant interest and assist it in all Nations yet is so sadly divided and crumbled into so many Factions and Fractions into so many Divisions and Subdivisions that without a Miracle of Mercy we are like to bee made a prey to the Common adversary who labours with all his might to divide us that so he may destroy us Let us then serve the Lord with one shoulder and with one consent let us not provoke this great God who hath so many Armies in store ready to execute his Judgements on us Ier. 15.3 Hee is the best friend and the saddest foe if he be for us all is for us but if he be against us all creatures are against us We should therefore make peace with this great Lord-General of all Armies and then they will all be at peace with us when our wayes please the Lord he will make even our enemies to be at peace with us Prov. 16.7 the men of Tire and Sidon desired to be at peace with Herod because their Land was nourisht by the Kings Land Acts 12.20 all we have we have it from God we are Tenants at will to him and therefore should be careful to preserve his favour Many when Blasting and Mildews are abroad goe not to God but to a Bush for ayd They will May their Corn and stick up a Bush thinking by this means to keep it from Blasting a Heathenish custom to be abhorred of all such as acknowledge the Providence of God Such Atheistical practices
to the Omega of our Salvation all is Free-grace as I have shewed elsewhere 6 Obs. In times of distress God usually gives his people some grounds of hope and some glimpse of comfort to quicken them to duty Hence he so oft comes with a peradventure God may give repentance 2 Tim. 2.25 who can tell and who knowes whether God may not repent of the evil that he intends against us Ioel 2.14 Ionah 3.9 let us then use the means and commit the success to God Take away hope and you take away endeavour impossibility of obtaining breaks the heart Though thy sins have been great and grievous yet pray and use the means peradventure they may be pardoned Acts 8.22 23. arise and be doing and say as Ionathan did when he went up against the Philistines 1 Sam. 14.6 Come let us go against these uncircumcised it may be the Lord will work for us for it is all one with him to save with many or with few Be not therefore dejected or despondent it is the nature of faith to oppose discouragements Love knowes no difficulties but makes men active say thou as the Lepers 2 King 7.3 4. Why sit we here till we dye if we stay in the City we shall dye of the famine if we sit still we perish come let us fall upon the Host of the Syrians we can but dye Nothing venture and nothing have VERSE 16 17. Therefore the Lord the God of Hosts the Lord saith thus Wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all High wayes Alas alas and they shall call the Husbandmen to mourning and such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing And in all Vineyards shall be wailing for I will pass thorow thee saith the Lord. THe Prophet had often fore-warned this obstinate people of Judgements approaching and called upon them to fly from the wrath to come but since they contemned the Word and warnings of the Lord he tells them now that the Sword should come and cut them off and as they had sinned generally both in City and Country so now they should be punisht generally for all places should be filled with weeping and wailing The Prophet having finisht his Exhortation to Repentance now returns to his Threatnings again where we have the sad Calamities which were coming upon Israel Set forth 1 By the wailing which should be in all streets 2 By the weeping which should bee in all High-wayes 2 By the Persons which should mourn 1 Natural real mourners as the Citizen Husbandman Vinitor 2 Artificial hired mourners and such as had skil in Lamentation 3 Here is the reason and ground of all this weeping and wailing and that is Israels impenitency and contempt of those warnings which God gave them by the Prophets They would not hearken to their counsel but hated reproof Therefore wailing shall be in all streets 4 Here is the certainty of all this It is the Lord the God of Hosts that sayes it The better to awaken them he tells them they had not to doe with a dead Idol or with an impotent man but with an Omnipotent God who was able to inflict whatever he had threatned against them as appears by the majestick Titles which are given to him who is the Lord the God of Hosts This people were apt to sooth themselves and cry peace when there was no peace and therefore the Prophet deals plainly with them and bids them not flatter themselves with thoughts of impunity for their mirth should now be turned into mourning and their singing into sorrow yea such sad calamities should come upon them that all should mourn both Citizens and rusticks both real and Artificial mourners 1 The Citizen shall lament in the streets the loss of his friends and riches 2 The Husband-man shall lament to see all his labours swept away by the cruel Assyrian 3 The Vinitor that was wont to sing for joy shall now lament for the loss of his Vintage 4 All others should lament in the very high wayes the several distresses which should come upon them crying Alas Alas 5 Their calamity should be so great that those which were wont to be hired in an Histrionical mimical manner to lament and howl at Funerals should now mourn in sober sadness and good earnest and therefore the Prophet sayes they shall call not only for the Husbandmen but also for those that are skilful in lamentation that they may weep together As in a time of mirth men call their neighbours together to rejoyce with them Luke 15.6 So in this time of great mourning they shall call the Citizen the Husbandman the Vinitor and the Artificial mourner to bear their parts in this doleful Ditty Call for such as are skilful of lamentation to wailing It was the custome of those times in those Eastern Countries in times of great mourning to send for singing-men and singing-women that could sing Artificial lamentations to provoke men to weeping 2 Chon 35 25. Iob 3.8 Eccles. 12. â— Their miseries here should be so great that they could not sufficiently bewail them themselves and therefore they should send for these to help them The Jews of latter times borrowed such a corrupt custome of the Heathens to augment their grief at Funerals 1 They had Minstrels which with their mournful tones and sad tunes inclined the affections of the people to mourning for the dead Of these there were two sorts 1 Some played on Pipes 2 Others sounded Trumpets At the Funerals of great men they sounded Trumpets and at the Funerals of inferiour persons they sounded Pipes Hence we read that when Jesus raised Iarius his daughter he cast out the Minstrels Mat. 9.23 Mark 5.38 2 The women especially that had an art in mourning and skill in making exquisite lamentation were hired at Burials for the same purpose where going along with the Corps by outward significations of their sorrow both by voice and gesture they moved the company more strongly to mourning and to sympathize with them These the Romans called praeficas quasi in hoc ipsum praefectas chief or skilful mourners These had venales lachrymas they made a trade of their tears making a greater howling and noise than real mourners did as Horace testifies From the Heathen this custome came to Rome also where for money the vilest of men shall have out-side mourners more than a good many All kinde of hypocrisie is odious to God but this is gross hypocrisie to make a great howling when there is no reality It is only vox clamor ululatus praeterea nihil The Prophet therefore doth not approve of these hypocritical howlings and artificial lamentations to get money but onely shews that their sorrow should bee so great that it should need helpe to express it OBSERVATIONS 1 When the word cannot mend a people then comes judgements and ends them First God hews men down by the sword of the Spirit Hos. 6.5 and then cuts them off by an
Goodness viz. he was their God in Covenant still ready to receive them to mercy upon their returning to him 2 His Greatness vers 13. he forms the Mountains and creates the Winds c. and can with ease destroy such as rebell against him The Prophet had before reproved the Rulers and people in general for their Idolatry Carnal security Ingratitude and Apostacy now he comes to reprove the Counsellours and Rulers of the Kingdom of Israel in particular for their oppression and cruelty for their Epicurism and beastly kind of life vers 1. Hear this word yee Kine of Bashan This is the Prophets exordium and Preface wherein he calls for attention both in respect of the Persons he speaks to and the matter he treats of viz. the Sins of the Rulers and People 2 We have the Judgements denounced against them for those Sins set forth by a double Metaphor ver 2 3. 3 Here is the confirmation of this threatning 1 By the Oath of God I have sworn by my Holiness saith the Lord that I will bring evil upon them and secondly their Sins have justly deserved it for 1. They are a People given up to Idolatry and hypocritical worshipping of me vers 4.5 3. They were indurate impenitent and incorrigible under variety of former judgements vers 6. to 12. The Prophet names Six 1 Famine I gave them cleanness of teeth c. ver 6. 2 Drought I will hold the rain from them ver 7 8. 3 Blasting Mildew and the Palmer-worm ver 9. 4 The Pestilence ver 10. 5 The Sword ver 10. 6 Terrible Destruction ver 11. 4 Here is the unhappy success of all these dispensations of God towards them which is annext to every particular Judgement as a Versus intercalaris the burden of this mournful complaint Yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord vers 6 7 8 9 10 11. 5 Seeing their incorrigibleness the Prophet goeth on to denounce a sorer and sharper Judgement than any yet had befaln them vers 12. Therefore thus will I doe to thee O Israel The Judgement was so dreadful that the Prophet seems unable to express it and therefore he doth as 't were draw a Vail over what he could not in words express with a Thus will I doe unto thee q. d. since nothing will move thee I will bring upon thee some direful desolation and utter destruction for so it follows Chap. 8.14 They shall fall and never rise up again 6 He concludes the Chapter with an Exhortation to Repentance calling upon them to prepare to meet the Lord by unfeigned Humiliation and Reformation that so they might prevent those Judgements which were yet coming upon them vers 12. 7 The better to awaken them he useth two Motives the first is drawn from the dreadfulness of the impending Judgements which since they were not able to resist hee exhorts them to prevent considering also the advantage they had of a Covenant yet in being betwixt God and them ver 12. The second is drawn from the Majesty and Power of God who was marching in wrath against them In the first Verse the Prophet prosecutes the Charge which hee had begun Chap. 3.9 10. against the Rulers and Judges of Israel for their cruelty in oppressing the poor and needy These usually are ring leaders in sin their examples incourage others in wickedness and therefore the Prophet begins his Charge against them and after descends to the Priests and People who were confederate with them in their wickedness Here we have 1 The Summons Hear this word 2 Who must hear The Rulers of Israel whom for their effeminacy he calls Kine of Bashan 3 Where doe they dwell In the mountain of Samaria This was the Metropolis and chief City of Israel situate upon a Mountain here was the Kings Palace where these Courtiers resided 4 What doe they doe there Why they Oppress the Poor They crush the Needy They call for drink Before he had described them darkly and figuratively calling them unruly Kine but now he tells them plainly and punctually what they are they are full fed Beasts that goared their fellows and trampled the poor under their feet 5 But what said the Lord to all this Why he swears by his Holiness that they shall dearly pay for this their cruelty vers 2. So much shall suffice for the Logical Analysis and resolution of the words I come now to the Grammatical explication of them Hear this word viz. of the Lord as it is explained chap. 3.1 q. d. I come not to you in mine own name or in the name of men but I come to you in Gods name it is his Message that I bring to you and therefore justly calls for their best attention and obedience the Original implieth both Hear this word 't is emphatical in the Original for the Article is doubled q. d. Hear this word which the most true and eternal God all whose words are works hath spoken against you and hear what hee hath decreed to bring upon you Yee Kine of Bashan Thus he calls these wicked wealthy wanton Rulers who managed the affairs of the Kingdom for the King and did abuse their power to the oppressing of the poor those feasted and fatted themselves with the spoyls of the poor whom they opprest in judgement and therefore the Prophet calls them not men but Beasts and fat Bawsons whose hearts were fat as grease and their eyes star'd out with fatness they were stupid and therefore he useth sharp expressions the better to awaken them he speaks to them in the feminine Gender not because they were Women as some conceive for the sins which he reproves are more proper to men especially the Rulers of a People but because of their effeminate wanton condition being given to their bellies therefore he calls them in his Herds-mans Dialect Cowes not Oxen or Horses which Plow and labour for us but lazy lascivious Cowes and Heifers which were put into rich Pastures to fill and fat them the sooner for the slaughter They were like to fat unruly refractory Heifers which could endure no yoke 'T is usual in Scripture to call such idle effeminate loose persons by the name of Females Isa. 3.12 Revel 17.3 4 6 7 9 18. such wealthy wicked men are elsewhere called fat Bulls and Bulls of Bashan for their fierceness and cruelty Psal. 22.12 Ier. 50.11 Hos. 4.16 10.11 2 He calls them Kine of Bashan because of the plenty of fat Cowes and rich Pastures in that Country hence we read of the fatlings of Bashan Ezek. 39.18 and Rams of the brood of Bashan Deut. 32.14 now the Rulers of Samaria were like the Kine of Bashan loaded with fatness secure and drunken with worldly wealth and pleasures insomuch as they sleighted the Word of God and contemned the Prophets which publisht it unto them and so became like fat Beasts fitted for the slaughter Caution The Lord doth not here simply condemn them for their Riches which
and therefore 6 The Lord concludes with the usual Epostrophe Yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord. Though they were thus sadly afflicted yet were they not bettered but remained incurable under all corrections OBSERVATIONS 1 Want of seasonable rain is a punishment for sin When God is angry with a People then hee with-holds the former and the latter rain from them God hath rain enough in store but it is our sins which keeps in from falling upon us his hand is not shortned that it cannot save but it is our iniquity that turns away good things from us these shut the Heavens and make them hard as Iron so that they cannot heare the earth when in its kind it gapes and cries for rain Deut. 28.23 24. Hag. 1.9 10. it is obedience that brings rain Those Cities that were rained upon in the text some conceive to have been godly Cities which hated Idolatry and worshipped the true God though the text will not bear such a glosse for God makes his Rain which is but a common Blessing to fall in the Wilderness Iob 38.26 27. and upon the unjust as well as upon the just yet it is most certain that Piety hath the promise even of Temporal blessings and such as are faithful with God in Spirituals shall have Temporals given in to the bargain Levit. 26.3 4. Hos. 2.21 22. Hag. 2.18 19. Zech. 8.12 Matth. 6.33 beware then of Disobedience Apostasie and abusing the Creature to intemperance or the service of Idols which provoke the Lord to strip us of our mercies Ierem. 14.4 5 6. wee finde the people mourning for want of rain but vers 7.10 you may see the procuring cause of that Judgement for our backslidings are many and we have sinned against thee and have loved to wander after Idols and this was Israels Sin here which more especially brought this Judgement on them 2 Obs. Rain falls by appointment and not by accident by providence and not by chance It is not the Sun the Moon the Starres or any other Natural cause much less any Idols that can procure raine but it is the Lords Prerogative Royal to give and order rain it is he that makes it rain on one City and not on another The Clouds are Gods Servants hee bids them goe rain here and not there and they exactly obey his commands Iob 37.11 12 13. hence they are called His Clouds Job 26.8 1. In respect of Effiâ—iency he causeth the Sun to draw up moyst Vapours and then turns them into Rain-water preparing the Clouds to hold it Hence God is called the Father of the rain Iob 38.28 36.27 37.6.2 They are his Clouds in respect of Subserviency they are no sooner produced but they are presently acting in their sphere and region for their Lord and Master one while raining on this Country and anon on that These are Gods Water-pots with which hee waters the World the Bottles of Heaven Iob 38.37 out of which God sends rain to refresh the earth and make it fruitful he crowns the year with his goodness when he makes his Clouds to drop down fatness on us Psal. 65.12 The earth is as it were Gods Garden the Sea his Cistern and the Clouds his Bottles to refresh the earth and mollifie it and make it fit for our service This is a great mercy let not the commonness of it take away the sense of it but let us fear to offend him who gives us rain God takes it ill when we slight his Providence in this particular Ierem. 5.24 neither say they let us fear the Lord who giveth the former and the latter rain q. d. what a strange thing is this that the sweet showers of rain have not softned your hard hearts and made you fear to offend him wee should fear him who hath not only Fire but Seas of water to pour on such as displease him Give not thou Gods glory to another many ascribe rain as the Philistims did their destruction to chance 1 Sam. 6.9 so say many this wind hath brought us rain or this Moon or this Planet or this Idol god the Prophet confutes all these in the text It is I that caused it to rain saith the Lord. Hence the rain is called His gift Job 5.10 Psal. 104.13 14. 147.8 Isa. 30.23 which is given sometimes in mercy Psal. 68.9 Acts 14.17 and sometimes in judgement Ezra 10.9 Job 37.13 Prov. 28.3 Ezek. 38.22 no Men nor Creatures no Idol-gods no nor the Heavens themselves can give a shower of rain without a word of command from God Ier. 14.22 and therefore the Lord commands us in the want of rain to ask it of him Zech. 10.1 so did Elijah Jam. 5.18 and hee promiseth to hear our Prayers in this particular 1 King 8. 35 36. 2 Chron. 7.13 14. Away then with those vain Prognosticators that take upon them to fore-tell rain and snow and the times and seasons which God hath concealed from the sons of men Rain is a future contingent thing and therefore no man can positively say it shall rain on such a day but not on such a day besides the text tells us that it may rain on one City and yet not rain at the same time on another The folly of such persons is sufficiently known to every observant eye Nulla dies sine errato let a man write fair weather when they write foul and he may hit as true as they Especially take heed of Iudicial Astrology when men take upon them to Calculate mens Nativities to fore-tell Warres Plagues Famines and changes in States and Kingdomes and all this by the Stars this is a Satanical cheat it is great folly and madness if you will beleeve St. Austin They bring people into miserable slavery who take upon them to fore-tell by the Starres the manners of men together with the acts and events of things This judiciary Astrology is the very Key that openeth the door to Witch-craft and Idolatry Hence we find South-sayers Astrologers and Idolaters many times yoked together as Dan. 2.2.11 Amos 5.16 The Devil delights to have men study this Art 1 Because it robs God of his glory and ascribes the foretelling of things contingent to the Stars which is proper only unto God Isa. 41.23 2 It is injurious to men and keeps them in perpetual fear and slavery telling them that if they be born under such or such a Planet then they must be burnt drowned or hanged c. When people beleeve not Gods Word then hee gives them up to these delusions Isa. 66.4 have nothing therefore to doe with those Pandors of the Devil and Brokers for Hell buy not their Lying Jugling ambiguous Books but burn them Acts 19.19 if such Books as derogate from great men must be burnt how much more such as draw mens hearts from trusting in the living God The Astrologer saith the learned Binchius sins against God against men and against himself because this Art is full of
would promise a choyce Mercy he tells his People that hee will break the Bow and the Sword and make them to lye down in safety Hos. 2.18 Levit. 26.5 6. Iob 11.19 Isa. 2.4 33.20 Hence the Psalmist calls upon Gods People to praise him for this mercy of mercies in making our barres strong and setling peace in our borders Psal. 147.12 13 14. It is in times of Peace that Fields are tilled the Gospel spreads Learning increaseth and the Church is edified Ezek 37.26 Acts 9.31 See more for Peace Sibel 1 Tom. p. 576 c. D. Tuckney Good day well improved Mr. Harvey his Olive Branch D. Stoughtons Ser. on Psal. 144.15 D. Tho. Taylors Ser. fol. on Heb. 12.14 p. 418. D. Gauden on the same text Church his Treasury p. 309. Barlow on 2 Tim. 2.22 p. 160. VERSE 7 8. Thus he shewed me and behold the Lord stood upon a wall made by a Plumb-line with a Plumb-line in his hand And the Lord said unto me Amos what seest thou and I said a Plumb-line Then said the Lord behold I will set up a Plumb-line in the midst of my People Israel I will not again pass by them any more WEE are now come to the Third Vision wherein the Lord sets forth the utter destruction of Israel God had born long with their provocations and waited long for their return but since they were incorrigible and incurable hee resolves now to make a final end with them and to pass by and pardon them no more but to destroy them by the Sword of Salmaneser King of Assyria which is here typified by a Plumb-line Where we have 1. The Vision it self vers 7. 2. The explication of it vers 8 9. Thus he shewed me This is the usual Preface as before vers 1 4. And behold the Lord stood upon a wall made by a Plumb-line or on the wall of a Plumb-line it is an usual Hebraism that is the Lord stood on a perpendicular wall such a one as was curiously made and exactly squared by the Plummer The word Anach which signifies a Plumb-line is variously rendred 1 Some call it a Masons Truel so the vulgar Latin with which they build and parget walls for strength and elegancy so God had been the strength and glory of Israel 2 The Septuagint the Syriack and the Arabick render it thus I saw the Lord standing on an Adamantine wall with an Adamant Stone in his hand implying that God had been the firme defender of his people and a wall of Adamant to them which no Hammer could break Both these are truthes but they have no foundation in the text 3 The word Anach which is used only in this text genuinely signifies a Plumb-line which Masons and Carpenters use for the keeping of their work straight and even Thus Zerubbabel when he was to build the Temple is said to have a Plummer or Tin-stone in his hand that is a Measuring-line to which a weight of Tin Stone or Lead was tied Zach. 4.10 hence it is called Lead Metonymically because a Plummet of Lead is usually tied to a Cord or lines end to keep it straight We read of a double use of the Plummet in Scripture 1 For Building and Rearing 2 For Ruining and Demolishing 1 The Plummet is used in building to make the Work proportionable to the Model thus Metaphorically God himself is said to work by Rule and Line Iob 38.5 Isa. 44.13 Ier. 31.39 Ezek. 47.3 Zach. 10.16 21. by this the Mason and the Carpenter try the rectitude of the Structure and what upon trial he findes to be right and regular that he preserves and what is irregular and exorbitant inclining either too much to the right hand or to the left that he pulls down 2 The Plummet is used in levelling and demolishing When the Mason layes the Line to the Work and findes upon trial any place to swell and belch out that he demolisheth and pulls down thus when the Lord threatned to ruine Edoms Country he tells us That he will stretch upon it the line of confusion and the stone of emptiness Isa. 34.11 that is the Lord will measure it out for utter destruction and perpetual ruine so that it shall never be built or be inhabited more The like expression we find Isa. 28.17 Lam. 2.8 and especially in the 2 King 27.13 where the Lord threatning to destroy Ierusalem tells them That he will stretch over Jerusalem the Line of Samaria and the Plummet of the house of Ahab that is I will deal with Ierusalem as I have dealt with Samaria and with the house of Manasseh as with the house of Ahab as I destroyed those for their sins so will I destroy these Thus the Lord stood upon the Wall with a Plumb-line in his hand as ready to execute his just and righteous judgements upon Israel This is an Embleme of Gods Mercy and Justice who is the Master-builder of his Church 1 It denotes his Mercy in that he made this Church right and firme like a perpendicular wall made exactly by Line and Rule he had curiously built it and as carefully defended it 2 It is an Embleme of his Iustice he stands upon the wall of his Church continually trying and examining whether it continue right or not bearing with its defects untill like a wall quite bending and belching out it can no more be mended or set upright as it was at the first for then he resolves to throw down all Isa. 30.13 This wall by some is made a Type of all the people of Israel whom the Lord of old had built for a peculiar people to himself These resembled a wall For 1 Walls cannot raise themselves but are built by some skilful Architect so this people of Israel did not raise themselves but God of his owne free love and grace chose them for his owne peculiar and exalted them above all the Nations of the world 2 Walls have foundations and so had this people many gracious Promises to build upon which the Lord made to Abraham and his Seed which they contemning came to ruine 3 An Architect builds the walls by Line and Rule so God did all for this People with the greatest judgement and exactnesse imaginable They had all of the best the best Church the best Sate the best Lawes the best Rulers and the most successful Judges and Kings The Lord himself was for walls and bulwarks to them he was Salvation round about them and their glory in the midst of them so great was his care and tendernesse over them Isa. 26.1 60.18 Zach. 2.5 But since neither Mercies nor Judgements could mend them the Lord resolves to forbear them no longer but as he had built them up in mercy so now he would ruine them in justice and punish them exactly according to their demerits OBSERVATIONS 1 Though the Lord bear long with the Sins of a People yet he will not alwayes bear Though the Prayers of his
that by an holy Antiperistasis he growes more bold and resolute confirming what he had spoken against Israel and adding moreover a dreadful Commination against this Arch-Priest for opposing him in the Work of the Lord. He feared not his imperious Injunctions and Lordly Prohibition but boldly asserts his Calling and goes on in the exercise of it maugre the malice of all opposition whatsoever So that here we have an Implicite reason why Amos durst not desist from Prophecying to Israel viz. because he was called extraordinarily by God to Prophesie unto them He was no intruder but a truly called qualified Officer he did nothing rashly or seditiously but he seriously and soberly discharged the duties of that place to which God had so signally called him Now the better to clear his Call which was the foundation of his comfort and confidence he first tells us Negatively what he was not I was no Prophet nor Prophets Son q. d. I was no Prophet either by birth or breeding either by Original or Succession Some were chosen to be Prophets before they were bred or born as Ier. 1.5 others among the Israelites were Prophets by succession others by preparation were trained up betimes in the knowledge and study of the Scripture in Colledges and Seminaries of Learning to supply the wants of the Church The Prophets that taught them were called their Fathers and the Scholars were called the Sons of the Prophets 2 King 2.3 7 15. 4.38 6.1 Mar. 10.24 Amos ingenuously confesseth that he was none of these hee was neither Nabi nor â—en Nabi neither Prophet nor Prophets Son he was not brought up at Bethel 2 King 2.3 or Iericho vers 5. or Gilgal 2 King 4.38 nor at the feet of any learned Gamaliel 2 Positively he tells us plainly what he was viz. an illiterate Herdman of the Tribe of Iudah dwelling at Tekoa a City in Iudah but extraordinarily called by God from his Country-calling of feeding Cattel to feed his people Israel with the Bread of Life Amos 1.1 This he mentions not to make his Message contemptible but to procure the more respect and authority to his Prophesie since he was not called and qualified in an ordinary way but immediately and extraordinarily by God himself I was an Herdman Such were useful in their kind they had many of them in those dayes because their riches lay much in cattel Their lesser cattel were tended by Shepherds and their greater by Herdmen Gen. 13.5 24.35 26.14 Iob 1.3 Saul himself before he was made King was an Herdman 1 Sam. 11.5 q. d. Behold the wonderful Works of God that I who was never bred to this imployment should yet bee able to Prophesie and to confound such learned Rabbies as you take your selves to be And a gatherer of Sycamore Fruit. Yet more to magnifie Gods Free-grace he sets forth his mean condition from which the Lord had called him He lived a solitary country life he was not bred up in Cities or Academies but amongst Herds and Stalls contenting himself with such wild dyet as the Sycamores did afford Most take the word Sycamore strictly for a kind of wild Figgs called Aegyptian Figgs or Bastard-mulberries which the poorer sort of Ruâ—ticks in those times fed upon But it may be taken Synecdochically and Proverbially for any kind of course dyet or fare I was a gatherer of Sycamore fruit that is I was a poor man of a low condition even of the same rank with those that use to feed upon wild Figgs I did not then turn Prophet for my belly for I had learned to fare hardly which thou O Amaziah and thy Court-Priests can hardly doe and therefore you sooth up the Rulers in their Idolatry that you may serve your owne turns but Sycamore fruit will serve my turn Of Sycamore-trees there were great abundance in the Land of Canaan as appears 1 King 10.27 Isa. 9.10 Luk. 19.4 and in Aegypt Psal. 78.47 they were very fruitful they bare fruit three or four times in the year saith Dioscorides lib. 1. c. 143. This fruit Amos might gather for himself or for his family or for to sell. OBSERVATIONS 1 As the Devil hath his Amaziahs to oppose the truth so God his Amoses to defend it The same day that Pelagius was born in Britain the same day was Saint Austine born in Affrica to oppose him as I have shewed elsewhere 2 God often chuseth the weak things of the world to confound the mighty and the things that are not of any esteeme in the world to confound the things that are of great esteeme amongst them 1 Cor. 1.27 28. He usually hangs the greatest weights upon the weakest wyres that so his name may have all the praise if the Lord should alwayes work by excellent Instruments we should Idolize the Instruments and forget God Hence the Lord often passeth by the eloquent Orator and the learned Scribe and chuseth an illiterate Amos sending him from the Crib to the Court to witness against the Idolatry of Princes Priests and People Thus in the Civil State he oft chuseth persons of low degree to rule his people as Moses Saul David all three called from their Flocks and Herds to rule his people Exo. 3.1 1 Sam. 9.21 2 Sam. 7.8 Psal. 113.7.8 Thus in the Ecclesiastical estate he called Elisha from the Plow 1 King 19.19 Matthew from the receit of Custom all the Apostles were illiterate men till Christ gifted them extraordinarily and fitted them for their work Acts 4.13 God loves to shew his power in weakness that the glory may be his 2 Cor. 12.9 Psal. 8.3 we have this Treasure in earthen Vessels that the excellency of the power may bee of God and not of us 2 Cor. 4.7 Obj. From hence the Anabaptists would cry down Vniversities and Schools of Learnings the Lord took Amos from the Stall and Elisha from the Plow and qualified them without study what need then this studying and Schooling c. Ans. These were called extraordinarily as appears by their extraordinary gifts now extraordinary Cases cannot make an ordinary rule because the Lord fed the Israelites with Mannah it doth not therefore follow that we must sit still and think to be so fed It is true the Anabaptists and fanatick frantick Quakers doe all pretend to an extraordinary and immediate Call when upon trial they are found not to have ordinary gifts they can hardly write or read 2 Examples in Scripture are not alwayes Argumentative neither are we bound to follow them unless there bee a like call causes and other concurrent circumstances as I have shewed elsewhere 3 Grace makes men constant and couragious How roundly and undauntedly doth Amos here deal with Amaziah notwithstanding all his threats and flatteries yet he stands like a Rock justifies his Calling and denounceth Judgements against the false Prophet himself and confirmes what he had spoken before against Israel Thus the righteous are an everlasting foundation Prov.
10.25 The wicked fear where there is no ground of fear and fly when none pursues them but the righteous are bold as Lions Prov. 28.1 Mark 6.18 Acts 23.1 VERSE 15. And the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said unto me Goe Prophesie unto my people Israel AMaziah counselled Amos to goe back to Iudah from whence he came to this Amos replies I cannot I dare not for as I care from thence by Divine command so till I have the like command from him that sent me I dare not return Amos comforts himself much with the sweet resent of that Call which he had from God and therefore he tells us how the Lord took him as hee was feeding and following the Flocks and the Lord said to him when he little thought of any such imployment Goe prophesie to my people Israel I did not thrust my self into the work but it pleased the Lord to take me from that homely imployment and to injoyn me this task of Prophesying OBSERVATIONS 1 We must obey God rather than men Acts 4.19 5.29 Amaziah bids Amos be gone but Amos sayes the Lord sent him to Israel and he will not stirre Thus he opposeth Gods Commandement to Amaziahs prohibition We may obey no man but in and for the Lord Ephes. 6.1 Hence the Midwives are commended for disobeying the wicked commands of Pharaoh who would have had all the male Children killed Exod. 1.17 2 God loves to appear to us when we are in our Callings Thus God appeared to Moses when he was keeping Sheep Exod. 3.1 to David when he was following the Ewes to Saul when he was seeking Asses to Amos here when he was following the Herd and to the Woman of Samaria when she was drawing water Ioh. 4.7 3 When God calls us to forsake all we must readily doe it God commands Amos to leave his Herds the Apostles to forsake their Nets Abraham to forsake his owne Country and Kindred Zacheus to come down and follow Christ and they immediately did so Mat. 4.19 26. Luke 19.6 Gen. 12.1 4. True grace makes men willing to doe or suffer whatever God commands 4 None may take upon them the Ministery without a Call Amos stirres not till God sayes Goe no man may assume this Office till he be called Heb. 5.4 should an Angel from Heaven come and preach he must shew his Call he may not violate the order which God hath set in his Church Gal. 1.8 Hence the Lord so oft complaines of false Prophets that they ran and he sent them not Ier. 14.14 many run from their Callings without a Call Zach. 13.5 let such never look either for protection or success let them preach never so loud or so long they shall never profit people because God is against them Ier. 23.32 I am against them that Prophesie false Dreams and cause my people to erre by their Lyes and lightness yet I sent them not mark what follows therefore they shall not profit this people that is they shall doe them much hurt and mischief it is a Meiosis Be sure then to have a Call for what you doe this will support you under your burdens and comfort you in the midst of all tentations and trials Dan. 3.16 17 18. Acts 4.19 20. if the Lord have called us he will keep us Isa. 42.6 this is as a brazen wall to secure us this made Amos so resolute and confident against Amaziah and Nathan so free with David Elijah with Ahab Iohn Baptist with Herod and the Apostles with the world it was the warrant of their Calling that they had it from God and not from man This will make our Ministery successful one Elijah sent by God shall be too hard for two hundred and fifty false Prophets though King Ahab and Queen Iezabel joyn with them and ovvne them VER 16. Now therefore hear the Word of the Lord thou sayest Prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac AMos comes now to direct his speech to Amaziah who had forbidden him to Prophesie Thou sayest Prophesie not against Israel To this Prohibition Amos opposeth Gods Injunction and is so farre from desisting that he denounceth Gods Judgements against him and bids him attend to what he had to say from the Lord against him q. d. Who art thou O vaine and vile man that darest thus affront and contradict the Almighty So that when he saith Goe Prophesie to Israel yet thou sayest Goe not to Israel neither Prophesie there but goe to Judah and prophesie there Hear therefore what the Lord hath determined against thee Thy Wife shall be an Harlot in the City thy Children shall fall by the sword c. In these two last Verses we have a four-fold Judgement denounced against this Persecuting Priest vers 17. 2 Here is the Procatarctical cause of these Judgements and that was his opposing Amos in the Work of the Lord using all means to silence him 3 Here is a confirmation of the former Commination against Israel ver 11. Hear the Word of the Lord. We have heard thee speak now doe thou hear God speak for his Word is not like thine a vaine empty ineffectual word but a mighty powerful efficacious word bringing down dreadful things upon the heads of malicious Persecutors 2 Cor. 10.6 God is ready to revenge the disobedience done to his commands Gods Word layes hold on wicked men Zach. 1.6 and that which they accounted wind becomes like fire to devour them Ier. 5.13 14. Thou sayest Prophesie not against Israel and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac that is Prophesie not of Gods Judgements against the ten Tribes who were descended from Abraham by Isaac the Son of the Promise Gen. 21.12 see before vers 9. This dropping here is Metaphorical and denotes those dreadful Judgements which should fall upon the heads of wicked men like a storme of raine Ezek. 20.46 21.2 3. 2 Dropping in Scripture is frequently taken in the sweetest sense for gentle and sweet speaking Deut. 32.2 Iob 29.22 My doctrine shall drop as the raine and distill as the dew that is it shall bee as useful and refreshing to men as the dew and raine is to the grass as these soften the ground and so make the fruites to grow up sweetly and abundantly so the Word of God falling into an honest and good heart becomes effectual making it more soft and fruitful in every good work Isa. 55.10 Luke 8.15 OBSERVATIONS 1 Wicked â—eâ— are Antipodes to God They goe directly contrary to his commands God bids Amos Prophesie against Israel Amaziah forbids him God bids Amos drop and denounce Judgements against Israel no saith Amaziah if thou wilt drop goe drop at Iudah for we will none of thy dropping here So true is that of Luther Homo est inversus decalogus Man is a cross grained-peece directly opposite to all Gods commands There is in our Nature a deadly enmity to God his Wayes his