will be darkness and not light i. e. ful of perplexity and misery leaving them void of comfort or counsel VERSE 19. As if a man did flye from a Lion and a Bear met him or went into the house and leaned his hand upon the wall and a Serpent hit him THis people still dreamed of impunity and because the Lord bare long with them therefore they concluded he would never come or if he did they would shift for themselves and if troubles were in one place they would flye to another but the Prophet tells them that these shifts would not avail them in the day of Gods wrath for all places should be full of snares and dangers so that there should be no safety at home or abroad for God would multiply evils upon them So that if they escaped one yet another should apprehend them as if a man being in the Field or Wood should flye from a Lion and a furious Bear should meet him or flying from a Bear a Serpent should bite him It is a kinde of Gradation where the speech riseth and the Prophet shews that if they escaped one evil yet they should fall into a worse To have a Lion pursue a man is very dangerous but to fall into the mouth of an hungry Bear that is worse but to escape both and flying into an house for shelter and succour and laying his hand upon the wall to ease and uphold himself to have a Serpent sting him there where he looked for most security this is worst of all The Lion is a more noble generous creature it spares a yeelding prey and seizeth not on dead carkasses but the Bear spares none no not the dead The two and forty children which mocked Elisha were torn in peeces not by Lions but by two Shee-bears 2 King 2.24 which are more savage and cruel Hence comes the Proverb Leonem fugiens incidit in Ursum he fled from a Lion and fell into the mouth of a Bear that is he fled from one danger and fell into a worse There is no creature more fierce and fell than a Bear especially when she is robbed of her Whelps and therefore when the Lord threatens to come against Ephraim in a dreadful manner he tells them he will come against them as a strong Lion as a subtil Leopard yea as a raging Bear that is robbed of her whelps Hos. 13.7 8. The like expressions are frequent in Scripture 2 Sam. 17.8 Prov. 17.12 Lam. 3.10 These hypocrites conceited that changes would ease them if the Lion were but dead oh then they should be quiet No saith the Prophet a Bear shall meet you Oh but if the Bear were but dead then we should have rest no saith the Prophet a Serpent shall bite you These are a proverbial kinde of speech by which is set forth the great danger which should encompass Israel no place should be free but they should be set round so that when they thought to flye from one trouble they should fall into a worse and whilst they shunned the Scylla of one calamity they should fall into the Charybais of another If they went abroad there were Lions and Bears to devour them if they staid at home there were Serpents and Snakes that lay lurking in holes and walls that should bite them and sting them to death Thus when the day of the Lord should come they should not be able to escape but flying from one cruel enemy they should fall into the hands of a worse one misery should follow in the neck of another until they were quite consumed By a Lion here some understand Tiglathpileser King of Assyria who formerly oppressed Israel and by a Bear Salmaneser a latter King of Assyria which dealt more sharply and severely with Israel and who at last proved a stinging Serpent to them when he besieged and ransacked Samaria and took all Israel captive To this some conceive the Prophet Hosea alludes Hos. 13.7 8. The Lord had been as a tender Nurse unto this people he brought them out of Egypt into Canaan chose them for his own peculiar above all the people of the world and gave them the dews of heaven and the fatness of the earth as you may see Deut. 32.10 to 15. but they abusing those mercies to the dishonour of that God that gave them he now resolves to meet them no more like a Father to imbrace them but like a Lion to tear them like a Bear to devour them and like a Serpent to sting them to death OBSERVATIONS 1 There is no escaping when God pursues Neither fields nor houses can shelter us if he be against us Let men flye up to heaven or dig into hell or hide themselves in the bottome of the sea yet there Gods eye doth see them and his hand will finde them out as I have shewed at large on Amos 9.2 3 4. Let Ionah flye to sea and God will meet him there with a tempest Ionah 1.3 4. If men escape the paw of the Lion yet the Bear and the Serpent shall meet them God wants not rods to chastise a disobedient people He hath variety in store and if one will not do another shall He will send evil upon evil loss upon loss and enemy upon enemy until he hath quite destroyed us Neither swiftness strength nor courage can save us in a day of wrath Amos 2. 14 15 16. Let men flye from an iron bow yet a bow of steel shall smite them thorow Iob 20.24 and if they get out of a pit they shall fall into a snare that shall hold them fast Isa. 24.17 18. Ier. 48.44 and if they flye seven wayes yea seven hundred wayes before their enemies yet they shall not escape for God will send a sword as many wayes after them and if they escape one danger yet another shall arrest them Deut. 28.25 Wicked men think to escape by shifting e. g. when they be in trouble of conscience then they desire to dye thinking thereby to free themselves from misery by running into eternal misery So when Gods Ministers by the preaching of the word do startle people they think that God would deal more gently with them and therefore they appeal to him now what is this but to flye out of the smoak into the fire and to avoid a lesser to run into a greater mischief VERSE 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light even very dark and no brightness in it THe Prophet having shewed this people the terrour and unavoidableness of that great day of the Lord which was coming upon them for their sin concludes all with this sharp and sacred Epiphonema Is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light The Interrogation is a strong Affirmation q. d. To what and do you desire this dreadful day of the Lord Do you not know that it will be a dark and dismal day when you shall lose your â—â—ves and liberties your goods and your relations
of villany so that it would be safer living amongst so many wilde Beasts than amongst men Justice is Rulers duty security and glory as I have shewed at large on Psalm 82.4 p. 35 36 111 139. VERSE 8. Seek him that maketh the seven Starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning and maketh the day dark with night that calleth for the waters of the Seas and poureth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his name THis rustick plain Prophet begins here to raise his stile The better to awaken these sensual and secure sinners he sets before them the dreadful glorious Majesty of that God with whom they had to doe q. d. you have not to doe with a dead and impotent Idol that will be pleased with dead and dull services and pacified with childish toyes and trifles but you have to doe with the living and Omnipotent God who is the Creator and Governour of all things who appoints the vicissitudes of Day and Night of Summer and Winter who numbers the Starres of Heaven and calls them all by their names who waters the earth with rain and strengthens the weak against the strong and makes the spoyled victorious over the spoyler It was the great study of the Prophets and specially of this our Prophet to set forth the Lord in his Majesty and Glory that they might the better work upon their Hearers See Amos 4.13 6.14 9.6 In this Verse we have a magnificent description of Gods Omnipotency he is The Creator of the Starres The Disposer of the Times The Former of the Clouds and The Orderer of VVarres And therefore the Prophet calls upon them yet once more to seek this Great Almighty one This oft pressing of this duty notes the necessity Excellency and difficulty of it It is not so easie a matter to repent as many imagine the heart of man is exceeding hard and his eares are stopt against Gods counfels so that the Lord is forced to call again and again for audience and admittance See yee him These words are not in the Original but are necessarily understood and to be supplied from Vers. 4 6. Who maketh the seven Starres and Orion The Prophet begins first with the Stars because the Majesty Power and VVisdome of God is wonderfully seen in their motion order multitude and magnitude Under these two Constellations all the rest of the Starres are comprehended by a Synecdoche of the part for the whole for he that made one made all and the least are ordered by him as wel as the greatest But because these two were most eminent and obvious and commonly known therefore he chiefly instanceth in these two they are mentioned only three times in Scripture viz. Iob 9.9 38.31 and in the Text. The Pleiades oâ— seven Starres and Orion are opposite one to another 1 They have contrary situations Orion dwells in the East and Pleiades in the West 2 They appear in contrary seasons Pleiades ariseth about March and brings in the Spring but Orion appears about November and brings in Winter so that when hee saith Seek the Lord who made Pleiades and Orion it is as if hee had said in plain English Seek him who makes Summer and Winter 3 They have different Influences 1 Pleiades is a Constellation usually called the seven Stars They arise in our Hemisphere about the Spring and are therefore called Vergiliae quasi ver is vigiles Hence wee read in Iob 38.31 of Pleiadum deliciae the sweet influences of the Pleiades because they bring in the sweet and pleasant Spring with them when they appear the trees and plants begin to flourish These Pleiades have their name from sayling because after the cold and stormy Winter is past Saylers begin to put to Sea These Chimah or seven Stars appear in a cluster about the midst of heaven they are commonly known by Shepherds and Rusticks Amos being an Herdsman had taken notice of them Orion is a Conâ—tellation of Stars that produceth cold when it appears then Winter comes It ariseth in our Hemisphere about November As the Pleiades do loose the earth and set it at liberty that it may bring forth delightful fruit so Orion by his frosty bands is said to binde up the earth Iob 38.31 and bring in variety and change of weather with many storms and tempests Hence the word Chesil as it signifies a fool and one who is unconstant now of one minde and anon of another so this Star is called by this name by reason of the unconstancy and mutability of weather which it brings with it Seek yee him who turns the shadow of death into the morning These words are taken by some literally and by others metaphorically I shall take in both though the literal bee most genuine q. d. It is this great and mighty Lord who makes great changes in the Air and wonderful alterations in States and Kingdomes It is hee that turns the grossest darkness into the brighrest day and the lowest adversity into the highest prosperity and on the contrary hee can when pleaseth him turn our day into night ourlight into darkness and our mirth into mourning By the shadow of death here is meant great gross horrible and terrible darkness such as is the very image of death Any darkness is sad but darkness and the shadow of death is the height of sadness Such deadly darkness Iob wisheth to the day of his birth Iob 3.4 5. and David put the worst of his case and the best of his faith when hee said Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will fear none evil Psal. 23.4 that is in the greatest of evils I will fear none evil In the very danger of dangers in exceeding great dangers hee would comfort himself in his God It may also signifie symbolically and metaphorically great dangers and deep distress And maketh the day-dark with night The vicissitudes of day and night are not casual but providential It is the Lord who is the great disposer and dispenser of time that by his Almighty power hath appointed the day to succeed the night and the night the day which no gods nor Idols can do Who calleth for the waters of the Sea by vapours and clouds and powreth them out upon the face of the earth by showers of rain Hee calls for the waters of the Sea viz. beyond its ordinary bounds that it may overflow the earth with inundations so some But more genuinely thus It is the Lord that appoints and orders the waters as by express command to rise up from the Seas and turn into rain which afterwards hee powres forth upon the earth The Sun draws up vapours out of the Sea which are condensed in the middle region of the air into rain and then fall down upon the earth These waters which come salt and bitter from the Sea and so in all probability should make things barren yet are so
precious Psal. 56.8 their Desires are precious Psal. 10.17 their Names are precious and their Death is precious Psal. 112.6 116.15 Now if we must pray for all men even for Pagans then much more for these precious ones if we must pray for our enemies Matth. 5.44 and must be affected with their miseries Psal. 35.13 14. then much more for our friends If the Prophet wept for Moab and Babylon what should wee doe for Zionâ— Esay 16.11 and if Abraham were so importunate for wicked Sodom and all the people must lament for Nadab and Abihu two notorious wicked men who perisht for their Sin Levit. 10.6 how tender should we be of Sion and if we must sympathize and be sensible of the sorrowes of a particular good man Iob 2.13 how much more when a community of good men suffers And if Gods Servants have been affected with Impendent Judgements that were but in the Clouds and afarre off how should we bee affected with the present miseries of Gods people When Elisha fore-saw the evil that Hazael would doe to Israel some years after he wept and Daniel ch 8.11 12 13. fore-seeing the misery which would come upon Ierusalem two hundred years after his death he was even sick with sorrow vers 27. How would those Saints have wept in our dayes to have seen these present real evils which press and oppresse the people of God To incourage us let us know that this work never goes unrewarded God takes the kindness we shew to his people as done to himself he is fed when they are fed Matth. 25.35 36. The Kenites kindness unto Israel was rewarded four hundred years after 1 Sam. 15.6 Wee never please God better than when we seek the good of his people though we forget such labour of love yet he will not Heb. 6 10. Laban was blest for Iacobs sake and Pharaoh for Iosephs Rahab that hid the Spies was hid her self Obadiah that sheltred the Prophets of the Lord was himself sheltred by God Ebedmelech for the kindness which he shewed to Ieremy had his life for a prey God hath a Book of remembrance wherein he records all that we doe for him or his Mal. 3.16 How sad then is the condition of those that are sensless and regardless of Sions miseries So themselves can but live in wealth and ease they never regard the afflictions of Ioseph like Gallio they care for no such matters Christ looks upon such Luke-warm Newters as his profest enemies he that is not with him is against him Matth 12.30 and Meroz was cursed not for hurting but for not helping Gods people in their troubles Iudg. 5.23 and so was Edom Obad. 11 12 13 c. But most sad is the condition of those that instead of praying for Gods people they persecute them and adde affliction to the afflictions of those whom he hath wounded These may forget their owne cruelty but God will not he hath not only said but sworn it that he will not forget their cruelty Amos 8.7 He punisht Amaleck four hundred years after for his inhumanity towards Israel 1 Sam. 15.2 3. In all Ages God hath shewed himself terrible to such he will spoyl the spoylers of his People If Pharaoh pursue Israel God will pursue him If Edom shed Israels bloud God will have Edoms bloud Ezek. 35. Let us then every one sympathize with Sion and give the Lord no rest till he make our Ierusalem the praise of the earth Isa. 62.1 Every one in his place must help and doe something for Gods afflicted Ioseph Those that can pray must pray those that are in Power and Authority and have parts must assist in their places Souldiers that can fight must fight for Gods Church At the building of the Tabernacle every one did something In the body Natural each part is serviceable to the head The Church of Christ throughout the Christian World is in deep distress and cryes as the men of Macedonia did Come and help us Let us therefore by our Prayers and Tears come forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty Inquire how it fares with Sion as Eli and Nenemiah did 1 Sam. 4.13 Neh. 1.2 and then pray for them accordingly Psal. 122.6 Isa. 45.11 Ier. 51.50 Get affectionate desires Psal. 14. ult Isa. 64.1 Affectionate prayers Psal. 25. ult 51.18 and Affectionate endeavours in your places as Magistrates Ministers c. for the good of Sion here and then you shall rejoyce with Sion hereafter VERSE 7. Therefore shall they goe Captive with the first that goe Captive and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed WE have before seen the Sin of the Rulers of Israel we are now come to the several branches of their Punishment whereof the first is Captivity and deportation out of their owne Land The Lord had borne long with them and waited many years for their returne but they abused his Patience and turned his grace into wantonness and therefore now he is resolved to put an end to all their Pastimes and pleasures In this Verse we have 1. A Iudgement threatned and that is Captivity Yee shall goe into captivity 2 Here are the Persons which must goe into Captivity and those are the secure Grandees and Voluptuous Rulers of Israel They shall goe Captive with the first that goe Captive of the Inhabitants of those Cities for the Country was spoyled and many of them captivated before But the Rulers who were the prime offendors and had been first in sin should now bee first in punishment They shall have the primacy amongst the Captives they shall goe in the front of them and lead them the way into Captivity As in Dignity and Luxury they went before others so now they shall have precedency in Punishment as you may see 2 King 17. Before they were all for the head of the Oyntments and now they should have the head in Punishment They must have the head and chief delights and now they shall have the head and chief of sorrows 3 Here is the Time when they should goe into Captivity and that is suddenly Now shall they goe i. e. it shall not be long but the Assyrian shall carry them out of their owne Land into Captivity in Gods due time it shall come to pass It was about sixty years after that the Captivity came which was but a short time comparatively it is said even now to come upon them because Gods decrees are sure and what he determines to doe is as sure as if it were already done Thus to shew the certainty of Babylons downfall it is said Babylon is fallen Revel 14.8 that is It shall as certainly be destroyed as if it were already done Her fall is decreed by God and is already begun in the hearts of Gods people and shall from henceforth be more and more advanced till it be utterly destroyed So the Lord had decreed the Captivity of this People and exercised them with
when your joy shall be turned into sorrow your prosperity into adversity and your light into the shadow of death It is not therefore for such obstinate sinners as you to think that the day of the Lord should â—ver yeeld you any light or comfort for the Lord will come as an armed enemy against you who have been so long open enemies to him 2 To assure them of the truth of what he spake he doubles it saying It shall be a day of darkness even very dark q. d. Take it for a most certain truth that you shal have all sorts and degrees of darkness amongst you you shall have outward and inward corporal and spiritual darkness and misery See more vers 18. 3 To make the words more weighty and emphatical there is added a denial of the contrary to the Affirmation which is an usual Hebraism and intends the speech So Isa. 38.1 Thou shalt dye and not live i. e. thou shalt surely dye So Ezek. 18.21 He shall live and not dye i. e. he shall surely live So Ioh. 1.20 he confessed and denied not i. e. he plainly and openly confessed that he was not the Christ so it shall be a day of darkness and no light or brightness in it that is it shall be a very calamitous day which will bring with it many evils but no good much sorrow but no joy much darkness but no light of comfort ease direction or good counsel OBSERVATIONS 1 A dark and doleful day will certainly and suddenly seize upon secure and obdâ—rate sinners Therefore the Prophet doubles and trebles it saying The day of the Lord will be darkness and not light then he asks the question and doubles the Interrogation and all to assure them of the truth of what he spake and to hasten their Repentance The darkness of sin brought upon them darkness of sorrow and provoked the Lord to take away his corn and wine and oyl and to strip them naked as in the day when they were born Since they would not serve him with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things now they should serve the Assyrian in woe and misery and in the want of all things Deut. 28.47 48. A good man if he fall into trouble yet he riseth again but the wicked shall fall and never rise more Prov. 24.16 If a good man sit in darkness yet the Lord will be a light unto him Psal. 97.11 Micah 7.8 and turn all to his good in the conclusion As the wicked man in the fulness of his sufficiency is in straits Job 20.22 So the good man in the fulness of straits hath an All-sufficiency of comfort so that he cannot but say the Lord hath done all things well and it is good for him that ever the Lord afflicted him yea that great and terrible day of the Lord when Christ shall come in his glory to judge the world shall be a day of joy and refreshing to all the Saints Ps. 98.4 to 9. Luke 21.28 But to the wicked who have Christ the Judge for their enemy how dark and dreadful will all his dayes of Judgement be When he shall lay his Vindictive hand upon them here how full of despondency and despair will they be when they shall be totally forsaken of all their hopes and comforts So that if they look upward God is against them if downward Hell and the Grave wait for them if inward a guilty Conscience accuseth them if outward all the Creatures are ready as so many Serjeants to arrest them on the behalf of their Lord and Master Thus wee see how the Day of the Lord will be darkness and no light nor brightness in it to the wicked VERSE 21 22 23. I hate and despise your feast-dayes and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies Though yee offer me Burnt-offerings and your Meat-offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the Peace-offerings of your fat beasts Take thou away from me the noyse of thy Songs for I will not hear the melody of thy Viols WEE are now come to the Fourth and last part of this Chapter which contains 1 A Reproof 2. A Commination of these hypocritical Israelites who confided in their Services and Sacrifices in their Festivals and Songs conceiting that the bare performance of those external Rites though separated from internal obedience were highly pleasing unto God and that he would never destroy a People that served him as they did This their folly the Prophet confutes in the following Verses where he tells them that all their services were odious unto God and so farre from appeasing him that they incensed him the more against them and that because they were unsound For Man For Matter For Manner 1 The Sacrificers were grand Apostates and Idolaters They rested in the work done and in their Ceremonious observances and bodily worship devoyd of all faith or true obedience and so became abominable to God 2 They failed in the Matter of their Worship it was not of Divine institution but of their owne invention and therefore it is so oft Emphatically called yours I hate your feasts They went directly contrary to Gods command for he commanded them to worship at Ierusalem in his Temple there but they left the Temple and went a whoring after Calves and Idols at Bethel Gilgal Dan and Beersheba Thus they changed the place of Gods Worship 1 King 12.29 then they changed the time vers 31. and the Priests vers 31 32. no wonder then if God reject their services 3 They failed in the Manner they should have performed all these duties singly and sincerely in obedience to Gods command but they meerly sought themselves in all they did hypocritically resting in their external observations of Feasts and Sacrifices of Songs and Musick in their Temples thinking by this means to expiate their sins In this Verse therefore we have a Prolepsis or preventing and anticipating of an Objection whereas they boasted that they were the people of God and did service to him To this the Prophet brings in the Lord saying I hate and abhor your Services since they come from such wicked persons who are my profest enemies and what you doe hath no foundation in my Word but is a meer will-worship of your owne inventing In this and the two next Verses we have 1 The particulars of their worship they had 1 Feastivals as Sabbaths New-Moons Solemn Assemblies 2 Sacrifices as Burnt-offerings Meat-offerings Peace-offerings 3 Singing 1 Vocal 2 Instrumental 2 Here is Gods abhorrency of all these Services exprest in variety of words as 1 I hate them 2 I abhor them 3 I will not smel them 4 I will not accept them 5 I will not regard them 6 Away with them 3 Here is the reason of this abhorrency and that is because they are 1 Your Feasts 2 Your Sacrifices 3 Your Songs They are none of mine either for matter or manner but they are of your owne inventing and appointing and therefore I
prophane Priest being netled with the plaine and powerful preaching of Amos at Bethel fearing lest the people should see the truth and be wrought upon by Amos his Sermons to cast away their Idols and return to the Worship of God at Ierusalem and so his gaines which he had by the Sacrifices and Oblations at Bethel might be lost yea if Amos and his Party should prevail he might fear not only the loss of his Priesthood and authority but the loss of his life also as a false Prophet he therefore resolves to doe all he can both by force and fraud to rid the Land of this turbulent and â—editious Amos. The Urchin we say hath but one shift but the Fox hath many and so hath Amaziah here 1 He gets on the Lions skin and accuseth Amos to the King for a trayterous Conspirator against him and a seditious Disturber of the peace of the Kingdome Thus he pretends great kindnesse to the King and tells him the cause was his when in truth self was in the bottom of the design for he knew if Amos prevailed he should lose his fat morsels at Bethel both he and his Idols might starve together Ierusalem would have all the custom from him 2 Since this way did not take he now gets on the Foxes skin and as a seeming friend counsels him to leave the Kingdome of Israel and goe to Iudea his owne Country and Prophecy there where he might avoyd the Kings fury q. d. It is not safe for thee O Amos to Prophecy here against the King and Kingdome but goe to Judea and tell them of the downfall of Israel there thou wilt be safe and welcome but this is Bethel and it is no discretion for thee to preach against the King and Kingdome here To this Charge and crafty counsel of Amaziah Amos piously prudently and peaceably answers with much courage and constancy Vers. 14 15. proving his extraordinary call to the work denouncing Gods Judgements against Amaziah and Israel vers 16 17. In this Verse we have an Accusation or Charge drawn up against Amos where we have 1. The Party accusing and that is Amaziah the Idolatrous Priest of Bethel so called to distinguish him from Amaziah King of Iudah 2 King 12. ult he was Successor to those Idolatrous Priests which Ieroboam had set up at Bethel some great man he was at Court in all probability and neer to the King which made him send so boldly to him to incense him against Amos the Jesuit calls him the High Priest of the Idols at Bethel there Ieroboam had placed a Colledge of Priests 1 King 12.33 Amaziah might be the Praefect or Governour of it The word Chohen is used promiscuously for a Priest or a Prince for an Ecclesiastical or a Civil Governor In those days except it were in Iudea many persons were both Priests and Princes and ruled in Church and State Hence the word is used for a Counsellor of State or a great man Iob 12.19 for a Priest Levit. 1.12 and for Idolatrous Priests as here and Gen. 41.45 47.22 2 Here is the Party accused and that is Amos a poor plaine pious harmless Prophet 3 Here is the Person to whom he is accused and that is the King Amaziah sent to the King he could not well suppresse him himself and therefore he sends to the Secular Power for ayd desiring he may be either silenced or banisht or put to death 4 Here is the Matter for which he is accused viz. for Sedition Rebellion Conspiracy and Treason this he speaks to exasperate the King against him the good Prophet did only discharge his duty faithfully and perform that office which God had called him to yet this is called Sedition and conspiracy 5 He aggravates the Crime from the Place where all this treason was acted and that was not privily in a corner or in another Kingdom but openly in thy Kingdom and in the midst of thy people Israel even at Bethel where was the Court and greatest confluence of all the subjects so that thou hadst best look to it O King for intestine commotions are very dangerous 6 Here is the Peoples ill resentment of all this The Land is not able to bear all his words Amos signifies a grievous burden and he had not his name for nought for he came loaded with many sad burdens and comminations against Israel which made this stubborn people so unable to bear his words q. d. Such a seditious dangerous fellow is this New-found Amos that if thou O King doe not suppress him the people will for the Land that is the people of the Land cannot brook nor bear his blunt and down-right preaching for they hate him that reproves them in the Gate and abhor him that speaks uprightly Amos 5.10 Thus they complaine of Amos without a cause for conspiring against the King when themselves conspired and combined together against the King of Kings without controul The Land cannot bear his words much less can I or any one that is devoted to the service of the King His Prophesies are intolerable for he disheartens the people by making them despair of their owne safety so that he is no longer to be endured O King by thee or thine for the Land will never bee quiet till it be rid of him either by banishment or death there will be nothing but tumults and factions so long as he is tolerated to seduce the people Thus we see how this malicious false Prophet layes on load thinking that somewhat would stick every word hath its weight Quot verba tot verbera so many words so many daggers to stab this good Prophet Had the charge been true as it was notoriously false Amos had been a man of death indeed To clear up all let us look into the Charge more exactly Then Amaziah Priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam King of Israel Then when the Prophet had made known to the people the Visions of God concerning the ruine of the Kings house and of the Kingdome then Amaziah the Priest can hold no longer but he must persecute and prosecute the Prophet Thus persecution ever attends the faithful dispensing of the truth flattery we say findes friends but truth hatred He sent to King Ieroboam that is he sent Letters or Messengers to the King to incense him against Amos and that clancularly and unknown to Amos that so he might be condemned unheard No doubt but this High Priest had his Spies and Intelligencers about him to observe what Amos preached and now having got matter enough as he conceived against him to root him out he spit his poyson saying Amos hath conspired against thee The word which we render to conspire properly signifies to bind or to be compactly bound together in a body but Metaphorically it signifies to conspire to rebel to conjure and band together against one so the word is used 1 Sam. 22.8 13. 1 King 15.27 16.9 2 King 10.9
the most painful and intolerable Passions that is in this life now the Prophet applyes this to the Spiritual famine and want of Gods Word q. d. if it be a great Judgement to be tormented with bodily famine and thirst how great is the Judgement then that I denounce against you who shall have both famine and thirst and that not of bodily bread or water but of the Word of God which is the Bread and Water of Life and as farre excells all Corporal bread as the Soul excells the body And as it is sad to have children cry for bodily bread and there is none to give them so it is much more sad when men shall cry for Spiritual bread and there is none that can or will give it them 2 As the giving of Preachers to dispenâ—e the Word unto us is reckoned as the choycest mercy Job 33.23 24. Isa. 30.20 21. Jer. 3.15 Ephes. 4.11 because it brings light in darknesse joy in sorrow life in death health in sicknesse strength in weaknesse and brings us to an interest in God and having him we have the Mine the Fountain All. So on the contrary the removal of the Word from a people is reckoned amongst the sorest Judgements 1 Sam. 28.6 Psal. 74.9 Prov. 29.18 Lam. 2.9 Ezek. 3.26 Hos. 4.17 Micah 2.6 Mat. 15.14 dry Breasts are reckoned as a Curse Hos. 9.14 for when the Word goes the greatest Mercies and Priviledges of a People goe with it Rev. 2.5 As I VVhen the VVord goes God goes too 2 Chron. 15.3 and woe to a people when God goes Hos. 9.12 then men may persecute us and there is none to deliver us Psal. 71.11 when he is gone the glory of a People is gone Isa. 4. â— As the Ark that was a Symbol and sign of Gods presence amongst his People was called the Glory of Israel 1 Sam. 4. ult So the Preaching of the Gospel amongst us is our glory Hag. 2.9 and if it depart we may write Ichabod upon all our other enjoyments that is There is no glory for the glory is departed from Israel since the Ark of God is taken It is said of Constantinople that it is fortified with three Bulwarks 1. VVith Wood i. e. with Shipping 2. VVith Stones i. e. with high VValls 3. VVith Bones i. e. with valiant men But it wants a fourth viâ— The presence of God in his Ordinances without which all other Fortifications are but vain Isa. 22.8 9 10 11 12. Nahum 3.12 13. Christ is called a King Psal. 2.6 110.3 Zach. 9.9 now the presence of a King is the glory of a place and where he is truly preached there he is truly present though the place and people be never so mean Vilissimus pagus est eburneum Palatium ubi est sincerus Pastor fideles aliqui Luther 2 The Protection of a people goes Where there is no Vision there a people lye naked and exposed to Divine displeasure and all Gods sore Judgements break in upon them Prov. 29.18 the contempt of the VVord laid this potent and flourishing Kingdome of Israel in the dust 3 Peace Plenty Comfort Riches all goe when the Gospel goes As the Gospel comes not empty handed to a People but brings Peace Plenty Renown and Glory with it Exod. 20.24 Isa. 60. that whole Chapter so when ever the Gospel goes these concomitants goe along with it As we see in Ierusalem which lies now in the dust and the seven Churches of Asia 4 Salvation goes for the Preaching of the VVord is the ordinary means of Salvation Those that sin away the ordinary means must never look for extraordinary whom God saves now he saves by Preaching Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.21 5 VVithout the VVord we cannot grow in Grace it is not sufficient that we have the truth of Grace but God looks that we should shew it by our growth in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 1 Pet. 2.2 6 Without the VVord no comfort we shall perish in our afflictions unlesse Gods Law be our delight Psal. 119.92 It is through comfort of the Scriptures that we have hope Rom. 15.4 7 VVithout the VVord we are naked and cannot defend our selves it is with this sword of the Spirit that we defend our selves against the assaults of our Spiritual adversaries Ephes. 6.17 8. If the Word be gone we have no Rule to walk by no Star to direct us and so shall run into the boggs of unwritten Traditions Revelations New-lights and a thousand old errours If once we forsake the Law and the Testimony to walk in the light of our own fire following our own corrupt reason we are sure at last to lye down in sorrow Isa. 50.11 9. When the VVord departs and goes out then all miseries croud in Non datur vacuum holds true in Divinity as well as in Philosophy 1. Then the Devil sets up his Throne Rev. 2.13 and wickednesse abounds VVhen Christs Kingdome goes down then Satans comes up when the Sun sets night follows 2. Your children will be Idolaters and you will bring forth children to the murderer when people have not the true God they will have a false one 3. Many temporal plagues will follow as appears by the two following verses vers 13 14. Where the famine of the Word goes before there Sword Plague Famine and other Judgements usually follow In Queen Maries time when we lost the Word we had losses by Sea and losses by Land and had such a terrible famine that the people were forced to make bread of Acorns When Truth and Gods Ordinances are gone Vines and Fig-trees will not be long after Hos. 2.11 12. When the Lord would make way for his extreamest wrath to come upon a people he first takes away his faithful Ministers that should lye in the breach to intercede for them that so his wrath may come upon them to the utmost Psal. 74.8 9. Lam. 2.7 8. Let us then use all means to prevent this Land-destroying Judgement to this end 1. Be humbled for the sins of the times which call for the removing of our Candlestick out of its place 2. Besiege Heaven with your prayers Mat. 9.36 this is an Omnipotent Engine whereby we conquer God To quicken your prayers consider what a sad losse the losse of the Word is as you have seen in nine particulars before 3. Walk as becomes the Gospel if any thing remove the Gospel from amongst us 't is our prophane impure ungospel-like loose conversation that will do it 4. As corporal so spiritual famine comes from God As all evil of affliction so this amongst the rest comes from him 1. He sometimes sends it immediately when he chargeth the Prophets to prophesie no more in his name As he commands the clouds to with-hold their Rain and so brings a corporal famine so when sinners grow obstinate he commands his Ministers to with-hold their spiritual showers and to let them alone that they may perish in their iniquity Hos. 4.17 Mat. 15.14 2.