but our men in doing as they doe doe sin against their conscience Vnhappy Parents which destroy your children in Popish and Atheisticall houses What are you inferiour to them that sacrificed their children vnto Deuils If your selues be righteous and Christians cast not away your seed your children the price of the precious bloud of Christ You haue made them in their Baptisme when they were young to confesse Christ will you make them now growne to yeeres to deny Christ O let the words of wise Ecclesiasticus chap. 13.1 bee precious in your memories He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith and doubtlesse your children placed in Atheisticall or Popish houses will themselues become Atheisticall or Popish Suffer I beseech you a word of exhortation in your childrens behalfe Binde them to none but to Christ put them to none but to Christians sell them to nothing but to the Gospell commit not your young ones into the hands and custody of Gods enemies A third vse Is it not lawfull to commit the children of beleeuers into the hands of infidels for the reason aboue specified that they be not withdrawne from the true seruice of God Then neither is it lawfull for you of your selues to keepe away your seruants from the seruice of God It is reputed for a tyranny in Pharaoh Exod. 5.3 4. That he would not suffer the children of Israel to goe three dayes iourny into the desart to sacrifice to the Lord their God and how can you free your selues from the impeachment of tyranny if you deny your seruants to goe but one houres iourney to this place to serue their God Thinke it not enough that your selues come hither to performe some duty to Christ your Lord and Master how can you performe your duty to him if you deny him your seruants You know what charge is giuen you in the fourth commandement not your selues only but also your sonnes and your daughters and your seruants men and maidens and the stranger that soiourneth with you are to hallow and Sanctifie the Sabbath day with the Lords seruice In this holy worke and seruice of God vpon the Sabbath day regard not what the multitude and greater sort of men doe Suppose all the world besides your selues would bee carelesse to performe this duty yet let your holy resolution be the same with Ioshua's chap. 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. Thus farre of my first doctrine grounded vpon Gods dislike with the Philistines for selling away the Israelites his faithfull people into the hands of the Edomites an vnbeeleeuing nation To ground a second doctrine hereon we are to note that the Philistines sold away the Israelites to the Idumaeans at such time as they were their captiues and so did adde affliction to the afflicted The doctrine is It is a very grieuous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted Witnesse the complaint made by the captiue Iewes against the insolency of the Chaldeans Psal 137.3 They that led vs away captiue required of vs songs and mirth in our heauinesse saying Sing vs one of the songs of Sion They the Chaldeans the Babylonians and Assyrians in whose country wee were prisoners required of vs scornfully and disdainfully thereby to adde to our griefes they required of vs songs such songs as we were wont to sing in Sion Ierusalem and our owne country before the destruction of the Temple and our captiuity They required of vs not songs only but mirth also they scoffingly desired vs to be merry when they saw vs so heauy hearted as nothing could make vs glad They required of vs songs and mirth in our heauinesse saying Sing vs one of the songs of Sion sing for vs or in our hearing some one or other of those Songs which you were wont to sing in Sion when you were at home in your owne country Intolerable is the hard heartednesse cruelty and scoffing nature of the wicked when they haue gotten Gods children into their nets God cannot away with such vnmercifulnesse and want of pity He reproueth it in the Babylonians Esa 47.6 where thus saith the Lord I was wroth with my people I haue polluted mine inheritance and giuen them into thine hand thou didst shew them no mercy but thou didst lay thy very heauy yoke vpon the ancient therefore now heare destruction shall come vpon thee Magna abominatio eoram Deo est afflicto addere afflictionem clamatque in coelum vox sanguinis The words are the obseruation of Oecolampadius vpon the now cited place of Esay It is a great abomination before God to adde affliction to the afflicted the voice of bloud cryeth vp to Heauen for vengeance Yea we are assured by Psal 102.19 that the Lord looketh downe from the height of his sanctuary and out of heauen beholdeth the earth that he may heare and so take pity of the sighings groanings and lamentable cries of such his people as are in affliction The time will not suffer me now to trouble you with more Texts of Scripture let the now alleaged be sufficient to confirme my propounded doctrine that it is a grieuous thing to adde affliction to the afflicted The vses of this doctrine I can but point at One is to reproue the Nimrods and tyrants of this world which haue no pity no compassion vpon the poore and distressed Such in the end shall know by their owne lamentable experience that to be true which Salomon hath vttered Prou. 21.13 Hee that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall cry himselfe and not be heard A second vse is to stirre vs vp to the performance of this our Christian duty euen to take pity vpon all that are in any kind of misery if our neighbours be destitute of aid and help we may not like wilde beasts lift vp our selues against them and so tread them vnder foot No. How dare we molest and trouble them whom by Gods appointment we are to releeue and succour We are commanded Deut. 15.11 to open our hands to the needy and poore that are in our land to open our hands to them for their helpe and succour It is not enough for vs to abstaine from all iniury and harme-doing but withall must we endeuour to releeue the oppressed This seruice of ours will be acceptable vnto God God for it will giue vs his blessing God will blesse vs for the time of our being here and when the day of our dissolution shall be that we must leaue this earthly tabernacle then will the Son of man sitting vpon the throne of his glory welcome vs with a Venite benedicti Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world For I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sicke and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came vnto me in as much as you haue
kingdome of God Wherefore to shut vp this point with Saint Pauls words 1 Cor. 1.10 and 2 Cor. 13.11 I beseech you by the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that yee speake all one thing and that there be no dissentions among you Be of one minde liue in peace and the God of peace shall be with you Thus farre of the third branch in the description of Edoms sinne and of the doctrine grounded thereupon The doctrine was Euery childe of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger It was grounded vpon these words His anger spoiled him euermore And his wrath watched him alway This is the Geneua translation His fury watcheth him euermore so Tremelius The meaning is Edoms wrath or fury was so implacable so farre from being abated or asswaged as that it euermore watched Israel to doe him a mischiefe In the Church Bible you haue a different reading His indignation he kept alwaies and in Matthewes Bible he kept indignation alwaies by him The reading is agreeable with the Vulgar Latine and is admitted by Oecâ—lampadius by Caluin by Drusius By Brentius also but that for indignation he hath fury He kept his fury alwayes The meaning is the indignation or fury which Edom had conceiued against his brother was permanent it would not be remitted there was no end of it The word in the Hâ—brew rendred by wrath or indignation or fury signifieth iram vehementiorem exestuantem omnemque modum praetereuntem a very vehement a boiling anger exceeding all measure or according vnto others it signifieth furorem inflâ—mmantem peruadentem ignis more a rage like fire burning whatsoeuer it meeteth with Wee now see what it is for which the Lord in this last branch reproueth Edom or the Idumaeans It is their implacable vnmeasurable and endlesse anger wherein they practised nothing but wiles how they might intrap and subuert the Israelites The lesson which from hence wee are to take for our further instruction is this Whosoeuer once prouoked vnto anger doth for euer hold it fast and cherish it he is not at any hand approued by God I will not spend many words in the proofe of this proposition sith it standeth good by my former discourse You haue alreadie heard that euery childe of God ought to keepe himselfe vnspotted of anger and that either in respect of its foule effects or in respect of Gods holy commandement against it Now is there any of you so deuoid of Christian vnderstanding as to thinke or imagine that God will at any hand approue that against which he giueth his commandement I assure my selfe there is none Well then I thus inferre Whosoeuer is spotted with euill anger he is not at any hand approued by God therefore whosoeuer once prouoked vnto euill anger doth for euer hold it fast and cherish it he is not at any hand approued by God For further corroboration of this doctrine giue eare I beseech you to the blessed Apostles words Ephes 4.26 Let not the Sunne go downe vpon your wrath Some doe thus paraphrase these words m Guerricus serm in die Purificat August enarrat in Psal 25. Christus qui est Sol iustitiae mentem vestram irascentem non deserat qui cum irâ nunquam habitat Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse who loueth not to make his habitâ—tion there where anger hath its residence let him not forsake your angry mindes Christ may not dwell where anger is If therefore you are desirous that Christ should dwell in you you must cast away all anger from within you Lâ—t not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath There is another Exposition vsually giuen of these words to this sense Sith such is our estate in this our warfare such our weaknesse infirmitie and frailtie that anger may quickly take hold of vs and possesse vs wee must carefully take heed that wee giue it not too much respite or entertainment Our anger must not be ira pridiana a yesterdaies anger Wee must cast it from vs speedily antequam occidat lux ista visibilis before this visible Sunne the Sunne that makes our day be set ne nos dâ—serat lux illa inuisibilis that the inuisible Sunne the Sunne of righteousnesse and true light of our hearts forsake vs not It is the holy Spirit that speaketh out of the Apostles mouth Let not the Sunne goe downe vpon your wrath There is nothing more aduerse or opposite to our bounden dutie of charitie and our owne saluation than perseuerance in wrath It letteth vs from doing good to those with whom we are angry it hindereth our deuotion in prayer and maketh the wrath of God to light vpon vs. So true is my propounded doctrine Whosoeuer once prouoked vnto anger doth for euer hold it fast and cherish it he is not at any hand approued by God This doctrine thus deliuered against perseuerance in anger may serue for a iust reproofe of such as doe beare perpetuall ill will to any nation To hate a Spaniard a French-man or any other country-man because he is of such a country or of such a nation this is here reproueable Againe it may serue to restraine such as doe thinke it lawfull perpetually to hate them of whom they haue receiued an iniury Such men would they but recount with themselues and recall into their mindes how many and how grieuous in iuries they haue done vnto God in transgressing his holy Commandements and how yet notwithstanding God is still propitious gracious and bountifull vnto them surely were they true Christians sealed by God his holy Spirit to the day of redemption they would remit of their hatred yea they would wholly abandon it and cast it farre from them according to the exhortation of S. Paul to the Ephesians Chap. 4.31 in whose words beloued suffer your selues to be exhorted Let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking be put away from you with all malitiousnesse Be yee courteous one to another and tender hearted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake for gaue you Sweet Bernard in his booke of the manner of liuing well Serm. 36. concerning hatred thus sweetly speaketh vnto his sister Soror in Christo amantissima mihi c. My most louing sister in Christ heare what I speake vnto thee If in any thing thou hast grieued thy sister or caused her to be sorrowfull satisfie her if thou hast sinned against thy sister repout before her if thou hast scandalized or offended any one of Gods hand-maids aske her forgiuenesse Goe on with speed to reconcilement sleepe not till thou haue made satisfaction rest not till thou returne in peace Thus did deuout Bernard exhort his virgin-sister The good Father no doubt had regard to the words of his and our Sauiour Iesus Christ written Matth. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to
not broach or publish any vâ—in imaginations of their own but those things onely which God g ueth them in charge They must heare what God saith and that alone must be their message Againe they must remember they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 15.27 and Act. 1.8 they are witnesses for Christ They are to beare witnesse to the truth of Christs person to his threefold office his Priestly Princely and Propheticall office and to the benefits that doe flow from thence for the edification of the Church All this they are to heare from the mouth of God speaking in his holy Word and thereof to make their contestation in the house of Iacob to beare witnesse thereof to Gods people not by their preaching only but if need be by their dying too The other vse is for hearers For if the Preacher be first to heare what God speaketh and then to testifie the truth thereof to the house of Iacob the people of God then are the people of God all the house of Iacob to giue attentiue care to the Preachers message Hearers in hearing are to know that they are to deale with God and are to receiue the Word deliuered by the Minister not as the Ministers word but as the Word of God Such Hearers were those Thessalonians commended by S. Paul Epist 1. Chap. 2.13 For this cause saith he thanke we God without ceasing because when ye receiued the word of God which ye heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeue The example is well worthy our imitation Beloued if an earthly Prince speake or send a message to vs we giue all shew of reuerence and heare him with diligence This Word whereof we now entreat is not of flesh and bloud it proceedeth not from Kings or Emperours or Parliament or from Councels of men but from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ When this Word is read Princes and Emperours stand vp and lay downe their sword and vncouer their head and bow their body in token of reuerence because they know it to be the word of God which God himselfe hath vttered that it should be as the a Deut. 32.2 dew of Heauen to moisten our drie soules as a b Ioh. 4.14 Well of water springing vp to euerlasting life as a c 2 Cor. 2.16 sauour of life vnto life and the very d Rom. 1.16 power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth Without this Word we are vndone we perish we receiue no comfort we see not the light we grow not in faith we abide not in the Church of God Wherefore suffer yee a word of exhortation It shall be in S. Peters words 1 Epist 2.2 As new borne babes desire yee the sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby Be yee so affected to the word of God as new borne infants are to their mothers milk You know well how that is A little infant euen by the instinct of nature almost as soone as it is borne seeketh that nourishment it is not long well without it when nothing else will that will stil it So euen so be ye affected long ye after the word of God as your spiritual nourishment reioice in it place your happinesse in the vse of it let it be your chiefest comfort This indeed hath beene euermore the right disposition of Gods holy ones O how great was the felicity that Dauid felt in this word of God In one Psalme Psal 119. He preferreth it before profit before pleasure before glory Before profit V. 127. I loue thy Commandements aboue gold yea aboue fine gold Before pleasure vers 103. How sweet are thy words vnto my taste yea sweeter than hony vnto my mouth Before glory vers 57. Thou art my portion O Lord I haue determined to keepe thy words and vers 111. Thy testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the reioycing of my heart Now because in a spoile all those things doe meet together Profit in the treasure Pleasure in the ouerthrow and Glory in the conquest or triumph he addeth vers 162. I reioyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoile Thus was holy Dauid determined and resolued to content himselfe with the word of God in stead of all profit pleasure and glory For his profit was his support in trouble and aduersitie his pleasure was the peace of a good conscience his glory was to be in the fauour of God All which is wrought by the precious and vnvaluable word of God This word of God was vnto Ieremy Chap. 15.16 the ioy and reioycing of his heart And Ezechiels roll the symbole of this word was in his mouth as hony for sweetnesse Chap. 3.3 And Iohns little book which he receiued from the Angell the badge of this word was in his mouth sweet as hony Reu. 10.10 When Philip was gone downe to the Citie of Samaria and had preached Christ vnto them the text saith there was great ioy in that city Act. 8.8 When the same Philip had taught the mystery of Christ to the Eunuch the Eunuch went on his way reioycing in the same Chapter vers 39. The Angell relating to the shepherds the Natiuity of Christ said vnto them Feare not for behold I bring vnto you good tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people Luk. 2.10 Good tidings of great ioy Happy shepherds to heare so good tidings from an Angell Princes would haue been glad to haue heard it but they heard it not Yet to Princes as well as to others this good tidings of great ioy belongeth Good tidings of great ioy Great ioy it is first in respect of the matter thereof which is very great euen our reconciliation with God Secondly it is great ioy for the diuturnity and stability thereof it abideth and continueth constant for euer Thirdly it is great ioy for the vniuersality of it it reacheth vnto all generibus singulorum to all kinds of people though not singulis generum to all particulars of all kinds but only to such as shall receiue it by a true faith Last of all it is great ioy quia spirituale because it is spirituall and belongeth to the saluation of the whole man body and soule And the good tidings of this great ioy is deriued vnto vs in these our dayes through the ministery of the word of God Wherefore dearly beloued let me againe put you in minde of your Christian duty concerning this word of God that as new borne infants ye desire the sincere milk thereof to grow therby Long ye after it it is your spirituall nourishment reioyce in it place your happinesse in the vse of it Let it be your chiefest comfort Whensoeuer you shall heare this word of God read or preached remember whose Word it is you heare and thinke yee thus euery man with himselfe Surely this is the
euident proofe for this your publike meeting There is Matth. 18.20 a speciall promise of a blessing to light vpon you as oft as you shall come to this place and thereof the author of all truth assureth you Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them O weigh and consider this If you loue and would haue the societie fellowship and company of your sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ you must frequent this place hither must you come Know this you cannot be right worshippers of God in priuate if you refuse or neglect to frequent this publike assembly the Sion the Ierusalem from whence God is pleased to speake vnto you Much then very much to blame you whosoeuer doe for none or for small occasions absent your selues from this plâ—ce this house of God at appointed times where and when your publike prayers should be as it were a publike renouncing of all sects and society with idolatry and prophanesse an acknowledgement and confession of the true God and a publike sanctification of Gods holy Name to the glory of God The time was and I dare auouch it Act. 21.5 when all the congregation of Tyre with their wiues and children bringing S. Paul out of the towne to the sea shore kneeled downe with him and prayed Shall we in these dayes finde this zeale among Christians I much doubt it and am perswaded men will be ashamed in imitation of those Tyrians to kneele downe in an open place to pray vnto God publikely I will not rub this sore I know somewhat and you know more than I how backward many of you haue been from doing God due seruice in this place Shall I say you haue dishonoured him some by irreuerence some by much absence some by wilfull refusall to bee made partakers of the blessed Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ I thinke should any one of you inuite your neighbour to sup with you but once and he refuse it you would take some displeasure at him and shall God Almighty the mighty creator of Heauen of Earth and of all you that heare me this day inuite you many times to come and sup at the table of his blessed Son and you refuse it Beleeue it he cannot take it well It is no indifferent or arbitrary thing to come or not to come to the Lords table Come you must of duty though of duty you are first to examine your selues Whosoeuer therefore wilfully refuseth to come he sinneth very grieuously as a learned b Butanus Iâ—c 48. Diuine well noteth 1 Because he contemneth not any humane but a diuine edict the expresse commandement of the Lord of life Doe this in remembrance of me 2 Because he little esteemeth the remembrance of Christ his death by which we are redeemed 3 Because he neglecteth the communion of the body and bloud of Christ 4 Because he sheweth himselfe to be none of the number of Christs disciples I beseech you dearely beloued lay vp these things in your hearts let this day be the beginning of your reformation resolue from henceforth to performe your due obedience to God in this place to powre forth your prayers before him to heare his holy word and to frequent the Lords table where by faith in his death and passion you may receiue many a gracious blessing forgiuenesse of your sins your reconciliation with God the death of iniquity in you and the assured pledge of eternall life I haue now by occasion of Sion and Ierusalem the place from whence God will speake vnto you exhorted euery one of you in particular to come to the Church I pray you note this to be but a part of your duty It is not enough for you to come your selues to the Church you must sollicite and exhort others to come likewise Fathers must bring their children Masters must bring their Seruants For old and young should come My warrant for what I say I take out of Ioel 2.15 16. Call a solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders assemble the children and those that sucke the breasts Marke I beseech you Children and such as sucke the breasts must be assembled You must haue the spirit of resolution to say with Ioshua chap. 24.15 I and my house will serue the Lord. Your duty is yet further extended beyond your children and seruants to your neighbours and also strangers if they come in your way This we may learn out of the prophecies of Esay Micah and Zachary First Esay 2.3 The faithfull shall say Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach vs his wayes and wee will walke in his paths for the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Againe Micah 4.2 You shall finde the very same exhortation made by the faithfull and in the same words Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of thâ— Lâ—rd to the house of the God of Iacob c. The Prophet Zachaâ—y chap. 8.21 for summe and substance speaketh the same thing They that dwell in one towne shall goe vnto another saying vp let vs goe and pray before the Lord and seeke thâ— Lord of hosts I will goe also Thus farre of the place from whence the Lord speaketh expressed by two names Sion and Ierusalem THE Fifth Lecture AMOS 1.2 And he said the Lord shall roare from Sion and vtter his voice from Ierusalem and the dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish and the top of Carmel shall wither OF the speaker and place from whence he speaketh I haue heretofore spoken Now proceed wee to the sequels of the speech which shall for this time be the ground of my discourse The dwelling places of the shepherds shall perish So doe the words sound for their substance Yet after the letter in the originall and Hebrew copy we are to read otherwise the fruitfull or pleasant places of the shepherds haue mourned Let vs briefly take a view of the words as they lie in order The dwelling places So is the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 englished not vnfitly For though properly it signifieth fruitfull and pleasant fields and pastures yet because shepherds did vse in the wildernesse neare vnto such fields and pastures to erect themselues little cottages and cabins that they might be at hand to defend their harmlesse sheep from sauage and rauenous beasts it may here well be englished the dwelling places The dwelling places of the shepherds In my first lecture vpon this prophecy I told you there were two sorts of shepherds In the first ranke I placed sheepmasters in the second their seruants Among the first sort of shepherds was Mesa King of Moab who 2 King 3.4 is called a shepherd and there registred to haue rendred to the King of Israel an hundred thousand lambes and an hundred thousand rammes with the wooll The
Christ but our owne bellies as S. Paul speaketh Rom. 16.18 Of such speaketh the same Apostle Phil. 3.19 Many doe walke as enemies to the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Whose God is their belly Thus beloued you see what Idols are yet remaining among vs and how we are defiled with them What remaineth but that we suffer our selues to be exhorted in the words of Barnabas and Paul to the men of Lystra Act. 14.15 that we would turne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from those vaine Idols to serue the liuing God Thus farre of my second Doctrine which was Neither Melchom of the Ammonites nor any other Idoll of any other people can saue themselues in the day of captiuity much lesse can they saue the people that doe trust in them and worship them Which doctrine I grounded vpon the second reading of my Text Melchom shall goe into captiuity he and his Princes together Now followeth the third generall part of this prophecy against the children of Ammâ—n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saith the Lord. This is the conclusion of this Prophecie and it redoubleth its authority and credit Authority and credit sufficient it hath from its very front and preface vers 13. Thus saith the Lord. It is here redoubled Saith the Lord. Hath the Lord said it and shall he not doe it Hath he spoken it and shall he not accomplish it The Lord Iehouah the strength of Israel is not as man that he should lie nor as the sonne of man that he should repent All his words yea all the tittles of all his words are Yea and Amen Heauen and earth shal passe before one iot or one tittle of Gods Word shall scape vnfulfilled Iehouah the Lord saith whatsoeuer our Prophet Amos hath here denounced against the Ammonites It is the Lord that saith it Amos is but the Lords Minister the Words are the Lords Whence we may take this Doctrine The Author of holy Scripture is neither man nor Angell nor any otber creature how excellent soeuer but only the liuing and immortall God This truth may likewise be grounded vpon the Preface to the ensuing Prophecy And therefore sith my houre is almost spent and your attention well nigh tired I put off the handling of this doctrine till God giue me opportunity to speake againe vnto you Meane time let this which hath beene deliuered vnto you Non meis viribus sed Christi misericordiâ not by any strength of mine but by the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ serue for the exposition of this first Chapter 1 Tim. 1.17 Vnto the King eternall immortall inuisible the only wise God three persons Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A COMMENTARIE OR EXPOSITION VPON THE SECOND Chapter of the Prophecie of AMOS Deliuered In XXI Sermons in the Parish Church of MEYSEY-HAMPTON in the Diocesse of GLOCESTER BY Sebastian Benefield Doctor of Diuinitie and Professor for the Lady MARGARET in the Uniuersitie of OXFORD IAMES 4.8 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you LONDON Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN for IOHN PARKER and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1629. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God and my very good Lord IOHN by the diuine prouidence L. Bishop of London Right Reuerend Honourable ONce more I make bold to present vnto your HONOR a testimonie of my most humble observance It is an Exposition of the second Chapter of the Prophecie of Amos. My labours vpon the first it pleased your Lordship heretofore fauourably to accept and patronize If these vpon the second may find the like entertainement they haue their end The beames of that splendour of goodnesse in you which long since haue shined vpon many in this Vniuersitie and me among the rest methinkes J still behold How can J then but in memorie thereof offer vp to your Honourable Name some Sacrifice of thankesgiuing This is the best I haue at this time Receiue it my good Lord such as it is the sincere token of a thankefull heart God Almightie who hath made you an eminent and an honourable pillar here in his Church militant for the comfort of his people giue you herein many dayes full of honour and comfort and reward you with a Crowne of neuer-fading glory in his Church triumphant From my studie in Christ Church in Oxford Februarie 14. 1619. Your Lordships in all dutie and seruice SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD A COMMENTARIE VPON THE SECOND Chapter of AMOS deliuered in XXI Lectures THE FIRST LECTVRE AMOS 2.1 2 3. 1. Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Moab and for foure I will not turne to it because it burnt the bones of the King of Edom into lime 2. Therefore will I send a fire vpon Moab and it shall devoure the pallaces of Kirioth and Moab shall dye with tumult with shouting and with the sound of a trumpet 3. And I will cut off the Iudge out of the midst thereof and will slay all the Princes thereof with him saith the Lord. HOw grieuous a burden sinne is you may well perceiue by the heauy punishments which God layeth vpon the committers of sinne Good store of examples the first chapter of this prophecie hath yeelded vnto you The Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians the Edomites and the Ammonites haue for their sinnes bin seuerally repayed with vengeance from Heauen the fire of the wrath of God hath seized vpon them and deuoured them their Cities are become desolate their memorie is perished from off the earth As it is befallen them so it befalleth the Moabites also against whom Amos in the beginning of this second chapter directeth his prophecie and to the same purpose whereto the prophecies of the former Chapter were directed The a See my sixth Lecture vpon Amos 1. reasons why Amos sent of purpose with a message to the Israelites doth first prophecie against the Syrians the Philistins the Tyrians the Edomites the Ammonites and the Moabites all forreine nations are three 1. That he might be the more patiently heard of his countrymen the Israelites The Israelites seeing their Prophet Amos so sharpe against the Syrians and other their enemies could not but with more quiet heare him when he should prophecie against them also Consolatio quaedam est afflictio inimici Some comfort it is to a distressed naturall man to see his enemie in distresse likewise 2. That they might haue no cause to wonder if God should at any time come against them in vengeance seeing that he would not spare the Syrians and other their neighbor countries though they were destitute of the light of Gods word and ignorant of his will 3. That they might the more tremble at the words of this prophecie when they should see the Syrians and other Nations afflâ—cted and tormented according to the heinousnes of their iniqâ—ities Here might the Israelites
naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place VVe are naked that is saith Drusius non ita bene vestiti we are not very well clothed No more were that brother and sister of whom S. Iames speaketh chap. 2.15 They were naked Naked that is male vestiti or necessario vestitu destituti they were ill clothed or wanted necessarie apparell By the places now alleaged you see that he may be said to be naked that is not simply and altogither so So of the couragious man in my text it is said that he shall flee away naked Naked that is vnarmed without armour hauing cast away his weapons and all other instruments of militarie discipline content to escape with life if he may be so happy but shall not for there is no escaping as you well know by that you haue already heard But when shall this couragious man be in such a streight as that he shall be faine to flee away naked It shall bee saith my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baijom habu in that day In that day the day of Gods iudgement in that day when God will exercise his iudgment against the rebellious and refractarie This day may be called the day of the Lord whereof we read Esai 13.6 Howle yee for the day of the Lord is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty It is so called Ioel 1.15 Alas for the day for the day of the Lord is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come This day the day of the Lord for the horror thereof is by our Prophet Amos called darknesse chap. 5.18 Woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you The day of the Lord is darknes and not light A day and yet darknesse a day and no light in it It s euen so and is repeated by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 20. Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light euen very darke and no brightnesse in it I cannot better set forth vnto you the state of this day then the Prophet Zephaniah doth chap. 1.15 Read him and you shall finde this day the day of the Lord to be a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wastnesse and desolation a day of darknesse and gloominesse a day of clouds and thicke darknesse a day of the trumpet and alarme No maruaile then if our couragious man the couragious among the mighty shall endeauou or desire to flee away naked in that day But shall he endeauour or shall he desire to do it Yes He must be fame to doe it For it followeth by way of confirmation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neum Iehovah saith the Lord. Saith the Lord. THis is the conclusion and confirmation of all The Lord the a Deut. 32 4. God of truth who b Num. 2â— â—9 Tit. 1.2 Haâ— 6.18 lyeth not nor deceiueth whose words are c 2. Cor. 1.20 yea and amen who euer d Num 23.19 doth according to that he saith and accomplisheth what he speaketh he it is that here threatneth the couragious among the mighty that they shall flee away naked in the day of their visitation And so out of doubt it came to passe It came to passe in the dayes of Peka K. of Israel at what time Tiglath Pilesar K. of Assyria came vp against the Israelites tooke diuers of their Cities the whole Region that was beyond Iordan the possession of the Reubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh yea all the land of Nephthali and carried some of their inhabitants captiue into Assyria 2. King 15.29 After that in the dayes of Hoseah sonne of Elah the last of the Kings of Israel this prediction was fulfilled at what time Salmanasser King of Assyria invaded Israel the Kingdome of the ten Tribes tooke Samaria and carried much people away into Assyria Of this we read 2. King 17.6 In that day that day when Tiglath Pilesar preuailed against Israel and that day wherein Salmanasser was conqueror he that was couragious among the mighty was faine no doubt to runne away and that naked according to this prediction He that is couragious among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day My obseruation from hence is this It is not a stout courage a valiant heart or a bold spirit that can steed a man in the day of Gods vengeance Beleeue it it is not For in that day the stoutest the most valiant and bold shall be striken with astonishment of heart Deut. 28.28.29 and shall grope at noone dayes as the blind man doth in darkenesse It shall then be with him as it was with Belshazzar the King Daniel 5.6 His countenance shall bee changed his thoughts shall trouble him the ioynes of his loynes shall be loosed and his knees shall smite one against the other Yea then for then will the Lord arise to shake terribly the earth then shall he goe into the holes and clefts of the ragged rockes and into the caues of the earth for feare of the Lord and for the glory of his Maiestie So saith Esay elegantly chap. 2.19 21. And say you now what can a stout courage a valiant heart a bold spirit steed a man in that day in the day of Gods vengeance You must needs confesse it can steed him nothing Nothing Let vs then for our good make some profitable vse hereof We shall the better make it if we will summe vp together those naturall abilities which our Prophet Amos hath here disabled from yeelding any helpe vnto vs in the day of God his reuengement If neither he that is of an expedite and agile bodie nor the strong man nor the mightie man nor the bow-man nor the swift of foot nor the horseman shall in that day be able to deliuer or helpe himselfe if he that is couragious among the mightie shall be faine to runne away naked in that day whence then shall we in that day looke for safetie It must not be from any ayde of man Now the Vse we are to make hereof is that we trust not in man or in any thing that is in or about man To this dutie we are aduised by the Prophet Esai chap. 2.22 Cease yee from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of If you will be safe and without danger in the day of trouble Cease from man See that yee haue no confidence no affiance in him as though against God or without God he were able to helpe you His breath is in his nostrils his soule his vitall spirit his life is but a blast and is gone with a puffe Then where is his helpe Weake fraile and brittle man wherein is he to be accounted of Is he to be accounted of for any thing that is in him for his actiuitie for his dexteritie for his valour for his wisedome or the like No for if he be gone all these