21.23 so that this conspiring implies that Amos had some confederates with him that helped to carry on this conspiracy against the King when alas Amos was so farre from conspiring that he was now considering how he might prevent the ruine both of King and Kingdom and avert the approaching judgements By his Prayers he had prevented two judgements and now counsels them to prevent the third yet Amos is a Conspirator and troubler of Israel when it was their owne Idolatry and Apostacy and not Amos that troubled them 2 Amos did not vent his Passion or speak his owne private opinion but he tells them the mind and Message of God which he had shewed him in a Vision and commanded him to publish touching the destruction not of the King himself for we read not that Ieroboam dyed by the sword but of the Kings Posterity vers 9. I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword But Amaziah conceiving that the King would be more inraged against Amos for Prophecying against him than for Prophecying against his Children thereupon forgets this accusation and saith Amos hath conspired against thee and hath said the King shall dye by the Sword Not a word of truth for Amos did not conspire against the King neither did he say that he should dye by the Sword yet this hath been the lot of all Gods faithful Ministers to bee counted Seditious and the troublers of a State solely for discharging the duty of their places faithfully Now by this high Charge we may see that this false Prophet sought the life of the true one as will appear if we frame his Accusation into an Argument thus He that hath conspired the ruine both of King and Kingdom ought to dye But Amos hath done so Ergo. But it pleased the Lord in whose hand is the heart of the King to make the King so farre to favour the Prophet as that hee sleighted this Priests accusation and therefore Amaziah pretends friendship to ths Prophet as we shall see hereafter Now let us view the Transactions of this High-Priest and we shall finde a compleat Character of a false Prophet or the perfect picture of a Polititian 1 They use to flatter and delude great ones making them to beleeve that none are their friends but such as say as they say and doe whatever they would have them doe and humour them in their sins and that they are their foes that like Amos here deal faithfully and plainly with them and this is no small part of great mens misery that they have few about them that dare or will deal faithfully with them They may use the Letany in this sense with that alteration which the poor Curate used when he saw his Lord come into the Church O God the Father of Heaven have mercy upon us Right Honourable Sinners Their state in this respect is farre worse than that of inferiour persons who are plainly and truly told of their sins when these are soothed up to their destruction 2 They calumniate and belye the true Prophets they observe Machiavels rule Calumniare audacter saltem aliquid adhaerebit Lye lustily somewhat will stick though it be never so false So it was with Amos here 3 They labour with might and maine to suppress and silence the true Prophets they know that their Kingdom cannot long stand if once the faithful Ministers of Christ bee countenanced Light and Darkness the Ark and Dagon Christ and Belial can never subsist together This made Amaziah here to use both force and fraud to rid the Land of Amos. 4 They labour to suppresse good men before they can be heard They must not speak nor dispute the case Thus Amaziah here clancularly accuseth Amos to the King when he could make no defence for himself 5 They usually mingle some truth with their lyes As Fowlers doe mixe some Wheat with their Chaff to catch the Birds the sooner So did Amaziah here he mixed some truth with his lyes Amos hath said Ieroboam shall dye by the Sword that was false and Israel shall surely goe into Captivity that was true OBSERVATIONS 1 In all ages there have been false Prophets to oppose the true There was a Iannes and a Iambres to resist Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 and four hundred false Prophets against one good Micaiah a Pashur and an Hananiah against the Prophet Ieremy and here Amaziah against Amos. So in the New Testament how bitter were the High Priests against Christ Ioh. 11.47 48. accusing him as an enemy to the State and no friend to Caesar. How did the Stribes and Pharisees oppose the Apostles and since Antichrists Kingdom hath been set up how have Gods faithful witnesses been persecuted and slaine Persecution hath ever been the lot especially of Gods zealous Messengers Acts 7.51 let a man faithfully discharge the duties of his place and then let him look for some Idolatrous Amaziah to oppose him When we have opportunities of doing any good we must look for many adversaries 1 Cor. 16.9 Let us not then be offended when we meet with the like usage from the world 2 It is the porperty of Persecutors to undermine Gods Servants clancularly Amaziah sends to the King privily unknown to Amos and accuseth him for a Traytor that so he might be condemned without hearing or answering for himself Thus they deal with Ieremy when they could finde nothing justly against him then they secretly devise devices against him Ier. 11.19 12.6 18.18 where we may observe the vile ingratitude of men this Prophet had by his Prayers averted two Judgements from Israel yet now they seek his death who saved their life and accuse him of Rebellion who saved them from destruction Valiant men charge their adversaries in the face it is for Cowards to creep behind Truth seeks no shifts nor corners it loves the light as true gold fears neither the Touch-stone nor the ballance but falshood being a work of darknesse loves darknesse and is not able to stand bare-faced before truth and therefore it makes lyes and falshood its refuge 3 Wicked men what ever they pretend yet intend Self Haman pretended the Kings profit when his owne ambition envie and revenge was that he really sought Hest. 3.8 So this Idolatrous Priest here pretended great love and service to the King when Self was in the bottom of the design Hee was the Priest of Bethel and got much profit by the place and therefore he hated Amos heartily who forbad the people to come any more at Bethel but to shun it as a place infected with Superstition and Idolatry Amos 5.5 and so all the fat of this self-seeking Priest of Bethel ran into the fire This he could not bear for it struck at his dignity and livelihood Such men make their bellies their gods and little regard what becomes of truth modo hic sit bene as the Monk said when he stroked his fat paunch Wee read of low and
Wee pitty the Poor and love them we never took any thing from them Ans. Dives who is now in Hell did not rob Lazarus but because hee did not releeve him he was damned so those reprobates Mat. 25 42 43. 2 Many doe hate the Poor and tyrannize over them and if there be so much love in their hearts how comes so little to appear in their lives He that hath a loving heart will have a bountiful hand for love is bountiful 1 Cor. 13.4 it is in vain to boast of love unless we shew it in our works Iam. 2.16 1 Ioh. 3.17 18. Now did men but consider who it is that askes and what an honour it is to be his Almoners and what profit comes by so doing they would never excuse themselves as they doe from this eminent duty We therefore that are the Ministers of Christ observing the backwardness of our people to this necessary duty should get the words of the wise which are as Goads to rouse men out of their security neither is it sufficient that wee only preach and press the duty but we must in our spheres and places see that those precepts be put in practice according to the mind of Christ the Deacons and Collectors must gather it yet the Minister by counsel and advice should see to the right distributing of it Hence the Apostles call upon Paul to remember the poor which thing saith he I was diligent to doe Gal. 2.10 neither is it sufficient that wee direct our people but by our Practice also we must lead them the way so did Paul himself did minister to the Saints at Ierusalem Rom. 15.25.28 he doth not put off the duty to others but himself leads them the way People look more what wee doe than what we say Then we may preach and press it with more zeal and confidence on others when we our selves doe goe before them in the duty else they will quickly upbraid us with a Thou that teachest another to be merciful art thou unmerciful Hence the best of men only have been the greatest pressors and promoters of this duty How oft doth Solomon the wisest of men by Precepts and Promises quicken us to this duty Prov. 11.24 19.17 22.9 28.27 Eccles. 11.1 2. and Christ himself a greater than Solomon did both by Precepts Promises and Practice incite his Disciples to this duty Matth. 5.7.42 19.25 25.34 35. Luke 11.42 12.33 Acts 20.35 How oft did Paul press this duty upon the People in all his Epistles 1 Cor. 16.1 2. 2.8.7 9.5 Heb. 6.10 13.16 and gives a strict charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 6.17 18. that he charge those that are rich to be rich in good works And the ancient Fathers the better to excite their people to works of Mercy have written whole Books in the praise of it But since God looks more at the manner than matter of our duties and loves Adverbs as Austin hath it better than Adjectives hee lookes not so much quam bonum how good the thing is as quam bene how well we doe it I shall therefore give some directions for the right performance of it for Modus rei cadit sub praecepto God hath prescribed the manner as well as the matter of our duties according to that old saying Est modus in dando quid cur cui quomodo quando Now he that will give Rightly must Give 1 Beleevingly 2 Cheerfully 3 Righteously 4 Sincerely 5 Speedily 6 Sensibly 7 Largely 8 Discreetly 9 Constantly 1 VVe must give beleevingly for without faith it is impossible to please God our persons must please before our performances can be acceptable God had first respect to Abel and then to his Offering A wicked man may give an Almes and doe an act which is materially good but as it comes from him who is in rebellion against God it is odious to him for the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. To make an action Morally good three circumstances must concur 1. The man must be Righteous he must have both an imputed and imparted Righteousness 2. He must doe righteous things 3. He must doe them righteously Hee must be a Beleever that will be a right Almes-giver for it is not the Almes of every one but of a beleeving Abraham Iob Zacheus Barnabas c. that is pleasing unto God 2. Get faith to beleeve the Promises God hath made many precious Promises to the merciful it is meer unbelief that makes men question the truth of them and this distrusting of God is the very root of all that unmercifulness that is in the world if men did but beleeve that for one corn which they sow they should have an hundred and that if they give rightly to the poor they should never lack men would not sow so sparingly as they doe get faith in the Promises and this will loosen your hearts from these low enjoyments Hee is rich who hath interest in the Promises though hee hath nothing else in the world for they are virtually every thing they are better than money in our Purses or bread in our Cupboards Shall the Husband-man Plow and Sow in hope of a doubtful Crop and the Merchant venture thorow many dangers at Sea for uncertain Riches and shall not wee venture to give who are promised a sure reward 2 Give cheerfully God loves a cheerful giver hee prefers the willingness of the mind before the worthiness of the gift 2 Cor. 8.11 12. we must be ready to distribute willing to communicate Rom. 12.8 1 Tim. 6.18 Free-will-offerings are most pleasing to God that is the best Honey which flowes from the Comb without crushing and the best Wine which comes from the Grape with least pressing We should rejoyce when God calls us to works of Mercy and honours us so farre as to be his Almoners upon earth when men give grudgingly and unwillingly and give Panem lapidosum a bit and a knock they loose their almes Unwilling obedience is no obedience it must not be forced from us by Law but flow from love we must not only doe mercy but love mercy Micah 6.8 Love is a bountiful affection it thinks it can never doe enough for the party beloved it is the weight which sets all the wheels of the Soul on going When David had set his affections on God then he thinks all the thousands that he gives to be as nothing 1 Chron. 29.3 Many give but it is with much calling upon and importunity it should come like water from a Spring freely and fluently and it comes like fire from a flint with much knocking it comes from them as if you pluckt a Rib a Leg or an Arm from them They should speak comfortably to the poor and they give them hard words and ugly looks and so marre all 3 Give Righteously as we must love Mercy so wee must doe justly Micha 6.8 we must give of our own goods justly gotten not by oppression
Company of Haberdashers by way of thankfulness for their care taken and to be taken in the right managing of these acts of charity he gave a considerable sum I have mentioned this at large to shame the rich men of this age for their coldness and aversness to works of Piety VVhere oh where shall we find such Ioneses as this He gave pounds we give not pence he gave thousands we give not hundreds hee erected Schools and Hospitalls he promoted Preachers and Piety when we are ready to pull down all The zeal and piety of this good man will rise in Judgement against the Luke-warmness and impiety of the men of this Generation 6 Sensibly and compassionately with a tender pittifulsympathizing-heart We must not only pour out our riches but our souls to the poor Isa. 58.10 we must have a sight and sence of their miseries within our selves considering that they are flesh of our flesh we are all of one and the same bloud Isa. 58.7 Acts 17.26 as good hands made them as made thee and as great a price was paid for their Redemption and though thou mayest be his superiour in Temporals yet he may excel thee in Spirituals in faith obedience humility Great reason therefore that we should put on bowels of mercy i. e. all sorts of mercy to soul body estate give lend visit cloath counsel comfort and doe all that in us lyes for them Coloss. 3.12 The good Samaritan when he saw the misery of the man that fell amongst Theeves hee took compassion on him Luke 10.33 Iob wept for those that were in trouble and his soul was in heaviness for the poor Iob 30.25 let a man give never so much if he doe it with an upbraiding insulting and not with a compassionate spirit it is abominable It is a greater mercy to have a compassionate heart than it is to give an Almes A wicked man may give some of his Goods but a compassionate man gives some of himself To move compassion in us 1. Let us put our selves into their cases and make them our own 2. Make use of thine Eye that is one great means to work upon the heart observe their poor fare their tattered cloathing their cold lodging and feeble bodies The Samaritan saw the Wounded man and then hee had compassion on him Christ saw the People as Sheep without a Sheperd and had compassion on them By this means we shall the better know the necessities of the poor and how to suit our almes to their wants This will make us thankful when we see how others lye on Straw drink Water want Cloathes to their backs and bread for their Bellies c. 7 Largely and liberally As Araunah gave to the King like a King so should we give bountifully to works of mercy A mean man must be frugally liberal a man of an ordinary estate must be moderately liberal but a rich man must be magnificently liberal especially in great and extraordinary cases A Christian must bee a man of a more excellent spirit Numb 14.24 not of a sordid low ignoble spirit Almes is compared to Sowing which usually is done with a full hand to encourage us the Apostle adds a gracious Promise that if we sow liberally we shall reap liberally 2 Cor. 9.6 we should therefore abound in this work of the Lord and bee merciful not as Abraham or Iob were merciful but as our heavenly father is merciful Now the Lord abounds in mercy to us and so should we in our degree to others We should not confine our Almes to an Easter-day or a Christmas-Eeve or a Communion-day but be ready on all occasions for the duty we should not give a penny but a portion to the poor Eccles. 11.1 2. Cast thy bread that is all things necessary for thy poor Brothers support cast it franckly and freely without grudging or repining at him but then it must bee Thy bread got by thy lawful labour cast it on the Waters that is upon the Poor and though it may seem to be lost as that which is thrown down the River yet after many dayes wee shall find it 1. Sometimes in this life we shall have an hundred fold The Shunamite that entertained the Prophet had a Son The Widow of Sarepta by succouring the Prophet had an increase of her Oyl 2. Sometimes to the Posterity when the fathers dead then the Child hath favour shewed him Psalm 112.3 3. Sometimes not till the Resurrection Luk. 14.13 we should therefore give a portion to seven and also unto eight that is unto many for Bonum quo communius eò melius the more communicative our goodness is the better Obj. But we know not what evils may come upon us and therefore we will save Sol. Nay therefore give saith Solomon whilst thou hast any thing to give before all be gone for thou knowest not what evils shall be upon the earth Sad times may come and then those that have been bountiful to others shall finde bounty from others and as they have meted to others so God will raife up some to mete unto them again Wee see the Wheel turns round and those that have been on the top as Bajazet and Belisarius have been brought to the bottom we should therefore improve our Talent while we have it to our Masters praise God hath much dishonour done him by miserable unmerciful men we should help to take off those dishonours by our pious merciful and munificent walking they instead of giving bountifully give basely to the poor mouldy-bread stinking meat that one would scarce give to Doggs yea their horses many times have more and better Corn than poor wanting Christians If base offerings were abhorred of Davids soul how much more are such sordid gifts abhorred of Gods soul. 8 Discreetly according to our estate and abilities and proportionable to our neighbours necessities Rich men must give like rich men and poor men must doe as they can Thus Acts 11.29 when the godly were in distress the Church resolves to send them relief according to their ability We must so give to one that we doe not disable our selves from giving to others Though few offend on this hand yet it is better and safer offending in the excess and giving too much than too little The Macedonians are commended for giving beyond their ability 2 Cor. 8.3 The poor Widow had rather want her self than bee wanting to others and in the Primitive times they sold all that they had to supply the Churches necessities Acts 2.45 4.34 But ordinarily the measure of our almes must be regulated according to our estates this is to order our affairs with discretion Psal. 112.5 according to the ability wherewith God hath blest us we must lay aside somewhat for the poor 1 Cor. 16.2 Divines conclude that the tenth part of our comings in ought to be set apart by way of thankfulness for pious uses upon this account Iacob vowed the tenth to God Gen. 28. ult
follows them with Plague upon Plague as hee did them I have sent upon you Pestilence after the manner of Aegypt They were incurable and incorrigible like the Aegyptians and now God smites them with Aegyptian Plagues according to that threatning Deut. 28.61 I will cause the diseases of Aegypt to cleave unto thee Sin hardens Gods heart against his people and makes him deal with them as hee useth to doe with his enemies It turns him who is our best friend into the saddest foe That power which he used in destroying his peoples enemies if his people forsake him and rebel against him hee will exert that power in destroying them Thus the Lord used here the same weapons of his wrath against his people as before hee used in destroying the Aegyptians And may not England now fear lest that power which the Lord hath shewed in the saving of us from the hands of unreasonable men should now bee turned against us for our Blasphemies and Apostacies and as we have partaken with Germanies sins and Polands sins and Irelands sins so wee should be made like them for plagues Wee have given the Lord just cause by our provocations to turn his hand against us and to consume us after he hath done us good Iosh. 24.20 And as hee hath made us the head so now hee might make us the tayl and as he hath made us the terror of the Nations so now he may justly make them a terror to us for our ungrateful dis-ingenuous walking towards him 4 Obs. The Pestilence comes more immediately from God It is his Messenger it is commanded and commissioned by God to goe to such and such Families Towns and Persons that so if any one ask How came the Pestilence here why I sent it said God it is a servant of his sending 2 Sam. 24.15 and an Arrow of his shooting Psal. 91.5 with this hee wounds kills and consumes his enemies Ezek. 5.16 17. The Plague is not Casual but Providential there is a Divine hand of immediate Providence in this Judgement as there is no evil of affliction in the City so much less this signal evil but it comes from God Amos 3.6 It is he that decrees it he increaseth it and he removes it how and when he pleaseth Hence it is called his Sword 1 Chron. 21. ult it is not the sword of a weak man but of an Almighty God which none can resist or fly from it is his Hand out of which none can deliver us 2 Sam. 24.14 Moses tells Pharaoh that if he refuse to let Israel goe behold the hand of the Lord i. e. the Plague shall light on thy Cattel Exod. 9.3 this hand of his will finde out all his enemies Psal. 21.8 this is a sign of Gods great Wrath. God brings not out this great Rod till men have greatly provoked him by their great sins Numb 11.33 16.46 47. Levit. 26.25 Deut. 32.22 23. As 1. Idolatry This is a God-provoking and a Land-destroying Sin and brings the Plague upon a Land Psal. 106.29 Ezek. 5.11 12. Rev. 16.2 11. 2 Contempt of Gods Word and wayes Deut. 28.21 Ier. 29.18 19. 3 Fornication and uncleanness For this Sin God cut off twenty four thousand of the Israelites with the Pestilence Numb 25.9 men will not judge and punish such but God will Heb. 13.4 4 Murmuring and unbelief when men repine at Gods dispensations and will teach him how to rule the World this brings the Plague Numb 14.2.3.11.12.36 37. 16.46 5 Persecuting Gods Ministers and people Pharaoh that persecuted Israel had variety of Plagues laid on him God shoots this Arrow especially at such Psal. 7.13 Ier. 29.18 38.2 The Heathen Emperours which persecuted the Christians were punisht with great Plagues 6 Prophanation of holy things This brought the Pestilence as it is conceived upon the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.30 he will be sanctified of all that draw nigh unto him in mercy if they come preparedly in judgement if they come irreverently Wee should therefore be careful by unfeigned Repentance and Humiliation to remove Sin which is the cause and then the Plague which is but the effect will soon cease but without this all Physick flying washings burning c. are but vain Till God bee appeased the Plague will never bee appeased till we humble our selves before him he will not heal us 2 Chron. 7.13 14. till by faith we fly unto him he will not hide us from the Pestilence Psal. 91.1 to 8. 1 This speaks Terror to the wicked and impenitent they have not to doe with men in this Judgement but with God who is a consuming fire and from whom there is no flying Amos 9.1 to 5. when men oppose men they may make some resistance but when Omnipotency comes against Impotency and the Creator against the Creature whose heart can be strong or whose hands endure Ezek. 22.14 The Plague when it seizeth upon a man in wrath it is a Terrible Judgement and that in many respects 1 In respect of pain it torments men with terrible burning in so much that many run mad and make away themselves yea and the stronger men are usually the sooner they are cut off by the Pestilence It is a noysome loathsome Disease hence called The noysome Pestilence Psal. 91.3 and if any doe recover yet are they seldome well some lose their Hearing some their Sight some their Memory most carry the prints of it with them to their Graves It is a woful Judgement and brings with it woful fears woeful sorrows woful desolation and woful terrours even the terrours of death 2 It is a Judgement that seldome goes alone but is attended with famine poverty depopulation ruine Ier. 22.6 9. 28.8 Ezek. 14.21 3 It deprives us of many choyâ—e Blessings which in other distresses men doe enjoy 1 It deprives us of the liberty of Gods House and Ordinances A sad affliction much lamented by David Psalm 42. 84. 2 It deprives us of our Callings so that we cannot serve God in them which is one great end why a good man desires to live 3 Of the comfort of Friends which in other Diseases they enjoy Two are better than one and woe to him that is alone 4 The suddenness of it addes much to its terror it slayes thousands suddenly we read of seventy thousand slaine in three dayes 2 Sam. 24.15 it is an Arrow that flies speedily Psal. 91.5 In Senacheribs host in one night there dyed of the Plague as some conceive one hundred fourscore and five thousand men 2 King 19.35 2 It may comfort the Godly that they have not to doe with unreasonable men whose tender mercies are cruelties but with a gracious God who in the midst of his Judgements remembers mercy It is the Cup which their Father gives them it is his Hand his Arrow his Messenger hee sends he orders he moderates and mittigates it He bids it goe and it goes stay and it staies 2 Sam. 24.15 16. It is a mercy when the
VVorld they would have Miracles and Angels to doe it when God saies they shall have Ministers and Preaching by men to doe it It is a Satanical delusion for men to think of being converted or comforted by any other way than that which God himself hath prescribed If God hath planted thee under a godly and a faithful Ministry and that cannot convert thee then assure thy self if an Angel from Heaven or a Ghost from Hell should come and preach every Sabbath to thee thou wouldst not be converted Sad is the condition then of many amongst us who visifie and contemn who mock and scorne at the Preaching of the Word accounting the publishers of it the Pests of a place and the troublers of Israel 1 King 18.17 grudging at their maintenance and slaying their persons this is a sign of remediless ruine to a Nation 2 Chron. 36.15 16. Levit. 26.14 15 16. Ier. 25.4 7 8 9. Prov. 13.13 2 Obs. There is a Divine hand of Providence that governs the world This brings plenty and poverty rain on one City and not on another one City is fired and another is rescued as a brand out of the fire These things come not by chance or fortune but there is a signal providence of God in them all Hee feeds the Sparrows cloathes the Lillies numbers our Hairs and takes special care of his people Hee hath a directing protecting compassionate vindicating care over all his he tenders them as the apple of his eye and writes them upon the palmes of his hands they are ever in his sight Isa. 49.15 63.9 Ezek. 16.8 Zach. 2.8 Mal. 3.17 Acts 9.4 This Providence of God is 1 Watchful 2 Distinct. 3 Strong 4 VVise in working We should therefore comfort our selves in this special Providence of God and cast all our burdens of cares fears on him Hee that provides for the meanest creatures will not suffer his noblest Creatures to want He that provides for Sparrows said good Mr. Herne when he was dying to his sad wife will not suffer Herns to want Yea he that provides so liberally for his enemies what will he not doe for his friends Away then with all carking distrustful care only commit thy way unto the Lord and hee shall direct thy paths Bee patient under all wrongs and injuries remembring that Gods eye takes special notice of all the wrongs that are done to his people to avenge them Exod. 3.9 2 Chron. 16.8 9. Let our moderation be made known to all since the Lord is at hand Phil. 4.5 See more of the Providence of God in Mr. Perkins on the Creed Artic. 1. p. 154. folio Vol. 1. Peter Martyr on 1 Sam. 10. p. 56 57. Lessius de Attributis p. 625. Dr. Gouge his Arrows p. 373. Rutherford Lect. Latine c. 11. p. 122. Corbet Fast Ser. on 1 Cor. 1.27 p. 5 c. Dyke on Matth. 4.4 p. 260 c. Strong 31 select Ser. p. 657. Raworth Iacobs Ladder p. 5 c. B. Andrews Catechis chap. 7. folio mihi p. 29. Herberts Poems p. 109 c. Pemble folio p. 263. to 279. Minutius felix per totum Par his Grounds of Divinity p. 33 c. 3 Obs. God is the destroyer of sinful Cities If you would know who it is that overthrows your Cities It is I saith the Lord that in justice for your provocations have made your Cities a desolation I fired Sodom destroyed No Niniveh Samaria Babylon Ierusalem As the Lord raiseth Cities and defends the good 2 King 19.34 20.6 so he ruines and layes waste the bad Hos. 13.16 Luke 19.44 keep sin then out of your Cities if you desire to keep them from fire plunder ruine Take heed of offending God who is a consuming Fire and can in a trice consume us and turn our dwellings into ashes 4 Obs. In the midst of Iudgements God remembers mercy Hee doth not stirre up all his wrath nor suffer his whole displeasure to arise but le ts fall only some drops upon us when he might pour a whole Sea of wrath upon our heads Psalm 78.38 God might justly have destroyed all these Israelites for their Idolatry and Apostasie yet he remembred his Covenant though they had fouly forgot it and transgrest it Hos. 6.7 and saves a remnant he destroyed but some not all their Cities So oft elsewhere we read of a remnant that were saved 2 King 19.31 Isa. 1.9 10.22 Rom. 9.27 5 Obs. Neither Iudgements nor Mercies can work upon hardned Sinners Some of these Israelites were destroyed like Sodom and others in mercy were pulled like a Brand out of the fire yet nothing works upon them but they are Israel still as Idolatrous and obstinate as ever VVhen the heart is once hardned by a long custom of sinning it is not all that Mount Ebal or Mount Gerizim Mount Sinai or Mount Sâ—on can afford not all the dreadful Curses of the one nor all the gracious Promises of the other that can work upon mens hearts Prov. 23.29 34 35. Ezek. 20.5 6 7 8 18 21. neither Iohns austerity nor Christs lenity could work upon hard-hearted Iews If God by his Spirit set not in with the means nothing works kindly upon us yea wee shall bee the worse for beating as these Israelites all these six Rods doe but stupifie them and make them fitter for a greater Judgement One rod being sanctified may bring a man home to God as the Prison did Manasses want the Prodigal and the Earth-quake the Jaylor they had Gods Spirit that taught them to profit by afflictions and so were blessed Psal. 94.12 but a thousand stripes on a Pharaoh Saul c. doe but make them the more sensless and indurate and is not this Englands Sin may not we behold our own faces in this Glass may not the Lord justly complaine of us as he doth here of Israel I have smitten England with Sword Plague and Famine some of their Towns and Cities I have fired and the rest were as a brand pulled out of the fire Many a time have I broken and blasted the Power and Policy of many great Achitophels and delivered them from many eminent imminent dangers and yet such is their incorrigibleness and incurableness that they have not returned unto me saith the Lord. If any thing destroy this Nation it is our obstinacy and impenitency under all those various Dispensations of Mercies and means which we have so long enjoyed God like a good Physician hath long studied our Disease and given us many Purgative draughts to drink he hath visited us with variety of Judgements and hath let us bloud several times the better to obtain our Cure and yet he may complaine of us as hee doth of Israel here that we have not for all this returned to him VERSE 12. Therefore thus will I doe unto thee O Israel and because I will doe thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel WEE have heard before of Israels Sin and Israels Punishment
we take no notice of it Hos. 7.9 God cries to us by his Judgements To day if yee will hear his voyce harden not your hearts while it is called to day make your peace with mee before the night of warre dearth and death surprize you God hath set forth a Third Edition of Warre he hath printed his Wrath in Capital letters his Spurs stick deep in our sides and our lashes are heard over all parts of Christendome and yet how little are we affected therewith and how careless are we to prepare to meet the Lord. With what a horrid stupidity are wee benummed the Plague of Lots Wife hath fallen upon us and we are turned into Stones and Pillars so that as our Saviour wept over Ierusalem so should we weep over England for its induration and not knowing the day of her Visitation There is a dark and dismal cloud of wrath hangs over our heads there is but one way left to prevent its falling on us and that is 1. Personal Repentance every one to amend one 2. Domestical Repentance every Family apart must humble themselves for their family sins Zach. 12.12 3. National Repentance when the Magistrate shall command the whole Nation to humble themselves for the crying sins and great provocations which have been daily committed in the midst of us Till this be done I shall never expect that truth or peace should abide long amongst us Let us then every one fall heartily to this work which must of necessity be done or else we are undone Luke 13.3 Ioh. 3.5 let us humble our selves and then God will raise us up Iob 22.29 Iam. 4.10 Let us weep now and we shall have joy when troubles come Iob 5.22 Hab. 3.16 Our sins are the Achans which have troubled our Israel our sins are the Ionahs which have raised these storms and tempests amongst us our sins are the Sheba's that have raised rebellion in the Land it is our malignant sins which have raised up against us malignant enemies let us then stone these Achans and our troubles will cease drown these Ionahs and our storms will over cut off the heads of these Sheba's and our troubles will end let us destroy our malignant sins and God will soon destroy our malignant enemies If men would but judge themselves they should not be judged of God 1 Cor. 11.31 Let us then set upon this Soul-inriching-work of Self-examination and Self-judging Let us arraign our selves and set our selves as in Gods presence before his bar Let us examine and take a view of our selves in the Glass of Gods Law and when wee have found out our corruptions let us with shame and sorrow confess them and spread them before the Lord to move him to shew pitty to us Let us judge our selves worthy to be destroyed for them humbly imploring pardon in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ. Doe but this soundly and sincerely and it will qualifie thee for mercies Temporal Spiritual and Eternal and give thee title and interest in many gracious Promises as Levit. 26.40 41 42. Prov. 28.13 1 Ioh. 1.9 The Lord is now upon his march against us it is time therefore for us to meet him with our Prayers and mollifie him with our Tears considering our own inability to grapple with him Can dust and ashes contend with the God of Heaven and Earth Can we with ten thousand Lusts meet the Lord with twenty thousand of Angels Can impotency vie with Omnipotency O no. 2 Consider we cannot run from God Psal. 139.7 Amos 9.2 3. we can goe no where from God but we must fall into his hands Let us therefore run from him to him Ab irato ad placitum from him as an angry God to him as a reconciled Father Bloud-letting is the cure of bleeding and to close with an enemy is the way to avoyd the blow 3 Consider If we goe not to meet God he will fetch us He will either fill our souls with terrours or else send outward afflictions to arrest us When Ioab would not come to Absolon he commands his field of Corn to bee fired and then Ioab arose and came 2 Sam. 14.30 31. Physicians sometimes to cure the Lethargy doe cast into a Feaver so doth God oft cure us of one evil by another If the Word cannot the Sword shall fetch us in or else doe that which is worse send us to Hell Let us then learn to prevent blows hearken to counsel and you may be safe else rods are prepared for the backs of fools Prov. 26.3 If we come not in of our selves let us expect some sad Messenger to fetch us therefore while the sea is calm and the weather fair let us set out to meet our God What the Lord said of Hezekiah is too true of England that he rendred not according to what he had received so we are much behind hand with God we receive much but we return little the Christian World is turned Bankrupt and God is now issuing forth Process to seize upon Body Goods and Life Hee cannot have what he would have he will therefore have what he should have He is now setting us as low as we have hitherto set his love Long-suffering is now at an end God will have all paid now or else Justice will set abroach our bloud O England then repent and prepare to meet thy God and to incourage us know that if wee will goe to meet God he will come to meet us he will meet our sorrow with his sense of it our Prayers with his presence and propitious answers and our tears with his handkerchief Nay he will meet us with embraces as the father of the Prodigal did his returning Son Luke 15.20 Let us then goe to him with humble acknowledgements in our mouthes and say to him Father we have sinned against Heaven and before thee we have abused thy Mercies despised thy Judgements despited thy Spirit and have not returned unto thee Let us thus in humility fall down at Gods feet and he will fall on our necks and embrace us in the armes of his love Seeing therefore God will doe thus unto us let us prepare our selves to meet our God See more concerning the necessity and excellency of Repentance in Master Perkins Mr. Dyke and Doct. Tho. Taylor their particular Treatises of Repentance Mr. Hookers Souls-preparation for Christ Mr. Bridge on Matth. 4.2 D. â—restons Iudas Repentance and Pauls conversion Mr. Fenners Danger of deferring Repent Many Treatises of Mr. Baxter about Conversion Mr. Swinnocks Key to Regeneration on Iohn 3.3 Binchius his Mellific Theolog. Loc. 19. P. 4. p. 90. Doct. Holdsworth on Hos. 14.2 Dyke on Conscience p. 49. and on the Sacrament p. 37. Taffin on Amendment p. 422. Mr. Baines Ser. Rev. 2.4 p. 17. Doct. Loves Ser. on Isa. 21.12 Doct. Burges his Fast Serm. on Jer. 4.14 Harsenet on Repentance Mr. Case his Morning Lectures in quarto p. 485. c. Reyner his Precepts for Practice p. 4 5.
Emphatically sets a Woe upon their heads Woe to them that are at ease in Sion 3. Gods Ministers must denounce Woes against the wicked As they must proclaim promises to the penitent so they must denounce judgements against the obstinate They must make a difference to some they must shew lenity and to others severity Iude 22 23. What dreadful woes do all the Prophets denounce against impenitent sinners Christ who was love it self and in whom there was no gall nor guile yet how many dreadful woes did he denounce against the hypocritical Pharisees even eight woes together Mat. 23.13 14 15 16 23 25 27 29. If men will be so bold as to proclaim their wickednesse Ministers must be so bold as to proclaim their woes 4. Woe and sorrow is the portion of secure sinners Both Legal woes and Evangelical woes temporal spiritual and eternal woes The Law cryes Woe to such sinners and so doth the Gospel but Gospel-woes are the sadder of the two for if the Law say woe to us yet the Gospel may say mercy to us but if the Gospel say woe to us where shall we finde mercy 'T is true sinners may laugh and be merry in the acting of sin but woe and weeping is in the conclusion Luk. 6.25 The end is death Rom. 6.21 As all the promises of Grace and Mercy hang over the heads of the godly and drop blessings upon them which way soever they go so clouds of wrath hang over the heads of the wicked dropping judgements upon them even in their highest prosperity when they think themselves most free from misery The mirth of every secure sinner that goes singing to hell is no better than madnesse for where security goes before destruction ever follows When men cry Peace Peace then comes sudden and swift destruction Luk. 12.19 20. 1 Thes. 5.3 Secure Laish became a booty to its enemies Iudg. 18.27 Carelesse Ethiopians shall be made afraid Ezek. 30.9 And carelesse Daughters shall be troubled Isa. 32.9 10 11. God is much displeased with a people when the fire of his wrath shall beset them round about and yet they remain unhumbled and insensible Isa. 22.12 13. and 42. ult 5. God usually fore-warns us of woe before hee sends woe Hee first cuts men down with the sword of his mouth before he cuts them off with the sword of his hand Hee delights not to take sinners at an advantage but loves to exercise his patience towards them that they might repent as wee see in both the destructions of Ierusalem the one by the Caldeans which was fore-told by the Prophets and the other by the Romans which was fore-told by Christ. But of this at large elsewhere 6. Carnal Confidence ruines a Land When men forsake God and trust in men and mountains in Kings and Kingdomes in Guards and Garrisons both they and their creature-confidences shall perish for as there is no policy so there is no power or fortifications that can defend us against God Prov. 21.30 31. Use means wee may but we must not Idolize them prepare armies and strong-holds but not trust in them They are branded that trust in Riches Psal. 52.7 9. and cursed that trust in men Jer. 17.5 6. 7. Ingratitude is a God-provoking and a Land-destroying sin God had made this people the head of the Nations and chose them for himself from amongst the Nations but they fought against God with his own blessings and as they were increased so they sinned against him abusing the good Land which hee had given them to Idolatry riot and excess till at last the Land spewed them out VERSE 2. Pass yee on to Calneh and see and from thence go to Hemath the great then go down to Gath of the Philistims bee they better than these Kingdomes or their borders greater than your borders THE Prophet goes on to awaken Israel and Iudah out of their security and to drive them from their carnal confidence in their Mountains Ammunition and fortified Cities to this end hee sets before them Gods Judgements on the Assyrians Caldeans and Philistims those Idolatrous and Heathenish Nations whose bounds were larger and their Cities stronger than theirs Hee instanceth in three Calneh Hamath and Gath. 1. Calneh this was an ancient wealthy great City built by Nimrod after the Flood in the Territories of Babylon Gen. 10.10 It was afterwards inlarged by the Parthians and called Ctesiphon and was made the Metropolis of the Kingdome 2. Hamath called here the great and mighty City to distinguish it from a City of that name in the Land of Israel Iosh. 19.32 35. It lay on the North side of Israel and was a boundary of the promised Land Numb 13.21 34.8 Zach. 9.2 'T was built by Antiochus and thereupon called Antiochia and was the Metropolis of Syria 'T was destroyed by the Assyrian for all its power and greatness Isa. 10.9 3. Gath a strong City of the Philistims well known to Israel for its enmity against them 2 Sam. 1.20 'T was at last taken its walls were broken down and it made tributary to others 2 Chron. 26.6 These bordering famous Cities were well known to them and therefore the Lord instanceth in them though under them synecdochically other flourishing Cities which were made a desolation may also bee included Hee bids them See and diligently consider the downfall of those places that their falls might make them fear and flye from security oppression and carnal-confidence lest they bee ruined as these were and they bee made an example unto others since they will not bee warned by others Bee they better than these Kingdomes or the borders of their Land greater than your borders These words admit of some difficulty Some make the Interrogation a Negation q. d. Are these Nations better than yours in no wise for do but compare your Kingdome of Iudah and Israel with those Kingdomes your Cities with their Cities and your borders with theirs and it will easily appear that none of those Nations are better than your Nation for either they are Tributary to others or ruined God hath done more for you than for them in many respects the greater is your sin and the sorer will your punishment bee if you abuse so pleasant a Land and such rich mercies to the dishonour of him that gave them Thus they bring in the Lord upbraiding them for their ingratitude that they had not rendred according to the mercies hee had shewed them This sense is good and many learned men go this way and though it must bee acknowleded that if wee look on Canaan Israels Land with all its priviledges it was the glory of all Lands Ezek. 20.15 yet other Nations might surpass it for strength and greatness of Cities for largeness of borders and for amenity and fruitfulness of soil as Babylon did But with submission to better judgements I conceive the Interrogation to bee here an Assertion and the genuine sense of the place to bee
abused to my dishonour 3 Here is the confirmation of this Commination The Lord hath sworn it even the Lord of Hosts who is Omnipotent and hath all power in his hand to execute his purposes The Lord doth not only say it but swear it the Iewes were hard of belief and sleighted the threatnings of the Prophets therefore the Lord confirms it with an Oath saying I have sworn by my self or as the words are in the fountain I have sworn Benaphsho in anima sua by my Soul or Life the Lord swears by himself because there is none greater than he The soul is the man and he that swears by his soul swears by himself and therefore the soul according to the Hebrew Idiom is oft put for a mans self as Psal. 3.2 Ier. 51.6 Matth. 25.26 It is an Anthropopathy frequent in Scripture Gen. 22.16 Ier. 51.14 it is spoken of God after the manner of men as an Hand an Eye a Face a Foot is oft ascribed to God so here and elsewhere a Soul is ascribed to God Isa. 1.14 Ier. 5.9 29. which is God himself for whatsoever is in God is God Q. d. If we beleeve men who swear by their soul or life which yet is as nothing how weighty ought my Oathes to bee with you saith the Lord when I put my self to pledge and if yee will not beleeve my Prophets yet beleeve me whose Decrees are immutable whose Iudgements are intolerable who cannot deceive nor be deceived who am Omnipotent and able to put all my Threatnings in execution against you since I am the Lord of Hosts whom all Creatures doe obey as their supreame Commander OBSERVATIONS 1 Swearing in it self is lawful God himself who cannot sin yet swears by himself Isa 45. 23. 62.8 Heb. 6.13 The Lord to strengthen our faith in the truth of his Promises sometimes swears Gen. 22.16 Psal. 132.11 Heb. 6.17 and sometimes he confirmes the truth of his Threatnings with an Oath to make us fear Psal. 95.11 Heb. 3.11 thrice happy they for whose sake the Lord swears and most unhappy they that beleeve him not when he swears since he that beleeves not God makes him a Lyar 1 Ioh. 5.10 not by any transmutation of God but because hee esteemes his Word and Promises as a false thing 2 Wicked men are hardly brought to beleeve the Threatnings of God The Lord must swear here to awaken them out of their stupidity so sottish are men by nature especially when hardned in a way of sin and if Gods owne people in whom there is a Principle of Grace be slow of heart to beleeve the Doctrin of the Gospel Luke 24.25 26. how hard is it to work those truths upon those who have neither eyes to see nor ears to hear 1 Cor. 2.9 3 God is the Lord of Hosts He hath all Power in his hands and all Creatures at his command ready to execute his wrath upon wicked men This Title is given to God above two hundred times in the Old Testament and but once in the New Iam. 5.4 the reason is because this is a name of Majesty and Terror suitable to Old Testament times but in the New Testament he hath more sweet and mild Titles as Father of Mercies God of all consolation the Saviour of all men c. We should therefore fear to displease him who hath the higher Host of Heaven Myriads of Angels and the lower Host of Creatures on earth all ready at the least beck of their Lord and Master to destroy his enemies 4 No Privilâ—dges can preserve a sinful people from ruine Let them be exalted to Heaven in excellency and glory and be loaded with riches nobility dignity and preheminence yet if they abuse those Priviledges they shall be thrown down to Hell Matth. 11.23 God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation such as work righteousness are accepted of him and such as work unrighteousness be they Iewes or Gentiles are rejected of him When God shall chuse a people to be an holy people to himself and they shall walk unholily and live like the prophane of the world it is just with God that they should perish with them Many boast that they are Christians they are Baptized they hear the Word and receive the Sacrament Aye but do you walk up to those Priviledges and answer them with obedience if not you are but baptized Heathens yea a drunken Turk is nearer Heaven than a drunken and dissolute Christian. Meer Titular Christians are no Christians As he is not a Jew that is one outwardly so he is not a Christian that is one only nominally we must be internal ones in spirit and in truth answering our Gospel Priviledges with Gospel-Practises and then we shall be happy Rom. 2.25 28 29. 5 Sin makes God to hate our very dwellings and Palaces He loathes the habitations of wicked men and looks upon them as so many Swine-styes and sinks of sin The habitations of the wicked are cursed of God Iob 12.6 15.34 Zach. 5.4 As we should keep our bodies pure as becomes the Temples of the Holy Ghost so wee should keep our Houses pure from sin and put away iniquity farre from our Tabernacles that they may be Bethels houses of God and not Bethâ—avens houses of vanity and iniquity Iob 11.14 22.23 this is the way to keep our houses in peace Iob 5.24 Prov. 1. ult 8.6 and to make our Families flourish Prov. 14.11 We should rather desire with those holy Patriarcks Abraham Isaac and Iacob to live in Tents and mean houses where we may serve God remembring that we are but Strangers and Pilgrims here but Citizens of Heaven than to live as these Epicures in the Text in stately Palaces abounding with sensual luxury and all manner of riot till they be destroyed 6 When men will not beleeve the Threatnings they shall feel the punishment The righteous doe hear and fear but the wicked never fear till they feel the Sword and Pestilence upon them When no warnings can mend a People then Judgements end them as we see in the old World Ierusalem and others Lots Sons in Law would not beleeve till they were burnt Gen. 19.14 nor Pharaoh till he was drowned 7 It is Sin that ruines Cities Israel sinned and now City and all is taken It is this that hath brought fire and sword desolation and destruction upon the most glorious Cities Many complaine of Instruments that have betrayed them but it is our sins that have betrayed us into their hands and therefore Magistrates Ministers and Governours should improve their interest for the stopping of sin that so they may prevent the ruine of those places where they dwell VERSE 9. And it shall come to pass if there remaine ten men in one house that they shall dye WEE have heard of Israels Captivity before but since that could doe no good now comes the Pestilence and that no ordinary one which usually leaves some
us much in this duty of Prayer The Lord repented also for this this also shall not be vers 6. I will hold my hand saith God the fire which I threatned shall not yet come the Land shall not be deâ—troyed at this time So gracious is the Lord and ready to forgive and so quickly he repents him of the evil which he intends against his people especially when his Ministers intercede for them Ioel 2.13 he afflicts not willingly Judgement is his strange work and Fury is not in him Isa. 27.4 But though the Lord at the intercession of his Servants may suspend his fiery Judgements here though oft-times hee pleads with them here by Fire Sword Famine c. Isa. 66.15 16. Ezek. 38.22 yet without repentance the fire of the last Day will certainly devour them God will then contend with fire and execute the fierceness of his fury upon the workers of iniquity 3 Obs. Hence note That short Prayers full of faith and fervency may prevail very much with God for a People It is not the loudness or the length or the neat expressions which take with God 1 King 18.26 Eccles. 5.2 Mat. 6.7 7.21 But it is the faith and sincerity of him that prayes poor broken Prayers coming from a broken heart are of great worth in the sight of God Matth 15.25 Eliâ—ahs Prayer was short and pithy and prevailed 1 King 18.36 so Psal. 6.3 My soul is sore vexed but thou O Lord how long viz. wilt thou delay to help me It is an abrupt broken speech but God can pick sense out of our non-sense Prayer is a work of the Heart and not of the Tongue words are but the out-side of Prayer it is the Hearts desire which God eyes and respects and if thy affections fly aloft though thy words doe but creep yet thy faith shall get what thy words cannot yea if thou canst not speak yet if thou canst weep God will hear the voyce of thy weeping Tears have a voyce Psal. 6.8 as well as words The Lord called to contend with fire Or the Lord proclaimed that he would contend with fire or plead that is punish them with fire Thus Hos. 4.1 The Lord hath a Controversie that is a Plea or Process not only verbal but real that is he had Judgements ready to execute on them This contending notes Israels obstinacy we use not to contend or goe to suit till we have tried all other means to get our right yet cannot get it then we are constrained to contend As War so Law is or ought to be our last refuge God had used all means to win this People but in vaine and therefore he is now constrained to contend with Fire and Sword against them Q. But what is meant by Fire here A. Interpreters vary 1. Some take it Literally for some extraordinary fire which should fall from Heaven and consume them as it did Sodom and Gomorrah and Aarons Sons Levit. 10.2 and Iobs Sheep and Servants Iob 1.16 So say some God called his Angels to execute judgement on these wicked men and to contend or plead for him by fire in their destruction 2 By fire others understand a great Drought when the violent heat of the Sun-beams should pierce the deepest parts of the earth below the roots of the Corn and Trees and so should make a perfect famine This extream heat and scorching of the Sun is called a Fire Ioel 1.19 20. A fire hath consumed the Pastures of the Wilderness and a flame hath burnt up all the trees of the field that is the great heat of the Sun like to a fire hath consumed all 3 By Fire may be meant the Wrath of God which was now inflamed against this stubborn People and this is the kindler of all Penal fires and is oft in Scripture called Fire Iob 31.12 Isa. 26.11 Amos 5.6 Heb. 12. ult 4 And most genuinely Fire is here taken Metaphorically for some direful and dreadful Judgement for Fire of all the Elements is most terrible which should consume their men money health strength Iob 15.31 34 More especially here it adumbrates War which should be managed by some fiery furious enemy who like fire should wast and consume all before it So Ezek. 20.48 Behold I will kindle a fire in thee which shall devour every green tree and every dry tree that is all sorts of people both old and young rich and poor the fire of War shall consume them all So Numb 21.28 Isa. 66.15 16. Ier. 48.45 Lam. 2.3 Amos 1.4 7 10. 2.5 OBSERVATIONS 1 When lesser Iudgements will not mend a People God usually comes with greater The devouring Locusts could not stir this people God wil now see what the Fire will doe Great impenitency calls for great punishment Levit. 26.18 But of this elsewhere 2 Sin is the great make-bate between God and his people It breeds contention and dissention between them God hath a Suit and an Action against such Hos. 4.1 God had a Controversie against Israel and cites them to answer the Plea which he had against them for their ignorance cruelty swearing lying c. God loves his Creature as it is his Creature but when it becomes a sinful rebellious Creature he abhors it and delights in its destruction Prov. 1.26 This bred the Quarrel between God and the Old world Gen. 6.2 3. and between him and Ierusalem Jer. 30.15 Hos. 12.2 Micha 6.2 3. Sin bred the first Controversie and Quarrel between God and the Angels and between God and Adam This turns him who is sweetness it self and mercy it self into wrath and fury Isa. 64.5 it is sin that warres against God and therefore no wonder if he warre against it it is directly opposite to his holy Nature Psal. 5.5 and dishonours him in all his Attributes Sinners deny his Omniscience as if he did not see what they doe and his Omnipotence as if he were unable to punish and his Iustice as if he would never call them to an account c. no wonder then if God have a quarrel with such Sin warres against the Lawes of God against the Spirit of God Isa. 7.13 Ephes. 4.30 against the Saints of God against the wayes and Worship of God yea against all that is Gods No wonder then if he contend by Fire against that which so fiercely contends and fights against him and his 3 Warre is a dreadful Iudgement It is one of Gods last and sore Rods Ezek. 14.21 hence it is compared here to fire which is one of the most terrible elements that are If the Lord should contend with Water and send a floud upon the world that were sad but Fire Fire is farre more terrible to the nature of man As Peace is one of the choycest Mercies so War is the saddest Judgement Peace sweetens our blessings and makes them blessings indeed To have Houses Goods Lands and be in continual danger of losing by enemies imbitters all to us Hence when the Lord
the High places of Laughter or the ridiculous High places and the Altars of Derision for what is more ridiculous than for men to worship a Stock or a Stone which themselves have carved shall be desolate But this is a ridiculous version of this text for though there be a change of one Letter in the name of Isaac Scin instead of Tsade yet the Learned in that Language observe that these Letters are used promiscuously the one for the other and it is the same Isaac here spoken of which is mentioned Gen. 17.19 Psal. 105.9 By high places here are meant Temples and Altars erected on Mountains and Hills for the honour of their Idols Amos 4. ult Though God had confined them by a strict command to worship at Ierusalem yet they must have somewhat of their owne inventing they must be sacrificing on their owne high Hills high Altars and high Places though they dye for it These are called the High-places of Isaac say some 1 Because as Abraham was ready to offer Isaac in Sacrifice at Gods command so these offered their Sons and Daughters in imitation of Abraham to Moloch and Baal but there is no ground for this in the text 2 They garnisht their Idolatry with the names and examples of Isaac and Iacob because in their times they had set up secret Altars and offered Sacrifices there to the God of Heaven Thus did Isaac at Beersheba Gen. 26.25 and Iacob at Bethel Gen. 35.7 And the Sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid wast That is the Idolatrous Temples Altars and Groves in Dan and Bethel and other Cities consecrated to the golden Calves shall be destroyed by the Assâ—rian These places are called Sanctuaries and Holy places not that they are so indeed but the Scripture speaks according to mens opinions of them as here it calls these Idols Temples Sanctuaries when indeed they were dens of Devils and great provocations of Gods wrath against this people And I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the Sword This Ieroboam was not Ieroboam the Son of Nebat which made Israel to sin the first Author of Schism and Idolatry in the Kingdome of Israel but this is Ieroboam the second one of the same name and of the same religion a chip of the old block he was Son of Ioash Nephew to Iehu and Father to Zachariah in his dayes the Kingdom flourisht they recovered many Cities and inlarged their borders but they abusing these Mercies God threatens to destroy both the Kingdome and the Kings posterity as he did when Zachariah the Son of Ieroboam was slaine openly in the sight of the people by Shallum after he had reigned six moneths who translated the Kingdome to his owne family 2 King 15.10 and this put an end to Iehu's Stock according to the threatning 2 King 10.30 Two vaine props this People rested on 1. In their external Idolatrous services 2. In the power of their Kings Both these the Lord tells them should faile them for their Sanctuaries should be laid wast and the house of the King cut off and this made way for their utter ruine by the Assyrian Q. But why doth the Lord threaten the house of Jeroboam rather than any other family A. Because the Leaders of People especially if they be wicked lead them into Sin with themselves and so have the Peoples sins to answer for as well as their owne The twenty Kings of Israel were all of them Idolaters and drew the people into Idolatry with them and therefore the Lord threatens to begin with the house of Ieroboam first both Princes Priests and People had sinned together and now the Lord tells them they shall perish together So Samuel told the people that if they persevered in their wickedness both they and their King should perish 1 Sam. 12. ult OBSERVATIONS 1 Corruptions in the Church usually ruine the State For Church and Common-wealth are like the Vine and the Elme or like those twins which are said to weep and laugh together so long as purity in religion is preserved the State prospers and hath peace 2 Chron. 17.5 10. Isa. 60.12 13 18. God will preserve that people which preserves his truth Revel 2.10 but he will depart from those that depart from the purity of his wayes and when God departs peace plenty comfort glory c. all goes with him and all misery comes in like a floud Deut. 31.17 Ier. 6.8 Hos. 9.12 2 God will destroy Idolatrous places The Sanctuaries and high places of Idolators shall be ruined if Magistrates will not destroy them God will Levit. 26.30 Deut. 12.23 Ezek. 6.3 Amos 4. ult 5.5 3 Sin especially the Sin of Idolatry ruines great men as well as others God is no respecter of persons but if great men be great offenders they must look for great punishment God is terrible not only to inferiour wicked men but even to the Kings of the earth if Ieroboam will worship golden Calves those Calves shall be his ruine Idolatry is a God-provoking and a Land-destroying sin Psal. 106.39 Amos 2.4 5. 4 Gods Ministers must denounce Iudgements against great men when they sin as well as against inferiour persons Yea rather against them because by their example they doe more hurt This makes Amos as it were threaten the house of the King Thus Elijah reproves Ahab Nathan David and Iohn Baptist Herod See more in my Com. on Psal. 82.2 Obs. 1. p. 96 97. 5 God transferres Kingdoms from one family to another as pleaseth him He pulls down one and sets up another in the Throne and none may say to him what dost thou After the division of the Kingdom of Israel from Iudah they had twenty Kings of ten several Stocks whereof one destroyed another Ieroboams Stock was cut off by Baasha and Baashaes by Zimri and Tibni by Omri and Omries by Iehu and Iehu's by Shallum and Shallum's by Menahems and Menahems by Pekah and Pekah's by Hoshea All these Kings were Idolaters and the most of them cruel Tyrants and Persecutors and therefore God cut them off that they did not live out half their dayes VER 10 11. Then Amaziah the Priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam King of Israel saying Amosâ—ath â—ath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel the Land is not able to bear all his words For thus Amos saith Jeroboam shall dye by the Sword and Israel shall surely be led away Captive out of their owne Land WEE have seen Amos his fidelity and love to this People in the faithful discharge of his duty to them We are now come to the issue and event of his Sermons and to see how he is required for his pains and this makes the second part of this Chapter where we have a notable History of the Persecution and treachery of Amaziah the Idolatrous Priest of Bethel and the constancy of Amos in asserting the truth maugre the malice of all adverse power whatsoever This
and filthy Songs to the corrupting both of themselves and others 4 When all sin all must look to suffer for sin When all sin then all loyns and all heads must be made bald National Sins bring National Judgements VVhen All the Old VVorld All Sodome All Ierusalem had corrupted their wayes then All must perish But of this before 5 In calamitous times we may and must expresse our inward sorrow by outward Vestures and Gestures When Gods hand lies heavie upon a people they must not be stupid and stoical but they must hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Micah 6.9 They must humble themselves under Gods mighty hand laying aside their costly attire and put themselves in mourning weeds It is not sufficient that we grieve inwardly for our sins and Gods Judgements upon us for sin but we must also expresse our sorrow by external signs David wept and put on Sackcloth Psal. 38.11 and so did Ier. ch 9.1 and Nehem. ch 1.4 Iob abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes Iob 42.6 Caut. Yet a Caveat must be here entred we must not rest in bare external weeping or wearing of mournful Vestures but our outward humiliation must expresse our inward humiliation of the heart else hypocritical out-side service is odious to God Isa. 1.11 12 13. 66.3 Matthew 6.2 Luke 16.15 6 Sin is a bitter thing It is bitter in it self and brings forth bitter effects It brings bitter dayes and bitter calamities upon a people Sin like Sathan its Father makes large promises but sorry performances It promiseth pleasure but yeelds pain it promiseth liberty but brings men into prisons it promiseth peace but brings warre Take heed then of the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3.13 7 When a Nation is ripe for ruine God will utterly destroy them His patience will no longer wait upon them but they and theirs shall perish in their iniquity and the end shall be a bitter day The wicked use to promise themselves light but they shall finde darknesse they promise themselves deliverance and joy but they shall finde bitternesse and sorrow even to the end of their dayes VERSE 11 12. Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it THe Prophet had before set forth those sad Calamities and external Miseries which should seize upon the ten Tribes be now proceeds and fore-tells them of farre greater evils which should come upon them viz. not a famine of bodily bread for of that he had spoken before Amos 4.6 but a Spiritual famine of the Word of God which should feed their souls to eternal life This is the Judgement of Judgements usually the last and sorest As the giving of Gods VVord to a People is the choysest Blessing so the taking of it away is the heaviest Curse as having all other Curses attending it It is a sign of Gods rejecting and reprobating of a people when he will not vouchsafe to speak unto them by his Ministers As it is a sign that God hath some people in that place to which hee sends his Messengers Acts 18.9 10 11. so their departure from a place and people is an evident sign of his displeasure against them Acts 13.46 Mat. 10.14.15 In this Verse we have 1. A note of Attention Behold q. d. I shall now tell you of a more direful and dreadful Judgement than ever and therefore it concerns you diligently to attend 2 Here is the Judgement threatned and that is a Famine which is amplified and illustrated by an Antithesis it is not an external corporal famine 't is not a famine of material bread but which is far worse 't is a spiritual famine a losse of heavenly food a want of the bread of life this famine should be so great that they should run from Sea to Sea and from one part of the Land to another and yet should not injoy it The Lord in great mercy had sent his Prophets amongst them to call them to repentance but they like ungrateful and rebellious sinners contemned Gods Ordinances prophaned his holy things and persecuted his Messengers till the wrath of the Lord broke forth and there was no remedy They loathed Gods Mannah and longed to be at their Garlick and Onions in Egypt again They were dead under lively Oracles and barren under fruitful means of grace and therefore the Lord was now resolved no longer to plow such Rocks nor sow such sands but since they would not serve him with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things therefore they should now be made to serve their enemies in the want of all things They that would not hear and obey the Prophets of God in their own Land should now be caâ—t out of all and be made to serve strange gods in a strange Land As God had before exalted them to Heaven in the use of means and given them many excellent Prophets that did fully and faithfully dispense his Word unto them so now their Prophets should be taken from them and they should have a spiritual famine and be made to know the price of Gods mercies by the wanting of them The word Famine implies two things 1. It sets forth the nature of Gods Word 't is the food of the soul. Look what bread and water is to the body that and much more is the Word of God unto the soul. 2. It imports the greatness of the judgement it should be a Famine not a famine of bread that is but a petty-judgement a flea-biting as nothing comparatively to this though the bodily famine simply considered in it self be one of Gods sore judgements as I have shewed before on Amos 4.6 yet that pincheth but the out-side the carkass and may bee sent in mercy to the soul but this famine of the Word is a spiritual judgement that destroies the soul and is a sign of Gods greatest wrath against a people and is usually accompanied with many other judgements 3. Here is the Author of this famine and that is God I will send or I will let it loose I have hitherto chained it up like a wilde beast that it might not hurt you but now it shall out amongst you and destroy you 4. Here is the time when this should be and that is suddenly The dayes come q. d. The time will come and is now at hand when your Sun shall set at noon and a spiritual famine shall surprise you 5. Here is the certainty of all this 'T is not man but the Lord that saith it who will fulfil every threatning upon the heads of these sinners OBSERVATIONS 1. The preaching of the Word is the spiritual food of the soul and therefore the want of it
joyning themselves to Iudah came again into the holy Land after the seventy years Captivity It was usual with the Prophets to mollifie their Threatnings with the intermixture of some Promises the better to incourage them to return by giving them some glimpse of acceptance and hope of mercy for the Prophet having before uttered hard things against this people he comes now in the close of all to end his Prophesie with promises of comfort to a remnant whom God would hide in the midst of their Captivity till better times should come under the Gospel Some construe the words Ironically and make them a confirmation of the punishment q. d. I have punished Nations that never had the teaching which you have had and do you think to go scot-free But this sense seems to be racked It is better therefore to take the words as they simply import a promise of mitigation moderation and favour to a remnant because of the Covenant and because of the Elect amongst them and their Seed who were to be the Seminary of the Church This is most agreeable to the contexture and suits best with the next Verse where the Prophet promiseth that albeit God be resolved to sift the house of Israel yet the least grain should not fall to the ground and therefore the Geneva translation renders it well Nevertheless I will not utterly destroy the house of Iacob Destroying I will not destroy it that is I will not totally destroy the family and stock of Israel but will preserve a remnant for my self though they be captives in Assyria and Chaldea yet as I have brought them in so I will bring some of them out again that they may praise me 5 Here is the confirmation both of the Commination and the Consolation Dixit Dominus the Lord who cannot lye hath said it who both can and will perform what ever he hath spoken OBSERVATIONS 1 The eyes of the Lord are upon sinful Kingdomes to destroy them The Kingdomes that will not submit to Christ and serve him be they never so many or mighty must perish Isa. 60.12 As his eye is upon the righteous to preserve them so his eye is upon the wicked to destroy them as I have shewed before on vers 4. As he looks upon the righteous not with a bare look of intuition but with a look of approbation in order to their assistance to do them good and to exert his strength for them so he looks upon the wicked with an eye of indignation for evil and not for good 1 Pet. 3.12 When men are given up to sin and are become hardened and habituated in iniquity as these were then judgement is near Ier. 13.23 24. especially when Kingdomes are defiled with Idolatry that wickedness with a witness that sin with an accent which truly and properly denominates a Kingdome to be The sinful Kingdome Where ever this sin goes before destruction is at the heels of it It is a soul-damning and a land-destroying sin Iudg. 5.8 Psal. 78.58 to 63. Ier. 22.7 8 9. one such a sinner in grain destroyes much good Eccles. 9.17 The Idolater is a grand Traitor to the state he lives in He helps to bring Sword Plague Famine and all curses upon a Land Ezek. 14.7 8 21. Gods eye is upon such to cut them off from the face of the earth 2 Gods Ministers must wisely intermix Iudgement and Mercy They must like the good Samaritan have Wine and Oyl Wine to search and cleanse mens wounds and Oyl to supple and heal them The sharpness of the Law must be allayed with the sweetness of the Gospel Luke 10.34 Amos had often threatned now he comforts Obstinate sinners must be certified and pulled with violence out of Satans jaws others that are humbled must be handled gently Iude 23. We must frame our reproofs according to the necessities of our Auditors All sores are not cured with one salve that may be poyson to one which is medicinal to another The soul must be throughly purged from sin before it can be cured or expect any health It is in this case as it is in sores if any corruption be left unexpelled the wound will wrankle and may become mortal For sin is like Bishops-weed if you leave but little spangs unweeded they will run over your garden and suffer nothing that is good to grow near it Ministers then had need to have the Tongue of the Learned to know how to speak a word in season for if we preach al mercy we shall teach men to presume if all Judgement to despond and despair We must therefore wisely sing both of Mercy and Judgement hence the Prophets did usually give some glimpses of comfort and grounds of hope to Gods people in their distresse They had some peradventure you may be hid and heard Joel 2.14 Ionah 3.9 Zeph. 2.3 Take away hope and you take away endeavours impossibility of obtaining breaks the heart and therefore 't is that the Lord usually gives people some crumbs of comfort in their deepest distresse that so they might be incouraged to come in unto him 3. In the midst of Iudgement God usually spares a remnant Isa. 1.9 37.32 Ier. 5.18 Rom. 9.27 11.5 Though God make a full and final end of other Nations yet he makes not a full end with his people but corrects them in measure and in mercy Ier. 46. ult Though he punish some yet he destroys not all but moderates publick calamities for the Elects sake Mat. 24.22 In the Babylonish captivity the Lord preserved Ieremy Daniel and others When all the Old World was drowned yet a little remnant was spared viz. Noah and his family God is ever mindful of his Covenant to his people and in the midst of all confusions he is a Tower to his As I have shewed elsewhere VER 9. For loe I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations like as Corn is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least grain fall upon the Earth THe Prophet having mentioned a mitigation of the punishmen in the cloze of the precedent verse he comes in this verse to confirm and illustrate this mitigation and moderation by a Metaphor or Allusion taken from Husbandmen who sift and winnow away the Chaff but carefully preserve the Wheat For loe I will command the Assâ—rians and Babylonians and they shall seize on Israel and Iudah and shall sift them and if I command who shall hinder it how Israel was sifted we have seen how Iudah was sifted up and down you may see Lam. 1.3 5.5 6. And I will sift them as corn is sifted in a sieve which similitude implies three things 1. That the men of Israel and Iudah should be tossed and scattered among all Nations as Corn is tossed to and fro in a sieve 2. As the Corn and Wheat is preserved in the sieve when the Chaff flies away and falls to the ground so in the midst of all these tossings and