Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 5

Exposition of Amos 4-9 · Part 5

AN EXPOSITION, WITH Practical OBSERVATIONS UPON The Eighth Chapter of Amos.

VERSE 1, 2, 3.

Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto mee, and behold a basket of Summer fruit.

And he said, Amos, what seest thou? and I said, a basket of Summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto mee, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.

And the Songs of the Temples shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God, there shall be many dead bodies in every place, they shall cast them forth with silence.

THe Lord having tryed many conclusions upon this people, and used all means to reclaim them, but in vain; he therefore sends the Prophet to them, to declare their final ruine, which he doth in this Chapter by the vision of a basket of Summer fruit, noting thereby the ripeness of their sins, and their neerness to ruine.

The Prophet had before set forth the Judgments which were coming upon this people, by three Types and Visions. 1. By the Type of Grashoppers and Locusts, hee did shadow out the famine, chap 7.2. By fire, devouring the great deep, is set forth War, chap. 7.4, 5, 6.3. By a Plumb line, is set forth the overthrow of the Kingdome, and the Kings house, chap. 7.7.4. We have here a fourth Vision, where by a basket of Summer fruit, is set forth the final destruction of the ten Tribes. So that in this chapter we have the summe of Amos his sixth Sermon, wherein is a Type propounded and expounded, Or 1. A Commination of the total overthrow of the Kingdome of Israel, set forth under the type of a basket of Summer fruit, vers. 1, 2, 3.

2. Here is an Amplification of this Commination, the better to awaken these secure sinners, set forth by a particular enumeration of those dreadful Judgements, both corporal and spiritual, which were coming on them, and that in so dreadful a manner, that the Sun should be darkened, and no light of consolation appear. The Land should tremble, and every one mourn bitterly, as for the loss of an onelyonly Son, vers. 7. Desolation like an over-flowing flood should run over all, Vers. 3.

Their feasting should be turned into fasting, and their prosperity into deplorable misery. This is set forth, 1. Metaphorically, vers. 9. I will cause the Sun to go down at noon.

2. Plainly, vers. 3, to 13. I will turn your feasts into weeping, and your beautiful Virgins and strong young men shall perish.

3. Their Pastors should be taken from them, and they should have a spiritual famine of the preaching of the Word, it should be so scarce, that it was not to be found, vers. 11, 12. They had loathed this Mannah, and now they should be made to know the worth of it, by the wanting of it.

4. Utter destruction, vers. 14. They shall fall and never rise up again.

3. Here is the ground of this Commination, or the Impulsive and meritorious cause of all this sorrow, viz. the sins of Israel, as 1. Their oppression of the poor, vers. 4.

2. Their covetousness and greediness after gain, counting all time lost that was spent in the service of God, because it brought no present profit, therefore they say, When will the New-Moon be gone? verse 5.

3. Their deceitful dealing, in falsifying weights and measures, vers. 5.

4. Their Idolatry, vers. 14.

VERSE 1.

Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto mee, and behold a basket of Summer fruit.

THe Prophet begins with a Vision or Parable, which contains the substance of the whole Sermon, by a lively type he sets forth Israels utter ruine; and to procure the more authority to what he spake, he begins with his usual preface, which he prefixt before his former Visions, chap. 7.1.4.7. Thus hath the Lord shewed mee. The Lord the God of Israel, whose name is Iehovah, the onelyonly true God, who cannot deceive, nor be deceived; he is the Author of this Vision, I am but the Penman and rustick Instrument to declare it to you, 2 Pet. 1.21.

In the Verse it self, we have, 1. An Exordium or Preface, Thus hath the Lord shewed mee, q. d. I bring you no Vision of mine own brain, but what I tell you I have received from the Lord, the Vision I had from him, and therefore in his name do I require attention.

2. Here is a note of Attention,Of this see more on Amos 4. ult. & 6.11.Amos 4 Behold, which is here an Eye-Ecee, though oft in Scripture it be an Ear-Ecce, calling upon men to hearken; yet here 'tis an Eye-Ecce, and calls upon them to see a Vision, so 'tis used, Iohn 1.29, 47. This word Behold, like the hand in the Margent of a Book, points to some notable thing, and is like the sounding of a Trumpet before some famous proclamation, or the ringing of a Bell before an excellent Sermon.

3. Here is the Vision to be attended and observed, and that is,Kajitz, aestatis, i. e. rest vorum fructuum, qui aestate maturuerunt, & jam decerpendi sunt. Met. Adjuncti, Tempus pro iis quae sunt in tempore ut videre est, 2 Sam. 16.1. Isa. 16.9.2 Sam 16:1Isa 16:9 A basket of Summer fruit. Amos saw a basket of Summer fruit. After all the Visions means and menaces which the Lord had given them, he adds yet this, Of a basket of Summer fruit, if at last he might work upon their hard hearts. By this sacred Hieroglyphick, the Lord typifies the manner of Israels end, and shews it to the Prophet in Vision, the better to affect both Prophet and People. A basket of Summer fruit is quickly ripe; as the great heat of the Sun doth more speedily ripen fruit, so the great means and mercies which this people did injoy, hastened the maturity of their sin, and made them as the Rod of an Almond-tree. which blossometh before other trees, Ier. 1.11, 12.

When fruit is ripe and gathered, 'tis a sign that Summer is past, and Winter is at hand; so this Vision did shew that the Winter of a final overthrow was nigh to the ten Tribes.

The word which we render Basket, the Vulgar render it, Uncinus, an Hook, wherewith we get the fruits which are past our reach, from the tops of trees. 'Tis true, the word is Homonymous, in the Original,Kelab, canistrum, Uncinus, cavea, and admits of divers significations, as a Basket, a Hook, a Cage; but most properly it signifies a Basket; though there is a truth in all these, for as the Hook, pulls down those Apples which are ripe, with ease, and brings the boughs to our hands; and as ripe fruit in a Basket, or birds in a Cage, Ier. 5.27. are easily carried whithersoever the owner pleaseth; so the Israelites which were ripe for ruine, should be easily and suddenly carried away out of their own Land by the Assyrians, as appears, 2 King. 17.

OBSERVATIONS.

1. The Servants of God must persevere in their Ministery, notwithstanding peoples obstinacy.

The Prophet had preacht five Sermons before, and though he were affronted by Amaziah the Priest, We must press the same thing again and again Hardy, 1 John 2.9. p. 163, 164.1 John 2:9and accused of sedition, and advised to fly and be gone, that so the Kingdome might be shut of him; yet he goes on in his duty still, and adds a sixth Sermon to the rest, and publisheth another Vision to his former Visions, if by any means he might reclaim them. The barrenness and baseness of a people must not make us barren, Ezek. 2.3, 6, 7. 1 Cor. 9.16. but by an holy Antiperistasis; the more vile our people are, the more zealous must we be for God; as Elijah was in the midst of an Idolatrous Generation. If men be hardened in their sins, and oppose the truth, we must harden our fore-heads against their oppositions, and set our faces as a flint against them, as our Saviour did, Isa. 50.7. and Ier. 1.18. Yeelding to the wicked in their wickedness, makes them more Tyrannical and violent. Wee must therefore add Sermon to Sermon, and Precept to precept, Isa. 28.13. If one blow, or one woe will not awaken sinners, we must add seven more, Mat. 23.13. to 29.

2. 'Tis lawful in weighty cases to use a Preface before wee speak.

The Prophet here begins with a Thus hath the Lord shewed mee, V. Psal. 82.2. Obs. 1. p. 9.Ps 82:2to quicken their Attention. But of this elsewhere.

3. Ministers must preach plainly to their people.See more in my Com. on Hos. 13.15. Obs. …. p. 46, 47.Hos 13:15

Hence the Lord so oft useth similitudes by his servants the Prophets, Isa. 5.1, &c. Ier. 2.21. Ezek. 17.6. Mat. 13. 3, &c. and condescends to our capacities by setting forth Visions, signs and sights before his Prophets, for the better instruction of his people, Numb. 12.6. & 24.4. Isa. 6.1. Ier. 24.1, 2, 3. Ezek. 1.1. &c 8.3. Dan. 1.17. & 2.19. Amos 1.1. & 7.1, 4, 7. Zach. 3.1. In those Visions the Lord revealed himself in an extraordinary manner to his Prophets, yet so clearly and certainly, as if they had seen the things presently fulfilled, which they fore-told; hence they were called Seers, 1 Sam. 9.9. And though these Visions and Revelations be ceased in our daies, yet in these Gospel-daies he hath spoken to us by his Son, Heb. 1.1, 2. and hath given to us a more sure word of Prophecie, both for perspicuity and certainty, because 'tis both written and sealed, 2 Pet. 1.19.

4. Ministers must preach nothing to their people but what they have received from the Lord. Of this see before, Amos 4.1. Obs. 3.

5. Matters of moment must bee marked.

Therefore the Lord sets a Behold here upon this Vision, and questions with Amos about it, the better to excite him and his hearers to the due observation of it. Wee are all dull and slow of heart to beleeve the holy things of God, and had great need of quickning.

VERSE 2.

And he said, Amos, what seest thou? and I said, A basket of summer fruit, then said the Lord unto mee, the end is come upon my people Israel, I will not again pass by them any more.

IN the precedent Verse we had the Type propounded, in this Verse it is expounded.

The better to awaken both Prophet and People, and to quicken their attention,

1 The Lord questions with the Prophet, Amos, what seest thou? Questions and Colloquies are more lively, and make a deeper impression than plain positive assertions; hence the Lord so often useth them, Amos 7.8. Zach. 4.2. & 5.1.

2 Here is the Prophets answer, And I said, a basket of summer fruit. This was the Vision which the Lord shewed him, what these ripe fruits were, whether Cherries, as some affirm, or Figgs, as others; or Pears, Plumbs, Grapes, as others; or Apples, as A Lapide labours more subtilly, than solidly to prove by eight Analogies, it is not material for us to know; it is sufficient that they were summer fruits, gathered towards the end of summer, when fruits ripen, and even fall into the hands of the gatherer.

3 Here is the Lords explanation of this Vision, Then said the Lord unto me, the end is come upon my people of Israel. There is an elegant Paranomasy between the two Hebrew words,Kajitz, aestas; Ketz, finis. viz. that which signifies summer fruits, and that which signifies an end; they both sound much alike, so that the one may easily put us in mind of the other; the ripeness of their sins, of the nearness of their ruine.

The Lord had tried all means and medicines, both as a Father, and a Physitian to cure this people, but since they were incorrigible and incurable, he now resolves to trouble himself and his Prophets no more with them, for now he intends utterly to destroy them, The end is come. Hypocrites and presumptuous sinners are wont to promise themselves a longer time still, No (saith the Lord) you are ripe for ruine, and therefore now you shall reap the fruit of your owne wayes, I will bear no longer with you; but as ripe fruit falls of its own akind with ease, so shall this people drop into the mouth of the Assyrian, now that the term and time decreed by God for their final overthrow is come. As men gather ripe fruits into their Baskets, and then eate them, so shall the cruel and greedy Assyrian devour and destroy those rebellious Sinners who are ripe and ready for destruction, and therefore the Lord addes, I will not again pass by them any more.

The like expression wee have,Nolo ad eorum impietates ultra connivere, nec impunitas praeterire. Merce…. Amos 7.8. q. d. I will not spare them, nor pass by their sins any more, as I have done. So Micah 7.18. the Lord is said to pardon and pass by the sins of his people; but these had so provoked him, that he would no longer defer the punishment of their iniquity. They had enjoyed a long summer of peace and prosperity, which instead of ripening their Graces, had ripened their Vices, and therefore now the Lord resolves to make a final end with them, and utterly to consume them from the face of the earth.

As if the Lord had said, The cry of their sins is so great, that I can no longer forbear them, but I will execute my Iustice upon them without any inclination to mercy, which they have so greatly abused; it is true, I have fo…merly pluckt off some of their fruits, and have destroyed some of their people; but now I will come with a basket, and gather all that grows upon Israel; and will make such an end of this gathering, that there shall bee no more of this kind left for hereafter.

OBSERVATIONS.

1 Sacred and Majestick Rhetorick becomes the Ministers of Christ.

A vain,See more, Amos 6.1. Obs. 1. & Camero in Mat. 18.8. p. 114, 115, 116. folio.Amos 6:1Matt 18:8 light, frothy, flourish of words is below the Ministers of Christ, but a grave, solid, serious finding out of acceptable words, the better to work upon the affections of people, becomes our calling. Hence the Lord himself here useth an Erotesis, a Paranomasie &c. Metaphors, &c.

2 When the Sins of a People are ripe and full, God will no longer spare them.

He lets the wicked fill up the measure of their iniquity before he destroys them, Gen. 15.16. Ioel 3. Nah. 3.12, 13. Revel. 14.18. Though he bear long yet he will not alwayes bear, but when sin is come to maturity, he will cut it down with the sickle of his wrath, and will recompence his patience with the fierceness of his fury; and then though Noah, Iob, and Daniel should stand before him for such a people, yet they could not prevail, Ezek. 14.14, 20. nor preserve them from ruine, Ier. 16.5. Lam. 4.18. Ezek. 5.11. & 7.5, 6. Nah. 1.8, 9.

Q. But when are a people ripe for ruine?

A. I have shewed at large elsewhere, viz. when the multitude, magnitude,In my Com. on Hos. 13.16. p. 109, 110.Hos 13:16 strength, growth, impudency, and obstinacy of peoples sins are come to the height, then is a peoples downfall near; when no Preaching, no Praying, no Judgements, no Mercies can better a People, but they fall away more and more, and grow worse and worse, it is a most certain sign that sin is ripe, and that people nigh to ruine.

3 God will not spare his own people when they rebel against him.

Though Israel be his People, and in Covenant with him, yet if they walk not up to the terms of the Covenant, God will cast them off, and bring an end even upon Israel, for so saith the text, The end is come upon my people of Israel. People are apt to sooth themselves up in their Priviledges, and to think that their Prerogatives should save them from wrath, but in vain, as I have shewed elsewhere.

In my Com. on Hos. 13.4. Obs. 3. & 4.Hos 13:4VERSE 3.

And the Songs of the Temples shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God, there shall be many dead bodies in every place, they shall cast them forth with silence.

THe Prophet goes on to amplifie the greatness of the approaching Judgements, the better to awaken them; to this end he tells them, 1. That the Songs of the Temples used at their sacred Solemnities, and Divine Service should cease, and be turned to howling and lamentation for the miseries that should come upon them. This Howling notes the greatness of the grief, and the height of horrour which should surprize them; they should not only weep for the calamities which should come upon them, but they should weep till they howl again for anguish of spirit. Hence when sore Judgements light upon a people, we read of howling, wayling, and weeping joyned together, Isa. 15.3. Ier. 4.8. Ezek. 21.12. Hos. 7.14. Micah. 2.8.

Q. But what is meant by the Temple here?

A. The word signifies both a Palace, and a Temple; and therefore some render it,Ululabunt cantica Palatii. Vatabl. & Montan. The Songs of the Palace shall be howlings, q. d. those Palaces and great Houses of the great ones, which have been hitherto filled with Mirth and Musick, shall be now filled with weeping and howling. The Septuagint and the Vulgar mistaking the word Scirot, cantica, render it, Cardines & laquearia Templi stridebunt, but the word signifies a Temple, as well as a Palace; and by it here is meant not so much the Temple at Ierusalem, (which was not destroyed till a considerable time after) but the Idolatrous Temple of Bethel, where the golden Calves were, and other high places where they had set up Idols; for though this Prophet doth sometimes glance at Iudah and Ierusalem, yet the primary bent of his Prophecy is against Samaria, and the ten Tribes, as appears, vers. 14. I will punish those that swear by the sin of Samaria, which was not farre from Bethel, against whose Idolatry Amos so much inveighed, Amos 7.13.

2 There should be so great a Mortality of all sorts and Sexes, that many should dye by the Sword, Plague, Famine, Captivity, and other Judgements every word hath its weight. There shall be dead Bodies, many dead Bodies, many dead Bodies in all places, Rab happeger, multiplex, cadaver, i. e. multa erunt cadavera, multi occidentur. It is a kind of Aposiopesis, when men are angry and troubled, so that they curtail their words: many dead bodies in every place, i. e. there shall be many dead bodies in every place. See my Schools-Guard on that figure.and these shall be cast out with silence, i. e. they shall cast them into common pits, and bury them without lamentation, or any funeral solemnity. The word Has, Tace, Sile, is the same with Amos 6.10. Be silent. Some give the same sense of the word as they do, Amos 6.10. he that buries the dead shall say to him that helps him, Be silent, not a word, for God is just in all that he hath brought upon us for our Apostasie and Idolatry. So the word is used, Amos 5.13. & 6.10. Hab. 2.20▪ Zeph. 1.7. Zach. 2.13. or else thus, Throw these dead bodies into pits and say nothing, lest we be sequestred as unclean by the Law.

3. Here is the time when all this misery should fall upon them, viz. In that day, i. e. in the day of Israels final overthrow.

4 Here is the certainty of all this, Dixit Dominus, The Lord, who cannot lye, hath spoken it.

OBSERVATIONS.

1 The joy of Idolatrous worshippers shall end in sorrow.

They may feast, and fiddle, and sing for a time, and walk in the light of those sparks w^ch themselves have kindled, but this they shall have at Gods hands, they shall lye down in sorrow, Isa. 50. ult. God hates both them and their singing, and will turn their songs into howling, Amos 5.23. Superstitious persons are apt to think that God is delighted as they are, with Musick, Singing, and a little formal sacrificing in the Temple, but the Prophet tells them, such carnal joy shall end in howling. The Lord had given them a little success, and they conceited presently that they were highly in Gods favour (for wicked men are apt to measure Gods favour to them by present enjoyments and outward prosperity) and therefore they goe to singing (as Papists now use to doe) in their Temples, yet with self-respects; hence the Prophet thunders out wrath and Judgement against them; for those that will not sincerely sing to God in a time of grace, shall be forced to howl in a time of wrath. Those that will not serve God with gladness of heart in the abundance of all things, shall serve him in sadness of heart in the want of all things, Deut. 28.47, 48. In Nehemiahs time neither Princes, Priests, nor people would serve: God in that fat Land which he had given them, therefore they were made Slaves to their enemies, Neh. 9.34, 35, 36, 37. So Psal. 106.39, 40, 41, 42. when they fell from God to Idols, he sold them into their enemies hands for a prey. When the Gospel comes with tenders of grace to a people, and they re…ect them, such shall be slain, Luke 19.14, 27.

See more in my Com. on Hos. 13.12. Obs. 1. & 13.13. Obs. 8. & 13.16. Obs. 6.Hos 13:122 Sin brings Gods sore Iudgements upon a people.

It brings Sword Plague, Famine, Ezek. 14.21. which lay heaps upon heaps, and sweep away thousands in a short space; so that there are many dead bodies in all places. Sin makes men fall and fly before Gods Judgements, as leaves before a mighty wind, Isa. 64.6. See more before on Amos 4.10. & 6.9.

3. Want of decent burial is reckoned as a temporal Iudgement upon the wicked.

They shall cast them out with silence, and none shall make lamentation for them, as they usually did in those daies. But of this at large, on Amos 6.10.

VERSE 4, 5.

Hear this yee that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the Land to fail,

Saying, when will the New-Moon be gone, that we may sell Corn? &c.

THe prophet having set forth the calamities which were coming upon Israel, hee now comes to set forth the ground and cause of these calamities, and that was,

1. Their oppression, cruelty, covetousness, and unrighteousness towards men, vers. 4, 5, 6.

2. Irreligion and Idolatry towards God, vers. 5, 14. They had broken both Tables, both high and low, and that with an high hand, against great light and love, and therefore the Lord resolves now to root them out. And because secure sinners, (especially great men) are apt to flatter themselves, and to think themselves priviledged, and that God loves them because he doth not presently punish them, therefore the Prophet by an Apostrophe turns his speech unto them, and that he might the better awaken them, he begins, as oft before, with an Audite hoc, Hear this, O yee brutish men that swallow up the poor and needy. Hear and fear those threatnings which I denounce against you from the Lord, vers. 2, 3. Awaken at last, and see what dreadful destruction is at your doors, that by unfained repentance ye may prevent it.

In this Verse we have 1. The Prophets Alarum to drowsie sinners, Hear this.

2. Here are the parties alarumed, and these are primarily, the tyrannical, oppressing Rulers of Israel. 2. The inferiour sort, who sinned in their degree, and had their peculiar sins as well as others; These covetous Cormorants are here set forth p. 460Paraphrastically, by their greedy devouring of the poor. O yee that swallow up the needy, that pant and gape as almost windless after them, Amos 2.7. getting their goods, eating their flesh, drinking their blood, and making them live so slavishly, that their life was but a lingring death; and this they did by laying heavy burdens upon them, partly by Bribery and Usury, partly by racking their Rents, and by inhauncing the rate of food and other necessarie things which they had ingrossed into their own hands; and so made the poor to spend what they had, and for meer necessity to become their slaves.

Shaaph, absorbere, deglutire, anhelare, ardenter cupere.The word in the fountain signifies to soop up, to devour, and earnestly to pant after a thing; As a thirsty man swallows down drink with abundance of eagerness and delight; or as the Whale and great beasts swallow the little ones up at a bit, Gen. 37.20. & 41.21. So did these cruel, covetous Harpys devour the poor without any pity or compassion, Iob 5.5. & 7.2.Hashshaphim ebion, absorbentes egenum. Psal. 56.2. & 57.4. The participle of the Present Tense, notes the constancy of their cruelty, they were alwaies devouring, it was their very Trade to press upon the poor.

3. Here is the height of their cruelty, they so opprest the poor, that they were not able to subsist. They make the poor of the Land to fail. Ad abolendum mansuetos terrae. Montan.They used all means to dispatch and destroy them out of the Land, that so they might live alone in the Earth.

Object. But sure they were some wicked men whom they used thus.

Gnanave, mansuetos, modestes, pauperes.Answ. No, they were the afflicted, meek and lowly of the Land. The meek and modest poor are exposed to many miseries and injuries of mighty men, thsee cannot resist, and so become a prey to them, Iames 2.6. & 5.6. as little fish do to the great ones. Unreasonable creatures know whom they may be bold withall, and so do oppressors; A Crow will stand on a Sheeps back, and pull off wooll, they durst not be so bold with a Woolf or Mastiff.

OBSERVATIONS.

1. Men are very deaf and hard of hearing, especially when they are told of their sins.

And therefore the Prophet begins with an Emphatical Hear p. 461yee this. They were deaf, and loath to attend, because they had no desire to amend. Sinners have so many shifts, and their deceitful hearts finde out so many evasions, that the Lord is fain to bid his Prophet cry, and cry aloud, that all may hear and be awakened out of their deep sleep. So Isa. 58.1. Micah 6.9.

2. Ministers must not stick to reprove great men when they are great sinners.

They must cry with the Prophet, Hear this O yee Rulers. They do more mischief by their evil example,See more in my Com. on Amos 4.1. Obs. 4.Amos 4:1 and therefore the Prophet begins with them; besides, they set their hearts as the heart of God, Ezek. 28.6. and think themselves above reproof, and above controul, and therefore the Lord will have his Prophets reprove them, that they may know they be but men.

3. Oppressing of the poor is a crying sin.

It provokes the Lord to a controversie with a Land,See more against oppression, in Mr. Dents Pathway. p. 197, to 215. See my Com. on Psal. 82.4. Obs. 6. p. 121, 122.Ps 82:4 Hos. 4.1, 2, 3. and makes him swear their ruine, as here, vers. 14. 'Tis an eating up and devouring of men, Psal. 14.4. Micah 3.2, 3. and therefore oppressors are called, Dogs, Wolves, Bears, Lions, &c. (as I have shewed elsewhere) 'Tis a death far more merciless than present slaying, as hanging in chains alive is worse than beheading.

4. Wicked men are all for themselves.

They devour the poor, they swallow up the needy, they destroy their habitations, they inclose all, that they may dwell alone in the earth.Against Inclosures, see Mr. Rob. Bolton on Self-examination: p. 237, &c. A woe is set upon the head of such, Isa. 5.8. such covetous Cormorants destroy all; In the body natural, if some members should draw all the nourishment to themselves, the whole body must needs perish. Piety makes men publick-spirited, and to seek the good of others as well as of themselves, Act. 13.36. Philip. 2.4, 29, 30. but Impiety is all for self, Phil. 2.21.

5. Poor men many times are meek and humble men.

The word Gnani, which we render afflicted and poor, signifies also humble and meek, Zach. 9.9. As riches usually make men cruel and proud, so afflictions make men humble and meek. 'Tis not sufficient that men are humbled passively, against their wills, but they must be humble, actively; nor low, but lowly. Our poverty and affliction should drive us p. 462out of our selves to God, Psal. 12.5. 1 Pet. ….23. Happy are those that are not onelyonly corrected, but thus taught by them, Psal. 94.12.

VERSE 5.

Saying, when will the New-Moon be gone, that we may sell Corn? and the Sabbath, that wee may set forth Wheat, making the Ephah small, and the Shekel great, and falsifying the ballances by deceit?

IN the two subsequent verses the Prophet shews how they devoured the poor, viz. by their unrighteousness and covetousness, which appeared in that they were so greedy of gain, that they thought all time lost which was spent in Gods worship, because it brought no present, visible profit with it; and therefore they angrily cry,Interrogatio indignantis & optantis, q. d. nimium diu durant feriae. Piscat. When will the New-Moon bee gone, that wee may sell Corn? &c. God had set apart many festivals in the time of the Law for his own worship, but especially the weekly Sabbath, and the New-Moons; hence we finde them so often joyned together in Scripture, Isa. 1.13. & 66.23. Hos. 2.11. Col. 2.16. Though they had many other solemnities, yet those came about but seldome, as once a year, or the like, and therefore they did not so oft molest them as these did; hence they exclaim principally, and by name against these frequent feasts.V. Hospinian. de Orig. Festor. c. 4. mihi p. 15. The New-Moon was the Calends or first day, and beginning of every month, and was consecrated to the Lord. It signified that all the seasons and months of the year are made holy and good unto us.See more in Weemse on the Ceremon Law, chap. 22. p. 100. On these New-Moons the Priests called the people together by sound of Trumpet to the holy Assemblies, Numb. 10.10. Psal. 81.4. and spent the time religiously in Prayer, Hearing Gods Word, and other holy exercises, 2 King. 4.23. 2 Chron. 2.4. & 8.12, 13. Neh. 10.33. Ezra. 3.5. Ezek. 45.17. At this solemnity was offered in sacrifice, two young Bullocks, one Ramme, seven Lambs, three tenth deals of floure, Numb. 28.11, to 16.

In this verse we have the covetous mans character set forth to the life, where we may see 1. His Irreligion towards God; He is a violator of Gods Sabbaths, at least in his affection, which denominates the man. The duties of Gods Sabbath p. 463are a burden to him, he longs to have them over, he thinks such daies come too thick, and that they hinder his profit, and therefore he prophanely cryes, When will they be gone?

2. Here is their oppression and unrighteousness set forth four waies; 1. They corrupted the measures, they sold by a small measure, yet made the price great. They diminish the Ephah, and made it small, contrary to the Law, Levit. 19.35, 36. It should have been a just measure, neither too big, nor too small, Ezek. 45.10. The Ephah was the tenth part of an Homer, containing about an English Bushel, Levit. 5.11. & 19.36. 1 Sam. 1.24. & 17.17. Isa. 5.20. Ezek. 45.10, 11. 'Twas an usual known measure of dry things amongst the Jews; as the Bath was of liquid things, under it by a Synecdoche all other measures are comprehended; for as St. Iames saith of the Commandements, he that breaks one, breaks all habitually and dispositively; so he that makes no conscience of corrupting one measure, will make no conscience of corrupting them all when a temptation comes. He that will falsifie an Ephah, I will not trust him with an Homer, which was the greatest measure of dry things, which the Jews had, containing about ten Bushels, Ezek. 45.11.

2. A second branch of their Oppression was, Their making of the Shekel great, before they curtailed the measure, and now they heightned the price; thus they ground the Poor as it were between milstones, the upper was the small Ephah, and the lower was the great Shekel; they used great weights, to weigh the mony which they received for payment; for the Shekel was partly a peece of money,Siclus apud Hebrae…s fuit genas nummi simul que ponderis. Ravanel; in V. Siclus, ubi plura. and partly a weight, By the Shekel here is meant the weight of the Shekel, the common, ordinary Shekel was in value about fifteen pence, and the Shekel of the Sanctuary two shillings six pence, as you may see, Gen. 23.15. Iosh. 7.21. 1 Sam. 17.5, 7. & 2 Sam. 21.16. 2 Chron. 3.9. As under the Ephaph was comprehended all kinde of measures, so under the Shekel is comprehended all kind of weights by the like Synecdoche;Siclus suit moneta certi ponderis, & omnium ponderum regula. 'Twas the weight of all things ponderous, and commonly weighable amongst them. See Weemse Vol. 1. page 142. in fine lib. for he that is unfaithful in that which is much. In those daies they did not count their mony, but they weighed it. Now, although p. 464the measure was little, yet the price of the Corn was great; they gave light measure, but heavy weights, when they came to pay their mony, contrary to Gods express commandement, Deut. 25.13, 14, 15. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small, &c.

3. Yet more, They falsifie the ballances by deceit, Either in weighing mony,Gnivvet, pervertit, curvitatem quandam & perversitatem deviantem à recto denotat. or other commodities, or as the Original runs, they pervert the ballances of deceit, viz. by making those which were right deceitful. They falsified the weights, the better to defraud others. They raised themselves out of other mens ruines, and got profit by their disprofit. Thus they gained, whether by right or by wrong, they cared not. Rem, Rem, quocunque modo rem. They must have mony, 'tis no matter how.

4. They were not onelyonly deceitful, but cruel too, vers. 6. they bought the poor for things of nought, and made slaves of them; before they got their Mony, Lands and Estates (for in time of famine men will part with all for bread) and now they get the men too; and (which aggravates their sin to the heighth) they did not onelyonly corrupt their measures, and falsifie their weights, but their wares too. They sold the refuse of the Wheat; They sold the chaff, refuse and base commodities, yet made them pay for good ones. No wonder if the Lord swear their destruction, vers. 7.

The summe of all is this, When shall we have done with these solemn Feasts, and times allotted for publick worship, wherein we are forbidden to buy or sell? would to God these New-Moons and Sabbaths were once over, that wee might sell our Corn at an high rate, making the measure of the Wheat small, and the weights (wherewith the silver is weighed) great and heavy, thus falsifying the sail by deceitful weights.

OBSERVATIONS.

1. Worldly men are weary of Gods worship.

They think every hour ten, and every day a year, which hinders them in the pursuit of their worldly profits and pleasures. Their wealth is their treasure,See more in Mr. Trapps Com. on Amos 8.5.Amos 8:5 and their money their God; and therefore Sabbaths to them are tiresome, tedious things, because they savour not the things of God, but the p. 465things of the world. These snuff at Gods service, and cry, What a wearinesse is this? Mal. 1.13. their bodies may be in the Temple, but their souls be in the Stable, or Barn, plodding on their gain and increase. They are somewhat a kin to that Heathen, which complained of the Christians for losing a seventh part of their time in keeping Gods Sabbaths. This shewes the woful depravation of our natures, that can sit at a Play, or the like prophane meeting, a whole day without wearinesse; when Gods Worship, which should be our joy, is tedious and irksome, and we can hardly sit out an hour without sleeping; which shewes our grosse insensiblenesse of those Spiritual blessings revealed in the Gospel. But a gracious soul, who knowes what it is to enjoy communion with God. in his Ordinances, calls the Sabbath his delight, and looks upon it as the best day in the Week, and esteems it an honourable day, Isa. 58.13. because it brings him in great treasure. Those times which bring a man in great profit, are valued most. Rich men think not the time lost in which they are counting money; so a gracious soul so long as it hath incomes from God is greatly delighted, and longs to meet with God again, and therefore cries with David, Oh when shall I come and appear before the Lord in Sion? Psal. 4…. & 84.

2 Greedy worldlings are never at rest.

These Muck-worms are alwaies seeking after gain, Amos 2.7. Hab. 2.13. so eagerly are they set upon it, that if they lose but an hour they think it ten. They are never well but when they are fingering of Money, serving Mammon, and laying up Treasure, Luke 12.17, 18, 19. and this brings them into temptations and snares, and many hurtful lusts, which drown men in perdition, 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. Lust is a furious thing, like Iehu it drives fiercely and furiously, Ier. 2.23, 24, 25. 1 Cor. 12.2. it will not let men rest worke-day nor Holy-day; all is one with these greedy Mammonists, their Money is their god, and whatever hinders them in the pursuit of it, is a great burden to them. This makes them cry here, When will the New-moon be gone that we may sell corn? and this greedy lust puts them likewise upon Lying, swearing, Usury, Bribery, Perjury, Forgery, and what not? so sad it is to be in thraldome to a lust; there is no rest nor peace to such wicked ones, saith the Lord.

p. 4663 We must not confine the Worship of God only to the Sabbath-Day.

God enjoyned the Iewes New-Moons, and other Feastivals wherein to Worship him, as well as on the Sabbath. At those seasons they resorted to the Prophets to be instructed in the wayes of God,See more in my Com. on 2 Tim. 4… 2. p. 326.2 Tim 4:2 2 King 4.23. Ezek. 46.1. especially when the Priests were dumbe and idle. The Sabbath-Day is the chief time to seek after knowledge, yet he appoints other seasons also; and if Ministers must preach in season and out of season on the Lords Day, and the Week day, as occasion requires; then surely people ought to hear at such seasons: and therefore it was Prophesied of Gospel-times, that Gods people should then be willing in that day of Christs power, Psal. 110.3. and shall be constant and frequent in his Worship, Isa. 66.23.

4 Vnrighteous dealing in our civil Commerce is very displeasing unto God.

He loves righteousness, but hates unrighteousness, Psal. 11. ult. and therefore so oft forbids it, Levit. 19.11.35, 36. Deut. 25.13, 14, 15, 16. Ezek 45.10, 11. and tells us, that false weights and false ballances are an abomination to him, Prov. 11.…. & 20.10. & 23.11. Amos 8.7. Hos. 12.7.See more in my Com…on 2 Tim. 3 3. p. 81, 82. Mr. Loves Directory, on 1 Cor. 7.30. Ser. 8.9. p. 65. Perkins on Mat. 7.2, p. 199.2 Tim 3:31 Cor 7:30Matt 7:2 and that he will be avenged on such as defraud others, 1 Thes. 4.6. They shall not reign long here. Ezek. 22.27, 32. Micah 2.2, 3. nor come into Gods kingdom hereafter, Psal. 15.1, 2. 1 Cor. 6.8, 9.

VERSE 6.

That yee may buy the poor for Silver, and the needy for a pair of shooes; and sell the refuse of the wheat.

THe Prophet goes on, and sets forth another kind of cruelty used by these deceitful men; and that was, buying of the poor. This was the end of their fore-going fraud and unrighteous practices. viz. that they might drive the poor into those straits, that they should be forced to sell themselves as Slaves and Bond-men for a little silver and support. Those greedy ones had got their Purses before, and now have at their Persons, they will make Drudges of them.

In this Verse we have, 1. The object of these Cormorants p. 467cruelty,See the words, Dal, and Ebion, tenuis & egenus, opened at large, in my Com. on Psal. 82 3. p. 106, 108.Ps 82:3 and that is the Poor. It is not the Rich, for the Famine seldome pincheth them. Neither is their aime at the poor mans Goods and Cattel (for these they had got before) but now their aime is at their persons; though they were their brethren, and fellow Citi…ens, yet having them at a bay now Corn was dear, they resolve to make Merchandize of them, and to buy and sell them at very low rates.

2 It is not simply the Poor,Humilem pro calceamentis Versto Arabic▪ but the Righteous, humble, honest, innocent poor which they thus oppress, Amos 2.6. They sell the righteous for silver.

3 Here is the price which they give for these poor, and that is base and contemptible, it is a little Silver, or a pair of shooes. So mo… 2.6. there they sell the righteous (as here they bought them) and his righteous cause for money, and the poor that could not bribe them for a pair of shooes. The Lord permitted the Iewes in some cases of casual poverty to buy their poor brethren, but they most cruelly abused the Law, to the oppressing and grinding of the poor and needy, Levit. 25.39, 40. whereas the Lord commanded, that though their poor Brethren were sold to them or had sold themselves, yet they should not deal harshly or rigorously with them, as they did with Slaves,Pro …ari calceo…um, i. e. pro rebus vilissimis; 1. Q…ia vili aestimaniur. 2. Quia sine ulso f…è impe… dio …omparantur; 3. Quia …bjecta, utpore quae c…l…antur perpetuò ped…bus, neque unquam elevantur è Pulvere & fimo. El…eron. in locum. but civilly and tenderly as with brethren. This buying and selling of the poor for a pair of Shooes, notes the base estimation that worldlings have of poor righteous men, in that they buy and sell them at such mean, low, and sordid rates, even for the basest necessaries, for worthless things of little price.

4 To their former fraud they now adde another, that so they might fill up the measure of their sin. They sell the refuse of the Wheat. Mappal bar, deciduum tritici, i. e. purgamenta & quisquilias, quae è cribro dum concutitur, decidunt. Sanctius.Before they …rupted and falsified their Weights, and now they corrupt … Wares. They sell the Chaff or falling off of the Wheat (as it is in the fountain) that is, they sell to the poor in their great necessity that which is Horse-meat, and Hoggs-meat, rather than Mans-meat, even the refuse, off all, and rayl-end (as we say) which is mixt with Chaff, Cockle, light-corn, litte-stones, and dust.

p. 468This refuse which is not marketable, and is seldome sold, but is usually given to Beasts or Birds, yet these Muckworms sell this Muck for pure Grain to the Poor, who were necessitated to buy this, or starve, and make them pay as if it were good corn.

This accumulated cruelty, makes the Lord to swear their ruine in the next verse.

OBSERVATIONS.

1 Worldly men are very industrious for Mammon, and riches.

They move every stone for the attaining of it, and care not how they come by it, whether by right or by wrong; on the Lords Day (though their hands be tied, yet) their hearts are on it, and on the week-days: 1. They get false Weights. 2. False Wares. 3. They inhance the price of those Wares. 4. They get not only the poor mans Purse, but his Person too. Thus they that will be rich fall into many snares and temptations of the Devil, which drown men in perdition, 1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. and if men be so violent for earth, what should we bee for Heaven?

2 Life is a precious thing.

Men will sell their Cattel, their Cloathes, their Children, yea themselves for food to preserve life,See more in M. Caryl on Job ….4. Gen. 47.20, 23.25. Nehem. 5.2, 3, 5. so true is that, Iob 2.4. Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life. It is a Proverbial speech, some by skin understand a mans cloathing, which at first was made of Skins, Gen. 3.21.q. d. a man will part with his Cloathes rather than with his Life, for the body is more than raiment, Mat. 6.26.2. Others by Skin for skin understand riches, goods, and all the outward estate, which are like a Skin to cover and …ence us from poverty and misery; but life is better than all these, and hat…en greatly prized by good men, Gen. 32.11. Hest. 7.3. and bad men, Gen. 25.32. Hest. 7.7. Eccles. 9.4.

3 Covetous men are cruel men.

They buy and sel not only Cattel, but men, Neh. 9.37. yea righteous men, they sell the righteous for silver, and condemn the just for a reward, Iam. 5.6. anything for money. Sell a p. 469Boy for a Lust, and a Girl for a cup of Wine, Ioel 3.3. Some men will transgresse for an handful of Barley, or a morsel of Bread, Ezek. 13.19. Thus the poor alwayes pay for it, especially the meek and modest poor; men are apt to goe over the Hedge where it is lowest, and to catch the poor by drawing them into their Nets, Psal. 10.9. that is, into their Debt-books, that they may morgage all unto them, and at last become their slaves and bond-men. As the good man considers the case of the poor and needy that he may be the fitter to releeve him, Psal. 41.1. so these mercilesse men consider the poor, that they may devour him.

4 Men may not debase a Commodity, depriving it of its primitive goodness, and then sell it for the best, at a full value.

Corn-masters may not cull out the best Grain, nor mingle their Grain with refuse, and then sell it (as they did here) for the best. We may not mingle Wine with Water, nor Drosse with Silver, but whatever we would that men should doe to us (in equity and justice) even so must we doe unto them.

5 The world hath a very mean esteeme of the godly.

They value them no more than their old Shooes, and therefore they sell the righteous for a pair of Shooes; as if any contemptible rate were good enough for them. See how different the judgement of this wicked world is from the Judgement of God.See my Com. on 2 Tim. 3.3. p. 113, &c. and Mr. Burroughs on Psal. 16.3. See Mr. Fenners Ser. on Heb. 11.38.2 Tim 3:3Ps 16:3Heb 11:38 The world esteeme the godly as the drosse and dung, the filth and off-scouring of the world, 1 Cor. 4.13. but God esteemes them as the glory of the world, Isa. 4.5. the only excellent ones of the earth, Psal. 16.3. he thinketh them too good to live in this wicked ungrateful world, Heb. 11, 38.

6 Cruelty ends in misery.

God threatens these Men-sellers, and Men-devourers with dreadful Judgements,See more before on ver. 4. Obs. 3. Amos 2.6. & 8.7. Luke 16.24. Iames 2.13. Though the poor bear it, yet God will not alwayes bear it at their hands, but swears he will be avenged on them, for so it follows.

p. 470VER. 7.

The Lord hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, surely I will never forget any of their works.

WEE are now come to the Third Part of this Chapter, where the Judgements of God both Corporal and Spiritual are more fully set forth unto us.

1 The Prophet shewes the certainty of these Judgements, in that the Lord doth not only say, but swear that he will bee avenged on them.

2 As they had been great Sinners, so he sets forth the greatness of their Punishment, It shall overflow the Land like a mighty floud, vers. 8.

3 As he had shewed the certainty, so he sets forth the suddenness of their sorrows, Their light shall be turned into darkness, and that at noon-day; their mirth into mourning ▪ and their high prosperity into the lowest misery, vers. 9, 10.

4 As if all this were not sufficient: he yet goes higher, and threatens them with a Famine, not of bread but which is worse, of the Word of God As Spiritual Mercies are the choyceest Mercies, so Spiritual Judgements are the farest Judgements.

5 Which strikes all dead, He tells them that this their loss should be irreparable. They shall fall, and shall never rise any more, vers. 14. We have heard of Israels Sin, now follows his Suffering; and lest any should flatter themselves, and think that these Threatnings were but Scar-crows, therefore the Prophet the better to awaken these secure Sinners, brings in the Lord swearing their destruction, q. d. So sure as I live, (saith the Lord) so sure shall yee dye. This Oath of God no…es both the certainty and immutability of Gods Counsel, and Decree to punish Israel; where we have,

1 The certainty of Israels ruine, The Lord hath not only said, but sworn it; that is, he hath most certainly decreed it, for Gods Oath is nothing else but Gods immutable Decree, severely to punish these cruel Caytiffs, and Oppressors of the poor.

2 By whom doth the Lord swear? why it is by the excellency p. 471and eminency of Iacob; that is, by himself, who is the glory and excellency of Israel; and by whose favour and free-election they excelled all the Nations of the world. Other Nations had dead Idol-gods, but it was Israels glory above all the Nations of the World, that they had the Lord for their God, and were in Covenant with him. The Lord hereby tacitly upbraids them for their ingratitude, that having such glorious priviledges from him, they should yet rebel against him.

Some by the excellency of Iacob, understand the Ark, and others the Temple; it is true, these are called, The glory of Israel; but since the Lord hath no greater to swear by, therefore he swears by himself, who is here called, The Excellency of Iacob, i. e. of his people Israel.

The Vulgar leaving the Fountain, and following the corrupt streams of the Septuagint, render it thus, The Lord hath sworn against the pride of Iacob. But the Original is expresse against it, for though the word Gaon signifie Pride, as well as Excellency, yet the prefix Be…h, notes that form of swearing which is usual with the Hebrews, Bigeon, per excellentiam, celsitudinem, gloriam. V. Leigh Crit. Hebr. p. 33. Ubi plura. Si, est nota jurantis, & signum juramenti execratorii apud Hebraeos.as appears Amos 4.2. & 6.8. and it signifies not contra, but per, and therefore is fitly rendred, By the excellency of Iacob, and not against the pride of Israel.

3 What doth the Lord swear? why he swears he will forget none of their wicked workes; the words in the Original run thus, If I forget any of their works for ever, q. d. let me not live, or let me not be God, or let me not be accounted true, but repute me for a Liar, if ever I forget to punish this great wickedness of Israel, they shall surely pay for it according to their demerits. See the like expression, Deut. 1.35. 1 Sam. 3.14. & 14.45. Psal. 89.36. Isa. 14.24. & 62.8. Ezek. 34.8. The Prophet by an Euphemismus omits that open form of swearing, As I live, or as sure as I am God, &c. because of the horror and dreadfulnesse of it, and to make us render of using Imprecations, therefore the Holy Ghost oft times conceals the Imprecation in swearing.

This abrupt manner of speaking is usual in Oathes;Relicentia est plena affectus & terroris. it is a kind of Aposiopesis usual in Scripture, when we cut off some word, or part of a sentence which yet is understood; such Oathes cum reticentia are very dreadful, and set forth Gods p. 472greatest Wrath against a People; as Psal. 95.11. To whom I sware in my wrath, if they enter into my rest, q. d. They shall never enter into my rest; if ever they come there let me not be God, or let me not be true. It is a very strong Negation, a stronger cannot be expressed. I will never forget any of their works. Lan asach, in finem, in aeternum, in porpetuum.It is an Antropopathy, God speaks to men after the manner of men; he is said to remember those sins which hee punisheth, and to forget those sins which he pardoneth.

Any of their works; i. e. None of their works, not one shall be forgotten by me to all eternity, but they shall certainly and suddenly pay for all their crying Crimes committed against mee.

OBSERVATIONS.

1 Sin and sorrow are inseparable companions.

Flagitium & flagellum, are like the Needle and the Thread, the one goes before, and the other follows, Isa. 63.10. 1 Cor. 10.8.9.10. we read before of Israels Sin, and now we read of his Suffering; and to assure them of it, The Lord swears it. If men will sin against the Lord, let them be sure at first or last their sin will finde them out, Numb. 32.23. Gods Word had been sufficient to assure us of this, but because we are incredulous, he confirms it with an Oath, that none might doubt of it. Ask Men and Angels, Houses, Cities, Kingdoms, and they will all tell you, that it was sin that laid them in the dust.

2 A People may so far incense the Lord to wrath by their sins, that hee may swear their ruine.

When Israel had long hardned their hearts against God, at last he swears they should never enter into his rest, Psal. 95.11. Patience abused turns into fury, and makes the Lord to swear mens utter rejection, 1 Sam. 15.28, 29. this people had highly provoked the Lord, and therefore this is the third time which the Lord swears against them, Amos 4.2. & 6.8.

3 The favour and presence of God with a People, is the glory and excellenc… of a people.

It is not Corn, Wine, Women, Health, Wealth, or multitudes of people that make a Nation happy, for then Turks, p. 473and Tartars, Barbarians, and Indians should excell Gods People▪ for they abound with these external comforts; but happy is that people whose God is the Lord, See my Con…. on Psal. 73.25.Ps 73:25Psal. 144. ult. Hence the Lord is called, The excellency of Iacob, and the Glory of Israel. He was their inestimable Treasure, and true Honour, who made them truly glorious, Psal. 106.20. & 148.14. Ier. 2.11. Luke 2.32. Hence Moses glories in this above all other Priviledges, That there was no people that had the Lord their God so nigh unto them in all that they called upon him for, as the Lord our God hath been to them, Deut. 4.7, 8. The Wife shines with the rayes of her Husband, Ezek. 16.14. the fruition and enjoyment of Gods favour is the life of our lives, and the honour of our honours, without this we may write Ichabod upon all that we have, There is no glory. The greater is their sin then who dishonour him by their sin, who is their real excellency, and turn the glory which he hath put upon them into shame. This makes the Lord to swear that he will strip them of their Priviledges, and make them naked, as in the day when they were born. He will take away not only his Corn and Wine but his Sabbaths, and Sacraments, which are the real glory of a people, and give them to a people which shall yeeld him better obedience.

4 Cathes are tremendous and dreadful things.

They must be taken with abundance of fear and reverence. Hence it is that the Holy Ghost here conceals the Imprecation, implying thereby, that men should tremble at the very thoughts of what will follow if they swear falsly.

5 God records and remembers all the wickedness of the wicked.

He forgets none, no not one of their works, though they themselves do. As hee hath a book of remembrance for all the good which his people have done, which shall at the last Day be publisht to their everlasting praise▪ Mal. 3.16. Mat. 25.34, 35. so he hath a book of remembrance for all the wicked works of the ungodly, which shall be opened at the last Day, and set in order before them to their everlasting shame, Psal. 50.21. Mat. 25.41, 42. then shall they give an account of their Stewardship, and must be no longer Stewards, Luke 16.2. nothing can pass his All-seeing-Eye; hee records not some, but All their works; and though he may p. 474seem for a time to connive and take no notice of their sins but lets them prosper in their wickedness;See my Com. on Hos. 13.12. Obs 1.Hos 13:12 yet at last he will make them know that he hath not forgot any of their works, when he shall execute his Justice fully upon them.

VERSE 8.

Shall not the Land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a floud, and it shall be cast out, and drowned as by the floud of Aegypt.

THe Prophet having in the precedent Verse shewed the certainty of Israels punishment, in this Verse he comes to shew the greatness and grievousness of that misery which like a floud was rushing in upon them. They had been extraordinary …inners, and now he tells them of extraordinary sufferings. They had their flouds of sin, and now follow flouds of sorrow. The Prophet the better to awaken them begins, 1. With an Emphatical Interrogation, which is equivalent to a strong Affirmation, as Amos 5.20. Shall not the Land tremble for this? viz. for this cruelty, cozening, Idolatty, and Apostasie? q. d. I appeal to your Consciences, how can it be othe …ise? it is impossible that such men as have thus perverted all equity and order, have brought in confusion, and exercised all manner of Tyranny and cruelty upon the poor, should ever escape unpunished;Tirgaz, a. Ragaz contremuit, commotus est. when the very earth trembles and groans under such lewd and rebellious inhabitants.

1 Some make it a Prosopopeical speech, thus, so great is the sin, and so great shall be the sorrow of Israel, that the very insensible earth cannot but tremble and be moved at it; for all Creatures by a Natural instinct are sensible of the Voyce and beck of their Creator, how much more of his anger.

2 Here is an Exegesis, or explanation of the precedent Clause, the earth should so tremble, and there should be such trouble and fears there, that every one that dwells in it should mourn. As all had sinned, so all without exception should suffer for sin.

3 He illustrates their Calamity yet further, by the similitude of an over-flowing floud, which carries down all before it, p. 475and it shall rise up wholly as a floud. The earth shall rise up as a floud, for, the floud should rise up over it; it is an Hypallage frequent in Scripture, q. d. As waters rise up and cover the Land that it doth not appear; so shall the Assyrians arise and over-spread the whole Land of Israel, and carry away both them and their riches.

And it shall be cast out; As the Sea and Flouds doe cast out mire and dirt, which they raise, Isa. 57.20. so should the Land spue out these;Niseu, demergetur, in prosundum, They shall be swallowed up as in a gulph. yet more, and be drowned as by the floud of Aegypt; that is, by the River Nilus, which by way of eminency is called, The River, i. e. that noted and famous River which watered the Land of Aegypt, making it fat and fruitful.

Israels Captivity is here compared to an over-flowing River, which no banks nor bounds can hold. It is usual in Scripture to set forth great Calamities by the name of great Waters; so Psal. 18.16. & 32.6. & 69.2, 15. & 124.4, 5. & 144.7. Ier. 46.7, 8. Amos 9.5. So the Lord here, the better to expresse the great Calamities which were coming upon Israel, V. Pliny, Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 9.…e…cheth a Similitude from the River Nilus, which was wont yearly to over-flow the Plains of Aegypt; there was no raine ordinarily in Aegypt, but the over-flowing of Nilus supplied that want, and covered the Plains for about two months space. Now as the River Nilus over-flowed all the Land of Aegypt, and made it like a Sea, so the Land of Israel should be swiftly and suddenly over-run with the Army of the Assyrians, which like a sweeping floud should carry away all before them; as they did in the reign of Hoshea, the last King of Israel, when they were carried into Captivity out of their owne Land, 2 King. 17.

OBSERVATIONS.

1▪ The very earth trembles and groans under the sins of wicked men.

Wicked men are a burden to the whole Creation,V. Fenners Ser. on Rom. 8.22. p. 296. folio.Rom 8:22 Psal. 60.1, 2. Rom. 8.22. and could they speak (as they doe tacitly, and in their kind) they would say, Lord let us not be Servants to those that will not be Servants to thee. The earth cries, let me devour them, as I did Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, p. 476Numb. 16.31, 32. The Sea cryes, Let mee drown them; the Air saith, Let mee choak them, &c. Thus all creatures are ready to testifie their indignation against sin and sinners, and therefore the Lord calls so oft upon the inanimate creatures to be ashamed and astonished at the rebellion of his people, Isa. 1.2. Ier. 2.12. As a man, whose stomach is surcharged, is sick till he hath vomited up that which burdens his stomach; so the creature is even sick again till it have spued out those wicked inhabitants that burden it, Levit. 18.25. & 20.22. Now, shall the insensible creatures groan for our sin, and shall not we groan for our selves? shall they be affected with our wickedness, and we be insensible? God forbid.

2. Wicked men are the troublers of Israel.

The world is apt to charge Gods people with rebellion and troubling of Israel. As Ahab did Elijah, and Amaziah the Priest did Amos, chap. 7.10. and the Jews the Apostles, Acts 17.6.See my Beauty of Holiness, ch. 7. Obj. 11. But tis the wicked that are the true Reshagnims and troublers of the places where they dwell, Ier. 4.28. & 9.12, 13. Hos. 4.3. 'Tis the Idolater, the Oppressor, the Cheater, &c. that are the true troublers of Israel, and make the Land to tremble under them.

3. Floods of sin bring floods of sorrow.

Where floods of Idolatry, Atheism, Security, and Unrighteousness go before, there floods of misery ever follow. In the old world there was a deluge of sin, which brought upon them a deluge of water, which swept them all away. God hath variety of floods to sweep-away impenitent sinners from the earth.

4. When Iudgements come, they seize on rich men as well as on others.

When the flood of Gods judgements comes, every man shall mourn, without exception. Not one of these covetous Cormorants shall escape; their silver and their gold shall not avail them in the day of Gods wrath, Prov. 11.4. Ezek. 7.19, 27. Zeph. 1. ult. The sin of such Oppressors, cryes, and rests no… till it hath brought plagues upon the heads of such sinners, Ezek. 16.49. & 22.7, 13. Iames 5.4. Thus as they had sinned universally, so now God brings upon them universal destruction.

p. 477VERSE 9.

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cause the Sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.

WEE have seen Israels sin and sorrow in part, here we have it more fully amplified. 1. Their prosperity shall be turned into misery, and their mirth into mourning, vers. 9, 10.

2. They shall lose their Pastors and their Preaching and shall have a famine of spiritual food sent amongst them, vers. 11, 12.

3. Then follows utter destruction, vers. 13, 14.

The Prophet Allegorically sets forth under elegant Metaphors, the greatness of that sorrow which was falling upon Israel; Their light should be turned into darkness, their joy into sorrow, their prosperity into adversity, their feasts into mourning, and their songs into lamentation, as for an only Son.

Israel had injoyed a little gleam of prosperity which they thought would alwaies last, they thought this Sun would never set, nor this light ever be darkened, but the Lord tells them, he would suddenly send the Army of the Assyrians upon them, when they little dreamed of it▪ so that their Sun should set at noon, and the light be turned into sudden darkness.

Some take the words literally, that the natural Sun should set at noon, but the Prophet speaks not of natural, but metaphorical darkness viz. of the night of adversity, as appears by that which follows, I will darken the earth in the clear day, what's that? why I will turn your feasts into mourning, &c. vers. 10.

Others apply this Text to the Passion of Christ, when the Sun was eclipsed, and darkness covered the face of the whole earth. But this is quite against the Text and Context, which speaks of the destruction of the Kingdome of Israel, and not of the sufferings of Christ.

In the verse it self we have 1. A dreadful judgement threatned in metaphorical terms, I will cause your Sun to go down at noon, and will darken the earth in the clear day. The same p. 478thing is set forth in various terms, the better to affect them. By Light and the Sun at noon, is meant great prosperity and gladness, as 2 Sam. 23.4. Hest. 8.16. Iob 18.5, 6. & 38.15. Psal. 97.11. & 112.4. By darkness is meant, great sorrow, terrour, captivity, and fear. So Iob 22.10, 11. Isa. 59.9, 10. Ier. 15.9. Amos 5.18. Micah 3.6. Psal. 107.10. Lam. 3.2. Hence the doleful condition of the damned in Hell is called by the name of darkness, Matth. 22.13.

2. Here is the time when this shall be, and that is, in that day, viz. when the Lord shall come to execute judgement upon Israel, for all their provocations, and bring the Army of their enemies upon them.

3. Here is the certainty of all this misery, Dixit Dominus, The Lord, who cannot lye, hath spoken it. Let the wicked have never so much light of prosperity, let him shine as bright as Lucifer, yea as the Sun it self, which is the fountain of light, yet his light shall be put out in obscurity, and down he shall, Ier. 14.13. The higher men are in their own conceits without God, the more suddenly and surely shall they fall.

The summe of all is this, q. d. 'Tis true O yee people of Israel, that yee are now at the heighth of your peace, and at the high-noone of your prosperity, now you are secure and flourishing by reason of those victories which you obtained under Jeroboam the second,See my Com. on Hos. 13.16 p. 148.Hos 13:16 who restored what was lost to Israel: now you trust in your Riches, Success, and Armies, and never once think of a fall, or that your Sun will set; but since I have spared you for a time, therefore you conclude that your judgements will never come, but I will bring sudden calamities upon you (saith the Lord) and such as you looked not for, so that your mid-day of prosperity shall be turned into the midnight of adversity; your peace into war, your plenty into penury, and your liberty into restraint: you shall be stript of all by the merciless Assyrian; and you that were but now the head, shall suddenly be made the heel: The Sun of your prosperity shall set in obscurity, without the least glimmering of light, or hope of deliverarance.

OBSERVATIONS.

1. All our afflictions come from God.

'Tis he that makes our Sun to set at noon, when we are p. 479most careless and secure, and little think of night. 'Tis I, I, I, that create light and darkness, Isa. 45.7. There is no evil of affliction in the City but the Lord doth it,See Mr. Brinsly in his Treatise of Passive Obedience. Amos 3.6. Hence they are called His Judgements by a special propriety, Isa. 26.8, 9. and he is said to bring spoilers and sudden terrors upon his people at noon-day, Ier. 15.8, 9.

2. The wicked may injoy for a time a great light of prosperity.

It may be noon and clear day with them;See my Com. on Psal. 73.18, &c.Ps 73:18 They may prosper even to envy, Psal. 73.2, 3, 4. Ier. 12.1. Hab. 1. But of this at large elsewhere.

3. When the wicked are in highest prosperity, the Lord can suddenly bring upon them a night of adversity.

When people are drunk with prosperity,See my Com. on Hos. 13.16. Obs. 1.Hos 13:16 and think their mountain so strong, that it can never be moved, then God usually hides his face, and we are presently in trouble, Psal. 30.7. In our own dayes we have seen those that have been upon the highest pinnacle of temporal felicity, suddenly brought into an Abyss of misery. Before the day of judgement, when men are most secure, crying, Peace, Peace, then comes sudden and swift destruction. Be not then puft up with success, or prosperity, nor yet envy the triumphs of the wicked, for they shall soon come down, and wither as the grass, Psal. 37.1, 2 Rev. 18.7, 8. Walk humbly and thankfully in the midst of all enjoyments, do not fight against God with his own favours, nor abuse his blessings to his dishonour; if you do, you must know, that he who raised you, can as easily ruine you; and he that makes it noon with you, can as easily make it night. Let us therefore with holy Iob, cap. 3.25. in our highest prosperity, fear and fore-see a day of adversity.See Mr. Bellars his Sermon on Isa. 60.20.Isa 60:20 Let us become as an obedient people, and then our Sun shall never set, but we shall injoy Gods favour without interruption, Isa. 60.20.

p. 480VERSE 10.

And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your Songs into Lamentation, and I will bring up Sackcloath upon all loyns, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an onelyonly Son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

WHat the Prophet had spoken metaphorically and darkly in the precedent verse, he comes and explains it in this. He had told them before that their Sun should set at noon; what's that, may some one say? why in plain English, Your feasts shall be turned into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation.

The Prophet goes on still in setting forth that sudden and sad distress which should surprise Israel, and because wicked men are slow of heart to beleeve Gods threatnings, therefore he multiplies words, and expresseth the same thing in various terms, the better to awaken them, and work upon them.

In the two fore-going verses we had six Ands, and in this verse we have six more, which serve as so many links to fasten the chain of Gods judgements together. Where wee have 1. A further explication of the judgement threatned, viz. a turning of their feasts into mourning, and their songs into lamentation.

Quest. But the Question will be, what songs and feasts doth the Prophet here speak of, whether be they sacred or prophane?

Answ. Both, 1. The Lord would turn their common feasts where they had prophane singing and musick, into weeping and wailing, Amos 6.5, 6, 7.

2. Their holy Feasts and Temple Songs, and Musick, in which they so much delighted, and thought that with such Ceremonious, external worship God was well pleased, these did but increase Gods wrath, and blow up the fire of his displeasure against them, and therefore the Lord threatens that these songs especially should be turned into howling, vers. 3.

The Jews had many festivals, and in them God commanded them to rejoyce, Deut. 12.18. They had also holy Musick, and holy songs at those festivals appointed by David, for the praising p. 481of God, 1 Chron. 25. But they being Idolaters, Superstitious, and hypocritical, resting in a bare external performance of these Ceremonial Rites, and placing all holiness in them, though themselves lived lewdly and licentiously, Ier. 7.8, 9, 10, 11. Sacrificing to the Calves, and not to God, therefore the Lord threatens to turn even those religious feasts and songs (for of these the Prophet seems more especially to speak) into mourning and lamentation, q. d. Hitherto you have lived secure and careless, feasting and singing without any fear of God, or thoughts of his judgements; but now (saith the Lord) I will turn your feasting into fasting, and your songs into lamentation.

2. Here is the greatness of their sorrow, set forth by two Ceremonial Rites, which were used in those Eastern Countries, viz. Sackcloth and Baldness.

1. Sackcloth was a course mourning garment, made of black Goats hair, bound with a girdle about their loyns. 'Twas a sign and symbole of misery and mourning,See more in Mr. Greenhill on Ezek. 7.18.Ezek 7:18 as appears, Gen. 37.34. 2 King. 6.30. Psal. 30.11. Isa. 3.24. & 25.3. & 22.12. Ier. 4.8. & 48.37. Lam. 2.10. Ezek. 7.18.Ioel. 1.8. At Abners funeral David commanded them to put on Sackcloth, and weep, 2 Sam. 3.31. And Ahab hearing of Gods judgements coming on him, he humbled himself in Sackcloth, 1 King. 21.27. The two witnesses were cloathed in Sackcloth, mourning to see so many fall away to Popery, Rev. 11.3. The Lord threatens to make them put off their ornaments and gorgeous attire, Exod. 33.4, 5. and put on sackcloth and mourning weeds, as most suitable to such mournful times. They would not humble themselves nor mourn in their prosperity, now they should be humbled, and made to mourn in their adversity.

2. Baldness also was a sign of the greatest mourning among the Jews, and therefore the Lord threatens here that he would bring baldness upon every head, that is, their miseries should be so great, that they should pluck off the very hair of their heads for anguish and sorrow: for the Jews, when they were in deep distress, did testifie their sorrow, as by sackcloth and renting their garments; so by Baldness also, either pulling the hair off their heads for very anguish and indignation, as Ezra did Ezra 9.3. or else shaving their heads and beards, p. 482as Iob did when he heard that his children were dead; this he did, not out of impatience, but according to the custome of those times and Countries, to express the greatness of his sorrow, Iob 1.20. So Isa. 3.24. & 15.2. Ier. 7.29. & 16.6. & 47.5. and 48.37. Ezek. 7.18. and 27.31. Micah 1.16. The hair of the head and beard is counted an Ornament, and the cutting it off was a debasement, and therefore it was used onelyonly in cases of very great sorrow. Though they might not conform themselves to the Heathen, who shaved their heads, and then dedicated their locks to Idols, Levit. 19.27, 28. Deut. 14.1. yet in sorrow for sin, and deep distress, it was commanded, Isa. 22.12. Micah 1.16.

3. Here is the universality of this calamity, it shall seize upon all loyns and every head, none shall escape, but as all had sinned, so all should now suffer for sin.

4. Here is a further Amplification of their sorrow, drawn from the Example of one that mourns for the death of an onelyonly Son, which is wont to be very bitter and great. The Prophet seems to be at a stand, as here, whence to borrow comparisons, to set forth the greatness of their sorrow. A Father which hath many children, disperseth his love among them all, but he that hath but one onelyonly Son, his love is united, and is more vehemently set upon him: hence Unice amare est vehementer amare, and the Philosopher saith, the strongest love is between two, not twenty; for if it be divided amongst many, 'tis, lessened and weakened; as a River that is cut into many channels. When Parents lose one of many, it troubles them, but yet they comfort themselves that they have others left still, but if they have but one only Son, and he dye, to bury all their hopes in one onelyonly hopeful childe, is very bitter, and causeth great lamentation. Hence great sorrow in Scripture is thrice compared to the sorrowing for an onelyonly Son. 1. In the Text, then Ier. 6.26. where the Prophet calling upon the people, to make most bitter lamentation for the great calamities which were coming on them▪ hee calls on them to mourn as for an onelyonly Son.

So Zach. 12.10. When the Jews shall be converted and called, 'tis said, They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, by an eye of Faith, and thou shall mourn for him as for an only Son, that is, in an high degree and measure. 'Tis a kinde p. 483of Proverbial speech used by the Heathen.Cicero pro Rescio, Amerino. Hence that of Tully, I mourn (said he) for the misery of the Common-wealth, as a Mother doth for her only Son.

4 Here is the duration of this misery, it shall endure to the end of the Kingdome of Israel, and extend itself to their posterity. The end thereof, viz. of the Land, which is put for the inhabitants of the Land, by a frequent Me…onymy, shall be as a bitter day; that is, as a funeral, mournful day, because they shall be destitute of all true comfort from the VVord of God, which alone can keep us from perishing in our troubles, Psalm 119.92.

The Prophet seems to prevent an evasion, and stop a gap at which impenitent sinners are wont to creep out; oh (say they) though these troubles be sharp, yet they will be but short, they are clouds that will soon vanish; but deceive not your selves (saith the Prophet) for the VVrath of God shall abide upon you, and upon your Posterity even to the end; and when one wave is over, another shall come, till it have swept you all out of your owne Land.

OBSERVATIONS.

1 Plain preaching is the best teaching.

The Prophet in this Verse expounds his Metaphors and allusions, and makes them plaine for the meanest capacity.See my Com. on Hos. 13.15. Obs. 2.Hos 13:15 But of this elsewhere.

2 What is dark in one place, the Scripture makes plaine in another.

What was spoken mystically,Schools-Guard Rule 5. vers. 9. is explained ver. 10. But of this elsewhere.

3 Carnal joy ends in sorrow.

As they that sow in godly sorrow shall reap in joy; so they that sow in carnal joy shall reap in sorrow. When men abuse their feasts and lawful liberties, God will turn them into fasts and mourning, Hos. 2.11. Amos 5.16, 17. & 6.5, 6, 7. & 8.3.

How sad then is our condition, for if the Lord turn the feasts of his owne appointment into lamentation to a back-sliding people; what may we expect who are mad upon the Saturnalia, Bacchanalia, & Floralia of the Heathen, Festivals, which God p. 484never once instituted or ordained, wherein men drink, dance, dally, and give themselves up to all manner of debauchery and prophanenesse, and that in dayes of such glorious light, as the Nation never enjoyed the like since it was a Nation; shall not the Lord visit for these things? he will suddenly and certainly send some Assyrian or other to avenge the dishonours done to his name. If the Lord will turn holy Feasts and Songs into lamentation, what will he doe to those that use prophane 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,See Burroughs on Mat. 11.29. p. 652. and M. Pools Ser. on. Joh. 4.24.Matt 11:29John 4:24 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.

See my Com. on Hos. 13.16. Obs. 8.Hos 13:16It 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.See Brooks his remedy against Satans Devices, p. 13, 14. 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.

p. 4857 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 p. 486external, corporal famine, 'tis not a famine of material bread, but which is far worse, 'tis 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 ca…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, 'tis 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 p. 487will send, Shalach, misit, emisit, immisit.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, 'Tis 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 is here rightly stiled a famine.

Man consists of two parts, of Soul and Body, and both these must be fed;The body hath its al…mentum naturale, the soul its al…mentum spirituale. the body which hath its Original from the earth, is maintained by earthly nourishment; but the soul which is spiritual, must be fed with the spiritual food of Gods Word; for as bread is the stay and staff of mans body, and the body cannot live without it, so Gods Word is the support of the soul, and it cannot live without that,See Mr. Will. Bartons third sermon on Jer. 3.15. p. 260.Jer 3:15 hence it is called Food, Ier. 3.15. & 15.16. Iohn 21.15, 17. Act. 20.28. 'Tis here, and here onelyonly that Christ the bread of life is revealed unto us, Iohn 6.35. Prov. 9.1. to 7. 'Tis in the Gospel that wee have a feast full fraught with spiritual delicates, Psal. 65.4. Isa. …5.6. & 55.1, 2. Hence David makes such bitter lamentation for want of it, Psal. 42.2, 3. and 84. and 'tis made one note of Gods people, that they mourn for want of the holy Assemblies, Zeph. 3.18. Lam. 1.4, 7. and 2.6, 7. and 4.1. and 5.18. I… esteemed the word of the Lord above his necessary food, Job 23.12. He did not only esteem it above Lands and livings, above gold and silver, but even above his appointed food, without which he could not live. He did more earnestly desire it, more heartily delight in it, and more highly prize it, than he did his necessary food, without which he could not …ubsist. He had rather lose his usual meals, than lose his opportunities of meditation on the Word of God. Hence 'tis that Gods Ministers are called Stewards, 1 Cor. 4.1, 2. p. 488Titus 1.7. which must dispense this Bread of Life according to the capacity of their Hearers. They must give Milk to Babes, and strong meat to strong men; for Gods Word is both Semen & Pabulum, it is the seed by which we are new-born, Iam. 1.18. 1. Pet. 1.23. and the food by which we are nourisht after, 1 Pet. 2.2. by this the dead are inlivened, Ioh. 5.25. the dark inlightned, Psal. 19.8. and the sorrowful comforted, Isa. 40.1, 2. This shewes the great necessity and benefit of the preaching of Gods Word, and should make us prefer it unto our chiefest joy. But to this point I have spoken at large in a set Treatise.Sal Terrae.

2 Contempt of Gods Word brings a famine of the Word.

The Lord here suites his Judgements to his Peoples sins. He had in great mercy raised up for this people of their owne Sons for Prophets, and taught them (not by strangers) but by Children that came from their owne loyns, yet they ungratefully said to the Prophets, Prophesie not, Amos 2.11, 12. and commanded this our plain-dealing Prophet to preach no more at Bethel, but to goe see some other Countries, Amos 7.12, 13, 16.

Hinc illae Lachrymae! This brought the famine amongst them. VVhen God shall bestow the preaching of the VVord upon a people, which is the choycest gift which he can bestow on the Sons of men, and they shall loathe this Mannah, and vilifie those that bring it;See more in my Com. on Hos. 13.16. p. 89, 90. and Deuts Plain mans Path-way, p. 135. to 154.Hos 13:16 it is time the Lord should cease giving when such gifts are scorned, and cease loving, when his love is contemned. The Iewes that stoned the Prophets, killed the Apostles, and crucified Christ; for this great contempt, they have been a people of Gods Curse this sixteen hundred years. When men grow weary of truth, it is just with God that they should be left to error, and when they are weary of a faithful Amos, that they should have a flattering Amaziah; When men will not receive the truth in love, God will give them over to strong delusions, that they shall beleeve lyes. A dreadful Curse! 2 Thes. 2.11. q. d. Since I have given them Light, and shewed them my Truth, and the way to Heaven, but they have rejected it; therefore there shall come false Prophets, and shall cry down Ordinances, Sabbaths, &c. and you shall beleeve them that shall set up humane inventions, and you shall follow them. When Children abuse their Bread and p. 489play with it, and trample it under feet, it is time for Parents to take it from them. To bring these things à Thesi ad Hypothesin, and to apply this contempt of the Word to our se…ves▪ it may make us tremble to think whither we are fallen; Since the Apostles times the Gospel never shone so brightly as it doth at this day, and never was it and the Ministers of it more openly vilified, and that by many old Professors (who are turned blasphemers) than at this day; and therefore wee may justly fear that the Lord will punish our abuse of Light with the darkness of Popery; and take his Gospel from us, and give it to a people that shall yeeld him better fruits of it than wee have done. Sad tidings alwayes follow the contempt of the glad tidings of the Gospel; and they that think they have too much Preaching, shall at last have none at all. When Ierusalem began to abuse the Prophets, they were quickly made a desolation.

3 The loss of the Word of God is the sorest losse.

No famine like this famine, no judgement like this judgement, Lam. 1.4. it is the heaviest that can befall a people on this side Hell; which made Luther say, I would not live in Paradise without the Word, but with it I could make a shift in Hell it self. David knew this full wel, and therefore in the midst of all his wants, he was most sensible of this, and begs it as that one thing necessary, that he might dwell in the House of the Lord, Psal. 27.4. It is true, Corporal famine is very terrible, and brings people into sad perplexities,See more before, on Amos 4.6.Amos 4:6 and extremities, as you may see, Lam. 1.11.19. & 2.12, 20. & 4.4, 9. & 5.16. but this Spiritual famine is farre worse. For,

1 That and other Judgements pinch but the body, Ubi non est verbum Dei, quid nisi ruina & mors, etsi in speciem omnia florere vid…antur? Mercer.but this pines the soul; now as the soul is more noble and excellent than the body, so its Judgements are farre more dreadful, because Spiritual. It is sad when men shall cry for bread, and they have a Stone given them▪ for meat, and they have a Serpent; for drink, and their Pastors (or Impostors rather) give them Poyson.

2 That may be a means to bring a man home to God, but this increaseth, and confirms the separation between God and the soul.

3 That kills but the body at worst, but this destroyes both body and soul. So that as our Saviour said in another case, p. 490about fearing of men, so may I say, about fearing of …amines; fear not that famine which can but kill the body, but I will fore-tell you what you should fear; Fear that Famine which can destroy both body and soul, yea I say unto you, fear that.

4 Here is a Thirst added to the famine, a thirst of water. Though God sometimes punisheth Cities with famine, yet they may have water to drink; but if they want both bread, and especially water, the distress lyes very heavy; for Thirst if it be in extremity,See Hildersham on Joh. 4.13. Lect. 9. p. 39, 40.John 4:13 is one of the most painful and intolerable Passions that is in this life; now the Prophet applyes this to the Spiritual famine and want of Gods Word, q. d. if it be a great Judgement to be tormented with bodily famine and thirst; how great is the Judgement then that I denounce against you, who shall have both famine and thirst, and that not of bodily bread or water, but of the Word of God, which is the Bread and Water of Life, and as farre excells all Corporal bread, as the Soul excells the body? And as it is sad to have children cry for bodily bread, and there is none to give them; so it is much more sad when men shall cry for Spiritual bread, and there is none that can or will give it them.

2 As the giving of Preachers to dispen…e the Word unto us is reckoned as the choycest mercy, Job 33.23, 24. Isa. 30.20, 21. Jer. 3.15. Ephes. 4.11. because it brings light in darknesse, joy in sorrow,See Mr. Will. Burton on Jer. 3.15. Ser. 3.Jer 3:15 life in death, health in sicknesse, strength in weaknesse, and brings us to an interest in God, and having him we have the Mine, the Fountain, All. So on the contrary, the removal of the Word from a people, is reckoned amongst the sorest Judgements, 1 Sam. 28.6. Psal. 74.9. Prov. 29.18. Lam. 2.9. Ezek. 3.26. Hos. 4.17. Micah 2.6. Mat. 15.14. dry Breasts are reckoned as a Curse,V. Sal Terrae cap. 3. p. 45. Hos. 9.14. for when the Word goes, the greatest Mercies and Priviledges of a People goe with it. Rev. 2.5.

That Gods presence in his Ordinances is a Peoples greatest glory. See Mr. Marshals Fast Serm. on … Chron. 15.2. p. 5, 6. printed 1642.As I VVhen the VVord goes, God goes too, 2 Chron. 15.3. and woe to a people when God goes, Hos. 9.12. then men may persecute us, and there is none to deliver us, Psal. 71.11. when he is gone, the glory of a People is gone, Isa. 4.…. As the Ark, that was a Symbol and sign of Gods presence amongst his People, was called the Glory of Israel, 1 Sam. 4. ult. So the Preaching of the Gospel amongst us is our glory, Hag. 2.9. and if it depart, we may write Ichabod upon all our other p. 491enjoyments, that is, There is no glory; for the glory is departed from Israel since the Ark of God is taken. It is said of Constantinople, that it is fortified with three Bulwarks▪ 1. VVith Wood, i. e. with Shipping. 2. VVith Stones, i. e. with high VValls, 3. VVith Bones, i. e. with valiant men. But it wants a fourth, vi…. The presence of God in his Ordinances, without which all other Fortifications are but vain, Isa. 22.8, 9, 10, 11, 12. Nahum 3.12, 13. Christ is called a King, Psal. 2.6. & 110.3. Zach. 9.9. now the presence of a King is the glory of a place; and where he is truly preached, there he is truly present; though the place and people be never so mean. Vilissimus pagus est eburneum Palatium, ubi est sincerus Pastor, & fideles aliqui. Luther.

2 The Protection of a people goes. Where there is no Vision, there a people lye naked, and exposed to Divine displeasure, and all Gods sore Judgements break in upon them Prov. 29.18. the contempt of the VVord laid this potent and flourishing Kingdome of Israel in the dust.

3 Peace, Plenty, Comfort, Riches, all goe when the Gospel goes. As the Gospel comes not empty handed to a People, but brings Peace, Plenty, Renown, and Glory with it, Exod. 20.24. (Isa. 60. that whole Chapter) so when ever the Gospel goes, these concomitants goe along with it. As we see in Ierusalem which lies now in the dust, and the seven Churches of Asia.

4 Salvation goes, for the Preaching of the VVord is the ordinary means of Salvation. Those that sin away the ordinary means must never look for extraordinary; whom God saves now, he saves by Preaching, Rom. 1.16. 1 Cor. 1.21.

5 VVithout the VVord we cannot grow in Grace, it is not sufficient that we have the truth of Grace, but God looks that we should shew it by our growth in grace, 2 Pet. 3.18. & 1 Pet. 2.2.

6 Without the VVord no comfort, we shall perish in our afflictions unlesse Gods Law be our delight, Psal. 119.92. It is through comfort of the Scriptures that we have hope, Rom. 15.4.

7 VVithout the VVord we are naked, and cannot defend our selves; it is with this sword of the Spirit that we defend our selves against the assaults of our Spiritual adversaries, Ephes. 6.17.

p. 4928. If the Word be gone, we have no Rule to walk by, no Star to direct us, and so shall run into the boggs of unwritten Traditions, Revelations, New-lights, and a thousand old errours. If once we forsake the Law and the Testimony, to walk in the light of our own fire, following our own corrupt reason, we are sure at last to lye down in sorrow, Isa. 50.11.

9. When the VVord departs and goes out, then all miseries croud in. Non datur vacuum, holds true in Divinity, as well as in Philosophy.

1. Then the Devil sets up his Throne, Rev. 2.13. and wickednesse abounds. VVhen Christs Kingdome goes down, then Satans comes up; when the Sun sets, night follows.

2. Your children will be Idolaters, and you will bring forth children to the murderer; when people have not the true God, they will have a false one.

3. Many temporal plagues will follow, as appears by the two following verses, vers. 13, 14. Where the famine of the Word goes before, there Sword, Plague, Famine, and other Judgements usually follow. In Queen Maries time, when we lost the Word, we had losses by Sea, and losses by Land, and had such a terrible famine, that the people were forced to make bread of Acorns. When Truth and Gods Ordinances are gone, Vines and Fig-trees will not be long after,See Mr. Burroughs on the place. p. 459, &c. Hos. 2.11, 12. When the Lord would make way for his extreamest wrath, to come upon a people, he first takes away his faithful Ministers, that should lye in the breach to intercede for them, that so his wrath may come upon them to the utmost, Psal. 74.8, 9. Lam. 2.7, 8.

Let us then use all means to prevent this Land-destroying Judgement; to this end, 1. Be humbled for the sins of the times, which call for the removing of our Candlestick out of its place. 2. Besiege Heaven with your prayers, Mat. 9.36. this is an Omnipotent Engine,Est quaedam p…ecum omnipotentia. Luther. whereby we conquer God. To quicken your prayers, consider what a sad losse the losse of the Word is, as you have seen in nine particulars before. 3. Walk as becomes the Gospel;See twelve sins that help to remove the Gospel Sangar. Morn. Lect 9. p. 93, 94, &c. if any thing remove the Gospel from amongst us, 'tis our prophane, impure, ungospel-like, loose conversation that will do it.

4. As corporal, so spiritual famine comes from God.

p. 493As all evil of affliction, so this amongst the rest comes from him.

1. He sometimes sends it immediately, when he chargeth the Prophets to prophesie no more in his name. As he commands the clouds to with-hold their Rain, and so brings a corporal famine; so when sinners grow obstinate, he commands his Ministers to with-hold their spiritual showers, and to let them alone, that they may perish in their iniquity, Hos. 4.17. Mat. 15.14.

2. When by death he takes away his Ministers, when people cast dirt upon them, the Lord casts dust upon them, and hides them in their graves from the revilings of men.

2. Mediately, 1. By a corrupt Magistracy. Thus Ahab and Iesabel persecuted the true Prophets, and made them hide themselves in caves. So Herod that Tyrant cut off Iohn Baptists head.

2. By a corrupt Ministery; false Prophets in all ages have been the greatest persecutors of the true. Thus Amos here hath Amaziah the high Priest of Bethel against him, Amos 7.10. His punishment you may read, vers. 17. Thus Pashur the Priest smote Ieremiah, and put him in the stocks, Ier. 20.7. My Lord Annas and Caiphas the High Priest, with the Scribes and Pharisees were the greatest enemies to Christ and his Apostles.

3. When men are given up in judgement to their own hearts lusts, so that they stop their ears against the Word, and will not hear, Zach. 7.12.

4. When men muzzle the mouths of these laborious Oxen,V. Salterrae. cap. 8. p. 122. and ungratefully change their wages, and withdraw the Oyl from the Lamp, and pick the tallow from the weik. 'Tis just with God to starve such souls, as would starve his Ministers bodies; you must therefore buy the Truth, and with the wise men, part with your gold and silver for Christ, Mat. 2.11. You may buy gold too dear, but you cannot buy Christ and his Truth too dear; though you part with all your temporals for the Gospel, you have made a wise bargain, Matth. 13.44.

5. Spiritual curiosity and niceness, when men have itching ears, so that they cannot indure sound Doctrine, 2 Tim. 4.4. When nothing will down but quails, and picking-meat, they are all for flourishes, and Rhetorical strains, and smoothe p. 494things, Isa. 30.…0. The doctrine of Mortification and Self-denial will not down with them.

6. Barrenness under the means of grace, when we do not answer Gods cost and care, then he pulls up the hedge, and laies all waste, Isa. 5.1, 2, 3. Mat. 21.43. Rev. 2.3. They that will not work in the day, shall lamen… their folly in the night;See more on Amos 8 11, 12. in Dr. Thomas Taylors Serm. on that Text, in his Sermons, in folio p. 207, &c. ☜Amos 8:11Amos 8:12 they that will not serve God in the injoyment of Ordinances, shall serve their lusts in the want of them. Let us therefore walk in the light, whilst we have the light, when the night comes no man can work.

VERSE 12.

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 finde it.

IN this verse we have a further aggravation of this peoples misery, viz. that they should seek what they had despised, and withall they should have a frustration of their expectation. They had contemned the Word of the Lord, and now God in his just judgement will make them know the worth of his Word by the wanting of it. They shall wander from Sea to Sea. They shall trouble themselves without any profit. They hated the light, and therefore now they shall sit in darkness; they contemned Gods Prophets, and now they shall not be troubled with them; formerly God sent in his Prophets, rising early to seek them, but now since by their sins they had driven both God and his Prophets from them, they should run from Sea to Sea, that is, from the Red Sea Southward, to the Mediterranean Sea VVestward (which were the bounds of the Land of Canaan, Numb. 34.3. Iosh. 1.4. Ioel 2.20. Zach. 9.10.) Yea they should run from North acrosse unto the East,Ab Aquilone ad ortum, i. e. longissimè dif…ita loca, & veli…t è diametro oppos…a, petent. Mercer. that is, in plain English, they should run all the Land over, and seek the word of the Lord in every corner and quarter of it, and yet they should misse of it. If the famine be but in one part of a land, a man may run to another part of it for aid, but when they shall cry for bread in all the parts of the land, and there is none to give them, that is doleful indeed.

p. 495Q. Here a Question will arise, Hath not the Lord promised, that those that ask shall have, and they that seek shall find, and such as hunger and thirst shall be blessed, how comes it then to passe, that this people seek the Word of the Lord, and yet cannot finde it?

A. The Answer is easie, there is a two-fold seeking and thirsting.

1 A seasonable, serious, and sincere seeking after God in his Worship, and to such the Promise runs, that they shall finde, Prov. 8.17. God never sayes to the genuine seed of Iacob, Seek my face in vain, Isa. 45.19. This Spiritual hungring and thirsting after the sincere milk of the Word, that we may grow thereby, is an infallible evidence of grace.

2 There is a formal, feigned, late seeking of Gods Word, Luke 13.24. only in the time of trouble, when pain oppresseth them; such may seek, but they shall never find: and thus it was with Israel here, they sought not the Word out of any love to it, nor yet to be converted by it, but being in trouble, and seeing (when it was too late) what a blessing they had lost, they now howl after it, as those did for bodily food,Rep obi ubi se spoliatos esse vident Dei beneficiis, non vere afficiantur ut resipiscant, sed tantum sentiunt caecos cruciatus, ut seipsos torqueant sine aliquo effectu. Calvin. Hos. 7.14. and as Esau did for the Birth-right, when it was too late, Heb. 12.17. So these in a blind, erroneous, distracted manner desired to hear the Word of the Lord from the mouth of the Prophets, not to be instructed by it (for they hated to be reformed) but to get some ease and comfort from them in their distresse; for the Prophets were wont to mingle comfort with their Threatnings, and to tell the people of God how long their troubles should endure, and when they should end, Psal. 74.9. But since the Lord spake to them by his Prophets in their prosperity, and they would not beleeve, that so they might fly from the wrath to come; now they should sink under their burden, and run to and fro for a Prophet of the Lord to comfort them, but they should not have it; for as the Lord called and they would not answer, so they should now cry, and should not be heard, Prov. 1.24 25, 26, 27. so that it is a fallacy to argue thus, All that seek shall find, and all that hunger and thirst are blest.

But these did seek, therefore they shall find; and these did hunger and thirst after the word, therefore they shall bee blessed.

p. 496The Major must be limited, thus:

All that seek aright, and all that doe truly hunger and thirst after the Word shall be blessed. But these did seek aright, and did truly hunger and thirst after the Word.

That is false, for by hunger and thirst here is not meant their hungring after the VVord, but it implies a want of the VVord; as a man that is pined wants food, so in Israel there should be a great want of the Prophets to preach the Word unto them.

Some take the words in an Allegorical, Mystical sense, and apply it to the Iewes after they had Crucified Christ, and stoned the Prophets, they should run from place to place to seek the VVord of the Lord, and should not find it. But this is too lax and general, and is against the context, which applies it to the ten Tribes, vers. 14.

OBSERVATIONS.

1 Those that will find the Lord when they seek him, must seek him whilst he may be found, Isa. 55.6. Psal. 32.6. 2 Cor 6.2.

VVe must walk in the light whilst we have the light, the night comes when no man can work,See twenty Motives to press this duty in my Com. on 2 Tim. 3.15. p. 253.2 Tim 3:15 Ioh. 12.35, 36. This people here lost all for want of seeking in a right manner and season, they sought the VVord, but it was when it was too late.

2 The scarcity of the Word (many times) makes it to bee more highly prized by us.

VVhen this Mannah fell thick about this people they regarded it not, but now they have lost their Prophets they can run from Sea to Sea to seek them. Those Sermons and Ordinances which people vilify now, when God removes them, they will magnifie and praise them.Virtutem praesentem odimus, sublatam ex oculis colimus invidi. Horat. Carendo potius quam fruendo. Sen. It is with those good wayes of God, as it is with good men, whilst they be alive amongst us we are ready to stone them, but when they are dead we are ready to Idolize them. Usually Gods blessings are more esteemed and valued by us when they are Rare, and we want them, than when we surfeit and abound with them. Things that are very rare are very precious, Isa. 4.1. & 13.12. Hence we read of dayes wherein the VVord of the Lord p. 497was rare, and then it was precious in those dayes, and why? because there was no open Vision; there was not a known Prophet in those dayes to teach the people, and this made the Ordinances so precious then, 1 Sam. 3.1.

The Commonness of the Sun,See Mr. Case on Afflictions, p. 13, 14, 15. of VVater, Food, Rayment, Health, VVealth, Peace, Liberty, Sleep, Senses, &c. make them little esteemed; whereas if the Lord should deprive us of any one of them, we should quickly know the worth of them.

Lament this thy folly, and beseech the Lord to make thee know the worth of his blessings by the enjoying, rather than by the wanting of them.

3 When people want the Word of God they should goe from place to place, yea from Land to Land, rather than pine and perish for want of instruction.

In times of Dearth we see how farre people will travel for food for their Bodies (as Iacobs Sons did from Canaan to Aegypt) and shall not we take more pains for our immortal Souls? If the Queen of Sheba (a person of great wealth and worth) went above a thousand miles to hear the VVisdome of Solomon, how farre should we goe to hear a greater than Solomon? Luke 11.31. How farre will men ride and run for the profits and pleasures of their bodies,See my Com. on 2 Tim, 4.2. p. 326. and shall not we be at more pains to save our Souls? In the dayes of Christ the people followed him from City to City on the Week-dayes to hear him, and he never reproved them for it, but fed their souls and bodies, Luke 6.17.

VER. 13.

In that day shall the fair Virgins, and the young men, faint for thirst.

IN the two precedent Verses the Prophet threatens a Spiritual famine, now follows a Corporal famine and destruction, from which none should escape; neither the Young mans strength, nor the Virgins Beauty should any whit avayl them in that day.

In this Verse we have, 1 A Judgement threatned, and that is Thirst, they should faint for thirst. The question will be, p. 498what is meant by Thirst here? 1. Some take it literally for corporal thirst, which in those hot Countries where they wanted water, was a very grievous thing. Poor that want bread, yet have water many times to refresh them, but when a people have neither bread nor water, it must needs go hard with them.

2. This Thirst sets forth the great poverty, and extream want of all things which this people should be brought into, (so the word is used, Deut. 28.48. Isa. 44.3. for great afflictions) and the terrour of that final judgement which was coming upon them. They should not have so much as a little water to quench their thirst, but they should faint for thirst, (as men use to do in such cases) Psal. 107.5. Isa. 51.19, 20. This sense I take to be the most genuine.

3. Yet others take Thirst Metaphorically; for Spiritual Thirst, Gods wrath should burn them, and burden them, and yet they should have none to refresh and comfort them in their trouble. VVe have a Comment on this Text, in Hos. 2.3, 4. where the Lord threatens to strip these Idolatrous Israelites naked, as in the day when they were born, and to make them a wilderness, and set them in a dry Land, and stay them with thirst; that is, he would destroy them with the scorching heat of his wrath, not tempered with any grace or comfort. So great should their misery be, that they should want both corporal and spiritual refreshing.

2. Here are the persons which should perish, and those are the prime and flower of the Land, the very hope of posterity. The beautiful Virgins, and the Young Men. These usually sin with an high hand, in open contempt of God and his word, they sin with more height and violence of affection, than elder persons use to do, and therefore the Lord threatens them especially.

Virgins use to be spared by men for their tenderness and beauty, but God is no respecter of persons, and young men are strong, and can better shift for themselves, yet these, even these, for all their beauty, vigour and strength, shall faint and dye,Operientur maerore. sorrow and perplexity shall cover and overwhelm them, as the word signifies; and if these cannot hold out, what shall become of children and old persons? This shews the generality of the Judgement, and that none shall escape.

p. 4993. Here is the time when all this shall come upon them, 'Tis in that day, See more in Dr. Thomas Taylor, on Amos 8.13, 14. in folio p. 263, &c.Amos 8:13Amos 8:14viz. when Israel shall go into captivity, and be carried out of his own Land by the cruel Assyrians; when Samaria should be taken, and Gods Prophets scattered, then shall they faint for thirst.

OBSERVATIONS.

1. Where spiritual Iudgements go before, there corporal Iudgements follow after.

Such as contemn spiritual bread, shall want corporal. Before we read of a spiritual famine, now follows corporal distress of the choicest and fairest of both sexes. So true is that of Solomon, Prov. 13.13, 18. Whoso despiseth the Word, shall be destroyed, yea poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction.

2. Beauty is vanity, Prov. 31.30. Isa. 3.24. & 40.6, 7.

'Tis a brittle thing, what disease almost doth not make …t fade and wither? however it may take with vain man, yet it moves not God. If beautiful Virgins will sin against God, even the fair Virgins shall faint. Many have beauty that have not piety, Prov. 6.25. & 11.22. Saul and Absolom were goodly personages, yet wicked men. Of the two, better have Piety without Beauty,Felix nigredo quae mentis candorem habet. V. A Lapide in Eccles. 11.2 & Sphinx Theolog. cap. 15. Ingenio poller, cui vim natura negavit. Cato.Eccl 11:2 than Beauty without Piety. An upright, pure soul, in a black decrepit body, is excellent. God many times makes up outward deformities with inward excellencies. Socrates and Esop were deformed in body, yet who more wise and witty?

3. Sin sweeps all before it.

It deprives us not onelyonly of bread, but also of water too, yea it deprives us not onelyonly of corporal, but also of spiritual bread. It robs us of all our comforts, great reason then we have to hate it. 'Tis like that weed which we call Bishopsweed, which frets away all the corn and good grain that grows neer it.

4. The sins of young persons provoke the Lord to cut them off.

Their sins are committed with more wilfulnes, heat and violence, and so are more displeasing unto God, As I p. 500have shewed before, on Amos 4.10. Obs. 6.

5. 'Tis the great misery of wicked man, that they have no comfort in their misery.

VVhen they be scorched with the wrath of God, yet they faint for thirst.See this spiritual thirst set forth in seven particulars, by Mr Obad. Sedgwick, on Isa. 55.1. p. 5, 6. & Mr. Hildersham on John 4.13. Lect. 9.Isa 55:1John 4:13 The godly that thirst in a right spiritual manner, have Gods Spirit and Ministers to comfort them, and pronounce them blessed, Mat. 5.6. But the wicked faint and sink under their burdens, and have not so much as one shower of Rain from Heaven, to quench and allay the flaming fire of Gods indignation, Ezek. 22.24.

VERSE 14.

They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy God, O Dan, liveth, and the manner of Beersheba liveth, even they shall fall, and never rise up again.

THe Prophet having reproved them before for their oppression and unrighteousness towards men, comes now to denounce Gods Judgements against them, for their Superstition and Idolatry towards God.

In the words we have 1. A Commination, or a Judgement threatned, and that is, the irreparable ruine of the Ten Tribes, They shall fall, and never rise up again. They shall so fall (for their cruelty and Idolatry) that they shall rise no more. If a man fall, and yet hath hope of rising again, it upholds and comforts him; but these Israelites felt into captivity, and never were restored. Iudah, which was the better of the two, after the seventy years captivity, returned again into their own Land; but the Ten Tribes were carried out of their own Land by Salmaneser King of Assyria, and never returned any more, Amos 5.2. The Lord had tried all gentle means to cure them, but all in vain, and therefore now he resolves to make a final end with them, and to smite them so as they shall fall irrecoverably, and never rise up again, nor return more to their own Land, as appears, 2 King. 17. To fall, and never rise to dye, and not live, to be set below, and not above, to sit in darkness, and have no light; such amplifications in Scripture are vehement asseverations, and are not used in vain by God.

p. 5012. Here is the ground or reason of this Commination, and that is, their Superstition and Idolatry,

They sware

1. By the sin of Samaria.

2. By the God of Dan.

3. By the manner of Beersheba.

That is, They sware by the Molten Images, and Golden Calves, which Ieroboam the King of Samaria had set up at Dan and Bethel. These Idols are called, The sin of Samaria, Asham, peccatum, del…ctum, à verbo Asham, iniquè fecit, deliquit. Syn. Gen.because Samaria was the Metropolis, and chief seat of their Kings, and they setting up Idolatry at Bethel, which was not far from Samaria, Dicitur delictum Samariae, quia gravissimi sanè delicti regis & populi tum effectus, tum objectum fuit. Estius in loca diffic…l.drew Samaria and all the people of the Land with them, and therefore this sin is properly laid at their doors. When the people of Israel in Moses his time did worship the golden Calf, it is called their Sin, Deut. 9.21. I took your Sin, that is, I took the Molten Calf, wherewith you had committed that abominable sin of Idolatry, and burnt it with fire, and the Scripture frequently calls Idols by the name of sin, 1 King. 12.29, 30. Isa. 27.9 & 31.7. Hos. 10.8. Zach. 5.8. They thought they had done God an high peece of service, in sacrificing and swearing by the Calves, but the Lord plainly tells them, that 'twas their great sin so to do.

3. He goes on to prove their Idolatry, by their forms of swearing then in use, for our oaths are a kinde of confession of our Faith, whereby we testifie, that hee whom we swear by knows our hearts, and is able to punish us if we swear falsly; hence swearing is frequently put for religious worship. This swearing by Idols, and fictitious Gods (as Idolaters use to do) as if they had no other God to swear by, could not but highly provoke the Lord to cast them off, who thus ungratefully and dis-ingenuously forsook him, the fountain of all their happiness.

They say, Thy God O Dan live or they swear by the life of Dan, which yet was a dead Idol, and had no life in it. This was the usual form of swearing in those daies, as you may see, Gen. 42.15. Iudg. 8.19. Ruth 3.13. Ier. 12.16. They used the same form of swearing by their Idols, as the godly did p. 502by the true God.Iurant, ita ut vivit Deus qui in Dan colitur. Grotius. Thy God O Dan lives, (i. e.) Let thy Calf live O Dan, or as sure as thy Calf lives, O Dan. They sware by this Idol, as if there were some Deity and Divinity in it, when 'twas a meer abomination, and Idol of their own inventing, Hos. 8.5, 6. Ieroboam when he came first to the Crown, set up two Golden Calves, as tutelar Gods, the one at Bethel, not far from Samaria; the other in Dan, which was in the North part of Canaan, it being one of the utmost coasts thereof, 1 King. 12.29, 30. Ier. 4.15.

4. Yet more, They swear by the manner of Beersheba. Beersheba was a City of Canaan, Iosh. 19.2. being the utmost bound of the holy Land toward the South, as Dan was toward the North▪ hence from Dan to Beersheba are oft put for the whole Land of Israel, from one end to the other, they being the utmost borders of the whole Land, Iudg. 20.1. 1 Sam. 3.20. 2 Sam. 3.10. 1 Chron. 8.2. `Twas a famous City, where the Judges used to sit, 1. Sam. 8.2. yet, this place was infected with Idolatry, as well as Bethel and Gilgal, and therefore they are commanded to pass by it, Amos 5.5. and yet they swear, that the manner of Beersheba lives. Derech Via.Or the way of Beersheba lives (as 'tis in the fountain) that is, they swear by a strange God, whose way, Rites, Ceremonies, and manner of Worship they had set up at Beersheba: for by way in Scripture is meant the manner of divine worship and serving of God. 'Tis here taken in a bad sense. See Ier. 32.39. Act. 9.2. & 18.25. & 24.14. Thus we see how the whole Land was infected with Idolatry, from one side to another, there was no sound part in it, which serves to justifie Gods Justice in their universal ruine.

OBSERVATIONS.

1▪ Idolatry, it is a sinning sin.

It is the Sin with an Emphasis, and by way of eminency, which destroys a Land, Deut. 9.21. it is a great sin in it self, and the root of many other abominations;In my Com. on Hos. 13.16. Obs. 12. p. 88, 133, 139, 158, 160.Hos 13:16 whatever Sin God bears withall, yet he cannot, he will not bear with this (as I have shewed at large elsewhere) other sins were Causae adjuvantes, they helpt to ruine Israel, but their Idolatry was p. 503the primary cause of that fatal blow, and of their final overthrow.

2. The Iudgement of men, and the Iudgement of God differ much.

That which man calls here by way of honour, a god, that God calls by way of dishonour and detestation, A Sin, and abominable, Ier. 16.18. & 44.4. Thus the world calls Riches, Substance, Goods, Happinesse, Psal. 4.6. but the Holy Ghost calls them Vanities, Thorns, Husks, unrighteous Mammon: the world calls Pride, Decency, but God calls it an abomination. The world calls Covetousnesse, Good-husbandry, but God calls it the root of all evil. The Masse, with all its Superstitious rites, Antichrist calls it Divine Service, but God saith, In vain doe yee worship me, teaching for Doctrines the Precepts of men. See Brooks his remedies against Sat. Dev. p. 18. to 27.Satan loves not to have Sin goe barefaced, and therefore he usually puts a fair Glove upon a foul hand, and calls Vice by the name of Vertue. But God hath cursed those that call evil good, Isa. 5.20. many think they highly please God, and doe him abundance of service by their Superstitious, Self-conceited worship, but he tells them here, it is their sin and shame so to doe; So true is that of our Saviour, Luke 16.15. That which is highly esteemed in the sight of carnal, superstitious men, is an abomination in the sight of God.

3 Mixture in Gods Worship is a God-provoking Sin.

When we are partly for God,See Crook against Hypocrisie. P. 1. ch. 11. p. 107. and partly for Baal, partly for Christ, and partly for Calves at Dan and Beersheba, this mingle-mangle, and Linsi-woolsie-religion is very displeasing unto God, and ruined Israel here. They pretended that they Worshipped the true God, in and by those Idols which they sware by, but because God had commanded them no such way of Worship, he utterly disclaims it, and severely punisheth them for their pains, 2 King. 17.33, 34. those that are said to fear the Lord, and yet serve their owne gods, in the very next verse are said, Not to fear the Lord.

4 We may not swear by Idols.

It is a Deifying of them;V. Danaei Ethie. Christ. l. 2. cap. 9. p. 113. folio. hence the Lord threatens to punish those that swear by them that are no gods, Ier. 5.7. Zeph. 1.5. we may not swear by Creatures, Matth. 5.34, 35, 36. Iam. 5.12, nor by any fictitious gods at Dan and Bethel, as p. 504many Popish, ignorant persons amongst us doe; when they swear Ber Lady, Ber Lakins, by St. Anthony, by S. Gys, by the Masse, by Cock, by my Fay, by my Feiks, by my Feikins, by my Truly, &c. All these are Oathes, by Idols and by Creatures, which our jealous God will not brook at our hands; you may mock men with them,See Mr. Clerks Mirror, ch. 129. and Dents Path—way, p. 154. to 166. but God will not be mocked; his Curse will seize upon the houses where such swearers dwell, Zach. 5.3.

We all professe our selves to be worshippers of the true God, yet our swearing by them that are no gods is a kind of renouncing the true God, by whom only we should swear, as him only we should serve. God is very tender of his owne Glory, and will not suffer it to be given to others. Hence wee are so oft commanded when we swear, to swear only by the name of the true and living God, Deut. 9.13. & 10.20. Psa. 63. ult. Isa. 45.23. & 65.16. Ier. 12.16.

Oathes are one special part of Divine Worship, wherein God is glorified in his Attributes of Omnisciency, Omni-presence, Omnipotence, &c. We beleeve that he knowes our hearts, and is able to punish us if we perform not our Oathes, or swear falsly; and to this end we call upon him when wee swear. Hence Isaiah Prophe…ying of the calling of the Aegyptians to the faith tells us, that in that day five Cities in Aegypt shall speak the Language of Canaan, and shall swear by the Lord of Hosts; that is, they shall shew that he is their God, by their swearing by his name, Isa. 19.18.

5 Superstition is a toylsome thing.

See my Com. on Hos. 13.16. p. 119, 120, & Clerks Mirror, chap. 128.Hos 13:16They goe here to Dan and Beersheba, from the North to the South, all the Land over after Idols, 1 King. 12.30. what pains and Peregrinations doe the Papists take in Journies, Whippings, and other kinds of Will-worship, yet many amongst us will scarce goe out of their doors to hear the Gospel of Salvation. Blind Idolaters shall rise in Judgment against the men of this Generation, who take more pains in going to Hell, than many doe for Heaven.

6 Great Cities many times are the Seminaries of great Sins.

The Idolatry which over-spread all Israel is laid here at Samarias door, which was the chief City of the Land, and the place of the Kings residence, from hence as from a fountain all the streams of Prophanenesse, Superstition, and Idolatry p. 505over-spread the Land, here it was practised, maintained, and upheld; and therefore Princes and Rulers should have a special care to keep the great Cities of the Land pure, that they may be patterns of Piety, and Looking-glasses by which the Country round about them may dresse themselves; for such as the Mother, such usually are the Daughters.

7 Idolaters shall be utterly ruined.

They shall be at last so broken, that they shall never rise more. A good man may fall into afflictions and trouble seven times in a day, yet he riseth again, but the wicked shall fall into mischief irrecoverably,See Mr. Trapp on Prov. 24.16.Prov 24:16 and never rise more, as the Antithesis implies, Prov. 24.16. Iob fell into deep distresse, yet at last he rose again, and his latter end was better than his beginning, Iob 42.12. but the wicked are broken as with an Iron Rod, and dasht in peices like a Potters Vessel, which can never be sodred together again, Psal. 2.9. God strikes them through the gall, so that all the Physitians in the world cannot heal them, Iob 20.25.