Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 1 · Section 6
VERSE 7.8.
And I also have with-holden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the Harvest; and I caused it to raine upon one City, and caused it not to raine upon another City; one peece was rained upon, and the peece whereupon it rained not, withered.
So two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water, but they were not satisfied, yet have yee not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
THe Prophet descends to the enumeration of new Judgements, two of which were the Causes of the Famine. The first was Drought, and want of Rain, vers. 7, 8. The second was Blasting, Mil-dew, and the Palmer-worm, vers. 9.
This People were like Clouds without water, and yeelded no obedience to God, but followed Idols; and now his clouds have no water for them. When God is against us all are against us; so that here we have a second Scourge, where-with the Lord chastised this people that he might bring them home to himself, viz. Drought and Barrenness; he had before punisht them with Famine, and want of Bread, now he punisheth them with Thirst, and want of Water. Thus the Lord tried all conclusions to better them, but in vain, as will appear by the sequel.
In this Verse we have 1. The efficient cause of this Judgement, viz. the Lord,Manang, cohibui, prohibui, coercui. I have with-holden the rain from you, viz. the latter rain, which that hot Country had most need of, I have forbidden it to fall upon you, saith God.
2 Here is the continuance of the Judgement, it was not for a week or two, but for three months, even till the fruits of the earth withered and were destroyed, and this the Lord did, the more deeply to affect them with their sins. One months want of rain, in that hot Country especially, should have startled them, two months should have astonisht them, but three months should have fully awakened them, yet such was their gross senslesness and stupidity, that they laid it not to heart. And therefore the Lord the better to set forth his patience, and this peoples impenitency, sets forth his dealings particularly with them, and tells us how he brought the Famine, the Drought, the Palmer-worm, and the Pestilence, &c. upon them. He came not suddenly upon them, but gave them space to repent, and time to consider their wayes, and the tokens of his displeasure against them. But such was their obstinacy and malice, that nothing could work upon them, their Disease was too strong for the Physick, and their Maladies for Gods remedies, his labour was lost upon them.
3 Here is the juncture of time when this rain was with-held from them, viz. three months before Harvest, which was about March, for about the latter end of May in that hot Country was their Harvest; this was called the latter rain, and was very needful to fit, fill, and ripen the Corn for Harvest. For the better understanding of this, we must know that the Land of Canaan was not like the Land of Aegypt, for in Aegypt they seldome or never had any rain (Zech. 14.18.) for the River Nilus did once a year over-flow the greatest part of their Country, and so did mellow and soften the earth for all the year after. But Canaan was a mountanous place, and could not be so watered, and therefore the Lord took more special care of it, and watered it with rain from Heaven, (Deut. 11.10, 11.) In this Land there were two more especial seasons for rain, viz. the former rain about September, when the Seed was sown, that it might take the better rooting; and the latter rain in the Spring time, when the Corn was grown up and earing, to fit it for the Harvest; and this was called the latter rain, which is said to fall in the first month, that is, in March, which with them was the beginning of the year, Ioel 2.23. Hence are those frequent expressions in Scripture of the former and the latter rain, Deut. 11.14. Ier. 5.24. Hos. 6.3. Zech. 10.2. Iam. 5.7. for in Harvest it seldome or never rained in those hot Countries, and therefore when Samuel by Prayer had obtained rain in Harvest, they looked upon it as a prodigious thing, 1 Sam. 12.16, 17, 18, 19. now the want of either of these rains was sad, but specially the latter, when a man shall see his Corn sown, grown up, and then when he expects a Harvest after all his pains, for want of rain to have it wither and dye before his eyes, this must needs be grievous to him.
4 Here is the accurateness of Gods Judgements, he distinguisheth between City and City, Feild and Feild, I caused it to rain upon one City, and not upon another. As hee commanded the Sun to shine on Goshen, Ne putaretis hoc lege naturae fieri, & ast…orum cursu, super unam civitatem plui, super alteram non plui. Ribera.and not on Aegypt, so he commands the rain to fall on some, and not on others. These things came not by chance, but by providence; it is I (faith the Lord) that commanded it to rain upon one parcel of ground, and not upon another.
5 Here is the effect of this Judgement, it makes them run from City to City for water (vers. 8.) but in vain, for they could not get enough to satisfie their necessities. They were sensible of bodily wants, but insensible of Spiritual wants, and therefore
6 The Lord concludes with the usual Epostrophe, Yet have yee not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Though they were thus sadly afflicted, yet were they not bettered, but remained incurable under all corrections.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Want of seasonable rain is a punishment for sin. When God is angry with a People, then hee with-holds the former and the latter rain from them. God hath rain enough in store, but it is our sins which keeps in from falling upon us; his hand is not shortned that it cannot save, but it is our iniquity that turns away good things from us; these shut the Heavens, and make them hard as Iron, so that they cannot heare the earth, when (in its kind) it gapes and cries for rain, Deut. 28.23, 24. Hag. 1.9, 10. it is obedience that brings rain. Those Cities that were rained upon in the text, some conceive to have been godly Cities which hated Idolatry, and worshipped the true God, though the text will not bear such a glosse, for God makes his Rain, which is but a common Blessing, to fall in the Wilderness (Iob 38.26, 27.) and upon the unjust as well as upon the just; yet it is most certain that Piety hath the promise even of Temporal blessings, and such as are faithful with God in Spirituals, shall have Temporals given in to the bargain, Levit. 26.3, 4. Hos. 2.21, 22. Hag. 2.18, 19. Zech. 8.12. Matth. 6.33. beware then of Disobedience, Apostasie, and abusing the Creature to intemperance, or the service of Idols, which provoke the Lord to strip us of our mercies, Ierem. 14.4, 5, 6. wee finde the people mourning for want of rain, but vers. 7.10. you may see the procuring cause of that Judgement, for our backslidings are many, and we have sinned against thee, and have loved to wander after Idols; and this was Israels Sin here, which more especially brought this Judgement on them.
2 Obs. Rain falls by appointment, and not by accident; by providence, and not by chance. It is not the Sun, the Moon, the Starres, or any other Natural cause, much less any Idols that can procure raine; but it is the Lords Prerogative Royal to give and order rain, it is he that makes it rain on one City, and not on another. The Clouds are Gods Servants, hee bids them goe rain here and not there, and they exactly obey his commands (Iob 37.11, 12, 13.) hence they are called His Clouds, (Job. 26.8.) 1. In respect of Effi…iency, he causeth the Sun to draw up moyst Vapours, and then turns them into Rain-water, preparing the Clouds to hold it. Hence God is called the Father of the rain, Iob 38.28. & 36.27, & 37.6.2. They are his Clouds in respect of Subserviency, they are no sooner produced but they are presently acting in their sphere, and region for their Lord and Master, one while raining on this Country, and anon on that; These are Gods Waterpots with which hee waters the World, the Bottles of Heaven, (Iob 38.37.) out of which God sends rain to refresh the earth and make it fruitful; he crowns the year with his goodness, when he makes his Clouds to drop down fatness on us, Psal. 65.12. The earth is as it were Gods Garden, the Sea his Cistern, and the Clouds his Bottles to refresh the earth, and mollifie it, and make it fit for our service. This is a great mercy, let not the commonness of it take away the sense of it; but let us fear to offend him who gives us rain; God takes it ill when we slight his Providence in this particular, Ierem. 5.24. neither say they, let us fear the Lord, who giveth the former and the latter rain q. d. what a strange thing is this that the sweet showers of rain have not softned your hard hearts, and made you fear to offend him; wee should fear him who hath not only Fire, but Seas of water to pour on such as displease him. Give not thou Gods glory to another, many ascribe rain, as the Philistims did their destruction, to chance; (1 Sam. 6.9.) so say many, this wind hath brought us rain, or this Moon or this Planet, or this Idol god; the Prophet confutes all these in the text, It is I that caused it to rain, saith the Lord. Hence the rain is called His gift, See more in Mr. Caryl on Job 5.10.Job 5.10. Psal. 104.13, 14. & 147.8. Isa. 30.23 which is given sometimes in mercy, Psal. 68.9. Acts 14.17. and sometimes in judgement, Ezra 10.9. Job 37.13. Prov. 28.3. Ezek. 38.22. no Men nor Creatures, no Idol-gods, no nor the Heavens themselves can give a shower of rain without a word of command from God (Ier. 14.22.) and therefore the Lord commands us in the want of rain to ask it of him, Zech. 10.1. so did Elijah, Jam. 5.18. and hee promiseth to hear our Prayers in this particular, 1 King. 8. 35, 36. 2 Chron. 7.13, 14.
Away then with those vain Prognosticators, that take upon them to fore-tell rain, and snow, and the times and seasons which God hath concealed from the sons of men. Rain is a future contingent thing, and therefore no man can positively say it shall rain on such a day,See Mr. Perkins his Resolution of the Country-man, proving it utterly unlawful to buy or use our yearly Prognosticators, Vol. 3. p. 653. but not on such a day; besides, the text tells us, that it may rain on one City, and yet not rain at the same time on another. The folly of such persons is sufficiently known to every observant eye, Nulla dies sine errato, let a man write fair weather when they write foul, and he may hit as true as they.
Especially take heed of Iudicial Astrology, when men take upon them to Calculate mens Nativities, to fore-tell Warres, Plagues, Famines, and changes in States and Kingdomes, and all this by the Stars;Vendunt imperitis hominibus miserabitem servitutem, ex notatione syderum velle nascentium mores, actus, eventa praedicere; magnus error, & magna dementia. Aug. de Doct. Christ. l. 2 c. 21. this is a Satanical cheat, it is great folly and madness; if you will beleeve St. Austin, They bring people into miserable slavery, who take upon them to fore-tell by the Starres, the manners of men, together with the acts and events of things. This judiciary Astrology is the very Key that openeth the door to Witch-craft and Idolatry. Hence we find South-sayers, Astrologers, and Idolaters, many times yoked together, as Dan. 2.2.11. Amos 5.16. The Devil delights to have men study this Art.
1 Because it robs God of his glory, and ascribes the foretelling of things contingent to the Stars, which is proper only unto God, Isa. 41.23.
2 It is injurious to men, and keeps them in perpetual fear and slavery, telling them, that if they be born under such or such a Planet, then they must be burnt, drowned, or hanged, &c. When people beleeve not Gods Word, then hee gives them up to these delusions, Isa. 66.4. have nothing therefore to doe with those Pandors of the Devil, and Brokers for Hell; buy not their Lying, Jugling, ambiguous Books, but burn them, Acts 19.19. if such Books as derogate from great men must be burnt, how much more such as draw mens hearts from trusting in the living God?Mellific. Theolog. Loc. 5. p. 6. The Astrologer (saith the learned Binchius) sins against God, against men, and against himself: because this Art is full of Pestilent curiosity, of tormenting fear,Sir Hen. Savil in Oratione coram Regina. Elizab. 1592. Inter subtiles fatuos hos numerassem, nisi rudibus essent rudiores. Luther and deadly slavery. The learned and laborious Knight hath long since condemned this Devillish Art; take it in his own words, Astrologia eventu fallax, usu superstitiosa, à Barbaris nationibus importata, bonis temporibus Graeciae ignota, etiam malis Roma pulsa. Ars, quod in arte turpissimum est, nullis texta principiis, nulla subjux demonstratione, nullo constans syllogismo.
Against this cursed Art, see Arch-Bishop Abbots Thesis tertia. Fulleri Miscelan l. 1. c. 16. p. 99. Spanheim. Dub. 33. P. 2. p. 331. Brochman. Cas. consc. p. 88. folio. Gataker against Lilly, Lord Virulams Advancement of Learning, p. 147. Weemse Vol. 4. p. 21, &c. Barclaies Argenis, chap. 17. Calvin Opuscula, Tract. adversus Astrologiam, p. 801. Vicars against Heyden. Waterhouse Defence of Humane Learning, p. 30, &c.