Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 2 · Section 23
VESSE 23.
Take thou away from me the noyse of thy Songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy Viols.
THe Prophet goes on in reproving them for their hypocritical services, wherewith they thought to please and pacifie God. Take away from me the noyse (or multitude) of your Songs; they contented not themselves with a song or two, but they had their multitudes of songs. Hypocrites that delight in toys and human inventions, and a Ceremonious, external, pompous worship, know no bounds, they spare for no cost or pains, but even tire out themselves in will-worship; morning, noon, night, midnight, all too little for Idols, but nothing for God,Putabana se sua deliria lyr and… tegere, & suavi concentu aures Dei irati mulcere, eumque quasi incantare. à Lapide in locum. he is not in any of their thoughts. They placed a great part of their Religion in Singing, and Musick, and external services, they thought that God was like themselves, and would be pleased with such things as pleased them; and as Children are stilled with rattles, so they thought to pacifie God with their songs and melody.
But away with your Songs and Musick (saith God) they are a burden to me, you doe but tire your-selves and me too, to no purpose. Doe not think to please me with the Musical harmony of your formal devotions, whilst I hear and abhor the discordous noyse of your sins and enormities.
In the time of the Ceremonial Law God did indulge the Iewes the use of many Musical Instruments in his Worship, which are now abolisht (as I have proved at large on Amos 6.5.) Vocal and Instrumental Musick was at that time a part of Gods instituted Worship, as appears, 1 Chron. 25. & 2 Chron. 23.18. now the ten Tribes did imitate Iudah in their Songs, but abused them to the Worship of their Idols, and polluted them with their Impiety, Idolatry, and Hypocrisie, when they should have Worshipped God in Sion, they Worshipped Baalim, with the Calves at Dan and Bethel. Hence the Lord threatens to turn their musick into mourning, Amos 8.3.
Hamo…, strepitus, rixa, tumultus, maltitudo. Tumultum vocat, quod sine spiritu clament & ululent. Mercer. Hic strepitus fu it Deo molestus, ut grunnitus suis, aut clamor asinorum. Hieron. See more on Amos 6.5. Nebel est Instrumentum Musicum eujus species nobis est incognita, Calvin.The word which we render, Noise, in the Original signifies a clamour, a trouble, a tumult, a multitude; which being all united make a compleat Periphrasis of a Popish Quire. It is a clamorous, troublesome, tumultuous multitude, when they meet together they make a horrid, hideous noyse, which takes with God no more than the grunting of a Swine, or the braying of an Asse, as St. Ierome long since hath well observed.
The Viol is here put Synecdochically for all kind of Musical Instruments, which David had prepared in great abundance for the praising of God; which these abused to the praise of Idols. The word Nebel which we render a Viol, is by some called a Psaltery, a Harp, an Organ; the Instrument is now out of use, and it is not certainly known what it was.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 All the singing and praises of wicked men is an abomination to the Lord.
Away with them (saith God) they are a burden to me, your Vocal and Instrumental Musick, your Viols, Harps, and Organs, your Songs and Sonnets are in mine ears but as the howling of a Dog. Praise is not comely in the mouthes of Sinners. As for the wicked, saith God, What hast thou to doe to take my name into thy mouth? Christ would not be praised nor publisht by Devils. The bellowing of those Bulls of Basan, and roaring Stentors in the Papacy (many of them being deep in the Quire, and deeper in the Ale-house) with all their Theatrical Musick is an abomination to the Lord, his soul loathes such swill, and that one Quere▪ Who hath required these things at your hands? is enough to sweep both the workmen and their work, out of the Church of God. These are a meer Noyse, a Voyce, and nothing else; they draw nigh to God with their lips (scarce that) when their hearts are farre from him;In Papatu, Organorum concentus, & campanarum boatus, non postrema cultus Divini pars esse creditur. Gualter. yet this is the greatest part of their Worship (as Gualter hath well observed.) Ringing of Bells, and roaring of Organs, is a great part of Papists Divine Service.
It is the musick of the Heart, and not of the Tongue that God delights in,See more on Amos 6.5. it is this which makes us like the Angels in Heaven, when in our degree we praise that God on earth, which the Angels continually adore and praise in heaven. We should therefore be much in this duty of praising God, for though the Ceremony be vanisht, yet the substance abides still.
Away then with that Histrionical and confused chaunting, which even the Learned and wiser sort of Papists have condemned, as Aquinas, Alredus an Abbot, Cajetan, and others, as I have proved at large on Amos 6.5. At present hear what A Lapide the Jesuit sayes against those,A Lapide in Amos 5.23. Qui inconditis & confusis vocibus tumultuarie boant & ululant. Videant cantatores ne totam Psallendi devotionem collocent in voce c…nora, in subtilitate modulandi, in agilitate tonos minuendi, &c. Dum instar avium minuriunt, ut curiosorum aures titillent, & ad se rapiant, ne a…diant a Deo, Aufer a me tumultum canticorum tuorum.