Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 2 · Section 4
VERSE 4.
For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek yee mee, and yee shall live.
THe Prophet having shewed this people their misery, and affrighted them with the Threatnings, hee comes now unto the Remedy, and shews them how they may prevent all that misery which like a flood was rushing in upon them, especially for their Idolatry, and that is by Repentance, by forsaking their Idols, and turning to the Lord. Where there is no ground of hope, people grow desperate and run from God, and therefore the Prophet gives them some glimpse of mercy, inviting them once and again to seek the Lord, that so they might prevent his fury.
In the words we have 1 A preface, Thus saith the Lord. This is oft used before by this our Prophet, in the first, second, third, and fourth Chapters: and this hee doth, 1 To quicken attention▪ 2 To make them attend with the greater reverence and fear, since it is the word of God, and not of man; 3 To assure them of the certainty and truth of what hee spake,See more in D. Ben…field on Amos 1.3, 6. and that it should bee certainly and suddenly effected, for hee that is Almighty hath said it.
2 Here are the persons to whom hee speaks, viz. To the house of Israel, i. e. to the ten Tribes. The invitation is general, to take off all excuse, that none might say, They were not exhorted to the duty.
3 Here is a Precept, Seek yee mee.
Where wee have
1 The Act, Seek.
2 The Object, Mee.
4 A Promise, And yee shall live.
The Precept is short, but very comprehensive. It is indeed a brief of the whole body of Religion, or a summary of the whole duty of man. The Scripture doth in many places epitomize our duties, reducing them sometimes to eleven heads, as Psal. 15. Sometimes to six, as Isa. 33.15. and Heb. 6.1.2. Sometimes to three, viz. Justice, Mercy, and humble walking with God. Micah 6.8. Our Saviour hath epitomized them, and reduced them all unto two, viz. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thy self. But our Prophet here comes and summes them all up in one, saying, Seek the Lord.
Tis not Bakash, voluit petiit, but Parash, accuratè, diligentissimè, & summâ curâ quaerere.The word Seek is emphatical, and signifies not a bare wishing or woulding, or some cold velleities, but an earnest, accurate, exquisite inquiring after God, and his wayes; and therefore the Septuagint render it by a compound word which signifies to seek out with earnestness and diligence till wee finde the Lord. The Apostle useth the same word, Heb. 11.6. The Lord is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.Tis not foreign, quaerite, but foreign, diligenter inquirite. Chi, ide…, qu… circa.
The word implies labour, industry, and constancy, wee must never rest till wee have found the Lord, as the woman that had lost her groat, continued seeking till shee had found it, Luke 15.8.
3 Here is the causative particle, For, which may bee rendred, therefore, and then the sense will bee more current, thus, q. d. Since the Lord hath threatned to make such havock amongst you, therefore seek him sincerely that yee may live, for hee desires not your ruine, but your returning.
Yet some make the particle redundant here, and look upon it onelyonly as an expletive particle, oft so used by the Hebrews. The sense is here entire without it.
4 Here is the object of our seeking, and that is God, Seek yee mee, Excellent things are the object of our desires; now there is none like God, and therefore none to bee desired like him. Hee is our Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, ours in all sweet Relations, our Father, Husband, Lord, King, &c. and therefore to bee sought and served by us in an especial manner. One of these obligations call for observance and duty, but when all shall concenter, and meet in one, how great should our observance bee.
2 This seeking of God implies a sincere turning to him, a loving him with all our heart, a seeking him simply for himself, it notes a trusting in him, a fear to offend him, a forsaking of all Idols and false wayes (as it follows in the next verse) delighting only in his pure word and worship, 1 Chron. 16.10. and praying to him, Psal. 34.4. Matth. 7.7. It implies also an obeying his Commands, 2 Chron. 14.4. and seeking his face and favour at all times, Psal. 27.10. Isa. 55.6. These are those things above, which we are commanded to seek, Colos. 3.1.
Thus we see, what a Magazine of matter is comprehended in this little Precept,V. Gerhard. Loc. com. de lib. arbitr. Tom. 2. ss. 73. mihi. p. 225. edit. ult. Seek yee me.
Obj. This command to seek God (say Papists and Arminians) implyes, that we have Free-will of our selves to seek him, and turn to him, else why doth the Lord command us so to doe, if we had no power to doe it?
Ans. It doth not follow, that because the Lord commands us to seek him, therefore we have power of our selves to doe it. For,
1 These commands shew us our duty, but not our ability; they shew what we ought to be, but not what we are.
2 Yet these Exhortations are not in vain, for the Lord makes them effectual in the hearts of his people; what he bids them doe, he enables them in some measure to doe.
3 The Lord had a remnant of his Elect mingled amongst this heap of chaff, and their wills being changed, and made conformable to Gods will,See more in my Beauty of Holiness, p. 6, 7, &c are willing and ready to seek and serve him.
4 Hereby the wicked are made more inexcusable, and their malice and obstinacy made more apparent to the world, since they stand out against so many invitations to come in.
[Against Free-will, see Davenants Determ. Q. 9. p. 45. D. Sibbs, Concio ad clerum, p. 69. Laurent. in Apoc. 2.5. p. 125. Camero Theses de Grat. & Lib. arb. p. 273. ad 296. Paraeus contra Bellar. Tom. 1. Totaliter. Alting, Loc. com. P. 2. p. 460. & Hornbec. contra Socin. l. 3. c. 5. p. 611. Brochmand Cas. Cons. de homine primo, cap. 1. p. 134. folio. Walaeus Lo… com. P. 1. p. 16. & p. 437. Mr. Burgess against Orig. sin. l. 2. ch. 4. p. 289. Rolloc in Rom. 8. p. 152, &c. Dr. Arrowsmith on John 1.13. p. 189. & 198, Mr. Case Morn. Lect. quarto, p. 207.]
5 Here is a promise to incourage them to seek the Lord, drawn ab utili, from the benefit they should reap thereby, Yee shall live, or live yee; the Imperative Mood is put for the Future tense, by an usual Hebraism, Prov. 3.4. & 4.4. to shew the certainty of a thing, as here, Seek the Lord and live; that is, yee shall certainly live:
You shall have a Natural Life.
You shall have a Spiritual Life.
You shall have a Eternal Life.
1 If you seek the Lord, and return to him, you shall have your Natural life prolonged; whereas you are in danger of dying by the hand of the Assyrian, yet doe but return to me unfeignedly, and you shall experimentally find that your lives shall be given you for a prey; at least yee shall not be utterly destroyed, but instead of Warre, you shall have peace and prosperity in your borders. This seems to be the most genuine sense of this place (though we may not exclude the other, for it is a known Rule, that it is safe taking the words in the largest sense, if neither matter, phrase, nor scope hinder) for in the fore-going verse, the Lord tells them what slaughter he would make amongst them, therefore he bids them here, returne and live.
Yet we may not solely confine it to a Natural life, because it is a Legal promise,Sub nomine vitae Hebraei omnem hominis felicitatem complecti solent. Gualter. and they usually doe comprehend Spiritual mercies in them. The Hebrews frequently under the name of Life, doe comprehend all manner of prosperity and felicity, both Temporal, Spiritual, and Eternal, Deut. 4.1. & 5. ult. Psal. 34.12. & 133.8. Prov. 4.4. Ezek. 18.9. The like expression we use at this day, at the Inauguration of Kings, when we cry, Vivat Rex, let the King live; that is, all health, prosperity, and happiness attend him.
2 You shall live a spiritual life of Grace here, your souls shall enjoy communion with God, they shall live to him here, and at last shall live with him for ever; for Grace is the suburbs of glory.
3 You shall live eternally, Ezek. 18.17. ult.
Obj. But had not the Lord decreed the destruction of this people, how then doth he bid them return and live?
A. Such threatnings of Temporal Judgements are not alwayes absolute, but conditional, viz. if they repent not, I will destroy them; and though this condition be not alwayes exprest, yet it is understood, as appears by that notable place, Ier. 18.7, 8, 9, 10. so that when people repent of their sin, God will repent of the punishment,Deus novit mutare sententiam, si nos noverimus mutare mores. Aug. and stay the execution of the sentence which he had denounced against them, as he did by the Ninivites. The changes is in us, and not in God.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Such as seek God rightly, shall live assuredly.
I say, such as seek God rightly, which cuts off many pretenders to religion, who seem to seek and serve the Lord, but it is feignedly, and hypocritically; they halt between God and Baal, between Christ and Belial; like Agrippa, they are almost, but not altogether Christians; they have a name to live, but they are dead indeed.
2 Others seek for the living amongst the dead. They seek the Lord amongst the traditions and customs of men. Such mens religion is vain, Mat. 15.9. Amos 5.5.
3 Others seek, but it is too late; like Esau, that never cries till he had lost the Blessing. So those, Luke 13.24, 25.
4 Others instead of seeking the Lord, sit all the day idle, they forget the Lord days without number, he is not in any of their thoughts, Ier. 2.32. It is not the somnolent, but the violent that get heaven,Against these see Mr. Gelaspies Miscel. ch. 10.11. Mat. 11.12. where then will those Idle, Atheistical Seekers of our time appear, who are meer Scepticks in religion, that question every thing, but beleeve and practice nothing? some of them have been Professors this forty years, yet now they are to seek their religion. These men have laid good foundations the while, that are going out of the world, before they know how to live in the world; when the Lord hath so clearly shewed us what he requires of us, Micah 6.8. what madness is it to be still running after New Lights, which are no Lights for directions?
5 Others instead of seeking God, they persecute those that doe sincerely seek him, like the Scribes and Pharisees, that would neither follow Christ themselves, nor suffer others so to doe. Stripes are prepared for scorners, and such mockers shall have their bonds made strong, Isa. 28.22.
6 Others seek, but it is amiss; for they seek riches, honour, pleasures, instead of God, and things above. Those three are the Worlds Trinity, they are the grand foreign of our times. duplicate page duplicate page David tells us, there be many of this stamp, Psal. 4.6. Many say, who will shew us goods? Paul goes further, and tells us, All men seek their owne ease, wealth, ends, and respects; that is, All comparatively, they are but few that seek the things of Christ, Phil. 2.21.
Q. Since there are so many Seekers, and so few good ones, how must I seek aright?
A. That you may seek the Lord and find him, you must seek him,
1 Early.
2 Sincerely.
3 Zealously.
4 Sensibly.
5 Constantly.
6 Regularly.
1 Those that will find the Lord when they seek him, must seek him early, in the morning of their youth, whilst the day of their Visitation lasts. To such the Promise runs, Prov. 8.17. They that seek me early shall find me. It was Iosiahs commendation, that when he was young, and but sixteen years old, he began to seek and serve the Lord, 2 Chron. 34.1, 3. and Timothy knew the Scriptures from a Childe, 2 Tim. 3.15.
See eight Reasons for this in Mr. Gatak. Ser. on Mat. 6.33. p. 43. folio. and Mr. Burgess, Spi. Refinings. Ser. 75. p. 453.We must also seek him orderly, seek his Kingdome in the first place, both before, and above all other things, Matth. 6.33.
2 Sincerely and cordially, nor hollowly and complementally. We must seek him with all our might, to such the Promises run, that they shall find him, Deut. 4.29, 2 Chro. 15.15. Ier. 29.13. Then shall yee seek me and find me, when yee shall search for me with all your heart. Thus David sought him, and found him, Psa. 119.10. never any mist that ever sought him in truth, Psal. 145.18. If we be the genuine Seed of plaine, sincere Iacob, we shall never seek his face in vain, Isa. 45.19. before they call, he will answer such, and will run to meet them, as he did the Prodigal, Isa. 65.24, Luke 15.18, 19, 20.
Yea, a wicked Ahab shall not altogether seek to God in vain; and if the shadow can doe so much, what will the substance and real seeking of God doe?
3 We must seek him zealously, and earnestly; Magnamagn…, such great things must be sought with f…rvent affections, Deut. 15.5. fleight seeking loseth all. Precious things are not easily attained.Pulsandi M… taphora ard…r & zelus notatur, cum ob…acula omnia assiduitate precandi perrumpimus. Car…w… Harm. Even the worlds wealth comes not with a wish, much less heavenly treasures. They that will have them must ask, and if that will not doe they must seek, if seeking will not doe they must be more importunate, and knock; it is not a bare Repetition, but a Gradation, Mat. 7.7. wee must seek as men doe for silver, and gold, with utmost diligence, Prov. 2.4. let not the children of this world be wiser, and more industrious for their trash, than we for true treasure. Remember, that none shall be rewarded fully, but such as seek him diligently, Heb. 11.6.
4 Sensibly. See how we are undone without him, though we were Lords of all the world, yet without the favour of God, who is Lord of all, we are nothing. Sense of our wants will sharpen our desires after him, and make us resolve with David, to give no rest to our eyes, nor slumber to our eye-lids till wee have found him, Psal. 132.4.
5 Constantly. 1 Chron. 16.11. We must never rest till wee have found him, persevere in the use of all good means, as Prayer, Meditation, &c. resolve to take no denial, importunity will doe much. Comfort will come in the end, and will abundantly recompence all our waiting. Though hope deferred may make the heart sick, yet when it comes it will be as a tree of life, Prov. 13.12.
6 Regularly. We must inquire for the good old way of P…rity and Peace and walk therein, Ier. 6.16. we must not walk according to the superstitious Customs and Canons of men, but according to the Canon of Gods VVord. Galat. 6.16.
Q. But what benefit shall I have by seeking God?
A. Thou shalt have Life, and that is a very powerful motive; life is so sweet and desirable a thing, that the Devil could say, Skin for skin, and all that a man hath, will he give for his life, Job 2.4.
Now Piety hath the promise.See my Beauty of Holiness, ch. 7. obj. 4. 1. Of Life Temporal, so farre as shall be good for the righteous, Psal. 34.12. & 37.3. Prov. 3.17. & 22.4.
2 You shall have Spiritual life, Isa. 55.3. Ezek, 16.6. which is indeed the onelyonly excellent,See the excellency of this spiritual life in Mr. Lawrence his Life of saith, p. 7. &c. and Mr. Obad. Sedgwick on Isa. 55.3. ch. 13. p. 489. sweet, and durable life. Natural life is common, every wicked man lives it, and it is imbittered with many crosses, and it last not, it is a vapour that suddenly vanisheth; but this spiritual life is a special, comfortable, endless life, death it self cannot extinguish it.
3 If this bee not enough, you shall have Eternal life, Joh. 3.16. and 6.51. and 17.3.