Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 3 · Section 7
VERSE 7.
Therefore shall they goe Captive with the first that goe Captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
WE have before seen the Sin of the Rulers of Israel, we are now come to the several branches of their Punishment, whereof the first is Captivity, and deportation out of their owne Land. The Lord had borne long with them, and waited many years for their returne, but they abused his Patience, and turned his grace into wantonness, and therefore now he is resolved to put an end to all their Pastimes and pleasures.
In this Verse we have, 1. A Iudgement threatned, and that is Captivity, Yee shall goe into captivity.
2 Here are the Persons which must goe into Captivity, and those are the secure Grandees, and Voluptuous Rulers of Israel, They shall goe Captive with the first that goe Captive, of the Inhabitants of those Cities, for the Country was spoyled, and many of them captivated before. But the Rulers who were the prime offendors, and had been first in sin, should now bee first in punishment. They shall have the primacy amongst the Captives, they shall goe in the front of them, and lead them the way into Captivity. As in Dignity and Luxury they went before others, so now they shall have precedency in Punishment; as you may see, 2 King. 17. Before they were all for the head of the Oyntments, and now they should have the head in Punishment. They must have the head and chief delights, and now they shall have the head and chief of sorrows.
3 Here is the Time when they should goe into Captivity, and that is suddenly. Now shall they goe, i. e. it shall not be long,Gnattah, propediem brevi, opportunè q. d. propter peccatae nunc imminet paena. but the Assyrian shall carry them out of their owne Land into Captivity; in Gods due time it shall come to pass. It was about sixty years after that the Captivity came, which was but a short time comparatively, it is said even now to come upon them, because Gods decrees are sure, and what he determines to doe, is as sure as if it were already done. Thus to shew the certainty of Babylons downfall,V. Schools Guard, Rule 16. it is said, Babylon is fallen, Revel. 14.8. that is, It shall as certainly be destroyed, as if it were already done. Her fall is decreed by God, and is already begun in the hearts of Gods people, and shall from henceforth be more and more advanced, till it be utterly destroyed. So the Lord had decreed the Captivity of this People, and exercised them with variety of Afflictions, by the Syrians, and Assyrians, till at last they were carried out of their owne Land.
4 Here is an Exegesis, or further illustration of their misery, and the banquet of them that stretcht themselves shall be removed. The Prophet alludes to those before, vers. 4th. who wantonly stretcht themselves upon their beds of Ivory, q. d. Those luxurious, lazie wantons, that gave themselves up to feasting and banqueting, to ryot and lasciviousness, shall have their mirth turned into mourning, and their Organs into the voyce of them that weep.
Their Banquet shall be removed. It is a Meiosis, i. e. all their jollity, pride, and pleasure shall be taken from them, and instead thereof destruction and misery shall pursue them; so that they shall have neither minde, nor Money to make Feasts, who were wont to spend all upon their backs and bellies.
The words are rendred by some, thus, And the sorrow of them that stretched themselves is at hand. This comes from the various rendring of two words in the Original, the first is the word Mirzach, which the Vulgar render Faction, but without any ground at all; others, Sorrow; but the word properly signifies a Funeral-feast, for in those dayes they had feasts at Burials, as well as at Bridals, Ier. 16.7. The word is used but in one place more in all the Scripture,Mirzach, est convivium funebre in exequiis mortuorum, ad consolandum propinquos mortui parari solitum, à Lap. V. Leigh. Crit. sac. Heb. in V. Razach. p. 228. folio. Sur, accedere, recedere, removere. and that is, Ierem. 16.5. Enter not into the house of mourning; or as the Margin renders it, goe not to the Mourning-feasts, or Banquets which where wont to be kept with abundance of riot, pomp, and jollity. These Funeral-Feasts were first ordained for the comforting of such as grieved for the loss of their friends by death, but these here abused them to wantonness, and excess.
The other word which causeth this diversity, is the word Sur, which signifies to approach, or to depart, it is here taken in the latter sense, according to our Translation; The banquet of them that stretcht themselves shall be removed, q. d. all your mirth and merriment shall cease, and yee shall be carried Captive into a strange Land.
5. Here is the ground of all their sorrow, and suffering, included in the Illative Particle, Therefore, therefore shall they goe Captive with the first, viz. for their security, oppression, luxury, and inhumanity.
The words being thus cleared, the Observations follow.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 Security, Luxury, and Inhumanity, doe bring a People into Captivity and misery.
These sins ruined the Old World, Sodome and Ierusalem, Ezek. 16.49, 50. and 22.3, to 13. Luk. 17.26, 27. And if they be found reigning in England, they will ruine it too. If we abuse our good Land in dishonouring God, hee will cast us out of it into captivity.
2 Those that are Leaders in sin, many times are Leaders in suffering.
When such as excel others in gifts, and dignity do go before them in iniquity, 'tis just they should lead them the way into captivity. God is no respecter of persons, be they Princes or Peasants, Soveraigns or Servants that sin against him, they shall not escape; if Kings offend, they have a King above them that will not spare them, Psal. 62.14. and 76.12. and 110.5. Isa. 30.33. Hence the Apostle would have Masters to know, that if they wrong their servants, yet they have a Master in Heaven that will right them,Ingentia beneficia, ingentia vitia, ingentia supplicia. Ephes. 6.9. Great men that abuse great blessings, shall have great punishment. Many Great men think, that their greatness should priviledge them in their wickedness; when 'tis an aggravation of their sin, and hastens Judgement, 2 Sam. 12.7, 8, 9, 10, 11. And therefore we many times finde the poor spared, when the richer sort are plundred and slain, 2 King, 24.12, 13. and 25.20, 21, 22. Ier. 39.10. when those that should bee patterns of Piety, become Patrons of impiety, prophaneness, and luxury, going before them in sin, it is just with God that they should be punisht before others; as we see in Saul, Ahab, Zedekiah, and many Heathen Emperours, whom Justice cut off for their luxury and cruelty.
3. God turns the mirth of wicked men into mourning.
Their feasting into fasting, and their banquets into funeral-feasts, where there is, or at least-wise ought to be, weeping and mourning.
Many men drive away sorrow and trouble of mind, and cannot endure the thoughts of mourning; but though they fly sorrow, yet sorrow will not fly them, but will suddenly surprize them, and damp their pleasures, Dan. 5.45. Luk. 12.20 It will be our wisdome therefore Actively, and freely to afflict our selves, to weep and mourn for our sins, Iames 4.8, 9. Else we shall be humbled Passively, against our wills, and God will bring some plague upon us, till he have either bended or broken us. We should therefore fear to displease him in whose hands are all our times, Dan. 5.23. Both of mirth and mourning, of rising and ruining, of plenty and poverty, of honour and dishonour, of advancement and abasement, of health and sickness,See Doct. Sibbs Beams of Light, on Acts 13.36. p. 175, 176. &c of living and dying; All our times are in Gods hand, Psal. 31.15. And 'tis well for us they are so, for if they were in other hands we were undone. Wee see Iobs times were but a little space in the Devils hands, and how sad was it with him. He that sate to day like a King, how suddenly is he on the Dunghil? His Cattel are taken from him, his Children slain, his Body full of boyls, and his Soul full of terrours. And thus it would be with us all, and worse, if we lay at the mercy of Sathan, who rageth more now than ever, because his time is but short, Revel. 12.12. 2 It would be sad with us, if our Times were in mens hands, whose mercies are cruelties, they would deal with us as Pharaoh did with Israel, or Herod with Iohn Baptist.
3 It would be ill with us, if our times were in our owne hands, it is ten thousand times better that they are in Gods hand. For. 1. Now they are in the hands of a most wise God, who knowes what is better for us than we doe for our selves. 2. They are in the hands of a merciful God, who turns all to good to his people, and hath promised to pitty and spare us, as a man spares his Son that serves him, Psal. 103.13. all his wayes are mercy in making promises, and truth in keeping them, Psal. 25.10. 3. They are in Powerful hands, hee is able to keep what we have committed to his trust, Ioh. 10.28, 29. 4. They are in faithful and trusty hands, friends may deceive us, Micah 7.5. but he is truth it self, he cannot deceive, nor be deceived.
2 It may comfort us in afflictive times, that all our afflictions are in Gods hand, for matter, manner, time, and measure, Revel. 2.10. he shall cast some of you, not all. 2. He shall cast you into Prison, not into the grave.
3 It is but for ten dayes, not ten years. God sets them their bounds, and sayes to these Metaphorical waves, as hee doth to the Natural, Hitherto shall yee come and no further. He measures out the dayes and nights, and moneths and years, that our trials shall continue, Iob 7.3. As we came into the world by Providence, so we goe out of the world by Providence, God hath set us our bounds which wee cannot pass, Iob 7.1. & 14.5. neither men nor Devils can take away our lives from us till our work be done, Ioh. 7.30. wee should therefore be couragious in duty, and run hazards for God, in whose hand is our life, and not be afraid of man who must dye, Isa. 51.12. we have our day and to morrow to work, and till we have finisht our course none can hurt us, Luk. 13.32. to God the Lord belong the issues from death, Psal. 68.20. we should therefore submit our wills to Gods will, bee willing to live so long as he would have us live, and to dye when he shall call for us.
3 We should bless God, who hath brought us forth, into the best times that ever the Nation saw, our Lot is fallen in pleasant seasons; they are happy times in respect of means, though we have made them unhappy for want of hearts to improve them. We should not therefore quarrel at the Providences, and various dispensations of the times, but rather admire and adore the wisdome and goodness of God in them, so did Daniel, ch. 2.20, 21.
4 We should improve the time which we have from God, unto his praise. Who plants a Vineyard and doth not eat the fruit of it? Our time is Gods, and therefore great reason we should spend it to his praise, Acts 13.36. It was the great commendation of the men of Issachar, that they understood the times, and knew what Israel ought to doe in them, 1 Chro. 12.32. It is the greatest wisdome in the world, to observe the opportunities and seasons of grace, Ephes. 5.15, 16. Hence our Saviour chargeth it as a great sin upon Iezabel, in that hee gave her space to repent, but she repented not, Revel. 2.20. most live as if time were at their owne dispose, they are very liberal of anothers right, promising themselves many dayes and years, when they have not assurance of one day, Isa. 56. ult. Luke 12.20. As we cannot adde one cubit to our stature, so we cannot adde a day to our daies. How sad then is the condition of wicked men, who daily dishonour that God in whose hand is their life? Consider, your times are in the hands of that God to whom you are profest enemies, and with whom he is angry every day, Psal. 7.12, 13. though he bear long, yet he will not alwayes bear, for their feet shall slide in due time, Deut. 32.35.