Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 4 · Section 10
VER. 12, 13.
Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou Seer, goe flee thee away into the Land of Judah, and there eate bread, and Prophecy there;
But Prophesie not againe at Bethel, for it is the Kings Chappel, and it is the Kings Court.
THis false Prophet seeing he could not remove Amos by force, sets upon him now by fraud; the King not being moved with his Message,Utinam Ieroboamum imita rentur nostri seculi principes, qui Amaziae calumnias non magni fecit, nec quicquam in Prophetam durius statuit. Gualter. and refusing to meddle with Amos, either for fear of the people, who knew Amos to be an holy and eminent Prophet, and so must needs have great influence upon them, or else for some other politick respects, the King spared him.
But since the Lions skin will not doe, this Promotor will try what the Fox can doe; to this end he gives Amos, 1. An honourable title. 2. Friendly counsel, one would think, perswading him by any means to leave Israel, and goe to Iudah, where he might be safe and free.
q. d. I am the High Priest of Bethel, and have my preferment and profits in Israel; but thou art of Judah, and camest from Tekoa; prethee goe to thy Tekoits again, and trouble not my Bethelians; come not in my Diocess, I promise thee, I will not come in thine; hinder not my gaine, and take thine and spare not.
In this Verse this subtile Sophister packs up much in a little room, and useth almost as many Arguments as words.
1 He gives him an honourable Compellation, O Seer, it is not, O unlearned Herdsman, or, O seditious Seeds-man, as before; but he gives him a title of honour, the better to hide his malicious designes, and to insinuate himself into Amos. See how quickly wicked men can change their Language, and blesse those whom but lately they cursed; before it was Amos the Conspirator, but now it is Amos the Servant of God, and the Seer. The Prophets of old were called Seers, 1 Sam. 9.9. Isa. 30.10. God inlightned them by his Spirit, and made known to them his secrets by Visions, hence they were called Seers, Numb. 6.12.6. Ezek. 1.1. Some make Amaziah here to call the Prophet Seer, Ironically, by way of scorn and contempt, as if the Prophet had been some Fanatick, and his Visions vanities. But the contexture of the Discourse is against this; for Amaziah gives the Prophet his due title, but in a flattering way, the better to effect his design upon him.
2 Lest this Priest should seeme to be mad without reason, he now produceth Arguments to perswade Amos to be gone. Man being a Rational Creature, may sooner be drawn by reason than driven by force; Amaziah will try what this will doe.
Goe, flee thee away into the Land of Judah, there eate bread, and Prophesie there.
q. d. Be gone with all speed, thou hast yet liberty so to doe, thou hast now an opportunity of escaping, and mayest freely passe without any stopping, let it not slip, lest it repent thee when it is too late. So that this is an Argument à facili.
2 Flee, with all speed be gone from amongst us, for there is no staying long in safety here; thou art encompassed here with snares and dangers, and therefore if thou lovest thy life, pack up and bee gone, Citò, citiùs, citissimè, lest thou bee caught and killed. So that this was an Argument a necessario.
3 Into the Land of Iudah. The better to perswade him to flee, this Priest hath found out another Topick, viz. a convenient place to flee to, and that was his owne Country; thou camest from Tekoah, Amos 1.1. and no man can blame thee for going home againe, especially since thou art so hated here. There thou wilt dwell amongst thine owne kindred and acquaintance in peace and plenty, in love and safety; whereas here thou art a Stranger, and a blunt Prophet, and canst expect none of these things from us. As a friend therefore I counsel thee with all speed to be gone, for both King and Kingdome are resolved to keep their Calves; and if thou come any more to preach here against them, beware lest they catch thee, and kill thee. But Amos fears no such Scar-crows, God sent him not to Iudah, but to Israel, and there he must and will abide. It was Ionahs sin to fly to Tarshish, when hee should have gone to Niniveh. A Minister is not sui juris, but must preach when and where his Lord and Master commands him.
4 There eate bread; that is, Get thy living there, Gen. 3.19 for if thou stayest here thou mayest starve, here is no body will succour of support thee; for thou art a burden both to Prince and people. Here is nothing for thee to eate, here is no profit to be had, and by thy preaching so openly at Bethel, against the Calves of Bethel, thou marrest our markets too. But goe to Iudah, there thou wilt be maintained like a Prophet indeed: there thou wilt live more securely, and be maintained more plentifully; there is King Vzziah, alias Azariah, that loves such precise ones as thou art, 2 King. 15.1, 3. and a people that prize men of thy straine, and will not suffer thee to want. Thus this mercenary false Prophet measures Amos by himself, thinking that gaine would intice him away, as if Amos had been one of those who Prophesied for a little Lucre, for a handful of Barley, or a mouthful of Bread, Ezek. 13.19. Micha 3.11. so that this is an Argument ab utili.
5 Prophesie there. Here this subtile Priest Proleptically prevents an Objection; whereas Amos might have said, what? would you have me idle, and leave that employment to which God so signally, and extraordinarily called me? Not so, (saith Amaziah) I doe not bid thee flee, that thou mayest be idle or silent (for if he had done so, his fraud had been too apparent) but I bid thee goe to Iudah, and Prophesie there, where thou wilt have double honour; that is, both countenance and maintenance, both which thou wantest here. Thou lovest to be plaine and free against sin, why get thee to Iudah, there they will be glad of thee, and there thou mayest declaime freely against the sins of Israel, and threaten us without fear. Here thou art molested with Altars and Calves, with Idols and Images, Amos 3.14. but get thee to Ierusalem, and there thou wilt be free from these superstitious fopperies, and lying vanities. There exercise thy gift of preaching, and get thy living by it, as I doe by my Priesthoood at Bethel, where I live peaceably, and plentifully with my Oblations and Sacrifices; I shall not envie thee (get what thou canst at Iudah) doe not thou envie me my Morsels at Bethel.
6 He argues adamno, and tells him that it was dangerous for him to preach any more at Bethel, as for what is past that is pardoned, provided thou come no more amongst us at Bethel, for it is the Kings Court, and the Kings Chappel, and he will not endure to be affronted there.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 That wicked men are very sedulous in opposing the faithful Ministers of God.
What industry and activity doth this Priest of Bethel use to root Amos out of Israel. He sends to the King, and accuseth Amos for a Traytor; and when force will not doe, he playes the Fox, and under pretence of friendship prswades him to leave his station, and to flee the Land. So Pharaoh, how industrious was he to destroy Israel; how active was Haman to have the Iewes destroyed, and what a great sum doth he promise to the King to effect it, no less than ten thousand talents of silver, Hest. 4.9. So Nehemiahs enemies, what force and fraud did they use to hinder his repairing of the Temple, how faine would they have had him flee; as Amaziah would have had Amos here, that so he might have reproached him for a Fugitive, and one that was conscious to himself of his own guilt, and therefore he fled for it.
Q. The Question then will be, whether it be lawful to flee in time of persecution?
A. In some Cases it may, as, 1 If a man be but a young beginner, and find not strength to bear the brunt and heat of the day, he may with-draw for a time.
2 If the Persecution be personal, against a particular man, or Minister, and not against the whole Church, he may use his liberty. So did Moses, Elijah, David, Christ, Paul.
But when Gods time is come, that he calls us to seal to his truth even with our dearest lives, we must not love them to the death, Revel. 12.11. but rejoyce that we have any thing of worth to lay down for Christ; like the valiant Horse, we must goe forth to meet the armed man, Iob 39.21. so did that accomplisht, couragious Martyr, Mr. Fryth, when some that loved him had contrived his escape, he told them it must not be; for (saith he) if you should leave me here and goe to Croydon, declaring to the Bishop that you had lost Fryth, I would surely follow after as fast as I could, See Mr. Clarks Lives, 1 Vol. in the Life of Mr. Fryth.and bring them newes that I had found and brought Fryth again.
[See this Case more fully handled in Mr. Perkins C. Cons. lib. 2. ch. 11. Q. 3. and on Heb. 11.35. p. 191. and D. Geo. Abbot, Thesis 5. p. 169. and in my Com. on 2 Tim. 3.11. Obs. 5. p. 202. Doct. Tho. Taylor on Self-denial, p. 23. folio, in finè.]
2 Wicked men many times are subtile men.
The Devil chuseth Serpents for his Instruments, Cupit ab his ornari Diabolus, he thinks it an ornament to his Cause and Kingdom to get wits about him, how subtilly here doth this Priest act his part; his words are smoother than oyl, and yet are they very swords, Psal. 55.23. Satans Instruments (like their Father the Devil) can transform themselves into Angels of Light,Incautè creduli facilè circumveniuntur ab his, quos bonos putaverunt Minut, Faelix, p. 39. 2 Cor. 11.13, 14. when such speak fair, beleeve them not, for there are seven abominations in their hearts, Prov. 26.25. we had need then to be wise as Serpents, and to watch not only against a raging, but against a fawning enemy; not only against the Lion Rampant, but also against the Lion Couchant. The worlds flatteries are more to be feared than its frowns, its courtesies, than its injuries. Many that have stood it out manfully against open hostility, yet have been insnared by flattery. Take heed of those Ioabs and Iudasses that kiss and kill, 2 Sam. 20.9, 10. watch not only against open, but also against secret insinuating enemies, which under pretence of friendship seek thy ruine; the Devil gains thousands, and ten thousands this way. Wee should observe his depths, and not be ignorant of his methods and devices, but stop our ears against his Syrens, when they seek to undermine us.
See my Com. on 2 Tim. 3.17. Obs. 2. p. 269.3 That titles of honour may be given to Gods Ministers.
O thou Seer, it is not, O thou Lyar, thou Viper, thou Wolf, thou Robber, thou Murderer, thou Conjurer, thou Juggler, Devil, &c. as those black blasphemous Devils the Quakers call us. Amaziah (though an Idolatrous Priest) yet had learnt better language than so.
4 The Ministers of God should be Seers.
They must not be blind Guides, nor Seers that can see nothing but what tends to their owne gain; nor Seers of Lyes and Vanities, (as it is said of false Prophets) Ezek. 13.7, 8, 9, 23. & 22.28. but they must be men of knowledge, Mal. 2.7. and have the Tongue of the Learned, to speak a word in season to him that is weary. Look what the eye is to the body, that are (or at least-wise that should be) Pastors to the Church, to watch over the Flock for good, and to direct it in paths of Piety. Hence Ministers are called the Eye, 1 Cor. 12.17. Stars, and the Light of the World, Mat. 5.14. burning and shining Lights, Iohn 5.35. which help to inlighten the World with the light of sound Doctrin. Hence it is that the Prophets of old were so oft called Seers, Sadoc was called a Seer, 2 Sam. 15.27. and Gad, 2 Sam. 24.11. and Heman, 1 Chron. 25.5, &c.