Exposition of Amos 4-9, Part 6 · Section 15 – Section 16
VERSE 14.
And I will bring againe the Captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste Cities, and inhabite them, and they shall plant Vineyards, and drink the Wine thereof, they shall also make Gardens, and eate the fruit of them.
THe Prophet having fore-told this People of their misery, how their Cities should be ransackt, their Land laid wast, the inhabitants captivated and slaine, comes now to comfort the remnant, multiplying words, and adding Promise to Promise, assuring them of comfort in the end; though the body of the People never returned out of the Assyrian Captivity, yet the elect remnant should be brought out of this misery into an estate of joy and felicity.
To the former Promises the Prophet here addes a fourth, which brancheth it selfe into four particulars.
1 They shall be delivered from Captivity and Banishment, I will bring again the Captivity of my people. Veshabti ethshebuth, & convertam captivitatem.There is a Paranomasy in the words which cannot be translated without loss; such elegancies are frequent, as I have shewed before.
This Promise was fulfilled when the Messias came, and delivered them from their Spiritual captivity to Sin and Satan, and brought them into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God.
And here the Iewes and their followers are out again, taking these Promises Literally, which are especially to be understood Spiritually, Mystically, and Metaphorically. For this returning here is an Evangelical returning to Christ, when the remnant of the Elect both of Iudah and Israel should be converted, which though it be very sparingly now, yet in Apostolical times they had many Iewish Converts, we read of about three thousand of the House of Israel converted at one Sermon, Acts 2.36, 37, 41. insomuch that St. Iames writes a whole Epistle to the dispersed Iewes, and Peter writes two.
2 They should have Peace, with sweet security and plenty of all things, which appears by the fruit es and effects of it.
As 1. Plantation,
They should build Cities.
Plant Vine-yards.
Make Gardens.
2 They should have fruition of all these,
They should inhabit their Cities,
Drink the Wine of their Vine-yards,
And eat the fruit of their Gardens.
The like Promise we have, Isa. 65.21, 22. My Servants shall build Houses and inhabit them, and plant Vine-yards, and eate the fruit of them; that is, they should peaceably enjoy the blessings of God, where still under Temporal blessings are shadowed forth Spiritual and eternal ones. As when God was angry with the Iewes, he used to terrifie them with legal Curses, as before, Amos. 5.11. They should build houses and not dwell in them, plant Vine-yards, but not eate the fruit of them. So on the contrary here he promiseth, that they should not labour in vaine, as they did before when they served Idols, and provoked him with their inventions. Speaking to the Iewes, he tells them still of Legal Blessings, which typified Evangelical and Spiritual mercies, as was usual with the Prophets for to doe, as Mr. Burroughs shewes at large on Hos. 1.11. Lect. 7. p. 183, &c. his only fault there is, that he inclines too much to that fancy of the Millenaries, as Mr. Baily shewes, in his Disswasive from the Errours of the Times, p. 224, &c.
And they shall build wast Cities; that is, they shall restore the pure Worship of God,Verè urbes desertas instaurant, qui cul. tum verum restituunt, & Ecclesias instaurant. Mercer in locum, ubi plura. and build up the Elect in their most holy faith.
They shall plant Vine-yards and Gardens; that is, particular Churches,Hort… & Vineae sunt Ecclesia Dei. Idem. in which God delights to walk, and feed on the grapes of obedience which grow there. And drink the Wine thereof; that is, they shall have comfort in their labours, which they should see were not in vaine in the Lord. The Church is Gods Husbandry,Omnia sunt spiritualiter accipienda. Idem. How grosly then doth Dr. Homes abuse his Reader, that cites Mercer here for a Corporal reign. and the Apostles with their Successors are Gods Husband-men and Vinitors, that must plant Churches and water them, and as much as in them lyes, propagate them all the world over, that Christs truth may bee known upon earth: and his saving health among all Nations. So that this verse is a continued Metaphor taken from such as returned out of Captivity into their owne Country, for such are wont to build Cities, plant Vine-yards, make Gardens, &c. now the rule must still be remembred, that by these are set forth Spiritual blessings.
OBSERVATIONS.
1 When God is at peace with a People, then peace, plenty, prosperity internal, and external follow.
When Gods face shines upon a People, then there is a new face set upon things; and those that frowned before, now smile on us, Gen. 32.28. Hos. 2.20, 21, 22, 23. when God is at peace with us, he makes all at peace with us, 2 Chron. 15.15. & 17.7, to 12. Psal. 81.12, 13, 14. Prov. 16.7. Acts 9.31.
2. Christ hath redeemed his Elect from the Tyranny of sin and Satan, See Dr. Boltons Bounds of Liberty, and Mr. Burroughs Saints Treasury, on John 8.36. p. 87, 88, &c.and all the enemies of their salvation, Luk. 1.74. Col. 1.13. and 2.14. Heb. 2.14, 15.
He that brought back the Captivity of his people here, hath lead Captivity Captive, and hath received gifts for men, even for the Rebellious, Psal. 68.18.
VERSE 15.
And I will plant them upon their Land, and they shall no more be pulled up, out of their Land, which I have given them, saith the Lord.
WEE are now come to the fifth and last Promise, which brancheth it self into two particulars. 1. A Promise of Plantation and Settlement. I will Plant them in their own Land. They shall have a settled and sure habitation in the Church Militant here, and in the Church Triumphant hereafter.
2 They shall have establishment, They shall be no more pulled up out of their Land. This cannot be understood literally for the Jews did not abide in their own Land for ever. 1. Before Christs time, when they returned out of Babylon, 'twas but a small number that returned to their own Land, and those abode not long there neither. 2. They were so far from ruling over all Nations, that they were tributary to them. 3. Their bounds were much straitned. 4. When the Jews shall be called, yet I think no sober man will say, they shall no more be pulled up out of their own Land, but shall abide there for ever, as the letter of the Text imports. I know that for ever, is oft in Scripture put for an age, or for a long time; but the Millenaries take it here in the letter, at least for their thousand years reign, but without any ground.
But take the words spiritually, as alluding to Christs Kingdome, in Gospel-times, and then all these Promises are abundantly fulfilled, though not specifically, in the same kind, yet Valore, in spirituals, which are of far greater value than if they had been Lords of the East and West Indies; besides the bounds of the Church are very much enlarged by the Gospel.
So that I shall (with the best Divines) take the words in a spiritual sense, for the perseverance of the Saints; such as are true Members of Christs Church shall never fall away, none shall pull them from Christ, or separate them from his love. Christ will so settle his Church upon earth, that it shall never be rooted up by the violence of men, nor be prevailed against by the gates of Hell.
3. Here is the confirmation of all this, saith the Lord thy God. He is Thy God in Covenant, reconciled to thee in Christ, ready to give thee all things needful for life and godliness. 'Tis he that hath promised, who cannot lye, nor deceive, and therefore thou mayest safely build upon his word.
OBSERVATIONS.
1. The Elect shall never totally and finally perish.
Christ will build his Church, and if he be the builder, who shall hinder him? Mat. 16.18. and 24.24. The Elect are Trees well rooted, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified in them, Isa. 61.3. Though they may fall foully, yet never finally; they were never real Saints that fall away totally and finally.Ecclesia concuti potest, expugnari non potest. Such as go out from us, were never truly of us. They that are truly ingrafted into Christ, no enemies visible or invisible shall ever prevail against them.
'Tis true, the Potentates and Tyrants of the world, have been in all ages heaving at this Stone, but it hath crusht them all to peeces, Zach. 12.3. Christ hath alwaies had a Church, a little Flock,In my Thesis de perseverantiâ sanctorum. a Remnant to serve him, and ever will have in despight of all opposition. As I have shewed at large elsewhere.
2. God will faith…ully perform what ever hee hath promised to his people.
As all the Threatnings shall certainly fall on the heads of the wicked; so all the Promises shall first or last be made good to the righteous. 'Tis God who cannot lye, that hath said it, and therefore he will certainly do it.