Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 1, Sermon 10
THE Tenth Lecture.
AMOS 1.5.
I will breake alſo the barre of Damaſcus, and cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the ſcepter out of Beth-Eden, and the people of Aram ſhall goe into captiuity vntounto Kir.
NOw proceed we to the other clauſes of the laſt part of this prophecie, againſt the Syrians. The ſecond clauſe is, I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen: The third is, and him that holdeth the ſcepter out of Beth-eden: The fourth is, and the people of Aram, &c. In each of theſe I doe obſerue (as before I did) three circumſtances.
1 The puniſher the Lord, either immediately by himſelfe or mediately by his inſtruments.
2 The puniſhment, to be vnderſtood in thoſe phraſes of cutting off, and going into captiuitie.
3 The puniſhed, the Syrians, noted in theſe names, Bikeath-Auen, Beth-eden, Aram.
Let vsus examine the words of the text, as they lie in order.
I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen] I, the Lord, Iehouah, aSee lect. 9.who remoue mountaines, and they feele not when I ouerthrow them; who remoue the earth out of her place, and make her pillars to ſhake; who my ſelfe alone ſpread out the heauens, and walke vponupon the height of the ſea: I, the Lord, Iehouah, who doe great things, and vnſearchable, maruellous things, and without number: I, the Lord, Iehouah, who hauehave reſolued to ſend a fire into the houſe of Hazael, which ſhall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad, and hauehave reſolued to breake the barres of Damaſcus; I will alſo cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the ſcepter out of Beth-eden, &c.
I will cut off] To cut off, is in ſundry places of holy Scripture a Metaphor, drawne ab exciſione arborum, from the cutting downe, or rooting vp of trees: and ſignifieth vtterly to conſume, to waſte, to diſſipate, to deſtroy, to extinguiſh. So it's vſed, Pſal. 101.8. where Dauid purpoſing not to be negligent or ſlothfull, in the execution of iuſtice againſt all malefactors in Ieruſalem, reſolueth to cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord: Betimes will I deſtroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord. So its vſed, Pſ. 109.15. where Dauids prayer againſt the wicked is, that their iniquity and ſin be alwaies before the Lord, that hee may cut off their memoriall from the earth. So its vſed, Ezech. 14.13. Son of man when a land ſinneth againſt me by committing a treſpaſſe, then will I ſtretch out mine hand vponupon it, and will breake the ſtaffe of bread thereof; and will ſend famine vponupon it, and will cut off man and beaſt from it: I will cut off] that is, I will deſtroy both man and beaſt from a ſinfull land.
I omit many like places of holy writ; and commend vntounto you, but one more, parallel to this in my text. It is in the 3. ver. of the 2. chap. of this prophecie. There thus ſaith the Lord; I wil cut off the Iudge out of the midſt of Moab; as here in my text, I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen; and verſ. the 8. I will cut off the inhabitant from Aſhdod. I will cut off, whether the Iudge out of the middeſt of Moab; or the inhabitant from Aſhdod; or the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, the meaning is one, and the ſame: I will cut off, that is, I will vtterly deſtroy, or extinguiſh.
Which to be the meaning of the word, the author of the Vulgar Latine acknowledgeth, tranſlating the word in the originall, not exeindam (as indeed it ſignifieth) I will cut off, but diſperdam, I will deſtroy. So doe the Seuenty Interpreters in their Greeke edition of the Bible, here tranſlating the Hebrew word not foreign, (as indeed it ſignifieth) I will cut off; but foreign, I will vtterly, or altogether d…ſtroy, ouerthrow, and extinguiſh.
I will cut off the inhabitant] the inhabitant? what? but one? yes, all, and eueryevery one of the inhabitants. The Holy Spirit in the ſacred Scripture vſeth ſo to ſpeake; by a word of the ſingular number to vnderſtand more than one; yea all of that kinde: which kinde of ſpeech is analogically reduced to the figure Synecdoche.
Let vsus ſee the truth of this in a few inſtances. In Exod. 8.6. it is ſaid; when Aaron ſtretched out his hand vponupon the waters of Egypt, that then the frogge came vp, and couered the land. The frogge! It were ſenſeleſſe to thinke that one frogge could couer the land of Egypt; and therefore by the frogge, we are to vnderſtand many frogges. In Num. 21.7. the Iſraelites deſired Moſes to pray to the Lord, that he would take away from them the Serpent. The Serpent! what? but one? It is out of doubt that the people meant all the fiery ſerpents ſent among them by the Lord, to ſting them to death: of which we read, verſe the 6. Ieremy in chap. 8.7. ſaith that the ſtorke, the turtle, the crane, and the ſwallow doe know, and obſerue their appointed times. The ſtorke, the turtle, the crane, the ſwallow! We may not think the Prophet ſingleth out one ſtorke, one turtle, one crane, one ſwallow, from the reſt; but his meaning is of all ſtorkes, turtles, cranes, ſwallowes, that they know, and obſerue their appointed times. As in the now cited places, ſo here in my text, the holy Ghoſt vſeth one number, for another; the ſingular for the plurall, vnderſtanding by one inhabitant, all the inhabitants of Bikeath-Auen.
Of Bikeath-Auen] the Greeke Tranſlators taking the words partly appellatiuely, and partly properly, doe render them the field of On. In like ſort Gualter, the valley of Auen. The author of the Vulgar Latine, vnderſtanding them wholly appellatiuely, rendreth them, the field of the Idoll: and ſo they may ſignifie, the plaine of Auen, the plaine of griefe, the plaine of ſorrow, as Caluin obſerueth. Iunius and Tremellius doe render it, as before Gualter, è conualle Auenis, the vally of Auen: vnderſtanding thereby the whole coaſt of Chamatha, which way Syria bordereth vponupon Arabia, ſurnamed the Deſart.
Caluin ſaith it is vncertaine, whether Bikeath-Auen be a proper name of a place, or no; yet ſaith he, it is probable. Druſius following the Hebrew Doctors, affirmeth, that it is the proper name of a city in Syria. Mercer the learned profeſſour of Paris, ioyneth with him. And our Engliſh Geneua Tranſlation draweth vsus to bee of the ſame minde, that Bikeath-Auen is a proper name of a city in Syria.
The ſame opinion muſt we hold of Beth-Eden, in the next clauſe; that it is a proper name of a city in Syria: of which opinion I finde Mercer, and Druſius, and our Engliſh Tranſlators at Geneua to hauehave beene. And Caluin holds it to bee credible, though he tranſlates it the houſe of Eden, ſo Gualter doth; ſo doth Tremellius, who by the houſe of Eden, vnderſtandeth the whole country of Coeleſyria, wherein ſtood the city Eden.
The author of the Vulgar Latine takes Beth-Eden for an appellatiue, and tranſlates it, the houſe of pleaſure. Such indeed is the ſignification of the word; and it is by Arias Montanus, and Ribera, applied to ſignifie the city of Damaſcus: as if Damaſcus were there called not only Bikeath-Auen, that is, the field of the Idoll, becauſe of the Idolatry there vſed, but alſo Beth-Eden, that is, the houſe of pleaſure, becauſe of the pleaſant ſituation thereof. But I retaine the proper name Beth-Eden, and take it for a city in Syria, wherein the King of Syria had a palace, and manſion houſe. Which I take to be plaine in my text, where the Lord threatneth, to cut off him, that holdeth the ſcepter out of Beth-Eden.
Him that holdeth the ſcepter] that is, the King keeping his court at Beth-Eden. For I ſee not any abſurdity in it, if I ſay that the King of Syria had a manſion houſe, as well at Beth-Eden, as at Damaſcus; and that at this time the court lay at Beth-Eden.
Him that holdeth the ſcepter] This is a periphraſis, or circumlocution of a King. A ſcepter is Regium geſtamen, and inſigne poteſtatis Regiae, a Kingly mace, the proper enſigne, or token of Kingly power. Whence in the beſt of Greeke Poets, Homer, Kings are called*foreign. 3.86. foreign. foreign, ſcepter-bearers. Hereby wee vnderſtand, what we read in the ſtory of Heſter, chap. 8.4. King Aſſuerus held out his golden ſcepter toward Heſter. And that Gen. 49.10. The ſcepter ſhall not depart from Iudah. In the former place Aſſuerus maketh ſhew of his Kingly fauour vntounto Heſter, by holding out his mace vntounto her: in the later Iacob propheſieth of the ſtability and continuance of the Kingdome in the tribe of Iudah, till the comming of the Meſſias. Here then he that holdeth the ſcepter in Beth-Eden, is the King abiding in Beth-Eden.
Hitherto (beloued) hauehave I laboured to vnfold the words of my text: I will cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the ſcepter out of Beth-eden] I] the Lord, with my mighty power, will cut off] will vtterly conſume, and deſtroy, the inhabitant] not one only, but eueryevery one that dwelleth in Bikeath-Auen] the ſo named city of Syria. There will I not ſtay my hand, but I will alſo with my mighty power cut off, vtterly conſume and deſtroy, him that holdeth the ſcepter] not only the vnderunder-magiſtrate, but the King himſelfe, out of Beth-eden] another ſo named city of Syria. Bikeath-Auen ſhall not be able to defend her inhabitants, nor Beth-eden her King. I will cut off, &c.] Thus farre the expoſition. Now ſome notes of inſtruction.
You will be pleaſed to remember with me, my three propounded circumſtances.
1 The puniſher, the Lord.
2 The puniſhment, a cutting off.
3 The puniſhed, the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and the King of Beth-eden.
From the firſt circumſtance; The Lord himſelfe taking vengeance into his owne hands, ariſeth this doctrine, It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vponupon the wicked for their ſinnes.
Which truth hauing beene often commended to your Chriſtian conſiderations, in former lectures, I now let paſſe.
From all three circumſtances of the puniſher, the puniſhment, and the puniſhed, ioyntly conſidered, ariſe other profitable doctrines.
Firſt wee ſee, that the cutting off, of the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and of him that holdeth the ſcepter out of Beth-eden, is the Lords proper worke. The leſſon which wee may take from hence is this; No calamity, or miſery, be falleth any one of whatſoeuer eſtate, or degree, by chance, or at aduenture.
It was an errour of the Paynims to hold fortune in ſo high account;bIuuen. Sat. 10. Te facimus, Fortuna, Deam, coelo que locamus. They eſteemed her as a goddeſſe, & aſſigned her a place in Heauen. They preſented her by the image of a woman, ſitting ſometimes vponupon a ball, ſometimes vponupon a wheele, hauing with her a raſour,cPierius Hieroglyph. lib. 29. bearing in her right hand the ſterne of a ſhip, in her left, the horne of abundance: by the raſour, they would giuegive vsus to vnderſtand, that ſhe can at her pleaſure cut off, and end our happineſſe; by the ball, or wheele, that ſhe is very prone to volubility and change; by the ſterne in her right hand, that the whole courſe of our life is vnderunder her gouernment; by the horne of abundance in her left hand, that all out plenty is from her.
This palpable Idolatry of the Gentiles, giuing the glory of the moſt high, to their ba…e and inglorious abominations, wee Chriſtians muſt vtterly renounce. We honor the Lord of hoſts alone, and to him alone doe we aſcribe the ſoueraingty, dominion, and rule of the whole world. Such is the extent of Gods wonderfull and eternall prouidence. The whole world with all things therein, is wholly and alone ſubiect to the ſoueraignty, dominion, and rule of Almighty God; by his prouidence all things are preſerued, all things are ruled, all things are ordered.
Theſe are the three degrees by which you may diſcerne, and take notice of the Act of diuine prouidence. The firſt is Gradus conſeruationis. Trelcat. Inſtit. l b. 2 pag. 46.The ſecond, Gradus gubernationis. The third, Gradus ordinationis. The firſt degree is of maintenance, or preſeruation; the ſecond is of rule, and gouernment; the third is of ordination, and direction.
The firſt degree, which I termed gradum conſeruationis, the degree of maintenance, and preſeruation, implieth thus much; that all things in generall, and eueryevery thing in particular, are by Almighty God ſuſtained ordinarily, in the ſame ſtate of nature, and naturall proprieties, wherein they were created.
This truth is excellently explained, Pſal. 104. & 145. & 147. In which the Pſalmiſt ioyfully ſingeth out, of the wonderfull Prouidence of God in the maintenance and preſeruation of man, and eueryevery other creature; the beaſts of the field, the foules of the aire, the fiſhes of the ſea.dPſal. 104.10, 11. He ſendeth the ſprings into the vallies, that all the beaſts of the field may drinke, and the wilde aſſes quench their thirſt. ePſal. 147.8. & Pſal. 104.13.Hee couereth the heauen with clouds, prepareth raine for the earth, and maketh graſſe to grow euen vponupon mountaines, that cattell may hauehave food; he hath made the mountaines fPſal. 104.18.to be a refuge for goats, and rockes for conies: the Lions, gVerſ. 21.roaring after their prey, ſeeke their meat at him.
You ſee Gods care and prouidence for the preſeruation of the beaſts of the field; ſee the like for the fowles of the aire. He hath planted the hPſal. 104 16.Cedars of Lebanon, for birds to make their neſts there, and the firre trees for the ſtorkes to dwell in: the young iPſal. 147.9.rauens that cry vntounto him, he feedeth. Our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, Matth. 6.26. calls you to this conſideration: Behold (ſaith he) the fowles of heauen; they ſow not, nor reape, nor carry into barns, yet your heauenly father feedeth them.
Gods care and prouidence for the preſeruation of his creatures, here reſteth not: it reacheth euen to the bottome of the ſea. There is greatkPſal. 104.26. Leuiathan; there are creeping things innumerable, ſmall, and great; all which wait vponupon the Lord, that he may giuegive them food in due ſeaſon. In due ſeaſon hee giues them food, lPſal. 104.24.and they gather it, he openeth his hand and they are filled with good. O Lord how manifold are thy workes? In wiſdome haſt thou made them all; the whole world is full of thy riches.
The prouidence, I termed gradum gubernationis, the degree of rule, and gouernment. It implyeth thus much; that Almighty God for his vnlimited power, gouerneth all things in the world, and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis ſuae, euen as he liſteth.
This point is deliuered not obſcurely in many places of holy Scripture, as in thoſe generall, and vniuerſall ſayings, which doe proue God Almighty, euen this day to work in the world, and to doe all in all. In Eſa. 43.13. thus ſaith the Lord; Yea, before the day was, I am, and there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand, I will doe it, and who ſhall let it? Agreeable to this are the words of our Sauiour, Ioh. 5.17. My father worketh hitherto, and I worke. From both theſe places wee may truly inferre that God worketh in the gouernment of this world day after day, euen vntill the end thereof: which Saint Paul, Epheſ 1.11. auoweth; He worketh all things after the counſell of his owne will.
To the conſideration hereof Elihu ſtirreth vp afflicted Iob, Chap. 37. wiſhing him to conſider the wonderous workes of God, the Clouds, and his light ſhining out of them; the thunder, Gods maruellous and glorious voice; the ſnow, the froſt, the whirlewind, the raine; all theſe God ruleth, and gouerneth after his good pleaſure.
And who I pray you ruleth man, and mans affaires, but the Lord? O Lord, ſaith Ierem. chap. 10.23. I know that the way of man is not in himſelfe, neither is it in man to walke, and to direct his ſteps. King Salomon confeſſeth as much, Prou. 20.24. The ſteps of man are ruled by the Lord.
From this ruling prouidence of God, King Dauid, Pſal. 23.1. drew vntounto himſelfe a very comfortable argument: The Lord feedeth me, therefore I ſhall not want. Let vsus as comfortably reaſon with our ſelues; The Lord feedeth vsus, therefore we ſhall not want. It is ſpoken to our neuer ending comfort by our bleſſed Sauiour, Matth. 10.29. Are not two ſparrowes ſold for a farthing, and one of them falleth not on the ground without your father? Feare ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many ſparrowes. In the ſame place he further aſſureth, that all the haires of our head are numbred. Doth Gods care reach to the falling of the haires of our head, and can we doubt of his perpetuall rule and gouernment in the world? It muſt ſtand true: Almighty God for his vnlimited power gouerneth all things in the world, and ruleth them pro libertate voluntatis ſuae, euen as he liſteth.
The third degree, by which we may diſcerne the act of diuine prouidence, I called gradum ordinationis, the degree of ordination, or direction. It implyeth thus much: that God of his admirable wiſdome ordaineth, and ſetteth in order, whatſoeuer things in the world ſeem to be moſt out of order; he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end; all muſt make for his glorie.
In this diuine ordination three things doe concurre: Conſtitutio finis; mediorum ad finem diſpoſitio; and Diſpoſitorum directio. Firſt, God appointeth an end to eueryevery thing; ſecondly, he diſpoſeth meanes vntounto the end; thirdly, hee directeth the meanes ſo diſpoſed.
To diſcourſe of theſe particulars ſeuerally, would carry mee beyond my time, and your patience: I will but only touch the generall, which was, God of his admirable wiſdome ordaineth, or ſetteth in order; whatſoeuer things in the world ſeeme to be moſt out of order: he bringeth them all to his chiefly intended end; they all make for his glory.
Hereupon dependeth the truth of my propounded doctrine inuiolable; No calamitie or miſerie be falleth any one, of whatſoeuer eſtate or degree, by chance, or at aduenture.
For if it be true, (as true it is, and the gates of Hell ſhall neur be able to preuaile againſt it) that God by his wonderfull prouidence, maintaineth, and preſerueth, ruleth, and gouerneth, ordereth, diſpoſeth, and directeth all things in this world, euen to the very haires of our heads, it cannot be, that any calamity, or miſery ſhould befall any one of vsus by aduenture, by hap-hazard, by chance, by fortune.
The Epicure in the booke of Iob, 22.13. was in a foule errour to thinke, that God walking in the circle of heauen, cannot through the darke clouds ſee our miſdoings, and iudge vsus for them. Dearely beloued, we may not thinke our God to be amSee Lect. 1. page 10. God to halfes, and in part only: a God aboue, and not beneath the moone: a God vponupon the mountaines, and not in the vallies; a God in the greater, and not in the leſſer employments. We may not thus thinke.
We hauehave liued long enough, to hauehave learned better things out of Amos 9. Ierem 23. Pſal. 139. that God is eueryevery where preſent, and that there is no euaſion from him.Serm 4. in Iames 4.10. & infra Lect. 14. pag. 159. No corner in Hell, no manſion in heauen, no caue in the top of Carmel, no fiſhes belly in the bottome of the ſea, no darke dungeon in the land of captiuitie, no place of any ſecrecie any where, is able to hide vsus from the preſence of God.
Wee hauehave learned, Zach. 4.10. that God hath ſeuen eyes, which goe thorow the whole world. You may interpret them with me, many millions of eyes. He is*Hieronymus in illud Pſal. 94.9. Qui plantauit aurem, non audiet? aut qui finxit oculum non conſiderat? Ego autem dico, quod Deus totus Oculus eſt, totus Manus eſt, totus Pes eſt. Totus Oculus eſt, quia omnia videt. Totus Manus eſt, quia omnia operatur. Totus Pes eſt, quia vbique eſt. totus OCVLVS, altogether eye, for he ſeeth all things. We hauehave learned, Eſai. 40.12. that God hath hands to meaſure the waters, and to ſpan the heauens. You may interpret it with me, that he hath many millions of hands: He is totus Manus, altogether hand; for he worketh all things. We hauehave learned, Matth. 5.35. that God hath feet to ſet vponupon his foot-ſtoole. You may interpret it with me, that he hath many milions of feet: He is totus Pes, altogether foot, for he is eueryevery where.
We ſhall then be very iniurious to God, if we deny him the ouerſight of the ſmalleſt matters. The holy Scriptures doe euidently ſhew, that he examineth the leaſt moments, and tittles in the world that we can imagine,nSupra pag. 10. to a handfull of meale, to a cruſe of oyle in a poore widowes houſe, to the falling of ſparrowes to the ground, to the clothing of the graſſe in the field, to the feeding of the birds of the aire, to the caluing of hindes, to the numbring of the haires of our heads.
Wherefore (dearely beloued in the Lord) whatſoeuer calamity or miſery hath already ſeized vponupon vsus, or ſhall hereafter ouertake vsus, let vsus not lay it vponupon blinde Fortune, but looke we to the hand that ſtriketh vsus. Hee, who is noted in my text to cut off the inhabitant of Bikeath-Auen, and him that holdeth the ſcepter out of Beth-eden, euen He it is, that for our ſins bringeth vponupon vsus calamities, and miſeries.
The late fearefull floud, raging vponupon this land to the vtter deſtruction of great ſtore of cattell, and much people; and the late rot of ſheepe in this, and other places of this land, are Gods viſitations vponupon vsus for our ſinnes, and admoniſhments for vsus to amend our liues.
Shall there be euill in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? ſaith Amos, chap. 3.6. Its out of queſtion; there is no euill in the city, no, not in the world, but the Lords finger is in it; and that iuſtly, for our ſinnes ſake.
What remaineth, but that we rent our hearts, and turne vntounto the Lord our God? He is gracious, mercifull, ſlow to anger, of great kindneſſe, and repenteth him of euill. How know we, whether he will returne, and repent, and leaue a bleſſing behinde him for vsus? Let vsus therefore goe boldly vntounto the throne of grace, that wee may receiue mercy, and finde grace to helpe in time of need.