A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Preaching of the VVord, threatened to be removed.

Behold the dayes come, that I will send a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the North, even to the East: they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not finde it, Am: 8. 11, 12. A famine of bread] or, A hunger for bread. So the originall, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for the threat is not, only of a want, or scarcity: but of an hunger, & earnest desire, proceeding from that want, (as is plaine by the 12 verse & by the word for, of hearing, which signifies literally, To heare, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.) which aggravates the punish∣ment very much. for they shall have paine and griefe, whiles they hunger; and in the end, shal be starv'd to death, for want of what they would have. And yet, as we render it, (famine:) it makes the threat sufficiently dreadfull; because it implies a necessity of this food, for the life of the Soule. For we doe not call it a famine, although other things be ne∣ver so scarce and deare; unlesse there bee a scarcity of corne, (or bread) which we cannot be without.

Such as Hinder it, have cause to feare.

1 Removall of good preachers, and havin•• bad in their stead, (which is a worse punish∣ment, then if they had none.) Prophecy y•• not, say they to them that prophecie. They sh•• not prophecie to them, that they shall not ta•••• shame, Mic: 2. 6. And it follows vers. 11. If man walking in the spirit and falshood doe ly•• saying, I will prophecie unto thee of wine, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of strong drinke▪ he shall even be the prophet 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this people. If you translate this verse wit•• the vulgar,* 1.1 thus: I could wish, I were not man that had the spirit; & that which I speak were not true▪ but yet I will prophecy to you, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 I have made you drunk as it were with win•• (even a full cup of judgments, which I shall de∣nounce unto you) it will amount to thus much viz: that when men endeavour to hinder the faithfull Ministers of God's word, from preaching the truth: God will punish them with fearefull judgements; and make even those very Ministers, in spite of all their opposition his instruments to denounce them Prophecy] In the originall it is, drop, in both verses. And it is not unlike, the people did indeed use this very word, in a jeere, (because it was a word which the Prophets much used as you may see Ezek: 20. 46. ch: 21, 2.) Even

as they did the words, Line upo•• Line, Isa: 28, 10. &, The burden ••f the Lord, Jer: 23, 34. And so likewise that Amaziah thus used it, Amos 7. 16. Drop not thy word, &c.

2 Death and ruine of their families. That Amaziah but now mentioned, (who was a Priest of Bethel, in Jeroboam's time,) is thus threatened by Amos, Thou sayest, Prophesie not, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaack* 1.2. Therefore thus saith the Lord, thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line, and thou shalt die in a polluted land, &c. ch. 7. 16, 17.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Utinam non essem vir habens spiritum, & menda∣cium potius loquerer. stillabo tibi in vinum & in ebri∣etatem, & erit super quem stil∣labit popu∣lus iste.
• * 1.2

  They pre∣sumed much upo•• their de∣scent from Isaac and Jacob, as you may see Mic. 2. 7. as they did in Christs time upon their descēt from A∣braham, Joh. 8. 49.