An exposition by way of supplement, on the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth chapters of the prophecy of Amos where you have the text fully explained ... : together with a confutation of Dr. Holmes, and Sir Henry Vane, in the end of the commentary / by Tho. Hall ...

OBSERVATIONS.

1 God wants not Hosts and Armies of Creatures to subdue a stubborn and rebellious people. He hath the Host of Heaven, and the Hosts of the Earth at his beck, and if he but hiss, or stamp, or give the least intimation to them, they are presently up in armes against us, Isa. 5.26. & 7.18. Frost and Snow, Hayl and Tempests, are all his servants, ready prest to doe his will (Exod. 9.23. Psal. 147.16, 17, 18. Hag. 2.17) with these hee can destroy our Fruites in the bud, or in the blade, or when they are come to maturity, yea when they are in the Barn he can send Lightning and consume them. If hee be angry with us, he can call for an Army of Insects, and con∣temptible Animals, and by these he can destroy us. When Pharaoh rebelled against him, the Lord sent an Army of Froggs, Flies, and Lice against him, and by these hee vext him (Exod. 8.2.16.21.) the Lord hath Hosts of Men and Angels at command, but hee chuseth rather to confound his enemies by these contemptible Creatures, that he may exalt his own power, and abase proud man; hee hath the Cankerworm, the Palmer-worm, the Locust, and the Caterpiller, these are called his great army, which he sends against a dis∣obedient people, Ioel 2.11.25.

Obj. We are not troubled with an Army of Locusts, Palmer-worms, &c. these were proper to those Eastern Countries?

Ans. It is true, literally, our cold Southern Climate is not subject to the annoyance of these; yet if the Lord bee angry with us, he can send even these upon us, for South and East are alike to him. Mystically, and Metaphorically, hee hath troubled us with an Army of Locusts, Caterpillars, Canker-worms, &c. yea in kind, he sent a strange Grub which devou∣red only the Barley (which is most abused by Drunkenness) in many parts of the Land, in the year one thousand six hun∣dred forty nine, yea and he can and will (if England goe on

to fin after the rate that it hath done of late years) bring in an Army of Forreigners, fierce and savage men, whose Lan∣guage we understand not, who shall shew no mercy to the Old, nor pitty to the Young; what is said of the Natural, is most true of these Metaphorical Palmer-worms, they are the last and the worst of evils; they sweep all away before them, and make clean work where they goe, Ioel 2.3. and this is that Judgement which the Lord seems at this day to bee pre∣paring for England, and yet we are not affected with it. The Churches enemies are strongly united, and have made a kind of Universal peace amongst themselves, Gebal and Ammon, and Amaleck, the Moabites, the Ismalites, the Hagarens, &c. France, Spain, Italy, Curland, Holland, Denmark, &c. are all confederate and united; and the Churches of Christ who should joyn to their Dove-like simplicity, Serpentine wisdome, when in this juncture of time they should be most strongly united, they are most sadly divided, both within and without, the King of Denmark, with the Electors of Saxony and Brandenburg, joyn with Papists against the Protestant in∣terest, and so doth the Hollander. What sad Massacres have been in Savoy and Poland is well known to the world; and Plots are preparing for the destruction of the Protestants both in France and Switzerland; and England that was alwaies wont to preserve the Protestant interest, and assist it in all Nations, yet is so sadly divided, and crumbled into so many Factions, and Fractions, into so many Divisions, and Sub∣divisions, that without a Miracle of Mercy, we are like to bee made a prey to the Common adversary, who labours with all his might to divide us, that so he may destroy us. Let us then serve the Lord with one shoulder, and with one consent; let us not provoke this great God, who hath so many Armies in store ready to execute his Judgements on us, Ier. 15.3. Hee is the best friend, and the saddest foe; if he be for us, all is for us, but if he be against us, all creatures are against us. We should therefore make peace with this great Lord-General of all Armies, and then they will all be at peace with us; when our wayes please the Lord, he will make even our enemies to be at peace with us, Prov. 16.7. the men of Tire and Si∣don desired to be at peace with Herod, because their Land was nourisht by the Kings Land, Acts 12.20. all we have, we

have it from God, we are Tenants at will to him, and there∣fore should be careful to preserve his favour. Many when Blasting and Mildews are abroad, goe not to God, but to a Bush for ayd; They will May their Corn, and stick up a Bush, thinking by this means to keep it from Blasting; a Heathenish custom, to be abhorred of all such as acknowledge the Providence of God. Such Atheistical practices may justly provoke the Lord to blast thy Corn indeed. Little better is that of the Popish Processions about the Fields, with Flaggs, and Banners, and Bables. The best and only remedy in this case, is humble penitential Prayer, 1 King. 8.37, 38, 39. to such the Pro∣mise runs, If Blasting, Mildew, Locust, or Caterpillars be in the Land, if Gods people shall pray, and know every man the plague of his own heart, that is, his Sin, which is the cause of all o∣ther Plagues, then will the Lord hear in heaven, and for∣give and heal the Land, 2 Chron. 6.28, 29, 30. & 2.7. 13, 14.

2 Obs. Loss of fruit is a punishment for sin, and a sign of Gods displeasure against a people. Fruit, Corn, Cattel, Trees, all fare the worse for sinful man. God turns a fruitful Land into a Wilderness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, Psal. 107.34. and therefore when the Lord is angry with a People, we read how he brake their trees with hayl, and destroyed their Vines and Fig-trees, Exod. 9.25. & 10.5. Deut. 28.16, 17, 18.39, 40. Psal. 78.48. & 105.33. we should therefore over-look second causes, and see Gods hand afflicting us in these losses. Many impute that to Winds, Frosts, Blasts, &c. which are indeed the finger of God, point∣ing to our abuse of the Creatures, which provokes him to take them from us. It will be our wisdome therefore when ever the Lord gives us plenty, to take notice of Gods hand, and praise him; and when we want them, to be humbled before him, and to beg the restoring of them at his hand, who gives to all that ask in faith, liberally, and upbraideth no man.

Notes

• See more in M. Austine his Treatise of Fruit-trees, p. 16.17. the best on that subject for Natural and Theolog. observations that I have seen.