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 formerly revealed his mind to his Prophets by Types and Visions.

I saw in a Vision (sayes Amos) but in the last daies hee hath spoken to us more plainly and fully by his Son, Heb. 1.1, 2. but of this before, on chap. 8. Ver. 1. Obs. 3.

2. God will depart from those that depart from him.

He will forsake those that forsake him, 2 Chron. 15.2. When Ierusalem forsakes God, then God forsakes Ieru∣salem,

2 King. 21.13, 14. These people had forsaken God, and followed Idols, and now God stands upon the Altar rea∣dy to depart from them, and leave them in the hands of their enemies. 'Tis true, the Lord is loath to leave his people, and therefore he removes gradually, and by degrees from them. When he departed from Ierusalem, he did it not in a moment, but first he warns them by his Prophets, then he removes from the Cherub to the Threshold, Ezek. 9.3. and 10.5. Such is Gods goodness and bowels of pity to his people, that he is very unwilling to sell them into his enemies hands, if any means might prevent it, Psal. 81.13, 14. Isa. 48.18. Ezek. 18.30, 31, 32. Hos. 6.4. & 11.8, 9. but when a people are so de∣sperately set, that they will none of God, then he swears their ruine, Psal. 95.11. This forsaking him is a great evil, and a God-provoking-sin, Ier. 2.12, 13. Hence old David coun∣selling young Solomon to know and serve the Lord, useth this Motive amongst the rest; If thou seek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever, 1 Chron. 28.9.

3. Iudgement usually begins at the house of God.

It begins at the Sanctuary, Ezek. 9.6. 1 Pet. 4.17. the higher in priviledges, the neerer to judgement, Dan. 9.12. Amos 3.2. Mat. 11.23. The neerer to God, the more do our sins dishonour him, and therefore he begins with such, 2 Sam. 12.7, 8. though he ends not with them. The famine began at Iacobs house, and then to Egypt. The Israelites went first in∣to captivity, and after the Assyrians were destroyed by the Medes and Persians. So Ier. 15.17, 18, 28, 29. The Lord gives the cup, first to Ierusalem and then to Egypt, Uz, Ekron, Edom, Moab. The Posts and Pillas of the Temple door must first be smitten; and if this be done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry? if this be done to Gods own Temple, what shall become of Idol-Temples? If the Lord spare not Ierusalem, but shew his impartial justice in punish∣ing them for their sins, what shall be done to Babylon?

4. Political Rulers are the Heads of a people.

Cut them in the Head. They are oft called so in Scripture, Exod. 6.14. & 18.25. Numb. 1.16. & 14.4. & 17.2. Iudg. 11.8. 1 Sam. 15.17. Look what the Head is to the Body na∣tural, that Rulers are or ought to be to the body Political.

As the head is placed highest in the body, and sees, consults and reasons for the preservation of the body, so this word im∣plies both dignity and duty, and should teach those who are set in place of preheminence above others, to consult for the good of their people, that they may live peaceably and pious∣ly under them, 1 Tim. 2.2. Many cry up the dignity of Prin∣ces, but they should tell them of their duty also, and some cry them up as Head of the Church, as well as of the State; Mr. Hart a Popish Priest upbraids us with it, That we take the Supremacy from the Pope, and give it to the Prince, who is less capable of it. But the learned Dr. replies well. The Su∣premacy (saith he) which we take from the Pope, we give it to no mortal creature, Prince or other. But the Pope having seized on part of Christs right, and part of the Princes, &c. we have taken the Princes power from him, and given it to him to whom it was due, according to that of our Saviour, Give to Caesar what is Caesars, and to God what is Gods, &c. The Suprema∣cy therefore which we give our Prince in things Ecclesiastical, is to deal therein as Hezekiah did, and not as Uzziah; no to preach, administer Sacraments, or practise the Discipline of the Church, but to provide that these things be done as they ought, by them whom God hath called thereto. We give to Caesar no more than is Caesars, Thus he. Hence 'tis that our Princes do abstain from the title of being called Heads of the Church, which is proper onely to Christ, and content them∣selves with the title of Supreme Governours. As for the Pope, he is so far from being Head of the Church, that he is rather the Tail, being indeed not so much as a sound member of it; but the Head of that Apostasie from the Faith, which was fore∣told, 2 Thes. 2.3. 'Twould be sad with the Church if it had no better a Head than the Popes have been, some of which have been Sodomites, Magicians, Adulterers, and gave their souls to the Devil to get the Popedome; what are the Members when the Heads are such?

5. These Heads of the people when they sin against God, shall be punisht as well as others.

Cut them in the Head, or cut them which are the Head of all. God is no respecter of persons, but be they Head or Heel,

if they sin against him, they cannot escape. Tophet is prepared of old even for the King. If the proud King of Assyria will op∣press and oppose the people of God, He must know that God hath prepared a place of punishment for such cruel Tyrants, Isa. 30.33. God is terrible to the Kings of the earth, Psal. 76. ult.

6. Universality in sin, brings universality in suffering.

When the head and the feet, the highest and the lowest sin together, then slay them all with the sword. But of this be∣fore.

7. The Angels of God oft-times are the executioners of his wrath upon wicked men.

An Angel here must smite them in the head. The Sodomites that vexed Lot were smitten blind by an Angel, Gen. 19.11. The first-born of Egypt were s••ain by an Angel, Exod. 12.23, 29. When Balaam was going to curse Gods people, an An∣gel meets him and stops him, Numb. 22.22. If God will send a Pestilence on Israel, he hath an Angel ready to do it, 2 Sam. 24.16. If he will have the Army of the Assyrians destroyed, an Angel shall do it, Isa. 37.36. Proud Herod was smitten by an Angel, Act. 12.23. and at the last day they shall bring the wicked to Christs bar, there to receive their final doom, Mat. 13.41. Who would not then fear to offend this great and mighty God; who hath so many glorious Angels ready at the least beck of their Lord, to destroy both us and ours. As the Apostle would have women covered, and modest, because of the Angels so I would have men good and gracious, be∣cause of the Angels, (who are grieved to see the dishonours done to their Lord and Master) that we may not provoke the Lord to send them against us for our destruction, but rather to be our Guardians to salvation.

8. The judgements that be fall us, come from God.

I will slay them, I will bring them down, I will search them out, I will command the Serpent to bite them, vers. 2, 3, 4. Whatever be the Instrument, yet God is the prime Agent. Though there may be many executioners, yet there is but one prime mover of them all. 'Tis he that kills, and he that makes

alive, 1 Sam. 2.6. 'Tis he that gives, and he that takes, Iob 1.21. and therefore they are called His Judgements, by a special propriety, as coming more immediately from him, Isa. 26.8, 9. The consideration of this will keep us from mur∣muring and impatience, as it did Iob, and David, we shall be dumb and silent when we see 'tis the Lord that doth it. How great then is their sin, that ascribe their sicknesses, losses, cros∣ses, &c. to second causes, never looking at Gods hand, he is not in any of their thoughts.

9. Wicked men are cowardly, fearful men, Isa. 33.14. Ier. 4.9.

When troubles come they are all for flying, digging into Hell, climbing the tops of mountains, getting into the depths of the Sea, hiding themselves in chambers, King. 22.25. When troubles come, their spirit is gone, 'tis fallen from their hearts into their heels; and they are going, yea flying from it, which is the cowards pace. They fly not onely when they are pursued, but when none pursues them, but their own fancy, Prov. 28.1. they have guilty consciences, which make them fly at the shaking of a leaf, Levit. 26.36. those who are most fearless in sinning, are most fearful of suffering, Dan. 5. 4, 5, 6. whereas the righteous; like the valiant horse, that is prepared for the battel, rejoyceth and goeth forth to meet the armed man. Iob 39.19. to 26. he had rather dye than run, if duty bids him stay and stand. When troubles come upon the wicked, their great care is how to be shut of them, and how to get out of them, and out-run them; not how to have them sanctified, or how to be bettered by them. But the good man desires rather to have the trouble sanctified, than removed; and if he fly, 'tis to God, not from him, he is his Tower and his hiding-place, by Prayer and Faith he gets unto him, yea, into him, and so is safe, Prov. 18.10.

10. all the shifts and evasions of wicked men, shall not avail them in the day of wrath.

Hee that fleeth, shall not flee away, viz. so as to escape by his flight, for he shall be overtaken, Or if he do escape one danger, yet he shall not be delivered, but he shall fall into another, Amos 5.19. Hee that flees from a Lion, shall fall into the mouth of a Bear, Isa. 30.16, 17. whilst they flee from the noise of fear, they shall fall into a pit, and when they are in the pit striving to get out, and hoping to finde delive∣rance,

then they fall into a snare, which is a worse evil than the pit; he that falls into a pit, may make some shift to get out again, but he that is in a snare, is bound fast, he can get no further, Isa. 24.18. Thus the wicked mans cafe is worse and worse, all his remedies prove remediless, and all his helpers are miserable comforters. God is against them, and therefore salvation is far from them, Psal. 119.155. and if Ionah will flee from God, he shall fall into the Sea. There is no escaping when God pursues, when he will destroy, none shall be able to deliver, Psal. 21.8. & 139.7. to 11. Ier. 4.16, 17. Amos 2.14, 15, 16. Obad. 4. He hath many under officers to arrest us, Ezek. 14.13. so that there is no escaping his hand, Iob 10.7. No power nor policy can save us from his wrath, Prov. 21.30. No place can hide us from his All-seeing-eye, nor secure us from his All-mighty-hand, as ap∣pears in the next verses.

Notes

• See more in my Com. on Hos. 13.15. Obs. 3.
• See Dr. Reynolds against Hart, chap. 10. p. 669, &c. Altare Damascenum cap. 1. p. 10, &c. Mr. Tombs his Tract. about the Oath of Supremacy.
• See more in Ius Divinum Re∣gim. Eccles. p. 43, 44.
• See more in my Com. on Psal. 82.1. p. 45.
• See my Com. on Hos. 13.16. p. 109.
• See six good offices which the Angels do for us, in Mr. Leighs Body of Divinity, l. 3. c. 7. p. 274. and Mr. Loves Sermon on Heb. 1.14.
• See Mr. Ienkins on Jude 14. Obs. 2. p. 204. folio.