A brief exposition on the XII. smal prophets: the first volume containing an exposition on the prophecies of Hosea, Joel, & Amos. By George Hutcheson, minister at Edenburgh.

Verse 8. The high places also of Aven, the sinne of Israel shall be destroyed, the thorne and the thistle shall come upon their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.

The last branch of this sentence, is partly against the places of their idol-worship, (chiefly Bethel) and their Altars, which the enemy should pull down and destroy, and they should be deso∣late and not frequented; as being the place of Israels sin, and not of Gods Worship; And partly, against the whole body of the people, whose misery shall be so great, as they will rather wish to be smothered, then endure the incumbent and imminent evils. Whence learn, 1. The inventions of men in Gods Worship, are wicked vanity, and ought to be rooted out, and not purged; and God will see it done, if men will not; For, The high places also of Aven, (that is, chiefly Bethel, which is become vanity and iniquity; because of them,) shall be destroyed. 2. Corrupting of Religion, and of the Worship of God, is the crying sin of a visible Church, and therefore he will not spare it; for it is a rea∣son of the sentence, that these places are the sin of Israel, their eminent and singular guilt. 3. God will not spare to lay a Coun∣trey desolate, that he may put an end to corrupt worship, and make the places thereof desolate; For, the thorne and the thistle shall come upon their altars, to wit, when there shall be no peo∣ple left to frequent that service. 4. Not only can God, by send∣ing many miseries, cause men to weary of their lives; but when God pursues sin in hot displeasure, and the fury of instruments executing his vengeance, is let loose, times and lots will be so hard, that to die, though in a violent way, would be an ease; For, so much is imported in this threatening, they shall say to the mountaines, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us, which is also the language of men in other times of calamities, Luk 23.30. 5. However men think little of guilt in their secure condition; yet when God pleads against them by judgements, it will be no wonder to see them overwhelmed with horrour and despaire, as

having no place of refuge, and it being their greatest terrour to think on looking to God or Christ, whom they have so much de∣spised; For, this also is imported in this wofull wish, that they have no refuge, but what is desperate, and horrible; See Rev. 6.14, 15, 16, 17.