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.

Ver. 1. HEare the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversie with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and steal∣ing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.

HItherto this Prophet, in the Lords Name, hath denounced the finall destruction, and prophesied of the future conver∣sion of Israel, making use of some types for that end. Now in a great part of this ensuing Prophecy, he proceeds in more plain termes, to rip up, and lay open the iniquitie of this people, and to reveal and denounce future judgements, if so be there might be any hope of reclaiming them, or any of them; at least, that they might be left without all excuse. In this Chap. we have Gods controversie pleaded against them, wherein is contained an accusation for diverse sins, drawn up in several articles, to every one of which the sentence, or threatening, is subjoyned.

In these Verses, First, they are cited to the Tribunal, to hear the controversie discussed. Then, the first article of the accusa∣tion is subjoyned, which is more generall, laying to their charge the violation of the Law in many omissions and commissions a∣gainst both Tables; Namely, that there was no truth nor ten∣dernesse in their dealing, no spark of the knowledge of God shin∣ing in their way; but on the contrary, perjury, and rash swear∣ing, lying, murther, stealing, and adultery were committed with∣out moderation, and sin heaped upon sin. Whence learn, 1. Al∣beit the servants of the Lord may oft-times have little or no ground of hope, that their Ministery shall have any successe a∣mong a people, yet it is their duty, having Gods call, not to give over while they have any opportunity; For, albeit in the former Sermons the matter be so closed, that Israel was certainly to go into captivity, yet Hosea doth not give over pleading, as God doth put them to it, when they are laid by, Jer. 20.9. So their Ministery will have its own successe one way or other, Isa.

55.10, 11. and their labours will not be lost before the Lord, Isa. 49.4, 5. 2. As they who are nearest to God for outward relations, may have their own grosse faults, which their titles and priviledges will not cover; So the Lord will especially con∣tend with them, because of these: For, so is verified here in the children of Israel, against whom this procedure is. 3. When men look on sad and unpleasant messages, as coming from God, it will call on them, to receive them with other respect then is gi∣ven, when men are only seen; for this end doth he begin with, Hear the word of the Lord. 4. When people (and especially the Church) do sin, they must expect a processe to follow it; and when people do not make right use of better tydings from the Word, they must expect sad challenges and sentences from it; And when the authority of God contending by his Word, is not heeded, the Lord is provoked to plead the controversie more immediately: For, the Lord hath a controversie following on sin, and this is pleaded partly by the Word here, and (that not suc∣ceeding) by the judgements here threatned. 5. Sin is so much the more odious, and doth provoke God, when it is universal, and committed by these who have found him true in his promise, and rich in his bounty to them: For, it is a controversie with the inhabitants of the land, or with the body of the people now corrupted, and with the people who were setled in that good land which he had sworn to their Fathers, to give it them. 6. It doth commend the Lords mercy, and clear his justice, when it is ma∣nifested on his sinfull people, that he doth not strike before he hath warned them of their danger, and debated the matter with them: For, here he warnes them by the Prophet, and before he execute the sentence, he doth plead the cause, that they may consider of it. 7. As the visible Church not walking with God, may become monstrous in sinfulnesse; so the Lord doth not contend with her without cause, or for lesser faults and ordinary infirmities, (though these do justly provoke him to anger,) but for grosse debordings in omission or commission: So much doth this accusation teach in the general. 8. The Lord will not be mocked or deceived with any pretences of Religion, when men neglect the duties of the second Table; Therefore doth he begin the challenge with these, and insist most on them. 9. Whate∣ver secret mourners there may be in a corrupt Chuch, yet when the contagion becometh general, and riseth to an height, the Lord will take no notice of them; as to holding off a common ca∣lamity: For, albeit there were (no doubt) some good men in the

land, yet he saith, there is no truth, &c. in the land, because they might get their soules for a prey, but would not turne his anger from the land. See Ezek. 9.4, 5. & 14.14, 16, 18. 10. The Lord abhorreth flattery in his people, their want of ingenuity, their po∣litick and subtile carriages, and unfaithfulness and deceit in bar∣gains and trusts; That may be the cause of Gods sore controver∣sie, which men look on as an handsome conveyance: For, the Lord hath a controversie, because there is no truth, 11. Such as cast off bowels of mercy, and exercise oppression, (either where the cause is unjust, or a just cause cruelly prosecuted, and afflicti∣on added to the afflicted,) may expect judgement without mer∣cy, if they persevere in it; For, the Lord hath a controversie, be∣cause there is no mercy. 12. As the true knowledge of God, is the fountaine and root of true Religion; and as mens ill carriage in duties one to another, doth prove them void of the knowledge of God and of Religion, professe what they will: So ignorance of God continued in and affected, and appearing in such effects, is the matter of a sad controversie against the Church; For, he challengeth, that there is no knowledge of God in the land, that is, they are void of any Religion, which flowes from saving know∣ledge of God, and accompanieth it, and in their way toward others, they walked as if there were no God in heaven; and this is a sad challenge when it is in the land, where he may, and especially should be known, and acknowledged; Psal. 76.1. See Ps. 14.1. 2 Thess. 1.8. 13. Not only perjurie and false swearing, but vain and rash swearing, (wherein men bewray their high presumption in prophaning the Name of God, and violating his command, without any the least appearance of profit or advantage,) will be pleaded against, when the Lord prosecutes a controversie against a land, Therefore is swearing put in the catalogue of the causes of this controversie. 14. As lying is a sin inconsistent with hu∣mane society, and doth provoke the Lord to just wrath: So such as are rash swearers, will readily make no conscience of lies; Therefore is lying subjoyned to swearing, as frequently conjoyned with it, and as another cause of the controversie. 15. God hath fenced the lives, estates, and chastity of men by his Law, which when it is transgressed, God will reckon with men for blood, cheat∣ing, idlenesse, oppression, filthinesse, and other wayes whereby they violate these and for the least as well as the greatest of them, as drawing on wrath; For, he contends, because of killing, steal∣ing, and committing adultery, all of them as causes of this con∣troversie, though not all alike hainous. 16. It is a great aggra∣vation

of sin, when men in committing of it, do break over all banks of Law, moderation, or civility, and do sin without remorse, shame or fear; For, he challengeth that in all these, they break, or burst out, as a torrent of waters do burst through the banks which are set to keep them in. 17. Ordinarily one sin given way unto, or entertained, doth draw on another, till there be no end, and till the measure be filled up; For, blood toucheth blood, or their bloody crimes are heaped one upon and after another; or their murthers were so many, that dead carcases lay by heaps one upon another.