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.

Vers. 15. Alas for the day: for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

All the people being thus excited, and called to mourn and cry to God; the Lord by his Prophet doth furnish them, (not with a directory or pattern of prayer, but) with several arguments and motives to humiliation, which might excite them yet more to the duty; And so he describes yet further the greatnesse of the calamity, and their cause of mourning. Which he speaks of part∣ly as to come, and partly as lying on, (as was before marked on v 2, 3, 4. because it may be, it was inflicted in part, and more was yet coming on: or though it were all to come, yet it is not unusual in the Prophets, that they set out approaching judge∣ments as if they were present, that so they may affect the more.

The first argument exciting them to humiliation and calling on God, is, that this doleful day of inflicting vengeance, where∣in Omnipotency would make a great desolation, was near at hand. Whence learn, 1. Albeit men ordinarily look lightly on trouble at a distance; yet it will make them tremble and cry alas, when it cometh on them: and the thought of this should move them to repent in time; for, alas for the day importeth not only the Prophets sense of it at a distance, but by this he would shew them that it will be their language when it cometh; & so useth it as an argument to perswade them to repent. 2. The day of particular vengeance on impenitent sinners, is the day of the Lord, not only because he is the Author of that venge∣ance, and doth determine the time of inflicting it, whether sin∣ners will or not; but because thereby he will manifest himself to be the Lord, even to them who would not acknowledge him o∣therwise; Therefore is this stroak to be inflicted, called the day of the Lord, The propinquity (and much more the presence) of judgements should be a pressing argument of repentance; And it is the wisdome of sinners not to put an evil day far away, that so they may be stirred up to repent; Therefore doth he presse them with this, for the day of the Lord is at hand. 4. The Lord who is omnipotent, not only can bring on utter desolation when he pleaseth, and no creature-help can ward off his blow; But his sinning people may expect that his stroak will be irresistibly desolating and wasting: And thoughts of this should invite them to repent in time; for it is an argument of repentance, set∣ting out Gods Omnipotency, and his severity against them, as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.