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 2. And he said, The Lord will roar from

Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem: and the habitations of the Shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

This verse holds out the summe of the whole Prophecy, to wit, that God was about to manifest his terror in ex∣ecutions according to the threatnings of his Word. As the sentence may relate to heathen Nations round about, who are also threatned by this Prophet, it hath been ope∣ned upon Ioel, 3.16. But as it relates to Israel, to whom this Prophet is chiefly sent, and to whom the most part of what followeth is directed, the sense and summe of it is; that the Prophet speaking in his own termes, (who was well acquainted with the roaring of Lions in the wilder∣nesse, and with pastures for sheep) declares, that how∣ever Israel since their defection from the house of David, despised the Temple of Jerusalem; yet they should finde that God dwelt there, and that the true Doctrine soun∣ded there, and from thence; and as other Prophets be∣fore him, and he among the rest, were sent out by God dwelling in Zion (and some of them from thence) to de∣nounce his terrible judgements; so these threatnings were now to break forth in dreadful execution. In somuch that the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn &c. Whereby we may understand, that all their fertile and pleasant places (such as their green pastures, and fruitfull Carmel, either that in Asher near the Sea, Josh. 19.24, 26. Jer. 46.18. or rather that in Judah better known to him, Josh. 15.21, 55. 1. Sam. 25.2.) should be laid de∣solate; and that as the Land should feele the stroak, so the inhabitants being deprived of their delighted-in pro∣sperity, should be filled with sorrow and griefe, and be made to mourn, as herdmen do when their pastures are dried up. Doct. 1. However the Church and truth of God be contemned by these who make defection there∣from, and God may seem to lie by for a time from aveng∣ing this; Yet he will appear to assert his presence in his Church, and to manifest the truth of his word by execution according to it: for the Lord will roare from Zion (his dwelling place) and utter his voice from Jerusalem, where the Temple stood; that is, he will now in a terrible way,

make it manifest, that what Doctrine was preached there, and elsewhere in his name, was his word. 2. However men contemn God in the matter of subjection to him; yet he will be their party to punish them for their sin whether they will or no; for Amos gets it in Commission to publish, that God will manifest himself dreadful against them, and he said, the Lord will roar from Zion &c. 3. The Lords word, how much soever it be despised, yet it will prove terrible to the stoutest, when it breaks fourth in execution; for the Lord will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, that is, his threatnings, though despised, will prove thus dreadful in that day. 4. God is provoked to make the creaturres whereof man makes use, feel his anger and smart under it, if men will not be sensible; for the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither, that is, their pleasant pastures, and the most excel∣lent of their friutful Fields (as Carmel signifieth) shall feele the stroak. See Jer. 12.11. 5. Whatever fruitful or pleasant thing it be that men lean to, and delight in, neglecting God, it will certainly in due time decay till no∣thing be left them but sorrow for the want of them; for so much also is imported here, in that the habitations of shep∣herds shall mourn; not onely shall the Land be put in a mournful posture, but the inhabitants shall be filled with sorrow.