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 4. Thus saith the Lord, for three transgressi∣ons of Judah, and for four, I will not turne away the punishment thereof, because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandements, and their lies caused them to erre, after the which their fathers have walked.

5. But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall de∣voure the palaces of Jerusalem.

The Lord having thus spoken his minde concerning seve∣rall Nations about, he seeth it meet also (before he come to speak of Israel) to speak a word concerning Judah, that so he might not onely use meanes for warning and reclaiming of them, but might prevent all occasion of carping at Amos as partial, and sparing toward his Countrymen: And might take from Israel all occasion of hardning themselves in sinne, by reason of the wickedness of Judah, who kept the worship of God more pure, as was frequently objected to Israel by the Prophets.

The Lord doth here chalenge and threaten Judah for their many and multiplied sins, and specially, that they did despise and not observe the Law of God in the matter of worship and conversation, as if it were not a sufficient rule for either: and that they did deceive them∣selves and one another in their debordings, with false ex∣cuses and pretences of good intentions, and particularly, with the pretence of imitating the customes of their Pro∣genitors. Because of which the Lord threatens to pun∣ish and destroy the Nation, and their chief City; as was accomplished by the Chaldeans; Whence learn. 1. The visible Church not entertaining communion with God, nor emproving her spiritual advantages, may fall into provoca∣tions, nothing inferiour for number and hainousnesse to the iniquities of Nations about her; for, there are also three transgressions of Judah and four, as if they had striven with the prophane Nations, to have as many and grosse sins as they. 2. If God do not spare heathens who sin without law, and have but little knowledge of God or his will, far lesse will he spare his people who are as lewd as they; therefore is that same sentence justly pronounced against Judah; for the three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. 3. The contempt of the word of God, is the great sin of the Church, compa∣rable to the hainous debordings of others, as being a great sin of it self, to contemn the authority of the Great Lord, and the great mercies offered to themselves upon obedience to his word, and a sad aggravation of all their other trans∣gressions, therefore, in place of the atrocious crimes laid to the charge of heathens, Judah is in particular chalenged for this, because they have despised the Law of the Lord. 4. When men do not make conscience of keeping close by the Commandements of God in their conversation and wor∣ship, but do walk as they list, and do corrupt Religion by their devices, God doth justly reckon that to be a con∣tempt of his word; therefore it is sub-joyned, by way of confirmation and explication of the former chalenge, and have not kept his Commandements. For albeit men may pro∣fesse a respect to the word, when yet their carriage is loose, and they dare follow their one devices in the matter of Re∣ligion, yet such practices are upon the matter a contempt of it, and it will come at last to an expresse contempt;

for, when the word inculcates their duty upon them, and yet they resolve to goe on, they cannot but at last loath and hate it. 5: Albeit men will not want pretexts and shifts to palliat their ill courses, and harden them in them, notwithstanding the admonitions of the word; yet all these are but deceiving lyes, and snares to mislead them, and will be so far from justifying a sinful course, that they heighten Gods quarrel against it, and against sinners be∣cause of it; for, it is added as a part of the quarrel, and their lyes caused them to erre. Where by lyes I do not so much understand their idols, and fair expectations in ser∣ving them, which did draw them away, as their pretences and excuses, whereof they wanted not abundance; and that was a judgement upon them: for hereby they were confirmed in their defection, and at last should be miser∣ably disappointed, when all these were found vain and fri∣volous. 6. However men labour to justifie their corrupt courses by the example and practice of their Progenitours; yet that will not extenuate, but rather aggravate sin, and serve such sinners, heirs to the sins of their fathers which they imitate, and to the punishment deserved thereby; for this is one particular pretence, whereof he makes a chalenge, that they were misled by the lyes after the which their fathers have walked. Sin is so much the more dange∣rous, as it is hereditary, Ezr. 9.7. Act. 7.51. 7. The righteous Lord will not onely not spare his people when they sin, but will make their outward lot as sad as the lot of others whom they are like in sin; and so much the sad∣der as their destruction is accompanied with sad stroaks on his own precious interests; for, he threatens them with the same judgements that came on others, I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem; a∣mong which the Temple was chief, and this might make their stroak sad.