He is in many Places ſententious and conciſe, which makes the Paſſages the more obſcure 3, though be do bring with him many om his Country-Imploymeut in his Reproofs, Alluſaons and Arguments, yet fitted with admirable Skill, and beautified
of Stile, that proclaims it ſelf to be from him who gave Man
toth Judgment, Fancy and Tongue, which 1s an intrin/ick CharaGer of Divinity in our Prophet's VV riting. He was a Perſon daunted Reſolution, of a prudent Condutt, and of ſpotleſs Integrity, as appears by the Conteſt he bad with Amarzia,
He lived when Judah's Affairs were rolerably well and proſperous, but when Iſrael's were in the higheſt Meridian, when
they thought themſelves ſecure againſt all the Dangers he foretold, Uzziah had pretty well recover'd; Judah, and ſettled it, Jeroboam had highly advanced Iſrael's Fame, Riches and Power, . With their Growth in theſe, Sin grew as faſt and as »xorbitant, and called for Tudgments, which our Prophet foretels wery: plainly 1m expreſs Words, ch. 7. 11, 17, and in
ons m
ery ſionificant Hieroglyphicks ch. 7,8, 9. He foretels the Earthquake, ch. 1.1. an Emblem of thoſe Civil Diſſenſ3- he /s Hook their Foundations, and bal f ruin'd them before the Aſſyrian: conquered and captivated them, FF hich Mi-
ſeries laſted through an Interregnum of eleven Tears, ( ſay ſome) to be ſure. through: the Reign of Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah and Hoſhea, in whoſe time all theſe Miſeries were ſwallowed up mm a greater, their perpetual Captivity, which came upon them about 54 or 65 Tears after the Death of Jeroboam .the Second ; near to whoſe Court, and within their Hearing, Amos preach'd many, perhaps moſt of bis Sermons, and therefore you may obſerve his Reproofs, Threats | nd Predidtions ſeem to be calculated for that Court, which was highly guilty of the Sins he reproved, and were called to repent of them ;, which becauſe they did not, they did deeply ſuffer both in the Civil VV ars, under thoſe four Uſurpers and Conſpirators,
Shallum, Menahem, Pekah and Hoſhea, and moſt deep in the Aſſyrian Captivity. is ſome Reference to thoſe times, with ſomewhat more particular Application of the Prophetick Text : to the Circumſtances of Times he aimed at, than bath been by any learned Pen I have happened to peruſe: And would the Brevity to which theſe Anotations are bound bave born a larger Account of thoſe times, and a fuller Accommodation. of them to the Prophetick Diſcourſes, 1 do not doubt but the Truth of the Prophet's Charge, xeproof, Threats and Predi@ions againſt Iſrael would appear to every Reader. Laſtly, our Prophet, as others, cloſeth the ſad Tragedy of this fleſhly [inning Iſrael, with Promiſe of 4
th, friritual State under the Meſſiah, full of Grace and Peace.
CHAP. L
= The condition of Amos, and the time of bis propheſying, 1. He declarerh | God's judgments upon Syria, 2—— 5. upon the Philiſtines, 6 $. upon Tyrus, Edom and Ammon, 9 ——15«
HE words 4 of Amos b, * who was among the herdmen c of "Tekoa d, which he ſaw e concerning [ſrael f, * the days of Uzziah g
King of Judah þ, and in the days of Jeroboam * the Son
of Joaſh k King of 1ſrael /, two years before the * earth-
Quake #7, £ The Holy Ghoſt doth in this Expreſſion comprehenſively take in
al the Sermons, Viſions and Prediions which Amos preached and
publiſhed 3 all the Exhortations to Duty, the Menaces againft Sins,the
Warnings of Dangers coming,and the Promiſes of Mercy to them that
hear and obey his Words Vid. Hag. 1. 12. and ſo what Feremiah
preached to his Auditors are the Words of Feremzab, ch. r. 1. and the
Inftruftions and Counſel of Solomon are Eccleſ. 1. 1: the Words of the
Preacher. Both the things ſpoken, and the Words wherein they are
tpoken are included. - 6 Whoſo think this was Father to the Prophet
Jjatah exther diſcern not the Difference that is in the two ZHebrew
Words, or pronounce haſtily without conſidering what each is in the
fHebrew,in which Tongue theſe Words have but two Letters the (ame,
ie, M,and 0. the other are quite different ; as alſo is the Signification
| of each ; for the one imports Strength and Might, the other imports a
Burden or heavy Weight. c Or Shepherds, but whether one of the
meaner, or one of the chiefer, whether a Maſter-herdman or a Servant,
| the words imports the former ; yet becauſe the Scripture doth not ſay, we ſhall not enquire, ſince it conduceth little to our profiting,nor will
It add to his Authority, fince *tis God who ſent him. 4 Whether it
belonged to Rebulon, Aſher, or Fudah, is not much material, though
this laſt-be moſt likely, for 2 Cbron, 11. 54, 6. we read of Keboboam's building Fortreſſes in Fudah, among which Tekoa is mentioned. It
& wasfituate on a Hill on the North of Fudah,as a learned Pen deſcribeth
Y it. e Received by Revelation ; this tells us that the rhings as well as
2 ords were to be underftood, when *'tis ſaid, that theſe were the
== Words of Amos, f The Kingdom of the ten Tribes revolted from the
F Houſe of David,and now under the Government of Febu's great Grand-
F lon, | & Called alſo 4zarizh, who was ſmitten with a Leproſy for in- & fruding into the Prieſts Office, 2 Chron. 26. 16, 19. b Including the ribe of Benjamin, and ſuch of the Levites as did adhere tothe Houſe
of David, the Kingdom of the Houſe of David. # Not Son of Nebar,
but Grandſon of Fehu. k Who had ſome Succeſſes againſt Syria, ac- cording to the Prophecy of Ziſha, by which Succeſſes {rel was raiſed from a declining to a thriving proſperous State. 1 See let.f. m Of which, only this Text, and Zech. 14. 5. do make particular mention, and where ſomewhat is ſpoken of it z which ſee. It is the Tradition of the Fews that this Earthquake happened when Vzz74b uſurped the
x 0 WY Fic Work,and offered Incenſe in the Temple, againſt which Viola-
« lis tion of Divine Rites God teſtified thus from Heaven, ſay they. Far-
W ther than this we need not enquire in this Matter. It was a great ai and diſmal Earthquake, and perhaps by this God did ſmite the Winter ial and Summer-houles, as ch, 3. 15. however, as 'twas foretold two
15 0 R * cars before it came, fo we are ſure it did come according to the time
mic BY Pnixed by the Lord. ;
ai: WF 2 And he # ſaid, The LORD o will roar p from Zion q, nl and utter his - voice r from Jeruſalem s : and the habitari-
12-2» of the ſhepherds ? ſhall mourn «, and the top of Car-