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this in Viſion awakens the Prophet as before to pray earneſtly.
for it 5 the Kings || Chappel o, and it #5 the + Kings Court p. || Or, /«.- 5 Then faid [, O ne GOD, _ | beſeech thee 5 by 2 As a Friend B51! ny do not, and as having A frow Fuary.
whom ſhall Jacob ariſe ? for he 75 1mall, the King, I do declare thou ſhalt not prophefie in Bethel. o Where 1 F Heb. 6 The LORD rcpented for this : This alſo ſhall not be, | am by the King's Authority empowred to give Licence, or impoſe Si- ©9#c 0; 7:
lence, and to ſee that none but fic Perſons. Preach before the King,who KINgaum.
faith the Lord Ged. Theſe two Verſes are almoſt Word for Word the ſame with ver. 2,
and 3. which ſee.
7 Thus he ſhewed me,and behold y, the Lord z ſtood z upon.a wall made by a plumb-line 6, with a plumb-line in his hand c.
7 Vid. ver. 1. let. b,c. 4 The Great God, who had long tried J/-4- el, and often ſpared. &« Poffibly it. may denote his fixed, Purpoſe now
doth there pay his Devotions. p Where all his Nobles attend him, and where no ordinary, obſcure; and uncourtly. Dotor may appear 5 velide ſuch Preaching ſo near to the King's Court, will be ſpeedily pu- niſh'd; therefore as thou loveſt thy ſelf, Amos, follow my Advice; and let the King's Court and this Country hear no more of thee, 14 « Thenganſwered Amos, and faid r to Amaziah 5;
[ro procced todemoliſh this State, 6 Strongly, regularly and beauti- fully built, as Art could build it. c Ready as an Artift to take the Meaſures of this Wall, to diſcover all the Defets of it, and how much *twas varied from what it was at firſt built. This ſhall be the laſt meaſuring it, and on this Meaſuring whatever is faulty ſhall be pulled down, though to the very Foundation, This was viſtonally repre- lented to the Prophet. ; | 8 And the LORDd ſaid unto me, Amos, what ſeeſt thong e? and 1 faid, A plumb-line F. Then ſaid the LORD, Behold, I * will ſet a plumb-line in the midſt of my people Iſrael g, I * will not again paſs by them hb a0y more. | £ | | Who did before ſhew Aniot the Emblem in Landskip or Vifion. This God asketh not as if he were ignorant what Amos ſaw, or as if
he wonld be informed whether he ſaw aright, but it is introduQory to phat follows. f Or perpendicular to which Maſons firſt build, and ame Walls of Houſes, and by which they do ar any time meaſure hem whether they ftand upright, or any way belly out, and decline. FI will exactly meaſure my People Jſrae!, the who'e Fabrick of the en Kingdoms, I will take a particular View of all, and how far *tis
fruit y. >
9 So ſoon as this falſe Accuſer had under tlie Vizzard of Friendſhip given Advice,and withal intimated his Reſolution to uſe his Authority to make Amcs deſiſt if he did not do it voluntarily z Amos gives him. Anfwer. 7 Readily, boldly, and yet ſmoothly, and out-ſhoots the Court Pontif in his own Bow. $s Not fearing his Perſon or his Pow- er. # Not originally, or by Succeſſion, or by Study, or by any hu- mane Defjgnation and Preparation, as many have been. u My Father was no Prophet, nor was I bred up in the School of the Prophets, ſuck as 2 Kings 2.3,5, 7, 15. and 4.38. and 6. 1, Though you call me Seer, whether ironically or ſeriouſly I matter not, but afſure you I amt not ſuch by Art or Trade, or for a Livelihood. x By Breeding, Choice, and Occupation, I was and ftill am an Herd-man, and have my Concerns in that Myſtery in or near Tekoab in Fudah, on which L can live ; though I propheſie without Stipend or Salary, I needed not
to run into the Prophets Work for my Bread. y The Tree and Fruit is known by one Name, Paleſtize abounded with both, and the Fruit was ſweet, not large, yet good for Feod for Man or Cattel, as ſome Fruits are with us; on theſe I could ill, as I formerly did, live, and be content,
I was no Prophet f, neither was I * a Prophets Son #4; * x Ki- but I was an * Herdman x, and a gatherer, of || Sycomore IT Jo I . y ©
70S
ight, or how far *tis out of Order. þ I will no more forbear; but I 15 And the LORD z took me 2 Þ as I followed the + Heb, | il] pull down all that is faulty, though I pall up the very Foundati- | Aock b, and the LORD ſaid unto me c, God, propheſie efron Les ind,
ico
dns, and this is confirmed in what followeth.
9 And the high places z of Iſaac k ſhall be deſolate }, and the Sanctuaries of Iſrael ſhall be laid waſte; and * will riſe # agaiaſt the houſe of Jeroboam o with the
word p. | ? The Temples on high Mountains built to Tdols, or' for the Wor: Dip of God, though he forbad them. & The Father is here named, but his Children are intend2d, all tlze Seed of J/eac ; I cannor, though ome do, think the Prophe: alludes to 1ſaac's being offered upon a igh Mountain. 3 Shall be raſed to the Foundation, or left to moulder and fall with Length of Time, and Afſaults of Storms and Weather, " This explains the former, and ſpeaking after the Cuſtom of thoſe imes the Prophet calls the Idol-Temples Santtuaries, whether in Dan and Bethel, or elſewhere. » God will, but not immediately, riſe up : He will ſtir up ſomeor other to do what he threatens. 0 In the Davs dt Zechariah ( Son of Feroboam ) murdered by Shallam. p Firſt of a onſpirator Shallum, next of Civil War.
10 | Then 9 Amaziah r * the Prieſt s bf Beth-el ? nt4 to * Jeroboam * King of Iſrael y, ſaying, Amos 2th conſpired againſt thee z in the midſt of the houſe df Ifrael a: the Land b is not able to bear all his Nords c,
{ After that Amos had expreſly and peremptorily foretold the Ruine
1 Idolatry and Kingdom of 1ſrael for their Sins. 7 It appears not what |