Tunes, and chanted out by moſt skilful Singers to the beſt muſical In- ftruments. & Either to take in Judah, and foretel the Deſolation of their Temple, or elſe by an Irony, the Idol-Temples, or elſe of the Palace, as the word in the Zebr. All Court-Mirth and Jollity, Balls and Muſick Entertainments, 1 ſhal! kowl, Heb. be turned into the hi- deous Outcries of undone and deſpairing Men. m When God ſhall execute his Judgments threatned as he did begin, on the Death of Fe- roboam, and continued that Day of Vengeance till Shalmaneſer finiſhed the Work in the Ruine of Samaria and its Captivity. a This added to aſſure Iſrael, that what Amos did foretel ſhould be accompliſhed, for God ſpake it. 0 So there were when Shallum flew Zachary, ſo there were when Menahem flew Shallum, when he came with his Army againſt Samaria, when he ripp'd up the Women with Child in Tiphſah,2 King. 15. 16. and when other Uſurpers pre(sd through Blood and Treaſon to the Crown; beſide the Howlings when Pul, Tiglath Pileſer, and Shalmaneſer cruelly waſted all. p In Cities, Towns and Country, in Palaces and Temples too, ir all which the bloody Effects of Enemies Swords, the Waſtes of Famine and Peftilence ſhoutd be ſeen. q Who howl, who ſee this. 7 Either ſhall ſecretly bury them, ſo ſome z or. to rid themſelves of that Trouble,ſhall caft them out where-ever they can, with Silence, that none may obſerve them : ſo great calamitous Mortality, that the Living ſuffice not to bury the Dead, or ſo great Cruelty by the Enemy uled againft them, that they dare not bury them, or it they do, it muſt be undiſcerned ; ſee ch. 6, v. 10, » 4 < Hear this s, O ye that ſwallow up t the needy 4, even to mak® the poor of the land to fail x. s Thovgh the Prophet had ſeveral times told them what were the Sins for which God would thus puniſh j72e], yet on a repeated Threat he repeateth the Rehearſal of the Sins which draw down theſe Judg- ments on their Heads ; fo here, attend and contider it. #* Greedily and cruelly devour, that do like the greater Fiſh ſwallow up the leſſer Ery : In this one Word the Prophet includeth all the Methods of their cruel Opprefſion, waſting the Poor. # Such as were Objetts of your Mercy, had you been juſt and honeſt, as well as rich and great. x Ei- ther to root them out, or to enſlave them while their Neceſhties force them to (ell themſelves for Bread. 5 Saying, When will the new-moon be gone y, that we may fell z corn ? and the Sabbath, that we may + Heb. -f- ſet forth wheat a, * making the ephah ſmall b, 2nd * Mich.6, © m_— great c, and -þ falſifying the balances by de- wy ceit d ? +Heb.per- 5 V that could wiſh there were nothing to interrupt your Market- wverting the ing,your irreligious Impatience,and your Eagernels atter the World balances of look on ſolemn times of Divine Worſhip as very burdenſome,ſfuch was deceit, the firft Day of every Month, and the weekly Sabbath. #4 No ſervile Hoſe4 2.7. Work might be done on new Moons,no Markets kept,or Corn brought forth publickly to be fold. a They were allo bound very religiouſly to obſerve the Sabbath, and on that Day they might not buy or ſell, now they are weary of the Sabbath, as of the new Moon, and on the ſame Account wiſh it over ; here was irreligious gaping atter Gain. þ The Epbah was a Mealure for dry things, and contained about half Buſbel and one Pottle Engliſh Meaſure. Now thele covetous Corn- Merchants meaſured the Corn they ſold by an Ephah that was too lit- tle, the poor Buyer had not his due, c They weighed the Money which they received, and theſe rich Men had no more Pity and Juſtice than to make their Shekel-Weighr greater than the Standard ; ſo the
+ Heb. how],
f The Meaning of this Hieroglyphick, as not '
Poor were twice opprelled in the fame way, had leſs than was their
Riglt, and paid more than they ought to pay ; and thus they undid the Poor, and cat him up. d Deceittully pervert the Ballances that the Money or Shekel weighed, though of full Weight, yet appeared too light on the Ballance, and they who paid it} were forced to add more d11ver to It.
A M O- 9. -hap, Vi
6 That we * may buy the poor e for filver / 914 14. needy for a pair of ſhoes g; yea, and fell the rcfyſe; of the wheat ?
e Either it ſpeaks the Aim of theſe Men in opprefling the thus, that they might at laft buy their Perſons for” Servants Drudges,or elſe it ſpeaks the Reaſon why they would bave New and Sabbaths over, that they might to Market to buy the Poop
Poor
and '-Mloong lb. fie
A little Silver, at Undervalue, as Amos 2.6. £ This explains the for. ©?
mer, and ſhews us that theſe cruel Oppreflors lay in wait for the to buy them for a very Triflez when theſe Poor owed but for little and cheap Commodity, as ſuppoſe a pair of Shoes, theſe leſs Men would take the Advantage againft them, and make them Rl themſelves to pay the Debt. All which Practices are moft diregi; againſt the Law of God. h That which is fitter for Hogs to mouzj« or for Horſes to eat, the Poor muſt at dear rate either buy or ſtarve. and this-another kind of Oppreſhon, corrupted Wares at exceſſye rates, ſold to thoſe. that were neceſſitous. :
needy a Very Merc.
7 The LORD 7 hath ſworn k by * the excellency fit
Jacob /, Surely m I will never forget 2 any o of their works. | |
7 Who changeth not, whoſe Words and Purpoſes are immytz true and ftedfaſt, hath often told you, that unleſs you repent, he wii puniſh for your Sins, k Now he hath ſworn it, and ſends you wars Dy me, that he hath in moſt ſolemn and irrevocable manner qere:. mined, publiſhed, and expreſly declared, that he will viſit all your Sin; upon you. 1 By himſelf, for God cannot ſwear by any greater,and he; called the .Excelleney of Facob, Pſal. 47. 4. 1 If, Hebr. If Iam a Gs I will remember and puniſh. '» Or let paſs unpuniſh'd, I will neys: remit the Puniſhment by an A& of Pardon, nor ever omit to pynjh by an A@ of Forgetfulneſs. o Not one of all theſe their aboming!s Injuftices and Irreligion, not one of theſe Cruelties.
8 Shall nor the land þ tremble for this q, and * ereryy
one mourn r that dwelleth therein s ? and it * ſhall rif up wholly as a flood, and it « ſhall be caſt out and droyy. ed x, as by the flood of Egypt.