not find it b. : STE x Search all Places for a Prophet or a Preacher, from the Syrian or Midland Sea to that of Tibertas, to the Dead Sea, and to the Red Sea. 3 That Mountamous Tratt, whether perſecuted Elijah fied, and per- haps other Prophets, in like Circumftances retired.z proverbially they ſhall ſearch all Corners for a Prophet. 4 Shall diligently and fpeedily, on every Report that a Prophet is, on hear-ſays, in fuch or ſuch a Place, haſten thither, as Ahab in his Search for Elijah, 1 Kings 18. 10, 4 Hoping to hear ſome good News of 'an End of their Miſeries from God by x Frophet. 5 They perſecuted and flew ſuch as foretold the Peginning of this Miſery, and now 'tis come, they ſhall neither hear the News, nor ſee the Hopes of an End. -.God did tell them it would he utter Ruine, and no Prophet of God can tell them any better News. 13 In that day ſhall the fair Virgins and young men faint for thirſt c. c1t is probable theſe in their Strength-and Vigour. would ſeek ear- nefily to know what End they might expett, whether they ſhould out- live thi3 Famine of the Word, and the Famine of Bread and Water, bur both ſhouid faint with Thirſt and Hunger z neither finding the Wor: of the Lord for their Comfort, they ſhould faint with Deſpair, nor findirg Bread and 'Water, ſhould faint and die with Weakneſs; fo 1-22) ſhoukl be extinguiſh'd. = 14 They that * ſwear c by the * ſind of Samaria, and
- Beerſheba liveth,. even they ſhall fall b, and never riſe up
again 7, | PERO | |
n Who now do, as formerly. they have done, truſt in, ſacrifice to, and ſwear by;; who areobſtinate Idolaters,-and truſt to thoſe Lies, 4 That which was the Sin, the Occaſjon of the Sin of Samariz, the Calves at Dan and Bethel, e Think, profels,. and ſwear too, that f The Idol at Dan is the true and living God, . g The 1dols at zeerſkcba, to which the zealous, mad and bigotted Idolaters in 77:1 made their Filgrimages. þ Be conſumed by Famine, - Sword and Captivitr. Never return out of Captivity, nor recover of this Conſumption,
GH AF IX Another viſon ſhewing unavoidably the ruine of Tſrael for their unthank- falneſs and great ſecurity, 1 10. The Kinglom of Chriſt pro- miſed ; a remnant ſaved, 11 12+ The deliverance and everlaſting happineſs of Iſrael in the latter days, 14, 15.
| 1 JT Saw a the LORD bſtanding c npon the altar d, and he ſaid e, Smite the || lintel of the door f, that the -Polts may ſhakeg : and || cut þ them # inthe head & ally of. them : and 1 will ſlay the laſt m of them _with the ſword ; * he that fleeth of them, ſhall not flee away 1; and he that efcapeth o of them, ſhall aot be deli- vered p. 4 As before, chap. 7. 1, 4, 7+ and ch, 8. 1. ſo here the Prophet hath a fifth Viſion, 6 The great, glorions, ju and Holy God in ſome vi- fible Tokens of His Majefty. «© Either ready to execute Sentence, or ready to depart, Ezek. 9. 3. and 10. 1, 4. indeed here he will do both, Execute his own Sentence, and depart from - this People. 4 Of Burnt Offering before the Temple at Feruſalem; here the Scene is laid, this
AM O S.
read, nor a thirſt for water t, but of * hear-
may lay the Suppoſition, were it poſſible to be done to hille in the Center of the Earth, or the Depth of Hei). # For Hell is naked to God, and the Grave did not hide ſome'of theſe Sinners, when dead and buried, the Rage of Famine, or of the Enemy, might dig ſome out of their Graves. $s Could they fly up to Heaven, they wonld be out of the reach of Men: = But thete they would meet an offended God, and he would caſt them down. |
3. And though they hide themſelves in the top of Car- mel 4, I will ſearch and rake them our thence x, and though they be hid from my ſight y io the battom of the ſea, thence will I command the ſerpent z, and he ſhall bite a them.
u One high woody Mountain, Shelter and Hiding-Place for. wild Beafts, by a Figure put for all the reſt ; if they think to be ſafe where wild Beafts find a Refuge, they are deceived. x I will, faith} God, hunt them out, and take them. » This an Jr0ry, like brutiſh Atheiſts” they think to hide themſelves in the bottom of the Sea. # Crocodile or Shark, ſome Sea-monſter. 4 Devour them: Miſerable /ſrazl, to whom, nor Sea, nor Mountains, nor Heayen, nor Hell, will afford an Hiding-place.
4. And though ttey a go into captivity b before their
f, and not for good g.
that yet the Enemy may ſpare. 6 Captives are the Slaves, the Poſ- ſeſſion of their conquering Enemies, thefe make Profit of them by ſel. ling them to others, or imploying them in Labour and Service. ' c This ſeems to intimate ſome Voluntarinels in theſe People going before the Conqueror, whom they hope hereby to mollify and ſweeten, that he may uſe them well ; yet this Hope ſhall fail them too. d The Enemy Should either out of cruel Humour and Hatred againſt them, or on any flight Occation and Diſguft, ſlay them, as if they had Commiſſion trom me ſo todo; neither Propriety in them, nor Service by them, nor Profit in the Sale of theſe poor and miſerable Captives, should be Safety to them, they should be accounted as Sheep for the Slaugh- ter, - eI will perpetually watch over them, and then be ſure no Op- portunity will be let flip. f To afflit and punish them g for their Be- nefit. Thus was the Courſe of God's Providence 2gainft them from the Days Amos aimeth ar unto this veryDayzand God hitherto hath,and till doth make good his threat againſt this idolatrous, cruel, oppreſſing
People. |
5 And the Lord h GOD : of hoſts & is he that toucheth ] the Land mm, and it ſhall melt n, and all that dwell therein ſhall mourn, and ir ſhall riſe up wholly like a flood, and ſhall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.
The Prophet having foretold ſuch {ad univerſal Deſolations, Miſe-
ries, beyond what this ſecure People could think pothble, and ſuch as the Atheifts among them c-nſured, and derided as Impoſhbilities, as Ver. 10. ROW in this and the following Verſes to the 10th, the Pro-
ph<t confirms his Word, and the Certainty of theſe future Judg- ments. b Aionat the Soveraign Lord. # Fehbovah who ſpeaks and
; | doth, and need no more than Will to work and accomplish ;- ſo he