John Trapp on Amos 1:11

Verſe 11. For three tranſgreſſions of Edom &c.] i. e. of the Edomites, the Rabbines underſtand the Romiſts thoſe falſe-brethren the Popes blood-hounds. See the parallel made by D. Taylor in his ſermon called the Romiſh Edomite.

becauſe he did purſue his brother with the ſword] Firſt when he drove him from houſe and home for fear of his life, which he threatened to take from him Gen. 27. and afterwards came againſt him (returning home-wards) with foure hundred cutthroates at his heels Gen. 32.6, 8. to ſmite the mother with the children, ver. 11. Next in his poſterity, thoſe ſworn ſwordmen of the devill: that denied Gods Iſrael paſſage in the wilderneſſe, comming out againſt him with much people, and with a ſtrong hand Num. 20.20. to his great diſcouragement Num. 21.4. And ever after, bote him an aking tooth, and waited him a ſhrewd turn; joyning with the enemy, and taking all advantages of miſchief. See 2 Chron. 28.17. Pſal. 137.7. Obad. 10.11. Malice is commonly hereditary, and runs in the blood. And (as we uſe to ſay of Runnet) the older it is, the ſtronger.

and did caſt off all pitty] Heb. corrupted his compaſſions, forgot his brotherhood, baniſhed naturall affection out of his boſome, and put off all humanity. The Rabbines tell us, that out of the profaneneſſe of his Spirit Eſau put away his circumciſion, by drawing up againe the foreskin with a Chirurgeons inſtrument. Whether this were ſo or not, I have not to ſay: but that he corrupted his compaſſions (if any ever he had) violated the law of nature, and aboliſhed the bowels of a brother, the brotherly covenant, this text aſſureth us; even all the affections, duties, and reſpects of blood and nature by which he was bound. His grandfather Abraham could ſay to his nephew Lot, Let there be no difference between thee and me; for we are brethren, Gen. 13.8. This one conſideration was retentive enough, cooler ſufficient to his choler: it was even as the Angel that ſtayd his hand when the blow was comming, Gen. 22. It ſhould have been ſo with Edom: good blood would not have belyed it ſelf: But he had loſt his brotherly bowels, and even put off manhood: he had wiped out all ſtirrings of good nature, as a man wipeth a diſh, wiping it and turning it upſide down, as the ſcripture ſpeaketh in another caſe:2 King. 21.13. or as when a man emptieth wine out of a cup, the ſides are yet moiſt: but when it is rinſed and wiped, there remaines not the leaſt taſt or tincture.

and his anger did teare perpetually] i. e. He in his anger did teare, as a beaſt of prey,Pſal. 14. and rage without intermiſſion. The enemies of the Church do ſo ſtill: ſuch is their implacable hatred againſt God and his truth: they eat up Gods people as they eat bread, yea they tread down and teare in peeces, as if there were none to deliver. At the Town of Barre in France, when it was taken by the Papiſts, all kind of cruelty was uſed, ſaith Mr. Fox: children were cut up, and the guts of ſome of them and hearts pulled out, which in rage they tare and gnawed with their teeth. The Italians likewiſe which ſerved the king there did for hatred of religion break forth into ſuch fury,Act. and Mon. fol. 1951. that they did rip up a living child, and took his liver being as yet red hot,Eraſm. epiſt. lib. 16. ad obtrectator. and eat it as meat. Eraſmus tells of an Auguſtine friar, who openly in the pulpit at Antwerp wiſhed, that Luther were there, that he might bite out his throat with his teeh. And Friar Bruſierd in a conference with Bilney brake out into theſe angry words: But that I beleeve and know that God and all his ſaints will take revengement everlaſting on thee,Act. and Mon. 914. I would ſurely with theſe nailes of mine be thy death.Pſal. 74.19. Gen. 49.7. Pray therefore with David, Deliver not the ſoul of thy turtle dove to theſe deſtroyers &c. Curſed be their anger, for it is fierce: and their wrath for it is cruel.

and kept his wrath for ever] Though himſelf was mortal, yet his wrath, might ſeem to be immortal: as was Hanibals againſt the Romanes, and our Edward the firſt againſt the Scots: againſt whom being about to march, he adjured his ſon and Nobles,Dan. hiſt. fol. 201. that, that if he died in his journy into Scotland, they ſhould carry his corpes with them about Scotland, and not ſuffer it to be enterred, till they had abſolutely ſubdued the countrey. Anger may ruſh into a wiſe mans boſome, but ſhould not reſt there.Aug. ep. 87. Eccle. 7.9. for it corrupteth the heart, as vineger doth the veſſel wherein it long continueth; Of the Athenians it was ſaid, that their anger was [non-Latin text not transcribed] everlaſting; but that was but ſmall to their condemnation. Thou ſhalt neither revenge nor remember ill turns Lev. 19.18. where ſervare is put for ſervare iram to keep, Ar. Rhetor. l. 9. c. 1. for to keep ones anger: to ſhew that there is nothing that a man is more ready to keep; as beeing a vindictive creature; Areſtotle ſaith (but abſurdly) that it is more manly to be revenged, then to be reconciled: and this the world calleth manhood: but indeed it is doghood rather. The manlier any man is, the milder and more mercifull, as David 2 Sam. 1.12. And Julius Caeſar, when he had Pompey's head preſented to him, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 1 Cor. 6.7. wept, and ſaid, Non mihi placet vindicta ſed victoria, I ſeek not revenge but victory. And the Apoſtle purpoſely diſgraceth revenge of injury by a word that ſignifieth diſgrace, loſſe of victory, or impotency of mind. Thunder, haile, tempeſt, neither trouble nor hurt celeſtiall bodies: no more doth anger, great minds. Edom was ſhort-ſpirited, ſoon kindled, and not eaſily appeaſed; his wrath kept no bounds, as the word here uſed importeth: his coales were coales of Juniper, fierce and long laſting: his fire not elementary, but culinary; nouriſhed by low and unworthy conſiderations: a fruit of the fleſh, and ſuch as excludes out of heaven Gal. 5.20, 21. It was not the paſſion, but the habit of hatred which St. James calleth the devill Jam. 4.7. and St. Paul counſelleth men not to give place to that devill: and for that end, not to let the Sun go down upon their wrath Ephe. 6.26. See Ezech: 35.5. where Edom is charged with a perpetuall hatre, and therefore threatened with blood, and deſolation, as here.