John Trapp on Amos 7:15

Verſe 15. And the Lord took me, as I followed the flock] As he took Eliſha from the plow-taile, the Apoſtles from caſting and mending their nets &c. Aſinos elegit Chriſtus & idiotas, ſed [illegible: 1 letter]culdvit in prudentes: ſimulque dona dedit, & miniſteria, he called them to the office, and withall he gifted them. He called alſo learned Nathaneel, and Nicodemus, a Maſter in Iſrael: leſt, if he had called none but ſuch as were ſimple, (ſaith Ioh. de Turrecremata) it ſhould have been thought, they had been deceived, through their ſimplicity. But it is Gods way to chuſe the fooliſh things of the world, to confound the wiſe; and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no fleſh ſhould glory in his preſence, 1 Cor. 1.27, 28, 29.

and the Lord ſaid unto me,] He often inculcates the Name of the Lord, to ſhew that there was a neceſſity of his propheſying: for who can ſafely diſobey ſuch a commander. See chap. 3.8. Aut faciendum, aut patiendum. The Philoſopher could tell the Emperour, who challenged him to diſpute, that there was no conteſting with Him that had twenty Legions at his command.

Go propheſie unto my people Iſrael.] Keep within my precincts, and thou ſhalt bee ſure of my protection: be true to thy truſt, and I will ſee to thy ſafety. If thou have not fine manchet (as Bucer ſaid to Bradford, encouraging him to beſtow his talent in preaching) yet give the poor people barley-bread, or what ever elſe the Lord hath committed unto thee. Having therefore ſuch a call from heaven to this work,Act. & Mon. 1454. with what face canſt thou hinder me therein? with what countenance will ye appear before the judgement-ſeat of Chriſt (ſaid Dr. Taylour Martyr to Stephen Gardiner, Lord Chancellour, who had thus ſaluted him, Art thou come, thou villain? how dareſt thou look me in the face for ſhame? knoweſt thou not who I am, &c?) How dare ye for ſhame look any Chriſtian man in the face, ſeeing you have forſaken the truth, denied our Saviour Chriſt and his word,Ibid. 1387. and done contrary to your own oath and writing. And, if I ſhould be afraid of your Lordly looks, why fear you not God, the Lord of us all? who hath ſent us on his errand, which we muſt deliver, and truth be ſpoken, however it be taken, 1 Cor. 9.16.