John Trapp on Amos 8:11

Verſe 11. Behold the dayes come] Behold it; for it is a juſt wonder: the Lord createth a new thing in the earth, when Iſrael ſhould want the word; Iſrael to whom were committed the oracles of God, Iſrael to whom God had ſpoken by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which had been ſince the world began,Luc. 1.70. in a ſweet ſucceſſion: See my True treaſure pag. 3.4. He made known his wayes to Moſes, his acts and monuments to the children of Iſrael.Pſal. 103.7. Yet even theſe who had the cornu-copia of Gods word ſhall now ſuffer a famine of it: they ſhall have cauſe to [illegible: 1 letter]ry out, We ſee not our ſignes, there is no more any Prophet, neither is there amongſt us any that knoweth how long, Pſal. 74.9. the word of God ſhall be pretious, 1 Sam. 3. and they ſhall be hard put to't to come by it; Amaziah and his complices ſhall not need to pack away the Prophets, as chap. 7.12. and to bid them go preach elſewhere: the law ſhall be no more, the Prophets alſo ſhall find no viſion from the Lord Lam. 2.9.

that I will ſend a famine in the land] Heb. I will let it out (ſc. out of my treaſury of plagues where I have it ready, and deſirous to be a broad) and turn it looſe, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Septuag. which before I kept up, as a wild beaſt, that it might not hurt nor deſtroy in all mine holy mountaine: now it ſhall out amongſt you, and the devill with it, Rev. 12.12. with hell at the heeles of it.

not a famine of bread] though that's very grievous, Lam. 1.11, 19. and 2.12, 20. and 4.4, 9. and 5.16. and puts people to many hard ſtraits and extremities (as were eaſie to inſtance) even to the eating of one another.

nor a thirſt for water] a torment more intolerable then the former. Lyſimachus to ſave his life parted with his kingdom for a draught of water.

But of hearing the word of the Lord,] which is pabulum animae the ſouls proper food, ſuch as ſhe cannot live without: but when God ſeeth his oracles vilipended and lying under the table, 'tis juſt with him to call to the enemy to take away. It was ſo with thoſe ſeven churches of Aſia among many others; as alſo with thoſe of Africa that vaſt Continent (thrice as large as Europe) in all which there is not any region intirely poſſeſſed by Chriſtians, but the kingdom of Habaſſia: for as for the large region of Nubia, which had from the Apoſtles time (as 'tis thought) profeſſed the Chriſtian faith, it hath again above an hundred yeers ſince forſaken it, and embraced inſtead of it, partly Mahumetaniſme, and partly Idolatry; and that by the moſt miſerable occaſion that might be, viz. famine of the word of God, for lack of Miniſters. For, as Alvarez hath recorded, at his being at the king of Habaſſia's court,Hiſt. Ethiop. cap. 37. there were Ambaſſadours out of Nubia, to intreat him for a ſupply of miniſters to inſtruct their nation, and to repair Chriſtianity, gone to ruine amongſt them; but they were rejected.