John Trapp on Amos 8:12

Verſe 12. And they ſhall wander from ſea to ſea,] Trouble themſelves to no purpoſe, take pains (as Eſau did for veniſon, but loſt his labour) run to all coaſts and quarters to ſeek the word of the Lord.

and ſhall not find it] And why, they deſpiſed it when it was in their power; they rejected the counſel of God againſt themſelves with thoſe Lawyers, Luk. 7.30. He would have gathered them, but they would not be gathered; he would have purged them, but they would not be purged; Ezek. 24.13, 14. they are therefore miſerable by their own election: as Saul was, who ſlighted Samuel whiles he was alive, and would have been full glad of his counſel when he was dead. He that would not once worſhip God in Samuel, worſhips at length Samuel in Satan; and no marvel. Satan was now become his refuge, and preacheth his funeral: his Ʋrim now was darkneſſe, his Prophet a ghoſt: O woful condition. But what ſhould a parent do when the child loaths and ſpils his victuals? ſnatch it from him, and lay it out of his reach. Samaria felt this worſer famine, when carried captive eſpecially: ſo did Jeruſalem, after Malachi, whoſe prophecy the Jews fitly call Chathimath Chazon the ſealing up of viſion. Bath Chol, or the Eccho from heaven they had now and then after this time, Mat. 2.17. Joh. 12.28 they had alſo the writings of Moſes, and the Prophets interpreted after a ſort by the Scribes and Phariſees, whom (whiles they ſat cloſe in Moſes chair, and kept it warm) men were bound to to hear, Mat. 23.2, 3. which becauſe Dives did not, he ſuffered hunger and thirſt in hell for ever, Luk. 16.24. And had he been granted the liberty of hearing again upon earth but one more ſermon, how farre would not he gladly have gone for it? and how, as for life, would he have liſtned to it? But this could not poſſibly be, for out of hell there is no redemption, Pſal. 49.8, 9. and when the night of death once comes, men can work no more. Night is a time not of doing work, but of receiving wages; up therefore and be doing, whiles it is yet day, Joh. 12.35, 36. ſeek ye the Lord while he may be found, Eſay 55.6. ſeek him ſeaſonably, ſeek him ſeriouſly: Then ſhall ye ſeek me and find me, when ye ſhall ſearch for me with all your heart, Jer. 29.13. That was a diſmall doom that our Saviour paſſed upon thoſe ſtiffe-necked Jewes and uncircumciſed in heart and ears, (as Saint Steven rightly ſtiles them, Act. 7.51.) that were as good at reſiſting the Holy-Ghoſt as ever their fathers had been before them. Ye ſhall ſeek me, and yet ſhall die in your ſinnes: whither I go ye cannot come, Joh. 8.21. Ye ſhall wander up and down for meat, making a noiſe like an hungry dog, and grudge that ye be not ſatisfied, Pſal. 59.14, 15. Do not the miſerable Jewes do ſo all the world over to this day, expecting their Meſſias? quem tantis ululatibus expoſcunt, throwing open their windows to behold him, and praying for the rebuilding of their Temple thus, Templum tuum brevi, valde citò, Buxtorf. Synag. Ind. cap. 13. valde citò, in diebus noſtris citiſſimè, nunc aediſica templum tuum brevi, &c. Merciful God, great God, bountiful God, beautiful God, ſweet God, mighty God, thou God of the Jewes, now build thy Temple, do it ſhortly, ſuddenly, quickly, very quickly, very quickly, very quickly, even in our dayes, now, this day before the next, &c. Ah poor creatures! they would not, when time was, know in that their day the things which belonged to their peace; therefore to this day they are hid from their eyes, and wrath is come upon them to the utmoſt.Luk. 19.42. Alterius perditio tua ſit cautio, Let their harmes be our warning, not to ſtand out the day of grace, not to ſurfeit of the word, leſt we ſuffer a famine of it; not to retain the ſnuffes of our ſinnes, leſt they dim our candleſtick: a removal whereof, except we repent, may be as certainly foreſeen and foretold, as if viſions and letters were ſent us from heaven, as once to Epheſus telling them ſo, Rev. 2.5. And indeed it hath been the opinion, and is ſtill the fear of ſome not unconſiderable Divines, that Antichriſt, before his abolition, ſhall once again overflow the whole face of the Weſt, and ſuppreſſe the whole proteſtant Churches. Now if ever this come to paſſe, (as juſtly we may fear it will) what may we thank but our deteſtable lukewarmneſſe and loathing of the heavenly Manna, our not receiving the love of the truth, that we might be ſaved? for which cauſe if God ſhall ſend us ſtrong deluſions,2 Theſſ. 2.10, 1[illegible: 1 letter]. even the efficacy of errour, that we ſhould believe a lie, that being infatuated we ſhould be ſeduced, and being ſeduced be damned, as Auſtin gloſſeth that text, whom can we blame for it?