John Trapp on Amos 9:13

Verſe 13. Behold, the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, that the plowman, &c.] The Goſpel of peace brings with it the peace of the Goſpel, and with peace, plenty, with the horn of ſalvation the horn of plenty, a confluence of outward comforts and contentments,Bo[illegible: 1 letter]us Deus Conſt[illegible: 1 letter]n[illegible: 1 letter] tantis terren[illegible: 1 letter] implevit mu[illegible: 3 letters]bus q[illegible: 1 letter]anta [illegible: 1 letter]p[illegible: 2 letters]re nullus [illegible: 1 letter]uderet D[illegible: 1 letter] C D. l. 5.25 Elizabetha glori[illegible: 1 letter]ſiſſima & foeliciſſ ſoemina Thuan. Hiſt. lib. 124. as in Solomons dayes, and Conſtantines, (whom God proſpered and bleſſed beyond all that he could have wiſhed, ſaith Auſtin) and Q. Elizabeths, whom, for her care to propagate the Goſpel, He made to be the happieſt woman that ever ſwayed ſcepter, as her very enemies were forced to acknowledge: ſo liberal a paymaſter is the Lord, that all his retributions are more then bountiful; and this his ſervants have not ex largitate, ſed ex promiſſo, out of his generall providences, but by vertue of a promiſe, which is farre ſweeter. The Maſorites have obſerved, that in this verſe are found all the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet (as alſo in 26 more verſes of the Old Teſtament) to note, ſay the Calviniſts, that in the kingdome of the Meſſiah, there ſhall be great abundance of all things, & plenum copiae cornu: or, if that ſhould fail, yet plenty of all ſpiritual benedictions in heavenly things,In inſtauratione caſulae Davidicae co[illegible: 1 letter]apſae Merc. Amama. Eph. 1.3. and contented godlineſſe, 1 Tim. 6.6. which hath an autarkie, a ſelf-ſufficiency; ſo that having nothing a man poſſeſſeth all things, 2 Cor. 6.10. This the Prophet expreſſeth in the following words by many excellent hyperbole's though (to ſay ſooth) Chriſtus & regnum ejus non patiuntur hyperbolen. All words are too weak to ſet forth the worth of Chriſt and his kingdom.

the plowman ſhall overtake the reaper] In ſignis hyperbole, ſaith Mercer: no ſooner ſhall harveſt be ended, but ſeeding ſhall ſucceed, and that promiſe fulfilled, Levit. 26.5. all buſineſſes belonging to the tillage of the ground, and the inning of the fruit, ſhall have their fit and ſutable ſeaſons; where, under the name of corporal bleſſings ſpiritual alſo are to be underſtood: and indeed thoſe bleſſings out of Zion are farre beyond any other that come out of heaven and earth, Pſ. 134.3.

and the treader of grapes, him that ſoweth ſeed] precious ſeed, Pſ. 126.5. ſowing-ſeed (as one engliſheth it) drawn out of the ſeed basket, and caſt all along upon the land: the meaning is, that the vintage ſhall laſt ſo long, that the ſeeds-man ſhall ſcarce have time to do his buſineſſe, for waiting upon the wine-preſſe.

and the mountains ſhall drop ſweet wine] Or juice of pomegranates, more delicious liquor then that which the Italians profanely call Lachrymae Chriſti, or that which at Paris and Lovaine is called Vinum Theologicum, or Vinum Cos, that is, [illegible: 1 letter]oloris, odoris, ſaporis optimi, the beſt in the countrey for colour, ſavour and taſte, to pleaſe the palate.

and al the hils ſhal melt] ſc. with milk, honey, oyl, as Joel. 3.18. the ſame almoſt with this. And the heathen Poet hath the like, —Subitis meſſor gaudebit ariſtis:Claudian. lib. 1. in Ruffin. Rorabunt querceta favis ſtagnantia paſſim Vina fluent oleique laeus.—