John Trapp on Amos 9:8

Verſe 8. Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the ſinfull kingdome] Be it Ethiopia, Paleſtina, Syria, or Iſrael, but eſpecially Iſrael Amos 3.2. not his eye only his [non-Latin text not transcribed] his jealous eye (as ver. 4. for evill, and not for good: but both his eyes, yea his ſeven eyes, for he is [non-Latin text not transcribed] All eye, to look through and through the ſinfull kingdome, to judge and puniſh, to inflict tribulation and anguiſh upon every ſoul of man that doth evill, of the Jew firſt, becauſe of his priviledges, and alſo of the Gentile Rom. 2.9. The ſin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond Jer. 17.1. and Iſrael is therefore worſe then others becauſe he ought to have been better. His whole kingdome is a kingdome of ſin, a merum ſcelus, a very Poneropolis, as that place in Thracia was called,Theopomp. whither Philip had aſſembled all the infamous perſons and men of evill demeanour. What is the tranſgreſſion of Jacob? Is it not Samaria? Mic. 1.5. their capitall ſins were moſt in their capitall cities; and thence overflowed the whole kingdome: called therefore here a ſinfull kingdome, wholly given to Idolatry (as Athens was Act. 17.16.) which is that ſin with an accent, that wickedneſſe with a witneſſe, Exod. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. 32.21. 1 King. 12.30. and 15, 3, 30. that land-deſolating ſin. Jer. 22.7, 8, 9. Pſal. 78.58, 59, 62.

and I will deſtroy it] See here the venomous nature of ſin, and ſhun it, elſe we ſhall prove traytours to the ſtate, and have our hands if not upon the great cartropes, yet upon the leſſer cords, that draw down vengance upon the land. And here ſome one ſinner may deſtroy much good Eccle. 9.17. how much more a rabble of rebbels, conſpiring to provoke the eyes of Gods glory?

ſaying that I will not utterly deſtroy the houſe of Jacob] A remnant ſhall be left for royall uſe,See Jer. 30.11. reliquas faciam reliquias, and ſo make a manifeſt difference, remembring my promiſe Lev. 26.40. which is a ſpeciall text touching the rejection and converſion of the Jewes, as is alſo this in ſome mens judgments. For here (ſay they) is a threatening of extream deſolation with ſome comfort enterlaced of a remnant to be reſerved: amongſt whom it is further promiſed 1. that the kingdome of David thorough Chriſt ſhall be ſet up as glorious as ever it was before, in the moſt flouriſhing times of David or Solomon ver. 11.2. Next, other nations ſhall joyne with them and be made partakers of one common inheritance ver. 12. So doth James Act. 15.16, 17. expound it. 3. Thirdly there is promiſed the fruitfulneſſe of their land ver. 13. the inhabiting in their own countrey, ver. 14. and the perpetuity of their abode there, ver. 15. But all this others think to be, optabile magis quàm opinabile, little better then a golden dreame.