Answ. 1. Some do it by silencing and persecuting of the Ministry of the Spirit, which is most grievous: When Amos preached against Bethel, up steps Amaziah the Priest of Bethel, Amos 7. 10. and first makes complaint of him to the King; First, that he was factious, and conspired against the King: And secondly, That the Land was not able to bea• his words; that he troubled the Country and Kingdom with his Doctrine, viz. That we shall all dye if we receive not his Doctrine; and hence he commands him to depart and flee from thence, and prophesy no more there; but you see what he answers, I was a Herdsman, and the Lord called me; think not that you oppose a private spirit, but the Lord's that called me: And hence see because he did but say so, what his sentence is, upon his Wife, Children, himself and upon all Israel: Are there not many Amaziah's in these days? do they not take the same course? is not the same spirit working against the Spirit of God now? what will their end be? Let a man be never so peaceable in his place, blessed ⟨p. 101⟩in his work, if he doth but reach Bethel, nay, if only the judgements of them, the Altars there, and Idols there; Amos may prophesy in another Land, but no more there; but what will be the end of this? see vers. 17. it is a sad speech 1 Thess. 2. 16. Forbidding •s to preach to the Gentiles that they may be saved; for the wrath of God is come upon them to the utmost: You know the Jews raised up persecution against them where ever they came, but wrath is upon them for it even to the utmost; why, look as it is in hell, to resist the Gospel ones self is heavy; but when in hell there they wish that no others might receive it, or that it might not be preached to any other, that none might ever know the Lord: So it is here, it is greater wrath to oppose God in hell, than to be opposed of God; and the first they are come to: Oh but they garnish the Sepulchres of the Prophets, and beautify their Temples, and if they had lived in the days of the Prophets, they would never oppose them.
Answ. 1. Some do it by filencing and persecuting of the Ministry of the Spirit, which is most grievous: When Amos preached against Bethel, up steps Amaziah the Priest of Bethel, Amos 7. 10. and first makes complaint of him to the King; First, that he was factious, and conspired against the King: And secondly, That the Land was not able to bea• his words; that he troubled the Country and Kingdom with his Doctrine, viz. That we shall all dye if we receive not his Doctrine; and hence he commands him to depart and flee from thence, and prophesie no more there; but you see what he answers, I was a Herdsma•, and the Lord called me; think not that you oppose a private spirit, but the Lord's that called me: And hence see because he did but say so, what his sentence is, upon his Wife, Children, himself and upon all Israel: Are there not many Amaziah's in these days? do they not take the same course? is not the same spirit working against the Spirit of God now? what will their end be? Let a man be never so peaceable in his place, blessed ⟨p. 101⟩in his work, if he doth but reach Bethel, nay, if only the judgements of them, the Altars there, and Idols there; Amos may prophesie in another Land, but no more there; but what will be the end of this? see vers. 17. it is a sad speech 1 Thess. 2. 16. Forbiding •s to preach to the Gentiles that they may be saved; for the wrath of God is come upon them to the utmost: You know the Jews raised up persecution against them where ever they came, but wrath is upon them for it ev•n to the utmost; why, look as it is in hell, to resist the Gospel ones self is heavy; but when in hell there they wish that no others might receive it, or that it might not be preached to any other, that none might ever know the Lord: So it is here, it is greater wrath to oppose God in hell, than to be opposed of God; and the first they are come to: Oh but they garnish the Sepulchres of the Prophets, and beautifie their Temples, and if they had lived in the days of the Prophets, they would never oppose them.
