Amos 8

Amos 8:4-6

By your oppression ye devour the substance of the poor, that they can scarcely preserve themselves in life; ye are weary of God’s holy seasons, and desirous of their being over, that ye may return to your injustice, in making the measure wherewith you sell your corn too scanty, and causing the poor purchasers to give you more than just weight for the price, that, by your extortions, ye may force the poor to sell themselves to you for slaves, at a mere trifle, or oblige them to buy the very refuse of your grain

Amos 8:7-10

God hath therefore sworn by himself that he will punish your wickedness by the most terrible and overwhelming judgments; and that your present prosperity shall, of a sudden, issue in the terrible destruction of your princes and people; and your luxurious and idolatrous revelling and mirth, in the most bitter mourning and anguish

Amos 8:14

The sin of Samaria and manner of Beer-sheba denote idols worshipped there

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. VIII.—Whatever God shews us ought to be carefully observed. His patience wears out at length; and obstinate sinning must end in deplorable misery; and sinful mirth in howling and ignominious death. Yea, hopeless is the case when fearful calamities only render men sullen and peevish.—Carnal men heartily hate God and his ordinances. Sabbaths and holy duties are intolerable burdens; and merchandize, even the basest, is to them a cordial pleasure. Nor, when nations are ripening for ruin, do they ever fail to oppress God’s poor people. But riches got by rapine will bring on ruin. And, let the oppressor be ever so high, the flood of God’s wrath shall overwhelm him. They, who would not tremble for the sins of the land, shall tremble under its judgments. And, if men hate God’s word and ordinances, they, and every impudent idolater, must expect to be deprived of them, and hastened into eternal misery