The Visions of Amos FROM A QUAINT OLD SERIES OF DUTCH PRINTS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. + "And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, a basket of summer-fruit."-Amos, 8, 2. T HOUGH expelled from Samaria, Amos continued to proclaim his warnings to its people, speaking through his writings. In the latter portion of his book, he describes vision after vision which came to him, visions in parable, which God interprets to the prophet. He sees a basket of summer-fruit, and knows that the wickedness of Israel is ripe, and the land shall soon be fallen and decayed. He sees the Lord or one of His messengers standing upon an altar, and is bidden break down this temple; for thus, declares God, will He beat down Israel, though He had chosen its people and built them up to be His temple. Amos beholds also a devouring fire come against Israel, and a plumbline measuring its cities for destruction. At the very close, the seer looks beyond the downfall of Israel. Her people shall all be captives of their enemies, yet shall the good be saved, and the land repeopled. The "tabernacle of David" shall be raised again. "The mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt." Hence even this earliest of the books to proclaim the terrible disaster, hanging over the Israelites, has for its last verse a promise of joy. "And I will plant them their land, and they shall no more be pulled upon up out of their land which I have given JEREMIAH III-JUDAH'S TREACHERY Chapter 3 1217 God's great mercy in Judah's vile whoredom. 6 Judah is worse than Israel. 12 The promises of the gospel to the penitent. 20 Israel reproved, and called by God, maketh a solemn confession of their sins. HEY say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. 2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. 3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. 4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? 5 Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest. 6 ¶ The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. 11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: |