Amos 3'

Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel…

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In this chapter we have a denunciation of judgments against Israel, together with the grounds and reasons of it. Notice —
1. The special regard God had to His people. It is as if He should say, "My heart has been set upon you, My thoughts of kindness have been peculiarly towards and concerning you.
2. The awful visitation which even God's regard to them engaged Him to bring upon them. "Therefore I will punish you." As to Israelites indeed, though God visits their iniquities with temporal judgments, it is with a design of love and of advantage to their souls. 3: The ground and reason of this, and that was their iniquities. "I will punish you for all your iniquities."
I. WHAT HAVE BEEN GREAT BRITAIN'S EMINENT MERCIES?
1. Our temporal mercies, which purely relate to the things of this life.
2. Our mercies with regard to religious concerns, and to spiritual and eternal blessings.
II. WHAT HAVE BEEN OUR ABUSES OF THESE EMINENT MERCIES? How have we rioted upon the bounties of providence! Has not our plenty been turned into means and occasions of feeding our pride and ambition, our intemperance, luxury, and debauchery? How unfruitful have we been under the means of grace. Has not the Holy Spirit, been grieved and provoked to withdraw from our solemn assemblies? And when we speak of religion, have we much more than the name?
III. WHAT REASON WE HAVE TO FEAR THAT GOD WILL VISIT US WITH JUDGMENTS FOR ALL THESE INIQUITIES AND ABUSES OF HIS MERCIES.
1. Our provocations are exceeding great.
2. The honour of God, as the great Governor of the world, is concerned to show His righteous resentment against a professing people that are guilty of such exceeding high provocations.
3. The threatenings of God's Word give us reason to fear His bringing judgments upon us.
4. The examples God has made of other communities, and particularly of His professing people, for their iniquities, may justly raise our fears of His doing the same by us.
5. God has already taken up a controversy with us.
IV. WHAT COURSE IS TO BE TAKEN FOR PREVENTING SUCH AWFUL VISITATIONS? Public national sins must be followed with public national breaking them off by repentance and returning to the Lord. When dangers lie at the door of kingdoms and nations, the only method of preventing them, according to God's ordinary rule of procedure in His government of this world, is national humiliation, fasting, and repentance for and departure from the provoking evils that have incensed His wrath against us, with earnest supplication and prayer for national forgiveness of national sins.
(J. Guyse, D. D.)