An Exposition of Hosea 8-10, Exposition · Chapter · Verse 7
VER. 7.
For they have ſown the wind, and they ſhall reap the whirlwind.
SOwing is a laborious work; and this Idolatrous people were very laborious, took a great deal of pains about their falſe worſhip.Obſ. 1. Idolaters are laborious. Thoſe that ſow they muſt be abroad in the cold and wind; Idolaters were willing to take pains and go through many difficulties for the furtherance of their falſe worſhip. Uſe.Let not us be ſluggiſh then in the true Worſhip of our God, let us be willing to paſs through many difficulties to further the ſervice of our God.
Secondly, Sowing is a labor without any preſent profit coming in by it, the benefit of the labor it lies in expectation for the future.
Idolaters are content to ſow though they gain nothing by their labor, Obſ. 2.yet in expectation of ſomewhat hereafter. Idolaters ſow in hopeWe are preſently weary of a little labor except we find ſomewhat coming in preſently, we cannot wait for the bleſſing of the former and latter rain upon our endeavours, we muſt be alwaies reaping or elſe we are wearied and diſcouraged; Idolaters would work hard though they get nothing for the preſent, how much more ſhould we labor for God in expectation of the harveſt that God hath provided?
Thirdly,Obſ. 3. Sowing it is a work for the maintaining of the ſucceſſion of proviſion for one Generation to another. Idolaters they labor to keep up their falſe worſhip for the poſterity that is coming after;Idolaters lay ground for ſucceſſion. they are not content to enjoy it themſelves all the while they live, but they take a courſe to have thoſe they leave behind them to enjoy it when they are gone.Vſe Thus we ſhould do, and great reaſon we have to do thus, in the true Worſhip of God, not think it enough to enjoy it our ſelves, but to take al waies that poſſibly we can that we may leave our poſterity to enjoy it, that we may ſow for poſterity as well as for our ſelves, that we may leave a ſtock of proviſion for our children afterwards. Through Gods mercy our forefathers did ſo, and we have reapt the harveſt of their ſeed, and through their endeavors we have enjoyed much of this Worſhip of God, and the Truths of God, let us likewiſe ſow for thoſe that are coming after.
Fourthly, Sowing is a work that muſt be done in its ſeaſon or it is in vain. Obſ. 4.Idolaters they will obſerve their ſeaſons, their fit times for the furtherance of their falſe worſhip;Idolaters obſerve their ſeaſon. much more ſhould we do for the Worſhip of God. We have had a fair ſeaſon, and we have ſeemed to be very buſie, the Lord grant we do not ſow the wind, as it follows in the next words, They have ſown to the wind: This is a proverbial ſpeech that ſignifies, the taking a great deal of pains to little purpoſe: As a man that ſhould go abroad in the fields,ſimile and ſpread his hands about and take pains, and yet hath nothing but air in his hands.Wind. The Wind is an empty creature in reſpect of things that are ſollid, therefore the Scripture doth often make uſe of this creature to ſignifie the vanity of the labors, the hopes, and endeavors of wicked men; you ſhall find theſe ſeveral expreſſions in Scripture tending to this purpoſe: as the Laboring for the wind, Eccleſ. 5. 16. Secondly, to …eed upon the wind, Hoſ. 12. 1. Thirdly, to bring forth the wind, Iſa. 26. 18. And fourthly, to inherit the wind, Prov. 11. 29. And fiftly, here in the text, ſowing to the wind.
Many people do nothing all their lives time but ſow the wind,Obſ. Many ſows the wind. they labor and toil, but what comes of it? it is no good account that we can give to God of our time, to ſay, that we have taken a great deal of pains; we may take pains and yet ſow the wind.
Who are thoſe that ſow the wind?Queſt.
Firſt,Who ſow to the wind. Some ſtudients. Men that ſpend their thoughts and ſtrength about things no way profitable to themſelves or others, thoſe ſow the wind; thoſe that do with a great deal of earneſtneſs, do juſt nothing, or what they do is but a trifle; many Scholers ſtudy night and day, they tire themſelves with reading, and muſing, and writing, and yet they are no way uſeful; either their ſtudies have been in uſeleſs things, …aking among rubbiſh and lumber, or elſe they know not how to make uſe of their reading and learning; and indeed it is a pittiful object to behold, to behold one that hath been all his daies a great Studient, and hath beat his brains, and roſe early, and gone to bed late, grutch'd the very time of his meat, and yet he is a uſeleſs man in the place where he is, he hath no uſe at all of all his ſtudies, he is of no ſervice to Church or Common-wealth: Here's a man that hath all his daies ſown to the wind.
Secondly, All thoſe who take pains and are at great coſt in Idolaters▪ſuperſtitious worſhip, all their intentions that they have to honor God they come to nothing, it's but a ſowing to the wind; and this is that which is here eſpecially meant, They ſow the wind▪ Scope of the Text.All Idolatrous worſhippers that take much pains and are at great coſt they do but ſow the wind:Papiſts. How many Papiſts have we that dares not for their lives but riſe at their hours that they have vowed, to riſe at midnight to their beads, or very early, ſpend many hours every day at their beads, wear out their bodies by their faſting, by their watching, deny themſelves the uſe of the creatures, wear ſackcloath, lie very hard, tire their bodies by pilgrimage, forſake their revenues, that that their progeniters had left them, vow perpetual virginity, ſhut themſelves up in Cloiſters, what a deal of labor and toil is here to the fleſh, and all this with conſcienciouſneſs, all this with a deſire to honor God, and to afflict themſelves for their ſins? And yet this not having warrant from God being a will-worſhip, all this is but ſowing the wind, they loſe al their labor, coſt, and charge, and all their thoughts, and devotions they are all loſt.
Thirdly,Formaliſts Such as are formal in the true Worſhip of God, as content themſelves in the outward part of Gods Worſhip, having no power nor life of godlineſs in their ſervice they perform: You have many that do things out of cuſtom, content themſelves in the deed done, dare not for their lives neglect Prayer, not one morning nor evening, nor at other times, and are often with Gods People in faſting, or coming to hear the Word; but yet all this while being but formal, they not having the life and power of godlineſs in theſe duties, they do but ſow the wind, they loſe all their labor, and when they ſhall come upon their ſick-beds, and death-beds, and deſire comfort from what they have done, they ſhall find nothing but the wind to feed upon, all will be turned into wind, and they will have no ſollid comfort for their ſouls to feed upon in the day of their diſtreſs.
Fourthly,The vainglorious. Thoſe men ſow the wind, who do all that they do out of vain glory, in hypocriſie, to ſet up themſelves among others, ſpend a long time in prayer, hath admirable gifts in prayer,Prayer. ſweat and ſpend their ſtrength in prayer, but yet a principle of vain glory acting of them all this while; they have been ſowing the wind all this time. Men that are publick parted and do abundance of good in the Church of God, and in the Common-wealth, but yet having a principle of ſelf and vain glory that acts them, they loſe all, they ſow the wind all this while.
A fift ſort that ſows the wind,Carnal polititians. are ſuch, as leaves the rule of the Word, and carry on their actions altogether by the rules of Carnal Policy, thinking to do great things by the fetches, and reaches they have that way. Your Carnal Polititians that have the Word and Worſhip of God as things under their feet, but that which their deep reaches are after, are ſome higher things; they ſow the wind. And thus the people here at this time, it was carnal policy that carried them in that way they were in, and God cals it all, but ſowing the wind; they thought they had framed to themſelves a notable piece of work, but ſaith God, It is but ſowing the wind.
Sixtly,That ſerve themſelves of ſin. Such as ſeek to ſhift for themſelves by ſinful waies when they are in any ſtraits, ſuch as go out of any lawful courſes to help themſelves out of trouble, theſe are they that ſow the wind to themſelves, there will nothing come of all the labor they take.
Now firſt,Uſe 1. Comforts for the Church. here the Church of God may have much comfort in this thing, That all Idolaters, that all falſe worſhipers, that al carnal polititions that are working againſt them, in al they do, they do but ſow the wind, they can never prevail, be not afraid of them. The ſeed-time of our life is a ſeed-time for Eternity:Life, the ſeed-time for eternity. It's an evil & dangerous thing therefore now to ſow the wind, to loſe this ſeed-time, and to have nothing for our ſouls to ſeed upon to all eternity, Oh! how ſad will it be when we are entring in upon Eternity, then to ſee that we have all our life-time ſown the wind? Did men conſider of their actions, that their actions were ſeeds for Eternity, certainly they would take more heed what they do.ſimile. Men are very careful of their ſeed; What Husband-man that is to ſow his ground, would go into a Merket to buy Chaff, to buy blaſted ſtuff to be his ſeed; no, he would buy the greateſt and plumpeſt Corn of all to be his Seed. So ſhould we be careful of all our actions, for they are ſuch ſeed as muſt bring forth an harveſt of eternal happineſs, or elſe eternal ſorrow; and eſpecially we had need look to our Seed when God gives us a fair opportunity of ſowing. All Hypocrites and Formaliſts, and Falſe-worſhipers, they ſow the wind, their actions are but as the wind: but the Servants of God whoſe works come from Faith, and are indeed godly, they ſow to immortallity and glory, their Seed will bring forth a glorious harveſt. I remember Luther, though he were a man that ſeemed to beat down works very much, yet he hath this paſſage concerning works: Take works out of the cauſe of Juſtification, and no man can too magnificiently commend good works that come from faith. And ſpeaking of a good work that comes from faith,good works It is more precious (ſaith he) any one good works, it is a more precious thing than Heaven and Earth: yea, he himſelf that is no Merit-monger yet he lifts up good works that come from faith, and ſaith, the whol world is not ſufficient reward for one good work that comes from faith: Indeed the works of the Saints have a great deal of excellency in them,how excellent one gracious work hath more of the glory of God in it than all the creation of Heaven and Earth beſides; I ſay, the whol frame of Heaven and Earth hath not ſo much of the Glory of God in it as one good work that comes from the Grace of God in the hearts of the Saints; and my reaſon is this, becauſe a good work that comes from the Grace of God in the hearts of the Saints,Why? it is a reflection of ſpiritual life that is the very life of God, the Scripture calls it, The Life of God, and the Divine Nature; Now, an action of ſpiritual life doth more ſet out the Glory of God than any Glory that God hath paſſively; as the Glory that he hath in the frame of the Heavens and Earth it is but a paſſive glory, but here the very glory of God is reflected upon his own face, it is a glory of ſpiritual life: A man doth not account one ſo much honored in an Image that is drawn of him, as when he ſeeth his child to act as he himſelf doth act,ſimile. when his child ſhall preſent himſelf in doing that which he himſelf doth do. Now all the frame of Heaven and Earth it is not ſo much as a picture, it is but as the foot-ſteps of God, and the back-parts of God; but in one gracious action of the Saints there God ſees his child act as himſelf doth, he ſees the workings of his own holineſs and his own vertues; we ſhew forth the vertues of him that hath call'd us out of darkneſs into his mervailous light.1 Pet. 2. 9 Miniſters of all men they had need take heed they ſow not the wind,Miniſters muſt beware of ſowing the wind. God hath made them Seeds-men of that eternal Seed of his Word, if they then either becauſe they are loth to take pains, or to be at the charge for good Seed, they ſow husks and chaff,How 1. and bring meerly empty words unto their people; or if they do take pains enough,2. but bring their own fancies and counſels inſtead of the precious immortal Seed of the Word, they do but ſow the wind. The Seventy tranſlate this that we have here:foreign. Sow the wind: Thus; They ſow thoſe things that are corrupted by the wind; thoſe actions that pride corrupts,Corrupta vento. 70. will never bring forth good fruit. It follows.
And they ſhall reap the whirlwind.
As we ſow, ſo ſhall we reap. The word in the Hebrew (Tremelius upon this place notes) hath a ſyllable added more than ordinary;Turbo foreign here it is foreign and that ſaith he is to encreaſe the ſignification of it: To note, that this is not only a whirlwind, but a moſt terrible whirlwind. And mark: he doth not ſay they ſow the wind, and they ſhall reap the wind; no, there is more in the Harveſt than in the Seed; if men will ſow the wind, they muſt expect to reap the whirlwind. If thou haſt but a little pleaſure in thy ſinful waies, thou muſt expect a great deal of miſeries in the fruit of thy waies. Their labor ſhall not only be in vain, but much evil ſhall come, ſudden and violent deſtruction ſhall come of their labors. All ſinful actions are like unto the ſowing of the wind in the earth: Now we know if windy vapors be got into the earth, they cauſe Earthquakes, they break forth into whirlwinds, into violence: and ſo wicked actions they break forth into violence and irreſiſtable evils, and wil cauſe heart-quakes at laſt. Great is the power of the whirlwind, the Scripture ſets it out as very great in 1 Kings, 19. 11. Whirlwinds.A ſtrong wind th… rent the mountains and tore in pieces the rocks, overturned the mountains by the roots. Job, 28. 9. this it is that breaks the Ceders. Sabelicos reports that upon a time, Cambyſe's Soldiers being at dinner in a ſandy place, there riſes up a whirlwind and drives the ſand upon them ſo that it covered them and choaks them al: And yet, what's the wind, but many vapours being put together? and yet, Oh the mighty ſtrength that there is in them! By the way this meditation may be raiſed here: What, ſhal the addition of many ſuch weak things as vapors are come,Gods Almighty power. to ſuch a mighty ſtrength? Oh then, what's the ſtrength of the infinite God unto which nothing can be added? Ad many vapors together and it cauſes ſtrong winds that rends up the Mountains by the roots; if many weak things put together (I ſay) come to that ſtrength, what's the ſtrength of an infinite God unto which no ſtrength can be added?
But obſerve out of the words,Obſ. 1. Juſt with God it is, that thoſe that ſow the wind (in all the former regards, thoſe ſix particulars that were named) that they ſhould reap the whirlwind; ſhould be brought into trouble and vexation, miſerable and unremedable diſtreſſes: you that ſpend your time about trifles when as God ſets you in the world upon work of great conſequence, it is juſt with God that you ſhould have horror upon your ſpirits hereafter,1. Tri…lers when God ſhall make you to ſee how you have ſpent that time upon which eternity depended,2. Superſtitious. upon ſowing the wind all your daies: And you that ſpend your time in falſe worſhip and ſo think to put off God in your falſe worſhip, it's juſt with God that you ſhould reap the whirlwind.3. Formaliſts. And ſo you that ſpend your ſtrength and time in formality of worſhip and never ſanctifying the Name of God, it were juſt with God that horror and diſtreſs and trouble ſhould fill your ſouls.4. Hypocrites. And ſo you that aim at your own ends and vain glory, when as you ſhould ſet up the Name of God in your waies, it's juſt with God that miſerable horror ſhould poſſeſs you: How many have lain upon their ſickbeds and death beds and cried out, Oh I have done all in hypocriſie! and ſo horror of conſcience hath been as a whirlwind unto their ſouls.5. Carnal Polititians And ſo carnal polititians that have left God and ſought to provide for themſelves and others, that by ſinful courſes have ſought to deliver themſelves out of ſtraights, the Lord many times brings them into moſt dreadful ſtraights and the worm of conſcience gnawing upon them, and they have found by experience that they have reapt the whirlwind.England. And indeed we have begun of late to corrupt the Worſhip of God, and were carried on by wicked deviliſh carnal policy, How did we ſow the wind? and the Lord hath now made us in great meaſure to reap the whirlwind. Job ſaith the whirlwind comes from the South; but indeed the truth is, we have had whirlwinds coming from the North and Weſt, and may yet have whirlwinds coming from all parts of the Kingdom, For what hath the Land done of late but ſown the whirlwind? Let us not wonder though God doth at this day ſpeak unto us out of the whirlwind, as once he did to Job.
Yea, but many they ſay, That that we have ſown it hath ſome ſubſtance in it, it is not only the wind, for we ſee that it comes to a blade, it comes forth.
Yea, but ſaith God here, It ſhall not bring forth a ſtalk.
I beſeech you obſerve the words that follow,Gradation of the text It ſhall not bring forth a ſtalk: But it may be a ſtalk may come forth: I but ſaith God, It ſhall be cruſhed before it comes to the bud. But what if it doth bud, it ſhall be blaſted, it ſhall not come to the meal. I but what if it come to the meal? Then ſtrangers ſhall devour it ſaith God; ſo it follows, They ſow the wind, and reap the whirlwind; it ſhal not grow to a ſtalk, or to the bud, or there ſhall be no meal, or ſtrangers ſhall devour it. A moſt elegant expreſſion it is to ſhew Gods watching over an apoſtatizing people for evil, and to ſhew that in whatſoever they may ſeem to proſper for a while, yet at the laſt the Curſe of God will be their ruin.
Obſ. Firſt,Obſ. 2. Though ſometimes Gods Curſe is upon wicked actions, ſo that nothing comes of them; yet at other times they may be ſuffered to ſeem to proſper, to have ſome degrees of growth, God may let them come to a ſtalk, or to the bud, or to the meal; this notes the poſſibility. It may come to the ſtalk, poſſibly to the bud, poſſibly to the meal, but then all ſhall come to nothing.
My brethren we have found it ſo by experience,England. as it was here in this people, for it was ſpoken of their wicked Idolatry, and their carnal policy. And hath it not been ſo with our Adverſaries? ſome of their actions God hath cruſh'd them preſently, and then they have grown up to a blade, and they have ſeemed to have meal in them, but then the Curſe of God hath come upon them: Oh! the uncertainty & the vanity of the comforts of ungodly men! When can they bleſs themſelves in any one project? When it comes up to the blade? No ſaith God, it ſhal not come to a ſtalk: God watches there that it ſeldom comes ſo far. Well, but then, will they bleſs themſelves if it hath gotten up to a ſtalk? No, not then neither, God curſes them. But if it bud, now may they not bleſs themſelves? Oh! our projects begin to bud, and they thrive bravely, may they not bleſs themſelves now? No, God watches them there, and curſes them in the very bud. I but what if it comes to meal, that it's ready now to come to a full iſſue, and ready even to come to be eaten, now that they come to feed upon their projects, and they think all is ſure? No, the curſe of God is upon them there, ſtrangers ſhall devour it. Bleſſed be that God who hath followed our Adverſaries this way, How often have they bleſt themſelves, and when they have had one deſign, this will do it, Oh how finely it works! and perhaps they get the very advantage that they themſelves deſire, and think all is well, and then Gods Curſe comes upon them. We are my brethren too unbeleeving, we are ready to fear if we hear but of any thriving of any plot and project of our Adverſaries, if any ſtalk doth appear, and eſpecially if they begin to bud, Oh! then we think they ripen; & we do not look up to the great God who doth take delight in blaſting the projects of the Adverſaries; as the Bleſſing of God is upon the good actions of his people, ſo the Curſe of God is upon the wicked projects of his enemies. God may ſeem many times to leave many a good action, but God doth carry it through at length, though it ſeems to have many things that would cruſh it in the very bud, yet God carries good projects through many difficulties, and God cruſhes wicked projects through much proſperity.
Laſtly,Obſ. 3. To have the ſatisfying of our deſires to go on a while, and to have them cut off before we enjoy them, is a great judgment; but juſt with God it ſhould be ſo: for ordinarily we are thus in our obedience, that uſually withers before it comes to any ripeneſs; if it get up to the ſtalk it may be it comes not to a bud; if to meal, ſome ſtrange luſt or other comes in and devours it; Oh how many times doth our ſtrange luſts devour our good actions that comes forth a good way?Young profeſſors. How many in their young yeers, we had thought very gracious ſeed began to ſprout forth, and we had thought that the ſeed grew to a ſtalk, and when they came to be for themſelves, we had thought they had begun to bud in gracious actions, we had thought it came to be meal, to their middle age; but to their old age ſtrange luſts hath come and devoured all. It's great judgment for ſtrangers to devour our eſtates when we have ſcraped a deal together; truly, for ſtrange luſts to come to devour thy hopeful beginnings, it's a greater judgment than for ſtrangers to devour thy eſtate, that thou haſt gotten by a great deal of labor: Many men have labored all their lives, and taken pains, and that which they have done hath ſeemed to come to ſomething; and the truth is, in the concluſion the Devil hath had the advantage of all.
And God ſeems to be out againſt us in ſome degree,England. even in the waies of his judgments at this day; thus as many of the Adverſaries projects, ſo many of ours the Lord hath blaſted before they come to a ſtalk, and when they have been budded the Lord hath blaſted them, by unfaithfulneſs of ſome or others; when we have had our greateſt thoughts, the Lord hath ſeem'd to blaſt us, and what God will do with us we know not, only let us make ſure that our ſeed be good, and though this doth not proſper or the other doth not, yet at laſt God will bring the greater Harveſt upon us.