An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eighth, ninth, & tenth chapters of the prophesy of Hosea being first delivered in several lectures at Michaels Cornhil, London / by Jeremiah Burroughs ; being the seventh book published by Thomas Goodwin ... [et al.]

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;* 1.1 and that saith he is to encrease the signification of it: To note, that this is not only a whirl∣wind, 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 whirl∣wind.

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 un∣to the sowing of the wind in the earth: Now we know if windy vapors be got into the earth, they cause Earth∣quakes, 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.* 1.2 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, Camby∣se's Soldiers being at dinner in a sandy place, there rises up a whirlwind and drives the sand upon them so that it co∣vered 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,* 1.3 to such a migh∣ty 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 toge∣ther (I say) come to that strength, what's the strength of an infinite God unto which no strength can be ad∣ded?

But observe out of the words,* 1.4 Just with God it is, that those that sow the wind (in all the former regards, those six par∣ticulars that were named) that they should reap the whirl∣wind; should be brought into trouble and vexation, mi∣serable 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,* 1.5 when God shall make you to see how you have spent that time upon which eternity depended,* 1.6 upon sowing the wind all your daies: And you that spend your time in false wor∣ship and so think to put off God in your false worship, it's just with God that you should reap the whirlwind.* 1.7 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.* 1.8 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 sick∣beds 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.* 1.9 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 consci∣ence gnawing upon them, and they have found by expe∣rience that they have reapt the whirlwind.* 1.10 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 whirl∣wind 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,* 1.11 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 e∣vil, and to shew that in whatsoever they may seem to pro∣sper for a while, yet at the last the Curse of God will be their ruin.

Obs. First,* 1.12 Though sometimes Gods Curse is upon wicked acti∣ons, 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,* 1.13 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 rea∣dy 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 unbe∣leeving, we are ready to fear if we hear but of any thri∣ving 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 a∣ctions of his people, so the Curse of God is upon the wic∣ked 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 wic∣ked projects through much prosperity.

Lastly,* 1.14 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?* 1.15 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 con∣clusion the Devil hath had the advantage of all.

And God seems to be out against us in some degree,* 1.16 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 unfaithful∣ness 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.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Turbo 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.2

  Whirl∣winds.
• * 1.3

  Gods Al∣mighty po∣wer.
• * 1.4

  Obs. 1.
• * 1.5

  1. Tri••lers
• * 1.6

  2. Super∣stitious.
• * 1.7

  3. Forma∣lists.
• * 1.8

  4. Hypo∣crites.
• * 1.9

  5. Carnal Polititians
• * 1.10

  England.
• * 1.11

  Gradation of the text
• * 1.12

  Obs. 2.
• * 1.13

  England.
• * 1.14

  Obs. 3.
• * 1.15

  Young pro∣fessors.
• * 1.16

  England.