A brief exposition on the XII. smal prophets: the first volume containing an exposition on the prophecies of Hosea, Joel, & Amos. By George Hutcheson, minister at Edenburgh.

Vers. 12. Sowe to your selves in righteousnesse: reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and raine righteousnesse upon you.

These threatenings are sweetned with an exhortation to repent∣ance and reformation of their way in tearmes borrowed from v. 11. The exhortation is twofold, to every one of which an encouragement is subjoyned, by way of argument pressing the duty. He exhorts them that they would sowe the fruits of righte∣ousnesse, promising to make them reap the fruits of his mercy. 2. That for this end they would cleave up and manure the hard and wilde ground of their own heart, which they had neglected so long, and so impeded their own seeking of God; Upon the a∣mendment whereof, he promiseth liberally to performe promises, to absolve them from sin, and to cloath them with Christs righte∣ousnesse. Whence learn, 1. When the Lord is most severe in threatenings, we are bound to look on them as containing exhor∣tations to repentance, and promises to the penitent, in the bo∣some of them; for, so is here cleare^d. And if this were heark∣ened unto, who knoweth what mercy would make of the most desperate person or people in the world? 2. The fruits of righte∣ousnesse of the second Table, are the true evidences of repentance, and of conversion to God through faith in Jesus Christ; There∣fore doth he require sowing in righteousnesse, or the duties of righteousnesse, not as if that were all their conversion, but as

evidences and fruits thereof. 3. Albeit God be not bound to our pains, yet he requireth diligence in penitents; And they must be content to performe duties, without looking for present fruit of recompence; Therefore is their dutie expressed in tearms taken from the painful calling of husbandry, and particularly of sowing, wherein men must wait for the recompence of their la∣bours. See Ps. 97.11. James 5.7. 4. Albeit the Lord doth condescend to have his glory manifested in a peoples obedience, and do also freely reward it, as if it were of worth to him; yet God doth not seek service, because he needeth it, but all the ad∣vantage of it, is the mans own who performeth it; For, sowe to your selves, saith he. See Ps. 16.2. 5. However mens walking in wayes of righteousnesse, seem oft-times to be long forgotten, and lie like seed under the clod, which might seem lost; yet in due time, it will resolve in an harvest of comfort and free reward; For, saith he, sowe and reap; See Ps. 126.6. Gal 6.9. 6. What∣ever be the boisterous and proud complaints of hypocrites, as, Isa. 58.3. Mal. 3.14. yet such as are righteous walkers indeed, and do flee to Christ in a Covenant of Grace, and draw strength from him for the duties of new obedience, they will look only to Gods mercy, and not their own worth, for obtaining any reward; for, they look to reap in mercy. 7. Such as are thus brought in mer∣cies reverence, mercy will be bestowed on them; and mercy will be the carver of their portion, and its out-lettings will be like it self, and according to the promise; For, it is a promise, reap in mercy, or according to the mouth of mercy, that is, according to its verdict and sentence, and according to the proportion it shall carve out, and according to the promises which God in his mercy hath made and spoken. 8. Men can reap no fruit of any seem∣ing diligence, till their hearts, which are hard and unaccustom∣ed to any good, be manured and changed, and put in a new and fruitfull frame; Therefore is the other exhortation subjoyned, break up your fallow ground, where, in a Metaphor borrowed from plowing, they are tought, that their hearts are as wilde and unaccustomed to any good work, as land that is not in use of be∣ing plowed▪ is hard and ill to plow; and that therefore the more paines must be taken upon them, by humiliation, repentance and mortification, to get them put in a frame. 9. Misspent time in neglecting or refusing to seek God, ought to be redeemed and will be so by all them who are sensible of their own case; For, it is a reason of the exhortation, for it is time to seek the Lord, con∣sidering how long ye have neglected it. See 1 Pet. 4.3. 10. So

long as sinners are preserved, and invited to repentance, it is yet an acceptable time, if sinners will hearken; and such opportunities should not be neglected: Both these also are imported in this reason, that it was yet time, and that the opportunity would be laid hold on. 11. As sincere seekers, do seek God only, and to enjoy him, as their chief scope; So they will not give over, till he come; for they seek the Lord, and that till he come. 12. As they who seek the Lord sincerely and constantly, will not only finde him, but he will come over all impediments that they could not get over: (for, he cometh, and that maketh up the distance, notwithstanding all their seeking;) So his dispensations to them will be liberal and refreshful; For, he cometh and raineth righteousnesse, that is, liberally poureth out blessings, and refresheth them after all their toile, in their wanting and pursuing after him. 13. God will especially manifest his refreshful liberality toward his people, in performing his promises which they wait for, and many of them in a showre together, to compense long delayes; and in refreshing them under the shadow of Christs righteousnesse, (which is their chief hope,) and in the rich and ample fruits thereof; for, both these are imported in this righteousnesse, he will raine righteous∣nesse upon you, both his righteousnesse in faithful keeping of pro∣mise, and his imputed and gifted righteousnesse, which is wit∣nessed by the Law and the Prophets, Rom. 3.21, 22.