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.

Verse 9. For lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is lifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.

This promise is further confirmed and illustrate from a similitude, Wherein is declared, that as men when they sift and winnow corne to put away the chaffe, will not lose any of the good grain; So however their Kingdom was to cease, and the people to be scattered into captivity, and tossed with wandering, yet he will not lose his elect, and a remnant. The meaning of this is not that in dis∣pensing these calamlties, he would put a visible difference betwixt the elect and reprobate; for as no doubt many elect ones perish by the sword in their own land, as well as others, so the elect who went into captivity with the rest were tossed as well as they, as the similitude holds forth. But the meaning is, that he will so by his provi∣dence order their scattering, as none of his elect shall perish eternally, and so as he will not lose a remnant of that people, out of whom his elect are to spring in due time, and whom he will make as good grain, to grow up to a fair harvest, and become a glorious Church to him.

Doct. 1. Captivity and scattering and wandering a∣mong strange Nations, is a sad and sharp trial, where∣with they may be exercised who escape the fury of an e∣nemies sword; for, such is their trial here, I will sift the house of Israel among all Nations. 2. It is the Lords hand which is to be looked unto and acknowledged in the exile and scattering of his sinful people, And it should not passe without an especial remark, that he prosecutes his controversie so, and that he makes all meanes so effec∣tual for driveing them from their enjoyments into exile, and for their disquiet and tossing in it; Therefore saith he, Lo, I will command, and I will sift, &c. 3. Such sad lots as these coming upon the Lords people, are for sift∣ing of them: Thereby the Lord doth narrowly try, and bring out what drosse and chaffe, and what soundnesse and sincerity is in every mans bosome, Luk. 22.31. and thereby also he lets out the winde of his displeasure upon the light and empty chaffe of wicked men, that abound among his people in the day of their prosperity; and doth refine and purge his people, and fit them for, and give them especial proofes of his favour and love: Therefore, saith he, I will sift the house of Israel, like as corne is sifted in a sieve. 4. Albeit these who are elect, yea and actually converted, may go into captivity with others, that so the unconverted may be drawen thereby, as by other meanes, to seek him, and the converted may be sifted and purged from drosse; Yet God by none of his dispensations will lose any even the meanest of them who are his elect, or of them who have really turned to him; for, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth, or be lost and perish. The word in the Original, is a stone, and it may be the good grain gets this name from its weight, in opposition to the light chaffe. 5. The reason why the Lord will not suffer all Israel to be lost in their dispersion, is because (whatever they were at their rejection, or be for present, yet) he hath many precious elect ones and heirs of glory to come out of their loins, and because he will reserve a seed of a glorious Church of that Nation: And this is the look we should take of their subsistence under their deso∣late condition, and notwithstanding their long continu∣ed in blindnesse and ignorance; for, so much also is im∣ported here, as is before explained. 6. God is sufficient

to secure intended mercies unto his people, and to per∣forme his promises, in times of saddest shaking; for, he undertakes this for Israel, that hnwever he sift and shake them, yet certainly he wil not lose so much as the least grain.