CHAPTER XVII: Upon reaping the same we sow
Betwixt eternal things, And those poor transient things of sense, That fly with eagle's wings,
CHAPTER XVII
Upon reaping the same we sow When from tare-seeds you see choice wheat to grow, Then from your lusts may joy and comfort flow.
OBSERVATION
GOD gives to every seed its own body, 1 Cor. 15:38. At first he created every tree and herb of the field having its seed in itself, for the conservation of their species, and they all inviolably observe the law of their creation. All fruits naturally rise out of the seeds and roots proper to them. "Men do not gather grapes of thorns, nor figs of thistles:" such productions would be monstrous in nature; and although the juice or sap of the earth be the common matter of all kind of fruits, yet it is specificated according to the different sorts of plants and seeds it nourishes. Where wheat is sown it is turned into wheat; in an apple-tree, it becomes an apple; and so in every sort of plants or seeds, it is concocted into fruit proper to the kind.
APPLICATION
TRANSLATE this into spirituals, and the proposition shadowed forth by it, is fully expressed by the apostle, Gal. 6:7, 8. "What a man sows, that shall he reap: They that sow to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; and they that sow to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting." And as sure as the harvest follows the seed-time, so sure shall such fruits and effects result from the seeds of such actions. "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity," Prov. 22:8. "And they that now go forth weeping, and bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them," Psal. 126:6.
The sum of all this is, that our present actions have the same respect and relation to future rewards and punishments, as the seed we sow in our fields hath to the harvest we reap from it. Every gracious action is the seed of joy; and every sinful action the seed of anguish and sorrow to the soul that soweth it. Two things are sensibly presented to us in this similitude.
1. That as the seed sown is presently covered from our sight under the clods, and for some time after we see no more of it, and yet at last it appears again; by which it is evident to us that it is not finally lost:
So our present actions, though physically transient, and perhaps forgotten, yet are not lost, but after a time shall appear again, in order to a retribution.
If this were not so, all good and holy actions would be to the loss of him that performed them. All the self-denial, spending duties, and sharp sufferings of the people of God, would turn to their damage, though not in point of honesty, yet in point of personal utility; and then also, what difference would there be betwixt the actions of a man and a beast, with respect to future good or evil? Yea, man would then be more feared and obeyed than God, and all souls be swayed in their motions, only by the influence of present things: And where then would religion be found in the world? It is an excellent note of Drexellius; 'Our works (saith he) do not pass away as soon as they are done, but as seed sown, shall, after a time, rise up to all eternity:
Whatever we think, speak, or do, once spoken, thought, or done, is eternal, and abides for ever.'
What Zeuxus, the famous limner, said of his work, may be truly said of all our works; Æternitati pingo,—I paint for eternity. O, how careful should men be of what they speak and do whilst they are commanded so to speak and so to do, as those that shall be judged by the perfect law of liberty! James 2:12. What more transient than a vain word? And yet for such words men shall give an account in the day of judgment, Matth. 12:36. That is the first thing: Actions, like seed, shall rise and appear again in order to a retribution.
2. The other thing held forth in this similitude is, that according to the nature of our actions now, will be the fruit and reward of them then. Though the fruit or consequence of holy actions, for the present may seem bitter, and the fruit of sinful actions, sweet and pleasant; yet there is nothing more certain than that their future fruits shall be according to their present nature and quality, 2 Cor. 5:10. Then
Dionysius shall retract that saying, Ecce quam prospera navigatio a Deo datur sacrilegis, Behold how God favours our sacrileges!
Sometimes indeed (though but rarely) God causes sinners to reap in this world the same that they have sown; as hath been their sin, such hath been their punishment.* It was openly confesed by Adonibezek,
Judg. 1:7. "As I have done, so hath God requited me."
Socrates, in his church history, furnishes us with a pertinent passage to this purpose, concerning Valens the Emperor, who was an Arian, and a bitter persecutor of the Christians: This man, when, eighty of the orthodox Christians sailed from Constantinople to Nicomeda, to treat with him about the points of Arianism, and to settle the matter by way of dispute; the emperor hearing of their arrival, while they were yet in the harbour, and not a man landed, caused the ships to be fired wherein they were, and so consumed them all. Not long after, in his wars against the Goths, he was overthrown; and hiding himself in a little cottage, the enemy coming by, burnt it and him together.
Thus this wretch reaped what he sowed, burning for burning, the very same in kind paid him again. It is not always so in this world; but so it shall be in that to come: The tables shall then be turned, and the scene altered; for shall not the Judge of all the world do righteously?* Diogenes was tempted to think, that God had cast off the government of the world when he saw the wicked prosper in their wickedness. On the same ground many have been tempted to Atheism; but then the world shall see distributive justice shining out in its glory, "Tribulation, anguish, and wrath to every soul of man that doth evil; but glory, honour, and peace? to every man that worketh good," Rom. 2:9, 10. Then it will appear what seed we sowed, what lives we lived; "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil," Eccles.
12:14.
REFLECTIONS
1. This meditation may be to me what the hand-writing upon the wall was to that profane prince, Dan. 5:5, 6. and a like effect it should have upon me; for if all the actions of this life be seed sown for the next, Lord, what a crop, what a dreadful harvest am I like to have!
How many oaths and curses, lies and vain words have I sown with my tongue! How have I wronged, oppressed, and over-reached in my dealings! Rushed into all profaneness, drunkenness, uncleanness, sabbath-breaking, &c. "as the horse rusheth into the battle!" And what shall I reap from such seed as this but vengeance and fury!
These sins seemed pleasant in the commission, but, oh! how bitter will it be on their account? "What shall I do when God riseth up; and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?" Job 31:14. Is it not reasonable and just, O my soul! that thou shouldest eat the fruit of thine own planting, and reap what thou hast sown? I thought nothing but profit and pleasure would spring from my lust: but now I
see it is a root bearing gall and wormwood, Deut. 29:18. Wretched soul; what shall I do? By these actions I am undone. I have been the author of mine own ruin, twisted an halter with mine own fingers for the execution of mine own soul: Oh! let me rather taste the bitterness of sin, by repentance now, than enjoy its present pleasures which betray the soul to endless wrath!
2. How have I also been deceived in this matter? I verily thought that glory and immortality would have been the fruit and product of my moral honesty and righteousness; that joy and peace had been seminally contained in those actions; but now I see such fruit can spring from no other root but special grace. Glory is disclosed from no other bud but holiness. Alas! all my planting and sowing was to little purpose, because I sowed not the right kind of seed; the best fruit I can expect from this is but a lesser degree of damnation.
Deluded soul! thy seed is no better than what the moral heathens sowed: And do I expect better fruit than what they reaped? Civility without Christ, is but a free slavery; and Satan holds me as fast in captivity by this, as he doth the profane by the pleasure of their lusts:
Either I must sow better seed, or look to reap bitter fruit.
3. Mean while, bless the Lord, O my soul! who enabled thee to sow better seed; who kept thee watching, humbling thyself, and praying, whilst others have been swearing, drinking and blaspheming. This will yield thee fruit of joy in the world to come; yea, it yields present peace to thy conscience. These revenues are better than gold, sweeter than the honey, and the honeycomb; not that such fruits are meritoriously contained in these actions; I sow to myself in righteousness, but I reap in mercy, Hos. 10:12. This is the way in which God will save and glorify me. O then, let me be ever abounding
in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.
THE POEM 'TWOULD be a strange and monstrous thing to see Cherries or plumbs grow on an apple-tree.
Whoever gather'd from the thistle figs?
Or fruitless grapes from off the worthless twigs Of pricking thorns? In nature still we find
All its productions answering to their kind.
As are the plants we set, or seeds we sow, Such is the fruit we shake, and corn we mow:
And canst thou think, that from corruption's root Thy soul shall pluck the sweet and pleasant fruit
Of spiritual peace! Whoever that was wise, Abus'd himself with such absurdities?
Look what you sow, the very same you'll reap, The fruit of what you plant, be sure you'll eat,
How are they baffled by a subtile devil, Who hope for heaven, whilst their ways are evil?
Such reasonings here their credulous souls beguile, At which, in other things, themselves would smile.
Our present acts, though slightly passed by, Are so much seed sown for eternity.
The seeds of prayers, secret groans and tears, Will shoot at last into the full-blown ears
Of peace and joy. Blessed are they that sow Beside these waters, yea, thrice bless'd, that go
Bearing such precious seed: Though now they mourn, With joyful sheaves they shortly shall return.
Needs must the full-ripe fruits in heaven be good, When as the seed was glory in the bud.
But oh! the bitter, baneful fruits of sin, When all the pleasures sinners have therein,
Like faded blossoms to the ground shall fall, Then they will taste the wormwood and the gall!
What God and conscience now of sin report, You slight, and with their dreadful threat'nings sport: