And Judah shall plow

And Judah shall plow.

That is, Judah shall take pains and go through many difficulties in the ways of my worship, and shall suffer much while Ephraim lives delicately for a long time, yet Judah suffered more difficulty, Judah suffered much more difficulty and hardship than the ten tribes did. And I think that this Scripture has reference to those two Scriptures that we find, the first is in 2 Kings 18, from verse 3 to verse 9, and the other Scripture is in 2 Chronicles 28:6. Judah shall plow and be kept in a great deal of hardship in that time when Ephraim was so frolic as he was. In 2 Kings 18 you shall find the great Reformation that Hezekiah made in the worship of God in Judah and Jerusalem. And then for his suffering that you have in 2 Chronicles 28:6 and 2 Kings 14:13. In 2 Chronicles 28:6 it is said, that Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men. It's a very strange Scripture, Israel, the ten tribes they were worse than Judah: Israel forsook the true worship of God; Judah kept themselves to the true worship; and yet God let Israel so prosper that they did prevail against Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, so as to slay in one day an hundred and twenty thousand valiant men. Oh! what crying and shrieking was there in the country then, that of two tribes an hundred and twenty thousand valiant men should be slain in one day. We think it's a dreadful battle to have three thousand slain in the field, but here's a battle of an hundred and twenty thousand slain in one day, and that of two tribes. And in 2 Kings 14:13, Hoshea King of Israel took Amaziah King of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, etc. Here they were put to a great deal of trouble even by Ephraim; Judah and Benjamin those two tribes that kept to the worship of God were put to a great deal of afflictions by Ephraim (the ten tribes) that did forsake the worship of God. In the forenamed place (2 Kings 18) there you may see how these reformed, and yet they suffered much difficulty. Strange are the counsels of God concerning men.

For the first, that Judah is said to plow — that is, they shall endure a great deal of trouble in the reforming what is amiss among them. From where our note is this:

That it is an honor for men to labor and go through difficulties for God while others are laboring for taking their ease. Be not troubled that you see other people can take liberty to themselves to provide for their estates and comings in, and to live bravely. Does God give you a heart in the mean time to be willing to go through hard work for God? Envy not at them, you are in the better condition, you are plowing for God; while they are providing for their own ease, you are doing God service, and they are only providing for themselves. Oh! you are far the happier man, the happier woman.

And then in the second place, take the plowing for the hard things they suffered for God, as well as the hard things they did for God. Then the note of observation is this:

Let no men boast they live more at ease than others. Others suffer more hardship than you; do not think that God loves you more than others. God loved Judah at this time more than Ephraim, and yet Ephraim lived bravely, and prevailed over Judah, and Judah was brought under in such a manner as this; Judah was God's true church, and Israel did apostatize from God, and yet one had more outward prosperity than the other. Thus many times those upon whom God's heart is more set, they suffer hard afflictions; and those that God's heart is not so much upon, they enjoy their prosperity.

Oh! I beseech you consider of this point; for at this day, how many of our brethren in the western parts, Oh! the plowers have plowed deep furrows upon their backs, while we have been here (as it were) treading out the corn. Let not us think that God loves us more than them, they may be more dear to God than we; Judah was far more dear to God than Israel, and yet Israel must live jocundly and bravely.

Oh! consider of this, you that are of greater rank, all your life is treading out the corn. You see your poor neighbors endure much hardship. Oh, think not that you are higher in God's thoughts than they; they may be more dear to God than you, and yet they may be put to difficulties, and you may live bravely all your lives.

But that which may seem to weaken this note is only this: namely, they shall plow. But the Hebrews do ordinarily make use of the tenses, the future and the preter promiscuously; but if you put it to the future, that they shall plow hereafter, they interpret it to signify the captivity of Judah, that they shall be carried into captivity, and so be brought under by the Babylonians. Yes, but,