You shall sow in Righteousness

You shall sow in Righteousness.

Thus, Sow in Righteousness, it's a poor seed that we shall sow: now God does not say, you shall reap in Righteousness, but in Mercy, from the mouth of Mercy. You take out of the mouth of the sack, and sow, but your poor proportion that you sow, when you come to reap (if you be faithful) you shall reap according to the proportion of Mercy, what is fit for a merciful God to do, what is suitable to the infiniteness of my Mercy, so you shall reap, not suitable to what you do and your proportion, but look what is suitable to the infiniteness of my mercy that you shall reap. It was so towards the Jews, if their obedience was but external, yet they should have mercy beyond their outward obedience: but if it be applied to those that live in the times of the Gospel, indeed that which comes from you being so mixed as it is, is but poor, yet you may expect to reap, not according to what you do, but according to what may manifest the infinite mercy of an infinite God; every man that shall in the uprightness of his heart, that is never so weak, and is employed in very poor, and mean services, yet if their hearts be upright they shall not reap according to the meanness of the work, but look what glory and happiness is suitable for an infinite God in way of infinite Mercy to bestow, that they shall have in the mouth of Mercy, suitable to Mercy. Thus you have the meaning of the word.

Now observe: First, As a man sows so shall he reap; though he shall reap more than he sows, yet he shall reap in the same kind; if he sows wickedness, he shall not reap mercy; but he that sows righteousness, he shall reap mercy. It is a mocking of God, for men to think that though they sow wickedness yet they shall reap mercy, therefore says the Apostle in (Galatians 6:7). As a man sows, so shall he reap. God is not mocked, if you think to reap mercy when you sow wickedness, you mock God to his very face; if a man should go and sow tares and say, I shall have a good crop of wheat, would not you think that man mad, or he should think you a fool to tell you so and you believe him? So for you to think that either God or man should believe that you should have mercy when you sow not righteousness (I say) it is to mock God, and know, God is not mocked, for what a man sows, that shall he also reap, and the fruit shall be another manner of fruit, you shall rend that which shall be bound in bundles, and you bound together with it, and cast into unquenchable fire. But those that sow righteousness, there's never a seed of theirs shall be lost, they shall be recompensed for all their pains, and labor, and sufferings, for so says the Lord (Psalms 126:6), that those that sow in tears, they shall reap in joy, there shall be an assuring fruit to those that sow in righteousness, for righteousness it is the most precious thing in the world, if it be true Gospel righteousness, it is (I say) more worth, one right act is more worth than Heaven and Earth; God will not lose that seed, it's precious seed, there is more of God in one righteous act of a godly man than there is in all the works of creation and providence, (except Angels and Saints) than in all the whole frame of creation.

The reason is this, because in all the creation God's glory is there but passively, God works there and it is passively, and holds forth his glory. But now, when it comes to the righteous acts of the Saints, there is an active way of glorifying God, there's an act of God's life, there's an act of the very image of God, and the life of God, and the divine nature is there, and therefore there is more of God in the working of righteousness than in anything else besides.

Oh! let the Saints get a price upon the actions of righteousness, though there be much evil mingled, yet there's a great deal of the glory of God in every action. If we were but grounded in this principle it would make us abound in the work of the Lord; so in the morning and in the evening let not your hand rest, trust God with your seed, do not be deterred with this difficulty and the other, he that observes the wind (in Ecclesiastes 11) he shall not sow; and he that regards the clouds, he shall not reap. Is it a duty that God requires of you; do not think, Oh! but it's windy weather, and ill weather: no, but sow it, Sow it in righteousness, and commit it to God, and you shall reap. Oh! blessed are those who have sown much for God in their life time, Oh! the glorious harvest that these shall have, the very Angels shall help them to take in their harvest at the great day, and they need not take thought for barns, the very Heavens shall be their barns, and Oh the joy that there shall be in that harvest, and the Angels will help to sing the harvest song that they shall sing that have been sowers in righteousness. But the confusion of face which will be upon those that were not willing to endure difficulty in plowing and sowing, the sluggard will not plow because it's cold: and therefore shall beg in harvest, and shall have nothing: in harvest he will be crying for mercy, Lord, mercy now. But what fruits of righteousness? No fruits of righteousness, no mercy. Oh! Reap in Mercy, that's a very observable expression as we have in all the Book of God, not reap in righteousness, but reap in mercy.

From where our note is, that after all we do, yet we have need of mercy. Let us be the most plentiful in sowing the seeds of righteousness, yet we are unprofitable servants after we have done all.

It is true, an act of righteousness has much in it.

Yea, but it's Gods, so much as there is in it, it's bad, and after we have done all we had need come to God as beggars to cry for mercy; those men that have lived the most holy lives that ever men did live in this world, yet wo to them if they have not mercy; if they have not a Righteousness beyond their own, if mercy comes not in to plead for them, wo to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob if mercy comes not in to plead for them, if at the great day if they have nothing to tender up to God but their own righteousness they are certainly lost and undone for ever. All that we can do is infinitely unworthy of the Majesty of God, Oh! the text that you have in (1 Chronicles 29:14), when the people did offer so much to God for the building of his Tabernacle, mark how David was affected with it, Who am I (says David?) and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things came of you, and of your own have we given you. And when David in (1 Chronicles 22:14), when David had provided a thousand thousand talents of silver, and an hundred thousand talents of gold for the building of the Temple of God, besides brass and iron, without weight, yet when all comes to all, Out of my poverty have I offered this; so Arias Montanus turns it: in your books it is, In my trouble have I done this, but the same word that signifies trouble and affliction, signifies poverty likewise, and says David, after all this, yet in my poverty have I done this; whereas this was a mighty thing that was offered. I remember Sir Walter Rawlegh, it is in the 17th chapter of his 2nd Part, and 9th section, he reckons up the sum of what David did there prepare for the Temple of the Lord, and he makes it more than any King in the world is worth, he makes it to come to three thousand, three hundred and thirty, and three cart-load of silver, allowing two thousand weight of silver, or six thousand pound sterling, to every cartload; besides threescore and seventeen millions of French crowns: and yet when he had done all, Out of my poverty have I done this. As if he should say, Lord, what is this in respect of you who are the great God? If you will but accept of this, I shall be infinitely bound to you.

Oh my brethren, let us learn for ever after all our duties not to be proud, keep your hearts low and humble before God; has God enabled you to sow in righteousness? Our hearts are puffed up presently: Oh no, you must keep your heart still under. Alas! such is the proudness of our spirits, if we be but enlarged a little in prayer we are ready to be puffed up presently: Oh! what's this to the service that a creature owes to the blessed and eternal God? Had you spent all your days since you had any understanding, night and day in the work and service of God, had you been the greatest instrument of God's service that ever was in the world, yet you have cause to lie down at God's mercy-seat and cry, Mercy, Lord, Mercy for a poor wretched vile creature after you have done all, we are so unable to do any thing ourselves. It's an expression of Luther, The very act of thanksgiving is from God: and therefore be humbled, and cry, Grace, grace to all that has been: and let all public instruments not take too much upon them, but lie low, and there's a man that's worth his weight in gold, that can be an instrument of great and public work, and yet lie low before the Lord. Oh! did we but know God we would be so after our duties, we would be low.

There's a notable story I find concerning Cyprian when he came to suffer martyrdom, and (you will say) that was a great service, to lay down his life for God: in his last prayer he had these two expressions, which are remarkable in it. The first expression was this, Lord (says he) I am prepared to pour forth the very sacrifice of my blood for your name sake, yea, Lord, I am prepared here to suffer any torment whatever. You will say, Now surely this man might stand upon his terms with God. But he goes on: But when you do lift up your self to shake the earth, Lord (says he) under what clift of the rock shall I hide my self, to what mountain shall I speak even to fall upon me? As if he should say, Lord, though I be here ready to give up my body to be massacred for you, to give up my blood to be an offering, and to suffer any torment, yet when I consider what a God I have to do withal, if you should deal with me as I am in my self, Oh! I must cry to the rocks to cover me, and the hills to fall upon me. Oh! this should teach us to keep our hearts low and humble after we have done the greatest work whatever. I remember one of the German divines when he was full of fears and doubts, when he was to die: say some to him, You have been so employed, and have been so faithful, why should you fear? Oh! he gives this answer: The judgments of man and the judgments of God are different; I am to go before the great and all-seeing God: though it's true, God would not have us daunted with any terrible apprehensions of him, but yet he would have us be possessed with reverence so as to be humbled when we think what a God it is we have to do withal: you must reap in mercy, Oh! this shall be the song of the saints to all eternity, Mercy, Mercy: Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name be the praise.

And then the other note from that expression that we have there is, that God will give abundantly above our works. Oh! it's a point that has very much encouragement to poor troubled sinners that are low; raise up your faith, it's not what your work is, though it be low and mean, and though there be many failings in your work, yet is there uprightness, are they seeds of righteousness that you have sown, you shall reap according to what shall honor the mercy of an infinite God at last. I remember Alexander when he was giving a gift to a poor man, Oh! the poor man dared not receive it, it was too great: yes, but says he, though that be too great for you to receive, yet it is not too great for me to give. So I may say to poor souls, when they hear of the glorious promises to poor people, Oh! their hearts are ready to think, this is too good news to be true, it is too great a mercy for you to receive, as you are in yourself, but if God will give according to the proportion of his mercy, it is not too great for him to give.

Now that's the way that God will deal with those that are in Covenant with him, that have all their fruit to come from the seed of righteousness: Christ in the heart. I say there the Lord will deal according to the proportion of infinite grace.

Take this one meditation, that where there is any uprightness when you shall come to reap from God you shall reap so much from God as must manifest to all angels and saints to all eternity, what the infinite mercy of an infinite God can do, and that's enough one would think; the poorest Christian that does but the least for God when he comes to reap shall have a harvest that must manifest the infinite riches of the infinite mercy of God, and what he is able to do for the raising up of a creature to glory. Comfort yourself in this, in your poor low condition in which you are, and in the performing of your poor services. Thus for the manner of the phrase.