An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Secondly, All the ten Tribes were joined to Idols, why then Exposit. 2 is Ephraim named rather than any of the other? The reason is this, because that Jeroboam and the Princes were all of the tribe of Ephraim, and therefore all is put upon them. He doth not say the ten Tribes are joined to Idols, but Ephraim is, because indeed the Idolatry of all the other nine Tribes was from the Idolatry of Jeroboam and the Princes that were of the Tribe of Ephraim. From whence another Note is this, That,

Secondly, All the ten Tribes were joined to Idols, why then Exposit. 2 is Ephraim named rather than any of the other? The reason is this, because that Jeroboam and the Princes were all of the tribe of Ephraim, and therefore all is put upon them. He doth not say the ten Tribes are joyned to Idols, but Ephraim is, because indeed the Idolatry of all the other nine Tribes was from the Idolatry of Jeroboam and the Princes that were of the Tribe of Ephraim. From whence another Note is this, That,

The Governors of people are usually the causes of the evil of the Obs. 2 people, and especially in the point of false worship. If Governors be superstitious and Idolaters, if they will favour Idolatry, all the people usually or the generality of them will go that way. They contract the guilt of the Idolatry of all the false worship of the people. Ephraim doth, Jeroboam and the Princes that were of that Tribe contracts all the guilt of the Idolatry of all the ten Tribes, therefore it is said Ephraim only, as if only Ephraim was joined to Idols. Governors therefore that are superstitious and Idolatrous have woeful guilt upon them, and we have cause to lament their condition exceedingly. We read in that second of Matthew where the wise men came to enquire after the King of the Jews, they came from a far Country, they said they had seen his star and they desired to know where the place was that he should be born in: It was a mighty work, & such a work as did trouble Herod, and all Jerusalem with him was in a mighty trouble what this should be, a strange thing, that such wise men should come so far, from a far Country, and tell us of a star that appeared, and that a King of the Jews should be born, all the people were troubled together with the King, so as that they called a counsel of all the chief Priests and the Scribes and such as were expert in the Law, to know where Christ should be born, and this Counsel told them that the place was to be in Bethlehem, and upon that the wise men according to their direction or according to the star,