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

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,¹ went to find out the place; But mark, you do not read of any one of all the people of Jerusalem that went with the wise men; Although they were stirred at it and thought it a ⟨p. 199⟩wonderful work that a star should thus appear, and that these wise men should come and enquire for the King of the Jews, and that their own Teachers should tell them that he was to be born at Bethlehem and thereupon they went to Bethlehem to search it out, yet (I say) we do not read that any of the people went with them; No, they durst not because of Herod, Herod that was then their Prince he did not frame that way, and therefore not one of the people would follow after the wise men to search after Christ. So it is usual, that when Governors discountenance the ways of God, the people generally do as they do;

The Governours of people are usually the causes of the evil of the Obs. 2 people, and especially in the point of false worship. If Governours be superstitious and Idolaters, if they will favour Idolatry, all the people usually or the generallity 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 joyned to Idols. Governours therefore that are superstitious and Idolatrous have woful guilt upon them, and we have cause to lament their condition exceedingly. We reade in that second of Matthew where the wise men came to enquire after the King of the Jews, they came from a far Countrey, 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 al 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,