The calling of the Ievves A present to Iudah and the children of Israel that ioyned with him, and to Ioseph (the valiant tribe of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel that ioyned with him. The Lord giue them grace, that they may returne and seeke Iehovah their God, and Dauid their King, in these latter dayes. There is prefixed an epistle vnto them, written for their sake in the Hebrue tongue, and translated into English. Published by William Gouge, B. of D. and preacher of Gods word in Blackefryers. London.

CHAP. 13.

1. When Ephraim spake, there was trembling, hee lift vp himselfe in Israell: but so soone as he offended with Baal, hee died.

2. And now they b 1.1 sinne more and more, and make them a moulten Image, of their siluer, according to their vnderstand∣ing, c 1.2 Idoles, the worke of the Artificers, euery one of them: of them they say d 1.3 men that sacrifice, let them kisse the calues.

3. Therefore shall they be as a morning cloud, and as the dew e 1.4 dropping early, that goeth away: as the chaffe that is dri∣uen with a whirlewind out of the floore; and as the smoake out of the top of the chimnie.

4. But I am Iehovah thy God, euen from the land of E∣gypt: and God saue me, hast thou not knowne, neyther is there a Sauiour beside me.

5. I did know thee in the wildernesse: in the land f 1.5 of exceed∣ing drought.

6. As their pastures were, they were filled, assoone as they were filled, their heart was exalted: therefore did they forget me.

7. And I was vnto them as an old Lyon: as a Leopard in the way did I looke vpon them.

8. I met them as a Beare robbed of her whelpes, and I brake the g 1.6 fall of their heart: and I deuoured them there as a huge Lyon, as a beast of the field tearing them.

7. These things propounded, now hee doth amplifie

and enlarge each part: and first the sinnes of the Israelites: couetousnesse, Idolatrie, Pride. First extreame couetous∣nesse, in fraud and oppression.

8. Reiecting all honest meanes of comming by their wealth, and scorning whatsoeuer iumped not with their wicked desires.

9. Albeit God from the beginning had heaped bles∣sings manifoldly vpon them; which they ought to haue rested in, and not to flie vnto vnlawfull meanes.

10. Yea, not so onely, but had made ample and large promises of further fauours by his Prophets.

Both which doe adde to the vnworthinesse of their sinne.

11. Their second sinne is Idolatrie, wherein more thorowly to conuince their benummed consciences, the Prophet reasoneth with them in this sort: What? thinke you the men of Gilead, those beyond the riuer of Iordan, whom Tiglath Pileser spoyled, and led captiues, that they onely were guiltie of Idolatrie: and you not because you remaine at home vntouched of the Assyrian? Nay, saith he, the very entrance into the countrey, Gilgall it selfe, so a∣boundeth with Idolatrie, that it is not to be doubted, but in the rest of the parts of the kingdome, their altars are as thicke as furrowes in the field, that is to say, innumerable.

12. A horrible thing if it be well considered, that these two places should now become the nurceries of euill, which heretofore were the meanes of so great comfort to Gods people.

For Gilead serued as a sanctuarie vnto Iacob, when hee fled from Laban.

13. In Gilgall, God by Iosua renewed his couenant with your Fathers, after he had brought them out of Egypt, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

14. But notwithstanding all that, Israell hath so sinned as hath beene said, and prouoked Gods heauie indignati∣on: and therefore his bloud be vpon him, he shall remaine guiltie and subiect vnto punishment, and must be content

to take that, that commeth of it.

Notes

• b 1.1

  Adde to sin.
• c 1.2

  Bugges.
• d 1.3

  The sacrificert of men.
• e 1.4

  Earlying, as a man may say.
• f 1.5

  Of droughts
• g 1.6

  Shutting.