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The watch-man of Ephraim was with my God: but the Prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies, and hatred in the House of his God.
IN this, and the former Verse God charges (as the cause of much evil in Israel) the false Prophets, but yet through the Peoples sin, for it was through the multitude of their wickedness that they were so guided by those false Pro∣phets, whom they followed in times of their prosperity. But God would have a time wherein they should know
they were but fools, and the spiritual man but mad. And this was likewise because of their great hatred, the great hatred of the the true Prophets, their spirits were against them, and therefore God gave them up to those that were false: the same argument follows here in the eigth verse, The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the Prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his waies, and hatred in the house of his God.
Such who profess themselves watchmen, that take upon themselves glorious titles, Prophets and Ministers of God are called watchmen: and these made great profession that they would be as careful to foresee, and labor as much to prevent danger to the People as any of them all, they pro∣fest to be very useful unto the people, and to be as much for God as any,* 1.1 but they were a snare; and this title of theirs, and this profession of theirs proved to be a snare unto the people. Many vile things are hidden under fair and glorious titles, as many excellent things are disgraced under base and ignominious titles: You know what a deal of evil was lately covered among us by names and titles, as the Clergie, and the Church; and likewise what abundance of good had dirt cast upon it by titles, as Conventicles, and Puritans, and the like; and now the titles of things may be changed into others, but may be as dangerous some other way, as formerly these titles were both one way and the other: Let people for ever take heed of titles and examin what lies under them, be not led away one way nor other, either by fair or specious titles, or by ignominious titles; Ordinarilie people that do not examin things to the bot∣tom, they are taken with names and titles. But somewhat of these heretofore.
The people of Israel, the ten Tribes they had no mind to the true watchmen, because they threatned hard things a∣gainst them, they were willing to close with any others that would preach more pleasing things, so they might set one against another, and this quieted them; although the truth was, that these watchmen were a most grievous snare to them.
Thus many who have carnal hearts,* 1.2 and are not able to bear the evincing and threatning power of the Word in the mouths of the true watchmen, of faithful Ministers, they seek to help themselves by the opinions & judgments of other Ministers, and so think they are safe when they have the opinion and judgment of some that are learned, and have repute of godliness too, for so certainly these watchmen had here; and then they can set the opinion and judgment of one, against the opinion and judgment of the other, they think they are safe now and may be quiet, yet this proves a dangerous snare.
When there is cleer conviction of a truth,* 1.3 it is a dangerous thing out of a lothness to yeeld to that, to seek the opinions of others. I confess when a man hath the opinion and judgments, and if out of love to the truth that he might be confirmed in the Truth, or that he might know fully what the Truth is, for him to seek help from others is a good thing; but if out of distast to a Truth, if because the heart is weary of it, and would fain not have it to be true, because it may bring some trouble, upon that ground he goes to seek the opinion of some other, and hopes before he goes that he shall find the opinion of others to be contrary, and so he may have some∣thing to quiet his spirit; this is a great snare to the souls of those that have been guilty of it.
The Watch-man of Ephraim: Ephraim had Watch-men as well as Judah.
No cause so ill but will have some in the place of Watch-men that have the repute of wise,* 1.4 learned, and judicious men to main∣tain it.
They professed more than ordinarie judgment in the knowledg of Gods mind, and acquaintance with the waies of God, and yet they were snares to the people. Whence observe:
Every man in his erronious opinion doth pretend to be with God,* 1.5 and for God; and without this indeed he could never be a snare to those that profess themselves to be the people of God.
It must needs be a great grief to those who have the true know∣ledg of God,* 1.6 and indeed have interest in him, to see others who are false to maintain that which is evil; and yet to pretend to God, as if they were for God, and for the glory of God, and to set up God as much as any. The Prophet seems to speak in grief and trouble, these Watch-men of Ephraim, those among the ten Tribes, they will pretend to be for God, to be for my God.
Vatablus hath a further Note upon this,* 1.7 (saith he) E∣phraim made to himself a Watch-man, and would hear him, and would hear them together with his God, like mad-men would hear them together with God, and so they would worship Idols and God too, they would seem to respect the true Prophets and false Prophet, both which is a meer madness, (thus he.)
They would not wholly depart from God,* 1.8 and yet they would maintain false worship, they would mingle both together.
That is, he catches poor simple deluded souls as a Fow∣ler catches the bird with casting baits that are pleasing un∣to the bird,* 1.9 hiding from the bird the snare that presently comes upon it: so saith he, the Watchmen of Ephraim do thus, First they come to the people with very fair and spe∣cious things, and labor to drop in those principles, and do not discover what inferences they intend to make of them afterwards, they do not discover what designs they have, and what their scope is, for the present they come to them, and desire them to yeeld to such things that seem to be as fair as any thing in the world, and with much pretence that it is only for their good, and they intend nothing but good, now when they have brought them to yeeld to such things, they know that there are some infe∣rences to be brought from those things that will make them to yeeld to other things, which had they been pre∣sented to them at first, they would never have yeelded to, but the inferences lay at a distance as the snare doth, and they not seeing what would follow they are brought to yield to such things, that afterwards they cannot tell how in the world to avoid, but they must yeeld to further things: thus the Watchman is as a snare of a Fowler, that laies things that seem to be very plausible at first, but intend afterwards to bring the people to yeeld to other things that would be abhorred if at first they were presented to them.
Good people,* 1.10 as long as you live take heed of the snares of Watch-men in this kind. God would not have you
submit to any thing, nor do any thing but out of faith.
You must understand the ground from Scripture,* 1.11 and especially in the matters of Gods Worship before you yeeld and submit to any thing, for otherwise though things may seem to be very fair at first, yet they may prove to be but snares before you are aware. Again
And hatred in the house of God.* 1.12
First, This Watch-man is an object of Gods hatred, in Gods [ 1] House; wicked Officers in the Church bringing in their superstition, and importuning and urging the delusions of their own hearts, seeking to comply with the times to pre∣serve themselves in credit and esteem, and enjoyment of their livings, they are an object of Gods hatred, these were the Watch-men that did comply with the times and sought their own ends, they were the object of the hatred of God; no people in the world whom God doth hate more than such kind of Watch-men in his House. And at this day we see how God hath cast shame and loathsom∣ness in the faces of such. They are hatred by way of ex∣clamation: ô rem odiosamit abominandam domo Dei. Oh hideous and abominable thing that such Watch-men should be pertaining to the Sanctuary.
Or otherwise by way of efficiency, Watchmen are hatred, [ 2] that is, they cause hatred, they cause my people to hate the true Prophets, and the Servants of God that would worship God in his own way; and indeed, there are no men in the world that are such causes of the hatred of the faithful Ministers of God, the Saints of God, as wicked Watchmen are, Who are the men that do stir up hatred and persecution against the Saints and People of God in former times, but evil and wicked Ministers?
But now,* 1.13 Wherein doth the false Prophets seem to be enveigh∣ed against?
I find some (and I confess not▪* 1.14 without som probability) understand all these of the true Prophets,* 1.15 and then the sense will run thus; You accounted the Prophets of the Lord, who declared the mind of the Lord faithfully to you, to be no other than fools and mad-men, but you shall know that they were no fools, that they were no mad∣men;* 1.16 so I find in 2 King 9. 11. Wherefore came this mad fel∣low in? saith the Captain of Jehu, and in 2 Chron 36. 16. They mocked the Prophets and Messengers of God.* 1.17 Here it is thought Ezekiels friends and acquaintance bound him, as thinking him mad, chap. 3. 5. And so we reade in the Go∣spel of Christs kins-folks, they laid hands upon him as thinking him to be mad; and so Paul in 2 Cor. 5. 13. Whe∣ther we be besides our selves, it is to God. The true Prophets were thought to be as fools and mad-men, and they were scorned and contemned as those that were spiritual mad∣men; but saith the Lord, they shall know in the time of their visitation whether they were thus or no: you shall find by your woful experience that these were no such mad-men as you thought them to be. And in time of af∣fliction men have more honorable esteem of the true Pro∣phets of God than at other times, those that were jeered at before, Oh! they were so wise, so precise and holy, and such tender consciences! Now they shall know how vain their thoughts were of them, when Gods hand is upon such men as jeer at the Ministers of God for being so holy and the like, yet when the hand of God hath been upon them, they have sent for these men to pray for them above any men.* 1.18 So we reade of the people of Antioch, though many of them did give their hands for the banishment of Chryso∣stom, yet being terrified by an Earthquake, immediately sent for him again. And so in Job, 33. 23. speaking of the time of affliction, If there be a messenger with him, an Interpre∣ter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness. But further,
If you understand it of the true Prophets, the sense will run thus, You shall know in the time of your visitation, whether they were mad men and fools or no; it was upon the multitude of your iniquity and great hatred that you accounted them so, to be such fools and mad-men before, it was because of the Malignity of your spirits and the ha∣tred against the right waies of God; you had many excep∣tions against them, but the truth is, you saw nothing, but the Malignity of your hearts lay at the bottom, you ac∣counted them fools and mad-men because of the multitude of your iniquities. Men who are not so able to judg of things sometimes in controversie, yet they may have this rule to help them to judg of Ministers and of their cause, (who they are that are most like to be in the truth) by this rule,
What is the side that men incline most to as they grow most in godliness?* 1.19 And what side men incline most unto, as they grow more loose and formal in their waies?
Consider of that, If there be a Side or Partie, you are not able to judge which is in the truth, there's some good men on one side, and some of the other; but you being weak and not able to examine the ground of things, take this Rule as a help: What is the Side that men most en∣cline to as they grow in godliness? And what side is that that men most cleave to as they grow most loose and most formal in their way and profiting? When (I say) men whose multitude of iniquities encrease, and according to the encrease of the multitude of their iniquities, so they encline to a Party; I cannot but be the more suspicious of it, when I see the other way that the most consciencious men are, and the more the fear of God prevails in them, and the more strict they grow in their waies, they do more
encline to another side; I cannot but think that there may be much of God there.* 1.20 And yet it's true, that the greatest Hereticks that ever were have pretended great holiness, that must be granted too. But still, if this opinion were not of God, those that did indeed grow up in true holiness, the more holy they were, the less did they savour that way, though it had never such a pretence of holines. And if it be but a pretence of holiness and not true, then certainly the more loose and formal professors grow, the more wil they close with that way (if it be but a pretence;) so it is here, their hearts were taken off from the true Prophets of God through the multitude of their iniquities; the more they grew to loosness the more were their hearts taken off from the true Prophets of God.
Still take it as concerning the true Prophets, that is, E∣ven Ephraim wanted not watchmen to shew them their dan∣ger in departing from God; though the ten Tribes did de∣cline from God, yet such was Gods goodness to them as they had watchmen that were faithful even among them.
That is, They had such Whatch-men as lookt upon God, as having to deal with God and not with men, as sent from God, as pleading for God, and hence they could not be taken off from their way, either by threats or flat∣tery, they might have have had preferment as well as o∣thers, they needed not have been the But of the hatred and malice of men no more than others, if they would have done as others did. No, but they were with my God, the fear of the great God was upon their spirits, and they da∣red not do as others did, they resolved to be faithful with God, to approve themselves to God, come of it what
would come they went on in their way, they left their means, and estates, and liberties, and lives, and all to God, it was for God to provide for them, it was for them to look to it that they did continue faithful to God. And thus the sense runs, If they were the true Prophets that were a∣mong the ten Tribes, then it is as an aggravation of the sins of the ten Tribes, that though they had many false Prophets, yet they had Watch-men that did continue faith∣full with God.
Those who have interest in God they rejoyce when they see faithful Ministers of God keep close to God,* 1.21 to set up God in all their waies, when they see them not to be set upon their own designs, not to warp this way or that way, but to make it to be their bent and aim to set up God, and to bring men to the knowledg of God, Oh! they rejoyce in this. So the Prophet speakes with a joy, (if it be spoken of the true Watchmen) Oh! blessed be God that yet not∣withstanding all the defection of the times and corrupti∣ons that there were, yet that there were Watch-men a∣mong Ephraim that were faithful with God, Oh they had no other designs but to set up God, and were willing to de∣ny themselves in any thing so be it they might bring souls to God, thus the Prophet rejoyces.
And certainly it's a great deal of joy for the Saints to see Ministers of God to have clean spirits this way, to have no designs of their own, but to set up the honor of God a∣mong people. But even these Prophets as faithful as they were, yet they were accounted no other than a snare of a Fowler, and are even hatred in the house of their God, they are accused of being politick subtil men, who have cunning plots and reaches to set up their own way, that they are as bad as Jesuites, and such kind of Aspersions as these are the Devil casts upon them, and gets many good
people to drink in these things, and those who, otherwise were accounted Godly and of great use in the house of their God are now become even hatred in the house of their God, the Devil hath so prevail'd to bespatter and a∣sperse them with such stories about them and reports of them as even these men that were the most faithful with their God,* 1.22 yet now are lookt upon as the troublers of the times, and as snares to people, and are even hatred in the house of their God, even by many people that otherwise have good affections: no way doth the Devil drive on his own designs more efficaciously than by this, Then by ma∣king the most painful,* 1.23 faithful, zealous Ministers of God to become even hatred in the house of their God, even a∣mong good people that are professors of Godliness. Thus Jer. 18. 22. They have digged a pit to take me, and laid snares for my feet. Isa. 29. 21. They lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate.
Further, Hatred in the House of his God. (Understand it still of the true Prophets) And then the sense further goes thus: Yet he continues in the house of his God, here he makes this his encouragement, that he is in the house of his God, he is in Gods work though he be hated for it. Gods Ministers they should not be offended though they find the like dealings among the professors of Religion, yet still they should continue in their work and imployment with all faithfulness that God sets them about, and then all a∣spersions will wipe off in time, they will vanish and come to nothing.
Calvin carries the sense of this somewhat different from what hath been said,* 1.24 in a middle way between both, and if not according to the full scope, yet it comes very neer, thus he takes it; he takes the former part of the verse for true Prophets, and the latter part of the verse for the false Prophets, as if he should have said thus: There was a time that Ephraim had Watchmen with my God, and with his people, they had Elisha, and Elijah, but now the Prophet
is a snare of a Fowler, and hatred, in the house of my God. This is a woful change in places where people have had Watch-men that were godly, wise, zealous, faithful with God, but now these are gone, they are dead, many of them are banished, and many are with God in Heaven, and they have others now among them, as a just Judgment of God who are a snare to them, and hatred in the house of God, others who do succeed these blessed servants of God that are gone, they are like storms, and tempests, that do succeed fair and Sun-shine weather, and if we take it thus for both, the true Prophets in the former part of the verse, and the false Prophets in the other; then there is a special emphasis in the change of the phrase [my God; and his God] the Watch-man with my God, and hatred in the house of his God; the God of the true Watch-men, and the God of the false Prophets are not the same: those who pretend to worship God, and yet worship him in a false way, they worship another God, they have not the same God; and no mervail though there is hatred between true Prophets and false then; they must needs have hatred one against another who have divers Gods, My God, and His God, and yet both pretended to be for the same God.
Yea, but saith the Prophet here, No, whatsoever their pretences are, they teach people the Worship of God not in a right way, God is not their God: And who they are that have most interest in God, let God Himself judge; not by giving the one more of the favour of the times than the other; for the false Prophets had more of this now: but 1. By the most appearing of the Spirit of God in men. 2. By the witness of mens consciences when they are going to ap∣pear before God. And 3. By what Christ shall own at his appearing. Oh! that I could tell how to sweeten these times I speak unto you of. God by providence hath cast me upon this Scripture. I know not how to give you the mind of God in this Prophesie by being thus plain.
Only one Note by the way that Arias Montanus hath up∣on the words,* 1.25 saith he, This Phrase, Hatred in the house of his God; it's taken from such men as live in some great fa∣milies, and seem'd to have a great deal of power with their Lords, and abuse the power they have with their Lord, being continually by his table & bed side, they are a means to cause a great deal of hatred, and at length to undo o∣thers and themselves: So these Prophets are just like these men, they are in the house of God, and seem to have much intimacie with God in his House; but the truth is, they a∣buse this their intimacie to the hurt of themselves and to the hurt of others. And thus much for the Explication of the Eighth Verse. It follows.
Obs. 1.
Expos.
Obs. 2▪
Obs. 3.
Obs. 4.
Obs. 5.
Vatablus Ephraim fecit sibi speculato∣rum, id est pseudopro∣phetas eos∣que vult audire si∣mul cum Deo suo, audire & colere tam Idola quam Deum, tam falsos quam veros prophetas quae est mera insania.
Obs. 6.
Expos.
Applic.
Obs. 7.
Obs. 8.
Quest.
Answ.
Expos. 1.
2 King. 19▪ 11.
2 Chron. 36. 16.
Chrysostom▪ Theodoret. lib. 5. cap. 34.
A Rule to help cōmon people to judge of Ministers▪ & of their cause.
A Caution to the Rule▪
Obser.
Aspersion on good Ministers.
What Sa∣tans great design is.
Calvin. in loc.
Ar. Mon∣tan. in loc. Dicta est oratio ex similitudi∣ne eorum qui in magna fa∣miliâ apud Dominum plurimum posse vi∣dentur &c.