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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, 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, 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.