A brief exposition on the XII. smal prophets: the first volume containing an exposition on the prophecies of Hosea, Joel, & Amos. By George Hutcheson, minister at Edenburgh.

Vers. 8. Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people, Ephraim is a cake not turned.

The seventh sin for which they are challenged, is their mixture with the Heathen Nations, (carried on especially by Ephraim or their Rulers,) whereby they became a cake not turned: by which I do not understand so much a threatening, that the hungry ene∣my (of whom, v. 9.) shall cat him up as a hungry man would eat a cake lying on the fire, not staying till it be baked: as a declaration of the sinful effects of this mixture, that they became (as we say) neither raw nor rosted, neither a people who had wholly quit God, nor who cleaved to Gods way; yea, they be∣came hot on the Idolatrous side, and cold in the matter of true Religion. For clearing of this mixture, and wherein the sinful∣nesse thereof consisted, Consider, 1. The parties with whom they mixed, were not any profane companie, or persons among themselves, but the people, or Heathen Nations and Idolaters about, with whom it was not lawful for Israelites, so much as to converse familiarly, or to marry, (but if they had, they be∣hoved to divorce) far lesse to joyne in a Congregation with them, as members of the visible Church. 2. The mixture condemned was not so much local, or in place, nor only in confederacies, or marriages; But the mixture was chiefly morall, in embracing their false Religion, and becoming like unto them, as is cleared in the end of the Verse. 3. This mixture and conjunction as it related to confederacies, had not so much as a pretence of ne∣cessity, there being no former ties betwixt Israel and them, nor common interest, as of one incorporation, necessitating them to this mixture; but God had set a partition-wall betwixt Israel and them: and so Ephraims conjunction with them was volun∣tary, and sinfully chosen by him; And therefore this mixture, and all other circumstantiate, are to be condemned. Doct. 1. The visible Church is obnoxious to great hazard in the world, by rea∣son

of wicked societies and false Religions without, which (be∣side her snares and dangers from enemies in her bosome,) are rea∣dy to corrupt her; For, there are the people, and Nations about, who drew them from God. 2. The great hazard of corruption of the visible Church, even by these who are without, is not so much from them or their endeavours, as from her selfe, who hath by nature such a principle, as will soon draw her to the wrong way to joyne with others, whereas they have no such principle to set them right: For, Ephraim mixeth himself among the people, and that is his undoing. 3. The declinings of the visible Church, and her debordings after the customes of Idolaters, and the rest of the world, is oft-times justly put upon the accompt of the Rulers, who upon their politick designes do thus intangle and mislead her: For, Ephraim, or the Kingly tribe is charged with this; and it was their Rulers who drew on these confederacies and conjuncti∣ons. 4. Such as once begin to decline, and go wrong in the matters of Religion, cannot set bounds to themselves, nor be as∣sured, but they will go further wrong: For, Ephraim rested not at the Idolatry of the calves, but mixed himself among the people. That same policy that pleaded for the calves, served also to urge their conformity with Heathen Idolaters. 5. Wicked societies are dangerous, and so contagious, that as we are to guard against infection by reason of necessary conjunction with wicked men, when we are united with them in place and common interests, (which is our affliction, and not our sin,) so especially we are to beware of voluntary conjunction with them, when no such neces∣sity can be pretended; For, this also was a part of Ephraims mix∣ture, his joyning in converse and confederacies with them, drew on mixture with them in their Religion. See Psal. 106 35. 6. Mixtures in Religion turneth men mungrels, and halters in the matter of Religion, 1 Kings 18.21. and so worse then the very Heathen, who are zealous and fervent for the Religion they own, and against that which is opposite to it; yea, mixtures will soon resolve in furious frowardnesse in that which is wrong, and cold∣nesse in and aversenesse from the true Religion. Both these are imported in this effect of their mixture, Ephraim is a cake not turned, as is before explained. And it is like at first they pre∣tended to a respect to both, and that they would not abandon God nor his Worship, whatever other course they followed. But at last their corrupt courses did first abate their zeal in Gods way, and then put it to the doore. See Matth. 15 6.