Their Princes are Revolters: and Ephraim is smitten

Their Princes are Revolters: and Ephraim is smitten.

Only a word more from the connexion of these two, All their Princes are revolters: and Ephraim is smitten.

From there the note is, if God leaves those who have the chief government in their hands to revolt, the people then will be smitten. Oh! pray much for them, and let not them that have the chief government in their hand think much that people enquire into their way, and that they use all means that they can to keep them upright; for if they should revolt they would not only undo themselves, but undo us, it concerns us to enquire how it is with them, and to be solicitous about them, and they must not bid us that are beneath them to let them alone and meddle with our own business, and follow that which concerns us, certainly it concerns us much what they do. Were it indeed that if they miscarried they only should be smitten, then we had less to do to look after them; but if they revolt we are smitten. If a child should in all humility and reverence beseech his father to leave off such and such a sinful way, or to take heed of it that he be not carried by such and such counsels, if his father should say, Meddle you with what you have to do: the child might well answer, Oh father! I hear in the Word of God, that God does visit the sins of the fathers upon the children, and I may feel of these sins of yours when you are dead and gone, therefore I beseech you, Oh father, consider what you do? (I say) the same might be answered if we should petition and labor with our governors in all humility to take heed of any evil counsel, and if they should bid us look to what concerns us, we may well answer, We have heard in the Word that when the Princes are Revolters, the people are smitten, that if governors should any way revolt from any former protestations the people is like to be smitten; it is we know from the revolting of many of our lords and members of that High Court that we have been smitten so as we have been, now many of them have revolted to the enemy? And these that have been the members of that court, (I say) their revolting have been the cause of such a sore smiting which we have had.

Further: it cannot free Ephraim from being smitten; smitten because their governors are evil, they cannot excuse their sin by that. Perhaps the people would plead thus; What could we do? we could not help it, those that were in government they enjoin such things, and if we did not obey them they would undo us, we were not able to bear their smiting of us, therefore we were forced to yield. Oh! better endure the smiting of man than the smiting of God, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the Living God.

The apprehension of God's hand smiting is that which should humble the hearts of sinners very much. It's a notable scripture which you have in (2 Chronicles 26:20) of Uzziah, that when he saw that he was smitten, though he were stout and proud before, yet when he was smitten he made haste out of the Temple. It's no longer standing out, for the Lord has smitten. So when we apprehend God smiting, it is no standing out against the great God, but we had need make haste to reform. And thus much for this expression. It follows.