Verse 11

VER. 11.

And Ephraim is as an Heifer that is taught and loveth to tread out the Corn: but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride: Judah shall plow, Jacob shall break his clods.

IN the 2. verse you heard much of the divisions of Ephraim, and of the ten Tribes; but in the latter end of the 10. verse you heard how God would join them together. But how should they be joined? It should be in their bondage, they should be bound together in their furrows: now though it be in your books, They shall bind themselves, which has likewise a sense which we spake to then, yet you may as well read the words, They shall bind them together, and so carry the sense, That they should be bound in their furrows, like Oxen in the Plough, there they should be yoked; they would not come in together under God's yoke, but they shall come in together under the yoke of the Adversaries: and that I think is the principal scope of the words, They shall bind them in their two furrows.

They that were so divided in their prosperity, when they come into bondage there they shall by their enemies be bound together. It was said of Ridly and Hooper, they could not agree together till they were in Prison, and then they could agree together. And so when we were heretofore in our bondage we could agree better together than now, Oh! it were just with God to bring us again under the bondage of our enemies, and bind us in our furrows together.

But Ephraim thought herself far from this. No, Ephraim is not for plowing work, Ephraim loves to tread out the Corn, but not to plow. They were wont in those times instead of threshing out the seed from the chaff, to have beasts to tread out the seed, or to draw instruments whereby the seed was separated from the husk. Now it was the command of God, that while he was treading out the Corn that they should not muzzle the mouth of the Ox.

First, there was no yoke upon them while they were treading out the Corn.

And secondly, then they were not to be muzzled but to feed all the while as they pleased, while they were treading out the Corn; this by the command of God. Now this was a very easy work for them to be without yoke, to run up and down in the Corn and so they could feed themselves fat; they had enough to feed on, certain food, and present food, whereas those Heifers that went to plow were fain to be abroad in the storms and cold and wind, and work all day long, and it may be not have a bit of meat till night, and this was a hard work, and Ephraim did not love that work; and it seems to have reference to some of the ten Tribes who would stay in their Country, and worship at Dan and Bethel, and would not go to Jerusalem, Oh! that was hard, and it was better for them to stay in the Land where they might enjoy their possessions, their shops, their tradings, their friends, that was easy, but for them to go to Jerusalem that might cost them their estates, it would raise an opposition against them, and they must leave all and go for the worship of God, to worship him according to his own way; this was a plowing-work in respect of the other. Now Ephraim, those that live among the ten Tribes, they loved no such hard work as that was. From where there are many excellent points observable.

The first, it's a sign of a carnal heart for to be set upon easy work in God's service, and to avoid any work that God calls to because it is difficult. [Ephraim loves to tread out the Corn.] It's a dangerous thing to desire more ease in God's work than God would have us.

Secondly, those services that bring present contentment, and present comfort, that there is present encouragement goes along with, even such as are carnal and hypocrites can be content withal; for when they tread out the Corn, there was present supply. So it is with men, when they can have present supply in maintenance.

I remember it's a speech of a learned man, even upon this very Scripture, says he, Where men see not present gain coming in, they despise Christ there. It's a speech of Iernovius, Where they may have to eat for the present, there they may be easily brought to believe such a way of service and worship that is countenanced, by the State for the present (Numbers 7:9; 2 Samuel 6). God allowed no Cart to the children of Kohath to carry the Ark, and that was their sin in putting it upon one (1 Samuel 6). And where men may enjoy certain comings in whether they work or no, or whether they work negligently or no, there's a great temptation lies in this; there's not such a temptation lies in a man's enjoying encouragement if it be upon uncertainties, and that he shall have it no longer than he does labor, and labor to purpose; but when men shall have their estates coming in in a certain way though they labor by themselves, or other, or though negligently, or industriously, here's a great temptation in this.

And then further; for it is a sign of a carnal heart, only to mind things presently, to labor for an accommodation to themselves for the present. A generous spirit will labor for the posterity that is to come; if none should plow, how would there be Corn to tread out? We must be willing to plow though we have not present food, though we should have nothing till night, yes, though we should have nothing till the night of death, yes, in all our lives we should be willing to plow in hope. Ephraim loved not that work. That's a generous spirit that is willing to endure difficulty here though he finds no present comings in, though it be for afterwards.

And it may be applied to soul-work, in our seeking to God: many men and women they are content to pray, and follow God and his ordinances so long as they may have present comfort, but if that fails they have no heart to the duty. Now we should be willing to plow, that is, to endure difficulty though we have nothing coming in.

This is that which caused so many to perish in the world, they must have that which is present content; whereas the saints of God are willing to trust God though they have nothing in this world, to trust him to have their wages in the world to come. It's a Scripture of very excellent use to us. It follows.