and the feed of Ephraim to become a MULTITUDE OF NATIONS.

It is certain that the half tribe of Ephraim must have become very numerous whilft they were in the land which God promifed to their fathers, for after the feparation of the ten tribes from the houfe of Judah, in the days of Rehoboam, the name of Ephraim is evidently used in fome places of Scripture for the ten tribes, as separated from Judah: thus in Isaiah vii. it is faid, "Syria is confederate with "Ephraim."

When the ten tribes were separated from the house of Judah, "Jeroboam faid in his heart, Now fhall "the kingdom return to the house of David: if this "people go up to do facrifice in the house of

JEHOVAH at Jerufalem, then fhall the heart of "this people turn again unto their lord, even unto "Rehoboam, king of Judah, and they fhall kill me, "and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Where66 upon the king took counsel, and made two calves. "of gold, and faid unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerufalem: behold thy gods, O “Ifrael, which brought thee up out of the land of "Egypt. And he fet the one in Beth-el, and the "other put he in Dan. And this thing became a fin: "for the people went to worship before the one, even 66 unto Dan. And he made an houfe of high places, " and made priests of the LOWEST OF THE "PEOPLE, which were not of the fons of Levi." 1 Kings xii. 26-31. Idolatry thus became as it were an integral part of the government of the kingC c

dom

dom of Ifrael; and, after they had by their idolatry and manifold provocations filled up the measure of their iniquities, it was predicted of them by Isaiah the prophet, that "within threescore and five years shall "Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people." Ifa. vii. 8. This was accomplished, as we read in the 17th chapter of the 2d Book of Kings: "The "king of Affyria came up throughout all the land, ❝and went up to Samaria, and befieged it three " years. In the ninth year of Hofhea the king of "Affyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into

Affyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor

by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the "Medes. For so it was, that the children of Ifrael "had finned againft JEHOVAH their God, which had "brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from "under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had "feared other gods. And walked in the ftatutes of "the Heathen, whom JEHOVAH caft out from before "the children of Ifrael, and of the kings of Ifrael, "which they had made. And the children of Ifrael "did fecretly those things that were not right against "JEHOVAH their God, and they built them high "places in all their cities, from the tower of the "watchmen to the fenced city. And they fet them "up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: and there they burnt incenfe in "all the high places, as did the Heathen whom JE"HOVAH carried away before them; and wrought "wicked things to provoke JEHOVAH to anger: for "they ferved idols, whereof JEHOVAH had faid unto ❝ them,

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them, Ye fhall not do this thing. Yet JEHOVAH "teftified against Ifrael, and against Judah, by all "the prophets, and by all the feers, faying, Turn ye "from your evil ways, and keep my commandments "and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I fent to you

by my fervants the prophets. Notwithstanding they "would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the "neck of their fathers, that did not BELIEVE in JEHOVAH their God. And they rejected his ftatutes, ❝ and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his teftimonies which he teftified against them; and "they followed vanity, and became vain, and went

after the Heathen that were round about them, con"cerning whom JEHOVAH had charged them, that "they fhould not do like them. And they left all "the commandments of JEHOVAH their God, and "made them molten images, even two calves, and "made a grove, and worshipped all the hoft of "heaven, and ferved Baal. And they caused their "fons and their daughters to pafs through the fire, "and ufed divination and enchantments, and fold

themselves to do evil in the fight of JEHOVAH, to "provoke him to anger. Therefore JEHOVAH was 66 very angry with Ifrael, and removed them out of "his fight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah "only." 2 Kings xvii. 5-18.

Notwithstanding this revolt of the ten tribes, and notwithstanding they have been fo long fince carried away into captivity, and to this day remain unknown to their brethren of Judah, yet have we full affu

rance

rance in the word of God, that they will again be reftored to their brethren of Judah, as Jofeph, the ancestor of Ephraim was to his brethren; for thus is it written in the Book of Ezekiel the prophet: "The word of JEHOVAH came again unto me, fay❝ing, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one "ftick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the "children of Ifrael his companions: then take "another flick, and write upon it, For Jofeph, the "ftick of Ephraim, and for all the houfe of Ifrael "his companions: and join them one to another into "one ftick; and they fhall become one in thine "hand. And when the children of thy people shall "speak unto thee, faying, Wilt thou not fhew us "what thou meaneft by these? Say unto them, Thus "faith the Lord JEHOVAH; Behold, I will take the "ftick of Jofeph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, ❝and the tribes of Ifrael his fellows, and will put "them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and "make them one flick, and they fhall be one in ❝ mine hand. And the flicks whereon thou writeft "fhall be in thine hand before their And fay eyes. "unto them, Thus faith the Lord JEHOVAH; Be"hold, I will take the children of Ifrael from among "the Heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather "them on every fide, and bring them into their own "land and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Ifrael; and one king "fhall be king to them all: and they fhall be no "more two nations, neither fhall they be divided "into two kingdoms any more at all neither shall

:

"they

they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their deteftable things, nor with any of their tranfgreffions: but I will fave them out of "all their dwelling-places, wherein they have finned, and will cleanfe them: fo fhall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my fervant "fhall be king over them; and they all fhall have

one fhepherd: they fhall alfo walk in my judg❝ments, and obferve my ftatutes, and do them.

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And they shall dwell in the land that I have given "unto Jacob my fervant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they fhall dwell therein, even they, ❝ and their children, and their children's children for ever, and my fervant David fhall be their prince ❝for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it fhall be an everlasting covenant with them and I will place them, and multiply them, and will fet my fanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle alfo fhall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they fhall be my people. And the Heathen fhall know "that I JEHOVAH do fanctify Ifrael, when my fanc66 tuary fhall be in the midst of them for evermore." Ezek. xxxvii. 15—28.

These things will furely be accomplished; as yet they are unknown, they are as loft fheep, which having been scattered have ftrayed far away from the fold; but that good Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep, (John x. 11.) can and will bring them unto the fold again. Though we know them not, though their brethren of Judah know them not, yet he

knoweth