30 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. LXV.
being Eomans.' Certainly it is a very hard thing to bring men out of an old religion to a new one ; yet, when the trumpet of the gospel sounded, down went all the altars, images, and superstitions of the gentiles, and the religion of Jesus took place.
[7.] I have but one consideration more, and that is, when Satan liad raised up heretics in the church, to rend the body and divide it, as worms that breed in the body and devour it, that so by the church lie might destroy the church, yet Christ confounded them, and a little time did break each sect in pieces, so that those which were the great scourge and vexation of one age were scarce known to the next but by their names and some obscure report. The church of Ephesus had Nicolaitans among them; but they hated their doctrine, and within a little while it came to nothing : Kev. ii. 6, ' But this thou hast, that thou liatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.' And the church of Pergamus had those which held the doctrine of Balaam, yet there were ' those that held fast Christ's name, and did not deny the faith,' ver. 1 ; and so this heresy vanished and departed. So for others, whei-e the light of the gospel did quickly disperse those fogs as soon as they arose. When any mists arose which did darken the kingdom of light, they were presently scattered and confounded. Well, then, here is encourage- ment for our zeal and fidelity to Christ,' to support us in difficult cases whatever obstructions are made. Let us trust Christ's means, wait upon him with faith and patience, and in due time he will do his work.
Use 2. Let none of us build Jericho again. Joshua imposed a solemn curse on those that built the wall of Jericho, because thereby they would obliterate the memory of divine power and justice : Joshua vi. 26, ' And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord that raiseth up and buildeth this city Jericho ; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates thereof.' AVhicli curse we find fulfilled : 1 Kings xvi. 34, ' In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho ; he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he sj^ake by Joshua the son of Is un.' Cursed ai'e they that revive old superstitions.
SEEMON LXV.
By faith the harlot Eahah perislced not with them that believed not, ichen she had received the spies luith peace. — Heb. xi. 3L
In this verse observe —
1. The person spoken of — Eahab, an harlot and a stranger, bred np among idolaters.
2. The effect of her faith — Site received the spies with peace.
VeK. 31.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 31
3. The benefit — She perished not ivith them that believed not. Let us open these things.
1. The quahty of the person, Eahab the harlot ; she was a gentile before, and in that gentile estate an hostess (for the word signifies both an harlot and an hostess), and most probably an harlot, for so she is spoken of in scripture, and so defiled both in body and mind Avith idolatry and adultery.
2. Here is the effect of her faith — * She received the spies with peace;' that is, with good- will, and entertained them safely. Harbouring God's persecuted servants is reckoned an effect of faith in scripture. The story is in the 2d cliapter of Joshua, where take notice —
[1.] Of , the coming of the spies to her house, which might be done on their part ignorantly, not knowing it to be a brothel-house ; or by divine providence guiding them thither where he had a soul to convert ; or they might choose it to avoid suspicion, and that they might have the greater liberty to espy all things, she living near the walls ; but God makes use of it to another purpose, to be an occasion of saving her and her family.
[2.] The discovery of the spies by that watchful and jealous people ; for it was told the king of Jericho that some of the children of Israel were come to spy out the land, chap. ii. 2, and he sends to her to bring them forth, so that she not only entertains them kindly, but conceals them, hazarding her life for their safety ; as we are also ' to lay down our lives for the brethren,' 1 John iii. 16. She was willing to expose her life to danger to save her guests, rather than gain the favour of the king of the country by betraying them. Here we learn that the weakest faith is tried, and does expose us to some self-denial. For this young and raw convert is put upon this : the spies came to her house, and she in good-will conceals them, when the king sends to know what was become of them.
[3.] The course she took to hide them ; partly by an honest means, covering them with stalks of flax in the upper part of the house ; and partly by an officious lie, as if they were gone in the dark before the shutting in of the gate. Her lie was an infirmity, pardoned by God, and not to be exaggerated by men ; as here the apostle mentions her faith, but not a word of her lie. There was some weakness in the action, but for the main of it, it was a duty expressing great confidence in God; and the Holy Ghost puts the finger upon the star, and, contrary to the guise of the malignant world, who overlook the good and reflect only upon the evil of an action, he takes notice of the good, but passeth by the evil.