[4.] Before the spies were gone from her, she makes a confession of her faith to them : Joshua ii. 9-11, ' I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you : for we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Eed Sea for you, when you came out of Egypt ; and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as w^e had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you ; for the Lord your God he is God in heaven above,
32 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. LXV,
and in earth beneath.' Here is her profession of faith, which is very notable in this new convert. In it observe —
(1.) The ground of it, the rumours of the great things which God had done for his people. It is said, Rom. x. 14, ' How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? ' This woman had heard of God, and the mighty wonders he had done for Israel, and this was the ground of her faith.
(2.) The efficient cause. God thereby touched her heart, and gave her some saving knowledge of himself. The Canaanites had heard, as well as she, of those mighty works of God, yet they believed not, but grew obstinate, and perished in their resolution to resist the Israelites, and therefore were exterminated. They heard to some degree of fear, 'for their hearts melted within them;' but they heard not to any degree of faith, for they submitted not, but pre- pared to resist the purpose of God, and his design of giving his people the land. Thus it was by the secret power of God's Spirit.
(3.) The fulness of her profession. It is well observed by Origen, Ilia, quce aliquando erat meretrix, cum Spirihi Saiicto repleta est, et de prceteritis confitetur, de vrcesentibus vero credit, prophetat et prce- mintiat defuturis — The woman that was sometimes an harlot, when she was wrought upon by the Holy Ghost, she believeth what is past, she acknowledgeth what is present, she foretelleth what is to come. So that here is a full confession. For what is past, she acknowledgeth the truth of the miracles which God had wrought, to show his love and care over his people. For what is present, she believes God to be the true God. For what is to come, she believes confidently that God would give the land into their hand ; though the people of the city think themselves safe within their city and walls, and think to carry it by mere strength, and fear not, and are not sensible either of then- sins or dangers, yet she was confident of the future success of God's people, and destruction of her country. The consideration of God's mighty wonders, blessed by the Spirit of God, bringing such a confession from her.
(4.) She is careful to save the house she came of, and therefore takes an oath of the spies to save her and her father's house : Joshua ii. 12, ' Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have showed you kindness, that ye will also show kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token.' And accordingly the bargain is made, if she did not betray them, that she was to hand out the line by which they were let down upon the wall. This shows that all believers have their assurance from a covenant, and that this covenant is confirmed by certain signs, which faith makes use of as the means of preservation. For she was to hang out the scarlet line by which she and all her house might be kept in safety. So much for the eftect of her faith ; she received the spies with peace.
3. Let us come to the benefit — ' She perished not with them that believed not ; ' that is, when the incredulous and idolatrous people were destroyed, she and all her family were preserved ; as God can, and often doth, save his people in the midst of general calamities. You shall see, when the city was taken, Joshua keeps faith with her : Joshua vi. 22, 23, ' Joshua said unto the two men that had spied out
VeR. 31.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XT. 33
the country, Go into tlie harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as you sware unto her. And the young men that were spies went in, and brought out Rahab, and her father and mother, and her brethren, and aU that she had ; and they brought out all her kindred, and left them without the camp of Israel ;' and when they had fired the city, ver. 25, ' Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had ; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day ; because she hid the messengers which Joshua had sent to spy out Jericho/ Thus I have opened the words. The notes from this instance the apostle gives are three —