3. It is unbelief. Such persons regard not the threatenings of God : Lam. i. 9, ' She remembered not her last end, therefore she came down wonderfully ; ' Deut. xxxii. 29, ' Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end.' Mischief and ruin attendeth these attempts : Hosea xiii. 1, ' When Ephraim offended in Baal, he died.' But people little mind these things.
4. How heinously God taketh this. See how he declareth the cause: Jer. ii. 9-13, 'I will plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead. For pass over the isles of Chittim, and see ; and send unto Kedar, and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing. Hath a nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods P but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, 0 ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils ; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.' God will make you know, and your children's children know, that it is the basest thing in the world that he should lose ground in your days, and that people should sit loose in matters of religion, not care much which end goeth forward, when he hath done such great things for them. But what is God's plea ? let them produce any people in any part of the world then commonly known that had dealt with their idols as they had done with him, the true and living God. Then, ver„ 12, ' Be astonished, 0 ye heavens ! ' God would have the sun look pale on such a wickedness, and the spheres to hurl out their stars, and all the creatures to stand amazed at such a folly, such transcendant and matchless impiety. Elsewhere God complaineth, Isa. xliii. 22, ' Thou hast not called upon me, 0 Jacob ; thou hast been weary of me, 0 Israel.' To be weary of God is as great a charge as can be brought against a people. Then it is just with God to take away religion, that the want may make us more sensible of the worth of it.
SERMON UPON JOSHUA VI. 26, 37
5. It bringeth a scandal and ill report on God in the world. There- fore he standeth upon his vindication : Micah vi. 3-5, ' 0 my people ! what have I done unto thee ? and wherein have I wearied thee ? Testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants, and I sent before thee liloses, Aaron, and Miriam. 0 my people ! femember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord.' That strangers receive him not is not so bad, but that a people acquainted with him should cast him out after trial. God calleth upon the mountains and strong foundations of the earth, who keep still their obediential subjection to their creator, to witness against the ingratitude and stupidness of his people. What injury have we found in God ? ver, 2, ' Hear, 0 ye mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.'
Use. We must neither build the walls of Jericho again, nor, as much as in us lieth, suffer others to build them. Every one in his place is to hinder the work. Tf religion were uncertain, it were another matter. But did Christ come to establish the works of the devil ? If Joshua saith, ' Cursed be he before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho ; ' if Paul said, Gal, i. 8, ' If an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed ; ' if others bestir themselves and by clancular and base artifices go to build these walls again, we should be the more zealous for God : Micah iv. 5, ' For all people shall walk in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of our God,' But what must we do ?
1. Let us not only profess the true religion, but come under the power of it. The heart is best established by grace. The bias of men's corrupt hearts doth easily prevail against the light of their minds. Few are corrupted in opinion but that are first false at heart. The regenerate have advantages above other men : 1 John ii. 20, * Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things.' Most rot- ten opinions in the world are against the gust and sense of the new nature. But on the other side, men soon lose their zeal for truth that are addicted to a worldly sensual life. Therefore see that Christ's kingdom be set up in our hearts : Luke xvii. 21, ' The kingdom of God is within )'ou ; ' and that there we 'build not again the things we have destroyed,' Gal. ii. 18. After we have devoted oui'selves to God, we must not fall off from him ; till Christ's kingdom be set up in our hearts, we shall never sincerely care for his interests in the world ; for all carnal men seek their own things. Men may bustle for a while for the interest of their several factions and opinions, but have not a true pure zeal for Christ's kingdom.