THE RPIN OF MYSTICAL JERICHO.*
By faith the walls of Jericho fell doun, after they had been compassed about seven days. — Heb. XI. 30.
This verse suits somewhat to the occasion : f therefore I have made choice of it at this time. This chapter contains the triumph of faith in the hearts and souls of those in whom this blessed grace is planted ; so that the excellency and office of all graces are attributed to it. There is a stir- ring up of all other graces whatsoever in faith. All the worthies that ai'e spoken of before, they did that they did, and ' obtained a good report by faith.' The Spirit of God goes on here, and shews a glorious effect of this blessed grace, in the falling down of the walls of Jericho. This short verse is taken out of the story of the conquest of Jericho, mentioned in Josh, vi., in the latter end of the chapter, where you have the whole story set down at large. I need not rehearse it ; and withal you have there a curse set down, that whosoever should go about again to build the -walls of Jericho, he should lay the foundation in his first-born, and in his youngest son he should set up the gates. He that would raise up such a cursed building again, he should do it with the overthrow of his own building, of his own family ; as the Scripture calls a man's house a building. J He should lay the foundation in his eldest son, and build the gates at the death of his youngest son.
And a little to acquaint you with the fulness of the word, before I come to the story, you have an audacious cursed attempt to build the walls of Jericho again, in 1 Kings xvi. toward the latter end, ver. 34, in a wicked king's time, in Ahab's time. There was one so adventurous, one Hiel, that he would build Jericho. He laid the foundation in Abiram, his first-born,
* ' The Euin of Mystical Jericho ' is another of the Sermons included in ' Evan- gelical Sacrifices' (4to. 1640). Its separate title-page is as follows : — ' The Evine of Mystical lericho. A Sermon preached upon the B*'^ of November, in remembrance of Our Deliverance from the Papists Powder-Treason. By the late Learned and Reverend Divine, Piich. Sibbs. Doctor in Divinity, Mr. of Katherine Hall in Cam- bridge, and sometimes Preacher to the Honourable Society of Grayes-Inne. — losh. 6. 10. And it came to passe when the people heard the sound of the Trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, tliat the AVall fell downe flat, &c. London, Printed by T. B. for N. Bourne, at the Pioyall Exchange, and E. Harford, at the guilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-noster-Eow. 1639.' — G.
t In margin, ' Novemb. 5.'— G. J p, a son ; from nj2, to build.— Ed.
THE EUIN OF MYSTICAL JEEICHO. 463
and set up the gates in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord spoken by Joshua the son of Nun. You see whence this story is fetched. ' By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about seven days.' They were compassed about seven days, and the ark in the midst ; and the seventh day they went seven times about, and then the walls fell down, as you have it in the story. But to come to the words ; and to hasten to that I specially mean to touch at this time.
First of all, observe here, that Jericho had mighty walls, as you see in the story. It had walls, and trusted in these walls ; or else they would have come out and have made conditions of peace with Israel. But as they had walls, so they were confident in them ; as you see the spies, in Num. xiii. 28, they tell what walled cities they had, and that terrified them.
And next you see here, that God overthrows their walls ; and by what means ? By poor and base means, by trumpets of rams' horns. They had silver trumpets, but they used not them, but meaner instruments, rams' horns. Those were the means ; and the time that they used them, seven days together ; and then that by faith, using these means, they overthrew the walls of Jericho, they fell down. From hence, by analogy and propor- tion, we may see.
First of all, that carnal men they build up walls, and put their trust in them.
The second is, that God confounds these courses.
The third is, that God doth it by weak and silly means, believed by faith.
The last point is, that faith in the use of these means overcomes all. ' By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been compassed about seven days.' And then we shall come to other things that concern us, and apply it to the time.
Boct. 1. Natural men, since the fall, they must have somewhat to trust to.
Since man lost his first prop and confidence, and communion with God, he turns to the creature. There is always some confidence in some crea- ture ; and men leave God in what measure they trust that. When Cain was banished his father's house, then he falls to building of cities ; he must have some contentment. And those that were escaped the flood, within a hundred years after the flood, they must build a tower of Babel, that should reach to heaven, to get themselves a name, wanting better courses. Every one will have some castle and wall of Jericho to trust to. Kiches are the rich man's stronghold, as Solomon saith, Prov. xi. 16. Ahithophel trusted to a shrewd head and policy, that proved his ruin afterwards. The Jews had outward sanctity to trust to, oppos- ing it to the righteousness of Christ ; the righteousness of faith, Rom. X. 6. They would set a-foot a dead righteousness that could not stand ; and therefore they were shut from the righteousness of God in Christ. Man will have a holiness, a wisdom, a strength, and power of himself, in the things below here, as I might shew at large, both in examples and otherwise. Naturally we find it in ourselves. If we be sick, we trust to the physician and other means. If we be in danger, we flee to the arm of flesh, to some mighty man ; we trust in some great friend, if we have any. If we be in danger of invasion, or such like, we trust our walls and defences ; and till strong temptations come, we trust in our own strength, till Satan pick so many holes in it, that we cannot stay there, and that conscience upbraids us. Always a man hath somewhat to trust to, till he