Use. Therefore let us make that use that Jeremiah doth, Jer. ix. 23 : ' Therefore let not the wise man trust in his wisdom, or the strong man in his strength, or the rich man in his riches.' Let a man joy in none of these ; but if he will joy, let him joy in this, that he knows the Lord, that he is in covenant with God. That for the second, briefly.
The third is this, that,
Ohs. 3. God doth this bij base and weak means.
He confounds great and mighty enterprizes and mighty persons, and useth but base and despised means ; as here, the walls of Jericho fell down with the noise of rams' horns. This I might carry along through all the stories in the Scripture, from the creation to this present time, to shew how God doth great things by despised means ; sometimes by no means at all, sometimes clean contrary to all means. When our Saviour Christ gave sight to the blind, he put clay upon his eyes, that, one would think, were fitter to put them out. We see in the story of the Israelites what an ox-goad did, and what Samson did with the jaw-bone of an ass. We see by what a trick the Midianites were put to flight by Gideon,* In all the stories we see, when God would do great matters, he doth it by base means. When he would confound the pride of Pharaoh, he will do it by frogs and lice, and such base creatures, that were fittest in God's wisdom to over- throw the pride of that wretched king. God, as he overturns the pride of men, so for the most part he doth it by weak and despised means.
Reason. And the reason is clear, that he may have all the glory. Some- * Cf. (1) John ix. 6, (2) Judges ill. 31, (3) Judges xv. 16, (4) Judges vii. 16.— a.
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466 THE RUIN OF MYSTICAL JERICHO.
times the means he useth have no influence at all to effect the thing, but are only joined with the thing ; as here, what influence could poor trumpets of rams' horns have to cast down walls ? They could have none ; but only it was a thing joined before the walls fell down ; they were things that must be used to try their obedience ; and that they might know that it was not by chance that they fell down, but by God's power; and for other reasons. But if there bo any influence from the cause to the efiect, it is supposed it cannot produce the efiect of itself, therefore, I say, God doth this that he may have all the glory ; for that is his end, and it ought to be our end. We see here, though they had silver trumpets, yet they must by God's appointment use these base means, trumpets of rams' horns.
Now, they were to use them seven days together, and therefore on a Sabbath day ; but it was no breach of the day, because God can dispense with his own law. In case of charity, good works may be done on the Sabbath, and in case of duty likewise, as the priests kill the sacrifice on the Sabbath. So here was sufiicient warrant for them ; God gave them a command ; God, that made the law, can dispense with his own law in things that touch not upon his nature, as his truth and purity, &c., doth. In things that touch his nature, he should denyhimself if he should dispense. God cannot lie, because truth is natural to him. God cannot do anything that is unfit for his nature ; but for things that are out of him, he is Lord of days ; he is Lord of goods and life ; he hath a right to dispense here, as we see in the taking away the Egyptian's jewels and the like ; they were outward things. But for those things that are intrinsecal in God, he can- not command that which is contrary to his truth and nature. Other things belong to his sovereignty. But that by the way.
They were to compass the walls seven. days. If they had made an end before the seventh day, the walls had never fallen down. Howsoever, there •was no power in their going about to effect that, yet God would not work the effect till he was waited on in all the seven days ; the means appointed by God must be used, and so long as God will have them used, there must be a depending and waiting upon God all the time.
Quest. To give a little further light to that I touched before, you will ask ■why God useth means and doth not work immediately ? why he did not cast down these walls by his own will and pleasure ?
Alls. Besides that I said before, God useth second causes, not for defect of power, but for demonstration of his goodness ; and for the trial of our obedience, and the like. Therefore, being Lord of hosts, he hath multi- plicity of ranks of creatures which he useth to effect those things that he could do himself if it pleased him. Therefore let such questions cease ; it pleased God so to do.