And to help us, do but consider what if we wait a few years, what is that to eternity ? I might enlarge the point.
What great matters faith will do both in heaven and earth every way. We see here faith shakes the very^earth. God he is the Lord of heaven and earth. The earth is the Lord's. Because these walls were built upon God's earth, we see here one pufi" of God blows them all down ; and faith laying hold upon this casts them down. Though faith doth it not imme- diately, yet God doth it, because he is laid hold on by faith.
Let us labour therefore to have faith above all other graces. It is the mother grace. It is the grace that is the spring of all graces. If we would have patience, and hope, and love, and perseverance, and constancy together, let us labour to have faith strengthened ; and to feed our faith the more, let us look to the word of God, make it familiar to us. The Spirit goes together with the word to strengthen and increase our faith, and that being strengthened, all is strengthened whatsoever.
Now the way to try whether we have this faith or no, not to speak
476 THE EUIN OF MYSTICAL JERICHO.
largely of the point, but as the text leads me, is, if we humbly attend upon the means that God hath appointed, though they, seem base to carnal reason. As how do we know that these Israelites had faith when they went about the walls of Jericho ? Because they have humbled themselves to use the base means that God had appointed, though ihey were very unlikely. Naaman, out of the pride of his heart, saith he, what are the waters of Jordan ? Have not we waters that can do as much ? But if the servants had not been wiser than the master, he had gone home a leper as he came, 2 Kings v. 11, seq. So when men hear the word preached, they think. Cannot we read good books at home? And for the sacrament, it is a poor ordinance. What is .there but wine and bread, and such like ? Take heed of a proud heart. God will have weaker means to try us whether we will humble ourselves to his wisdom or no. Where there is true faith it will be careful to use all good means, or else it is a tempting of God, and not a trusting of him, when we do not use the means that he hath sanctified.
And where there is faith, as there will be a careful use of all means, so there will be a care in the use of means, not to depend upon the means, but to trust in God. There will be a joining of both together. Faith doth not take away the use of means, nay, he that is most certain of the end should strive to be most careful of all means used to that end. There ought no man to be more diligent in using the means, than he that is most certain of the end ; because he is encouraged to use the means, knowing that he shall not beat the air, that he shall not lose his labour; so if we by faith lay hold upon God for the destruction of antichrist, and that God would subdue our corruptions, and that they shall fall before the Spirit by little and little ; if by faith we lay hold upon this, that God will perfect the good work he hath begun in the use of good means : this will stir us up to use all means with cheerfulness and constancy. There are none that are more careful of the means than those that are most sure of the issue. Those that are careless of the means, let them pretend what they will, they are presumptuous persons, they have no faith ; for that will stir us up to use the means, and in the use of means to depend upon God. So careful is faith to use the means, as if without them God would do nothing, and yet in the means it is so careful to depend upon God, as if the means could not do anything without God. Thus faith walks between the means and the great God.
Let us go on constantly in living the life of faith, and using all the blessed means that God hath sanctified. God hath sanctified the preaching of the word to beat down all these spiritual walls. Let us go on all our lifetime ; and at length the last trump shall sound, another trumpet shall sound, and then not only the walls of Jericho, but the walls of heaven and earth shall fall down, and then we shall enter into that heavenly Canaan, both body and soul. In the mean time, let us exercise faith, and to quicken our faith the more, let us have those blessed times in the eye of our soul, let us see them as present. It is the nature of faith to apprehend things to come as present. Let us see heaven and earth on fire, see Christ coming to judgment. Let us see all the walls down, the graves open, whatsoever opposeth and stands between us and glory, see all gone. Let us see our- selves at the right hand of Christ, and triumphing in heaven. For the Scripture speaks of that that is to come, as if it were past. ' We sit in heavenly places with Christ,' Eph. ii. 6, and we are saved by faith, and we are glorified. Thus the spirit of faith speaks of the glorious times to come,