THE Danger Of SPEEDY Degeneracy,
And the Children of Israel did Evil in the Sight of the LORD, and Served Baalim.
THAT Generation of the Braelites that Entered into the Land of Canaan, carried themselves commendably; and though they had Infirmities, yet they walked before God in much Integrity: But Joshua lived but Seventeen Years after their Entrance into Canaan, [Page 4]and within a while the rest of that Generation were carried to their Graves: After them arose a Generation of another Spirit; the consequence whereof we have in this Verse.
Here are, 1. the Criminals. 2. The Crime.
1. The Criminals, or persons that were guilty: the Children of Israel: Had it been the Canaanites, or Moahites, or Ammonites, it had not been so strange; but they were the Children of Israel, the Posterity of Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob; the People that God had made glorious discoveries of himself unto, the people that had been instructed in the Will of God. Again, they were the Children of Israel, not a few of the Israelites, not one or two Towns, not Ramah, or Bethlehem, or Hebron, not one of the Tribes, but it was a general Defection.
2. The Crime: 1. In general: they did Evil in the sight of the Lord, they sinned under the eye and observation of God; it may be some of them might do it in a more secret way, 2 King. 17. 9. The Children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right; but they did it in the sight of God. Again, they did evil in the sight of the Lord; that is, they did that which was evil in his sight: it may be in their own eyes, it might seem good, they thought there was no hurt in it; [Page 5]but it was evil in the sight of the Lord: Again, they did evil in the sight of the Lord; they carried so as to provoke God to anger there was always sin and infirmity among them; but now they were so bad, that God was provoked by their carriages; he condemns them as a people of a corrupt carriage. 2. In particular, they served Baalim. Baal signifies Lord, Baalim Lords; there were many of them, as Baal Peor, Baal Berith, Baal Zebub: by Baal you may understand the Sun, it was worshipped by divers Nations, under divers forms and representations, and Israel imitated them.
DOCTRINE.
When the former Generation were dead that came into the Land of Canaan, they did evil in the sight of the Lord: People are wont to be very inconsistent in goodness; as they are subject to many other changes, so to changes in Religion; Piety is not natural to a people, and so they do not hold it long; sometimes when a people are grown corrupt, they hold that a great while; but when they are holy, it is not long before [Page 6]they lose their holiness; it is otherwise with particular persons that are once holy, such men will continue to be holy all the days of their lives, but if a people be an holy people, many times they lose it quickly; it is easy to go down hill: people are apt to grow degenerate; one would have thought, considering the piety of those that went into Canaan, the Divine Constitution of their Church, the great manifestations of the glory of God to that Nation, that they would have held their Religion from Generation to Generation, but it was otherwise.
QUESTION.
How does this come to pass?
ANSWER.
The principal occasion is, that Godly men Dye, and there rises up an Unconverted Generation in their room: many other things may meet together to help forward this Degeneracy; there be many temptations that fall in to promote this corruption, as the example of Neighbouring Nations, the temptation of Wealth, the evil Opinions that are broached by particular persons; but the main reason of the degeneracy is [Page 7]that Good men dye, and go to Heaven one after another, and there rises up another Generation that are Unconverted, and they corrupt themselves; they are born in Sin, and continue in their natural condition; they profess holiness, but are not holy, and so the Land is corrupted; Judg. 2. 10. There arose another Generation that knew not the Lord.
This occasions Degeneracy these ways.
1. Hence they want Grace to restrain them in a Day of Temptation. In length of time there will arise considerable temptations, but if a people be gracious, it is hopeful, that they will withstand those temptations: Gracious men will not live in evil ways: 1 Joh. 2. 9. He cannot sin, because he is born of God: they have a principle of faith, and do believe the dangerousness of evil ways, and will be afraid: Job 31. 23. Destruction from God was a terrour to me; and they hate sinful ways, and cannot endure them, they are like green wood that will not take the fire so readily as others: but if a temptation comes, carnal men have not grace to restrain them, they have natural consciences, and a care of their reputation, but they want the principal thing to restrain them; it may be they will be commanded to do that which is sinful, and they have not grace to withstand the command: Hos. 5. 11. Ephraim is oppressed [Page 8]and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment, i.e. of Jereboam, Mic. 6. 16. The statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab. It may be there will arise some false Teachers, and many carnal men will fall in with their delusions, 2 Tim. 3. 6. Of this sort are they that creep into houses, and lead captive silly women, laden with sins, led away with divers lusts. If persons don't fear God, they are liable to greatest iniquities in a day of temptation; Gen. 20. 11. The fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wives sake.
2. There will be many bad Examples. Where there be many holy men, they will be giving good examples to others, they will walk in fear, carry humbly, and glorify God; Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have a conscience void of offence, towards God and towards man. Where there be plenty of Holy men in a Land, there will be many good examples; men will be provoking one another to an holy emulation: but where there be few good men, there will be a scarcity of good examples; many men will give bad examples, and others will be ready to follow them; especially the younger sort of people; men are apt to follow the multitude: when they see others sin, they are taught to sin; the pride of others draws [Page 9]out their Pride, & the covetousness of others draws out their coveteousness, as the fire in the coals draws out the fire that is in the wood: bad examples make men think, that there is no great danger in sin: bad examples make men think, sinful practices to be honourable, hence in time sins grow natural.
3. They will indulge their Children in Evil. Godly men may be too indulgent to their Children; but more generally Godly men will be careful in the Education of their Children, Gen. 18. 19. Abraham will command his Children and his Houshold after him, and they shall keep the ways of the Lord. David was very careful to principle Solomon, Prov. 4. 3, 4. So was Bathsheba, Prov. 31. 2, 3, 4. They are solicitous for Gods Glory, and the Salvation of their Children, and will be creful in Educating of them; but if the Generation be carnal, they will be negligent in Educating them; they would have them be good husbands, and follow their business diligently; and they can't abide that they should do any thing that should occasion them to be fined; but there be abundance of miscarriages that they do not much regard; they don't much mind it, if they be rude and misbehaved, if they run abroad in the night time, and be absent from Family Prayers, if they be vain [Page 10]and proud, and don't sanctify the Sabbath carefully; and if they do indulge their Children in evil, they will grow very bad: Children will be very corrupt, if not well governed; Eccles. 11. 10. Childhood and Youth are vanity; Prov. 29. 15. A Child left to himself, bringeth his mother to shame.
4. Godly men that are among them will be tainted. When a Country abounds with Godly men, they will stir up one anothers graces, they will quicken and confirm one another, and strive to excel: but when they are generally a carnal people, it will be a wonder, if they do not taint those that be good; sweet liquor put into a corrupt vessel will be tainted; so Good men in a corrupt Town or Country. It is true, that when wicked men carry very filthily, that does by an Antiparistasis stir up the graces of Godly men; Psal. 119. 126, 127. They have made void thy Law, therefore I love thy Commandments above gold. But when men are carnal, and carry on a profession of Religion, their miscarriages do mightily taint Godly men, the air of the Country is infectious, and sound men may be infected thereby; Joseph learned to Swear in Egypt; Barnabas was carried away with the dissimulation; Gal. 2. 13. Some of the good [Page 11]King of Judah did not take away the High Places.
5. They will grow very blind. When God converts men, he gives them light and understanding; Acts 26. 18. They are turned from darkness to light: And Spiritual Light received in Conversion, strengthens the reason of men, and makes the law of nature more legible; but when a people are a carnal people, they will grow as blind as moles: they don't know the mercy, and wisdom, and holiness of God, and so are not sensible how such carriages do reflect upon him: they think there is weighty reason for some carriages that are indeed sinful; their affections do darken their minds, they don't judge that pride that is pride, nor that to be intemperance that is intemperance: besides, such men will not study the mind of God, nor pray for light as Godly, men do, and so they grow blind; Isa. 5. 20 They call light darkness, and darkness light: Conscience in some cases gives them a liberty to sin, and in some cases it urges them to sin.
6. They won't much regard the warnings of the Word, or the Judgments of God. When God gives warning in his Word, Godly [Page 12]men are wont to fear; Isa. 66. 2. They tremble at the Word of God: So did Hezekiah; Jer. 26. 18, 19. So did Josiah: and when Judgments come upon the Land, they are greatly affected with the anger of God. But when a people are a carnal people, they don't much mind warnings; many times they make a derision of the warnings of the Word; Isa. 5. 19. They say let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it, let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it. Godly men would lament upon such an occasion; Judg. 2. 4. When the Angel spake these words to the Children of Israel, they lift up their voice and wept. But carnal people don't believe warnings, Jer. 5. 12. They have belied the Lord, and said it is not he, neither shall evil come upon us, neither shall we see sword or famine. Or they think if Judgments do come it will be a good while first; Ezek. 12. 27. They say the vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the things that are far off: Amos 6. 3. They put far away the evil day. Yea, if Judgments do come, many times they are like Pharaoh, they don't lay them to heart, unless they be very heavy, and if they be very heavy, yet they soon forget them, and the promises that they made, Psal. 78. 37. They were not stedfast in his Covenant.
[Page 13] 7. They will grow weary of Religious Duties. Godly men love Religious Duties, Psal. 26. 8. I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth: they find a great deal of Comfort in drawing nigh to God, Psal. 84. 10. One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand else where. Psal. 87. 7. All my springs are in thee: Religious Duties suit the new principle that God has put into them: but carnal men grow weary of such Services: in some pangs they may delight therein, Isa. 58. 2. They ask of me the Ordinances of justice, and take delight in approaching to God. But generally they grow weary after a while; for their hearts are set upon other things, and so duties are a burden to them, Amos 8. 5. When will the new Moon be gone, that we may sell corn, and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat. They don't meet with God in Religious Duties, and so they are empty things to them: they don't relish them, hence they are weary of them, and if they must attend them, they had rather do it in such a way as has a pretty deal of Ceremony in it, then in a more Spiritual way.
8. Many of their Leading men will be Carnal men. The People must take up with such [Page 14]men as they have. And they will have some carnal Men for Magistrates, and they will help forward the corruption very much: they will give bad examples, they will have respect to persons; they will be very dull in the matter of Reformation: Neh. 3. 5. Their Nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord. So some of the Ministers will be carnal men: and though generally they Preach sound Doctrine, yet they have not experience of the ways of God: and they want zeal in the cause of God. They don't rightly understand the work of Regeneration, and are very dead and flat in their Ministry. As the Scribes were; it is said Christ Jesus taught with authority and not as the Scribes, Matth. 7. ult. And they make others to Stumble at the Law, Mal. 2. 8. So other leading men in the Church and in the Town will be carnal men. Some that are aged, and of good understanding, and good Estates, and have a great sway in Publick affairs are but carnal men; and that helps forward the corruption of a People: they won't do what they might to promote the building of Gods House, or to reform the place: if they would joyn with the Minister, they might do great Service, but they have not a Spirit to do it: they clog and hinder a great deal of good work which would go forward, if they did heartily assist therein.
USE I. Is of EXAMINATION.
Whether we have not corrupted our selves? They were a very holy People that came into this Land, whatever mistakes they were under, in any particulars, their hearts were engaged to do the Will of God: and walked before him in great integrity; and it lyes upon us to consider whether we have not corrupted our selves: it is but a little while since the Land was planted, the first Generation have not been long removed: The Question is, Whether we do carry as they did? We have been more advantaged by our Education than many of them were; and still continue to make a great Profession: but the Providences of God look dark upon us, and are a Testimony that we are departed out of the way.
Consider 1.
Men do not favour of a Gracious Spirit. Men are wont to discourse much about their Callings; so the Merchant, the Seaman, the Husbandman: if men made it their work to Serve God, it is strange they should [Page]be so silent about it: Men that are going a Journey or Voyage, are wont to be discoursing about it: if men were travelling to Heaven, it is much they should not seem to mind it: Men are wont to favour of such dispositions as are in their hearts, Psal. 30. 31. The mouth of the Righteous speaketh of righteousness, and his tongue talketh of judgment: the law of God is in his heart. But many people don't favour of a gracious spirit; they favour of worldliness, pride, envy and frowardness: but there is no edification in their discourses; they pray favourly, but they talk unfavourly; there is scarce any Religion to be discerned in them, but only in religious duties; seldom talk any thing of Religion, except it be about some matter of contention, or to run down some other men; they don't quicken one another by their discourses.
2. Duties of Religion are much neglected. Holiness teaches men to be much in them; Psal. 122. 1. I was glad when they said to me, let us go up to the house of the Lord: Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired, and that will I seek after, to dwell all the days of my life in the house of the Lord. But there is a considerable neglect of duties of Religion: the Scripture is not duly read in many Families; [Page 17]if they do Pray, that is all: many men make little use of their Bibles: God required the King to read in the law all the days of his life, Deut. 17. 18, 19. And many people don't love days of Fasting: they are contented to go to Lectures, where after the Service they can visit their Friends, and be kindly entertained; but they are backward to have Communion with other Churches in this duty of Fasting; or to attend the same at home, but only when they are required by Authority; and seldom do any thing privately this way: it was otherwise with David, Psal. 35. 13. I humbled my soul with Fasting.
3. The Sabbath is not duly Sanctifyed. Where Religion thrives, men will be careful to Sanctify the Sabbath according to their light: and God layes great weight on the Sanctification of the Sabbath, Jer. 17. 24, 25. But here is not due care about it: besides, other miscarriages that are more particular: Men do take a mighty liberty in their Discourses on that day; this is a spreading disease in the Land: between the Exercises they will talk of any thing, they will Discourse of their Corn and Hay, and the prizes of Commodities, of almost any thing that they discourse of on Working dayes: they [Page 18]are mute about what they hear, and run into impertinent discourses. It were a fault in Boyes, but Men and Women are guilty, yea such as pretend high to Religion are greatly culpable in this thing. This is expressly contrary to the Command of God, Isa. 58. 13. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from duing thy pleasure upon my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the boly of the Lord honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thy own wayes, nor finding thy own pleasure, nor speaking thy own words. And this liberty that men take does shew, that their hearts are not under the awe of Gods command; that men are not Spiritual, that the Sabbath is not loved. Men would count themselves imprisoned to be restrained from Worldly idle talk upon the Sabbath. The Country is also very faulty in not Sanctifying days of THANKSGIVING according to Gods appointment: Dayes of Thanksgiving are holy dayes as well as dayes of Fasting: They are expressly called Sabbaths, Lev. 23. 39. And there is a prohibition of Servile work therein, verse 35. But some People allow themselves to do Servile Work; & in many places there is but one Meeting, (if it be excusable in some Towns, yet it is not in others) thereby young People have opportunity to meet together, and spend some part of the [Page 19]day rudely: Days of Thanksgiving are kept in some Towns like Lecture days, and not like Sabbaths.
4. Abundance of Men are not Moral Men: there be many gross immoralities in the Land, as Swearing, Drunkenness, Fornication; these things are indeed punished when they do appear: but a great deal never comes to light: but besides these grosser iniquities, there be many other Moral evils that do abound: and many that make high pretensions to Religion are guilty of them: many of our Professors are not thorow Moral men: they will talk rudely, they are not punctual to their Word, they do not honestly pay their Debts, they do not attend Family order, they are not faithful in their dealings, they will venture to speak beyond the bounds of Truth, they are not fair dealing men: if the fear of God did prevail in the hearts of men, they would be of a more becomming Conversation: flourishing Grace would make men more exact in their Walk. The Gospel teaches men to carry holily: Tit. 2. 11, 12. The Grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.
[Page 20] 5. Times of Publick Solemnity are times of Voluptuousness. When Saul was Proclaimed King, Samuel sent the people every one to his house: 1 Sam. 10. 25. When Solemnities are over, men should return to their occasions: but it is much otherwise here. When the Training is over, men go to the Taverns, sit tipling till an unseasonable time in the night, those Exercises end in Revelling. So at Court times, especially in Country Towns, there is a great deal of riot; there is more tipling at those times, than in a month before. Commencement times are times of Riot: So on Lecture Days, many people go from the House of God to the Tavern; Lecture-Days are Market-Days for Inn-keepers, they are designed for good, but have been an occasion of much evil: this shews that men are of a corrupt spirit, they imitate those Idolaters; they offered burnt-offerings and brought peace-offerings, and the people did eat and drink, and rose up to play, Exod. 32. 6.
USE II.
See the reason why God brings Judgments on a People, that a few years before were famous for Religion. Men are ready to wonder at it, they say, there has been a great deal of Religion [Page 21]in the Country, one would think God should favour that People; but the case is altered with them, they have corrupted themselves, and God will change his Dispensations to them: Judg. 2. 13, 14. This is the Covenant of God, that Holiness shall be rewarded, and Sin shall be punished: God takes vengeance on them, because they are departed from the ways of their Fathers; iniquity will bring misery, Sin is a root that beareth gall and wormwood.
1. He will do it, though they be the Children of very Worthy men. God has a great deal of mercy in store for such, while they keep his Covenant; Psal. 103. 17. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting unto them that fear him, and his righteousness unto Childrens Children, unto such as keep his Covenant, and do his testimonies: but if such men live wickedly, God will execute vengeance on them: if they be not heirs to their Parents Piety, they shall not be heirs to their Parents Felicity. God has a greater regard to his own glory than mens Parentage; Josiahs holiness will not make Jehoiakim happy: Jer. 22. 15—19.
2. Though they carry on a pretty deal of the form of Religion. When they have corrupted [Page 22]themselves, yet they are devout in their way; and have their Prayers, and Fasts, and Sacrifices; but these things shall not secure them from the Wrath of God: such Services will not make up the breach between God and his people. God takes more notice of their sins than of their sacrifices; Jer. 6. 20. Wherefore cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far Country, your offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
3. Though they cry to him for pitty. They are wont in their affliction to make their moans to God, and to complain to him under their sorrows, and intreat his pity. But God knows how to harden his heart against a rebellious people; they encourage themselves that God is merciful, but as merciful as he is, he will not indulge them in their iniquities: Zech 7. 13. It came to pass as I cried to them and they would not hear, so they cried and I would not hear, saith the Lord of Hosts.
USE III. Of WARNING.
That you do not grow more corrupt. We are running down hill and our natures lead us to degeneracy, and we are now grown so bad that temptations to degeneracy do abound in the Land; Men have bad examples before them; they harden one another, Men will be counted ridiculous if they do not in some measure comply: We are like a man in a Consumption, in danger to grow worse and worse. Like a tree in a withering condition, in danger to dye: There is need of much care.
Consider,
1. If you do go on to corrupt your selves, you will frustrate the design of planting the Land. The design of our Fathers in Planting this Country, was that their Posterity might fear and serve the Lord, [Page 24]They would not have left England meerly for their own quietness: but they were afraid that their Children would be corrupted there. But what advantage will the Planting of this Land be, if we should grow a corrupt People here? as good have been bad in Old England as in New: what great matter is it, if we be delivered from Superstition, if we carry in other respects wickedly: The Planters of the Country might even repent that ever they came over into this Land: the design will be very much lost; they might say as Joshua says, Josh. 7. 7. Would God we had been content and dwelt on the other side Jordan.
2. Corrupt carriages will of themselves bring much misery on you. If the Country grows very corrupt, that will make us miserable, though we had no punishment: if we grow a wicked People, men will be abusing one another in their Estates, by fraud, by oppression, by theft, by corrupt judgment: Isa. 5. 7. He looked for judgment but behold oppression, [Page 25]for righteousness but behold a cry: Men will be reproaching one another, blasting one anothers Names, they will reproach their Magistrates, and reproach their Ministers, and make their lives burdensome, Children will be disobedient to Parents, grow riotous, and drunkards, and bring themselves to misery: Mens Daughters and Wives too will become Harlots; which is a great misery: Amos 7. 17. Wickedness will make a People miserable.
3. God will surely judge you, if you corrupt your selves. You may not expect that God will spare you: Josh. 24. 19. God is an holy God: and a jealous God, he will not pardon your iniquities, nor your sins: If there were no cloud in the sky, yet it would not be long before there be a Storm. God will never grow into love with sin: He will never grow regardless of his honour, he will never repent of his Covenant, he will never grow weary of punishing a Rebellious People: it is a vain thing for People to promise themselves Prosperity in a way of Rebellion. [Page 26]Sin will prove a moth to their Estates, and poison to their Bodies; if men harden themselves they will not prosper, Job 9. 4. Walls of brass will not be sufficient to defend a Rebellious People.
4. No man knows when you will be recovered, if you should grow more corrupt. Sometimes in the beginning of a distemper it is easily cured, but when it is grown inveterate it rejects all means. It is hard to recover us now, we find abundance of obstacles in the way, and some are discouraged; but if degeneracy should prevail more, the case will be more desperate; it is easy to grow worse and worse, but hard to grow better. When men are habituated to do evil, it is an hard lesson to learn to do well: Jer. 13. 23. How can you that are accustomed to do evil learn to do well? When much means are used in vain God speaks of a People as incurable: Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean, when shall it once be?
[Page 27] 5. You will be reproached in the World. It was a great undertaking to Plant this Land; and the World will take notice how you carry your selves, if you do corrupt your selves, you will grow ignominious; you will be a contemptible People: Holiness makes a People to be honoured, but wickedness makes them to be despised; you will become a scorn to others, they will say, as Lam. 2. 15. Is this the City that men call the perfection of beauty? And when God brings Judgments on you, they will give that reason of it, because you have forsaken the God of your Fathers, Deut. 29. 24, 25. What meaneth the heat of this great anger: and men shall say, because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers.
6. Multitudes of you will perish. When holiness flourishes in a Land, a great many will go to Heaven, besides the Prosperity that they shall enjoy here, God will bestow heavenly Glory upon many of them: but if a People grow corrupt, it is [Page 28]a sign there be few of them Godly, we may conclude that the Ordinances have not much efficacy among them; they may pretend high and promise themselves a part in Heaven, but few of them will obtain it: Multitudes when they dye will go to Hell; when Parents dye, and Husbands dye, and Wives dye, and Children dye, they will generally go to Hell; after all miseries here they will have Eternal misery: Math. 8. 12. The Children of the Kingdom shall go into outer darkness, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. It is not so alwayes; but it was a corrupt time when Christ was on the earth, and then the Children of the Kingdom are cast into outer darkness.