39
Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the isles, shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.
Jeremiah 50:39
True Christian Religion # 754
754. There are various ways in which a church comes to an end. It happens principally through circumstances which cause falsity to look like truth; and when this happens, the good which is inherently good, what is called spiritual good, can no longer exist. What is then believed to be good is only natural good, the product of a moral life. The reason for truth coming to an end, and good with it, is principally the two natural loves which are diametrically opposed to the two spiritual loves; these are called self-love and love of the world. When self-love is dominant, it is the opposite of love to God; and when the love of the world is dominant, it is the opposite of love towards the neighbour. Self-love is wishing well to no one but oneself, except for selfish reasons; and likewise the love of the world. Once those loves have got a grip, they spread like mortification through the body, and stage by stage destroy every part of it. It is clear that such a love attacked past churches from the description of Babylon (Genesis 11:1-9; Isaiah 13, 14, 47; Jeremiah 50; and in Daniel 2:31-47; 3:1-7ff; and Daniel 5; 6:8-end; Daniel 7:1-14; and in Revelation 17, 18, both from beginning to end). In the end, Babylon vaunted itself so much that it not only transferred to itself the Lord's Divine power, but also did its best to attract to itself all the riches of the world.
[2] Omens and far from misleading appearances allow us to conclude that outside Babylon similar loves would have broken out from many of the leaders of churches, had not their power been checked and so limited. What else might be expected but that such a person would look upon himself as God, the world as heaven, and pervert all the church's truth? For real truth, which is inherently true, cannot be known and acknowledged by a purely natural person; nor can God impart it to him, because it turns upside down and becomes falsity. As well as those two loves there are many more causes for truth and good coming to an end, and so causing the end of churches; but these are secondary causes, subordinate to the two mentioned.
Numbers 32
1
Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for cattle;
2
The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and to the princes of the congregation, saying,
3
Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,
4
Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:
5
Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given to thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.
6
And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?
7
And why discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
8
Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.
9
For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
10
And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he swore, saying,
11
Surely none of the men that came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:
12
Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
13
And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was consumed.
14
And behold, ye have risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD towards Israel.
15
For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and he will destroy all this people.
16
And they came near to him, and said, We will build sheep-folds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:
17
But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them to their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities, because of the inhabitants of the land.
18
We will not return to our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.
19
For we will not inherit with them on the other side of Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance hath fallen to us on this side of Jordan eastward.
20
And Moses said to them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,
21
And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,
22
And the land shall be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.
23
But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
24
Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.
25
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.
26
Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:
27
But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.
28
So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:
29
And Moses said to them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed for battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:
30
But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.
31
And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said to thy servants, so will we do.
32
We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.
33
And Moses gave to them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with its cities in the borders, even the cities of the country around.
34
And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,
35
And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,
36
And Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities: and folds for sheep.
37
And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,
38
And Nebo, and Baal-meon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names to the cities which they built.
39
And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite who was in it.
40
And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt in it.
41
And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth-jair.
42
And Nobah went and took Kenath, and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name.
