LIB. I. Ofthe Deluge. I 781 A C•in finds that be killed hjmfelfmore then his brother, We lhould never fin, ifour --- fore· Ggh! were but as good as om fenfe ; The ilfue of fin would appeorea thouf.Jnd rimes more horrible tren the a& is plelfant. Ofthe Deluge. l'l":~!'f=!':"'i:!!H E World was grown fo foule with fin, that Cod faw it was time to wafh it with a!loud And fo clofe did wickednescleave to the Authors it, that when they werewafht to nothing, yet it would not olf: yea fo deep did it flick in thevery grain ofthee.mb, thot God faw it meet to let it foke long under the waters. So under the law the very veiTels that had touched uncleane ~ater, mufleither be rinced, or broken.Mankinde began but with one ;and yet he that faw the firrt man,lived to fee the Earth peopled with • world of men: yet men grewnot fo fafl as wickednetfe. Oneman could foone and eafily multiply a thoufaRd Gns, never Man had fo manychildren: fo that when there weremen enow to !lore the earth, there were asmany Gnnes a• would reach up to neaven, whereupon the waterscome downefromheaven, and fwelledup to heaven againe· Ifthere h,td nor be<'n fo deep a Delngeoffin , there had beene noneofthe waters~ fromwhence then was thisfuperflttiry ofiniquiry? Whence, bot from the unequ;ll yoke with Infidels? Thefemariages did not beget men,fo much as wickedneffe, from hence religtous hufbands bmh lofltheirpiety ,and gayned arebellious C and godlelfe generation. Thatwhichwas the lirfl occaGon ofGnne,was the occaiion ofthe increafeoflin: Awoman feduced 4dam, women betray thefe fons ofGod : the beautyofthe Apple betrayed the woman, thebeauty ofthefe women betrayed this holyfeed: Eve faw,& lufled,fodid they,tbis alfowas a forbidden fruit,they lu!led,tafled,Gnned,died; the mofl Gnsbeginat the eyes, by them commonlySatancreeps into the heart : that foule can never bein fafety,that bath not covenanted with hiseyes. God needed not havegiven thefemen anywarningofhis judgement; they gave himnowarningoftheir fins,no refpite: yet thatGod might approve his mercies to the verywicked; he gives theman hundred and twenty years refpiteofrepenting: how loth isGod to flrike,rhat rhrears fo long! He that delights in revenge,furprifes D his adverfary, whereas be that gives long warnings, deGres robe prevented : if we were nor wilful, we lhould never fmarr. Neitherdorh he give them time only, but a faithfull teacher. It is an happy thing whm be that teo:heth others is righteous; N••hr hand taught them asmuch as his tongue. His buiinetfe in building rhe Arke, was a reall fermon to the world,wherein at oncewere taught mercy and life to the bdeever;and to the rebellious deflrufrion. Merhinks I fee rbofemonflrousfonnesof Lamecbcomtning ro No•b, and afking him, what be meanes by that flrange work; whether he means to lale upon the dry land.To whomwhen f.e reportsGods pnrpofe and his,they go away laughing at his idleneire, and tell one another,in fport, rhat too much holinetfe bath made hi Ill mad: E yet cannot they all flout Noahoucofhis faith, he preaches, and builds,and finifhes. Doubtldfemore hands went to thiswork thenhis : many aone wrought npon the Arke, which yet wasnot Caved in the Arke. Our outwardWorkes cannot fave us, wirhomour Faith; wee may helpe to fave others,and perifh our (elves: what awonder ofmercy is this that I here fee? One p(>ore f•mily called out ofaWQrld,and as it were eight graines ofcornc fanned from a whole barnfull ofehltfe : oneHypocrite was Caved with the reflfur No•lu fake; not one righteousman was fwept away for company, For thefe few was rhe earth preferved tlill under the waters; and all'kinds ofCreatures upon theWaters; which elfe had been all deflroyed. Still theWorld !lands,fortheir fakes, for whom it waspreferved; Elfe fire !hOuldconfume char, whicheovld nor be cleanfrd by water. Thisdifferenceis flrange; I fee thefavagefl ofall creatures,Lyons,Tygers,Beares, by an inrtintl: from God come to feek the Arke (aswefee fwine fore-feeing aflorme Xxx run -
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