CotJtemplationr. Lu. I. run home crying for fhelter ) men lfee not; R.eafon once debauched is worfe 1 hen A bruirifhneffe: God bath ufe even ofthe!e lierce~nd crue!l beail~,and glory by them: even they bemgcreated for m•n, mull hve by h1m,though to hiS punifhment: how gently do ~hey off-;r and fubmit themfel_ves to their Preferver; renewing thatobey. fancc to th1s R.epa~rer ofthe world, wh1ch they before lin, yeelded to him that fir!! !lored theWorld: He that !hut theminrothe Arke when they wereemred !but their mourhesalfowhile they did enter. TheLyons fawneupon Nooh, and !J4,;,t. What heart cannot theMaker ofthemmollifie. ' The uncleane beails God would have to live, the cleane to multiplie; and therefore he fends toNoahfeven ofthe cleane, of the uncleane two: He knew theone would annoy manwith theirmultitude, the other wouldinrich him; Thofe things are worthyofmoll refpell: which areofmoll ufe. 1:\utwhy feven? Surely thatGod that created feven d~iesin the Weeke, and made onefor himfelfe; did here preferve of(even cleanebealls,one for himfelfe, fur facrifice; He givesus Gx for one in earthly things, that in fpirituall wee !bouldbeeall for him. Now the day is come, all <he gueils are enrred, the Arke is fimt,and the windows ofHeavmopen: I doubtnotbutmanyofthofe fcnffers, when rheyfawtheviolence of the waves defcendiog, and afcending, according to Noaht predifrion,came wadingmiddle-deepunrotheArke, and importunately craved that admittance which they once denyrd: But nowas they formerly rejet!edGod, (o are they ju!lly rejell:ed ofGod. For ere vengeancebrgin, repentance is feafonable; but ifjudgement beonce goneout, we cry too late. Wbile the Gofpell folicites us, thedoores C qf the Arke areopen, ifwe neglell: the timeofgrace, in vaine !hall wee feek it with teares; God holds it nomercy to pity the obilinate. Others more bold than they hope to over-run the judgement, and climbing up to the highMounraines, look~ downe upon thewaters, withmorehopethan feare : and nowwhen they fee their Hils become I lands, they climbe up into thetallefr Trees; therewith paleneffe and horror at once lookfor death, and !ludyto avoyd it,whom the wavesover-take at !ail halfdead with famine, andhalfwith feare. Loe now from the topsoftheMountainestheydefcrythe Arke floating upon thewaters, and beholdwithenvyrbat which betare they beheld with Ccorne. In vaine doth he fly whom God purfues. Th<re is no way to fly fromhis judgements, but to fly tohismercy by repenting. The Faithofthe righteouscannot be (o D much derided, a;rheir Cucceffe ismagnified : How fecurely doth N••h rideout this uproareofHeaven, Earth •ndwaters I Heheares the powringdowne oftheraine above his head; the!briekingofMen, and roaringand bellowingofBeails, on both fides him; the raging and threats ofthe waves under him; he law theniiferablefhifts ofthe di!lreffed unbeleevers; and in themeane time fits quietly in hisdryCabbin, neither feeling, nor fearing evill: he knew that he which owed thewarm, would freere bi117that hewho!hut himin,would preferve him.Howhappy a thing is Faith? what aqmet fafety,what aheavenly peacedoth it workein the Coule,in the mid!l of all the inundadons of evill? NowwhenGod bathfetcht again all the life which he had given to hisunworthy creatures, and reduced theworld unrohis fir(} forme whereinwaterswere overthe E face ofthe earth,itwas time for a renovationofalthings to Cucceed thi~deftruction. Tohavecontinued theDeluge long, had been to puni!b Noah, that was righteous. Afrer forty 4ayes rherrore, the Heavensclearup, afieran hundred and fifty the wa· rers linkedowne: How fooneis God weary ofpuni!bing, which is never weary of blrffing! yet may notthe Arke re!lfuddenly. Ifwe did not fhyfome-whileunder Godsband,wefhonld not know how fweet hismercy is,and howgreat ourthankefulneffe !bouldbe. TheArke though it was Noaht Fort again!! the waters, yetirwas his prifon· he was Cafe in it, but put up; he that gavehim life by it, now rhinkes time to give hi:O libertyout ofir. God doth norreveale all things to hisbefr fervams: behold, He that told No.oh•n hundred and twenty yearesberore, whatday be !bould go into the Arke,yetfort_els h1m
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