Tefianaent, in divers Manners. 29 yet corrupt Nature, fo far as appears out of the Sacred Hiftory, never had theUfe and benefit of it till now : But rather on the contrary, the Lord fecures Cain, as it were, by fpecial Difpenfation, Gen. 4. i 5. The Government of theWorld before feems to have been only domeftical and paternal ; which might eafily be ; Parents then living fo long as to fee whole Towns and Cities of their own Children and Pofterity But this paternal way of Government was fo mild, that it was not effe- aual and fuflicient to reftrain Vice and Wickednefs ; which grew to fuch Gigantick ftrength and height, that there was a neceflïty to cut the wickeddown with a Flood. But therefore now to prevent the like Degeneracy and Deftruaion, the Lord puts a ftronger Bridle and Reftraint upon the outragions Wickednefs and Corruption of mans Nature ; namely, this ofMagiftra- cy or Civil Government, whereby Some are intrufted with the Power of theSword, to take away the Lives of others in grofï'er cafes, efpeci- ally that of Murther. 6. God divided the World among them, Gen, to. which confined of three parts then known, tho' not by thefe names, to wit, Afa, Africk, and Europe, whereof Simms Pofterity dwelt chiefly in Afsa, Chant's in Africk, and to apbet's Pofterity Europefell, known in Scripture by this Name, The 1 /les of the Gentil$s, Gen. t o. 5. of whofe Pofterity we our (elves are. And now one would think Mankind was happy, when God thus fets them ñp again, begins with them upon a new fcore, as it were. But there were four things efpecially that did ruine all, and brought this Difpenfation to an end. r. The Apoflacy of Cham and his Poflerity, Gen. 9. 22. an unnatural Sin, to defpife and dilhonour his Parents, and himfelfnot a atvin Child when he did this, but above a hundred years old, WC d illetin aQxr ver. 25. the Curfe is thundred forth againft Canaan: So the Punifhment anfwers the Sin. Cham is an ungratious Son to his Father, therefore he hath a curledSon. And perhaps Canaan might be prevent and Partner in his Father's Sin, or the molt delightful of his Children, being the youngeft ; and fo the Cuffing him would be molt likely to pierce and grievehis Fathers hard Heart. And it may be fo exprefs'd for the greatercomfort of the Ifiaelites; that the Nations they were to expel, were a Generation oftheCurfe of God : But certain it is that Cham himfelf was intended, and curfed in that Curfe. This fell out a- bout forty years (as fome reckon) after the Flood. 2. That impious attempt of buildiag the Tower of Babel, Gen. it. 4. . whither to fecure themfelves fromanother Deluge, through their.unbe- lief
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=