feare Let him that think he standeth take heed c. 1 Cor. 10.12 and the Apostle proposeth the caveat to the Christian Churches from the exclusion of the Jewish Rom. 11.20 3. It was a feare of respect and reverence both in respect of Gods Majesty at whose presence the Angels cover their faces Es 6. and also in consideration of Gods past goodnesseâ— and mercies towards them and expectation of future deliverances Hence that expression Psal 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared well he knew that he that beleeveth in him shall not be ashamed well he knew that his mercy was nigh them that feare him that nothing more endeares and obliges God to us then an unwillingnesse to displease him nothing more restraines us from offending God then the contemplation of Gods Soveraigne Majesty and remembrance and expectation of his mercies nothing more demonstrates and expresseth our love to God then our feare to offend him res est soliciti c. 1 Pet. 1.17 Mal. 1.6 Well he knew there was a vast difference betwixt him that feareth and him that feareth not that ruine and destruction attends the latter that mercy and deliverance is provided for the former and therefore Noah not onely feared but that he might be capable of the mercies which are prepared for those that seare him he prepared an Arke which was an act of hope and confidence that God would preserve and is the second described effect of Noahs Faith He prepared an Arke he provided the materialls God ordered the forme God prescribed and lined the modell Noah raysed the structure the Platforme was Gods the workemanship Noahs which was a most cleare signall proofe of his Faith whether we respect the act it selfe or the many difficulties and discouragements which accompanied it and he was to encounter and struggle withall in the composure of this Fabricke For 1. The very subject it selfe required a great portion of Faith for well might Noah thus argue with himselfe Doth the good and gracious God delight in the ruine of his creatures Made he the World to destroy it or can nothing satisfie his wrath and justice but an universall destruction and extermination Will he actuate his threatnings to the height and execute his Judgements with the greatest severity and rigor Are all the passages of his goodnesse and tender mercies obstructed No meanes to be used to mitigate and qualifie the hardnesse of the sentence or is the Decree irreversible Will he deface the World the impresse of his glory Will he destroy man his own Image curam divini ingenii as Tertullian his Masterpiece These and many more quaeries might Noah have cogitated to distrust the prediction or dispured it and to retard him in his designe that he should not fall to his worke or slackly follow it But against all these carnall disputings he proposes to himselfe Gods veracity and faithfulnesse God hath thus declared his pleasure hath prescribed and ordered me to frame this Building there is no more dispute no foreslowing of time no neglect in the observance of the Order God hath spoken I must beleeâ—â—â— 2. The difficulties which he would meet withall in the performance of his duty might have staggered his Faith and stoâ—â— his worke For this also might he here have reasoned Must I 〈◊〉 necessity build an Arke and this of so great a capacity and largenesse or what need the expence of so much money labour aâ—â— time as will be required to this worke How can I make 〈◊〉 Arke of that stowage and bulke as will containe the severall spâ—cies of all creatures or granting I might make roome enoughâ— yet what safety for me and my family from the cruelty aâ—â— fiercenesse of ravenous beasts what agreement or peace caâ— be expected among them How will it be possible to endurâ— the variety of the hideous shrikes roaring and wildnesses of thâ— sentitives of all sorts or the filthinesse of their stinch and excrements But granting these also yet further how shall 〈◊〉 summons or what authority will my summons have amongâ— these untamed bruits Will they be decoyed into the Arke aâ— my call or supposing this to be feasable yet where shall Provision be had as the Disciples to Christ where shall we have Bread for this multitude where shall Victuals be found to furnish a Magazine or where a Magazine to containe sufficient stoâ—â— for the sustentation of all these or how shall that variety oâ— Provision be brought in as will serve for the nutriment of these strange different natures Or how was it possible for eight Persons to fodder and serve them all every day and give them every one their allowance But allowing these also to be possible yet how shall so great a bulke of that burden and capacity escape the rage of the madnesse of the Waters and Winds or splitting and foundering on some rocks or mountaines or escaping the rockes how shall I manage this hitherto unknowne Engine or what judgement can I have in this undiscovered Art But waving all these thoughts too how shall this designe goe on which is so ridiculous and absurd to all the world which iâ— so odious and ungratefull to all men that none will yeeld any asistance all of them either jeere and deride the worke or hinder and stop it These and such like thoughts and disputes as these might have shaken his resolution and puzled if not non-plussed his Faith and either broke the designe and quashed the attempt or made it goe on slowly or slackly But Noah is constant and faithfull to his Master and his service he knew whom he trusted whom he served and therefore â—eighted all these pretended difficulties and seeming impossibilities the scornes and derisions of carnall men and follow his businesse closely and cheerefully Well he knew that God is infinite in Power and Wisedome and whatsoever he willeth â—e doth in Heaven and in Earth that he is true and just in all his Decrees and Promises that he could by his word and for his words sake would strengthen and animate his spirit to goe through with his worke enable him to performe all those duties imposed on him endure all those hardships remove all those obstacles and impossibilities which flesh and bloud could object against him and that God would carry on this worke by him in despight of all opposition difficulties and discouragements for he was faithfull that Promised and therefore upon the performance of the command of God he obtained the reward Preservation of himselfe and family which is not so much an effect as a consequent recompence of his Faith For so it followes To the saving of his House eight Soules in Saint Peters expression 1 Pet. 3.10 that is eight individualls or Persons and no more of his family or his house were saved And who these eight were we have Recorded Gen. 6.18 himselfe his Wife his three Sonnes Sem. Ham and Japheth and their respective Wives none of his servants none of his
at the brediction perhaps because the Starrs could not reveale this secret he feared and expected the event depending on Gods â—eracity and power he beleeved the revelation for it was a warning from God therefore feared the denunciation Indubiâ—atum habuit eventum quod Deus eventurum praedixerat quod homines securi ut fabulam ridebant Noah eo quod metuit ut Insanum irridebant Erasm Paraphr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being circumspect and cautious thereupon or piâ—ously and religiously observing the divine vaticiny or as we reade it moved with feare or downright with the Vulgar fearing it is all one for feare strikes men into religious thoughts of God Primus in orbe Deos fecit timor and makes men wary and wise in all their undertakings and most sedulous aâ— carefull to avoide imminent and approaching dangers and so followes fearing he prepared c. his Faith moved him to feaâ—â— and his feare moved him to undertake the Fabricke Some â—â— deed place a Comma after fearing and thut reade the words 〈◊〉 quae nondum videbantur veritas or metuens taking the foregoing clause into the sense of this word feared the thing not seen bâ— I take the ordinary reading to be fuller and clearer he beleeve the things not seen and thereupon feared and fearing he prepred c. his preparation proceeded from his feare and his feâ—â—â— from his Faith But what doth Faith worke feare is not report of Conscience in the sense of Gods love the chiefest product on of Faith and doth not this exclude feare The resolution is easie and at hand That though the principall effect of Faith be love and complacency in the love of God yet even this doth presuppose the full adaequate object of Faith which is every revelation and proposition of God the historiâ—â— precepts promises and threatnings of God Faith makes use 〈◊〉 any or all of these according to the exigency and condition of tâ—â— subject The Beleever relies on the Promises for his hope aâ—â— confidence applyes the menaces and judgements to feare aâ— decline them observes the histories for beliefe and the precept for obedience he yeilds a full assent to all Gods affirmations cheerefull dependance on all his Promises an uniforme obedience to all his Precepts and an humbled awe to all his threaâ—nings For Faith in his full latitude and extent respects all aâ—â— every one of these and therefore Faith doth not exclude feare but beget and nourish it And thus Noah beleeved all that God proposed and particularly having denounced wrath to comâ— therefore necessarily he must feare and his feare complyâ—â— with all the other specified considerations for as he feare the threatned Deluge so he beleeved Gods prediction concerning it and accordingly as God commanded he prepared a Arke and he was confident that as God had promised so bâ— that means he would most assuredly preserve him and his family it was not then the feare of a melancholy man which so distract and disturbes his mind that he cannot bethinke himselfe 〈◊〉 any case or remedy but alwayes suspects and is jealous of thoâ— remedies which are at hand as experience testifies when a well-â—rovided Army betrayeth it selfe by a Panick feare nor the feare â—f a drowning man whose reason is so suddenly and wholly surprized that it is altogether uselesse to him Neither was it a feare of despaire or distrust like that of damned Spirits for this â— highly injurious to God even a deniall or doubting of his â—â—ve and goodnesse but it was a feare of Providence and circumspection for himselfe and family of reverence and affection â—â— God and certainely this affection if right set have its true â—â—bject and wisely moderated have its just temper hath very much â—f Religion in it and is a maine instrument in the conversion â—f the soule to God and afterwards setling and confirming it â—hat which Faith first workth by is the terrors of the Law and â—hat which keepeth our Faith in obedience is the feare of wrath â—his is one principle and foundation of this work of our converâ—â—on for it makes men desirous to prevent quo ad posse the wills they dread and layes a restraint upon their Spirits and â—hough Faith stands not here but advanceth higher stirring up â—n the soule apprehensions of love and mercy yet here it usuâ—â—ly begins as appeareth from the demeanor of Saint Peters â—onverts Acts 2.37 and Saint Pauls Acts 19.17.18.19 â—hus the first motive of the Ninivites repentance was a Serâ—on of feare the next and most immediate an axiome of love â—he can tell if God will c. Jonah 3.9 But I digresse and will returne to Noahs feare to shew wherein it consisted 1. It was a preapprehension of those evills which God had â—â—reatned and this however a naturall affection to feare those wills which we expect yet is not sinfull but commendable and profitable leading us ut seta trahit post se filum in Saint Augustines expression to serious thoughts of Gods Power Truth Justice and so disposeth us to seek and enquire for his â—â—ercy and goodnesse It expelleth carnall security idlenesse and â—ensuality the putting far away the evill day Amos 6.3 and â—ngageth to provide against a storme Hence it is said It is a â—arefull thing to fall into the hands of the living Lord Hebr. p. 31. The best sinne and so deserve wrath and so need of this â—â—ssion to feare and to fly from wrath to come and because 〈◊〉 hath denounced woe woes against all disobedience therefore they cannot but feare Amos 3.8 which is also exempâ—â— fied in David Psal 119 120. My Flesh trembleth for feaâ—â— of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements 2. It was a feare of care and caution by repentance aâ—â— holinesse of life to prevent the feared evills not to touch tâ—â— accursed thing not to cover the Babilonish garment or wedge 〈◊〉 gold not to require meat for our lust to decline and seperatâ— from all wicked associations and confederates not to put thâ—â— hand to those wickednesses for which the wrath of God commeth on the Children of disobedience nay further yet not 〈◊〉 act consent or counsell to any designe which to us may seeâ— repugnant to our Profession or we may suspect to be prejudiciall to the service or worship of God or injurious to oâ—â— neighbours and wheresoever any doubt or feruple shall arise which way to follow what to adhere unto alwayes to chuse tâ—â— safer part and the lesse suspitious to avoid that course wheâ—â— possibly we may offend though necessarily we shall not and follow that wherein certainely we shall not offend though mâ—â—â— contrariant to our own desires humors and carnall interesâ— and advantages this is rightly to serve God in feare Psal 2 1â— To work out our salvation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.13 The walking circumspectly the duty of every prudent waâ—â— Christian Eph. 5.15 and that we fall not for it is possible foâ— the best to fall we must
the great pretence of world 〈◊〉 why they are so active and stirring in the world so tenaciouâ— illiberall that they gripe and catch at all give or lend notâ— to those that truely want â—estow nothing or if any thing small forced token on Gods service Ministers or Members tâ— wilt as Noah did provide for another world spare neither nor pains for the re-ediâ—ying of the Arke of Christs Churâ— thou wilt by justice mercifulnesse and almes make friend the unrighteous Mammon c. Luke 16.9 Lay up in stoâ— good foundation against the time to come c. 1 Tim. 6. thou by thy religious practises shall condemne the world and shall not be condemned with it O then shake off careless and security Zeph. 2.15 give over your covering and courâ— of the world your cager desires and restlesse pursuites oâ— with much anxiety and suspension of minde enquire and after the wayes of life and salvation with humility and sinceâ— and pursue and follow them with care and conscience then the rightly beleevest truely fearest God and wisely provides for saving of thy selfe and others thou mayest be confident assured of Gods protection favour and everlasting mercy God will Pilot thee through all the stormes and tempests of this World by all the spouts and cataracts of tribulation and perseation and conduct thee to the Harbour of life and salvation â—oubtiesse the end of all Gods judgements threatned or inâ—icted are to deterre us from sinne to keep us from sinne and â—nisery and to hold us in obedience to make us more considering and better times of distraction and destruction are conâ—dering times Isay 57.1 and certainly if ever we may justly â—omplain with David Psal 74.3 Usque ad 11. nothing but deâ—lation and raine in every quarter the Church is desolate and in confusion Jerusalem an heap of stones the sword rageth and is drunk with blood and that which heightens these judgements The Lord hath set every mans sword against his fellow â—ven thoughout all the Land as he did thoughout all the Midiaâ—tish Host And yet which is yet also a greater judgement no man considers it or layes it to heart never more covetousnesse â—uxury profanation wickednesse and all Heathenish impieties there is a generall consumption of Religion and Humanity of Piety and Honesty and it is much to be feared that as Aetas paâ—entum pejor annit tulit nos nequiores mox daturos progentem â—itiotiorem the World shall be drowned in Barbarisme A theisme and Infidelity so God in his justice will east us away from â—is presence deprive us of the light of his countenance his Truth and Gospel take away our pound remove our Candlesticke let out his Vineyard to other Husbandmen and make us 〈◊〉 â—ssing a reproach and a Proverbe among the Nations give the Philistines possession of our Arke and we shall wander too and from from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East shall we runne to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not finde it Amos 8.12 Perhaps we may have fulnesse and plenty to â—at and drink and the want of this is onely feared and the getting of it onely sought marry and give in marriage live pleasantly and according to the now usuall expression comfortably after our own hearts desire when as immediately we not considering are overtaken with wrath and vengeance and have no Arke to save us not a Noah a Preacher of Righteousnesse to instruct us there is no more Vision no Prophets more in the Land the dayly Sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation set up When I reade the sinnes an judgements of Jerusalem Ez. 22. per totum and reflect upon these present times and conditions thereof I see so much their sinnes in use and practise that I cannot but fore-see thâ— the plagues and punishments thereof will follow us unlesse we returne repent and reforme And O that yet we would repent that the Lord might have compassion on us heale our Land stâ— the tumults of the People take away all Schisme profanation and heresie which pesters the Church all confusion and disorders which obscures it and we reduced into a setled Christian Peace attended with justice and mercy that all our hearts aâ— affections may be united in the bands of Religion that oâ— Arke may be brought back againe that glory may dwell in oâ— Land and when we shall be removed hence we may be received into the Land of glory One great expression of our Faith in God and feare of him is Invocation of his holy Name an excellent preparative anâ— sure means to preserve us in the unity of the Arke of Christ Church and save it from the condemnation of the World 〈◊〉 to Petition the Rocke of our Salvation the Author and Finished of our Faith the Founder and Benefactor of his Church And therefore for a Conclusion of this worke Let us Pray The third Part. The Prayer O Most great and glorious Lord God who art wonderfull iâ— justice terrible in judgement irresistable in power be thou our feare and dread in the perillous time our shield and desence a very present help in the needfull time of trouble Be thou our hope and confidence in the dayes of wickednesse and when the wickednesse of our heeles composse us about thou who hast prepared mercy and truth for these that seck thee prepare us for thy mercy and truth Let all the Earth flare the Lords stand in awe of him all ye that dwell in the World for his salvation is nigh them that feare him O fix thy feare in our hearts that we never turn again to folly Let us see thy marâ—â—llous loving kindnesse and partake of thy plentifull goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee even before be Sounes of Men. O let not us dally with thy warnings let â—s not be setled on our lees living in security and sensuality â—t not the sentence of guilâ—inesse preceed against us let all thy evelations of wrath upon every soule that d th evill all the deâ—arations of thy righteous judgement upon all sinners and against â—ll sinne worke in us repentance to salvation not to be repented â—f Let it worke an holy indignation displeasure and revenge â—on our selves that we have displeased thee carefulnesse and â—are that we displease thee not againe a zeale and vehemeus â—esire to doe those things that please thee that we may be sinâ—re and without offence till the day of Christ Let not us have â—ur portion in this condemned World but that it may be with â—e heires of righteousnesse which is by Faith Let thy Word â—ake deep impressions on our spirits take place in our affections And because we are fore-warned to fly from the wrath to come â—ssist us by thy grace that we may bring forth fruits meet for â—pentance Give to us great and dreadfull apprehensions of thy â—lory and immensity thy majesty and thy power that we may â—dore thee and feare thee as