Come we now to the firſt of theſe parallels: in the dayes of Noah, they were eating, and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage; and in theſe dayes before the coming of the Son of man; they will be eating, and drinking, marrying and giving in mariage.

Thoſe cuſtomary manners and practices of the old world, are expreſſed to reſemble the lik uſages of this latter world, and both aggravated by the time, in the dayes of Noah, and in the dayes of the coming of the Son of man;

Which are laid down in 2. paire of naturall actions.

• 1. Eating and Drinking.
• 2. Marrying and Giving in marriage.

Which as in nature, ſo in Scripture they go together.

Unto this example of Noah's dayes, Saint Luke adds the like of Lots dayes, they did eat, they drunk, they bought, they ſold, they planted, they builded.

And what does our Lord blame in the firſt pair of the worlds actions, eating and drinking? 2 For they proceed from natural deſires implanted in us by the God of nature, and with­out which, the perſon of the man cannot be naturally preſerved.

The Lord blames not theſe actions, but their carnal ſecurity: who did eat and drink

2. Yea, their immoderate and inordinate eating and drink­ing; They were toti in his, they were wholly taken up in actions of this nature. And the Holy Ghoſt expreſſes it in the phraſe here uſed, ſignifying an imperfect time, ſome paſt and ſome preſent,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; they were eat­ing and drinking, and the agents thoſe who ſpent and were ſpending their time thus, ſo a doing that they were yet about to do what they now did; they made it their buſineſſe, and they went every day conſcienciouſly about the doing of i•.

The reaſon is, Though our calling be an high and heavenly calling, yet by reaſon of our earthly being, the preſent ſeeming good drawes forcibly downward, which the Wiſeman hath well obſerved, Wiſ. 9.15. That the corruptible body preſſeth down the ſoul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that mu­ſeth on many things. And whereas the man ſtands, as Hercules is fabled in bivio, with wiſdome traceing on the right hand, and folly on the left: we read of Samlah (one of Edoms poſteri­ty) that he was of Maſrekah; Samlah is the left hand, and Maſrekah the drawing of vanity, Gen. 36.36.

Now the ſtream of the thoughts, wills and affections can run inſenſibly but one way at once; For we cannot ſerve God and Mammon; God and the world, God and our bel­ly.

2. They neglected the Preachers of righteouſneſſe: Venter non habet aures. And Quos perdere vult Deus dementat.

Obſerv. Our Lord ſaith not, that they were gluttons and drunkards, but that they were eating and drinking. Even naturall and lawfull actions may be dangerous in regard of ſin, which may cleave to them: or dangerous temptations unto ſin, or in regard of ſome penall evill or true puniſhment. For Eſau did eat and drink, and roſe up, and deſpiſed his birth­right; and is therefore called a profane perſon, Heb. 12. So, The people ſat down to eat, and to drink, and roſe up to play, Ex­od. 32.6. and the Sichemites did eat, and drink and curſed Abimelech: therefore whereas Jobs Children had a cuſtom of feaſting at one anothers houſes, Job 1.4. their father feared leſt they might curſe God in their hearts, and therefore he of­fered ſacrifice in behalf of them continually, or all the dayes of their feaſting. Matth. 22. our Lord ſaith not, that he who was called and afterward excluded from the ſupper, went to plow iniquity, but that he went to his farm; an honeſt though now a poor calling.

Nor doth he tell us that the Merchant handled the balance of deceit, but onely that he went to his Merchandize, a war­rantable good profeſſion.

Thus in the dayes of Lot, Luk. 17.26. it is ſaid, They bought, they ſold, they planted, they builded; Our Lord8 ſaith not that they ſinned ſimply in ſo doing; but he implies, that ſome dangerous temptation uſually adheres unto theſe & ſuch like actions, as to buying and ſelling. Many, ſaith the Wiſe­man, have ſinned for a ſmall matter, and he that ſeeks for abun­dance and will be rich, will turn his eyes away, he is avidus. As a nail ſticks cloſe between the joyning of the ſtones, ſo doth ſin ſtick faſt between buying and ſelling, Eccle. 27.1, 2. Thus we have had the former pair of naturall actions: come we now to the latter, which our Saviour adds to them by reaſon that the former pair of naturall actions have ſuch an influence upon the later; for eating and drinking diſpoſe the body for marrying and giving in marriage. Yea, exceſſive eat­ing and drinking incline men to the ſins of uncleanneſſe; Firſt ſurfeting and drunkenneſſe, then chambering and wantonneſſe, Romans 13. Therefore ſaith Solomon, Look not on the wine when it is red; or Proverbs 23.31. Thine eyes ſhall behold ſtrange women.

Now as they before the flood eagerly purſued the former deſires, ſo did they as violently purſue theſe later; and ſo or worſe do the men of the preſent generation. For we have ſuch marrying and giving in marriage, as never was in the Chriſtian world before theſe late times, proclaiming that great myſtery, as the Apoſtle calls it in Epheſ. 5. in the market-place among the profane multitude.

But what ſpecial reaſon is there for this? There is an inbred deſire of perpetuating our being and name, which becauſe it cannot be obtained in ones own perſon, the naturall deſire is,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to propagate it by poſterity. And herein is placed the naturalls mans hope of immortality, Gen. 4.17, 19. And as without eating and drinking the perſon of a man cannot by nature poſſibly be preſerved; ſo neither with­out marrying and giving in marriage, can mankind be orderly continued.

But if the naturall deſire be not in due ſubordination unto the ſpirituall, that earthly marriage be not in order unto the heavenly, they who marry and are given in marriage are ac­counted no better then the children of this world, Luk 20.34. And he that married a wife, and therefore ſaid he could9 not come, muſt not be admitted to the marriage Supper of the Lamb, Luke 14. And therefore the Apoſtle tells us, that ma­riage muſt be onely in the Lord, 1 Cor. 7.39.

But what reaſon is there that our Lord ſhould name onely theſe two kinds of exceſſes, eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. Had not all the world corrupted its way be­fore the flood? Gen. 6. And before the overflowing ſcourge, our Lord foretells, that iniquity ſhould abound; and all of us can witneſs the truth of it.

All manner of iniquity abounds, in high, in low, in rich, in poore, univerſall iniquity, contrary to the univerſall righte­ouſneſs of God. But the Spirit of God names onely that kind of iniquity which was then, and I believe, is now moſt rife and common among all men, intemperancy, incontinency, luxury, laſciviouſneſs, all manner of uncleanneſs.

As for the other ſins I doubt not but they are common alſo, yet it is to be obſerved, that they are more properly and uſu­ally found among ſome ſorts of men; as pride commonly follows high places, and men in authority, eſpecially, ſuch as never were in authority before,Asperius nihil eſt humili cum ſurgit in altum.

Covetouſneſs, how ever it be too generall, ſo that Mammon is one of the great City Gods, yet it's thought to be moſt rife among Officers, who very often are〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉bribetakers, Mich. 7.3. Envy though it be a ſin now Epi­demicall, and moſt what hides it ſelf under the name of zeal, yet its uſually found among men of Sciences and faculties; according to the Fable, that Envie being once miſſing in Hell, and ſought for, it was found in Monaſteries and Colledges, and ſo it is Academicall; I wiſh it were not ſo in our Pulpits. As Saint Paul complaind that it was of his time, ſome preach Chriſt of envie and ſtrife; ſo extortion and oppreſſion, how­ever at this day very common, yet it uſually harbours among Citizens, Ier 6.6. Simony is between Micha and his Levite, the Patrone and his Clerk; Hypocriſie and the Art of ſeeming ex­treme rife at this day, is found among religious men. Deceit, fraud, circumvention among Merchants, Hoſ. 12.7.

But as for intemperancy, incontinency, looſeneſs of life, vo­luptuouſneſs and ſenſualitie, &c. Theſe are common to all men, to the Subject as well as to the Prince, the learned as the ig­norant, the poor as the rich, the wiſe as the fooliſh; and theſe bring the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

2. They were ſo doing, untill Noah entred into the Ark: And they will be ſo doing, until the coming of the Son of Man.

Would ye know the ground of this? Whoredome, wine and new wine take away the heart, Hoſ. 4 11. For as in nature all diſeaſes, everberate and weaken the man, whence the affection muſt needs continue: So in this State, ſinne the diſeaſe of the ſoul weakens it, as Ezekiel intimates, 17.30. How weak is thine heart, ſince thou doſt all theſe things, even the works of an impe­rious whoriſh woman.

How dangerous therefore is it to adventure upon the be­ginning of ſin, ſince having begun, it is ſo hard to relinquiſh it. Which Solomon certainly intended, when he ſaid, In the tranſ­greſſion of an evill man, there is a ſnare, Prov. 29.6. whereby he is wound in the more faſt, the longer he acts his tranſgreſſi­on. The Prophet Jeremy ſpeaks more plainly; Can the Ae­thiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots? Then may ye alſo do good, which are accuſtomed to do evill.

Therefore let us take Solomons advice which he gives, Prov. 17.14. In regard of ſtrife and contention, leave it off before it be medled with: So may we ſay of every ſin, leave it off before it be medled with. For this reaſon is common to all ſin, which he applies unto ſtrife: That the beginning thereof, is as when one lets out water: we ſoon will ſwell to an inundation of ſin; and that brings with it a flood of vengeance which is the third parallel.

There was a flood prepared in the dayes of Noah to take all thoſe away who were eating and drinking, marrying, and gi­ving in marriage.

And there is a like flood of Calamities, a new deluge, an overflowing ſcourge prepared in the dayes of the coming of the Son of Man to take the like offenders away.

The word in the text is〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which anſwers to〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉a word uſed onely to ſignifie Neah's Flood Gen. 6. verſe 7. Pſalme 29.10. It is derived either from〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to fall, import­ing the great fall of waters; or from〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉to confound, and ſo it notes that univerſal confuſion of all things wrought by the Flood.

Such a like flood there muſt be, even a flood of fire, is that proper? ſurely it is ſutable to Saint Johns expreſſion who tells us of a burning Lake, and a Lake of fire, Revel. 19.20. and 20.10 &c. For thus the Lord in both floods, holds proportion with the ſins of both worlds.

The old world was overwhelmed with voluptuouſneſſe and ſenſuality, carnall ſins, ſins of the Concupiſcible: and the Lord overwhelmed them with a flood of waters. But the greater ſins of the later world, are ſpiritual, as great pride, (whereof 2. Eſd. 8.50. Hypocriſie, Envy, Ignorance, Bloody zeal, Wrath made holineſſe, &c. Therefore the overwhelming ſcourge muſt be proportionable unto theſe ſpiritual ſins, and ſins of the Iraſcible even fire, warre and bloodſhed. For be­hold the Lord will come with fire, and with his Chariots, like a whirlewind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire; For by fire and by his Sword will the Lord plead with all fleſh, Eſay 66.15.16.

But whence came either Flood? came it by chance? Or came it by an unavoidable fate and deſtiny?

Surely, Judgement followes tranſgreſſion; the deluge of water ſuppoſes a deluge of ſin, the overflowing ſcourge ſuppo­ſes the overflowing and abundance of iniquity.

And therefore Saint Peter tells us, that the Lord brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly, 2. Pet. 2.5. It was firſt an ungodly world, and then the Lord brought in the flood upon it: whence it is called in the Dutch a Sin-flood.

Again, the Lord is〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Gen. 17.1, he hath ſufficiency of that wherewith he puniſheth; he hath a treaſury of wrath, 1. King. 8.46. and he brings out of his treaſury〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Eſay 13.6. The fire and the ſword, the famine, and the Peſti­lence.

VVhence appears the vain aſſertion of Beroſus, and Annius, that God had from the beginning determined a flood, which might be, and was foreſeen in the ſtarres and conſtellation of heaven. But that rule of Divines is moſt true; Praeſcientia Dei non imponit rebus neceſſitatem, though God foreſaw both the ſin and the ſin-flood, yet his foreſight impoſed no neceſ­ſity upon either. And therefore Calvin ſaith well, that the Chaldeans could not foreſee the deſtruction which was immi­nent; becauſe it proceeded not from the natural courſe of the ſtars, but from the ſecret counſel of God, to bring the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

And how did, or ſhall it take them away?

And how knew they not?

1. The word〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉anſwers to the Hebrew〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Gen. 7.23. which we turn to deſtroy; but the word properly ſignifies to blot out, according to the analogie of waters, the flood may be ſaid to ſweep them away as filth, Proverbs 28.3. as a ſweeping rain, as in the time of the overflowing ſcourge, the hail ſweeps away the refuge of lies, and vain confidences of ungodly men, Eſa. 18.17.

2. But knew they not? How was that poſſible? for they had eight preachers of righteouſneſſe, whereof Enoch was the firſt, who began to preach in the Name of the Lord.

Thoſe of the old world knew not untill the flood came and took them away; And theſe of this later world ſo doing will not know, untill the coming of the Son of man, like a flood of calamities, and judgements which will take them all a­way: Gen. 4.26. for ſo the words ſhould be rendred.

And Saint Peter calls Noah〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 2. Pet. 2.5. And theſe had warned them ſucceſſively from the flood, that from Enoch, above 1000. yeares, that from Noah's firſt preaching 120. years, and have they not known? The word〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉anſwers to〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which ſignifies not onely to know, but to conſider and heed what we know; and therefore the LXX. turn it often by〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Thus Eccleſ. 5.2. They conſider not, that they do evill, Hebr. 3.10. They have not known my waies, ſo Paul may be underſtood, Act. 23.5. 13I knew not, Brethren, that he was the high Prieſt, i ▪ e. he conſidered not.

Thus Saint Luke 21.31. oppoſeth the carnall ſecurity, that ſhould be at the coming of the Son of man, with this word,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Take heed that your heart be not overcharged, &c. To know therefore is to take heed, which theſe did not, and therefore knew not: And ſo omnis peccans eſt ignorans.

The reaſon why the men of that age knew not, that is, con­ſidered not untill the flood came, and why the men of this age likewiſe heed not the coming of the Son of man.

1. The men of the former and later world are inſenſible and hardned by the deceitfulneſſe of ſin, Hebr. 3.

2. Being ſo hardned they ſit down in the ſcorners chair and deride and mock thoſe who warn them of the judgment to come: impius cum pervenerit in profundum peccatorum, deridet, Aquin.

As for thoſe of the old world, there are ancient monuments extant of their deriſion and mocking the holy men of God who exhorted them, and were examples of repentance unto the old world. Sem and Seth were in great honour among men, Ec­clus 49.6. whom the men of that age endeavoured by all meanes to diſhonour. As for Seth, he oppoſed Cain in ſtead of Abel whom Cain ſlew, he oppoſed the way of Cain who for his eminency of life was called〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉and accounted a kind of God among good men, ſaith Theodoret, deificatus homo, a dei­fied man; and for that reaſon, he was oppoſed by the ungodly of his generation, who made his name a by word to poſterity; and ſo they dealt with Sem, who oppoſed the growing of Ido­latry. And therefore the wicked of that age abuſed him alſo; ſo Plutarch tells us, that〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. They called Typhon, i. e. whatſoever is deſtructive and hurtful) Seth or Smu, inſerting Sems name, thoſe two great aſſertors of Divine worſhip and adverſaries of idolatry; Seth the Father of Enoch the firſt preacher of righteouſneſſe, and Sem the Son of Noah the eighth and laſt preacher of righteouſneſſe imme­diately before the flood.

Theſe were the mockers in the dayes before the flood,

And the Apoſtle tells us, that there ſhall be mockers and ſcoffers in theſe laſt daies, the dayes before the overflowing ſcourge, 2. Pet. 3.34. Jud. verſe 18. according to the Pſal. 42.3. and Pſalme, 89.51. Who ſlander the footſteps of Gods Anointed, and ſay where is the promiſe of his coming?

The Prophet Eſay having foretold the overflowing ſcourge, he forewarns the men of this generation, Iſaiah 28.22. Be not mockers, leſt your bonds be made ſtrong.

3: A third reaſon may therefore be from the equity of the great Judge to bring the flood upon the hardned and deriding world; according to which equity, he proceeds, 2. Chron. 36.18. They mocked the Meſſengers of God and deſpiſed his words, and miſuſed his Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord aroſe againſt his people, till there was no remedy; therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldeans.

Whence we may obſerve, that if the exorbitances and ex­ceſſes of naturall deſires, eating and drinking, &c. ſuch as God himſelf hath implanted in our natures be thus deſtructive, and bring the flood upon the world of the ungodly; how much more ſhall theſe exceſſes, and exorbitances become deſtructive which the divel himſelf hath ſowen in our nature. If the good ſeed be thus abuſed as to prove degenerate, which the good man ſowed in the field, what ſhall become of tares, which the wicked man ſowed in it? ſuch are envy, and pride, and cove­teouſneſſe, and wrath, and falſe righteouſneſſe. Yet ſaid the perverſe judgment of the fooliſh world: every one can point at a great Eater, and reeling drunkard, and a poor letcher and indeed they are moſt infamous and ſhameful names; But the envious perſon gets credit by the worſt of ſins, being accounted zealous. Carnalia peccata plus habent infamiae, Spiritualia plus de natura peccati; ſaith Greg.

In the dayes before the flood, they did eat, and drink, they married and were given in marriage, and the flood came, &c. But in theſe dayes before the overflowing ſcourge, which ſhall now come upon the world: there are, who ſpend their pre­tious time in ſurfeting, and drunkenneſſe, in chambering and wantonneſſe, in gaming, in carding, in dicing, Cautè ſine Caſtè, which by woful experience many decaying, and ruined families can witneſſe.

They of the old world were chaſt, and honeſt in compariſon of many in this preſent laſcivious generation, they made uſe of the meanes ordained by God, and Nature for the ſatisfaction of their naturall deſires; They married wives and gave in marri­age.

But as for many of this later world they bound not their un­ruly appetites with the lawful uſe of marriage, but break all bonds of God and nature, and glory as if they had attained unto ſome notable degree of perfection in the fleſh; all wo­men are to them alike, they are of a new world, who neither marrie nor are given in marriage, but are as the Angells, videl. ſuch Angells as kept not their firſt eſtate or principality: ſuch as walk according to their ungodly luſts. And therefore St. Luke in the parallell place to my text, Chap 17.26. relates our Lords words thus, They did eat and drink, they bought, they ſould, they planted, they builded; there is no mention made of marry­ing and giving in marriage. They of Sodom prefigured the men of this unclean generation; and muſt not we expect a like judgment unto that of Sodom? If not a greater, when accord­ing to the Prophet, they juſtified the old world in all the abo­minations which they have done, Ezech. 16.51.

Theſe are moſt deceitful luſts, and would perſwade us to ſe­curity in them; but let no man deceive you with vain words, For becauſe of theſe things commeth the wrath of God, Ephe­ſians 5.

Beloved in the Lord! The men of the old world had a time of repentance and humiliation granted them, before the flood, even 120. years; but the men of that age knew not their time, and neglected the eighth Preacher of righteouſneſſe, and while they were eating and drinking, &c. while they were yet in their carnall ſecurity, they knew not, and the flood came, and took them all away.

And hath not the like time of humiliation and repentance been granted unto us before the overflowing ſcourge? hath not the Angell flying in the middſt of heaven, preached unto them that dwell on the earth, ſaying with a loud voice; Fear God and give glory unto him: for the hour of his judgment is16 come, Revel. 14.6, 7. And ſhall we not know our time, our precious time?

Shall we abuſe it as they did, or worſe then they did? ſhall it be ſaid of us, as it was of the ſtupid Jews, Jer. 8.7. The ſtork in the heaven knowes her appointed times, and the turtle and the crane, and the ſwallow obſerve the time of their coming; but my people know not the Judgment of the Lord. Shall we not know as they knew not, and ſhall the overflowing ſcourge ſur­prize us in our like carnal ſecurity?

Beloved! If we were well aſſured, that the coming of the Lord were near at hand, we would be awakenned out of our lethargy, our drowzy ſecurity, and look about us, that it might not take us at unawares.

Now Beloved! The coming of the Lord to Judgment is near, even at the dores. Remember, I beſeech ye the paralells which ye have heard. Our Lord tells us, that the coming of the Son of man to Judgment, ſhould be like the Lords coming in the days of Noah. The like riotous eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.

The like, yea the ſame wicked men, For Enoch the ſeventh from Adam〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉he propheſied to the ſame men.