A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…

Thirdly, what were these eight persons? not one servant amongst them all: there were none but Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives. It is marvellous, that here were none of Noah's servants. Some think he had none, and that the simplicity of those days required no attendance, but that each one was servant to him self. And they seem to gather it out of Gen▪ 7.1. where God biddeth Noah, Enter thou & all thine house into the Ark: And when they entered, they are recounted in the seventh verse, to be none but himself, his wife, and his children: therefore say they, in Noah's house, there were no servants. But why might not Noah have servants, as well as Abraham and Lot had? doubtless he had. But, behold a wonderful matter: Noah's own servants would not believe his preaching, but chose rather to live loosely with the world, & perish with it, then to live godly with their Master, and be saved with him. This was and will be true in all Ages, that in a wicked age, or in a wicked town, a Master shall not be able to govern his own servants; but the stream of common wickedness, and ill examples of other men doth draw them from the obedience of their Masters. They can readily allege for themselves, we will not be used more hardly then other mens are, we will not be tied to our hours, & bound to so many exercises, we will do as others do. Thus would Noah's servants do, and perished with the world. So hard a thing is it for a good man to have good servants in such times or places where wickedness reigneth.

Thirdly, what were these eight persons? not one seruant amongst them all: there were none but Noah and his wife, his three sonnes, and their wiues. It is meruailous, that here were none of Noahs seruants. Some thinke he had none, and that the simplicity of those dayes required no attendance, but that each one was seruant to him selfe. And they seem to gather it out of Gen▪ 7.1. where God biddeth Noah, Enter thou & all thine house into the Arke: And when they entred, they are recounted in the seauenth verse, to be none but himselfe, his wife, and his children: therefore say they, in Noahs house, there were no seruants. But why might not Noah haue seruants, as well as Abraham and Lot had? doubtlesse he had. But, behold a wonderfull matter: Noahs owne seruants would not beleeue his preaching, but chose rather to liue loosely with the world, & perish with it, then to liue godly with their Maister, and be saued with him. This was and wil be true in all Ages, that in a wicked age, or in a wicked towne, a Maister shal not be able to gouerne his owne seruants; but the streame of common wickednesse, and ill examples of other men doth draw them from the obedience of their Maisters. They can readily alledge for themselues, we wil not be vsed more hardly then other mens are, we will not be tied to our houres, & bound to so many exercises, we will do as others do. Thus would Noahs seruants do, and perished with the world. So hard a thing is it for a good man to haue good seruants in such times or places where wickednes raigneth.