Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

Here is his faith which brought forth obedience to the word of God, in such things which seemed ridiculous to the world, and made him a laughing stock unto all the world almost: Noah forsooth the youngest of the Patriarchs, he will needs be thought to have better acquaintance with God, then either Enoch or Methuselah or Lamech or any of his Grandfathers that have lived or do live. None of them could see a flood coming, none of them had a fancy of the worlds being drowned, none of them bethought himself of making an Ark, but this fellow hath gotten some new revelation, and he is a building a huge thing like a Chest almost so long, &c. So you think the man is not in his right wits! Brethren you easily persuade your selves, that this good man was laden with these scoffs, and the like behind his back, and like also before his face, and to his very teeth. For wicked wits will never cease gybing at those good things that cross their sense and reason, Yet Noah obeyed, went on, built the Ark, that is, was obedient to God in a thing that made him ridiculous to the world. So will true Faith do, it will make a man obey the Lord in those actions by which he shall make himself a derision to all men almost, and more then a derision, a prey and spoil too. The Obedience of Faith is such an Obedience as will make all men to be at Gods beck in acts of that nature as will cause him to be blamed and despised of all the world, as we see in Abraham, in Moses, and in all those almost that are reckoned up in the 11. of the Heb. Because it makes a man firmly and steadfastly to apprehend greater good things and greater evil then those that are seen, and so those visible ones do not sway him and rule on him; for he that sees a greater danger or evil, will easily cast himself upon ⟨p. 73⟩a far less to shun the greater, so contrarily a good thing. And so much for Noah's goodness before the flood.

Here is his faith which brought forth obedience to the word of God, in such things which seemed ridiculous to the world, and made him a laughing stocke unto all the world almost: Noah forsooth the youngest of the Patriarkes, hee will needes be thought to have better acquaintance with God, then either Henoch or Methuselah or Lamech or any of his Grandfathers that have lived or do live. None of them could see a floud comming, none of them had a fancy of the worlds being drowned, none of them bethought himselfe of making an Arke, but this fellow hath gotten some new revelation, and hee is a building a huge thing like a Chest almost so long, &c. So you think the man is not in his right wittes! Bretheren you easily perswade your selves, that this good man was laden with these scoffes, and the like behind his backe, and like also before his face, and to his very teeth. For wicked wittes will never cease gybing at those good things that crosse their sence and reason, Yet Noah obeyed, went on, built the Arke, that is, was obedient to God in a thing that made him ridiculous to the world. So will true Faith do, it will make a man obey the Lord in those actions by which hee shall make himselfe a derision to all men almost, and more then a derision, a prey and spoile too. The Obedience of Faith is such an Obedience as will make all men to be at Gods becke in acts of that nature as will cause him to be blamed and despised of all the world, as we see in Abraham, in Moses, and in all those almost that are reckoned up in the 11. of the Heb. Because it makes a man firmely and stedfastly to apprehend greater good things and greater evill then those that are seene, and so those visible ones do not sway him and rule on him; for hee that sees a greater danger or evill, will easily cast himselfe upon