Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

1. He doth often give warning of Judgments. He comes not to extremity, till he hath often shaken the rod over Men; He thunders often, before he crusheth them with his Thunder-bolt, He doth not till after the first and second admonition punish a rebel, as he would have us reject a Heretic. He speaks once, yea twice, Job 33.14. and man perceives it not; He sends one Message after another, and ⟨p. 801⟩waits the success of many messages, before he strikes. Eight Prophets were ordered to acquaint the Old World with approaching judgment: 2 Pet. 2.5. He saved Noah the 8th. person, a Preacher of Righteousness, bringing in the Flood upon the World of the ungodly, called the 8th. in respect of his Preaching, not in regard of his preservation; He was the 8th. Preacher, in order from the beginning of the World, that endeavoured to restore the World to the way of Righteousness. Most indeed consider him here, as the 8th person saved, so do our Translators: and therefore add Person, which is not in the Greek. Some others consider him here, as the 8th. Preacher of Righteousness, reckoning Enoch the Son of Seth the first: grounding it upon Gen. 4.26. Then began men to call on the Name of the Lord, Hebr. Then it was began to call in the Name of the Lord; [Greek or Hebrew]. Sept. He began to call in the Name of the Lord, which others render, he began to preach, or call upon men in the Name of the Lord. The word [Greek or Hebrew] signifies to Preach, or to call upon men by Preaching. Prov. 1.21. Wisdom crieth, or preaches; And if this be so, as it is very probable, 'tis easy to reckon him the 8th. Preacher, by numbering the successive heads of the Generations; Gen. 5. Beginning at Enosh the first Preacher of Righteousness,^* So many there were before God choked the Old World with water, and swept them away; 'Tis clear he often did admonish by his Prophets, the Jews of their sin, and the wrath which should come upon them. One Prophet, Hosea, Prophesied 70 years; for he Prophesied in the days of 4 Kings of Judah, and one of Israel, Jeroboam, the Son of Joash,