Religion & morality > Human nature in its fourfold state

Head I. The Eyplinition of the Text. 2't
according to the rules of their faith, but of their fan¬
cy ; they faw that they were fair; and their marmge'
with them, occafioned their divoj ce from God. This was*
qne of the caufes of tfee deluge, which fwept away the oltli
world. Would to God all profeffors in our day* COuldi
plead not guilty : but thoagh that fin brou^vt qo the de¬
luge, yet the deluge hath not fwept away thaj. fin; which,,
as of old,, fii it) our day, mity juilly be looked upon., as
one of the caufes of the decay of religion. It was an or¬
dinary thing among the Prffq/r/, to change their gods, as
they changed; their condition imo.a married lot r and ma¬
ny fad infiances the chnllian world affords of the fame, as
if the people were of Pharaoh's opinion, That religion is.
poly for thofe that have no other care upon their heads,
EKod.v. 17, (2.) Great oppreflion, ver A,.Tfar,e *weregi*
; nuts i-n the earth in.thofe days, men of great ftature, great
fir ength, and monfirous wickednefs, fllingthe earth with
1 violence, ver. 1X. lint neither their ftrength, nor treafures
of wickednefs, could profit them in the day. of wrath Yet
the gain of oppreflion (till carries many, over the terror of
tjais dteadful example.. Thus much fur the connexion, and .
what particular crimes that generation was guilty of. But
^vety perfon that was fwept away with the flood, could not
be guilty of thefe things ; and Jhali net-the judge of all the
ctirth do right? Therefore in my text, there is a general
indictment drawn up again!! them z\\,The<wickednefs of man
' was great in the earth. Sic. And this is well inihufted, for*
(Jed faw it. Two things are laid to their charge here.
Firfj Corruption of life, wickednefs, great wickednefs,
■ I underftand this of the wickednefs of their lives; for it is
' plainly difiinguiihed from the wickednefs of their hearts.
The fins of their outward converfation, were great in the
nature of them, and greatly, aggravatetl by their attending
eircumllaocts: and this not only.among thofe of the race
of curfed Cain, but thofeof holy Seth: The wickednefs of
j. man was great. And then it is added, in the earth, (1.) To
vindicate God’s feverity, in that he not only cut off (inner?,
but defaced the beauty of the earth ; and (wept ofFthe brute
creatures from it, by the deluge ; that as men had fet the
marks of their impiety, God might fet the marks of his tn«
\, dignation, on the earth. (2.) To fliew the heicoufnefs of
their.