Heavenly pastime, or, Pleasant observations on all the most remarkable passages throughout the Holy Bible of the Old and New Testament newly allegoriz'd in several delightful dialogues, poems, similitudes, and divine fancies / by John Dunton, author of The sickmans passing-bell.

CHAP. VII. Wherein you have an Account, both of the Building of Noahs Ark, and of his man∣ner of entring into it: Together with a Description both of the Deluge and Drown∣ing of the old World, and of Noahs de∣scent out of the Ark, and his Sacrifices on the Hills of Armenia. (Book 7)

Gen. 6.

God for Mans sins intends the World to drownd, With Men, and Beast, and all that's in it found: But he in the Ark saves Noah, and his Seed, With pairs of all kinds which on Earth did breed.

THe Decree is now given, and I see nothin•• that is able to with-hold an arm wholely irri∣tat••d.

God repents himself for having created Man, and bestowed on him all his labour, and affection; he repents himself, and his Heart riseth at the sight and thought of this Object: In fine, being no longer able to restrain his Wrath and indignation, I swear b•• my self, saith he, that I will d••stroy Man, and ef∣••ace hi•• name and memory over the face of the Vniverse. I will not spare ev••n Be••sts and Birds: To the end, that what hath been a wi••••ess, complice, or even a slave of his crime; shall also be the Companion of the pain and punishment which is ordained him. This said and done: Of so many men, who then lived upon the Earth, and of so many Families, that only of No••h deserved favour, and was freed from Shipwrack.

God then calls this Holy Man, an•• great P••triark, ••o advertise, and communi••ate his whole de••ign un∣to him.

Fri••nd, ••aith God, the World is in its agony, and my ••ustice shall put an end to this Work, whi••h my Love began. All my patience and delays h••••e on∣ly served to make way for evil; and my cl••mency is converted into rigour; after all, my good••ess is tired, and I am resolv'd to open all the Torre••ts of my Wrath; that the World being no longer ••ut a great Abyss, and a vast Sepul••her, may be drowned in it sel••, and that there may n••ver be more m••n∣••ion of it.

Go then Noah, and build an Ark of Timb••r and Planks: Make small apartments in it, and pitch it ••oth within and without. Let it be ••hr••e h••••dre•• Cu∣bits in length, and fifty in brea••t••, and thirty in ••••ight: Make th••n a Win••ow a Cu••it h••gh, ••nd in the s••••e contri••e a do••r to go in and out; dispose also Ch••mb••rs therein, and be car••full, that the wh••le be ••ivided in••o three St••••i••s, t•• the ••nd the Body of ••••is l••r••e st••u••ture may be the more commodio••s, and ••etter proportioned. Afterwards I will make my accord a••d p••ct with thee: And thou shalt presently enter in with thy Wife, Chil∣dren,

and Cattle. Besides thou shalt conduct into this Sanctuary all sorts of Beasts and Birds, with this di∣stinction, that amongst the clean thou shalt choose seven of every sp••cies; and of the unclean, two only: Pair∣ing alw••yes the Male and Femal••, that they may repair the Earth and Air by their Copulations.

This good Man performed exactly all that God had commanded him; he is already in the Ark, and he bu••ieth himself in disposing and nourishing all these different Species of Beasts, and Birds.

Seven dayes were spent about these preparations▪ and in the miraculous inclosure of this new House: At the e••d whereof the Heavens opened on all side••; and the Sun, Moon, and Stars, seem'd to be chang'd into Sources and Chanels, the Air and Clouds be∣came a Sea, and all the ••lements joyned together to make of the who••e Worl•• an Ocean without ••hoars, without bottom, without H••ven, and without limit,

Gen. 7. The hig••est Hills by Waters are o're spread, Mou••tains, Trees, Towers▪ in Floods lye buried, Men, Women, Be••sts, and Birds are quite d••stroy'd, W••ters possess'd all that the Land e••joy'd.

M••an while, where are you the unhappy Inhabit••nt•• of the City of Enos? Poor Heirs of Cain, Children of Men, eff••minate Spirits, wa••ton Souls, where are you? The Heavens f••ll on your Heads, the Air stifles you, the Water swall••ws you up, and the Earth vanish∣eth away. Fath••rs, Moth••rs, Children, Husba••••s and Wives, Brothers and Sisters, Kindred, Friends wh••re are you? I behold, I behold your Towers bu∣r••ed u••d••r the Waves: I hear your cryes, your sighs, and yo••r voices notwithst••nding the Te••pest; in fin•• yo••r flo••ting Bo••ies and your dying Souls ack••owledg•• ••ut too l••te the excess of your Sins.

Ah sin, sin, these are thy spoyls, and this is the

tempest thou hast raised; sin do'st thou discern the state into which thou hast reduc'd the World, the Air, the Earth, and the Heavens?

O God! Must all the Elements weep forty dayes, and ••s many Nights: And in fine must all Nature be in Mourning, or rather in Tryumph? Since eve∣ry where she erects Trophies, and Mountains of Water to swallow up the most shameful, and most insolent of all Vices.

During this Triumph, and mourning, Noah stears his Vessel, his Family, and Troops, upon the Bil∣lows. This holy man enjoyes a Calm, and say•••••• securely over these Storms and Billows. He behol••s the Day in the midst of Night; and the Tempe••t, which sinks the whole World even as low as Hell, lifteth him up even as high as the Heavens.

Range then O Noah, range upon the Waters ••f the Deluge, and expect the day and moment••▪ w••en God shall land thee in the Haven. And thou O Ark that carryest the World, and its Spoyls, behold how the Sea makes a halt at thy approa••h, and keeps back its suspended Waves as it were out of compl••∣••ency, and an orderly respect. Holy Hous•• of God; Fortunate Sanctuary of all Mankind! Float on with∣out Oars or Sayles, float on, for it is the Spirit of God, and the hand of the justest of men which di∣rects and Guides thee.

In effect, scarce were the Forty days expired, when in an instant the Heavens dried up their sources; the air appearded most serrene▪ and the great drops of Rain were turned into Pearls and Dew as it were to give notice of the return of the Sun and Morning. At length, after seven Months contest and conflict, this wandring Island, which carried Noah and his Family, landed upon the Mountains of Armenia expecting till the tenth Month, when the other Hils shew'd their heads & tops: Forty dayes after which, this most Holy and wise Pilot, who had almost spent a whole year in the

pleasing obs••urities of his prison, still victorious and triumpha••t, resolv'd at last to op••n its window to give flight and p••ssage to a Grow, which indeed went forth but never returned, There needed then a purer and more faithfull Messenger: Noah chose a Dove amongst all the Birds, that she might discover whe∣ther the waters were quite retir••d. But this inno∣cent Creature, and a••iable Spye, finding no resting place clean enough, re••urned pres••ntly into the Ark and advertis'd Noah that the waters of the Deluge were not wholly de••reased. It was this news that obliged Noah to expect yet the space of Seaven dayes, after which he took the Dove again and in∣stantly gave her leave to take her Liberty and Flight.

Noah in expectation, stands one while himself, ••n other some one of his Children, at the Window to see whether this Angel of peace would return or no.

Behold good news, the Dove is returned; I have a glimse of her with the Olive-branch she carries in her Beak.

Noah what say'st thou? Make hast I pree-thee▪ Receive this little Lega••, and take from his mouth the earnest of peace; And if thou hast a mind t•• have more certain assurances, the term of seven daye•• will put a period to all thy desires.

And as soon as the seaven dayes were expired, No∣ah cast out again the Dove to the mercy of the Wa∣ters, of the Air and Earth, where having at las•• sound footing, she resolv'd to abide.

Gen. 8. The Heavenly Flood-Gates are sh••t, and the Wi••d Dries up the Waters, the Dove, Land doth find; The Ark's aground, Noah doth come •• S••ore; God promiseth to drownd the World no more.

Noah seeing what had passed uncover'd the roof of his Ark, and presently perceived the Earth, the Islands, the Haven, the Fields, and the dryedup wayes. He heard God also commanding him to depart out of the Ark with all his Company, that he might re-people the universe. And here I leave it unto the curious to imagin what pleasure Noah had at the opening of his Cage: when he saw Ea∣gles, Vultures, Austridges, and all Birds take their flight; following the track which was to carry them unto their own Climate; God knows also how the Sheep fled far from the Wol••e, the Lyon from the Co••k, the Hare ••rom the Dog, which nevertheless by secret and devine charms, held in the Ark a Cor∣respondence without Noyse, War, or Enmity.

In sine, during this Iayle delivery, and these separa∣tions, Noah was carefull not to do like Seafaring men, who during the Storm and Tempest, invoke all the Saints of Paradise, and make a thousand vows unto them, which nevertheless they perform not in the Haven, and calm, but by an infinity of Blasphemies, and by the continuati∣on of their Impieties.

Scarce was this eminent Man (chosen by God for the conservation of the World) descended out of the Ark, but he instantly built an Altar, on which he of∣fered Holocausts and victimes in honor of him who had so sweetly, and by such marvellous wayes, con∣ducted him to the shore and harbour.

It is then peradventure for this cause God pro∣miseth unto men and Noah, that the Earth shall be no more accursed for their sake: He assures them that his revenging hand shall never take the Rod so universally to scourge all sinners: that from hence∣forth Winter and Summer, Cold and Heat, Day and Night, shall have their courses, periods, motions, and vicissitudes, with order, and by regular inter∣vals.

In all the compass of our floating Inns, Are not so many Planks, and Boards, and Pins: As Wonders, Strange, and Miracles that ground, Mans wrangling reason, and his wills confound. And God no less his mighty power display'd, When he restor'd, then when the World he made.