s
Son _Ham_, and his Grandson _Canaan_ having drawn him into it, kept him
in it, encourag'd and prompted it, and all the while Satan still
prompting them, join'd their Scoffs and contempt of him, with their
wicked Endeavours to promote the Wickedness; and both with as much
Success as the Devil himself could wish for.

Then as for his two Sons modestly and decently covering their Father,
they tell us, that Represents _Shem_ and _Japhet_ applying themselves in
an humble and dutiful Manner to their Father, to entreat and beseech him
to consider his ancient Glory, his own pious Exhortations to the late
drowned World, and to consider the Offence which he gave by his evil
Courses to God, and the Scandal to his whole Family, and also that they
are brought in effectually prevailing upon him; and that then _Noah_
cursed the Wickedness of _Ham_'s degenerate Race, in Testimony of his
sincere Repentance after the Fact.

The Story is not so very unlikely as it is certain that it is not to be
proved, and therefore we had better take it as we find it (_viz._) for
one single Act; but suppose it was so, 'tis still certain that _Noah_'s
Preaching was sadly interrupted, the Energy of his Words flatter'd, and
the Force of his Persuasions enervated and abated, by this shameful
Fall; that he was effectually silenc'd for an Instructor ever after, and
this was as much as the Devil had Occasion for; and therefore indeed we
read little more of him, except that he lived three hundred and fifty
Years after the Flood; nay, we do not so much as read that he had any
more Children, but the contrary, nor indeed could _Noah_ have any more
Children, except by his old and perhaps super-annuated Wife, who it was
very likely he had had four or five hundred Year, unless you will
suppose he was allow'd to marry some of his own Progeny, Daughters or
Grandaughters, which we do not suppose was allow'd, no not to _Adam_
himself.

This was certainly a Master-piece of the _Devil_'s Policy, and a fatal
Instance of his unhappy Diligence, (_viz._) that the Door of the Ark was
no sooner open, and the Face of the World hardly dry from the universal
Destruction of Mankind, but he was at work among them; and that not only
to form a general Defection among the Race, upon the Foot of the
original Taint of Nature, but like a bold _Devil_ he strikes at the very
Root, and flies at the next general Representative of Mankind, attacks
the Head of the Family, that in his Miscar