21 And take thou unto, thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

22 Thus did Noah ; * accord; ing to all that God commanded him, so did he.

w Heb. 11. 7. See Ex. 40. 16. x ch. 7. 5, 9, 16. undoubtedly an object of general derision, yet he persevered in his prepara tions. The divine testimony was to him in the place of all other evidence. He did not reason on the subject that was revealed to him. He did not say, How can such a deluge be produced? How can it be supposed that a merciful God should exercise such severity? or, How can it be hoped, that if all the rest be destroyed any vessel that I can build will preserve me? It is probable that others argued thus; but he believed and acted upon the divine declaration. Had such a conduct been exhibited during the space of a few days only, we should have been the less aston

thee. Probably in consequence of a divine impulse, as the animal tribes were before brought to Adam, Gen. 2. 19. He was thus assured that God would collect the proper freight when he had prepared the vessel. Though we may often be in the dark how things shall be brought about, yet if we are acting under the divine command, and trusting upon the divine promise, he will bring it to pass.- - To keep them alive. A Hebrew idiom for 'that they may be kept alive.' Thus Eccl. 3. 2, 'A time to be born (Heb. 33 to bear or give birth to).' Est. 6. 6, 'And the king said unto him, What shall be done (Heb. пn what to do) unto the man whom the king delighteth to hon-ished at it; but when we see it contin.. our ?' Ex. 9. 16, 'That my name may uing without intermission or abatement be declared (Heb. Do to declare my for the lapse of more than a century, name) throughout all the earth,' we are ready to regard it as one of the most illustrious triumphs of faith ever witnessed or recorded. But we are equally instructed by the fatal perverseness and obstinacy of the great mass of the antediluvian world. They saw no appearance of any deluge; nor could they persuade themselves that God would ever inflict such a tremendous judgment on the earth. The first beams of the ark were probably laid across each other amidst the insulting scoffs of hardened spectators. But the building advanced. Some admired the structure; some derided the plan; some charged him with superstition, enthusiasm, or insanity; more were sunk in sensuality; and all united in the desperate resolution to treat his warnings with contempt. Still he entreated, and still they spurned his admonitions. The edifice continued to rise day after day, and yet the voice of profane raillery was heard on every side. Thus it continued till the crisis arrived. With

22. Thus did Noah, &c. Viewed in all its circumstances this was undoubtedly one of the sublimest acts of obedience ever rendered by fallen man to his Creator. The words of the apostle Heb. 11. 7, afford the only adequate solution of his conduct; 'By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.'

The

labour and expense necessary in building a vessel of such vast magnitude must have been immense; and the unbelief and ridicule which the measure would naturally encounter, almost beyond endurance. Yet under the prompting of faith he engaged in the work and persisted in it to the end. Though for the space of 120 years there was no symptom of the coming judgment, and though during that long period he was

strange infatuation they stopped their | tractive influence of the females of ears against the sound of the voice Cain's posterity soon corrupted the which with unwearied perseverance so- pure principles of their husbands. licited them to be saved. The calamity Those who once enjoyed the high diswhich they despised came upon them tinction of being called the 'sons of with all its terrors, and as they sank in God,' became ere long as vile as their the mighty waters, their last breath licentious partners, so that there was must have sighed out a mournful con- scarcely a vestige of true religion left demnation of their folly. Alas! how upon the earth. The woman who is faithful a picture this of the madness possessed of all other accomplishments, of mankind under the threatenings of and yet devoid of religious sentiments, the Gospel! Yet as with the antedilu- is a perilous companion for a pious vians, so with the men of every genera- man who is desirous of serving God tion shall it be found true, that 'he that with all his house. Her power and being often reproved hardeneth his persuasions will only weaken his virtuneck shall suddenly be destroyed, and ous resolutions or counteract his devo that without remedy.' The unbelief ted efforts. Children and domestics of Noah's cotemporaries did not make will entertain but little respect for relivoid the truth of God; nay, it rather gion while the mistress of the family hardened them to their destruction. slights it by her neglect, or sets herself What security then will our unbelief af- in opposition to its claims. Whatever ford us? Grant that we see not at difference or contrariety there may present any presage of the wrath which be in other points of the character, is threatened against an ungodly world; there should be union and harmony will it therefore never come? Will the and sympathy here. The great ends word of God fail of its accomplishment? of this sacred relation may not be esIs it safe for us to set up our opinions sentially prejudiced by many little diagainst the positive declarations of versities of taste and habit, springing Heaven? and to found our hopes of from difference in constitutional temsalvation upon the presumption that perament, from education, or other cau'God will lie?' Seen or unseen, our ses, but a fearful risk is run wherever the danger is the same: and if all perished love of God on the one side meets with in the deluge who took not refuge in its reverse on the other. 'How can the ark, so will all perish in the day two walk together except they be of judgment, who have not 'fled for agreed?' Let the young then of either refuge to the hope set before them.' sex be peculiarly heedful in ascertainREMARKS.-A few additional reflec-ing the principles and characters of tions suggest themselves so strongly from the foregoing narrative that we know not how to refuse them a place. (1.) We are here reminded of the dangerous consequences of forming improper connections. Familiar associations with the wicked will soon contaminate the most virtuous mind, and destroy the influence of religious principle. The extreme hazard that arises from overlooking the grand requisite in the character of a companion for life is here most vividly set forth. The at

those with whom they may have a
thought of connecting themselves for
life. It is a momentous consideration,
and neither the attractions of face or
form, or the most captivating address
should be allowed to blind our better
judgment or give law to the most im
portant choice we can make in this
world, next to choosing whether we
The exam-
will serve God or no.
ple of a pious companion may indeed
not be without its influence upon a
thoughtless, worldly, or vitiated mind,

and in some cases may even avail to | utmost prostration of spirit, and abhot effect a reformation. But the hazard ourselves in dust and ashes! as a general rule, is too great to be ventured, and common prudence will decide against it.

(3.) What a constraining power should attach to the example of Noah! Nothing can be more honourable than to stand firm and unmoved in a time of general infidelity and corruption. What a noble spectacle is a man of un

(2.) What a call have we to being humbled in the fact that we are partakers of a nature of which such a shocking picture is drawn by the histo-bending integrity in the midst of a derian in his account of the manners of generate age-one who dares to set his the old world! The blandishments of face as a flint and be, if we may so say, vice having prevailed, gay amusements obstinately virtuous! Such was Noah. paved the way to immorality, and the How unshaken did he remain while the neglect of devotion led to infidelity and whole force of public example, charged idolatry. With but one solitary known with odium against dissenters, was exception, the race became at length so bearing down upon him as with a completely sunk in sensuality and mighty current! Yet he boldly faced reatheism, so lost to all sense of shame proach and meekly encountered scorn. and desire of amendment, that they Instead of swerving at all from the are characterized as governed only by path of duty under an apprehension of a continual thirst for evil, without one the unpopularity of such a course, he intervening moment of consideration persisted in it to the end. Instead of or remorse! Yet the nature of that concealing his commission through fear generation is our nature, and we too or perverting it from a regard to personare capable of all the abominations al convenience or advantage, he prowhich brought the deluge upon the tested with earnestness against the sins world of the ungodly. Though res- of his cotemporaries, their idolatry, vitrained by a merciful Providence from olence, debauchery, and injustice. Let acting out all the evils of our hearts, us emulate this noble model. It may yet when we turn our eyes inward and indeed make us singular; but whose look upon our thoughts; and the imag-fault is that? Was it Noah's fault that inations of our thoughts, what report he was singular in the old world? Was must we give of them? Have they it not the fault of those who refused to been such as would bear the test of listen to the voice of mercy and to scrutiny?-such that we could bear obey the commands of God? And that man should see them as God has would not Noah have paid a very unseen them? The proud, the envious, becoming deference to the world had the uncharitable, the angry, the re- he yielded to their influence and convengeful, the impure thoughts of which sented to perish with them rather than we have been conscious, have they not secure his own salvation? Let us not sprung up in our hearts as their proper then carry our complaisance to such a soil, and occupied the ground to the ex-fearful extent where we have so much clusion of the fruits of holiness? And at stake. We may confess that we reif occasionally a transient thought of gret being compelled to be singular, good has arisen, how coldly has it been that we are not singular for singularientertained, how feebly has it operated, ty's sake, but that we deem it better to how soon has it been lost! What then be saved with Noah and his little fambecomes us but the deepest humilia-ily, than to perish with the multitude; tion? How should we sink into the that it is better to walk in the narrow

repent; and what a

themselves more unclean than others, earthly things, that in spiritual we but the difference was made wholly by should be all for him.' Bp. Hall. Divine appointment. The ground of 4. For yet seven days. Heb. 73 the distinction, however, before and af- to yet seven days; i. e. the ter the flood, was not precisely the seventh day after this, as v. 10. So same. Before that event the unclean 'yet three days,' 2 Chron. 10. 5, is in were so considered merely because they v. 12 shewn to be in the third day. were not to be used for sacrifice; after Comp. Gen. 40. 13, 20. The Heb. 3 it, because there were some that were to is sometimes used for after, as Ex. not to be used for food; Lev. 11. Deut. 16. 1. Ps. 19. 3. Num. 33. 38. Ju. 41. 4. 14. Yet it is still possible Moses may Ezra, 3. 8. Just one week therefore here speak prophetically, in reference to Iwas allowed for Noah to embark and the animals which were afterwards dis- for the world to tinguished as clean and unclean in the week was this! What feelings of inLevitical law. If so, the number of tense anxiety must it have excited! clean creatures that went into the ark His neighbours had seen him busily em was small, and, with their provision, ployed for the last hundred and twenty would not take up much room; for on- years in rearing the massy fabric, and ly beeves, sheep, goats, turtle-doves doubtless had indulged many a laugh and pigeons were allowed for sacrifice. at his folly and credulity; and now, Lev. 1. 3.-22. 19.-¶ Take to thee behold! the time is come that he is to by sevens, &c. Heb. 'seven, seven.' remove all his family into it, with the Three couple for breed, and the odd rest of the living creatures commandseventh for sacrifice, ch. 8. 20. It ed. They on the other hand were no would seem at first view that this direc- doubt saying to each other, 'A week tion differed from that in ch. 6. 19, 20, longer, and we shall see what will bewhich mentions only two of every sort. come of his dreams!' continuing in But the meaning there may be, that the meanwhile eating and drinking, whatever number entered, they should buying and selling, marrying and givgo in in pairs, i. e. male and female: ing in marriage. But their festivities whereas here the direction is more par- were as short as they were senseless ticular, appointing the number of and profane. (Thus) it is common for pairs that should be admitted according those who have been careless of their as they were clean or unclean. 'But souls during the years of their health, why seven? Surely that God that cre- when they have looked upon death at ated seven days in the week, and made a distance, to be as careless during the one for himself, did here preserve, of days, the seven days, of their sickness, seven clean beasts, one for himself for when they see it approaching, their sacrifice. He gives us six for one in hearts being hardened through the de