we learn, from the close of the fourth chapter, "began to call themselves by the name of the Lord." These, instead of confining themselves to alliances with the worshippers of the true God, "took them wives" of the Cainites, and thus offended God, and separated themselves, as Cain had already done, "from the presence of the Lord." (Chap. iv. 16.)

3. And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of

renown.

5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

7. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

What a fearful change had taken place, since the Almighty looked upon his creatures, and pronounced them to be "very good!" Sin had propagated sin, and each generation had become worse than the preceding; so that now, although

the world had been created little more than fifteen hundred years, the Almighty determined to destroy, where the guilt was so deep, that it seemed hopeless to reclaim; "for it repented the Lord that he had made man.”

Not that we are to suppose from this, that there was any change of purpose in the Almighty, as there is in his erring creatures, when they repent; for in this sense, God's own Word has declared, "The strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent;" (1 Sam. xv. 29;) but simply that there was a change of action, which in man usually demonstrates a change of purpose, though not in God.

The Almighty, however, in judgment remembering mercy, does not destroy at once, and in a single blow. He says, indeed, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man;" but still he gives him time for repentance-time for even the worst, and the most hardened, to return to God; for he adds, "Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." For so long a period, would God delay their punishment, that men might possess an opportunity of repentance; and for so long a period, alas! "they were," as St. Peter* assures us, "disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited" for their repentance.

* 1 Pet. iii. 20.

8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

9. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

10. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

13. And God said unto Noah. The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Learn here, at once, the cause of the destruction of the wicked, and the preservation of the godly. "All flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth;" "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." The punishment of the wicked is an act of justice; the preservation of the righteous, an act of free and undeserved mercy. "Noah found grace,” or favour, not mere justice, at the hands of God; for as even one of our own poets could say, " In the course of justice, none of us should see salvation." But, then, mark carefully the characters of those who find "grace in the eyes of the Lord." Noah was a just, or correct man; he was an upright, or honest man; conscientious in all his

dealings between man and man: he was also a devout, or holy man, for, like Enoch, "he walked with God." Well might an apostle say, "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves." Do you desire to know, whether, indeed, you have found grace in the sight of the Lord? Your character will determine the answer. Ask yourself these simple questions: Have I reason to hope that my heart has been so renewed by the Spirit of grace, that, although still an unprofitable servant, I am yet endeavouring to walk closely and constantly, uprightly and sincerely with God in Christ, according to the way which his own blessed Gospel has revealed to me? Can you conscientiously reply in the affirmative to these inquiries? Then take comfort; these are the fruits of the true vine, these are signs of God's grace, these are evidences that you have been grafted into him, even the Lord Jesus Christ, without whom ye can do nothing.

And now, the Almighty, who never destroys the righteous with the wicked, having declared that Noah had found grace in his eyes, immediately adds,

14. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

15. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

17. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven: and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

19. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

20. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

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; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

Here was the proof that Noah was one who had found grace in the sight of the Lord;

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according to all that God commanded him, so did he." Could there be a clearer testimony that he was already the subject of Divine grace? It

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