r 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. r ver. 13. ch. 7. 4, 21, 22, 23. 2 Pet. 2. 5. 18 But with thee will I establish my covenant: and s thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. s ch. 7. 1, 7, 13. 1 Pet. 3. 20. 2 Pet. 2. 5. height. Door. Heb. nn aperture, the open space in which a door is hung; for the door itself the language has another term. See note on Gen. 19. 10. The word is here doubtless to be taken in a collective sense, implying a number of openings in the different stories of the ark, designed for entrances for the animals, and afterwards probably for the admission of air and the discharge of ordure. As the ark, by its peculiar house-like construction, was adapted to float on a smooth sea, rather than to ride on a tempestuous one, we perceive no difficulty attending this mode of ventilation. The apertures might ordinarily be closed by lattice-work. have not the means of ascertaining. That it was someway connected with the transmission of light, appears plain both from testimony of the ancient versions and from the etymological relations of the word. Its cognate roots zahar, tahar, by tzahal all convey the idea of light, shining, splendour, and we find yitzhor, oil, so called from its shining. Moreover we meet with tzohorayim signifying noon, noon-day light, and occurring in the dual form, probably as intensive, denoting the strongest, brightest, i. e. the meridian, light. On the whole, we take it as a collective term for sky-lights constructed in some way in the roof of the ark, and perhaps of some 17. Behold 1, even I, do bring a flood transparent substance now unknown. To sonie contrivance of this nature may of waters. Heb. & am bringing, probably be traced the conceits of the 1. e. about to bring. See on v. 13. The ancient Rabbins relative to the tzohar. announcement of the fearful resolve is Thus in the 'Pirke Eliezer,' ch. 23, it is repeated to give it more emphasis. said, 'A certain precious stone was susThus when Joseph was called to interpended in the ark, which gave light to pret the dream of Pharaoh, he observed all the creatures therein, like a brightly concerning its being doubled, that was shining candle.' And the Targum of 'because the thing was established by Jonathan represents God as saying to God, and God would shortly bring it to Noah, 'Go thou to the Pison, and take pass.' Such strong language would thence a precious stone, and place it in convey moreover the impression, which the ark for the dispensation of light.' was probably designed, that the threat- In a cubit shalt thou finish it ened flood should not be owing to natabove. That is, the ark, not the win-ural causes, but to the immediate agendow. The roof was to be raised in the cy of omnipotence; and it is somewhat middle like that of a house so as admit remarkable that the original word here of a gentle slope on each side. The used for flood ( mabbul, Gr. κaraelevation was to be one cubit above the Avopos cataclysm) is limited, in its aphorizontal plane; or in other words, plication, to the general deluge, not bewhat are technically termed the king- ing employed in reference to any other posts supporting the ridge of the roof kind of inundation; as if the spirit at either end, were to be one cubit in I would intimate by this appropriate term that the present judgment was to be unique in its character; that however many partial inundations might happen in particular countries, there was never to be but one general deluge. them alive with thee. Heb. vious state of actual or virtual death. 18. With thee will 1 establish my covenant. That is, do enter with thee into a solemn engagement, pledging myself to thy preservation by bringing thee and thine into the ark. As the work in which Noah was now to engage was in itself arduous and likely to be attended with many trials arising from the unbelief and malice of an ungodly The English word quicken is perhaps its world, such a gracious assurance was best representative in such cases. Thus 1 Sam. 2. 6, 'The Lord killeth and peculiarly seasonable, and calculated greatly to animate him in the under- maketh alive (-).' Ps. 30. 3, 'Thou taking. The original term rendered hast brought up my soul from the covenant' ( berith), for the most grave: thou hast kept me alive (~~) part though not always, implies a that I should not go down to the pit;' mutual compact between two parties, i. e. thou hast quickened me when virand in this instance not only involves tually by my imminent exposure I had the idea of a pledge, promise, or assur-descended to the pit. 2 Kings, 8. 1, ance on the part of God, but a re-stipu- 'Then spake Elisha unto the woman, lation also on that of Noah, that he whose son he had restored to life would in faith and obedience construct().' See my notes on Josh. 6. 25 and enter the ark, and commit himself in simple trust to the keeping of a faithful providence. The matter and conditions of the covenant appear to be contained in the ensuing verses to the 21st. These comprise the things covenanted, and as the performance of them supposes the agency both of God and Noah, hence the reciprocal character of the compact is manifest. and 14. 10, where this sense of the term is still more fully illustrated. Here the word is in the Hiphil or causative form, and doubtless carries with it the implication, that the creatures to be kept alive in the ark were virtually extinct by means of the general judgment of the deluge, and that their preservation was no other than a kind of revival or resuscitation of life to them. 'A life 19. Of every living thing. Except- remarkably protracted is, as it were, a ing of course the tenants of the deep. new life.' Henry. For a strikingly -¶Two of every sort. Or, Heb. similar phraseology, see Ex. 7. 14-15. 'by twos,' i. e. by pairs. There were and what is there said of Pharaoh's beto be at least two, but of the cleaning raised up, i. e. quickened, from virbeasts more. Gen. 7. 2. —¶ To keep tual destruction.- - Shall come unto 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. w Heb. 11. 7. See Ex. 40. 16. x ch. 7. 5, 9, 16. thee. Probably in consequence of a di- undoubtedly an object of general derisyine impulse, as the animal tribes were ion, yet he persevered in his preparabefore brought to Adam, Gen. 2. 19. tions. The divine testimony was to He was thus assured that God would him in the place of all other evidence. collect the proper freight when he had He did not reason on the subject that prepared the vessel. Though we may was revealed to him. He did not say, often be in the dark how things shall How can such a deluge be produced? be brought about, yet if we are acting How can it be supposed that a merciful under the divine command, and trust- God should exercise such severity? or, ing upon the divine promise, he will How can it be hoped, that if all the bring it to pass.- - To keep them rest be destroyed any vessel that I can alive. A Hebrew idiom for 'that they build will preserve me? (It is probable may be kept alive.' Thus Eccl. 3. 2, that others argued thus; but he believ'A time to be born (Heb. 733 to bear ed and acted upon the divine declaraor give birth to).' Est. 6. 6, And the tion. Had such a conduct been exhibking said unto him, What shall be done ited during the space of a few days on(Heb. what to do) unto the ly, we should have been the less astonman 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. 0 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. enthusi 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 un-asm, or insanity; more were sunk in belief 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 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 Cain's posterity soon corrupted the pure principles of their husbands. Those who once enjoyed the high distinction of being called the 'sons of God,' became ere long as vile as their licentious partners, so that there was scarcely a vestige of true religion left upon the earth. The woman who is possessed of all other accomplishments, and yet devoid of religious sentiments, is a perilous companion for a pious man who is desirous of serving God with all his house. Her power and persuasions will only weaken his virtuous resolutions or counteract his devoted efforts. Children and domestics will entertain but little respect for religion while the mistress of the family slights it by her neglect, or sets herself strange infatuation they stopped their | tractive influence of the females of ears against the sound of the voice which with unwearied perseverance solicited them to be saved. (The calamity which they despised came upon them with all its terrors, and as they sank in the mighty waters, their last breath must have sighed out a mournful condemnation of their folly. Alas! how faithful a picture this of the madness of mankind under the threatenings of the Gospel! Yet as with the antediluvians, so with the men of every generation shall it be found true, that 'he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.' The unbelief of Noah's cotemporaries did not make void the truth of God; nay, it rather hardened them to their destruction. 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, ourses, 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 and in some cases may even avail to effect a reformation. But the hazard as a general rule, is too great to be ventured, and common prudence will decide against it. utmost prostration of spiri', and abhor ourselves in dust and ashes! (3.) What a constraining power should attach to the example of Noah! Nothing can be more honourable than (2.) What a call have we to being to stand firm and unmoved in a time humbled in the fact that we are parta- of general infidelity and corruption. kers of a nature of which such a What a noble spectacle is a man of unshocking 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 coinplaisance 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 |