den ;* and hence Christian marriages were limited to those in the Lord. The examples which we have seen of the contrary, have by their effects, justified these injunctions. I would earnestly entreat serious young people, of both sexes, as they regard God's honour, their own spiritual welfare, and the welfare of the church of God, to avoid being unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

Thirdly Observe the great offence that God took at this conduct, and the consequences which grew out of it: The Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man, &c. Had the sons of God kept themselves to themselves, and preserved their purity, God would have spared the world for their sakes; but they mingled together, and became in effect one people. The old folks were in their account too bigoted, and it seemed much better for them to indulge a more liberal way of thinking and acting. But this, in the sight of God, was worse than almost any thing that had gone before it. He was more offended with the religious, than with the irreligious part of them. Seeing they had become one people, he calls them all by one name, and that is man, without any distinction and in giving the reason why his Spirit should not always strive with man, special reference is had to their having be. come degenerate-It was for that he also, or these also, were flesh; that is, those who had been considered as the sons of God were become corrupt. God's Holy Spirit in his prophets had long strove or contended with the world, and while the sons of God made a stand against their wickedness, God was with them, and the contest. was kept up: but they having, like false allies, made a kind of separate peace, or rather gone over to the enemy, God will give up the war; let sin have a free course, and let them take the consequences! Bread-corn is bruised, because he will not ever be threshing it.

:

Fourthly: Observe the long suffering of God, amidst his displeasure. His days shall be a hundred and twenty years. This refers to the period of time which should elapse before the drowning of the world, when, as an Apostle expresses it, the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was prepar

Deut. vii. 3, 4. † 1 Cor. vii. 39. See Neh. ix. 30. 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20.

ing. All this time God did strive, or contend with them; but it seems without effect.

Ver. 4. Among various other evils which at that time prevailed, a spirit of ambition was predominant; a thirst of conquest and dominion; and of course a flood of injuries, outrages, and oppressions. The case seems to have been this: Previously to the unhappy junction between the families of Cain and Seth, there were among the former, giants, or men of great stature; who, tempted by their superior strength, set up for champions and heroes, and bore down all before them.* Nor was the mischief confined to them : for also after that, when the two families had become one, as the children that were born unto them grew up, they emulated, as might be expected, not the virtues of their fathers, but the vices of their mothers; and particularly those of the gigantic and fierce heroes among their relations. Hence there sprang up a number of characters famous, or rather infamous, for their plunders and depredations. Such, in after times, was Nimrod, that mighty hunter before the Lord.

Ver. 5. The church being thus corrupted, and in a manner lost in the world, there is nothing left to resist the torrent of depravity. Man appears now in his true character. The picture which is here drawn of him, though very affecting, is no more than just. If it had been drawn by the pen of a prejudiced, erring mortal, it might be supposed to exceed the truth; but that which was written was taken from the perfect and impartial survey of God. Hear ye, who pretend that man is naturally virtuous. That the wickedness of man has in all ages, though at some periods more than others, been great upon the earth, can scarcely be called in question : but that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart should be only evil, and that continually, is more than men in general will allow. Yet such is the account here given. Mark the affecting gradation. Evil: evil without mixture; "only evil." Evil without cessation; "continually." Evil from the very fountain head of action ; "the imagination of the thoughts of the heart." Nor is it

* They are denominated from 5 to fall; which in this connexion has been thought to mean, that they were a kind of fellers, causing men to fall before them like trees by the axe.

are.

a description of certain vicious characters only, but of "man," as left to himself. And all this "God saw," who sees things as they This doctrine is fundamental to the gospel : the whole system of redemption rests upon it; and I suspect that every false scheme of religion which has been at any time advanced in the world, might be proved to have originated in the denial of it.

Ver. 6. The effect of this divine survey is described in language, taken, it is true, from the feelings of men, but unusually impressive. It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart! We are not to attribute to an immutable mind the fickleness of man, nor to suppose that the omniscient Jehovah was really disappointed: but thus much we learn, that the wickedness of man is such as to mar all the works of God over which he is placed, and to render them worse than if there were none; so that if he had not counteracted it by the death of Christ, there had better have been no world. In short, that any one but himself, on seeing his work thus marred and perverted, would have really repented, and wished from his heart that he had never made them! The words express, with an energy and impressiveness which it is probable nothing purely literal could have conveyed, the exceeding sinfulness and provoking nature of sin.

Ver. 7. From this cause proceeded the divine resolution, to destroy man from the face of the earth; and to show the greatness of his sin, it is represented as extinguishing the paternal kindness of God as his Creator: The Lord said, I will destroy man, WHOм I' HAVE CREATED, from the face of the earth. He that MADE THEM would not have mercy on them, and he that FORMED THEM would shew them no favour! And further, to show his displeasure against man, the creatures which were subject to him should be destroyed with him. Thus when Achan had transgressed, to render his punishment more impressive upon Israel, his sons and daughters, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, and tent, and all that he had, were brought forth, and with himself stoned with stones, and burnt with fire. However light man may make of sin during the time of God's forbearance, it will prove in the end to be an evil and bitter thing.

DISCOURSE XI.

NOAH FINDS FAVOUR WITH GOD, AND IS DIRECTED TO BUILD THE

ARK.

Gen. vi. 8-22.

By the foregoing account, it would seem as if the whole earth had become corrupt. In the worst of times, however, God has had a remnant that has walked with him; and over them he has in the most sore calamities directed a watchful eye. When God said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, it seemed as if he would make an end of the human race, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Observe, (1.) It is painful to find but one family, nay, it would seem but one person, out of all the professed sons of God, who stood firmly in this evil day. Some were dead, and others by mingling with the wicked had apostatized. (2.) It is pleasant to find one upright man in a generation of the ungodly; a lily among thorns, whose lovely con*duct would shine the brighter when contrasted with that of the world about him. It is a great matter to be faithful among the faithless. With all our helps from the society of good men, we find it difficult enough to keep on our way: but for an individual to set his face against the whole current of public opinion and custom, requires and implies great grace. Yet that is the only true religion which walks as in the sight of God, irrespective of what is thought or done by others. Such was the resolution of Joshua, when the whole nation seemed to be turning aside from God: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (3.) It is encouraging to find that one upright man was singled out from the rest when the world was to be destroyed. If he had been destroy,

ed with the world, God could have taken him to himself, and all would have been well with him; but then there had been no public expression of what he loved, as well as of what he hated.

Ver. 9. As Noah was to be the father of the new world, we have here a particular account of him. His generations mean an account of him and bis family; of what he was, and of the things which befel him. (See Chap. xxxvii. 2.) The first thing said of him, as being the greatest, is, He was a just, or righteous man, and perfect in his generations, walking with God. Character is of greater importance than pedigree. But notice particularly,

1. He was just. He was the first man who was so called, though not the first who was so. In a legal sense, a just man is one that doeth good and sinneth not; but since the fall, no such man has existed upon earth, save the man Christ Jesus. If any of us be denominated just, it must be in some other sense; and what this is, the scriptures inform us when they represent the just as living by faith. Such was the life of Noah, and therefore he is reckoned among the believing worthies.* And the faith by which he is justified before God operated in a way of righteousness, which rendered him just before men. He is called a preacher of righteousness, and he lived according to his doctrine.t

2. He was perfect in his generations. The term in this connexion is not to be taken absolutely; but as expressive, not only of sincerity of heart, but of a decidedness for God, like that of Caleb, who followed the Lord fully. It does not merely distinguish good men from bad men, but good men from one another. It is said of Solomon, that his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. Alas, how much of this halfhearted religion there is among us! Instead of serving the Lord with a perfect heart and a willing mind, we halt as it were between two, the love of God and the love of the world.

3. He walked with God. This is the same as was said of Enoch. It not only implies his being reconciled to God, and denotes his acknowledging him in all his ways, and enjoying communion with him in the discharge of duties; but is also expressive of the con