who can now find but few days good enough to be abroad, who yet can remember when there were few bad enough to keep them at home. Such obfervations therefore as these fhew how much men alter themselves; but they fhew nothing else.

But this prejudice has a greater fupport from ancient tradition: we read of a golden age, when peace and plenty reigned, when fraud and violence were little known. The old writers, to whom we are indebted for this piece of knowledge, set off the ftory by mixing with it great complaints of their own times; that iron age, as they call it, in which they lived. From these authorities many have been led to think, that the curfe upon the earth has been ever growing, and fhall grow till the end of all things.

But it ought to be confidered, that the moft ancient writers, to whom we are beholden for these accounts, lived at fuch a diftance of time from the flood, that we may very well suppose that they had little knowledge of any antiquity beyond it. They might well call the times foon after the flood ancient times, for fo they were with refpect to their own; and there is no pretence for thinking that they knew any thing of the manner of living before the flood. They might poffibly have fome obfcure tradition of the paradifiacal ftate; but if they had, they confounded it with their golden age, which plainly was a very different thing. Now the ages next the flood afforded ground enough for this ancient tradition, without fuppofing any fuch alterations in the ftate of the earth as are commonly imagined. The earth was in a poor condition indeed after the flood, if it could not afford plenty for the few inhabitants; and

what occafion was there for fraud and violence, when every man had more than enough? When men increased, and the earth was divided in property, the cafe altered; fome had more than enough, and some much lefs, and every man grew concerned to be rich, and applied to the arts of fraud, or to open violence, as they beft ferved his purpose. Here then is the golden age; and here is the iron age. The first happy ftate continued even to Abraham's time; he and Lot were ftrangers in the land of Canaan, they had great flocks and herds with them; and yet what plenty did they enjoy? When their fervants quarrelled about fome conveniences in feeding their cattle, Abraham, as if he had been lord of the whole foil, offers Lot his choice of the country for his cattle. Is not the whole land before thee?—If thou wilt take the left hand, then will I go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. Such a difpute in these days would be attended probably with ftrife and violence, with fraud and deceit, and perpetual feuds and animofities between the contending parties: in Abraham's time the very plenty the world enjoyed put an end to the quarrel; not that the world is worse now than it was anciently, but men are now fo multiplied, and the earth fo divided and fettled in property, that private men are not left to their choice to fettle where they please. Some small parts of the earth lying near towns, and places of habitation, were in Abraham's time poffeffed in property, as we learn from the purchase which he made of a burying-place. But he was no purchaser or proprietor of the country where he fed his cattle; and yet he met with no disturbance.

Setting afide therefore these prejudices, let us examine what the truth of the cafe is according to the beft light now remaining.

If you confult interpreters for the meaning of Lamech's prediction, fome will tell you, that Noah found out proper tools and inftruments of husbandry, which was a great abatement to the labour and toil of tillage; but of this there is no proof; and it is much more likely that a defcendant of Cain's was the inventor of such tools, than that Noah was. We read nothing of Noah's fkill in this way; but we read of Tubal Cain, that he was an inftructor of every artificer in brafs and iron: and can it be imagined that there were artificers in iron fo early as Tubal Cain, and no application of the art to the works of husbandry till Noah's time? Some will tell you, that Noah firft invented the art of making wine; a liquor that cheers the heart, and makes men forget forrow and trouble: but neither for this is there any proof. We read, that, after the flood, he began to be an husbandman, and planted a vineyard; but as he was not the first husbandman in the world, fo neither can it be concluded from hence, that he was the first vine-dreffer.

Others are of opinion, that there is nothing prophetical in Lamech's declaration, and that he had no view but to the circumstances of his own family. He rejoiced, they fay, to fee a fon born who might in time be affifting to him in the toil of cultivating the ground. According to this interpretation, Noah was fo far from being marked out as the perfon who fhould alleviate the labour and toil of the world, that his father rejoiced only that he was come to take his

fhare of it, and to be his fellow-labourer. But is there any thing in this particular to Noah? Is not every fon born to affift his father? And may not Lamech's words be applied by every father at the birth of every fon? Why then is this fpeech reported of Lamech only? Why is a peculiar name, with reference to this declaration, given to Noah, if there was no peculiar reason for it?

The Jewish interpreters are generally agreed to expound the words of Lamech, as importing a deliverance to be granted from the labour and toil of tillage, occafioned by the curfe on the ground: and fome of them fuppofe the words to have a regard to the restoration of the world through Noah and his fons. But the Scripture itself will be our beft guide in this cafe; thither let us go.

Lamech foretels, that his fon Noah fhould comfort them concerning the work and toil of their hands, becaufe of the ground which the Lord had curfed. When God informs Noah of his defign to destroy the world, he adds, But with thee will I eftablish my covenant. Lamech expected, in virtue of God's promife, a deliverance from the curfe of the earth, and foresees that deliverance would come through his fon. When God threatens to deftroy the earth, and complete the curfe he had laid on it, he thinks upon his covenant, and promifes Noah the benefit of it. What covenant was this that had fuch immediate relation to the deftruction of the world? What could it be but the very promife which Lamech faw fhould be made good to Noah; and which is here actually conveyed to Noah by a new promife? The words, I will eftablish my covenant, muft relate to a covenant then

F

fubfifting, and not to a covenant afterwards to be made; as will be evident to those who will examine the import of this phrase in Scripture. But to proceed :

The flood being over, God declares, I will not again curfe the ground any more for man's fake. It appears from this declaration, 1. That the flood was the effect of that curse which was denounced against the earth for man's fake. 2. That the old curfe was fully executed and accomplished in the flood. In confequence of which discharge from the curfe, a new bleffing is immediately pronounced upon the earth; While the earth remaineth, feed-time and harveft, and cold and heat, and fummer and winter, and day and night, fhall not cease, Gen. viii. 22. This is called a covenant between God and the earth, ch. ix. ver. 13 and a covenant with Noah and his feed, and with every living creature, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the field, ver. 8, 9, 10. And, in truth, a bleffing on the earth is properly a bleffing, not only on man, but on all living creatures which fubfift on the earth and it is with respect to this covenant that the Pfalmift breaks forth into the admiration of God's goodness; Thy mercy, 0 Lord, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preferveft MAN and BEAST! Pfal. xxxvi. 5, 6.

When Adam was firft formed, and placed on the earth, he had several bleffings and privileges conferred on him by God. These were forfeited by the fall. What will you fay if you fee these very bleffings