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These became heirs of that

CHAP. ruption and injustice.
VIL righteousness which is by faith and obedience; while

Jude 11. the wicked and rebellious were ever counted as the
Jer. xxi. seed of Cain, and as the inhabitants of Sodom and
Deut. Gomorrah, whether Jews or Gentiles.

14.

xxxii. 32. 19. According to the scriptures, the difference between the works of Noah, and of those who corrup ted the earth, was just this: Noah was five hundred years old, before he begat his three sons; which was not till twenty years after he was called to preach repentance to the world.

20. This particularly shows the time and manner of Noah's life, in regard to the works of the flesh.And his walking in obedience to what he was commanded, shows that what he did was by special order Gen.i9, from God. As it is written, Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons.

10.

chap.x.1.

chap. ix. 1, 6.

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And

21. He was perfect in his generations." His generations were, "Shem, Ham and Japheth." unto them were sons born after the flood, but not before: nor even then did they attempt to multiply until they were, at least, permitted so to do.

22. And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them," Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth." Also the Lord said; "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man." But how soon after, they again corrupted the earth, and filed it with violence, till the cry of their sins reached up to heaven, is another thing.

23. Noah was obedient to the law of Revelation, which is positive whether Mediate or Immediate,* whether given to an individual only, or through an individual to a nation; and is to be obeyed precisely according to the directions of the law-giver, by those

Mediate Revelation, is that which is given through one to another, such as was given through Moses to the nation of the Jews. Exo. i. 15-18. And such was the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which Cod gave unto him-end he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. And John to the seven churches of Asia. R. v. i. 1-4. Immcoite Kevelation is such as was given to Abraham "Sarab thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his nan e Isase; and I will establish my covenant with him-and with his seed atter him." Gen. xvii. 19. And afterwards, “Take now thy son, thine only son Issac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for burnt offering." Gen. xxii. 2.

CHAP.

VII.

Gen. vi.

chap. vi.

unto whom it is given, and by no other nation, people or individual under heaven. 24. The revelation which God gave unto Noah was immediate. "The end of all flesh is come before me ; for the earth is filled with violence through them: and 13, 14. behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher-wood, &c. Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” 25. And the Lord said unto Noah, Thee have I found righteous before me in this generation." in all this, both with regard to the law of nature and revelation, was Noah pointedly distinguished from the mighty men of renown, who neither regarded the law of nature nor revelation, but took them wives of chap. vi. all which they chose, and came in unto the daughters of 1, 4, 5. men, and they bare children to them: which is the principal sin that is charged upon the old world, in the sacred writings.

And i.

26. And this they did, not by any command or direction from God, but according to their own lusts of uncleanness, through which they corrupted the earth. This was the root of their wickedness, and the source of all their depravity; and from which, as from an overflowing fountain of corruption, they filled the earth with violence, tyranny and oppression.

Ch. The

p. 165.

27. It is therefore justly observed by Osterwald, that, "The first and principal sin, which introduced that general depravity, was impure lusts.-Murder, and injustice, were other sins, which they were guilty of. Concerning this, let Josephus* be consulted. • B. I. Since impure lusts, and fraud, carry along with them Ch. 2. innumerable vices, it is easy to conceive, how great the perversity of men must have been in those ⚫ times."

astical

28. The expressions of Robinson, concerning the Eccl revolutions of the earth, are to the purpose: "How Resear wonderfully wise is the construction of this world! ches. p. 'How instructive the history of the rise and the ruin of great empires! Many are the opinions of learned 'men on the origin of civil society."

29. "If this subject be investigated, as it ought to be, in true historical facts, it will appear very probable, that it originated with bad men, who being

I

139.

CHAP.
VII.

Eccl. Re.
P. 140.

20.

strong, subdued the weak for the sake of living idly on the plunder."

30. "Cain stained with his brother's blood, was the 'first who built a city. The mighty men before the 'flood were tyrants, oppressors, thieves, and robbers, who filled the earth with violence.

31. And after the flood; "Nimrod, as his name 'implies, was an insolent captain of a band of rob'bers; and most nations make their first appearance as a banditti, sallying out under a leader, to pillage ' and destroy."

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32. "Abraham and the patriarchs affected no em'pire, but were strangers in a strange land, confede'rating with one another for purposes of piety, and 'with their neighbours for their own defence."

33. Besides the corruptions, tyranny, and oppression of the mighty men before the flood, they were 1 Pet. iii. disobedient to the preaching of righteous Noah, when the long suffering of God waited for them to repent, while the ark was preparing. As also saith a modern writer, "One hundred and twenty years, had the divine patience waited-one hundred and twenty years had the holy prophet warned that perverse generation; but in vain."

Hist. of
Redemp

p. 104.
Note in.

34. Here was the cause why God preserved Noah by his mercy. He feared God-He was righteous in his generation; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. And as the Lord found the fruits of righteousness in Noah; so Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And therefore the justice of God 2 Pet. 5. spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, and brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly, and destroyed them all.

Mat. xxiv 38, 89.

35. And hence the solemn warning of Christ. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Call of God to Abraham: what it signified.

OD destroyed the world of the ungodly out of CHAP

water did not destroy the root of ungodliness out of the heart of man.

21.

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2. Every imagination and purpose of man's heart, Gen. v. after the flood as before, was evil, and that continually, from his youth; through which the earth was soon again corrupted, and filled with idolatry and wickedness; and the cry of their sin became grievous before God.

xix. 15.

3. This is evident from the sin of Sodom. And the wickedness of the nations was still increasing, as it 130was said of them after the calling of Abraham, "The xv. 16. ' iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." 4. Hence the observation of Edwards.

p. 124.

"So prone Hist. of is the corrupt heart of man to depart from God, and Redemp sink into the depths of wickedness; and so prone to ' darkness, delusion, and error, that the world, soon after the flood, fell into gross idolatry; so that be'fore Abraham, the distemper was become almost 'universal. The earth was become very corrupt at the time of the building of Babel."

iii. 12, 21,

22.

5. Which is well expressed in the words of Es- 1 Esdras dras: "That when they that dwelt on the earth began to multiply they began again to be more ungodly than the first. For the first Adam bearing a wicked heart transgressed, and was overcome; and so be all they that are born of him. Thus infirmity was made permanent; and the law (also) in the heart of the people with the malignity of the root so that the good departed away, and the evil abode still."

6. And what is still more, the very line of the patriarchs, through whom Christ according to the flesh descended, was corrupted with idolatry before Abraham was called from among them.

Joshua

7. This is evident from the words of Joshua to the children of Israel. "Your fathers dwelt on the oth- xxiv. 2. [Jordan] in old time, even Te

er side of the flood

VIII.

CHAP. rah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods.'

8. While the generality of the world were thus perpetually sinking into idolatry and wickedness, God in his wisdom, from time to time, separated from among them, such as were willing to maintain the faith and worship of one only living and true God. These, for benevolent purposes, were called to stand as witnesses of the truth, until the true seed of promise should appear, and accomplish the work of final redemption.

9. And therefore it was that God said unto AbraGen. xii. ham," Get thee out of thy country, and from thy 1, 2, 3. kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee; and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

Rom. iv.

12.

Heb.xi.3.

James i 20-24.

Gen. xiii

10. And Abraham obeyed God; and as an example of that faith and obedience, through which all the families of the earth should be blessed, he left his country, his kindred, and his father's house; and went out by faith, not knowing whither he went. And in obedience to his faith he was justified; and by works was faith made perfect.

11. Again the Lord said unto Abraham, "Lift up 14, 15, 16. now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art,-for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth," for number.

chap. xv. 5, 0.

2, 4, 12.

12. Again the Lord said unto Abraham, "Look now towards heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them-So shall thy seed be.” And he believed in the Lord; and his faith was counted to him for righteousness.

13. But before the time of the promise came for hap.xvi. the one to be begotten, in whom the true spiritual seed should be called; Sarai, Abraham's helper, deceived him, and gave him her handmaid, Hagar, who was a bond woman.

14. "And he went in unto Hagar, and she con

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