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him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

A guilty conscience is a terrible whip and torment to the sinner, perpetually lashing him with solicitous thoughts and fears, that he knows not where

to be secure; nor dare he trust to any promises of protection, but distrusts all, doubts, and is jealous of all.Seneca.

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 13 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. 19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. 22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

Worldly things are the only things that carnal wicked people set their hearts upon, and are most ingenious and industrious about. So it was with this impious race of cursed Cain. Here was a father of shepherds and a father of musicians, but not a father of the faithful. Here is one man to teach in brass and iron, and none to teach the good knowledge of the Lord. Here are devices how to be rich, and how to be mighty, and

how to be merry, but nothing of God, or of his fear and service, among them. We see here that even those that are destitute of the knowledge and grace of God, may yet be endued with many excellent and useful accomplishments, which may make them famous and serviceable in their generation. Common gifts are given to bad men, while God chooseth to Himself the foolish things of the world.M. Henry.

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28 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

Lamech seems to have taken encouragement from the Divine forbearance towards Cain, and to have presumed that God would be still more forbearing

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And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth; For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

The church of God on earth began in a family, and so did the worship of

God; but when the number increased, the worship of God became more public.

'Then began men,' &c.; that is, they began publicly. Seth and others of the religious seed began to have their

holy assemblies for the service of God. We may regard this event as the first 'religious revival.'-Gurnall.

CHAP. V.

HIS is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; 2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. 8 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

The distinction between Adam created in the likeness of God, and Seth begotten in the likeness of Adam after the fall, is very remarkable. It is generally allowed that Adam and Eve were personally pardoned and recovered to holiness; but Adam was no longer the representative of his posterity, as he was when he transgressed the cove

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nant. Thus he communicated to them that nature which he had as a sinner, not the new nature which he had as a believer.-Scott.

Observe that grace does not run in the blood, but corruption doth. A sinner begets a sinner, but a saint does not beget a saint.-M. Henry.

* And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters: And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

The place of his sepulchre is not mentioned in Scripture, yet various conjectures have been formed upon the subject. Thus the oriental Christians affirm that he was embalmed by four of his descendants, and deposited, according to his own desire, in a certain cave on the summit of

a mountain. St. Jerome affirms that his remains were laid in the cave of Machpelah; and the generality of the primitive fathers suppose him to have been buried on Mount Calvary, in the very spot upon which Christ, the second Adam, voluntarily suffered for our salvation.-Dr. Mavor.

And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos: 'And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died. 9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan: 10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: "And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died. 12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel: 18 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: "And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. 15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared: 16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: 17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and

five years: and he died. 18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: 19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

On casting our eye along the page of sacred history, we find the great proportion of our early race passed over in silence. Of the vast majority, the name is not even recorded; and of those whose names are mentioned, little more is stated regarding them but merely that they lived and died. Without doubt, in these days, as in our own, there were many who served God in their generation, and many too who were characterised by their forgetfulness of God and their profligacy of manners; for, from the earliest ages, the tares and the wheat have been blended, and allowed to grow together. But although God has

not seen fit to point out the distinguishing features of each character, either for encouragement or for warning, He has, notwithstanding, set His mark on certain individuals as beacons and monitors, and has signalized others as objects of special interest and regard. Here and there a name is mentioned which appears as a star of the first magnitude in the spiritual firmament, whose beauty and lustre challenge universal admiration, and to whom the eyes of all are specially directed. And Enoch is one of these bright examples.-Rev. Dr. Thomas Brown.

21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah : 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

V. 22. Walking with God implies: 1. A state of reconciliation and friendship with God. (Amos iii. 3.) 2. An habitual being as in the Divine presence. 3. Familiarity of intercourse and communion with Him. 4. To walk with God supposes the highest esteem and affection towards Him; walk with God we never can unless we

love Him supremely. 5. To walk with God is to live devoted to His will and service. Rev. Dr. Thomas Brown.

Man in his best state is altogether vanity. He is born, raises up a family, and dies! These are his memoirs: all else is a cipher or a blot, except he walks with God.-Scott.

28 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

V. 24. To 'walk with God' is a word so high, that I should have feared the guilt of arrogance in using it, if I had not found it in the holy Scriptures. It is a word that importeth so high and holy a frame of mind, and expresseth such high and holy actions, that the naming of it striketh my heart with reverence, as if I heard the voice to Moses, Put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' Methinks he that shall say to me, Come see a man that walks with God, doth call me to see

one who is next to an angel or a glorified soul. It is a far more reverend object in mine eye than ten thousand lords or princes, considered only in their fleshly glory. It is a wiser action for people to run and crowd together to see a man that walks with God, than to see the pompous train of princes, their entertainments or their triumphs. Oh happy man that walks with God, though neglected and contemned by all about him! What blessed sights doth he daily see! what ravishing melody doth he daily hear! what delecta

ble food doth he daily taste! He sees by faith in God the glory which the blessed spirits above see by nearest intuition.-Baxter.

'God took him.' Burder says the. following singular tradition may possibly have some reference to the translation of Enoch: The Kalmucks, among other idols, worship in a peculiar manner one which they call Xacamuni. They say that 4,000 years ago

he was only a sovereign prince in India; but on account of his unparalleled sanctity God had taken him up to heaven alive.'-Christian Witness.

It is possible that the translation of holy Enoch might be conferred, in order to show what would have been common to all, had man persisted in his obedience a translation from the earthly to the heavenly paradise. -A. Fuller.

25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech : 26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: 27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

'Methuselah' is a prophetical name, and signifies, 'He dieth and water is sent forth.' And so it will intimate that Enoch, foreseeing the deluge, gave his son this name; by which he proved himself a prophet, as well as a preacher of righteousness. See Jude 14, 15. It is remarkable that this Methuselah died the very year in which the flood came.-Orton.

Thus we see that the longest liver that ever lived carried death in his name, that he might be admonished of its coming surely, though it came slowly.-M. Henry.

Notwithstanding the longevity of the antediluvians, it is recorded of them all, in their turn, that they died.

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Though the stroke of death was slow in its approach, yet it was sure. man could live to a thousand years, yet he must die; and if he die in sin he will be accursed!-A. Fuller.

It is reported of one, that, hearing this chapter read, so long lived, and yet the burden still, they died, Enos lived 905, and he died, Seth 912, and he died, Methuselah 969, and he died, he took so deep the thought of death and eternity, that it changed his whole frame, and converted him from a voluptuous to a most strict and pious course of life. How small a word will do much, when God sends it into the heart!-Leighton.

28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed. 30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters: 81 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.

There is hardly a child born into the world, on whom the parents do not look with some pleasing expectation that it shall comfort them concerning their labour.' This makes the toil of education easy and delightful; and truly it is very early that we begin to find a sweetness in it, which abundantly repays all the fatigue. Five, or four, or three, or two years make

discoveries which afford immediate pleasure, and which suggest future hopes. Their words, their actions, their very looks touch us, if they be amiable and promising children, in a tender but very powerful manner; their little arms twine about our hearts; and there is something more penetrating in their first broken accents of endearment, than in all the pomp

and ornament of words. Every infant year increases the pleasure and nourishes the hope. But O! who shall teach those that have never felt it, how it tears the very soul when God roots up the tender plant with an inexorable hand, and withers the bud in which the colours were beginning to glow? Where is now our delight? Is it in the coffin? Is it in the grave? Alas! all the loveliness of person, of

32 And Noah was five hundred Ham, and Japheth.

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genius, and of temper, serves but to point and to poison the arrow, which is drawn out of our own quiver to wound us. Vain, delusive, transitory joys! And such, O my soul,' will the Christian say, such are thine earthly comforts in every child, in every relative, in every possession of life! Let me then, once for all, direct mine eyes to another and a better state.'-Doddridge.

years old: and Noah begat Shem,

above every name. In putting Shem here first, Christ was ineffect put first, who in all things must have the preeminence.-M. Henry.

CHAP. VI.

AND it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of

the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

That which was the first occasion of sin was the occasion of the increase of sin. A woman seduced Adam; women betray the sons of God; the beauty of the fruit betrayed the woman; the beauty of these women betrayed this holy seed. Eve saw and lusted, so did they: this also was a forbidden fruit; they lusted, tasted, sinned, died. Most sins begin at the eyes; by them commonly Satan creeps

into the heart; that soul can never be in safety that hath not covenanted with the eyes.-Bp. Hall.

One would have thought the sons of God should have looked for grace in the heart, rather than beauty in the face; but we see even they sometimes turn in at the fairest sign, without much inquiring what grace is to be found dwelling within.-Gurnall.

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.

God's striving with sinners is in love, not in wrath, as if one, seeing another ready to offer violence to himself, should strive to get the knife out of his hand, with which he would do the mischief: or as if one that hath a purse of gold in his hand to give, should follow another with all manner of entreaties, striving with him to accept and take it. Such a kind of strife is this of the Spirit with men.—Gurnall.

When God resolves to strive no more, 'tis as if He should say to the sinner,

'Because thou hast so great a mind to gain the day, and to deliver thyself from under the power of my grace, get that unhappy victory and perish by it."

-Howe.

The time of God's patience and forbearance towards provoking sinners is sometimes long, but always limited. Reprieves are not pardons; though God bear a little while, He will not bear always.-M. Henry.

Take heed, therefore, reader, how you use the Spirit when He comes knocking at the door of your heart:

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