but in that contemptible ark, which had been fo long the laughing-stock of unbelievers. Such is the deftructive nature of fin, that every one perishes, who is not hid in the ark of God's church, who does not listen to the true Noah, and come in to him by faith, becoming an heir of his righteousness c.

I fhall only add on this branch, that God seems to have fuffered the deluge to continue much longer than was neceffary for the deftruction of every living thing, that the whole face of nature might be changed. He was not only to deftroy man and beaft, but "to deftroy them with the "earth." We, therefore, fee him infcribing on the earth, with his own almighty hand, the imprefs of his curse, in characters fo deep and full, that they should be abundantly legible to every fucceeding generation.

The form or order of Sacred Hiftory, correfponding with the connexion of the events, is of ten nearly as ftriking as its matter. This hiftory commences with an account of creation. Here we see the Omnipotent with the greateft folemnity calling nothing into existence; creating this lower world, and adapting it for the reception of man; nay, cafting the whole univerfe into fuch a mould, as to be moft fubfervient to his ufe; forming the fun to rule by day, and the moon by night. We fee him amply furnishing this earth with inferior creatures, both animate and inani

mate.

With still greater folemnity does he give being to that creature, for whom he had already fo liberally provided. For the formation of all the other creatures, he had merely interpofed his word. But here his word precedes the formation. Formerly, "he spake, and it was done;" here he fpeaks to declare the peculiar manner in which this work fhould be done. "God faid, Let us "make man in our image, after our likeness." He is exhibited as giving existence to all his other creatures by a word. Man appears as if he were more immediately the work of his hands: "The "LORD God formed man "." To put the greater honour on this creature, his creation is reprefented as confifting of two acts; the one respecting his body, the other his foul. Heaven and earth feem both to concentrate in the formation of this more noble creature. While his body is moulded of the duft of the ground, he receives his foul by immediate infpiration from his Ma

ker.

When man is thus formed, his beneficent Creator conftitutes him lord of all the lower world, giving him the use of every thing that it contains but one, which he referves in his own hand, as a token of his rightful fupremacy. In a word, to exprefs the perfection of his works, the delight he hath in them, and the apparent impoffibility that there fhould be any neceffity of a renewed operation, he folemnly pronounces them to be " all very good ;" and on the seventh day refts from

d Gen. ii. 7:

from all his work, and confecrates it as a day of facred reft, in commemoration of his.

But, what an aftonishing reverfe! This reft is immediately fucceeded, if not interrupted, by the rebellion of that very creature whom he had fo highly honoured; by a daring attempt to rival his Maker; by the lofs of the divine image; by an affecting fenfe of guilt; and by the moft confummate mifery!

It might be fuppofed, that, if any thing would reclaim man from his apoftacy, a discovery of the pardoning mercy of his offended Sovereign would have this effect. Accordingly, no sooner has man rebelled than God proclaims forgiveness, promifing a feed who fhould bruise the head of the ferpent, or destroy the works of the devil. But neither the denunciation of the curfe, nor the declaration of the bleffing, can of itself wean man from fin. When we advance another step, we perceive the total degeneracy of that nature which feemed fo peculiarly the object of divine attention. We find the path of the firft man born of woman, whom, indeed, she seems at first to have taken for the promised Deliverer, marked with the blood of his own brother.

In the compendious account that we have of the antediluvian Patriarchs, we may be ftruck with the idea of their longevity. But there is a circumftance, which is undoubtedly meant still more to arreft our attention. The account of each of them, one excepted, is clofed with these words; "And he died." This is 66 no vain re

"petition,"

"petition." The fame thing would not be fo frequently mentioned by the facred hiftorian, especially where the narrative is fo concise, were it not meant to have peculiar emphafis. Thus, we fee "death reigning from Adam to" Noah; and at length reaching thofe who were the longeft exempted from its ftroke. This is, in fhort, an hiftory of the curfe. Here we fee its regular 'fucceffion. We perceive its natural effect in temporal death, even on those who were delivered from its power.

In a little, we fee the whole world filled with violence and corruption. The fupreme Lord again appears upon the ftage. He fpeaks as if he had "made all men in vain." He who faid, "Let "us make man," now faid, "I will deftroy man "whom I have created."

As the matter of this part of Sacred History is very friking, fo alfo is its order or connexion.

We have firft an account of the multiplication of men upon the earth. But, as has been generally the cafe ever fince, iniquity increased with them. We are particularly informed of the firft great defection of the feed of Seth. They mingled with the world "lying in the wicked one." "The fons of God," or the profeffors of the true religion, "faw the daughters of men," the pofterity of Cain, who had no other image than that of the first man, the earthy Adam; " and they "took unto them wives of all which they chofe f." An intimate connexion with "the children of this

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generation,"

e Gen. vi. I.

f Ver. 2.

"generation," especially by marriage, has in every age of the church been marked as a procuring cause of the displeasure of God, and been carefully avoided by his faithful fervants %. If any of them have acted otherwife, it has been to their hurt h.

When men were thus determined to mingle themselves with the profane world, God ceafed to contend with them by the common operations of his Spirit. "And the LORD faid, My Spirit shall

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not always ftrive with man." For what reafon?" for that he also is flesh;" the profeffors of the true religion, as well as the idolatrous pofterity of Cain, are carnal men. This judgment, although only of a fpiritual kind, was, in fact, far more severe than many temporal calamities, which make a deeper impreffion, as affecting the fenfes : and, as in this inftance, it is generally the forerunner of temporal deftruction.

To illuftrate the juftice of God in punishing, to shew that there was no reafon to expect a reformation, and to teach us the course we ought to obferve with refpect to all outward fins; "the "wickedness of man in the earth," that is, his practical wickednefs, is traced to his heart. It is not till the great Revealer hath thus proclaimed the extent and malignity of human corruption, that he declares his awful purpofe to "deftroy 66 man from the face of the earth!"