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42

17 creature of all flesh that [is] upon the earth. And God, again
said unto Noah, This [is] the token of the covenant, which I
have established between me and all flesh, that [is] upon the
This is often repeated, to strengthen the faith of all
earth.
men, and especially of Noah and his sons, whom the remem-
brance of that dreadful deluge had made too apprehensive of the
like again.

I.

LE

REFLECTIONS.

ET us be thankful for the divine blessing, by which the world is peopled, and so many millions raised from Noah: and his three sons; so that such multitudes of inhabitants have That this blessing of God still spread over the whole earth. continues, and as one generation passeth away, another cometh ; this calls for thankfulness and praise.

2. Let us bless God for impressing this fear of man upon the beasts. It is a great happiness that they have not the use of reason, thereby to confederate together and pursue their common interest. It is an instance of divine goodness, that lions, tigers, and other furious beasts, are generally found in deserts where Thus he sent lions among men cannot inhabit. God in his righteous judgment sometimes makes them the scourge of nations. the Assyrians. It is his bridle in their jaws that keeps them Let us admire his goodness, and from making havoc of men. be thankful, as Job expresses it, that we are at league with the stones of the field, and that the beasts of the field are at peace with us.

Again,

3. Let us acknowledge the liberal provision which God hath made for the sustenance and refreshment of men: that he hath not only given us herbs, but allows us to kill and feed on his crea-tures that the flesh of different animals hath such different taste and flavour; that there is such an agreeable variety, and that in general it is so wholesome a diet. Every creature of God is good; let us receive them with thanksgiving; and whether we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, let us do all to the glory of God in the name of Jesus Christ.

4. Let us acknowledge the divine goodness in his tender regard for the life of man: that we are not, as the fish of the sea, or the fowls of the air, left to devour one another. We are under the protection of good laws, and spend our days secure from violence. If God hath such regard for the life of man in general, how much more for the lives of good men! Precious in the God will certainly sight of the Lord is the death of his saints; and they shall be severely punished who shed innocent blood. Here make inquisition for the blood of his saints, and will awfully avenge it, not only seven times, but seventy times seven. it is declared, v. 6. whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; and the gospel adds, that no murderer hath eternal

life; he shall perish for ever. Let us then be tender of the lives of our fellow creatures, and do what we can to make them easy and comfortable; for he that hateth his brother is a murderer.

5. Let us be thankful for the covenant made with man v. 9. It is a remarkable expression, I, behold, I; this speaks his condescension and goodness; I, the eternal and infinite Jehovah, establish my covenant with you and with your seed after you. Let us be thankful that he will not drown the world again; but more especially so for the new and better covenant which is established in Christ Jesus, who came to save the world. This covenant is called everlasting, that is, it shall continue as long as the world endures. But the new covenant is everlasting in a nobler sense, as it extends through eternity. And to confirm God's fidelity, he is represented both in Ezekiel and the Revelation as seated on a throne, and a rainbow round about it. Whenever we see this glorious appearance in the heavens, let us remember the everlasting covenant, well ordered in all things and sure; and rejoice that he is faithful who hath promised, and will also do it.

CHAP. IX. 18, to the end.

We have here the sin and shame of Noah; the wickedness of one of his sons; the dutiful respect of the other two; and some remarkable predictions of his concerning them.

18

ND the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were

A an, Japheth; and Ham [is] father

of Canaan; from whom the Canaanites descended; that accurs19 ed race, whose land God gave to Israel. These [are] the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread, and peopled anew.

20

And Noah, as soon as he was settled in the earth, began [to be] 21 an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And, some years after, he drank too freely of the wine which he had made, and, perhaps not knowing its strength, and before he was awure, was drunken, or in some degree intoxicated, (compare John ii. 10.) 22 and while he lay asleep he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, being told it by Canaan, (who probably first saw it, and therefore is only mentioned in the curse, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two 23 brethren without, in derision and contempt of his father. And Shem and Japheth, instead of joining with him in his indecent sport, took a garment, and laid [it] upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces [were] backward, and they saw not their fa24 ther's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and perceiving the covering he had upon him, and inquiring the cause, he

25 soon knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he by divine inspiration said, Cursed [be] Canaan, in his person and posterity; a servant of servants, a most abject slave, shall he be unto his brethren. And from him the curse both ascended to his father Ham, and descended to his posterity the Canaanites. But upon his other two sons, who discovered so much 26 filial duty, he pronounced a most important benediction; And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; who of his special favour hath enabled him to act such a worthy part, and hath taken him into a peculiar relation to himself; and Canaan shall 27 be his servant. God shall also enlarge Japheth, his territories and his posterity, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, they shall join like brethren in the worship of the true God, as the Gentiles do who are grafted on the good olive; and Canaan shall be his servant, be in subjection to Japheth as well as to Shem, and excluded from the privileges promised to both.

28

:

And Noah lived after the flood, three hundred and fifty 29 years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years and he died; but thirty two years before the birth of Abram. His great age was singularly providential for propagating religion in the new world, to which, as well as the old, he was, no doubt, a preacher of righteousness'.

1.

W

REFLECTIONS.

E learn hence how odious a sin drunkenness is. Though many excuses may be urged in behalf of Noah, and we know not that he ever repeated this crime; yet, what dreadful consequences followed! Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. Let professing christians walk circumspectly, and carefully guard against whatever might prove the occasion of sin and folly. The apostle not only delivered that prohibition, Be not drunk with wine wherein there is exccss, but adds, Abstain from the appearance of evil. In order to avoid criminality in this, as well as in other things, it is good to keep out of the way of temptation. Look not upon wine when it is red, when it giveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright; at the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder. This was strikingly illustrated in the case of Noah; it exposed him to shame. If men did but see what beasts they make of themselves when they are in liquor; how unbecoming a situation it often placéth them in; and what folly it occasions them to utter; surely they would abhor the thought of being guilty of this vice. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Rev. xvi. 15.

2. See the scandal and sin of disobedience to parents, and how heinous it is in the sight of God. Ham, one of Noah's sons, was of so depraved a disposition, that he made sport of his good fa ther's weakness, and publicly told his brethren of it in the streets;

he secretly rejoiced, it may be, to see the good old man overtaken in a fault, for which Noah had severely reproved others, and perhaps Ham himself. Herein he showed himself to be one of those fools which Solomon speaks of, who make a mock at sin. It is no uncommon thing for the wicked to make a jest of the sins of others, as well as their own; and to make the sins and weaknesses of good men, in particular, the subjects of their ungodly mirth : but it shows a dreadful degree of hardness in those who are capable of it, and especially in children, to mock at the weakness of their pious parents. Let young people carefully guard against every thing of this kind; and let good men take care that they give them no occasion. The conduct of the other two sons of Noah, who so decently and kindly laid a covering over their father, was much to their honour, and affords an example well worthy of imitation. True charity, or love, will hide a multitude of sins, and cast a veil over a thousand infirmities of good parents, neighbours, and friends. Those who are thus kind and dutiful may expect a blessing; but wicked scoffers, and especially wicked children of pious parents, shall be cursed with Canaan.

3. What a striking proof have we here of the foreknowledge of God, and the divine origin of the scriptures! This prophecy hath been most remarkably accomplished in the history of Noah's sons and their posterity. We all know in what an awful manner the curse denounced upon Ham was executed, in the total extermination of the Canaanites; and we know also, that the blessing pronounced upon the other two sons of Noah was as remarkably fulfilled, particularly in the descent of the glorious Redeemer from the posterity of Shem. Let us, with Noah, devoutly say, Blessed be the God of Shem, for the covenant of grace established in the Redeemer, and all the spiritual blessings conveyed through him. Once more,

4. Let us, who are of the race of Japheth, be thankful that we have been persuaded to dwell in the tents of Shem, and that the Lord God hath dwelt in our tents: that we sinners of the Gentiles, who were once strangers and foreigners, are made fellow citizens with the saints and heirs of the promise. Let us be thankful that we have still the tokens of the divine presence among us; and especially if any of us have been persuaded to open to him the door of our hearts. Let us pray in faith for the accomplishinent of the prophecies concerning the universal establishment of the Redeemer's kingdom, that all the sons of Noah may become holiness to the Lord, and the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen.

CHAP. X.

As there is little in this chapter of a practical nature; a short illustration of some parts of it only will be given.

'N

OW these following [are] the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

2 The sons of Japheth, who was the eldest, were these seven ; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and 3 Meshech, and Tiras. And the sons of Gomer, Japheth's eldest 4 son, were Ashkenaz, and Riphath and Togarmah. And the

sons of Javan, the fourth son of Japheth, were Elisha, and Tar5 shish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these several branches of Noah's family were the isles of the Gentiles* divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.†

6

And the sons of Ham, Noah's second son, were Cush, and 7 Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush, were Sebah, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah and the sons of Raamah, were Sheba, and Dedan. s And Cush afterwards begat another son, who was called Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one in the earth to affect and usurp a tyrannical government, and to enlarge his dominions. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; he made himself popular by hunting and killing wild beasts: and at last usurped the government, and became a cruel persecutor, oppressor, and tyrant: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD; his cruelty and tyranny were so noto. rious, that it became a proverb of reproach concerning a tyranni 10 cal person, He is a very Nimrod. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, he being the founder of the Babylonish emfire; and afterwards he built Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. But his ambition not being yet satis11 fied, Out of that land he went forth to Asshur, that is, the land

of Assyria, which was called by his name, Micah v. 6. and there 12 he builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah, And

Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same [is] still a 13 great city. And Mizraim, the second son of Ham, begat sev, eral sons, from whom sprang the people called Ludim, and

* Countries of Europe, called isles, because separated from Judea by the sea. At the dividing of tongues, God, by his providence, so ordered it, that all of a family or nation spake the same language, and settled themselves together accordingly, in such and such places.

The oppression of mankind is represented by hunting them. It is probable that Nimrod thus bunted men under the pretence of hunting wild beasts, and his courage and dexterity in the latter, might qualify him for the former. The expression before the Lord, is sometimes used only to denote something of distinguished eminence. See Gen. xiii. 13. Acts vii. 20. margin. Luke i. 6. The LXX. reads, against the Lord. Government, before Nimrod's time, was only patriarchal. It is observable that the first monarch was a tyrant; and the conquerors of the earth may properly be stiled mighty hunters. See Jer. xvi. 16. Ezek. xiii. 21.

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