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Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;

14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

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15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life..

16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

17 And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.

18 And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.

20 Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.

21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.

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In the last chapter we were told of the universal wickedness of man, the character of Noah, God's determination to destroy the world and all that were in it, both of man and beast, and the means appointed for Noah's safety. Now there is one thing said of this holy man deserving special notice. When God gave him directions for building the ark, he began to act upon those commands; and ceased not to do so till the whole was done! "Thus did Noah," it is said, "according to all that God commanded him, so did he."

It may be useful to inquire, how he came to act in this manner; and by what principle was he guided throughout? You are expressly

told, in another place, that it was "by faith," that, moved with fear, he prepared the ark, preserved his family, condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Heb. xi. 7.) Had he been an unbeliever, like the rest, he would no more have obeyed the command which the Lord had given to prepare the ark, than others regarded the warning of their approaching end, and he would have perished at last in the general overthrow. But Noah believed; that faith led to obedience; and the consequences of that obedience we behold in the chapter before us. (2 Pet. ii. 5-9.)

All things are ready; the ark is prepared; the time is at hand; the measure of the world's iniquity is full. Now shall it be seen whether a holy God does not as certainly know how to punish the wicked for their sin, as to preserve his people by his grace. Before the deluge breaks forth, Noah must be safe. Not one drop shall be poured forth till he and his are all secure. "Come thou, says the Lord, and all thy family into the ark." Oh! sweet token of divine mercy and love! And not only so; but when he enters that refuge, the same kind and merciful hand shut him in; and the Lord himself would watch over that ark all the time it would be tossed about by the desolating waves of the flood! And are not the eyes of the Lord always upon his people? Does he not keep and preserve, as well as bless and save them? Will ever any perish, whom he hath shut up in the faith revealed (Gal. iii. 2-3), and sealed as his own to the day of redemption? (Eph. iv. 30.)

But now the hour is come, and the flood breaks forth. The windows of heaven are opened; the fountains of the great deep are broken up; and for forty days and forty nights the rain pours down in torrents. The rivers swell; the valleys are full; the flood rises; houses, hedges, trees, forests, hills, and mountains, are all covered, and swallowed up in one vast and universal desolation! Oh! the misery of the wicked then! How they run and seek for safety! They go to the top of their houses; they climb the trees; they flee to the hills; they try to ascend the height of the mountains; but all in vain! The flood reaches them still; they cry, but there is no helper; their day is gone; they all die; all

perish; and all are swept away from the earth. Thus was it then in that awful time of vengeance. Thus will it be in that far more tremendous season which is yet to come; when the whole impenitent world will as certainly perish by the fire of God's indignation in the day "which will burn like an oven" (Mal. iv. 1), as the whole ungodly world then perished by the flood of waters. (2 Pet. iii. 7, &c.)]

But where is the ark; and where is Noah? Borne aloft on the surface of the flood, he outrides the deluge in safety. And what will be the final state of all who are found in Christ? Safe and blessed, as Noah was. Come then, and enter this divinely appointed ark. Come yourselves. Come with all your families, and enter the ark of Christ for the salvation of your souls.

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5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

6¶ And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made:

7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the

whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more.

13 ¶ And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.

14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

15 ¶ And God spake unto Noah, saying, 16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.

17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:

19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

20 ¶ And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

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21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again. curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

22 While the earth remaineth, scedtime. and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

(1) Heb. in going and return- | (4) Heb. caused her to come.
ing.
(5) Heb. families.

(2) Heb. were in going and de-
creasing.

(3) Heb. in going forth and returning.

(6) Heb. a savour of rest. (7) Or, though.

(8) Heb. as yet all the days of the earth.

WE read in the last chapter of the tremendous desolations of the deluge. All flesh died that moved upon the face of the earth.

Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. We may easily imagine what a trying season that must have been, had he not been sustained by faith and probably it was so, though he was upheld by that mighty principle. Noah, however, was neither forgotten, nor forsaken; though the waters prevailed exceedingly, and nothing but desolation and death surrounded him on every side, he was safe. The same gracious Lord that bade him prepare the ark; that directed him to enter the ark; and that shut him into the ark; watched over him all the time it was tossed on the waves of the roaring deluge, and in due season brought him in safety out of it. You may always confidently rely on the Lord's protecting love and mercy, when walking in the way he bids you go; and, especially so, when hid in the ark of the gospel for salvation.

It is said, "God remembered Noah, and all that were with him in the ark." The Church of God was then in a very low estate indeed. The number was small; the peril was great. But God remembered Noah; and that was the pledge of his safety and deliverance. How often have the people of God experienced the blessedness of being remembered by him! Perhaps you have found it so. Amidst the various vicissitudes of life, your trials may have been many and great. Often has it been, when all without and all within has. been like the roaring deluge. Deep called unto deep, as all the waves threatened to overwhelm you. But you were neither swallowed up, nor destroyed; you were kept in safety; the winds were hushed, the storm ceased, and you experienced a mighty deliverance. Why so? Because the Lord remembered you, as he did Noah. Oh! what a sweet prayer is that, "Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people!" (Ps. cvi. 4.) May you, then, confidently rely on him in time to come? Yes, you may; and, doing so, you shall find that all the promises of God will be to you as the waters of Noah" (Is. liv. 9); and that the Lord will as certainly remember to help and deliver you, as he did his faithful servant on this occasion.

Observe the gradual indications of this deliverance. The waters asswaged; the fountains

of the deep were stopped; the rain ceased; and the waters returned from off the earth continually. Then the ark rested; and all things were making way for a happy termination of the trial. Is it not thus the Lord generally succours his people? First one mercy comes, then another is given, and, in due time, the deliverance is signal and complete.

Behold these birds sent forth from the ark. The dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and came flying back for safety. The raven was delighted to feed upon the dead, . and thought of the ark no more. How many are like the raven! They love the world; they live upon the world; the world is their home, and their all. The ark is forgotten; the Saviour is neglected; and for the sake of the world they perish with them that are lost. On the other hand, the dove resembles the people of God. The world is no home nor resting-place for them. Here they are often troubled and uneasy. In Christ alone is their comfort and safety; and the prevailing desire of their soul is, "O that I had wings like a dove; then would I flee away, and be at rest!" (Ps. lv. 6.)

Take notice, also, of Noah's patience and piety. Though the waters were abated, and the earth dry, he would not leave the ark till God bade him; and then his first action was, as soon as he stood on the dry ground, to build an altar unto the Lord. Is not this the manner in which true faith, and real piety, will always be displayed? The genuine feeling of every one that fears the Lord is, not to move a step in any undertaking without the Lord's guidance and blessing. Then he is safe, but not otherwise. And after mercies received, he praises the Lord for his goodness, still confessing his sins, and still pleading for pardon.

Lastly, observe the Lord's perpetual faithfulness. The earth, as such, is still the same; and man is the same polluted being as before. But, till the end of all things, the earth and all its fruits and seasons shall remain in regular order and appointment. So to this day it is. Thus the Lord fulfils his word; and thus will every tittle of that word, in due time, be brought to pass. (Is. liv. 9, 10.)

CHAPTER IX.

1 God blesseth Noah. 4 Blood and murder are forbidden. 8 God's covenant, 13 signified by the rainbow. 18 Noah replenisheth the world, 20 planteth a vineyard, 21 is drunken, and mocked of his son, 25 curseth Canaan, 26 blesseth Shem, 27 prayeth for Japheth, 29 and dieth. ND God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

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2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.

8¶ And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,

9 And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you;

10 And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every beast of the earth.

11 And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there' any more be a flood to destroy the

earth.

12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.

14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:

15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and

I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

17 And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is the earth. upon

18¶ And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of 1Canaan.

19 These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. 20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his

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EMERGING from the desolations of the flood, everything connected with the present state of this earth and the history of man should be carefully noted. Two points arising from the close of the last chapter, and several in this, demand consideration and improvement. How inveterate is the stain of sin! All the waters of the deluge could not wash it away. The unrenewed heart of man is still as wicked as it was before; and so will it ever be whilst the earth remaineth. Is there, then, no remedy? There Blessed be God, there is. is a "fountain opened for sin and unclean

ness." (Zech. xiii. 1.) The blood of Christ can do what the waters of the deluge could not effect. It can cleanse from all sin, remove all the curse, and bring to the believer pardon and peace here, and life and glory hereafter. But this must take place by the Spirit of God whilst this life continues, and before the day of grace has passed away. The world will as certainly perish at last, as man must die; and when death comes the state of all will be fixed for ever. "Now," therefore," is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. vi. 2.)

The first action of God on Noah's coming out of the ark was to bless him. Let the blessing of the Lord be the first mercy you seek, wherever you are, and whatever you do. "Oh! that thou wouldest bless me, indeed” (1 Chron. iv. 10), is a prayer you may well use on all occasions. But does the Lord hate sin less after the flood, than he did before it took place? The statements contained in this chapter teach us the contrary. Murder was the crying sin of Cain. Lamech, one of Cain's descendants, gloried in shedding blood, and in slaying others. In process of time the earth was filled with violence; and where violence is habitually committed, men will feel but little hesitation in acting the greatest atrocities. There is reason, therefore, to conclude that this was one of the prevailing crimes of the old world. And how solemnly does God mark that sin here in this chapter! Surely your blood of your lives will I require," "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Let all beware of evil dispositions, and learn to love their neighbour as themselves (Matt. xix. 19); and then there will be no violence, injustice, nor shedding of innocent blood; for "love worketh no ill to his neighbour." (Rom. xiii. 10.)

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But what proof had Noah that the world might not be deluged again? God had said so, and he believed. But would the Lord be pleased to confirm that promise by some visible token of its truth and certainty? Behold his condescending goodness! By setting the beautiful rainbow in the cloud he would, from time to time, by its brilliant display, assure all the future generations of men, that he would certainly keep the promise he had made. Whenever you see that splendid

token in the cloud, learn to adore the divine goodness in preserving us from a watery deluge, though we deserve it as much as the sinners of the old world; and let it serve to remind you of that adorable Jesus, in whom all the attributes of the Godhead, like the blended colours in the bow, meet together for our pardon and salvation.

But let us take heed; there is danger everywhere. When we cease to watch and pray, we soon fall into sin. Is this Noah, that found grace; that walked with God; that was preserved in the ark; the pious, humble, thankful Noah? Ah! take heed of intemperance; which is so dangerous to all, and so unseemly for the man of God. Well may we cry, Lord, what is man! What stronger proof can there be of man's utter depravity than to see Noah drunken and uncovered in his tent? Who will not pray,

Lord, keep me from evil; as well as, Lord, pardon my sin! Learn also not to exult over the falls of others. Did God pronounce the fearful curse upon Ham, which rests on his posterity to this day, because of the unbecoming manner in which he spake and acted in respect of his father's fault? Then never make a mock of sin. (Prov. xiv. 9.) Consider your own weakness, and pray for mercy and grace. On the other hand, see the mercy pronounced on Shem and Japheth. The one was blessed; the other shall be enlarged, and made fartaker of Shem's blessing; whilst the curse rests on the head of Ham. And if a father's curse be so terrible, what must the curse of God be on whom it falls! May our hearts be enlarged with the blessing of God, and made one in Christ with the blessing of Shem; so shall we be blessed for ever!

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