[There was in the ark an abundant store of provision both for man and beast: so that no creature, from the largest animal to the smallest insect, lacked any thing that was needful for it.

99

Surely in this respect it beautifully represents the Church of Christ, wherein the ordinances of divine grace are administered, and "exceeding great and precious promises are given for our support. There is not a person in it, from the greatest to the least, who may not find all that can conduce to his health and comfort. There is milk for babes, and meat for those who are of full age1. There is "a feast of fat things provided for our daily sustenance. There are the richest cordials, "even wines upon the lees well refined," that are dispensed freely to all who desire them. Nothing is lacking: we need never fear lest the store should be exhausted. Nothing is grudged to the meanest servant in the family: all is given to one as well as to another; and to every one, "without money and without price."]

We may yet further trace the typical import of the ark in,

II. The direction given in reference to it—

Noah having finished the ark, waited for further intimations of the divine will, which at length were given him. The direction, as it relates to us, implies two things;

1. That we should use the appointed means of salvation ourselves

[God having formed his church, and provided every thing requisite for the preservation of our souls, now speaks to every one of us, "Enter thou into the ark."

Christ says to us, "I am the door;" "I am the way, the truth, and the life." By Him therefore we are to enter inm." By faith in him we shall be placed beyond the reach of harm, and may" rejoice in hope of the glory of God"." This is the duty to which we are called.

We are not to amuse ourselves with indulging idle speculations about the fitness of the ark to answer its intended purpose: we have no time to lose: the danger is imminent: if we lose the present moment, we may be undone for ever. We have nothing to do but to "enter in," and to commit ourselves to the care of our heavenly Pilot.]

2. That we should exert ourselves for the salvation of others

1 Heb. v. 13, 14. VOL. I.

m John x. 9.

n Rom. v. 2.

G

[We should not be contented to go to heaven alone: we should say with the church of old, "Draw me; and we will run after thee." It is the height of impiety to ask, "Am I my brother's keeper?" We are all appointed to watch over each other: What the Minister is amongst his flock, that every Parent and Master is among his children and servants. We should employ all the influence we possess, for the advantage of those around us. God testified his approbation of Abraham on account of his fidelity in improving this talent; and inflicted signal judgments upon Eli for neglecting to exert his parental authority. If, like Lot, we cannot prevail upon our relatives to follow our advice, we shall not be responsible for them: but if they perish through our neglect, their blood will be required at our hands P. We should therefore warn our children and servants to flee from the wrath to come. We should open to them the way of salvation through faith in a crucified Saviour. We should declare faithfully to them, that there is "no other name given under heaven whereby we can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ;" and we should urge them with all possible earnestness to embrace his covenant, and seek acceptance through him: In short, we should separate both ourselves and them from an ungodly world, and "seek to be found in Christ, not having our own righteousness, but that which is of God by faith in him."]

We are aware that many OBJECTIONS will arise against this advice: which therefore we will briefly consider.

1. We are in the ark already

Our

[It is granted, that as far as the ark designates the visible Church of Christ, we are all inclosed in it. But we must distinguish between the visible and the invisible church. blessed Lord has taught us carefully to distinguish between the fruitful and unfruitful branches; which, though they are both " in him," will be very differently dealt with by the great Husbandman'. The Gospel net incloses many fishes; but the good only will be preserved: the bad will be cast away. In the field, the tares grow together with the wheat: but a separation will be made at last; the one for the fire of hell, the other for the granary of heaven. The Jews were the peculiar people

。 Cant. i. 4.

P Ezek. xxxiii. 8, 9.

In the baptismal service we pray, that, " as Noah and his family were saved in the ark from perishing by water, so we, being received into the ark of Christ's Church, may so pass the waves of this troublesome world, that we may be finally brought to the land of everlasting life." t Matt. xiii. 30.

r John xv. 2.

s Matt. xiii. 47, 48.

of God: and St. Paul tells us, that "to them pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises :" Yet "he had great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart on account of them;" which he would not have had, if he had thought that the possession of those outward privileges was sufficient. But he accounts for his feelings by saying, that "all are not Israel, who are of Israel"." And he elsewhere assures us, in still stronger terms, that it is not any outward privilege or profession that constitutes us Christians, but an inward change of heart, which approves itself to the all-seeing God. Let us not then deceive ourselves, or imagine that we must of necessity be saved because we have been baptized: for there was an "accursed Ham" in the ark, as well as a righteous Noah: but let us inquire into the dispositions and habits of our minds: let us examine whether we have given up ourselves unreservedly to God; and whether we are striving to "glorify him with our bodies and our spirits, which are his?"]

2. We do not see that we are in any danger

[This was the case with the antediluvian world. They saw no appearance of any deluge: they could not persuade themselves that God would ever inflict such a tremendous judgment on the earth: and they imputed the anxiety of Noah to superstition, credulity, and folly. But did their unbelief make void the truth of God? Yea rather, did it not harden them to their own destruction? What security then will our unbelief afford us? We see not any symptoms of that wrath which is threatened against an ungodly world: but will it therefore never come? Will the word of God fail of its accomplishment? Is it safe for us to set up our opinions against the positive declarations of Heaven, and to found all our hopes of salvation upon the presumption that "God will lie?" Seen, or unseen, our danger is the same: and if all perished at the deluge who took not refuge in the ark, so will all perish at the day of judgment who have not "fled for refuge to the hope set before them."]

3. We shall become singular

[This is an objection which we cannot but allow; and it is with pain and grief that we confess its force. We acknowledge that, if we will seek in earnest the salvation of our souls, we must be singular. But whose fault is this? It was not Noah's fault that he was singular in the old world: it was the

u Rom. ix. 3-6.

x Rom. ii. 28, 29.

fault of those who refused to listen to the voice of mercy, and to obey the commands of God. And surely Noah would have paid a very unbecoming deference to the world, if he had followed their example rather than his own convictions, and consented to perish with them, rather than secure his own salvation. Why then should we carry our complaisance to such a criminal extent, when the everlasting salvation of our souls is at stake? We regret that we are compelled to be singular but we must confess, It is better to be saved with Noah and his little family, than to perish with an ungodly world: It is better to walk in the narrow and unfrequented way which leadeth unto life, than to go in the broad road which terminates in destruction.]

Dismissing then your objections, "suffer a word of EXHORTATION ".

[To every one we would address the words of our text, "Enter thou, and all thy family, into the ark." Consider, how near the day of mercy may have come to its close! The day of 'judgment may be far off, as it respects the world at large; but it may be nigh at hand as it respects ourselves. The hour of death may be much nearer to us than we imagine: and that will, in effect, be the day of judgment to us. O what shall we then do, if we be not found in the true ark? What shall we do, if we belong not to Him "of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named," and be not numbered amongst his "little flock," on whom alone the kingdom of heaven will be conferred? Let us only paint to ourselves the distress we should have felt, if we had seen the waters rapidly surrounding us, and the ark shut against us: yet this would be a very faint image of what we shall feel, when the vials of God's wrath shall be poured out upon us, and no hope of deliverance be afforded. Let us then "not seek merely, but strive, to enter in." Let us endeavour to bring all we can along with us. will be a painful sight, if we be saved ourselves, to see our wife, our children, our servants, our friends perishing around us, and swallowed up in "the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone." On the other hand, what a joy will it be to present them unto God, saying, "Here am I, and the children thou hast given me!" Let us then exert our influence while we can; and I pray God that our labours may be crowned with success; and that, instead of going to heaven alone, we may all have some to be "our joy and crown of rejoicing" in that solemn day!]

It

XVII.

GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH.

Gen. ix. 12-16. 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 : I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 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. 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.

MAN has no claim whatever upon his God, any more than a vessel has upon the potter who formed it. He is indebted to God for the existence which he has, and depends altogether on his will for the continuance of that existence. But God has been pleased to lay himself under voluntary engagements with his creatures, in order that they may know how gracious he is, and be encouraged to serve him with more lively gratitude. When he had formed man at the first, he entered into a covenant with him to bestow on him blessings to which he could not otherwise have been entitled. And after that the extreme wickedness of the world had provoked him to destroy it, he vouchsafed to make another covenant with Noah, whom he had preserved in the ark. He knew that the severe judgment which he had inflicted on the human race would, for a time at least, strike terror into succeeding generations, and perhaps deter them from cultivating the earth. He therefore gave to Noah an assurance that he would never again destroy all his creatures with a flood; and confirmed this promise by a covenant and an oath.

It will be instructive to mark,

I. The peculiarities of this covenant—

In many things it differs very widely from any