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man." Heb. ii. 9; Isai. liii. 10. Well, therefore, at this name, may "every knee bow" in gratitude and love. Phil. ii. 6-11. Eph. iii. 14-21. "We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John iv. 19. And of this love, and its effects, the earliest ages had a type in the ordinance of marriage; by which is signified to us the reunion of the human to the Divine nature (Adam was made "in the image of God." Gen. i. 27. Wisd. ii. 23, his children were born in his own likeness.' "Gen. v. 3.) "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. Gen. ii. 24.; and by the spiritual union of Christ with his church, all its members become one spirit with him. 1 Cor. vi. 17. Eph. v.

23-32.

God promised that he would "put enmity between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent ;" and we see the spirit of this enmity operating in Cain," who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother; and wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 1 John. iii. (See also, John viii. 44.)

The faith of Abel and of Enoch was gospel faith, and obtained for them the testimony of righteousness. Heb. xi. 1-6. Ecclus. xliv. 16.

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So much for the earliest revelation of God, of Himself, to man; but we may farther illustrate the Evangelical history of the Antediluvian period, by comparing the wonderful works of Nature, with the surpassing works of Grace-the Creation, with the Redemption. From the beginning, “the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work." They declare His wisdom to plan, and His power to execute. The same wisdom and power

worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil. ii. 13; iv. 13; 1 John iv. 4. Heaven is seen by its own light, and Christ is seen by his own spirit, which is a "marvellous light." 1 Pet. ii. 9. Paradise, or the blissful garden of Eden, was a picture of heaven, Rev. ii. 7.

"Its very name conveyed the idea of happiness and pleasure; which can only exist in their full perfection, when the will of man thoroughly coincides with the will of God, and when obedience is not a painful act of self-denial." Faber's Hora Mosaicæ, vol. i. p. 42.

The Sabbath too, blessed and sanctified by God, because that, on it he rested from the good works of creation, (Gen. ii. 1-4.) may be considered as a fit emblem of that rest in the heavenly Eden which shall succeed to the better work of redemption. Heb. iv. 4-11. And as the Creation may be considered as typical, so Adam was a type. 1 Cor. xv. 21, 22; Rom. v. 14-21. Adam was created in the likeness of God, Gen. i. 27. Compare 1 Cor. xv. 45-49; Gen. v. 3; 1 Pet. i. 3; 1 Cor. xv. 49; Adam had dominion over all creatures, Gen. i. 28; compare Ephes. i. 22. The marriage of Adam was figurative, Gen. ii. 21-24. Compare Ephes. v. 28-32. The first law, (Gen. ii. 17.) was broken by Adam being tempted of Satan. Gen. iii. 17-19. Compare Matt. iv. 1-11; Heb. iv. 15; Rom. v. 15-19. By Adam, man was expelled from Paradise. Gen. iii. 22-24. By Christ he is restored. Rev. ii. 7.

Of the substance, to which these shadows point, it might exercise an eternity of thought to appreciate the value; yet how apt are we to deny even a small proportion of our time to the contemplation of it. We search the Scriptures of the New Testament for the words of eternal life; but, to search them most effectually, (humanly speaking) we should hold to them the light of the Old. The Scriptures are" wonderful," with respect to the matter which they contain, the manner in which they are written, and the effects which they produce. They contain the sublimest spiritual truths, veiled under external ceremonies and sacraments, figurative descriptions, typical histories, parables, similitudes, &c. When properly opened and enforced, they terrify and humble, they convert and transform, they console and strengthen. Who but must delight to study and

to "observe" these "testimonies" of the will and the wisdom, the love, and the power of God most high ! While we have these holy writings, let us not waste our time, mis-employ our thoughts, and prostitute our admiration, by doating on human follies, and wondering at human trifles. The Scriptures are the appointed means of "enlightening" the mind with true and saving knowledge. They shew us what we were, what we are, and what we shall be; they shew us what God hath done for us, and what he expecteth us to do for him; they shew us the adversaries we have to encounter, and how to encounter them with success; they shew us the mercy and the justice of the Lord, the joys of heaven and the pains of hell. Thus will they "give to the simple," in a few days, understanding" of those matters, which philosophy, for whole centuries sought in vain " Horne's Com. on the Psalms, cxix. 129, 130.

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SECOND PERIOD, B.

From the Epistle of Jude, ver. 14, 15, we find that Enoch prophesied against the Antediluvians," saying, behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken," but of this, Moses makes no mention; the second revelation he records, is that made to Noah respecting the destruction of the ungodly, by the Deluge. Gen. vi.

The Deluge.

In connection with this sentence of God against the Antediluvian reprobates, we may consider as typical revelations (perhaps we should say infer

ences) the Deluge itself, and the Ark in which Noah and his family, and some of every living creature were preserved. The Deluge, (the flood of God's just wrath, from which nothing can be hid) covered "all the

high hills that were under the whole heaven, (Gen. vii. 19. and the mountains were covered," ver. 20.; but the ARK (the place of refuge provided for the faithful, by the mercy of God) was "lift up above the earth, and went upon the face of the waters, (ver. 17.) and preserved all that were in it, for God had shut them in," ver. 16; compare Psalm xlvi, 1-3; xci. 1-10; Matt. xxv. 10-13.) from thence the multitude of the ungodly that were themselves excluded, could not force them. The Apostle tells us that, "the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sins;" whatever the kinds, degrees, and circumstances, are. As the Deluge. overflowed the highest mountains, as well as the least hill; so pardoning mercy covers sins of the first magnitude as well as the smallest. Bates,

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Noah himself was a type of Christ. His merits are mentioned, Gen. vi. 9. His family were received for his sake, ver. 18. (see also Ecclus. xliv. 17.); Noah a Type of these applications will suggest to the thinking Chris- Christ. tian many others to be met with in the New Testament. We may close the subject with the warning of our blessed Saviour, the great anti-type of Noah, the only "JUST man, and perfect in his generations," Gen. vi. 9 ; the only righteous before God." Gen. vii, 1-2. 1 Pet. iii. 18-22. "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the son of man be. For, as in the days that were before the flood they were eating aud drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not (would not consider and believe) until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the son of man be." Matt. xxiv. 37-39." Watch, therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.". Verse 42. "Blessed is t that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, doing." Verse 46.

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After the Deluge, God re-established the covenant with Noah, Gen. viii, 21; ix, 8-17; pronounced a blessing

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upon the Patriarch and his sons; remitted the curse laid upon the earth at the fall (thus fulfilling the prophecy of Lamech at the birth of Noah, Gen. v. 29,) and thus again left man "in the hand of his counsel; If thou wilt, to keep the commandments and to perform acceptable faithfulness— He hath set fire and water before thee; stretch forth thy hand to whether thou wilt. Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him," &c. Ecclus. xv.

14-20.

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When we consider the state in which man was placed after the Deluge, a state of covenant, pardon, and peace with his Maker, with a practical knowledge of His hatred to sin and power to punish it, one is inclined to say in the language of inspired expostulation, " What could have been done for the Lord's vineyard that he hath not done unto it?" Isa. v. 4. Yet, how soon shall we see it bring forth the "wild grapes" of ingratitude and disobedience ! The curse being removed from the earth, better things than "thorns and thistles" spring spontaneously from it, but man being "left in the hand of his counsel," must chuse good, and seek it from HIM whose spirit still " strives” in the hearts of his faithful servants, though without the assistance of His renewing grace" every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (is still) only evil continually," the primæval enmity between the serpent and the seed of the woman, and between their respective seeds, still "working in the children of disobedience." Eph. ii. 2. But from the beginning of time, the only path of SAFETY has been that of FAITH, which is "the evidence of things not seen," (not discoverable by the natural understanding of man, (Heb. xi. 1-6.) that FAITH, which had Eve possessed it, she would not (on the word of Satan) have eaten of the forbidden tree, although in her own eyes it was good for food, and to be desired to make one wise; that FAITH which made Noah (on the word of God believing things not seen as yet) preprepare the Ark in which he was saved; that FAITH, by

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