lxxxviii. 7. The waters of the flood did not only overwhelm the wicked, but came into their bowels. God's wrath on the ungodly is compared to this very thing. Ps. cix. 18. “As he clothed himself with cursing like as with a garment, so let it come into his bowels like water." In the time of the flood the waters were poured down out of heaven like spouts or cataracts of water. God's wrath is compared unto this, Ps. xlii. 7. "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water-spouts." The waters of the deluge were what the ungodly of the world could not escape, or hide themselves from them by resorting to caves in the ground, or digging deep in the earth, or flying to the tops of mountains; so likewise is the matter represented with respect to God's wrath on the ungodly, in Isaiah xxviii. 17. "The waters shall overflow the hiding-place;" and Amos ix. 1, 2. "He that fleeth of them shall not flee away: he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them: though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: and though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence;" and so in many other places. Particularly is there a great resemblance between the destruction that was brought on the wicked world by the flood, and what is foretold of the wicked in the Messiah's times; as in Isaiah xxiv. 18, 19, 20. "And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear, shall fall into a pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit, shall be taken in the snare." (So that there shall be no escaping, let them flee where they will, as it was in the time of the deluge.) "For the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down; the earth is clean dissolved; the earth is moved exceedingly-and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it." There is not only a resemblance between this representation of the punishment of the wicked world in the Messiah's days, and the history of the flood, but here seems to be an evident allusion to the flood, and a designed comparison of that destruction of God's enemies, and what was in the time of the flood, when we are told the windows of heaven were opened and the fountains of the great deep were broken up, &c. So the destruction of God's enemies in the Messiah's times is represented as being by a flood. Dan. ix. 26. "And the end thereof, shall be with a flood;" and to a flood occasioned by a mighty rain. Ezek. xxxviii. 22. "I will rain upon him and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain." There is also a remarkable agreement between what we are told in Moses's history of the preservation of those that were in the ark, and what is often declared in Old Testa

ment prophecies concerning the preservation and salvation of the church by the Messiah. Isai. xxxii., at the beginning. "A man shall be a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest." Isa. iv. 6. "And there shall be a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm, and from rain." Isa. xxv. 4. "Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm-when the blast of the terrible ones is as the storm against the wall." Psa. xlvi. 1, 2, 3. "God is our refuge and strength, we will not fear though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea," (as they in a sense were in the flood. They were in the midst of the sea; the sea surrounded and overwhelmed them.) "Though the waters thereof roar and are troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Isai. xliii. 2. " When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee:" compare these texts with Psalm xxxii. 6. "Surely in the flood of great waters, they shall not come nigh thee," and Psalm xci. 7. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thouand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee." We may suppose that there was a resorting and flocking of animals from all parts of the world, such as are proper to hot countries, from the south; and such as dwell in colder climates from the north. And as there are many countries that have their peculiar kinds of animals; so we may suppose there was a resorting from every quarter. A resorting of beasts and a flocking of birds, which is a lively resemblance of what is often foretold of the gathering of God's people into his church from all quarters in the Messiah's days, and coming to him for salvation when all the ends of the earth should look to him to be saved. Isaiah xlv. 22. When God should bring the seed of his church from the east, and gather them from the west, and would say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Isaiah xliii. 6, 7, and many other parallel places. And God would gather his people from all countries, agreeably to many prophecies, and it shall be said, Who are those that fly as a cloud and as doves to their windows? The gathering of all kinds of creatures to the ark, clean and unclean, tame and wild, gentle and rapacious, innocent and venomous; tygers, wolves, bears, lions, leopards, serpents, vipers, dragons; and the door of the ark standing open to them, and their all dwelling there peaceably together under one head, even Noah, who kindly received them and took care of them, fed and saved them, and to whom they tamely submitted, is a lively representation of what is often foretold concerning the Messiah's days, when it is foretold, that not only the Jews should be saved

ment prophecies concerning the preservation and salvation of the church by the Messiah. Isai. xxxii., at the beginning. "A man shall be a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest." Isa. iv. 6. "And there shall be a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm, and from rain." Isa. xxv. 4. "Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm-when the blast of the terrible ones is as the storm against the wall." Psa. xlvi. 1, 2, 3. "God is our refuge and strength, we will not fear though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea," (as they in a sense were in the flood. They were in the midst of the sea; the sea surrounded and overwhelmed them.) Though the waters thereof roar and are troubled; though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Isai. xliii. 2. "When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee:" compare these texts with Psalm xxxii. 6. "Surely in the flood of great waters, they shall not come nigh thee," and Psalm xci. 7. "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thouand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee." We may suppose that there was a resorting and flocking of animals from all parts of the world, such as are proper to hot countries, from the south; and such as dwell in colder climates from the north. And as there are many countries that have their peculiar kinds of animals; so we may suppose there was a resorting from every quarter. A resorting of beasts and a flocking of birds, which is a lively resemblance of what is often foretold of the gathering of God's people into his church from all quarters in the Messiah's days, and coming to him for salvation when all the ends of the earth should look to him to be saved. Isaiah xlv. 22. When God should bring the seed of his church from the east, and gather them from the west, and would say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Isaiah xliii. 6, 7, and many other parallel places. And God would gather his people from all countries, agreeably to many prophecies, and it shall be said, Who are those that fly as a cloud and as doves to their windows? The gathering of all kinds of creatures to the ark, clean and unclean, tame and wild, gentle and rapacious, innocent and venomous; tygers, wolves, bears, lions, leopards, serpents, vipers, dragons; and the door of the ark standing open to them, and their all dwelling there peaceably together under one head, even Noah, who kindly received them and took care of them, fed and saved them, and to whom they tamely submitted, is a lively representation of what is often foretold concerning the Messiah's days, when it is foretold, that not only the Jews should be saved

Old Testament compared to fire, and is represented as poured out from heaven on the ungodly, and particularly to be poured out like fire. Nahumi. 6. Isai. xlii. 25. Jer. xliv. 6. Lam. ii. 4. and iv. 11. Ezek. xxii. 21, 22. 31. So it is threatened in allusion to the manner of Sodom's destruction, Psa. xi. 6, that upon the wicked God would rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible or burning tempest, (as it is in the margin,) and it is said this should be the portion of their cup. That destruction came on Sodom suddenly and unexpectedly, while the inhabitants were in the midst of their voluptuousness and wickedness, and wholly at ease and quiet, in the morning, when the sun arose pleasantly on the earth, and when the idle and unclean inhabitants were drowned in sloth, sleep, and pleasures; which is agreeable to what is often represented in the Old Testament of the manner of God's bringing destruction on the wicked. It came on Sodom as a snare. So it is said in that xi. Psa. "Snares, fire and brimstone, shall God rain," &c. That while the wicked is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and rain it upon him while he is eating, Job. xx. 23. That God hath set them in slippery places, and that they are cast down to destruction in a moment, and are utterly consumed with terrors. Ps. lxxiii. 18, 19. That their destruction falls suddenly upon them, as the fishes are taken in an evil net, (when sporting securely in the water,) and as birds are caught in the snare (when they are feeding and pleasing themselves with the bait.) Eccl. ix. 12. Particularly this is represented as the manner of destruction's coming on them that harden their necks when often reproved, as the inhabitants of Sodom had been by Lot, as appears by Gen. xix. 9. Prov. xxix. 1. "He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." There is a special resemblance between the destruction of Sodom, and the destruction that is foretold to come on the enemies of God and the Messiah under the Messiah's kingdom, which is often represented as being by fire. Mal. iii. 1. "Who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire." A refiner's fire is a vehement furnace, that burns up the dross. Chap. iv. 1. "For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and the proud, yea, all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts; it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Ps. xxi. 9. "Thou shalt make them as in a fiery oven the day of thine anger. The Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them." Dan. vii. 11. "I beheld till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame." Yea, that destruction is represented as effected by raining down fire and brimstone upon them. Ezek. xxxviii. 22. " And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain Old Testament compared to fire, and is represented as poured out from heaven on the ungodly, and particularly to be poured out like fire. Nahumi. 6. Isai. xlii. 25. Jer. xliv. 6. Lam. ii. 4. and iv. 11. Ezek. xxii. 21, 22.31. So it is threatened in allusion to the manner of Sodom's destruction, Psa. xi. 6, that upon the wicked God would rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible or burning tempest, (as it is in the margin,) and it is said this should be the portion of their cup. That destruction came on Sodom suddenly and unexpectedly, while the inhabitants were in the midst of their voluptuousness and wickedness, and wholly at ease and quiet, in the morning, when the sun arose pleasantly on the earth, and when the idle and unclean inhabitants were drowned in sloth, sleep, and pleasures; which is agreeable to what is often represented in the Old Testament of the manner of God's bringing destruction on the wicked. It came on Sodom as a snare. So it is said in that xi. Psa. "Snares, fire and brimstone, shall God rain," &c. That while the wicked is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and rain it upon him while he is eating, Job. xx. 23. That God hath set them in slippery places, and that they are cast down to destruction in a moment, and are utterly consumed with terrors. Ps. lxxiii. 18, 19. That their destruction falls suddenly upon them, as the fishes are taken in an evil net, (when sporting securely in the water,) and as birds are caught in the snare (when they are feeding and pleasing themselves with the bait.) Eccl. ix. 12. Particularly this is represented as the manner of destruction's coming on them that harden their necks when often reproved, as the inhabitants of Sodom had been by Lot, as appears by Gen. xix. 9. Prov. xxix. 1. "He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." There is a special resemblance between the destruction of Sodom, and the destruction that is foretold to come on the enemies of God and the Messiah under the Messiah's kingdom, which is often represented as being by fire. Mal. iii. 1. "Who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire." A refiner's fire is a vehement furnace, that burns up the dross. Chap. iv. 1. "For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and the proud, yea, all that do wickedly, shall be as stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts; it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Ps. xxi. 9. "Thou shalt make them as in a fiery oven the day of thine anger. The Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them." Dan. vii. 11. "I beheld till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame." Yea, that destruction is represented as effected by raining down fire and brimstone upon them. Ezek. xxxviii. 22. " And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain