Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/94

62 Thus they that truly repent of sin, will resolve, in the strength of God's grace, to mortify sin, and to destroy it, and so to undo what they have done amiss; we do but mock God in saying that we are sorry for our sin, and that it grieves us to the heart, if we continue to indulge it. In vain do we pretend a change of our mind, if we do not evidence it by a change of our way. 2. He resolves to destroy man; the original word is very significant, I will wipe off man from the earth, (so some,) as dirt or filth is wiped off from a place which should be clean, and is thrown to the dunghill, the proper place for it. See 2 Kings 21. 13. Those that are the spots of the places they live in, are justly wiped away by the judgments of God. I will blot out man from the earth, (so others,) as those lines are blotted out of a book, which displease the author; or, as the name of a citizen is blotted out of the rolls of the freemen, when he is dead, or disfranchised. 3. He speaks of man as his own creature then, when he resolves upon his ruin, Man whom I have created; "Though I have created him, that shall not excuse him." Isa. 27. 11, He that made him, will not save him; he that is our Creator, if he shall not be our Ruler, will be our Destroyer. Or, "Because I have created him, and he has been so undutiful and so ungrateful to his Creator, therefore I will destroy him:" those forfeit their lives that do not answer the end of their living. 4. Even the brute creatures were to be involved in this destruction, Beasts and creeping things, and the fowl of the air.  These were made for man, and therefore must he destroyed with man; for it follows, It repenteth me that I have made them; for the end of their creation also was frustrated: they were made, that man might serve and honour God with them; and therefore were destroyed, because he had served his lusts with them, and made them subject to vanity. 5. God took up this resolution concerning men, after his Spirit had been long striving with them in vain. None are ruined by the justice of God but those that hate to be reformed by the grace of God.

8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the. 9. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

We have here Noah distinguished from the rest of the world, and a peculiar mark of honour put upon him.

1. When God was displeased with the rest of the world, he favoured Noah, v. 8, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This vindicates God's justice in his displeasure against the world, and shows that he had strictly examined the character of every person in it, before he pronounced it universally corrupt; for, there being one good man, he found him out, and smiled upon him. It also magnifies his grace towards Noah, that he was made a vessel of God's mercy, when all mankind besides were become the generation of his wrath: distinguishing favours bring under peculiarly strong obligations. Probably, Noah did not find favour in the eyes of men; they hated and persecuted him, because both by his life and preaching he condemned the world: but he found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and that was honour and comfort enough. God made more account of Noah than of all the world besides; and this made him greater and more truly honourable than all the giants that were in those days, who became mighty men, and men of renown. Let this be the top of your ambition, to find grace in the eyes of the Lord; herein let us labour, that, present or absent, we may be accepted of him, 2 Cor. 5. 9. Those are highly favoured, whom God favours.

2. When the rest of the world was corrupt and wicked, Noah kept his integrity, v. 9, These are the generations of Noah: this is the account we have to give of him; Noah was a just man. This character of Noah comes in here either, (1.) As the reason of God's favour to him; his singular piety qualified him for singular tokens of God's loving kindness. Those that would find grace in the eyes of the Lord, must be as Noah was, and do as Noah did: God loves those that love him: or (2.) As the effect of God's favour to him: it was God's good-will to him that produced this good work in him; he was a very good man, but he was no better than the grace of God made him, 1 Cor. 15. 10. Now observe his character; [1. ] He was a just man, that is, justified before God by faith in the promised Seed; for he was an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, Heb. 11. 7. He was sanctified, and had right principles and dispositions implanted in him; and he was righteous in his conversation, one that made conscience of rendering to all their due, to God his due, and to men their's.  Note, None but a downright honest man, can find favour with God; that conversation which will be pleasing to God, must be governed by simplicity and godly sincerity, not by fleshly wisdom, 2 Cor. 1. 12. God has sometimes chosen the foolish things of the world, but he never chose the knavish things of it. [2.] He was perfect, not with a sinless perfection, but a perfection of sincerity; and it is well for us, that by virtue of the covenant of grace, upon the score of Christ's righteousness, sincerity is accepted as our gospel perfection. [3.] He walked with God, as Enoch had done before him; he was not only honest, but devout: he walked, that is, he acted with God, as one always under his eye; he lived a life of communion with God; it was his constant care to conform himself to the will of God, to please him, and to approve himself to him. Note, God looks down upon those with an eye of favour, who sincerely look up to him with an eye of faith. But, [4.] That which crowns his character, is, that thus he was, and thus he did, in his generation, in that corrupt degenerate age, in which his lot was cast. It is easy to be religious, when religion is in fashion; but it is an evidence of strong faith and resolution, to swim against a stream to heaven, and to appear for God, when no one else appears for him: so Noah did, and it is upon record, to his immortal honour.

11. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

The wickedness of that generation is here again spoken of, 1. As a foil to Noah's piety; he was just and perfect, when all the earth was corrupt: or, 2, As a further justification of God's resolution to destroy the world, which he was now about to communicate to his servant Noah.

1. All kind of sin was found among them, for v. 11, it is said that the earth was (1.) Corrupt before God, that is, in the matters of God's worship; either they had other gods before him, or, they worshipped him by images, or, they were corrupt and wicked in despite and contempt of God, daring him and defying him to his face. (2.) The earth was also filled with violence, and injustice toward men; there was no order or regular government; no man was safe in the possession of that which he had the most clear and incontestable right to, no not the most innocent life, nothing but murders, rapes, and rapine. Note, Wickedness, as it is the shame of the human nature