Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 1.djvu/97

Rh while to come; his neighbours would ridicule him for his credulity, and he would be the song of the drunkards; his building would be called Noah's folly; if the worst came to the worst, as we say, each would fare as well as his neighbours. But these, and a thousand such objections, Noah by faith got over; his obedience was ready and resolute. Thus did Noah willingly and cheerfully, without murmuring and disputing. God says, Do this, and he does it: it was also punctual and persevering; he did all exactly according to the instructions given him, and having begun to build, did not give off till he had finished it: so did he, and so must we do.

3. As an instance of wisdom for himself, thus to provide for his own safety; he feared the deluge, and therefore prepared the ark. Note, When God gives warning of approaching judgments, it is our wisdom and duty to provide accordingly. See Exod. 9. 20, 21. Ezek. 3. 18. We must prepare to meet the Lord in his judgments on earth, flee to his name as a strong tower. Prov. 18. 10, enter into our chambers, Isa. 26. 20, 21, especially prepare to meet him at death, and in the judgment of the great day, build upon Christ the Rock, Matth. 7. 24, go into Christ the Ark.

4. As intended for warning to a careless world: and it was fair warning of the deluge coming; every blow of his axes and hammers was a call to repentance, a call to them to prepare arks too. But since by it he could not convince the world, by it he condemned the world, Heb. 11. 7.

CHAP. VII. In this chapter, we have the performance of what was foretold in the foregoing chapter, both concerning the destruction of the old world, and the salvation of Noah; for we may be sure that no word of God shall fall to the ground. There we left Noah busy about his ark, and full of care to get it finished in time, while the rest of his neighbours were laughing at him for his pains. Now here we see what was the end thereof; the end of his care, and of their carelessness. And this famous period of the old world gives us some idea of the state of things, when the world that now is, shall be destroyed by fire, as that was by water. See 2 Pet. 3. 6, 7. We have, in this chapter, I. God's gracious call to Noah to come into the ark, v. 1, and to bring the creatures that were to be preserved alive, along with him, v. 2, 3, in consideration of the deluge at hand, v. 4.  II. Noah's obedience to this heavenly vision, v. 5. When he was six hundred years old, he came with his family into the ark, v. 6, 7, and brought the creatures along with him, v. 8, 9, an account of which is repeated, v. 13..16, to which is added God's tender care to shut him in. III. The coming of the threatened deluge, v. 10, the causes of it, v. 11, 12, the prevalency of it, v. 17..20. IV. The dreadful desolations that were made by it in the death of every living creature upon earth, except those that were in the ark, v. 21..23. V. The continuance of it in full sea, before it began to ebb, one hundred and fifty days, v. 24.

ND the L said unto Noah, Come thou, and all thy house, into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. 2. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. 3. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female: to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. 4. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

Here is,

I. A gracious invitation of Noah and his family into a place of safety, now that the flood of waters was coming on, v. 1.

1. The call itself is very kind, like that of a tender father to his children, to come in doors, when he sees night or a storm coming; Come thou, and all thy house, that small family that thou hast, into the ark. Observe, (l.) Noah did not go into the ark till God bade him; though he knew it was designed for his place of refuge, yet he waited for a renewed command, and had it. It is very comfortable to follow the calls of Providence, and to see God going before us in every step we take. (2.) God does not bid him go into the ark, but come into it, implying that God would go with him, would lead him into it, accompany him in it, and in due time bring him safe out of it. Note, Wherever we are, it is very desirable to have the presence of God with us, for that is all in all, to the comfort of every condition. This was it that made Noah's ark, which was a prison, to be to him not only a refuge, but a palace. (3.) Noah had taken a great deal of pains to build the ark, and now he was himself preserved alive in it. Note, What we do in obedience to the command of God, and in faith, we ourselves shall certainly have the comfort of, first or last. (4.) Not he only, but his house also, his wife and children, are called with him into the ark. Note, It is good to belong to the family of a godly man; it is safe and comfortable to dwell under such a shadow. One of Noah's sons was Ham, who proved afterward a bad man, yet he was saved in the ark; which intimates, [1.] That wicked children often fare the better for the sake of their godly parents. [2.] That there is a mixture of bad with good in the best societies on earth, and we are not to think it strange; in Noah's family there was a Ham, and in Christ's family there was a Judas: there is no perfect purity on this side heaven. (65 [sic].) This call to Noah was a type of the call which the gospel gives to poor sinners. Christ is an ark already prepared, in whom alone we can be safe, when death and judgment come; now the burthen of the song is, "Come, come;" the word says, "Come;" ministers say, "Come;" the Spirit says, "Come, come into the ark."

2. The reason for this invitation is a very honourable testimony to Noah's integrity. For thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Observe, (1.) Those are righteous indeed, that are righteous before God, that have not only the form of godliness by which they appear righteous before men, who may easily be imposed upon, but the power of it, by which they approve themselves to God, who searches the heart, and cannot be deceived in men's character. (2.) God takes notice of, and is pleased with, those that are righteous before him; Thee have I seen. In a world of wicked people, God could see one righteous Noah; that single grain of wheat could not be lost, no not in so great a heap of chaff. The Lord knows them that are his. (3.) God that is a Witness to, will shortly be a witness for, his people's integrity; he that sees it, will proclaim it before angels and men, to their immortal honour. They that obtain mercy to be righteous, shall obtain witness that they are righteous. (4.) God is, in a special manner, pleased with those that are good in bad times and places. Noah was therefore illustriously righteous, because he was so in that wicked and adulterous generation. (5.) Those that keep themselves pure in times of common iniquity, God will keep safe in times of common calamity; those that partake not with others in their sins, shall not partake with them in their plagues; those that are better than others, are, even in this life, safer than others, and it is better with them.