and generation? Doth not sin now abound, and these sins especially? Is not sin become, in a manner, universal?-and is not the root of it the same-heart-corruption? May we not then justly fear the coming of divine vengeance?

13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

God's favour to Noah especially appears in what God said to him,-of which we have a large account. He gave him timely notice of the judgment coming; for the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. Psa. xxv. 14. Not only the secrets of his favour, but the secrets of his providence, are revealed to his servants the prophets. Amos iii. 7.

The end of all flesh is come; that is, the utter ruin of mankind is decreed and determined by me, and is approaching: it is even at the door; it is as sure to come, as if it were come already. God's end in telling Noah of this was, 1. That he might prepare for the security of himself and his family; that, being forewarned, he might be forearmed; that, like a prudent man, foreseeing the evil, he

might hide himself, and, not like the simple, pass on and be punished. Prov. xxii. 3. God told Noah of the approaching judgment, because he would not have him involved in it. 2. It was for the trial of his faith. It was a thing very unlikely to sense and reason, that all the world should be drowned. Therefore, saith God, I will try whether Noah will believe me. Faith is tried as well by a threatening, as by a promise. Now Noah did believe that it should be as God said, and he acted accordingly. 3. God told Noah, that he might tell others; (as Abraham, Gen. xviii. 17, 19;) and no doubt he did tell others, and proclaim to the world the judgment that was coming. Noah is called a preacher of righteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 5. He preached by foretelling the flood, and calling people to repentance and reformation, as the only means to prevent the impending judg

ment.

14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

God gave Noah particular directions about the making of an ark, and told him what he must do when he had made it. The ark was to be a mov

R

able house, in which he and his were to be during the flood. It was for size like a house, for shape like a chest or coffer, for use like a ship,-to move upon the waters. The word tebath, translated ark, occurs only here and in Exod. ii. 3. God did not only bid Noah in general make such a thing, but gave him particular instructions how to make it. He must make it of gopher wood. What wood that is, I doubt not, Noah knew better than we do. Some fancy it to be pine, others box, some cedar, others cypress. The matter is not great. To be sure it was some wood fit for the purpose. He was to make rooms in the ark; Heb. nests. He must divide it unto several partitions, according to the several kinds of animals. He was to pitch it within and without; without, to secure it from the injuries of wind and water; and within, to sweeten it.

15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it

above and the door of the ark shalt

thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

The ark was to be three hundred cubits long; that is, a hundred and fifty yards; for this cubit is generally supposed to be the ordinary cubit-half a yard; fifty cubits broad, that is, twenty-five yards; and thirty cubits high, that is, fifteen yards. "The dimensions of the ark were such as that it would have contained four hundred and fifty thousand square cubits within the walls of it, if it had risen in an exact square to the top; but it sloped in the roof, like the roof of a house, till it came to be but a cubit broad, for which we should allow fifty thousand cubits of abatement; yet will the space be sufficient." -LIGHTFOOT. Orders were given to Noah to make a window in the ark, which was of great use, 1. To convey light. Without the window, the ark had been a dungeon. 2. By it Noah was enabled to see what desolations were made in the earth; to take a prospect of the dismal providence wherewith it was visited. But some think this window was so placed that Noah could not see any thing but heaven; that God would not set before his eyes such a sad spectacle. 'Twas enough that he himself was saved, though he did not see others drowned.

17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.

19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.

21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

When the ark was made, Noah and his family were to go into it, and to bring the creatures with them,