But one man found grace in the eyes of the Lord. This extraordinary person, was Noah, the son of Lamech. At the time of his birth, great expectations were formed concerning him, and his father, directed by the spirit of prophecy, bestows upon his son a xname significant of his future character and conduct; of the station he was to fill, and the purpose, which, in the order of Providence, he was to serve, when the world would arrive at such a pitch of irreligion and vice, that the earth would groan as it were under the curse, and under the violence and impiety of men.

It is declared of Noah, that he was a just man, and perfect in his generation; and Noah walked with God." Of no character do the Scriptures speak more highly. The apostle Peter styles him a preacher of righteousness. He stemmed the torrent of iniquity, resisted the contagion of example, and preached by a holy dissent from the maxims and practices of an adulterous and sinful generation.<

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He also testified against the prevailing dissoluteness and impiety, by his works, in the construction and fitting up of an ark: "By faith, Noah being warned of God, of things

x Comfort Rest.

not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Moses asserts that the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence, and all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

On taking a view of the different nations of the world at the present day, we may think that in not any of them are the inhabitants so generally depraved as the antediluvians appear to have been.. But we do not know of any people, who are not under some sort of government; for that is implied in the acknowledgment of a superior. And we have not any reason to conclude that this was the situation of mankind before the flood; but, on the contrary, as when there was no king in Israel, and no magistrate in the land to put them to shame in any thing, that every man did what was right in his own eyes. In this respect, how great are our advantages compared. with those of the antediluvians!

There had not been any preceding ages from which they might derive instruction ; but we are furnished with the experience of

nearly 6000 years; not only with the law which was given by Moses, but with the superior light of the gospel, discovering to us new duties and new relations. We are taught that it is not enough to refrain from committing adultery, but that we should not even indulge a lustful thought; that it is not sufficient merely to forgive injuries, but that we should love our enemies, bless them that curse us, and do good to them that despitefully use and intreat us, that we may be the children of our Father who is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the - unjust.

Incitements so sublime, and the superadded restraints of laws, founded on a just definition of natural and civil rights, place us in a highly favourable situation. But with these awful sanctions and superior privileges, if there be amongst us, persons, who bid defiance to all obligations, moral and divine, then the general depravity of the antediluvians, who had not these advantages, should not be so much an occasion of surprise and astonishment, as an inducement to us duly to appreciate the favoured condition of a well regulated society. "No man," says Judge Blackstone*,

x Commentaries, page 125.

"that considers for a moment, would wish to retain the absolute and uncontrolled power of doing whatsoever he pleased; the consequence of which would be, that every other man would also have the same power; and there could be no security to individuals in any of the enjoyments of life; therefore, political or civil liberty, which is that of a member of Society, is no other, than natural liberty so far restrained by human laws, and no further, as is necessary, and expedient for the general good of the public. Hence we may collect, that the law which restrains a man from doing mischief to his fellow citizens, though it diminishes the natural, increases the civil, liberty of mankind.

"And this species of legal obedience and conformity, is infinitely more desirable than that wild and savage liberty, which is sacrificed to obtain it." Experience then of the necessity of civil regulations first gave rise to laws. Until the inconvenience of being without any was felt, mankind would not be disposed to submit to restraint.

Judge Blackstone says: "When the Supreme Being formed the universe, and created matter out of nothing, He impressed certain principles upon that matter, from which it can never de

part; and without which, it would cease to be. When he put that matter in motion, He established certain laws of motion, to which all moveable bodies must conform. And to descend from the greatest operations to the smallest, when a workman forms a clock, or other piece of mechanism, he establishes, at his own pleasure, certain arbitrary laws for its direction; as that the hand shall describe a given space in a given time; to which law, so long as the work conforms, so long it continues in perfection, and answers the end of its formation. Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator; for he is entirely a dependant being. He depends absolutely upon his Maker for every thing, it is therefore necessary that in all points he should conform to his Maker's will."

The almost total corruption of the antediluvians, furnishes a sad example to all succeeding generations, of the terrible eensequences of an unbridled and uncontrouled indulgence of all the evil propensities of fallen nature. But it is important that even objects of detestation should be placed before the eyes of men, that depravity may be viewed in its own loathsomeness and deformity, to excite, if possible, aversion and disgust.