their beloved Abel, wherefore E while vice and profligacy or the appointed, "for," saidd, and every religious duty was me another seed instead ofeglect, the Almighty determined

The inspired historiad for their unrighteousness; but he line of Seth, from v. them one hundred and twenty years but few particularsnercifully observing, that they were but cept that some ofwever, they still continued incorrigible, arts and musically admonitions of * Noah were totally disother writers (od is emphatically said to have repented of they were a r of such impenitent creatures, and to have gardless of thir destruction, together with that of the beasts. gratification 0 and the fowls of the air. The Divine Juscount they wer, was sweetly tempered with mercy, and a thets of men, was made, by which the earth might be replescendants of in the threatened deluge should subside. appellation o'At the expiration of the hundred and twenty

Of Enos, rs which God had allotted for the probation geny of Seth, mortals, Noah was commanded to enter the record their res wife, his sons and his daughters-in-law, son of Jared, apin all kinds of beasts, birds and reptiles, emplary piety, that sevens, according to their respective with God, and, aftermpliance with the Divine injunction; and sixty-five years; he mankind treated the threatenings out experiencing the bitcontempt, and continued in a state trious character seems to ting and drinking, marrying and children, of whom Methuse the day that the flood came the age of nine hundred and si.ven to that memorable day B. C. Adam, having seen a nu.

3074. from his own loins, was at lengtrals, Noah retained his before "the king of terrors," whom himis Creator, wherethe Lord, and duced upon the earth by disobedience; and, h ingly, yielded up his soul into the hands of his after a life of nine hundred and thirty years.

sel, for the

Cre

Variou

living

and a vagabond in the

that every

ormed respecting the place of his *one that finde them can be established, for Thus, St. Jerome asserts,

ever, to obviate this dread of

vengea

declared that a seven-fold individual who attacked his life,

set a peculiar + mark upon him,

in the

as

cave of Mach

that he was embalmed ed in a cave, on the

such a circumstance. Hereupon Cainward called the of his nativity, and migrated into the primitive fathers where he founded a city which he calledjar that part of of his son, Enoch.

B. C.

e second Adam,

Shortly after this occurrence a a full, perfect, 3874. born, to console our first parents the sins of the

want of room,

n the righteous

* As the enemies of revelation, and of ouand zealously eagerly embrace every opportunity of pointing mily of Seth; Entradiction in the Sacred Writings, it seems e of the earth, serve in this place, that, though Moses has onl tories of Cain and Abel subsequent to the exp genitors from Eden, and previously to the birt!" a rapid increase of population was naturally at Cain, and maof the ante-diluvians, who began to have cially estranged the to leave off as late, in proportion, as men the performance generations which are successive with yht in a spirit of licenfore the flood, the number of persons, dignation of the Most earth, must certainly have answered ction of the old world by from other circumstances. So that sons of God," says Moses, on these principles, it will appear number of people in the worn that they were fair; and all which they chose." From † Many persons hay-riages issued a generation which History, that Caipen equally famous for their extraordinary nial to the nanpiety: these were called giants, and their him as thats, who may be reasonably supposed to have

nation.

Seped the wicked and tyrannical conduct of their fa

ers, are distinguished by the epithets mighty men and men of renown.

In this posture of affairs, while vice and profligacy were daily gaining ground, and every religious duty was rapidly sinking into neglect, the Almighty determined. to chastise mankind for their unrighteousness; but he graciously allotted them one hundred and twenty years for repentance, mercifully observing, that they were but flesh. As, however, they still continued incorrigible, and the friendly admonitions of * Noah were totally disregarded, God is emphatically said to have repented of the formation of such impenitent creatures, and to have decreed their destruction, together with that of the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the air. The Divine Justice, however, was sweetly tempered with mercy, and a reservation was made, by which the earth might be replenished when the threatened deluge should subside.

B. C.

At the expiration of the hundred and twenty 2348. years which God had allotted for the probation of rebellious mortals, Noah was commanded to enter the ark, with his wife, his sons and his daughters-in-law, taking with him all kinds of beasts, birds and reptiles, by pairs and by sevens, according to their respective natures, and in compliance with the Divine injunction; while the residue of mankind treated the threatenings of their Maker with contempt, and continued in a state of careless security, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that the flood came and destroyed them all; even to that memorable day

* Amidst this general corruption of morals, Noah retained his integrity, and persevered in the worship of his Creator, wherefore he and his family found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and received instruction to build an ark, or large vessel, for the preservation of his own race, and of every species of living creatures. See Genesis vi. 14.

#

when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, the windows of heaven were opened, and those over, whelming torrents began to fall, which continued forty days without abatement or intermission. The waters, thus brought upon the earth, from the heavens above and from the depths beneath, augmented gradually for the space of five months, when they rose to a considerable elevation above the tops of the highest mountains, and every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the earth, except Noah and they that were with him in the ark *.

The awful decree of Omnipotence being thus accomplished, a wind was caused to pass over the earth, in consequence of which the flood began to assuage, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat.

From this period, the waters subsided so rapidly, that, on the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the hills began to appear; and, toward the latter end of the ensuing month, Noah opened one of the windows in the ark, and let out a raven, which flew to and fro till the earth was dry, but brought him no satisfactory intelligence. He then sent forth a dove three times, intermitting seven

This vessel, supposed to have been built in. the form of an oblong square, with a flat bottom, and a sloping roof elevated one cubit in the middle, is said to have consisted of three stories, which were divided into apartments, and properly supplied with light and air, by means of windows. Its dimensions, allowing the Scripture cubit to contain 21,888 of our inches, were 547.2 English feet long; 91.2 broad, and 34.72 high. Though it had neither sails nor rudder, it was well adapted for lying steadily on the water, and conse➡ quently for preserving the lives of its numerous inhabitants.

days between each excursion. The first time she returned quickly, having found no resting place; the second time she remained abroad till evening, and then brought an olive leaf in her mouth, as a proof that the waters were greatly subsided; and the third time she returned no more.

On the first day of the first month, answering to the twenty-third of our October, Noah removed the covering of his ark, in order to take a view of the circumjacent scenery, and perceived that the earth was entirely cleared of the waters. He remained, however, on board the ark till the twenty-seventh day of the second month, or the eighteenth of December, when he came forth, by his Maker's direction, with his family and all that were with him, having continued, with his various. charge, under the especial protection of the Deity, for the space of one year and ten days, according to the antediluvian computation; or, according to the present, three hundred and sixty-five days.

Thus was desolation brought upon the earth by the wickedness and impenitence of mankind; and thus was the love of God manifested in the preservation of the only family, consisting of eight persons, which retained the profession and practice of religion in the midst of universal licentiousness,