99 Jude says, that this same Enoch (the seventh from Adam) prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints f." The writer of Ecclesiasticus says, "Enoch pleased the Lord and was translated, being an example of repentance to all generations ; 66 upon the earth was no man created like Enoch; for he was taken from the earth "" Enoch, then, may be considered as a figure of Christ, whose advent he proclaimed, and who was also "taken up," and "carried up into heaven." Moses then relates the important history of Noah. The name Noah signifies rest or refreshment; it was, therefore, appropriately bestowed upon one who was expected to comfort mankind, and to redeem the world from the curse which GOD had denounced against the ground'. Christ giveth "rest to the people of GOD "," "the times of refreshing" come from His presence"; He came "to comfort all that mourn ";" He "hath redeemed us from the curse P." "Noah was a just man, perfect in his generation1;" he "walked with GOD," and found grace in His ! Jude, 14. 8 Ecclus. xliv. 16. h Ecclus. xlix. 14. i Acts, i. 9. * Luke, xxiv. 51. V. 4. m Hebr. iv. 8, 9. n Acts, iii. 19. Isaiah, Ixi. 1, 2. Mait. P Gal. iii. 13. u" sight 9. Noah," says the author of Ecclesiasticus," was found perfect and righteous; in the time of wrath he was taken in exchange." Christ," who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouths," was taken also in exchange "the just for the unjust." When God was about "to destroy all flesh by bringing " a a flood of waters upon the earth "," He directed Noah to prepare an ark", into which Noah entered, taking with him his family, and also "male and female" " of every living thing of all flesh," both clean and unclean'; so that, when "the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth "," "all in whose nostril was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died, and every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth; and Noah only remained, and they that were with him in the ark "." When Adam had brought himself and his posterity under the wrath of GOD, when destruction threatened all the sons of men, Christ esta 9 Gen. vi. 8, 9. • 1 Peter, ii. 22. × Gen. vii. 7. y Gen. vi. 19, 20; vii. 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, Gen. vii. 19. • Gen. vii. 22, 23. "into blished "the ark of his covenant b*,' which are admitted all the members of His family; persons" of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues d," those who were accounted unclean, as well as they who were accounted clean; Gentiles and Jews, "bond and free," "male and female." If Christ had not prepared His ark, "then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul." They who are admitted into Christ's ark, will pass in safety through the "deep waters;" for, though "the floods lift up their waves, the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea." The ark of Noah rested upon the In the vision of Peter', which represented the admission of the Gentiles into the Church of Christ, there were seen "four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air?," all of which were such as were accounted unclean; but GOD showed to Peter that He had cleansed them, and that they were no longer to be considered as unclean; whereby Peter understood, that he was no longer to consider any man as common or unclean. See SECT. II. Acts, xi. 5; x. 28. f Rom. iii. 22; x. 12. Gal. Gal. iii. 28. Colos. iii. 11. 2 Acts, xi. 6. h Psalm cxxiv. 4, 5. Psalm xciii. 3, 4. "The waters mountains of Ararat'; and it was predicted, that "the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills m ̧” bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth";" so also was the Son of man lifted up°. By faith, Noah, being warned of God, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith P;" for "the long-suffering of GOD waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,” and Noah preached" righteousness" to the people', but they were" disobedient " and " ungodly";" therefore they were condemned on account of their unbelief, while Noah and his family were saved through their "faith." So God sent his Son into the world, "that the world through him might be saved; he that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already." "The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentancet." If, like those who were "disobedient" and unbelieving in "the days of Noah," we reject "the evidence of things not seen"; " if the preaching "Christ crucified" is to us foolishness"; if we have not that "righteousness of GOD which is by faith of Jesus Christ;" we shall not be received into the ark of Christ's covenant. St. Peter informs us, that the preservation of Noah and his family in the ark, wherein "they were saved by water," was a figure of the salvation of mankind by the waters of baptism by the resurrection of Jesus Christ". Thus, then, it appears that the deluge, that awful catastrophe which involved in destruction the whole face of the earth, was, in all its several circumstances, made subservient to the illustration of the Christian covenant. As the ark of Noah rose triumphantly from the deep, rescuing from death all those who had entered into it, and establishing them in safety on the mountain; so Christ, who, "from the foundation of the world," hath prepared the ark of his everlasting covenant, hath risen also triumphantly from the deep', having triumphed over death and the grave, and hath ascended to his holy mountain". And all those that are admitted into this ark of Christ, shall be borne in safety through all the |