II. Another thing belonging to the same work, was God's wonderfully preserving that family of which the Redeemer was to proceed, when all the rest of the world was drowned. God's drowning the world, and saving Noah and his family, had both respect to this great work. The saving of Noah and his family belonged to it, in two respects: as from that family the Redeemer was to proceed, and that family was the church, the mystical body of Christ. The manner of saving those persons, when all the world besides was so overthrown, was very wonderful. It was a remarkable type of the redemption of Christ, of that redemption sealed by the baptism of water, and so spoken of in the New Testament, as 1 Pet. 3: 20, 21. “ Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptism, doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." That water which washed away the filth of the world, that cleared the world of wicked men, was a type of the blood of Christ, that takes away the sin of the world. That water which delivered Noah and his sons from their enemies, is a type of the blood that delivers God's church from their sins, their worst enemies. That water which was so abundant that it filled the world and reached above the tops of the highest mountains, was a type of that blood, which is sufficient for the whole world-suf ficient to bury the highest mountains of sin. The ark, that was the refuge and hiding-place of the church

in this time of storm and flood, was a type of Christ, the true hiding-place of the church from the storms and floods of God's wrath.

III. The next thing I observe is, the new grant of the earth God made to Noah and his family immediately after the flood, as founded on the covenant of grace. The sacrifice of Christ was represented by Noah's building an altar to the Lord, and offering a sacrifice of every clean beast, and every clean fowl. And we have an account of God's accepting this sacrifice and thereupon he blessed Noah, and established his covenant with him, and with his seed, promising to destroy the earth in like manner no more; signifying that it is by the sacrifice of Christ God's favor is obtained, and his people are in safety from destroying judgments, and have the blessing of the Lord. And God now, on occasion of this sacrifice that Noah offered, gives him and his posterity a new grant of the earth; a new power of dominion over the creatures, as founded on that sacrifice, and so on the covenant of grace. And thus it is to be regarded as a distinct grant from that grant of the earth which was made to Adam, Gen. 1: 28. " And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." That grant was not founded on the covenant of grace; for it was given to Adam while he was under the covenant of works, and therefore was rendered void when that covenant ceased. Hence it came to pass that the earth was taken away from mankind by the flood; for the first grant was forfeited, and God had never made

another after that, till after the flood. If the first covenant had not been broken, God never would have drowned the world, and so have taken it away from mankind; for then the first grant would have stood good. But that being broken, God, after a while, destroyed the earth, when the wickedness of man was great.

But after the flood, on Noah's offering a sacrifice that represented the sacrifice of Christ, God, in smell. ing a sweet savor, or accepting the sacrifice as it was a representation of the true sacrifice of Christ, which is a sweet savor indeed to God-gives Noah a new grant of the earth, founded on that covenant of grace which is by the sacrifice of Christ, with a promise annexed, that now the earth should no more be destroyed till the consummation of all things. Gen. 8:20-22. and chap. 9:1-7. The reason why such a promise, that God would no more destroy the earth, was added to this grant made to Noah, and not to that made to Adam, was that this was founded on the covenant of grace, of which Christ was the surety, and therefore could not be broken. And hence it comes to pass now, that though the wickedness of man has dreadfully raged, and the earth been filled with violence and wickedness, one age after another, and much more dreadful and aggravated wickedness, being against so much greater light and mercy, especially in these days of the Gospel: yet God's patience holds out: he does not destroy the earth: his mercy and forbearance abide according to his promise: and his grant established with Noah and his sons remains firm and good, being founded on the covenant of grace.

IV. On this God renews with Noah and his sons

the covenant of grace, Gen. 9:9, 10. "And I, behold I, establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you, and with every living creature

that is with you," &c.; which was the covenant of grace; of which even the brute creation have this benefit, that the earth shall never be destroyed again until the consummation of all things. By this expression in Scripture, my covenant, is commonly to be understood the covenant of grace. The manner of expression, "I will establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you," shows plainly that it was a covenant already in being, and that Noah would understand by that denomination the covenant of grace.

V. God's disappointing the design of building the city and tower of Babel belongs to the great work of redemption; for that was undertaken in opposition to this great building of God. Men's going about to build such a city and tower, was an effect of the corruption into which mankind were now fallen. This city and tower were set up in opposition to the city of God, as the god to whom they built it was their pride. Being sunk into a disposition to forsake the true God, the first idol they set up in his room was their own fame. And as this city and tower had their foundation in the pride and vanity of men, and the haughtiness of their minds, so it was built on a foundation exceedingly contrary to the nature of the kingdom of Christ, and his redeemed city, which has its foundation in humility.

God saw that it tended to frustrate the design of that great building which was founded in Christ's blood; and therefore the thing displeased the Lord, and he baffled and confounded the design; as God

will frustrate and confound all other designs, formed in opposition to the great work of redemption.

Isaiah, (chap. 2,) representing God setting up the kingdom of Christ in the world, foretells how, in order to it, he will bring down the haughtiness of men, and how the day of the Lord shall be on every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, &c. Christ's kingdom is established, by bringing down every high thing to make way for it. 2 Cor. 10: 4, 5. "For the weapons of our warfare are mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." What is done in a particular soul, to make way for the setting up of Christ's kingdom, is to destroy Babel in that soul.

They intended to have built Babel up to heaven. That building of which we speak shall reach to heaven indeed, the highest heavens, at the end of the world, when it shall be finished; and therefore God would not suffer the building of his enemies, in opposition to it, to prosper. If they had prospered in building that city and tower, it might have kept the world of wicked men, the enemies of the church, together, as was their design. They might have remained united in one vast, powerful city; and so have been too powerful for the city of God.

This Babel is the same with the city of Babylon; for Babylon in the original is Babel. But Babylon is always spoken of in Scripture as chiefly opposite to the city of God, as a powerful and terrible enemy, notwithstanding this great check put to the building of it in the beginning. But it probably would have been vastly more powerful, and able to vex, if not to destroy the church of God, if it had not been thus checked.