further off than before; every the precipice
moment he waited, his danger
increased. He made up his
mind the next time the rope
swung towards him, he would
spring forwards. He did so-
he seized it, and reached the
top in safety.

Now, that was just faith. Look at that man, standing on the ledge of that rock, he could not either get up or down; but there was still the rope, though it would soon be where it was impossible to reach it; as it was, he might miss it, but he must perish if he made no effort. There was but this one way, and he had faith to try it-he sprung forward, caught hold of the rope, and was saved. Now, look at sinners standing on the edge of

one slip and they are gone. They will not catch hold of the rope of mercy, that is swinging within their reach; yet it will soon be where they cannot reach it, and they must eternally perish. There are many that see their danger, but have not the courage of the poor man. They have not faith to believe. Had the man neglected to catch hold of the rope, he must have been lost.

Oh! sinner, delay not: there is still the rope: have faith: catch hold of it; venture your all on Christ, and you are saved.

"Believe in Him that died for thee,
And sure as He hath died,
Thy debt is paid, thy soul is free,
And thou art justified."

THE BIBLE CLASS.

NOAH AND THE DELUGE.

S. D.

Genesis v. 28 to 32; vi. 9 to 22; and the whole of the vii. viii. and ix. chapters; Isaiah liv. 9; Matt. xxiv. 37 to 39; Heb. xi. 7; 1 Peter iii. 19 and 20; Peter ii. 5.

A UNIVERSAL and universally destructive deluge is certainly one of the most appalling and tremendous facts recorded on the page of history. The event is not to be accounted for on merely natural principles. It must either be denied altogether, or admitted to be miraculous. Hence, sceptics of the present day laugh at the idea of a universal deluge, and reject the Scriptural history of the fact as altogether fabulous. But to the thoughtful and serious it is a matter of unspeakable satisfaction to know, that there are evidences afforded, sufficient to convince the unprejudiced mind, that in receiving this portion of sacred history, we are not following any cunningly devised fable. Besides the testimony of nature itself, there are traditions in every nation of an universal deluge of a great flood which destroyed all mankind except one family. These, however, are only auxiliary evidences. It is quite sufficient to those who receive the Bible as a revelation from Heaven, to know that the

Deluge is expressly referred to, not only by Moses, but in several other portions of Sacred Scripture, and that whatsoever was written aforetime, was written for our instruction and profit.

Noah, whose character and piety were so prominently brought out in connection with this awful catastrophe, was the son of Lamech. His birth is thus characteristically recorded-Gen. v. 28 and 29. "Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son, and he called his name Noah," which signifies Rest. His name appears to have been given to him with the expectation that he would become a more than ordinary blessing to his generation-for said Lamech, "this same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed." Lamech died about five years previous to the deluge, after having attained the advanced age of 777 years.

Of Noah's piety, the historian records that he was a "just" or upright "man ;" and "perfect"-not with a sinless perfection, but a perfection of sincerity-" in his generations." Dr. Boothroyd is disposed to think that, by generations, the historian must mean 66 events which occurred in his days, because no genealogy is given; and like Enoch "he walked with God." Not only was he upright and sincere, but truly devout. He acted with God, as one always under his eye, and it was his constant care to please him, and to approve himself to him. Such was the character of Noah's piety, and it was thus he lived and thus he acted, notwithstanding the events which occurred in his day, and the general corruption which prevailed. "It is easy to be religious," says Matthew Henry, "when religion is in fashion, but it is an evidence of strong faith and resolution to swim against a stream to Heaven, and to appear for God, when no one else appears for him." But thus did Noah live and act, and his singular and consistent piety is placed on record to his immortal honour.

The Apostle Peter, when referring to Noah, speaks of him as a preacher of righteousness, 2 Peter, ii. 5. The antedilu vians were warned-not only by his discourses, but also by his unblameable life, and by the building of the ark, in which he was employed 120 years-of the coming of the wrath of God; still all was unavailing. At length their cup of iniquity was full-their doom was sealed. The spirit of God insulted and grieved-was withdrawn from them. Mercy long slighted and contemned threw down the olive branch and retired. Justice fearlessly defied-came forth to the vacant seat of

Divine administration. The ark, designed as a refuge for the faithful Noah being completed, the favoured familyheaded by the venerable patriarch, and accompanied by a chosen number of all the diversified classes of the animal creation, entered into it-and the delayed judgment commenced. The windows of heaven were opened, and for forty days and forty nights the skies poured down one unabating torrent. The fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the sea bursting its embankments, deluged the plains and gained upon the highest hills. At length every elevated spot of land disappeared-every living thing was engulfed—and "From the centre to the streaming clouds,

A shoreless ocean tumbled round the globe." What an awful and impressive lesson the deluge ought to teach, as to the certain punishment which awaits the commission of sin! Upwards of a century, nearly an hundred and twenty years had elapsed since God revealed his intention to Noah to destroy all flesh; and in utter disregard of the warnings of the patriarch, they still revelled in sin and rebellion. But, though the deluge came slowly, it came surely, and though "hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished."

Amidst the general ruin-there was one object which alone remained untouched by the destroying angel-uninjured by storm from above, and the waves from beneath, and that was the ark. For forty days and forty nights the rains continued to descend with unabated force, and the waters rose some fifteen cubits above the highest mountains, and continued so for the space of 150 days, yet under these circumstances without pilot or sails-without help or human skill or assistance of any description-the ark majestically floated on the surface, and when the waters subsided, its inmates-securely sheltered within this merciful retreatwere landed safely upon Mount Ararat. How secure are they whom God himself watches over and preserves; they may be shut up in the chamber of affliction, or in the house of mourning, or in the confines of a vessel, as Noah and his family were shut up in the ark, and yet they can enjoy communion with God, and can feel perfect safety-sweetly whisperinglike the ships, by tempest be tossed On perilous deeps, but cannot be lost;

"We may,

Though Satan enrages the wind and the tide,
The promise engages, the Lord will provide."

In his epistle to the Hebrews, the apostle informs us, that it was by faith that Noah built the ark, and it is less difficult to see that he must have been influenced by this

principle, than that either Abel or Enoch was. Everything which Noah did in reference to the threatened deluge, was done simply through faith or belief of what God had previously made known to him. It was clearly not because Noah could show from the course of events, that things were tending to such a catastrophe, or because such an event had occurred before, rendering it possible that it might occur again. It was simply because God had informed him previously of his intentions, and he placed unwavering reliance on the truth of the Divine declaration. "Hence," says the Apostle, "being warned of God of things not seen as yet," being Divinely admonished, "moved with fear, he prepared an ark to the saving of his house."

In noticing the incidents connected with the subsiding of the flood, we are forcibly reminded of some of the occurrences of the Gospel dispensation. The wind for example, by the agency of which the waters were abated, calls to our recollection, the breath from the Lord, by which the dry bones were reanimated in Ezekiel's vision, and the holy vivifying influences of the Spirit in the work of Regeneration; "The wind bloweth were it listeth," &c.-John iii. 8. At the end of forty days, Noah sent forth a raven, which returned not again to the ark, but wandered to and fro, feasting upon the carcases as they floated upon the waters, fit emblem of the ungodly, who, having been brought up under religious restraints, at length obtain freedom, and eagerly wallow amidst the corruption and refuse of the world. And then the gentle dove, emblem at once of innocence, affection, and purity; how fitly does this resemble the genuine believer. He finds no home amid the wide waste of the world, no food for the soul, no rest; gladly, therefore, does he return to the Ark of the Gospel, and to the presence of his God, and as he enters the asylum of merey, he cries, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee."

On sending forth the dove a third time, we are told that it did not again return to the ark, and the feelings of the Patriarch may be better conceived than expressed, when, on venturing to remove the covering, he beheld, and lo! the "face of the ground was dry." In grateful acknowledgment Noah immediately prepared to present to God an acceptable burnt offering. "He builded an altar," it is said, and he "took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar." And the offering was significantly and graciously accepted. "The Lord smelled! a sweet savour, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake."

But this was not all. As a visible and perpetual demonstration of the Divine regard, God condescended to enter into a covenant with Noah, to the effect that the waters should no more be permitted to cover the earth to destroy mankind, and as the sign or pledge of this covenant, the rainbow was particularly adverted to. "This," says God "is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."

Noah lived after the Deluge 350 years, his whole life being 950. He died in the year 2006, leaving three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet, among whom, according to the common opinion, he divided the whole world, giving to Shem, Asia; to Ham, Africa; and to Japhet, Europe.

EXERCISES.

Who was the father of Noah?

Why did Lamech give this name to his son?
Was Lamech alive when the deluge`came?
What age was Lamech when he died?

Mention the characteristics of Noah's piety, as given by the historian?

Who is it that speaks of Noah as a preacher of righteousness? In what way did this preacher of righteousness warn the Antediluvians?

How long was the ark in building?

Give the dimensions of the ark, as related by the historian, the materials of which it was to be made, and the peculiarities of its construction?

[The Hebrew cubit, according to Bishop Cumberland, is 21 inches, others fix it at 18 inches. "Gopher wood" is usually understood to be the wood of the cypress tree.] How long did it continue to rain?

Does the historian give intimation of the deluge being effected by other means than the opening of " the windows of heaven?"

To what height did the waters rise?

What does the apostle, in the epistle to the Hebrews, say respecting Noah?

During the 150 days the waters remained on the earth, Noah sent forth a raven. Did the raven return to the ark? Can you specify any probable reason why it did not? He sent forth a dove also. Did this return?

What did Noah do, when on sending forth the Dove the third time, it returned not to the ark?