DIVINITY.

NOAH'S ARK:

A SERMON:

BY THE REV. GEORGE LEALE,

WESLEYAN MISSIONARY.

(TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH BY THE REV. THOMAS THOMPSON, M.A.) "And the Lord shut him in."-Genesis vii. 16.

My beloved hearers, the subject about to occupy our thoughts is a solemn and an affecting one. I desire to direct your attention to the universal deluge, and to the privilege which the Almighty vouchsafed to Noah and his family to be saved in the ark.

Of all the revolutions which our globe has undergone, one of the most certain and undeniable is the deluge. Everywhere we see proofs of this great event, (see Appendix,) of which the Bible alone gives us a minute detail, and also information with respect to the causes which produced it. One of these causes was the depravity of the human race. With the multiplication of men the corruption which had become inherent in our nature by the fall, had increased to such a point as to banish almost every vestige of religion and morals from among them. The earth had become corrupt. It was filled with violence. (Gen. vi. 11.) "The wickedness of man was great, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Verse 5.) Even the small number of those who had preserved the primitive faith, had not continued faithful. The sons of God, that is to say, the descendants of Seth,-who during a long time had guarded with care the traditions of religion, and the worship which was rendered to God in the garden of Paradise; who during an extended period had been distinguished by their religious principles from the mass of impiety which surrounded them,-united themselves to the families of the apostate and atheistical descendants of Cain, and abandoned their faith and their worship. At length religion which had hitherto existed, disappeared from society; depravity made rapid progress; and the moral degeneracy finished its triumphs by reigning in every heart.

God seeing, therefore, that the earth was filled with violence, repented that he had made man: (verse 6:) it grieved him at his heart. God repented that he had made man, and it grieved him at his heart; that is to say, the Almighty felt a just and holy indignation against sin, and against those who had committed it; for God cannot be said to repent literally, who himself is perfectly happy. He said, I will " destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven, and everything that is in the earth shall die." (Verse 17.) These words were addressed to the only man who had not participated in the general corruption; to Noah, whose prophetic name signifies repose:" the repose which God was about to give to the earth after the days of retribution. Noah found grace in the sight of the Most High. Wherefore found he grace? Because he was just with respect to

VOL. III.-FOURTH SERIES.

3 F

all his fellow-creatures, and perfect in his generation; not departing from the truth either in principle or practice; of a character irreproachable, upright, pious; he had, like Enoch, intimate communion with God. Therefore the Almighty was not willing to conceal from his servant Noah that which he designed to do: as at a later period he acted towards Abraham, when he willed to destroy the cities of the plain. "Shall I hide," said he, "from Abraham that thing which I do?" for "the secret of the Lord," (said David, in Psalm xxv. 14,) “is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant." God then commanded Noah to build an ark of gopher wood, and gave to him all the dimensions. (Appendix.) If the Lord had wished it, he could have saved Noah by the ministry of angels, or by some other method; but he willed that he should himself accomplish the means by which he should be saved.

We shall now proceed, by divine assistance, to examine three principal points, which appear to be contained in the text.

The Eternal shut Noah in the ark. Let us consider,

I. The ark as the means of salvation.

II. The privilege which was granted to Noah to be saved in the ark. III. The misery of those who found themselves out of the ark, when the door was shut.

Many persons have considered Noah's ark as a representation of the church militant; but such a view cannot be held to be correct, if we mean by the church a company of persons assembled in the name of the Lord for acts of worship. We are not able to say, with reference to such individuals, that salvation is in them, or in any other company of persons to which the title church may be applied. The church cannot, therefore, be held to be represented by the ark; but rather Jesus Christ, who is the true Ark of salvation.

Let us consider,

I. The ark as the means of salvation.

1. We see in the ark, as we also find in Christ, a divine origin. The ark in its proportions and measurements was constructed by the order of God: it was formed entirely after his views and designs. Christ our ark, who is the means of salvation procured for man, has taken, as such, his origin in God: this is not a human invention ; man had not thought of such a method; angels had not dreamed of it. It is God the Father who in the beginning was the author of our salvation; it is He who in his eternal counsel contrived this plan to save the human race. Who would have thought of such a scheme? When man had fallen from his state of innocence, God promised to him a deliverer by saying, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent. "God so loved the world," said Christ, “that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Men have wished to devise other means, and to put them in the place of this; but nothing has ever been able to replace the true means of salvation: none of these methods have their origin in God.

2. The ark was unique when the deluge came upon the earth; it was the only vessel which did not make shipwreck; in no other could any one be preserved; no other means were safe. There were neither planks nor oars which could be useful to any. Talent, strength, experience, all were useless. The highest mountains were the same as

the valleys. So Christ our means of salvation is unique. He said himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John xiv. 6.) "There is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts iv. 12.) He is the only city of refuge, the only Saviour. All other means on which men lean for salvation will deceive. It is only those who shall be found in Christ, who will be in safety when the deluge of wrath shall come; when God will be a consuming fire to those who are not found in Jesus Christ, our only Ark. The Passover was a commemoration of a deliverance from destruction, otherwise inevitable; it was the only method of safety instituted. There was no other to escape the angel of destruction. So the redemption which is in Christ Jesus is the only refuge, the only hope which is before us. It is the only method instituted by which we are able to escape that wrath, which will be the portion of all those who neglect the great salvation. How comes it to pass that only those who believe in Christ can be quickened? Wherefore is it, I ask you, dear hearers, that every other name than his, is without efficacy and without virtue to communicate the Holy Spirit, and all the other gifts of which Jesus Christ is the source? It is because He is the only means of salvation, our only plank of safety.

3. Unity was found in the ark. Profound peace reigned there among the human beings and the inferior creatures. The mild and the ferocious were subordinated to the care of the same shepherd. In Jesus Christ our Ark there is unity. Jesus said to his Father, "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." (John xvii. 23.) Unity exists therefore in Christianity. It is this which constitutes its beauty. St. Paul said to the Galatians, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. iii. 28.)

It is said of the first Christians that they were of one heart and of one soul. There is but one Christ, there is but one anointing. Without the head, the body is destitute of grace, and without unity it is not a body. "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine," said our Saviour, "no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

Jesus our Ark is the centre of unity. He who is one with Christ, as He is one with the Father, is able to say as Jehu to Jonadab, when he meets with a child of God, "Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? If it be, give me thine hand." When such a state of things exists, we are able to give the hand of brotherhood to a child of God, of whatever country or nation he may be, or to whatever denomination of Christians he may belong. Amongst those who are in Christ, the only Ark, there is a oneness of faith, a oneness of hope, and a oneness of charity. The Heathen said with reference to the first Christians, "See how they love one another!” The want of unity among those who are called Christians, is to be traced to the fact, that their hearts are not filled with the love of God. As rivulets, which, winding through a valley, pursuing different courses, become but one and the same river, when their waters swollen by showers of rain overflow and abound; so when the love of God fills the hearts of men, they are but one in Christ. A philosopher who was requested to define friendship replied, "It is one soul in two bodies." If it should

happen that amongst the children of God different opinions should be entertained, with reference to secondary points; it is but as it is with the vine-branches, which, though trained in various directions, are nevertheless attached to the same stock, and derive from it all their nourishment. In Christ our Ark there is unity.

4. Let us consider the durability of the ark. It subsisted during the deluge, and had then fulfilled the end of its destiny. Jesus our Ark is a durable means of safety. He is always before the face of God, where he intercedes for us. He offers to his Father the sacrifice of his body, the same body which he had upon the earth, the body in which his soul suffered such great agonies. His sacrifice has the same force and the same virtue which it had when, as elevated on the cross, he cried, "It is finished." The justice of God was satisfied, and salvation rendered available for guilty man. As long as there will be a sinner to save, so long will there be an Advocate before God, in order to intercede for that soul. Jesus our Ark is durable; all other means on which men rely for salvation, will last but for a few years at most. All those means which are invented by men become old with time: they are scaffoldings which fall with the least shock. It is not so with the way of salvation which we have in our Saviour. It does not wear out with age, as many have pretended to show. Jesus our Rock is not like their rock, themselves being judges. Our Saviour said to his Apostle, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The Saviour thus in effect declared to Peter, "The doctrines which thou hast announced, and which thou dost recognise by confessing that I am the Christ, the Son of the living God, are founded on me.' All the most powerful enemies, all the devils from the abyss, should it be permitted to them to come forth, would not be able to overturn this foundation. "Heaven and earth shall pass away," said our Saviour; "but my words shall not pass away." The angel who addressed Mary expressed himself thus in speaking of Christ, that he should "reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Isaiah informs us, in chapter liii. 10, "He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” The means of salvation which we have in Christ are therefore durable.

66

5. We now proceed, my brethren, to remind you of the visibility of the ark. Its majestic structure, and probably the elevated spot on which it was built, rendered it plainly visible. Considering the near approach of the judgment of God, it was apparent that it was the only desirable refuge; a refuge that the inevitable shipwreck of the universe rendered the more remarkable, and the protection of heaven so evidently miraculous. In Jesus Christ there is visibility. "He came unto his own," said St. John, "but his own received him not." "The Word," said the same Evangelist, was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father." Our divine Saviour was shown to men during a life of three-and-thirty years. By his miracles which he wrought in their presence, he gave them an opportunity of seeing that he was a powerful Saviour; and by his discourses he gave them proof of his divinity. The Jews themselves could not forbear to acknowledge that no man had ever spoken like him. "Come unto me," said he, "all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

"let him

"If any man thirst," cried he on the great day of the feast, come unto me and drink." Truly the means of salvation are visible on the cross. Men are able there to contemplate the Saviour as the only means of salvation, by which they are able to find eternal life. There cannot be any other; and this the penitent thief recognised, when, addressing the crucified Saviour, he said to him, "Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom."

After his resurrection our Saviour showed himself to his disciples during forty days. It was in their presence that he ascended to heaven, to stand at the right hand of God. He is now before the throne of his Father: it is there that St. John saw him as a Lamb newly slain; for his sacrifice has with God the same efficacy as it had on the day of his entrance into heaven: it is there that he pleads, not the innocence of man, but the merit of his own sufferings and his vicarious death.

The effects that the Holy Spirit produces on the world are visible in the conversion of sinners, and the edification and sanctification of the church. When contemplating this, we may adopt the language of Solomon in the Song of Songs, chapter vi. 10: "Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?"

Jesus Christ our Ark is the only means of salvation that a soul sorrowing on account of sin can discover, and which can impart repose and peace. That we may be able to discern an object in nature, it is necessary that the light shine upon that object, and that our corporeal eyes may be able to receive an image of it, by means of that light. So by the dispensation of the Gospel, the Day-spring from on high hath visited us. But it is necessary that we receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, that, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, we may be able to know the hope of our calling. We seeing it not by dreams, nor by our imagination, but with the eyes of our understanding. "Look unto me," said the Eternal," and be ye saved." (Isaiah xlv. 22.) John the Baptist said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world!" and St. Paul, writing to the Hebrews, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."

Thus in Jesus our Ark there is visibility.

Let us consider,

II. The privilege which was granted to Noah, to be shut up in the ark when the deluge came on the earth.

It is said in the text, that the Almighty shut Noah in the ark. In Genesis vii. 1, we read that He said to Noah, "Come thou, and all thy house, into the ark." He did not say, "Go thou and thy family into the ark;" but, "Come thou and thy family." That was equivalent to saying that God entered with him into the ark.

When our divine Saviour commanded his disciples to go into the ship, he also entered with them. I ask you, What would have become of the disciples on the tempestuous sea, if Jesus had not been with them in the vessel? The Almighty instructed Noah to take of all sorts of clean beasts, seven of each kind, male and female; and of unclean beasts, two. He was also told to take seven couples of clean beasts, in order that he might have a sufficient provision to offer to the Most High a sacrifice, when he should go out of the ark. God informed him