Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed. And Lamech lived after the birth of Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and had sons and daughters and all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy and seven years and he died.

And NOAH was five hundred years old: and Noah. had three sons, SHEM, HAM, and JAPHETH.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

The design of this section is to shew the regular de scent from Adam to Noah, with a view to preserve the genealogy of the promised seed.

The generations of Adam signify his children, grand children, and all who proceeded from him in the line of SETH, that son of his from whom the Redeemer of the world was to proceed. We find that the CREATOR called each of the first human pair by one common. name, Ana м, which signified MAN; it was the first man. that called his wife Woman, to denote that she belonged to mankind, and afterwards gave her the proper name of Eve, which has served to distinguish her from all other women. In the first verse of this section it is said, that God created man in his own Image, but it is said of Seth that he was in the likeness or Image of Adam : from which we may understand, that there was a great. alteration in human nature in consequence of the Fal. What is to be understood by the Image of Gon, has been already explained; this Divine Image was defaced by sin, Adam was a sinner, subject to pain, sorrow, and death his children being in his image, were just such creatures as himself, excepting that they were innocent of his particular offence, but they partook of the corruption of his nature..

We do not read that Adam and Eve were guilty of

any

1

any capital crimes after they left Paradise, and may therefore suppose, that the general tenour of their con duct was agreeable to the will of God, and that they educated their children in the principles of true reli gion. It pleased the LORD to spare Adam's life for a length of years; and in all probability Eve also lived to a good old age, but they must have felt severely the evils which their disobedience first brought into the world: however, as they still enjoyed the advantages of an immediate intercourse with the LORD Gon, it is reasonable to think, that they were comforted with hopes of enjoying, through his infinite mercy, that happiness in a future state, which they had lost in this.

It is said of Enoch that he walked with God. By this expression we may understand, that Enoch complied with all the commandments and ordinances of God. What these ordinances were we are not told, but from the foregoing chapter we are led to suppose, that they consisted partly in Sacrifices offered with Repentance, and Faith in God's mercy.

The Son of Sirach* tells us, that Enoch left to all generations an example of repentance, and the Apostle informs us that he was translated, or taken to heaven without dying, on account of his faith, and that before his translation he had this testimony, namely, that he pleased Godt.

Methuselah was the oldest man that ever lived. Longevity must have been a great blessing to mankind, while they lived good lives, and enjoyed healthy constitutions; but, according to the present state of the world, it would be an intolerable evil. Lamech, the father of Noah, pronounced a remarkable prophecy at the birth of his son-This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord. * Eccl.xliv. 16. † Heb. xi. 5.

hath

hath cursed.

From this prediction, it is supposed *, "That the curse upon the ground, pronounced at the Fall, subsisted in all its rigour to the days of Lamech ; that the work and toil necessary to raise from the ground a sufficient support for life, was a grievous and irksome burden; and that there was an expectation in his time, at least among those who had not quite forgotten GOD, of a deliverance from the curse of the Fall; of which deliverance Lamech understood his son Noah would be the instrument. We shall see, as we proceed, in what manner this prediction was completed.

The birth of Noah happened in the eleventh century after the fall.

We find from this section, that though men lived, in the first ages of the world, a great number of years, they all died at last, excepting Enoch, who was miraculously translated; yet we are not told of any parti cular crimes they committed, for which death was inficted as a punishment. The truth is, that they all died in consequence of Adam's sint. The condemnation of death had passed upon mankind before any of th sons of Adam were born. GOD concluded them all as sinners, before they came into the world, that they might all partake of Redemption ‡.

Since all mankind are born with a corrupt nature, in the image of their progenitor Adam, instead of the Image of God, we should learn to think humbly of our selves, and highly of the mercy and goodness of God, who has condescended to take such creatures as sinful men into covenant with himself: and we should ear nestly desire to be purified from the original corruption of our nature, and to have the Image of God renewed in our minds by Divine Grace §.

*See Bishop Sberlock on Prophecy.

+1: Cor. xv. 22..

Rom. xi, 32. Gal. iji. 22. § 2 Cor. 15, 16. Eph. iv. 22, 23, 24.

SECTION.

SECTION VL ·

THE GENEALOGY FROM CAIN.

From Genesis, Chap. iv.

AND Cain's wife bare ENOCH, and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch. And unto Enoch was born IRAD, and unto IRAD, MEHUJAEL, and unto MEHUJAEL, METHUSAEL, and unto METHUSAEL, LAMECH.

And LAMECH took unto him two wives: the name of the one was ADAH, and the nan:e of the other Zillah. And ADAH bare JABAL: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was JUBAL: he was the father of all such

as handle the harp and organ. And ZILLAH she also bare TUBAL CAIN, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of TUBAL-CAIN

[ocr errors]

NAAMAH.

was

And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice ; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged seven fold, truly Lamech seventy and seven fold.

[ocr errors]

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS. Lamech, the descendent of Cain, is supposed to have been the first man who had two wives: he is thought by some to have killed Cain but it rather appears, from the text, that he had slain another person, and was fearful GOD would inflict a greater punishment upon him than he had on the first murderer, because he had presumed to kill a man, notwithstanding he had seen the evil consequences which the perpetration of murder brought upon Cain.

There is great similarity of names in the descendants of Seth and Cain; we must therefore be careful not to confound one with the other.

It is remarked, that, in this genealogy, there is not one good person pointed out; but several of Cain's race became famous for useful and curious arts, which shews, that God does not confine this kind of knowledge to the best people; therefore, it is wrong for any person to value himself merely upon his skill in human arts and sciences; it is the proper application of talents, to the glory of GoD, and the good of man-kind, that can alone render any one truly estimable.

SECTION VII.

THE BUILDING OF NOAH'S ARK.

From Genesis, Chap. vi.

AND it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

That the Sons of GoD saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his day shall be an hundred and twenty years.

There were giants in the earth in those days, and also after that; the same became mighty men, which were of old men of renown.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and the whole imagination, purposes, and desires of his heart were only evil continually.

And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart.

And the Lord said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth; both man and beast 'and the creeping thing, and the fowl of the air, for it. repenteth me that I have made them..

Sce margin of the Bible.

But

« ZurückWeiter »