But, however terrible this judgment was, it was strictly just —
[The punishments inflicted by human governors, of ne- cessity, involve the innocent with the guilty : the children suffer through the misconduct of their parents ; yet no one on that account exclaims against the laws as unjust. Why then should that be deemed unjust in the government of God which is approved as just in the governments of men? But God, who is the giver of life, and by whom alone it is maintained, has a right to take it away at any time, and in any manner that he sees fit. Does any one arraign his providence, if numbers both of men and children are carried off by a pestilence, or overwhelmed in a storm? By what authority then do we prescribe limits to God, and say unto him, " Hitherto shalt thou go, and no further?" We might as well condemn the
' Thus it was with Saul, 1 Sam. xv. 25, 2G.
Governor of the Universe for inflicting disease and death upon one single infant, as arraign his justice for destroying many. The lives of all are forfeited: and whether he take them away after a longer or shorter period, or cut them off singly or at once, he is still the same; " a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." The Judge of all the earth will do right : and who are we that we should reply against him ? " Whoso reproveth God, let him answer it."]
Infer,
1. We are not at all the more safe for having many on our side —
[No doubt, the antediluvians fortified themselves against the warnings of Noah, by the consideration that they acted only like those around them. They probably replied, as many at this time do, ' If I perish, what must become of all the world? And, Is God so unmerciful as to destroy the whole world?' But the event shewed the folly of all such reason- ings : and we should learn from it to expect safety in no other way than in turning from all iniquity, and seeking refuge in Christ Jesus.]
2. There will certainly be a day of future retri- bution—
[From the judgment executed at the deluge it is manifest, that God will punish sin : but from the indiscriminate manner in which that punishment was inflicted, we may be assured, that there shall be a day in which justice shall be more equi- tably dispensed k, or, as it is called in Scripture, " a day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." Then shall every one receive according to his deeds, whether they be good or evil : " the wicked shall go away into everlasting punish- ment, but the righteous into life eternal." May God prepare us all for that great and solemn day!]
3. It becomes us all to grieve and mourn for our past sins —
[Have the sins of men caused God himself to " repent and be grieved at his heart" that ever he formed man; and should not our sins awaken sorrow and contrition in our hearts? O that we could but view them aright! O that we could mourn over them, as it becomes vis, and weep in dust and ashes! Surely if we go on impenitent in our sins, the day will come, when we shall repent that ever we were created; we shall wish that we had died in our mother's womb ; we shall find that " it would have been better for us if we had never been born."]
k 2 Pet. ii. 4, 5, 9.
15.]
NOAH S OBEDIENCE. ~;y