other covenant that God has ever entered into. Its peculiarity is visible,
1. In the parties with whom it was made —
[The covenant made with Adam, included him and his posterity. That with Abraham, extended only to him and his believing Seed. That with Moses, was limited to the Jewish nation. But the covenant with Noah comprehended the whole creation : it embraced the beasts of the field, as well as the human race : every living creature, not excepting the meanest reptile, was interested in it.]
2. In the blessings which it promised —
[All other covenants held forth spiritual and eternal bless- ings to those who were admitted into them. Even the Mosaic covenant, which dwelt so much upon the enjoyment of the pro- mised land, can by no means be considered as confining the pro- spects of the Jews to temporal happiness : for the presence of God amongst them was very distinctly promised them, together with the special manifestations of his love and favour: and the very land itself was regarded as typical of a better rest, which they were hereafter to receive. But the covenant made with Noah, promised only that the earth should not any more be destroyed by a flood. It engaged indeed that there should be a constant succession of the seasons till the end of time : but it gave no intimation whatever of spiritual mercies. Being made with the whole creation of beasts as well as men, it promised only such blessings as all the creation could partake of.]
3. In the seal with which it was confirmed —
[Every covenant has a seal affixed to it, as a pledge of its accomplishment. The Adamic covenant was confirmed by the tree of life; the Abrahamic, by circumcision; the Christian, by baptism. In each the seal was significant, either of duties un- dertaken, or of benefits conferred. But the seal that was chosen for the covenant with Noah, was very peculiar. It was the rain- bow. Whenever a rainbow appears, it is a sign that there is rain at that very moment descending on the earth ; (for a rain- bow is nothing more than the rays of the sun reflected from the drops that fall) : consequently, it is in itself rather a ground for apprehending that another deluge may come. Yet God was pleased to appoint that as a token and pledge, that he never will deluge the earth again : he has chosen that, I say, which is an intimation of our danger, to be his pledge for our security.]
Without insisting any longer on these subordinate matters, we proceed to notice,
II. Wherein it accords with the Christian covenant —
17.] god's covenant WITH NOAH. 87
There certainly are some striking features in this covenant, which, if not intended absolutely to typify the Christian covenant, are at least well calculated to draw our attention to it.
1. It was founded upon a sacrifice —
[This is particularly deserving of notice. As soon as Noah had come out from the ark, he built an altar, and offered sacri- fices upon it. These sacrifices were to God " an odour of a sweet smell : " yea, so acceptable were they to him, that he immediately " said in his heart, I will not curse the ground any more for man's sake3." Can we refrain from acknow- ledging the correspondence which this bears with the covenant of grace ? The hopes which God has been pleased to give us of deliverance from the curses of his law, are altogether founded on that great sacrifice which was once offered on the cross. The covenant indeed was made thousands of years before our blessed Saviour became incarnate : but he was, in the divine intention and purpose, " the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." From the moment he undertook our cause, he engaged to " make his soul an offering for sinb:" and it was on that ground that he was to have a people given to him for " a purchased possession0."