if the whole earth was to be re-peopled, the rising generations must gradually enlarge their borders, with a view to occupy every quarter of the globe. But the builders of Babel thought that such a dispersion would deprive them of many comforts, and be attended with many inconveniences. As for the divine will, they were not much concerned about it : all they thought of was, their own ease and pleasure : and if obedience to God stood in competition with the gratification of their own wishes, they did not hesitate to sacrifice duty to inclination.
In this respect their example is very generally followed. God has prescribed a line of conduct to us which is difficult and self-denying. He requires us to sit loose to the vanities of this world, and to seek our rest and happiness above. This but ill suits our earthly and sensual dispositions. Hence we choose not to submit to such restraints : we think we are at liberty to please ourselves : we pronounce the commands of God to be unnecessarily strict and severe : we content ourselves with such a conformity to them as will consist with the indulgence of our own desires : and we prosecute our plans without any reference to His will, or any subjection to His control.
Look at the young, the gay, the worldly, the ambitious ; and say whether they be not all treading in the steps of these in- fatuated builders? Say whether they do not systematically shun a life of self-denial, and follow their own inclinations rather than the commands of God ?
How offensive such a life is to God we may collect from those declarations of the apostle, That " to be carnally-minded is death," and that " they who are in the flesh cannot please Godc."]
Since their purpose was directly opposite to God's decree, we shall not wonder at,
II. Their disappointment- God in this place, as also in several other places, speaks in the plural number ; " Let US go down d." By this form of expression he gave, it should seem, an early intimation of the mysterious doctrine of the Trinity, which was afterwards to be more clearly re- vealed. Moreover, speaking after the manner of men, he represents himself as coming down from heaven to inspect their work, and as feeling an apprehension, that, if he did not interrupt its progress, his own plans respecting the dispersion of mankind would be defeated. He then declares his determination to
c Rom. viii. 0, 8. d Gen. i. 2G. and iii. 22.