s (7 e.) Therime of ruine, as this word is uſed, Exek. 7. 2, 3,6: Amos 8: 2: #& (7:6: ) Men,as ver: 12: though the Beaits allo vere involved in the fame deſtruction. # (z.c.) Is approaching and at the very door,and ſhall as certainly come as if it were actual'y come. x (i:e ) In my purpoſe and decree: Howſoever vain men flatrer themſelves » ith hopes of longer impunity. & (7:e: ) By thei means ; fo thatthe Earth even groans under them. # ( ;:e: ) With the Fruits and Beauty, though not the Subſtance of the Earth. Or, From the Earth, as ver. 79, The Hebrew eh being oft put for mn or meeth, as Gn: 44. 4: Det. 34: 1. and ' 1 Kings8: 43. compared with 2 Chron. 6: 33. ; %
14 Make thee anark bof gopher-woed c : f rooms ſhalt thoumake in the ark, and jhalr pitch it within and without with pitch e.
RW
. - Is 3 agrees with the Ark, which in the Hebrew is of the feminine Gen- der, not with the Window, which is maſculine. 2. From the nature of the thing,the Ark requiring a roof,and that ſloping,that the Rain might ſlide off from it, and not ſink into ir; for which end the roof in the middle was to be higher than the Ark by a Cubit. And as
the other parts of the Ark were made with exquilite contrivance,
ſo doubtleſs this was not defeQtive therein. k Whereof the higheſt
ſtory for Men and Birds ; the ſecond for Provition for the brure' Creatures ; the loweſt for the Beaſts, under which was the ſink of the Ark, which moſt probably was made floping at the bottom,as
all Ships and Boats are, where Serpents and ſuch-iike Creatures
might be put, with their proper Proviſions. |
i7 And behold 1, even 1 /, do bring m a flood of waters upon the earth, to deſtroy all fleth », wherein
is the breath of Life, from under Heaven : and every
thing that is in the earth o ſhall dye.
{Which is thus emphatically repeated,to fignific that this flood did
not proceed from natural cauſes, but from the immediar hand and
judgment of God. m (z.e.) Will afſurcdly and ſpeedily bring.
1 ( 7.e. ) All Men,Birds and Beaſts. o This limitation is added to ſhew that the Fiſhes are not included in the threatned deſtruQtion, either becauſe they did n-t live in the ſame Element wherein Mcn
lived and finned ; or becauſe they were not ſo inſtrumental in Mens
1ns, as the Beaits might be ; or becauſe Man had a greater com- mand over the Beaſts than over the Fiſhes, and greater ſervice and benefit from them ; and therefore the deſtruction of the former was a greater and more proper puniſhment to Man than the latter.
13 But with thee will I eſtabliſh my Covenant p: and chou ſhalt come into the ark; thou; and thy ſons, and thy wife, and thy ſons wives with thee, x
p Either 1. My promiſe to preſerve thee and thine, both till the Flood and in it. notwithſtanding all the {coffs and threars of the wicked World againſt thee all the time of chy Preaching & Build- ing of the Ark. The wo:d Covenant being here underſtood,nort of a mutual compatt or agreement, but cf a ſingle and gracious promiſe, as 1t 1s alſo uſed, Nnmb.18.19:and 25. 12.and in other places. Which promiſe though only here mentioned, was doubtleſs made before, as may eaſily be gathered both fiom theſe. words, and ſome forego-
ap, VII.
U TE”) - ” > EASEEIECICS * " ES ON SY Y
'< _
. & $ F i
h A little Ship made in the form of an A1k or Cheſt, but. proba- bly ſloping at rhe bottom for conveniency of Navigation, as It was fo- another reaſon ſloping at the trop. c This word is but onceuled in Scriptu:e, and therefore it is diverily rendred by the Leained; by ſome Pine, by many Cedar, but by others Cyprejs, a Tree very p oper and uſual for Ships, and of a firm and durable Subſtance, and much abounding 1n thoſe parts ; all which appears from anci- ent Authors e Or rather, with ſome kind of Bitumen, of the ſame nature and uſe with pitch, to cement the parts of the Ark together, and to preſerve it from the Injuries of the Sun, and Water, and Worms ; but more odoriferous to correct the unpleaſant ſcent of ſome of the Creatures.
15 And this zs the faſhion which thou ſhalt make it of fz the length of the ark ſhell be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it ffry cubits,and the height of it thirty cubits g
f Or, This is the meaſure,. or the manner according to which thou fbalt make it. g Ajuſt and regular proportion, the length being 11x times more than the breadth, and ren rimes more than the height. Ther: is noneed to underſtand this of Geometrical cubirs, which are ſaid to have contained nine ordinary cubirs; nor of ſacred cubits, which were an hind> breadth longer than the ordinary, Exck. 43.13. Nor tro ſuppoſe the ftacure of men at th t time ro have been gene- raliy larger, and coniequently their cubir much Jongec. For the ordinary cuvic confiſting of a co:mmon foot and an half, is ſufficient for the containing of alt Kinds of living Creatures and their Pr: vitions, which was to be pur into the Ark, as hath been ar large demonſt: ated by Icarned Men. N-r is there any conſiderable dit- ficulry in the point, but what is made by the ignorance of Inh- del:,and aggravated by their malice againſt the holy Scriptures. E- ſpecially if theſe rhings be conſidered ; 1. Thar the differ ing kind Of Beaſts and Bids, which unlearned Men fancy to be innumerable,
are obſerved by the lea-ned, who have particula:ly ſearched inro them, and written of them,to be litrcle a-ove three hundred, where- of rhe far greir ſt part are bur ſmall; and many. of theſe whichnow are thought ro differ in kind, in their firſt original were but of one ſort, though now they be ſo greatly alrered in their Shape & Qua- lities; which mighr cafily ariſe-from the diverſity -f their Climate and Focd,and other Circumſtances, and from the p: omiſcuous Con- jun&ions of thoſe lawleſs Creatures. 2. That the brute C.catures, when they were encloſed in the Ark,where they were idle, & con- ſtantly. under a kind of hocrour and amazement, would be contenr- ed with far leſs Provitions and thoſe of another ſort than they were accutomed to, an1ſuch as mighr lye in leſs room, as Hay, and the fruits ofthe Earth. God a'fo,who altered their natures,and made the favage Creatures mild and gentle, might by the ſame powerful Pro- vidence moderar their Apperites, or if he pleaſed have encreaſed their Provition » hilt they did ear it, as afterwards Chriſt did by the Loaves. So vain and idle are the Cavils of wanton Wits,concerning