!t,&t of the affections and omotions of tho God did not hnto mnn, nnd a clenr proof thRt,, mind. Cf. Judges xvi. 15 (love); Prov. xxxi. though tho Divine purpose is immut&\Jlc, 11 (confidence) ; Prov. v. 12 (contempt) ; the Divine nature is not impassible. Ps. civ. l li (joy). Here "the feeling, or deep Ver. 7.-And the Lord ■ aid,-" Before mother heart, the state of soul, lying below weird (doom) there's word: Northern Pro- all, and givinR"mornl character to all (Lewis). verb" (Bonar)-1 will deatroy-literelly, Cf. the psychological division of Hob. iv. 12- bl,ot or wipe out by1oashi'Tl{7 (cf. Num. v. 23; was only evil continually. Literally, every 2 Kings xxi. 13 ; Prov. xxx. 20 ; Isa. xxv. day. " If this is not totnl depravity, how 8). "The idea of destroying by washing can language express it!" Though tho awny is peculinr!y appropriRte to the Delu~e, phrnse does not mean "from infancy," yet and the word 1s chosen on account of its "the general doctrine" (of man's total and signific.tnce" (Quarry)-man whom I have universal depravity) "is properly and con- created from the face of the earth. An sistently elicited hence" (Calvin). indirect refut.ation of the nugel hypothesis 'l er. 6. -Aud it !'epented the Lord. Yin- (Keil, Lange). If the angels were the real nah,em; from naham, to pant, to groan ; authors of the moral corruption of the race, Niph., to lament, to grieve becauso of the why arc they not sentenced as the serpent misery of others, also because of one's own • was in eh, iiL 14 i Both man, and beast, and actions; whence to repent (cf. German, /the creeping thing. Literally, ft·om man re11,en; English, ni,e: Gesenius) ; grieved him at his heart." " Verbum = "it ► unto beast, &c. The lower creatures were involved in the punishment of man neither nostr:e prontatz accommodatum" (Chry- because of nny moral corruption which had sostom) ; "non est perturbatio, sod judi- entered into them, nor as sharing in the cium, quo irrogntur prena ; " nnd again, atonement for human sins (Knobel); but "prenitudo Dei est mntandorum immnta.- rather on the ground of man's sovereignty bilis ratio" (Augustine). "Dens est immu- over the animal world, end its dependence tabilis; sed cum ii, qnos curat, mutantur, on him (Keil, Lant:e), and in exemplification rn ntat ipse res, prout iis expedit quos curat" of that great principle of Divine government (.Justin Martyr : Latin Version). " The re- by which the penal consequences of moral pcnt:mce here ascribed to God docs not pro- evil arc allowed to extend beyond the imme- perly belong to him, but has reference to our diate actor (cf. Rom. viii 20). For it understanding of him" (Calvin). "The re- repenteth me that I have made them. pentance of God does not presuppose any Ville supra on ver. 6. rnriableness in his nature or purposes" Keil). Ver. 8.-:ent Noah found grace. Hen; "A peculiarly strong anthropopathic expres- the same letters as in Noah, but reversed sion, which, however, presents the truth that (cf. eh. xviiL 3; xxxix. 4; 1 Kings xi. 19). God, in consistency with his immutability, The present is the first occurrence· of the assumes a changed position in respect to word in Scripture. "Now for the first time changed man" (Le.nge). Th&t he h&d made grace finds a tongue to express its name" man on the earth. I. e. that he had created (Murphy); end it clearly signifies the same man at all, and in particular that he had thing as in Rom. iv., v., Ephes. ii., Gal. settled him on the earth. .And it grieved ii, the gratuitous favour of God to sinful him at his heart. A touching indir.ation that men.
Hm.ULETICS. Vere. 1-8.-" 11te days tlwJ, were before the flood" (Matt. x.xiv. 38). I. SIN JNCilEASINCJ. 1. Licentwusness raging. The special form it assumed was that of sensuous gratification, leading to a violation of the law of marriage. In the seventh age Lamech the Cainite became a polygamist. By and by the sons of God, cap• tivated by the charms of beauty, cast aside the ~onds_ of self-restraint, and took t!iem wives of all whom they chose. (1) They roamed with ungodly women,-beautiful, perhaps talented and accomplished, like the Adahs, Naamahs, and Zillahs of the rnco of Cain but unbelieving and ungodly,-which, as the professing followers of Jehovah, t.J,ey should not hav_e done. Holy Scriptu~e forbids the u;1ion o~ believ_ers with unbelievers (2 Cor. v1. 14). (2) They m'.1me~ to please. theu fancies_, }eavmg a!to- gether out of reckoning, as necessary quahficat10ns m their partners, spmtual nffimty, iutellectual compatibility, and even general suitability, and fixing their eyes only on what charmed the senses, physical loveliness. (3) They married as many wives as they desired. Lamech, the first polygamist, was satisfied with two ; the degenerate sons of Seth, having yielded to self-indulgence, only limited their wives by the demanda Qf their passion. 2. Violence prevalling. Those who begin by breaking the laws of OH, VI. 1--8.] TllE BOOK OF GENESIS. 105