,,luther ,,on ,,sin ,,and ,,the ,,flood ,,commentary ,,on ,,genesis ,,by ,,john ,,nicholas ,,lenker1 ,d4,d4 ,,translator ,,of ,,luther',s ,,works ,,into ,,english2 ,,author ,,of ,,lutherans ,,in ,,all ,,lands ,,vol4 ,,ii ,,second ,,thousand ,the ,luther ,press ,,minneapolis1 ,,minn41 ,u4,s4,a4 #aiaj ,,dedication4 ,to all interested in studying the ,christian ,missionary problems of the last times of the modern world1 this volume is dedicated4 ,copyright1 #aiaj1 by ,j4 ,n4 ,,lenker4 ,,foreword4 ,the first volumes of the ,american ,luther we selected for publication were his best commentaries1 then eight volumes of his ,gospel and ,epistle sermons and one volume of his best catechetical writings4 ,these rich evangelical works introduced us to the real ,luther1 not the polemical1 but the ,gospel ,luther4 ,they contain the leaven of the faith1 life and spirit of ,protestantism4 ,we now return to his spiritual commentaries on the ,bible which are the foundation of all his writings4 ,the more one reads ,luther the greater he becomes as a student of the ,one ,book4 ,contents of ,this ,volume4 ,this1 the second volume of ,luther's great commentary on ,genesis1 appears now in ,english for the first time4 ,it covers chapters four to nine inclusive of ,genesis4 ,the subjects discussed are3 ,cain's murder1 his punishment1 ,cain's sons1 ,seth and his sons1 the wickedness of the old world1 the ark1 ,noah's obedience1 the universal destruction1 the salvation of ,noah's family1 his sacrifice1 his blessing1 the rainbow covenant1 ,noah's fall1 ,ham cursed and ,shem and ,japheth blessed4 ,these great themes are discussed by ,moses and ,luther4 ,they have vital relations to problems pertaining to the end of the modern world4 ,our hope and prayer are that ,god may use this volume to make the book of ,genesis and the whole ,old ,testament a greater spiritual blessing to the ,church and that it may serve the servants of ,god in these latter days in calling people to repentance1 faith and prayer like ,noah and ,luther did4 ,in his ,dear ,genesis ,luther proved that the free ,evangelical religion he taught was not new1 but as old as the first book of the ,bible1 and that it does not consist in outward forms1 organizations and pomp1 but in true faith in ,christ in our hearts and lives4 ,genesis contains the only historic records accessible of the first #bcfd years of the #djjd years before ,christ4 ,it is worthy of study in our day as it was in the days of the ,reformation4 ,acknowledgments4 ,luther advised no one should translate alone and he practiced what he taught4 ,we have followed his rule and example4 ,pastor ,c4 ,b4 ,gohdes of ,baltimore translated chapter six and ,president ,schaller of ,milwaukee ,theological ,seminary1 chapters five1 seven1 eight and nine4 ,inaccuracies may be due to the revision and editing1 and not to the translators1 for every good translation must be fluent and idiomatic1 to secure which is the most difficult task4 ,pastor ,gohdes also rendered valuable help in the final revision of parts4 ,the translation of the analyses is by the undersigned4 ,the few last pages of the first edition of volume one we revised and reprint in this volume in order to make the pages of each volume of our edition to correspond with the ,german and ,latin volumes of the ,erlangen edition4 ,the paragraphs are numbered and the analyses given according to the old ,walch edition4 ,luther and ,world-,evangelization4 ,in translating ,luther into practical ,english in practical ,america1 and in this age that is growing more and more practical1 we need to be reminded that this work is for practical use and purposes4 ,luther was radical along ,bible lines in applying the truth personally and to the world4 ,it is a year since the last volume of the ,american ,luther appeared4 ,the delay was caused by an effort to raise the work to a higher standard and by the publication of a book on ,the ,true ,place of ,germans and ,scandinavians in the ,evangelization of the ,world1 not a revision of1 but a new companion volume to ,lutherans ,in ,all ,lands that appeared seventeen years ago4 ,by comparing these two books one has the best evidence of the marvelous progress of ,god's ,kingdom in recent years1 and the growing world-significance of ,luther's evangelistic writings4 ,evangelization at home and abroad is the popular religious theme today in the ,german fatherland and in the whole ,protestant world4 ,the word world is becoming so common its full meaning is not appreciated4 ,when world-evangelization is discussed1 it is too often from the standpoint of the nation discussing it4 ,each nation is so active in its own work that it fails to appreciate what others are doing4 ,for example how little the world missionary conferences in ,english lands have to say of the ,german and ,scandinavian missions and the ,reformed ,churches of the ,lutheran work4 ,hence the fruits of ,luther's evangelical writings are underestimated by the ,english people4 ,it is opportune to translate not only ,luther but also the best fruits of those writings in various languages during the past #djj years1 especially since the memorable date of #aiag is soon to be celebrated by universal ,protestantism4 ,luther in all languages and ,lutherans in all lands go together4 ,we ought to consider most carefully the great ,reformer in his relation to the modern world and modern world-evangelization4 ,the known world in his day was not so large4 ,he had1 however1 a clear view of it all in his writings1 which is due to his faithful study of the ,scriptures4 ,the ,bible gave him a knowledge of the world1 including all lands and all times4 ,his commentary of eleven volumes on ,genesis illustrates this4 ,the first volume on ,genesis treats of the first part of the ancient world2 the second volume1 the one before us1 treats of the second part and end of the old world4 ,this ,luther would have us apply to the last times of the modern world4 ,luther ,educational and ,devotional4 ,here1 as everywhere in his catechisms1 sermons and commentaries1 ,luther is unique among religious authors in that he is both educational and devotional1 appealing equally to head and heart4 ,he is religiously helpful and intellectually profitable1 covering every phase of religious1 moral and social conditions1 and touching every interest of humanity4 ,his words went to the mark like bullets and left marks like bullets4 ,being beyond criticism they have a unique place to fill in the literature and libraries of the world4 ,although the cry1 ,read ,luther6 has been raised here in the new world the multitudes of the ,english people are not rushing for his writings1 as the ,germans did when they first appeared in the old world1 under conditions similar to what they are in ,america at present4 ,if asked what made the ,german people what they are1 the answer is1 these writings1 so universally circulated and read4 ,if the ,anglo-,saxons appreciated their educational and devotional value the #ce1jjj copies circulated the last seven years would easily1 as a professor suggested1 be increased to a hundred thousand copies4 ,nations ,helping ,nations4 ,the world-consciousness is growing1 so is the national consciousness4 ,both are characteristic of our times4 ,perhaps never did the national spirit develop as in recent years4 ,the great powers1 instead of dividing ,china1 witness the national spirit growing everywhere--in ,japan1 ,china1 ,india1 ,africa1 ,south ,america1 ,norway1 ,sweden1 as well as in ,germany1 ,england1 ,russia and the ,united ,states4 ,this is a good sign1 for the world-family is composed of nations1 and each nation has at least one talent not to be crushed1 but with which to serve all the others4 ,one serves the world when he serves his nation4 ,luther's words1 ,i live for my countrymen1 illustrates this4 ,it is not the nations that have the largest armies and navies that are the greatest blessing to the world1 but the nations that work out the best ,christian civilization for the world to imitate and send over the earth the best farmers to show other nations and tribes how to cultivate the earth1 the best teachers1 preachers and authors to train the people1 the best medical skill to relieve human suffering1 the best mechanics and servants1 the greatest philanthropists1 the best ,christians4 ,in educational1 industrial1 medical and charitable mission work the nations dominated by ,luther's writings stand high4 ,nations1 like individuals1 are the greatest which serve others best2 not the nations which have the most territory1 but nations which do the greatest service for the whole human family4 ,the students missionary movement develops men1 and the laymen's missionary movement raises money4 ,both are needed1 but men must be trained to do their work in the best way and the money be used to bring the best results4 ,hence nations should help and study one another most carefully with this in view4 ,luther and his writings in the evangelization of ,europe ought not to be overlooked in the evangelization of other continents4 ,by helping abroad the home does not suffer4 ,among ,american ,lutherans the ,norwegians prove this1 for they have done the most for the heathen and have the best home mission work4 ,transition and ,translation or ,transition and ,revolution4 ,while we are translating ,luther for all ,anglo-,saxons1 we do not overlook the fact that ,luther's disciples1 ,germans and ,scandinavians1 are themselves being translated1 or are in a state of transition4 ,the translation of a people and of their literature or spirit clearly presents a double problem1 both sides of which demand at once the most careful work4 ,the translation of both the people and their literature should run parallel and in the same1 and not in an opposite1 direction4 ,germans and ,scandinavians have always1 and do still1 make the fatal blunder of translating from ,english into their own languages1 instead of from their languages into ,english4 ,they thus cross one another's path never to meet again4 ,their children and grandchildren1 however1 find it easier to translate into ,english1 their mother tongue2 but1 alas1 they have little interest in doing it4 ,they make the mistake in thinking their old thoughts and classics are not needed in the new language4 ,their motto seems to be1 new literature for the new language1 when to the ,english public1 if not to themselves1 the old writings would be the newest4 ,it is marvelous how wide-awake preachers are mislead4 ,best ,literature is ,translations4 ,people who are prejudiced against translations1 forget that the ,bible and our best literature are translations of the classics of the world's leading languages4 ,translations should be welcomed by a people who themselves are in a state of translation1 especially if the translations are from their mother tongue into the language they are learning4 ,what endless friction and confusion would be avoided1 if people and their life and literature were translated at the same time4 ,as we have said1 a transition of a people without a translation of their literature is no transition1 but a revolution4 ,to this various church bodies witness4 ,during the transition of language the best literature for the children to read is the translations of the classics of the language of the parents4 ,there may be better literature1 but not for these particular children1 if the unity of the family life is to be perpetuated4 ,hence it becomes a vital concern that both children and parents understand that the best literature for them is such translations4 ,but where are the ,german or ,scandinavian teachers and preachers who are enthusing over putting this thought deep into the family life of their congregations4 ,a ,lesson from ,luther and ,wesley in ,america4 ,what unwisdom even to attempt to build up the ,lutheran ,christian life in free1 aggressive ,protestant ,anglo-,saxon civilization without ,luther's writings in good ,anglo-,saxon6 ,muhlenberg 7b4 #agaa2 d4 #aghg7 and ,wesley 7b4 #agjc2 d4 #agia7 came to ,america about the same time4 ,wesley returned home in #agch after a stay of two years in the south4 ,muhlenberg spent his ministerial life of #de years 7#agdb-aghg7 in ,america1 in the ,keystone state1 in and near ,philadelphia1 the metropolis of the new world4 ,when the two ,palatinate ,germans from ,limerick ,county1 ,ireland1 ,philip ,embury and ,barbara ,heck1 a lay-preacher and a godly woman1 held the first ,methodist service in ,america1 in #agff1 in ,new ,york ,city1 the ,lutheran faith had been planted here by the ,dutch since #afeg in the same city1 by the ,swedes on the ,delaware since #afci1 7,torkillus71 by the ,germans since #agjh 7,kocherthal72 ,muhlenberg had arrived in ,philadelphia in #agdb1 built churches the following year in ,philadelphia and ,the ,trappe1 and organized the ,synod of ,pennsylvania among its #fj1jjj ,lutherans in #agdh4 ,all these ,lutherans to some extent learned1 preached and confirmed in ,english4 ,muhlenberg was naturalized in #aged as a subject of ,great ,britain4 ,this and his stay in ,england gave an ,anglican turn to his ,german pietism4 ,when we became a free people in #aggf1 the ,methodists had only #bj preachers and #cdah members in ,america and less than #gf1jjj followers in ,europe from which to receive immigrant members1 while the ,lutherans were strong here and in ,europe4 ,today ,american ,methodists report #fj1gcg churches1 and the ,lutherans #ac1ecc4 ,why did ,wesley's followers become the dominating religious force in ,america8 ,not because ,wesley and his writings were greater than ,luther and his writings4 ,methodists did not bear ,wesley's name1 but they did have his spirit and writings4 ,even to the present day every ,methodist preacher must pass an examination in ,wesley's writings before ordination4 ,where were ,luther's spirit and writings among his early ,american followers8 ,language is no more a barrier to ,luther's spirit than to ,wesley's4 ,methodism forged its way from ,english into ,german1 ,norwegian1 ,danish and ,swedish and among ,indians1 ,mexicans and ,negros4 ,people1 regardless of language1 color or condition1 could not help but learn what real spiritual ,methodism is4 ,it was preached and sung in such simple1 plain ,anglo-,saxon1 and in good translations1 that it could not be misunderstood nor misrepresented4 ,wesley's simple evangelical message was abroad in the land in the hearts of the people4 ,but the evangelical voice of ,luther1 the prince of translators1 was hardly heard and even today the ,english world has no clear popular view of what spiritual ,evangelical ,lutheranism is4 ,often when they speak of it1 they seem to think it is the opposite of what it is4 ,germans1 ,scandinavians and all know the spiritual side of ,methodism1 but the ,english world does not know the spiritual side of ,lutheranism1 and it never will until ,luther's spiritual writings are translated into readable ,english and circulated broadcast over the land1 and the hearts of the people come into direct and close touch with the heart of the great ,reformer himself4 ,the ,english world knows the statistics1 the numerical strength of ,lutherans4 ,that needs no apology4 ,but what does need a defense among ,americans is the spirituality of the ,lutherans4 ,that is developed by the translations into the plainest vernacular of ,god's ,word and ,luther's evangelical sermons and commentaries4 ,these are the best literature for young ,germans and ,scandinavians4 ,although translations1 and not perfect1 they are the best for them4 ,the ,bible first2 ,luther's spiritual writings second1 not first nor third4 ,have not ,lutherans in ,america been following the disciples of ,luther instead of ,luther2 while ,methodists have followed ,wesley and not ,wesley's disciples4 ,the ,dutch1 ,swedish and ,german ,lutherans in the east1 all learned ,english4 ,we say it was a transition1 but was it not a revolution8 ,their history stands forth as beacon lights of warning to the polyglot ,lutherans migrating to the ends of earth and learning all languages4 ,they will no more keep up their faith with one language than the ,english nation will keep up their trade by refusing to learn other languages4 ,strange it is that nations can learn and use other languages in one line and not in another--the ,english in church work and not in trade2 the ,germans in trade1 but not in church work4 ,it is said there are #cj million people in the ,united ,states with some ,german blood in their veins4 ,two thirds of these1 or #bj millions1 may be said to have some ,lutheran mixture in their makeup1 but only one and a half million of these #bj millions are communicant members of ,english and ,german ,lutheran churches4 ,what people in ,america can show a worse religious record8 ,yet the tenders of the sheep and lambs are afraid to feed them in the only way they can be fed4 ,verily whatever you sow1 that shall you also reap4 ,lift up your eyes1 behold the harvest6 ,can you not discern the signs of the times8 ,it is no wonder that the ,united ,states ,census of #ahij1 the latest reliable statistics on the subject1 gave the number of ,lutheran communicants using only ,english in this ,english land at #aih1ijg2 ,general ,synod #adc1gfd2 ,united ,synod ,south #cg1deg2 ,general ,council #ad1big2 ,ohio ,synod #bhg2 ,missouri ,synod #a1aib--;after #aej years of work4 ,our good ,german and ,scandinavian parents1 in the light of these figures1 need not fear losing many members to purely ,english churches4 ,reading ,luther in ,german1 ,swedish1 ,norwegian and ,english will bring better results to old and young than if read only in one language4 ,the ,church of the ,reformation is not one-tongued1 but many-tongued4 ,english ,luther in ,german and ,scandinavian ,churches4 ,april #abth1 #aiaj1 became a memorable date in the ,north-west by the introduction of the ,scandinavian languages into all the high schools of ,minneapolis4 ,german and ,scandinavian taxpayers are gradually becoming more interested in having their children learn the language of their mothers in the public schools4 ,this will prove to be a great blessing to children and home1 society and state4 ,the ,church however will blunder1 if she thinks there will now be no need of circulating ,english literature in ,german and ,scandinavian congregations4 ,translating ,luther and teaching ,german and ,scandinavian are two ways of doing the same thing1 for language is not an end1 but a means to an end4 ,many young people are being confirmed in ,english and they often attend services in foreign languages4 ,many know more of the language than of the matter preached4 ,when weak in the language they understand better what is preached if they are familiar with the thought4 ,the reason many do not appreciate a sermon with the ,luther ring is because they are familiar with neither the language nor the thought4 ,hence the need of our young people becoming familiar with ,luther's sermons and commentaries in ,english4 ,one understands better in a strange language what he is familiar with4 ,this familiar knowledge would help to bridge the chasm between ,lutheran parents and children4 ,ask parents and they will tell about the ,old ,luther ,readers1 in their native land and tongue4 ,all admit that if the young people are not interested to read ,luther in ,english1 they will never read him4 ,all who do will the better understand sermons in ,german and ,scandinavian4 ,the universal reading of the ,english ,luther1 on the part of the young people1 will therefore help1 and not harm1 the ,german and ,scandinavian congregations4 ,luther's teachings thoroughly understood in a living way will bind the young to their ,christian convictions1 as much as the knowledge of a language binds them to that language4 ,the passive interest therefore1 on the part of ,german and ,scandinavian pastors and congregations in circulating the ,english ,luther1 as far as their young people are concerned1 should give way to active interest1 for the sake of their own work in the future4 ,it is important to learn your mother's language4 ,you may do that and forget her faith--,better retain the faith than the language4 ,j4 ,n4 ,lenker4 ,the ,fiftieth ,day 7,pentecost71 #aiaj4 ,minneapolis1 ,minn4 ,,commentary ,,on ,,genesis4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,iv4 ,,cain ,,murders ,,his ,,brother2 ,,called ,,to ,,account4 ,a4 ,,how ,,cain ,,murdered ,,his ,,brother4 #a4 ,what moved ,cain to commit murder #ajg4 #b4 ,cain's hypocritical actions in concealing his anger that he might the more easily commit the murder #ajh-aji4 99 ,cain the picture of all hypocrites #aaj-abi4 99 ,the attitude of hypocrites to their neighbors4 ,also1 how we are to view the efforts of the pope and bishops in behalf of peace and unity #aaa-aab4 99 ,against what people we should most guard #aab4 #c4 ,how ,cain listened to no warning in his thoughts of murder #aac4 99 ,complaint of the world's attitude to good admonition #aad4 99 ,the ways of the hypocrite4 ,also1 why falsehood wears a friendly aspect #aae4 #d4 ,whether ,cain's passion to murder ,abel was noticeable #aae4 #e4 ,cain took no notice of ,abel's sighing and praying #aaf4 99 ,the origin of man's cruel and tyrannical nature #aag4 ,b4 ,,how ,,cain ,,was ,,called ,,to ,,account1 ,,and ,,his ,,behavior4 #a4 ,who questioned ,cain1 and his defiant actions #aah4 #b4 ,cain accused himself most when he tried to clear himself #aai4 99 ,liars speak against themselves1 as is proved by examples #aai-abj4 #c4 ,cain's vindication more foolish than that of the first parents in paradise #aba4 99 ,st4 ,martin will absolve the devil if he repents #abb4 99 ,whoever excuses his sin follows the example of ,satan and makes his case worse #abc4 #d4 ,how ,cain heaps sin upon sin #abd4 #e4 ,cain despairs and is in a worse state than our first parents after their fall #abe4 #f4 ,how ,cain placed himself in a position where nothing could help him #abf4 #g4 ,gently accused1 and yet defiant #abg4 #h4 ,cain has not the least reverence for ,god or his father #abh4 99 ,this is a picture of all hypocrites #abi4 #i4 ,how his defense ends #acj4 99 ,how man ought to act when his conscience accuses him of sin #aca4 99 ,the hypocrite's actions when his conscience is awakened1 and what he is to do #acb-acc4 #aj4 ,in ,cain's defense wickedness and folly are mingled #acd4 99 ,how ,god reveals hypocrites #ace4 99 ,moses says much in few words #acf4 99 ,whether ,abel and our first parents anticipated ,cain's murder #acg4 99 ,without a thought of what might restrain him1 ,cain commits the deed #ach4 99 ,the picture of the sacrifice of ,iphigenia applied to ,moses' description of ,cain's murder #aci-adj4 99 ,cain's is no ordinary murder1 and how he differs from other murderers #ada4 99 ,the hypocrite's hatred is different from other hatred1 and is found among the ,jews and the ,papists #adb-adc4 99 ,cain the father of all murderers #add4 99 ,how the first parents felt over this whole affair #ade4 a4 ,their grief was so great that they could not have endured without special divine comfort #adf4 b4 ,their severe trial in view of the first sin #adg4 c4 ,very likely because of this murder they refrained so long from bearing children #adh4 99 ,whether the first parents had at the time more children than ,cain and ,abel #adh4 99 ,why ,cain slew ,abel1 and how he did it #adi4 #aa4 ,the time and occasion when ,cain was called to account #aej4 #ab4 ,adam with the authority of ,god calls ,cain to account #aeb4 ,,iv4 ,,how ,,cain ,,murdered ,,his ,,brother ,,and ,,was ,,required ,,to ,,give ,,an ,,account1 ,,and ,,how ,,he ,,conducted ,,himself4 ,a4 ,how ,cain ,murdered ,his ,brother4 ,v4 #h;a4 ,and ,cain told 7talked with7 ,abel his brother4 #ajg4 ,our translation adds that ,cain said3 ,let us go out doors4 ,but this is one of the comments of the rabbins1 whose relative claim to credit ,i have fully shown on a previous occasion4 ,lyra1 following the invention of ,eben ,ezra1 relates that ,cain told his brother how severely he had been rebuked of the ,lord4 ,but who would believe statements for which there is no authority in the ,scriptures8 ,we hold therefore to an explanation which has the warrant of the ,scriptures1 namely that ,cain1 finding himself rejected of ,god1 indulged his anger1 and added to his former sins contempt of his parents and of the ,word1 thinking within himself3 ,the promised seed of the woman belongs to me as the first-born4 ,but my brother1 ,abel1 that contemptible1 good-for-nothing fellow1 is evidently preferred to me by divine authority1 manifest in the fire consuming his sacrifice4 ,what shall ,i do1 therefore8 ,i will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of taking vengeance shall occur4 #ajh4 ,therefore the words1 ,cain told ,abel his brother1 ,i understand to mean that ,cain1 dissembling his anger1 conducted himself toward ,abel as a brother1 and spoke to him and conversed with him1 as if he bore with good nature the sentence pronounced upon him by ,god4 ,in this manner also ,saul simulated an attitude of kindness toward ,david4 ,i know well1 said ,saul1 that thou shalt surely be king1 #a ,sam #bd1 #bj2 and yet he was all the while planning to prevent this by killing ,david4 ,just so ,cain now conversed with ,abel his brother1 and said3 ,i see that thou art chosen of the ,lord2 ,i envy thee not this divine blessing1 etc4 ,this is just the manner of hypocrites4 ,they pretend friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents itself4 #aji4 ,that such is the true sense of the passage1 all the circumstances clearly show4 ,for if ,adam and ,eve could have gathered the least suspicion of the intended murder1 think you not that they would either have restrained ,cain or removed ,abel1 and placed the latter out of danger8 ,but as ,cain had altered his countenance and his deportment toward his brother1 and had talked with him in a brotherly manner1 they thought all was safe1 and the son bowed to and acquiesced in the admonition of his father4 ,the appearance deceived ,abel also1 who1 if he had feared anything like murder from his brother1 would doubtless have fled from him1 as ,jacob fled from ,esau when he feared his brother's wrath4 ,what1 therefore1 could possibly have come into the mind of ,jerome when he believed the rabbins1 who say ,cain was expostulating with his brother8 #aaj4 ,accordingly1 ,cain is the image and picture of all hypocrites and murderers1 who kill under the show of godliness4 ,cain1 possessed by ,satan1 hides his wrath1 waiting the opportunity to slay his brother ,abel2 meanwhile he converses with him1 as a brother beloved1 that he might the sooner lay his hands upon him unawares4 #aaa4 ,this passage1 therefore1 is intended for our instruction in the ways of murderers and hypocrites4 ,still ,cain talks in a brotherly manner with his brother1 and1 on the other hand1 ,abel still trusts ,cain as a brother should trust a brother2 and thus he is murdered1 and the pious parents meanwhile are deceived4 ,just so the pope and the bishops of our day talk and confer much concerning the peace and concord of the ,church4 ,but he is most assuredly deceived who does not understand that the exact opposite is planned4 ,for true is that word of the ,psalm1 ,the workers of iniquity speak peace with their neighbors1 but mischief is in their hearts1 ,ps #bh1 #c4 ,for it is the nature of hypocrites that they are good in appearance1 speak kindly to you1 pretend to be humble1 patient and charitable1 give alms1 etc42 and yet1 all the while they plan slaughter in their hearts4 #aab4 ,let us learn1 then1 to know a ,cain and especially to beware when he speaks kindly1 and as brother to brother4 ,for it is in this way that our adversaries1 the bishops and the pope1 talk with us in our day1 while they pretend a desire for concord1 and seek to bring about doctrinal harmony4 ,in reality1 if an opportunity of seizing us and executing their rage upon us should present itself1 you would soon hear them speak in a very different tone4 ,truly1 there is death in the pot1 #b ,kings #d1 #dj2 and under the best and sweetest words there lies concealed a deadly poison4 ,v4 #h;b4 ,and it came to pass1 when they were in the field1 that ,cain rose up against ,abel his brother1 and slew him4 #aac4 ,here you see the deceptive character of those alluring words4 ,cain had been admonished by his father with divine authority to guard against sin in the future1 and to expect pardon for that of the past4 ,but ,cain despises the twofold admonition1 and indulges his sin1 as all the wicked do4 ,for true is the saying of ,solomon1 ,when the wicked cometh1 there cometh also contempt1 and with ignominy cometh reproach1 ,prov #ah1 #c4 #aad4 ,our ministry at the present day deserves no blame4 ,we teach1 we exhort1 we entreat1 we rebuke1 we turn ourselves every way1 that we may recall the multitude from security to the fear of ,god4 ,but the world1 like an untamed beast1 still goes on and follows not the ,word1 but its own lusts1 which it tries to smooth over by a show of uprightness4 ,the prophets and the apostles stand before us as examples1 and our own experience is instructive1 also4 ,our adversaries1 so often warned and convicted1 know they are doing wrong1 and yet they do not lay aside their murderous hate4 #aae4 ,learn1 then1 what a hypocrite is2 namely1 one who lays claim to the worship of ,god and to charity1 and yet1 at the same time1 destroys the worship of ,god and slaughters his brother4 ,and all this semblance of good-will is only intended to bring about better opportunities of doing harm4 ,for1 if ,abel had foreseen the implacable wrath and the truly diabolical anger1 he would have saved himself by flight4 ,but as ,cain betrayed no such anger1 uttered a friendly greeting and manifested his usual courtesy1 ,abel perished before he felt any fear4 #aaf4 ,there is no doubt that ,abel1 when he saw his brother rising up against him1 entreated and implored him not to pollute himself with this awful sin4 ,however1 a mind beset by ,satan pays no regard to entreaties1 nor heeds uplifted hands1 but as a father's admonition had been disregarded1 so now the brother is spurned as he pleads upon his knees4 #aag4 ,light is cast here upon the bondage to ,satan by which our nature1 entangled in sins1 is oppressed4 ,hence ,paul's expression1 children of wrath1 ,eph #b1 #c1 and the declaration that such are taken captive by ,satan unto his will1 #b ,tim #b1 #bf4 ,for when we are mere men2 that is1 when we apprehend not the blessed seed by faith1 we are all like ,cain1 and nothing is wanting but an opportunity4 ,for nature1 destitute of the ,holy ,spirit1 is impelled by that same evil spirit which impelled wicked ,cain4 ,if1 however1 there were in any one those ample powers1 or that free will1 by which a man might defend himself against the assaults of ,satan1 these gifts would most assuredly have existed in ,cain1 to whom belonged the birthright and the promise of the blessed seed4 ,but in that very same condition are all men6 ,unless nature be helped by the ,spirit of ,god1 it cannot maintain itself4 ,why1 then1 do we absurdly boast of free-will8 ,now follows another remarkable passage4 ,b4 ,how ,cain ,had to ,give an ,account1 and ,his ,conduct4 ,v4 #i4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,cain1 ,where is ,abel thy brother8 ,and he said1 ,i know not3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 #aah4 ,good ,god6 into what depth of sin does our miserable nature fall when driven onward by the devil4 ,murder had been committed on a brother1 and perhaps murdered ,abel lay for days unburied4 ,thereupon1 as ,cain returned to his parents at the accustomed time1 and ,abel returned not with him1 the anxious parents asked him3 ,cain1 thou art here1 but where is ,abel8 ,thou hast returned home1 but ,abel has not returned4 ,the flock is without their shepherd4 ,tell us therefore1 where thy brother is4 ,upon this1 ,cain1 becoming abusive1 makes answer to his parents1 by no means with due reverence1 ,i know not3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 #aai4 ,but it happened to ,cain as to all the wicked1 that by excusing himself he accused himself1 according to the words of ,christ1 ,out of thine own mouth will ,i judge thee1 thou wicked servant1 ,luke #ai1 #bb4 ,also the heathen had a striking proverb among them1 ,a liar ought to have a good memory4 ,such was the judgment of heathen men1 though they knew nothing of the judgment of ,god and of conscience1 and had nothing to guide their judgment but their experience in civil affairs4 ,and true it is that liars run much risk of being discovered and unmasked4 ,hence the ,germans have the proverb1 ,a lie is a very fruitful thing4 ,for one lie begets seven other lies1 which become necessary to uphold the first lie4 ,and yet it is impossible1 after all1 to prevent conscience from arousing and betraying itself at times1 if not in words1 then in gestures4 ,this is proved by numberless examples4 ,i will cite only one example here3 #abj4 ,in ,thuringia there is a small town in the district of ,orla1 called ,neustadt4 ,in this town a harlot had murdered her infant1 to which she had secretly given birth1 and had thrown it1 after the murder1 into a neighboring fishpond4 ,accidentally the little piece of linen in which she had wrapped the infant1 brought the horrid deed to light4 ,the case was brought before the magistrate2 and as the simple men of the place knew no better means of investigating the crime1 they called all the young women of the town into the town hall and closely examined them1 one by one4 ,the face and the testimony of each one of these proclaimed her innocent4 ,but when they came to her who was the real perpetrator of the deed1 she did not wait for questions to be put to her1 but immediately declared aloud that she was not the guilty person4 ,the contrast she presented to the others in making such haste to defend herself1 confirmed the suspicion of the magistrates4 ,at once she was seized by the constables and put to death4 ,indeed1 instances are innumerable and of daily occurrence which show that people1 in their eagerness to defend themselves1 accuse themselves4 ,sin may1 indeed1 lie asleep1 but that word which we have just heard1 is true4 ,it lies at the door4 #aba4 ,just so in the present case4 ,cain thinks he has made an effectual excuse for himself by saying that he is not his brother's keeper4 ,but does he not confess by the very word brother which he takes upon his lips that he ought to be his keeper8 ,is not that equal to accusing himself1 and will not the fact that ,abel is nowhere in evidence arouse the suspicion in the minds of his parents that he has been murdered8 ,just so also ,adam excuses himself in paradise1 and lays all the blame on ,eve4 ,but this excuse of ,cain is far more stupid2 for while he excuses his sin he doubles it1 whereas the frank confession of sin finds mercy and appeases wrath4 #abb4 ,it is recorded in the history of ,st4 ,martin1 that when he absolved certain notorious sinners1 he was rebuked by ,satan for doing so4 ,st4 ,martin is said to have replied1 ,why1 ,i would absolve even thee1 if thou wouldst say from thy heart1 ,i repent of having sinned against the ,son of ,god1 and ,i pray for pardon4 ,but the devil never does this4 ,for he persists in committing sin and defending the same4 #abc4 ,all liars and hypocrites imitate ,cain their father1 by either denying their sin or excusing it4 ,hence they cannot find pardon for their sins4 ,and we see the same in domestic life4 ,by the defense of wrong-doing1 anger is increased4 ,for whenever the wife1 or the children1 or the servants1 have done wrong1 and deny or excuse their wrong-doing1 the father of the family is the more moved to wrath2 whereas1 on the other hand1 confession secures pardon or a lighter punishment4 ,but it is the nature of hypocrites to excuse and palliate their sin or to deny it altogether and under the show of religion1 to slay the innocent4 #abd4 ,but here let us survey the order in which sins follow each other and increase4 ,first of all ,cain sins by presumption and unbelief when1 priding himself on the privilege of his birthright1 he takes it for granted that he shall be accepted of ,god on the ground of his own merit4 ,upon this pride and self-glorification immediately follow envy and hatred of his brother1 whom he sees preferred to himself by an unmistakable sign from heaven4 ,upon this envy and hatred follow hypocrisy and lying4 ,though he designs to murder his brother1 he accosts him in a friendly manner and thereby throws him off his guard4 ,hypocrisy is followed by murder4 ,murder is followed by the excusing of his sin4 ,and the last stage is despair1 which is the fall from heaven to hell4 #abe4 ,although ,adam and ,eve in paradise did not deny their sin1 yet their confession was lukewarm1 and the sin was shifted from the one to the other4 ,adam laid it on ,eve1 and ,eve on the serpent4 ,but ,cain went even farther1 for he not only did not confess the murder he had committed1 but disclaimed responsibility for his brother4 ,and did not this at once prove his mind to be hostile against his brother8 ,therefore1 though ,adam and ,eve made only a half-hearted confession1 they had some claim to pardon1 and in consequence were punished with less severity4 ,but ,cain1 because he resolutely denied his sin1 was rejected1 and fell into despair4 ,and the same judgment awaits all the sons of ,cain1 popes1 cardinals1 and bishops1 who1 although they plan murder against us day and night1 say likewise1 ,i know not3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 #abf4 ,there was a common proverb of old1 ,what is it to the ,romans that the ,greeks die8 ,so we think that our dangers and calamities only belong to ourselves4 ,but how does this principle agree with the commandment of ,god8 ,for his will is that we should all live together1 and be to each other as brethren4 ,cain1 therefore1 by this very saying of his1 heavily accuses himself when he makes the excuse that the custody of his brother was no affair of his4 ,whereas1 if he had said to his father1 ,alas1 ,i have slain ,abel1 my brother4 ,i repent of the deed ,i have done4 ,return upon me what punishment thou wilt1 there might have been room for a remedy2 but as he denied his sin1 and1 contrary to the will of ,god1 disclaimed responsibility for his brother altogether1 there was no place left for mercy or favor4 #abg4 ,moreover1 ,moses took special pains in the preparation of this account1 that it might serve as a witness against all hypocrites1 and as a chronicle containing a graphic description of their character and of the ire to which they are aroused by ,satan against ,god1 his ,word and his ,church4 ,it was not enough for this murderer that he had killed his brother1 contrary to the command of ,god1 but he added the further sin that he became filled with indignation and rage when ,god inquired of him concerning his brother4 ,i say1 when ,god inquired of him1 because1 although it was ,adam who spoke these words to his son ,cain1 yet he spoke them by the authority of ,god and by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in view of so great a sin1 was it not quite gentle to inquire1 ,where is ,abel thy brother8 ,and yet1 to this word1 which contained nothing severe1 the hypocrite and murderer is ferocious and proud enough to reply1 ,i know not4 ,and he is indignant that he should be called to an account concerning the matter at all4 ,for the reply of ,cain is the language of one who resists and hates ,god4 #abh4 ,but to this sin ,cain adds one still worse4 ,justly under indictment for murder1 he presently becomes the accuser of ,god1 and expostulates with him3 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,he prefaces his reply with no such expression of reverence or honor as is due both to ,god and to his father4 ,he did not say1 ,lord1 ,i know not4 ,he did not say1 ,my ,father1 didst thou make me the keeper of my brother8 ,such expressions as these would have indicated a feeling of reverence toward ,god or toward his parent4 ,but he answers with pride as if he himself were the ,lord1 and plainly manifests that he felt indignation at being called to account by him who had the perfect right to do so4 #abi4 ,this is a true picture of all hypocrites4 ,living in manifest sins1 they grow insolent and proud1 aiming all the while to appear righteous4 ,they will not yield even to ,god himself and his ,word when upbraided by them4 ,nay1 they set themselves against ,god1 contend with him1 and excuse their sin4 ,thus ,david says1 that ,god is judged of men1 but that at length he clears and justifies himself1 and prevails1 ,ps #ea1 #d4 ,such is the insolence of the hypocrites ,moses has here endeavored to paint4 #acj4 ,but what success has ,cain with his attempt8 ,this1 that his powerful effort to excuse himself becomes a forcible self-accusation4 ,christ says1 ,out of thine own mouth will ,i judge thee1 thou wicked servant1 ,lk #ai1 #bb4 ,now1 this servant wished to appear without guilt1 saying3 ,i knew thee that thou art a hard man1 reaping where thou didst not sow2 and ,i was afraid1 and hid thy talent1 ,mt #be1 #bd-be4 ,could he have brought a stronger accusation against himself1 in view of the fact that ,christ immediately turns his words against him8 ,thereby ,christ evidences the wisdom of the ,holy ,spirit4 #aca4 ,such illustrations help us to learn not to contend with ,god4 ,on the contrary when you feel in your conscience that you are guilty1 take heed with all your soul that you strive neither with ,god nor with men by defending or excusing your sin4 ,rather do this3 ,when you see ,god point his spear at you1 flee not from him2 but1 on the contrary1 flee to him with a humble confession of your sin1 and with prayer for his pardon4 ,then ,god will draw back his spear and spare you4 ,but when1 by the denial and excuse of your sin1 you flee farther and farther from him1 ,god will pursue you at close range with still greater determination1 and bring you to bay4 ,nothing1 therefore1 is better or safer than to come with the confession of guilt4 ,thus it comes to pass that ,god's victory becomes our victory through him4 #acb4 ,but ,cain and hypocrites in general do not this4 ,god points his spear at them1 but they never humble themselves before him nor pray to him for pardon4 ,nay1 they rather point their spear at ,god1 just as ,cain did on this occasion4 ,cain does not say1 ,lord1 ,i confess ,i have killed my brother2 forgive me4 ,on the contrary1 though being the accused1 he himself accuses ,god by replying1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,and what did he effect with his pride8 ,his reply was certainly equal to the confession that he cared naught for the divine law1 which says1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself1 ,lev #ai1 #ah4 ,and again1 ,do not unto another that which you would not have another do unto you1 ,mt #g1 #ab4 ,this law was not first written in the ,decalog2 it was inscribed in the minds of all men4 ,cain acts directly against this law1 and shows that he not only cares nothing for it1 but absolutely despises it4 #acc4 ,in this manner1 ,cain represents a man who is not merely wicked1 but who occupies such a height of wickedness as to combine hypocrisy with bloodshed1 and yet is so eager to maintain the appearance of sanctity that he rather accuses ,god than concedes the justice of the accusation against himself4 ,and this is what all hypocrites do4 ,they blaspheme ,god and crucify his ,son1 and yet wish to appear righteous4 ,for after their sins of murder1 blasphemy and the like their whole aim is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the same4 ,but the result always is that they betray themselves and are condemned out of their own mouths4 #acd4 ,while ,cain makes an effort to clear himself1 he exhibits the foulest stains4 ,he thinks he made a most plausible excuse when he said1 ,am ,i my brother's keeper8 ,but this very excuse becomes his most shameful accusation4 ,the maxim of ,hilary1 that wickedness and stupidity always go hand in hand1 finds unvarying application4 ,if ,cain had been as wise as he was wicked1 he would have excused himself in quite a different manner4 ,now1 under the operation of the divine rule that wickedness and stupidity are running mates1 he becomes his own accuser4 ,the same principle operates in favor of the truth1 and makes her defense against all adversaries easy4 ,just as ,cain betrayed by word and mien his indifference and hate toward his brother1 so all adversaries of the truth betray their wickedness1 the one in this way1 the other in that4 #ace4 ,facts of importance and apt for instruction are1 therefore1 here set before us4 ,and their general import is that ,god does not permit hypocrites to remain hidden for any length of time1 but compels them to betray themselves just when they make shrewd efforts to hide their hypocrisy and crime4 #acf4 ,moses does not exhibit in his narrative the verbose diction characteristic of pagan literature1 where we often find one and the same argument embellished and polished by a variety of colors4 ,we find by experience that no human power of description can do justice to inward emotions4 ,in consequence1 verbosity1 as a rule1 comes short of expressing emotion4 ,moses employs the opposite method1 and clothes a great variety of arguments in scant phraseology4 #acg4 ,above the historian used the expression1 when they were in the field4 ,thereby ,moses indicates that the murderer ,cain had watched his opportunity to attack his brother when both were alone4 ,all the circumstances plainly show that ,abel was not idle at the time2 for he was in the field1 where he had to do the things his father committed to him4 ,from ,moses' statement we may infer that ,abel's parents felt absolutely no fear of danger4 ,for1 although at the outset they had feared that the wrath of ,cain would eventually break out into still greater sin1 ,cain1 by his gentleness and pretended affection1 prevented all suspicion of evil on the part of his parents4 ,for had there been the least trace of apprehension1 they certainly would not have permitted ,abel to go from their presence alone4 ,they would have sent his sisters with him as companions2 for he no doubt had some4 ,or his parents themselves would have prevented by their presence and authority the perpetration of so great a crime4 ,as already stated1 also the mind of ,abel was perfectly free from suspicion4 ,for1 had he suspected the least evil at the hand of his brother1 he would doubtless have sought safety by flight4 ,but after he had heard that ,cain bore the judgment of ,god with composure1 and did not envy the brother his honor1 he pursued his work in the field with a feeling of security4 #ach4 ,what orator could do justice to the scene which ,moses depicts in one word3 ,cain rose up against his brother8 ,many descriptions of cruelty are to be found on every hand1 but could any be painted as more atrocious and execrable than is the case here8 ,he rose up against his brother1 ,moses writes4 ,it is as if he had said1 ,cain rose up against ,abel1 the only brother he had1 with whom he had been brought up and with whom he had lived to that day4 ,but not only the relationship ,cain utterly forgot2 he forgot their common parents also4 ,the greatness of the grief he would cause his parents by such a grave crime1 never entered his mind4 ,he did not think that ,abel was a brother1 from whom he had never received any offense whatever4 ,for ,cain knew that the honor of having offered the more acceptable sacrifice1 proceeded not from any desire or ambition in ,abel1 but from ,god himself4 ,nor did ,cain consider that he1 who had hitherto stood in the highest favor with his parents1 would lose that favor altogether and would fall under their deepest displeasure as a result of his crime4 #aci4 ,it is recorded in history of an artist who painted the scene of ,iphigenia's sacrifice1 that when he had given to the countenance of each of the spectators present its appropriate expression of grief and pain1 he found himself unable to portray the vastness of the father's grief1 who was present also1 and hence painted his head draped4 #adj4 ,such is the method1 ,i think1 ,moses employs in this passage1 when he uses the verb yakam1 ,rose up against4 ,what tragical pictures would the eloquence of a ,cicero or a ,livy have drawn in an attempt to portray1 through the medium of their oratory1 the wrath of the one brother1 and the dread1 the cries1 the prayers1 the tears1 the uplifted hands1 and all the horrors of the other6 ,but not even in that way can justice be done to the subject4 ,moses1 therefore1 pursues the right course1 when he portrays1 by a mere outline1 things too great for utterance4 ,such brevity tends to enlist the reader's undivided attention to a subject which the vain adornment of many words disfigures and mars1 like paint applied to natural beauty4 #ada4 ,this is true also of the additional statement1 ,he slew him4 ,occasionally we see men start a quarrel and commit murder for a trivial cause1 but no such ordinary murder is described here4 ,murderers of this kind immediately afterward are filled with distress2 they grieve for the deeds they have done and acknowledge them to be delusions of the devil by which he blinded their minds4 ,cain felt no distress2 he expressed no grief1 but denied the deed he had done4 #adb4 ,this satanic and insatiable hatred in hypocrites is described by ,christ in the words1 ,when they kill you1 they will think that they do ,god service1 ,jn #af1 #b4 ,so the priests and the kings filled ,jerusalem with the blood of the prophets and gloried in what they did as a great achievement2 for they considered this as proof of their zeal for the ,law and the house of ,god4 #adc4 ,and the fury of popes and bishops in our day is just the same4 ,they are not satisfied with having excommunicated us again and again1 and with having shed our blood1 but they wish to blot out our memory from the land of the living1 according to the description in the ,psalm1 ,rase it1 rase it1 even to the foundation thereof1 ,ps #acg1 #g4 ,such hatred is not human but satanic4 ,for all human hatred becomes mellow in time2 at all events1 it will cease after it has avenged our injury and gratified its passion4 ,but the hatred of these ,pharisees assumes constantly larger dimensions1 especially since it is smoothed over by a show of piety4 #add4 ,cain1 therefore1 is the father of all those murderers who slaughter the saints1 and whose wrath knows no end so long as there remains one of them1 as is proved in the case of ,christ himself4 ,as for ,cain1 there is no doubt of his having hoped that by putting ,abel to death he should keep the honor of his birthright4 ,thus1 the ungodly always think that their cruelty will profit them in some way4 ,but when they find that their hope is vain they fall into despair4 #ade4 ,now1 when the fact of this shameful murder was made known to the parents1 what do we think must have been the sad scenes resulting8 ,what lamentations8 ,what sighs and groans8 ,but ,i dwell not on these things2 they are for the man with the gifts of eloquence and imagination to describe4 ,it was certainly a marvel that both parents were not struck lifeless with grief4 ,the calamity was rendered the greater by the fact that their first-born1 who had aroused so large hopes concerning himself1 was the perpetrator of this horrible murder4 #adf4 ,if1 therefore1 ,adam and ,eve had not been helped from above1 they could never have been equal to this disaster in their home2 for there is nothing like it in all the world4 ,adam and ,eve were without that consolation which we may have in sudden and unexpected calamities1 namely1 that like evils have befallen others and have not come upon us alone4 ,our first parents had only two sons1 though ,i believe that they had daughters also2 and therefore they lacked such instances of grief in the human family as we have before our eyes4 #adg4 ,who can doubt1 moreover1 that ,satan by this new species of temptation increased greatly the grief of our first parents8 ,they no doubt thought1 ,behold1 this is all our sin4 ,we1 in paradise1 wished to become like ,god2 but by our sin we have become like the devil4 ,this is the case also with our son4 ,we loved only this son1 and made everything of him6 ,our other son1 ,abel1 was righteous before us1 above this son2 but of his righteousness we made nothing6 ,this elder son we hoped would be he who should crush the serpent's head2 but behold1 he himself is crushed by the serpent6 ,nay1 he himself has become like the serpent1 for he is now a murderer4 ,and whence is this8 ,is it not because he was born of us1 and because we1 through our sin1 are what we are8 ,therefore it is to our flesh2 therefore it is to our sin1 that this calamity must be traced4 #adh4 ,it is very probable1 accordingly1 and the events of the series of years which followed strengthen this probability1 that the sorrowing parents1 shaken to the core by their calamity1 abstained for a long time from connubial intercourse4 ,for it appears that when ,cain committed this murder he was about thirty years of age4 ,during this period some daughters were born unto ,adam4 ,in view of the subsequent statements1 verse #ag1 that ,cain knew his wife1 he no doubt married a sister4 ,moreover1 since ,cain himself says in verse #ad1 ,it shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me1 and as it is further said in verse #ae1 ,the ,lord set a mark upon ,cain1 lest any finding him should kill him--it appears most probable from all these circumstances that ,adam had many children besides ,cain and ,abel1 but these two only are mentioned1 on account of their important and memorable history1 and because these two were their first and most remarkable children4 ,it is my full belief that the marriage of our first parents was most fruitful during the first thirty years of their union4 ,somewhere ,calmana and ,dibora are mentioned as daughters of ,adam1 but ,i know not whether the authors are worthy of credence4 ,inasmuch1 therefore1 as the birth of ,seth is recorded as having taken place a long time after this murder1 it seems to me very probable that the parents1 distressed beyond measure at this monstrous crime in the bosom of their family1 refrained for a long time from procreation4 ,while ,moses does not touch upon all these things1 he intimates enough to arouse in the reader a desire to dwell upon the noteworthy events which the absence of detailed information permits us to survey only from a distance4 #adi4 ,but ,i return to the text before us4 ,cain is an evil and wicked man1 and yet1 in the eyes of his parents1 he is a divine possession and gift4 ,abel1 on the contrary1 is in the eyes of his parents nothing2 but in the eyes of ,god he is truly a righteous man2 an appellation with which also ,christ honors him when he calls him righteous ,abel6 ,mt #bc1 #ce4 ,this divine judgment concerning ,abel1 ,cain could not endure1 and1 therefore1 he thought that by murder not only the hatred against his brother could be satisfied1 but also his birthright be retained4 ,but he was far from thinking that was sin2 as the first-born he thought he had exercised his right4 ,he killed ,abel1 not with a sword1 as ,i think1 but with a club or a stone1 for ,i hold that there were as yet no iron weapons4 #aej4 ,after the murder1 ,cain remained unconcerned1 for he thought the deed could be concealed by hiding the body1 which he buried1 or perhaps cast into a river1 thinking that thus it would surely remain undiscovered by his parents4 ,when ,abel1 however1 had been from home a longer time than had been his habit1 the ,holy ,spirit prompted ,adam to inquire of ,cain concerning ,abel1 saying1 ,where is ,abel thy brother8 ,the above-mentioned utterance of ,adam1 ,if not1 sin lieth at the door1 was a prophecy which now began to come true4 ,cain thought he had laid his sin to rest1 and all would thus remain hidden4 ,and true it was that his sin did lie at rest1 but it lay at rest at the door4 ,and who opens the door8 ,none other than the ,lord himself6 ,he arouses the sleeping sin6 ,he brings the hidden sin to light6 #aea4 ,the same thing must come to pass with all sinners4 ,for1 unless by repentance you first come to ,god1 and yourself confess your sin to ,god1 ,god will surely come to you1 to disclose your sin4 ,for ,god cannot endure that any one should deny his sin4 ,to this fact the psalmist testifies3 ,when ,i kept silence1 my bones wasted away through my roaring all the day long4 ,for day and night thy hand was heavy upon me2 my moisture was changed as with the drouth of summer4 ,ps #cb1 #c-d4 ,for1 although sin has its sleep and its security1 yet that sleep is at the door2 it cannot long last1 and the sin cannot remain hidden4 #aeb4 ,when ,moses introduces ,jehovah as speaking1 ,i understand him to mean1 as above1 that it was ,adam who spoke by the ,holy ,spirit in the place of ,god1 whom he represented in his relation as father4 ,the expression of the ,holy ,spirit1 therefore1 is intended to set forth the high authority of parents2 when children dutifully hear and obey these1 they hear and obey ,god4 ,and ,i believe ,adam knew by the revelation of the ,holy ,spirit that ,abel had been slain by his brother2 for his words intimate the commission of murder at a time when ,cain still dissembled as to what he had done4 ,v4 ,,cain ,,punished ,,for ,,his ,,murder4 ,a4 ,,cain',s ,,punishment ,,in ,,general4 #a4 ,by whom and how he is punished #aec4 #b4 ,why he was not put to death #aec4 99 ,the double grief of the first parents #aed4 99 ,what was ,adam's church and altar #aee4 #c4 ,how ,cain was excommunicated #aef4 99 ,god's inquiry about ,abel's blood4 a4 ,how unbelievers refer to it #aeg4 b4 ,how a theologian should use it #aeh4 c4 ,it is a great and important matter #aei4 99 ,how ,abel's death is to be viewed #aei4 d4 ,why ,god does not inquire after the blood of beasts #afj-afa4 e4 ,whether this inquiry was from ,god direct or made through ,adam #afb-afc4 f4 ,how ,cain felt upon this inquiry #afd4 99 ,the result of sin to murderers and other sinners #afe-aff4 99 ,an evil conscience the result of evil-doing #aff4 g4 ,how to understand the statement that ,abel's blood crieth to heaven #afg4 99 ,how ,god's children are to comfort themselves when the world oppresses them and seemingly ,god refuses to help #afh-aga4 h4 ,this inquiry is a sign of ,god's care for ,abel #afi4 99 ,the blood of many ,evangelical martyrs cry to the ,papists #agj4 99 ,how ,god opportunely judges the afflictions of believers #aga4 99 ,why ,god's vengeance does not immediately follow #agb4 i4 ,the time this inquiry occurred #agc4 99 ,god indeed has regard for the sufferings and tears of his children #agd4 99 ,how sinners can meet the judgments of ,god #agd4 #d4 ,the miserable life ,cain must have led after his punishment #age4 ,b4 ,,cain',s ,,punishment ,,in ,,detail4 #a4 ,the ,church suffered4 a4 ,how ,cain's punishment and curse differed from ,adam's #agf-agh4 b4 ,why ,cain's person was cursed #agh-agi4 99 ,the more ,cain desired honor1 the less he received #ahj4 99 ,the beginning of both churches1 the true and the false #aha4 99 ,cain's whole posterity perished in sin #aha4 c4 ,how his curse and punishment were lightened #ahb4 99 ,whether any of ,cain's posterity were saved1 and holy #ahb4 99 ,the way the heathen had part in the promise #ahb-ahe4 99 ,the way ,cain withheld his children from the true ,church #ahe4 #b4 ,the ,home suffered4 a4 ,how this curse affected the earth #ahf-ahg4 b4 ,why ,adam used such severe words in this curse #ahf4 c4 ,how it caused the earth to be less fruitful #ahg4 99 ,the difference between ,arez and ,adama #ahh4 #c4 ,the ,state suffered4 99 ,what ,no and ,nod mean1 and how they differ #ahi-aij4 99 ,cain's sin punished in three ways and in each the sin was mitigated #aia-aic4 99 ,cain a fugitive and a wanderer4 a4 ,this refers chiefly to the true ,church1 as is illustrated by many examples of the saints #aid-aie4 b4 ,it refers less to the false #aid-aie4 c4 ,many take offense at this #aif4 ,v4 ,,how ,,cain ,,was ,,punished ,,for ,,his ,,murder4 ,a4 ,cain's ,punishment in ,general4 #aec4 ,if ,eve overheard these words1 what think you must have been the state of her mind6 ,her grief must have been beyond all description4 ,but the calamity was brought home to ,adam with even greater force4 ,as he was the father1 it fell to him to rebuke his son and to excommunicate him for his sin4 ,since1 according to the ninth chapter1 the law concerning the death-penalty for murderers was not promulgated until afterward when the patriarchs beheld murder becoming alarmingly frequent1 ,adam did not put ,cain to death1 but safeguarded his life in obedience to the prompting and direction of the ,holy ,spirit2 still1 it is a fact not to be gainsaid that the punishment ordained for him and all his posterity was anything but light4 ,for in addition to that curse upon his body he suffered excommunication from his family1 separation from the sight of his parents and from the society of his brothers and sisters1 who remained with their parents1 or in the fellowship of the ,church4 #aed4 ,now1 ,adam could not have done all this1 nor could ,eve have heard it without indescribable anguish4 ,for a father is a father1 and a son is a son4 ,gladly would ,adam have spared his son and retained him at home1 as we now sometimes see murderers become reconciled to the brothers of their victims4 ,but in this case no place was left for reconciliation4 ,cain is bidden at once to be a fugitive upon the face of the earth4 ,the pain of the parents was doubled in consequence4 ,they see one of their sons slain1 and the other excommunicated by the judgment of ,god and cut off forever from the fellowship of his brethren4 #aee4 ,moreover1 when we here speak of excommunication from the ,church1 it stands to reason that not our houses of worship1 built in magnificent style and ample proportions out of hewn stone1 are meant4 ,the sanctuary1 or church1 of ,adam was a certain tree1 or a certain little hill under the open heaven1 where they assembled to hear the ,word of ,god and to offer their sacrifices1 for which purpose they had erected altars4 ,and when they offered their sacrifices and heard the ,word1 ,god was present1 as we see from the experience of ,abel4 ,also elsewhere in the sacred story1 mention is made of such altars under the open heaven1 and of sacrifices made upon them4 ,and1 if we should come together at this day under the open sky to bend our knees1 to preach1 to give thanks1 and to bless each other1 a custom would be inaugurated altogether beneficial4 #aef4 ,it was from a temple of this kind and from such a church1 not a conspicuous and magnificent church at a particular place1 that ,cain was cast out4 ,he was thus doubly punished2 first1 by a corporal penalty1 because the earth was accursed to him1 and secondly1 by a spiritual penalty1 because by excommunication1 he was cast out from the temple and the church of ,god as from another paradise4 #aeg4 ,lawyers also have drawn upon this passage1 and quite properly brought out the fact that ,jehovah first investigated the matter and then passed sentence4 ,their application is1 that no one should be pronounced guilty until his case has been tried2 until he has been called to the bar1 proved guilty and convicted4 ,this1 according to a previous statement1 was also done with ,adam3 ,the ,lord ,god called unto ,adam1 and said unto him4 ,where art thou8 ,gen #c1 #i4 ,and further on3 ,i will go down now1 and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it1 which is come unto me2 and if not1 ,i will know1 ,gen #aa1 #e2 #ah1 #ba4 #aeh4 ,however1 dismissing the matter in its bearings upon public life1 let us view its more attractive theological features4 ,the element of doctrine and of hope is found in the fact that ,jehovah inquires concerning the dead ,abel4 ,clearly there is pointed out to us here the truth of the resurrection of the dead4 ,god declared himself to be the ,god of ,abel1 although now dead1 and he inquired for the dead1 for ,abel4 ,upon this passage we may establish the incontrovertible principle that1 if there were no one to care for us after this life1 ,abel would not have been inquired for after he was slain4 ,but ,god inquires after ,abel1 even when he had been taken from this life2 he has no desire to forget him2 he retains the remembrance of him2 he asks3 ,where is he8 ,god1 therefore1 we see1 is the ,god of the dead4 ,my meaning is that even the dead1 as we here see1 still live in the memory of ,god1 and have a ,god who cares for them1 and saves them in another life beyond and different from this corporal life in which saints suffer affliction4 #aei4 ,this passage1 therefore1 is most worthy of our attention4 ,we see that ,god cared for ,abel1 even when dead2 and that on account of the dead ,abel1 he excommunicated ,cain1 and visited him1 the living1 with destruction in spite of his being the first-born4 ,a towering fact this1 that ,abel1 though dead1 was living and canonized in another life more effectually and truly than those whom the pope ever canonized6 ,the death of ,abel was indeed horrible2 he did not suffer death without excruciating torment nor without many tears4 ,yet it was a blessed death1 for now he lives a more blessed life than he did before4 ,this bodily life of ours is lived in sin1 and is ever in danger of death4 ,but that other life is eternal and perfectly free from trials and troubles1 both of the body and of the soul4 #afj4 ,no6 ,god inquires not after the sheep and the oxen that are slain1 but he does inquire after the men who are slain4 ,accordingly men possess the hope of a resurrection4 ,they have a ,god who brings them back from the death of the body unto eternal life1 a ,god who inquires after their blood as a most precious thing4 ,the ,psalmist says3 ,precious in the sight of ,jehovah is the death of his saints1 ,ps #aaf1 #ae4 #afa4 ,this is the glory of the human race1 obtained for it by the seed of the woman which bruised the serpent's head4 ,the case of ,abel is the first instance of such promise made to ,adam and ,eve1 and ,god showed by the same that the serpent did not harm ,abel1 although it caused his murder4 ,this was indeed an instance of the serpent's bruising the heel of the woman's seed4 ,but in the very attempt to bite1 its own head was crushed4 ,for ,god1 in answer to ,abel's faith in the promised seed1 required the blood of the dead1 and proved himself thereby to be his ,god still4 ,this is all proved by what follows4 ,v4 #aj4 ,and he said1 ,what hast thou done8 ,the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground4 #afb4 ,cain's sin hath hitherto lain at the door4 ,and the preceding circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin asleep4 ,for being interrogated by his father concerning his brother ,abel and his whereabouts1 he disclaimed knowledge of the matter1 thus adding to murder lying4 ,this answer of ,cain is sufficient evidence that the above words were spoken by ,adam in his own person1 and not by ,god in his divine ,majesty4 ,for ,cain believed that the deed was hidden from his father1 as he was a mere man1 while he could not have thought this of the divine ,majesty4 ,therefore1 had ,god spoken to him in his own person1 he would have returned a different answer4 ,but1 as he thought himself dealing with a human being only1 ,cain denied his deed altogether1 saying3 ,i know not4 ,how numerous are the perils by which a man may perish4 ,he may have been destroyed by wild beasts2 he may have been drowned in some river2 or he may have lost his life by some other death4 #afc4 ,thus ,cain thought that his father would think of any other cause of death than the perpetration of murder4 ,but ,cain could not deceive the ,holy ,spirit in ,adam4 ,adam therefore1 as ,god's representative1 arraigns him with the words1 ,what hast thou done8 ,as if he had said ,why dost thou persist in denying the deed2 be assured thou canst not deceive ,god1 who hath revealed to me all4 ,thou thinkest the blood of thy brother is hidden by the earth4 ,but it is not so absorbed and concealed thereby as to prevent the blood crying aloud unto ,god4 ,that meant to awaken the sin lying at the door1 and to drag it forth4 #afd4 ,the text before us1 then1 provides much consolation against the enemies and murderers of the ,church2 for it teaches us that our afflictions and sufferings and the shedding of our blood fill heaven and earth with their cries4 ,i believe1 therefore1 that ,cain was so overwhelmed and confounded by these words of his father that1 as if thunderstruck1 he knew not what to say or what to do4 ,no doubt his thoughts were1 ,if my father ,adam knows about the murder which ,i have committed1 how can ,i any longer doubt that it is known unto ,god1 unto the angels1 and unto heaven and earth8 ,whither can ,i flee8 ,which way can ,i turn1 wretched man that ,i am8 #afe4 ,such is the state of murderers to this day4 ,they are so harassed with the stings of conscience1 after the crime of murder has been committed1 that they are always in a state of alarm4 ,it seems to them that heaven and earth have put on a changed aspect toward them1 and they know not whither to flee4 ,a case in point is ,orestes pursued by the furies1 as described by the poets4 ,a horrible thing is the cry of spilled blood and an evil conscience4 #aff4 ,the same is true of all other atrocious sins4 ,those who commit them1 experience the same distresses of mind when remorse lays hold of them4 ,the whole creation seems changed toward them1 and even when they speak to persons with whom they have been familiar1 and when they hear the answers they make1 the very sound of their voice appears to them altogether changed and their countenances seem to wear an altered aspect4 ,whichever way they turn their eyes1 all things are clothed1 as it were1 in gloom and horror4 ,so grim and fierce a monster is a guilty conscience6 ,and1 unless such sinners are succored from above1 they must put an end to their existence because of their anguish and intolerable pain4 #afg4 ,again ,moses' customary conciseness is in evidence1 which1 however1 is more effective than an excess of words4 ,in the first place1 he personifies a lifeless object when he attributes to blood a voice filling with its cries heaven and the earth4 ,how can that voice be small or weak which1 rising from earth1 is heard by ,god in heaven8 ,abel1 therefore1 who when alive was patient under injuries and gentle and placid of spirit1 now1 when dead and buried in the earth1 can not brook the wrong inflicted4 ,he who before dared not murmur against his brother1 now fairly shrieks1 and so completely enlists ,god in his cause that he descends from heaven1 to charge the murderer with his crime4 ,moses1 accordingly1 here uses the more pregnant term4 ,he does not say1 ,the voice of thy brother's blood speaketh unto me from the ground1 but1 ,the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me4 ,it is a cry like the shout of heralds when they raise their voices to assemble men together4 #afh4 ,these things are written1 as ,i have observed1 to convince us that our ,god is merciful1 that he loves his saints1 takes them into his special care1 and demands an account for them2 while1 on the other hand1 he is angry with the murderers of his saints1 hates them and designs their punishment4 ,of this consolation we stand in decided need4 ,when oppressed by our enemies and murderers1 we are apt to conclude that our ,god has forgotten and lost interest in us4 ,we think that if ,god cared for us1 he would not permit such things to come upon us4 ,likewise1 ,abel might have reasoned3 ,god surely cares nothing for me2 for if he did1 he would not suffer me thus to be murdered by my brother4 #afi4 ,but only look at what follows6 ,does not ,god safeguard the interests of ,abel better than he could possibly have done himself8 ,how could ,abel have inflicted on his brother such vengeance as ,god does1 now that ,abel is dead8 ,how could he1 if alive1 execute such judgment on his brother as ,god here executes8 ,now the blood of ,abel cries aloud1 who1 while alive1 was of a most retiring disposition4 ,now ,abel accuses his brother before ,god of being a murderer2 when alive he would bear all the injuries of his brother in silence4 ,for who was it that disclosed the murder committed by ,cain8 ,was it not1 as the text here tells us1 the blood of ,abel1 fairly deafening with its constant cries the ears of ,god and men8 #agj4 ,these things1 ,i say1 are all full of consolation2 especially for us who now suffer persecution from the popes and wicked princes on account of our doctrine4 ,they have practiced against us the utmost cruelty and have vented their rage against godly men1 not in ,germany only1 but also in other parts of ,europe4 ,and all this sin is disregarded by the papacy1 as if it were nothing but a joke4 ,nay1 the ,papists really consider it to be a service toward ,god1 ,jn #af1 #b4 ,all this sin1 therefore1 as yet lieth at the door4 ,but it shall become manifest in due time4 ,the blood of ,leonard ,kaiser1 which was shed in ,bavaria1 is not silent4 ,nor is the blood of ,henry of ,zutphen1 which was shed in ,dietmar2 nor that of our brother ,anthony1 of ,england1 who was cruelly and without a hearing slain by his ,english countrymen4 ,i could mention a thousand others who1 although their names are not so prominent1 were yet fellow-sufferers with confessors and martyrs4 ,the blood of all these1 ,i say1 will not be silent2 in due time it will cause ,god to descend from heaven and execute such judgment in the earth as the enemies of the ,gospel will not be able to bear4 #aga4 ,let us not think1 therefore1 that ,god does not heed the shedding of our blood6 ,let us not imagine for a moment that ,god does not regard our afflictions6 ,no6 he collects all our tears1 and puts them into his bottle1 ,ps #ef1 #h4 ,the cry of the blood of all the godly penetrates the clouds and the heavens to the very throne of ,god1 and entreats him to avenge the blood of the righteous1 ,ps #gi1 #aj4 #agb4 ,as these things are written for our consolation1 so are they written for the terror of our adversaries4 ,for what think you can be more horrible for our tyrants to hear than that the blood of the slain continually cries aloud and accuses them before ,god8 ,god is indeed long-suffering1 especially now toward the end of the world2 and therefore sin lies the longer at the door1 and vengeance does not immediately follow4 ,but it is surely true that ,god is most grievously offended with all this sin1 and that he will never suffer it to pass unpunished4 #agc4 ,such judgment of ,god on ,cain1 however1 ,i do not believe to have been executed on the first day1 but some time afterward4 ,for it is ,god's nature to be long-suffering1 inasmuch as he waits for the sinner to turn4 ,but he does not1 on that account1 fail to punish him4 ,for he is the righteous judge both of the living and of the dead1 as we confess in our ,christian ,faith4 ,such judgment ,god exercised in the very beginning of the world with reference to these two brothers4 ,he judged and condemned the living murderer1 and justified murdered ,abel4 ,he excommunicated ,cain and drove him into such agonies of soul that the space of the whole creation seemed too narrow to contain him4 ,from the moment ,cain saw that ,god would be the avenger of his brother's blood1 he felt nowhere safe4 ,to ,abel1 on the other hand1 ,god gave for enjoyment the full width of earth and heaven4 #agd4 ,why1 then1 should we ever doubt that ,god ponders and numbers in his heart the afflictions of his people1 and that he measures our tears and inscribes them on adamantine tablets8 ,and this inscription the enemies of the ,church shall never be able to erase by any device whatever except by repentance4 ,manasseh was a terrible tyrant and a most inhuman persecutor of the godly4 ,and his banishment and captivity would never have sufficed to blot out these sins4 ,but when he acknowledged his sin and repented in truth1 then the ,lord showed him mercy4 ,so ,paul had1 and so the pope and the bishops have now1 only one way left them3 to acknowledge their sin and to supplicate the forgiveness of ,god4 ,if they will not do this1 ,god in his wrath will surely require at their hands the blood of the godly4 ,let no one doubt this6 #age4 ,abel is dead1 but ,cain is still alive4 ,but1 good ,god1 what a wretched life is that which he lives6 ,he might wish never to have been born1 as he hears that he is excommunicated and must look for death and retribution at any moment4 ,and in due time this will be the lot of our adversaries and of the oppressors of the ,church4 ,b4 ,cain's ,punishment ,in ,detail4 ,v4 #aa4 ,and now cursed art thou from the ground1 which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand2 #agf4 ,we have heard1 so far1 of the disclosure of ,cain's sin through the voice of ,abel's blood1 of his conviction by ,adam his father1 and of the decision rendered with reference to the two brothers1 namely1 that the one should be canonized1 or declared a saint--the first fruits1 as it were1 of the blessed seed2 but that the other1 the first-born1 should be condemned and excommunicated1 as shall presently be shown4 ,now ,moses mentions the penalties to be visited upon such fratricide4 #agg4 ,first of all1 we should mark as particularly worthy of note the discrimination exercised by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,previously1 when the penalty for his sin was inflicted upon ,adam1 a curse was placed not upon the person of ,adam1 but only upon the earth2 and even this curse was not absolute but qualified4 ,the expression is this3 ,cursed is the ground for thy sake2 and in the eighth chapter of the ,romans1 verse twenty1 we read3 ,the creature was made subject to vanity1 not willingly4 ,the fact is1 that the earth1 inasmuch as it bore guilty man1 became involved in the curse as his instrument1 just as also the sword1 gold1 and other objects1 are cursed for the reason that men make them the instruments of their sin4 ,with fine reasoning the ,holy ,spirit discriminates between the earth and ,adam4 ,he diverts the curse to the earth1 but saves the person4 #agh4 ,but in this instance the ,holy ,spirit speaks of ,cain4 ,he curses the person of ,cain4 ,and why is this8 ,is it because the sin of ,cain1 as a murderer1 was greater than the sin of ,adam and ,eve8 ,not so4 ,but because ,adam was the root from whose flesh and loins ,christ1 that blessed seed1 should be born4 ,it is this seed1 therefore1 that was spared4 ,for the sake of this seed1 the fruit of the loins of ,adam1 the curse is transferred from the person of ,adam to the earth4 ,thus1 ,adam bears the curse of the earth1 but his person is not cursed2 from his posterity ,christ was to be born4 #agi4 ,cain1 however1 since he fell by his sin1 must suffer the curse being inflicted upon his person4 ,he hears it said to him1 ,cursed art thou1 that we might understand he was cut off from the glory of the promised seed1 and condemned never to have in his posterity that seed through which the blessing should come4 ,thus ,cain was cast out from the stupendous glory of the promised seed4 ,abel was slain2 therefore there could be no posterity from him4 ,but ,adam was ordained to serve ,god by further procreation4 ,in ,adam alone1 therefore1 after ,cain's rejection1 the hope of the blessed seed rested until ,seth was born unto him4 #ahj4 ,the words spoken to ,cain1 ,cursed art thou1 are few1 but nevertheless entitled to a great deal of attention1 in that they are equal to the declaration3 ,thou art not the one from whom the blessed seed is hoped for4 ,with this word ,cain stands cast out and cut off like a branch from the root1 unable longer to hope for the distinction around which he had circled4 ,it is a fact1 that ,cain craved the distinction of passing on the blessing2 but the more closely he encircled it the more elusive it became4 ,such is the lot of all evildoers3 their failure is commensurate with their efforts to succeed4 #aha4 ,from this occurrence originate the two churches which are at war with each other3 the one of ,adam and the righteous1 which has the hope and promise of the blessed seed2 the other of ,cain1 which has forfeited this hope and promise through sin1 without ever being able to regain it4 ,for in the flood ,cain's whole posterity became extinct1 so that there has been no prophet1 no saint1 no prince of the true ,church who could trace his lineage back to ,cain4 ,all that was denied ,cain and withdrawn from him1 when he was told3 ,cursed art thou4 #ahb4 ,we find added1 however1 the words1 from the ground4 ,these words qualify the fearful wrath4 ,for1 if ,god had said1 from the heavens1 he would have deprived his posterity forever of the hope of salvation4 ,as it is1 the words1 from the ground1 convey1 indeed1 the menacing decision that the promise of the seed has been forfeited1 but the possibility is left that descendants of ,cain as individuals1 prompted by the ,holy ,spirit1 may join themselves to ,adam and find salvation4 ,this1 in after ages1 really came to pass4 ,while it is true the promise of the blessed seed was a distinction confined to the ,jews1 according to the statement in ,psalm #adg1 #bj3 ,he hath not dealt so with any nation1 the ,gentiles1 nevertheless1 retained the privilege of beggars1 so to speak4 ,it was in this manner that the ,gentiles1 through divine mercy1 obtained the same blessing the ,jews possessed on the ground of the divine faithfulness and promise4 #ahc4 ,in like manner1 all rule in the ,church was absolutely denied also to the ,moabites and ,amorites2 and yet many private individuals among them embraced the religion of the ,jews4 ,thus1 every right in the ,church was taken away from ,cain and his posterity absolutely1 yet permission was left them to beg1 as it were1 for grace4 ,that was not taken from them4 ,cain1 because of his sin1 was cast out from the right of sitting at the family table of ,adam4 ,but the right was left him to gather up1 doglike1 the crumbs that fell from his father's table1 ,mt #ae1 #bf-bg4 ,this is signified by the ,hebrew expression min haadama1 ,from the ground4 #ahd4 ,i make these observations because there is a great probability that many of the posterity of ,cain joined themselves to the holy patriarchs4 ,but their privileges were not those of an obligatory service toward them on the part of the ,church1 but mere toleration of them as individuals who had lost the promise that the blessed seed was to spring from their flesh and blood4 ,to forfeit the promise was no trifle2 still1 even that curse was so mitigated as to secure for them the privilege of beggars1 so that heaven was not absolutely denied them1 provided they allied themselves with the true ,church4 #ahe4 ,but this is what ,cain1 no doubt1 strove to hinder in various ways4 ,he set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies1 that thereby he might also appear to be the ,church4 ,those1 however1 who departed from him and joined the true ,church1 were saved1 although they were compelled to surrender the distinction that ,christ was to be born from their flesh and blood4 ,but let us now return to the text4 #ahf4 ,moses here uses a very striking personification4 ,he represents the earth as a dreaded beast when he speaks of her as having opened her mouth and swallowed the innocent blood of ,abel4 ,but why does he treat the earth so ruthlessly since all this was done without her will8 ,yes1 being a creature of ,god which is good1 did not all transpire in opposition to her will and in spite of her struggle against it1 according to ,paul's teaching3 ,the earth was made subject to vanity1 not willingly1 ,rom #h1 #bj4 ,my reply is3 ,the object was to impress ,adam and all his posterity1 so that they might live in the fear of ,god and beware of murder4 ,the words of ,adam have this import ,behold the earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed the blood of thy brother2 but she ought to have swallowed thee1 the murderer4 ,the earth is indeed a good creature1 and is good to the good and godly2 but to the wicked she is full of pitfalls4 ,it is for the purpose of inspiring murderers with fear and dread that these terrifying words were spoken4 ,nor is there any doubt that ,cain1 after hearing the words from an angry father1 was overwhelmed with terror and confusion1 not knowing whither to turn4 ,the expression1 which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand1 is1 indeed1 terrifying1 but it portrays the turpitude of the fratricidal deed better than any picture4 ,v4 #ab;a4 ,when thou tillest the ground1 it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength4 #ahg4 ,the ,lord said above to ,adam1 ,thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee4 ,but the words spoken to ,cain are different4 ,as if he had said1 ,thou hast watered and fertilized the earth1 not with healthful and quickening rain1 but with thy brother's blood4 ,therefore the earth shall be to thee less productive than to others4 ,for the blood thou hast shed shall hinder the strength and the fruitfulness of the earth4 ,this material curse is the second part of the punishment4 ,the earth1 although alike cultivated by ,adam and ,cain1 should be more fruitful to ,adam than to ,cain and yield its return to the former for his labors4 ,but to the labors of ,cain it should not yield such returns1 though by nature desirous to give in proportion to its fruitfulness and strength1 because it was hindered by the blood spilled by ,cain4 #ahh4 ,here we must offer a remark of a grammatical nature4 ,in the present passage ,moses terms the earth haadama4 ,in the passage following1 ,a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth he uses the term arez4 ,now adama signifies1 according to grammatical interpreters1 that part of the earth which is cultivated1 where trees grow and other fruits of the earth adapted for food4 ,but arez signifies the whole earth1 whether cultivated or uncultivated4 ,this curse1 therefore1 properly has reference to the part of the earth cultivated for food4 ,and the curse implies that where one ear of wheat brings forth three hundred grains for ,adam1 it should bring forth scarcely ten grains for ,cain the murderer2 and this for the purpose that ,cain might behold on every side ,god's hatred and punishment of the shedding of blood4 ,v4 #ab;b4 ,a fugitive and a wanderer 7vagabond7 shalt thou be in the earth4 #ahi4 ,this is a third punishment resting on murderers to our day4 ,for1 unless they find reconciliation1 they have nowhere a fixed abode or a secure dwelling-place4 ,we find here1 in the original1 two words1 ,no ,vanod1 signifying vagabond and fugitive4 ,the distinction ,i make between them is1 that ,no designates the uncertainty of one's dwelling-place4 ,an illustration is furnished by the ,jews1 who have no established habitation1 but fear every hour lest they be compelled to wander forth4 ,nod1 on the other hand1 signifies the uncertainty of finding the dwelling-place sought2 with the uncertainty of a present permanent dwelling-place there is linked the uncertainty of a goal to strive for when the present uncertain dwelling-place must be abandoned4 ,thus1 the punishment contains two features1 the insecurity of the present dwelling-place and a lack of knowledge whither to turn when thrust forth from the insecure abode of the present4 ,in this sense the term is used in ,psalm #aji1 #aj3 ,let his children be continually vagabonds4 ,that means1 ,nowhere shall they find a certain abode2 if they are in ,greece this year1 they shall migrate to ,italy the next1 and so from place to place4 #aij4 ,just such is evidently the miserable state of the ,jews at the present day4 ,they can fix their dwelling-place nowhere permanently4 ,and to such evil ,god adds this other in the case of ,cain1 that when he should be driven from one place of abode he should not know where to turn1 and thus should live suspended1 as it were1 between heaven and earth1 not knowing where to abide nor where to look for a permanent place of refuge4 #aia4 ,in this manner the sin of ,cain was visited with a threefold punishment4 ,in the first place he was deprived of all spiritual or churchly glory2 for the promise that the blessed seed was to be born from his posterity1 was taken from him4 ,in the second place1 the earth was cursed1 which is a punishment affecting his home life4 ,the third punishment affects his relations to the community1 in that he must be a vagabond without a fixed abode anywhere4 #aib4 ,notwithstanding1 an open door of return into the ,church is left1 but without a covenant4 ,for1 as has been explained1 in the event that any one of ,cain's posterity should ally himself with the true ,church and the holy fathers1 he was saved4 ,thus the ,home is left1 but without a blessing2 and the ,state is left so that he may found a city and dwell there1 but for how long1 is uncertain4 ,without exaggeration1 therefore1 he may be likened to a beggar in ,church1 ,home and ,state4 #aic4 ,this punishment is mitigated by the prohibition to slay him forthwith after the commission of the murderous deed1 a law providing for the punishment of murderers which was reserved for a later day4 ,cain was saved that he might be an example for others1 to teach them to fear ,god and to beware of murder4 ,so much about the sin1 arraignment1 and punishment of ,cain4 #aid4 ,but there are some who reply that1 the godly1 likewise sometimes endure these same curses1 while the wicked1 on the contrary1 are free from them4 ,thus1 ,paul says that he also wandered about and had no certain dwelling-place1 #a ,cor #d1 #aa4 ,such is even our condition to-day1 who are teachers in the churches4 ,we have no certain dwelling-place2 either we are driven into banishment or we expect banishment any hour4 ,such was the lot also of ,christ1 the apostles1 the prophets1 and the patriarchs4 #aie4 ,concerning ,jacob the ,scriptures say ,the elder shall serve the younger1 ,gen #be1 #bc4 ,but does not ,jacob become a servant when we see him1 from fear of his brother1 haste away into exile8 ,does he not1 on his return home1 supplicate his brother and fall on his knees before him8 ,is not ,isaac also seen to be a most miserable beggar8 ,gen #f1 #a-ce4 ,abraham1 his father1 goes into exile among the ,gentiles and possesses not in all the world a place to set his foot1 as ,stephen says1 ,acts #g1 #a-e4 ,on the other hand1 ,ishmael was a king1 and had the princes of the land of ,midian as his offspring before ,israel entered into the land of promise1 ,gen #be1 #af4 ,thus1 as we shall see a little later1 ,cain first built the city of ,enoch1 and1 furthermore1 became the ancestor of shepherds1 workers in metals1 and musicians4 ,all this appears to prove that it is a mistake to attribute to ,cain and his posterity a curse4 ,the curse seems to rest with weight upon the true ,church1 while the wicked appear to thrive and flourish4 #aif4 ,these things are often a stumbling-block1 not to the world only1 but even to the saints1 as the ,psalms in many places testify4 ,and the prophets1 also1 are frequently found to grow indignant1 as does ,jeremiah1 when they see the wicked possess freedom as it were from the evils of life1 while they are oppressed and afflicted in various ways4 ,men may therefore inquire1 ,where is the curse of the wicked8 ,where is the blessing of the godly8 ,is not the converse the truth8 ,cain is a vagabond and settled nowhere2 and yet ,cain is the first man that builds a city and has a certain place to dwell in4 ,but we will answer this argument more fully hereafter4 ,we will now proceed with the text of ,moses4 ,,vi4 ,,cain',s ,,conduct ,,when ,,punished4 #a4 ,how he despaired4 ,my punishment is greater etc4 a4 ,these words have greatly perplexed interpreters #aig4 b4 ,the way ,augustine explains them #aig4 c4 ,the explanation of the rabbins #aih4 99 ,how the rabbins pervert the ,scriptures and whence their false comments #aih-aii4 d4 ,why the rabbins' interpretation cannot be accepted #bjj4 e4 ,the true understanding of these words #bja4 99 ,the punishment troubles ,cain more than his sin #bja4 f4 ,what makes these words difficult #bjb4 99 ,the right understanding of the words ,minso and ,avon #bjb-bjc4 99 ,grammarians cannot get at the right meaning of the ,scriptures #bjd4 99 ,how we should proceed in interpreting ,scripture #bjd4 #b4 ,how ,cain viewed his political punishment #bje4 #c4 ,how he viewed his ecclesiastical punishment #bjf4 99 ,why ,cain was excommunicated by ,adam #bjf-bjg4 99 ,in what sense ,cain was a fugitive and a wanderer #bjh-bji4 99 ,adam received his punishment in a better way #baj4 99 ,the meaning of being a fugitive and a wanderer4 ,how the same is found among the papists #baa-bab4 99 ,the grace of ,god was guaranteed to ,seth and his posterity #bab4 99 ,why no temptation can harm believers #bab4 #d4 ,cain's fear that in turn he would be slain #bac4 99 ,god shows ,cain a double favor in his punishment4 ,why he does this #bac4 99 ,whether any of ,cain's posterity1 under the ,old ,testament1 were saved #bad-bae4 #e4 ,whether ,cain prayed that he might die1 as ,augustine1 ,lyra and others relate #baf-bag4 99 ,the fables of the rabbins cause ,luther double work and why he occasionally cites them #bah4 99 ,whether ,god changed his judgment upon ,cain #bai4 99 ,why ,god still showed ,cain incidental grace #bai4 99 ,the fables of the ,jews concerning ,cain's death and ,lamech's punishment #bbj-bba4 99 ,it is foolish to dispute concerning the sevenfold vengeance to be visited upon the one who slew ,cain #bbb4 99 ,the divine promises4 a4 ,they are twofold1 of the law and of grace #bbc4 b4 ,the promise ,adam received #bbd4 c4 ,whether ,god gave ,cain one of these promises #bbd-bbe4 d4 ,the kind of promises well organized police stations have #bbf4 e4 ,the promises the ,church has #bbg4 f4 ,cain's promise is temporal1 incidental and incomplete #bbg4 99 ,was ,cain murdered #bbh4 #f4 ,how ,cain had cause to fear1 even though there were no people on the earth except ,adam and ,eve and his sisters #bbi-bcj4 99 ,the sign that is put upon ,cain4 a4 ,can anything definite be said of it4 ,what the fathers thought of it #bca4 b4 ,why this sign was placed upon him #bcb4 c4 ,how he had to carry it his whole life #bcb4 d4 ,how the sign was a confirmation and a promise of the law #bcc4 #g4 ,of ,cain's departure1 and his excommunication from the presence of ,jehovah4 a4 ,the first parents in obedience to ,god made ,cain an outcast #bcd-bce4 b4 ,how the first parents overcame their parental affections in expelling ,cain #bcf4 99 ,what should urge men to flee from their false security #bcg4 c4 ,his expulsion must have pierced ,cain to the heart #bch4 99 ,what is the presence of ,jehovah #bch4 d4 ,how he went from the presence of ,jehovah1 to be without that presence #bci4 e4 ,it was a sad departure1 both for ,cain and his parents #bdj4 f4 ,whither he resorted #bda4 99 ,what meaning of in the land of ,nod #bda4 99 ,of ,paradise4 7#a7 ,the deluge very likely destroyed paradise #bda4 7#b7 ,where was paradise #bdb4 99 ,of the ,deluge4 7#a7 ,the deluge destroyed paradise #bdc4 99 ,cain lived where ,babylon was built later #bdd4 7#b7 ,the deluge gave the earth an entirely different form #bdd4 ,,vi4 ,,cain',s ,,conduct ,,upon ,,being ,,punished4 ,v4 #ac4 ,and ,cain said unto ,jehovah1 ,my punishment 7iniquity7 is greater than ,i can bear 7than can be remitted74 #aig4 ,here ,moses seems to have fixed a cross for the grammarians and the rabbins2 for they crucify this passage in various ways4 ,lyra recites the opinions of some who see in this passage an affirmation1 considering it to mean that in his despair ,cain claimed his sin to be greater than could be pardoned4 ,this is our rendering4 ,augustine likewise retained this view of the passage1 for he says1 ,thou liest1 ,cain2 for the mercy of ,god is greater than the misery of all the sinners4 #aih4 ,the rabbins1 however1 expound the passage as a denial in the form of a question1 as if he had said1 ,is my iniquity greater than can be remitted8 ,but if this rendering be the true one1 ,cain not only does not acknowledge his sin1 but excuses it and1 in addition1 insults ,god for laying upon him a punishment greater than he deserves4 ,in this way the rabbins almost everywhere corrupt the sense of the ,scriptures4 ,consequently ,i begin to hate them1 and ,i admonish all who read them1 to do so with careful discrimination4 ,although they did possess the knowledge of some things by tradition from the fathers1 they corrupted them in various ways2 and therefore they often deceived by those corruptions even ,jerome himself4 ,nor did the poets of old so fill the world with their fables as the wicked ,jews did the ,scriptures with their absurd opinions4 ,a great task1 therefore1 is incumbent upon us in endeavoring to keep the text free from their comments4 #aii4 ,the occasion for all this error is the fact that some men are competent to deal only with grammatical questions1 but not with the subject matter itself2 that is1 they are not theologians at the same time4 ,the inevitable result is mistakes and the crucifixion of themselves as well as of the ,scriptures4 ,for how can any one explain what he does not understand8 ,now the subject matter in the present passage is that ,cain is accused in his own conscience4 ,and no one1 not only no wicked man1 but not even the devil himself1 can endure this judgment2 as ,james witnesses1 ,the devils also believe and tremble before ,god1 ,jas #b1 #ai4 ,peter also says1 ,whereas angels which are greater in power and might cannot endure that judgment which the ,lord will exercise upon blasphemers1 #b ,pet #b1 #aa4 ,so also ,manasseh in his prayer1 verses #d and #e1 confesses that all men tremble before the face of the ,lord's anger4 #bjj4 ,all this is sufficient evidence that ,cain1 when arraigned by ,god1 did not have courage to withstand and to argue with him4 ,for ,god is an almighty adversary2 the first assault he makes is upon the heart itself when he takes the conscience into his grasp4 ,of this the rabbins know nothing1 nor can they understand it2 in consequence they speak of this arraignment as if it took place before men1 where the truth is either denied or facts are smoothed over4 ,this is impossible when ,god arraigns men2 as ,christ says in ,matthew #ab1 #cg1 ,by thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned4 #bja4 ,cain thus acknowledges his sin1 although it is not so much the sin he grieves over as the penalty inflicted4 ,the statement1 then1 is to be understood in the affirmative1 and it reveals the horrors of despair4 ,a further proof of ,cain's despair is1 that he does not utter one word of reverence4 ,he never mentions the name of ,god or of his father4 ,his conscience is so confused and so overwhelmed with terror and despair that he is not able to think of any hope of pardon4 ,the ,epistle to the ,hebrews gives the same description of ,esau when it states that he for one mess of meat1 sold his own birthright4 ,for ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing1 he was rejected2 for he found no place for change of mind1 though he sought it diligently with tears1 ,heb #ab1 #af-ag4 ,thus in the present instance1 ,cain feels his punishment1 but he grieves more for his punishment than for his sin4 ,and all persons1 when in despair1 do the same4 #bjb4 ,the two original words of this passage1 minneso and avon1 are a pair of crosses for grammarians4 ,jerome translates this clause1 ,my iniquity is greater than can be pardoned4 ,sanctes1 the grammarian of ,pagnum1 a man of no mean erudition and evidently a diligent scholar1 renders the passage1 ,my punishment is greater than ,i can bear4 ,but by such a rendering we shall make a martyr of ,cain and a sinner of ,abel4 ,concerning the word nasa1 ,i have before observed that when it is applied to sin it signifies1 to lift sin up1 or off1 or on high2 that is1 to take it out of the way4 ,similarly the figure has found currency among us3 the remission of sins1 or to remit sin4 ,in the ,thirty-second ,psalm1 verse one1 we find the expression1 ,aschre ,nesu ,pascha4 ,this1 literally translated1 would make3 ,being blessed through the removal of crime1 or sin4 ,we make it3 ,blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven1 or taken away4 ,the same is found in ,isaiah #cc1 #bd1 ,the people that dwell therein shall be ,nesu ,avon1 that means1 relieved from sin--shall be the people whose sin is forgiven4 #bjc4 ,the other original term1 avoni1 grammarians derive from the verb anah1 which signifies to be afflicted1 as in ,zechariah #i1 #i3 ,behold thy king cometh unto thee lowly 7or afflicted74 ,our translation renders it meek4 ,likewise in ,psalms #acb1 #a3 ,jehovah1 remember for ,david all his affliction4 ,from the same root is derived the expression1 low estate1 or lowliness1 used by the ,virgin ,mary in her song1 ,lk #a1 #dh4 ,this fact induces ,sanctes to render it punishment4 ,but here avoni signifies iniquity or sin1 as it does also in many other passages of the ,holy ,scriptures1 which appears more plainly from the verb remit1 which stands connected with it4 #bjd4 ,hence it is that grammarians1 who are nothing but such and know nothing of the divine things1 find their crosses in all such passages1 and crucify1 not only the ,scriptures1 but themselves and their hearers as well4 ,in the interpretation of the ,holy ,scriptures1 the sense is first to be determined2 and when that appears in all respects consistent with itself1 then the grammatical features are to receive attention4 ,the rabbins1 however1 take the opposite course1 and hence it grieves me that divines and the holy fathers so frequently follow them4 ,v4 #ad4 ,behold1 thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground2 and from thy face shall ,i be hid2 and ,i shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth2 and it will come to pass1 that whosoever findeth me will slay me4 #bje4 ,from these words it appears that the sentence on ,cain was pronounced through the mouth of ,adam4 ,cain acknowledges that he is driven first from ,home and ,state1 and then also from the ,church4 ,of the difference between the words adamah and erez we spoke above4 ,we showed that erez signifies the earth generally1 while the word adamah means the cultivated part of the earth4 ,the meaning therefore is3 ,i am now compelled to flee from thy presence and from that part of the earth which ,i have cultivated4 ,the whole world indeed lies before me1 but ,i must be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth2 that is1 ,i shall have no certain dwelling place4 ,in the same way fugitive murderers among us are punished with exile4 ,these words1 accordingly1 cast additional light upon the utterance of ,adam1 ,cursed art thou from the ground4 ,they refer to ,cain's banishment4 ,this part of ,cain's punishment therefore is a civil punishment1 and by it he is shut out from civic association4 #bjf4 ,but that which ,cain next adds1 ,from thy face shall ,i be hid1 is an ecclesiastical punishment and true excommunication4 ,for1 as the priesthood and the kingdom rested with ,adam1 and ,cain on account of his sin was excommunicated from ,adam1 he was thereby also deprived of the glory both of priesthood and kingdom4 ,but why ,adam adopted this punishment is explained by the words1 ,when thou tillest the ground1 it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength2 as if he had said1 ,thou art cursed and thy labors are cursed also4 ,therefore if thou shalt remain with us upon earth it cannot be but that both thyself and we likewise must perish with hunger4 ,for thou hast stained the earth with thy brother's blood1 and wherever thou art1 thou must bear about the blood of thy brother1 and even the earth itself shall exact her penalties4 #bjg4 ,a similar sentence we find pronounced in #a ,kings #b1 #bi-cc1 where ,solomon gives commandment to ,benaiah1 son of ,jehoiada1 saying1 ,fall upon ,joab1 that thou mayest take away the blood1 which ,joab shed without cause1 from me and from my father's house4 ,and ,jehovah will return his blood upon his own head4 ,but unto ,david1 and unto his seed1 and unto his house1 and unto his throne1 shall there be peace for ever from ,jehovah4 ,as much as to say1 ,if ,joab suffer not this punishment of his unjust murder1 the whole kingdom must suffer that punishment and be shaken by wars4 ,the meaning of ,adam then1 in this passage is1 ,if thou shalt remain on the earth with us1 ,god will bring punishment upon us for thy sake1 in that the earth shall not yield us her fruit4 #bjh4 ,but now let us reply to the question raised above4 ,it was said to ,cain1 ,a fugitive and wanderer shalt thou be in the earth4 ,and yet1 ,cain was the first man who builds a city1 and his posterity so increased from that time that they debauched and oppressed the ,church of ,god1 and so utterly overthrew it as not to leave more than eight persons of the posterity of ,seth4 ,all of the remainder of mankind1 which perished in the flood1 had followed ,cain1 as the text plainly declares when it affirms that the sons of ,god1 when they came unto the daughters of men1 begat giants and mighty men1 which were of old1 men of renown1 ,gen #f1 #d4 ,therefore1 since ,cain had so great a posterity1 and he built the first city1 how can it be true1 men ask1 that he was a fugitive and wanderer upon earth8 #bji4 ,we will reply in accordance with what is written4 ,the illustrations from the ,new ,testament above mentioned1 ,paul1 the apostles1 ,christ1 and the prophets1 assuredly belong to quite a different category4 ,when ,adam here says to ,cain1 ,a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth1 he speaks these words to him to send him away1 without further precept4 ,he does not say to him1 ,go to the east2 he does not say1 ,go to the south2 he does not mention any place to which he should go4 ,he gives him no command what to do2 but simply casts him out4 ,whither he goes and what he does1 is no concern of his4 ,he adds no promise of protection1 he does not say3 ,god shall take care of thee2 ,god shall protect thee4 ,on the contrary2 as the whole sky is free to the bird1 which is at liberty to fly whither it pleases1 but is without a place where it may be secure from the attacks of other birds1 so ,adam turns ,cain away4 ,the latter feels this4 ,hence his rejoinder3 ,it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me1 shall slay me4 #baj4 ,the condition of ,adam was different and better4 ,adam had sinned1 and by his sin he had sunk into death4 ,but when he was driven out of paradise1 ,god assigned him a particular task--that he should till the earth in a particular place4 ,god also clothed him with a covering of skins4 ,this1 as we said1 was a sign that ,god would take care of him and protect him4 ,and1 last but not least1 a glorious promise was made to the woman concerning the seed which should bruise the serpent's head4 ,nothing like this was left to ,cain4 ,he was sent away absolutely without assignment of any particular place or task4 ,no command was given him nor was any promise made him4 ,he was like a bird aimlessly roving beneath the wide heavens4 ,this is what it means to be a vagabond and wanderer4 #baa4 ,unsettled and aimless1 likewise1 are all who lack ,god's ,word and command1 wherein person and place receive adequate direction4 ,such were we under the papacy4 ,worship1 works1 exercises--all these were present2 but all these existed and found acceptance without a divine command4 ,a trying condition was that and ,cainlike--to be deprived of the ,word2 not to know what to believe1 what to hope1 what to suffer1 but to undertake and to perform everything at haphazard4 ,what monk is there who could affirm that he did anything right8 ,everything was man's tradition and man's teaching1 without the ,word4 ,amid these we wandered1 being driven to and fro1 and like ,cain1 uncertain what verdict ,god would pass1 whether we should merit love or hate4 ,such was1 in those days1 our instruction4 ,unsettled and aimless like this was ,cain's whole posterity4 ,they had neither promise nor command from ,god1 and lacked all definite guidance for life and for death4 ,hence1 if any of them came to the knowledge of ,christ1 and allied themselves with the true ,church1 it was not by reason of a promise but through sheer compassion4 #bab4 ,seth1 however1 who was born subsequently1 had1 together with his posterity1 a definite promise1 a definite abode and a definite mode of worship2 on the other hand1 ,cain was aimless4 ,he founded a city1 it is true1 but he did not know how long he should dwell in it1 not having a divine promise4 ,whatever we possess without a promise is of uncertain duration2 at any amount ,satan may disturb it or take it4 ,however1 when we go into the fray equipped with ,god's command and promise1 the devil fights in vain2 ,god's command insures strength and safety4 ,therefore1 although ,cain was lord of the whole world and possessed all the treasures of the world1 still1 lacking the promise of ,god's help and the protection of his angels1 and having nothing to lean upon but man's counsels1 he was in every respect aimless and unsettled4 ,this he himself admits when he further says3 ,v4 #ad;b4 ,and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me4 #bac4 ,this result was quite to be expected4 ,having neither ,god nor his father to look to for succor1 having forfeited his rights both as priest and as ruler1 he saw the possibility before him that any one found him1 might slay him1 for he was outlawed1 body and soul4 ,notwithstanding1 ,god conferred upon the nefarious murderer a twofold blessing4 ,he had forfeited ,church and dominion1 but life and progeny were left4 ,god promised him to protect his existence1 and also gave him a wife4 ,two blessings these by no means to be despised2 and when he heard the first part of his sentence pronounced by his father1 they were more than he had a right even to hope for4 ,they were valuable for the additional reason that opportunity and time for repentance were granted1 though1 in the absence of a clear promise1 there was neither covenant nor commission4 ,in the same manner1 we found our way under the papacy to uncovenanted mercy 7fortuita gratia71 if ,i may use this expression1 for no promise was previously given that the truth was to be revealed in our lifetime1 and the ,antichrist to become manifest4 ,the reason to which these blessings are attributable1 is consideration for the elect4 ,it is quite credible that many of ,cain's offspring were saved1 namely1 those who joined the true ,church4 ,likewise1 at a later day1 provision was made among the ,jews for proselytes and ,gentiles4 #bad4 ,while a stern law existed according to which the ,moabites and ,ammonites were not admitted to the religious services1 ,ammonites and ,moabites were saved1 such as came to the kings of ,judah to serve under them4 ,also ,ruth1 the mother and ancestress of our ,saviour1 was a ,moabite4 ,this is what ,i call uncovenanted mercy1 no previous promise having rendered it certain4 #bae4 ,also ,naaman1 and the king of ,nineveh1 and ,nebuchadnezzar1 and ,evilmerodach1 and others from among the ,gentiles1 were saved by such uncovenanted mercy2 for1 unlike the ,jews1 they had no promise of ,christ4 ,in the same way1 bodily safety is vouchsafed to ,cain1 and a wife with offspring1 for the sake of the elect to be saved by uncovenanted mercy4 ,for1 although what we said of the ,moabites is true of all his posterity1 that it was to live under a curse1 it is true1 notwithstanding1 that some of the patriarchs took their wives from the same4 ,v4 #ae;a4 ,and ,jehovah said unto him1 ,therefore whosoever slayeth ,cain1 vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold4 #baf4 ,jerome1 in his ,epistle to ,damascus1 contends that ,cain had begged of the ,lord that he might be slain1 an opinion into which he rushes full sail1 as it were1 entertaining no doubt whatever concerning its truth4 ,lyra follows ,jerome1 and resolutely affirms that the context requires this interpretation4 ,but this error of theirs should be laid at the door of the rabbins from whom they received it4 ,the true sense of the passage is rather that everyone was prohibited from killing ,cain4 ,judgment is pronounced here by ,god1 and when he spares ,cain's life and in addition permits him afterward to marry1 it is done to stay its execution4 #bag4 ,moreover1 how is it likely that an ungodly person asks death at the very time when ,god exercises judgment8 ,death is the very punishment of sin2 therefore he flees and dreads death as the greatest part of his penalty4 ,away1 therefore1 with such vagaries of the rabbins6 ,with these also ,lyra's suggestion may safely be classed that the text ought to be divided and made to mean1 ,whoever shall kill ,cain1 shall surely meet with severe punishment4 ,and when it is further stated1 ,he shall be punished sevenfold1 they would explain it as meaning that in the seventh degree--in the seventh generation--the punishment is to be inflicted4 #bah4 ,such vagaries are worthy of the rabbins after having cast away the light of the ,new ,testament4 ,however1 they impose a double labor upon us1 inasmuch as we are compelled to defend the text and to clear it of such corruptions1 and to correct their absurd comments4 ,if ,i quote them occasionally1 it is to avoid the suspicion of proudly despising them1 or of failing to read1 and to give sufficient consideration to1 their writings4 ,while we read them intelligently1 we do so with critical discrimination1 and we do not permit them to obscure ,christ1 and to corrupt the ,word of ,god4 #bai4 ,the ,lord1 accordingly1 does not in this passage at all alter the sentence upon ,cain whereby he had been doomed to a curse on earth1 but merely vouchsafes to him this uncovenanted mercy for the sake of the elect that are to be saved from that curse as from a mass of dregs4 ,that is the reason he said ,cain should not be killed1 as he feared4 ,there is1 then1 no necessity for doing violence to this text as ,rabbi ,solomon does1 who1 after the words whosoever slayeth ,cain1 puts a stop2 making it to be a hiatus or 7ellipsis71 as we find in that noted line in ,virgil 7,aeneas1 #ace7-- ,quos ego--sed motos praestat componere fluctus4 ,whom ,i--but now1 be calm1 ye boist'rous waves4 ,and then the expression1 shall be punished sevenfold1 the rabbi refers to ,cain himself1 who was punished in his seventh generation4 ,for ,cain begat ,enoch1 and ,enoch begat ,irad1 and ,irad begat ,mehujael1 and ,mehujael begat ,methusael1 and ,methusael begat ,lamech4 #bbj4 ,and the ,jews' absurd comment upon that passage 7verse #bc1 below71 is that ,lamech1 when he was old1 and his eyes dim1 was taken by his son ,tubal-,cain into a wood to hunt wild beasts1 and that1 when there shooting at a wild beast1 ,lamech accidently shot ,cain1 who in his wanderings had concealed himself in the wood4 ,such interpretations are only fables1 unworthy a place or notice in our schools4 ,moreover1 they militate against the very truth of the text4 ,for if ,cain was really designed of ,god to be killed in the seventh generation1 and if that time was thus fixed for his death1 he was not a fugitive and a vagabond upon earth4 #bba4 ,we condemn1 therefore1 this interpretation of ,rabbi ,solomon1 on the ground of critical discrimination1 because it militates directly against that sentence which ,god had before pronounced2 and ,god is not man1 that he should change his mind1 #a ,kings #ae1 #bi-cj4 ,this rule should be strictly observed in all interpretation of the ,holy ,scripture1 that the rendering of one passage must not subsequently conflict with that of another4 ,and when the rabbins1 moreover1 say that the deluge was the particular punishment of ,lamech's sin in thus killing ,cain1 ,lyra refutes them4 ,he very truly affirms that the deluge was the common punishment of the whole world of wicked men4 ,we leave1 therefore1 all these ,jewish absurdities and hold fast the true meaning of the text before us1 that1 when ,cain feared lest he should be slain by any one who should find him1 the ,lord prevented him from being thus slain1 and denounced on such murderer a punishment sevenfold greater than that of ,cain4 #bbb4 ,and1 though ,lyra argues and inquires how it could be that he who should slay ,cain could deserve a sevenfold greater vengeance than ,cain deserved1 who slew his own brother1 of what profit is it to us to inquire into the counsel of ,god in such matters as these1 especially when it is certain that ,god permitted his mercy to stray to ,cain in the form of promises and blessings under the ,law1 if ,i may so express myself1 thus securing his safety4 #bbc4 ,there are two kinds of promises1 or a twofold promise1 as we have often explained4 ,there are the legal promises1 if ,i may so call them1 which depend1 as it were1 upon our own works1 such as the following3 ,if ye be willing and obedient1 ye shall eat the good of the land1 ,is #a1 #ai4 ,again1 ,i am ,god1 showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments1 ,ex #bj1 #f4 ,and also above1 in this case of ,cain1 ,if thou doest well1 shall not thy countenance be lifted up8 ,gen #d1 #g4 ,and these legal promises have for the most part their corresponding threats attached to them4 ,but the other kind of promises are promises of grace1 and with them no threats are joined4 ,such are the following3 ,jehovah thy ,god will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee1 of thy brethren1 like unto me2 unto him ye shall hearken1 ,deut #ah1 #ae4 ,again1 ,i will put my law in their inward parts1 in their heart will ,i write it2 and ,i will be their ,god1 and they shall be my people1 ,jer #ca1 #cc4 ,and again1 ,i will put enmity between thee and the woman1 ,gen #c1 #ae4 ,now1 these promises depend not in any way upon our works1 but absolutely and only upon the goodness and grace of ,god1 because he was pleased to make those promises and to do what he thus promised4 ,just in the same way we have the promise of ,baptism1 of the ,lord's ,supper1 and of the ,keys1 etc41 in which ,god sets before us his good will and his mercy and his works4 #bbd4 ,now1 ,god gave no promise of the latter kind to ,cain4 ,he only said to him1 ,whosoever shall slay thee shall be punished sevenfold4 ,but ,adam had such a promise of grace made to him4 ,and ,cain1 because he was the first-born1 ought to have received that promise as an inheritance from his parents4 ,that promise was the large and blessed promise of eternal glory1 because by it the seed was promised which should bruise the serpent's head1 and this without any work or merit of man4 ,for that promise had no condition attached to it1 such as1 ,if thou shalt offer thy sacrifices1 if thou shalt do good1 etc4 #bbe4 ,if1 therefore1 you compare this promise of grace with the words ,god spake to ,cain1 the latter are as a mere crust held out to a beggar4 ,for even ,cain's life is not promised him absolutely4 ,nothing more is said than a threat pronounced against those who should slay him4 ,god does not say positively1 ,no man shall slay thee4 ,he does not say1 ,i will so overrule all others that no one shall slay thee4 ,had the words been thus spoken1 ,cain might have returned into the presence of ,god and of his parents4 ,but a command only is given to men that they slay not ,cain4 ,if1 therefore1 the words spoken to ,cain be at all considered as a promise1 it is that kind of promise which1 as we have before said1 depends on the works and will of man4 ,and yet1 even such promise is by no means to be despised1 for these legal promises often embrace most important things4 #bbf4 ,thus1 ,augustine observes that ,god gave to the ,romans their empire on account of their noble virtues4 ,and in the same manner we find1 even to this day1 that the blessings of those nations which keep from murder1 adultery1 theft1 etc41 are greater than those of other nations in which these evils prevail4 ,and yet1 even governments which1 as far as mere reason can succeed1 are especially well established1 possess nothing beyond these temporal promises4 #bbg4 ,the ,church1 however1 possesses the promises of grace1 even the eternal promises4 ,and although ,cain was left utterly destitute of these promises1 yet it was a great favor that the temporal mercies were left him3 that he was not immediately killed1 that a wife was given him1 that children were born unto him1 that he built a city1 that he cultivated the earth1 that he fed his cattle and had possessions1 and that he was not utterly ejected from the society and fellowship of men4 ,for ,god could not only have deprived ,cain of all these blessings1 but he could have added pestilence1 epilepsy1 apoplexy1 the stone1 the gout1 and any other disease4 ,and yet there are men disposed curiously to argue in what manner ,god could possibly have multiplied the curse of ,cain sevenfold on himself or on any other4 ,as ,god above deprives ,cain of all the divine blessings1 both spiritual--or those pertaining to the ,church--and civil1 so here he mitigates that sentence by commanding that no one shall slay ,cain4 ,but ,god does not promise at the same time that all men shall surely obey his command4 ,therefore ,cain1 even possessing this promise in reference to his body1 is still a fugitive and a wanderer4 ,and it might be that if he continued in his wickedness1 he was liable to be slain at any moment2 whereas1 if he did well1 he might live a long time4 ,but nothing is promised him with certainty1 for although these corporal or legal promises are great and important1 yet they are positively uncertain and uncovenanted4 #bbh4 ,whether1 therefore1 ,cain was killed or not1 ,i cannot with any certainty say1 for the ,scriptures afford no plain information upon that point4 ,this one thing1 however1 evidently can be proved from the present text1 that ,cain had no certain promise of the preservation of his life2 but ,god left him to a life of uncertainty1 doubt and restless wandering1 and did no more than protect the life of ,cain by a command and a threat which might restrain the wicked from killing him1 on account of the certain awful punishment which would follow such destruction of the murderer4 ,but a promise that he should not be murdered was withheld4 ,we know1 moreover1 what is the nature of the law1 or a legal command1 and that there are always very few who obey it4 ,therefore1 although it is not recorded at what time1 in what place1 or by whom1 ,cain was slain1 yet it is most probable that he was killed4 ,the ,scriptures however make no mention of it1 even as they are quite silent also concerning the number of the years of ,cain1 and say nothing about the day of his birth or the day of his death4 ,he perished1 together with his whole generation2 to use a popular proverb1 without cross1 candle1 or ,god4 ,a few only of his generation are excepted1 who were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of ,god4 #bbi4 ,the question is here usually asked1 ,to what persons could the words of ,cain possibly apply1 when he says1 ,everyone that findeth me shall slay me1 when it is evident that besides ,adam and ,eve and their few daughters1 no human beings were in existence4 ,i would at once reply that they bear witness to the fact that we see the wicked flee when no man pursueth1 as the ,scriptures say2 for they imagine to themselves various perils where none really exist4 ,just so we see it to be the case with murderers at the present day1 who are filled with fears where all is safe1 who can remain quiet nowhere1 and who imagine death to be present everywhere4 #bcj4 ,however1 when it follows in the command of ,god1 ,yea1 verily1 whosoever slayeth ,cain shall be punished sevenfold1 these words cannot be referred exclusively to the fears of ,cain1 for ,cain had sisters1 and perhaps he greatly dreaded that sister whom he had married1 lest she should take vengeance on him for the murder of her brother4 ,moreover1 ,cain had perhaps a vague apprehension of a long life1 and he saw that many more sons might be born of ,adam4 ,he feared1 therefore1 the whole posterity to ,adam4 ,and it greatly increased these fears that ,god had left him nothing more than his stray mercy4 ,i do not think that ,cain feared the beasts at all1 or dreaded being slain by them2 for what had the sevenfold vengeance threatened upon murderers to do with beasts8 ,v4 #ae;b4 ,and ,jehovah appointed a sign for 7set a mark upon7 ,cain1 lest any finding him should smite him 7slay him74 #bca4 ,what this mark was is not to be found in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,therefore commentators have entertained various opinions4 ,nearly all1 however1 have come to this one conclusion--they have inferred that there was apparent in ,cain a great tremor of his head and of all his limbs4 ,they suppose that1 as a physical cause of his trembling1 ,god had changed1 or disarranged1 or mutilated some particular organ in his body1 but left the body whole as it was first created1 merely adding a visible outward mark1 such as the trembling4 ,this conjecture of the fathers contains much probability1 but it cannot be proved by any testimony of the ,scriptures4 ,the mark might have been of another kind4 ,for instance1 we observe in nearly all murderers an immediate change in the eyes4 ,the eyes wear an appearance of sullen ferocity1 and lose that softness and innocence peculiar to them by nature4 #bcb4 ,but whatever this mark was1 it was certainly a most horrible punishment2 for ,cain was compelled to bear it during his whole life as ,god's penalty for the awful murder which he had committed4 ,rendered conspicuous by this degrading mark1 hateful and abominable in the eyes of all1 ,cain was sent away--banished from his home by his parents4 ,and although the life he asked of ,god was granted him1 yet it was a life of ignominy1 branded with an infamous mark of homicide2 not only that he himself might be perpetually reminded of the sin he had committed1 to his own confusion1 but also that others might be deterred from the crime of committing murder4 ,nor could this mark be effaced by repentance4 ,cain was compelled to bear about this sign of the wrath of ,god upon him as a punishment in addition to his banishment1 the curse1 and all the other penalties4 #bcc4 ,it is worthy of observation that the original verb used above is harag1 which signifies to kill4 ,but the verb here found is nakah1 which means to strike4 ,god1 therefore1 here gives to ,cain security1 not only from death1 but also from the danger of death4 ,this security1 however1 as we have observed1 is a legal security only2 for it merely commands that no one shall slay ,cain1 threatening a sevenfold punishment upon the person who should do so4 ,but ,god does not promise that all men will obey his command4 ,it was far better for ,cain1 however1 to have this legal promise made him1 than to be without any promise at all4 ,v4 #af4 ,and ,cain went out from the presence of ,jehovah1 and dwelt in the land of ,nod1 on the east of ,eden4 #bcd4 ,this also is a very remarkable text1 and it is a wonder that the fancy of the rabbins did not run riot here as usual4 ,moses leaves it to the thoughtful reader to reflect how miserable and how full of tears this departure of ,cain from his father's house must have been4 ,his godly parents had already lost their son ,abel2 and now1 at the command of ,god1 the other son departs from them into banishment1 loaded with the divine curses1 on account of his sin--the very son whom his parents had hoped to be the only heir of the promise1 and whom they therefore had devotedly loved from his cradle4 ,adam and ,eve1 nevertheless1 obey the command of ,god1 and in conformity therewith they cast out their son4 #bce4 ,accordingly1 this passage rightly praises obedience to ,god1 or the fear of ,god4 ,adam and ,eve had1 indeed1 learned by their own experience in paradise that it was no light sin to depart from the command of ,god2 therefore they thought3 ,behold1 our sin in paradise has been punished with death1 and with an infinite number of other calamities into which we have been thrown since we were driven out of paradise4 ,and now that our son has committed so atrocious a sin1 it behooves us not to resist the will of ,god and his righteous judgment1 however bitter we feel them to be4 #bcf4 ,the story of the woman of ,tekoah is well known1 whom ,joab instructed to intercede for the banished ,absalom4 ,she pleads as an argument before the king1 that as she had lost one son1 it would be wicked in the extreme to deprive her of the other also4 ,also ,rebecca said to ,jacob1 her younger son1 after she had perceived the wrath of ,esau against his brother3 ,why should ,i be bereaved of you both in one day8 ,gen #bg1 #de4 ,adam and ,eve overcame this same pain in their bosoms1 and thus mortified their paternal and maternal affections4 ,for not only did they feel it to be their duty to obey the will of ,god1 but they had also learned wisdom from former obedience4 ,they had been driven out of paradise for their sin of disobedience4 ,they feared1 therefore1 that if they now retained their son with them1 contrary to the will of ,god1 they should be cast out of the earth altogether4 #bcg4 ,this part of the history of ,adam and ,eve1 therefore1 is a beautiful lesson in obedience to ,god1 and a striking exhortation to fear ,god4 ,this is also ,paul's principal object in his first ,epistle to the ,corinthians1 nearly all of which is written against the self-confidence of the human heart4 ,for1 although ,god is merciful1 yet men are not therefore to sin2 he is merciful to those only who fear and obey him4 #bch4 ,as it was bitter in the extreme for the parents to lose their son1 this departure from his home was1 ,i have no doubt1 most bitter also to ,cain himself4 ,for he was compelled to leave1 not only the common home1 his dear parents and their protection1 but his hereditary right of primogeniture1 the prerogative of the kingdom and of the priesthood1 and the communion of the ,church4 ,hence it is that we have the expression in the text1 that ,cain went out from the presence of ,jehovah4 ,we have above shown what the ,scriptures term the face of ,jehovah1 namely1 all those things and means by which ,jehovah makes himself known to us4 ,thus the face of ,jehovah1 under the ,old ,testament1 was the pillar of fire1 the cloud1 the mercy-seat1 etc4 ,under the ,new ,testament1 the face of ,jehovah is baptism1 the ,lord's ,supper1 the ministry of the ,word1 etc4 ,for by these things1 as by visible signs1 the ,lord makes himself known to us1 and shows that he is with us1 that he cares for us and favors us4 #bci4 ,it was from this place1 therefore1 in which ,god declared that he was always present1 and in which ,adam resided as high priest1 and as lord of the earth1 that ,cain went out2 and he came into another place1 where there was no face of ,god1 where there was no visible sign of his presence by which he could derive the consolation that ,god was present with his favor4 ,he had no sign whatever1 save those signs which are common to all creatures1 even to the beasts1 namely1 the uses of sun and moon1 of day and night1 of water1 air1 etc4 ,but these are not signs of that immutable grace of ,god contained in the promise of the blessed seed4 ,they are only the signs of ,god's temporal blessings and of his good will to all his creatures4 #bdj4 ,miserable1 therefore1 was that going out of ,cain indeed4 ,it was a departure full of tears4 ,he was compelled to leave forever his home and his parents1 who now gave to him1 a solitary man and a vagabond1 their daughter as his wife1 to live with him as his companion2 but they knew not what would become either of their son or of their daughter4 ,in consequence of losing three children at one time their grief is so much greater4 ,no other explanation suggests itself for the subsequent statement ,cain knew his wife4 #bda4 ,where1 then1 did ,cain live with his wife8 ,moses answers1 in the land of ,nod1 a name derived from its vagabond and unsettled inhabitant4 ,and where was this land situated8 ,beyond paradise1 toward the east1 a place indeed most remarkable4 ,cain came into a certain place toward the east1 but when he came there1 he was insecure and unprotected1 for it was the land of ,nod1 where he could not set foot with certainty1 because the face of ,god was not there4 ,for this face he had left with his parents1 who lived where they had paradise on their side1 or toward the west4 ,when ,cain fled from his home he went toward the east4 ,so the posterity of ,cain was separated from the posterity of ,adam1 having paradise as a place of division between them4 ,the passage1 moreover1 proves that paradise remained undestroyed after ,adam was driven out of it4 ,in all probability it was finally destroyed by the deluge4 #bdb4 ,this text greatly favors the opinion of those who believe that ,adam was created in the region of ,damascus1 and that1 after he was driven out of paradise for his sin1 he lived in ,palestine2 and hence it was in the midst of the original paradise that ,jerusalem1 ,bethlehem and ,jericho stood1 in which places ,jesus ,christ and his servant ,john chiefly dwelt4 ,although the present aspect of those places does not altogether bear out that conclusion1 the devastations of the mighty deluge were such as to change fountains1 rivers and mountains2 and it is quite possible that on the site which was afterward ,calvary1 the place of ,christ's sacrifice for the world's sin1 there stood the tree of the knowledge of good and evil1 the same spot being marked by the death and ruin wrought by ,satan and by the life and salvation wrought by ,christ4 #bdc4 ,it is not without a particular purpose1 therefore1 that ,daniel uses the striking expression3 ,the end thereof 7of the sanctuary1 the sacrifice and the oblation7 shall be with a flood1 ,dan #i1 #bf4 ,as if he had said1 ,the first paradise was laid waste and utterly destroyed by the mighty deluge1 and the other1 future paradise1 in which redemption is to be wrought1 shall be destroyed by the ,romanists as by a flood4 #bdd4 ,we may carry the analogy further by stating that as ,babel was the cause of the destruction of the ,jewish people1 so this disaster had its beginning with ,cain and his offspring1 who settled in that part of the earth where1 at a later day1 ,babylon was founded4 ,these are my thoughts and views1 derived partly from the fathers4 ,though they may not be true1 they are yet probable1 and have nothing ungodly in them4 ,and there can be no doubt that ,noah1 after the flood1 saw the face of the whole earth altogether changed from what it was before that awful visitation of the wrath of ,god4 ,mountains were torn asunder1 fountains were made to break forth and the courses of the rivers themselves were wholly altered and diverted into other channels1 by the mighty force of the overwhelming waters4 ,,vii4 ,,generations ,,of ,,cain ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,righteous4 ,a4 ,,in ,,general4 #a4 ,why ,cain's generations were described before those of the righteous #bde4 #b4 ,how the ,holy ,spirit is interested more in the generations of the righteous than in those of ,cain #bdf-bdg4 #c4 ,why the ,holy ,spirit gives this description of both #bdh4 #d4 ,the relation of the two to each other #bdh4 #e4 ,how the generations of the righteous are attacked and conquered by those of the godless #bdi4 99 ,of ,cain's marriage4 a4 ,who was his wife1 and the question of his being married before he committed the murder #bej-bea4 99 ,how to read the writings of the ,jews #bea4 b4 ,the question of his being married after the murder #beb-bed4 99 ,that some of his posterity were saved #bed4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,generations ,,of ,,cain ,,and ,,the ,,generations ,,of ,,the ,,godly4 ,a4 ,the ,posterity of ,cain in ,general4 ,v4 #ag4 ,and ,cain knew his wife2 and she conceived1 and bare ,enoch3 and he builded a city1 and called the name of the city1 after the name of his son1 ,enoch4 #bde4 ,it is worthy of admiration that ,moses describes the generation of the sons of ,cain before the generation of the sons of ,god4 ,but all this is done according to the fixed counsel of ,god4 ,for the children of this world have in this life and in this their generation the advantage of the children of ,god 7,lk #af1 #h7 with reference to the first promise4 ,the spiritual seed of the woman indeed possess the spiritual blessing1 but the seed of the serpent arrogate to themselves the corporal1 or temporal1 blessing1 and they bruise the heel of the blessed seed4 ,in this respect the temporal has precedence over the spiritual4 #bdf4 ,but a great difference comes to the surface at a later day4 ,although ,moses records the history of the posterity of ,cain before the posterity of the righteous1 yet we afterwards see that the latter are more especially the care of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he does not confine himself to a bare registration of their names1 but he carefully numbers their years1 makes mention of their death1 and not only chronicles their own doings1 as he chronicles in this passage those of the sons of ,cain1 but also the transactions and the conversations which ,jehovah had with them1 the promises he made1 the help rendered in danger1 and the blessings vouchsafed4 #bdg4 ,none of these things are recorded of the wicked posterity of ,cain4 ,when ,moses has said that ,cain begat a son named ,enoch1 and that he built a city to which he gave the name of his son1 calling it ,enoch1 the sacred historian immediately cuts off the memory of ,cain altogether and1 as it were1 buries him forever with these few short words of record4 ,he seems to entertain no further care or concern for either his life or his death4 ,he merely records temporal blessings--that he begat a son and that he built a city4 ,for as the gift of reproduction was not taken away from the murderer ,cain1 neither was the gift of dominion taken from him4 ,but he lost all the rich blessings of the earth because it had drunk the blood of his brother1 as we have shown above4 #bdh4 ,the ,holy ,spirit records these things in order that we may see that there was1 from the very beginning1 two churches3 one the church of the sons of ,satan and of the flesh1 which often makes sudden and great increase2 and the other the church of the sons of ,god1 which is usually weak and makes slow progress4 ,although the ,scriptures do not relate how these two churches lived together in the beginning1 yet1 as it was declared by ,god to ,satan1 ,i will put enmity between thy seed and her seed1 it is certain that the church of ,cain was ever hostile to the ,church of ,adam4 ,and the present text fully shows that the sons of men so increased and prevailed that they almost completely perverted and destroyed the ,church of the sons of ,god4 ,for in the great flood1 only eight souls of them were saved2 all the rest of the human race perished in the waters on account of their sin4 #bdi4 ,and this is a calamity of the true ,church1 common to all ages3 as soon as she begins to increase1 she is compelled to oppose with all her might ,satan and the ungodly4 ,she is at length tired out by the wickedness of her enemy1 and is then either obliged to yield to her enraged foe1 overcome by the cross and its afflictions1 or she sinks under the seductions of pleasures and riches4 ,so it was with the posterity of ,adam4 ,broken down1 at length1 under so long a war with the sons of men1 they yielded1 being reduced at last to eight souls only1 who were saved4 ,ungodliness having so far prevailed1 and the godly losing ground1 the ,lord at length interposes and saves the few righteous remaining2 but all the rest1 both the seduced and the seducers1 he punishes1 including them in the same judgment4 ,and we hope and believe the ,lord will do the same in the judgment at the last day4 #bej4 ,many questions arise here4 ,some inquire respecting the circumstances connected with the wife of ,cain3 at what time the murder was committed2 whether ,cain murdered his brother before he was a husband1 or after he was married4 ,and the ,jews1 moreover1 say that ,eve brought forth twins at every birth1 a male and a female2 and they assert that ,cain married his sister ,calmana1 and ,abel his sister ,debora4 ,whether these things be true or not ,i cannot affirm4 ,i know not4 ,but they are not vital to the interests of the ,church1 and there is nothing certain known concerning them4 ,this one thing is certain1 that ,cain had a sister for his wife4 ,but whether or no he had her as his wife when he committed the murder1 cannot with certainty be proven4 ,however1 the text before us greatly tends to the conclusion that ,cain was married when he committed the murder of his brother2 for it intimates that the inheritance was divided between the two brothers when it affirms that the care of the cattle was committed by the father to ,abel and the tilling of the ground to ,cain4 ,i1 therefore1 am inclined to believe that both of the brothers were married4 #bea4 ,this conclusion is favored also by the statement made above1 that ,cain and ,abel in the process of time brought their offerings4 ,this has been explained in the following manner3 ,at the end of the year1 the two newly married husbands brought as offerings the new fruits which ,god had given them in this first year of their marriage2 ,cain brought the first fruits of the earth1 and ,abel the first fruits of his flock4 ,and the time was probably the autumn of the year1 the time when the fruits of the earth are gathered1 the same season in which the ,jews afterwards held the feast of expiation4 ,moses1 in his ,levitical law1 seems carefully to have noted and collected the ancestral patterns1 and to have reduced them to a code4 ,when1 therefore1 the new husbands came to render their thanks to ,god for his blessings and to offer their gifts1 and ,abel's offering was accepted of ,god and not the offering of ,cain1 ,cain's heart was immediately filled by ,satan with hatred of his brother2 and upon this hatred afterwards followed the horrible murder4 ,this is the opinion of the ,jews1 which ,i thus relate because it does not appear to be at all far from the truth4 ,but1 as ,i have often said1 the interpretations of the ,jews are to be read with critical discrimination1 so that in their teachings1 we may retain the things consistent with the truth1 but condemn and refute all fictions of their own making4 #beb4 ,if ,cain was not married when he slew his brother1 it is still more wonderful that after such a wicked deed he obtained a wife at all2 and certainly that damsel was worthy the highest praise who married such a man4 ,for how could the maiden rejoice in a marriage with her brother who was a murderer1 accursed and excommunicated8 ,she1 on her part1 no doubt supplicated her father1 and expostulated with him and asked how he could give her1 an innocent one1 in marriage to a man thus accursed1 and force her into banishment with him4 ,nay1 the very example of her brother's murder must have naturally filled her with terror1 lest the crime which her husband committed on his brother he might also dare to commit on her1 his sister and his wife4 #bec4 ,in bringing about this marriage1 ,adam obviously had to exercise marvelous eloquence4 ,it was for him to convince his daughter that the father's command was not to be disobeyed1 and that while ,cain1 curse-ridden1 would have to bear the penalty of his sin1 ,god would still preserve and bless her1 the innocent one4 ,nor do ,i entertain the least doubt that ,god conferred many personal blessings upon ,cain1 down the whole line of his posterity1 for the sake of his wife1 who1 from motives of faith toward ,god and of obedience toward her parents1 had married her murderous brother4 ,as ,christ was the minister of the circumcision for the truth of ,god1 to establish the certainty of the promise made unto the ,jewish fathers2 and as1 in the absence of a promise1 he was the minister of the ,gentiles1 because of the mercy of ,god1 7,rom #ae1 #h-i71 so the like uncovenanted mercy was shown also to the posterity of ,cain4 ,these two opinions have been expressed concerning the marriage of ,cain1 but which is the truth ,i know not4 ,if ,cain was married after he committed the murder1 his wife is most certainly worthy of all praise and of all fame1 who could thus yield to the authority of her parents1 and suffer herself to be joined in marriage with an accursed murderer4 #bed4 ,to myself1 the first opinion appears to be much nearer the truth1 that he murdered his brother after his marriage with his sister2 because we have so clear a testimony in the text concerning the division of the inheritance4 ,and in that case1 the necessity lay on the wife to follow her husband4 ,as wife and husband are one body and one flesh1 ,adam had no desire to separate them2 moreover1 the wife is bound to bear her part of the calamities of her husband4 ,just in the same manner as the posterity of ,cain enjoyed a part of those blessings which were bestowed of ,god upon the innocent wife1 ,pharaoh1 king of ,egypt1 was saved in the time of ,joseph1 and the ,king of ,nineveh was saved in the time of his calamity1 although neither of them belonged to the people of ,god4 ,and so ,i also believe that some were saved out of the posterity of ,cain1 although ,cain himself had utterly lost the promise concerning the blessed seed4 ,b4 ,,the ,,posterity ,,of ,,cain ,,in ,,detail2 ,,the ,,generations ,,of ,,cain4 99 ,the names were given to the descendants of ,cain1 not by accident1 but by special thought and with a definite meaning #bee4 #a4 ,of ,enoch4 a4 ,the meaning of his name #bee-bef4 b4 ,is the first in ,cain's posterity and the beginning of the temporal blessing #bef4 99 ,why ,cain built a city #beg-beh4 #b4 ,irad and the meaning of his name4 ,it was not given without a purpose #bei4 #c4 ,mehujael and the meaning of his name #bfj4 99 ,the means the false church uses to suppress the true ,church #bfj4 #d4 ,methushael and the meaning of his name #bfa4 #e4 ,lamech4 a4 ,what his name signifies #bfb4 99 ,cain's descendants persecute the true ,church4 ,yet some of ,cain's posterity were saved #bfc4 b4 ,the reason he took two wives #bfd4 c4 ,who were his wives #bfe4 d4 ,his sons1 ,jabal1 ,jubal1 ,tubal-cain1 and his daughter ,naamah #bff-bfh4 99 ,why ,moses mentions the various arts of ,cain's descendants #bfi4 99 ,whether poverty drove ,cain's descendants to the arts #bfi-bgj4 99 ,as the false church was before the flood so is she still1 and will remain so to the end of the world #bga4 99 ,how the ,cainites increased and oppressed the true ,church #bgb4 99 ,why the ,scriptures do not mention that some of the ,cainites were saved #bgb4 e4 ,of his haughty speech1 ,i have slain a man etc4 7#a7 ,this is difficult to understand1 and has been poorly treated by interpreters #bgc4 7#b7 ,the fable explanation of these words by the ,jews refuted #bgd-bge4 7#c7 ,how others explained them #bge4 7#d7 ,luther's understanding of them #bgf-bgg4 f4 ,whether ,lamech slew ,cain1 and thereby made himself famous #bgh4 g4 ,how he attempted to be ruler upon ,adam's death #bgi4 99 ,how the ,church is oppressed from both sides #bgi4 99 ,why ,moses mentions the blood descendants of ,cain with such care #bhj4 h4 ,cain is not sorry for his deed1 but even boasts of it #bha4 99 ,the nature of the ,cain church #bha4 i4 ,how he seeks to avoid being slain by others #bhb4 99 ,the pope has the conscience of ,cain and ,lamech #bhb4 j4 ,he is a type of all the children of this world #bhc4 99 ,how the devil drives the ,cainites to rage against the ,church under the guise of being holy #bhd4 99 ,the true ,church from the very beginning had to shed her blood #bhe4 99 ,the tyranny of ,popes ,julius ,,ii and ,clement ,,vii #bhe4 99 ,god at all times severely punished the persecutors of his ,church #bhf4 k4 ,how ,lamech still wished to defend his deed #bhg4 l4 ,he had no ,word of ,god1 but was filled with pride #bhh4 ,b4 ,,the ,,posterity ,,of ,,cain ,,in ,,detail4 #bee4 ,as regards the names of ,cain's offspring1 ,i believe that1 in common with those of the holy patriarchs1 they indicate not an absence of purpose or a random selection1 but a definite purpose and a prophecy4 ,thus ,adam signifies a man of1 or taken out of1 the red earth4 ,eve signifies the mother of life1 or of the living4 ,cain signifies possession4 ,abel signifies vanity4 ,and we find that also among the ,gentiles many names have such a significance2 not seldom names are found which are truly prophetic4 ,enoch is a prophetic name1 expressive of hope in the future as a relief to ,cain's mind1 or rather to his wife's1 for it was the latter who called the son she bore ,enoch1 from the ,hebrew ,hanach1 which signifies1 she dedicated1 or she devoted4 #bef4 ,this is a word frequently used by ,moses4 ,as when he says1 ,what man is there that hath built a new house1 and hath not dedicated it8 let him go and return to his house1 lest he die in the battle1 and another man dedicate it1 ,deut #bj1 #e4 ,the verb in this passage1 which signifies originally to dedicate1 here signifies to possess1 or to enjoy2 and when this possession or enjoyment begins1 it is attended with happy signs and auspicious invocations4 ,so when the wife of ,cain brought forth her first son1 she said to her husband1 ,enoch2 that is1 ,dedicate him1 devote him3 for the verb is in the imperative mood4 ,as if ,cain had said himself1 ,may this our beginning be happy and prosperous4 ,my father ,adam cursed me on account of my sin4 ,i am cast out of his sight4 ,i live alone in the world4 ,the earth does not yield me her strength2 she would be more fruitful to me1 had ,i not thus sinned4 ,and yet ,god now shows me uncovenanted mercy in giving me this son4 ,it is a good and happy beginning4 ,as in the generation of ,cain the corporal blessings begin with ,enoch1 so it is another ,enoch in the generation of the righteous under whom religion and spiritual blessings begin to flourish4 #beg4 ,that which is added by ,moses concerning the city ,cain thus built belongs to history4 ,but ,i have before observed that ,cain1 when separated from the true church and driven into banishment1 hated the true church4 ,when1 therefore1 ,cain thus first built a city1 that very act tended to show that he not only disregarded and hated the true ,church1 but wished also to oppose and oppress it4 ,for he reflects thus3 ,behold ,i am cast out by my father and ,i am cursed by him1 but my marriage is not a barren one2 therefore ,i have in this the hope of a great posterity4 ,what1 therefore1 is it to me that ,i am driven by my father from beneath his roof8 ,i will build a city1 in which ,i will gather a church for myself4 ,farewell1 therefore1 to my father and his church4 ,i regard them not4 #beh4 ,accordingly1 it is not through fear1 or for defense1 that ,cain built a city1 but from the sure hope of prosperity and success1 and from pride and the lust of dominion4 ,for he had no need whatever to fear his father and mother1 who at the divine command had thrust him out to go into some foreign land4 ,nor had he any more ground of fear from their children than from themselves4 ,but ,cain was inflated with pride through this uncovenanted mercy of ,god1 as ,i have termed it2 and1 as the world ever does1 he sought by means of his city an opportunity of emerging from his present state into future greatness4 ,the sons of ,god1 on the contrary1 are only anxious about another city1 which hath foundations1 whose builder and maker is ,god1 as we have it described in the ,epistles to the ,hebrews #aa1 #aj4 ,v4 #ah;a4 ,and unto ,enoch was born ,irad4 #bei4 ,what opinion to form concerning this name1 ,i really know not1 for its origin is very obscure2 and yet ,i believe the name is not accidental but prophetic4 ,in the book of ,joshua we have a city called ,ai2 and this same term is used elsewhere as an appellative4 ,now1 the proper name ,ai signifies1 a heap1 as a heap of fallen buildings4 ,and if with this name you compound the verb ,irad1 the word thus compounded will signify increase4 ,although the posterity of ,cain1 on account of their excommunication1 were at that time like a great heap of ruins1 it was his prayer that they might not altogether perish1 but be preserved and greatly increased by means of this son ,irad4 ,if anyone can offer a better interpretation1 ,i will by no means despise it2 for on obscure points like the present1 conjecture is quite allowable4 ,v4 #ah;b4 ,and ,irad begat ,mehujael4 #bfj4 ,this name is formed from the verb mahah1 which signifies to destroy1 and from jaal1 he began1 or he attempted or dared4 ,accordingly this name signifies that the posterity of ,cain should now enter upon so mighty an increase as to dare to set itself in array against the true ,church and to despise it and persecute it2 so mightily should it prevail by its wealth1 wisdom1 glory and numbers4 ,these1 indeed1 are for the most part the influences through which the true ,church is always overcome by the world and the false church4 ,v4 #ah;c4 ,and ,mehujael begat ,methushael4 #bfa4 ,meth signifies death1 and schaal means to ask1 or to demand4 ,hence we have the name ,saul2 that is1 demanded4 ,this name indicates a spirit haughtier than any of the others4 ,i understand it to signify that ,methushael threatens that he will avenge his parents1 who are dead1 whom the other church--that is the true ,church--has punished with excommunication and exile4 ,v4 #ah;d4 ,and ,methushael begat ,lamech4 #bfb4 ,hitherto the ,cainites seem to have insulted the true ,church with impunity and to have triumphed over them4 ,but the name ,lamech signifies that ,god1 at the time in which ,lamech was born1 inflicted on the posterity of ,cain their due punishment4 ,the name ,lamech is derived from the verb makak1 which signifies to humble1 to diminish1 to suppress4 ,or1 it may be understood actively1 to mean that in the time of ,lamech the posterity of ,cain so greatly increased that the true ,church was quite overwhelmed by them4 #bfc4 ,such was the posterity of ,cain2 men1 no doubt1 renowned for their wisdom and greatness4 ,and ,i also believe that some of them were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of ,god1 as ,i have above explained4 ,but far the greater part of them most bitterly hated and persecuted the true ,church4 ,they could not brook inferiority to the sons of ,adam1 the true ,church2 therefore they set up their own forms of worship1 and introduced many other new things for the sake of suppressing the church of ,adam4 ,and because the false church was thus kept separate from the true ,church1 ,i believe that ,cain married to each other his sons and daughters4 ,accordingly1 about the time of ,lamech1 ,cain's posterity began to multiply exceedingly4 ,and it is for this reason1 ,i believe1 that ,moses here terminates the list4 ,v4 #ai4 ,and ,lamech took unto him two wives2 the name of the one was ,adah1 and the name of the other ,zillah4 #bfd4 ,here again a twofold question arises4 ,in the first place divines dispute whether ,lamech married these two wives on account of lustful passion or for some other cause4 ,my belief is that polygamy was not entered into for the sake of lust1 but with the object of increasing his family1 and from the lust of dominion1 and especially so if1 as his name imports1 the ,lord at that time had been punishing the ,cainites1 or the posterity of ,cain1 by pestilence1 or by some other calamity4 ,in this case1 ,lamech probably thought by such expedient to retrieve his greatness4 ,thus barbarous nations retain polygamy to strengthen and establish both home and ,state4 #bfe4 ,as regards the names of these two wives1 the name of one is ,adah2 that is1 adorned1 or1 having chains on the neck4 ,adi signifies a neat1 or elegant woman1 and adah1 the verb1 signifies to adorn1 or1 to put on4 ,and perhaps this name was given to her1 not only because she was the mistress of the house1 elegantly adorned or clothed1 but because she was also beautiful4 ,the name of the other wife1 ,zillah1 signifies1 his shade4 ,v4 #bj4 ,and ,adah bare ,jabal2 he was the father of such as dwell in tents and have cattle4 #bff4 ,the name ,jabal is derived from the verb jabal1 which signifies to bring forward1 or to produce4 ,v4 #ba4 ,and his brother's name was ,jubal2 he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe4 #bfg4 ,and the name ,jubal has the same origin and signification2 for it means produced1 or introduced4 ,both these names1 therefore1 contain a wish or prayer of ,lamech concerning the increase of his family4 ,the posterity of ,cain always entertained the object and expectation of surpassing in numbers4 ,and1 no doubt1 the ,cainites held up this temporal blessing in the face of the true ,church as an evident proof that they were not cast off by ,god1 but were the very people of ,god4 ,v4 #bb4 ,and ,zillah1 she also bare ,tubal-cain1 the forger of every cutting instrument of 7an artificer in every workmanship of7 brass and iron2 and the sister of ,tubal-cain was ,naamah4 #bfh4 ,tubal-cain signifies1 produce property4 ,so the ,romans gave such names as ,valerius 7from valeo71 and ,augustus 7from augeo74 ,and ,naamah received her name from her sweetness1 or beauty4 ,this posterity of ,cain increased infinitely2 hence ,moses breaks off at this point4 #bfi4 ,now1 when he not only chronicles names but makes mention also of the deeds and labors of each one1 the ,jewish explanation is to be rejected that the offspring of ,cain was compelled to follow other occupations because the earth was cursed1 and hence gained their livelihood1 one as a shepherd1 another as a worker in brass1 and another as a musician1 obtaining grain and the other fruits of the earth from the offspring of ,adam4 ,but if the ,cainites had been so severely pressed by hunger1 they would have forgotten the harp1 organ and other instruments of music in their extremity2 for the enjoyment of music is not characteristic of the hungry and thirsty4 #bgj4 ,their invention of music and their efforts in the discovery of other arts is proof that they had the necessaries of life in abundance4 ,the reason1 therefore1 that the descendants of ,cain turned to these pursuits and were not contented with the simple food the earth produced1 like the descendants of ,adam1 was that they wished to rule1 and aimed at the high praise and glory of being men of talent4 ,i believe1 however1 that some of them passed over to the true ,church and followed the religion of ,adam4 #bga4 ,and such as ,moses here describes the generation of the wicked1 or the false church1 to be1 from the beginning down to the mighty flood of waters1 so we find it ever1 and such it will remain until the final flood of fire4 ,the sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light1 ,lk #af1 #h4 ,therefore it is that they ever advance and increase1 and commend themselves and their own1 and thus acquire riches1 dignities and power2 while the true ,church1 on the other hand1 always lies prostrate1 despised1 oppressed1 excommunicated4 ,vs4 #bc-bd4 ,and ,lamech said unto his wives3 ,adah and ,zillah1 hear my voice2 ye wives of ,lamech1 hearken unto my speech3 for ,i have slain a man for wounding me1 and a young man for bruising me4 ,if ,cain shall be avenged sevenfold1 truly ,lamech seventy and sevenfold4 #bgb4 ,thus far ,moses has given us a history of the generation of the children of this world1 and having brought down the list to the time of ,lamech and his wives and children1 he buries them1 as it were1 altogether in silence1 leaving them without any promise1 either of the life which is to come or of the life that now is4 ,for except that uncovenanted blessing of offspring and of food1 the ,cainites possessed nothing whatever4 ,yet they so increased in power and in multitude that they filled the whole world1 and at length overturned and ravaged to such an extent the righteous nation of the children of ,god which possessed the promise of the future and eternal life1 and sunk them into so deep a hell of wickedness1 that eight men only remained to be saved when the flood came upon the whole world of the ungodly4 ,and though there is no doubt that some of the generation of ,cain were saved both before the flood and in the flood1 yet the ,scriptures do not mention them1 to the end that we might the more fear ,god and walk according to his ,word4 ,but hard as the diamond are those human hearts which fail to be moved by such an example as the flood1 than which nothing more dreadful is to be found in the whole chain of time4 #bgc4 ,moses1 therefore1 having buried in silence the entire generation of ,cain1 records only one unimportant fact respecting ,lamech1 but what the real import of that fact is1 ,moses does not explain4 ,i know not that any other passage in the ,holy ,scriptures has been so diversely interpreted1 and so rent and wrested1 as this text4 ,for ignorance at least1 if eloquence is not1 is fruitful of surmises1 errors and fables4 ,i will mention some of the vulgar views upon the passage now before us4 #bgd4 ,the ,jews compose the fable that ,lamech1 when he had grown old and was blind1 was led by a youth into the woods to hunt wild beasts1 not for the sake of their flesh but for their skins2 circumstances which are altogether absurd1 and at once prove the whole fable to be a lie4 ,and they hold that ,cain was there1 concealed among the bushes1 and in that solitude he not only exercised repentance but sought security for his life4 ,the young man who directed the spear for ,lamech1 thinking he saw a wild beast in a certain thicket1 told ,lamech to hurl his spear1 and ,lamech hurled his spear and1 contrary to all thought1 pierced ,cain4 ,and they add that after ,lamech had been made conscious of the murder he had committed1 he immediately speared the youth himself1 who also died under the wound he received4 ,it was thus1 say the ,jews1 that the man and the young man were slain by ,lamech4 ,but such absurdities as these are utterly unworthy of refutation4 ,indeed1 ,moses himself completely refutes them2 he records the fact that ,cain1 far from fleeing into solitude and concealment1 built a city1 which implies that he governed a ,state and thereby established for himself a kind of kingdom4 ,moreover1 the ages of ,cain and ,lamech would not accord with this explanation1 for it is not at all probable ,cain lived to the time ,lamech became old and blind4 #bge4 ,there is still another ,jewish invention4 ,after ,lamech had killed ,cain1 his wives would no longer live with him1 through fear of the punishment they foreboded would come upon him1 and therefore ,lamech1 to comfort himself and to induce his wives to live with him1 prophesied that whosoever should kill him would assuredly be punished seventy and sevenfold4 ,the ,jews invent like absurdities also concerning the sons of ,lamech1 whom they say he taught to fabricate arms for the destruction of men4 ,other commentators1 again1 will have it that the sense of this text is to be taken negatively1 thus3 ,if ,i had killed a man1 as ,cain killed his brother1 ,i should have been worthy of your reprobation4 #bgf4 ,my interpretation1 accordingly1 is that the words1 ,if ,cain shall be avenged sevenfold1 etc41 are not to be taken for the ,word of ,god4 ,for that generation did not have the ,word2 how1 then1 could ,lamech be believed to have been a prophet8 ,thus1 even such a man as ,jerome produces the vagary that1 inasmuch as1 according to ,luke1 seventy-seven generations can be counted between ,adam and ,christ1 it was after this space of time that ,lamech's sin was taken away by ,christ4 ,if such vaporings are legitimate1 anything can be proved from the ,scriptures4 ,jerome even forgets that ,lamech represented the seventh generation from ,adam6 ,the word under consideration then1 is not to be placed upon the same level with the former1 spoken to ,cain2 for that was the ,word of ,god4 ,it is1 on the contrary1 the word of a wicked murderer2 not true1 but an audacious fiction1 based upon that spoken by ,adam to ,cain4 ,but why does he deliver his discourse not before his church but at home1 and only before his wives8 #bgg4 ,it is probable that the good and pious women were greatly alarmed on account of the murder committed by their husband4 ,the wicked murderer1 therefore1 to appear equally safe with ,cain1 endeavored in this way to reassure his wives concerning his safety from death4 ,this is what the wicked church is accustomed to do2 it prophesies out of its own head4 ,but all such prophecies are vain4 ,this one thing1 however1 we can gather from the present text1 that ,lamech did not utter the contents of his prophecy from the ,word of ,god1 but out of his own brain4 #bgh4 ,in respect to ,cain1 ,i do not think that he was killed by ,lamech1 but that he died long before the time of ,lamech4 ,and as there were continual animosities between the ,cainite church and the ,church of ,adam--for the ,cainites could not brook their being treated as outside of the true communion--my opinion is1 that ,lamech killed some eminent man and some distinguished youth of the generation of the righteous1 just as ,cain1 his father1 had killed ,abel4 ,and ,i believe that1 having committed such murders1 he wished to protect himself from being killed by uttering the words of the text1 after the manner of the protection vouchsafed by ,god to his father ,cain4 ,for ,lamech was no doubt a man of very great abilities and the chief man in his day and ,state4 ,he had also strengthened his cause by a novel venture1 for he was the first man who married two wives4 ,and he harassed the ,church of the godly in various ways1 as men are wont to do who combine talent with malice4 ,therefore he furnished his men with arms1 riches1 and pleasures1 that he might overcome the true ,church on every side1 which alone held the holy faith1 the pure ,word1 and the pure worship of ,god4 ,to all else he paid little attention4 #bgi4 ,it is very probable that the patriarch ,adam died about this time1 this being the first patriarchal death2 and there is no doubt that ,lamech seized this opportunity of transferring the whole government of the world at that time to himself1 that he might have all things under his own rule4 ,this is the manner in which the world acts to this day4 ,the ,church of ,god1 therefore1 placed as it were in the midst1 is oppressed on either side2 by tyrants and blood-thirsty men on the one hand1 and by those who are devoted to the concerns and pleasures of this world on the other4 ,as tyrants use violence and the sword to destroy the ,church1 so the latter entice her by their allurements4 #bhj4 ,hence it is that ,moses makes a special point of recording that the blood-thirsty seed of the ,cainites gave themselves up to pleasures and to other worldly pursuits4 ,and hence it is1 also1 that ,christ expressly shows that much blood was shed even before the flood1 by testifying that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth1 from the blood of ,abel the righteous unto the blood of ,zachariah son of ,barachiah1 whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar1 ,mt #bc1 #ce4 ,moses testifies subsequently 7,gen #f1 #a-ac71 that the earth before the flood was filled with iniquities2 and he is not speaking of the iniquities and violent deeds of thieves and adulterers1 but describes particularly the tyranny of the ,cainite church1 which pursued with all the violence of the sword the holy posterity of ,adam4 ,and it is for this same reason that the sacred historian describes the descendants of ,cain by the name giants4 ,these are the reasons which lead me to conclude that ,lamech followed in the footsteps of his father ,cain and slew some distinguished man of the holy patriarchs and his son4 #bha4 ,it was certainly an evidence of the greatest tyranny in ,lamech1 that1 when he had been discovered by his wives1 he did not grieve for what he had done1 but held in contempt the punishment which he had just cause to dread4 ,as if he had said3 ,i have killed a man 'tis true1 but what is that to you8 ,the wound of that belongs to me2 ,i shall be wounded for it1 not you4 ,i have indeed killed a young man1 but it is to my own hurt4 ,i shall be punished for it1 not you4 ,what utterances could evince more contempt than these in the face of open sins8 ,these are my thoughts on the passage now before us4 ,the text shows that the ,cainites were tyrannical men1 proud of their success1 and given to pleasure2 and the very words of ,lamech prove him to be a proud man1 not grieving at all for the murder he had committed1 but glorying in it as in a righteous cause4 ,the ,cainite church always excuses that tyranny which it exercises over the godly1 as ,christ says3 ,whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto ,god1 ,jn #af1 #b4 ,this is expressed in the additional words of ,lamech3 ,v4 #bd4 ,if ,cain shall he avenged sevenfold1 truly ,lamech seventy and sevenfold4 #bhb4 ,here ,lamech sets himself above his father ,cain1 making it appear that he had a more righteous cause for the murder he had committed1 and fortifying himself against those inclined to avenge the murders perpetrated by him4 ,for the words of the text are not the words of the ,lord1 as we have said1 but the words of ,lamech himself4 ,just so the pope fortifies himself by violence1 tyranny1 threats and anathemas1 to make himself secure against avengers1 for he has the conscience of a ,cain and a ,lamech4 ,let him1 says the pope1 who shall do anything contrary to these my decrees know that he shall incur the indignation of ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul4 #bhc4 ,lamech1 therefore1 is an example of this world1 and ,moses points to him to show what kind of a heart1 will and wisdom the world has4 ,just as if he had said in reference to ,lamech3 ,such are the actions of the seed of the serpent and such are the children of this world4 ,they gather riches1 follow their pleasures1 increase their power1 and then abuse all these things by their tyranny1 making use of them against the true ,church1 the members of which they persecute and slay4 ,and yet in the midst of all these mighty sins1 they fear not1 but are proud and secure1 boasting and saying1 ,what can the righteous do8 7,ps #aa1 #c73 ,our lips are our own3 who is lord over us8 7,ps #ab1 #d73 ,he 7the wicked7 saith in his heart3 ,god hath forgotten1 he hideth his face1 he will never see it1 7,ps #aj1 #aa73 and other like sentiments4 #bhd4 ,that such is the meaning of the passage in question the facts recorded prove1 though the words of the text do not so clearly express that meaning4 ,the true ,church has ever ,satan as its great enemy1 and he drives the ,cainites into fury1 disguised as devotion1 against their brethren1 the ,abels2 as ,christ also says1 affirming that the devil was a murderer from the beginning1 ,jn #h1 #dd4 ,it is declared throughout the ,scriptures concerning the true ,church1 that the wicked are ever shedding its blood4 ,the various passages in the ,psalms speak the same things1 ,precious shall their blood be in his sight1 ,ps #gb1 #ad4 ,again1 ,precious in the sight of ,jehovah is the death of his saints ,ps #aaf1 #ae4 ,and again1 ,for thy sake are we killed all the day long ,ps #dd1 #bb4 #bhe4 ,as1 therefore1 the ,church of ,god has at all times1 and in all ages1 given her blood to be shed by the wicked and by false brethren1 so also1 in that first age of the world she had to suffer from her enemies1 whom the ,scriptures call giants1 and affirm that those giants filled the earth with violence4 ,among these giants was also this ,lamech now before us1 who was one perhaps like ,pope ,julius ,,ii or ,clement ,,vii who although they exercised cruelty in the highest degree1 yet wished to be called and appear as most holy saints4 ,just so ,lamech here wishes to make it appear that he had a most righteous cause for the murder he had committed1 and therefore he threatened greater vengeance on the man who should kill him than ,god himself had threatened on the person who should slay his father1 the murderer ,cain4 #bhf4 ,in this manner1 the ,church was vexed with the cross and with persecutions from the very beginning of the world until ,god1 compelled by the wickedness of man1 destroyed the whole world by the flood4 ,just so1 also1 when the measure of ,pharaoh's malice was full he was drowned with all his host in the ,red ,sea4 ,just so1 again1 when the measure of the malice of the ,gentile nations was full they were all uprooted and destroyed by ,moses and ,joshua4 ,in the same manner afterwards when the ,jews raged against the ,gospel they were so utterly destroyed that not one stone was left upon another in ,jerusalem4 ,other instances are the ,babylonians1 the ,medes1 the ,persians1 the ,grecians1 and the ,romans4 #bhg4 ,the ,scriptures therefore do not record whom ,lamech killed4 ,they only record that two murders were committed by him1 and that ,lamech1 in his impenitence1 wished to protect himself in the same manner as his father ,cain had been divinely protected1 by issuing his proclamation1 thereby making it appear that he had righteous cause for the murder he committed4 ,and if this interpretation be not the true one1 it is at least certain that the generation of the ,cainites was a blood-thirsty generation1 and hated and persecuted the true ,church4 #bhh4 ,and it is1 moreover1 true that ,lamech had not the ,word1 and that1 accordingly1 his utterance is not to be considered in the same light as that word which was spoken to his father ,cain2 for the latter was the voice of truth1 but the word of ,lamech was the voice of his own pride1 expressive of the rule of ,satan and of a church of hypocrites1 which sins securely and yet glories in its sins as if they were deeds of righteousness4 ,c4 ,,the ,,posterity ,,of ,,the ,,righteous ,,in ,,detail2 ,,the ,,generations ,,of ,,the ,,righteous4 #a4 ,of ,seth4 a4 ,why ,seth is described in detail #bhi4 b4 ,why ,eve at ,seth's birth recalled ,cain's murder #bij4 99 ,how and why the first parents after ,abel's death refrained from bearing children #bia4 c4 ,seth's birth was announced before in a special way by ,god #bia-bib4 99 ,the uncovenanted grace of the ,cainites4 ,also1 why ,god did not mention that some of them would be saved #bic4 d4 ,how ,eve manifested special faith and obedience in ,seth's birth #bid-bie4 99 ,why the ,romish church never canonized ,eve #bif4 99 ,the idle fables of the ,jews about ,lamech and his wives1 and about ,adam's abstinence and ,cain's increase1 are to be rejected #big4 e4 ,a new generation springs from ,seth1 in which the promise shall be fulfilled #bih4 #b4 ,of ,enoch4 a4 ,what his name means1 and why it was given to him #bii4 99 ,the names of the holy patriarchs originated not by chance #bii4 b4 ,how true worship began under ,enoch #cjj-cjb4 99 ,of true worship4 7#a7 ,in what it consists #cja4 7#b7 ,why it was not in use before #cjb4 99 ,the meaning of the name of ,jehovah or the proclaiming of the name of ,jehovah #cjc4 7#c7 ,the right course to take in the doctrine concerning divine worship #cjd4 99 ,god always ministered comfort to his ,church under the cross #cje4 7#d7 ,what is the true worship according to the first table of the law #cjf-cjg4 7#e7 ,how true worship according to the second table follows from the first #cjh4 7#f7 ,people are to be instructed first and chiefly in the worship of the first table #cji4 7#g7 ,whether visible signs were present in these days in their worship1 and to what end they were necessary #caj-caa4 7#h7 ,the worship of which ,moses speaks is to be understood not of the ,cainites but of ,seth's posterity #cab4 99 ,a summary review of the contents of the fourth chapter of ,genesis #cac4 99 ,why the fifth chapter was written #cad4 99 ,why the ,jews cannot see the unity in the first five chapters of the ,bible #cae4 ,c4 ,,the ,,posterity ,,of ,,the ,,righteous ,,in ,,detail4 ,v4 #be4 ,and ,adam knew his wife again2 and she bare a son1 and called his name ,seth3 ,for1 said she1 ,god hath appointed me another seed instead of ,abel2 for ,cain slew him4 #bhi4 ,hitherto ,moses has spoken of the generation of the wicked only1 the whole of which he buries as it were with the above brief catalog4 ,the historian now turns to the description of the godly and of the true ,church4 ,and first of all1 we are to observe the manner of expression ,moses uses in reference to the name given by ,eve to her son3 ,and she called his name ,seth4 ,moses does not speak thus concerning ,cain when he was born1 nor concerning righteous ,abel1 nor with reference to ,enoch1 nor with reference to any of the others4 ,by this particular expression regarding ,seth and his name ,moses would signify that this was the first son in whom flowed the stream of the promise which had been made to the parents in paradise4 ,so ,eve is to be understood when she assigns the reason for giving her son this name4 ,eve manifests her surpassing godliness and faith in giving her son such a name4 #bij4 ,the fact that ,eve recalls the murder by wicked ,cain of his brother ,abel proves that there had existed a fierce enmity between these two churches1 and that she had witnessed and suffered many evils and indignities from the ,cainites4 ,because of this she now called to mind the awful murder which had been committed1 whereby ,cain wished to destroy the righteous seed that he might reign alone4 ,but thanks be to ,god1 says she1 who hath appointed me another seed instead of ,abel4 #bia4 ,moses here1 as is his usual manner1 embraces in the fewest possible words the mightiest things1 that he may incite the reader to the most diligent consideration of the works of ,god4 ,of the pain and righteous grief of the parents at the murder of ,abel by his brother we have spoken before4 ,i see no reason why we should not believe that after the perpetration of that horrible murder no son was born to ,adam until the birth of ,seth2 for it is most probable that the awful peril of a recurrence of a calamity like that which they had just experienced1 induced the godly parents to abstain from connubial intercourse4 ,i believe1 therefore1 that by a particular promise made to them by an angel1 their minds were again comforted and confirmed1 and that they were influenced to believe that a son of the description of ,seth would now be born unto them1 who should hold fast the promise2 and that1 although the generation of ,cain should utterly perish by their sin1 the generation of him about to be born should be preserved until the promised blessed seed should come into the world4 #bib4 ,it is a proof of some like particular promise having been revealed to the parents by an angel that ,eve adds to the name she gave to her son a kind of short sermon1 and that ,moses when recording this circumstance makes use of an expression not otherwise adopted by him in connection with the names ,adam or ,eve gave to their children3 ,and she called his name ,seth4 ,seth is derived from the ,hebrew verb sath1 which signifies he placed1 or he established1 and was intended to show that this son would be1 as it were1 the foundation on which the promise concerning ,christ would rest1 even though many other sons should be born unto the parents4 ,eve does not give him an exalted name1 such as ,cain1 yet she gives him a name signifying that the posterity of ,seth should never be suppressed or destroyed4 #bic4 ,the ,cainites1 cast out from the sight of their parents1 are left under a curse1 without any promise whatever1 and have only so much mercy as they receive from the generation of the righteous as beggars1 not as heirs4 ,this is the mercy we above called uncovenanted mercy4 ,but who1 of the posterity of the ,cainites1 obtained that mercy1 ,moses does not mention1 and his design in this omission is to keep separate the two churches3 the one the ,church of the righteous1 which had the promise of a life to come1 but in this life was poor and afflicted2 the other the church of the wicked1 which in this life is rich and flourishing4 #bid4 ,eve1 the mother of us all1 is highly to be praised1 as a most holy woman1 full of faith and charity1 because in the person of her son ,seth she so nobly lauds the true ,church1 paying no regard whatever to the generation of the ,cainites4 ,for she does not say1 ,i have gotten another son in the place of ,cain4 ,she prefers the slain ,abel to ,cain1 though ,cain was the first-born4 ,herein praise is due1 not only to her faith but to her eminent obedience2 for she is not only not offended at the judgment of ,god concerning righteous ,abel1 but she also changes her own judgment concerning ,god4 ,when ,abel was born she despised him1 and magnified ,cain as the first-born1 and as the possessor1 as she thought1 of the promise4 ,but now she acts in all things quite the contrary4 ,as if she had said3 ,after ,god's acceptance of him and of his offering1 ,i had placed all my hopes on my son ,abel1 because he was righteous2 but his wicked brother slew him4 ,but now ,god hath appointed me another seed instead of ,abel4 #bie4 ,she does not indulge her maternal affection for ,cain4 ,she does not excuse or lessen the sin of her son4 ,but she herself excommunicates him1 already excommunicated of ,god2 and she banishes him1 together with all his posterity1 among the polluted mass of the ,gentiles who live without any sure mercy of ,god1 laying hold only as they can of that uncovenanted mercy which1 as we have said1 they receive as beggars1 not as heirs4 #bif4 ,it is a great marvel1 surely1 that the church of the pope1 having made up so great a list of saints1 has not yet inserted in that catalog ,saint ,eve1 a woman full of faith and love1 and with an infinite number of crosses6 ,but perhaps we are to gather from this omission that it would rather follow the church of the ,cainites than the holy ,church4 #big4 ,i am inclined to say nothing here about that absurd and idle fable of the ,jews1 that ,lamech brought his disobedient wives to ,adam as judge1 and that when ,adam commanded them to render to their husband due benevolence the wives in reply asked ,adam why he did not do the same to ,eve4 ,these fablers say that ,adam1 who had refrained from the bed of his wife from the murder of ,abel to that time1 again lived with her as man and wife1 in order that he might not by his example induce others to maintain perpetual continence1 and thus prevent mankind from being multiplied4 ,all these fables show how impure the thoughts of the ,jews were4 ,of the same description is the like argument of these ,jews1 who hold that when ,seth was born1 which was within a hundred years after the death of ,abel1 the children of ,cain had increased unto the seventh generation4 ,such absurdities do wicked men invent to bring reproach upon the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,and of precisely the same description is the opinion that ,cain was born in paradise1 while1 as yet1 the original righteousness of his parents remained4 ,what is the object of this lying invention but to cause us to do away with ,christ altogether8 ,for take away original sin1 and what need is there of ,christ at all8 ,these things are indeed1 as we have intimated1 unworthy of being mentioned here4 ,but they are worthy the enemies of ,christ and the enemies of grace4 #bih4 ,in ,seth1 therefore1 we have a new generation1 which arises from and comes to pass in accordance with the great original promise1 that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head4 ,appropriately the name ,seth is bestowed1 so that ,eve may felicitate herself upon the fact that this seed is established1 safe from overthrow4 ,david uses the same verb3 ,if the foundations be destroyed1 what can the righteous do8 ,ps #aa1 #c4 ,and the ,hebrew word forms a perfect rhyme with its ,german equivalent3 ,seth--steht4 ,v4 #bf;a4 ,and to ,seth1 to him also there was born a son2 and he called his name ,enosh4 #bii4 ,the verb yikra1 he called1 is in the masculine gender1 by which you are to understand that it was the father who gave this name to his son4 ,in the former case the verb was feminine1 because ,eve gave to her son ,seth his name4 ,the expression in each case is different1 which difference of gender in a verb the ,latin language does not indicate4 ,enosh signifies a man afflicted or full of calamity4 ,what is man that thou art mindful of him1 ,ps #h1 #d4 ,seth1 accordingly1 intimates that at that time there was some persecution or affliction of the ,church4 ,that old serpent1 who had cast man out of paradise and had killed ,abel1 the man beloved of ,god1 was neither asleep nor idle4 ,therefore1 upon the consolation enjoyed in the birth of ,seth there soon follows another trial or tribulation1 which the godly parents ,adam and ,eve signalize by giving the name ,enosh to their son4 ,the names thus given are by no means to be considered accidental4 ,they were either prophetical or commemorative of some particular event4 ,v4 #bf;b4 ,then began men to call upon the name of ,jehovah4 #cjj4 ,the rabbins understand this as having reference to idolatry4 ,they think that about this time the name of ,jehovah began to be given to creatures3 to the sun1 the moon1 etc4 ,but ,moses is not here speaking of what the generation of ,cainites did1 but what the godly generation of ,adam did4 ,the sacred historian is testifying that after the birth of ,enosh there began the true worship of ,god1 the calling upon the name of ,jehovah4 #cja4 ,here ,moses most beautifully defines what it is to worship ,god1 to call upon the name of ,jehovah2 which is1 as it were1 the work of the first table and concerns the true worship of ,god4 ,now1 calling upon the name of ,jehovah embraces the preaching of the ,word1 faith1 or confidence in ,god1 confession1 etc4 ,paul beautifully joins these things together in the fourteenth verse of the tenth chapter of his ,epistle to the ,romans4 ,true1 the works of the second table also belong to the worship of ,god1 but these works do not refer directly and only to ,god as do the works of the first table4 #cjb4 ,after the confusion made in the house of ,adam by ,cain1 the generation of the godly began to multiply by degrees and a little ,church was formed1 in which ,adam as the high priest governed all things by the ,word and by sound doctrine4 ,moses here affirms that this took place about the time of the birth of ,enosh4 ,although this name implies that the ,church had been overwhelmed by some terrible disaster1 yet ,god raised her up again by his grace and mercy1 and added the great spiritual blessing of godly assemblage in a particular place1 with preaching1 prayer and the offering of sacrifices1 blessings which had hitherto perhaps been either hindered or forbidden by the ,cainites4 ,we have here1 then1 another evidence of the promised seed warring with the serpent and bruising its head4 #cjc4 ,furthermore1 as ,moses does not say3 ,jehovah began to be called upon1 but the name of ,jehovah1 the reference to ,christ recommends itself to our approval1 since also in other passages the ,schem ,jehovah 7the name of ,jehovah7 is so to be understood4 ,this expression1 then men began to call upon the name of ,jehovah1 contains a meaning most important4 ,it signifies that ,adam1 ,seth1 and ,enosh taught and exhorted their posterity to expect redemption and to believe the promise concerning the seed of the woman1 and to overcome by that hope the snares1 the crosses1 the persecutions1 the hatred and the violence of the ,cainites1 and not to despair of salvation1 but rather to give thanks unto ,god1 assured that he would at some time deliver them by the seed of the woman4 #cjd4 ,what could ,adam and ,seth teach greater or better than that the great deliverer1 ,christ1 was promised to their posterity8 ,and this is quite in keeping with the proper principle to be observed in religious instruction4 ,the first care should ever be directed to the first table4 ,when this table is well understood1 the right understanding of the second table will soon follow2 yea1 it is then easy to fulfil the latter4 ,for how is it possible that1 where pure doctrine is taught1 where men rightly believe1 rightly call upon the name of ,jehovah1 and rightly give thanks unto ,god1 the second and inferior fruits can be wanting8 #cje4 ,in this manner did it please ,god at that time to comfort the afflicted church of the godly and to prevent their despair concerning the future4 ,we see throughout the pages of sacred history a perpetual succession and change of consolations and afflictions4 ,joseph in ,egypt keeps alive his parents and his brethren when divinely visited by famine4 ,after this1 when these people were oppressed by wicked kings1 they were again delivered from their cruel bondage4 ,and ,cyrus delivers them when captives in ,babylon4 ,when ,god permits his own people to be oppressed by the violence and guile of the devil and the world1 he always lifts them up again and gives them prophets and godly teachers to restore his sinking church1 and to break for a while the fury of ,satan4 #cjf4 ,furthermore1 it is the intention to lay down a logical definition when it is claimed that the worship of ,god does not consist in ceremonies devised and transmitted by men1 in the erection of statues1 or the performance of other sport suggested by reason1 but in calling upon the name of ,jehovah4 ,worship in its truest meaning1 well-pleasing to ,god1 and subsequently made mandatory in the first commandment1 embraces the fear of ,god1 trust in ,god1 confession1 prayer and preaching4 #cjg4 ,the first commandment of the ,law demands faith1 that we believe ,god is the only helper in time of need1 ,ps #i1 #i4 ,the second commandment demands confession and prayer1 that we call upon the name of ,jehovah in times of peril and give thanks unto ,god4 ,the third commandment requires that we teach the truth1 and that we guard and defend sound doctrine4 ,these are the true and appropriate acts of the worship of ,god1 and they are those which ,god requires4 ,he requires not sacrifices nor money nor anything of the kind4 ,as regards the first table1 he requires that we hear1 consider and teach the ,word2 that we pray to ,god and fear him4 #cjh4 ,where these things exist1 the observances and works required by the second table follow1 as it were1 of their own accord4 ,it is impossible that he who does the works and performs the worship of the first table should not do and perform those of the second table also4 ,david saith3 ,his delight is in the law of ,jehovah2 and on his law doth he meditate day and night4 ,and he shall be like a tree planted by the stream of water2 that bringeth forth its fruit in its season1 whose leaf also doth not wither4 ,ps #a1 #b-c4 ,these things are evident consequences of the right worship of ,god1 according to the commandments of the first table4 ,he who believes ,god1 who fears ,god1 who calls upon ,god in tribulation1 who praises ,god and gives thanks unto him for his mercies1 who gladly hears the ,word of ,god1 who continually contemplates the works of ,god1 and who teaches others to do the same things--do you think that such a one will harm his neighbor1 or disobey his parents1 or kill1 or commit adultery8 #cji4 ,the first table1 therefore1 is to be set forth first of all1 and instruction as regards the true worship is to receive precedence to all else4 ,this means1 first to make the tree good on which good fruit is to grow4 ,now1 our adversaries take the diametrically opposite course2 they want to have the good fruit before they have even the tree4 #caj4 ,moreover1 ,i believe that about this time there was added some visible ceremony of divine worship1 for ,god is ever wont thus to do4 ,he always joins with the ,word some visible sign4 ,when ,abel and ,cain presented their offerings ,god showed by a visible sign from heaven that he had respect unto ,abel and his offering1 but not unto ,cain and his offering4 ,and so1 in all probability1 it was in this case and at this time4 ,when the ,church began to flourish and the ,word of ,god was publicly taught with considerable success1 ,god added also some visible sign1 that the ,church might assuredly know that she pleased ,god4 #caa4 ,but whatever that sign was1 whether fire from heaven or something else1 ,god withheld it until the third generation1 that men might learn to be content with the ,word alone4 ,afterwards1 when men had comforted themselves by the ,word alone against the ,cainites1 in all tribulations1 ,god of his great mercy added to the ,word some visible sign4 ,he established a place and appointed persons and ceremonies to which the ,church might gather for the exercise of faith1 for preaching and prayer4 ,by means of these things1 the ,word or the first table and then a visible sign ordained of ,god1 a ,church is constituted1 in which men undergo discipline through teaching1 hearing1 and the partaking of the sacraments4 ,then upon these things will assuredly follow the works of the second table1 which are acceptable1 and acts of worship1 only on the part of those who possess and practice the first table4 #cab4 ,this gift of ,god1 ,moses sets forth in the few short words of the text before us1 when he says1 ,then began men to call upon the name of ,jehovah4 ,for this beginning to call upon the name of ,jehovah was not on the part of the ,cainites1 as the ,jews explained the passage1 but on the part of the godly posterity of ,adam1 which alone was then the true ,church4 ,if any of the posterity of ,cain were saved1 it must of necessity have been by joining this ,church4 #cac4 ,the sum of the first four chapters of ,genesis is that we are to believe in a resurrection of the dead after this life1 and a life eternal through the ,seed of the woman4 ,this is the blessed portion of the godly1 of them that believe1 who in this life are filled with afflictions and subject to injuries at the hands of all men4 ,to the wicked1 on the contrary1 are given1 as their portion1 the riches and power of this world1 which they use against the true ,church of ,god4 ,in the first chapter it is shown that man was created unto immortality1 because he was created in the image of ,god4 ,the teaching also of the second chapter sets forth the same thing1 ,in the day that thou eatest thereof1 thou shalt surely die4 ,it follows that the first created man and woman could not have died if they had not eaten of that fruit4 ,by their sin of eating they fell from immortality to mortality1 and they begat an offspring like unto themselves4 ,in the third chapter immortality is set forth anew1 as restored by the promise of the ,seed of the woman4 ,in the fourth chapter we have an especial example of immortality set before us in ,abel1 who1 after he had been slain by his brother1 was received into the bosom of ,god1 who testified that the voice of the blood of ,abel cried unto him from the ground4 #cad4 ,and the fifth chapter1 which now follows1 is expressly written to set forth the immortality of ,enoch1 who was taken up into heaven by the ,lord4 ,although the following chapter is necessary as a chronicle of the number of the years of the generation of the righteous1 yet its most remarkable feature is its record that ,enoch did not die like ,adam1 nor was slain like ,abel1 nor carried away1 nor torn to pieces by lions and bears1 but was taken up into heaven and translated into immortality by the ,lord himself2 all which was written that we might believe in the ,seed of the woman1 ,christ our ,redeemer and ,satan's conqueror1 and that through him we also might expect a life immortal after this mortal and afflicted life4 #cae4 ,this harmony of these five chapters the ,jews see not1 for they are destitute of that sun which sheds light upon these things and makes them manifest2 which sun is ,christ1 by whom we have the remission of sins and life immortal4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,i4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,generations ,,of ,,man1 ,,and ,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,the ,,cainites4 ,a4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,generations ,,of ,,man4 #a4 ,the reasons why ,moses records the generations of ,adam #a4 #b4 ,why he so particularly gives the years1 and in the case of each patriarch adds and he died #a-b4 #c4 ,why ,enoch is placed in the records of the dead #c-d4 99 ,was ,enoch a sinner1 and do sinners have hope of eternal life #d4 99 ,of death4 a4 ,how we are to comfort ourselves against death #e4 b4 ,how reason views death1 and how the best heathen philosophers viewed it #f4 c4 ,the knowledge the ,scriptures give us of death #f4 #d4 ,how we may be greatly profited by the book of the generations of the ancient world #g4 #e4 ,why the book of the generations of ,cain is larger than that of ,seth's #g4 99 ,how terrible that both lines were totally destroyed1 except eight persons #h4 #f4 ,the aim of ,moses in writing this book of the generations of ,adam #i4 99 ,the glory of the first world #aj4 a4 ,what was this glory #i-aj4 b4 ,why this glory was revealed #aj4 c4 ,profitable and interesting to meditate upon it #aa4 d4 ,the patriarchs of the first world the most holy of all martyrs #ab4 ,b4 ,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,the ,,cainites4 #a4 ,the ,cainites greatly tormented ,god's ,church1 especially after ,adam's death #ab4 #b4 ,to what end their hatred and persecution served the holy patriarchs #ac4 99 ,why ,moses did not record the zeal of the holy fathers against the ,cainites #ad4 99 ,why ,moses gives such a short description of the deluge #ae4 99 ,the character of the first world #af4 99 ,luther's lamentation over the character of the last world2 its approaching destruction1 and an earnest prayer to ,god #af-ah4 ,i4 ,,the ,,records ,,of ,,the ,,generations ,,of ,,man ,,and ,,the ,,glory ,,of ,,the ,,cainites4 ,a4 ,the ,records of the ,generations of ,man4 ,v4 #a4 ,this is the book of the generations of ,adam4 #a4 ,this chronicle has been arranged by ,moses for two reasons4 ,first1 on account of the promise of the seed made to ,adam2 and second1 on account of ,enoch4 ,moses writes still another genealogy in the tenth chapter1 after the flood1 from a far different motive than the present4 ,in the present chapter1 he gives the number of the years of the righteous and adds with a special purpose in the case of each one1 the words1 and he died4 #b4 ,this little phrase may at first thought appear superfluous4 ,after the historian has said1 ,all the days that ,adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years1 what seems to be the use of his adding the few words1 and he died8 ,the statement as to the number of his years connotes also the time of his death2 for had he lived longer1 the additional years would have been contained in the enumeration4 ,moses1 however1 does this with the definite purpose of pointing out the unspeakable wrath of ,god against sin1 and the inevitable punishment of it1 inflicted by him on the whole human race1 on the righteous as well as on the wicked4 ,so does the ,apostle ,paul pursue his argument1 drawn from this very portion of the ,holy ,scripture3 ,as through one man sin entered into the world1 and death through sin2 and so death passed upon all men1 for that all sinned1 ,rom #e1 #ab4 ,this is a consequence perpetuated through all generations4 ,adam died1 therefore ,adam was a sinner4 ,seth died1 therefore ,seth was a sinner4 ,infants die1 therefore infants partake of sin and so are sinners4 ,this is what ,moses intends to set forth when he says1 concerning the whole line of patriarchs1 that1 though they were all sanctified and renewed by faith1 yet1 they died6 #c4 ,nevertheless1 from this line of the dying there flames starlike a most lovely light of immortality when ,moses here records concerning ,enoch that he was not2 that is1 he no longer appeared among men1 and yet he did not die but was taken up into heaven by the ,lord himself4 ,by this glorious fact is signified that the human race is indeed condemned to death on account of sin1 and yet the hope of life and immortality is left us1 that we need not abide in death forever4 #d4 ,for this cause ,god thought it needful1 not only that the promise of life should be given to the original world1 but that immortality should be demonstrated by an object lesson4 ,accordingly ,moses said of each patriarch that he fulfilled so many years of life and died3 that is1 suffered the punishment of sin1 or1 was a sinner4 ,but the divine historian does not use these expressions concerning ,enoch4 ,not because that patriarch was not a sinner1 but because1 even unto such sinners as he1 there was left a hope of eternal life through the blessed seed4 ,therefore all the patriarchs1 who died in the faith of this seed1 held fast the hope of eternal life4 ,enoch1 therefore1 is the second object lesson by which ,god makes it manifest that it is his will to give unto us life eternal after this life4 ,the ,lord says that ,abel1 who was killed by his brother1 still lived1 and that his voice cried from the ground4 ,in the present instance1 ,enoch is taken up by the ,lord himself into heaven4 #e4 ,we will not despair1 therefore1 though we see death1 derived from ,adam1 extend to every one of the whole human race4 ,we must1 indeed1 suffer death because we are sinners4 ,but we shall not abide in death4 ,we rather have a hope in a divine purpose and providence whereby ,god designs our deliverance from death4 ,this deliverance has begun with the promise of the blessed seed1 and has been demonstrated by ,abel and ,enoch as object lessons4 ,wherefore we possess the first fruits of immortality4 ,the ,apostle ,paul says1 ,for in hope were we saved1 ,rom #h1 #bd4 ,hope saves us until the fullness of immortality shall be brought unto us at the last day1 when we shall see and feel that eternal life which we possessed here in faith and hope4 #f4 ,now1 the flesh does not understand this4 ,the flesh judges that man dies like a beast4 ,men1 occupying the front rank of philosophers have felt accordingly that by death the soul is separated and delivered from the prison of the body1 to mingle1 free from all bodily infirmities1 in the assembly of the gods4 ,such was the immortality dreamed of by the philosophers1 though steadfastness of grasp and of vision was out of the question4 ,the ,holy ,scriptures1 however1 teach differently concerning the resurrection and eternal life2 they place this hope so plainly before our eyes as to leave no room for doubt4 #g4 ,next in order1 we find in this chapter a reflection of the condition of the primitive world4 ,the ten antediluvian patriarchs belonging to the lineage of ,christ1 with their descendants1 are enumerated4 ,nor is it a useless study to put these data before one's eyes on paper1 according to the directions given by ,moses1 to see who the patriarchs were1 who were their contemporaries1 and how old they became1 as ,i have taken the time to do4 ,cain also has his line1 as ,moses has shown in the preceding chapter1 and ,i have no doubt that the posterity of ,cain was far more numerous than that of righteous ,seth4 #h4 ,from these two families1 as from roots1 was the world peopled1 down to the deluge1 in which both branches1 with their two classes of descendants 7that is1 the posterity of the wicked and that of the righteous7 were rooted out of the earth1 eight souls only being left1 and even among them one was wicked4 ,accordingly1 as in this chapter a magnificent picture of the primeval world is presented to our view1 so we behold also the incalculable wrath of ,god1 and the horrible event of the reduction of the total offspring of these patriarchs to eight souls4 #i4 ,we will reserve this awful record for its proper time and place4 ,let us now do that which ,moses does in the present chapter1 who wants us to consider the exceeding splendor of this primeval age of the world4 ,adam lived beyond the age of his grandson ,enoch1 and died but a short time before ,noah was born4 ,a hundred and twenty years only intervened between the death of ,adam and the birth of ,noah4 ,seth died only fourteen years before ,noah's birth4 ,enosh and the rest of the patriarchs1 except ,enoch1 lived at the same time with ,noah4 ,thus by a comparison of the figures1 we shall ascertain that quite a number of gray-headed patriarchs1 of whom one lived seven hundred1 and another nine hundred years1 were contemporaries1 and teaching and governing the ,church of the godly4 #aj4 ,the exceeding glory of the primitive world consists in this1 that it contained so many good and wise and holy men4 ,we are by no means to think that all these are merely common names of plain and simple men4 ,they were the greatest heroes and men of renown that the world ever witnessed1 next to ,christ and ,john the ,baptist4 ,in the last day we shall behold and admire the real majesty of all these worthies1 and then we shall truly behold the mighty deeds which these mighty men wrought4 ,yes1 it will then be made manifest what ,adam did1 what ,seth did1 what ,methuselah did1 and the others2 what they suffered from the old serpent2 how they comforted and fortified themselves1 by their hope in the promised seed1 against all the harm and violence of the world1 that is1 of the ,cainites2 what craft they experienced2 what injuries and hatred and contempt they bore for the glory of the blessed seed to be born from their lineage4 ,we are assuredly not to imagine that these great and holy men lived without severe afflictions and innumerable crosses4 ,all these things1 ,i say1 shall be revealed at the last day4 #aa4 ,and it is an undertaking1 as ,i said1 full of profit and pleasure now to contemplate with our minds1 as with open eyes1 that happy age1 in which so many patriarchs lived contemporaneously1 nearly all of whom1 except ,noah1 had seen and known their first father1 ,adam4 ,b4 ,the ,glory of the ,cainites4 #ab4 ,also the ,cainites had their glory4 ,among them were men most eminent in the liberal arts1 and the most consummate hypocrites1 who gave the true ,church a world of trouble1 and harassed the holy patriarchs in every possible way4 ,we may justly call all those who were thus oppressed by them most holy martyrs and confessors4 ,the ,cainites1 as ,moses before intimated1 very soon surpassed the other descendants of ,adam in numbers and activity4 ,although they were compelled to revere their father ,adam1 yet they adopted all possible means of oppressing the ,church of the godly1 and especially so after the death of the first patriarch1 ,adam4 ,by such wickedness1 these ,cainites helped to bring on the flood as retribution4 #ac4 ,this power and malice of the ,cainites caused the holy patriarchs to teach and instruct their ,church with increased zeal and industry4 ,what numerous and powerful sermons may we suppose were preached by them in the course of these most eventful years6 ,there is no doubt that both ,adam and ,eve testified of their original state of innocence1 described the glory of paradise and warned their posterity to beware of the serpent1 who1 by tempting them to sin1 had caused all these great evils4 ,how constant may we suppose them to have been in explaining the promise of the blessed seed6 ,how earnestly must they have exhorted the hearts of their followers to be moved neither by the splendor of the ,cainites nor by their own afflictions4 #ad4 ,all these particulars ,moses omits to record1 both because they could not be described on account of their infinite variety of detail and because the revelation of them is reserved for that great day of deliverance and glory6 #ae4 ,likewise the flood1 in spite of its horror1 is described with the greatest brevity because he wished to leave such things to the meditation of men4 #af4 ,for the same reasons ,moses has purposely given us1 in these first five chapters1 as briefly as possible1 a picture of the original and primeval world4 ,it was an admirable condition of life1 and yet that primeval age contained a multitude of the worst of men1 in consequence not more than eight souls were saved from the destroying flood6 ,what then1 may we conclude1 will be the state of things before the last day shall come1 seeing that even now1 under the revealed light of the ,gospel1 there is found so great a host of despisers of it that there is cause to fear that they will fill the world ere long with errors and prevail to the extinction of the ,word altogether4 #ag4 ,awful is the voice of ,christ when it utters the words1 ,nevertheless1 when the ,son of man cometh1 shall he find faith on the earth8 ,lk #ah1 #h4 ,and in ,matthew #bd1 #cg-ch1 our ,lord compares the last days with the days of ,noah4 ,these utterances of our ,lord are indeed most awful4 ,but the world1 in its security and ingratitude1 is a despiser of all the threats as well as all the promises of ,god4 ,it abounds in iniquities of every kind and becomes daily more corrupt4 ,from the time that the popes ceased to rule among us1 who had ruled the whole world by means of the mere dread of their vengeance1 sound doctrine has been despised1 and men have degenerated into all but brutes and beasts4 ,the number of holy and godly preachers of the ,word is becoming less and all men are indulging their desires4 ,the last day1 however1 shall assuredly come upon the world as a thief1 and will overtake these men in all their security1 and in the indulgence of their ambition1 tyranny1 lust1 avarice1 and vices of every kind4 #ah4 ,and let it be remembered that it is ,christ himself who has foretold these things1 and we can not possibly imagine that he would lie4 ,if the primitive world1 which contained so mighty a multitude of the greatest patriarchs1 was so wholly corrupted1 what may we not have cause to dread in the weakness of our nature8 ,may the ,lord our ,god grant that we may be gathered1 as soon as possible1 in the faith and confession of his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 unto these our fathers2 yea1 if it please him1 that we may die within the next twenty years1 and not live to see the miseries and calamities1 both temporal and spiritual1 of the last time6 ,amen6 ,,ii4 ,,adam ,,and ,,his ,,son ,,seth4 #a4 ,the name ,adam1 and why given to the first man #ai4 #b4 ,the ,jews' fables of ,adam's cohabitation with ,eve #bj4 99 ,purity of doctrine cannot be expected from the ,jews #bj4 #c4 ,why ,moses so carefully describes the times of ,adam #ba4 #d4 ,why it is said of ,adam that he was created in the likeness of ,god #ba-bc4 99 ,the likeness of ,god4 a4 ,the difference between ,zelem and ,demuth #bb-bc4 b4 ,how the likeness of ,god was lost and how it is restored #bd4 c4 ,whether it can be fully restored in this life #be4 #e4 ,the prating of the rabbins about the name ,adam #bf4 99 ,why ,moses here mentions the blessing #bg4 99 ,why he did not refer to the blessing in the descriptions of ,cain and ,abel #bh4 #f4 ,how long it was before ,adam begat ,seth #bi4 99 ,abel's age when murdered #bi4 #g4 ,how and why ,adam mourned so long for his son ,abel1 and therefore refrained from bearing children #bi-cj4 #h4 ,the ,jews' fable of ,adam's vow of chastity refuted #cj4 #i4 ,how we are to understand that ,adam begat a son in his own likeness #ca4 #aj4 ,whether ,adam's son ,seth had ,god's likeness #ca4 #aa4 ,how ,adam acquired again the lost image #cb4 #ab4 ,how ,seth secured the likeness of ,god #cb4 #ac4 ,why ,adam gave his son the name ,seth2 its meaning #cc4 99 ,the long lives of the first men4 a4 ,longevity a part of the happy state of the first world #cd4 b4 ,the causes of such long lives #cd-ce4 99 ,men's bodies were much stronger and healthier than ours #ce4 c4 ,whether the climate1 food and holy living contributed to this end #cf-cg4 99 ,the creatures given to man for food after the flood were inferior to those before1 and they injured the body more than nourished it #cg4 d4 ,luther's thoughts on this theme #ch4 #ad4 ,which is the first or chief branch born from ,adam and ,eve #ci4 #ae4 ,how long ,adam lived after ,seth's birth #ci4 99 ,the glory of the first world #dj4 99 ,the histories of the first world were most excellent1 but they were destroyed in the flood #da4 99 ,eve's age and experiences #db4 99 ,the age of the first world is called the golden age #dc4 ,,ii4 ,,adam ,,and ,,his ,,son ,,seth4 ,v4 #a;a4 ,this is the book of the generations of ,adam4 #ai4 ,adam1 as will be stated further on1 is the common name of the whole human race1 but it is applied to the first man more expressly as an appellation of dignity1 because he was the source1 as it were1 of the whole human family4 ,the ,hebrew word sepher1 a book1 is derived from saphar1 which signifies to narrate or to enumerate4 ,wherefore this narration or enumeration of the posterity of ,adam is called the book of the generations of ,adam4 ,v4 #a;b4 ,in the day that ,god created man1 in the likeness of ,god made he him4 #bj4 ,this clause of the sacred text has induced the blind ,jews to fable that ,adam slept with ,eve as his wife in paradise on the same day in which he was created1 and that she conceived in that same day4 ,fables of this kind are numerous among them1 nor may anything sound or pure in the matter of scriptural interpretation be expected of them4 #ba4 ,the intent of ,moses1 in this clause1 is to record the complete age of ,adam1 and to number the days of his life from the day of his creation1 and1 at the same time1 to show that before ,adam there was no generation4 ,generation is to be clearly distinguished from creation4 ,there was no generation before ,adam1 but creation only4 ,adam and ,eve were not born but created1 and that directly by ,god himself4 ,moses adds1 ,in the likeness of ,god made he him4 ,we are to understand1 then1 that when he afterwards mentions that ,adam begat ,seth1 he numbers his years from the very day of his creation4 #bb4 ,in respect to ,adam's having been made in the likeness of ,god1 we have shown above in its place what that likeness of ,god was4 ,although almost all commentators understand the expressions1 the likeness of ,god1 and the image of ,god1 to mean one and the same thing1 yet so far as ,i have been able from careful investigation to reach a conclusion1 there is a difference between the two terms4 ,zelem properly signifies an image1 or figure1 as when the ,scripture says1 ,ye shall break down their images1 ,ex4 #bc1 #bd1 in which passage the original term signifies nothing more than the figures1 or statues1 or images erected by men4 ,but demuth signifies a likeness1 or the perfectness of an image4 ,for instance1 when we speak of a lifeless image1 such as that which is impressed on coins1 we say1 ,this is the image of ,brutus or of ,caesar4 ,that image1 however1 does not reproduce the likeness1 nor exhibit every single feature4 #bc4 ,accordingly1 when ,moses says that man was created also in the likeness of ,god1 he points out that man resembles ,god not only in the possession of reason1 or of intellect and will1 but that he has also the likeness of ,god1 that is1 a will and an intellect1 with which he knows ,god and wills what he wills4 #bd4 ,if man1 having been created both in the image and in the likeness of ,god1 had not fallen1 he would have lived forever1 full of joy and gladness1 and would have possessed a will joyfully eager to obey the will of ,god4 ,but by sin both this likeness and this image were lost4 ,they are1 however1 in a measure1 restored by faith1 as we are told by the apostle1 ,col #c1 #aj2 ,eph #d1 #bd4 ,for we begin to know ,god1 and the spirit of ,christ helps us1 so that we desire to obey the commandments of ,god4 #be4 ,of these blessed gifts we possess only the first-fruits4 ,this new creation within us is only as yet begun2 it is not perfected here in the flesh4 ,the will is in some measure stirred to praise ,god1 to give him thanks1 to confess sin1 and to exercise patience1 but all this is only the first-fruits4 ,the flesh1 obeying the law of its nature1 still follows the things of the flesh1 while it opposes the things of ,god4 ,the result is that the restoration of such gifts in us is only in the initial stage2 but the full tithe of this likeness in all its perfection shall be rendered in the future life1 when the sinful flesh shall have been destroyed by death4 ,v4 #b4 ,male and female created he them1 and blessed them1 and called their name ,adam1 in the day when they were created4 #bf4 ,i have above observed that the general name ,adam was applied to ,adam alone1 by reason of his superiority4 ,i omit to mention those vagaries of the rabbins1 who say that no man can be called ,adam unless he has a wife4 ,likewise1 no woman can be called ,adam unless married4 ,the thought may have been drawn from the teachings of the fathers1 but the ,jews have corrupted it by their foolish fancies and opinions4 #bg4 ,moses aims to show this blessing was not taken from man because of his sin1 since the blessing of bearing children and ruling them continued with ,cain though he had murdered his brother4 #bh4 ,moses mentions not ,abel1 for he had died without an heir and is presented to us as an example of the resurrection of the dead4 ,neither is ,cain mentioned1 who because of his sin was cut off from the true ,church4 #bi4 ,scripture says nothing of what ,adam and ,eve did during the one hundred years4 ,some of our writers add a hundred years longer ,adam should have lived with ,eve before ,cain slew his brother ,abel1 which makes ,adam two hundred and thirty years of age when ,seth was born4 ,it seems to me plausible that the godly parents passed one hundred years in sorrow and mourned the great dishonor that befell their family4 ,after ,adam was expelled from paradise did he first beget children1 sons and daughters1 who were like him1 and ,abel was perhaps thirty years of age when he was slain4 ,it appears the children were not much younger than their parents1 who were not born1 but created4 #cj4 ,i believe1 accordingly1 that the godly parents indulged their grief1 and abstained from connubial intercourse4 ,this abstinence1 however1 was not maintained with the intent which the ,jews fable1 who absurdly affirm that ,adam vowed perpetual chastity1 like our monks1 and that he would still have kept his vow had he not been commanded by an angel from heaven to live together with his wife4 ,such a story as this is only fit to be told to a ,roman pontiff of the age of forty1 who alone is worthy of listening to such fables4 ,no1 ,adam was not so wicked as thus to refuse the gift and command of ,god6 ,such abstinence would have been taking vengeance on himself for the grief he had endured1 and it would have meant to reject the gift of that blessing which ,god had been pleased to leave to nature even in its fallen state4 ,moreover1 this was a matter not left in the power of ,adam4 ,as ,moses has clearly shown1 ,god had created him a male4 ,he had1 therefore1 need of a female1 or wife1 because the instinct of procreation was implanted in his nature by ,god the ,creator1 himself4 ,if therefore ,adam abstained1 he did so for a reason only1 intending to return to his ,eve after giving vent to his grief for a time4 #ca4 ,moses here expressly adds1 concerning ,adam1 that he begat a son in his own likeness1 after his image4 ,theologians entertain various opinions as to the real meaning of those expressions4 ,the simple meaning is1 that ,adam was created in the image and after the likeness of ,god1 or that he was the image of ,god1 created1 not begotten2 for ,adam had no parents4 ,but in this image of ,god ,adam continued not2 he fell from it by sin4 ,seth1 therefore1 who was afterwards born1 was begotten1 not after the image of ,god1 but after the image of his father ,adam4 ,that is1 he was altogether like ,adam2 he resembled his father ,adam1 not only in his features1 but he was like him in every way4 ,he not only had fingers1 nose1 eyes1 carriage1 voice1 and speech1 like his father1 but he was like him in everything else pertaining to body and soul1 in manners1 disposition1 will and other points4 ,in these respects ,seth did not bear the image of ,god which ,adam possessed originally1 and which he lost2 but he bore the likeness of ,adam1 his father4 ,but this likeness and image were not of ,god by creation1 but of ,adam by generation4 #cb4 ,now1 this image included original sin1 and the punishment of eternal death on account of sin1 which ,god inflicted on ,adam4 ,but as ,adam1 by faith in the seed that was to come1 recovered the image of ,god1 which he had lost1 so ,seth also recovered the same after he grew up to man's estate2 for ,god impressed again his own likeness upon him through the ,word4 ,paul refers to this when he says to the ,galatians1 ,my little children1 of whom ,i am again in travail until ,christ be formed in you1 ,gal #d1 #ai4 #cc4 ,of the name ,seth ,i have spoken above4 ,it denotes command1 and voices the sentiments of one praying and prophesying good news1 as if ,adam had said3 ,cain has not only himself fallen1 but also caused his brother to fall4 ,may ,god1 therefore1 grant that this my son ,seth shall stand as a firm foundation which ,satan shall not overthrow4 ,such blessing or prayer is implied in the name4 ,vs4 #d-e4 ,and the days of ,adam after he begat ,seth were eight hundred years and he begat sons and daughters4 ,and all the days that ,adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died4 #cd4 ,this is another part of the happiness of that age1 that men attained to so long life4 ,such longevity1 when compared with the length of our lives1 seems quite incredible4 ,a question naturally arises as to the cause and theory of such old age4 ,i am not at all displeased with the reasons assigned by some1 that the constitutions of men were then far better than ours are now1 and also that all things then used for food were more healthful than those now used4 ,to these particulars we must add that important requisite for a long life1 the greatest moderation in the use and enjoyment of food4 ,to what extent the latter conduces to health1 is needless to explain4 #ce4 ,though the body was sounder than at present1 yet the general vigor and strength of limb which men had in paradise before the advent of sin1 had passed away4 ,it is true1 however1 that their bodily well-being was enhanced when1 after the fall1 they were renewed and regenerated through faith in the promised seed4 ,for the same reason1 also1 sin was weakened through faith in the seed4 ,as for us1 we have lost their strength and vigor just in proportion as we have departed from their righteousness4 #cf4 ,with reference to food1 who cannot easily believe that one apple1 in that primeval age1 was more excellent and afforded a greater degree of nourishment than a thousand in our time8 ,the roots1 also1 on which they fed1 contained infinitely more fragrance1 virtue and savor1 than they possess now4 ,all these conditions1 but notably holiness and righteousness1 the exercise of moderation1 then the excellence of the fruit and the salubrity of the atmosphere--all these tended to produce longevity till the time came for the establishment of a new order by ,god which resulted in a decided reduction of the length of man's life4 #cg4 ,now1 if we turn to consider thoughtfully our present mode of life1 we find that we are much more corrupted than nourished by the meat and drink we consume4 ,in addition to the immoderation characterizing our life1 how much have the fruits themselves lost in excellence8 ,our first parents lived moderately1 and chose only those things for their meat and drink calculated to nourish and refresh their bodies4 ,there can be no doubt that after the deluge all the fruits of the earth deteriorated greatly4 ,even so1 in our own age1 we find all things deteriorate4 ,the ,italian wines and fruits differ no more from our own at the present day than the fruits before the deluge differed from those produced amid that brackishness and foulness made by the sea4 #ch4 ,these causes1 with others which many assign for the great longevity of the primeval patriarchs1 ,i by no means disapprove4 ,but this one reason is quite sufficient1 in my opinion1 that it pleased ,god to give them such length of life in the best part of the world4 ,yet we see1 as ,peter strikingly says1 that ,god willed not to spare the old world1 no1 not even the angels in heaven that sinned2 so horrible a thing is sin4 ,sodom and ,gomorrah were the choicest portion of the earth1 and yet1 on account of sin1 they were utterly destroyed4 ,in the same manner the ,holy ,scriptures everywhere set forth the greatness of sin1 and exhort to the fear of ,god4 #ci4 ,we have now the root1 or rather the source1 of the human race1 namely ,adam and his ,eve4 ,from these ,seth is born1 the first branch of this tree4 ,but as ,adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of ,seth1 ,adam saw himself in possession of numerous progeny4 ,this was the period of the restoration of righteousness through the promise of the seed to come4 ,afterwards1 however1 when men increased1 and the sons of ,god mingled with the daughters of men1 the world gradually became corrupt1 and the majesty of the holy patriarchs became an object of contempt4 #dj4 ,it is an attractive sight1 to view the number of gray-headed patriarchs living at the same time4 ,only a little ciphering is required to do it4 ,if you compute carefully the years of our first parent1 ,adam1 you will see that he lived over fifty years with ,lamech1 ,noah's father4 ,accordingly1 ,adam saw all his descendants down to the ninth generation1 having an almost infinite number of sons and daughters4 ,these1 however1 ,moses does not enumerate1 being satisfied to number the trunk and the immediate branches down to ,noah4 #da4 ,there were1 without doubt1 in this mighty multitude1 many very distinguished saints1 whose history1 if we possessed it1 would exceed in marvelousness all the histories of the world4 ,compared with it1 the exodus of the children of ,israel from ,egypt1 their passage through the ,red ,sea and through ,jordan1 their captivities and returns1 would be as nothing4 ,but as the primeval world itself perished1 so did its history4 ,in consequence1 the first place in the annals of history belongs to the account of the flood1 in comparison with which the others are only as sparks to the fire4 ,of the former world we have nothing but names1 but these are1 so to speak1 great histories in miniature4 #db4 ,it is probable that also ,eve lived to the age of #hjj years and saw this great posterity4 ,what must have been her concern1 how great her labors1 how devoted her toils1 in visiting1 in teaching1 and in training her children and grandchildren4 ,and what must have been her crosses and sighs1 when the generation of the ,cainites opposed with so much determination the true ,church1 although some of them were even converted by the uncovenanted mercy of ,god4 #dc4 ,truly that primeval time was a golden age1 in comparison with which our present age is scarcely worthy of being called the age of mud4 ,during those primeval centuries1 there lived at the same time nine patriarchs1 together with their posterities1 and all of them in harmony concerning the faith in the blessed seed6 ,all these glorious things ,moses just mentions1 but does not explain2 otherwise this would be the history of histories4 ,,iii4 ,,enoch4 #a4 ,why ,moses writes the history of ,enoch and not that of the other patriarchs before the flood #dc-de4 #b4 ,how it is to be understood that ,enoch led a godly life and how the monks interpret this falsely #df4 #c4 ,enoch's prophecy cited by ,jude and where ,jude received it #dg4 #d4 ,enoch's exceptional courage and how he opposed ,satan and the world #dh4 #e4 ,the length of time he led a godly life2 and ,moses justly praises him #di4 #f4 ,why ,enoch is so greatly praised #ej4 #g4 ,the tenor of his preaching #ea4 #h4 ,he by no means led the life of a monk #ea4 #i4 ,how he was missed4 ,he was not #eb4 99 ,enoch's ascension a proof of the resurrection of the dead #eb4 #aj4 ,the effect of his ascension upon his father and grandfather #ec-ee4 #aa4 ,whether the other patriarchs living then at once knew that he ascended2 and how such news affected them #ed-ef4 99 ,the cross must always precede consolation #ed4 #ab4 ,why ,god took ,enoch #ee4 99 ,the news of ,enoch's ascension must have quickened the holy patriarchs #ef4 #ac4 ,enoch's ascension a sign that a better life is offered to man #eg4 #ad4 ,how ,enoch walked and lived before ,god #eh4 #ae4 ,enoch a man as we are and yet ,god took him #eh4 99 ,the great sorrow of the patriarchs at ,enoch's disappearance and their great joy over such an experience #ei4 99 ,seth at the time was high priest1 old and tired of life1 and died soon after ,enoch was taken #fj-fc4 99 ,what ,luther would do if he knew in advance the day of his death #fa4 99 ,this temporal life full of want and misery #fb4 99 ,the results of ,seth's preaching after ,enoch's ascension #fc4 99 ,the longing of the holy fathers for eternal life1 and how it should serve us #fd4 99 ,lamentation over the great corruption inherent in our flesh #fe4 #af4 ,enoch's ascension was great comfort to the holy patriarchs in meeting death #ff4 99 ,of death4 a4 ,it is not death to believers1 but a sleep #ff4 b4 ,in what way death is a punishment of sin1 and how it is sweetened #fg4 99 ,luther's thoughts of ,enoch's ascension #fg4 #ag4 ,enoch's ascension extraordinary1 and well worthy of consideration by all #fh4 #ah4 ,the rabbins' foolish thoughts of ,enoch's ascension refuted #fi4 #ai4 ,enoch doubtless had many temptations #fi4 #bj4 ,enoch ascended even bodily1 and not with that life which he now lives #gj4 99 ,how and why ,god willed that the world should have in all times a sign of the resurrection1 and hence in the first world ,enoch ascended1 in the second ,elijah1 and in the third ,christ #ga4 99 ,lamentation over the unbelief of the world #gb4 99 ,christ's ascension more significant than ,enoch's or ,elijah's #gc4 99 ,the chief doctrine of the first five chapters of ,genesis #gd4 99 ,how and why death and the resurrection of the dead are set forth #gd4 ,,iii4 ,,enoch4 #dd4 ,there is one history1 however1 that of ,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam1 which ,moses was not willing to pass over for the reason of its being extraordinarily remarkable4 ,still1 even in this case he is extremely brief4 ,in the case of all the other patriarchs he mentions only the names and the number of their years4 ,enoch1 however1 he delineates in such a manner that he seems1 in comparison1 to slight the other patriarchs and1 as it were1 to disparage them as if they were evil men1 or at least slighted of ,god4 ,did not ,adam also1 and ,seth1 and ,cainan1 together with their descendants--did not all these1 also1 walk with ,god8 ,why1 then1 does ,moses ascribe this great honor to ,enoch only8 ,and is the fact that ,god took ,enoch to be understood as if the other patriarchs are neither with ,god nor living8 ,yes1 they all1 like ,enoch1 now live with ,god1 and we shall behold them all1 at the last day1 shining equally with ,enoch1 in the brightest glory6 #de4 ,why1 then1 does ,moses discriminate in favor of ,enoch8 ,why does he not bestow the same praise upon the other patriarchs8 ,although they died a natural death1 and were not taken by ,god1 yet1 also they walked with ,god4 ,we have heard above concerning ,enosh that in his times1 likewise1 mighty things were done4 ,it was in his days that men began to call upon the name of ,jehovah1 that is1 that the ,word and worship of ,god began to flourish2 and as a result holy men once more walked with ,god4 ,why is it then1 we repeat1 that ,moses does not laud ,enosh equally with ,enoch8 ,why does he bestow such high praise on the latter only8 ,for his words are these3 ,vs4 #ba-bd4 ,and ,enoch lived sixty and five years1 and begat ,methuselah4 ,and ,enoch walked with ,god after he begat ,methuselah three hundred years1 and begat sons and daughters4 ,and all the days of ,enoch were three hundred sixty and five years4 ,and ,enoch walked with ,god3 and he was not2 for ,god took him4 #df4 ,when ,moses says that ,enoch walked with ,god1 we must beware of taking the monastic view in the premises1 as if he had kept himself secluded in some private corner1 and there lived a monastic life4 ,no1 so eminent a patriarch must be placed on a candlestick1 or1 as our ,saviour ,christ expresses it1 set as a city on a hill1 that he may shine forth in the public ministry4 #dg4 ,it is as a bearer of such public office the ,apostle ,jude extols him in his epistle1 when he says3 ,to these also ,enoch1 the seventh from ,adam1 prophesied1 saying1 ,behold1 the ,lord came with ten thousands of holy ones1 to execute judgment upon all1 and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness1 which they have ungodly wrought1 and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him1 ,jude vs4 #ad1 #ae4 ,from what source ,jude obtained these facts ,i know not4 ,probably they remained in the memory of man from the primitive age of the world2 or it may be that holy men committed to writing many of the sacred words and works of the patriarchs as they were handed down from age to age by tradition4 #dh4 ,it is this public ministry that ,moses lauds1 exalting the pious ,enoch as a sun above all the other patriarchs and teachers of the primeval world4 ,wherefore1 we may gather from all these circumstances that ,enoch possessed a particular fullness of the ,holy ,spirit1 and a preeminent greatness of mind1 seeing that he opposed with a strength of faith excelling that of all the other patriarchs1 ,satan and the church of the ,cainites4 ,to walk with ,god1 is not1 as we have before observed1 for a man to flee into a desert1 or to conceal himself in some corner1 but to go forth in his vocation1 and to set himself against the iniquity and malice of ,satan and the world1 and to confess the seed of the woman2 to condemn the religion and the pursuits of the world1 and to preach1 through ,christ1 another life after this4 #di4 ,this is the manner of life led for three hundred years by the greatest prophet and high priest of his generation1 ,enoch1 the man who had six patriarchs for his teachers4 ,most deservedly1 therefore1 does ,moses extol him as a disciple of greatest eminence1 taught and trained by many patriarchal masters1 and those the greatest and most illustrious2 and1 moreover1 so equipped with the ,holy ,spirit that he was the prophet of prophets and the saint of saints in that primeval world4 ,the greatness of ,enoch1 then1 consisted in the first place in his office and ministry4 #ej4 ,in the second place1 he receives preeminent praise because it was the will of ,god that he should be an example to the whole world in verifying1 and showing the comfort of1 the faith in the future life4 ,this text1 therefore1 is worthy of being written in letters of gold and of being deeply engraven in the inmost heart4 #ea4 ,here we have another view of what it means to walk with ,god4 ,it is to preach the life beyond this present life2 to teach concerning the seed to come1 concerning the serpent's head that is to be bruised and the kingdom of ,satan that is to be destroyed4 ,such was the preaching of ,enoch1 who nevertheless was a husband1 and the father of a family2 who had a wife and children1 who governed his household1 and procured his subsistence by the labor of his own hands4 ,wherefore say or think no more about living in a monastery1 which has merely the outward show of walking with ,god4 ,when this godly man had lived1 after the birth of ,methuselah1 #cjj years in the truest religion1 in faith1 in patience and in the midst of a thousand crosses1 all of which he endured and overcame by faith in the blessed seed to come1 he appeared no more4 #eb4 ,mark how pregnant these words are with power6 ,he does not say1 as he expresses himself concerning the other patriarchs1 and he died1 but he was not1 an expression that all scholars have come to regard as a pure proof of the resurrection of the dead4 ,in the ,hebrew this meaning is most strikingly brought out4 ,and ,enoch walked with ,god1 and veenenu1 he was not4 ,the original signifies that ,enoch was lost or disappeared1 contrary to the thought or expectation of all the other patriarchs1 and at once ceased to be among men4 #ec4 ,without doubt1 at the severe loss of so great a man1 both his father and his grandfather were filled with grief and consternation2 for they well knew with what devotion he had taught the true religion1 and how many things he had suffered4 ,when they had thus suddenly lost such a man as ,enoch1 who had strong testimony of his godliness both from men and from ,god himself1 what do you think must have been their feelings8 #ed4 ,find me1 if you can1 a poet or a fluent orator to do justice to this text and to treat it with power6 ,enosh1 ,seth1 and all the other patriarchs knew not by whom or whither ,enoch was taken away2 they sought him1 but found him not4 ,his son ,methuselah sought him1 and his other children and his grandchildren sought him1 but they found him not4 ,they suspected1 no doubt1 the malice of the ,cainites1 and they probably thought that he was killed1 as ,abel was1 and secretly buried4 ,at length1 however1 they learned1 through a revelation made to them of ,god by an angel1 that ,enoch was taken away by ,god himself1 into paradise4 ,this fact they probably did not know the first or the second day after the translation1 and perhaps not till many months1 or it may be many years1 afterwards4 ,in the meantime the holy men bewailed his wretched lot1 as if he had been slain by the ,cainite hypocrites4 ,it is always the divine rule that the cross and affliction should precede consolation4 ,god never comforts any but the afflicted1 just as he never quickens unto life any but the dead1 nor ever justifies any but sinners6 ,he always creates all things out of nothing4 #ee4 ,it was a severe cross and affliction to the patriarchs when they saw taken away from them1 to appear nowhere among them1 him who had governed the whole world by his doctrine1 and who had done so many illustrious deeds in the course of his life4 ,while these patriarchs were mourning and bewailing the misfortune of the holy man1 behold6 consolation was at hand1 and it was revealed to them that the ,lord had translated ,enoch6 ,such an expression we have not concerning any other man than ,enoch1 except ,elijah4 ,god willed1 therefore1 to testify by an object lesson1 that he has prepared for his saints another life after this life1 in which they shall live forever with ,god4 #ef4 ,the ,hebrew verb lakak does not signify translated according to the impression conveyed by our use of the word1 but received to himself4 ,these words are1 accordingly1 words of life1 revealed by ,god through some angel to the patriarch ,enoch1 and to the whole of that generation of saints1 that they might have the consolation and promise of eternal life1 not only through a word1 but also through an act1 as before in the case of ,abel4 ,how delightful must have been to them this proclamation1 when they heard that ,enoch was not dead1 nor slain by wicked men1 nor taken away from them by the fraud or snares of ,satan1 but translated2 that is1 received to himself by the living and omnipotent ,god4 #eg4 ,this is that bright gem which ,moses sought to display in the present chapter--that the omnipotent ,god did not take unto himself geese1 or cows1 or blocks of wood1 or stones1 but a man1 even ,enoch1 to teach there was reserved for men another and better life than this present one1 so filled with evils and calamities of every kind4 ,although ,enoch was a sinner1 yet the manner of his departure from this life proved that ,god had prepared for him and brought him to another and eternal life2 for he entered upon the life with ,god1 and ,god took him to himself4 #eh4 ,accordingly1 ,enoch's walking with ,god signifies that he was in this life a faithful witness of eternal life to be gained after this life through the promised seed4 ,this is what living with ,god means1 not the mere animal life subject to corruption4 ,inasmuch as ,enoch constantly preached this doctrine1 ,god verified and fulfilled this preaching in the patriarch himself1 that we might fully and surely believe it2 in that ,enoch1 a man like unto ourselves1 born of flesh and blood1 as we also are1 of the seed of ,adam1 was taken up into heaven by ,god1 and now lives the life of ,god1 that is1 an eternal life4 #ei4 ,before the generation of patriarchs knew the facts in the case1 it was appalling to them to hear that so holy a man as ,enoch had disappeared so completely that his whereabouts or manner of death was beyond everybody's ken4 ,great1 therefore1 was the grief of the pious parents and elders4 ,but afterwards incredible joy and consolation were theirs when they heard that their son lived with ,god himself and had been translated by ,god to an angelic and eternal life4 #fj4 ,this consolation ,god made known to ,seth1 who was the greatest prophet and high priest after his father ,adam had fallen asleep in the faith of the blessed seed fifty-seven years before1 ,seth having then arrived at about his eight hundred and sixtieth year4 ,seth1 being now an old man and full of days and without doubt fully confirmed in the faith of the blessed seed to come1 and anxiously awaiting deliverance from the body and earnestly desiring to be gathered to his people1 died with greater joy about fifty-two years afterward1 because of the translation of his son ,enoch4 ,fifty-two years were indeed but a short time for an old man wherein to make his will and visit all his grandchildren1 and preach to them and exhort them to persevere in the faith of the promised seed and to hope in that eternal life unto which his son and their father ,enoch had been translated to live with ,god4 ,in this manner1 doubtless1 the aged saint employed his time among his descendants1 bidding farewell to and blessing each one4 ,full of years and full of joy1 he no doubt thus taught and comforted both himself and them4 #fa4 ,if ,i knew that ,i were appointed to die in six months' time1 ,i should scarcely find time enough wherein to make my will4 ,i would remind men of what had been the testimony of my preaching1 exhort and entreat them to continue and persevere therein1 and warn and guard them as far as my powers of mind could do so1 against the offense of false doctrine4 ,all these things could not be done in one day1 nor in one month4 ,those fifty years during which ,seth lived after the translation of ,enoch1 formed but a very short period for him 7for spiritual men have an altogether different method of calculating time than the children of this world7 in which to instruct all his family in the nature of this glorious consolation--that another and eternal life is to be hoped for after this life1 a hope which ,god revealed to his saints by the marvelous fact of his having taken to himself ,enoch1 who was of the same flesh and blood with ourselves4 #fb4 ,follow not1 said he1 the evil inclinations of your nature1 but despise this present life and look forward to a better4 ,for what evil exists that is not found in this present life8 ,to how many diseases1 to what great dangers1 to what dreadful calamities1 is it not subject8 to say nothing now of those evils which are the greatest of all afflictions1 those spiritual distresses which burden with anguish the mind and conscience1 such as the ,law1 sin1 and death itself4 #fc4 ,why is it then1 that ye so anxiously expect such great consolations from this present life as to seem incapable of ever being completely satisfied8 ,were it not for the fact that ,god wants us to live to proclaim him1 to thank him1 and to serve the brethren1 life is such as to suggest its voluntary termination4 ,this service1 therefore1 let us render unto ,god1 with all diligence4 ,let us look forward with continual sighs to that true life to which1 my children1 your brother ,enoch has been translated by the glorious ,god4 ,these and like things the aged saint taught his people after his great consolation had been revealed4 ,there is no doubt that after it was understood that ,enoch was translated alive into immortality1 they longed for the time when they also might be delivered out of this afflicted life1 in the same manner1 or at least by death4 #fd4 ,if1 then1 those godly patriarchs of old so anxiously looked forward to the eternal life and desired it to come1 on account of ,abel and ,enoch1 whom they knew to be living with ,god1 how much greater ought to be our expectation and desire1 who have ,christ for our leader unto eternal life1 who is gone before1 as ,peter says in ,acts #c1 #bj-bf4 ,they believed in him as one to come2 we know that he has become manifest1 and has gone to the ,father to prepare for us a home1 and to sit at the right hand of the ,father to intercede for us4 ,ought we not1 therefore1 to sigh for those future things1 and to hate those of the present8 ,it is not an ,enoch or an ,abel who sets before us1 as those patriarchs did before their people1 the hope of a better life to come2 but ,christ1 the leader and author of life himself4 ,it becomes us1 therefore1 firmly to despise this life and world1 and with swelling breast to pant after the coming glory of eternal life4 #fe4 ,herein we feel how great is the infirmity of our flesh which lusts after these present things with eager desire but fails to rejoice in the certainties of the life to come4 ,how is it possible that a fact should not be most certain which has for witnesses not only ,abel and ,enoch and ,elijah1 but also ,christ himself1 the head and the first fruits of those that rise8 ,most worthy1 therefore1 the hatred of both ,god and men are the wicked ,epicureans2 and most worthy our hatred also is our own flesh1 when we wholly plunge into temporal cares and securely disregard the eternal blessings4 #ff4 ,worthy of note and carefully to be remembered is the statement that ,enoch was taken up and received1 not by some patriarch or angel1 but by ,god himself4 ,this was the very consolation which rendered the deaths of the patriarchs endurable2 yea1 which enabled them to depart from this life with joy4 ,they saw that the seed which had been promised them warred1 even before he was revealed1 with ,satan1 and bruised1 through ,enoch1 his head4 ,such was the hope entertained by them concerning themselves and all their believing descendants1 and1 in perfect security1 they despised death as having ceased to be death1 as having become a sleep from which they were to awaken into life eternal4 ,to them that believe1 death is not really death1 but a sleep4 ,when the terror1 the power1 and the sting of death are taken away1 it can no longer be considered death4 ,the greater the faith of the dying man1 the weaker is death4 ,on the other hand1 the weaker the faith of the dying man1 the more bitter is death4 #fg4 ,in this text we are also reminded of the nature of sin4 ,if ,adam had not sinned1 we should not have been dying men1 but1 like ,enoch of old1 we should have been translated1 without fear or pain1 from this animal life to that better and spiritual life4 ,but although we have forfeited that life1 the present history of the patriarch ,enoch assures us that the restitution of paradise and of eternal life is not to be despaired of4 ,our flesh cannot be free from pain1 but where conscience has obtained peace1 death is no more than a swoon1 by means of which we pass out of this life into eternal rest4 ,had our nature remained innocent1 it would not have known such pain of the flesh4 ,we should have been taken up as if asleep1 presently to awaken in heaven1 and to lead the life of the angels4 ,now1 however1 that the flesh is defiled by sin1 it must first be destroyed by death4 ,as to ,enoch1 perhaps he lay down in some grassy spot and fell asleep praying2 and sleeping he was taken up by ,god1 without pain2 without death4 #fh4 ,let us give proper attention to this text to which ,moses attaches special importance as embodying an account of the most noteworthy event of the primitive world4 ,what fact could possibly inspire more wonder and admiration than that a man1 a corrupt sinner1 born of flesh and blood1 as we are1 and defiled as we are by that sin and corruption1 so obtained the victory over death as not to die at all6 ,christ himself is man1 and righteous1 yet our sins caused him to suffer the bitterest of all deaths2 but he is delivered on the third day1 and lifts himself up unto life eternal4 ,in ,enoch there was the singular fact that he died not at all1 but was caught up1 without death intervening1 to the life spiritual and eternal4 #fi4 ,emphatically deserving of aversion are the rabbins4 ,the sublimest passages of the ,scriptures they shamefully corrupt4 ,as a case in point1 they prate concerning ,enoch that1 while he was good and righteous1 he very much inclined toward carnal desires4 ,god1 therefore1 out of pity1 prevented his sinning and perishing through death4 ,is not this1 ,i pray you1 a shocking corruption of the text before us8 ,why should they say concerning ,enoch in particular1 that he was subject to the evil desires of the flesh8 ,as if all the other patriarchs did not experience the same4 ,why do they not notice the repeated testimony of ,moses1 that ,enoch walked with ,god8 ,that is certainly evidence that ,enoch did not indulge those evil inclinations of his flesh1 but bravely overcame them by faith4 ,the ,jews when speaking of the corrupt desires of the flesh have reference to lust1 avarice1 pride1 and similar promptings4 ,enoch1 however1 without doubt1 lived amid mightier temptations than these2 like ,paul1 he felt that thorn in the flesh2 day by day he wrestled with ,satan2 and when1 at length1 he was completely bruised and worn out with every kind of temptation1 ,god commanded him to depart from this life to the blessed life to come4 #gj4 ,what that life is which ,enoch now lives1 we who still continue to be flesh and blood cannot possibly know4 ,it is enough for us to know that ,enoch was translated in his body4 ,this the patriarchs must have clearly understood by revelation1 and about to die1 they needed this comfort4 ,this much we know also4 ,but what that holy patriarch is now doing1 where he is1 and how he lives1 we know not4 ,we know that he lives2 and we also know that the life he lives is not like unto this animal life1 but that he is with ,god4 ,this the text before us distinctly declares4 #ga4 ,this fact1 then1 makes the narrative under consideration so memorable that ,god intended to use it for the purpose of setting before the old1 primeval world the hope of a better life4 ,likewise1 to the second world1 which had the ,law1 ,god gave the example of ,elijah1 who also was taken up into heaven and translated by the ,lord before the very eyes of his own servant ,elisha4 ,we are now in the ,new ,covenant1 in a third world1 as it were4 ,we have ,christ himself1 our great deliverer1 as our glorious example1 who ascended into the heavens1 taking with him many of his saints4 ,it was ,god's will to establish for every age a testimonial of the resurrection of the dead1 that he might thereby allure our minds by all possible attractions from this corrupt and in many ways wretched life1 in which1 however1 we will gladly serve ,god as long as it shall please him1 by the faithful performance of all public and private duties1 and especially by instructing others in holiness and in the knowledge of ,god4 ,but1 as the apostle says1 we have here no certain dwelling-place1 #a ,cor #d1 #aa4 ,christ1 our forerunner1 is gone before us1 that he might prepare for us1 the eternal mansions1 ,jn #ad1 #b-c4 #gb4 ,just as we find many among us by whom such things are considered absurd1 and not sufficiently worthy of faith1 so there is no doubt that this account was deemed ridiculous by most people4 ,the world is ever the same4 ,for that reason these things have by divine authority been committed to writing and recorded for the saints and the faithful1 that these might read1 understand1 believe and heed them4 ,they present to our sight a manifest triumph over death and sin1 and afford us a sure comfort in ,enoch's victory over the ,law1 and the wrath and judgment of ,god4 ,to the godly nothing can yield more grace and joy than these antediluvian records4 #gc4 ,but the ,new ,testament truly overflows with the mercy of ,god4 ,while we do not discard records like these1 we have others far superior4 ,we have the ,son of ,god himself ascending to the skies1 and sitting at the right hand of ,god4 ,in him we see the serpent's head completely bruised1 and the life lost in paradise restored4 ,this is more than the translation of ,enoch and of ,elijah2 still1 it was ,god's will in this manner to administer comfort to the original world and also to the succeeding one1 which had the ,law4 #gd4 ,the paramount doctrine contained in these five chapters is1 accordingly1 this3 that men died and lived again4 ,in ,adam all men died4 ,but believers lived again through the promised seed1 as the history of ,abel and ,enoch testifies4 ,in ,adam1 death was appointed for ,seth and all others2 hence it is written of every one3 ,and he died4 ,but ,abel and ,enoch illustrate the resurrection from the dead and the life immortal4 ,the purpose intended is that we should not despair in death but entertain the unwavering assurance that the believers in the promised seed shall live1 and be taken by ,god1 whether from the water or the fire or the gibbet1 or the tomb4 ,we desire to live1 and we shall live1 namely the eternal life through the promised seed1 which remains when this is past4 ,,iv4 ,,lamech ,,and ,,his ,,son ,,noah4 ,a4 ,,lamech4 #a4 ,he lived at the time ,enoch was taken to heaven #ge4 99 ,to what end ,enoch's ascension served the holy patriarchs #ge4 #b4 ,why ,lamech called his son ,noah #gf-gg4 99 ,the erroneous comments of the rabbins taken by ,lyra without any good reason #gh-gi4 #c4 ,on what ,lamech's heart was centered at ,noah's birth #gi-ha4 #d4 ,how and why ,lamech erred in the case of his son as ,eve did at ,cain's birth #hj4 99 ,the longing of the patriarchs for the ,messiah was of the ,holy ,spirit #ha4 99 ,complaint of the world's ingratitude #hb4 99 ,the patriarchs' greatest treasure and desire #hb4 99 ,comparison of the three worlds #hc-he4 99 ,why the present world so lightly esteems ,christ1 whom the patriarchs so highly revered #hd4 99 ,the first world was the best1 the last the worst #he4 ,,iv4 ,,lamech ,,and ,,his ,,son ,,noah4 ,a4 ,lamech4 ,vs4 #bh-bi4 ,and ,lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years1 and begat a son3 and he called his name ,noah1 saying1 ,this same shall comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hands1 which cometh because of the ground which ,jehovah hath cursed4 #ge4 ,only incidentally ,moses adverts in this account to the name of ,noah1 which certainly deserves a somewhat careful examination4 ,lamech was living when ,enoch was taken away by ,god out of this life into the other immortal life4 ,when the great glory of ,god had become manifest in the extraordinary miracle of the rapture from a lowly estate into life eternal of ,enoch who was a man like us1 a husband1 a man with family1 having sons1 daughters1 household1 fields and cattle1 the holy fathers were filled and fired with such joy as to conclude that the glad day was near which should witness the fulfilment of the promise4 ,that ,enoch was taken up living1 to be with the ,lord1 appeared as a salient display of divine mercy4 #gf4 ,as ,adam and ,eve1 after the reception of the promise1 were so absorbed in their hope that1 in their joy to see a man like themselves1 they identified ,cain with the promised seed1 so in my judgment ,lamech committed a similar pious error when he gave his son the name ,noah1 and said3 ,this same shall comfort us1 and shall deliver us from the labors and sorrows of this life4 ,original sin1 and the punishment thereof1 shall now cease4 ,we shall now be restored to our former innocent state4 ,the curse shall now cease which rests on the earth on account of the sin of ,adam2 and all the other miseries inflicted on the human race on account of sin1 shall also cease4 #gg4 ,such considerations as these prompted ,lamech to base upon the fact of his grandfather's rapture into paradise unaccompanied by pain1 sickness and death1 the hope that presently the whole of paradise was to be ushered in4 ,he concludes that ,noah was the promised seed by whom the earth was to be restored4 ,this notion that the curse is about to be lifted is expressed in unmistakable terms4 ,not so2 neither the curse of sin nor its penalty can be removed unless original sin itself shall have been removed first4 #gh4 ,the rabbins1 those pestilent corrupters of the ,scriptures1 surely deserve aversion4 ,this is their interpretation of the passage in question3 ,he shall bring us rest from the toil and labor of our hands by showing us an easier way of cultivating the earth4 ,with a plowshare1 by a yoke of oxen1 the earth shall be broken up2 the present mode of digging it with man's hand shall cease4 ,i wonder that ,lyra is satisfied with this interpretation1 and follows it4 ,he ought to have been familiar with the unchanging practice of the ,jews to pervert ,scripture by substituting a material meaning for a spiritual one1 in order to gain glory among men4 ,could anything more derogatory to the holy patriarch be said than that he gave such expression to his joy over the birth of his son ,noah on account of an advantage pertaining to the belly8 #gi4 ,no2 it was a much greater concern than this which filled his mind with anxiety4 ,it was the wrath of ,god1 and death1 with all the other calamities of this life4 ,his hope was that ,noah1 as the promised seed1 would put an end to these evils4 ,and therefore it was that he thus exulted with joy at the birth of this his son1 predicted good things1 and called upon others to join him in the same hope4 ,his thoughts did not dwell upon the plow1 nor upon oxen1 nor upon other trivial things of the kind pertaining to this present life1 as the blind ,jews rave4 ,he was really filled with the hope that this his son ,noah was that seed to come which should restore the former blessed state of paradise1 in which there was no curse4 ,as if he had said3 ,now we feel the curse in the very labors of our hands4 ,we toil and sweat in cultivating the earth1 yet it yields us in return nothing but briers and thorns4 ,but there shall arise a new and happy age4 ,the curse on the earth which was inflicted on account of sin shall cease1 because sin shall cease4 ,this is the true meaning of the text before us4 #hj4 ,but the holy father was deceived4 ,the glory of bringing about that renewal belonged1 not to the son of a man but to the ,son of ,god4 ,the rabbins are silly4 ,although the earth is not dug by the hands of men1 but by the use of oxen1 yet the labor of man's hand has not ceased4 ,enoch1 by his translation1 does not disclose the solace of bodily easement1 agreeable to the belly1 but deliverance from sin and death4 ,lamech hoped1 in addition1 for the restoration of the former state4 ,he believed to see the inauguration of this change in his grandfather ,enoch1 and felt assured that the deliverance1 or the renewal of all things1 was close at hand4 ,just so ,eve1 as we have already observed1 when she brought forth her first-born son ,cain1 said1 ,i have gotten a man with the help of ,jehovah1 one who shall take away all these punishments inflicted on sin1 and bring about our restoration4 ,but1 like ,eve1 the good and holy ,lamech was deceived in his ardent longing for the restoration of the world4 #ha4 ,all these anxieties plainly show how those holy patriarchs longed for1 hoped for1 and sighed for1 that great restitution of all things1 ,acts #c1 #ba4 ,although they herein erred1 even as ,eve erred and was deceived with respect to ,cain1 this desire for deliverance in itself1 was of the ,holy ,spirit1 and proved the truth and constancy of their faith in the promised seed4 ,when ,eve named her son ,cain1 and when ,lamech called his son ,noah1 these names were but birth cries1 as the apostle represents them1 of the whole creation1 groaning and travailing in pain together1 and earnestly expecting the resurrection of the dead1 deliverance from sin1 the restoration of all things1 and the manifestation of the sons of ,god1 ,rom #h1 #ai-bc4 ,the simplest and true meaning1 accordingly1 is that ,lamech1 after seeing the reality of the future life demonstrated by the translation of ,enoch from the afflictions and toils caused by sin1 has a son born to him1 whom he calls ,noah1 which means rest1 an expression of the hope that deliverance from the curse of sin and sin itself shall take place through him4 ,this interpretation accords with the analogy of faith1 and confirms the hope for a resurrection and a life eternal4 #hb4 ,such longing for the future life on the part of the holy men whose shoes we are unworthy to clean1 contrasts strangely with the horrible ingratitude of our time4 ,how great the difference between having and wishing6 ,those patriarchs were men of transcendent holiness1 equipped with the highest endowments1 the heroes of the world6 ,in them we behold the strongest desire for the seed which is to come2 that is their greatest treasure2 they thirst1 they hunger1 they yearn1 they pant for ,christ6 ,and we1 who have ,christ among us1 who know him as one revealed1 offered1 glorified1 sitting at the right hand of ,god and making intercession for us--we despise him and hold him in greater contempt than any other creature6 ,o1 the wretchedness of it6 ,o1 the sin of it6 #hc4 ,note the difference between the several ages of the world6 ,the primeval age was the most excellent and holy4 ,it contained the noblest jewels of the whole human race4 ,after the flood there still existed many great and eminent men--patriarchs1 and kings1 and prophets2 and although they were not the equals of the patriarchs before the flood1 yet in them also there appeared a bright longing for ,christ1 as ,christ says3 ,for ,i say unto you1 that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which ye see1 and saw them not2 and to hear the things which ye hear1 and heard them not1 ,lk #aj1 #bd4 ,and then there is our own age1 the age of the ,new ,testament2 to this ,christ has been revealed4 ,this age is1 as it were1 the waste and dregs of the whole world4 ,it holds nothing in greater contempt than ,christ1 than whom a previous age knew nothing more precious4 #hd4 ,what is the cause of this grave state of affairs8 ,to be sure1 our flesh1 the world1 and the devil4 ,we altogether loathe what we have1 according to the proverb3 ,omne rarum carum2 vilescit quotidianum4 ,all that's rare1 is dear2 vile is what is here4 ,and apt is the poetic truism3 ,minuit praesentia famam4 ,sight levels what fancy has exalted4 ,as far as the revelation is concerned1 we are far richer than the patriarchs4 ,but their devotion to a comparatively inferior revelation was greater2 they were lovers of the bridegroom4 ,we1 on the other hand1 are that fat1 bloated1 wanton servant1 ,deut #cb1 #ae2 for we have the ,word and are overwhelmed by the abundance of it4 #he4 ,in the same degree as the first world was excellent and holy1 the latter-day world is evil and wicked4 ,in view of the fact1 then1 that ,god did not spare the first1 primitive world1 and destroyed the second world by overturning kingdom after kingdom1 and government after government1 what shall we expect to be the end of this latter-day world which in security despises the ,christ1 the desire of nations1 as he is called by ,haggai1 in spite of the fact that he urges himself upon us to the point of weariness6 ,b4 ,,noah4 #a4 ,remarkableness of the fact that ,noah refrained so long from wedlock #hf4 #b4 ,he was fit to marry1 but had reasons for abstaining #hg4 #c4 ,what his reasons were #hh4 #d4 ,his chastity is highly praised by ,moses in few words #hi4 #e4 ,the ,jews' lies about the reasons for his chastity refuted #ij-ia4 99 ,the ,jews' lies as to why ,shem was called the first-born #ia4 99 ,papists without reason take offense at ,moses relating so much about the birth of the children of the patriarchs #ib-ic4 #f4 ,noah shines like a bright star as an example of chastity among all the patriarchs #ic4 #g4 ,noah remained single1 not because he despised marriage2 and why he finally married #id4 #h4 ,how his sons were born one after the other #ie-ig4 99 ,why ,shem was preferred to ,japheth #if4 99 ,how to meet the objections to the birth of ,noah's sons #ig4 #i4 ,noah an excellent example of chastity #ih4 99 ,the threefold world4 a4 ,the first world a truly golden age and the most holy4 ,how and why it was punished by ,god #ii-ajj4 b4 ,the second world is full of idolatry1 and will be severely punished by ,god #ajj4 c4 ,the third world is the worst1 and hence can expect the hardest punishment #aja4 d4 ,the punishment of these three worlds portrayed in the colors of the rainbow #aja4 e4 ,how believing hearts act upon considering sin and the world's punishment #ajb4 ,b4 ,,noah4 ,v4 #cb4 ,and ,noah was five hundred years old3 and ,noah begat ,shem1 ,ham1 and ,japheth4 #hf4 ,here again we meet with surprising brevity4 ,as is his custom1 ,moses expresses in the fewest possible words the greatest and most important things1 which the ignorant reader passes by unobserved4 ,but you will say1 perhaps1 ,of what import is it that ,noah first begat sons when he was five hundred years old8 ,why1 if ,noah had no children all those #ejj years1 he either endured that length of time the severe trial of unfruitfulness or1 as appears to me more likely1 he abstained from marriage all those years1 setting an example of most marvelous chastity4 ,i do not speak here of the abominable chastity of the ,papists2 nor of our own4 ,look at the prophets and the apostles1 and even at some of the other patriarchs1 who doubtless were chaste and holy4 ,but what are they in comparison with this man ,noah1 who1 possessed of masculine vigor1 managed to live a chaste life without marriage for five hundred years8 #hg4 ,now you will scarcely find one in a thousand among the men of our age who1 at the age of thirty1 has not known woman4 ,moreover1 ,noah1 after he had lived a single life for so many centuries1 at length took to himself a wife1 and begat children2 which latter fact carries its own proof that he was in a state appropriate for marriage prior to this1 and had a definite reason for practicing continence4 #hh4 ,in the first place1 it is evident that such unequaled chastity must necessarily have been a peculiar gift of ,god4 ,it evinced a nature almost angelic4 ,it does not seem a thing possible in the nature of man to live #ejj years without knowing a wife4 ,in the next place these five centuries of chastity in ,noah manifest some signal displeasure with the world4 ,for what other reason are we to conclude that he abstained from marriage than because he had seen the descendants of his uncle and aunt degenerate into giants and tyrants1 filling the world with violence8 ,he thought in consequence1 that he would rather have no children at all than such as those4 ,and my belief is that he would never have taken to himself a wife at all if he had not been admonished and commanded so to do either by the patriarchs or by some angel4 ,he who had refrained from marriage for #ejj years might have refrained during all the rest of his life4 #hi4 ,in this manner ,moses explains in brief words exceedingly weighty facts1 and1 what the ignorant reader would never observe owing to the failure of chastity being mentioned in express words1 he commends the chastity of ,noah above that of all the other inhabitants of the primeval world1 setting him up as an example of all but angelic chastity4 #ij4 ,the ,jews1 according to their custom1 play the fool1 and fable that ,noah for centuries denied himself a wife because he knew that ,god would destroy the world by the flood4 ,if1 therefore1 ,noah had married1 like all the other patriarchs1 in the earlier part of his life--that is1 when he was about a hundred years old or less--he himself would have peopled the world in the space of #djj years2 and then ,god would have been compelled to destroy both the father himself and the whole of his progeny4 ,to this fable they add the other1 that ,shem was called the first-born for the reason that he was the first to receive circumcision4 #ia4 ,in a word1 these ,jews corrupt everything and twist it to suit their own carnal bent and ambition4 ,if ,noah abstained from marriage for the reason which they assign1 why did not all the other patriarchs1 for the same reason1 abstain from marriage and fatherhood8 ,these comments of the rabbins are accordingly frivolous and nonsensical4 ,why do they not rather urge the real cause1 that it was a special gift that ,noah1 a vigorous man1 abstained from marriage for five hundred years8 ,throughout the course of time no instance of such continence is found4 #ib4 ,the book of ,genesis highly offends the ,papists because it mentions so often that the fathers begat sons and daughters4 ,they say of this book that it is a book in which little more is contained than the record that the patriarchs were men of extravagant love for their wives2 and they consider it obscene that ,moses should make mention of such things with such attention to detail4 ,but1 in the impurity of their hearts1 they can not refrain from befouling the most exalted chastity4 #ic4 ,if you would really behold the brightest examples of chastity the whole world contains1 read ,moses as he relates that the patriarchs did not marry until they were of advanced age4 ,among them ,noah shines forth a star of first magnitude1 inasmuch as he did not marry until he had reached the five hundredth year of his life4 ,where will you find such eminent examples of chastity in the papacy8 ,although there are some among the ,papists who do not actually sin with their bodies1 yet how foul and filthy are their minds6 ,and all this is judgment upon their contempt for marriage1 which ,god himself has designed to be a remedy for the corruption of nature4 #id4 ,another reason why ,noah refrained from marriage has been mentioned4 ,he did not condemn marriage1 nor did he consider it to be a profane or impure manner of life2 but he saw that the descendants of the elder patriarchs had degenerated to the level of the ungodly generation of the ,cainites4 ,such children as these he felt he could not endure2 he rather waited1 in the fear of ,god1 the end of the world4 ,when afterwards he did enter into marriage1 and begat children1 he no doubt did it by reason of some particular admonition and command of ,god4 #ie4 ,here a question naturally arises concerning the order in which ,noah's sons were born4 ,it will be worth our while to inquire into this matter1 so that our computation of the years of the world may have a reliable basis4 ,the common opinion is that ,shem was the first-born of ,noah1 because his name is mentioned first in order4 ,the testimony of ,scripture1 however1 compels us to conclude that ,japheth was the first-born1 ,shem the second1 and ,ham the last4 ,the truth of this is proved in the following manner3 ,shem begat his son ,arpachshad two years after the flood1 when he was #ajj years old1 ,gen #aa1 #aj4 ,hence ,shem was #ih years old when the flood came1 and ,noah1 when ,shem was born1 was #dih years old4 ,but ,japheth was evidently born before ,shem1 for he was the elder brother1 ,gen #aj1 #ba4 ,it plainly follows1 therefore1 that only ,ham1 the youngest brother1 was born when ,noah was #ejj years old4 #if4 ,the reason why ,shem is mentioned before ,japheth is not because he was first circumcised1 as the ,jews1 who always are hunting carnal glory1 falsely claim1 but because it was through him that ,christ1 the promised seed1 was to come4 ,for the same reason1 ,abraham1 the youngest1 is given precedence to his brothers1 ,haran and ,nahor4 #ig4 ,but you will perhaps say1 ,how does this agree with the text which positively says1 ,noah was five hundred years old2 and ,noah begat ,shem1 ,ham and ,japheth8 ,harmony is restored if you make out of the preterit a pluperfect1 and read the passage thus3--,when ,noah was five hundred years old he had begotten ,shem1 ,ham1 and ,japheth4 ,moses does not record the particular year in which each son was born1 but merely mentions the year in which the number of sons born to ,noah reached three4 ,thus the biblical record is reduced to harmony4 #ih4 ,as conclusion to the fifth chapter ,moses presents the finest and most noteworthy example of chastity4 ,saintly and continent throughout his career1 ,noah had just rounded out his fifth century when he began married life4 ,thus far1 he had renounced matrimony1 repelled by the licentiousness of the young1 who were drifting into the depravity of the ,cainites4 ,notwithstanding1 at the call of ,god1 he obediently entered upon marriage1 although it was quite possible for him to remain chaste1 as a celibate4 #ii4 ,such is the description given by ,moses of the first1 the original world1 in five brief chapters4 ,but it is readily seen that in the beginning was the real golden age of which poets have made mention1 their information being doubtless the traditions and the utterances of the fathers4 #ajj4 ,but as the sins of men increased1 ,god spared not the old world1 but destroyed it by a flood utterly1 even as he did not spare it when under the dispensation of the ,law4 ,because of its idolatry and the impiousness of its worship1 he not only overturned one kingdom after another1 but even his own people1 the ,jews1 having been severely punished at his hands by various afflictions and captivities1 were at length utterly destroyed by the ,roman armies4 #aja4 ,our age1 which is the third age of the world1 although it is the age of grace1 is so filled with blasphemies and abominations that it is not possible either to express them in language or to form a mental image of them4 ,this age therefore shall not be punished by temporal punishment1 but by eternal death and eternal fire1 or1 if ,i may so express it1 by a flood of fire4 ,the very rainbow even1 with its colors1 contains a prophetic intimation of these things4 ,the first color is sea-green1 representing the destruction of the first world by the waters of the flood1 because of violence and lust2 the middle color of the bow is yellow1 prefiguring the various calamities by which ,god avenged the idolatry and wickedness of the second age2 the third and last color of the bow is fiery red1 for fire shall at length consume the world1 with all its iniquities and sins4 #ajb4 ,wherefore1 let us constantly pray that ,god may so rule our hearts by his fear and may so fill us with confidence in his mercy1 that we are able with joy to await our deliverance and the righteous punishment of this ungodly world4 ,amen4 ,amen4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,i4 ,,the ,,sins ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,world1 ,,the ,,cause ,,of ,,its ,,destruction4 99 ,how this chapter and the preceding one are connected #a4 99 ,it is terrible that ,god destroyed by a flood the first world1 which was the best #b4 99 ,of pride and the proud4 #a4 ,how ,god humbles what is high and grand in the eyes of the world and has the best gifts #c-d4 99 ,how man can meet the judgments of ,god #d4 #b4 ,the more gifts man has the greater his pride #e4 #c4 ,the most terrible examples of punishment ,god gives in the case of the proud and such examples should be diligently pondered #f-g4 99 ,the complaint that the world is hardened by reason of ,god's judgments #g-h4 #d4 ,how the ancient world was misled into pride through its gifts #i-aj4 #e4 ,pride is the common weakness of human nature #aa4 #f4 ,in what ways man is moved to pride #ab-ac4 a4 ,the chief sin of the old world #ad-ae4 99 ,pride is the spring of all vices #ae4 b4 ,how the old world sinned against the first table of the law1 and brought on the sins against the second table #af4 c4 ,how and why ,god punished the old world #ag4 99 ,from the punishment of the first world we conclude that the last world will be also punished #ah4 d4 ,whether the first world was wicked before ,noah's birth2 on what occasion its wickedness increased #ai4 99 ,noah the martyr of martyrs #bj4 99 ,why ,lamech called his son ,noah #ba4 e4 ,how sin greatly increased in the days of ,noah #bb4 99 ,why ,noah remained unmarried so long1 which was his greatest cross #bc4 f4 ,when the wickedness of the old world began #bd4 99 ,concerning unchastity4 7#a7 ,it is the foundation of all want and misery #bd4 7#b7 ,it is the spring of many other sins #be4 7#c7 ,how to remedy it #be4 7#d7 ,whether bearing children is in itself to be reckoned as unchastity1 and how far ,moses denounces it #bf4 7#e7 ,unchastity makes the bearing of children difficult #bg4 g4 ,the reason the sons of ,god looked upon the daughters of men #bh4 h4 ,why the sin of the first world was not so terrible as the sin of the second #bi-cj4 i4 ,how the first world changed through the marriages of ,adam and the other patriarchs #cj-cb4 99 ,the sons of ,god4 7#a7 ,what is understood by them #cb4 7#b7 ,the rabbins' fables about the sons of ,god1 how to refute them #cc-cd4 99 ,what is to be held concerning the ,incubis and ,succubis #cd-ce4 7#c7 ,how the deluge came because of the sons of ,god #cf4 7#d7 ,to what end should the fall and punishment of the sons of ,god serve us #cg-ch4 99 ,should the ,romish church be called holy #cg4 99 ,how the children of ,god became the children of the devil #ch4 99 ,how ,noah had to spend his life among a host of villains #ci4 99 ,the conduct of the world when ,god sends it righteous servants #dj4 ,i4 ,,the ,,sins ,,of ,,the ,,primeval ,,world ,,in ,,general ,,the ,,cause ,,of ,,its ,,destruction4 #a4 ,in the first five chapters ,moses describes the state of the human race in the primeval world and the wonderful glory of the holy patriarchs who governed it4 ,in these five chapters the chronicles as in the first book1 so to speak1 the happiest period of the whole human race and of the world before the flood4 ,now we shall begin what may be termed the second book of ,genesis1 containing the history of the flood4 ,it shows the destruction of all the offspring of ,cain and the eternal preservation of the generation of the righteous2 for while everything perishes in the flood1 the generation of the righteous is saved as an eternal world4 #b4 ,it is appalling that the whole human race except eight persons is destroyed1 in view of the fact that this was truly the golden age2 for succeeding ages do not equal the old world in glory1 greatness and majesty4 ,and if ,god visited with destruction his own perfect creation and the very glory of the human race1 we have just cause for fear4 #c4 ,in inflicting this punishment1 ,god followed his own peculiar way4 ,whatever is most exalted he particularly overthrows and humiliates4 ,peter says in #b ,peter #b1 #e3 ,god spared not the ancient world2 and he would imply that it was1 in comparison with succeeding ages1 a veritable paradise4 ,neither did he spare the sublimest creatures--the angels--nor the kings ruling his people1 nor the first-born of all times4 ,but the more highly they were blessed with gifts1 the more sternly he punished them when they began to misuse his gifts4 #d4 ,the ,holy ,spirit says in the ninth verse of the second psalm1 concerning kings3 ,thou shalt break them with a rod of iron2 thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel4 ,but is it not the ,lord himself who has ordained kings and wills that all men should honor and obey them8 ,here he condemns and spurns the wisdom of the prudent and the righteousness of the righteous4 ,it is ,god's proper and incessant work to condemn what is most magnificent1 to cast down the most exalted and to defeat the strongest1 though they be his own creatures4 ,he does this1 however1 that abundant evidence of his wrath may terrify the ungodly and may arouse us to despair of ourselves and to trust in his power alone4 ,we must either live under the shadow of ,god's wing1 in faith in his grace1 or we must perish4 #e4 ,after the fall it came to pass that the more one was blessed with gifts1 the greater was his pride4 ,this was the sin of the angels who fell4 ,this was the sin of the primitive world1 in which the grandest people of the race lived2 but because they prided themselves in their wisdom and other gifts1 they perished4 ,this was the sin of the greatest kings4 ,this was the sin of nearly all the first-born4 ,but what is the need of so many words8 ,this is original sin--that we fail to recognize and rightly use the great and precious gifts of ,god4 #f4 ,that the greatest men must furnish the most abhorrent examples is not the fault of the gifts and blessings1 but of those to whom they are intrusted4 ,god is a dialectician and judges the person by the thing1#a meting out destruction to the thing or gift as well as to its possessor4 ,footnote #a3 ut arguat a conjugatis4 #g4 ,it is expedient to give heed to such examples4 ,they are given that the proud may fear and be humbled1 and that we may learn our utter dependence upon the guidance and will of ,god1 who resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble4 ,lacking the understanding and practice of these truths1 man falls continually--kings1 nobles1 saints1 one after the other1 filling the world with examples of the wrath and judgment of ,god4 ,the ,blessed ,virgin sings3 ,he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart4 ,he hath put down the princes from their thrones1 and hath exalted them of low degree4 ,lk #a1 #ea-ec4 #h4 ,full of such examples are all ages1 all princely courts1 all lands4 ,yet1 by the grace of ,saint ,diabolus1 the prince of this world1 our hearts are so hard that we are not moved by all this to fear2 rather to disdain1 though we feel and see that we also shall incur destruction4 ,blessed are they1 therefore1 who heed1 and are moved by such examples of wrath to be humble and to live in the fear of ,god4 #i4 ,consider1 then1 the preeminence of the old world1 that perished in the flood4 ,it possessed apparently the best1 holiest and noblest men1 compared with whom we are as the dregs of the world4 ,for the ,scriptures do not say that they were wicked and unjust among themselves1 but toward ,god4 ,he saw1 says ,moses1 that they were evil4 ,the eyes of ,god perceive and judge quite differently from the eyes of men4 ,he says in ,isaiah #ee1 #h-i3 ,neither are your ways my ways4444 ,for as the heavens are higher than the earth1 so are my ways higher than your ways1 and my thoughts than your thoughts4 #aj4 ,these tyrants and giants were esteemed and honored among themselves as the wisest and most just of men4 ,so in our day kings and princes1 popes and bishops1 theologians1 physicians1 jurists and noblemen occupy exalted places and receive honor as the very gems and luminaries of the human race4 ,more deservedly did the children of ,god in the old world receive such honor1 because they excelled in power and possessed many gifts4 ,nevertheless1 falling into pride and contempt of ,god while enjoying his blessings1 they were rejected by ,god and destroyed1 together with their gifts1 as if they had been the lowest and vilest of the human race4 #aa4 ,and this is a common failing of our human nature4 ,it necessarily puffs itself up and prides itself on its gifts unless restrained by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,i have often said that a man has no more dangerous enemy than himself4 ,it is my own experience that ,i have not without me so great cause for fear as within me2 for it is our inner gifts that incite our nature to pride4 #ab4 ,as ,god1 who is by nature most kind1 cannot refrain from gracing and showering us with various gifts3 health1 property1 wisdom1 skill1 knowledge of ,scripture1 etc41 so we cannot refrain from priding ourselves upon these gifts and flaunting them4 ,wretched is our life when we lack the gifts of ,god1 but twice wretched is it when we have them2 for they tend to make us doubly wicked4 ,such is the corruption of original sin1 though all but believers are either unaware of its existence or regard it a trivial thing4 #ac4 ,such corruption is perceptible not only in ourselves but in others4 ,how property inflates pride though it occupies relatively the lowest place among blessings6 ,the rich1 be they noblemen1 city-dwellers or peasants1 deem other people as flies4 ,to even a greater extent are the higher gifts abused--wisdom and righteousness4 ,possession of these gifts1 then1 makes inevitable this condition--,god cannot suffer such pride and we cannot refrain from it4 #ad4 ,this was the sin of that primeval world4 ,among ,cain's descendants were good and wise men1 who1 nevertheless1 before ,god were most wicked1 for they prided themselves upon their gifts and despised ,god1 the author4 ,such offense the world does not perceive and condemn2 ,god alone is its judge4 #ae4 ,where these spiritual vices exist and flourish1 the lapse into carnal ones is imminent4 ,according to ,sirach #aj1 #ad1 sin begins with falling from ,god4 ,the devil's first fall is from heaven into hell2 that is1 from the first table of the ,law into the second4 ,when people begin to be godless--when they do not fear and trust ,god1 but despise him1 his ,word and his servants--the result is that from the true doctrine they pass into heretical delusions and teach1 defend and cultivate them4 ,these sins in the eyes of the world are accounted the greatest holiness1 and their authors alone are reputed religious1 ,god-fearing and just1 and held to constitute the ,church1 the family of ,god4 ,people are unable to judge concerning the sins of the first table4 ,those who despise ,god sooner or later fall into abominable adultery1 theft1 murder and other gross sins against the second table4 #af4 ,the purpose of my statements is to make plain that the old world was guilty1 not only of sin against the second table1 but most of all of sin against the first table by making a fine1 but deceptive and false show of wisdom1 godliness1 devotion and religion4 ,as a result of the ungodliness which flourished in opposition to the first table1 there followed that moral corruption of which ,moses speaks in this chapter1 that the people polluted themselves with all sorts of lust and afterward filled the world with oppression1 bloodshed and wrong4 #ag4 ,because the ungodly world had trampled both tables under foot1 ,god came to judge it1 who is a consuming fire and a jealous ,god4 ,he so punishes ungodliness that he turns everything into sheer desolation1 and neither government nor the governed remain4 ,we may1 therefore1 infer that the world was the better the nearer it was to ,adam1 but that it degenerated from day to day until our time1 when the offscouring and lowest filth of humanity1 as it were1 are living4 #ah4 ,now1 if ,god did not spare a world endowed with so many and great gifts1 what have we to hope for1 who1 offal that we are1 are subject to far greater misfortune and wretchedness8 ,but if it please ,god1 spare the ,roman pontiff and his holy bishops1 who do not believe such things6 ,i now come to my text4 ,vs4 #a-b4 ,and it came to pass1 when men began to multiply on the face of the ground1 and daughters were born unto them1 that the sons of ,god saw the daughters of men that they were fair2 and they took them wives of all that they chose4 #ai4 ,this is a very brief but comprehensive account4 ,the text must not be understood to mean that the world did not increase until the five hundredth year of ,noah4 ,the more ancient patriarchs are embraced in this statement4 ,this is demonstrated by the fact that ,noah had no daughters4 ,the reference in the text to daughters certainly must be understood as referring to the by-gone age of ,lamech1 ,methuselah1 ,enoch and others4 ,the world1 accordingly1 was corrupt and evil before ,noah was born1 particularly when licentiousness began to prevail after the death of ,adam1 whose authority1 as the first father1 they feared4 #bj4 ,i have said that ,noah was a virgin above all others2 ,i may add he was the greatest of all martyrs4 ,our so-called martyrs1 compared with him1 have infinite advantage in strength received from the ,holy ,spirit1 by which death is overcome and all trials and perils are escaped4 ,noah lived among the unrighteous for six hundred years1 and like ,lot at ,sodom1 not without numerous and dire perils and trials4 #ba4 ,this was1 perhaps1 one reason why ,father ,lamech gave his son the name ,noah at his birth4 ,when the holy patriarch saw evil abounding in the world1 he entertained the hope concerning his son that he should comfort the righteous by opposing sin and its author1 ,satan1 and restoring lost righteousness4 #bb4 ,however1 the wickedness that began then1 not only failed to cease under ,noah1 but rather grew greater4 ,hence ,noah is the martyr of martyrs4 ,for is it not much easier to be delivered from all danger and suffering in a single hour than to live for centuries amid colossal wickedness8 #bc4 ,the opinion before expressed ,i maintain1 that ,noah abstained from matrimony so long that he might not be compelled to witness and suffer in his own offspring what he saw in the descendants of the other saints4 ,this sight of man's wickedness was his greatest cross1 as ,peter says of ,lot in ,sodom 7#b ,pet #b1 #h73 ,that righteous man dwelling among them1 in seeing and hearing1 vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds4 #bd4 ,accordingly1 the increase of humanity of which ,moses speaks has not reference alone to the time of ,noah1 but also to the age of the other patriarchs4 ,it was there that the violation of the first table commenced--in the contempt manifested for ,jehovah and his ,word4 ,this was followed later by such gross offenses as oppression1 tyranny and lewdness1 which ,moses explicitly mentions and names first as the cause of evil4 ,consult all history1 study the ,greek tragedies and the affairs of barbarians and ,romans of all times1 and you find lust the mother of every kind of trouble4 ,it can not be otherwise4 ,where ,god's ,word remains unknown or unheeded1 men will plunge into lust4 #be4 ,lust draws in its train endless other evils1 as pride1 oppression1 perjury and the like4 ,these sins can be attacked only as men1 through the first table1 learn to fear and to trust in ,god4 ,then it is that they follow the ,word as a lamp going before in the dark1 and they will not indulge in such scandalous deeds1 but will rather beware of them4 ,with violation of the first table1 however1 the spread of passions and sins of every description is inevitable4 #bf4 ,but it seems strange that ,moses should enumerate in the catalog of sins the begetting of daughters4 ,he had found it commendable in the case of the patriarchs4 ,it is even enjoyed by the ungodly as a blessing of ,god4 ,why1 therefore1 does ,moses call it a sin8 ,i reply1 he does not condemn the fact of procreation as such1 but the abuse of it1 resulting from original sin4 ,to be endowed with royal majesty1 wisdom1 wealth and bodily strength is a goodly blessing4 ,it is ,god who bestows these gifts4 ,but when men1 in possession of these blessings1 fail to reverence the first table1 and by means of these very gifts do violence to it1 such wickedness merits punishment4 ,therein is the reason for ,moses' peculiar words3 ,the sons of ,god saw the daughters of men that they were fair2 and they took them wives of all that they chose1 without consideration of ,god or of law1 natural or statutory4 #bg4 ,the first table having been despised1 the second shares the same fate4 ,desire occupies the principal place and in contempt for procreation it becomes purely bestial2 whereas ,god has instituted matrimony as an aid to feeble nature and chiefly for the purpose of procreation4 ,but when lust in this manner has gained the upper hand1 all commandments1 those that go before and that follow1 are ruthlessly broken and dishonored4 ,parental honor becomes insecure2 men do not shrink from doing murder2 from alienating property1 speaking false testimony1 etc4 #bh4 ,the word jiru1 saw1 does not merely signify to view1 but to view with pleasure and enjoyment4 ,this meaning often occurs in the psalms1 for instance3 ,mine eye also hath seen my desire on mine enemies1 ,ps #ib1 #aa2 that is1 shall with pleasure see vengeance executed upon my enemies4 ,the meaning here is that1 after turning their eyes from ,god and his ,word1 they turned them1 filled with lust1 upon the daughters of men4 ,the sequence is unerring that1 from the violation of the first table1 men rush to the violation of the second4 ,after despising ,god they despised also the laws of nature and1 as they pleased1 they married whom they chose4 #bi4 ,these are rather harsh words1 and yet it is my opinion that lust continued hitherto within certain limits1 inasmuch as they neither committed incest with their mothers1 as later the inhabitants of ,canaan1 nor polluted themselves with the vice of the ,sodomites4 ,moses confines his charge to their casting aside the legal trammels set by the patriarchs and recognizing in their matrimonial alliances no law but that of lust1 selecting only as passion directed and against the will of the parents4 #cj4 ,it seems the patriarchs had strictly forbidden to contract alliances with the offspring of ,cain1 just as1 later1 the ,jews could not lawfully mingle with the ,canaanites4 ,though there are not wanting those who write that incestuous marriages existed before the flood1 blood-relationship being held to be no barrier1 ,i yet infer from the fact that ,peter has extolled the old world1 that such incestuous atrocities did not exist at that time1 but that the sin of the ancient world consisted rather in men marrying whom they pleased1 and as many wives from the ,cainites as they chose1 ignoring parental authority and controlled alone by passion4 ,it is1 therefore1 a harsh word--,all which they chose4 #ca4 ,i have shown1 on various occasions1 that the two generations1 or churches1 of ,adam and ,cain were separate4 ,for1 as ,moses clearly states1 ,adam expelled the murderer from his association4 ,without doubt1 therefore1 ,adam also exhorted his offspring to avoid the church of the evil-doers and not to mingle with the accursed generation of ,cain4 ,and for a while his counsel or command was obeyed4 #cb4 ,but when ,adam died and the authority of the other patriarchs became an object of scorn1 the sons of ,god who had the promise of the blessed seed and themselves belonged to the blessed seed1 craved from the tribe of the ungodly1 intercourse and espousal4 ,he tersely calls the sons of the patriarchs the sons of ,god1 since to them was given the promise of the blessed seed and they constituted the true ,church4 ,yielding to the corruptions of the ,cainite church they indulged the flesh themselves and took from the tribe of ,cain1 as wives and mistresses1 whom and as many as they chose4 ,this ,lamech and ,noah saw with pain1 and for that reason1 perhaps1 deferred entering upon marriage4 #cc4 ,in reference to this point the ,jews fancy foolish things4 ,they interpret the sons of ,god to signify demon-lechers by whom that impious generation was begotten1 and that they were called the sons of ,god by reason of their spiritual nature4 ,the more moderate ones1 however1 refute such folly and represent the sons of the mighty4 ,this has been aptly disproved by ,lyra2 for the punishment of the deluge befell1 not alone the mighty1 but all flesh1 as shall the doom at the last day4 #cd4 ,but as regards the demon-lechers and strumpets 7incubi and succubi71 ,i do not deny--nay1 ,i believe--that a demon may be either a lecher or a strumpet1 for ,i have heard men cite their own experience4 ,augustine says that he heard this from trustworthy people whom he was constrained to believe4 ,satan is pleased when he can deceive us in this manner1 by assuming the form either of a young man or a young woman4 ,but that anything may be begotten by a devil and a human being is simply false4 ,we hear of monstrous births of demon-like features1 and ,i have even seen some4 ,i am of opinion1 however1 that they have been deformed by the devil1 but not begotten3 or that they are real devils with a human body either simulated or purloined4 ,for if the devil1 by divine permission1 may take possession of the whole man and change his mind1 is it strange that he may disfigure also his body1 causing men to be born sightless or cripples8 #ce4 ,hence1 the devil may so deceive frivolous people and such as live without the fear of ,god that when the devil is in bed1 a young man may think that he has a girl with him1 and a girl that she has a youth with her2 but that anything may be born from such concubinage ,i do not believe4 ,many sorceresses have at one time or another been subjected to death at the stake on account of their intercourse with demons4 ,if the devil can deceive eyes and ears so that they fancy they see and hear things which do not exist1 how much easier is it for him to deceive the sense of touch1 which is in this nature exceedingly gross6 ,but enough6 ,these explanations have no bearing upon the present text1 and we have been led to them merely by ,jewish babbling4 #cf4 ,the true meaning is that ,moses calls those men the sons of ,god1 who had the promise of the blessed seed4 ,this is a ,new ,testament phrase and signifies the believers who call ,god1 ,father1 and whom1 ,god in turn1 calls sons4 ,the flood came not because the generation of ,cain was corrupt1 but because the generation of the righteous who had believed ,god1 had obeyed his ,word1 and had possessed the true worship1 now had lapsed into idolatry1 disobedience to parents1 sensuality1 oppression4 ,even so the last day shall be hastened1 not by the profligacy of ,gentile1 ,turk and ,jew1 but by the filling of the ,church with errors through the pope and fanatical spirits1 so that those very ones who occupy the highest place in the ,church exercise themselves in sensuality1 lust and oppression4 #cg4 ,it is a cause of fear for us all1 that even those who were descended from the best patriarchs1 began to grow haughty and depart from the ,word4 ,they gloried in their wisdom and righteousness1 as later the ,jews did in circumcision and ,father ,abraham4 ,so did the popes glory in the title of the ,church only to replace gradually their spiritual glory by carnal indulgence after forfeiting the knowledge of ,god1 his ,word and his worship4 ,the ,roman ,church was truly holy and adorned by the grandest martyrs4 ,we1 at this day1 however1 are witnesses how she has fallen4 #ch4 ,let no one1 therefore1 glory in his gifts1 however splendid6 ,the greatest gift is to be a member of the true ,church4 ,but take care not to become proud on that account1 for you may fall1 just as ,lucifer fell from heaven and1 as we are here informed1 as the sons of ,god fell into carnal pleasures4 ,they are1 therefore1 no longer sons of ,god1 but sons of ,satan1 having fallen alike from the first and the second table of the ,law4 ,so in the past1 popes and bishops have been good and holy1 but today they are of all men the worst and1 so to speak1 the dregs of all classes4 #ci4 ,among this rabble of decadent men who had departed from the piety and virtues of their ancestors1 godly ,noah lived in the greatest contempt and hatred of everybody4 ,how could he approve the corruption of such degenerate progeny8 ,and they themselves were most impatient of reproof4 ,while1 therefore1 his example shone and gleamed1 and his holiness filled the whole earth1 the world became worse from day to day1 and the greater the sanctity and chastity of ,noah1 the more the world reveled in lust4 ,this is the beginning2 it invariably introduces ruin4 #dj4 ,when ,god arouses holy men1 full of the ,holy ,spirit1 to instruct and reprove the world1 the world1 impatient of sound doctrine1 falls with much greater zeal into sin and plies it with much greater persistency4 ,this was the situation at the beginning of the world1 and now1 at the end of the world1 we realize it is still the case4 ,,ii4 ,,god',s ,,judgment ,,and ,,grief ,,over ,,the ,,first ,,world2 ,,noah ,,and ,,his ,,preaching4 ,a4 ,,god',s ,,judgment ,,and ,,lamentation ,,over ,,the ,,old ,,world4 #a4 ,the words of the lamentation4 a4 ,interpreters have shamefully perverted these words #da4 b4 ,the ,jewish interpretation1 which ,jerome follows #db4 c4 ,the ,jews' interpretation refuted #db-dc4 d4 ,the interpretation of ,rabbi ,solomon #dd4 e4 ,the interpretation of others1 especially of ,origen #de4 99 ,why ,augustine was especially pleased with the doctrine of the ,manicheans #de4 f4 ,rabbi ,david's explanation #df4 99 ,the false idea of the ,jews and some ,christian interpreters that the true sense of ,scripture is learned from grammar4 7#a7 ,thus ideas most foreign to the sense of ,scripture are defended #df-dg4 7#b7 ,this method is false and led the ,jews into many fantasies #dg4 g4 ,the source of ,rabbi ,david's awkward interpretation of these words #dh4 99 ,why ,luther has so much to say about the false interpretation of ,scripture #di4 99 ,what is necessary to interpret ,scripture #ej4 h4 ,the true sense of these words #ea4 99 ,scripture definition of to judge #ea4 #b4 ,the author of this judgment and lamentation #ea-ec4 99 ,man's conduct upon hearing ,god's ,word preached #ed4 #c4 ,from what kind of a heart does such judgment and lamentation spring #ee4 99 ,what kind of grief is the grief of the ,holy ,spirit #ef4 99 ,god's severest punishment #eg-ei4 99 ,what follows when man does not possess ,god's ,word #eg-eh4 99 ,why the heathen are so carnal #eh4 #d4 ,the nature of this judgment and lamentation #ei4 99 ,the lamentation and judgment of ,luther over ,germany because it lightly esteemed ,god's ,word #fj4 99 ,the spirit of grace and of prayer #fa4 99 ,the office of the ministry4 a4 ,it requires two things #fb4 b4 ,it is the greatest blessing of ,god #fc4 c4 ,to despise it is a great sin1 and what follows when it is taken from a people #fc4 d4 ,a complaint of its neglect #fd4 e4 ,this office is explained by the expression to judge #fe4 99 ,every godly preacher is one who disputes and judges #fe4 99 ,luther's grief because of the stubbornness of the world #ff4 99 ,why ,ahab called ,elijah a troubler of ,israel #fg4 99 ,why the world resents being reproved by sound doctrine4 ,it is a good sign if a minister is reviled by the world #fh4 99 ,the glory of people who boast of being the ,church4 a4 ,such glory avails nothing before ,god #fh-gj4 b4 ,papists wish by all means to have this glory #fh-gj4 c4 ,papists need this glory to suppress the ,protestants #ga4 d4 ,christ will decide at the judgment day to whom this glory belongs #ga4 e4 ,although the first world adorned itself with this glory1 it did not save them #gb4 #e4 ,how and why this judgment and complaint are ascribed to ,god #gc-gd4 #f4 ,how they were published to the world by the holy patriarchs #ge4 #g4 ,why they were made #gf4 #h4 ,in what way they have been published to the world #gg4 #i4 ,how the world resented this judgment and complaint #gh4 99 ,time given to the first world for repentance4 a4 ,we are not to understand the #abj years as the period of a man's life #gi4 b4 ,the #abj years the time given these people in which to repent #hj-ha4 #aj4 ,whether and to what end this time was necessary #hb4 #aa4 ,how the old world felt upon hearing this #hc4 99 ,the complaint and judgment of the last world #hd-hf4 99 ,the nearer the world approaches its destruction the less it thinks of it #hf4 99 ,how the time of the flood is to be compared with the time ,god gives man to repent #hg4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,judgment ,,and ,,lamentation ,,of ,,god ,,over ,,the ,,first ,,world2 ,,noah ,,and ,,his ,,preaching4 ,a4 ,,god',s ,,judgment ,,and ,,lamentation ,,over ,,the ,,old ,,world4 ,v4 #c4 ,jehovah said1 ,my ,spirit shall not strive with man forever1 for that he also is flesh3 yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years4 #da4 ,moses here begins by describing ,noah as the highest pontiff and priest1 or1 as ,peter calls him1 a preacher of righteousness4 ,this text has been mangled in various ways1 for the natural man cannot understand spiritual things4 ,when1 therefore1 the interpreters1 with unwashed feet and hands1 rushed into the ,holy ,scriptures1 taking with them a human bias and method1 as they themselves acknowledge1 they could not but fall into diverse and erroneous views4 ,it has almost come to pass1 that the more sublime and spiritual the utterances of ,scripture1 the more shamefully they have been distorted4 ,this passage in particular they have managed so shamelessly that you would not know what to believe1 if you followed the interpreters4 #db4 ,the ,jews are the first to crucify ,moses here1 for this is their exposition3 ,my ,spirit1 that is my indignation and wrath1 shall not always abide upon man4 ,i will not be angry with men1 but spare them1 for they are flesh4 ,that means1 being spurred by sin1 they incline to sin4 ,this meaning ,jerome also adopts1 who is of the opinion that here only the sin of lust is spoken of1 to which we are all prone by nature4 ,but his first error is that he interprets ,spirit as wrath4 ,it is the ,holy ,spirit ,moses here speaks of1 as the contrast shows4 ,for man1 he says1 is flesh4 ,the meaning is1 therefore1 that the flesh is not only prone to sin1 but also hostile toward ,god4 #dc4 ,then the matter itself serves as refutation1 for could anything more absurd have been devised8 ,they see with their eyes the wrath of ,god swallowing the whole human race through the flood1 and yet they expound that ,god does not wish to be influenced toward the human race by anger but by mercy1 and this after a hundred and twenty years1 the very time of the flood4 #dd4 ,rabbi ,solomon expounds it thus3 ,the ,spirit which is in ,god shall no more strive and wrangle4 ,as if ,god in his majesty would have disputed and wrangled about what should be done with man1 whether to destroy or to spare him1 finally1 wearied by man's wickedness1 determining upon his destruction1 nevertheless4 #de4 ,others understand this of the created spirit3 ,my spirit that ,i breathed upon the face of man1 that is the spirit of man1 shall no longer strive and contend with the flesh1 which is in subjection to its lusts1 for ,i shall take away this spirit and free it from the flesh1 so that when the latter has become extinct1 it may create no more difficulties for the spirit4 ,this is the understanding of ,origen1 and it does not differ much from the ,manichean error which attributes sin not to the whole man1 but only to a part4 ,and ,augustine says that this had pleased him most in the tenets of the ,manicheans1 to hear that his depravity was not altogether his1 but only of that part of the body which is evil from the beginning4 ,the ,manicheans posited two principles1 the good and the bad1 just as certain philosophers have posited enmity and friendship4 ,thus do men not only miss the mark1 but they also fall into ungodly delusions4 #df4 ,rabbi ,david cites ,sanctes1 and derives the word jadon from nadan1 which means sheath1 or shell4 ,but as the interpretation is very clumsy1 so he clothes it also in a very clumsy word3 ,my ,spirit shall not be inclosed in man as in a sheath4 ,has anything more unnatural ever been heard8 ,but the ,jews make a laughing-stock of modern ,hebraists when they convince them that the ,holy ,scriptures can not be understood except through grammatical rules and an exact science of vowel-points4 ,no exposition is so absurd but that they defend and polish it with their stale grammatical rules4 #dg4 ,but tell me1 what language has there ever been that men easily have learned to speak from grammatical rules8 ,is it not true that the very languages most thoroughly reduced to rules1 like ,greek and ,latin1 are learned rather by practice8 ,what stupendous absurdity1 therefore1 it is to gather the sense of a sacred tongue1 which is the repository of things theological and spiritual1 from grammatical rules1 and to pay no attention to the proper signification of things8 ,and this is what the rabbis and their disciples do almost universally4 ,many words and verbs may be declined for which no use is seen in the language4 ,while they make such things paramount and everywhere chase anxiously after etymology1 they fall into strange fancies4 #dh4 ,so here4 ,because the word in this passage can be derived from nadan1 they construct from that a prodigious meaning4 ,my spirit1 they say1 shall not be held back as in a sheath4 ,they mean the spirit of man contained in the body as in a sheath4 ,i shall not leave it in a sheath1 they say1 but ,i shall remove him and destroy the sheath4 ,such absurdities originate in the stale grammatical rules1 whereas usage rather should be considered2 it is that which trains the grammarian4 #di4 ,but ,i recite all this at length1 in order to admonish you1 when you come upon such silly commentators1 not to follow them and admire such singular wisdom4 ,for great men even have found delight in the folly of the rabbis4 ,they are not unlike the ,sacramentarians1 who do not deny the words of ,christ1 ,this is my body1 this is my blood2 but explain it thus3 ,bread is bread1 and yet the body of ,christ1 namely1 his creature2 this is my blood1 namely my wine4 ,this passion of distorting texts no sane man tolerates in the exposition of the fables of ,terence1 or of the eclogues of ,virgil1 and1 forsooth1 we should tolerate it in the ,church6 #ej4 ,we need the ,holy ,spirit to understand the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,for we know that the same ,spirit shall exist to the end of the world who existed before all things4 ,we glory in possessing this ,spirit through the grace of ,god1 and1 through him1 we have faith1 a moderate knowledge of ,scripture and an understanding of the other things necessary to godliness4 ,hence we do not invent a new interpretation2 we are guided not only by an analogy of ,holy ,scripture but also by faith4 #ea4 ,through the ,holy ,scriptures in its entirety1 the verb judge1 dun1 signifies almost invariably a public office in the ,church1 or the office of the ministry1 through which we are corrected1 reproved1 instructed and enabled to distinguish the evil from the good1 etc4 ,thus1 ,psalm #aaj1 #f3 ,jadin bagojim1 ,he will judge among the nations2 which means3 ,he will preach among the nations4 ,the word found in this passage is evidently the same4 ,and in the ,new ,testament this phrase1 originally ,hebrew1 is very much in vogue1 especially in ,paul's writings1 who uses the ,hebrew idiom more than the others4 #eb4 ,i understand this passage therefore as words spoken by ,lamech or ,noah as a new message to the whole world4 ,for it was a public message proclaimed at some public assembly4 ,when ,methuselah1 ,lamech and ,noah saw that the world was hastening straight to destruction by its sins1 they resorted to this proclamation3 ,my ,spirit shall no longer preach among men4 ,that means3 we teach in vain1 we admonish in vain2 the world has no desire to be better4 #ec4 ,it is as if one in the present perverse times should say3 ,we teach and make ample effort to summon the world back to sobriety and godliness1 but we are derided1 persecuted1 killed1 and all men1 in the end1 rush to destruction with blind eyes and deaf ears2 therefore we are constrained to desist4 ,these are the words of a soul planning appropriate action and full of anxiety1 because it is clear that the human race1 at the height of its peril1 cannot be healed4 #ed4 ,this exposition conforms to faith and ,holy ,scriptures4 ,when the ,word is revealed from heaven1 we see that some are converted1 who are freed from damnation4 ,the remaining multitude despises it and securely indulges in avarice1 lust and other vices1 as ,jeremiah says 7ch #ea1 #i73 ,we should have healed ,babylon1 but she is not healed3 forsake her1 and let us go everyone into his own country4 ,the more diligently ,moses and ,aaron importuned and instructed1 the more obstinate ,pharaoh became4 ,the ,jews were not made better by even the preaching of ,christ and the apostles4 ,the same befalls us who teach in our day4 ,what1 in consequence1 are we to do8 ,deplore the blindness and obstinacy of men we may1 correct it we cannot4 ,who would rejoice in the eternal damnation of the popes and their followers8 ,who would not prefer that they should embrace the ,word and recover their senses8 #ee4 ,a similar exhibition of obstinacy ,methuselah1 ,lamech and ,noah saw in their day4 ,therefore there bursts from them this voice of despair3 ,my ,spirit1 namely the ,word of healing truth1 shall no longer bear witness among men4 ,for inasmuch as you refuse to embrace the ,word--will not yield to healing truth--you shall perish4 ,these are the words of a heart filled with anxiety after the manner that the ,scriptures say ,god is anxious2 that is1 the hearts of ,noah1 ,lamech1 ,methuselah and other holy men who are filled with love toward all4 ,beholding this wickedness of men1 they are troubled and pained4 #ef4 ,such grief is really the grief of the ,holy ,spirit1 as ,paul says1 ,grieve not the ,holy ,spirit of ,god1 in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption1 ,eph #d1 #cj4 ,this means that the ,holy ,spirit is grieved when we miserable men are distracted and tormented by the wickedness of the world1 that despises the ,word we preach by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,thus ,lot was troubled in ,sodom1 and the pious ,jews in ,babylon under the godless king ,belshazzar2 also ,jeremiah1 when he preached to the ungodly ,jews and exclaimed 7,jer #ae1 #aj73 ,woe is me1 my mother1 that thou hast borne me4 ,so in ,micah #g1 #a3 ,woe is me6 for ,i am as the grape gleanings of the vintage3 there is no cluster to eat4 #eg4 ,the wrath of ,god is most fearful as he recalls the ,word4 ,what man would not prefer pestilence1 famine1 war--these being mere bodily calamities--to a famine of the ,word which is always joined to eternal damnation8 ,an example of the horrible darkness into which ,satan can lead men when ,god is silent and does not speak1 is furnished by the ,gentiles who have been bereft of the ,word4 ,who is not horrified by the ,romans1 men of exemplary wisdom and famous before other nations by reason of their dignified discipline1 who observed the custom of letting the worthy matrons worship and crown ,priapus1 the foul idol1 and of leading bridal virgins before it8 ,what is more ludicrous than that the ,egyptians adored the calf ,apis as the supreme godhead8 #eh4 ,the ,tripartite ,history gives an account of ,constantine the ,great being the first to abolish in ,phoenicia and other places the shameless custom of using virgins1 before their nuptials1 for purposes of prostitution4 ,such monstrous infamies were accounted religion and righteousness among the ,gentiles4 ,there is nothing1 in fact1 so ridiculous1 so stupid1 so obscene1 nothing so remote from all propriety1 that it cannot be foisted as the very essence of religion upon men who have been forsaken by the ,word4 #ei4 ,this is1 therefore1 the greatest penalty1 that ,god1 through the mouths of the holy patriarchs1 threatens no longer to reprove men by his ,spirit2 which means that henceforth he will not give his ,word to men1 since all teaching is vain4 #fj4 ,like punishment our times will bring also upon ,germany4 ,for we see the haste1 the unrest1 of ,satan1 and his efforts to defraud whom he may of the ,word4 ,how many sects has he roused during our lifetime1 and this while we bent all our energies toward the maintenance of pure doctrine6 ,what is in store after our death8 ,surely1 he will lead forth whole swarms of ,sacramentarians1 ,anabaptists1 ,antinomians1 ,servetians1 ,campanistans and other heretics who at present1 conquered by the pure ,word and the constancy of faithful teachers1 keep out of sight1 but are ready for every opportunity to establish their doctrines4 #fa4 ,those1 therefore1 who have the ,word in its purity1 should learn to embrace the same1 to thank ,god for it and to call upon him while he may be found4 ,for when the spirit of knowledge is taken away1 the spirit of prayer is also gone4 ,zechariah says 7,zech #ab1 #aj73 ,for the spirit of prayer is joined to the spirit of grace4 ,it is the spirit of grace which reproves our sins and gives instruction concerning their remission1 which condemns idolatry and instructs concerning the true worship of ,god1 which condemns avarice1 lust and oppression1 and teaches chastity1 patience and charity4 ,this spirit1 ,god here threatens1 shall no longer continue his work of instruction1 since men refuse to hear and are incorrigible4 ,the spirit of grace having been taken away1 the spirit of prayer has also been taken away4 ,for it is impossible for him to pray who is without the ,word4 #fb4 ,accordingly1 the office of a priest is twofold2 first1 that he turns to ,god and prays for himself and for his people2 second1 that he turns from ,god to men through instruction and the ,word4 ,says ,samuel3 ,far be it from me that ,i should sin against ,jehovah in ceasing to pray for you3 but ,i will instruct you in the good and the right way1 #a ,sam #ab1 #bc4 ,he is aware that this is his proper office4 #fc4 ,therefore1 the ministry is rightly praised and esteemed as the highest favor4 ,when this has been lost or has been vitiated1 not only prayer becomes impossible1 but men are simply in the power of the devil1 and do nothing but grieve the ,holy ,spirit with all their deeds1 and thus fall into mortal sin1 for which it is not lawful to pray4 ,such other lapses as occur among men are trivial1 for return is open and the hope of pardon is left4 ,but when the ,holy ,spirit is grieved and men refuse to receive the witness and reproof of the ,holy ,spirit1 the disease is desperate and incurable4 #fd4 ,but how common is this sin today among all classes6 ,princes1 noblemen1 inhabitants of city and country1 refuse to be reproved2 they rather reprove and sit in judgment upon the ,holy ,spirit in his servants4 ,they judge of the office of the ministry by the lowliness of the person4 ,they reason thus3 ,this minister is poor and despised2 why then should he reprove me1 a prince1 a nobleman1 a magistrate8 ,rather than endure this1 they trample under foot the ministers1 together with their office and their message4 ,should we not1 then1 fear the judgment of ,god1 such as he here announces to the old world8 #fe4 ,these1 therefore1 are the words of a father who disinherits his son1 or of a severe schoolmaster in wrath ejecting a pupil1 when ,god simply fixes a hundred and twenty years as the time in which opportunity is granted for repentance4 ,he threatens1 should it not be improved1 his ,spirit shall no longer reprove and strive4 ,this word pertains properly to the office of the ministry and1 in a certain sense1 describes it4 ,for every preacher or servant of the ,word is a man of strife and judgment1 and is constrained1 by reason of his office1 to chide whatever is vicious1 without considering the person or office of his hearer4 ,when ,jeremiah does this zealously1 he incurs not only hate but also the gravest dangers4 ,he is moved even to impatience1 so that he wishes he had never been born1 ,jer #bj1 #ad4 #ff4 ,and if ,i had not been particularly strengthened by ,god1 ,i should have been wearied and broken down ere this by the contumacy of an impenitent world2 for the ungodly so grieve the ,holy ,spirit in us1 that1 with ,jeremiah1 we wish often we had never made a beginning of anything4 ,hence ,i often pray to ,god to let the present generation die with us1 because1 after our death1 the most perilous times are to come4 #fg4 ,for this reason ,elijah is called by ,ahab the godless king of ,israel1 the disturber of ,israel2 because he openly reproved the idolatry1 violence and passions of his day4 ,likewise we today are deemed the disturbers of ,germany4 #fh4 ,but it is a good sign when men condemn us and call us authors of strife1 for the ,spirit of ,god strives with men1 reproves and condemns them4 ,but men are so that they wish to be taught only what gives them pleasure1 as they frankly admit in ,micah #b1 #f-g3 ,prophesy not to us2 for confusion has not seized us1 says the house of ,jacob4 ,the latter they use as an argument2 because they look upon themselves as the house of ,jacob and the people of ,god1 they decline chastening1 and will not take to themselves penalties and threats4 ,so today the pope and his accomplices plume themselves solely upon being the ,church1 and declare that the ,church is incapable of error4 ,but notice this text and it will appear how frivolous such an argument is4 #fi4 ,are not those whom ,god threatens to no longer judge by his ,spirit likewise the sons of ,god8 ,what can be more splendid than this name8 ,beyond doubt they gloried in this name and rebelled against the patriarchs when they opposed1 or at least despised1 their preaching4 ,for it does not seem likely that ,god should be thrown into a rage against the whole human race on account of a few sins4 ,but the magnificent name did not save them1 nor did it avail that they were strong and great in number4 ,six hundred thousand marched out of ,egypt1 and two only entered the land of ,canaan2 all the others were prevented by death on account of their sins4 #gj4 ,evidently ,god will in no way inquire about the magnificent titles of the ,church1 pope and bishop4 ,other testimony will be needed when they desire to escape the wrath of ,god than to boast of being the ,church4 ,for it is written 7,mt #g1 #bj73 ,by their fruits ye shall know them4 ,and verse #ba3 ,not every one that saith unto me1 ,lord1 ,lord1 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven4 #ga4 ,if ever in the future a council shall be held--which ,i hardly believe--no one will be able to take from them the title of ,church1 but propped up by this alone they will condemn and oppress us4 ,different shall be the judgment1 when the ,son of man shall come in his glory4 ,then it shall appear that among the members of the holy ,church have been ,john ,huss and ,jerome of ,prague4 ,the pope1 however1 and the cardinals1 the bishops1 doctors1 monks and priestly mountebanks1 shall appear as the church of evil-doers1 enthroned in pestilence1 and as veritable henchmen of ,satan1 rendering aid to their father in his lying and murdering4 #gb4 ,such judgment of ,god we see also here4 ,he does not deny that the offspring of the saints are sons of ,god4 ,this magnificent title in which they took pride and securely sinned1 ,god leaves to them4 ,and yet these very sons of ,god who took in marriage the daughters of men1 he warns that he not only will take the ,word from their hearts and minds1 but that he will take from their eyes and ears also the ministering ,spirit who preaches1 prays1 reproves1 teaches and sighs in holy servants1 and because they refuse to be chastened and reproved2 knowing themselves to be the sons of ,god they despise the ,word and its teachers4 ,but they do not escape punishment because of their name4 ,the same shall likewise befall the papists and other enemies of the ,word4 #gc4 ,in accordance with this ,i hold that the sentiments of pious men are here attributed to ,god himself1 according to the usage of the ,holy ,scriptures2 for instance in ,malachi #c1 #h1 where the ,lord says that he is pierced through1 or1 as the ,hebrew has it1 that violence is done to him because the people were unfaithful in rendering to the priests the first-fruits and the tenth4 #gd4 ,but why1 you may say1 should ,god need to complain thus8 ,can he not when it pleases him suddenly destroy the whole world8 ,he surely can1 but does not do so gladly4 ,he says3 ,i have no pleasure in the death of the wicked2 but that the wicked turn from his way and live1 ,ezk #cc1 #aa4 ,such a disposition proves that ,god is inclined to pardon1 to endure and to remit the sins of men1 if only they will come to their senses2 but inasmuch as they continue in obduracy1 and reject all help1 he is1 as it were1 tormented by this wickedness of men4 #ge4 ,the words ,and ,jehovah said1 ,i attribute to the holy fathers1 who testified through a public decree that ,god should be compelled to exercise vengeance1 for they taught by divine authority4 ,when ,noah and his ancestors had preached nearly a thousand years1 and yet the world continued to degenerate more and more1 they announced ,god's decision to an ungrateful world and disclosed this as his thought3 ,why should ,i preach forever and permit my heralds to cry in vain8 ,the more messengers ,i send1 the longer ,i defer my wrath1--the worse they become4 ,it is therefore necessary for preaching to cease1 and for retribution to begin4 ,i shall not permit my ,spirit1 that is my ,word1 to sit in judgment and to bear witness forever1 and to tolerate man's wickedness4 ,i am constrained to punish their sins4 ,because man is flesh1 he is opposed to me4 ,he is earthly1 ,i am spirit4 ,man continues in his carnal state1 mocks at the ,word1 persecutes and hates my ,spirit in the patriarchs1 and the story is told to deaf ears4 ,hence it is necessary that ,i should cease and permit man to go his own way4 ,this contrast he desires to indicate when he says3 ,for he is flesh4 #gf4 ,noah1 ,lamech and ,methuselah were very holy men1 full of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,accordingly they performed their office by teaching1 admonishing1 urging and entreating1 in season and out of season2 as ,paul says1 #b ,tim #d1 #b4 ,but they reproved flesh and did unprofitable labor1 for the flesh would not yield to sound teaching4 ,should ,i1 says he1 endure forever such contempt for my ,word8 #gg4 ,this proclamation1 therefore1 contains a public complaint1 made by the ,holy ,spirit through the holy patriarchs1 ,noah1 ,lamech1 ,methuselah and others1 whom ,god took away before the flood that they might not be spectators of so widely diffused wrath4 ,all these1 with one voice and mouth1 admonished the giants and tyrants to repent1 and added the threat that ,god would not endure forever such contempt of his ,word4 #gh4 ,but the flesh remained true to its nature2 they despised faithful exhortations in their presumption and carnal security1 and the holy patriarchs they treated as men in dotage and as simpletons because of their threat that ,god would move in wrath even upon his ,church1 namely1 the heirs of the promise of the coming seed4 #gi4 ,the added clause1 yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years1 ,jerome affirms must not be understood as referring to the years of human life1 nor to the age of individual men2 for it is certain that after the flood many exceeded the two hundredth year4 ,if you refer it to the years allotted to individuals1 the promise would be that individuals should complete so many years1 which1 however1 is false4 ,therefore he speaks of the time conceded to the world for repentance until the flood should arrive4 #hj4 ,this interpretation agrees with what precedes4 ,god shows that he is displeased with the perversity of men4 ,he is full of solicitude and quite ready to forbear4 ,against his will1 so to speak1 he permits the flood to rage4 ,therefore1 he decided upon a fixed and adequate time for them to come to their senses1 and to escape punishment4 ,all this time ,noah admonished men to repent1 making it clear that ,god could not longer endure such wickedness1 while he was yet so kind as to grant adequate time for repentance4 #ha4 ,there is a beautiful cohesion between the words and their significance4 ,a former proclamation threatens3 ,i cannot endure longer contempt for my ,word2 my preachers and priests attain nothing with their infinite labor except derision4 ,nevertheless1 as a father or good judge would gladly spare a son but is compelled by his wickedness to be severe1 so1 the ,lord says1 ,i do not destroy gladly the human race4 ,i shall grant them one hundred and twenty years in which they may come to themselves1 and during which ,i shall exercise mercy4 #hb4 ,horrible was the disaster1 because neither the brothers nor the sisters of ,noah were saved4 ,it was necessary that the most earnest warning should precede1 that1 perhaps1 they might be called back to repentance4 ,to the ,ninevites ,jonah announces destruction within forty days1 and they repent and are saved4 #hc4 ,it is clear1 therefore1 that the heedlessness of the old world was very great1 inasmuch as in the one hundred and twenty years of grace it obstinately persisted in its lusts1 even deriding its pontiff ,noah1 the teacher of righteousness4 #hd4 ,in our times1 at the approach of the day of the ,lord1 almost the same condition obtains2 we exhort to penitence the papists and our noblemen2 the inhabitants of city and country we admonish not to continue despising the ,word1 since ,god will not leave this unavenged4 ,but in vain we exert ourselves1 as the ,scripture says4 ,a few faithful folk are edified and these are1 one by one1 gathered away from the face of sin1 and no man layeth it to heart1 as is spoken in ,isaiah #eg1 #a4 ,but when ,god1 in this way1 has shaken out the wheat and gathered the grain in its place1 what1 think you1 shall be the future of the chaff8 ,nothing else but to be burned with inextinguishable fire1 ,mt #ac1 #db4 ,this shall be the lot of the world4 #he4 ,but the world does not understand how it can be that through the preaching of the ,gospel the wheat should be separated from the chaff1 to be gathered into the barn1 while the chaff1 that is1 the throng of unbelievers sunk in idolatry and darkness1 shall be consigned to the fire4 ,it is written3 ,in a day of salvation have ,i helped thee2 and ,i will preserve thee1 ,is #di1 #h4 ,those who will neglect this day of salvation1 will find ,god as an avenger1 for he will not do useless labor in threshing empty chaff4 #hf4 ,but the world is flesh2 it does not obey4 ,yea1 the nearer and more immediate the calamity1 the more secure it is and the more readily it despises all faithful admonitions4 ,though this offense provokes the righteous1 we should1 notwithstanding1 conclude that ,god does not reprove in vain the world through his ,holy ,spirit1 nor that the ,holy ,spirit in the righteous is grieved in vain4 ,christ uses this as an example when he speaks of the wickedness and heedlessness of our age3 ,and as were the days of ,noah1 so shall be the coming of the ,son of man1 ,mt #bd1 #cg4 #hg4 ,it is to be observed here what has been an object of difficulty for ,jerome1 that the flood came a hundred years after the birth of ,shem1 ,ham and ,japheth1 while here a hundred and twenty years are said to have been the time of the flood4 ,b4 ,,noah ,,and ,,his ,,preaching4 #a4 ,the time ,noah began to preach #hg4 #b4 ,why the world took occasion to despise ,noah's preaching #hh4 99 ,jerome's reckoning of the #abj years #hi4 #c4 ,why ,noah married after living so long single1 when the world was to be destroyed #ij4 #d4 ,how and why ,noah was the prophet of prophets and his the greatest of prophecies #ia4 #e4 ,his preaching disregarded not only by the ,cainites but by the sons of ,god #ib4 99 ,to what end ,god's complaint of the first world should serve us #ic4 99 ,when was the judgment of ,god announced #id4 99 ,the generation of the ,cainites4 a4 ,whether it still existed in the days of ,noah #ie4 b4 ,why ,moses does not record the generations of the ,cainites and of their patriarchs #ie4 c4 ,how the holy patriarchs warned their children against the ,cainites #if4 d4 ,how the ,cainites tormented the holy patriarchs #if4 #f4 ,why ,god raised up ,noah #ig4 #g4 ,noah's faith exceptionally strong #ig-ih4 #h4 ,what impelled ,noah to continue his work1 and not to turn to the world #ii4 #i4 ,how ,noah's age was the wickedest and he had to oppose its wickedness all alone #ajj4 99 ,who of the patriarchs were still living in ,noah's time #ajj4 #aj4 ,what trials ,noah had to experience #aja4 ,b4 ,,noah ,,and ,,his ,,preaching4 #hg4 ,but this passage shows that ,noah began preaching about the impending punishment of the deluge before his marriage1 having hitherto led the life of a celibate4 #hh4 ,consider1 therefore1 what pastime he offered to a wicked world in its fancied security4 ,he predicts destruction to the whole world through the flood1 nevertheless1 he himself marries4 ,why8 ,was it not sufficient for him to perish alone1 that he must join to himself a companion for the disaster8 ,oh1 foolish old man6 ,surely if he believed the world was to perish by a deluge1 he would rather perish alone than marry and take the trouble to beget children4 ,but if he himself will be saved1 why1 so shall also we4 ,in this manner they commenced to despise the preaching concerning the flood with the greater assurance because of the marriage of ,noah1 ignorant of the counsel of ,god1 who moves in a manner altogether unintelligible to the world4 ,how absurd to promise ,abraham posterity through ,isaac1 and yet to command ,isaac to be sacrificed6 #hi4 ,the divine ,jerome argues against the view that ,god had fixed the time for the flood at a hundred and twenty years1 but saw himself compelled1 later1 when wickedness had waxed strong1 to shorten the time4 #ij4 ,but we shall not make ,god a liar2 we rather give it as our conviction that ,noah had hitherto preached1 while in a state of celibacy1 that the world was to be destroyed through the flood1 and later1 by a divine command1 had taken a maid as a little branch1 so to speak1 from the race of women1 and begotten three sons4 ,below it is written that he had found grace with the ,lord2 otherwise he who had refrained from marriage so long1 might have continued to do so still longer4 ,but ,god1 in order to restrain his wrath1 wants to leave a nursery for the human race2 therefore1 he commands marriage4 ,this the wicked believe to be a sign that the world shall not perish2 they live accordingly in security and despise the preacher1 ,noah4 ,but the counsel of ,god is different--to destroy the whole world and to leave through this righteous ,noah a nursery for the future world4 #ia4 ,noah was1 therefore1 the greatest prophet2 his equal the world has not had4 ,first he teaches the longest time2 then he gives instruction concerning a universal punishment coming upon the world1 and even fixes the year of its advent4 ,likewise ,christ prophesies concerning the last judgment1 when all flesh shall perish4 ,but of that day1 he says in ,mark #ac1 #cb1 or that hour knoweth no one1 444 but the father4 ,jonah foretells punishment for the ,ninevites within forty days2 ,jeremiah foretells seventy years of captivity2 ,daniel1 seventy weeks until the coming of ,christ4 ,these are remarkable prophecies1 in which time1 place and person are accurately described4 ,but this prophecy of ,noah surpasses all others1 inasmuch as he foretells through the ,holy ,spirit that within a certain number of years the whole human race shall perish4 ,he is worthy to be called the second ,adam and the head of the human race1 through whose mouth ,god speaks and calls the whole world to repentance4 #ib4 ,it is terrible1 however1 that his message was despised with such assurance that not only none of the ,cainites1 but not even any one of ,adam's progeny underwent a change4 ,therefore ,noah was compelled to witness the destruction of brothers1 sisters1 relatives and kindred without number1 and all these made a mock of the pious old man and of his message as an old woman's tale4 #ic4 ,this awful example is held up to us lest we persist in sin4 ,for if ,god did not spare the primitive world1 which was so magnificent--the very flower and youth of the world--and in which had lived so many pious men1 but1 as he says in ,psalm #ha1 #ab1 gave them up unto their own hearts' lust1 and cast them aside1 as if they had no claim upon the promise made to the ,church--if he did this1 how much less will he spare us who do not possess such prerogatives8 #id4 ,therefore1 the decree cited in this passage that ,god would grant men a hundred and twenty years for repentance1 was rendered and promulgated before ,noah had begotten children4 #ie4 ,with reference to the generation of the ,cainites1 no mention is made of their patriarchs at the time of the flood1 nor does ,moses even deem them worthy of being named4 ,previously he has brought down the generation of ,cain as far as ,lamech1 but whether his sons or nephews lived at the time of ,noah is uncertain4 ,this much is certain1 that the offspring of ,cain existed to that time1 and were so powerful as to mislead the very sons of ,god1 since even the posterity of the holy patriarchs perished in the flood4 #if4 ,before this time the holy patriarchs--the rulers of the true ,church1 as it were--admonished their families to beware of the accursed generation4 ,but the ,cainites1 incensed at being condemned1 made the attempt to overturn the righteous with every kind of mischief2 for the church of ,satan wars perpetually against the ,church of ,god4 #ig4 ,therefore1 as the righteous begin to waver and wickedness gains ground1 ,god raises ,noah to exhort to repentance and to be for his descendants a perpetual example1 whose faith and diligent1 patient devotion to teaching1 his offspring might admire and imitate4 ,a great miracle is it and a case of illustrious faith1 that ,noah1 having heard through ,methuselah and ,lamech the decree that the world is to perish after a hundred and twenty years1 through the flood1 does not doubt its truth1 and yet1 when the hundred and twenty years have almost expired1 marries and begets children4 ,he might rather have thought3 ,if the human race is to perish1 why should ,i marry8 ,why should ,i beget sons8 ,if ,i have refrained these many years1 ,i shall do so henceforth4 ,but ,noah does not do this2 rather1 after making known ,god's purpose respecting the world's destruction1 he obeys ,god1 who calls him to matrimony1 and believes ,god that1 though the whole world may perish1 yet he with his children shall be saved4 ,an illustrious faith is this and worthy of our consideration4 #ih4 ,there was in him first that general faith1 in common with the patriarchs1 concerning the seed which was to bruise the head of the serpent4 ,he possessed also the singular virtue of holding fast to this faith in the midst of such a multitude of offenses1 and not departing from ,jehovah4 ,then1 to this general faith he added the other1 special faith1 that he believed ,god as regards both the threatened destruction of the rest of the world and the salvation promised to ,noah himself and his sons4 ,beyond a doubt1 to this faith his grandfather ,methuselah and his father ,lamech earnestly incited him2 for it was as difficult to so believe as it was for the ,virgin ,mary to believe that none but herself was to be the mother of the ,son of ,god4 #ii4 ,this faith taught him to despise the presumption of the world which derided him as a man in his dotage4 ,this faith prompted him diligently to continue the building of the ark1 a work those giants probably ridiculed as extreme folly4 ,this faith made ,noah strong to stand alone against the many evil examples of the world1 and to despise most vehemently the united judgment of all others4 #ajj4 ,but almost unutterable and miraculous is this faith1 burdened as it is with strange and most weighty obstacles1 which the ,holy ,spirit shows in passing1 without going into great detail1 that we may be induced to meditate the more diligently upon its circumstances4 ,consider first the great corruption of the age4 ,while the ,church had before this time many and most holy patriarchs1 it was now deprived of such rulers2 ,adam1 ,seth1 ,enos1 ,cainan1 ,mahalalel1 ,jared1 ,enoch are all dead1 and the number of patriarchs is reduced to three--,methuselah1 ,lamech and ,noah4 ,these alone are left at the time the decree concerning the destruction of the world is published4 ,these three are compelled to witness and suffer the incredible malice of men1 their idolatry1 blasphemy1 violent acts1 foul passions1 until finally ,methuselah and ,lamech are also called out of this life4 ,there ,noah was the only one to oppose the world rushing to destruction1 and to make an effort to preserve righteousness and to repress unrighteousness4 ,but far from meeting with success1 he had to see even the sons of ,god lapse into wickedness4 #aja4 ,this ruin and havoc of the ,church troubled the righteous man and all but broke his heart1 as ,peter says of ,lot in ,sodom1 #b ,pet #b1 #h4 ,now1 if ,lot was so distracted and vexed by the wickedness of one community1 how must it have been with ,noah1 against whom not only the generation of ,cain raged1 but who was opposed also by the decadent generation of the patriarchs1 and then even by his own father's house1 his brothers1 sisters1 and the descendants of his uncles and aunts8 ,for all these were corrupted and estranged from the faith by the daughters of men4 ,as the text says1 they saw the daughters of men4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,sins ,,of ,,the ,,ancient ,,world ,,in ,,particular4 ,a4 ,,the ,,forbidden ,,marriages ,,entered ,,into4 #a4 ,why this is said of the sons and not of the daughters of the holy patriarchs #ajb4 #b4 ,why were the holy fathers so emphatically forbidden to let their sons marry the ungodly #ajc-ajd4 #c4 ,how this was the beginning of all evils #aje4 99 ,what evils have in all times come through woman #ajf4 #d4 ,the sins here sprang from despising the first table of the law #ajg-ajh4 99 ,the sins of the second table follow when the first table is not kept #ajh4 #e4 ,everything that is called sin is embraced in this sin #aji-aaj4 #f4 ,how marriage with the children of the true ,church was despised #aaa4 #g4 ,their desire to marry thus resembled ,eve's desire to take the forbidden apple #aab4 #h4 ,why the patriarchs' children took this step #aac4 #i4 ,how these marriage alliances were formed #aad-aaf4 #aj4 ,berosus' testimony concerning these forbidden marriages #aaf4 ,b4 ,,disorder ,,in ,,all ,,branches ,,of ,,society #aaf-aag4 ,c4 ,,the ,,tyranny ,,exercised4 #a4 ,by the giants or tyrants4 a4 ,what is to be understood by tyrants #aag4 99 ,the pope resembles the tyrants before the flood #aah4 b4 ,the nature of these tyrants #aai4 c4 ,why called ,nephilim #abj-abb4 d4 ,whether they received their name from their size or from their cruelty #abc4 99 ,how the ,scriptures designate true rulers #abc4 e4 ,these tyrants types of ,antichrist #abc4 f4 ,they were raging1 powerful and criminal characters #abd4 99 ,of authorities4 7#a7 ,how ,god wants us to honor the authorities though he terribly threatens them #abe-abf4 7#b7 ,why ,god wants them to be honored1 when he himself does not honor them #abg4 7#c7 ,godless rulers are ,god's swine and are rare birds in heaven #abh4 g4 ,whether these tyrants were rulers and why ,god called them by such a shameful name #abi4 h4 ,moses chose the word ,nephilim1 which in his day designated a wicked people1 to express the tyrants of the first ,world #acj4 #b4 ,by the mighty men4 a4 ,how ,jerome perverts this text #aca4 b4 ,what is to be understood by the mighty men that were of old #aca4 99 ,the meaning of ,olam #acb4 c4 ,whence did they receive their power #acc4 d4 ,why called mighty men #acd4 99 ,the character of the true church #acd4 #c4 ,by the men of renown4 a4 ,why they were thus named #ace4 b4 ,who they were #acf4 99 ,they resembled the pope and bishops #acf4 c4 ,lyra's false explanation of it refuted #acg4 99 ,how ,antichrist is restrained from the world1 and true doctrine maintained #acg4 ,d4 ,,the ,,sin ,,against ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit #ach4 99 ,that one sin follows another until man reaches the highest degree of sin #aci4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,sins ,,of ,,the ,,old ,,world ,,in ,,particular4 ,a4 ,,the ,,forbidden ,,marriages ,,entered ,,into4 #ajb4 ,but1 ,i ask1 why is not complaint made also of the men1 or why are not the daughters of ,god included in this complaint8 ,he says merely that they saw the daughters of men4 ,it was surely for this reason1 that the holy generation of ,seth had received the peculiar injunction to beware of fellowship with the ,cainites1 inasmuch as they had been excluded from the true ,church1 and to mingle with them neither socially through marriage1 nor ecclesiastically through worship1 for the righteous should avoid every occasion of offense4 #ajc4 ,in prohibiting marriage with the ,cainites it was the chief purpose of the pious fathers to maintain their generation pure2 for daughters bring into the houses of their husbands the views and manners of the fathers4 ,thus1 we read of ,solomon in the ,book of the ,kings that he was led astray through a woman who was a stranger2 and thus ,jezebel introduced the wickedness of the ,syrians into the kingdom of ,israel4 #ajd4 ,the holy fathers saw the same would come to pass in their generation2 therefore1 after they were separated from the ,cainites through the divine command1 they resolved that the sons of the holy generation should not marry the daughters of men4 ,the daughters of the race of the righteous could more readily be restrained from marriage with the ,cainites1 while the sons were independent and headstrong4 #aje4 ,in this way ,moses wishes to show the trouble began from the time the sons of ,god joined themselves to the daughters of men1 seeing that they were fair4 ,the sons of men who were proud and strong and passionately given to pleasure1 without doubt despised the plain maidens of the pious race who had been reared by the holy patriarchs not delicately1 but simply and modestly1 being arrayed in homely garb4 ,there was hence no necessity of making a law also for the maidens1 inasmuch as they were in any case neglected by the noble ,cainites4 #ajf4 ,if you study the history of nations you will find that women have been the occasion for the overthrow of the strongest kingdoms4 ,well known is the disgrace of ,helen4 ,the sacred writings demonstrate also that woman occasioned the fall of the whole human race4 ,this1 however1 should be mentioned without reflection upon the sex1 for we have a command1 ,honor thy father and thy mother1 ,ex #bj1 #ab4 ,likewise1 ,husbands1 love your wives1 ,col #c1 #ai4 ,it is true that ,eve was the first to pluck the apple2 however1 she first sinned by idolatry and fell from the faith1 which faith1 as long as it is in the heart1 controls also the body2 but when it has departed from the heart1 the body serves sin4 ,guilt is not peculiar to sex but to sin1 which man has in common with woman4 #ajg4 ,thus ,moses gives an account of the prevailing unrighteousness and lust4 ,but he gives the reader to understand that1 before sin was committed against the second table of the ,law1 the first had been violated1 and the ,word of ,god treated with contempt4 ,otherwise the sons of ,god would have obeyed the will of their pious parents forbidding marriage with those outside the ,church4 #ajh4 ,moses1 therefore1 concludes that1 because the sons of ,god had forsaken the worship and ,word of ,god and departed from the precepts of their parents1 thereupon to fall into sensuality and lust1 and to take to wife whom they pleased1 they also became violent and appropriated the goods of others4 ,the world cannot do otherwise4 ,when it has forsaken ,god1 it worships the devil2 when it has despised the ,word and fallen into idolatry1 it rushes forth into all sins of passion1 in which fierceness of anger and fierceness of desire by turns are aroused1 and thus all the appetites are thrown into a state of the greatest disorder4 ,when the righteous reprove this1 the result is resentment and violence against them4 #aji4 ,the sin of the flood1 then1 embraces everything that may be called sin1 by the first as well as the second table4 ,wicked men first depart from ,god through unbelief2 then they disregard obedience to parents1 and finally become murderers1 adulterers1 etc4 #aaj4 ,i mention this to the end that no one may believe that sex or the marriage estate in themselves are to blame4 ,it is chiefly transgression of ,god's commandments and disobedience to parents which are condemned4 ,owing to absence of fellowship between the ,cainites and the true ,church1 pious parents desired also social separation from the ,cainites1 for fear they might be perverted by the manners of ungodly wives4 ,but ,god's command being neglected1 and the authority of parents despised1 the younger generation lapsed into the passions of concupiscence and vehemence4 ,in this way the honor of sex and the dignity of matrimony are conserved3 accusation is brought solely against the unrighteousness which first departs from ,god and then manifests itself in injuring the saints4 #aaa4 ,this is the teaching of the words3 ,the sons of ,god saw the daughters of men that they were fair4 ,why did they not see the daughters of ,god and desire those in the ,church and possess the promise of the seed8 ,are they not convicted of contempt for the sisters of their own generation1 that is the true ,church1 and of mingling with the carnal and impious generation of ,cain8 ,they despise the simplicity and reserve of their sisters and prefer the smiles1 the dress1 the wiles of the daughters of ,cain2 the latter they crave and cultivate1 the former they treat either with neglect or dishonor4 #aab4 ,with such eyes as ,eve viewed the apples when she fell into sin1 the sons of ,god viewed the daughters of men4 ,eve had seen the forbidden tree before that1 but with eyes of faith looking back to ,god's commandment2 for that reason she did not crave1 but rather she fled from the same4 ,when1 however1 the eyes of faith were dimmed and she beheld the tree solely with carnal eyes1 she stretched out her hand with desire and invited also ,adam1 her husband4 #aac4 ,likewise the sons of the patriarchs had seen long before that the daughters of the ,cainites excelled in form1 dress and elegance of manners4 ,nevertheless1 they did not mingle with them1 for the eye of faith looked back to the commandment of ,god and to the promise of the seed to be born from the generation of the righteous4 ,but the eyes of faith having been lost1 they saw no longer either the command or the promise of ,god1 but followed merely the desire of the flesh4 ,the simple1 good and virtuous girls of their own generation they despised2 the ,cainites they married1 seeing they were polished1 charming and pleasant4 #aad4 ,it is not a sin1 therefore1 that they marry1 nor is the sex in itself condemned4 ,condemnation lies in this1 that with contempt of the divine commandment they marry unlawfully2 that they permit themselves to be led astray by their wives from the true worship to the wicked worship of a false church2 that1 after the fashion of the ,cainites1 they pay no heed to parental authority and become guilty of violence1 oppression and other sins4 ,moses clearly reveals their sin when he says3 ,they took them wives of all that they chose1 as if he said3 ,to marry a wife is not an evil but a blessing1 if it be done lawfully4 ,but they sinned in that they married without judgment1 against the will and purpose of the parents1 marrying whom and as many as they pleased1 regardless of their own estate1 whether married or single4 #aae4 ,this is a stern word1 by which ,moses characterizes it as a great sin that they arbitrarily married two wives or more1 exchanged them1 or snatched them from others1 after the manner of ,herod1 who possessed himself of his brother's wife4 ,it is this unbridled reign of evil lust that ,moses discloses and condemns4 #aaf4 ,berosus writes that incestuous marriages also took place among them1 so that they married even their mothers and sisters4 ,but ,i doubt whether they were so wicked as that4 ,it is a sin sufficiently grave that in marrying they dispensed with judgment1 the authority of their parents and even with the ,word of ,god1 following altogether the guidance of lust and desire4 ,they took whom they pleased and whom they could1 and by such license they brought chaos into domestic1 public and churchly relations4 ,b4 ,,disorder ,,in ,,all ,,branches ,,of ,,society ,the sin of the primeval world was1 therefore1 an upheaval of all established order1 inasmuch as the ,church was demoralized by idolatry and false modes of worship4 ,this condition was aggravated by those oppressors who cruelly persecuted the righteous teachers and holy men4 ,public discipline was destroyed by oppression and violent deeds1 and domestic discipline by uncurbed lust4 ,upon such overturning of piety and integrity followed universal depravity2 men were not merely evil but plainly incorrigible4 ,c4 ,,the ,,tyranny ,,exercised4 ,v4 #d;a4 ,the ,nephilim 7giants7 were in the earth in those days1 #aag4 ,moses continues the description of the sin and offense which provoked the deluge4 ,the first point was that the sons of ,god had fallen from the fear of ,god1 and the ,word had become altogether carnal1 perverting not only the ,church but also the ,state and home4 ,now he adds that wickedness had grown to the extent of giants arising upon earth4 ,he clearly states that there were born from the concubinage of the sons of ,god with the daughters of men1 not sons of ,god1 but giants2 that is1 bold men who arrogated to themselves at the same time both government and priesthood4 #aah4 ,just so the pope arrogates to himself at the same time the spiritual and the temporal sword4 ,this would not be the height of evil1 if he would only make use of his power for the preservation of ,state and ,church2 but the greatest sin is that he abuses his power for the establishment of idolatry1 for a warfare against sound doctrine1 and for purposes of oppression even in the ,state4 ,when the ,papists are reproved with the ,word of ,god1 they spurn such reproof1 claiming that they are the ,church and incapable of error4 ,this class of people ,moses calls giants1 men who arrogate to themselves power both political and ecclesiastical1 and who sin most licentiously4 #aai4 ,such men are described in the ,book of ,wisdom who say3 ,let unrighteousness be our law1 #b1 #aa4 ,also in ,psalms1 #ab1 #d3 ,who have said1 ,with our tongue will we prevail2 our lips are our own3 who is lord over us8 ,again in ,psalm #gc4 ,they scoff1 and in wickedness utter oppression3 they speak loftily1 etc4 ,such were the giants who withstood the ,holy ,spirit to his face1 who1 through the mouth of ,lamech1 ,noah and the sons of ,noah1 exhorted1 implored1 taught and reproved4 #abj4 ,there are those who dispute the meaning of the noun ,nephilim and derive it from ,naphal1 which signifies to fall4 ,they commonly take it in a passive sense1 meaning that other men1 seeing the uncouth forms and extraordinary size1 fell down from fear4 ,let the rabbis vouch for the correctness of this2 it is ridiculous to call them ,nephilim because others fell4 ,some1 however1 suggest the etymology that they were thus called because they had fallen from the common stature of men1 and allege as proof-passage ,numbers #ac1 #cc1 from which it appears that giants possessed huge bodies like the ,anakim and ,rephaim4 ,which of these are right1 ,i do not decide1 especially since it is certain that a theory of all words can not be given1 nor their origin demonstrated4 #aba4 ,but here another question obtrudes itself3 ,why should those born from the sons of ,god and the daughters of men alone have differed from the ordinary stature of man8 ,i have no other answer than that the text says nothing of stature in this place4 ,in ,numbers #ac1 #cc it is said3 ,there we saw the giants1 the sons of ,anak1 who come of the giants3 and we were in our sight as grasshoppers1 and so we were in their sight4 ,there hugeness of body is shown1 but not here2 therefore they may be called giants for some other reason than massive stature4 #abb4 ,to give my opinion of the word1 ,i hold it is to be taken neither in the sense of the neuter nor of the passive1 but of the active1 inasmuch as the word naphal is often used in the sense of the active1 though it does not belong to the third conjugation1 in which almost all transitive verbs are found4 ,thus in ,joshua #aa1 #g3 ,so ,joshua came1 and all the people of war with him1 against them by the waters of ,merom suddenly1 and fell upon them4 ,if the verb is construed as neuter1 as if ,joshua and his men had fallen before the enemies1 history will object2 for the meaning is that they fell upon the enemies and suddenly overpowered them4 #abc4 ,therefore1 this passage and other1 similar ones prompt me to understand nephilim to designate not bulk of body1 but tyranny and oppression1 inasmuch as they domineered by force1 making no account of law and honor1 but merely indulging their pleasure and desire4 ,rightful rulers the ,scripture calls shepherds and princes1 but those who rule by wrong and violence are rightly called ,nephilim1 because they fall and prey upon those beneath them4 ,thus in ,psalm #aj3 ,he croucheth and humbleth himself and ,venaphal ,baa ,zumaf ,helkaim 7falls with his strong ones upon the poor74 ,the ,holy ,spirit speaks there of the reign of the ,antichrist1 whom he describes as raging so furiously as to crush what he can1 and1 at all events1 to bend what he cannot crush1 so that afterward he may suppress with all his strength what has been bent4 ,for baazuma can be indifferently rendered by with his strength1 or with his strong ones4 ,this power1 he says1 he uses only against those who are ,hilkaim1 that is the poor1 such as have previously been in some state of affliction4 ,others who excel in power1 he worships so as to draw them over to his side4 #abd4 ,accordingly ,i interpret giants in this passage not as men of huge stature1 as in ,numbers #ac1 #cc1 but as violent and oppressive2 as the poets depict the ,cyclopeans1 who fear neither ,god nor men1 but follow only their desires1 relying upon their strength and power4 ,for the oppressors sit enthroned in majesty1 sway empires and kingdoms1 and arrogate to themselves even spiritual power1 but use such power against the ,church and the ,word of ,god for the gratification of their lust4 #abe4 ,observe here the strange counsel of ,god1 commanding us to fear the authorities1 to obey1 serve and honor them1 while at the same time the threats and dreadful reproofs which he administers are almost invariably directed against those in authority1 against kings and princes1 as if ,god proceeded against them with a peculiar hatred4 ,scripture enjoins upon us to honor authority1 but itself does not honor it2 rather it destroys it with a threat of the gravest penalties4 ,scripture enjoins us to fear authority1 but itself appears to despise authorities1 inasmuch as it does not commend but threatens4 #abf4 ,does not ,mary earnestly declaim in her song against princes1 ,luke #a1 #ea-ec3 ,he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart4 ,he hath put down princes from their thrones1 and hath exalted them of low degree4 ,the hungry he hath filled with good things2 and the rich he hath sent empty away8 ,if we believe this to be true1 who would wish to be found among authorities1 for whom so certain perdition is prepared and imminent8 ,who would not prefer to live on a lowly plane and suffer hunger8 ,the second psalm accuses the authorities of the gravest crime when it says that they place themselves with united strength and efforts in opposition to ,god and his anointed and render violence to his kingdom4 ,thou hast made of a city a heap1 of a fortified city a ruin1 ,is #be1 #b4 ,the whole ,bible abounds with like sentiments4 #abg4 ,thus1 the ,bible does not honor the authorities1 but threatens them with danger1 and drags them into manifest contempt2 and still with consummate care it commands us to reverence and fear them1 and to render them all manner of service4 ,why is this8 ,surely because ,god himself desires to punish them1 and has reserved vengeance for himself instead of surrendering it to their subjects4 ,jeremiah argues in chapter #ab1 #a1 concerning the prosperity of the way of the ungodly1 and yet the ,lord is righteous4 ,but he concludes3 ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 fattenest them and preparest them for the sacrifice4 #abh4 ,so might it be said that the authorities are ,god's swine1 as it were2 he fattens them1 gives them wealth1 power1 fame and the obedience of their subjects4 ,they are not pursued1 while they themselves pursue and oppress others2 they suffer no injury1 but they inflict it upon others2 they do not give to others1 but rob them until the hour comes when1 like fattened swine1 they are slaughtered4 ,hence the ,german proverb3 ,a prince is a rare bird in the kingdom of heaven or1 princes are wild game in heaven4 #abi4 ,accordingly1 those whom ,moses calls here ,nephilim1 which is an odious and disgraceful name1 were without doubt the lawful administrators of ,church and ,state4 ,but because they did not use their office as they should1 ,god marks and brands them with this opprobious name4 ,as we1 in this corrupt state of nature1 are unable to use the least gift without pride1 so ,god1 most intolerant of pride1 thrusts the mighty from their throne1 and leaves the rich empty4 #acj4 ,i accept1 then1 the word ,nephilim as having an active signification1 being equivalent to tyrants1 oppressors1 revelers4 ,i believe1 furthermore1 as has been the case with other languages also1 that ,moses has transferred the usage of this word from his own times to those before the deluge1 after changing somewhat its meaning1 inasmuch as these degenerate descendants of the sons of ,god abused their power and position for the oppression of the good1 just as those ,anakim were tyrants relying upon bodily strength1 and so ,moses will presently show4 ,v4 #d;b4 ,and also after that1 when the sons of ,god came in unto the daughters of men1 and they bare children to them2 the same were the men that were of old1 the men of renown4 #aca4 ,jerome#a renders3 ,isti sunt potentes a seculo 7these are mighty men from the beginning74 ,but the word seculum 7olam7 does not here signify duration of time1 nor does it predicate extent4 ,these giants did not exist from the beginning1 they were not born until the sons of ,god had degenerated4 ,but seculum 7olam7 connotes a second predicate1 that of substance1 so that ,moses explains the nature of the power in which they trusted to have been secular or worldly4 ,they despised the ministry of the ,word as a vile office2 therefore they seized upon another office1 a secular one4 ,the very same thing our ,papists have done4 ,it has pleased them better to hold ample revenues and worldly kingdoms than to be hated of all men for the sake of the ,gospel4 ,footnote #a3 ,so also the ,a4 ,v4 and the ,r4 ,v41 while ,luther has by no means the philological science against him4 ,mundus1 seculum1 aion1 and olam are used to express the same conception4 ,translator4 #acb4 ,as far as ,moses is concerned1 the noun olam designates the world itself1 and also age or time4 ,hence it is to be carefully noted when olam 7seculum7 signifies duration of time1 and when it signifies world in the ,scriptures4 ,here it signifies of necessity world1 for they did not exist from the beginning4 #acc4 ,this clause1 then1 aptly describes the power they had received1 not from the ,church1 nor from the ,holy ,spirit1 but from the devil and the world4 ,it is1 as it were1 the counterpart of what ,christ says before ,pontius ,pilate1 ,john #ah1 #cf3 ,my kingdom is not of this world4 ,the servants of the ,word struggle with hunger1 and they labor under the hate of all classes4 ,in consequence1 they cannot exercise tyranny2 but those who possess kingdoms1 who govern states1 who possess castles and domains1 are equipped for exercising tyranny4 #acd4 ,this clause contains also a suggestive reference to the small ,church with her few souls4 ,these are cross-bearers without wealth2 but they possess the ,word4 ,their only wealth is what the world despises and persecutes4 ,the ,nephilim1 on the other hand1 or giants1 usurp as the descendants of the patriarchs the splendid name of the ,church1 and possess also kingdoms4 ,they exercise dominion1 and pursue the miserable ,church in their power4 ,in accordance therewith ,moses calls them mighty before1 or in1 the world2 or worldlings and temporal potentates4 #ace4 ,what ,jerome renders viri famosi 7famous men7 is1 in ,hebrew1 men of name1 that is1 renowned or famous in the world4 ,moses touches here also upon the sin of the ,cyclopeans1 who1 possessing everything in the world1 possessed also a famous name and were renowned throughout the world2 while1 on the contrary1 the true sons of ,god1 namely ,noah and his sons1 were held in the greatest scorn and regarded as heretics1 as sons of the devil1 as a blot upon the grandeur of ,church and ,state4 ,so is it now with us4 ,christ testifies in ,matthew #bd1 #cg1 that the last times resemble the times of ,noah4 #acf4 ,moses had before testified that the ,holy ,spirit would be taken from the wicked and they would be sent in the ways of their own desire4 ,they were1 accordingly1 such rascals as the pope today with his cardinals and bishops1 who are not only styled princes and possess kingdoms1 but also take to themselves the name of ,church1 so as to subject us as heretics to the ban1 and securely to condemn us4 ,they do not permit themselves to be called tyrants1 nor wicked1 nor temple-robbers4 ,they wish to be styled most kind1 holy and reverend gentlemen4 #acg4 ,the meaning1 therefore1 is not that which ,lyra follows when he understands famous as notorious4 ,as the world does not call the pope ,antichrist1 but ascribes to him the name of the greatest saint and admires him as if he and his carnal creatures were filled with the ,holy ,spirit and incapable of error1 and therefore humbly worships whatever he commands or advises--exactly so those giants had a noble name and were held in admiration by the whole world4 ,on the contrary1 ,noah with his followers was condemned as a rebel1 as a heretic1 as a traducer of the dignity of ,state and ,church4 ,so today do bishops regard us who profess the ,gospel4 ,d4 ,,the ,,sin ,,against ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit4 #ach4 ,this passage furnishes a description of the sins with which that age was burdened3 ,men were averse to the ,word2 they were given over to their own lusts and reprobate minds2 they sinned against the ,holy ,spirit by persistent impenitence1 by defending their ungodly behavior and by warring upon the recognized truth4 ,yet with all these blasphemies they retained the name and authority1 not only of the ,state1 but also of the ,church1 as if ,god had exalted them to the place of the angels4 ,when this was the state of things1 and ,noah and ,lamech with their pious ancestor ,methuselah taught in vain1 ,god turned them over to the desires of their hearts 7,ps #ha1 #ab7 and maintained silence until they should experience the flood1 the prophecy of which they refused to believe4 #aci4 ,this is falling away from ,god and ,church and entering upon illicit marriage4 ,one sin1 unless corrected at once1 will lead to another1 and so on indefinitely until the state is reached which ,solomon describes in ,proverbs #ah1 #c1 ,when the wicked cometh1 there cometh also contempt1 and with ignominy ,cometh reproach4 ,they who thus sin1 even if afterward rebuked1 do not heed4 ,they imagine they stand in need of no instructor1 and think they represent a just cause4 ,they do not believe in a life after this1 or even hope for salvation1 while living in open sin4 ,notwithstanding1 scorn and shame shall overwhelm them4 ,it was this persistent impenitence and consummate contempt for the ,word that impelled ,god to visit all flesh with a universal flood4 ,,iv4 ,,god',s ,,repentance ,,and ,,grief ,,that ,,he ,,made ,,man4 ,a4 ,,the ,,repentance ,,of ,,god4 #a4 ,the ,words1 ,the wickedness of man was great4 a4 ,how ,luther used these words against the doctrine of free will2 how the advocates of free will falsely interpreted them1 and how they are refuted #adj-ada4 99 ,concerning free will4 7#a7 ,augustine's doctrine of free will misinterpreted by the schools #adj4 7#b7 ,the schools unreasonably defend it #ada4 7#c7 ,man has no free will and without the grace of the ,holy ,spirit can do nothing #adb-adc4 7#d7 ,the reproving office of the ,holy ,spirit makes it clear that man has no free will #add4 7#e7 ,whether there is hope1 if a council be held1 that the ,papists will abandon their false doctrine of free will #ade4 7#f7 ,how the true doctrine of free will leads us to a knowledge of sin and what we are to hold in reference to it #adf4 7#g7 ,why we should guard against the false doctrine concerning free will #adg4 99 ,the comfort for one who commits sins of infirmities #adg4 99 ,all endeavors without the ,holy ,spirit are evil #adh4 7#h7 ,we are to distinguish in the doctrine of free will what is good politically from what is good theologically #adi-aej4 b4 ,these words are wrongly understood by the ,jews and sophists #aea4 99 ,how we should view the discussions of philosophers in regard to ,god and divine things #aeb4 c4 ,these words should be understood as spoken not only of the people before the flood1 but of all men #aec4 #b4 ,the ,words1 ,it ,repented ,jehovah4 a4 ,how the repentance of ,god is to be reconciled with the wisdom and omniscience of ,god4 7#a7 ,the way sophists answer this question #aed4 7#b7 ,luther's answer #aee-aeg4 99 ,how man should treat questions which lead us into the throne of the divine majesty #aeh4 99 ,how the passages of ,scripture are to be understood which attribute to ,god the members of a human body #aei4 99 ,whether the ,anthropomorphites were justly condemned #aei4 99 ,why ,god is represented to us as if he sprang from the temporal and the visible #afa-afc4 99 ,we cannot explore ,god's nature #afc4 99 ,in what pictures ,god reveals himself in the ,old ,testament1 and in the ,new #afd4 99 ,the will of ,god in signs and the will of ,god's good pleasure1 signs and ,beneplaciti4 7a7 ,how we can know ,god's will in signs #afe-aff4 7b7 ,why we cannot know the will of ,god's pleasure1 nor fathom it #afe-aff4 7c7 ,what is really to be understood by the will in signs #afg4 b4 ,the way the schools explain these words #afh4 c4 ,how they are to be rightly understood #afi4 99 ,disputing about ,god's majesty and omnipotence places man in a dangerous position #afi-aga4 99 ,how man should hold to the signs by which ,god revealed himself #aga4 99 ,what the will of ,god's pleasure is1 to what it serves and how it is revealed in ,christ #agb-agf4 99 ,the will of good pleasure of which the fathers speak cannot comfort the heart #age4 99 ,the only view of the ,godhead possible in this life #agf4 d4 ,in what sense it can be said that it repented ,jehovah that he had made man #agg4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,repentance ,,and ,,grief ,,of ,,god ,,because ,,he ,,had ,,made ,,man4 ,a4 ,the ,repentance of ,god4 ,vs4 #e-f4 ,and ,jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth1 and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually4 ,and it repented ,jehovah that he had made man on the earth1 and it grieved him at his heart4 #adj4 ,this is the passage which we have used against free will1 of which ,augustine writes that without the grace of the ,holy ,spirit it can do nothing but sin4 ,the scholastics1 however1 the champions of free will1 are not only hard beset by this clear passage1 but also by the authority of ,augustine1 and they sweat4 ,of ,augustine they say that his language is hyperbolical1 as ,basil writes of one who in refuting the other side had gone too far1 that he did like the farmers2 they when trying to straighten out crooked branches bend them a little too far on the other side2 and so ,augustine1 in beating back the ,pelagians1 is asserted to have spoken more severely against free will in the defense of grace than the merits of the case warranted4 #ada4 ,as far as this passage is concerned1 it is slandered when it is held that it speaks only of the evil generation before the flood1 and that now men are better1 at least some who make good use of their freedom of will4 ,such wretched interpreters do not see that the passage speaks of the human heart in general1 and that a particle is plainly added1 ,rak1 which signifies only4 ,in the third place1 they fail to see that after the flood the same declaration is repeated in the eighth chapter in almost precisely the same terms4 ,for ,god says1 ,the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth1 ,gen #h1 #ba4 ,here evidently he does not speak only of the antediluvians4 ,he rather speaks of those to whom he makes the promise that henceforth another general flood of water shall never come1 that is1 of all the offspring of ,noah4 ,these are words of universal application3 ,the imagination of man's heart is evil4 #adb4 ,we draw1 therefore1 the general conclusion that man without the ,holy ,spirit and without grace can do nothing but sin1 and thus he unhaltingly goes forward from sin to sin4 ,when in addition1 he will not endure sound doctrine but rejects the word of salvation and resists the ,holy ,spirit1 he becomes an enemy of ,god1 blasphemes the ,holy ,spirit and simply follows the evil desires of his heart4 ,witnesses of this are the examples of the prophets1 ,christ and the ,apostles1 the primeval world under ,noah as teacher1 and also the example of our adversaries today1 who cannot be convinced by anything that they are in error1 that they sin1 that their worship is ungodly4 #adc4 ,other declarations of ,holy ,scripture prove the same thing4 ,is not the statement of the fourteenth ,psalm1 verse #c1 sweeping enough when it says3 ,jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men1 to see if there was any that did understand1 and did seek after ,god4 ,they are all gone aside8 ,thus1 ,ps #aaf1 #aa1 ,all men are liars2 and ,paul1 ,god hath shut up all unto disobedience1 ,rom #aa1 #cb4 ,these passages are most sweeping1 and emphatically force the conclusion that we all1 without the ,holy ,spirit1 whose dispenser is ,christ1 can do nothing but err and sin4 ,therefore1 ,christ says in the ,gospel1 ,i am the vine1 ye are the branches3 444 apart from me ye can do nothing1 ,jn #ae1 #e4 ,without me you are a branch cut off1 dry1 dead and ready for the burning4 #add4 ,and the very reason the ,holy ,spirit performs the office of reproving the world is that he may call the world back to penitence and the recognition of its derangement4 ,but the world remains consistent with itself2 it hears not and believes it can please ,god with forms of worship of its own choosing and without the sanction of the divine ,word1 and does not permit itself to be undeceived4 #ade4 ,if ever a council should be held1 the final declaration and conclusion with reference to this very point1 the freedom of will1 will be that we should abide by the decisions of the pope and the fathers4 ,we may clamor until we are hoarse that man in himself without the ,holy ,spirit is evil1 that everything he does without the ,holy ,spirit or without faith is condemned before ,god1 that his heart is depraved and all his thought2 we shall effect nothing4 #adf4 ,therefore1 the mind is to be grounded in this1 and we are to hold fast the doctrine which lays before us our sin and condemnation4 ,this knowledge of our sin is the beginning of salvation2 we must absolutely despair of ourselves and give glory for righteousness to ,god alone4 ,why does ,paul elsewhere complain1 and in ,romans #g1 #ah freely confess that there is nothing good in him8 ,he says plainly1 in my flesh2 so that we understand that the ,holy ,spirit alone can heal our infirmity4 ,when this has been fixed in our hearts1 the foundation of our salvation is largely laid1 inasmuch as subsequently clear testimonies are given that ,god will not cast away the sinner1 that is1 one who recognizes his sin and desires to come to his senses and thirsts after righteousness and the remission of sin through ,christ4 #adg4 ,let us1 therefore1 take care not to be found among those ,cyclopeans who oppose the ,word of ,god and proclaim their freedom of will and their own powers4 ,though we often err1 though we fall and sin1 still1 upon yielding to reproof on the part of the ,holy ,spirit with an humble confession of our depravity1 the ,holy ,spirit himself will be present1 and not only not impute to us the sin we acknowledge1 but the grace of ,christ shall cover it and he will shower upon us other gifts necessary to this life as well as the future one4 #adh4 ,but the words of ,moses are to be more closely considered1 for with a definite purpose he has used here a peculiar expression2 he has not merely said1 ,the thoughts of man's heart are evil1 but the imagination of the thoughts of his heart4 ,thus he expresses the highest that man can achieve with his thoughts or with his reason and free will4 ,imagination he calls that which man with his strongest effort devises1 selects1 creates like a potter1 and believes to be most beautiful4 ,but such imagination is evil1 he says1 and that not once1 but always4 ,for our reason without the ,holy ,spirit is altogether without knowledge of ,god4 ,now1 to be without knowledge of ,god means to be entirely base1 to dwell in darkness and to deem that very good which1 in reality1 is very bad4 #adi4 ,but when ,i speak of good1 ,i do so from the standpoint of theology1 for we must distinguish between the theological and the civil standpoints4 ,god approves also the rule of the ungodly2 he honors and rewards virtue also among the ungodly3 but only in regard to the things of this life and in things grasped by a reason which is upright from the civil standpoint2 whereas the future life is not embraced in such reward4 ,his approval is not with regard to the future life4 #aej4 ,when we dispute about the freedom of the will1 the question with us is what it may do from the theological standpoint1 not in civil affairs and in those subjects to reason4 ,we believe that man1 without the ,holy ,spirit1 is altogether corrupt before ,god1 though he may stand adorned with all heathen virtues1 inasmuch as there are certainly distinguished examples of moderation1 of liberality1 of love of country1 parents and children1 of courage and humanity1 even in the history of the ,gentiles4 ,we maintain that man's best thoughts concerning ,god1 the worship of ,god1 the will of ,god1 are worse than ,cimmerian darkness2 for the light of reason1 which has been given to man alone1 understands only bodily blessings4 ,such is the wicked infatuation of our evil desires4 #aea4 ,this declaration1 therefore1 should not be construed frivolously1 as the ,jews and sophists do1 who believe that the lower part of man only is here meant1 which is bestial1 and that the reason longs for better things4 ,the imagination of the thoughts they apply accordingly to the second table1 like the ,pharisee who condemns the publican and says that he is not like the other persons4 ,the words the ,pharisee uses are very fine1 for to give thanks to ,god for his gifts is not a sin2 and yet we declare this same thing to be ungodly and wicked1 because it proceeded from gross ignorance of ,god1 and it is truly prayer turned into sin1 tending neither to the glory of ,god nor to the welfare of men4 #aeb4 ,you may observe that philosophers have at various times quite cleverly discussed ,god and the providence with which he rules all things4 ,to some1 such words have seemed so pious that they almost have placed ,socrates1 ,xenophon and ,plato in the same rank with the prophets2 yet1 because in these discussions the philosophers are ignorant of the fact that ,god has sent his only ,son into the world to save sinners1 these beautiful utterances are1 according to the declaration of this passage1 consummate ignorance of ,god and mere blasphemies1 for the passage states unequivocally that all imagination and effort of the human heart is only evil4 #aec4 ,the text speaks1 accordingly1 not only of the sins before the flood1 but it speaks of the whole nature of man1 his heart1 his reason and his intellect1 even when man pretends to righteousness and desires to be very holy1 as do today the ,anabaptists when they purpose in their heart so to excel as to fail in nothing1 when for a show they attempt to attain the fairest virtues4 ,the truth is that hearts without the ,holy ,spirit are not only ignorant of ,god1 but naturally even hate him4 ,how1 then1 can anything be aught but evil that proceeds from ignorance and hatred of ,god8 #aed4 ,another question is here raised4 ,moses speaks thus3 ,when ,jehovah saw that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually1 it repented him that he had made man on the earth4 ,if ,god foresees everything1 why does the text say that he now first sees8 ,if ,god is wise1 how can regret for having created anything befall him8 ,why did he not see this sin or depraved nature of man from the beginning of the world8 ,why does ,scripture thus attribute to ,god such things as a temporary will1 vision and purpose8 ,are not the purposes of ,god eternal and unalterable1 incapable of being regretted8 ,similar instances are found also in the prophets1 where ,god threatens penalties1 as for instance to the ,ninevites1 and yet pardons the penitent4 ,to this question the sophists have no other reply than this1 that the ,scripture speaks after the manner of men1 that such things are ascribed to ,god accordingly through the use of a figure of speech4 ,hence they contend concerning a double will of ,god1 the will expressed by signs 7voluntas signi7 and the will of his good pleasure 7voluntas beneplaciti74 ,the will of his good pleasure1 they say1 is constant and unchangeable1 while the expressed will is subject to change4 ,for the signs through which he expresses himself1 he changes when he pleases4 ,thus he has abolished circumcision and instituted baptism1 whereas the will of his good pleasure1 fixed from eternity1 abides4 #aee4 ,while ,i do not condemn this interpretation1 a simpler meaning of the ,scripture seems to be that the ,holy ,scriptures express the thought of men in the ministry4 ,for when ,moses says that ,god sees and regrets1 this is really done in the hearts of those who have the ministry of the ,word4 ,thus he said above3 ,my ,spirit shall not strive with man1 but he does not say this simply of the ,holy ,spirit as existing in his own nature1 or of the divine majesty1 but of the ,holy ,spirit in the hearts of ,noah and ,methuselah1 that is1 the ,holy ,spirit as officiating and administering the ,word through the saints4 #aef4 ,in this manner ,god saw the wickedness of man and repented2 that is1 ,noah1 who had the ,holy ,spirit and was a minister of the ,word1 saw the wickedness of men and1 seeing such things1 he was moved by the ,holy ,spirit to grief4 ,so ,paul says in ,ephesians #d1 #cj1 that the ,holy ,spirit in the righteous is grieved by the ungodliness and malice of the wicked4 ,inasmuch as ,noah is a faithful minister of the ,word and an organ of the ,holy ,spirit1 the ,holy ,spirit is said to grieve when ,noah grieves and wishes that man rather did not exist than to be thus iniquitous4 #aeg4 ,the meaning1 therefore1 is not that ,god did not see these things from eternity2 he saw everything from eternity2 but inasmuch as this wickedness now manifests itself in all its fierceness1 ,god now first reveals the same in the hearts of his ministers and prophets4 ,from eternity1 therefore1 ,god is firm and constant in his purpose4 ,he sees and knows everything4 ,but only in his own time does ,god reveal this to the righteous so that they1 also1 may see it4 ,this seems to me the simplest meaning of this passage1 nor does ,augustine differ from it much4 #aeh4 ,however1 ,i constantly follow the rule to avoid1 whenever possible1 such questions as draw us before the throne of the highest majesty4 ,it is better and safer to stand at the manger of ,christ1 the man4 ,to lose one's self in the labyrinths of divinity is fraught with greatest danger4 #aei4 ,to this passage belong also other similar ones in which ,god is pictured as having eyes1 ears1 mouth1 nose1 hands and feet1 as ,isaiah1 ,daniel and other prophets saw him in their visions4 ,in such passages the ,bible speaks of ,god in the same manner as of a man4 ,in consequence1 the ,anthropomorphites stood condemned of heresy because they attributed to the divine essence a human form4 #afj4 ,because the ,anthropomorphites fancied such gross things1 they have rightly been condemned4 ,their fancy is manifestly erroneous1 for a spirit1 as ,christ says 7,lk #bd1 #ci71 has not flesh and bone4 ,i am rather of the opinion that the ,anthropomorphites intended to adapt the form of their doctrine to the plainest people4 ,for in his substance1 ,god is unknowable1 indefinable1 inexpressible1 though we may tear ourselves to pieces in our efforts to discern or portray him4 #afa4 ,hence1 ,god himself condescends to the low plane of our understanding and presents himself to us with childlike simplicity in representations1 as in a guise1 so that he may be made known to us in some way4 ,thus the ,holy ,spirit appeared in the form of a dove2 not because he is a dove1 but in this crude form he desired to be recognized1 received and worshiped1 for it was really the ,holy ,spirit4 ,no one1 to be sure1 will say that the same passage defines ,god as a voice speaking from heaven1 yet under this crude image1 a human voice from heaven1 he was received and worshiped4 #afb4 ,when ,scripture thus ascribes to ,god human form1 voice1 actions and state of mind1 it is intended as an aid only for the uncultivated and feeble2 we who are great and learned and of discernment in reference to ,scripture1 should likewise lay hold of these representations1 because ,god has put them forth and revealed himself to us through them4 ,the angels likewise1 appear in human form1 though it is certain that they are only spirits2 spirits we cannot recognize when they present themselves as such1 but likenesses we do recognize4 #afc4 ,this is the simplest way of treating such passages1 for the nature of ,god we cannot define2 what he is not we can well define--he is not a voice1 a dove1 water1 bread1 wine4 ,and yet in these visible forms he presents himself to us and deals with us4 ,these forms he shows to us that we should not become wandering and unsettled spirits which dispute concerning ,god1 but are completely ignorant concerning him1 since in his unveiled majesty he can not be apprehended4 ,he sees it to be impossible for us to know him in his own nature4 ,for he lives1 as the ,scripture says in #a ,timothy #f1 #af1 in an inaccessible light1 and what we can apprehend and understand he has declared4 ,they who abide in these things will truly lay hold of him1 while those who vaunt and follow visions1 revelations and illuminations will either be overwhelmed by his majesty or remain in densest ignorance of ,god4 #afd4 ,thus the ,jews also had their representations in which ,god manifested himself to them1 as the mercy-seat1 the ark of the covenant1 the tabernacle1 the pillars of smoke and fire4 ,god says in ,exodus #cc1 #bj1 ,man shall not see me and live1 therefore he gives a representation of himself in which he so manifests himself to us that we may lay hold of him4 ,in the new covenant we have ,baptism1 the ,lord's ,supper1 absolution and the ministry of the ,word4 #afe4 ,these are what the scholastics call voluntas signi1 the will expressed through signs1 which we must view when we desire to know the will of ,god4 ,another is the voluntas beneplaciti1 the will of his good pleasure1 the essential will of ,god1 or his unveiled majesty1 which is ,god himself4 ,from this our eyes are to be turned away4 ,it cannot be laid hold of2 for in ,god is nothing but divinity1 and the essence of ,god is his infinite wisdom and almighty power4 ,these are absolutely inaccessible to reason3 what he has willed according to the will of his good pleasure1 that he has seen from eternity4 #aff4 ,into this essential and divine will we should not pry1 but should absolutely refrain from it as from the divine majesty1 for it is inscrutable1 and ,god has had no desire to declare it in this life4 ,he desires to show it under certain tokens or coverings1 as ,baptism1 the ,word and the ,lord's ,supper4 ,these are the images of the deity and are his will as expressed through signs1 by which he deals with us on the plane of our intelligence4 ,hence1 we should look to these alone4 ,the will of his good pleasure is to be left entirely out of contemplation1 unless you happen to be ,moses1 or ,david1 or some similarly perfect man1 although even they so looked to the will of the divine good pleasure as never to turn their eyes from the will expressed by signs4 #afg4 ,this will of ,god is called his activity 7effectus ,dei71 wherein he comes out to us and deals with us garbed in the drapery of things extraneous to himself2 these we can lay hold of--the ,word of ,god and the ceremonies instituted by himself4 ,this will of ,god is not that of his omnipotence1 for though ,god in the ten commandments enjoins what ought to be done it is yet not done4 ,thus1 ,christ has instituted the ,lord's ,supper to strengthen in us faith in his mercy1 and yet many receive it to their condemnation1 that is1 without faith4 #afh4 ,but ,i return to ,moses4 ,he says that ,god sees man's wickedness and repents4 ,the scholastics explain this3 ,he sees and repents1 namely1 according to the expressed will1 not that of his good pleasure1 or the essential will4 #afi4 ,we say that ,noah's heart is moved by the ,holy ,spirit to understand that ,god is wroth with man and desires his destruction4 ,this interpretation commends itself to our intelligence and does not draw us into discussions concerning the absolute will or majesty of ,god1 which are very dangerous1 as ,i have seen in many4 ,such spirits are first puffed up by the devil so that they believe themselves to be in possession of the ,holy ,spirit1 neglect the ,word to the point of blaspheming it and vaunt nothing but the ,spirit and visions4 #agj4 ,this is the first degree of error--that men1 paying no heed to the ,deity as imaged and incarnate1 seek after the unveiled ,god4 ,afterward1 when the hour of judgment comes1 and they feel the wrath of ,god1 ,god himself judging and searching their hearts1 the devil ceases to puff them up and they despair and die4 ,they go about in the untempered sunlight and forsake the shade that delivers from the heat1 ,is #d1 #f4 #aga4 ,let no one therefore meditate upon divinity unveiled1 but flee from such thoughts as from the infernal regions and the very temptations of ,satan4 ,but let us take care to abide in these symbols through which ,god has revealed himself to us--the ,son1 born of the ,virgin ,mary1 lying among beasts in the manger1 and the ,word1 ,baptism1 the ,lord's ,supper and absolution4 ,in these images we see and find ,god in a way wherein we can endure him2 he comforts us1 lifts us up into hope and saves4 ,other thoughts about the will of the good pleasure1 or the essential and eternal will1 kill and damn4 #agb4 ,however1 to name this the will of good pleasure is a misnomer4 ,for that deserves to be called the will of good pleasure which the ,gospel discloses1 concerning which ,paul says1 that ye may prove what is the good will of ,god1 ,rom #ab1 #b4 ,and ,christ says1 ,this is the will of my ,father1 that every one that beholdeth the ,son should have eternal life1 ,jn #f1 #dj4 ,also1 ,whosoever shall do the will of my ,father who is in heaven1 he is my brother1 ,mt #ab1 #ej4 ,again1 ,this is my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased1 ,mt #c1 #ag4 ,this will of grace is correctly and properly called the will of the divine good pleasure and it is our only remedy and safeguard against that other will1 be it called the expressed will or the will of good pleasure1 about the display of which at the flood and the destruction of ,sodom the scholastics dispute4 #agc4 ,on both occasions a terrible wrath is in evidence1 against which no soul could find protection1 except in that gracious will1 keeping in mind that the ,son of ,god was sent into the flesh to deliver us from sin1 death and the power of the devil4 #agd4 ,this will of the divine good pleasure has been determined from eternity1 and revealed and published in ,christ4 ,it is a quickening1 gracious and lovable will1 and consequently it alone merits to be called the will of good pleasure4 ,but the good fathers almost pass the promises by2 they do not press them1 though they could properly be called the will of the good pleasure4 #age4 ,therefore1 as they enjoin looking to the will expressed by signs1 they do well1 but this is in no wise sufficient2 when we consider the ten commandments1 are we not frightened by the sight of our sins8 ,when those terrible examples of wrath are added which are also divine will as expressed by signs1 it is impossible for the soul to be lifted up except by looking back to the will of the good pleasure1 as we call it1 that is1 the ,son of ,god1 who portrays for us the spirit and the will of his ,father1 who does not hate sinners but desires to have compassion upon them through his ,son4 ,christ says to ,philip1 ,he that hath seen me hath seen the ,father1 ,jn #ad1 #i4 #agf4 ,the ,son of ,god1 therefore1 who became incarnate1 is that sign or veil of ,god in which the divine majesty with all its gifts so offers itself to us that no sinner is so wretched but he dare approach him in certain confidence of obtaining forgiveness4 ,this is the only vision of ,deity which in this life is expedient and possible4 ,however1 those who have died in this faith shall on the last day be so illumined by power from on high as to behold the majesty itself4 ,in the meantime1 it behooves us to approach the ,father through the way1 which is ,christ himself4 ,he will lead us safely and we shall not be deceived4 #agg4 ,the additional statement of the text1 ,it repented ,jehovah that he had made man on the earth1 ,i believe to be meant to bring out the antithesis1 that ,god has in mind not the earthly man1 who is subject to sin and death1 but the heavenly man1 who is lord over them4 ,he expresses his love for the latter1 while he hates the former and plans his destruction4 ,b4 ,,the ,,grief ,,of ,,god4 #a4 ,this is not to be understood of the divine nature1 but of the hearts of the patriarchs #agh-agi4 #b4 ,abraham1 ,samuel and ,christ grieved in like manner #ahj4 #c4 ,by whom such grief is awakened in the heart #aha4 #d4 ,the cause of this grief #ahb4 99 ,the character of the children of ,god and of the world in the face of the approaching calamity #ahc-ahd4 99 ,how the patriarchs and the ,church were walls of defense #ahe4 #e4 ,what made the grief of the holy patriarchs greater #ahe4 #f4 ,moses describes this grief very carefully #ahf4 99 ,how we see the grief of ,god in his saints #ahg4 99 ,how all is ruined on account of sin #ahg4 99 ,why ,noah did not dare to reveal the great wrath of ,god to the world #ahh4 99 ,what prevents the world from believing ,god's threatenings #ahh-ahi4 99 ,to whom ,god's promises do and do not apply #aij4 99 ,why the old world did not believe the threat of the deluge #aia4 99 ,the fate of true doctrine in our day is the same as it was in ,noah's #aib4 ,b4 ,,the ,,grief ,,of ,,god4 ,v4 #f;b4 ,and it grieved him at his heart4 #agh4 ,such was the regret of ,god that he was pained in his heart4 ,the word here is azab1 which was used before when he said 7,gen #c1 #af71 ,in pain shalt thou bring forth children2 also in ,psalm #abg1 #b1 the bread of toil4 ,this expression must be understood according to the usage of ,scripture4 ,we must not think that ,god has a heart or that he can suffer pain1 but when the spirit of ,noah1 ,lamech or ,methuselah is grieved1 ,god himself is said to be grieved4 ,we may understand such grief not of his divine nature1 but of his conduct4 ,noah1 with his father and grandfather1 feels in his heart1 through a revelation of the ,holy ,spirit1 that ,god hates the world because of sin and desires its destruction2 therefore they are grieved by this impenitence4 #agi4 ,this is the simple and true meaning4 ,if you refer these words to the will of the divine essence and hold that ,god has resolved this from eternity1 a perilous argument is employed to which are equal only men who are spiritual and tested by trial1 like ,paul1 for instance1 who has ventured to argue concerning predestination4 ,let us take our stand on an humbler plane1 one less open to danger1 and hold that ,noah and the other fathers were most grievously pained when the ,spirit disclosed to them such wrath4 ,these inexpressible groanings of the best of men are accordingly attributed to ,god himself1 because they emanate from his ,spirit4 #ahj4 ,an example of such groanings we see later in the case of ,abraham1 who interposed himself like a wall in behalf of the safety of the ,sodomites and did not abandon the cause until they came down to five righteous ones4 ,without a doubt the ,holy ,spirit filled the breast of ,abraham with infinite and frequent groanings in his attempts to effect the salvation of the wretched4 ,likewise ,samuel--what does he not do for ,saul8 ,he cries and implores with such vehemence that ,god is compelled to restrain him3 ,how long wilt thou mourn for ,saul1 seeing ,i have rejected him from being king over ,israel8 #a ,sam #af1 #a4 ,so ,christ1 foreseeing the destruction of ,jerusalem within a few years by reason of its sins1 is most violently moved and pained in his soul4 #aha4 ,such promptings the ,spirit of prayer arouses in pious souls4 ,present everywhere1 he is moved by the adversities of others1 teaches1 informs1 spares no pains1 prays1 complains1 groans4 ,thus ,moses and ,paul are willing to be accursed for the sake of their people4 #ahb4 ,in this manner ,noah1 the most holy man1 and his father and grandfather are consumed with pain at the sight of such terrible wrath of ,god4 ,he is not delighted at this overthrow of the whole human race1 but is filled with anxiety and the most grievous pain1 while at the same time the sons of men live in the greatest security1 mocking1 boasting and taunting4 ,thus ,psalms #aji1 #d1 ,for my love they are my adversaries3 but ,i give myself unto prayer4 ,thus ,paul1 ,i tell you even weeping4 ,phil #c1 #ah4 ,and what else could holy men do but weep when the world would in no wise permit itself to be corrected8 #ahc4 ,it is always the appearance of the true ,church that she not only suffers1 not only is humiliated and trampled under foot1 but also prays for her tormentors1 is seriously disturbed by their dangers2 on the contrary1 others play and frolic in proportion as they approach their doom4 ,but when the hour of judgment comes1 ,god in turn closes his ears so completely that he does not even hear his own beloved children as they pray and intercede for the wicked4 ,so ,ezekiel laments that no one is found who will stand for ,israel as a protecting wall1 saying that this is the office of the prophets1 ,ezek #ac1 #e4 #ahd4 ,it is impossible for the ungodly to pray2 let no one1 therefore1 entertain the hope concerning the papists1 our adversaries1 that they pray4 ,we pray for them and plant ourselves like a wall against the wrath of ,god and1 without doubt1 it is by our tears and groanings that they are saved1 if1 perchance1 they will repent4 #ahe4 ,it is a terrible example1 that ,god has spared not the first world1 for which ,noah1 ,lamech and ,methuselah set themselves like a wall4 ,what1 then1 shall we expect where such walls do not exist1 where there is no ,church at all8 ,the ,church is always a wall against the wrath of ,god4 ,she feels pain1 is tormented in her soul1 prays1 intercedes1 instructs1 teaches1 exhorts1 as long as the judgment hour is not here but coming4 ,when she sees these ministrations to be unavailing1 what else can she do but feel grievous pain at the destruction of the impenitent8 ,the pain of the godly fathers was augmented by the sight of so many relatives and kindred at one time going to destruction4 #ahf4 ,this pain ,moses could not express in a better and more graphic description than to say that ,god repented of having made man4 ,before1 when he describes man's nature as having been formed in ,god's image1 he says that ,god beheld all that he had made and it was very good4 ,god1 then1 is delighted with his creatures and has joy in them4 ,here he absolutely alters that statement by one altogether at variance with it--that ,god is grieved at heart and even repents of having created man4 #ahg4 ,it was ,noah and the other fathers who felt this through the revelation of the ,holy ,spirit2 otherwise1 they would have shared those thoughts of joy and would have judged according to the earlier prophecy that ,god had delight in all his works4 ,never would they have thought that the wrath of ,god was such as to destroy not only the whole human race1 but also all living flesh of sky and earth1 which surely had not offended1 yea1 the very earth also2 for the earth1 because of man's sin1 had not retained after the flood its pristine excellence4 ,some have written1 as ,lyra reminds us1 that by the flood the surface of the earth was washed away three hands deep4 ,certain it is that paradise has been utterly destroyed through the flood4 ,therefore1 we possess today an earth more deeply cursed than before the flood and after the fall of ,adam2 though the state of the earth after the fall could not compare with the grandeur of its primeval state before sin4 #ahh4 ,these disasters1 therefore1 the holy fathers saw through the revelation of the ,holy ,spirit a hundred and twenty years before4 ,but such was the wickedness of the world that it put the ,holy ,spirit to silence4 ,noah could not venture to reveal such threats without risk of the gravest dangers4 ,with his father and grandfather1 with his children and wife1 he would discuss this great wrath of ,god4 ,the sons of men1 however1 had no more inclination to hear these things than the papists today have to hear themselves called the church of ,satan and not of ,christ4 ,accordingly1 they would vaunt their ancestors and over against ,noah's proclamations they would plead the promise of the seed1 believing it to be impossible for ,god1 in this manner1 to destroy all mankind4 #ahi4 ,for the same reason1 the ,jews did not believe the prophets nor even ,christ himself when called to repentance1 but maintained that they were the people of ,god1 inasmuch as they had the temple and worship4 ,the ,turks today are inflated with victories which they believe to be the reward for their faith and religion because they believe in one ,god4 ,we1 however1 are viewed as heathen and reputed to believe in three ,gods4 ,god would not give us such victories and dominions1 they say1 if he did not favor us and approve our religion4 ,this same reasoning blinds also the papist4 ,occupying an exalted position1 they maintain they are the ,church and hence they have no fear of divine punishment4 ,devilish1 therefore1 is that argument whereby men take the name of ,god to palliate their sins4 #aij4 ,but if ,god did not spare the first world1 the generation of the holy patriarchs1 which had the promise of the seed as its very own--if he saved only a very small remnant--the ,turks1 ,jews and ,papists shall boast in vain of the name of ,god4 ,according to ,micah #b1 #g1 the ,word of ,god promises blessings to those who walk in uprightness4 ,but those who do not walk in uprightness are cursed4 ,those he threatens1 those he destroys4 ,neither does he take account of the name ,church1 nor of their number1 whereas he saves the remnant which walks in uprightness4 ,but never will you convince the world of this4 #aia4 ,in all probability the descendants of the patriarchs who perished in the flood abused quite shamefully the argument of the dignity of the ,church1 and condemned ,noah for blasphemy and falsehood4 ,to say1 they argued1 that ,god was about to destroy the whole world by a flood is equal to saying that ,god is not merciful1 nor a ,father1 but a cruel tyrant4 ,you proclaim the wrath of ,god1 ,o ,noah6 ,then ,god is not such a being as to promise deliverance from sin and death through the seed of woman8 ,the wrath of ,god1 therefore1 will not swallow the whole earth4 ,we are the people of ,god4 ,we have from ,god magnificent gifts2 never would ,god have given these to us if he had resolved to act against us with such hostility4 ,in this fashion the wicked are in the habit of applying to themselves the promises and trusting to the same4 ,all warnings1 however1 they neglect and deride4 #aib4 ,it is profitable to contemplate this diligently so that we may be safeguarded against such vicious heedlessness of the wicked4 ,for what happened to ,moses1 now happens also to us4 ,our adversaries ascribe to themselves the name of ,god's people1 true worship1 grace and everything holy2 to us1 everything devilish4 ,now1 when we reprove them for blasphemy and say that they are the church of ,satan1 they rage against us with every kind of cruelty4 ,hence we mourn with ,noah1 and commend the cause to ,god1 as ,christ did on the cross--what else could we do8--and wait till ,god shall judge the earth and show that he loves the remnant of those that fear him and that he hates the multitude of impenitent sinners in spite of their boast of being the ,church1 of having the promises1 of having the worship of ,god4 ,when ,god destroyed the whole original world1 he manifested the promise of the seed to that wretched and tiny remnant1 ,noah and his sons4 ,v4 ,,noah ,,alone ,,was ,,righteous2 ,,the ,,world ,,destroyed4 ,a4 ,,noah ,,alone ,,was ,,found ,,righteous4 #a4 ,what comfort was offered ,noah by his righteousness in the midst of his suffering #aic4 99 ,to find grace before ,god leads to faith and excludes works #aid4 #b4 ,for what was righteous ,noah especially praised by ,god #aie4 99 ,many great men lived in the days of ,noah #aif4 #c4 ,how righteous ,noah had to contend against so much all alone #aig4 99 ,by what means the ,papists contend against the ,evangelicals #aih4 #d4 ,with what the world especially upbraided righteous ,noah #aii4 99 ,people then were wiser and more ingenious than now #bjj4 #e4 ,noah may be called both just and pious #bja4 #f4 ,righteous ,noah led a godly life1 possessed great courage and was a marvelous character #bjb4 #g4 ,by his piety ,noah was a confessor of the truth #bjc-bjd4 99 ,it is very difficult for one man to withstand the united opposition of many #bjd4 #h4 ,being a preacher of righteousness ,noah was in greater danger #bje4 #i4 ,noah an example of patience and of all virtues #bjf4 #aj4 ,how he traveled and preached everywhere in the world1 and preserved the human race temporally and spiritually #bjg-bjh4 #aa4 ,the world takes offense at righteous ,noah's marrying1 and adds sin to sin #bji4 #ab4 ,the order of the birth of ,noah's sons #baj4 ,b4 ,,the ,,whole ,,world ,,destroyed4 #a4 ,whether1 as ,lyra teaches1 birds and animals were destroyed #baa4 99 ,why the punishment of sin was visited also upon the animals #bab-bac4 #b4 ,the meaning of the earth was corrupt before ,god #bad-baf4 99 ,the sins against the first table of the law can easier be concealed than those against the second table #bad4 99 ,where false doctrine is taught1 godless living follows #bae4 #c4 ,how the earth was corrupt in the light of the first table of the law #bae-baf4 #d4 ,how the earth was corrupt in the light of the second table #bag-bah4 99 ,the meaning of violence in ,scripture #bah4 99 ,the greatest violence can obtain under the appearance of holiness1 as among the ,papists and ,turks #bai-bba4 99 ,moses beautifully traces the course ,god takes in his judgments #bbb4 99 ,who can pass the right judgment upon the pope that he is ,antichrist #bbc4 99 ,how ,antichrist strengthens the courage of the godly1 and whether they can check him #bbc4 #e4 ,noah laments this corruption #bbd4 99 ,godlessness cannot be remedied when it adorns itself with the appearance of holiness #bbe4 #f4 ,how ,god views this corruption #bbf4 99 ,luther laments the wickedness of the enemies of the ,gospel #bbg4 99 ,how we should view ,god's delay in punishing the wickedness of his enemies #bbh4 99 ,god's delay is very hard for believers #bbi4 #g4 ,the first world1 although corrupt1 was much better than the present world #bcj4 ,v4 ,,how ,,noah ,,alone ,,was ,,found ,,righteous1 ,,and ,,how ,,the ,,whole ,,world ,,was ,,destroyed4 ,a4 ,noah ,alone ,was found ,righteous4 ,v4 #h4 ,but ,noah found grace in the eyes of ,jehovah4 #aic4 ,these are the words through which ,noah was lifted up and quickened again4 ,for such wrath of the divine majesty would have killed him1 had not ,god added the promise of saving him4 ,it is likely1 however1 that his faith had a struggle and was weak4 ,we cannot imagine how such contemplation of ,god's wrath weakens courage4 #aid4 ,this novel expression of the ,holy ,spirit the heavenly messenger ,gabriel also uses when speaking to the ,blessed ,virgin ,lk #a1 #cj1 ,thou hast found favor 7grace7 with ,god4 ,the expression most palpably excludes merit and commends faith1 through which alone we are justified before ,god1 made acceptable and well pleasing in his sight4 ,v4 #i4 ,these are the generations of ,noah4 ,noah was a righteous man1 and perfect in his generations2 ,noah walked with ,god4 #aie4 ,with this passage the ,jews commence not only a new chapter1 but also a new lesson4 ,this is a very brief history1 but it greatly extols our patriarch ,noah2 he alone remained just and upright while the other sons of ,god degenerated4 #aif4 ,let us remember many most excellent men were among the sons of ,god1 of whom some lived with ,noah well nigh five hundred years4 ,man in that age before the flood was very long-lived2 not only the sons of ,god1 but also the sons of men4 ,a very wide and rich experience had been gathered by these people during so many years4 ,much they learned from their progenitors and much they saw and experienced4 #aig4 ,amid the corruption of all these stands ,noah1 a truly marvelous man4 ,he swerves neither to the left nor to the right4 ,he retains the true worship of ,god4 ,he retains the pure doctrine1 and lives in the fear of ,god4 ,there is no doubt that a depraved generation hated him inordinately1 tantalized him in various ways and thus insulted him3 ,art thou alone wise8 ,dost thou alone please ,god8 ,are the rest of us all in error8 ,shall we all be damned8 ,thou alone dost not err4 ,thou alone shalt not be condemned4 ,and thus the just and holy man must have concluded in his mind that all others were in error and about to be condemned1 while he and his offspring alone were to be saved4 ,although his conviction was right in the matter1 his lot was a hard one4 ,the holy man was in various ways troubled by such reflections4 #aih4 ,the wretched ,papists press us today with this one argument3 ,do you believe that all the fathers have been in error8 ,it seems hard so to believe1 especially of the worthier ones1 such as ,augustine1 ,ambrose1 ,bernard and that whole throng of the best men who have governed ,churches with the ,word and have been adorned with the august name of the ,church4 ,the labors of such we both laud and admire4 #aii4 ,but surely no less a difficulty confronted ,noah himself1 who alone is called just and upright1 at a time when the very sons of men paraded the name of the ,church4 ,when the sons of the fathers allied themselves with these they1 forsooth1 believed that ,noah with his people raved1 because he followed another doctrine and another worship4 #bjj4 ,today our life is very brief1 still to what lengths human nature will go is sufficiently in evidence4 ,what may we imagine the condition to have been in such a long existence1 in which the bitterness and vehemence of human nature were even stronger8 ,today we are naturally much more dull and stupid1 and yet men singularly gifted rush into wickedness4 ,it is afterward said that all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth1 only ,noah was just and upright4 #bja4 ,from these two words we may gather the thought that ,noah is held to be just as he honored the first table and upright as he honored the second4 ,just he is called1 because of his faith in ,god1 because he first believed the general promise with respect to the seed of woman and then also the particular one respecting the destruction of the world through the flood and the salvation of his own offspring4 ,on the other hand he is called upright because he walked in the fear of ,god and conscientiously avoided murder and other sins with which the wicked polluted themselves in defiance of conscience4 ,nor did he permit himself to be moved by the frequent offenses of men most illustrious1 wise and apparently holy4 #bjb4 ,great was his courage4 ,today it appears to us impossible that one man should oppose himself to all mankind1 condemning them as evil1 while they vaunt the ,church and ,god's ,word and worship1 and to maintain that he alone is a son of ,god and acceptable before him4 ,noah1 accordingly1 is a marvelous man1 and ,moses commends this same greatness of mind when he plainly adds in his generation1 or in his age1 as if he desired to say that his age was indeed the most wicked and corrupt4 #bjc4 ,above1 in the history of ,enoch1 we explained what it means to walk with ,god1 namely1 to advocate the cause of ,god in public4 ,to be just and upright bespeaks private virtue1 but to walk with ,god is something public--to advocate the cause of ,god before the world1 to wield his ,word1 to teach his worship4 ,noah was not simply just and holy for himself but he was also a confessor2 he taught others the promises and threats of ,god1 and performed and suffered all that behooves a public personage in an age so exceedingly wicked and corrupt4 #bjd4 ,if it were ,i who had seen that so great men in the generation of the ungodly were opposed to me1 ,i surely in desperation should have cast aside my ministry4 ,for one cannot conceive how difficult it is for one man to oppose himself alone to the unanimity of all churches2 to impugn the judgment of the best and most amicable of men2 to condemn them2 to teach1 to live1 and to do everything1 in opposition to them4 ,this is what ,noah did4 ,he was inspired with admirable constancy of purpose1 inasmuch as he1 innocent before men1 not only regarded the cause of ,god1 but most earnestly pressed it among the most nefarious men1 until he was told3 ,my spirit shall not further strive with man4 ,and the word strive finely portrays the spirit with which the ungodly heard ,noah instruct them4 #bje4 ,peter also beautifully sets forth what it means to walk with ,god when he calls ,noah a preacher1 not of the righteousness of man1 but of ,god2 that is1 that of faith in the promised seed4 ,but what reward ,noah received from the ungodly for his message ,moses does not indicate4 ,the statement is sufficient1 that he preached righteousness1 that he taught the true worship of ,god while the whole earth opposed him4 ,that means the best1 most religious and wisest of men were against him4 ,more than one miracle1 in consequence1 was necessary to prevent his being waylaid and killed by the ungodly4 ,we see today how much wrath1 hate1 and envy one sermon to the people may create4 ,what shall we believe ,noah may have suffered who taught not a hundred1 not two hundred1 but even more years1 down to the last century1 when ,god did not desire the wicked to receive instruction any longer lest they become still fiercer and more depraved4 #bjf4 ,therefore we may conjecture from the condition and nature of the world itself1 and of the devil1 from the experience of the apostles and the prophets1 and likewise from our own1 what a noble example of patience and other virtues ,noah has been1 who was just and irreproachable in that ungodly generation and walked with ,god--that is1 governed the churches with the ,word--and who1 when the one hundred and twenty years were determined upon1 after the lapse of which the world was to be destroyed by a flood1 in face of such a terrible threat1 entered into matrimony and begot children4 #bjg4 ,it is very probable that he traveled up and down the earth2 that he taught everywhere2 that everywhere he exhorted to worship ,god in truth2 that he1 hindered by many labors1 refrained from matrimony on account of abundance of tribulations and in the expectation of the advent of a better and more religious age4 ,but when he recognized this hope as unfounded and by a voice divine was warned that a time had been set for the world's destruction1 then and not before1 prompted by the ,spirit1 did he make up his mind to marry1 in order to transmit to the new age seed out of himself4 ,and thus the holy man preserved the human race1 not only spiritually1 in the true ,word and worship1 but also bodily1 by begetting children4 #bjh4 ,as in paradise a new ,church had its beginning1 before the flood1 through ,adam and ,eve's faith in the promise1 so also here a new world and a new ,church arise from the marriage of ,noah--a nursery of that world which shall endure to the end4 #bji4 ,i stated above 7para #hh7 that this marriage was an occasion of great offense to the ungodly and that they made the most extraordinary sport of it4 ,how inconsistent that the world is to perish so soon1 when ,noah1 five hundred years old1 becomes a father6 ,they deemed his act the surest evidence that the world was not to perish by a flood4 ,hence1 they began to live even more licentiously1 and in the greatest security to despise all threats4 ,christ says in ,matthew #bd1 #ch1 that in the days of ,noah they ate1 they drank1 etc4 ,the world does not understand the plans of ,god4 #baj4 ,concerning the order of the sons of ,noah1 ,i said above that ,japheth was first1 that ,shem was born two years afterward when ,noah commenced to build the ark1 and ,ham two years later4 ,this has not been clearly explained by ,moses1 but still it has been carefully noted4 ,b4 ,destruction of the ,whole ,world4 ,v4 #aa4 ,and the earth was corrupt before ,god1 and the earth was filled with violence4 #baa4 ,lyra1 perhaps under the influence of rabbinic interpretation1 contends here that even the birds and other animals forsook their nature and mixed with those of another species4 ,but ,i do not believe it1 for the creation or nature of animals remains as it was fashioned4 ,they have not fallen through sin1 like man1 but are1 on the contrary1 fashioned for this bodily life alone4 ,in consequence they neither hear the ,word1 nor does the ,word concern them4 ,they are absolutely without the ,law of the first and the second tables4 ,accordingly1 this passage refers only to man4 #bab4 ,but that the beasts bore the penalty of sin and perished at the same time with man through the flood was the result of ,god's purpose to destroy man altogether2 not alone in body and soul1 but with the possessions and dominion which were his at creation4 ,instances of similar retribution occur in the ,old ,testament4 ,in the sixth chapter of ,daniel we see the enemies of ,daniel cast into the lions' den1 together with their wives1 children and whole families4 ,in the sixteenth chapter of ,numbers a like incident is narrated in connection with the destruction of ,korah1 ,dathan and ,abiram4 ,similar is also an instance spoken of by ,christ when the king commands to sell the servant together with wife1 children and all his substance4 #bac4 ,in this manner1 evidently1 not only men but all their goods were destroyed1 so that punishment might be full and complete4 ,beasts1 fields and the birds of heaven were created for man4 ,they are man's property and chattels4 ,therefore1 the animals perished1 not because they had sinned1 but because ,god wanted man to perish amid all his earthly possessions4 #bad4 ,in this passage ,moses' specific statement that the earth was corrupt before ,god1 is made to show that ,noah was treated and esteemed in the eyes of his age as a stupid and good for nothing character4 ,the world1 on the contrary1 appeared in its own eyes perfectly holy and righteous1 believing it had just cause for the persecution of ,noah1 especially in regard to the first table of the ,law and the worship of ,god4 ,the second table is not without its disguise of hypocrisy1 but in this respect it bears no comparison to the former4 ,the adulterer1 the thief1 the murderer can remain hidden for a while1 though not forever4 ,but the sins of the first table generally remain hidden under the cloak of sanctity until ,god brings them to light4 ,godlessness never wishes to be godlessness1 but chases after a reputation for piety and religion2 and trims its cult so finely that in comparison with it the true cult and the true religion appear coarse4 #bae4 ,the verb shiheth is very frequent and conspicuous in ,holy ,scripture4 ,moses uses it in the thirty-first chapter of ,deuteronomy1 verse #bi3 ,for ,i know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves1 and turn aside from the way which ,i have commanded you4 ,and ,david says1 ,they are all gone aside2 they are together become filthy1 ,ps #ad1 #c4 ,both passages speak particularly of the sins against the first table2 that is1 they accuse the apparently devoutest saints of false worship and false doctrine1 for it is impossible for a righteous life to follow teaching that is false4 #baf4 ,when ,moses says the earth was corrupt before ,god1 he clearly points out the contrast--the hypocrites and oppressors judged ,noah's teaching and practise as wholly wrong1 and their own as altogether holy4 ,the reverse1 ,moses says1 was true4 ,mankind was assuredly corrupt measured by the first table4 ,they lacked the true ,word and the true worship4 ,this distinction between the first and the second tables commends itself strongly to my judgment and was doubtless suggested by the ,holy ,spirit4 #bag4 ,the additional statement--and the earth was filled with violence--points to this unfailing sequence4 ,with the ,word lost1 with faith extinct1 with traditions and will-worship--to use ,st4 ,paul's phraseology 7,col #b1 #h7--;having replaced the true cult1 there results violence and shameful living4 #bah4 ,the correct significance of the word hamas is violence force1 wrong1 with the suspension of all law and equity1 a condition where pleasure is law and everything is done not by right1 but by might4 ,but if such was their life1 you may say1 how could they maintain the appearance and reputation of holiness and righteousness8 ,as if we did not really have similar instances before our eyes today4 ,has the world ever seen anything more cruel than the ,turks8 ,and they adorn all their fierceness with the name of ,god and religion4 #bai4 ,the popes have not only seized for themselves the riches of the earth1 but have filled the ,church itself with stupendous errors and blasphemous doctrines4 ,they live in shocking licentiousness4 ,they alienate at pleasure the hearts of kings4 ,much is done by them to bring on bloodshed and war4 ,and yet1 with all such blasphemies and outrages1 they arrogate to themselves the name and title of the greatest saints and boast of being vicars of ,christ and successors of ,peter4 #bbj4 ,thus the greatest wrong is allied to the names of ,church and true religion4 ,should any one offer objection1 immediately is he put under the ban and condemned as a heretic and an enemy of ,god and man4 ,barring the ,romans and their accomplices1 there is no people which plumes itself more upon religion and righteousness than the ,turks4 ,the ,christians they despise as idolaters2 themselves they esteem as most holy and wise4 ,notwithstanding1 what is their life and religion but incessant murder1 robbery1 rapine and other horrible outrages8 #bba4 ,the present times1 therefore1 illustrate how those two incompatible things may be found in union--the greatest religiousness with abominations1 the greatest wrong with a show of right4 ,and this is the very cause for men becoming hardened and secure without apprehending the punishment they merit by their sins4 ,v4 #ab4 ,and ,god saw the earth1 and1 behold1 it was corrupt2 for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth4 #bbb4 ,inasmuch as the wrath of ,god is appalling and destruction is imminent for all flesh except eight souls1 ,moses is somewhat redundant in this passage1 and uses repetitions1 which are not superfluous but express an emphasis of their own4 ,above he said the earth was corrupt2 now he says that ,god1 as if following the customary judicial method1 saw this and meditated punishment4 ,in this manner he pictures1 as it were1 the order in which ,god proceeds4 #bbc4 ,the judgment of spiritual people concerning the pope at the present day is that he is the ,antichrist1 raging against the ,word and the kingdom of ,christ4 ,but they who censure it are unable to correct this wickedness4 ,wickedness is growing daily and contempt for godliness is becoming greater every day4 ,now comes the thought3 ,what is ,god doing8 ,why does he not punish his enemy8 ,does he sleep and care no longer for human affairs8 ,the delay of judgment causes the righteous anguish4 ,they themselves cannot come to the succor of a stricken religion and they see ,god who could help1 connive at the fury of the popes1 who securely sin against the first and the second tables of the ,law4 #bbd4 ,just so ,noah sees the earth filled with wrongs4 ,therefore1 he groans and sighs to heaven in order to arouse ,god from the highest heaven to judgment4 ,such voices occur here and there in the ,psalms 7#aj1 #a73 ,why standest thou afar off82 7#ac1 #a73 ,how long1 ,o ,jehovah82 7#i1 #ac73 ,have mercy upon me1 ,o ,jehovah2 consider my trouble2 7#g1 #f-i73 ,arise1 judge my cause1 etc4 #bbe4 ,what ,moses here describes comes at length to pass1 that ,god also sees these things and hears the cry of the righteous who are able to judge the world2 for they who are spiritual judge all things 7#a ,cor #b1 #ae71 though they cannot alter anything4 ,wickedness is incorrigible when adorned with a show of piety1 and so is oppression when it assumes the disguise of justice and foresight4 ,it is nothing new that they who seize the wives1 daughters1 houses1 lands and goods of others desire to be just and holy1 as we showed above in respect of the papacy4 #bbf4 ,this is the second stage then3 ,when the saints have seen and judged the wickedness of the world1 ,god also sees it4 ,he says of the ,sodomites3 ,the cry of them is waxed great before ,jehovah 7,gen #ai1 #ac72 and above 7ch #d1 #aj73 ,the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me4 ,but always before the ,lord takes note1 the sobs and groans of the righteous precede1 arousing1 as it were1 the ,lord from slumber4 ,what ,moses desires to show in this passage through the word1 saw is that ,god finally perceived the afflictions and heard the cries of the righteous1 filling at last all heaven4 ,he who hitherto had winked at everything and seemed to favor the success of the wicked1 was awakened as from slumber4 ,the fact is he saw everything much sooner than ,noah2 for he is the searcher of hearts and cannot be deceived by simulated piety as we can4 ,but not until now1 when he meditates punishment1 does ,noah perceive that he sees4 #bbg4 ,thus we are afflicted today by extreme and unheard of wickedness1 for our adversaries condemn from sheer caprice the truth they know and profess4 ,they try to get at our throats and shed the blood of the righteous with a satanic fury4 ,such blasphemous1 sacrilegious and parricidal doings against the kingdom and name of ,god1 manifest as such beyond possibility of denial1 they defend as the acme of justice4 ,while contending for the maintenance of their tyrannical position they go so far as to arrogate to themselves the name of the ,church4 ,what else can we do here but cry to ,jehovah to make his name sacred and not to permit the overthrow of his kingdom nor resistance to his paternal will8 #bbh4 ,but so far the ,lord sleeps4 ,he apparently does not observe such wickedness1 because he gives no sign as yet of observing it4 ,rather he permits us to be tormented by such woeful sights4 ,we are1 therefore1 thus far in the first stage and this verse1 stating that the whole earth is corrupt1 applies to our age4 ,but at the proper time the second stage will be reached1 when we can declare in certainty of faith that not only we but ,god also sees and hates such wickedness4 ,though ,god1 in his long-suffering1 has continued to wink at many things1 he shall retain the name of ,one who in righteousness shall judge the earth4 #bbi4 ,how bitter and hard such delay is for the righteous1 the lamentations of ,jeremiah in ,jeremiah #ab1 #a;ff41 and #bj1 #g;ff1 show4 ,there the holy man almost verges on blasphemy until he is told that the ,babylonian king should come and inflict punishment upon the unbelieving scoffers4 ,thereupon ,jeremiah recognizes that ,god looks down on the earth and is ,judge upon the earth4 #bcj4 ,the universal judgment which follows is terrible in the extreme1 namely that all flesh upon the earth had corrupted its way and that ,god1 when he had begun to examine the sons of men1 did not1 from the oldest to the youngest of the fathers1 find any he could save from destruction4 ,this strikes our ears as still more awful when we take into consideration the condition of the primitive world1 not judging by the miserable fragments we have today4 ,as the physical condition of the world at that time was infinitely ahead of this age1 so we may conclude that the majesty and pomp of our rulers and the show of sanctity and wisdom on the part of the popes are not to be compared to the show of religion1 righteousness and wisdom found among those renowned men of the primitive world4 ,and yet the text says that all flesh had corrupted its way1 save ,noah and his offspring4 ,that means all men were wicked1 lived in idolatry and false religion and hated the true worship of ,god4 ,they despised the promise of the seed1 and persecuted ,noah1 who proclaimed forgiveness through the seed and threatened to those1 who should fail to believe his forgiveness1 eternal doom4 ,,vi4 ,,god ,,decides ,,to ,,punish ,,the ,,first ,,world2 ,,commands ,,noah ,,to ,,build ,,an ,,ark2 ,,the ,,covenant4 ,a4 ,,how ,,god ,,decreed ,,to ,,punish ,,the ,,old ,,world ,,in ,,his ,,wrath4 #a4 ,how punishment finally comes when ,god has suffered sin long enough #bca4 99 ,luther's hope that ,god's judgment may soon break upon the last world #bca4 #b4 ,whether reason can grasp the wrath and punishment of ,god #bcb4 #c4 ,how ,god's promises stand in the midst of his wrath and punishment #bcb4 #d4 ,the first world thought itself secure against ,god's wrath #bcc4 99 ,the ,papal security and boldness against the ,evangelicals #bcd4 #e4 ,by what means ,god punished the first world #bce4 99 ,the ,holy ,spirit must reveal that ,god's wrath and punishment do not violate his promises #bcf4 #f4 ,the causes of this wrath and punishment #bcg4 99 ,by what may it be known that ,god will visit ,germany with punishment #bch4 99 ,god complains more of the violence shown to the neighbor than to himself #bci4 99 ,the damages of the deluge #bdj4 99 ,the ground of the earth was in a better state before the flood than now #bdj4 99 ,the colors in the rainbow signs of the punishment of the first and the last world #bda4 ,,vi4 ,,god ,,decides ,,to ,,punish ,,the ,,first ,,world2 ,,commands ,,noah ,,to ,,build ,,an ,,ark2 ,,the ,,covenant4 ,a4 ,god ,decides to ,punish the ,old ,world4 ,v4 #ac4 ,and ,god said unto ,noah1 ,the end of all flesh is come before me2 for the earth is filled with violence through them2 and1 behold1 ,i will destroy them with the earth4 #bca4 ,after ,noah and his people had for a long time raised their accusing cry against the depravity of the world1 the ,lord gave evidence that he saw the depravity and intended to avenge it4 ,this1 the second stage1 we also look for today1 nor is there any doubt that men shall exist1 to whom this coming destruction of the world is to be revealed1 unless the destruction be the last day and the final judgment1 which ,i truly wish4 ,we have seen enough wickedness in these brief and evil days of ours4 ,godless men1 as in ,noah's time1 adorn their vices with the name of holiness and righteousness4 ,hence1 no penitence or reformation is to be hoped for4 ,this stage having been reached in the times of ,noah1 sentence is finally passed1 having been previously announced by the ,lord when he gave command that striving should cease and issued the declaration that he regretted having made man4 #bcb4 ,reason is incapable of believing and perfectly understanding such wrath4 ,just consider how different this is from what had been4 ,above we have read 7ch #a1 #ca7 that ,god saw everything he had made and behold1 it was very good2 that he gave man and beast the additional blessing of propagation2 that he subjected to man's rule the earth and all the treasures of the earth2 that as the highest blessing1 he added the promise of the woman's seed and life eternal and instituted not only the home and the ,state1 but also the ,church4 ,how1 then1 is it that the first world1 called into being in this way through the ,word1 should1 to use ,peter's expression1 perish by water8 #bcc4 ,there is no doubt that the sons of the world threw all this up to ,noah as he preached the coming universal destruction1 and publicly charged him with lying1 on the ground that home1 ,state and ,church had been instituted by ,god2 that ,god surely would not overturn his own establishment by a final destruction2 that man had been created for propagation and dominion upon the earth1 not for the rule of water over him to his destruction4 #bcd4 ,just so the ,papists press us with the one argument that ,christ will be with the ,church to the end of the world 7,mt #bh1 #bj72 that the gates of hell will not prevail against it 7,mt #af1 #ah74 ,this they vaunt in a loud-voiced manner1 believing their destruction to be an impossibility4 ,swept by the waves ,peter's ship may be1 they say1 but the waters cannot overwhelm it4 #bce4 ,quite similar was the security and assurance before the flood2 notwithstanding1 we see that the whole earth perished4 ,the scoffers boasted that ,god's regulations are perpetual1 and that ,god had never completely abolished or altered his creation4 ,but consider the outcome and you will see that they were wrong1 while ,noah alone was right4 #bcf4 ,unless the additional light of the ,holy ,spirit is vouchsafed1 man will surely be convinced by such argument2 for is it not equivalent to making ,god inconstant and changeable1 to maintain that he will completely destroy his creature8 ,yet ,god gives ,noah the revelation that he will make an end of flesh and earth1 not in part1 but of all flesh and all the earth4 ,would it not be awful enough to partition the earth into three parts and to threaten destruction to one8 ,but to rage against the whole earth and against all mankind seems to be in conflict with ,god's government and the declaration that everything is very good4 ,these things are too sublime to be understood or comprehended by human reason4 #bcg4 ,what is the cause of wrath so great8 ,surely1 the fact that the earth is filled with violence1 as he here says4 ,astonishing reason6 ,he says nothing here concerning the first table2 he mentions only the second4 ,it is1 as if he said3 ,i shall say nothing of myself that they hate1 blaspheme and persecute my ,word4 ,among themselves how shamefully do they live6 ,neither home nor ,state are properly administered2 everything is conducted by force1 nothing by reason and law4 ,therefore1 ,i shall destroy at the same time both mankind and the earth4 #bch4 ,we see also in our age that ,god winks at the profanation of the mass1 a horrible abomination that fills the whole earth1 and at ungodly teachings and other offenses which have hitherto been in vogue in religion4 ,but when men live so together that they disregard both ,state and home1 when huge covetousness1 graft of every description and manifold iniquity have waxed strong1 does it not become clear to every man that ,god is compelled1 as it were1 to punish1 yea to overturn ,germany8 #bci4 ,it is the fullness of his mercy and love that prompts ,god rather to make complaint concerning the wrongs inflicted upon his members than those inflicted upon himself4 ,we observe he maintains silence respecting the latter1 while he threatens punishment1 not to man alone1 but even to the very earth itself4 #bdj4 ,a twofold effect is traceable to the flood2 a weakening of man's powers and an impairment of his wealth and that of the earth4 ,the latter-day fruit of trees is in nowise to be compared with that in the days before the flood4 ,the antediluvian turnips were better than afterward the melons1 oranges or pomegranates4 ,the pear was finer than the spices of today4 ,so it is likely that a man's finger possessed more strength than today his whole arm4 ,likewise man's reason and understanding were far superior4 ,but ,god1 because of sin1 has brought punishment to bear1 not alone upon man1 but also upon his property and domain1 as witness to posterity also of his wrath4 ,but how is the destruction to be effected8 ,assuredly1 by his seizing the watery element and blotting out everything4 ,the force with which this element is wont to rage is common knowledge4 ,though the atmosphere be pestilential1 it does not always infect trees and roots4 ,but water not only overturns everything1 not only does it tear out trees and roots1 but it also lifts the very surface of the earth4 ,it alters the soil1 so that the most fertile fields are marred by the overflow of salty earth and sand 7,ps #ajg1 #cd74 ,this was therefore equal to the downfall of the primitive world4 #bda4 ,the penalty of the present world1 however1 will be different1 as the color of the rainbow shows4 ,the lowest color the extent of which is well defined1 is that of water4 ,for the fury of the water in the deluge was so great that limits were set to its havoc1 and the earth was restored to the remnant of the godly after the destruction of the evil-doers4 ,but the other arch of the rainbow1 the outer1 which has no clearly defined bounds1 is of the color of fire1 the element which shall consume the whole world4 ,this destruction shall be succeeded by a better world1 which shall last forever and serve the righteous4 ,this the ,lord seems to have written in the color of the rainbow4 ,b4 ,,god ,,commands ,,noah ,,to ,,build ,,an ,,ark4 99 ,that ,noah had only three children is a sign of ,god's mercy #bdb4 #a4 ,the kind of wood used in building the ark #bdc4 #b4 ,its various rooms #bdd4 #c4 ,the pitch by which it was protected #bde4 #d4 ,why ,god instructed ,noah so particularly how each part was to be constructed #bdf4 #e4 ,the form of the ark1 and how teachers differ on this point #bdg4 #f4 ,the place ,noah occupied in the ark1 and that of the animals #bdh4 #g4 ,whether the ark had the proportions of a human body #bdi4 #h4 ,how the ark was a type of the body of ,christ--of the ,church #bej4 #i4 ,the windows of the ark3 a4 ,whether it had more than one window #bea4 99 ,the ,latin version is not clear here #beb4 b4 ,what kind of a window it was1 and how it could stand the rain #bec4 c4 ,luther's opinion of the ,jews' ideas about the window #bec4 #aj4 ,the door of the ark #bed4 #aa4 ,how to meet the various questions about the ark #bee-bef4 99 ,the deluge was a new method of punishment1 hence the non incredible #beg-beh4 99 ,god was in earnest in the threatening of this flood #bei4 ,b4 ,,god ,,commands ,,noah ,,to ,,build ,,an ,,ark4 ,v4 #ad4 ,make thee an ark of gopher wood2 rooms shalt thou make in the ark1 and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch 7bitumen74 #bdb4 ,god's first thought was to save a remnant through that tiny seed1 the three sons of ,noah1 for ,noah ceased henceforth to beget children4 ,this strongly attests the mercy of ,god toward those who walk in his ways4 #bdc4 ,gopher some make out to be pine1 others hemlock1 still others cedar2 hence1 a guess is rather difficult4 ,the choice appears to have been made owing to its lightness or its resinous quality1 so that it might float more easily upon the water and be impervious to it4 #bdd4 ,kinnim signifies nests or chambers2 that is separate spaces for the various animals4 ,bears1 sheep1 deer and horses did not dwell in one and the same place1 but the several species had their respective quarters4 #bde4 ,but what is meant by bitumen1 ,i do not know4 ,with us vessels are made water tight with pitch and tow4 ,pitch1 it is true1 withstands water1 but it also invites the flame4 ,there is no bitumen with us which resists water1 hence we raise no objection to bitumen being rendered pitch4 #bdf4 ,you may ask3 ,why does ,god prescribe everything so accurately8 ,the injunction to build the ark should have been sufficient4 ,reason could determine for itself the rules concerning dimensions and mode of construction4 ,why1 then1 does ,god give such careful instruction with reference to dimensions and materials8 ,certainly that ,noah1 after undertaking all things according to the ,lord's direction 7as ,moses built the tabernacle according to the model received on the mount71 should with the greater faith trust that he and his people were to be saved1 nor entertain any doubt concerning a work ordered by the ,lord himself1 even how it should be made4 ,this is the reason the ,lord gives his directions with such attention to detail4 ,v4 #ae4 ,and this is how thou shalt make it3 the length of the ark three hundred cubits1 the breadth of it fifty cubits1 and the height of it thirty cubits4 #bdg4 ,a nice geometrical and mathematical exercise concerning the form and dimensions of the ark is here presented4 ,the views of writers vary4 ,some claim it was four-cornered1 others that it was gabled like nearly all our structures in ,europe4 ,as for myself1 ,i hold it was four-cornered4 ,eastern people's were not acquainted with gabled buildings4 ,theirs were evidently of four-cornered form1 as the ,bible mentions people walking on roofs4 ,similar was the shape of the temple4 #bdh4 ,there is a difference of opinion also concerning the arrangement of the animals in their quarters1 which occupied the upper1 which the central and which the lower places1 this being the distinction warranted by the text4 ,no certainty1 however1 can be arrived at4 ,it is likely that ,noah himself and the birds occupied the upper part1 the clean animals the central and the unclean animals the lower one4 ,the rabbis assert the lower part served the purpose of storing dung4 ,but ,i think the dung was thrown out of the window1 for its removal was necessitated by such a multitude of beasts abiding in the ark for over a year4 #bdi4 ,augustine quotes ,philo against ,faustus in stating that on geometrical principles1 the ark had the proportions of the human body1 for when a man lies on the ground his body is ten times as long as it is high and six times as long as broad4 ,so three hundred cubits are six times fifty and ten times thirty4 #bej4 ,an application is made of this to the body of ,christ1 the ,church1 which has baptism as the door1 through which clean and unclean enter without distinction4 ,although the ,church is small1 she rules the earth notwithstanding1 and it is due to her that the world is preserved1 just as the unclean animals were preserved in the ark4 ,others stretch the application so far as to point to the wound in the side of ,jesus' body as prefigured by the windows in the ark4 ,these are allegories which are not exactly profound1 but still harmless because they harbor no error and serve a purpose other than that of wrangling1 namely1 that of rhetorical ornamentation4 ,v4 #af4 ,a light shalt thou make to the ark1 and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward2 and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof2 with lower1 second1 and third stories shalt thou make it4 #bea4 ,behold1 how diligent an architect ,god is6 ,with what care he interests himself in all the parts of the structure and their arrangement4 ,furthermore1 the word ,zohar does not properly signify window1 but southern light4 ,the question may be raised here whether the ark had only one window or several4 ,for the ,hebrew language permits the use of the singular for the plural1 or of the collective for the distributive term1 as for instance3 ,i will destroy man from the face of the ground4 ,here evidently not one man but many are spoken of4 ,but to me it seems there was only one window that shed light upon man's domicile4 #beb4 ,the ,latin interpreter is so strangely obscure as to fail to make himself understood4 ,my unqualified opinion is that he was unable to divest himself of the image of a modern ship1 in which men are commonly carried in the lower part4 ,nor is it quite intelligible what he says about the door1 inasmuch as it is certain that the ell-long window was in the upper part1 and the door in the center of the side or in the navel of the ark4 ,thus1 also1 ,eve was framed from the middle portion of man's body4 ,the whole structure was divided into three partitions1 a higher1 a central and a lower one1 and it was the upper one which1 according to my view1 was illuminated by the light of day through the window4 #bec4 ,you may say1 however3 ,what kind of a window was it1 or how could it exist in those frequent and violent rains8 ,for rain did not fall then as it does ordinarily1 since the water in forty days rose to such proportions as to submerge the highest mountains by fifteen arm-lengths4 ,the ,jews claim that the window was closed by a crystal which transmitted the light4 ,but too curious a research into these matters appears to me useless1 since neither godliness nor ,christ's kingdom are put in jeopardy from the fact of our remaining in ignorance concerning some features of this structure of which ,god was the architect4 ,it seems to me sufficiently satisfactory to assume that the window was on the side of the upper partition4 #bed4 ,as to the door1 it is certain that it was about thirteen or fourteen cubits from the earth4 ,the ark1 when it floated1 sank about ten feet into the water with its great weight of animals of every kind and provender for more than a year4 ,this may suffice as a crude conception of the ark2 for1 besides height and length1 ,moses merely indicates that it had three partitions1 a door and a window4 #bee4 ,we will dismiss innumerable other questions such as3 ,what kind of air was used in the ark8 for such a stupendous mass of water1 particularly falling water1 must have produced a violent and pestilential stench2 whence did they draw their drinking-water8 for water cannot be preserved a whole year1 hence mariners often call at ports in their vicinity for the purpose of drawing water2 again1 how could the bilge-water with its obnoxious odor be drawn up8 #bef4 ,such questions and other subordinate points related to the experience of the mariner we may pass by4 ,otherwise there will be no end of questions4 ,we will be content with the simple supposition that the lower part probably served the purpose of securing the bears1 lions1 tigers and other savage animals2 the middle part1 that of housing the gentle and tractable animals1 together with the provender1 which cannot be kept in a place devoid of all air-currents2 the upper that of accommodating human beings themselves1 together with the domestic animals and the birds4 ,this should be enough for us4 ,v4 #ag4 ,and ,i1 behold1 ,i do bring the flood of waters upon the earth1 to destroy all flesh1 wherein is the breath of life1 from under heaven2 everything that is in the earth shall die4 #beg4 ,above ,god has threatened in general the human race with destruction4 ,here he points out the method2 namely1 that he intends to destroy everything by a new disaster1 a flood4 ,such a punishment the world hitherto had not known4 ,the customary punishments1 as we see from the prophets1 are pestilence1 famine1 the sword and fierce beasts4 ,men and beasts perish of pestilence4 ,the earth is laid waste by war1 for it is deprived of those who till it4 ,the sufferings of famine1 though they seem to be less cruel1 are by far the most terrible4 ,with the fourth class of penalties1 our regions have almost no experience at all4 ,although these are severally sufficient for the chastisement of the human race1 the ,lord desired to employ a novel kind of punishment against the primeval world1 through which all flesh having the breath of life was to perish4 #beh4 ,because this punishment was unheard of in former ages1 the wicked were slower to believe it4 ,they reasoned thus3 ,if ,god is at all angry1 can he not correct the disobedient by the sword1 by pestilence8 ,a flood would destroy also the other creatures which are without sin2 surely ,god will not plan anything like this for the world4 #bei4 ,but in order to remove such unbelief from the mind of ,noah and the righteous1 he repeats with stress the pronoun1 ,and ,i1 behold1 ,i do bring4 ,afterward he clearly adds that he will destroy all flesh that is under heaven and in the earth2 for he excludes here the fishes whose realm is widened by the waters4 ,this passage tends to show the magnitude of the wrath of ,god1 through which men lose1 not only body and life1 but also universal dominion over the earth4 ,c4 ,,god',s ,,covenant ,,with ,,noah4 99 ,the way ,god comforted ,noah in announcing the flood1 and why such comfort was needed #bfj4 #a4 ,the nature of this covenant4 a4 ,the views of ,lyra1 ,burgensis and others #bfa4 b4 ,luther's views #bfb-bfc4 #b4 ,whether the giants or tyrants were embraced in this covenant and how received by them #bfb-bfc4 #c4 ,why it was made only with ,noah #bfd4 #d4 ,how this covenant was made clearer from time to time1 and why it was needed at this time #bfe4 #e4 ,how a special call was added to this covenant #bff4 99 ,god's judgment upon the first world terrible #bfg4 99 ,why ,ham was taken into the ark1 who was later rejected #bfg4 99 ,foreknowledge and election4 a4 ,why we should avoid thinking and disputing on this subject #bfh4 b4 ,to what end should the examples of ,scripture on this theme serve #bfi4 c4 ,how consideration of the same may help and harm us #bgj4 ,c4 ,,god',s ,,covenant ,,with ,,noah4 ,v4 #ah4 ,but ,i will establish my covenant with thee2 and thou shalt come into the ark1 thou1 and thy sons1 and thy wife1 and thy sons' wives with thee4 #bfj4 ,to this comfort ,moses before pointed when he declared that ,noah had found grace4 ,noah stood in need of it1 not only to escape despair amid such wrath1 but also for the strengthening of his faith in view of the raging retribution4 ,for it was no easy matter to believe the whole human race was to perish4 ,the world consequently judged ,noah to be a dolt for believing such things1 ridiculed him and1 undoubtedly1 made his ship an object of satire4 ,in order to strengthen his mind amid such offenses1 ,god speaks with him often1 and now even reminds him of his covenant4 #bfa4 ,interpreters discuss the question1 what that covenant was4 ,lyra explains it as the promise to defend him against the evil men who had threatened to murder him4 ,burgensis claims this covenant refers to the perils amid the waters1 which were to be warded off4 ,still others believe it was the covenant of the rainbow1 which the ,lord afterward made with ,noah4 #bfb4 ,in my opinion1 he speaks of a spiritual covenant1 or of the promise of the seed1 which was to bruise the serpent's head4 ,the giants had this covenant1 but when its abuse resulted in pride and wickedness1 they fell from it4 ,so it was afterward with the ,jews1 whose carnal presumption in reference to ,god1 the ,law1 worship and temple led to their loss of these gifts and they perished4 ,to ,noah1 however1 ,god confirms this covenant by certainly declaring that ,christ was to be born from his posterity and that ,god would leave1 amid such great wrath1 a nursery for the ,church4 ,this covenant includes not only protection of ,noah's body1 the view advocated by ,lyra and ,burgensis1 but also eternal life4 #bfc4 ,the sentiment1 therefore1 of the promise is this3 ,those insolent despisers of my promises and threats will compel me to punish them4 ,i shall first withdraw from them the protection and assurance which are theirs by reason of their covenant with me1 that they may perish without covenant and without mercy4 ,but that covenant ,i shall transfer to you so that you shall be saved1 not alone from such power of the waters1 but also from eternal death and condemnation4 #bfd4 ,the plain statement is1 ,with thee4 ,not the sons1 not the wives1 does he mention1 whom he was also to save2 but ,noah alone he mentions1 from whom the promise was transmitted to his son ,shem4 ,this is the second promise of ,christ1 which is taken from all other descendants of ,adam and committed alone to ,noah4 #bfe4 ,afterward this promise is made clearer from time to time4 ,it proceeded from the race to the family1 and from the family to the individual4 ,from the whole race of ,abraham it was carried forward to ,david alone2 from ,david to ,nathan2 from ,nathan down to one virgin1 ,mary1 who was the dead branch or root of ,jesse1 and in whom this covenant finds its termination and fulfilment4 ,the establishment of such a covenant was most necessary in view of the imminence of the incredible and incalculable wrath of ,god4 #bff4 ,you will observe here1 however1 a special call when he says3 ,thou shalt come into the ark1 thou1 and thy sons1 etc4 ,if ,noah had not received this special call1 he would not have ventured to enter the ark4 #bfg4 ,how terrible is it that from the whole human race only eight persons should be selected for salvation and yet from among them1 ,ham1 the third son of ,noah1 be rejected6 ,by the mouth of ,god he is numbered here among the elect and saints4 ,yea1 with them he is protected and saved4 ,nor is he distinguished from ,noah4 ,if he had not believed and prayed for the same things1 if he had not feared ,god1 he would in nowise have been saved in the ark2 and yet1 afterward he is rejected6 #bfh4 ,the sophists wrangle here concerning an election that takes place according to the purpose of ,god4 ,but often have ,i exhorted to beware of speculations about the unveiled majesty1 for besides being anything but true1 they are far from being profitable4 ,let us rather think of ,god as he offers himself to us in his ,word and sacraments4 ,let us not trace these instances back to a hidden election1 in which ,god arranged everything with himself from eternity4 ,such doctrine we cannot apprehend with our minds1 and we see it conflicts with the revealed will of ,god4 #bfi4 ,what1 then1 you will ask1 shall we declare with reference to these examples8 ,nothing but that they are pointed out to inspire us with the fear of ,god1 so that we believe it is possible to fall from grace after once receiving grace4 ,paul warns1 ,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4 #a ,cor #aj1 #ab4 ,we should heed such examples to teach us humility1 that we may not exalt ourselves with our gifts nor become slothful in our use of blessings received1 but may reach forth to the things which are before1 as ,paul says in ,philippians #c1 #ac4 ,they teach us not to believe that we have apprehended everything4 #bgj4 ,malignant and most bitter is our enemy1 but we are feeble1 bearing this great treasure in earthen vessels4 #b ,cor #d1 #g4 ,therefore1 we must not glory as if we were secure1 but seeing that men so holy fell from grace1 which they had accepted and for a long time enjoyed1 we should look anxiously to ,god as if in peril at this very moment4 ,in this manner these examples are discussed to our profit2 but those who give no attention to them and chase after complex high thoughts on an election according to the purpose of ,god1 drive and thrust their souls into despair1 to which they naturally incline4 ,,vii4 ,,animals ,,and ,,food ,,in ,,the ,,ark2 ,,noah',s ,,obedience4 ,a4 ,,the ,,animals ,,noah ,,took ,,into ,,the ,,ark4 #a4 ,the number and kinds of animals #bga-bgb4 #b4 ,the differences in the animals #bgc4 a4 ,what is understood by the ,behemoth #bgd4 b4 ,by the ,remes #bge4 c4 ,whether this difference is observed in all places #bgf4 #c4 ,whether wild and ferocious animals were in paradise1 and if created from the beginning #bgf-bgg4 #d4 ,how ,noah could bring the animals1 especially the wild ones1 into the ark #bgh-bgi4 99 ,the animals at the time felt danger was near #bgh-bgi4 #e4 ,the animals came of themselves to ,noah in the ark #bhj4 ,b4 ,,the ,,food ,,noah ,,took ,,into ,,the ,,ark4 #a4 ,why necessary to take with them food #bha4 99 ,the kind of food man then had1 and if he ate flesh #bhb4 #b4 ,god's foreknowledge shines forth here #bhc4 #c4 ,why ,god did not maintain man and the animals in the ark by a miracle #bhd4 99 ,the extraordinary ways and miracles of ,god4 a4 ,why man should not seek miracles1 where ordinary ways and means are at hand #bhe4 b4 ,the monks seek extraordinary ways and thus tempt ,god #bhf4 99 ,whether we should use medicine1 and if we should learn the arts and languages #bhf4 c4 ,why ,god did not save ,noah in the water without the ark1 when he could have done so #bhg4 d4 ,when does ,god use extraordinary means with man #bhh4 ,c4 ,,noah',s ,,obedience4 #a4 ,in what respect it was especially praised #bhi4 99 ,obedience to ,god4 a4 ,how one is to keep the golden mean1 and not turn to the right or left #bij4 b4 ,how man can by obedience or disobedience mark out his own course #bij-bia4 c4 ,why most people shun obedience #bia4 d4 ,how we are here not to look to the thing commanded1 but to the person commanding #bib-bif4 e4 ,how sadly they fail who look at the thing commanded #bic4 99 ,how the ,papists neither understand nor keep ,god's commandments #bid4 99 ,what we are to think of the holiness of the ,papists #bie4 f4 ,all ,god commands is good1 even if it seems different to reason #bif4 99 ,how the ,papists do harm by the works of their wisdom1 and only provoke ,god to anger1 as king ,saul did #big4 g4 ,how in his obedience ,noah held simply to ,god's ,word and overcame all difficulties #bih4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,animals ,,and ,,their ,,food1 ,,and ,,noah',s ,,obedience4 ,a4 ,,the ,,animals ,,noah ,,took ,,into ,,the ,,ark4 ,vs4 #ai-bj4 ,and every living thing of all flesh1 two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark1 to keep them alive with thee2 they shall be male and female4 ,of the birds after their kind1 and of the cattle after their kind1 of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind1 two of every sort shall come unto thee1 to keep them alive4 #bga4 ,here again a dispute arises1 as is the case when in historical narratives one proceeds to the application and incidental features4 ,our text appears to vindicate the view that here two and two are spoken of2 but in the beginning of the seventh chapter seven and seven4 ,hence1 ,lyra quarrels with one ,andrea1 who believed fourteen specimens were included in the ark1 because it is written3 ,of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven4 ,but ,i approve ,lyra's interpretation1 who says seven specimens of every class were inclosed in the ark1 three male and three female1 and the seventh also male1 to be used by ,noah for purposes of sacrifice4 #bgb4 ,when ,moses says here that two and two of the several species were brought into the ark1 we must necessarily understand the seventh chapter as speaking only of the unclean animals1 for the number of clean animals was the greater4 ,of the unclean seven of every species were inclosed in the ark4 #bgc4 ,it is also necessary that we here discuss the signification of terms as all life1 beasts1 cattle4 ,though these are often used without discrimination1 still at various places the ,scripture employs them discriminatingly2 for instance1 when it says1 ,let the earth bring forth living creatures4 ,gen #a1 #bd4 ,let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures4 ,gen #a1 #bj4 ,in those places the words of the genus stand for all living beings on the earth and in the waters4 ,here the constituent species are named--chayah1 remes1 and behemah--though frequently used without discrimination4 #bgd4 ,the cattle he calls here behemoth1 though in ,ezekiel1 first chapter1 those four animals are called by the common name1 hachayoth1 a word by which we commonly designate not so much animals as beasts1 subsisting not on hay or anything else growing out of the earth1 but flesh2 as lion1 bear1 wolf and fox4 ,behemoth are cattle or brutes which live on hay and herbs growing from the earth2 as sheep1 cows1 deer and roe4 #bge4 ,remes means reptile4 ,the word is derived from ramas1 which means to tread4 ,when we compare ourselves with the birds1 we are remasian1 for we creep and tread upon the earth with our feet like the dogs and other beasts4 ,but the proper meaning is1 animals which do not walk with face erect4 ,the animals which creep and which we term reptiles have a specific name1 being called sherazim1 as we see in ,leviticus from the word sharaz1 which means to move1 hereafter used in the seventh chapter4 ,the word oph is known1 meaning bird4 #bgf4 ,such are the differences among these terms1 although1 as ,i said before1 they are not observed in some places4 ,the interpretation must be confined1 however1 to the time after the flood2 otherwise the inference would be drawn that such savage beasts existed also in paradise4 ,who will doubt that before sin1 dominion having been given to man over all animals of earth1 there was concord not only among men but also between animals and man8 #bgg4 ,though the first chapter clearly proves that these wild beasts were created with the others1 on account of sin their nature was altered4 ,those created gentle and harmless1 after the fall became wild and harmful4 ,this is my view1 though since our loss of that state of innocent existence it is easier to venture a guess than to reach a definition of that life4 #bgh4 ,but1 you ask1 if because of sin the nature of animals became completely altered1 how could ,noah control them1 especially the savage and fierce ones8 ,the lion surely could not be controlled1 nor tigers1 panthers and the like4 ,the answer is3 ,such wild animals went into the ark miraculously4 ,to me this appears reasonable4 ,if they had not been forced by a divine injunction to go into the ark1 ,noah would not have had it within his power to control such fierce animals4 ,undoubtedly he had to exercise his own human power1 but this alone was insufficient4 ,and the text implies both conditions1 for at first it says3 ,thou shalt bring into the ark1 and then adds3 ,two of every sort shall come unto thee4 ,if they had not been miraculously guided1 they would not have come by twos and sevens4 #bgi4 ,that two by two and seven by seven came of their own accord is a miracle and a sign that they had a premonition of the wrath of ,god and the coming terrible disaster4 ,even brute natures have premonitions and forebodings of impending calamities1 and often as if prompted by a certain sense of compassion1 they will manifest distress for a man in evident peril4 ,we see dogs and horses understand the perils of their masters and show themselves affected by such intelligence1 the dogs by howling1 the horses by trembling and the emission of copious sweat4 ,as a matter of fact it is not rare that wild beasts in danger seek refuge with man4 #bhj4 ,when1 therefore1 there is elsewhere in brute natures such an intelligence1 is it a wonder that1 after having been divinely aroused to a sense of coming danger1 they joined themselves voluntarily to ,noah8 ,for the text shows they came voluntarily4 ,in the same manner history bears witness1 and our experience confirms it1 that1 when a terrible pestilence rages or a great slaughter is imminent1 wolves1 the most ferocious of animals1 flee not only into villages1 but1 on occasion1 even into cities1 taking refuge among men and humbly asking1 as it were1 their help4 ,b4 ,,the ,,food ,,noah ,,took ,,into ,,the ,,ark4 ,v4 #ba4 ,and take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten1 and gather it to thee2 and it shall be for food for thee1 and for them4 #bha4 ,inasmuch as the flood was to last a whole year1 it was necessary to remind ,noah of the food to be collected from the herbs and the fruits of trees in order to preserve the life of man and of animals4 ,though the wrath of ,god was terrible1 to the destruction of everything born on earth1 the goodness of the ,lord shines forth1 notwithstanding1 in this an awful calamity4 ,he looks to the preservation of man and the animals1 and through their preservation to that of the species4 ,the animals chosen for preservation in the ark were sound and of unblemished body1 and through divine foresight1 they received food suitable to their nature4 #bhb4 ,as for man1 it is established that1 as yet1 he did not use flesh for food4 ,he ate only of the vegetation of the earth1 which was far more desirable before the flood than at present1 after the remarkable corruption of the earth through the brackish waters4 #bhc4 ,we observe here the providence of ,god1 by whose counsel the evil are punished and the good saved4 ,by a miracle ,god preserves a portion of his creatures when he punishes the wicked and graciously makes provision for their posterity4 #bhd4 ,it would have been an easy matter for ,god to preserve ,noah and the animals for the space of a full year without food1 as he preserved ,moses1 ,elijah and ,christ1 the latter for forty days1 without food4 ,he made everything out of nothing1 which is even more marvelous4 ,yet ,god1 in his government of the things created1 as ,augustine learnedly observes1 allows them to perform their appropriate functions4 ,in other words1 to apply ,augustine's view to the matter in hand1 ,god performs his miracles along the lines of natural law4 #bhe4 ,god also requires that we do not discard the provisions of nature1 which would mean to tempt ,god2 but that we use with thanksgiving the things ,god has prepared for us4 ,a hungry man who looks for bread from heaven rather than tries to obtain it by human means1 commits sin4 ,christ gives the apostles command to eat what is set before them1 ,lk #aj1 #g4 ,so ,noah is here enjoined to employ the ordinary methods of gathering food4 ,god did not command him to expect in the ark a miraculous supply of food from heaven4 #bhf4 ,the life of the monks is all a temptation of ,god4 ,they cannot be continent and still they refrain from matrimony2 likewise they abstain from certain meats1 though ,god has created them to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe1 and by those who know the truth1 that every creature of ,god is good1 and nothing to be rejected1 if it be received with thanksgiving1 #a ,tim #d1 #c-d4 ,the use of medicine is legitimate2 yea1 it has been created as a necessary means to conserve health4 ,the study of the arts and of language is to be cultivated and1 as ,paul says1 ,every creature of ,god is good1 and nothing is to be rejected1 if it be received with thanksgiving2 for it is sanctified through prayer4 #a ,tim #d1 #d-e4 #bhg4 ,god was able to preserve ,noah in the midst of the waters4 ,they fable of ,clement that he had a cell in the middle of the sea4 ,yea1 the people of ,israel were preserved in the midst of the ,red ,sea and ,jonah in the belly of the whale4 ,but this was not ,god's desire4 ,he rather willed that ,noah should use the aid of wood and trees1 so that human skill might thereby have a sphere for its exercise4 #bhh4 ,when1 however1 human means fail1 then it is for you either to suffer or to expect help from the ,lord4 ,no human effort could support the ,jews when they stood by the sea and were surrounded in the rear by the enemy4 ,hence1 a miraculous deliverance was to be hoped for1 or a sure death to be suffered4 ,c4 ,,noah',s ,,obedience4 ,v4 #bb4 ,thus did ,noah2 according to all that ,god commanded him1 so did he4 #bhi4 ,this phrase is very frequent in ,scripture4 ,this is the first passage in which praise for obedience to ,god is clothed in such a form of words4 ,later we find it stated repeatedly that ,moses1 the people1 did according to all that ,god commanded them4 ,but ,noah received commendation as an example for us4 ,his was not a dead faith1 which is no faith at all1 but a living and active faith4 ,he renders obedience to ,god's commands1 and because he believes both ,god's promises and threats1 he carefully carries out what ,god commanded with reference to the ark and the gathering of animals and food4 ,this is unique praise for ,noah's faith1 that he remains on the royal way--adds nothing1 changes nothing and takes nothing from the divine command1 but abides absolutely in the precept he has heard4 #bij4 ,it is the most common and at the same time most noxious sin in the ,church1 that people either altogether change ,god's commands or render something else paramount to them4 ,there is only one royal road to which we must keep4 ,they sin who swerve too much to the left by failing to perform the divine commands4 ,those who swerve to the right and do more than ,god has commanded1 like ,saul when he spared the ,amalekites1 also sin even more grievously than those who turn to the left4 ,they add a sham piety2 for1 while those who err on the left cannot excuse their error1 these do not hesitate to ascribe to themselves remarkable merit4 #bia4 ,and such error is exceedingly common4 ,god is wont sometimes to command common1 paltry1 ridiculous and even offensive things1 but reason takes delight in splendid things4 ,from the common ones it either shrinks or undertakes them under protest4 ,thus the monks shrank from home duties and chose for themselves others apparently of greater glamour4 ,today the great throng1 hearing that common tasks are preached in the ,gospel1 despises the ,gospel as a vulgar teaching1 lacking in elegance4 ,what noteworthy thing is it to teach that servants should obey their master and children their parents8 ,such a common and oft-taught doctrine the learned papists not only neglect but even ridicule4 ,they desire rather something unique1 something remarkable either for its reputed wisdom or for its apparent difficult character4 ,such is the madness of man's wisdom4 #bib4 ,in general it is wisdom to observe not so much the person that speaks as that which he says1 because the teacher's faults are always in evidence4 ,but when we consider precepts of ,god and true obedience1 this axiom should be reversed4 ,then we should observe not so much that which is said1 but the person of him who speaks4 ,in respect to divine precepts1 if you observe that which is said and not him who speaks1 you will easily stumble4 ,this is illustrated by the example of ,eve1 whose mind did not dwell upon the person who issued the command4 ,she regarded only the command and concluded it to be a matter of small moment to taste the apple4 ,but what injury was thereby wrought to the whole human race6 #bic4 ,he who observes him that gives the command will conclude that what is very paltry in appearance is very great4 ,the ,papists estimate it a slight thing to govern the ,state1 to be a spouse1 to train children4 ,but experience teaches that these are very important matters1 for which the wisdom of men is incompetent4 ,we see that at times the most spiritual men have here shamefully fallen4 ,when we1 therefore1 remember him who gives the command1 that which is paltry and common becomes a responsibility too great to discharge without divine aid4 #bid4 ,the ,papists1 therefore1 who look only at the outward mask1 like the cow at the gate1 can make light of duties toward home and ,state1 and imagine they perform others of greater excellence4 ,in the very fact that they are shameless adulterers1 blasphemers of ,god1 defilers of the sanctuary and brazen squanderers of the ,church's property1 they powerfully testify against themselves that they can in no wise appreciate the paltry1 common and vulgar domestic and public duties4 #bie4 ,in what1 therefore1 consists the holiness they vaunt8 ,forsooth1 in that on certain days they abstain from meat1 that they bind themselves to certain vows1 that they have a liking for certain kinds of work4 ,but1 ,i ask you1 who has given command to do those things8 ,no one4 ,that which ,god has enjoined or commanded1 they do not respect4 ,they render paramount something else concerning which ,god has given no command4 #bif4 ,hence1 the vital importance of this rule1 that we observe not the contents of the command but its author4 ,he who fails to do this will often be offended1 as ,i said1 by the insignificance or absurdity of a task4 ,god should receive credit for wisdom and goodness4 ,assuredly that which he himself enjoins is well and wisely enjoined1 though human reason judge differently4 #big4 ,from the wisdom of ,god the ,papists detract when they consider divinely enjoined tasks as paltry and attempt to undertake something better or more difficult4 ,god is not propitiated by such works1 but rather provoked1 as ,saul's example shows4 ,as if ,god were stupid1 dastardly1 and cruel in that he commanded to destroy the ,amalekites and all their belongings1 ,saul conceived a kinder plan and reserved the cattle for the purpose of sacrifice4 ,what else was such action but to deem himself wise and ,god foolish4 #bih4 ,hence ,moses rightly commends in this passage ,noah's obedience when he says that he did everything the ,lord had enjoined4 ,that means to give ,god credit for wisdom and goodness4 ,he did not discuss the task1 as ,adam1 ,eve and ,saul did to their great hurt4 ,he kept his eye on the majesty of him who gave the command4 ,that was enough for him1 even though the command be absurd1 impossible1 inexpedient4 ,all such objections he passes by with closed eyes1 as it were1 and takes his stand upon the one thing commanded by ,god4 ,this text therefore is familiar as far as hearing it is concerned1 but even as to the performance and practice of it1 it is known to very few and is extremely difficult4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,i4 ,,noah ,,obeys ,,command ,,to ,,enter ,,the ,,ark4 #a4 ,noah saw ,god's favor in his command #a4 99 ,noah experienced severe temptations and needed comfort #a-b4 #b4 ,what ,god wished to teach ,noah by calling him to enter the ark #c4 #c4 ,whether ,god spoke this commandment directly to ,noah #d-e4 99 ,when ,god speaks to us through men it is to be viewed as ,god's ,word #d-e4 99 ,the thoughts of the ,jews on the seven days #f4 99 ,the office of the ministry4 a4 ,through it ,god deals with mankind #g4 b4 ,why we should not despise the office and expect revelations direct from ,god #h-i4 99 ,god speaks with man in various ways #i4 99 ,corruption and destruction of the first world4 a4 ,the ruin of the first compared with that of the last world #aj-ac4 99 ,the need of posterity to pray that they retain pure doctrine #ab4 b4 ,why so few righteous persons were found in ,noah's day #ab4 99 ,the efforts of the pope and bishops to crush the ,gospel #ac4 c4 ,first world severely punished1 neither old nor young were spared #ad-ae4 d4 ,punishment of first world greatly moved ,peter when he wrote about it #af-ag4 99 ,peter's record of sermon ,christ delivered to the spirits of the first world in prison #af-ag4 a4 ,who are to be understood here by the unbelieving world #ah4 b4 ,peter here shows the wrath and long suffering of ,god #ai4 c4 ,nature and manner of this sermon #bj4 99 ,apostles had special revelations we cannot grasp #bj-ba4 #d4 ,how ,noah was righteous before ,god #bb4 #e4 ,how the world laughed at him while executing ,god's command1 ,god then comforted him #bc-bd4 #f4 ,greatness of ,noah's faith and steadfastness in executing this command #be-bf4 99 ,luther's confession he would have been too weak for such a work #be-bf4 99 ,the great firmness of ,john ,huss and ,jerome of ,prague #bg4 99 ,we are to comfort ourselves when all the world forsakes and condemns us #bh4 #g4 ,god commands ,noah to take the animals he names along into the ark #bi4 99 ,why ,god so often repeats the same thing #bi4 a4 ,what is to be understood by ,behemoth #cj4 b4 ,how many of each kind entered the ark #ca4 99 ,the rain at the flood was exceptional #cb4 99 ,the flood is a token of ,god's righteousness and from it we conclude ,god will punish the sins of the last world #cc4 #h4 ,by what may we learn ,noah's faith and obedience to ,god #cd4 99 ,why ,god did not save ,noah in some other way #cd4 ,i4 ,,noah ,,obeys ,,command ,,to ,,enter ,,the ,,ark4 ,v4 #b;a4 ,and ,jehovah said unto ,noah1 ,come thou and all thy house into the ark4 #a4 ,as soon as that extraordinary structure1 the ark1 was built1 the ,lord commanded ,noah to enter it1 because the time of the deluge1 which the ,lord announced one hundred and twenty years before1 was now at hand4 ,all this convinced ,noah that ,god was taking care of him2 and not only this1 but also1 as ,peter says 7#b ,pet #a1 #ai71 gave him an ample and abundant word to support and confirm his faith in such great straits4 ,having foretold the deluge for more than a century1 he doubtless was bitterly mocked by the world in many ways4 #b4 ,as ,i have said repeatedly1 ,god's wrath was incredible4 ,it could not be grasped by the human mind1 in that original age of superior men1 that ,god was about to destroy the whole human race1 except eight souls4 ,noah1 being holy and just1 a kindly and merciful man1 often struggled with his own heart1 hearing with the greatest agitation of mind the voice of the ,lord1 threatening certain destruction to all flesh4 ,it was needful1 then1 that repeated declaration should confirm his agitated faith1 lest he might doubt4 #c4 ,god's command to enter the ark amounted to this3 ,doubt not1 the time of punishment for the unbelieving world is close at hand4 ,but tremble not1 do not fear1 for faith is at times very weak in the saints4 ,i shall take care of you and your house4 ,to us such promise would have been incredible1 but we must admit that all things are possible with ,god4 #d4 ,notice ,moses' peculiar expression again3 ,jehovah said4 ,it gives me particular pleasure that these words of ,god did not sound from heaven1 but were spoken to ,noah through the ministry of man4 ,although ,i would not deny that these revelations may have been made by an angel1 or by the ,holy ,spirit himself1 yet where it can plausibly be said that ,god spoke through men1 there the ministry must be honored4 ,we have shown above that many of ,god's words according to ,moses1 were spoken through ,adam2 for the ,word of ,god1 even when spoken by man1 is truly the ,word of ,god4 #e4 ,now1 as ,methuselah1 ,noah's grandfather1 died in the very year of the deluge1 it would not be inapt to infer that 7since ,lamech1 ,noah's father1 had died five years before the flood17 this was1 so to speak1 ,methuselah's last word and testament to his grandson1 a dying farewell4 ,perhaps he added some remarks as these3 ,my son1 as thou hast obeyed the ,lord heretofore1 and hast awaited this wrath in faith1 and hast experienced ,god's faithful protection from the wicked1 henceforth firmly believe that ,god will take care of thee4 ,the end is now at hand1 not mine alone1 which is one of grace1 but the end of all mankind1 which is one of wrath4 ,for after seven days the flood will begin1 concerning which thou hast long and vainly warned the world4 ,after this manner1 ,i think1 spoke ,methuselah1 but the words are attributed to ,god1 because the ,spirit of ,god spoke through the man4 ,thus ,i like to interpret these instances to the honor of the ministry wherever1 as in this case1 it can appropriately be done4 ,since it is certain that ,methuselah died in the very year of the flood1 the supposition is harmless that these were his last words to ,noah1 his grandson1 who heard his words and accepted them as the ,word of ,god4 #f4 ,the ,jews' peculiar idea concerning these seven days is that they were added to the one hundred and twenty years in honor of ,methuselah1 that therein his posterity might bewail his death4 ,this is a harmless interpretation1 for the patriarch's descendants did not fail to do their duty1 particularly his pious children4 #g4 ,but the first view concerning the ministry of the ,word1 is not only plausible1 but also practical4 ,god does not habitually speak miraculously and by revelation1 particularly where1 he has instituted the ministry for this very purpose of speaking to men1 teaching1 instructing1 consoling and entreating them4 #h4 ,in the first place1 ,god entrusts the ,word to parents4 ,moses often says3 ,thou shalt tell it to thy children4 ,then to the teachers of the ,church is it entrusted4 ,abraham says 7,lk #af1 #bi73 ,they have ,moses and the prophets2 let them hear them4 ,we must expect no revelation1 be it inward or outward1 where the ministry is established2 otherwise all ranks of human society would be disturbed4 ,let the pastor preach in ,church2 let the magistrate rule the ,state2 let parents control the house or family4 ,such are the ministries of men instituted by ,god4 ,we should make use of them and not look for new revelations4 #i4 ,still ,i do not deny that ,noah heard ,god speak after ,methuselah's death4 ,god speaks ordinarily through the public ministry--through parents and the teachers of the ,church--and in rare cases by inward revelation1 through the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it is well that we remember not to overlook the ,word in vain expectation of new revelations1 as the fanatics do4 ,such a course gives rise to spirits of error1 a source of disturbance to the whole world1 as the example of the ,anabaptists proves4 ,v4 #a;b4 ,for thee have ,i seen righteous before me in this generation4 #aj4 ,this is truly a picture of the primitive1 ancient world1 as ,peter calls it4 #b ,pet #b1 #e4 ,his appellation carries the thought of a peculiarity of that particular age1 which is foreign to the people of our own4 ,could words be more appalling than these1 that ,noah alone was righteous before the ,lord8 ,the world is similarly pictured in ,ps #ad1 #b-c1 where we read that the ,lord looked down from heaven to see if there were any that did understand1 that did seek ,god4 ,but he says3 ,they are all gone aside2 they are together become filthy2 there is none that doeth good1 no1 not one4 #aa4 ,similar to this judgment upon the world was ,christ's declaration as to the last days4 ,he says3 ,when the ,son of man cometh1 shall he find faith on the earth8 ,lk #ah1 #h4 ,it is a fearful thing to live in such an evil and godless world4 ,by the goodness of ,god1 since we have the light of his ,word1 we are still in the golden age4 ,the sacraments are rightfully administered in our ,churches1 pious teachers proclaim the ,word purely1 and1 though magistrates be weak1 wickedness is not desperately rampant4 ,but ,christ's prophecy shows that there will be evil times when the ,lord's day approaches4 ,wholesome teaching nowhere will be found1 the ,church being dominated by the wicked1 as today the plans of our adversaries are a menace4 ,the pope and the wicked princes zealously strive totally to destroy the ministry of the ,word1 oppressing or corrupting the true ministries1 that everyone may believe whatever pleases him4 #ab4 ,so much the more diligently should we pray for our posterity1 and take earnest heed that a more wholesome doctrine be transmitted to them4 ,if there had been more godly teachers in the days of ,noah1 there might have been more righteous people4 ,the fact that ,noah alone was proclaimed a righteous man makes it evident that the godly teachers had been either destroyed or corrupted1 leaving ,noah the sole preacher of righteousness1 as ,peter calls him1 #b ,pet #b1 #e4 ,since government had been turned into tyranny and the home vitiated by adultery and whoredom1 how could punishment be delayed any longer8 #ac4 ,such danger awaits us also if the last days are to be like the days of ,noah4 ,truly1 the popes and bishops strenuously endeavor to suppress the ,gospel and to ruin the ,churches which have been rightfully established4 ,thus does the world assiduously press onward to a period similar to the age of ,noah1 when1 with the light of the ,word extinguished1 all shall go astray in the darkness of wickedness4 ,for without the preaching of the ,word1 faith cannot endure nor prayer1 nor the purity of the sacraments4 #ad4 ,such1 according to ,moses1 was the condition of the ancient world in ,noah's day1 when the world was young and at its best4 ,the greatest geniuses flourished everywhere and people were well educated by experience because they lived so long4 ,what will be our fate in the frenzy1 so to speak1 that shall befall the world in its dotage8 ,we should remember to care for our posterity and continually pray for it4 #ae4 ,as the first world was most corrupt1 it was thus subject to terrible punishment4 ,adults perished who provoked ,god to anger by their wicked deeds1 also those of an innocent age1 who had knowledge and were unable to distinguish between their right hand and their left4 ,many1 doubtless1 were deceived by their own guilelessness2 but ,god's wrath does not discriminate1 it falls upon and destroys alike adults and infants1 the crafty and the guileless4 #af4 ,this awful punishment appears to have moved even the ,apostle ,peter4 ,like one besides himself1 he uses words which we today are not able to understand4 ,he says3 ,christ1 having been made alive in the ,spirit1 also went and preached unto the spirits in prison1 that aforetime were disobedient1 when the long suffering of ,god waited in the days of ,noah1 while the ark was a preparing1 wherein few1 that is1 eight souls1 were saved through water1 etc4 7#a ,pet #c1 #ai-bj74 #ag4 ,a strange declaration1 and an almost fanatical saying1 by which the ,apostle describes this event6 ,by these words1 ,peter assures us that there was a certain unbelieving world to whom the dead ,christ preached after their death4 ,if this is true1 who would doubt that ,christ took ,moses and the prophets with him to those who were fettered in prison1 in order to change the unbelieving world into a new and believing one8 ,this seems to be intimated by ,peter's words1 though ,i should not like to make this assertion authoritatively4 #ah4 ,but doubtless those whom he calls an unbelieving world were not the wicked despisers of his ,word nor the tyrants4 ,if they were overwhelmed in their sins1 these were certainly condemned4 ,the unbelieving world of which he speaks seems rather to be the children and those whose lack of judgment precluded belief4 ,these were at that time1 seized and carried away headlong to their destruction1 by the offenses of the world1 as if in the power of a rapid stream1 only eight souls being saved4 #ai4 ,in this way does ,peter magnify the awful intensity of ,god's wrath4 ,at the same time he praises his long-suffering in that he did not deprive those of the ,word of salvation who at the time did not or could not believe because they hoped in the patience of ,god and would not be convinced that he would visit such fearful and universal punishment upon the world4 #bj4 ,how this came to pass is beyond our understanding4 ,we know and believe that ,god is wonderful in all his works and has all power4 ,therefore he who in life preached to the living1 could also in death preach to the dead4 ,all things hear1 feel and touch him1 though our human minds can not understand the process4 ,nor is it to our discredit when we are ignorant of some of the mysteries of ,holy ,writ4 ,the apostles had each his own revelation1 and contention concerning them would be presumptuous and foolish4 #ba4 ,such was the revelation of ,christ given to the spirits that evidently perished in the flood1 and we may perhaps1 not inappropriately connect it with that article of our creed which speaks of the descent of ,christ into hell4 ,such was also ,paul's revelation concerning paradise1 the third heaven 7#b ,cor #ab1 #b-d71 and certain other matters of which we may be ignorant without shame4 ,it is false pride to profess to understand these things4 ,st4 ,augustine and other teachers give their fancy loose rein when they discuss these passages4 ,may it not be that the apostles had revelations which ,st4 ,augustine and others did not have8 ,but let us return to ,moses4 #bb4 ,a truly fearful description of the world is vouchsafed in this declaration of ,god that he saw ,noah alone to be righteous before him1 in spite of the small children and those others who had innocently been misled4 ,let us particularly note the term1 ,before me4 ,it signifies that ,noah was blameless not only as regards the second table of the ,law1 but also as regards the first4 ,he believed in ,god1 and hallowed1 preached and called upon his name2 he gave thanks to ,god2 he condemned godless teachings4 ,for1 to be righteous before ,god means to believe ,god and to fear him1 and not1 as they taught in popedom1 to read masses1 to free souls from purgatory1 to become a monk1 and like things4 #bc4 ,this term ,before me has reference also to the condemnation of the ancient world4 ,having neglected the worship demanded by the first table1 they criminally transgressed also the second4 ,not only did they mock ,noah as a fool1 but they went so far as to condemn his teaching as heresy4 ,meanwhile they ate1 drank1 and celebrated festivals in security4 ,before the world1 accordingly1 ,noah was not righteous2 measured by her code he was a sinner4 #bd4 ,hence ,god1 or the grandfather1 ,methuselah1 consoles ,noah with the ,word of counsel to disregard the blind and wicked verdict of the world1 neither to care for her views and utterances1 but to close eyes and ears while heeding alone the ,word and verdict of ,god1 believing himself to be righteous before ,god1 or approved and acceptable to him4 #be4 ,and ,noah's faith was truly great2 he could rely upon ,god's utterance4 ,i1 forsooth1 should not have believed4 ,i realize what weight the whole world's hostile and condemnatory judgment must carry4 ,we are condemned in the judgment of the ,pope1 the ,sacramentarians1 and the ,anabaptists1 but this is mere play and pleasure1 compared to what the righteous ,noah had to bear1 who found not a single person in the whole world to approve of his religion or life1 except his own sons and his pious grandfather4 ,we have1 the endorsement of many ,churches1 by ,god's grace1 and our princes fear no danger in defense of their doctrine and religion4 ,noah had no such protectors1 and he saw his enemies living in peaceful leisure and enjoyment4 ,if ,i had been he1 ,i surely should have said3 ,lord1 if ,i am righteous1 if ,i am well pleasing to thee and if those people are wicked and displeasing to thee1 why1 then1 dost thou enrich them8 ,why dost thou heap upon them all manner of favors1 while ,i1 with my family1 am greatly harassed and almost without assistance8 ,in short1 ,i should have despaired in such great afflictions unless the ,lord had given me that spirit which ,noah had4 #bf4 ,therefore1 ,noah is a brilliant and admirable example of faith1 who opposed the judgments of the world with an heroic steadfastness of mind in the assurance that he was righteous while all the rest of the world was wicked4 #bg4 ,often when ,i think of those most holy men1 ,john ,huss and ,jerome of ,prague1 ,i view with astonishment the courage of their souls1 as they1 only two in number1 set themselves against the judgment of the whole world1 of pope1 emperor1 bishops1 princes1 universities and all the schools throughout the empire4 #bh4 ,it is helpful often to reflect upon such examples4 ,since the prince of the world battles against us1 endeavoring to kindle despair in us with his fiery darts1 it behooves us to be well armed1 lest we succumb to the enemy4 ,let us say with ,noah3 ,i know that ,i am righteous before ,god1 even though the whole world condemn me as heretical and wicked1 yea1 even desert me4 ,thus did the apostles desert ,christ1 leaving him alone2 but he said 7,jn #af1 #cb73 ,i am not alone4 ,thus did the false brethren desert ,paul4 ,hence1 this is no uncommon danger1 and it is not for us to despair2 but with courage to uphold the true doctrine1 in spite of the world's condemnation and curse4 ,vs4 #b-c4 ,of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven1 the male and his female2 and of the beasts that are not clean two1 the male and his female4 ,of the birds also of the heavens1 seven and seven1 male and female2 to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth4 #bi4 ,it is evident that ,god takes pleasure in speaking to ,noah4 ,hence1 he does not confine himself to a single command1 but repeats the same things in the same words4 ,to human reason such repetition appears to be absurd talkativeness1 but to a soul struggling against despair the will of ,god cannot be repeated too often1 nor can too exhaustive instruction be given relative to the will of ,god4 ,god recognizes the state of a soul that is tempted1 and hence makes the same statements again and again1 so that ,noah may learn from frequent conversations and conferences that he is not only not forsaken though the whole world forsake him1 but that he has a friend and protector in ,god who so loves him that he never seems to weary of conversing with him4 ,this is the cause of the statements being repeated4 ,however1 as has been explained1 ,god spoke with ,noah not from heaven but through men4 #cj4 ,in respect to the language1 this passage shows that ha-behemah signifies not only cattle1 the larger animals1 but also the smaller ones which were commonly used for sacrifice1 as sheep1 goats and the like4 ,the custom of offering sacrifices was not first instituted by ,moses1 but was in the world from the beginning1 being handed down1 as it were1 by the patriarchs to their posterity2 as shown by the example of ,abel1 who brought of his first fruits an offering to ,god4 #ca4 ,as to the remainder of the passage1 we explained at the end of the sixth chapter how to harmonize the discrepancies apparent in the fact that here seven beasts of each kind are ordered to be taken into the ark while only two of each kind are mentioned there4 ,to repeat is not necessary4 ,since ,noah was saved by a miracle1 he thought that a seventh animal should be added to the three pairs of clean beasts as a thank-offering to ,god1 after the flood1 for his deliverance4 ,v4 #d4 ,for yet seven days1 and ,i will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights2 and every living thing that ,i have made will ,i destroy from off the face of the ground4 #cb4 ,here you see ,god's care to give ,noah complete assurance4 ,he sets a limit of seven days1 after which will follow a rain of forty days and forty nights4 ,god speaks with peculiar significance when he says that it shall rain4 ,it was not a common rain1 but fountains of the deep as well as the windows of heaven were opened2 that is1 not only did a great mass of rain fall from heaven1 but also an immense amount of water streamed forth from the earth itself4 ,and an immense amount of water was necessary to cover the highest mountain tops to a depth of fifteen cubits4 ,it was no ordinary rain1 but the rain of ,god's wrath1 by which he set out to destroy all life upon the face of the earth4 ,because the earth was depraved1 ,god despoiled it1 and because the godless people raged against the first and second tables of the commandments1 therefore ,god also raged against them1 using heaven and earth as his weapons4 #cc4 ,this story is certain proof that ,god1 though long-suffering and patient1 will not allow the wicked to go unpunished4 ,as ,peter says 7#b ,pet #b1 #e71 if he spared not the ancient world1 how much less will he spare the popes or the emperors who rage against his ,word8 ,how much less will he spare us who blaspheme his name when our life is unworthy of our calling and profession1 when we freely and daily sin against our consciences8 ,let us1 then1 learn to fear the ,lord1 humbly to accept his ,word and obey it2 otherwise punishment will overtake also us1 as ,peter threatens4 ,vs4 #e-aj4 ,and ,noah did according unto all that ,jehovah commanded him4 ,and ,noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth4 ,and ,noah went in1 and his sons and his wife1 and his sons' wives with him1 into the ark1 because of the waters of the flood4 ,of clean beasts1 and of beasts that are not clean1 and of birds1 and of everything that creepeth upon the ground1 there went in two and two unto ,noah into the ark1 male and female1 as ,god commanded ,noah4 ,and it came to pass after the seven days1 that the waters of the flood were upon the earth4 #cd4 ,this is clear from what precedes4 ,noah's faith is praiseworthy in that he obeyed the ,lord's command and unwaveringly entered the ark with his sons and their wives4 ,god truly could have saved him in innumerable other ways2 he did not employ this seemingly absurd method because he knew no other4 ,to him who kept ,jonah for three days in the midst of the sea and in the belly of the whale1 what do you think is impossible8 ,but ,noah's faith and obedience are to be commended because he took no offense at this plan of salvation divinely shown to him1 but embraced it in simple faith4 ,,ii4 ,,complete ,,destruction ,,by ,,flood4 99 ,why ,moses so often repeats and expresses in few words what other writers describe at length #ce-ci4 99 ,noah's grief because of the approaching calamity #ch4 99 ,the way of coarse and satiated spirits #ci4 #a4 ,when did the flood commence4 a4 ,some think it began in the spring #dj4 b4 ,others think it began in the autumn #da4 c4 ,which is the more probable #db4 99 ,what to think of the ,jews reckoning the year has two beginnings #dd4 #b4 ,how the flood continued4 a4 ,must distinguish the fountains of the earth1 the windows of heaven and the rain #de4 99 ,of the earth and the water4 7#a7 ,why the water does not overflow the earth since the earth floats in the water #df4 7#b7 ,why the water above the earth does not fall and overflow the earth #dg-dh4 7#c7 ,how the prophets wondered at this as a miracle1 but we in our day give it little thought #di4 b4 ,how were the fountains broken up1 how can such a work be ascribed to ,god #ej-ea4 99 ,overflowing of the ,german fountains at ,halle #ea4 c4 ,how were the windows of heaven opened #eb4 7#a7 ,what is meant by the windows of heaven #ec4 7#b7 ,why such words used here #ec4 #c4 ,flood covered and destroyed the whole earth #ed4 #d4 ,why ,god sent the deluge #ed4 99 ,why ,god so often repeats the same thing #ee-fj4 99 ,what is meant by ,zippor #ee4 99 ,how ,god's wrath as seen in the deluge was very great #ef-eg4 #e4 ,the deluge was a terrible spectacle2 ,noah and his sons took courage from it #eh-fj4 99 ,noah's glorious faith at the sight of the deluge #fj4 99 ,noah's long ship voyage2 how he was comforted #fa4 #f4 ,how the world's destruction harmonizes with ,god's promises3 how the promises to the ,church agree with his threatenings #fb;ff4 99 ,god's threatenings and man's unbelief4 a4 ,why the first world believed not the threatenings about the deluge #fb;ff4 b4 ,why the ,jews believe not the threatenings of the prophets #fc4 c4 ,why the ,papists believed not the threats against them #fd4 99 ,god's ,church and her maintenance4 a4 ,the world understands not how the church is maintained #ff4 b4 ,what is the true form of the true ,church #ff4 c4 ,god's promises not rescinded when rejected2 who bear the name of the ,church #fg-fh4 #g4 ,whether ,god fully rescinded through the flood the rule over the earth he once gave man #fi4 99 ,how ,god preserved his ,church through the deluge #fi4 #h4 ,the deluge was apparently against ,god's promise #gj4 99 ,god allows nothing to hinder the punishment of the impenitent #ga-gc4 99 ,by what means ,papists adorn themselves and how it is all in vain #gb4 99 ,why we should not rely on present1 temporal things1 but upon ,god's ,word #gc4 99 ,the marks of a true ,church4 a4 ,what they are not and what they are #gd-gf4 b4 ,papists have characteristics ,holy ,scriptures give as marks of ,antichrist #ge4 c4 ,church born of ,god's ,word and is to be known by that ,word #gf4 d4 ,rule to be observed in the marks of the true ,church #gg4 e4 ,how far one may consider the ,papists the true church1 and how far not #gh-gi4 f4 ,the true church is where the ,word is1 although few belong to it and it has no temporal power #gi4 g4 ,whether the ,evangelicals can justly be accused of falling from the old church #hj4 h4 ,how and why the ,evangelical or ,gospel ,church is really the true ,church #ha4 99 ,how ,noah retained all and remained lord of the world although the deluge destroyed everything #ha4 ,,ii4 ,,complete ,,destruction4 ,vs4 #aa-ab4 ,in the six hundredth year of ,noah's life1 in the second month1 on the seventeenth day of the month1 on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up1 and the windows of heaven were opened4 ,and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights4 #ce4 ,we see that ,moses uses a great many words1 which results in tiresome repetition4 ,how often he mentions the animals6 how often the entrance into the ark6 how often the sons of ,noah who entered at the same time6 ,the reason for this must be left to the spiritually minded2 they alone know and see that the ,holy ,spirit does not repeat in vain4 #cf4 ,others1 however1 who are more materially minded may think that ,moses1 being moved1 when he wrote the passage1 by the greatness of ,god's wrath1 desired to enforce its truths by repetition2 for reiteration of statements is soothing to troubled minds4 ,thus did ,david repeat his lament over his son ,absalom1 #b ,sam #ah1 #cc4 ,so viewed1 this narrative shows depth of feeling and extreme agitation of mind4 ,this example of wrath so impresses the narrator that for emphasis he mentions the same thing again and again1 and in the same words4 #cg4 ,this is not the custom of poets and historians4 ,their emotions are factitious2 they are diffuse in their descriptions2 they pile up words for mere effect4 ,moses husbands his words1 but is emphatic by repetition that he may arouse the reader's attention to the importance of the message and compel him to feel his own emotions instead of reading those of another4 #ch4 ,evidently ,moses did not only wish to convey by persistent repetition the extreme agitation of his own mind1 but also of that of ,noah himself1 who1 being filled with the ,holy ,spirit1 and burning with love1 necessarily deplored the calamity when he saw that he could not avert it4 ,he foresaw the doom of the wisest and most distinguished and eminent men4 ,thus did ,david mourn when he could not call back ,absalom to life4 ,so ,samuel mourned when he despaired of saving ,saul4 #ci4 ,the text is not a mere tautology or repetition4 ,the ,holy ,spirit does not idly repeat words1 as those superficial minds believe1 which1 having read through the ,bible once1 throw it aside as if they had gathered all its contents4 ,yet these very repetitions of ,moses contain a statement more startling than any to be found in heathen records--that ,noah entered the ark in the six hundredth year1 the second month and the second day of his life4 #dj4 ,opinions differ as to the beginning of the year4 ,one is1 that the year begins at the conjunction of the sun and the moon which occurs nearest to the vernal equinox4 ,thus this month is called the first by ,moses in ,exodus4 ,if the flood set in on the seventeenth day of the second month1 it must have continued almost to the end of ,april1 the most beautiful season of the year1 when the earth seemingly gathers new strength1 when the birds sing and the beasts rejoice1 when the world puts on a new face1 as it were1 after the dreary season of winter4 ,death and destruction must have come with added terror at that season which was looked forward to as a harbinger of joy and the apparent beginning of a new life4 ,this view is substantiated by the words of ,christ in ,matthew #bd1 #ch1 where he compares the last days of the world to the days of ,noah and speaks of feasting1 marriage and other signs of gladness4 #da4 ,a second opinion makes the year begin with that new moon which is nearest to the autumnal equinox1 when all the harvest has been gathered from the fields4 ,its advocates declare this to be the beginning of the year1 because ,moses calls that month in which such new moon occurs1 the end of the year4 ,they call this autumnal equinox the beginning of the civil year1 and the vernal equinox the beginning of the holy year4 ,the ,mosaic ceremonies and festivals extend from the latter season up to the autumnal equinox4 #db4 ,if ,moses in this passage is speaking of the civil year1 then the flood occurred in ,september or ,october1 an opinion ,i find ,lyra held4 ,it is true that fall and winter are more liable to rains1 the signs of the zodiac pointing to humidity4 ,again1 as ,moses writes further on1 a dove was sent forth in the tenth month and brought back a green olive branch4 ,this fact seems to harmonize with the view that the deluge began in ,october4 #dc4 ,but ,i cannot endorse this argument of the ,jews1 assuming two beginnings of the year4 ,why not make four beginnings1 since there are four distinct seasons according to the equinoxes and solstices8 ,it is safer to follow the divine order1 making ,april the first month1 starting with the new moon which is nearest to vernal equinox4 ,the ,jews betray their ignorance in speaking of an autumnal beginning of the year3 the autumnal equinox is necessarily the end of the year4 ,moses so calls it for the reason that all field labors had then ceased and all products had been gathered and brought home4 #dd4 ,hence1 it is my belief that the flood began in the spring1 when all minds were filled with hope of the new year4 ,such is the death of the wicked that when they shall say1 ,peace and safety1 they perish4 #a ,thes #e1 #c4 ,nor is any inconsistence shown in the fact that the green olive branch is afterward mentioned1 for certain trees are evergreen1 as the boxwood1 fir1 pine1 cedar1 laurel1 olive1 palm and others4 #de4 ,but what does ,moses mean by saying that the fountains of the great deep burst1 and that the windows of heaven were opened8 ,no such record is found in all pagan literature1 although the heathen searched with zeal the mysteries of nature4 ,one discrimination should be made as regards the abysses of the earth1 the floodgates or windows of heaven1 and the rain4 ,rain1 as we know it1 is a common phenomenon1 while that of bursting floodgates and abysses is both unfamiliar and amazing4 #df4 ,almost all interpreters are silent on this point4 ,we know from ,holy ,writ that ,god1 by his ,word1 established a dwelling-place for man and other living beings on dry land1 above the water1 contrary to nature2 for it is opposed to natural law that the earth1 being placed in water1 should rise up out of it4 ,if you cast a clod into the water1 it sinks at once4 ,but the dry land stands up out of the water by virtue of the ,word1 which has set bounds for the sea1 as ,solomon 7,prov #h1 #bg7 and ,job 7ch #ch1 #aa7 declare4 ,unless the water were restrained by the power of the ,word1 with a bound1 as it were1 they would overflow and lay waste everything4 ,thus is our life guarded every single moment1 and wonderfully preserved by the ,word4 ,we have an illustration in partial deluges1 when at times entire states or regions are flooded1 proving that we should daily suffer such unpleasant things if ,god did not take care of us4 #dg4 ,but just as there are waters below us1 and beneath the earth1 so1 too1 are there waters above us1 and beyond the sky4 ,if they should descend1 obeying natural law1 destruction would result4 ,the clouds float as if suspended in space4 ,when at times they descend1 how great the terror they cause6 ,but imagine the result of a universal collapse6 ,how they would burst1 in obedience to the law of their nature1 did they not remain in place above us1 suspended1 as it were1 by the ,word6 #dh4 ,thus we are girt about on all sides by water1 shielded only by a frail ceiling of unsubstantial material--the air that we breathe--which bears up the clouds and carries that weight of water1 not in obedience to the laws of nature1 but by the command of ,god1 or by the power of the ,word4 #di4 ,when the prophets think of these things they are lost in admiration4 ,it is contrary to nature that such a weight should remain in suspension above the earth4 ,but we1 blinded by daily witnessing of such wonders1 neither observe nor admire them4 ,that we are not at any moment overwhelmed by waters from above or from below1 we owe to the divine majesty which orders all things and preserves all creatures so wonderfully1 and he ought to be the object of our praise4 #ej4 ,startling and significant are the words ,moses uses--the fountains of the great deep were broken up4 ,the conception he would convey is that they had been closed by ,god's power and sealed1 as it were1 with ,god's seal1 as today2 and that ,god did not open them with a key1 but rent them with violence1 so that the ocean1 in a sudden upheaval1 covered everything with water4 ,it is not to be supposed that ,god moved his hand1 because the fountains of the deep are said to have been broken up4 ,it is the custom of ,scripture to adapt itself to our understanding in the phraseology employed1 and that under consideration here denotes that ,god gives leave to the waters in that he no longer restrains or coerces them but suffers them to rage and break forth unchecked according to their nature4 ,that is the reason the ocean seemed to swell and boil4 ,in the salt works in our neighborhood there is a spring named after the ,germans1 which1 if it is not pumped out at certain times1 swells and overflows with terrific force4 #ea4 ,they say that in olden times the town of ,halle was once destroyed by a violent overflow of a spring of the kind described4 ,if a single spring could work such destruction what would be the result of the uncurbed power of ocean and seas8 ,thus mankind was destroyed before they even knew their danger4 ,whither should they flee when the waters poured in upon them with such force8 #eb4 ,but this is not all3 the windows of heaven also were opened4 ,moses' word implies that to that time the windows were closed as they are closed today4 ,indeed1 the world thought such opening impossible2 their sins1 however1 made it possible4 #ec4 ,moses' use here of the word windows signifies the literal opening of heaven4 ,with rain as we know it1 the water appears to fall by drops from the pores of the rain-clouds1 but at the time of the flood it came down with great force1 not through pores1 but through windows1 like water poured from a vessel with one movement1 or as when water-skins burst in the middle4 ,moses uses this figure of speech for the sake of effect1 so that those occurrences are brought to our vision4 #ed4 ,a volume of water1 therefore1 swept over the earth1 from the sky as well as from the innermost parts of the earth1 until at last the whole earth was covered with water1 and the fertile soil1 or the entire face of the earth was destroyed by the briny flood4 ,a like instance occurs nowhere in any book4 ,the ,holy ,scriptures alone teach us that these things were visited upon the world sinning in imagined security1 and that to this day the waters suspended in the clouds are restrained only by the kindness of ,god4 ,otherwise they would descend in vast volume1 as in the flood1 according to the law of their nature4 ,vs4 #ac-af4 ,in the selfsame day entered ,noah1 and ,shem1 and ,ham1 and ,japheth1 the sons of ,noah1 and ,noah's wife1 and three wives of his sons with them1 into the ark2 they1 and every beast after its kind1 and all the cattle after their kind1 and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind1 and every bird after its kind1 every bird of every sort4 ,and1 they went in unto ,noah and the ark1 two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life4 ,and they that went in1 went in male and female of all flesh1 as ,god commanded him4 #ee4 ,here ,moses begins to be remarkably verbose4 ,his wordiness hurts tender ears when he so often and apparently without any use repeats the same things4 ,it is not sufficient to say all birds1 but he names three kinds of birds4 ,of these1 the term zippor is usually said to mean a sparrow1 but this passage shows clearly that it is a generic term1 doubtless so called from the sound1 zi1 zi4 ,he also names three kinds of beasts4 ,also1 when speaking of the flood itself1 he is very wordy1 saying that the waters prevailed1 that they increased1 that they flooded and covered the face of the earth4 ,finally1 when he tells of the effect of this flood1 he makes similar repetition3 ,all flesh expired1 died1 was destroyed1 etc4 #ef4 ,but ,i said above 7para #cg7 that ,moses repeats these things contrary to his style1 in order to force the reader to pause and more diligently learn and meditate upon this great event4 ,we cannot fully comprehend the wrath which destroys1 not man alone1 but all his possessions4 ,moses wishes to arouse hardened and heedless sinners by such a consideration of ,god's wrath4 #eg4 ,hence1 these words are not idle1 as a shallow and unspiritual reader might judge4 ,they rather challenge us to fear ,god1 and call attention to the present so that1 sobered by the thought of such wrath1 we may make an earnest beginning in the fear of ,god1 and cease from sin4 ,for not without many tears does ,moses appear to have written this account6 ,so utterly is he with eyes and mind absorbed in this horrible spectacle of wrath that he cannot but repeat the same statements again and again4 ,doubtless he does this with the purpose to thrust such darts of divine fear1 so to speak1 into the souls of pious readers4 #eh4 ,it may be well to transport ourselves in thought into the time of the event4 ,what do you think would be our state of mind if we had been put into the ark1 if we had seen the waters spreading everywhere with overwhelming force and the wretched human beings perishing without possibility of help8 ,let us remember that ,noah and his sons were also flesh and blood2 that is1 they were men who1 as that person in the comedy 7,terence1 ,heaut4 #a3 #a1 #be7 says1 thought nothing human was foreign to themselves4 ,they were in the ark for forty days before it was lifted off the earth4 ,in those days were destroyed all the human beings and animals living upon the earth4 ,this calamity they saw with their own eyes2 who would doubt that they were violently stirred by the sight8 #ei4 ,furthermore1 the ark floated upon the waters for one hundred and fifty days1 buffeted on all sides by the waves and winds4 ,there was no hope for any harbor1 or for any meeting with men4 ,as exiles1 therefore1 as vanished from the earth1 as it were1 they were driven here and there by currents and winds4 ,is it not a miracle that those eight human beings did not die from grief and fear8 ,truly1 we are made of stone if we can read this story with dry eyes4 #fj4 ,what outcry1 sorrow and wailing if from the shore we see a small boat overturned1 and human beings miserably perishing6 ,here1 however1 not one boat-load1 but the entire world of men perish in the waters2 a world composed not only of grown persons1 but also babes2 not only of criminal and wicked ones1 but also simple-hearted matrons and virgins4 ,they all perished4 ,let us believe that ,moses told the tale of this calamity with such redundancy of words in order that we might be impelled to give earnest attention to this important event4 ,noah's faith was truly of a rare kind1 since he consoled himself and his family with the hope of promised seed and dwelt more upon this promise than the destruction of all the rest of the world4 ,vs4 #af-bd4 ,and ,jehovah shut him in4 ,and the flood was forty days upon the earth2 and the waters increased1 and bare up the ark1 and it was lifted up above the earth4 ,and the waters prevailed1 and increased greatly upon the earth2 and the ark went upon the face of the waters4 ,and the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth2 and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered4 ,fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail2 and the mountains were covered4 ,and all flesh died that moved upon the earth1 both birds1 and cattle1 and beasts1 and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth1 and every man3 all1 in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life1 of all that was on the dry land1 died4 ,and every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground1 both man1 and cattle1 and creeping things1 and birds of the heavens2 and they were destroyed from the earth3 and ,noah only was left1 and they that were with him in the ark4 ,and the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days4 #fa4 ,for forty days the ark stood in some plain4 ,by that time the waters had risen to such an extent that they lifted the ark1 which then floated for one hundred and fifty days4 ,a long sea voyage indeed1 and one of great mourning and tears4 ,yet the occupants upheld themselves by faith1 not doubting the kindness of ,god toward them4 ,they had experienced his goodness when building the ark1 when preparing the food1 when getting ready other things needful for this occasion1 and finally when the ,lord closed the ark after the flood came in its power4 #fb4 ,the question arises1 how can ,god be truthful here8 ,he had set man as master over the earth to cultivate and rule it4 ,god did not create the earth to lie waste1 but to be inhabited and give its fruits to men4 ,how can we reconcile such purpose of the creator with the fact that he destroyed all mankind except eight souls8 ,i have no doubt that this argument influenced the descendants of ,cain as well as the wicked posterity of the righteous generation not to believe ,noah when he proclaimed the flood4 ,how can we harmonize ,god's promise to ,adam and ,eve1 ,you shall rule the earth1 and his words here to ,noah1 ,the water shall overpower all men1 and destroy them all4 ,so the unbelievers decided that ,noah's preaching was wicked and heretical4 #fc4 ,in like manner the books of the prophets bear witness that the threats of the ,assyrian and ,babylonish captivity were not believed by the priests and kings1 who knew this grand promise3 ,this is my resting-place forever3 here will ,i dwell2 for ,i have desired it1 ,ps #acb1 #ad2 and that other1 by ,isaiah3 ,here is my fire1 and my hearth-stone1 ,is #ca1 #i4 ,to them it was incredible that either the ,state or the temple should be overthrown by the gentiles4 ,and the ,jews1 miserable outcast though they be1 even to this day hold fast the promise that they are ,god's people and heirs of the promises given ,abraham and the fathers4 #fd4 ,thus is the pope puffed up with the promises given to the ,church3 ,i am with you unto the end of the world1 ,mt #bh1 #bj2 ,i will not leave you desolate1 ,jn #ad1 #ah2 ,i made supplication for thee1 that thy faith fail not1 ,lk #bb1 #cb2 and others4 ,though he sees and feels the wrath of ,god1 yet1 caught in these promises1 he dreams1 and likewise his followers1 that his throne and power are secure4 ,hence the ,papists blatantly use the name of the ,church to overwhelm us1 promising themselves the utmost success1 as if they could force ,god to establish the ,church according to their dreams and desires4 #fe4 ,fitly1 then1 do we here raise the question how the flood1 by which all mankind perished1 agrees with the will of ,god1 who created human nature and gave it the promise and endowment of dominion4 ,the answer to this question will likewise settle the one concerning the ,church4 ,it is this3 ,god remains truthful1 preserving1 ruling and governing his ,church though in a manner transcending the observation and understanding of the world4 ,he permits the ,roman pontiff and his adherents to think that the pope is the ,church4 ,he suffers him to feel secure and to enjoy his dignity and title4 ,but in fact ,god has excommunicated the pontiff1 because he rejects the ,word and establishes idolatrous worship4 #ff4 ,on the other hand1 ,god has chosen for himself another ,church1 which embraces the ,word and flees idolatry1 a ,church so oppressed and shamefully afflicted that it is not considered a ,church but a band of heretics and the devil's school4 ,thus ,paul writes to the ,romans 7ch #b1 #ag7 that the ,jews do not fear ,god yet they glory in the ,law and in ,god1 at the same time denying1 blaspheming and offending ,god4 ,and while the ,jews1 who take pride in being ,god's people1 are doing this1 ,god prepares for himself a ,church from the gentiles1 who truly glory in ,god and embrace his ,word4 #fg4 ,but who should dare to accuse ,god of untruthfulness because he preserves the ,church in a manner unknown and undesired by man8 ,of similar nature were the promises concerning the preservation of ,jerusalem and the temple4 ,these promises were not violated when that city and temple were laid waste by the ,babylonians4 ,for ,god established another ,jerusalem and another temple in the ,spirit and by the ,word2 ,jeremiah promised 7,jer #bi1 #aj-aa7 that the people should return after seventy years and that then both the temple and the nation should be re-established4 #fh4 ,as regards the ,jews1 these were destroyed at that time1 but not as regards ,god who had promised in his ,word that they should be rebuilt4 ,the ,jews argue correctly that ,god will not desert the nation and temple2 but ,god keeps his promise in a way foreign to the thought of the ,jews1 who believed that the nation would not be destroyed because the promise said3 ,this is my resting-place forever4 ,god permitted destruction in order to punish the sins of his people1 and yet he preserved and protected the ,church when the pious were brought back by ,cyrus and built the temple4 #fi4 ,in like manner1 dominion over the world was given to man in the beginning of creation4 ,this is taken away in the flood1 not forever1 but for a time1 and that not altogether4 ,though the greater part of the world perishes1 yet man retains his mastery2 and this mastery is preserved to mankind1 not as represented by a multitude1 as the world desired and believed1 but by a few persons--eight souls--a thing which seemed incredible to the world4 #gj4 ,hence ,god did not lie2 he kept his promise1 but not as the world would have had it4 ,he destroyed the sinners and saved the righteous few1 which1 like a seed1 he thereafter multiplied in many ways4 #ga4 ,the ,papists should keep before their eyes this judgment of ,god4 ,it teaches that neither numbers nor power nor his own promise is allowed to prevent him from punishing the impenitent4 ,otherwise he would have spared the first world and the offspring of the patriarchs to whom he had granted dominion over the earth4 ,now he destroys all and saves only eight4 #gb4 ,is it wonderful1 then1 that he deals with the ,papists in the same way8 ,though they boast of rank1 dignity1 numbers1 and power1 yet1 because they trample the ,word of ,god under foot and rage against it1 ,god will cast them away1 choosing for himself another ,church1 which will humbly obey the ,word and accept with open arms the gifts of ,christ which the pope's ,church1 trusting in its own merits1 haughtily spurns4 #gc4 ,therefore none should trust in the good things of present possession1 though they be promised by the divine ,word4 ,we must look to the ,word itself and trust in it alone4 ,those who set the ,word aside and put their trust in present things1 will not go unscathed in their fall from faith1 however much they may boast of power and numbers4 ,this truth is shown by the flood1 by the captivity of the ,jews and their present misfortune1 and by the seven thousand men in the kingdom of ,israel4 #gd4 ,the proof is sufficiently strong1 that great numbers do not make a ,church4 ,nor must we trust in holiness of origin1 in forefathers1 or in the gifts of ,god which we enjoy4 ,we must look to the ,word alone and judge thereby4 ,those alone who truly embrace the ,word will be as immovable forever as ,mount ,zion4 ,they may be few in number and thoroughly despised by the world1 as were ,noah and his children4 ,but ,god1 through these few1 preserved to man the truth of that promised mastery when he had not even room to set his foot upon the earth4 #ge4 ,our enemies1 setting aside the ,word1 make much of number1 outward appearance1 and persons4 ,but the apostles foretold that the ,antichrist will be a respecter of persons1 that will rely upon numbers and ancient origin1 that he will hate the ,word and corrupt ,god's promises and that he will kill those who cling to the ,word4 ,shall we1 then1 consider such people to be the ,church8 #gf4 ,the ,church is a daughter born from the ,word1 not the mother of the ,word4 ,therefore1 whoever loses the ,word and looks to men instead1 ceases to be the ,church and lapses into utter blindness2 nor will either great numbers or power avail4 ,they who keep the word1 as did ,noah and his family1 are the ,church1 though they be few in number1 even but eight souls4 ,the ,papists at this time surpass us in numbers and rank2 we not only are cursed1 but suffer many things4 ,but we must endure until the judgment1 when ,god will reveal that we are his ,church1 and the ,papists the church of ,satan4 #gg4 ,so1 then1 we must observe that rule in #a ,sam #af1 #g1 where the ,lord says to ,samuel3 ,look not on his countenance1 or on the height of his stature2 because ,i have rejected him3 for ,jehovah seeth not as man seeth2 for man looketh on the outward appearance1 but ,jehovah looketh on the heart4 #gh4 ,let us not1 therefore1 give heed to the greatness and might of the pope1 who boasts that he is the ,church1 proclaiming the apostolic succession and the majesty of his person4 ,let us look to the ,word4 ,if the pope embraces it1 let us judge him to be the ,church2 but if he does violence to it1 let us judge him to be the slave of ,satan4 #gi4 ,paul says 7#a ,cor #b1 #ae7 that the spiritual person judgeth all things4 ,if ,i were the only one on the face of the earth to keep the ,word1 ,i should be the ,church1 and rightfully pass judgment upon all the rest of the world that they were not the ,church4 ,our enemies have the office without the ,word1 and really have nothing4 ,we1 on the other hand1 have the ,word1 though we have nothing2 yet we have everything through the ,word4 ,therefore1 either let the pope1 the cardinals and the bishops come over to our side1 or let them cease to boast that they are the ,church1 which they cannot be without the ,word1 since it is begotten only by the ,word4 #hj4 ,we bear a great load of hatred1 being accused of having deserted the ancient ,church4 ,the ,papists1 on the other hand1 boast that they have remained true to the ,church1 and they want to leave everything to the judgment of the ,church4 ,but we are accused falsely4 ,to speak the truth1 we must say that we departed from the ,word when we were still in their ,church and now we have returned to the ,word and have ceased to be apostates from the ,word4 #ha4 ,therefore though in their judgment they rob us of the title of the ,church1 still we retain the ,word1 and through the ,word we have all ornaments of the true ,church4 ,for whoever has the ,creator of all1 must needs also possess the creatures themselves4 ,in this sense ,noah remained master of the world1 though the waters prevailed1 and the earth perished4 ,though he lost his property1 yet1 because he retained the ,word by which everything was created1 it may truly be said he retained everything4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,i4 ,,noah',s ,,condition ,,in ,,the ,,ark2 ,,the ,,waters ,,abate4 ,a4 ,,noah',s ,,condition ,,in ,,the ,,ark4 #a4 ,how ,noah and his family anxiously waited for ,god's promise1 and lived in faith1 which is a hard life #a-c4 #b4 ,he had a hard time in the ark4 ,what sustained him #b-d4 #c4 ,how he suffered in two ways #e4 99 ,whether ,god can forget his saints #f4 99 ,severest temptations are when man thinks he is forsaken by ,god #g4 #d4 ,noah's condition became more miserable because of his family's distress #h-aj4 #e4 ,noah and family with difficulty overcame their temptation #aa4 99 ,christians need steadfastness #ab4 99 ,why ,god for a time conceals himself from his faithful ones #ac4 99 ,temptations severe when saints imagine ,god has forsaken them #ad4 ,b4 ,,the ,,waters ,,abate4 #a4 ,the time the waters abated #ae4 #b4 ,how the wind blew upon the earth and dried it4 #af-ag4 #c4 ,the abating of the waters was a sign by which ,god comforted ,noah #ah4 99 ,noah's ,ark4 a4 ,when it began to float1 how long it floated and when it rested #ai4 b4 ,on what mountain did it rest #bj4 c4 ,what to think of ,josephus' testimony #ba4 #d4 ,when the mountain tops first seen #bb4 #e4 ,how ,noah learned the deluge had ceased4 a4 ,why ,noah sent forth the raven1 and how the error arose the raven never returned #bc-bd4 99 ,the ,jews' unclean thoughts of the raven #bd4 b4 ,noah sent forth a dove1 and if at the same time with the raven #be4 c4 ,noah sent out a second dove1 which assured him that the flood had ceased #bf4 7#a7 ,dove returned with an olive leaf #bf4 7#b7 ,whether it did this of its own impulse1 and what ,god thereby wished to indicate #bg-bh4 7#c7 ,the ,jews' ideas on where the dove got the olive leaf #bg4 7#d7 ,why an olive leaf #bh4 #f4 ,how long ,noah and family were in the ark #bi4 ,i4 ,,noah ,,in ,,ark--,,flood ,,abates4 ,a4 ,,noah',s ,,condition ,,in ,,the ,,ark4 ,v4 #a;a4 ,and ,god remembered ,noah1 and all the beasts1 and all the cattle that were with him in the ark4 #a4 ,when that horrible wrath had exhausted itself1 and all flesh with the earth had been destroyed1 the promise made by ,god to ,noah and his sons1 that they were to be the seed of the human race1 began to be realized4 ,no doubt this promise was to them an object of eager expectation4 ,no life is so hedged about with difficulties as that of faith4 ,this was the life lived by ,noah and his sons1 whom we see absolutely depending upon the heavens for support4 ,the earth was covered with water4 ,bottom on which to stand there was none4 ,it was the word of promise that upheld them1 as they drifted in this welter of waters4 #b4 ,when the flesh is free from danger1 it holds faith in contempt1 as the claims of the ,papists show4 ,it loves showy and toilsome tasks2 in these it sweats4 ,but behold ,noah1 on all sides surrounded by waters1 yet not overwhelmed6 ,surely it is not works that sustain him but faith in ,god's mercy extended through the word of promise4 #c4 ,the difficulty besetting ,noah is hinted at in the words3 ,god remembered4 ,moses thus intimates that ,noah had been tossed on the water so long that ,god seemed to have forgotten him altogether4 ,they who pass through such a mental strain1 when the rays of divine grace are gone and they sit in darkness or are forgotten by ,god1 find by experience that it is far more difficult to live in the ,word or by faith alone than to be a hermit or a ,carthusian monk4 #d4 ,hence1 it is not a meaningless expression when the ,holy ,spirit says that ,god remembered ,noah4 ,he means that from the day ,noah entered the ark1 no word was spoken1 nothing was revealed to him2 that he saw no ray of divine grace shining1 but merely clung to the promise which he had accepted1 while in the meantime the waters and waves raged as if ,god had certainly forgotten4 ,the same danger beset his children and also the cattle and all the other animals throughout the one hundred and fifty days they were in the ark4 ,and though the holy seed by the aid of the conquering ,spirit overcame those difficulties1 the victory was not won without vexation of the flesh1 tears and stupendous fear1 felt1 in my opinion1 even by the brutes4 #e4 ,thus a twofold danger beset them4 ,the universal flood which swallowed up all mankind could not vanish without stupendous grief to the righteous1 particularly as they saw themselves reduced to so small a number4 ,further1 it was a serious matter to be buffeted by the waters for almost half a year without any consolation from ,god4 #f4 ,the expression used by ,moses1 ,god remembered ,noah1 must not be short of its meaning by calling it a rhetorical figure1 signifying that ,god acted after the manner of one who had forgotten ,noah1 whereas ,god cannot in truth forget his saints4 ,a mere master of rhetoric1 indeed1 does not know what it means to live in such a state as to feel that ,god has forgotten him4 ,only the most perfect saints understand that1 and can in faith bear1 so to speak1 a ,god who forgets4 ,therefore the ,psalms and all the ,scriptures are filled with complaints of this nature1 in which ,god is called upon to arise1 to open his eyes1 to hear1 to awaken4 #g4 ,monks possessed of a higher degree of experience1 at times underwent this temptation and called it a suspension of grace4 ,the latter may be experienced also in temptations of a slighter nature4 ,the flame of lust found in young people is altogether unbearable unless it is held in check by the ,word of ,god and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,similarly1 at a more mature age1 impatience and the desire for revenge can nowise be overcome unless ,god tears them from the soul4 ,how much more liable is the soul to fall into the darkness of despair1 or into ensnaring predestinarian tenets1 when more severe temptations beset us and the suspension of grace is felt4 #h4 ,hence this expression is not to be passed by as a mere rhetorical ornament1 according to the interpretation of the rabbis4 ,it is intended rather to portray the state of soul which feels despair coming on amid unutterable groanings of heart1 with just a spark of faith left to wrest victory from the flesh4 ,in the same way that ,paul suffered from ,satan's messenger1 we may believe that ,noah felt himself stabbed in the heart1 and that he often argued thus within himself3 ,dost thou believe that thou alone art so beloved of ,god8 ,dost thou believe that thou will be kept safe to the end1 when waters are boundless1 and those immense clouds seem to be inexhaustible8 #i4 ,when1 then1 such broodings found their way also into the weak souls of the women1 what cries1 wails and tears may we surmise to have been the result8 ,almost overcome by sadness and grief1 he was forced to lift up and comfort those with the cheer his own heart did not feel4 #aj4 ,it was1 therefore1 no jest or frolic for them to live so long locked up within the ark1 to see the endless downpour of rain and to be carried to and fro floating upon the waves4 ,this was the experience of having been forgotten by ,god which ,moses implies when he says that ,god at last remembered ,noah and his sons4 #aa4 ,though the occupants of the ark overcame this feeling by faith1 they did not do so without great vexation of the flesh2 just as a young man who leads a chaste life overcomes lust1 but surely not without the greatest vexation and trouble4 ,in this instance1 where the trial was greater1 where all evidence was at variance with the fact that ,god was gracious and mindful of them1 they indeed triumphed1 but not without fearful tribulation4 ,for the flesh1 weak in itself1 can bear nothing less patiently than the thought of a ,god who has forgotten4 ,human nature is prone to be puffed up and haughty when ,god remembers it1 when he vouchsafes success and favor4 ,is it a wonder1 then1 that we become broken in spirit and desperate when ,god seems to have cast us away and everything goes against us8 #ab4 ,let us remember that this story sets before us an example of faith1 of endurance1 and of patience1 to the end that1 having the divine promise1 we should not only learn to believe it1 but should also consider that we are in need of endurance4 ,endurance is not maintained without a great struggle1 and ,christ calls upon us1 in the ,new ,testament1 to acquire it when he says3 ,he that endureth to the end1 the same shall be saved1 ,mt #bd1 #ac4 #ac4 ,this is the reason why ,god hides for a time1 as it were1 seeming to have forgotten us1 suspending his grace1 as they say in the schools4 ,as in this temptation not only the spirit but also the flesh is afflicted1 so afterward1 when he again begins to remember us1 the perception of grace which during the trial was evident only to the spirit and most faintly at that1 is extended to the flesh also4 #ad4 ,hence1 the word remembered indicates that great sadness beset both man and beast during the entire time of the flood4 ,it must have been by dint of great patience and extraordinary courage that ,noah and the others bore this lapse from ,god's memory1 which is simply unbearable to the flesh without the spirit even in slight trials4 ,true1 ,god always remembers his own1 even when he seems to have forsaken them2 but ,moses indicates that he remembered his people here in a visible way1 by a sign1 and by openly fulfilling what he had previously promised through the ,word and the ,spirit4 ,this is the most important passage in this chapter4 ,b4 ,waters ,abate4 ,vs4 #a;b-#c4 ,and ,god made a wind to pass over the earth1 and the waters assuaged2 the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped1 and the rain from heaven was restrained2 and the waters returned from off the earth continually2 and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased4 #ae4 ,moses said above 7ch #g1 #aa-ab7 that the deluge raged in three different ways2 for not only were the fountains of the great deep broken up and the windows of heaven opened1 but also the rain descended4 ,when these forces ceased on the one hundred and fiftieth day1 quiet was once more in evidence and the fact that ,god remembered1 and ,noah with his sons and their wives1 as also the animals1 was refreshed after terror so great and continuous4 ,if a storm of two days duration causes seafarers to despair1 how much more distressing was that tossing about for half a year6 #af4 ,the question here arises1 how the wind was made to pass over the earth1 which as yet was entirely covered with water4 ,it is nothing new that winds have the power to dry1 especially those from the east1 called by our countrymen hohle winde1 and by ,virgil parching winds1 from the drouth which they bring upon the earth4 ,these are mentioned also by ,hosea #ac1 #ae4 ,the explanation1 accordingly1 is simple4 ,moses says that the wind was made to pass over the earth1 that is1 over the surface of the waters1 for such a length of time that at last1 the waters being dried up1 the earth again appeared4 ,so1 in ,exodus1 a burning wind is said to have dried up the ,red ,sea4 ,now1 ,god might have accomplished this without any wind1 yet he habitually employs a natural means to attain his purposes4 #ag4 ,up to this time ,noah had lived in darkness1 seeing nothing but the waters rolling and raging in a terrifying volume4 ,now the delicious light of the sun bursts forth once more1 and the winds cease to roar from all points of the compass4 ,only the east wind1 calculated to reduce the waters1 is blowing1 and gradually it takes away the stagnant flood4 ,other means also are effective2 the ocean no longer hurls its waves upon the land1 but takes back the waters which it had spewed forth1 and the floodgates of heaven are closed up4 #ah4 ,these are outward and tangible signs by which ,god consoles ,noah1 showing him that he had not forgotten1 but remembered him4 ,this is a practical and needed lesson also for us4 ,when in the midst of dangers we may with certainty look for ,god's help1 who does not desert us if we continue in faith1 looking forward to the fulfilment of ,god's promises4 ,v4 #d4 ,and the ark rested in the seventh month1 on the seventeenth day of the month1 upon the mountains of ,ararat4 #ai4 ,the waters increased for forty days1 until the ark was lifted from the earth4 ,then for one hundred and fifty days it floated upon the waters1 driven by the winds and the waves1 without a sign of ,god's remembrance4 ,at length the waters began to decrease1 and the ark rested4 #bj4 ,the point of dispute among the ,jews here is the number of months4 ,but why waste any more time upon immaterial matters1 particularly as we see that the suggestions of the rabbis are not at all wise8 ,it is more to the purpose for us to inquire where the mountains of ,ararat are to be found4 ,it is generally believed that they are mountains of ,armenia1 close by the highest ranges of ,asia ,minor1 the ,caucasus and the ,taurus4 ,but it appears to me that more likely the highest of all mountains is meant1 the ,imaus 7,himalaya71 which divides ,india4 ,compared to this range1 other mountains are no more than warts4 ,that the ark rested upon the highest mountain is substantiated by the fact that the waters continued to fall for three whole months before such smaller ranges as ,lebanon1 ,taurus1 and ,caucasus were uncovered1 which are1 as it were1 the feet or roots of the ,himalaya1 just as the mountains of ,greece may be called branches of the ,alps extending up to our ,hercinian ,forest 7,harz74 ,to anyone who surveys them with care the mountains seem to be wonderfully related and united4 #ba4 ,josephus has wonderful things to tell about the mountains of ,armenia1 and he records that during his time remains of the ark were discovered there4 ,but ,i suppose nobody will judge me to be a heretic if ,i occasionally doubt the reliability of his statements4 ,v4 #e4 ,and the waters decreased continually until the tenth month3 in the tenth month1 on the first day of the month1 were the tops of the mountains seen4 #bb4 ,moses said before that by the seventh month the waters had fallen so far that the ark rested upon ,ararat4 ,in the third month thereafter1 the tops of the lower mountains began to appear1 so that ,noah1 looking down from the mountains of ,ararat as if from a watchtower1 saw also the peaks of the other mountains1 of the ,taurus in ,asia1 the ,lebanon in ,syria1 and the like4 ,all these were signs of ,god's remembrance4 ,vs4 #f-g4 ,and it came to pass at the end of forty days1 that ,noah opened the window of the ark which he had made3 and he sent forth a raven1 and it went forth to and fro1 until the waters were dried up from off the earth4 #bc4 ,so far the history2 the allegorical significance we shall discuss at its proper place4 ,the carelessness of a translator has caused a dispute upon this part of the story4 ,the ,hebrew text does not say that the raven did not return1 as ,jerome translated2 hence there was no need to invent a reason why he did not return--because he found dead bodies lying about everywhere4 ,they claim that abundance of food prevented him4 #bd4 ,on the contrary1 ,moses says that the raven which had been sent forth1 returned2 although he did not permit himself to be again imprisoned in the ark as the dove did4 ,moses implies that ,noah sent forth the raven to find out whether animals could1 by that time find dry land and food4 ,the raven1 however1 did not faithfully carry out his mission1 but rejoicing to be set free from his prison1 he flew to and fro1 and paying no attention to ,noah1 he enjoyed the free sky4 ,the swinish ,jews1 however1 show the impurity of their minds everywhere4 ,for they suppose that the raven had fears concerning his mate1 and that he even suspected ,noah concerning her4 ,shame upon those impure minds6 ,vs4 #h-i4 ,and he sent forth a dove from him1 to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground2 but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot1 and she returned unto him to the ark2 for the waters were on the face of the whole earth3 and he put forth his hand1 and took her1 and brought her unto him into the ark4 #be4 ,when ,noah's hopes had been set at naught by the raven1 which flew about wantonly but brought no tidings concerning the condition of the earth1 he took a dove1 thinking that she would more truly perform the mission4 ,the text almost authorizes us to say that those two birds were sent forth at the same time1 so that ,noah might have two witnesses from whom to gain desired knowledge4 ,the raven enjoying the free sky1 flew round about the ark1 but did not want to return into it4 ,the dove1 however1 fleeing from the corpses and corruption1 comes back and permits itself to be caught4 ,this story1 as we shall hear1 offers a fine allegory concerning the ,church4 ,vs4 #aj-ab4 ,and he stayed yet other seven days2 and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark2 and the dove came in to him at eventide2 and1 lo1 in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off3 so ,noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth4 ,and he stayed yet other seven days1 and sent forth the dove2 and she returned not again unto him any more4 #bf4 ,the dove1 being a faithful messenger1 is sent forth once more4 ,moses carefully describes how the waters decreased gradually1 until at last the surface of the earth1 together with the trees1 was laid bare4 ,we do not believe that the dove brought the olive leaf intentionally1 but by the command of ,god1 who wanted to show ,noah1 little by little1 that he had not altogether forgotten but remembered him4 ,this olive leaf was an impressive sign to ,noah and his fellow-prisoners in the ark1 bringing them courage and hope of impending liberation4 #bg4 ,the ,jews dispute sharply in respect to this matter of where the dove found the olive leaf1 and some1 in order to secure special glory for their homeland1 make the ludicrous assertion that she took it from the ,mount of ,olives in the land of ,israel1 which ,god had spared from the flood that destroyed the remainder of the earth4 ,but the saner ,jews rightly refute this nonsense by arguing that if this were true1 the olive leaf could not have been a sign for ,noah that the waters had fallen4 ,others have invented the fable that the dove was admitted to paradise and brought the leaf from there4 #bh4 ,but ,i have 7ch #b1 para #ci-db7 set forth at length my views concerning paradise1 and this nonsense is not worthy the effort of a refutation4 ,it serves a better purpose to remind you that all these things happened miraculously and supernaturally4 ,a dove is not so intelligent as to pluck a bough and bring it to the ark in order that ,noah might form a judgment with reference to the decrease of waters4 ,god ordained these events4 ,other trees had leaves at that time1 particularly the taller ones which rose sooner from the waters4 ,the olive tree is comparatively short1 hence it was calculated to furnish information concerning the decrease of the waters and to serve as an object lesson of the cessation of the wrath of ,god and the return of the earth to its former state4 ,of this he had more certain proof however1 when the dove1 having been sent out the third time1 did not return3 for not only did it find food on earth1 but was able to build nests and to flit to and fro4 ,vs4 #ac-ad4 ,and it came to pass in the six hundred and first year1 in the first month1 the first day of the month1 the waters were dried up from off the earth3 and ,noah removed the covering of the ark1 and looked1 and1 behold1 the face of the ground was dried4 ,and in the second month1 on the seven and twentieth day of the month1 was the earth dry4 #bi4 ,here we see that ,noah was in the ark an entire year and ten days2 for he entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month1 and came out again1 after a year had passed1 in the same month1 but on the twenty-seventh day4 ,poor ,noah1 with his sons and the women1 lived in the ark more than half a year in sore grief1 without a sign of being remembered by ,god4 ,afterward ,god gave him gradual proof1 through various signs1 that he had not forgotten him1 until at last1 after the lapse of a year and ten days1 he was again given dominion over the earth and sea4 ,on this day of the second month1 the flood had not only disappeared1 but the earth was dry4 ,this is the story of the flood and its abatement4 ,after this fearful wrath1 there ensues an immeasurable light of grace1 as is shown in the following sermon addressed to ,noah by ,god himself4 ,,ii4 ,,noah ,,commanded ,,to ,,leave ,,the ,,ark2 ,,his ,,offering ,,to ,,god2 ,,god',s ,,resolve ,,not ,,to ,,curse ,,the ,,earth ,,again4 ,a4 ,,noah ,,commanded ,,to ,,leave ,,the ,,ark1 ,,and ,,he ,,obeyed #cj-cb4 99 ,man should do nothing but what ,god commands #cj-cb4 99 ,is it right to start a new worship without ,god's command to do so #cc-cd4 99 ,the examples of saints and special works4 #a4 ,should we imitate the works of the holy patriarchs #cd-ce4 #b4 ,the result among the ,jews of a reckless imitation of the saints #cf4 #c4 ,should have regard here1 not to works but to faith #cg-ch4 ,,ii4 ,,noah ,,leaves ,,ark1 ,,his ,,sacrifice ,,and ,,god',s ,,promise4 ,a4 ,noah ,obeys ,command to ,leave the ,ark4 ,vs4 #ae-ag4 ,and ,god spake unto ,noah1 saying1 ,go forth from the ark1 thou1 and thy wife1 and thy sons1 and thy sons' wives with thee4 ,bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh1 both birds1 and cattle1 and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth2 that they may breed abundantly in the earth4 #cj4 ,up to this point the narrative is only a record of facts1 or the description of a divine work4 ,though the works of ,god are not mute but eloquent witnesses1 and present to our vision the will of ,god1 a still greater comfort is vouchsafed when ,god links to the works the ,word1 which is not manifest to the eye but perceptible to the ear and intelligible to the heart through the promptings of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,so far ,god had given proof by his work that he was appeased1 that the ,god of wrath had turned into a ,god of mercy1 who turns back the waters and dries up the earth4 ,such comfort he now amplifies by his ,word in that he lovingly accosts and enjoins him to leave the ark with the other creatures1 both men and animals4 #ca4 ,in the light of this passage the frequent and emphatic application of the principle is justified that we should neither design nor do anything1 especially in respect to ,god's service and worship1 without the initiative and command of the ,word4 ,as above narrated1 ,noah enters the ark upon ,god's command2 and he leaves the ark upon ,god's command to leave it4 ,he does not follow superstitious notions1 as we see the ,jews do1 who1 when they establish anything temporary by command1 endeavor to retain it forever1 as if it were essential to salvation4 #cb4 ,noah might have argued thus3 ,behold1 ,i built the ark by the command of ,god2 ,i was saved in it while all other men perished3 therefore ,i will remain in it1 or keep it for a place of divine worship1 since it has been sanctified by the ,word of ,god and the presence of the saints1 the ,church4 ,but the godly man did nothing of the kind4 ,the ,word had commanded him to go forth1 therefore he obeyed4 ,the ark had done its service during the flood and he left it1 assured that he and his children were to live on the earth4 ,so must we undertake nothing without the ,word of ,god4 ,in a holy calling1 which has the ,word and command of ,god1 let us walk6 ,for whosoever attempts anything without the command of ,god1 will labor in vain4 #cc4 ,to deny this1 some one might cite as example the act of ,noah1 described below1 when he built an altar without ,god's command1 and offered a burnt-offering thereon to ,god from the clean animals4 ,if this was permitted to ,noah1 why should we not be permitted to choose certain forms of worship8 ,and1 in truth1 the ,papacy has heaped up works and forms of worship in the ,church without measure1 just as it pleased4 ,but we must hold fast to the principle1 which is a theorem of general application1 that whatsoever is not of faith1 is sin1 7,rom #ad1 #bc74 ,but faith cannot be separated from the ,word2 hence1 whatsoever is done without the ,word1 is sin4 #cd4 ,furthermore1 it is plainly dangerous to take the acts of the fathers as models4 ,as individuals differ1 so also do their duties differ1 and ,god requires diverse works according to the diversity of our calling4 ,accordingly the epistle to the ,hebrews fitly refers the various acts of the fathers to the one faith1 in order to show that each of us must imitate1 in his calling1 not the works1 but the faith of the fathers4 ,heb #aa4 #ce4 ,hence works peculiar to the holy fathers must by no means be considered as models for us each to imitate as the monks imitate the fasting of ,benedict1 the gown of ,francis1 the shoes of ,dominic and the like4 ,men become apes who imitate without judgment4 ,the monks try to ape the works1 but know nothing of the faith of the fathers4 #cf4 ,abraham was commanded to slay his son4 ,afterward his descendants most wickedly believed they should follow his example1 and they filled the earth with innocent blood4 ,in a similar manner the people worshiped the brazen serpent and offered sacrifices before it4 ,in both instances the people wanted to justify themselves by the example of their forefathers2 but since they established these forms of worship without the ,word1 they were righteously condemned4 #cg4 ,let us1 therefore1 remember not to establish anything without the ,word of ,god4 ,duties differ1 and so must the works of individuals4 ,how foolish it would be for me to proclaim that ,i must follow ,caesar's example1 and that others must obey my laws6 ,how wicked it would be for me to assert that ,i must follow the example of a judge1 condemning some to the cross1 others to the sword6 ,then1 we must look1 not upon the works1 but upon the faith of individuals2 for the faith of all saints is one1 though their works are most diverse4 #ch4 ,think not that because ,noah built an altar1 you may do likewise2 but follow the faith of ,noah1 who thought it right to show his merciful ,savior that he understood his beneficent gifts1 and was grateful for them4 ,follow ,abraham1 not in slaying your son1 but in believing the promises of ,god1 and in obeying his commandments4 ,the epistle to the ,hebrews fitly refers the deeds and acts of the fathers to their faith1 setting forth that we should follow their faith4 ,b4 ,,noah',s ,,sacrifice4 #a4 ,whether ,noah was commanded to offer a sacrifice and in what way sacrificing is justified #ci-da4 99 ,have monks divine command to support their order #dj4 99 ,shall we find fault with the works of saints1 for which they apparently had no command #da4 99 ,how in all works we should have respect for ,god's command #db4 99 ,lyra's unfounded thoughts on the words1 ,be fruitful etc4 #dc4 99 ,why ,moses said so much about their leaving the ark #dd4 #b4 ,noah's sacrifice proves ,moses did not originate the idea of sacrifice #de-df4 #c4 ,why ,noah's sacrifice was pleasing to ,god #dg-dh4 99 ,the meaning of sweet savor #dg-dh4 #d4 ,how it can be said ,god smelled the sweet savor1 and why this form of speech used #di-ej4 ,b4 ,,noah',s ,,sacrifice4 #ci4 ,the objection under consideration can be invalidated by the rejoinder that ,noah did have a command to erect an altar and offer sacrifices4 ,god approved the rite of sacrifice by ordering that more of the clean animals--suitable for sacrifice--should be taken into the ark4 ,nor was ,noah permitted to cast aside the office of the priesthood1 which had been established by the ,word before the flood and had come down to him by the right of primogeniture4 ,adam1 ,seth1 ,enoch and others had been priests4 ,from them ,noah possessed the office of the priesthood as an inheritance4 #dj4 ,therefore ,noah1 as priest and prophet1 was not only at liberty to offer sacrifice1 but he was under obligation to do so by virtue of his calling4 ,since his calling was founded on ,god's ,word1 in harmony with that ,word and by ,god's command he built an altar and offered sacrifices4 ,therefore let a monk prove it is his office and calling to wear a cowl1 to worship the blessed ,virgin1 to pray the rosary and do like things1 and we will commend his life4 ,but since the call is lacking1 the ,word is not the authority and the office does not exist1 the life and works of the monks in their entirety stand justly condemned4 #da4 ,finally1 even if all other arguments should fail1 this argument1 according to which man judges the cause by the effect1 remains2 namely1 that ,god expresses approval of ,noah's deed4 ,although such reasoning from effect to cause may not be unassailable1 it yet is not without value in respect to such heroic and uncommon men1 who meet not with rejection but approval on the part of ,god1 although they appear to do what they have not been expressly commanded4 ,they possess the inward conviction that they are guilty of no transgression1 though the disclosure of this fact is delayed until later ,god expresses his approval4 ,such examples are numerous and it is noteworthy that ,god has expressed approval even of the acts of some heathen4 #db4 ,let this maxim1 then1 stand1 that everything must be done by the command of ,god in order to obtain the assurance of conscience that we have acted in obedience to ,god4 ,hence they who abide in their divinely assigned calling1 will not run uncertainly nor will they beat the air as those who have no course in which they have been commanded to run1 and in consequence may not look forward to a prize4 #a ,cor #i1 #bd4 ,but ,i return to the text4 ,noah1 with his sons and the women1 is commanded to leave the ark1 and to lead forth upon the earth every species of animals1 that all his works may be sanctified and found in keeping with the ,word4 ,concerning the animals ,moses now expressly states3 ,vs4 #ag-ai4 ,be fruitful1 and multiply upon the earth4 ,and ,noah went forth1 and his sons1 and his wife1 and his sons' wives with him3 every beast1 every creeping thing1 and every bird1 whatsoever moveth upon the earth1 after their families1 went forth out of the ark4 #dc4 ,the ,lord speaks of the propagation of ,noah and his sons in the ninth chapter and that1 ,i believe1 is the reason why he speaks here only of the propagation of the animals4 ,from the expression here used1 ,lyra foolishly concludes that cohabitation had been forbidden during the flood and was now again permitted after the departure from the ark1 since ,god says1 ,go forth1 444 thou and thy wife4 ,such thoughts belong to monks not to ,god1 who plans not sinful lust1 but propagation2 the latter is ,god's ordination1 but lust is ,satan's poison infused into nature through sin4 #dd4 ,moses here uses many words to illustrate the overflowing joy of the captives' souls1 when they were commanded to leave their prison1 the ark1 and to return upon the earth now everywhere open before them4 ,in recounting the kinds of animals1 however1 he arranges them in a different order1 distinguishing them by families1 as it were1 to let us see that only propagation was ,god's aim4 ,it must have been a glad sight when each one of the many beasts1 after leaving the ark1 found its own mate1 and then sought its accustomed haunt3 the wolves1 the bears1 the lions1 returning to the woods and groves2 the sheep1 the goats1 the swine1 to the fields2 the dogs1 the chickens1 the cats1 to man4 ,v4 #bj4 ,and ,noah builded an altar unto ,jehovah1 and took of every clean beast1 and of every clean bird1 and offered burnt-offerings on the altar4 #de4 ,this text shows conclusively that ,moses was not the first person to introduce sacrifices but that1 like a bard who gathers chants1 he arranged and classified them as they had been in vogue among the fathers and transmitted from the one to the other4 ,thus also the law of circumcision was not first written by ,moses but received from the fathers4 #df4 ,above 7ch #d1 #d-e71 where ,moses mentioned the sacrifice of ,abel and ,cain1 he called it minchah1 an offering2 here1 however1 we find the first record of a burnt-offering1 one entirely consumed by fire4 ,this1 ,i say1 is a clear proof that the law of sacrifices had been established before the time of ,moses4 ,his work1 then1 consisted in arranging the rites of the forefathers in definite order4 ,v4 #ba4 ,and ,jehovah smelled the sweet savor4 #dg4 ,it is set forth here that ,jehovah approved ,noah's sacrifice which he offered by virtue of his office as a priest1 according to the example of the fathers4 ,however1 the differences of phraseology is to receive due attention4 ,of the former sacrifice he said that ,jehovah had respect to it2 here he says that ,jehovah smelled the sweet savor4 ,moses subsequently makes frequent use of this expression4 ,the heathen also adopted it2 ,lucian1 for example1 makes fun of ,jove who was conciliated by the odor of meats4 #dh4 ,the word in the original1 however1 does not properly signify the savor of sweetness1 but the savor of rest1 for nichoach meaning rest1 is derived from the verb nuach1 which ,moses used before1 when he said that the ark rested upon the mountains of ,ararat4 ,therefore it is the savor of rest1 because ,god then rested from his wrath1 dismissing his wrath1 becoming appeased1 and1 as we commonly say1 well content4 #di4 ,here the question might be raised why does he not say1 ,jehovah had respect to ,noah and his burnt offering1 rather than1 ,jehovah smelled the savor of rest1 which latter certainly sounds shocking1 as though he were not commending the man for his faith1 but merely for his work4 ,this objection is usually answered by saying that the ,scriptures speak of ,god in human fashion4 ,men are pleased by a sweet savor4 ,but it seems to me there is still another reason for this expression1 namely1 that ,god was so close at hand that he noticed the savor2 for ,moses desires to show that this holy rite was well-pleasing to ,god3 ,solomon says 7,prov #bg1 #i7 that perfume rejoiceth the heart4 ,physicians sometimes restore consciousness by sweet odors4 ,on the other hand1 a violent stench is extremely offensive to our nature1 and often overpowers it4 #ej4 ,in this sense1 one may say that ,god1 having been annoyed by the stench of wickedness1 was now refreshed1 so to speak1 when he saw this one priest girded himself to perform holy rites in order to give proof of his gratitude1 and to manifest by some public act he did not belong to the ungodly1 but that he had a ,god whom he feared4 ,this is the real meaning of a sacrifice4 ,as it had pleased ,god to destroy mankind1 he is now delighted to increase it4 ,moses uses this expression for our sake1 that we1 through the experience of ,god's grace1 may learn that ,god delights to do us good4 ,c4 ,,god',s ,,resolve ,,not ,,to ,,curse ,,the ,,earth ,,again4 #a4 ,god solemnly and earnestly means it #ea4 99 ,how understood it repented ,god that he had made man #eb-ed4 99 ,experiences in spiritual temptations and how ,god helps us to bear them #ed4 #b4 ,the meaning of ,god will not again smite the earth #ee4 ,c4 ,,god',s ,,resolve ,,not ,,to ,,curse ,,the ,,earth ,,again4 ,v4 #ba;b4 ,and ,jehovah said in his heart4 #ea4 ,moses points out that these words were not spoken by ,god without heart and feeling1 but from his very vitals4 ,this is the meaning of the ,hebrew text which has it that ,god spoke to his own heart4 ,v4 #ba;c4 ,i will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake4 #eb4 ,god speaks as if he were sorry for the punishment inflicted upon the earth on account of man1 just as formerly he expressed regret for his creation1 reproving himself1 as it were1 for his fury against man4 ,this must not1 of course1 be understood as implying that ,god could possibly change his mind2 it is written only for our consolation4 ,he accuses and blames himself in order to rouse the little flock to the certain faith that ,god will be merciful hereafter4 #ec4 ,and their souls stood in real need of such consolation4 ,they had been terrified as they witnessed ,god's raging wrath1 and their faith could not but be shaken4 ,so now ,god is impelled to so order his acts and words that these people might expect only grace and mercy4 ,accordingly he now speaks with them1 is present at their sacrifice1 shows that he is pleased with them1 blames his own counsel1 and promises that he will never do anything like it in the future4 ,in brief1 he is a different ,god from what he had been before4 ,while ,god1 indeed1 does not change1 he wants to change men1 who have become altogether habituated to thoughts of wrath4 #ed4 ,they who have experienced trials of the spirit1 know full well how much the soul then stands in need of sure and strong consolation to induce it once more to hope for grace and to forget the wrath4 ,one day1 a whole month1 perhaps is not enough for this change4 ,just as it takes a long time to recover from bodily disorders1 so such wounds of the soul cannot be healed at once1 or by one word4 ,god sees this1 and tries by various means to recall the terrified souls to a certain hope of grace2 he even chides himself1 speaking to his own heart1 as in ,jeremiah #ah1 #h1 where he promises to repent of the evil he thought of doing1 if the offenders also repent4 #ee4 ,it should furthermore be noted that he says1 ,i will not again curse the ground4 ,he speaks of a general destruction of the earth1 not of a partial one1 as when he destroys fields1 cities1 or kingdoms4 ,the latter instances are for a warning2 as ,mary says1 ,he hath put down princes from their thrones4 ,lk #a1 #eb4 ,,iii4 ,,man',s ,,natural ,,depravity ,,and ,,his ,,natural ,,powers4 #a4 ,natural depravity crops out in infancy #ef4 #b4 ,it is seen as the years advance #eg-eh4 #c4 ,whether those who would drown it have reason for doing so #ei-fj4 #d4 ,there is none untainted by it #fa-fb4 #e4 ,the godless yield to it1 believers resist it #fb4 99 ,can ,god be charged with being changeable #fc-fd4 #f4 ,the knowledge of natural depravity is very necessary #fe4 #g4 ,what moves sophists to ignore natural depravity #fe-ff4 #h4 ,how to view those who lightly regard natural depravity1 and how to refute them #fh-fi4 99 ,meaning of the imagination of the heart #gj4 99 ,true theological definition of man #ga4 #i4 ,the proof of natural depravity and that the natural is not perfect #gb-gc4 #aj4 ,consequence of false teaching on natural depravity and the natural #gd-ge4 99 ,what sophists understand by ,merito congrui and condigni #gd4 #aa4 ,how ,scotus tried to prove that man's natural powers were all he had1 and how to refute his opinion #ge-gf4 99 ,value of the ,scholastics and their theology #gg4 #ab4 ,how teachers in these things lead astray #gh4 99 ,the virtues of the heathen4 a4 ,estimate of them #gi-hj4 b4 ,how they differ from the good works of the saints #ha4 c4 ,what they lack #hb-hc4 #ac4 ,natural depravity may sleep in youth1 but it will awake as the years advance #hd-hf4 #ad4 ,those who ignore natural depravity may be refuted by experience #hg4 #ae4 ,philosophy manifests its vanity and blindness in its attitude to this doctrine #hh-hi4 #af4 ,experience confirms natural depravity #hi-ij4 #ag4 ,whether natural depravity can be completely eradicated3 how to check it #ia4 99 ,how to understand ,god will not smite the earth again #ib4 99 ,nature thrown into great disorder by the deluge #ic4 99 ,seasons of the year again put in their order #id4 99 ,the people's talk about the signs of the last times #ie4 99 ,the days of earth to be followed by the days of heaven1 and we should prepare for them #if4 ,,iii4 ,,man',s ,,natural ,,depravity ,,and ,,his ,,natural ,,powers4 ,v4 #ba;d4 ,for that the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth4 #ef4 ,this is a powerful passage1 relating to original sin4 ,whoever weakens its force1 goes straying like the blind man in the sunlight1 failing to see his own acts and experiences4 ,look at the days of our swaddling clothes2 in how many ways sin manifests itself in our earlier years4 ,what an amount of switching it requires until we are taught order1 as it were1 and attention to duty6 #eg4 ,then youth succeeds4 ,there a stronger rebellion becomes noticeable1 and in addition that untamable evil1 the rage of lust and desire4 ,if one take a wife1 the result is weariness of his own and a passion for others4 ,if the government of a ,state is entrusted to him1 an exceptionally fruitful harvest of vice will follow--as jealousy1 rivalry1 haughtiness1 hope of gain1 avarice1 wrath1 anger1 and other evils4 #eh4 ,it is true1 as the ,german proverb has it1 that sins grow with the years3 ,je laenger1 je aerger2 je aelter1 je kaerger 7worse with time1 stingier with age74 ,all such vices are so blatant and gross as to become objects of observation and intelligence4 ,what1 then shall we say of the inward vices when unbelief1 presumption1 neglect of the ,word1 and wicked views grow up8 #ei4 ,there are those who are and desire to be considered powerful theologians1 though they extenuate original sin by sophistry4 ,but vices so numerous and great cannot be extenuated4 ,original sin is not a slight disorder or infirmity1 but complete lawlessness1 the like of which is not found in other creatures1 except in evil spirits4 #fj4 ,but do those extenuators have any ,scriptural proof to rest upon8 ,let us see what ,moses says4 ,as ,i pointed out in explaining the sixth chapter1 he does not call such things evil1 as lust1 tyranny1 and other sins1 but the imagination of the human heart2 that is1 human energy1 wisdom and reason1 with all the faculties the mind employs even in our best works4 ,although we do not condemn acts which belong to the social or civil sphere1 yet the human heart vitiates these works in themselves proper1 by doing them for glory1 for profit1 or for oppression1 and either from opposition to the neighbor or to ,god4 #fa4 ,nor can we escape the force of this passage by saying that those are meant who perished by the flood4 ,god uses a generic term which denotes that the heart of man1 as such1 is meant4 ,at the time this was spoken there were no other people than those saved in the ark1 and yet the declaration is3 the imagination of man's heart is evil4 #fb4 ,therefore1 not even the saints are excepted4 ,in ,ham1 the third son1 this imagination of the heart betrayed its nature4 ,and the other brothers were no better by nature4 ,there was only this difference1 that they1 believing in the promised seed1 retained the hope of forgiveness of sin1 and did not give way to the evil imagination of their hearts1 rather resisting it through the ,holy ,spirit1 who is given for the very purpose of contending against1 and overcoming1 the malignity of man's nature4 ,because ,ham gives way to his nature1 he is wholly evil1 and totally perishes4 ,shem and ,japheth1 who contend against it in their spirit1 though being evil1 are not altogether so4 ,they have the ,holy ,spirit1 through whom they contend against the evil1 and hence are holy4 #fc4 ,it would seem here that ,god might be accused of fickleness4 ,before1 when he was about to punish man1 he assigned as a reason for his purpose the fact that the imagination of man's heart is evil2 here1 when he is about to give unto man the gracious promise that he will not thereafter show such anger1 he puts forward the same reason4 ,to human wisdom this appears foolish and inconsistent with divine wisdom4 #fd4 ,but ,i gladly pass by such sublime themes1 and leave them to minds possessed of leisure4 ,for me it is enough that these works are spoken to suit our spiritual condition1 inasmuch as ,god points out that he is now appeased and no longer angry4 ,so parents1 having chastised their disobedient children as they deserve1 win again their affections by kindness4 ,this change of mood is not deserving of criticism but rather of commendation4 ,it profits the children2 otherwise they1 while fearing the rod1 might also begin to hate their parents4 ,this explanation is good enough for me1 for it appeals to our faith4 ,others may explain differently4 #fe4 ,we should give diligent attention to this passage because it plainly shows that man's nature is corrupt1 a truth above all others to be apprehended1 because without it ,god's mercy and grace cannot be rightly understood4 ,hence1 the quibblers previously mentioned are to be despised and we have good reason to take to task the translator who gave occasion for this error by rendering the words so as to say1 not that the imagination of man's heart is evil1 but that it is inclined to evil4 ,upon this authority the quibblers distort or set aside those passages of ,paul where he says that all are children of wrath 7,eph #b1 #c7 that all have sinned 7,rom #e1 #ab7 and are under sin 7,rom #c1 #i74 ,they argue from our passage as follows3 ,moses does not say that human nature is evil1 but that it is prone to evil2 this condition1 call it inclination or proclivity1 is under the control of free will1 nor does it force man toward the evil1 or 7to use their own words7 it imposes no constraint upon man4 #ff4 ,then they proceed to find a reason for this statement and declare that even after the fall of man1 there remains in him a good will and a right understanding4 ,for the natural powers1 say they1 are unimpaired1 not only in man but even in the devil4 ,and finally they so twist ,aristotle's teachings as to make him say that reason tends toward that which is best4 ,some traces of these views are found also in the writings of the ,church fathers4 ,using ,psalms #d1 #f as a basis1 where the prophet says1 ,jehovah1 lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us1 they distinguish between a higher part of reason which inquires concerning ,god1 and a lower part employed in temporal and civil affairs4 ,even ,augustine is pleased with this distinction1 as we stated above when discussing the fall of man4 #fg4 ,but if only a spark of the knowledge of ,god had remained unimpaired in man1 we should be different beings by far from what we now are4 ,hence1 those quibblers who pick flaws in the plain statements of ,paul are infinitely blind4 ,if they would carefully and devoutly consider that very passage as they read it in their ,latin ,bible1 they would certainly cease to father so bad a cause4 ,for it is not an insignificant truth which ,moses utters when he says the senses and the thoughts of the heart of man are prone to evil from his youth4 ,this is the case especially in the sixth chapter 7vs #e7 where he says that the whole thought of his heart was bent on evil continually1 meaning thereby that he purposes what is evil1 and that in inclination1 purpose and effort he inclines to evil4 ,for example2 an adulterer1 whose desires are inflamed1 may lack the opportunity1 the place1 the person1 the time1 and nevertheless be stirred by the fire of lust1 unable to dwell upon anything else4 ,in this manner1 says ,moses1 does human nature always incline toward evil4 ,can1 then1 the natural powers of man be said to have remained unimpaired1 seeing that man's thoughts are always set upon evil things8 #fh4 ,if the minds of the sophists were as open toward the holy doctrine contained in the prophetical and apostolical writings as toward their own teachers who teach the freedom of the will and the merit of works1 they surely would not have permitted themselves by so small an inducement as one little word to be led away from the truth so as to teach1 contrary to ,scripture1 that man's natural powers are uninjured1 and that man1 by nature1 is not under wrath or condemnation4 ,notwithstanding1 it appears that they turn against their own absurdity4 ,although the natural powers of man are uninjured1 yet they maintain that1 to become acceptable1 grace is required2 in other words1 they teach that ,god is not satisfied with man's natural goodness1 unless it be improved by love4 #fi4 ,but what is the need to argue longer against the madness of the sophists1 since we know the true meaning of the ,hebrew text to be1 not that man's mind and thoughts are inclined to evil1 but that the imagination of the human heart is evil from youth8 #gj4 ,by imagination1 as ,i stated several times before 7ch #f1 para #adh71 he means reason itself1 together with the will and the understanding1 even when it dwells upon ,god1 or occupies itself with most honorable pursuits1 be they those of ,state or ,home4 ,it is always contrary to ,god's law1 always in sin1 always under ,god's wrath1 and it cannot be freed from this evil state by its own strength1 as witness ,christ's words3 ,if therefore the ,son shall make you free1 ye shall be free indeed1 ,jn #h1 #cf4 #ga4 ,if you wish a definition of the word man take it from this text teaching that he is a rational being1 with a heart given to imagination4 ,but what does he imagine8 ,moses answers1 ,evil2 that is1 evil against ,god or ,god's ,law1 and against his fellow man4 ,thus holy ,scriptures ascribe to man a reason that is not idle but always imagines something4 ,this imagination it calls evil1 wicked1 sacrilegious1 while the philosophers call it good1 and the quibblers say that the natural gifts are unimpaired4 #gb4 ,therefore this text should be carefully noted and urged against the caviling quibblers3 ,moses declares the imagination of the human heart to be evil4 ,and if it be evil1 the conclusion is natural that the natural gifts are not unimpaired1 but corrupted3 ,inasmuch as ,god did not create man evil1 but perfect1 sound1 holy1 knowing ,god1 his reason right and his will toward ,god good4 #gc4 ,seeing we have clear testimony to the fact that man is evil and turned away from ,god1 who would be mad enough to say that the natural gifts in man remain unimpaired8 ,that would be practically saying that man's nature is unimpaired and good even now1 whereas we have overwhelming evidence in our knowledge and experience that it is debased to the utmost4 #gd4 ,from that wicked theory there have sprung many dangerous and some palpably wicked utterances1 for instance1 that when man does the best in his power1 ,god will unfailingly give his grace4 ,by such teaching they have driven man1 as by a trumpet1 to prayer1 fasting1 self-torture1 pilgrimages and similar performances4 ,thus the world was taught to believe that if men did the best that nature permitted1 they would earn grace1 if not the grace de merito1 at least that de congruo4 ,a meritum congrui 7title to reward based upon equity7 they attribute to a work which has been performed not against but in accordance to the divine law1 inasmuch as an evil work is subject not to a reward but a penalty4 ,the meritum condigni 7a title to reward based upon desert7 they attribute not to the work itself but to its quality as being performed in a state of grace4 #ge4 ,another saying of this kind is the declaration of ,scotus that man by mere natural powers may love ,god above all things4 ,this declaration is based upon the principle that the natural powers are unimpaired4 ,he argues as follows3 ,a man loves a woman1 who is a creature1 and he loves her so immoderately that he will imperil his very life for her sake4 ,similarly1 a merchant loves his wares1 and so eagerly that he will risk death a thousand times if only he can gain something4 ,if therefore1 the love of created things is so great1 though they rank far below ,god1 how much more will a man love ,god who is the highest good6 ,hence1 ,god can be loved with the natural powers alone4 #gf4 ,a fine argument1 indeed1 and worthy of a ,franciscan monk6 ,for he shows that1 though he is a great teacher1 he does not know what it means to love ,god4 ,nature is so corrupt that it can no longer know ,god unless it be enlightened by the ,word and ,spirit of ,god2 how then can it love ,god without the ,holy ,spirit8 ,for it is true that we have no desire for what we do not know4 ,therefore1 nature cannot love ,god whom it does not know1 but it loves an idol1 and a dream of its own heart4 ,furthermore1 it is so entirely fettered by the love of created things that even after it has learned to know ,god from his ,word1 it disregards him and despises his ,word4 ,of this the people of our own times are an example4 #gg4 ,such foolish and blasphemous deliverances are certain proof that scholastic theology has degenerated into a species of philosophy that has no knowledge of ,god1 and walks in darkness because it disregards his ,word4 ,also ,aristotle and ,cicero1 who have the greatest influence with this tribe1 give broad instructions concerning moral excellences4 ,they magnify these exceedingly as social forces since they recognize them as useful for private and public ends4 ,in nowise1 however1 do they teach that ,god's will and command is to be regarded far more than private or public advantage 7and those who do not possess the ,word are ignorant of the will of ,god74 ,quite plainly the scholastics have fallen victims to philosophical fancies to such an extent as to retain true knowledge neither of themselves nor of ,god4 ,this is the cause of their lapse into such disastrous errors4 #gh4 ,and1 indeed1 it is easy to fall after you have departed from the ,word2 for the glitter of civil virtues is wonderfully enticing to the mind4 ,erasmus makes of ,socrates almost a perfect ,christian1 and ,augustine has unbounded praise for ,marcus ,attilius ,regulus1 because he kept faith with his enemy4 ,truthfulness indeed is the most beautiful of all virtues1 and in this case another high commendation is added in that there was combined with it love of country1 which in itself is a peculiar and most praiseworthy virtue4 #gi4 ,you may find men of renown not famous for truthfulness4 ,themistocles1 for instance1 did not have this virtue though he was a heroic man and did his country great service4 ,that is the reason why ,augustine admires ,attilius1 finding his reason and will to be utterly righteous1 that is as far as it is possible for human nature to be4 ,where1 then1 is vice in this case8 ,where is wickedness8 ,the hero's work surely cannot be censured4 #hj4 ,first1 ,regulus knew not ,god1 and1 although his conduct was right1 it is still to be seen whether a theologian should not censure his motive4 ,for to his zeal in behalf of his country is added the thirst for glory4 ,he evinces contempt for his life so as to achieve immortal glory among those to live after him4 ,contemplating1 therefore1 merely his life's dream1 as it were1 and the outward mask1 it is a most beautiful deed4 ,but before ,god it is shameful idolatry2 because he claims for himself the glory of his deed4 ,and who would doubt that he had other failings besides this thirst for glory8 ,attilius cannot claim the great virtues of truthfulness and love of country without tending violently and insanely toward wickedness4 ,for it is wicked for him to rob ,god of the glory and to claim it for himself4 ,but human reason cannot recognize this spoliation of the ,deity4 #ha4 ,a distinction must be made between the virtues of the heathen and the virtues of ,christians4 ,it is true that in both instances hearts are divinely prompted1 but in the former ambition and love of glory afterward defile the divine impulse4 #hb4 ,if now1 an orator should come forth1 who would dilate upon the efficient cause1 but disguise the ultimate and vicious one1 would it not be apparent to every one that with the two most potent causes1 the formal 7that which gives moral value to an act7 and the ultimate one1 disguised1 an eloquent man could extol such a wretched shadow of a virtue8 ,but a man apt in logic will readily discover the deception2 he will observe the absence of the formal cause1 namely the right principle1 there being no true knowledge of ,god nor of the proper attitude toward him4 ,he sees1 furthermore1 that the final cause is vicious1 because the true end and aim1 obedience to ,god and love of neighbor1 is not taken into consideration4 ,but what kind of virtue is that where nearly every cause is lacking except the natural cause1 which is a passion1 an impetus or impulse1 by which the soul is moved to show loyalty to an enemy8 ,these impulses1 as ,i said1 are found also in the ungodly4 ,if exercised for the good of the country1 they become virtues2 if for its injury1 they become vices4 ,this ,aristotle sets forth very skillfully4 #hc4 ,i refer to these things that students of sacred literature may make special note of this passage1 which advisedly declares human nature to be corrupt4 ,for those make-believe virtues1 found among the heathen1 seem to prove the contrary--that some part of nature has remained as it was originally4 ,hence there is need of careful judgment in order to distinguish in this matter4 #hd4 ,moses adds1 from his youth1 because this evil is concealed during the first period of life and sleeps1 as it were4 ,our early childhood so passes that reason and will are dormant and we are carried along by animal impulses1 which pass away like a dream4 ,hardly have we passed our fifth year when we affect idleness1 play1 unchastity1 and evil lust4 ,but we try to escape discipline1 we endeavor to get away from obedience1 and hate all virtues1 especially of a higher order as truth and justice4 ,then reason awakes out of a deep sleep1 as it were1 and sees certain kinds of pleasure1 but not yet the true ones1 and certain kinds of evils1 but not yet the most powerful ones1 by which it is held captive4 #he4 ,where1 then1 the understanding has attained to maturity1 not only the other vices are found to have grown strong1 but there are joined to them now sexual desire and unclean passion1 gluttony1 gambling1 strife1 rape1 murder1 theft1 and what not8 ,and as the parents had to apply the rod1 so now the government must needs use prison and chains in order to restrain man's evil nature4 #hf4 ,and who does not know the vices of a more advanced age8 ,they march along in unbroken file--love of money1 ambition1 pride1 perfidy1 envy1 and others4 ,these vices are so much the more harmful as at this age we are more crafty in concealing and masking them4 ,hence1 the sword of government is not sufficient in this respect2 there is need of hell fire for the punishment of crimes so manifold and great4 ,justly1 then1 did ,moses say above 7ch #f7 that the human heart1 or the imagination of the heart1 is only evil each day--or at all times--and here again1 that it is evil from youth4 #hg4 ,the ,latin version1 it is true1 makes use of a weaker term2 yet it says enough by stating that it is inclined toward evil1 just as the comic dramatist says that the minds of all men are inclined to turn from labor to lust1 ,ter ,andr #a1 #a1 #ea4 ,but those who try to misuse this expression for the purpose of making light of original sin1 are shown to be in the wrong by the common experience of mankind2 chiefly1 however1 that of the heathen1 or ungodly men4 ,for if spiritual men1 who surely enjoy divine help from heaven1 can hardly hold their ground against vices and be kept within the bounds of discipline1 what can any man do without this help8 ,if divine aid contends against the captivity of the law of the flesh only with fierce struggles 7,rom #g1 #bb-bc71 how insane is it to dream that1 without this divine help1 human nature can withstand corruption8 #hh4 ,hence reason of itself does not decide upon the right1 nor does the will1 of itself1 strive after the same1 as a blind philosophy declares which does not know whence these fearful impulses to sin arise in children1 youths1 and old men4 ,therefore it defends them1 calls them emotions or passions only1 and does not call them natural corruption4 #hi4 ,furthermore1 in noble men1 who check and control these impulses1 it calls them virtues2 in others who give the reins to their desires1 it calls them vices4 ,this is nothing less than ignorance of the fact that human nature is evil4 ,the ,scriptures1 on the contrary agree with our experience and declare that the human heart is evil from youth4 ,for we learn by experience that even holy men can scarcely stand firm2 yea that even they are often entangled by gross sins1 being overwhelmed by such natural corruptions4 #ij4 ,the term ne-urim denotes the age when man begins to use his reason2 this usually occurs in the sixth year4 ,similarly1 the term ne-arim is used to denote boys and youths who need the guidance of parents and teachers up to the age of manhood4 ,it will be profitable for each of us to glance backward to that period of life and consider how willingly we obeyed the commands of our parents and teachers1 how diligent we were in studying1 how persevering we were1 how often our parents punished our sauciness4 ,who can say for himself that he was not much more pleased to go out for a walk1 to play games1 and to gossip1 than to go to ,church in obedience to his parents8 #ia4 ,although these impulses can be corrected or bridled to a certain extent by discipline1 they cannot be rooted out of the heart altogether1 as the traces of these impulses show when we are grown4 ,there is truth in that unpolished lie3 ,the angelic youth becomes satanic in his older years4 ,god1 indeed1 causes some persons to experience emotions which are naturally good2 but they are induced by supernatural power4 ,thus ,cyrus was impelled to restore the worship of ,god1 and to preserve the ,church4 ,but such is not the tendency of human nature4 ,where ,god is present with his ,holy ,spirit1 there only1 the imagination of the human heart gives place to the thoughts of ,god4 ,god dwells there through the ,word and the ,spirit4 ,of such1 ,moses does not speak here1 but only of those who are without the ,holy ,spirit2 they are wicked1 even when at their best4 ,v4 #ba;e4 ,neither will ,i again smite any more everything living1 as ,i have done4 #ib4 ,moses clearly speaks of a general destruction1 like that which was caused by the flood4 ,from this it does not follow that ,god will also abstain from partial destruction1 and that he will take no heed of anybody's sin4 ,there will also be an exception in the case of the last day1 when not only all living things will be smitten1 but all creation will be destroyed by fire4 ,v4 #bb4 ,while the earth reigneth1 seedtime and harvest1 and cold and heat1 and summer and winter1 and day and night shall not cease4 #ic4 ,following this text1 the ,jews divide the year into six parts1 each comprising two months1 a fact which ,lyra also records in this connection4 ,but it seems to me that ,moses simply speaks of the promise that we need not fear another general flood4 ,during the time of the flood such confusion reigned that there was no season1 either of seedtime or harvest1 and by reason of the great darkness caused by the clouds and the rain1 day could not readily be distinguished from night4 ,we know how heavy clouds obscure the light4 ,how much greater1 then1 was the darkness when the waters1 lying under the clouds like a mirror1 reflected the darkness of the clouds into the faces and eyes of the beholders6 #id4 ,the meaning1 accordingly1 is simply that ,god here promises ,noah the imminent restoration of the earth1 so that the fields might again be sowed2 that the desolation caused by the flood should be no more2 that the seasons might run their course in accordance with regular law3 harvest following seedtime1 winter following summer1 cold following heat in due order4 #ie4 ,this text should be carefully remembered in view of the common notions concerning the signs before the last day4 ,then1 some declare1 there will be eclipses of ,i know not how many days duration4 ,they say foolishly that for seven years not a single woman will bring forth a child1 and the like4 ,but this text declares that neither day nor night1 neither summer nor winter1 shall cease2 therefore these natural changes will go on1 and there will never be an eclipse which will rob human eyes of an entire day4 #if4 ,nor is it a phrase devoid of meaning when he says1 ,while the earth remaineth1 for he gives us to understand that the days of this earth shall sometime be numbered1 and other days1 days of heaven1 shall follow4 ,as long1 therefore1 as the days of the earth endure1 so long shall the earth abide1 and with it the rotation of seasons4 ,but when these days of the earth shall pass1 then all these things shall cease1 and there shall follow days of heaven1 that is1 eternal days4 ,there shall be one ,sabbath after the other1 when we shall not be engrossed with bodily labor for the purpose of gaining a livelihood2 for we shall be as the angels of ,god1 ,mk #ab1 #be4 ,our life will be to know ,god1 to delight in ,god's wisdom and to enjoy the presence of ,god4 ,this life we attain through faith in ,christ1 in which the eternal ,father may mercifully keep us1 through the merit of his son1 our ,savior1 ,jesus ,christ1 by the ruling and guidance of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,amen4 ,amen4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,i4 ,,god ,,blesses ,,noah ,,and ,,the ,,race4 ,a4 ,,marriage ,,state ,,blessed #a-e4 #a4 ,why this blessing necessary #a4 #b4 ,wedlock established twice #b4 #c4 ,evidence of ,god's love to the human race #c4 #d4 ,did this blessing pertain to ,noah #d4 99 ,bearing of children a special blessing of ,god unknown to the heathen #e4 ,i4 ,,god ,,blesses ,,noah ,,and ,,the ,,race4 ,a4 ,marriage ,state ,blessed4 ,v4 #a4 ,and ,god blessed ,noah and his sons1 and said unto them1 ,be fruitful1 and multiply1 and replenish the earth4 #a4 ,this consolation was indeed needed after the whole human race had been destroyed by the flood and only eight souls were saved4 ,now ,noah knew that ,god was truly merciful1 since1 not content with that first blessing which he had bestowed upon mankind in the creation of the world1 he added this new blessing1 that ,noah might have no misgivings whatever in regard to the future increase of his posterity4 ,and the joy brought by this promise was all the greater for ,god's emphatic promise on a previous occasion1 that he would never again visit mankind with such severe punishment4 #b4 ,in the first place1 then1 this chapter renews the establishment of marriage4 ,god1 by his ,word and command1 joins male and female for the purpose of repopulating the earth4 ,inasmuch as ,god had been roused to anger before the flood by the sin of lust1 it was now needful1 by reason of that fearful proof of wrath1 to show that ,god does not abhor the lawful cohabitation of man and woman1 but that it is his will to increase mankind by this means4 #c4 ,the fact that ,god had expressed it as his will that the human race should be propagated through a union between man and woman1 an end which could have been attained from stones had he failed to approve such union as lawful1 after the manner of ,deucalion of whom the poets fable--this fact tended to furnish ,noah sure evidence that ,god loved man1 and desired his welfare1 and that now all anger was at an end4 ,therefore this passage illustrates the dignity of wedlock1 which is the foundation of the family and ,state1 and the nursery of the ,church4 #d4 ,the objection is here raised that ,noah had already reached an age no longer fit for procreation in view of the fact that the ,bible records no instance of children being born to him afterwards1 and therefore this promise was valueless4 ,to this ,i reply that this promise was given1 not to ,noah alone1 but also to his sons1 even to all mankind2 so that the expectation of offspring was entertained even by the grandsire ,noah4 #e4 ,this passage1 furthermore1 tends to convince us that children are a gift of ,god and a result of his blessing1 as is shown in ,psalms #abg1 #c4 ,the heathen1 who know nothing of ,god's ,word1 ascribe the increase of mankind partly to nature and partly to chance1 in view of the fact that those who are evidently most fit for procreation often remain without offspring4 ,hence1 they do not thank ,god for this gift1 nor do they receive their children as a blessing from ,god4 ,b4 ,,man',s ,,use ,,of ,,and ,,dominion ,,over ,,animals #f-ca4 #a4 ,whether animals feared man before the flood #f-g4 #b4 ,relation between this use and dominion and of what they give evidence #g-i4 #c4 ,this use and rule a special blessing of ,god #h-aj4 99 ,whether the custom of slaying cattle dates from the beginning of the world #aj-aa4 #d4 ,whether ,adam knew of this use and dominion #ab4 #e4 ,this use of animals is evidence of ,god's love to the human race #ac4 99 ,god's blessings greater than his wrath #ac4 #f4 ,whether this use extends to unclean animals #ad-ae4 #g4 ,how man's fear of animals and their wildness and cruelty can exist with this dominion #af-ah4 99 ,new sins accompanied by new punishments #ai-bj4 99 ,sodom before and after its destruction #ba4 99 ,god's punishment of ,wittenberg1 ,bruges and ,venice1 and the cause #bb-bc4 99 ,god's command not to eat blood4 a4 ,why given #bd4 b4 ,how to treat this text1 which contains ,god's ,word #be4 99 ,meaning of ,nephesch and ,basar #bf4 c4 ,right understanding of the command #bg4 99 ,the words1 ,surely your blood will ,i require etc4 a4 ,lyra's and the ,rabbis' explanation1 #bh-bi4 b4 ,their true meaning #cj-ca4 ,b4 ,,man',s ,,use ,,of ,,and ,,dominion ,,over ,,animals4 ,v4 #b4 ,and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth1 and upon every bird of the heavens2 with all wherewith the ground teemeth1 and all the fishes of the sea1 into your hand are they delivered4 #f4 ,it would seem that the dominion of man is here increased for his greater consolation4 ,for though after the creation man was given dominion over all animals1 yet we do not read that the beasts feared and fled from him according to the description of ,moses4 ,the reason is found in the fact that heretofore the animals were not destined to be man's food2 man had been a kind ruler of the beasts1 not a killer and eater4 #g4 ,here1 however1 they are subjected to man as a tyrant with unlimited power of life and death4 ,since the servitude of the beasts is increased and the power of man over them extended1 the animals are harassed by terror and fear of man4 ,we see even the tamed ones do not readily allow themselves to be handled2 they feel the mastery of man and have a constant instinct of danger4 ,i do not believe that such was the case before this ,word of ,god was spoken4 ,before that time1 men used suitable animals for their work and for sacrifice1 but not for food4 ,this increase of power also is a token of ,god's favor2 he confers a privilege unknown to the patriarchs1 as a token of his love and interest in man4 #h4 ,we must not undervalue this boon authority over the beasts2 for it is a special gift of ,god1 of which the heathen knew nothing1 because they lack the ,word4 ,we are the ones who derive the greatest benefit from this gift4 ,when this revelation was given to ,noah1 and such a privilege granted1 there was really no need of it4 ,a few men possessed the whole earth1 so that its fruits were to be enjoyed by them in abundance and it was not necessary to add the flesh of beasts4 ,but we today could not live altogether on the fruits of the earth2 it is a great boon to us that we are permitted to eat the flesh of beasts1 of birds and of fish4 #i4 ,this word1 therefore1 establishes the butcher's trade2 it puts hares1 chickens1 and geese upon the spit and fills our tables with all manner of dishes4 ,necessity makes men industrious4 ,not only do they hunt the animals of the forests1 but carefully fatten others at home for food4 ,god in this passage establishes himself a slaughterer1 as it were1 for by his word he consigns to slaughter and death those animals which are suitable for food1 as recompence to ,god-fearing ,noah for his tribulations during the flood4 ,for that reason would ,god feed ,noah with lavish hand4 #aj4 ,we must not think that this privilege was not divinely ordered4 ,the heathen believe that this custom of slaughtering animals always existed4 ,such things are established1 or rather permitted1 by the ,word of ,god2 beasts could not have been killed without sin if ,god had not expressly permitted it by his ,word4 ,it is a great liberty for man to slaughter all kinds of beasts fit for food and eat them without wrong-doing4 ,had but a single kind of beasts been reserved for food1 it would still have been a great boon2 how much more should we value this lavish blessing1 that all beasts suitable for sustenance are given into the power of man6 #aa4 ,the godless and the gentiles do not recognize this2 nor do the philosophers4 ,they believe that this privilege has always been man's4 ,as for us1 however1 we should have full light on the subject1 in order that our consciences may enjoy both rest and freedom in the use of what ,god has created and allowed1 there being absolutely no law against such food4 ,there can be no sin in their use1 though the wicked priests have criminally burdened the ,church on this subject4 #ab4 ,in this passage1 then1 the power of man is increased and the brute beasts are committed to him1 even unto death4 ,they fear man and flee him under the new order1 running counter to the experience of the past4 ,adam would have been averse to killing even a small bird for food4 ,but now1 since the promulgation of this ,word1 we know that1 as a special blessing1 ,god has furnished our kitchens with all kinds of meat4 ,later on he will also take care of the cellar by showing man how to cultivate the vine4 #ac4 ,these are sure proofs that ,god no longer hates man1 but favors him4 ,this story bears witness that1 as ,god's wrath1 once aroused1 is unbearable1 so his mercy is likewise endless and without measure when it again begins to glow4 ,but his mercy is the more abundantly exercised because it is the very nature of ,god1 while wrath really is foreign to ,god2 he takes it upon himself contrary to his nature and forced thereto by the wickedness of men4 ,v4 #c4 ,every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you2 as the green herb have ,i given you all4 #ad4 ,here a question arises4 ,in chapter #g1 #b1 ,moses showed the difference between clean and unclean beasts2 here1 however1 he speaks of all animals1 without any distinction4 ,did ,god1 then1 permit man to use also the unclean animals for food8 #ae4 ,the statement as such is general3 every moving thing that moveth upon the earth4 ,there are some who believe that men at the time of ,noah made no distinction between clean and unclean animals as regards food4 ,but ,i hold a different opinion4 ,for since such difference had been established before that time and was carefully observed in the ,law afterward1 ,i believe that men used only clean beasts for food2 that is1 such as were offered in sacrifice4 ,hence the general declaration must be understood with a modification3 ,everything that liveth and moveth1 of clean beasts1 is to be food for you4 ,for1 in general1 human nature loathes serpents1 wolves1 ravens1 mice1 and dormice1 though certain tribes may be found who relish even these animals4 ,the fear and terror of man is upon all beasts of the earth1 because he is allowed to kill them2 but it does not follow that man uses them all for food4 ,it is probable that ,noah ate clean beasts only2 and only clean beasts1 he knew1 were acceptable to ,jehovah in sacrifice4 #af4 ,but there is another thing hard to understand4 ,how can it be that the terror and fear of man is upon all animals when wolves1 lions1 bears1 wild boars1 and tigers devour men1 and are rather a terror to men8 ,so with the entire family of serpents1 from which we flee at a glance4 ,what shall we say here8 ,is the ,word of ,god untruthful8 ,i answer3 ,though we1 being aware of our danger1 flee from such beasts and are afraid of them1 yet they1 likewise1 fear man4 ,even the fiercest beasts become terrified and flee at the first sight of man2 but when they become enraged they overcome man by reason of their bodily strength4 #ag4 ,but1 you say1 why do they fear when they are stronger8 ,i answer3 ,they know that man is endowed with reason1 which is more powerful than any beast4 ,the skill of man masters even elephants1 lions1 and tigers4 ,whatever man's bodily strength is unable to do1 that he accomplishes by his skill and his reasoning powers4 ,how would it otherwise be possible for a boy of ten years to control an entire herd of cattle8 ,or for man to guide a horse1 an animal of singular fierceness and strength1 to go in whatever direction he desires1 now urging it forward and then compelling it to a more moderate gait8 ,all these things are done by man's skill1 not by his strength4 ,hence1 we do not lack clear proofs that the fear of man remains upon the beasts1 which harm man when they become enraged1 and for that reason are feared by him4 #ah4 ,i have no doubt1 however1 that at the time of ,noah and the patriarchs immediately succeeding1 this fear in the beasts was greater1 because righteousness then flourished and there was less of sin4 ,afterward1 when holiness of life declined and sin increased1 man began to lose this blessing1 and the wild beasts became a punishment for sin4 ,moses threatens in ,deut #cb1 #cd that ,god would send upon them the teeth of beasts4 ,how fearful1 also1 was the plague of the fiery serpents in the desert6 ,num #ba1 #f4 ,bears tore to pieces the lads who mocked the prophet1 #b ,kings #b1 #bd4 ,why did the beasts here lose their fear of man8 ,why did they rage against man8 ,was not sin the cause8 #ai4 ,therefore1 as stated before1 when new sins arise1 new punishments will also arise4 ,so we see that in our day disease and misfortunes heretofore rare become general1 like the ,english sweat1 the locusts which in the year #aedb devastated great stretches of land in ,poland and ,silesia1 and other examples4 #bj4 ,in like manner1 ,god promised seasons of seeding and of harvest1 of heat and cold1 and yet he does not so close his eyes to our sins that the seasons1 both of seeding and of harvest1 are not subject to climatic disturbances1 such as the fearful drouth of the year #aejd and the almost unending rains of the two following years4 ,considering the wickedness of our age1 why should we wonder that the blessing gives place to a curse1 so that the beasts1 which would fear us were we not wicked1 are now a terror unto us and harmful8 #ba4 ,the country of the ,sodomites was like a paradise2 but by reason of sin it was turned into a sea of asphalt2 and those who have seen that country tell us that most beautiful apples grow there1 but when they are cut open they are found to be filled with ashes and offensive odor4 ,the reason for this is that the ,sodomites did not acknowledge the gifts of ,god who blessed them1 but misused them according to their own will4 ,furthermore1 they blasphemed ,god1 and persecuted his saints1 being haughty by reason of those good gifts4 ,therefore the blessing was taken away1 and everything became curse-ridden4 ,this is the true explanation of the fact that1 though there are signs of terror in wild animals1 we are nevertheless afraid of them1 and they inflict harm upon us4 #bb4 ,i am quite certain that very wicked men once lived in this country of ours2 how could we otherwise explain the parched soil and barren sands8 ,names also show that the ,jews at one time peopled this country4 ,where bad people live1 there the land gradually grows bad by the curse of ,god4 #bc4 ,the city of ,bruges in ,flanders used to be a renowned port2 but from the time when they held ,king ,maximilian captive1 the sea retreated1 and the port ceased to exist4 ,of ,venice they say the same thing today4 ,nor is this very astonishing1 since to the numberless sins of rulers of the ,state1 defence of idol worship and persecution of the ,gospel was added4 ,v4 #d4 ,but flesh with the life thereof1 which is the blood thereof1 shall ye not eat4 #bd4 ,what we have heard so far1 referred to domestic matters2 now ,god adds a commandment pertaining to civil government4 ,since it was no more a sin to kill an ox or a sheep for food than it was to pluck a flower or an herb1 growing in the field1 there was some danger that men might misuse this ,god-given power over the beasts and go beyond it even to the shedding of human blood4 ,hence1 he now adds a new law1 that human blood must not be shed1 and at the same time he curtails the liberty of eating flesh2 he forbids them to eat flesh which has not first been drained of blood4 #be4 ,the ,hebrew text presents many difficulties1 and1 for this reason1 interpreters are at variance4 ,it is needless to recite all renderings of this verse4 ,i steadily follow the rule that the words must explain the things1 not the things the words4 ,hence1 ,i spend no time upon the ideas of those who explain the words according to their own inclinations1 making them serve the preconceived notions which they bring to their literature4 #bf4 ,let us first look at the meaning of the words4 ,rephesh properly denotes a body with a soul1 or a living animal1 such as the ox1 the sheep1 man1 etc4 ,it denotes not merely the body1 but a living body1 as when ,christ says3 ,i lay down my life for the sheep1 ,jn #aj1 #ae4 ,here the word life means nothing else than the life animating the body4 ,basar1 however1 means flesh1 which is a part of the material element1 and yet has its breath and its energy1 not from the body1 but from the soul4 ,for the flesh or the body1 of itself and without the soul1 is an inanimate thing1 like a log or a stone2 but when it is filled with the breath of the soul1 then its fluids and all bodily forces assume activity4 #bg4 ,god here forbids the eating of a body which still contains the stirring1 moving1 living soul1 as the hawk devours chickens1 and the wolf sheep1 without killing them1 but while still alive4 ,such cruelty is here forbidden by ,jehovah1 who sets bounds to the privilege of slaughtering1 lest it be done in so beastly a manner that living bodies or portions thereof be devoured4 ,the lawful manner of slaughtering is to be observed1 such as was followed at the altar and in religious rites1 where the beast1 having been slain without cruelty and duly cleansed from blood1 was finally offered to ,god4 ,i hold that the simple and true meaning of the text1 which is also given by some ,jewish teachers1 is that we must not eat raw flesh and members still palpitating1 as did the ,laestrygones and the ,cyclopes4 ,v4 #e4 ,and surely your blood1 the blood of your lives1 will ,i require2 at the hand of every beast will ,i require it3 and at the hand of man1 even at the hand of every man's brother1 will ,i require the life of man4 #bh4 ,here the ,hebrew text is even more difficult than in the foregoing verse4 ,lyra1 quoting the ,rabbins1 finds four kinds of manslaughter indicated here2 he divides the statement into two parts1 and finds a twofold explanation for each4 ,he understands the first part to mean those who lay murderous hands upon themselves4 ,if this is correct1 then this passage is a witness for immortality2 for how could ,god call to account a person who1 being dead1 no longer exists8 ,hence1 punishment of sin after this life could be indicated here4 ,but it seems to me that philology militates against this explanation4 ,though ,i do not lay claim to a perfect knowledge of the ,hebrew tongue1 yet ,i am certain that such a meaning is not here apparent4 #bi4 ,the second kind of murder1 he illustrates by the custom of throwing human beings before wild beasts1 as was done aforetime in the theatres1 truly a barbaric spectacle1 repulsive to all human feeling2 the third kind is murder at the instigation of another2 the fourth1 murder of a relative4 #cj4 ,this distinction would be quite satisfactory if it could be proven from the words of the text2 but it is a ,jewish invention born of their hatred of the ,roman laws4 ,it is much simpler to understand this passage as a general prohibition of murder1 according to the fifth commandment1 which says1 ,thou shalt not kill4 ,god desires not even a beast to be killed1 except for a sacred purpose or for the benefit of man4 ,much less does he permit taking the life of man1 except by divine authority1 as will be explained hereafter4 #ca4 ,in the first place1 then1 wilful and wicked slaughter is forbidden4 ,culture is opposed to the wanton killing of animals and to the eating of raw meat4 ,in the second place ,god forbids homicide of any description2 for if ,god will require the blood of a murdered human being from the beast that slew him1 how much more relentlessly will he require it at the hand of man8 ,thus this passage voices the sentiment of the fifth commandment1 that no one shall spill human blood4 ,,ii4 ,,law ,,concerning ,,man',s ,,slaughter2 ,,god',s ,,covenant ,,with ,,noah2 ,,the ,,rainbow #cb-fh4 ,a4 ,,law ,,concerning ,,slayers ,,of ,,life4 #a4 ,if it existed before the flood #cb4 #b4 ,relation of the flood to this law #cc4 #c4 ,this the source of all human laws #cd-cf4 #d4 ,when and how this law can be executed #ce4 99 ,why is it well to observe that government was instituted by ,god #cf-cg4 #e4 ,in what respect is it a great blessing from ,god #cg4 #f4 ,how is government a proof of ,god's love to man #ch4 #g4 ,why ,god gave this command1 and why he punishes man-slaughter #ci4 #h4 ,hereby a new police and a new order are instituted #dj4 99 ,verdict of philosophy and of reason on civil authority #da4 99 ,verdict of ,god's ,word #db4 #i4 ,this law applies to all men #dc4 #aj4 ,why ,god is such an enemy of man-slaughter1 and so earnestly forbids it #dd-de4 #aa4 ,the conclusion that ,god loves life #df4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,law ,,against ,,taking ,,life2 ,,god',s ,,covenant ,,with ,,noah2 ,,the ,,rainbow4 ,a4 ,the ,law ,against ,taking ,life4 ,v4 #f;a4 ,who sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed4 #cb4 ,here the carelessness of the ,latin translator deserves reproof2 for he omitted the very necessary expression by man4 ,the difference between the time before and that after the flood is thus brought out4 ,when ,cain had murdered his brother ,abel1 ,god revered human blood so highly that he threatened to visit sevenfold punishment upon anyone who should kill ,cain4 ,he would not have the slayer of man put to death even by due process of law2 and though ,adam punished the sin of his son severely by casting him out1 he did not dare to pronounce sentence of death upon him4 #cc4 ,but here ,jehovah establishes a new law1 requiring the murderer be put to death by man--a law unprecedented1 because heretofore ,god had reserved all judgment to himself4 ,when he saw that the world was growing worse and worse1 he finally enforced punishment against a wicked world by the flood4 ,here1 however1 ,god bestows a share of his authority upon man1 giving him the power of life and death1 that thus he may be the avenger of bloodshed4 ,whosoever takes man's life without due warrant1 him ,god subjects not only to his own judgment1 but also to the sword of man4 ,though ,god may use man as his instrument in punishing1 he is himself still the avenger4 ,were it not for the divine command1 then1 it would be no more lawful now to slay a murderer than it was before the flood4 #cd4 ,this is the source from which spring all civil laws and the laws of nations4 ,if ,god grants man the power of life and death1 he certainly also grants power in matters of lesser importance--power over property1 family1 wife1 children1 servants and fields4 ,god wills that these things shall be under the control of certain men1 who are to punish the guilty4 #ce4 ,we must remember well that between the power of ,god and of men there is this difference3 ,god has the power to slay us when the world cannot even accuse us--when before it we are innocent4 ,sin is born with us2 we are all guilty before ,god4 ,men have no authority to slay except where guilt is apparent and crime is proven4 ,hence courts have been established and a definite method of proceeding instituted for the purpose of investigating and proving the crime before the sentence of death is passed4 #cf4 ,heed1 then1 this passage4 ,it establishes civil authority as ,god's institution1 with power1 not only of life and death1 but jurisdiction in matters where life is not involved4 ,magistrates are to punish the disobedience of children1 theft1 adultery1 perjury--all sins which are forbidden in the second table4 ,he who grants jurisdiction over the life of man1 at the same time grants judgment over lesser matters4 #cg4 ,the importance of this text and its claim to attention consists in the fact that it records the establishment of civil authority by ,god with the sword as insignia of power1 for the purpose that license may be curbed and anger and other sins inhibited from growing beyond all bounds4 ,had ,god not granted this power to man1 what kind of lives1 ,i ask you1 would we lead8 ,he foresaw that wickedness would ever flourish1 and established this external remedy to prevent the indefinite spread of license4 ,by this safeguard ,god protects life and property as by a fence and a wall4 #ch4 ,we find here no less a proof of ,god's great love toward man than his promise that the flood shall never again rage1 and his promise that flesh may be eaten for the sustenance of human life4 ,v4 #f;b4 ,for in the image of ,god made he man4 #ci4 ,this is the powerful reason why ,god does not wish men to be killed by private arbitrament4 ,man is a noble creature1 who1 unlike other living beings1 has been fashioned according to the image of ,god4 ,while it is true that he has lost this image through sin1 as we have seen above1 it is capable of being restored through the ,word and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,this image ,god desires us to revere in each other2 he forbids us to shed blood by the exercise of sheer force4 ,but he who refuses to respect the image of ,god in man1 and gives way to anger and provocation1 those worst counselors of all1 as some one has called them1 his life is surrendered to civil authority in forfeit1 by ,god1 in that ,god commands that also his blood shall be shed4 #dj4 ,thus the subject under consideration teaches the establishment of civil authority in the world1 which did not exist before the flood4 ,cain and ,lamech--and this is a case in point--were not slain1 though the holy patriarchs were the arbiters1 judges1 of public action4 ,but in this ,scripture they who have the sword1 are commanded to use it against those who have shed blood4 #da4 ,thus the problem is here solved that worried ,plato and all sages4 ,they concluded that it is impossible to administer government without injustice1 because all men occupy the same level of dignity and position4 ,why did ,caesar rule the world8 ,why did others obey him1 since he was only human like themselves--no better1 no stronger and liable to die as soon as themselves8 ,he was subject to the same conditions as all men4 ,hence it seems to be tyranny for him1 who was quite similar to other men1 to usurp rulership among men4 ,if he is like other men it is the highest wrong and injustice to ignore this similarity1 and to foist his rule by force upon others4 #db4 ,this is the conclusion at which reason arrives and it cannot entertain any view to the contrary4 ,but we1 having the ,word1 can see that we must oppose to such reasoning the command of ,god1 the author of this order of things4 ,accordingly1 it is for us to render obedience to the divine order and to endure it1 so that to our other sins this may not be added1 that we are disobedient to the will of ,god at the very point where we derive benefit in so many ways4 #dc4 ,to sum up1 this passage permits the slaughter of animals for religious and personal use1 but it emphatically forbids the taking of man's life1 because man is made in the image of ,god4 ,those who violate his command he gives into the hands of the authorities to be slain4 ,v4 #g4 ,and you1 be ye fruitful1 and multiply2 bring forth abundantly in the earth1 and multiply therein4 #dd4 ,the slaughter of animals having been granted1 not only for sacrifice1 but also for food1 and the killing of human beings having been forbidden1 we are given the reason why ,god regards the shedding of human blood with so much aversion4 ,he desires mankind to multiply on the earth2 but the slaughter of men lays the earth waste and produces a wilderness4 ,we see this in case of war4 ,god did not create the earth without purpose4 ,he intended it to be inhabited1 ,is #de1 #ah4 ,he makes it fruitful by rain and sunshine for man's benefit4 ,therefore he is displeased with those who remove from the earth its inhabitants4 ,his will is life1 and not death1 ,ps #cj1 #e4 #de4 ,these and similar sayings of the prophets are based upon promises like we find here1 that ,god commands man to multiply4 ,plainly he is more inclined to give life and to do good than to be angry and to kill4 ,if it were otherwise1 why should he forbid the taking of human life8 ,why should pestilence be of rare occurrence8 ,pestilence and general epidemics occur scarce once in ten years4 ,men are born1 animals grow1 and crops without end are growing continually4 #df4 ,all these facts go to show that ,god loves1 not death1 but life4 ,he created man1 not that he should die1 but that he should live2 but through the envy of the devil did death enter the world1 ,sap #b1 #bd4 ,but even after the fall1 the blessings which remain are so guarded as to render the conclusion inevitable that ,god loves life rather than death4 ,it is well for us to ponder these matters very often2 thus1 as ,solomon has truly said1 ,jehovah shall be to us a fountain of blessings4 ,prov #ah1 #bb4 ,b4 ,,god',s ,,covenant ,,with ,,noah #dg-ee4 99 ,why the same thing is repeated #dg4 #a4 ,whether this covenant applies to man alone or also to the animals #dh4 #b4 ,whether this covenant applies to the men and animals of that day only #di4 99 ,god always connected signs with his promises #di4 99 ,the significance of these to our first parents #di-ej4 #c4 ,nature of this covenant #ea4 99 ,characteristics of a humble heart and ,god's dealings with it #eb-ed4 #d4 ,this covenant given for man's comfort and as a proof of ,god's love #ec-ed4 #e4 ,it is a comfort to us at present #ee4 ,b4 ,,god',s ,,covenant ,,with ,,noah4 ,vs4 #h-aa4 ,and ,god spake unto ,noah1 and his sons with him1 saying1 ,and ,i1 behold1 ,i establish my covenant with you1 and with your seed after you2 and with every living creature that is with you1 the birds1 the cattle1 and every beast of the earth with you2 of all that go out of the ark1 even every beast of the earth4 ,and ,i will establish my covenant with you2 neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood2 neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth4 #dg4 ,previously we at various times explained this massing of words4 ,when the ,holy ,spirit is prolix1 there is a cause for it4 ,let us therefore1 consider what fear1 dread and peril ,noah and his family endured and it will be easily understood why it was necessary for ,god to say and to emphasize the same things with such frequency4 #dh4 ,when1 in addition it is remembered that the covenant here spoken of does not pertain to man alone but embraces every living soul1 we recognize that the promise does not relate to the seed but merely1 to this bodily life1 enjoyed by man in common with the beasts2 this ,god will not destroy by another flood4 ,vs4 #ab-af4 ,and ,god said1 ,this is the token of the covenant which ,i make between me and you and every living creature that is with you1 for the perpetual generations3 ,i do set my bow in the cloud1 and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth4 ,and it shall come to pass1 when ,i bring a cloud over the earth1 that the bow shall be seen in the cloud1 and ,i will remember my covenant1 which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh2 and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh4 ,and the bow shall be in the cloud2 and ,i will look upon it1 that ,i may remember the everlasting covenant between ,god and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth4 #di4 ,the term perpetual generations deserves particular notice2 it embraces not only man and beast at that time1 but all their offspring down to the end of the world4 ,we learn another thing from this passage4 ,god usually confirms his promise with an outward sign4 ,in the third chapter above we read of the coats of skin with which he covered the nakedness of the first parents as token of his protection and guardianship4 #ej4 ,some offer the following apt allegorical explanation4 ,as the skin of the dead sheep keeps warm our body1 so ,christ1 having died1 keeps us warm by his ,spirit1 and will1 on the last day1 raise us up and give us life4 ,others say that the skins were selected as a sign of mortality4 ,but this seems unnecessary2 all our life reminds us of mortality4 ,more expedient was a token of life1 suggesting the blessing and favor of ,god4 ,the office of such tokens is to console1 not to terrify4 ,so was the sign of the rainbow given1 a supplement of the promise4 #ea4 ,in chapter #h1 #ba-bb1 ,god says in his heart that he repents of that terrible punishment1 and promises that he will not repeat it1 because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth4 ,if he should desire to so punish evil1 there would be need of a flood every day4 ,here he again sends forth his ,word to mankind1 through an angel1 or possibly through the mouth of ,noah1 promising that no flood shall hereafter come upon the earth4 ,that the promise is repeated so often is evidence of ,god's endeavor1 in loving kindness1 to remove man's fear of punishment and to set before him a hope of blessing and utmost mercy4 #eb4 ,such consolation ,noah and his loved ones required4 ,one who has been humbled by ,god cannot forget the wound and the pain4 ,chastening is longer remembered than blessing4 ,boys are a case in point4 ,the tender mother1 having chastised her child with the rod1 endeavors to calm him with toys and other allurements1 yet the memory of pain lingers1 and the child cannot restrain frequent sighs and bitter sobs4 ,how much more difficult for the conscience to accept solace after having felt the wrath of ,god and the fear of death6 ,so firmly fixed are these in the mind that the soul trembles and fears in spite of gifts and consolations offered4 #ec4 ,so ,god here shows his good will in manifold ways and feels singular joy in pouring forth mercy4 ,he is like a mother who pets and caresses her boy until he at last begins to forget his tears and to smile into his mother's face4 #ed4 ,hence figures are employed1 and words are massed and the subject is presented in a clearer and clearer light1 in order to adapt the consolation to the needs of the wretched people who1 for an entire year1 had been witnesses of the immeasurable wrath of ,god4 ,they could not be delivered from fear and terror by an occasional word4 ,there was need of repeating the promise with much exposition to dry their tears and to soften their grief4 ,for1 though they were saints1 they were flesh1 even as we are4 #ee4 ,likewise we in our day need this consolation4 ,at all times when the elements rage1 we may be secure in the thought that the fountains of heaven and the wells of the deep are closed up by the word of ,god4 ,the rainbow shows itself to this day for the purpose of symbolizing that1 henceforth1 there shall never be another general flood4 ,and this promise requires1 on our part1 the faith that we trust ,god1 in his mercy1 will never bring another great flood upon us4 ,c4 ,,the ,,rainbow4 #a4 ,can it be assigned to natural causes #ef-eh4 99 ,what to think of the fiery meteors #ei-fj4 #b4 ,can it be caused by the position of the clouds #fj4 #c4 ,the rainbow witnesses of ,god's wrath and of his goodness #fa4 #d4 ,did it exist before the flood8 a4 ,opinion of those believing it did1 and their reasons #fb4 b4 ,luther's opinion that it was a new creation #fc4 c4 ,solomon's words1 ,there is nothing new1 do not apply here #fd4 #e4 ,rainbow to be viewed as a new creature and as ,god's sign-board #fe4 #f4 ,colors of the rainbow4 a4 ,what are they and their number #ff4 b4 ,what do they signify #fg4 #g4 ,to what end should the rainbow serve us #fh4 ,c4 ,,the ,,rainbow4 #ef4 ,they further dispute whether the natural causes in the rainbow signify this4 ,it is well known that philosophers1 especially ,aristotle in his book on ,meteors1 use all sorts of arguments on the color of the rainbow1 on the character of the clouds where it is produced1 and on its curvature4 ,quite appropriately the resemblance is noted between a mirror1 which reflects an image1 and the moist and arched cloud1 which catches the rays of the sun1 and by reflection produces the rainbow4 ,reason sees in such phenomena what appears to it most probable1 but it does not discover the truth everywhere4 ,that is not in the power of the creature but of the ,creator alone4 ,as for me1 ,i have never given to any book less credence than to that on meteors1 the basic principle of which is the assumption that natural causes explain everything4 #eg4 ,some declare the rainbow to be a forerunner of a storm lasting three days1 which ,i am ready to admit1 but this much is certain1 that it signifies that there will never be another flood4 ,however1 it derives this signification1 not from any natural causes but only from the ,word of ,god4 ,its meaning is such1 only because ,god orders and declares it to be so through his ,word4 ,circumcision was a token that the seed of ,abraham were the people of ,god2 yet circumcision did not have this meaning in itself1 but only through the ,word which was joined with it4 ,again1 the clothing of skin signified life and safety1 not because they contained this guarantee by nature1 but because ,god had promised it4 ,so1 the significance of the rainbow that the flood shall not return1 is not based upon the ,word of ,god4 #eh4 ,i do not altogether ignore theories along the lines of natural law concerning these matters2 but since they are not substantiated1 ,i place little trust in them4 ,the reasoning of ,aristotle regarding the humid and hollow cloud as the cause of the rainbow is not reliable1 such clouds may exist without producing a rainbow4 ,again1 according to the greater or lesser density of the medium1 the bow may appear wider or narrower4 ,i have seen here at ,wittenberg a circular rainbow1 forming a complete ring1 not simply an arch terminating on the surface of the earth1 as rainbows generally appear4 ,why1 then1 do rainbows assume different forms at different times8 ,a philosopher1 ,i suppose1 will think of some reason2 for he will consider it a disgrace not to be able to assign a reason for all things4 ,but indeed1 he will never persuade me to believe that he speaks the truth4 #ei4 ,the only consistent and incontrovertable view to take is that all these phenomena are either works of ,god or of evil spirits4 ,i have no doubt that the dancing goats 7stars71 the flying serpents1 fiery lances1 and the like1 are produced by evil spirits1 which thus gambol in the air1 either to terrify or to deceive men4 ,the flames which appear on board of ships were thought by the heathen to be ,castor and ,pollux4 ,sometimes the image of a moon appears above the ears of horses4 ,it is certain that all these things are due to the antics of evil spirits in the air1 though ,aristotle believes them to be luminous air1 just as he also declares that a comet is shining vapor4 #fj4 ,to me it appears that we shall move with greater security and certainty1 when1 arguing from cause to effect1 we conclude that the comet blazes1 when it pleases ,god1 as a sign of calamity1 just as the rainbow glows1 when it pleases ,god as a sign of mercy4 ,who can compute all the causes which produce the appearance of the rainbow in such diversity of beautiful color1 and in the form of an arch of perfect curvature8 ,the arrangement of the clouds alone surely does not produce this perfection4 ,hence it is by the will and the promise of ,god1 and fulfilling his pleasure1 that the rainbow is a sign to man and beast that there will nevermore at any time be a flood4 #fa4 ,in recognition of this token we ought to give thanks to ,god4 ,as often as the rainbow appears1 it proclaims to the world with a loud voice1 as it were1 the story of the wrath of ,god1 which once destroyed the world by a flood4 ,and it proclaims solace for us1 so that we may conclude that ,god is propitious to us henceforth and will never again visit upon us so fearful a punishment4 ,it teaches both the love and the fear of ,god1 the highest virtues1 of which philosophy knows nothing4 ,philosophy only disputes about material and formal causes4 ,it does not know the final cause of this most beautiful creation4 ,but theology does explain it4 #fb4 ,in this connection also the question has received much attention whether the rainbow existed from the beginning4 ,and in this controversy much force has been displayed4 ,since it is written above 7ch #b1 #bc7 that ,god created heaven and earth in six days1 and then rested from all his works1 some conclude that the rainbow existed from the beginning4 ,otherwise it would follow that creation extended beyond those six days4 ,what1 however1 occurred in ,noah's time is this1 that the rainbow1 created in the beginning1 was selected by ,god and made1 through a new word1 a fixed symbol1 having existed hitherto without special significance4 ,to support this view1 they even quote the word of ,solomon that there is no new thing under the sun1 ,ec #a1 #i4 ,on this they base their argument that after those six days no new thing has been created4 #fc4 ,my opinion is quite the contrary--that the rainbow never had existed before2 it was then and there created4 ,thus1 the coats of skin with which ,god clothed the first parents certainly were not created in those six days1 but after man's fall2 hence1 they were a new creation4 ,the statement that ,god rested1 must not be interpreted to mean that he created nothing thereafter2 for ,christ says1 ,my ,father worketh even until now1 and ,i work1 ,jn #e1 #ag4 #fd4 ,solomon's statement that there is no new thing under the sun1 has given much trouble to the learned4 ,but is it not apparent that it refers not to the works of ,god1 but to original sin1 meaning that the same reasoning powers ,adam had after the fall are found in man today--the same debates concerning morals1 vices1 virtues1 the nurture of the body and the transaction of business8 ,as the comic poet has it1 speaking of another matter1 ,nothing is said that has not been said before4 ,really1 within the sphere of man's activity and effort there is nothing new2 the same words1 thoughts1 designs1 the same emotions1 griefs1 affections and incidents exist now which always existed4 ,consequently it is quite inappropriate1 in consequence to apply this aphorism to ,god and his works4 #fe4 ,therefore1 ,i believe that the rainbow was a new creation1 not seen in the world before that time4 ,it was established to remind the world of the bygone wrath1 traces of which are still seen in the rainbow1 and to give assurance of the mercy of ,god4 ,it is a record1 or picture in which both the bygone wrath and the present mercy are revealed4 #ff4 ,there is also a difference of opinion as to the colors of the rainbow4 ,some say there are four colors3 the fiery1 the bright yellow1 the green and the color of water1 or blue4 ,but ,i think there are only two1 those of fire and water4 ,the fiery color is above1 unless the rainbow is seen reversed2 then1 as in a mirror1 that which is above is seen below4 ,where the hues of fire and water meet1 or blend1 yellow results4 #fg4 ,the colors have been thus arranged by ,god for a definite purpose4 ,the blue should be a reminder of bygone wrath2 the fiery color1 a picture to us of the future judgment4 ,while the interior or blue portion is restricted1 the outer and fiery color is without bounds4 ,thus1 the first world perished by the flood1 but an end was set to ,god's wrath4 ,a remnant was preserved and a second world arose1 but bounds are set to it4 ,when ,god shall destroy the world by fire1 this bodily life will never be restored4 ,the wicked will suffer the everlasting punishment of death in the fire1 while the saints will be raised up unto a new and everlasting life1 which1 though in the body1 shall not be of the body1 but of the spirit4 #fh4 ,let this sign teach us to fear ,god and to trust in him4 ,so may we escape the punishment of fire1 even as we have escaped the punishment of the flood4 ,it will be more practical to think of these things than to consider those philosophical arguments concerning the material cause4 ,,iii4 ,,allegories #fi-acb4 ,a4 ,,allegories ,,in ,,general #fi-ha4 #a4 ,luther at first given to allegories #fi-gj4 #b4 ,how and why monks and ,anabaptists esteem them so highly #ga4 #c4 ,how we should regard them #gb4 #d4 ,are they to be entirely rejected #gc4 #e4 ,some are1 and others not #gd-gf4 #f4 ,how to regard ,origen's1 ,augustine's and ,jerome's allegories #gg-gh4 #g4 ,pope's allegories of the sun1 moon and ark #gi-hj4 #h4 ,what to think of the doctrine of these allegories #ha4 ,,iii4 ,,concerning ,,allegories4 ,a4 ,allegories in ,general4 #fi4 ,at last we have finished the story of the flood1 which ,moses satisfactorily describes at great length4 ,it is a fearful example of the immeasurable and all but boundless wrath of ,god1 which is beyond the power of human utterance4 ,there remains to be said a word or two concerning its allegorical meaning4 ,i have often declared that ,i take no great pleasure in allegories1 although in my younger days they had such a fascination for me that ,i thought everything ought to be shown to have an allegorical meaning4 ,i was influenced in this respect by the example of ,origen and ,jerome1 whom ,i admired as the greatest of all theologians4 ,i may add that ,augustine also uses the allegory quite frequently4 #gj4 ,but while ,i followed the example of these men1 ,i discovered at last that1 to my great loss1 ,i had followed a shadow1 and had overlooked the very sap and marrow of the ,scriptures4 ,thereupon ,i began to hate allegories4 ,they are pleasing1 to be sure1 especially when they contain happy allusions4 ,they may be compared to choice pictures4 ,but as much as real objects with their native hues surpass a picture1 even though it should glow1 as the poet has it 7stat silo ,v4 #a1 #e71 with ,apelles-like colors1 closely copied from nature1 so much the historical narrative itself is superior to the allegory4 #ga4 ,in our day the ignorant mob of the ,anabaptists is as much filled with immoderate craving for allegory as are the monks4 ,they love to delve in the more mysterious books1 such as the ,revelation of ,john1 and that worthless fabrication passing under the title of the second and third books of ,esdras4 ,for1 there you are at liberty to follow your fancy as you please4 ,we recall that ,muntzer1 the seditious spirit1 turned everything into allegory4 ,but true it is1 that he who1 without judgment1 makes allegories or follows those made by others1 will not only be deceived but sustain deplorable injury1 as there are examples to prove4 #gb4 ,allegories must either be avoided altogether or be worked out with the best judgment4 ,they must conform to the rule followed by the apostles1 of which we shall soon have occasion to speak4 ,let us avoid falling into those ugly and baneful absurdities1 not only of those who are misnamed theologians1 but also of the ,canonists1 or rather ,assinists1 of which the decretals and decisions of that most detestable master1 the pope1 are an example4 #gc4 ,this statement1 however1 must not be taken for a general condemnation of all allegory4 ,christ and the apostles made use of allegories at times4 ,these1 however1 were in keeping with the faith according to the injunction of ,paul 7,rom #ab1 #f7 that prophecy1 or doctrine1 should be according to the proportion of faith4 #gd4 ,when we put the allegory under the ban1 we confine ourselves to that species which1 with the setting aside of scriptural warrant1 is altogether the product of man's mind and fancy4 ,those which are tested by the analogy of faith1 serve not only as ornaments of the doctrine but also as consolation for the soul4 #ge4 ,peter turns this very story of the flood into a most beautiful allegory1 saying that baptism is symbolized by the flood1 and saves us4 ,for1 in it not only the filth of the flesh is washed away1 but conscience makes good answer toward ,god through the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ1 who is enthroned at the right hand of ,god and has destroyed death in order to make us heirs of eternal life2 who1 moreover1 is gone into heaven2 angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him1 #a ,pet #c1 #ba-bb4 ,this is1 indeed1 a theological allegory1 in accordance with faith1 and full of solace4 #gf4 ,such is also the allegory of ,christ in ,john #c1 #ad1 concerning the serpent lifted up in the wilderness and the healing of those bitten by the serpent's tooth who gazed upon it4 ,again1 there is that one by ,paul 7#a ,cor #aj1 #a71 ,all our fathers did drink from the same spiritual rock1 etc4 ,such allegories as these not only agree with the matter itself1 but also instruct the heart in faith and are a help to the conscience4 #gg4 ,but take a look at the ordinary allegory of ,jerome1 ,origen and ,augustine4 ,these men1 when they create an allegory1 leave faith altogether out of consideration1 and merely air philosophical opinions1 foreign alike to the sphere of faith and to that of morals2 not to speak of the fact that they are quite silly and a mass of absurdities4 #gh4 ,in a former chapter 7ch #c4 paras #fa1 #bih1 #cjd71 we heard of ,augustine's allegory concerning the creation of man and woman1 by which he illustrates the higher and the lower attributes of man1 that is1 reason and the emotions4 ,but1 ,i ask you1 what is the value of this figment8 #gi4 ,the pope1 however1 carries away the real honors for piety and learning when he thunders from his high seat as follows3 ,god made two great lights1 the sun and the moon2 the sun represents the authority of the pope1 from which his imperial majesty borrows its light as the moon does from the sun4 ,away with such rash impudence and vicious ambition6 #hj4 ,in a similar style the ark1 of ,noah's story1 is compared to the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 in which is found the pope with his cardinals1 bishops1 and prelates1 while the laymen are swimming in the sea4 ,that is1 the laymen are altogether given to earthly business and would not be saved did not those helmsmen of the ark1 or ,church1 cast boards and ropes to the swimmers1 drawing them into the ark by these means4 ,pictures of this nature were frequently painted by monks to represent the ,church4 #ha4 ,origen shows more sanity than the papists1 in that his allegories conform to moral standards1 as a rule4 ,yet1 he ought to have kept in view the rule laid down by ,paul1 who demands that prophesy is to be the guardian of faith2 for faith is edifying and the proper sphere of the ,church4 ,rules governing morals can be laid by even heathen philosophers who know nothing whatever concerning faith4 ,b4 ,,allegories ,,in ,,detail #hb-acb4 #a4 ,allegory of the baptism of the ,israelites under ,moses2 the ark and the flood #hb;ff4 99 ,points of likeness and unlikeness in the death of believers and unbelievers #hd-hf4 99 ,in what way is death to be conquered #hg4 99 ,how all temptations are to be overcome and believers be preserved #hh-ij4 #b4 ,allegories of the ark's proportions #ia-ib4 #c4 ,allegories of the sun and moon #ic4 99 ,to what all allegories should point #id4 #d4 ,allegory of the cup #ie-if4 #e4 ,allegory of the dove ,noah sent out of the ark #ig-ii4 #f4 ,allegory of the raven ,noah sent forth4 a4 ,thoughts of the fathers on this point #ajj4 b4 ,the correct allegory of the raven #aja-aaf4 99 ,the law and the teachings of the law #aja-aaf4 7#a7 ,how illustrated by the raven #ajb-aje4 99 ,luther's opponents falsely accuse him of forbidding good works #ajf-ajg4 7#b7 ,they are no better than the intelligent moralists among the heathen #ajh-aaj4 7#c7 ,they cannot quiet the conscience #aaa4 99 ,the raven a perfect representative of the ,papists #aab-aac4 7#d7 ,how the ,papists make the unrighteous righteous and condemn the righteous #aad-aae4 #g4 ,allegories of the doves in detail #aaf-abd4 99 ,characteristics of the dove #aaf4 a4 ,first dove sent forth4 7#a7 ,a figure of the office of grace #aag4 7#b7 ,a figure of the ,old ,testament prophets #aah-aai4 b4 ,second dove returned with the olive leaf4 7#a7 ,a figure of ,new ,testament preachers #abj-abb4 99 ,the fanatics and ,anabaptists wait in vain for new revelations #aba4 99 ,nature of true ,gospel preachers #abb4 7#b7 ,a figure of the ,new ,testament #abc4 c4 ,third dove did not return #abd;ff4 #h4 ,allegory of the seven days ,noah waited after he sent forth the first dove #abe4 #i4 ,allegory of the evening the dove returned #abf-abg4 99 ,several things to be remembered in this connection4 7#a7 ,allegories are not to have a world-wide treatment like the articles of faith #abh4 7#b7 ,defects in the allegories of the fathers #abi-acj4 99 ,lyra is to be preferred to all commentators #aca4 7#c7 ,right use of allegories #acb4 ,b4 ,,allegories ,,in ,,detail4 #hb4 ,writing to the ,corinthians1 ,paul says 7#a ,cor #aj1 #b7 that the ,israelites were all baptized unto ,moses in the cloud and in the sea4 ,if you regard only the outward circumstance and the words1 even ,pharaoh was baptized1 but he perished with his men1 while ,israel passed through safe and unharmed4 ,noah and his sons were saved in this baptism of the flood1 while all the rest of the world1 being outside of the ark1 perished thereby4 ,such a way of speaking is appropriate and forcible4 ,baptism and death are interchangeable in ,scripture4 ,paul says 7,rom #f1 #c73 ,all we who were baptized into ,christ ,jesus were baptized into his death1 and ,jesus says1 ,i have a baptism to be baptized with2 and how am ,i straitened till it be accomplished6 7,lk #ab1 #ej74 ,and to his disciples he said1 ,ye shall 444 be baptized with the baptism that ,i am baptized with 7,mt #bj1 #bc74 #hc4 ,in this sense the ,red ,sea was a baptism indeed4 ,it represented to ,pharaoh death and ,god's anger4 ,yet though ,israel was baptized with the same baptism1 they passed through it unharmed4 ,so the flood is truly death and the wrath of ,god1 and yet1 the faithful are saved in the midst of the flood4 ,death engulfs and swallows all mankind2 for1 the wrath of ,god smites both the good and the bad1 the pious and the wicked1 without distinction4 ,the flood was sent upon ,noah the same as upon the rest of the world4 ,the ,red ,sea that engulfed ,pharaoh was the same as that through which ,israel passed unharmed4 ,but in both cases the believers are saved while the wicked perish4 ,that is the point of difference4 ,the ark was ,noah's salvation1 and it was but an expression of the promise and ,word of ,god4 ,in these he had life1 but the wicked1 who believed not the ,word1 were left to perish4 #hd4 ,this is the difference which the ,holy ,spirit desired to bring out1 so that the righteous1 warned by this example1 might believe and hope for salvation through the mercy of ,god in the very midst of death4 ,they consider baptism as bound together with the promise of life1 as ,noah did the ark4 ,therefore1 though the wise man and the fool must suffer the same death--for ,peter and ,paul die1 not otherwise than ,nero and other wicked persons die--yet the righteous believe that in death they will be saved unto eternal life4 ,and this hope is not vain1 for they have ,christ1 who receives their souls1 and will1 on the last day1 raise up also the bodies of his believers unto eternal life4 #he4 ,this class of allegory is of great service1 and tends to comfort the heart when you consider the contrast in the ultimate outcome4 ,the testimony of the material eye would seem to confirm the statement of ,solomon 7,ec #b1 #af7 that the wise man dieth as the fool1 that the righteous man dieth as though he were not the beloved of ,god4 ,but the eyes of the soul must view this point of difference1 that ,israel enters into the ,red ,sea and is saved1 while ,pharaoh1 pressing upon the heels of ,israel1 is overwhelmed by the waves and perishes4 ,it is the same death1 then1 which takes away the righteous and the wicked1 and almost always the end of the former is ignominious1 while that of the latter is attended by elements of splendor and power2 but in the eyes of ,god1 while the death of sinners is deplorable1 that of his saints is precious1 for it is consecrated by ,christ1 through whom it becomes the beginning of eternal life4 #hf4 ,as the flood and the ,red ,sea were instruments to save ,noah and ,israel from death1 so to us1 death is but the instrument to give us life1 if we remain in faith4 ,when the children of ,israel were in utmost peril1 suddenly the sea parted and rose on the right side and on the left1 like an iron wall1 so that ,israel passed through without danger4 ,why was it8 ,in order that so death might be made to serve life4 ,divine power overcomes the assaults of ,satan4 ,thus it was in ,paradise4 ,satan purposed to slay all mankind by his venom4 ,but what happens8 ,by reason of the truly happy guilt of our first parents1 as the ,church sings1 it comes to pass that the ,son of ,god became incarnate to free us from evil4 #hg4 ,this allegory1 then1 beautifully teaches1 strengthens and consoles us1 enabling us to fear neither death nor sin1 but to despise all perils1 giving thanks to ,god that he has so called and dealt with us that even death1 the universal destroyer1 is compelled to be a servant of life1 just as the flood1 an occasion of destruction to the rest of the world1 was one of salvation for ,noah2 and the ,red ,sea1 when ,pharaoh met his doom1 served to save the children of ,israel4 #hh4 ,what has been here expressed1 finds application to the subject of temptation in general1 so that we learn to despise dangers and be hopeful even where no hope seems to remain4 ,when death or any other danger is imminent1 we should rise to meet it1 saying3 ,behold1 here is my ,red ,sea2 here is my flood1 my baptism and my death4 ,here my life--as the philosopher said of the sea-farers--is removed from death barely by a hand's breadth4 ,but fear not2 this danger is as a handful of water opposed to the flood of grace which is mine through the ,word4 ,therefore death will not destroy me1 but will lift me and bear me to life4 ,death is so utterly incapable of destroying the ,christian1 that it constitutes the very escape from death4 ,for bodily death ushers in the emancipation of the spirit and the resurrection of the flesh4 ,thus1 ,noah in the flood was not borne by the earth1 nor by trees1 nor by mountains1 but by the very flood which destroyed the total remainder of the human race4 #hi4 ,well may the prophets often extol those wonderful works of ,god--the passage through the ,red ,sea1 the exodus from ,egypt1 and the like4 ,for the sea1 which by its nature can only devour and destroy1 is forced to part and rise and protect the ,israelites1 lest they be overwhelmed by its tides4 ,that which in its very nature is wrath1 becomes grace to the believer2 that which in reality is death1 becomes life4 ,therefore1 whatever calamity comes--and this life has it in infinite measure--to threaten our property and our lives1 it will all become salvation and joy if we only are in the ark2 that is1 if by faith we lay hold of the promise made in ,christ4 ,then even death1 by which we are removed1 must be turned into life1 and the hell1 which swallows us1 into a way to heaven4 #ij4 ,therefore ,peter says 7#a ,pet #c1 #ba7 that we are saved by the water in baptism1 which was prefigured by the flood4 ,the water which streams about us1 or the plunge into it1 is death1 and yet from this death or plunge1 life results by virtue of the ark of safety--the ,word of promise to which we cling4 ,the inspired ,scriptures set forth this allegory1 which is not only free from weaknesses but of service in every way1 and worthy of our careful attention1 since it offers wonderful consolation even in the utmost perils4 #ia4 ,the fathers have added another allegory taken from the form and dimensions of the ark4 ,the human body1 measured from the top of the head to the sole of the foot1 is six times as long as it is wide4 ,now1 the ark1 which was fifty cubits wide1 measured six times as much in length1 namely #cjj cubits4 ,hence1 they say1 the ark typifies ,christ the man1 in whom all promises center4 ,therefore1 those who believe in him are saved even in the midst of the flood1 that is1 in death itself4 #ib4 ,this conception is both appropriate and beautiful2 above all1 it agrees with faith4 ,though there may be a mistake in the application1 the groundwork is strong and secure4 ,there is no doubt that the ,holy ,spirit found various ways to illustrate the promises to be fulfilled in ,christ1 and the wonderful counsel of salvation for mankind through faith in ,christ4 ,hence1 allegories of this nature1 though lacking in aptness1 are not necessarily wicked and a source of offense4 #ic4 ,if one were to say the sun represents ,christ1 while the moon represents the ,church1 which receives its light by the grace of ,christ1 he might possibly be mistaken in his choice of illustration1 yet his error is based1 not upon an erroneous1 but upon a sure foundation4 ,but when the pope declares the sun represents the papal authority1 while the moon represents the emperor's1 then not only the application is inapt and foolish1 but the very foundation is evil4 ,such allegories are not conceived and invented by the ,holy ,spirit1 but by the devil1 the spirit of lies4 #id4 ,allegories must have some application to the promises and the doctrine of faith if they are to comfort and strengthen the soul4 ,peter's allegory teaches us this4 ,because ,peter saw that ,noah was set free in the midst of death and that the ark was an instrument of life1 the ark was rightly applied to typify ,christ4 ,only divine power can save in the midst of death and lead unto life4 ,the ,scriptures declare that to ,god belong the issues from death1 7,ps #fh1 #ba71 and he makes death the occasion1 yea1 even an aid to life4 #ie4 ,this has given rise to expressions used in ,scripture1 where afflictions and perils are likened to a cup that intoxicates4 ,this is an apt and vivid figure of speech4 ,so the passion of ,christ is called a draught from a brook 7,ps #aaj1 #g71 meaning that it is a medicinal draught or mixture1 which1 though bitter1 is healing in its bitterness and gives life by causing death4 ,such soothing words serve to console us that we may learn to despise death and other perils and meet them with greater readiness4 #if4 ,satan1 also1 has his cup2 but it is sweet1 and inebriates unto nausea4 ,he who1 attracted by its sweetness1 drinks it1 loses his life and dies the eternal death4 ,such was the cup the ,babylonians drained1 as the prophet has it 7,jer #be1 #ae-bg74 ,let us1 therefore1 accept the cup of salvation with thanksgiving1 and1 as ,paul declares of believers1 rejoice in tribulation 7,rom #e1 #c74 #ig4 ,having explained this figure of the ark and the meaning of the flood according to the canonical ,scriptures1 we will say something also about the other features of this story--about the raven which did not return1 and the doves1 the first of which returned because she found no resting-place for her foot1 while the second brought back with her a twig from an olive tree1 and the third did not return because the earth was no more covered by water4 #ih4 ,in our treatise on the narrative proper1 we stated that these things occurred to be a consolation for ,noah and his sons2 to assure them that ,god's wrath had passed and that he was now pacified4 ,the dove did not bring the olive branch of her own volition4 ,she miraculously obeyed divine power4 ,so the serpent in paradise spoke1 not of its own volition1 but through the inspiration of the devil1 who had taken possession of it4 ,as1 on that occasion1 the serpent1 by the devil's prompting1 spoke1 with the result that man was led into sin1 so1 on this occasion1 it was not its own volition or instinct which moved the dove to bring the olive branch1 but the prompting of ,god1 in order that ,noah might gain comfort from the pleasant sight4 ,for the olive does not supply the dove with food2 she prefers the several species of wheat or pease4 #ii4 ,the incident of the dove1 then1 is a miraculous occurrence with a definite meaning4 ,the prophets in their messages concerning the kingdom of ,christ1 frequently make mention of doves 7,ps #fh1 #ac7 and 7,is #fj1 #h74 ,solomon also in his ,song seems to mention the dove with particular pleasure4 ,therefore1 we should not despise the picture this allegory holds before us1 but treat its truth skillfully and aptly4 #ajj4 ,the allegory of the raven1 invented by the doctors1 is well known4 ,because ravens delight in eating dead bodies1 they have been taken as a likeness of carnal men1 who delight in carnal pleasures and indulge in them4 ,the ,epicureans were an example4 ,a very fair explanation but inadequate1 because it is merely of that moral and philosophical sort which ,erasmus was in the habit of giving after the example of ,origen4 #aja4 ,we must look for a theological explanation4 ,in the first place1 those moralists fail to observe that ,scripture commends the raven for not leaving the ark of his own will4 ,he went out at the bidding of ,noah1 to ascertain if the waters had ceased and if ,god's wrath was ended4 ,the raven1 however1 did not return1 neither did he become a messenger of happy omen4 ,he remained without the ark1 and1 though he came and went1 yet he did not suffer himself to be taken by ,noah4 #ajb4 ,in all these points the allegory fittingly typifies the ministry of the ,law4 ,black1 the color of the bird1 is a token of sadness1 and the sound of his voice is unpleasant4 ,this is true of the teachers of the ,law1 who teach justification by works4 ,they are the ministers of death and sin1 ,paul calling the ministry of the ,law a ministry of death1 7#b ,cor #c1 #f74 ,the ,law is unto death 7,rom #g1 #aj74 ,the ,law worketh wrath4 7,rom #d1 #ae47 ,the ,law entered that trespass might abound4 7,rom #e1 #bj74 #ajc4 ,and yet1 ,moses was sent forth by ,god with the ,law1 just as the raven was sent out by ,noah4 ,it is ,god's will that mankind be taught morality and holiness of life1 and that wrath and sure punishments be announced to all who transgress the ,law4 ,nevertheless1 such teachers are naught but ravens wandering aimlessly about the ark2 nor do they have the certain assurance that ,god is pacified4 #ajd4 ,for1 the ,law is a teaching of such character that it cannot assure1 strengthen and console an uneasy conscience1 but rather terrifies it1 since it only teaches what ,god requires of us1 what he wishes to be performed by us4 ,our consciences bear witness against us that we not only have failed to carry out the will of ,god as set forth in the ,law1 but that we have done the very contrary4 #aje4 ,with all justice1 therefore1 we may say of the teachers of the ,law1 in the words of ,psalms #e1 #i3 ,there is no certainty in their mouth4 ,our translation has it ,there is no faithfulness in their mouth4 ,their teaching at its best can only say3 ,if you do this1 if you do that1 you will be saved4 ,christ speaks ironically when he answers the scribe who had grandly set forth the doctrine of the ,law1 by saying1 ,this do1 and thou shalt live 7,lk #aj1 #bh74 ,he shows the scribe that the doctrine is holy and good1 but since we are corrupt1 it follows that we are guilty1 since we do not1 and cannot1 fulfil the ,law4 #ajf4 ,hence1 we declare rightly that we are not justified by the works of the ,law4 ,by the works of the ,law we mean1 not the ceremonial commandments1 but those highest commandments of all1 to love ,god and our neighbor4 ,the reason we are not justified is that we cannot keep the commandments4 ,we have reason1 however1 to challenge the impudence of our opponents who set up the cry that we forbid good works and condemn the ,law of ,god because we deny that justification is by works4 ,this would be true if we did not admit that the raven was sent forth from the ark by ,noah4 ,but we do say that the raven was sent out from the ark4 ,and this we deny1 that it was not a raven1 or that it was a dove4 ,all the clamor1 the abuse1 the blasphemy of our opponents have no other purpose than to force us to declare that the raven was a dove4 #ajg4 ,but now examine their books and carefully consider their doctrine4 ,is it anything but a doctrine of works8 ,this is good1 this is honorable1 they say2 this you must do2 the other is dishonorable and wicked1 hence you must not do it4 ,on the strength of such teaching1 they believe themselves to be true theologians and doctors4 ,but let them show us the person who either has done or will do all those things1 especially if you present1 not only the second table of the ,law1 as they do1 but also the first one4 #ajh4 ,he who takes his stand upon this doctrine of the ,law1 then1 is truly nothing but a hearer4 ,he does not learn anything except its demands4 ,since such persons have no desire to learn anything further1 it should suffice for them if they are given the poem of ,cato1 or given ,esop1 whom ,i consider a better teacher of morals4 ,these two writers are profitable reading for young men4 ,older persons should study ,cicero1 who1 to my astonishment1 is considered by some as inferior to ,aristotle in the sphere of ethics4 ,this would be a rational course of study4 ,so far as imparting moral precepts is concerned1 the good intentions and the assiduity of the heathen must be commended4 ,yet they are inferior to ,moses4 ,he sets forth not only morality1 but also teaches the true worship of ,god4 ,nevertheless1 he who places his trust solely in ,moses has nothing but the raven wandering aimlessly about outside of the ark4 ,of the dove and the olive branch1 he has nothing4 #aji ,the raven1 then1 represents not only the ,law given by ,god1 but all laws and all philosophy which are the product of human reason and wisdom4 ,they tell us no more than what ought to be done and do not provide the strength to do it4 ,the judgment of ,christ is true3 ,when ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you1 say1 ,we are unprofitable servants 7,lk #ag1 #aj74 #aaj4 ,true the raven is sent out4 ,god desires the ,law to be taught4 ,he reveals it from heaven2 yea1 he writes it upon the hearts of all men1 as ,paul proves 7,rom #b1 #ae74 ,from this inherent knowledge originated all writings of the saner philosophers1 of ,esop1 ,aristotle1 ,plato1 ,xenophon1 ,cicero and ,cato4 ,and these are not unfit to set before untrained and vicious persons1 that their vile tendencies may be curbed to some extent4 #aaa4 ,if1 however1 you seek for peace of conscience and for certain hope of eternal life1 such philosophers are like the raven1 which wanders around the ark1 finding no peace outside1 but not looking for it within4 ,paul says of the ,jews1 ,israel1 following after a law of righteousness1 did not arrive at that law 7,rom #i1 #ca74 ,the reason for this is in the fact that the ,law is like the raven2 it is either the ministry of death and sin or it produces hypocrites4 #aab4 ,now1 let those who wish1 follow out this allegory by studying the nature of the raven4 ,it is an impure bird1 of somber and funereal color1 with a strong beak and a harsh1 shrill voice4 ,it scents dead bodies from a great distance1 and therefore men fear its voice as a certain augury of an impending death4 ,it feeds upon carrion and enjoys localities made foul by public executions4 #aac4 ,though ,i would not apply each and every one of these characteristics to the ,law1 yet who does not see how well they fit the servants of the ,pope1 the mass-priests and the monks1 who were not only richly fed upon the slaughter of consciences by their false doctrines1 but also used the dead bodies to obtain their livelihood1 since they made a paying business out of their vigils1 their anniversaries1 their purifying water used in burials1 and even of purgatory itself4 ,and surely1 this devotion to the dead was more profitable to them than their care of the living4 ,truly1 then1 they are ravens1 feeding on corpses and sitting upon them with wild cries4 ,not only may the popish priests be fitly likened to the ravens1 but indeed the whole ministry of the papacy1 where it is at its best1 does nothing but to gash and murder consciences4 ,it does not show the way to true righteousness1 but merely makes hypocrites1 as does the ,law4 #aad4 ,among other crimes of false prophets1 ,ezekiel enumerates 7ch #ac1 #ai7 the fact that1 for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread1 they slay souls that should not die1 and save the souls alive that should not live4 ,this is true of these ravens1 the teachers of the ,law4 ,they call those righteous who live according to the letter of the ,law1 and yet these are the very souls which do not live4 ,on the other hand1 they condemn those who violate their traditions1 just as the ,pharisees condemned the disciples when they plucked ears of corn1 when they did not wash their hands and when they failed to fast4 ,this is an outcry1 fierce and dismal1 reminding us of ravens which sit upon corpses4 #aae4 ,when cursing a wicked person1 the ,greeks said1 ,to the ravens6 ,similarly1 the ,germans use the expression1 ,may the ravens devour you4 ,if we make this curse an element of the allegory1 its serious character becomes evident4 ,for what is more deplorably disastrous than to have teachers1 the outcome of whose best teaching is death1 and who ensnare the conscience with difficulties that cannot be disentangled8 ,though some say this allegory of the raven is inaptly applied to the priesthood1 it is true nevertheless and agrees with the fundamental truth1 and it is not only most apt1 but very profitable for instruction4 #aaf4 ,on the other hand1 the incident of the dove is a most delightful picture of the gospel1 especially if you carefully consider the characteristics of the dove4 ,ten of these are usually enumerated3 #a4 ,it is without guile4 #b4 ,it does not harm with its mouth4 #c4 ,it does not harm with its claws4 #d4 ,it gathers pure grains4 #e4 ,it nourishes the young of others4 #f4 ,its song is a sigh4 #g4 ,it abides by the waters4 #h4 ,it flies in flocks4 #i4 ,it nests in safe places4 #aj4 ,its flight is swift4 ,these ten characteristics have been set forth in six verses1 as follows3 ,free from guile is the dove2 the bite of her beak does not injure2 ,wounds her claws do not strike2 pure is the grain that she eats4 ,frequent and swift is her flight to shining courses of water4 ,list to her voice1 and lo6 sighs you will hear but no song6 ,other nestlings she rears2 in swarms she flies through the ether4 ,safe is the place and high where she prepares her abode4 #aag4 ,the ,new ,testament tells us the ,holy ,spirit appeared in the form of a dove 7,mt #c1 #af74 ,hence1 we are justified in using the dove as an allegory of the ministry of grace4 #aah4 ,moses implies that the dove did not fly aimlessly about the ark1 as did the raven1 but having been sent out and finding no place to rest1 it returned to the ark and was seized by ,noah4 #aai4 ,this dove is a picture of the holy prophets sent to teach the people2 but the flood1 that is1 the time of the ,law1 had not yet passed away4 ,thus ,david1 ,elias1 ,isaiah1 though they did not live to see the time of the ,new ,testament1 were yet sent as messengers with the tidings that the flood would eventually be brought to an end1 though that time was at a distance4 ,having delivered their message1 they returned to the ark2 that is1 they were justified and saved without the ,law1 by faith in the blessed seed1 in which they believed and for which they longed4 #abj4 ,after this1 another dove was sent forth1 which found the earth dried1 and not only the mountains1 but also the trees1 standing free from water4 ,but she alighted upon an olive tree1 plucked a branch1 and brought it back to ,noah4 #aba4 ,the allegorical meaning of this incident is interpreted by the ,scriptures4 ,the olive tree is very often used as a symbol of grace1 of mercy or of forgiveness of sins4 ,the dove brings the branch in her beak1 thus typifying the outward ministry1 or the spoken ,word4 ,for the ,holy ,spirit does not teach by new revelations aside from the ministry of the ,word1 as the enthusiasts and ,anabaptists1 those truly fanatical teachers1 dream4 ,it was the will of ,god that a branch from a living olive tree should be carried to ,noah in the mouth of the bird1 to teach that in the ,new ,testament1 the time of the flood or anger being past1 ,god desires to set his mercy before the world by the spoken ,word4 #abb4 ,the messengers of this ,word are doves2 that is1 sincere men1 without guile1 and filled with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,isaiah #fj1 #h1 likens ministers of the ,gospel or of grace to doves which fly to their windows4 ,and1 though ,christ commands them to imitate the harmlessness of doves1 ,mt #aj1 #af1 meaning that they should be sincere and free from venom1 yet1 he admonishes them to be wise like serpents2 that is1 they should be wary of false and cunning people1 and cautious like the serpent1 which is said to shield its head with special skill in a fight4 #abc4 ,the green freshness of the olive branch1 also1 is a type of the ,word of the ,gospel1 which endureth forever and is never without fruit4 ,psalms #a1 #c likens those who study the ,word to a tree1 the leaves of which do not wither4 ,we heard nothing like this above concerning the raven1 which flew to and fro near the ark4 ,this second dove which was sent forth is a type of the ,new ,testament1 where grace and the forgiveness of sins are promised openly through the sacrifice of ,christ4 ,this is why the ,holy ,spirit chose to appear in the form of a dove in the ,new ,testament4 #abd4 ,the third dove did not return4 ,after the fulfilment of the promise given the whole world through the mouth of the dove1 no new teaching is to be looked for1 but we simply await the revelation of those things which we believe4 ,herein is certain testimony for us that the ,gospel will endure unto the end of the world4 #abe4 ,the text1 furthermore1 specifies the time ,noah waited after he had first sent forth a dove1 namely1 seven days4 ,these seven days typify the time of the ,law which1 of necessity1 preceded the period of the ,new ,testament4 #abf4 ,we read1 likewise1 that the second dove returned at dusk1 carrying the olive branch4 ,to the ,gospel the last age of the world has been assigned4 ,nor should we look for another kind of doctrine1 for it is to an evening meal that ,christ compared the ,gospel 7,mt #bb1 #b2 ,lk #ad1 #af74 #abg4 ,true1 the doctrine of the ,gospel has been in the world since the fall of our first parents1 and the ,lord confirmed this promise to the patriarchs by various signs4 ,the first ages knew nothing of the rainbow1 nor of circumcision1 nor of other signs afterward ordained by ,god4 ,but all ages have known of the blessed seed4 ,since it has been revealed1 there remains nothing else than the revelation of that which we believe4 ,with the third dove1 we shall fly away to that other life1 never to return to the life here1 so wretched and so full of grief4 #abh4 ,these are my thoughts concerning this allegory4 ,i have set them forth briefly1 for we must not tarry with them as we do with historical narratives and articles of faith4 #abi4 ,origen1 ,jerome1 ,augustine1 and ,bernard seek diligently for allegories4 ,but this practice has one drawback4 ,the more attention they direct to allegories1 the more do they draw it away from the facts of sacred history and from faith1 to the exclusion of these more important things4 ,allegories should be employed for the purpose of inducing and increasing1 of explaining and strengthening1 that faith of which all the stories treat4 ,it is not to be wondered at1 that persons who do not seek faith in the stories of the ,bible1 look for the region of allegorical shades as a pleasant playground in which to stroll about4 #acj4 ,just as in the popish ,church false and unscriptural words are rendered in sweet music1 so learned men have too often spoiled the good meaning of a ,bible story1 which contains a useful lesson of faith1 by their childish allegories4 #aca4 ,i have often spoken of the kind of theology that prevailed when ,i began to study4 ,its advocates said that the letter killeth 7#b ,cor #c1 #f74 ,therefore ,i disliked ,lyra most of all interpreters1 because he followed the literal meaning so carefully4 ,but now ,i prefer him1 for this very reason1 to all interpreters of ,scripture4 #acb4 ,i advise you as strongly as ,i can to fully appreciate the great value of the ,bible history4 ,but whenever you wish to employ allegory1 take pains to follow the analogy of faith2 that is1 make the allegory agree with ,christ1 with the ,church1 with faith1 with the ministry of the ,gospel4 ,if constructed in this manner1 allegories will not go astray from faith1 even though they may not be genuine in every point4 ,this foundation shall remain firm1 while the stubble perishes4 ,but let us return to our story4 ,,iv4 ,,noah ,,and ,,his ,,fall4 ,a4 ,,noah4 #a4 ,noah's character before the flood #acc4 #b4 ,noah's character after the flood #acd4 #c4 ,way ,noah executed his office as bishop #ace4 #d4 ,way he executed his office as a civil ruler #acf4 ,,iv4 ,,noah ,,and ,,his ,,fall4 ,a4 ,noah4 ,vs4 #bj-bb4 ,and ,noah began to be a husbandman1 and planted a vineyard2 and he drank of the wine1 and was drunken2 and he was uncovered within his tent4 ,and ,ham1 the father of ,canaan1 saw the nakedness of his father1 and told his two brethren without4 #acc4 ,what manner of man ,noah was during the flood1 is shown sufficiently by the story of the flood itself4 ,what manner of man he had been before the flood1 is shown by ,moses' declaration that he was righteous and perfect4 ,great as this man was1 we hear nothing else about him1 except that his wonderful and almost incredible continence is faintly suggested and commended by the statement that he begat his first born when five hundred years of age4 ,this very fact shows that human nature was by far stronger in its integrity at that time1 and that the ,holy ,spirit held more perfect sway in the holy men of the early world than ,he does in us who are1 as it were1 the dregs and the remnants of the world's production4 ,it surely was a commendatory record for ,noah to be accorded righteous and perfect before ,god2 that is1 full of faith and of the ,holy ,spirit1 adorned with chastity and all good works1 pure in worship and religion1 suffering many temptations from the devil1 the world1 and himself1 all which he overcame triumphantly4 ,such was ,noah before the flood4 #acd4 ,of his life after the flood1 ,moses tells us very little4 ,but is it not apparent that so noble a man1 living for about #cej years after the flood1 could not be idle1 but must have been busy with the government of the ,church1 which he alone established and ruled8 #ace4 ,first of all1 then1 he performed the duties of a bishop4 ,beset with various temptations1 his foremost endeavor was to resist the devil1 to console the troubled ones1 to bring back the erring to the true way1 to strengthen the doubting1 to cheer souls in despair1 to exclude from his ,church the impenitent1 and to receive back with fatherly gladness the repentant4 ,for1 these are the duties a bishop must perform through the ministry of the ,word4 #acf4 ,moreover1 he had civil duties in establishing forms of government and in making laws1 without which human passions cannot be held in check4 ,to this was added the rule of his own household1 or the care of his home4 ,b4 ,,noah',s ,,fall4 #a4 ,why ,moses omitted many important things about ,noah and related his fall #acg-ach4 #b4 ,lyra tries to excuse ,noah's fall #aci4 #c4 ,noah's fall cannot be excused #adj-ada4 #d4 ,his fall caused a great scandal #adb4 #e4 ,ham scandalized himself through it #adb-adc4 a4 ,real root of this scandal #add4 b4 ,thereby ,noah greatly sinned #ade;ff4 99 ,original sin develops presumptuous people #adf-adh4 c4 ,this scandal reveals ,satan's bitterest enmity against ,god's ,church #adi4 99 ,papists are ,ham's disciples #aej4 99 ,david's enemies rejoiced over his fall #aea4 #f4 ,to what end should ,noah's fall serve us #aeb-aed4 99 ,the godless are not worthy to see ,god's glory in believers #aee4 99 ,why we should not be vexed at the infirmities of believers #aef-aeg4 #g4 ,the conduct of ,shem and ,japheth in this connection #aeh-agc4 a4 ,they still honored their father1 though they approved not his deed #aeh4 99 ,origin of outward sin #aei4 99 ,how to avoid offense #afj-afb4 99 ,luther aware of his own infirmities #afc4 99 ,attitude of the opponents of the ,word to true preachers #afd4 99 ,why ,moses never mentioned many great events in ,noah's life1 and thought of his fall #afe-aff4 b4 ,how the sons covered their father's shame #afg4 c4 ,herein they had regard for ,god's will and were therefore pleasing to ,god #afh4 99 ,ham's scandal4 7#a7 ,it was a wilful and grievous sin #afh-afi4 7#b7 ,the lesson we may learn from it #agj4 7#c7 ,reward of this scandalous deed1 and why ,canaan is here mentioned #agb-agc4 ,b4 ,noah's ,fall4 #acg4 ,though reason tells us that ,noah was burdened with these manifold duties after the flood1 yet ,moses does not mention them4 ,it appears to him sufficient to confine his remarks to the statement that ,noah began to plant a vineyard1 and that he lay in his tent drunken and naked4 ,this1 surely1 is a foolish and very useless tale in comparison with the many praiseworthy acts he must have performed in the course of so many years4 ,other things might have been recorded for edification and for teaching righteousness of life4 ,but this story even seems to endorse an offense1 by abetting drunkards and those who sin in drunkenness4 #ach4 ,the purpose of the ,holy ,spirit1 however1 is apparent from what we have said4 ,it is to console by this record of the great sins committed by the holiest and most perfect patriarchs those righteous persons who are discouraged by the knowledge of their own weakness and are1 therefore1 cast down4 ,in them we are to find proofs of our own shortcomings1 that we may come to humble confession and1 at the same time1 seek and hope for forgiveness4 ,this is the real and theologically true reason why the ,holy ,spirit records1 rather than seemingly more important matters1 the great fall of this grand man4 #aci4 ,lyra states as excuse for ,noah that he knew not the power of wine and was deceived into drinking a little too freely4 ,whether wine had been known before or whether ,noah began to cultivate it by his own skill and by divine suggestion1 ,i know not1 but ,i believe that ,noah knew the nature of this produce quite well1 and that he had often made use of wine in company with his family1 partly for his own person and partly also in his offerings or libations4 ,i think that in making use of wine for his own refreshment1 he partook of it too freely4 #adj4 ,his action ,i excuse in no way4 ,should anyone want to do so1 there would be weightier arguments than those ,lyra uses4 ,according to him this aged man1 tired out by the great number of his daily duties and cares1 had been overpowered by the wine although he was already used to it4 ,for wine overcomes more easily those who are either exhausted by much work or burdened with age4 ,persons of mature age1 on the other hand1 and such of care-free mind1 can drink considerable quantities of wine without greatly impairing their reason4 #ada4 ,but he who makes this excuse for the patriarch1 wilfully casts aside that consolation which the ,holy ,spirit considered needful for the ,church1 that even the greatest saints sometimes fall into sin4 #adb4 ,transgression like this may seem to be slight1 yet it causes great offense4 ,not only is ,ham offended1 but also the other brother1 possibly also their wives4 ,and we must not imagine that ,ham was a boy of seven years4 ,having been born when ,noah was five hundred years old1 he had reached an age of at least one hundred years and had one or two children of his own4 #adc4 ,hence1 it was not boyish thoughtlessness which caused ,ham to laugh at his father1 as boys will do when surrounding a drunken rustic in the street and making sport of him4 ,he was truly offended by his father's sin and thought himself to be more righteous1 holy and religious than his father4 ,noah's deed was an offense not only in appearance1 but in very truth1 since ,ham was so far tempted by the knowledge of it that he passed judgment upon ,noah1 and found in such sin an occasion for mirth4 #add4 ,if we wish to judge ,ham's sin aright1 we must take into account original sin1 that is1 the wickedness of the heart4 ,this son would never have derided his father for being overcome by wine had he not first dismissed from his soul that reverence and esteem which ,god's commandment requires children to cherish toward their parents4 #ade4 ,noah had been considered a fool before the flood1 by the majority of mankind1 and had been condemned as a false teacher and despised as a man of wild ideas4 ,now he is laughed at by his son as a fool1 and condemned as a sinner4 ,noah was sole governor of the ,church and ,state1 and ruled his own household with tireless care and labor4 ,he had doubtless therein offended the proud and haughty spirit of his son in many ways4 ,but the depravity of his heart which now1 that the father's sin had become manifest1 leaped to the surface1 had so far been successfully concealed4 #adf4 ,when we consider the source of ,ham's sin1 its hideousness first appears in its true light4 ,one never becomes an adulterer or commits murder until he has first cast out of his heart the fear of ,god4 ,a pupil does not rebel against his teacher unless he has first lost due reverence for that teacher4 ,the fourteenth ,psalm1 verse #b1 says that ,jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men1 to see if there were any that did understand1 and that did seek after ,god4 ,when he saw there was none he adds there was none who did good2 that they had all become worthless1 sinning tongues1 sinning with their hands1 fearing where there was no need of fear1 and the like4 #adg4 ,so ,ham1 in his own estimation1 was wise and holy4 ,in his judgment his father had often acted unrighteously or foolishly4 ,his attitude discloses a heart that despised1 not only the parent1 but also the divine commandment4 ,hence1 nothing remains for the evil-minded son but to grasp an opportunity for obtaining evidence to betray his father's foolishness4 ,he does not laugh at his drunken father as a boy would1 nor does he call his brethren merely that they may look upon a laughable spectacle4 ,he means that this shall be open proof that ,god has withdrawn from his father and has accepted himself4 ,therefore1 he takes delight in disclosing his father's sin to others4 ,as ,i said before1 ,ham was not a boy of seven years1 but had reached the age of at least one hundred4 #adh4 ,original sin shows its depraving tendency in that it makes men arrogant1 haughty and conceited4 ,paul admonishes in ,romans #ab1 #c1 to think of one's self soberly1 according as ,god hath dealt to each man a measure of faith4 ,but1 original sin does not permit ,ham to occupy this lowly level2 hence1 he presumes to go beyond his station in passing judgment upon his father4 #adi4 ,we observe the same attitude in ,absalom4 ,before he stirs up a rebellion against ,david1 his father1 he passes unrighteous judgment upon ,david's government4 ,this dissatisfaction with his father's rule was afterward followed by unconcealed contempt and open violence1 with ,david's destruction as the object4 ,ham's heart being full of poison which he had gathered from his father as a spider gathers poison from the fairest rose1 precisely such a result had to follow4 #aej4 ,these examples serve to call our attention to the battle waged from the beginning of the world between the ,church and ,satan with his followers1 the hypocrites1 or false brethren4 ,this deed of ,ham must not be looked upon as a result of boyish love of pranks1 but of ,satan's most bitter enmity1 wherewith he inflames his followers against the ,church4 ,particularly does he incite them against those in the ministry1 leading them to close watch at all times for material available for purposes of slander4 ,the ,papists at present have no other business than to watch our conversation for the purpose of slander4 ,whenever we fall into human error 7for we are truly weak and are beset by our failings71 they seize upon our moral uncleanness1 like famished swine1 and find great delight in publishing and betraying our weaknesses1 like ,ham the accursed4 ,they truly hunger and thirst after our offenses4 ,although by ,god's grace they cannot fasten adultery1 murder or like errors upon us1 unless by their own fabrication 7this shameless class of people abhor no kind of lie71 yet they gather up smaller matters1 which they afterward exaggerate to the public4 #aea4 ,david's experience is well known4 ,he was surrounded on all sides by enemies who eagerly sought out every opportunity for persecution4 ,they were envious because he had been called to the throne by ,god2 hence1 they triumphed over his horrible fall4 #aeb4 ,his case1 however1 serves for our instruction4 ,god sometimes permits even righteous and holy men to stumble and fall into offenses1 either really or apparently1 and we must take heed lest we pass judgment at once1 after the example of ,ham1 who1 having secretly despised his father long before1 now does so openly4 ,he declared that his parent1 being imbecile by age1 had clearly been deserted by the ,holy ,spirit1 since he was unable to guard against drunkenness1 though the government of the ,church1 ,state1 and household lay upon his shoulders4 ,o wretched ,ham1 how happy art thou1 having found at last what thou soughtest--poison in a most delightful rose6 #aec4 ,everlasting praises and blessings be given to ,god1 whose dealings with his saints are wonderful indeed4 ,while he permits them to be weak and to fall1 to be overwhelmed with disgrace and offenses1 and while the world judges and condemns them1 he forgives them their weaknesses and has compassion upon them2 whereas he delivers into ,satan's hands those who regard themselves angels1 and utterly rejects them4 ,the first lesson of this story is that godly persons have the needed consolation against their infirmities when they see that even the holiest men sometimes fell most disgracefully by reason of similar infirmities4 #aed4 ,in the second place1 the case of ,ham is a fearful example of divine judgment1 to teach us by ,ham's experience not to condemn at once1 even when we see rulers of ,state1 ,church1 or household--such as our parents--fall into error and sin4 ,who can tell why ,god so permits8 ,such sins must not be excused1 yet we see that they are of value for the consolation of the pious4 ,they teach us that ,god can bear with the errors and sins of his people and that even we1 when beset with sins1 may trust in the mercy of ,god and need not lose heart4 #aee4 ,but what is medicine for the righteous1 is poison for the wicked4 ,the latter do not seek to be taught and comforted by ,god4 ,their unworthiness prevents them from recognizing his glory in the saints4 ,they see nothing but the stumbling block and the snare1 with the result that they fall and are left to perish alone4 #aef4 ,let us1 therefore1 truly respect those in authority over us4 ,if they fall1 we must not be offended4 ,we must remember that they are human1 and that ,god's ways are wonderful in his saints1 because it is his will that the wicked shall be offended and provoked4 ,thus ,moses threatens the ,jews3 ,i will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation 7,deut #cb1 #ba74 ,because1 during the whole period of the kingdom1 they refused to hear the prophets1 ,god gave the offense of casting away a wise and religious people1 which had the promises and was descended from the patriarchs4 ,in its place1 he chose the filth and dregs of the world1 a foolish people2 that is1 it was without piety1 without religion1 without worship1 without that divine wisdom which is his ,word4 ,this offense roused the ,jews to insane anger4 #aeg4 ,this will be the lot of the papists4 ,some great offense shall be given them by ,god against which they shall find themselves helpless1 and thus they shall come to grief like ,ham4 ,renouncing the reverence due both to ,god and his father1 in deeming himself more capable of ruling the ,church than ,noah1 in secretly deriding or censuring his parent1 he finally presents the spectacle of disclosing his wicked and irreverent attitude before others4 #aeh4 ,the two other brothers1 ,shem and ,japheth1 did not follow ,ham's wicked example4 ,while conscious of the scandalous fact that their father was drunk and lay in shameless nakedness like a little boy1--while recognizing that this ill became the ruler of ,church and ,state1 they remained mindful of the reverence due a parent4 ,they gulped down the offense given2 they hid the offense and gave it a worthier aspect1 so to speak1 by covering their father with a garment1 approaching him with eyes averted4 ,they would have been incapable of this fine outward expression of reverence for their father1 had they not occupied a correct attitude toward ,god in their hearts and believed their father to be both priest and ruler by right divine4 #aei4 ,it is a fearful example1 this one of ,ham4 ,though one of the few saved during the flood1 he forgets all piety4 ,it is profitable to carefully consider how he came to fall4 ,outward sins must first be committed in our minds2 that is1 before sins are visibly committed1 the heart first departs from the ,word and from the fear of ,god4 ,it neither knows ,god nor seeks after him1 as we read in ,psalms #ad1 #b4 ,as soon as the heart begins to set aside the ,word1 and to despise the ministers and prophets of ,god1 ambition and pride follow4 ,those who stand in the way of our desires are overborne by hatred and slander1 until finally insolent speech ends in murder4 #afj4 ,those who are to become rulers of ,church or ,state1 should daily pray earnestly to ,god that they may remain humble4 ,it is the object of stories of this character to set this duty before us1 for it is evident what occasioned ,ham's frightful fall4 #afa4 ,if1 then1 the saints fall into sin1 let us not be offended4 ,much less should we rejoice over the weakness of others1 haughtily esteeming ourselves braver1 wiser1 or holier than they4 ,let us rather endure and cover up1 and even put a good construction upon and excuse such errors in so far as we can1 remembering that perhaps tomorrow we may suffer what happened to them today4 ,for we all constitute a unit1 being born of the same flesh4 ,let us then heed the advice of ,paul1 ,let him that thinketh he standeth1 take heed lest he fall 7#a ,cor #aj1 #ab74 ,in this way the other two brothers looked upon their drunken father4 ,their thoughts were these3 ,behold1 our father has fallen4 ,but ,god is wonderful in his dealing with saints1 whom he sometimes permits to fall for our instruction1 that we may not despair when afflicted by kindred infirmity4 #afb4 ,let us imitate their wisdom6 ,the sins of others give us no right to judge them4 ,before their own master they stand or fall 7,rom #ad1 #d74 ,furthermore1 if the downfall of others displease us 7since1 in truth1 many acts neither can nor ought to be excused71 let us be so much the more careful lest something like it overtake ourselves4 ,let us not sit in proud and haughty judgment1 for this is original sin in all its corruption3 ,to lay claim to exceptional wisdom and to hunt for the moral lapses of others in order to gain the reputation of righteousness for ourselves4 #afc4 ,we truly are weak sinners and must freely confess1 being human1 that our conversation is not always free from offense4 ,but while we share this weakness with our enemies1 we nevertheless do our duty diligently1 by spreading ,god's ,word1 by teaching the churches1 by bettering the evil1 by urging the right1 by consoling the weak1 by chiding the stubborn1 and1 in brief1 by doing whatever duty ,god lays upon us4 #afd4 ,on the other hand since our adversaries strive after nothing but hypocrisy and an outward show of holiness1 so they add to the frailty which they have in common with us1 the most grievous sins1 because they do not follow their calling1 but concern themselves with their honors and emoluments4 ,they neglect the churches and suffer them to miserably decay4 ,they condemn the true doctrine and teach idolatry4 ,in short1 in public life they are wise1 but in their own sphere they are utterly foolish4 ,this is the most destructive evil in the ,church4 #afe4 ,this is the first part of the story1 and1 in the preparation of his record1 ,moses has confined himself to the same4 ,it is certain that ,noah was a righteous man1 gifted with many heroic virtues1 and that he accomplished most important things both for the ,church and for the ,state4 ,it is not possible either to establish political communities or to found churches except by diligent effort4 ,life1 in both these manifestations 7,i will say nothing of the management of the home7 is beset with many dangers2 for ,satan1 a liar and murderer1 is the most relentless enemy of ,church and ,state4 #aff4 ,but ,moses passes by all these achievements1 not so much as alluding to them4 ,he records but this one circumstance--that ,noah became drunk and was scoffed at by his youngest son4 ,he intended it as a valuable example1 teaching pious souls to trust in ,god's mercy4 ,on the other hand1 the proud1 the lovers of cant1 the sanctimonious1 the wise-acres1--let them learn to fear ,god and beware of passing a reckless judgment upon others6 ,as ,manasseh the king declares1 ,god displays in his saints both his wonders and his terrors against wicked and sinful men4 ,this is illustrated in the case of ,ham1 who did not now first come to his downfall but had cherished this hate against his father for a long time1 afterward to fill the world with idolatry4 ,vs4 #bc-bg4 ,and ,shem and ,japheth took a garment1 and laid it upon both their shoulders1 and went backward1 and covered the nakedness of their father2 and their faces were backward1 and they saw not their father's nakedness4 ,and ,noah awoke from his wine1 and knew what his youngest son had done unto him4 ,and he said1 ,cursed be ,canaan2 a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren4 #afg4 ,it is truly a beautiful and memorable example of respect to a father which ,moses records in this passage4 ,the sons might without sin have approached their father and covered him1 while turning their faces toward him4 ,what sin should it be if one1 happening upon a nude person1 should see what is before him without his will8 ,still the two sons do not do this4 ,when they heard from their haughty and mocking brother what had happened to their father1 they laid a garment upon both their shoulders1 entered the tent with faces turned away 7how admirable671 and lowering the garment backward1 covered their father4 #afh4 ,who can fail to observe here the thoughtfulness of the will and ,word of ,god1 and reverence before the majesty of fatherhood1 which ,god requires to be honored1 not despised or mocked by children8 ,god seems to approve this reverence and accept it as a most pleasing offering and the very noblest worship and obedience4 ,but his utmost hatred rests upon ,ham1 who might have seen without sin what he saw1 since it came to his view by chance1 if only he had covered it up1 if only he had remained silent about it1 if only he had not shown himself to be pleased by the sin of his father4 ,but he who despised ,god1 the ,word1 and the order established by ,god1 not only failed to cover his father with a garment1 but even derided him and left him naked4 #afi4 ,in describing the act of the two brothers ,moses emphasizes the malice of ,ham1 who was filled with violent and satanic hatred against his father4 ,who of us1 on finding a stranger lying by the wayside drunk and nude1 would not at least cover him with his own coat to forestall disgrace8 ,how much greater the demand in this case of a father6 ,ham1 however1 fails to do for his father1 the highest ruler of the world1 what common humanity teaches us to do for strangers4 ,moreover he publishes the circumstance joyfully1 insulting his drunken father and making the sin of his father known to his brothers as if he had a piece of good news4 #agj4 ,moses1 therefore1 sets ,ham before us as a fearful example1 to be carefully taught in the churches1 in order that young people may learn to respect their elders1 rulers1 and parents4 ,not on account of ,noah1 not on account of ,ham1 but on account of those to come--on our account--is this story written1 and ,ham1 with his contempt for ,god and father1 pictured in most repulsive colors4 #aga4 ,also the punishment of this wickedness is carefully set before us4 ,noah1 looked upon by his son as a foolish1 insane1 and ridiculous old man1 now steps forth in the majesty of a prophet1 to announce to his son a divine revelation of future events4 ,truly does ,paul declare that power is made perfect in weakness 7#b ,cor #ab1 #i72 for the certainty characterizing ,noah's utterance is proof that he was filled with the ,holy ,spirit1 notwithstanding that his son had mocked and despised him as one utterly deserted by the ,holy ,spirit4 #agb4 ,i will not attempt here to settle the question above referred to 7ch #e1 para #ie7 concerning the order of the sons of ,noah1 as to which of them was the first-born and which the youngest4 ,a point more worthy of our attention is the fact that the ,holy ,spirit is so filled with strong wrath against that disobedient and scornful son that he does not even choose to call him by his own name1 but calls him ,canaan after the name of his son4 ,some say that1 because ,god had desired to save ,ham in the ark as one under his blessing the same as the others1 he had no wish to curse him1 but cursed ,canaan instead1 a curse which1 nevertheless1 could not but recoil upon ,ham who had provoked it4 ,thus ,ham's name perishes here1 since the ,holy ,spirit hates it1 whose hatred is1 indeed1 a serious hatred4 ,we read in the psalm1 ,i hate them with perfect hatred 7,ps #aci1 #bb74 ,when the ,holy ,spirit exercises his wrath1 eternal death must follow4 #agc4 ,although ,ham had sinned against his father in many ways1 it is remarkable that the fruit of the first sin and the devil's malice did not become manifest until the father lay drunk and bare4 ,when1 with this sin1 the previous ones had attained to fullness of power and growth1 the ,holy ,spirit condemned him1 and1 as a warning to others1 also announced the infliction of impending1 endless servitude4 ,v4 #bf4 ,and he said1 ,blessed be ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,shem2 and let ,canaan be his servant4 ,these are two sublime prophecies1 worthy of close attention4 ,they have significance in our time1 though they were grossly garbled by the ,jews4 ,the ,jews observe that ,ham is cursed thrice2 this fact they wrest to the glory of their own nation1 promising themselves worldly dominion4 ,v4 ,,ham ,,cursed2 ,,shem ,,and ,,japheth ,,blessed4 ,a4 ,,the ,,curse ,,pronounced ,,upon ,,ham #agd-ahh4 #a4 ,why ,ham was thrice cursed #agd4 99 ,disrespect of parents1 pastors and authority signs of approaching misfortune #age4 #b4 ,way ,ham disregarded the curse #agf4 #c4 ,why ,ham disregarded the curse #agg-agh4 #d4 ,ham's temporal prosperity continued with his curse #agi-aha4 99 ,faith alone grasps ,god's threatenings and promises #ahj-aha4 99 ,reason ,god postpones punishment and reward #aha-ahb4 99 ,the ,papal ,church is not the true ,church #ahc4 99 ,believers have comfort in their tribulations #ahd-ahe4 99 ,the pious have their kingdom here in faith #ahf4 #e4 ,from this curse it is clear ,noah was enlightened by the ,holy ,spirit #ahg4 99 ,were all ,ham's descendents cursed8 #ahh4 ,b4 ,,blessing ,,pronounced ,,upon ,,shem #ahi-aia4 #a4 ,this is an exceedingly great blessing #ahi4 #b4 ,why is it clothed in praise to ,god #aij4 #c4 ,this blessing proves that ,noah possessed a precious light #aia4 ,c4 ,,blessing ,,pronounced ,,upon ,,japheth #aib-bbd4 #a4 ,why the form of ,japheth's blessing differed from that of ,shem's #aib4 #b4 ,herein lies a special secret #aic4 #c4 ,the ,jews' false interpretation of this blessing #aid4 #d4 ,relation of these two blessings to each other #aie4 99 ,the ,jews' false notion about ,shem's blessing #aif4 #e4 ,the order in which these blessings are enjoyed #aig-aih4 99 ,the form ,god's ,church takes in this world #aii4 99 ,divine promises and threatenings to be understood in a spiritual sense #aii-bjj4 99 ,ham and ,cain resemble one another in their positions and works #bja4 99 ,the ,turk and the ,pope4 a4 ,what strengthens them in their opposition to the true ,church #bjb4 99 ,how a ,christian should conduct himself in times of misfortunes #bjc4 b4 ,the power and advantages of the ,turk and ,pope of no avail #bjd4 c4 ,attitude of ,church members to their pride #bje-bjf4 99 ,why ,ham's name was not mentioned when he was cursed #bjg-bjh4 #f4 ,the word dilatet the ,latins use in explaining ,japheth's blessing #bji-baj4 a4 ,it is not in harmony with the ,hebrew #bji-baj4 b4 ,why all ,latin interpreters use it #baa4 c4 ,it does not fully express the sense of the ,holy ,spirit #bab4 d4 ,what explanation should be given here #bac-bae4 #g4 ,all descendents of ,japheth partake of this blessing through the ,gospel #baf-bag4 #h4 ,translations of ,latin interpreters of this blessing are to be harmonized with the original text #bah-bai4 99 ,ham's name #bbj-bba4 a4 ,its meaning and reason his parents gave it to him #bbj4 b4 ,the hope of his parents in this name disappointed #bba4 #i4 ,it is ascribed to this promise that ,germany in these last days received the light of the ,gospel #bbb4 99 ,abraham had ,noah as his teacher #bbc4 99 ,the temporal prosperity of ,ham's family1 and their wickedness #bbd4 ,v4 ,,ham ,,cursed2 ,,shem ,,and ,,japheth ,,blessed4 ,a4 ,the ,curse ,pronounced ,upon ,ham4 #agd4 ,but there is another reason for this repeatedly uttered curse4 ,god cannot forget such great irreverence toward parents1 nor does he suffer it to go unpunished4 ,he requires that parents and rulers be regarded with reverence4 ,he requires that elders be honored1 commanding that one shall rise up before a hoary head 7,lev #ai1 #cb74 ,and1 speaking of ministers of the ,word1 he says1 ,he that despiseth you1 despiseth me 7,mt #aj1 #dj2 ,lk #aj1 #af74 #age4 ,hence disobedience of parents is a sure indication that curse and disaster are close at hand4 ,likewise is contempt of ministers and of rulers punished4 ,when the people of the primitive world began to deride the patriarchs and to hold their authority in contempt1 the flood followed4 ,when1 among the people of ,judah1 the child began to behave himself proudly against the old man1 as ,isaiah has it 7ch #c1 #e71 ,jerusalem was laid waste and ,judah went down4 ,such corruption of morals is a certain sign of impending evil4 ,we justly fear for ,germany a like fate when we look upon the prevailing disrespect for authority4 #agf4 ,let us1 however1 bear witness of a practice to which both ,holy ,writ and our experience testify4 ,because ,god delays the threatened punishment he is mocked and considered a liar4 ,in this practice we should see the seal1 as it were1 to every prophecy4 ,ham hears that he is accursed2 but inasmuch as the curse does not go into immediate effect1 he securely despises and derides the same4 #agg4 ,thus did the first world hold ,noah's prophecy in ridicule when he spoke of the flood4 ,had they believed that such a punishment was close at hand1 would they have gone on in a feeling of security8 ,would they not rather have repented and begun a better life8 ,if ,ham had believed that to be true which he heard from his father1 he would have sought refuge in mercy and1 confessing his crime1 craved forgiveness4 ,but he did neither2 rather did he haughtily leave his father1 to go to ,babylon4 ,there1 with his posterity1 he gave himself up to the building of a city and of a tower1 and made himself lord of all ,greater ,asia4 #agh4 ,what is the reason for this feeling of security8 ,it lies in the fact that divine prophecies must be believed2 they cannot be perceived by our senses1 or by experience4 ,this is true both of divine promises and of divine threats4 ,therefore the opposite always seems to the flesh to be true4 #agi4 ,ham is cursed by his father2 but he lays hold upon the greater portion of the earth and establishes vast kingdoms4 ,on the other hand1 ,shem and ,japheth are blessed1 but in comparison with ,ham1 they and their posterity are beggarly4 ,where then are we to seek the truth of this prophecy8 ,i answer3 ,this prophecy and all others1 whether they be promises or threats1 cannot be understood by reason1 but by faith alone4 ,god delays both punishments and rewards2 hence there is need of endurance4 ,for ,he that endureth to the end1 the same shall be saved1 as ,christ says 7,mt #bd1 #ac74 #ahj4 ,the life of all pious people is wholly of faith and hope4 ,the evidence of our senses1 history1 and the way of the world1 would teach us the opposite4 ,ham is cursed1 yet he alone obtains dominion4 ,shem and ,japheth are blessed1 yet they alone bear reproach and affliction4 ,since both the promises and the threats of ,god reach out into the future1 the issue must be awaited in faith4 ,habakkuk says 7ch #b1 #c71 ,it will surely come1 it will not delay4 #aha4 ,great is the wrath of the ,holy ,spirit which here prompts him to say of ,ham1 ,a servant of servants shall he be2 that is1 the lowest and vilest of slaves4 ,but if you let history speak1 you will see ,ham rule in ,canaan1 whereas ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 and others who followed1 and had the blessing1 lived like servants among the ,canaanites4 ,the ,egyptians are ,ham's offspring1 and how cruel was the servitude ,israel suffered there6 #ahb4 ,how1 then1 was it true that ,ham was cursed and ,shem was blessed8 ,in this way3 ,the fulfillment of the promise and of the threat was in the future4 ,this delay is ordained in order that the wicked may fill their measure of sin and may not be able to accuse ,god of having given them no room for repentance4 ,on the other hand1 when the righteous suffer at the hands of the unrighteous and become the servants of servants1 they undergo such trial and discipline for the purpose of increasing in faith and in love toward ,god2 so that1 trained in manifold vexations and tribulations1 they may attain the promise4 ,when the time was fulfilled1 the might of ,ham's posterity was not great enough to withstand the posterity of ,shem4 ,then1 indeed1 was fulfilled that curse which ,ham and his posterity had so long despised and disbelieved4 #ahc4 ,it is much the same with us today4 ,we have the true doctrine and the true worship4 ,hence we can boast that we are the true ,church1 having the promise of spiritual blessings in ,christ4 ,as the pope's church condemns our doctrine1 we know her to be not the ,church of ,christ but of ,satan1 and truly1 like ,ham1 a servant of servants4 ,and yet anyone may see that the pope rules1 while we are servants and the off-scouring1 as ,paul says 7#a ,cor #d1 #ab74 #ahd4 ,what1 then1 shall we poor1 oppressed people do8 ,we are to comfort our souls meanwhile with our spiritual dominion4 ,we know we have forgiveness of sins and a gracious ,god1 through ,christ1 until also temporal freedom shall be vouchsafed on the last day4 ,and we are not without traces of temporal freedom even in this life2 for while tyrants stubbornly oppose the ,gospel1 they are cut off from the earth1 root and branch4 #ahe4 ,so was the ,roman empire destroyed after all the other world-powers perished2 but ,god's ,word and ,church remain forever4 ,likewise1 ,christ weakens the ,pope's power1 little by little2 but that he may be utterly removed and become a servant of servants with wicked ,ham is a matter for faith to await4 ,ham is shut out from the kingdom of ,god and possesses the kingdoms of the world for a time1 just as the pope is shut out from the ,church of ,god and holds temporal dominion for a time4 ,but his dominion shall vanish4 #ahf4 ,the divine law and order is that the righteous have dominion1 but by faith1 being satisfied with such spiritual blessing as a gracious ,god and the certain hope of the heavenly kingdom4 ,meanwhile1 we leave possession of the kingdoms of the world to the wicked until ,god shall scatter also their worldly power1 and1 through ,christ1 make us heirs of all things4 #ahg4 ,furthermore1 we learn from this prophecy that ,noah1 by a special illumination of the ,holy ,spirit1 was enabled to see1 in the first place1 that his posterity would remain forever1 and in the second place1 that the family of ,ham1 though they were to be rulers for a time1 would perish at last and above all would lose the spiritual blessing4 #ahh4 ,however1 the explanation given above 7ch #d1 para #ahb7 with reference to the descendants of ,cain1 applies also here4 ,i do not entertain the opinion that the offspring of ,ham were doomed1 without exception4 ,some found salvation by being converted to faith1 but such salvation was not due to a definite promise but to uncovenanted grace1 so to speak4 ,likewise the ,gibeonites and others were saved when the children of ,israel occupied the land of ,canaan4 ,job1 ,naaman the ,syrian1 the people of ,nineveh1 the widow of ,zarephath1 and others from the heathen were saved1 not by virtue of a promise1 but by uncovenanted grace4 ,b4 ,blessing ,pronounced ,upon ,shem4 #ahi4 ,but why does ,noah not say1 ,blessed be ,shem1 instead of1 ,blessed be ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,shem8 ,i answer that it is because of the magnitude of the blessing4 ,the reference here is not to a temporal blessing1 but to the future blessing through the promised seed4 ,he sees this blessing to be so great that he cannot express it2 hence1 he turns to thanksgiving4 ,it seems that ,zacharias was thinking of this very passage when he said1 for a similar reason1 ,blessed be the ,lord1 the ,god of ,israel 7,lk #a1 #fh74 #aij4 ,noah's blessing takes the form of thanksgiving unto ,god4 ,god1 he says1 is blessed1 who is the ,god of ,shem4 ,in other words3 ,it is needless for me to extend my blessing over ,shem1 who has been blessed before with spiritual blessing2 he already is a child of ,god1 and from him the ,church will be continued1 as it was continued from ,seth before the flood4 ,full of wonderful meaning is the fact that ,noah joins ,god with ,shem1 his son1 and1 as it were1 unites them4 #aia4 ,noah's heart must have been divinely illumined since he makes such a distinction between his sons1 rejecting ,ham with his posterity and placing ,shem in line with the saints and the ,church because the spiritual blessing1 given in paradise concerning the seed1 would rest upon him4 ,therefore1 this holy man blesses ,god and gives thanks unto him4 ,c4 ,blessing ,pronounced ,upon ,japheth4 ,v4 #bg4 ,god enlarge ,japheth1 and let him dwell in the tents of ,shem2 and let ,canaan be his servant4 #aib4 ,this prophecy is wonderful for the aptness of each single word4 ,noah did not bless ,shem1 but the ,god of ,shem1 by way of giving thanks to ,god for having embraced ,shem and having adorned him with a spiritual promise1 or the blessing of the woman's seed4 ,but when he mentions ,japheth he does not employ the same manner of speaking as in the case of ,shem4 ,his words are chosen for the purpose of showing the mystery of which ,paul speaks 7,rom #aa1 #aa7 and ,christ 7,jn #d1 #bb71 that salvation is from the ,jews and yet the gentiles also became partakers of this salvation4 ,shem alone is the true root and stem1 yet the heathen are grafted upon this stem1 as a foreign branch1 and become partakers of the fatness and the sap which are in the chosen tree4 #aic4 ,noah1 seeing this through the ,holy ,spirit1 predicts1 in dim allusions but correctly1 that ,christ's kingdom is to spread in the world from the root of ,shem1 and not from that of ,japheth4 #aid4 ,the ,jews prate that ,japheth stands for the neighboring nations around ,jerusalem which were admitted to the temple and its worship4 ,but ,noah makes little ado about the temple of ,jerusalem1 or the tabernacle of ,moses2 his words refer to greater matters4 ,he treats of the three patriarchs who are to replenish the earth4 ,while he affirms of ,japheth that he does not belong to the root of the people of ,god which possesses the promise of the ,christ1 he declares that he shall be incorporated through the call of the ,gospel into the fellowship of that people which has ,god and the promises4 #aie4 ,here1 then1 we have a picture of the ,church of the ,gentiles and of the ,jews4 ,ham1 being wicked1 is not admitted to the spiritual blessing of the seed1 except as it happens by uncovenanted grace4 ,to ,japheth1 however1 though he has not the promise of the seed1 like ,shem1 the hope is nevertheless given that he will1 at some future time1 be taken into the fellowship of the ,church4 ,thus we ,gentiles1 being sons of ,japheth1 have no direct promise1 indeed1 and yet we are included in the promise given to the ,jews1 since we are predestined to the fellowship of the holy people of ,god4 ,these matters are here recorded1 not for ,shem and ,japheth so much as for their posterity4 #aif4 ,we learn why the ,jews are so haughty and boastful4 ,they see that ,shem1 their father1 alone has the promise of eternal blessing1 which is given through ,christ4 ,so far1 so good4 ,but when they believe that the promise pertains not to faith but rather to the carnal descent1 they are in error4 ,this subject has been splendidly treated by ,paul 7,rom #i1 #f74 ,there he establishes the fact that the children of ,abraham are not his carnal descendants but those who have his faith 7,gal #c1 #g74 #aig4 ,the same thought is suggested here by ,moses1 who says in so many words1 ,blessed be ,jehovah1 the ,god of ,shem4 ,this shows that there is no blessing except by the ,god of ,shem4 ,hence1 no ,jew will share this blessing unless he have the ,god of ,shem2 that is1 unless he believes4 ,nor will ,japheth share the blessing unless he dwells in the tents of ,shem1 that is1 unless he associates himself with him in faith4 #aih4 ,this is a grand promise1 valid unto the end of the world4 ,but just as it is limited to those who have the ,god of ,shem1 that is1 who believe1 so the curse also is limited to those who abide in the wickedness of ,ham4 ,noah spoke these words1 not on the strength of human authority and feeling1 but by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,his words then refer not to a temporal1 but to a spiritual and eternal curse4 ,nor must we understand him to speak of a curse that is a curse only in the sight of the world1 but rather of one in the sight of ,god4 #aii4 ,the same statement has been made heretofore 7ch #d para #ahb7 regarding the curse of ,cain4 ,judged by outward appearances1 ,cain obtained a greater earthly blessing than ,seth4 ,god desires that his ,church in this world shall apparently suffer the curse pronounced upon the wicked and that1 on the other hand1 the wicked shall seem to be blessed4 ,cain was the first man to build a city1 calling it ,enoch2 while ,seth dwelt in tents4 #bjj4 ,thus did ,ham build the city and tower of ,babel and ruled far and wide1 while ,shem and ,japheth were poor1 living in lowly tents4 ,the facts of history1 then1 teach that both the promises and the curses of ,god are not to be understood carnally1 or of the present life1 but spiritually4 ,although oppressed in the world1 the righteous are surely heirs and sons of ,god1 while the wicked1 though flourishing for a season1 shall ultimately be cut down and wither2 a warning often uttered in the ,psalms4 #bja4 ,there is a striking similarity in the conduct and the lot of ,cain and ,ham4 ,cain killed his brother1 which shows plainly enough the lack of reverence for his father in his heart4 ,having been put in the ban by his father1 he leaves the ,church of the true ,god and the true worship1 builds the city of ,enoch1 giving himself up altogether to worldly things4 ,just so does ,ham sin by dishonoring his father4 ,when also he subsequently receives as sentence the curse whereby he is excluded from the promised seed and the ,church1 he parts with ,god and the ,church without misgivings1 since the curse rests not upon his person but upon that of his son1 and migrates to ,babylon1 where he establishes a kingdom4 #bjb4 ,these are very illustrious examples and needed by the ,church1 ,turk and ,pope today2 allow us to boast of the heavenly and everlasting promise in that we have the ,gospel doctrine1 and are the ,church4 ,they know1 however1 our judgment of them1 that we consider and condemn both ,pope and ,turk as very ,antichrist4 ,how securely they ignore our judgment1 confidently because of the wealth and power they possess1 and also because of our weakness in character and numbers4 ,the very same spirit we plainly see in ,cain and ,ham1 in the condemned and excommunicated4 #bjc4 ,these truths enforce the lesson that we must not seek an abiding city or country in this bodily existence1 but in its varying changes and fortunes look to the hope of eternal life1 promised through ,christ4 ,this is the final haven2 and we must strive for it with sail and oar1 as eager and earnest sailors while the tempest rages4 #bjd4 ,what if the ,turk should obtain sway over the whole world1 which he never will8 ,michael1 as ,daniel says1 will bring aid to the holy people1 the ,church 7ch #aj1 #ac74 ,what matter if the ,pope should gain possession of the wealth of all the world1 as he has tried to do for many centuries with all the wealth at his command8 ,will ,turk and ,pope thereby escape death1 or even secure permanence of temporal power8 ,why1 then1 should we be misled by the temporal blessings which they enjoy1 or by our misfortunes and dangers1 since we know that they are banished from the fellowship of the saints1 while we enjoy everlasting blessings through the ,son of ,god8 #bje4 ,if ,cain and ,ham1 and ,pope and ,turk1 who are as father and son to each other1 can afford to despise the judgment of the true ,church on the strength of fleeting and meager successes in this life1 why can not we afford in turn to despise their power and censure1 on the strength of the everlasting blessings which we possess8 ,ham was not moved by his father's curse4 ,full of anger against him1 and despising him as a crazy old man1 he goes away and arms himself with the power of the world1 esteeming this more highly than to be blessed with ,shem by his father4 #bjf4 ,this story should give us strength for the similar experiences of today4 ,the priests and bishops heap contempt upon us1 saying1 ,what can those poverty stricken heretics do8 ,priest and bishop are puffed up with their wealth and power4 ,but let us bear this insolence of the wicked with undisturbed mind1 as ,noah bore that of his son4 ,let us take consolation in the hope and faith of the eternal benediction1 of which1 we know1 they are deprived4 #bjg4 ,i said above 7para #agb7 that the ,holy ,spirit was so greatly angered by the sin of ,ham that he could not bear even to speak his name in the curse4 ,and it is true1 as the punishment shows1 that ,ham sinned grievously4 ,the other reason mentioned above as not at all unlikely1 ,i will here repeat3 ,ham had been called and received into the ark by the divine ,word1 and had been saved with the others1 and ,noah wanted to spare him whom ,god had spared in the flood4 ,therefore1 he transferred the curse which ,ham merited1 to ,canaan1 his son1 whom ,ham doubtless desired to keep with him4 #bjh4 ,the ,jews offer a different explanation3 ,canaan1 the son1 having been the first to see his grandfather ,noah lying naked1 announced it to his father1 who then saw for himself2 hence1 ,canaan gave his father cause to commit the sin4 ,let the reader judge what value there is in this exposition4 #bji4 ,but there is also a philological question which must be discussed in connection4 ,scholars call translators to account for the rendering1 ,god enlarge ,japheth1 when the ,hebrew words do not permit it1 though not only the ,hebrews but also the ,chaldeans1 are mostly agreed that the word jepheth means to enlarge4 ,technical discussions of this kind1 however1 are sometimes very useful to clear up the precise meaning of a passage4 #baj4 ,some scholars derive the name ,japheth from the verb jephah1 which signifies to be beautiful1 as in ,ps #de1 #b3 japhjaphita mibene ,adam1 ,thou art fairer than the children of men4 ,but this may easily be shown to be an error2 for the true origin of the word is the verb phatah1 which means to persuade1 to deceive with fair words as in ,ex #bb #af3 ki jephateh isch betulah1 ,if a man entice a virgin1 he shall surely pay a dowry for her4 ,and in ,jer #bj1 #g3 pethithani jehovah va-epath1 ,o ,jehovah1 thou hast persuaded me and ,i was persuaded2 ,prov #a1 #aj3 ,im-jephatukah1 ,if sinners entice thee4 ,there is no need of more examples1 for the word occurs frequently1 and ,i have no doubt that it is derived from the ,greek word peitho1 for it has the same meaning4 #baa4 ,but let us turn to the question3 ,why have all translators made it read1 ,god enlarge ,japheth1 while it is not the word pathach1 which means to enlarge or to open1 but rather the word pathah8 ,i have no doubt that the translators were influenced by the harsh expression4 ,since this is a promise1 it seemed too harsh to state that ,noah had said1 ,god deceive ,japheth4 ,this would appear to be a word of cursing1 not of blessing4 ,hence they chose a milder term1 though it violated the rules of language4 ,and since there is but a slight difference between pathach1 and pathah1 they used one for the other4 ,they meant to preserve the important fact that this is a promise4 #bab4 ,but there is no need for us to alter the text in this manner1 and to violate its grammatical construction1 since the word pathah1 offers a most suitable meaning4 ,being a word of double meaning1 as the word suadere in ,latin1 it may be accepted either in a bad or in a good sense4 ,hence1 it is not irreverent to apply this word to ,god4 ,we find it clearly so used in ,hosea #b1 #ad1 where the ,lord says3 ,therefore1 behold1 ,i will 7mephateha7 allure her 7or1 entice her by coaxing71 and bring her into the wilderness1 and speak comfortably unto her4 ,i will suckle her1 speak sweetly unto her1 and thus will ,i deceive her1 as it were1 so that she may agree with me1 so that the ,church will join herself to me1 etc4 ,in this sense the word may here rightly be taken to mean allure1 persuade1 coax by means of friendly words and flattery4 ,god suckle1 persuade1 deceive ,japheth by persuasion1 so that ,japheth himself1 being allured1 as his name signifies1 may be invited in a friendly way and thus be beguiled4 #bac4 ,but you say1 what will be the meaning of this8 or why should there be need for ,japheth to be beguiled or persuaded1 and that by ,god himself8 ,i answer3 ,noah makes the names to serve his purpose in this prophecy4 ,he gives thanks to ,god that he establishes them to stand like a firm root from which ,christ was to spring4 ,for the verb sum1 signifies to place1 to put in position1 to establish4 #bad4 ,for ,japheth1 however1 he prays that he may become a true ,japheth4 ,since he was the oldest son1 who ordinarily should have been given the right of the first-born1 he prays that ,god would persuade him in a friendly manner1 first1 not to envy his brother this honor1 nor to be dissatisfied that this privilege was taken from him and given to his brother4 ,furthermore1 because this matter touches the person of ,japheth only1 ,god includes his entire offspring in the blessing4 ,though the promise was given to ,shem alone1 yet ,god does not shut out from it the offspring of ,japheth1 but speaks to them lovingly through the ,gospel1 that they may also become jepheth1 being persuaded by the ,word of the ,gospel4 ,this is a divine persuasion1 coming from the ,holy ,spirit2 not from the flesh1 nor from the world1 nor from ,satan1 but holy and quickening4 ,this expression is used by ,paul in ,gal #a1 #aj1 where he says1 ,am ,i now persuading men or ,god8 ,and ,gal #c1 #a1 ,who did bewitch you that ye should not obey the truth8--that ye do not agree to the truth1 that ye do not permit yourselves to be persuaded by that which is true8 #bae4 ,viewing the name ,japheth in this case1 it signifies a person of the kind which we call guileless1 who believes readily1 permitting himself to be easily persuaded of a matter1 who does not dispute or cling to his own ideas but submits his mind to the ,lord and rests upon his ,word1 remaining a learner1 not desiring to be master over the words and works of ,god4 ,hence it is a touching prayer which is here recorded1 that ,god might persuade ,japheth2 that is1 that he might speak fondly with him4 ,noah prays that1 though ,god does not speak to ,japheth on the basis of a promise1 as he does with ,shem1 yet he would speak with him on the basis of grace and divine goodness4 #baf4 ,this prayer of ,noah foresees the spread of the ,gospel throughout the whole world4 ,shem is the stem4 ,from his posterity ,christ was born4 ,the ,church is of the ,jews1 who had patriarchs1 prophets1 and kings4 ,and yet ,god here shows ,noah that also the wretched ,gentiles were to dwell in the tents of ,shem2 that is1 they were to come into that heritage of the saints which the ,son of ,god brought into this world--forgiveness of sins1 the ,holy ,spirit1 and everlasting life4 ,he prophesies clearly that also ,japheth will hear the sweet message of the ,gospel as his name suggests2 so that1 though he have not the same title as ,shem1 who was set to be the stem from which ,christ was to spring1 yet he should have the persuader1 namely the ,gospel4 #bag4 ,it was ,paul through whom this prophecy was fulfilled4 ,he almost unaided taught the ,gospel doctrine to the posterity of ,japheth4 ,he says3 ,from ,jerusalem1 and round about even unto ,illyricum1 ,i have fully preached the ,gospel of ,christ 7,rom #ae1 #ai74 ,almost all of ,asia1 with the exception of the oriental peoples1 together with ,europe1 belongs to the posterity of ,japheth4 ,the ,gentiles1 therefore1 did not1 as the ,jews did1 receive the kingdom and the priesthood from ,god4 ,they had neither the law nor the promise4 ,yet by the mercy of ,god they have heard that sweet voice of the ,gospel1 the persuader1 which is indicated by the very name of ,japheth4 #bah4 ,the interpreters failed to recognize this as the true meaning1 and ,god permitted them to make this mistake4 ,still they did not miss the true meaning altogether4 ,for the verb hirchib1 which means to enlarge1 means also to give consolation1 just as conversely in ,latin the word angustiae 7narrow place7 signifies also pains1 or perils1 or disaster4 ,thus we read in ,psalms #d1 #a3 ,thou hast set me at large when ,i was in distress4 ,the only real enlargement1 or consolation1 is the ,word of the ,gospel4 #bai4 ,thus the several expositions are harmonized by proper interpretation4 ,but the primary meaning of enlarge1 which conveys the idea of persuasion1 is the native and proper one4 ,it sheds a bright light upon the fact that we ,gentiles1 although the promise was not given to us1 have nevertheless been called by the providence of ,god to the ,gospel4 ,the promise pertains to ,shem alone1 but ,japheth1 as ,paul has it in ,romans #aa1 #ag1 was grafted into the olive tree1 like a wild olive1 and became a partaker of the original fatness1 or the sap1 of the olive4 ,the older portions of the ,bible agree with the newer1 and what ,god promised in the days of ,noah1 he now carries out4 #bbj4 ,ham signifies the hot and burning one4 ,this name was given to him by his father1 ,i believe1 because of the great things he hoped for his youngest son4 ,to ,noah the other two were cold men in comparison4 ,eve rejoiced greatly when ,cain was born 7,gen #d1 #a74 ,she believed that he would restore whatever had been wrought amiss4 ,yet he was the first to harm mankind in a new way1 in that he killed his brother4 #bba4 ,thus ,god1 according to his unsearchable counsel1 changes the expectations even of the saints4 ,ham1 whom his father1 at his birth1 had expected to be inflamed with greater zeal for the support of the ,church than his brothers1 was hot and burning1 indeed1 when he grew older1 but in a different sense4 ,he burned against his parent and his ,god1 as his deed shows4 ,hence1 his name was one of evil prophecy1 unsuspected of ,noah when he gave it4 #bbb4 ,this is ,noah's prophecy concerning his sons1 who have filled the earth with their offspring4 ,the fact1 therefore1 that ,god has permitted the light of the ,gospel to shine upon ,germany1 is due to the prophecy anent ,japheth4 ,we see today the fulfillment of that which ,noah foretold4 ,though we are not of the seed of ,abraham1 yet we dwell in the tents of ,shem and enjoy the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning ,christ4 ,vs4 #bh-bi4 ,and ,noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years4 ,and all the days of ,noah were nine hundred and fifty years2 and he died4 #bbc4 ,history shows that ,noah died fifty years after the birth of ,abraham4 ,abraham1 therefore1 enjoying the instruction of so able and renowned a teacher until his fiftieth year1 had an opportunity to learn something of religion4 ,and there is no doubt that ,noah1 being filled with the ,holy ,spirit1 cared for this grandchild of his with special care and love1 as the only heir of ,shem's promises4 #bbd4 ,at that time the offspring of ,ham flourished1 spreading idolatry throughout the regions of the ,east4 ,abraham was in touch with it1 and not without danger to himself4 ,he was saved1 however1 by ,noah1 being almost alone in recognizing the greatness of a man who was the only survivor of the early world4 ,the others1 forgetful of the wrath which had raged in the flood1 taunted the pious1 old man2 particularly ,ham's progeny1 puffed up by wealth and power4 ,they heaped insults upon ,father ,noah1 and--frenzied by success--they divided the curse of servitude pronounced upon them as a sign of his dotage4 ,amen4