Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Verſ. 1. For thee have I ſeen righteous before me]
NOt onelyonly before men, as Phariſees, Luke 16.15. and civill Juſtitiaries, Rom. 2.29. but before me who ſee the inſide, and love truth in the hidden man of the heart. Pſal. 51.6. 1 Pet. 3.5.And here Noahs ſincerity prevailed with God for his ſafety, as did likewiſe Lots, whom God hid in Zoar; and Abrahams, to whom God was a ſhield to ſave him from the deadly thruſts of deſtruction, when he purſued the four Kings and foyled them, becauſe he walked before him, and was upright, Gen. 15.1. with Gen. 14.15, So true is that of Solomon, Prov. 10.9. Prov. 14.26. Iſai. 26.3.He that walketh uprightly, walketh ſafely, as if he were in a tower of braſs, or town of war. And again, In the fear of the Lord is ſtrong conſidence, and his children have a place of refuge. The old Rock is ſtill ready to relieve them. [In this generation.] 2 Pet. 2.5.Called by Saint Peter, a world of ungodly ones, far worſe, no doubt, then thoſe in Henochs days. The greater praiſe was it to Noah, that (by an holy Antiperiſtaſis) he kindled from their coldneſs, and became nothing the worſe, but much the better (as it is the nature of true goodneſs) by their oppoſitions. It was an invincible Faith, whereby he both conquered the world, and condemned it. What elſe could have carried him over ſo many difficulties, as he muſt needs encounter? Well might the Apoſtle ſay, Heb. 11.7.By faith he prepared an Ark. For if he had been led by ſenſe, he would have fled as far as Jonas did, ere ever he had gone about it.
Verſ. 2. Of every clean beaſt, thou ſhalt take by ſevens.] Three pair for generation, and a ſingle one for ſacrifice, after the flood was paſt, as Chap. 8.20. God muſt have a moyet…, and good reaſon. But that two onelyonly of a ſort, of the unclean hurtful creatures, were preſerved, note his fatherly providence. To this day we ſee, though ſheep and birds be ſo killed up for mans uſe, yet there are far more of them, then of other unſerviceable or cruel creatures. Beſides, the weaker creatures go in herds together, the ſtronger and ſavager go alone. For if they ſhould go in multitudes, no man, nor beaſt could ſtand before them. This you ſhall finde ſet down to your hand, Job 37. Pſal. 104. Ammianus Marcellinus writeth, That in Chaldaea there are a huge number of Lyons, which were like enough to devour up both men and beaſts, throughout the Countrey. But withal, he ſaith, That by reaſon of the ſtore of water and mud thereof, there breed yeerly an innumerable company of gnats, whoſe property is to flee into the eye of the Lyon, as being a bright and orient thing: Where biting and ſtinging the Lyon, he teareth ſo fiercely with his claws, that he puts out his own eyes: And by that means many are drowned in the rivers, Bo…in. in Theatro. lib. 3.others ſtarve for want of prey; and many the more eaſily killed by the inhabitants. Bodin telleth us, That the Wolf never ſeeth his ſire, his dam, nor his young: For that, the herd of Wolves ſets upon, and killeth that Wolf, which by the ſmell they perceive to have coupled with the ſhe-wolf; which unleſs they did, what a deal of miſchief would be done by them every where among cattle?
Verſ. 4. For yet ſeven days, &c.] God could have deſtroyed them by water, or otherwiſe, in a far ſhorter ſpace: But, of his Free-grace, he gives them yet ſeven days further, and then rains upon the earth fourty days, as not willing that any ſhould eternally periſh, but that all ſhould come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3.9. The Hebrew Doctors (as they are very injurious to Noah, becauſe we read not that he prayed for the old world, but onelyonly took care of himſelf, and his own family, cenſuring him therefore of ſelf-love and hard-heartedneſs; ſo they judg very uncharitably of thoſe that periſhed in the flood; ſending them all to hell, and wreſting ſome Scriptures thereunto: As, that in this preſent verſe, God ſaith, He will deſtroy them, or blot them out; That is, R. Menachem, in loc.(ſay they) out of the land of the world to come, the land of the living. I deny not, but many of their ſpirits are in priſon, ſo ſaith Saint Peter, 1 Pet. 3.19. But withal, in the next Chapter, the ſame Apoſtle tells us, That for this cauſe, the Goſpel was preached alſo to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the fleſh, but live according to God in the Spirit. Compare theſe words with thoſe 1 Pet. 3.18, 19, 20. and it will appear, the Apoſtle ſpeaks of theſe Antediluvians. All were not ſaved that were in the Ark, nor all damned, we may well think, that were out of it. Could they ſee their foundation overflown with a flood (as the phraſe is, Job 22.16.) and not lay for themſelves a good foundation by laying hold on eternal life? 1 Tim. 6.19. Saint Ambroſe conceiveth, that Noah was ſeven days in the Ark, afore the flood came: That as God was ſix days in creating the world, and reſted the ſeventh; ſo theſe periſhing perſons, admoniſhed by the number of the days of the Creation, Eccleſ. 12.1.might remember their Creator, and make their peace. Nunquam ſerò, ſi ſeriò.
Verſ. 5. And Noah did according unto all.] This (All,) is a little word, but of large extent, He doth not his maſters, but his own will, that doth no more then himſelf will. A diſpenſatory conſcience is an evil conſcience. God cryes to us, Quicquid propter D…m fit, aqualis or fit.foreign. He will have univerſal obedience, both for ſubject and object. We muſt be entirely willing in all things to pleaſe God, or weutterly diſpleaſe him. Herod did many things and was not a button the better. Jehu's golden calves made an end of him, though he made an end of Baals worſhip. He that doth ſome, and not all Gods wills, foreign, Acts 13.22.with David (in deſire and affection, at leaſt) doth but as Benhadad, recover of one diſeaſe and die of another: yea, if he take not a better courſe for himſelf, he doth but take pains to go to hell. Pſal. 119.6.Then ſhall we not be aſhamed, when we have reſpect (at leaſt) to all Gods Commandments.
Verſ. 7. And Noah went in and his ſons, &c.] Not till he was compelled by the coming in of the flood, ſay the Jews: Of no good will, but becauſe there was no other remedy. Thus they belye the good old Preacher. Let no man think much to be miſ-judged. Jo. Woove…ius in Polymath.Novit ſapiens ad hoc ſcomma ſe productum, ut depugnet cum iis, qui maledictis aluntur, ut venenis capreae.
Verſ 9. There went in two and two,] Of their own accord, by divine inſtinct. Noah was not put to the pains of hunting after them, or driving them in. OnelyOnly he ſeems to have been ſix days in receiving, and diſpoſing of them in their ſeveral cells, and fetching in food. When God bids us do this or that, never ſtand to caſt perils; but ſet upon the work, yield the obedience of Faith, and fear nothing. The creatures came into Noah, without his care or coſt. He had no more to do, but to take them in, and place them. The Prophet all…des hereto, …ſai. 11.6, 7. all bloodineſs and rapine laid aſide.
Verſ. 10. The waters of the flood were upon the earth,] God is as faithful in his menaces, Zeph. 3.5.as in his promiſes. The wicked think them but wind, but they ſhall feel them to be fire, Jere. 5.14. Your fathers where are they? Vexatio dat intellectum.Did not my words (though never ſo much ſlighted) lay hold upon them? And they returned (that is, changed their mindes, when they ſmarted) and ſaid, Like as the Lord thought to do unto us, ſo hath he delt with us, Zach. 1.5, 6. There wanted not thoſe in the old world, that held all the threats of a flood to be interrorem onelyonly; and, when they heard Noah thundering, Luke 20.16.put off all, as thoſe in the Goſpel with, God forbid. We cannot get men to believe, that God is ſo juſt, or the devil ſo black, or ſin ſo heavy, or hell ſo hot; till it hath even cloſed her mouth upon them. Prov. 14.16. Prov. 12.3.The fool rageth and is confident, paſſeth on and is puniſhed, and will not be better adviſed. But what ſaid the Martyr, Br…dford.They that tremble not in hearing, ſhall be cruſht to peeces in feeling. Gods wrath is ſuch as none can avert or avoyd.
Verſ. 11. In the ſecond monethmonth] In April, as it is thought; then when every thing was in its prime, and pride, birds chirping, trees ſprouting, &c. nothing leſs looked for then a flood; then God ſhot at them with an arrow ſuddenly, as ſaith the Pſalmiſt: Pſal 64.7. 1 Theſ. 5.3.So ſhall ſudden deſtruction come upon the wicked at laſt day, when they leſt look for it. So the Sun ſhone fair upon Sodom the ſame day, wherein, ere night, it was fearfully conſumed. What can be more lovely to look on, then the corn-field a day before harveſt, or a vineyard before the vintage? Nos quaſi medios inter duo ſ… pulchra poſuit.[All the fountains of the great deep, &c.] So, we live continually betwixt two deaths, the waters above and below us. Serve the Lord with fear.
Verſ. 13. In the ſelf ſame day.] Things are repeated, that they may be the better obſerved, and the greatneſs of the mercy the more acknowledged; that God ſhould ſingle out ſo few, and ſave them, &c.
Verſ. 16. And the Lord ſhut him in.] A mean office, one would think, for God to ſhut the door after Noah. He could not well do it himſelf, (the door doubtleſs being great and heavy,) and others that were without would not do him ſo much ſervice. God therefore doth it himſelf, and therefore it could not but be well done indeed. In a caſe of neceſſity, we need not queſtion Gods readineſs, to do us any good office, ſo long as we keep cloſe to him in a holy Communion. In a Letter of B. Hoopers, 2 Chron. 15.2.to certain good people, taken praying in Bowe Church-yard, and now in trouble, thus he writes. Read the ſecond Chapter of Luke; there the ſhepherds that watched upon their ſheep all night, aſſoon as they heard Chriſt was born at Bethlehem, by and by they went to ſee him. They did not reaſon, nor debate with themſelves, Act. & Mon. fol. 1347.who ſhould keep the Wolf from the ſheep in the mean while; but did as they were commanded, and committed their ſheep to him, whoſe pleaſure they obeyed. So let us do; now we be called, commit all other things to him, that calleth us. He will take heed that all things ſhall be well; he will help the husband, comfort the wife, guide the ſervants, keep the houſe, preſerve the goods: yea, rather then it ſhall be undone, he will waſh the diſhes, and rock the cradle. Caſt therefore all your care upon God, &c. Thus he.
Verſ. 17. It was lift up above the waters.] Afterwards, it went upon the face of the waters; till at laſt, the higheſt hills were covered with waters, the Ark floting upon the ſurface of them, and not ſwallowed up by them. In reference whereunto David prayes, Pſal. 69.15.Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let the deep ſwallow me up. The true Chriſtian may be toſſed on the waters of affliction, yea, dowced over head and ears: and as a drowning man, ſink twice to the bottom; yet ſhall up again, if out of the deep, he call upon God, as Jonah did. Then I ſaid, I am caſt out of thy ſight, Jonas 2.4.(there you may take him up for dead) yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple, (there he revives, and recovers comfort:) yea, though Hell had ſwallowed up a ſervant of God into her bowels, yet it muſt, in deſpight of it, render him up, as the Whale did Jonas; which, if he had light upon the Mariners, would have devoured and diſgeſted twenty of them in leſs ſpace.
Verſ. 19. And all the high hills.] So high, ſome of them, that their tops are above the clouds and winds. And yet as high as they were, they could not ſave thoſe from the flood that fled to them. Surely, (might they ſay) in vain is ſalvation hoped for from the mountains, Iſaiah 3.23. Well for them, if (taught by their preſent diſtreſs and danger) they could go on with the Church there, and ſay, Surely, in the Lord our God is the ſalvation of Iſrael. Happy ſtorm, that beats us into the Harbor!
Verſ. 21. And every man died.] Now theſe mockers behold that Ark with envy, that er'ſt they beheld with ſcorn; they wiſh themſelves in the darkeſt corner of it, that lately laughed at it; and perhaps did what they could, Veriſ…mile eſt non abſtinuiſſe manus ab opere turbando. Piſcat.to hinder the finiſhing of it. Yea ſome, likely, to ſave them from drowning, caught at and clang as faſt to the outſide of the Ark, as Joab for the ſame cauſe, did to the horns of the Altar. But all in vain: For
Verſ. 22. All in whoſe noſtrils was the breath of life died, of all that was in the dry land.] This laſt clauſe exempteth fiſhes; though the Jews would needs perſwade us, that theſe alſo died; for that the waters of the flood were boyling hot. But rainwater uſeth not to be hot, we know; and therefore we reject this conceit as a Jewiſh fable.