Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Verſe 1. When men began to multiply.]
NOt good men onelyonly, but bad men too; who therefore took them more wives then one, that they might multiply amain. A numerous off-ſpring is no ſure ſigne of Gods ſpecial favor. It is well obſerved, That when God promiſed children as a bleſſing, he ſaid, Pſal. 118.3. Pſal. 104.15. Judg. 9.13.The wife ſhould be as the vine, and the children as olive plants: Two of the beſt fruits, the one for chearing the heart, the other for clearing the face; the one for ſweetneſs, the other for fatneſs. Bleſſed is the man that hath his quiver full of ſuch, as are as the arrows of a ſtrong man. Whence it follows, That they muſt have more in them th…n nature; for arrows are not arrows by growth, but by art: So they muſt be ſuch children, the knottineſs of whoſe nature is refined and reformed, and made ſmooth by Grace. This workmanſhip of God in the hearts and lives of children, is like the graving of a Kings Pallace, or the polliſhed corners of the temple. Pſal. 144.12. This preſerves Jacob from confuſion, and his face from waxing pale. This makes religious parents to ſanctifie Gods name, even to ſanctifie the holy One, and with ſingular encouragement from the God of Iſrael, Iſai. 29.22, 23. It never goes well with the Church, but when the Son marries the Mother, Iſai. 62.5.
Verſ. 2. That the ſons of God ſaw the daughters.] Sons of God, ſuch as had called themſelves by his name, Chap. 4.26. his peculiar profeſſant people, called Sons of Jehovah, Deut. 14.1. yea, his firſt-born, and ſo higher then the Kings of the earth, Pſal. 89.27. Dan. 7.17, 18.Hence Dan. 7. after mention made of the four Monarchies, a greater then them all ſucceedeth; and that is the Kingdom of the Saints of the moſt high. Saints at large he meaneth; all that have made a covenant with him by ſacrifice, Pſal. 50.5. Now we read of ſacrificing Sodomites, Iſai. 1, 10. ſinners in Sion, Iſai. 33.14. profligate profeſſors, Matth. 7.23. That, though called Iſrael yet, are to God as Ethiopians, Amos 9.7. Such were theſe Sons of God. [Saw the daughters of men, that they were fair.] Beauty is a dangerous bait, and luſt is ſharp-ſighted. It is not ſafe gazing on a fair woman: How many have died of the wound in the eye? No one means hath ſo enriched hell, as beautiful faces. Take heed our eyes be not windows of wickedneſs, and loop-holes of luſt. Make a covenant with them as Joh: Job 31.1.Pray againſt the abuſe of them with David, Pſal. 119.37.and curb them from forbidden objects, as Nazianzen, who had learned foreign to nurture his eyes, as himſelf tells us. See the Note on Chap. 3.6. [They took them wives.] Of their own heads without Gods licenſe, or parents conſent, as Eſau did: And of all which they choſe, that is, That they liked and loved. Thus, Amor ſormae rationis eſt oblivio, inſaniae proximus, turbat couſilia, altos & gencroſos ſpiritus frangit. Jerom. Eccleſ. 11.as ſome marry by their ears, upon meer hear-ſay; others, by their fingers ends, for money: ſo theſe gallants married by their eyes, they were led by the luſt of their hearts, and ſight of their eyes, as Solomons yonker; not conſidering that favor is deceitful, beauty, vanity, &c. And that many a woman is like Helen without, but Hecuba within, or an Earthen potſherd covered with ſilver-droſs, Prov. 26.23.
Verſ. 3. My ſpirit ſhall not alway ſtrive.] That is, I'll conſult no longer, but reſolve to ruine them (as ſome gloſs it:) Or, I'll pull the ſword out of the ſheath, the ſoul out of the body; as others gather out of the Hebrew word here uſed. Sunt qui deductum volunt à Nadan Vagina.But they do beſt (in my minde) that ſenſe it thus: My Spirit, wh…reby I hitherto went and Preached, by Noe and other Patriarks, to thoſe ſpirits (once in pleaſure, now) in priſon, but prevailed not, 1 Pet. 3.18, 19.ſhall not alway ſtrive with perverſe men by preaching, diſputing, convincing, in the mouths of my ſervants, whom I have ſent unto them; nor in their own mindes and conſciences, by inward checks and motions, which they have made no good uſe of. Delicata res eſt ſpiritus Dei. Grieve it once, and you may drive it away for ever. Ideò det…riores ſumus, quia meliores eſſe d… b…mus. Sa…v.It bloweth where it liſteth, and will not be at your whiſtle. [For that he alſo is fleſh,] He is therefore the worſe, becauſe he ought to be better. God expects ſingular things from his people, and takes it ill, when they are carnal and walk as men, 1 Cor. 3.3. They ſhould be higher then others by head and ſhoulders, as Saul was; and all that is in them, or comes from them, ſhould be as the fruit of the trees in Paradiſe, fair to the eye, and ſwe…t to the taſte. [Yet his days ſhall be an hundred and twenty yeers.] It ſhall be ſo long ere I deſtroy. 1 Pet. 3.19, 20. 2 Pet 2.5.This long-ſuffering of God is celebrated by St. Peter, and well it may; for had he not been God, and not man, he could never have held his hands ſo long. Neither indeed did he; for ſo extream was the provocation, that he cut them off twenty yeers of this promiſed count: That all the earth might know to their wo, Numb. 14.34.his breach of promiſe.
Verſ. 4. There were Gyants.] Gigantes, quaſi foreign, Earthſprung. John 3.31.They were of the earth, they ſpake of the earth, and the earth heard them. Heard them. I ſay, and fell before them; as the beaſts of the field do before the roaring Lyon. Hence they are called in Hebrew Nephilim; foreignſuch as being faln from God, fell upon men, Job 1.15. and by fear and force, made others fall before them. Thus they ſought to renown and raiſe themſelves, by depreſſing others, and doing violence. But this was not the way: For now they lie ſhrowded in the ſheet of ſhame. To do Worthily in Ephrata, is to be famous in Bethlehem, Ruth 4.11. To be patiently perſeverant in well-doing, is to ſeek for glory and honor; yea, to attain immortality and eternal life, Romans 2.7.
Verſ. 5. The wickedneſs of man was great in the earth.] Which was now grown ſo foul, that God ſaw it but time to waſh it with a flood; as he ſhall ſhortly do again with ſtreams of fire. He deſtroyed the world then with water, for the heat of luſt, he ſhall deſtroy it with fire, for the coldneſs of love, as ſaith Ludolfus. Devita Chriſti. l. 2. c. 7.[And that every imagination of the thoughts,] Omne figmentum cogitationum: The whole fiction, or every creature of the heart, as the Apoſtle hath it, Hebr. 4.13. ſpeaking there of the thoughts, All the thoughts extenſively are intenſively onelyonly evil, and protenſively continually.and intents of the heart. There is a general ataxy, the whole frame is out of frame. The underſtanding dark as hell, and yet proud as the devil. The will croſs and overthwart. The memory ſlippery and wateriſh, to receive and retain good impreſſions; but of a marble firmneſs, to hold faſt that which is evil. The affections crooked and prepoſterous. The very tongue a world of wickedneſs, what then the heart? Si trabes in oculo, ſtrues in corde. The operations thereof are evil, onelyonly evil; Every day evil, ſaith this Text: And aſſigneth it for the ſource of the old worlds wickedneſs. David alſo reſolves his adultery and murther, into this pravity of his nature, as the principle of it, Pſal. 51.5. ſo doth Job, Chap. 40.4. Paul, Rom. 7.24. Iſaiah, Chap. 6.5. The whole Church (Iſai. 64.6.) cryes out, Ʋnclean, Ʋnclean; and Chap. 53.6. Lev. 13.45. Eſa. 1.3.All we like ſheep have gone aſtray. Now as no creature is more apt to wander, ſo none leſs able to return, then a ſheep. The Oxe knoweth his owner, the Aſſe his maſters crib. The very Swine accuſtomed to the trough, if he goe abroad, yet at night will finde the way home again: Not ſo the Sheep. Loe ſuch is man. Quintilian therefore was quite out when he ſaid, It is more marvell that one man ſinneth, then that all men ſhould live honeſtly: ſin is ſo againſt the nature of man. But he erred, not knowing the Scripture. For doe ye think, Jam. 4.5.ſaith St. James (alluding to this text) that the Scripture ſaith in vaine, The ſpirit that dwelleth in us luſteth to envy? The civill mans namans nature is as bad as the worſt, not changed, but chained up: Truely ſaid Tully, Cum primùm naſcimur in omni continuò pravitate verſamur. We are no ſooner born then buried in a bog of wickedneſs.
Verſ. 6. And it repented the Lord, &c. and it grieved him] Theſe things are ſpoken of God, foreign, after the manner of men; but muſt be taken and underſtood foreign, as it beſeemeth God. Perkins.When Repentance is attributed to God (ſaith Mr. Perkins) it noteth onelyonly the alteration of things and actions done by him, and no change of his purpoſe and ſecret decree, which is immutable. M. Gataker.Gods repentance (ſaith another learned Divine) is not a change of his will, but of his work: Repentance with man, is the changing of his will: Repentance with God, is the willing of a change: Mutatiorei, non Dei; effectus, non affectus; facti, non conſilii.
Verſ. 7. I will deſtroy man] See here the venemous and miſchievous nature of ſin: It cauſeth God to make a World, and again to unmake it: it ſets him againſt Man his Maſter-piece, and makes him (though he be foreign) not onelyonly to deviſe, but to delight in the deſtruction of his owne creature, to mock at, and make merry in his calamity, Prov. 1.26. to deliver the beloved of his ſoule into the hands of the deſtroyer. Time was, when Chriſt, being by at the Creation, Jer. 12 7.rejoyced in this habitable part of Gods earth, & his delights were with the ſons of men, Prov. 8.31. But ſince the Fall it is far otherwiſe; Haba…. 1.for he is of more pure eyes the… to behold ſin with patience: He hates it worſe then he hates the Devill: for he hates the Devill for ſins ſake, and not ſin for the Devills ſake. Now the naturall and next effect of hatred, is revenge. Hence he reſolves, I will deſtroy man. [Both man and beaſt, the creeping thing, &c.] Why, what have thoſe poore ſheep done? They are all undone by mans ſin, and are (for his puniſhment) to periſh with him, as they were created for him. This is a piece of that bondage they are ſtill ſubject to; and grievouſly groan under, waiting deliverance, Rom. 8.21, 22.
Verſ. 8. But No…h found grace] Becauſe in Covenant with God; who of himſelf was a childe of wrath, and ſaved by grace onelyonly, though juſt and perfect in his generation. The Mercy-ſeat was no larger then the Arke; to ſhew, that the grace of God extends no further then the Covenant: As all out of the Arke were drowned, ſo all out of the Covenant are damned.
Verſ. 9. Juſtitia Impu…a…a, Impertita.Noah was a juſt man] By a two-fold juſtice, 1. Imputed. 2. Imparted By the former he was juſtified; by the latter ſanctified: and note, that he found grace in Gods eyes, before he was either of theſe; for Grace is the foundation of all our felicity, and comprehends all bleſſings, as Mannah is ſaid to have done all good taſtes. Eccleſiaſticus.[Perfect in his generation] At beſt in thoſe worſt times, which is a ſingular commendation; and perfect, that is, upright; foreign Heb. 13.18.ayming at perfection, willing in all things to pleaſe God; and yet not more deſiring to be perfect, then hating to ſeem onelyonly to be ſo. Or, Noah was perfect, compared to that ſinfull generation; which yet gloried in the title of the ſons of God, and children of the Church. But was not Judas called Friend, and Dives Son? Matth. 26. Luk. 16.Hath not many a Ship been known by the name of Safeguard and Good-speed, which yet hath daſhed upon the rocks, or miſcarried by Pirates? Externall priviledges profit not, where the heart is not upright, but increaſe wrath. It was an aggravation to Solomons ſin, That God had appeared unto him twice; and that he had been timely forewarned by his mother to beware of wine and women, 1. King. 11.9. Prov. 31.3.4.Prov. 31. both which he was afterwards, nevertheleſſe, moſt inordinately addicted to, Eccleſ. 2.
Verſ. 11. The earth alſo was corrupt before God] Or, rotten, putrid, and ſtanke againe. Sin is an offence to all Gods ſenſes; yea to his very ſoul, as he complaines, Eſa. 1.1. to 16. Oh that it were ſo to ours then would we not hide it under our tongues (as a childe doth ſugar) and harbour it in our hearts; yea let it eat of our meat, and drink of our cup, and lye in our boſomes, as the poor mans lamb did in Nathans parable. Luſt was but a ſtranger to David, 2 Sam. 11.3as the Prophet there intimates, verſ. 4. At other times, and when himſelf, I hate vain thoughts, ſaith he, Pſal. 119, 113. yea every falſe way, 104. as the vomit of a dog, as the devils excrements, as the putrifaction of a dead ſoul, dead in treſpaſſes; dead and rotten, as here, ſtinking worſe before God, foreign. Job. 11.then Lazarus did or could doe, after he had lain four dayes in the grave.
Verſ. 12. All fleſh had corrupted his way] Generall defection precedes generall deſtruction; as here all ſorts and ſexes were fallen from God. All kinde of ſins were common amongſt them. In the family promiſcuous luſts, unlawfull marriages, &c. In the State tyranny, violence, injuſtice: In the Church contempt of Gods word, abuſe of his patience to preſumption; of his bounty to ſecurity in ſin. For they eat, they dranke, they married, they planted, they builded, &c. And all this they did conſtantly and pleaſantly, paſſing from eating to drinking; from drinking to marrying; (for Venus in vinis, and gluttony is the Gallery that wantonneſſe walks through) from marrying to planting, for the uſe of poſterity, as St. Luke …weetly ſets forth by an elegant Aſynd…. foreign, &c. Luke 17.27.All this they did, and God was ſilent, therefore their hearts grew fat as brawn, and they knew nothing, ſaith our Saviour, nor would know, till the very day that the flood came: Into ſuch a dead lethargy were they caſt by their ſins, which were therefore grown ripe, and ready for the ſickle.
Verſ. 13. The end of all fleſh is come before me] I will ſurely, Certiſſimè citiſſimeque.and ſwiftly deſtroy them. A like threatning there is uſed, Ezek 7.2, 3, 6. againſt Iſrael, when once their ſins were full ripe, and hang'd but for mowing, as we ſay. The end is come, is come, is come, and ſo ſome ten or twelve times, is come, is come, q. d. deſtruction is at next doore by, and Noah muſt know it too: Not by his skill in Aſtrologie, as Beroſus belyes him, but by divine praemonition. Gen. 18.17. Pſal. 25.14. Amos 3.7.For ſhall I hide from Noah (from Abraham) that thing which I doe? No ſurely; they ſhall know all: they ſhall be both of Gods Come and Co…ell; For the ſecr… of the Lord is with them that feare him. And the Lord will doe nothing (of this nature) but he will firſt reveal it unto his ſervants the Prophets. And even to this day, the more faithfull and familiar we are with God, ſo much the ſooner, and better do we foreſee his judgements, and can foreſhew them to others; as thoſe that are well acquainted with men, know by their looks and geſtures that which ſtrangers underſtand not, but by their actions. As finer tumpers are more ſenſible of the changes of weather, &c. [I will deſtroy them]: I will corrupt them (ſo the Hebrew hath it) I will puniſh them in kinde, pay them in their own coyn, corrupt them from the earth, as they have corrupted themſelves in the earth, which alſo now is burdened with them, and cryes to me for a vomit to ſpue them out.
Verſ. 14. Make thee an Ark] Or cheſt, or coffin. And indeed by the deſcription here ſet down, the Arke, in ſhape, was like to a coffin for a mans body, ſix times ſo long as it was broad, and ten times ſo long as it was high: And ſo fit to figure out (ſaith an Interpreter) Chriſts death and buriall, Mr. Ainſworth.and ours with him, by mortification of the old man: as the Apoſtle applies this type to baptiſme, 1 Pet. 3.20, 21. whereby we are become dead and buried with Chriſt, Rom. 6.3, 4, 6.
Verſ. 16. A window ſhalt thou make] The Arke had little outward light, ſo the Church, till ſhe become triumphant. There could not but be much ſtench among all thoſe creatures, though ſhut up in ſeverall rooms; Heb. 5. ult.ſo here, there is much annoyance to thoſe that have their ſenſes exerciſed to diſcern good and evill. Compare the eſtate of Prince Charles, in his Queen-mothers womb with his condition at full age, in all the glory of his fathers Court, there is a broad difference. And it may fitly reſemble (ſaith One) the difference of our preſent and future eſtate; while the Church doth here travell of us, we are pent up in darke cloyſters, and annoyed with much ſtench of ſinne, Baines Lett.both in our ſelves and others; but when we come to heaven, we ſhall ſee and enjoy the light of life, our feet ſhall be as hindes feet, upon the everlaſting mountaines.
Verſ. 17. And behold I, even I] Verba ſtomachantis, & confirmantis veritatem comminationis ſuae. Abuſed mercy turnes into fury. Mimus.God will not alway ſerve men for a ſinning-ſtock. Crudelem medicum… intemperans ager facit. [Every thing, that is in the earth, ſhall dye] A diſmall doom; and God is now abſolute in his threatning, becauſe he will be reſolute in his execution: Oh tremble and ſin not; Pſal. 4.while others ſin and tremble not. Kiſſe the Son, leſt he be angry; Who knoweth the power of his anger? Surely according to our fear, Pſal. 90.11.is his wrath. It is a juſt preſage and deſert of ruine, not to be warned. God hath hang'd up the old world in gibbets, as it were, for our admonition. Worthily are they made examples, that will not take them. Who pities the ſecond Captaine, conſumed by fire with his company, 2 King. 1. ſith he had a fair warning, but would not beware by it. Mal. 4.1.Behold the day of the Lord commeth, that ſhall burne as an Oven. This laſt day was foretold by Enoch, before the deluge was by Noah. Longer it is before it comes, but ſhall be more terrible when it is come.
Verſ. 18. Thou and thy ſons] Yet Ham, ſoon after, degenerated: for the preſent he concealed his wickedneſs from men, from God he could not. He beares with hypocrites in his viſible Church for a ſeaſon, till the time of ſeparation. Auguſti…. Matth. 3.12. Zach. 14.21.In area nobiſcum eſſe poſſunt, in horreo non poſſunt. He will throughly purge his floore. The Canaanite ſhall not be in the land any longer; nor the uncleane ſpirit, Zach. 13.2. O faelicem illam dieculam▪
Verſ. 20. Two of every ſort ſhall come unto thee] For they are all thy ſervants, ſaith David, they wait upon thy word. Pſal. 119.91.This Noah might make good uſe of, and did, no doubt. See how ſequacious theſe poor creatures are to God their Centurion. If he bid them come, they come; if go, they go. And ſhall not I obey God, and follow his call, be there never ſo many Lions in my way?
Verſ. 21. Take thou unto thee of all food] God could have kept them alive without either food or arke. But he will have us ſerve his providence, in uſe of lawfull means; and ſo to truſt him, as that we do not tempt him.
Verſ. 22. Thus did Noah, according to all, &c.] The wicked world could not ſlout him out of his faith; Heb. 11.7.but that moved with fear, he preacheth, and buildeth, and finiſheth; He preached without preaching ſaith Baſil of Selucia.every ſtroke upon the Arke, being a reall Sermon (as Nazianzen hath it) to forewarn them to flee from the wrath to come; which yet they did not: No not the very Ship-wrights that made the Arke, but were all buried together, in one univerſall grave of waters.