mifes, as fpoken by God, though they could not be performed but in confequence of the accomplishment of them. The Jews and Jefuits have written copious trifles concerning the feven precepts of Noah, as they speak; but I shall not spend time either to recite or refute them. The duties required of thefe covenanters were, either fuch as the law of nature dictated, or fuch as they were bound to perform by virtue of revealed explications of that law; or, finally, fuch as belonged to the inftituted worship of God.

1. THIS family was obliged to obferve the Law of Nature. A rational creature cannot be without a law; much lefs a religious family. The Church had no other law, respecting morals, from the fall to the flood, fo far as we know; yet Cain had a confcience of guilt when he violated that law, as is evident from his defences when fifted before the tribunal of God. Nor was there any thing done at, or before the flood, to diffolve that obligation.

2. NOAH was favoured with fome explications of these moral precepts, from the mouth of God himself. That which is now the fixth precept, in the order of the Decalogue, was explained and fenced at this time: "And at the hand of man, at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of man, Whofo

fo fheddeth man's blood, by man Ihall his blood be fhed * Confcience dictated to Cain, he deferved death, when there was no fuch revelation: for he faid, "Whofoever findeth me fhall flay met." Now, God exprefsly enjoined what confcience always dictated. The duties required in the feventh precept of the decalogue are alfo, in part, enumerated in this tranfaction: As they had been to Adam, immediately after his creation. As Adam was the father of mankind, and poffeffor of the world; fo Noah was the father of the new world, and appointed to people and poffefs it, in like manner. It was also proper to regu late the laws of marriage and propagation, as a teftimony against that lafcivioufnefs which ruined the old world. Though the fins oppofite to these two precepts are not mentioned, yet they are tacitly CONDEMNED; while the oppofite duties are enjoined: And this explication of the moral law was a proper vindication of the holiness of God and the honour of his law, which had been trampled under foot by the wantonness and violence of the antediluvian finners.

3. NOAH received inftructions relative to the instituted worship of God: "But flesh, with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat " Numerous controverfies have

Gen. ix. 5, 6. ↑ Gen. iv. 14. Gen. ix. 3, 4.
N

been

been agitated on this head: For example, it has been difputed, Whether animal food had been allowed to mankind before the flood; or, if this was the first grant of it, Whether God prohibited blood-eating altogether; or, if he only forbade the drawing of blood from live animals, and drinking it while warm; or, fuppofing the prohibition of blood, Whether he prohibited it on moral or ceremonial confiderations? The generation of men called GLASSITES, in obedience to the nod of their leader, lay great ftrefs on abftinence from blood, reckoning the eating of it a fin equally atrocious with that of eating the forbidden fruit. It deferves our obfervation, that there is no prohibition of blood, but during the time in which it was lawful to offer facrifices: And the reafon affigned by God himself is, "Becaufe the blood maketh the atonement for the. foul*." Nor can any reafon be affigned, why it should be prohibited on a different account in the days of Noah, from that for which it was prohibited in the time of Mofes. The reafon of this law ceafed when it became unlawful to fhed the blood of beafts in facrifice; and the law itfelf, it may be prefumed, expired with it. The prohibition was proper, however, at this time, to elucidate the rite of facrifice, and to direct the faith of the offerer forward to the blood of the great atonement,

* Levit. xvii. 11.

It taught him, That he had forefeited all that life which God beftowed on him; and, therefore, in fovereignty, he had appropriated to himself the blood, which was the life of the facrifice, instead of taking the life of the fin

ner.

THIRDLY, I fhall next confider the cONFIRMATIONS of this Covenant. It was rati, fied,

1. By the oath of God: This oath is not mentioned in the Mofaic hiftory, indeed; but it is exprefsly referred to by an inspired prophet: For, as I have fworn, that the waters of Noah fhall no more go over the earth; fo have I fworn, that I would not be wroth with thee, 'nor rebuke thee *," The oath of God is greatly different from that of men: Men need 10 fwear, becaufe the truth of their naked affertion may be questioned; but he is not a man that he fhould lie, or the fon of man that he fhould repent. His eternal veracity fets him infinitely above even the fufpicion of every species of falsehood. The oath of God, then, is an act of divine condefcenfion to the infirmities of men, to beget in them unfhaken faith, and abundant confolation. When men fwear, they appeal unto a fuperior being, who is able to discern their fincerity, and to reward

* lf. liv. 9.

it, on the one hand; and to detect their hypocrify and chaftife their perfidy, on the other. But, when God fwears, he pledgeth his own being and perfections for the accomplishment of his word. His own being is fufficient to give being to his promife, as well as his threatening; because he could fwear by no greater, he fware by himself. Whatever perfection be particularly mentioned, his being is engaged; for his being and perfections are himfelf. He can as foon cease to be, as fuffer the accomplishment of his word not to be. The glory of his perfections must be for ever eclipfed, fhould he fuffer one iota of his word to fail.

2. GOD confirmed this Covenant by his Bow: "And God faid, This is the token of the covenant, which I make between me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generation: I do fet my bow in the cloud; and it fhall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it fhall come to pafs, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow thall be feen in the cloud : And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you, and every living creature of all flefh: and the waters fhall no more become a flood to deftroy all flesh. And the bow fhall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living crea

ture