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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/27978-8.txt b/27978-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..48d0c8e --- /dev/null +++ b/27978-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,14547 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II, by Martin Luther + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II + Luther on Sin and the Flood + +Author: Martin Luther + +Translator: John Nicholas Lenker + +Release Date: February 3, 2009 [EBook #27978] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMENTARY ON GENESIS, VOL. II *** + + + + +Produced by Ron Swanson + + + + + +LUTHER ON SIN AND THE FLOOD +COMMENTARY ON GENESIS + +BY + +JOHN NICHOLAS LENKER, D.D. + +TRANSLATOR OF LUTHER'S WORKS INTO ENGLISH; +AUTHOR OF "LUTHERANS IN ALL LANDS" + + + + +VOL. II +SECOND THOUSAND + + + + +The Luther Press +MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., U.S.A. +1910 + + + + +_DEDICATION_. + +To all interested in studying the Christian Missionary problems of +"the last times" of the modern world, this volume is dedicated. + + + + +Copyright, 1910, by J. N. LENKER. + + + + +_FOREWORD_. + + +The first volumes of the "American Luther" we selected for publication +were his best commentaries, then eight volumes of his Gospel and +Epistle sermons and one volume of his best catechetical writings. +These rich evangelical works introduced us to the real Luther, not the +polemical, but the Gospel Luther. They contain the leaven of the +faith, life and spirit of Protestantism. We now return to his +spiritual commentaries on the Bible which are the foundation of all +his writings. The more one reads Luther the greater he becomes as a +student of the One Book. + +Contents of This Volume. + +This, the second volume of Luther's great commentary on Genesis, +appears now in English for the first time. + +It covers chapters four to nine inclusive of Genesis. The subjects +discussed are: Cain's murder, his punishment, Cain's sons, Seth and +his sons, the wickedness of the old world, the ark, Noah's obedience, +the universal destruction, the salvation of Noah's family, his +sacrifice, his blessing, the rainbow covenant, Noah's fall, Ham cursed +and Shem and Japheth blessed. These great themes are discussed by +Moses and Luther. They have vital relations to problems pertaining to +the end of the modern world. 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 repentance, +faith and prayer like Noah and Luther did. + +In his "Dear Genesis" Luther proved that the free Evangelical religion +he taught was not new, but as old as the first book of the Bible, and +that it does not consist in outward forms, organizations and pomp, but +in true faith in Christ in our hearts and lives. Genesis contains the +only historic records accessible of the first 2364 years of the 4004 +years before Christ. It is worthy of study in our day as it was in the +days of the Reformation. + +Acknowledgments. + +Luther advised no one should translate alone and he practiced what he +taught. We have followed his rule and example. Pastor C. B. Gohdes of +Baltimore translated chapter six and President Schaller of Milwaukee +Theological Seminary, chapters five, seven, eight and nine. + +Inaccuracies may be due to the revision and editing, and not to the +translators, for every good translation must be fluent and idiomatic, +to secure which is the most difficult task. Pastor Gohdes also +rendered valuable help in the final revision of parts. The translation +of the analyses is by the undersigned. + +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 edition. The paragraphs are numbered and the analyses given +according to the old Walch edition. + + +_Luther and World-Evangelization_. + +In translating Luther into practical English in practical America, and +in this age that is growing more and more practical, we need to be +reminded that this work is for practical use and purposes. Luther was +radical along Bible lines in applying the truth personally and to the +world. + +It is a year since the last volume of the "American Luther" appeared. +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 World", not a +revision of, but a new companion volume to "Lutherans In All Lands" +that appeared seventeen years ago. By comparing these two books one +has the best evidence of the marvelous progress of God's Kingdom in +recent years, and the growing world-significance of Luther's +evangelistic writings. Evangelization at home and abroad is the +popular religious theme today in the German fatherland and in the +whole Protestant world. The word "world" is becoming so common its +full meaning is not appreciated. When world-evangelization is +discussed, it is too often from the standpoint of the nation +discussing it. Each nation is so active in its own work that it fails +to appreciate what others are doing. 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 work. +Hence the fruits of Luther's evangelical writings are underestimated +by the English people. It is opportune to translate not only Luther +but also the best fruits of those writings in various languages during +the past 400 years, especially since the memorable date of 1917 is +soon to be celebrated by universal Protestantism. Luther in all +languages and Lutherans in all lands go together. We ought to consider +most carefully the great Reformer in his relation to the modern world +and modern world-evangelization. The known world in his day was not so +large. He had, however, a clear view of it all in his writings, which +is due to his faithful study of the Scriptures. The Bible gave him a +knowledge of the world, including all lands and all times. His +commentary of eleven volumes on Genesis illustrates this. The first +volume on Genesis treats of the first part of the ancient world; the +second volume, the one before us, treats of the second part and end of +the old world. This Luther would have us apply to the last times of +the modern world. + +Luther Educational and Devotional. + +Here, as everywhere in his catechisms, sermons and commentaries, +Luther is unique among religious authors in that he is both +educational and devotional, appealing equally to head and heart. He is +"religiously helpful and intellectually profitable," covering every +phase of religious, moral and social conditions, and touching every +interest of humanity. "His words went to the mark like bullets and +left marks like bullets." Being beyond criticism they have a unique +place to fill in the literature and libraries of the world. + +Although the cry, "Read Luther!" has been raised here in the new world +the multitudes of the English people are not rushing for his writings, +as the Germans did when they first appeared in the old world, under +conditions similar to what they are in America at present. If asked +what made the German people what they are, the answer is, these +writings, so universally circulated and read. If the Anglo-Saxons +appreciated their educational and devotional value the 35,000 copies +circulated the last seven years would easily, as a professor +suggested, be increased to a hundred thousand copies. + +Nations Helping Nations. + +The world-consciousness is growing, so is the national consciousness. +Both are characteristic of our times. Perhaps never did the national +spirit develop as in recent years. The great powers, instead of +dividing China, witness the national spirit growing everywhere--in +Japan, China, India, Africa, South America, Norway, Sweden, as well as +in Germany, England, Russia and the United States. This is a good +sign, for the world-family is composed of nations, and each nation has +at least one talent not to be crushed, but with which to serve all the +others. One serves the world when he serves his nation. Luther's +words, "I live for my countrymen", illustrates this. It is not the +nations that have the largest armies and navies that are the greatest +blessing to the world, 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 earth, the best teachers, preachers and authors to train +the people, the best medical skill to relieve human suffering, the +best mechanics and servants, the greatest philanthropists, the best +Christians. In educational, industrial, medical and charitable mission +work the nations dominated by Luther's writings stand high. Nations, +like individuals, are the greatest which serve others best; not the +nations which have the most territory, but nations which do the +greatest service for the whole human family. The students missionary +movement develops men, and the laymen's missionary movement raises +money. Both are needed, but men must be trained to do their work in +the best way and the money be used to bring the best results. Hence +nations should help and study one another most carefully with this in +view. Luther and his writings in the evangelization of Europe ought +not to be overlooked in the evangelization of other continents. By +helping abroad the home does not suffer. Among American Lutherans the +Norwegians prove this, for they have done the most for the heathen and +have the best home mission work. + +Transition and Translation or Transition and Revolution. + +While we are translating Luther for all Anglo-Saxons, we do not +overlook the fact that Luther's disciples, Germans and Scandinavians, +are themselves being translated, or are in a state of transition. The +translation of a people and of their literature or spirit clearly +presents a double problem, both sides of which demand at once the most +careful work. The translation of both the people and their literature +should run parallel and in the same, and not in an opposite, +direction. Germans and Scandinavians have always, and do still, make +the fatal blunder of translating from English into their own +languages, instead of from their languages into English. They thus +cross one another's path never to meet again. Their children and +grandchildren, however, find it easier to translate into English, +their mother tongue; but, alas, they have little interest in doing it. +They make the mistake in thinking their old thoughts and classics are +not needed in the new language. Their motto seems to be, "new +literature for the new language", when to the English public, if not +to themselves, the old writings would be the newest. It is marvelous +how wide-awake preachers are mislead. + +Best Literature is Translations. + +People who are prejudiced against translations, forget that the Bible +and our best literature are translations of the classics of the +world's leading languages. Translations should be welcomed by a people +who themselves are in a state of translation, especially if the +translations are from their mother tongue into the language they are +learning. What endless friction and confusion would be avoided, if +people and their life and literature were translated at the same time. +As we have said, a transition of a people without a translation of +their literature is no transition, but a revolution. To this various +church bodies witness. During the transition of language the best +literature for the children to read is the translations of the +classics of the language of the parents. There may be better +literature, but not for these particular children, if the unity of the +family life is to be perpetuated. Hence it becomes a vital concern +that both children and parents understand that the best literature for +them is such translations. But where are the German or Scandinavian +teachers and preachers who are enthusing over putting this thought +deep into the family life of their congregations. + +A Lesson from Luther and Wesley in America. + +What unwisdom even to attempt to build up the Lutheran Christian life +in free, aggressive Protestant Anglo-Saxon civilization without +Luther's writings in good Anglo-Saxon! Muhlenberg (b. 1711; d. 1787) +and Wesley (b. 1703; d. 1791) came to America about the same time. +Wesley returned home in 1738 after a stay of two years in the south. +Muhlenberg spent his ministerial life of 45 years (1742-1787) in +America, in the Keystone state, in and near Philadelphia, the +metropolis of the new world. When the two Palatinate Germans from +Limerick County, Ireland, Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, a +lay-preacher and a godly woman, held the first Methodist service in +America, in 1766, in New York City, the Lutheran faith had been +planted here by the Dutch since 1657 in the same city, by the Swedes +on the Delaware since 1639, (Torkillus), by the Germans since 1708 +(Kocherthal); Muhlenberg had arrived in Philadelphia in 1742, built +churches the following year in Philadelphia and "The Trappe", and +organized the Synod of Pennsylvania among its 60,000 Lutherans in +1748. All these Lutherans to some extent learned, preached and +confirmed in English. Muhlenberg was naturalized in 1754 as a subject +of Great Britain. This and his stay in England gave an Anglican turn +to his German pietism. When we became a free people in 1776, the +Methodists had only 20 preachers and 3418 members in America and less +than 76,000 followers in Europe from which to receive immigrant +members, while the Lutherans were strong here and in Europe. Today +American Methodists report 60,737 churches, and the Lutherans 13,533. +Why did Wesley's followers become the dominating religious force in +America? Not because Wesley and his writings were greater than Luther +and his writings. Methodists did not bear Wesley's name, but they did +have his spirit and writings. Even to the present day every Methodist +preacher must pass an examination in Wesley's writings before +ordination. Where were Luther's spirit and writings among his early +American followers? + +Language is no more a barrier to Luther's spirit than to Wesley's. +Methodism forged its way from English into German, Norwegian, Danish +and Swedish and among Indians, Mexicans and Negros. People, regardless +of language, color or condition, could not help but learn what real +spiritual Methodism is. It was preached and sung in such simple, plain +Anglo-Saxon, and in good translations, that it could not be +misunderstood nor misrepresented. Wesley's simple evangelical message +was abroad in the land in the hearts of the people. But the +evangelical voice of Luther, the prince of translators, was hardly +heard and even today the English world has no clear popular view of +what spiritual Evangelical Lutheranism is. Often when they speak of +it, they seem to think it is the opposite of what it is. Germans, +Scandinavians and all know the spiritual side of Methodism, but the +English world does not know the spiritual side of Lutheranism, and it +never will until Luther's spiritual writings are translated into +readable English and circulated broadcast over the land, and the +hearts of the people come into direct and close touch with the heart +of the great Reformer himself. + +The English world knows the statistics, the numerical strength of +Lutherans. That needs no apology. But what does need a defense among +Americans is the spirituality of the Lutherans. That is developed by +the translations into the plainest vernacular of God's Word and +Luther's evangelical sermons and commentaries. These are the best +literature for young Germans and Scandinavians. Although translations, +and not perfect, they are the best for them. The Bible first; Luther's +spiritual writings second, not first nor third. Have not Lutherans in +America been following the disciples of Luther instead of Luther; +while Methodists have followed Wesley and not Wesley's disciples. The +Dutch, Swedish and German Lutherans in the east, all learned English. +We say it was a transition, but was it not a revolution? Their history +stands forth as beacon lights of warning to the polyglot Lutherans +migrating to the ends of earth and learning all languages. 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 languages. 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 trade; the +Germans in trade, but not in church work. + +It is said there are 30 million people in the United States with some +German blood in their veins. Two thirds of these, or 20 millions, may +be said to have some Lutheran mixture in their makeup, but only one +and a half million of these 20 millions are communicant members of +English and German Lutheran churches. What people in America can show +a worse religious record? Yet the tenders of the sheep and lambs are +afraid to feed them in the only way they can be fed. Verily whatever +you sow, that shall you also reap. Lift up your eyes, behold the +harvest! Can you not discern the signs of the times? + +It is no wonder that the United States Census of 1890, the latest +reliable statistics on the subject, gave the number of Lutheran +communicants using only English in this English land at 198,907; +General Synod 143,764; United Synod South 37,457; General Council +14,297; Ohio Synod 287; Missouri Synod 1,192--after 150 years of work. +Our good German and Scandinavian parents, in the light of these +figures, need not fear losing many members to purely English churches. +"Reading Luther" in German, Swedish, Norwegian and English will bring +better results to old and young than if read only in one language. The +Church of the Reformation is not one-tongued, but many-tongued. + +English Luther in German and Scandinavian Churches. + +April 12th, 1910, became a memorable date in the North-west by the +introduction of the Scandinavian languages into all the high schools +of Minneapolis. German and Scandinavian taxpayers are gradually +becoming more interested in having their children learn the language +of their mothers in the public schools. This will prove to be a great +blessing to children and home, society and state. The Church however +will blunder, if she thinks there will now be no need of circulating +English literature in German and Scandinavian congregations. +Translating Luther and teaching German and Scandinavian are two ways +of doing the same thing, for language is not an end, but a means to an +end. Many young people are being confirmed in English and they often +attend services in foreign languages. Many know more of the language +than of the matter preached. When weak in the language they understand +better what is preached if they are familiar with the thought. The +reason many do not appreciate a sermon with the Luther ring is because +they are familiar with neither the language nor the thought. Hence the +need of our young people becoming familiar with Luther's sermons and +commentaries in English. One understands better in a strange language +what he is familiar with. This familiar knowledge would help to bridge +the chasm between Lutheran parents and children. Ask parents and they +will tell about the "Old Luther Readers," in their native land and +tongue. All admit that if the young people are not interested to read +Luther in English, they will never read him. All who do will the +better understand sermons in German and Scandinavian. The universal +reading of the English Luther, on the part of the young people, will +therefore help, and not harm, the German and Scandinavian +congregations. Luther's teachings thoroughly understood in a living +way will bind the young to their Christian convictions, as much as the +knowledge of a language binds them to that language. The passive +interest therefore, on the part of German and Scandinavian pastors and +congregations in circulating the English Luther, as far as their young +people are concerned, should give way to active interest, for the sake +of their own work in the future. It is important to learn your +mother's language. You may do that and forget her faith--Better retain +the faith than the language. + +J. N. Lenker. +The Fiftieth Day (Pentecost), 1910. +Minneapolis, Minn. + + + + +COMMENTARY ON GENESIS. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +IV. CAIN MURDERS HIS BROTHER; CALLED TO ACCOUNT. + + A. HOW CAIN MURDERED HIS BROTHER. + + 1. What moved Cain to commit murder 107. + + 2. Cain's hypocritical actions in concealing his anger that he + might the more easily commit the murder 108-109. + + * Cain the picture of all hypocrites 110-129. + + * The attitude of hypocrites to their neighbors. Also, how we + are to view the efforts of the pope and bishops in behalf of + peace and unity 111-112. + + * Against what people we should most guard 112. + + 3. How Cain listened to no warning in his thoughts of murder + 113. + + * Complaint of the world's attitude to good admonition 114. + + * The ways of the hypocrite. Also, why falsehood wears a + friendly aspect 115. + + 4. Whether Cain's passion to murder Abel was noticeable 115. + + 5. Cain took no notice of Abel's sighing and praying 116. + + * The origin of man's cruel and tyrannical nature 117. + + B. HOW CAIN WAS CALLED TO ACCOUNT, AND HIS BEHAVIOR. + + 1. Who questioned Cain, and his defiant actions 118. + + 2. Cain accused himself most when he tried to clear himself 119. + + * Liars speak against themselves, as is proved by examples + 119-120. + + 3. Cain's vindication more foolish than that of the first + parents in paradise 121. + + * St. Martin will absolve the devil if he repents 122. + + * Whoever excuses his sin follows the example of Satan and + makes his case worse 123. + + 4. How Cain heaps sin upon sin 124. + + 5. Cain despairs and is in a worse state than our first parents + after their fall 125. + + 6. How Cain placed himself in a position where nothing could + help him 126. + + 7. Gently accused, and yet defiant 127. + + 8. Cain has not the least reverence for God or his father 128. + + * This is a picture of all hypocrites 129. + + 9. How his defense ends 130. + + * How man ought to act when his conscience accuses him of sin + 131. + + * The hypocrite's actions when his conscience is awakened, and + what he is to do 132-133. + + 10. In Cain's defense wickedness and folly are mingled 134. + + * How God reveals hypocrites 135. + + * Moses says much in few words 136. + + * Whether Abel and our first parents anticipated Cain's murder + 137. + + * Without a thought of what might restrain him, Cain commits + the deed 138. + + * The picture of the sacrifice of Iphigenia applied to Moses' + description of Cain's murder 139-140. + + * Cain's is no ordinary murder, and how he differs from other + murderers 141. + + * The hypocrite's hatred is different from other hatred, and is + found among the Jews and the Papists 142-143. + + * Cain the father of all murderers 144. + + * How the first parents felt over this whole affair 145. + + a. Their grief was so great that they could not have endured + without special divine comfort 146. + + b. Their severe trial in view of the first sin 147. + + c. Very likely because of this murder they refrained so long + from bearing children 148. + + * Whether the first parents had at the time more children + than Cain and Abel 148. + + * Why Cain slew Abel, and how he did it 149. + + 11. The time and occasion when Cain was called to account 150. + + 12. Adam with the authority of God calls Cain to account 152. + + +IV. HOW CAIN MURDERED HIS BROTHER AND WAS REQUIRED TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT, +AND HOW HE CONDUCTED HIMSELF. + +A. How Cain Murdered His Brother. + +V. 8a. _And Cain told (talked with) Abel his brother._ + +107. Our translation adds that Cain said: "Let us go out doors." But +this is one of the comments of the rabbins, whose relative claim to +credit I have fully shown on a previous occasion. Lyra, following the +invention of Eben Ezra, relates that Cain told his brother how +severely he had been rebuked of the Lord. But who would believe +statements for which there is no authority in the Scriptures? We hold +therefore to an explanation which has the warrant of the Scriptures, +namely that Cain, finding himself rejected of God, indulged his anger, +and added to his former sins contempt of his parents and of the Word, +thinking within himself: "The promised seed of the woman belongs to me +as the first-born. But my brother, Abel, that contemptible, +good-for-nothing fellow, is evidently preferred to me by divine +authority, manifest in the fire consuming his sacrifice. What shall I +do, therefore? I will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of +taking vengeance shall occur." + +108. Therefore the words, "Cain told Abel his brother," I understand +to mean that Cain, dissembling his anger, conducted himself toward +Abel as a brother, and spoke to him and conversed with him, as if he +bore with good nature the sentence pronounced upon him by God. In this +manner also Saul simulated an attitude of kindness toward David. "I +know well," said Saul, "that thou shalt surely be king," 1 Sam 24, 20; +and yet he was all the while planning to prevent this by killing +David. Just so Cain now conversed with Abel his brother, and said: I +see that thou art chosen of the Lord; I envy thee not this divine +blessing, etc. This is just the manner of hypocrites. They pretend +friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents +itself. + +109. That such is the true sense of the passage, all the circumstances +clearly show. For if Adam and Eve could have gathered the least +suspicion of the intended murder, think you not that they would either +have restrained Cain or removed Abel, and placed the latter out of +danger? But as Cain had altered his countenance and his deportment +toward his brother, and had talked with him in a brotherly manner, +they thought all was safe, and the son bowed to and acquiesced in the +admonition of his father. The appearance deceived Abel also, who, if +he had feared anything like murder from his brother, would doubtless +have fled from him, as Jacob fled from Esau when he feared his +brother's wrath. What, therefore, could possibly have come into the +mind of Jerome when he believed the rabbins, who say Cain was +expostulating with his brother? + +110. Accordingly, Cain is the image and picture of all hypocrites and +murderers, who kill under the show of godliness. Cain, possessed by +Satan, hides his wrath, waiting the opportunity to slay his brother +Abel; meanwhile he converses with him, as a brother beloved, that he +might the sooner lay his hands upon him unawares. + +111. This passage, therefore, is intended for our instruction in the +ways of murderers and hypocrites. Still Cain talks in a brotherly +manner with his brother, and, on the other hand, Abel still trusts +Cain as a brother should trust a brother; and thus he is murdered, and +the pious parents meanwhile are deceived. + +Just so the pope and the bishops of our day talk and confer much +concerning the peace and concord of the Church. But he is most +assuredly deceived who does not understand that the exact opposite is +planned. For true is that word of the Psalm, "The workers of iniquity +speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts," Ps +28, 3. For it is the nature of hypocrites that they are good in +appearance, speak kindly to you, pretend to be humble, patient and +charitable, give alms, etc.; and yet, all the while they plan +slaughter in their hearts. + +112. Let us learn, then, to know a Cain and especially to beware when +he speaks kindly, and as brother to brother. For it is in this way +that our adversaries, the bishops and the pope, talk with us in our +day, while they pretend a desire for concord, and seek to bring about +doctrinal harmony. In reality, if an opportunity of seizing us and +executing their rage upon us should present itself, you would soon +hear them speak in a very different tone. Truly, "there is death in +the pot," 2 Kings 4, 40; and under the best and sweetest words there +lies concealed a deadly poison. + +V. 8b. _And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain +rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him._ + +113. Here you see the deceptive character of those alluring words. +Cain had been admonished by his father with divine authority to guard +against sin in the future, and to expect pardon for that of the past. +But Cain despises the twofold admonition, and indulges his sin, as all +the wicked do. For true is the saying of Solomon, "When the wicked +cometh, there cometh also contempt, and with ignominy cometh +reproach," Prov 18, 3. + +114. Our ministry at the present day deserves no blame. We teach, we +exhort, we entreat, we rebuke, we turn ourselves every way, that we +may recall the multitude from security to the fear of God. But the +world, like an untamed beast, still goes on and follows not the Word, +but its own lusts, which it tries to smooth over by a show of +uprightness. The prophets and the apostles stand before us as +examples, and our own experience is instructive, also. Our +adversaries, so often warned and convicted, know they are doing wrong, +and yet they do not lay aside their murderous hate. + +115. Learn, then, what a hypocrite is; namely, one who lays claim to +the worship of God and to charity, and yet, at the same time, destroys +the worship of God and slaughters his brother. And all this semblance +of good-will is only intended to bring about better opportunities of +doing harm. For, if Abel had foreseen the implacable wrath and the +truly diabolical anger, he would have saved himself by flight. But as +Cain betrayed no such anger, uttered a friendly greeting and +manifested his usual courtesy, Abel perished before he felt any fear. + +116. There is no doubt that Abel, when he saw his brother rising up +against him, entreated and implored him not to pollute himself with +this awful sin. However, a mind beset by Satan pays no regard to +entreaties, nor heeds uplifted hands, but as a father's admonition had +been disregarded, so now the brother is spurned as he pleads upon his +knees. + +117. Light is cast here upon the bondage to Satan by which our nature, +entangled in sins, is oppressed. Hence Paul's expression, "children of +wrath," Eph 2, 3, and the declaration that such are taken captive by +Satan unto his will, 2 Tim 2, 26. For when we are mere men; that is, +when we apprehend not the blessed seed by faith, we are all like Cain, +and nothing is wanting but an opportunity. For nature, destitute of +the Holy Spirit, is impelled by that same evil spirit which impelled +wicked Cain. If, however, there were in any one those ample powers, or +that free will, by which a man might defend himself against the +assaults of Satan, these gifts would most assuredly have existed in +Cain, to whom belonged the birthright and the promise of the blessed +seed. But in that very same condition are all men! Unless nature be +helped by the Spirit of God, it cannot maintain itself. Why, then, do +we absurdly boast of free-will? Now follows another remarkable +passage. + +B. How Cain Had to Give an Account, and His Conduct. + +V. 9. _And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he +said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?_ + +118. Good God! into what depth of sin does our miserable nature fall +when driven onward by the devil. Murder had been committed on a +brother, and perhaps murdered Abel lay for days unburied. Thereupon, +as Cain returned to his parents at the accustomed time, and Abel +returned not with him, the anxious parents asked him: Cain, thou art +here, but where is Abel? Thou hast returned home, but Abel has not +returned. The flock is without their shepherd. Tell us therefore, +where thy brother is. Upon this, Cain, becoming abusive, makes answer +to his parents, by no means with due reverence, "I know not: Am I my +brother's keeper?" + +119. But it happened to Cain as to all the wicked, that by excusing +himself he accused himself, according to the words of Christ, "Out of +thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant," Luke 19, 22. +Also the heathen had a striking proverb among them, "A liar ought to +have a good memory." Such was the judgment of heathen men, though they +knew nothing of the judgment of God and of conscience, and had nothing +to guide their judgment but their experience in civil affairs. And +true it is that liars run much risk of being discovered and unmasked. +Hence the Germans have the proverb, "A lie is a very fruitful thing." +For one lie begets seven other lies, which become necessary to uphold +the first lie. And yet it is impossible, after all, to prevent +conscience from arousing and betraying itself at times, if not in +words, then in gestures. This is proved by numberless examples. I will +cite only one example here: + +120. In Thuringia there is a small town in the district of Orla, +called Neustadt. In this town a harlot had murdered her infant, to +which she had secretly given birth, and had thrown it, after the +murder, into a neighboring fishpond. Accidentally the little piece of +linen in which she had wrapped the infant, brought the horrid deed to +light. The case was brought before the magistrate; and as the simple +men of the place knew no better means of investigating the crime, they +called all the young women of the town into the town hall and closely +examined them, one by one. The face and the testimony of each one of +these proclaimed her innocent. But when they came to her who was the +real perpetrator of the deed, she did not wait for questions to be put +to her, but immediately declared aloud that she was not the guilty +person. The contrast she presented to the others in making such haste +to defend herself, confirmed the suspicion of the magistrates. At once +she was seized by the constables and put to death. + +Indeed, instances are innumerable and of daily occurrence which show +that people, in their eagerness to defend themselves, accuse +themselves. Sin may, indeed, lie asleep, but that word which we have +just heard, is true. It lies at the door. + +121. Just so in the present case. Cain thinks he has made an effectual +excuse for himself by saying that he is not his brother's keeper. But +does he not confess by the very word "brother" which he takes upon his +lips that he ought to be his keeper? Is not that equal to accusing +himself, and will not the fact that Abel is nowhere in evidence arouse +the suspicion in the minds of his parents that he has been murdered? +Just so also Adam excuses himself in paradise, and lays all the blame +on Eve. But this excuse of Cain is far more stupid; for while he +excuses his sin he doubles it, whereas the frank confession of sin +finds mercy and appeases wrath. + +122. It is recorded in the history of St. Martin, that when he +absolved certain notorious sinners, he was rebuked by Satan for doing +so. St. Martin is said to have replied, "Why, I would absolve even +thee, if thou wouldst say from thy heart, I repent of having sinned +against the Son of God, and I pray for pardon." But the devil never +does this. For he persists in committing sin and defending the same. + +123. All liars and hypocrites imitate Cain their father, by either +denying their sin or excusing it. Hence they cannot find pardon for +their sins. And we see the same in domestic life. By the defense of +wrong-doing, anger is increased. For whenever the wife, or the +children, or the servants, have done wrong, and deny or excuse their +wrong-doing, the father of the family is the more moved to wrath; +whereas, on the other hand, confession secures pardon or a lighter +punishment. But it is the nature of hypocrites to excuse and palliate +their sin or to deny it altogether and under the show of religion, to +slay the innocent. + +124. But here let us survey the order in which sins follow each other +and increase. First of all Cain sins by presumption and unbelief when, +priding himself on the privilege of his birthright, he takes it for +granted that he shall be accepted of God on the ground of his own +merit. Upon this pride and self-glorification immediately follow envy +and hatred of his brother, whom he sees preferred to himself by an +unmistakable sign from heaven. Upon this envy and hatred follow +hypocrisy and lying. Though he designs to murder his brother, he +accosts him in a friendly manner and thereby throws him off his guard. +Hypocrisy is followed by murder. Murder is followed by the excusing of +his sin. And the last stage is despair, which is the fall from heaven +to hell. + +125. Although Adam and Eve in paradise did not deny their sin, yet +their confession was lukewarm, and the sin was shifted from the one to +the other. Adam laid it on Eve, and Eve on the serpent. But Cain went +even farther, for he not only did not confess the murder he had +committed, but disclaimed responsibility for his brother. And did not +this at once prove his mind to be hostile against his brother? +Therefore, though Adam and Eve made only a half-hearted confession, +they had some claim to pardon, and in consequence were punished with +less severity. But Cain, because he resolutely denied his sin, was +rejected, and fell into despair. + +And the same judgment awaits all the sons of Cain, popes, cardinals, +and bishops, who, although they plan murder against us day and night, +say likewise, "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" + +126. There was a common proverb of old, "What is it to the Romans that +the Greeks die?" So we think that our dangers and calamities only +belong to ourselves. But how does this principle agree with the +commandment of God? For his will is that we should all live together, +and be to each other as brethren. Cain, therefore, by this very saying +of his, heavily accuses himself when he makes the excuse that the +custody of his brother was no affair of his. Whereas, if he had said +to his father, "Alas, I have slain Abel, my brother. I repent of the +deed I have done. Return upon me what punishment thou wilt," there +might have been room for a remedy; but as he denied his sin, and, +contrary to the will of God, disclaimed responsibility for his brother +altogether, there was no place left for mercy or favor. + +127. Moreover, Moses took special pains in the preparation of this +account, that it might serve as a witness against all hypocrites, and +as a chronicle containing a graphic description of their character and +of the ire to which they are aroused by Satan against God, his Word +and his Church. It was not enough for this murderer that he had killed +his brother, contrary to the command of God, but he added the further +sin that he became filled with indignation and rage when God inquired +of him concerning his brother. I say, "when God inquired of him," +because, although it was Adam who spoke these words to his son Cain, +yet he spoke them by the authority of God and by the Holy Spirit. In +view of so great a sin, was it not quite gentle to inquire, "Where is +Abel thy brother?" And yet, to this word, which contained nothing +severe, the hypocrite and murderer is ferocious and proud enough to +reply, "I know not." And he is indignant that he should be called to +an account concerning the matter at all. For the reply of Cain is the +language of one who resists and hates God. + +128. But to this sin Cain adds one still worse. Justly under +indictment for murder, he presently becomes the accuser of God, and +expostulates with him: "Am I my brother's keeper?" He prefaces his +reply with no such expression of reverence or honor as is due both to +God and to his father. He did not say, "Lord, I know not." He did not +say, "My Father, didst thou make me the keeper of my brother?" Such +expressions as these would have indicated a feeling of reverence +toward God or toward his parent. But he answers with pride as if he +himself were the Lord, and plainly manifests that he felt indignation +at being called to account by him who had the perfect right to do so. + +129. This is a true picture of all hypocrites. Living in manifest +sins, they grow insolent and proud, aiming all the while to appear +righteous. They will not yield even to God himself and his Word when +upbraided by them. Nay, they set themselves against God, contend with +him, and excuse their sin. Thus David says, that God is judged of men, +but that at length he clears and justifies himself, and prevails, Ps +51, 4. Such is the insolence of the hypocrites Moses has here +endeavored to paint. + +130. But what success has Cain with his attempt? This, that his +powerful effort to excuse himself becomes a forcible self-accusation. +Christ says, "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked +servant," Lk 19, 22. Now, this servant wished to appear without guilt, +saying: "I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou +didst not sow; and I was afraid, and hid thy talent," Mt 25, 24-25. +Could he have brought a stronger accusation against himself, in view +of the fact that Christ immediately turns his words against him? +Thereby Christ evidences the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. + +131. Such illustrations help us to learn not to contend with God. On +the contrary when you feel in your conscience that you are guilty, +take heed with all your soul that you strive neither with God nor with +men by defending or excusing your sin. Rather do this: When you see +God point his spear at you, flee not from him; but, on the contrary, +flee to him with a humble confession of your sin, and with prayer for +his pardon. Then God will draw back his spear and spare you. But when, +by the denial and excuse of your sin, you flee farther and farther +from him, God will pursue you at close range with still greater +determination, and bring you to bay. Nothing, therefore, is better or +safer than to come with the confession of guilt. Thus it comes to pass +that God's victory becomes our victory through him. + +132. But Cain and hypocrites in general do not this. God points his +spear at them, but they never humble themselves before him nor pray to +him for pardon. Nay, they rather point their spear at God, just as +Cain did on this occasion. Cain does not say, "Lord, I confess I have +killed my brother; forgive me." On the contrary, though being the +accused, he himself accuses God by replying, "Am I my brother's +keeper?" And what did he effect with his pride? His reply was +certainly equal to the confession that he cared naught for the divine +law, which says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Lev 19, +18. And again, "Do not unto another that which you would not have +another do unto you," Mt 7, 12. This law was not first written in the +Decalog; it was inscribed in the minds of all men. Cain acts directly +against this law, and shows that he not only cares nothing for it, but +absolutely despises it. + +133. In this manner, Cain represents a man who is not merely wicked, +but who occupies such a height of wickedness as to combine hypocrisy +with bloodshed, and yet is so eager to maintain the appearance of +sanctity that he rather accuses God than concedes the justice of the +accusation against himself. And this is what all hypocrites do. They +blaspheme God and crucify his Son, and yet wish to appear righteous. +For after their sins of murder, blasphemy and the like their whole aim +is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the same. But the +result always is that they betray themselves and are condemned out of +their own mouths. + +134. While Cain makes an effort to clear himself, he exhibits the +foulest stains. He thinks he made a most plausible excuse when he +said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" But this very excuse becomes his +most shameful accusation. The maxim of Hilary, that wickedness and +stupidity always go hand in hand, finds unvarying application. If Cain +had been as wise as he was wicked, he would have excused himself in +quite a different manner. Now, under the operation of the divine rule +that wickedness and stupidity are running mates, he becomes his own +accuser. The same principle operates in favor of the truth, and makes +her defense against all adversaries easy. Just as Cain betrayed by +word and mien his indifference and hate toward his brother, so all +adversaries of the truth betray their wickedness, the one in this way, +the other in that. + +135. Facts of importance and apt for instruction are, therefore, here +set before us. And their general import is that God does not permit +hypocrites to remain hidden for any length of time, but compels them +to betray themselves just when they make shrewd efforts to hide their +hypocrisy and crime. + +136. Moses does not exhibit in his narrative the verbose diction +characteristic of pagan literature, where we often find one and the +same argument embellished and polished by a variety of colors. We find +by experience that no human power of description can do justice to +inward emotions. In consequence, verbosity, as a rule, comes short of +expressing emotion. Moses employs the opposite method, and clothes a +great variety of arguments in scant phraseology. + +137. Above the historian used the expression, "when they were in the +field." Thereby Moses indicates that the murderer Cain had watched his +opportunity to attack his brother when both were alone. All the +circumstances plainly show that Abel was not idle at the time; for he +was in the field, where he had to do the things his father committed +to him. From Moses' statement we may infer that Abel's parents felt +absolutely no fear of danger. For, although at the outset they had +feared that the wrath of Cain would eventually break out into still +greater sin, Cain, by his gentleness and pretended affection, +prevented all suspicion of evil on the part of his parents. For had +there been the least trace of apprehension, they certainly would not +have permitted Abel to go from their presence alone. They would have +sent his sisters with him as companions; for he no doubt had some. Or +his parents themselves would have prevented by their presence and +authority the perpetration of so great a crime. As already stated, +also the mind of Abel was perfectly free from suspicion. For, had he +suspected the least evil at the hand of his brother, he would +doubtless have sought safety by flight. But after he had heard that +Cain bore the judgment of God with composure, and did not envy the +brother his honor, he pursued his work in the field with a feeling of +security. + +138. What orator could do justice to the scene which Moses depicts in +one word: "Cain rose up against his brother?" Many descriptions of +cruelty are to be found on every hand, but could any be painted as +more atrocious and execrable than is the case here? "He rose up +against his brother," Moses writes. It is as if he had said, Cain rose +up against Abel, the only brother he had, with whom he had been +brought up and with whom he had lived to that day. But not only the +relationship Cain utterly forgot; he forgot their common parents also. +The greatness of the grief he would cause his parents by such a grave +crime, never entered his mind. He did not think that Abel was a +brother, from whom he had never received any offense whatever. For +Cain knew that the honor of having offered the more acceptable +sacrifice, proceeded not from any desire or ambition in Abel, but from +God himself. Nor did Cain consider that he, who had hitherto stood in +the highest favor with his parents, would lose that favor altogether +and would fall under their deepest displeasure as a result of his +crime. + +139. It is recorded in history of an artist who painted the scene of +Iphigenia's sacrifice, that when he had given to the countenance of +each of the spectators present its appropriate expression of grief and +pain, he found himself unable to portray the vastness of the father's +grief, who was present also, and hence painted his head draped. + +140. Such is the method, I think, Moses employs in this passage, when +he uses the verb _yakam_, "Rose up against." What tragical pictures +would the eloquence of a Cicero or a Livy have drawn in an attempt to +portray, through the medium of their oratory, the wrath of the one +brother, and the dread, the cries, the prayers, the tears, the +uplifted hands, and all the horrors of the other! But not even in that +way can justice be done to the subject. Moses, therefore, pursues the +right course, when he portrays, by a mere outline, things too great +for utterance. Such brevity tends to enlist the reader's undivided +attention to a subject which the vain adornment of many words +disfigures and mars, like paint applied to natural beauty. + +141. This is true also of the additional statement, "He slew him." +Occasionally we see men start a quarrel and commit murder for a +trivial cause, but no such ordinary murder is described here. +Murderers of this kind immediately afterward are filled with distress; +they grieve for the deeds they have done and acknowledge them to be +delusions of the devil by which he blinded their minds. Cain felt no +distress; he expressed no grief, but denied the deed he had done. + +142. This satanic and insatiable hatred in hypocrites is described by +Christ in the words, "When they kill you, they will think that they do +God service," Jn 16, 2. So the priests and the kings filled Jerusalem +with the blood of the prophets and gloried in what they did as a great +achievement; for they considered this as proof of their zeal for the +Law and the house of God. + +143. And the fury of popes and bishops in our day is just the same. +They are not satisfied with having excommunicated us again and again, +and with having shed our blood, but they wish to blot out our memory +from the land of the living, according to the description in the +Psalm, "Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof," Ps 137, 7. +Such hatred is not human but satanic. For all human hatred becomes +mellow in time; at all events, it will cease after it has avenged our +injury and gratified its passion. But the hatred of these Pharisees +assumes constantly larger dimensions, especially since it is smoothed +over by a show of piety. + +144. Cain, therefore, is the father of all those murderers who +slaughter the saints, and whose wrath knows no end so long as there +remains one of them, as is proved in the case of Christ himself. As +for Cain, there is no doubt of his having hoped that by putting Abel +to death he should keep the honor of his birthright. Thus, the ungodly +always think that their cruelty will profit them in some way. But when +they find that their hope is vain they fall into despair. + +145. Now, when the fact of this shameful murder was made known to the +parents, what do we think must have been the sad scenes resulting? +What lamentations? What sighs and groans? But I dwell not on these +things; they are for the man with the gifts of eloquence and +imagination to describe. It was certainly a marvel that both parents +were not struck lifeless with grief. The calamity was rendered the +greater by the fact that their first-born, who had aroused so large +hopes concerning himself, was the perpetrator of this horrible murder. + +146. If, therefore, Adam and Eve had not been helped from above, they +could never have been equal to this disaster in their home; for there +is nothing like it in all the world. Adam and Eve were without that +consolation which we may have in sudden and unexpected calamities, +namely, that like evils have befallen others and have not come upon us +alone. Our first parents had only two sons, though I believe that they +had daughters also; and therefore they lacked such instances of grief +in the human family as we have before our eyes. + +147. Who can doubt, moreover, that Satan by this new species of +temptation increased greatly the grief of our first parents? They no +doubt thought, Behold, this is all our sin. We, in paradise, wished to +become like God; but by our sin we have become like the devil. This is +the case also with our son. We loved only this son, and made +everything of him! Our other son, Abel, was righteous before us, above +this son; but of his righteousness we made nothing! This elder son we +hoped would be he who should crush the serpent's head; but behold, he +himself is crushed by the serpent! Nay, he himself has become like the +serpent, for he is now a murderer. And whence is this? Is it not +because he was born of us, and because we, through our sin, are what +we are? Therefore it is to our flesh; therefore it is to our sin, that +this calamity must be traced. + +148. It is very probable, accordingly, and the events of the series of +years which followed strengthen this probability, that the sorrowing +parents, shaken to the core by their calamity, abstained for a long +time from connubial intercourse. For it appears that when Cain +committed this murder he was about thirty years of age. During this +period some daughters were born unto Adam. In view of the subsequent +statements, verse 17, that "Cain knew his wife," he no doubt married a +sister. Moreover, since Cain himself says in verse 14, "It shall come +to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me", and as it is +further said in verse 15, "The Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any +finding him should kill him"--it appears most probable from all these +circumstances that Adam had many children besides Cain and Abel, but +these two only are mentioned, on account of their important and +memorable history, and because these two were their first and most +remarkable children. It is my full belief that the marriage of our +first parents was most fruitful during the first thirty years of their +union. Somewhere Calmana and Dibora are mentioned as daughters of +Adam, but I know not whether the authors are worthy of credence. +Inasmuch, therefore, as the birth of Seth is recorded as having taken +place a long time after this murder, it seems to me very probable that +the parents, distressed beyond measure at this monstrous crime in the +bosom of their family, refrained for a long time from procreation. +While Moses does not touch upon all these things, 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 distance. + +149. But I return to the text before us. Cain is an evil and wicked +man, and yet, in the eyes of his parents, he is a divine possession +and gift. Abel, on the contrary, is in the eyes of his parents +nothing; but in the eyes of God he is truly a righteous man; an +appellation with which also Christ honors him when he calls him +"righteous Abel"! Mt 23, 35. This divine judgment concerning Abel, +Cain could not endure, and, therefore, he thought that by murder not +only the hatred against his brother could be satisfied, but also his +birthright be retained. But he was far from thinking that was sin; as +the first-born he thought he had exercised his right. He killed Abel, +not with a sword, as I think, but with a club or a stone, for I hold +that there were as yet no iron weapons. + +150. After the murder, Cain remained unconcerned, for he thought the +deed could be concealed by hiding the body, which he buried, or +perhaps cast into a river, thinking that thus it would surely remain +undiscovered by his parents. + +When Abel, however, had been from home a longer time than had been his +habit, the Holy Spirit prompted Adam to inquire of Cain concerning +Abel, saying, "Where is Abel thy brother?" The above-mentioned +utterance of Adam, "If not, sin lieth at the door," was a prophecy +which now began to come true. Cain thought he had laid his sin to +rest, and all would thus remain hidden. And true it was that his sin +did lie at rest, but it lay at rest "at the door." And who opens the +door? None other than the Lord himself! He arouses the sleeping sin! +He brings the hidden sin to light! + +151. The same thing must come to pass with all sinners. For, unless by +repentance you first come to God, and yourself confess your sin to +God, God will surely come to you, to disclose your sin. For God cannot +endure that any one should deny his sin. To this fact the psalmist +testifies: "When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my +roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon +me; my moisture was changed as with the drouth of summer." Ps 32, 3-4. +For, although sin has its sleep and its security, yet that sleep is +"at the door"; it cannot long last, and the sin cannot remain hidden. + +152. When Moses introduces Jehovah as speaking, I understand him to +mean, as above, that it was Adam who spoke by the Holy Spirit in the +place of God, whom he represented in his relation as father. The +expression of the Holy Spirit, therefore, is intended to set forth the +high authority of parents; when children dutifully hear and obey +these, they hear and obey God. And I believe Adam knew by the +revelation of the Holy Spirit that Abel had been slain by his brother; +for his words intimate the commission of murder at a time when Cain +still dissembled as to what he had done. + + +V. CAIN PUNISHED FOR HIS MURDER. + + A. CAIN'S PUNISHMENT IN GENERAL. + + 1. By whom and how he is punished 153. + + 2. Why he was not put to death 153. + + * The double grief of the first parents 154. + + * What was Adam's church and altar 155. + + 3. How Cain was excommunicated 156. + + * God's inquiry about Abel's blood. + + a. How unbelievers refer to it 157. + + b. How a theologian should use it 158. + + c. It is a great and important matter 159. + + * How Abel's death is to be viewed 159. + + d. Why God does not inquire after the blood of beasts + 160-161. + + e. Whether this inquiry was from God direct or made through + Adam 162-163. + + f. How Cain felt upon this inquiry 164. + + * The result of sin to murderers and other sinners 165-166. + + * An evil conscience the result of evil-doing 166. + + g. How to understand the statement that Abel's blood crieth + to heaven 167. + + * How God's children are to comfort themselves when the + world oppresses them and seemingly God refuses to help + 168-171. + + h. This inquiry is a sign of God's care for Abel 169. + + * The blood of many Evangelical martyrs cry to the Papists + 170. + + * How God opportunely judges the afflictions of believers + 171. + + * Why God's vengeance does not immediately follow 172. + + i. The time this inquiry occurred 173. + + * God indeed has regard for the sufferings and tears of his + children 174. + + * How sinners can meet the judgments of God 174. + + 4. The miserable life Cain must have led after his punishment + 175. + + B. CAIN'S PUNISHMENT IN DETAIL. + + 1. The Church suffered. + + a. How Cain's punishment and curse differed from Adam's + 176-178. + + b. Why Cain's person was cursed 178-179. + + * The more Cain desired honor, the less he received 180. + + * The beginning of both churches, the true and the false + 181. + + * Cain's whole posterity perished in sin 181. + + c. How his curse and punishment were lightened 182. + + * Whether any of Cain's posterity were saved, and holy 182. + + * The way the heathen had part in the promise 182-185. + + * The way Cain withheld his children from the true Church + 185. + + 2. The Home suffered. + + a. How this curse affected the earth 186-187. + + b. Why Adam used such severe words in this curse 186. + + c. How it caused the earth to be less fruitful 187. + + * The difference between "Arez" and "Adama" 188. + + 3. The State suffered. + + * What "No" and "Nod" mean, and how they differ 189-190. + + * Cain's sin punished in three ways and in each the sin was + mitigated 191-193. + + * Cain a fugitive and a wanderer. + + a. This refers chiefly to the true Church, as is illustrated + by many examples of the saints 194-195. + + b. It refers less to the false 194-195. + + c. Many take offense at this 196. + + +V. HOW CAIN WAS PUNISHED FOR HIS MURDER. + +A. Cain's Punishment in General. + +153. If Eve overheard these words, what think you must have been the +state of her mind! Her grief must have been beyond all description. +But the calamity was brought home to Adam with even greater force. As +he was the father, it fell to him to rebuke his son and to +excommunicate him for his sin. Since, according to the ninth chapter, +the law concerning the death-penalty for murderers was not promulgated +until afterward when the patriarchs beheld murder becoming alarmingly +frequent, Adam did not put Cain to death, but safeguarded his life in +obedience to the prompting and direction of the Holy Spirit; still, it +is a fact not to be gainsaid that the punishment ordained for him and +all his posterity was anything but light. For in addition to that +curse upon his body he suffered excommunication from his family, +separation from the sight of his parents and from the society of his +brothers and sisters, who remained with their parents, or in the +fellowship of the Church. + +154. Now, Adam could not have done all this, nor could Eve have heard +it without indescribable anguish. For a father is a father, and a son +is a son. Gladly would Adam have spared his son and retained him at +home, as we now sometimes see murderers become reconciled to the +brothers of their victims. But in this case no place was left for +reconciliation. Cain is bidden at once to be a fugitive upon the face +of the earth. The pain of the parents was doubled in consequence. They +see one of their sons slain, and the other excommunicated by the +judgment of God and cut off forever from the fellowship of his +brethren. + +155. Moreover, when we here speak of excommunication from the Church, +it stands to reason that not our houses of worship, built in +magnificent style and ample proportions out of hewn stone, are meant. +The sanctuary, or church, of Adam was a certain tree, or a certain +little hill under the open heaven, where they assembled to hear the +Word of God and to offer their sacrifices, for which purpose they had +erected altars. And when they offered their sacrifices and heard the +Word, God was present, as we see from the experience of Abel. + +Also elsewhere in the sacred story, mention is made of such altars +under the open heaven, and of sacrifices made upon them. And, if we +should come together at this day under the open sky to bend our knees, +to preach, to give thanks, and to bless each other, a custom would be +inaugurated altogether beneficial. + +156. It was from a temple of this kind and from such a church, not a +conspicuous and magnificent church at a particular place, that Cain +was cast out. He was thus doubly punished; first, by a corporal +penalty, because the earth was accursed to him, and secondly, by a +spiritual penalty, because by excommunication, he was cast out from +the temple and the church of God as from another paradise. + +157. Lawyers also have drawn upon this passage, and quite properly +brought out the fact that Jehovah first investigated the matter and +then passed sentence. Their application is, that no one should be +pronounced guilty until his case has been tried; until he has been +called to the bar, proved guilty and convicted. This, according to a +previous statement, was also done with Adam: "The Lord God called unto +Adam, and said unto him. Where art thou?" Gen 3, 9. And further on: "I +will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according +to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know," Gen +11, 5; 18, 21. + +158. However, dismissing the matter in its bearings upon public life, +let us view its more attractive theological features. The element of +doctrine and of hope is found in the fact that Jehovah inquires +concerning the dead Abel. Clearly there is pointed out to us here the +truth of the resurrection of the dead. God declared himself to be the +God of Abel, although now dead, and he inquired for the dead, for +Abel. Upon this passage we may establish the incontrovertible +principle that, if there were no one to care for us after this life, +Abel would not have been inquired for after he was slain. But God +inquires after Abel, even when he had been taken from this life; he +has no desire to forget him; he retains the remembrance of him; he +asks: "Where is he?" God, therefore, we see, is the God of the dead. +My meaning is that even the dead, as we here see, still live in the +memory of God, and have a God who cares for them, and saves them in +another life beyond and different from this corporal life in which +saints suffer affliction. + +159. This passage, therefore, is most worthy of our attention. We see +that God cared for Abel, even when dead; and that on account of the +dead Abel, he excommunicated Cain, and visited him, the living, with +destruction in spite of his being the first-born. A towering fact +this, that Abel, though dead, was living and canonized in another life +more effectually and truly than those whom the pope ever canonized! +The death of Abel was indeed horrible; he did not suffer death without +excruciating torment nor without many tears. Yet it was a blessed +death, for now he lives a more blessed life than he did before. This +bodily life of ours is lived in sin, and is ever in danger of death. +But that other life is eternal and perfectly free from trials and +troubles, both of the body and of the soul. + +160. No! God inquires not after the sheep and the oxen that are slain, +but he does inquire after the men who are slain. Accordingly men +possess the hope of a resurrection. They have a God who brings them +back from the death of the body unto eternal life, a God who inquires +after their blood as a most precious thing. The Psalmist says: +"Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints," Ps 116, +15. + +161. This is the glory of the human race, obtained for it by the seed +of the woman which bruised the serpent's head. The case of Abel is the +first instance of such promise made to Adam and Eve, and God showed by +the same that the serpent did not harm Abel, although it caused his +murder. This was indeed an instance of the serpent's "bruising the +heel" of the woman's seed. But in the very attempt to bite, its own +head was crushed. For God, in answer to Abel's faith in the promised +seed, required the blood of the dead, and proved himself thereby to be +his God still. This is all proved by what follows. + +V. 10. _And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's +blood crieth unto me from the ground._ + +162. Cain's sin hath hitherto lain at the door. And the preceding +circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin +asleep. For being interrogated by his father concerning his brother +Abel and his whereabouts, he disclaimed knowledge of the matter, thus +adding to murder lying. This answer of Cain is sufficient evidence +that the above words were spoken by Adam in his own person, and not by +God in his divine Majesty. For Cain believed that the deed was hidden +from his father, as he was a mere man, while he could not have thought +this of the divine Majesty. Therefore, had God spoken to him in his +own person, he would have returned a different answer. But, as he +thought himself dealing with a human being only, Cain denied his deed +altogether, saying: "I know not. How numerous are the perils by which +a man may perish. He may have been destroyed by wild beasts; he may +have been drowned in some river; or he may have lost his life by some +other death." + +163. Thus Cain thought that his father would think of any other cause +of death than the perpetration of murder. But Cain could not deceive +the Holy Spirit in Adam. Adam therefore, as God's representative, +arraigns him with the words, "What hast thou done?" As if he had said +"Why dost thou persist in denying the deed; be assured thou canst not +deceive God, who hath revealed to me all. Thou thinkest the blood of +thy brother is hidden by the earth. But it is not so absorbed and +concealed thereby as to prevent the blood crying aloud unto God." That +meant to awaken the sin lying at the door, and to drag it forth. + +164. The text before us, then, provides much consolation against the +enemies and murderers of the Church; for it teaches us that our +afflictions and sufferings and the shedding of our blood fill heaven +and earth with their cries. I believe, therefore, that Cain was so +overwhelmed and confounded by these words of his father that, as if +thunderstruck, he knew not what to say or what to do. No doubt his +thoughts were, "If my father Adam knows about the murder which I have +committed, how can I any longer doubt that it is known unto God, unto +the angels, and unto heaven and earth? Whither can I flee? Which way +can I turn, wretched man that I am?" + +165. Such is the state of murderers to this day. They are so harassed +with the stings of conscience, after the crime of murder has been +committed, that they are always in a state of alarm. It seems to them +that heaven and earth have put on a changed aspect toward them, and +they know not whither to flee. A case in point is Orestes pursued by +the furies, as described by the poets. A horrible thing is the cry of +spilled blood and an evil conscience. + +166. The same is true of all other atrocious sins. Those who commit +them, experience the same distresses of mind when remorse lays hold of +them. The whole creation seems changed toward them, and even when they +speak to persons with whom they have been familiar, and when they hear +the answers they make, the very sound of their voice appears to them +altogether changed and their countenances seem to wear an altered +aspect. Whichever way they turn their eyes, all things are clothed, as +it were, in gloom and horror. So grim and fierce a monster is a guilty +conscience! And, unless such sinners are succored from above, they +must put an end to their existence because of their anguish and +intolerable pain. + +167. Again Moses' customary conciseness is in evidence, which, +however, is more effective than an excess of words. In the first +place, he personifies a lifeless object when he attributes to blood a +voice filling with its cries heaven and the earth. How can that voice +be small or weak which, rising from earth, is heard by God in heaven? +Abel, therefore, who when alive was patient under injuries and gentle +and placid of spirit, now, when dead and buried in the earth, can not +brook the wrong inflicted. He who before dared not murmur against his +brother, now fairly shrieks, and so completely enlists God in his +cause that he descends from heaven, to charge the murderer with his +crime. Moses, accordingly, here uses the more pregnant term. He does +not say, "The voice of thy brother's blood speaketh unto me from the +ground," but, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me." It is +a cry like the shout of heralds when they raise their voices to +assemble men together. + +168. These things are written, as I have observed, to convince us that +our God is merciful, that he loves his saints, takes them into his +special care, and demands an account for them; while, on the other +hand, he is angry with the murderers of his saints, hates them and +designs their punishment. Of this consolation we stand in decided +need. When oppressed by our enemies and murderers, we are apt to +conclude that our God has forgotten and lost interest in us. We think +that if God cared for us, he would not permit such things to come upon +us. Likewise, Abel might have reasoned: God surely cares nothing for +me; for if he did, he would not suffer me thus to be murdered by my +brother. + +169. But only look at what follows! Does not God safeguard the +interests of Abel better than he could possibly have done himself? How +could Abel have inflicted on his brother such vengeance as God does, +now that Abel is dead? How could he, if alive, execute such judgment +on his brother as God here executes? Now the blood of Abel cries +aloud, who, while alive, was of a most retiring disposition. Now Abel +accuses his brother before God of being a murderer; when alive he +would bear all the injuries of his brother in silence. For who was it +that disclosed the murder committed by Cain? Was it not, as the text +here tells us, the blood of Abel, fairly deafening with its constant +cries the ears of God and men? + +170. These things, I say, are all full of consolation; especially for +us who now suffer persecution from the popes and wicked princes on +account of our doctrine. They have practiced against us the utmost +cruelty and have vented their rage against godly men, not in Germany +only, but also in other parts of Europe. And all this sin is +disregarded by the papacy, as if it were nothing but a joke. Nay, the +Papists really consider it to be a service toward God, Jn 16, 2. All +this sin, therefore, as yet "lieth at the door." But it shall become +manifest in due time. The blood of Leonard Kaiser, which was shed in +Bavaria, is not silent. Nor is the blood of Henry of Zutphen, which +was shed in Dietmar; nor that of our brother Anthony, of England, who +was cruelly and without a hearing slain by his English countrymen. I +could mention a thousand others who, although their names are not so +prominent, were yet fellow-sufferers with confessors and martyrs. The +blood of all these, I say, will not be silent; 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 bear. + +171. Let us not think, therefore, that God does not heed the shedding +of our blood! Let us not imagine for a moment that God does not regard +our afflictions! No! he collects all our tears, and puts them into his +bottle, Ps 56, 8. The cry of the blood of all the godly penetrates the +clouds and the heavens to the very throne of God, and entreats him to +avenge the blood of the righteous, Ps 79, 10. + +172. As these things are written for our consolation, so are they +written for the terror of our adversaries. 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 God? God is indeed +long-suffering, especially now toward the end of the world; and +therefore sin lies the longer "at the door," and vengeance does not +immediately follow. But it is surely true that God is most grievously +offended with all this sin, and that he will never suffer it to pass +unpunished. + +173. Such judgment of God on Cain, however, I do not believe to have +been executed on the first day, but some time afterward. For it is +God's nature to be long-suffering, inasmuch as he waits for the sinner +to turn. But he does not, on that account, fail to punish him. For he +is the righteous judge both of the living and of the dead, as we +confess in our Christian Faith. Such judgment God exercised in the +very beginning of the world with reference to these two brothers. He +judged and condemned the living murderer, and justified murdered Abel. +He excommunicated Cain and drove him into such agonies of soul that +the space of the whole creation seemed too narrow to contain him. From +the moment Cain saw that God would be the avenger of his brother's +blood, he felt nowhere safe. To Abel, on the other hand, God gave for +enjoyment the full width of earth and heaven. + +174. Why, then, should we ever doubt that God ponders and numbers in +his heart the afflictions of his people, and that he measures our +tears and inscribes them on adamantine tablets? And this inscription +the enemies of the Church shall never be able to erase by any device +whatever except by repentance. Manasseh was a terrible tyrant and a +most inhuman persecutor of the godly. And his banishment and captivity +would never have sufficed to blot out these sins. But when he +acknowledged his sin and repented in truth, then the Lord showed him +mercy. + +So Paul had, and so the pope and the bishops have now, only one way +left them: to acknowledge their sin and to supplicate the forgiveness +of God. If they will not do this, God in his wrath will surely require +at their hands the blood of the godly. Let no one doubt this! + +175. Abel is dead, but Cain is still alive. But, good God, what a +wretched life is that which he lives! He might wish never to have been +born, as he hears that he is excommunicated and must look for death +and retribution at any moment. And in due time this will be the lot of +our adversaries and of the oppressors of the Church. + +B. Cain's Punishment In Detail. + +V. 11. _And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its +mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;_ + +176. We have heard, so far, of the disclosure of Cain's sin through +the voice of Abel's blood, of his conviction by Adam his father, and +of the decision rendered with reference to the two brothers, namely, +that the one should be canonized, or declared a saint--the first +fruits, as it were, of the blessed seed; but that the other, the +first-born, should be condemned and excommunicated, as shall presently +be shown. Now Moses mentions the penalties to be visited upon such +fratricide. + +177. First of all, we should mark as particularly worthy of note the +discrimination exercised by the Holy Spirit. Previously, when the +penalty for his sin was inflicted upon Adam, a curse was placed not +upon the person of Adam, but only upon the earth; and even this curse +was not absolute but qualified. The expression is this: "Cursed is the +ground for thy sake"; and in the eighth chapter of the Romans, verse +twenty, we read: "The creature was made subject to vanity, not +willingly." The fact is, that the earth, inasmuch as it bore guilty +man, became involved in the curse as his instrument, just as also the +sword, gold, and other objects, are cursed for the reason that men +make them the instruments of their sin. With fine reasoning the Holy +Spirit discriminates between the earth and Adam. He diverts the curse +to the earth, but saves the person. + +178. But in this instance the Holy Spirit speaks of Cain. He curses +the person of Cain. And why is this? Is it because the sin of Cain, as +a murderer, was greater than the sin of Adam and Eve? Not so. But +because Adam was the root from whose flesh and loins Christ, that +blessed seed, should be born. It is this seed, therefore, that was +spared. For the sake of this seed, the fruit of the loins of Adam, the +curse is transferred from the person of Adam to the earth. Thus, Adam +bears the curse of the earth, but his person is not cursed; from his +posterity Christ was to be born. + +179. Cain, however, since he fell by his sin, must suffer the curse +being inflicted upon his person. He hears it said to him, "Cursed art +thou," that we might understand he was cut off from the glory of the +promised seed, and condemned never to have in his posterity that seed +through which the blessing should come. Thus Cain was cast out from +the stupendous glory of the promised seed. Abel was slain; therefore +there could be no posterity from him. But Adam was ordained to serve +God by further procreation. In Adam alone, therefore, after Cain's +rejection, the hope of the blessed seed rested until Seth was born +unto him. + +180. The words spoken to Cain, "Cursed art thou," are few, but +nevertheless entitled to a great deal of attention, in that they are +equal to the declaration: Thou art not the one from whom the blessed +seed is hoped for. With this word Cain stands cast out and cut off +like a branch from the root, unable longer to hope for the distinction +around which he had circled. It is a fact, that Cain craved the +distinction of passing on the blessing; but the more closely he +encircled it the more elusive it became. Such is the lot of all +evildoers: their failure is commensurate with their efforts to +succeed. + +181. From this occurrence originate the two churches which are at war +with each other: the one of Adam and the righteous, which has the hope +and promise of the blessed seed; the other of Cain, which has +forfeited this hope and promise through sin, without ever being able +to regain it. For in the flood Cain's whole posterity became extinct, +so that there has been no prophet, no saint, no prince of the true +Church who could trace his lineage back to Cain. All that was denied +Cain and withdrawn from him, when he was told: "Cursed art thou." + +182. We find added, however, the words, "from the ground." These words +qualify the fearful wrath. For, if God had said, "from the heavens," +he would have deprived his posterity forever of the hope of salvation. +As it is, the words, "from the ground," convey, indeed, the menacing +decision that the promise of the seed has been forfeited, but the +possibility is left that descendants of Cain as individuals, prompted +by the Holy Spirit, may join themselves to Adam and find salvation. + +This, in after ages, really came to pass. While it is true the promise +of the blessed seed was a distinction confined to the Jews, according +to the statement in Psalm 147, 20: "He hath not dealt so with any +nation," the Gentiles, nevertheless, retained the privilege of +beggars, so to speak. It was in this manner that the Gentiles, through +divine mercy, obtained the same blessing the Jews possessed on the +ground of the divine faithfulness and promise. + +183. In like manner, all rule in the Church was absolutely denied also +to the Moabites and Amorites; and yet many private individuals among +them embraced the religion of the Jews. Thus, every right in the +Church was taken away from Cain and his posterity absolutely, yet +permission was left them to beg, as it were, for grace. That was not +taken from them. Cain, because of his sin, was cast out from the right +of sitting at the family table of Adam. But the right was left him to +gather up, doglike, the crumbs that fell from his father's table, Mt +15, 26-27. This is signified by the Hebrew expression _min haadama_, +"From the ground." + +184. I make these observations because there is a great probability +that many of the posterity of Cain joined themselves to the holy +patriarchs. But their privileges were not those of an obligatory +service toward them on the part of the Church, but mere toleration of +them as individuals who had lost the promise that the blessed seed was +to spring from their flesh and blood. To forfeit the promise was no +trifle; still, even that curse was so mitigated as to secure for them +the privilege of beggars, so that heaven was not absolutely denied +them, provided they allied themselves with the true Church. + +185. But this is what Cain, no doubt, strove to hinder in various +ways. He set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies, +that thereby he might also appear to be the Church. Those, however, +who departed from him and joined the true Church, were saved, although +they were compelled to surrender the distinction that Christ was to be +born from their flesh and blood. But let us now return to the text. + +186. Moses here uses a very striking personification. He represents +the earth as a dreaded beast when he speaks of her as having opened +her mouth and swallowed the innocent blood of Abel. But why does he +treat the earth so ruthlessly since all this was done without her +will? Yes, being a creature of God which is good, did not all +transpire in opposition to her will and in spite of her struggle +against it, according to Paul's teaching: "The earth was made subject +to vanity, not willingly," Rom 8, 20. My reply is: The object was to +impress Adam and all his posterity, so that they might live in the +fear of God and beware of murder. The words of Adam have this import +"Behold the earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed the blood of thy +brother; but she ought to have swallowed thee, the murderer. The earth +is indeed a good creature, and is good to the good and godly; but to +the wicked she is full of pitfalls." It is for the purpose of +inspiring murderers with fear and dread that these terrifying words +were spoken. Nor is there any doubt that Cain, after hearing the words +from an angry father, was overwhelmed with terror and confusion, not +knowing whither to turn. The expression, "which hath opened its mouth +to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand," is, indeed, terrifying, +but it portrays the turpitude of the fratricidal deed better than any +picture. + +V. 12a. _When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield +unto thee its strength._ + +187. The Lord said above to Adam, "Thorns also and thistles shall it +bring forth to thee." But the words spoken to Cain are different. As +if he had said, "Thou hast watered and fertilized the earth, not with +healthful and quickening rain, but with thy brother's blood. Therefore +the earth shall be to thee less productive than to others. For the +blood thou hast shed shall hinder the strength and the fruitfulness of +the earth." This material curse is the second part of the punishment. +The earth, although alike cultivated by Adam and Cain, should be more +fruitful to Adam than to Cain and yield its return to the former for +his labors. But to the labors of Cain it should not yield such +returns, though by nature desirous to give in proportion to its +fruitfulness and strength, because it was hindered by the blood +spilled by Cain. + +188. Here we must offer a remark of a grammatical nature. In the +present passage Moses terms the earth _haadama_. In the passage +following, "A fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth" he +uses the term _arez_. Now _adama_ signifies, according to grammatical +interpreters, that part of the earth which is cultivated, where trees +grow and other fruits of the earth adapted for food. But _arez_ +signifies the whole earth, whether cultivated or uncultivated. This +curse, therefore, properly has reference to the part of the earth +cultivated for food. And the curse implies that where one ear of wheat +brings forth three hundred grains for Adam, it should bring forth +scarcely ten grains for Cain the murderer; and this for the purpose +that Cain might behold on every side God's hatred and punishment of +the shedding of blood. + +V. 12b. _A fugitive and a wanderer (vagabond) shalt thou be in the +earth._ + +189. This is a third punishment resting on murderers to our day. For, +unless they find reconciliation, they have nowhere a fixed abode or a +secure dwelling-place. + +We find here, in the original, two words, _No Vanod_, signifying +vagabond and fugitive. The distinction I make between them is, that +_No_ designates the uncertainty of one's dwelling-place. An +illustration is furnished by the Jews, who have no established +habitation, but fear every hour lest they be compelled to wander +forth. _Nod_, on the other hand, signifies the uncertainty of finding +the dwelling-place sought; 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 abandoned. Thus, the +punishment contains two features, the insecurity of the present +dwelling-place and a lack of knowledge whither to turn when thrust +forth from the insecure abode of the present. In this sense the term +is used in Psalm 109, 10: "Let his children be continually +_vagabonds_." That means, Nowhere shall they find a certain abode; if +they are in Greece this year, they shall migrate to Italy the next, +and so from place to place. + +190. Just such is evidently the miserable state of the Jews at the +present day. They can fix their dwelling-place nowhere permanently. +And to such evil God adds this other in the case of Cain, that when he +should be driven from one place of abode he should not know where to +turn, and thus should live suspended, as it were, between heaven and +earth, not knowing where to abide nor where to look for a permanent +place of refuge. + +191. In this manner the sin of Cain was visited with a threefold +punishment. In the first place he was deprived of all spiritual or +churchly glory; for the promise that the blessed seed was to be born +from his posterity, was taken from him. In the second place, the earth +was cursed, which is a punishment affecting his home life. The third +punishment affects his relations to the community, in that he must be +a vagabond without a fixed abode anywhere. + +192. Notwithstanding, an open door of return into the Church is left, +but without a covenant. For, as has been explained, in the event that +any one of Cain's posterity should ally himself with the true Church +and the holy fathers, he was saved. Thus the Home is left, but without +a blessing; and the State is left so that he may found a city and +dwell there, but for how long, is uncertain. Without exaggeration, +therefore, he may be likened to a beggar in Church, Home and State. + +193. This punishment is mitigated by the prohibition to slay him +forthwith after the commission of the murderous deed, a law providing +for the punishment of murderers which was reserved for a later day. +Cain was saved that he might be an example for others, to teach them +to fear God and to beware of murder. So much about the sin, +arraignment, and punishment of Cain. + +194. But there are some who reply that, the godly, likewise sometimes +endure these same curses, while the wicked, on the contrary, are free +from them. Thus, Paul says that he also "wandered about and had no +certain dwelling-place," 1 Cor 4, 11. Such is even our condition +to-day, who are teachers in the churches. We have no certain +dwelling-place; either we are driven into banishment or we expect +banishment any hour. Such was the lot also of Christ, the apostles, +the prophets, and the patriarchs. + +195. Concerning Jacob the Scriptures say "The elder shall serve the +younger," Gen 25, 23. But does not Jacob become a servant when we see +him, from fear of his brother, haste away into exile? Does he not, on +his return home, supplicate his brother and fall on his knees before +him? Is not Isaac also seen to be a most miserable beggar? Gen 6, +1-35. Abraham, his father, goes into exile among the Gentiles and +possesses not in all the world a place to set his foot, as Stephen +says, Acts 7, 1-5. On the other hand, Ishmael was a king, and had the +princes of the land of Midian as his offspring before Israel entered +into the land of promise, Gen 25, 16. Thus, as we shall see a little +later, Cain first built the city of Enoch, and, furthermore, became +the ancestor of shepherds, workers in metals, and musicians. All this +appears to prove that it is a mistake to attribute to Cain and his +posterity a curse. The curse seems to rest with weight upon the true +Church, while the wicked appear to thrive and flourish. + +196. These things are often a stumbling-block, not to the world only, +but even to the saints, as the Psalms in many places testify. And the +prophets, also, are frequently found to grow indignant, as does +Jeremiah, when they see the wicked possess freedom as it were from the +evils of life, while they are oppressed and afflicted in various ways. +Men may therefore inquire, Where is the curse of the wicked? Where is +the blessing of the godly? Is not the converse the truth? Cain is a +vagabond and settled nowhere; and yet Cain is the first man that +builds a city and has a certain place to dwell in. But we will answer +this argument more fully hereafter. We will now proceed with the text +of Moses. + + +VI. CAIN'S CONDUCT WHEN PUNISHED. + + 1. How he despaired. "My punishment is greater" etc. + + a. These words have greatly perplexed interpreters 197. + + b. The way Augustine explains them 197. + + c. The explanation of the rabbins 198. + + * How the rabbins pervert the Scriptures and whence their false + comments 198-199. + + d. Why the rabbins' interpretation cannot be accepted 200. + + e. The true understanding of these words 201. + + * The punishment troubles Cain more than his sin 201. + + f. What makes these words difficult 202. + + * The right understanding of the words "Minso" and "Avon" + 202-203. + + * Grammarians cannot get at the right meaning of the Scriptures + 204. + + * How we should proceed in interpreting Scripture 204. + + 2. How Cain viewed his political punishment 205. + + 3. How he viewed his ecclesiastical punishment 206. + + * Why Cain was excommunicated by Adam 206-207. + + * In what sense Cain was a fugitive and a wanderer 208-209. + + * Adam received his punishment in a better way 210. + + * The meaning of being a fugitive and a wanderer. How the same is + found among the papists 211-212. + + * The grace of God was guaranteed to Seth and his posterity 212. + + * Why no temptation can harm believers 212. + + 4. Cain's fear that in turn he would be slain 213. + + * God shows Cain a double favor in his punishment. Why he does + this 213. + + * Whether any of Cain's posterity, under the Old Testament, were + saved 214-215. + + 5. Whether Cain prayed that he might die, as Augustine, Lyra and + others relate 216-217. + + * The fables of the rabbins cause Luther double work and why he + occasionally cites them 218. + + * Whether God changed his judgment upon Cain 219. + + * Why God still showed Cain incidental grace 219. + + * The fables of the Jews concerning Cain's death and Lamech's + punishment 220-221. + + * It is foolish to dispute concerning the sevenfold vengeance to + be visited upon the one who slew Cain 222. + + * The divine promises. + + a. They are twofold, of the law and of grace 223. + + b. The promise Adam received 224. + + c. Whether God gave Cain one of these promises 224-225. + + d. The kind of promises well organized police stations have 226. + + e. The promises the Church has 227. + + f. Cain's promise is temporal, incidental and incomplete 227. + + * Was Cain murdered 228. + + 6. How Cain had cause to fear, even though there were no people on + the earth except Adam and Eve and his sisters 229-230. + + * The sign that is put upon Cain. + + a. Can anything definite be said of it. What the fathers thought + of it 231. + + b. Why this sign was placed upon him 232. + + c. How he had to carry it his whole life 232. + + d. How the sign was a confirmation and a promise of the law 233. + + 7. Of Cain's departure, and his excommunication from the presence + of Jehovah. + + a. The first parents in obedience to God made Cain an outcast + 234-235. + + b. How the first parents overcame their parental affections in + expelling Cain 236. + + * What should urge men to flee from their false security 237. + + c. His expulsion must have pierced Cain to the heart 238. + + * What is the presence of Jehovah 238. + + d. How he went from the presence of Jehovah, to be without that + presence 239. + + e. It was a sad departure, both for Cain and his parents 240. + + f. Whither he resorted 241. + + * What meaning of "in the land of Nod" 241. + + * Of Paradise. + + (1) The deluge very likely destroyed paradise 241. + + (2) Where was paradise 242. + + * Of the Deluge. + + (1) The deluge destroyed paradise 243. + + * Cain lived where Babylon was built later 244. + + (2) The deluge gave the earth an entirely different form 244. + + +VI. CAIN'S CONDUCT UPON BEING PUNISHED. + +V. 13. _And Cain said unto Jehovah, My punishment (iniquity) is +greater than I can bear (than can be remitted)._ + +197. Here Moses seems to have fixed a cross for the grammarians and +the rabbins; for they crucify this passage in various ways. Lyra +recites the opinions of some who see in this passage an affirmation, +considering it to mean that in his despair Cain claimed his sin to be +greater than could be pardoned. This is our rendering. Augustine +likewise retained this view of the passage, for he says, "Thou liest, +Cain; for the mercy of God is greater than the misery of all the +sinners." + +198. The rabbins, however, expound the passage as a denial in the form +of a question, as if he had said, "Is my iniquity greater than can be +remitted?" But if this rendering be the true one, Cain not only does +not acknowledge his sin, but excuses it and, in addition, insults God +for laying upon him a punishment greater than he deserves. In this way +the rabbins almost everywhere corrupt the sense of the Scriptures. +Consequently I begin to hate them, and I admonish all who read them, +to do so with careful discrimination. Although they did possess the +knowledge of some things by tradition from the fathers, they corrupted +them in various ways; and therefore they often deceived by those +corruptions even Jerome himself. Nor did the poets of old so fill the +world with their fables as the wicked Jews did the Scriptures with +their absurd opinions. A great task, therefore, is incumbent upon us +in endeavoring to keep the text free from their comments. + +199. The occasion for all this error is the fact that some men are +competent to deal only with grammatical questions, but not with the +subject matter itself; that is, they are not theologians at the same +time. The inevitable result is mistakes and the crucifixion of +themselves as well as of the Scriptures. For how can any one explain +what he does not understand? Now the subject matter in the present +passage is that Cain is accused in his own conscience. And no one, not +only no wicked man, but not even the devil himself, can endure this +judgment; as James witnesses, "The devils also believe and tremble +before God," Jas 2, 19. Peter also says, "Whereas angels which are +greater in power and might cannot endure that judgment which the Lord +will exercise upon blasphemers," 2 Pet 2, 11. So also Manasseh in his +prayer, verses 4 and 5, confesses that all men tremble before the face +of the Lord's anger. + +200. All this is sufficient evidence that Cain, when arraigned by God, +did not have courage to withstand and to argue with him. For God is an +almighty adversary; the first assault he makes is upon the heart +itself when he takes the conscience into his grasp. Of this the +rabbins know nothing, nor can they understand it; in consequence they +speak of this arraignment as if it took place before men, where the +truth is either denied or facts are smoothed over. This is impossible +when God arraigns men; as Christ says in Matthew 12, 37, "By thy words +thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." + +201. Cain thus acknowledges his sin, although it is not so much the +sin he grieves over as the penalty inflicted. The statement, then, is +to be understood in the affirmative, and it reveals the horrors of +despair. + +A further proof of Cain's despair is, that he does not utter one word +of reverence. He never mentions the name of God or of his father. His +conscience is so confused and so overwhelmed with terror and despair +that he is not able to think of any hope of pardon. The Epistle to the +Hebrews gives the same description of Esau when it states that he "for +one mess of meat, sold his own birthright. For ye know that even when +he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he +found no place for change of mind, though he sought it diligently with +tears," Heb 12, 16-17. Thus in the present instance, Cain feels his +punishment, but he grieves more for his punishment than for his sin. +And all persons, when in despair, do the same. + +202. The two original words of this passage, _minneso_ and _avon_, are +a pair of crosses for grammarians. Jerome translates this clause, "My +iniquity is greater than can be pardoned." Sanctes, the grammarian of +Pagnum, a man of no mean erudition and evidently a diligent scholar, +renders the passage, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." But +by such a rendering we shall make a martyr of Cain and a sinner of +Abel. Concerning the word _nasa_, I have before observed that when it +is applied to sin it signifies, to lift sin up, or off, or on high; +that is, to take it out of the way. Similarly the figure has found +currency among us: the remission of sins, or to remit sin. In the +Thirty-second Psalm, verse one, we find the expression, _Aschre Nesu +Pascha_. This, literally translated, would make: Being blessed through +the removal of crime, or sin. We make it: Blessed is he whose +transgression is forgiven, or taken away. The same is found in Isaiah +33, 24, The people that dwell therein shall be _Nesu Avon_, that +means, relieved from sin--shall be the people whose sin is forgiven. + +203. The other original term, _avoni_, grammarians derive from the +verb _anah_, which signifies "to be afflicted," as in Zechariah 9, 9: +"Behold thy king cometh unto thee lowly (or afflicted)." Our +translation renders it "meek." Likewise in Psalms 132, 1: "Jehovah, +remember for David all his affliction." From the same root is derived +the expression, "low estate," or "lowliness," used by the Virgin Mary +in her song, Lk 1, 48. This fact induces Sanctes to render it +"punishment." + +But here _avoni_ signifies "iniquity" or "sin," as it does also in +many other passages of the Holy Scriptures, which appears more plainly +from the verb "remit," which stands connected with it. + +204. Hence it is that grammarians, who are nothing but such and know +nothing of the divine things, find their crosses in all such passages, +and crucify, not only the Scriptures, but themselves and their hearers +as well. In the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, the sense is +first to be determined; and when that appears in all respects +consistent with itself, then the grammatical features are to receive +attention. The rabbins, however, take the opposite course, and hence +it grieves me that divines and the holy fathers so frequently follow +them. + +V. 14. _Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the +ground; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive +and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever +findeth me will slay me._ + +205. From these words it appears that the sentence on Cain was +pronounced through the mouth of Adam. Cain acknowledges that he is +driven first from Home and State, and then also from the Church. Of +the difference between the words _adamah_ and _erez_ we spoke above. +We showed that _erez_ signifies the earth generally, while the word +_adamah_ means the cultivated part of the earth. The meaning therefore +is: I am now compelled to flee from thy presence and from that part of +the earth which I have cultivated. The whole world indeed lies before +me, but I must be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth; that is, I +shall have no certain dwelling place. In the same way fugitive +murderers among us are punished with exile. These words, accordingly, +cast additional light upon the utterance of Adam, "Cursed art thou +from the ground." They refer to Cain's banishment. This part of Cain's +punishment therefore is a civil punishment, and by it he is shut out +from civic association. + +206. But that which Cain next adds, "From thy face shall I be hid," is +an ecclesiastical punishment and true excommunication. For, as the +priesthood and the kingdom rested with Adam, and Cain on account of +his sin was excommunicated from Adam, he was thereby also deprived of +the glory both of priesthood and kingdom. But why Adam adopted this +punishment is explained by the words, "When thou tillest the ground, +it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength;" as if he had +said, Thou art cursed and thy labors are cursed also. Therefore if +thou shalt remain with us upon earth it cannot be but that both +thyself and we likewise must perish with hunger. For thou hast stained +the earth with thy brother's blood, and wherever thou art, thou must +bear about the blood of thy brother, and even the earth itself shall +exact her penalties. + +207. A similar sentence we find pronounced in 1 Kings 2, 29-33, where +Solomon gives commandment to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, saying, "Fall +upon Joab, that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed +without cause, from me and from my father's house. And Jehovah will +return his blood upon his own head. But unto David, and unto his seed, +and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever +from Jehovah." As much as to say, If Joab suffer not this punishment +of his unjust murder, the whole kingdom must suffer that punishment +and be shaken by wars. The meaning of Adam then, in this passage is, +If thou shalt remain on the earth with us, God will bring punishment +upon us for thy sake, in that the earth shall not yield us her fruit. + +208. But now let us reply to the question raised above. It was said to +Cain, "A fugitive and wanderer shalt thou be in the earth." And yet, +Cain was the first man who builds a city, and his posterity so +increased from that time that they debauched and oppressed the Church +of God, and so utterly overthrew it as not to leave more than eight +persons of the posterity of Seth. All of the remainder of mankind, +which perished in the flood, had followed Cain, as the text plainly +declares when it affirms that the sons of God, when they came unto the +daughters of men, begat giants and mighty men, which were of old, men +of renown, Gen 6, 4. Therefore, since Cain had so great a posterity, +and he built the first city, how can it be true, men ask, that he was +a fugitive and wanderer upon earth? + +209. We will reply in accordance with what is written. The +illustrations from the New Testament above mentioned, Paul, the +apostles, Christ, and the prophets, assuredly belong to quite a +different category. When Adam here says to Cain, "A fugitive and a +wanderer shalt thou be in the earth," he speaks these words to him to +send him away, without further precept. He does not say to him, "Go to +the east;" he does not say, "Go to the south;" he does not mention any +place to which he should go. He gives him no command what to do; but +simply casts him out. Whither he goes and what he does, is no concern +of his. He adds no promise of protection, he does not say: God shall +take care of thee; God shall protect thee. On the contrary; as the +whole sky is free to the bird, which is at liberty to fly whither it +pleases, but is without a place where it may be secure from the +attacks of other birds, so Adam turns Cain away. The latter feels +this. Hence his rejoinder: "It shall come to pass that every one that +findeth me, shall slay me." + +210. The condition of Adam was different and better. Adam had sinned, +and by his sin he had sunk into death. But when he was driven out of +paradise, God assigned him a particular task--that he should till the +earth in a particular place. God also clothed him with a covering of +skins. This, as we said, was a sign that God would take care of him +and protect him. And, last but not least, a glorious promise was made +to the woman concerning the seed which should bruise the serpent's +head. Nothing like this was left to Cain. He was sent away absolutely +without assignment of any particular place or task. No command was +given him nor was any promise made him. He was like a bird aimlessly +roving beneath the wide heavens. This is what it means to be a +vagabond and wanderer. + +211. Unsettled and aimless, likewise, are all who lack God's Word and +command, wherein person and place receive adequate direction. Such +were we under the papacy. Worship, works, exercises--all these were +present; but all these existed and found acceptance without a divine +command. A trying condition was that and Cainlike--to be deprived of +the Word; not to know what to believe, what to hope, what to suffer, +but to undertake and to perform everything at haphazard. What monk is +there who could affirm that he did anything right? Everything was +man's tradition and man's teaching, without the Word. Amid these we +wandered, being driven to and fro, and like Cain, uncertain what +verdict God would pass, whether we should merit love or hate. Such +was, in those days, our instruction. + +Unsettled and aimless like this was Cain's whole posterity. They had +neither promise nor command from God, and lacked all definite guidance +for life and for death. Hence, if any of them came to the knowledge of +Christ, and allied themselves with the true Church, it was not by +reason of a promise but through sheer compassion. + +212. Seth, however, who was born subsequently, had, together with his +posterity, a definite promise, a definite abode and a definite mode of +worship; on the other hand, Cain was aimless. He founded a city, it is +true, but he did not know how long he should dwell in it, not having a +divine promise. Whatever we possess without a promise is of uncertain +duration; at any amount Satan may disturb it or take it. However, when +we go into the fray equipped with God's command and promise, the devil +fights in vain; God's command insures strength and safety. Therefore, +although Cain was lord of the whole world and possessed all the +treasures of the world, still, lacking the promise of God's help and +the protection of his angels, and having nothing to lean upon but +man's counsels, he was in every respect aimless and unsettled. This he +himself admits when he further says: + +V. 14b. _And it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me +shall slay me._ + +213. This result was quite to be expected. Having neither God nor his +father to look to for succor, having forfeited his rights both as +priest and as ruler, he saw the possibility before him that any one +found him, might slay him, for he was outlawed, body and soul. +Notwithstanding, God conferred upon the nefarious murderer a twofold +blessing. He had forfeited Church and dominion, but life and progeny +were left. God promised him to protect his existence, and also gave +him a wife. Two blessings these by no means to be despised; and when +he heard the first part of his sentence pronounced by his father, they +were more than he had a right even to hope for. They were valuable for +the additional reason that opportunity and time for repentance were +granted, though, in the absence of a clear promise, there was neither +covenant nor commission. In the same manner, we found our way under +the papacy to uncovenanted mercy (_fortuita gratia_), if I may use +this expression, for no promise was previously given that the truth +was to be revealed in our lifetime, and the Antichrist to become +manifest. The reason to which these blessings are attributable, is +consideration for the elect. It is quite credible that many of Cain's +offspring were saved, namely, those who joined the true Church. +Likewise, at a later day, provision was made among the Jews for +proselytes and Gentiles. + +214. While a stern law existed according to which the Moabites and +Ammonites were not admitted to the religious services, Ammonites and +Moabites were saved, such as came to the kings of Judah to serve under +them. Also Ruth, the mother and ancestress of our Saviour, was a +Moabite. This is what I call uncovenanted mercy, no previous promise +having rendered it certain. + +215. Also Naaman, and the king of Nineveh, and Nebuchadnezzar, and +Evilmerodach, and others from among the Gentiles, were saved by such +uncovenanted mercy; for, unlike the Jews, they had no promise of +Christ. In the same way, bodily safety is vouchsafed to Cain, and a +wife with offspring, for the sake of the elect to be saved by +uncovenanted mercy. For, although what we said of the Moabites is true +of all his posterity, that it was to live under a curse, it is true, +notwithstanding, that some of the patriarchs took their wives from the +same. + +V. 15a. _And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, +vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold._ + +216. Jerome, in his Epistle to Damascus, contends that Cain had begged +of the Lord that he might be slain, an opinion into which he rushes +full sail, as it were, entertaining no doubt whatever concerning its +truth. Lyra follows Jerome, and resolutely affirms that the context +requires this interpretation. But this error of theirs should be laid +at the door of the rabbins from whom they received it. The true sense +of the passage is rather that everyone was prohibited from killing +Cain. Judgment is pronounced here by God, and when he spares Cain's +life and in addition permits him afterward to marry, it is done to +stay its execution. + +217. Moreover, how is it likely that an ungodly person asks death at +the very time when God exercises judgment? Death is the very +punishment of sin; therefore he flees and dreads death as the greatest +part of his penalty. Away, therefore, with such vagaries of the +rabbins! With these also Lyra's suggestion may safely be classed that +the text ought to be divided and made to mean, Whoever shall kill +Cain, shall surely meet with severe punishment. And when it is further +stated, He shall be punished sevenfold, they would explain it as +meaning that in the seventh degree--in the seventh generation--the +punishment is to be inflicted. + +218. Such vagaries are worthy of the rabbins after having cast away +the light of the New Testament. However, they impose a double labor +upon us, inasmuch as we are compelled to defend the text and to clear +it of such corruptions, and to correct their absurd comments. If I +quote them occasionally, it is to avoid the suspicion of proudly +despising them, or of failing to read, and to give sufficient +consideration to, their writings. While we read them intelligently, we +do so with critical discrimination, and we do not permit them to +obscure Christ, and to corrupt the Word of God. + +219. The Lord, accordingly, does not in this passage at all alter the +sentence upon Cain whereby he had been doomed to a curse on earth, 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 dregs. +That is the reason he said Cain should not be killed, as he feared. + +There is, then, no necessity for doing violence to this text as Rabbi +Solomon does, who, after the words "whosoever slayeth Cain," puts a +stop; making it to be a hiatus or (ellipsis), as we find in that noted +line in Virgil (Aeneas, 135)-- + + _Quos ego--sed motos praestat componere fluctus._ + Whom I--but now, be calm, ye boist'rous waves. + +And then the expression, "shall be punished sevenfold," the rabbi +refers to Cain himself, who was punished in his seventh generation. +For Cain begat Enoch, and Enoch begat Irad, and Irad begat Mehujael, +and Mehujael begat Methusael, and Methusael begat Lamech. + +220. And the Jews' absurd comment upon that passage (verse 23, below), +is that Lamech, when he was old, and his eyes dim, was taken by his +son Tubal-Cain into a wood to hunt wild beasts, and that, when there +shooting at a wild beast, Lamech accidently shot Cain, who in his +wanderings had concealed himself in the wood. Such interpretations are +only fables, unworthy a place or notice in our schools. Moreover, they +militate against the very truth of the text. For if Cain was really +designed of God to be killed in the seventh generation, and if that +time was thus fixed for his death, he was not "a fugitive and a +vagabond upon earth." + +221. We condemn, therefore, this interpretation of Rabbi Solomon, on +the ground of critical discrimination, because it militates directly +against that sentence which God had before pronounced; and God is not +man, that he should change his mind, 1 Kings 15, 29-30. This rule +should be strictly observed in all interpretation of the Holy +Scripture, that the rendering of one passage must not subsequently +conflict with that of another. And when the rabbins, moreover, say +that the deluge was the particular punishment of Lamech's sin in thus +killing Cain, Lyra refutes them. He very truly affirms that the deluge +was the common punishment of the whole world of wicked men. We leave, +therefore, all these Jewish absurdities and hold fast the true meaning +of the text before us, that, when Cain feared lest he should be slain +by any one who should find him, the Lord prevented him from being thus +slain, and denounced on such murderer a punishment sevenfold greater +than that of Cain. + +222. And, though Lyra argues and inquires how it could be that he who +should slay Cain could deserve a sevenfold greater vengeance than Cain +deserved, who slew his own brother, of what profit is it to us to +inquire into the counsel of God in such matters as these, especially +when it is certain that God permitted his mercy to stray to Cain in +the form of promises and blessings under the Law, if I may so express +myself, thus securing his safety. + +223. There are two kinds of promises, or a twofold promise, as we have +often explained. There are the legal promises, if I may so call them, +which depend, as it were, upon our own works, such as the following: +"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land," Is +1, 19. Again, I am God, showing mercy unto thousands of them that love +me and keep my commandments, Ex 20, 6. And also above, in this case of +Cain, "If thou doest well, shall not thy countenance be lifted up?" +Gen 4, 7. And these legal promises have for the most part their +corresponding threats attached to them. + +But the other kind of promises are promises of grace, and with them no +threats are joined. Such are the following: "Jehovah thy God will +raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, +like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken," Deut 18, 15. Again, "I will +put my law in their inward parts, in their heart will I write it; and +I will be their God, and they shall be my people," Jer 31, 33. And +again, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman," Gen 3, 15. Now, +these promises depend not in any way upon our works, but absolutely +and only upon the goodness and grace of God, because he was pleased to +make those promises and to do what he thus promised. Just in the same +way we have the promise of Baptism, of the Lord's Supper, and of the +Keys, etc., in which God sets before us his good will and his mercy +and his works. + +224. Now, God gave no promise of the latter kind to Cain. He only said +to him, Whosoever shall slay thee shall be punished sevenfold. But +Adam had such a promise of grace made to him. And Cain, because he was +the first-born, ought to have received that promise as an inheritance +from his parents. That promise was the large and blessed promise of +eternal glory, because by it the seed was promised which should bruise +the serpent's head, and this without any work or merit of man. For +that promise had no condition attached to it, such as, If thou shalt +offer thy sacrifices, if thou shalt do good, etc. + +225. If, therefore, you compare this promise of grace with the words +God spake to Cain, the latter are as a mere crust held out to a +beggar. For even Cain's life is not promised him absolutely. Nothing +more is said than a threat pronounced against those who should slay +him. God does not say positively, No man shall slay thee. He does not +say, I will so overrule all others that no one shall slay thee. Had +the words been thus spoken, Cain might have returned into the presence +of God and of his parents. But a command only is given to men that +they slay not Cain. If, therefore, the words spoken to Cain be at all +considered as a promise, it is that kind of promise which, as we have +before said, depends on the works and will of man. And yet, even such +promise is by no means to be despised, for these legal promises often +embrace most important things. + +226. Thus, Augustine observes that God gave to the Romans their empire +on account of their noble virtues. And in the same manner we find, +even to this day, that the blessings of those nations which keep from +murder, adultery, theft, etc., are greater than those of other nations +in which these evils prevail. And yet, even governments which, as far +as mere reason can succeed, are especially well established, possess +nothing beyond these temporal promises. + +227. The Church, however, possesses the promises of grace, even the +eternal promises. And although Cain was left utterly destitute of +these promises, yet it was a great favor that the temporal mercies +were left him: that he was not immediately killed, that a wife was +given him, that children were born unto him, that he built a city, +that he cultivated the earth, that he fed his cattle and had +possessions, and that he was not utterly ejected from the society and +fellowship of men. For God could not only have deprived Cain of all +these blessings, but he could have added pestilence, epilepsy, +apoplexy, the stone, the gout, and any other disease. 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 +other. + +As God above deprives Cain of all the divine blessings, both +spiritual--or those pertaining to the Church--and civil, so here he +mitigates that sentence by commanding that no one shall slay Cain. But +God does not promise at the same time that all men shall surely obey +his command. Therefore Cain, even possessing this promise in reference +to his body, is still a fugitive and a wanderer. And it might be that +if he continued in his wickedness, he was liable to be slain at any +moment; whereas, if he did well, he might live a long time. But +nothing is promised him with certainty, for although these corporal or +legal promises are great and important, yet they are positively +uncertain and uncovenanted. + +228. Whether, therefore, Cain was killed or not, I cannot with any +certainty say, for the Scriptures afford no plain information upon +that point. This one thing, however, evidently can be proved from the +present text, that Cain had no certain promise of the preservation of +his life; but God left him to a life of uncertainty, doubt and +restless wandering, and did no more than protect the life of Cain by a +command and a threat which might restrain the wicked from killing him, +on account of the certain awful punishment which would follow such +destruction of the murderer. But a promise that he should not be +murdered was withheld. We know, moreover, what is the nature of the +law, or a legal command, and that there are always very few who obey +it. Therefore, although it is not recorded at what time, in what +place, or by whom, Cain was slain, yet it is most probable that he was +killed. The Scriptures however make no mention of it, even as they are +quite silent also concerning the number of the years of Cain, and say +nothing about the day of his birth or the day of his death. He +perished, together with his whole generation; to use a popular +proverb, "without cross, candle, or God." A few only of his generation +are excepted, who were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of God. + +229. The question is here usually asked, To what persons could the +words of Cain possibly apply, when he says, "Everyone that findeth me +shall slay me," when it is evident that besides Adam and Eve and their +few daughters, no human beings were in existence. I would at once +reply that they bear witness to the fact that we see the wicked "flee +when no man pursueth," as the Scriptures say; for they imagine to +themselves various perils where none really exist. Just so we see it +to be the case with murderers at the present day, who are filled with +fears where all is safe, who can remain quiet nowhere, and who imagine +death to be present everywhere. + +230. However, when it follows in the command of God, "Yea, verily, +whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished sevenfold," these words +cannot be referred exclusively to the fears of Cain, for Cain had +sisters, and perhaps he greatly dreaded that sister whom he had +married, lest she should take vengeance on him for the murder of her +brother. Moreover, Cain had perhaps a vague apprehension of a long +life, and he saw that many more sons might be born of Adam. He feared, +therefore, the whole posterity to Adam. And it greatly increased these +fears that God had left him nothing more than his stray mercy. I do +not think that Cain feared the beasts at all, or dreaded being slain +by them; for what had the sevenfold vengeance threatened upon +murderers to do with beasts? + +V. 15b. _And Jehovah appointed a sign for (set a mark upon) Cain, lest +any finding him should smite him (slay him)._ + +231. What this mark was is not to be found in the Holy Scriptures. +Therefore commentators have entertained various opinions. Nearly all, +however, 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 +limbs. They suppose that, as a physical cause of his trembling, God +had changed, or disarranged, or mutilated some particular organ in his +body, but left the body whole as it was first created, merely adding a +visible outward mark, such as the trembling. This conjecture of the +fathers contains much probability, but it cannot be proved by any +testimony of the Scriptures. The mark might have been of another kind. +For instance, we observe in nearly all murderers an immediate change +in the eyes. The eyes wear an appearance of sullen ferocity, and lose +that softness and innocence peculiar to them by nature. + +232. But whatever this mark was, it was certainly a most horrible +punishment; for Cain was compelled to bear it during his whole life as +God's penalty for the awful murder which he had committed. Rendered +conspicuous by this degrading mark, hateful and abominable in the eyes +of all, Cain was sent away--banished from his home by his parents. And +although the life he asked of God was granted him, yet it was a life +of ignominy, branded with an infamous mark of homicide; not only that +he himself might be perpetually reminded of the sin he had committed, +to his own confusion, but also that others might be deterred from the +crime of committing murder. Nor could this mark be effaced by +repentance. Cain was compelled to bear about this sign of the wrath of +God upon him as a punishment in addition to his banishment, the curse, +and all the other penalties. + +233. It is worthy of observation that the original verb used above is +_harag_, which signifies "to kill." But the verb here found is +_nakah_, which means "to strike." God, therefore, here gives to Cain +security, not only from death, but also from the danger of death. This +security, however, as we have observed, is a legal security only; for +it merely commands that no one shall slay Cain, threatening a +sevenfold punishment upon the person who should do so. But God does +not promise that all men will obey his command. It was far better for +Cain, however, to have this legal promise made him, than to be without +any promise at all. + +V. 16. _And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in +the land of Nod, on the east of Eden._ + +234. This also is a very remarkable text, and it is a wonder that the +fancy of the rabbins did not run riot here as usual. 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 been. +His godly parents had already lost their son Abel; and now, at the +command of God, the other son departs from them into banishment, +loaded with the divine curses, on account of his sin--the very son +whom his parents had hoped to be the only heir of the promise, and +whom they therefore had devotedly loved from his cradle. Adam and Eve, +nevertheless, obey the command of God, and in conformity therewith +they cast out their son. + +235. Accordingly, this passage rightly praises obedience to God, or +the fear of God. Adam and Eve had, indeed, learned by their own +experience in paradise that it was no light sin to depart from the +command of God; therefore they thought: Behold, our sin in paradise +has been punished with death, and with an infinite number of other +calamities into which we have been thrown since we were driven out of +paradise. And now that our son has committed so atrocious a sin, it +behooves us not to resist the will of God and his righteous judgment, +however bitter we feel them to be. + +236. The story of the woman of Tekoah is well known, whom Joab +instructed to intercede for the banished Absalom. She pleads as an +argument before the king, that as she had lost one son, it would be +wicked in the extreme to deprive her of the other also. Also Rebecca +said to Jacob, her younger son, after she had perceived the wrath of +Esau against his brother: "Why should I be bereaved of you both in one +day?" Gen 27, 45. Adam and Eve overcame this same pain in their +bosoms, and thus mortified their paternal and maternal affections. For +not only did they feel it to be their duty to obey the will of God, +but they had also learned wisdom from former obedience. They had been +driven out of paradise for their sin of disobedience. They feared, +therefore, that if they now retained their son with them, contrary to +the will of God, they should be cast out of the earth altogether. + +237. This part of the history of Adam and Eve, therefore, is a +beautiful lesson in obedience to God, and a striking exhortation to +fear God. This is also Paul's principal object in his first Epistle to +the Corinthians, nearly all of which is written against the +self-confidence of the human heart. For, although God is merciful, yet +men are not therefore to sin; he is merciful to those only who fear +and obey him. + +238. As it was bitter in the extreme for the parents to lose their +son, this departure from his home was, I have no doubt, most bitter +also to Cain himself. For he was compelled to leave, not only the +common home, his dear parents and their protection, but his hereditary +right of primogeniture, the prerogative of the kingdom and of the +priesthood, and the communion of the Church. + +Hence it is that we have the expression in the text, that Cain "went +out from the presence of Jehovah." We have above shown what the +Scriptures term "the face of Jehovah," namely, all those things and +means by which Jehovah makes himself known to us. Thus the face of +Jehovah, under the Old Testament, was the pillar of fire, the cloud, +the mercy-seat, etc. Under the New Testament, the face of Jehovah is +baptism, the Lord's Supper, the ministry of the Word, etc. For by +these things, as by visible signs, the Lord makes himself known to us, +and shows that he is with us, that he cares for us and favors us. + +239. It was from this place, therefore, in which God declared that he +was always present, and in which Adam resided as high priest, and as +lord of the earth, that Cain "went out;" and he came into another +place, where there was no "face of God," where there was no visible +sign of his presence by which he could derive the consolation that God +was present with his favor. He had no sign whatever, save those signs +which are common to all creatures, even to the beasts, namely, the +uses of sun and moon, of day and night, of water, air, etc. But these +are not signs of that immutable grace of God contained in the promise +of the blessed seed. They are only the signs of God's temporal +blessings and of his good will to all his creatures. + +240. Miserable, therefore, was that going out of Cain indeed. It was a +departure full of tears. He was compelled to leave forever his home +and his parents, who now gave to him, a solitary man and a "vagabond," +their daughter as his wife, to live with him as his companion; but +they knew not what would become either of their son or of their +daughter. In consequence of losing three children at one time their +grief is so much greater. No other explanation suggests itself for the +subsequent statement "Cain knew his wife." + +241. Where, then, did Cain live with his wife? Moses answers, "in the +land of Nod," a name derived from its vagabond and unsettled +inhabitant. And where was this land situated? Beyond paradise, toward +the east, a place indeed most remarkable. Cain came into a certain +place toward the east, but when he came there, he was insecure and +unprotected, for it was the land of Nod, where he could not set foot +with certainty, because "the face of God" was not there. For this +"face" he had left with his parents, who lived where they had paradise +on their side, or toward the west. When Cain fled from his home he +went toward the east. So the posterity of Cain was separated from the +posterity of Adam, having paradise as a place of division between +them. The passage, moreover, proves that paradise remained undestroyed +after Adam was driven out of it. In all probability it was finally +destroyed by the deluge. + +242. This text greatly favors the opinion of those who believe that +Adam was created in the region of Damascus, and that, after he was +driven out of paradise for his sin, he lived in Palestine; and hence +it was in the midst of the original paradise that Jerusalem, Bethlehem +and Jericho stood, in which places Jesus Christ and his servant John +chiefly dwelt. Although the present aspect of those places does not +altogether bear out that conclusion, the devastations of the mighty +deluge were such as to change fountains, rivers and mountains; and it +is quite possible that on the site which was afterward Calvary, the +place of Christ's sacrifice for the world's sin, there stood the tree +of the knowledge of good and evil, the same spot being marked by the +death and ruin wrought by Satan and by the life and salvation wrought +by Christ. + +243. It is not without a particular purpose, therefore, that Daniel +uses the striking expression: "The end thereof (of the sanctuary, the +sacrifice and the oblation) shall be with a flood," Dan 9, 26. As if +he had said, The first paradise was laid waste and utterly destroyed +by the mighty deluge, and the other, future paradise, in which +redemption is to be wrought, shall be destroyed by the Romanists as by +a flood. + +244. We may carry the analogy further by stating that as Babel was the +cause of the destruction of the Jewish people, so this disaster had +its beginning with Cain and his offspring, who settled in that part of +the earth where, at a later day, Babylon was founded. These are my +thoughts and views, derived partly from the fathers. Though they may +not be true, they are yet probable, and have nothing ungodly in them. +And there can be no doubt that Noah, after the flood, saw the face of +the whole earth altogether changed from what it was before that awful +visitation of the wrath of God. Mountains were torn asunder, fountains +were made to break forth and the courses of the rivers themselves were +wholly altered and diverted into other channels, by the mighty force +of the overwhelming waters. + + +VII. GENERATIONS OF CAIN AND OF THE RIGHTEOUS. + + A. IN GENERAL. + + 1. Why Cain's generations were described before those of the + righteous 245. + + 2. How the Holy Spirit is interested more in the generations of + the righteous than in those of Cain 246-247. + + 3. Why the Holy Spirit gives this description of both 248. + + 4. The relation of the two to each other 248. + + 5. How the generations of the righteous are attacked and + conquered by those of the godless 249. + + * Of Cain's marriage. + + a. Who was his wife, and the question of his being married + before he committed the murder 250-251. + + * How to read the writings of the Jews 251. + + b. The question of his being married after the murder + 252-254. + + * That some of his posterity were saved 254. + + +VII. THE GENERATIONS OF CAIN AND THE GENERATIONS OF THE GODLY. + +A. The Posterity of Cain in General. + +V. 17. _And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and +he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of +his son, Enoch._ + +245. It is worthy of admiration that Moses describes the generation of +the sons of Cain before the generation of the sons of God. But all +this is done according to the fixed counsel of God. For the children +of this world have in this life and in this their generation the +advantage of the children of God (Lk 16, 8) with reference to the +first promise. The spiritual seed of the woman indeed possess the +spiritual blessing, but the seed of the serpent arrogate to themselves +the corporal, or temporal, blessing, and they bruise the heel of the +blessed seed. In this respect the temporal has precedence over the +spiritual. + +246. But a great difference comes to the surface at a later day. +Although Moses records the history of the posterity of Cain before the +posterity of the righteous, yet we afterwards see that the latter are +more especially the care of the Holy Spirit. He does not confine +himself to a bare registration of their names, but he carefully +numbers their years, makes mention of their death, and not only +chronicles their own doings, as he chronicles in this passage those of +the sons of Cain, but also the transactions and the conversations +which Jehovah had with them, the promises he made, the help rendered +in danger, and the blessings vouchsafed. + +247. None of these things are recorded of the wicked posterity of +Cain. When Moses has said that Cain begat a son named Enoch, and that +he built a city to which he gave the name of his son, calling it +Enoch, the sacred historian immediately cuts off the memory of Cain +altogether and, as it were, buries him forever with these few short +words of record. He seems to entertain no further care or concern for +either his life or his death. He merely records temporal +blessings--that he begat a son and that he built a city. For as the +gift of reproduction was not taken away from the murderer Cain, +neither was the gift of dominion taken from him. But he lost all the +rich blessings of the earth because it had drunk the blood of his +brother, as we have shown above. + +248. The Holy Spirit records these things in order that we may see +that there was, from the very beginning, two churches: one the church +of the sons of Satan and of the flesh, which often makes sudden and +great increase; and the other the church of the sons of God, which is +usually weak and makes slow progress. Although the Scriptures do not +relate how these two churches lived together in the beginning, yet, as +it was declared by God to Satan, "I will put enmity between thy seed +and her seed," it is certain that the church of Cain was ever hostile +to the Church of Adam. 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 God. For in the +great flood, only eight souls of them were saved; all the rest of the +human race perished in the waters on account of their sin. + +249. And this is a calamity of the true Church, common to all ages: as +soon as she begins to increase, she is compelled to oppose with all +her might Satan and the ungodly. She is at length tired out by the +wickedness of her enemy, and is then either obliged to yield to her +enraged foe, overcome by the cross and its afflictions, or she sinks +under the seductions of pleasures and riches. So it was with the +posterity of Adam. Broken down, at length, under so long a war with +the sons of men, they yielded, being reduced at last to eight souls +only, who were saved. Ungodliness having so far prevailed, and the +godly losing ground, the Lord at length interposes and saves the few +righteous remaining; but all the rest, both the seduced and the +seducers, he punishes, including them in the same judgment. And we +hope and believe the Lord will do the same in the judgment at the last +day. + +250. Many questions arise here. Some inquire respecting the +circumstances connected with the wife of Cain: at what time the murder +was committed; whether Cain murdered his brother before he was a +husband, or after he was married. And the Jews, moreover, say that Eve +brought forth twins at every birth, a male and a female; and they +assert that Cain married his sister Calmana, and Abel his sister +Debora. Whether these things be true or not I cannot affirm. I know +not. But they are not vital to the interests of the Church, and there +is nothing certain known concerning them. This one thing is certain, +that Cain had a sister for his wife. But whether or no he had her as +his wife when he committed the murder, cannot with certainty be +proven. However, the text before us greatly tends to the conclusion +that Cain was married when he committed the murder of his brother; 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 Cain. I, therefore, am +inclined to believe that both of the brothers were married. + +251. This conclusion is favored also by the statement made above, that +Cain and Abel "in the process of time" brought their offerings. This +has been explained in the following manner: At the end of the year, +the two newly married husbands brought as offerings the new fruits +which God had given them in this first year of their marriage; Cain +brought the first fruits of the earth, and Abel the first fruits of +his flock. And the time was probably the autumn of the year, the time +when the fruits of the earth are gathered, the same season in which +the Jews afterwards held the feast of expiation. Moses, in his +Levitical law, seems carefully to have noted and collected the +ancestral patterns, and to have reduced them to a code. When, +therefore, the new husbands came to render their thanks to God for his +blessings and to offer their gifts, and Abel's offering was accepted +of God and not the offering of Cain, Cain's heart was immediately +filled by Satan with hatred of his brother; and upon this hatred +afterwards followed the horrible murder. This is the opinion of the +Jews, which I thus relate because it does not appear to be at all far +from the truth. But, as I have often said, the interpretations of the +Jews are to be read with critical discrimination, so that in their +teachings, we may retain the things consistent with the truth, but +condemn and refute all fictions of their own making. + +252. If Cain was not married when he slew his brother, it is still +more wonderful that after such a wicked deed he obtained a wife at +all; and certainly that damsel was worthy the highest praise who +married such a man. For how could the maiden rejoice in a marriage +with her brother who was a murderer, accursed and excommunicated? She, +on her part, no doubt supplicated her father, and expostulated with +him and asked how he could give her, an innocent one, in marriage to a +man thus accursed, and force her into banishment with him. Nay, the +very example of her brother's murder must have naturally filled her +with terror, lest the crime which her husband committed on his brother +he might also dare to commit on her, his sister and his wife. + +253. In bringing about this marriage, Adam obviously had to exercise +marvelous eloquence. It was for him to convince his daughter that the +father's command was not to be disobeyed, and that while Cain, +curse-ridden, would have to bear the penalty of his sin, God would +still preserve and bless her, the innocent one. + +Nor do I entertain the least doubt that God conferred many personal +blessings upon Cain, down the whole line of his posterity, for the +sake of his wife, who, from motives of faith toward God and of +obedience toward her parents, had married her murderous brother. + +As Christ was the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, +to establish the certainty of the promise made unto the Jewish +fathers; and as, in the absence of a promise, he was the minister of +the Gentiles, because of the mercy of God, (Rom 15, 8-9), so the like +uncovenanted mercy was shown also to the posterity of Cain. These two +opinions have been expressed concerning the marriage of Cain, but +which is the truth I know not. If Cain was married after he committed +the murder, his wife is most certainly worthy of all praise and of all +fame, who could thus yield to the authority of her parents, and suffer +herself to be joined in marriage with an accursed murderer. + +254. To myself, the first opinion appears to be much nearer the truth, +that he murdered his brother after his marriage with his sister; +because we have so clear a testimony in the text concerning the +division of the inheritance. And in that case, the necessity lay on +the wife to follow her husband. As wife and husband are one body and +one flesh, Adam had no desire to separate them; moreover, the wife is +bound to bear her part of the calamities of her husband. Just in the +same manner as the posterity of Cain enjoyed a part of those blessings +which were bestowed of God upon the innocent wife, Pharaoh, king of +Egypt, was saved in the time of Joseph, and the King of Nineveh was +saved in the time of his calamity, although neither of them belonged +to the people of God. And so I also believe that some were saved out +of the posterity of Cain, although Cain himself had utterly lost the +promise concerning the blessed seed. + + +B. THE POSTERITY OF CAIN IN DETAIL; THE GENERATIONS OF CAIN. + + * The names were given to the descendants of Cain, not by accident, + but by special thought and with a definite meaning 255. + + 1. Of Enoch. + + a. The meaning of his name 255-256. + + b. Is the first in Cain's posterity and the beginning of the + temporal blessing 256. + + * Why Cain built a city 257-258. + + 2. Irad and the meaning of his name. It was not given without a + purpose 259. + + 3. Mehujael and the meaning of his name 260. + + * The means the false church uses to suppress the true Church 260. + + 4. Methushael and the meaning of his name 261. + + 5. Lamech. + + a. What his name signifies 262. + + * Cain's descendants persecute the true Church. Yet some of + Cain's posterity were saved 263. + + b. The reason he took two wives 264. + + c. Who were his wives 265. + + d. His sons, Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-cain, and his daughter Naamah + 266-268. + + * Why Moses mentions the various arts of Cain's descendants + 269. + + * Whether poverty drove Cain's descendants to the arts 269-270. + + * As the false church was before the flood so is she still, and + will remain so to the end of the world 271. + + * How the Cainites increased and oppressed the true Church 272. + + * Why the Scriptures do not mention that some of the Cainites + were saved 272. + + e. Of his haughty speech, "I have slain a man etc." + + (1) This is difficult to understand, and has been poorly + treated by interpreters 273. + + (2) The fable explanation of these words by the Jews refuted + 274-275. + + (3) How others explained them 275. + + (4) Luther's understanding of them 276-277. + + f. Whether Lamech slew Cain, and thereby made himself famous + 278. + + g. How he attempted to be ruler upon Adam's death 279. + + * How the Church is oppressed from both sides 279. + + * Why Moses mentions the blood descendants of Cain with such + care 280. + + h. Cain is not sorry for his deed, but even boasts of it 281. + + * The nature of the Cain church 281. + + i. How he seeks to avoid being slain by others 282. + + * The pope has the conscience of Cain and Lamech 282. + + j. He is a type of all the children of this world 283. + + * How the devil drives the Cainites to rage against the Church + under the guise of being holy 284. + + * The true Church from the very beginning had to shed her blood + 285. + + * The tyranny of Popes Julius II and Clement VII 285. + + * God at all times severely punished the persecutors of his + Church 286. + + k. How Lamech still wished to defend his deed 287. + + l. He had no Word of God, but was filled with pride 288. + + +B. THE POSTERITY OF CAIN IN DETAIL. + +255. As regards the names of Cain's offspring, I believe that, in +common with those of the holy patriarchs, they indicate not an absence +of purpose or a random selection, but a definite purpose and a +prophecy. Thus "Adam" signifies a man of, or taken out of, the red +earth. "Eve" signifies the mother of life, or of the living. "Cain" +signifies possession. "Abel" signifies vanity. And we find that also +among the Gentiles many names have such a significance; not seldom +names are found which are truly prophetic. "Enoch" is a prophetic +name, expressive of hope in the future as a relief to Cain's mind, or +rather to his wife's, for it was the latter who called the son she +bore Enoch, from the Hebrew _Hanach_, which signifies, "she +dedicated," or "she devoted." + +256. This is a word frequently used by Moses. As when he says, "What +man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? +let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and +another man dedicate it," Deut 20, 5. The verb in this passage, which +signifies originally to dedicate, here signifies to possess, or to +enjoy; and when this possession or enjoyment begins, it is attended +with happy signs and auspicious invocations. So when the wife of Cain +brought forth her first son, she said to her husband, Enoch; that is, +"Dedicate him, devote him:" for the verb is in the imperative mood. As +if Cain had said himself, May this our beginning be happy and +prosperous. My father Adam cursed me on account of my sin. I am cast +out of his sight. I live alone in the world. The earth does not yield +me her strength; she would be more fruitful to me, had I not thus +sinned. And yet God now shows me uncovenanted mercy in giving me this +son. It is a good and happy beginning. + +As in the generation of Cain the corporal blessings begin with Enoch, +so it is another Enoch in the generation of the righteous under whom +religion and spiritual blessings begin to flourish. + +257. That which is added by Moses concerning the city Cain thus built +belongs to history. But I have before observed that Cain, when +separated from the true church and driven into banishment, hated the +true church. When, therefore, Cain thus first built a city, that very +act tended to show that he not only disregarded and hated the true +Church, but wished also to oppose and oppress it. For he reflects +thus: Behold I am cast out by my father and I am cursed by him, but my +marriage is not a barren one; therefore I have in this the hope of a +great posterity. What, therefore, is it to me that I am driven by my +father from beneath his roof? I will build a city, in which I will +gather a church for myself. Farewell, therefore, to my father and his +church. I regard them not. + +258. Accordingly, it is not through fear, or for defense, that Cain +"built a city," but from the sure hope of prosperity and success, and +from pride and the lust of dominion. For he had no need whatever to +fear his father and mother, who at the divine command had thrust him +out to go into some foreign land. Nor had he any more ground of fear +from their children than from themselves. But Cain was inflated with +pride through this uncovenanted mercy of God, as I have termed it; +and, as the world ever does, he sought by means of his "city" an +opportunity of emerging from his present state into future greatness. +The sons of God, on the contrary, are only anxious about another city, +"which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," as we have +it described in the Epistles to the Hebrews 11, 10. + +V. 18a. _And unto Enoch was born Irad._ + +259. What opinion to form concerning this name, I really know not, for +its origin is very obscure; and yet I believe the name is not +accidental but prophetic. In the book of Joshua we have a city called +Ai; and this same term is used elsewhere as an appellative. Now, the +proper name Ai signifies, "a heap," as a heap of fallen buildings. And +if with this name you compound the verb _Irad_, the word thus +compounded will signify increase. Although the posterity of Cain, on +account of their excommunication, were at that time like a great heap +of ruins, it was his prayer that they might not altogether perish, but +be preserved and greatly increased by means of this son Irad. If +anyone can offer a better interpretation, I will by no means despise +it; for on obscure points like the present, conjecture is quite +allowable. + +V. 18b. _And Irad begat Mehujael._ + +260. This name is formed from the verb _mahah_, which signifies "to +destroy," and from _jaal_, "he began," or "he attempted or dared." +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 it; so +mightily should it prevail by its wealth, wisdom, glory and numbers. +These, indeed, are for the most part the influences through which the +true Church is always overcome by the world and the false church. + +V. 18c. _And Mehujael begat Methushael._ + +261. _Meth_ signifies "death," and _schaal_ means "to ask," or "to +demand." Hence we have the name Saul; that is, demanded. This name +indicates a spirit haughtier than any of the others. I understand it +to signify that Methushael threatens that he will avenge his parents, +who are dead, whom the other church--that is the true Church--has +punished with excommunication and exile. + +V. 18d. _And Methushael begat Lamech._ + +262. Hitherto the Cainites seem to have insulted the true Church with +impunity and to have triumphed over them. But the name "Lamech" +signifies that God, at the time in which Lamech was born, inflicted on +the posterity of Cain their due punishment. The name Lamech is derived +from the verb _makak_, which signifies to humble, to diminish, to +suppress. Or, it may be understood actively, to mean that in the time +of Lamech the posterity of Cain so greatly increased that the true +Church was quite overwhelmed by them. + +263. Such was the posterity of Cain; men, no doubt, renowned for their +wisdom and greatness. And I also believe that some of them were saved +by the uncovenanted mercy of God, as I have above explained. But far +the greater part of them most bitterly hated and persecuted the true +Church. They could not brook inferiority to the sons of Adam, the true +Church; therefore they set up their own forms of worship, and +introduced many other new things for the sake of suppressing the +church of Adam. And because the false church was thus kept separate +from the true Church, I believe that Cain married to each other his +sons and daughters. Accordingly, about the time of Lamech, Cain's +posterity began to multiply exceedingly. And it is for this reason, I +believe, that Moses here terminates the list. + +V. 19. _And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was +Adah, and the name of the other Zillah._ + +264. Here again a twofold question arises. In the first place divines +dispute whether Lamech married these two wives on account of lustful +passion or for some other cause. My belief is that polygamy was not +entered into for the sake of lust, but with the object of increasing +his family, and from the lust of dominion, and especially so if, as +his name imports, the Lord at that time had been punishing the +Cainites, or the posterity of Cain, by pestilence, or by some other +calamity. In this case, Lamech probably thought by such expedient to +retrieve his greatness. Thus barbarous nations retain polygamy to +strengthen and establish both home and State. + +265. As regards the names of these two wives, the name of one is Adah; +that is, adorned, or, having chains on the neck. _Adi_ signifies a +neat, or elegant woman, and _adah_, the verb, signifies to adorn, or, +to put on. And perhaps this name was given to her, not only because +she was the mistress of the house, elegantly adorned or clothed, but +because she was also beautiful. The name of the other wife, Zillah, +signifies, his shade. + +V. 20. _And Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in +tents and have cattle._ + +266. The name Jabal is derived from the verb _jabal_, which signifies +to bring forward, or to produce. + +V. 21. _And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all +such as handle the harp and pipe._ + +267. And the name Jubal has the same origin and signification; for it +means produced, or introduced. Both these names, therefore, contain a +wish or prayer of Lamech concerning the increase of his family. The +posterity of Cain always entertained the object and expectation of +surpassing in numbers. And, no doubt, 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 God, but were the very people of God. + +V. 22. _And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every +cutting instrument of (an artificer in every workmanship of) brass and +iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah._ + +268. Tubal-cain signifies, produce property. So the Romans gave such +names as "Valerius" (from valeo), and "Augustus" (from augeo). And +Naamah received her name from her sweetness, or beauty. This posterity +of Cain increased infinitely; hence Moses breaks off at this point. + +269. Now, when he not only chronicles names but makes mention also of +the deeds and labors of each one, the Jewish explanation is to be +rejected that the offspring of Cain was compelled to follow other +occupations because the earth was cursed, and hence gained their +livelihood, one as a shepherd, another as a worker in brass, and +another as a musician, obtaining grain and the other fruits of the +earth from the offspring of Adam. But if the Cainites had been so +severely pressed by hunger, they would have forgotten the harp, organ +and other instruments of music in their extremity; for the enjoyment +of music is not characteristic of the hungry and thirsty. + +270. Their invention of music and their efforts in the discovery of +other arts is proof that they had the necessaries of life in +abundance. The reason, therefore, that the descendants of Cain turned +to these pursuits and were not contented with the simple food the +earth produced, like the descendants of Adam, was that they wished to +rule, and aimed at the high praise and glory of being men of talent. I +believe, however, that some of them passed over to the true Church and +followed the religion of Adam. + +271. And such as Moses here describes the generation of the wicked, or +the false church, to be, from the beginning down to the mighty flood +of waters, so we find it ever, and such it will remain until the final +flood of fire. "The sons of this world are for their own generation +wiser than the sons of the light," Lk 16, 8. Therefore it is that they +ever advance and increase, and commend themselves and their own, and +thus acquire riches, dignities and power; while the true Church, on +the other hand, always lies prostrate, despised, oppressed, +excommunicated. + +Vs. 23-24. _And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my +voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a +man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me. If Cain shall be +avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold._ + +272. Thus far Moses has given us a history of the generation of the +children of this world, and having brought down the list to the time +of Lamech and his wives and children, he buries them, as it were, +altogether in silence, leaving them without any promise, either of the +life which is to come or of the life that now is. For except that +uncovenanted blessing of offspring and of food, the Cainites possessed +nothing whatever. Yet they so increased in power and in multitude that +they filled the whole world, 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 life, and sunk them +into so deep a hell of wickedness, that eight men only remained to be +saved when the flood came upon the whole world of the ungodly. And +though there is no doubt that some of the generation of Cain were +saved both before the flood and in the flood, yet the Scriptures do +not mention them, to the end that we might the more fear God and walk +according to his Word. But hard as the diamond are those human hearts +which fail to be moved by such an example as the flood, than which +nothing more dreadful is to be found in the whole chain of time. + +273. Moses, therefore, having buried in silence the entire generation +of Cain, records only one unimportant fact respecting Lamech, but what +the real import of that fact is, Moses does not explain. I know not +that any other passage in the Holy Scriptures has been so diversely +interpreted, and so rent and wrested, as this text. For ignorance at +least, if eloquence is not, is fruitful of surmises, errors and +fables. I will mention some of the vulgar views upon the passage now +before us. + +274. The Jews compose the fable that Lamech, when he had grown old and +was blind, was led by a youth into the woods to hunt wild beasts, not +for the sake of their flesh but for their skins; circumstances which +are altogether absurd, and at once prove the whole fable to be a lie. +And they hold that Cain was there, concealed among the bushes, and in +that solitude he not only exercised repentance but sought security for +his life. The young man who directed the spear for Lamech, thinking he +saw a wild beast in a certain thicket, told Lamech to hurl his spear, +and Lamech hurled his spear and, contrary to all thought, pierced +Cain. And they add that after Lamech had been made conscious of the +murder he had committed, he immediately speared the youth himself, who +also died under the wound he received. It was thus, say the Jews, that +the "man" and the "young man" were slain by Lamech. But such +absurdities as these are utterly unworthy of refutation. Indeed, Moses +himself completely refutes them; he records the fact that Cain, far +from fleeing into solitude and concealment, "built a city," which +implies that he governed a State and thereby established for himself a +kind of kingdom. Moreover, the ages of Cain and Lamech would not +accord with this explanation, for it is not at all probable Cain lived +to the time Lamech became old and blind. + +275. There is still another Jewish invention. After Lamech had killed +Cain, his wives would no longer live with him, through fear of the +punishment they foreboded would come upon him, and therefore Lamech, +to comfort himself and to induce his wives to live with him, +prophesied that whosoever should kill him would assuredly be punished +"seventy and sevenfold." The Jews invent like absurdities also +concerning the sons of Lamech, whom they say he taught to fabricate +arms for the destruction of men. Other commentators, again, will have +it that the sense of this text is to be taken negatively, thus: If I +had killed a man, as Cain killed his brother, I should have been +worthy of your reprobation. + +276. My interpretation, accordingly, is that the words, "If Cain shall +be avenged sevenfold," etc., are not to be taken for the Word of God. +For that generation did not have the Word; how, then, could Lamech be +believed to have been a prophet? Thus, even such a man as Jerome +produces the vagary that, inasmuch as, according to Luke, +seventy-seven generations can be counted between Adam and Christ, it +was after this space of time that Lamech's sin was taken away by +Christ. If such vaporings are legitimate, anything can be proved from +the Scriptures. Jerome even forgets that Lamech represented the +seventh generation from Adam! The word under consideration then, is +not to be placed upon the same level with the former, spoken to Cain; +for that was the Word of God. It is, on the contrary, the word of a +wicked murderer; not true, but an audacious fiction, based upon that +spoken by Adam to Cain. But why does he deliver his discourse not +before his church but at home, and only before his wives? + +277. It is probable that the good and pious women were greatly alarmed +on account of the murder committed by their husband. The wicked +murderer, therefore, to appear equally safe with Cain, endeavored in +this way to reassure his wives concerning his safety from death. This +is what the wicked church is accustomed to do; it prophesies out of +its own head. But all such prophecies are vain. This one thing, +however, we can gather from the present text, that Lamech did not +utter the contents of his prophecy from the Word of God, but out of +his own brain. + +278. In respect to Cain, I do not think that he was killed by Lamech, +but that he died long before the time of Lamech. 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 is, that Lamech killed some eminent +man and some distinguished youth of the generation of the righteous, +just as Cain, his father, had killed Abel. And I believe that, having +committed such murders, he wished to protect himself from being killed +by uttering the words of the text, after the manner of the protection +vouchsafed by God to his father Cain. For Lamech was no doubt a man of +very great abilities and the chief man in his day and State. He had +also strengthened his cause by a novel venture, for he was the first +man who married two wives. And he harassed the Church of the godly in +various ways, as men are wont to do who combine talent with malice. +Therefore he furnished his men with arms, riches, and pleasures, that +he might overcome the true Church on every side, which alone held the +holy faith, the pure Word, and the pure worship of God. To all else he +paid little attention. + +279. It is very probable that the patriarch Adam died about this time, +this being the first patriarchal death; and there is no doubt that +Lamech seized this opportunity of transferring the whole government of +the world at that time to himself, that he might have all things under +his own rule. This is the manner in which the world acts to this day. +The Church of God, therefore, placed as it were in the midst, is +oppressed on either side; by tyrants and blood-thirsty men on the one +hand, and by those who are devoted to the concerns and pleasures of +this world on the other. As tyrants use violence and the sword to +destroy the Church, so the latter entice her by their allurements. + +280. 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 pursuits. And hence it is, also, that Christ +expressly shows that much blood was shed even before the flood, by +testifying "that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the +earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of +Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the +altar," Mt 23, 35. Moses testifies subsequently (Gen 6, 1-13), that +the earth before the flood was filled with iniquities; and he is not +speaking of the iniquities and violent deeds of thieves and +adulterers, but describes particularly the tyranny of the Cainite +church, which pursued with all the violence of the sword the holy +posterity of Adam. And it is for this same reason that the sacred +historian describes the descendants of Cain by the name "giants." +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 son. + +281. It was certainly an evidence of the greatest tyranny in Lamech, +that, when he had been discovered by his wives, he did not grieve for +what he had done, but held in contempt the punishment which he had +just cause to dread. As if he had said: I have killed a man 'tis true, +but what is that to you? The wound of that belongs to me; I shall be +wounded for it, not you. I have indeed killed a young man, but it is +to my own hurt. I shall be punished for it, not you. What utterances +could evince more contempt than these in the face of open sins? + +These are my thoughts on the passage now before us. The text shows +that the Cainites were tyrannical men, proud of their success, and +given to pleasure; and the very words of Lamech prove him to be a +proud man, not grieving at all for the murder he had committed, but +glorying in it as in a righteous cause. The Cainite church always +excuses that tyranny which it exercises over the godly, as Christ +says: "Whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto +God," Jn 16, 2. This is expressed in the additional words of Lamech: + +V. 24. _If Cain shall he avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and +sevenfold._ + +282. Here Lamech sets himself above his father Cain, making it appear +that he had a more righteous cause for the murder he had committed, +and fortifying himself against those inclined to avenge the murders +perpetrated by him. For the words of the text are not the words of the +Lord, as we have said, but the words of Lamech himself. Just so the +pope fortifies himself by violence, tyranny, threats and anathemas, to +make himself secure against avengers, for he has the conscience of a +Cain and a Lamech. Let him, says the pope, who shall do anything +contrary to these my decrees know that he shall incur the indignation +of St. Peter and St. Paul. + +283. Lamech, therefore, is an example of this world, and Moses points +to him to show what kind of a heart, will and wisdom the world has. +Just as if he had said in reference to Lamech: Such are the actions of +the seed of the serpent and such are the children of this world. They +gather riches, follow their pleasures, increase their power, and then +abuse all these things by their tyranny, making use of them against +the true Church, the members of which they persecute and slay. And yet +in the midst of all these mighty sins, they fear not, but are proud +and secure, boasting and saying, "What can the righteous do?" (Ps 11, +3): "Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" (Ps 12, 4): "He (the +wicked) saith in his heart: God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he +will never see it," (Ps 10, 11): and other like sentiments. + +284. That such is the meaning of the passage in question the facts +recorded prove, though the words of the text do not so clearly express +that meaning. The true Church has ever Satan as its great enemy, and +he drives the Cainites into fury, disguised as devotion, against their +brethren, the Abels; as Christ also says, affirming that the devil was +a murderer from the beginning, Jn 8, 44. It is declared throughout the +Scriptures concerning the true Church, that the wicked are ever +shedding its blood. The various passages in the Psalms speak the same +things, "Precious shall their blood be in his sight," Ps 72, 14. +Again, "Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints" +Ps 116, 15. And again, "For thy sake are we killed all the day long" +Ps 44, 22. + +285. As, therefore, the Church of God has at all times, and in all +ages, given her blood to be shed by the wicked and by false brethren, +so also, in that first age of the world she had to suffer from her +enemies, whom the Scriptures call "giants," and affirm that those +"giants" filled the earth with "violence." Among these giants was also +this Lamech now before us, who was one perhaps like Pope Julius II or +Clement VII who although they exercised cruelty in the highest degree, +yet wished to be called and appear as most holy saints. Just so Lamech +here wishes to make it appear that he had a most righteous cause for +the murder he had committed, 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 father, the murderer +Cain. + +286. In this manner, the Church was vexed with the cross and with +persecutions from the very beginning of the world until God, compelled +by the wickedness of man, destroyed the whole world by the flood. Just +so, also, when the measure of Pharaoh's malice was full he was drowned +with all his host in the Red Sea. Just so, again, when the measure of +the malice of the Gentile nations was full they were all uprooted and +destroyed by Moses and Joshua. 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 Jerusalem. Other instances are the +Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Grecians, and the Romans. + +287. The Scriptures therefore do not record whom Lamech killed. They +only record that two murders were committed by him, and that Lamech, +in his impenitence, wished to protect himself in the same manner as +his father Cain had been divinely protected, by issuing his +proclamation, thereby making it appear that he had righteous cause for +the murder he committed. And if this interpretation be not the true +one, it is at least certain that the generation of the Cainites was a +blood-thirsty generation, and hated and persecuted the true Church. + +288. And it is, moreover, true that Lamech had not the Word, and that, +accordingly, his utterance is not to be considered in the same light +as that word which was spoken to his father Cain; for the latter was +the voice of truth, but the word of Lamech was the voice of his own +pride, expressive of the rule of Satan and of a church of hypocrites, +which sins securely and yet glories in its sins as if they were deeds +of righteousness. + + +C. THE POSTERITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN DETAIL; THE GENERATIONS OF THE + RIGHTEOUS. + + 1. Of Seth. + + a. Why Seth is described in detail 289. + + b. Why Eve at Seth's birth recalled Cain's murder 290. + + * How and why the first parents after Abel's death refrained + from bearing children 291. + + c. Seth's birth was announced before in a special way by God + 291-292. + + * The uncovenanted grace of the Cainites. Also, why God did not + mention that some of them would be saved 293. + + d. How Eve manifested special faith and obedience in Seth's + birth 294-295. + + * Why the Romish church never canonized Eve 296. + + * The idle fables of the Jews about Lamech and his wives, and + about Adam's abstinence and Cain's increase, are to be + rejected 297. + + e. A new generation springs from Seth, in which the promise + shall be fulfilled 298. + + 2. Of Enoch. + + a. What his name means, and why it was given to him 299. + + * The names of the holy patriarchs originated not by chance + 299. + + b. How true worship began under Enoch 300-302. + + * Of true worship. + + (1) In what it consists 301. + + (2) Why it was not in use before 302. + + * The meaning of "the name of Jehovah" or the proclaiming + of the name of Jehovah 303. + + (3) The right course to take in the doctrine concerning + divine worship 304. + + * God always ministered comfort to his Church under the + cross 305. + + (4) What is the true worship according to the first table of + the law 306-307. + + (5) How true worship according to the second table follows + from the first 308. + + (6) People are to be instructed first and chiefly in the + worship of the first table 309. + + (7) Whether visible signs were present in these days in their + worship, and to what end they were necessary 310-311. + + (8) The worship of which Moses speaks is to be understood not + of the Cainites but of Seth's posterity 312. + +* A summary review of the contents of the fourth chapter of Genesis + 313. + +* Why the fifth chapter was written 314. + +* Why the Jews cannot see the unity in the first five chapters of the + Bible 315. + + +C. THE POSTERITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN DETAIL. + +V. 25. _And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called +his name Seth: For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed +instead of Abel; for Cain slew him._ + +289. Hitherto Moses has spoken of the generation of the wicked only, +the whole of which he buries as it were with the above brief catalog. +The historian now turns to the description of the godly and of the +true Church. And first of all, we are to observe the manner of +expression Moses uses in reference to the name given by Eve to her +son: "And she called his name Seth." Moses does not speak thus +concerning Cain when he was born, nor concerning righteous Abel, nor +with reference to Enoch, nor with reference to any of the others. 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 paradise. So Eve is to +be understood when she assigns the reason for giving her son this +name. Eve manifests her surpassing godliness and faith in giving her +son such a name. + +290. 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 churches, and that she had witnessed and suffered many evils +and indignities from the Cainites. Because of this she now called to +mind the awful murder which had been committed, whereby Cain wished to +destroy the righteous seed that he might reign alone. But thanks be to +God, says she, who hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel. + +291. Moses here, as is his usual manner, embraces in the fewest +possible words the mightiest things, that he may incite the reader to +the most diligent consideration of the works of God. Of the pain and +righteous grief of the parents at the murder of Abel by his brother we +have spoken before. 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 Seth; for it is most probable that the awful peril +of a recurrence of a calamity like that which they had just +experienced, induced the godly parents to abstain from connubial +intercourse. I believe, therefore, that by a particular promise made +to them by an angel, their minds were again comforted and confirmed, +and that they were influenced to believe that a son of the description +of Seth would now be born unto them, who should hold fast the promise; +and that, although the generation of Cain should utterly perish by +their sin, the generation of him about to be born should be preserved +until the promised blessed seed should come into the world. + +292. 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 sermon, 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 children: "And +she called his name Seth." Seth is derived from the Hebrew verb +_sath_, which signifies he placed, or he established, and was intended +to show that this son would be, as it were, the foundation on which +the promise concerning Christ would rest, even though many other sons +should be born unto the parents. Eve does not give him an exalted +name, such as "Cain," yet she gives him a name signifying that the +posterity of Seth should never be suppressed or destroyed. + +293. The Cainites, cast out from the sight of their parents, are left +under a curse, without any promise whatever, and have only so much +mercy as they receive from the generation of the righteous as beggars, +not as heirs. This is the mercy we above called uncovenanted mercy. +But who, of the posterity of the Cainites, obtained that mercy, Moses +does not mention, and his design in this omission is to keep separate +the two churches: the one the Church of the righteous, which had the +promise of a life to come, but in this life was poor and afflicted; +the other the church of the wicked, which in this life is rich and +flourishing. + +294. Eve, the mother of us all, is highly to be praised, as a most +holy woman, full of faith and charity, because in the person of her +son Seth she so nobly lauds the true Church, paying no regard whatever +to the generation of the Cainites. For she does not say, I have gotten +another son in the place of Cain. She prefers the slain Abel to Cain, +though Cain was the first-born. Herein praise is due, not only to her +faith but to her eminent obedience; for she is not only not offended +at the judgment of God concerning righteous Abel, but she also changes +her own judgment concerning God. When Abel was born she despised him, +and magnified Cain as the first-born, and as the possessor, as she +thought, of the promise. But now she acts in all things quite the +contrary. As if she had said: After God's acceptance of him and of his +offering, I had placed all my hopes on my son Abel, because he was +righteous; but his wicked brother slew him. But now God hath appointed +me another seed instead of Abel. + +295. She does not indulge her maternal affection for Cain. She does +not excuse or lessen the sin of her son. But she herself +excommunicates him, already excommunicated of God; and she banishes +him, together with all his posterity, among the polluted mass of the +Gentiles who live without any sure mercy of God, laying hold only as +they can of that uncovenanted mercy which, as we have said, they +receive as beggars, not as heirs. + +296. It is a great marvel, surely, that the church of the pope, having +made up so great a list of saints, has not yet inserted in that +catalog Saint Eve, a woman full of faith and love, and with an +infinite number of crosses! But perhaps we are to gather from this +omission that it would rather follow the church of the Cainites than +the holy Church. + +297. I am inclined to say nothing here about that absurd and idle +fable of the Jews, that Lamech brought his disobedient wives to Adam +as judge, 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 Eve. These fablers say that Adam, who had refrained from the +bed of his wife from the murder of Abel to that time, again lived with +her as man and wife, in order that he might not by his example induce +others to maintain perpetual continence, and thus prevent mankind from +being multiplied. All these fables show how impure the thoughts of the +Jews were. Of the same description is the like argument of these Jews, +who hold that when Seth was born, which was within a hundred years +after the death of Abel, the children of Cain had increased unto the +seventh generation. Such absurdities do wicked men invent to bring +reproach upon the Holy Scriptures. And of precisely the same +description is the opinion that Cain was born in paradise, while, as +yet, the original righteousness of his parents remained. What is the +object of this lying invention but to cause us to do away with Christ +altogether? For take away original sin, and what need is there of +Christ at all? These things are indeed, as we have intimated, unworthy +of being mentioned here. But they are worthy the enemies of Christ and +the enemies of grace. + +298. In Seth, therefore, we have a new generation, which arises from +and comes to pass in accordance with the great original promise, that +the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. Appropriately +the name Seth is bestowed, so that Eve may felicitate herself upon the +fact that this seed is established, safe from overthrow. David uses +the same verb: "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the +righteous do?" Ps 11, 3. And the Hebrew word forms a perfect rhyme +with its German equivalent: "Seth--steht." + +V. 26a. _And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called +his name Enosh._ + +299. The verb _yikra_, he called, is in the masculine gender, by which +you are to understand that it was the father who gave this name to his +son. In the former case the verb was feminine, because Eve gave to her +son Seth his name. The expression in each case is different, which +difference of gender in a verb the Latin language does not indicate. + +Enosh signifies a man afflicted or full of calamity. "What is man that +thou art mindful of him," Ps 8, 4. Seth, accordingly, intimates that +at that time there was some persecution or affliction of the Church. +That "old serpent," who had cast man out of paradise and had killed +Abel, the man beloved of God, was neither asleep nor idle. Therefore, +upon the consolation enjoyed in the birth of Seth there soon follows +another trial or tribulation, which the godly parents Adam and Eve +signalize by giving the name Enosh to their son. The names thus given +are by no means to be considered accidental. They were either +prophetical or commemorative of some particular event. + +V. 26b. _Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah._ + +300. The rabbins understand this as having reference to idolatry. They +think that about this time the name of Jehovah began to be given to +creatures: to the sun, the moon, etc. But Moses is not here speaking +of what the generation of Cainites did, but what the godly generation +of Adam did. The sacred historian is testifying that after the birth +of Enosh there began the true worship of God, the calling upon the +name of Jehovah. + +301. Here Moses most beautifully defines what it is to worship God, to +call upon the name of Jehovah; which is, as it were, the work of the +first table and concerns the true worship of God. Now, calling upon +the name of Jehovah embraces the preaching of the Word, faith, or +confidence in God, confession, etc. Paul beautifully joins these +things together in the fourteenth verse of the tenth chapter of his +Epistle to the Romans. True, the works of the second table also belong +to the worship of God, but these works do not refer directly and only +to God as do the works of the first table. + +302. After the confusion made in the house of Adam by Cain, the +generation of the godly began to multiply by degrees and a little +Church was formed, in which Adam as the high priest governed all +things by the Word and by sound doctrine. Moses here affirms that this +took place about the time of the birth of Enosh. Although this name +implies that the Church had been overwhelmed by some terrible +disaster, yet God raised her up again by his grace and mercy, and +added the great spiritual blessing of godly assemblage in a particular +place, with preaching, prayer and the offering of sacrifices, +blessings which had hitherto perhaps been either hindered or forbidden +by the Cainites. We have here, then, another evidence of the promised +seed warring with the serpent and bruising its head. + +303. Furthermore, as Moses does not say: Jehovah began to be called +upon, but the name of Jehovah, the reference to Christ recommends +itself to our approval, since also in other passages the Schem Jehovah +(the name of Jehovah) is so to be understood. This expression, "then +men began to call upon the name of Jehovah," contains a meaning most +important. It signifies that Adam, Seth, and Enosh taught and exhorted +their posterity to expect redemption and to believe the promise +concerning the seed of the woman, and to overcome by that hope the +snares, the crosses, the persecutions, the hatred and the violence of +the Cainites, and not to despair of salvation, but rather to give +thanks unto God, assured that he would at some time deliver them by +the seed of the woman. + +304. What could Adam and Seth teach greater or better than that the +great deliverer, Christ, was promised to their posterity? And this is +quite in keeping with the proper principle to be observed in religious +instruction. The first care should ever be directed to the first +table. When this table is well understood, the right understanding of +the second table will soon follow; yea, it is then easy to fulfil the +latter. For how is it possible that, where pure doctrine is taught, +where men rightly believe, rightly call upon the name of Jehovah, and +rightly give thanks unto God, the second and inferior fruits can be +wanting? + +305. 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 future. We see throughout the pages of sacred history a perpetual +succession and change of consolations and afflictions. Joseph in Egypt +keeps alive his parents and his brethren when divinely visited by +famine. After this, when these people were oppressed by wicked kings, +they were again delivered from their cruel bondage. And Cyrus delivers +them when captives in Babylon. When God permits his own people to be +oppressed by the violence and guile of the devil and the world, he +always lifts them up again and gives them prophets and godly teachers +to restore his sinking church, and to break for a while the fury of +Satan. + +306. Furthermore, 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 men, in the erection of statues, +or the performance of other sport suggested by reason, but in calling +upon the name of Jehovah. Worship in its truest meaning, well-pleasing +to God, and subsequently made mandatory in the first commandment, +embraces the fear of God, trust in God, confession, prayer and +preaching. + +307. The first commandment of the Law demands faith, that we believe +God is the only helper in time of need, Ps 9, 9. The second +commandment demands confession and prayer, that we call upon the name +of Jehovah in times of peril and give thanks unto God. The third +commandment requires that we teach the truth, and that we guard and +defend sound doctrine. + +These are the true and appropriate acts of the worship of God, and +they are those which God requires. He requires not sacrifices nor +money nor anything of the kind. As regards the first table, he +requires that we hear, consider and teach the Word; that we pray to +God and fear him. + +308. Where these things exist, the observances and works required by +the second table follow, as it were, of their own accord. 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 also. +David saith: "His delight is in the law of Jehovah; and on his law +doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by +the stream of water; that bringeth forth its fruit in its season, +whose leaf also doth not wither." Ps 1, 2-3. These things are evident +consequences of the right worship of God, according to the +commandments of the first table. He who believes God, who fears God, +who calls upon God in tribulation, who praises God and gives thanks +unto him for his mercies, who gladly hears the Word of God, who +continually contemplates the works of God, and who teaches others to +do the same things--do you think that such a one will harm his +neighbor, or disobey his parents, or kill, or commit adultery? + +309. The first table, therefore, is to be set forth first of all, and +instruction as regards the true worship is to receive precedence to +all else. This means, first to make the tree good on which good fruit +is to grow. Now, our adversaries take the diametrically opposite +course; they want to have the good fruit before they have even the +tree. + +310. Moreover, I believe that about this time there was added some +visible ceremony of divine worship, for God is ever wont thus to do. +He always joins with the Word some visible sign. When Abel and Cain +presented their offerings God showed by a visible sign from heaven +that he had respect unto Abel and his offering, but not unto Cain and +his offering. And so, in all probability, it was in this case and at +this time. When the Church began to flourish and the Word of God was +publicly taught with considerable success, God added also some visible +sign, that the Church might assuredly know that she pleased God. + +311. But whatever that sign was, whether fire from heaven or something +else, God withheld it until the third generation, that men might learn +to be content with the Word alone. Afterwards, when men had comforted +themselves by the Word alone against the Cainites, in all +tribulations, God of his great mercy added to the Word some visible +sign. He established a place and appointed persons and ceremonies to +which the Church might gather for the exercise of faith, for preaching +and prayer. By means of these things, the Word or the first table and +then a visible sign ordained of God, a Church is constituted, in which +men undergo discipline through teaching, hearing, and the partaking of +the sacraments. Then upon these things will assuredly follow the works +of the second table, which are acceptable, and acts of worship, only +on the part of those who possess and practice the first table. + +312. This gift of God, Moses sets forth in the few short words of the +text before us, when he says, "Then began men to call upon the name of +Jehovah." For this beginning to call upon the name of Jehovah was not +on the part of the Cainites, as the Jews explained the passage, but on +the part of the godly posterity of Adam, which alone was then the true +Church. If any of the posterity of Cain were saved, it must of +necessity have been by joining this Church. + +313. The sum of the first four chapters of Genesis is that we are to +believe in a resurrection of the dead after this life, and a life +eternal through the Seed of the woman. This is the blessed portion of +the godly, of them that believe, who in this life are filled with +afflictions and subject to injuries at the hands of all men. To the +wicked, on the contrary, are given, as their portion, the riches and +power of this world, which they use against the true Church of God. + +In the first chapter it is shown that man was created unto +immortality, because he was created "in the image of God." + +The teaching also of the second chapter sets forth the same thing, "In +the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." It follows +that the first created man and woman could not have died if they had +not eaten of that fruit. By their sin of eating they fell from +immortality to mortality, and they begat an offspring like unto +themselves. + +In the third chapter immortality is set forth anew, as restored by the +promise of the Seed of the woman. + +In the fourth chapter we have an especial example of immortality set +before us in Abel, who, after he had been slain by his brother, was +received into the bosom of God, who testified that the voice of the +blood of Abel cried unto him from the ground. + +314. And the fifth chapter, which now follows, is expressly written to +set forth the immortality of Enoch, who was taken up into heaven by +the Lord. Although the following chapter is necessary as a chronicle +of the number of the years of the generation of the righteous, yet its +most remarkable feature is its record that Enoch did not die like +Adam, nor was slain like Abel, nor carried away, nor torn to pieces by +lions and bears, but was taken up into heaven and translated into +immortality by the Lord himself; all which was written that we might +believe in the Seed of the woman, Christ our Redeemer and Satan's +conqueror, and that through him we also might expect a life immortal +after this mortal and afflicted life. + +315. This harmony of these five chapters the Jews see not, for they +are destitute of that sun which sheds light upon these things and +makes them manifest; which sun is Christ, by whom we have the +remission of sins and life immortal. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +I. THE BOOK OF THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF MAN, AND THE GLORY OF THE + CAINITES. + + A. THE BOOK OF THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF MAN. + + 1. The reasons why Moses records the generations of Adam 1. + + 2. Why he so particularly gives the years, and in the case of + each patriarch adds "and he died" 1-2. + + 3. Why Enoch is placed in the records of the dead 3-4. + + * Was Enoch a sinner, and do sinners have hope of eternal life + 4. + + * Of death. + + a. How we are to comfort ourselves against death 5. + + b. How reason views death, and how the best heathen + philosophers viewed it 6. + + c. The knowledge the Scriptures give us of death 6. + + 4. How we may be greatly profited by the book of the generations + of the ancient world 7. + + 5. Why the book of the generations of Cain is larger than that + of Seth's 7. + + * How terrible that both lines were totally destroyed, except + eight persons 8. + + 6. The aim of Moses in writing this book of the generations of + Adam 9. + + * The glory of the first world 10. + + a. What was this glory 9-10. + + b. Why this glory was revealed 10. + + c. Profitable and interesting to meditate upon it 11. + + d. The patriarchs of the first world the most holy of all + martyrs 12. + + B. THE GLORY OF THE CAINITES. + + 1. The Cainites greatly tormented God's Church, especially after + Adam's death 12. + + 2. To what end their hatred and persecution served the holy + patriarchs 13. + + * Why Moses did not record the zeal of the holy fathers against + the Cainites 14. + + * Why Moses gives such a short description of the deluge 15. + + * The character of the first world 16. + + * Luther's lamentation over the character of the last world; + its approaching destruction, and an earnest prayer to God + 16-18. + + +I. THE RECORDS OF THE GENERATIONS OF MAN AND THE GLORY OF THE +CAINITES. + +A. The Records of the Generations of Man. + +V. 1. _This is the book of the generations of Adam._ + +1. This chronicle has been arranged by Moses for two reasons. First, +on account of the promise of the seed made to Adam; and second, on +account of Enoch. Moses writes still another genealogy in the tenth +chapter, after the flood, from a far different motive than the +present. In the present chapter, he gives the number of the years of +the righteous and adds with a special purpose in the case of each one, +the words, "and he died." + +2. This little phrase may at first thought appear superfluous. After +the historian has said, "All the days that Adam lived were nine +hundred and thirty years," what seems to be the use of his adding the +few words, "and he died"? The statement as to the number of his years +connotes also the time of his death; for had he lived longer, the +additional years would have been contained in the enumeration. + +Moses, however, does this with the definite purpose of pointing out +the unspeakable wrath of God against sin, and the inevitable +punishment of it, inflicted by him on the whole human race, on the +righteous as well as on the wicked. So does the Apostle Paul pursue +his argument, drawn from this very portion of the Holy Scripture: "As +through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and +so death passed upon all men, for that all sinned," Rom 5, 12. This is +a consequence perpetuated through all generations. Adam died, +therefore Adam was a sinner. Seth died, therefore Seth was a sinner. +Infants die, therefore infants partake of sin and so are sinners. This +is what Moses intends to set forth when he says, concerning the whole +line of patriarchs, that, though they were all sanctified and renewed +by faith, yet, "they died!" + +3. Nevertheless, from this line of the dying there flames starlike a +most lovely light of immortality when Moses here records concerning +Enoch that "he was not;" that is, he no longer appeared among men, and +yet he did not die but was taken up into heaven by the Lord himself. +By this glorious fact is signified that the human race is indeed +condemned to death on account of sin, and yet the hope of life and +immortality is left us, that we need not abide in death forever. + +4. For this cause God thought it needful, not only that the promise of +life should be given to the original world, but that immortality +should be demonstrated by an object lesson. Accordingly Moses said of +each patriarch that he fulfilled so many years of life and "died": +that is, suffered the punishment of sin, or, was a sinner. But the +divine historian does not use these expressions concerning Enoch. Not +because that patriarch was not a sinner, but because, even unto such +sinners as he, there was left a hope of eternal life through the +blessed seed. Therefore all the patriarchs, who died in the faith of +this seed, held fast the hope of eternal life. + +Enoch, therefore, is the second object lesson by which God makes it +manifest that it is his will to give unto us life eternal after this +life. The Lord says that Abel, who was killed by his brother, still +lived, and that his voice cried from the ground. In the present +instance, Enoch is taken up by the Lord himself into heaven. + +5. We will not despair, therefore, though we see death, derived from +Adam, extend to every one of the whole human race. We must, indeed, +suffer death because we are sinners. But we shall not abide in death. +We rather have a hope in a divine purpose and providence whereby God +designs our deliverance from death. This deliverance has begun with +the promise of the blessed seed, and has been demonstrated by Abel and +Enoch as object lessons. Wherefore we possess the first fruits of +immortality. The Apostle Paul says, "For in hope were we saved," Rom +8, 24. Hope saves us until the fullness of immortality shall be +brought unto us at the last day, when we shall see and feel that +eternal life which we possessed here in faith and hope. + +6. Now, the flesh does not understand this. The flesh judges that man +dies like a beast. Men, occupying the front rank of philosophers have +felt accordingly that by death the soul is separated and delivered +from the prison of the body, to mingle, free from all bodily +infirmities, in the assembly of the gods. Such was the immortality +dreamed of by the philosophers, though steadfastness of grasp and of +vision was out of the question. The Holy Scriptures, however, teach +differently concerning the resurrection and eternal life; they place +this hope so plainly before our eyes as to leave no room for doubt. + +7. Next in order, we find in this chapter a reflection of the +condition of the primitive world. The ten antediluvian patriarchs +belonging to the lineage of Christ, with their descendants, are +enumerated. Nor is it a useless study to put these data before one's +eyes on paper, according to the directions given by Moses, to see who +the patriarchs were, who were their contemporaries, and how old they +became, as I have taken the time to do. Cain also has his line, as +Moses has shown in the preceding chapter, and I have no doubt that the +posterity of Cain was far more numerous than that of righteous Seth. + +8. From these two families, as from roots, was the world peopled, down +to the deluge, in which both branches, with their two classes of +descendants (that is, the posterity of the wicked and that of the +righteous) were rooted out of the earth, eight souls only being left, +and even among them one was wicked. Accordingly, as in this chapter a +magnificent picture of the primeval world is presented to our view, so +we behold also the incalculable wrath of God, and the horrible event +of the reduction of the total offspring of these patriarchs to eight +souls. + +9. We will reserve this awful record for its proper time and place. +Let us now do that which Moses does in the present chapter, who wants +us to consider the exceeding splendor of this primeval age of the +world. Adam lived beyond the age of his grandson Enoch, and died but a +short time before Noah was born. A hundred and twenty years only +intervened between the death of Adam and the birth of Noah. Seth died +only fourteen years before Noah's birth. Enosh and the rest of the +patriarchs, except Enoch, lived at the same time with Noah. Thus by a +comparison of the figures, we shall ascertain that quite a number of +gray-headed patriarchs, of whom one lived seven hundred, and another +nine hundred years, were contemporaries, and teaching and governing +the Church of the godly. + +10. The exceeding glory of the primitive world consists in this, that +it contained so many good and wise and holy men. We are by no means to +think that all these are merely common names of plain and simple men. +They were the greatest heroes and men of renown that the world ever +witnessed, next to Christ and John the Baptist. In the last day we +shall behold and admire the real majesty of all these worthies, and +then we shall truly behold the mighty deeds which these mighty men +wrought. Yes, it will then be made manifest what Adam did, what Seth +did, what Methuselah did, and the others; what they suffered from the +old serpent; how they comforted and fortified themselves, by their +hope in the promised seed, against all the harm and violence of the +world, that is, of the Cainites; what craft they experienced; what +injuries and hatred and contempt they bore for the glory of the +blessed seed to be born from their lineage. We are assuredly not to +imagine that these great and holy men lived without severe afflictions +and innumerable crosses. All these things, I say, shall be revealed at +the last day. + +11. And it is an undertaking, as I said, full of profit and pleasure +now to contemplate with our minds, as with open eyes, that happy age, +in which so many patriarchs lived contemporaneously, nearly all of +whom, except Noah, had seen and known their first father, Adam. + +B. The Glory of the Cainites. + +12. Also the Cainites had their glory. Among them were men most +eminent in the liberal arts, and the most consummate hypocrites, who +gave the true Church a world of trouble, and harassed the holy +patriarchs in every possible way. We may justly call all those who +were thus oppressed by them most holy martyrs and confessors. The +Cainites, as Moses before intimated, very soon surpassed the other +descendants of Adam in numbers and activity. Although they were +compelled to revere their father Adam, yet they adopted all possible +means of oppressing the Church of the godly, and especially so after +the death of the first patriarch, Adam. By such wickedness, these +Cainites helped to bring on the flood as retribution. + +13. This power and malice of the Cainites caused the holy patriarchs +to teach and instruct their Church with increased zeal and industry. +What numerous and powerful sermons may we suppose were preached by +them in the course of these most eventful years! There is no doubt +that both Adam and Eve testified of their original state of innocence, +described the glory of paradise and warned their posterity to beware +of the serpent, who, by tempting them to sin, had caused all these +great evils. How constant may we suppose them to have been in +explaining the promise of the blessed seed! 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 afflictions. + +14. All these particulars Moses omits to record, 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 glory! + +15. Likewise the flood, in spite of its horror, is described with the +greatest brevity because he wished to leave such things to the +meditation of men. + +16. For the same reasons Moses has purposely given us, in these first +five chapters, as briefly as possible, a picture of the original and +primeval world. It was an admirable condition of life, and yet that +primeval age contained a multitude of the worst of men, in consequence +not more than "eight souls" were saved from the destroying flood! What +then, may we conclude, will be the state of things before the last day +shall come, seeing that even now, under the revealed light of the +Gospel, 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 altogether. + +17. Awful is the voice of Christ when it utters the words, +"Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the +earth?" Lk 18, 8. And in Matthew 24, 37-38, our Lord compares the last +days with the days of Noah. These utterances of our Lord are indeed +most awful. But the world, in its security and ingratitude, is a +despiser of all the threats as well as all the promises of God. It +abounds in iniquities of every kind and becomes daily more corrupt. +From the time that the popes ceased to rule among us, who had ruled +the whole world by means of the mere dread of their vengeance, sound +doctrine has been despised, and men have degenerated into all but +brutes and beasts. The number of holy and godly preachers of the Word +is becoming less and all men are indulging their desires. The last +day, however, shall assuredly come upon the world as a thief, and will +overtake these men in all their security, and in the indulgence of +their ambition, tyranny, lust, avarice, and vices of every kind. + +18. And let it be remembered that it is Christ himself who has +foretold these things, and we can not possibly imagine that he would +lie. If the primitive world, which contained so mighty a multitude of +the greatest patriarchs, was so wholly corrupted, what may we not have +cause to dread in the weakness of our nature? May the Lord our God +grant that we may be gathered, as soon as possible, in the faith and +confession of his Son Jesus Christ, unto these our fathers; yea, if it +please him, that we may die within the next twenty years, and not live +to see the miseries and calamities, both temporal and spiritual, of +the last time! Amen! + + +II. ADAM AND HIS SON SETH. + + 1. The name Adam, and why given to the first man 19. + + 2. The Jews' fables of Adam's cohabitation with Eve 20. + + * Purity of doctrine cannot be expected from the Jews 20. + + 3. Why Moses so carefully describes the times of Adam 21. + + 4. Why it is said of Adam that he was created in the likeness of + God 21-23. + + * The likeness of God. + + a. The difference between "Zelem" and "Demuth" 22-23. + + b. How the likeness of God was lost and how it is restored 24. + + c. Whether it can be fully restored in this life 25. + + 5. The prating of the rabbins about the name Adam 26. + + * Why Moses here mentions the blessing 27. + + * Why he did not refer to the blessing in the descriptions of Cain + and Abel 28. + + 6. How long it was before Adam begat Seth 29. + + * Abel's age when murdered 29. + + 7. How and why Adam mourned so long for his son Abel, and therefore + refrained from bearing children 29-30. + + 8. The Jews' fable of Adam's vow of chastity refuted 30. + + 9. How we are to understand that Adam begat a son in his own + likeness 31. + + 10. Whether Adam's son Seth had God's likeness 31. + + 11. How Adam acquired again the lost image 32. + + 12. How Seth secured the likeness of God 32. + + 13. Why Adam gave his son the name Seth; its meaning 33. + + * The long lives of the first men. + + a. Longevity a part of the happy state of the first world 34. + + b. The causes of such long lives 34-35. + + * Men's bodies were much stronger and healthier than ours 35. + + c. Whether the climate, food and holy living contributed to this + end 36-37. + + * The creatures given to man for food after the flood were + inferior to those before, and they injured the body more than + nourished it 37. + + d. Luther's thoughts on this theme 38. + + 14. Which is the first or chief branch born from Adam and Eve 39. + + 15. How long Adam lived after Seth's birth 39. + + * The glory of the first world 40. + + * The histories of the first world were most excellent, but they + were destroyed in the flood 41. + + * Eve's age and experiences 42. + + * The age of the first world is called the golden age 43. + + +II. ADAM AND HIS SON SETH. + +V. 1a. _This is the book of the generations of Adam._ + +19. "Adam," as will be stated further on, is the common name of the +whole human race, but it is applied to the first man more expressly as +an appellation of dignity, because he was the source, as it were, of +the whole human family. The Hebrew word _sepher_, "a book," is derived +from _saphar_, which signifies "to narrate" or "to enumerate." +Wherefore this narration or enumeration of the posterity of Adam is +called "the book of the generations of Adam." + +V. 1b. _In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made +he him._ + +20. 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 created, and that she conceived in that same day. Fables +of this kind are numerous among them, nor may anything sound or pure +in the matter of scriptural interpretation be expected of them. + +21. The intent of Moses, in this clause, is to record the complete age +of Adam, and to number the days of his life from the day of his +creation, and, at the same time, to show that before Adam there was no +generation. Generation is to be clearly distinguished from creation. +There was no generation before Adam, but creation only. Adam and Eve +were not born but created, and that directly by God himself. Moses +adds, "In the likeness of God made he him." We are to understand, +then, that when he afterwards mentions that Adam begat Seth, he +numbers his years from the very day of his creation. + +22. In respect to Adam's having been made in the likeness of God, we +have shown above in its place what that "likeness" of God was. +Although almost all commentators understand the expressions, "the +likeness of God," and "the image of God," to mean one and the same +thing, yet so far as I have been able from careful investigation to +reach a conclusion, there is a difference between the two terms. +_Zelem_ properly signifies "an image," or "figure," as when the +Scripture says, Ye shall break down their images, Ex. 23, 24, in which +passage the original term signifies nothing more than the figures, or +statues, or images erected by men. But _demuth_ signifies "a +likeness," or "the perfectness of an image." For instance, when we +speak of a lifeless image, such as that which is impressed on coins, +we say, This is the image of Brutus or of Cæsar. That image, however, +does not reproduce the likeness, nor exhibit every single feature. + +23. Accordingly, when Moses says that man was created also in the +likeness of God, he points out that man resembles God not only in the +possession of reason, or of intellect and will, but that he has also +the likeness of God, that is, a will and an intellect, with which he +knows God and wills what he wills. + +24. If man, having been created both "in the image" and "in the +likeness" of God, had not fallen, he would have lived forever, full of +joy and gladness, and would have possessed a will joyfully eager to +obey the will of God. But by sin both this "likeness" and this "image" +were lost. They are, however, in a measure, restored by faith, as we +are told by the apostle, Col 3, 10; Eph 4, 24. For we begin to know +God, and the spirit of Christ helps us, so that we desire to obey the +commandments of God. + +25. Of these blessed gifts we possess only the first-fruits. This new +creation within us is only as yet begun; it is not perfected here in +the flesh. The will is in some measure stirred to praise God, to give +him thanks, to confess sin, and to exercise patience, but all this is +only the first-fruits. The flesh, obeying the law of its nature, still +follows the things of the flesh, while it opposes the things of God. +The result is that the restoration of such gifts in us is only in the +initial stage; but the full tithe of this likeness in all its +perfection shall be rendered in the future life, when the sinful flesh +shall have been destroyed by death. + +V. 2. _Male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called +their name Adam, in the day when they were created._ + +26. I have above observed that the general name "Adam" was applied to +Adam alone, by reason of his superiority. I omit to mention those +vagaries of the rabbins, who say that no man can be called "Adam" +unless he has a wife. Likewise, no woman can be called "Adam" unless +married. The thought may have been drawn from the teachings of the +fathers, but the Jews have corrupted it by their foolish fancies and +opinions. + +27. Moses aims to show this blessing was not taken from man because of +his sin, since the blessing of bearing children and ruling them +continued with Cain though he had murdered his brother. + +28. Moses mentions not Abel, for he had died without an heir and is +presented to us as an example of the resurrection of the dead. Neither +is Cain mentioned, who because of his sin was cut off from the true +Church. + +29. Scripture says nothing of what Adam and Eve did during the one +hundred years. Some of our writers add a hundred years longer Adam +should have lived with Eve before Cain slew his brother Abel, which +makes Adam two hundred and thirty years of age when Seth was born. It +seems to me plausible that the godly parents passed one hundred years +in sorrow and mourned the great dishonor that befell their family. +After Adam was expelled from paradise did he first beget children, +sons and daughters, who were like him, and Abel was perhaps thirty +years of age when he was slain. It appears the children were not much +younger than their parents, who were not born, but created. + +30. I believe, accordingly, that the godly parents indulged their +grief, and abstained from connubial intercourse. This abstinence, +however, was not maintained with the intent which the Jews fable, who +absurdly affirm that Adam vowed perpetual chastity, like our monks, +and that he would still have kept his vow had he not been commanded by +an angel from heaven to live together with his wife. Such a story as +this is only fit to be told to a Roman pontiff of the age of forty, +who alone is worthy of listening to such fables. No, Adam was not so +wicked as thus to refuse the gift and command of God! Such abstinence +would have been taking vengeance on himself for the grief he had +endured, 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 +state. + +Moreover, this was a matter not left in the power of Adam. As Moses +has clearly shown, God had created him a male. He had, therefore, need +of a female, or wife, because the instinct of procreation was +implanted in his nature by God the Creator, himself. If therefore Adam +abstained, he did so for a reason only, intending to return to his Eve +after giving vent to his grief for a time. + +31. Moses here expressly adds, concerning Adam, that he "begat a son +in his own likeness, after his image." Theologians entertain various +opinions as to the real meaning of those expressions. The simple +meaning is, that Adam was created "in the image" and "after the +likeness" of God, or that he was the image of God, created, not +begotten; for Adam had no parents. But in this "image of God" Adam +continued not; he fell from it by sin. Seth, therefore, who was +afterwards born, was begotten, not after the image of God, but after +the image of his father Adam. That is, he was altogether like Adam; he +resembled his father Adam, not only in his features, but he was like +him in every way. He not only had fingers, nose, eyes, carriage, +voice, and speech, like his father, but he was like him in everything +else pertaining to body and soul, in manners, disposition, will and +other points. In these respects Seth did not bear the image of God +which Adam possessed originally, and which he lost; but he bore the +likeness of Adam, his father. But this likeness and image were not of +God by creation, but of Adam by generation. + +32. Now, this image included original sin, and the punishment of +eternal death on account of sin, which God inflicted on Adam. But as +Adam, by faith in the seed that was to come, recovered the image of +God, which he had lost, so Seth also recovered the same after he grew +up to man's estate; for God impressed again his own "likeness" upon +him through the Word. Paul refers to this when he says to the +Galatians, "My little children, of whom I am again in travail until +Christ be formed in you," Gal 4, 19. + +33. Of the name Seth I have spoken above. It denotes command, and +voices the sentiments of one praying and prophesying good news, as if +Adam had said: "Cain has not only himself fallen, but also caused his +brother to fall. May God, therefore, grant that this my son Seth shall +stand as a firm foundation which Satan shall not overthrow." Such +blessing or prayer is implied in the name. + +Vs. 4-5. _And the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred +years and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam +lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died._ + +34. This is another part of the happiness of that age, that men +attained to so long life. Such longevity, when compared with the +length of our lives, seems quite incredible. A question naturally +arises as to the cause and theory of such old age. I am not at all +displeased with the reasons assigned by some, that the constitutions +of men were then far better than ours are now, and also that all +things then used for food were more healthful than those now used. To +these particulars we must add that important requisite for a long +life, the greatest moderation in the use and enjoyment of food. To +what extent the latter conduces to health, is needless to explain. + +35. Though the body was sounder than at present, yet the general vigor +and strength of limb which men had in paradise before the advent of +sin, had passed away. It is true, however, that their bodily +well-being was enhanced when, after the fall, they were renewed and +regenerated through faith in the promised seed. For the same reason, +also, sin was weakened through faith in the seed. As for us, we have +lost their strength and vigor just in proportion as we have departed +from their righteousness. + +36. With reference to food, who cannot easily believe that one apple, +in that primeval age, was more excellent and afforded a greater degree +of nourishment than a thousand in our time? The roots, also, on which +they fed, contained infinitely more fragrance, virtue and savor, than +they possess now. All these conditions, but notably holiness and +righteousness, the exercise of moderation, 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 life. + +37. Now, if we turn to consider thoughtfully our present mode of life, +we find that we are much more corrupted than nourished by the meat and +drink we consume. In addition to the immoderation characterizing our +life, how much have the fruits themselves lost in excellence? Our +first parents lived moderately, and chose only those things for their +meat and drink calculated to nourish and refresh their bodies. There +can be no doubt that after the deluge all the fruits of the earth +deteriorated greatly. Even so, in our own age, we find all things +deteriorate. 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 sea. + +38. These causes, with others which many assign for the great +longevity of the primeval patriarchs, I by no means disapprove. But +this one reason is quite sufficient, in my opinion, that it pleased +God to give them such length of life in the best part of the world. +Yet we see, as Peter strikingly says, that God willed not to spare the +old world, no, not even the angels in heaven that sinned; so horrible +a thing is sin. Sodom and Gomorrah were the choicest portion of the +earth, and yet, on account of sin, they were utterly destroyed. In the +same manner the Holy Scriptures everywhere set forth the greatness of +sin, and exhort to the fear of God. + +39. We have now the root, or rather the source, of the human race, +namely Adam and his Eve. From these Seth is born, the first branch of +this tree. But as Adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of +Seth, Adam saw himself in possession of numerous progeny. This was the +period of the restoration of righteousness through the promise of the +seed to come. Afterwards, however, when men increased, and the sons of +God mingled with the daughters of men, the world gradually became +corrupt, and the majesty of the holy patriarchs became an object of +contempt. + +40. It is an attractive sight, to view the number of gray-headed +patriarchs living at the same time. Only a little ciphering is +required to do it. If you compute carefully the years of our first +parent, Adam, you will see that he lived over fifty years with Lamech, +Noah's father. Accordingly, Adam saw all his descendants down to the +ninth generation, having an almost infinite number of sons and +daughters. These, however, Moses does not enumerate, being satisfied +to number the trunk and the immediate branches down to Noah. + +41. There were, without doubt, in this mighty multitude, many very +distinguished saints, whose history, if we possessed it, would exceed +in marvelousness all the histories of the world. Compared with it, the +exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, their passage through the +Red Sea and through Jordan, their captivities and returns, would be as +nothing. But as the primeval world itself perished, so did its +history. In consequence, the first place in the annals of history +belongs to the account of the flood, in comparison with which the +others are only as sparks to the fire. Of the former world we have +nothing but names, but these are, so to speak, great histories in +miniature. + +42. It is probable that also Eve lived to the age of 800 years and saw +this great posterity. What must have been her concern, how great her +labors, how devoted her toils, in visiting, in teaching, and in +training her children and grandchildren. And what must have been her +crosses and sighs, when the generation of the Cainites opposed with so +much determination the true Church, although some of them were even +converted by the uncovenanted mercy of God. + +43. Truly that primeval time was a "golden age," in comparison with +which our present age is scarcely worthy of being called the age of +mud. During those primeval centuries, there lived at the same time +nine patriarchs, together with their posterities, and all of them in +harmony concerning the faith in the blessed seed! All these glorious +things Moses just mentions, but does not explain; otherwise this would +be the history of histories. + + +III. ENOCH. + + 1. Why Moses writes the history of Enoch and not that of the other + patriarchs before the flood 43-45. + + 2. How it is to be understood that Enoch led a godly life and how + the monks interpret this falsely 46. + + 3. Enoch's prophecy cited by Jude and where Jude received it 47. + + 4. Enoch's exceptional courage and how he opposed Satan and the + world 48. + + 5. The length of time he led a godly life; and Moses justly praises + him 49. + + 6. Why Enoch is so greatly praised 50. + + 7. The tenor of his preaching 51. + + 8. He by no means led the life of a monk 51. + + 9. How he was missed. "He was not" 52. + + * Enoch's ascension a proof of the resurrection of the dead 52. + + 10. The effect of his ascension upon his father and grandfather + 53-55. + + 11. Whether the other patriarchs living then at once knew that he + ascended; and how such news affected them 54-56. + + * The cross must always precede consolation 54. + + 12. Why God took Enoch 55. + + * The news of Enoch's ascension must have quickened the holy + patriarchs 56. + + 13. Enoch's ascension a sign that a better life is offered to man + 57. + + 14. How Enoch walked and lived before God 58. + + 15. Enoch a man as we are and yet God took him 58. + + * The great sorrow of the patriarchs at Enoch's disappearance and + their great joy over such an experience 59. + + * Seth at the time was high priest, old and tired of life, and + died soon after Enoch was taken 60-63. + + * What Luther would do if he knew in advance the day of his death + 61. + + * This temporal life full of want and misery 62. + + * The results of Seth's preaching after Enoch's ascension 63. + + * The longing of the holy fathers for eternal life, and how it + should serve us 64. + + * Lamentation over the great corruption inherent in our flesh 65. + + 16. Enoch's ascension was great comfort to the holy patriarchs in + meeting death 66. + + * Of death. + + a. It is not death to believers, but a sleep 66. + + b. In what way death is a punishment of sin, and how it is + sweetened 67. + + * Luther's thoughts of Enoch's ascension 67. + + 17. Enoch's ascension extraordinary, and well worthy of + consideration by all 68. + + 18. The rabbins' foolish thoughts of Enoch's ascension refuted 69. + + 19. Enoch doubtless had many temptations 69. + + 20. Enoch ascended even bodily, and not with that life which he now + lives 70. + + * How and why God willed that the world should have in all times a + sign of the resurrection, and hence in the first world Enoch + ascended, in the second Elijah, and in the third Christ 71. + + * Lamentation over the unbelief of the world 72. + + * Christ's ascension more significant than Enoch's or Elijah's 73. + + * The chief doctrine of the first five chapters of Genesis 74. + + * How and why death and the resurrection of the dead are set forth + 74. + + +III. ENOCH. + +44. There is one history, however, that of Enoch, the seventh from +Adam, which Moses was not willing to pass over for the reason of its +being extraordinarily remarkable. Still, even in this case he is +extremely brief. + +In the case of all the other patriarchs he mentions only the names and +the number of their years. Enoch, however, he delineates in such a +manner that he seems, in comparison, to slight the other patriarchs +and, as it were, to disparage them as if they were evil men, or at +least slighted of God. Did not Adam also, and Seth, and Cainan, +together with their descendants--did not all these, also, walk with +God? Why, then, does Moses ascribe this great honor to Enoch only? And +is the fact that God took Enoch to be understood as if the other +patriarchs are neither with God nor living? Yes, they all, like Enoch, +now live with God, and we shall behold them all, at the last day, +shining equally with Enoch, in the brightest glory! + +45. Why, then, does Moses discriminate in favor of Enoch? Why does he +not bestow the same praise upon the other patriarchs? Although they +died a natural death, and were not taken by God, yet, also they +"walked with God." We have heard above concerning Enosh that in his +times, likewise, mighty things were done. It was in his days that "men +began to call upon the name of Jehovah," that is, that the Word and +worship of God began to flourish; and as a result holy men once more +"walked with God." Why is it then, we repeat, that Moses does not laud +Enosh equally with Enoch? Why does he bestow such high praise on the +latter only? For his words are these: + +Vs. 21-24. _And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat +Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three +hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch +were three hundred sixty and five years. And Enoch walked with God: +and he was not; for God took him._ + +46. When Moses says that Enoch "walked with God," we must beware of +taking the monastic view in the premises, as if he had kept himself +secluded in some private corner, and there lived a monastic life. No, +so eminent a patriarch must be placed on a candlestick, or, as our +Saviour Christ expresses it, set as a city on a hill, that he may +shine forth in the public ministry. + +47. It is as a bearer of such public office the Apostle Jude extols +him in his epistle, when he says: "To these also Enoch, the seventh +from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten +thousands of holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict +all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness, which they have +ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have +spoken against him," Jude vs. 14, 15. From what source Jude obtained +these facts I know not. Probably they remained in the memory of man +from the primitive age of the world; 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 tradition. + +48. It is this public ministry that Moses lauds, exalting the pious +Enoch as a sun above all the other patriarchs and teachers of the +primeval world. Wherefore, we may gather from all these circumstances +that Enoch possessed a particular fullness of the Holy Spirit, and a +preeminent greatness of mind, seeing that he opposed with a strength +of faith excelling that of all the other patriarchs, Satan and the +church of the Cainites. To walk with God, is not, as we have before +observed, for a man to flee into a desert, or to conceal himself in +some corner, but to go forth in his vocation, and to set himself +against the iniquity and malice of Satan and the world, and to confess +the seed of the woman; to condemn the religion and the pursuits of the +world, and to preach, through Christ, another life after this. + +49. This is the manner of life led for three hundred years by the +greatest prophet and high priest of his generation, Enoch, the man who +had six patriarchs for his teachers. Most deservedly, therefore, does +Moses extol him as a disciple of greatest eminence, taught and trained +by many patriarchal masters, and those the greatest and most +illustrious; and, moreover, so equipped with the Holy Spirit that he +was the prophet of prophets and the saint of saints in that primeval +world. The greatness of Enoch, then, consisted in the first place in +his office and ministry. + +50. In the second place, he receives preeminent praise because it was +the will of God that he should be an example to the whole world in +verifying, and showing the comfort of, the faith in the future life. +This text, therefore, is worthy of being written in letters of gold +and of being deeply engraven in the inmost heart. + +51. Here we have another view of what it means to walk with God. It is +to preach the life beyond this present life; to teach concerning the +seed to come, concerning the serpent's head that is to be bruised and +the kingdom of Satan that is to be destroyed. Such was the preaching +of Enoch, who nevertheless was a husband, and the father of a family; +who had a wife and children, who governed his household, and procured +his subsistence by the labor of his own hands. Wherefore say or think +no more about living in a monastery, which has merely the outward show +of walking with God. When this godly man had lived, after the birth of +Methuselah, 300 years in the truest religion, in faith, in patience +and in the midst of a thousand crosses, all of which he endured and +overcame by faith in the blessed seed to come, he appeared no more. + +52. Mark how pregnant these words are with power! He does not say, as +he expresses himself concerning the other patriarchs, "and he died," +but "he was not," an expression that all scholars have come to regard +as a pure proof of the resurrection of the dead. In the Hebrew this +meaning is most strikingly brought out. And Enoch walked with God, and +_veenenu_, "he was not." The original signifies that Enoch was lost or +disappeared, contrary to the thought or expectation of all the other +patriarchs, and at once ceased to be among men. + +53. Without doubt, at the severe loss of so great a man, both his +father and his grandfather were filled with grief and consternation; +for they well knew with what devotion he had taught the true religion, +and how many things he had suffered. When they had thus suddenly lost +such a man as Enoch, who had strong testimony of his godliness both +from men and from God himself, what do you think must have been their +feelings? + +54. Find me, if you can, a poet or a fluent orator to do justice to +this text and to treat it with power! Enosh, Seth, and all the other +patriarchs knew not by whom or whither Enoch was taken away; they +sought him, but found him not. His son Methuselah sought him, and his +other children and his grandchildren sought him, but they found him +not. They suspected, no doubt, the malice of the Cainites, and they +probably thought that he was killed, as Abel was, and secretly buried. + +At length, however, they learned, through a revelation made to them of +God by an angel, that Enoch was taken away by God himself, into +paradise. This fact they probably did not know the first or the second +day after the translation, and perhaps not till many months, or it may +be many years, afterwards. In the meantime the holy men bewailed his +wretched lot, as if he had been slain by the Cainite hypocrites. It is +always the divine rule that the cross and affliction should precede +consolation. God never comforts any but the afflicted, just as he +never quickens unto life any but the dead, nor ever justifies any but +sinners! He always creates all things out of nothing. + +55. It was a severe cross and affliction to the patriarchs when they +saw taken away from them, to appear nowhere among them, him who had +governed the whole world by his doctrine, and who had done so many +illustrious deeds in the course of his life. While these patriarchs +were mourning and bewailing the misfortune of the holy man, behold! +consolation was at hand, and it was revealed to them that the Lord had +"translated" Enoch! Such an expression we have not concerning any +other man than Enoch, except Elijah. God willed, therefore, to testify +by an object lesson, that he has prepared for his saints another life +after this life, in which they shall live forever with God. + +56. The Hebrew verb _lakak_ does not signify "translated" according to +the impression conveyed by our use of the word, but "received to +himself." These words are, accordingly, words of life, revealed by God +through some angel to the patriarch Enoch, and to the whole of that +generation of saints, that they might have the consolation and promise +of eternal life, not only through a word, but also through an act, as +before in the case of Abel. How delightful must have been to them this +proclamation, when they heard that Enoch was not dead, nor slain by +wicked men, nor taken away from them by the fraud or snares of Satan, +but translated; that is, "received to himself" by the living and +omnipotent God. + +57. This is that bright gem which Moses sought to display in the +present chapter--that the omnipotent God did not take unto himself +geese, or cows, or blocks of wood, or stones, but a man, even Enoch, +to teach there was reserved for men another and better life than this +present one, so filled with evils and calamities of every kind. +Although Enoch was a sinner, yet the manner of his departure from this +life proved that God had prepared for him and brought him to another +and eternal life; for he entered upon the life with God, and God took +him to himself. + +58. Accordingly, 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 seed. This is what living with God means, +not the mere animal life subject to corruption. Inasmuch as Enoch +constantly preached this doctrine, God verified and fulfilled this +preaching in the patriarch himself, that we might fully and surely +believe it; in that Enoch, a man like unto ourselves, born of flesh +and blood, as we also are, of the seed of Adam, was taken up into +heaven by God, and now lives the life of God, that is, an eternal +life. + +59. Before the generation of patriarchs knew the facts in the case, 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 ken. Great, therefore, was the grief of the pious +parents and elders. 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 life. + +60. This consolation God made known to Seth, 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 before, Seth having then +arrived at about his eight hundred and sixtieth year. Seth, being now +an old man and full of days and without doubt fully confirmed in the +faith of the blessed seed to come, and anxiously awaiting deliverance +from the body and earnestly desiring to be gathered to his people, +died with greater joy about fifty-two years afterward, because of the +translation of his son Enoch. Fifty-two years were indeed but a short +time for an old man wherein to make his will and visit all his +grandchildren, 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 God. +In this manner, doubtless, the aged saint employed his time among his +descendants, bidding farewell to and blessing each one. Full of years +and full of joy, he no doubt thus taught and comforted both himself +and them. + +61. If I knew that I were appointed to die in six months' time, I +should scarcely find time enough wherein to make my will. I would +remind men of what had been the testimony of my preaching, exhort and +entreat them to continue and persevere therein, and warn and guard +them as far as my powers of mind could do so, against the offense of +false doctrine. All these things could not be done in one day, nor in +one month. Those fifty years during which Seth lived after the +translation of Enoch, formed but a very short period for him (for +spiritual men have an altogether different method of calculating time +than the children of this world) 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 life, a hope which God revealed to +his saints by the marvelous fact of his having taken to himself Enoch, +who was of the same flesh and blood with ourselves. + +62. "Follow not," said he, "the evil inclinations of your nature, but +despise this present life and look forward to a better. For what evil +exists that is not found in this present life? To how many diseases, +to what great dangers, to what dreadful calamities, is it not subject? +to say nothing now of those evils which are the greatest of all +afflictions, those spiritual distresses which burden with anguish the +mind and conscience, such as the Law, sin, and death itself. + +63. "Why is it then, that ye so anxiously expect such great +consolations from this present life as to seem incapable of ever being +completely satisfied? Were it not for the fact that God wants us to +live to proclaim him, to thank him, and to serve the brethren, life is +such as to suggest its voluntary termination. This service, therefore, +let us render unto God, with all diligence. Let us look forward with +continual sighs to that true life to which, my children, your brother +Enoch has been translated by the glorious God." + +These and like things the aged saint taught his people after his great +consolation had been revealed. There is no doubt that after it was +understood that Enoch was translated alive into immortality, they +longed for the time when they also might be delivered out of this +afflicted life, in the same manner, or at least by death. + +64. If, then, those godly patriarchs of old so anxiously looked +forward to the eternal life and desired it to come, on account of Abel +and Enoch, whom they knew to be living with God, how much greater +ought to be our expectation and desire, who have Christ for our leader +unto eternal life, who is gone before, as Peter says in Acts 3, 20-26. +They believed in him as one to come; we know that he has become +manifest, and has gone to the Father to prepare for us a home, and to +sit at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Ought we not, +therefore, to sigh for those future things, and to hate those of the +present? It is not an Enoch or an Abel who sets before us, as those +patriarchs did before their people, the hope of a better life to come; +but Christ, the leader and author of life himself. It becomes us, +therefore, firmly to despise this life and world, and with swelling +breast to pant after the coming glory of eternal life. + +65. 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 come. How is it possible that a fact +should not be most certain which has for witnesses not only Abel and +Enoch and Elijah, but also Christ himself, the head and the first +fruits of those that rise? Most worthy, therefore, the hatred of both +God and men are the wicked Epicureans; and most worthy our hatred also +is our own flesh, when we wholly plunge into temporal cares and +securely disregard the eternal blessings. + +66. Worthy of note and carefully to be remembered is the statement +that Enoch was taken up and received, not by some patriarch or angel, +but by God himself. This was the very consolation which rendered the +deaths of the patriarchs endurable; yea, which enabled them to depart +from this life with joy. They saw that the seed which had been +promised them warred, even before he was revealed, with Satan, and +bruised, through Enoch, his head. Such was the hope entertained by +them concerning themselves and all their believing descendants, and, +in perfect security, they despised death as having ceased to be death, +as having become a sleep from which they were to awaken into life +eternal. "To them that believe," death is not really death, but a +sleep. When the terror, the power, and the sting of death are taken +away, it can no longer be considered death. The greater the faith of +the dying man, the weaker is death. On the other hand, the weaker the +faith of the dying man, the more bitter is death. + +67. In this text we are also reminded of the nature of sin. If Adam +had not sinned, we should not have been dying men, but, like Enoch of +old, we should have been translated, without fear or pain, from this +animal life to that better and spiritual life. But although we have +forfeited that life, the present history of the patriarch Enoch +assures us that the restitution of paradise and of eternal life is not +to be despaired of. Our flesh cannot be free from pain, but where +conscience has obtained peace, death is no more than a swoon, by means +of which we pass out of this life into eternal rest. Had our nature +remained innocent, it would not have known such pain of the flesh. We +should have been taken up as if asleep, presently to awaken in heaven, +and to lead the life of the angels. Now, however, that the flesh is +defiled by sin, it must first be destroyed by death. As to Enoch, +perhaps he lay down in some grassy spot and fell asleep praying; and +sleeping he was taken up by God, without pain; without death. + +68. 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 world. What fact could possibly inspire more +wonder and admiration than that a man, a corrupt sinner, born of flesh +and blood, as we are, and defiled as we are by that sin and +corruption, so obtained the victory over death as not to die at all! +Christ himself is man, and righteous, yet our sins caused him to +suffer the bitterest of all deaths; but he is delivered on the third +day, and lifts himself up unto life eternal. In Enoch there was the +singular fact that he died not at all, but was caught up, without +death intervening, to the life spiritual and eternal. + +69. Emphatically deserving of aversion are the rabbins. The sublimest +passages of the Scriptures they shamefully corrupt. As a case in +point, they prate concerning Enoch that, while he was good and +righteous, he very much inclined toward carnal desires. God, +therefore, out of pity, prevented his sinning and perishing through +death. Is not this, I pray you, a shocking corruption of the text +before us? Why should they say concerning Enoch in particular, that he +was subject to the evil desires of the flesh? As if all the other +patriarchs did not experience the same. Why do they not notice the +repeated testimony of Moses, that Enoch "walked with God"? That is +certainly evidence that Enoch did not indulge those evil inclinations +of his flesh, but bravely overcame them by faith. The Jews when +speaking of the corrupt desires of the flesh have reference to lust, +avarice, pride, and similar promptings. Enoch, however, without doubt, +lived amid mightier temptations than these; like Paul, he felt that +"thorn in the flesh"; day by day he wrestled with Satan; and when, at +length, he was completely bruised and worn out with every kind of +temptation, God commanded him to depart from this life to the blessed +life to come. + +70. What that life is which Enoch now lives, we who still continue to +be flesh and blood cannot possibly know. It is enough for us to know +that Enoch was translated in his body. This the patriarchs must have +clearly understood by revelation, and about to die, they needed this +comfort. This much we know also. But what that holy patriarch is now +doing, where he is, and how he lives, we know not. We know that he +lives; and we also know that the life he lives is not like unto this +animal life, but that he is with God. This the text before us +distinctly declares. + +71. This fact, then, makes the narrative under consideration so +memorable that God intended to use it for the purpose of setting +before the old, primeval world the hope of a better life. Likewise, to +the second world, which had the Law, God gave the example of Elijah, +who also was taken up into heaven and translated by the Lord before +the very eyes of his own servant Elisha. We are now in the New +Covenant, in a third world, as it were. We have Christ himself, our +great deliverer, as our glorious example, who ascended into the +heavens, taking with him many of his saints. + +It was God's will to establish for every age a testimonial of the +resurrection of the dead, that he might thereby allure our minds by +all possible attractions from this corrupt and in many ways wretched +life, in which, however, we will gladly serve God as long as it shall +please him, by the faithful performance of all public and private +duties, and especially by instructing others in holiness and in the +knowledge of God. But, as the apostle says, we have here "no certain +dwelling-place," 1 Cor 4, 11. Christ, our forerunner, is gone before +us, that he might prepare for us, the eternal mansions, Jn 14, 2-3. + +72. Just as we find many among us by whom such things are considered +absurd, and not sufficiently worthy of faith, so there is no doubt +that this account was deemed ridiculous by most people. The world is +ever the same. For that reason these things have by divine authority +been committed to writing and recorded for the saints and the +faithful, that these might read, understand, believe and heed them. +They present to our sight a manifest triumph over death and sin, and +afford us a sure comfort in Enoch's victory over the Law, and the +wrath and judgment of God. To the godly nothing can yield more grace +and joy than these antediluvian records. + +73. But the New Testament truly overflows with the mercy of God. While +we do not discard records like these, we have others far superior. We +have the Son of God himself ascending to the skies, and sitting at the +right hand of God. In him we see the serpent's head completely +bruised, and the life lost in paradise restored. This is more than the +translation of Enoch and of Elijah; still, it was God's will in this +manner to administer comfort to the original world and also to the +succeeding one, which had the Law. + +74. The paramount doctrine contained in these five chapters is, +accordingly, this: that men died and lived again. In Adam all men +died. But believers lived again through the promised seed, as the +history of Abel and Enoch testifies. In Adam, death was appointed for +Seth and all others; hence it is written of every one: "And he died." +But Abel and Enoch illustrate the resurrection from the dead and the +life immortal. The purpose intended is that we should not despair in +death but entertain the unwavering assurance that the believers in the +promised seed shall live, and be taken by God, whether from the water +or the fire or the gibbet, or the tomb. We desire to live, and we +shall live, namely the eternal life through the promised seed, which +remains when this is past. + + +IV. LAMECH AND HIS SON NOAH. + + A. LAMECH. + + 1. He lived at the time Enoch was taken to heaven 75. + + * To what end Enoch's ascension served the holy patriarchs 75. + + 2. Why Lamech called his son Noah 76-77. + + * The erroneous comments of the rabbins taken by Lyra without + any good reason 78-79. + + 3. On what Lamech's heart was centered at Noah's birth 79-81. + + 4. How and why Lamech erred in the case of his son as Eve did at + Cain's birth 80. + + * The longing of the patriarchs for the Messiah was of the Holy + Spirit 81. + + * Complaint of the world's ingratitude 82. + + * The patriarchs' greatest treasure and desire 82. + + * Comparison of the three worlds 83-85. + + * Why the present world so lightly esteems Christ, whom the + patriarchs so highly revered 84. + + * The first world was the best, the last the worst 85. + + +IV. LAMECH AND HIS SON NOAH. + +A. Lamech. + +Vs. 28-29. _And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat +a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us +in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the +ground which Jehovah hath cursed._ + +75. Only incidentally Moses adverts in this account to the name of +Noah, which certainly deserves a somewhat careful examination. Lamech +was living when Enoch was taken away by God out of this life into the +other immortal life. 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 us, a husband, a man with +family, having sons, daughters, household, fields and cattle, 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 promise. +That Enoch was taken up living, to be with the Lord, appeared as a +salient display of divine mercy. + +76. As Adam and Eve, after the reception of the promise, were so +absorbed in their hope that, in their joy to see a man like +themselves, they identified Cain with the promised seed, so in my +judgment Lamech committed a similar pious error when he gave his son +the name Noah, and said: This same shall comfort us, and shall deliver +us from the labors and sorrows of this life. Original sin, and the +punishment thereof, shall now cease. We shall now be restored to our +former innocent state. The curse shall now cease which rests on the +earth on account of the sin of Adam; and all the other miseries +inflicted on the human race on account of sin, shall also cease. + +77. Such considerations as these prompted Lamech to base upon the fact +of his grandfather's rapture into paradise unaccompanied by pain, +sickness and death, the hope that presently the whole of paradise was +to be ushered in. He concludes that Noah was the promised seed by whom +the earth was to be restored. This notion that the curse is about to +be lifted is expressed in unmistakable terms. Not so; neither the +curse of sin nor its penalty can be removed unless original sin itself +shall have been removed first. + +78. The rabbins, those pestilent corrupters of the Scriptures, surely +deserve aversion. This is their interpretation of the passage in +question: He shall bring us rest from the toil and labor of our hands +by showing us an easier way of cultivating the earth. With a +plowshare, by a yoke of oxen, the earth shall be broken up; the +present mode of digging it with man's hand shall cease. + +I wonder that Lyra is satisfied with this interpretation, and follows +it. He ought to have been familiar with the unchanging practice of the +Jews to pervert Scripture by substituting a material meaning for a +spiritual one, in order to gain glory among men. 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 belly? + +79. No; it was a much greater concern than this which filled his mind +with anxiety. It was the wrath of God, and death, with all the other +calamities of this life. His hope was that Noah, as the promised seed, +would put an end to these evils. And therefore it was that he thus +exulted with joy at the birth of this his son, predicted good things, +and called upon others to join him in the same hope. His thoughts did +not dwell upon the plow, nor upon oxen, nor upon other trivial things +of the kind pertaining to this present life, as the blind Jews rave. +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 +paradise, in which there was no curse. As if he had said: Now we feel +the curse in the very labors of our hands. We toil and sweat in +cultivating the earth, yet it yields us in return nothing but briers +and thorns. But there shall arise a new and happy age. The curse on +the earth which was inflicted on account of sin shall cease, because +sin shall cease. This is the true meaning of the text before us. + +80. But the holy father was deceived. The glory of bringing about that +renewal belonged, not to the son of a man but to the Son of God. The +rabbins are silly. Although the earth is not dug by the hands of men, +but by the use of oxen, yet the labor of man's hand has not ceased. +Enoch, by his translation, does not disclose the solace of bodily +easement, agreeable to the belly, but deliverance from sin and death. +Lamech hoped, in addition, for the restoration of the former state. He +believed to see the inauguration of this change in his grandfather +Enoch, and felt assured that the deliverance, or the renewal of all +things, was close at hand. Just so Eve, as we have already observed, +when she brought forth her first-born son Cain, said, I have gotten a +man with the help of Jehovah, one who shall take away all these +punishments inflicted on sin, and bring about our restoration. But, +like Eve, the good and holy Lamech was deceived in his ardent longing +for the restoration of the world. + +81. All these anxieties plainly show how those holy patriarchs longed +for, hoped for, and sighed for, that great "restitution of all +things," Acts 3, 21. Although they herein erred, even as Eve erred and +was deceived with respect to Cain, this desire for deliverance in +itself, was of the Holy Spirit, and proved the truth and constancy of +their faith in the promised seed. When Eve named her son Cain, and +when Lamech called his son Noah, these names were but birth cries, as +the apostle represents them, of the whole creation, groaning and +travailing in pain together, and earnestly expecting the resurrection +of the dead, deliverance from sin, the restoration of all things, and +the manifestation of the sons of God, Rom 8, 19-23. The simplest and +true meaning, accordingly, is that Lamech, after seeing the reality of +the future life demonstrated by the translation of Enoch from the +afflictions and toils caused by sin, has a son born to him, whom he +calls Noah, which means rest, an expression of the hope that +deliverance from the curse of sin and sin itself shall take place +through him. This interpretation accords with the analogy of faith, +and confirms the hope for a resurrection and a life eternal. + +82. Such longing for the future life on the part of the holy men whose +shoes we are unworthy to clean, contrasts strangely with the horrible +ingratitude of our time. How great the difference between having and +wishing! Those patriarchs were men of transcendent holiness, equipped +with the highest endowments, the heroes of the world! In them we +behold the strongest desire for the seed which is to come; that is +their greatest treasure; they thirst, they hunger, they yearn, they +pant for Christ! And we, who have Christ among us, who know him as one +revealed, offered, glorified, sitting at the right hand of God and +making intercession for us--we despise him and hold him in greater +contempt than any other creature! O, the wretchedness of it! O, the +sin of it! + +83. Note the difference between the several ages of the world! The +primeval age was the most excellent and holy. It contained the noblest +jewels of the whole human race. After the flood there still existed +many great and eminent men--patriarchs, and kings, and prophets; and +although they were not the equals of the patriarchs before the flood, +yet in them also there appeared a bright longing for Christ, as Christ +says: "For I say unto you, that many prophets and kings desired to see +the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things +which ye hear, and heard them not," Lk 10, 24. And then there is our +own age, the age of the New Testament; to this Christ has been +revealed. This age is, as it were, the waste and dregs of the whole +world. It holds nothing in greater contempt than Christ, than whom a +previous age knew nothing more precious. + +84. What is the cause of this grave state of affairs? To be sure, our +flesh, the world, and the devil. We altogether loathe what we have, +according to the proverb: + + _Omne rarum carum; vilescit quotidianum._ + "All that's rare, is dear; vile is what is here." + +And apt is the poetic truism: + + _Minuit praesentia famam._ + "Sight levels what fancy has exalted." + +As far as the revelation is concerned, we are far richer than the +patriarchs. But their devotion to a comparatively inferior revelation +was greater; they were lovers of the bridegroom. We, on the other +hand, are that fat, bloated, wanton servant, Deut 32, 15; for we have +the Word and are overwhelmed by the abundance of it. + +85. In the same degree as the first world was excellent and holy, the +latter-day world is evil and wicked. In view of the fact, then, that +God did not spare the first, primitive world, and destroyed the second +world by overturning kingdom after kingdom, and government after +government, what shall we expect to be the end of this latter-day +world which in security despises the Christ, the desire of nations, as +he is called by Haggai, in spite of the fact that he urges himself +upon us to the point of weariness! + + +B. NOAH. + + 1. Remarkableness of the fact that Noah refrained so long from + wedlock 86. + + 2. He was fit to marry, but had reasons for abstaining 87. + + 3. What his reasons were 88. + + 4. His chastity is highly praised by Moses in few words 89. + + 5. The Jews' lies about the reasons for his chastity refuted 90-91. + + * The Jews' lies as to why Shem was called the first-born 91. + + * Papists without reason take offense at Moses relating so much + about the birth of the children of the patriarchs 92-93. + + 6. Noah shines like a bright star as an example of chastity among + all the patriarchs 93. + + 7. Noah remained single, not because he despised marriage; and why + he finally married 94. + + 8. How his sons were born one after the other 95-97. + + * Why Shem was preferred to Japheth 96. + + * How to meet the objections to the birth of Noah's sons 97. + + 9. Noah an excellent example of chastity 98. + + * The threefold world. + + a. The first world a truly golden age and the most holy. How and + why it was punished by God 99-100. + + b. The second world is full of idolatry, and will be severely + punished by God 100. + + c. The third world is the worst, and hence can expect the + hardest punishment 101. + + d. The punishment of these three worlds portrayed in the colors + of the rainbow 101. + + e. How believing hearts act upon considering sin and the world's + punishment 102. + + +B. NOAH. + +V. 32. _And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, +and Japheth._ + +86. Here again we meet with surprising brevity. As is his custom, +Moses expresses in the fewest possible words the greatest and most +important things, which the ignorant reader passes by unobserved. But +you will say, perhaps, Of what import is it that Noah first begat sons +when he was five hundred years old? Why, if Noah had no children all +those 500 years, he either endured that length of time the severe +trial of unfruitfulness or, as appears to me more likely, he abstained +from marriage all those years, setting an example of most marvelous +chastity. I do not speak here of the abominable chastity of the +Papists; nor of our own. Look at the prophets and the apostles, and +even at some of the other patriarchs, who doubtless were chaste and +holy. But what are they in comparison with this man Noah, who, +possessed of masculine vigor, managed to live a chaste life without +marriage for five hundred years? + +87. Now you will scarcely find one in a thousand among the men of our +age who, at the age of thirty, has not known woman. Moreover, Noah, +after he had lived a single life for so many centuries, at length took +to himself a wife, and begat children; which latter fact carries its +own proof that he was in a state appropriate for marriage prior to +this, and had a definite reason for practicing continence. + +88. In the first place, it is evident that such unequaled chastity +must necessarily have been a peculiar gift of God. It evinced a nature +almost angelic. It does not seem a thing possible in the nature of man +to live 500 years without knowing a wife. In the next place these five +centuries of chastity in Noah manifest some signal displeasure with +the world. 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 tyrants, filling the world with +violence? He thought in consequence, that he would rather have no +children at all than such as those. 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 +angel. He who had refrained from marriage for 500 years might have +refrained during all the rest of his life. + +89. In this manner Moses explains in brief words exceedingly weighty +facts, and, what the ignorant reader would never observe owing to the +failure of chastity being mentioned in express words, he commends the +chastity of Noah above that of all the other inhabitants of the +primeval world, setting him up as an example of all but angelic +chastity. + +90. The Jews, according to their custom, play the fool, and fable that +Noah for centuries denied himself a wife because he knew that God +would destroy the world by the flood. If, therefore, Noah had married, +like all the other patriarchs, in the earlier part of his life--that +is, when he was about a hundred years old or less--he himself would +have peopled the world in the space of 400 years; and then God would +have been compelled to destroy both the father himself and the whole +of his progeny. To this fable they add the other, that Shem was called +the first-born for the reason that he was the first to receive +circumcision. + +91. In a word, these Jews corrupt everything and twist it to suit +their own carnal bent and ambition. If Noah abstained from marriage +for the reason which they assign, why did not all the other +patriarchs, for the same reason, abstain from marriage and fatherhood? +These comments of the rabbins are accordingly frivolous and +nonsensical. Why do they not rather urge the real cause, that it was a +special gift that Noah, a vigorous man, abstained from marriage for +five hundred years? Throughout the course of time no instance of such +continence is found. + +92. The book of Genesis highly offends the Papists because it mentions +so often that the fathers begat sons and daughters. 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 +wives; and they consider it obscene that Moses should make mention of +such things with such attention to detail. But, in the impurity of +their hearts, they can not refrain from befouling the most exalted +chastity. + +93. If you would really behold the brightest examples of chastity the +whole world contains, read Moses as he relates that the patriarchs did +not marry until they were of advanced age. Among them Noah shines +forth a star of first magnitude, inasmuch as he did not marry until he +had reached the five hundredth year of his life. Where will you find +such eminent examples of chastity in the papacy? Although there are +some among the Papists who do not actually sin with their bodies, yet +how foul and filthy are their minds! And all this is judgment upon +their contempt for marriage, which God himself has designed to be a +remedy for the corruption of nature. + +94. Another reason why Noah refrained from marriage has been +mentioned. He did not condemn marriage, nor did he consider it to be a +profane or impure manner of life; but he saw that the descendants of +the elder patriarchs had degenerated to the level of the ungodly +generation of the Cainites. Such children as these he felt he could +not endure; he rather waited, in the fear of God, the end of the +world. When afterwards he did enter into marriage, and begat children, +he no doubt did it by reason of some particular admonition and command +of God. + +95. Here a question naturally arises concerning the order in which +Noah's sons were born. It will be worth our while to inquire into this +matter, so that our computation of the years of the world may have a +reliable basis. The common opinion is that Shem was the first-born of +Noah, because his name is mentioned first in order. The testimony of +Scripture, however, compels us to conclude that Japheth was the +first-born, Shem the second, and Ham the last. The truth of this is +proved in the following manner: Shem begat his son Arpachshad two +years after the flood, when he was 100 years old, Gen 11, 10. Hence +Shem was 98 years old when the flood came, and Noah, when Shem was +born, was 498 years old. But Japheth was evidently born before Shem, +for he was the elder brother, Gen 10, 21. It plainly follows, +therefore, that only Ham, the youngest brother, was born when Noah was +500 years old. + +96. The reason why Shem is mentioned before Japheth is not because he +was first circumcised, as the Jews, who always are hunting carnal +glory, falsely claim, but because it was through him that Christ, the +promised seed, was to come. For the same reason, Abraham, the +youngest, is given precedence to his brothers, Haran and Nahor. + +97. But you will perhaps say, How does this agree with the text which +positively says, "Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begat +Shem, Ham and Japheth"? Harmony is restored if you make out of the +preterit a pluperfect, and read the passage thus:--When Noah was five +hundred years old he had begotten Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Moses does +not record the particular year in which each son was born, but merely +mentions the year in which the number of sons born to Noah reached +three. Thus the biblical record is reduced to harmony. + +98. As conclusion to the fifth chapter Moses presents the finest and +most noteworthy example of chastity. Saintly and continent throughout +his career, Noah had just rounded out his fifth century when he began +married life. Thus far, he had renounced matrimony, repelled by the +licentiousness of the young, who were drifting into the depravity of +the Cainites. Notwithstanding, at the call of God, he obediently +entered upon marriage, although it was quite possible for him to +remain chaste, as a celibate. + +99. Such is the description given by Moses of the first, the original +world, in five brief chapters. But it is readily seen that in the +beginning was the real golden age of which poets have made mention, +their information being doubtless the traditions and the utterances of +the fathers. + +100. But as the sins of men increased, God spared not the old world, +but destroyed it by a flood utterly, even as he did not spare it when +under the dispensation of the Law. Because of its idolatry and the +impiousness of its worship, he not only overturned one kingdom after +another, but even his own people, the Jews, having been severely +punished at his hands by various afflictions and captivities, were at +length utterly destroyed by the Roman armies. + +101. Our age, which is the third age of the world, although it is the +age of grace, 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 them. This age therefore shall not be punished by temporal +punishment, but by eternal death and eternal fire, or, if I may so +express it, by a flood of fire. The very rainbow even, with its +colors, contains a prophetic intimation of these things. The first +color is sea-green, representing the destruction of the first world by +the waters of the flood, because of violence and lust; the middle +color of the bow is yellow, prefiguring the various calamities by +which God avenged the idolatry and wickedness of the second age; the +third and last color of the bow is fiery red, for fire shall at length +consume the world, with all its iniquities and sins. + +102. Wherefore, let us constantly pray that God may so rule our hearts +by his fear and may so fill us with confidence in his mercy, that we +are able with joy to await our deliverance and the righteous +punishment of this ungodly world. Amen. Amen. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +I. THE SINS OF THE FIRST WORLD, THE CAUSE OF ITS DESTRUCTION. + + * How this chapter and the preceding one are connected 1. + + * It is terrible that God destroyed by a flood the first world, which + was the best 2. + + * Of pride and the proud. + + 1. How God humbles what is high and grand in the eyes of the + world and has the best gifts 3-4. + + * How man can meet the judgments of God 4. + + 2. The more gifts man has the greater his pride 5. + + 3. The most terrible examples of punishment God gives in the + case of the proud and such examples should be diligently + pondered 6-7. + + * The complaint that the world is hardened by reason of God's + judgments 7-8. + + 4. How the ancient world was misled into pride through its gifts + 9-10. + + 5. Pride is the common weakness of human nature 11. + + 6. In what ways man is moved to pride 12-13. + + a. The chief sin of the old world 14-15. + + * Pride is the spring of all vices 15. + + b. How the old world sinned against the first table of the + law, and brought on the sins against the second table 16. + + c. How and why God punished the old world 17. + + * From the punishment of the first world we conclude that + the last world will be also punished 18. + + d. Whether the first world was wicked before Noah's birth; on + what occasion its wickedness increased 19. + + * Noah the martyr of martyrs 20. + + * Why Lamech called his son Noah 21. + + e. How sin greatly increased in the days of Noah 22. + + * Why Noah remained unmarried so long, which was his + greatest cross 23. + + f. When the wickedness of the old world began 24. + + * Concerning unchastity. + + (1) It is the foundation of all want and misery 24. + + (2) It is the spring of many other sins 25. + + (3) How to remedy it 25. + + (4) Whether bearing children is in itself to be reckoned + as unchastity, and how far Moses denounces it 26. + + (5) Unchastity makes the bearing of children difficult 27. + + g. The reason the sons of God looked upon the daughters of + men 28. + + h. Why the sin of the first world was not so terrible as the + sin of the second 29-30. + + i. How the first world changed through the marriages of Adam + and the other patriarchs 30-32. + + * The sons of God. + + (1) What is understood by them 32. + + (2) The rabbins' fables about the sons of God, how to + refute them 33-34. + + * What is to be held concerning the "Incubis" and + "Succubis" 34-35. + + (3) How the deluge came because of the sons of God 36. + + (4) To what end should the fall and punishment of the sons + of God serve us 37-38. + + * Should the Romish church be called holy 37. + + * How the children of God became the children of the + devil 38. + + * How Noah had to spend his life among a host of + villains 39. + + * The conduct of the world when God sends it righteous + servants 40. + + +I. THE SINS OF THE PRIMEVAL WORLD IN GENERAL THE CAUSE OF ITS +DESTRUCTION. + +1. 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 it. In these five chapters the chronicles as +in the first book, so to speak, the happiest period of the whole human +race and of the world before the flood. Now we shall begin what may be +termed the second book of Genesis, containing the history of the +flood. It shows the destruction of all the offspring of Cain and the +eternal preservation of the generation of the righteous; for while +everything perishes in the flood, the generation of the righteous is +saved as an eternal world. + +2. It is appalling that the whole human race except eight persons is +destroyed, in view of the fact that this was truly the golden age; for +succeeding ages do not equal the old world in glory, greatness and +majesty. And if God visited with destruction his own perfect creation +and the very glory of the human race, we have just cause for fear. + +3. In inflicting this punishment, God followed his own peculiar way. +Whatever is most exalted he particularly overthrows and humiliates. +Peter says in 2 Peter 2, 5: God "spared not the ancient world;" and he +would imply that it was, in comparison with succeeding ages, a +veritable paradise. Neither did he spare the sublimest creatures--the +angels--nor the kings ruling his people, nor the first-born of all +times. But the more highly they were blessed with gifts, the more +sternly he punished them when they began to misuse his gifts. + +4. The Holy Spirit says in the ninth verse of the second psalm, +concerning kings: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou +shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." But is it not the +Lord himself who has ordained kings and wills that all men should +honor and obey them? Here he condemns and spurns the wisdom of the +prudent and the righteousness of the righteous. It is God's proper and +incessant work to condemn what is most magnificent, to cast down the +most exalted and to defeat the strongest, though they be his own +creatures. He does this, however, that abundant evidence of his wrath +may terrify the ungodly and may arouse us to despair of ourselves and +to trust in his power alone. We must either live under the shadow of +God's wing, in faith in his grace, or we must perish. + +5. After the fall it came to pass that the more one was blessed with +gifts, the greater was his pride. This was the sin of the angels who +fell. This was the sin of the primitive world, in which the grandest +people of the race lived; but because they prided themselves in their +wisdom and other gifts, they perished. This was the sin of the +greatest kings. This was the sin of nearly all the first-born. But +what is the need of so many words? This is original sin--that we fail +to recognize and rightly use the great and precious gifts of God. + +6. That the greatest men must furnish the most abhorrent examples is +not the fault of the gifts and blessings, but of those to whom they +are intrusted. God is a dialectician and judges the person by the +thing,[1] meting out destruction to the thing or gift as well as to +its possessor. + +[Footnote 1: _ut arguat a conjugatis._] + +7. It is expedient to give heed to such examples. They are given that +the proud may fear and be humbled, and that we may learn our utter +dependence upon the guidance and will of God, who resisteth the proud +but giveth grace to the humble. Lacking the understanding and practice +of these truths, man falls continually--kings, nobles, saints, one +after the other, filling the world with examples of the wrath and +judgment of God. The Blessed Virgin sings: "He hath scattered the +proud in the imagination of their heart. He hath put down the princes +from their thrones, and hath exalted them of low degree." Lk 1, 51-53. + +8. Full of such examples are all ages, all princely courts, all lands. +Yet, by the grace of Saint Diabolus, the prince of this world, our +hearts are so hard that we are not moved by all this to fear; rather +to disdain, though we feel and see that we also shall incur +destruction. Blessed are they, therefore, who heed, and are moved by +such examples of wrath to be humble and to live in the fear of God. + +9. Consider, then, the preeminence of the old world, that perished in +the flood. It possessed apparently the best, holiest and noblest men, +compared with whom we are as the dregs of the world. For the +Scriptures do not say that they were wicked and unjust among +themselves, but toward God. "He saw," says Moses, "that they were +evil." The eyes of God perceive and judge quite differently from the +eyes of men. He says in Isaiah 55, 8-9: "Neither are your ways my +ways.... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways +higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." + +10. These tyrants and giants were esteemed and honored among +themselves as the wisest and most just of men. So in our day kings and +princes, popes and bishops, theologians, physicians, jurists and +noblemen occupy exalted places and receive honor as the very gems and +luminaries of the human race. More deservedly did the children of God +in the old world receive such honor, because they excelled in power +and possessed many gifts. Nevertheless, falling into pride and +contempt of God while enjoying his blessings, they were rejected by +God and destroyed, together with their gifts, as if they had been the +lowest and vilest of the human race. + +11. And this is a common failing of our human nature. It necessarily +puffs itself up and prides itself on its gifts unless restrained by +the Holy Spirit. I have often said that a man has no more dangerous +enemy than himself. It is my own experience that I have not without me +so great cause for fear as within me; for it is our inner gifts that +incite our nature to pride. + +12. As God, who is by nature most kind, cannot refrain from gracing +and showering us with various gifts: health, property, wisdom, skill, +knowledge of Scripture, etc., so we cannot refrain from priding +ourselves upon these gifts and flaunting them. Wretched is our life +when we lack the gifts of God, but twice wretched is it when we have +them; for they tend to make us doubly wicked. Such is the corruption +of original sin, though all but believers are either unaware of its +existence or regard it a trivial thing. + +13. Such corruption is perceptible not only in ourselves but in +others. How property inflates pride though it occupies relatively the +lowest place among blessings! The rich, be they noblemen, +city-dwellers or peasants, deem other people as flies. To even a +greater extent are the higher gifts abused--wisdom and righteousness. +Possession of these gifts, then, makes inevitable this condition--God +cannot suffer such pride and we cannot refrain from it. + +14. This was the sin of that primeval world. Among Cain's descendants +were good and wise men, who, nevertheless, before God were most +wicked, for they prided themselves upon their gifts and despised God, +the author. Such offense the world does not perceive and condemn; God +alone is its judge. + +15. Where these spiritual vices exist and flourish, the lapse into +carnal ones is imminent. According to Sirach 10, 14, sin begins with +falling from God. The devil's first fall is from heaven into hell; +that is, from the first table of the Law into the second. When people +begin to be godless--when they do not fear and trust God, but despise +him, his Word and his servants--the result is that from the true +doctrine they pass into heretical delusions and teach, defend and +cultivate them. These sins in the eyes of the world are accounted the +greatest holiness, and their authors alone are reputed religious, +God-fearing and just, and held to constitute the Church, the family of +God. People are unable to judge concerning the sins of the first +table. Those who despise God sooner or later fall into abominable +adultery, theft, murder and other gross sins against the second table. + +16. The purpose of my statements is to make plain that the old world +was guilty, not only of sin against the second table, but most of all +of sin against the first table by making a fine, but deceptive and +false show of wisdom, godliness, devotion and religion. As a result of +the ungodliness which flourished in opposition to the first table, +there followed that moral corruption of which Moses speaks in this +chapter, that the people polluted themselves with all sorts of lust +and afterward filled the world with oppression, bloodshed and wrong. + +17. Because the ungodly world had trampled both tables under foot, God +came to judge it, who is a consuming fire and a jealous God. He so +punishes ungodliness that he turns everything into sheer desolation, +and neither government nor the governed remain. We may, therefore, +infer that the world was the better the nearer it was to Adam, but +that it degenerated from day to day until our time, when the +offscouring and lowest filth of humanity, as it were, are living. + +18. Now, if God did not spare a world endowed with so many and great +gifts, what have we to hope for, who, offal that we are, are subject +to far greater misfortune and wretchedness? But if it please God, +spare the Roman pontiff and his holy bishops, who do not believe such +things! I now come to my text. + +Vs. 1-2. _And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face +of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God +saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives +of all that they chose._ + +19. This is a very brief but comprehensive account. The text must not +be understood to mean that the world did not increase until the five +hundredth year of Noah. The more ancient patriarchs are embraced in +this statement. This is demonstrated by the fact that Noah had no +daughters. The reference in the text to "daughters" certainly must be +understood as referring to the by-gone age of Lamech, Methuselah, +Enoch and others. The world, accordingly, was corrupt and evil before +Noah was born, particularly when licentiousness began to prevail after +the death of Adam, whose authority, as the first father, they feared. + +20. I have said that Noah was a virgin above all others; I may add he +was the greatest of all martyrs. Our so-called martyrs, compared with +him, have infinite advantage in strength received from the Holy +Spirit, by which death is overcome and all trials and perils are +escaped. Noah lived among the unrighteous for six hundred years, and +like Lot at Sodom, not without numerous and dire perils and trials. + +21. This was, perhaps, one reason why Father Lamech gave his son the +name Noah at his birth. When the holy patriarch saw evil abounding in +the world, he entertained the hope concerning his son that he should +comfort the righteous by opposing sin and its author, Satan, and +restoring lost righteousness. + +22. However, the wickedness that began then, not only failed to cease +under Noah, but rather grew greater. Hence Noah is the martyr of +martyrs. 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 +wickedness? + +23. The opinion before expressed I maintain, 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 +saints. This sight of man's wickedness was his greatest cross, as +Peter says of Lot in Sodom (2 Pet 2, 8): "That righteous man dwelling +among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day +to day with their lawless deeds." + +24. Accordingly, the increase of humanity of which Moses speaks has +not reference alone to the time of Noah, but also to the age of the +other patriarchs. It was there that the violation of the first table +commenced--in the contempt manifested for Jehovah and his Word. This +was followed later by such gross offenses as oppression, tyranny and +lewdness, which Moses explicitly mentions and names first as the cause +of evil. Consult all history, study the Greek tragedies and the +affairs of barbarians and Romans of all times, and you find lust the +mother of every kind of trouble. It can not be otherwise. Where God's +Word remains unknown or unheeded, men will plunge into lust. + +25. Lust draws in its train endless other evils, as pride, oppression, +perjury and the like. These sins can be attacked only as men, through +the first table, learn to fear and to trust in God. Then it is that +they follow the Word as a lamp going before in the dark, and they will +not indulge in such scandalous deeds, but will rather beware of them. +With violation of the first table, however, the spread of passions and +sins of every description is inevitable. + +26. But it seems strange that Moses should enumerate in the catalog of +sins the begetting of daughters. He had found it commendable in the +case of the patriarchs. It is even enjoyed by the ungodly as a +blessing of God. Why, therefore, does Moses call it a sin? + +I reply, he does not condemn the fact of procreation as such, but the +abuse of it, resulting from original sin. To be endowed with royal +majesty, wisdom, wealth and bodily strength is a goodly blessing. It +is God who bestows these gifts. But when men, in possession of these +blessings, fail to reverence the first table, and by means of these +very gifts do violence to it, such wickedness merits punishment. +Therein is the reason for Moses' peculiar words: "The sons of God saw +the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of +all that they chose," without consideration of God or of law, natural +or statutory. + +27. The first table having been despised, the second shares the same +fate. Desire occupies the principal place and in contempt for +procreation it becomes purely bestial; whereas God has instituted +matrimony as an aid to feeble nature and chiefly for the purpose of +procreation. But when lust in this manner has gained the upper hand, +all commandments, those that go before and that follow, are ruthlessly +broken and dishonored. Parental honor becomes insecure; men do not +shrink from doing murder; from alienating property, speaking false +testimony, etc. + +28. The word _jiru_, "saw," does not merely signify "to view," but "to +view with pleasure and enjoyment." This meaning often occurs in the +psalms, for instance: "Mine eye also hath seen my desire on mine +enemies," Ps 92, 11; that is, shall with pleasure see vengeance +executed upon my enemies. The meaning here is that, after turning +their eyes from God and his Word, they turned them, filled with lust, +upon the daughters of men. The sequence is unerring that, from the +violation of the first table, men rush to the violation of the second. +After despising God they despised also the laws of nature and, as they +pleased, they married whom they chose. + +29. These are rather harsh words, and yet it is my opinion that lust +continued hitherto within certain limits, inasmuch as they neither +committed incest with their mothers, as later the inhabitants of +Canaan, nor polluted themselves with the vice of the Sodomites. 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 lust, selecting only as passion directed and against the +will of the parents. + +30. It seems the patriarchs had strictly forbidden to contract +alliances with the offspring of Cain, just as, later, the Jews could +not lawfully mingle with the Canaanites. Though there are not wanting +those who write that incestuous marriages existed before the flood, +blood-relationship being held to be no barrier, I yet infer from the +fact that Peter has extolled the old world, that such incestuous +atrocities did not exist at that time, but that the sin of the ancient +world consisted rather in men marrying whom they pleased, and as many +wives from the Cainites as they chose, ignoring parental authority and +controlled alone by passion. It is, therefore, a harsh word--"All +which they chose." + +31. I have shown, on various occasions, that the two generations, or +churches, of Adam and Cain were separate. For, as Moses clearly +states, Adam expelled the murderer from his association. Without +doubt, therefore, Adam also exhorted his offspring to avoid the church +of the evil-doers and not to mingle with the accursed generation of +Cain. And for a while his counsel or command was obeyed. + +32. But when Adam died and the authority of the other patriarchs +became an object of scorn, the sons of God who had the promise of the +blessed seed and themselves belonged to the blessed seed, craved from +the tribe of the ungodly, intercourse and espousal. He tersely calls +the sons of the patriarchs the "sons of God," since to them was given +the promise of the blessed seed and they constituted the true Church. +Yielding to the corruptions of the Cainite church they indulged the +flesh themselves and took from the tribe of Cain, as wives and +mistresses, whom and as many as they chose. This Lamech and Noah saw +with pain, and for that reason, perhaps, deferred entering upon +marriage. + +33. In reference to this point the Jews fancy foolish things. They +interpret the sons of God to signify demon-lechers by whom that +impious generation was begotten, and that they were called the sons of +God by reason of their spiritual nature. The more moderate ones, +however, refute such folly and represent the sons of the mighty. This +has been aptly disproved by Lyra; for the punishment of the deluge +befell, not alone the mighty, but all flesh, as shall the doom at the +last day. + +34. But as regards the demon-lechers and strumpets (incubi and +succubi), I do not deny--nay, I believe--that a demon may be either a +lecher or a strumpet, for I have heard men cite their own experience. +Augustine says that he heard this from trustworthy people whom he was +constrained to believe. Satan is pleased when he can deceive us in +this manner, by assuming the form either of a young man or a young +woman. But that anything may be begotten by a devil and a human being +is simply false. We hear of monstrous births of demon-like features, +and I have even seen some. I am of opinion, however, that they have +been deformed by the devil, but not begotten: or that they are real +devils with a human body either simulated or purloined. For if the +devil, by divine permission, may take possession of the whole man and +change his mind, is it strange that he may disfigure also his body, +causing men to be born sightless or cripples? + +35. Hence, the devil may so deceive frivolous people and such as live +without the fear of God that when the devil is in bed, a young man may +think that he has a girl with him, and a girl that she has a youth +with her; but that anything may be born from such concubinage I do not +believe. Many sorceresses have at one time or another been subjected +to death at the stake on account of their intercourse with demons. If +the devil can deceive eyes and ears so that they fancy they see and +hear things which do not exist, how much easier is it for him to +deceive the sense of touch, which is in this nature exceedingly gross! +But enough! These explanations have no bearing upon the present text, +and we have been led to them merely by Jewish babbling. + +36. The true meaning is that Moses calls those men the sons of God, +who had the promise of the blessed seed. This is a New Testament +phrase and signifies the believers who call God, Father, and whom, God +in turn, calls sons. The flood came not because the generation of Cain +was corrupt, but because the generation of the righteous who had +believed God, had obeyed his Word, and had possessed the true worship, +now had lapsed into idolatry, disobedience to parents, sensuality, +oppression. Even so the last day shall be hastened, not by the +profligacy of Gentile, Turk and Jew, but by the filling of the Church +with errors through the pope and fanatical spirits, so that those very +ones who occupy the highest place in the Church exercise themselves in +sensuality, lust and oppression. + +37. It is a cause of fear for us all, that even those who were +descended from the best patriarchs, began to grow haughty and depart +from the Word. They gloried in their wisdom and righteousness, as +later the Jews did in circumcision and Father Abraham. 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 +God, his Word and his worship. The Roman Church was truly holy and +adorned by the grandest martyrs. We, at this day, however, are +witnesses how she has fallen. + +38. Let no one, therefore, glory in his gifts, however splendid! The +greatest gift is to be a member of the true Church. But take care not +to become proud on that account, for you may fall, just as Lucifer +fell from heaven and, as we are here informed, as the sons of God fell +into carnal pleasures. They are, therefore, no longer sons of God, but +sons of Satan, having fallen alike from the first and the second table +of the Law. So in the past, popes and bishops have been good and holy, +but today they are of all men the worst and, so to speak, the dregs of +all classes. + +39. Among this rabble of decadent men who had departed from the piety +and virtues of their ancestors, godly Noah lived in the greatest +contempt and hatred of everybody. How could he approve the corruption +of such degenerate progeny? And they themselves were most impatient of +reproof. While, therefore, his example shone and gleamed, and his +holiness filled the whole earth, the world became worse from day to +day, and the greater the sanctity and chastity of Noah, the more the +world reveled in lust. This is the beginning; it invariably introduces +ruin. + +40. When God arouses holy men, full of the Holy Spirit, to instruct +and reprove the world, the world, impatient of sound doctrine, falls +with much greater zeal into sin and plies it with much greater +persistency. This was the situation at the beginning of the world, and +now, at the end of the world, we realize it is still the case. + + +II. GOD'S JUDGMENT AND GRIEF OVER THE FIRST WORLD; NOAH AND HIS + PREACHING. + + A. GOD'S JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OVER THE OLD WORLD. + + 1. The words of the lamentation. + + a. Interpreters have shamefully perverted these words 41. + + b. The Jewish interpretation, which Jerome follows 42. + + c. The Jews' interpretation refuted 42-43. + + d. The interpretation of Rabbi Solomon 44. + + e. The interpretation of others, especially of Origen 45. + + * Why Augustine was especially pleased with the doctrine of + the Manicheans 45. + + f. Rabbi David's explanation 46. + + * The false idea of the Jews and some Christian interpreters + that the true sense of Scripture is learned from grammar. + + (1) Thus ideas most foreign to the sense of Scripture are + defended 46-47. + + (2) This method is false and led the Jews into many + fantasies 47. + + g. The source of Rabbi David's awkward interpretation of + these words 48. + + * Why Luther has so much to say about the false + interpretation of Scripture 49. + + * What is necessary to interpret Scripture 50. + + h. The true sense of these words 51. + + * Scripture definition of "to judge" 51. + + 2. The author of this judgment and lamentation 51-53. + + * Man's conduct upon hearing God's Word preached 54. + + 3. From what kind of a heart does such judgment and lamentation + spring 55. + + * What kind of grief is the grief of the Holy Spirit 56. + + * God's severest punishment 57-59. + + * What follows when man does not possess God's Word 57-58. + + * Why the heathen are so carnal 58. + + 4. The nature of this judgment and lamentation 59. + + * The lamentation and judgment of Luther over Germany because + it lightly esteemed God's Word 60. + + * The spirit of grace and of prayer 61. + + * The office of the ministry. + + a. It requires two things 62. + + b. It is the greatest blessing of God 63. + + c. To despise it is a great sin, and what follows when it is + taken from a people 63. + + d. A complaint of its neglect 64. + + e. This office is explained by the expression "to judge" 65. + + * Every godly preacher is one who disputes and judges 65. + + * Luther's grief because of the stubbornness of the world + 66. + + * Why Ahab called Elijah a troubler of Israel 67. + + * Why the world resents being reproved by sound doctrine. It + is a good sign if a minister is reviled by the world 68. + + * The glory of people who boast of being the Church. + + a. Such glory avails nothing before God 68-70. + + b. Papists wish by all means to have this glory 68-70. + + c. Papists need this glory to suppress the Protestants 71. + + d. Christ will decide at the judgment day to whom this glory + belongs 71. + + e. Although the first world adorned itself with this glory, + it did not save them 72. + + 5. How and why this judgment and complaint are ascribed to God + 73-74. + + 6. How they were published to the world by the holy patriarchs + 75. + + 7. Why they were made 76. + + 8. In what way they have been published to the world 77. + + 9. How the world resented this judgment and complaint 78. + + * Time given to the first world for repentance. + + a. We are not to understand the 120 years as the period of a + man's life 79. + + b. The 120 years the time given these people in which to + repent 80-81. + + 10. Whether and to what end this time was necessary 82. + + 11. How the old world felt upon hearing this 83. + + * The complaint and judgment of the last world 84-86. + + * The nearer the world approaches its destruction the less it + thinks of it 86. + + * How the time of the flood is to be compared with the time God + gives man to repent 87. + + +II. THE JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OF GOD OVER THE FIRST WORLD; NOAH AND +HIS PREACHING. + +A. GOD'S JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OVER THE OLD WORLD. + +V. 3. _Jehovah said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for +that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty +years."_ + +41. Moses here begins by describing Noah as the highest pontiff and +priest, or, as Peter calls him, a preacher of righteousness. This text +has been mangled in various ways, for the natural man cannot +understand spiritual things. When, therefore, the interpreters, with +unwashed feet and hands, rushed into the Holy Scriptures, taking with +them a human bias and method, as they themselves acknowledge, they +could not but fall into diverse and erroneous views. It has almost +come to pass, that the more sublime and spiritual the utterances of +Scripture, the more shamefully they have been distorted. This passage +in particular they have managed so shamelessly that you would not know +what to believe, if you followed the interpreters. + +42. The Jews are the first to crucify Moses here, for this is their +exposition: My Spirit, that is my indignation and wrath, shall not +always abide upon man. I will not be angry with men, but spare them, +for they are flesh. That means, being spurred by sin, they incline to +sin. This meaning Jerome also adopts, who is of the opinion that here +only the sin of lust is spoken of, to which we are all prone by +nature. But his first error is that he interprets Spirit as wrath. It +is the Holy Spirit Moses here speaks of, as the contrast shows. "For +man," he says, "is flesh." The meaning is, therefore, that the flesh +is not only prone to sin, but also hostile toward God. + +43. Then the matter itself serves as refutation, for could anything +more absurd have been devised? They see with their eyes the wrath of +God swallowing the whole human race through the flood, and yet they +expound that God does not wish to be influenced toward the human race +by anger but by mercy, and this after a hundred and twenty years, the +very time of the flood. + +44. Rabbi Solomon expounds it thus: The Spirit which is in God shall +no more strive and wrangle. As if God in his majesty would have +disputed and wrangled about what should be done with man, whether to +destroy or to spare him, finally, wearied by man's wickedness, +determining upon his destruction, nevertheless. + +45. Others understand this of the created spirit: My spirit that I +breathed upon the face of man, that is the spirit of man, shall no +longer strive and contend with the flesh, which is in subjection to +its lusts, for I shall take away this spirit and free it from the +flesh, so that when the latter has become extinct, it may create no +more difficulties for the spirit. This is the understanding of Origen, +and it does not differ much from the Manichean error which attributes +sin not to the whole man, but only to a part. And Augustine says that +this had pleased him most in the tenets of the Manicheans, to hear +that his depravity was not altogether his, but only of that part of +the body which is evil from the beginning. The Manicheans posited two +principles, the good and the bad, just as certain philosophers have +posited enmity and friendship. Thus do men not only miss the mark, but +they also fall into ungodly delusions. + +46. Rabbi David cites Sanctes, and derives the word _jadon_ from +_nadan_, which means sheath, or shell. But as the interpretation is +very clumsy, so he clothes it also in a very clumsy word: My Spirit +shall not be inclosed in man as in a sheath. Has anything more +unnatural ever been heard? 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-points. No exposition is so absurd but that they +defend and polish it with their stale grammatical rules. + +47. But tell me, what language has there ever been that men easily +have learned to speak from grammatical rules? Is it not true that the +very languages most thoroughly reduced to rules, like Greek and Latin, +are learned rather by practice? What stupendous absurdity, therefore, +it is to gather the sense of a sacred tongue, which is the repository +of things theological and spiritual, from grammatical rules, and to +pay no attention to the proper signification of things? And this is +what the rabbis and their disciples do almost universally. Many words +and verbs may be declined for which no use is seen in the language. +While they make such things paramount and everywhere chase anxiously +after etymology, they fall into strange fancies. + +48. So here. Because the word in this passage can be derived from +_nadan_, they construct from that a prodigious meaning. My spirit, +they say, shall not be held back as in a sheath. They mean the spirit +of man contained in the body as in a sheath. I shall not leave it in a +sheath, they say, but I shall remove him and destroy the sheath. Such +absurdities originate in the stale grammatical rules, whereas usage +rather should be considered; it is that which trains the grammarian. + +49. But I recite all this at length, in order to admonish you, when +you come upon such silly commentators, not to follow them and admire +such singular wisdom. For great men even have found delight in the +folly of the rabbis. They are not unlike the Sacramentarians, who do +not deny the words of Christ, This is my body, this is my blood; but +explain it thus: Bread is bread, and yet the body of Christ, namely, +his creature; this is my blood, namely my wine. This passion of +distorting texts no sane man tolerates in the exposition of the fables +of Terence, or of the eclogues of Virgil, and, forsooth, we should +tolerate it in the Church! + +50. We need the Holy Spirit to understand the Holy Scriptures. For we +know that the same Spirit shall exist to the end of the world who +existed before all things. We glory in possessing this Spirit through +the grace of God, and, through him, we have faith, a moderate +knowledge of Scripture and an understanding of the other things +necessary to godliness. Hence we do not invent a new interpretation; +we are guided not only by an analogy of Holy Scripture but also by +faith. + +51. Through the Holy Scriptures in its entirety, the verb judge, +_dun_, signifies almost invariably a public office in the Church, or +the office of the ministry, through which we are corrected, reproved, +instructed and enabled to distinguish the evil from the good, etc. +Thus, Psalm 110, 6: _Jadin bagojim_, "He will judge among the +nations;" which means: He will preach among the nations. The word +found in this passage is evidently the same. And in the New Testament +this phrase, originally Hebrew, is very much in vogue, especially in +Paul's writings, who uses the Hebrew idiom more than the others. + +52. I understand this passage therefore as words spoken by Lamech or +Noah as a new message to the whole world. For it was a public message +proclaimed at some public assembly. When Methuselah, Lamech and Noah +saw that the world was hastening straight to destruction by its sins, +they resorted to this proclamation: My Spirit shall no longer preach +among men. That means: we teach in vain, we admonish in vain; the +world has no desire to be better. + +53. It is as if one in the present perverse times should say: We teach +and make ample effort to summon the world back to sobriety and +godliness, but we are derided, persecuted, killed, and all men, in the +end, rush to destruction with blind eyes and deaf ears; therefore we +are constrained to desist. These are the words of a soul planning +appropriate action and full of anxiety, because it is clear that the +human race, at the height of its peril, cannot be healed. + +54. This exposition conforms to faith and Holy Scriptures. When the +Word is revealed from heaven, we see that some are converted, who are +freed from damnation. The remaining multitude despises it and securely +indulges in avarice, lust and other vices, as Jeremiah says (ch 51, +9): "We should have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake +her, and let us go everyone into his own country." + +The more diligently Moses and Aaron importuned and instructed, the +more obstinate Pharaoh became. The Jews were not made better by even +the preaching of Christ and the apostles. The same befalls us who +teach in our day. What, in consequence, are we to do? Deplore the +blindness and obstinacy of men we may, correct it we cannot. Who would +rejoice in the eternal damnation of the popes and their followers? Who +would not prefer that they should embrace the Word and recover their +senses? + +55. A similar exhibition of obstinacy Methuselah, Lamech and Noah saw +in their day. Therefore there bursts from them this voice of despair: +My Spirit, namely the Word of healing truth, shall no longer bear +witness among men. For inasmuch as you refuse to embrace the +Word--will not yield to healing truth--you shall perish. + +These are the words of a heart filled with anxiety after the manner +that the Scriptures say God is anxious; that is, the hearts of Noah, +Lamech, Methuselah and other holy men who are filled with love toward +all. Beholding this wickedness of men, they are troubled and pained. + +56. Such grief is really the grief of the Holy Spirit, as Paul says, +"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the +day of redemption," Eph 4, 30. This means that the Holy Spirit is +grieved when we miserable men are distracted and tormented by the +wickedness of the world, that despises the Word we preach by the Holy +Spirit. Thus Lot was troubled in Sodom, and the pious Jews in Babylon +under the godless king Belshazzar; also Jeremiah, when he preached to +the ungodly Jews and exclaimed (Jer 15, 10): "Woe is me, my mother, +that thou hast borne me." So in Micah 7, 1: "Woe is me! for I am as +the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat." + +57. The wrath of God is most fearful as he recalls the Word. What man +would not prefer pestilence, famine, war--these being mere bodily +calamities--to a famine of the Word which is always joined to eternal +damnation? An example of the horrible darkness into which Satan can +lead men when God is silent and does not speak, is furnished by the +Gentiles who have been bereft of the Word. Who is not horrified by the +Romans, men of exemplary wisdom and famous before other nations by +reason of their dignified discipline, who observed the custom of +letting the worthy matrons worship and crown Priapus, the foul idol, +and of leading bridal virgins before it? What is more ludicrous than +that the Egyptians adored the calf Apis as the supreme godhead? + +58. 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 virgins, before their nuptials, for purposes of +prostitution. Such monstrous infamies were accounted religion and +righteousness among the Gentiles. There is nothing, in fact, so +ridiculous, so stupid, so obscene, nothing so remote from all +propriety, that it cannot be foisted as the very essence of religion +upon men who have been forsaken by the Word. + +59. This is, therefore, the greatest penalty, that God, through the +mouths of the holy patriarchs, threatens no longer to reprove men by +his Spirit; which means that henceforth he will not give his Word to +men, since all teaching is vain. + +60. Like punishment our times will bring also upon Germany. For we see +the haste, the unrest, of Satan, and his efforts to defraud whom he +may of the Word. How many sects has he roused during our lifetime, and +this while we bent all our energies toward the maintenance of pure +doctrine! What is in store after our death? Surely, he will lead forth +whole swarms of Sacramentarians, Anabaptists, Antinomians, Servetians, +Campanistans and other heretics who at present, conquered by the pure +Word and the constancy of faithful teachers, keep out of sight, but +are ready for every opportunity to establish their doctrines. + +61. Those, therefore, who have the Word in its purity, should learn to +embrace the same, to thank God for it and to call upon him while he +may be found. For when the spirit of knowledge is taken away, the +spirit of prayer is also gone. Zechariah says (Zech 12, 10): For the +spirit of prayer is joined to the spirit of grace. It is the spirit of +grace which reproves our sins and gives instruction concerning their +remission, which condemns idolatry and instructs concerning the true +worship of God, which condemns avarice, lust and oppression, and +teaches chastity, patience and charity. This spirit, God here +threatens, shall no longer continue his work of instruction, since men +refuse to hear and are incorrigible. The spirit of grace having been +taken away, the spirit of prayer has also been taken away. For it is +impossible for him to pray who is without the Word. + +62. Accordingly, the office of a priest is twofold; first, that he +turns to God and prays for himself and for his people; second, that he +turns from God to men through instruction and the Word. Says Samuel: +"Far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to +pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way," +1 Sam 12, 23. He is aware that this is his proper office. + +63. Therefore, the ministry is rightly praised and esteemed as the +highest favor. When this has been lost or has been vitiated, not only +prayer becomes impossible, but men are simply in the power of the +devil, and do nothing but grieve the Holy Spirit with all their deeds, +and thus fall into mortal sin, for which it is not lawful to pray. +Such other lapses as occur among men are trivial, for return is open +and the hope of pardon is left. But when the Holy Spirit is grieved +and men refuse to receive the witness and reproof of the Holy Spirit, +the disease is desperate and incurable. + +64. But how common is this sin today among all classes! Princes, +noblemen, inhabitants of city and country, refuse to be reproved; they +rather reprove and sit in judgment upon the Holy Spirit in his +servants. They judge of the office of the ministry by the lowliness of +the person. They reason thus: This minister is poor and despised; why +then should he reprove me, a prince, a nobleman, a magistrate? Rather +than endure this, they trample under foot the ministers, together with +their office and their message. Should we not, then, fear the judgment +of God, such as he here announces to the old world? + +65. These, therefore, are the words of a father who disinherits his +son, or of a severe schoolmaster in wrath ejecting a pupil, when God +simply fixes a hundred and twenty years as the time in which +opportunity is granted for repentance. He threatens, should it not be +improved, his Spirit shall no longer reprove and strive. + +This word pertains properly to the office of the ministry and, in a +certain sense, describes it. For every preacher or servant of the Word +is a man of strife and judgment, and is constrained, by reason of his +office, to chide whatever is vicious, without considering the person +or office of his hearer. When Jeremiah does this zealously, he incurs +not only hate but also the gravest dangers. He is moved even to +impatience, so that he wishes he had never been born, Jer 20, 14. + +66. And if I had not been particularly strengthened by God, I should +have been wearied and broken down ere this by the contumacy of an +impenitent world; for the ungodly so grieve the Holy Spirit in us, +that, with Jeremiah, we wish often we had never made a beginning of +anything. Hence I often pray to God to let the present generation die +with us, because, after our death, the most perilous times are to +come. + +67. For this reason Elijah is called by Ahab the godless king of +Israel, the disturber of Israel; because he openly reproved the +idolatry, violence and passions of his day. Likewise we today are +deemed the disturbers of Germany. + +68. But it is a good sign when men condemn us and call us authors of +strife, for the Spirit of God strives with men, reproves and condemns +them. But men are so that they wish to be taught only what gives them +pleasure, as they frankly admit in Micah 2, 6-7: "Prophesy not to us; +for confusion has not seized us, says the house of Jacob." The latter +they use as an argument; because they look upon themselves as the +house of Jacob and the people of God, they decline chastening, and +will not take to themselves penalties and threats. So today the pope +and his accomplices plume themselves solely upon being the Church, and +declare that the Church is incapable of error. But notice this text +and it will appear how frivolous such an argument is. + +69. Are not those whom God threatens to no longer judge by his Spirit +likewise the sons of God? What can be more splendid than this name? +Beyond doubt they gloried in this name and rebelled against the +patriarchs when they opposed, or at least despised, their preaching. +For it does not seem likely that God should be thrown into a rage +against the whole human race on account of a few sins. But the +magnificent name did not save them, nor did it avail that they were +strong and great in number. Six hundred thousand marched out of Egypt, +and two only entered the land of Canaan; all the others were prevented +by death on account of their sins. + +70. Evidently God will in no way inquire about the magnificent titles +of the Church, pope and bishop. Other testimony will be needed when +they desire to escape the wrath of God than to boast of being the +Church. For it is written (Mt 7, 20): "By their fruits ye shall know +them." And verse 21: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, +shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." + +71. 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 Church, +but propped up by this alone they will condemn and oppress us. +Different shall be the judgment, when the Son of man shall come in his +glory. Then it shall appear that among the members of the holy Church +have been John Huss and Jerome of Prague. The pope, however, and the +cardinals, the bishops, doctors, monks and priestly mountebanks, shall +appear as the church of evil-doers, enthroned in pestilence, and as +veritable henchmen of Satan, rendering aid to their father in his +lying and murdering. + +72. Such judgment of God we see also here. He does not deny that the +offspring of the saints are sons of God. This magnificent title in +which they took pride and securely sinned, God leaves to them. And yet +these very sons of God who took in marriage the daughters of men, he +warns that he not only will take the Word from their hearts and minds, +but that he will take from their eyes and ears also the ministering +Spirit who preaches, prays, reproves, teaches and sighs in holy +servants, and because they refuse to be chastened and reproved; +knowing themselves to be the sons of God they despise the Word and its +teachers. But they do not escape punishment because of their name. The +same shall likewise befall the papists and other enemies of the Word. + +73. In accordance with this I hold that the sentiments of pious men +are here attributed to God himself, according to the usage of the Holy +Scriptures; for instance in Malachi 3, 8, where the Lord says that he +is pierced through, or, as the Hebrew has it, that violence is done to +him because the people were unfaithful in rendering to the priests the +first-fruits and the tenth. + +74. But why, you may say, should God need to complain thus? Can he not +when it pleases him suddenly destroy the whole world? He surely can, +but does not do so gladly. He says: "I have no pleasure in the death +of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live," Ezk +33, 11. Such a disposition proves that God is inclined to pardon, to +endure and to remit the sins of men, if only they will come to their +senses; but inasmuch as they continue in obduracy, and reject all +help, he is, as it were, tormented by this wickedness of men. + +75. The words "And Jehovah said," I attribute to the holy fathers, who +testified through a public decree that God should be compelled to +exercise vengeance, for they taught by divine authority. When Noah and +his ancestors had preached nearly a thousand years, and yet the world +continued to degenerate more and more, they announced God's decision +to an ungrateful world and disclosed this as his thought: Why should I +preach forever and permit my heralds to cry in vain? The more +messengers I send, the longer I defer my wrath,--the worse they +become. It is therefore necessary for preaching to cease, and for +retribution to begin. I shall not permit my Spirit, that is my Word, +to sit in judgment and to bear witness forever, and to tolerate man's +wickedness. I am constrained to punish their sins. Because man is +flesh, he is opposed to me. He is earthly, I am spirit. Man continues +in his carnal state, mocks at the Word, persecutes and hates my Spirit +in the patriarchs, and the story is told to deaf ears. Hence it is +necessary that I should cease and permit man to go his own way. This +contrast he desires to indicate when he says: "For he is flesh." + +76. Noah, Lamech and Methuselah were very holy men, full of the Holy +Spirit. Accordingly they performed their office by teaching, +admonishing, urging and entreating, in season and out of season; as +Paul says, 2 Tim 4, 2. But they reproved flesh and did unprofitable +labor, for the flesh would not yield to sound teaching. Should I, says +he, endure forever such contempt for my Word? + +77. This proclamation, therefore, contains a public complaint, made by +the Holy Spirit through the holy patriarchs, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah +and others, whom God took away before the flood that they might not be +spectators of so widely diffused wrath. All these, with one voice and +mouth, admonished the giants and tyrants to repent, and added the +threat that God would not endure forever such contempt of his Word. + +78. But the flesh remained true to its nature; they despised faithful +exhortations in their presumption and carnal security, 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 Church, +namely, the heirs of the promise of the coming seed. + +79. The added clause, "yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty +years," Jerome affirms must not be understood as referring to the +years of human life, nor to the age of individual men; for it is +certain that after the flood many exceeded the two hundredth year. If +you refer it to the years allotted to individuals, the promise would +be that individuals should complete so many years, which, however, is +false. Therefore he speaks of the time conceded to the world for +repentance until the flood should arrive. + +80. This interpretation agrees with what precedes. God shows that he +is displeased with the perversity of men. He is full of solicitude and +quite ready to forbear. Against his will, so to speak, he permits the +flood to rage. Therefore, he decided upon a fixed and adequate time +for them to come to their senses, and to escape punishment. All this +time Noah admonished men to repent, making it clear that God could not +longer endure such wickedness, while he was yet so kind as to grant +adequate time for repentance. + +81. There is a beautiful cohesion between the words and their +significance. A former proclamation threatens: I cannot endure longer +contempt for my Word; my preachers and priests attain nothing with +their infinite labor except derision. Nevertheless, as a father or +good judge would gladly spare a son but is compelled by his wickedness +to be severe, so, the Lord says, I do not destroy gladly the human +race. I shall grant them one hundred and twenty years in which they +may come to themselves, and during which I shall exercise mercy. + +82. Horrible was the disaster, because neither the brothers nor the +sisters of Noah were saved. It was necessary that the most earnest +warning should precede, that, perhaps, they might be called back to +repentance. To the Ninevites Jonah announces destruction within forty +days, and they repent and are saved. + +83. It is clear, therefore, that the heedlessness of the old world was +very great, inasmuch as in the one hundred and twenty years of grace +it obstinately persisted in its lusts, even deriding its pontiff Noah, +the teacher of righteousness. + +84. In our times, at the approach of the day of the Lord, almost the +same condition obtains; we exhort to penitence the papists and our +noblemen; the inhabitants of city and country we admonish not to +continue despising the Word, since God will not leave this unavenged. +But in vain we exert ourselves, as the Scripture says. A few faithful +folk are edified and these are, one by one, gathered away from the +face of sin, and "no man layeth it to heart," as is spoken in Isaiah +57, 1. But when God, in this way, has shaken out the wheat and +gathered the grain in its place, what, think you, shall be the future +of the chaff? Nothing else but to be burned with inextinguishable +fire, Mt 13, 42. This shall be the lot of the world. + +85. But the world does not understand how it can be that through the +preaching of the Gospel the wheat should be separated from the chaff, +to be gathered into the barn, while the chaff, that is, the throng of +unbelievers sunk in idolatry and darkness, shall be consigned to the +fire. It is written: "In a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I +will preserve thee," Is 49, 8. Those who will neglect this day of +salvation, will find God as an avenger, for he will not do useless +labor in threshing empty chaff. + +86. But the world is flesh; it does not obey. Yea, the nearer and more +immediate the calamity, the more secure it is and the more readily it +despises all faithful admonitions. Though this offense provokes the +righteous, we should, notwithstanding, conclude that God does not +reprove in vain the world through his Holy Spirit, nor that the Holy +Spirit in the righteous is grieved in vain. Christ uses this as an +example when he speaks of the wickedness and heedlessness of our age: +"And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of +man," Mt 24, 37. + +87. It is to be observed here what has been an object of difficulty +for Jerome, that the flood came a hundred years after the birth of +Shem, Ham and Japheth, while here a hundred and twenty years are said +to have been the time of the flood. + + +B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING. + + 1. The time Noah began to preach 87. + + 2. Why the world took occasion to despise Noah's preaching 88. + + * Jerome's reckoning of the 120 years 89. + + 3. Why Noah married after living so long single, when the world was + to be destroyed 90. + + 4. How and why Noah was the prophet of prophets and his the + greatest of prophecies 91. + + 5. His preaching disregarded not only by the Cainites but by the + sons of God 92. + + * To what end God's complaint of the first world should serve us + 93. + + * When was the judgment of God announced 94. + + * The generation of the Cainites. + + a. Whether it still existed in the days of Noah 95. + + b. Why Moses does not record the generations of the Cainites and + of their patriarchs 95. + + c. How the holy patriarchs warned their children against the + Cainites 96. + + d. How the Cainites tormented the holy patriarchs 96. + + 6. Why God raised up Noah 97. + + 7. Noah's faith exceptionally strong 97-98. + + 8. What impelled Noah to continue his work, and not to turn to the + world 99. + + 9. How Noah's age was the wickedest and he had to oppose its + wickedness all alone 100. + + * Who of the patriarchs were still living in Noah's time 100. + + 10. What trials Noah had to experience 101. + + +B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING. + +87. But this passage shows that Noah began preaching about the +impending punishment of the deluge before his marriage, having +hitherto led the life of a celibate. + +88. Consider, therefore, what pastime he offered to a wicked world in +its fancied security. He predicts destruction to the whole world +through the flood, nevertheless, he himself marries. Why? Was it not +sufficient for him to perish alone, that he must join to himself a +companion for the disaster? Oh, foolish old man! Surely if he believed +the world was to perish by a deluge, he would rather perish alone than +marry and take the trouble to beget children. But if he himself will +be saved, why, so shall also we. + +In this manner they commenced to despise the preaching concerning the +flood with the greater assurance because of the marriage of Noah, +ignorant of the counsel of God, who moves in a manner altogether +unintelligible to the world. How absurd to promise Abraham posterity +through Isaac, and yet to command Isaac to be sacrificed! + +89. The divine Jerome argues against the view that God had fixed the +time for the flood at a hundred and twenty years, but saw himself +compelled, later, when wickedness had waxed strong, to shorten the +time. + +90. But we shall not make God a liar; we rather give it as our +conviction that Noah had hitherto preached, while in a state of +celibacy, that the world was to be destroyed through the flood, and +later, by a divine command, had taken a maid as a little branch, so to +speak, from the race of women, and begotten three sons. Below it is +written that he had found grace with the Lord; otherwise he who had +refrained from marriage so long, might have continued to do so still +longer. But God, in order to restrain his wrath, wants to leave a +nursery for the human race; therefore, he commands marriage. This the +wicked believe to be a sign that the world shall not perish; they live +accordingly in security and despise the preacher, Noah. But the +counsel of God is different--to destroy the whole world and to leave +through this righteous Noah a nursery for the future world. + +91. Noah was, therefore, the greatest prophet; his equal the world has +not had. First he teaches the longest time; then he gives instruction +concerning a universal punishment coming upon the world, and even +fixes the year of its advent. Likewise Christ prophesies concerning +the last judgment, when all flesh shall perish. "But of that day," he +says in Mark 13, 32, "or that hour knoweth no one, ... but the +father." + +Jonah foretells punishment for the Ninevites within forty days; +Jeremiah foretells seventy years of captivity; Daniel, seventy weeks +until the coming of Christ. These are remarkable prophecies, in which +time, place and person are accurately described. + +But this prophecy of Noah surpasses all others, inasmuch as he +foretells through the Holy Spirit that within a certain number of +years the whole human race shall perish. He is worthy to be called the +second Adam and the head of the human race, through whose mouth God +speaks and calls the whole world to repentance. + +92. It is terrible, however, that his message was despised with such +assurance that not only none of the Cainites, but not even any one of +Adam's progeny underwent a change. Therefore Noah was compelled to +witness the destruction of brothers, sisters, relatives and kindred +without number, and all these made a mock of the pious old man and of +his message as an old woman's tale. + +93. This awful example is held up to us lest we persist in sin. For if +God did not spare the primitive world, which was so magnificent--the +very flower and youth of the world--and in which had lived so many +pious men, but, as he says in Psalm 81, 12, "gave them up unto their +own hearts' lust," and cast them aside, as if they had no claim upon +the promise made to the Church--if he did this, how much less will he +spare us who do not possess such prerogatives? + +94. Therefore, the decree cited in this passage that God would grant +men a hundred and twenty years for repentance, was rendered and +promulgated before Noah had begotten children. + +95. With reference to the generation of the Cainites, no mention is +made of their patriarchs at the time of the flood, nor does Moses even +deem them worthy of being named. Previously he has brought down the +generation of Cain as far as Lamech, but whether his sons or nephews +lived at the time of Noah is uncertain. This much is certain, that the +offspring of Cain existed to that time, and were so powerful as to +mislead the very sons of God, since even the posterity of the holy +patriarchs perished in the flood. + +96. Before this time the holy patriarchs--the rulers of the true +Church, as it were--admonished their families to beware of the +accursed generation. But the Cainites, incensed at being condemned, +made the attempt to overturn the righteous with every kind of +mischief; for the church of Satan wars perpetually against the Church +of God. + +97. Therefore, as the righteous begin to waver and wickedness gains +ground, God raises Noah to exhort to repentance and to be for his +descendants a perpetual example, whose faith and diligent, patient +devotion to teaching, his offspring might admire and imitate. A great +miracle is it and a case of illustrious faith, that Noah, having heard +through Methuselah and Lamech the decree that the world is to perish +after a hundred and twenty years, through the flood, does not doubt +its truth, and yet, when the hundred and twenty years have almost +expired, marries and begets children. He might rather have thought: If +the human race is to perish, why should I marry? Why should I beget +sons? If I have refrained these many years, I shall do so henceforth. +But Noah does not do this; rather, after making known God's purpose +respecting the world's destruction, he obeys God, who calls him to +matrimony, and believes God that, though the whole world may perish, +yet he with his children shall be saved. An illustrious faith is this +and worthy of our consideration. + +98. There was in him first that general faith, in common with the +patriarchs, concerning the seed which was to bruise the head of the +serpent. He possessed also the singular virtue of holding fast to this +faith in the midst of such a multitude of offenses, and not departing +from Jehovah. Then, to this general faith he added the other, special +faith, 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 sons. Beyond a doubt, to this faith his grandfather Methuselah +and his father Lamech earnestly incited him; 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 God. + +99. This faith taught him to despise the presumption of the world +which derided him as a man in his dotage. This faith prompted him +diligently to continue the building of the ark, a work those giants +probably ridiculed as extreme folly. This faith made Noah strong to +stand alone against the many evil examples of the world, and to +despise most vehemently the united judgment of all others. + +100. But almost unutterable and miraculous is this faith, burdened as +it is with strange and most weighty obstacles, which the Holy Spirit +shows in passing, without going into great detail, that we may be +induced to meditate the more diligently upon its circumstances. +Consider first the great corruption of the age. While the Church had +before this time many and most holy patriarchs, it was now deprived of +such rulers; Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch are all +dead, and the number of patriarchs is reduced to three--Methuselah, +Lamech and Noah. These alone are left at the time the decree +concerning the destruction of the world is published. These three are +compelled to witness and suffer the incredible malice of men, their +idolatry, blasphemy, violent acts, foul passions, until finally +Methuselah and Lamech are also called out of this life. There Noah was +the only one to oppose the world rushing to destruction, and to make +an effort to preserve righteousness and to repress unrighteousness. +But far from meeting with success, he had to see even the sons of God +lapse into wickedness. + +101. This ruin and havoc of the Church troubled the righteous man and +all but broke his heart, as Peter says of Lot in Sodom, 2 Pet 2, 8. +Now, if Lot was so distracted and vexed by the wickedness of one +community, how must it have been with Noah, against whom not only the +generation of Cain raged, but who was opposed also by the decadent +generation of the patriarchs, and then even by his own father's house, +his brothers, sisters, and the descendants of his uncles and aunts? +For all these were corrupted and estranged from the faith by the +daughters of men. As the text says, they "saw the daughters of men." + + +III. THE SINS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD IN PARTICULAR. + + A. THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES ENTERED INTO. + + 1. Why this is said of the sons and not of the daughters of the + holy patriarchs 102. + + 2. Why were the holy fathers so emphatically forbidden to let + their sons marry the ungodly 103-104. + + 3. How this was the beginning of all evils 105. + + * What evils have in all times come through woman 106. + + 4. The sins here sprang from despising the first table of the + law 107-108. + + * The sins of the second table follow when the first table is + not kept 108. + + 5. Everything that is called sin is embraced in this sin + 109-110. + + 6. How marriage with the children of the true Church was + despised 111. + + 7. Their desire to marry thus resembled Eve's desire to take the + forbidden apple 112. + + 8. Why the patriarchs' children took this step 113. + + 9. How these marriage alliances were formed 114-116. + + 10. Berosus' testimony concerning these forbidden marriages 116. + + B. DISORDER IN ALL BRANCHES OF SOCIETY 116-117. + + C. THE TYRANNY EXERCISED. + + 1. By the "giants" or tyrants. + + a. What is to be understood by tyrants 117. + + * The pope resembles the tyrants before the flood 118. + + b. The nature of these tyrants 119. + + c. Why called Nephilim 120-122. + + d. Whether they received their name from their size or from + their cruelty 123. + + * How the Scriptures designate true rulers 123. + + e. These tyrants types of Antichrist 123. + + f. They were raging, powerful and criminal characters 124. + + * Of authorities. + + (1) How God wants us to honor the authorities though he + terribly threatens them 125-126. + + (2) Why God wants them to be honored, when he himself does + not honor them 127. + + (3) Godless rulers are God's swine and are rare birds in + heaven 128. + + g. Whether these tyrants were rulers and why God called them + by such a shameful name 129. + + h. Moses chose the word Nephilim, which in his day designated + a wicked people, to express the tyrants of the first World + 130. + + 2. By "the mighty men." + + a. How Jerome perverts this text 131. + + b. What is to be understood by "the mighty men that were of + old" 131. + + * The meaning of "Olam" 132. + + c. Whence did they receive their power 133. + + d. Why called "mighty men" 134. + + * The character of the true church 134. + + 3. By "the men of renown." + + a. Why they were thus named 135. + + b. Who they were 136. + + * They resembled the pope and bishops 136. + + c. Lyra's false explanation of it refuted 137. + + * How Antichrist is restrained from the world, and true + doctrine maintained 137. + + D. THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT 138. + + * That one sin follows another until man reaches the highest + degree of sin 139. + + +III. THE SINS OF THE OLD WORLD IN PARTICULAR. + +A. THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES ENTERED INTO. + +102. But, I ask, why is not complaint made also of the men, or why are +not the daughters of God included in this complaint? He says merely +that they "saw the daughters of men." It was surely for this reason, +that the holy generation of Seth had received the peculiar injunction +to beware of fellowship with the Cainites, inasmuch as they had been +excluded from the true Church, and to mingle with them neither +socially through marriage, nor ecclesiastically through worship, for +the righteous should avoid every occasion of offense. + +103. In prohibiting marriage with the Cainites it was the chief +purpose of the pious fathers to maintain their generation pure; for +daughters bring into the houses of their husbands the views and +manners of the fathers. Thus, we read of Solomon in the Book of the +Kings that he was led astray through a woman who was a stranger; and +thus Jezebel introduced the wickedness of the Syrians into the kingdom +of Israel. + +104. The holy fathers saw the same would come to pass in their +generation; therefore, after they were separated from the Cainites +through the divine command, they resolved that the sons of the holy +generation should not marry the daughters of men. The daughters of the +race of the righteous could more readily be restrained from marriage +with the Cainites, while the sons were independent and headstrong. + +105. In this way Moses wishes to show the trouble began from the time +the sons of God joined themselves to the daughters of men, seeing that +they were fair. The sons of men who were proud and strong and +passionately given to pleasure, without doubt despised the plain +maidens of the pious race who had been reared by the holy patriarchs +not delicately, but simply and modestly, being arrayed in homely garb. +There was hence no necessity of making a law also for the maidens, +inasmuch as they were in any case neglected by the noble Cainites. + +106. If you study the history of nations you will find that women have +been the occasion for the overthrow of the strongest kingdoms. Well +known is the disgrace of Helen. The sacred writings demonstrate also +that woman occasioned the fall of the whole human race. This, however, +should be mentioned without reflection upon the sex, for we have a +command, "Honor thy father and thy mother," Ex 20, 12. Likewise, +"Husbands, love your wives," Col 3, 19. It is true that Eve was the +first to pluck the apple; however, she first sinned by idolatry and +fell from the faith, which faith, as long as it is in the heart, +controls also the body; but when it has departed from the heart, the +body serves sin. Guilt is not peculiar to sex but to sin, which man +has in common with woman. + +107. Thus Moses gives an account of the prevailing unrighteousness and +lust. But he gives the reader to understand that, before sin was +committed against the second table of the Law, the first had been +violated, and the Word of God treated with contempt. Otherwise the +sons of God would have obeyed the will of their pious parents +forbidding marriage with those outside the Church. + +108. Moses, therefore, concludes that, because the sons of God had +forsaken the worship and Word of God and departed from the precepts of +their parents, thereupon to fall into sensuality and lust, and to take +to wife whom they pleased, they also became violent and appropriated +the goods of others. The world cannot do otherwise. When it has +forsaken God, it worships the devil; when it has despised the Word and +fallen into idolatry, it rushes forth into all sins of passion, in +which fierceness of anger and fierceness of desire by turns are +aroused, and thus all the appetites are thrown into a state of the +greatest disorder. When the righteous reprove this, the result is +resentment and violence against them. + +109. The sin of the flood, then, embraces everything that may be +called sin, by the first as well as the second table. Wicked men first +depart from God through unbelief; then they disregard obedience to +parents, and finally become murderers, adulterers, etc. + +110. I mention this to the end that no one may believe that sex or the +marriage estate in themselves are to blame. It is chiefly +transgression of God's commandments and disobedience to parents which +are condemned. Owing to absence of fellowship between the Cainites and +the true Church, pious parents desired also social separation from the +Cainites, for fear they might be perverted by the manners of ungodly +wives. But God's command being neglected, and the authority of parents +despised, the younger generation lapsed into the passions of +concupiscence and vehemence. In this way the honor of sex and the +dignity of matrimony are conserved: accusation is brought solely +against the unrighteousness which first departs from God and then +manifests itself in injuring the saints. + +111. This is the teaching of the words: "The sons of God saw the +daughters of men that they were fair." Why did they not see the +daughters of God and desire those in the Church and possess the +promise of the seed? Are they not convicted of contempt for the +sisters of their own generation, that is the true Church, and of +mingling with the carnal and impious generation of Cain? They despise +the simplicity and reserve of their sisters and prefer the smiles, the +dress, the wiles of the daughters of Cain; the latter they crave and +cultivate, the former they treat either with neglect or dishonor. + +112. With such eyes as Eve viewed the apples when she fell into sin, +the sons of God viewed the daughters of men. Eve had seen the +forbidden tree before that, but with eyes of faith looking back to +God's commandment; for that reason she did not crave, but rather she +fled from the same. When, however, the eyes of faith were dimmed and +she beheld the tree solely with carnal eyes, she stretched out her +hand with desire and invited also Adam, her husband. + +113. Likewise the sons of the patriarchs had seen long before that the +daughters of the Cainites excelled in form, dress and elegance of +manners. Nevertheless, they did not mingle with them, 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 righteous. But the eyes of +faith having been lost, they saw no longer either the command or the +promise of God, but followed merely the desire of the flesh. The +simple, good and virtuous girls of their own generation they despised; +the Cainites they married, seeing they were polished, charming and +pleasant. + +114. It is not a sin, therefore, that they marry, nor is the sex in +itself condemned. Condemnation lies in this, that with contempt of the +divine commandment they marry unlawfully; that they permit themselves +to be led astray by their wives from the true worship to the wicked +worship of a false church; that, after the fashion of the Cainites, +they pay no heed to parental authority and become guilty of violence, +oppression and other sins. + +Moses clearly reveals their sin when he says: "They took them wives of +all that they chose," as if he said: To marry a wife is not an evil +but a blessing, if it be done lawfully. But they sinned in that they +married without judgment, against the will and purpose of the parents, +marrying whom and as many as they pleased, regardless of their own +estate, whether married or single. + +115. This is a stern word, by which Moses characterizes it as a great +sin that they arbitrarily married two wives or more, exchanged them, +or snatched them from others, after the manner of Herod, who possessed +himself of his brother's wife. It is this unbridled reign of evil lust +that Moses discloses and condemns. + +116. Berosus writes that incestuous marriages also took place among +them, so that they married even their mothers and sisters. But I doubt +whether they were so wicked as that. It is a sin sufficiently grave +that in marrying they dispensed with judgment, the authority of their +parents and even with the Word of God, following altogether the +guidance of lust and desire. They took whom they pleased and whom they +could, and by such license they brought chaos into domestic, public +and churchly relations. + +B. DISORDER IN ALL BRANCHES OF SOCIETY + +The sin of the primeval world was, therefore, an upheaval of all +established order, inasmuch as the Church was demoralized by idolatry +and false modes of worship. This condition was aggravated by those +oppressors who cruelly persecuted the righteous teachers and holy men. +Public discipline was destroyed by oppression and violent deeds, and +domestic discipline by uncurbed lust. Upon such overturning of piety +and integrity followed universal depravity; men were not merely evil +but plainly incorrigible. + +C. THE TYRANNY EXERCISED. + +V. 4a. _The Nephilim_ (giants) _were in the earth in those days,_ + +117. Moses continues the description of the sin and offense which +provoked the deluge. The first point was that the sons of God had +fallen from the fear of God, and the Word had become altogether +carnal, perverting not only the Church but also the State and home. +Now he adds that wickedness had grown to the extent of giants arising +upon earth. He clearly states that there were born from the +concubinage of the sons of God with the daughters of men, not sons of +God, but giants; that is, bold men who arrogated to themselves at the +same time both government and priesthood. + +118. Just so the pope arrogates to himself at the same time the +spiritual and the temporal sword. This would not be the height of +evil, if he would only make use of his power for the preservation of +State and Church; but the greatest sin is that he abuses his power for +the establishment of idolatry, for a warfare against sound doctrine, +and for purposes of oppression even in the State. When the Papists are +reproved with the Word of God, they spurn such reproof, claiming that +they are the Church and incapable of error. This class of people Moses +calls "giants," men who arrogate to themselves power both political +and ecclesiastical, and who sin most licentiously. + +119. Such men are described in the Book of Wisdom who say: "Let +unrighteousness be our law," 2, 11. Also in Psalms, 12, 4: "Who have +said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is +lord over us?" Again in Psalm 73. "They scoff, and in wickedness utter +oppression: they speak loftily," etc. Such were the giants who +withstood the Holy Spirit to his face, who, through the mouth of +Lamech, Noah and the sons of Noah, exhorted, implored, taught and +reproved. + +120. There are those who dispute the meaning of the noun Nephilim and +derive it from _Naphal_, which signifies "to fall." They commonly take +it in a passive sense, meaning that other men, seeing the uncouth +forms and extraordinary size, fell down from fear. Let the rabbis +vouch for the correctness of this; it is ridiculous to call them +"_Nephilim_" because others fell. Some, however, suggest the etymology +that they were thus called because they had fallen from the common +stature of men, and allege as proof-passage Numbers 13, 33, from which +it appears that giants possessed huge bodies like the Anakim and +Rephaim. Which of these are right, I do not decide, especially since +it is certain that a theory of all words can not be given, nor their +origin demonstrated. + +121. But here another question obtrudes itself: Why should those born +from the sons of God and the daughters of men alone have differed from +the ordinary stature of man? I have no other answer than that the text +says nothing of stature in this place. In Numbers 13, 33 it is said: +"There we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants: +and we were in our sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their +sight." There hugeness of body is shown, but not here; therefore they +may be called giants for some other reason than massive stature. + +122. To give my opinion of the word, I hold it is to be taken neither +in the sense of the neuter nor of the passive, but of the active, +inasmuch as the word "_naphal_" is often used in the sense of the +active, though it does not belong to the third conjugation, in which +almost all transitive verbs are found. Thus in Joshua 11, 7: "So +Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the +waters of Merom suddenly, and fell upon them." If the verb is +construed as neuter, as if Joshua and his men had fallen before the +enemies, history will object; for the meaning is that they fell upon +the enemies and suddenly overpowered them. + +123. Therefore, this passage and other, similar ones prompt me to +understand "_nephilim_" to designate not bulk of body, but tyranny and +oppression, inasmuch as they domineered by force, making no account of +law and honor, but merely indulging their pleasure and desire. +Rightful rulers the Scripture calls shepherds and princes, but those +who rule by wrong and violence are rightly called "_Nephilim_," +because they fall and prey upon those beneath them. + +Thus in Psalm 10: "He croucheth and humbleth himself and _Venaphal Baa +Zumaf Helkaim_ (falls with his strong ones upon the poor)". The Holy +Spirit speaks there of the reign of the Antichrist, whom he describes +as raging so furiously as to crush what he can, and, at all events, to +bend what he cannot crush, so that afterward he may suppress with all +his strength what has been bent. For _baazuma_ can be indifferently +rendered by "with his strength," or "with his strong ones." This +power, he says, he uses only against those who are _Hilkaim_, that is +the poor, such as have previously been in some state of affliction. +Others who excel in power, he worships so as to draw them over to his +side. + +124. Accordingly I interpret "giants" in this passage not as men of +huge stature, as in Numbers 13, 33, but as violent and oppressive; as +the poets depict the Cyclopeans, who fear neither God nor men, but +follow only their desires, relying upon their strength and power. For +the oppressors sit enthroned in majesty, sway empires and kingdoms, +and arrogate to themselves even spiritual power, but use such power +against the Church and the Word of God for the gratification of their +lust. + +125. Observe here the strange counsel of God, commanding us to fear +the authorities, to obey, serve and honor them, while at the same time +the threats and dreadful reproofs which he administers are almost +invariably directed against those in authority, against kings and +princes, as if God proceeded against them with a peculiar hatred. +Scripture enjoins upon us to honor authority, but itself does not +honor it; rather it destroys it with a threat of the gravest +penalties. Scripture enjoins us to fear authority, but itself appears +to despise authorities, inasmuch as it does not commend but threatens. + +126. Does not Mary earnestly declaim in her song against princes, Luke +1, 51-53: "He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their +heart. He hath put down princes from their thrones, and hath exalted +them of low degree. The hungry he hath filled with good things; and +the rich he hath sent empty away"? If we believe this to be true, who +would wish to be found among authorities, for whom so certain +perdition is prepared and imminent? Who would not prefer to live on a +lowly plane and suffer hunger? 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 kingdom. "Thou hast made of a +city a heap, of a fortified city a ruin," Is 25, 2. The whole Bible +abounds with like sentiments. + +127. Thus, the Bible does not honor the authorities, but threatens +them with danger, and drags them into manifest contempt; and still +with consummate care it commands us to reverence and fear them, and to +render them all manner of service. Why is this? Surely because God +himself desires to punish them, and has reserved vengeance for himself +instead of surrendering it to their subjects. Jeremiah argues in +chapter 12, 1, concerning the prosperity of the way of the ungodly, +and yet the Lord is righteous. But he concludes: "Thou, O Lord, +fattenest them and preparest them for the sacrifice." + +128. So might it be said that the authorities are God's swine, as it +were; he fattens them, gives them wealth, power, fame and the +obedience of their subjects. They are not pursued, while they +themselves pursue and oppress others; they suffer no injury, but they +inflict it upon others; they do not give to others, but rob them until +the hour comes when, like fattened swine, they are slaughtered. Hence +the German proverb: A prince is a rare bird in the kingdom of heaven +or, princes are wild game in heaven. + +129. Accordingly, those whom Moses calls here "_Nephilim_," which is +an odious and disgraceful name, were without doubt the lawful +administrators of Church and State. But because they did not use their +office as they should, God marks and brands them with this opprobious +name. As we, in this corrupt state of nature, are unable to use the +least gift without pride, so God, most intolerant of pride, thrusts +the mighty from their throne, and leaves the rich empty. + +130. I accept, then, the word "_Nephilim_" as having an active +signification, being equivalent to tyrants, oppressors, revelers. I +believe, furthermore, as has been the case with other languages also, +that Moses has transferred the usage of this word from his own times +to those before the deluge, after changing somewhat its meaning, +inasmuch as these degenerate descendants of the sons of God abused +their power and position for the oppression of the good, just as those +Anakim were tyrants relying upon bodily strength, and so Moses will +presently show. + +V. 4b. _And also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the +daughters of men, and they bare children to them; the same were the +men that were of old, the men of renown._ + +131. Jerome[1] renders: _Isti sunt potentes a seculo_ (these are +mighty men from the beginning). But the word _seculum_ (olam) does not +here signify duration of time, nor does it predicate extent. These +giants did not exist from the beginning, they were not born until the +sons of God had degenerated. But _seculum_ (olam) connotes a second +predicate, that of substance, so that Moses explains the nature of the +power in which they trusted to have been secular or worldly. They +despised the ministry of the Word as a vile office; therefore they +seized upon another office, a secular one. The very same thing our +Papists have done. It has pleased them better to hold ample revenues +and worldly kingdoms than to be hated of all men for the sake of the +Gospel. + +[Footnote 1: So also the A. V. and the R. V., while Luther has by no +means the philological science against him. Mundus, seculum, aion, and +olam are used to express the same conception. Translator.] + +132. As far as Moses is concerned, the noun _olam_ designates the +world itself, and also age or time. Hence it is to be carefully noted +when _olam_ (_seculum_) signifies duration of time, and when it +signifies "world" in the Scriptures. Here it signifies of necessity +"world," for they did not exist from the beginning. + +133. This clause, then, aptly describes the power they had received, +not from the Church, nor from the Holy Spirit, but from the devil and +the world. It is, as it were, the counterpart of what Christ says +before Pontius Pilate, John 18, 36: "My kingdom is not of this world." +The servants of the Word struggle with hunger, and they labor under +the hate of all classes. In consequence, they cannot exercise tyranny; +but those who possess kingdoms, who govern states, who possess castles +and domains, are equipped for exercising tyranny. + +134. This clause contains also a suggestive reference to the small +Church with her few souls. These are cross-bearers without wealth; but +they possess the Word. Their only wealth is what the world despises +and persecutes. The Nephilim, on the other hand, or giants, usurp as +the descendants of the patriarchs the splendid name of the Church, and +possess also kingdoms. They exercise dominion, and pursue the +miserable Church in their power. In accordance therewith Moses calls +them mighty before, or in, the world; or worldlings and temporal +potentates. + +135. What Jerome renders _viri famosi_ (famous men) is, in Hebrew, +"men of name," that is, renowned or famous in the world. Moses touches +here also upon the sin of the Cyclopeans, who, possessing everything +in the world, possessed also a famous name and were renowned +throughout the world; while, on the contrary, the true sons of God, +namely Noah and his sons, were held in the greatest scorn and regarded +as heretics, as sons of the devil, as a blot upon the grandeur of +Church and State. So is it now with us. Christ testifies in Matthew +24, 37, that the last times resemble the times of Noah. + +136. 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 +desire. They were, accordingly, such rascals as the pope today with +his cardinals and bishops, who are not only styled princes and possess +kingdoms, but also take to themselves the name of Church, so as to +subject us as heretics to the ban, and securely to condemn us. They do +not permit themselves to be called tyrants, nor wicked, nor +temple-robbers. They wish to be styled most kind, holy and reverend +gentlemen. + +137. The meaning, therefore, is not that which Lyra follows when he +understands "famous" as "notorious." As the world does not call the +pope Antichrist, 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 error, 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 world. On the contrary, +Noah with his followers was condemned as a rebel, as a heretic, as a +traducer of the dignity of State and Church. So today do bishops +regard us who profess the Gospel. + +D. THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. + +138. This passage furnishes a description of the sins with which that +age was burdened: Men were averse to the Word; they were given over to +their own lusts and reprobate minds; they sinned against the Holy +Spirit by persistent impenitence, by defending their ungodly behavior +and by warring upon the recognized truth. Yet with all these +blasphemies they retained the name and authority, not only of the +State, but also of the Church, as if God had exalted them to the place +of the angels. When this was the state of things, and Noah and Lamech +with their pious ancestor Methuselah taught in vain, God turned them +over to the desires of their hearts (Ps 81, 12) and maintained silence +until they should experience the flood, the prophecy of which they +refused to believe. + +139. This is falling away from God and Church and entering upon +illicit marriage. One sin, unless corrected at once, will lead to +another, and so on indefinitely until the state is reached which +Solomon describes in Proverbs 18, 3, "When the wicked cometh, there +cometh also contempt, and with ignominy Cometh reproach." They who +thus sin, even if afterward rebuked, do not heed. They imagine they +stand in need of no instructor, and think they represent a just cause. +They do not believe in a life after this, or even hope for salvation, +while living in open sin. Notwithstanding, scorn and shame shall +overwhelm them. It was this persistent impenitence and consummate +contempt for the Word that impelled God to visit all flesh with a +universal flood. + + +IV. GOD'S REPENTANCE AND GRIEF THAT HE MADE MAN. + + A. THE REPENTANCE OF GOD. + + 1. The Words, "The wickedness of man was great." + + a. How Luther used these words against the doctrine of free + will; how the advocates of free will falsely interpreted + them, and how they are refuted 140-141. + + * Concerning free will. + + (1) Augustine's doctrine of free will misinterpreted by + the schools 140. + + (2) The schools unreasonably defend it 141. + + (3) Man has no free will and without the grace of the Holy + Spirit can do nothing 142-143. + + (4) The reproving office of the Holy Spirit makes it clear + that man has no free will 144. + + (5) Whether there is hope, if a council be held, that the + Papists will abandon their false doctrine of free will + 145. + + (6) How the true doctrine of free will leads us to a + knowledge of sin and what we are to hold in reference + to it 146. + + (7) Why we should guard against the false doctrine + concerning free will 147. + + * The comfort for one who commits sins of infirmities + 147. + + * All endeavors without the Holy Spirit are evil 148. + + (8) We are to distinguish in the doctrine of free will + what is good politically from what is good + theologically 149-150. + + b. These words are wrongly understood by the Jews and + sophists 151. + + * How we should view the discussions of philosophers in + regard to God and divine things 152. + + c. These words should be understood as spoken not only of the + people before the flood, but of all men 153. + + 2. The Words, "It Repented Jehovah." + + a. How the repentance of God is to be reconciled with the + wisdom and omniscience of God. + + (1) The way sophists answer this question 154. + + (2) Luther's answer 155-157. + + * How man should treat questions which lead us into the + throne of the divine majesty 158. + + * How the passages of Scripture are to be understood + which attribute to God the members of a human body + 159. + + * Whether the Anthropomorphites were justly condemned + 159. + + * Why God is represented to us as if he sprang from the + temporal and the visible 161-163. + + * We cannot explore God's nature 163. + + * In what pictures God reveals himself in the Old + Testament, and in the New 164. + + * The will of God in signs and the will of God's good + pleasure, "signs" and "Beneplaciti." + + (a) How we can know God's will in signs 165-166. + + (b) Why we cannot know the will of God's pleasure, nor + fathom it 165-166. + + (c) What is really to be understood by the will in + signs 167. + + b. The way the schools explain these words 168. + + c. How they are to be rightly understood 169. + + * Disputing about God's majesty and omnipotence places man + in a dangerous position 169-171. + + * How man should hold to the signs by which God revealed + himself 171. + + * What the will of God's pleasure is, to what it serves and + how it is revealed in Christ 172-176. + + * The will of good pleasure of which the fathers speak + cannot comfort the heart 175. + + * The only view of the Godhead possible in this life 176. + + d. In what sense it can be said that "it repented Jehovah + that he had made man" 177. + + +IV. THE REPENTANCE AND GRIEF OF GOD BECAUSE HE HAD MADE MAN. + +A. The Repentance of God. + +Vs. 5-6. _And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the +earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was +only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on +the earth, and it grieved him at his heart._ + +140. This is the passage which we have used against "free will," of +which Augustine writes that without the grace of the Holy Spirit it +can do nothing but sin. The scholastics, however, the champions of +free will, are not only hard beset by this clear passage, but also by +the authority of Augustine, and they sweat. Of Augustine they say that +his language is hyperbolical, as Basil writes of one who in refuting +the other side had gone too far, that he did like the farmers; they +when trying to straighten out crooked branches bend them a little too +far on the other side; and so Augustine, in beating back the +Pelagians, is asserted to have spoken more severely against free will +in the defense of grace than the merits of the case warranted. + +141. As far as this passage is concerned, it is slandered when it is +held that it speaks only of the evil generation before the flood, and +that now men are better, at least some who make good use of their +freedom of will. Such wretched interpreters do not see that the +passage speaks of the human heart in general, and that a particle is +plainly added, _Rak_, which signifies "only." In the third place, they +fail to see that after the flood the same declaration is repeated in +the eighth chapter in almost precisely the same terms. For God says, +"The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," Gen 8, 21. +Here evidently he does not speak only of the antediluvians. He rather +speaks of those to whom he makes the promise that henceforth another +general flood of water shall never come, that is, of all the offspring +of Noah. These are words of universal application: "The imagination of +man's heart is evil." + +142. We draw, therefore, the general conclusion that man without the +Holy Spirit and without grace can do nothing but sin, and thus he +unhaltingly goes forward from sin to sin. When in addition, he will +not endure sound doctrine but rejects the word of salvation and +resists the Holy Spirit, he becomes an enemy of God, blasphemes the +Holy Spirit and simply follows the evil desires of his heart. +Witnesses of this are the examples of the prophets, Christ and the +Apostles, the primeval world under Noah as teacher, and also the +example of our adversaries today, who cannot be convinced by anything +that they are in error, that they sin, that their worship is ungodly. + +143. Other declarations of Holy Scripture prove the same thing. Is not +the statement of the fourteenth Psalm, verse 3, sweeping enough when +it says: "Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to +see if there was any that did understand, and did seek after God. They +are all gone aside?" Thus, Ps 116, 11, "All men are liars;" and Paul, +"God hath shut up all unto disobedience," Rom 11, 32. These passages +are most sweeping, and emphatically force the conclusion that we all, +without the Holy Spirit, whose dispenser is Christ, can do nothing but +err and sin. Therefore, Christ says in the Gospel, "I am the vine, ye +are the branches: ... apart from me ye can do nothing," Jn 15, 5. +Without me you are a branch cut off, dry, dead and ready for the +burning. + +144. 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 derangement. But the world remains +consistent with itself; it hears not and believes it can please God +with forms of worship of its own choosing and without the sanction of +the divine Word, and does not permit itself to be undeceived. + +145. If ever a council should be held, the final declaration and +conclusion with reference to this very point, the freedom of will, +will be that we should abide by the decisions of the pope and the +fathers. We may clamor until we are hoarse that man in himself without +the Holy Spirit is evil, that everything he does without the Holy +Spirit or without faith is condemned before God, that his heart is +depraved and all his thought; we shall effect nothing. + +146. Therefore, the mind is to be grounded in this, and we are to hold +fast the doctrine which lays before us our sin and condemnation. This +knowledge of our sin is the beginning of salvation; we must absolutely +despair of ourselves and give glory for righteousness to God alone. +Why does Paul elsewhere complain, and in Romans 7, 18 freely confess +that there is nothing good in him? He says plainly, "in my flesh;" so +that we understand that the Holy Spirit alone can heal our infirmity. +When this has been fixed in our hearts, the foundation of our +salvation is largely laid, inasmuch as subsequently clear testimonies +are given that God will not cast away the sinner, that is, one who +recognizes his sin and desires to come to his senses and thirsts after +righteousness and the remission of sin through Christ. + +147. Let us, therefore, take care not to be found among those +Cyclopeans who oppose the Word of God and proclaim their freedom of +will and their own powers. Though we often err, though we fall and +sin, still, upon yielding to reproof on the part of the Holy Spirit +with an humble confession of our depravity, the Holy Spirit himself +will be present, and not only not impute to us the sin we acknowledge, +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 one. + +148. But the words of Moses are to be more closely considered, for +with a definite purpose he has used here a peculiar expression; he has +not merely said, "The thoughts of man's heart are evil," but "the +imagination of the thoughts of his heart." Thus he expresses the +highest that man can achieve with his thoughts or with his reason and +free will. "Imagination" he calls that which man with his strongest +effort devises, selects, creates like a potter, and believes to be +most beautiful. + +But such imagination is evil, he says, and that not once, but always. +For our reason without the Holy Spirit is altogether without knowledge +of God. Now, to be without knowledge of God means to be entirely base, +to dwell in darkness and to deem that very good which, in reality, is +very bad. + +149. But when I speak of good, I do so from the standpoint of +theology, for we must distinguish between the theological and the +civil standpoints. God approves also the rule of the ungodly; he +honors and rewards virtue also among the ungodly: but only in regard +to the things of this life and in things grasped by a reason which is +upright from the civil standpoint; whereas the future life is not +embraced in such reward. His approval is not with regard to the future +life. + +150. When we dispute about the freedom of the will, the question with +us is what it may do from the theological standpoint, not in civil +affairs and in those subjects to reason. We believe that man, without +the Holy Spirit, is altogether corrupt before God, though he may stand +adorned with all heathen virtues, inasmuch as there are certainly +distinguished examples of moderation, of liberality, of love of +country, parents and children, of courage and humanity, even in the +history of the Gentiles. We maintain that man's best thoughts +concerning God, the worship of God, the will of God, are worse than +Cimmerian darkness; for the light of reason, which has been given to +man alone, understands only bodily blessings. Such is the wicked +infatuation of our evil desires. + +151. This declaration, therefore, should not be construed frivolously, +as the Jews and sophists do, who believe that the lower part of man +only is here meant, which is bestial, and that the reason longs for +better things. "The imagination of the thoughts" they apply +accordingly to the second table, like the Pharisee who condemns the +publican and says that he is not like the other persons. The words the +Pharisee uses are very fine, for to give thanks to God for his gifts +is not a sin; and yet we declare this same thing to be ungodly and +wicked, because it proceeded from gross ignorance of God, and it is +truly prayer turned into sin, tending neither to the glory of God nor +to the welfare of men. + +152. You may observe that philosophers have at various times quite +cleverly discussed God and the providence with which he rules all +things. To some, such words have seemed so pious that they almost have +placed Socrates, Xenophon and Plato in the same rank with the +prophets; yet, because in these discussions the philosophers are +ignorant of the fact that God has sent his only Son into the world to +save sinners, these beautiful utterances are, according to the +declaration of this passage, consummate ignorance of God and mere +blasphemies, for the passage states unequivocally that all imagination +and effort of the human heart is only evil. + +153. The text speaks, accordingly, not only of the sins before the +flood, but it speaks of the whole nature of man, his heart, his reason +and his intellect, even when man pretends to righteousness and desires +to be very holy, as do today the Anabaptists when they purpose in +their heart so to excel as to fail in nothing, when for a show they +attempt to attain the fairest virtues. The truth is that hearts +without the Holy Spirit are not only ignorant of God, but naturally +even hate him. How, then, can anything be aught but evil that proceeds +from ignorance and hatred of God? + +154. Another question is here raised. Moses speaks thus: "When Jehovah +saw that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only +evil continually, it repented him that he had made man on the earth." +If God foresees everything, why does the text say that he now first +sees? If God is wise, how can regret for having created anything +befall him? Why did he not see this sin or depraved nature of man from +the beginning of the world? Why does Scripture thus attribute to God +such things as a temporary will, vision and purpose? Are not the +purposes of God eternal and unalterable, incapable of being regretted? +Similar instances are found also in the prophets, where God threatens +penalties, as for instance to the Ninevites, and yet pardons the +penitent. + +To this question the sophists have no other reply than this, that the +Scripture speaks after the manner of men, that such things are +ascribed to God accordingly through the use of a figure of speech. +Hence they contend concerning a double will of God, the will expressed +by signs (_voluntas signi_) and the will of his good pleasure +(_voluntas beneplaciti_). The will of his good pleasure, they say, is +constant and unchangeable, while the expressed will is subject to +change. For the signs through which he expresses himself, he changes +when he pleases. Thus he has abolished circumcision and instituted +baptism, whereas the will of his good pleasure, fixed from eternity, +abides. + +155. While I do not condemn this interpretation, a simpler meaning of +the Scripture seems to be that the Holy Scriptures express the thought +of men in the ministry. For when Moses says that God sees and regrets, +this is really done in the hearts of those who have the ministry of +the Word. Thus he said above: "My Spirit shall not strive with man," +but he does not say this simply of the Holy Spirit as existing in his +own nature, or of the divine majesty, but of the Holy Spirit in the +hearts of Noah and Methuselah, that is, the Holy Spirit as officiating +and administering the Word through the saints. + +156. In this manner God saw the wickedness of man and repented; that +is, Noah, who had the Holy Spirit and was a minister of the Word, saw +the wickedness of men and, seeing such things, he was moved by the +Holy Spirit to grief. So Paul says in Ephesians 4, 30, that the Holy +Spirit in the righteous is grieved by the ungodliness and malice of +the wicked. Inasmuch as Noah is a faithful minister of the Word and an +organ of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is said to grieve when Noah +grieves and wishes that man rather did not exist than to be thus +iniquitous. + +157. The meaning, therefore, is not that God did not see these things +from eternity; he saw everything from eternity; but inasmuch as this +wickedness now manifests itself in all its fierceness, God now first +reveals the same in the hearts of his ministers and prophets. + +From eternity, therefore, God is firm and constant in his purpose. He +sees and knows everything. But only in his own time does God reveal +this to the righteous so that they, also, may see it. This seems to me +the simplest meaning of this passage, nor does Augustine differ from +it much. + +158. However, I constantly follow the rule to avoid, whenever +possible, such questions as draw us before the throne of the highest +majesty. It is better and safer to stand at the manger of Christ, the +man. To lose one's self in the labyrinths of divinity is fraught with +greatest danger. + +159. To this passage belong also other similar ones in which God is +pictured as having eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands and feet, as Isaiah, +Daniel and other prophets saw him in their visions. In such passages +the Bible speaks of God in the same manner as of a man. In +consequence, the Anthropomorphites stood condemned of heresy because +they attributed to the divine essence a human form. + +160. Because the Anthropomorphites fancied such gross things, they +have rightly been condemned. Their fancy is manifestly erroneous, for +a spirit, as Christ says (Lk 24, 39), has not flesh and bone. I am +rather of the opinion that the Anthropomorphites intended to adapt the +form of their doctrine to the plainest people. For in his substance, +God is unknowable, indefinable, inexpressible, though we may tear +ourselves to pieces in our efforts to discern or portray him. + +161. Hence, God himself condescends to the low plane of our +understanding and presents himself to us with childlike simplicity in +representations, as in a guise, so that he may be made known to us in +some way. Thus the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove; not +because he is a dove, but in this crude form he desired to be +recognized, received and worshiped, for it was really the Holy Spirit. +No one, to be sure, will say that the same passage defines God as a +voice speaking from heaven, yet under this crude image, a human voice +from heaven, he was received and worshiped. + +162. When Scripture thus ascribes to God human form, voice, actions +and state of mind, it is intended as an aid only for the uncultivated +and feeble; we who are great and learned and of discernment in +reference to Scripture, should likewise lay hold of these +representations, because God has put them forth and revealed himself +to us through them. The angels likewise, appear in human form, though +it is certain that they are only spirits; spirits we cannot recognize +when they present themselves as such, but likenesses we do recognize. + +163. This is the simplest way of treating such passages, for the +nature of God we cannot define; what he is not we can well define--he +is not a voice, a dove, water, bread, wine. And yet in these visible +forms he presents himself to us and deals with us. These forms he +shows to us that we should not become wandering and unsettled spirits +which dispute concerning God, but are completely ignorant concerning +him, since in his unveiled majesty he can not be apprehended. He sees +it to be impossible for us to know him in his own nature. For he +lives, as the Scripture says in 1 Timothy 6, 16, in an inaccessible +light, and what we can apprehend and understand he has declared. They +who abide in these things will truly lay hold of him, while those who +vaunt and follow visions, revelations and illuminations will either be +overwhelmed by his majesty or remain in densest ignorance of God. + +164. Thus the Jews also had their representations in which God +manifested himself to them, as the mercy-seat, the ark of the +covenant, the tabernacle, the pillars of smoke and fire. God says in +Exodus 33, 20, "Man shall not see me and live," therefore he gives a +representation of himself in which he so manifests himself to us that +we may lay hold of him. In the new covenant we have Baptism, the +Lord's Supper, absolution and the ministry of the Word. + +165. These are what the scholastics call _voluntas signi_, the will +expressed through signs, which we must view when we desire to know the +will of God. Another is the _voluntas beneplaciti_, the will of his +good pleasure, the essential will of God, or his unveiled majesty, +which is God himself. From this our eyes are to be turned away. It +cannot be laid hold of; for in God is nothing but divinity, and the +essence of God is his infinite wisdom and almighty power. These are +absolutely inaccessible to reason: what he has willed according to the +will of his good pleasure, that he has seen from eternity. + +166. Into this essential and divine will we should not pry, but should +absolutely refrain from it as from the divine majesty, for it is +inscrutable, and God has had no desire to declare it in this life. He +desires to show it under certain tokens or coverings, as Baptism, the +Word and the Lord's Supper. These are the images of the deity and are +his will as expressed through signs, by which he deals with us on the +plane of our intelligence. Hence, we should look to these alone. The +will of his good pleasure is to be left entirely out of contemplation, +unless you happen to be Moses, or David, or some similarly perfect +man, although even they so looked to the will of the divine good +pleasure as never to turn their eyes from the will expressed by signs. + +167. This will of God is called his activity (_effectus Dei_), wherein +he comes out to us and deals with us garbed in the drapery of things +extraneous to himself; these we can lay hold of--the Word of God and +the ceremonies instituted by himself. This will of God is not that of +his omnipotence, for though God in the ten commandments enjoins what +ought to be done it is yet not done. Thus, Christ has instituted the +Lord's Supper to strengthen in us faith in his mercy, and yet many +receive it to their condemnation, that is, without faith. + +168. But I return to Moses. He says that God sees man's wickedness and +repents. The scholastics explain this: He sees and repents, namely, +according to the expressed will, not that of his good pleasure, or the +essential will. + +169. We say that Noah's heart is moved by the Holy Spirit to +understand that God is wroth with man and desires his destruction. +This interpretation commends itself to our intelligence and does not +draw us into discussions concerning the absolute will or majesty of +God, which are very dangerous, as I have seen in many. Such spirits +are first puffed up by the devil so that they believe themselves to be +in possession of the Holy Spirit, neglect the Word to the point of +blaspheming it and vaunt nothing but the Spirit and visions. + +170. This is the first degree of error--that men, paying no heed to +the Deity as imaged and incarnate, seek after the unveiled God. +Afterward, when the hour of judgment comes, and they feel the wrath of +God, God himself judging and searching their hearts, the devil ceases +to puff them up and they despair and die. They go about in the +untempered sunlight and forsake the shade that delivers from the heat, +Is 4, 6. + +171. Let no one therefore meditate upon divinity unveiled, but flee +from such thoughts as from the infernal regions and the very +temptations of Satan. But let us take care to abide in these symbols +through which God has revealed himself to us--the Son, born of the +Virgin Mary, lying among beasts in the manger, and the Word, Baptism, +the Lord's Supper and absolution. In these images we see and find God +in a way wherein we can endure him; he comforts us, lifts us up into +hope and saves. Other thoughts about the will of the good pleasure, or +the essential and eternal will, kill and damn. + +172. However, to name this the will of "good pleasure" is a misnomer. +For that deserves to be called the will of good pleasure which the +Gospel discloses, concerning which Paul says, "that ye may prove what +is the good will of God," Rom 12, 2. And Christ says, "This is the +will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son should have +eternal life," Jn 6, 40. Also, "Whosoever shall do the will of my +Father who is in heaven, he is my brother," Mt 12, 50. Again, "This is +my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," Mt 3, 17. 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 +will, be it called the "expressed will" or the "will of good +pleasure," about the display of which at the flood and the destruction +of Sodom the scholastics dispute. + +173. On both occasions a terrible wrath is in evidence, against which +no soul could find protection, except in that gracious will, keeping +in mind that the Son of God was sent into the flesh to deliver us from +sin, death and the power of the devil. + +174. This will of the divine good pleasure has been determined from +eternity, and revealed and published in Christ. It is a quickening, +gracious and lovable will, and consequently it alone merits to be +called "the will of good pleasure." But the good fathers almost pass +the promises by; they do not press them, though they could properly be +called "the will of the good pleasure." + +175. Therefore, as they enjoin looking to the will expressed by signs, +they do well, but this is in no wise sufficient; when we consider the +ten commandments, are we not frightened by the sight of our sins? When +those terrible examples of wrath are added which are also divine will +as expressed by signs, it is impossible for the soul to be lifted up +except by looking back to the will of the good pleasure, as we call +it, that is, the Son of God, who portrays for us the spirit and the +will of his Father, who does not hate sinners but desires to have +compassion upon them through his Son. Christ says to Philip, "He that +hath seen me hath seen the Father," Jn 14, 9. + +176. The Son of God, therefore, who became incarnate, 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 forgiveness. This is the only vision +of Deity which in this life is expedient and possible. However, 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 itself. In the meantime, +it behooves us to approach the Father through the way, which is Christ +himself. He will lead us safely and we shall not be deceived. + +177. The additional statement of the text, "It repented Jehovah that +he had made man on the earth," I believe to be meant to bring out the +antithesis, that God has in mind not the earthly man, who is subject +to sin and death, but the heavenly man, who is lord over them. He +expresses his love for the latter, while he hates the former and plans +his destruction. + + +B. THE GRIEF OF GOD. + + 1. This is not to be understood of the divine nature, but of the + hearts of the patriarchs 178-179. + + 2. Abraham, Samuel and Christ grieved in like manner 180. + + 3. By whom such grief is awakened in the heart 181. + + 4. The cause of this grief 182. + + * The character of the children of God and of the world in the + face of the approaching calamity 183-184. + + * How the patriarchs and the Church were walls of defense 185. + + 5. What made the grief of the holy patriarchs greater 185. + + 6. Moses describes this grief very carefully 186. + + * How we see the grief of God in his saints 187. + + * How all is ruined on account of sin 187. + + * Why Noah did not dare to reveal the great wrath of God to the + world 188. + + * What prevents the world from believing God's threatenings + 188-189. + + * To whom God's promises do and do not apply 190. + + * Why the old world did not believe the threat of the deluge 191. + + * The fate of true doctrine in our day is the same as it was in + Noah's 192. + + +B. THE GRIEF OF GOD. + +V. 6b. _And it grieved him at his heart._ + +178. Such was the regret of God that he was pained in his heart. The +word here is _azab_, which was used before when he said (Gen 3, 16), +"In pain shalt thou bring forth children"; also in Psalm 127, 2, "the +bread of toil." This expression must be understood according to the +usage of Scripture. We must not think that God has a heart or that he +can suffer pain, but when the spirit of Noah, Lamech or Methuselah is +grieved, God himself is said to be grieved. We may understand such +grief not of his divine nature, but of his conduct. Noah, with his +father and grandfather, feels in his heart, through a revelation of +the Holy Spirit, that God hates the world because of sin and desires +its destruction; therefore they are grieved by this impenitence. + +179. This is the simple and true meaning. If you refer these words to +the will of the divine essence and hold that God has resolved this +from eternity, a perilous argument is employed to which are equal only +men who are spiritual and tested by trial, like Paul, for instance, +who has ventured to argue concerning predestination. Let us take our +stand on an humbler plane, one less open to danger, and hold that Noah +and the other fathers were most grievously pained when the Spirit +disclosed to them such wrath. These inexpressible groanings of the +best of men are accordingly attributed to God himself, because they +emanate from his Spirit. + +180. An example of such groanings we see later in the case of Abraham, +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 ones. 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 wretched. Likewise Samuel--what does he not do +for Saul? He cries and implores with such vehemence that God is +compelled to restrain him: "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing +I have rejected him from being king over Israel?" 1 Sam 16, 1. So +Christ, foreseeing the destruction of Jerusalem within a few years by +reason of its sins, is most violently moved and pained in his soul. + +181. Such promptings the Spirit of prayer arouses in pious souls. +Present everywhere, he is moved by the adversities of others, teaches, +informs, spares no pains, prays, complains, groans. Thus Moses and +Paul are willing to be accursed for the sake of their people. + +182. In this manner Noah, the most holy man, and his father and +grandfather are consumed with pain at the sight of such terrible wrath +of God. He is not delighted at this overthrow of the whole human race, +but is filled with anxiety and the most grievous pain, while at the +same time the sons of men live in the greatest security, mocking, +boasting and taunting. Thus Psalms 109, 4, "For my love they are my +adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." Thus Paul, "I tell you +even weeping." Phil 3, 18. And what else could holy men do but weep +when the world would in no wise permit itself to be corrected? + +183. It is always the appearance of the true Church that she not only +suffers, not only is humiliated and trampled under foot, but also +prays for her tormentors, is seriously disturbed by their dangers; on +the contrary, others play and frolic in proportion as they approach +their doom. But when the hour of judgment comes, 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 wicked. So Ezekiel laments +that no one is found who will stand for Israel as a protecting wall, +saying that this is the office of the prophets, Ezek 13, 5. + +184. It is impossible for the ungodly to pray; let no one, therefore, +entertain the hope concerning the papists, our adversaries, that they +pray. We pray for them and plant ourselves like a wall against the +wrath of God and, without doubt, it is by our tears and groanings that +they are saved, if, perchance, they will repent. + +185. It is a terrible example, that God has spared not the first +world, for which Noah, Lamech and Methuselah set themselves like a +wall. What, then, shall we expect where such walls do not exist, where +there is no Church at all? The Church is always a wall against the +wrath of God. She feels pain, is tormented in her soul, prays, +intercedes, instructs, teaches, exhorts, as long as the judgment hour +is not here but coming. When she sees these ministrations to be +unavailing, what else can she do but feel grievous pain at the +destruction of the impenitent? The pain of the godly fathers was +augmented by the sight of so many relatives and kindred at one time +going to destruction. + +186. This pain Moses could not express in a better and more graphic +description than to say that God repented of having made man. Before, +when he describes man's nature as having been formed in God's image, +he says that God beheld all that he had made and it was very good. +God, then, is delighted with his creatures and has joy in them. 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 +man. + +187. It was Noah and the other fathers who felt this through the +revelation of the Holy Spirit; otherwise, they would have shared those +thoughts of joy and would have judged according to the earlier +prophecy that God had delight in all his works. Never would they have +thought that the wrath of God was such as to destroy not only the +whole human race, but also all living flesh of sky and earth, which +surely had not offended, yea, the very earth also; for the earth, +because of man's sin, had not retained after the flood its pristine +excellence. Some have written, as Lyra reminds us, that by the flood +the surface of the earth was washed away three hands deep. Certain it +is that paradise has been utterly destroyed through the flood. +Therefore, we possess today an earth more deeply cursed than before +the flood and after the fall of Adam; though the state of the earth +after the fall could not compare with the grandeur of its primeval +state before sin. + +188. These disasters, therefore, the holy fathers saw through the +revelation of the Holy Spirit a hundred and twenty years before. But +such was the wickedness of the world that it put the Holy Spirit to +silence. Noah could not venture to reveal such threats without risk of +the gravest dangers. With his father and grandfather, with his +children and wife, he would discuss this great wrath of God. The sons +of men, however, had no more inclination to hear these things than the +papists today have to hear themselves called the church of Satan and +not of Christ. Accordingly, they would vaunt their ancestors and over +against Noah's proclamations they would plead the promise of the seed, +believing it to be impossible for God, in this manner, to destroy all +mankind. + +189. For the same reason, the Jews did not believe the prophets nor +even Christ himself when called to repentance, but maintained that +they were the people of God, inasmuch as they had the temple and +worship. The Turks today are inflated with victories which they +believe to be the reward for their faith and religion because they +believe in one God. We, however, are viewed as heathen and reputed to +believe in three Gods. God would not give us such victories and +dominions, they say, if he did not favor us and approve our religion. +This same reasoning blinds also the papist. Occupying an exalted +position, they maintain they are the Church and hence they have no +fear of divine punishment. Devilish, therefore, is that argument +whereby men take the name of God to palliate their sins. + +190. But if God did not spare the first world, the generation of the +holy patriarchs, which had the promise of the seed as its very own--if +he saved only a very small remnant--the Turks, Jews and Papists shall +boast in vain of the name of God. According to Micah 2, 7, the Word of +God promises blessings to those who walk in uprightness. But those who +do not walk in uprightness are cursed. Those he threatens, those he +destroys. Neither does he take account of the name "Church", nor of +their number, whereas he saves the remnant which walks in uprightness. +But never will you convince the world of this. + +191. In all probability the descendants of the patriarchs who perished +in the flood abused quite shamefully the argument of the dignity of +the Church, and condemned Noah for blasphemy and falsehood. To say, +they argued, that God was about to destroy the whole world by a flood +is equal to saying that God is not merciful, nor a Father, but a cruel +tyrant. You proclaim the wrath of God, O Noah! Then God is not such a +being as to promise deliverance from sin and death through the seed of +woman? The wrath of God, therefore, will not swallow the whole earth. +We are the people of God. We have from God magnificent gifts; never +would God have given these to us if he had resolved to act against us +with such hostility. In this fashion the wicked are in the habit of +applying to themselves the promises and trusting to the same. All +warnings, however, they neglect and deride. + +192. It is profitable to contemplate this diligently so that we may be +safeguarded against such vicious heedlessness of the wicked. For what +happened to Moses, now happens also to us. Our adversaries ascribe to +themselves the name of God's people, true worship, grace and +everything holy; to us, everything devilish. Now, when we reprove them +for blasphemy and say that they are the church of Satan, they rage +against us with every kind of cruelty. Hence we mourn with Noah, and +commend the cause to God, as Christ did on the cross--what else could +we do?--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 Church, of +having the promises, of having the worship of God. When God destroyed +the whole original world, he manifested the promise of the seed to +that wretched and tiny remnant, Noah and his sons. + + +V. NOAH ALONE WAS RIGHTEOUS; THE WORLD DESTROYED. + + A. NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS. + + 1. What comfort was offered Noah by his righteousness in the + midst of his suffering 193. + + * To find grace before God leads to faith and excludes works + 194. + + 2. For what was righteous Noah especially praised by God 195. + + * Many great men lived in the days of Noah 196. + + 3. How righteous Noah had to contend against so much all alone + 197. + + * By what means the Papists contend against the Evangelicals + 198. + + 4. With what the world especially upbraided righteous Noah 199. + + * People then were wiser and more ingenious than now 200. + + 5. Noah may be called both just and pious 201. + + 6. Righteous Noah led a godly life, possessed great courage and + was a marvelous character 202. + + 7. By his piety Noah was a confessor of the truth 203-204. + + * It is very difficult for one man to withstand the united + opposition of many 204. + + 8. Being a preacher of righteousness Noah was in greater danger + 205. + + 9. Noah an example of patience and of all virtues 206. + + 10. How he traveled and preached everywhere in the world, and + preserved the human race temporally and spiritually 207-208. + + 11. The world takes offense at righteous Noah's marrying, and + adds sin to sin 209. + + 12. The order of the birth of Noah's sons 210. + + B. THE WHOLE WORLD DESTROYED. + + 1. Whether, as Lyra teaches, birds and animals were destroyed + 211. + + * Why the punishment of sin was visited also upon the animals + 212-213. + + 2. The meaning of "the earth was corrupt before God" 214-216. + + * The sins against the first table of the law can easier be + concealed than those against the second table 214. + + * Where false doctrine is taught, godless living follows 215. + + 3. How the earth was corrupt in the light of the first table of + the law 215-216. + + 4. How the earth was corrupt in the light of the second table + 217-218. + + * The meaning of "violence" in Scripture 218. + + * The greatest violence can obtain under the appearance of + holiness, as among the Papists and Turks 219-221. + + * Moses beautifully traces the course God takes in his + judgments 222. + + * Who can pass the right judgment upon the pope that he is + Antichrist 223. + + * How Antichrist strengthens the courage of the godly, and + whether they can check him 223. + + 5. Noah laments this corruption 224. + + * Godlessness cannot be remedied when it adorns itself with the + appearance of holiness 225. + + 6. How God views this corruption 226. + + * Luther laments the wickedness of the enemies of the Gospel + 227. + + * How we should view God's delay in punishing the wickedness of + his enemies 228. + + * God's delay is very hard for believers 229. + + 7. The first world, although corrupt, was much better than the + present world 230. + + +V. HOW NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS, AND HOW THE WHOLE WORLD WAS +DESTROYED. + +A. Noah Alone Was found Righteous. + +V. 8. _But Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah._ + +193. These are the words through which Noah was lifted up and +quickened again. For such wrath of the divine majesty would have +killed him, had not God added the promise of saving him. It is likely, +however, that his faith had a struggle and was weak. We cannot imagine +how such contemplation of God's wrath weakens courage. + +194. This novel expression of the Holy Spirit the heavenly messenger +Gabriel also uses when speaking to the Blessed Virgin Lk 1, 30, "Thou +hast found favor (grace) with God." The expression most palpably +excludes merit and commends faith, through which alone we are +justified before God, made acceptable and well pleasing in his sight. + +V. 9. _These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, +and perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God._ + +195. With this passage the Jews commence not only a new chapter, but +also a new lesson. This is a very brief history, but it greatly extols +our patriarch Noah; he alone remained just and upright while the other +sons of God degenerated. + +196. Let us remember many most excellent men were among the sons of +God, of whom some lived with Noah well nigh five hundred years. Man in +that age before the flood was very long-lived; not only the sons of +God, but also the sons of men. A very wide and rich experience had +been gathered by these people during so many years. Much they learned +from their progenitors and much they saw and experienced. + +197. Amid the corruption of all these stands Noah, a truly marvelous +man. He swerves neither to the left nor to the right. He retains the +true worship of God. He retains the pure doctrine, and lives in the +fear of God. There is no doubt that a depraved generation hated him +inordinately, tantalized him in various ways and thus insulted him: +"Art thou alone wise? Dost thou alone please God? Are the rest of us +all in error? Shall we all be damned? Thou alone dost not err. Thou +alone shalt not be condemned." And thus the just and holy man must +have concluded in his mind that all others were in error and about to +be condemned, while he and his offspring alone were to be saved. +Although his conviction was right in the matter, his lot was a hard +one. The holy man was in various ways troubled by such reflections. + +198. The wretched Papists press us today with this one argument: Do +you believe that all the fathers have been in error? It seems hard so +to believe, especially of the worthier ones, such as Augustine, +Ambrose, 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 Church. The labors of such we both laud and admire. + +199. But surely no less a difficulty confronted Noah himself, who +alone is called just and upright, at a time when the very sons of men +paraded the name of the Church. When the sons of the fathers allied +themselves with these they, forsooth, believed that Noah with his +people raved, because he followed another doctrine and another +worship. + +200. Today our life is very brief, still to what lengths human nature +will go is sufficiently in evidence. What may we imagine the condition +to have been in such a long existence, in which the bitterness and +vehemence of human nature were even stronger? Today we are naturally +much more dull and stupid, and yet men singularly gifted rush into +wickedness. It is afterward said that all flesh had corrupted its way +upon the earth, only Noah was just and upright. + +201. 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 second. "Just" he is called, because of his faith in God, 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 offspring. 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 conscience. Nor did he +permit himself to be moved by the frequent offenses of men most +illustrious, wise and apparently holy. + +202. Great was his courage. Today it appears to us impossible that one +man should oppose himself to all mankind, condemning them as evil, +while they vaunt the Church and God's Word and worship, and to +maintain that he alone is a son of God and acceptable before him. +Noah, accordingly, is a marvelous man, and Moses commends this same +greatness of mind when he plainly adds "in his generation," or "in his +age," as if he desired to say that his age was indeed the most wicked +and corrupt. + +203. Above, in the history of Enoch, we explained what it means to +walk with God, namely, to advocate the cause of God in public. To be +just and upright bespeaks private virtue, but to walk with God is +something public--to advocate the cause of God before the world, to +wield his Word, to teach his worship. Noah was not simply just and +holy for himself but he was also a confessor; he taught others the +promises and threats of God, and performed and suffered all that +behooves a public personage in an age so exceedingly wicked and +corrupt. + +204. If it were I who had seen that so great men in the generation of +the ungodly were opposed to me, I surely in desperation should have +cast aside my ministry. For one cannot conceive how difficult it is +for one man to oppose himself alone to the unanimity of all churches; +to impugn the judgment of the best and most amicable of men; to +condemn them; to teach, to live, and to do everything, in opposition +to them. This is what Noah did. He was inspired with admirable +constancy of purpose, inasmuch as he, innocent before men, not only +regarded the cause of God, but most earnestly pressed it among the +most nefarious men, until he was told: "My spirit shall not further +strive with man." And the word "strive" finely portrays the spirit +with which the ungodly heard Noah instruct them. + +205. Peter also beautifully sets forth what it means to walk with God +when he calls Noah a preacher, not of the righteousness of man, but of +God; that is, that of faith in the promised seed. But what reward Noah +received from the ungodly for his message Moses does not indicate. The +statement is sufficient, that he preached righteousness, that he +taught the true worship of God while the whole earth opposed him. That +means the best, most religious and wisest of men were against him. +More than one miracle, in consequence, was necessary to prevent his +being waylaid and killed by the ungodly. We see today how much wrath, +hate, and envy one sermon to the people may create. What shall we +believe Noah may have suffered who taught not a hundred, not two +hundred, but even more years, down to the last century, when God did +not desire the wicked to receive instruction any longer lest they +become still fiercer and more depraved. + +206. Therefore we may conjecture from the condition and nature of the +world itself, and of the devil, from the experience of the apostles +and the prophets, and likewise from our own, what a noble example of +patience and other virtues Noah has been, who was just and +irreproachable in that ungodly generation and walked with God--that +is, governed the churches with the Word--and who, when the one hundred +and twenty years were determined upon, after the lapse of which the +world was to be destroyed by a flood, in face of such a terrible +threat, entered into matrimony and begot children. + +207. It is very probable that he traveled up and down the earth; that +he taught everywhere; that everywhere he exhorted to worship God in +truth; that he, hindered by many labors, refrained from matrimony on +account of abundance of tribulations and in the expectation of the +advent of a better and more religious age. 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 destruction, then and not before, prompted by +the Spirit, did he make up his mind to marry, in order to transmit to +the new age seed out of himself. And thus the holy man preserved the +human race, not only spiritually, in the true Word and worship, but +also bodily, by begetting children. + +208. As in paradise a new Church had its beginning, before the flood, +through Adam and Eve's faith in the promise, 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 end. + +209. I stated above (§88) that this marriage was an occasion of great +offense to the ungodly and that they made the most extraordinary sport +of it. How inconsistent that the world is to perish so soon, when +Noah, five hundred years old, becomes a father! They deemed his act +the surest evidence that the world was not to perish by a flood. +Hence, they began to live even more licentiously, and in the greatest +security to despise all threats. Christ says in Matthew 24, 38, that +in the days of Noah they ate, they drank, etc. The world does not +understand the plans of God. + +210. Concerning the order of the sons of Noah, I said above that +Japheth was first, that Shem was born two years afterward when Noah +commenced to build the ark, and Ham two years later. This has not been +clearly explained by Moses, but still it has been carefully noted. + +B. Destruction of the Whole World. + +V. 11. _And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled +with violence._ + +211. Lyra, perhaps under the influence of rabbinic interpretation, +contends here that even the birds and other animals forsook their +nature and mixed with those of another species. But I do not believe +it, for the creation or nature of animals remains as it was fashioned. +They have not fallen through sin, like man, but are, on the contrary, +fashioned for this bodily life alone. In consequence they neither hear +the Word, nor does the Word concern them. They are absolutely without +the Law of the first and the second tables. Accordingly, this passage +refers only to man. + +212. 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 altogether; not alone in body and soul, but with the +possessions and dominion which were his at creation. Instances of +similar retribution occur in the Old Testament. In the sixth chapter +of Daniel we see the enemies of Daniel cast into the lions' den, +together with their wives, children and whole families. In the +sixteenth chapter of Numbers a like incident is narrated in connection +with the destruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Similar is also an +instance spoken of by Christ when the king commands to sell the +servant together with wife, children and all his substance. + +213. In this manner, evidently, not only men but all their goods were +destroyed, so that punishment might be full and complete. Beasts, +fields and the birds of heaven were created for man. They are man's +property and chattels. Therefore, the animals perished, not because +they had sinned, but because God wanted man to perish amid all his +earthly possessions. + +214. In this passage Moses' specific statement that "the earth was +corrupt before God," is made to show that Noah was treated and +esteemed in the eyes of his age as a stupid and good for nothing +character. The world, on the contrary, appeared in its own eyes +perfectly holy and righteous, believing it had just cause for the +persecution of Noah, especially in regard to the first table of the +Law and the worship of God. The second table is not without its +disguise of hypocrisy, but in this respect it bears no comparison to +the former. The adulterer, the thief, the murderer can remain hidden +for a while, though not forever. But the sins of the first table +generally remain hidden under the cloak of sanctity until God brings +them to light. Godlessness never wishes to be godlessness, but chases +after a reputation for piety and religion; and trims its cult so +finely that in comparison with it the true cult and the true religion +appear coarse. + +215. The verb _shiheth_ is very frequent and conspicuous in Holy +Scripture. Moses uses it in the thirty-first chapter of Deuteronomy, +verse 29: "For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt +yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you." +And David says, "They are all gone aside; they are together become +filthy," Ps 14, 3. Both passages speak particularly of the sins +against the first table; that is, they accuse the apparently devoutest +saints of false worship and false doctrine, for it is impossible for a +righteous life to follow teaching that is false. + +216. When Moses says the earth was corrupt before God, he clearly +points out the contrast--the hypocrites and oppressors judged Noah's +teaching and practise as wholly wrong, and their own as altogether +holy. The reverse, Moses says, was true. Mankind was assuredly corrupt +measured by the first table. They lacked the true Word and the true +worship. This distinction between the first and the second tables +commends itself strongly to my judgment and was doubtless suggested by +the Holy Spirit. + +217. The additional statement--"and the earth was filled with +violence"--points to this unfailing sequence. With the Word lost, with +faith extinct, with traditions and will-worship--to use St. Paul's +phraseology (Col 2, 8)--having replaced the true cult, there results +violence and shameful living. + +218. The correct significance of the word _hamas_ is violence force, +wrong, with the suspension of all law and equity, a condition where +pleasure is law and everything is done not by right, but by might. But +if such was their life, you may say, how could they maintain the +appearance and reputation of holiness and righteousness? As if we did +not really have similar instances before our eyes today. Has the world +ever seen anything more cruel than the Turks? And they adorn all their +fierceness with the name of God and religion. + +219. The popes have not only seized for themselves the riches of the +earth, but have filled the Church itself with stupendous errors and +blasphemous doctrines. They live in shocking licentiousness. They +alienate at pleasure the hearts of kings. Much is done by them to +bring on bloodshed and war. And yet, with all such blasphemies and +outrages, they arrogate to themselves the name and title of the +greatest saints and boast of being vicars of Christ and successors of +Peter. + +220. Thus the greatest wrong is allied to the names of Church and true +religion. Should any one offer objection, immediately is he put under +the ban and condemned as a heretic and an enemy of God and man. +Barring the Romans and their accomplices, there is no people which +plumes itself more upon religion and righteousness than the Turks. The +Christians they despise as idolaters; themselves they esteem as most +holy and wise. Notwithstanding, what is their life and religion but +incessant murder, robbery, rapine and other horrible outrages? + +221. The present times, therefore, illustrate how those two +incompatible things may be found in union--the greatest religiousness +with abominations, the greatest wrong with a show of right. And this +is the very cause for men becoming hardened and secure without +apprehending the punishment they merit by their sins. + +V. 12. _And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all +flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth._ + +222. Inasmuch as the wrath of God is appalling and destruction is +imminent for all flesh except eight souls, Moses is somewhat redundant +in this passage, and uses repetitions, which are not superfluous but +express an emphasis of their own. Above he said the earth was corrupt; +now he says that God, as if following the customary judicial method, +saw this and meditated punishment. In this manner he pictures, as it +were, the order in which God proceeds. + +223. The judgment of spiritual people concerning the pope at the +present day is that he is the Antichrist, raging against the Word and +the kingdom of Christ. But they who censure it are unable to correct +this wickedness. Wickedness is growing daily and contempt for +godliness is becoming greater every day. Now comes the thought: What +is God doing? Why does he not punish his enemy? Does he sleep and care +no longer for human affairs? The delay of judgment causes the +righteous anguish. They themselves cannot come to the succor of a +stricken religion and they see God who could help, connive at the fury +of the popes, who securely sin against the first and the second tables +of the Law. + +224. Just so Noah sees the earth filled with wrongs. Therefore, he +groans and sighs to heaven in order to arouse God from the highest +heaven to judgment. Such voices occur here and there in the Psalms +(10, 1): "Why standest thou afar off?"; (13, 1): "How long, O +Jehovah?"; (9, 13): "Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; consider my +trouble"; (7, 6-9): "Arise, judge my cause, etc." + +225. What Moses here describes comes at length to pass, that God also +sees these things and hears the cry of the righteous who are able to +judge the world; for they who are spiritual judge all things (1 Cor 2, +15), though they cannot alter anything. Wickedness is incorrigible +when adorned with a show of piety, and so is oppression when it +assumes the disguise of justice and foresight. It is nothing new that +they who seize the wives, daughters, houses, lands and goods of others +desire to be just and holy, as we showed above in respect of the +papacy. + +226. This is the second stage then: When the saints have seen and +judged the wickedness of the world, God also sees it. He says of the +Sodomites: "The cry of them is waxed great before Jehovah" (Gen 19, +13); and above (ch 4, 10): "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth +unto me." But always before the Lord takes note, the sobs and groans +of the righteous precede, arousing, as it were, the Lord from slumber. + +What Moses desires to show in this passage through the word, "saw" is +that God finally perceived the afflictions and heard the cries of the +righteous, filling at last all heaven. He who hitherto had winked at +everything and seemed to favor the success of the wicked, was awakened +as from slumber. The fact is he saw everything much sooner than Noah; +for he is the searcher of hearts and cannot be deceived by simulated +piety as we can. But not until now, when he meditates punishment, does +Noah perceive that he sees. + +227. Thus we are afflicted today by extreme and unheard of wickedness, +for our adversaries condemn from sheer caprice the truth they know and +profess. They try to get at our throats and shed the blood of the +righteous with a satanic fury. Such blasphemous, sacrilegious and +parricidal doings against the kingdom and name of God, manifest as +such beyond possibility of denial, they defend as the acme of justice. +While contending for the maintenance of their tyrannical position they +go so far as to arrogate to themselves the name of the Church. 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 +will? + +228. But so far the Lord sleeps. He apparently does not observe such +wickedness, because he gives no sign as yet of observing it. Rather he +permits us to be tormented by such woeful sights. We are, therefore, +thus far in the first stage and this verse, stating that the whole +earth is corrupt, applies to our age. But at the proper time the +second stage will be reached, when we can declare in certainty of +faith that not only we but God also sees and hates such wickedness. +Though God, in his long-suffering, has continued to wink at many +things, he shall retain the name of One who in righteousness shall +judge the earth. + +229. How bitter and hard such delay is for the righteous, the +lamentations of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 12, 1ff., and 20, 7ff, show. +There the holy man almost verges on blasphemy until he is told that +the Babylonian king should come and inflict punishment upon the +unbelieving scoffers. Thereupon Jeremiah recognizes that God looks +down on the earth and is Judge upon the earth. + +230. The universal judgment which follows is terrible in the extreme, +namely that all flesh upon the earth had corrupted its way and that +God, when he had begun to examine the sons of men, did not, from the +oldest to the youngest of the fathers, find any he could save from +destruction. + +This strikes our ears as still more awful when we take into +consideration the condition of the primitive world, not judging by the +miserable fragments we have today. As the physical condition of the +world at that time was infinitely ahead of this age, 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 religion, righteousness and wisdom found among those +renowned men of the primitive world. + +And yet the text says that all flesh had corrupted its way, save Noah +and his offspring. That means all men were wicked, lived in idolatry +and false religion and hated the true worship of God. They despised +the promise of the seed, and persecuted Noah, who proclaimed +forgiveness through the seed and threatened to those, who should fail +to believe his forgiveness, eternal doom. + + +VI. GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN + ARK; THE COVENANT. + + A. HOW GOD DECREED TO PUNISH THE OLD WORLD IN HIS WRATH. + + 1. How punishment finally comes when God has suffered sin long + enough 231. + + * Luther's hope that God's judgment may soon break upon the + last world 231. + + 2. Whether reason can grasp the wrath and punishment of God 232. + + 3. How God's promises stand in the midst of his wrath and + punishment 232. + + 4. The first world thought itself secure against God's wrath + 233. + + * The Papal security and boldness against the Evangelicals 234. + + 5. By what means God punished the first world 235. + + * The Holy Spirit must reveal that God's wrath and punishment + do not violate his promises 236. + + 6. The causes of this wrath and punishment 237. + + * By what may it be known that God will visit Germany with + punishment 238. + + * God complains more of the violence shown to the neighbor than + to himself 239. + + * The damages of the deluge 240. + + * The ground of the earth was in a better state before the + flood than now 240. + + * The colors in the rainbow signs of the punishment of the + first and the last world 241. + + +VI. GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN +ARK; THE COVENANT. + +A. God Decides to Punish the Old World. + +V. 13. _And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before +me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I +will destroy them with the earth._ + +231. After Noah and his people had for a long time raised their +accusing cry against the depravity of the world, the Lord gave +evidence that he saw the depravity and intended to avenge it. This, +the second stage, we also look for today, nor is there any doubt that +men shall exist, to whom this coming destruction of the world is to be +revealed, unless the destruction be the last day and the final +judgment, which I truly wish. We have seen enough wickedness in these +brief and evil days of ours. Godless men, as in Noah's time, adorn +their vices with the name of holiness and righteousness. Hence, no +penitence or reformation is to be hoped for. This stage having been +reached in the times of Noah, sentence is finally passed, having been +previously announced by the Lord when he gave command that striving +should cease and issued the declaration that he regretted having made +man. + +232. Reason is incapable of believing and perfectly understanding such +wrath. Just consider how different this is from what had been. Above +we have read (ch 1, 31) that God saw everything he had made and +behold, it was very good; that he gave man and beast the additional +blessing of propagation; that he subjected to man's rule the earth and +all the treasures of the earth; that as the highest blessing, he added +the promise of the woman's seed and life eternal and instituted not +only the home and the State, but also the Church. How, then, is it +that the first world, called into being in this way through the Word, +should, to use Peter's expression, perish by water? + +233. There is no doubt that the sons of the world threw all this up to +Noah as he preached the coming universal destruction, and publicly +charged him with lying, on the ground that home, State and Church had +been instituted by God; that God surely would not overturn his own +establishment by a final destruction; that man had been created for +propagation and dominion upon the earth, not for the rule of water +over him to his destruction. + +234. Just so the Papists press us with the one argument that Christ +will be with the Church to the end of the world (Mt 28, 20); that the +gates of hell will not prevail against it (Mt 16, 18). This they vaunt +in a loud-voiced manner, believing their destruction to be an +impossibility. Swept by the waves Peter's ship may be, they say, but +the waters cannot overwhelm it. + +235. Quite similar was the security and assurance before the flood; +notwithstanding, we see that the whole earth perished. The scoffers +boasted that God's regulations are perpetual, and that God had never +completely abolished or altered his creation. But consider the outcome +and you will see that they were wrong, while Noah alone was right. + +236. Unless the additional light of the Holy Spirit is vouchsafed, man +will surely be convinced by such argument; for is it not equivalent to +making God inconstant and changeable, to maintain that he will +completely destroy his creature? Yet God gives Noah the revelation +that he will make an end of flesh and earth, not in part, but of all +flesh and all the earth. Would it not be awful enough to partition the +earth into three parts and to threaten destruction to one? 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 good. These things are too sublime to be understood or +comprehended by human reason. + +237. What is the cause of wrath so great? Surely, the fact that the +earth is filled with violence, as he here says. Astonishing reason! He +says nothing here concerning the first table; he mentions only the +second. It is, as if he said: I shall say nothing of myself that they +hate, blaspheme and persecute my Word. Among themselves how shamefully +do they live! Neither home nor State are properly administered; +everything is conducted by force, nothing by reason and law. +Therefore, I shall destroy at the same time both mankind and the +earth. + +238. We see also in our age that God winks at the profanation of the +mass, a horrible abomination that fills the whole earth, and at +ungodly teachings and other offenses which have hitherto been in vogue +in religion. But when men live so together that they disregard both +State and home, when huge covetousness, graft of every description and +manifold iniquity have waxed strong, does it not become clear to every +man that God is compelled, as it were, to punish, yea to overturn +Germany? + +239. 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 himself. We observe he maintains silence +respecting the latter, while he threatens punishment, not to man +alone, but even to the very earth itself. + +240. A twofold effect is traceable to the flood; a weakening of man's +powers and an impairment of his wealth and that of the earth. The +latter-day fruit of trees is in nowise to be compared with that in the +days before the flood. The antediluvian turnips were better than +afterward the melons, oranges or pomegranates. The pear was finer than +the spices of today. So it is likely that a man's finger possessed +more strength than today his whole arm. Likewise man's reason and +understanding were far superior. But God, because of sin, has brought +punishment to bear, not alone upon man, but also upon his property and +domain, as witness to posterity also of his wrath. + +But how is the destruction to be effected? Assuredly, by his seizing +the watery element and blotting out everything. The force with which +this element is wont to rage is common knowledge. Though the +atmosphere be pestilential, it does not always infect trees and roots. +But water not only overturns everything, not only does it tear out +trees and roots, but it also lifts the very surface of the earth. It +alters the soil, so that the most fertile fields are marred by the +overflow of salty earth and sand (Ps 107, 34). This was therefore +equal to the downfall of the primitive world. + +241. The penalty of the present world, however, will be different, as +the color of the rainbow shows. The lowest color the extent of which +is well defined, is that of water. For the fury of the water in the +deluge was so great that limits were set to its havoc, and the earth +was restored to the remnant of the godly after the destruction of the +evil-doers. But the other arch of the rainbow, the outer, which has no +clearly defined bounds, is of the color of fire, the element which +shall consume the whole world. This destruction shall be succeeded by +a better world, which shall last forever and serve the righteous. This +the Lord seems to have written in the color of the rainbow. + + +B. GOD COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK. + + * That Noah had only three children is a sign of God's mercy 242. + + 1. The kind of wood used in building the ark 243. + + 2. Its various rooms 244. + + 3. The pitch by which it was protected 245. + + 4. Why God instructed Noah so particularly how each part was to be + constructed 246. + + 5. The form of the ark, and how teachers differ on this point 247. + + 6. The place Noah occupied in the ark, and that of the animals 248. + + 7. Whether the ark had the proportions of a human body 249. + + 8. How the ark was a type of the body of Christ--of the Church 250. + + 9. The windows of the ark: + + a. Whether it had more than one window 251. + + * The Latin version is not clear here 252. + + b. What kind of a window it was, and how it could stand the rain + 253. + + c. Luther's opinion of the Jews' ideas about the window 253. + + 10. The door of the ark 254. + + 11. How to meet the various questions about the ark 255-256. + + * The deluge was a new method of punishment, hence the non + incredible 257-258. + + * God was in earnest in the threatening of this flood 259. + + +B. GOD COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK. + +V. 14. _Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the +ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (bitumen)._ + +242. God's first thought was to save a remnant through that tiny seed, +the three sons of Noah, for Noah ceased henceforth to beget children. +This strongly attests the mercy of God toward those who walk in his +ways. + +243. _Gopher_ some make out to be pine, others hemlock, still others +cedar; hence, a guess is rather difficult. The choice appears to have +been made owing to its lightness or its resinous quality, so that it +might float more easily upon the water and be impervious to it. + +244. _Kinnim_ signifies "nests" or "chambers"; that is separate spaces +for the various animals. Bears, sheep, deer and horses did not dwell +in one and the same place, but the several species had their +respective quarters. + +245. But what is meant by _bitumen_, I do not know. With us vessels +are made water tight with pitch and tow. Pitch, it is true, withstands +water, but it also invites the flame. There is no bitumen with us +which resists water, hence we raise no objection to "bitumen" being +rendered "pitch." + +246. You may ask: Why does God prescribe everything so accurately? The +injunction to build the ark should have been sufficient. Reason could +determine for itself the rules concerning dimensions and mode of +construction. Why, then, does God give such careful instruction with +reference to dimensions and materials? Certainly that Noah, after +undertaking all things according to the Lord's direction (as Moses +built the tabernacle according to the model received on the mount), +should with the greater faith trust that he and his people were to be +saved, nor entertain any doubt concerning a work ordered by the Lord +himself, even how it should be made. This is the reason the Lord gives +his directions with such attention to detail. + +V. 15. _And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark +three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height +of it thirty cubits._ + +247. A nice geometrical and mathematical exercise concerning the form +and dimensions of the ark is here presented. The views of writers +vary. Some claim it was four-cornered, others that it was gabled like +nearly all our structures in Europe. As for myself, I hold it was +four-cornered. Eastern people's were not acquainted with gabled +buildings. Theirs were evidently of four-cornered form, as the Bible +mentions people walking on roofs. Similar was the shape of the temple. + +248. There is a difference of opinion also concerning the arrangement +of the animals in their quarters, which occupied the upper, which the +central and which the lower places, this being the distinction +warranted by the text. No certainty, however, can be arrived at. It is +likely that Noah himself and the birds occupied the upper part, the +clean animals the central and the unclean animals the lower one. The +rabbis assert the lower part served the purpose of storing dung. But I +think the dung was thrown out of the window, for its removal was +necessitated by such a multitude of beasts abiding in the ark for over +a year. + +249. Augustine quotes Philo against Faustus in stating that on +geometrical principles, the ark had the proportions of the human body, +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 broad. So three hundred cubits are +six times fifty and ten times thirty. + +250. An application is made of this to the body of Christ, the Church, +which has baptism as the door, through which clean and unclean enter +without distinction. Although the Church is small, she rules the earth +notwithstanding, and it is due to her that the world is preserved, +just as the unclean animals were preserved in the ark. 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 ark. These are allegories +which are not exactly profound, but still harmless because they harbor +no error and serve a purpose other than that of wrangling, namely, +that of rhetorical ornamentation. + +V. 16. _A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou +finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side +thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it._ + +251. Behold, how diligent an architect God is! With what care he +interests himself in all the parts of the structure and their +arrangement. Furthermore, the word _Zohar_ does not properly signify +window, but southern light. The question may be raised here whether +the ark had only one window or several. For the Hebrew language +permits the use of the singular for the plural, or of the collective +for the distributive term, as for instance: "I will destroy man from +the face of the ground." Here evidently not one man but many are +spoken of. But to me it seems there was only one window that shed +light upon man's domicile. + +252. The Latin interpreter is so strangely obscure as to fail to make +himself understood. My unqualified opinion is that he was unable to +divest himself of the image of a modern ship, in which men are +commonly carried in the lower part. Nor is it quite intelligible what +he says about the door, inasmuch as it is certain that the ell-long +window was in the upper part, and the door in the center of the side +or in the navel of the ark. Thus, also, Eve was framed from the middle +portion of man's body. The whole structure was divided into three +partitions, a higher, a central and a lower one, and it was the upper +one which, according to my view, was illuminated by the light of day +through the window. + +253. You may say, however: What kind of a window was it, or how could +it exist in those frequent and violent rains? For rain did not fall +then as it does ordinarily, since the water in forty days rose to such +proportions as to submerge the highest mountains by fifteen +arm-lengths. The Jews claim that the window was closed by a crystal +which transmitted the light. But too curious a research into these +matters appears to me useless, 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 architect. It seems to me sufficiently satisfactory to assume that +the window was on the side of the upper partition. + +254. As to the door, it is certain that it was about thirteen or +fourteen cubits from the earth. The ark, when it floated, sank about +ten feet into the water with its great weight of animals of every kind +and provender for more than a year. This may suffice as a crude +conception of the ark; for, besides height and length, Moses merely +indicates that it had three partitions, a door and a window. + +255. We will dismiss innumerable other questions such as: What kind of +air was used in the ark? for such a stupendous mass of water, +particularly falling water, must have produced a violent and +pestilential stench; whence did they draw their drinking-water? for +water cannot be preserved a whole year, hence mariners often call at +ports in their vicinity for the purpose of drawing water; again, how +could the bilge-water with its obnoxious odor be drawn up? + +256. Such questions and other subordinate points related to the +experience of the mariner we may pass by. Otherwise there will be no +end of questions. We will be content with the simple supposition that +the lower part probably served the purpose of securing the bears, +lions, tigers and other savage animals; the middle part, that of +housing the gentle and tractable animals, together with the provender, +which cannot be kept in a place devoid of all air-currents; the upper +that of accommodating human beings themselves, together with the +domestic animals and the birds. This should be enough for us. + +V. 17. _And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, +to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under +heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die._ + +257. Above God has threatened in general the human race with +destruction. Here he points out the method; namely, that he intends to +destroy everything by a new disaster, a flood. Such a punishment the +world hitherto had not known. The customary punishments, as we see +from the prophets, are pestilence, famine, the sword and fierce +beasts. Men and beasts perish of pestilence. The earth is laid waste +by war, for it is deprived of those who till it. The sufferings of +famine, though they seem to be less cruel, are by far the most +terrible. With the fourth class of penalties, our regions have almost +no experience at all. Although these are severally sufficient for the +chastisement of the human race, the Lord desired to employ a novel +kind of punishment against the primeval world, through which all flesh +having the breath of life was to perish. + +258. Because this punishment was unheard of in former ages, the wicked +were slower to believe it. They reasoned thus: If God is at all angry, +can he not correct the disobedient by the sword, by pestilence? A +flood would destroy also the other creatures which are without sin; +surely God will not plan anything like this for the world. + +259. But in order to remove such unbelief from the mind of Noah and +the righteous, he repeats with stress the pronoun, "And I, behold, I +do bring." Afterward he clearly adds that he will destroy all flesh +that is under heaven and in the earth; for he excludes here the fishes +whose realm is widened by the waters. This passage tends to show the +magnitude of the wrath of God, through which men lose, not only body +and life, but also universal dominion over the earth. + + +C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH. + + * The way God comforted Noah in announcing the flood, and why such + comfort was needed 260. + + 1. The nature of this covenant. + + a. The views of Lyra, Burgensis and others 261. + + b. Luther's views 262-263. + + 2. Whether the giants or tyrants were embraced in this covenant and + how received by them 262-263. + + 3. Why it was made only with Noah 264. + + 4. How this covenant was made clearer from time to time, and why it + was needed at this time 265. + + 5. How a special call was added to this covenant 266. + + * God's judgment upon the first world terrible 267. + + * Why Ham was taken into the ark, who was later rejected 267. + + * Foreknowledge and election. + + a. Why we should avoid thinking and disputing on this subject + 268. + + b. To what end should the examples of Scripture on this theme + serve 269. + + c. How consideration of the same may help and harm us 270. + + +C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH. + +V. 18. _But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt +come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' +wives with thee._ + +260. To this comfort Moses before pointed when he declared that Noah +had found grace. Noah stood in need of it, not only to escape despair +amid such wrath, but also for the strengthening of his faith in view +of the raging retribution. For it was no easy matter to believe the +whole human race was to perish. The world consequently judged Noah to +be a dolt for believing such things, ridiculed him and, undoubtedly, +made his ship an object of satire. In order to strengthen his mind +amid such offenses, God speaks with him often, and now even reminds +him of his covenant. + +261. Interpreters discuss the question, what that covenant was. Lyra +explains it as the promise to defend him against the evil men who had +threatened to murder him. Burgensis claims this covenant refers to the +perils amid the waters, which were to be warded off. Still others +believe it was the covenant of the rainbow, which the Lord afterward +made with Noah. + +262. In my opinion, he speaks of a spiritual covenant, or of the +promise of the seed, which was to bruise the serpent's head. The +giants had this covenant, but when its abuse resulted in pride and +wickedness, they fell from it. So it was afterward with the Jews, +whose carnal presumption in reference to God, the Law, worship and +temple led to their loss of these gifts and they perished. To Noah, +however, God confirms this covenant by certainly declaring that Christ +was to be born from his posterity and that God would leave, amid such +great wrath, a nursery for the Church. This covenant includes not only +protection of Noah's body, the view advocated by Lyra and Burgensis, +but also eternal life. + +263. The sentiment, therefore, of the promise is this: Those insolent +despisers of my promises and threats will compel me to punish them. I +shall first withdraw from them the protection and assurance which are +theirs by reason of their covenant with me, that they may perish +without covenant and without mercy. But that covenant I shall transfer +to you so that you shall be saved, not alone from such power of the +waters, but also from eternal death and condemnation. + +264. The plain statement is, "With thee." Not the sons, not the wives, +does he mention, whom he was also to save; but Noah alone he mentions, +from whom the promise was transmitted to his son Shem. This is the +second promise of Christ, which is taken from all other descendants of +Adam and committed alone to Noah. + +265. Afterward this promise is made clearer from time to time. It +proceeded from the race to the family, and from the family to the +individual. From the whole race of Abraham it was carried forward to +David alone; from David to Nathan; from Nathan down to one virgin, +Mary, who was the dead branch or root of Jesse, and in whom this +covenant finds its termination and fulfilment. The establishment of +such a covenant was most necessary in view of the imminence of the +incredible and incalculable wrath of God. + +266. You will observe here, however, a special call when he says: +"Thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, etc." If Noah had +not received this special call, he would not have ventured to enter +the ark. + +267. How terrible is it that from the whole human race only eight +persons should be selected for salvation and yet from among them, Ham, +the third son of Noah, be rejected! By the mouth of God he is numbered +here among the elect and saints. Yea, with them he is protected and +saved. Nor is he distinguished from Noah. If he had not believed and +prayed for the same things, if he had not feared God, he would in +nowise have been saved in the ark; and yet, afterward he is rejected! + +268. The sophists wrangle here concerning an election that takes place +according to the purpose of God. But often have I exhorted to beware +of speculations about the unveiled majesty, for besides being anything +but true, they are far from being profitable. Let us rather think of +God as he offers himself to us in his Word and sacraments. Let us not +trace these instances back to a hidden election, in which God arranged +everything with himself from eternity. Such doctrine we cannot +apprehend with our minds, and we see it conflicts with the revealed +will of God. + +269. What, then, you will ask, shall we declare with reference to +these examples? Nothing but that they are pointed out to inspire us +with the fear of God, so that we believe it is possible to fall from +grace after once receiving grace. Paul warns, "Let him that thinketh +he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor 10, 12. We should heed such +examples to teach us humility, that we may not exalt ourselves with +our gifts nor become slothful in our use of blessings received, but +may reach forth to the things which are before, as Paul says in +Philippians 3, 13. They teach us not to believe that we have +apprehended everything. + +270. Malignant and most bitter is our enemy, but we are feeble, +bearing this great treasure in earthen vessels. 2 Cor 4, 7. Therefore, +we must not glory as if we were secure, but seeing that men so holy +fell from grace, which they had accepted and for a long time enjoyed, +we should look anxiously to God as if in peril at this very moment. In +this manner these examples are discussed to our profit; but those who +give no attention to them and chase after complex high thoughts on an +election according to the purpose of God, drive and thrust their souls +into despair, to which they naturally incline. + + +VII. ANIMALS AND FOOD IN THE ARK; NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + + A. THE ANIMALS NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + + 1. The number and kinds of animals 271-272. + + 2. The differences in the animals 273. + + a. What is understood by the "Behemoth" 274. + + b. By the "Remes" 275. + + c. Whether this difference is observed in all places 276. + + 3. Whether wild and ferocious animals were in paradise, and if + created from the beginning 276-277. + + 4. How Noah could bring the animals, especially the wild ones, + into the ark 278-279. + + * The animals at the time felt danger was near 278-279. + + 5. The animals came of themselves to Noah in the ark 280. + + B. THE FOOD NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + + 1. Why necessary to take with them food 281. + + * The kind of food man then had, and if he ate flesh 282. + + 2. God's foreknowledge shines forth here 283. + + 3. Why God did not maintain man and the animals in the ark by a + miracle 284. + + * The extraordinary ways and miracles of God. + + a. Why man should not seek miracles, where ordinary ways and + means are at hand 285. + + b. The monks seek extraordinary ways and thus tempt God 286. + + * Whether we should use medicine, and if we should learn the + arts and languages 286. + + c. Why God did not save Noah in the water without the ark, + when he could have done so 287. + + d. When does God use extraordinary means with man 288. + + C. NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + + 1. In what respect it was especially praised 289. + + * Obedience to God. + + a. How one is to keep the golden mean, and not turn to the + right or left 290. + + b. How man can by obedience or disobedience mark out his own + course 290-291. + + c. Why most people shun obedience 291. + + d. How we are here not to look to the thing commanded, but to + the person commanding 292-296. + + e. How sadly they fail who look at the thing commanded 293. + + * How the Papists neither understand nor keep God's + commandments 294. + + * What we are to think of the holiness of the Papists 295. + + f. All God commands is good, even if it seems different to + reason 296. + + * How the Papists do harm by the works of their wisdom, and + only provoke God to anger, as king Saul did 297. + + g. How in his obedience Noah held simply to God's Word and + overcame all difficulties 298. + + +VII. THE ANIMALS AND THEIR FOOD, AND NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + +A. THE ANIMALS NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + +Vs. 19-20. _And every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort +shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they +shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, and of the +cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after +its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive._ + +271. Here again a dispute arises, as is the case when in historical +narratives one proceeds to the application and incidental features. +Our text appears to vindicate the view that here two and two are +spoken of; but in the beginning of the seventh chapter seven and +seven. Hence, Lyra quarrels with one Andrea, who believed fourteen +specimens were included in the ark, because it is written: "Of every +clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven." But I approve +Lyra's interpretation, who says seven specimens of every class were +inclosed in the ark, three male and three female, and the seventh also +male, to be used by Noah for purposes of sacrifice. + +272. When Moses says here that two and two of the several species were +brought into the ark, we must necessarily understand the seventh +chapter as speaking only of the unclean animals, for the number of +clean animals was the greater. Of the unclean seven of every species +were inclosed in the ark. + +273. It is also necessary that we here discuss the signification of +terms as "all life," "beasts," "cattle." Though these are often used +without discrimination, still at various places the Scripture employs +them discriminatingly; for instance, when it says, "Let the earth +bring forth living creatures." Gen 1, 24. "Let the waters swarm with +swarms of living creatures." Gen 1, 20. In those places the words of +the genus stand for all living beings on the earth and in the waters. +Here the constituent species are named--_chayah_, _remes_, and +_behemah_--though frequently used without discrimination. + +274. The cattle he calls here _behemoth_, though in Ezekiel, first +chapter, those four animals are called by the common name, +_hachayoth_, a word by which we commonly designate not so much animals +as beasts, subsisting not on hay or anything else growing out of the +earth, but flesh; as lion, bear, wolf and fox. _Behemoth_ are cattle +or brutes which live on hay and herbs growing from the earth; as +sheep, cows, deer and roe. + +275. _Remes_ means reptile. The word is derived from _ramas_, which +means to tread. When we compare ourselves with the birds, we are +_remasian_, for we creep and tread upon the earth with our feet like +the dogs and other beasts. But the proper meaning is, animals which do +not walk with face erect. The animals which creep and which we term +reptiles have a specific name, being called _sherazim_, as we see in +Leviticus from the word _sharaz_, which means to move, hereafter used +in the seventh chapter. The word _oph_ is known, meaning bird. + +276. Such are the differences among these terms, although, as I said +before, they are not observed in some places. The interpretation must +be confined, however, to the time after the flood; otherwise the +inference would be drawn that such savage beasts existed also in +paradise. Who will doubt that before sin, dominion having been given +to man over all animals of earth, there was concord not only among men +but also between animals and man? + +277. Though the first chapter clearly proves that these wild beasts +were created with the others, on account of sin their nature was +altered. Those created gentle and harmless, after the fall became wild +and harmful. This is my view, though since our loss of that state of +innocent existence it is easier to venture a guess than to reach a +definition of that life. + +278. But, you ask, if because of sin the nature of animals became +completely altered, how could Noah control them, especially the savage +and fierce ones? The lion surely could not be controlled, nor tigers, +panthers and the like. The answer is: Such wild animals went into the +ark miraculously. To me this appears reasonable. If they had not been +forced by a divine injunction to go into the ark, Noah would not have +had it within his power to control such fierce animals. Undoubtedly he +had to exercise his own human power, but this alone was insufficient. +And the text implies both conditions, for at first it says: "Thou +shalt bring into the ark," and then adds: "Two of every sort shall +come unto thee." If they had not been miraculously guided, they would +not have come by twos and sevens. + +279. 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 disaster. Even brute natures have premonitions and +forebodings of impending calamities, and often as if prompted by a +certain sense of compassion, they will manifest distress for a man in +evident peril. We see dogs and horses understand the perils of their +masters and show themselves affected by such intelligence, the dogs by +howling, the horses by trembling and the emission of copious sweat. As +a matter of fact it is not rare that wild beasts in danger seek refuge +with man. + +280. When, therefore, there is elsewhere in brute natures such an +intelligence, is it a wonder that, after having been divinely aroused +to a sense of coming danger, they joined themselves voluntarily to +Noah? For the text shows they came voluntarily. In the same manner +history bears witness, and our experience confirms it, that, when a +terrible pestilence rages or a great slaughter is imminent, wolves, +the most ferocious of animals, flee not only into villages, but, on +occasion, even into cities, taking refuge among men and humbly asking, +as it were, their help. + +B. THE FOOD NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + +V. 21. _And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather +it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them._ + +281. Inasmuch as the flood was to last a whole year, 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 animals. +Though the wrath of God was terrible, to the destruction of everything +born on earth, the goodness of the Lord shines forth, notwithstanding, +in this an awful calamity. He looks to the preservation of man and the +animals, and through their preservation to that of the species. The +animals chosen for preservation in the ark were sound and of +unblemished body, and through divine foresight, they received food +suitable to their nature. + +282. As for man, it is established that, as yet, he did not use flesh +for food. He ate only of the vegetation of the earth, which was far +more desirable before the flood than at present, after the remarkable +corruption of the earth through the brackish waters. + +283. We observe here the providence of God, by whose counsel the evil +are punished and the good saved. By a miracle God preserves a portion +of his creatures when he punishes the wicked and graciously makes +provision for their posterity. + +284. It would have been an easy matter for God to preserve Noah and +the animals for the space of a full year without food, as he preserved +Moses, Elijah and Christ, the latter for forty days, without food. He +made everything out of nothing, which is even more marvelous. Yet God, +in his government of the things created, as Augustine learnedly +observes, allows them to perform their appropriate functions. In other +words, to apply Augustine's view to the matter in hand, God performs +his miracles along the lines of natural law. + +285. God also requires that we do not discard the provisions of +nature, which would mean to tempt God; but that we use with +thanksgiving the things God has prepared for us. A hungry man who +looks for bread from heaven rather than tries to obtain it by human +means, commits sin. Christ gives the apostles command to eat what is +set before them, Lk 10, 7. So Noah is here enjoined to employ the +ordinary methods of gathering food. God did not command him to expect +in the ark a miraculous supply of food from heaven. + +286. The life of the monks is all a temptation of God. They cannot be +continent and still they refrain from matrimony; likewise they abstain +from certain meats, though God has created them to be received with +thanksgiving by them that believe, and by those who know the truth, +that every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected, if it +be received with thanksgiving, 1 Tim 4, 3-4. The use of medicine is +legitimate; yea, it has been created as a necessary means to conserve +health. The study of the arts and of language is to be cultivated and, +as Paul says, "Every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be +rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified +through prayer." 1 Tim 4, 4-5. + +287. God was able to preserve Noah in the midst of the waters. They +fable of Clement that he had a cell in the middle of the sea. Yea, the +people of Israel were preserved in the midst of the Red Sea and Jonah +in the belly of the whale. But this was not God's desire. He rather +willed that Noah should use the aid of wood and trees, so that human +skill might thereby have a sphere for its exercise. + +288. When, however, human means fail, then it is for you either to +suffer or to expect help from the Lord. No human effort could support +the Jews when they stood by the sea and were surrounded in the rear by +the enemy. Hence, a miraculous deliverance was to be hoped for, or a +sure death to be suffered. + +C. NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + +V. 22. _Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did +he._ + +289. This phrase is very frequent in Scripture. This is the first +passage in which praise for obedience to God is clothed in such a form +of words. Later we find it stated repeatedly that Moses, the people, +did according to all that God commanded them. But Noah received +commendation as an example for us. His was not a dead faith, which is +no faith at all, but a living and active faith. He renders obedience +to God's commands, and because he believes both God's promises and +threats, he carefully carries out what God commanded with reference to +the ark and the gathering of animals and food. This is unique praise +for Noah's faith, that he remains on the royal way--adds nothing, +changes nothing and takes nothing from the divine command, but abides +absolutely in the precept he has heard. + +290. It is the most common and at the same time most noxious sin in +the Church, that people either altogether change God's commands or +render something else paramount to them. There is only one royal road +to which we must keep. They sin who swerve too much to the left by +failing to perform the divine commands. Those who swerve to the right +and do more than God has commanded, like Saul when he spared the +Amalekites, also sin even more grievously than those who turn to the +left. They add a sham piety; for, while those who err on the left +cannot excuse their error, these do not hesitate to ascribe to +themselves remarkable merit. + +291. And such error is exceedingly common. God is wont sometimes to +command common, paltry, ridiculous and even offensive things, but +reason takes delight in splendid things. From the common ones it +either shrinks or undertakes them under protest. Thus the monks shrank +from home duties and chose for themselves others apparently of greater +glamour. Today the great throng, hearing that common tasks are +preached in the Gospel, despises the Gospel as a vulgar teaching, +lacking in elegance. What noteworthy thing is it to teach that +servants should obey their master and children their parents? Such a +common and oft-taught doctrine the learned papists not only neglect +but even ridicule. They desire rather something unique, something +remarkable either for its reputed wisdom or for its apparent difficult +character. Such is the madness of man's wisdom. + +292. In general it is wisdom to observe not so much the person that +speaks as that which he says, because the teacher's faults are always +in evidence. But when we consider precepts of God and true obedience, +this axiom should be reversed. Then we should observe not so much that +which is said, but the person of him who speaks. In respect to divine +precepts, if you observe that which is said and not him who speaks, +you will easily stumble. This is illustrated by the example of Eve, +whose mind did not dwell upon the person who issued the command. She +regarded only the command and concluded it to be a matter of small +moment to taste the apple. But what injury was thereby wrought to the +whole human race! + +293. He who observes him that gives the command will conclude that +what is very paltry in appearance is very great. The Papists estimate +it a slight thing to govern the State, to be a spouse, to train +children. But experience teaches that these are very important +matters, for which the wisdom of men is incompetent. We see that at +times the most spiritual men have here shamefully fallen. When we, +therefore, remember him who gives the command, that which is paltry +and common becomes a responsibility too great to discharge without +divine aid. + +294. The Papists, therefore, who look only at the outward mask, like +the cow at the gate, can make light of duties toward home and State, +and imagine they perform others of greater excellence. In the very +fact that they are shameless adulterers, blasphemers of God, defilers +of the sanctuary and brazen squanderers of the Church's property, they +powerfully testify against themselves that they can in no wise +appreciate the paltry, common and vulgar domestic and public duties. + +295. In what, therefore, consists the holiness they vaunt? Forsooth, +in that on certain days they abstain from meat, that they bind +themselves to certain vows, that they have a liking for certain kinds +of work. But, I ask you, who has given command to do those things? No +one. That which God has enjoined or commanded, they do not respect. +They render paramount something else concerning which God has given no +command. + +296. Hence, the vital importance of this rule, that we observe not the +contents of the command but its author. He who fails to do this will +often be offended, as I said, by the insignificance or absurdity of a +task. God should receive credit for wisdom and goodness. Assuredly +that which he himself enjoins is well and wisely enjoined, though +human reason judge differently. + +297. From the wisdom of God the Papists detract when they consider +divinely enjoined tasks as paltry and attempt to undertake something +better or more difficult. God is not propitiated by such works, but +rather provoked, as Saul's example shows. As if God were stupid, +dastardly, and cruel in that he commanded to destroy the Amalekites +and all their belongings, Saul conceived a kinder plan and reserved +the cattle for the purpose of sacrifice. What else was such action but +to deem himself wise and God foolish. + +298. Hence Moses rightly commends in this passage Noah's obedience +when he says that he did everything the Lord had enjoined. That means +to give God credit for wisdom and goodness. He did not discuss the +task, as Adam, Eve and Saul did to their great hurt. He kept his eye +on the majesty of him who gave the command. That was enough for him, +even though the command be absurd, impossible, inexpedient. All such +objections he passes by with closed eyes, as it were, and takes his +stand upon the one thing commanded by God. This text therefore is +familiar as far as hearing it is concerned, but even as to the +performance and practice of it, it is known to very few and is +extremely difficult. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +I. NOAH OBEYS COMMAND TO ENTER THE ARK. + + 1. Noah saw God's favor in his command 1. + + * Noah experienced severe temptations and needed comfort 1-2. + + 2. What God wished to teach Noah by calling him to enter the ark 3. + + 3. Whether God spoke this commandment directly to Noah 4-5. + + * When God speaks to us through men it is to be viewed as God's + Word 4-5. + + * The thoughts of the Jews on the seven days 6. + + * The office of the ministry. + + a. Through it God deals with mankind 7. + + b. Why we should not despise the office and expect revelations + direct from God 8-9. + + * God speaks with man in various ways 9. + + * Corruption and destruction of the first world. + + a. The ruin of the first compared with that of the last world + 10-13. + + * The need of posterity to pray that they retain pure doctrine + 12. + + b. Why so few righteous persons were found in Noah's day 12. + + * The efforts of the pope and bishops to crush the Gospel 13. + + c. First world severely punished, neither old nor young were + spared 14-15. + + d. Punishment of first world greatly moved Peter when he wrote + about it 16-17. + + * Peter's record of sermon Christ delivered to the spirits of the + first world in prison 16-17. + + a. Who are to be understood here by the unbelieving world 18. + + b. Peter here shows the wrath and long suffering of God 19. + + c. Nature and manner of this sermon 20. + + * Apostles had special revelations we cannot grasp 20-21. + + 4. How Noah was righteous before God 22. + + 5. How the world laughed at him while executing God's command, God + then comforted him 23-24. + + 6. Greatness of Noah's faith and steadfastness in executing this + command 25-26. + + * Luther's confession he would have been too weak for such a work + 25-26. + + * The great firmness of John Huss and Jerome of Prague 27. + + * We are to comfort ourselves when all the world forsakes and + condemns us 28. + + 7. God commands Noah to take the animals he names along into the + ark 29. + + * Why God so often repeats the same thing 29. + + a. What is to be understood by Behemoth 30. + + b. How many of each kind entered the ark 31. + + * The rain at the flood was exceptional 32. + + * The flood is a token of God's righteousness and from it we + conclude God will punish the sins of the last world 33. + + 8. By what may we learn Noah's faith and obedience to God 34. + + * Why God did not save Noah in some other way 34. + + +I. NOAH OBEYS COMMAND TO ENTER THE ARK. + +V. 2a. _And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into +the ark._ + +1. As soon as that extraordinary structure, the ark, was built, the +Lord commanded Noah to enter it, because the time of the deluge, which +the Lord announced one hundred and twenty years before, was now at +hand. All this convinced Noah that God was taking care of him; and not +only this, but also, as Peter says (2 Pet 1, 19), gave him an ample +and abundant word to support and confirm his faith in such great +straits. Having foretold the deluge for more than a century, he +doubtless was bitterly mocked by the world in many ways. + +2. As I have said repeatedly, God's wrath was incredible. It could not +be grasped by the human mind, in that original age of superior men, +that God was about to destroy the whole human race, except eight +souls. Noah, being holy and just, a kindly and merciful man, often +struggled with his own heart, hearing with the greatest agitation of +mind the voice of the Lord, threatening certain destruction to all +flesh. It was needful, then, that repeated declaration should confirm +his agitated faith, lest he might doubt. + +3. God's command to enter the ark amounted to this: "Doubt not, the +time of punishment for the unbelieving world is close at hand. But +tremble not, do not fear, for faith is at times very weak in the +saints. I shall take care of you and your house." To us such promise +would have been incredible, but we must admit that all things are +possible with God. + +4. Notice Moses' peculiar expression again: "Jehovah said." It gives +me particular pleasure that these words of God did not sound from +heaven, but were spoken to Noah through the ministry of man. Although +I would not deny that these revelations may have been made by an +angel, or by the Holy Spirit himself, yet where it can plausibly be +said that God spoke through men, there the ministry must be honored. +We have shown above that many of God's words according to Moses, were +spoken through Adam; for the Word of God, even when spoken by man, is +truly the Word of God. + +5. Now, as Methuselah, Noah's grandfather, died in the very year of +the deluge, it would not be inapt to infer that (since Lamech, Noah's +father, had died five years before the flood,) this was, so to speak, +Methuselah's last word and testament to his grandson, a dying +farewell. Perhaps he added some remarks as these: My son, as thou hast +obeyed the Lord heretofore, and hast awaited this wrath in faith, and +hast experienced God's faithful protection from the wicked, henceforth +firmly believe that God will take care of thee. The end is now at +hand, not mine alone, which is one of grace, but the end of all +mankind, which is one of wrath. For after seven days the flood will +begin, concerning which thou hast long and vainly warned the world. +After this manner, I think, spoke Methuselah, but the words are +attributed to God, because the Spirit of God spoke through the man. + +Thus I like to interpret these instances to the honor of the ministry +wherever, as in this case, it can appropriately be done. Since it is +certain that Methuselah died in the very year of the flood, the +supposition is harmless that these were his last words to Noah, his +grandson, who heard his words and accepted them as the Word of God. + +6. The Jews' peculiar idea concerning these seven days is that they +were added to the one hundred and twenty years in honor of Methuselah, +that therein his posterity might bewail his death. This is a harmless +interpretation, for the patriarch's descendants did not fail to do +their duty, particularly his pious children. + +7. But the first view concerning the ministry of the Word, is not only +plausible, but also practical. God does not habitually speak +miraculously and by revelation, particularly where, he has instituted +the ministry for this very purpose of speaking to men, teaching, +instructing, consoling and entreating them. + +8. In the first place, God entrusts the Word to parents. Moses often +says: "Thou shalt tell it to thy children." Then to the teachers of +the Church is it entrusted. Abraham says (Lk 16, 29): "They have Moses +and the prophets; let them hear them." We must expect no revelation, +be it inward or outward, where the ministry is established; otherwise +all ranks of human society would be disturbed. Let the pastor preach +in Church; let the magistrate rule the State; let parents control the +house or family. Such are the ministries of men instituted by God. We +should make use of them and not look for new revelations. + +9. Still I do not deny that Noah heard God speak after Methuselah's +death. God speaks ordinarily through the public ministry--through +parents and the teachers of the Church--and in rare cases by inward +revelation, through the Holy Spirit. It is well that we remember not +to overlook the Word in vain expectation of new revelations, as the +fanatics do. Such a course gives rise to spirits of error, a source of +disturbance to the whole world, as the example of the Anabaptists +proves. + +V. 1b. _For thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation._ + +10. This is truly a picture of the primitive, ancient world, as Peter +calls it. 2 Pet 2, 5. His appellation carries the thought of a +peculiarity of that particular age, which is foreign to the people of +our own. Could words be more appalling than these, that Noah alone was +righteous before the Lord? The world is similarly pictured in Ps 14, +2-3, where we read that the Lord looked down from heaven to see if +there were any that did understand, that did seek God. But he says: +"They are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; there is +none that doeth good, no, not one." + +11. Similar to this judgment upon the world was Christ's declaration +as to the last days. He says: "When the Son of man cometh, shall he +find faith on the earth?" Lk 18, 8. It is a fearful thing to live in +such an evil and godless world. By the goodness of God, since we have +the light of his Word, we are still in the golden age. The sacraments +are rightfully administered in our Churches, pious teachers proclaim +the Word purely, and, though magistrates be weak, wickedness is not +desperately rampant. But Christ's prophecy shows that there will be +evil times when the Lord's day approaches. Wholesome teaching nowhere +will be found, the Church being dominated by the wicked, as today the +plans of our adversaries are a menace. The pope and the wicked princes +zealously strive totally to destroy the ministry of the Word, +oppressing or corrupting the true ministries, that everyone may +believe whatever pleases him. + +12. So much the more diligently should we pray for our posterity, and +take earnest heed that a more wholesome doctrine be transmitted to +them. If there had been more godly teachers in the days of Noah, there +might have been more righteous people. The fact that Noah alone was +proclaimed a righteous man makes it evident that the godly teachers +had been either destroyed or corrupted, leaving Noah the sole preacher +of righteousness, as Peter calls him, 2 Pet 2, 5. Since government had +been turned into tyranny and the home vitiated by adultery and +whoredom, how could punishment be delayed any longer? + +13. Such danger awaits us also if the last days are to be like the +days of Noah. Truly, the popes and bishops strenuously endeavor to +suppress the Gospel and to ruin the Churches which have been +rightfully established. Thus does the world assiduously press onward +to a period similar to the age of Noah, when, with the light of the +Word extinguished, all shall go astray in the darkness of wickedness. +For without the preaching of the Word, faith cannot endure nor prayer, +nor the purity of the sacraments. + +14. Such, according to Moses, was the condition of the ancient world +in Noah's day, when the world was young and at its best. The greatest +geniuses flourished everywhere and people were well educated by +experience because they lived so long. What will be our fate in the +frenzy, so to speak, that shall befall the world in its dotage? We +should remember to care for our posterity and continually pray for it. + +15. As the first world was most corrupt, it was thus subject to +terrible punishment. Adults perished who provoked God to anger by +their wicked deeds, also those of an innocent age, who had knowledge +and were unable to distinguish between their right hand and their +left. Many, doubtless, were deceived by their own guilelessness; but +God's wrath does not discriminate, it falls upon and destroys alike +adults and infants, the crafty and the guileless. + +16. This awful punishment appears to have moved even the Apostle +Peter. Like one besides himself, he uses words which we today are not +able to understand. He says: Christ, having been made alive in the +Spirit, also "went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that +aforetime were disobedient, when the long suffering of God waited in +the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, +eight souls, were saved through water," etc. (1 Pet 3, 19-20). + +17. A strange declaration, and an almost fanatical saying, by which +the Apostle describes this event! By these words, Peter assures us +that there was a certain unbelieving world to whom the dead Christ +preached after their death. If this is true, who would doubt that +Christ took Moses and the prophets with him to those who were fettered +in prison, in order to change the unbelieving world into a new and +believing one? This seems to be intimated by Peter's words, though I +should not like to make this assertion authoritatively. + +18. But doubtless those whom he calls an unbelieving world were not +the wicked despisers of his Word nor the tyrants. If they were +overwhelmed in their sins, these were certainly condemned. The +unbelieving world of which he speaks seems rather to be the children +and those whose lack of judgment precluded belief. These were at that +time, seized and carried away headlong to their destruction, by the +offenses of the world, as if in the power of a rapid stream, only +eight souls being saved. + +19. In this way does Peter magnify the awful intensity of God's wrath. +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 world. + +20. How this came to pass is beyond our understanding. We know and +believe that God is wonderful in all his works and has all power. +Therefore he who in life preached to the living, could also in death +preach to the dead. All things hear, feel and touch him, though our +human minds can not understand the process. Nor is it to our discredit +when we are ignorant of some of the mysteries of Holy Writ. The +apostles had each his own revelation, and contention concerning them +would be presumptuous and foolish. + +21. Such was the revelation of Christ given to the spirits that +evidently perished in the flood, and we may perhaps, not +inappropriately connect it with that article of our creed which speaks +of the descent of Christ into hell. Such was also Paul's revelation +concerning paradise, the third heaven (2 Cor 12, 2-4), and certain +other matters of which we may be ignorant without shame. It is false +pride to profess to understand these things. St. Augustine and other +teachers give their fancy loose rein when they discuss these passages. +May it not be that the apostles had revelations which St. Augustine +and others did not have? But let us return to Moses. + +22. A truly fearful description of the world is vouchsafed in this +declaration of God that he saw Noah alone to be righteous before him, +in spite of the small children and those others who had innocently +been misled. Let us particularly note the term, "Before me." It +signifies that Noah was blameless not only as regards the second table +of the Law, but also as regards the first. He believed in God, and +hallowed, preached and called upon his name; he gave thanks to God; he +condemned godless teachings. For, to be righteous before God means to +believe God and to fear him, and not, as they taught in popedom, to +read masses, to free souls from purgatory, to become a monk, and like +things. + +23. This term "Before me" has reference also to the condemnation of +the ancient world. Having neglected the worship demanded by the first +table, they criminally transgressed also the second. Not only did they +mock Noah as a fool, but they went so far as to condemn his teaching +as heresy. Meanwhile they ate, drank, and celebrated festivals in +security. Before the world, accordingly, Noah was not righteous; +measured by her code he was a sinner. + +24. Hence God, or the grandfather, Methuselah, consoles Noah with the +Word of counsel to disregard the blind and wicked verdict of the +world, neither to care for her views and utterances, but to close eyes +and ears while heeding alone the Word and verdict of God, believing +himself to be righteous before God, or approved and acceptable to him. + +25. And Noah's faith was truly great; he could rely upon God's +utterance. I, forsooth, should not have believed. I realize what +weight the whole world's hostile and condemnatory judgment must carry. +We are condemned in the judgment of the Pope, the Sacramentarians, and +the Anabaptists, but this is mere play and pleasure, compared to what +the righteous Noah had to bear, who found not a single person in the +whole world to approve of his religion or life, except his own sons +and his pious grandfather. We have, the endorsement of many Churches, +by God's grace, and our princes fear no danger in defense of their +doctrine and religion. Noah had no such protectors, and he saw his +enemies living in peaceful leisure and enjoyment. If I had been he, I +surely should have said: Lord, if I am righteous, if I am well +pleasing to thee and if those people are wicked and displeasing to +thee, why, then, dost thou enrich them? Why dost thou heap upon them +all manner of favors, while I, with my family, am greatly harassed and +almost without assistance? In short, I should have despaired in such +great afflictions unless the Lord had given me that spirit which Noah +had. + +26. Therefore, Noah is a brilliant and admirable example of faith, 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 wicked. + +27. Often when I think of those most holy men, John Huss and Jerome of +Prague, I view with astonishment the courage of their souls, as they, +only two in number, set themselves against the judgment of the whole +world, of pope, emperor, bishops, princes, universities and all the +schools throughout the empire. + +28. It is helpful often to reflect upon such examples. Since the +prince of the world battles against us, endeavoring to kindle despair +in us with his fiery darts, it behooves us to be well armed, lest we +succumb to the enemy. Let us say with Noah: I know that I am righteous +before God, even though the whole world condemn me as heretical and +wicked, yea, even desert me. Thus did the apostles desert Christ, +leaving him alone; but he said (Jn 16, 32): "I am not alone." Thus did +the false brethren desert Paul. Hence, this is no uncommon danger, and +it is not for us to despair; but with courage to uphold the true +doctrine, in spite of the world's condemnation and curse. + +Vs. 2-3. _Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and +seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean +two, the male and his female. Of the birds also of the heavens, seven +and seven, male and female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all +the earth._ + +29. It is evident that God takes pleasure in speaking to Noah. Hence, +he does not confine himself to a single command, but repeats the same +things in the same words. To human reason such repetition appears to +be absurd talkativeness, but to a soul struggling against despair the +will of God cannot be repeated too often, nor can too exhaustive +instruction be given relative to the will of God. God recognizes the +state of a soul that is tempted, and hence makes the same statements +again and again, so that Noah may learn from frequent conversations +and conferences that he is not only not forsaken though the whole +world forsake him, but that he has a friend and protector in God who +so loves him that he never seems to weary of conversing with him. This +is the cause of the statements being repeated. However, as has been +explained, God spoke with Noah not from heaven but through men. + +30. In respect to the language, this passage shows that _ha-behemah_ +signifies not only cattle, the larger animals, but also the smaller +ones which were commonly used for sacrifice, as sheep, goats and the +like. The custom of offering sacrifices was not first instituted by +Moses, but was in the world from the beginning, being handed down, as +it were, by the patriarchs to their posterity; as shown by the example +of Abel, who brought of his first fruits an offering to God. + +31. As to the remainder of the passage, 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 there. To repeat is not +necessary. Since Noah was saved by a miracle, he thought that a +seventh animal should be added to the three pairs of clean beasts as a +thank-offering to God, after the flood, for his deliverance. + +V. 4. _For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth +forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made +will I destroy from off the face of the ground._ + +32. Here you see God's care to give Noah complete assurance. He sets a +limit of seven days, after which will follow a rain of forty days and +forty nights. God speaks with peculiar significance when he says that +it shall rain. It was not a common rain, but fountains of the deep as +well as the windows of heaven were opened; that is, not only did a +great mass of rain fall from heaven, but also an immense amount of +water streamed forth from the earth itself. And an immense amount of +water was necessary to cover the highest mountain tops to a depth of +fifteen cubits. It was no ordinary rain, but the rain of God's wrath, +by which he set out to destroy all life upon the face of the earth. +Because the earth was depraved, God despoiled it, and because the +godless people raged against the first and second tables of the +commandments, therefore God also raged against them, using heaven and +earth as his weapons. + +33. This story is certain proof that God, though long-suffering and +patient, will not allow the wicked to go unpunished. As Peter says (2 +Pet 2, 5), if he "spared not the ancient world," how much less will he +spare the popes or the emperors who rage against his Word? How much +less will he spare us who blaspheme his name when our life is unworthy +of our calling and profession, when we freely and daily sin against +our consciences? Let us, then, learn to fear the Lord, humbly to +accept his Word and obey it; otherwise punishment will overtake also +us, as Peter threatens. + +Vs. 5-10. _And Noah did according unto all that Jehovah commanded him. +And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon +the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons and his wife, and his sons' +wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of +clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of +everything that creepeth upon the ground, there went in two and two +unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. And it +came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were +upon the earth._ + +34. This is clear from what precedes. Noah's faith is praiseworthy in +that he obeyed the Lord's command and unwaveringly entered the ark +with his sons and their wives. God truly could have saved him in +innumerable other ways; he did not employ this seemingly absurd method +because he knew no other. To him who kept Jonah for three days in the +midst of the sea and in the belly of the whale, what do you think is +impossible? But Noah's faith and obedience are to be commended because +he took no offense at this plan of salvation divinely shown to him, +but embraced it in simple faith. + + +II. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION BY FLOOD. + + * Why Moses so often repeats and expresses in few words what other + writers describe at length 35-39. + + * Noah's grief because of the approaching calamity 38. + + * The way of coarse and satiated spirits 39. + + 1. When did the flood commence. + + a. Some think it began in the spring 40. + + b. Others think it began in the autumn 41. + + c. Which is the more probable 42. + + * What to think of the Jews reckoning the year has two + beginnings 44. + + 2. How the flood continued. + + a. Must distinguish the fountains of the earth, the windows of + heaven and the rain 45. + + * Of the earth and the water. + + (1) Why the water does not overflow the earth since the earth + floats in the water 46. + + (2) Why the water above the earth does not fall and overflow + the earth 47-48. + + (3) How the prophets wondered at this as a miracle, but we in + our day give it little thought 49. + + b. How were the fountains broken up, how can such a work be + ascribed to God 50-51. + + * Overflowing of the German fountains at Halle 51. + + c. How were the windows of heaven opened 52. + + (1) What is meant by the windows of heaven 53. + + (2) Why such words used here 53. + + 3. Flood covered and destroyed the whole earth 54. + + 4. Why God sent the deluge 54. + + * Why God so often repeats the same thing 55-60. + + * What is meant by Zippor 55. + + * How God's wrath as seen in the deluge was very great 56-57. + + 5. The deluge was a terrible spectacle; Noah and his sons took + courage from it 58-60. + + * Noah's glorious faith at the sight of the deluge 60. + + * Noah's long ship voyage; how he was comforted 61. + + 6. How the world's destruction harmonizes with God's promises: how + the promises to the Church agree with his threatenings 62ff. + + * God's threatenings and man's unbelief. + + a. Why the first world believed not the threatenings about the + deluge 62ff. + + b. Why the Jews believe not the threatenings of the prophets 63. + + c. Why the Papists believed not the threats against them 64. + + * God's Church and her maintenance. + + a. The world understands not how the church is maintained 66. + + b. What is the true form of the true Church 66. + + c. God's promises not rescinded when rejected; who bear the name + of the Church 67-68. + + 7. Whether God fully rescinded through the flood the rule over the + earth he once gave man 69. + + * How God preserved his Church through the deluge 69. + + 8. The deluge was apparently against God's promise 70. + + * God allows nothing to hinder the punishment of the impenitent + 71-73. + + * By what means Papists adorn themselves and how it is all in vain + 72. + + * Why we should not rely on present, temporal things, but upon + God's Word 73. + + * The marks of a true Church. + + a. What they are not and what they are 74-76. + + b. Papists have characteristics Holy Scriptures give as marks of + Antichrist 75. + + c. Church born of God's Word and is to be known by that Word 76. + + d. Rule to be observed in the marks of the true Church 77. + + e. How far one may consider the Papists the true church, and how + far not 78-79. + + f. The true church is where the Word is, although few belong to + it and it has no temporal power 79. + + g. Whether the Evangelicals can justly be accused of falling + from the old church 80. + + h. How and why the Evangelical or Gospel Church is really the + true Church 81. + + * How Noah retained all and remained lord of the world although + the deluge destroyed everything 81. + + +II. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION. + +Vs. 11-12. _In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second +month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all +the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven +were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty +nights._ + +35. We see that Moses uses a great many words, which results in +tiresome repetition. How often he mentions the animals! how often the +entrance into the ark! how often the sons of Noah who entered at the +same time! The reason for this must be left to the spiritually minded; +they alone know and see that the Holy Spirit does not repeat in vain. + +36. Others, however, who are more materially minded may think that +Moses, being moved, when he wrote the passage, by the greatness of +God's wrath, desired to enforce its truths by repetition; for +reiteration of statements is soothing to troubled minds. Thus did +David repeat his lament over his son Absalom, 2 Sam 18, 33. So viewed, +this narrative shows depth of feeling and extreme agitation of mind. +This example of wrath so impresses the narrator that for emphasis he +mentions the same thing again and again, and in the same words. + +37. This is not the custom of poets and historians. Their emotions are +factitious; they are diffuse in their descriptions; they pile up words +for mere effect. Moses husbands his words, 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 another. + +38. Evidently Moses did not only wish to convey by persistent +repetition the extreme agitation of his own mind, but also of that of +Noah himself, who, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and burning with +love, necessarily deplored the calamity when he saw that he could not +avert it. He foresaw the doom of the wisest and most distinguished and +eminent men. Thus did David mourn when he could not call back Absalom +to life. So Samuel mourned when he despaired of saving Saul. + +39. The text is not a mere tautology or repetition. The Holy Spirit +does not idly repeat words, as those superficial minds believe, which, +having read through the Bible once, throw it aside as if they had +gathered all its contents. 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 year, the +second month and the second day of his life. + +40. Opinions differ as to the beginning of the year. One is, that the +year begins at the conjunction of the sun and the moon which occurs +nearest to the vernal equinox. Thus this month is called the first by +Moses in Exodus. If the flood set in on the seventeenth day of the +second month, it must have continued almost to the end of April, the +most beautiful season of the year, when the earth seemingly gathers +new strength, when the birds sing and the beasts rejoice, when the +world puts on a new face, as it were, after the dreary season of +winter. 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 life. This view is substantiated by the +words of Christ in Matthew 24, 38, where he compares the last days of +the world to the days of Noah and speaks of feasting, marriage and +other signs of gladness. + +41. A second opinion makes the year begin with that new moon which is +nearest to the autumnal equinox, when all the harvest has been +gathered from the fields. Its advocates declare this to be the +beginning of the year, because Moses calls that month in which such +new moon occurs, the end of the year. They call this autumnal equinox +the beginning of the civil year, and the vernal equinox the beginning +of the holy year. The Mosaic ceremonies and festivals extend from the +latter season up to the autumnal equinox. + +42. If Moses in this passage is speaking of the civil year, then the +flood occurred in September or October, an opinion I find Lyra held. +It is true that fall and winter are more liable to rains, the signs of +the zodiac pointing to humidity. Again, as Moses writes further on, a +dove was sent forth in the tenth month and brought back a green olive +branch. This fact seems to harmonize with the view that the deluge +began in October. + +43. But I cannot endorse this argument of the Jews, assuming two +beginnings of the year. Why not make four beginnings, since there are +four distinct seasons according to the equinoxes and solstices? It is +safer to follow the divine order, making April the first month, +starting with the new moon which is nearest to vernal equinox. The +Jews betray their ignorance in speaking of an autumnal beginning of +the year: the autumnal equinox is necessarily the end of the year. +Moses so calls it for the reason that all field labors had then ceased +and all products had been gathered and brought home. + +44. Hence, it is my belief that the flood began in the spring, when +all minds were filled with hope of the new year. Such is the death of +the wicked that when they shall say, "Peace and safety," they perish. +1 Thes 5, 3. Nor is any inconsistence shown in the fact that the green +olive branch is afterward mentioned, for certain trees are evergreen, +as the boxwood, fir, pine, cedar, laurel, olive, palm and others. + +45. But what does Moses mean by saying that the fountains of the great +deep burst, and that the windows of heaven were opened? No such record +is found in all pagan literature, although the heathen searched with +zeal the mysteries of nature. One discrimination should be made as +regards the abysses of the earth, the floodgates or windows of heaven, +and the rain. Rain, as we know it, is a common phenomenon, while that +of bursting floodgates and abysses is both unfamiliar and amazing. + +46. Almost all interpreters are silent on this point. We know from +Holy Writ that God, by his Word, established a dwelling-place for man +and other living beings on dry land, above the water, contrary to +nature; for it is opposed to natural law that the earth, being placed +in water, should rise up out of it. If you cast a clod into the water, +it sinks at once. But the dry land stands up out of the water by +virtue of the Word, which has set bounds for the sea, as Solomon (Prov +8, 27) and Job (ch 38, 11) declare. Unless the water were restrained +by the power of the Word, with a bound, as it were, they would +overflow and lay waste everything. Thus is our life guarded every +single moment, and wonderfully preserved by the Word. We have an +illustration in partial deluges, when at times entire states or +regions are flooded, proving that we should daily suffer such +unpleasant things if God did not take care of us. + +47. But just as there are waters below us, and beneath the earth, so, +too, are there waters above us, and beyond the sky. If they should +descend, obeying natural law, destruction would result. The clouds +float as if suspended in space. When at times they descend, how great +the terror they cause! But imagine the result of a universal collapse! +How they would burst, in obedience to the law of their nature, did +they not remain in place above us, suspended, as it were, by the Word! + +48. Thus we are girt about on all sides by water, shielded only by a +frail ceiling of unsubstantial material--the air that we +breathe--which bears up the clouds and carries that weight of water, +not in obedience to the laws of nature, but by the command of God, or +by the power of the Word. + +49. When the prophets think of these things they are lost in +admiration. It is contrary to nature that such a weight should remain +in suspension above the earth. But we, blinded by daily witnessing of +such wonders, neither observe nor admire them. That we are not at any +moment overwhelmed by waters from above or from below, we owe to the +divine majesty which orders all things and preserves all creatures so +wonderfully, and he ought to be the object of our praise. + +50. Startling and significant are the words Moses uses--the fountains +of the great deep were broken up. The conception he would convey is +that they had been closed by God's power and sealed, as it were, with +God's seal, as today; and that God did not open them with a key, but +rent them with violence, so that the ocean, in a sudden upheaval, +covered everything with water. It is not to be supposed that God moved +his hand, because the fountains of the deep are said to have been +broken up. It is the custom of Scripture to adapt itself to our +understanding in the phraseology employed, 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 nature. That is the reason +the ocean seemed to swell and boil. In the salt works in our +neighborhood there is a spring named after the Germans, which, if it +is not pumped out at certain times, swells and overflows with terrific +force. + +51. They say that in olden times the town of Halle was once destroyed +by a violent overflow of a spring of the kind described. If a single +spring could work such destruction what would be the result of the +uncurbed power of ocean and seas? Thus mankind was destroyed before +they even knew their danger. Whither should they flee when the waters +poured in upon them with such force? + +52. But this is not all: the windows of heaven also were opened. +Moses' word implies that to that time the windows were closed as they +are closed today. Indeed, the world thought such opening impossible; +their sins, however, made it possible. + +53. Moses' use here of the word "windows" signifies the literal +opening of heaven. With rain as we know it, the water appears to fall +by drops from the pores of the rain-clouds, but at the time of the +flood it came down with great force, not through pores, but through +windows, like water poured from a vessel with one movement, or as when +water-skins burst in the middle. Moses uses this figure of speech for +the sake of effect, so that those occurrences are brought to our +vision. + +54. A volume of water, therefore, swept over the earth, from the sky +as well as from the innermost parts of the earth, until at last the +whole earth was covered with water, and the fertile soil, or the +entire face of the earth was destroyed by the briny flood. A like +instance occurs nowhere in any book. The Holy Scriptures alone teach +us that these things were visited upon the world sinning in imagined +security, and that to this day the waters suspended in the clouds are +restrained only by the kindness of God. Otherwise they would descend +in vast volume, as in the flood, according to the law of their nature. + +Vs. 13-16. _In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and +Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and three wives of his +sons with them, into the ark; they, and every beast after its kind, +and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that +creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, +every bird of every sort. And, they went in unto Noah and the ark, two +and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. And they that went +in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him._ + +55. Here Moses begins to be remarkably verbose. His wordiness hurts +tender ears when he so often and apparently without any use repeats +the same things. It is not sufficient to say "all birds," but he names +three kinds of birds. Of these, the term _zippor_ is usually said to +mean "a sparrow," but this passage shows clearly that it is a generic +term, doubtless so called from the sound, _zi, zi_. He also names +three kinds of beasts. Also, when speaking of the flood itself, he is +very wordy, saying that the waters prevailed, that they increased, +that they flooded and covered the face of the earth. Finally, when he +tells of the effect of this flood, he makes similar repetition: "All +flesh expired, died, was destroyed," etc. + +56. But I said above (§37) that Moses repeats these things contrary to +his style, in order to force the reader to pause and more diligently +learn and meditate upon this great event. We cannot fully comprehend +the wrath which destroys, not man alone, but all his possessions. +Moses wishes to arouse hardened and heedless sinners by such a +consideration of God's wrath. + +57. Hence, these words are not idle, as a shallow and unspiritual +reader might judge. They rather challenge us to fear God, and call +attention to the present so that, sobered by the thought of such +wrath, we may make an earnest beginning in the fear of God, and cease +from sin. For not without many tears does Moses appear to have written +this account! 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 again. Doubtless he does this with the purpose to +thrust such darts of divine fear, so to speak, into the souls of pious +readers. + +58. It may be well to transport ourselves in thought into the time of +the event. What do you think would be our state of mind if we had been +put into the ark, if we had seen the waters spreading everywhere with +overwhelming force and the wretched human beings perishing without +possibility of help? Let us remember that Noah and his sons were also +flesh and blood; that is, they were men who, as that person in the +comedy (Terence, Heaut. 1: 1, 25) says, thought nothing human was +foreign to themselves. They were in the ark for forty days before it +was lifted off the earth. In those days were destroyed all the human +beings and animals living upon the earth. This calamity they saw with +their own eyes; who would doubt that they were violently stirred by +the sight? + +59. Furthermore, the ark floated upon the waters for one hundred and +fifty days, buffeted on all sides by the waves and winds. There was no +hope for any harbor, or for any meeting with men. As exiles, +therefore, as vanished from the earth, as it were, they were driven +here and there by currents and winds. Is it not a miracle that those +eight human beings did not die from grief and fear? Truly, we are made +of stone if we can read this story with dry eyes. + +60. What outcry, sorrow and wailing if from the shore we see a small +boat overturned, and human beings miserably perishing! Here, however, +not one boat-load, but the entire world of men perish in the waters; a +world composed not only of grown persons, but also babes; not only of +criminal and wicked ones, but also simple-hearted matrons and virgins. +They all perished. 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 event. Noah's +faith was truly of a rare kind, 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 world. + +Vs. 16-24. _And Jehovah shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon +the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was +lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and increased +greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. +And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high +mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen +cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. +And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, +and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and +every man: all, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of +life, of all that was on the dry land, died. And every living thing +was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and +cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were +destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were +with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred +and fifty days._ + +61. For forty days the ark stood in some plain. By that time the +waters had risen to such an extent that they lifted the ark, which +then floated for one hundred and fifty days. A long sea voyage indeed, +and one of great mourning and tears. Yet the occupants upheld +themselves by faith, not doubting the kindness of God toward them. +They had experienced his goodness when building the ark, when +preparing the food, when getting ready other things needful for this +occasion, and finally when the Lord closed the ark after the flood +came in its power. + +62. The question arises, how can God be truthful here? He had set man +as master over the earth to cultivate and rule it. God did not create +the earth to lie waste, but to be inhabited and give its fruits to +men. How can we reconcile such purpose of the creator with the fact +that he destroyed all mankind except eight souls? 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 flood. How can we harmonize God's promise to Adam and +Eve, "You shall rule the earth," and his words here to Noah, "The +water shall overpower all men, and destroy them all." So the +unbelievers decided that Noah's preaching was wicked and heretical. + +63. 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 kings, who knew this grand promise: "This is my +resting-place forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it," Ps +132, 14; and that other, by Isaiah: "Here is my fire, and my +hearth-stone," Is 31, 9. To them it was incredible that either the +State or the temple should be overthrown by the gentiles. And the +Jews, miserable outcast though they be, even to this day hold fast the +promise that they are God's people and heirs of the promises given +Abraham and the fathers. + +64. Thus is the pope puffed up with the promises given to the Church: +"I am with you unto the end of the world," Mt 28, 20; "I will not +leave you desolate," Jn 14, 18; "I made supplication for thee, that +thy faith fail not," Lk 22, 32; and others. Though he sees and feels +the wrath of God, yet, caught in these promises, he dreams, and +likewise his followers, that his throne and power are secure. Hence +the Papists blatantly use the name of the Church to overwhelm us, +promising themselves the utmost success, as if they could force God to +establish the Church according to their dreams and desires. + +65. Fitly, then, do we here raise the question how the flood, by which +all mankind perished, agrees with the will of God, who created human +nature and gave it the promise and endowment of dominion. The answer +to this question will likewise settle the one concerning the Church. +It is this: God remains truthful, preserving, ruling and governing his +Church though in a manner transcending the observation and +understanding of the world. He permits the Roman pontiff and his +adherents to think that the pope is the Church. He suffers him to feel +secure and to enjoy his dignity and title. But in fact God has +excommunicated the pontiff, because he rejects the Word and +establishes idolatrous worship. + +66. On the other hand, God has chosen for himself another Church, +which embraces the Word and flees idolatry, a Church so oppressed and +shamefully afflicted that it is not considered a Church but a band of +heretics and the devil's school. Thus Paul writes to the Romans (ch 2, +17) that the Jews do not fear God yet they glory in the Law and in +God, at the same time denying, blaspheming and offending God. And +while the Jews, who take pride in being God's people, are doing this, +God prepares for himself a Church from the gentiles, who truly glory +in God and embrace his Word. + +67. But who should dare to accuse God of untruthfulness because he +preserves the Church in a manner unknown and undesired by man? Of +similar nature were the promises concerning the preservation of +Jerusalem and the temple. These promises were not violated when that +city and temple were laid waste by the Babylonians. For God +established another Jerusalem and another temple in the Spirit and by +the Word; Jeremiah promised (Jer 29, 10-11) that the people should +return after seventy years and that then both the temple and the +nation should be re-established. + +68. As regards the Jews, these were destroyed at that time, but not as +regards God who had promised in his Word that they should be rebuilt. +The Jews argue correctly that God will not desert the nation and +temple; but God keeps his promise in a way foreign to the thought of +the Jews, who believed that the nation would not be destroyed because +the promise said: "This is my resting-place forever." God permitted +destruction in order to punish the sins of his people, and yet he +preserved and protected the Church when the pious were brought back by +Cyrus and built the temple. + +69. In like manner, dominion over the world was given to man in the +beginning of creation. This is taken away in the flood, not forever, +but for a time, and that not altogether. Though the greater part of +the world perishes, yet man retains his mastery; and this mastery is +preserved to mankind, not as represented by a multitude, as the world +desired and believed, but by a few persons--eight souls--a thing which +seemed incredible to the world. + +70. Hence God did not lie; he kept his promise, but not as the world +would have had it. He destroyed the sinners and saved the righteous +few, which, like a seed, he thereafter multiplied in many ways. + +71. The Papists should keep before their eyes this judgment of God. It +teaches that neither numbers nor power nor his own promise is allowed +to prevent him from punishing the impenitent. Otherwise he would have +spared the first world and the offspring of the patriarchs to whom he +had granted dominion over the earth. Now he destroys all and saves +only eight. + +72. Is it wonderful, then, that he deals with the Papists in the same +way? Though they boast of rank, dignity, numbers, and power, yet, +because they trample the Word of God under foot and rage against it, +God will cast them away, choosing for himself another Church, which +will humbly obey the Word and accept with open arms the gifts of +Christ which the pope's Church, trusting in its own merits, haughtily +spurns. + +73. Therefore none should trust in the good things of present +possession, though they be promised by the divine Word. We must look +to the Word itself and trust in it alone. Those who set the Word aside +and put their trust in present things, will not go unscathed in their +fall from faith, however much they may boast of power and numbers. +This truth is shown by the flood, by the captivity of the Jews and +their present misfortune, and by the seven thousand men in the kingdom +of Israel. + +74. The proof is sufficiently strong, that great numbers do not make a +Church. Nor must we trust in holiness of origin, in forefathers, or in +the gifts of God which we enjoy. We must look to the Word alone and +judge thereby. Those alone who truly embrace the Word will be as +immovable forever as Mount Zion. They may be few in number and +thoroughly despised by the world, as were Noah and his children. But +God, through these few, preserved to man the truth of that promised +mastery when he had not even room to set his foot upon the earth. + +75. Our enemies, setting aside the Word, make much of number, outward +appearance, and persons. But the apostles foretold that the Antichrist +will be a respecter of persons, that will rely upon numbers and +ancient origin, that he will hate the Word and corrupt God's promises +and that he will kill those who cling to the Word. Shall we, then, +consider such people to be the Church? + +76. The Church is a daughter born from the Word, not the mother of the +Word. Therefore, whoever loses the Word and looks to men instead, +ceases to be the Church and lapses into utter blindness; nor will +either great numbers or power avail. They who keep the word, as did +Noah and his family, are the Church, though they be few in number, +even but eight souls. The Papists at this time surpass us in numbers +and rank; we not only are cursed, but suffer many things. But we must +endure until the judgment, when God will reveal that we are his +Church, and the Papists the church of Satan. + +77. So, then, we must observe that rule in 1 Sam 16, 7, where the Lord +says to Samuel: "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his +stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man +seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh +on the heart." + +78. Let us not, therefore, give heed to the greatness and might of the +pope, who boasts that he is the Church, proclaiming the apostolic +succession and the majesty of his person. Let us look to the Word. If +the pope embraces it, let us judge him to be the Church; but if he +does violence to it, let us judge him to be the slave of Satan. + +79. Paul says (1 Cor 2, 15) that the spiritual person judgeth all +things. If I were the only one on the face of the earth to keep the +Word, I should be the Church, and rightfully pass judgment upon all +the rest of the world that they were not the Church. Our enemies have +the office without the Word, and really have nothing. We, on the other +hand, have the Word, though we have nothing; yet we have everything +through the Word. Therefore, either let the pope, the cardinals and +the bishops come over to our side, or let them cease to boast that +they are the Church, which they cannot be without the Word, since it +is begotten only by the Word. + +80. We bear a great load of hatred, being accused of having deserted +the ancient Church. The Papists, on the other hand, boast that they +have remained true to the Church, and they want to leave everything to +the judgment of the Church. But we are accused falsely. To speak the +truth, 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 Word. + +81. Therefore though in their judgment they rob us of the title of the +Church, still we retain the Word, and through the Word we have all +ornaments of the true Church. For whoever has the Creator of all, must +needs also possess the creatures themselves. In this sense Noah +remained master of the world, though the waters prevailed, and the +earth perished. Though he lost his property, yet, because he retained +the Word by which everything was created, it may truly be said he +retained everything. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +I. NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK; THE WATERS ABATE. + + A. NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK. + + 1. How Noah and his family anxiously waited for God's promise, + and lived in faith, which is a hard life 1-3. + + 2. He had a hard time in the ark. What sustained him 2-4. + + 3. How he suffered in two ways 5. + + * Whether God can forget his saints 6. + + * Severest temptations are when man thinks he is forsaken by + God 7. + + 4. Noah's condition became more miserable because of his + family's distress 8-10. + + 5. Noah and family with difficulty overcame their temptation 11. + + * Christians need steadfastness 12. + + * Why God for a time conceals himself from his faithful ones + 13. + + * Temptations severe when saints imagine God has forsaken them + 14. + + B. THE WATERS ABATE. + + 1. The time the waters abated 15. + + 2. How the wind blew upon the earth and dried it. 16-17. + + 3. The abating of the waters was a sign by which God comforted + Noah 18. + + * Noah's Ark. + + a. When it began to float, how long it floated and when it + rested 19. + + b. On what mountain did it rest 20. + + c. What to think of Josephus' testimony 21. + + 4. When the mountain tops first seen 22. + + 5. How Noah learned the deluge had ceased. + + a. Why Noah sent forth the raven, and how the error arose the + raven never returned 23-24. + + * The Jews' unclean thoughts of the raven 24. + + b. Noah sent forth a dove, and if at the same time with the + raven 25. + + c. Noah sent out a second dove, which assured him that the + flood had ceased 26. + + (1) Dove returned with an olive leaf 26. + + (2) Whether it did this of its own impulse, and what God + thereby wished to indicate 27-28. + + (3) The Jews' ideas on where the dove got the olive leaf + 27. + + (4) Why an olive leaf 28. + + 6. How long Noah and family were in the ark 29. + + +I. NOAH IN ARK--FLOOD ABATES. + +A. NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK. + +V. 1a. _And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the +cattle that were with him in the ark._ + +1. When that horrible wrath had exhausted itself, and all flesh with +the earth had been destroyed, the promise made by God to Noah and his +sons, that they were to be the seed of the human race, began to be +realized. No doubt this promise was to them an object of eager +expectation. No life is so hedged about with difficulties as that of +faith. This was the life lived by Noah and his sons, whom we see +absolutely depending upon the heavens for support. The earth was +covered with water. Bottom on which to stand there was none. It was +the word of promise that upheld them, as they drifted in this welter +of waters. + +2. When the flesh is free from danger, it holds faith in contempt, as +the claims of the Papists show. It loves showy and toilsome tasks; in +these it sweats. But behold Noah, on all sides surrounded by waters, +yet not overwhelmed! Surely it is not works that sustain him but faith +in God's mercy extended through the word of promise. + +3. The difficulty besetting Noah is hinted at in the words: "God +remembered." Moses thus intimates that Noah had been tossed on the +water so long that God seemed to have forgotten him altogether. They +who pass through such a mental strain, when the rays of divine grace +are gone and they sit in darkness or are forgotten by God, 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 monk. + +4. Hence, it is not a meaningless expression when the Holy Spirit says +that "God remembered Noah." He means that from the day Noah entered +the ark, no word was spoken, nothing was revealed to him; that he saw +no ray of divine grace shining, but merely clung to the promise which +he had accepted, while in the meantime the waters and waves raged as +if God had certainly forgotten. 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 ark. And though the holy seed by the +aid of the conquering Spirit overcame those difficulties, the victory +was not won without vexation of the flesh, tears and stupendous fear, +felt, in my opinion, even by the brutes. + +5. Thus a twofold danger beset them. The universal flood which +swallowed up all mankind could not vanish without stupendous grief to +the righteous, particularly as they saw themselves reduced to so small +a number. Further, it was a serious matter to be buffeted by the +waters for almost half a year without any consolation from God. + +6. The expression used by Moses, "God remembered Noah," must not be +short of its meaning by calling it a rhetorical figure, signifying +that God acted after the manner of one who had forgotten Noah, whereas +God cannot in truth forget his saints. A mere master of rhetoric, +indeed, does not know what it means to live in such a state as to feel +that God has forgotten him. Only the most perfect saints understand +that, and can in faith bear, so to speak, a God who forgets. Therefore +the Psalms and all the Scriptures are filled with complaints of this +nature, in which God is called upon to arise, to open his eyes, to +hear, to awaken. + +7. Monks possessed of a higher degree of experience, at times +underwent this temptation and called it a suspension of grace. The +latter may be experienced also in temptations of a slighter nature. +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 Spirit. +Similarly, at a more mature age, impatience and the desire for revenge +can nowise be overcome unless God tears them from the soul. How much +more liable is the soul to fall into the darkness of despair, or into +ensnaring predestinarian tenets, when more severe temptations beset us +and the suspension of grace is felt. + +8. Hence this expression is not to be passed by as a mere rhetorical +ornament, according to the interpretation of the rabbis. It is +intended rather to portray the state of soul which feels despair +coming on amid unutterable groanings of heart, with just a spark of +faith left to wrest victory from the flesh. In the same way that Paul +suffered from Satan's messenger, we may believe that Noah felt himself +stabbed in the heart, and that he often argued thus within himself: +Dost thou believe that thou alone art so beloved of God? Dost thou +believe that thou will be kept safe to the end, when waters are +boundless, and those immense clouds seem to be inexhaustible? + +9. When, then, such broodings found their way also into the weak souls +of the women, what cries, wails and tears may we surmise to have been +the result? Almost overcome by sadness and grief, he was forced to +lift up and comfort those with the cheer his own heart did not feel. + +10. It was, therefore, no jest or frolic for them to live so long +locked up within the ark, to see the endless downpour of rain and to +be carried to and fro floating upon the waves. This was the experience +of having been forgotten by God which Moses implies when he says that +God at last remembered Noah and his sons. + +11. Though the occupants of the ark overcame this feeling by faith, +they did not do so without great vexation of the flesh; just as a +young man who leads a chaste life overcomes lust, but surely not +without the greatest vexation and trouble. In this instance, where the +trial was greater, where all evidence was at variance with the fact +that God was gracious and mindful of them, they indeed triumphed, but +not without fearful tribulation. For the flesh, weak in itself, can +bear nothing less patiently than the thought of a God who has +forgotten. Human nature is prone to be puffed up and haughty when God +remembers it, when he vouchsafes success and favor. Is it a wonder, +then, that we become broken in spirit and desperate when God seems to +have cast us away and everything goes against us? + +12. Let us remember that this story sets before us an example of +faith, of endurance, and of patience, to the end that, having the +divine promise, we should not only learn to believe it, but should +also consider that we are in need of endurance. Endurance is not +maintained without a great struggle, and Christ calls upon us, in the +New Testament, to acquire it when he says: "He that endureth to the +end, the same shall be saved," Mt 24, 13. + +13. This is the reason why God hides for a time, as it were, seeming +to have forgotten us, suspending his grace, as they say in the +schools. As in this temptation not only the spirit but also the flesh +is afflicted, so afterward, when he again begins to remember us, the +perception of grace which during the trial was evident only to the +spirit and most faintly at that, is extended to the flesh also. + +14. Hence, the word "remembered" indicates that great sadness beset +both man and beast during the entire time of the flood. It must have +been by dint of great patience and extraordinary courage that Noah and +the others bore this lapse from God's memory, which is simply +unbearable to the flesh without the spirit even in slight trials. +True, God always remembers his own, even when he seems to have +forsaken them; but Moses indicates that he remembered his people here +in a visible way, by a sign, and by openly fulfilling what he had +previously promised through the Word and the Spirit. This is the most +important passage in this chapter. + +B. Waters Abate. + +Vs. 1b-3. _And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters +assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven +were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters +returned from off the earth continually; and after the end of a +hundred and fifty days the waters decreased._ + +15. Moses said above (ch 7, 11-12) that the deluge raged in three +different ways; for not only were the fountains of the great deep +broken up and the windows of heaven opened, but also the rain +descended. When these forces ceased on the one hundred and fiftieth +day, quiet was once more in evidence and the fact that God remembered, +and Noah with his sons and their wives, as also the animals, was +refreshed after terror so great and continuous. If a storm of two days +duration causes seafarers to despair, how much more distressing was +that tossing about for half a year! + +16. The question here arises, how the wind was made to pass over the +earth, which as yet was entirely covered with water. It is nothing new +that winds have the power to dry, especially those from the east, +called by our countrymen "hohle winde," and by Virgil "parching +winds," from the drouth which they bring upon the earth. These are +mentioned also by Hosea 13, 15. The explanation, accordingly, is +simple. Moses says that the wind was made to pass over the earth, that +is, over the surface of the waters, for such a length of time that at +last, the waters being dried up, the earth again appeared. So, in +Exodus, a burning wind is said to have dried up the Red Sea. Now, God +might have accomplished this without any wind, yet he habitually +employs a natural means to attain his purposes. + +17. Up to this time Noah had lived in darkness, seeing nothing but the +waters rolling and raging in a terrifying volume. Now the delicious +light of the sun bursts forth once more, and the winds cease to roar +from all points of the compass. Only the east wind, calculated to +reduce the waters, is blowing, and gradually it takes away the +stagnant flood. Other means also are effective; the ocean no longer +hurls its waves upon the land, but takes back the waters which it had +spewed forth, and the floodgates of heaven are closed up. + +18. These are outward and tangible signs by which God consoles Noah, +showing him that he had not forgotten, but remembered him. This is a +practical and needed lesson also for us. When in the midst of dangers +we may with certainty look for God's help, who does not desert us if +we continue in faith, looking forward to the fulfilment of God's +promises. + +V. 4. _And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day +of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat._ + +19. The waters increased for forty days, until the ark was lifted from +the earth. Then for one hundred and fifty days it floated upon the +waters, driven by the winds and the waves, without a sign of God's +remembrance. At length the waters began to decrease, and the ark +rested. + +20. The point of dispute among the Jews here is the number of months. +But why waste any more time upon immaterial matters, particularly as +we see that the suggestions of the rabbis are not at all wise? It is +more to the purpose for us to inquire where the mountains of Ararat +are to be found. It is generally believed that they are mountains of +Armenia, close by the highest ranges of Asia Minor, the Caucasus and +the Taurus. But it appears to me that more likely the highest of all +mountains is meant, the Imaus (Himalaya), which divides India. +Compared to this range, other mountains are no more than warts. 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 Lebanon, Taurus, and Caucasus were uncovered, which +are, as it were, the feet or roots of the Himalaya, just as the +mountains of Greece may be called branches of the Alps extending up to +our Hercinian Forest (Harz). To anyone who surveys them with care the +mountains seem to be wonderfully related and united. + +21. Josephus has wonderful things to tell about the mountains of +Armenia, and he records that during his time remains of the ark were +discovered there. But I suppose nobody will judge me to be a heretic +if I occasionally doubt the reliability of his statements. + +V. 5. _And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in +the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the +mountains seen._ + +22. Moses said before that by the seventh month the waters had fallen +so far that the ark rested upon Ararat. In the third month thereafter, +the tops of the lower mountains began to appear, so that Noah, looking +down from the mountains of Ararat as if from a watchtower, saw also +the peaks of the other mountains, of the Taurus in Asia, the Lebanon +in Syria, and the like. All these were signs of God's remembrance. + +Vs. 6-7. _And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah +opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a +raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up +from off the earth._ + +23. So far the history; the allegorical significance we shall discuss +at its proper place. The carelessness of a translator has caused a +dispute upon this part of the story. The Hebrew text does not say that +the raven did not return, as Jerome translated; hence there was no +need to invent a reason why he did not return--because he found dead +bodies lying about everywhere. They claim that abundance of food +prevented him. + +24. On the contrary, Moses says that the raven which had been sent +forth, returned; although he did not permit himself to be again +imprisoned in the ark as the dove did. Moses implies that Noah sent +forth the raven to find out whether animals could, by that time find +dry land and food. The raven, however, did not faithfully carry out +his mission, but rejoicing to be set free from his prison, he flew to +and fro, and paying no attention to Noah, he enjoyed the free sky. The +swinish Jews, however, show the impurity of their minds everywhere. +For they suppose that the raven had fears concerning his mate, and +that he even suspected Noah concerning her. Shame upon those impure +minds! + +Vs. 8-9. _And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were +abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for +the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark; for the +waters were on the face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, +and took her, and brought her unto him into the ark._ + +25. When Noah's hopes had been set at naught by the raven, which flew +about wantonly but brought no tidings concerning the condition of the +earth, he took a dove, thinking that she would more truly perform the +mission. The text almost authorizes us to say that those two birds +were sent forth at the same time, so that Noah might have two +witnesses from whom to gain desired knowledge. The raven enjoying the +free sky, flew round about the ark, but did not want to return into +it. The dove, however, fleeing from the corpses and corruption, comes +back and permits itself to be caught. This story, as we shall hear, +offers a fine allegory concerning the Church. + +Vs. 10-12. _And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent +forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him at +eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah +knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet +other seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she returned not again +unto him any more._ + +26. The dove, being a faithful messenger, is sent forth once more. +Moses carefully describes how the waters decreased gradually, until at +last the surface of the earth, together with the trees, was laid bare. +We do not believe that the dove brought the olive leaf intentionally, +but by the command of God, who wanted to show Noah, little by little, +that he had not altogether forgotten but remembered him. This olive +leaf was an impressive sign to Noah and his fellow-prisoners in the +ark, bringing them courage and hope of impending liberation. + +27. The Jews dispute sharply in respect to this matter of where the +dove found the olive leaf, and some, in order to secure special glory +for their homeland, make the ludicrous assertion that she took it from +the Mount of Olives in the land of Israel, which God had spared from +the flood that destroyed the remainder of the earth. But the saner +Jews rightly refute this nonsense by arguing that if this were true, +the olive leaf could not have been a sign for Noah that the waters had +fallen. Others have invented the fable that the dove was admitted to +paradise and brought the leaf from there. + +28. But I have (ch 2, §39-42) set forth at length my views concerning +paradise, and this nonsense is not worthy the effort of a refutation. +It serves a better purpose to remind you that all these things +happened miraculously and supernaturally. 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 waters. God ordained +these events. Other trees had leaves at that time, particularly the +taller ones which rose sooner from the waters. The olive tree is +comparatively short, 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 state. Of this he had more certain proof however, when the +dove, having been sent out the third time, did not return: for not +only did it find food on earth, but was able to build nests and to +flit to and fro. + +Vs. 13-14. _And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in +the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up +from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and +looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dried. And in the +second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the +earth dry._ + +29. Here we see that Noah was in the ark an entire year and ten days; +for he entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month, and +came out again, after a year had passed, in the same month, but on the +twenty-seventh day. Poor Noah, with his sons and the women, lived in +the ark more than half a year in sore grief, without a sign of being +remembered by God. Afterward God gave him gradual proof, through +various signs, that he had not forgotten him, until at last, after the +lapse of a year and ten days, he was again given dominion over the +earth and sea. On this day of the second month, the flood had not only +disappeared, but the earth was dry. This is the story of the flood and +its abatement. After this fearful wrath, there ensues an immeasurable +light of grace, as is shown in the following sermon addressed to Noah +by God himself. + + +II. NOAH COMMANDED TO LEAVE THE ARK; HIS OFFERING TO GOD; GOD'S + RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN. + + A. NOAH COMMANDED TO LEAVE THE ARK, AND HE OBEYED 30-32. + + * Man should do nothing but what God commands 30-32. + + * Is it right to start a new worship without God's command to do + so 33-34. + + * The examples of saints and special works. + + 1. Should we imitate the works of the holy patriarchs 34-35. + + 2. The result among the Jews of a reckless imitation of the + saints 36. + + 3. Should have regard here, not to works but to faith 37-38. + + +II. NOAH LEAVES ARK, HIS SACRIFICE AND GOD'S PROMISE. + +A. Noah Obeys Command to Leave the Ark. + +Vs. 15-17. _And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth from the ark, +thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring +forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, +both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon +the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth._ + +30. Up to this point the narrative is only a record of facts, or the +description of a divine work. Though the works of God are not mute but +eloquent witnesses, and present to our vision the will of God, a still +greater comfort is vouchsafed when God links to the works the Word, +which is not manifest to the eye but perceptible to the ear and +intelligible to the heart through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. +So far God had given proof by his work that he was appeased, that the +God of wrath had turned into a God of mercy, who turns back the waters +and dries up the earth. Such comfort he now amplifies by his Word in +that he lovingly accosts and enjoins him to leave the ark with the +other creatures, both men and animals. + +31. In the light of this passage the frequent and emphatic application +of the principle is justified that we should neither design nor do +anything, especially in respect to God's service and worship, without +the initiative and command of the Word. As above narrated, Noah enters +the ark upon God's command; and he leaves the ark upon God's command +to leave it. He does not follow superstitious notions, as we see the +Jews do, who, when they establish anything temporary by command, +endeavor to retain it forever, as if it were essential to salvation. + +32. Noah might have argued thus: Behold, I built the ark by the +command of God; I was saved in it while all other men perished: +therefore I will remain in it, or keep it for a place of divine +worship, since it has been sanctified by the Word of God and the +presence of the saints, the Church. But the godly man did nothing of +the kind. The Word had commanded him to go forth, therefore he obeyed. +The ark had done its service during the flood and he left it, assured +that he and his children were to live on the earth. So must we +undertake nothing without the Word of God. In a holy calling, which +has the Word and command of God, let us walk! For whosoever attempts +anything without the command of God, will labor in vain. + +33. To deny this, some one might cite as example the act of Noah, +described below, when he built an altar without God's command, and +offered a burnt-offering thereon to God from the clean animals. If +this was permitted to Noah, why should we not be permitted to choose +certain forms of worship? And, in truth, the Papacy has heaped up +works and forms of worship in the Church without measure, just as it +pleased. But we must hold fast to the principle, which is a theorem of +general application, that whatsoever is not of faith, is sin, (Rom 14, +23). But faith cannot be separated from the Word; hence, whatsoever is +done without the Word, is sin. + +34. Furthermore, it is plainly dangerous to take the acts of the +fathers as models. As individuals differ, so also do their duties +differ, and God requires diverse works according to the diversity of +our calling. Accordingly the epistle to the Hebrews fitly refers the +various acts of the fathers to the one faith, in order to show that +each of us must imitate, in his calling, not the works, but the faith +of the fathers. Heb 11. + +35. 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 Benedict, the gown of Francis, the shoes of Dominic and the +like. Men become apes who imitate without judgment. The monks try to +ape the works, but know nothing of the faith of the fathers. + +36. Abraham was commanded to slay his son. Afterward his descendants +most wickedly believed they should follow his example, and they filled +the earth with innocent blood. In a similar manner the people +worshiped the brazen serpent and offered sacrifices before it. In both +instances the people wanted to justify themselves by the example of +their forefathers; but since they established these forms of worship +without the Word, they were righteously condemned. + +37. Let us, therefore, remember not to establish anything without the +Word of God. Duties differ, and so must the works of individuals. How +foolish it would be for me to proclaim that I must follow Caesar's +example, and that others must obey my laws! How wicked it would be for +me to assert that I must follow the example of a judge, condemning +some to the cross, others to the sword! Then, we must look, not upon +the works, but upon the faith of individuals; for the faith of all +saints is one, though their works are most diverse. + +38. Think not that because Noah built an altar, you may do likewise; +but follow the faith of Noah, who thought it right to show his +merciful Savior that he understood his beneficent gifts, and was +grateful for them. Follow Abraham, not in slaying your son, but in +believing the promises of God, and in obeying his commandments. The +epistle to the Hebrews fitly refers the deeds and acts of the fathers +to their faith, setting forth that we should follow their faith. + + +B. NOAH'S SACRIFICE. + + 1. Whether Noah was commanded to offer a sacrifice and in what way + sacrificing is justified 39-41. + + * Have monks divine command to support their order 40. + + * Shall we find fault with the works of saints, for which they + apparently had no command 41. + + * How in all works we should have respect for God's command 42. + + * Lyra's unfounded thoughts on the words, "Be fruitful" etc. 43. + + * Why Moses said so much about their leaving the ark 44. + + 2. Noah's sacrifice proves Moses did not originate the idea of + sacrifice 45-46. + + 3. Why Noah's sacrifice was pleasing to God 47-48. + + * The meaning of "sweet savor" 47-48. + + 4. How it can be said God "smelled the sweet savor", and why this + form of speech used 49-50. + + +B. NOAH'S SACRIFICE. + +39. The objection under consideration can be invalidated by the +rejoinder that Noah did have a command to erect an altar and offer +sacrifices. God approved the rite of sacrifice by ordering that more +of the clean animals--suitable for sacrifice--should be taken into the +ark. Nor was Noah permitted to cast aside the office of the +priesthood, which had been established by the Word before the flood +and had come down to him by the right of primogeniture. Adam, Seth, +Enoch and others had been priests. From them Noah possessed the office +of the priesthood as an inheritance. + +40. Therefore Noah, as priest and prophet, was not only at liberty to +offer sacrifice, but he was under obligation to do so by virtue of his +calling. Since his calling was founded on God's Word, in harmony with +that Word and by God's command he built an altar and offered +sacrifices. Therefore let a monk prove it is his office and calling to +wear a cowl, to worship the blessed Virgin, to pray the rosary and do +like things, and we will commend his life. But since the call is +lacking, the Word is not the authority and the office does not exist, +the life and works of the monks in their entirety stand justly +condemned. + +41. Finally, even if all other arguments should fail, this argument, +according to which man judges the cause by the effect, remains; +namely, that God expresses approval of Noah's deed. Although such +reasoning from effect to cause may not be unassailable, it yet is not +without value in respect to such heroic and uncommon men, who meet not +with rejection but approval on the part of God, although they appear +to do what they have not been expressly commanded. They possess the +inward conviction that they are guilty of no transgression, though the +disclosure of this fact is delayed until later God expresses his +approval. Such examples are numerous and it is noteworthy that God has +expressed approval even of the acts of some heathen. + +42. Let this maxim, then, stand, 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 God. Hence they who abide in their divinely +assigned calling, will not run uncertainly nor will they beat the air +as those who have no course in which they have been commanded to run, +and in consequence may not look forward to a prize. 1 Cor 9, 24. + +But I return to the text. Noah, with his sons and the women, is +commanded to leave the ark, and to lead forth upon the earth every +species of animals, that all his works may be sanctified and found in +keeping with the Word. Concerning the animals Moses now expressly +states: + +Vs. 17-19. _Be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went +forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: every +beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatsoever moveth upon +the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark._ + +43. The Lord speaks of the propagation of Noah and his sons in the +ninth chapter and that, I believe, is the reason why he speaks here +only of the propagation of the animals. From the expression here used, +Lyra foolishly concludes that cohabitation had been forbidden during +the flood and was now again permitted after the departure from the +ark, since God says, "Go forth, ... thou and thy wife." Such thoughts +belong to monks not to God, who plans not sinful lust, but +propagation; the latter is God's ordination, but lust is Satan's +poison infused into nature through sin. + +44. Moses here uses many words to illustrate the overflowing joy of +the captives' souls, when they were commanded to leave their prison, +the ark, and to return upon the earth now everywhere open before them. +In recounting the kinds of animals, however, he arranges them in a +different order, distinguishing them by families, as it were, to let +us see that only propagation was God's aim. It must have been a glad +sight when each one of the many beasts, after leaving the ark, found +its own mate, and then sought its accustomed haunt: the wolves, the +bears, the lions, returning to the woods and groves; the sheep, the +goats, the swine, to the fields; the dogs, the chickens, the cats, to +man. + +V. 20. _And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every +clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on +the altar._ + +45. This text shows conclusively that Moses was not the first person +to introduce sacrifices but that, like a bard who gathers chants, he +arranged and classified them as they had been in vogue among the +fathers and transmitted from the one to the other. Thus also the law +of circumcision was not first written by Moses but received from the +fathers. + +46. Above (ch 4, 4-5), where Moses mentioned the sacrifice of Abel and +Cain, he called it _minchah_, an offering; here, however, we find the +first record of a burnt-offering, one entirely consumed by fire. This, +I say, is a clear proof that the law of sacrifices had been +established before the time of Moses. His work, then, consisted in +arranging the rites of the forefathers in definite order. + +V. 21. _And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor._ + +47. It is set forth here that Jehovah approved Noah's sacrifice which +he offered by virtue of his office as a priest, according to the +example of the fathers. However, the differences of phraseology is to +receive due attention. Of the former sacrifice he said that Jehovah +"had respect" to it; here he says that "Jehovah smelled the sweet +savor." Moses subsequently makes frequent use of this expression. The +heathen also adopted it; Lucian, for example, makes fun of Jove who +was conciliated by the odor of meats. + +48. The word in the original, however, does not properly signify the +"savor of sweetness," but "the savor of rest", for _nichoach_ meaning +"rest", is derived from the verb _nuach_, which Moses used before, +when he said that the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. +Therefore it is the "savor of rest," because God then rested from his +wrath, dismissing his wrath, becoming appeased, and, as we commonly +say, well content. + +49. Here the question might be raised why does he not say, Jehovah had +respect to Noah and his burnt offering, rather than, Jehovah smelled +the savor of rest, which latter certainly sounds shocking, as though +he were not commending the man for his faith, but merely for his work. +This objection is usually answered by saying that the Scriptures speak +of God in human fashion. Men are pleased by a sweet savor. But it +seems to me there is still another reason for this expression, namely, +that God was so close at hand that he noticed the savor; for Moses +desires to show that this holy rite was well-pleasing to God: Solomon +says (Prov 27, 9) that perfume rejoiceth the heart. Physicians +sometimes restore consciousness by sweet odors. On the other hand, a +violent stench is extremely offensive to our nature, and often +overpowers it. + +50. In this sense, one may say that God, having been annoyed by the +stench of wickedness, was now refreshed, so to speak, when he saw this +one priest girded himself to perform holy rites in order to give proof +of his gratitude, and to manifest by some public act he did not belong +to the ungodly, but that he had a God whom he feared. This is the real +meaning of a sacrifice. As it had pleased God to destroy mankind, he +is now delighted to increase it. Moses uses this expression for our +sake, that we, through the experience of God's grace, may learn that +God delights to do us good. + + +C. GOD'S RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN. + + 1. God solemnly and earnestly means it 51. + + * How understood "it repented God that he had made man" 52-54. + + * Experiences in spiritual temptations and how God helps us to + bear them 54. + + 2. The meaning of "God will not again smite the earth" 55. + + +C. GOD'S RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN. + +V. 21b. _And Jehovah said in his heart._ + +51. Moses points out that these words were not spoken by God without +heart and feeling, but from his very vitals. This is the meaning of +the Hebrew text which has it that God spoke to his own heart. + +V. 21c. _I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake._ + +52. God speaks as if he were sorry for the punishment inflicted upon +the earth on account of man, just as formerly he expressed regret for +his creation, reproving himself, as it were, for his fury against man. +This must not, of course, be understood as implying that God could +possibly change his mind; it is written only for our consolation. He +accuses and blames himself in order to rouse the little flock to the +certain faith that God will be merciful hereafter. + +53. And their souls stood in real need of such consolation. They had +been terrified as they witnessed God's raging wrath, and their faith +could not but be shaken. So now God is impelled to so order his acts +and words that these people might expect only grace and mercy. +Accordingly he now speaks with them, is present at their sacrifice, +shows that he is pleased with them, blames his own counsel, and +promises that he will never do anything like it in the future. In +brief, he is a different God from what he had been before. While God, +indeed, does not change, he wants to change men, who have become +altogether habituated to thoughts of wrath. + +54. They who have experienced trials of the spirit, 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 wrath. One +day, a whole month, perhaps is not enough for this change. Just as it +takes a long time to recover from bodily disorders, so such wounds of +the soul cannot be healed at once, or by one word. God sees this, and +tries by various means to recall the terrified souls to a certain hope +of grace; he even chides himself, speaking to his own heart, as in +Jeremiah 18, 8, where he promises to repent of the evil he thought of +doing, if the offenders also repent. + +55. It should furthermore be noted that he says, "I will not again +curse the ground." He speaks of a general destruction of the earth, +not of a partial one, as when he destroys fields, cities, or kingdoms. +The latter instances are for a warning; as Mary says, "He hath put +down princes from their thrones." Lk 1, 52. + + +III. MAN'S NATURAL DEPRAVITY AND HIS NATURAL POWERS. + + 1. Natural depravity crops out in infancy 56. + + 2. It is seen as the years advance 57-58. + + 3. Whether those who would drown it have reason for doing so 59-60. + + 4. There is none untainted by it 61-62. + + 5. The godless yield to it, believers resist it 62. + + * Can God be charged with being changeable 63-64. + + 6. The knowledge of natural depravity is very necessary 65. + + 7. What moves sophists to ignore natural depravity 65-66. + + 8. How to view those who lightly regard natural depravity, and how + to refute them 68-69. + + * Meaning of "the imagination of the heart" 70. + + * True theological definition of man 71. + + 9. The proof of natural depravity and that the natural is not + perfect 72-73. + + 10. Consequence of false teaching on natural depravity and the + natural 74-75. + + * What sophists understand by Merito congrui and condigni 74. + + 11. How Scotus tried to prove that man's natural powers were all he + had, and how to refute his opinion 75-76. + + * Value of the Scholastics and their theology 77. + + 12. How teachers in these things lead astray 78. + + * The virtues of the heathen. + + a. Estimate of them 79-80. + + b. How they differ from the good works of the saints 81. + + c. What they lack 82-83. + + 13. Natural depravity may sleep in youth, but it will awake as the + years advance 84-86. + + 14. Those who ignore natural depravity may be refuted by experience + 87. + + 15. Philosophy manifests its vanity and blindness in its attitude to + this doctrine 88-89. + + 16. Experience confirms natural depravity 89-90. + + 17. Whether natural depravity can be completely eradicated: how to + check it 91. + + * How to understand "God will not smite the earth again" 92. + + * Nature thrown into great disorder by the deluge 93. + + * Seasons of the year again put in their order 94. + + * The people's talk about the signs of the last times 95. + + * The days of earth to be followed by the days of heaven, and we + should prepare for them 96. + + +III. MAN'S NATURAL DEPRAVITY AND HIS NATURAL POWERS. + +V. 21d. _For that the imagination of man's heart is evil from his +youth._ + +56. This is a powerful passage, relating to original sin. Whoever +weakens its force, goes straying like the blind man in the sunlight, +failing to see his own acts and experiences. Look at the days of our +swaddling clothes; in how many ways sin manifests itself in our +earlier years. What an amount of switching it requires until we are +taught order, as it were, and attention to duty! + +57. Then youth succeeds. There a stronger rebellion becomes +noticeable, and in addition that untamable evil, the rage of lust and +desire. If one take a wife, the result is weariness of his own and a +passion for others. If the government of a State is entrusted to him, +an exceptionally fruitful harvest of vice will follow--as jealousy, +rivalry, haughtiness, hope of gain, avarice, wrath, anger, and other +evils. + +58. It is true, as the German proverb has it, that sins grow with the +years: Je laenger, je aerger; je aelter, je kaerger (worse with time, +stingier with age). All such vices are so blatant and gross as to +become objects of observation and intelligence. What, then shall we +say of the inward vices when unbelief, presumption, neglect of the +Word, and wicked views grow up? + +59. There are those who are and desire to be considered powerful +theologians, though they extenuate original sin by sophistry. But +vices so numerous and great cannot be extenuated. Original sin is not +a slight disorder or infirmity, but complete lawlessness, the like of +which is not found in other creatures, except in evil spirits. + +60. But do those extenuators have any Scriptural proof to rest upon? +Let us see what Moses says. As I pointed out in explaining the sixth +chapter, he does not call such things evil, as lust, tyranny, and +other sins, but the imagination of the human heart; that is, human +energy, wisdom and reason, with all the faculties the mind employs +even in our best works. Although we do not condemn acts which belong +to the social or civil sphere, yet the human heart vitiates these +works in themselves proper, by doing them for glory, for profit, or +for oppression, and either from opposition to the neighbor or to God. + +61. Nor can we escape the force of this passage by saying that those +are meant who perished by the flood. God uses a generic term which +denotes that the heart of man, as such, is meant. At the time this was +spoken there were no other people than those saved in the ark, and yet +the declaration is: the imagination of man's heart is evil. + +62. Therefore, not even the saints are excepted. In Ham, the third +son, this imagination of the heart betrayed its nature. And the other +brothers were no better by nature. There was only this difference, +that they, believing in the promised seed, retained the hope of +forgiveness of sin, and did not give way to the evil imagination of +their hearts, rather resisting it through the Holy Spirit, who is +given for the very purpose of contending against, and overcoming, the +malignity of man's nature. Because Ham gives way to his nature, he is +wholly evil, and totally perishes. Shem and Japheth, who contend +against it in their spirit, though being evil, are not altogether so. +They have the Holy Spirit, through whom they contend against the evil, +and hence are holy. + +63. It would seem here that God might be accused of fickleness. +Before, when he was about to punish man, he assigned as a reason for +his purpose the fact that the imagination of man's heart is evil; +here, when he is about to give unto man the gracious promise that he +will not thereafter show such anger, he puts forward the same reason. +To human wisdom this appears foolish and inconsistent with divine +wisdom. + +64. But I gladly pass by such sublime themes, and leave them to minds +possessed of leisure. For me it is enough that these works are spoken +to suit our spiritual condition, inasmuch as God points out that he is +now appeased and no longer angry. So parents, having chastised their +disobedient children as they deserve, win again their affections by +kindness. This change of mood is not deserving of criticism but rather +of commendation. It profits the children; otherwise they, while +fearing the rod, might also begin to hate their parents. This +explanation is good enough for me, for it appeals to our faith. Others +may explain differently. + +65. We should give diligent attention to this passage because it +plainly shows that man's nature is corrupt, a truth above all others +to be apprehended, because without it God's mercy and grace cannot be +rightly understood. Hence, 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 say, not +that the imagination of man's heart is evil, but that it is inclined +to evil. Upon this authority the quibblers distort or set aside those +passages of Paul where he says that all are children of wrath (Eph 2, +3) that all have sinned (Rom 5, 12) and are under sin (Rom 3, 9). They +argue from our passage as follows: Moses does not say that human +nature is evil, but that it is prone to evil; this condition, call it +inclination or proclivity, is under the control of free will, nor does +it force man toward the evil, or (to use their own words) it imposes +no constraint upon man. + +66. Then they proceed to find a reason for this statement and declare +that even after the fall of man, there remains in him a good will and +a right understanding. For the natural powers, say they, are +unimpaired, not only in man but even in the devil. And finally they so +twist Aristotle's teachings as to make him say that reason tends +toward that which is best. Some traces of these views are found also +in the writings of the Church fathers. Using Psalms 4, 6 as a basis, +where the prophet says, "Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy +countenance upon us," they distinguish between a higher part of reason +which inquires concerning God, and a lower part employed in temporal +and civil affairs. Even Augustine is pleased with this distinction, as +we stated above when discussing the fall of man. + +67. But if only a spark of the knowledge of God had remained +unimpaired in man, we should be different beings by far from what we +now are. Hence, those quibblers who pick flaws in the plain statements +of Paul are infinitely blind. If they would carefully and devoutly +consider that very passage as they read it in their Latin Bible, they +would certainly cease to father so bad a cause. 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 youth. This is +the case especially in the sixth chapter (vs 5) where he says that the +whole thought of his heart was bent on evil continually, meaning +thereby that he purposes what is evil, and that in inclination, +purpose and effort he inclines to evil. For example; an adulterer, +whose desires are inflamed, may lack the opportunity, the place, the +person, the time, and nevertheless be stirred by the fire of lust, +unable to dwell upon anything else. In this manner, says Moses, does +human nature always incline toward evil. Can, then, the natural powers +of man be said to have remained unimpaired, seeing that man's thoughts +are always set upon evil things? + +68. 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 works, +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 +teach, contrary to Scripture, that man's natural powers are uninjured, +and that man, by nature, is not under wrath or condemnation. +Notwithstanding, it appears that they turn against their own +absurdity. Although the natural powers of man are uninjured, yet they +maintain that, to become acceptable, grace is required; in other +words, they teach that God is not satisfied with man's natural +goodness, unless it be improved by love. + +69. But what is the need to argue longer against the madness of the +sophists, since we know the true meaning of the Hebrew text to be, not +that man's mind and thoughts are inclined to evil, but that the +imagination of the human heart is evil from youth? + +70. By imagination, as I stated several times before (ch 6, §148), he +means reason itself, together with the will and the understanding, +even when it dwells upon God, or occupies itself with most honorable +pursuits, be they those of State or Home. It is always contrary to +God's law, always in sin, always under God's wrath, and it cannot be +freed from this evil state by its own strength, as witness Christ's +words: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free +indeed," Jn 8, 36. + +71. If you wish a definition of the word "man" take it from this text +teaching that he is a rational being, with a heart given to +imagination. But what does he imagine? Moses answers, "Evil"; that is, +evil against God or God's Law, and against his fellow man. Thus holy +Scriptures ascribe to man a reason that is not idle but always +imagines something. This imagination it calls evil, wicked, +sacrilegious, while the philosophers call it good, and the quibblers +say that the natural gifts are unimpaired. + +72. Therefore this text should be carefully noted and urged against +the caviling quibblers: Moses declares the imagination of the human +heart to be evil. And if it be evil, the conclusion is natural that +the natural gifts are not unimpaired, but corrupted: Inasmuch as God +did not create man evil, but perfect, sound, holy, knowing God, his +reason right and his will toward God good. + +73. Seeing we have clear testimony to the fact that man is evil and +turned away from God, who would be mad enough to say that the natural +gifts in man remain unimpaired? That would be practically saying that +man's nature is unimpaired and good even now, whereas we have +overwhelming evidence in our knowledge and experience that it is +debased to the utmost. + +74. From that wicked theory there have sprung many dangerous and some +palpably wicked utterances, for instance, that when man does the best +in his power, God will unfailingly give his grace. By such teaching +they have driven man, as by a trumpet, to prayer, fasting, +self-torture, pilgrimages and similar performances. Thus the world was +taught to believe that if men did the best that nature permitted, they +would earn grace, if not the grace "de merito," at least that "de +congruo." A "meritum congrui" (title to reward based upon equity) they +attribute to a work which has been performed not against but in +accordance to the divine law, inasmuch as an evil work is subject not +to a reward but a penalty. The "meritum condigni" (a title to reward +based upon desert) they attribute not to the work itself but to its +quality as being performed in a state of grace. + +75. Another saying of this kind is the declaration of Scotus that man +by mere natural powers may love God above all things. This declaration +is based upon the principle that the natural powers are unimpaired. He +argues as follows: A man loves a woman, who is a creature, and he +loves her so immoderately that he will imperil his very life for her +sake. Similarly, a merchant loves his wares, and so eagerly that he +will risk death a thousand times if only he can gain something. If +therefore, the love of created things is so great, though they rank +far below God, how much more will a man love God who is the highest +good! Hence, God can be loved with the natural powers alone. + +76. A fine argument, indeed, and worthy of a Franciscan monk! For he +shows that, though he is a great teacher, he does not know what it +means to love God. Nature is so corrupt that it can no longer know God +unless it be enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God; how then can +it love God without the Holy Spirit? For it is true that we have no +desire for what we do not know. Therefore, nature cannot love God whom +it does not know, but it loves an idol, and a dream of its own heart. +Furthermore, it is so entirely fettered by the love of created things +that even after it has learned to know God from his Word, it +disregards him and despises his Word. Of this the people of our own +times are an example. + +77. Such foolish and blasphemous deliverances are certain proof that +scholastic theology has degenerated into a species of philosophy that +has no knowledge of God, and walks in darkness because it disregards +his Word. Also Aristotle and Cicero, who have the greatest influence +with this tribe, give broad instructions concerning moral excellences. +They magnify these exceedingly as social forces since they recognize +them as useful for private and public ends. In nowise, however, do +they teach that God's will and command is to be regarded far more than +private or public advantage (and those who do not possess the Word are +ignorant of the will of God). Quite plainly the scholastics have +fallen victims to philosophical fancies to such an extent as to retain +true knowledge neither of themselves nor of God. This is the cause of +their lapse into such disastrous errors. + +78. And, indeed, it is easy to fall after you have departed from the +Word; for the glitter of civil virtues is wonderfully enticing to the +mind. Erasmus makes of Socrates almost a perfect Christian, and +Augustine has unbounded praise for Marcus Attilius Regulus, because he +kept faith with his enemy. Truthfulness indeed is the most beautiful +of all virtues, and in this case another high commendation is added in +that there was combined with it love of country, which in itself is a +peculiar and most praiseworthy virtue. + +79. You may find men of renown not famous for truthfulness. +Themistocles, for instance, did not have this virtue though he was a +heroic man and did his country great service. That is the reason why +Augustine admires Attilius, finding his reason and will to be utterly +righteous, that is as far as it is possible for human nature to be. +Where, then, is vice in this case? Where is wickedness? The hero's +work surely cannot be censured. + +80. First, Regulus knew not God, and, although his conduct was right, +it is still to be seen whether a theologian should not censure his +motive. For to his zeal in behalf of his country is added the thirst +for glory. He evinces contempt for his life so as to achieve immortal +glory among those to live after him. Contemplating, therefore, merely +his life's dream, as it were, and the outward mask, it is a most +beautiful deed. But before God it is shameful idolatry; because he +claims for himself the glory of his deed. And who would doubt that he +had other failings besides this thirst for glory? Attilius cannot +claim the great virtues of truthfulness and love of country without +tending violently and insanely toward wickedness. For it is wicked for +him to rob God of the glory and to claim it for himself. But human +reason cannot recognize this spoliation of the Deity. + +81. A distinction must be made between the virtues of the heathen and +the virtues of Christians. It is true that in both instances hearts +are divinely prompted, but in the former ambition and love of glory +afterward defile the divine impulse. + +82. If now, an orator should come forth, who would dilate upon the +efficient cause, but disguise the ultimate and vicious one, would it +not be apparent to every one that with the two most potent causes, the +formal (that which gives moral value to an act) and the ultimate one, +disguised, an eloquent man could extol such a wretched shadow of a +virtue? But a man apt in logic will readily discover the deception; he +will observe the absence of the formal cause, namely the right +principle, there being no true knowledge of God nor of the proper +attitude toward him. He sees, furthermore, that the final cause is +vicious, because the true end and aim, obedience to God and love of +neighbor, is not taken into consideration. But what kind of virtue is +that where nearly every cause is lacking except the natural cause, +which is a passion, an impetus or impulse, by which the soul is moved +to show loyalty to an enemy? These impulses, as I said, are found also +in the ungodly. If exercised for the good of the country, they become +virtues; if for its injury, they become vices. This Aristotle sets +forth very skillfully. + +83. I refer to these things that students of sacred literature may +make special note of this passage, which advisedly declares human +nature to be corrupt. For those make-believe virtues, found among the +heathen, seem to prove the contrary--that some part of nature has +remained as it was originally. Hence there is need of careful judgment +in order to distinguish in this matter. + +84. Moses adds, "from his youth," because this evil is concealed +during the first period of life and sleeps, as it were. Our early +childhood so passes that reason and will are dormant and we are +carried along by animal impulses, which pass away like a dream. Hardly +have we passed our fifth year when we affect idleness, play, +unchastity, and evil lust. But we try to escape discipline, we +endeavor to get away from obedience, and hate all virtues, especially +of a higher order as truth and justice. Then reason awakes out of a +deep sleep, as it were, and sees certain kinds of pleasure, but not +yet the true ones, and certain kinds of evils, but not yet the most +powerful ones, by which it is held captive. + +85. Where, then, the understanding has attained to maturity, not only +the other vices are found to have grown strong, but there are joined +to them now sexual desire and unclean passion, gluttony, gambling, +strife, rape, murder, theft, and what not? And as the parents had to +apply the rod, so now the government must needs use prison and chains +in order to restrain man's evil nature. + +86. And who does not know the vices of a more advanced age? They march +along in unbroken file--love of money, ambition, pride, perfidy, envy, +and others. These vices are so much the more harmful as at this age we +are more crafty in concealing and masking them. Hence, the sword of +government is not sufficient in this respect; there is need of hell +fire for the punishment of crimes so manifold and great. Justly, then, +did Moses say above (ch 6) that the human heart, or the imagination of +the heart, is only evil each day--or at all times--and here again, +that it is evil from youth. + +87. The Latin version, it is true, makes use of a weaker term; yet it +says enough by stating that it is inclined toward evil, just as the +comic dramatist says that the minds of all men are inclined to turn +from labor to lust, Ter Andr 1, 1, 51. But those who try to misuse +this expression for the purpose of making light of original sin, are +shown to be in the wrong by the common experience of mankind; chiefly, +however, that of the heathen, or ungodly men. For if spiritual men, +who surely enjoy divine help from heaven, can hardly hold their ground +against vices and be kept within the bounds of discipline, what can +any man do without this help? If divine aid contends against the +captivity of the law of the flesh only with fierce struggles (Rom 7, +22-23), how insane is it to dream that, without this divine help, +human nature can withstand corruption? + +88. Hence reason of itself does not decide upon the right, nor does +the will, of itself, strive after the same, as a blind philosophy +declares which does not know whence these fearful impulses to sin +arise in children, youths, and old men. Therefore it defends them, +calls them emotions or passions only, and does not call them natural +corruption. + +89. Furthermore, in noble men, who check and control these impulses, +it calls them virtues; in others who give the reins to their desires, +it calls them vices. This is nothing less than ignorance of the fact +that human nature is evil. The Scriptures, on the contrary agree with +our experience and declare that the human heart is evil from youth. +For we learn by experience that even holy men can scarcely stand firm; +yea that even they are often entangled by gross sins, being +overwhelmed by such natural corruptions. + +90. The term _ne-urim_ denotes the age when man begins to use his +reason; this usually occurs in the sixth year. Similarly, the term +_ne-arim_ is used to denote boys and youths who need the guidance of +parents and teachers up to the age of manhood. 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 teachers, how +diligent we were in studying, how persevering we were, how often our +parents punished our sauciness. Who can say for himself that he was +not much more pleased to go out for a walk, to play games, and to +gossip, than to go to Church in obedience to his parents? + +91. Although these impulses can be corrected or bridled to a certain +extent by discipline, they cannot be rooted out of the heart +altogether, as the traces of these impulses show when we are grown. +There is truth in that unpolished lie: "The angelic youth becomes +satanic in his older years." God, indeed, causes some persons to +experience emotions which are naturally good; but they are induced by +supernatural power. Thus Cyrus was impelled to restore the worship of +God, and to preserve the Church. But such is not the tendency of human +nature. Where God is present with his Holy Spirit, there only, the +imagination of the human heart gives place to the thoughts of God. God +dwells there through the Word and the Spirit. Of such, Moses does not +speak here, but only of those who are without the Holy Spirit; they +are wicked, even when at their best. + +V. 21e. _Neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I +have done._ + +92. Moses clearly speaks of a general destruction, like that which was +caused by the flood. From this it does not follow that God will also +abstain from partial destruction, and that he will take no heed of +anybody's sin. There will also be an exception in the case of the last +day, when not only all living things will be smitten, but all creation +will be destroyed by fire. + +V. 22. _While the earth reigneth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and +heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease._ + +93. Following this text, the Jews divide the year into six parts, each +comprising two months, a fact which Lyra also records in this +connection. But it seems to me that Moses simply speaks of the promise +that we need not fear another general flood. During the time of the +flood such confusion reigned that there was no season, either of +seedtime or harvest, and by reason of the great darkness caused by the +clouds and the rain, day could not readily be distinguished from +night. We know how heavy clouds obscure the light. How much greater, +then, was the darkness when the waters, lying under the clouds like a +mirror, reflected the darkness of the clouds into the faces and eyes +of the beholders! + +94. The meaning, accordingly, is simply that God here promises Noah +the imminent restoration of the earth, so that the fields might again +be sowed; that the desolation caused by the flood should be no more; +that the seasons might run their course in accordance with regular +law: harvest following seedtime, winter following summer, cold +following heat in due order. + +95. This text should be carefully remembered in view of the common +notions concerning the signs before the last day. Then, some declare, +there will be eclipses of I know not how many days duration. They say +foolishly that for seven years not a single woman will bring forth a +child, and the like. But this text declares that neither day nor +night, neither summer nor winter, shall cease; therefore these natural +changes will go on, and there will never be an eclipse which will rob +human eyes of an entire day. + +96. Nor is it a phrase devoid of meaning when he says, "While the +earth remaineth," for he gives us to understand that the days of this +earth shall sometime be numbered, and other days, days of heaven, +shall follow. As long, therefore, as the days of the earth endure, so +long shall the earth abide, and with it the rotation of seasons. But +when these days of the earth shall pass, then all these things shall +cease, and there shall follow days of heaven, that is, eternal days. +There shall be one Sabbath after the other, when we shall not be +engrossed with bodily labor for the purpose of gaining a livelihood; +for we shall be as the angels of God, Mk 12, 25. Our life will be to +know God, to delight in God's wisdom and to enjoy the presence of God. +This life we attain through faith in Christ, in which the eternal +Father may mercifully keep us, through the merit of his son, our +Savior, Jesus Christ, by the ruling and guidance of the Holy Spirit. +Amen. Amen. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +I. GOD BLESSES NOAH AND THE RACE. + + A. MARRIAGE STATE BLESSED 1-5. + + 1. Why this blessing necessary 1. + + 2. Wedlock established twice 2. + + 3. Evidence of God's love to the human race 3. + + 4. Did this blessing pertain to Noah 4. + + * Bearing of children a special blessing of God unknown to the + heathen 5. + + +I. GOD BLESSES NOAH AND THE RACE. + +A. Marriage State Blessed. + +V. 1. _And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be +fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth._ + +1. This consolation was indeed needed after the whole human race had +been destroyed by the flood and only eight souls were saved. Now Noah +knew that God was truly merciful, since, not content with that first +blessing which he had bestowed upon mankind in the creation of the +world, he added this new blessing, that Noah might have no misgivings +whatever in regard to the future increase of his posterity. And the +joy brought by this promise was all the greater for God's emphatic +promise on a previous occasion, that he would never again visit +mankind with such severe punishment. + +2. In the first place, then, this chapter renews the establishment of +marriage. God, by his Word and command, joins male and female for the +purpose of repopulating the earth. Inasmuch as God had been roused to +anger before the flood by the sin of lust, it was now needful, by +reason of that fearful proof of wrath, to show that God does not abhor +the lawful cohabitation of man and woman, but that it is his will to +increase mankind by this means. + +3. The fact that God had expressed it as his will that the human race +should be propagated through a union between man and woman, an end +which could have been attained from stones had he failed to approve +such union as lawful, after the manner of Deucalion of whom the poets +fable--this fact tended to furnish Noah sure evidence that God loved +man, and desired his welfare, and that now all anger was at an end. +Therefore this passage illustrates the dignity of wedlock, which is +the foundation of the family and State, and the nursery of the Church. + +4. 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 afterwards, and +therefore this promise was valueless. To this I reply that this +promise was given, not to Noah alone, but also to his sons, even to +all mankind; so that the expectation of offspring was entertained even +by the grandsire Noah. + +5. This passage, furthermore, tends to convince us that children are a +gift of God and a result of his blessing, as is shown in Psalms 127, +3. The heathen, who know nothing of God's Word, ascribe the increase +of mankind partly to nature and partly to chance, in view of the fact +that those who are evidently most fit for procreation often remain +without offspring. Hence, they do not thank God for this gift, nor do +they receive their children as a blessing from God. + + +B. MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS 6-31. + + 1. Whether animals feared man before the flood 6-7. + + 2. Relation between this use and dominion and of what they give + evidence 7-9. + + 3. This use and rule a special blessing of God 8-10. + + * Whether the custom of slaying cattle dates from the beginning of + the world 10-11. + + 4. Whether Adam knew of this use and dominion 12. + + 5. This use of animals is evidence of God's love to the human race + 13. + + * God's blessings greater than his wrath 13. + + 6. Whether this use extends to unclean animals 14-15. + + 7. How man's fear of animals and their wildness and cruelty can + exist with this dominion 16-18. + + * New sins accompanied by new punishments 19-20. + + * Sodom before and after its destruction 21. + + * God's punishment of Wittenberg, Bruges and Venice, and the cause + 22-23. + + * God's command not to eat blood. + + a. Why given 24. + + b. How to treat this text, which contains God's Word 25. + + * Meaning of Nephesch and Basar 26. + + c. Right understanding of the command 27. + + * The words, "Surely your blood will I require" etc. + + a. Lyra's and the Rabbis' explanation, 28-29. + + b. Their true meaning 30-31. + + +B. MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS. + +V. 2. _And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every +beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all +wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your +hand are they delivered._ + +6. It would seem that the dominion of man is here increased for his +greater consolation. For though after the creation man was given +dominion over all animals, yet we do not read that the beasts feared +and fled from him according to the description of Moses. The reason is +found in the fact that heretofore the animals were not destined to be +man's food; man had been a kind ruler of the beasts, not a killer and +eater. + +7. Here, however, they are subjected to man as a tyrant with unlimited +power of life and death. Since the servitude of the beasts is +increased and the power of man over them extended, the animals are +harassed by terror and fear of man. We see even the tamed ones do not +readily allow themselves to be handled; they feel the mastery of man +and have a constant instinct of danger. I do not believe that such was +the case before this Word of God was spoken. Before that time, men +used suitable animals for their work and for sacrifice, but not for +food. This increase of power also is a token of God's favor; he +confers a privilege unknown to the patriarchs, as a token of his love +and interest in man. + +8. We must not undervalue this boon authority over the beasts; for it +is a special gift of God, of which the heathen knew nothing, because +they lack the Word. We are the ones who derive the greatest benefit +from this gift. When this revelation was given to Noah, and such a +privilege granted, there was really no need of it. A few men possessed +the whole earth, so that its fruits were to be enjoyed by them in +abundance and it was not necessary to add the flesh of beasts. But we +today could not live altogether on the fruits of the earth; it is a +great boon to us that we are permitted to eat the flesh of beasts, of +birds and of fish. + +9. This word, therefore, establishes the butcher's trade; it puts +hares, chickens, and geese upon the spit and fills our tables with all +manner of dishes. Necessity makes men industrious. Not only do they +hunt the animals of the forests, but carefully fatten others at home +for food. God in this passage establishes himself a slaughterer, as it +were, for by his word he consigns to slaughter and death those animals +which are suitable for food, as recompence to God-fearing Noah for his +tribulations during the flood. For that reason would God feed Noah +with lavish hand. + +10. We must not think that this privilege was not divinely ordered. +The heathen believe that this custom of slaughtering animals always +existed. Such things are established, or rather permitted, by the Word +of God; beasts could not have been killed without sin if God had not +expressly permitted it by his Word. It is a great liberty for man to +slaughter all kinds of beasts fit for food and eat them without +wrong-doing. Had but a single kind of beasts been reserved for food, +it would still have been a great boon; how much more should we value +this lavish blessing, that all beasts suitable for sustenance are +given into the power of man! + +11. The godless and the gentiles do not recognize this; nor do the +philosophers. They believe that this privilege has always been man's. +As for us, however, we should have full light on the subject, in order +that our consciences may enjoy both rest and freedom in the use of +what God has created and allowed, there being absolutely no law +against such food. There can be no sin in their use, though the wicked +priests have criminally burdened the Church on this subject. + +12. In this passage, then, the power of man is increased and the brute +beasts are committed to him, even unto death. They fear man and flee +him under the new order, running counter to the experience of the +past. Adam would have been averse to killing even a small bird for +food. But now, since the promulgation of this Word, we know that, as a +special blessing, God has furnished our kitchens with all kinds of +meat. Later on he will also take care of the cellar by showing man how +to cultivate the vine. + +13. These are sure proofs that God no longer hates man, but favors +him. This story bears witness that, as God's wrath, once aroused, is +unbearable, so his mercy is likewise endless and without measure when +it again begins to glow. But his mercy is the more abundantly +exercised because it is the very nature of God, while wrath really is +foreign to God; he takes it upon himself contrary to his nature and +forced thereto by the wickedness of men. + +V. 3. _Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the +green herb have I given you all._ + +14. Here a question arises. In chapter 7, 2, Moses showed the +difference between clean and unclean beasts; here, however, he speaks +of all animals, without any distinction. Did God, then, permit man to +use also the unclean animals for food? + +15. The statement as such is general: every moving thing that moveth +upon the earth. There are some who believe that men at the time of +Noah made no distinction between clean and unclean animals as regards +food. But I hold a different opinion. For since such difference had +been established before that time and was carefully observed in the +Law afterward, I believe that men used only clean beasts for food; +that is, such as were offered in sacrifice. Hence the general +declaration must be understood with a modification: Everything that +liveth and moveth, of clean beasts, is to be food for you. For, in +general, human nature loathes serpents, wolves, ravens, mice, and +dormice, though certain tribes may be found who relish even these +animals. The fear and terror of man is upon all beasts of the earth, +because he is allowed to kill them; but it does not follow that man +uses them all for food. It is probable that Noah ate clean beasts +only; and only clean beasts, he knew, were acceptable to Jehovah in +sacrifice. + +16. But there is another thing hard to understand. How can it be that +the terror and fear of man is upon all animals when wolves, lions, +bears, wild boars, and tigers devour men, and are rather a terror to +men? So with the entire family of serpents, from which we flee at a +glance. What shall we say here? Is the Word of God untruthful? I +answer: Though we, being aware of our danger, flee from such beasts +and are afraid of them, yet they, likewise, fear man. Even the +fiercest beasts become terrified and flee at the first sight of man; +but when they become enraged they overcome man by reason of their +bodily strength. + +17. But, you say, why do they fear when they are stronger? I answer: +They know that man is endowed with reason, which is more powerful than +any beast. The skill of man masters even elephants, lions, and tigers. +Whatever man's bodily strength is unable to do, that he accomplishes +by his skill and his reasoning powers. How would it otherwise be +possible for a boy of ten years to control an entire herd of cattle? +Or for man to guide a horse, an animal of singular fierceness and +strength, to go in whatever direction he desires, now urging it +forward and then compelling it to a more moderate gait? All these +things are done by man's skill, not by his strength. Hence, we do not +lack clear proofs that the fear of man remains upon the beasts, which +harm man when they become enraged, and for that reason are feared by +him. + +18. I have no doubt, however, that at the time of Noah and the +patriarchs immediately succeeding, this fear in the beasts was +greater, because righteousness then flourished and there was less of +sin. Afterward, when holiness of life declined and sin increased, man +began to lose this blessing, and the wild beasts became a punishment +for sin. Moses threatens in Deut 32, 34 that God would send upon them +the teeth of beasts. How fearful, also, was the plague of the fiery +serpents in the desert! Num 21, 6. Bears tore to pieces the lads who +mocked the prophet, 2 Kings 2, 24. Why did the beasts here lose their +fear of man? Why did they rage against man? Was not sin the cause? + +19. Therefore, as stated before, when new sins arise, new punishments +will also arise. So we see that in our day disease and misfortunes +heretofore rare become general, like the English sweat, the locusts +which in the year 1542 devastated great stretches of land in Poland +and Silesia, and other examples. + +20. In like manner, God promised seasons of seeding and of harvest, of +heat and cold, and yet he does not so close his eyes to our sins that +the seasons, both of seeding and of harvest, are not subject to +climatic disturbances, such as the fearful drouth of the year 1504 and +the almost unending rains of the two following years. Considering the +wickedness of our age, why should we wonder that the blessing gives +place to a curse, so that the beasts, which would fear us were we not +wicked, are now a terror unto us and harmful? + +21. The country of the Sodomites was like a paradise; but by reason of +sin it was turned into a sea of asphalt; and those who have seen that +country tell us that most beautiful apples grow there, but when they +are cut open they are found to be filled with ashes and offensive +odor. The reason for this is that the Sodomites did not acknowledge +the gifts of God who blessed them, but misused them according to their +own will. Furthermore, they blasphemed God, and persecuted his saints, +being haughty by reason of those good gifts. Therefore the blessing +was taken away, and everything became curse-ridden. This is the true +explanation of the fact that, though there are signs of terror in wild +animals, we are nevertheless afraid of them, and they inflict harm +upon us. + +22. I am quite certain that very wicked men once lived in this country +of ours; how could we otherwise explain the parched soil and barren +sands? Names also show that the Jews at one time peopled this country. +Where bad people live, there the land gradually grows bad by the curse +of God. + +23. The city of Bruges in Flanders used to be a renowned port; but +from the time when they held King Maximilian captive, the sea +retreated, and the port ceased to exist. Of Venice they say the same +thing today. Nor is this very astonishing, since to the numberless +sins of rulers of the State, defence of idol worship and persecution +of the Gospel was added. + +V. 4. _But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, +shall ye not eat._ + +24. What we have heard so far, referred to domestic matters; now God +adds a commandment pertaining to civil government. 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 herb, growing in the field, 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 blood. Hence, he now adds a new law, +that human blood must not be shed, and at the same time he curtails +the liberty of eating flesh; he forbids them to eat flesh which has +not first been drained of blood. + +25. The Hebrew text presents many difficulties, and, for this reason, +interpreters are at variance. It is needless to recite all renderings +of this verse. I steadily follow the rule that the words must explain +the things, not the things the words. Hence, I spend no time upon the +ideas of those who explain the words according to their own +inclinations, making them serve the preconceived notions which they +bring to their literature. + +26. Let us first look at the meaning of the words. _Rephesh_ properly +denotes a body with a soul, or a living animal, such as the ox, the +sheep, man, etc. It denotes not merely the body, but a living body, as +when Christ says: I lay down my life for the sheep, Jn 10, 15. Here +the word "life" means nothing else than the life animating the body. +_Basar_, however, means flesh, which is a part of the material +element, and yet has its breath and its energy, not from the body, but +from the soul. For the flesh or the body, of itself and without the +soul, is an inanimate thing, like a log or a stone; but when it is +filled with the breath of the soul, then its fluids and all bodily +forces assume activity. + +27. God here forbids the eating of a body which still contains the +stirring, moving, living soul, as the hawk devours chickens, and the +wolf sheep, without killing them, but while still alive. Such cruelty +is here forbidden by Jehovah, who sets bounds to the privilege of +slaughtering, lest it be done in so beastly a manner that living +bodies or portions thereof be devoured. The lawful manner of +slaughtering is to be observed, such as was followed at the altar and +in religious rites, where the beast, having been slain without cruelty +and duly cleansed from blood, was finally offered to God. I hold that +the simple and true meaning of the text, which is also given by some +Jewish teachers, is that we must not eat raw flesh and members still +palpitating, as did the Laestrygones and the Cyclopes. + +V. 5. _And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; +at the hand of every beast will I require it: and at the hand of man, +even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of +man._ + +28. Here the Hebrew text is even more difficult than in the foregoing +verse. Lyra, quoting the Rabbins, finds four kinds of manslaughter +indicated here; he divides the statement into two parts, and finds a +twofold explanation for each. He understands the first part to mean +those who lay murderous hands upon themselves. If this is correct, +then this passage is a witness for immortality; for how could God call +to account a person who, being dead, no longer exists? Hence, +punishment of sin after this life could be indicated here. But it +seems to me that philology militates against this explanation. Though +I do not lay claim to a perfect knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, yet I +am certain that such a meaning is not here apparent. + +29. The second kind of murder, he illustrates by the custom of +throwing human beings before wild beasts, as was done aforetime in the +theatres, truly a barbaric spectacle, repulsive to all human feeling; +the third kind is murder at the instigation of another; the fourth, +murder of a relative. + +30. This distinction would be quite satisfactory if it could be proven +from the words of the text; but it is a Jewish invention born of their +hatred of the Roman laws. It is much simpler to understand this +passage as a general prohibition of murder, according to the fifth +commandment, which says, "Thou shalt not kill." God desires not even a +beast to be killed, except for a sacred purpose or for the benefit of +man. Much less does he permit taking the life of man, except by divine +authority, as will be explained hereafter. + +31. In the first place, then, wilful and wicked slaughter is +forbidden. Culture is opposed to the wanton killing of animals and to +the eating of raw meat. In the second place God forbids homicide of +any description; for if God will require the blood of a murdered human +being from the beast that slew him, how much more relentlessly will he +require it at the hand of man? Thus this passage voices the sentiment +of the fifth commandment, that no one shall spill human blood. + + +II. LAW CONCERNING MAN'S SLAUGHTER; GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH; THE + RAINBOW 32-68. + + A. LAW CONCERNING SLAYERS OF LIFE. + + 1. If it existed before the flood 32. + + 2. Relation of the flood to this law 33. + + 3. This the source of all human laws 34-36. + + 4. When and how this law can be executed 35. + + * Why is it well to observe that government was instituted by + God 36-37. + + 5. In what respect is it a great blessing from God 37. + + 6. How is government a proof of God's love to man 38. + + 7. Why God gave this command, and why he punishes man-slaughter + 39. + + 8. Hereby a new police and a new order are instituted 40. + + * Verdict of philosophy and of reason on civil authority 41. + + * Verdict of God's Word 42. + + 9. This law applies to all men 43. + + 10. Why God is such an enemy of man-slaughter, and so earnestly + forbids it 44-45. + + 11. The conclusion that God loves life 46. + + +II. THE LAW AGAINST TAKING LIFE; GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH; THE +RAINBOW. + +A. The Law Against Taking Life. + +V. 6a. _Who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed._ + +32. Here the carelessness of the Latin translator deserves reproof; +for he omitted the very necessary expression "by man." The difference +between the time before and that after the flood is thus brought out. +When Cain had murdered his brother Abel, God revered human blood so +highly that he threatened to visit sevenfold punishment upon anyone +who should kill Cain. He would not have the slayer of man put to death +even by due process of law; and though Adam punished the sin of his +son severely by casting him out, he did not dare to pronounce sentence +of death upon him. + +33. But here Jehovah establishes a new law, requiring the murderer be +put to death by man--a law unprecedented, because heretofore God had +reserved all judgment to himself. When he saw that the world was +growing worse and worse, he finally enforced punishment against a +wicked world by the flood. Here, however, God bestows a share of his +authority upon man, giving him the power of life and death, that thus +he may be the avenger of bloodshed. Whosoever takes man's life without +due warrant, him God subjects not only to his own judgment, but also +to the sword of man. Though God may use man as his instrument in +punishing, he is himself still the avenger. Were it not for the divine +command, then, it would be no more lawful now to slay a murderer than +it was before the flood. + +34. This is the source from which spring all civil laws and the laws +of nations. If God grants man the power of life and death, he +certainly also grants power in matters of lesser importance--power +over property, family, wife, children, servants and fields. God wills +that these things shall be under the control of certain men, who are +to punish the guilty. + +35. We must remember well that between the power of God and of men +there is this difference: God has the power to slay us when the world +cannot even accuse us--when before it we are innocent. Sin is born +with us; we are all guilty before God. Men have no authority to slay +except where guilt is apparent and crime is proven. 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 passed. + +36. Heed, then, this passage. It establishes civil authority as God's +institution, with power, not only of life and death, but jurisdiction +in matters where life is not involved. Magistrates are to punish the +disobedience of children, theft, adultery, perjury--all sins which are +forbidden in the second table. He who grants jurisdiction over the +life of man, at the same time grants judgment over lesser matters. + +37. 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 power, for the purpose that license may +be curbed and anger and other sins inhibited from growing beyond all +bounds. Had God not granted this power to man, what kind of lives, I +ask you, would we lead? He foresaw that wickedness would ever +flourish, and established this external remedy to prevent the +indefinite spread of license. By this safeguard God protects life and +property as by a fence and a wall. + +38. We find here no less a proof of God's great love toward man than +his promise that the flood shall never again rage, and his promise +that flesh may be eaten for the sustenance of human life. + +V. 6b. _For in the image of God made he man._ + +39. This is the powerful reason why God does not wish men to be killed +by private arbitrament. Man is a noble creature, who, unlike other +living beings, has been fashioned according to the image of God. While +it is true that he has lost this image through sin, as we have seen +above, it is capable of being restored through the Word and the Holy +Spirit. This image God desires us to revere in each other; he forbids +us to shed blood by the exercise of sheer force. But he who refuses to +respect the image of God in man, and gives way to anger and +provocation, those worst counselors of all, as some one has called +them, his life is surrendered to civil authority in forfeit, by God, +in that God commands that also his blood shall be shed. + +40. Thus the subject under consideration teaches the establishment of +civil authority in the world, which did not exist before the flood. +Cain and Lamech--and this is a case in point--were not slain, though +the holy patriarchs were the arbiters, judges, of public action. But +in this Scripture they who have the sword, are commanded to use it +against those who have shed blood. + +41. Thus the problem is here solved that worried Plato and all sages. +They concluded that it is impossible to administer government without +injustice, because all men occupy the same level of dignity and +position. Why did Caesar rule the world? Why did others obey him, +since he was only human like themselves--no better, no stronger and +liable to die as soon as themselves? He was subject to the same +conditions as all men. Hence it seems to be tyranny for him, who was +quite similar to other men, to usurp rulership among men. If he is +like other men it is the highest wrong and injustice to ignore this +similarity, and to foist his rule by force upon others. + +42. This is the conclusion at which reason arrives and it cannot +entertain any view to the contrary. But we, having the Word, can see +that we must oppose to such reasoning the command of God, the author +of this order of things. Accordingly, it is for us to render obedience +to the divine order and to endure it, so that to our other sins this +may not be added, that we are disobedient to the will of God at the +very point where we derive benefit in so many ways. + +43. To sum up, this passage permits the slaughter of animals for +religious and personal use, but it emphatically forbids the taking of +man's life, because man is made in the image of God. Those who violate +his command he gives into the hands of the authorities to be slain. + +V. 7. _And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly +in the earth, and multiply therein._ + +44. The slaughter of animals having been granted, not only for +sacrifice, but also for food, and the killing of human beings having +been forbidden, we are given the reason why God regards the shedding +of human blood with so much aversion. He desires mankind to multiply +on the earth; but the slaughter of men lays the earth waste and +produces a wilderness. We see this in case of war. God did not create +the earth without purpose. He intended it to be inhabited, Is 45, 18. +He makes it fruitful by rain and sunshine for man's benefit. Therefore +he is displeased with those who remove from the earth its inhabitants. +His will is life, and not death, Ps 30, 5. + +45. These and similar sayings of the prophets are based upon promises +like we find here, that God commands man to multiply. Plainly he is +more inclined to give life and to do good than to be angry and to +kill. If it were otherwise, why should he forbid the taking of human +life? Why should pestilence be of rare occurrence? Pestilence and +general epidemics occur scarce once in ten years. Men are born, +animals grow, and crops without end are growing continually. + +46. All these facts go to show that God loves, not death, but life. He +created man, not that he should die, but that he should live; "but +through the envy of the devil did death enter the world," Sap 2, 24. +But even after the fall, the blessings which remain are so guarded as +to render the conclusion inevitable that God loves life rather than +death. + +It is well for us to ponder these matters very often; thus, as Solomon +has truly said, Jehovah shall be to us a fountain of blessings. Prov +18, 22. + + +B. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH 47-55. + + * Why the same thing is repeated 47. + + 1. Whether this covenant applies to man alone or also to the + animals 48. + + 2. Whether this covenant applies to the men and animals of that day + only 49. + + * God always connected signs with his promises 49. + + * The significance of these to our first parents 49-50. + + 3. Nature of this covenant 51. + + * Characteristics of a humble heart and God's dealings with it + 52-54. + + 4. This covenant given for man's comfort and as a proof of God's + love 53-54. + + 5. It is a comfort to us at present 55. + + +B. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH. + +Vs. 8-11. _And God spake unto Noah, and his sons with him, saying, And +I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after +you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the +cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of +the ark, even every beast of the earth. And I will establish my +covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the +waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to +destroy the earth._ + +47. Previously we at various times explained this massing of words. +When the Holy Spirit is prolix, there is a cause for it. Let us +therefore, consider what fear, 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 frequency. + +48. When, in addition it is remembered that the covenant here spoken +of does not pertain to man alone but embraces every living soul, we +recognize that the promise does not relate to the seed but merely, to +this bodily life, enjoyed by man in common with the beasts; this God +will not destroy by another flood. + +Vs. 12-16. _And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I +make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, +for the perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it +shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it +shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow +shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is +between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the +waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow +shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember +the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all +flesh that is upon the earth._ + +49. The term "perpetual generations" deserves particular notice; it +embraces not only man and beast at that time, but all their offspring +down to the end of the world. We learn another thing from this +passage. God usually confirms his promise with an outward sign. 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 +guardianship. + +50. Some offer the following apt allegorical explanation. As the skin +of the dead sheep keeps warm our body, so Christ, having died, keeps +us warm by his Spirit, and will, on the last day, raise us up and give +us life. Others say that the skins were selected as a sign of +mortality. But this seems unnecessary; all our life reminds us of +mortality. More expedient was a token of life, suggesting the blessing +and favor of God. The office of such tokens is to console, not to +terrify. So was the sign of the rainbow given, a supplement of the +promise. + +51. In chapter 8, 21-22, God says in his heart that he repents of that +terrible punishment, and promises that he will not repeat it, because +the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. If he should +desire to so punish evil, there would be need of a flood every day. +Here he again sends forth his Word to mankind, through an angel, or +possibly through the mouth of Noah, promising that no flood shall +hereafter come upon the earth. That the promise is repeated so often +is evidence of God's endeavor, in loving kindness, to remove man's +fear of punishment and to set before him a hope of blessing and utmost +mercy. + +52. Such consolation Noah and his loved ones required. One who has +been humbled by God cannot forget the wound and the pain. Chastening +is longer remembered than blessing. Boys are a case in point. The +tender mother, having chastised her child with the rod, endeavors to +calm him with toys and other allurements, yet the memory of pain +lingers, and the child cannot restrain frequent sighs and bitter sobs. +How much more difficult for the conscience to accept solace after +having felt the wrath of God and the fear of death! So firmly fixed +are these in the mind that the soul trembles and fears in spite of +gifts and consolations offered. + +53. So God here shows his good will in manifold ways and feels +singular joy in pouring forth mercy. 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 face. + +54. Hence figures are employed, and words are massed and the subject +is presented in a clearer and clearer light, in order to adapt the +consolation to the needs of the wretched people who, for an entire +year, had been witnesses of the immeasurable wrath of God. They could +not be delivered from fear and terror by an occasional word. There was +need of repeating the promise with much exposition to dry their tears +and to soften their grief. For, though they were saints, they were +flesh, even as we are. + +55. Likewise we in our day need this consolation. At all times when +the elements rage, 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 God. +The rainbow shows itself to this day for the purpose of symbolizing +that, henceforth, there shall never be another general flood. And this +promise requires, on our part, the faith that we trust God, in his +mercy, will never bring another great flood upon us. + + +C. THE RAINBOW. + + 1. Can it be assigned to natural causes 56-58. + + * What to think of the fiery meteors 59-60. + + 2. Can it be caused by the position of the clouds 60. + + 3. The rainbow witnesses of God's wrath and of his goodness 61. + + 4. Did it exist before the flood? + + a. Opinion of those believing it did, and their reasons 62. + + b. Luther's opinion that it was a new creation 63. + + c. Solomon's words, "There is nothing new", do not apply here + 64. + + 5. Rainbow to be viewed as a new creature and as God's sign-board + 65. + + 6. Colors of the rainbow. + + a. What are they and their number 66. + + b. What do they signify 67. + + 7. To what end should the rainbow serve us 68. + + +C. THE RAINBOW. + +56. They further dispute whether the natural causes in the rainbow +signify this. It is well known that philosophers, especially Aristotle +in his book on Meteors, use all sorts of arguments on the color of the +rainbow, on the character of the clouds where it is produced, and on +its curvature. Quite appropriately the resemblance is noted between a +mirror, which reflects an image, and the moist and arched cloud, which +catches the rays of the sun, and by reflection produces the rainbow. +Reason sees in such phenomena what appears to it most probable, but it +does not discover the truth everywhere. That is not in the power of +the creature but of the Creator alone. As for me, I have never given +to any book less credence than to that on meteors, the basic principle +of which is the assumption that natural causes explain everything. + +57. Some declare the rainbow to be a forerunner of a storm lasting +three days, which I am ready to admit, but this much is certain, that +it signifies that there will never be another flood. However, it +derives this signification, not from any natural causes but only from +the Word of God. Its meaning is such, only because God orders and +declares it to be so through his Word. Circumcision was a token that +the seed of Abraham were the people of God; yet circumcision did not +have this meaning in itself, but only through the Word which was +joined with it. Again, the clothing of skin signified life and safety, +not because they contained this guarantee by nature, but because God +had promised it. So, the significance of the rainbow that the flood +shall not return, is not based upon the Word of God. + +58. I do not altogether ignore theories along the lines of natural law +concerning these matters; but since they are not substantiated, I +place little trust in them. The reasoning of Aristotle regarding the +humid and hollow cloud as the cause of the rainbow is not reliable, +such clouds may exist without producing a rainbow. Again, according to +the greater or lesser density of the medium, the bow may appear wider +or narrower. I have seen here at Wittenberg a circular rainbow, +forming a complete ring, not simply an arch terminating on the surface +of the earth, as rainbows generally appear. Why, then, do rainbows +assume different forms at different times? A philosopher, I suppose, +will think of some reason; for he will consider it a disgrace not to +be able to assign a reason for all things. But indeed, he will never +persuade me to believe that he speaks the truth. + +59. The only consistent and incontrovertable view to take is that all +these phenomena are either works of God or of evil spirits. I have no +doubt that the dancing goats (stars), the flying serpents, fiery +lances, and the like, are produced by evil spirits, which thus gambol +in the air, either to terrify or to deceive men. The flames which +appear on board of ships were thought by the heathen to be Castor and +Pollux. Sometimes the image of a moon appears above the ears of +horses. It is certain that all these things are due to the antics of +evil spirits in the air, though Aristotle believes them to be luminous +air, just as he also declares that a comet is shining vapor. + +60. To me it appears that we shall move with greater security and +certainty, when, arguing from cause to effect, we conclude that the +comet blazes, when it pleases God, as a sign of calamity, just as the +rainbow glows, when it pleases God as a sign of mercy. Who can compute +all the causes which produce the appearance of the rainbow in such +diversity of beautiful color, and in the form of an arch of perfect +curvature? The arrangement of the clouds alone surely does not produce +this perfection. Hence it is by the will and the promise of God, and +fulfilling his pleasure, that the rainbow is a sign to man and beast +that there will nevermore at any time be a flood. + +61. In recognition of this token we ought to give thanks to God. As +often as the rainbow appears, it proclaims to the world with a loud +voice, as it were, the story of the wrath of God, which once destroyed +the world by a flood. And it proclaims solace for us, so that we may +conclude that God is propitious to us henceforth and will never again +visit upon us so fearful a punishment. It teaches both the love and +the fear of God, the highest virtues, of which philosophy knows +nothing. Philosophy only disputes about material and formal causes. It +does not know the final cause of this most beautiful creation. But +theology does explain it. + +62. In this connection also the question has received much attention +whether the rainbow existed from the beginning. And in this +controversy much force has been displayed. Since it is written above +(ch 2, 23) that God created heaven and earth in six days, and then +rested from all his works, some conclude that the rainbow existed from +the beginning. Otherwise it would follow that creation extended beyond +those six days. What, however, occurred in Noah's time is this, that +the rainbow, created in the beginning, was selected by God and made, +through a new word, a fixed symbol, having existed hitherto without +special significance. To support this view, they even quote the word +of Solomon that "there is no new thing under the sun," Ec 1, 9. On +this they base their argument that after those six days no new thing +has been created. + +63. My opinion is quite the contrary--that the rainbow never had +existed before; it was then and there created. Thus, the coats of skin +with which God clothed the first parents certainly were not created in +those six days, but after man's fall; hence, they were a new creation. +The statement that God rested, must not be interpreted to mean that he +created nothing thereafter; for Christ says, "My Father worketh even +until now, and I work," Jn 5, 17. + +64. Solomon's statement that there is no new thing under the sun, has +given much trouble to the learned. But is it not apparent that it +refers not to the works of God, but to original sin, meaning that the +same reasoning powers Adam had after the fall are found in man +today--the same debates concerning morals, vices, virtues, the nurture +of the body and the transaction of business? As the comic poet has it, +speaking of another matter, "Nothing is said that has not been said +before." Really, within the sphere of man's activity and effort there +is nothing new; the same words, thoughts, designs, the same emotions, +griefs, affections and incidents exist now which always existed. +Consequently it is quite inappropriate, in consequence to apply this +aphorism to God and his works. + +65. Therefore, I believe that the rainbow was a new creation, not seen +in the world before that time. It was established to remind the world +of the bygone wrath, traces of which are still seen in the rainbow, +and to give assurance of the mercy of God. It is a record, or picture +in which both the bygone wrath and the present mercy are revealed. + +66. There is also a difference of opinion as to the colors of the +rainbow. Some say there are four colors: the fiery, the bright yellow, +the green and the color of water, or blue. But I think there are only +two, those of fire and water. The fiery color is above, unless the +rainbow is seen reversed; then, as in a mirror, that which is above is +seen below. Where the hues of fire and water meet, or blend, yellow +results. + +67. The colors have been thus arranged by God for a definite purpose. +The blue should be a reminder of bygone wrath; the fiery color, a +picture to us of the future judgment. While the interior or blue +portion is restricted, the outer and fiery color is without bounds. +Thus, the first world perished by the flood, but an end was set to +God's wrath. A remnant was preserved and a second world arose, but +bounds are set to it. When God shall destroy the world by fire, this +bodily life will never be restored. The wicked will suffer the +everlasting punishment of death in the fire, while the saints will be +raised up unto a new and everlasting life, which, though in the body, +shall not be of the body, but of the spirit. + +68. Let this sign teach us to fear God and to trust in him. So may we +escape the punishment of fire, even as we have escaped the punishment +of the flood. It will be more practical to think of these things than +to consider those philosophical arguments concerning the material +cause. + + +III. ALLEGORIES 69-132. + + A. ALLEGORIES IN GENERAL 69-81. + + 1. Luther at first given to allegories 69-70. + + 2. How and why monks and Anabaptists esteem them so highly 71. + + 3. How we should regard them 72. + + 4. Are they to be entirely rejected 73. + + 5. Some are, and others not 74-76. + + 6. How to regard Origen's, Augustine's and Jerome's allegories + 77-78. + + 7. Pope's allegories of the sun, moon and ark 79-80. + + 8. What to think of the doctrine of these allegories 81. + + +III. CONCERNING ALLEGORIES. + +A. Allegories in General. + +69. At last we have finished the story of the flood, which Moses +satisfactorily describes at great length. It is a fearful example of +the immeasurable and all but boundless wrath of God, which is beyond +the power of human utterance. There remains to be said a word or two +concerning its allegorical meaning. I have often declared that I take +no great pleasure in allegories, although in my younger days they had +such a fascination for me that I thought everything ought to be shown +to have an allegorical meaning. I was influenced in this respect by +the example of Origen and Jerome, whom I admired as the greatest of +all theologians. I may add that Augustine also uses the allegory quite +frequently. + +70. But while I followed the example of these men, I discovered at +last that, to my great loss, I had followed a shadow, and had +overlooked the very sap and marrow of the Scriptures. Thereupon I +began to hate allegories. They are pleasing, to be sure, especially +when they contain happy allusions. They may be compared to choice +pictures. But as much as real objects with their native hues surpass a +picture, even though it should glow, as the poet has it (stat silo V. +1, 5), with Apelles-like colors, closely copied from nature, so much +the historical narrative itself is superior to the allegory. + +71. In our day the ignorant mob of the Anabaptists is as much filled +with immoderate craving for allegory as are the monks. They love to +delve in the more mysterious books, such as the Revelation of John, +and that worthless fabrication passing under the title of the second +and third books of Esdras. For, there you are at liberty to follow +your fancy as you please. We recall that Muntzer, the seditious +spirit, turned everything into allegory. But true it is, that he who, +without judgment, makes allegories or follows those made by others, +will not only be deceived but sustain deplorable injury, as there are +examples to prove. + +72. Allegories must either be avoided altogether or be worked out with +the best judgment. They must conform to the rule followed by the +apostles, of which we shall soon have occasion to speak. Let us avoid +falling into those ugly and baneful absurdities, not only of those who +are misnamed theologians, but also of the Canonists, or rather +Assinists, of which the decretals and decisions of that most +detestable master, the pope, are an example. + +73. This statement, however, must not be taken for a general +condemnation of all allegory. Christ and the apostles made use of +allegories at times. These, however, were in keeping with the faith +according to the injunction of Paul (Rom 12, 6) that prophecy, or +doctrine, should be according to the proportion of faith. + +74. When we put the allegory under the ban, we confine ourselves to +that species which, with the setting aside of scriptural warrant, is +altogether the product of man's mind and fancy. Those which are tested +by the analogy of faith, serve not only as ornaments of the doctrine +but also as consolation for the soul. + +75. Peter turns this very story of the flood into a most beautiful +allegory, saying that baptism is symbolized by the flood, and saves +us. For, in it not only the filth of the flesh is washed away, but +conscience makes good answer toward God through the resurrection of +Jesus Christ, who is enthroned at the right hand of God and has +destroyed death in order to make us heirs of eternal life; who, +moreover, is gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being +made subject unto him, 1 Pet 3, 21-22. This is, indeed, a theological +allegory, in accordance with faith, and full of solace. + +76. Such is also the allegory of Christ in John 3, 14, concerning the +serpent lifted up in the wilderness and the healing of those bitten by +the serpent's tooth who gazed upon it. Again, there is that one by +Paul (1 Cor 10, 1), All our fathers did drink from the same spiritual +rock, etc. Such allegories as these not only agree with the matter +itself, but also instruct the heart in faith and are a help to the +conscience. + +77. But take a look at the ordinary allegory of Jerome, Origen and +Augustine. These men, when they create an allegory, leave faith +altogether out of consideration, and merely air philosophical +opinions, foreign alike to the sphere of faith and to that of morals; +not to speak of the fact that they are quite silly and a mass of +absurdities. + +78. In a former chapter (ch 3. §§61, 298, 304), we heard of +Augustine's allegory concerning the creation of man and woman, by +which he illustrates the higher and the lower attributes of man, that +is, reason and the emotions. But, I ask you, what is the value of this +figment? + +79. The pope, however, carries away the real honors for piety and +learning when he thunders from his high seat as follows: God made two +great lights, the sun and the moon; the sun represents the authority +of the pope, from which his imperial majesty borrows its light as the +moon does from the sun. Away with such rash impudence and vicious +ambition! + +80. In a similar style the ark, of Noah's story, is compared to the +Roman Catholic Church, in which is found the pope with his cardinals, +bishops, and prelates, while the laymen are swimming in the sea. That +is, the laymen are altogether given to earthly business and would not +be saved did not those helmsmen of the ark, or Church, cast boards and +ropes to the swimmers, drawing them into the ark by these means. +Pictures of this nature were frequently painted by monks to represent +the Church. + +81. Origen shows more sanity than the papists, in that his allegories +conform to moral standards, as a rule. Yet, he ought to have kept in +view the rule laid down by Paul, who demands that prophesy is to be +the guardian of faith; for faith is edifying and the proper sphere of +the Church. Rules governing morals can be laid by even heathen +philosophers who know nothing whatever concerning faith. + + +B. ALLEGORIES IN DETAIL 82-132. + + 1. Allegory of the baptism of the Israelites under Moses; the ark + and the flood 82ff. + + * Points of likeness and unlikeness in the death of believers and + unbelievers 84-86. + + * In what way is death to be conquered 87. + + * How all temptations are to be overcome and believers be + preserved 88-90. + + 2. Allegories of the ark's proportions 91-92. + + 3. Allegories of the sun and moon 93. + + * To what all allegories should point 94. + + 4. Allegory of the cup 95-96. + + 5. Allegory of the dove Noah sent out of the ark 97-99. + + 6. Allegory of the raven Noah sent forth. + + a. Thoughts of the fathers on this point 100. + + b. The correct allegory of the raven 101-116. + + * The law and the teachings of the law 101-116. + + (1) How illustrated by the raven 102-105. + + * Luther's opponents falsely accuse him of forbidding good + works 106-107. + + (2) They are no better than the intelligent moralists among + the heathen 108-110. + + (3) They cannot quiet the conscience 111. + + * The raven a perfect representative of the Papists + 112-113. + + (4) How the Papists make the unrighteous righteous and + condemn the righteous 114-115. + + 7. Allegories of the doves in detail 116-124. + + * Characteristics of the dove 116. + + a. First dove sent forth. + + (1) A figure of the office of grace 117. + + (2) A figure of the Old Testament prophets 118-119. + + b. Second dove returned with the olive leaf. + + (1) A figure of New Testament preachers 120-122. + + * The fanatics and Anabaptists wait in vain for new + revelations 121. + + * Nature of true Gospel preachers 122. + + (2) A figure of the New Testament 123. + + c. Third dove did not return 124ff. + + 8. Allegory of the seven days Noah waited after he sent forth the + first dove 125. + + 9. Allegory of the evening the dove returned 126-127. + + * Several things to be remembered in this connection. + + (1) Allegories are not to have a world-wide treatment like + the articles of faith 128. + + (2) Defects in the allegories of the fathers 129-130. + + * Lyra is to be preferred to all commentators 131. + + (3) Right use of allegories 132. + + +B. ALLEGORIES IN DETAIL. + +82. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul says (1 Cor 10, 2) that the +Israelites "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." +If you regard only the outward circumstance and the words, even +Pharaoh was baptized, but he perished with his men, while Israel +passed through safe and unharmed. Noah and his sons were saved in this +baptism of the flood, while all the rest of the world, being outside +of the ark, perished thereby. Such a way of speaking is appropriate +and forcible. "Baptism" and "death" are interchangeable in Scripture. +Paul says (Rom 6, 3): "All we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were +baptized into his death," and Jesus says, "I have a baptism to be +baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" (Lk +12, 50). And to his disciples he said, "Ye shall ... be baptized with +the baptism that I am baptized with" (Mt 20, 23). + +83. In this sense the Red Sea was a baptism indeed. It represented to +Pharaoh death and God's anger. Yet though Israel was baptized with the +same baptism, they passed through it unharmed. So the flood is truly +death and the wrath of God, and yet, the faithful are saved in the +midst of the flood. Death engulfs and swallows all mankind; for, the +wrath of God smites both the good and the bad, the pious and the +wicked, without distinction. The flood was sent upon Noah the same as +upon the rest of the world. The Red Sea that engulfed Pharaoh was the +same as that through which Israel passed unharmed. But in both cases +the believers are saved while the wicked perish. That is the point of +difference. The ark was Noah's salvation, and it was but an expression +of the promise and Word of God. In these he had life, but the wicked, +who believed not the Word, were left to perish. + +84. This is the difference which the Holy Spirit desired to bring out, +so that the righteous, warned by this example, might believe and hope +for salvation through the mercy of God in the very midst of death. +They consider baptism as bound together with the promise of life, as +Noah did the ark. Therefore, though the wise man and the fool must +suffer the same death--for Peter and Paul die, not otherwise than Nero +and other wicked persons die--yet the righteous believe that in death +they will be saved unto eternal life. And this hope is not vain, for +they have Christ, who receives their souls, and will, on the last day, +raise up also the bodies of his believers unto eternal life. + +85. This class of allegory is of great service, and tends to comfort +the heart when you consider the contrast in the ultimate outcome. The +testimony of the material eye would seem to confirm the statement of +Solomon (Ec 2, 16) that the wise man dieth as the fool, that the +righteous man dieth as though he were not the beloved of God. But the +eyes of the soul must view this point of difference, that Israel +enters into the Red Sea and is saved, while Pharaoh, pressing upon the +heels of Israel, is overwhelmed by the waves and perishes. It is the +same death, then, which takes away the righteous and the wicked, and +almost always the end of the former is ignominious, while that of the +latter is attended by elements of splendor and power; but in the eyes +of God, while the death of sinners is deplorable, that of his saints +is precious, for it is consecrated by Christ, through whom it becomes +the beginning of eternal life. + +86. As the flood and the Red Sea were instruments to save Noah and +Israel from death, so to us, death is but the instrument to give us +life, if we remain in faith. When the children of Israel were in +utmost peril, suddenly the sea parted and rose on the right side and +on the left, like an iron wall, so that Israel passed through without +danger. Why was it? In order that so death might be made to serve +life. Divine power overcomes the assaults of Satan. Thus it was in +Paradise. Satan purposed to slay all mankind by his venom. But what +happens? By reason of the truly happy guilt of our first parents, as +the Church sings, it comes to pass that the Son of God became +incarnate to free us from evil. + +87. This allegory, then, beautifully teaches, strengthens and consoles +us, enabling us to fear neither death nor sin, but to despise all +perils, giving thanks to God that he has so called and dealt with us +that even death, the universal destroyer, is compelled to be a servant +of life, just as the flood, an occasion of destruction to the rest of +the world, was one of salvation for Noah; and the Red Sea, when +Pharaoh met his doom, served to save the children of Israel. + +88. What has been here expressed, finds application to the subject of +temptation in general, so that we learn to despise dangers and be +hopeful even where no hope seems to remain. When death or any other +danger is imminent, we should rise to meet it, saying: Behold, here is +my Red Sea; here is my flood, my baptism and my death. Here my +life--as the philosopher said of the sea-farers--is removed from death +barely by a hand's breadth. But fear not; this danger is as a handful +of water opposed to the flood of grace which is mine through the Word. +Therefore death will not destroy me, but will lift me and bear me to +life. Death is so utterly incapable of destroying the Christian, that +it constitutes the very escape from death. For bodily death ushers in +the emancipation of the spirit and the resurrection of the flesh. +Thus, Noah in the flood was not borne by the earth, nor by trees, nor +by mountains, but by the very flood which destroyed the total +remainder of the human race. + +89. Well may the prophets often extol those wonderful works of +God--the passage through the Red Sea, the exodus from Egypt, and the +like. For the sea, which by its nature can only devour and destroy, is +forced to part and rise and protect the Israelites, lest they be +overwhelmed by its tides. That which in its very nature is wrath, +becomes grace to the believer; that which in reality is death, becomes +life. Therefore, whatever calamity comes--and this life has it in +infinite measure--to threaten our property and our lives, it will all +become salvation and joy if we only are in the ark; that is, if by +faith we lay hold of the promise made in Christ. Then even death, by +which we are removed, must be turned into life, and the hell, which +swallows us, into a way to heaven. + +90. Therefore Peter says (1 Pet 3, 21) that we are saved by the water +in baptism, which was prefigured by the flood. The water which streams +about us, or the plunge into it, is death, and yet from this death or +plunge, life results by virtue of the ark of safety--the Word of +promise to which we cling. The inspired Scriptures set forth this +allegory, which is not only free from weaknesses but of service in +every way, and worthy of our careful attention, since it offers +wonderful consolation even in the utmost perils. + +91. The fathers have added another allegory taken from the form and +dimensions of the ark. The human body, measured from the top of the +head to the sole of the foot, is six times as long as it is wide. Now, +the ark, which was fifty cubits wide, measured six times as much in +length, namely 300 cubits. Hence, they say, the ark typifies Christ +the man, in whom all promises center. Therefore, those who believe in +him are saved even in the midst of the flood, that is, in death +itself. + +92. This conception is both appropriate and beautiful; above all, it +agrees with faith. Though there may be a mistake in the application, +the groundwork is strong and secure. There is no doubt that the Holy +Spirit found various ways to illustrate the promises to be fulfilled +in Christ, and the wonderful counsel of salvation for mankind through +faith in Christ. Hence, allegories of this nature, though lacking in +aptness, are not necessarily wicked and a source of offense. + +93. If one were to say the sun represents Christ, while the moon +represents the Church, which receives its light by the grace of +Christ, he might possibly be mistaken in his choice of illustration, +yet his error is based, not upon an erroneous, but upon a sure +foundation. But when the pope declares the sun represents the papal +authority, while the moon represents the emperor's, then not only the +application is inapt and foolish, but the very foundation is evil. +Such allegories are not conceived and invented by the Holy Spirit, but +by the devil, the spirit of lies. + +94. Allegories must have some application to the promises and the +doctrine of faith if they are to comfort and strengthen the soul. +Peter's allegory teaches us this. Because Peter saw that Noah was set +free in the midst of death and that the ark was an instrument of life, +the ark was rightly applied to typify Christ. Only divine power can +save in the midst of death and lead unto life. The Scriptures declare +that to God belong the issues from death, (Ps 68, 21), and he makes +death the occasion, yea, even an aid to life. + +95. This has given rise to expressions used in Scripture, where +afflictions and perils are likened to a cup that intoxicates. This is +an apt and vivid figure of speech. So the passion of Christ is called +a draught from a brook (Ps 110, 7), meaning that it is a medicinal +draught or mixture, which, though bitter, is healing in its bitterness +and gives life by causing death. Such soothing words serve to console +us that we may learn to despise death and other perils and meet them +with greater readiness. + +96. Satan, also, has his cup; but it is sweet, and inebriates unto +nausea. He who, attracted by its sweetness, drinks it, loses his life +and dies the eternal death. Such was the cup the Babylonians drained, +as the prophet has it (Jer 25, 15-27). Let us, therefore, accept the +cup of salvation with thanksgiving, and, as Paul declares of +believers, rejoice in tribulation (Rom 5, 3). + +97. Having explained this figure of the ark and the meaning of the +flood according to the canonical Scriptures, we will say something +also about the other features of this story--about the raven which did +not return, and the doves, the first of which returned because she +found no resting-place for her foot, while the second brought back +with her a twig from an olive tree, and the third did not return +because the earth was no more covered by water. + +98. In our treatise on the narrative proper, we stated that these +things occurred to be a consolation for Noah and his sons; to assure +them that God's wrath had passed and that he was now pacified. The +dove did not bring the olive branch of her own volition. She +miraculously obeyed divine power. So the serpent in paradise spoke, +not of its own volition, but through the inspiration of the devil, who +had taken possession of it. As, on that occasion, the serpent, by the +devil's prompting, spoke, with the result that man was led into sin, +so, on this occasion, it was not its own volition or instinct which +moved the dove to bring the olive branch, but the prompting of God, in +order that Noah might gain comfort from the pleasant sight. For the +olive does not supply the dove with food; she prefers the several +species of wheat or pease. + +99. The incident of the dove, then, is a miraculous occurrence with a +definite meaning. The prophets in their messages concerning the +kingdom of Christ, frequently make mention of doves (Ps 68, 13) and +(Is 60, 8). Solomon also in his Song seems to mention the dove with +particular pleasure. Therefore, we should not despise the picture this +allegory holds before us, but treat its truth skillfully and aptly. + +100. The allegory of the raven, invented by the doctors, is well +known. Because ravens delight in eating dead bodies, they have been +taken as a likeness of carnal men, who delight in carnal pleasures and +indulge in them. The Epicureans were an example. A very fair +explanation but inadequate, because it is merely of that moral and +philosophical sort which Erasmus was in the habit of giving after the +example of Origen. + +101. We must look for a theological explanation. In the first place, +those moralists fail to observe that Scripture commends the raven for +not leaving the ark of his own will. He went out at the bidding of +Noah, to ascertain if the waters had ceased and if God's wrath was +ended. The raven, however, did not return, neither did he become a +messenger of happy omen. He remained without the ark, and, though he +came and went, yet he did not suffer himself to be taken by Noah. + +102. In all these points the allegory fittingly typifies the ministry +of the Law. Black, the color of the bird, is a token of sadness, and +the sound of his voice is unpleasant. This is true of the teachers of +the Law, who teach justification by works. They are the ministers of +death and sin, Paul calling the ministry of the Law a ministry of +death, (2 Cor 3, 6). The Law is unto death (Rom 7, 10). The Law +worketh wrath. (Rom 4, 15.) The Law entered that trespass might +abound. (Rom 5, 20). + +103. And yet, Moses was sent forth by God with the Law, just as the +raven was sent out by Noah. It is God's will that mankind be taught +morality and holiness of life, and that wrath and sure punishments be +announced to all who transgress the Law. Nevertheless, such teachers +are naught but ravens wandering aimlessly about the ark; nor do they +have the certain assurance that God is pacified. + +104. For, the Law is a teaching of such character that it cannot +assure, strengthen and console an uneasy conscience, but rather +terrifies it, since it only teaches what God requires of us, what he +wishes to be performed by us. Our consciences bear witness against us +that we not only have failed to carry out the will of God as set forth +in the Law, but that we have done the very contrary. + +105. With all justice, therefore, we may say of the teachers of the +Law, in the words of Psalms 5, 9: "There is no certainty in their +mouth." Our translation has it "There is no faithfulness in their +mouth." Their teaching at its best can only say: If you do this, if +you do that, you will be saved. Christ speaks ironically when he +answers the scribe who had grandly set forth the doctrine of the Law, +by saying, "This do, and thou shalt live" (Lk 10, 28). He shows the +scribe that the doctrine is holy and good, but since we are corrupt, +it follows that we are guilty, since we do not, and cannot, fulfil the +Law. + +106. Hence, we declare rightly that we are not justified by the works +of the Law. By the works of the Law we mean, not the ceremonial +commandments, but those highest commandments of all, to love God and +our neighbor. The reason we are not justified is that we cannot keep +the commandments. We have reason, however, 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 works. +This would be true if we did not admit that the raven was sent forth +from the ark by Noah. But we do say that the raven was sent out from +the ark. And this we deny, that it was not a raven, or that it was a +dove. All the clamor, the abuse, the blasphemy of our opponents have +no other purpose than to force us to declare that the raven was a +dove. + +107. But now examine their books and carefully consider their +doctrine. Is it anything but a doctrine of works? This is good, this +is honorable, they say; this you must do; the other is dishonorable +and wicked, hence you must not do it. On the strength of such +teaching, they believe themselves to be true theologians and doctors. +But let them show us the person who either has done or will do all +those things, especially if you present, not only the second table of +the Law, as they do, but also the first one. + +108. He who takes his stand upon this doctrine of the Law, then, is +truly nothing but a hearer. He does not learn anything except its +demands. Since such persons have no desire to learn anything further, +it should suffice for them if they are given the poem of Cato, or +given Esop, whom I consider a better teacher of morals. These two +writers are profitable reading for young men. Older persons should +study Cicero, who, to my astonishment, is considered by some as +inferior to Aristotle in the sphere of ethics. This would be a +rational course of study. So far as imparting moral precepts is +concerned, the good intentions and the assiduity of the heathen must +be commended. Yet they are inferior to Moses. He sets forth not only +morality, but also teaches the true worship of God. Nevertheless, he +who places his trust solely in Moses has nothing but the raven +wandering aimlessly about outside of the ark. Of the dove and the +olive branch, he has nothing. + +109 The raven, then, represents not only the Law given by God, but all +laws and all philosophy which are the product of human reason and +wisdom. They tell us no more than what ought to be done and do not +provide the strength to do it. The judgment of Christ is true: "When +ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are +unprofitable servants" (Lk 17, 10). + +110. True the raven is sent out. God desires the Law to be taught. He +reveals it from heaven; yea, he writes it upon the hearts of all men, +as Paul proves (Rom 2, 15). From this inherent knowledge originated +all writings of the saner philosophers, of Esop, Aristotle, Plato, +Xenophon, Cicero and Cato. And these are not unfit to set before +untrained and vicious persons, that their vile tendencies may be +curbed to some extent. + +111. If, however, you seek for peace of conscience and for certain +hope of eternal life, such philosophers are like the raven, which +wanders around the ark, finding no peace outside, but not looking for +it within. Paul says of the Jews, "Israel, following after a law of +righteousness, did not arrive at that law" (Rom 9, 31). The reason for +this is in the fact that the Law is like the raven; it is either the +ministry of death and sin or it produces hypocrites. + +112. Now, let those who wish, follow out this allegory by studying the +nature of the raven. It is an impure bird, of somber and funereal +color, with a strong beak and a harsh, shrill voice. It scents dead +bodies from a great distance, and therefore men fear its voice as a +certain augury of an impending death. It feeds upon carrion and enjoys +localities made foul by public executions. + +113. Though I would not apply each and every one of these +characteristics to the Law, yet who does not see how well they fit the +servants of the Pope, the mass-priests and the monks, who were not +only richly fed upon the slaughter of consciences by their false +doctrines, but also used the dead bodies to obtain their livelihood, +since they made a paying business out of their vigils, their +anniversaries, their purifying water used in burials, and even of +purgatory itself. And surely, this devotion to the dead was more +profitable to them than their care of the living. + +Truly, then, they are ravens, feeding on corpses and sitting upon them +with wild cries. Not only may the popish priests be fitly likened to +the ravens, but indeed the whole ministry of the papacy, where it is +at its best, does nothing but to gash and murder consciences. It does +not show the way to true righteousness, but merely makes hypocrites, +as does the Law. + +114. Among other crimes of false prophets, Ezekiel enumerates (ch 13, +19) the fact that, for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, +they slay souls that should not die, and save the souls alive that +should not live. This is true of these ravens, the teachers of the +Law. They call those righteous who live according to the letter of the +Law, and yet these are the very souls which do not live. On the other +hand, they condemn those who violate their traditions, just as the +Pharisees condemned the disciples when they plucked ears of corn, when +they did not wash their hands and when they failed to fast. This is an +outcry, fierce and dismal, reminding us of ravens which sit upon +corpses. + +115. When cursing a wicked person, the Greeks said, "To the ravens!" +Similarly, the Germans use the expression, "May the ravens devour +you." If we make this curse an element of the allegory, its serious +character becomes evident. For what is more deplorably disastrous than +to have teachers, the outcome of whose best teaching is death, and who +ensnare the conscience with difficulties that cannot be disentangled? +Though some say this allegory of the raven is inaptly applied to the +priesthood, it is true nevertheless and agrees with the fundamental +truth, and it is not only most apt, but very profitable for +instruction. + +116. On the other hand, the incident of the dove is a most delightful +picture of the gospel, especially if you carefully consider the +characteristics of the dove. Ten of these are usually enumerated: 1. +It is without guile. 2. It does not harm with its mouth. 3. It does +not harm with its claws. 4. It gathers pure grains. 5. It nourishes +the young of others. 6. Its song is a sigh. 7. It abides by the +waters. 8. It flies in flocks. 9. It nests in safe places. 10. Its +flight is swift. These ten characteristics have been set forth in six +verses, as follows: + + Free from guile is the dove; the bite of her beak does not injure; + Wounds her claws do not strike; pure is the grain that she eats. + Frequent and swift is her flight to shining courses of water. + List to her voice, and lo! sighs you will hear but no song! + Other nestlings she rears; in swarms she flies through the ether. + Safe is the place and high where she prepares her abode. + +117. The New Testament tells us the Holy Spirit appeared in the form +of a dove (Mt 3, 16). Hence, we are justified in using the dove as an +allegory of the ministry of grace. + +118. Moses implies that the dove did not fly aimlessly about the ark, +as did the raven, but having been sent out and finding no place to +rest, it returned to the ark and was seized by Noah. + +119. This dove is a picture of the holy prophets sent to teach the +people; but the flood, that is, the time of the Law, had not yet +passed away. Thus David, Elias, Isaiah, though they did not live to +see the time of the New Testament, were yet sent as messengers with +the tidings that the flood would eventually be brought to an end, +though that time was at a distance. Having delivered their message, +they returned to the ark; that is, they were justified and saved +without the Law, by faith in the blessed seed, in which they believed +and for which they longed. + +120. After this, another dove was sent forth, which found the earth +dried, and not only the mountains, but also the trees, standing free +from water. But she alighted upon an olive tree, plucked a branch, and +brought it back to Noah. + +121. The allegorical meaning of this incident is interpreted by the +Scriptures. The olive tree is very often used as a symbol of grace, of +mercy or of forgiveness of sins. The dove brings the branch in her +beak, thus typifying the outward ministry, or the spoken Word. For the +Holy Spirit does not teach by new revelations aside from the ministry +of the Word, as the enthusiasts and Anabaptists, those truly fanatical +teachers, dream. It was the will of God that a branch from a living +olive tree should be carried to Noah in the mouth of the bird, to +teach that in the New Testament, the time of the flood or anger being +past, God desires to set his mercy before the world by the spoken +Word. + +122. The messengers of this Word are doves; that is, sincere men, +without guile, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 60, 8, likens +ministers of the Gospel or of grace to doves which fly to their +windows. And, though Christ commands them to imitate the harmlessness +of doves, Mt 10, 16, meaning that they should be sincere and free from +venom, yet, he admonishes them to be wise like serpents; that is, they +should be wary of false and cunning people, and cautious like the +serpent, which is said to shield its head with special skill in a +fight. + +123. The green freshness of the olive branch, also, is a type of the +Word of the Gospel, which endureth forever and is never without fruit. +Psalms 1, 3 likens those who study the Word to a tree, the leaves of +which do not wither. We heard nothing like this above concerning the +raven, which flew to and fro near the ark. This second dove which was +sent forth is a type of the New Testament, where grace and the +forgiveness of sins are promised openly through the sacrifice of +Christ. This is why the Holy Spirit chose to appear in the form of a +dove in the New Testament. + +124. The third dove did not return. After the fulfilment of the +promise given the whole world through the mouth of the dove, no new +teaching is to be looked for, but we simply await the revelation of +those things which we believe. Herein is certain testimony for us that +the Gospel will endure unto the end of the world. + +125. The text, furthermore, specifies the time Noah waited after he +had first sent forth a dove, namely, seven days. These seven days +typify the time of the Law which, of necessity, preceded the period of +the New Testament. + +126. We read, likewise, that the second dove returned at dusk, +carrying the olive branch. To the Gospel the last age of the world has +been assigned. Nor should we look for another kind of doctrine, for it +is to an evening meal that Christ compared the Gospel (Mt 22, 2; Lk +14, 16). + +127. True, the doctrine of the Gospel has been in the world since the +fall of our first parents, and the Lord confirmed this promise to the +patriarchs by various signs. The first ages knew nothing of the +rainbow, nor of circumcision, nor of other signs afterward ordained by +God. But all ages have known of the blessed seed. Since it has been +revealed, there remains nothing else than the revelation of that which +we believe. With the third dove, we shall fly away to that other life, +never to return to the life here, so wretched and so full of grief. + +128. These are my thoughts concerning this allegory. I have set them +forth briefly, for we must not tarry with them as we do with +historical narratives and articles of faith. + +129. Origen, Jerome, Augustine, and Bernard seek diligently for +allegories. But this practice has one drawback. The more attention +they direct to allegories, the more do they draw it away from the +facts of sacred history and from faith, to the exclusion of these more +important things. Allegories should be employed for the purpose of +inducing and increasing, of explaining and strengthening, that faith +of which all the stories treat. It is not to be wondered at, that +persons who do not seek faith in the stories of the Bible, look for +the region of allegorical shades as a pleasant playground in which to +stroll about. + +130. Just as in the popish Church false and unscriptural words are +rendered in sweet music, so learned men have too often spoiled the +good meaning of a Bible story, which contains a useful lesson of +faith, by their childish allegories. + +131. I have often spoken of the kind of theology that prevailed when I +began to study. Its advocates said that the letter killeth (2 Cor 3, +6). Therefore I disliked Lyra most of all interpreters, because he +followed the literal meaning so carefully. But now I prefer him, for +this very reason, to all interpreters of Scripture. + +132. I advise you as strongly as I can to fully appreciate the great +value of the Bible history. But whenever you wish to employ allegory, +take pains to follow the analogy of faith; that is, make the allegory +agree with Christ, with the Church, with faith, with the ministry of +the Gospel. If constructed in this manner, allegories will not go +astray from faith, even though they may not be genuine in every point. +This foundation shall remain firm, while the stubble perishes. But let +us return to our story. + + +IV. NOAH AND HIS FALL. + + A. NOAH. + + 1. Noah's character before the flood 133. + + 2. Noah's character after the flood 134. + + 3. Way Noah executed his office as bishop 135. + + 4. Way he executed his office as a civil ruler 136. + + +IV. NOAH AND HIS FALL. + +A. Noah. + +Vs. 20-22. _And Noah began to be a husbandman, and planted a vineyard; +and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within +his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his +father, and told his two brethren without._ + +133. What manner of man Noah was during the flood, is shown +sufficiently by the story of the flood itself. What manner of man he +had been before the flood, is shown by Moses' declaration that he was +righteous and perfect. Great as this man was, we hear nothing else +about him, 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 age. This very fact shows that +human nature was by far stronger in its integrity at that time, and +that the Holy Spirit held more perfect sway in the holy men of the +early world than He does in us who are, as it were, the dregs and the +remnants of the world's production. + +It surely was a commendatory record for Noah to be accorded righteous +and perfect before God; that is, full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, +adorned with chastity and all good works, pure in worship and +religion, suffering many temptations from the devil, the world, and +himself, all which he overcame triumphantly. Such was Noah before the +flood. + +134. Of his life after the flood, Moses tells us very little. But is +it not apparent that so noble a man, living for about 350 years after +the flood, could not be idle, but must have been busy with the +government of the Church, which he alone established and ruled? + +135. First of all, then, he performed the duties of a bishop. Beset +with various temptations, his foremost endeavor was to resist the +devil, to console the troubled ones, to bring back the erring to the +true way, to strengthen the doubting, to cheer souls in despair, to +exclude from his Church the impenitent, and to receive back with +fatherly gladness the repentant. For, these are the duties a bishop +must perform through the ministry of the Word. + +136. Moreover, he had civil duties in establishing forms of government +and in making laws, without which human passions cannot be held in +check. To this was added the rule of his own household, or the care of +his home. + + +B. NOAH'S FALL. + + 1. Why Moses omitted many important things about Noah and related + his fall 137-138. + + 2. Lyra tries to excuse Noah's fall 139. + + 3. Noah's fall cannot be excused 140-141. + + 4. His fall caused a great scandal 142. + + 5. Ham scandalized himself through it 142-143. + + a. Real root of this scandal 144. + + b. Thereby Noah greatly sinned 145ff. + + * Original sin develops presumptuous people 146-148. + + c. This scandal reveals Satan's bitterest enmity against God's + Church 149. + + * Papists are Ham's disciples 150. + + * David's enemies rejoiced over his fall 151. + + 6. To what end should Noah's fall serve us 152-154. + + * The godless are not worthy to see God's glory in believers 155. + + * Why we should not be vexed at the infirmities of believers + 156-157. + + 7. The conduct of Shem and Japheth in this connection 158-173. + + a. They still honored their father, though they approved not his + deed 158. + + * Origin of outward sin 159. + + * How to avoid offense 160-162. + + * Luther aware of his own infirmities 163. + + * Attitude of the opponents of the Word to true preachers 164. + + * Why Moses never mentioned many great events in Noah's life, + and thought of his fall 165-166. + + b. How the sons covered their father's shame 167. + + c. Herein they had regard for God's will and were therefore + pleasing to God 168. + + * Ham's scandal. + + (1) It was a wilful and grievous sin 168-169. + + (2) The lesson we may learn from it 170. + + (3) Reward of this scandalous deed, and why Canaan is here + mentioned 172-173. + + +B. Noah's Fall. + +137. Though reason tells us that Noah was burdened with these manifold +duties after the flood, yet Moses does not mention them. It appears to +him sufficient to confine his remarks to the statement that Noah began +to plant a vineyard, and that he lay in his tent drunken and naked. + +This, surely, is a foolish and very useless tale in comparison with +the many praiseworthy acts he must have performed in the course of so +many years. Other things might have been recorded for edification and +for teaching righteousness of life. But this story even seems to +endorse an offense, by abetting drunkards and those who sin in +drunkenness. + +138. The purpose of the Holy Spirit, however, is apparent from what we +have said. 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 are, +therefore, cast down. In them we are to find proofs of our own +shortcomings, that we may come to humble confession and, at the same +time, seek and hope for forgiveness. This is the real and +theologically true reason why the Holy Spirit records, rather than +seemingly more important matters, the great fall of this grand man. + +139. Lyra states as excuse for Noah that he knew not the power of wine +and was deceived into drinking a little too freely. Whether wine had +been known before or whether Noah began to cultivate it by his own +skill and by divine suggestion, I know not, but I believe that Noah +knew the nature of this produce quite well, and that he had often made +use of wine in company with his family, partly for his own person and +partly also in his offerings or libations. I think that in making use +of wine for his own refreshment, he partook of it too freely. + +140. His action I excuse in no way. Should anyone want to do so, there +would be weightier arguments than those Lyra uses. According to him +this aged man, tired out by the great number of his daily duties and +cares, had been overpowered by the wine although he was already used +to it. For wine overcomes more easily those who are either exhausted +by much work or burdened with age. Persons of mature age, on the other +hand, and such of care-free mind, can drink considerable quantities of +wine without greatly impairing their reason. + +141. But he who makes this excuse for the patriarch, wilfully casts +aside that consolation which the Holy Spirit considered needful for +the Church, that even the greatest saints sometimes fall into sin. + +142. Transgression like this may seem to be slight, yet it causes +great offense. Not only is Ham offended, but also the other brother, +possibly also their wives. And we must not imagine that Ham was a boy +of seven years. Having been born when Noah was five hundred years old, +he had reached an age of at least one hundred years and had one or two +children of his own. + +143. Hence, it was not boyish thoughtlessness which caused Ham to +laugh at his father, as boys will do when surrounding a drunken rustic +in the street and making sport of him. He was truly offended by his +father's sin and thought himself to be more righteous, holy and +religious than his father. Noah's deed was an offense not only in +appearance, but in very truth, since Ham was so far tempted by the +knowledge of it that he passed judgment upon Noah, and found in such +sin an occasion for mirth. + +144. If we wish to judge Ham's sin aright, we must take into account +original sin, that is, the wickedness of the heart. 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 parents. + +145. Noah had been considered a fool before the flood, by the majority +of mankind, and had been condemned as a false teacher and despised as +a man of wild ideas. Now he is laughed at by his son as a fool, and +condemned as a sinner. Noah was sole governor of the Church and State, +and ruled his own household with tireless care and labor. He had +doubtless therein offended the proud and haughty spirit of his son in +many ways. But the depravity of his heart which now, that the father's +sin had become manifest, leaped to the surface, had so far been +successfully concealed. + +146. When we consider the source of Ham's sin, its hideousness first +appears in its true light. One never becomes an adulterer or commits +murder until he has first cast out of his heart the fear of God. A +pupil does not rebel against his teacher unless he has first lost due +reverence for that teacher. The fourteenth Psalm, verse 2, says that +Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if +there were any that did understand, and that did seek after God. When +he saw there was none he adds there was none who did good; that they +had all become worthless, sinning tongues, sinning with their hands, +fearing where there was no need of fear, and the like. + +147. So Ham, in his own estimation, was wise and holy. In his judgment +his father had often acted unrighteously or foolishly. His attitude +discloses a heart that despised, not only the parent, but also the +divine commandment. Hence, nothing remains for the evil-minded son but +to grasp an opportunity for obtaining evidence to betray his father's +foolishness. He does not laugh at his drunken father as a boy would, +nor does he call his brethren merely that they may look upon a +laughable spectacle. He means that this shall be open proof that God +has withdrawn from his father and has accepted himself. Therefore, he +takes delight in disclosing his father's sin to others. As I said +before, Ham was not a boy of seven years, but had reached the age of +at least one hundred. + +148. Original sin shows its depraving tendency in that it makes men +arrogant, haughty and conceited. Paul admonishes in Romans 12, 3, to +think of one's self soberly, "according as God hath dealt to each man +a measure of faith." But, original sin does not permit Ham to occupy +this lowly level; hence, he presumes to go beyond his station in +passing judgment upon his father. + +149. We observe the same attitude in Absalom. Before he stirs up a +rebellion against David, his father, he passes unrighteous judgment +upon David's government. This dissatisfaction with his father's rule +was afterward followed by unconcealed contempt and open violence, with +David's destruction as the object. Ham's heart being full of poison +which he had gathered from his father as a spider gathers poison from +the fairest rose, precisely such a result had to follow. + +150. These examples serve to call our attention to the battle waged +from the beginning of the world between the Church and Satan with his +followers, the hypocrites, or false brethren. This deed of Ham must +not be looked upon as a result of boyish love of pranks, but of +Satan's most bitter enmity, wherewith he inflames his followers +against the Church. Particularly does he incite them against those in +the ministry, leading them to close watch at all times for material +available for purposes of slander. + +The Papists at present have no other business than to watch our +conversation for the purpose of slander. Whenever we fall into human +error (for we are truly weak and are beset by our failings), they +seize upon our moral uncleanness, like famished swine, and find great +delight in publishing and betraying our weaknesses, like Ham the +accursed. They truly hunger and thirst after our offenses. Although by +God's grace they cannot fasten adultery, murder or like errors upon +us, unless by their own fabrication (this shameless class of people +abhor no kind of lie), yet they gather up smaller matters, which they +afterward exaggerate to the public. + +151. David's experience is well known. He was surrounded on all sides +by enemies who eagerly sought out every opportunity for persecution. +They were envious because he had been called to the throne by God; +hence, they triumphed over his horrible fall. + +152. His case, however, serves for our instruction. God sometimes +permits even righteous and holy men to stumble and fall into offenses, +either really or apparently, and we must take heed lest we pass +judgment at once, after the example of Ham, who, having secretly +despised his father long before, now does so openly. He declared that +his parent, being imbecile by age, had clearly been deserted by the +Holy Spirit, since he was unable to guard against drunkenness, though +the government of the Church, State, and household lay upon his +shoulders. O wretched Ham, how happy art thou, having found at last +what thou soughtest--poison in a most delightful rose! + +153. Everlasting praises and blessings be given to God, whose dealings +with his saints are wonderful indeed. While he permits them to be weak +and to fall, to be overwhelmed with disgrace and offenses, and while +the world judges and condemns them, he forgives them their weaknesses +and has compassion upon them; whereas he delivers into Satan's hands +those who regard themselves angels, and utterly rejects them. + +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 +infirmities. + +154. In the second place, the case of Ham is a fearful example of +divine judgment, to teach us by Ham's experience not to condemn at +once, even when we see rulers of State, Church, or household--such as +our parents--fall into error and sin. Who can tell why God so permits? +Such sins must not be excused, yet we see that they are of value for +the consolation of the pious. They teach us that God can bear with the +errors and sins of his people and that even we, when beset with sins, +may trust in the mercy of God and need not lose heart. + +155. But what is medicine for the righteous, is poison for the wicked. +The latter do not seek to be taught and comforted by God. Their +unworthiness prevents them from recognizing his glory in the saints. +They see nothing but the stumbling block and the snare, with the +result that they fall and are left to perish alone. + +156. Let us, therefore, truly respect those in authority over us. If +they fall, we must not be offended. We must remember that they are +human, and that God's ways are wonderful in his saints, because it is +his will that the wicked shall be offended and provoked. Thus Moses +threatens the Jews: "I will provoke them to anger with a foolish +nation" (Deut 32, 21). Because, during the whole period of the +kingdom, they refused to hear the prophets, God gave the offense of +casting away a wise and religious people, which had the promises and +was descended from the patriarchs. In its place, he chose the filth +and dregs of the world, a foolish people; that is, it was without +piety, without religion, without worship, without that divine wisdom +which is his Word. This offense roused the Jews to insane anger. + +157. This will be the lot of the papists. Some great offense shall be +given them by God against which they shall find themselves helpless, +and thus they shall come to grief like Ham. Renouncing the reverence +due both to God and his father, in deeming himself more capable of +ruling the Church than Noah, in secretly deriding or censuring his +parent, he finally presents the spectacle of disclosing his wicked and +irreverent attitude before others. + +158. The two other brothers, Shem and Japheth, did not follow Ham's +wicked example. While conscious of the scandalous fact that their +father was drunk and lay in shameless nakedness like a little +boy,--while recognizing that this ill became the ruler of Church and +State, they remained mindful of the reverence due a parent. They +gulped down the offense given; they hid the offense and gave it a +worthier aspect, so to speak, by covering their father with a garment, +approaching him with eyes averted. They would have been incapable of +this fine outward expression of reverence for their father, had they +not occupied a correct attitude toward God in their hearts and +believed their father to be both priest and ruler by right divine. + +159. It is a fearful example, this one of Ham. Though one of the few +saved during the flood, he forgets all piety. It is profitable to +carefully consider how he came to fall. Outward sins must first be +committed in our minds; that is, before sins are visibly committed, +the heart first departs from the Word and from the fear of God. It +neither knows God nor seeks after him, as we read in Psalms 14, 2. As +soon as the heart begins to set aside the Word, and to despise the +ministers and prophets of God, ambition and pride follow. Those who +stand in the way of our desires are overborne by hatred and slander, +until finally insolent speech ends in murder. + +160. Those who are to become rulers of Church or State, should daily +pray earnestly to God that they may remain humble. It is the object of +stories of this character to set this duty before us, for it is +evident what occasioned Ham's frightful fall. + +161. If, then, the saints fall into sin, let us not be offended. Much +less should we rejoice over the weakness of others, haughtily +esteeming ourselves braver, wiser, or holier than they. Let us rather +endure and cover up, and even put a good construction upon and excuse +such errors in so far as we can, remembering that perhaps tomorrow we +may suffer what happened to them today. For we all constitute a unit, +being born of the same flesh. Let us then heed the advice of Paul, +"Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10, +12). In this way the other two brothers looked upon their drunken +father. Their thoughts were these: Behold, our father has fallen. But +God is wonderful in his dealing with saints, whom he sometimes permits +to fall for our instruction, that we may not despair when afflicted by +kindred infirmity. + +162. Let us imitate their wisdom! The sins of others give us no right +to judge them. Before their own master they stand or fall (Rom 14, 4). +Furthermore, if the downfall of others displease us (since, in truth, +many acts neither can nor ought to be excused), let us be so much the +more careful lest something like it overtake ourselves. Let us not sit +in proud and haughty judgment, for this is original sin in all its +corruption: To lay claim to exceptional wisdom and to hunt for the +moral lapses of others in order to gain the reputation of +righteousness for ourselves. + +163. We truly are weak sinners and must freely confess, being human, +that our conversation is not always free from offense. But while we +share this weakness with our enemies, we nevertheless do our duty +diligently, by spreading God's Word, by teaching the churches, by +bettering the evil, by urging the right, by consoling the weak, by +chiding the stubborn, and, in brief, by doing whatever duty God lays +upon us. + +164. On the other hand since our adversaries strive after nothing but +hypocrisy and an outward show of holiness, so they add to the frailty +which they have in common with us, the most grievous sins, because +they do not follow their calling, but concern themselves with their +honors and emoluments. They neglect the churches and suffer them to +miserably decay. They condemn the true doctrine and teach idolatry. In +short, in public life they are wise, but in their own sphere they are +utterly foolish. This is the most destructive evil in the Church. + +165. This is the first part of the story, and, in the preparation of +his record, Moses has confined himself to the same. It is certain that +Noah was a righteous man, gifted with many heroic virtues, and that he +accomplished most important things both for the Church and for the +State. It is not possible either to establish political communities or +to found churches except by diligent effort. Life, in both these +manifestations (I will say nothing of the management of the home) is +beset with many dangers; for Satan, a liar and murderer, is the most +relentless enemy of Church and State. + +166. But Moses passes by all these achievements, not so much as +alluding to them. He records but this one circumstance--that Noah +became drunk and was scoffed at by his youngest son. He intended it as +a valuable example, teaching pious souls to trust in God's mercy. On +the other hand, the proud, the lovers of cant, the sanctimonious, the +wise-acres,--let them learn to fear God and beware of passing a +reckless judgment upon others! As Manasseh the king declares, God +displays in his saints both his wonders and his terrors "against +wicked and sinful men." This is illustrated in the case of Ham, who +did not now first come to his downfall but had cherished this hate +against his father for a long time, afterward to fill the world with +idolatry. + +Vs. 23-27. _And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both +their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their +father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's +nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest +son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of +servants shall he be unto his brethren._ + +167. It is truly a beautiful and memorable example of respect to a +father which Moses records in this passage. The sons might without sin +have approached their father and covered him, while turning their +faces toward him. What sin should it be if one, happening upon a nude +person, should see what is before him without his will? Still the two +sons do not do this. When they heard from their haughty and mocking +brother what had happened to their father, they laid a garment upon +both their shoulders, entered the tent with faces turned away (how +admirable!), and lowering the garment backward, covered their father. + +168. Who can fail to observe here the thoughtfulness of the will and +Word of God, and reverence before the majesty of fatherhood, which God +requires to be honored, not despised or mocked by children? God seems +to approve this reverence and accept it as a most pleasing offering +and the very noblest worship and obedience. But his utmost hatred +rests upon Ham, who might have seen without sin what he saw, since it +came to his view by chance, if only he had covered it up, if only he +had remained silent about it, if only he had not shown himself to be +pleased by the sin of his father. But he who despised God, the Word, +and the order established by God, not only failed to cover his father +with a garment, but even derided him and left him naked. + +169. In describing the act of the two brothers Moses emphasizes the +malice of Ham, who was filled with violent and satanic hatred against +his father. Who of us, on finding a stranger lying by the wayside +drunk and nude, would not at least cover him with his own coat to +forestall disgrace? How much greater the demand in this case of a +father! Ham, however, fails to do for his father, the highest ruler of +the world, what common humanity teaches us to do for strangers. +Moreover he publishes the circumstance joyfully, insulting his drunken +father and making the sin of his father known to his brothers as if he +had a piece of good news. + +170. Moses, therefore, sets Ham before us as a fearful example, to be +carefully taught in the churches, in order that young people may learn +to respect their elders, rulers, and parents. Not on account of Noah, +not on account of Ham, but on account of those to come--on our +account--is this story written, and Ham, with his contempt for God and +father, pictured in most repulsive colors. + +171. Also the punishment of this wickedness is carefully set before +us. Noah, looked upon by his son as a foolish, insane, and ridiculous +old man, now steps forth in the majesty of a prophet, to announce to +his son a divine revelation of future events. Truly does Paul declare +that "power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12, 9); for the +certainty characterizing Noah's utterance is proof that he was filled +with the Holy Spirit, notwithstanding that his son had mocked and +despised him as one utterly deserted by the Holy Spirit. + +172. I will not attempt here to settle the question above referred to +(ch 5, §95) concerning the order of the sons of Noah, as to which of +them was the first-born and which the youngest. 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 name, but calls him Canaan +after the name of his son. Some say that, because God had desired to +save Ham in the ark as one under his blessing the same as the others, +he had no wish to curse him, but cursed Canaan instead, a curse which, +nevertheless, could not but recoil upon Ham who had provoked it. Thus +Ham's name perishes here, since the Holy Spirit hates it, whose hatred +is, indeed, a serious hatred. We read in the psalm, "I hate them with +perfect hatred" (Ps 139, 22). When the Holy Spirit exercises his +wrath, eternal death must follow. + +173. Although Ham had sinned against his father in many ways, 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 bare. When, with +this sin, the previous ones had attained to fullness of power and +growth, the Holy Spirit condemned him, and, as a warning to others, +also announced the infliction of impending, endless servitude. + +V. 26. _And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; and let +Canaan be his servant._ + +These are two sublime prophecies, worthy of close attention. They have +significance in our time, though they were grossly garbled by the +Jews. The Jews observe that Ham is cursed thrice; this fact they wrest +to the glory of their own nation, promising themselves worldly +dominion. + + +V. HAM CURSED; SHEM AND JAPHETH BLESSED. + + A. THE CURSE PRONOUNCED UPON HAM 174-188. + + 1. Why Ham was thrice cursed 174. + + * Disrespect of parents, pastors and authority signs of + approaching misfortune 175. + + 2. Way Ham disregarded the curse 176. + + 3. Why Ham disregarded the curse 177-178. + + 4. Ham's temporal prosperity continued with his curse 179-181. + + * Faith alone grasps God's threatenings and promises 180-181. + + * Reason God postpones punishment and reward 181-182. + + * The Papal Church is not the true Church 183. + + * Believers have comfort in their tribulations 184-185. + + * The pious have their kingdom here in faith 186. + + 5. From this curse it is clear Noah was enlightened by the Holy + Spirit 187. + + * Were all Ham's descendents cursed? 188. + + B. BLESSING PRONOUNCED UPON SHEM 189-191. + + 1. This is an exceedingly great blessing 189. + + 2. Why is it clothed in praise to God 190. + + 3. This blessing proves that Noah possessed a precious light + 191. + + C. BLESSING PRONOUNCED UPON JAPHETH 192-224. + + 1. Why the form of Japheth's blessing differed from that of + Shem's 192. + + 2. Herein lies a special secret 193. + + 3. The Jews' false interpretation of this blessing 194. + + 4. Relation of these two blessings to each other 195. + + * The Jews' false notion about Shem's blessing 196. + + 5. The order in which these blessings are enjoyed 197-198. + + * The form God's Church takes in this world 199. + + * Divine promises and threatenings to be understood in a + spiritual sense 199-200. + + * Ham and Cain resemble one another in their positions and + works 201. + + * The Turk and the Pope. + + a. What strengthens them in their opposition to the true + Church 202. + + * How a Christian should conduct himself in times of + misfortunes 203. + + b. The power and advantages of the Turk and Pope of no avail + 204. + + c. Attitude of Church members to their pride 205-206. + + * Why Ham's name was not mentioned when he was cursed + 207-208. + + 6. The word dilatet the Latins use in explaining Japheth's + blessing 209-210. + + a. It is not in harmony with the Hebrew 209-210. + + b. Why all Latin interpreters use it 211. + + c. It does not fully express the sense of the Holy Spirit + 212. + + d. What explanation should be given here 213-215. + + 7. All descendents of Japheth partake of this blessing through + the Gospel 216-217. + + 8. Translations of Latin interpreters of this blessing are to be + harmonized with the original text 218-219. + + * Ham's name 220-221. + + a. Its meaning and reason his parents gave it to him 220. + + b. The hope of his parents in this name disappointed 221. + + 9. It is ascribed to this promise that Germany in these last + days received the light of the Gospel 222. + + * Abraham had Noah as his teacher 223. + + * The temporal prosperity of Ham's family, and their wickedness + 224. + + +V. HAM CURSED; SHEM AND JAPHETH BLESSED. + +A. The Curse Pronounced Upon Ham. + +174. But there is another reason for this repeatedly uttered curse. +God cannot forget such great irreverence toward parents, nor does he +suffer it to go unpunished. He requires that parents and rulers be +regarded with reverence. He requires that elders be honored, +commanding that one shall rise up before a hoary head (Lev 19, 32). +And, speaking of ministers of the Word, he says, "He that despiseth +you, despiseth me" (Mt 10, 40; Lk 10, 16). + +175. Hence disobedience of parents is a sure indication that curse and +disaster are close at hand. Likewise is contempt of ministers and of +rulers punished. When the people of the primitive world began to +deride the patriarchs and to hold their authority in contempt, the +flood followed. When, among the people of Judah, the child began to +behave himself proudly against the old man, as Isaiah has it (ch 3, +5), Jerusalem was laid waste and Judah went down. Such corruption of +morals is a certain sign of impending evil. We justly fear for Germany +a like fate when we look upon the prevailing disrespect for authority. + +176. Let us, however, bear witness of a practice to which both Holy +Writ and our experience testify. Because God delays the threatened +punishment he is mocked and considered a liar. In this practice we +should see the seal, as it were, to every prophecy. Ham hears that he +is accursed; but inasmuch as the curse does not go into immediate +effect, he securely despises and derides the same. + +177. Thus did the first world hold Noah's prophecy in ridicule when he +spoke of the flood. Had they believed that such a punishment was close +at hand, would they have gone on in a feeling of security? Would they +not rather have repented and begun a better life? If Ham had believed +that to be true which he heard from his father, he would have sought +refuge in mercy and, confessing his crime, craved forgiveness. But he +did neither; rather did he haughtily leave his father, to go to +Babylon. There, with his posterity, he gave himself up to the building +of a city and of a tower, and made himself lord of all Greater Asia. + +178. What is the reason for this feeling of security? It lies in the +fact that divine prophecies must be believed; they cannot be perceived +by our senses, or by experience. This is true both of divine promises +and of divine threats. Therefore the opposite always seems to the +flesh to be true. + +179. Ham is cursed by his father; but he lays hold upon the greater +portion of the earth and establishes vast kingdoms. On the other hand, +Shem and Japheth are blessed, but in comparison with Ham, they and +their posterity are beggarly. + +Where then are we to seek the truth of this prophecy? I answer: This +prophecy and all others, whether they be promises or threats, cannot +be understood by reason, but by faith alone. God delays both +punishments and rewards; hence there is need of endurance. For "He +that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved," as Christ says (Mt +24, 13). + +180. The life of all pious people is wholly of faith and hope. The +evidence of our senses, history, and the way of the world, would teach +us the opposite. Ham is cursed, yet he alone obtains dominion. Shem +and Japheth are blessed, yet they alone bear reproach and affliction. +Since both the promises and the threats of God reach out into the +future, the issue must be awaited in faith. Habakkuk says (ch 2, 3), +"It will surely come, it will not delay." + +181. Great is the wrath of the Holy Spirit which here prompts him to +say of Ham, "A servant of servants shall he be;" that is, the lowest +and vilest of slaves. But if you let history speak, you will see Ham +rule in Canaan, whereas Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and others who +followed, and had the blessing, lived like servants among the +Canaanites. The Egyptians are Ham's offspring, and how cruel was the +servitude Israel suffered there! + +182. How, then, was it true that Ham was cursed and Shem was blessed? +In this way: The fulfillment of the promise and of the threat was in +the future. 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 repentance. On the other hand, when the righteous +suffer at the hands of the unrighteous and become the servants of +servants, they undergo such trial and discipline for the purpose of +increasing in faith and in love toward God; so that, trained in +manifold vexations and tribulations, they may attain the promise. + +When the time was fulfilled, the might of Ham's posterity was not +great enough to withstand the posterity of Shem. Then, indeed, was +fulfilled that curse which Ham and his posterity had so long despised +and disbelieved. + +183. It is much the same with us today. We have the true doctrine and +the true worship. Hence we can boast that we are the true Church, +having the promise of spiritual blessings in Christ. As the pope's +church condemns our doctrine, we know her to be not the Church of +Christ but of Satan, and truly, like Ham, a "servant of servants." And +yet anyone may see that the pope rules, while we are servants and the +off-scouring, as Paul says (1 Cor 4, 12). + +184. What, then, shall we poor, oppressed people do? We are to comfort +our souls meanwhile with our spiritual dominion. We know we have +forgiveness of sins and a gracious God, through Christ, until also +temporal freedom shall be vouchsafed on the last day. And we are not +without traces of temporal freedom even in this life; for while +tyrants stubbornly oppose the Gospel, they are cut off from the earth, +root and branch. + +185. So was the Roman empire destroyed after all the other +world-powers perished; but God's Word and Church remain forever. +Likewise, Christ weakens the Pope's power, little by little; but that +he may be utterly removed and become a servant of servants with wicked +Ham is a matter for faith to await. Ham is shut out from the kingdom +of God and possesses the kingdoms of the world for a time, just as the +pope is shut out from the Church of God and holds temporal dominion +for a time. But his dominion shall vanish. + +186. The divine law and order is that the righteous have dominion, but +by faith, being satisfied with such spiritual blessing as a gracious +God and the certain hope of the heavenly kingdom. Meanwhile, we leave +possession of the kingdoms of the world to the wicked until God shall +scatter also their worldly power, and, through Christ, make us heirs +of all things. + +187. Furthermore, we learn from this prophecy that Noah, by a special +illumination of the Holy Spirit, was enabled to see, in the first +place, that his posterity would remain forever, and in the second +place, that the family of Ham, though they were to be rulers for a +time, would perish at last and above all would lose the spiritual +blessing. + +188. However, the explanation given above (ch 4, §182) with reference +to the descendants of Cain, applies also here. I do not entertain the +opinion that the offspring of Ham were doomed, without exception. Some +found salvation by being converted to faith, but such salvation was +not due to a definite promise but to uncovenanted grace, so to speak. +Likewise the Gibeonites and others were saved when the children of +Israel occupied the land of Canaan. Job, Naaman the Syrian, the people +of Nineveh, the widow of Zarephath, and others from the heathen were +saved, not by virtue of a promise, but by uncovenanted grace. + +B. Blessing Pronounced Upon Shem. + +189. But why does Noah not say, "Blessed be Shem," instead of, +"Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem"? I answer that it is because of +the magnitude of the blessing. The reference here is not to a temporal +blessing, but to the future blessing through the promised seed. He +sees this blessing to be so great that he cannot express it; hence, he +turns to thanksgiving. It seems that Zacharias was thinking of this +very passage when he said, for a similar reason, "Blessed be the Lord, +the God of Israel" (Lk 1, 68). + +190. Noah's blessing takes the form of thanksgiving unto God. God, he +says, is blessed, who is the God of Shem. In other words: It is +needless for me to extend my blessing over Shem, who has been blessed +before with spiritual blessing; he already is a child of God, and from +him the Church will be continued, as it was continued from Seth before +the flood. Full of wonderful meaning is the fact that Noah joins God +with Shem, his son, and, as it were, unites them. + +191. Noah's heart must have been divinely illumined since he makes +such a distinction between his sons, rejecting Ham with his posterity +and placing Shem in line with the saints and the Church because the +spiritual blessing, given in paradise concerning the seed, would rest +upon him. Therefore, this holy man blesses God and gives thanks unto +him. + +C. Blessing Pronounced Upon Japheth. + +V. 27. _God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; +and let Canaan be his servant._ + +192. This prophecy is wonderful for the aptness of each single word. +Noah did not bless Shem, but the God of Shem, by way of giving thanks +to God for having embraced Shem and having adorned him with a +spiritual promise, or the blessing of the woman's seed. But when he +mentions Japheth he does not employ the same manner of speaking as in +the case of Shem. His words are chosen for the purpose of showing the +mystery of which Paul speaks (Rom 11, 11) and Christ (Jn 4, 22), that +salvation is from the Jews and yet the gentiles also became partakers +of this salvation. Shem alone is the true root and stem, yet the +heathen are grafted upon this stem, as a foreign branch, and become +partakers of the fatness and the sap which are in the chosen tree. + +193. Noah, seeing this through the Holy Spirit, predicts, in dim +allusions but correctly, that Christ's kingdom is to spread in the +world from the root of Shem, and not from that of Japheth. + +194. The Jews prate that Japheth stands for the neighboring nations +around Jerusalem which were admitted to the temple and its worship. +But Noah makes little ado about the temple of Jerusalem, or the +tabernacle of Moses; his words refer to greater matters. He treats of +the three patriarchs who are to replenish the earth. While he affirms +of Japheth that he does not belong to the root of the people of God +which possesses the promise of the Christ, he declares that he shall +be incorporated through the call of the Gospel into the fellowship of +that people which has God and the promises. + +195. Here, then, we have a picture of the Church of the Gentiles and +of the Jews. Ham, being wicked, is not admitted to the spiritual +blessing of the seed, except as it happens by uncovenanted grace. To +Japheth, however, though he has not the promise of the seed, like +Shem, the hope is nevertheless given that he will, at some future +time, be taken into the fellowship of the Church. Thus we Gentiles, +being sons of Japheth, have no direct promise, indeed, and yet we are +included in the promise given to the Jews, since we are predestined to +the fellowship of the holy people of God. These matters are here +recorded, not for Shem and Japheth so much as for their posterity. + +196. We learn why the Jews are so haughty and boastful. They see that +Shem, their father, alone has the promise of eternal blessing, which +is given through Christ. So far, so good. But when they believe that +the promise pertains not to faith but rather to the carnal descent, +they are in error. This subject has been splendidly treated by Paul +(Rom 9, 6). There he establishes the fact that the children of Abraham +are not his carnal descendants but those who have his faith (Gal 3, +7). + +197. The same thought is suggested here by Moses, who says in so many +words, "Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem." This shows that there is +no blessing except by the God of Shem. Hence, no Jew will share this +blessing unless he have the God of Shem; that is, unless he believes. +Nor will Japheth share the blessing unless he dwells in the tents of +Shem, that is, unless he associates himself with him in faith. + +198. This is a grand promise, valid unto the end of the world. But +just as it is limited to those who have the God of Shem, that is, who +believe, so the curse also is limited to those who abide in the +wickedness of Ham. Noah spoke these words, not on the strength of +human authority and feeling, but by the Spirit of God. His words then +refer not to a temporal, but to a spiritual and eternal curse. Nor +must we understand him to speak of a curse that is a curse only in the +sight of the world, but rather of one in the sight of God. + +199. The same statement has been made heretofore (ch 4 §182) regarding +the curse of Cain. Judged by outward appearances, Cain obtained a +greater earthly blessing than Seth. God desires that his Church in +this world shall apparently suffer the curse pronounced upon the +wicked and that, on the other hand, the wicked shall seem to be +blessed. Cain was the first man to build a city, calling it Enoch; +while Seth dwelt in tents. + +200. Thus did Ham build the city and tower of Babel and ruled far and +wide, while Shem and Japheth were poor, living in lowly tents. The +facts of history, then, teach that both the promises and the curses of +God are not to be understood carnally, or of the present life, but +spiritually. Although oppressed in the world, the righteous are surely +heirs and sons of God, while the wicked, though flourishing for a +season, shall ultimately be cut down and wither; a warning often +uttered in the Psalms. + +201. There is a striking similarity in the conduct and the lot of Cain +and Ham. Cain killed his brother, which shows plainly enough the lack +of reverence for his father in his heart. Having been put in the ban +by his father, he leaves the Church of the true God and the true +worship, builds the city of Enoch, giving himself up altogether to +worldly things. Just so does Ham sin by dishonoring his father. When +also he subsequently receives as sentence the curse whereby he is +excluded from the promised seed and the Church, he parts with God and +the Church without misgivings, since the curse rests not upon his +person but upon that of his son, and migrates to Babylon, where he +establishes a kingdom. + +202. These are very illustrious examples and needed by the Church, +Turk and Pope today; allow us to boast of the heavenly and everlasting +promise in that we have the Gospel doctrine, and are the Church. They +know, however, our judgment of them, that we consider and condemn both +Pope and Turk as very Antichrist. How securely they ignore our +judgment, confidently because of the wealth and power they possess, +and also because of our weakness in character and numbers. The very +same spirit we plainly see in Cain and Ham, in the condemned and +excommunicated. + +203. These truths enforce the lesson that we must not seek an abiding +city or country in this bodily existence, but in its varying changes +and fortunes look to the hope of eternal life, promised through +Christ. This is the final haven; and we must strive for it with sail +and oar, as eager and earnest sailors while the tempest rages. + +204. What if the Turk should obtain sway over the whole world, which +he never will? Michael, as Daniel says, will bring aid to the holy +people, the Church (ch 10, 13). What matter if the Pope should gain +possession of the wealth of all the world, as he has tried to do for +many centuries with all the wealth at his command? Will Turk and Pope +thereby escape death, or even secure permanence of temporal power? +Why, then, should we be misled by the temporal blessings which they +enjoy, or by our misfortunes and dangers, since we know that they are +banished from the fellowship of the saints, while we enjoy everlasting +blessings through the Son of God? + +205. If Cain and Ham, and Pope and Turk, who are as father and son to +each other, can afford to despise the judgment of the true Church on +the strength of fleeting and meager successes in this life, why can +not we afford in turn to despise their power and censure, on the +strength of the everlasting blessings which we possess? Ham was not +moved by his father's curse. Full of anger against him, and despising +him as a crazy old man, he goes away and arms himself with the power +of the world, esteeming this more highly than to be blessed with Shem +by his father. + +206. This story should give us strength for the similar experiences of +today. The priests and bishops heap contempt upon us, saying, What can +those poverty stricken heretics do? Priest and bishop are puffed up +with their wealth and power. But let us bear this insolence of the +wicked with undisturbed mind, as Noah bore that of his son. Let us +take consolation in the hope and faith of the eternal benediction, of +which, we know, they are deprived. + +207. I said above (§172) 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 +curse. And it is true, as the punishment shows, that Ham sinned +grievously. The other reason mentioned above as not at all unlikely, I +will here repeat: Ham had been called and received into the ark by the +divine Word, and had been saved with the others, and Noah wanted to +spare him whom God had spared in the flood. Therefore, he transferred +the curse which Ham merited, to Canaan, his son, whom Ham doubtless +desired to keep with him. + +208. The Jews offer a different explanation: Canaan, the son, having +been the first to see his grandfather Noah lying naked, announced it +to his father, who then saw for himself; hence, Canaan gave his father +cause to commit the sin. Let the reader judge what value there is in +this exposition. + +209. But there is also a philological question which must be discussed +in connection. Scholars call translators to account for the rendering, +"God enlarge Japheth," when the Hebrew words do not permit it, though +not only the Hebrews but also the Chaldeans, are mostly agreed that +the word _jepheth_ means "to enlarge." Technical discussions of this +kind, however, are sometimes very useful to clear up the precise +meaning of a passage. + +210. Some scholars derive the name _Japheth_ from the verb _jephah_, +which signifies _to be beautiful_, as in Ps 45, 2: _japhjaphita mibene +Adam_, "Thou art fairer than the children of men." But this may easily +be shown to be an error; for the true origin of the word is the verb +_phatah_, which means "to persuade," "to deceive with fair words" as +in Ex 22 16: _ki jephateh isch betulah_, "If a man entice a virgin, he +shall surely pay a dowry for her." And in Jer 20, 7: _pethithani +jehovah va-epath_, "O Jehovah, thou hast persuaded me and I was +persuaded;" Prov 1, 10: _Im-jephatukah_, "If sinners entice thee." +There is no need of more examples, for the word occurs frequently, and +I have no doubt that it is derived from the Greek word _peitho_, for +it has the same meaning. + +211. But let us turn to the question: Why have all translators made it +read, "God enlarge Japheth," while it is not the word _pathach_, which +means "to enlarge" or "to open", but rather the word _pathah_? I have +no doubt that the translators were influenced by the harsh expression. +Since this is a promise, it seemed too harsh to state that Noah had +said, "God deceive Japheth." This would appear to be a word of +cursing, not of blessing. Hence they chose a milder term, though it +violated the rules of language. And since there is but a slight +difference between _pathach_, and _pathah_, they used one for the +other. They meant to preserve the important fact that this is a +promise. + +212. But there is no need for us to alter the text in this manner, and +to violate its grammatical construction, since the word _pathah_, +offers a most suitable meaning. Being a word of double meaning, as the +word _suadere_ in Latin, it may be accepted either in a bad or in a +good sense. Hence, it is not irreverent to apply this word to God. We +find it clearly so used in Hosea 2, 14, where the Lord says: +"Therefore, behold, I will (_mephateha_) allure her (or, entice her by +coaxing), and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably +unto her." I will suckle her, speak sweetly unto her, and thus will I +deceive her, as it were, so that she may agree with me, so that the +Church will join herself to me, etc. + +In this sense the word may here rightly be taken to mean "allure," +"persuade," "coax by means of friendly words and flattery." God +suckle, persuade, deceive Japheth by persuasion, so that Japheth +himself, being allured, as his name signifies, may be invited in a +friendly way and thus be beguiled. + +213. But you say, what will be the meaning of this? or why should +there be need for Japheth to be beguiled or persuaded, and that by God +himself? I answer: Noah makes the names to serve his purpose in this +prophecy. He gives thanks to God that he establishes them to stand +like a firm root from which Christ was to spring. For the verb _sum_, +signifies "to place," "to put in position," "to establish." + +214. For Japheth, however, he prays that he may become a true Japheth. +Since he was the oldest son, who ordinarily should have been given the +right of the first-born, he prays that God would persuade him in a +friendly manner, first, not to envy his brother this honor, nor to be +dissatisfied that this privilege was taken from him and given to his +brother. Furthermore, because this matter touches the person of +Japheth only, God includes his entire offspring in the blessing. +Though the promise was given to Shem alone, yet God does not shut out +from it the offspring of Japheth, but speaks to them lovingly through +the Gospel, that they may also become _jepheth_, being persuaded by +the Word of the Gospel. This is a divine persuasion, coming from the +Holy Spirit; not from the flesh, nor from the world, nor from Satan, +but holy and quickening. This expression is used by Paul in Gal 1, 10, +where he says, "Am I now persuading men or God?" And Gal 3, 1, "Who +did bewitch you that ye should not obey the truth?"--that ye do not +agree to the truth, that ye do not permit yourselves to be persuaded +by that which is true? + +215. Viewing the name Japheth in this case, it signifies a person of +the kind which we call guileless, who believes readily, permitting +himself to be easily persuaded of a matter, who does not dispute or +cling to his own ideas but submits his mind to the Lord and rests upon +his Word, remaining a learner, not desiring to be master over the +words and works of God. + +Hence it is a touching prayer which is here recorded, that God might +persuade Japheth; that is, that he might speak fondly with him. Noah +prays that, though God does not speak to Japheth on the basis of a +promise, as he does with Shem, yet he would speak with him on the +basis of grace and divine goodness. + +216. This prayer of Noah foresees the spread of the Gospel throughout +the whole world. Shem is the stem. From his posterity Christ was born. +The Church is of the Jews, who had patriarchs, prophets, and kings. +And yet God here shows Noah that also the wretched Gentiles were to +dwell in the tents of Shem; that is, they were to come into that +heritage of the saints which the Son of God brought into this +world--forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life. He +prophesies clearly that also Japheth will hear the sweet message of +the Gospel as his name suggests; so that, though he have not the same +title as Shem, who was set to be the stem from which Christ was to +spring, yet he should have the persuader, namely the Gospel. + +217. It was Paul through whom this prophecy was fulfilled. He almost +unaided taught the Gospel doctrine to the posterity of Japheth. He +says: "From Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have +fully preached the Gospel of Christ" (Rom 15, 19). Almost all of Asia, +with the exception of the oriental peoples, together with Europe, +belongs to the posterity of Japheth. The Gentiles, therefore, did not, +as the Jews did, receive the kingdom and the priesthood from God. They +had neither the law nor the promise. Yet by the mercy of God they have +heard that sweet voice of the Gospel, the persuader, which is +indicated by the very name of Japheth. + +218. The interpreters failed to recognize this as the true meaning, +and God permitted them to make this mistake. Still they did not miss +the true meaning altogether. For the verb _hirchib_, which means "to +enlarge," means also "to give consolation," just as conversely in +Latin the word _angustiae_ (narrow place) signifies also "pains," or +"perils," or "disaster." Thus we read in Psalms 4, 1: "Thou hast set +me at large when I was in distress." The only real enlargement, or +consolation, is the Word of the Gospel. + +219. Thus the several expositions are harmonized by proper +interpretation. But the primary meaning of _enlarge_, which conveys +the idea of _persuasion_, is the native and proper one. It sheds a +bright light upon the fact that we Gentiles, although the promise was +not given to us, have nevertheless been called by the providence of +God to the Gospel. The promise pertains to Shem alone, but Japheth, as +Paul has it in Romans 11, 17, was grafted into the olive tree, like a +wild olive, and became a partaker of the original fatness, or the sap, +of the olive. The older portions of the Bible agree with the newer, +and what God promised in the days of Noah, he now carries out. + +220. "Ham" signifies "the hot and burning one." This name was given to +him by his father, I believe, because of the great things he hoped for +his youngest son. To Noah the other two were cold men in comparison. +Eve rejoiced greatly when Cain was born (Gen 4, 1). She believed that +he would restore whatever had been wrought amiss. Yet he was the first +to harm mankind in a new way, in that he killed his brother. + +221. Thus God, according to his unsearchable counsel, changes the +expectations even of the saints. Ham, whom his father, at his birth, +had expected to be inflamed with greater zeal for the support of the +Church than his brothers, was hot and burning, indeed, when he grew +older, but in a different sense. He burned against his parent and his +God, as his deed shows. Hence, his name was one of evil prophecy, +unsuspected of Noah when he gave it. + +222. This is Noah's prophecy concerning his sons, who have filled the +earth with their offspring. The fact, therefore, that God has +permitted the light of the Gospel to shine upon Germany, is due to the +prophecy anent Japheth. We see today the fulfillment of that which +Noah foretold. Though we are not of the seed of Abraham, yet we dwell +in the tents of Shem and enjoy the fulfilment of the prophecies +concerning Christ. + +Vs. 28-29. _And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty +years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and +he died._ + +223. History shows that Noah died fifty years after the birth of +Abraham. Abraham, therefore, enjoying the instruction of so able and +renowned a teacher until his fiftieth year, had an opportunity to +learn something of religion. And there is no doubt that Noah, being +filled with the Holy Spirit, cared for this grandchild of his with +special care and love, as the only heir of Shem's promises. + +224. At that time the offspring of Ham flourished, spreading idolatry +throughout the regions of the East. Abraham was in touch with it, and +not without danger to himself. He was saved, however, by Noah, being +almost alone in recognizing the greatness of a man who was the only +survivor of the early world. The others, forgetful of the wrath which +had raged in the flood, taunted the pious, old man; particularly Ham's +progeny, puffed up by wealth and power. They heaped insults upon +Father Noah, and--frenzied by success--they divided the curse of +servitude pronounced upon them as a sign of his dotage. Amen. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II, by Martin Luther + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMENTARY ON GENESIS, VOL. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II + Luther on Sin and the Flood + +Author: Martin Luther + +Translator: John Nicholas Lenker + +Release Date: February 3, 2009 [EBook #27978] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMENTARY ON GENESIS, VOL. II *** + + + + +Produced by Ron Swanson + + + + + +</pre> + +<h2>LUTHER ON SIN AND THE FLOOD</h2> +<hr align="center" width="20%"> +<h1>COMMENTARY ON GENESIS</h1> +<br> +<center><small>BY</small></center> +<br> +<h2>JOHN NICHOLAS LENKER, D.D.</h2> + +<center><small>TRANSLATOR OF LUTHER'S WORKS INTO ENGLISH;<br> +AUTHOR OF "LUTHERANS IN ALL LANDS"</small></center> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<center>V<small>OL</small>. II<br> +S<small>ECOND</small> T<small>HOUSAND</small></center> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<center>The Luther Press<br> +<small>MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., U.S.A.</small><br> +1910</center> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3><i>DEDICATION</i>.</h3> +<center><i>To all interested in studying the Christian<br> +Missionary problems of "the last<br> +times" of the modern world, this<br> +volume is dedicated.</i></center> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<center><small>Copyright, 1910, by J. N. LENKER.</small></center> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3><i>FOREWORD</i>.</h3> +<br> + +<p>The first volumes of the "American Luther" we selected for publication +were his best commentaries, then eight volumes of his Gospel and +Epistle sermons and one volume of his best catechetical writings. +These rich evangelical works introduced us to the real Luther, not the +polemical, but the Gospel Luther. They contain the leaven of the +faith, life and spirit of Protestantism. We now return to his +spiritual commentaries on the Bible which are the foundation of all +his writings. The more one reads Luther the greater he becomes as a +student of the One Book.</p> + +<h4>Contents of This Volume.</h4> + +<p>This, the second volume of Luther's great commentary on Genesis, +appears now in English for the first time.</p> + +<p>It covers chapters four to nine inclusive of Genesis. The subjects +discussed are: Cain's murder, his punishment, Cain's sons, Seth and +his sons, the wickedness of the old world, the ark, Noah's obedience, +the universal destruction, the salvation of Noah's family, his +sacrifice, his blessing, the rainbow covenant, Noah's fall, Ham cursed +and Shem and Japheth blessed. These great themes are discussed by +Moses and Luther. They have vital relations to problems pertaining to +the end of the modern world. 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 repentance, +faith and prayer like Noah and Luther did.</p> + +<p>In his "Dear Genesis" Luther proved that the free Evangelical religion +he taught was not new, but as old as the first book of the Bible, and +that it does not consist in outward forms, organizations and pomp, but +in true faith in Christ in our hearts and lives. Genesis contains the +only historic records accessible of the first 2364 years of the 4004 +years before Christ. It is worthy of study in our day as it was in the +days of the Reformation.</p> + +<h4>Acknowledgments.</h4> + +<p>Luther advised no one should translate alone and he practiced what he +taught. We have followed his rule and example. Pastor C. B. Gohdes of +Baltimore translated chapter six and President Schaller of Milwaukee +Theological Seminary, chapters five, seven, eight and nine.</p> + +<p>Inaccuracies may be due to the revision and editing, and not to the +translators, for every good translation must be fluent and idiomatic, +to secure which is the most difficult task. Pastor Gohdes also +rendered valuable help in the final revision of parts. The translation +of the analyses is by the undersigned.</p> + +<p>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 edition. The paragraphs are numbered and the analyses given +according to the old Walch edition.</p> +<br> +<h3><i>Luther and World-Evangelization.</i></h3> + +<p>In translating Luther into practical English in practical America, and +in this age that is growing more and more practical, we need to be +reminded that this work is for practical use and purposes. Luther was +radical along Bible lines in applying the truth personally and to the +world.</p> + +<p>It is a year since the last volume of the "American Luther" appeared. +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 World", not a +revision of, but a new companion volume to "Lutherans In All Lands" +that appeared seventeen years ago. By comparing these two books one +has the best evidence of the marvelous progress of God's Kingdom in +recent years, and the growing world-significance of Luther's +evangelistic writings. Evangelization at home and abroad is the +popular religious theme today in the German fatherland and in the +whole Protestant world. The word "world" is becoming so common its +full meaning is not appreciated. When world-evangelization is +discussed, it is too often from the standpoint of the nation +discussing it. Each nation is so active in its own work that it fails +to appreciate what others are doing. 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 work. +Hence the fruits of Luther's evangelical writings are underestimated +by the English people. It is opportune to translate not only Luther +but also the best fruits of those writings in various languages during +the past 400 years, especially since the memorable date of 1917 is +soon to be celebrated by universal Protestantism. Luther in all +languages and Lutherans in all lands go together. We ought to consider +most carefully the great Reformer in his relation to the modern world +and modern world-evangelization. The known world in his day was not so +large. He had, however, a clear view of it all in his writings, which +is due to his faithful study of the Scriptures. The Bible gave him a +knowledge of the world, including all lands and all times. His +commentary of eleven volumes on Genesis illustrates this. The first +volume on Genesis treats of the first part of the ancient world; the +second volume, the one before us, treats of the second part and end of +the old world. This Luther would have us apply to the last times of +the modern world.</p> + +<h4>Luther Educational and Devotional.</h4> + +<p>Here, as everywhere in his catechisms, sermons and commentaries, +Luther is unique among religious authors in that he is both +educational and devotional, appealing equally to head and heart. He is +"religiously helpful and intellectually profitable," covering every +phase of religious, moral and social conditions, and touching every +interest of humanity. "His words went to the mark like bullets and +left marks like bullets." Being beyond criticism they have a unique +place to fill in the literature and libraries of the world.</p> + +<p>Although the cry, "Read Luther!" has been raised here in the new world +the multitudes of the English people are not rushing for his writings, +as the Germans did when they first appeared in the old world, under +conditions similar to what they are in America at present. If asked +what made the German people what they are, the answer is, these +writings, so universally circulated and read. If the Anglo-Saxons +appreciated their educational and devotional value the 35,000 copies +circulated the last seven years would easily, as a professor +suggested, be increased to a hundred thousand copies.</p> + +<h4>Nations Helping Nations.</h4> + +<p>The world-consciousness is growing, so is the national consciousness. +Both are characteristic of our times. Perhaps never did the national +spirit develop as in recent years. The great powers, instead of +dividing China, witness the national spirit growing everywhere—in +Japan, China, India, Africa, South America, Norway, Sweden, as well as +in Germany, England, Russia and the United States. This is a good +sign, for the world-family is composed of nations, and each nation has +at least one talent not to be crushed, but with which to serve all the +others. One serves the world when he serves his nation. Luther's +words, "I live for my countrymen", illustrates this. It is not the +nations that have the largest armies and navies that are the greatest +blessing to the world, 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 earth, the best teachers, preachers and authors to train +the people, the best medical skill to relieve human suffering, the +best mechanics and servants, the greatest philanthropists, the best +Christians. In educational, industrial, medical and charitable mission +work the nations dominated by Luther's writings stand high. Nations, +like individuals, are the greatest which serve others best; not the +nations which have the most territory, but nations which do the +greatest service for the whole human family. The students missionary +movement develops men, and the laymen's missionary movement raises +money. Both are needed, but men must be trained to do their work in +the best way and the money be used to bring the best results. Hence +nations should help and study one another most carefully with this in +view. Luther and his writings in the evangelization of Europe ought +not to be overlooked in the evangelization of other continents. By +helping abroad the home does not suffer. Among American Lutherans the +Norwegians prove this, for they have done the most for the heathen and +have the best home mission work.</p> + +<h4>Transition and Translation or Transition and Revolution.</h4> + +<p>While we are translating Luther for all Anglo-Saxons, we do not +overlook the fact that Luther's disciples, Germans and Scandinavians, +are themselves being translated, or are in a state of transition. The +translation of a people and of their literature or spirit clearly +presents a double problem, both sides of which demand at once the most +careful work. The translation of both the people and their literature +should run parallel and in the same, and not in an opposite, +direction. Germans and Scandinavians have always, and do still, make +the fatal blunder of translating from English into their own +languages, instead of from their languages into English. They thus +cross one another's path never to meet again. Their children and +grandchildren, however, find it easier to translate into English, +their mother tongue; but, alas, they have little interest in doing it. +They make the mistake in thinking their old thoughts and classics are +not needed in the new language. Their motto seems to be, "new +literature for the new language", when to the English public, if not +to themselves, the old writings would be the newest. It is marvelous +how wide-awake preachers are mislead.</p> + +<h4>Best Literature is Translations.</h4> + +<p>People who are prejudiced against translations, forget that the Bible +and our best literature are translations of the classics of the +world's leading languages. Translations should be welcomed by a people +who themselves are in a state of translation, especially if the +translations are from their mother tongue into the language they are +learning. What endless friction and confusion would be avoided, if +people and their life and literature were translated at the same time. +As we have said, a transition of a people without a translation of +their literature is no transition, but a revolution. To this various +church bodies witness. During the transition of language the best +literature for the children to read is the translations of the +classics of the language of the parents. There may be better +literature, but not for these particular children, if the unity of the +family life is to be perpetuated. Hence it becomes a vital concern +that both children and parents understand that the best literature for +them is such translations. But where are the German or Scandinavian +teachers and preachers who are enthusing over putting this thought +deep into the family life of their congregations.</p> + +<h4>A Lesson from Luther and Wesley in America.</h4> + +<p>What unwisdom even to attempt to build up the Lutheran Christian life +in free, aggressive Protestant Anglo-Saxon civilization without +Luther's writings in good Anglo-Saxon! Muhlenberg (b. 1711; d. 1787) +and Wesley (b. 1703; d. 1791) came to America about the same time. +Wesley returned home in 1738 after a stay of two years in the south. +Muhlenberg spent his ministerial life of 45 years (1742-1787) in +America, in the Keystone state, in and near Philadelphia, the +metropolis of the new world. When the two Palatinate Germans from +Limerick County, Ireland, Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, a +lay-preacher and a godly woman, held the first Methodist service in +America, in 1766, in New York City, the Lutheran faith had been +planted here by the Dutch since 1657 in the same city, by the Swedes +on the Delaware since 1639, (Torkillus), by the Germans since 1708 +(Kocherthal); Muhlenberg had arrived in Philadelphia in 1742, built +churches the following year in Philadelphia and "The Trappe", and +organized the Synod of Pennsylvania among its 60,000 Lutherans in +1748. All these Lutherans to some extent learned, preached and +confirmed in English. Muhlenberg was naturalized in 1754 as a subject +of Great Britain. This and his stay in England gave an Anglican turn +to his German pietism. When we became a free people in 1776, the +Methodists had only 20 preachers and 3418 members in America and less +than 76,000 followers in Europe from which to receive immigrant +members, while the Lutherans were strong here and in Europe. Today +American Methodists report 60,737 churches, and the Lutherans 13,533. +Why did Wesley's followers become the dominating religious force in +America? Not because Wesley and his writings were greater than Luther +and his writings. Methodists did not bear Wesley's name, but they did +have his spirit and writings. Even to the present day every Methodist +preacher must pass an examination in Wesley's writings before +ordination. Where were Luther's spirit and writings among his early +American followers?</p> + +<p>Language is no more a barrier to Luther's spirit than to Wesley's. +Methodism forged its way from English into German, Norwegian, Danish +and Swedish and among Indians, Mexicans and Negros. People, regardless +of language, color or condition, could not help but learn what real +spiritual Methodism is. It was preached and sung in such simple, plain +Anglo-Saxon, and in good translations, that it could not be +misunderstood nor misrepresented. Wesley's simple evangelical message +was abroad in the land in the hearts of the people. But the +evangelical voice of Luther, the prince of translators, was hardly +heard and even today the English world has no clear popular view of +what spiritual Evangelical Lutheranism is. Often when they speak of +it, they seem to think it is the opposite of what it is. Germans, +Scandinavians and all know the spiritual side of Methodism, but the +English world does not know the spiritual side of Lutheranism, and it +never will until Luther's spiritual writings are translated into +readable English and circulated broadcast over the land, and the +hearts of the people come into direct and close touch with the heart +of the great Reformer himself.</p> + +<p>The English world knows the statistics, the numerical strength of +Lutherans. That needs no apology. But what does need a defense among +Americans is the spirituality of the Lutherans. That is developed by +the translations into the plainest vernacular of God's Word and +Luther's evangelical sermons and commentaries. These are the best +literature for young Germans and Scandinavians. Although translations, +and not perfect, they are the best for them. The Bible first; Luther's +spiritual writings second, not first nor third. Have not Lutherans in +America been following the disciples of Luther instead of Luther; +while Methodists have followed Wesley and not Wesley's disciples. The +Dutch, Swedish and German Lutherans in the east, all learned English. +We say it was a transition, but was it not a revolution? Their history +stands forth as beacon lights of warning to the polyglot Lutherans +migrating to the ends of earth and learning all languages. 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 languages. 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 trade; the +Germans in trade, but not in church work.</p> + +<p>It is said there are 30 million people in the United States with some +German blood in their veins. Two thirds of these, or 20 millions, may +be said to have some Lutheran mixture in their makeup, but only one +and a half million of these 20 millions are communicant members of +English and German Lutheran churches. What people in America can show +a worse religious record? Yet the tenders of the sheep and lambs are +afraid to feed them in the only way they can be fed. Verily whatever +you sow, that shall you also reap. Lift up your eyes, behold the +harvest! Can you not discern the signs of the times?</p> + +<p>It is no wonder that the United States Census of 1890, the latest +reliable statistics on the subject, gave the number of Lutheran +communicants using only English in this English land at 198,907; +General Synod 143,764; United Synod South 37,457; General Council +14,297; Ohio Synod 287; Missouri Synod 1,192—after 150 years of work. +Our good German and Scandinavian parents, in the light of these +figures, need not fear losing many members to purely English churches. +"Reading Luther" in German, Swedish, Norwegian and English will bring +better results to old and young than if read only in one language. The +Church of the Reformation is not one-tongued, but many-tongued.</p> + +<h4>English Luther in German and Scandinavian Churches.</h4> + +<p>April 12th, 1910, became a memorable date in the North-west by the +introduction of the Scandinavian languages into all the high schools +of Minneapolis. German and Scandinavian taxpayers are gradually +becoming more interested in having their children learn the language +of their mothers in the public schools. This will prove to be a great +blessing to children and home, society and state. The Church however +will blunder, if she thinks there will now be no need of circulating +English literature in German and Scandinavian congregations. +Translating Luther and teaching German and Scandinavian are two ways +of doing the same thing, for language is not an end, but a means to an +end. Many young people are being confirmed in English and they often +attend services in foreign languages. Many know more of the language +than of the matter preached. When weak in the language they understand +better what is preached if they are familiar with the thought. The +reason many do not appreciate a sermon with the Luther ring is because +they are familiar with neither the language nor the thought. Hence the +need of our young people becoming familiar with Luther's sermons and +commentaries in English. One understands better in a strange language +what he is familiar with. This familiar knowledge would help to bridge +the chasm between Lutheran parents and children. Ask parents and they +will tell about the "Old Luther Readers," in their native land and +tongue. All admit that if the young people are not interested to read +Luther in English, they will never read him. All who do will the +better understand sermons in German and Scandinavian. The universal +reading of the English Luther, on the part of the young people, will +therefore help, and not harm, the German and Scandinavian +congregations. Luther's teachings thoroughly understood in a living +way will bind the young to their Christian convictions, as much as the +knowledge of a language binds them to that language. The passive +interest therefore, on the part of German and Scandinavian pastors and +congregations in circulating the English Luther, as far as their young +people are concerned, should give way to active interest, for the sake +of their own work in the future. It is important to learn your +mother's language. You may do that and forget her faith—Better retain +the faith than the language.</p> + +<div align="right">J. N. Lenker. </div> +<p> The Fiftieth Day (Pentecost), 1910.<br> + Minneapolis, Minn.</p> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h2>COMMENTARY ON GENESIS.</h2> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3>CHAPTER IV.</h3> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents1"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">IV.</td> + <td colspan="4">CAIN MURDERS HIS BROTHER; CALLED TO ACCOUNT.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="3">HOW CAIN MURDERED HIS BROTHER.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">What moved Cain to commit murder <a href="#p4107">107</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain's hypocritical actions in concealing his anger that he + might the more easily commit the murder <a href="#p4108">108-109</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain the picture of all hypocrites <a href="#p4110">110-129</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The attitude of hypocrites to their neighbors. Also, how we + are to view the efforts of the pope and bishops in behalf of + peace and unity <a href="#p4111">111-112</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Against what people we should most guard <a href="#p4112">112</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Cain listened to no warning in his thoughts of murder <a href="#p4113">113</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Complaint of the world's attitude to good admonition <a href="#p4114">114</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The ways of the hypocrite. Also, why falsehood wears a + friendly aspect <a href="#p4115">115</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether Cain's passion to murder Abel was noticeable <a href="#p4115">115</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain took no notice of Abel's sighing and praying <a href="#p4116">116</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The origin of man's cruel and tyrannical nature <a href="#p4117">117</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="3">HOW CAIN WAS CALLED TO ACCOUNT, AND HIS BEHAVIOR.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Who questioned Cain, and his defiant actions <a href="#p4118">118</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain accused himself most when he tried to clear himself <a href="#p4119">119</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Liars speak against themselves, as is proved by examples + <a href="#p4119">119-120</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain's vindication more foolish than that of the first + parents in paradise <a href="#p4121">121</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">St. Martin will absolve the devil if he repents <a href="#p4122">122</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Whoever excuses his sin follows the example of Satan and + makes his case worse <a href="#p4123">123</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Cain heaps sin upon sin <a href="#p4124">124</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain despairs and is in a worse state than our first parents + after their fall <a href="#p4125">125</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Cain placed himself in a position where nothing could + help him <a href="#p4126">126</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="2">Gently accused, and yet defiant <a href="#p4127">127</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain has not the least reverence for God or his father <a href="#p4128">128</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">This is a picture of all hypocrites <a href="#p4129">129</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="2">How his defense ends <a href="#p4130">130</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How man ought to act when his conscience accuses him of sin + <a href="#p4131">131</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The hypocrite's actions when his conscience is awakened, and + what he is to do <a href="#p4132">132-133</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="2">In Cain's defense wickedness and folly are mingled <a href="#p4134">134</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How God reveals hypocrites <a href="#p4135">135</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Moses says much in few words <a href="#p4136">136</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether Abel and our first parents anticipated Cain's murder + <a href="#p4137">137</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Without a thought of what might restrain him, Cain commits + the deed <a href="#p4138">138</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The picture of the sacrifice of Iphigenia applied to Moses' + description of Cain's murder <a href="#p4139">139-140</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain's is no ordinary murder, and how he differs from other + murderers <a href="#p4141">141</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The hypocrite's hatred is different from other hatred, and is + found among the Jews and the Papists <a href="#p4142">142-143</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain the father of all murderers <a href="#p4144">144</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How the first parents felt over this whole affair <a href="#p4145">145</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Their grief was so great that they could not have endured + without special divine comfort <a href="#p4146">146</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Their severe trial in view of the first sin <a href="#p4147">147</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Very likely because of this murder they refrained so long + from bearing children <a href="#p4148">148</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Whether the first parents had at the time more children + than Cain and Abel <a href="#p4148">148</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Cain slew Abel, and how he did it <a href="#p4149">149</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td colspan="2">The time and occasion when Cain was called to account <a href="#p4150">150</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">12.</td> + <td colspan="2">Adam with the authority of God calls Cain to account <a href="#p4152">152</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p4107"></a> +<br> +<h4>IV. HOW CAIN MURDERED HIS BROTHER AND WAS REQUIRED TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT, +AND HOW HE CONDUCTED HIMSELF.</h4> + +<center>A. How Cain Murdered His Brother.</center> + +<p>V. 8a. <i>And Cain told (talked with) Abel his brother.</i></p> + +<p>107. Our translation adds that Cain said: "Let us go out doors." But +this is one of the comments of the rabbins, whose relative claim to +credit I have fully shown on a previous occasion. Lyra, following the +invention of Eben Ezra, relates that Cain told his brother how +severely he had been rebuked of the Lord. But who would believe +statements for which there is no authority in the Scriptures? We hold +therefore to an explanation which has the warrant of the Scriptures, +namely that Cain, finding himself rejected of God, indulged his anger, +and added to his former sins contempt of his parents and of the Word, +thinking within himself: "The promised seed of the woman belongs to me +as the first-born. But my brother, Abel, that contemptible, +good-for-nothing fellow, is evidently preferred to me by divine +authority, manifest in the fire consuming his sacrifice. What shall I +do, therefore? I will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of +taking vengeance shall occur."</p> +<a name="p4108"></a> +<p>108. Therefore the words, "Cain told Abel his brother," I understand +to mean that Cain, dissembling his anger, conducted himself toward +Abel as a brother, and spoke to him and conversed with him, as if he +bore with good nature the sentence pronounced upon him by God. In this +manner also Saul simulated an attitude of kindness toward David. "I +know well," said Saul, "that thou shalt surely be king," 1 Sam 24, 20; +and yet he was all the while planning to prevent this by killing +David. Just so Cain now conversed with Abel his brother, and said: I +see that thou art chosen of the Lord; I envy thee not this divine +blessing, etc. This is just the manner of hypocrites. They pretend +friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents +itself.</p> + +<p>109. That such is the true sense of the passage, all the circumstances +clearly show. For if Adam and Eve could have gathered the least +suspicion of the intended murder, think you not that they would either +have restrained Cain or removed Abel, and placed the latter out of +danger? But as Cain had altered his countenance and his deportment +toward his brother, and had talked with him in a brotherly manner, +they thought all was safe, and the son bowed to and acquiesced in the +admonition of his father. The appearance deceived Abel also, who, if +he had feared anything like murder from his brother, would doubtless +have fled from him, as Jacob fled from Esau when he feared his +brother's wrath. What, therefore, could possibly have come into the +mind of Jerome when he believed the rabbins, who say Cain was +expostulating with his brother?</p> +<a name="p4110"></a> +<p>110. Accordingly, Cain is the image and picture of all hypocrites and +murderers, who kill under the show of godliness. Cain, possessed by +Satan, hides his wrath, waiting the opportunity to slay his brother +Abel; meanwhile he converses with him, as a brother beloved, that he +might the sooner lay his hands upon him unawares.</p> +<a name="p4111"></a> +<p>111. This passage, therefore, is intended for our instruction in the +ways of murderers and hypocrites. Still Cain talks in a brotherly +manner with his brother, and, on the other hand, Abel still trusts +Cain as a brother should trust a brother; and thus he is murdered, and +the pious parents meanwhile are deceived.</p> + +<p>Just so the pope and the bishops of our day talk and confer much +concerning the peace and concord of the Church. But he is most +assuredly deceived who does not understand that the exact opposite is +planned. For true is that word of the Psalm, "The workers of iniquity +speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts," Ps +28, 3. For it is the nature of hypocrites that they are good in +appearance, speak kindly to you, pretend to be humble, patient and +charitable, give alms, etc.; and yet, all the while they plan +slaughter in their hearts.</p> +<a name="p4112"></a> +<p>112. Let us learn, then, to know a Cain and especially to beware when +he speaks kindly, and as brother to brother. For it is in this way +that our adversaries, the bishops and the pope, talk with us in our +day, while they pretend a desire for concord, and seek to bring about +doctrinal harmony. In reality, if an opportunity of seizing us and +executing their rage upon us should present itself, you would soon +hear them speak in a very different tone. Truly, "there is death in +the pot," 2 Kings 4, 40; and under the best and sweetest words there +lies concealed a deadly poison.</p> +<a name="p4113"></a> +<p>V. 8b. <i>And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain +rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.</i></p> + +<p>113. Here you see the deceptive character of those alluring words. +Cain had been admonished by his father with divine authority to guard +against sin in the future, and to expect pardon for that of the past. +But Cain despises the twofold admonition, and indulges his sin, as all +the wicked do. For true is the saying of Solomon, "When the wicked +cometh, there cometh also contempt, and with ignominy cometh +reproach," Prov 18, 3.</p> +<a name="p4114"></a> +<p>114. Our ministry at the present day deserves no blame. We teach, we +exhort, we entreat, we rebuke, we turn ourselves every way, that we +may recall the multitude from security to the fear of God. But the +world, like an untamed beast, still goes on and follows not the Word, +but its own lusts, which it tries to smooth over by a show of +uprightness. The prophets and the apostles stand before us as +examples, and our own experience is instructive, also. Our +adversaries, so often warned and convicted, know they are doing wrong, +and yet they do not lay aside their murderous hate.</p> +<a name="p4115"></a> +<p>115. Learn, then, what a hypocrite is; namely, one who lays claim to +the worship of God and to charity, and yet, at the same time, destroys +the worship of God and slaughters his brother. And all this semblance +of good-will is only intended to bring about better opportunities of +doing harm. For, if Abel had foreseen the implacable wrath and the +truly diabolical anger, he would have saved himself by flight. But as +Cain betrayed no such anger, uttered a friendly greeting and +manifested his usual courtesy, Abel perished before he felt any fear.</p> +<a name="p4116"></a> +<p>116. There is no doubt that Abel, when he saw his brother rising up +against him, entreated and implored him not to pollute himself with +this awful sin. However, a mind beset by Satan pays no regard to +entreaties, nor heeds uplifted hands, but as a father's admonition had +been disregarded, so now the brother is spurned as he pleads upon his +knees.</p> +<a name="p4117"></a> +<p>117. Light is cast here upon the bondage to Satan by which our nature, +entangled in sins, is oppressed. Hence Paul's expression, "children of +wrath," Eph 2, 3, and the declaration that such are taken captive by +Satan unto his will, 2 Tim 2, 26. For when we are mere men; that is, +when we apprehend not the blessed seed by faith, we are all like Cain, +and nothing is wanting but an opportunity. For nature, destitute of +the Holy Spirit, is impelled by that same evil spirit which impelled +wicked Cain. If, however, there were in any one those ample powers, or +that free will, by which a man might defend himself against the +assaults of Satan, these gifts would most assuredly have existed in +Cain, to whom belonged the birthright and the promise of the blessed +seed. But in that very same condition are all men! Unless nature be +helped by the Spirit of God, it cannot maintain itself. Why, then, do +we absurdly boast of free-will? Now follows another remarkable +passage.</p> +<a name="p4118"></a> +<center>B. How Cain Had to Give an Account, and His Conduct.</center> + +<p>V. 9. <i>And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he +said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?</i></p> + +<p>118. Good God! into what depth of sin does our miserable nature fall +when driven onward by the devil. Murder had been committed on a +brother, and perhaps murdered Abel lay for days unburied. Thereupon, +as Cain returned to his parents at the accustomed time, and Abel +returned not with him, the anxious parents asked him: Cain, thou art +here, but where is Abel? Thou hast returned home, but Abel has not +returned. The flock is without their shepherd. Tell us therefore, +where thy brother is. Upon this, Cain, becoming abusive, makes answer +to his parents, by no means with due reverence, "I know not: Am I my +brother's keeper?"</p> +<a name="p4119"></a> +<p>119. But it happened to Cain as to all the wicked, that by excusing +himself he accused himself, according to the words of Christ, "Out of +thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant," Luke 19, 22. +Also the heathen had a striking proverb among them, "A liar ought to +have a good memory." Such was the judgment of heathen men, though they +knew nothing of the judgment of God and of conscience, and had nothing +to guide their judgment but their experience in civil affairs. And +true it is that liars run much risk of being discovered and unmasked. +Hence the Germans have the proverb, "A lie is a very fruitful thing." +For one lie begets seven other lies, which become necessary to uphold +the first lie. And yet it is impossible, after all, to prevent +conscience from arousing and betraying itself at times, if not in +words, then in gestures. This is proved by numberless examples. I will +cite only one example here:</p> + +<p>120. In Thuringia there is a small town in the district of Orla, +called Neustadt. In this town a harlot had murdered her infant, to +which she had secretly given birth, and had thrown it, after the +murder, into a neighboring fishpond. Accidentally the little piece of +linen in which she had wrapped the infant, brought the horrid deed to +light. The case was brought before the magistrate; and as the simple +men of the place knew no better means of investigating the crime, they +called all the young women of the town into the town hall and closely +examined them, one by one. The face and the testimony of each one of +these proclaimed her innocent. But when they came to her who was the +real perpetrator of the deed, she did not wait for questions to be put +to her, but immediately declared aloud that she was not the guilty +person. The contrast she presented to the others in making such haste +to defend herself, confirmed the suspicion of the magistrates. At once +she was seized by the constables and put to death.</p> + +<p>Indeed, instances are innumerable and of daily occurrence which show +that people, in their eagerness to defend themselves, accuse +themselves. Sin may, indeed, lie asleep, but that word which we have +just heard, is true. It lies at the door.</p> +<a name="p4121"></a> +<p>121. Just so in the present case. Cain thinks he has made an effectual +excuse for himself by saying that he is not his brother's keeper. But +does he not confess by the very word "brother" which he takes upon his +lips that he ought to be his keeper? Is not that equal to accusing +himself, and will not the fact that Abel is nowhere in evidence arouse +the suspicion in the minds of his parents that he has been murdered? +Just so also Adam excuses himself in paradise, and lays all the blame +on Eve. But this excuse of Cain is far more stupid; for while he +excuses his sin he doubles it, whereas the frank confession of sin +finds mercy and appeases wrath.</p> +<a name="p4122"></a> +<p>122. It is recorded in the history of St. Martin, that when he +absolved certain notorious sinners, he was rebuked by Satan for doing +so. St. Martin is said to have replied, "Why, I would absolve even +thee, if thou wouldst say from thy heart, I repent of having sinned +against the Son of God, and I pray for pardon." But the devil never +does this. For he persists in committing sin and defending the same.</p> +<a name="p4123"></a> +<p>123. All liars and hypocrites imitate Cain their father, by either +denying their sin or excusing it. Hence they cannot find pardon for +their sins. And we see the same in domestic life. By the defense of +wrong-doing, anger is increased. For whenever the wife, or the +children, or the servants, have done wrong, and deny or excuse their +wrong-doing, the father of the family is the more moved to wrath; +whereas, on the other hand, confession secures pardon or a lighter +punishment. But it is the nature of hypocrites to excuse and palliate +their sin or to deny it altogether and under the show of religion, to +slay the innocent.</p> +<a name="p4124"></a> +<p>124. But here let us survey the order in which sins follow each other +and increase. First of all Cain sins by presumption and unbelief when, +priding himself on the privilege of his birthright, he takes it for +granted that he shall be accepted of God on the ground of his own +merit. Upon this pride and self-glorification immediately follow envy +and hatred of his brother, whom he sees preferred to himself by an +unmistakable sign from heaven. Upon this envy and hatred follow +hypocrisy and lying. Though he designs to murder his brother, he +accosts him in a friendly manner and thereby throws him off his guard. +Hypocrisy is followed by murder. Murder is followed by the excusing of +his sin. And the last stage is despair, which is the fall from heaven +to hell.</p> +<a name="p4125"></a> +<p>125. Although Adam and Eve in paradise did not deny their sin, yet +their confession was lukewarm, and the sin was shifted from the one to +the other. Adam laid it on Eve, and Eve on the serpent. But Cain went +even farther, for he not only did not confess the murder he had +committed, but disclaimed responsibility for his brother. And did not +this at once prove his mind to be hostile against his brother? +Therefore, though Adam and Eve made only a half-hearted confession, +they had some claim to pardon, and in consequence were punished with +less severity. But Cain, because he resolutely denied his sin, was +rejected, and fell into despair.</p> + +<p>And the same judgment awaits all the sons of Cain, popes, cardinals, +and bishops, who, although they plan murder against us day and night, +say likewise, "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"</p> +<a name="p4126"></a> +<p>126. There was a common proverb of old, "What is it to the Romans that +the Greeks die?" So we think that our dangers and calamities only +belong to ourselves. But how does this principle agree with the +commandment of God? For his will is that we should all live together, +and be to each other as brethren. Cain, therefore, by this very saying +of his, heavily accuses himself when he makes the excuse that the +custody of his brother was no affair of his. Whereas, if he had said +to his father, "Alas, I have slain Abel, my brother. I repent of the +deed I have done. Return upon me what punishment thou wilt," there +might have been room for a remedy; but as he denied his sin, and, +contrary to the will of God, disclaimed responsibility for his brother +altogether, there was no place left for mercy or favor.</p> +<a name="p4127"></a> +<p>127. Moreover, Moses took special pains in the preparation of this +account, that it might serve as a witness against all hypocrites, and +as a chronicle containing a graphic description of their character and +of the ire to which they are aroused by Satan against God, his Word +and his Church. It was not enough for this murderer that he had killed +his brother, contrary to the command of God, but he added the further +sin that he became filled with indignation and rage when God inquired +of him concerning his brother. I say, "when God inquired of him," +because, although it was Adam who spoke these words to his son Cain, +yet he spoke them by the authority of God and by the Holy Spirit. In +view of so great a sin, was it not quite gentle to inquire, "Where is +Abel thy brother?" And yet, to this word, which contained nothing +severe, the hypocrite and murderer is ferocious and proud enough to +reply, "I know not." And he is indignant that he should be called to +an account concerning the matter at all. For the reply of Cain is the +language of one who resists and hates God.</p> +<a name="p4128"></a> +<p>128. But to this sin Cain adds one still worse. Justly under +indictment for murder, he presently becomes the accuser of God, and +expostulates with him: "Am I my brother's keeper?" He prefaces his +reply with no such expression of reverence or honor as is due both to +God and to his father. He did not say, "Lord, I know not." He did not +say, "My Father, didst thou make me the keeper of my brother?" Such +expressions as these would have indicated a feeling of reverence +toward God or toward his parent. But he answers with pride as if he +himself were the Lord, and plainly manifests that he felt indignation +at being called to account by him who had the perfect right to do so.</p> +<a name="p4129"></a> +<p>129. This is a true picture of all hypocrites. Living in manifest +sins, they grow insolent and proud, aiming all the while to appear +righteous. They will not yield even to God himself and his Word when +upbraided by them. Nay, they set themselves against God, contend with +him, and excuse their sin. Thus David says, that God is judged of men, +but that at length he clears and justifies himself, and prevails, Ps +51, 4. Such is the insolence of the hypocrites Moses has here +endeavored to paint.</p> +<a name="p4130"></a> +<p>130. But what success has Cain with his attempt? This, that his +powerful effort to excuse himself becomes a forcible self-accusation. +Christ says, "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked +servant," Lk 19, 22. Now, this servant wished to appear without guilt, +saying: "I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou +didst not sow; and I was afraid, and hid thy talent," Mt 25, 24-25. +Could he have brought a stronger accusation against himself, in view +of the fact that Christ immediately turns his words against him? +Thereby Christ evidences the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.</p> +<a name="p4131"></a> +<p>131. Such illustrations help us to learn not to contend with God. On +the contrary when you feel in your conscience that you are guilty, +take heed with all your soul that you strive neither with God nor with +men by defending or excusing your sin. Rather do this: When you see +God point his spear at you, flee not from him; but, on the contrary, +flee to him with a humble confession of your sin, and with prayer for +his pardon. Then God will draw back his spear and spare you. But when, +by the denial and excuse of your sin, you flee farther and farther +from him, God will pursue you at close range with still greater +determination, and bring you to bay. Nothing, therefore, is better or +safer than to come with the confession of guilt. Thus it comes to pass +that God's victory becomes our victory through him.</p> +<a name="p4132"></a> +<p>132. But Cain and hypocrites in general do not this. God points his +spear at them, but they never humble themselves before him nor pray to +him for pardon. Nay, they rather point their spear at God, just as +Cain did on this occasion. Cain does not say, "Lord, I confess I have +killed my brother; forgive me." On the contrary, though being the +accused, he himself accuses God by replying, "Am I my brother's +keeper?" And what did he effect with his pride? His reply was +certainly equal to the confession that he cared naught for the divine +law, which says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Lev 19, 18. +And again, "Do not unto another that which you would not have another +do unto you," Mt 7, 12. This law was not first written in the Decalog; +it was inscribed in the minds of all men. Cain acts directly against +this law, and shows that he not only cares nothing for it, but +absolutely despises it.</p> + +<p>133. In this manner, Cain represents a man who is not merely wicked, +but who occupies such a height of wickedness as to combine hypocrisy +with bloodshed, and yet is so eager to maintain the appearance of +sanctity that he rather accuses God than concedes the justice of the +accusation against himself. And this is what all hypocrites do. They +blaspheme God and crucify his Son, and yet wish to appear righteous. +For after their sins of murder, blasphemy and the like their whole aim +is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the same. But the +result always is that they betray themselves and are condemned out of +their own mouths.</p> +<a name="p4134"></a> +<p>134. While Cain makes an effort to clear himself, he exhibits the +foulest stains. He thinks he made a most plausible excuse when he +said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" But this very excuse becomes his +most shameful accusation. The maxim of Hilary, that wickedness and +stupidity always go hand in hand, finds unvarying application. If Cain +had been as wise as he was wicked, he would have excused himself in +quite a different manner. Now, under the operation of the divine rule +that wickedness and stupidity are running mates, he becomes his own +accuser. The same principle operates in favor of the truth, and makes +her defense against all adversaries easy. Just as Cain betrayed by +word and mien his indifference and hate toward his brother, so all +adversaries of the truth betray their wickedness, the one in this way, +the other in that.</p> +<a name="p4135"></a> +<p>135. Facts of importance and apt for instruction are, therefore, here +set before us. And their general import is that God does not permit +hypocrites to remain hidden for any length of time, but compels them +to betray themselves just when they make shrewd efforts to hide their +hypocrisy and crime.</p> +<a name="p4136"></a> +<p>136. Moses does not exhibit in his narrative the verbose diction +characteristic of pagan literature, where we often find one and the +same argument embellished and polished by a variety of colors. We find +by experience that no human power of description can do justice to +inward emotions. In consequence, verbosity, as a rule, comes short of +expressing emotion. Moses employs the opposite method, and clothes a +great variety of arguments in scant phraseology.</p> +<a name="p4137"></a> +<p>137. Above the historian used the expression, "when they were in the +field." Thereby Moses indicates that the murderer Cain had watched his +opportunity to attack his brother when both were alone. All the +circumstances plainly show that Abel was not idle at the time; for he +was in the field, where he had to do the things his father committed +to him. From Moses' statement we may infer that Abel's parents felt +absolutely no fear of danger. For, although at the outset they had +feared that the wrath of Cain would eventually break out into still +greater sin, Cain, by his gentleness and pretended affection, +prevented all suspicion of evil on the part of his parents. For had +there been the least trace of apprehension, they certainly would not +have permitted Abel to go from their presence alone. They would have +sent his sisters with him as companions; for he no doubt had some. Or +his parents themselves would have prevented by their presence and +authority the perpetration of so great a crime. As already stated, +also the mind of Abel was perfectly free from suspicion. For, had he +suspected the least evil at the hand of his brother, he would +doubtless have sought safety by flight. But after he had heard that +Cain bore the judgment of God with composure, and did not envy the +brother his honor, he pursued his work in the field with a feeling of +security.</p> +<a name="p4138"></a> +<p>138. What orator could do justice to the scene which Moses depicts in +one word: "Cain rose up against his brother?" Many descriptions of +cruelty are to be found on every hand, but could any be painted as +more atrocious and execrable than is the case here? "He rose up +against his brother," Moses writes. It is as if he had said, Cain rose +up against Abel, the only brother he had, with whom he had been +brought up and with whom he had lived to that day. But not only the +relationship Cain utterly forgot; he forgot their common parents also. +The greatness of the grief he would cause his parents by such a grave +crime, never entered his mind. He did not think that Abel was a +brother, from whom he had never received any offense whatever. For +Cain knew that the honor of having offered the more acceptable +sacrifice, proceeded not from any desire or ambition in Abel, but from +God himself. Nor did Cain consider that he, who had hitherto stood in +the highest favor with his parents, would lose that favor altogether +and would fall under their deepest displeasure as a result of his +crime.</p> +<a name="p4139"></a> +<p>139. It is recorded in history of an artist who painted the scene of +Iphigenia's sacrifice, that when he had given to the countenance of +each of the spectators present its appropriate expression of grief and +pain, he found himself unable to portray the vastness of the father's +grief, who was present also, and hence painted his head draped.</p> + +<p>140. Such is the method, I think, Moses employs in this passage, when +he uses the verb <i>yakam</i>, "Rose up against." What tragical pictures +would the eloquence of a Cicero or a Livy have drawn in an attempt to +portray, through the medium of their oratory, the wrath of the one +brother, and the dread, the cries, the prayers, the tears, the +uplifted hands, and all the horrors of the other! But not even in that +way can justice be done to the subject. Moses, therefore, pursues the +right course, when he portrays, by a mere outline, things too great +for utterance. Such brevity tends to enlist the reader's undivided +attention to a subject which the vain adornment of many words +disfigures and mars, like paint applied to natural beauty.</p> +<a name="p4141"></a> +<p>141. This is true also of the additional statement, "He slew him." +Occasionally we see men start a quarrel and commit murder for a +trivial cause, but no such ordinary murder is described here. +Murderers of this kind immediately afterward are filled with distress; +they grieve for the deeds they have done and acknowledge them to be +delusions of the devil by which he blinded their minds. Cain felt no +distress; he expressed no grief, but denied the deed he had done.</p> +<a name="p4142"></a> +<p>142. This satanic and insatiable hatred in hypocrites is described by +Christ in the words, "When they kill you, they will think that they do +God service," Jn 16, 2. So the priests and the kings filled Jerusalem +with the blood of the prophets and gloried in what they did as a great +achievement; for they considered this as proof of their zeal for the +Law and the house of God.</p> + +<p>143. And the fury of popes and bishops in our day is just the same. +They are not satisfied with having excommunicated us again and again, +and with having shed our blood, but they wish to blot out our memory +from the land of the living, according to the description in the +Psalm, "Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof," Ps 137, 7. +Such hatred is not human but satanic. For all human hatred becomes +mellow in time; at all events, it will cease after it has avenged our +injury and gratified its passion. But the hatred of these Pharisees +assumes constantly larger dimensions, especially since it is smoothed +over by a show of piety.</p> +<a name="p4144"></a> +<p>144. Cain, therefore, is the father of all those murderers who +slaughter the saints, and whose wrath knows no end so long as there +remains one of them, as is proved in the case of Christ himself. As +for Cain, there is no doubt of his having hoped that by putting Abel +to death he should keep the honor of his birthright. Thus, the ungodly +always think that their cruelty will profit them in some way. But when +they find that their hope is vain they fall into despair.</p> +<a name="p4145"></a> +<p>145. Now, when the fact of this shameful murder was made known to the +parents, what do we think must have been the sad scenes resulting? +What lamentations? What sighs and groans? But I dwell not on these +things; they are for the man with the gifts of eloquence and +imagination to describe. It was certainly a marvel that both parents +were not struck lifeless with grief. The calamity was rendered the +greater by the fact that their first-born, who had aroused so large +hopes concerning himself, was the perpetrator of this horrible murder.</p> +<a name="p4146"></a> +<p>146. If, therefore, Adam and Eve had not been helped from above, they +could never have been equal to this disaster in their home; for there +is nothing like it in all the world. Adam and Eve were without that +consolation which we may have in sudden and unexpected calamities, +namely, that like evils have befallen others and have not come upon us +alone. Our first parents had only two sons, though I believe that they +had daughters also; and therefore they lacked such instances of grief +in the human family as we have before our eyes.</p> +<a name="p4147"></a> +<p>147. Who can doubt, moreover, that Satan by this new species of +temptation increased greatly the grief of our first parents? They no +doubt thought, Behold, this is all our sin. We, in paradise, wished to +become like God; but by our sin we have become like the devil. This is +the case also with our son. We loved only this son, and made +everything of him! Our other son, Abel, was righteous before us, above +this son; but of his righteousness we made nothing! This elder son we +hoped would be he who should crush the serpent's head; but behold, he +himself is crushed by the serpent! Nay, he himself has become like the +serpent, for he is now a murderer. And whence is this? Is it not +because he was born of us, and because we, through our sin, are what +we are? Therefore it is to our flesh; therefore it is to our sin, that +this calamity must be traced.</p> +<a name="p4148"></a> +<p>148. It is very probable, accordingly, and the events of the series of +years which followed strengthen this probability, that the sorrowing +parents, shaken to the core by their calamity, abstained for a long +time from connubial intercourse. For it appears that when Cain +committed this murder he was about thirty years of age. During this +period some daughters were born unto Adam. In view of the subsequent +statements, verse 17, that "Cain knew his wife," he no doubt married a +sister. Moreover, since Cain himself says in verse 14, "It shall come +to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me", and as it is +further said in verse 15, "The Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any +finding him should kill him"—it appears most probable from all these +circumstances that Adam had many children besides Cain and Abel, but +these two only are mentioned, on account of their important and +memorable history, and because these two were their first and most +remarkable children. It is my full belief that the marriage of our +first parents was most fruitful during the first thirty years of their +union. Somewhere Calmana and Dibora are mentioned as daughters of +Adam, but I know not whether the authors are worthy of credence. +Inasmuch, therefore, as the birth of Seth is recorded as having taken +place a long time after this murder, it seems to me very probable that +the parents, distressed beyond measure at this monstrous crime in the +bosom of their family, refrained for a long time from procreation. +While Moses does not touch upon all these things, 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 distance.</p> +<a name="p4149"></a> +<p>149. But I return to the text before us. Cain is an evil and wicked +man, and yet, in the eyes of his parents, he is a divine possession +and gift. Abel, on the contrary, is in the eyes of his parents +nothing; but in the eyes of God he is truly a righteous man; an +appellation with which also Christ honors him when he calls him +"righteous Abel"! Mt 23, 35. This divine judgment concerning Abel, +Cain could not endure, and, therefore, he thought that by murder not +only the hatred against his brother could be satisfied, but also his +birthright be retained. But he was far from thinking that was sin; as +the first-born he thought he had exercised his right. He killed Abel, +not with a sword, as I think, but with a club or a stone, for I hold +that there were as yet no iron weapons.</p> +<a name="p4150"></a> +<p>150. After the murder, Cain remained unconcerned, for he thought the +deed could be concealed by hiding the body, which he buried, or +perhaps cast into a river, thinking that thus it would surely remain +undiscovered by his parents.</p> + +<p>When Abel, however, had been from home a longer time than had been his +habit, the Holy Spirit prompted Adam to inquire of Cain concerning +Abel, saying, "Where is Abel thy brother?" The above-mentioned +utterance of Adam, "If not, sin lieth at the door," was a prophecy +which now began to come true. Cain thought he had laid his sin to +rest, and all would thus remain hidden. And true it was that his sin +did lie at rest, but it lay at rest "at the door." And who opens the +door? None other than the Lord himself! He arouses the sleeping sin! +He brings the hidden sin to light!</p> + +<p>151. The same thing must come to pass with all sinners. For, unless by +repentance you first come to God, and yourself confess your sin to +God, God will surely come to you, to disclose your sin. For God cannot +endure that any one should deny his sin. To this fact the psalmist +testifies: "When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my +roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon +me; my moisture was changed as with the drouth of summer." Ps 32, 3-4. +For, although sin has its sleep and its security, yet that sleep is +"at the door"; it cannot long last, and the sin cannot remain hidden.</p> +<a name="p4152"></a> +<p>152. When Moses introduces Jehovah as speaking, I understand him to +mean, as above, that it was Adam who spoke by the Holy Spirit in the +place of God, whom he represented in his relation as father. The +expression of the Holy Spirit, therefore, is intended to set forth the +high authority of parents; when children dutifully hear and obey +these, they hear and obey God. And I believe Adam knew by the +revelation of the Holy Spirit that Abel had been slain by his brother; +for his words intimate the commission of murder at a time when Cain +still dissembled as to what he had done.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents2"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">V.</td> + <td colspan="4">CAIN PUNISHED FOR HIS MURDER.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="3">CAIN'S PUNISHMENT IN GENERAL.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">By whom and how he is punished <a href="#p4153">153</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why he was not put to death <a href="#p4153">153</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The double grief of the first parents <a href="#p4154">154</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What was Adam's church and altar <a href="#p4155">155</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Cain was excommunicated <a href="#p4156">156</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God's inquiry about Abel's blood.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>How unbelievers refer to it <a href="#p4157">157</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>How a theologian should use it <a href="#p4158">158</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>It is a great and important matter <a href="#p4159">159</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How Abel's death is to be viewed <a href="#p4159">159</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td>Why God does not inquire after the blood of beasts <a href="#p4160">160-161</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td>Whether this inquiry was from God direct or made through + Adam <a href="#p4162">162-163</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td>How Cain felt upon this inquiry <a href="#p4164">164</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The result of sin to murderers and other sinners <a href="#p4165">165-166</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>An evil conscience the result of evil-doing <a href="#p4166">166</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">g.</td> + <td>How to understand the statement that Abel's blood crieth + to heaven <a href="#p4167">167</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How God's children are to comfort themselves when the + world oppresses them and seemingly God refuses to help <a href="#p4168">168-171</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">h.</td> + <td>This inquiry is a sign of God's care for Abel <a href="#p4169">169</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The blood of many Evangelical martyrs cry to the Papists <a href="#p4170">170</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How God opportunely judges the afflictions of believers <a href="#p4171">171</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Why God's vengeance does not immediately follow <a href="#p4172">172</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">i.</td> + <td>The time this inquiry occurred <a href="#p4173">173</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>God indeed has regard for the sufferings and tears of his + children <a href="#p4174">174</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How sinners can meet the judgments of God <a href="#p4174">174</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">The miserable life Cain must have led after his punishment + <a href="#p4175">175</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="3">CAIN'S PUNISHMENT IN DETAIL.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">The Church suffered.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>How Cain's punishment and curse differed from Adam's <a href="#p4176">176-178</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Why Cain's person was cursed <a href="#p4178">178-179</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The more Cain desired honor, the less he received <a href="#p4180">180</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The beginning of both churches, the true and the false <a href="#p4181">181</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Cain's whole posterity perished in sin <a href="#p4181">181</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>How his curse and punishment were lightened <a href="#p4182">182</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Whether any of Cain's posterity were saved, and holy <a href="#p4182">182</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The way the heathen had part in the promise <a href="#p4182">182-185</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The way Cain withheld his children from the true Church <a href="#p4185">185</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">The Home suffered.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>How this curse affected the earth <a href="#p4186">186-187</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Why Adam used such severe words in this curse <a href="#p4186">186</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>How it caused the earth to be less fruitful <a href="#p4187">187</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The difference between "Arez" and "Adama" <a href="#p4188">188</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">The State suffered.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What "No" and "Nod" mean, and how they differ <a href="#p4189">189-190</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain's sin punished in three ways and in each the sin was + mitigated <a href="#p4191">191-193</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain a fugitive and a wanderer.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>This refers chiefly to the true Church, as is illustrated + by many examples of the saints <a href="#p4194">194-195</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>It refers less to the false <a href="#p4194">194-195</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Many take offense at this <a href="#p4196">196</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p4153"></a> +<br> +<h4>V. HOW CAIN WAS PUNISHED FOR HIS MURDER.</h4> + +<center>A. Cain's Punishment in General.</center> + +<p>153. If Eve overheard these words, what think you must have been the +state of her mind! Her grief must have been beyond all description. +But the calamity was brought home to Adam with even greater force. As +he was the father, it fell to him to rebuke his son and to +excommunicate him for his sin. Since, according to the ninth chapter, +the law concerning the death-penalty for murderers was not promulgated +until afterward when the patriarchs beheld murder becoming alarmingly +frequent, Adam did not put Cain to death, but safeguarded his life in +obedience to the prompting and direction of the Holy Spirit; still, it +is a fact not to be gainsaid that the punishment ordained for him and +all his posterity was anything but light. For in addition to that +curse upon his body he suffered excommunication from his family, +separation from the sight of his parents and from the society of his +brothers and sisters, who remained with their parents, or in the +fellowship of the Church.</p> +<a name="p4154"></a> +<p>154. Now, Adam could not have done all this, nor could Eve have heard +it without indescribable anguish. For a father is a father, and a son +is a son. Gladly would Adam have spared his son and retained him at +home, as we now sometimes see murderers become reconciled to the +brothers of their victims. But in this case no place was left for +reconciliation. Cain is bidden at once to be a fugitive upon the face +of the earth. The pain of the parents was doubled in consequence. They +see one of their sons slain, and the other excommunicated by the +judgment of God and cut off forever from the fellowship of his +brethren.</p> +<a name="p4155"></a> +<p>155. Moreover, when we here speak of excommunication from the Church, +it stands to reason that not our houses of worship, built in +magnificent style and ample proportions out of hewn stone, are meant. +The sanctuary, or church, of Adam was a certain tree, or a certain +little hill under the open heaven, where they assembled to hear the +Word of God and to offer their sacrifices, for which purpose they had +erected altars. And when they offered their sacrifices and heard the +Word, God was present, as we see from the experience of Abel.</p> + +<p>Also elsewhere in the sacred story, mention is made of such altars +under the open heaven, and of sacrifices made upon them. And, if we +should come together at this day under the open sky to bend our knees, +to preach, to give thanks, and to bless each other, a custom would be +inaugurated altogether beneficial.</p> +<a name="p4156"></a> +<p>156. It was from a temple of this kind and from such a church, not a +conspicuous and magnificent church at a particular place, that Cain +was cast out. He was thus doubly punished; first, by a corporal +penalty, because the earth was accursed to him, and secondly, by a +spiritual penalty, because by excommunication, he was cast out from +the temple and the church of God as from another paradise.</p> +<a name="p4157"></a> +<p>157. Lawyers also have drawn upon this passage, and quite properly +brought out the fact that Jehovah first investigated the matter and +then passed sentence. Their application is, that no one should be +pronounced guilty until his case has been tried; until he has been +called to the bar, proved guilty and convicted. This, according to a +previous statement, was also done with Adam: "The Lord God called unto +Adam, and said unto him. Where art thou?" Gen 3, 9. And further on: "I +will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according +to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know," Gen +11, 5; 18, 21.</p> +<a name="p4158"></a> +<p>158. However, dismissing the matter in its bearings upon public life, +let us view its more attractive theological features. The element of +doctrine and of hope is found in the fact that Jehovah inquires +concerning the dead Abel. Clearly there is pointed out to us here the +truth of the resurrection of the dead. God declared himself to be the +God of Abel, although now dead, and he inquired for the dead, for +Abel. Upon this passage we may establish the incontrovertible +principle that, if there were no one to care for us after this life, +Abel would not have been inquired for after he was slain. But God +inquires after Abel, even when he had been taken from this life; he +has no desire to forget him; he retains the remembrance of him; he +asks: "Where is he?" God, therefore, we see, is the God of the dead. +My meaning is that even the dead, as we here see, still live in the +memory of God, and have a God who cares for them, and saves them in +another life beyond and different from this corporal life in which +saints suffer affliction.</p> +<a name="p4159"></a> +<p>159. This passage, therefore, is most worthy of our attention. We see +that God cared for Abel, even when dead; and that on account of the +dead Abel, he excommunicated Cain, and visited him, the living, with +destruction in spite of his being the first-born. A towering fact +this, that Abel, though dead, was living and canonized in another life +more effectually and truly than those whom the pope ever canonized! +The death of Abel was indeed horrible; he did not suffer death without +excruciating torment nor without many tears. Yet it was a blessed +death, for now he lives a more blessed life than he did before. This +bodily life of ours is lived in sin, and is ever in danger of death. +But that other life is eternal and perfectly free from trials and +troubles, both of the body and of the soul.</p> +<a name="p4160"></a> +<p>160. No! God inquires not after the sheep and the oxen that are slain, +but he does inquire after the men who are slain. Accordingly men +possess the hope of a resurrection. They have a God who brings them +back from the death of the body unto eternal life, a God who inquires +after their blood as a most precious thing. The Psalmist says: +"Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints," Ps 116, +15.</p> + +<p>161. This is the glory of the human race, obtained for it by the seed +of the woman which bruised the serpent's head. The case of Abel is the +first instance of such promise made to Adam and Eve, and God showed by +the same that the serpent did not harm Abel, although it caused his +murder. This was indeed an instance of the serpent's "bruising the +heel" of the woman's seed. But in the very attempt to bite, its own +head was crushed. For God, in answer to Abel's faith in the promised +seed, required the blood of the dead, and proved himself thereby to be +his God still. This is all proved by what follows.</p> +<a name="p4162"></a> +<p>V. 10. <i>And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's +blood crieth unto me from the ground.</i></p> + +<p>162. Cain's sin hath hitherto lain at the door. And the preceding +circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin +asleep. For being interrogated by his father concerning his brother +Abel and his whereabouts, he disclaimed knowledge of the matter, thus +adding to murder lying. This answer of Cain is sufficient evidence +that the above words were spoken by Adam in his own person, and not by +God in his divine Majesty. For Cain believed that the deed was hidden +from his father, as he was a mere man, while he could not have thought +this of the divine Majesty. Therefore, had God spoken to him in his +own person, he would have returned a different answer. But, as he +thought himself dealing with a human being only, Cain denied his deed +altogether, saying: "I know not. How numerous are the perils by which +a man may perish. He may have been destroyed by wild beasts; he may +have been drowned in some river; or he may have lost his life by some +other death."</p> + +<p>163. Thus Cain thought that his father would think of any other cause +of death than the perpetration of murder. But Cain could not deceive +the Holy Spirit in Adam. Adam therefore, as God's representative, +arraigns him with the words, "What hast thou done?" As if he had said +"Why dost thou persist in denying the deed; be assured thou canst not +deceive God, who hath revealed to me all. Thou thinkest the blood of +thy brother is hidden by the earth. But it is not so absorbed and +concealed thereby as to prevent the blood crying aloud unto God." That +meant to awaken the sin lying at the door, and to drag it forth.</p> +<a name="p4164"></a> +<p>164. The text before us, then, provides much consolation against the +enemies and murderers of the Church; for it teaches us that our +afflictions and sufferings and the shedding of our blood fill heaven +and earth with their cries. I believe, therefore, that Cain was so +overwhelmed and confounded by these words of his father that, as if +thunderstruck, he knew not what to say or what to do. No doubt his +thoughts were, "If my father Adam knows about the murder which I have +committed, how can I any longer doubt that it is known unto God, unto +the angels, and unto heaven and earth? Whither can I flee? Which way +can I turn, wretched man that I am?"</p> +<a name="p4165"></a> +<p>165. Such is the state of murderers to this day. They are so harassed +with the stings of conscience, after the crime of murder has been +committed, that they are always in a state of alarm. It seems to them +that heaven and earth have put on a changed aspect toward them, and +they know not whither to flee. A case in point is Orestes pursued by +the furies, as described by the poets. A horrible thing is the cry of +spilled blood and an evil conscience.</p> +<a name="p4166"></a> +<p>166. The same is true of all other atrocious sins. Those who commit +them, experience the same distresses of mind when remorse lays hold of +them. The whole creation seems changed toward them, and even when they +speak to persons with whom they have been familiar, and when they hear +the answers they make, the very sound of their voice appears to them +altogether changed and their countenances seem to wear an altered +aspect. Whichever way they turn their eyes, all things are clothed, as +it were, in gloom and horror. So grim and fierce a monster is a guilty +conscience! And, unless such sinners are succored from above, they +must put an end to their existence because of their anguish and +intolerable pain.</p> +<a name="p4167"></a> +<p>167. Again Moses' customary conciseness is in evidence, which, +however, is more effective than an excess of words. In the first +place, he personifies a lifeless object when he attributes to blood a +voice filling with its cries heaven and the earth. How can that voice +be small or weak which, rising from earth, is heard by God in heaven? +Abel, therefore, who when alive was patient under injuries and gentle +and placid of spirit, now, when dead and buried in the earth, can not +brook the wrong inflicted. He who before dared not murmur against his +brother, now fairly shrieks, and so completely enlists God in his +cause that he descends from heaven, to charge the murderer with his +crime. Moses, accordingly, here uses the more pregnant term. He does +not say, "The voice of thy brother's blood speaketh unto me from the +ground," but, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me." It is +a cry like the shout of heralds when they raise their voices to +assemble men together.</p> +<a name="p4168"></a> +<p>168. These things are written, as I have observed, to convince us that +our God is merciful, that he loves his saints, takes them into his +special care, and demands an account for them; while, on the other +hand, he is angry with the murderers of his saints, hates them and +designs their punishment. Of this consolation we stand in decided +need. When oppressed by our enemies and murderers, we are apt to +conclude that our God has forgotten and lost interest in us. We think +that if God cared for us, he would not permit such things to come upon +us. Likewise, Abel might have reasoned: God surely cares nothing for +me; for if he did, he would not suffer me thus to be murdered by my +brother.</p> +<a name="p4169"></a> +<p>169. But only look at what follows! Does not God safeguard the +interests of Abel better than he could possibly have done himself? How +could Abel have inflicted on his brother such vengeance as God does, +now that Abel is dead? How could he, if alive, execute such judgment +on his brother as God here executes? Now the blood of Abel cries +aloud, who, while alive, was of a most retiring disposition. Now Abel +accuses his brother before God of being a murderer; when alive he +would bear all the injuries of his brother in silence. For who was it +that disclosed the murder committed by Cain? Was it not, as the text +here tells us, the blood of Abel, fairly deafening with its constant +cries the ears of God and men?</p> +<a name="p4170"></a> +<p>170. These things, I say, are all full of consolation; especially for +us who now suffer persecution from the popes and wicked princes on +account of our doctrine. They have practiced against us the utmost +cruelty and have vented their rage against godly men, not in Germany +only, but also in other parts of Europe. And all this sin is +disregarded by the papacy, as if it were nothing but a joke. Nay, the +Papists really consider it to be a service toward God, Jn 16, 2. All +this sin, therefore, as yet "lieth at the door." But it shall become +manifest in due time. The blood of Leonard Kaiser, which was shed in +Bavaria, is not silent. Nor is the blood of Henry of Zutphen, which +was shed in Dietmar; nor that of our brother Anthony, of England, who +was cruelly and without a hearing slain by his English countrymen. I +could mention a thousand others who, although their names are not so +prominent, were yet fellow-sufferers with confessors and martyrs. The +blood of all these, I say, will not be silent; 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 bear.</p> +<a name="p4171"></a> +<p>171. Let us not think, therefore, that God does not heed the shedding +of our blood! Let us not imagine for a moment that God does not regard +our afflictions! No! he collects all our tears, and puts them into his +bottle, Ps 56, 8. The cry of the blood of all the godly penetrates the +clouds and the heavens to the very throne of God, and entreats him to +avenge the blood of the righteous, Ps 79, 10.</p> +<a name="p4172"></a> +<p>172. As these things are written for our consolation, so are they +written for the terror of our adversaries. 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 God? God is indeed +long-suffering, especially now toward the end of the world; and +therefore sin lies the longer "at the door," and vengeance does not +immediately follow. But it is surely true that God is most grievously +offended with all this sin, and that he will never suffer it to pass +unpunished.</p> +<a name="p4173"></a> +<p>173. Such judgment of God on Cain, however, I do not believe to have +been executed on the first day, but some time afterward. For it is +God's nature to be long-suffering, inasmuch as he waits for the sinner +to turn. But he does not, on that account, fail to punish him. For he +is the righteous judge both of the living and of the dead, as we +confess in our Christian Faith. Such judgment God exercised in the +very beginning of the world with reference to these two brothers. He +judged and condemned the living murderer, and justified murdered Abel. +He excommunicated Cain and drove him into such agonies of soul that +the space of the whole creation seemed too narrow to contain him. From +the moment Cain saw that God would be the avenger of his brother's +blood, he felt nowhere safe. To Abel, on the other hand, God gave for +enjoyment the full width of earth and heaven.</p> +<a name="p4174"></a> +<p>174. Why, then, should we ever doubt that God ponders and numbers in +his heart the afflictions of his people, and that he measures our +tears and inscribes them on adamantine tablets? And this inscription +the enemies of the Church shall never be able to erase by any device +whatever except by repentance. Manasseh was a terrible tyrant and a +most inhuman persecutor of the godly. And his banishment and captivity +would never have sufficed to blot out these sins. But when he +acknowledged his sin and repented in truth, then the Lord showed him +mercy.</p> + +<p>So Paul had, and so the pope and the bishops have now, only one way +left them: to acknowledge their sin and to supplicate the forgiveness +of God. If they will not do this, God in his wrath will surely require +at their hands the blood of the godly. Let no one doubt this!</p> +<a name="p4175"></a> +<p>175. Abel is dead, but Cain is still alive. But, good God, what a +wretched life is that which he lives! He might wish never to have been +born, as he hears that he is excommunicated and must look for death +and retribution at any moment. And in due time this will be the lot of +our adversaries and of the oppressors of the Church.</p> +<a name="p4176"></a> +<center>B. Cain's Punishment In Detail.</center> + +<p>V. 11. <i>And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its +mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;</i></p> + +<p>176. We have heard, so far, of the disclosure of Cain's sin through +the voice of Abel's blood, of his conviction by Adam his father, and +of the decision rendered with reference to the two brothers, namely, +that the one should be canonized, or declared a saint—the first +fruits, as it were, of the blessed seed; but that the other, the +first-born, should be condemned and excommunicated, as shall presently +be shown. Now Moses mentions the penalties to be visited upon such +fratricide.</p> + +<p>177. First of all, we should mark as particularly worthy of note the +discrimination exercised by the Holy Spirit. Previously, when the +penalty for his sin was inflicted upon Adam, a curse was placed not +upon the person of Adam, but only upon the earth; and even this curse +was not absolute but qualified. The expression is this: "Cursed is the +ground for thy sake"; and in the eighth chapter of the Romans, verse +twenty, we read: "The creature was made subject to vanity, not +willingly." The fact is, that the earth, inasmuch as it bore guilty +man, became involved in the curse as his instrument, just as also the +sword, gold, and other objects, are cursed for the reason that men +make them the instruments of their sin. With fine reasoning the Holy +Spirit discriminates between the earth and Adam. He diverts the curse +to the earth, but saves the person.</p> +<a name="p4178"></a> +<p>178. But in this instance the Holy Spirit speaks of Cain. He curses +the person of Cain. And why is this? Is it because the sin of Cain, as +a murderer, was greater than the sin of Adam and Eve? Not so. But +because Adam was the root from whose flesh and loins Christ, that +blessed seed, should be born. It is this seed, therefore, that was +spared. For the sake of this seed, the fruit of the loins of Adam, the +curse is transferred from the person of Adam to the earth. Thus, Adam +bears the curse of the earth, but his person is not cursed; from his +posterity Christ was to be born.</p> + +<p>179. Cain, however, since he fell by his sin, must suffer the curse +being inflicted upon his person. He hears it said to him, "Cursed art +thou," that we might understand he was cut off from the glory of the +promised seed, and condemned never to have in his posterity that seed +through which the blessing should come. Thus Cain was cast out from +the stupendous glory of the promised seed. Abel was slain; therefore +there could be no posterity from him. But Adam was ordained to serve +God by further procreation. In Adam alone, therefore, after Cain's +rejection, the hope of the blessed seed rested until Seth was born +unto him.</p> +<a name="p4180"></a> +<p>180. The words spoken to Cain, "Cursed art thou," are few, but +nevertheless entitled to a great deal of attention, in that they are +equal to the declaration: Thou art not the one from whom the blessed +seed is hoped for. With this word Cain stands cast out and cut off +like a branch from the root, unable longer to hope for the distinction +around which he had circled. It is a fact, that Cain craved the +distinction of passing on the blessing; but the more closely he +encircled it the more elusive it became. Such is the lot of all +evildoers: their failure is commensurate with their efforts to +succeed.</p> +<a name="p4181"></a> +<p>181. From this occurrence originate the two churches which are at war +with each other: the one of Adam and the righteous, which has the hope +and promise of the blessed seed; the other of Cain, which has +forfeited this hope and promise through sin, without ever being able +to regain it. For in the flood Cain's whole posterity became extinct, +so that there has been no prophet, no saint, no prince of the true +Church who could trace his lineage back to Cain. All that was denied +Cain and withdrawn from him, when he was told: "Cursed art thou."</p> +<a name="p4182"></a> +<p>182. We find added, however, the words, "from the ground." These words +qualify the fearful wrath. For, if God had said, "from the heavens," +he would have deprived his posterity forever of the hope of salvation. +As it is, the words, "from the ground," convey, indeed, the menacing +decision that the promise of the seed has been forfeited, but the +possibility is left that descendants of Cain as individuals, prompted +by the Holy Spirit, may join themselves to Adam and find salvation.</p> + +<p>This, in after ages, really came to pass. While it is true the promise +of the blessed seed was a distinction confined to the Jews, according +to the statement in Psalm 147, 20: "He hath not dealt so with any +nation," the Gentiles, nevertheless, retained the privilege of +beggars, so to speak. It was in this manner that the Gentiles, through +divine mercy, obtained the same blessing the Jews possessed on the +ground of the divine faithfulness and promise.</p> + +<p>183. In like manner, all rule in the Church was absolutely denied also +to the Moabites and Amorites; and yet many private individuals among +them embraced the religion of the Jews. Thus, every right in the +Church was taken away from Cain and his posterity absolutely, yet +permission was left them to beg, as it were, for grace. That was not +taken from them. Cain, because of his sin, was cast out from the right +of sitting at the family table of Adam. But the right was left him to +gather up, doglike, the crumbs that fell from his father's table, Mt +15, 26-27. This is signified by the Hebrew expression <i>min haadama</i>, +"From the ground."</p> + +<p>184. I make these observations because there is a great probability +that many of the posterity of Cain joined themselves to the holy +patriarchs. But their privileges were not those of an obligatory +service toward them on the part of the Church, but mere toleration of +them as individuals who had lost the promise that the blessed seed was +to spring from their flesh and blood. To forfeit the promise was no +trifle; still, even that curse was so mitigated as to secure for them +the privilege of beggars, so that heaven was not absolutely denied +them, provided they allied themselves with the true Church.</p> +<a name="p4185"></a> +<p>185. But this is what Cain, no doubt, strove to hinder in various +ways. He set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies, +that thereby he might also appear to be the Church. Those, however, +who departed from him and joined the true Church, were saved, although +they were compelled to surrender the distinction that Christ was to be +born from their flesh and blood. But let us now return to the text.</p> +<a name="p4186"></a> +<p>186. Moses here uses a very striking personification. He represents +the earth as a dreaded beast when he speaks of her as having opened +her mouth and swallowed the innocent blood of Abel. But why does he +treat the earth so ruthlessly since all this was done without her +will? Yes, being a creature of God which is good, did not all +transpire in opposition to her will and in spite of her struggle +against it, according to Paul's teaching: "The earth was made subject +to vanity, not willingly," Rom 8, 20. My reply is: The object was to +impress Adam and all his posterity, so that they might live in the +fear of God and beware of murder. The words of Adam have this import +"Behold the earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed the blood of thy +brother; but she ought to have swallowed thee, the murderer. The earth +is indeed a good creature, and is good to the good and godly; but to +the wicked she is full of pitfalls." It is for the purpose of +inspiring murderers with fear and dread that these terrifying words +were spoken. Nor is there any doubt that Cain, after hearing the words +from an angry father, was overwhelmed with terror and confusion, not +knowing whither to turn. The expression, "which hath opened its mouth +to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand," is, indeed, terrifying, +but it portrays the turpitude of the fratricidal deed better than any +picture.</p> +<a name="p4187"></a> +<p>V. 12a. <i>When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield +unto thee its strength.</i></p> + +<p>187. The Lord said above to Adam, "Thorns also and thistles shall it +bring forth to thee." But the words spoken to Cain are different. As +if he had said, "Thou hast watered and fertilized the earth, not with +healthful and quickening rain, but with thy brother's blood. Therefore +the earth shall be to thee less productive than to others. For the +blood thou hast shed shall hinder the strength and the fruitfulness of +the earth." This material curse is the second part of the punishment. +The earth, although alike cultivated by Adam and Cain, should be more +fruitful to Adam than to Cain and yield its return to the former for +his labors. But to the labors of Cain it should not yield such +returns, though by nature desirous to give in proportion to its +fruitfulness and strength, because it was hindered by the blood +spilled by Cain.</p> +<a name="p4188"></a> +<p>188. Here we must offer a remark of a grammatical nature. In the +present passage Moses terms the earth <i>haadama</i>. In the passage +following, "A fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth" he +uses the term <i>arez</i>. Now <i>adama</i> signifies, according to grammatical +interpreters, that part of the earth which is cultivated, where trees +grow and other fruits of the earth adapted for food. But <i>arez</i> +signifies the whole earth, whether cultivated or uncultivated. This +curse, therefore, properly has reference to the part of the earth +cultivated for food. And the curse implies that where one ear of wheat +brings forth three hundred grains for Adam, it should bring forth +scarcely ten grains for Cain the murderer; and this for the purpose +that Cain might behold on every side God's hatred and punishment of +the shedding of blood.</p> +<a name="p4189"></a> +<p>V. 12b. <i>A fugitive and a wanderer (vagabond) shalt thou be in the +earth.</i></p> + +<p>189. This is a third punishment resting on murderers to our day. For, +unless they find reconciliation, they have nowhere a fixed abode or a +secure dwelling-place.</p> + +<p>We find here, in the original, two words, <i>No Vanod</i>, signifying +vagabond and fugitive. The distinction I make between them is, that +<i>No</i> designates the uncertainty of one's dwelling-place. An +illustration is furnished by the Jews, who have no established +habitation, but fear every hour lest they be compelled to wander +forth. <i>Nod</i>, on the other hand, signifies the uncertainty of finding +the dwelling-place sought; 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 abandoned. Thus, the +punishment contains two features, the insecurity of the present +dwelling-place and a lack of knowledge whither to turn when thrust +forth from the insecure abode of the present. In this sense the term +is used in Psalm 109, 10: "Let his children be continually +<i>vagabonds</i>." That means, Nowhere shall they find a certain abode; if +they are in Greece this year, they shall migrate to Italy the next, +and so from place to place.</p> + +<p>190. Just such is evidently the miserable state of the Jews at the +present day. They can fix their dwelling-place nowhere permanently. +And to such evil God adds this other in the case of Cain, that when he +should be driven from one place of abode he should not know where to +turn, and thus should live suspended, as it were, between heaven and +earth, not knowing where to abide nor where to look for a permanent +place of refuge.</p> +<a name="p4191"></a> +<p>191. In this manner the sin of Cain was visited with a threefold +punishment. In the first place he was deprived of all spiritual or +churchly glory; for the promise that the blessed seed was to be born +from his posterity, was taken from him. In the second place, the earth +was cursed, which is a punishment affecting his home life. The third +punishment affects his relations to the community, in that he must be +a vagabond without a fixed abode anywhere.</p> + +<p>192. Notwithstanding, an open door of return into the Church is left, +but without a covenant. For, as has been explained, in the event that +any one of Cain's posterity should ally himself with the true Church +and the holy fathers, he was saved. Thus the Home is left, but without +a blessing; and the State is left so that he may found a city and +dwell there, but for how long, is uncertain. Without exaggeration, +therefore, he may be likened to a beggar in Church, Home and State.</p> + +<p>193. This punishment is mitigated by the prohibition to slay him +forthwith after the commission of the murderous deed, a law providing +for the punishment of murderers which was reserved for a later day. +Cain was saved that he might be an example for others, to teach them +to fear God and to beware of murder. So much about the sin, +arraignment, and punishment of Cain.</p> +<a name="p4194"></a> +<p>194. But there are some who reply that, the godly, likewise sometimes +endure these same curses, while the wicked, on the contrary, are free +from them. Thus, Paul says that he also "wandered about and had no +certain dwelling-place," 1 Cor 4, 11. Such is even our condition +to-day, who are teachers in the churches. We have no certain +dwelling-place; either we are driven into banishment or we expect +banishment any hour. Such was the lot also of Christ, the apostles, +the prophets, and the patriarchs.</p> + +<p>195. Concerning Jacob the Scriptures say "The elder shall serve the +younger," Gen 25, 23. But does not Jacob become a servant when we see +him, from fear of his brother, haste away into exile? Does he not, on +his return home, supplicate his brother and fall on his knees before +him? Is not Isaac also seen to be a most miserable beggar? Gen 6, +1-35. Abraham, his father, goes into exile among the Gentiles and +possesses not in all the world a place to set his foot, as Stephen +says, Acts 7, 1-5. On the other hand, Ishmael was a king, and had the +princes of the land of Midian as his offspring before Israel entered +into the land of promise, Gen 25, 16. Thus, as we shall see a little +later, Cain first built the city of Enoch, and, furthermore, became +the ancestor of shepherds, workers in metals, and musicians. All this +appears to prove that it is a mistake to attribute to Cain and his +posterity a curse. The curse seems to rest with weight upon the true +Church, while the wicked appear to thrive and flourish.</p> +<a name="p4196"></a> +<p>196. These things are often a stumbling-block, not to the world only, +but even to the saints, as the Psalms in many places testify. And the +prophets, also, are frequently found to grow indignant, as does +Jeremiah, when they see the wicked possess freedom as it were from the +evils of life, while they are oppressed and afflicted in various ways. +Men may therefore inquire, Where is the curse of the wicked? Where is +the blessing of the godly? Is not the converse the truth? Cain is a +vagabond and settled nowhere; and yet Cain is the first man that +builds a city and has a certain place to dwell in. But we will answer +this argument more fully hereafter. We will now proceed with the text +of Moses.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents3"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">VI.</td> + <td colspan="4">CAIN'S CONDUCT WHEN PUNISHED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">How he despaired. "My punishment is greater" etc.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">These words have greatly perplexed interpreters <a href="#p4197">197</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The way Augustine explains them <a href="#p4197">197</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">The explanation of the rabbins <a href="#p4198">198</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How the rabbins pervert the Scriptures and whence their + false comments <a href="#p4198">198-199</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the rabbins' interpretation cannot be accepted <a href="#p4200">200</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">The true understanding of these words <a href="#p4201">201</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The punishment troubles Cain more than his sin <a href="#p4201">201</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">What makes these words difficult <a href="#p4202">202</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The right understanding of the words "Minso" and "Avon" + <a href="#p4202">202-203</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Grammarians cannot get at the right meaning of the Scriptures <a href="#p4204">204</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How we should proceed in interpreting Scripture <a href="#p4204">204</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Cain viewed his political punishment <a href="#p4205">205</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">How he viewed his ecclesiastical punishment <a href="#p4206">206</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Cain was excommunicated by Adam <a href="#p4206">206-207</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">In what sense Cain was a fugitive and a wanderer <a href="#p4208">208-209</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Adam received his punishment in a better way <a href="#p4210">210</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The meaning of being a fugitive and a wanderer. How the same + is found among the papists <a href="#p4211">211-212</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The grace of God was guaranteed to Seth and his posterity <a href="#p4212">212</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why no temptation can harm believers <a href="#p4212">212</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Cain's fear that in turn he would be slain <a href="#p4213">213</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">God shows Cain a double favor in his punishment. Why he does + this <a href="#p4213">213</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether any of Cain's posterity, under the Old Testament, + were saved <a href="#p4214">214-215</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether Cain prayed that he might die, as Augustine, Lyra and + others relate <a href="#p4216">216-217</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The fables of the rabbins cause Luther double work and why he + occasionally cites them <a href="#p4218">218</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether God changed his judgment upon Cain <a href="#p4219">219</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why God still showed Cain incidental grace <a href="#p4219">219</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The fables of the Jews concerning Cain's death and Lamech's + punishment <a href="#p4220">220-221</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">It is foolish to dispute concerning the sevenfold vengeance + to be visited upon the one who slew Cain <a href="#p4222">222</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The divine promises.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">They are twofold, of the law and of grace <a href="#p4223">223</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The promise Adam received <a href="#p4224">224</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether God gave Cain one of these promises <a href="#p4224">224-225</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">The kind of promises well organized police stations have <a href="#p4226">226</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">The promises the Church has <a href="#p4227">227</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain's promise is temporal, incidental and incomplete <a href="#p4227">227</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Was Cain murdered <a href="#p4228">228</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Cain had cause to fear, even though there were no people + on the earth except Adam and Eve and his sisters <a href="#p4229">229-230</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The sign that is put upon Cain.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Can anything definite be said of it. What the fathers + thought of it <a href="#p4231">231</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why this sign was placed upon him <a href="#p4232">232</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">How he had to carry it his whole life <a href="#p4232">232</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the sign was a confirmation and a promise of the law <a href="#p4233">233</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">Of Cain's departure, and his excommunication from the + presence of Jehovah.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">The first parents in obedience to God made Cain an outcast + <a href="#p4234">234-235</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the first parents overcame their parental affections + in expelling Cain <a href="#p4236">236</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What should urge men to flee from their false security <a href="#p4237">237</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">His expulsion must have pierced Cain to the heart <a href="#p4238">238</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What is the presence of Jehovah <a href="#p4238">238</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">How he went from the presence of Jehovah, to be without + that presence <a href="#p4239">239</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">It was a sad departure, both for Cain and his parents <a href="#p4240">240</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whither he resorted <a href="#p4241">241</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What meaning of "in the land of Nod" <a href="#p4241">241</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Of Paradise.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>The deluge very likely destroyed paradise <a href="#p4241">241</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>Where was paradise <a href="#p4242">242</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Of the Deluge.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>The deluge destroyed paradise <a href="#p4243">243</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Cain lived where Babylon was built later <a href="#p4244">244</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>The deluge gave the earth an entirely different form <a href="#p4244">244</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p4197"></a> +<br> +<h4>VI. CAIN'S CONDUCT UPON BEING PUNISHED.</h4> + +<p>V. 13. <i>And Cain said unto Jehovah, My punishment (iniquity) is +greater than I can bear (than can be remitted).</i></p> + +<p>197. Here Moses seems to have fixed a cross for the grammarians and +the rabbins; for they crucify this passage in various ways. Lyra +recites the opinions of some who see in this passage an affirmation, +considering it to mean that in his despair Cain claimed his sin to be +greater than could be pardoned. This is our rendering. Augustine +likewise retained this view of the passage, for he says, "Thou liest, +Cain; for the mercy of God is greater than the misery of all the +sinners."</p> +<a name="p4198"></a> +<p>198. The rabbins, however, expound the passage as a denial in the form +of a question, as if he had said, "Is my iniquity greater than can be +remitted?" But if this rendering be the true one, Cain not only does +not acknowledge his sin, but excuses it and, in addition, insults God +for laying upon him a punishment greater than he deserves. In this way +the rabbins almost everywhere corrupt the sense of the Scriptures. +Consequently I begin to hate them, and I admonish all who read them, +to do so with careful discrimination. Although they did possess the +knowledge of some things by tradition from the fathers, they corrupted +them in various ways; and therefore they often deceived by those +corruptions even Jerome himself. Nor did the poets of old so fill the +world with their fables as the wicked Jews did the Scriptures with +their absurd opinions. A great task, therefore, is incumbent upon us +in endeavoring to keep the text free from their comments.</p> + +<p>199. The occasion for all this error is the fact that some men are +competent to deal only with grammatical questions, but not with the +subject matter itself; that is, they are not theologians at the same +time. The inevitable result is mistakes and the crucifixion of +themselves as well as of the Scriptures. For how can any one explain +what he does not understand? Now the subject matter in the present +passage is that Cain is accused in his own conscience. And no one, not +only no wicked man, but not even the devil himself, can endure this +judgment; as James witnesses, "The devils also believe and tremble +before God," Jas 2, 19. Peter also says, "Whereas angels which are +greater in power and might cannot endure that judgment which the Lord +will exercise upon blasphemers," 2 Pet 2, 11. So also Manasseh in his +prayer, verses 4 and 5, confesses that all men tremble before the face +of the Lord's anger.</p> +<a name="p4200"></a> +<p>200. All this is sufficient evidence that Cain, when arraigned by God, +did not have courage to withstand and to argue with him. For God is an +almighty adversary; the first assault he makes is upon the heart +itself when he takes the conscience into his grasp. Of this the +rabbins know nothing, nor can they understand it; in consequence they +speak of this arraignment as if it took place before men, where the +truth is either denied or facts are smoothed over. This is impossible +when God arraigns men; as Christ says in Matthew 12, 37, "By thy words +thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."</p> +<a name="p4201"></a> +<p>201. Cain thus acknowledges his sin, although it is not so much the +sin he grieves over as the penalty inflicted. The statement, then, is +to be understood in the affirmative, and it reveals the horrors of +despair.</p> + +<p>A further proof of Cain's despair is, that he does not utter one word +of reverence. He never mentions the name of God or of his father. His +conscience is so confused and so overwhelmed with terror and despair +that he is not able to think of any hope of pardon. The Epistle to the +Hebrews gives the same description of Esau when it states that he "for +one mess of meat, sold his own birthright. For ye know that even when +he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he +found no place for change of mind, though he sought it diligently with +tears," Heb 12, 16-17. Thus in the present instance, Cain feels his +punishment, but he grieves more for his punishment than for his sin. +And all persons, when in despair, do the same.</p> +<a name="p4202"></a> +<p>202. The two original words of this passage, <i>minneso</i> and <i>avon</i>, are +a pair of crosses for grammarians. Jerome translates this clause, "My +iniquity is greater than can be pardoned." Sanctes, the grammarian of +Pagnum, a man of no mean erudition and evidently a diligent scholar, +renders the passage, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." But +by such a rendering we shall make a martyr of Cain and a sinner of +Abel. Concerning the word <i>nasa</i>, I have before observed that when it +is applied to sin it signifies, to lift sin up, or off, or on high; +that is, to take it out of the way. Similarly the figure has found +currency among us: the remission of sins, or to remit sin. In the +Thirty-second Psalm, verse one, we find the expression, <i>Aschre Nesu +Pascha</i>. This, literally translated, would make: Being blessed through +the removal of crime, or sin. We make it: Blessed is he whose +transgression is forgiven, or taken away. The same is found in Isaiah +33, 24, The people that dwell therein shall be <i>Nesu Avon</i>, that +means, relieved from sin—shall be the people whose sin is forgiven.</p> + +<p>203. The other original term, <i>avoni</i>, grammarians derive from the +verb <i>anah</i>, which signifies "to be afflicted," as in Zechariah 9, 9: +"Behold thy king cometh unto thee lowly (or afflicted)." Our +translation renders it "meek." Likewise in Psalms 132, 1: "Jehovah, +remember for David all his affliction." From the same root is derived +the expression, "low estate," or "lowliness," used by the Virgin Mary +in her song, Lk 1, 48. This fact induces Sanctes to render it +"punishment."</p> + +<p>But here <i>avoni</i> signifies "iniquity" or "sin," as it does also in +many other passages of the Holy Scriptures, which appears more plainly +from the verb "remit," which stands connected with it.</p> +<a name="p4204"></a> +<p>204. Hence it is that grammarians, who are nothing but such and know +nothing of the divine things, find their crosses in all such passages, +and crucify, not only the Scriptures, but themselves and their hearers +as well. In the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, the sense is +first to be determined; and when that appears in all respects +consistent with itself, then the grammatical features are to receive +attention. The rabbins, however, take the opposite course, and hence +it grieves me that divines and the holy fathers so frequently follow +them.</p> +<a name="p4205"></a> +<p>V. 14. <i>Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the +ground; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive +and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever +findeth me will slay me.</i></p> + +<p>205. From these words it appears that the sentence on Cain was +pronounced through the mouth of Adam. Cain acknowledges that he is +driven first from Home and State, and then also from the Church. Of +the difference between the words <i>adamah</i> and <i>erez</i> we spoke above. +We showed that <i>erez</i> signifies the earth generally, while the word +<i>adamah</i> means the cultivated part of the earth. The meaning therefore +is: I am now compelled to flee from thy presence and from that part of +the earth which I have cultivated. The whole world indeed lies before +me, but I must be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth; that is, I +shall have no certain dwelling place. In the same way fugitive +murderers among us are punished with exile. These words, accordingly, +cast additional light upon the utterance of Adam, "Cursed art thou +from the ground." They refer to Cain's banishment. This part of Cain's +punishment therefore is a civil punishment, and by it he is shut out +from civic association.</p> +<a name="p4206"></a> +<p>206. But that which Cain next adds, "From thy face shall I be hid," is +an ecclesiastical punishment and true excommunication. For, as the +priesthood and the kingdom rested with Adam, and Cain on account of +his sin was excommunicated from Adam, he was thereby also deprived of +the glory both of priesthood and kingdom. But why Adam adopted this +punishment is explained by the words, "When thou tillest the ground, +it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength;" as if he had +said, Thou art cursed and thy labors are cursed also. Therefore if +thou shalt remain with us upon earth it cannot be but that both +thyself and we likewise must perish with hunger. For thou hast stained +the earth with thy brother's blood, and wherever thou art, thou must +bear about the blood of thy brother, and even the earth itself shall +exact her penalties.</p> + +<p>207. A similar sentence we find pronounced in 1 Kings 2, 29-33, where +Solomon gives commandment to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, saying, "Fall +upon Joab, that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed +without cause, from me and from my father's house. And Jehovah will +return his blood upon his own head. But unto David, and unto his seed, +and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever +from Jehovah." As much as to say, If Joab suffer not this punishment +of his unjust murder, the whole kingdom must suffer that punishment +and be shaken by wars. The meaning of Adam then, in this passage is, +If thou shalt remain on the earth with us, God will bring punishment +upon us for thy sake, in that the earth shall not yield us her fruit.</p> +<a name="p4208"></a> +<p>208. But now let us reply to the question raised above. It was said to +Cain, "A fugitive and wanderer shalt thou be in the earth." And yet, +Cain was the first man who builds a city, and his posterity so +increased from that time that they debauched and oppressed the Church +of God, and so utterly overthrew it as not to leave more than eight +persons of the posterity of Seth. All of the remainder of mankind, +which perished in the flood, had followed Cain, as the text plainly +declares when it affirms that the sons of God, when they came unto the +daughters of men, begat giants and mighty men, which were of old, men +of renown, Gen 6, 4. Therefore, since Cain had so great a posterity, +and he built the first city, how can it be true, men ask, that he was +a fugitive and wanderer upon earth?</p> + +<p>209. We will reply in accordance with what is written. The +illustrations from the New Testament above mentioned, Paul, the +apostles, Christ, and the prophets, assuredly belong to quite a +different category. When Adam here says to Cain, "A fugitive and a +wanderer shalt thou be in the earth," he speaks these words to him to +send him away, without further precept. He does not say to him, "Go to +the east;" he does not say, "Go to the south;" he does not mention any +place to which he should go. He gives him no command what to do; but +simply casts him out. Whither he goes and what he does, is no concern +of his. He adds no promise of protection, he does not say: God shall +take care of thee; God shall protect thee. On the contrary; as the +whole sky is free to the bird, which is at liberty to fly whither it +pleases, but is without a place where it may be secure from the +attacks of other birds, so Adam turns Cain away. The latter feels +this. Hence his rejoinder: "It shall come to pass that every one that +findeth me, shall slay me."</p> +<a name="p4210"></a> +<p>210. The condition of Adam was different and better. Adam had sinned, +and by his sin he had sunk into death. But when he was driven out of +paradise, God assigned him a particular task—that he should till the +earth in a particular place. God also clothed him with a covering of +skins. This, as we said, was a sign that God would take care of him +and protect him. And, last but not least, a glorious promise was made +to the woman concerning the seed which should bruise the serpent's +head. Nothing like this was left to Cain. He was sent away absolutely +without assignment of any particular place or task. No command was +given him nor was any promise made him. He was like a bird aimlessly +roving beneath the wide heavens. This is what it means to be a +vagabond and wanderer.</p> +<a name="p4211"></a> +<p>211. Unsettled and aimless, likewise, are all who lack God's Word and +command, wherein person and place receive adequate direction. Such +were we under the papacy. Worship, works, exercises—all these were +present; but all these existed and found acceptance without a divine +command. A trying condition was that and Cainlike—to be deprived of +the Word; not to know what to believe, what to hope, what to suffer, +but to undertake and to perform everything at haphazard. What monk is +there who could affirm that he did anything right? Everything was +man's tradition and man's teaching, without the Word. Amid these we +wandered, being driven to and fro, and like Cain, uncertain what +verdict God would pass, whether we should merit love or hate. Such +was, in those days, our instruction.</p> + +<p>Unsettled and aimless like this was Cain's whole posterity. They had +neither promise nor command from God, and lacked all definite guidance +for life and for death. Hence, if any of them came to the knowledge of +Christ, and allied themselves with the true Church, it was not by +reason of a promise but through sheer compassion.</p> +<a name="p4212"></a> +<p>212. Seth, however, who was born subsequently, had, together with his +posterity, a definite promise, a definite abode and a definite mode of +worship; on the other hand, Cain was aimless. He founded a city, it is +true, but he did not know how long he should dwell in it, not having a +divine promise. Whatever we possess without a promise is of uncertain +duration; at any amount Satan may disturb it or take it. However, when +we go into the fray equipped with God's command and promise, the devil +fights in vain; God's command insures strength and safety. Therefore, +although Cain was lord of the whole world and possessed all the +treasures of the world, still, lacking the promise of God's help and +the protection of his angels, and having nothing to lean upon but +man's counsels, he was in every respect aimless and unsettled. This he +himself admits when he further says:</p> +<a name="p4213"></a> +<p>V. 14b. <i>And it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me +shall slay me.</i></p> + +<p>213. This result was quite to be expected. Having neither God nor his +father to look to for succor, having forfeited his rights both as +priest and as ruler, he saw the possibility before him that any one +found him, might slay him, for he was outlawed, body and soul. +Notwithstanding, God conferred upon the nefarious murderer a twofold +blessing. He had forfeited Church and dominion, but life and progeny +were left. God promised him to protect his existence, and also gave +him a wife. Two blessings these by no means to be despised; and when +he heard the first part of his sentence pronounced by his father, they +were more than he had a right even to hope for. They were valuable for +the additional reason that opportunity and time for repentance were +granted, though, in the absence of a clear promise, there was neither +covenant nor commission. In the same manner, we found our way under +the papacy to uncovenanted mercy (<i>fortuita gratia</i>), if I may use +this expression, for no promise was previously given that the truth +was to be revealed in our lifetime, and the Antichrist to become +manifest. The reason to which these blessings are attributable, is +consideration for the elect. It is quite credible that many of Cain's +offspring were saved, namely, those who joined the true Church. +Likewise, at a later day, provision was made among the Jews for +proselytes and Gentiles.</p> +<a name="p4214"></a> +<p>214. While a stern law existed according to which the Moabites and +Ammonites were not admitted to the religious services, Ammonites and +Moabites were saved, such as came to the kings of Judah to serve under +them. Also Ruth, the mother and ancestress of our Saviour, was a +Moabite. This is what I call uncovenanted mercy, no previous promise +having rendered it certain.</p> + +<p>215. Also Naaman, and the king of Nineveh, and Nebuchadnezzar, and +Evilmerodach, and others from among the Gentiles, were saved by such +uncovenanted mercy; for, unlike the Jews, they had no promise of +Christ. In the same way, bodily safety is vouchsafed to Cain, and a +wife with offspring, for the sake of the elect to be saved by +uncovenanted mercy. For, although what we said of the Moabites is true +of all his posterity, that it was to live under a curse, it is true, +notwithstanding, that some of the patriarchs took their wives from the +same.</p> +<a name="p4216"></a> +<p>V. 15a. <i>And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, +vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.</i></p> + +<p>216. Jerome, in his Epistle to Damascus, contends that Cain had begged +of the Lord that he might be slain, an opinion into which he rushes +full sail, as it were, entertaining no doubt whatever concerning its +truth. Lyra follows Jerome, and resolutely affirms that the context +requires this interpretation. But this error of theirs should be laid +at the door of the rabbins from whom they received it. The true sense +of the passage is rather that everyone was prohibited from killing +Cain. Judgment is pronounced here by God, and when he spares Cain's +life and in addition permits him afterward to marry, it is done to +stay its execution.</p> + +<p>217. Moreover, how is it likely that an ungodly person asks death at +the very time when God exercises judgment? Death is the very +punishment of sin; therefore he flees and dreads death as the greatest +part of his penalty. Away, therefore, with such vagaries of the +rabbins! With these also Lyra's suggestion may safely be classed that +the text ought to be divided and made to mean, Whoever shall kill +Cain, shall surely meet with severe punishment. And when it is further +stated, He shall be punished sevenfold, they would explain it as +meaning that in the seventh degree—in the seventh generation—the +punishment is to be inflicted.</p> +<a name="p4218"></a> +<p>218. Such vagaries are worthy of the rabbins after having cast away +the light of the New Testament. However, they impose a double labor +upon us, inasmuch as we are compelled to defend the text and to clear +it of such corruptions, and to correct their absurd comments. If I +quote them occasionally, it is to avoid the suspicion of proudly +despising them, or of failing to read, and to give sufficient +consideration to, their writings. While we read them intelligently, we +do so with critical discrimination, and we do not permit them to +obscure Christ, and to corrupt the Word of God.</p> +<a name="p4219"></a> +<p>219. The Lord, accordingly, does not in this passage at all alter the +sentence upon Cain whereby he had been doomed to a curse on earth, 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 dregs. +That is the reason he said Cain should not be killed, as he feared.</p> + +<p>There is, then, no necessity for doing violence to this text as Rabbi +Solomon does, who, after the words "whosoever slayeth Cain," puts a +stop; making it to be a hiatus or (ellipsis), as we find in that noted +line in Virgil (Aeneas, 135)—</p> + +<center><i>Quos ego—sed motos praestat componere fluctus.</i><br> + Whom I—but now, be calm, ye boist'rous waves.</center> + +<p>And then the expression, "shall be punished sevenfold," the rabbi +refers to Cain himself, who was punished in his seventh generation. +For Cain begat Enoch, and Enoch begat Irad, and Irad begat Mehujael, +and Mehujael begat Methusael, and Methusael begat Lamech.</p> +<a name="p4220"></a> +<p>220. And the Jews' absurd comment upon that passage (verse 23, below), +is that Lamech, when he was old, and his eyes dim, was taken by his +son Tubal-Cain into a wood to hunt wild beasts, and that, when there +shooting at a wild beast, Lamech accidently shot Cain, who in his +wanderings had concealed himself in the wood. Such interpretations are +only fables, unworthy a place or notice in our schools. Moreover, they +militate against the very truth of the text. For if Cain was really +designed of God to be killed in the seventh generation, and if that +time was thus fixed for his death, he was not "a fugitive and a +vagabond upon earth."</p> + +<p>221. We condemn, therefore, this interpretation of Rabbi Solomon, on +the ground of critical discrimination, because it militates directly +against that sentence which God had before pronounced; and God is not +man, that he should change his mind, 1 Kings 15, 29-30. This rule +should be strictly observed in all interpretation of the Holy +Scripture, that the rendering of one passage must not subsequently +conflict with that of another. And when the rabbins, moreover, say +that the deluge was the particular punishment of Lamech's sin in thus +killing Cain, Lyra refutes them. He very truly affirms that the deluge +was the common punishment of the whole world of wicked men. We leave, +therefore, all these Jewish absurdities and hold fast the true meaning +of the text before us, that, when Cain feared lest he should be slain +by any one who should find him, the Lord prevented him from being thus +slain, and denounced on such murderer a punishment sevenfold greater +than that of Cain.</p> +<a name="p4222"></a> +<p>222. And, though Lyra argues and inquires how it could be that he who +should slay Cain could deserve a sevenfold greater vengeance than Cain +deserved, who slew his own brother, of what profit is it to us to +inquire into the counsel of God in such matters as these, especially +when it is certain that God permitted his mercy to stray to Cain in +the form of promises and blessings under the Law, if I may so express +myself, thus securing his safety.</p> +<a name="p4223"></a> +<p>223. There are two kinds of promises, or a twofold promise, as we have +often explained. There are the legal promises, if I may so call them, +which depend, as it were, upon our own works, such as the following: +"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land," Is +1, 19. Again, I am God, showing mercy unto thousands of them that love +me and keep my commandments, Ex 20, 6. And also above, in this case of +Cain, "If thou doest well, shall not thy countenance be lifted up?" +Gen 4, 7. And these legal promises have for the most part their +corresponding threats attached to them.</p> + +<p>But the other kind of promises are promises of grace, and with them no +threats are joined. Such are the following: "Jehovah thy God will +raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, +like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken," Deut 18, 15. Again, "I will +put my law in their inward parts, in their heart will I write it; and +I will be their God, and they shall be my people," Jer 31, 33. And +again, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman," Gen 3, 15. Now, +these promises depend not in any way upon our works, but absolutely +and only upon the goodness and grace of God, because he was pleased to +make those promises and to do what he thus promised. Just in the same +way we have the promise of Baptism, of the Lord's Supper, and of the +Keys, etc., in which God sets before us his good will and his mercy +and his works.</p> +<a name="p4224"></a> +<p>224. Now, God gave no promise of the latter kind to Cain. He only said +to him, Whosoever shall slay thee shall be punished sevenfold. But +Adam had such a promise of grace made to him. And Cain, because he was +the first-born, ought to have received that promise as an inheritance +from his parents. That promise was the large and blessed promise of +eternal glory, because by it the seed was promised which should bruise +the serpent's head, and this without any work or merit of man. For +that promise had no condition attached to it, such as, If thou shalt +offer thy sacrifices, if thou shalt do good, etc.</p> + +<p>225. If, therefore, you compare this promise of grace with the words +God spake to Cain, the latter are as a mere crust held out to a +beggar. For even Cain's life is not promised him absolutely. Nothing +more is said than a threat pronounced against those who should slay +him. God does not say positively, No man shall slay thee. He does not +say, I will so overrule all others that no one shall slay thee. Had +the words been thus spoken, Cain might have returned into the presence +of God and of his parents. But a command only is given to men that +they slay not Cain. If, therefore, the words spoken to Cain be at all +considered as a promise, it is that kind of promise which, as we have +before said, depends on the works and will of man. And yet, even such +promise is by no means to be despised, for these legal promises often +embrace most important things.</p> +<a name="p4226"></a> +<p>226. Thus, Augustine observes that God gave to the Romans their empire +on account of their noble virtues. And in the same manner we find, +even to this day, that the blessings of those nations which keep from +murder, adultery, theft, etc., are greater than those of other nations +in which these evils prevail. And yet, even governments which, as far +as mere reason can succeed, are especially well established, possess +nothing beyond these temporal promises.</p> +<a name="p4227"></a> +<p>227. The Church, however, possesses the promises of grace, even the +eternal promises. And although Cain was left utterly destitute of +these promises, yet it was a great favor that the temporal mercies +were left him: that he was not immediately killed, that a wife was +given him, that children were born unto him, that he built a city, +that he cultivated the earth, that he fed his cattle and had +possessions, and that he was not utterly ejected from the society and +fellowship of men. For God could not only have deprived Cain of all +these blessings, but he could have added pestilence, epilepsy, +apoplexy, the stone, the gout, and any other disease. 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 +other.</p> + +<p>As God above deprives Cain of all the divine blessings, both +spiritual—or those pertaining to the Church—and civil, so here he +mitigates that sentence by commanding that no one shall slay Cain. But +God does not promise at the same time that all men shall surely obey +his command. Therefore Cain, even possessing this promise in reference +to his body, is still a fugitive and a wanderer. And it might be that +if he continued in his wickedness, he was liable to be slain at any +moment; whereas, if he did well, he might live a long time. But +nothing is promised him with certainty, for although these corporal or +legal promises are great and important, yet they are positively +uncertain and uncovenanted.</p> +<a name="p4228"></a> +<p>228. Whether, therefore, Cain was killed or not, I cannot with any +certainty say, for the Scriptures afford no plain information upon +that point. This one thing, however, evidently can be proved from the +present text, that Cain had no certain promise of the preservation of +his life; but God left him to a life of uncertainty, doubt and +restless wandering, and did no more than protect the life of Cain by a +command and a threat which might restrain the wicked from killing him, +on account of the certain awful punishment which would follow such +destruction of the murderer. But a promise that he should not be +murdered was withheld. We know, moreover, what is the nature of the +law, or a legal command, and that there are always very few who obey +it. Therefore, although it is not recorded at what time, in what +place, or by whom, Cain was slain, yet it is most probable that he was +killed. The Scriptures however make no mention of it, even as they are +quite silent also concerning the number of the years of Cain, and say +nothing about the day of his birth or the day of his death. He +perished, together with his whole generation; to use a popular +proverb, "without cross, candle, or God." A few only of his generation +are excepted, who were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of God.</p> +<a name="p4229"></a> +<p>229. The question is here usually asked, To what persons could the +words of Cain possibly apply, when he says, "Everyone that findeth me +shall slay me," when it is evident that besides Adam and Eve and their +few daughters, no human beings were in existence. I would at once +reply that they bear witness to the fact that we see the wicked "flee +when no man pursueth," as the Scriptures say; for they imagine to +themselves various perils where none really exist. Just so we see it +to be the case with murderers at the present day, who are filled with +fears where all is safe, who can remain quiet nowhere, and who imagine +death to be present everywhere.</p> + +<p>230. However, when it follows in the command of God, "Yea, verily, +whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished sevenfold," these words +cannot be referred exclusively to the fears of Cain, for Cain had +sisters, and perhaps he greatly dreaded that sister whom he had +married, lest she should take vengeance on him for the murder of her +brother. Moreover, Cain had perhaps a vague apprehension of a long +life, and he saw that many more sons might be born of Adam. He feared, +therefore, the whole posterity to Adam. And it greatly increased these +fears that God had left him nothing more than his stray mercy. I do +not think that Cain feared the beasts at all, or dreaded being slain +by them; for what had the sevenfold vengeance threatened upon +murderers to do with beasts?</p> +<a name="p4231"></a> +<p>V. 15b. <i>And Jehovah appointed a sign for (set a mark upon) Cain, lest +any finding him should smite him (slay him).</i></p> + +<p>231. What this mark was is not to be found in the Holy Scriptures. +Therefore commentators have entertained various opinions. Nearly all, +however, 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 +limbs. They suppose that, as a physical cause of his trembling, God +had changed, or disarranged, or mutilated some particular organ in his +body, but left the body whole as it was first created, merely adding a +visible outward mark, such as the trembling. This conjecture of the +fathers contains much probability, but it cannot be proved by any +testimony of the Scriptures. The mark might have been of another kind. +For instance, we observe in nearly all murderers an immediate change +in the eyes. The eyes wear an appearance of sullen ferocity, and lose +that softness and innocence peculiar to them by nature.</p> +<a name="p4232"></a> +<p>232. But whatever this mark was, it was certainly a most horrible +punishment; for Cain was compelled to bear it during his whole life as +God's penalty for the awful murder which he had committed. Rendered +conspicuous by this degrading mark, hateful and abominable in the eyes +of all, Cain was sent away—banished from his home by his parents. And +although the life he asked of God was granted him, yet it was a life +of ignominy, branded with an infamous mark of homicide; not only that +he himself might be perpetually reminded of the sin he had committed, +to his own confusion, but also that others might be deterred from the +crime of committing murder. Nor could this mark be effaced by +repentance. Cain was compelled to bear about this sign of the wrath of +God upon him as a punishment in addition to his banishment, the curse, +and all the other penalties.</p> +<a name="p4233"></a> +<p>233. It is worthy of observation that the original verb used above is +<i>harag</i>, which signifies "to kill." But the verb here found is +<i>nakah</i>, which means "to strike." God, therefore, here gives to Cain +security, not only from death, but also from the danger of death. This +security, however, as we have observed, is a legal security only; for +it merely commands that no one shall slay Cain, threatening a +sevenfold punishment upon the person who should do so. But God does +not promise that all men will obey his command. It was far better for +Cain, however, to have this legal promise made him, than to be without +any promise at all.</p> +<a name="p4234"></a> +<p>V. 16. <i>And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in +the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.</i></p> + +<p>234. This also is a very remarkable text, and it is a wonder that the +fancy of the rabbins did not run riot here as usual. 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 been. +His godly parents had already lost their son Abel; and now, at the +command of God, the other son departs from them into banishment, +loaded with the divine curses, on account of his sin—the very son +whom his parents had hoped to be the only heir of the promise, and +whom they therefore had devotedly loved from his cradle. Adam and Eve, +nevertheless, obey the command of God, and in conformity therewith +they cast out their son.</p> + +<p>235. Accordingly, this passage rightly praises obedience to God, or +the fear of God. Adam and Eve had, indeed, learned by their own +experience in paradise that it was no light sin to depart from the +command of God; therefore they thought: Behold, our sin in paradise +has been punished with death, and with an infinite number of other +calamities into which we have been thrown since we were driven out of +paradise. And now that our son has committed so atrocious a sin, it +behooves us not to resist the will of God and his righteous judgment, +however bitter we feel them to be.</p> +<a name="p4236"></a> +<p>236. The story of the woman of Tekoah is well known, whom Joab +instructed to intercede for the banished Absalom. She pleads as an +argument before the king, that as she had lost one son, it would be +wicked in the extreme to deprive her of the other also. Also Rebecca +said to Jacob, her younger son, after she had perceived the wrath of +Esau against his brother: "Why should I be bereaved of you both in one +day?" Gen 27, 45. Adam and Eve overcame this same pain in their +bosoms, and thus mortified their paternal and maternal affections. For +not only did they feel it to be their duty to obey the will of God, +but they had also learned wisdom from former obedience. They had been +driven out of paradise for their sin of disobedience. They feared, +therefore, that if they now retained their son with them, contrary to +the will of God, they should be cast out of the earth altogether.</p> +<a name="p4237"></a> +<p>237. This part of the history of Adam and Eve, therefore, is a +beautiful lesson in obedience to God, and a striking exhortation to +fear God. This is also Paul's principal object in his first Epistle to +the Corinthians, nearly all of which is written against the +self-confidence of the human heart. For, although God is merciful, yet +men are not therefore to sin; he is merciful to those only who fear +and obey him.</p> +<a name="p4238"></a> +<p>238. As it was bitter in the extreme for the parents to lose their +son, this departure from his home was, I have no doubt, most bitter +also to Cain himself. For he was compelled to leave, not only the +common home, his dear parents and their protection, but his hereditary +right of primogeniture, the prerogative of the kingdom and of the +priesthood, and the communion of the Church.</p> + +<p>Hence it is that we have the expression in the text, that Cain "went +out from the presence of Jehovah." We have above shown what the +Scriptures term "the face of Jehovah," namely, all those things and +means by which Jehovah makes himself known to us. Thus the face of +Jehovah, under the Old Testament, was the pillar of fire, the cloud, +the mercy-seat, etc. Under the New Testament, the face of Jehovah is +baptism, the Lord's Supper, the ministry of the Word, etc. For by +these things, as by visible signs, the Lord makes himself known to us, +and shows that he is with us, that he cares for us and favors us.</p> +<a name="p4239"></a> +<p>239. It was from this place, therefore, in which God declared that he +was always present, and in which Adam resided as high priest, and as +lord of the earth, that Cain "went out;" and he came into another +place, where there was no "face of God," where there was no visible +sign of his presence by which he could derive the consolation that God +was present with his favor. He had no sign whatever, save those signs +which are common to all creatures, even to the beasts, namely, the +uses of sun and moon, of day and night, of water, air, etc. But these +are not signs of that immutable grace of God contained in the promise +of the blessed seed. They are only the signs of God's temporal +blessings and of his good will to all his creatures.</p> +<a name="p4240"></a> +<p>240. Miserable, therefore, was that going out of Cain indeed. It was a +departure full of tears. He was compelled to leave forever his home +and his parents, who now gave to him, a solitary man and a "vagabond," +their daughter as his wife, to live with him as his companion; but +they knew not what would become either of their son or of their +daughter. In consequence of losing three children at one time their +grief is so much greater. No other explanation suggests itself for the +subsequent statement "Cain knew his wife."</p> +<a name="p4241"></a> +<p>241. Where, then, did Cain live with his wife? Moses answers, "in the +land of Nod," a name derived from its vagabond and unsettled +inhabitant. And where was this land situated? Beyond paradise, toward +the east, a place indeed most remarkable. Cain came into a certain +place toward the east, but when he came there, he was insecure and +unprotected, for it was the land of Nod, where he could not set foot +with certainty, because "the face of God" was not there. For this +"face" he had left with his parents, who lived where they had paradise +on their side, or toward the west. When Cain fled from his home he +went toward the east. So the posterity of Cain was separated from the +posterity of Adam, having paradise as a place of division between +them. The passage, moreover, proves that paradise remained undestroyed +after Adam was driven out of it. In all probability it was finally +destroyed by the deluge.</p> +<a name="p4242"></a> +<p>242. This text greatly favors the opinion of those who believe that +Adam was created in the region of Damascus, and that, after he was +driven out of paradise for his sin, he lived in Palestine; and hence +it was in the midst of the original paradise that Jerusalem, Bethlehem +and Jericho stood, in which places Jesus Christ and his servant John +chiefly dwelt. Although the present aspect of those places does not +altogether bear out that conclusion, the devastations of the mighty +deluge were such as to change fountains, rivers and mountains; and it +is quite possible that on the site which was afterward Calvary, the +place of Christ's sacrifice for the world's sin, there stood the tree +of the knowledge of good and evil, the same spot being marked by the +death and ruin wrought by Satan and by the life and salvation wrought +by Christ.</p> +<a name="p4243"></a> +<p>243. It is not without a particular purpose, therefore, that Daniel +uses the striking expression: "The end thereof (of the sanctuary, the +sacrifice and the oblation) shall be with a flood," Dan 9, 26. As if +he had said, The first paradise was laid waste and utterly destroyed +by the mighty deluge, and the other, future paradise, in which +redemption is to be wrought, shall be destroyed by the Romanists as by +a flood.</p> +<a name="p4244"></a> +<p>244. We may carry the analogy further by stating that as Babel was the +cause of the destruction of the Jewish people, so this disaster had +its beginning with Cain and his offspring, who settled in that part of +the earth where, at a later day, Babylon was founded. These are my +thoughts and views, derived partly from the fathers. Though they may +not be true, they are yet probable, and have nothing ungodly in them. +And there can be no doubt that Noah, after the flood, saw the face of +the whole earth altogether changed from what it was before that awful +visitation of the wrath of God. Mountains were torn asunder, fountains +were made to break forth and the courses of the rivers themselves were +wholly altered and diverted into other channels, by the mighty force +of the overwhelming waters.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents4"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">VII.</td> + <td colspan="4">GENERATIONS OF CAIN AND OF THE RIGHTEOUS.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="3">IN GENERAL.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Cain's generations were described before those of the + righteous <a href="#p4245">245</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the Holy Spirit is interested more in the generations of + the righteous than in those of Cain <a href="#p4246">246-247</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the Holy Spirit gives this description of both <a href="#p4248">248</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">The relation of the two to each other <a href="#p4248">248</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the generations of the righteous are attacked and + conquered by those of the godless <a href="#p4249">249</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Of Cain's marriage.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Who was his wife, and the question of his being married + before he committed the murder <a href="#p4250">250-251</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How to read the writings of the Jews <a href="#p4251">251</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>The question of his being married after the murder <a href="#p4252">252-254</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>That some of his posterity were saved <a href="#p4254">254</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p4245"></a> +<br> +<h4>VII. THE GENERATIONS OF CAIN AND THE GENERATIONS OF THE GODLY.</h4> + +<center>A. The Posterity of Cain in General.</center> + +<p>V. 17. <i>And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and +he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of +his son, Enoch.</i></p> + +<p>245. It is worthy of admiration that Moses describes the generation of +the sons of Cain before the generation of the sons of God. But all +this is done according to the fixed counsel of God. For the children +of this world have in this life and in this their generation the +advantage of the children of God (Lk 16, 8) with reference to the +first promise. The spiritual seed of the woman indeed possess the +spiritual blessing, but the seed of the serpent arrogate to themselves +the corporal, or temporal, blessing, and they bruise the heel of the +blessed seed. In this respect the temporal has precedence over the +spiritual.</p> +<a name="p4246"></a> +<p>246. But a great difference comes to the surface at a later day. +Although Moses records the history of the posterity of Cain before the +posterity of the righteous, yet we afterwards see that the latter are +more especially the care of the Holy Spirit. He does not confine +himself to a bare registration of their names, but he carefully +numbers their years, makes mention of their death, and not only +chronicles their own doings, as he chronicles in this passage those of +the sons of Cain, but also the transactions and the conversations +which Jehovah had with them, the promises he made, the help rendered +in danger, and the blessings vouchsafed.</p> + +<p>247. None of these things are recorded of the wicked posterity of +Cain. When Moses has said that Cain begat a son named Enoch, and that +he built a city to which he gave the name of his son, calling it +Enoch, the sacred historian immediately cuts off the memory of Cain +altogether and, as it were, buries him forever with these few short +words of record. He seems to entertain no further care or concern for +either his life or his death. He merely records temporal +blessings—that he begat a son and that he built a city. For as the +gift of reproduction was not taken away from the murderer Cain, +neither was the gift of dominion taken from him. But he lost all the +rich blessings of the earth because it had drunk the blood of his +brother, as we have shown above.</p> +<a name="p4248"></a> +<p>248. The Holy Spirit records these things in order that we may see +that there was, from the very beginning, two churches: one the church +of the sons of Satan and of the flesh, which often makes sudden and +great increase; and the other the church of the sons of God, which is +usually weak and makes slow progress. Although the Scriptures do not +relate how these two churches lived together in the beginning, yet, as +it was declared by God to Satan, "I will put enmity between thy seed +and her seed," it is certain that the church of Cain was ever hostile +to the Church of Adam. 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 God. For in the +great flood, only eight souls of them were saved; all the rest of the +human race perished in the waters on account of their sin.</p> +<a name="p4249"></a> +<p>249. And this is a calamity of the true Church, common to all ages: as +soon as she begins to increase, she is compelled to oppose with all +her might Satan and the ungodly. She is at length tired out by the +wickedness of her enemy, and is then either obliged to yield to her +enraged foe, overcome by the cross and its afflictions, or she sinks +under the seductions of pleasures and riches. So it was with the +posterity of Adam. Broken down, at length, under so long a war with +the sons of men, they yielded, being reduced at last to eight souls +only, who were saved. Ungodliness having so far prevailed, and the +godly losing ground, the Lord at length interposes and saves the few +righteous remaining; but all the rest, both the seduced and the +seducers, he punishes, including them in the same judgment. And we +hope and believe the Lord will do the same in the judgment at the last +day.</p> +<a name="p4250"></a> +<p>250. Many questions arise here. Some inquire respecting the +circumstances connected with the wife of Cain: at what time the murder +was committed; whether Cain murdered his brother before he was a +husband, or after he was married. And the Jews, moreover, say that Eve +brought forth twins at every birth, a male and a female; and they +assert that Cain married his sister Calmana, and Abel his sister +Debora. Whether these things be true or not I cannot affirm. I know +not. But they are not vital to the interests of the Church, and there +is nothing certain known concerning them. This one thing is certain, +that Cain had a sister for his wife. But whether or no he had her as +his wife when he committed the murder, cannot with certainty be +proven. However, the text before us greatly tends to the conclusion +that Cain was married when he committed the murder of his brother; 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 Cain. I, therefore, am +inclined to believe that both of the brothers were married.</p> +<a name="p4251"></a> +<p>251. This conclusion is favored also by the statement made above, that +Cain and Abel "in the process of time" brought their offerings. This +has been explained in the following manner: At the end of the year, +the two newly married husbands brought as offerings the new fruits +which God had given them in this first year of their marriage; Cain +brought the first fruits of the earth, and Abel the first fruits of +his flock. And the time was probably the autumn of the year, the time +when the fruits of the earth are gathered, the same season in which +the Jews afterwards held the feast of expiation. Moses, in his +Levitical law, seems carefully to have noted and collected the +ancestral patterns, and to have reduced them to a code. When, +therefore, the new husbands came to render their thanks to God for his +blessings and to offer their gifts, and Abel's offering was accepted +of God and not the offering of Cain, Cain's heart was immediately +filled by Satan with hatred of his brother; and upon this hatred +afterwards followed the horrible murder. This is the opinion of the +Jews, which I thus relate because it does not appear to be at all far +from the truth. But, as I have often said, the interpretations of the +Jews are to be read with critical discrimination, so that in their +teachings, we may retain the things consistent with the truth, but +condemn and refute all fictions of their own making.</p> +<a name="p4252"></a> +<p>252. If Cain was not married when he slew his brother, it is still +more wonderful that after such a wicked deed he obtained a wife at +all; and certainly that damsel was worthy the highest praise who +married such a man. For how could the maiden rejoice in a marriage +with her brother who was a murderer, accursed and excommunicated? She, +on her part, no doubt supplicated her father, and expostulated with +him and asked how he could give her, an innocent one, in marriage to a +man thus accursed, and force her into banishment with him. Nay, the +very example of her brother's murder must have naturally filled her +with terror, lest the crime which her husband committed on his brother +he might also dare to commit on her, his sister and his wife.</p> + +<p>253. In bringing about this marriage, Adam obviously had to exercise +marvelous eloquence. It was for him to convince his daughter that the +father's command was not to be disobeyed, and that while Cain, +curse-ridden, would have to bear the penalty of his sin, God would +still preserve and bless her, the innocent one.</p> + +<p>Nor do I entertain the least doubt that God conferred many personal +blessings upon Cain, down the whole line of his posterity, for the +sake of his wife, who, from motives of faith toward God and of +obedience toward her parents, had married her murderous brother.</p> + +<p>As Christ was the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, +to establish the certainty of the promise made unto the Jewish +fathers; and as, in the absence of a promise, he was the minister of +the Gentiles, because of the mercy of God, (Rom 15, 8-9), so the like +uncovenanted mercy was shown also to the posterity of Cain. These two +opinions have been expressed concerning the marriage of Cain, but +which is the truth I know not. If Cain was married after he committed +the murder, his wife is most certainly worthy of all praise and of all +fame, who could thus yield to the authority of her parents, and suffer +herself to be joined in marriage with an accursed murderer.</p> +<a name="p4254"></a> +<p>254. To myself, the first opinion appears to be much nearer the truth, +that he murdered his brother after his marriage with his sister; +because we have so clear a testimony in the text concerning the +division of the inheritance. And in that case, the necessity lay on +the wife to follow her husband. As wife and husband are one body and +one flesh, Adam had no desire to separate them; moreover, the wife is +bound to bear her part of the calamities of her husband. Just in the +same manner as the posterity of Cain enjoyed a part of those blessings +which were bestowed of God upon the innocent wife, Pharaoh, king of +Egypt, was saved in the time of Joseph, and the King of Nineveh was +saved in the time of his calamity, although neither of them belonged +to the people of God. And so I also believe that some were saved out +of the posterity of Cain, although Cain himself had utterly lost the +promise concerning the blessed seed.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents5"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE POSTERITY OF CAIN IN DETAIL; THE GENERATIONS OF CAIN.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">The names were given to the descendants of Cain, not by + accident, but by special thought and with a definite meaning <a href="#p4255">255</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">Of Enoch.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">The meaning of his name <a href="#p4255">255-256</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Is the first in Cain's posterity and the beginning of the + temporal blessing <a href="#p4256">256</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Cain built a city <a href="#p4257">257-258</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">Irad and the meaning of his name. It was not given without a + purpose <a href="#p4259">259</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">Mehujael and the meaning of his name <a href="#p4260">260</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The means the false church uses to suppress the true Church + <a href="#p4260">260</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Methushael and the meaning of his name <a href="#p4261">261</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">Lamech.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">What his name signifies <a href="#p4262">262</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain's descendants persecute the true Church. Yet some of + Cain's posterity were saved <a href="#p4263">263</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The reason he took two wives <a href="#p4264">264</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Who were his wives <a href="#p4265">265</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">His sons, Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-cain, and his daughter + Naamah <a href="#p4266">266-268</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Moses mentions the various arts of Cain's descendants <a href="#p4269">269</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether poverty drove Cain's descendants to the arts <a href="#p4269">269-270</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">As the false church was before the flood so is she still, + and will remain so to the end of the world <a href="#p4271">271</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How the Cainites increased and oppressed the true Church <a href="#p4272">272</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the Scriptures do not mention that some of the + Cainites were saved <a href="#p4272">272</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">Of his haughty speech, "I have slain a man etc."</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>This is difficult to understand, and has been poorly treated by interpreters <a href="#p4273">273</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>The fable explanation of these words by the Jews refuted <a href="#p4274">274-275</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>How others explained them <a href="#p4275">275</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(4)</td> + <td>Luther's understanding of them <a href="#p4276">276-277</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether Lamech slew Cain, and thereby made himself famous <a href="#p4278">278</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">g.</td> + <td colspan="2">How he attempted to be ruler upon Adam's death <a href="#p4279">279</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How the Church is oppressed from both sides <a href="#p4279">279</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Moses mentions the blood descendants of Cain with such + care <a href="#p4280">280</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">h.</td> + <td colspan="2">Cain is not sorry for his deed, but even boasts of it <a href="#p4281">281</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The nature of the Cain church <a href="#p4281">281</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">i.</td> + <td colspan="2">How he seeks to avoid being slain by others <a href="#p4282">282</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The pope has the conscience of Cain and Lamech <a href="#p4282">282</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">j.</td> + <td colspan="2">He is a type of all the children of this world <a href="#p4283">283</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How the devil drives the Cainites to rage against the + Church under the guise of being holy <a href="#p4284">284</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The true Church from the very beginning had to shed her + blood <a href="#p4285">285</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The tyranny of Popes Julius II and Clement VII <a href="#p4285">285</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God at all times severely punished the persecutors of his + Church <a href="#p4286">286</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">k.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Lamech still wished to defend his deed <a href="#p4287">287</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">l.</td> + <td colspan="2">He had no Word of God, but was filled with pride <a href="#p4288">288</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p4255"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. THE POSTERITY OF CAIN IN DETAIL.</h4> + +<p>255. As regards the names of Cain's offspring, I believe that, in +common with those of the holy patriarchs, they indicate not an absence +of purpose or a random selection, but a definite purpose and a +prophecy. Thus "Adam" signifies a man of, or taken out of, the red +earth. "Eve" signifies the mother of life, or of the living. "Cain" +signifies possession. "Abel" signifies vanity. And we find that also +among the Gentiles many names have such a significance; not seldom +names are found which are truly prophetic. "Enoch" is a prophetic +name, expressive of hope in the future as a relief to Cain's mind, or +rather to his wife's, for it was the latter who called the son she +bore Enoch, from the Hebrew <i>Hanach</i>, which signifies, "she +dedicated," or "she devoted."</p> +<a name="p4256"></a> +<p>256. This is a word frequently used by Moses. As when he says, "What +man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? +let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and +another man dedicate it," Deut 20, 5. The verb in this passage, which +signifies originally to dedicate, here signifies to possess, or to +enjoy; and when this possession or enjoyment begins, it is attended +with happy signs and auspicious invocations. So when the wife of Cain +brought forth her first son, she said to her husband, Enoch; that is, +"Dedicate him, devote him:" for the verb is in the imperative mood. As +if Cain had said himself, May this our beginning be happy and +prosperous. My father Adam cursed me on account of my sin. I am cast +out of his sight. I live alone in the world. The earth does not yield +me her strength; she would be more fruitful to me, had I not thus +sinned. And yet God now shows me uncovenanted mercy in giving me this +son. It is a good and happy beginning.</p> + +<p>As in the generation of Cain the corporal blessings begin with Enoch, +so it is another Enoch in the generation of the righteous under whom +religion and spiritual blessings begin to flourish.</p> +<a name="p4257"></a> +<p>257. That which is added by Moses concerning the city Cain thus built +belongs to history. But I have before observed that Cain, when +separated from the true church and driven into banishment, hated the +true church. When, therefore, Cain thus first built a city, that very +act tended to show that he not only disregarded and hated the true +Church, but wished also to oppose and oppress it. For he reflects +thus: Behold I am cast out by my father and I am cursed by him, but my +marriage is not a barren one; therefore I have in this the hope of a +great posterity. What, therefore, is it to me that I am driven by my +father from beneath his roof? I will build a city, in which I will +gather a church for myself. Farewell, therefore, to my father and his +church. I regard them not.</p> + +<p>258. Accordingly, it is not through fear, or for defense, that Cain +"built a city," but from the sure hope of prosperity and success, and +from pride and the lust of dominion. For he had no need whatever to +fear his father and mother, who at the divine command had thrust him +out to go into some foreign land. Nor had he any more ground of fear +from their children than from themselves. But Cain was inflated with +pride through this uncovenanted mercy of God, as I have termed it; +and, as the world ever does, he sought by means of his "city" an +opportunity of emerging from his present state into future greatness. +The sons of God, on the contrary, are only anxious about another city, +"which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," as we have +it described in the Epistles to the Hebrews 11, 10.</p> +<a name="p4259"></a> +<p>V. 18a. <i>And unto Enoch was born Irad.</i></p> + +<p>259. What opinion to form concerning this name, I really know not, for +its origin is very obscure; and yet I believe the name is not +accidental but prophetic. In the book of Joshua we have a city called +Ai; and this same term is used elsewhere as an appellative. Now, the +proper name Ai signifies, "a heap," as a heap of fallen buildings. And +if with this name you compound the verb <i>Irad</i>, the word thus +compounded will signify increase. Although the posterity of Cain, on +account of their excommunication, were at that time like a great heap +of ruins, it was his prayer that they might not altogether perish, but +be preserved and greatly increased by means of this son Irad. If +anyone can offer a better interpretation, I will by no means despise +it; for on obscure points like the present, conjecture is quite +allowable.</p> +<a name="p4260"></a> +<p>V. 18b. <i>And Irad begat Mehujael.</i></p> + +<p>260. This name is formed from the verb <i>mahah</i>, which signifies "to +destroy," and from <i>jaal</i>, "he began," or "he attempted or dared." +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 it; so +mightily should it prevail by its wealth, wisdom, glory and numbers. +These, indeed, are for the most part the influences through which the +true Church is always overcome by the world and the false church.</p> +<a name="p4261"></a> +<p>V. 18c. <i>And Mehujael begat Methushael.</i></p> + +<p>261. <i>Meth</i> signifies "death," and <i>schaal</i> means "to ask," or "to +demand." Hence we have the name Saul; that is, demanded. This name +indicates a spirit haughtier than any of the others. I understand it +to signify that Methushael threatens that he will avenge his parents, +who are dead, whom the other church—that is the true Church—has +punished with excommunication and exile.</p> +<a name="p4262"></a> +<p>V. 18d. <i>And Methushael begat Lamech.</i></p> + +<p>262. Hitherto the Cainites seem to have insulted the true Church with +impunity and to have triumphed over them. But the name "Lamech" +signifies that God, at the time in which Lamech was born, inflicted on +the posterity of Cain their due punishment. The name Lamech is derived +from the verb <i>makak</i>, which signifies to humble, to diminish, to +suppress. Or, it may be understood actively, to mean that in the time +of Lamech the posterity of Cain so greatly increased that the true +Church was quite overwhelmed by them.</p> +<a name="p4263"></a> +<p>263. Such was the posterity of Cain; men, no doubt, renowned for their +wisdom and greatness. And I also believe that some of them were saved +by the uncovenanted mercy of God, as I have above explained. But far +the greater part of them most bitterly hated and persecuted the true +Church. They could not brook inferiority to the sons of Adam, the true +Church; therefore they set up their own forms of worship, and +introduced many other new things for the sake of suppressing the +church of Adam. And because the false church was thus kept separate +from the true Church, I believe that Cain married to each other his +sons and daughters. Accordingly, about the time of Lamech, Cain's +posterity began to multiply exceedingly. And it is for this reason, I +believe, that Moses here terminates the list.</p> +<a name="p4264"></a> +<p>V. 19. <i>And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was +Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.</i></p> + +<p>264. Here again a twofold question arises. In the first place divines +dispute whether Lamech married these two wives on account of lustful +passion or for some other cause. My belief is that polygamy was not +entered into for the sake of lust, but with the object of increasing +his family, and from the lust of dominion, and especially so if, as +his name imports, the Lord at that time had been punishing the +Cainites, or the posterity of Cain, by pestilence, or by some other +calamity. In this case, Lamech probably thought by such expedient to +retrieve his greatness. Thus barbarous nations retain polygamy to +strengthen and establish both home and State.</p> +<a name="p4265"></a> +<p>265. As regards the names of these two wives, the name of one is Adah; +that is, adorned, or, having chains on the neck. <i>Adi</i> signifies a +neat, or elegant woman, and <i>adah</i>, the verb, signifies to adorn, or, +to put on. And perhaps this name was given to her, not only because +she was the mistress of the house, elegantly adorned or clothed, but +because she was also beautiful. The name of the other wife, Zillah, +signifies, his shade.</p> +<a name="p4266"></a> +<p>V. 20. <i>And Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in +tents and have cattle.</i></p> + +<p>266. The name Jabal is derived from the verb <i>jabal</i>, which signifies +to bring forward, or to produce.</p> + +<p>V. 21. <i>And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all +such as handle the harp and pipe.</i></p> + +<p>267. And the name Jubal has the same origin and signification; for it +means produced, or introduced. Both these names, therefore, contain a +wish or prayer of Lamech concerning the increase of his family. The +posterity of Cain always entertained the object and expectation of +surpassing in numbers. And, no doubt, 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 God, but were the very people of God.</p> + +<p>V. 22. <i>And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every +cutting instrument of (an artificer in every workmanship of) brass and +iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.</i></p> + +<p>268. Tubal-cain signifies, produce property. So the Romans gave such +names as "Valerius" (from valeo), and "Augustus" (from augeo). And +Naamah received her name from her sweetness, or beauty. This posterity +of Cain increased infinitely; hence Moses breaks off at this point.</p> +<a name="p4269"></a> +<p>269. Now, when he not only chronicles names but makes mention also of +the deeds and labors of each one, the Jewish explanation is to be +rejected that the offspring of Cain was compelled to follow other +occupations because the earth was cursed, and hence gained their +livelihood, one as a shepherd, another as a worker in brass, and +another as a musician, obtaining grain and the other fruits of the +earth from the offspring of Adam. But if the Cainites had been so +severely pressed by hunger, they would have forgotten the harp, organ +and other instruments of music in their extremity; for the enjoyment +of music is not characteristic of the hungry and thirsty.</p> + +<p>270. Their invention of music and their efforts in the discovery of +other arts is proof that they had the necessaries of life in +abundance. The reason, therefore, that the descendants of Cain turned +to these pursuits and were not contented with the simple food the +earth produced, like the descendants of Adam, was that they wished to +rule, and aimed at the high praise and glory of being men of talent. I +believe, however, that some of them passed over to the true Church and +followed the religion of Adam.</p> +<a name="p4271"></a> +<p>271. And such as Moses here describes the generation of the wicked, or +the false church, to be, from the beginning down to the mighty flood +of waters, so we find it ever, and such it will remain until the final +flood of fire. "The sons of this world are for their own generation +wiser than the sons of the light," Lk 16, 8. Therefore it is that they +ever advance and increase, and commend themselves and their own, and +thus acquire riches, dignities and power; while the true Church, on +the other hand, always lies prostrate, despised, oppressed, +excommunicated.</p> +<a name="p4272"></a> +<p>Vs. 23-24. <i>And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my +voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a +man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me. If Cain shall be +avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.</i></p> + +<p>272. Thus far Moses has given us a history of the generation of the +children of this world, and having brought down the list to the time +of Lamech and his wives and children, he buries them, as it were, +altogether in silence, leaving them without any promise, either of the +life which is to come or of the life that now is. For except that +uncovenanted blessing of offspring and of food, the Cainites possessed +nothing whatever. Yet they so increased in power and in multitude that +they filled the whole world, 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 life, and sunk them +into so deep a hell of wickedness, that eight men only remained to be +saved when the flood came upon the whole world of the ungodly. And +though there is no doubt that some of the generation of Cain were +saved both before the flood and in the flood, yet the Scriptures do +not mention them, to the end that we might the more fear God and walk +according to his Word. But hard as the diamond are those human hearts +which fail to be moved by such an example as the flood, than which +nothing more dreadful is to be found in the whole chain of time.</p> +<a name="p4273"></a> +<p>273. Moses, therefore, having buried in silence the entire generation +of Cain, records only one unimportant fact respecting Lamech, but what +the real import of that fact is, Moses does not explain. I know not +that any other passage in the Holy Scriptures has been so diversely +interpreted, and so rent and wrested, as this text. For ignorance at +least, if eloquence is not, is fruitful of surmises, errors and +fables. I will mention some of the vulgar views upon the passage now +before us.</p> +<a name="p4274"></a> +<p>274. The Jews compose the fable that Lamech, when he had grown old and +was blind, was led by a youth into the woods to hunt wild beasts, not +for the sake of their flesh but for their skins; circumstances which +are altogether absurd, and at once prove the whole fable to be a lie. +And they hold that Cain was there, concealed among the bushes, and in +that solitude he not only exercised repentance but sought security for +his life. The young man who directed the spear for Lamech, thinking he +saw a wild beast in a certain thicket, told Lamech to hurl his spear, +and Lamech hurled his spear and, contrary to all thought, pierced +Cain. And they add that after Lamech had been made conscious of the +murder he had committed, he immediately speared the youth himself, who +also died under the wound he received. It was thus, say the Jews, that +the "man" and the "young man" were slain by Lamech. But such +absurdities as these are utterly unworthy of refutation. Indeed, Moses +himself completely refutes them; he records the fact that Cain, far +from fleeing into solitude and concealment, "built a city," which +implies that he governed a State and thereby established for himself a +kind of kingdom. Moreover, the ages of Cain and Lamech would not +accord with this explanation, for it is not at all probable Cain lived +to the time Lamech became old and blind.</p> +<a name="p4275"></a> +<p>275. There is still another Jewish invention. After Lamech had killed +Cain, his wives would no longer live with him, through fear of the +punishment they foreboded would come upon him, and therefore Lamech, +to comfort himself and to induce his wives to live with him, +prophesied that whosoever should kill him would assuredly be punished +"seventy and sevenfold." The Jews invent like absurdities also +concerning the sons of Lamech, whom they say he taught to fabricate +arms for the destruction of men. Other commentators, again, will have +it that the sense of this text is to be taken negatively, thus: If I +had killed a man, as Cain killed his brother, I should have been +worthy of your reprobation.</p> +<a name="p4276"></a> +<p>276. My interpretation, accordingly, is that the words, "If Cain shall +be avenged sevenfold," etc., are not to be taken for the Word of God. +For that generation did not have the Word; how, then, could Lamech be +believed to have been a prophet? Thus, even such a man as Jerome +produces the vagary that, inasmuch as, according to Luke, +seventy-seven generations can be counted between Adam and Christ, it +was after this space of time that Lamech's sin was taken away by +Christ. If such vaporings are legitimate, anything can be proved from +the Scriptures. Jerome even forgets that Lamech represented the +seventh generation from Adam! The word under consideration then, is +not to be placed upon the same level with the former, spoken to Cain; +for that was the Word of God. It is, on the contrary, the word of a +wicked murderer; not true, but an audacious fiction, based upon that +spoken by Adam to Cain. But why does he deliver his discourse not +before his church but at home, and only before his wives?</p> + +<p>277. It is probable that the good and pious women were greatly alarmed +on account of the murder committed by their husband. The wicked +murderer, therefore, to appear equally safe with Cain, endeavored in +this way to reassure his wives concerning his safety from death. This +is what the wicked church is accustomed to do; it prophesies out of +its own head. But all such prophecies are vain. This one thing, +however, we can gather from the present text, that Lamech did not +utter the contents of his prophecy from the Word of God, but out of +his own brain.</p> +<a name="p4278"></a> +<p>278. In respect to Cain, I do not think that he was killed by Lamech, +but that he died long before the time of Lamech. 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 is, that Lamech killed some eminent +man and some distinguished youth of the generation of the righteous, +just as Cain, his father, had killed Abel. And I believe that, having +committed such murders, he wished to protect himself from being killed +by uttering the words of the text, after the manner of the protection +vouchsafed by God to his father Cain. For Lamech was no doubt a man of +very great abilities and the chief man in his day and State. He had +also strengthened his cause by a novel venture, for he was the first +man who married two wives. And he harassed the Church of the godly in +various ways, as men are wont to do who combine talent with malice. +Therefore he furnished his men with arms, riches, and pleasures, that +he might overcome the true Church on every side, which alone held the +holy faith, the pure Word, and the pure worship of God. To all else he +paid little attention.</p> +<a name="p4279"></a> +<p>279. It is very probable that the patriarch Adam died about this time, +this being the first patriarchal death; and there is no doubt that +Lamech seized this opportunity of transferring the whole government of +the world at that time to himself, that he might have all things under +his own rule. This is the manner in which the world acts to this day. +The Church of God, therefore, placed as it were in the midst, is +oppressed on either side; by tyrants and blood-thirsty men on the one +hand, and by those who are devoted to the concerns and pleasures of +this world on the other. As tyrants use violence and the sword to +destroy the Church, so the latter entice her by their allurements.</p> +<a name="p4280"></a> +<p>280. 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 pursuits. And hence it is, also, that Christ +expressly shows that much blood was shed even before the flood, by +testifying "that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the +earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of +Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the +altar," Mt 23, 35. Moses testifies subsequently (Gen 6, 1-13), that +the earth before the flood was filled with iniquities; and he is not +speaking of the iniquities and violent deeds of thieves and +adulterers, but describes particularly the tyranny of the Cainite +church, which pursued with all the violence of the sword the holy +posterity of Adam. And it is for this same reason that the sacred +historian describes the descendants of Cain by the name "giants." +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 son.</p> +<a name="p4281"></a> +<p>281. It was certainly an evidence of the greatest tyranny in Lamech, +that, when he had been discovered by his wives, he did not grieve for +what he had done, but held in contempt the punishment which he had +just cause to dread. As if he had said: I have killed a man 'tis true, +but what is that to you? The wound of that belongs to me; I shall be +wounded for it, not you. I have indeed killed a young man, but it is +to my own hurt. I shall be punished for it, not you. What utterances +could evince more contempt than these in the face of open sins?</p> + +<p>These are my thoughts on the passage now before us. The text shows +that the Cainites were tyrannical men, proud of their success, and +given to pleasure; and the very words of Lamech prove him to be a +proud man, not grieving at all for the murder he had committed, but +glorying in it as in a righteous cause. The Cainite church always +excuses that tyranny which it exercises over the godly, as Christ +says: "Whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto +God," Jn 16, 2. This is expressed in the additional words of Lamech:</p> +<a name="p4282"></a> +<p>V. 24. <i>If Cain shall he avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and +sevenfold.</i></p> + +<p>282. Here Lamech sets himself above his father Cain, making it appear +that he had a more righteous cause for the murder he had committed, +and fortifying himself against those inclined to avenge the murders +perpetrated by him. For the words of the text are not the words of the +Lord, as we have said, but the words of Lamech himself. Just so the +pope fortifies himself by violence, tyranny, threats and anathemas, to +make himself secure against avengers, for he has the conscience of a +Cain and a Lamech. Let him, says the pope, who shall do anything +contrary to these my decrees know that he shall incur the indignation +of St. Peter and St. Paul.</p> +<a name="p4283"></a> +<p>283. Lamech, therefore, is an example of this world, and Moses points +to him to show what kind of a heart, will and wisdom the world has. +Just as if he had said in reference to Lamech: Such are the actions of +the seed of the serpent and such are the children of this world. They +gather riches, follow their pleasures, increase their power, and then +abuse all these things by their tyranny, making use of them against +the true Church, the members of which they persecute and slay. And yet +in the midst of all these mighty sins, they fear not, but are proud +and secure, boasting and saying, "What can the righteous do?" (Ps 11, +3): "Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" (Ps 12, 4): "He (the +wicked) saith in his heart: God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he +will never see it," (Ps 10, 11): and other like sentiments.</p> +<a name="p4284"></a> +<p>284. That such is the meaning of the passage in question the facts +recorded prove, though the words of the text do not so clearly express +that meaning. The true Church has ever Satan as its great enemy, and +he drives the Cainites into fury, disguised as devotion, against their +brethren, the Abels; as Christ also says, affirming that the devil was +a murderer from the beginning, Jn 8, 44. It is declared throughout the +Scriptures concerning the true Church, that the wicked are ever +shedding its blood. The various passages in the Psalms speak the same +things, "Precious shall their blood be in his sight," Ps 72, 14. +Again, "Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints" +Ps 116, 15. And again, "For thy sake are we killed all the day long" +Ps 44, 22.</p> +<a name="p4285"></a> +<p>285. As, therefore, the Church of God has at all times, and in all +ages, given her blood to be shed by the wicked and by false brethren, +so also, in that first age of the world she had to suffer from her +enemies, whom the Scriptures call "giants," and affirm that those +"giants" filled the earth with "violence." Among these giants was also +this Lamech now before us, who was one perhaps like Pope Julius II or +Clement VII who although they exercised cruelty in the highest degree, +yet wished to be called and appear as most holy saints. Just so Lamech +here wishes to make it appear that he had a most righteous cause for +the murder he had committed, 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 father, the murderer +Cain.</p> +<a name="p4286"></a> +<p>286. In this manner, the Church was vexed with the cross and with +persecutions from the very beginning of the world until God, compelled +by the wickedness of man, destroyed the whole world by the flood. Just +so, also, when the measure of Pharaoh's malice was full he was drowned +with all his host in the Red Sea. Just so, again, when the measure of +the malice of the Gentile nations was full they were all uprooted and +destroyed by Moses and Joshua. 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 Jerusalem. Other instances are the +Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Grecians, and the Romans.</p> +<a name="p4287"></a> +<p>287. The Scriptures therefore do not record whom Lamech killed. They +only record that two murders were committed by him, and that Lamech, +in his impenitence, wished to protect himself in the same manner as +his father Cain had been divinely protected, by issuing his +proclamation, thereby making it appear that he had righteous cause for +the murder he committed. And if this interpretation be not the true +one, it is at least certain that the generation of the Cainites was a +blood-thirsty generation, and hated and persecuted the true Church.</p> +<a name="p4288"></a> +<p>288. And it is, moreover, true that Lamech had not the Word, and that, +accordingly, his utterance is not to be considered in the same light +as that word which was spoken to his father Cain; for the latter was +the voice of truth, but the word of Lamech was the voice of his own +pride, expressive of the rule of Satan and of a church of hypocrites, +which sins securely and yet glories in its sins as if they were deeds +of righteousness.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents6"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">C.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE POSTERITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN DETAIL; THE GENERATIONS OF THE + RIGHTEOUS.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">Of Seth.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Seth is described in detail <a href="#p4289">289</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Eve at Seth's birth recalled Cain's murder <a href="#p4290">290</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How and why the first parents after Abel's death refrained + from bearing children <a href="#p4291">291</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Seth's birth was announced before in a special way by God + <a href="#p4291">291-292</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The uncovenanted grace of the Cainites. Also, why God did + not mention that some of them would be saved <a href="#p4293">293</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Eve manifested special faith and obedience in Seth's + birth <a href="#p4294">294-295</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the Romish church never canonized Eve <a href="#p4296">296</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The idle fables of the Jews about Lamech and his wives, + and about Adam's abstinence and Cain's increase, are to be + rejected <a href="#p4297">297</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">A new generation springs from Seth, in which the promise + shall be fulfilled <a href="#p4298">298</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">Of Enoch.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">What his name means, and why it was given to him <a href="#p4299">299</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The names of the holy patriarchs originated not by chance <a href="#p4299">299</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">How true worship began under Enoch <a href="#p4300">300-302</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Of true worship.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>In what it consists <a href="#p4301">301</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>Why it was not in use before <a href="#p4302">302</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The meaning of "the name of Jehovah" or the proclaiming of the + name of Jehovah <a href="#p4303">303</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>The right course to take in the doctrine concerning + divine worship <a href="#p4304">304</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>God always ministered comfort to his Church under the + cross <a href="#p4305">305</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(4)</td> + <td>What is the true worship according to the first table + of the law <a href="#p4306">306-307</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(5)</td> + <td>How true worship according to the second table follows + from the first <a href="#p4308">308</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(6)</td> + <td>People are to be instructed first and chiefly in the + worship of the first table <a href="#p4309">309</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(7)</td> + <td>Whether visible signs were present in these days in + their worship, and to what end they were necessary <a href="#p4310">310-311</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(8)</td> + <td>The worship of which Moses speaks is to be understood + not of the Cainites but of Seth's posterity <a href="#p4312">312</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">A summary review of the contents of the fourth chapter of Genesis + <a href="#p4313">313</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">Why the fifth chapter was written <a href="#p4314">314</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">Why the Jews cannot see the unity in the first five chapters of the + Bible <a href="#p4315">315</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p4289"></a> +<br> +<h4>C. THE POSTERITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN DETAIL.</h4> + +<p>V. 25. <i>And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called +his name Seth: For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed +instead of Abel; for Cain slew him.</i></p> + +<p>289. Hitherto Moses has spoken of the generation of the wicked only, +the whole of which he buries as it were with the above brief catalog. +The historian now turns to the description of the godly and of the +true Church. And first of all, we are to observe the manner of +expression Moses uses in reference to the name given by Eve to her +son: "And she called his name Seth." Moses does not speak thus +concerning Cain when he was born, nor concerning righteous Abel, nor +with reference to Enoch, nor with reference to any of the others. 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 paradise. So Eve is to +be understood when she assigns the reason for giving her son this +name. Eve manifests her surpassing godliness and faith in giving her +son such a name.</p> +<a name="p4290"></a> +<p>290. 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 churches, and that she had witnessed and suffered many evils +and indignities from the Cainites. Because of this she now called to +mind the awful murder which had been committed, whereby Cain wished to +destroy the righteous seed that he might reign alone. But thanks be to +God, says she, who hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel.</p> +<a name="p4291"></a> +<p>291. Moses here, as is his usual manner, embraces in the fewest +possible words the mightiest things, that he may incite the reader to +the most diligent consideration of the works of God. Of the pain and +righteous grief of the parents at the murder of Abel by his brother we +have spoken before. 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 Seth; for it is most probable that the awful peril +of a recurrence of a calamity like that which they had just +experienced, induced the godly parents to abstain from connubial +intercourse. I believe, therefore, that by a particular promise made +to them by an angel, their minds were again comforted and confirmed, +and that they were influenced to believe that a son of the description +of Seth would now be born unto them, who should hold fast the promise; +and that, although the generation of Cain should utterly perish by +their sin, the generation of him about to be born should be preserved +until the promised blessed seed should come into the world.</p> + +<p>292. 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 sermon, 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 children: "And +she called his name Seth." Seth is derived from the Hebrew verb +<i>sath</i>, which signifies he placed, or he established, and was intended +to show that this son would be, as it were, the foundation on which +the promise concerning Christ would rest, even though many other sons +should be born unto the parents. Eve does not give him an exalted +name, such as "Cain," yet she gives him a name signifying that the +posterity of Seth should never be suppressed or destroyed.</p> +<a name="p4293"></a> +<p>293. The Cainites, cast out from the sight of their parents, are left +under a curse, without any promise whatever, and have only so much +mercy as they receive from the generation of the righteous as beggars, +not as heirs. This is the mercy we above called uncovenanted mercy. +But who, of the posterity of the Cainites, obtained that mercy, Moses +does not mention, and his design in this omission is to keep separate +the two churches: the one the Church of the righteous, which had the +promise of a life to come, but in this life was poor and afflicted; +the other the church of the wicked, which in this life is rich and +flourishing.</p> +<a name="p4294"></a> +<p>294. Eve, the mother of us all, is highly to be praised, as a most +holy woman, full of faith and charity, because in the person of her +son Seth she so nobly lauds the true Church, paying no regard whatever +to the generation of the Cainites. For she does not say, I have gotten +another son in the place of Cain. She prefers the slain Abel to Cain, +though Cain was the first-born. Herein praise is due, not only to her +faith but to her eminent obedience; for she is not only not offended +at the judgment of God concerning righteous Abel, but she also changes +her own judgment concerning God. When Abel was born she despised him, +and magnified Cain as the first-born, and as the possessor, as she +thought, of the promise. But now she acts in all things quite the +contrary. As if she had said: After God's acceptance of him and of his +offering, I had placed all my hopes on my son Abel, because he was +righteous; but his wicked brother slew him. But now God hath appointed +me another seed instead of Abel.</p> + +<p>295. She does not indulge her maternal affection for Cain. She does +not excuse or lessen the sin of her son. But she herself +excommunicates him, already excommunicated of God; and she banishes +him, together with all his posterity, among the polluted mass of the +Gentiles who live without any sure mercy of God, laying hold only as +they can of that uncovenanted mercy which, as we have said, they +receive as beggars, not as heirs.</p> +<a name="p4296"></a> +<p>296. It is a great marvel, surely, that the church of the pope, having +made up so great a list of saints, has not yet inserted in that +catalog Saint Eve, a woman full of faith and love, and with an +infinite number of crosses! But perhaps we are to gather from this +omission that it would rather follow the church of the Cainites than +the holy Church.</p> +<a name="p4297"></a> +<p>297. I am inclined to say nothing here about that absurd and idle +fable of the Jews, that Lamech brought his disobedient wives to Adam +as judge, 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 Eve. These fablers say that Adam, who had refrained from the +bed of his wife from the murder of Abel to that time, again lived with +her as man and wife, in order that he might not by his example induce +others to maintain perpetual continence, and thus prevent mankind from +being multiplied. All these fables show how impure the thoughts of the +Jews were. Of the same description is the like argument of these Jews, +who hold that when Seth was born, which was within a hundred years +after the death of Abel, the children of Cain had increased unto the +seventh generation. Such absurdities do wicked men invent to bring +reproach upon the Holy Scriptures. And of precisely the same +description is the opinion that Cain was born in paradise, while, as +yet, the original righteousness of his parents remained. What is the +object of this lying invention but to cause us to do away with Christ +altogether? For take away original sin, and what need is there of +Christ at all? These things are indeed, as we have intimated, unworthy +of being mentioned here. But they are worthy the enemies of Christ and +the enemies of grace.</p> +<a name="p4298"></a> +<p>298. In Seth, therefore, we have a new generation, which arises from +and comes to pass in accordance with the great original promise, that +the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. Appropriately +the name Seth is bestowed, so that Eve may felicitate herself upon the +fact that this seed is established, safe from overthrow. David uses +the same verb: "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the +righteous do?" Ps 11, 3. And the Hebrew word forms a perfect rhyme +with its German equivalent: "Seth—steht."</p> +<a name="p4299"></a> +<p>V. 26a. <i>And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called +his name Enosh.</i></p> + +<p>299. The verb <i>yikra</i>, he called, is in the masculine gender, by which +you are to understand that it was the father who gave this name to his +son. In the former case the verb was feminine, because Eve gave to her +son Seth his name. The expression in each case is different, which +difference of gender in a verb the Latin language does not indicate.</p> + +<p>Enosh signifies a man afflicted or full of calamity. "What is man that +thou art mindful of him," Ps 8, 4. Seth, accordingly, intimates that +at that time there was some persecution or affliction of the Church. +That "old serpent," who had cast man out of paradise and had killed +Abel, the man beloved of God, was neither asleep nor idle. Therefore, +upon the consolation enjoyed in the birth of Seth there soon follows +another trial or tribulation, which the godly parents Adam and Eve +signalize by giving the name Enosh to their son. The names thus given +are by no means to be considered accidental. They were either +prophetical or commemorative of some particular event.</p> +<a name="p4300"></a> +<p>V. 26b. <i>Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah.</i></p> + +<p>300. The rabbins understand this as having reference to idolatry. They +think that about this time the name of Jehovah began to be given to +creatures: to the sun, the moon, etc. But Moses is not here speaking +of what the generation of Cainites did, but what the godly generation +of Adam did. The sacred historian is testifying that after the birth +of Enosh there began the true worship of God, the calling upon the +name of Jehovah.</p> +<a name="p4301"></a> +<p>301. Here Moses most beautifully defines what it is to worship God, to +call upon the name of Jehovah; which is, as it were, the work of the +first table and concerns the true worship of God. Now, calling upon +the name of Jehovah embraces the preaching of the Word, faith, or +confidence in God, confession, etc. Paul beautifully joins these +things together in the fourteenth verse of the tenth chapter of his +Epistle to the Romans. True, the works of the second table also belong +to the worship of God, but these works do not refer directly and only +to God as do the works of the first table.</p> +<a name="p4302"></a> +<p>302. After the confusion made in the house of Adam by Cain, the +generation of the godly began to multiply by degrees and a little +Church was formed, in which Adam as the high priest governed all +things by the Word and by sound doctrine. Moses here affirms that this +took place about the time of the birth of Enosh. Although this name +implies that the Church had been overwhelmed by some terrible +disaster, yet God raised her up again by his grace and mercy, and +added the great spiritual blessing of godly assemblage in a particular +place, with preaching, prayer and the offering of sacrifices, +blessings which had hitherto perhaps been either hindered or forbidden +by the Cainites. We have here, then, another evidence of the promised +seed warring with the serpent and bruising its head.</p> +<a name="p4303"></a> +<p>303. Furthermore, as Moses does not say: Jehovah began to be called +upon, but the name of Jehovah, the reference to Christ recommends +itself to our approval, since also in other passages the Schem Jehovah +(the name of Jehovah) is so to be understood. This expression, "then +men began to call upon the name of Jehovah," contains a meaning most +important. It signifies that Adam, Seth, and Enosh taught and exhorted +their posterity to expect redemption and to believe the promise +concerning the seed of the woman, and to overcome by that hope the +snares, the crosses, the persecutions, the hatred and the violence of +the Cainites, and not to despair of salvation, but rather to give +thanks unto God, assured that he would at some time deliver them by +the seed of the woman.</p> +<a name="p4304"></a> +<p>304. What could Adam and Seth teach greater or better than that the +great deliverer, Christ, was promised to their posterity? And this is +quite in keeping with the proper principle to be observed in religious +instruction. The first care should ever be directed to the first +table. When this table is well understood, the right understanding of +the second table will soon follow; yea, it is then easy to fulfil the +latter. For how is it possible that, where pure doctrine is taught, +where men rightly believe, rightly call upon the name of Jehovah, and +rightly give thanks unto God, the second and inferior fruits can be +wanting?</p> +<a name="p4305"></a> +<p>305. 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 future. We see throughout the pages of sacred history a perpetual +succession and change of consolations and afflictions. Joseph in Egypt +keeps alive his parents and his brethren when divinely visited by +famine. After this, when these people were oppressed by wicked kings, +they were again delivered from their cruel bondage. And Cyrus delivers +them when captives in Babylon. When God permits his own people to be +oppressed by the violence and guile of the devil and the world, he +always lifts them up again and gives them prophets and godly teachers +to restore his sinking church, and to break for a while the fury of +Satan.</p> +<a name="p4306"></a> +<p>306. Furthermore, 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 men, in the erection of statues, +or the performance of other sport suggested by reason, but in calling +upon the name of Jehovah. Worship in its truest meaning, well-pleasing +to God, and subsequently made mandatory in the first commandment, +embraces the fear of God, trust in God, confession, prayer and +preaching.</p> + +<p>307. The first commandment of the Law demands faith, that we believe +God is the only helper in time of need, Ps 9, 9. The second +commandment demands confession and prayer, that we call upon the name +of Jehovah in times of peril and give thanks unto God. The third +commandment requires that we teach the truth, and that we guard and +defend sound doctrine.</p> + +<p>These are the true and appropriate acts of the worship of God, and +they are those which God requires. He requires not sacrifices nor +money nor anything of the kind. As regards the first table, he +requires that we hear, consider and teach the Word; that we pray to +God and fear him.</p> +<a name="p4308"></a> +<p>308. Where these things exist, the observances and works required by +the second table follow, as it were, of their own accord. 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 also. +David saith: "His delight is in the law of Jehovah; and on his law +doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by +the stream of water; that bringeth forth its fruit in its season, +whose leaf also doth not wither." Ps 1, 2-3. These things are evident +consequences of the right worship of God, according to the +commandments of the first table. He who believes God, who fears God, +who calls upon God in tribulation, who praises God and gives thanks +unto him for his mercies, who gladly hears the Word of God, who +continually contemplates the works of God, and who teaches others to +do the same things—do you think that such a one will harm his +neighbor, or disobey his parents, or kill, or commit adultery?</p> +<a name="p4309"></a> +<p>309. The first table, therefore, is to be set forth first of all, and +instruction as regards the true worship is to receive precedence to +all else. This means, first to make the tree good on which good fruit +is to grow. Now, our adversaries take the diametrically opposite +course; they want to have the good fruit before they have even the +tree.</p> +<a name="p4310"></a> +<p>310. Moreover, I believe that about this time there was added some +visible ceremony of divine worship, for God is ever wont thus to do. +He always joins with the Word some visible sign. When Abel and Cain +presented their offerings God showed by a visible sign from heaven +that he had respect unto Abel and his offering, but not unto Cain and +his offering. And so, in all probability, it was in this case and at +this time. When the Church began to flourish and the Word of God was +publicly taught with considerable success, God added also some visible +sign, that the Church might assuredly know that she pleased God.</p> + +<p>311. But whatever that sign was, whether fire from heaven or something +else, God withheld it until the third generation, that men might learn +to be content with the Word alone. Afterwards, when men had comforted +themselves by the Word alone against the Cainites, in all +tribulations, God of his great mercy added to the Word some visible +sign. He established a place and appointed persons and ceremonies to +which the Church might gather for the exercise of faith, for preaching +and prayer. By means of these things, the Word or the first table and +then a visible sign ordained of God, a Church is constituted, in which +men undergo discipline through teaching, hearing, and the partaking of +the sacraments. Then upon these things will assuredly follow the works +of the second table, which are acceptable, and acts of worship, only +on the part of those who possess and practice the first table.</p> +<a name="p4312"></a> +<p>312. This gift of God, Moses sets forth in the few short words of the +text before us, when he says, "Then began men to call upon the name of +Jehovah." For this beginning to call upon the name of Jehovah was not +on the part of the Cainites, as the Jews explained the passage, but on +the part of the godly posterity of Adam, which alone was then the true +Church. If any of the posterity of Cain were saved, it must of +necessity have been by joining this Church.</p> +<a name="p4313"></a> +<p>313. The sum of the first four chapters of Genesis is that we are to +believe in a resurrection of the dead after this life, and a life +eternal through the Seed of the woman. This is the blessed portion of +the godly, of them that believe, who in this life are filled with +afflictions and subject to injuries at the hands of all men. To the +wicked, on the contrary, are given, as their portion, the riches and +power of this world, which they use against the true Church of God.</p> + +<p>In the first chapter it is shown that man was created unto +immortality, because he was created "in the image of God."</p> + +<p>The teaching also of the second chapter sets forth the same thing, "In +the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." It follows +that the first created man and woman could not have died if they had +not eaten of that fruit. By their sin of eating they fell from +immortality to mortality, and they begat an offspring like unto +themselves.</p> + +<p>In the third chapter immortality is set forth anew, as restored by the +promise of the Seed of the woman.</p> + +<p>In the fourth chapter we have an especial example of immortality set +before us in Abel, who, after he had been slain by his brother, was +received into the bosom of God, who testified that the voice of the +blood of Abel cried unto him from the ground.</p> +<a name="p4314"></a> +<p>314. And the fifth chapter, which now follows, is expressly written to +set forth the immortality of Enoch, who was taken up into heaven by +the Lord. Although the following chapter is necessary as a chronicle +of the number of the years of the generation of the righteous, yet its +most remarkable feature is its record that Enoch did not die like +Adam, nor was slain like Abel, nor carried away, nor torn to pieces by +lions and bears, but was taken up into heaven and translated into +immortality by the Lord himself; all which was written that we might +believe in the Seed of the woman, Christ our Redeemer and Satan's +conqueror, and that through him we also might expect a life immortal +after this mortal and afflicted life.</p> +<a name="p4315"></a> +<p>315. This harmony of these five chapters the Jews see not, for they +are destitute of that sun which sheds light upon these things and +makes them manifest; which sun is Christ, by whom we have the +remission of sins and life immortal.</p> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3>CHAPTER V.</h3> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents7"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">I.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE BOOK OF THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF MAN, AND THE + GLORY OF THE CAINITES.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="3">THE BOOK OF THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF MAN.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">The reasons why Moses records the generations of Adam <a href="#p5001">1</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why he so particularly gives the years, and in the case of + each patriarch adds "and he died" <a href="#p5001">1-2</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Enoch is placed in the records of the dead <a href="#p5003">3-4</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Was Enoch a sinner, and do sinners have hope of eternal life <a href="#p5004">4</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Of death.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>How we are to comfort ourselves against death <a href="#p5005">5</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>How reason views death, and how the best heathen philosophers viewed it <a href="#p5006">6</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>The knowledge the Scriptures give us of death <a href="#p5006">6</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">How we may be greatly profited by the book of the generations + of the ancient world <a href="#p5007">7</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the book of the generations of Cain is larger than that + of Seth's <a href="#p5007">7</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How terrible that both lines were totally destroyed, except + eight persons <a href="#p5008">8</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">The aim of Moses in writing this book of the generations of + Adam <a href="#p5009">9</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The glory of the first world <a href="#p5010">10</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>What was this glory <a href="#p5009">9-10</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Why this glory was revealed <a href="#p5010">10</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Profitable and interesting to meditate upon it <a href="#p5011">11</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td>The patriarchs of the first world the most holy of all martyrs <a href="#p5012">12</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="3">THE GLORY OF THE CAINITES.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">The Cainites greatly tormented God's Church, especially after + Adam's death <a href="#p5012">12</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">To what end their hatred and persecution served the holy + patriarchs <a href="#p5013">13</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Moses did not record the zeal of the holy fathers against + the Cainites <a href="#p5014">14</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Moses gives such a short description of the deluge <a href="#p5015">15</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The character of the first world <a href="#p5016">16</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Luther's lamentation over the character of the last world; + its approaching destruction, and an earnest prayer to God <a href="#p5016">16-18</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p5001"></a> +<br> +<h4>I. THE RECORDS OF THE GENERATIONS OF MAN AND THE GLORY OF THE CAINITES.</h4> + +<center>A. The Records of the Generations of Man.</center> + +<p>V. 1. <i>This is the book of the generations of Adam.</i></p> + +<p>1. This chronicle has been arranged by Moses for two reasons. First, +on account of the promise of the seed made to Adam; and second, on +account of Enoch. Moses writes still another genealogy in the tenth +chapter, after the flood, from a far different motive than the +present. In the present chapter, he gives the number of the years of +the righteous and adds with a special purpose in the case of each one, +the words, "and he died."</p> + +<p>2. This little phrase may at first thought appear superfluous. After +the historian has said, "All the days that Adam lived were nine +hundred and thirty years," what seems to be the use of his adding the +few words, "and he died"? The statement as to the number of his years +connotes also the time of his death; for had he lived longer, the +additional years would have been contained in the enumeration.</p> + +<p>Moses, however, does this with the definite purpose of pointing out +the unspeakable wrath of God against sin, and the inevitable +punishment of it, inflicted by him on the whole human race, on the +righteous as well as on the wicked. So does the Apostle Paul pursue +his argument, drawn from this very portion of the Holy Scripture: "As +through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and +so death passed upon all men, for that all sinned," Rom 5, 12. This is +a consequence perpetuated through all generations. Adam died, +therefore Adam was a sinner. Seth died, therefore Seth was a sinner. +Infants die, therefore infants partake of sin and so are sinners. This +is what Moses intends to set forth when he says, concerning the whole +line of patriarchs, that, though they were all sanctified and renewed +by faith, yet, "they died!"</p> +<a name="p5003"></a> +<p>3. Nevertheless, from this line of the dying there flames starlike a +most lovely light of immortality when Moses here records concerning +Enoch that "he was not;" that is, he no longer appeared among men, and +yet he did not die but was taken up into heaven by the Lord himself. +By this glorious fact is signified that the human race is indeed +condemned to death on account of sin, and yet the hope of life and +immortality is left us, that we need not abide in death forever.</p> +<a name="p5004"></a> +<p>4. For this cause God thought it needful, not only that the promise of +life should be given to the original world, but that immortality +should be demonstrated by an object lesson. Accordingly Moses said of +each patriarch that he fulfilled so many years of life and "died": +that is, suffered the punishment of sin, or, was a sinner. But the +divine historian does not use these expressions concerning Enoch. Not +because that patriarch was not a sinner, but because, even unto such +sinners as he, there was left a hope of eternal life through the +blessed seed. Therefore all the patriarchs, who died in the faith of +this seed, held fast the hope of eternal life.</p> + +<p>Enoch, therefore, is the second object lesson by which God makes it +manifest that it is his will to give unto us life eternal after this +life. The Lord says that Abel, who was killed by his brother, still +lived, and that his voice cried from the ground. In the present +instance, Enoch is taken up by the Lord himself into heaven.</p> +<a name="p5005"></a> +<p>5. We will not despair, therefore, though we see death, derived from +Adam, extend to every one of the whole human race. We must, indeed, +suffer death because we are sinners. But we shall not abide in death. +We rather have a hope in a divine purpose and providence whereby God +designs our deliverance from death. This deliverance has begun with +the promise of the blessed seed, and has been demonstrated by Abel and +Enoch as object lessons. Wherefore we possess the first fruits of +immortality. The Apostle Paul says, "For in hope were we saved," Rom +8, 24. Hope saves us until the fullness of immortality shall be +brought unto us at the last day, when we shall see and feel that +eternal life which we possessed here in faith and hope.</p> +<a name="p5006"></a> +<p>6. Now, the flesh does not understand this. The flesh judges that man +dies like a beast. Men, occupying the front rank of philosophers have +felt accordingly that by death the soul is separated and delivered +from the prison of the body, to mingle, free from all bodily +infirmities, in the assembly of the gods. Such was the immortality +dreamed of by the philosophers, though steadfastness of grasp and of +vision was out of the question. The Holy Scriptures, however, teach +differently concerning the resurrection and eternal life; they place +this hope so plainly before our eyes as to leave no room for doubt.</p> +<a name="p5007"></a> +<p>7. Next in order, we find in this chapter a reflection of the +condition of the primitive world. The ten antediluvian patriarchs +belonging to the lineage of Christ, with their descendants, are +enumerated. Nor is it a useless study to put these data before one's +eyes on paper, according to the directions given by Moses, to see who +the patriarchs were, who were their contemporaries, and how old they +became, as I have taken the time to do. Cain also has his line, as +Moses has shown in the preceding chapter, and I have no doubt that the +posterity of Cain was far more numerous than that of righteous Seth.</p> +<a name="p5008"></a> +<p>8. From these two families, as from roots, was the world peopled, down +to the deluge, in which both branches, with their two classes of +descendants (that is, the posterity of the wicked and that of the +righteous) were rooted out of the earth, eight souls only being left, +and even among them one was wicked. Accordingly, as in this chapter a +magnificent picture of the primeval world is presented to our view, so +we behold also the incalculable wrath of God, and the horrible event +of the reduction of the total offspring of these patriarchs to eight +souls.</p> +<a name="p5009"></a> +<p>9. We will reserve this awful record for its proper time and place. +Let us now do that which Moses does in the present chapter, who wants +us to consider the exceeding splendor of this primeval age of the +world. Adam lived beyond the age of his grandson Enoch, and died but a +short time before Noah was born. A hundred and twenty years only +intervened between the death of Adam and the birth of Noah. Seth died +only fourteen years before Noah's birth. Enosh and the rest of the +patriarchs, except Enoch, lived at the same time with Noah. Thus by a +comparison of the figures, we shall ascertain that quite a number of +gray-headed patriarchs, of whom one lived seven hundred, and another +nine hundred years, were contemporaries, and teaching and governing +the Church of the godly.</p> +<a name="p5010"></a> +<p>10. The exceeding glory of the primitive world consists in this, that +it contained so many good and wise and holy men. We are by no means to +think that all these are merely common names of plain and simple men. +They were the greatest heroes and men of renown that the world ever +witnessed, next to Christ and John the Baptist. In the last day we +shall behold and admire the real majesty of all these worthies, and +then we shall truly behold the mighty deeds which these mighty men +wrought. Yes, it will then be made manifest what Adam did, what Seth +did, what Methuselah did, and the others; what they suffered from the +old serpent; how they comforted and fortified themselves, by their +hope in the promised seed, against all the harm and violence of the +world, that is, of the Cainites; what craft they experienced; what +injuries and hatred and contempt they bore for the glory of the +blessed seed to be born from their lineage. We are assuredly not to +imagine that these great and holy men lived without severe afflictions +and innumerable crosses. All these things, I say, shall be revealed at +the last day.</p> +<a name="p5011"></a> +<p>11. And it is an undertaking, as I said, full of profit and pleasure +now to contemplate with our minds, as with open eyes, that happy age, +in which so many patriarchs lived contemporaneously, nearly all of +whom, except Noah, had seen and known their first father, Adam.</p> +<a name="p5012"></a> +<center>B. The Glory of the Cainites.</center> + +<p>12. Also the Cainites had their glory. Among them were men most +eminent in the liberal arts, and the most consummate hypocrites, who +gave the true Church a world of trouble, and harassed the holy +patriarchs in every possible way. We may justly call all those who +were thus oppressed by them most holy martyrs and confessors. The +Cainites, as Moses before intimated, very soon surpassed the other +descendants of Adam in numbers and activity. Although they were +compelled to revere their father Adam, yet they adopted all possible +means of oppressing the Church of the godly, and especially so after +the death of the first patriarch, Adam. By such wickedness, these +Cainites helped to bring on the flood as retribution.</p> +<a name="p5013"></a> +<p>13. This power and malice of the Cainites caused the holy patriarchs +to teach and instruct their Church with increased zeal and industry. +What numerous and powerful sermons may we suppose were preached by +them in the course of these most eventful years! There is no doubt +that both Adam and Eve testified of their original state of innocence, +described the glory of paradise and warned their posterity to beware +of the serpent, who, by tempting them to sin, had caused all these +great evils. How constant may we suppose them to have been in +explaining the promise of the blessed seed! 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 afflictions.</p> +<a name="p5014"></a> +<p>14. All these particulars Moses omits to record, 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 glory!</p> +<a name="p5015"></a> +<p>15. Likewise the flood, in spite of its horror, is described with the +greatest brevity because he wished to leave such things to the +meditation of men.</p> +<a name="p5016"></a> +<p>16. For the same reasons Moses has purposely given us, in these first +five chapters, as briefly as possible, a picture of the original and +primeval world. It was an admirable condition of life, and yet that +primeval age contained a multitude of the worst of men, in consequence +not more than "eight souls" were saved from the destroying flood! What +then, may we conclude, will be the state of things before the last day +shall come, seeing that even now, under the revealed light of the +Gospel, 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 altogether.</p> + +<p>17. Awful is the voice of Christ when it utters the words, +"Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the +earth?" Lk 18, 8. And in Matthew 24, 37-38, our Lord compares the last +days with the days of Noah. These utterances of our Lord are indeed +most awful. But the world, in its security and ingratitude, is a +despiser of all the threats as well as all the promises of God. It +abounds in iniquities of every kind and becomes daily more corrupt. +From the time that the popes ceased to rule among us, who had ruled +the whole world by means of the mere dread of their vengeance, sound +doctrine has been despised, and men have degenerated into all but +brutes and beasts. The number of holy and godly preachers of the Word +is becoming less and all men are indulging their desires. The last +day, however, shall assuredly come upon the world as a thief, and will +overtake these men in all their security, and in the indulgence of +their ambition, tyranny, lust, avarice, and vices of every kind.</p> + +<p>18. And let it be remembered that it is Christ himself who has +foretold these things, and we can not possibly imagine that he would +lie. If the primitive world, which contained so mighty a multitude of +the greatest patriarchs, was so wholly corrupted, what may we not have +cause to dread in the weakness of our nature? May the Lord our God +grant that we may be gathered, as soon as possible, in the faith and +confession of his Son Jesus Christ, unto these our fathers; yea, if it +please him, that we may die within the next twenty years, and not live +to see the miseries and calamities, both temporal and spiritual, of +the last time! Amen!</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents8"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">II.</td> + <td colspan="4">ADAM AND HIS SON SETH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">The name Adam, and why given to the first man <a href="#p5019">19</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">The Jews' fables of Adam's cohabitation with Eve <a href="#p5020">20</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Purity of doctrine cannot be expected from the Jews <a href="#p5020">20</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Moses so carefully describes the times of Adam <a href="#p5021">21</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why it is said of Adam that he was created in the likeness of + God <a href="#p5021">21-23</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The likeness of God.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">The difference between "Zelem" and "Demuth" <a href="#p5022">22-23</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the likeness of God was lost and how it is restored <a href="#p5024">24</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether it can be fully restored in this life <a href="#p5025">25</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">The prating of the rabbins about the name Adam <a href="#p5026">26</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Moses here mentions the blessing <a href="#p5027">27</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why he did not refer to the blessing in the descriptions of + Cain and Abel <a href="#p5028">28</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">How long it was before Adam begat Seth <a href="#p5029">29</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Abel's age when murdered <a href="#p5029">29</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">How and why Adam mourned so long for his son Abel, and + therefore refrained from bearing children <a href="#p5029">29-30</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">The Jews' fable of Adam's vow of chastity refuted <a href="#p5030">30</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="3">How we are to understand that Adam begat a son in his own + likeness <a href="#p5031">31</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether Adam's son Seth had God's likeness <a href="#p5031">31</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Adam acquired again the lost image <a href="#p5032">32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">12.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Seth secured the likeness of God <a href="#p5032">32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">13.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Adam gave his son the name Seth; its meaning <a href="#p5033">33</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The long lives of the first men.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Longevity a part of the happy state of the first world <a href="#p5034">34</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The causes of such long lives <a href="#p5034">34-35</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Men's bodies were much stronger and healthier than ours <a href="#p5035">35</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether the climate, food and holy living contributed to + this end <a href="#p5036">36-37</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The creatures given to man for food after the flood were + inferior to those before, and they injured the body more + than nourished it <a href="#p5037">37</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">Luther's thoughts on this theme <a href="#p5038">38</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">14.</td> + <td colspan="3">Which is the first or chief branch born from Adam and Eve <a href="#p5039">39</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">15.</td> + <td colspan="3">How long Adam lived after Seth's birth <a href="#p5039">39</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The glory of the first world <a href="#p5040">40</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The histories of the first world were most excellent, but + they were destroyed in the flood <a href="#p5041">41</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Eve's age and experiences <a href="#p5042">42</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The age of the first world is called the golden age <a href="#p5043">43</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p5019"></a> +<br> +<h4>II. ADAM AND HIS SON SETH.</h4> + +<p>V. 1a. <i>This is the book of the generations of Adam.</i></p> + +<p>19. "Adam," as will be stated further on, is the common name of the +whole human race, but it is applied to the first man more expressly as +an appellation of dignity, because he was the source, as it were, of +the whole human family. The Hebrew word <i>sepher</i>, "a book," is +derived from <i>saphar</i>, which signifies "to narrate" or "to enumerate." +Wherefore this narration or enumeration of the posterity of Adam is +called "the book of the generations of Adam."</p> +<a name="p5020"></a> +<p>V. 1b. <i>In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made +he him.</i></p> + +<p>20. 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 created, and that she conceived in that same day. Fables +of this kind are numerous among them, nor may anything sound or pure +in the matter of scriptural interpretation be expected of them.</p> +<a name="p5021"></a> +<p>21. The intent of Moses, in this clause, is to record the complete age +of Adam, and to number the days of his life from the day of his +creation, and, at the same time, to show that before Adam there was no +generation. Generation is to be clearly distinguished from creation. +There was no generation before Adam, but creation only. Adam and Eve +were not born but created, and that directly by God himself. Moses +adds, "In the likeness of God made he him." We are to understand, +then, that when he afterwards mentions that Adam begat Seth, he +numbers his years from the very day of his creation.</p> +<a name="p5022"></a> +<p>22. In respect to Adam's having been made in the likeness of God, we +have shown above in its place what that "likeness" of God was. +Although almost all commentators understand the expressions, "the +likeness of God," and "the image of God," to mean one and the same +thing, yet so far as I have been able from careful investigation to +reach a conclusion, there is a difference between the two terms. +<i>Zelem</i> properly signifies "an image," or "figure," as when the +Scripture says, Ye shall break down their images, Ex. 23, 24, in which +passage the original term signifies nothing more than the figures, or +statues, or images erected by men. But <i>demuth</i> signifies "a +likeness," or "the perfectness of an image." For instance, when we +speak of a lifeless image, such as that which is impressed on coins, +we say, This is the image of Brutus or of Cæsar. That image, however, +does not reproduce the likeness, nor exhibit every single feature.</p> + +<p>23. Accordingly, when Moses says that man was created also in the +likeness of God, he points out that man resembles God not only in the +possession of reason, or of intellect and will, but that he has also +the likeness of God, that is, a will and an intellect, with which he +knows God and wills what he wills.</p> +<a name="p5024"></a> +<p>24. If man, having been created both "in the image" and "in the +likeness" of God, had not fallen, he would have lived forever, full of +joy and gladness, and would have possessed a will joyfully eager to +obey the will of God. But by sin both this "likeness" and this "image" +were lost. They are, however, in a measure, restored by faith, as we +are told by the apostle, Col 3, 10; Eph 4, 24. For we begin to know +God, and the spirit of Christ helps us, so that we desire to obey the +commandments of God.</p> +<a name="p5025"></a> +<p>25. Of these blessed gifts we possess only the first-fruits. This new +creation within us is only as yet begun; it is not perfected here in +the flesh. The will is in some measure stirred to praise God, to give +him thanks, to confess sin, and to exercise patience, but all this is +only the first-fruits. The flesh, obeying the law of its nature, still +follows the things of the flesh, while it opposes the things of God. +The result is that the restoration of such gifts in us is only in the +initial stage; but the full tithe of this likeness in all its +perfection shall be rendered in the future life, when the sinful flesh +shall have been destroyed by death.</p> +<a name="p5026"></a> +<p>V. 2. <i>Male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called +their name Adam, in the day when they were created.</i></p> + +<p>26. I have above observed that the general name "Adam" was applied to +Adam alone, by reason of his superiority. I omit to mention those +vagaries of the rabbins, who say that no man can be called "Adam" +unless he has a wife. Likewise, no woman can be called "Adam" unless +married. The thought may have been drawn from the teachings of the +fathers, but the Jews have corrupted it by their foolish fancies and +opinions.</p> +<a name="p5027"></a> +<p>27. Moses aims to show this blessing was not taken from man because of +his sin, since the blessing of bearing children and ruling them +continued with Cain though he had murdered his brother.</p> +<a name="p5028"></a> +<p>28. Moses mentions not Abel, for he had died without an heir and is +presented to us as an example of the resurrection of the dead. Neither +is Cain mentioned, who because of his sin was cut off from the true +Church.</p> +<a name="p5029"></a> +<p>29. Scripture says nothing of what Adam and Eve did during the one +hundred years. Some of our writers add a hundred years longer Adam +should have lived with Eve before Cain slew his brother Abel, which +makes Adam two hundred and thirty years of age when Seth was born. It +seems to me plausible that the godly parents passed one hundred years +in sorrow and mourned the great dishonor that befell their family. +After Adam was expelled from paradise did he first beget children, +sons and daughters, who were like him, and Abel was perhaps thirty +years of age when he was slain. It appears the children were not much +younger than their parents, who were not born, but created.</p> +<a name="p5030"></a> +<p>30. I believe, accordingly, that the godly parents indulged their +grief, and abstained from connubial intercourse. This abstinence, +however, was not maintained with the intent which the Jews fable, who +absurdly affirm that Adam vowed perpetual chastity, like our monks, +and that he would still have kept his vow had he not been commanded by +an angel from heaven to live together with his wife. Such a story as +this is only fit to be told to a Roman pontiff of the age of forty, +who alone is worthy of listening to such fables. No, Adam was not so +wicked as thus to refuse the gift and command of God! Such abstinence +would have been taking vengeance on himself for the grief he had +endured, 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 +state.</p> + +<p>Moreover, this was a matter not left in the power of Adam. As Moses +has clearly shown, God had created him a male. He had, therefore, need +of a female, or wife, because the instinct of procreation was +implanted in his nature by God the Creator, himself. If therefore Adam +abstained, he did so for a reason only, intending to return to his Eve +after giving vent to his grief for a time.</p> +<a name="p5031"></a> +<p>31. Moses here expressly adds, concerning Adam, that he "begat a son +in his own likeness, after his image." Theologians entertain various +opinions as to the real meaning of those expressions. The simple +meaning is, that Adam was created "in the image" and "after the +likeness" of God, or that he was the image of God, created, not +begotten; for Adam had no parents. But in this "image of God" Adam +continued not; he fell from it by sin. Seth, therefore, who was +afterwards born, was begotten, not after the image of God, but after +the image of his father Adam. That is, he was altogether like Adam; he +resembled his father Adam, not only in his features, but he was like +him in every way. He not only had fingers, nose, eyes, carriage, +voice, and speech, like his father, but he was like him in everything +else pertaining to body and soul, in manners, disposition, will and +other points. In these respects Seth did not bear the image of God +which Adam possessed originally, and which he lost; but he bore the +likeness of Adam, his father. But this likeness and image were not of +God by creation, but of Adam by generation.</p> +<a name="p5032"></a> +<p>32. Now, this image included original sin, and the punishment of +eternal death on account of sin, which God inflicted on Adam. But as +Adam, by faith in the seed that was to come, recovered the image of +God, which he had lost, so Seth also recovered the same after he grew +up to man's estate; for God impressed again his own "likeness" upon +him through the Word. Paul refers to this when he says to the +Galatians, "My little children, of whom I am again in travail until +Christ be formed in you," Gal 4, 19.</p> +<a name="p5033"></a> +<p>33. Of the name Seth I have spoken above. It denotes command, and +voices the sentiments of one praying and prophesying good news, as if +Adam had said: "Cain has not only himself fallen, but also caused his +brother to fall. May God, therefore, grant that this my son Seth shall +stand as a firm foundation which Satan shall not overthrow." Such +blessing or prayer is implied in the name.</p> +<a name="p5034"></a> +<p>Vs. 4-5. <i>And the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred +years and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam +lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died.</i></p> + +<p>34. This is another part of the happiness of that age, that men +attained to so long life. Such longevity, when compared with the +length of our lives, seems quite incredible. A question naturally +arises as to the cause and theory of such old age. I am not at all +displeased with the reasons assigned by some, that the constitutions +of men were then far better than ours are now, and also that all +things then used for food were more healthful than those now used. To +these particulars we must add that important requisite for a long +life, the greatest moderation in the use and enjoyment of food. To +what extent the latter conduces to health, is needless to explain.</p> +<a name="p5035"></a> +<p>35. Though the body was sounder than at present, yet the general vigor +and strength of limb which men had in paradise before the advent of +sin, had passed away. It is true, however, that their bodily +well-being was enhanced when, after the fall, they were renewed and +regenerated through faith in the promised seed. For the same reason, +also, sin was weakened through faith in the seed. As for us, we have +lost their strength and vigor just in proportion as we have departed +from their righteousness.</p> +<a name="p5036"></a> +<p>36. With reference to food, who cannot easily believe that one apple, +in that primeval age, was more excellent and afforded a greater degree +of nourishment than a thousand in our time? The roots, also, on which +they fed, contained infinitely more fragrance, virtue and savor, than +they possess now. All these conditions, but notably holiness and +righteousness, the exercise of moderation, 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 life.</p> +<a name="p5037"></a> +<p>37. Now, if we turn to consider thoughtfully our present mode of life, +we find that we are much more corrupted than nourished by the meat and +drink we consume. In addition to the immoderation characterizing our +life, how much have the fruits themselves lost in excellence? Our +first parents lived moderately, and chose only those things for their +meat and drink calculated to nourish and refresh their bodies. There +can be no doubt that after the deluge all the fruits of the earth +deteriorated greatly. Even so, in our own age, we find all things +deteriorate. 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 sea.</p> +<a name="p5038"></a> +<p>38. These causes, with others which many assign for the great +longevity of the primeval patriarchs, I by no means disapprove. But +this one reason is quite sufficient, in my opinion, that it pleased +God to give them such length of life in the best part of the world. +Yet we see, as Peter strikingly says, that God willed not to spare the +old world, no, not even the angels in heaven that sinned; so horrible +a thing is sin. Sodom and Gomorrah were the choicest portion of the +earth, and yet, on account of sin, they were utterly destroyed. In the +same manner the Holy Scriptures everywhere set forth the greatness of +sin, and exhort to the fear of God.</p> +<a name="p5039"></a> +<p>39. We have now the root, or rather the source, of the human race, +namely Adam and his Eve. From these Seth is born, the first branch of +this tree. But as Adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of +Seth, Adam saw himself in possession of numerous progeny. This was the +period of the restoration of righteousness through the promise of the +seed to come. Afterwards, however, when men increased, and the sons of +God mingled with the daughters of men, the world gradually became +corrupt, and the majesty of the holy patriarchs became an object of +contempt.</p> +<a name="p5040"></a> +<p>40. It is an attractive sight, to view the number of gray-headed +patriarchs living at the same time. Only a little ciphering is +required to do it. If you compute carefully the years of our first +parent, Adam, you will see that he lived over fifty years with Lamech, +Noah's father. Accordingly, Adam saw all his descendants down to the +ninth generation, having an almost infinite number of sons and +daughters. These, however, Moses does not enumerate, being satisfied +to number the trunk and the immediate branches down to Noah.</p> +<a name="p5041"></a> +<p>41. There were, without doubt, in this mighty multitude, many very +distinguished saints, whose history, if we possessed it, would exceed +in marvelousness all the histories of the world. Compared with it, the +exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, their passage through the +Red Sea and through Jordan, their captivities and returns, would be as +nothing. But as the primeval world itself perished, so did its +history. In consequence, the first place in the annals of history +belongs to the account of the flood, in comparison with which the +others are only as sparks to the fire. Of the former world we have +nothing but names, but these are, so to speak, great histories in +miniature.</p> +<a name="p5042"></a> +<p>42. It is probable that also Eve lived to the age of 800 years and saw +this great posterity. What must have been her concern, how great her +labors, how devoted her toils, in visiting, in teaching, and in +training her children and grandchildren. And what must have been her +crosses and sighs, when the generation of the Cainites opposed with so +much determination the true Church, although some of them were even +converted by the uncovenanted mercy of God.</p> +<a name="p5043"></a> +<p>43. Truly that primeval time was a "golden age," in comparison with +which our present age is scarcely worthy of being called the age of +mud. During those primeval centuries, there lived at the same time +nine patriarchs, together with their posterities, and all of them in +harmony concerning the faith in the blessed seed! All these glorious +things Moses just mentions, but does not explain; otherwise this would +be the history of histories.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents9"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">III.</td> + <td colspan="4">ENOCH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Moses writes the history of Enoch and not that of the + other patriarchs before the flood <a href="#p5043">43-45</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">How it is to be understood that Enoch led a godly life and + how the monks interpret this falsely <a href="#p5046">46</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch's prophecy cited by Jude and where Jude received it <a href="#p5047">47</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch's exceptional courage and how he opposed Satan and the + world <a href="#p5048">48</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">The length of time he led a godly life; and Moses justly + praises him <a href="#p5049">49</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Enoch is so greatly praised <a href="#p5050">50</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">The tenor of his preaching <a href="#p5051">51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">He by no means led the life of a monk <a href="#p5051">51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="3">How he was missed. "He was not" <a href="#p5052">52</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch's ascension a proof of the resurrection of the dead <a href="#p5052">52</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="3">The effect of his ascension upon his father and grandfather + <a href="#p5053">53-55</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether the other patriarchs living then at once knew that he + ascended; and how such news affected them <a href="#p5054">54-56</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The cross must always precede consolation <a href="#p5054">54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">12.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why God took Enoch <a href="#p5055">55</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The news of Enoch's ascension must have quickened the holy + patriarchs <a href="#p5056">56</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">13.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch's ascension a sign that a better life is offered to man <a href="#p5057">57</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">14.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Enoch walked and lived before God <a href="#p5058">58</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">15.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch a man as we are and yet God took him <a href="#p5058">58</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The great sorrow of the patriarchs at Enoch's disappearance + and their great joy over such an experience <a href="#p5059">59</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Seth at the time was high priest, old and tired of life, and + died soon after Enoch was taken <a href="#p5060">60-63</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">What Luther would do if he knew in advance the day of his + death <a href="#p5061">61</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">This temporal life full of want and misery <a href="#p5062">62</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The results of Seth's preaching after Enoch's ascension <a href="#p5063">63</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The longing of the holy fathers for eternal life, and how it + should serve us <a href="#p5064">64</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Lamentation over the great corruption inherent in our flesh <a href="#p5065">65</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">16.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch's ascension was great comfort to the holy patriarchs in + meeting death <a href="#p5066">66</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Of death.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">It is not death to believers, but a sleep <a href="#p5066">66</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">In what way death is a punishment of sin, and how it is + sweetened <a href="#p5067">67</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Luther's thoughts of Enoch's ascension <a href="#p5067">67</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">17.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch's ascension extraordinary, and well worthy of + consideration by all <a href="#p5068">68</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">18.</td> + <td colspan="3">The rabbins' foolish thoughts of Enoch's ascension refuted <a href="#p5069">69</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">19.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch doubtless had many temptations <a href="#p5069">69</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">20.</td> + <td colspan="3">Enoch ascended even bodily, and not with that life which he + now lives <a href="#p5070">70</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How and why God willed that the world should have in all + times a sign of the resurrection, and hence in the first + world Enoch ascended, in the second Elijah, and in the third Christ <a href="#p5071">71</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Lamentation over the unbelief of the world <a href="#p5072">72</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Christ's ascension more significant than Enoch's or Elijah's <a href="#p5073">73</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The chief doctrine of the first five chapters of Genesis <a href="#p5074">74</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How and why death and the resurrection of the dead are set forth <a href="#p5074">74</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br> +<br> +<h4>III. ENOCH.</h4> + +<p>44. There is one history, however, that of Enoch, the seventh from +Adam, which Moses was not willing to pass over for the reason of its +being extraordinarily remarkable. Still, even in this case he is +extremely brief.</p> + +<p>In the case of all the other patriarchs he mentions only the names and +the number of their years. Enoch, however, he delineates in such a +manner that he seems, in comparison, to slight the other patriarchs +and, as it were, to disparage them as if they were evil men, or at +least slighted of God. Did not Adam also, and Seth, and Cainan, +together with their descendants—did not all these, also, walk with +God? Why, then, does Moses ascribe this great honor to Enoch only? And +is the fact that God took Enoch to be understood as if the other +patriarchs are neither with God nor living? Yes, they all, like Enoch, +now live with God, and we shall behold them all, at the last day, +shining equally with Enoch, in the brightest glory!</p> + +<p>45. Why, then, does Moses discriminate in favor of Enoch? Why does he +not bestow the same praise upon the other patriarchs? Although they +died a natural death, and were not taken by God, yet, also they +"walked with God." We have heard above concerning Enosh that in his +times, likewise, mighty things were done. It was in his days that "men +began to call upon the name of Jehovah," that is, that the Word and +worship of God began to flourish; and as a result holy men once more +"walked with God." Why is it then, we repeat, that Moses does not laud +Enosh equally with Enoch? Why does he bestow such high praise on the +latter only? For his words are these:</p> +<a name="p5046"></a> +<p>Vs. 21-24. <i>And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah. +And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred +years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were +three hundred sixty and five years. And Enoch walked with God: and he +was not; for God took him.</i></p> + +<p>46. When Moses says that Enoch "walked with God," we must beware of +taking the monastic view in the premises, as if he had kept himself +secluded in some private corner, and there lived a monastic life. No, +so eminent a patriarch must be placed on a candlestick, or, as our +Saviour Christ expresses it, set as a city on a hill, that he may +shine forth in the public ministry.</p> +<a name="p5047"></a> +<p>47. It is as a bearer of such public office the Apostle Jude extols +him in his epistle, when he says: "To these also Enoch, the seventh +from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten +thousands of holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict +all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness, which they have +ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have +spoken against him," Jude vs. 14, 15. From what source Jude obtained +these facts I know not. Probably they remained in the memory of man +from the primitive age of the world; 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 tradition.</p> +<a name="p5048"></a> +<p>48. It is this public ministry that Moses lauds, exalting the pious +Enoch as a sun above all the other patriarchs and teachers of the +primeval world. Wherefore, we may gather from all these circumstances +that Enoch possessed a particular fullness of the Holy Spirit, and a +preeminent greatness of mind, seeing that he opposed with a strength +of faith excelling that of all the other patriarchs, Satan and the +church of the Cainites. To walk with God, is not, as we have before +observed, for a man to flee into a desert, or to conceal himself in +some corner, but to go forth in his vocation, and to set himself +against the iniquity and malice of Satan and the world, and to confess +the seed of the woman; to condemn the religion and the pursuits of the +world, and to preach, through Christ, another life after this.</p> +<a name="p5049"></a> +<p>49. This is the manner of life led for three hundred years by the +greatest prophet and high priest of his generation, Enoch, the man who +had six patriarchs for his teachers. Most deservedly, therefore, does +Moses extol him as a disciple of greatest eminence, taught and trained +by many patriarchal masters, and those the greatest and most +illustrious; and, moreover, so equipped with the Holy Spirit that he +was the prophet of prophets and the saint of saints in that primeval +world. The greatness of Enoch, then, consisted in the first place in +his office and ministry.</p> +<a name="p5050"></a> +<p>50. In the second place, he receives preeminent praise because it was +the will of God that he should be an example to the whole world in +verifying, and showing the comfort of, the faith in the future life. +This text, therefore, is worthy of being written in letters of gold +and of being deeply engraven in the inmost heart.</p> +<a name="p5051"></a> +<p>51. Here we have another view of what it means to walk with God. It is +to preach the life beyond this present life; to teach concerning the +seed to come, concerning the serpent's head that is to be bruised and +the kingdom of Satan that is to be destroyed. Such was the preaching +of Enoch, who nevertheless was a husband, and the father of a family; +who had a wife and children, who governed his household, and procured +his subsistence by the labor of his own hands. Wherefore say or think +no more about living in a monastery, which has merely the outward show +of walking with God. When this godly man had lived, after the birth of +Methuselah, 300 years in the truest religion, in faith, in patience +and in the midst of a thousand crosses, all of which he endured and +overcame by faith in the blessed seed to come, he appeared no more.</p> +<a name="p5052"></a> +<p>52. Mark how pregnant these words are with power! He does not say, as +he expresses himself concerning the other patriarchs, "and he died," +but "he was not," an expression that all scholars have come to regard +as a pure proof of the resurrection of the dead. In the Hebrew this +meaning is most strikingly brought out. And Enoch walked with God, and +<i>veenenu</i>, "he was not." The original signifies that Enoch was lost or +disappeared, contrary to the thought or expectation of all the other +patriarchs, and at once ceased to be among men.</p> +<a name="p5053"></a> +<p>53. Without doubt, at the severe loss of so great a man, both his +father and his grandfather were filled with grief and consternation; +for they well knew with what devotion he had taught the true religion, +and how many things he had suffered. When they had thus suddenly lost +such a man as Enoch, who had strong testimony of his godliness both +from men and from God himself, what do you think must have been their +feelings?</p> +<a name="p5054"></a> +<p>54. Find me, if you can, a poet or a fluent orator to do justice to +this text and to treat it with power! Enosh, Seth, and all the other +patriarchs knew not by whom or whither Enoch was taken away; they +sought him, but found him not. His son Methuselah sought him, and his +other children and his grandchildren sought him, but they found him +not. They suspected, no doubt, the malice of the Cainites, and they +probably thought that he was killed, as Abel was, and secretly buried.</p> + +<p>At length, however, they learned, through a revelation made to them of +God by an angel, that Enoch was taken away by God himself, into +paradise. This fact they probably did not know the first or the second +day after the translation, and perhaps not till many months, or it may +be many years, afterwards. In the meantime the holy men bewailed his +wretched lot, as if he had been slain by the Cainite hypocrites. It is +always the divine rule that the cross and affliction should precede +consolation. God never comforts any but the afflicted, just as he +never quickens unto life any but the dead, nor ever justifies any but +sinners! He always creates all things out of nothing.</p> +<a name="p5055"></a> +<p>55. It was a severe cross and affliction to the patriarchs when they +saw taken away from them, to appear nowhere among them, him who had +governed the whole world by his doctrine, and who had done so many +illustrious deeds in the course of his life. While these patriarchs +were mourning and bewailing the misfortune of the holy man, behold! +consolation was at hand, and it was revealed to them that the Lord had +"translated" Enoch! Such an expression we have not concerning any +other man than Enoch, except Elijah. God willed, therefore, to testify +by an object lesson, that he has prepared for his saints another life +after this life, in which they shall live forever with God.</p> +<a name="p5056"></a> +<p>56. The Hebrew verb <i>lakak</i> does not signify "translated" according to +the impression conveyed by our use of the word, but "received to +himself." These words are, accordingly, words of life, revealed by God +through some angel to the patriarch Enoch, and to the whole of that +generation of saints, that they might have the consolation and promise +of eternal life, not only through a word, but also through an act, as +before in the case of Abel. How delightful must have been to them this +proclamation, when they heard that Enoch was not dead, nor slain by +wicked men, nor taken away from them by the fraud or snares of Satan, +but translated; that is, "received to himself" by the living and +omnipotent God.</p> +<a name="p5057"></a> +<p>57. This is that bright gem which Moses sought to display in the +present chapter—that the omnipotent God did not take unto himself +geese, or cows, or blocks of wood, or stones, but a man, even Enoch, +to teach there was reserved for men another and better life than this +present one, so filled with evils and calamities of every kind. +Although Enoch was a sinner, yet the manner of his departure from this +life proved that God had prepared for him and brought him to another +and eternal life; for he entered upon the life with God, and God took +him to himself.</p> +<a name="p5058"></a> +<p>58. Accordingly, 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 seed. This is what living with God means, +not the mere animal life subject to corruption. Inasmuch as Enoch +constantly preached this doctrine, God verified and fulfilled this +preaching in the patriarch himself, that we might fully and surely +believe it; in that Enoch, a man like unto ourselves, born of flesh +and blood, as we also are, of the seed of Adam, was taken up into +heaven by God, and now lives the life of God, that is, an eternal +life.</p> +<a name="p5059"></a> +<p>59. Before the generation of patriarchs knew the facts in the case, 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 ken. Great, therefore, was the grief of the pious +parents and elders. 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 life.</p> +<a name="p5060"></a> +<p>60. This consolation God made known to Seth, 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 before, Seth having then +arrived at about his eight hundred and sixtieth year. Seth, being now +an old man and full of days and without doubt fully confirmed in the +faith of the blessed seed to come, and anxiously awaiting deliverance +from the body and earnestly desiring to be gathered to his people, +died with greater joy about fifty-two years afterward, because of the +translation of his son Enoch. Fifty-two years were indeed but a short +time for an old man wherein to make his will and visit all his +grandchildren, 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 God. +In this manner, doubtless, the aged saint employed his time among his +descendants, bidding farewell to and blessing each one. Full of years +and full of joy, he no doubt thus taught and comforted both himself +and them.</p> +<a name="p5061"></a> +<p>61. If I knew that I were appointed to die in six months' time, I +should scarcely find time enough wherein to make my will. I would +remind men of what had been the testimony of my preaching, exhort and +entreat them to continue and persevere therein, and warn and guard +them as far as my powers of mind could do so, against the offense of +false doctrine. All these things could not be done in one day, nor in +one month. Those fifty years during which Seth lived after the +translation of Enoch, formed but a very short period for him (for +spiritual men have an altogether different method of calculating time +than the children of this world) 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 life, a hope which God revealed to +his saints by the marvelous fact of his having taken to himself Enoch, +who was of the same flesh and blood with ourselves.</p> +<a name="p5062"></a> +<p>62. "Follow not," said he, "the evil inclinations of your nature, but +despise this present life and look forward to a better. For what evil +exists that is not found in this present life? To how many diseases, +to what great dangers, to what dreadful calamities, is it not subject? +to say nothing now of those evils which are the greatest of all +afflictions, those spiritual distresses which burden with anguish the +mind and conscience, such as the Law, sin, and death itself.</p> +<a name="p5063"></a> +<p>63. "Why is it then, that ye so anxiously expect such great +consolations from this present life as to seem incapable of ever being +completely satisfied? Were it not for the fact that God wants us to +live to proclaim him, to thank him, and to serve the brethren, life is +such as to suggest its voluntary termination. This service, therefore, +let us render unto God, with all diligence. Let us look forward with +continual sighs to that true life to which, my children, your brother +Enoch has been translated by the glorious God."</p> + +<p>These and like things the aged saint taught his people after his great +consolation had been revealed. There is no doubt that after it was +understood that Enoch was translated alive into immortality, they +longed for the time when they also might be delivered out of this +afflicted life, in the same manner, or at least by death.</p> +<a name="p5064"></a> +<p>64. If, then, those godly patriarchs of old so anxiously looked +forward to the eternal life and desired it to come, on account of Abel +and Enoch, whom they knew to be living with God, how much greater +ought to be our expectation and desire, who have Christ for our leader +unto eternal life, who is gone before, as Peter says in Acts 3, 20-26. +They believed in him as one to come; we know that he has become +manifest, and has gone to the Father to prepare for us a home, and to +sit at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Ought we not, +therefore, to sigh for those future things, and to hate those of the +present? It is not an Enoch or an Abel who sets before us, as those +patriarchs did before their people, the hope of a better life to come; +but Christ, the leader and author of life himself. It becomes us, +therefore, firmly to despise this life and world, and with swelling +breast to pant after the coming glory of eternal life.</p> +<a name="p5065"></a> +<p>65. 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 come. How is it possible that a fact +should not be most certain which has for witnesses not only Abel and +Enoch and Elijah, but also Christ himself, the head and the first +fruits of those that rise? Most worthy, therefore, the hatred of both +God and men are the wicked Epicureans; and most worthy our hatred also +is our own flesh, when we wholly plunge into temporal cares and +securely disregard the eternal blessings.</p> +<a name="p5066"></a> +<p>66. Worthy of note and carefully to be remembered is the statement +that Enoch was taken up and received, not by some patriarch or angel, +but by God himself. This was the very consolation which rendered the +deaths of the patriarchs endurable; yea, which enabled them to depart +from this life with joy. They saw that the seed which had been +promised them warred, even before he was revealed, with Satan, and +bruised, through Enoch, his head. Such was the hope entertained by +them concerning themselves and all their believing descendants, and, +in perfect security, they despised death as having ceased to be death, +as having become a sleep from which they were to awaken into life +eternal. "To them that believe," death is not really death, but a +sleep. When the terror, the power, and the sting of death are taken +away, it can no longer be considered death. The greater the faith of +the dying man, the weaker is death. On the other hand, the weaker the +faith of the dying man, the more bitter is death.</p> +<a name="p5067"></a> +<p>67. In this text we are also reminded of the nature of sin. If Adam +had not sinned, we should not have been dying men, but, like Enoch of +old, we should have been translated, without fear or pain, from this +animal life to that better and spiritual life. But although we have +forfeited that life, the present history of the patriarch Enoch +assures us that the restitution of paradise and of eternal life is not +to be despaired of. Our flesh cannot be free from pain, but where +conscience has obtained peace, death is no more than a swoon, by means +of which we pass out of this life into eternal rest. Had our nature +remained innocent, it would not have known such pain of the flesh. We +should have been taken up as if asleep, presently to awaken in heaven, +and to lead the life of the angels. Now, however, that the flesh is +defiled by sin, it must first be destroyed by death. As to Enoch, +perhaps he lay down in some grassy spot and fell asleep praying; and +sleeping he was taken up by God, without pain; without death.</p> +<a name="p5068"></a> +<p>68. 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 world. What fact could possibly inspire more +wonder and admiration than that a man, a corrupt sinner, born of flesh +and blood, as we are, and defiled as we are by that sin and +corruption, so obtained the victory over death as not to die at all! +Christ himself is man, and righteous, yet our sins caused him to +suffer the bitterest of all deaths; but he is delivered on the third +day, and lifts himself up unto life eternal. In Enoch there was the +singular fact that he died not at all, but was caught up, without +death intervening, to the life spiritual and eternal.</p> +<a name="p5069"></a> +<p>69. Emphatically deserving of aversion are the rabbins. The sublimest +passages of the Scriptures they shamefully corrupt. As a case in +point, they prate concerning Enoch that, while he was good and +righteous, he very much inclined toward carnal desires. God, +therefore, out of pity, prevented his sinning and perishing through +death. Is not this, I pray you, a shocking corruption of the text +before us? Why should they say concerning Enoch in particular, that he +was subject to the evil desires of the flesh? As if all the other +patriarchs did not experience the same. Why do they not notice the +repeated testimony of Moses, that Enoch "walked with God"? That is +certainly evidence that Enoch did not indulge those evil inclinations +of his flesh, but bravely overcame them by faith. The Jews when +speaking of the corrupt desires of the flesh have reference to lust, +avarice, pride, and similar promptings. Enoch, however, without doubt, +lived amid mightier temptations than these; like Paul, he felt that +"thorn in the flesh"; day by day he wrestled with Satan; and when, at +length, he was completely bruised and worn out with every kind of +temptation, God commanded him to depart from this life to the blessed +life to come.</p> +<a name="p5070"></a> +<p>70. What that life is which Enoch now lives, we who still continue to +be flesh and blood cannot possibly know. It is enough for us to know +that Enoch was translated in his body. This the patriarchs must have +clearly understood by revelation, and about to die, they needed this +comfort. This much we know also. But what that holy patriarch is now +doing, where he is, and how he lives, we know not. We know that he +lives; and we also know that the life he lives is not like unto this +animal life, but that he is with God. This the text before us +distinctly declares.</p> +<a name="p5071"></a> +<p>71. This fact, then, makes the narrative under consideration so +memorable that God intended to use it for the purpose of setting +before the old, primeval world the hope of a better life. Likewise, to +the second world, which had the Law, God gave the example of Elijah, +who also was taken up into heaven and translated by the Lord before +the very eyes of his own servant Elisha. We are now in the New +Covenant, in a third world, as it were. We have Christ himself, our +great deliverer, as our glorious example, who ascended into the +heavens, taking with him many of his saints.</p> + +<p>It was God's will to establish for every age a testimonial of the +resurrection of the dead, that he might thereby allure our minds by +all possible attractions from this corrupt and in many ways wretched +life, in which, however, we will gladly serve God as long as it shall +please him, by the faithful performance of all public and private +duties, and especially by instructing others in holiness and in the +knowledge of God. But, as the apostle says, we have here "no certain +dwelling-place," 1 Cor 4, 11. Christ, our forerunner, is gone before +us, that he might prepare for us, the eternal mansions, Jn 14, 2-3.</p> +<a name="p5072"></a> +<p>72. Just as we find many among us by whom such things are considered +absurd, and not sufficiently worthy of faith, so there is no doubt +that this account was deemed ridiculous by most people. The world is +ever the same. For that reason these things have by divine authority +been committed to writing and recorded for the saints and the +faithful, that these might read, understand, believe and heed them. +They present to our sight a manifest triumph over death and sin, and +afford us a sure comfort in Enoch's victory over the Law, and the +wrath and judgment of God. To the godly nothing can yield more grace +and joy than these antediluvian records.</p> +<a name="p5073"></a> +<p>73. But the New Testament truly overflows with the mercy of God. While +we do not discard records like these, we have others far superior. We +have the Son of God himself ascending to the skies, and sitting at the +right hand of God. In him we see the serpent's head completely +bruised, and the life lost in paradise restored. This is more than the +translation of Enoch and of Elijah; still, it was God's will in this +manner to administer comfort to the original world and also to the +succeeding one, which had the Law.</p> +<a name="p5074"></a> +<p>74. The paramount doctrine contained in these five chapters is, +accordingly, this: that men died and lived again. In Adam all men +died. But believers lived again through the promised seed, as the +history of Abel and Enoch testifies. In Adam, death was appointed for +Seth and all others; hence it is written of every one: "And he died." +But Abel and Enoch illustrate the resurrection from the dead and the +life immortal. The purpose intended is that we should not despair in +death but entertain the unwavering assurance that the believers in the +promised seed shall live, and be taken by God, whether from the water +or the fire or the gibbet, or the tomb. We desire to live, and we +shall live, namely the eternal life through the promised seed, which +remains when this is past.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents10"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">IV.</td> + <td colspan="4">LAMECH AND HIS SON NOAH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="3">LAMECH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">He lived at the time Enoch was taken to heaven <a href="#p5075">75</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">To what end Enoch's ascension served the holy patriarchs <a href="#p5075">75</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Lamech called his son Noah <a href="#p5076">76-77</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The erroneous comments of the rabbins taken by Lyra without + any good reason <a href="#p5078">78-79</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">On what Lamech's heart was centered at Noah's birth <a href="#p5079">79-81</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">How and why Lamech erred in the case of his son as Eve did at + Cain's birth <a href="#p5080">80</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The longing of the patriarchs for the Messiah was of the Holy + Spirit <a href="#p5081">81</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Complaint of the world's ingratitude <a href="#p5082">82</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The patriarchs' greatest treasure and desire <a href="#p5082">82</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Comparison of the three worlds <a href="#p5083">83-85</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the present world so lightly esteems Christ, whom the + patriarchs so highly revered <a href="#p5084">84</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The first world was the best, the last the worst <a href="#p5085">85</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p5075"></a> +<br> +<h4>IV. LAMECH AND HIS SON NOAH.</h4> + +<center>A. Lamech.</center> + +<p>Vs. 28-29. <i>And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat +a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us +in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the +ground which Jehovah hath cursed.</i></p> + +<p>75. Only incidentally Moses adverts in this account to the name of +Noah, which certainly deserves a somewhat careful examination. Lamech +was living when Enoch was taken away by God out of this life into the +other immortal life. 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 us, a husband, a man with +family, having sons, daughters, household, fields and cattle, 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 promise. +That Enoch was taken up living, to be with the Lord, appeared as a +salient display of divine mercy.</p> +<a name="p5076"></a> +<p>76. As Adam and Eve, after the reception of the promise, were so +absorbed in their hope that, in their joy to see a man like +themselves, they identified Cain with the promised seed, so in my +judgment Lamech committed a similar pious error when he gave his son +the name Noah, and said: This same shall comfort us, and shall deliver +us from the labors and sorrows of this life. Original sin, and the +punishment thereof, shall now cease. We shall now be restored to our +former innocent state. The curse shall now cease which rests on the +earth on account of the sin of Adam; and all the other miseries +inflicted on the human race on account of sin, shall also cease.</p> + +<p>77. Such considerations as these prompted Lamech to base upon the fact +of his grandfather's rapture into paradise unaccompanied by pain, +sickness and death, the hope that presently the whole of paradise was +to be ushered in. He concludes that Noah was the promised seed by whom +the earth was to be restored. This notion that the curse is about to +be lifted is expressed in unmistakable terms. Not so; neither the +curse of sin nor its penalty can be removed unless original sin itself +shall have been removed first.</p> +<a name="p5078"></a> +<p>78. The rabbins, those pestilent corrupters of the Scriptures, surely +deserve aversion. This is their interpretation of the passage in +question: He shall bring us rest from the toil and labor of our hands +by showing us an easier way of cultivating the earth. With a +plowshare, by a yoke of oxen, the earth shall be broken up; the +present mode of digging it with man's hand shall cease.</p> + +<p>I wonder that Lyra is satisfied with this interpretation, and follows +it. He ought to have been familiar with the unchanging practice of the +Jews to pervert Scripture by substituting a material meaning for a +spiritual one, in order to gain glory among men. 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 belly?</p> +<a name="p5079"></a> +<p>79. No; it was a much greater concern than this which filled his mind +with anxiety. It was the wrath of God, and death, with all the other +calamities of this life. His hope was that Noah, as the promised seed, +would put an end to these evils. And therefore it was that he thus +exulted with joy at the birth of this his son, predicted good things, +and called upon others to join him in the same hope. His thoughts did +not dwell upon the plow, nor upon oxen, nor upon other trivial things +of the kind pertaining to this present life, as the blind Jews rave. +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 +paradise, in which there was no curse. As if he had said: Now we feel +the curse in the very labors of our hands. We toil and sweat in +cultivating the earth, yet it yields us in return nothing but briers +and thorns. But there shall arise a new and happy age. The curse on +the earth which was inflicted on account of sin shall cease, because +sin shall cease. This is the true meaning of the text before us.</p> +<a name="p5080"></a> +<p>80. But the holy father was deceived. The glory of bringing about that +renewal belonged, not to the son of a man but to the Son of God. The +rabbins are silly. Although the earth is not dug by the hands of men, +but by the use of oxen, yet the labor of man's hand has not ceased. +Enoch, by his translation, does not disclose the solace of bodily +easement, agreeable to the belly, but deliverance from sin and death. +Lamech hoped, in addition, for the restoration of the former state. He +believed to see the inauguration of this change in his grandfather +Enoch, and felt assured that the deliverance, or the renewal of all +things, was close at hand. Just so Eve, as we have already observed, +when she brought forth her first-born son Cain, said, I have gotten a +man with the help of Jehovah, one who shall take away all these +punishments inflicted on sin, and bring about our restoration. But, +like Eve, the good and holy Lamech was deceived in his ardent longing +for the restoration of the world.</p> +<a name="p5081"></a> +<p>81. All these anxieties plainly show how those holy patriarchs longed +for, hoped for, and sighed for, that great "restitution of all +things," Acts 3, 21. Although they herein erred, even as Eve erred and +was deceived with respect to Cain, this desire for deliverance in +itself, was of the Holy Spirit, and proved the truth and constancy of +their faith in the promised seed. When Eve named her son Cain, and +when Lamech called his son Noah, these names were but birth cries, as +the apostle represents them, of the whole creation, groaning and +travailing in pain together, and earnestly expecting the resurrection +of the dead, deliverance from sin, the restoration of all things, and +the manifestation of the sons of God, Rom 8, 19-23. The simplest and +true meaning, accordingly, is that Lamech, after seeing the reality of +the future life demonstrated by the translation of Enoch from the +afflictions and toils caused by sin, has a son born to him, whom he +calls Noah, which means rest, an expression of the hope that +deliverance from the curse of sin and sin itself shall take place +through him. This interpretation accords with the analogy of faith, +and confirms the hope for a resurrection and a life eternal.</p> +<a name="p5082"></a> +<p>82. Such longing for the future life on the part of the holy men whose +shoes we are unworthy to clean, contrasts strangely with the horrible +ingratitude of our time. How great the difference between having and +wishing! Those patriarchs were men of transcendent holiness, equipped +with the highest endowments, the heroes of the world! In them we +behold the strongest desire for the seed which is to come; that is +their greatest treasure; they thirst, they hunger, they yearn, they +pant for Christ! And we, who have Christ among us, who know him as one +revealed, offered, glorified, sitting at the right hand of God and +making intercession for us—we despise him and hold him in greater +contempt than any other creature! O, the wretchedness of it! O, the +sin of it!</p> +<a name="p5083"></a> +<p>83. Note the difference between the several ages of the world! The +primeval age was the most excellent and holy. It contained the noblest +jewels of the whole human race. After the flood there still existed +many great and eminent men—patriarchs, and kings, and prophets; and +although they were not the equals of the patriarchs before the flood, +yet in them also there appeared a bright longing for Christ, as Christ +says: "For I say unto you, that many prophets and kings desired to see +the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things +which ye hear, and heard them not," Lk 10, 24. And then there is our +own age, the age of the New Testament; to this Christ has been +revealed. This age is, as it were, the waste and dregs of the whole +world. It holds nothing in greater contempt than Christ, than whom a +previous age knew nothing more precious.</p> +<a name="p5084"></a> +<p>84. What is the cause of this grave state of affairs? To be sure, our +flesh, the world, and the devil. We altogether loathe what we have, +according to the proverb:</p> + +<center><i>Omne rarum carum; vilescit quotidianum.</i><br> +"All that's rare, is dear; vile is what is here."</center> + +<p>And apt is the poetic truism:</p> + +<center><i>Minuit praesentia famam.</i><br> +"Sight levels what fancy has exalted."</center> + +<p>As far as the revelation is concerned, we are far richer than the +patriarchs. But their devotion to a comparatively inferior revelation +was greater; they were lovers of the bridegroom. We, on the other +hand, are that fat, bloated, wanton servant, Deut 32, 15; for we have +the Word and are overwhelmed by the abundance of it.</p> +<a name="p5085"></a> +<p>85. In the same degree as the first world was excellent and holy, the +latter-day world is evil and wicked. In view of the fact, then, that +God did not spare the first, primitive world, and destroyed the second +world by overturning kingdom after kingdom, and government after +government, what shall we expect to be the end of this latter-day +world which in security despises the Christ, the desire of nations, as +he is called by Haggai, in spite of the fact that he urges himself +upon us to the point of weariness!</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents11"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="4">NOAH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">Remarkableness of the fact that Noah refrained so long from + wedlock <a href="#p5086">86</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">He was fit to marry, but had reasons for abstaining <a href="#p5087">87</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">What his reasons were <a href="#p5088">88</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">His chastity is highly praised by Moses in few words <a href="#p5089">89</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">The Jews' lies about the reasons for his chastity refuted + <a href="#p5090">90-91</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The Jews' lies as to why Shem was called the first-born <a href="#p5091">91</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Papists without reason take offense at Moses relating so much + about the birth of the children of the patriarchs <a href="#p5092">92-93</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah shines like a bright star as an example of chastity + among all the patriarchs <a href="#p5093">93</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah remained single, not because he despised marriage; and + why he finally married <a href="#p5094">94</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">How his sons were born one after the other <a href="#p5095">95-97</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Shem was preferred to Japheth <a href="#p5096">96</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How to meet the objections to the birth of Noah's sons <a href="#p5097">97</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah an excellent example of chastity <a href="#p5098">98</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The threefold world.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">The first world a truly golden age and the most holy. How + and why it was punished by God <a href="#p5099">99-100</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The second world is full of idolatry, and will be severely + punished by God <a href="#p5100">100</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">The third world is the worst, and hence can expect the + hardest punishment <a href="#p5101">101</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">The punishment of these three worlds portrayed in the + colors of the rainbow <a href="#p5101">101</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">How believing hearts act upon considering sin and the + world's punishment <a href="#p5102">102</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p5086"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. NOAH.</h4> + +<p>V. 32. <i>And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, +and Japheth.</i></p> + +<p>86. Here again we meet with surprising brevity. As is his custom, +Moses expresses in the fewest possible words the greatest and most +important things, which the ignorant reader passes by unobserved. But +you will say, perhaps, Of what import is it that Noah first begat sons +when he was five hundred years old? Why, if Noah had no children all +those 500 years, he either endured that length of time the severe +trial of unfruitfulness or, as appears to me more likely, he abstained +from marriage all those years, setting an example of most marvelous +chastity. I do not speak here of the abominable chastity of the +Papists; nor of our own. Look at the prophets and the apostles, and +even at some of the other patriarchs, who doubtless were chaste and +holy. But what are they in comparison with this man Noah, who, +possessed of masculine vigor, managed to live a chaste life without +marriage for five hundred years?</p> +<a name="p5087"></a> +<p>87. Now you will scarcely find one in a thousand among the men of our +age who, at the age of thirty, has not known woman. Moreover, Noah, +after he had lived a single life for so many centuries, at length took +to himself a wife, and begat children; which latter fact carries its +own proof that he was in a state appropriate for marriage prior to +this, and had a definite reason for practicing continence.</p> +<a name="p5088"></a> +<p>88. In the first place, it is evident that such unequaled chastity +must necessarily have been a peculiar gift of God. It evinced a nature +almost angelic. It does not seem a thing possible in the nature of man +to live 500 years without knowing a wife. In the next place these five +centuries of chastity in Noah manifest some signal displeasure with +the world. 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 tyrants, filling the world with +violence? He thought in consequence, that he would rather have no +children at all than such as those. 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 +angel. He who had refrained from marriage for 500 years might have +refrained during all the rest of his life.</p> +<a name="p5089"></a> +<p>89. In this manner Moses explains in brief words exceedingly weighty +facts, and, what the ignorant reader would never observe owing to the +failure of chastity being mentioned in express words, he commends the +chastity of Noah above that of all the other inhabitants of the +primeval world, setting him up as an example of all but angelic +chastity.</p> +<a name="p5090"></a> +<p>90. The Jews, according to their custom, play the fool, and fable that +Noah for centuries denied himself a wife because he knew that God +would destroy the world by the flood. If, therefore, Noah had married, +like all the other patriarchs, in the earlier part of his life—that +is, when he was about a hundred years old or less—he himself would +have peopled the world in the space of 400 years; and then God would +have been compelled to destroy both the father himself and the whole +of his progeny. To this fable they add the other, that Shem was called +the first-born for the reason that he was the first to receive +circumcision.</p> +<a name="p5091"></a> +<p>91. In a word, these Jews corrupt everything and twist it to suit +their own carnal bent and ambition. If Noah abstained from marriage +for the reason which they assign, why did not all the other +patriarchs, for the same reason, abstain from marriage and fatherhood? +These comments of the rabbins are accordingly frivolous and +nonsensical. Why do they not rather urge the real cause, that it was a +special gift that Noah, a vigorous man, abstained from marriage for +five hundred years? Throughout the course of time no instance of such +continence is found.</p> +<a name="p5092"></a> +<p>92. The book of Genesis highly offends the Papists because it mentions +so often that the fathers begat sons and daughters. 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 +wives; and they consider it obscene that Moses should make mention of +such things with such attention to detail. But, in the impurity of +their hearts, they can not refrain from befouling the most exalted +chastity.</p> +<a name="p5093"></a> +<p>93. If you would really behold the brightest examples of chastity the +whole world contains, read Moses as he relates that the patriarchs did +not marry until they were of advanced age. Among them Noah shines +forth a star of first magnitude, inasmuch as he did not marry until he +had reached the five hundredth year of his life. Where will you find +such eminent examples of chastity in the papacy? Although there are +some among the Papists who do not actually sin with their bodies, yet +how foul and filthy are their minds! And all this is judgment upon +their contempt for marriage, which God himself has designed to be a +remedy for the corruption of nature.</p> +<a name="p5094"></a> +<p>94. Another reason why Noah refrained from marriage has been +mentioned. He did not condemn marriage, nor did he consider it to be a +profane or impure manner of life; but he saw that the descendants of +the elder patriarchs had degenerated to the level of the ungodly +generation of the Cainites. Such children as these he felt he could +not endure; he rather waited, in the fear of God, the end of the +world. When afterwards he did enter into marriage, and begat children, +he no doubt did it by reason of some particular admonition and command +of God.</p> +<a name="p5095"></a> +<p>95. Here a question naturally arises concerning the order in which +Noah's sons were born. It will be worth our while to inquire into this +matter, so that our computation of the years of the world may have a +reliable basis. The common opinion is that Shem was the first-born of +Noah, because his name is mentioned first in order. The testimony of +Scripture, however, compels us to conclude that Japheth was the +first-born, Shem the second, and Ham the last. The truth of this is +proved in the following manner: Shem begat his son Arpachshad two +years after the flood, when he was 100 years old, Gen 11, 10. Hence +Shem was 98 years old when the flood came, and Noah, when Shem was +born, was 498 years old. But Japheth was evidently born before Shem, +for he was the elder brother, Gen 10, 21. It plainly follows, +therefore, that only Ham, the youngest brother, was born when Noah was +500 years old.</p> +<a name="p5096"></a> +<p>96. The reason why Shem is mentioned before Japheth is not because he +was first circumcised, as the Jews, who always are hunting carnal +glory, falsely claim, but because it was through him that Christ, the +promised seed, was to come. For the same reason, Abraham, the +youngest, is given precedence to his brothers, Haran and Nahor.</p> +<a name="p5097"></a> +<p>97. But you will perhaps say, How does this agree with the text which +positively says, "Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begat +Shem, Ham and Japheth"? Harmony is restored if you make out of the +preterit a pluperfect, and read the passage thus:—When Noah was five +hundred years old he had begotten Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Moses does +not record the particular year in which each son was born, but merely +mentions the year in which the number of sons born to Noah reached +three. Thus the biblical record is reduced to harmony.</p> +<a name="p5098"></a> +<p>98. As conclusion to the fifth chapter Moses presents the finest and +most noteworthy example of chastity. Saintly and continent throughout +his career, Noah had just rounded out his fifth century when he began +married life. Thus far, he had renounced matrimony, repelled by the +licentiousness of the young, who were drifting into the depravity of +the Cainites. Notwithstanding, at the call of God, he obediently +entered upon marriage, although it was quite possible for him to +remain chaste, as a celibate.</p> +<a name="p5099"></a> +<p>99. Such is the description given by Moses of the first, the original +world, in five brief chapters. But it is readily seen that in the +beginning was the real golden age of which poets have made mention, +their information being doubtless the traditions and the utterances of +the fathers.</p> +<a name="p5100"></a> +<p>100. But as the sins of men increased, God spared not the old world, +but destroyed it by a flood utterly, even as he did not spare it when +under the dispensation of the Law. Because of its idolatry and the +impiousness of its worship, he not only overturned one kingdom after +another, but even his own people, the Jews, having been severely +punished at his hands by various afflictions and captivities, were at +length utterly destroyed by the Roman armies.</p> +<a name="p5101"></a> +<p>101. Our age, which is the third age of the world, although it is the +age of grace, 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 them. This age therefore shall not be punished by temporal +punishment, but by eternal death and eternal fire, or, if I may so +express it, by a flood of fire. The very rainbow even, with its +colors, contains a prophetic intimation of these things. The first +color is sea-green, representing the destruction of the first world by +the waters of the flood, because of violence and lust; the middle +color of the bow is yellow, prefiguring the various calamities by +which God avenged the idolatry and wickedness of the second age; the +third and last color of the bow is fiery red, for fire shall at length +consume the world, with all its iniquities and sins.</p> +<a name="p5102"></a> +<p>102. Wherefore, let us constantly pray that God may so rule our hearts +by his fear and may so fill us with confidence in his mercy, that we +are able with joy to await our deliverance and the righteous +punishment of this ungodly world. Amen. Amen.</p> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3>CHAPTER VI.</h3> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents12"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">I.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE SINS OF THE FIRST WORLD, THE CAUSE OF ITS DESTRUCTION.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">How this chapter and the preceding one are connected <a href="#p6001">1</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">It is terrible that God destroyed by a flood the first world, + which was the best <a href="#p6002">2</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">Of pride and the proud.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">How God humbles what is high and grand in the eyes of the + world and has the best gifts <a href="#p6003">3-4</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How man can meet the judgments of God <a href="#p6004">4</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">The more gifts man has the greater his pride <a href="#p6005">5</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">The most terrible examples of punishment God gives in the + case of the proud and such examples should be diligently + pondered <a href="#p6006">6-7</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The complaint that the world is hardened by reason of God's + judgments <a href="#p6007">7-8</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">How the ancient world was misled into pride through its gifts + <a href="#p6009">9-10</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">Pride is the common weakness of human nature <a href="#p6011">11</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">In what ways man is moved to pride <a href="#p6012">12-13</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">The chief sin of the old world <a href="#p6014">14-15</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Pride is the spring of all vices <a href="#p6015">15</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the old world sinned against the first table of the + law, and brought on the sins against the second table <a href="#p6016">16</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">How and why God punished the old world <a href="#p6017">17</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">From the punishment of the first world we conclude that + the last world will be also punished <a href="#p6018">18</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether the first world was wicked before Noah's birth; on + what occasion its wickedness increased <a href="#p6019">19</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Noah the martyr of martyrs <a href="#p6020">20</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Lamech called his son Noah <a href="#p6021">21</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">How sin greatly increased in the days of Noah <a href="#p6022">22</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Noah remained unmarried so long, which was his + greatest cross <a href="#p6023">23</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">When the wickedness of the old world began <a href="#p6024">24</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Concerning unchastity.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>It is the foundation of all want and misery <a href="#p6024">24</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>It is the spring of many other sins <a href="#p6025">25</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>How to remedy it <a href="#p6025">25</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(4)</td> + <td>Whether bearing children is in itself to be reckoned + as unchastity, and how far Moses denounces it <a href="#p6026">26</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(5)</td> + <td>Unchastity makes the bearing of children difficult <a href="#p6027">27</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">g.</td> + <td colspan="2">The reason the sons of God looked upon the daughters of + men <a href="#p6028">28</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">h.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the sin of the first world was not so terrible as the + sin of the second <a href="#p6029">29-30</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">i.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the first world changed through the marriages of Adam + and the other patriarchs <a href="#p6030">30-32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The sons of God.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>What is understood by them <a href="#p6032">32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>The rabbins' fables about the sons of God, how to refute them <a href="#p6033">33-34</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>What is to be held concerning the "Incubis" and "Succubis" <a href="#p6034">34-35</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>How the deluge came because of the sons of God <a href="#p6036">36</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(4)</td> + <td>To what end should the fall and punishment of the sons + of God serve us <a href="#p6037">37-38</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Should the Romish church be called holy <a href="#p6037">37</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How the children of God became the children of the devil <a href="#p6038">38</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How Noah had to spend his life among a host of villains <a href="#p6039">39</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The conduct of the world when God sends it righteous servants <a href="#p6040">40</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6001"></a> +<br> +<h4>I. THE SINS OF THE PRIMEVAL WORLD IN GENERAL THE CAUSE OF ITS +DESTRUCTION.</h4> + +<p>1. 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 it. In these five chapters the chronicles as +in the first book, so to speak, the happiest period of the whole human +race and of the world before the flood. Now we shall begin what may be +termed the second book of Genesis, containing the history of the +flood. It shows the destruction of all the offspring of Cain and the +eternal preservation of the generation of the righteous; for while +everything perishes in the flood, the generation of the righteous is +saved as an eternal world.</p> +<a name="p6002"></a> +<p>2. It is appalling that the whole human race except eight persons is +destroyed, in view of the fact that this was truly the golden age; for +succeeding ages do not equal the old world in glory, greatness and +majesty. And if God visited with destruction his own perfect creation +and the very glory of the human race, we have just cause for fear.</p> +<a name="p6003"></a> +<p>3. In inflicting this punishment, God followed his own peculiar way. +Whatever is most exalted he particularly overthrows and humiliates. +Peter says in 2 Peter 2, 5: God "spared not the ancient world;" and he +would imply that it was, in comparison with succeeding ages, a +veritable paradise. Neither did he spare the sublimest creatures—the +angels—nor the kings ruling his people, nor the first-born of all +times. But the more highly they were blessed with gifts, the more +sternly he punished them when they began to misuse his gifts.</p> +<a name="p6004"></a> +<p>4. The Holy Spirit says in the ninth verse of the second psalm, +concerning kings: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou +shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." But is it not the +Lord himself who has ordained kings and wills that all men should +honor and obey them? Here he condemns and spurns the wisdom of the +prudent and the righteousness of the righteous. It is God's proper and +incessant work to condemn what is most magnificent, to cast down the +most exalted and to defeat the strongest, though they be his own +creatures. He does this, however, that abundant evidence of his wrath +may terrify the ungodly and may arouse us to despair of ourselves and +to trust in his power alone. We must either live under the shadow of +God's wing, in faith in his grace, or we must perish.</p> +<a name="p6005"></a> +<p>5. After the fall it came to pass that the more one was blessed with +gifts, the greater was his pride. This was the sin of the angels who +fell. This was the sin of the primitive world, in which the grandest +people of the race lived; but because they prided themselves in their +wisdom and other gifts, they perished. This was the sin of the +greatest kings. This was the sin of nearly all the first-born. But +what is the need of so many words? This is original sin—that we fail +to recognize and rightly use the great and precious gifts of God.</p> +<a name="p6006"></a> +<p>6. That the greatest men must furnish the most abhorrent examples is +not the fault of the gifts and blessings, but of those to whom they +are intrusted. God is a dialectician and judges the person by the +thing,<small><small><sup>1</sup></small></small> meting out destruction to the thing or gift as well as to +its possessor.</p> + +<blockquote><small><small><sup>1</sup></small> <i>ut arguat a conjugatis.</i></small></blockquote> +<a name="p6007"></a> +<p>7. It is expedient to give heed to such examples. They are given that +the proud may fear and be humbled, and that we may learn our utter +dependence upon the guidance and will of God, who resisteth the proud +but giveth grace to the humble. Lacking the understanding and practice +of these truths, man falls continually—kings, nobles, saints, one +after the other, filling the world with examples of the wrath and +judgment of God. The Blessed Virgin sings: "He hath scattered the +proud in the imagination of their heart. He hath put down the princes +from their thrones, and hath exalted them of low degree." Lk 1, 51-53.</p> + +<p>8. Full of such examples are all ages, all princely courts, all lands. +Yet, by the grace of Saint Diabolus, the prince of this world, our +hearts are so hard that we are not moved by all this to fear; rather +to disdain, though we feel and see that we also shall incur +destruction. Blessed are they, therefore, who heed, and are moved by +such examples of wrath to be humble and to live in the fear of God.</p> +<a name="p6009"></a> +<p>9. Consider, then, the preeminence of the old world, that perished in +the flood. It possessed apparently the best, holiest and noblest men, +compared with whom we are as the dregs of the world. For the +Scriptures do not say that they were wicked and unjust among +themselves, but toward God. "He saw," says Moses, "that they were +evil." The eyes of God perceive and judge quite differently from the +eyes of men. He says in Isaiah 55, 8-9: "Neither are your ways my +ways.... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways +higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."</p> + +<p>10. These tyrants and giants were esteemed and honored among +themselves as the wisest and most just of men. So in our day kings and +princes, popes and bishops, theologians, physicians, jurists and +noblemen occupy exalted places and receive honor as the very gems and +luminaries of the human race. More deservedly did the children of God +in the old world receive such honor, because they excelled in power +and possessed many gifts. Nevertheless, falling into pride and +contempt of God while enjoying his blessings, they were rejected by +God and destroyed, together with their gifts, as if they had been the +lowest and vilest of the human race.</p> +<a name="p6011"></a> +<p>11. And this is a common failing of our human nature. It necessarily +puffs itself up and prides itself on its gifts unless restrained by +the Holy Spirit. I have often said that a man has no more dangerous +enemy than himself. It is my own experience that I have not without me +so great cause for fear as within me; for it is our inner gifts that +incite our nature to pride.</p> +<a name="p6012"></a> +<p>12. As God, who is by nature most kind, cannot refrain from gracing +and showering us with various gifts: health, property, wisdom, skill, +knowledge of Scripture, etc., so we cannot refrain from priding +ourselves upon these gifts and flaunting them. Wretched is our life +when we lack the gifts of God, but twice wretched is it when we have +them; for they tend to make us doubly wicked. Such is the corruption +of original sin, though all but believers are either unaware of its +existence or regard it a trivial thing.</p> + +<p>13. Such corruption is perceptible not only in ourselves but in +others. How property inflates pride though it occupies relatively the +lowest place among blessings! The rich, be they noblemen, +city-dwellers or peasants, deem other people as flies. To even a +greater extent are the higher gifts abused—wisdom and righteousness. +Possession of these gifts, then, makes inevitable this condition—God +cannot suffer such pride and we cannot refrain from it.</p> +<a name="p6014"></a> +<p>14. This was the sin of that primeval world. Among Cain's descendants +were good and wise men, who, nevertheless, before God were most +wicked, for they prided themselves upon their gifts and despised God, +the author. Such offense the world does not perceive and condemn; God +alone is its judge.</p> +<a name="p6015"></a> +<p>15. Where these spiritual vices exist and flourish, the lapse into +carnal ones is imminent. According to Sirach 10, 14, sin begins with +falling from God. The devil's first fall is from heaven into hell; +that is, from the first table of the Law into the second. When people +begin to be godless—when they do not fear and trust God, but despise +him, his Word and his servants—the result is that from the true +doctrine they pass into heretical delusions and teach, defend and +cultivate them. These sins in the eyes of the world are accounted the +greatest holiness, and their authors alone are reputed religious, +God-fearing and just, and held to constitute the Church, the family of +God. People are unable to judge concerning the sins of the first +table. Those who despise God sooner or later fall into abominable +adultery, theft, murder and other gross sins against the second table.</p> +<a name="p6016"></a> +<p>16. The purpose of my statements is to make plain that the old world +was guilty, not only of sin against the second table, but most of all +of sin against the first table by making a fine, but deceptive and +false show of wisdom, godliness, devotion and religion. As a result of +the ungodliness which flourished in opposition to the first table, +there followed that moral corruption of which Moses speaks in this +chapter, that the people polluted themselves with all sorts of lust +and afterward filled the world with oppression, bloodshed and wrong.</p> +<a name="p6017"></a> +<p>17. Because the ungodly world had trampled both tables under foot, God +came to judge it, who is a consuming fire and a jealous God. He so +punishes ungodliness that he turns everything into sheer desolation, +and neither government nor the governed remain. We may, therefore, +infer that the world was the better the nearer it was to Adam, but +that it degenerated from day to day until our time, when the +offscouring and lowest filth of humanity, as it were, are living.</p> +<a name="p6018"></a> +<p>18. Now, if God did not spare a world endowed with so many and great +gifts, what have we to hope for, who, offal that we are, are subject +to far greater misfortune and wretchedness? But if it please God, +spare the Roman pontiff and his holy bishops, who do not believe such +things! I now come to my text.</p> +<a name="p6019"></a> +<p>Vs. 1-2. <i>And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face +of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God +saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives +of all that they chose.</i></p> + +<p>19. This is a very brief but comprehensive account. The text must not +be understood to mean that the world did not increase until the five +hundredth year of Noah. The more ancient patriarchs are embraced in +this statement. This is demonstrated by the fact that Noah had no +daughters. The reference in the text to "daughters" certainly must be +understood as referring to the by-gone age of Lamech, Methuselah, +Enoch and others. The world, accordingly, was corrupt and evil before +Noah was born, particularly when licentiousness began to prevail after +the death of Adam, whose authority, as the first father, they feared.</p> +<a name="p6020"></a> +<p>20. I have said that Noah was a virgin above all others; I may add he +was the greatest of all martyrs. Our so-called martyrs, compared with +him, have infinite advantage in strength received from the Holy +Spirit, by which death is overcome and all trials and perils are +escaped. Noah lived among the unrighteous for six hundred years, and +like Lot at Sodom, not without numerous and dire perils and trials.</p> +<a name="p6021"></a> +<p>21. This was, perhaps, one reason why Father Lamech gave his son the +name Noah at his birth. When the holy patriarch saw evil abounding in +the world, he entertained the hope concerning his son that he should +comfort the righteous by opposing sin and its author, Satan, and +restoring lost righteousness.</p> +<a name="p6022"></a> +<p>22. However, the wickedness that began then, not only failed to cease +under Noah, but rather grew greater. Hence Noah is the martyr of +martyrs. 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 +wickedness?</p> +<a name="p6023"></a> +<p>23. The opinion before expressed I maintain, 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 +saints. This sight of man's wickedness was his greatest cross, as +Peter says of Lot in Sodom (2 Pet 2, 8): "That righteous man dwelling +among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day +to day with their lawless deeds."</p> +<a name="p6024"></a> +<p>24. Accordingly, the increase of humanity of which Moses speaks has +not reference alone to the time of Noah, but also to the age of the +other patriarchs. It was there that the violation of the first table +commenced—in the contempt manifested for Jehovah and his Word. This +was followed later by such gross offenses as oppression, tyranny and +lewdness, which Moses explicitly mentions and names first as the cause +of evil. Consult all history, study the Greek tragedies and the +affairs of barbarians and Romans of all times, and you find lust the +mother of every kind of trouble. It can not be otherwise. Where God's +Word remains unknown or unheeded, men will plunge into lust.</p> +<a name="p6025"></a> +<p>25. Lust draws in its train endless other evils, as pride, oppression, +perjury and the like. These sins can be attacked only as men, through +the first table, learn to fear and to trust in God. Then it is that +they follow the Word as a lamp going before in the dark, and they will +not indulge in such scandalous deeds, but will rather beware of them. +With violation of the first table, however, the spread of passions and +sins of every description is inevitable.</p> +<a name="p6026"></a> +<p>26. But it seems strange that Moses should enumerate in the catalog of +sins the begetting of daughters. He had found it commendable in the +case of the patriarchs. It is even enjoyed by the ungodly as a +blessing of God. Why, therefore, does Moses call it a sin?</p> + +<p>I reply, he does not condemn the fact of procreation as such, but the +abuse of it, resulting from original sin. To be endowed with royal +majesty, wisdom, wealth and bodily strength is a goodly blessing. It +is God who bestows these gifts. But when men, in possession of these +blessings, fail to reverence the first table, and by means of these +very gifts do violence to it, such wickedness merits punishment. +Therein is the reason for Moses' peculiar words: "The sons of God saw +the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of +all that they chose," without consideration of God or of law, natural +or statutory.</p> +<a name="p6027"></a> +<p>27. The first table having been despised, the second shares the same +fate. Desire occupies the principal place and in contempt for +procreation it becomes purely bestial; whereas God has instituted +matrimony as an aid to feeble nature and chiefly for the purpose of +procreation. But when lust in this manner has gained the upper hand, +all commandments, those that go before and that follow, are ruthlessly +broken and dishonored. Parental honor becomes insecure; men do not +shrink from doing murder; from alienating property, speaking false +testimony, etc.</p> +<a name="p6028"></a> +<p>28. The word <i>jiru</i>, "saw," does not merely signify "to view," but "to +view with pleasure and enjoyment." This meaning often occurs in the +psalms, for instance: "Mine eye also hath seen my desire on mine +enemies," Ps 92, 11; that is, shall with pleasure see vengeance +executed upon my enemies. The meaning here is that, after turning +their eyes from God and his Word, they turned them, filled with lust, +upon the daughters of men. The sequence is unerring that, from the +violation of the first table, men rush to the violation of the second. +After despising God they despised also the laws of nature and, as they +pleased, they married whom they chose.</p> +<a name="p6029"></a> +<p>29. These are rather harsh words, and yet it is my opinion that lust +continued hitherto within certain limits, inasmuch as they neither +committed incest with their mothers, as later the inhabitants of +Canaan, nor polluted themselves with the vice of the Sodomites. 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 lust, selecting only as passion directed and against the +will of the parents.</p> +<a name="p6030"></a> +<p>30. It seems the patriarchs had strictly forbidden to contract +alliances with the offspring of Cain, just as, later, the Jews could +not lawfully mingle with the Canaanites. Though there are not wanting +those who write that incestuous marriages existed before the flood, +blood-relationship being held to be no barrier, I yet infer from the +fact that Peter has extolled the old world, that such incestuous +atrocities did not exist at that time, but that the sin of the ancient +world consisted rather in men marrying whom they pleased, and as many +wives from the Cainites as they chose, ignoring parental authority and +controlled alone by passion. It is, therefore, a harsh word—"All +which they chose."</p> + +<p>31. I have shown, on various occasions, that the two generations, or +churches, of Adam and Cain were separate. For, as Moses clearly +states, Adam expelled the murderer from his association. Without +doubt, therefore, Adam also exhorted his offspring to avoid the church +of the evil-doers and not to mingle with the accursed generation of +Cain. And for a while his counsel or command was obeyed.</p> +<a name="p6032"></a> +<p>32. But when Adam died and the authority of the other patriarchs +became an object of scorn, the sons of God who had the promise of the +blessed seed and themselves belonged to the blessed seed, craved from +the tribe of the ungodly, intercourse and espousal. He tersely calls +the sons of the patriarchs the "sons of God," since to them was given +the promise of the blessed seed and they constituted the true Church. +Yielding to the corruptions of the Cainite church they indulged the +flesh themselves and took from the tribe of Cain, as wives and +mistresses, whom and as many as they chose. This Lamech and Noah saw +with pain, and for that reason, perhaps, deferred entering upon +marriage.</p> +<a name="p6033"></a> +<p>33. In reference to this point the Jews fancy foolish things. They +interpret the sons of God to signify demon-lechers by whom that +impious generation was begotten, and that they were called the sons of +God by reason of their spiritual nature. The more moderate ones, +however, refute such folly and represent the sons of the mighty. This +has been aptly disproved by Lyra; for the punishment of the deluge +befell, not alone the mighty, but all flesh, as shall the doom at the +last day.</p> +<a name="p6034"></a> +<p>34. But as regards the demon-lechers and strumpets (incubi and +succubi), I do not deny—nay, I believe—that a demon may be either a +lecher or a strumpet, for I have heard men cite their own experience. +Augustine says that he heard this from trustworthy people whom he was +constrained to believe. Satan is pleased when he can deceive us in +this manner, by assuming the form either of a young man or a young +woman. But that anything may be begotten by a devil and a human being +is simply false. We hear of monstrous births of demon-like features, +and I have even seen some. I am of opinion, however, that they have +been deformed by the devil, but not begotten: or that they are real +devils with a human body either simulated or purloined. For if the +devil, by divine permission, may take possession of the whole man and +change his mind, is it strange that he may disfigure also his body, +causing men to be born sightless or cripples?</p> + +<p>35. Hence, the devil may so deceive frivolous people and such as live +without the fear of God that when the devil is in bed, a young man may +think that he has a girl with him, and a girl that she has a youth +with her; but that anything may be born from such concubinage I do not +believe. Many sorceresses have at one time or another been subjected +to death at the stake on account of their intercourse with demons. If +the devil can deceive eyes and ears so that they fancy they see and +hear things which do not exist, how much easier is it for him to +deceive the sense of touch, which is in this nature exceedingly gross! +But enough! These explanations have no bearing upon the present text, +and we have been led to them merely by Jewish babbling.</p> +<a name="p6036"></a> +<p>36. The true meaning is that Moses calls those men the sons of God, +who had the promise of the blessed seed. This is a New Testament +phrase and signifies the believers who call God, Father, and whom, God +in turn, calls sons. The flood came not because the generation of Cain +was corrupt, but because the generation of the righteous who had +believed God, had obeyed his Word, and had possessed the true worship, +now had lapsed into idolatry, disobedience to parents, sensuality, +oppression. Even so the last day shall be hastened, not by the +profligacy of Gentile, Turk and Jew, but by the filling of the Church +with errors through the pope and fanatical spirits, so that those very +ones who occupy the highest place in the Church exercise themselves in +sensuality, lust and oppression.</p> +<a name="p6037"></a> +<p>37. It is a cause of fear for us all, that even those who were +descended from the best patriarchs, began to grow haughty and depart +from the Word. They gloried in their wisdom and righteousness, as +later the Jews did in circumcision and Father Abraham. 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 +God, his Word and his worship. The Roman Church was truly holy and +adorned by the grandest martyrs. We, at this day, however, are +witnesses how she has fallen.</p> +<a name="p6038"></a> +<p>38. Let no one, therefore, glory in his gifts, however splendid! The +greatest gift is to be a member of the true Church. But take care not +to become proud on that account, for you may fall, just as Lucifer +fell from heaven and, as we are here informed, as the sons of God fell +into carnal pleasures. They are, therefore, no longer sons of God, but +sons of Satan, having fallen alike from the first and the second table +of the Law. So in the past, popes and bishops have been good and holy, +but today they are of all men the worst and, so to speak, the dregs of +all classes.</p> +<a name="p6039"></a> +<p>39. Among this rabble of decadent men who had departed from the piety +and virtues of their ancestors, godly Noah lived in the greatest +contempt and hatred of everybody. How could he approve the corruption +of such degenerate progeny? And they themselves were most impatient of +reproof. While, therefore, his example shone and gleamed, and his +holiness filled the whole earth, the world became worse from day to +day, and the greater the sanctity and chastity of Noah, the more the +world reveled in lust. This is the beginning; it invariably introduces +ruin.</p> +<a name="p6040"></a> +<p>40. When God arouses holy men, full of the Holy Spirit, to instruct +and reprove the world, the world, impatient of sound doctrine, falls +with much greater zeal into sin and plies it with much greater +persistency. This was the situation at the beginning of the world, and +now, at the end of the world, we realize it is still the case.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents13"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">II.</td> + <td colspan="5">GOD'S JUDGMENT AND GRIEF OVER THE FIRST WORLD; NOAH AND HIS + PREACHING.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="4">GOD'S JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OVER THE OLD WORLD.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">The words of the lamentation.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Interpreters have shamefully perverted these words <a href="#p6041">41</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The Jewish interpretation, which Jerome follows <a href="#p6042">42</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">The Jews' interpretation refuted <a href="#p6042">42-43</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">The interpretation of Rabbi Solomon <a href="#p6044">44</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">The interpretation of others, especially of Origen <a href="#p6045">45</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Augustine was especially pleased with the doctrine of + the Manicheans <a href="#p6045">45</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">Rabbi David's explanation <a href="#p6046">46</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The false idea of the Jews and some Christian interpreters + that the true sense of Scripture is learned from grammar.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>Thus ideas most foreign to the sense of Scripture are defended <a href="#p6046">46-47</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>This method is false and led the Jews into many fantasies <a href="#p6047">47</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">g.</td> + <td colspan="2">The source of Rabbi David's awkward interpretation of + these words <a href="#p6048">48</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Luther has so much to say about the false + interpretation of Scripture <a href="#p6049">49</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What is necessary to interpret Scripture <a href="#p6050">50</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">h.</td> + <td colspan="2">The true sense of these words <a href="#p6051">51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Scripture definition of "to judge" <a href="#p6051">51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">The author of this judgment and lamentation <a href="#p6051">51-53</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Man's conduct upon hearing God's Word preached <a href="#p6054">54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">From what kind of a heart does such judgment and lamentation + spring <a href="#p6055">55</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">What kind of grief is the grief of the Holy Spirit <a href="#p6056">56</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">God's severest punishment <a href="#p6057">57-59</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">What follows when man does not possess God's Word <a href="#p6057">57-58</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why the heathen are so carnal <a href="#p6058">58</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">The nature of this judgment and lamentation <a href="#p6059">59</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The lamentation and judgment of Luther over Germany because + it lightly esteemed God's Word <a href="#p6060">60</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The spirit of grace and of prayer <a href="#p6061">61</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The office of the ministry.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">It requires two things <a href="#p6062">62</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">It is the greatest blessing of God <a href="#p6063">63</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">To despise it is a great sin, and what follows when it is + taken from a people <a href="#p6063">63</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">A complaint of its neglect <a href="#p6064">64</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">This office is explained by the expression "to judge" <a href="#p6065">65</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Every godly preacher is one who disputes and judges <a href="#p6065">65</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Luther's grief because of the stubbornness of the world <a href="#p6066">66</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Ahab called Elijah a troubler of Israel <a href="#p6067">67</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the world resents being reproved by sound doctrine. It + is a good sign if a minister is reviled by the world <a href="#p6068">68</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The glory of people who boast of being the Church.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Such glory avails nothing before God <a href="#p6068">68-70</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Papists wish by all means to have this glory <a href="#p6068">68-70</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Papists need this glory to suppress the Protestants <a href="#p6071">71</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">Christ will decide at the judgment day to whom this glory + belongs <a href="#p6071">71</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">Although the first world adorned itself with this glory, + it did not save them <a href="#p6072">72</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">How and why this judgment and complaint are ascribed to God + <a href="#p6073">73-74</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">How they were published to the world by the holy patriarchs <a href="#p6075">75</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why they were made <a href="#p6076">76</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">In what way they have been published to the world <a href="#p6077">77</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="3">How the world resented this judgment and complaint <a href="#p6078">78</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Time given to the first world for repentance.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">We are not to understand the 120 years as the period of a + man's life <a href="#p6079">79</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The 120 years the time given these people in which to + repent <a href="#p6080">80-81</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether and to what end this time was necessary <a href="#p6082">82</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td colspan="3">How the old world felt upon hearing this <a href="#p6083">83</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The complaint and judgment of the last world <a href="#p6084">84-86</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The nearer the world approaches its destruction the less it + thinks of it <a href="#p6086">86</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How the time of the flood is to be compared with the time God + gives man to repent <a href="#p6087">87</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6041"></a> +<br> +<h4>II. THE JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OF GOD OVER THE FIRST WORLD; NOAH AND +HIS PREACHING.</h4> + +<center>A. GOD'S JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OVER THE OLD WORLD.</center> + +<p>V. 3. <i>Jehovah said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for +that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty +years."</i></p> + +<p>41. Moses here begins by describing Noah as the highest pontiff and +priest, or, as Peter calls him, a preacher of righteousness. This text +has been mangled in various ways, for the natural man cannot +understand spiritual things. When, therefore, the interpreters, with +unwashed feet and hands, rushed into the Holy Scriptures, taking with +them a human bias and method, as they themselves acknowledge, they +could not but fall into diverse and erroneous views. It has almost +come to pass, that the more sublime and spiritual the utterances of +Scripture, the more shamefully they have been distorted. This passage +in particular they have managed so shamelessly that you would not know +what to believe, if you followed the interpreters.</p> +<a name="p6042"></a> +<p>42. The Jews are the first to crucify Moses here, for this is their +exposition: My Spirit, that is my indignation and wrath, shall not +always abide upon man. I will not be angry with men, but spare them, +for they are flesh. That means, being spurred by sin, they incline to +sin. This meaning Jerome also adopts, who is of the opinion that here +only the sin of lust is spoken of, to which we are all prone by +nature. But his first error is that he interprets Spirit as wrath. It +is the Holy Spirit Moses here speaks of, as the contrast shows. "For +man," he says, "is flesh." The meaning is, therefore, that the flesh +is not only prone to sin, but also hostile toward God.</p> + +<p>43. Then the matter itself serves as refutation, for could anything +more absurd have been devised? They see with their eyes the wrath of +God swallowing the whole human race through the flood, and yet they +expound that God does not wish to be influenced toward the human race +by anger but by mercy, and this after a hundred and twenty years, the +very time of the flood.</p> +<a name="p6044"></a> +<p>44. Rabbi Solomon expounds it thus: The Spirit which is in God shall +no more strive and wrangle. As if God in his majesty would have +disputed and wrangled about what should be done with man, whether to +destroy or to spare him, finally, wearied by man's wickedness, +determining upon his destruction, nevertheless.</p> +<a name="p6045"></a> +<p>45. Others understand this of the created spirit: My spirit that I +breathed upon the face of man, that is the spirit of man, shall no +longer strive and contend with the flesh, which is in subjection to +its lusts, for I shall take away this spirit and free it from the +flesh, so that when the latter has become extinct, it may create no +more difficulties for the spirit. This is the understanding of Origen, +and it does not differ much from the Manichean error which attributes +sin not to the whole man, but only to a part. And Augustine says that +this had pleased him most in the tenets of the Manicheans, to hear +that his depravity was not altogether his, but only of that part of +the body which is evil from the beginning. The Manicheans posited two +principles, the good and the bad, just as certain philosophers have +posited enmity and friendship. Thus do men not only miss the mark, but +they also fall into ungodly delusions.</p> +<a name="p6046"></a> +<p>46. Rabbi David cites Sanctes, and derives the word <i>jadon</i> from +<i>nadan</i>, which means sheath, or shell. But as the interpretation is +very clumsy, so he clothes it also in a very clumsy word: My Spirit +shall not be inclosed in man as in a sheath. Has anything more +unnatural ever been heard? 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-points. No exposition is so absurd but that they +defend and polish it with their stale grammatical rules.</p> +<a name="p6047"></a> +<p>47. But tell me, what language has there ever been that men easily +have learned to speak from grammatical rules? Is it not true that the +very languages most thoroughly reduced to rules, like Greek and Latin, +are learned rather by practice? What stupendous absurdity, therefore, +it is to gather the sense of a sacred tongue, which is the repository +of things theological and spiritual, from grammatical rules, and to +pay no attention to the proper signification of things? And this is +what the rabbis and their disciples do almost universally. Many words +and verbs may be declined for which no use is seen in the language. +While they make such things paramount and everywhere chase anxiously +after etymology, they fall into strange fancies.</p> +<a name="p6048"></a> +<p>48. So here. Because the word in this passage can be derived from +<i>nadan</i>, they construct from that a prodigious meaning. My spirit, +they say, shall not be held back as in a sheath. They mean the spirit +of man contained in the body as in a sheath. I shall not leave it in a +sheath, they say, but I shall remove him and destroy the sheath. Such +absurdities originate in the stale grammatical rules, whereas usage +rather should be considered; it is that which trains the grammarian.</p> +<a name="p6049"></a> +<p>49. But I recite all this at length, in order to admonish you, when +you come upon such silly commentators, not to follow them and admire +such singular wisdom. For great men even have found delight in the +folly of the rabbis. They are not unlike the Sacramentarians, who do +not deny the words of Christ, This is my body, this is my blood; but +explain it thus: Bread is bread, and yet the body of Christ, namely, +his creature; this is my blood, namely my wine. This passion of +distorting texts no sane man tolerates in the exposition of the fables +of Terence, or of the eclogues of Virgil, and, forsooth, we should +tolerate it in the Church!</p> +<a name="p6050"></a> +<p>50. We need the Holy Spirit to understand the Holy Scriptures. For we +know that the same Spirit shall exist to the end of the world who +existed before all things. We glory in possessing this Spirit through +the grace of God, and, through him, we have faith, a moderate +knowledge of Scripture and an understanding of the other things +necessary to godliness. Hence we do not invent a new interpretation; +we are guided not only by an analogy of Holy Scripture but also by +faith.</p> +<a name="p6051"></a> +<p>51. Through the Holy Scriptures in its entirety, the verb judge, +<i>dun</i>, signifies almost invariably a public office in the Church, or +the office of the ministry, through which we are corrected, reproved, +instructed and enabled to distinguish the evil from the good, etc. +Thus, Psalm 110, 6: <i>Jadin bagojim</i>, "He will judge among the +nations;" which means: He will preach among the nations. The word +found in this passage is evidently the same. And in the New Testament +this phrase, originally Hebrew, is very much in vogue, especially in +Paul's writings, who uses the Hebrew idiom more than the others.</p> + +<p>52. I understand this passage therefore as words spoken by Lamech or +Noah as a new message to the whole world. For it was a public message +proclaimed at some public assembly. When Methuselah, Lamech and Noah +saw that the world was hastening straight to destruction by its sins, +they resorted to this proclamation: My Spirit shall no longer preach +among men. That means: we teach in vain, we admonish in vain; the +world has no desire to be better.</p> + +<p>53. It is as if one in the present perverse times should say: We teach +and make ample effort to summon the world back to sobriety and +godliness, but we are derided, persecuted, killed, and all men, in the +end, rush to destruction with blind eyes and deaf ears; therefore we +are constrained to desist. These are the words of a soul planning +appropriate action and full of anxiety, because it is clear that the +human race, at the height of its peril, cannot be healed.</p> +<a name="p6054"></a> +<p>54. This exposition conforms to faith and Holy Scriptures. When the +Word is revealed from heaven, we see that some are converted, who are +freed from damnation. The remaining multitude despises it and securely +indulges in avarice, lust and other vices, as Jeremiah says (ch 51, +9): "We should have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake +her, and let us go everyone into his own country."</p> + +<p>The more diligently Moses and Aaron importuned and instructed, the +more obstinate Pharaoh became. The Jews were not made better by even +the preaching of Christ and the apostles. The same befalls us who +teach in our day. What, in consequence, are we to do? Deplore the +blindness and obstinacy of men we may, correct it we cannot. Who would +rejoice in the eternal damnation of the popes and their followers? Who +would not prefer that they should embrace the Word and recover their +senses?</p> +<a name="p6055"></a> +<p>55. A similar exhibition of obstinacy Methuselah, Lamech and Noah saw +in their day. Therefore there bursts from them this voice of despair: +My Spirit, namely the Word of healing truth, shall no longer bear +witness among men. For inasmuch as you refuse to embrace the +Word—will not yield to healing truth—you shall perish.</p> + +<p>These are the words of a heart filled with anxiety after the manner +that the Scriptures say God is anxious; that is, the hearts of Noah, +Lamech, Methuselah and other holy men who are filled with love toward +all. Beholding this wickedness of men, they are troubled and pained.</p> +<a name="p6056"></a> +<p>56. Such grief is really the grief of the Holy Spirit, as Paul says, +"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the +day of redemption," Eph 4, 30. This means that the Holy Spirit is +grieved when we miserable men are distracted and tormented by the +wickedness of the world, that despises the Word we preach by the Holy +Spirit. Thus Lot was troubled in Sodom, and the pious Jews in Babylon +under the godless king Belshazzar; also Jeremiah, when he preached to +the ungodly Jews and exclaimed (Jer 15, 10): "Woe is me, my mother, +that thou hast borne me." So in Micah 7, 1: "Woe is me! for I am as +the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat."</p> +<a name="p6057"></a> +<p>57. The wrath of God is most fearful as he recalls the Word. What man +would not prefer pestilence, famine, war—these being mere bodily +calamities—to a famine of the Word which is always joined to eternal +damnation? An example of the horrible darkness into which Satan can +lead men when God is silent and does not speak, is furnished by the +Gentiles who have been bereft of the Word. Who is not horrified by the +Romans, men of exemplary wisdom and famous before other nations by +reason of their dignified discipline, who observed the custom of +letting the worthy matrons worship and crown Priapus, the foul idol, +and of leading bridal virgins before it? What is more ludicrous than +that the Egyptians adored the calf Apis as the supreme godhead?</p> +<a name="p6058"></a> +<p>58. 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 virgins, before their nuptials, for purposes of +prostitution. Such monstrous infamies were accounted religion and +righteousness among the Gentiles. There is nothing, in fact, so +ridiculous, so stupid, so obscene, nothing so remote from all +propriety, that it cannot be foisted as the very essence of religion +upon men who have been forsaken by the Word.</p> +<a name="p6059"></a> +<p>59. This is, therefore, the greatest penalty, that God, through the +mouths of the holy patriarchs, threatens no longer to reprove men by +his Spirit; which means that henceforth he will not give his Word to +men, since all teaching is vain.</p> +<a name="p6060"></a> +<p>60. Like punishment our times will bring also upon Germany. For we see +the haste, the unrest, of Satan, and his efforts to defraud whom he +may of the Word. How many sects has he roused during our lifetime, and +this while we bent all our energies toward the maintenance of pure +doctrine! What is in store after our death? Surely, he will lead forth +whole swarms of Sacramentarians, Anabaptists, Antinomians, Servetians, +Campanistans and other heretics who at present, conquered by the pure +Word and the constancy of faithful teachers, keep out of sight, but +are ready for every opportunity to establish their doctrines.</p> +<a name="p6061"></a> +<p>61. Those, therefore, who have the Word in its purity, should learn to +embrace the same, to thank God for it and to call upon him while he +may be found. For when the spirit of knowledge is taken away, the +spirit of prayer is also gone. Zechariah says (Zech 12, 10): For the +spirit of prayer is joined to the spirit of grace. It is the spirit of +grace which reproves our sins and gives instruction concerning their +remission, which condemns idolatry and instructs concerning the true +worship of God, which condemns avarice, lust and oppression, and +teaches chastity, patience and charity. This spirit, God here +threatens, shall no longer continue his work of instruction, since men +refuse to hear and are incorrigible. The spirit of grace having been +taken away, the spirit of prayer has also been taken away. For it is +impossible for him to pray who is without the Word.</p> +<a name="p6062"></a> +<p>62. Accordingly, the office of a priest is twofold; first, that he +turns to God and prays for himself and for his people; second, that he +turns from God to men through instruction and the Word. Says Samuel: +"Far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to +pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way," +1 Sam 12, 23. He is aware that this is his proper office.</p> +<a name="p6063"></a> +<p>63. Therefore, the ministry is rightly praised and esteemed as the +highest favor. When this has been lost or has been vitiated, not only +prayer becomes impossible, but men are simply in the power of the +devil, and do nothing but grieve the Holy Spirit with all their deeds, +and thus fall into mortal sin, for which it is not lawful to pray. +Such other lapses as occur among men are trivial, for return is open +and the hope of pardon is left. But when the Holy Spirit is grieved +and men refuse to receive the witness and reproof of the Holy Spirit, +the disease is desperate and incurable.</p> +<a name="p6064"></a> +<p>64. But how common is this sin today among all classes! Princes, +noblemen, inhabitants of city and country, refuse to be reproved; they +rather reprove and sit in judgment upon the Holy Spirit in his +servants. They judge of the office of the ministry by the lowliness of +the person. They reason thus: This minister is poor and despised; why +then should he reprove me, a prince, a nobleman, a magistrate? Rather +than endure this, they trample under foot the ministers, together with +their office and their message. Should we not, then, fear the judgment +of God, such as he here announces to the old world?</p> +<a name="p6065"></a> +<p>65. These, therefore, are the words of a father who disinherits his +son, or of a severe schoolmaster in wrath ejecting a pupil, when God +simply fixes a hundred and twenty years as the time in which +opportunity is granted for repentance. He threatens, should it not be +improved, his Spirit shall no longer reprove and strive.</p> + +<p>This word pertains properly to the office of the ministry and, in a +certain sense, describes it. For every preacher or servant of the Word +is a man of strife and judgment, and is constrained, by reason of his +office, to chide whatever is vicious, without considering the person +or office of his hearer. When Jeremiah does this zealously, he incurs +not only hate but also the gravest dangers. He is moved even to +impatience, so that he wishes he had never been born, Jer 20, 14.</p> +<a name="p6066"></a> +<p>66. And if I had not been particularly strengthened by God, I should +have been wearied and broken down ere this by the contumacy of an +impenitent world; for the ungodly so grieve the Holy Spirit in us, +that, with Jeremiah, we wish often we had never made a beginning of +anything. Hence I often pray to God to let the present generation die +with us, because, after our death, the most perilous times are to +come.</p> +<a name="p6067"></a> +<p>67. For this reason Elijah is called by Ahab the godless king of +Israel, the disturber of Israel; because he openly reproved the +idolatry, violence and passions of his day. Likewise we today are +deemed the disturbers of Germany.</p> +<a name="p6068"></a> +<p>68. But it is a good sign when men condemn us and call us authors of +strife, for the Spirit of God strives with men, reproves and condemns +them. But men are so that they wish to be taught only what gives them +pleasure, as they frankly admit in Micah 2, 6-7: "Prophesy not to us; +for confusion has not seized us, says the house of Jacob." The latter +they use as an argument; because they look upon themselves as the +house of Jacob and the people of God, they decline chastening, and +will not take to themselves penalties and threats. So today the pope +and his accomplices plume themselves solely upon being the Church, and +declare that the Church is incapable of error. But notice this text +and it will appear how frivolous such an argument is.</p> + +<p>69. Are not those whom God threatens to no longer judge by his Spirit +likewise the sons of God? What can be more splendid than this name? +Beyond doubt they gloried in this name and rebelled against the +patriarchs when they opposed, or at least despised, their preaching. +For it does not seem likely that God should be thrown into a rage +against the whole human race on account of a few sins. But the +magnificent name did not save them, nor did it avail that they were +strong and great in number. Six hundred thousand marched out of Egypt, +and two only entered the land of Canaan; all the others were prevented +by death on account of their sins.</p> + +<p>70. Evidently God will in no way inquire about the magnificent titles +of the Church, pope and bishop. Other testimony will be needed when +they desire to escape the wrath of God than to boast of being the +Church. For it is written (Mt 7, 20): "By their fruits ye shall know +them." And verse 21: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, +shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."</p> +<a name="p6071"></a> +<p>71. 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 Church, +but propped up by this alone they will condemn and oppress us. +Different shall be the judgment, when the Son of man shall come in his +glory. Then it shall appear that among the members of the holy Church +have been John Huss and Jerome of Prague. The pope, however, and the +cardinals, the bishops, doctors, monks and priestly mountebanks, shall +appear as the church of evil-doers, enthroned in pestilence, and as +veritable henchmen of Satan, rendering aid to their father in his +lying and murdering.</p> +<a name="p6072"></a> +<p>72. Such judgment of God we see also here. He does not deny that the +offspring of the saints are sons of God. This magnificent title in +which they took pride and securely sinned, God leaves to them. And yet +these very sons of God who took in marriage the daughters of men, he +warns that he not only will take the Word from their hearts and minds, +but that he will take from their eyes and ears also the ministering +Spirit who preaches, prays, reproves, teaches and sighs in holy +servants, and because they refuse to be chastened and reproved; +knowing themselves to be the sons of God they despise the Word and its +teachers. But they do not escape punishment because of their name. The +same shall likewise befall the papists and other enemies of the Word.</p> +<a name="p6073"></a> +<p>73. In accordance with this I hold that the sentiments of pious men +are here attributed to God himself, according to the usage of the Holy +Scriptures; for instance in Malachi 3, 8, where the Lord says that he +is pierced through, or, as the Hebrew has it, that violence is done to +him because the people were unfaithful in rendering to the priests the +first-fruits and the tenth.</p> + +<p>74. But why, you may say, should God need to complain thus? Can he not +when it pleases him suddenly destroy the whole world? He surely can, +but does not do so gladly. He says: "I have no pleasure in the death +of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live," Ezk +33, 11. Such a disposition proves that God is inclined to pardon, to +endure and to remit the sins of men, if only they will come to their +senses; but inasmuch as they continue in obduracy, and reject all +help, he is, as it were, tormented by this wickedness of men.</p> +<a name="p6075"></a> +<p>75. The words "And Jehovah said," I attribute to the holy fathers, who +testified through a public decree that God should be compelled to +exercise vengeance, for they taught by divine authority. When Noah and +his ancestors had preached nearly a thousand years, and yet the world +continued to degenerate more and more, they announced God's decision +to an ungrateful world and disclosed this as his thought: Why should I +preach forever and permit my heralds to cry in vain? The more +messengers I send, the longer I defer my wrath,—the worse they +become. It is therefore necessary for preaching to cease, and for +retribution to begin. I shall not permit my Spirit, that is my Word, +to sit in judgment and to bear witness forever, and to tolerate man's +wickedness. I am constrained to punish their sins. Because man is +flesh, he is opposed to me. He is earthly, I am spirit. Man continues +in his carnal state, mocks at the Word, persecutes and hates my Spirit +in the patriarchs, and the story is told to deaf ears. Hence it is +necessary that I should cease and permit man to go his own way. This +contrast he desires to indicate when he says: "For he is flesh."</p> +<a name="p6076"></a> +<p>76. Noah, Lamech and Methuselah were very holy men, full of the Holy +Spirit. Accordingly they performed their office by teaching, +admonishing, urging and entreating, in season and out of season; as +Paul says, 2 Tim 4, 2. But they reproved flesh and did unprofitable +labor, for the flesh would not yield to sound teaching. Should I, says +he, endure forever such contempt for my Word?</p> +<a name="p6077"></a> +<p>77. This proclamation, therefore, contains a public complaint, made by +the Holy Spirit through the holy patriarchs, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah +and others, whom God took away before the flood that they might not be +spectators of so widely diffused wrath. All these, with one voice and +mouth, admonished the giants and tyrants to repent, and added the +threat that God would not endure forever such contempt of his Word.</p> +<a name="p6078"></a> +<p>78. But the flesh remained true to its nature; they despised faithful +exhortations in their presumption and carnal security, 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 Church, +namely, the heirs of the promise of the coming seed.</p> +<a name="p6079"></a> +<p>79. The added clause, "yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty +years," Jerome affirms must not be understood as referring to the +years of human life, nor to the age of individual men; for it is +certain that after the flood many exceeded the two hundredth year. If +you refer it to the years allotted to individuals, the promise would +be that individuals should complete so many years, which, however, is +false. Therefore he speaks of the time conceded to the world for +repentance until the flood should arrive.</p> +<a name="p6080"></a> +<p>80. This interpretation agrees with what precedes. God shows that he +is displeased with the perversity of men. He is full of solicitude and +quite ready to forbear. Against his will, so to speak, he permits the +flood to rage. Therefore, he decided upon a fixed and adequate time +for them to come to their senses, and to escape punishment. All this +time Noah admonished men to repent, making it clear that God could not +longer endure such wickedness, while he was yet so kind as to grant +adequate time for repentance.</p> + +<p>81. There is a beautiful cohesion between the words and their +significance. A former proclamation threatens: I cannot endure longer +contempt for my Word; my preachers and priests attain nothing with +their infinite labor except derision. Nevertheless, as a father or +good judge would gladly spare a son but is compelled by his wickedness +to be severe, so, the Lord says, I do not destroy gladly the human +race. I shall grant them one hundred and twenty years in which they +may come to themselves, and during which I shall exercise mercy.</p> +<a name="p6082"></a> +<p>82. Horrible was the disaster, because neither the brothers nor the +sisters of Noah were saved. It was necessary that the most earnest +warning should precede, that, perhaps, they might be called back to +repentance. To the Ninevites Jonah announces destruction within forty +days, and they repent and are saved.</p> +<a name="p6083"></a> +<p>83. It is clear, therefore, that the heedlessness of the old world was +very great, inasmuch as in the one hundred and twenty years of grace +it obstinately persisted in its lusts, even deriding its pontiff Noah, +the teacher of righteousness.</p> +<a name="p6084"></a> +<p>84. In our times, at the approach of the day of the Lord, almost the +same condition obtains; we exhort to penitence the papists and our +noblemen; the inhabitants of city and country we admonish not to +continue despising the Word, since God will not leave this unavenged. +But in vain we exert ourselves, as the Scripture says. A few faithful +folk are edified and these are, one by one, gathered away from the +face of sin, and "no man layeth it to heart," as is spoken in Isaiah +57, 1. But when God, in this way, has shaken out the wheat and +gathered the grain in its place, what, think you, shall be the future +of the chaff? Nothing else but to be burned with inextinguishable +fire, Mt 13, 42. This shall be the lot of the world.</p> + +<p>85. But the world does not understand how it can be that through the +preaching of the Gospel the wheat should be separated from the chaff, +to be gathered into the barn, while the chaff, that is, the throng of +unbelievers sunk in idolatry and darkness, shall be consigned to the +fire. It is written: "In a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I +will preserve thee," Is 49, 8. Those who will neglect this day of +salvation, will find God as an avenger, for he will not do useless +labor in threshing empty chaff.</p> +<a name="p6086"></a> +<p>86. But the world is flesh; it does not obey. Yea, the nearer and more +immediate the calamity, the more secure it is and the more readily it +despises all faithful admonitions. Though this offense provokes the +righteous, we should, notwithstanding, conclude that God does not +reprove in vain the world through his Holy Spirit, nor that the Holy +Spirit in the righteous is grieved in vain. Christ uses this as an +example when he speaks of the wickedness and heedlessness of our age: +"And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of +man," Mt 24, 37.</p> +<a name="p6087"></a> +<p>87. It is to be observed here what has been an object of difficulty +for Jerome, that the flood came a hundred years after the birth of +Shem, Ham and Japheth, while here a hundred and twenty years are said +to have been the time of the flood.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents14"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="4">NOAH AND HIS PREACHING.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">The time Noah began to preach <a href="#p6087a">87</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why the world took occasion to despise Noah's preaching <a href="#p6088">88</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Jerome's reckoning of the 120 years <a href="#p6089">89</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Noah married after living so long single, when the world + was to be destroyed <a href="#p6090">90</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">How and why Noah was the prophet of prophets and his the + greatest of prophecies <a href="#p6091">91</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">His preaching disregarded not only by the Cainites but by the + sons of God <a href="#p6092">92</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">To what end God's complaint of the first world should serve + us <a href="#p6093">93</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">When was the judgment of God announced <a href="#p6094">94</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The generation of the Cainites.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether it still existed in the days of Noah <a href="#p6095">95</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Moses does not record the generations of the Cainites + and of their patriarchs <a href="#p6095">95</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the holy patriarchs warned their children against the + Cainites <a href="#p6096">96</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the Cainites tormented the holy patriarchs <a href="#p6096">96</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why God raised up Noah <a href="#p6097">97</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's faith exceptionally strong <a href="#p6097">97-98</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">What impelled Noah to continue his work, and not to turn to + the world <a href="#p6099">99</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Noah's age was the wickedest and he had to oppose its + wickedness all alone <a href="#p6100">100</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Who of the patriarchs were still living in Noah's time <a href="#p6100">100</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="3">What trials Noah had to experience <a href="#p6101">101</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6087a"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING.</h4> + +<p>87. But this passage shows that Noah began preaching about the impending +punishment of the deluge before his marriage, having hitherto led the +life of a celibate.</p> +<a name="p6088"></a> +<p>88. Consider, therefore, what pastime he offered to a wicked world in +its fancied security. He predicts destruction to the whole world +through the flood, nevertheless, he himself marries. Why? Was it not +sufficient for him to perish alone, that he must join to himself a +companion for the disaster? Oh, foolish old man! Surely if he believed +the world was to perish by a deluge, he would rather perish alone than +marry and take the trouble to beget children. But if he himself will +be saved, why, so shall also we.</p> + +<p>In this manner they commenced to despise the preaching concerning the +flood with the greater assurance because of the marriage of Noah, +ignorant of the counsel of God, who moves in a manner altogether +unintelligible to the world. How absurd to promise Abraham posterity +through Isaac, and yet to command Isaac to be sacrificed!</p> +<a name="p6089"></a> +<p>89. The divine Jerome argues against the view that God had fixed the +time for the flood at a hundred and twenty years, but saw himself +compelled, later, when wickedness had waxed strong, to shorten the +time.</p> +<a name="p6090"></a> +<p>90. But we shall not make God a liar; we rather give it as our +conviction that Noah had hitherto preached, while in a state of +celibacy, that the world was to be destroyed through the flood, and +later, by a divine command, had taken a maid as a little branch, so to +speak, from the race of women, and begotten three sons. Below it is +written that he had found grace with the Lord; otherwise he who had +refrained from marriage so long, might have continued to do so still +longer. But God, in order to restrain his wrath, wants to leave a +nursery for the human race; therefore, he commands marriage. This the +wicked believe to be a sign that the world shall not perish; they live +accordingly in security and despise the preacher, Noah. But the +counsel of God is different—to destroy the whole world and to leave +through this righteous Noah a nursery for the future world.</p> +<a name="p6091"></a> +<p>91. Noah was, therefore, the greatest prophet; his equal the world has +not had. First he teaches the longest time; then he gives instruction +concerning a universal punishment coming upon the world, and even +fixes the year of its advent. Likewise Christ prophesies concerning +the last judgment, when all flesh shall perish. "But of that day," he +says in Mark 13, 32, "or that hour knoweth no one, ... but the +father."</p> + +<p>Jonah foretells punishment for the Ninevites within forty days; +Jeremiah foretells seventy years of captivity; Daniel, seventy weeks +until the coming of Christ. These are remarkable prophecies, in which +time, place and person are accurately described.</p> + +<p>But this prophecy of Noah surpasses all others, inasmuch as he +foretells through the Holy Spirit that within a certain number of +years the whole human race shall perish. He is worthy to be called the +second Adam and the head of the human race, through whose mouth God +speaks and calls the whole world to repentance.</p> +<a name="p6092"></a> +<p>92. It is terrible, however, that his message was despised with such +assurance that not only none of the Cainites, but not even any one of +Adam's progeny underwent a change. Therefore Noah was compelled to +witness the destruction of brothers, sisters, relatives and kindred +without number, and all these made a mock of the pious old man and of +his message as an old woman's tale.</p> +<a name="p6093"></a> +<p>93. This awful example is held up to us lest we persist in sin. For if +God did not spare the primitive world, which was so magnificent—the +very flower and youth of the world—and in which had lived so many +pious men, but, as he says in Psalm 81, 12, "gave them up unto their +own hearts' lust," and cast them aside, as if they had no claim upon +the promise made to the Church—if he did this, how much less will he +spare us who do not possess such prerogatives?</p> +<a name="p6094"></a> +<p>94. Therefore, the decree cited in this passage that God would grant +men a hundred and twenty years for repentance, was rendered and +promulgated before Noah had begotten children.</p> +<a name="p6095"></a> +<p>95. With reference to the generation of the Cainites, no mention is +made of their patriarchs at the time of the flood, nor does Moses even +deem them worthy of being named. Previously he has brought down the +generation of Cain as far as Lamech, but whether his sons or nephews +lived at the time of Noah is uncertain. This much is certain, that the +offspring of Cain existed to that time, and were so powerful as to +mislead the very sons of God, since even the posterity of the holy +patriarchs perished in the flood.</p> +<a name="p6096"></a> +<p>96. Before this time the holy patriarchs—the rulers of the true +Church, as it were—admonished their families to beware of the +accursed generation. But the Cainites, incensed at being condemned, +made the attempt to overturn the righteous with every kind of +mischief; for the church of Satan wars perpetually against the Church +of God.</p> +<a name="p6097"></a> +<p>97. Therefore, as the righteous begin to waver and wickedness gains +ground, God raises Noah to exhort to repentance and to be for his +descendants a perpetual example, whose faith and diligent, patient +devotion to teaching, his offspring might admire and imitate. A great +miracle is it and a case of illustrious faith, that Noah, having heard +through Methuselah and Lamech the decree that the world is to perish +after a hundred and twenty years, through the flood, does not doubt +its truth, and yet, when the hundred and twenty years have almost +expired, marries and begets children. He might rather have thought: If +the human race is to perish, why should I marry? Why should I beget +sons? If I have refrained these many years, I shall do so henceforth. +But Noah does not do this; rather, after making known God's purpose +respecting the world's destruction, he obeys God, who calls him to +matrimony, and believes God that, though the whole world may perish, +yet he with his children shall be saved. An illustrious faith is this +and worthy of our consideration.</p> + +<p>98. There was in him first that general faith, in common with the +patriarchs, concerning the seed which was to bruise the head of the +serpent. He possessed also the singular virtue of holding fast to this +faith in the midst of such a multitude of offenses, and not departing +from Jehovah. Then, to this general faith he added the other, special +faith, 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 sons. Beyond a doubt, to this faith his grandfather Methuselah +and his father Lamech earnestly incited him; 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 God.</p> +<a name="p6099"></a> +<p>99. This faith taught him to despise the presumption of the world +which derided him as a man in his dotage. This faith prompted him +diligently to continue the building of the ark, a work those giants +probably ridiculed as extreme folly. This faith made Noah strong to +stand alone against the many evil examples of the world, and to +despise most vehemently the united judgment of all others.</p> +<a name="p6100"></a> +<p>100. But almost unutterable and miraculous is this faith, burdened as +it is with strange and most weighty obstacles, which the Holy Spirit +shows in passing, without going into great detail, that we may be +induced to meditate the more diligently upon its circumstances. +Consider first the great corruption of the age. While the Church had +before this time many and most holy patriarchs, it was now deprived of +such rulers; Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch are all +dead, and the number of patriarchs is reduced to three—Methuselah, +Lamech and Noah. These alone are left at the time the decree +concerning the destruction of the world is published. These three are +compelled to witness and suffer the incredible malice of men, their +idolatry, blasphemy, violent acts, foul passions, until finally +Methuselah and Lamech are also called out of this life. There Noah was +the only one to oppose the world rushing to destruction, and to make +an effort to preserve righteousness and to repress unrighteousness. +But far from meeting with success, he had to see even the sons of God +lapse into wickedness.</p> +<a name="p6101"></a> +<p>101. This ruin and havoc of the Church troubled the righteous man and +all but broke his heart, as Peter says of Lot in Sodom, 2 Pet 2, 8. +Now, if Lot was so distracted and vexed by the wickedness of one +community, how must it have been with Noah, against whom not only the +generation of Cain raged, but who was opposed also by the decadent +generation of the patriarchs, and then even by his own father's house, +his brothers, sisters, and the descendants of his uncles and aunts? +For all these were corrupted and estranged from the faith by the +daughters of men. As the text says, they "saw the daughters of men."</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents15"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">III.</td> + <td colspan="5">THE SINS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD IN PARTICULAR.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES ENTERED INTO.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why this is said of the sons and not of the daughters of the + holy patriarchs <a href="#p6102">102</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why were the holy fathers so emphatically forbidden to let + their sons marry the ungodly <a href="#p6103">103-104</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">How this was the beginning of all evils <a href="#p6105">105</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">What evils have in all times come through woman <a href="#p6106">106</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">The sins here sprang from despising the first table of the + law <a href="#p6107">107-108</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The sins of the second table follow when the first table is + not kept <a href="#p6108">108</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">Everything that is called sin is embraced in this sin <a href="#p6109">109-110</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">How marriage with the children of the true Church was + despised <a href="#p6111">111</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">Their desire to marry thus resembled Eve's desire to take the + forbidden apple <a href="#p6112">112</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why the patriarchs' children took this step <a href="#p6113">113</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="3">How these marriage alliances were formed <a href="#p6114">114-116</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="3">Berosus' testimony concerning these forbidden marriages <a href="#p6116">116</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="4">DISORDER IN ALL BRANCHES OF SOCIETY <a href="#p6116">116-117</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">C.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE TYRANNY EXERCISED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">By the "giants" or tyrants.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">What is to be understood by tyrants <a href="#p6117">117</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The pope resembles the tyrants before the flood <a href="#p6118">118</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The nature of these tyrants <a href="#p6119">119</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why called Nephilim <a href="#p6120">120-122</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether they received their name from their size or from their cruelty <a href="#p6123">123</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How the Scriptures designate true rulers <a href="#p6123">123</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">These tyrants types of Antichrist <a href="#p6123">123</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">They were raging, powerful and criminal characters <a href="#p6124">124</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Of authorities.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>How God wants us to honor the authorities though he terribly threatens them <a href="#p6125">125-126</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>Why God wants them to be honored, when he himself does + not honor them <a href="#p6127">127</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>Godless rulers are God's swine and are rare birds in heaven <a href="#p6128">128</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">g.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether these tyrants were rulers and why God called them + by such a shameful name <a href="#p6129">129</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">h.</td> + <td colspan="2">Moses chose the word Nephilim, which in his day designated + a wicked people, to express the tyrants of the first World <a href="#p6130">130</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">By "the mighty men."</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Jerome perverts this text <a href="#p6131">131</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">What is to be understood by "the mighty men that were of + old" <a href="#p6131">131</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The meaning of "Olam" <a href="#p6132">132</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whence did they receive their power <a href="#p6133">133</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why called "mighty men" <a href="#p6134">134</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The character of the true church <a href="#p6134">134</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">By "the men of renown."</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why they were thus named <a href="#p6135">135</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Who they were <a href="#p6136">136</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">They resembled the pope and bishops <a href="#p6136">136</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Lyra's false explanation of it refuted <a href="#p6137">137</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How Antichrist is restrained from the world, and true + doctrine maintained <a href="#p6137">137</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">D.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT <a href="#p6138">138</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="4">That one sin follows another until man reaches the highest + degree of sin <a href="#p6139">139</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6102"></a> +<br> +<h4>III. THE SINS OF THE OLD WORLD IN PARTICULAR.</h4> + +<center>A. THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES ENTERED INTO.</center> + +<p>102. But, I ask, why is not complaint made also of the men, or why are +not the daughters of God included in this complaint? He says merely +that they "saw the daughters of men." It was surely for this reason, +that the holy generation of Seth had received the peculiar injunction +to beware of fellowship with the Cainites, inasmuch as they had been +excluded from the true Church, and to mingle with them neither +socially through marriage, nor ecclesiastically through worship, for +the righteous should avoid every occasion of offense.</p> +<a name="p6103"></a> +<p>103. In prohibiting marriage with the Cainites it was the chief +purpose of the pious fathers to maintain their generation pure; for +daughters bring into the houses of their husbands the views and +manners of the fathers. Thus, we read of Solomon in the Book of the +Kings that he was led astray through a woman who was a stranger; and +thus Jezebel introduced the wickedness of the Syrians into the kingdom +of Israel.</p> + +<p>104. The holy fathers saw the same would come to pass in their +generation; therefore, after they were separated from the Cainites +through the divine command, they resolved that the sons of the holy +generation should not marry the daughters of men. The daughters of the +race of the righteous could more readily be restrained from marriage +with the Cainites, while the sons were independent and headstrong.</p> +<a name="p6105"></a> +<p>105. In this way Moses wishes to show the trouble began from the time +the sons of God joined themselves to the daughters of men, seeing that +they were fair. The sons of men who were proud and strong and +passionately given to pleasure, without doubt despised the plain +maidens of the pious race who had been reared by the holy patriarchs +not delicately, but simply and modestly, being arrayed in homely garb. +There was hence no necessity of making a law also for the maidens, +inasmuch as they were in any case neglected by the noble Cainites.</p> +<a name="p6106"></a> +<p>106. If you study the history of nations you will find that women have +been the occasion for the overthrow of the strongest kingdoms. Well +known is the disgrace of Helen. The sacred writings demonstrate also +that woman occasioned the fall of the whole human race. This, however, +should be mentioned without reflection upon the sex, for we have a +command, "Honor thy father and thy mother," Ex 20, 12. Likewise, +"Husbands, love your wives," Col 3, 19. It is true that Eve was the +first to pluck the apple; however, she first sinned by idolatry and +fell from the faith, which faith, as long as it is in the heart, +controls also the body; but when it has departed from the heart, the +body serves sin. Guilt is not peculiar to sex but to sin, which man +has in common with woman.</p> +<a name="p6107"></a> +<p>107. Thus Moses gives an account of the prevailing unrighteousness and +lust. But he gives the reader to understand that, before sin was +committed against the second table of the Law, the first had been +violated, and the Word of God treated with contempt. Otherwise the +sons of God would have obeyed the will of their pious parents +forbidding marriage with those outside the Church.</p> +<a name="p6108"></a> +<p>108. Moses, therefore, concludes that, because the sons of God had +forsaken the worship and Word of God and departed from the precepts of +their parents, thereupon to fall into sensuality and lust, and to take +to wife whom they pleased, they also became violent and appropriated +the goods of others. The world cannot do otherwise. When it has +forsaken God, it worships the devil; when it has despised the Word and +fallen into idolatry, it rushes forth into all sins of passion, in +which fierceness of anger and fierceness of desire by turns are +aroused, and thus all the appetites are thrown into a state of the +greatest disorder. When the righteous reprove this, the result is +resentment and violence against them.</p> +<a name="p6109"></a> +<p>109. The sin of the flood, then, embraces everything that may be +called sin, by the first as well as the second table. Wicked men first +depart from God through unbelief; then they disregard obedience to +parents, and finally become murderers, adulterers, etc.</p> + +<p>110. I mention this to the end that no one may believe that sex or the +marriage estate in themselves are to blame. It is chiefly +transgression of God's commandments and disobedience to parents which +are condemned. Owing to absence of fellowship between the Cainites and +the true Church, pious parents desired also social separation from the +Cainites, for fear they might be perverted by the manners of ungodly +wives. But God's command being neglected, and the authority of parents +despised, the younger generation lapsed into the passions of +concupiscence and vehemence. In this way the honor of sex and the +dignity of matrimony are conserved: accusation is brought solely +against the unrighteousness which first departs from God and then +manifests itself in injuring the saints.</p> +<a name="p6111"></a> +<p>111. This is the teaching of the words: "The sons of God saw the +daughters of men that they were fair." Why did they not see the +daughters of God and desire those in the Church and possess the +promise of the seed? Are they not convicted of contempt for the +sisters of their own generation, that is the true Church, and of +mingling with the carnal and impious generation of Cain? They despise +the simplicity and reserve of their sisters and prefer the smiles, the +dress, the wiles of the daughters of Cain; the latter they crave and +cultivate, the former they treat either with neglect or dishonor.</p> +<a name="p6112"></a> +<p>112. With such eyes as Eve viewed the apples when she fell into sin, +the sons of God viewed the daughters of men. Eve had seen the +forbidden tree before that, but with eyes of faith looking back to +God's commandment; for that reason she did not crave, but rather she +fled from the same. When, however, the eyes of faith were dimmed and +she beheld the tree solely with carnal eyes, she stretched out her +hand with desire and invited also Adam, her husband.</p> +<a name="p6113"></a> +<p>113. Likewise the sons of the patriarchs had seen long before that the +daughters of the Cainites excelled in form, dress and elegance of +manners. Nevertheless, they did not mingle with them, 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 righteous. But the eyes of +faith having been lost, they saw no longer either the command or the +promise of God, but followed merely the desire of the flesh. The +simple, good and virtuous girls of their own generation they despised; +the Cainites they married, seeing they were polished, charming and +pleasant.</p> +<a name="p6114"></a> +<p>114. It is not a sin, therefore, that they marry, nor is the sex in +itself condemned. Condemnation lies in this, that with contempt of the +divine commandment they marry unlawfully; that they permit themselves +to be led astray by their wives from the true worship to the wicked +worship of a false church; that, after the fashion of the Cainites, +they pay no heed to parental authority and become guilty of violence, +oppression and other sins.</p> + +<p>Moses clearly reveals their sin when he says: "They took them wives of +all that they chose," as if he said: To marry a wife is not an evil +but a blessing, if it be done lawfully. But they sinned in that they +married without judgment, against the will and purpose of the parents, +marrying whom and as many as they pleased, regardless of their own +estate, whether married or single.</p> + +<p>115. This is a stern word, by which Moses characterizes it as a great +sin that they arbitrarily married two wives or more, exchanged them, +or snatched them from others, after the manner of Herod, who possessed +himself of his brother's wife. It is this unbridled reign of evil lust +that Moses discloses and condemns.</p> +<a name="p6116"></a> +<p>116. Berosus writes that incestuous marriages also took place among +them, so that they married even their mothers and sisters. But I doubt +whether they were so wicked as that. It is a sin sufficiently grave +that in marrying they dispensed with judgment, the authority of their +parents and even with the Word of God, following altogether the +guidance of lust and desire. They took whom they pleased and whom they +could, and by such license they brought chaos into domestic, public +and churchly relations.</p> + +<center>B. DISORDER IN ALL BRANCHES OF SOCIETY.</center> + +<p>The sin of the primeval world was, therefore, an upheaval of all +established order, inasmuch as the Church was demoralized by idolatry +and false modes of worship. This condition was aggravated by those +oppressors who cruelly persecuted the righteous teachers and holy men. +Public discipline was destroyed by oppression and violent deeds, and +domestic discipline by uncurbed lust. Upon such overturning of piety +and integrity followed universal depravity; men were not merely evil +but plainly incorrigible.</p> +<a name="p6117"></a> +<center>C. THE TYRANNY EXERCISED.</center> + +<p>V. 4a. <i>The Nephilim</i> (giants) <i>were in the earth in those days,</i></p> + +<p>117. Moses continues the description of the sin and offense which +provoked the deluge. The first point was that the sons of God had +fallen from the fear of God, and the Word had become altogether +carnal, perverting not only the Church but also the State and home. +Now he adds that wickedness had grown to the extent of giants arising +upon earth. He clearly states that there were born from the +concubinage of the sons of God with the daughters of men, not sons of +God, but giants; that is, bold men who arrogated to themselves at the +same time both government and priesthood.</p> +<a name="p6118"></a> +<p>118. Just so the pope arrogates to himself at the same time the +spiritual and the temporal sword. This would not be the height of +evil, if he would only make use of his power for the preservation of +State and Church; but the greatest sin is that he abuses his power for +the establishment of idolatry, for a warfare against sound doctrine, +and for purposes of oppression even in the State. When the Papists are +reproved with the Word of God, they spurn such reproof, claiming that +they are the Church and incapable of error. This class of people Moses +calls "giants," men who arrogate to themselves power both political +and ecclesiastical, and who sin most licentiously.</p> +<a name="p6119"></a> +<p>119. Such men are described in the Book of Wisdom who say: "Let +unrighteousness be our law," 2, 11. Also in Psalms, 12, 4: "Who have +said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is +lord over us?" Again in Psalm 73. "They scoff, and in wickedness utter +oppression: they speak loftily," etc. Such were the giants who +withstood the Holy Spirit to his face, who, through the mouth of +Lamech, Noah and the sons of Noah, exhorted, implored, taught and +reproved.</p> +<a name="p6120"></a> +<p>120. There are those who dispute the meaning of the noun Nephilim and +derive it from <i>Naphal</i>, which signifies "to fall." They commonly take +it in a passive sense, meaning that other men, seeing the uncouth +forms and extraordinary size, fell down from fear. Let the rabbis +vouch for the correctness of this; it is ridiculous to call them +"<i>Nephilim</i>" because others fell. Some, however, suggest the etymology +that they were thus called because they had fallen from the common +stature of men, and allege as proof-passage Numbers 13, 33, from which +it appears that giants possessed huge bodies like the Anakim and +Rephaim. Which of these are right, I do not decide, especially since +it is certain that a theory of all words can not be given, nor their +origin demonstrated.</p> + +<p>121. But here another question obtrudes itself: Why should those born +from the sons of God and the daughters of men alone have differed from +the ordinary stature of man? I have no other answer than that the text +says nothing of stature in this place. In Numbers 13, 33 it is said: +"There we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants: +and we were in our sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their +sight." There hugeness of body is shown, but not here; therefore they +may be called giants for some other reason than massive stature.</p> + +<p>122. To give my opinion of the word, I hold it is to be taken neither +in the sense of the neuter nor of the passive, but of the active, +inasmuch as the word "<i>naphal</i>" is often used in the sense of the +active, though it does not belong to the third conjugation, in which +almost all transitive verbs are found. Thus in Joshua 11, 7: "So +Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the +waters of Merom suddenly, and fell upon them." If the verb is +construed as neuter, as if Joshua and his men had fallen before the +enemies, history will object; for the meaning is that they fell upon +the enemies and suddenly overpowered them.</p> +<a name="p6123"></a> +<p>123. Therefore, this passage and other, similar ones prompt me to +understand "<i>nephilim</i>" to designate not bulk of body, but tyranny and +oppression, inasmuch as they domineered by force, making no account of +law and honor, but merely indulging their pleasure and desire. +Rightful rulers the Scripture calls shepherds and princes, but those +who rule by wrong and violence are rightly called "<i>Nephilim</i>," +because they fall and prey upon those beneath them.</p> + +<p>Thus in Psalm 10: "He croucheth and humbleth himself and <i>Venaphal Baa +Zumaf Helkaim</i> (falls with his strong ones upon the poor)". The Holy +Spirit speaks there of the reign of the Antichrist, whom he describes +as raging so furiously as to crush what he can, and, at all events, to +bend what he cannot crush, so that afterward he may suppress with all +his strength what has been bent. For <i>baazuma</i> can be indifferently +rendered by "with his strength," or "with his strong ones." This +power, he says, he uses only against those who are <i>Hilkaim</i>, that is +the poor, such as have previously been in some state of affliction. +Others who excel in power, he worships so as to draw them over to his +side.</p> +<a name="p6124"></a> +<p>124. Accordingly I interpret "giants" in this passage not as men of +huge stature, as in Numbers 13, 33, but as violent and oppressive; as +the poets depict the Cyclopeans, who fear neither God nor men, but +follow only their desires, relying upon their strength and power. For +the oppressors sit enthroned in majesty, sway empires and kingdoms, +and arrogate to themselves even spiritual power, but use such power +against the Church and the Word of God for the gratification of their +lust.</p> +<a name="p6125"></a> +<p>125. Observe here the strange counsel of God, commanding us to fear +the authorities, to obey, serve and honor them, while at the same time +the threats and dreadful reproofs which he administers are almost +invariably directed against those in authority, against kings and +princes, as if God proceeded against them with a peculiar hatred. +Scripture enjoins upon us to honor authority, but itself does not +honor it; rather it destroys it with a threat of the gravest +penalties. Scripture enjoins us to fear authority, but itself appears +to despise authorities, inasmuch as it does not commend but threatens.</p> + +<p>126. Does not Mary earnestly declaim in her song against princes, Luke +1, 51-53: "He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their +heart. He hath put down princes from their thrones, and hath exalted +them of low degree. The hungry he hath filled with good things; and +the rich he hath sent empty away"? If we believe this to be true, who +would wish to be found among authorities, for whom so certain +perdition is prepared and imminent? Who would not prefer to live on a +lowly plane and suffer hunger? 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 kingdom. "Thou hast made of a +city a heap, of a fortified city a ruin," Is 25, 2. The whole Bible +abounds with like sentiments.</p> +<a name="p6127"></a> +<p>127. Thus, the Bible does not honor the authorities, but threatens +them with danger, and drags them into manifest contempt; and still +with consummate care it commands us to reverence and fear them, and to +render them all manner of service. Why is this? Surely because God +himself desires to punish them, and has reserved vengeance for himself +instead of surrendering it to their subjects. Jeremiah argues in +chapter 12, 1, concerning the prosperity of the way of the ungodly, +and yet the Lord is righteous. But he concludes: "Thou, O Lord, +fattenest them and preparest them for the sacrifice."</p> +<a name="p6128"></a> +<p>128. So might it be said that the authorities are God's swine, as it +were; he fattens them, gives them wealth, power, fame and the +obedience of their subjects. They are not pursued, while they +themselves pursue and oppress others; they suffer no injury, but they +inflict it upon others; they do not give to others, but rob them until +the hour comes when, like fattened swine, they are slaughtered. Hence +the German proverb: A prince is a rare bird in the kingdom of heaven +or, princes are wild game in heaven.</p> +<a name="p6129"></a> +<p>129. Accordingly, those whom Moses calls here "<i>Nephilim</i>," which is +an odious and disgraceful name, were without doubt the lawful +administrators of Church and State. But because they did not use their +office as they should, God marks and brands them with this opprobious +name. As we, in this corrupt state of nature, are unable to use the +least gift without pride, so God, most intolerant of pride, thrusts +the mighty from their throne, and leaves the rich empty.</p> +<a name="p6130"></a> +<p>130. I accept, then, the word "<i>Nephilim</i>" as having an active +signification, being equivalent to tyrants, oppressors, revelers. I +believe, furthermore, as has been the case with other languages also, +that Moses has transferred the usage of this word from his own times +to those before the deluge, after changing somewhat its meaning, +inasmuch as these degenerate descendants of the sons of God abused +their power and position for the oppression of the good, just as those +Anakim were tyrants relying upon bodily strength, and so Moses will +presently show.</p> +<a name="p6131"></a> +<p>V. 4b. <i>And also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the +daughters of men, and they bare children to them; the same were the +men that were of old, the men of renown.</i></p> + +<p>131. Jerome<small><small><sup>1</sup></small></small> renders: <i>Isti sunt potentes a seculo</i> (these are +mighty men from the beginning). But the word <i>seculum</i> (olam) does not +here signify duration of time, nor does it predicate extent. These +giants did not exist from the beginning, they were not born until the +sons of God had degenerated. But <i>seculum</i> (olam) connotes a second +predicate, that of substance, so that Moses explains the nature of the +power in which they trusted to have been secular or worldly. They +despised the ministry of the Word as a vile office; therefore they +seized upon another office, a secular one. The very same thing our +Papists have done. It has pleased them better to hold ample revenues +and worldly kingdoms than to be hated of all men for the sake of the +Gospel.</p> + +<blockquote><small><small><sup>1</sup></small> So also the A. V. and the R. V., while Luther has by no +means the philological science against him. <b>Mundus</b>, <b>seculum</b>, <b>aion</b>, and +<b>olam</b> are used to express the same conception. Translator.</small></blockquote> +<a name="p6132"></a> +<p>132. As far as Moses is concerned, the noun <i>olam</i> designates the +world itself, and also age or time. Hence it is to be carefully noted +when <i>olam</i> (<i>seculum</i>) signifies duration of time, and when it +signifies "world" in the Scriptures. Here it signifies of necessity +"world," for they did not exist from the beginning.</p> +<a name="p6133"></a> +<p>133. This clause, then, aptly describes the power they had received, +not from the Church, nor from the Holy Spirit, but from the devil and +the world. It is, as it were, the counterpart of what Christ says +before Pontius Pilate, John 18, 36: "My kingdom is not of this world." +The servants of the Word struggle with hunger, and they labor under +the hate of all classes. In consequence, they cannot exercise tyranny; +but those who possess kingdoms, who govern states, who possess castles +and domains, are equipped for exercising tyranny.</p> +<a name="p6134"></a> +<p>134. This clause contains also a suggestive reference to the small +Church with her few souls. These are cross-bearers without wealth; but +they possess the Word. Their only wealth is what the world despises +and persecutes. The Nephilim, on the other hand, or giants, usurp as +the descendants of the patriarchs the splendid name of the Church, and +possess also kingdoms. They exercise dominion, and pursue the +miserable Church in their power. In accordance therewith Moses calls +them mighty before, or in, the world; or worldlings and temporal +potentates.</p> +<a name="p6135"></a> +<p>135. What Jerome renders <i>viri famosi</i> (famous men) is, in Hebrew, +"men of name," that is, renowned or famous in the world. Moses touches +here also upon the sin of the Cyclopeans, who, possessing everything +in the world, possessed also a famous name and were renowned +throughout the world; while, on the contrary, the true sons of God, +namely Noah and his sons, were held in the greatest scorn and regarded +as heretics, as sons of the devil, as a blot upon the grandeur of +Church and State. So is it now with us. Christ testifies in Matthew +24, 37, that the last times resemble the times of Noah.</p> +<a name="p6136"></a> +<p>136. 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 +desire. They were, accordingly, such rascals as the pope today with +his cardinals and bishops, who are not only styled princes and possess +kingdoms, but also take to themselves the name of Church, so as to +subject us as heretics to the ban, and securely to condemn us. They do +not permit themselves to be called tyrants, nor wicked, nor +temple-robbers. They wish to be styled most kind, holy and reverend +gentlemen.</p> +<a name="p6137"></a> +<p>137. The meaning, therefore, is not that which Lyra follows when he +understands "famous" as "notorious." As the world does not call the +pope Antichrist, 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 error, 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 world. On the contrary, +Noah with his followers was condemned as a rebel, as a heretic, as a +traducer of the dignity of State and Church. So today do bishops +regard us who profess the Gospel.</p> +<a name="p6138"></a> +<center>D. THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.</center> + +<p>138. This passage furnishes a description of the sins with which that +age was burdened: Men were averse to the Word; they were given over to +their own lusts and reprobate minds; they sinned against the Holy +Spirit by persistent impenitence, by defending their ungodly behavior +and by warring upon the recognized truth. Yet with all these +blasphemies they retained the name and authority, not only of the +State, but also of the Church, as if God had exalted them to the place +of the angels. When this was the state of things, and Noah and Lamech +with their pious ancestor Methuselah taught in vain, God turned them +over to the desires of their hearts (Ps 81, 12) and maintained silence +until they should experience the flood, the prophecy of which they +refused to believe.</p> +<a name="p6139"></a> +<p>139. This is falling away from God and Church and entering upon +illicit marriage. One sin, unless corrected at once, will lead to +another, and so on indefinitely until the state is reached which +Solomon describes in Proverbs 18, 3, "When the wicked cometh, there +cometh also contempt, and with ignominy Cometh reproach." They who +thus sin, even if afterward rebuked, do not heed. They imagine they +stand in need of no instructor, and think they represent a just cause. +They do not believe in a life after this, or even hope for salvation, +while living in open sin. Notwithstanding, scorn and shame shall +overwhelm them. It was this persistent impenitence and consummate +contempt for the Word that impelled God to visit all flesh with a +universal flood.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents16"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">IV.</td> + <td colspan="6">GOD'S REPENTANCE AND GRIEF THAT HE MADE MAN.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="5">THE REPENTANCE OF GOD.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="4">The Words, "The wickedness of man was great."</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Luther used these words against the doctrine of free + will; how the advocates of free will falsely interpreted + them, and how they are refuted <a href="#p6140">140-141</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Concerning free will.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td colspan="2">Augustine's doctrine of free will misinterpreted by + the schools <a href="#p6140">140</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td colspan="2">The schools unreasonably defend it <a href="#p6141">141</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td colspan="2">Man has no free will and without the grace of the Holy + Spirit can do nothing <a href="#p6142">142-143</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(4)</td> + <td colspan="2">The reproving office of the Holy Spirit makes it clear + that man has no free will <a href="#p6144">144</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(5)</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether there is hope, if a council be held, that the + Papists will abandon their false doctrine of free will <a href="#p6145">145</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(6)</td> + <td colspan="2">How the true doctrine of free will leads us to a + knowledge of sin and what we are to hold in reference to it <a href="#p6146">146</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(7)</td> + <td colspan="2">Why we should guard against the false doctrine + concerning free will <a href="#p6147">147</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The comfort for one who commits sins of infirmities <a href="#p6147">147</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">All endeavors without the Holy Spirit are evil <a href="#p6148">148</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(8)</td> + <td colspan="2">We are to distinguish in the doctrine of free will + what is good politically from what is good theologically <a href="#p6149">149-150</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="3">These words are wrongly understood by the Jews and sophists <a href="#p6151">151</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How we should view the discussions of philosophers in + regard to God and divine things <a href="#p6152">152</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="3">These words should be understood as spoken not only of the + people before the flood, but of all men <a href="#p6153">153</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="4">The Words, "It Repented Jehovah."</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="3">How the repentance of God is to be reconciled with the + wisdom and omniscience of God.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td colspan="2">The way sophists answer this question <a href="#p6154">154</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td colspan="2">Luther's answer <a href="#p6155">155-157</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How man should treat questions which lead us into the + throne of the divine majesty <a href="#p6158">158</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How the passages of Scripture are to be understood + which attribute to God the members of a human body <a href="#p6159">159</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether the Anthropomorphites were justly condemned <a href="#p6159">159</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why God is represented to us as if he sprang from the + temporal and the visible <a href="#p6161">161-163</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">We cannot explore God's nature <a href="#p6163">163</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">In what pictures God reveals himself in the Old + Testament, and in the New <a href="#p6164">164</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The will of God in signs and the will of God's good + pleasure, "signs" and "Beneplaciti."</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(a)</td> + <td>How we can know God's will in signs <a href="#p6165">165-166</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(b)</td> + <td>Why we cannot know the will of God's pleasure, nor fathom it <a href="#p6165">165-166</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(c)</td> + <td>What is really to be understood by the will in signs <a href="#p6167">167</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="3">The way the schools explain these words <a href="#p6168">168</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="3">How they are to be rightly understood <a href="#p6169">169</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Disputing about God's majesty and omnipotence places man + in a dangerous position <a href="#p6169">169-171</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How man should hold to the signs by which God revealed himself <a href="#p6171">171</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">What the will of God's pleasure is, to what it serves and + how it is revealed in Christ <a href="#p6172">172-176</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The will of good pleasure of which the fathers speak + cannot comfort the heart <a href="#p6175">175</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The only view of the Godhead possible in this life <a href="#p6176">176</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="3">In what sense it can be said that "it repented Jehovah + that he had made man" <a href="#p6177">177</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6140"></a> +<br> +<h4>IV. THE REPENTANCE AND GRIEF OF GOD BECAUSE HE HAD MADE MAN.</h4> + +<center>A. The Repentance of God.</center> + +<p>Vs. 5-6. <i>And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the +earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was +only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on +the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.</i></p> + +<p>140. This is the passage which we have used against "free will," of +which Augustine writes that without the grace of the Holy Spirit it +can do nothing but sin. The scholastics, however, the champions of +free will, are not only hard beset by this clear passage, but also by +the authority of Augustine, and they sweat. Of Augustine they say that +his language is hyperbolical, as Basil writes of one who in refuting +the other side had gone too far, that he did like the farmers; they +when trying to straighten out crooked branches bend them a little too +far on the other side; and so Augustine, in beating back the +Pelagians, is asserted to have spoken more severely against free will +in the defense of grace than the merits of the case warranted.</p> +<a name="p6141"></a> +<p>141. As far as this passage is concerned, it is slandered when it is +held that it speaks only of the evil generation before the flood, and +that now men are better, at least some who make good use of their +freedom of will. Such wretched interpreters do not see that the +passage speaks of the human heart in general, and that a particle is +plainly added, <i>Rak</i>, which signifies "only." In the third place, they +fail to see that after the flood the same declaration is repeated in +the eighth chapter in almost precisely the same terms. For God says, +"The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," Gen 8, 21. +Here evidently he does not speak only of the antediluvians. He rather +speaks of those to whom he makes the promise that henceforth another +general flood of water shall never come, that is, of all the offspring +of Noah. These are words of universal application: "The imagination of +man's heart is evil."</p> +<a name="p6142"></a> +<p>142. We draw, therefore, the general conclusion that man without the +Holy Spirit and without grace can do nothing but sin, and thus he +unhaltingly goes forward from sin to sin. When in addition, he will +not endure sound doctrine but rejects the word of salvation and +resists the Holy Spirit, he becomes an enemy of God, blasphemes the +Holy Spirit and simply follows the evil desires of his heart. +Witnesses of this are the examples of the prophets, Christ and the +Apostles, the primeval world under Noah as teacher, and also the +example of our adversaries today, who cannot be convinced by anything +that they are in error, that they sin, that their worship is ungodly.</p> + +<p>143. Other declarations of Holy Scripture prove the same thing. Is not +the statement of the fourteenth Psalm, verse 3, sweeping enough when +it says: "Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to +see if there was any that did understand, and did seek after God. They +are all gone aside?" Thus, Ps 116, 11, "All men are liars;" and Paul, +"God hath shut up all unto disobedience," Rom 11, 32. These passages +are most sweeping, and emphatically force the conclusion that we all, +without the Holy Spirit, whose dispenser is Christ, can do nothing but +err and sin. Therefore, Christ says in the Gospel, "I am the vine, ye +are the branches: ... apart from me ye can do nothing," Jn 15, 5. +Without me you are a branch cut off, dry, dead and ready for the +burning.</p> +<a name="p6144"></a> +<p>144. 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 derangement. But the world remains +consistent with itself; it hears not and believes it can please God +with forms of worship of its own choosing and without the sanction of +the divine Word, and does not permit itself to be undeceived.</p> +<a name="p6145"></a> +<p>145. If ever a council should be held, the final declaration and +conclusion with reference to this very point, the freedom of will, +will be that we should abide by the decisions of the pope and the +fathers. We may clamor until we are hoarse that man in himself without +the Holy Spirit is evil, that everything he does without the Holy +Spirit or without faith is condemned before God, that his heart is +depraved and all his thought; we shall effect nothing.</p> +<a name="p6146"></a> +<p>146. Therefore, the mind is to be grounded in this, and we are to hold +fast the doctrine which lays before us our sin and condemnation. This +knowledge of our sin is the beginning of salvation; we must absolutely +despair of ourselves and give glory for righteousness to God alone. +Why does Paul elsewhere complain, and in Romans 7, 18 freely confess +that there is nothing good in him? He says plainly, "in my flesh;" so +that we understand that the Holy Spirit alone can heal our infirmity. +When this has been fixed in our hearts, the foundation of our +salvation is largely laid, inasmuch as subsequently clear testimonies +are given that God will not cast away the sinner, that is, one who +recognizes his sin and desires to come to his senses and thirsts after +righteousness and the remission of sin through Christ.</p> +<a name="p6147"></a> +<p>147. Let us, therefore, take care not to be found among those +Cyclopeans who oppose the Word of God and proclaim their freedom of +will and their own powers. Though we often err, though we fall and +sin, still, upon yielding to reproof on the part of the Holy Spirit +with an humble confession of our depravity, the Holy Spirit himself +will be present, and not only not impute to us the sin we acknowledge, +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 one.</p> +<a name="p6148"></a> +<p>148. But the words of Moses are to be more closely considered, for +with a definite purpose he has used here a peculiar expression; he has +not merely said, "The thoughts of man's heart are evil," but "the +imagination of the thoughts of his heart." Thus he expresses the +highest that man can achieve with his thoughts or with his reason and +free will. "Imagination" he calls that which man with his strongest +effort devises, selects, creates like a potter, and believes to be +most beautiful.</p> + +<p>But such imagination is evil, he says, and that not once, but always. +For our reason without the Holy Spirit is altogether without knowledge +of God. Now, to be without knowledge of God means to be entirely base, +to dwell in darkness and to deem that very good which, in reality, is +very bad.</p> +<a name="p6149"></a> +<p>149. But when I speak of good, I do so from the standpoint of +theology, for we must distinguish between the theological and the +civil standpoints. God approves also the rule of the ungodly; he +honors and rewards virtue also among the ungodly: but only in regard +to the things of this life and in things grasped by a reason which is +upright from the civil standpoint; whereas the future life is not +embraced in such reward. His approval is not with regard to the future +life.</p> + +<p>150. When we dispute about the freedom of the will, the question with +us is what it may do from the theological standpoint, not in civil +affairs and in those subjects to reason. We believe that man, without +the Holy Spirit, is altogether corrupt before God, though he may stand +adorned with all heathen virtues, inasmuch as there are certainly +distinguished examples of moderation, of liberality, of love of +country, parents and children, of courage and humanity, even in the +history of the Gentiles. We maintain that man's best thoughts +concerning God, the worship of God, the will of God, are worse than +Cimmerian darkness; for the light of reason, which has been given to +man alone, understands only bodily blessings. Such is the wicked +infatuation of our evil desires.</p> +<a name="p6151"></a> +<p>151. This declaration, therefore, should not be construed frivolously, +as the Jews and sophists do, who believe that the lower part of man +only is here meant, which is bestial, and that the reason longs for +better things. "The imagination of the thoughts" they apply +accordingly to the second table, like the Pharisee who condemns the +publican and says that he is not like the other persons. The words the +Pharisee uses are very fine, for to give thanks to God for his gifts +is not a sin; and yet we declare this same thing to be ungodly and +wicked, because it proceeded from gross ignorance of God, and it is +truly prayer turned into sin, tending neither to the glory of God nor +to the welfare of men.</p> +<a name="p6152"></a> +<p>152. You may observe that philosophers have at various times quite +cleverly discussed God and the providence with which he rules all +things. To some, such words have seemed so pious that they almost have +placed Socrates, Xenophon and Plato in the same rank with the +prophets; yet, because in these discussions the philosophers are +ignorant of the fact that God has sent his only Son into the world to +save sinners, these beautiful utterances are, according to the +declaration of this passage, consummate ignorance of God and mere +blasphemies, for the passage states unequivocally that all imagination +and effort of the human heart is only evil.</p> +<a name="p6153"></a> +<p>153. The text speaks, accordingly, not only of the sins before the +flood, but it speaks of the whole nature of man, his heart, his reason +and his intellect, even when man pretends to righteousness and desires +to be very holy, as do today the Anabaptists when they purpose in +their heart so to excel as to fail in nothing, when for a show they +attempt to attain the fairest virtues. The truth is that hearts +without the Holy Spirit are not only ignorant of God, but naturally +even hate him. How, then, can anything be aught but evil that proceeds +from ignorance and hatred of God?</p> +<a name="p6154"></a> +<p>154. Another question is here raised. Moses speaks thus: "When Jehovah +saw that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only +evil continually, it repented him that he had made man on the earth." +If God foresees everything, why does the text say that he now first +sees? If God is wise, how can regret for having created anything +befall him? Why did he not see this sin or depraved nature of man from +the beginning of the world? Why does Scripture thus attribute to God +such things as a temporary will, vision and purpose? Are not the +purposes of God eternal and unalterable, incapable of being regretted? +Similar instances are found also in the prophets, where God threatens +penalties, as for instance to the Ninevites, and yet pardons the +penitent.</p> + +<p>To this question the sophists have no other reply than this, that the +Scripture speaks after the manner of men, that such things are +ascribed to God accordingly through the use of a figure of speech. +Hence they contend concerning a double will of God, the will expressed +by signs (<i>voluntas signi</i>) and the will of his good pleasure +(<i>voluntas beneplaciti</i>). The will of his good pleasure, they say, is +constant and unchangeable, while the expressed will is subject to +change. For the signs through which he expresses himself, he changes +when he pleases. Thus he has abolished circumcision and instituted +baptism, whereas the will of his good pleasure, fixed from eternity, +abides.</p> +<a name="p6155"></a> +<p>155. While I do not condemn this interpretation, a simpler meaning of +the Scripture seems to be that the Holy Scriptures express the thought +of men in the ministry. For when Moses says that God sees and regrets, +this is really done in the hearts of those who have the ministry of +the Word. Thus he said above: "My Spirit shall not strive with man," +but he does not say this simply of the Holy Spirit as existing in his +own nature, or of the divine majesty, but of the Holy Spirit in the +hearts of Noah and Methuselah, that is, the Holy Spirit as officiating +and administering the Word through the saints.</p> + +<p>156. In this manner God saw the wickedness of man and repented; that +is, Noah, who had the Holy Spirit and was a minister of the Word, saw +the wickedness of men and, seeing such things, he was moved by the +Holy Spirit to grief. So Paul says in Ephesians 4, 30, that the Holy +Spirit in the righteous is grieved by the ungodliness and malice of +the wicked. Inasmuch as Noah is a faithful minister of the Word and an +organ of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is said to grieve when Noah +grieves and wishes that man rather did not exist than to be thus +iniquitous.</p> + +<p>157. The meaning, therefore, is not that God did not see these things +from eternity; he saw everything from eternity; but inasmuch as this +wickedness now manifests itself in all its fierceness, God now first +reveals the same in the hearts of his ministers and prophets.</p> + +<p>From eternity, therefore, God is firm and constant in his purpose. He +sees and knows everything. But only in his own time does God reveal +this to the righteous so that they, also, may see it. This seems to me +the simplest meaning of this passage, nor does Augustine differ from +it much.</p> +<a name="p6158"></a> +<p>158. However, I constantly follow the rule to avoid, whenever +possible, such questions as draw us before the throne of the highest +majesty. It is better and safer to stand at the manger of Christ, the +man. To lose one's self in the labyrinths of divinity is fraught with +greatest danger.</p> +<a name="p6159"></a> +<p>159. To this passage belong also other similar ones in which God is +pictured as having eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands and feet, as Isaiah, +Daniel and other prophets saw him in their visions. In such passages +the Bible speaks of God in the same manner as of a man. In +consequence, the Anthropomorphites stood condemned of heresy because +they attributed to the divine essence a human form.</p> + +<p>160. Because the Anthropomorphites fancied such gross things, they +have rightly been condemned. Their fancy is manifestly erroneous, for +a spirit, as Christ says (Lk 24, 39), has not flesh and bone. I am +rather of the opinion that the Anthropomorphites intended to adapt the +form of their doctrine to the plainest people. For in his substance, +God is unknowable, indefinable, inexpressible, though we may tear +ourselves to pieces in our efforts to discern or portray him.</p> +<a name="p6161"></a> +<p>161. Hence, God himself condescends to the low plane of our +understanding and presents himself to us with childlike simplicity in +representations, as in a guise, so that he may be made known to us in +some way. Thus the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove; not +because he is a dove, but in this crude form he desired to be +recognized, received and worshiped, for it was really the Holy Spirit. +No one, to be sure, will say that the same passage defines God as a +voice speaking from heaven, yet under this crude image, a human voice +from heaven, he was received and worshiped.</p> + +<p>162. When Scripture thus ascribes to God human form, voice, actions +and state of mind, it is intended as an aid only for the uncultivated +and feeble; we who are great and learned and of discernment in +reference to Scripture, should likewise lay hold of these +representations, because God has put them forth and revealed himself +to us through them. The angels likewise, appear in human form, though +it is certain that they are only spirits; spirits we cannot recognize +when they present themselves as such, but likenesses we do recognize.</p> +<a name="p6163"></a> +<p>163. This is the simplest way of treating such passages, for the +nature of God we cannot define; what he is not we can well define—he +is not a voice, a dove, water, bread, wine. And yet in these visible +forms he presents himself to us and deals with us. These forms he +shows to us that we should not become wandering and unsettled spirits +which dispute concerning God, but are completely ignorant concerning +him, since in his unveiled majesty he can not be apprehended. He sees +it to be impossible for us to know him in his own nature. For he +lives, as the Scripture says in 1 Timothy 6, 16, in an inaccessible +light, and what we can apprehend and understand he has declared. They +who abide in these things will truly lay hold of him, while those who +vaunt and follow visions, revelations and illuminations will either be +overwhelmed by his majesty or remain in densest ignorance of God.</p> +<a name="p6164"></a> +<p>164. Thus the Jews also had their representations in which God +manifested himself to them, as the mercy-seat, the ark of the +covenant, the tabernacle, the pillars of smoke and fire. God says in +Exodus 33, 20, "Man shall not see me and live," therefore he gives a +representation of himself in which he so manifests himself to us that +we may lay hold of him. In the new covenant we have Baptism, the +Lord's Supper, absolution and the ministry of the Word.</p> +<a name="p6165"></a> +<p>165. These are what the scholastics call <i>voluntas signi</i>, the will +expressed through signs, which we must view when we desire to know the +will of God. Another is the <i>voluntas beneplaciti</i>, the will of his +good pleasure, the essential will of God, or his unveiled majesty, +which is God himself. From this our eyes are to be turned away. It +cannot be laid hold of; for in God is nothing but divinity, and the +essence of God is his infinite wisdom and almighty power. These are +absolutely inaccessible to reason: what he has willed according to the +will of his good pleasure, that he has seen from eternity.</p> + +<p>166. Into this essential and divine will we should not pry, but should +absolutely refrain from it as from the divine majesty, for it is +inscrutable, and God has had no desire to declare it in this life. He +desires to show it under certain tokens or coverings, as Baptism, the +Word and the Lord's Supper. These are the images of the deity and are +his will as expressed through signs, by which he deals with us on the +plane of our intelligence. Hence, we should look to these alone. The +will of his good pleasure is to be left entirely out of contemplation, +unless you happen to be Moses, or David, or some similarly perfect +man, although even they so looked to the will of the divine good +pleasure as never to turn their eyes from the will expressed by signs.</p> +<a name="p6167"></a> +<p>167. This will of God is called his activity (<i>effectus Dei</i>), wherein +he comes out to us and deals with us garbed in the drapery of things +extraneous to himself; these we can lay hold of—the Word of God and +the ceremonies instituted by himself. This will of God is not that of +his omnipotence, for though God in the ten commandments enjoins what +ought to be done it is yet not done. Thus, Christ has instituted the +Lord's Supper to strengthen in us faith in his mercy, and yet many +receive it to their condemnation, that is, without faith.</p> +<a name="p6168"></a> +<p>168. But I return to Moses. He says that God sees man's wickedness and +repents. The scholastics explain this: He sees and repents, namely, +according to the expressed will, not that of his good pleasure, or the +essential will.</p> +<a name="p6169"></a> +<p>169. We say that Noah's heart is moved by the Holy Spirit to +understand that God is wroth with man and desires his destruction. +This interpretation commends itself to our intelligence and does not +draw us into discussions concerning the absolute will or majesty of +God, which are very dangerous, as I have seen in many. Such spirits +are first puffed up by the devil so that they believe themselves to be +in possession of the Holy Spirit, neglect the Word to the point of +blaspheming it and vaunt nothing but the Spirit and visions.</p> + +<p>170. This is the first degree of error—that men, paying no heed to +the Deity as imaged and incarnate, seek after the unveiled God. +Afterward, when the hour of judgment comes, and they feel the wrath of +God, God himself judging and searching their hearts, the devil ceases +to puff them up and they despair and die. They go about in the +untempered sunlight and forsake the shade that delivers from the heat, +Is 4, 6.</p> +<a name="p6171"></a> +<p>171. Let no one therefore meditate upon divinity unveiled, but flee +from such thoughts as from the infernal regions and the very +temptations of Satan. But let us take care to abide in these symbols +through which God has revealed himself to us—the Son, born of the +Virgin Mary, lying among beasts in the manger, and the Word, Baptism, +the Lord's Supper and absolution. In these images we see and find God +in a way wherein we can endure him; he comforts us, lifts us up into +hope and saves. Other thoughts about the will of the good pleasure, or +the essential and eternal will, kill and damn.</p> +<a name="p6172"></a> +<p>172. However, to name this the will of "good pleasure" is a misnomer. +For that deserves to be called the will of good pleasure which the +Gospel discloses, concerning which Paul says, "that ye may prove what +is the good will of God," Rom 12, 2. And Christ says, "This is the +will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son should have +eternal life," Jn 6, 40. Also, "Whosoever shall do the will of my +Father who is in heaven, he is my brother," Mt 12, 50. Again, "This is +my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," Mt 3, 17. 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 +will, be it called the "expressed will" or the "will of good +pleasure," about the display of which at the flood and the destruction +of Sodom the scholastics dispute.</p> + +<p>173. On both occasions a terrible wrath is in evidence, against which +no soul could find protection, except in that gracious will, keeping +in mind that the Son of God was sent into the flesh to deliver us from +sin, death and the power of the devil.</p> + +<p>174. This will of the divine good pleasure has been determined from +eternity, and revealed and published in Christ. It is a quickening, +gracious and lovable will, and consequently it alone merits to be +called "the will of good pleasure." But the good fathers almost pass +the promises by; they do not press them, though they could properly be +called "the will of the good pleasure."</p> +<a name="p6175"></a> +<p>175. Therefore, as they enjoin looking to the will expressed by signs, +they do well, but this is in no wise sufficient; when we consider the +ten commandments, are we not frightened by the sight of our sins? When +those terrible examples of wrath are added which are also divine will +as expressed by signs, it is impossible for the soul to be lifted up +except by looking back to the will of the good pleasure, as we call +it, that is, the Son of God, who portrays for us the spirit and the +will of his Father, who does not hate sinners but desires to have +compassion upon them through his Son. Christ says to Philip, "He that +hath seen me hath seen the Father," Jn 14, 9.</p> +<a name="p6176"></a> +<p>176. The Son of God, therefore, who became incarnate, 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 forgiveness. This is the only vision +of Deity which in this life is expedient and possible. However, 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 itself. In the meantime, +it behooves us to approach the Father through the way, which is Christ +himself. He will lead us safely and we shall not be deceived.</p> +<a name="p6177"></a> +<p>177. The additional statement of the text, "It repented Jehovah that +he had made man on the earth," I believe to be meant to bring out the +antithesis, that God has in mind not the earthly man, who is subject +to sin and death, but the heavenly man, who is lord over them. He +expresses his love for the latter, while he hates the former and plans +his destruction.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents17"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="2">THE GRIEF OF GOD.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>This is not to be understood of the divine nature, but of the + hearts of the patriarchs <a href="#p6178">178-179</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>Abraham, Samuel and Christ grieved in like manner <a href="#p6180">180</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>By whom such grief is awakened in the heart <a href="#p6181">181</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>The cause of this grief <a href="#p6182">182</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The character of the children of God and of the world in the + face of the approaching calamity <a href="#p6183">183-184</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How the patriarchs and the Church were walls of defense <a href="#p6185">185</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td>What made the grief of the holy patriarchs greater <a href="#p6185">185</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td>Moses describes this grief very carefully <a href="#p6186">186</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How we see the grief of God in his saints <a href="#p6187">187</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How all is ruined on account of sin <a href="#p6187">187</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Why Noah did not dare to reveal the great wrath of God to the world <a href="#p6188">188</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>What prevents the world from believing God's threatenings <a href="#p6188">188-189</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>To whom God's promises do and do not apply <a href="#p6190">190</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Why the old world did not believe the threat of the deluge <a href="#p6191">191</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The fate of true doctrine in our day is the same as it was in Noah's <a href="#p6192">192</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6178"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. THE GRIEF OF GOD.</h4> + +<p>V. 6b. <i>And it grieved him at his heart.</i></p> + +<p>178. Such was the regret of God that he was pained in his heart. The +word here is <i>azab</i>, which was used before when he said (Gen 3, 16), +"In pain shalt thou bring forth children"; also in Psalm 127, 2, "the +bread of toil." This expression must be understood according to the +usage of Scripture. We must not think that God has a heart or that he +can suffer pain, but when the spirit of Noah, Lamech or Methuselah is +grieved, God himself is said to be grieved. We may understand such +grief not of his divine nature, but of his conduct. Noah, with his +father and grandfather, feels in his heart, through a revelation of +the Holy Spirit, that God hates the world because of sin and desires +its destruction; therefore they are grieved by this impenitence.</p> + +<p>179. This is the simple and true meaning. If you refer these words to +the will of the divine essence and hold that God has resolved this +from eternity, a perilous argument is employed to which are equal only +men who are spiritual and tested by trial, like Paul, for instance, +who has ventured to argue concerning predestination. Let us take our +stand on an humbler plane, one less open to danger, and hold that Noah +and the other fathers were most grievously pained when the Spirit +disclosed to them such wrath. These inexpressible groanings of the +best of men are accordingly attributed to God himself, because they +emanate from his Spirit.</p> +<a name="p6180"></a> +<p>180. An example of such groanings we see later in the case of Abraham, +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 ones. 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 wretched. Likewise Samuel—what does he not do +for Saul? He cries and implores with such vehemence that God is +compelled to restrain him: "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing +I have rejected him from being king over Israel?" 1 Sam 16, 1. So +Christ, foreseeing the destruction of Jerusalem within a few years by +reason of its sins, is most violently moved and pained in his soul.</p> +<a name="p6181"></a> +<p>181. Such promptings the Spirit of prayer arouses in pious souls. +Present everywhere, he is moved by the adversities of others, teaches, +informs, spares no pains, prays, complains, groans. Thus Moses and +Paul are willing to be accursed for the sake of their people.</p> +<a name="p6182"></a> +<p>182. In this manner Noah, the most holy man, and his father and +grandfather are consumed with pain at the sight of such terrible wrath +of God. He is not delighted at this overthrow of the whole human race, +but is filled with anxiety and the most grievous pain, while at the +same time the sons of men live in the greatest security, mocking, +boasting and taunting. Thus Psalms 109, 4, "For my love they are my +adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." Thus Paul, "I tell you +even weeping." Phil 3, 18. And what else could holy men do but weep +when the world would in no wise permit itself to be corrected?</p> +<a name="p6183"></a> +<p>183. It is always the appearance of the true Church that she not only +suffers, not only is humiliated and trampled under foot, but also +prays for her tormentors, is seriously disturbed by their dangers; on +the contrary, others play and frolic in proportion as they approach +their doom. But when the hour of judgment comes, 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 wicked. So Ezekiel laments +that no one is found who will stand for Israel as a protecting wall, +saying that this is the office of the prophets, Ezek 13, 5.</p> + +<p>184. It is impossible for the ungodly to pray; let no one, therefore, +entertain the hope concerning the papists, our adversaries, that they +pray. We pray for them and plant ourselves like a wall against the +wrath of God and, without doubt, it is by our tears and groanings that +they are saved, if, perchance, they will repent.</p> +<a name="p6185"></a> +<p>185. It is a terrible example, that God has spared not the first +world, for which Noah, Lamech and Methuselah set themselves like a +wall. What, then, shall we expect where such walls do not exist, where +there is no Church at all? The Church is always a wall against the +wrath of God. She feels pain, is tormented in her soul, prays, +intercedes, instructs, teaches, exhorts, as long as the judgment hour +is not here but coming. When she sees these ministrations to be +unavailing, what else can she do but feel grievous pain at the +destruction of the impenitent? The pain of the godly fathers was +augmented by the sight of so many relatives and kindred at one time +going to destruction.</p> +<a name="p6186"></a> +<p>186. This pain Moses could not express in a better and more graphic +description than to say that God repented of having made man. Before, +when he describes man's nature as having been formed in God's image, +he says that God beheld all that he had made and it was very good. +God, then, is delighted with his creatures and has joy in them. 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 +man.</p> +<a name="p6187"></a> +<p>187. It was Noah and the other fathers who felt this through the +revelation of the Holy Spirit; otherwise, they would have shared those +thoughts of joy and would have judged according to the earlier +prophecy that God had delight in all his works. Never would they have +thought that the wrath of God was such as to destroy not only the +whole human race, but also all living flesh of sky and earth, which +surely had not offended, yea, the very earth also; for the earth, +because of man's sin, had not retained after the flood its pristine +excellence. Some have written, as Lyra reminds us, that by the flood +the surface of the earth was washed away three hands deep. Certain it +is that paradise has been utterly destroyed through the flood. +Therefore, we possess today an earth more deeply cursed than before +the flood and after the fall of Adam; though the state of the earth +after the fall could not compare with the grandeur of its primeval +state before sin.</p> +<a name="p6188"></a> +<p>188. These disasters, therefore, the holy fathers saw through the +revelation of the Holy Spirit a hundred and twenty years before. But +such was the wickedness of the world that it put the Holy Spirit to +silence. Noah could not venture to reveal such threats without risk of +the gravest dangers. With his father and grandfather, with his +children and wife, he would discuss this great wrath of God. The sons +of men, however, had no more inclination to hear these things than the +papists today have to hear themselves called the church of Satan and +not of Christ. Accordingly, they would vaunt their ancestors and over +against Noah's proclamations they would plead the promise of the seed, +believing it to be impossible for God, in this manner, to destroy all +mankind.</p> + +<p>189. For the same reason, the Jews did not believe the prophets nor +even Christ himself when called to repentance, but maintained that +they were the people of God, inasmuch as they had the temple and +worship. The Turks today are inflated with victories which they +believe to be the reward for their faith and religion because they +believe in one God. We, however, are viewed as heathen and reputed to +believe in three Gods. God would not give us such victories and +dominions, they say, if he did not favor us and approve our religion. +This same reasoning blinds also the papist. Occupying an exalted +position, they maintain they are the Church and hence they have no +fear of divine punishment. Devilish, therefore, is that argument +whereby men take the name of God to palliate their sins.</p> +<a name="p6190"></a> +<p>190. But if God did not spare the first world, the generation of the +holy patriarchs, which had the promise of the seed as its very own—if +he saved only a very small remnant—the Turks, Jews and Papists shall +boast in vain of the name of God. According to Micah 2, 7, the Word of +God promises blessings to those who walk in uprightness. But those who +do not walk in uprightness are cursed. Those he threatens, those he +destroys. Neither does he take account of the name "Church", nor of +their number, whereas he saves the remnant which walks in uprightness. +But never will you convince the world of this.</p> +<a name="p6191"></a> +<p>191. In all probability the descendants of the patriarchs who perished +in the flood abused quite shamefully the argument of the dignity of +the Church, and condemned Noah for blasphemy and falsehood. To say, +they argued, that God was about to destroy the whole world by a flood +is equal to saying that God is not merciful, nor a Father, but a cruel +tyrant. You proclaim the wrath of God, O Noah! Then God is not such a +being as to promise deliverance from sin and death through the seed of +woman? The wrath of God, therefore, will not swallow the whole earth. +We are the people of God. We have from God magnificent gifts; never +would God have given these to us if he had resolved to act against us +with such hostility. In this fashion the wicked are in the habit of +applying to themselves the promises and trusting to the same. All +warnings, however, they neglect and deride.</p> +<a name="p6192"></a> +<p>192. It is profitable to contemplate this diligently so that we may be +safeguarded against such vicious heedlessness of the wicked. For what +happened to Moses, now happens also to us. Our adversaries ascribe to +themselves the name of God's people, true worship, grace and +everything holy; to us, everything devilish. Now, when we reprove them +for blasphemy and say that they are the church of Satan, they rage +against us with every kind of cruelty. Hence we mourn with Noah, and +commend the cause to God, as Christ did on the cross—what else could +we do?—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 Church, of +having the promises, of having the worship of God. When God destroyed +the whole original world, he manifested the promise of the seed to +that wretched and tiny remnant, Noah and his sons.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents18"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">V.</td> + <td colspan="3">NOAH ALONE WAS RIGHTEOUS; THE WORLD DESTROYED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="2">NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>What comfort was offered Noah by his righteousness in the + midst of his suffering <a href="#p6193">193</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>To find grace before God leads to faith and excludes works <a href="#p6194">194</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>For what was righteous Noah especially praised by God <a href="#p6195">195</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Many great men lived in the days of Noah <a href="#p6196">196</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>How righteous Noah had to contend against so much all alone <a href="#p6197">197</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>By what means the Papists contend against the Evangelicals <a href="#p6198">198</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>With what the world especially upbraided righteous Noah <a href="#p6199">199</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>People then were wiser and more ingenious than now <a href="#p6200">200</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td>Noah may be called both just and pious <a href="#p6201">201</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td>Righteous Noah led a godly life, possessed great courage and + was a marvelous character <a href="#p6202">202</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td>By his piety Noah was a confessor of the truth <a href="#p6203">203-204</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>It is very difficult for one man to withstand the united + opposition of many <a href="#p6204">204</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td>Being a preacher of righteousness Noah was in greater danger <a href="#p6205">205</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td>Noah an example of patience and of all virtues <a href="#p6206">206</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td>How he traveled and preached everywhere in the world, and + preserved the human race temporally and spiritually <a href="#p6207">207-208</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td>The world takes offense at righteous Noah's marrying, and + adds sin to sin <a href="#p6209">209</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">12.</td> + <td>The order of the birth of Noah's sons <a href="#p6210">210</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="2">THE WHOLE WORLD DESTROYED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>Whether, as Lyra teaches, birds and animals were destroyed <a href="#p6211">211</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Why the punishment of sin was visited also upon the animals <a href="#p6212">212-213</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>The meaning of "the earth was corrupt before God" <a href="#p6214">214-216</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The sins against the first table of the law can easier be + concealed than those against the second table <a href="#p6214">214</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Where false doctrine is taught, godless living follows <a href="#p6215">215</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>How the earth was corrupt in the light of the first table of + the law <a href="#p6215">215-216</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>How the earth was corrupt in the light of the second table <a href="#p6217">217-218</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The meaning of "violence" in Scripture <a href="#p6218">218</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The greatest violence can obtain under the appearance of + holiness, as among the Papists and Turks <a href="#p6219">219-221</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Moses beautifully traces the course God takes in his judgments <a href="#p6222">222</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Who can pass the right judgment upon the pope that he is Antichrist <a href="#p6223">223</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How Antichrist strengthens the courage of the godly, and whether they can check him <a href="#p6223">223</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td>Noah laments this corruption <a href="#p6224">224</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Godlessness cannot be remedied when it adorns itself with the + appearance of holiness <a href="#p6225">225</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td>How God views this corruption <a href="#p6226">226</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Luther laments the wickedness of the enemies of the Gospel <a href="#p6227">227</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How we should view God's delay in punishing the wickedness of + his enemies <a href="#p6228">228</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>God's delay is very hard for believers <a href="#p6229">229</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td>The first world, although corrupt, was much better than the + present world <a href="#p6230">230</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6193"></a> +<br> +<h4>V. HOW NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS, AND HOW THE WHOLE WORLD WAS +DESTROYED.</h4> + +<center>A. Noah Alone Was found Righteous.</center> + +<p>V. 8. <i>But Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah.</i></p> + +<p>193. These are the words through which Noah was lifted up and +quickened again. For such wrath of the divine majesty would have +killed him, had not God added the promise of saving him. It is likely, +however, that his faith had a struggle and was weak. We cannot imagine +how such contemplation of God's wrath weakens courage.</p> +<a name="p6194"></a> +<p>194. This novel expression of the Holy Spirit the heavenly messenger +Gabriel also uses when speaking to the Blessed Virgin Lk 1, 30, "Thou +hast found favor (grace) with God." The expression most palpably +excludes merit and commends faith, through which alone we are +justified before God, made acceptable and well pleasing in his sight.</p> +<a name="p6195"></a> +<p>V. 9. <i>These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, +and perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God.</i></p> + +<p>195. With this passage the Jews commence not only a new chapter, but +also a new lesson. This is a very brief history, but it greatly extols +our patriarch Noah; he alone remained just and upright while the other +sons of God degenerated.</p> +<a name="p6196"></a> +<p>196. Let us remember many most excellent men were among the sons of +God, of whom some lived with Noah well nigh five hundred years. Man in +that age before the flood was very long-lived; not only the sons of +God, but also the sons of men. A very wide and rich experience had +been gathered by these people during so many years. Much they learned +from their progenitors and much they saw and experienced.</p> +<a name="p6197"></a> +<p>197. Amid the corruption of all these stands Noah, a truly marvelous +man. He swerves neither to the left nor to the right. He retains the +true worship of God. He retains the pure doctrine, and lives in the +fear of God. There is no doubt that a depraved generation hated him +inordinately, tantalized him in various ways and thus insulted him: +"Art thou alone wise? Dost thou alone please God? Are the rest of us +all in error? Shall we all be damned? Thou alone dost not err. Thou +alone shalt not be condemned." And thus the just and holy man must +have concluded in his mind that all others were in error and about to +be condemned, while he and his offspring alone were to be saved. +Although his conviction was right in the matter, his lot was a hard +one. The holy man was in various ways troubled by such reflections.</p> +<a name="p6198"></a> +<p>198. The wretched Papists press us today with this one argument: Do +you believe that all the fathers have been in error? It seems hard so +to believe, especially of the worthier ones, such as Augustine, +Ambrose, 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 Church. The labors of such we both laud and admire.</p> +<a name="p6199"></a> +<p>199. But surely no less a difficulty confronted Noah himself, who +alone is called just and upright, at a time when the very sons of men +paraded the name of the Church. When the sons of the fathers allied +themselves with these they, forsooth, believed that Noah with his +people raved, because he followed another doctrine and another +worship.</p> +<a name="p6200"></a> +<p>200. Today our life is very brief, still to what lengths human nature +will go is sufficiently in evidence. What may we imagine the condition +to have been in such a long existence, in which the bitterness and +vehemence of human nature were even stronger? Today we are naturally +much more dull and stupid, and yet men singularly gifted rush into +wickedness. It is afterward said that all flesh had corrupted its way +upon the earth, only Noah was just and upright.</p> +<a name="p6201"></a> +<p>201. 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 second. "Just" he is called, because of his faith in God, 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 offspring. 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 conscience. Nor did he +permit himself to be moved by the frequent offenses of men most +illustrious, wise and apparently holy.</p> +<a name="p6202"></a> +<p>202. Great was his courage. Today it appears to us impossible that one +man should oppose himself to all mankind, condemning them as evil, +while they vaunt the Church and God's Word and worship, and to +maintain that he alone is a son of God and acceptable before him. +Noah, accordingly, is a marvelous man, and Moses commends this same +greatness of mind when he plainly adds "in his generation," or "in his +age," as if he desired to say that his age was indeed the most wicked +and corrupt.</p> +<a name="p6203"></a> +<p>203. Above, in the history of Enoch, we explained what it means to +walk with God, namely, to advocate the cause of God in public. To be +just and upright bespeaks private virtue, but to walk with God is +something public—to advocate the cause of God before the world, to +wield his Word, to teach his worship. Noah was not simply just and +holy for himself but he was also a confessor; he taught others the +promises and threats of God, and performed and suffered all that +behooves a public personage in an age so exceedingly wicked and +corrupt.</p> +<a name="p6204"></a> +<p>204. If it were I who had seen that so great men in the generation of +the ungodly were opposed to me, I surely in desperation should have +cast aside my ministry. For one cannot conceive how difficult it is +for one man to oppose himself alone to the unanimity of all churches; +to impugn the judgment of the best and most amicable of men; to +condemn them; to teach, to live, and to do everything, in opposition +to them. This is what Noah did. He was inspired with admirable +constancy of purpose, inasmuch as he, innocent before men, not only +regarded the cause of God, but most earnestly pressed it among the +most nefarious men, until he was told: "My spirit shall not further +strive with man." And the word "strive" finely portrays the spirit +with which the ungodly heard Noah instruct them.</p> +<a name="p6205"></a> +<p>205. Peter also beautifully sets forth what it means to walk with God +when he calls Noah a preacher, not of the righteousness of man, but of +God; that is, that of faith in the promised seed. But what reward Noah +received from the ungodly for his message Moses does not indicate. The +statement is sufficient, that he preached righteousness, that he +taught the true worship of God while the whole earth opposed him. That +means the best, most religious and wisest of men were against him. +More than one miracle, in consequence, was necessary to prevent his +being waylaid and killed by the ungodly. We see today how much wrath, +hate, and envy one sermon to the people may create. What shall we +believe Noah may have suffered who taught not a hundred, not two +hundred, but even more years, down to the last century, when God did +not desire the wicked to receive instruction any longer lest they +become still fiercer and more depraved.</p> +<a name="p6206"></a> +<p>206. Therefore we may conjecture from the condition and nature of the +world itself, and of the devil, from the experience of the apostles +and the prophets, and likewise from our own, what a noble example of +patience and other virtues Noah has been, who was just and +irreproachable in that ungodly generation and walked with God—that +is, governed the churches with the Word—and who, when the one hundred +and twenty years were determined upon, after the lapse of which the +world was to be destroyed by a flood, in face of such a terrible +threat, entered into matrimony and begot children.</p> +<a name="p6207"></a> +<p>207. It is very probable that he traveled up and down the earth; that +he taught everywhere; that everywhere he exhorted to worship God in +truth; that he, hindered by many labors, refrained from matrimony on +account of abundance of tribulations and in the expectation of the +advent of a better and more religious age. 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 destruction, then and not before, prompted by +the Spirit, did he make up his mind to marry, in order to transmit to +the new age seed out of himself. And thus the holy man preserved the +human race, not only spiritually, in the true Word and worship, but +also bodily, by begetting children.</p> + +<p>208. As in paradise a new Church had its beginning, before the flood, +through Adam and Eve's faith in the promise, 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 end.</p> +<a name="p6209"></a> +<p>209. I stated above (<a href="#p6088">§88</a>) that this marriage was an occasion of great +offense to the ungodly and that they made the most extraordinary sport +of it. How inconsistent that the world is to perish so soon, when +Noah, five hundred years old, becomes a father! They deemed his act +the surest evidence that the world was not to perish by a flood. +Hence, they began to live even more licentiously, and in the greatest +security to despise all threats. Christ says in Matthew 24, 38, that +in the days of Noah they ate, they drank, etc. The world does not +understand the plans of God.</p> +<a name="p6210"></a> +<p>210. Concerning the order of the sons of Noah, I said above that +Japheth was first, that Shem was born two years afterward when Noah +commenced to build the ark, and Ham two years later. This has not been +clearly explained by Moses, but still it has been carefully noted.</p> +<a name="p6211"></a> +<center>B. Destruction of the Whole World.</center> + +<p>V. 11. <i>And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with +violence.</i></p> + +<p>211. Lyra, perhaps under the influence of rabbinic interpretation, +contends here that even the birds and other animals forsook their +nature and mixed with those of another species. But I do not believe +it, for the creation or nature of animals remains as it was fashioned. +They have not fallen through sin, like man, but are, on the contrary, +fashioned for this bodily life alone. In consequence they neither hear +the Word, nor does the Word concern them. They are absolutely without +the Law of the first and the second tables. Accordingly, this passage +refers only to man.</p> +<a name="p6212"></a> +<p>212. 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 altogether; not alone in body and soul, but with the +possessions and dominion which were his at creation. Instances of +similar retribution occur in the Old Testament. In the sixth chapter +of Daniel we see the enemies of Daniel cast into the lions' den, +together with their wives, children and whole families. In the +sixteenth chapter of Numbers a like incident is narrated in connection +with the destruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Similar is also an +instance spoken of by Christ when the king commands to sell the +servant together with wife, children and all his substance.</p> + +<p>213. In this manner, evidently, not only men but all their goods were +destroyed, so that punishment might be full and complete. Beasts, +fields and the birds of heaven were created for man. They are man's +property and chattels. Therefore, the animals perished, not because +they had sinned, but because God wanted man to perish amid all his +earthly possessions.</p> +<a name="p6214"></a> +<p>214. In this passage Moses' specific statement that "the earth was +corrupt before God," is made to show that Noah was treated and +esteemed in the eyes of his age as a stupid and good for nothing +character. The world, on the contrary, appeared in its own eyes +perfectly holy and righteous, believing it had just cause for the +persecution of Noah, especially in regard to the first table of the +Law and the worship of God. The second table is not without its +disguise of hypocrisy, but in this respect it bears no comparison to +the former. The adulterer, the thief, the murderer can remain hidden +for a while, though not forever. But the sins of the first table +generally remain hidden under the cloak of sanctity until God brings +them to light. Godlessness never wishes to be godlessness, but chases +after a reputation for piety and religion; and trims its cult so +finely that in comparison with it the true cult and the true religion +appear coarse.</p> +<a name="p6215"></a> +<p>215. The verb <i>shiheth</i> is very frequent and conspicuous in Holy +Scripture. Moses uses it in the thirty-first chapter of Deuteronomy, +verse 29: "For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt +yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you." +And David says, "They are all gone aside; they are together become +filthy," Ps 14, 3. Both passages speak particularly of the sins +against the first table; that is, they accuse the apparently devoutest +saints of false worship and false doctrine, for it is impossible for a +righteous life to follow teaching that is false.</p> + +<p>216. When Moses says the earth was corrupt before God, he clearly +points out the contrast—the hypocrites and oppressors judged Noah's +teaching and practise as wholly wrong, and their own as altogether +holy. The reverse, Moses says, was true. Mankind was assuredly corrupt +measured by the first table. They lacked the true Word and the true +worship. This distinction between the first and the second tables +commends itself strongly to my judgment and was doubtless suggested by +the Holy Spirit.</p> +<a name="p6217"></a> +<p>217. The additional statement—"and the earth was filled with +violence"—points to this unfailing sequence. With the Word lost, with +faith extinct, with traditions and will-worship—to use St. Paul's +phraseology (Col 2, 8)—having replaced the true cult, there results +violence and shameful living.</p> +<a name="p6218"></a> +<p>218. The correct significance of the word <i>hamas</i> is violence force, +wrong, with the suspension of all law and equity, a condition where +pleasure is law and everything is done not by right, but by might. But +if such was their life, you may say, how could they maintain the +appearance and reputation of holiness and righteousness? As if we did +not really have similar instances before our eyes today. Has the world +ever seen anything more cruel than the Turks? And they adorn all their +fierceness with the name of God and religion.</p> +<a name="p6219"></a> +<p>219. The popes have not only seized for themselves the riches of the +earth, but have filled the Church itself with stupendous errors and +blasphemous doctrines. They live in shocking licentiousness. They +alienate at pleasure the hearts of kings. Much is done by them to +bring on bloodshed and war. And yet, with all such blasphemies and +outrages, they arrogate to themselves the name and title of the +greatest saints and boast of being vicars of Christ and successors of +Peter.</p> + +<p>220. Thus the greatest wrong is allied to the names of Church and true +religion. Should any one offer objection, immediately is he put under +the ban and condemned as a heretic and an enemy of God and man. +Barring the Romans and their accomplices, there is no people which +plumes itself more upon religion and righteousness than the Turks. The +Christians they despise as idolaters; themselves they esteem as most +holy and wise. Notwithstanding, what is their life and religion but +incessant murder, robbery, rapine and other horrible outrages?</p> + +<p>221. The present times, therefore, illustrate how those two +incompatible things may be found in union—the greatest religiousness +with abominations, the greatest wrong with a show of right. And this +is the very cause for men becoming hardened and secure without +apprehending the punishment they merit by their sins.</p> +<a name="p6222"></a> +<p>V. 12. <i>And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all +flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.</i></p> + +<p>222. Inasmuch as the wrath of God is appalling and destruction is +imminent for all flesh except eight souls, Moses is somewhat redundant +in this passage, and uses repetitions, which are not superfluous but +express an emphasis of their own. Above he said the earth was corrupt; +now he says that God, as if following the customary judicial method, +saw this and meditated punishment. In this manner he pictures, as it +were, the order in which God proceeds.</p> +<a name="p6223"></a> +<p>223. The judgment of spiritual people concerning the pope at the +present day is that he is the Antichrist, raging against the Word and +the kingdom of Christ. But they who censure it are unable to correct +this wickedness. Wickedness is growing daily and contempt for +godliness is becoming greater every day. Now comes the thought: What +is God doing? Why does he not punish his enemy? Does he sleep and care +no longer for human affairs? The delay of judgment causes the +righteous anguish. They themselves cannot come to the succor of a +stricken religion and they see God who could help, connive at the fury +of the popes, who securely sin against the first and the second tables +of the Law.</p> +<a name="p6224"></a> +<p>224. Just so Noah sees the earth filled with wrongs. Therefore, he +groans and sighs to heaven in order to arouse God from the highest +heaven to judgment. Such voices occur here and there in the Psalms +(10, 1): "Why standest thou afar off?"; (13, 1): "How long, O +Jehovah?"; (9, 13): "Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; consider my +trouble"; (7, 6-9): "Arise, judge my cause, etc."</p> +<a name="p6225"></a> +<p>225. What Moses here describes comes at length to pass, that God also +sees these things and hears the cry of the righteous who are able to +judge the world; for they who are spiritual judge all things (1 Cor 2, +15), though they cannot alter anything. Wickedness is incorrigible +when adorned with a show of piety, and so is oppression when it +assumes the disguise of justice and foresight. It is nothing new that +they who seize the wives, daughters, houses, lands and goods of others +desire to be just and holy, as we showed above in respect of the +papacy.</p> +<a name="p6226"></a> +<p>226. This is the second stage then: When the saints have seen and +judged the wickedness of the world, God also sees it. He says of the +Sodomites: "The cry of them is waxed great before Jehovah" (Gen 19, +13); and above (ch 4, 10): "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth +unto me." But always before the Lord takes note, the sobs and groans +of the righteous precede, arousing, as it were, the Lord from slumber.</p> + +<p>What Moses desires to show in this passage through the word, "saw" is +that God finally perceived the afflictions and heard the cries of the +righteous, filling at last all heaven. He who hitherto had winked at +everything and seemed to favor the success of the wicked, was awakened +as from slumber. The fact is he saw everything much sooner than Noah; +for he is the searcher of hearts and cannot be deceived by simulated +piety as we can. But not until now, when he meditates punishment, does +Noah perceive that he sees.</p> +<a name="p6227"></a> +<p>227. Thus we are afflicted today by extreme and unheard of wickedness, +for our adversaries condemn from sheer caprice the truth they know and +profess. They try to get at our throats and shed the blood of the +righteous with a satanic fury. Such blasphemous, sacrilegious and +parricidal doings against the kingdom and name of God, manifest as +such beyond possibility of denial, they defend as the acme of justice. +While contending for the maintenance of their tyrannical position they +go so far as to arrogate to themselves the name of the Church. 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 +will?</p> +<a name="p6228"></a> +<p>228. But so far the Lord sleeps. He apparently does not observe such +wickedness, because he gives no sign as yet of observing it. Rather he +permits us to be tormented by such woeful sights. We are, therefore, +thus far in the first stage and this verse, stating that the whole +earth is corrupt, applies to our age. But at the proper time the +second stage will be reached, when we can declare in certainty of +faith that not only we but God also sees and hates such wickedness. +Though God, in his long-suffering, has continued to wink at many +things, he shall retain the name of One who in righteousness shall +judge the earth.</p> +<a name="p6229"></a> +<p>229. How bitter and hard such delay is for the righteous, the +lamentations of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 12, 1ff., and 20, 7ff, show. +There the holy man almost verges on blasphemy until he is told that +the Babylonian king should come and inflict punishment upon the +unbelieving scoffers. Thereupon Jeremiah recognizes that God looks +down on the earth and is Judge upon the earth.</p> +<a name="p6230"></a> +<p>230. The universal judgment which follows is terrible in the extreme, +namely that all flesh upon the earth had corrupted its way and that +God, when he had begun to examine the sons of men, did not, from the +oldest to the youngest of the fathers, find any he could save from +destruction.</p> + +<p>This strikes our ears as still more awful when we take into +consideration the condition of the primitive world, not judging by the +miserable fragments we have today. As the physical condition of the +world at that time was infinitely ahead of this age, 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 religion, righteousness and wisdom found among those +renowned men of the primitive world.</p> + +<p>And yet the text says that all flesh had corrupted its way, save Noah +and his offspring. That means all men were wicked, lived in idolatry +and false religion and hated the true worship of God. They despised +the promise of the seed, and persecuted Noah, who proclaimed +forgiveness through the seed and threatened to those, who should fail +to believe his forgiveness, eternal doom.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents19"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">VI.</td> + <td colspan="3">GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN + ARK; THE COVENANT.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="2">HOW GOD DECREED TO PUNISH THE OLD WORLD IN HIS WRATH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>How punishment finally comes when God has suffered sin long enough <a href="#p6231">231</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Luther's hope that God's judgment may soon break upon the last world <a href="#p6231">231</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>Whether reason can grasp the wrath and punishment of God <a href="#p6232">232</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>How God's promises stand in the midst of his wrath and punishment <a href="#p6232">232</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>The first world thought itself secure against God's wrath <a href="#p6233">233</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The Papal security and boldness against the Evangelicals <a href="#p6234">234</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td>By what means God punished the first world <a href="#p6235">235</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The Holy Spirit must reveal that God's wrath and punishment + do not violate his promises <a href="#p6236">236</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td>The causes of this wrath and punishment <a href="#p6237">237</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>By what may it be known that God will visit Germany with punishment <a href="#p6238">238</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>God complains more of the violence shown to the neighbor than + to himself <a href="#p6239">239</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The damages of the deluge <a href="#p6240">240</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The ground of the earth was in a better state before the flood than now <a href="#p6240">240</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The colors in the rainbow signs of the punishment of the + first and the last world <a href="#p6241">241</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6231"></a> +<br> +<h4>VI. GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN +ARK; THE COVENANT.</h4> + +<center>A. God Decides to Punish the Old World.</center> + +<p>V. 13. <i>And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before +me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I +will destroy them with the earth.</i></p> + +<p>231. After Noah and his people had for a long time raised their +accusing cry against the depravity of the world, the Lord gave +evidence that he saw the depravity and intended to avenge it. This, +the second stage, we also look for today, nor is there any doubt that +men shall exist, to whom this coming destruction of the world is to be +revealed, unless the destruction be the last day and the final +judgment, which I truly wish. We have seen enough wickedness in these +brief and evil days of ours. Godless men, as in Noah's time, adorn +their vices with the name of holiness and righteousness. Hence, no +penitence or reformation is to be hoped for. This stage having been +reached in the times of Noah, sentence is finally passed, having been +previously announced by the Lord when he gave command that striving +should cease and issued the declaration that he regretted having made +man.</p> +<a name="p6232"></a> +<p>232. Reason is incapable of believing and perfectly understanding such +wrath. Just consider how different this is from what had been. Above +we have read (ch 1, 31) that God saw everything he had made and +behold, it was very good; that he gave man and beast the additional +blessing of propagation; that he subjected to man's rule the earth and +all the treasures of the earth; that as the highest blessing, he added +the promise of the woman's seed and life eternal and instituted not +only the home and the State, but also the Church. How, then, is it +that the first world, called into being in this way through the Word, +should, to use Peter's expression, perish by water?</p> +<a name="p6233"></a> +<p>233. There is no doubt that the sons of the world threw all this up to +Noah as he preached the coming universal destruction, and publicly +charged him with lying, on the ground that home, State and Church had +been instituted by God; that God surely would not overturn his own +establishment by a final destruction; that man had been created for +propagation and dominion upon the earth, not for the rule of water +over him to his destruction.</p> +<a name="p6234"></a> +<p>234. Just so the Papists press us with the one argument that Christ +will be with the Church to the end of the world (Mt 28, 20); that the +gates of hell will not prevail against it (Mt 16, 18). This they vaunt +in a loud-voiced manner, believing their destruction to be an +impossibility. Swept by the waves Peter's ship may be, they say, but +the waters cannot overwhelm it.</p> +<a name="p6235"></a> +<p>235. Quite similar was the security and assurance before the flood; +notwithstanding, we see that the whole earth perished. The scoffers +boasted that God's regulations are perpetual, and that God had never +completely abolished or altered his creation. But consider the outcome +and you will see that they were wrong, while Noah alone was right.</p> +<a name="p6236"></a> +<p>236. Unless the additional light of the Holy Spirit is vouchsafed, man +will surely be convinced by such argument; for is it not equivalent to +making God inconstant and changeable, to maintain that he will +completely destroy his creature? Yet God gives Noah the revelation +that he will make an end of flesh and earth, not in part, but of all +flesh and all the earth. Would it not be awful enough to partition the +earth into three parts and to threaten destruction to one? 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 good. These things are too sublime to be understood or +comprehended by human reason.</p> +<a name="p6237"></a> +<p>237. What is the cause of wrath so great? Surely, the fact that the +earth is filled with violence, as he here says. Astonishing reason! He +says nothing here concerning the first table; he mentions only the +second. It is, as if he said: I shall say nothing of myself that they +hate, blaspheme and persecute my Word. Among themselves how shamefully +do they live! Neither home nor State are properly administered; +everything is conducted by force, nothing by reason and law. +Therefore, I shall destroy at the same time both mankind and the +earth.</p> +<a name="p6238"></a> +<p>238. We see also in our age that God winks at the profanation of the +mass, a horrible abomination that fills the whole earth, and at +ungodly teachings and other offenses which have hitherto been in vogue +in religion. But when men live so together that they disregard both +State and home, when huge covetousness, graft of every description and +manifold iniquity have waxed strong, does it not become clear to every +man that God is compelled, as it were, to punish, yea to overturn +Germany?</p> +<a name="p6239"></a> +<p>239. 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 himself. We observe he maintains silence +respecting the latter, while he threatens punishment, not to man +alone, but even to the very earth itself.</p> +<a name="p6240"></a> +<p>240. A twofold effect is traceable to the flood; a weakening of man's +powers and an impairment of his wealth and that of the earth. The +latter-day fruit of trees is in nowise to be compared with that in the +days before the flood. The antediluvian turnips were better than +afterward the melons, oranges or pomegranates. The pear was finer than +the spices of today. So it is likely that a man's finger possessed +more strength than today his whole arm. Likewise man's reason and +understanding were far superior. But God, because of sin, has brought +punishment to bear, not alone upon man, but also upon his property and +domain, as witness to posterity also of his wrath.</p> + +<p>But how is the destruction to be effected? Assuredly, by his seizing +the watery element and blotting out everything. The force with which +this element is wont to rage is common knowledge. Though the +atmosphere be pestilential, it does not always infect trees and roots. +But water not only overturns everything, not only does it tear out +trees and roots, but it also lifts the very surface of the earth. It +alters the soil, so that the most fertile fields are marred by the +overflow of salty earth and sand (Ps 107, 34). This was therefore +equal to the downfall of the primitive world.</p> +<a name="p6241"></a> +<p>241. The penalty of the present world, however, will be different, as +the color of the rainbow shows. The lowest color the extent of which +is well defined, is that of water. For the fury of the water in the +deluge was so great that limits were set to its havoc, and the earth +was restored to the remnant of the godly after the destruction of the +evil-doers. But the other arch of the rainbow, the outer, which has no +clearly defined bounds, is of the color of fire, the element which +shall consume the whole world. This destruction shall be succeeded by +a better world, which shall last forever and serve the righteous. This +the Lord seems to have written in the color of the rainbow.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents20"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="3">GOD COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">That Noah had only three children is a sign of God's mercy <a href="#p6242">242</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">The kind of wood used in building the ark <a href="#p6243">243</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Its various rooms <a href="#p6244">244</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">The pitch by which it was protected <a href="#p6245">245</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why God instructed Noah so particularly how each part was to + be constructed <a href="#p6246">246</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">The form of the ark, and how teachers differ on this point <a href="#p6247">247</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">The place Noah occupied in the ark, and that of the animals <a href="#p6248">248</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether the ark had the proportions of a human body <a href="#p6249">249</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the ark was a type of the body of Christ—of the Church + <a href="#p6250">250</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="2">The windows of the ark:</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Whether it had more than one window <a href="#p6251">251</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The Latin version is not clear here <a href="#p6252">252</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>What kind of a window it was, and how it could stand the rain <a href="#p6253">253</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Luther's opinion of the Jews' ideas about the window <a href="#p6253">253</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="2">The door of the ark <a href="#p6254">254</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td colspan="2">How to meet the various questions about the ark <a href="#p6255">255-256</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The deluge was a new method of punishment, hence the non + incredible <a href="#p6257">257-258</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God was in earnest in the threatening of this flood <a href="#p6259">259</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6242"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. GOD COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK.</h4> + +<p>V. 14. <i>Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the +ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (bitumen).</i></p> + +<p>242. God's first thought was to save a remnant through that tiny seed, +the three sons of Noah, for Noah ceased henceforth to beget children. +This strongly attests the mercy of God toward those who walk in his +ways.</p> +<a name="p6243"></a> +<p>243. <i>Gopher</i> some make out to be pine, others hemlock, still others +cedar; hence, a guess is rather difficult. The choice appears to have +been made owing to its lightness or its resinous quality, so that it +might float more easily upon the water and be impervious to it.</p> +<a name="p6244"></a> +<p>244. <i>Kinnim</i> signifies "nests" or "chambers"; that is separate spaces +for the various animals. Bears, sheep, deer and horses did not dwell +in one and the same place, but the several species had their +respective quarters.</p> +<a name="p6245"></a> +<p>245. But what is meant by <i>bitumen</i>, I do not know. With us vessels +are made water tight with pitch and tow. Pitch, it is true, withstands +water, but it also invites the flame. There is no bitumen with us +which resists water, hence we raise no objection to "bitumen" being +rendered "pitch."</p> +<a name="p6246"></a> +<p>246. You may ask: Why does God prescribe everything so accurately? The +injunction to build the ark should have been sufficient. Reason could +determine for itself the rules concerning dimensions and mode of +construction. Why, then, does God give such careful instruction with +reference to dimensions and materials? Certainly that Noah, after +undertaking all things according to the Lord's direction (as Moses +built the tabernacle according to the model received on the mount), +should with the greater faith trust that he and his people were to be +saved, nor entertain any doubt concerning a work ordered by the Lord +himself, even how it should be made. This is the reason the Lord gives +his directions with such attention to detail.</p> +<a name="p6247"></a> +<p>V. 15. <i>And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark +three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height +of it thirty cubits.</i></p> + +<p>247. A nice geometrical and mathematical exercise concerning the form +and dimensions of the ark is here presented. The views of writers +vary. Some claim it was four-cornered, others that it was gabled like +nearly all our structures in Europe. As for myself, I hold it was +four-cornered. Eastern people's were not acquainted with gabled +buildings. Theirs were evidently of four-cornered form, as the Bible +mentions people walking on roofs. Similar was the shape of the temple.</p> +<a name="p6248"></a> +<p>248. There is a difference of opinion also concerning the arrangement +of the animals in their quarters, which occupied the upper, which the +central and which the lower places, this being the distinction +warranted by the text. No certainty, however, can be arrived at. It is +likely that Noah himself and the birds occupied the upper part, the +clean animals the central and the unclean animals the lower one. The +rabbis assert the lower part served the purpose of storing dung. But I +think the dung was thrown out of the window, for its removal was +necessitated by such a multitude of beasts abiding in the ark for over +a year.</p> +<a name="p6249"></a> +<p>249. Augustine quotes Philo against Faustus in stating that on +geometrical principles, the ark had the proportions of the human body, +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 broad. So three hundred cubits are +six times fifty and ten times thirty.</p> +<a name="p6250"></a> +<p>250. An application is made of this to the body of Christ, the Church, +which has baptism as the door, through which clean and unclean enter +without distinction. Although the Church is small, she rules the earth +notwithstanding, and it is due to her that the world is preserved, +just as the unclean animals were preserved in the ark. 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 ark. These are allegories +which are not exactly profound, but still harmless because they harbor +no error and serve a purpose other than that of wrangling, namely, +that of rhetorical ornamentation.</p> +<a name="p6251"></a> +<p>V. 16. <i>A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou +finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side +thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.</i></p> + +<p>251. Behold, how diligent an architect God is! With what care he +interests himself in all the parts of the structure and their +arrangement. Furthermore, the word <i>Zohar</i> does not properly signify +window, but southern light. The question may be raised here whether +the ark had only one window or several. For the Hebrew language +permits the use of the singular for the plural, or of the collective +for the distributive term, as for instance: "I will destroy man from +the face of the ground." Here evidently not one man but many are +spoken of. But to me it seems there was only one window that shed +light upon man's domicile.</p> +<a name="p6252"></a> +<p>252. The Latin interpreter is so strangely obscure as to fail to make +himself understood. My unqualified opinion is that he was unable to +divest himself of the image of a modern ship, in which men are +commonly carried in the lower part. Nor is it quite intelligible what +he says about the door, inasmuch as it is certain that the ell-long +window was in the upper part, and the door in the center of the side +or in the navel of the ark. Thus, also, Eve was framed from the middle +portion of man's body. The whole structure was divided into three +partitions, a higher, a central and a lower one, and it was the upper +one which, according to my view, was illuminated by the light of day +through the window.</p> +<a name="p6253"></a> +<p>253. You may say, however: What kind of a window was it, or how could +it exist in those frequent and violent rains? For rain did not fall +then as it does ordinarily, since the water in forty days rose to such +proportions as to submerge the highest mountains by fifteen +arm-lengths. The Jews claim that the window was closed by a crystal +which transmitted the light. But too curious a research into these +matters appears to me useless, 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 architect. It seems to me sufficiently satisfactory to assume that +the window was on the side of the upper partition.</p> +<a name="p6254"></a> +<p>254. As to the door, it is certain that it was about thirteen or +fourteen cubits from the earth. The ark, when it floated, sank about +ten feet into the water with its great weight of animals of every kind +and provender for more than a year. This may suffice as a crude +conception of the ark; for, besides height and length, Moses merely +indicates that it had three partitions, a door and a window.</p> +<a name="p6255"></a> +<p>255. We will dismiss innumerable other questions such as: What kind of +air was used in the ark? for such a stupendous mass of water, +particularly falling water, must have produced a violent and +pestilential stench; whence did they draw their drinking-water? for +water cannot be preserved a whole year, hence mariners often call at +ports in their vicinity for the purpose of drawing water; again, how +could the bilge-water with its obnoxious odor be drawn up?</p> + +<p>256. Such questions and other subordinate points related to the +experience of the mariner we may pass by. Otherwise there will be no +end of questions. We will be content with the simple supposition that +the lower part probably served the purpose of securing the bears, +lions, tigers and other savage animals; the middle part, that of +housing the gentle and tractable animals, together with the provender, +which cannot be kept in a place devoid of all air-currents; the upper +that of accommodating human beings themselves, together with the +domestic animals and the birds. This should be enough for us.</p> +<a name="p6257"></a> +<p>V. 17. <i>And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, +to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under +heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die.</i></p> + +<p>257. Above God has threatened in general the human race with +destruction. Here he points out the method; namely, that he intends to +destroy everything by a new disaster, a flood. Such a punishment the +world hitherto had not known. The customary punishments, as we see +from the prophets, are pestilence, famine, the sword and fierce +beasts. Men and beasts perish of pestilence. The earth is laid waste +by war, for it is deprived of those who till it. The sufferings of +famine, though they seem to be less cruel, are by far the most +terrible. With the fourth class of penalties, our regions have almost +no experience at all. Although these are severally sufficient for the +chastisement of the human race, the Lord desired to employ a novel +kind of punishment against the primeval world, through which all flesh +having the breath of life was to perish.</p> + +<p>258. Because this punishment was unheard of in former ages, the wicked +were slower to believe it. They reasoned thus: If God is at all angry, +can he not correct the disobedient by the sword, by pestilence? A +flood would destroy also the other creatures which are without sin; +surely God will not plan anything like this for the world.</p> +<a name="p6259"></a> +<p>259. But in order to remove such unbelief from the mind of Noah and +the righteous, he repeats with stress the pronoun, "And I, behold, I +do bring." Afterward he clearly adds that he will destroy all flesh +that is under heaven and in the earth; for he excludes here the fishes +whose realm is widened by the waters. This passage tends to show the +magnitude of the wrath of God, through which men lose, not only body +and life, but also universal dominion over the earth.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents21"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">C.</td> + <td colspan="3">GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The way God comforted Noah in announcing the flood, and why + such comfort was needed <a href="#p6260">260</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">The nature of this covenant.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>The views of Lyra, Burgensis and others <a href="#p6261">261</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Luther's views <a href="#p6262">262-263</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether the giants or tyrants were embraced in this covenant + and how received by them <a href="#p6262">262-263</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why it was made only with Noah <a href="#p6264">264</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">How this covenant was made clearer from time to time, and why + it was needed at this time <a href="#p6265">265</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">How a special call was added to this covenant <a href="#p6266">266</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God's judgment upon the first world terrible <a href="#p6267">267</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Ham was taken into the ark, who was later rejected <a href="#p6267">267</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Foreknowledge and election.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Why we should avoid thinking and disputing on this subject <a href="#p6268">268</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>To what end should the examples of Scripture on this theme serve <a href="#p6269">269</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>How consideration of the same may help and harm us <a href="#p6270">270</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6260"></a> +<br> +<h4>C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH.</h4> + +<p>V. 18. <i>But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt +come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' +wives with thee.</i></p> + +<p>260. To this comfort Moses before pointed when he declared that Noah +had found grace. Noah stood in need of it, not only to escape despair +amid such wrath, but also for the strengthening of his faith in view +of the raging retribution. For it was no easy matter to believe the +whole human race was to perish. The world consequently judged Noah to +be a dolt for believing such things, ridiculed him and, undoubtedly, +made his ship an object of satire. In order to strengthen his mind +amid such offenses, God speaks with him often, and now even reminds +him of his covenant.</p> +<a name="p6261"></a> +<p>261. Interpreters discuss the question, what that covenant was. Lyra +explains it as the promise to defend him against the evil men who had +threatened to murder him. Burgensis claims this covenant refers to the +perils amid the waters, which were to be warded off. Still others +believe it was the covenant of the rainbow, which the Lord afterward +made with Noah.</p> +<a name="p6262"></a> +<p>262. In my opinion, he speaks of a spiritual covenant, or of the +promise of the seed, which was to bruise the serpent's head. The +giants had this covenant, but when its abuse resulted in pride and +wickedness, they fell from it. So it was afterward with the Jews, +whose carnal presumption in reference to God, the Law, worship and +temple led to their loss of these gifts and they perished. To Noah, +however, God confirms this covenant by certainly declaring that Christ +was to be born from his posterity and that God would leave, amid such +great wrath, a nursery for the Church. This covenant includes not only +protection of Noah's body, the view advocated by Lyra and Burgensis, +but also eternal life.</p> + +<p>263. The sentiment, therefore, of the promise is this: Those insolent +despisers of my promises and threats will compel me to punish them. I +shall first withdraw from them the protection and assurance which are +theirs by reason of their covenant with me, that they may perish +without covenant and without mercy. But that covenant I shall transfer +to you so that you shall be saved, not alone from such power of the +waters, but also from eternal death and condemnation.</p> +<a name="p6264"></a> +<p>264. The plain statement is, "With thee." Not the sons, not the wives, +does he mention, whom he was also to save; but Noah alone he mentions, +from whom the promise was transmitted to his son Shem. This is the +second promise of Christ, which is taken from all other descendants of +Adam and committed alone to Noah.</p> +<a name="p6265"></a> +<p>265. Afterward this promise is made clearer from time to time. It +proceeded from the race to the family, and from the family to the +individual. From the whole race of Abraham it was carried forward to +David alone; from David to Nathan; from Nathan down to one virgin, +Mary, who was the dead branch or root of Jesse, and in whom this +covenant finds its termination and fulfilment. The establishment of +such a covenant was most necessary in view of the imminence of the +incredible and incalculable wrath of God.</p> +<a name="p6266"></a> +<p>266. You will observe here, however, a special call when he says: +"Thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, etc." If Noah had +not received this special call, he would not have ventured to enter +the ark.</p> +<a name="p6267"></a> +<p>267. How terrible is it that from the whole human race only eight +persons should be selected for salvation and yet from among them, Ham, +the third son of Noah, be rejected! By the mouth of God he is numbered +here among the elect and saints. Yea, with them he is protected and +saved. Nor is he distinguished from Noah. If he had not believed and +prayed for the same things, if he had not feared God, he would in +nowise have been saved in the ark; and yet, afterward he is rejected!</p> +<a name="p6268"></a> +<p>268. The sophists wrangle here concerning an election that takes place +according to the purpose of God. But often have I exhorted to beware +of speculations about the unveiled majesty, for besides being anything +but true, they are far from being profitable. Let us rather think of +God as he offers himself to us in his Word and sacraments. Let us not +trace these instances back to a hidden election, in which God arranged +everything with himself from eternity. Such doctrine we cannot +apprehend with our minds, and we see it conflicts with the revealed +will of God.</p> +<a name="p6269"></a> +<p>269. What, then, you will ask, shall we declare with reference to +these examples? Nothing but that they are pointed out to inspire us +with the fear of God, so that we believe it is possible to fall from +grace after once receiving grace. Paul warns, "Let him that thinketh +he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor 10, 12. We should heed such +examples to teach us humility, that we may not exalt ourselves with +our gifts nor become slothful in our use of blessings received, but +may reach forth to the things which are before, as Paul says in +Philippians 3, 13. They teach us not to believe that we have +apprehended everything.</p> +<a name="p6270"></a> +<p>270. Malignant and most bitter is our enemy, but we are feeble, +bearing this great treasure in earthen vessels. 2 Cor 4, 7. +Therefore, we must not glory as if we were secure, but seeing that men +so holy fell from grace, which they had accepted and for a long time +enjoyed, we should look anxiously to God as if in peril at this very +moment. In this manner these examples are discussed to our profit; but +those who give no attention to them and chase after complex high +thoughts on an election according to the purpose of God, drive and +thrust their souls into despair, to which they naturally incline.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents22"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">VII.</td> + <td colspan="4">ANIMALS AND FOOD IN THE ARK; NOAH'S OBEDIENCE.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="3">THE ANIMALS NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">The number and kinds of animals <a href="#p6271">271-272</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">The differences in the animals <a href="#p6273">273</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>What is understood by the "Behemoth" <a href="#p6274">274</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>By the "Remes" <a href="#p6275">275</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Whether this difference is observed in all places <a href="#p6276">276</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether wild and ferocious animals were in paradise, and if + created from the beginning <a href="#p6276">276-277</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Noah could bring the animals, especially the wild ones, + into the ark <a href="#p6278">278-279</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The animals at the time felt danger was near <a href="#p6278">278-279</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">The animals came of themselves to Noah in the ark <a href="#p6280">280</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="3">THE FOOD NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why necessary to take with them food <a href="#p6281">281</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The kind of food man then had, and if he ate flesh <a href="#p6282">282</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">God's foreknowledge shines forth here <a href="#p6283">283</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why God did not maintain man and the animals in the ark by a + miracle <a href="#p6284">284</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The extraordinary ways and miracles of God.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Why man should not seek miracles, where ordinary ways and means are at hand <a href="#p6285">285</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>The monks seek extraordinary ways and thus tempt God <a href="#p6286">286</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Whether we should use medicine, and if we should learn the arts and languages <a href="#p6286">286</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Why God did not save Noah in the water without the ark, + when he could have done so <a href="#p6287">287</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td>When does God use extraordinary means with man <a href="#p6288">288</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">C.</td> + <td colspan="3">NOAH'S OBEDIENCE.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">In what respect it was especially praised <a href="#p6289">289</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Obedience to God.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>How one is to keep the golden mean, and not turn to the + right or left <a href="#p6290">290</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>How man can by obedience or disobedience mark out his own course <a href="#p6290">290-291</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Why most people shun obedience <a href="#p6291">291</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td>How we are here not to look to the thing commanded, but to + the person commanding <a href="#p6292">292-296</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td>How sadly they fail who look at the thing commanded <a href="#p6293">293</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How the Papists neither understand nor keep God's commandments <a href="#p6294">294</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>What we are to think of the holiness of the Papists <a href="#p6295">295</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td>All God commands is good, even if it seems different to reason <a href="#p6296">296</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How the Papists do harm by the works of their wisdom, and + only provoke God to anger, as king Saul did <a href="#p6297">297</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">g.</td> + <td>How in his obedience Noah held simply to God's Word and + overcame all difficulties <a href="#p6298">298</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p6271"></a> +<br> +<h4>VII. THE ANIMALS AND THEIR FOOD, AND NOAH'S OBEDIENCE.</h4> + +<center>A. THE ANIMALS NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK.</center> + +<p>Vs. 19-20. <i>And every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort +shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they +shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, and of the +cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after +its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive.</i></p> + +<p>271. Here again a dispute arises, as is the case when in historical +narratives one proceeds to the application and incidental features. +Our text appears to vindicate the view that here two and two are +spoken of; but in the beginning of the seventh chapter seven and +seven. Hence, Lyra quarrels with one Andrea, who believed fourteen +specimens were included in the ark, because it is written: "Of every +clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven." But I approve +Lyra's interpretation, who says seven specimens of every class were +inclosed in the ark, three male and three female, and the seventh also +male, to be used by Noah for purposes of sacrifice.</p> + +<p>272. When Moses says here that two and two of the several species were +brought into the ark, we must necessarily understand the seventh +chapter as speaking only of the unclean animals, for the number of +clean animals was the greater. Of the unclean seven of every species +were inclosed in the ark.</p> +<a name="p6273"></a> +<p>273. It is also necessary that we here discuss the signification of +terms as "all life," "beasts," "cattle." Though these are often used +without discrimination, still at various places the Scripture employs +them discriminatingly; for instance, when it says, "Let the earth +bring forth living creatures." Gen 1, 24. "Let the waters swarm with +swarms of living creatures." Gen 1, 20. In those places the words of +the genus stand for all living beings on the earth and in the waters. +Here the constituent species are named—<i>chayah</i>, <i>remes</i>, and +<i>behemah</i>—though frequently used without discrimination.</p> +<a name="p6274"></a> +<p>274. The cattle he calls here <i>behemoth</i>, though in Ezekiel, first +chapter, those four animals are called by the common name, +<i>hachayoth</i>, a word by which we commonly designate not so much animals +as beasts, subsisting not on hay or anything else growing out of the +earth, but flesh; as lion, bear, wolf and fox. <i>Behemoth</i> are cattle +or brutes which live on hay and herbs growing from the earth; as +sheep, cows, deer and roe.</p> +<a name="p6275"></a> +<p>275. <i>Remes</i> means reptile. The word is derived from <i>ramas</i>, which +means to tread. When we compare ourselves with the birds, we are +<i>remasian</i>, for we creep and tread upon the earth with our feet like +the dogs and other beasts. But the proper meaning is, animals which do +not walk with face erect. The animals which creep and which we term +reptiles have a specific name, being called <i>sherazim</i>, as we see in +Leviticus from the word <i>sharaz</i>, which means to move, hereafter used +in the seventh chapter. The word <i>oph</i> is known, meaning bird.</p> +<a name="p6276"></a> +<p>276. Such are the differences among these terms, although, as I said +before, they are not observed in some places. The interpretation must +be confined, however, to the time after the flood; otherwise the +inference would be drawn that such savage beasts existed also in +paradise. Who will doubt that before sin, dominion having been given +to man over all animals of earth, there was concord not only among men +but also between animals and man?</p> + +<p>277. Though the first chapter clearly proves that these wild beasts +were created with the others, on account of sin their nature was +altered. Those created gentle and harmless, after the fall became wild +and harmful. This is my view, though since our loss of that state of +innocent existence it is easier to venture a guess than to reach a +definition of that life.</p> +<a name="p6278"></a> +<p>278. But, you ask, if because of sin the nature of animals became +completely altered, how could Noah control them, especially the savage +and fierce ones? The lion surely could not be controlled, nor tigers, +panthers and the like. The answer is: Such wild animals went into the +ark miraculously. To me this appears reasonable. If they had not been +forced by a divine injunction to go into the ark, Noah would not have +had it within his power to control such fierce animals. Undoubtedly he +had to exercise his own human power, but this alone was insufficient. +And the text implies both conditions, for at first it says: "Thou +shalt bring into the ark," and then adds: "Two of every sort shall +come unto thee." If they had not been miraculously guided, they would +not have come by twos and sevens.</p> + +<p>279. 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 disaster. Even brute natures have premonitions and +forebodings of impending calamities, and often as if prompted by a +certain sense of compassion, they will manifest distress for a man in +evident peril. We see dogs and horses understand the perils of their +masters and show themselves affected by such intelligence, the dogs by +howling, the horses by trembling and the emission of copious sweat. As +a matter of fact it is not rare that wild beasts in danger seek refuge +with man.</p> +<a name="p6280"></a> +<p>280. When, therefore, there is elsewhere in brute natures such an +intelligence, is it a wonder that, after having been divinely aroused +to a sense of coming danger, they joined themselves voluntarily to +Noah? For the text shows they came voluntarily. In the same manner +history bears witness, and our experience confirms it, that, when a +terrible pestilence rages or a great slaughter is imminent, wolves, +the most ferocious of animals, flee not only into villages, but, on +occasion, even into cities, taking refuge among men and humbly asking, +as it were, their help.</p> +<a name="p6281"></a> +<center>B. THE FOOD NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK.</center> + +<p>V. 21. <i>And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather +it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.</i></p> + +<p>281. Inasmuch as the flood was to last a whole year, 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 animals. +Though the wrath of God was terrible, to the destruction of everything +born on earth, the goodness of the Lord shines forth, notwithstanding, +in this an awful calamity. He looks to the preservation of man and the +animals, and through their preservation to that of the species. The +animals chosen for preservation in the ark were sound and of +unblemished body, and through divine foresight, they received food +suitable to their nature.</p> +<a name="p6282"></a> +<p>282. As for man, it is established that, as yet, he did not use flesh +for food. He ate only of the vegetation of the earth, which was far +more desirable before the flood than at present, after the remarkable +corruption of the earth through the brackish waters.</p> +<a name="p6283"></a> +<p>283. We observe here the providence of God, by whose counsel the evil +are punished and the good saved. By a miracle God preserves a portion +of his creatures when he punishes the wicked and graciously makes +provision for their posterity.</p> +<a name="p6284"></a> +<p>284. It would have been an easy matter for God to preserve Noah and +the animals for the space of a full year without food, as he preserved +Moses, Elijah and Christ, the latter for forty days, without food. He +made everything out of nothing, which is even more marvelous. Yet God, +in his government of the things created, as Augustine learnedly +observes, allows them to perform their appropriate functions. In other +words, to apply Augustine's view to the matter in hand, God performs +his miracles along the lines of natural law.</p> +<a name="p6285"></a> +<p>285. God also requires that we do not discard the provisions of +nature, which would mean to tempt God; but that we use with +thanksgiving the things God has prepared for us. A hungry man who +looks for bread from heaven rather than tries to obtain it by human +means, commits sin. Christ gives the apostles command to eat what is +set before them, Lk 10, 7. So Noah is here enjoined to employ the +ordinary methods of gathering food. God did not command him to expect +in the ark a miraculous supply of food from heaven.</p> +<a name="p6286"></a> +<p>286. The life of the monks is all a temptation of God. They cannot be +continent and still they refrain from matrimony; likewise they abstain +from certain meats, though God has created them to be received with +thanksgiving by them that believe, and by those who know the truth, +that every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected, if it +be received with thanksgiving, 1 Tim 4, 3-4. The use of medicine is +legitimate; yea, it has been created as a necessary means to conserve +health. The study of the arts and of language is to be cultivated and, +as Paul says, "Every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be +rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified +through prayer." 1 Tim 4, 4-5.</p> +<a name="p6287"></a> +<p>287. God was able to preserve Noah in the midst of the waters. They +fable of Clement that he had a cell in the middle of the sea. Yea, the +people of Israel were preserved in the midst of the Red Sea and Jonah +in the belly of the whale. But this was not God's desire. He rather +willed that Noah should use the aid of wood and trees, so that human +skill might thereby have a sphere for its exercise.</p> +<a name="p6288"></a> +<p>288. When, however, human means fail, then it is for you either to +suffer or to expect help from the Lord. No human effort could support +the Jews when they stood by the sea and were surrounded in the rear by +the enemy. Hence, a miraculous deliverance was to be hoped for, or a +sure death to be suffered.</p> +<a name="p6289"></a> +<center>C. NOAH'S OBEDIENCE.</center> + +<p>V. 22. <i>Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did +he.</i></p> + +<p>289. This phrase is very frequent in Scripture. This is the first +passage in which praise for obedience to God is clothed in such a form +of words. Later we find it stated repeatedly that Moses, the people, +did according to all that God commanded them. But Noah received +commendation as an example for us. His was not a dead faith, which is +no faith at all, but a living and active faith. He renders obedience +to God's commands, and because he believes both God's promises and +threats, he carefully carries out what God commanded with reference to +the ark and the gathering of animals and food. This is unique praise +for Noah's faith, that he remains on the royal way—adds nothing, +changes nothing and takes nothing from the divine command, but abides +absolutely in the precept he has heard.</p> +<a name="p6290"></a> +<p>290. It is the most common and at the same time most noxious sin in +the Church, that people either altogether change God's commands or +render something else paramount to them. There is only one royal road +to which we must keep. They sin who swerve too much to the left by +failing to perform the divine commands. Those who swerve to the right +and do more than God has commanded, like Saul when he spared the +Amalekites, also sin even more grievously than those who turn to the +left. They add a sham piety; for, while those who err on the left +cannot excuse their error, these do not hesitate to ascribe to +themselves remarkable merit.</p> +<a name="p6291"></a> +<p>291. And such error is exceedingly common. God is wont sometimes to +command common, paltry, ridiculous and even offensive things, but +reason takes delight in splendid things. From the common ones it +either shrinks or undertakes them under protest. Thus the monks shrank +from home duties and chose for themselves others apparently of greater +glamour. Today the great throng, hearing that common tasks are +preached in the Gospel, despises the Gospel as a vulgar teaching, +lacking in elegance. What noteworthy thing is it to teach that +servants should obey their master and children their parents? Such a +common and oft-taught doctrine the learned papists not only neglect +but even ridicule. They desire rather something unique, something +remarkable either for its reputed wisdom or for its apparent difficult +character. Such is the madness of man's wisdom.</p> +<a name="p6292"></a> +<p>292. In general it is wisdom to observe not so much the person that +speaks as that which he says, because the teacher's faults are always +in evidence. But when we consider precepts of God and true obedience, +this axiom should be reversed. Then we should observe not so much that +which is said, but the person of him who speaks. In respect to divine +precepts, if you observe that which is said and not him who speaks, +you will easily stumble. This is illustrated by the example of Eve, +whose mind did not dwell upon the person who issued the command. She +regarded only the command and concluded it to be a matter of small +moment to taste the apple. But what injury was thereby wrought to the +whole human race!</p> +<a name="p6293"></a> +<p>293. He who observes him that gives the command will conclude that +what is very paltry in appearance is very great. The Papists estimate +it a slight thing to govern the State, to be a spouse, to train +children. But experience teaches that these are very important +matters, for which the wisdom of men is incompetent. We see that at +times the most spiritual men have here shamefully fallen. When we, +therefore, remember him who gives the command, that which is paltry +and common becomes a responsibility too great to discharge without +divine aid.</p> +<a name="p6294"></a> +<p>294. The Papists, therefore, who look only at the outward mask, like +the cow at the gate, can make light of duties toward home and State, +and imagine they perform others of greater excellence. In the very +fact that they are shameless adulterers, blasphemers of God, defilers +of the sanctuary and brazen squanderers of the Church's property, they +powerfully testify against themselves that they can in no wise +appreciate the paltry, common and vulgar domestic and public duties.</p> +<a name="p6295"></a> +<p>295. In what, therefore, consists the holiness they vaunt? Forsooth, +in that on certain days they abstain from meat, that they bind +themselves to certain vows, that they have a liking for certain kinds +of work. But, I ask you, who has given command to do those things? No +one. That which God has enjoined or commanded, they do not respect. +They render paramount something else concerning which God has given no +command.</p> +<a name="p6296"></a> +<p>296. Hence, the vital importance of this rule, that we observe not the +contents of the command but its author. He who fails to do this will +often be offended, as I said, by the insignificance or absurdity of a +task. God should receive credit for wisdom and goodness. Assuredly +that which he himself enjoins is well and wisely enjoined, though +human reason judge differently.</p> +<a name="p6297"></a> +<p>297. From the wisdom of God the Papists detract when they consider +divinely enjoined tasks as paltry and attempt to undertake something +better or more difficult. God is not propitiated by such works, but +rather provoked, as Saul's example shows. As if God were stupid, +dastardly, and cruel in that he commanded to destroy the Amalekites +and all their belongings, Saul conceived a kinder plan and reserved +the cattle for the purpose of sacrifice. What else was such action but +to deem himself wise and God foolish.</p> +<a name="p6298"></a> +<p>298. Hence Moses rightly commends in this passage Noah's obedience +when he says that he did everything the Lord had enjoined. That means +to give God credit for wisdom and goodness. He did not discuss the +task, as Adam, Eve and Saul did to their great hurt. He kept his eye +on the majesty of him who gave the command. That was enough for him, +even though the command be absurd, impossible, inexpedient. All such +objections he passes by with closed eyes, as it were, and takes his +stand upon the one thing commanded by God. This text therefore is +familiar as far as hearing it is concerned, but even as to the +performance and practice of it, it is known to very few and is +extremely difficult.</p> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3>CHAPTER VII.</h3> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents23"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">I.</td> + <td colspan="3">NOAH OBEYS COMMAND TO ENTER THE ARK.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Noah saw God's favor in his command <a href="#p7001">1</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Noah experienced severe temptations and needed comfort <a href="#p7001">1-2</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">What God wished to teach Noah by calling him to enter the ark <a href="#p7003">3</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether God spoke this commandment directly to Noah <a href="#p7004">4-5</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">When God speaks to us through men it is to be viewed as God's + Word <a href="#p7004">4-5</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The thoughts of the Jews on the seven days <a href="#p7006">6</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The office of the ministry.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Through it God deals with mankind <a href="#p7007">7</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Why we should not despise the office and expect + revelations direct from God <a href="#p7008">8-9</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God speaks with man in various ways <a href="#p7009">9</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Corruption and destruction of the first world.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>The ruin of the first compared with that of the last world <a href="#p7010">10-13</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The need of posterity to pray that they retain pure doctrine <a href="#p7012">12</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Why so few righteous persons were found in Noah's day <a href="#p7012">12</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The efforts of the pope and bishops to crush the Gospel <a href="#p7013">13</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>First world severely punished, neither old nor young + were spared <a href="#p7014">14-15</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td>Punishment of first world greatly moved Peter when he wrote about it <a href="#p7016">16-17</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Peter's record of sermon Christ delivered to the spirits + of the first world in prison <a href="#p7016">16-17</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Who are to be understood here by the unbelieving world <a href="#p7018">18</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Peter here shows the wrath and long suffering of God <a href="#p7019">19</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Nature and manner of this sermon <a href="#p7020">20</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Apostles had special revelations we cannot grasp <a href="#p7020">20-21</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Noah was righteous before God <a href="#p7022">22</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the world laughed at him while executing God's command, + God then comforted him <a href="#p7023">23-24</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">Greatness of Noah's faith and steadfastness in executing this + command <a href="#p7025">25-26</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Luther's confession he would have been too weak for such a + work <a href="#p7025">25-26</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The great firmness of John Huss and Jerome of Prague <a href="#p7027">27</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">We are to comfort ourselves when all the world forsakes and + condemns us <a href="#p7028">28</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="2">God commands Noah to take the animals he names along into the + ark <a href="#p7029">29</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why God so often repeats the same thing <a href="#p7029">29</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>What is to be understood by Behemoth <a href="#p7030">30</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>How many of each kind entered the ark <a href="#p7031">31</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The rain at the flood was exceptional <a href="#p7032">32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The flood is a token of God's righteousness and from it we + conclude God will punish the sins of the last world <a href="#p7033">33</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="2">By what may we learn Noah's faith and obedience to God <a href="#p7034">34</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why God did not save Noah in some other way <a href="#p7034">34</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p7001"></a> +<br> +<h4>I. NOAH OBEYS COMMAND TO ENTER THE ARK.</h4> + +<p>V. 2a. <i>And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into +the ark.</i></p> + +<p>1. As soon as that extraordinary structure, the ark, was built, the +Lord commanded Noah to enter it, because the time of the deluge, which +the Lord announced one hundred and twenty years before, was now at +hand. All this convinced Noah that God was taking care of him; and not +only this, but also, as Peter says (2 Pet 1, 19), gave him an ample +and abundant word to support and confirm his faith in such great +straits. Having foretold the deluge for more than a century, he +doubtless was bitterly mocked by the world in many ways.</p> + +<p>2. As I have said repeatedly, God's wrath was incredible. It could not +be grasped by the human mind, in that original age of superior men, +that God was about to destroy the whole human race, except eight +souls. Noah, being holy and just, a kindly and merciful man, often +struggled with his own heart, hearing with the greatest agitation of +mind the voice of the Lord, threatening certain destruction to all +flesh. It was needful, then, that repeated declaration should confirm +his agitated faith, lest he might doubt.</p> +<a name="p7003"></a> +<p>3. God's command to enter the ark amounted to this: "Doubt not, the +time of punishment for the unbelieving world is close at hand. But +tremble not, do not fear, for faith is at times very weak in the +saints. I shall take care of you and your house." To us such promise +would have been incredible, but we must admit that all things are +possible with God.</p> +<a name="p7004"></a> +<p>4. Notice Moses' peculiar expression again: "Jehovah said." It gives +me particular pleasure that these words of God did not sound from +heaven, but were spoken to Noah through the ministry of man. Although +I would not deny that these revelations may have been made by an +angel, or by the Holy Spirit himself, yet where it can plausibly be +said that God spoke through men, there the ministry must be honored. +We have shown above that many of God's words according to Moses, were +spoken through Adam; for the Word of God, even when spoken by man, is +truly the Word of God.</p> + +<p>5. Now, as Methuselah, Noah's grandfather, died in the very year of +the deluge, it would not be inapt to infer that (since Lamech, Noah's +father, had died five years before the flood,) this was, so to speak, +Methuselah's last word and testament to his grandson, a dying +farewell. Perhaps he added some remarks as these: My son, as thou hast +obeyed the Lord heretofore, and hast awaited this wrath in faith, and +hast experienced God's faithful protection from the wicked, henceforth +firmly believe that God will take care of thee. The end is now at +hand, not mine alone, which is one of grace, but the end of all +mankind, which is one of wrath. For after seven days the flood will +begin, concerning which thou hast long and vainly warned the world. +After this manner, I think, spoke Methuselah, but the words are +attributed to God, because the Spirit of God spoke through the man.</p> + +<p>Thus I like to interpret these instances to the honor of the ministry +wherever, as in this case, it can appropriately be done. Since it is +certain that Methuselah died in the very year of the flood, the +supposition is harmless that these were his last words to Noah, his +grandson, who heard his words and accepted them as the Word of God.</p> +<a name="p7006"></a> +<p>6. The Jews' peculiar idea concerning these seven days is that they +were added to the one hundred and twenty years in honor of Methuselah, +that therein his posterity might bewail his death. This is a harmless +interpretation, for the patriarch's descendants did not fail to do +their duty, particularly his pious children.</p> +<a name="p7007"></a> +<p>7. But the first view concerning the ministry of the Word, is not only +plausible, but also practical. God does not habitually speak +miraculously and by revelation, particularly where, he has instituted +the ministry for this very purpose of speaking to men, teaching, +instructing, consoling and entreating them.</p> +<a name="p7008"></a> +<p>8. In the first place, God entrusts the Word to parents. Moses often +says: "Thou shalt tell it to thy children." Then to the teachers of +the Church is it entrusted. Abraham says (Lk 16, 29): "They have Moses +and the prophets; let them hear them." We must expect no revelation, +be it inward or outward, where the ministry is established; otherwise +all ranks of human society would be disturbed. Let the pastor preach +in Church; let the magistrate rule the State; let parents control the +house or family. Such are the ministries of men instituted by God. We +should make use of them and not look for new revelations.</p> +<a name="p7009"></a> +<p>9. Still I do not deny that Noah heard God speak after Methuselah's +death. God speaks ordinarily through the public ministry—through +parents and the teachers of the Church—and in rare cases by inward +revelation, through the Holy Spirit. It is well that we remember not +to overlook the Word in vain expectation of new revelations, as the +fanatics do. Such a course gives rise to spirits of error, a source of +disturbance to the whole world, as the example of the Anabaptists +proves.</p> +<a name="p7010"></a> +<p>V. 1b. <i>For thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.</i></p> + +<p>10. This is truly a picture of the primitive, ancient world, as Peter +calls it. 2 Pet 2, 5. His appellation carries the thought of a +peculiarity of that particular age, which is foreign to the people of +our own. Could words be more appalling than these, that Noah alone was +righteous before the Lord? The world is similarly pictured in Ps 14, +2-3, where we read that the Lord looked down from heaven to see if +there were any that did understand, that did seek God. But he says: +"They are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; there is +none that doeth good, no, not one."</p> + +<p>11. Similar to this judgment upon the world was Christ's declaration +as to the last days. He says: "When the Son of man cometh, shall he +find faith on the earth?" Lk 18, 8. It is a fearful thing to live in +such an evil and godless world. By the goodness of God, since we have +the light of his Word, we are still in the golden age. The sacraments +are rightfully administered in our Churches, pious teachers proclaim +the Word purely, and, though magistrates be weak, wickedness is not +desperately rampant. But Christ's prophecy shows that there will be +evil times when the Lord's day approaches. Wholesome teaching nowhere +will be found, the Church being dominated by the wicked, as today the +plans of our adversaries are a menace. The pope and the wicked princes +zealously strive totally to destroy the ministry of the Word, +oppressing or corrupting the true ministries, that everyone may +believe whatever pleases him.</p> +<a name="p7012"></a> +<p>12. So much the more diligently should we pray for our posterity, and +take earnest heed that a more wholesome doctrine be transmitted to +them. If there had been more godly teachers in the days of Noah, there +might have been more righteous people. The fact that Noah alone was +proclaimed a righteous man makes it evident that the godly teachers +had been either destroyed or corrupted, leaving Noah the sole preacher +of righteousness, as Peter calls him, 2 Pet 2, 5. Since government had +been turned into tyranny and the home vitiated by adultery and +whoredom, how could punishment be delayed any longer?</p> +<a name="p7013"></a> +<p>13. Such danger awaits us also if the last days are to be like the +days of Noah. Truly, the popes and bishops strenuously endeavor to +suppress the Gospel and to ruin the Churches which have been +rightfully established. Thus does the world assiduously press onward +to a period similar to the age of Noah, when, with the light of the +Word extinguished, all shall go astray in the darkness of wickedness. +For without the preaching of the Word, faith cannot endure nor prayer, +nor the purity of the sacraments.</p> +<a name="p7014"></a> +<p>14. Such, according to Moses, was the condition of the ancient world +in Noah's day, when the world was young and at its best. The greatest +geniuses flourished everywhere and people were well educated by +experience because they lived so long. What will be our fate in the +frenzy, so to speak, that shall befall the world in its dotage? We +should remember to care for our posterity and continually pray for it.</p> + +<p>15. As the first world was most corrupt, it was thus subject to +terrible punishment. Adults perished who provoked God to anger by +their wicked deeds, also those of an innocent age, who had knowledge +and were unable to distinguish between their right hand and their +left. Many, doubtless, were deceived by their own guilelessness; but +God's wrath does not discriminate, it falls upon and destroys alike +adults and infants, the crafty and the guileless.</p> +<a name="p7016"></a> +<p>16. This awful punishment appears to have moved even the Apostle +Peter. Like one besides himself, he uses words which we today are not +able to understand. He says: Christ, having been made alive in the +Spirit, also "went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that +aforetime were disobedient, when the long suffering of God waited in +the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, +eight souls, were saved through water," etc. (1 Pet 3, 19-20).</p> + +<p>17. A strange declaration, and an almost fanatical saying, by which +the Apostle describes this event! By these words, Peter assures us +that there was a certain unbelieving world to whom the dead Christ +preached after their death. If this is true, who would doubt that +Christ took Moses and the prophets with him to those who were fettered +in prison, in order to change the unbelieving world into a new and +believing one? This seems to be intimated by Peter's words, though I +should not like to make this assertion authoritatively.</p> +<a name="p7018"></a> +<p>18. But doubtless those whom he calls an unbelieving world were not +the wicked despisers of his Word nor the tyrants. If they were +overwhelmed in their sins, these were certainly condemned. The +unbelieving world of which he speaks seems rather to be the children +and those whose lack of judgment precluded belief. These were at that +time, seized and carried away headlong to their destruction, by the +offenses of the world, as if in the power of a rapid stream, only +eight souls being saved.</p> +<a name="p7019"></a> +<p>19. In this way does Peter magnify the awful intensity of God's wrath. +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 world.</p> +<a name="p7020"></a> +<p>20. How this came to pass is beyond our understanding. We know and +believe that God is wonderful in all his works and has all power. +Therefore he who in life preached to the living, could also in death +preach to the dead. All things hear, feel and touch him, though our +human minds can not understand the process. Nor is it to our discredit +when we are ignorant of some of the mysteries of Holy Writ. The +apostles had each his own revelation, and contention concerning them +would be presumptuous and foolish.</p> + +<p>21. Such was the revelation of Christ given to the spirits that +evidently perished in the flood, and we may perhaps, not +inappropriately connect it with that article of our creed which speaks +of the descent of Christ into hell. Such was also Paul's revelation +concerning paradise, the third heaven (2 Cor 12, 2-4), and certain +other matters of which we may be ignorant without shame. It is false +pride to profess to understand these things. St. Augustine and other +teachers give their fancy loose rein when they discuss these passages. +May it not be that the apostles had revelations which St. Augustine +and others did not have? But let us return to Moses.</p> +<a name="p7022"></a> +<p>22. A truly fearful description of the world is vouchsafed in this +declaration of God that he saw Noah alone to be righteous before him, +in spite of the small children and those others who had innocently +been misled. Let us particularly note the term, "Before me." It +signifies that Noah was blameless not only as regards the second table +of the Law, but also as regards the first. He believed in God, and +hallowed, preached and called upon his name; he gave thanks to God; he +condemned godless teachings. For, to be righteous before God means to +believe God and to fear him, and not, as they taught in popedom, to +read masses, to free souls from purgatory, to become a monk, and like +things.</p> +<a name="p7023"></a> +<p>23. This term "Before me" has reference also to the condemnation of +the ancient world. Having neglected the worship demanded by the first +table, they criminally transgressed also the second. Not only did they +mock Noah as a fool, but they went so far as to condemn his teaching +as heresy. Meanwhile they ate, drank, and celebrated festivals in +security. Before the world, accordingly, Noah was not righteous; +measured by her code he was a sinner.</p> + +<p>24. Hence God, or the grandfather, Methuselah, consoles Noah with the +Word of counsel to disregard the blind and wicked verdict of the +world, neither to care for her views and utterances, but to close eyes +and ears while heeding alone the Word and verdict of God, believing +himself to be righteous before God, or approved and acceptable to him.</p> +<a name="p7025"></a> +<p>25. And Noah's faith was truly great; he could rely upon God's +utterance. I, forsooth, should not have believed. I realize what +weight the whole world's hostile and condemnatory judgment must carry. +We are condemned in the judgment of the Pope, the Sacramentarians, and +the Anabaptists, but this is mere play and pleasure, compared to what +the righteous Noah had to bear, who found not a single person in the +whole world to approve of his religion or life, except his own sons +and his pious grandfather. We have, the endorsement of many Churches, +by God's grace, and our princes fear no danger in defense of their +doctrine and religion. Noah had no such protectors, and he saw his +enemies living in peaceful leisure and enjoyment. If I had been he, I +surely should have said: Lord, if I am righteous, if I am well +pleasing to thee and if those people are wicked and displeasing to +thee, why, then, dost thou enrich them? Why dost thou heap upon them +all manner of favors, while I, with my family, am greatly harassed and +almost without assistance? In short, I should have despaired in such +great afflictions unless the Lord had given me that spirit which Noah +had.</p> + +<p>26. Therefore, Noah is a brilliant and admirable example of faith, 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 wicked.</p> +<a name="p7027"></a> +<p>27. Often when I think of those most holy men, John Huss and Jerome of +Prague, I view with astonishment the courage of their souls, as they, +only two in number, set themselves against the judgment of the whole +world, of pope, emperor, bishops, princes, universities and all the +schools throughout the empire.</p> +<a name="p7028"></a> +<p>28. It is helpful often to reflect upon such examples. Since the +prince of the world battles against us, endeavoring to kindle despair +in us with his fiery darts, it behooves us to be well armed, lest we +succumb to the enemy. Let us say with Noah: I know that I am righteous +before God, even though the whole world condemn me as heretical and +wicked, yea, even desert me. Thus did the apostles desert Christ, +leaving him alone; but he said (Jn 16, 32): "I am not alone." Thus did +the false brethren desert Paul. Hence, this is no uncommon danger, and +it is not for us to despair; but with courage to uphold the true +doctrine, in spite of the world's condemnation and curse.</p> +<a name="p7029"></a> +<p>Vs. 2-3. <i>Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and +seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean +two, the male and his female. Of the birds also of the heavens, seven +and seven, male and female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all +the earth.</i></p> + +<p>29. It is evident that God takes pleasure in speaking to Noah. Hence, +he does not confine himself to a single command, but repeats the same +things in the same words. To human reason such repetition appears to +be absurd talkativeness, but to a soul struggling against despair the +will of God cannot be repeated too often, nor can too exhaustive +instruction be given relative to the will of God. God recognizes the +state of a soul that is tempted, and hence makes the same statements +again and again, so that Noah may learn from frequent conversations +and conferences that he is not only not forsaken though the whole +world forsake him, but that he has a friend and protector in God who +so loves him that he never seems to weary of conversing with him. This +is the cause of the statements being repeated. However, as has been +explained, God spoke with Noah not from heaven but through men.</p> +<a name="p7030"></a> +<p>30. In respect to the language, this passage shows that <i>ha-behemah</i> +signifies not only cattle, the larger animals, but also the smaller +ones which were commonly used for sacrifice, as sheep, goats and the +like. The custom of offering sacrifices was not first instituted by +Moses, but was in the world from the beginning, being handed down, as +it were, by the patriarchs to their posterity; as shown by the example +of Abel, who brought of his first fruits an offering to God.</p> +<a name="p7031"></a> +<p>31. As to the remainder of the passage, 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 there. To repeat is not +necessary. Since Noah was saved by a miracle, he thought that a +seventh animal should be added to the three pairs of clean beasts as a +thank-offering to God, after the flood, for his deliverance.</p> +<a name="p7032"></a> +<p>V. 4. <i>For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth +forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made +will I destroy from off the face of the ground.</i></p> + +<p>32. Here you see God's care to give Noah complete assurance. He sets a +limit of seven days, after which will follow a rain of forty days and +forty nights. God speaks with peculiar significance when he says that +it shall rain. It was not a common rain, but fountains of the deep as +well as the windows of heaven were opened; that is, not only did a +great mass of rain fall from heaven, but also an immense amount of +water streamed forth from the earth itself. And an immense amount of +water was necessary to cover the highest mountain tops to a depth of +fifteen cubits. It was no ordinary rain, but the rain of God's wrath, +by which he set out to destroy all life upon the face of the earth. +Because the earth was depraved, God despoiled it, and because the +godless people raged against the first and second tables of the +commandments, therefore God also raged against them, using heaven and +earth as his weapons.</p> +<a name="p7033"></a> +<p>33. This story is certain proof that God, though long-suffering and +patient, will not allow the wicked to go unpunished. As Peter says (2 +Pet 2, 5), if he "spared not the ancient world," how much less will +he spare the popes or the emperors who rage against his Word? How much +less will he spare us who blaspheme his name when our life is unworthy +of our calling and profession, when we freely and daily sin against +our consciences? Let us, then, learn to fear the Lord, humbly to +accept his Word and obey it; otherwise punishment will overtake also +us, as Peter threatens.</p> +<a name="p7034"></a> +<p>Vs. 5-10. <i>And Noah did according unto all that Jehovah commanded him. +And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon +the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons and his wife, and his sons' +wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of +clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of +everything that creepeth upon the ground, there went in two and two +unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. And it +came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were +upon the earth.</i></p> + +<p>34. This is clear from what precedes. Noah's faith is praiseworthy in +that he obeyed the Lord's command and unwaveringly entered the ark +with his sons and their wives. God truly could have saved him in +innumerable other ways; he did not employ this seemingly absurd method +because he knew no other. To him who kept Jonah for three days in the +midst of the sea and in the belly of the whale, what do you think is +impossible? But Noah's faith and obedience are to be commended because +he took no offense at this plan of salvation divinely shown to him, +but embraced it in simple faith.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents24"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">II.</td> + <td colspan="4">COMPLETE DESTRUCTION BY FLOOD.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Moses so often repeats and expresses in few words what other + writers describe at length <a href="#p7035">35-39</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's grief because of the approaching calamity <a href="#p7038">38</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The way of coarse and satiated spirits <a href="#p7039">39</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">When did the flood commence.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Some think it began in the spring <a href="#p7040">40</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Others think it began in the autumn <a href="#p7041">41</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Which is the more probable <a href="#p7042">42</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What to think of the Jews reckoning the year has two + beginnings <a href="#p7044">44</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">How the flood continued.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Must distinguish the fountains of the earth, the windows + of heaven and the rain <a href="#p7045">45</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Of the earth and the water.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>Why the water does not overflow the earth since the + earth floats in the water <a href="#p7046">46</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>Why the water above the earth does not fall and + overflow the earth <a href="#p7047">47-48</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>How the prophets wondered at this as a miracle, but we + in our day give it little thought <a href="#p7049">49</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">How were the fountains broken up, how can such a work be + ascribed to God <a href="#p7050">50-51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Overflowing of the German fountains at Halle <a href="#p7051">51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">How were the windows of heaven opened <a href="#p7052">52</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>What is meant by the windows of heaven <a href="#p7053">53</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>Why such words used here <a href="#p7053">53</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">Flood covered and destroyed the whole earth <a href="#p7054">54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why God sent the deluge <a href="#p7054">54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why God so often repeats the same thing <a href="#p7055">55-60</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">What is meant by Zippor <a href="#p7055">55</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How God's wrath as seen in the deluge was very great <a href="#p7056">56-57</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">The deluge was a terrible spectacle; Noah and his sons took + courage from it <a href="#p7058">58-60</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's glorious faith at the sight of the deluge <a href="#p7060">60</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's long ship voyage; how he was comforted <a href="#p7061">61</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">How the world's destruction harmonizes with God's promises: + how the promises to the Church agree with his threatenings <a href="#p7062">62ff</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">God's threatenings and man's unbelief.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the first world believed not the threatenings about + the deluge <a href="#p7062">62ff</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the Jews believe not the threatenings of the prophets <a href="#p7063">63</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the Papists believed not the threats against them <a href="#p7064">64</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">God's Church and her maintenance.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">The world understands not how the church is maintained <a href="#p7066">66</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">What is the true form of the true Church <a href="#p7066">66</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">God's promises not rescinded when rejected; who bear the + name of the Church <a href="#p7067">67-68</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether God fully rescinded through the flood the rule over + the earth he once gave man <a href="#p7069">69</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How God preserved his Church through the deluge <a href="#p7069">69</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">The deluge was apparently against God's promise <a href="#p7070">70</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">God allows nothing to hinder the punishment of the impenitent + <a href="#p7071">71-73</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">By what means Papists adorn themselves and how it is all in + vain <a href="#p7072">72</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why we should not rely on present, temporal things, but upon + God's Word <a href="#p7073">73</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The marks of a true Church.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">What they are not and what they are <a href="#p7074">74-76</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Papists have characteristics Holy Scriptures give as marks + of Antichrist <a href="#p7075">75</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Church born of God's Word and is to be known by that Word <a href="#p7076">76</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td colspan="2">Rule to be observed in the marks of the true Church <a href="#p7077">77</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">e.</td> + <td colspan="2">How far one may consider the Papists the true church, and + how far not <a href="#p7078">78-79</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">f.</td> + <td colspan="2">The true church is where the Word is, although few belong + to it and it has no temporal power <a href="#p7079">79</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">g.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether the Evangelicals can justly be accused of falling + from the old church <a href="#p7080">80</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">h.</td> + <td colspan="2">How and why the Evangelical or Gospel Church is really the + true Church <a href="#p7081">81</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How Noah retained all and remained lord of the world + although the deluge destroyed everything <a href="#p7081">81</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p7035"></a> +<br> +<h4>II. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION.</h4> + +<p>Vs. 11-12. <i>In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second +month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all +the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven +were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty +nights.</i></p> + +<p>35. We see that Moses uses a great many words, which results in +tiresome repetition. How often he mentions the animals! how often the +entrance into the ark! how often the sons of Noah who entered at the +same time! The reason for this must be left to the spiritually minded; +they alone know and see that the Holy Spirit does not repeat in vain.</p> + +<p>36. Others, however, who are more materially minded may think that +Moses, being moved, when he wrote the passage, by the greatness of +God's wrath, desired to enforce its truths by repetition; for +reiteration of statements is soothing to troubled minds. Thus did +David repeat his lament over his son Absalom, 2 Sam 18, 33. So viewed, +this narrative shows depth of feeling and extreme agitation of mind. +This example of wrath so impresses the narrator that for emphasis he +mentions the same thing again and again, and in the same words.</p> +<a name="p7037"></a> +<p>37. This is not the custom of poets and historians. Their emotions are +factitious; they are diffuse in their descriptions; they pile up words +for mere effect. Moses husbands his words, 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 another.</p> +<a name="p7038"></a> +<p>38. Evidently Moses did not only wish to convey by persistent +repetition the extreme agitation of his own mind, but also of that of +Noah himself, who, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and burning with +love, necessarily deplored the calamity when he saw that he could not +avert it. He foresaw the doom of the wisest and most distinguished and +eminent men. Thus did David mourn when he could not call back Absalom +to life. So Samuel mourned when he despaired of saving Saul.</p> +<a name="p7039"></a> +<p>39. The text is not a mere tautology or repetition. The Holy Spirit +does not idly repeat words, as those superficial minds believe, which, +having read through the Bible once, throw it aside as if they had +gathered all its contents. 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 year, the +second month and the second day of his life.</p> +<a name="p7040"></a> +<p>40. Opinions differ as to the beginning of the year. One is, that the +year begins at the conjunction of the sun and the moon which occurs +nearest to the vernal equinox. Thus this month is called the first by +Moses in Exodus. If the flood set in on the seventeenth day of the +second month, it must have continued almost to the end of April, the +most beautiful season of the year, when the earth seemingly gathers +new strength, when the birds sing and the beasts rejoice, when the +world puts on a new face, as it were, after the dreary season of +winter. 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 life. This view is substantiated by the +words of Christ in Matthew 24, 38, where he compares the last days of +the world to the days of Noah and speaks of feasting, marriage and +other signs of gladness.</p> +<a name="p7041"></a> +<p>41. A second opinion makes the year begin with that new moon which is +nearest to the autumnal equinox, when all the harvest has been +gathered from the fields. Its advocates declare this to be the +beginning of the year, because Moses calls that month in which such +new moon occurs, the end of the year. They call this autumnal equinox +the beginning of the civil year, and the vernal equinox the beginning +of the holy year. The Mosaic ceremonies and festivals extend from the +latter season up to the autumnal equinox.</p> +<a name="p7042"></a> +<p>42. If Moses in this passage is speaking of the civil year, then the +flood occurred in September or October, an opinion I find Lyra held. +It is true that fall and winter are more liable to rains, the signs of +the zodiac pointing to humidity. Again, as Moses writes further on, a +dove was sent forth in the tenth month and brought back a green olive +branch. This fact seems to harmonize with the view that the deluge +began in October.</p> + +<p>43. But I cannot endorse this argument of the Jews, assuming two +beginnings of the year. Why not make four beginnings, since there are +four distinct seasons according to the equinoxes and solstices? It is +safer to follow the divine order, making April the first month, +starting with the new moon which is nearest to vernal equinox. The +Jews betray their ignorance in speaking of an autumnal beginning of +the year: the autumnal equinox is necessarily the end of the year. +Moses so calls it for the reason that all field labors had then ceased +and all products had been gathered and brought home.</p> +<a name="p7044"></a> +<p>44. Hence, it is my belief that the flood began in the spring, when +all minds were filled with hope of the new year. Such is the death of +the wicked that when they shall say, "Peace and safety," they perish. +1 Thes 5, 3. Nor is any inconsistence shown in the fact that the green +olive branch is afterward mentioned, for certain trees are evergreen, +as the boxwood, fir, pine, cedar, laurel, olive, palm and others.</p> +<a name="p7045"></a> +<p>45. But what does Moses mean by saying that the fountains of the great +deep burst, and that the windows of heaven were opened? No such record +is found in all pagan literature, although the heathen searched with +zeal the mysteries of nature. One discrimination should be made as +regards the abysses of the earth, the floodgates or windows of heaven, +and the rain. Rain, as we know it, is a common phenomenon, while that +of bursting floodgates and abysses is both unfamiliar and amazing.</p> +<a name="p7046"></a> +<p>46. Almost all interpreters are silent on this point. We know from +Holy Writ that God, by his Word, established a dwelling-place for man +and other living beings on dry land, above the water, contrary to +nature; for it is opposed to natural law that the earth, being placed +in water, should rise up out of it. If you cast a clod into the water, +it sinks at once. But the dry land stands up out of the water by +virtue of the Word, which has set bounds for the sea, as Solomon (Prov +8, 27) and Job (ch 38, 11) declare. Unless the water were restrained +by the power of the Word, with a bound, as it were, they would +overflow and lay waste everything. Thus is our life guarded every +single moment, and wonderfully preserved by the Word. We have an +illustration in partial deluges, when at times entire states or +regions are flooded, proving that we should daily suffer such +unpleasant things if God did not take care of us.</p> +<a name="p7047"></a> +<p>47. But just as there are waters below us, and beneath the earth, so, +too, are there waters above us, and beyond the sky. If they should +descend, obeying natural law, destruction would result. The clouds +float as if suspended in space. When at times they descend, how great +the terror they cause! But imagine the result of a universal collapse! +How they would burst, in obedience to the law of their nature, did +they not remain in place above us, suspended, as it were, by the Word!</p> + +<p>48. Thus we are girt about on all sides by water, shielded only by a +frail ceiling of unsubstantial material—the air that we +breathe—which bears up the clouds and carries that weight of water, +not in obedience to the laws of nature, but by the command of God, or +by the power of the Word.</p> +<a name="p7049"></a> +<p>49. When the prophets think of these things they are lost in +admiration. It is contrary to nature that such a weight should remain +in suspension above the earth. But we, blinded by daily witnessing of +such wonders, neither observe nor admire them. That we are not at any +moment overwhelmed by waters from above or from below, we owe to the +divine majesty which orders all things and preserves all creatures so +wonderfully, and he ought to be the object of our praise.</p> +<a name="p7050"></a> +<p>50. Startling and significant are the words Moses uses—the fountains +of the great deep were broken up. The conception he would convey is +that they had been closed by God's power and sealed, as it were, with +God's seal, as today; and that God did not open them with a key, but +rent them with violence, so that the ocean, in a sudden upheaval, +covered everything with water. It is not to be supposed that God moved +his hand, because the fountains of the deep are said to have been +broken up. It is the custom of Scripture to adapt itself to our +understanding in the phraseology employed, 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 nature. That is the reason +the ocean seemed to swell and boil. In the salt works in our +neighborhood there is a spring named after the Germans, which, if it +is not pumped out at certain times, swells and overflows with terrific +force.</p> +<a name="p7051"></a> +<p>51. They say that in olden times the town of Halle was once destroyed +by a violent overflow of a spring of the kind described. If a single +spring could work such destruction what would be the result of the +uncurbed power of ocean and seas? Thus mankind was destroyed before +they even knew their danger. Whither should they flee when the waters +poured in upon them with such force?</p> +<a name="p7052"></a> +<p>52. But this is not all: the windows of heaven also were opened. +Moses' word implies that to that time the windows were closed as they +are closed today. Indeed, the world thought such opening impossible; +their sins, however, made it possible.</p> +<a name="p7053"></a> +<p>53. Moses' use here of the word "windows" signifies the literal +opening of heaven. With rain as we know it, the water appears to fall +by drops from the pores of the rain-clouds, but at the time of the +flood it came down with great force, not through pores, but through +windows, like water poured from a vessel with one movement, or as when +water-skins burst in the middle. Moses uses this figure of speech for +the sake of effect, so that those occurrences are brought to our +vision.</p> +<a name="p7054"></a> +<p>54. A volume of water, therefore, swept over the earth, from the sky +as well as from the innermost parts of the earth, until at last the +whole earth was covered with water, and the fertile soil, or the +entire face of the earth was destroyed by the briny flood. A like +instance occurs nowhere in any book. The Holy Scriptures alone teach +us that these things were visited upon the world sinning in imagined +security, and that to this day the waters suspended in the clouds are +restrained only by the kindness of God. Otherwise they would descend +in vast volume, as in the flood, according to the law of their nature.</p> +<a name="p7055"></a> +<p>Vs. 13-16. <i>In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and +Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and three wives of his +sons with them, into the ark; they, and every beast after its kind, +and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that +creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, +every bird of every sort. And, they went in unto Noah and the ark, two +and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. And they that went +in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him.</i></p> + +<p>55. Here Moses begins to be remarkably verbose. His wordiness hurts +tender ears when he so often and apparently without any use repeats +the same things. It is not sufficient to say "all birds," but he names +three kinds of birds. Of these, the term <i>zippor</i> is usually said to +mean "a sparrow," but this passage shows clearly that it is a generic +term, doubtless so called from the sound, <i>zi, zi</i>. He also names +three kinds of beasts. Also, when speaking of the flood itself, he is +very wordy, saying that the waters prevailed, that they increased, +that they flooded and covered the face of the earth. Finally, when he +tells of the effect of this flood, he makes similar repetition: "All +flesh expired, died, was destroyed," etc.</p> +<a name="p7056"></a> +<p>56. But I said above (<a href="#p7037">§37</a>) that Moses repeats these things contrary to +his style, in order to force the reader to pause and more diligently +learn and meditate upon this great event. We cannot fully comprehend +the wrath which destroys, not man alone, but all his possessions. +Moses wishes to arouse hardened and heedless sinners by such a +consideration of God's wrath.</p> + +<p>57. Hence, these words are not idle, as a shallow and unspiritual +reader might judge. They rather challenge us to fear God, and call +attention to the present so that, sobered by the thought of such +wrath, we may make an earnest beginning in the fear of God, and cease +from sin. For not without many tears does Moses appear to have written +this account! 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 again. Doubtless he does this with the purpose to +thrust such darts of divine fear, so to speak, into the souls of pious +readers.</p> +<a name="p7058"></a> +<p>58. It may be well to transport ourselves in thought into the time of +the event. What do you think would be our state of mind if we had been +put into the ark, if we had seen the waters spreading everywhere with +overwhelming force and the wretched human beings perishing without +possibility of help? Let us remember that Noah and his sons were also +flesh and blood; that is, they were men who, as that person in the +comedy (Terence, Heaut. 1: 1, 25) says, thought nothing human was +foreign to themselves. They were in the ark for forty days before it +was lifted off the earth. In those days were destroyed all the human +beings and animals living upon the earth. This calamity they saw with +their own eyes; who would doubt that they were violently stirred by +the sight?</p> + +<p>59. Furthermore, the ark floated upon the waters for one hundred and +fifty days, buffeted on all sides by the waves and winds. There was no +hope for any harbor, or for any meeting with men. As exiles, +therefore, as vanished from the earth, as it were, they were driven +here and there by currents and winds. Is it not a miracle that those +eight human beings did not die from grief and fear? Truly, we are made +of stone if we can read this story with dry eyes.</p> +<a name="p7060"></a> +<p>60. What outcry, sorrow and wailing if from the shore we see a small +boat overturned, and human beings miserably perishing! Here, however, +not one boat-load, but the entire world of men perish in the waters; a +world composed not only of grown persons, but also babes; not only of +criminal and wicked ones, but also simple-hearted matrons and virgins. +They all perished. 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 event. Noah's +faith was truly of a rare kind, 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 world.</p> +<a name="p7061"></a> +<p>Vs. 16-24. <i>And Jehovah shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon +the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was +lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and increased +greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. +And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high +mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen +cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. +And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, +and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and +every man: all, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of +life, of all that was on the dry land, died. And every living thing +was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and +cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were +destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were +with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred +and fifty days.</i></p> + +<p>61. For forty days the ark stood in some plain. By that time the +waters had risen to such an extent that they lifted the ark, which +then floated for one hundred and fifty days. A long sea voyage indeed, +and one of great mourning and tears. Yet the occupants upheld +themselves by faith, not doubting the kindness of God toward them. +They had experienced his goodness when building the ark, when +preparing the food, when getting ready other things needful for this +occasion, and finally when the Lord closed the ark after the flood +came in its power.</p> +<a name="p7062"></a> +<p>62. The question arises, how can God be truthful here? He had set man +as master over the earth to cultivate and rule it. God did not create +the earth to lie waste, but to be inhabited and give its fruits to +men. How can we reconcile such purpose of the creator with the fact +that he destroyed all mankind except eight souls? 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 flood. How can we harmonize God's promise to Adam and +Eve, "You shall rule the earth," and his words here to Noah, "The +water shall overpower all men, and destroy them all." So the +unbelievers decided that Noah's preaching was wicked and heretical.</p> +<a name="p7063"></a> +<p>63. 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 kings, who knew this grand promise: "This is my +resting-place forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it," Ps +132, 14; and that other, by Isaiah: "Here is my fire, and my +hearth-stone," Is 31, 9. To them it was incredible that either the +State or the temple should be overthrown by the gentiles. And the +Jews, miserable outcast though they be, even to this day hold fast the +promise that they are God's people and heirs of the promises given +Abraham and the fathers.</p> +<a name="p7064"></a> +<p>64. Thus is the pope puffed up with the promises given to the Church: +"I am with you unto the end of the world," Mt 28, 20; "I will not +leave you desolate," Jn 14, 18; "I made supplication for thee, that +thy faith fail not," Lk 22, 32; and others. Though he sees and feels +the wrath of God, yet, caught in these promises, he dreams, and +likewise his followers, that his throne and power are secure. Hence +the Papists blatantly use the name of the Church to overwhelm us, +promising themselves the utmost success, as if they could force God to +establish the Church according to their dreams and desires.</p> + +<p>65. Fitly, then, do we here raise the question how the flood, by which +all mankind perished, agrees with the will of God, who created human +nature and gave it the promise and endowment of dominion. The answer +to this question will likewise settle the one concerning the Church. +It is this: God remains truthful, preserving, ruling and governing his +Church though in a manner transcending the observation and +understanding of the world. He permits the Roman pontiff and his +adherents to think that the pope is the Church. He suffers him to feel +secure and to enjoy his dignity and title. But in fact God has +excommunicated the pontiff, because he rejects the Word and +establishes idolatrous worship.</p> +<a name="p7066"></a> +<p>66. On the other hand, God has chosen for himself another Church, +which embraces the Word and flees idolatry, a Church so oppressed and +shamefully afflicted that it is not considered a Church but a band of +heretics and the devil's school. Thus Paul writes to the Romans (ch +2, 17) that the Jews do not fear God yet they glory in the Law and in +God, at the same time denying, blaspheming and offending God. And +while the Jews, who take pride in being God's people, are doing this, +God prepares for himself a Church from the gentiles, who truly glory +in God and embrace his Word.</p> +<a name="p7067"></a> +<p>67. But who should dare to accuse God of untruthfulness because he +preserves the Church in a manner unknown and undesired by man? Of +similar nature were the promises concerning the preservation of +Jerusalem and the temple. These promises were not violated when that +city and temple were laid waste by the Babylonians. For God +established another Jerusalem and another temple in the Spirit and by +the Word; Jeremiah promised (Jer 29, 10-11) that the people should +return after seventy years and that then both the temple and the +nation should be re-established.</p> + +<p>68. As regards the Jews, these were destroyed at that time, but not as +regards God who had promised in his Word that they should be rebuilt. +The Jews argue correctly that God will not desert the nation and +temple; but God keeps his promise in a way foreign to the thought of +the Jews, who believed that the nation would not be destroyed because +the promise said: "This is my resting-place forever." God permitted +destruction in order to punish the sins of his people, and yet he +preserved and protected the Church when the pious were brought back by +Cyrus and built the temple.</p> +<a name="p7069"></a> +<p>69. In like manner, dominion over the world was given to man in the +beginning of creation. This is taken away in the flood, not forever, +but for a time, and that not altogether. Though the greater part of +the world perishes, yet man retains his mastery; and this mastery is +preserved to mankind, not as represented by a multitude, as the world +desired and believed, but by a few persons—eight souls—a thing which +seemed incredible to the world.</p> +<a name="p7070"></a> +<p>70. Hence God did not lie; he kept his promise, but not as the world +would have had it. He destroyed the sinners and saved the righteous +few, which, like a seed, he thereafter multiplied in many ways.</p> +<a name="p7071"></a> +<p>71. The Papists should keep before their eyes this judgment of God. It +teaches that neither numbers nor power nor his own promise is allowed +to prevent him from punishing the impenitent. Otherwise he would have +spared the first world and the offspring of the patriarchs to whom he +had granted dominion over the earth. Now he destroys all and saves +only eight.</p> +<a name="p7072"></a> +<p>72. Is it wonderful, then, that he deals with the Papists in the same +way? Though they boast of rank, dignity, numbers, and power, yet, +because they trample the Word of God under foot and rage against it, +God will cast them away, choosing for himself another Church, which +will humbly obey the Word and accept with open arms the gifts of +Christ which the pope's Church, trusting in its own merits, haughtily +spurns.</p> +<a name="p7073"></a> +<p>73. Therefore none should trust in the good things of present +possession, though they be promised by the divine Word. We must look +to the Word itself and trust in it alone. Those who set the Word aside +and put their trust in present things, will not go unscathed in their +fall from faith, however much they may boast of power and numbers. +This truth is shown by the flood, by the captivity of the Jews and +their present misfortune, and by the seven thousand men in the kingdom +of Israel.</p> +<a name="p7074"></a> +<p>74. The proof is sufficiently strong, that great numbers do not make a +Church. Nor must we trust in holiness of origin, in forefathers, or in +the gifts of God which we enjoy. We must look to the Word alone and +judge thereby. Those alone who truly embrace the Word will be as +immovable forever as Mount Zion. They may be few in number and +thoroughly despised by the world, as were Noah and his children. But +God, through these few, preserved to man the truth of that promised +mastery when he had not even room to set his foot upon the earth.</p> +<a name="p7075"></a> +<p>75. Our enemies, setting aside the Word, make much of number, outward +appearance, and persons. But the apostles foretold that the Antichrist +will be a respecter of persons, that will rely upon numbers and +ancient origin, that he will hate the Word and corrupt God's promises +and that he will kill those who cling to the Word. Shall we, then, +consider such people to be the Church?</p> +<a name="p7076"></a> +<p>76. The Church is a daughter born from the Word, not the mother of the +Word. Therefore, whoever loses the Word and looks to men instead, +ceases to be the Church and lapses into utter blindness; nor will +either great numbers or power avail. They who keep the word, as did +Noah and his family, are the Church, though they be few in number, +even but eight souls. The Papists at this time surpass us in numbers +and rank; we not only are cursed, but suffer many things. But we must +endure until the judgment, when God will reveal that we are his +Church, and the Papists the church of Satan.</p> +<a name="p7077"></a> +<p>77. So, then, we must observe that rule in 1 Sam 16, 7, where the Lord +says to Samuel: "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his +stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man +seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh +on the heart."</p> +<a name="p7078"></a> +<p>78. Let us not, therefore, give heed to the greatness and might of the +pope, who boasts that he is the Church, proclaiming the apostolic +succession and the majesty of his person. Let us look to the Word. If +the pope embraces it, let us judge him to be the Church; but if he +does violence to it, let us judge him to be the slave of Satan.</p> +<a name="p7079"></a> +<p>79. Paul says (1 Cor 2, 15) that the spiritual person judgeth all +things. If I were the only one on the face of the earth to keep the +Word, I should be the Church, and rightfully pass judgment upon all +the rest of the world that they were not the Church. Our enemies have +the office without the Word, and really have nothing. We, on the other +hand, have the Word, though we have nothing; yet we have everything +through the Word. Therefore, either let the pope, the cardinals and +the bishops come over to our side, or let them cease to boast that +they are the Church, which they cannot be without the Word, since it +is begotten only by the Word.</p> +<a name="p7080"></a> +<p>80. We bear a great load of hatred, being accused of having deserted +the ancient Church. The Papists, on the other hand, boast that they +have remained true to the Church, and they want to leave everything to +the judgment of the Church. But we are accused falsely. To speak the +truth, 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 Word.</p> +<a name="p7081"></a> +<p>81. Therefore though in their judgment they rob us of the title of the +Church, still we retain the Word, and through the Word we have all +ornaments of the true Church. For whoever has the Creator of all, must +needs also possess the creatures themselves. In this sense Noah +remained master of the world, though the waters prevailed, and the +earth perished. Though he lost his property, yet, because he retained +the Word by which everything was created, it may truly be said he +retained everything.</p> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3>CHAPTER VIII.</h3> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents25"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">I.</td> + <td colspan="5">NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK; THE WATERS ABATE.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="4">NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Noah and his family anxiously waited for God's promise, + and lived in faith, which is a hard life <a href="#p8001">1-3</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">He had a hard time in the ark. What sustained him <a href="#p8002">2-4</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">How he suffered in two ways <a href="#p8005">5</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Whether God can forget his saints <a href="#p8006">6</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Severest temptations are when man thinks he is forsaken by God <a href="#p8007">7</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's condition became more miserable because of his + family's distress <a href="#p8008">8-10</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah and family with difficulty overcame their temptation <a href="#p8011">11</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Christians need steadfastness <a href="#p8012">12</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why God for a time conceals himself from his faithful ones <a href="#p8013">13</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Temptations severe when saints imagine God has forsaken them <a href="#p8014">14</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="4">THE WATERS ABATE.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">The time the waters abated <a href="#p8015">15</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">How the wind blew upon the earth and dried it. <a href="#p8016">16-17</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">The abating of the waters was a sign by which God comforted + Noah <a href="#p8018">18</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's Ark.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">When it began to float, how long it floated and when it + rested <a href="#p8019">19</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">On what mountain did it rest <a href="#p8020">20</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">What to think of Josephus' testimony <a href="#p8021">21</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">When the mountain tops first seen <a href="#p8022">22</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">How Noah learned the deluge had ceased.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Noah sent forth the raven, and how the error arose the + raven never returned <a href="#p8023">23-24</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The Jews' unclean thoughts of the raven <a href="#p8024">24</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Noah sent forth a dove, and if at the same time with the + raven <a href="#p8025">25</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Noah sent out a second dove, which assured him that the + flood had ceased <a href="#p8026">26</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>Dove returned with an olive leaf <a href="#p8026">26</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>Whether it did this of its own impulse, and what God + thereby wished to indicate <a href="#p8027">27-28</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>The Jews' ideas on where the dove got the olive leaf <a href="#p8027">27</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(4)</td> + <td>Why an olive leaf <a href="#p8028">28</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">How long Noah and family were in the ark <a href="#p8029">29</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p8001"></a> +<br> +<h4>I. NOAH IN ARK—FLOOD ABATES.</h4> + +<center>A. NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK.</center> + +<p>V. 1a. <i>And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the +cattle that were with him in the ark.</i></p> + +<p>1. When that horrible wrath had exhausted itself, and all flesh with +the earth had been destroyed, the promise made by God to Noah and his +sons, that they were to be the seed of the human race, began to be +realized. No doubt this promise was to them an object of eager +expectation. No life is so hedged about with difficulties as that of +faith. This was the life lived by Noah and his sons, whom we see +absolutely depending upon the heavens for support. The earth was +covered with water. Bottom on which to stand there was none. It was +the word of promise that upheld them, as they drifted in this welter +of waters.</p> +<a name="p8002"></a> +<p>2. When the flesh is free from danger, it holds faith in contempt, as +the claims of the Papists show. It loves showy and toilsome tasks; in +these it sweats. But behold Noah, on all sides surrounded by waters, +yet not overwhelmed! Surely it is not works that sustain him but faith +in God's mercy extended through the word of promise.</p> + +<p>3. The difficulty besetting Noah is hinted at in the words: "God +remembered." Moses thus intimates that Noah had been tossed on the +water so long that God seemed to have forgotten him altogether. They +who pass through such a mental strain, when the rays of divine grace +are gone and they sit in darkness or are forgotten by God, 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 monk.</p> + +<p>4. Hence, it is not a meaningless expression when the Holy Spirit says +that "God remembered Noah." He means that from the day Noah entered +the ark, no word was spoken, nothing was revealed to him; that he saw +no ray of divine grace shining, but merely clung to the promise which +he had accepted, while in the meantime the waters and waves raged as +if God had certainly forgotten. 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 ark. And though the holy seed by the +aid of the conquering Spirit overcame those difficulties, the victory +was not won without vexation of the flesh, tears and stupendous fear, +felt, in my opinion, even by the brutes.</p> +<a name="p8005"></a> +<p>5. Thus a twofold danger beset them. The universal flood which +swallowed up all mankind could not vanish without stupendous grief to +the righteous, particularly as they saw themselves reduced to so small +a number. Further, it was a serious matter to be buffeted by the +waters for almost half a year without any consolation from God.</p> +<a name="p8006"></a> +<p>6. The expression used by Moses, "God remembered Noah," must not be +short of its meaning by calling it a rhetorical figure, signifying +that God acted after the manner of one who had forgotten Noah, whereas +God cannot in truth forget his saints. A mere master of rhetoric, +indeed, does not know what it means to live in such a state as to feel +that God has forgotten him. Only the most perfect saints understand +that, and can in faith bear, so to speak, a God who forgets. Therefore +the Psalms and all the Scriptures are filled with complaints of this +nature, in which God is called upon to arise, to open his eyes, to +hear, to awaken.</p> +<a name="p8007"></a> +<p>7. Monks possessed of a higher degree of experience, at times +underwent this temptation and called it a suspension of grace. The +latter may be experienced also in temptations of a slighter nature. +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 Spirit. +Similarly, at a more mature age, impatience and the desire for revenge +can nowise be overcome unless God tears them from the soul. How much +more liable is the soul to fall into the darkness of despair, or into +ensnaring predestinarian tenets, when more severe temptations beset us +and the suspension of grace is felt.</p> +<a name="p8008"></a> +<p>8. Hence this expression is not to be passed by as a mere rhetorical +ornament, according to the interpretation of the rabbis. It is +intended rather to portray the state of soul which feels despair +coming on amid unutterable groanings of heart, with just a spark of +faith left to wrest victory from the flesh. In the same way that Paul +suffered from Satan's messenger, we may believe that Noah felt himself +stabbed in the heart, and that he often argued thus within himself: +Dost thou believe that thou alone art so beloved of God? Dost thou +believe that thou will be kept safe to the end, when waters are +boundless, and those immense clouds seem to be inexhaustible?</p> + +<p>9. When, then, such broodings found their way also into the weak souls +of the women, what cries, wails and tears may we surmise to have been +the result? Almost overcome by sadness and grief, he was forced to +lift up and comfort those with the cheer his own heart did not feel.</p> + +<p>10. It was, therefore, no jest or frolic for them to live so long +locked up within the ark, to see the endless downpour of rain and to +be carried to and fro floating upon the waves. This was the experience +of having been forgotten by God which Moses implies when he says that +God at last remembered Noah and his sons.</p> +<a name="p8011"></a> +<p>11. Though the occupants of the ark overcame this feeling by faith, +they did not do so without great vexation of the flesh; just as a +young man who leads a chaste life overcomes lust, but surely not +without the greatest vexation and trouble. In this instance, where the +trial was greater, where all evidence was at variance with the fact +that God was gracious and mindful of them, they indeed triumphed, but +not without fearful tribulation. For the flesh, weak in itself, can +bear nothing less patiently than the thought of a God who has +forgotten. Human nature is prone to be puffed up and haughty when God +remembers it, when he vouchsafes success and favor. Is it a wonder, +then, that we become broken in spirit and desperate when God seems to +have cast us away and everything goes against us?</p> +<a name="p8012"></a> +<p>12. Let us remember that this story sets before us an example of +faith, of endurance, and of patience, to the end that, having the +divine promise, we should not only learn to believe it, but should +also consider that we are in need of endurance. Endurance is not +maintained without a great struggle, and Christ calls upon us, in the +New Testament, to acquire it when he says: "He that endureth to the +end, the same shall be saved," Mt 24, 13.</p> +<a name="p8013"></a> +<p>13. This is the reason why God hides for a time, as it were, seeming +to have forgotten us, suspending his grace, as they say in the +schools. As in this temptation not only the spirit but also the flesh +is afflicted, so afterward, when he again begins to remember us, the +perception of grace which during the trial was evident only to the +spirit and most faintly at that, is extended to the flesh also.</p> +<a name="p8014"></a> +<p>14. Hence, the word "remembered" indicates that great sadness beset +both man and beast during the entire time of the flood. It must have +been by dint of great patience and extraordinary courage that Noah and +the others bore this lapse from God's memory, which is simply +unbearable to the flesh without the spirit even in slight trials. +True, God always remembers his own, even when he seems to have +forsaken them; but Moses indicates that he remembered his people here +in a visible way, by a sign, and by openly fulfilling what he had +previously promised through the Word and the Spirit. This is the most +important passage in this chapter.</p> +<a name="p8015"></a> +<center>B. Waters Abate.</center> + +<p>Vs. 1b-3. <i>And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters +assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven +were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters +returned from off the earth continually; and after the end of a +hundred and fifty days the waters decreased.</i></p> + +<p>15. Moses said above (ch 7, 11-12) that the deluge raged in three +different ways; for not only were the fountains of the great deep +broken up and the windows of heaven opened, but also the rain +descended. When these forces ceased on the one hundred and fiftieth +day, quiet was once more in evidence and the fact that God remembered, +and Noah with his sons and their wives, as also the animals, was +refreshed after terror so great and continuous. If a storm of two days +duration causes seafarers to despair, how much more distressing was +that tossing about for half a year!</p> +<a name="p8016"></a> +<p>16. The question here arises, how the wind was made to pass over the +earth, which as yet was entirely covered with water. It is nothing new +that winds have the power to dry, especially those from the east, +called by our countrymen "hohle winde," and by Virgil "parching +winds," from the drouth which they bring upon the earth. These are +mentioned also by Hosea 13, 15. The explanation, accordingly, is +simple. Moses says that the wind was made to pass over the earth, that +is, over the surface of the waters, for such a length of time that at +last, the waters being dried up, the earth again appeared. So, in +Exodus, a burning wind is said to have dried up the Red Sea. Now, God +might have accomplished this without any wind, yet he habitually +employs a natural means to attain his purposes.</p> + +<p>17. Up to this time Noah had lived in darkness, seeing nothing but the +waters rolling and raging in a terrifying volume. Now the delicious +light of the sun bursts forth once more, and the winds cease to roar +from all points of the compass. Only the east wind, calculated to +reduce the waters, is blowing, and gradually it takes away the +stagnant flood. Other means also are effective; the ocean no longer +hurls its waves upon the land, but takes back the waters which it had +spewed forth, and the floodgates of heaven are closed up.</p> +<a name="p8018"></a> +<p>18. These are outward and tangible signs by which God consoles Noah, +showing him that he had not forgotten, but remembered him. This is a +practical and needed lesson also for us. When in the midst of dangers +we may with certainty look for God's help, who does not desert us if +we continue in faith, looking forward to the fulfilment of God's +promises.</p> +<a name="p8019"></a> +<p>V. 4. <i>And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day +of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.</i></p> + +<p>19. The waters increased for forty days, until the ark was lifted from +the earth. Then for one hundred and fifty days it floated upon the +waters, driven by the winds and the waves, without a sign of God's +remembrance. At length the waters began to decrease, and the ark +rested.</p> +<a name="p8020"></a> +<p>20. The point of dispute among the Jews here is the number of months. +But why waste any more time upon immaterial matters, particularly as +we see that the suggestions of the rabbis are not at all wise? It is +more to the purpose for us to inquire where the mountains of Ararat +are to be found. It is generally believed that they are mountains of +Armenia, close by the highest ranges of Asia Minor, the Caucasus and +the Taurus. But it appears to me that more likely the highest of all +mountains is meant, the Imaus (Himalaya), which divides India. +Compared to this range, other mountains are no more than warts. 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 Lebanon, Taurus, and Caucasus were uncovered, which +are, as it were, the feet or roots of the Himalaya, just as the +mountains of Greece may be called branches of the Alps extending up to +our Hercinian Forest (Harz). To anyone who surveys them with care the +mountains seem to be wonderfully related and united.</p> +<a name="p8021"></a> +<p>21. Josephus has wonderful things to tell about the mountains of +Armenia, and he records that during his time remains of the ark were +discovered there. But I suppose nobody will judge me to be a heretic +if I occasionally doubt the reliability of his statements.</p> +<a name="p8022"></a> +<p>V. 5. <i>And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in +the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the +mountains seen.</i></p> + +<p>22. Moses said before that by the seventh month the waters had fallen +so far that the ark rested upon Ararat. In the third month thereafter, +the tops of the lower mountains began to appear, so that Noah, looking +down from the mountains of Ararat as if from a watchtower, saw also +the peaks of the other mountains, of the Taurus in Asia, the Lebanon +in Syria, and the like. All these were signs of God's remembrance.</p> +<a name="p8023"></a> +<p>Vs. 6-7. <i>And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah +opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a +raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up +from off the earth.</i></p> + +<p>23. So far the history; the allegorical significance we shall discuss +at its proper place. The carelessness of a translator has caused a +dispute upon this part of the story. The Hebrew text does not say that +the raven did not return, as Jerome translated; hence there was no +need to invent a reason why he did not return—because he found dead +bodies lying about everywhere. They claim that abundance of food +prevented him.</p> +<a name="p8024"></a> +<p>24. On the contrary, Moses says that the raven which had been sent +forth, returned; although he did not permit himself to be again +imprisoned in the ark as the dove did. Moses implies that Noah sent +forth the raven to find out whether animals could, by that time find +dry land and food. The raven, however, did not faithfully carry out +his mission, but rejoicing to be set free from his prison, he flew to +and fro, and paying no attention to Noah, he enjoyed the free sky. The +swinish Jews, however, show the impurity of their minds everywhere. +For they suppose that the raven had fears concerning his mate, and +that he even suspected Noah concerning her. Shame upon those impure +minds!</p> +<a name="p8025"></a> +<p>Vs. 8-9. <i>And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were +abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for +the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark; for the +waters were on the face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, +and took her, and brought her unto him into the ark.</i></p> + +<p>25. When Noah's hopes had been set at naught by the raven, which flew +about wantonly but brought no tidings concerning the condition of the +earth, he took a dove, thinking that she would more truly perform the +mission. The text almost authorizes us to say that those two birds +were sent forth at the same time, so that Noah might have two +witnesses from whom to gain desired knowledge. The raven enjoying the +free sky, flew round about the ark, but did not want to return into +it. The dove, however, fleeing from the corpses and corruption, comes +back and permits itself to be caught. This story, as we shall hear, +offers a fine allegory concerning the Church.</p> +<a name="p8026"></a> +<p>Vs. 10-12. <i>And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent +forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him at +eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah +knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet +other seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she returned not again +unto him any more.</i></p> + +<p>26. The dove, being a faithful messenger, is sent forth once more. +Moses carefully describes how the waters decreased gradually, until at +last the surface of the earth, together with the trees, was laid bare. +We do not believe that the dove brought the olive leaf intentionally, +but by the command of God, who wanted to show Noah, little by little, +that he had not altogether forgotten but remembered him. This olive +leaf was an impressive sign to Noah and his fellow-prisoners in the +ark, bringing them courage and hope of impending liberation.</p> +<a name="p8027"></a> +<p>27. The Jews dispute sharply in respect to this matter of where the +dove found the olive leaf, and some, in order to secure special glory +for their homeland, make the ludicrous assertion that she took it from +the Mount of Olives in the land of Israel, which God had spared from +the flood that destroyed the remainder of the earth. But the saner +Jews rightly refute this nonsense by arguing that if this were true, +the olive leaf could not have been a sign for Noah that the waters had +fallen. Others have invented the fable that the dove was admitted to +paradise and brought the leaf from there.</p> +<a name="p8028"></a> +<p>28. But I have (ch 2, §39-42) set forth at length my views concerning +paradise, and this nonsense is not worthy the effort of a refutation. +It serves a better purpose to remind you that all these things +happened miraculously and supernaturally. 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 waters. God ordained +these events. Other trees had leaves at that time, particularly the +taller ones which rose sooner from the waters. The olive tree is +comparatively short, 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 state. Of this he had more certain proof however, when the +dove, having been sent out the third time, did not return: for not +only did it find food on earth, but was able to build nests and to +flit to and fro.</p> +<a name="p8029"></a> +<p>Vs. 13-14. <i>And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in +the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up +from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and +looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dried. And in the +second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the +earth dry.</i></p> + +<p>29. Here we see that Noah was in the ark an entire year and ten days; +for he entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month, and +came out again, after a year had passed, in the same month, but on the +twenty-seventh day. Poor Noah, with his sons and the women, lived in +the ark more than half a year in sore grief, without a sign of being +remembered by God. Afterward God gave him gradual proof, through +various signs, that he had not forgotten him, until at last, after the +lapse of a year and ten days, he was again given dominion over the +earth and sea. On this day of the second month, the flood had not only +disappeared, but the earth was dry. This is the story of the flood and +its abatement. After this fearful wrath, there ensues an immeasurable +light of grace, as is shown in the following sermon addressed to Noah +by God himself.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents26"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">II.</td> + <td colspan="3">NOAH COMMANDED TO LEAVE THE ARK; HIS OFFERING TO GOD; GOD'S + RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="2">NOAH COMMANDED TO LEAVE THE ARK, AND HE OBEYED <a href="#p8030">30-32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Man should do nothing but what God commands <a href="#p8030">30-32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Is it right to start a new worship without God's command to do + so <a href="#p8033">33-34</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The examples of saints and special works.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>Should we imitate the works of the holy patriarchs <a href="#p8034">34-35</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>The result among the Jews of a reckless imitation of the saints <a href="#p8036">36</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>Should have regard here, not to works but to faith <a href="#p8037">37-38</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p8030"></a> +<br> +<h4>II. NOAH LEAVES ARK, HIS SACRIFICE AND GOD'S PROMISE.</h4> + +<center>A. Noah Obeys Command to Leave the Ark.</center> + +<p>Vs. 15-17. <i>And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth from the ark, +thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring +forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, +both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon +the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth.</i></p> + +<p>30. Up to this point the narrative is only a record of facts, or the +description of a divine work. Though the works of God are not mute but +eloquent witnesses, and present to our vision the will of God, a still +greater comfort is vouchsafed when God links to the works the Word, +which is not manifest to the eye but perceptible to the ear and +intelligible to the heart through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. +So far God had given proof by his work that he was appeased, that the +God of wrath had turned into a God of mercy, who turns back the waters +and dries up the earth. Such comfort he now amplifies by his Word in +that he lovingly accosts and enjoins him to leave the ark with the +other creatures, both men and animals.</p> + +<p>31. In the light of this passage the frequent and emphatic application +of the principle is justified that we should neither design nor do +anything, especially in respect to God's service and worship, without +the initiative and command of the Word. As above narrated, Noah enters +the ark upon God's command; and he leaves the ark upon God's command +to leave it. He does not follow superstitious notions, as we see the +Jews do, who, when they establish anything temporary by command, +endeavor to retain it forever, as if it were essential to salvation.</p> + +<p>32. Noah might have argued thus: Behold, I built the ark by the +command of God; I was saved in it while all other men perished: +therefore I will remain in it, or keep it for a place of divine +worship, since it has been sanctified by the Word of God and the +presence of the saints, the Church. But the godly man did nothing of +the kind. The Word had commanded him to go forth, therefore he obeyed. +The ark had done its service during the flood and he left it, assured +that he and his children were to live on the earth. So must we +undertake nothing without the Word of God. In a holy calling, which +has the Word and command of God, let us walk! For whosoever attempts +anything without the command of God, will labor in vain.</p> +<a name="p8033"></a> +<p>33. To deny this, some one might cite as example the act of Noah, +described below, when he built an altar without God's command, and +offered a burnt-offering thereon to God from the clean animals. If +this was permitted to Noah, why should we not be permitted to choose +certain forms of worship? And, in truth, the Papacy has heaped up +works and forms of worship in the Church without measure, just as it +pleased. But we must hold fast to the principle, which is a theorem of +general application, that whatsoever is not of faith, is sin, (Rom +14, 23). But faith cannot be separated from the Word; hence, whatsoever +is done without the Word, is sin.</p> +<a name="p8034"></a> +<p>34. Furthermore, it is plainly dangerous to take the acts of the +fathers as models. As individuals differ, so also do their duties +differ, and God requires diverse works according to the diversity of +our calling. Accordingly the epistle to the Hebrews fitly refers the +various acts of the fathers to the one faith, in order to show that +each of us must imitate, in his calling, not the works, but the faith +of the fathers. Heb 11.</p> + +<p>35. 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 Benedict, the gown of Francis, the shoes of Dominic and the +like. Men become apes who imitate without judgment. The monks try to +ape the works, but know nothing of the faith of the fathers.</p> +<a name="p8036"></a> +<p>36. Abraham was commanded to slay his son. Afterward his descendants +most wickedly believed they should follow his example, and they filled +the earth with innocent blood. In a similar manner the people +worshiped the brazen serpent and offered sacrifices before it. In both +instances the people wanted to justify themselves by the example of +their forefathers; but since they established these forms of worship +without the Word, they were righteously condemned.</p> +<a name="p8037"></a> +<p>37. Let us, therefore, remember not to establish anything without the +Word of God. Duties differ, and so must the works of individuals. How +foolish it would be for me to proclaim that I must follow Caesar's +example, and that others must obey my laws! How wicked it would be for +me to assert that I must follow the example of a judge, condemning +some to the cross, others to the sword! Then, we must look, not upon +the works, but upon the faith of individuals; for the faith of all +saints is one, though their works are most diverse.</p> + +<p>38. Think not that because Noah built an altar, you may do likewise; +but follow the faith of Noah, who thought it right to show his +merciful Savior that he understood his beneficent gifts, and was +grateful for them. Follow Abraham, not in slaying your son, but in +believing the promises of God, and in obeying his commandments. The +epistle to the Hebrews fitly refers the deeds and acts of the fathers +to their faith, setting forth that we should follow their faith.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents27"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="2">NOAH'S SACRIFICE.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>Whether Noah was commanded to offer a sacrifice and in what + way sacrificing is justified <a href="#p8039">39-41</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Have monks divine command to support their order <a href="#p8040">40</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Shall we find fault with the works of saints, for which they + apparently had no command <a href="#p8041">41</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How in all works we should have respect for God's command <a href="#p8042">42</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Lyra's unfounded thoughts on the words, "Be fruitful" etc. <a href="#p8043">43</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Why Moses said so much about their leaving the ark <a href="#p8044">44</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>Noah's sacrifice proves Moses did not originate the idea of + sacrifice <a href="#p8045">45-46</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>Why Noah's sacrifice was pleasing to God <a href="#p8047">47-48</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The meaning of "sweet savor" <a href="#p8047">47-48</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>How it can be said God "smelled the sweet savor", and why + this form of speech used <a href="#p8049">49-50</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p8039"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. NOAH'S SACRIFICE.</h4> + +<p>39. The objection under consideration can be invalidated by the +rejoinder that Noah did have a command to erect an altar and offer +sacrifices. God approved the rite of sacrifice by ordering that more +of the clean animals—suitable for sacrifice—should be taken into the +ark. Nor was Noah permitted to cast aside the office of the +priesthood, which had been established by the Word before the flood +and had come down to him by the right of primogeniture. Adam, Seth, +Enoch and others had been priests. From them Noah possessed the office +of the priesthood as an inheritance.</p> +<a name="p8040"></a> +<p>40. Therefore Noah, as priest and prophet, was not only at liberty to +offer sacrifice, but he was under obligation to do so by virtue of his +calling. Since his calling was founded on God's Word, in harmony with +that Word and by God's command he built an altar and offered +sacrifices. Therefore let a monk prove it is his office and calling to +wear a cowl, to worship the blessed Virgin, to pray the rosary and do +like things, and we will commend his life. But since the call is +lacking, the Word is not the authority and the office does not exist, +the life and works of the monks in their entirety stand justly +condemned.</p> +<a name="p8041"></a> +<p>41. Finally, even if all other arguments should fail, this argument, +according to which man judges the cause by the effect, remains; +namely, that God expresses approval of Noah's deed. Although such +reasoning from effect to cause may not be unassailable, it yet is not +without value in respect to such heroic and uncommon men, who meet not +with rejection but approval on the part of God, although they appear +to do what they have not been expressly commanded. They possess the +inward conviction that they are guilty of no transgression, though the +disclosure of this fact is delayed until later God expresses his +approval. Such examples are numerous and it is noteworthy that God has +expressed approval even of the acts of some heathen.</p> +<a name="p8042"></a> +<p>42. Let this maxim, then, stand, 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 God. Hence they who abide in their divinely +assigned calling, will not run uncertainly nor will they beat the air +as those who have no course in which they have been commanded to run, +and in consequence may not look forward to a prize. 1 Cor 9, 24.</p> + +<p>But I return to the text. Noah, with his sons and the women, is +commanded to leave the ark, and to lead forth upon the earth every +species of animals, that all his works may be sanctified and found in +keeping with the Word. Concerning the animals Moses now expressly +states:</p> +<a name="p8043"></a> +<p>Vs. 17-19. <i>Be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went +forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: every +beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatsoever moveth upon +the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark.</i></p> + +<p>43. The Lord speaks of the propagation of Noah and his sons in the +ninth chapter and that, I believe, is the reason why he speaks here +only of the propagation of the animals. From the expression here used, +Lyra foolishly concludes that cohabitation had been forbidden during +the flood and was now again permitted after the departure from the +ark, since God says, "Go forth, ... thou and thy wife." Such thoughts +belong to monks not to God, who plans not sinful lust, but +propagation; the latter is God's ordination, but lust is Satan's +poison infused into nature through sin.</p> +<a name="p8044"></a> +<p>44. Moses here uses many words to illustrate the overflowing joy of +the captives' souls, when they were commanded to leave their prison, +the ark, and to return upon the earth now everywhere open before them. +In recounting the kinds of animals, however, he arranges them in a +different order, distinguishing them by families, as it were, to let +us see that only propagation was God's aim. It must have been a glad +sight when each one of the many beasts, after leaving the ark, found +its own mate, and then sought its accustomed haunt: the wolves, the +bears, the lions, returning to the woods and groves; the sheep, the +goats, the swine, to the fields; the dogs, the chickens, the cats, to +man.</p> +<a name="p8045"></a> +<p>V. 20. <i>And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every +clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on +the altar.</i></p> + +<p>45. This text shows conclusively that Moses was not the first person +to introduce sacrifices but that, like a bard who gathers chants, he +arranged and classified them as they had been in vogue among the +fathers and transmitted from the one to the other. Thus also the law +of circumcision was not first written by Moses but received from the +fathers.</p> + +<p>46. Above (ch 4, 4-5), where Moses mentioned the sacrifice of Abel +and Cain, he called it <i>minchah</i>, an offering; here, however, we find +the first record of a burnt-offering, one entirely consumed by fire. +This, I say, is a clear proof that the law of sacrifices had been +established before the time of Moses. His work, then, consisted in +arranging the rites of the forefathers in definite order.</p> +<a name="p8047"></a> +<p>V. 21. <i>And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor.</i></p> + +<p>47. It is set forth here that Jehovah approved Noah's sacrifice which +he offered by virtue of his office as a priest, according to the +example of the fathers. However, the differences of phraseology is to +receive due attention. Of the former sacrifice he said that Jehovah +"had respect" to it; here he says that "Jehovah smelled the sweet +savor." Moses subsequently makes frequent use of this expression. The +heathen also adopted it; Lucian, for example, makes fun of Jove who +was conciliated by the odor of meats.</p> + +<p>48. The word in the original, however, does not properly signify the +"savor of sweetness," but "the savor of rest", for <i>nichoach</i> meaning +"rest", is derived from the verb <i>nuach</i>, which Moses used before, +when he said that the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. +Therefore it is the "savor of rest," because God then rested from his +wrath, dismissing his wrath, becoming appeased, and, as we commonly +say, well content.</p> +<a name="p8049"></a> +<p>49. Here the question might be raised why does he not say, Jehovah had +respect to Noah and his burnt offering, rather than, Jehovah smelled +the savor of rest, which latter certainly sounds shocking, as though +he were not commending the man for his faith, but merely for his work. +This objection is usually answered by saying that the Scriptures speak +of God in human fashion. Men are pleased by a sweet savor. But it +seems to me there is still another reason for this expression, namely, +that God was so close at hand that he noticed the savor; for Moses +desires to show that this holy rite was well-pleasing to God: Solomon +says (Prov 27, 9) that perfume rejoiceth the heart. Physicians +sometimes restore consciousness by sweet odors. On the other hand, a +violent stench is extremely offensive to our nature, and often +overpowers it.</p> + +<p>50. In this sense, one may say that God, having been annoyed by the +stench of wickedness, was now refreshed, so to speak, when he saw this +one priest girded himself to perform holy rites in order to give proof +of his gratitude, and to manifest by some public act he did not belong +to the ungodly, but that he had a God whom he feared. This is the real +meaning of a sacrifice. As it had pleased God to destroy mankind, he +is now delighted to increase it. Moses uses this expression for our +sake, that we, through the experience of God's grace, may learn that +God delights to do us good.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents28"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">C.</td> + <td colspan="2">GOD'S RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>God solemnly and earnestly means it <a href="#p8051">51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How understood "it repented God that he had made man" <a href="#p8052">52-54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Experiences in spiritual temptations and how God helps us to + bear them <a href="#p8054">54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>The meaning of "God will not again smite the earth" <a href="#p8055">55</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p8051"></a> +<br> +<h4>C. GOD'S RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN.</h4> + +<p>V. 21b. <i>And Jehovah said in his heart.</i></p> + +<p>51. Moses points out that these words were not spoken by God without +heart and feeling, but from his very vitals. This is the meaning of +the Hebrew text which has it that God spoke to his own heart.</p> +<a name="p8052"></a> +<p>V. 21c. <i>I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake.</i></p> + +<p>52. God speaks as if he were sorry for the punishment inflicted upon +the earth on account of man, just as formerly he expressed regret for +his creation, reproving himself, as it were, for his fury against man. +This must not, of course, be understood as implying that God could +possibly change his mind; it is written only for our consolation. He +accuses and blames himself in order to rouse the little flock to the +certain faith that God will be merciful hereafter.</p> + +<p>53. And their souls stood in real need of such consolation. They had +been terrified as they witnessed God's raging wrath, and their faith +could not but be shaken. So now God is impelled to so order his acts +and words that these people might expect only grace and mercy. +Accordingly he now speaks with them, is present at their sacrifice, +shows that he is pleased with them, blames his own counsel, and +promises that he will never do anything like it in the future. In +brief, he is a different God from what he had been before. While God, +indeed, does not change, he wants to change men, who have become +altogether habituated to thoughts of wrath.</p> +<a name="p8054"></a> +<p>54. They who have experienced trials of the spirit, 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 wrath. One +day, a whole month, perhaps is not enough for this change. Just as it +takes a long time to recover from bodily disorders, so such wounds of +the soul cannot be healed at once, or by one word. God sees this, and +tries by various means to recall the terrified souls to a certain hope +of grace; he even chides himself, speaking to his own heart, as in +Jeremiah 18, 8, where he promises to repent of the evil he thought of +doing, if the offenders also repent.</p> +<a name="p8055"></a> +<p>55. It should furthermore be noted that he says, "I will not again +curse the ground." He speaks of a general destruction of the earth, +not of a partial one, as when he destroys fields, cities, or kingdoms. +The latter instances are for a warning; as Mary says, "He hath put +down princes from their thrones." Lk 1, 52.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents29"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">III.</td> + <td colspan="3">MAN'S NATURAL DEPRAVITY AND HIS NATURAL POWERS.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Natural depravity crops out in infancy <a href="#p8056">56</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">It is seen as the years advance <a href="#p8057">57-58</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether those who would drown it have reason for doing so + <a href="#p8059">59-60</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">There is none untainted by it <a href="#p8061">61-62</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">The godless yield to it, believers resist it <a href="#p8062">62</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Can God be charged with being changeable <a href="#p8063">63-64</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">The knowledge of natural depravity is very necessary <a href="#p8065">65</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="2">What moves sophists to ignore natural depravity <a href="#p8065">65-66</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="2">How to view those who lightly regard natural depravity, and + how to refute them <a href="#p8068">68-69</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Meaning of "the imagination of the heart" <a href="#p8070">70</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">True theological definition of man <a href="#p8071">71</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="2">The proof of natural depravity and that the natural is not + perfect <a href="#p8072">72-73</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td colspan="2">Consequence of false teaching on natural depravity and the + natural <a href="#p8074">74-75</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What sophists understand by Merito congrui and condigni <a href="#p8074">74</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td colspan="2">How Scotus tried to prove that man's natural powers were all + he had, and how to refute his opinion <a href="#p8075">75-76</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Value of the Scholastics and their theology <a href="#p8077">77</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">12.</td> + <td colspan="2">How teachers in these things lead astray <a href="#p8078">78</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The virtues of the heathen.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Estimate of them <a href="#p8079">79-80</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>How they differ from the good works of the saints <a href="#p8081">81</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>What they lack <a href="#p8082">82-83</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">13.</td> + <td colspan="2">Natural depravity may sleep in youth, but it will awake as + the years advance <a href="#p8084">84-86</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">14.</td> + <td colspan="2">Those who ignore natural depravity may be refuted by + experience <a href="#p8087">87</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">15.</td> + <td colspan="2">Philosophy manifests its vanity and blindness in its attitude + to this doctrine <a href="#p8088">88-89</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">16.</td> + <td colspan="2">Experience confirms natural depravity <a href="#p8089">89-90</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">17.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether natural depravity can be completely eradicated: how + to check it <a href="#p8091">91</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How to understand "God will not smite the earth again" <a href="#p8092">92</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Nature thrown into great disorder by the deluge <a href="#p8093">93</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Seasons of the year again put in their order <a href="#p8094">94</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The people's talk about the signs of the last times <a href="#p8095">95</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The days of earth to be followed by the days of heaven, and + we should prepare for them <a href="#p8096">96</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p8056"></a> +<br> +<h4>III. MAN'S NATURAL DEPRAVITY AND HIS NATURAL POWERS.</h4> + +<p>V. 21d. <i>For that the imagination of man's heart is evil from his +youth.</i></p> + +<p>56. This is a powerful passage, relating to original sin. Whoever +weakens its force, goes straying like the blind man in the sunlight, +failing to see his own acts and experiences. Look at the days of our +swaddling clothes; in how many ways sin manifests itself in our +earlier years. What an amount of switching it requires until we are +taught order, as it were, and attention to duty!</p> +<a name="p8057"></a> +<p>57. Then youth succeeds. There a stronger rebellion becomes +noticeable, and in addition that untamable evil, the rage of lust and +desire. If one take a wife, the result is weariness of his own and a +passion for others. If the government of a State is entrusted to him, +an exceptionally fruitful harvest of vice will follow—as jealousy, +rivalry, haughtiness, hope of gain, avarice, wrath, anger, and other +evils.</p> + +<p>58. It is true, as the German proverb has it, that sins grow with the +years: Je laenger, je aerger; je aelter, je kaerger (worse with time, +stingier with age). All such vices are so blatant and gross as to +become objects of observation and intelligence. What, then shall we +say of the inward vices when unbelief, presumption, neglect of the +Word, and wicked views grow up?</p> +<a name="p8059"></a> +<p>59. There are those who are and desire to be considered powerful +theologians, though they extenuate original sin by sophistry. But +vices so numerous and great cannot be extenuated. Original sin is not +a slight disorder or infirmity, but complete lawlessness, the like of +which is not found in other creatures, except in evil spirits.</p> + +<p>60. But do those extenuators have any Scriptural proof to rest upon? +Let us see what Moses says. As I pointed out in explaining the sixth +chapter, he does not call such things evil, as lust, tyranny, and +other sins, but the imagination of the human heart; that is, human +energy, wisdom and reason, with all the faculties the mind employs +even in our best works. Although we do not condemn acts which belong +to the social or civil sphere, yet the human heart vitiates these +works in themselves proper, by doing them for glory, for profit, or +for oppression, and either from opposition to the neighbor or to God.</p> +<a name="p8061"></a> +<p>61. Nor can we escape the force of this passage by saying that those +are meant who perished by the flood. God uses a generic term which +denotes that the heart of man, as such, is meant. At the time this was +spoken there were no other people than those saved in the ark, and yet +the declaration is: the imagination of man's heart is evil.</p> +<a name="p8062"></a> +<p>62. Therefore, not even the saints are excepted. In Ham, the third +son, this imagination of the heart betrayed its nature. And the other +brothers were no better by nature. There was only this difference, +that they, believing in the promised seed, retained the hope of +forgiveness of sin, and did not give way to the evil imagination of +their hearts, rather resisting it through the Holy Spirit, who is +given for the very purpose of contending against, and overcoming, the +malignity of man's nature. Because Ham gives way to his nature, he is +wholly evil, and totally perishes. Shem and Japheth, who contend +against it in their spirit, though being evil, are not altogether so. +They have the Holy Spirit, through whom they contend against the evil, +and hence are holy.</p> +<a name="p8063"></a> +<p>63. It would seem here that God might be accused of fickleness. +Before, when he was about to punish man, he assigned as a reason for +his purpose the fact that the imagination of man's heart is evil; +here, when he is about to give unto man the gracious promise that he +will not thereafter show such anger, he puts forward the same reason. +To human wisdom this appears foolish and inconsistent with divine +wisdom.</p> + +<p>64. But I gladly pass by such sublime themes, and leave them to minds +possessed of leisure. For me it is enough that these works are spoken +to suit our spiritual condition, inasmuch as God points out that he is +now appeased and no longer angry. So parents, having chastised their +disobedient children as they deserve, win again their affections by +kindness. This change of mood is not deserving of criticism but rather +of commendation. It profits the children; otherwise they, while +fearing the rod, might also begin to hate their parents. This +explanation is good enough for me, for it appeals to our faith. Others +may explain differently.</p> +<a name="p8065"></a> +<p>65. We should give diligent attention to this passage because it +plainly shows that man's nature is corrupt, a truth above all others +to be apprehended, because without it God's mercy and grace cannot be +rightly understood. Hence, 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 say, not +that the imagination of man's heart is evil, but that it is inclined +to evil. Upon this authority the quibblers distort or set aside those +passages of Paul where he says that all are children of wrath (Eph 2, +3) that all have sinned (Rom 5, 12) and are under sin (Rom 3, 9). They +argue from our passage as follows: Moses does not say that human +nature is evil, but that it is prone to evil; this condition, call it +inclination or proclivity, is under the control of free will, nor does +it force man toward the evil, or (to use their own words) it imposes +no constraint upon man.</p> + +<p>66. Then they proceed to find a reason for this statement and declare +that even after the fall of man, there remains in him a good will and +a right understanding. For the natural powers, say they, are +unimpaired, not only in man but even in the devil. And finally they so +twist Aristotle's teachings as to make him say that reason tends +toward that which is best. Some traces of these views are found also +in the writings of the Church fathers. Using Psalms 4, 6 as a basis, +where the prophet says, "Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy +countenance upon us," they distinguish between a higher part of reason +which inquires concerning God, and a lower part employed in temporal +and civil affairs. Even Augustine is pleased with this distinction, as +we stated above when discussing the fall of man.</p> + +<p>67. But if only a spark of the knowledge of God had remained +unimpaired in man, we should be different beings by far from what we +now are. Hence, those quibblers who pick flaws in the plain statements +of Paul are infinitely blind. If they would carefully and devoutly +consider that very passage as they read it in their Latin Bible, they +would certainly cease to father so bad a cause. 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 youth. This is +the case especially in the sixth chapter (vs 5) where he says that the +whole thought of his heart was bent on evil continually, meaning +thereby that he purposes what is evil, and that in inclination, +purpose and effort he inclines to evil. For example; an adulterer, +whose desires are inflamed, may lack the opportunity, the place, the +person, the time, and nevertheless be stirred by the fire of lust, +unable to dwell upon anything else. In this manner, says Moses, does +human nature always incline toward evil. Can, then, the natural powers +of man be said to have remained unimpaired, seeing that man's thoughts +are always set upon evil things?</p> +<a name="p8068"></a> +<p>68. 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 works, +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 +teach, contrary to Scripture, that man's natural powers are uninjured, +and that man, by nature, is not under wrath or condemnation. +Notwithstanding, it appears that they turn against their own +absurdity. Although the natural powers of man are uninjured, yet they +maintain that, to become acceptable, grace is required; in other +words, they teach that God is not satisfied with man's natural +goodness, unless it be improved by love.</p> + +<p>69. But what is the need to argue longer against the madness of the +sophists, since we know the true meaning of the Hebrew text to be, not +that man's mind and thoughts are inclined to evil, but that the +imagination of the human heart is evil from youth?</p> +<a name="p8070"></a> +<p>70. By imagination, as I stated several times before (ch 6, <a href="#p6148">§148</a>), he +means reason itself, together with the will and the understanding, +even when it dwells upon God, or occupies itself with most honorable +pursuits, be they those of State or Home. It is always contrary to +God's law, always in sin, always under God's wrath, and it cannot be +freed from this evil state by its own strength, as witness Christ's +words: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free +indeed," Jn 8, 36.</p> +<a name="p8071"></a> +<p>71. If you wish a definition of the word "man" take it from this text +teaching that he is a rational being, with a heart given to +imagination. But what does he imagine? Moses answers, "Evil"; that is, +evil against God or God's Law, and against his fellow man. Thus holy +Scriptures ascribe to man a reason that is not idle but always +imagines something. This imagination it calls evil, wicked, +sacrilegious, while the philosophers call it good, and the quibblers +say that the natural gifts are unimpaired.</p> +<a name="p8072"></a> +<p>72. Therefore this text should be carefully noted and urged against +the caviling quibblers: Moses declares the imagination of the human +heart to be evil. And if it be evil, the conclusion is natural that +the natural gifts are not unimpaired, but corrupted: Inasmuch as God +did not create man evil, but perfect, sound, holy, knowing God, his +reason right and his will toward God good.</p> + +<p>73. Seeing we have clear testimony to the fact that man is evil and +turned away from God, who would be mad enough to say that the natural +gifts in man remain unimpaired? That would be practically saying that +man's nature is unimpaired and good even now, whereas we have +overwhelming evidence in our knowledge and experience that it is +debased to the utmost.</p> +<a name="p8074"></a> +<p>74. From that wicked theory there have sprung many dangerous and some +palpably wicked utterances, for instance, that when man does the best +in his power, God will unfailingly give his grace. By such teaching +they have driven man, as by a trumpet, to prayer, fasting, +self-torture, pilgrimages and similar performances. Thus the world was +taught to believe that if men did the best that nature permitted, they +would earn grace, if not the grace "de merito," at least that "de +congruo." A "meritum congrui" (title to reward based upon equity) they +attribute to a work which has been performed not against but in +accordance to the divine law, inasmuch as an evil work is subject not +to a reward but a penalty. The "meritum condigni" (a title to reward +based upon desert) they attribute not to the work itself but to its +quality as being performed in a state of grace.</p> +<a name="p8075"></a> +<p>75. Another saying of this kind is the declaration of Scotus that man +by mere natural powers may love God above all things. This declaration +is based upon the principle that the natural powers are unimpaired. He +argues as follows: A man loves a woman, who is a creature, and he +loves her so immoderately that he will imperil his very life for her +sake. Similarly, a merchant loves his wares, and so eagerly that he +will risk death a thousand times if only he can gain something. If +therefore, the love of created things is so great, though they rank +far below God, how much more will a man love God who is the highest +good! Hence, God can be loved with the natural powers alone.</p> + +<p>76. A fine argument, indeed, and worthy of a Franciscan monk! For he +shows that, though he is a great teacher, he does not know what it +means to love God. Nature is so corrupt that it can no longer know God +unless it be enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God; how then can +it love God without the Holy Spirit? For it is true that we have no +desire for what we do not know. Therefore, nature cannot love God whom +it does not know, but it loves an idol, and a dream of its own heart. +Furthermore, it is so entirely fettered by the love of created things +that even after it has learned to know God from his Word, it +disregards him and despises his Word. Of this the people of our own +times are an example.</p> +<a name="p8077"></a> +<p>77. Such foolish and blasphemous deliverances are certain proof that +scholastic theology has degenerated into a species of philosophy that +has no knowledge of God, and walks in darkness because it disregards +his Word. Also Aristotle and Cicero, who have the greatest influence +with this tribe, give broad instructions concerning moral excellences. +They magnify these exceedingly as social forces since they recognize +them as useful for private and public ends. In nowise, however, do +they teach that God's will and command is to be regarded far more than +private or public advantage (and those who do not possess the Word are +ignorant of the will of God). Quite plainly the scholastics have +fallen victims to philosophical fancies to such an extent as to retain +true knowledge neither of themselves nor of God. This is the cause of +their lapse into such disastrous errors.</p> +<a name="p8078"></a> +<p>78. And, indeed, it is easy to fall after you have departed from the +Word; for the glitter of civil virtues is wonderfully enticing to the +mind. Erasmus makes of Socrates almost a perfect Christian, and +Augustine has unbounded praise for Marcus Attilius Regulus, because he +kept faith with his enemy. Truthfulness indeed is the most beautiful +of all virtues, and in this case another high commendation is added in +that there was combined with it love of country, which in itself is a +peculiar and most praiseworthy virtue.</p> +<a name="p8079"></a> +<p>79. You may find men of renown not famous for truthfulness. +Themistocles, for instance, did not have this virtue though he was a +heroic man and did his country great service. That is the reason why +Augustine admires Attilius, finding his reason and will to be utterly +righteous, that is as far as it is possible for human nature to be. +Where, then, is vice in this case? Where is wickedness? The hero's +work surely cannot be censured.</p> + +<p>80. First, Regulus knew not God, and, although his conduct was right, +it is still to be seen whether a theologian should not censure his +motive. For to his zeal in behalf of his country is added the thirst +for glory. He evinces contempt for his life so as to achieve immortal +glory among those to live after him. Contemplating, therefore, merely +his life's dream, as it were, and the outward mask, it is a most +beautiful deed. But before God it is shameful idolatry; because he +claims for himself the glory of his deed. And who would doubt that he +had other failings besides this thirst for glory? Attilius cannot +claim the great virtues of truthfulness and love of country without +tending violently and insanely toward wickedness. For it is wicked for +him to rob God of the glory and to claim it for himself. But human +reason cannot recognize this spoliation of the Deity.</p> +<a name="p8081"></a> +<p>81. A distinction must be made between the virtues of the heathen and +the virtues of Christians. It is true that in both instances hearts +are divinely prompted, but in the former ambition and love of glory +afterward defile the divine impulse.</p> +<a name="p8082"></a> +<p>82. If now, an orator should come forth, who would dilate upon the +efficient cause, but disguise the ultimate and vicious one, would it +not be apparent to every one that with the two most potent causes, the +formal (that which gives moral value to an act) and the ultimate one, +disguised, an eloquent man could extol such a wretched shadow of a +virtue? But a man apt in logic will readily discover the deception; he +will observe the absence of the formal cause, namely the right +principle, there being no true knowledge of God nor of the proper +attitude toward him. He sees, furthermore, that the final cause is +vicious, because the true end and aim, obedience to God and love of +neighbor, is not taken into consideration. But what kind of virtue is +that where nearly every cause is lacking except the natural cause, +which is a passion, an impetus or impulse, by which the soul is moved +to show loyalty to an enemy? These impulses, as I said, are found also +in the ungodly. If exercised for the good of the country, they become +virtues; if for its injury, they become vices. This Aristotle sets +forth very skillfully.</p> + +<p>83. I refer to these things that students of sacred literature may +make special note of this passage, which advisedly declares human +nature to be corrupt. For those make-believe virtues, found among the +heathen, seem to prove the contrary—that some part of nature has +remained as it was originally. Hence there is need of careful judgment +in order to distinguish in this matter.</p> +<a name="p8084"></a> +<p>84. Moses adds, "from his youth," because this evil is concealed +during the first period of life and sleeps, as it were. Our early +childhood so passes that reason and will are dormant and we are +carried along by animal impulses, which pass away like a dream. Hardly +have we passed our fifth year when we affect idleness, play, +unchastity, and evil lust. But we try to escape discipline, we +endeavor to get away from obedience, and hate all virtues, especially +of a higher order as truth and justice. Then reason awakes out of a +deep sleep, as it were, and sees certain kinds of pleasure, but not +yet the true ones, and certain kinds of evils, but not yet the most +powerful ones, by which it is held captive.</p> + +<p>85. Where, then, the understanding has attained to maturity, not only +the other vices are found to have grown strong, but there are joined +to them now sexual desire and unclean passion, gluttony, gambling, +strife, rape, murder, theft, and what not? And as the parents had to +apply the rod, so now the government must needs use prison and chains +in order to restrain man's evil nature.</p> + +<p>86. And who does not know the vices of a more advanced age? They march +along in unbroken file—love of money, ambition, pride, perfidy, envy, +and others. These vices are so much the more harmful as at this age we +are more crafty in concealing and masking them. Hence, the sword of +government is not sufficient in this respect; there is need of hell +fire for the punishment of crimes so manifold and great. Justly, then, +did Moses say above (ch 6) that the human heart, or the imagination +of the heart, is only evil each day—or at all times—and here again, +that it is evil from youth.</p> +<a name="p8087"></a> +<p>87. The Latin version, it is true, makes use of a weaker term; yet it +says enough by stating that it is inclined toward evil, just as the +comic dramatist says that the minds of all men are inclined to turn +from labor to lust, Ter Andr 1, 1, 51. But those who try to misuse +this expression for the purpose of making light of original sin, are +shown to be in the wrong by the common experience of mankind; chiefly, +however, that of the heathen, or ungodly men. For if spiritual men, +who surely enjoy divine help from heaven, can hardly hold their ground +against vices and be kept within the bounds of discipline, what can +any man do without this help? If divine aid contends against the +captivity of the law of the flesh only with fierce struggles (Rom 7, +22-23), how insane is it to dream that, without this divine help, +human nature can withstand corruption?</p> +<a name="p8088"></a> +<p>88. Hence reason of itself does not decide upon the right, nor does +the will, of itself, strive after the same, as a blind philosophy +declares which does not know whence these fearful impulses to sin +arise in children, youths, and old men. Therefore it defends them, +calls them emotions or passions only, and does not call them natural +corruption.</p> +<a name="p8089"></a> +<p>89. Furthermore, in noble men, who check and control these impulses, +it calls them virtues; in others who give the reins to their desires, +it calls them vices. This is nothing less than ignorance of the fact +that human nature is evil. The Scriptures, on the contrary agree with +our experience and declare that the human heart is evil from youth. +For we learn by experience that even holy men can scarcely stand firm; +yea that even they are often entangled by gross sins, being +overwhelmed by such natural corruptions.</p> + +<p>90. The term <i>ne-urim</i> denotes the age when man begins to use his +reason; this usually occurs in the sixth year. Similarly, the term +<i>ne-arim</i> is used to denote boys and youths who need the guidance of +parents and teachers up to the age of manhood. 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 teachers, how +diligent we were in studying, how persevering we were, how often our +parents punished our sauciness. Who can say for himself that he was +not much more pleased to go out for a walk, to play games, and to +gossip, than to go to Church in obedience to his parents?</p> +<a name="p8091"></a> +<p>91. Although these impulses can be corrected or bridled to a certain +extent by discipline, they cannot be rooted out of the heart +altogether, as the traces of these impulses show when we are grown. +There is truth in that unpolished lie: "The angelic youth becomes +satanic in his older years." God, indeed, causes some persons to +experience emotions which are naturally good; but they are induced by +supernatural power. Thus Cyrus was impelled to restore the worship of +God, and to preserve the Church. But such is not the tendency of human +nature. Where God is present with his Holy Spirit, there only, the +imagination of the human heart gives place to the thoughts of God. God +dwells there through the Word and the Spirit. Of such, Moses does not +speak here, but only of those who are without the Holy Spirit; they +are wicked, even when at their best.</p> +<a name="p8092"></a> +<p>V. 21e. <i>Neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I +have done.</i></p> + +<p>92. Moses clearly speaks of a general destruction, like that which was +caused by the flood. From this it does not follow that God will also +abstain from partial destruction, and that he will take no heed of +anybody's sin. There will also be an exception in the case of the last +day, when not only all living things will be smitten, but all creation +will be destroyed by fire.</p> +<a name="p8093"></a> +<p>V. 22. <i>While the earth reigneth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and +heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.</i></p> + +<p>93. Following this text, the Jews divide the year into six parts, each +comprising two months, a fact which Lyra also records in this +connection. But it seems to me that Moses simply speaks of the promise +that we need not fear another general flood. During the time of the +flood such confusion reigned that there was no season, either of +seedtime or harvest, and by reason of the great darkness caused by the +clouds and the rain, day could not readily be distinguished from +night. We know how heavy clouds obscure the light. How much greater, +then, was the darkness when the waters, lying under the clouds like a +mirror, reflected the darkness of the clouds into the faces and eyes +of the beholders!</p> +<a name="p8094"></a> +<p>94. The meaning, accordingly, is simply that God here promises Noah +the imminent restoration of the earth, so that the fields might again +be sowed; that the desolation caused by the flood should be no more; +that the seasons might run their course in accordance with regular +law: harvest following seedtime, winter following summer, cold +following heat in due order.</p> +<a name="p8095"></a> +<p>95. This text should be carefully remembered in view of the common +notions concerning the signs before the last day. Then, some declare, +there will be eclipses of I know not how many days duration. They say +foolishly that for seven years not a single woman will bring forth a +child, and the like. But this text declares that neither day nor +night, neither summer nor winter, shall cease; therefore these natural +changes will go on, and there will never be an eclipse which will rob +human eyes of an entire day.</p> +<a name="p8096"></a> +<p>96. Nor is it a phrase devoid of meaning when he says, "While the +earth remaineth," for he gives us to understand that the days of this +earth shall sometime be numbered, and other days, days of heaven, +shall follow. As long, therefore, as the days of the earth endure, so +long shall the earth abide, and with it the rotation of seasons. But +when these days of the earth shall pass, then all these things shall +cease, and there shall follow days of heaven, that is, eternal days. +There shall be one Sabbath after the other, when we shall not be +engrossed with bodily labor for the purpose of gaining a livelihood; +for we shall be as the angels of God, Mk 12, 25. Our life will be to +know God, to delight in God's wisdom and to enjoy the presence of God. +This life we attain through faith in Christ, in which the eternal +Father may mercifully keep us, through the merit of his son, our +Savior, Jesus Christ, by the ruling and guidance of the Holy Spirit. +Amen. Amen.</p> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h3>CHAPTER IX.</h3> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents30"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">I.</td> + <td colspan="3">GOD BLESSES NOAH AND THE RACE.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="2">MARRIAGE STATE BLESSED <a href="#p9001">1-5</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>Why this blessing necessary <a href="#p9001">1</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>Wedlock established twice <a href="#p9002">2</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>Evidence of God's love to the human race <a href="#p9003">3</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>Did this blessing pertain to Noah <a href="#p9004">4</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Bearing of children a special blessing of God unknown to the heathen <a href="#p9005">5</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9001"></a> +<br> +<h4>I. GOD BLESSES NOAH AND THE RACE.</h4> + +<center>A. Marriage State Blessed.</center> + +<p>V. 1. <i>And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be +fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.</i></p> + +<p>1. This consolation was indeed needed after the whole human race had +been destroyed by the flood and only eight souls were saved. Now Noah +knew that God was truly merciful, since, not content with that first +blessing which he had bestowed upon mankind in the creation of the +world, he added this new blessing, that Noah might have no misgivings +whatever in regard to the future increase of his posterity. And the +joy brought by this promise was all the greater for God's emphatic +promise on a previous occasion, that he would never again visit +mankind with such severe punishment.</p> +<a name="p9002"></a> +<p>2. In the first place, then, this chapter renews the establishment of +marriage. God, by his Word and command, joins male and female for the +purpose of repopulating the earth. Inasmuch as God had been roused to +anger before the flood by the sin of lust, it was now needful, by +reason of that fearful proof of wrath, to show that God does not abhor +the lawful cohabitation of man and woman, but that it is his will to +increase mankind by this means.</p> +<a name="p9003"></a> +<p>3. The fact that God had expressed it as his will that the human race +should be propagated through a union between man and woman, an end +which could have been attained from stones had he failed to approve +such union as lawful, after the manner of Deucalion of whom the poets +fable—this fact tended to furnish Noah sure evidence that God loved +man, and desired his welfare, and that now all anger was at an end. +Therefore this passage illustrates the dignity of wedlock, which is +the foundation of the family and State, and the nursery of the Church.</p> +<a name="p9004"></a> +<p>4. 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 afterwards, and +therefore this promise was valueless. To this I reply that this +promise was given, not to Noah alone, but also to his sons, even to +all mankind; so that the expectation of offspring was entertained even +by the grandsire Noah.</p> +<a name="p9005"></a> +<p>5. This passage, furthermore, tends to convince us that children are a +gift of God and a result of his blessing, as is shown in Psalms 127, +3. The heathen, who know nothing of God's Word, ascribe the increase +of mankind partly to nature and partly to chance, in view of the fact +that those who are evidently most fit for procreation often remain +without offspring. Hence, they do not thank God for this gift, nor do +they receive their children as a blessing from God.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents31"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="3">MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS <a href="#p9006">6-31</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether animals feared man before the flood <a href="#p9006">6-7</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Relation between this use and dominion and of what they give + evidence <a href="#p9007">7-9</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">This use and rule a special blessing of God <a href="#p9008">8-10</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether the custom of slaying cattle dates from the beginning + of the world <a href="#p9010">10-11</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether Adam knew of this use and dominion <a href="#p9012">12</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">This use of animals is evidence of God's love to the human race <a href="#p9013">13</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God's blessings greater than his wrath <a href="#p9013">13</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">Whether this use extends to unclean animals <a href="#p9014">14-15</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="2">How man's fear of animals and their wildness and cruelty can + exist with this dominion <a href="#p9016">16-18</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">New sins accompanied by new punishments <a href="#p9019">19-20</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Sodom before and after its destruction <a href="#p9021">21</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God's punishment of Wittenberg, Bruges and Venice, and the cause <a href="#p9022">22-23</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">God's command not to eat blood.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Why given <a href="#p9024">24</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>How to treat this text, which contains God's Word <a href="#p9025">25</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Meaning of Nephesch and Basar <a href="#p9026">26</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Right understanding of the command <a href="#p9027">27</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The words, "Surely your blood will I require" etc.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Lyra's and the Rabbis' explanation, <a href="#p9028">28-29</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Their true meaning <a href="#p9030">30-31</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9006"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS.</h4> + +<p>V. 2. <i>And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every +beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all +wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your +hand are they delivered.</i></p> + +<p>6. It would seem that the dominion of man is here increased for his +greater consolation. For though after the creation man was given +dominion over all animals, yet we do not read that the beasts feared +and fled from him according to the description of Moses. The reason is +found in the fact that heretofore the animals were not destined to be +man's food; man had been a kind ruler of the beasts, not a killer and +eater.</p> +<a name="p9007"></a> +<p>7. Here, however, they are subjected to man as a tyrant with unlimited +power of life and death. Since the servitude of the beasts is +increased and the power of man over them extended, the animals are +harassed by terror and fear of man. We see even the tamed ones do not +readily allow themselves to be handled; they feel the mastery of man +and have a constant instinct of danger. I do not believe that such was +the case before this Word of God was spoken. Before that time, men +used suitable animals for their work and for sacrifice, but not for +food. This increase of power also is a token of God's favor; he +confers a privilege unknown to the patriarchs, as a token of his love +and interest in man.</p> +<a name="p9008"></a> +<p>8. We must not undervalue this boon authority over the beasts; for it +is a special gift of God, of which the heathen knew nothing, because +they lack the Word. We are the ones who derive the greatest benefit +from this gift. When this revelation was given to Noah, and such a +privilege granted, there was really no need of it. A few men possessed +the whole earth, so that its fruits were to be enjoyed by them in +abundance and it was not necessary to add the flesh of beasts. But we +today could not live altogether on the fruits of the earth; it is a +great boon to us that we are permitted to eat the flesh of beasts, of +birds and of fish.</p> + +<p>9. This word, therefore, establishes the butcher's trade; it puts +hares, chickens, and geese upon the spit and fills our tables with all +manner of dishes. Necessity makes men industrious. Not only do they +hunt the animals of the forests, but carefully fatten others at home +for food. God in this passage establishes himself a slaughterer, as it +were, for by his word he consigns to slaughter and death those animals +which are suitable for food, as recompence to God-fearing Noah for his +tribulations during the flood. For that reason would God feed Noah +with lavish hand.</p> +<a name="p9010"></a> +<p>10. We must not think that this privilege was not divinely ordered. +The heathen believe that this custom of slaughtering animals always +existed. Such things are established, or rather permitted, by the Word +of God; beasts could not have been killed without sin if God had not +expressly permitted it by his Word. It is a great liberty for man to +slaughter all kinds of beasts fit for food and eat them without +wrong-doing. Had but a single kind of beasts been reserved for food, +it would still have been a great boon; how much more should we value +this lavish blessing, that all beasts suitable for sustenance are +given into the power of man!</p> + +<p>11. The godless and the gentiles do not recognize this; nor do the +philosophers. They believe that this privilege has always been man's. +As for us, however, we should have full light on the subject, in order +that our consciences may enjoy both rest and freedom in the use of +what God has created and allowed, there being absolutely no law +against such food. There can be no sin in their use, though the wicked +priests have criminally burdened the Church on this subject.</p> +<a name="p9012"></a> +<p>12. In this passage, then, the power of man is increased and the brute +beasts are committed to him, even unto death. They fear man and flee +him under the new order, running counter to the experience of the +past. Adam would have been averse to killing even a small bird for +food. But now, since the promulgation of this Word, we know that, as a +special blessing, God has furnished our kitchens with all kinds of +meat. Later on he will also take care of the cellar by showing man how +to cultivate the vine.</p> +<a name="p9013"></a> +<p>13. These are sure proofs that God no longer hates man, but favors +him. This story bears witness that, as God's wrath, once aroused, is +unbearable, so his mercy is likewise endless and without measure when +it again begins to glow. But his mercy is the more abundantly +exercised because it is the very nature of God, while wrath really is +foreign to God; he takes it upon himself contrary to his nature and +forced thereto by the wickedness of men.</p> +<a name="p9014"></a> +<p>V. 3. <i>Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the +green herb have I given you all.</i></p> + +<p>14. Here a question arises. In chapter 7, 2, Moses showed the +difference between clean and unclean beasts; here, however, he speaks +of all animals, without any distinction. Did God, then, permit man to +use also the unclean animals for food?</p> + +<p>15. The statement as such is general: every moving thing that moveth +upon the earth. There are some who believe that men at the time of +Noah made no distinction between clean and unclean animals as regards +food. But I hold a different opinion. For since such difference had +been established before that time and was carefully observed in the +Law afterward, I believe that men used only clean beasts for food; +that is, such as were offered in sacrifice. Hence the general +declaration must be understood with a modification: Everything that +liveth and moveth, of clean beasts, is to be food for you. For, in +general, human nature loathes serpents, wolves, ravens, mice, and +dormice, though certain tribes may be found who relish even these +animals. The fear and terror of man is upon all beasts of the earth, +because he is allowed to kill them; but it does not follow that man +uses them all for food. It is probable that Noah ate clean beasts +only; and only clean beasts, he knew, were acceptable to Jehovah in +sacrifice.</p> +<a name="p9016"></a> +<p>16. But there is another thing hard to understand. How can it be that +the terror and fear of man is upon all animals when wolves, lions, +bears, wild boars, and tigers devour men, and are rather a terror to +men? So with the entire family of serpents, from which we flee at a +glance. What shall we say here? Is the Word of God untruthful? I +answer: Though we, being aware of our danger, flee from such beasts +and are afraid of them, yet they, likewise, fear man. Even the +fiercest beasts become terrified and flee at the first sight of man; +but when they become enraged they overcome man by reason of their +bodily strength.</p> + +<p>17. But, you say, why do they fear when they are stronger? I answer: +They know that man is endowed with reason, which is more powerful than +any beast. The skill of man masters even elephants, lions, and tigers. +Whatever man's bodily strength is unable to do, that he accomplishes +by his skill and his reasoning powers. How would it otherwise be +possible for a boy of ten years to control an entire herd of cattle? +Or for man to guide a horse, an animal of singular fierceness and +strength, to go in whatever direction he desires, now urging it +forward and then compelling it to a more moderate gait? All these +things are done by man's skill, not by his strength. Hence, we do not +lack clear proofs that the fear of man remains upon the beasts, which +harm man when they become enraged, and for that reason are feared by +him.</p> + +<p>18. I have no doubt, however, that at the time of Noah and the +patriarchs immediately succeeding, this fear in the beasts was +greater, because righteousness then flourished and there was less of +sin. Afterward, when holiness of life declined and sin increased, man +began to lose this blessing, and the wild beasts became a punishment +for sin. Moses threatens in Deut 32, 34 that God would send upon them +the teeth of beasts. How fearful, also, was the plague of the fiery +serpents in the desert! Num 21, 6. Bears tore to pieces the lads who +mocked the prophet, 2 Kings 2, 24. Why did the beasts here lose their +fear of man? Why did they rage against man? Was not sin the cause?</p> +<a name="p9019"></a> +<p>19. Therefore, as stated before, when new sins arise, new punishments +will also arise. So we see that in our day disease and misfortunes +heretofore rare become general, like the English sweat, the locusts +which in the year 1542 devastated great stretches of land in Poland +and Silesia, and other examples.</p> + +<p>20. In like manner, God promised seasons of seeding and of harvest, of +heat and cold, and yet he does not so close his eyes to our sins that +the seasons, both of seeding and of harvest, are not subject to +climatic disturbances, such as the fearful drouth of the year 1504 and +the almost unending rains of the two following years. Considering the +wickedness of our age, why should we wonder that the blessing gives +place to a curse, so that the beasts, which would fear us were we not +wicked, are now a terror unto us and harmful?</p> +<a name="p9021"></a> +<p>21. The country of the Sodomites was like a paradise; but by reason of +sin it was turned into a sea of asphalt; and those who have seen that +country tell us that most beautiful apples grow there, but when they +are cut open they are found to be filled with ashes and offensive +odor. The reason for this is that the Sodomites did not acknowledge +the gifts of God who blessed them, but misused them according to their +own will. Furthermore, they blasphemed God, and persecuted his saints, +being haughty by reason of those good gifts. Therefore the blessing +was taken away, and everything became curse-ridden. This is the true +explanation of the fact that, though there are signs of terror in wild +animals, we are nevertheless afraid of them, and they inflict harm +upon us.</p> +<a name="p9022"></a> +<p>22. I am quite certain that very wicked men once lived in this country +of ours; how could we otherwise explain the parched soil and barren +sands? Names also show that the Jews at one time peopled this country. +Where bad people live, there the land gradually grows bad by the curse +of God.</p> + +<p>23. The city of Bruges in Flanders used to be a renowned port; but +from the time when they held King Maximilian captive, the sea +retreated, and the port ceased to exist. Of Venice they say the same +thing today. Nor is this very astonishing, since to the numberless +sins of rulers of the State, defence of idol worship and persecution +of the Gospel was added.</p> +<a name="p9024"></a> +<p>V. 4. <i>But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, +shall ye not eat.</i></p> + +<p>24. What we have heard so far, referred to domestic matters; now God +adds a commandment pertaining to civil government. 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 herb, growing in the field, 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 blood. Hence, he now adds a new law, +that human blood must not be shed, and at the same time he curtails +the liberty of eating flesh; he forbids them to eat flesh which has +not first been drained of blood.</p> +<a name="p9025"></a> +<p>25. The Hebrew text presents many difficulties, and, for this reason, +interpreters are at variance. It is needless to recite all renderings +of this verse. I steadily follow the rule that the words must explain +the things, not the things the words. Hence, I spend no time upon the +ideas of those who explain the words according to their own +inclinations, making them serve the preconceived notions which they +bring to their literature.</p> +<a name="p9026"></a> +<p>26. Let us first look at the meaning of the words. <i>Rephesh</i> properly +denotes a body with a soul, or a living animal, such as the ox, the +sheep, man, etc. It denotes not merely the body, but a living body, as +when Christ says: I lay down my life for the sheep, Jn 10, 15. Here +the word "life" means nothing else than the life animating the body. +<i>Basar</i>, however, means flesh, which is a part of the material +element, and yet has its breath and its energy, not from the body, but +from the soul. For the flesh or the body, of itself and without the +soul, is an inanimate thing, like a log or a stone; but when it is +filled with the breath of the soul, then its fluids and all bodily +forces assume activity.</p> +<a name="p9027"></a> +<p>27. God here forbids the eating of a body which still contains the +stirring, moving, living soul, as the hawk devours chickens, and the +wolf sheep, without killing them, but while still alive. Such cruelty +is here forbidden by Jehovah, who sets bounds to the privilege of +slaughtering, lest it be done in so beastly a manner that living +bodies or portions thereof be devoured. The lawful manner of +slaughtering is to be observed, such as was followed at the altar and +in religious rites, where the beast, having been slain without cruelty +and duly cleansed from blood, was finally offered to God. I hold that +the simple and true meaning of the text, which is also given by some +Jewish teachers, is that we must not eat raw flesh and members still +palpitating, as did the Laestrygones and the Cyclopes.</p> +<a name="p9028"></a> +<p>V. 5. <i>And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; +at the hand of every beast will I require it: and at the hand of man, +even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of +man.</i></p> + +<p>28. Here the Hebrew text is even more difficult than in the foregoing +verse. Lyra, quoting the Rabbins, finds four kinds of manslaughter +indicated here; he divides the statement into two parts, and finds a +twofold explanation for each. He understands the first part to mean +those who lay murderous hands upon themselves. If this is correct, +then this passage is a witness for immortality; for how could God call +to account a person who, being dead, no longer exists? Hence, +punishment of sin after this life could be indicated here. But it +seems to me that philology militates against this explanation. Though +I do not lay claim to a perfect knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, yet I +am certain that such a meaning is not here apparent.</p> + +<p>29. The second kind of murder, he illustrates by the custom of +throwing human beings before wild beasts, as was done aforetime in the +theatres, truly a barbaric spectacle, repulsive to all human feeling; +the third kind is murder at the instigation of another; the fourth, +murder of a relative.</p> +<a name="p9030"></a> +<p>30. This distinction would be quite satisfactory if it could be proven +from the words of the text; but it is a Jewish invention born of their +hatred of the Roman laws. It is much simpler to understand this +passage as a general prohibition of murder, according to the fifth +commandment, which says, "Thou shalt not kill." God desires not even a +beast to be killed, except for a sacred purpose or for the benefit of +man. Much less does he permit taking the life of man, except by divine +authority, as will be explained hereafter.</p> + +<p>31. In the first place, then, wilful and wicked slaughter is +forbidden. Culture is opposed to the wanton killing of animals and to +the eating of raw meat. In the second place God forbids homicide of +any description; for if God will require the blood of a murdered human +being from the beast that slew him, how much more relentlessly will he +require it at the hand of man? Thus this passage voices the sentiment +of the fifth commandment, that no one shall spill human blood.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents32"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">II.</td> + <td colspan="3">LAW CONCERNING MAN'S SLAUGHTER; GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH; THE + RAINBOW <a href="#p9032">32-68</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="2">LAW CONCERNING SLAYERS OF LIFE.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>If it existed before the flood <a href="#p9032">32</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>Relation of the flood to this law <a href="#p9033">33</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>This the source of all human laws <a href="#p9034">34-36</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>When and how this law can be executed <a href="#p9035">35</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Why is it well to observe that government was instituted by + God <a href="#p9036">36-37</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td>In what respect is it a great blessing from God <a href="#p9037">37</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td>How is government a proof of God's love to man <a href="#p9038">38</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td>Why God gave this command, and why he punishes man-slaughter <a href="#p9039">39</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td>Hereby a new police and a new order are instituted <a href="#p9040">40</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Verdict of philosophy and of reason on civil authority <a href="#p9041">41</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Verdict of God's Word <a href="#p9042">42</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td>This law applies to all men <a href="#p9043">43</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">10.</td> + <td>Why God is such an enemy of man-slaughter, and so earnestly + forbids it <a href="#p9044">44-45</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">11.</td> + <td>The conclusion that God loves life <a href="#p9046">46</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9032"></a> +<br> +<h4>II. THE LAW AGAINST TAKING LIFE; GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH; THE +RAINBOW.</h4> + +<center>A. The Law Against Taking Life.</center> + +<p>V. 6a. <i>Who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.</i></p> + +<p>32. Here the carelessness of the Latin translator deserves reproof; +for he omitted the very necessary expression "by man." The difference +between the time before and that after the flood is thus brought out. +When Cain had murdered his brother Abel, God revered human blood so +highly that he threatened to visit sevenfold punishment upon anyone +who should kill Cain. He would not have the slayer of man put to death +even by due process of law; and though Adam punished the sin of his +son severely by casting him out, he did not dare to pronounce sentence +of death upon him.</p> +<a name="p9033"></a> +<p>33. But here Jehovah establishes a new law, requiring the murderer be +put to death by man—a law unprecedented, because heretofore God had +reserved all judgment to himself. When he saw that the world was +growing worse and worse, he finally enforced punishment against a +wicked world by the flood. Here, however, God bestows a share of his +authority upon man, giving him the power of life and death, that thus +he may be the avenger of bloodshed. Whosoever takes man's life without +due warrant, him God subjects not only to his own judgment, but also +to the sword of man. Though God may use man as his instrument in +punishing, he is himself still the avenger. Were it not for the divine +command, then, it would be no more lawful now to slay a murderer than +it was before the flood.</p> +<a name="p9034"></a> +<p>34. This is the source from which spring all civil laws and the laws +of nations. If God grants man the power of life and death, he +certainly also grants power in matters of lesser importance—power +over property, family, wife, children, servants and fields. God wills +that these things shall be under the control of certain men, who are +to punish the guilty.</p> +<a name="p9035"></a> +<p>35. We must remember well that between the power of God and of men +there is this difference: God has the power to slay us when the world +cannot even accuse us—when before it we are innocent. Sin is born +with us; we are all guilty before God. Men have no authority to slay +except where guilt is apparent and crime is proven. 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 passed.</p> +<a name="p9036"></a> +<p>36. Heed, then, this passage. It establishes civil authority as God's +institution, with power, not only of life and death, but jurisdiction +in matters where life is not involved. Magistrates are to punish the +disobedience of children, theft, adultery, perjury—all sins which are +forbidden in the second table. He who grants jurisdiction over the +life of man, at the same time grants judgment over lesser matters.</p> +<a name="p9037"></a> +<p>37. 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 power, for the purpose that license may +be curbed and anger and other sins inhibited from growing beyond all +bounds. Had God not granted this power to man, what kind of lives, I +ask you, would we lead? He foresaw that wickedness would ever +flourish, and established this external remedy to prevent the +indefinite spread of license. By this safeguard God protects life and +property as by a fence and a wall.</p> +<a name="p9038"></a> +<p>38. We find here no less a proof of God's great love toward man than +his promise that the flood shall never again rage, and his promise +that flesh may be eaten for the sustenance of human life.</p> +<a name="p9039"></a> +<p>V. 6b. <i>For in the image of God made he man.</i></p> + +<p>39. This is the powerful reason why God does not wish men to be killed +by private arbitrament. Man is a noble creature, who, unlike other +living beings, has been fashioned according to the image of God. While +it is true that he has lost this image through sin, as we have seen +above, it is capable of being restored through the Word and the Holy +Spirit. This image God desires us to revere in each other; he forbids +us to shed blood by the exercise of sheer force. But he who refuses to +respect the image of God in man, and gives way to anger and +provocation, those worst counselors of all, as some one has called +them, his life is surrendered to civil authority in forfeit, by God, +in that God commands that also his blood shall be shed.</p> +<a name="p9040"></a> +<p>40. Thus the subject under consideration teaches the establishment of +civil authority in the world, which did not exist before the flood. +Cain and Lamech—and this is a case in point—were not slain, though +the holy patriarchs were the arbiters, judges, of public action. But +in this Scripture they who have the sword, are commanded to use it +against those who have shed blood.</p> +<a name="p9041"></a> +<p>41. Thus the problem is here solved that worried Plato and all sages. +They concluded that it is impossible to administer government without +injustice, because all men occupy the same level of dignity and +position. Why did Caesar rule the world? Why did others obey him, +since he was only human like themselves—no better, no stronger and +liable to die as soon as themselves? He was subject to the same +conditions as all men. Hence it seems to be tyranny for him, who was +quite similar to other men, to usurp rulership among men. If he is +like other men it is the highest wrong and injustice to ignore this +similarity, and to foist his rule by force upon others.</p> +<a name="p9042"></a> +<p>42. This is the conclusion at which reason arrives and it cannot +entertain any view to the contrary. But we, having the Word, can see +that we must oppose to such reasoning the command of God, the author +of this order of things. Accordingly, it is for us to render obedience +to the divine order and to endure it, so that to our other sins this +may not be added, that we are disobedient to the will of God at the +very point where we derive benefit in so many ways.</p> +<a name="p9043"></a> +<p>43. To sum up, this passage permits the slaughter of animals for +religious and personal use, but it emphatically forbids the taking of +man's life, because man is made in the image of God. Those who violate +his command he gives into the hands of the authorities to be slain.</p> +<a name="p9044"></a> +<p>V. 7. <i>And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly +in the earth, and multiply therein.</i></p> + +<p>44. The slaughter of animals having been granted, not only for +sacrifice, but also for food, and the killing of human beings having +been forbidden, we are given the reason why God regards the shedding +of human blood with so much aversion. He desires mankind to multiply +on the earth; but the slaughter of men lays the earth waste and +produces a wilderness. We see this in case of war. God did not create +the earth without purpose. He intended it to be inhabited, Is 45, 18. +He makes it fruitful by rain and sunshine for man's benefit. Therefore +he is displeased with those who remove from the earth its inhabitants. +His will is life, and not death, Ps 30, 5.</p> + +<p>45. These and similar sayings of the prophets are based upon promises +like we find here, that God commands man to multiply. Plainly he is +more inclined to give life and to do good than to be angry and to +kill. If it were otherwise, why should he forbid the taking of human +life? Why should pestilence be of rare occurrence? Pestilence and +general epidemics occur scarce once in ten years. Men are born, +animals grow, and crops without end are growing continually.</p> +<a name="p9046"></a> +<p>46. All these facts go to show that God loves, not death, but life. He +created man, not that he should die, but that he should live; "but +through the envy of the devil did death enter the world," Sap 2, 24. +But even after the fall, the blessings which remain are so guarded as +to render the conclusion inevitable that God loves life rather than +death.</p> + +<p>It is well for us to ponder these matters very often; thus, as Solomon +has truly said, Jehovah shall be to us a fountain of blessings. Prov +18, 22.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents33"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="2">GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH <a href="#p9047">47-55</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the same thing is repeated <a href="#p9047">47</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>Whether this covenant applies to man alone or also to the + animals <a href="#p9048">48</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>Whether this covenant applies to the men and animals of that + day only <a href="#p9049">49</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>God always connected signs with his promises <a href="#p9049">49</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The significance of these to our first parents <a href="#p9049">49-50</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>Nature of this covenant <a href="#p9051">51</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Characteristics of a humble heart and God's dealings with it <a href="#p9052">52-54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>This covenant given for man's comfort and as a proof of God's love <a href="#p9053">53-54</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td>It is a comfort to us at present <a href="#p9055">55</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9047"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH.</h4> + +<p>Vs. 8-11. <i>And God spake unto Noah, and his sons with him, saying, And +I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after +you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the +cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of +the ark, even every beast of the earth. And I will establish my +covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the +waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to +destroy the earth.</i></p> + +<p>47. Previously we at various times explained this massing of words. +When the Holy Spirit is prolix, there is a cause for it. Let us +therefore, consider what fear, 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 frequency.</p> +<a name="p9048"></a> +<p>48. When, in addition it is remembered that the covenant here spoken +of does not pertain to man alone but embraces every living soul, we +recognize that the promise does not relate to the seed but merely, to +this bodily life, enjoyed by man in common with the beasts; this God +will not destroy by another flood.</p> +<a name="p9049"></a> +<p>Vs. 12-16. <i>And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I +make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, +for the perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it +shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it +shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow +shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is +between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the +waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow +shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember +the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all +flesh that is upon the earth.</i></p> + +<p>49. The term "perpetual generations" deserves particular notice; it +embraces not only man and beast at that time, but all their offspring +down to the end of the world. We learn another thing from this +passage. God usually confirms his promise with an outward sign. 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 +guardianship.</p> + +<p>50. Some offer the following apt allegorical explanation. As the skin +of the dead sheep keeps warm our body, so Christ, having died, keeps +us warm by his Spirit, and will, on the last day, raise us up and give +us life. Others say that the skins were selected as a sign of +mortality. But this seems unnecessary; all our life reminds us of +mortality. More expedient was a token of life, suggesting the blessing +and favor of God. The office of such tokens is to console, not to +terrify. So was the sign of the rainbow given, a supplement of the +promise.</p> +<a name="p9051"></a> +<p>51. In chapter 8, 21-22, God says in his heart that he repents of that +terrible punishment, and promises that he will not repeat it, because +the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. If he should +desire to so punish evil, there would be need of a flood every day. +Here he again sends forth his Word to mankind, through an angel, or +possibly through the mouth of Noah, promising that no flood shall +hereafter come upon the earth. That the promise is repeated so often +is evidence of God's endeavor, in loving kindness, to remove man's +fear of punishment and to set before him a hope of blessing and utmost +mercy.</p> +<a name="p9052"></a> +<p>52. Such consolation Noah and his loved ones required. One who has +been humbled by God cannot forget the wound and the pain. Chastening +is longer remembered than blessing. Boys are a case in point. The +tender mother, having chastised her child with the rod, endeavors to +calm him with toys and other allurements, yet the memory of pain +lingers, and the child cannot restrain frequent sighs and bitter sobs. +How much more difficult for the conscience to accept solace after +having felt the wrath of God and the fear of death! So firmly fixed +are these in the mind that the soul trembles and fears in spite of +gifts and consolations offered.</p> +<a name="p9053"></a> +<p>53. So God here shows his good will in manifold ways and feels +singular joy in pouring forth mercy. 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 face.</p> + +<p>54. Hence figures are employed, and words are massed and the subject +is presented in a clearer and clearer light, in order to adapt the +consolation to the needs of the wretched people who, for an entire +year, had been witnesses of the immeasurable wrath of God. They could +not be delivered from fear and terror by an occasional word. There was +need of repeating the promise with much exposition to dry their tears +and to soften their grief. For, though they were saints, they were +flesh, even as we are.</p> +<a name="p9055"></a> +<p>55. Likewise we in our day need this consolation. At all times when +the elements rage, 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 God. +The rainbow shows itself to this day for the purpose of symbolizing +that, henceforth, there shall never be another general flood. And this +promise requires, on our part, the faith that we trust God, in his +mercy, will never bring another great flood upon us.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents34"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">C.</td> + <td colspan="3">THE RAINBOW.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Can it be assigned to natural causes <a href="#p9056">56-58</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">What to think of the fiery meteors <a href="#p9059">59-60</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Can it be caused by the position of the clouds <a href="#p9060">60</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">The rainbow witnesses of God's wrath and of his goodness <a href="#p9061">61</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">Did it exist before the flood?</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Opinion of those believing it did, and their reasons <a href="#p9062">62</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Luther's opinion that it was a new creation <a href="#p9063">63</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Solomon's words, "There is nothing new", do not apply here <a href="#p9064">64</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">Rainbow to be viewed as a new creature and as God's + sign-board <a href="#p9065">65</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">Colors of the rainbow.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>What are they and their number <a href="#p9066">66</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>What do they signify <a href="#p9067">67</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="2">To what end should the rainbow serve us <a href="#p9068">68</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9056"></a> +<br> +<h4>C. THE RAINBOW.</h4> + +<p>56. They further dispute whether the natural causes in the rainbow +signify this. It is well known that philosophers, especially Aristotle +in his book on Meteors, use all sorts of arguments on the color of the +rainbow, on the character of the clouds where it is produced, and on +its curvature. Quite appropriately the resemblance is noted between a +mirror, which reflects an image, and the moist and arched cloud, which +catches the rays of the sun, and by reflection produces the rainbow. +Reason sees in such phenomena what appears to it most probable, but it +does not discover the truth everywhere. That is not in the power of +the creature but of the Creator alone. As for me, I have never given +to any book less credence than to that on meteors, the basic principle +of which is the assumption that natural causes explain everything.</p> + +<p>57. Some declare the rainbow to be a forerunner of a storm lasting +three days, which I am ready to admit, but this much is certain, that +it signifies that there will never be another flood. However, it +derives this signification, not from any natural causes but only from +the Word of God. Its meaning is such, only because God orders and +declares it to be so through his Word. Circumcision was a token that +the seed of Abraham were the people of God; yet circumcision did not +have this meaning in itself, but only through the Word which was +joined with it. Again, the clothing of skin signified life and safety, +not because they contained this guarantee by nature, but because God +had promised it. So, the significance of the rainbow that the flood +shall not return, is not based upon the Word of God.</p> + +<p>58. I do not altogether ignore theories along the lines of natural law +concerning these matters; but since they are not substantiated, I +place little trust in them. The reasoning of Aristotle regarding the +humid and hollow cloud as the cause of the rainbow is not reliable, +such clouds may exist without producing a rainbow. Again, according to +the greater or lesser density of the medium, the bow may appear wider +or narrower. I have seen here at Wittenberg a circular rainbow, +forming a complete ring, not simply an arch terminating on the surface +of the earth, as rainbows generally appear. Why, then, do rainbows +assume different forms at different times? A philosopher, I suppose, +will think of some reason; for he will consider it a disgrace not to +be able to assign a reason for all things. But indeed, he will never +persuade me to believe that he speaks the truth.</p> +<a name="p9059"></a> +<p>59. The only consistent and incontrovertable view to take is that all +these phenomena are either works of God or of evil spirits. I have no +doubt that the dancing goats (stars), the flying serpents, fiery +lances, and the like, are produced by evil spirits, which thus gambol +in the air, either to terrify or to deceive men. The flames which +appear on board of ships were thought by the heathen to be Castor and +Pollux. Sometimes the image of a moon appears above the ears of +horses. It is certain that all these things are due to the antics of +evil spirits in the air, though Aristotle believes them to be luminous +air, just as he also declares that a comet is shining vapor.</p> +<a name="p9060"></a> +<p>60. To me it appears that we shall move with greater security and +certainty, when, arguing from cause to effect, we conclude that the +comet blazes, when it pleases God, as a sign of calamity, just as the +rainbow glows, when it pleases God as a sign of mercy. Who can compute +all the causes which produce the appearance of the rainbow in such +diversity of beautiful color, and in the form of an arch of perfect +curvature? The arrangement of the clouds alone surely does not produce +this perfection. Hence it is by the will and the promise of God, and +fulfilling his pleasure, that the rainbow is a sign to man and beast +that there will nevermore at any time be a flood.</p> +<a name="p9061"></a> +<p>61. In recognition of this token we ought to give thanks to God. As +often as the rainbow appears, it proclaims to the world with a loud +voice, as it were, the story of the wrath of God, which once destroyed +the world by a flood. And it proclaims solace for us, so that we may +conclude that God is propitious to us henceforth and will never again +visit upon us so fearful a punishment. It teaches both the love and +the fear of God, the highest virtues, of which philosophy knows +nothing. Philosophy only disputes about material and formal causes. It +does not know the final cause of this most beautiful creation. But +theology does explain it.</p> +<a name="p9062"></a> +<p>62. In this connection also the question has received much attention +whether the rainbow existed from the beginning. And in this +controversy much force has been displayed. Since it is written above +(ch 2, 23) that God created heaven and earth in six days, and then +rested from all his works, some conclude that the rainbow existed from +the beginning. Otherwise it would follow that creation extended beyond +those six days. What, however, occurred in Noah's time is this, that +the rainbow, created in the beginning, was selected by God and made, +through a new word, a fixed symbol, having existed hitherto without +special significance. To support this view, they even quote the word +of Solomon that "there is no new thing under the sun," Ec 1, 9. On +this they base their argument that after those six days no new thing +has been created.</p> +<a name="p9063"></a> +<p>63. My opinion is quite the contrary—that the rainbow never had +existed before; it was then and there created. Thus, the coats of skin +with which God clothed the first parents certainly were not created in +those six days, but after man's fall; hence, they were a new creation. +The statement that God rested, must not be interpreted to mean that he +created nothing thereafter; for Christ says, "My Father worketh even +until now, and I work," Jn 5, 17.</p> +<a name="p9064"></a> +<p>64. Solomon's statement that there is no new thing under the sun, has +given much trouble to the learned. But is it not apparent that it +refers not to the works of God, but to original sin, meaning that the +same reasoning powers Adam had after the fall are found in man +today—the same debates concerning morals, vices, virtues, the nurture +of the body and the transaction of business? As the comic poet has it, +speaking of another matter, "Nothing is said that has not been said +before." Really, within the sphere of man's activity and effort there +is nothing new; the same words, thoughts, designs, the same emotions, +griefs, affections and incidents exist now which always existed. +Consequently it is quite inappropriate, in consequence to apply this +aphorism to God and his works.</p> +<a name="p9065"></a> +<p>65. Therefore, I believe that the rainbow was a new creation, not seen +in the world before that time. It was established to remind the world +of the bygone wrath, traces of which are still seen in the rainbow, +and to give assurance of the mercy of God. It is a record, or picture +in which both the bygone wrath and the present mercy are revealed.</p> +<a name="p9066"></a> +<p>66. There is also a difference of opinion as to the colors of the +rainbow. Some say there are four colors: the fiery, the bright yellow, +the green and the color of water, or blue. But I think there are only +two, those of fire and water. The fiery color is above, unless the +rainbow is seen reversed; then, as in a mirror, that which is above is +seen below. Where the hues of fire and water meet, or blend, yellow +results.</p> +<a name="p9067"></a> +<p>67. The colors have been thus arranged by God for a definite purpose. +The blue should be a reminder of bygone wrath; the fiery color, a +picture to us of the future judgment. While the interior or blue +portion is restricted, the outer and fiery color is without bounds. +Thus, the first world perished by the flood, but an end was set to +God's wrath. A remnant was preserved and a second world arose, but +bounds are set to it. When God shall destroy the world by fire, this +bodily life will never be restored. The wicked will suffer the +everlasting punishment of death in the fire, while the saints will be +raised up unto a new and everlasting life, which, though in the body, +shall not be of the body, but of the spirit.</p> +<a name="p9068"></a> +<p>68. Let this sign teach us to fear God and to trust in him. So may we +escape the punishment of fire, even as we have escaped the punishment +of the flood. It will be more practical to think of these things than +to consider those philosophical arguments concerning the material +cause.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents35"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">III.</td> + <td colspan="3">ALLEGORIES <a href="#p9069">69-132</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="2">ALLEGORIES IN GENERAL <a href="#p9069">69-81</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>Luther at first given to allegories <a href="#p9069">69-70</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>How and why monks and Anabaptists esteem them so highly <a href="#p9071">71</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>How we should regard them <a href="#p9072">72</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>Are they to be entirely rejected <a href="#p9073">73</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td>Some are, and others not <a href="#p9074">74-76</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td>How to regard Origen's, Augustine's and Jerome's allegories <a href="#p9077">77-78</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td>Pope's allegories of the sun, moon and ark <a href="#p9079">79-80</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td>What to think of the doctrine of these allegories <a href="#p9081">81</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9069"></a> +<br> +<h4>III. CONCERNING ALLEGORIES.</h4> + +<center>A. Allegories in General.</center> + +<p>69. At last we have finished the story of the flood, which Moses +satisfactorily describes at great length. It is a fearful example of +the immeasurable and all but boundless wrath of God, which is beyond +the power of human utterance. There remains to be said a word or two +concerning its allegorical meaning. I have often declared that I take +no great pleasure in allegories, although in my younger days they had +such a fascination for me that I thought everything ought to be shown +to have an allegorical meaning. I was influenced in this respect by +the example of Origen and Jerome, whom I admired as the greatest of +all theologians. I may add that Augustine also uses the allegory quite +frequently.</p> + +<p>70. But while I followed the example of these men, I discovered at +last that, to my great loss, I had followed a shadow, and had +overlooked the very sap and marrow of the Scriptures. Thereupon I +began to hate allegories. They are pleasing, to be sure, especially +when they contain happy allusions. They may be compared to choice +pictures. But as much as real objects with their native hues surpass a +picture, even though it should glow, as the poet has it (stat silo V. +1, 5), with Apelles-like colors, closely copied from nature, so much +the historical narrative itself is superior to the allegory.</p> +<a name="p9071"></a> +<p>71. In our day the ignorant mob of the Anabaptists is as much filled +with immoderate craving for allegory as are the monks. They love to +delve in the more mysterious books, such as the Revelation of John, +and that worthless fabrication passing under the title of the second +and third books of Esdras. For, there you are at liberty to follow +your fancy as you please. We recall that Muntzer, the seditious +spirit, turned everything into allegory. But true it is, that he who, +without judgment, makes allegories or follows those made by others, +will not only be deceived but sustain deplorable injury, as there are +examples to prove.</p> +<a name="p9072"></a> +<p>72. Allegories must either be avoided altogether or be worked out with +the best judgment. They must conform to the rule followed by the +apostles, of which we shall soon have occasion to speak. Let us avoid +falling into those ugly and baneful absurdities, not only of those who +are misnamed theologians, but also of the Canonists, or rather +Assinists, of which the decretals and decisions of that most +detestable master, the pope, are an example.</p> +<a name="p9073"></a> +<p>73. This statement, however, must not be taken for a general +condemnation of all allegory. Christ and the apostles made use of +allegories at times. These, however, were in keeping with the faith +according to the injunction of Paul (Rom 12, 6) that prophecy, or +doctrine, should be according to the proportion of faith.</p> +<a name="p9074"></a> +<p>74. When we put the allegory under the ban, we confine ourselves to +that species which, with the setting aside of scriptural warrant, is +altogether the product of man's mind and fancy. Those which are tested +by the analogy of faith, serve not only as ornaments of the doctrine +but also as consolation for the soul.</p> + +<p>75. Peter turns this very story of the flood into a most beautiful +allegory, saying that baptism is symbolized by the flood, and saves +us. For, in it not only the filth of the flesh is washed away, but +conscience makes good answer toward God through the resurrection of +Jesus Christ, who is enthroned at the right hand of God and has +destroyed death in order to make us heirs of eternal life; who, +moreover, is gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being +made subject unto him, 1 Pet 3, 21-22. This is, indeed, a theological +allegory, in accordance with faith, and full of solace.</p> + +<p>76. Such is also the allegory of Christ in John 3, 14, concerning the +serpent lifted up in the wilderness and the healing of those bitten by +the serpent's tooth who gazed upon it. Again, there is that one by +Paul (1 Cor 10, 1), All our fathers did drink from the same spiritual +rock, etc. Such allegories as these not only agree with the matter +itself, but also instruct the heart in faith and are a help to the +conscience.</p> +<a name="p9077"></a> +<p>77. But take a look at the ordinary allegory of Jerome, Origen and +Augustine. These men, when they create an allegory, leave faith +altogether out of consideration, and merely air philosophical +opinions, foreign alike to the sphere of faith and to that of morals; +not to speak of the fact that they are quite silly and a mass of +absurdities.</p> + +<p>78. In a former chapter (ch 3. §§61, 298, 304), we heard of +Augustine's allegory concerning the creation of man and woman, by +which he illustrates the higher and the lower attributes of man, that +is, reason and the emotions. But, I ask you, what is the value of this +figment?</p> +<a name="p9079"></a> +<p>79. The pope, however, carries away the real honors for piety and +learning when he thunders from his high seat as follows: God made two +great lights, the sun and the moon; the sun represents the authority +of the pope, from which his imperial majesty borrows its light as the +moon does from the sun. Away with such rash impudence and vicious +ambition!</p> + +<p>80. In a similar style the ark, of Noah's story, is compared to the +Roman Catholic Church, in which is found the pope with his cardinals, +bishops, and prelates, while the laymen are swimming in the sea. That +is, the laymen are altogether given to earthly business and would not +be saved did not those helmsmen of the ark, or Church, cast boards and +ropes to the swimmers, drawing them into the ark by these means. +Pictures of this nature were frequently painted by monks to represent +the Church.</p> +<a name="p9081"></a> +<p>81. Origen shows more sanity than the papists, in that his allegories +conform to moral standards, as a rule. Yet, he ought to have kept in +view the rule laid down by Paul, who demands that prophesy is to be +the guardian of faith; for faith is edifying and the proper sphere of +the Church. Rules governing morals can be laid by even heathen +philosophers who know nothing whatever concerning faith.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents36"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="4">ALLEGORIES IN DETAIL <a href="#p9082">82-132</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegory of the baptism of the Israelites under Moses; the + ark and the flood <a href="#p9082">82ff</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Points of likeness and unlikeness in the death of believers + and unbelievers <a href="#p9084">84-86</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">In what way is death to be conquered <a href="#p9087">87</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">How all temptations are to be overcome and believers be preserved <a href="#p9088">88-90</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegories of the ark's proportions <a href="#p9091">91-92</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegories of the sun and moon <a href="#p9093">93</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">To what all allegories should point <a href="#p9094">94</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegory of the cup <a href="#p9095">95-96</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegory of the dove Noah sent out of the ark <a href="#p9097">97-99</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegory of the raven Noah sent forth.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Thoughts of the fathers on this point <a href="#p9100">100</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">The correct allegory of the raven <a href="#p9101">101-116</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The law and the teachings of the law <a href="#p9101">101-116</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>How illustrated by the raven <a href="#p9102">102-105</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Luther's opponents falsely accuse him of forbidding + good works <a href="#p9106">106-107</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>They are no better than the intelligent moralists among the heathen <a href="#p9108">108-110</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>They cannot quiet the conscience <a href="#p9111">111</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The raven a perfect representative of the Papists <a href="#p9112">112-113</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(4)</td> + <td>How the Papists make the unrighteous righteous and condemn the righteous <a href="#p9114">114-115</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegories of the doves in detail <a href="#p9116">116-124</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Characteristics of the dove <a href="#p9116">116</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">First dove sent forth.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>A figure of the office of grace <a href="#p9117">117</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>A figure of the Old Testament prophets <a href="#p9118">118-119</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Second dove returned with the olive leaf.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>A figure of New Testament preachers <a href="#p9120">120-122</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>The fanatics and Anabaptists wait in vain for new revelations <a href="#p9121">121</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Nature of true Gospel preachers <a href="#p9122">122</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>A figure of the New Testament <a href="#p9123">123</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Third dove did not return <a href="#p9124">124ff</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegory of the seven days Noah waited after he sent forth + the first dove <a href="#p9125">125</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="3">Allegory of the evening the dove returned <a href="#p9126">126-127</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Several things to be remembered in this connection.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>Allegories are not to have a world-wide treatment like + the articles of faith <a href="#p9128">128</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>Defects in the allegories of the fathers <a href="#p9129">129-130</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Lyra is to be preferred to all commentators <a href="#p9131">131</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>Right use of allegories <a href="#p9132">132</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9082"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. ALLEGORIES IN DETAIL.</h4> + +<p>82. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul says (1 Cor 10, 2) that the +Israelites "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." +If you regard only the outward circumstance and the words, even +Pharaoh was baptized, but he perished with his men, while Israel +passed through safe and unharmed. Noah and his sons were saved in +this baptism of the flood, while all the rest of the world, being +outside of the ark, perished thereby. Such a way of speaking is +appropriate and forcible. "Baptism" and "death" are interchangeable in +Scripture. Paul says (Rom 6, 3): "All we who were baptized into Christ +Jesus were baptized into his death," and Jesus says, "I have a baptism +to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" +(Lk 12, 50). And to his disciples he said, "Ye shall ... be baptized +with the baptism that I am baptized with" (Mt 20, 23).</p> + +<p>83. In this sense the Red Sea was a baptism indeed. It represented to +Pharaoh death and God's anger. Yet though Israel was baptized with the +same baptism, they passed through it unharmed. So the flood is truly +death and the wrath of God, and yet, the faithful are saved in the +midst of the flood. Death engulfs and swallows all mankind; for, the +wrath of God smites both the good and the bad, the pious and the +wicked, without distinction. The flood was sent upon Noah the same as +upon the rest of the world. The Red Sea that engulfed Pharaoh was the +same as that through which Israel passed unharmed. But in both cases +the believers are saved while the wicked perish. That is the point of +difference. The ark was Noah's salvation, and it was but an expression +of the promise and Word of God. In these he had life, but the wicked, +who believed not the Word, were left to perish.</p> +<a name="p9084"></a> +<p>84. This is the difference which the Holy Spirit desired to bring out, +so that the righteous, warned by this example, might believe and hope +for salvation through the mercy of God in the very midst of death. +They consider baptism as bound together with the promise of life, as +Noah did the ark. Therefore, though the wise man and the fool must +suffer the same death—for Peter and Paul die, not otherwise than Nero +and other wicked persons die—yet the righteous believe that in death +they will be saved unto eternal life. And this hope is not vain, for +they have Christ, who receives their souls, and will, on the last day, +raise up also the bodies of his believers unto eternal life.</p> + +<p>85. This class of allegory is of great service, and tends to comfort +the heart when you consider the contrast in the ultimate outcome. The +testimony of the material eye would seem to confirm the statement of +Solomon (Ec 2, 16) that the wise man dieth as the fool, that the +righteous man dieth as though he were not the beloved of God. But the +eyes of the soul must view this point of difference, that Israel +enters into the Red Sea and is saved, while Pharaoh, pressing upon the +heels of Israel, is overwhelmed by the waves and perishes. It is the +same death, then, which takes away the righteous and the wicked, and +almost always the end of the former is ignominious, while that of the +latter is attended by elements of splendor and power; but in the eyes +of God, while the death of sinners is deplorable, that of his saints +is precious, for it is consecrated by Christ, through whom it becomes +the beginning of eternal life.</p> + +<p>86. As the flood and the Red Sea were instruments to save Noah and +Israel from death, so to us, death is but the instrument to give us +life, if we remain in faith. When the children of Israel were in +utmost peril, suddenly the sea parted and rose on the right side and +on the left, like an iron wall, so that Israel passed through without +danger. Why was it? In order that so death might be made to serve +life. Divine power overcomes the assaults of Satan. Thus it was in +Paradise. Satan purposed to slay all mankind by his venom. But what +happens? By reason of the truly happy guilt of our first parents, as +the Church sings, it comes to pass that the Son of God became +incarnate to free us from evil.</p> +<a name="p9087"></a> +<p>87. This allegory, then, beautifully teaches, strengthens and consoles +us, enabling us to fear neither death nor sin, but to despise all +perils, giving thanks to God that he has so called and dealt with us +that even death, the universal destroyer, is compelled to be a servant +of life, just as the flood, an occasion of destruction to the rest of +the world, was one of salvation for Noah; and the Red Sea, when +Pharaoh met his doom, served to save the children of Israel.</p> +<a name="p9088"></a> +<p>88. What has been here expressed, finds application to the subject of +temptation in general, so that we learn to despise dangers and be +hopeful even where no hope seems to remain. When death or any other +danger is imminent, we should rise to meet it, saying: Behold, here is +my Red Sea; here is my flood, my baptism and my death. Here my +life—as the philosopher said of the sea-farers—is removed from death +barely by a hand's breadth. But fear not; this danger is as a handful +of water opposed to the flood of grace which is mine through the Word. +Therefore death will not destroy me, but will lift me and bear me to +life. Death is so utterly incapable of destroying the Christian, that +it constitutes the very escape from death. For bodily death ushers in +the emancipation of the spirit and the resurrection of the flesh. +Thus, Noah in the flood was not borne by the earth, nor by trees, nor +by mountains, but by the very flood which destroyed the total +remainder of the human race.</p> + +<p>89. Well may the prophets often extol those wonderful works of +God—the passage through the Red Sea, the exodus from Egypt, and the +like. For the sea, which by its nature can only devour and destroy, is +forced to part and rise and protect the Israelites, lest they be +overwhelmed by its tides. That which in its very nature is wrath, +becomes grace to the believer; that which in reality is death, becomes +life. Therefore, whatever calamity comes—and this life has it in +infinite measure—to threaten our property and our lives, it will all +become salvation and joy if we only are in the ark; that is, if by +faith we lay hold of the promise made in Christ. Then even death, by +which we are removed, must be turned into life, and the hell, which +swallows us, into a way to heaven.</p> + +<p>90. Therefore Peter says (1 Pet 3, 21) that we are saved by the water +in baptism, which was prefigured by the flood. The water which streams +about us, or the plunge into it, is death, and yet from this death or +plunge, life results by virtue of the ark of safety—the Word of +promise to which we cling. The inspired Scriptures set forth this +allegory, which is not only free from weaknesses but of service in +every way, and worthy of our careful attention, since it offers +wonderful consolation even in the utmost perils.</p> +<a name="p9091"></a> +<p>91. The fathers have added another allegory taken from the form and +dimensions of the ark. The human body, measured from the top of the +head to the sole of the foot, is six times as long as it is wide. Now, +the ark, which was fifty cubits wide, measured six times as much in +length, namely 300 cubits. Hence, they say, the ark typifies Christ +the man, in whom all promises center. Therefore, those who believe in +him are saved even in the midst of the flood, that is, in death +itself.</p> + +<p>92. This conception is both appropriate and beautiful; above all, it +agrees with faith. Though there may be a mistake in the application, +the groundwork is strong and secure. There is no doubt that the Holy +Spirit found various ways to illustrate the promises to be fulfilled +in Christ, and the wonderful counsel of salvation for mankind through +faith in Christ. Hence, allegories of this nature, though lacking in +aptness, are not necessarily wicked and a source of offense.</p> +<a name="p9093"></a> +<p>93. If one were to say the sun represents Christ, while the moon +represents the Church, which receives its light by the grace of +Christ, he might possibly be mistaken in his choice of illustration, +yet his error is based, not upon an erroneous, but upon a sure +foundation. But when the pope declares the sun represents the papal +authority, while the moon represents the emperor's, then not only the +application is inapt and foolish, but the very foundation is evil. +Such allegories are not conceived and invented by the Holy Spirit, but +by the devil, the spirit of lies.</p> +<a name="p9094"></a> +<p>94. Allegories must have some application to the promises and the +doctrine of faith if they are to comfort and strengthen the soul. +Peter's allegory teaches us this. Because Peter saw that Noah was set +free in the midst of death and that the ark was an instrument of life, +the ark was rightly applied to typify Christ. Only divine power can +save in the midst of death and lead unto life. The Scriptures declare +that to God belong the issues from death, (Ps 68, 21), and he makes +death the occasion, yea, even an aid to life.</p> +<a name="p9095"></a> +<p>95. This has given rise to expressions used in Scripture, where +afflictions and perils are likened to a cup that intoxicates. This is +an apt and vivid figure of speech. So the passion of Christ is called +a draught from a brook (Ps 110, 7), meaning that it is a medicinal +draught or mixture, which, though bitter, is healing in its bitterness +and gives life by causing death. Such soothing words serve to console +us that we may learn to despise death and other perils and meet them +with greater readiness.</p> + +<p>96. Satan, also, has his cup; but it is sweet, and inebriates unto +nausea. He who, attracted by its sweetness, drinks it, loses his life +and dies the eternal death. Such was the cup the Babylonians drained, +as the prophet has it (Jer 25, 15-27). Let us, therefore, accept the +cup of salvation with thanksgiving, and, as Paul declares of +believers, rejoice in tribulation (Rom 5, 3).</p> +<a name="p9097"></a> +<p>97. Having explained this figure of the ark and the meaning of the +flood according to the canonical Scriptures, we will say something +also about the other features of this story—about the raven which did +not return, and the doves, the first of which returned because she +found no resting-place for her foot, while the second brought back +with her a twig from an olive tree, and the third did not return +because the earth was no more covered by water.</p> + +<p>98. In our treatise on the narrative proper, we stated that these +things occurred to be a consolation for Noah and his sons; to assure +them that God's wrath had passed and that he was now pacified. The +dove did not bring the olive branch of her own volition. She +miraculously obeyed divine power. So the serpent in paradise spoke, +not of its own volition, but through the inspiration of the devil, who +had taken possession of it. As, on that occasion, the serpent, by the +devil's prompting, spoke, with the result that man was led into sin, +so, on this occasion, it was not its own volition or instinct which +moved the dove to bring the olive branch, but the prompting of God, in +order that Noah might gain comfort from the pleasant sight. For the +olive does not supply the dove with food; she prefers the several +species of wheat or pease.</p> + +<p>99. The incident of the dove, then, is a miraculous occurrence with a +definite meaning. The prophets in their messages concerning the +kingdom of Christ, frequently make mention of doves (Ps 68, 13) and +(Is 60, 8). Solomon also in his Song seems to mention the dove with +particular pleasure. Therefore, we should not despise the picture this +allegory holds before us, but treat its truth skillfully and aptly.</p> +<a name="p9100"></a> +<p>100. The allegory of the raven, invented by the doctors, is well +known. Because ravens delight in eating dead bodies, they have been +taken as a likeness of carnal men, who delight in carnal pleasures and +indulge in them. The Epicureans were an example. A very fair +explanation but inadequate, because it is merely of that moral and +philosophical sort which Erasmus was in the habit of giving after the +example of Origen.</p> +<a name="p9101"></a> +<p>101. We must look for a theological explanation. In the first place, +those moralists fail to observe that Scripture commends the raven for +not leaving the ark of his own will. He went out at the bidding of +Noah, to ascertain if the waters had ceased and if God's wrath was +ended. The raven, however, did not return, neither did he become a +messenger of happy omen. He remained without the ark, and, though he +came and went, yet he did not suffer himself to be taken by Noah.</p> +<a name="p9102"></a> +<p>102. In all these points the allegory fittingly typifies the ministry +of the Law. Black, the color of the bird, is a token of sadness, and +the sound of his voice is unpleasant. This is true of the teachers of +the Law, who teach justification by works. They are the ministers of +death and sin, Paul calling the ministry of the Law a ministry of +death, (2 Cor 3, 6). The Law is unto death (Rom 7, 10). The Law +worketh wrath. (Rom 4, 15.) The Law entered that trespass might +abound. (Rom 5, 20).</p> + +<p>103. And yet, Moses was sent forth by God with the Law, just as the +raven was sent out by Noah. It is God's will that mankind be taught +morality and holiness of life, and that wrath and sure punishments be +announced to all who transgress the Law. Nevertheless, such teachers +are naught but ravens wandering aimlessly about the ark; nor do they +have the certain assurance that God is pacified.</p> + +<p>104. For, the Law is a teaching of such character that it cannot +assure, strengthen and console an uneasy conscience, but rather +terrifies it, since it only teaches what God requires of us, what he +wishes to be performed by us. Our consciences bear witness against us +that we not only have failed to carry out the will of God as set forth +in the Law, but that we have done the very contrary.</p> + +<p>105. With all justice, therefore, we may say of the teachers of the +Law, in the words of Psalms 5, 9: "There is no certainty in their +mouth." Our translation has it "There is no faithfulness in their +mouth." Their teaching at its best can only say: If you do this, if +you do that, you will be saved. Christ speaks ironically when he +answers the scribe who had grandly set forth the doctrine of the Law, +by saying, "This do, and thou shalt live" (Lk 10, 28). He shows the +scribe that the doctrine is holy and good, but since we are corrupt, +it follows that we are guilty, since we do not, and cannot, fulfil the +Law.</p> +<a name="p9106"></a> +<p>106. Hence, we declare rightly that we are not justified by the works +of the Law. By the works of the Law we mean, not the ceremonial +commandments, but those highest commandments of all, to love God and +our neighbor. The reason we are not justified is that we cannot keep +the commandments. We have reason, however, 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 works. +This would be true if we did not admit that the raven was sent forth +from the ark by Noah. But we do say that the raven was sent out from +the ark. And this we deny, that it was not a raven, or that it was a +dove. All the clamor, the abuse, the blasphemy of our opponents have +no other purpose than to force us to declare that the raven was a +dove.</p> + +<p>107. But now examine their books and carefully consider their +doctrine. Is it anything but a doctrine of works? This is good, this +is honorable, they say; this you must do; the other is dishonorable +and wicked, hence you must not do it. On the strength of such +teaching, they believe themselves to be true theologians and doctors. +But let them show us the person who either has done or will do all +those things, especially if you present, not only the second table of +the Law, as they do, but also the first one.</p> +<a name="p9108"></a> +<p>108. He who takes his stand upon this doctrine of the Law, then, is +truly nothing but a hearer. He does not learn anything except its +demands. Since such persons have no desire to learn anything further, +it should suffice for them if they are given the poem of Cato, or +given Esop, whom I consider a better teacher of morals. These two +writers are profitable reading for young men. Older persons should +study Cicero, who, to my astonishment, is considered by some as +inferior to Aristotle in the sphere of ethics. This would be a +rational course of study. So far as imparting moral precepts is +concerned, the good intentions and the assiduity of the heathen must +be commended. Yet they are inferior to Moses. He sets forth not only +morality, but also teaches the true worship of God. Nevertheless, he +who places his trust solely in Moses has nothing but the raven +wandering aimlessly about outside of the ark. Of the dove and the +olive branch, he has nothing.</p> + +<p>109 The raven, then, represents not only the Law given by God, but all +laws and all philosophy which are the product of human reason and +wisdom. They tell us no more than what ought to be done and do not +provide the strength to do it. The judgment of Christ is true: "When +ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are +unprofitable servants" (Lk 17, 10).</p> + +<p>110. True the raven is sent out. God desires the Law to be taught. He +reveals it from heaven; yea, he writes it upon the hearts of all men, +as Paul proves (Rom 2, 15). From this inherent knowledge originated +all writings of the saner philosophers, of Esop, Aristotle, Plato, +Xenophon, Cicero and Cato. And these are not unfit to set before +untrained and vicious persons, that their vile tendencies may be +curbed to some extent.</p> +<a name="p9111"></a> +<p>111. If, however, you seek for peace of conscience and for certain +hope of eternal life, such philosophers are like the raven, which +wanders around the ark, finding no peace outside, but not looking for +it within. Paul says of the Jews, "Israel, following after a law of +righteousness, did not arrive at that law" (Rom 9, 31). The reason for +this is in the fact that the Law is like the raven; it is either the +ministry of death and sin or it produces hypocrites.</p> +<a name="p9112"></a> +<p>112. Now, let those who wish, follow out this allegory by studying the +nature of the raven. It is an impure bird, of somber and funereal +color, with a strong beak and a harsh, shrill voice. It scents dead +bodies from a great distance, and therefore men fear its voice as a +certain augury of an impending death. It feeds upon carrion and enjoys +localities made foul by public executions.</p> + +<p>113. Though I would not apply each and every one of these +characteristics to the Law, yet who does not see how well they fit the +servants of the Pope, the mass-priests and the monks, who were not +only richly fed upon the slaughter of consciences by their false +doctrines, but also used the dead bodies to obtain their livelihood, +since they made a paying business out of their vigils, their +anniversaries, their purifying water used in burials, and even of +purgatory itself. And surely, this devotion to the dead was more +profitable to them than their care of the living.</p> + +<p>Truly, then, they are ravens, feeding on corpses and sitting upon them +with wild cries. Not only may the popish priests be fitly likened to +the ravens, but indeed the whole ministry of the papacy, where it is +at its best, does nothing but to gash and murder consciences. It does +not show the way to true righteousness, but merely makes hypocrites, +as does the Law.</p> +<a name="p9114"></a> +<p>114. Among other crimes of false prophets, Ezekiel enumerates (ch 13, +19) the fact that, for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, +they slay souls that should not die, and save the souls alive that +should not live. This is true of these ravens, the teachers of the +Law. They call those righteous who live according to the letter of the +Law, and yet these are the very souls which do not live. On the other +hand, they condemn those who violate their traditions, just as the +Pharisees condemned the disciples when they plucked ears of corn, when +they did not wash their hands and when they failed to fast. This is an +outcry, fierce and dismal, reminding us of ravens which sit upon +corpses.</p> + +<p>115. When cursing a wicked person, the Greeks said, "To the ravens!" +Similarly, the Germans use the expression, "May the ravens devour +you." If we make this curse an element of the allegory, its serious +character becomes evident. For what is more deplorably disastrous than +to have teachers, the outcome of whose best teaching is death, and who +ensnare the conscience with difficulties that cannot be disentangled? +Though some say this allegory of the raven is inaptly applied to the +priesthood, it is true nevertheless and agrees with the fundamental +truth, and it is not only most apt, but very profitable for +instruction.</p> +<a name="p9116"></a> +<p>116. On the other hand, the incident of the dove is a most delightful +picture of the gospel, especially if you carefully consider the +characteristics of the dove. Ten of these are usually enumerated: 1. +It is without guile. 2. It does not harm with its mouth. 3. It does +not harm with its claws. 4. It gathers pure grains. 5. It nourishes +the young of others. 6. Its song is a sigh. 7. It abides by the +waters. 8. It flies in flocks. 9. It nests in safe places. 10. Its +flight is swift. These ten characteristics have been set forth in six +verses, as follows:</p> + +<table align="center" border="0" summary="Poem1"> + <tr> + <td> + Free from guile is the dove; the bite of her beak does not injure;<br> + Wounds her claws do not strike; pure is the grain that she eats.<br> + Frequent and swift is her flight to shining courses of water.<br> + List to her voice, and lo! sighs you will hear but no song!<br> + Other nestlings she rears; in swarms she flies through the ether.<br> + Safe is the place and high where she prepares her abode. + </td> + </tr> +</table> +<a name="p9117"></a> + +<p>117. The New Testament tells us the Holy Spirit appeared in the form +of a dove (Mt 3, 16). Hence, we are justified in using the dove as an +allegory of the ministry of grace.</p> +<a name="p9118"></a> +<p>118. Moses implies that the dove did not fly aimlessly about the ark, +as did the raven, but having been sent out and finding no place to +rest, it returned to the ark and was seized by Noah.</p> + +<p>119. This dove is a picture of the holy prophets sent to teach the +people; but the flood, that is, the time of the Law, had not yet +passed away. Thus David, Elias, Isaiah, though they did not live to +see the time of the New Testament, were yet sent as messengers with +the tidings that the flood would eventually be brought to an end, +though that time was at a distance. Having delivered their message, +they returned to the ark; that is, they were justified and saved +without the Law, by faith in the blessed seed, in which they believed +and for which they longed.</p> +<a name="p9120"></a> +<p>120. After this, another dove was sent forth, which found the earth +dried, and not only the mountains, but also the trees, standing free +from water. But she alighted upon an olive tree, plucked a branch, and +brought it back to Noah.</p> +<a name="p9121"></a> +<p>121. The allegorical meaning of this incident is interpreted by the +Scriptures. The olive tree is very often used as a symbol of grace, of +mercy or of forgiveness of sins. The dove brings the branch in her +beak, thus typifying the outward ministry, or the spoken Word. For the +Holy Spirit does not teach by new revelations aside from the ministry +of the Word, as the enthusiasts and Anabaptists, those truly fanatical +teachers, dream. It was the will of God that a branch from a living +olive tree should be carried to Noah in the mouth of the bird, to +teach that in the New Testament, the time of the flood or anger being +past, God desires to set his mercy before the world by the spoken +Word.</p> +<a name="p9122"></a> +<p>122. The messengers of this Word are doves; that is, sincere men, +without guile, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 60, 8, likens +ministers of the Gospel or of grace to doves which fly to their +windows. And, though Christ commands them to imitate the harmlessness +of doves, Mt 10, 16, meaning that they should be sincere and free from +venom, yet, he admonishes them to be wise like serpents; that is, they +should be wary of false and cunning people, and cautious like the +serpent, which is said to shield its head with special skill in a +fight.</p> +<a name="p9123"></a> +<p>123. The green freshness of the olive branch, also, is a type of the +Word of the Gospel, which endureth forever and is never without fruit. +Psalms 1, 3 likens those who study the Word to a tree, the leaves of +which do not wither. We heard nothing like this above concerning the +raven, which flew to and fro near the ark. This second dove which was +sent forth is a type of the New Testament, where grace and the +forgiveness of sins are promised openly through the sacrifice of +Christ. This is why the Holy Spirit chose to appear in the form of a +dove in the New Testament.</p> +<a name="p9124"></a> +<p>124. The third dove did not return. After the fulfilment of the +promise given the whole world through the mouth of the dove, no new +teaching is to be looked for, but we simply await the revelation of +those things which we believe. Herein is certain testimony for us that +the Gospel will endure unto the end of the world.</p> +<a name="p9125"></a> +<p>125. The text, furthermore, specifies the time Noah waited after he +had first sent forth a dove, namely, seven days. These seven days +typify the time of the Law which, of necessity, preceded the period of +the New Testament.</p> +<a name="p9126"></a> +<p>126. We read, likewise, that the second dove returned at dusk, +carrying the olive branch. To the Gospel the last age of the world has +been assigned. Nor should we look for another kind of doctrine, for it +is to an evening meal that Christ compared the Gospel (Mt 22, 2; Lk +14, 16).</p> + +<p>127. True, the doctrine of the Gospel has been in the world since the +fall of our first parents, and the Lord confirmed this promise to the +patriarchs by various signs. The first ages knew nothing of the +rainbow, nor of circumcision, nor of other signs afterward ordained by +God. But all ages have known of the blessed seed. Since it has been +revealed, there remains nothing else than the revelation of that which +we believe. With the third dove, we shall fly away to that other life, +never to return to the life here, so wretched and so full of grief.</p> +<a name="p9128"></a> +<p>128. These are my thoughts concerning this allegory. I have set them +forth briefly, for we must not tarry with them as we do with +historical narratives and articles of faith.</p> +<a name="p9129"></a> +<p>129. Origen, Jerome, Augustine, and Bernard seek diligently for +allegories. But this practice has one drawback. The more attention +they direct to allegories, the more do they draw it away from the +facts of sacred history and from faith, to the exclusion of these more +important things. Allegories should be employed for the purpose of +inducing and increasing, of explaining and strengthening, that faith +of which all the stories treat. It is not to be wondered at, that +persons who do not seek faith in the stories of the Bible, look for +the region of allegorical shades as a pleasant playground in which to +stroll about.</p> + +<p>130. Just as in the popish Church false and unscriptural words are +rendered in sweet music, so learned men have too often spoiled the +good meaning of a Bible story, which contains a useful lesson of +faith, by their childish allegories.</p> +<a name="p9131"></a> +<p>131. I have often spoken of the kind of theology that prevailed when I +began to study. Its advocates said that the letter killeth (2 Cor 3, +6). Therefore I disliked Lyra most of all interpreters, because he +followed the literal meaning so carefully. But now I prefer him, for +this very reason, to all interpreters of Scripture.</p> +<a name="p9132"></a> +<p>132. I advise you as strongly as I can to fully appreciate the great +value of the Bible history. But whenever you wish to employ allegory, +take pains to follow the analogy of faith; that is, make the allegory +agree with Christ, with the Church, with faith, with the ministry of +the Gospel. If constructed in this manner, allegories will not go +astray from faith, even though they may not be genuine in every point. +This foundation shall remain firm, while the stubble perishes. But let +us return to our story.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents37"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">IV.</td> + <td colspan="3">NOAH AND HIS FALL.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="2">NOAH.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td>Noah's character before the flood <a href="#p9133">133</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td>Noah's character after the flood <a href="#p9134">134</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td>Way Noah executed his office as bishop <a href="#p9135">135</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td>Way he executed his office as a civil ruler <a href="#p9136">136</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9133"></a> +<br> +<h4>IV. NOAH AND HIS FALL.</h4> + +<center>A. Noah.</center> + +<p>Vs. 20-22. <i>And Noah began to be a husbandman, and planted a vineyard; +and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within +his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his +father, and told his two brethren without.</i></p> + +<p>133. What manner of man Noah was during the flood, is shown +sufficiently by the story of the flood itself. What manner of man he +had been before the flood, is shown by Moses' declaration that he was +righteous and perfect. Great as this man was, we hear nothing else +about him, 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 age. This very fact shows that +human nature was by far stronger in its integrity at that time, and +that the Holy Spirit held more perfect sway in the holy men of the +early world than He does in us who are, as it were, the dregs and the +remnants of the world's production.</p> + +<p>It surely was a commendatory record for Noah to be accorded righteous +and perfect before God; that is, full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, +adorned with chastity and all good works, pure in worship and +religion, suffering many temptations from the devil, the world, and +himself, all which he overcame triumphantly. Such was Noah before the +flood.</p> +<a name="p9134"></a> +<p>134. Of his life after the flood, Moses tells us very little. But is +it not apparent that so noble a man, living for about 350 years after +the flood, could not be idle, but must have been busy with the +government of the Church, which he alone established and ruled?</p> +<a name="p9135"></a> +<p>135. First of all, then, he performed the duties of a bishop. Beset +with various temptations, his foremost endeavor was to resist the +devil, to console the troubled ones, to bring back the erring to the +true way, to strengthen the doubting, to cheer souls in despair, to +exclude from his Church the impenitent, and to receive back with +fatherly gladness the repentant. For, these are the duties a bishop +must perform through the ministry of the Word.</p> +<a name="p9136"></a> +<p>136. Moreover, he had civil duties in establishing forms of government +and in making laws, without which human passions cannot be held in +check. To this was added the rule of his own household, or the care of +his home.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents38"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="4">NOAH'S FALL.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="3">Why Moses omitted many important things about Noah and + related his fall <a href="#p9137">137-138</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="3">Lyra tries to excuse Noah's fall <a href="#p9139">139</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's fall cannot be excused <a href="#p9140">140-141</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="3">Noah's fall cannot be excused <a href="#p9140">140-141</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="3">Ham scandalized himself through it <a href="#p9142">142-143</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">Real root of this scandal <a href="#p9144">144</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">Thereby Noah greatly sinned <a href="#p9145">145ff</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Original sin develops presumptuous people <a href="#p9146">146-148</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">This scandal reveals Satan's bitterest enmity against + God's Church <a href="#p9149">149</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Papists are Ham's disciples <a href="#p9150">150</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">David's enemies rejoiced over his fall <a href="#p9151">151</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="3">To what end should Noah's fall serve us <a href="#p9152">152-154</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">The godless are not worthy to see God's glory in believers <a href="#p9155">155</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="3">Why we should not be vexed at the infirmities of believers <a href="#p9156">156-157</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="3">The conduct of Shem and Japheth in this connection <a href="#p9158">158-173</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td colspan="2">They still honored their father, though they approved not + his deed <a href="#p9158">158</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Origin of outward sin <a href="#p9159">159</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">How to avoid offense <a href="#p9160">160-162</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Luther aware of his own infirmities <a href="#p9163">163</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Attitude of the opponents of the Word to true preachers <a href="#p9164">164</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Moses never mentioned many great events in Noah's + life, and thought of his fall <a href="#p9165">165-166</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td colspan="2">How the sons covered their father's shame <a href="#p9167">167</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td colspan="2">Herein they had regard for God's will and were therefore + pleasing to God <a href="#p9168">168</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Ham's scandal.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(1)</td> + <td>It was a wilful and grievous sin <a href="#p9168">168-169</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(2)</td> + <td>The lesson we may learn from it <a href="#p9170">170</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">(3)</td> + <td>Reward of this scandalous deed, and why Canaan is here + mentioned <a href="#p9172">172-173</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9137"></a> +<br> +<h4>B. Noah's Fall.</h4> + +<p>137. Though reason tells us that Noah was burdened with these manifold +duties after the flood, yet Moses does not mention them. It appears to +him sufficient to confine his remarks to the statement that Noah began +to plant a vineyard, and that he lay in his tent drunken and naked.</p> + +<p>This, surely, is a foolish and very useless tale in comparison with +the many praiseworthy acts he must have performed in the course of so +many years. Other things might have been recorded for edification and +for teaching righteousness of life. But this story even seems to +endorse an offense, by abetting drunkards and those who sin in +drunkenness.</p> + +<p>138. The purpose of the Holy Spirit, however, is apparent from what we +have said. 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 are, +therefore, cast down. In them we are to find proofs of our own +shortcomings, that we may come to humble confession and, at the same +time, seek and hope for forgiveness. This is the real and +theologically true reason why the Holy Spirit records, rather than +seemingly more important matters, the great fall of this grand man.</p> +<a name="p9139"></a> +<p>139. Lyra states as excuse for Noah that he knew not the power of wine +and was deceived into drinking a little too freely. Whether wine had +been known before or whether Noah began to cultivate it by his own +skill and by divine suggestion, I know not, but I believe that Noah +knew the nature of this produce quite well, and that he had often made +use of wine in company with his family, partly for his own person and +partly also in his offerings or libations. I think that in making use +of wine for his own refreshment, he partook of it too freely.</p> +<a name="p9140"></a> +<p>140. His action I excuse in no way. Should anyone want to do so, there +would be weightier arguments than those Lyra uses. According to him +this aged man, tired out by the great number of his daily duties and +cares, had been overpowered by the wine although he was already used +to it. For wine overcomes more easily those who are either exhausted +by much work or burdened with age. Persons of mature age, on the other +hand, and such of care-free mind, can drink considerable quantities of +wine without greatly impairing their reason.</p> + +<p>141. But he who makes this excuse for the patriarch, wilfully casts +aside that consolation which the Holy Spirit considered needful for +the Church, that even the greatest saints sometimes fall into sin.</p> +<a name="p9142"></a> +<p>142. Transgression like this may seem to be slight, yet it causes +great offense. Not only is Ham offended, but also the other brother, +possibly also their wives. And we must not imagine that Ham was a boy +of seven years. Having been born when Noah was five hundred years old, +he had reached an age of at least one hundred years and had one or two +children of his own.</p> + +<p>143. Hence, it was not boyish thoughtlessness which caused Ham to +laugh at his father, as boys will do when surrounding a drunken rustic +in the street and making sport of him. He was truly offended by his +father's sin and thought himself to be more righteous, holy and +religious than his father. Noah's deed was an offense not only in +appearance, but in very truth, since Ham was so far tempted by the +knowledge of it that he passed judgment upon Noah, and found in such +sin an occasion for mirth.</p> +<a name="p9144"></a> +<p>144. If we wish to judge Ham's sin aright, we must take into account +original sin, that is, the wickedness of the heart. 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 parents.</p> +<a name="p9145"></a> +<p>145. Noah had been considered a fool before the flood, by the majority +of mankind, and had been condemned as a false teacher and despised as +a man of wild ideas. Now he is laughed at by his son as a fool, and +condemned as a sinner. Noah was sole governor of the Church and State, +and ruled his own household with tireless care and labor. He had +doubtless therein offended the proud and haughty spirit of his son in +many ways. But the depravity of his heart which now, that the father's +sin had become manifest, leaped to the surface, had so far been +successfully concealed.</p> +<a name="p9146"></a> +<p>146. When we consider the source of Ham's sin, its hideousness first +appears in its true light. One never becomes an adulterer or commits +murder until he has first cast out of his heart the fear of God. A +pupil does not rebel against his teacher unless he has first lost due +reverence for that teacher. The fourteenth Psalm, verse 2, says that +Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if +there were any that did understand, and that did seek after God. When +he saw there was none he adds there was none who did good; that they +had all become worthless, sinning tongues, sinning with their hands, +fearing where there was no need of fear, and the like.</p> + +<p>147. So Ham, in his own estimation, was wise and holy. In his judgment +his father had often acted unrighteously or foolishly. His attitude +discloses a heart that despised, not only the parent, but also the +divine commandment. Hence, nothing remains for the evil-minded son but +to grasp an opportunity for obtaining evidence to betray his father's +foolishness. He does not laugh at his drunken father as a boy would, +nor does he call his brethren merely that they may look upon a +laughable spectacle. He means that this shall be open proof that God +has withdrawn from his father and has accepted himself. Therefore, he +takes delight in disclosing his father's sin to others. As I said +before, Ham was not a boy of seven years, but had reached the age of +at least one hundred.</p> + +<p>148. Original sin shows its depraving tendency in that it makes men +arrogant, haughty and conceited. Paul admonishes in Romans 12, 3, to +think of one's self soberly, "according as God hath dealt to each man +a measure of faith." But, original sin does not permit Ham to occupy +this lowly level; hence, he presumes to go beyond his station in +passing judgment upon his father.</p> +<a name="p9149"></a> +<p>149. We observe the same attitude in Absalom. Before he stirs up a +rebellion against David, his father, he passes unrighteous judgment +upon David's government. This dissatisfaction with his father's rule +was afterward followed by unconcealed contempt and open violence, with +David's destruction as the object. Ham's heart being full of poison +which he had gathered from his father as a spider gathers poison from +the fairest rose, precisely such a result had to follow.</p> +<a name="p9150"></a> +<p>150. These examples serve to call our attention to the battle waged +from the beginning of the world between the Church and Satan with his +followers, the hypocrites, or false brethren. This deed of Ham must +not be looked upon as a result of boyish love of pranks, but of +Satan's most bitter enmity, wherewith he inflames his followers +against the Church. Particularly does he incite them against those in +the ministry, leading them to close watch at all times for material +available for purposes of slander.</p> + +<p>The Papists at present have no other business than to watch our +conversation for the purpose of slander. Whenever we fall into human +error (for we are truly weak and are beset by our failings), they +seize upon our moral uncleanness, like famished swine, and find great +delight in publishing and betraying our weaknesses, like Ham the +accursed. They truly hunger and thirst after our offenses. Although by +God's grace they cannot fasten adultery, murder or like errors upon +us, unless by their own fabrication (this shameless class of people +abhor no kind of lie), yet they gather up smaller matters, which they +afterward exaggerate to the public.</p> +<a name="p9151"></a> +<p>151. David's experience is well known. He was surrounded on all sides +by enemies who eagerly sought out every opportunity for persecution. +They were envious because he had been called to the throne by God; +hence, they triumphed over his horrible fall.</p> +<a name="p9152"></a> +<p>152. His case, however, serves for our instruction. God sometimes +permits even righteous and holy men to stumble and fall into offenses, +either really or apparently, and we must take heed lest we pass +judgment at once, after the example of Ham, who, having secretly +despised his father long before, now does so openly. He declared that +his parent, being imbecile by age, had clearly been deserted by the +Holy Spirit, since he was unable to guard against drunkenness, though +the government of the Church, State, and household lay upon his +shoulders. O wretched Ham, how happy art thou, having found at last +what thou soughtest—poison in a most delightful rose!</p> + +<p>153. Everlasting praises and blessings be given to God, whose dealings +with his saints are wonderful indeed. While he permits them to be weak +and to fall, to be overwhelmed with disgrace and offenses, and while +the world judges and condemns them, he forgives them their weaknesses +and has compassion upon them; whereas he delivers into Satan's hands +those who regard themselves angels, and utterly rejects them.</p> + +<p>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 +infirmities.</p> + +<p>154. In the second place, the case of Ham is a fearful example of +divine judgment, to teach us by Ham's experience not to condemn at +once, even when we see rulers of State, Church, or household—such as +our parents—fall into error and sin. Who can tell why God so permits? +Such sins must not be excused, yet we see that they are of value for +the consolation of the pious. They teach us that God can bear with the +errors and sins of his people and that even we, when beset with sins, +may trust in the mercy of God and need not lose heart.</p> +<a name="p9155"></a> +<p>155. But what is medicine for the righteous, is poison for the wicked. +The latter do not seek to be taught and comforted by God. Their +unworthiness prevents them from recognizing his glory in the saints. +They see nothing but the stumbling block and the snare, with the +result that they fall and are left to perish alone.</p> +<a name="p9156"></a> +<p>156. Let us, therefore, truly respect those in authority over us. If +they fall, we must not be offended. We must remember that they are +human, and that God's ways are wonderful in his saints, because it is +his will that the wicked shall be offended and provoked. Thus Moses +threatens the Jews: "I will provoke them to anger with a foolish +nation" (Deut 32, 21). Because, during the whole period of the +kingdom, they refused to hear the prophets, God gave the offense of +casting away a wise and religious people, which had the promises and +was descended from the patriarchs. In its place, he chose the filth +and dregs of the world, a foolish people; that is, it was without +piety, without religion, without worship, without that divine wisdom +which is his Word. This offense roused the Jews to insane anger.</p> + +<p>157. This will be the lot of the papists. Some great offense shall be +given them by God against which they shall find themselves helpless, +and thus they shall come to grief like Ham. Renouncing the reverence +due both to God and his father, in deeming himself more capable of +ruling the Church than Noah, in secretly deriding or censuring his +parent, he finally presents the spectacle of disclosing his wicked and +irreverent attitude before others.</p> +<a name="p9158"></a> +<p>158. The two other brothers, Shem and Japheth, did not follow Ham's +wicked example. While conscious of the scandalous fact that their +father was drunk and lay in shameless nakedness like a little +boy,—while recognizing that this ill became the ruler of Church and +State, they remained mindful of the reverence due a parent. They +gulped down the offense given; they hid the offense and gave it a +worthier aspect, so to speak, by covering their father with a garment, +approaching him with eyes averted. They would have been incapable of +this fine outward expression of reverence for their father, had they +not occupied a correct attitude toward God in their hearts and +believed their father to be both priest and ruler by right divine.</p> +<a name="p9159"></a> +<p>159. It is a fearful example, this one of Ham. Though one of the few +saved during the flood, he forgets all piety. It is profitable to +carefully consider how he came to fall. Outward sins must first be +committed in our minds; that is, before sins are visibly committed, +the heart first departs from the Word and from the fear of God. It +neither knows God nor seeks after him, as we read in Psalms 14, 2. As +soon as the heart begins to set aside the Word, and to despise the +ministers and prophets of God, ambition and pride follow. Those who +stand in the way of our desires are overborne by hatred and slander, +until finally insolent speech ends in murder.</p> +<a name="p9160"></a> +<p>160. Those who are to become rulers of Church or State, should daily +pray earnestly to God that they may remain humble. It is the object of +stories of this character to set this duty before us, for it is +evident what occasioned Ham's frightful fall.</p> + +<p>161. If, then, the saints fall into sin, let us not be offended. Much +less should we rejoice over the weakness of others, haughtily +esteeming ourselves braver, wiser, or holier than they. Let us rather +endure and cover up, and even put a good construction upon and excuse +such errors in so far as we can, remembering that perhaps tomorrow we +may suffer what happened to them today. For we all constitute a unit, +being born of the same flesh. Let us then heed the advice of Paul, +"Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10, +12). In this way the other two brothers looked upon their drunken +father. Their thoughts were these: Behold, our father has fallen. But +God is wonderful in his dealing with saints, whom he sometimes permits +to fall for our instruction, that we may not despair when afflicted by +kindred infirmity.</p> + +<p>162. Let us imitate their wisdom! The sins of others give us no right +to judge them. Before their own master they stand or fall (Rom 14, 4). +Furthermore, if the downfall of others displease us (since, in truth, +many acts neither can nor ought to be excused), let us be so much the +more careful lest something like it overtake ourselves. Let us not sit +in proud and haughty judgment, for this is original sin in all its +corruption: To lay claim to exceptional wisdom and to hunt for the +moral lapses of others in order to gain the reputation of +righteousness for ourselves.</p> +<a name="p9163"></a> +<p>163. We truly are weak sinners and must freely confess, being human, +that our conversation is not always free from offense. But while we +share this weakness with our enemies, we nevertheless do our duty +diligently, by spreading God's Word, by teaching the churches, by +bettering the evil, by urging the right, by consoling the weak, by +chiding the stubborn, and, in brief, by doing whatever duty God lays +upon us.</p> +<a name="p9164"></a> +<p>164. On the other hand since our adversaries strive after nothing but +hypocrisy and an outward show of holiness, so they add to the frailty +which they have in common with us, the most grievous sins, because +they do not follow their calling, but concern themselves with their +honors and emoluments. They neglect the churches and suffer them to +miserably decay. They condemn the true doctrine and teach idolatry. In +short, in public life they are wise, but in their own sphere they are +utterly foolish. This is the most destructive evil in the Church.</p> +<a name="p9165"></a> +<p>165. This is the first part of the story, and, in the preparation of +his record, Moses has confined himself to the same. It is certain that +Noah was a righteous man, gifted with many heroic virtues, and that he +accomplished most important things both for the Church and for the +State. It is not possible either to establish political communities or +to found churches except by diligent effort. Life, in both these +manifestations (I will say nothing of the management of the home) is +beset with many dangers; for Satan, a liar and murderer, is the most +relentless enemy of Church and State.</p> + +<p>166. But Moses passes by all these achievements, not so much as +alluding to them. He records but this one circumstance—that Noah +became drunk and was scoffed at by his youngest son. He intended it as +a valuable example, teaching pious souls to trust in God's mercy. On +the other hand, the proud, the lovers of cant, the sanctimonious, the +wise-acres,—let them learn to fear God and beware of passing a +reckless judgment upon others! As Manasseh the king declares, God +displays in his saints both his wonders and his terrors "against +wicked and sinful men." This is illustrated in the case of Ham, who +did not now first come to his downfall but had cherished this hate +against his father for a long time, afterward to fill the world with +idolatry.</p> +<a name="p9167"></a> +<p>Vs. 23-27. <i>And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both +their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their +father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's +nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest +son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of +servants shall he be unto his brethren.</i></p> + +<p>167. It is truly a beautiful and memorable example of respect to a +father which Moses records in this passage. The sons might without sin +have approached their father and covered him, while turning their +faces toward him. What sin should it be if one, happening upon a nude +person, should see what is before him without his will? Still the two +sons do not do this. When they heard from their haughty and mocking +brother what had happened to their father, they laid a garment upon +both their shoulders, entered the tent with faces turned away (how +admirable!), and lowering the garment backward, covered their father.</p> +<a name="p9168"></a> +<p>168. Who can fail to observe here the thoughtfulness of the will and +Word of God, and reverence before the majesty of fatherhood, which God +requires to be honored, not despised or mocked by children? God seems +to approve this reverence and accept it as a most pleasing offering +and the very noblest worship and obedience. But his utmost hatred +rests upon Ham, who might have seen without sin what he saw, since it +came to his view by chance, if only he had covered it up, if only he +had remained silent about it, if only he had not shown himself to be +pleased by the sin of his father. But he who despised God, the Word, +and the order established by God, not only failed to cover his father +with a garment, but even derided him and left him naked.</p> + +<p>169. In describing the act of the two brothers Moses emphasizes the +malice of Ham, who was filled with violent and satanic hatred against +his father. Who of us, on finding a stranger lying by the wayside +drunk and nude, would not at least cover him with his own coat to +forestall disgrace? How much greater the demand in this case of a +father! Ham, however, fails to do for his father, the highest ruler of +the world, what common humanity teaches us to do for strangers. +Moreover he publishes the circumstance joyfully, insulting his drunken +father and making the sin of his father known to his brothers as if he +had a piece of good news.</p> +<a name="p9170"></a> +<p>170. Moses, therefore, sets Ham before us as a fearful example, to be +carefully taught in the churches, in order that young people may learn +to respect their elders, rulers, and parents. Not on account of Noah, +not on account of Ham, but on account of those to come—on our +account—is this story written, and Ham, with his contempt for God and +father, pictured in most repulsive colors.</p> + +<p>171. Also the punishment of this wickedness is carefully set before +us. Noah, looked upon by his son as a foolish, insane, and ridiculous +old man, now steps forth in the majesty of a prophet, to announce to +his son a divine revelation of future events. Truly does Paul declare +that "power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12, 9); for the +certainty characterizing Noah's utterance is proof that he was filled +with the Holy Spirit, notwithstanding that his son had mocked and +despised him as one utterly deserted by the Holy Spirit.</p> +<a name="p9172"></a> +<p>172. I will not attempt here to settle the question above referred to +(<a href="#p5095">ch 5, §95</a>) concerning the order of the sons of Noah, as to which of +them was the first-born and which the youngest. 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 name, but calls him Canaan +after the name of his son. Some say that, because God had desired to +save Ham in the ark as one under his blessing the same as the others, +he had no wish to curse him, but cursed Canaan instead, a curse which, +nevertheless, could not but recoil upon Ham who had provoked it. Thus +Ham's name perishes here, since the Holy Spirit hates it, whose hatred +is, indeed, a serious hatred. We read in the psalm, "I hate them with +perfect hatred" (Ps 139, 22). When the Holy Spirit exercises his +wrath, eternal death must follow.</p> + +<p>173. Although Ham had sinned against his father in many ways, 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 bare. When, with +this sin, the previous ones had attained to fullness of power and +growth, the Holy Spirit condemned him, and, as a warning to others, +also announced the infliction of impending, endless servitude.</p> + +<p>V. 26. <i>And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; and let +Canaan be his servant.</i></p> + +<p>These are two sublime prophecies, worthy of close attention. They have +significance in our time, though they were grossly garbled by the +Jews. The Jews observe that Ham is cursed thrice; this fact they wrest +to the glory of their own nation, promising themselves worldly +dominion.</p> +<br> +<table align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" summary="contents39"> + <tr> + <td align="right" valign="top">V.</td> + <td colspan="4">HAM CURSED; SHEM AND JAPHETH BLESSED.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">A.</td> + <td colspan="3">THE CURSE PRONOUNCED UPON HAM <a href="#p9174">174-188</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Ham was thrice cursed <a href="#p9174">174</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Disrespect of parents, pastors and authority signs of + approaching misfortune <a href="#p9175">175</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Way Ham disregarded the curse <a href="#p9176">176</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why Ham disregarded the curse <a href="#p9177">177-178</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">Ham's temporal prosperity continued with his curse <a href="#p9179">179-181</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Faith alone grasps God's threatenings and promises <a href="#p9180">180-181</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Reason God postpones punishment and reward <a href="#p9181">181-182</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The Papal Church is not the true Church <a href="#p9183">183</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Believers have comfort in their tribulations <a href="#p9184">184-185</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The pious have their kingdom here in faith <a href="#p9186">186</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">From this curse it is clear Noah was enlightened by the Holy + Spirit <a href="#p9187">187</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Were all Ham's descendents cursed? <a href="#p9188">188</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">B.</td> + <td colspan="3">BLESSING PRONOUNCED UPON SHEM <a href="#p9189">189-191</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">This is an exceedingly great blessing <a href="#p9189">189</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why is it clothed in praise to God <a href="#p9190">190</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">This blessing proves that Noah possessed a precious light <a href="#p9191">191</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">C.</td> + <td colspan="3">BLESSING PRONOUNCED UPON JAPHETH <a href="#p9192">192-224</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">1.</td> + <td colspan="2">Why the form of Japheth's blessing differed from that of + Shem's <a href="#p9192">192</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">2.</td> + <td colspan="2">Herein lies a special secret <a href="#p9193">193</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">3.</td> + <td colspan="2">The Jews' false interpretation of this blessing <a href="#p9194">194</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">4.</td> + <td colspan="2">Relation of these two blessings to each other <a href="#p9195">195</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The Jews' false notion about Shem's blessing <a href="#p9196">196</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">5.</td> + <td colspan="2">The order in which these blessings are enjoyed <a href="#p9197">197-198</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The form God's Church takes in this world <a href="#p9199">199</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Divine promises and threatenings to be understood in a + spiritual sense <a href="#p9199">199-200</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Ham and Cain resemble one another in their positions and + works <a href="#p9201">201</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The Turk and the Pope.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>What strengthens them in their opposition to the true Church <a href="#p9202">202</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>How a Christian should conduct himself in times of misfortunes <a href="#p9203">203</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>The power and advantages of the Turk and Pope of no avail <a href="#p9204">204</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>Attitude of Church members to their pride <a href="#p9205">205-206</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td>Why Ham's name was not mentioned when he was cursed <a href="#p9207">207-208</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">6.</td> + <td colspan="2">The word dilatet the Latins use in explaining Japheth's + blessing <a href="#p9209">209-210</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>It is not in harmony with the Hebrew <a href="#p9209">209-210</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>Why all Latin interpreters use it <a href="#p9211">211</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">c.</td> + <td>It does not fully express the sense of the Holy Spirit <a href="#p9212">212</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">d.</td> + <td>What explanation should be given here <a href="#p9213">213-215</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">7.</td> + <td colspan="2">All descendents of Japheth partake of this blessing through + the Gospel <a href="#p9216">216-217</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">8.</td> + <td colspan="2">Translations of Latin interpreters of this blessing are to be + harmonized with the original text <a href="#p9218">218-219</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Ham's name <a href="#p9220">220-221</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">a.</td> + <td>Its meaning and reason his parents gave it to him <a href="#p9220">220</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">b.</td> + <td>The hope of his parents in this name disappointed <a href="#p9221">221</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">9.</td> + <td colspan="2">It is ascribed to this promise that Germany in these last + days received the light of the Gospel <a href="#p9222">222</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">Abraham had Noah as his teacher <a href="#p9223">223</a>.</td> + </tr> + <tr> + <td> </td> + <td> </td> + <td align="right" valign="top">*</td> + <td colspan="2">The temporal prosperity of Ham's family, and their wickedness <a href="#p9224">224</a>.</td> + </tr> +</table> +<br><a name="p9174"></a> +<br> +<h4>V. HAM CURSED; SHEM AND JAPHETH BLESSED.</h4> + +<center>A. The Curse Pronounced Upon Ham.</center> + +<p>174. But there is another reason for this repeatedly uttered curse. +God cannot forget such great irreverence toward parents, nor does he +suffer it to go unpunished. He requires that parents and rulers be +regarded with reverence. He requires that elders be honored, +commanding that one shall rise up before a hoary head (Lev 19, 32). +And, speaking of ministers of the Word, he says, "He that despiseth +you, despiseth me" (Mt 10, 40; Lk 10, 16).</p> +<a name="p9175"></a> +<p>175. Hence disobedience of parents is a sure indication that curse and +disaster are close at hand. Likewise is contempt of ministers and of +rulers punished. When the people of the primitive world began to +deride the patriarchs and to hold their authority in contempt, the +flood followed. When, among the people of Judah, the child began to +behave himself proudly against the old man, as Isaiah has it (ch 3, +5), Jerusalem was laid waste and Judah went down. Such corruption of +morals is a certain sign of impending evil. We justly fear for Germany +a like fate when we look upon the prevailing disrespect for authority.</p> +<a name="p9176"></a> +<p>176. Let us, however, bear witness of a practice to which both Holy +Writ and our experience testify. Because God delays the threatened +punishment he is mocked and considered a liar. In this practice we +should see the seal, as it were, to every prophecy. Ham hears that he +is accursed; but inasmuch as the curse does not go into immediate +effect, he securely despises and derides the same.</p> +<a name="p9177"></a> +<p>177. Thus did the first world hold Noah's prophecy in ridicule when he +spoke of the flood. Had they believed that such a punishment was close +at hand, would they have gone on in a feeling of security? Would they +not rather have repented and begun a better life? If Ham had believed +that to be true which he heard from his father, he would have sought +refuge in mercy and, confessing his crime, craved forgiveness. But he +did neither; rather did he haughtily leave his father, to go to +Babylon. There, with his posterity, he gave himself up to the building +of a city and of a tower, and made himself lord of all Greater Asia.</p> + +<p>178. What is the reason for this feeling of security? It lies in the +fact that divine prophecies must be believed; they cannot be perceived +by our senses, or by experience. This is true both of divine promises +and of divine threats. Therefore the opposite always seems to the +flesh to be true.</p> +<a name="p9179"></a> +<p>179. Ham is cursed by his father; but he lays hold upon the greater +portion of the earth and establishes vast kingdoms. On the other hand, +Shem and Japheth are blessed, but in comparison with Ham, they and +their posterity are beggarly.</p> + +<p>Where then are we to seek the truth of this prophecy? I answer: This +prophecy and all others, whether they be promises or threats, cannot +be understood by reason, but by faith alone. God delays both +punishments and rewards; hence there is need of endurance. For "He +that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved," as Christ says (Mt +24, 13).</p> +<a name="p9180"></a> +<p>180. The life of all pious people is wholly of faith and hope. The +evidence of our senses, history, and the way of the world, would teach +us the opposite. Ham is cursed, yet he alone obtains dominion. Shem +and Japheth are blessed, yet they alone bear reproach and affliction. +Since both the promises and the threats of God reach out into the +future, the issue must be awaited in faith. Habakkuk says (ch 2, 3), +"It will surely come, it will not delay."</p> +<a name="p9181"></a> +<p>181. Great is the wrath of the Holy Spirit which here prompts him to +say of Ham, "A servant of servants shall he be;" that is, the lowest +and vilest of slaves. But if you let history speak, you will see Ham +rule in Canaan, whereas Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and others who +followed, and had the blessing, lived like servants among the +Canaanites. The Egyptians are Ham's offspring, and how cruel was the +servitude Israel suffered there!</p> + +<p>182. How, then, was it true that Ham was cursed and Shem was blessed? +In this way: The fulfillment of the promise and of the threat was in +the future. 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 repentance. On the other hand, when the righteous +suffer at the hands of the unrighteous and become the servants of +servants, they undergo such trial and discipline for the purpose of +increasing in faith and in love toward God; so that, trained in +manifold vexations and tribulations, they may attain the promise.</p> + +<p>When the time was fulfilled, the might of Ham's posterity was not +great enough to withstand the posterity of Shem. Then, indeed, was +fulfilled that curse which Ham and his posterity had so long despised +and disbelieved.</p> +<a name="p9183"></a> +<p>183. It is much the same with us today. We have the true doctrine and +the true worship. Hence we can boast that we are the true Church, +having the promise of spiritual blessings in Christ. As the pope's +church condemns our doctrine, we know her to be not the Church of +Christ but of Satan, and truly, like Ham, a "servant of servants." And +yet anyone may see that the pope rules, while we are servants and the +off-scouring, as Paul says (1 Cor 4, 12).</p> +<a name="p9184"></a> +<p>184. What, then, shall we poor, oppressed people do? We are to comfort +our souls meanwhile with our spiritual dominion. We know we have +forgiveness of sins and a gracious God, through Christ, until also +temporal freedom shall be vouchsafed on the last day. And we are not +without traces of temporal freedom even in this life; for while +tyrants stubbornly oppose the Gospel, they are cut off from the earth, +root and branch.</p> + +<p>185. So was the Roman empire destroyed after all the other +world-powers perished; but God's Word and Church remain forever. +Likewise, Christ weakens the Pope's power, little by little; but that +he may be utterly removed and become a servant of servants with wicked +Ham is a matter for faith to await. Ham is shut out from the kingdom +of God and possesses the kingdoms of the world for a time, just as the +pope is shut out from the Church of God and holds temporal dominion +for a time. But his dominion shall vanish.</p> +<a name="p9186"></a> +<p>186. The divine law and order is that the righteous have dominion, but +by faith, being satisfied with such spiritual blessing as a gracious +God and the certain hope of the heavenly kingdom. Meanwhile, we leave +possession of the kingdoms of the world to the wicked until God shall +scatter also their worldly power, and, through Christ, make us heirs +of all things.</p> +<a name="p9187"></a> +<p>187. Furthermore, we learn from this prophecy that Noah, by a special +illumination of the Holy Spirit, was enabled to see, in the first +place, that his posterity would remain forever, and in the second +place, that the family of Ham, though they were to be rulers for a +time, would perish at last and above all would lose the spiritual +blessing.</p> +<a name="p9188"></a> +<p>188. However, the explanation given above (<a href="#p4182">ch 4, §182</a>) with reference +to the descendants of Cain, applies also here. I do not entertain the +opinion that the offspring of Ham were doomed, without exception. Some +found salvation by being converted to faith, but such salvation was +not due to a definite promise but to uncovenanted grace, so to speak. +Likewise the Gibeonites and others were saved when the children of +Israel occupied the land of Canaan. Job, Naaman the Syrian, the people +of Nineveh, the widow of Zarephath, and others from the heathen were +saved, not by virtue of a promise, but by uncovenanted grace.</p> +<a name="p9189"></a> +<center>B. Blessing Pronounced Upon Shem.</center> + +<p>189. But why does Noah not say, "Blessed be Shem," instead of, +"Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem"? I answer that it is because of +the magnitude of the blessing. The reference here is not to a temporal +blessing, but to the future blessing through the promised seed. He +sees this blessing to be so great that he cannot express it; hence, he +turns to thanksgiving. It seems that Zacharias was thinking of this +very passage when he said, for a similar reason, "Blessed be the Lord, +the God of Israel" (Lk 1, 68).</p> +<a name="p9190"></a> +<p>190. Noah's blessing takes the form of thanksgiving unto God. God, he +says, is blessed, who is the God of Shem. In other words: It is +needless for me to extend my blessing over Shem, who has been blessed +before with spiritual blessing; he already is a child of God, and from +him the Church will be continued, as it was continued from Seth before +the flood. Full of wonderful meaning is the fact that Noah joins God +with Shem, his son, and, as it were, unites them.</p> +<a name="p9191"></a> +<p>191. Noah's heart must have been divinely illumined since he makes +such a distinction between his sons, rejecting Ham with his posterity +and placing Shem in line with the saints and the Church because the +spiritual blessing, given in paradise concerning the seed, would rest +upon him. Therefore, this holy man blesses God and gives thanks unto +him.</p> +<a name="p9192"></a> +<center>C. Blessing Pronounced Upon Japheth.</center> + +<p>V. 27. <i>God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; +and let Canaan be his servant.</i></p> + +<p>192. This prophecy is wonderful for the aptness of each single word. +Noah did not bless Shem, but the God of Shem, by way of giving thanks +to God for having embraced Shem and having adorned him with a +spiritual promise, or the blessing of the woman's seed. But when he +mentions Japheth he does not employ the same manner of speaking as in +the case of Shem. His words are chosen for the purpose of showing the +mystery of which Paul speaks (Rom 11, 11) and Christ (Jn 4, 22), that +salvation is from the Jews and yet the gentiles also became partakers +of this salvation. Shem alone is the true root and stem, yet the +heathen are grafted upon this stem, as a foreign branch, and become +partakers of the fatness and the sap which are in the chosen tree.</p> +<a name="p9193"></a> +<p>193. Noah, seeing this through the Holy Spirit, predicts, in dim +allusions but correctly, that Christ's kingdom is to spread in the +world from the root of Shem, and not from that of Japheth.</p> +<a name="p9194"></a> +<p>194. The Jews prate that Japheth stands for the neighboring nations +around Jerusalem which were admitted to the temple and its worship. +But Noah makes little ado about the temple of Jerusalem, or the +tabernacle of Moses; his words refer to greater matters. He treats of +the three patriarchs who are to replenish the earth. While he affirms +of Japheth that he does not belong to the root of the people of God +which possesses the promise of the Christ, he declares that he shall +be incorporated through the call of the Gospel into the fellowship of +that people which has God and the promises.</p> +<a name="p9195"></a> +<p>195. Here, then, we have a picture of the Church of the Gentiles and +of the Jews. Ham, being wicked, is not admitted to the spiritual +blessing of the seed, except as it happens by uncovenanted grace. To +Japheth, however, though he has not the promise of the seed, like +Shem, the hope is nevertheless given that he will, at some future +time, be taken into the fellowship of the Church. Thus we Gentiles, +being sons of Japheth, have no direct promise, indeed, and yet we are +included in the promise given to the Jews, since we are predestined to +the fellowship of the holy people of God. These matters are here +recorded, not for Shem and Japheth so much as for their posterity.</p> +<a name="p9196"></a> +<p>196. We learn why the Jews are so haughty and boastful. They see that +Shem, their father, alone has the promise of eternal blessing, which +is given through Christ. So far, so good. But when they believe that +the promise pertains not to faith but rather to the carnal descent, +they are in error. This subject has been splendidly treated by Paul +(Rom 9, 6). There he establishes the fact that the children of Abraham +are not his carnal descendants but those who have his faith (Gal 3, +7).</p> +<a name="p9197"></a> +<p>197. The same thought is suggested here by Moses, who says in so many +words, "Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem." This shows that there is +no blessing except by the God of Shem. Hence, no Jew will share this +blessing unless he have the God of Shem; that is, unless he believes. +Nor will Japheth share the blessing unless he dwells in the tents of +Shem, that is, unless he associates himself with him in faith.</p> + +<p>198. This is a grand promise, valid unto the end of the world. But +just as it is limited to those who have the God of Shem, that is, who +believe, so the curse also is limited to those who abide in the +wickedness of Ham. Noah spoke these words, not on the strength of +human authority and feeling, but by the Spirit of God. His words then +refer not to a temporal, but to a spiritual and eternal curse. Nor +must we understand him to speak of a curse that is a curse only in the +sight of the world, but rather of one in the sight of God.</p> +<a name="p9199"></a> +<p>199. The same statement has been made heretofore (<a href="#p4182">ch 4 §182</a>) +regarding the curse of Cain. Judged by outward appearances, Cain +obtained a greater earthly blessing than Seth. God desires that his +Church in this world shall apparently suffer the curse pronounced upon +the wicked and that, on the other hand, the wicked shall seem to be +blessed. Cain was the first man to build a city, calling it Enoch; +while Seth dwelt in tents.</p> + +<p>200. Thus did Ham build the city and tower of Babel and ruled far and +wide, while Shem and Japheth were poor, living in lowly tents. The +facts of history, then, teach that both the promises and the curses of +God are not to be understood carnally, or of the present life, but +spiritually. Although oppressed in the world, the righteous are surely +heirs and sons of God, while the wicked, though flourishing for a +season, shall ultimately be cut down and wither; a warning often +uttered in the Psalms.</p> +<a name="p9201"></a> +<p>201. There is a striking similarity in the conduct and the lot of Cain +and Ham. Cain killed his brother, which shows plainly enough the lack +of reverence for his father in his heart. Having been put in the ban +by his father, he leaves the Church of the true God and the true +worship, builds the city of Enoch, giving himself up altogether to +worldly things. Just so does Ham sin by dishonoring his father. When +also he subsequently receives as sentence the curse whereby he is +excluded from the promised seed and the Church, he parts with God and +the Church without misgivings, since the curse rests not upon his +person but upon that of his son, and migrates to Babylon, where he +establishes a kingdom.</p> +<a name="p9202"></a> +<p>202. These are very illustrious examples and needed by the Church, +Turk and Pope today; allow us to boast of the heavenly and everlasting +promise in that we have the Gospel doctrine, and are the Church. They +know, however, our judgment of them, that we consider and condemn both +Pope and Turk as very Antichrist. How securely they ignore our +judgment, confidently because of the wealth and power they possess, +and also because of our weakness in character and numbers. The very +same spirit we plainly see in Cain and Ham, in the condemned and +excommunicated.</p> +<a name="p9203"></a> +<p>203. These truths enforce the lesson that we must not seek an abiding +city or country in this bodily existence, but in its varying changes +and fortunes look to the hope of eternal life, promised through +Christ. This is the final haven; and we must strive for it with sail +and oar, as eager and earnest sailors while the tempest rages.</p> +<a name="p9204"></a> +<p>204. What if the Turk should obtain sway over the whole world, which +he never will? Michael, as Daniel says, will bring aid to the holy +people, the Church (ch 10, 13). What matter if the Pope should gain +possession of the wealth of all the world, as he has tried to do for +many centuries with all the wealth at his command? Will Turk and Pope +thereby escape death, or even secure permanence of temporal power? +Why, then, should we be misled by the temporal blessings which they +enjoy, or by our misfortunes and dangers, since we know that they are +banished from the fellowship of the saints, while we enjoy everlasting +blessings through the Son of God?</p> +<a name="p9205"></a> +<p>205. If Cain and Ham, and Pope and Turk, who are as father and son to +each other, can afford to despise the judgment of the true Church on +the strength of fleeting and meager successes in this life, why can +not we afford in turn to despise their power and censure, on the +strength of the everlasting blessings which we possess? Ham was not +moved by his father's curse. Full of anger against him, and despising +him as a crazy old man, he goes away and arms himself with the power +of the world, esteeming this more highly than to be blessed with Shem +by his father.</p> + +<p>206. This story should give us strength for the similar experiences of +today. The priests and bishops heap contempt upon us, saying, What can +those poverty stricken heretics do? Priest and bishop are puffed up +with their wealth and power. But let us bear this insolence of the +wicked with undisturbed mind, as Noah bore that of his son. Let us +take consolation in the hope and faith of the eternal benediction, of +which, we know, they are deprived.</p> +<a name="p9207"></a> +<p>207. I said above (<a href="#p9172">§172</a>) 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 +curse. And it is true, as the punishment shows, that Ham sinned +grievously. The other reason mentioned above as not at all unlikely, I +will here repeat: Ham had been called and received into the ark by the +divine Word, and had been saved with the others, and Noah wanted to +spare him whom God had spared in the flood. Therefore, he transferred +the curse which Ham merited, to Canaan, his son, whom Ham doubtless +desired to keep with him.</p> + +<p>208. The Jews offer a different explanation: Canaan, the son, having +been the first to see his grandfather Noah lying naked, announced it +to his father, who then saw for himself; hence, Canaan gave his father +cause to commit the sin. Let the reader judge what value there is in +this exposition.</p> +<a name="p9209"></a> +<p>209. But there is also a philological question which must be discussed +in connection. Scholars call translators to account for the rendering, +"God enlarge Japheth," when the Hebrew words do not permit it, though +not only the Hebrews but also the Chaldeans, are mostly agreed that +the word <i>jepheth</i> means "to enlarge." Technical discussions of this +kind, however, are sometimes very useful to clear up the precise +meaning of a passage.</p> + +<p>210. Some scholars derive the name <i>Japheth</i> from the verb <i>jephah</i>, +which signifies <i>to be beautiful</i>, as in Ps 45, 2: <i>japhjaphita mibene +Adam</i>, "Thou art fairer than the children of men." But this may easily +be shown to be an error; for the true origin of the word is the verb +<i>phatah</i>, which means "to persuade," "to deceive with fair words" as +in Ex 22 16: <i>ki jephateh isch betulah</i>, "If a man entice a virgin, he +shall surely pay a dowry for her." And in Jer 20, 7: <i>pethithani +jehovah va-epath</i>, "O Jehovah, thou hast persuaded me and I was +persuaded;" Prov 1, 10: <i>Im-jephatukah</i>, "If sinners entice thee." +There is no need of more examples, for the word occurs frequently, and +I have no doubt that it is derived from the Greek word <i>peitho</i>, for +it has the same meaning.</p> +<a name="p9211"></a> +<p>211. But let us turn to the question: Why have all translators made it +read, "God enlarge Japheth," while it is not the word <i>pathach</i>, which +means "to enlarge" or "to open", but rather the word <i>pathah</i>? I have +no doubt that the translators were influenced by the harsh expression. +Since this is a promise, it seemed too harsh to state that Noah had +said, "God deceive Japheth." This would appear to be a word of +cursing, not of blessing. Hence they chose a milder term, though it +violated the rules of language. And since there is but a slight +difference between <i>pathach</i>, and <i>pathah</i>, they used one for the +other. They meant to preserve the important fact that this is a +promise.</p> +<a name="p9212"></a> +<p>212. But there is no need for us to alter the text in this manner, and +to violate its grammatical construction, since the word <i>pathah</i>, +offers a most suitable meaning. Being a word of double meaning, as the +word <i>suadere</i> in Latin, it may be accepted either in a bad or in a +good sense. Hence, it is not irreverent to apply this word to God. We +find it clearly so used in Hosea 2, 14, where the Lord says: +"Therefore, behold, I will (<i>mephateha</i>) allure her (or, entice her by +coaxing), and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably +unto her." I will suckle her, speak sweetly unto her, and thus will I +deceive her, as it were, so that she may agree with me, so that the +Church will join herself to me, etc.</p> + +<p>In this sense the word may here rightly be taken to mean "allure," +"persuade," "coax by means of friendly words and flattery." God +suckle, persuade, deceive Japheth by persuasion, so that Japheth +himself, being allured, as his name signifies, may be invited in a +friendly way and thus be beguiled.</p> +<a name="p9213"></a> +<p>213. But you say, what will be the meaning of this? or why should +there be need for Japheth to be beguiled or persuaded, and that by God +himself? I answer: Noah makes the names to serve his purpose in this +prophecy. He gives thanks to God that he establishes them to stand +like a firm root from which Christ was to spring. For the verb <i>sum</i>, +signifies "to place," "to put in position," "to establish."</p> + +<p>214. For Japheth, however, he prays that he may become a true Japheth. +Since he was the oldest son, who ordinarily should have been given the +right of the first-born, he prays that God would persuade him in a +friendly manner, first, not to envy his brother this honor, nor to be +dissatisfied that this privilege was taken from him and given to his +brother. Furthermore, because this matter touches the person of +Japheth only, God includes his entire offspring in the blessing. +Though the promise was given to Shem alone, yet God does not shut out +from it the offspring of Japheth, but speaks to them lovingly through +the Gospel, that they may also become <i>jepheth</i>, being persuaded by +the Word of the Gospel. This is a divine persuasion, coming from the +Holy Spirit; not from the flesh, nor from the world, nor from Satan, +but holy and quickening. This expression is used by Paul in Gal 1, 10, +where he says, "Am I now persuading men or God?" And Gal 3, 1, "Who +did bewitch you that ye should not obey the truth?"—that ye do not +agree to the truth, that ye do not permit yourselves to be persuaded +by that which is true?</p> + +<p>215. Viewing the name Japheth in this case, it signifies a person of +the kind which we call guileless, who believes readily, permitting +himself to be easily persuaded of a matter, who does not dispute or +cling to his own ideas but submits his mind to the Lord and rests upon +his Word, remaining a learner, not desiring to be master over the +words and works of God.</p> + +<p>Hence it is a touching prayer which is here recorded, that God might +persuade Japheth; that is, that he might speak fondly with him. Noah +prays that, though God does not speak to Japheth on the basis of a +promise, as he does with Shem, yet he would speak with him on the +basis of grace and divine goodness.</p> +<a name="p9216"></a> +<p>216. This prayer of Noah foresees the spread of the Gospel throughout +the whole world. Shem is the stem. From his posterity Christ was born. +The Church is of the Jews, who had patriarchs, prophets, and kings. +And yet God here shows Noah that also the wretched Gentiles were to +dwell in the tents of Shem; that is, they were to come into that +heritage of the saints which the Son of God brought into this +world—forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life. He +prophesies clearly that also Japheth will hear the sweet message of +the Gospel as his name suggests; so that, though he have not the same +title as Shem, who was set to be the stem from which Christ was to +spring, yet he should have the persuader, namely the Gospel.</p> + +<p>217. It was Paul through whom this prophecy was fulfilled. He almost +unaided taught the Gospel doctrine to the posterity of Japheth. He +says: "From Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have +fully preached the Gospel of Christ" (Rom 15, 19). Almost all of Asia, +with the exception of the oriental peoples, together with Europe, +belongs to the posterity of Japheth. The Gentiles, therefore, did not, +as the Jews did, receive the kingdom and the priesthood from God. They +had neither the law nor the promise. Yet by the mercy of God they have +heard that sweet voice of the Gospel, the persuader, which is +indicated by the very name of Japheth.</p> +<a name="p9218"></a> +<p>218. The interpreters failed to recognize this as the true meaning, +and God permitted them to make this mistake. Still they did not miss +the true meaning altogether. For the verb <i>hirchib</i>, which means "to +enlarge," means also "to give consolation," just as conversely in +Latin the word <i>angustiae</i> (narrow place) signifies also "pains," or +"perils," or "disaster." Thus we read in Psalms 4, 1: "Thou hast set +me at large when I was in distress." The only real enlargement, or +consolation, is the Word of the Gospel.</p> + +<p>219. Thus the several expositions are harmonized by proper +interpretation. But the primary meaning of <i>enlarge</i>, which conveys +the idea of <i>persuasion</i>, is the native and proper one. It sheds a +bright light upon the fact that we Gentiles, although the promise was +not given to us, have nevertheless been called by the providence of +God to the Gospel. The promise pertains to Shem alone, but Japheth, as +Paul has it in Romans 11, 17, was grafted into the olive tree, like a +wild olive, and became a partaker of the original fatness, or the sap, +of the olive. The older portions of the Bible agree with the newer, +and what God promised in the days of Noah, he now carries out.</p> +<a name="p9220"></a> +<p>220. "Ham" signifies "the hot and burning one." This name was given to +him by his father, I believe, because of the great things he hoped for +his youngest son. To Noah the other two were cold men in comparison. +Eve rejoiced greatly when Cain was born (Gen 4, 1). She believed that +he would restore whatever had been wrought amiss. Yet he was the first +to harm mankind in a new way, in that he killed his brother.</p> +<a name="p9221"></a> +<p>221. Thus God, according to his unsearchable counsel, changes the +expectations even of the saints. Ham, whom his father, at his birth, +had expected to be inflamed with greater zeal for the support of the +Church than his brothers, was hot and burning, indeed, when he grew +older, but in a different sense. He burned against his parent and his +God, as his deed shows. Hence, his name was one of evil prophecy, +unsuspected of Noah when he gave it.</p> +<a name="p9222"></a> +<p>222. This is Noah's prophecy concerning his sons, who have filled the +earth with their offspring. The fact, therefore, that God has +permitted the light of the Gospel to shine upon Germany, is due to the +prophecy anent Japheth. We see today the fulfillment of that which +Noah foretold. Though we are not of the seed of Abraham, yet we dwell +in the tents of Shem and enjoy the fulfilment of the prophecies +concerning Christ.</p> +<a name="p9223"></a> +<p>Vs. 28-29. <i>And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty +years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and +he died.</i></p> + +<p>223. History shows that Noah died fifty years after the birth of +Abraham. Abraham, therefore, enjoying the instruction of so able and +renowned a teacher until his fiftieth year, had an opportunity to +learn something of religion. And there is no doubt that Noah, being +filled with the Holy Spirit, cared for this grandchild of his with +special care and love, as the only heir of Shem's promises.</p> +<a name="p9224"></a> +<p>224. At that time the offspring of Ham flourished, spreading idolatry +throughout the regions of the East. Abraham was in touch with it, and +not without danger to himself. He was saved, however, by Noah, being +almost alone in recognizing the greatness of a man who was the only +survivor of the early world. The others, forgetful of the wrath which +had raged in the flood, taunted the pious, old man; particularly Ham's +progeny, puffed up by wealth and power. They heaped insults upon +Father Noah, and—frenzied by success—they divided the curse of +servitude pronounced upon them as a sign of his dotage. Amen.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II, by Martin Luther + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMENTARY ON GENESIS, VOL. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II + Luther on Sin and the Flood + +Author: Martin Luther + +Translator: John Nicholas Lenker + +Release Date: February 3, 2009 [EBook #27978] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMENTARY ON GENESIS, VOL. II *** + + + + +Produced by Ron Swanson + + + + + +LUTHER ON SIN AND THE FLOOD +COMMENTARY ON GENESIS + +BY + +JOHN NICHOLAS LENKER, D.D. + +TRANSLATOR OF LUTHER'S WORKS INTO ENGLISH; +AUTHOR OF "LUTHERANS IN ALL LANDS" + + + + +VOL. II +SECOND THOUSAND + + + + +The Luther Press +MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., U.S.A. +1910 + + + + +_DEDICATION_. + +To all interested in studying the Christian Missionary problems of +"the last times" of the modern world, this volume is dedicated. + + + + +Copyright, 1910, by J. N. LENKER. + + + + +_FOREWORD_. + + +The first volumes of the "American Luther" we selected for publication +were his best commentaries, then eight volumes of his Gospel and +Epistle sermons and one volume of his best catechetical writings. +These rich evangelical works introduced us to the real Luther, not the +polemical, but the Gospel Luther. They contain the leaven of the +faith, life and spirit of Protestantism. We now return to his +spiritual commentaries on the Bible which are the foundation of all +his writings. The more one reads Luther the greater he becomes as a +student of the One Book. + +Contents of This Volume. + +This, the second volume of Luther's great commentary on Genesis, +appears now in English for the first time. + +It covers chapters four to nine inclusive of Genesis. The subjects +discussed are: Cain's murder, his punishment, Cain's sons, Seth and +his sons, the wickedness of the old world, the ark, Noah's obedience, +the universal destruction, the salvation of Noah's family, his +sacrifice, his blessing, the rainbow covenant, Noah's fall, Ham cursed +and Shem and Japheth blessed. These great themes are discussed by +Moses and Luther. They have vital relations to problems pertaining to +the end of the modern world. 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 repentance, +faith and prayer like Noah and Luther did. + +In his "Dear Genesis" Luther proved that the free Evangelical religion +he taught was not new, but as old as the first book of the Bible, and +that it does not consist in outward forms, organizations and pomp, but +in true faith in Christ in our hearts and lives. Genesis contains the +only historic records accessible of the first 2364 years of the 4004 +years before Christ. It is worthy of study in our day as it was in the +days of the Reformation. + +Acknowledgments. + +Luther advised no one should translate alone and he practiced what he +taught. We have followed his rule and example. Pastor C. B. Gohdes of +Baltimore translated chapter six and President Schaller of Milwaukee +Theological Seminary, chapters five, seven, eight and nine. + +Inaccuracies may be due to the revision and editing, and not to the +translators, for every good translation must be fluent and idiomatic, +to secure which is the most difficult task. Pastor Gohdes also +rendered valuable help in the final revision of parts. The translation +of the analyses is by the undersigned. + +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 edition. The paragraphs are numbered and the analyses given +according to the old Walch edition. + + +_Luther and World-Evangelization_. + +In translating Luther into practical English in practical America, and +in this age that is growing more and more practical, we need to be +reminded that this work is for practical use and purposes. Luther was +radical along Bible lines in applying the truth personally and to the +world. + +It is a year since the last volume of the "American Luther" appeared. +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 World", not a +revision of, but a new companion volume to "Lutherans In All Lands" +that appeared seventeen years ago. By comparing these two books one +has the best evidence of the marvelous progress of God's Kingdom in +recent years, and the growing world-significance of Luther's +evangelistic writings. Evangelization at home and abroad is the +popular religious theme today in the German fatherland and in the +whole Protestant world. The word "world" is becoming so common its +full meaning is not appreciated. When world-evangelization is +discussed, it is too often from the standpoint of the nation +discussing it. Each nation is so active in its own work that it fails +to appreciate what others are doing. 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 work. +Hence the fruits of Luther's evangelical writings are underestimated +by the English people. It is opportune to translate not only Luther +but also the best fruits of those writings in various languages during +the past 400 years, especially since the memorable date of 1917 is +soon to be celebrated by universal Protestantism. Luther in all +languages and Lutherans in all lands go together. We ought to consider +most carefully the great Reformer in his relation to the modern world +and modern world-evangelization. The known world in his day was not so +large. He had, however, a clear view of it all in his writings, which +is due to his faithful study of the Scriptures. The Bible gave him a +knowledge of the world, including all lands and all times. His +commentary of eleven volumes on Genesis illustrates this. The first +volume on Genesis treats of the first part of the ancient world; the +second volume, the one before us, treats of the second part and end of +the old world. This Luther would have us apply to the last times of +the modern world. + +Luther Educational and Devotional. + +Here, as everywhere in his catechisms, sermons and commentaries, +Luther is unique among religious authors in that he is both +educational and devotional, appealing equally to head and heart. He is +"religiously helpful and intellectually profitable," covering every +phase of religious, moral and social conditions, and touching every +interest of humanity. "His words went to the mark like bullets and +left marks like bullets." Being beyond criticism they have a unique +place to fill in the literature and libraries of the world. + +Although the cry, "Read Luther!" has been raised here in the new world +the multitudes of the English people are not rushing for his writings, +as the Germans did when they first appeared in the old world, under +conditions similar to what they are in America at present. If asked +what made the German people what they are, the answer is, these +writings, so universally circulated and read. If the Anglo-Saxons +appreciated their educational and devotional value the 35,000 copies +circulated the last seven years would easily, as a professor +suggested, be increased to a hundred thousand copies. + +Nations Helping Nations. + +The world-consciousness is growing, so is the national consciousness. +Both are characteristic of our times. Perhaps never did the national +spirit develop as in recent years. The great powers, instead of +dividing China, witness the national spirit growing everywhere--in +Japan, China, India, Africa, South America, Norway, Sweden, as well as +in Germany, England, Russia and the United States. This is a good +sign, for the world-family is composed of nations, and each nation has +at least one talent not to be crushed, but with which to serve all the +others. One serves the world when he serves his nation. Luther's +words, "I live for my countrymen", illustrates this. It is not the +nations that have the largest armies and navies that are the greatest +blessing to the world, 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 earth, the best teachers, preachers and authors to train +the people, the best medical skill to relieve human suffering, the +best mechanics and servants, the greatest philanthropists, the best +Christians. In educational, industrial, medical and charitable mission +work the nations dominated by Luther's writings stand high. Nations, +like individuals, are the greatest which serve others best; not the +nations which have the most territory, but nations which do the +greatest service for the whole human family. The students missionary +movement develops men, and the laymen's missionary movement raises +money. Both are needed, but men must be trained to do their work in +the best way and the money be used to bring the best results. Hence +nations should help and study one another most carefully with this in +view. Luther and his writings in the evangelization of Europe ought +not to be overlooked in the evangelization of other continents. By +helping abroad the home does not suffer. Among American Lutherans the +Norwegians prove this, for they have done the most for the heathen and +have the best home mission work. + +Transition and Translation or Transition and Revolution. + +While we are translating Luther for all Anglo-Saxons, we do not +overlook the fact that Luther's disciples, Germans and Scandinavians, +are themselves being translated, or are in a state of transition. The +translation of a people and of their literature or spirit clearly +presents a double problem, both sides of which demand at once the most +careful work. The translation of both the people and their literature +should run parallel and in the same, and not in an opposite, +direction. Germans and Scandinavians have always, and do still, make +the fatal blunder of translating from English into their own +languages, instead of from their languages into English. They thus +cross one another's path never to meet again. Their children and +grandchildren, however, find it easier to translate into English, +their mother tongue; but, alas, they have little interest in doing it. +They make the mistake in thinking their old thoughts and classics are +not needed in the new language. Their motto seems to be, "new +literature for the new language", when to the English public, if not +to themselves, the old writings would be the newest. It is marvelous +how wide-awake preachers are mislead. + +Best Literature is Translations. + +People who are prejudiced against translations, forget that the Bible +and our best literature are translations of the classics of the +world's leading languages. Translations should be welcomed by a people +who themselves are in a state of translation, especially if the +translations are from their mother tongue into the language they are +learning. What endless friction and confusion would be avoided, if +people and their life and literature were translated at the same time. +As we have said, a transition of a people without a translation of +their literature is no transition, but a revolution. To this various +church bodies witness. During the transition of language the best +literature for the children to read is the translations of the +classics of the language of the parents. There may be better +literature, but not for these particular children, if the unity of the +family life is to be perpetuated. Hence it becomes a vital concern +that both children and parents understand that the best literature for +them is such translations. But where are the German or Scandinavian +teachers and preachers who are enthusing over putting this thought +deep into the family life of their congregations. + +A Lesson from Luther and Wesley in America. + +What unwisdom even to attempt to build up the Lutheran Christian life +in free, aggressive Protestant Anglo-Saxon civilization without +Luther's writings in good Anglo-Saxon! Muhlenberg (b. 1711; d. 1787) +and Wesley (b. 1703; d. 1791) came to America about the same time. +Wesley returned home in 1738 after a stay of two years in the south. +Muhlenberg spent his ministerial life of 45 years (1742-1787) in +America, in the Keystone state, in and near Philadelphia, the +metropolis of the new world. When the two Palatinate Germans from +Limerick County, Ireland, Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, a +lay-preacher and a godly woman, held the first Methodist service in +America, in 1766, in New York City, the Lutheran faith had been +planted here by the Dutch since 1657 in the same city, by the Swedes +on the Delaware since 1639, (Torkillus), by the Germans since 1708 +(Kocherthal); Muhlenberg had arrived in Philadelphia in 1742, built +churches the following year in Philadelphia and "The Trappe", and +organized the Synod of Pennsylvania among its 60,000 Lutherans in +1748. All these Lutherans to some extent learned, preached and +confirmed in English. Muhlenberg was naturalized in 1754 as a subject +of Great Britain. This and his stay in England gave an Anglican turn +to his German pietism. When we became a free people in 1776, the +Methodists had only 20 preachers and 3418 members in America and less +than 76,000 followers in Europe from which to receive immigrant +members, while the Lutherans were strong here and in Europe. Today +American Methodists report 60,737 churches, and the Lutherans 13,533. +Why did Wesley's followers become the dominating religious force in +America? Not because Wesley and his writings were greater than Luther +and his writings. Methodists did not bear Wesley's name, but they did +have his spirit and writings. Even to the present day every Methodist +preacher must pass an examination in Wesley's writings before +ordination. Where were Luther's spirit and writings among his early +American followers? + +Language is no more a barrier to Luther's spirit than to Wesley's. +Methodism forged its way from English into German, Norwegian, Danish +and Swedish and among Indians, Mexicans and Negros. People, regardless +of language, color or condition, could not help but learn what real +spiritual Methodism is. It was preached and sung in such simple, plain +Anglo-Saxon, and in good translations, that it could not be +misunderstood nor misrepresented. Wesley's simple evangelical message +was abroad in the land in the hearts of the people. But the +evangelical voice of Luther, the prince of translators, was hardly +heard and even today the English world has no clear popular view of +what spiritual Evangelical Lutheranism is. Often when they speak of +it, they seem to think it is the opposite of what it is. Germans, +Scandinavians and all know the spiritual side of Methodism, but the +English world does not know the spiritual side of Lutheranism, and it +never will until Luther's spiritual writings are translated into +readable English and circulated broadcast over the land, and the +hearts of the people come into direct and close touch with the heart +of the great Reformer himself. + +The English world knows the statistics, the numerical strength of +Lutherans. That needs no apology. But what does need a defense among +Americans is the spirituality of the Lutherans. That is developed by +the translations into the plainest vernacular of God's Word and +Luther's evangelical sermons and commentaries. These are the best +literature for young Germans and Scandinavians. Although translations, +and not perfect, they are the best for them. The Bible first; Luther's +spiritual writings second, not first nor third. Have not Lutherans in +America been following the disciples of Luther instead of Luther; +while Methodists have followed Wesley and not Wesley's disciples. The +Dutch, Swedish and German Lutherans in the east, all learned English. +We say it was a transition, but was it not a revolution? Their history +stands forth as beacon lights of warning to the polyglot Lutherans +migrating to the ends of earth and learning all languages. 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 languages. 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 trade; the +Germans in trade, but not in church work. + +It is said there are 30 million people in the United States with some +German blood in their veins. Two thirds of these, or 20 millions, may +be said to have some Lutheran mixture in their makeup, but only one +and a half million of these 20 millions are communicant members of +English and German Lutheran churches. What people in America can show +a worse religious record? Yet the tenders of the sheep and lambs are +afraid to feed them in the only way they can be fed. Verily whatever +you sow, that shall you also reap. Lift up your eyes, behold the +harvest! Can you not discern the signs of the times? + +It is no wonder that the United States Census of 1890, the latest +reliable statistics on the subject, gave the number of Lutheran +communicants using only English in this English land at 198,907; +General Synod 143,764; United Synod South 37,457; General Council +14,297; Ohio Synod 287; Missouri Synod 1,192--after 150 years of work. +Our good German and Scandinavian parents, in the light of these +figures, need not fear losing many members to purely English churches. +"Reading Luther" in German, Swedish, Norwegian and English will bring +better results to old and young than if read only in one language. The +Church of the Reformation is not one-tongued, but many-tongued. + +English Luther in German and Scandinavian Churches. + +April 12th, 1910, became a memorable date in the North-west by the +introduction of the Scandinavian languages into all the high schools +of Minneapolis. German and Scandinavian taxpayers are gradually +becoming more interested in having their children learn the language +of their mothers in the public schools. This will prove to be a great +blessing to children and home, society and state. The Church however +will blunder, if she thinks there will now be no need of circulating +English literature in German and Scandinavian congregations. +Translating Luther and teaching German and Scandinavian are two ways +of doing the same thing, for language is not an end, but a means to an +end. Many young people are being confirmed in English and they often +attend services in foreign languages. Many know more of the language +than of the matter preached. When weak in the language they understand +better what is preached if they are familiar with the thought. The +reason many do not appreciate a sermon with the Luther ring is because +they are familiar with neither the language nor the thought. Hence the +need of our young people becoming familiar with Luther's sermons and +commentaries in English. One understands better in a strange language +what he is familiar with. This familiar knowledge would help to bridge +the chasm between Lutheran parents and children. Ask parents and they +will tell about the "Old Luther Readers," in their native land and +tongue. All admit that if the young people are not interested to read +Luther in English, they will never read him. All who do will the +better understand sermons in German and Scandinavian. The universal +reading of the English Luther, on the part of the young people, will +therefore help, and not harm, the German and Scandinavian +congregations. Luther's teachings thoroughly understood in a living +way will bind the young to their Christian convictions, as much as the +knowledge of a language binds them to that language. The passive +interest therefore, on the part of German and Scandinavian pastors and +congregations in circulating the English Luther, as far as their young +people are concerned, should give way to active interest, for the sake +of their own work in the future. It is important to learn your +mother's language. You may do that and forget her faith--Better retain +the faith than the language. + +J. N. Lenker. +The Fiftieth Day (Pentecost), 1910. +Minneapolis, Minn. + + + + +COMMENTARY ON GENESIS. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +IV. CAIN MURDERS HIS BROTHER; CALLED TO ACCOUNT. + + A. HOW CAIN MURDERED HIS BROTHER. + + 1. What moved Cain to commit murder 107. + + 2. Cain's hypocritical actions in concealing his anger that he + might the more easily commit the murder 108-109. + + * Cain the picture of all hypocrites 110-129. + + * The attitude of hypocrites to their neighbors. Also, how we + are to view the efforts of the pope and bishops in behalf of + peace and unity 111-112. + + * Against what people we should most guard 112. + + 3. How Cain listened to no warning in his thoughts of murder + 113. + + * Complaint of the world's attitude to good admonition 114. + + * The ways of the hypocrite. Also, why falsehood wears a + friendly aspect 115. + + 4. Whether Cain's passion to murder Abel was noticeable 115. + + 5. Cain took no notice of Abel's sighing and praying 116. + + * The origin of man's cruel and tyrannical nature 117. + + B. HOW CAIN WAS CALLED TO ACCOUNT, AND HIS BEHAVIOR. + + 1. Who questioned Cain, and his defiant actions 118. + + 2. Cain accused himself most when he tried to clear himself 119. + + * Liars speak against themselves, as is proved by examples + 119-120. + + 3. Cain's vindication more foolish than that of the first + parents in paradise 121. + + * St. Martin will absolve the devil if he repents 122. + + * Whoever excuses his sin follows the example of Satan and + makes his case worse 123. + + 4. How Cain heaps sin upon sin 124. + + 5. Cain despairs and is in a worse state than our first parents + after their fall 125. + + 6. How Cain placed himself in a position where nothing could + help him 126. + + 7. Gently accused, and yet defiant 127. + + 8. Cain has not the least reverence for God or his father 128. + + * This is a picture of all hypocrites 129. + + 9. How his defense ends 130. + + * How man ought to act when his conscience accuses him of sin + 131. + + * The hypocrite's actions when his conscience is awakened, and + what he is to do 132-133. + + 10. In Cain's defense wickedness and folly are mingled 134. + + * How God reveals hypocrites 135. + + * Moses says much in few words 136. + + * Whether Abel and our first parents anticipated Cain's murder + 137. + + * Without a thought of what might restrain him, Cain commits + the deed 138. + + * The picture of the sacrifice of Iphigenia applied to Moses' + description of Cain's murder 139-140. + + * Cain's is no ordinary murder, and how he differs from other + murderers 141. + + * The hypocrite's hatred is different from other hatred, and is + found among the Jews and the Papists 142-143. + + * Cain the father of all murderers 144. + + * How the first parents felt over this whole affair 145. + + a. Their grief was so great that they could not have endured + without special divine comfort 146. + + b. Their severe trial in view of the first sin 147. + + c. Very likely because of this murder they refrained so long + from bearing children 148. + + * Whether the first parents had at the time more children + than Cain and Abel 148. + + * Why Cain slew Abel, and how he did it 149. + + 11. The time and occasion when Cain was called to account 150. + + 12. Adam with the authority of God calls Cain to account 152. + + +IV. HOW CAIN MURDERED HIS BROTHER AND WAS REQUIRED TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT, +AND HOW HE CONDUCTED HIMSELF. + +A. How Cain Murdered His Brother. + +V. 8a. _And Cain told (talked with) Abel his brother._ + +107. Our translation adds that Cain said: "Let us go out doors." But +this is one of the comments of the rabbins, whose relative claim to +credit I have fully shown on a previous occasion. Lyra, following the +invention of Eben Ezra, relates that Cain told his brother how +severely he had been rebuked of the Lord. But who would believe +statements for which there is no authority in the Scriptures? We hold +therefore to an explanation which has the warrant of the Scriptures, +namely that Cain, finding himself rejected of God, indulged his anger, +and added to his former sins contempt of his parents and of the Word, +thinking within himself: "The promised seed of the woman belongs to me +as the first-born. But my brother, Abel, that contemptible, +good-for-nothing fellow, is evidently preferred to me by divine +authority, manifest in the fire consuming his sacrifice. What shall I +do, therefore? I will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of +taking vengeance shall occur." + +108. Therefore the words, "Cain told Abel his brother," I understand +to mean that Cain, dissembling his anger, conducted himself toward +Abel as a brother, and spoke to him and conversed with him, as if he +bore with good nature the sentence pronounced upon him by God. In this +manner also Saul simulated an attitude of kindness toward David. "I +know well," said Saul, "that thou shalt surely be king," 1 Sam 24, 20; +and yet he was all the while planning to prevent this by killing +David. Just so Cain now conversed with Abel his brother, and said: I +see that thou art chosen of the Lord; I envy thee not this divine +blessing, etc. This is just the manner of hypocrites. They pretend +friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents +itself. + +109. That such is the true sense of the passage, all the circumstances +clearly show. For if Adam and Eve could have gathered the least +suspicion of the intended murder, think you not that they would either +have restrained Cain or removed Abel, and placed the latter out of +danger? But as Cain had altered his countenance and his deportment +toward his brother, and had talked with him in a brotherly manner, +they thought all was safe, and the son bowed to and acquiesced in the +admonition of his father. The appearance deceived Abel also, who, if +he had feared anything like murder from his brother, would doubtless +have fled from him, as Jacob fled from Esau when he feared his +brother's wrath. What, therefore, could possibly have come into the +mind of Jerome when he believed the rabbins, who say Cain was +expostulating with his brother? + +110. Accordingly, Cain is the image and picture of all hypocrites and +murderers, who kill under the show of godliness. Cain, possessed by +Satan, hides his wrath, waiting the opportunity to slay his brother +Abel; meanwhile he converses with him, as a brother beloved, that he +might the sooner lay his hands upon him unawares. + +111. This passage, therefore, is intended for our instruction in the +ways of murderers and hypocrites. Still Cain talks in a brotherly +manner with his brother, and, on the other hand, Abel still trusts +Cain as a brother should trust a brother; and thus he is murdered, and +the pious parents meanwhile are deceived. + +Just so the pope and the bishops of our day talk and confer much +concerning the peace and concord of the Church. But he is most +assuredly deceived who does not understand that the exact opposite is +planned. For true is that word of the Psalm, "The workers of iniquity +speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts," Ps +28, 3. For it is the nature of hypocrites that they are good in +appearance, speak kindly to you, pretend to be humble, patient and +charitable, give alms, etc.; and yet, all the while they plan +slaughter in their hearts. + +112. Let us learn, then, to know a Cain and especially to beware when +he speaks kindly, and as brother to brother. For it is in this way +that our adversaries, the bishops and the pope, talk with us in our +day, while they pretend a desire for concord, and seek to bring about +doctrinal harmony. In reality, if an opportunity of seizing us and +executing their rage upon us should present itself, you would soon +hear them speak in a very different tone. Truly, "there is death in +the pot," 2 Kings 4, 40; and under the best and sweetest words there +lies concealed a deadly poison. + +V. 8b. _And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain +rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him._ + +113. Here you see the deceptive character of those alluring words. +Cain had been admonished by his father with divine authority to guard +against sin in the future, and to expect pardon for that of the past. +But Cain despises the twofold admonition, and indulges his sin, as all +the wicked do. For true is the saying of Solomon, "When the wicked +cometh, there cometh also contempt, and with ignominy cometh +reproach," Prov 18, 3. + +114. Our ministry at the present day deserves no blame. We teach, we +exhort, we entreat, we rebuke, we turn ourselves every way, that we +may recall the multitude from security to the fear of God. But the +world, like an untamed beast, still goes on and follows not the Word, +but its own lusts, which it tries to smooth over by a show of +uprightness. The prophets and the apostles stand before us as +examples, and our own experience is instructive, also. Our +adversaries, so often warned and convicted, know they are doing wrong, +and yet they do not lay aside their murderous hate. + +115. Learn, then, what a hypocrite is; namely, one who lays claim to +the worship of God and to charity, and yet, at the same time, destroys +the worship of God and slaughters his brother. And all this semblance +of good-will is only intended to bring about better opportunities of +doing harm. For, if Abel had foreseen the implacable wrath and the +truly diabolical anger, he would have saved himself by flight. But as +Cain betrayed no such anger, uttered a friendly greeting and +manifested his usual courtesy, Abel perished before he felt any fear. + +116. There is no doubt that Abel, when he saw his brother rising up +against him, entreated and implored him not to pollute himself with +this awful sin. However, a mind beset by Satan pays no regard to +entreaties, nor heeds uplifted hands, but as a father's admonition had +been disregarded, so now the brother is spurned as he pleads upon his +knees. + +117. Light is cast here upon the bondage to Satan by which our nature, +entangled in sins, is oppressed. Hence Paul's expression, "children of +wrath," Eph 2, 3, and the declaration that such are taken captive by +Satan unto his will, 2 Tim 2, 26. For when we are mere men; that is, +when we apprehend not the blessed seed by faith, we are all like Cain, +and nothing is wanting but an opportunity. For nature, destitute of +the Holy Spirit, is impelled by that same evil spirit which impelled +wicked Cain. If, however, there were in any one those ample powers, or +that free will, by which a man might defend himself against the +assaults of Satan, these gifts would most assuredly have existed in +Cain, to whom belonged the birthright and the promise of the blessed +seed. But in that very same condition are all men! Unless nature be +helped by the Spirit of God, it cannot maintain itself. Why, then, do +we absurdly boast of free-will? Now follows another remarkable +passage. + +B. How Cain Had to Give an Account, and His Conduct. + +V. 9. _And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he +said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?_ + +118. Good God! into what depth of sin does our miserable nature fall +when driven onward by the devil. Murder had been committed on a +brother, and perhaps murdered Abel lay for days unburied. Thereupon, +as Cain returned to his parents at the accustomed time, and Abel +returned not with him, the anxious parents asked him: Cain, thou art +here, but where is Abel? Thou hast returned home, but Abel has not +returned. The flock is without their shepherd. Tell us therefore, +where thy brother is. Upon this, Cain, becoming abusive, makes answer +to his parents, by no means with due reverence, "I know not: Am I my +brother's keeper?" + +119. But it happened to Cain as to all the wicked, that by excusing +himself he accused himself, according to the words of Christ, "Out of +thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant," Luke 19, 22. +Also the heathen had a striking proverb among them, "A liar ought to +have a good memory." Such was the judgment of heathen men, though they +knew nothing of the judgment of God and of conscience, and had nothing +to guide their judgment but their experience in civil affairs. And +true it is that liars run much risk of being discovered and unmasked. +Hence the Germans have the proverb, "A lie is a very fruitful thing." +For one lie begets seven other lies, which become necessary to uphold +the first lie. And yet it is impossible, after all, to prevent +conscience from arousing and betraying itself at times, if not in +words, then in gestures. This is proved by numberless examples. I will +cite only one example here: + +120. In Thuringia there is a small town in the district of Orla, +called Neustadt. In this town a harlot had murdered her infant, to +which she had secretly given birth, and had thrown it, after the +murder, into a neighboring fishpond. Accidentally the little piece of +linen in which she had wrapped the infant, brought the horrid deed to +light. The case was brought before the magistrate; and as the simple +men of the place knew no better means of investigating the crime, they +called all the young women of the town into the town hall and closely +examined them, one by one. The face and the testimony of each one of +these proclaimed her innocent. But when they came to her who was the +real perpetrator of the deed, she did not wait for questions to be put +to her, but immediately declared aloud that she was not the guilty +person. The contrast she presented to the others in making such haste +to defend herself, confirmed the suspicion of the magistrates. At once +she was seized by the constables and put to death. + +Indeed, instances are innumerable and of daily occurrence which show +that people, in their eagerness to defend themselves, accuse +themselves. Sin may, indeed, lie asleep, but that word which we have +just heard, is true. It lies at the door. + +121. Just so in the present case. Cain thinks he has made an effectual +excuse for himself by saying that he is not his brother's keeper. But +does he not confess by the very word "brother" which he takes upon his +lips that he ought to be his keeper? Is not that equal to accusing +himself, and will not the fact that Abel is nowhere in evidence arouse +the suspicion in the minds of his parents that he has been murdered? +Just so also Adam excuses himself in paradise, and lays all the blame +on Eve. But this excuse of Cain is far more stupid; for while he +excuses his sin he doubles it, whereas the frank confession of sin +finds mercy and appeases wrath. + +122. It is recorded in the history of St. Martin, that when he +absolved certain notorious sinners, he was rebuked by Satan for doing +so. St. Martin is said to have replied, "Why, I would absolve even +thee, if thou wouldst say from thy heart, I repent of having sinned +against the Son of God, and I pray for pardon." But the devil never +does this. For he persists in committing sin and defending the same. + +123. All liars and hypocrites imitate Cain their father, by either +denying their sin or excusing it. Hence they cannot find pardon for +their sins. And we see the same in domestic life. By the defense of +wrong-doing, anger is increased. For whenever the wife, or the +children, or the servants, have done wrong, and deny or excuse their +wrong-doing, the father of the family is the more moved to wrath; +whereas, on the other hand, confession secures pardon or a lighter +punishment. But it is the nature of hypocrites to excuse and palliate +their sin or to deny it altogether and under the show of religion, to +slay the innocent. + +124. But here let us survey the order in which sins follow each other +and increase. First of all Cain sins by presumption and unbelief when, +priding himself on the privilege of his birthright, he takes it for +granted that he shall be accepted of God on the ground of his own +merit. Upon this pride and self-glorification immediately follow envy +and hatred of his brother, whom he sees preferred to himself by an +unmistakable sign from heaven. Upon this envy and hatred follow +hypocrisy and lying. Though he designs to murder his brother, he +accosts him in a friendly manner and thereby throws him off his guard. +Hypocrisy is followed by murder. Murder is followed by the excusing of +his sin. And the last stage is despair, which is the fall from heaven +to hell. + +125. Although Adam and Eve in paradise did not deny their sin, yet +their confession was lukewarm, and the sin was shifted from the one to +the other. Adam laid it on Eve, and Eve on the serpent. But Cain went +even farther, for he not only did not confess the murder he had +committed, but disclaimed responsibility for his brother. And did not +this at once prove his mind to be hostile against his brother? +Therefore, though Adam and Eve made only a half-hearted confession, +they had some claim to pardon, and in consequence were punished with +less severity. But Cain, because he resolutely denied his sin, was +rejected, and fell into despair. + +And the same judgment awaits all the sons of Cain, popes, cardinals, +and bishops, who, although they plan murder against us day and night, +say likewise, "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" + +126. There was a common proverb of old, "What is it to the Romans that +the Greeks die?" So we think that our dangers and calamities only +belong to ourselves. But how does this principle agree with the +commandment of God? For his will is that we should all live together, +and be to each other as brethren. Cain, therefore, by this very saying +of his, heavily accuses himself when he makes the excuse that the +custody of his brother was no affair of his. Whereas, if he had said +to his father, "Alas, I have slain Abel, my brother. I repent of the +deed I have done. Return upon me what punishment thou wilt," there +might have been room for a remedy; but as he denied his sin, and, +contrary to the will of God, disclaimed responsibility for his brother +altogether, there was no place left for mercy or favor. + +127. Moreover, Moses took special pains in the preparation of this +account, that it might serve as a witness against all hypocrites, and +as a chronicle containing a graphic description of their character and +of the ire to which they are aroused by Satan against God, his Word +and his Church. It was not enough for this murderer that he had killed +his brother, contrary to the command of God, but he added the further +sin that he became filled with indignation and rage when God inquired +of him concerning his brother. I say, "when God inquired of him," +because, although it was Adam who spoke these words to his son Cain, +yet he spoke them by the authority of God and by the Holy Spirit. In +view of so great a sin, was it not quite gentle to inquire, "Where is +Abel thy brother?" And yet, to this word, which contained nothing +severe, the hypocrite and murderer is ferocious and proud enough to +reply, "I know not." And he is indignant that he should be called to +an account concerning the matter at all. For the reply of Cain is the +language of one who resists and hates God. + +128. But to this sin Cain adds one still worse. Justly under +indictment for murder, he presently becomes the accuser of God, and +expostulates with him: "Am I my brother's keeper?" He prefaces his +reply with no such expression of reverence or honor as is due both to +God and to his father. He did not say, "Lord, I know not." He did not +say, "My Father, didst thou make me the keeper of my brother?" Such +expressions as these would have indicated a feeling of reverence +toward God or toward his parent. But he answers with pride as if he +himself were the Lord, and plainly manifests that he felt indignation +at being called to account by him who had the perfect right to do so. + +129. This is a true picture of all hypocrites. Living in manifest +sins, they grow insolent and proud, aiming all the while to appear +righteous. They will not yield even to God himself and his Word when +upbraided by them. Nay, they set themselves against God, contend with +him, and excuse their sin. Thus David says, that God is judged of men, +but that at length he clears and justifies himself, and prevails, Ps +51, 4. Such is the insolence of the hypocrites Moses has here +endeavored to paint. + +130. But what success has Cain with his attempt? This, that his +powerful effort to excuse himself becomes a forcible self-accusation. +Christ says, "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked +servant," Lk 19, 22. Now, this servant wished to appear without guilt, +saying: "I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou +didst not sow; and I was afraid, and hid thy talent," Mt 25, 24-25. +Could he have brought a stronger accusation against himself, in view +of the fact that Christ immediately turns his words against him? +Thereby Christ evidences the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. + +131. Such illustrations help us to learn not to contend with God. On +the contrary when you feel in your conscience that you are guilty, +take heed with all your soul that you strive neither with God nor with +men by defending or excusing your sin. Rather do this: When you see +God point his spear at you, flee not from him; but, on the contrary, +flee to him with a humble confession of your sin, and with prayer for +his pardon. Then God will draw back his spear and spare you. But when, +by the denial and excuse of your sin, you flee farther and farther +from him, God will pursue you at close range with still greater +determination, and bring you to bay. Nothing, therefore, is better or +safer than to come with the confession of guilt. Thus it comes to pass +that God's victory becomes our victory through him. + +132. But Cain and hypocrites in general do not this. God points his +spear at them, but they never humble themselves before him nor pray to +him for pardon. Nay, they rather point their spear at God, just as +Cain did on this occasion. Cain does not say, "Lord, I confess I have +killed my brother; forgive me." On the contrary, though being the +accused, he himself accuses God by replying, "Am I my brother's +keeper?" And what did he effect with his pride? His reply was +certainly equal to the confession that he cared naught for the divine +law, which says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," Lev 19, +18. And again, "Do not unto another that which you would not have +another do unto you," Mt 7, 12. This law was not first written in the +Decalog; it was inscribed in the minds of all men. Cain acts directly +against this law, and shows that he not only cares nothing for it, but +absolutely despises it. + +133. In this manner, Cain represents a man who is not merely wicked, +but who occupies such a height of wickedness as to combine hypocrisy +with bloodshed, and yet is so eager to maintain the appearance of +sanctity that he rather accuses God than concedes the justice of the +accusation against himself. And this is what all hypocrites do. They +blaspheme God and crucify his Son, and yet wish to appear righteous. +For after their sins of murder, blasphemy and the like their whole aim +is to seek means whereby to excuse and palliate the same. But the +result always is that they betray themselves and are condemned out of +their own mouths. + +134. While Cain makes an effort to clear himself, he exhibits the +foulest stains. He thinks he made a most plausible excuse when he +said, "Am I my brother's keeper?" But this very excuse becomes his +most shameful accusation. The maxim of Hilary, that wickedness and +stupidity always go hand in hand, finds unvarying application. If Cain +had been as wise as he was wicked, he would have excused himself in +quite a different manner. Now, under the operation of the divine rule +that wickedness and stupidity are running mates, he becomes his own +accuser. The same principle operates in favor of the truth, and makes +her defense against all adversaries easy. Just as Cain betrayed by +word and mien his indifference and hate toward his brother, so all +adversaries of the truth betray their wickedness, the one in this way, +the other in that. + +135. Facts of importance and apt for instruction are, therefore, here +set before us. And their general import is that God does not permit +hypocrites to remain hidden for any length of time, but compels them +to betray themselves just when they make shrewd efforts to hide their +hypocrisy and crime. + +136. Moses does not exhibit in his narrative the verbose diction +characteristic of pagan literature, where we often find one and the +same argument embellished and polished by a variety of colors. We find +by experience that no human power of description can do justice to +inward emotions. In consequence, verbosity, as a rule, comes short of +expressing emotion. Moses employs the opposite method, and clothes a +great variety of arguments in scant phraseology. + +137. Above the historian used the expression, "when they were in the +field." Thereby Moses indicates that the murderer Cain had watched his +opportunity to attack his brother when both were alone. All the +circumstances plainly show that Abel was not idle at the time; for he +was in the field, where he had to do the things his father committed +to him. From Moses' statement we may infer that Abel's parents felt +absolutely no fear of danger. For, although at the outset they had +feared that the wrath of Cain would eventually break out into still +greater sin, Cain, by his gentleness and pretended affection, +prevented all suspicion of evil on the part of his parents. For had +there been the least trace of apprehension, they certainly would not +have permitted Abel to go from their presence alone. They would have +sent his sisters with him as companions; for he no doubt had some. Or +his parents themselves would have prevented by their presence and +authority the perpetration of so great a crime. As already stated, +also the mind of Abel was perfectly free from suspicion. For, had he +suspected the least evil at the hand of his brother, he would +doubtless have sought safety by flight. But after he had heard that +Cain bore the judgment of God with composure, and did not envy the +brother his honor, he pursued his work in the field with a feeling of +security. + +138. What orator could do justice to the scene which Moses depicts in +one word: "Cain rose up against his brother?" Many descriptions of +cruelty are to be found on every hand, but could any be painted as +more atrocious and execrable than is the case here? "He rose up +against his brother," Moses writes. It is as if he had said, Cain rose +up against Abel, the only brother he had, with whom he had been +brought up and with whom he had lived to that day. But not only the +relationship Cain utterly forgot; he forgot their common parents also. +The greatness of the grief he would cause his parents by such a grave +crime, never entered his mind. He did not think that Abel was a +brother, from whom he had never received any offense whatever. For +Cain knew that the honor of having offered the more acceptable +sacrifice, proceeded not from any desire or ambition in Abel, but from +God himself. Nor did Cain consider that he, who had hitherto stood in +the highest favor with his parents, would lose that favor altogether +and would fall under their deepest displeasure as a result of his +crime. + +139. It is recorded in history of an artist who painted the scene of +Iphigenia's sacrifice, that when he had given to the countenance of +each of the spectators present its appropriate expression of grief and +pain, he found himself unable to portray the vastness of the father's +grief, who was present also, and hence painted his head draped. + +140. Such is the method, I think, Moses employs in this passage, when +he uses the verb _yakam_, "Rose up against." What tragical pictures +would the eloquence of a Cicero or a Livy have drawn in an attempt to +portray, through the medium of their oratory, the wrath of the one +brother, and the dread, the cries, the prayers, the tears, the +uplifted hands, and all the horrors of the other! But not even in that +way can justice be done to the subject. Moses, therefore, pursues the +right course, when he portrays, by a mere outline, things too great +for utterance. Such brevity tends to enlist the reader's undivided +attention to a subject which the vain adornment of many words +disfigures and mars, like paint applied to natural beauty. + +141. This is true also of the additional statement, "He slew him." +Occasionally we see men start a quarrel and commit murder for a +trivial cause, but no such ordinary murder is described here. +Murderers of this kind immediately afterward are filled with distress; +they grieve for the deeds they have done and acknowledge them to be +delusions of the devil by which he blinded their minds. Cain felt no +distress; he expressed no grief, but denied the deed he had done. + +142. This satanic and insatiable hatred in hypocrites is described by +Christ in the words, "When they kill you, they will think that they do +God service," Jn 16, 2. So the priests and the kings filled Jerusalem +with the blood of the prophets and gloried in what they did as a great +achievement; for they considered this as proof of their zeal for the +Law and the house of God. + +143. And the fury of popes and bishops in our day is just the same. +They are not satisfied with having excommunicated us again and again, +and with having shed our blood, but they wish to blot out our memory +from the land of the living, according to the description in the +Psalm, "Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof," Ps 137, 7. +Such hatred is not human but satanic. For all human hatred becomes +mellow in time; at all events, it will cease after it has avenged our +injury and gratified its passion. But the hatred of these Pharisees +assumes constantly larger dimensions, especially since it is smoothed +over by a show of piety. + +144. Cain, therefore, is the father of all those murderers who +slaughter the saints, and whose wrath knows no end so long as there +remains one of them, as is proved in the case of Christ himself. As +for Cain, there is no doubt of his having hoped that by putting Abel +to death he should keep the honor of his birthright. Thus, the ungodly +always think that their cruelty will profit them in some way. But when +they find that their hope is vain they fall into despair. + +145. Now, when the fact of this shameful murder was made known to the +parents, what do we think must have been the sad scenes resulting? +What lamentations? What sighs and groans? But I dwell not on these +things; they are for the man with the gifts of eloquence and +imagination to describe. It was certainly a marvel that both parents +were not struck lifeless with grief. The calamity was rendered the +greater by the fact that their first-born, who had aroused so large +hopes concerning himself, was the perpetrator of this horrible murder. + +146. If, therefore, Adam and Eve had not been helped from above, they +could never have been equal to this disaster in their home; for there +is nothing like it in all the world. Adam and Eve were without that +consolation which we may have in sudden and unexpected calamities, +namely, that like evils have befallen others and have not come upon us +alone. Our first parents had only two sons, though I believe that they +had daughters also; and therefore they lacked such instances of grief +in the human family as we have before our eyes. + +147. Who can doubt, moreover, that Satan by this new species of +temptation increased greatly the grief of our first parents? They no +doubt thought, Behold, this is all our sin. We, in paradise, wished to +become like God; but by our sin we have become like the devil. This is +the case also with our son. We loved only this son, and made +everything of him! Our other son, Abel, was righteous before us, above +this son; but of his righteousness we made nothing! This elder son we +hoped would be he who should crush the serpent's head; but behold, he +himself is crushed by the serpent! Nay, he himself has become like the +serpent, for he is now a murderer. And whence is this? Is it not +because he was born of us, and because we, through our sin, are what +we are? Therefore it is to our flesh; therefore it is to our sin, that +this calamity must be traced. + +148. It is very probable, accordingly, and the events of the series of +years which followed strengthen this probability, that the sorrowing +parents, shaken to the core by their calamity, abstained for a long +time from connubial intercourse. For it appears that when Cain +committed this murder he was about thirty years of age. During this +period some daughters were born unto Adam. In view of the subsequent +statements, verse 17, that "Cain knew his wife," he no doubt married a +sister. Moreover, since Cain himself says in verse 14, "It shall come +to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me", and as it is +further said in verse 15, "The Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any +finding him should kill him"--it appears most probable from all these +circumstances that Adam had many children besides Cain and Abel, but +these two only are mentioned, on account of their important and +memorable history, and because these two were their first and most +remarkable children. It is my full belief that the marriage of our +first parents was most fruitful during the first thirty years of their +union. Somewhere Calmana and Dibora are mentioned as daughters of +Adam, but I know not whether the authors are worthy of credence. +Inasmuch, therefore, as the birth of Seth is recorded as having taken +place a long time after this murder, it seems to me very probable that +the parents, distressed beyond measure at this monstrous crime in the +bosom of their family, refrained for a long time from procreation. +While Moses does not touch upon all these things, 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 distance. + +149. But I return to the text before us. Cain is an evil and wicked +man, and yet, in the eyes of his parents, he is a divine possession +and gift. Abel, on the contrary, is in the eyes of his parents +nothing; but in the eyes of God he is truly a righteous man; an +appellation with which also Christ honors him when he calls him +"righteous Abel"! Mt 23, 35. This divine judgment concerning Abel, +Cain could not endure, and, therefore, he thought that by murder not +only the hatred against his brother could be satisfied, but also his +birthright be retained. But he was far from thinking that was sin; as +the first-born he thought he had exercised his right. He killed Abel, +not with a sword, as I think, but with a club or a stone, for I hold +that there were as yet no iron weapons. + +150. After the murder, Cain remained unconcerned, for he thought the +deed could be concealed by hiding the body, which he buried, or +perhaps cast into a river, thinking that thus it would surely remain +undiscovered by his parents. + +When Abel, however, had been from home a longer time than had been his +habit, the Holy Spirit prompted Adam to inquire of Cain concerning +Abel, saying, "Where is Abel thy brother?" The above-mentioned +utterance of Adam, "If not, sin lieth at the door," was a prophecy +which now began to come true. Cain thought he had laid his sin to +rest, and all would thus remain hidden. And true it was that his sin +did lie at rest, but it lay at rest "at the door." And who opens the +door? None other than the Lord himself! He arouses the sleeping sin! +He brings the hidden sin to light! + +151. The same thing must come to pass with all sinners. For, unless by +repentance you first come to God, and yourself confess your sin to +God, God will surely come to you, to disclose your sin. For God cannot +endure that any one should deny his sin. To this fact the psalmist +testifies: "When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my +roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon +me; my moisture was changed as with the drouth of summer." Ps 32, 3-4. +For, although sin has its sleep and its security, yet that sleep is +"at the door"; it cannot long last, and the sin cannot remain hidden. + +152. When Moses introduces Jehovah as speaking, I understand him to +mean, as above, that it was Adam who spoke by the Holy Spirit in the +place of God, whom he represented in his relation as father. The +expression of the Holy Spirit, therefore, is intended to set forth the +high authority of parents; when children dutifully hear and obey +these, they hear and obey God. And I believe Adam knew by the +revelation of the Holy Spirit that Abel had been slain by his brother; +for his words intimate the commission of murder at a time when Cain +still dissembled as to what he had done. + + +V. CAIN PUNISHED FOR HIS MURDER. + + A. CAIN'S PUNISHMENT IN GENERAL. + + 1. By whom and how he is punished 153. + + 2. Why he was not put to death 153. + + * The double grief of the first parents 154. + + * What was Adam's church and altar 155. + + 3. How Cain was excommunicated 156. + + * God's inquiry about Abel's blood. + + a. How unbelievers refer to it 157. + + b. How a theologian should use it 158. + + c. It is a great and important matter 159. + + * How Abel's death is to be viewed 159. + + d. Why God does not inquire after the blood of beasts + 160-161. + + e. Whether this inquiry was from God direct or made through + Adam 162-163. + + f. How Cain felt upon this inquiry 164. + + * The result of sin to murderers and other sinners 165-166. + + * An evil conscience the result of evil-doing 166. + + g. How to understand the statement that Abel's blood crieth + to heaven 167. + + * How God's children are to comfort themselves when the + world oppresses them and seemingly God refuses to help + 168-171. + + h. This inquiry is a sign of God's care for Abel 169. + + * The blood of many Evangelical martyrs cry to the Papists + 170. + + * How God opportunely judges the afflictions of believers + 171. + + * Why God's vengeance does not immediately follow 172. + + i. The time this inquiry occurred 173. + + * God indeed has regard for the sufferings and tears of his + children 174. + + * How sinners can meet the judgments of God 174. + + 4. The miserable life Cain must have led after his punishment + 175. + + B. CAIN'S PUNISHMENT IN DETAIL. + + 1. The Church suffered. + + a. How Cain's punishment and curse differed from Adam's + 176-178. + + b. Why Cain's person was cursed 178-179. + + * The more Cain desired honor, the less he received 180. + + * The beginning of both churches, the true and the false + 181. + + * Cain's whole posterity perished in sin 181. + + c. How his curse and punishment were lightened 182. + + * Whether any of Cain's posterity were saved, and holy 182. + + * The way the heathen had part in the promise 182-185. + + * The way Cain withheld his children from the true Church + 185. + + 2. The Home suffered. + + a. How this curse affected the earth 186-187. + + b. Why Adam used such severe words in this curse 186. + + c. How it caused the earth to be less fruitful 187. + + * The difference between "Arez" and "Adama" 188. + + 3. The State suffered. + + * What "No" and "Nod" mean, and how they differ 189-190. + + * Cain's sin punished in three ways and in each the sin was + mitigated 191-193. + + * Cain a fugitive and a wanderer. + + a. This refers chiefly to the true Church, as is illustrated + by many examples of the saints 194-195. + + b. It refers less to the false 194-195. + + c. Many take offense at this 196. + + +V. HOW CAIN WAS PUNISHED FOR HIS MURDER. + +A. Cain's Punishment in General. + +153. If Eve overheard these words, what think you must have been the +state of her mind! Her grief must have been beyond all description. +But the calamity was brought home to Adam with even greater force. As +he was the father, it fell to him to rebuke his son and to +excommunicate him for his sin. Since, according to the ninth chapter, +the law concerning the death-penalty for murderers was not promulgated +until afterward when the patriarchs beheld murder becoming alarmingly +frequent, Adam did not put Cain to death, but safeguarded his life in +obedience to the prompting and direction of the Holy Spirit; still, it +is a fact not to be gainsaid that the punishment ordained for him and +all his posterity was anything but light. For in addition to that +curse upon his body he suffered excommunication from his family, +separation from the sight of his parents and from the society of his +brothers and sisters, who remained with their parents, or in the +fellowship of the Church. + +154. Now, Adam could not have done all this, nor could Eve have heard +it without indescribable anguish. For a father is a father, and a son +is a son. Gladly would Adam have spared his son and retained him at +home, as we now sometimes see murderers become reconciled to the +brothers of their victims. But in this case no place was left for +reconciliation. Cain is bidden at once to be a fugitive upon the face +of the earth. The pain of the parents was doubled in consequence. They +see one of their sons slain, and the other excommunicated by the +judgment of God and cut off forever from the fellowship of his +brethren. + +155. Moreover, when we here speak of excommunication from the Church, +it stands to reason that not our houses of worship, built in +magnificent style and ample proportions out of hewn stone, are meant. +The sanctuary, or church, of Adam was a certain tree, or a certain +little hill under the open heaven, where they assembled to hear the +Word of God and to offer their sacrifices, for which purpose they had +erected altars. And when they offered their sacrifices and heard the +Word, God was present, as we see from the experience of Abel. + +Also elsewhere in the sacred story, mention is made of such altars +under the open heaven, and of sacrifices made upon them. And, if we +should come together at this day under the open sky to bend our knees, +to preach, to give thanks, and to bless each other, a custom would be +inaugurated altogether beneficial. + +156. It was from a temple of this kind and from such a church, not a +conspicuous and magnificent church at a particular place, that Cain +was cast out. He was thus doubly punished; first, by a corporal +penalty, because the earth was accursed to him, and secondly, by a +spiritual penalty, because by excommunication, he was cast out from +the temple and the church of God as from another paradise. + +157. Lawyers also have drawn upon this passage, and quite properly +brought out the fact that Jehovah first investigated the matter and +then passed sentence. Their application is, that no one should be +pronounced guilty until his case has been tried; until he has been +called to the bar, proved guilty and convicted. This, according to a +previous statement, was also done with Adam: "The Lord God called unto +Adam, and said unto him. Where art thou?" Gen 3, 9. And further on: "I +will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according +to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know," Gen +11, 5; 18, 21. + +158. However, dismissing the matter in its bearings upon public life, +let us view its more attractive theological features. The element of +doctrine and of hope is found in the fact that Jehovah inquires +concerning the dead Abel. Clearly there is pointed out to us here the +truth of the resurrection of the dead. God declared himself to be the +God of Abel, although now dead, and he inquired for the dead, for +Abel. Upon this passage we may establish the incontrovertible +principle that, if there were no one to care for us after this life, +Abel would not have been inquired for after he was slain. But God +inquires after Abel, even when he had been taken from this life; he +has no desire to forget him; he retains the remembrance of him; he +asks: "Where is he?" God, therefore, we see, is the God of the dead. +My meaning is that even the dead, as we here see, still live in the +memory of God, and have a God who cares for them, and saves them in +another life beyond and different from this corporal life in which +saints suffer affliction. + +159. This passage, therefore, is most worthy of our attention. We see +that God cared for Abel, even when dead; and that on account of the +dead Abel, he excommunicated Cain, and visited him, the living, with +destruction in spite of his being the first-born. A towering fact +this, that Abel, though dead, was living and canonized in another life +more effectually and truly than those whom the pope ever canonized! +The death of Abel was indeed horrible; he did not suffer death without +excruciating torment nor without many tears. Yet it was a blessed +death, for now he lives a more blessed life than he did before. This +bodily life of ours is lived in sin, and is ever in danger of death. +But that other life is eternal and perfectly free from trials and +troubles, both of the body and of the soul. + +160. No! God inquires not after the sheep and the oxen that are slain, +but he does inquire after the men who are slain. Accordingly men +possess the hope of a resurrection. They have a God who brings them +back from the death of the body unto eternal life, a God who inquires +after their blood as a most precious thing. The Psalmist says: +"Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints," Ps 116, +15. + +161. This is the glory of the human race, obtained for it by the seed +of the woman which bruised the serpent's head. The case of Abel is the +first instance of such promise made to Adam and Eve, and God showed by +the same that the serpent did not harm Abel, although it caused his +murder. This was indeed an instance of the serpent's "bruising the +heel" of the woman's seed. But in the very attempt to bite, its own +head was crushed. For God, in answer to Abel's faith in the promised +seed, required the blood of the dead, and proved himself thereby to be +his God still. This is all proved by what follows. + +V. 10. _And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's +blood crieth unto me from the ground._ + +162. Cain's sin hath hitherto lain at the door. And the preceding +circumstances plainly show how hard he struggled to keep his sin +asleep. For being interrogated by his father concerning his brother +Abel and his whereabouts, he disclaimed knowledge of the matter, thus +adding to murder lying. This answer of Cain is sufficient evidence +that the above words were spoken by Adam in his own person, and not by +God in his divine Majesty. For Cain believed that the deed was hidden +from his father, as he was a mere man, while he could not have thought +this of the divine Majesty. Therefore, had God spoken to him in his +own person, he would have returned a different answer. But, as he +thought himself dealing with a human being only, Cain denied his deed +altogether, saying: "I know not. How numerous are the perils by which +a man may perish. He may have been destroyed by wild beasts; he may +have been drowned in some river; or he may have lost his life by some +other death." + +163. Thus Cain thought that his father would think of any other cause +of death than the perpetration of murder. But Cain could not deceive +the Holy Spirit in Adam. Adam therefore, as God's representative, +arraigns him with the words, "What hast thou done?" As if he had said +"Why dost thou persist in denying the deed; be assured thou canst not +deceive God, who hath revealed to me all. Thou thinkest the blood of +thy brother is hidden by the earth. But it is not so absorbed and +concealed thereby as to prevent the blood crying aloud unto God." That +meant to awaken the sin lying at the door, and to drag it forth. + +164. The text before us, then, provides much consolation against the +enemies and murderers of the Church; for it teaches us that our +afflictions and sufferings and the shedding of our blood fill heaven +and earth with their cries. I believe, therefore, that Cain was so +overwhelmed and confounded by these words of his father that, as if +thunderstruck, he knew not what to say or what to do. No doubt his +thoughts were, "If my father Adam knows about the murder which I have +committed, how can I any longer doubt that it is known unto God, unto +the angels, and unto heaven and earth? Whither can I flee? Which way +can I turn, wretched man that I am?" + +165. Such is the state of murderers to this day. They are so harassed +with the stings of conscience, after the crime of murder has been +committed, that they are always in a state of alarm. It seems to them +that heaven and earth have put on a changed aspect toward them, and +they know not whither to flee. A case in point is Orestes pursued by +the furies, as described by the poets. A horrible thing is the cry of +spilled blood and an evil conscience. + +166. The same is true of all other atrocious sins. Those who commit +them, experience the same distresses of mind when remorse lays hold of +them. The whole creation seems changed toward them, and even when they +speak to persons with whom they have been familiar, and when they hear +the answers they make, the very sound of their voice appears to them +altogether changed and their countenances seem to wear an altered +aspect. Whichever way they turn their eyes, all things are clothed, as +it were, in gloom and horror. So grim and fierce a monster is a guilty +conscience! And, unless such sinners are succored from above, they +must put an end to their existence because of their anguish and +intolerable pain. + +167. Again Moses' customary conciseness is in evidence, which, +however, is more effective than an excess of words. In the first +place, he personifies a lifeless object when he attributes to blood a +voice filling with its cries heaven and the earth. How can that voice +be small or weak which, rising from earth, is heard by God in heaven? +Abel, therefore, who when alive was patient under injuries and gentle +and placid of spirit, now, when dead and buried in the earth, can not +brook the wrong inflicted. He who before dared not murmur against his +brother, now fairly shrieks, and so completely enlists God in his +cause that he descends from heaven, to charge the murderer with his +crime. Moses, accordingly, here uses the more pregnant term. He does +not say, "The voice of thy brother's blood speaketh unto me from the +ground," but, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me." It is +a cry like the shout of heralds when they raise their voices to +assemble men together. + +168. These things are written, as I have observed, to convince us that +our God is merciful, that he loves his saints, takes them into his +special care, and demands an account for them; while, on the other +hand, he is angry with the murderers of his saints, hates them and +designs their punishment. Of this consolation we stand in decided +need. When oppressed by our enemies and murderers, we are apt to +conclude that our God has forgotten and lost interest in us. We think +that if God cared for us, he would not permit such things to come upon +us. Likewise, Abel might have reasoned: God surely cares nothing for +me; for if he did, he would not suffer me thus to be murdered by my +brother. + +169. But only look at what follows! Does not God safeguard the +interests of Abel better than he could possibly have done himself? How +could Abel have inflicted on his brother such vengeance as God does, +now that Abel is dead? How could he, if alive, execute such judgment +on his brother as God here executes? Now the blood of Abel cries +aloud, who, while alive, was of a most retiring disposition. Now Abel +accuses his brother before God of being a murderer; when alive he +would bear all the injuries of his brother in silence. For who was it +that disclosed the murder committed by Cain? Was it not, as the text +here tells us, the blood of Abel, fairly deafening with its constant +cries the ears of God and men? + +170. These things, I say, are all full of consolation; especially for +us who now suffer persecution from the popes and wicked princes on +account of our doctrine. They have practiced against us the utmost +cruelty and have vented their rage against godly men, not in Germany +only, but also in other parts of Europe. And all this sin is +disregarded by the papacy, as if it were nothing but a joke. Nay, the +Papists really consider it to be a service toward God, Jn 16, 2. All +this sin, therefore, as yet "lieth at the door." But it shall become +manifest in due time. The blood of Leonard Kaiser, which was shed in +Bavaria, is not silent. Nor is the blood of Henry of Zutphen, which +was shed in Dietmar; nor that of our brother Anthony, of England, who +was cruelly and without a hearing slain by his English countrymen. I +could mention a thousand others who, although their names are not so +prominent, were yet fellow-sufferers with confessors and martyrs. The +blood of all these, I say, will not be silent; 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 bear. + +171. Let us not think, therefore, that God does not heed the shedding +of our blood! Let us not imagine for a moment that God does not regard +our afflictions! No! he collects all our tears, and puts them into his +bottle, Ps 56, 8. The cry of the blood of all the godly penetrates the +clouds and the heavens to the very throne of God, and entreats him to +avenge the blood of the righteous, Ps 79, 10. + +172. As these things are written for our consolation, so are they +written for the terror of our adversaries. 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 God? God is indeed +long-suffering, especially now toward the end of the world; and +therefore sin lies the longer "at the door," and vengeance does not +immediately follow. But it is surely true that God is most grievously +offended with all this sin, and that he will never suffer it to pass +unpunished. + +173. Such judgment of God on Cain, however, I do not believe to have +been executed on the first day, but some time afterward. For it is +God's nature to be long-suffering, inasmuch as he waits for the sinner +to turn. But he does not, on that account, fail to punish him. For he +is the righteous judge both of the living and of the dead, as we +confess in our Christian Faith. Such judgment God exercised in the +very beginning of the world with reference to these two brothers. He +judged and condemned the living murderer, and justified murdered Abel. +He excommunicated Cain and drove him into such agonies of soul that +the space of the whole creation seemed too narrow to contain him. From +the moment Cain saw that God would be the avenger of his brother's +blood, he felt nowhere safe. To Abel, on the other hand, God gave for +enjoyment the full width of earth and heaven. + +174. Why, then, should we ever doubt that God ponders and numbers in +his heart the afflictions of his people, and that he measures our +tears and inscribes them on adamantine tablets? And this inscription +the enemies of the Church shall never be able to erase by any device +whatever except by repentance. Manasseh was a terrible tyrant and a +most inhuman persecutor of the godly. And his banishment and captivity +would never have sufficed to blot out these sins. But when he +acknowledged his sin and repented in truth, then the Lord showed him +mercy. + +So Paul had, and so the pope and the bishops have now, only one way +left them: to acknowledge their sin and to supplicate the forgiveness +of God. If they will not do this, God in his wrath will surely require +at their hands the blood of the godly. Let no one doubt this! + +175. Abel is dead, but Cain is still alive. But, good God, what a +wretched life is that which he lives! He might wish never to have been +born, as he hears that he is excommunicated and must look for death +and retribution at any moment. And in due time this will be the lot of +our adversaries and of the oppressors of the Church. + +B. Cain's Punishment In Detail. + +V. 11. _And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its +mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;_ + +176. We have heard, so far, of the disclosure of Cain's sin through +the voice of Abel's blood, of his conviction by Adam his father, and +of the decision rendered with reference to the two brothers, namely, +that the one should be canonized, or declared a saint--the first +fruits, as it were, of the blessed seed; but that the other, the +first-born, should be condemned and excommunicated, as shall presently +be shown. Now Moses mentions the penalties to be visited upon such +fratricide. + +177. First of all, we should mark as particularly worthy of note the +discrimination exercised by the Holy Spirit. Previously, when the +penalty for his sin was inflicted upon Adam, a curse was placed not +upon the person of Adam, but only upon the earth; and even this curse +was not absolute but qualified. The expression is this: "Cursed is the +ground for thy sake"; and in the eighth chapter of the Romans, verse +twenty, we read: "The creature was made subject to vanity, not +willingly." The fact is, that the earth, inasmuch as it bore guilty +man, became involved in the curse as his instrument, just as also the +sword, gold, and other objects, are cursed for the reason that men +make them the instruments of their sin. With fine reasoning the Holy +Spirit discriminates between the earth and Adam. He diverts the curse +to the earth, but saves the person. + +178. But in this instance the Holy Spirit speaks of Cain. He curses +the person of Cain. And why is this? Is it because the sin of Cain, as +a murderer, was greater than the sin of Adam and Eve? Not so. But +because Adam was the root from whose flesh and loins Christ, that +blessed seed, should be born. It is this seed, therefore, that was +spared. For the sake of this seed, the fruit of the loins of Adam, the +curse is transferred from the person of Adam to the earth. Thus, Adam +bears the curse of the earth, but his person is not cursed; from his +posterity Christ was to be born. + +179. Cain, however, since he fell by his sin, must suffer the curse +being inflicted upon his person. He hears it said to him, "Cursed art +thou," that we might understand he was cut off from the glory of the +promised seed, and condemned never to have in his posterity that seed +through which the blessing should come. Thus Cain was cast out from +the stupendous glory of the promised seed. Abel was slain; therefore +there could be no posterity from him. But Adam was ordained to serve +God by further procreation. In Adam alone, therefore, after Cain's +rejection, the hope of the blessed seed rested until Seth was born +unto him. + +180. The words spoken to Cain, "Cursed art thou," are few, but +nevertheless entitled to a great deal of attention, in that they are +equal to the declaration: Thou art not the one from whom the blessed +seed is hoped for. With this word Cain stands cast out and cut off +like a branch from the root, unable longer to hope for the distinction +around which he had circled. It is a fact, that Cain craved the +distinction of passing on the blessing; but the more closely he +encircled it the more elusive it became. Such is the lot of all +evildoers: their failure is commensurate with their efforts to +succeed. + +181. From this occurrence originate the two churches which are at war +with each other: the one of Adam and the righteous, which has the hope +and promise of the blessed seed; the other of Cain, which has +forfeited this hope and promise through sin, without ever being able +to regain it. For in the flood Cain's whole posterity became extinct, +so that there has been no prophet, no saint, no prince of the true +Church who could trace his lineage back to Cain. All that was denied +Cain and withdrawn from him, when he was told: "Cursed art thou." + +182. We find added, however, the words, "from the ground." These words +qualify the fearful wrath. For, if God had said, "from the heavens," +he would have deprived his posterity forever of the hope of salvation. +As it is, the words, "from the ground," convey, indeed, the menacing +decision that the promise of the seed has been forfeited, but the +possibility is left that descendants of Cain as individuals, prompted +by the Holy Spirit, may join themselves to Adam and find salvation. + +This, in after ages, really came to pass. While it is true the promise +of the blessed seed was a distinction confined to the Jews, according +to the statement in Psalm 147, 20: "He hath not dealt so with any +nation," the Gentiles, nevertheless, retained the privilege of +beggars, so to speak. It was in this manner that the Gentiles, through +divine mercy, obtained the same blessing the Jews possessed on the +ground of the divine faithfulness and promise. + +183. In like manner, all rule in the Church was absolutely denied also +to the Moabites and Amorites; and yet many private individuals among +them embraced the religion of the Jews. Thus, every right in the +Church was taken away from Cain and his posterity absolutely, yet +permission was left them to beg, as it were, for grace. That was not +taken from them. Cain, because of his sin, was cast out from the right +of sitting at the family table of Adam. But the right was left him to +gather up, doglike, the crumbs that fell from his father's table, Mt +15, 26-27. This is signified by the Hebrew expression _min haadama_, +"From the ground." + +184. I make these observations because there is a great probability +that many of the posterity of Cain joined themselves to the holy +patriarchs. But their privileges were not those of an obligatory +service toward them on the part of the Church, but mere toleration of +them as individuals who had lost the promise that the blessed seed was +to spring from their flesh and blood. To forfeit the promise was no +trifle; still, even that curse was so mitigated as to secure for them +the privilege of beggars, so that heaven was not absolutely denied +them, provided they allied themselves with the true Church. + +185. But this is what Cain, no doubt, strove to hinder in various +ways. He set up new forms of worship and invented numerous ceremonies, +that thereby he might also appear to be the Church. Those, however, +who departed from him and joined the true Church, were saved, although +they were compelled to surrender the distinction that Christ was to be +born from their flesh and blood. But let us now return to the text. + +186. Moses here uses a very striking personification. He represents +the earth as a dreaded beast when he speaks of her as having opened +her mouth and swallowed the innocent blood of Abel. But why does he +treat the earth so ruthlessly since all this was done without her +will? Yes, being a creature of God which is good, did not all +transpire in opposition to her will and in spite of her struggle +against it, according to Paul's teaching: "The earth was made subject +to vanity, not willingly," Rom 8, 20. My reply is: The object was to +impress Adam and all his posterity, so that they might live in the +fear of God and beware of murder. The words of Adam have this import +"Behold the earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed the blood of thy +brother; but she ought to have swallowed thee, the murderer. The earth +is indeed a good creature, and is good to the good and godly; but to +the wicked she is full of pitfalls." It is for the purpose of +inspiring murderers with fear and dread that these terrifying words +were spoken. Nor is there any doubt that Cain, after hearing the words +from an angry father, was overwhelmed with terror and confusion, not +knowing whither to turn. The expression, "which hath opened its mouth +to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand," is, indeed, terrifying, +but it portrays the turpitude of the fratricidal deed better than any +picture. + +V. 12a. _When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield +unto thee its strength._ + +187. The Lord said above to Adam, "Thorns also and thistles shall it +bring forth to thee." But the words spoken to Cain are different. As +if he had said, "Thou hast watered and fertilized the earth, not with +healthful and quickening rain, but with thy brother's blood. Therefore +the earth shall be to thee less productive than to others. For the +blood thou hast shed shall hinder the strength and the fruitfulness of +the earth." This material curse is the second part of the punishment. +The earth, although alike cultivated by Adam and Cain, should be more +fruitful to Adam than to Cain and yield its return to the former for +his labors. But to the labors of Cain it should not yield such +returns, though by nature desirous to give in proportion to its +fruitfulness and strength, because it was hindered by the blood +spilled by Cain. + +188. Here we must offer a remark of a grammatical nature. In the +present passage Moses terms the earth _haadama_. In the passage +following, "A fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth" he +uses the term _arez_. Now _adama_ signifies, according to grammatical +interpreters, that part of the earth which is cultivated, where trees +grow and other fruits of the earth adapted for food. But _arez_ +signifies the whole earth, whether cultivated or uncultivated. This +curse, therefore, properly has reference to the part of the earth +cultivated for food. And the curse implies that where one ear of wheat +brings forth three hundred grains for Adam, it should bring forth +scarcely ten grains for Cain the murderer; and this for the purpose +that Cain might behold on every side God's hatred and punishment of +the shedding of blood. + +V. 12b. _A fugitive and a wanderer (vagabond) shalt thou be in the +earth._ + +189. This is a third punishment resting on murderers to our day. For, +unless they find reconciliation, they have nowhere a fixed abode or a +secure dwelling-place. + +We find here, in the original, two words, _No Vanod_, signifying +vagabond and fugitive. The distinction I make between them is, that +_No_ designates the uncertainty of one's dwelling-place. An +illustration is furnished by the Jews, who have no established +habitation, but fear every hour lest they be compelled to wander +forth. _Nod_, on the other hand, signifies the uncertainty of finding +the dwelling-place sought; 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 abandoned. Thus, the +punishment contains two features, the insecurity of the present +dwelling-place and a lack of knowledge whither to turn when thrust +forth from the insecure abode of the present. In this sense the term +is used in Psalm 109, 10: "Let his children be continually +_vagabonds_." That means, Nowhere shall they find a certain abode; if +they are in Greece this year, they shall migrate to Italy the next, +and so from place to place. + +190. Just such is evidently the miserable state of the Jews at the +present day. They can fix their dwelling-place nowhere permanently. +And to such evil God adds this other in the case of Cain, that when he +should be driven from one place of abode he should not know where to +turn, and thus should live suspended, as it were, between heaven and +earth, not knowing where to abide nor where to look for a permanent +place of refuge. + +191. In this manner the sin of Cain was visited with a threefold +punishment. In the first place he was deprived of all spiritual or +churchly glory; for the promise that the blessed seed was to be born +from his posterity, was taken from him. In the second place, the earth +was cursed, which is a punishment affecting his home life. The third +punishment affects his relations to the community, in that he must be +a vagabond without a fixed abode anywhere. + +192. Notwithstanding, an open door of return into the Church is left, +but without a covenant. For, as has been explained, in the event that +any one of Cain's posterity should ally himself with the true Church +and the holy fathers, he was saved. Thus the Home is left, but without +a blessing; and the State is left so that he may found a city and +dwell there, but for how long, is uncertain. Without exaggeration, +therefore, he may be likened to a beggar in Church, Home and State. + +193. This punishment is mitigated by the prohibition to slay him +forthwith after the commission of the murderous deed, a law providing +for the punishment of murderers which was reserved for a later day. +Cain was saved that he might be an example for others, to teach them +to fear God and to beware of murder. So much about the sin, +arraignment, and punishment of Cain. + +194. But there are some who reply that, the godly, likewise sometimes +endure these same curses, while the wicked, on the contrary, are free +from them. Thus, Paul says that he also "wandered about and had no +certain dwelling-place," 1 Cor 4, 11. Such is even our condition +to-day, who are teachers in the churches. We have no certain +dwelling-place; either we are driven into banishment or we expect +banishment any hour. Such was the lot also of Christ, the apostles, +the prophets, and the patriarchs. + +195. Concerning Jacob the Scriptures say "The elder shall serve the +younger," Gen 25, 23. But does not Jacob become a servant when we see +him, from fear of his brother, haste away into exile? Does he not, on +his return home, supplicate his brother and fall on his knees before +him? Is not Isaac also seen to be a most miserable beggar? Gen 6, +1-35. Abraham, his father, goes into exile among the Gentiles and +possesses not in all the world a place to set his foot, as Stephen +says, Acts 7, 1-5. On the other hand, Ishmael was a king, and had the +princes of the land of Midian as his offspring before Israel entered +into the land of promise, Gen 25, 16. Thus, as we shall see a little +later, Cain first built the city of Enoch, and, furthermore, became +the ancestor of shepherds, workers in metals, and musicians. All this +appears to prove that it is a mistake to attribute to Cain and his +posterity a curse. The curse seems to rest with weight upon the true +Church, while the wicked appear to thrive and flourish. + +196. These things are often a stumbling-block, not to the world only, +but even to the saints, as the Psalms in many places testify. And the +prophets, also, are frequently found to grow indignant, as does +Jeremiah, when they see the wicked possess freedom as it were from the +evils of life, while they are oppressed and afflicted in various ways. +Men may therefore inquire, Where is the curse of the wicked? Where is +the blessing of the godly? Is not the converse the truth? Cain is a +vagabond and settled nowhere; and yet Cain is the first man that +builds a city and has a certain place to dwell in. But we will answer +this argument more fully hereafter. We will now proceed with the text +of Moses. + + +VI. CAIN'S CONDUCT WHEN PUNISHED. + + 1. How he despaired. "My punishment is greater" etc. + + a. These words have greatly perplexed interpreters 197. + + b. The way Augustine explains them 197. + + c. The explanation of the rabbins 198. + + * How the rabbins pervert the Scriptures and whence their false + comments 198-199. + + d. Why the rabbins' interpretation cannot be accepted 200. + + e. The true understanding of these words 201. + + * The punishment troubles Cain more than his sin 201. + + f. What makes these words difficult 202. + + * The right understanding of the words "Minso" and "Avon" + 202-203. + + * Grammarians cannot get at the right meaning of the Scriptures + 204. + + * How we should proceed in interpreting Scripture 204. + + 2. How Cain viewed his political punishment 205. + + 3. How he viewed his ecclesiastical punishment 206. + + * Why Cain was excommunicated by Adam 206-207. + + * In what sense Cain was a fugitive and a wanderer 208-209. + + * Adam received his punishment in a better way 210. + + * The meaning of being a fugitive and a wanderer. How the same is + found among the papists 211-212. + + * The grace of God was guaranteed to Seth and his posterity 212. + + * Why no temptation can harm believers 212. + + 4. Cain's fear that in turn he would be slain 213. + + * God shows Cain a double favor in his punishment. Why he does + this 213. + + * Whether any of Cain's posterity, under the Old Testament, were + saved 214-215. + + 5. Whether Cain prayed that he might die, as Augustine, Lyra and + others relate 216-217. + + * The fables of the rabbins cause Luther double work and why he + occasionally cites them 218. + + * Whether God changed his judgment upon Cain 219. + + * Why God still showed Cain incidental grace 219. + + * The fables of the Jews concerning Cain's death and Lamech's + punishment 220-221. + + * It is foolish to dispute concerning the sevenfold vengeance to + be visited upon the one who slew Cain 222. + + * The divine promises. + + a. They are twofold, of the law and of grace 223. + + b. The promise Adam received 224. + + c. Whether God gave Cain one of these promises 224-225. + + d. The kind of promises well organized police stations have 226. + + e. The promises the Church has 227. + + f. Cain's promise is temporal, incidental and incomplete 227. + + * Was Cain murdered 228. + + 6. How Cain had cause to fear, even though there were no people on + the earth except Adam and Eve and his sisters 229-230. + + * The sign that is put upon Cain. + + a. Can anything definite be said of it. What the fathers thought + of it 231. + + b. Why this sign was placed upon him 232. + + c. How he had to carry it his whole life 232. + + d. How the sign was a confirmation and a promise of the law 233. + + 7. Of Cain's departure, and his excommunication from the presence + of Jehovah. + + a. The first parents in obedience to God made Cain an outcast + 234-235. + + b. How the first parents overcame their parental affections in + expelling Cain 236. + + * What should urge men to flee from their false security 237. + + c. His expulsion must have pierced Cain to the heart 238. + + * What is the presence of Jehovah 238. + + d. How he went from the presence of Jehovah, to be without that + presence 239. + + e. It was a sad departure, both for Cain and his parents 240. + + f. Whither he resorted 241. + + * What meaning of "in the land of Nod" 241. + + * Of Paradise. + + (1) The deluge very likely destroyed paradise 241. + + (2) Where was paradise 242. + + * Of the Deluge. + + (1) The deluge destroyed paradise 243. + + * Cain lived where Babylon was built later 244. + + (2) The deluge gave the earth an entirely different form 244. + + +VI. CAIN'S CONDUCT UPON BEING PUNISHED. + +V. 13. _And Cain said unto Jehovah, My punishment (iniquity) is +greater than I can bear (than can be remitted)._ + +197. Here Moses seems to have fixed a cross for the grammarians and +the rabbins; for they crucify this passage in various ways. Lyra +recites the opinions of some who see in this passage an affirmation, +considering it to mean that in his despair Cain claimed his sin to be +greater than could be pardoned. This is our rendering. Augustine +likewise retained this view of the passage, for he says, "Thou liest, +Cain; for the mercy of God is greater than the misery of all the +sinners." + +198. The rabbins, however, expound the passage as a denial in the form +of a question, as if he had said, "Is my iniquity greater than can be +remitted?" But if this rendering be the true one, Cain not only does +not acknowledge his sin, but excuses it and, in addition, insults God +for laying upon him a punishment greater than he deserves. In this way +the rabbins almost everywhere corrupt the sense of the Scriptures. +Consequently I begin to hate them, and I admonish all who read them, +to do so with careful discrimination. Although they did possess the +knowledge of some things by tradition from the fathers, they corrupted +them in various ways; and therefore they often deceived by those +corruptions even Jerome himself. Nor did the poets of old so fill the +world with their fables as the wicked Jews did the Scriptures with +their absurd opinions. A great task, therefore, is incumbent upon us +in endeavoring to keep the text free from their comments. + +199. The occasion for all this error is the fact that some men are +competent to deal only with grammatical questions, but not with the +subject matter itself; that is, they are not theologians at the same +time. The inevitable result is mistakes and the crucifixion of +themselves as well as of the Scriptures. For how can any one explain +what he does not understand? Now the subject matter in the present +passage is that Cain is accused in his own conscience. And no one, not +only no wicked man, but not even the devil himself, can endure this +judgment; as James witnesses, "The devils also believe and tremble +before God," Jas 2, 19. Peter also says, "Whereas angels which are +greater in power and might cannot endure that judgment which the Lord +will exercise upon blasphemers," 2 Pet 2, 11. So also Manasseh in his +prayer, verses 4 and 5, confesses that all men tremble before the face +of the Lord's anger. + +200. All this is sufficient evidence that Cain, when arraigned by God, +did not have courage to withstand and to argue with him. For God is an +almighty adversary; the first assault he makes is upon the heart +itself when he takes the conscience into his grasp. Of this the +rabbins know nothing, nor can they understand it; in consequence they +speak of this arraignment as if it took place before men, where the +truth is either denied or facts are smoothed over. This is impossible +when God arraigns men; as Christ says in Matthew 12, 37, "By thy words +thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." + +201. Cain thus acknowledges his sin, although it is not so much the +sin he grieves over as the penalty inflicted. The statement, then, is +to be understood in the affirmative, and it reveals the horrors of +despair. + +A further proof of Cain's despair is, that he does not utter one word +of reverence. He never mentions the name of God or of his father. His +conscience is so confused and so overwhelmed with terror and despair +that he is not able to think of any hope of pardon. The Epistle to the +Hebrews gives the same description of Esau when it states that he "for +one mess of meat, sold his own birthright. For ye know that even when +he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he +found no place for change of mind, though he sought it diligently with +tears," Heb 12, 16-17. Thus in the present instance, Cain feels his +punishment, but he grieves more for his punishment than for his sin. +And all persons, when in despair, do the same. + +202. The two original words of this passage, _minneso_ and _avon_, are +a pair of crosses for grammarians. Jerome translates this clause, "My +iniquity is greater than can be pardoned." Sanctes, the grammarian of +Pagnum, a man of no mean erudition and evidently a diligent scholar, +renders the passage, "My punishment is greater than I can bear." But +by such a rendering we shall make a martyr of Cain and a sinner of +Abel. Concerning the word _nasa_, I have before observed that when it +is applied to sin it signifies, to lift sin up, or off, or on high; +that is, to take it out of the way. Similarly the figure has found +currency among us: the remission of sins, or to remit sin. In the +Thirty-second Psalm, verse one, we find the expression, _Aschre Nesu +Pascha_. This, literally translated, would make: Being blessed through +the removal of crime, or sin. We make it: Blessed is he whose +transgression is forgiven, or taken away. The same is found in Isaiah +33, 24, The people that dwell therein shall be _Nesu Avon_, that +means, relieved from sin--shall be the people whose sin is forgiven. + +203. The other original term, _avoni_, grammarians derive from the +verb _anah_, which signifies "to be afflicted," as in Zechariah 9, 9: +"Behold thy king cometh unto thee lowly (or afflicted)." Our +translation renders it "meek." Likewise in Psalms 132, 1: "Jehovah, +remember for David all his affliction." From the same root is derived +the expression, "low estate," or "lowliness," used by the Virgin Mary +in her song, Lk 1, 48. This fact induces Sanctes to render it +"punishment." + +But here _avoni_ signifies "iniquity" or "sin," as it does also in +many other passages of the Holy Scriptures, which appears more plainly +from the verb "remit," which stands connected with it. + +204. Hence it is that grammarians, who are nothing but such and know +nothing of the divine things, find their crosses in all such passages, +and crucify, not only the Scriptures, but themselves and their hearers +as well. In the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, the sense is +first to be determined; and when that appears in all respects +consistent with itself, then the grammatical features are to receive +attention. The rabbins, however, take the opposite course, and hence +it grieves me that divines and the holy fathers so frequently follow +them. + +V. 14. _Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the +ground; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive +and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever +findeth me will slay me._ + +205. From these words it appears that the sentence on Cain was +pronounced through the mouth of Adam. Cain acknowledges that he is +driven first from Home and State, and then also from the Church. Of +the difference between the words _adamah_ and _erez_ we spoke above. +We showed that _erez_ signifies the earth generally, while the word +_adamah_ means the cultivated part of the earth. The meaning therefore +is: I am now compelled to flee from thy presence and from that part of +the earth which I have cultivated. The whole world indeed lies before +me, but I must be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth; that is, I +shall have no certain dwelling place. In the same way fugitive +murderers among us are punished with exile. These words, accordingly, +cast additional light upon the utterance of Adam, "Cursed art thou +from the ground." They refer to Cain's banishment. This part of Cain's +punishment therefore is a civil punishment, and by it he is shut out +from civic association. + +206. But that which Cain next adds, "From thy face shall I be hid," is +an ecclesiastical punishment and true excommunication. For, as the +priesthood and the kingdom rested with Adam, and Cain on account of +his sin was excommunicated from Adam, he was thereby also deprived of +the glory both of priesthood and kingdom. But why Adam adopted this +punishment is explained by the words, "When thou tillest the ground, +it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength;" as if he had +said, Thou art cursed and thy labors are cursed also. Therefore if +thou shalt remain with us upon earth it cannot be but that both +thyself and we likewise must perish with hunger. For thou hast stained +the earth with thy brother's blood, and wherever thou art, thou must +bear about the blood of thy brother, and even the earth itself shall +exact her penalties. + +207. A similar sentence we find pronounced in 1 Kings 2, 29-33, where +Solomon gives commandment to Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, saying, "Fall +upon Joab, that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed +without cause, from me and from my father's house. And Jehovah will +return his blood upon his own head. But unto David, and unto his seed, +and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever +from Jehovah." As much as to say, If Joab suffer not this punishment +of his unjust murder, the whole kingdom must suffer that punishment +and be shaken by wars. The meaning of Adam then, in this passage is, +If thou shalt remain on the earth with us, God will bring punishment +upon us for thy sake, in that the earth shall not yield us her fruit. + +208. But now let us reply to the question raised above. It was said to +Cain, "A fugitive and wanderer shalt thou be in the earth." And yet, +Cain was the first man who builds a city, and his posterity so +increased from that time that they debauched and oppressed the Church +of God, and so utterly overthrew it as not to leave more than eight +persons of the posterity of Seth. All of the remainder of mankind, +which perished in the flood, had followed Cain, as the text plainly +declares when it affirms that the sons of God, when they came unto the +daughters of men, begat giants and mighty men, which were of old, men +of renown, Gen 6, 4. Therefore, since Cain had so great a posterity, +and he built the first city, how can it be true, men ask, that he was +a fugitive and wanderer upon earth? + +209. We will reply in accordance with what is written. The +illustrations from the New Testament above mentioned, Paul, the +apostles, Christ, and the prophets, assuredly belong to quite a +different category. When Adam here says to Cain, "A fugitive and a +wanderer shalt thou be in the earth," he speaks these words to him to +send him away, without further precept. He does not say to him, "Go to +the east;" he does not say, "Go to the south;" he does not mention any +place to which he should go. He gives him no command what to do; but +simply casts him out. Whither he goes and what he does, is no concern +of his. He adds no promise of protection, he does not say: God shall +take care of thee; God shall protect thee. On the contrary; as the +whole sky is free to the bird, which is at liberty to fly whither it +pleases, but is without a place where it may be secure from the +attacks of other birds, so Adam turns Cain away. The latter feels +this. Hence his rejoinder: "It shall come to pass that every one that +findeth me, shall slay me." + +210. The condition of Adam was different and better. Adam had sinned, +and by his sin he had sunk into death. But when he was driven out of +paradise, God assigned him a particular task--that he should till the +earth in a particular place. God also clothed him with a covering of +skins. This, as we said, was a sign that God would take care of him +and protect him. And, last but not least, a glorious promise was made +to the woman concerning the seed which should bruise the serpent's +head. Nothing like this was left to Cain. He was sent away absolutely +without assignment of any particular place or task. No command was +given him nor was any promise made him. He was like a bird aimlessly +roving beneath the wide heavens. This is what it means to be a +vagabond and wanderer. + +211. Unsettled and aimless, likewise, are all who lack God's Word and +command, wherein person and place receive adequate direction. Such +were we under the papacy. Worship, works, exercises--all these were +present; but all these existed and found acceptance without a divine +command. A trying condition was that and Cainlike--to be deprived of +the Word; not to know what to believe, what to hope, what to suffer, +but to undertake and to perform everything at haphazard. What monk is +there who could affirm that he did anything right? Everything was +man's tradition and man's teaching, without the Word. Amid these we +wandered, being driven to and fro, and like Cain, uncertain what +verdict God would pass, whether we should merit love or hate. Such +was, in those days, our instruction. + +Unsettled and aimless like this was Cain's whole posterity. They had +neither promise nor command from God, and lacked all definite guidance +for life and for death. Hence, if any of them came to the knowledge of +Christ, and allied themselves with the true Church, it was not by +reason of a promise but through sheer compassion. + +212. Seth, however, who was born subsequently, had, together with his +posterity, a definite promise, a definite abode and a definite mode of +worship; on the other hand, Cain was aimless. He founded a city, it is +true, but he did not know how long he should dwell in it, not having a +divine promise. Whatever we possess without a promise is of uncertain +duration; at any amount Satan may disturb it or take it. However, when +we go into the fray equipped with God's command and promise, the devil +fights in vain; God's command insures strength and safety. Therefore, +although Cain was lord of the whole world and possessed all the +treasures of the world, still, lacking the promise of God's help and +the protection of his angels, and having nothing to lean upon but +man's counsels, he was in every respect aimless and unsettled. This he +himself admits when he further says: + +V. 14b. _And it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me +shall slay me._ + +213. This result was quite to be expected. Having neither God nor his +father to look to for succor, having forfeited his rights both as +priest and as ruler, he saw the possibility before him that any one +found him, might slay him, for he was outlawed, body and soul. +Notwithstanding, God conferred upon the nefarious murderer a twofold +blessing. He had forfeited Church and dominion, but life and progeny +were left. God promised him to protect his existence, and also gave +him a wife. Two blessings these by no means to be despised; and when +he heard the first part of his sentence pronounced by his father, they +were more than he had a right even to hope for. They were valuable for +the additional reason that opportunity and time for repentance were +granted, though, in the absence of a clear promise, there was neither +covenant nor commission. In the same manner, we found our way under +the papacy to uncovenanted mercy (_fortuita gratia_), if I may use +this expression, for no promise was previously given that the truth +was to be revealed in our lifetime, and the Antichrist to become +manifest. The reason to which these blessings are attributable, is +consideration for the elect. It is quite credible that many of Cain's +offspring were saved, namely, those who joined the true Church. +Likewise, at a later day, provision was made among the Jews for +proselytes and Gentiles. + +214. While a stern law existed according to which the Moabites and +Ammonites were not admitted to the religious services, Ammonites and +Moabites were saved, such as came to the kings of Judah to serve under +them. Also Ruth, the mother and ancestress of our Saviour, was a +Moabite. This is what I call uncovenanted mercy, no previous promise +having rendered it certain. + +215. Also Naaman, and the king of Nineveh, and Nebuchadnezzar, and +Evilmerodach, and others from among the Gentiles, were saved by such +uncovenanted mercy; for, unlike the Jews, they had no promise of +Christ. In the same way, bodily safety is vouchsafed to Cain, and a +wife with offspring, for the sake of the elect to be saved by +uncovenanted mercy. For, although what we said of the Moabites is true +of all his posterity, that it was to live under a curse, it is true, +notwithstanding, that some of the patriarchs took their wives from the +same. + +V. 15a. _And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, +vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold._ + +216. Jerome, in his Epistle to Damascus, contends that Cain had begged +of the Lord that he might be slain, an opinion into which he rushes +full sail, as it were, entertaining no doubt whatever concerning its +truth. Lyra follows Jerome, and resolutely affirms that the context +requires this interpretation. But this error of theirs should be laid +at the door of the rabbins from whom they received it. The true sense +of the passage is rather that everyone was prohibited from killing +Cain. Judgment is pronounced here by God, and when he spares Cain's +life and in addition permits him afterward to marry, it is done to +stay its execution. + +217. Moreover, how is it likely that an ungodly person asks death at +the very time when God exercises judgment? Death is the very +punishment of sin; therefore he flees and dreads death as the greatest +part of his penalty. Away, therefore, with such vagaries of the +rabbins! With these also Lyra's suggestion may safely be classed that +the text ought to be divided and made to mean, Whoever shall kill +Cain, shall surely meet with severe punishment. And when it is further +stated, He shall be punished sevenfold, they would explain it as +meaning that in the seventh degree--in the seventh generation--the +punishment is to be inflicted. + +218. Such vagaries are worthy of the rabbins after having cast away +the light of the New Testament. However, they impose a double labor +upon us, inasmuch as we are compelled to defend the text and to clear +it of such corruptions, and to correct their absurd comments. If I +quote them occasionally, it is to avoid the suspicion of proudly +despising them, or of failing to read, and to give sufficient +consideration to, their writings. While we read them intelligently, we +do so with critical discrimination, and we do not permit them to +obscure Christ, and to corrupt the Word of God. + +219. The Lord, accordingly, does not in this passage at all alter the +sentence upon Cain whereby he had been doomed to a curse on earth, 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 dregs. +That is the reason he said Cain should not be killed, as he feared. + +There is, then, no necessity for doing violence to this text as Rabbi +Solomon does, who, after the words "whosoever slayeth Cain," puts a +stop; making it to be a hiatus or (ellipsis), as we find in that noted +line in Virgil (Aeneas, 135)-- + + _Quos ego--sed motos praestat componere fluctus._ + Whom I--but now, be calm, ye boist'rous waves. + +And then the expression, "shall be punished sevenfold," the rabbi +refers to Cain himself, who was punished in his seventh generation. +For Cain begat Enoch, and Enoch begat Irad, and Irad begat Mehujael, +and Mehujael begat Methusael, and Methusael begat Lamech. + +220. And the Jews' absurd comment upon that passage (verse 23, below), +is that Lamech, when he was old, and his eyes dim, was taken by his +son Tubal-Cain into a wood to hunt wild beasts, and that, when there +shooting at a wild beast, Lamech accidently shot Cain, who in his +wanderings had concealed himself in the wood. Such interpretations are +only fables, unworthy a place or notice in our schools. Moreover, they +militate against the very truth of the text. For if Cain was really +designed of God to be killed in the seventh generation, and if that +time was thus fixed for his death, he was not "a fugitive and a +vagabond upon earth." + +221. We condemn, therefore, this interpretation of Rabbi Solomon, on +the ground of critical discrimination, because it militates directly +against that sentence which God had before pronounced; and God is not +man, that he should change his mind, 1 Kings 15, 29-30. This rule +should be strictly observed in all interpretation of the Holy +Scripture, that the rendering of one passage must not subsequently +conflict with that of another. And when the rabbins, moreover, say +that the deluge was the particular punishment of Lamech's sin in thus +killing Cain, Lyra refutes them. He very truly affirms that the deluge +was the common punishment of the whole world of wicked men. We leave, +therefore, all these Jewish absurdities and hold fast the true meaning +of the text before us, that, when Cain feared lest he should be slain +by any one who should find him, the Lord prevented him from being thus +slain, and denounced on such murderer a punishment sevenfold greater +than that of Cain. + +222. And, though Lyra argues and inquires how it could be that he who +should slay Cain could deserve a sevenfold greater vengeance than Cain +deserved, who slew his own brother, of what profit is it to us to +inquire into the counsel of God in such matters as these, especially +when it is certain that God permitted his mercy to stray to Cain in +the form of promises and blessings under the Law, if I may so express +myself, thus securing his safety. + +223. There are two kinds of promises, or a twofold promise, as we have +often explained. There are the legal promises, if I may so call them, +which depend, as it were, upon our own works, such as the following: +"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land," Is +1, 19. Again, I am God, showing mercy unto thousands of them that love +me and keep my commandments, Ex 20, 6. And also above, in this case of +Cain, "If thou doest well, shall not thy countenance be lifted up?" +Gen 4, 7. And these legal promises have for the most part their +corresponding threats attached to them. + +But the other kind of promises are promises of grace, and with them no +threats are joined. Such are the following: "Jehovah thy God will +raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, +like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken," Deut 18, 15. Again, "I will +put my law in their inward parts, in their heart will I write it; and +I will be their God, and they shall be my people," Jer 31, 33. And +again, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman," Gen 3, 15. Now, +these promises depend not in any way upon our works, but absolutely +and only upon the goodness and grace of God, because he was pleased to +make those promises and to do what he thus promised. Just in the same +way we have the promise of Baptism, of the Lord's Supper, and of the +Keys, etc., in which God sets before us his good will and his mercy +and his works. + +224. Now, God gave no promise of the latter kind to Cain. He only said +to him, Whosoever shall slay thee shall be punished sevenfold. But +Adam had such a promise of grace made to him. And Cain, because he was +the first-born, ought to have received that promise as an inheritance +from his parents. That promise was the large and blessed promise of +eternal glory, because by it the seed was promised which should bruise +the serpent's head, and this without any work or merit of man. For +that promise had no condition attached to it, such as, If thou shalt +offer thy sacrifices, if thou shalt do good, etc. + +225. If, therefore, you compare this promise of grace with the words +God spake to Cain, the latter are as a mere crust held out to a +beggar. For even Cain's life is not promised him absolutely. Nothing +more is said than a threat pronounced against those who should slay +him. God does not say positively, No man shall slay thee. He does not +say, I will so overrule all others that no one shall slay thee. Had +the words been thus spoken, Cain might have returned into the presence +of God and of his parents. But a command only is given to men that +they slay not Cain. If, therefore, the words spoken to Cain be at all +considered as a promise, it is that kind of promise which, as we have +before said, depends on the works and will of man. And yet, even such +promise is by no means to be despised, for these legal promises often +embrace most important things. + +226. Thus, Augustine observes that God gave to the Romans their empire +on account of their noble virtues. And in the same manner we find, +even to this day, that the blessings of those nations which keep from +murder, adultery, theft, etc., are greater than those of other nations +in which these evils prevail. And yet, even governments which, as far +as mere reason can succeed, are especially well established, possess +nothing beyond these temporal promises. + +227. The Church, however, possesses the promises of grace, even the +eternal promises. And although Cain was left utterly destitute of +these promises, yet it was a great favor that the temporal mercies +were left him: that he was not immediately killed, that a wife was +given him, that children were born unto him, that he built a city, +that he cultivated the earth, that he fed his cattle and had +possessions, and that he was not utterly ejected from the society and +fellowship of men. For God could not only have deprived Cain of all +these blessings, but he could have added pestilence, epilepsy, +apoplexy, the stone, the gout, and any other disease. 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 +other. + +As God above deprives Cain of all the divine blessings, both +spiritual--or those pertaining to the Church--and civil, so here he +mitigates that sentence by commanding that no one shall slay Cain. But +God does not promise at the same time that all men shall surely obey +his command. Therefore Cain, even possessing this promise in reference +to his body, is still a fugitive and a wanderer. And it might be that +if he continued in his wickedness, he was liable to be slain at any +moment; whereas, if he did well, he might live a long time. But +nothing is promised him with certainty, for although these corporal or +legal promises are great and important, yet they are positively +uncertain and uncovenanted. + +228. Whether, therefore, Cain was killed or not, I cannot with any +certainty say, for the Scriptures afford no plain information upon +that point. This one thing, however, evidently can be proved from the +present text, that Cain had no certain promise of the preservation of +his life; but God left him to a life of uncertainty, doubt and +restless wandering, and did no more than protect the life of Cain by a +command and a threat which might restrain the wicked from killing him, +on account of the certain awful punishment which would follow such +destruction of the murderer. But a promise that he should not be +murdered was withheld. We know, moreover, what is the nature of the +law, or a legal command, and that there are always very few who obey +it. Therefore, although it is not recorded at what time, in what +place, or by whom, Cain was slain, yet it is most probable that he was +killed. The Scriptures however make no mention of it, even as they are +quite silent also concerning the number of the years of Cain, and say +nothing about the day of his birth or the day of his death. He +perished, together with his whole generation; to use a popular +proverb, "without cross, candle, or God." A few only of his generation +are excepted, who were saved by the uncovenanted mercy of God. + +229. The question is here usually asked, To what persons could the +words of Cain possibly apply, when he says, "Everyone that findeth me +shall slay me," when it is evident that besides Adam and Eve and their +few daughters, no human beings were in existence. I would at once +reply that they bear witness to the fact that we see the wicked "flee +when no man pursueth," as the Scriptures say; for they imagine to +themselves various perils where none really exist. Just so we see it +to be the case with murderers at the present day, who are filled with +fears where all is safe, who can remain quiet nowhere, and who imagine +death to be present everywhere. + +230. However, when it follows in the command of God, "Yea, verily, +whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished sevenfold," these words +cannot be referred exclusively to the fears of Cain, for Cain had +sisters, and perhaps he greatly dreaded that sister whom he had +married, lest she should take vengeance on him for the murder of her +brother. Moreover, Cain had perhaps a vague apprehension of a long +life, and he saw that many more sons might be born of Adam. He feared, +therefore, the whole posterity to Adam. And it greatly increased these +fears that God had left him nothing more than his stray mercy. I do +not think that Cain feared the beasts at all, or dreaded being slain +by them; for what had the sevenfold vengeance threatened upon +murderers to do with beasts? + +V. 15b. _And Jehovah appointed a sign for (set a mark upon) Cain, lest +any finding him should smite him (slay him)._ + +231. What this mark was is not to be found in the Holy Scriptures. +Therefore commentators have entertained various opinions. Nearly all, +however, 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 +limbs. They suppose that, as a physical cause of his trembling, God +had changed, or disarranged, or mutilated some particular organ in his +body, but left the body whole as it was first created, merely adding a +visible outward mark, such as the trembling. This conjecture of the +fathers contains much probability, but it cannot be proved by any +testimony of the Scriptures. The mark might have been of another kind. +For instance, we observe in nearly all murderers an immediate change +in the eyes. The eyes wear an appearance of sullen ferocity, and lose +that softness and innocence peculiar to them by nature. + +232. But whatever this mark was, it was certainly a most horrible +punishment; for Cain was compelled to bear it during his whole life as +God's penalty for the awful murder which he had committed. Rendered +conspicuous by this degrading mark, hateful and abominable in the eyes +of all, Cain was sent away--banished from his home by his parents. And +although the life he asked of God was granted him, yet it was a life +of ignominy, branded with an infamous mark of homicide; not only that +he himself might be perpetually reminded of the sin he had committed, +to his own confusion, but also that others might be deterred from the +crime of committing murder. Nor could this mark be effaced by +repentance. Cain was compelled to bear about this sign of the wrath of +God upon him as a punishment in addition to his banishment, the curse, +and all the other penalties. + +233. It is worthy of observation that the original verb used above is +_harag_, which signifies "to kill." But the verb here found is +_nakah_, which means "to strike." God, therefore, here gives to Cain +security, not only from death, but also from the danger of death. This +security, however, as we have observed, is a legal security only; for +it merely commands that no one shall slay Cain, threatening a +sevenfold punishment upon the person who should do so. But God does +not promise that all men will obey his command. It was far better for +Cain, however, to have this legal promise made him, than to be without +any promise at all. + +V. 16. _And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in +the land of Nod, on the east of Eden._ + +234. This also is a very remarkable text, and it is a wonder that the +fancy of the rabbins did not run riot here as usual. 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 been. +His godly parents had already lost their son Abel; and now, at the +command of God, the other son departs from them into banishment, +loaded with the divine curses, on account of his sin--the very son +whom his parents had hoped to be the only heir of the promise, and +whom they therefore had devotedly loved from his cradle. Adam and Eve, +nevertheless, obey the command of God, and in conformity therewith +they cast out their son. + +235. Accordingly, this passage rightly praises obedience to God, or +the fear of God. Adam and Eve had, indeed, learned by their own +experience in paradise that it was no light sin to depart from the +command of God; therefore they thought: Behold, our sin in paradise +has been punished with death, and with an infinite number of other +calamities into which we have been thrown since we were driven out of +paradise. And now that our son has committed so atrocious a sin, it +behooves us not to resist the will of God and his righteous judgment, +however bitter we feel them to be. + +236. The story of the woman of Tekoah is well known, whom Joab +instructed to intercede for the banished Absalom. She pleads as an +argument before the king, that as she had lost one son, it would be +wicked in the extreme to deprive her of the other also. Also Rebecca +said to Jacob, her younger son, after she had perceived the wrath of +Esau against his brother: "Why should I be bereaved of you both in one +day?" Gen 27, 45. Adam and Eve overcame this same pain in their +bosoms, and thus mortified their paternal and maternal affections. For +not only did they feel it to be their duty to obey the will of God, +but they had also learned wisdom from former obedience. They had been +driven out of paradise for their sin of disobedience. They feared, +therefore, that if they now retained their son with them, contrary to +the will of God, they should be cast out of the earth altogether. + +237. This part of the history of Adam and Eve, therefore, is a +beautiful lesson in obedience to God, and a striking exhortation to +fear God. This is also Paul's principal object in his first Epistle to +the Corinthians, nearly all of which is written against the +self-confidence of the human heart. For, although God is merciful, yet +men are not therefore to sin; he is merciful to those only who fear +and obey him. + +238. As it was bitter in the extreme for the parents to lose their +son, this departure from his home was, I have no doubt, most bitter +also to Cain himself. For he was compelled to leave, not only the +common home, his dear parents and their protection, but his hereditary +right of primogeniture, the prerogative of the kingdom and of the +priesthood, and the communion of the Church. + +Hence it is that we have the expression in the text, that Cain "went +out from the presence of Jehovah." We have above shown what the +Scriptures term "the face of Jehovah," namely, all those things and +means by which Jehovah makes himself known to us. Thus the face of +Jehovah, under the Old Testament, was the pillar of fire, the cloud, +the mercy-seat, etc. Under the New Testament, the face of Jehovah is +baptism, the Lord's Supper, the ministry of the Word, etc. For by +these things, as by visible signs, the Lord makes himself known to us, +and shows that he is with us, that he cares for us and favors us. + +239. It was from this place, therefore, in which God declared that he +was always present, and in which Adam resided as high priest, and as +lord of the earth, that Cain "went out;" and he came into another +place, where there was no "face of God," where there was no visible +sign of his presence by which he could derive the consolation that God +was present with his favor. He had no sign whatever, save those signs +which are common to all creatures, even to the beasts, namely, the +uses of sun and moon, of day and night, of water, air, etc. But these +are not signs of that immutable grace of God contained in the promise +of the blessed seed. They are only the signs of God's temporal +blessings and of his good will to all his creatures. + +240. Miserable, therefore, was that going out of Cain indeed. It was a +departure full of tears. He was compelled to leave forever his home +and his parents, who now gave to him, a solitary man and a "vagabond," +their daughter as his wife, to live with him as his companion; but +they knew not what would become either of their son or of their +daughter. In consequence of losing three children at one time their +grief is so much greater. No other explanation suggests itself for the +subsequent statement "Cain knew his wife." + +241. Where, then, did Cain live with his wife? Moses answers, "in the +land of Nod," a name derived from its vagabond and unsettled +inhabitant. And where was this land situated? Beyond paradise, toward +the east, a place indeed most remarkable. Cain came into a certain +place toward the east, but when he came there, he was insecure and +unprotected, for it was the land of Nod, where he could not set foot +with certainty, because "the face of God" was not there. For this +"face" he had left with his parents, who lived where they had paradise +on their side, or toward the west. When Cain fled from his home he +went toward the east. So the posterity of Cain was separated from the +posterity of Adam, having paradise as a place of division between +them. The passage, moreover, proves that paradise remained undestroyed +after Adam was driven out of it. In all probability it was finally +destroyed by the deluge. + +242. This text greatly favors the opinion of those who believe that +Adam was created in the region of Damascus, and that, after he was +driven out of paradise for his sin, he lived in Palestine; and hence +it was in the midst of the original paradise that Jerusalem, Bethlehem +and Jericho stood, in which places Jesus Christ and his servant John +chiefly dwelt. Although the present aspect of those places does not +altogether bear out that conclusion, the devastations of the mighty +deluge were such as to change fountains, rivers and mountains; and it +is quite possible that on the site which was afterward Calvary, the +place of Christ's sacrifice for the world's sin, there stood the tree +of the knowledge of good and evil, the same spot being marked by the +death and ruin wrought by Satan and by the life and salvation wrought +by Christ. + +243. It is not without a particular purpose, therefore, that Daniel +uses the striking expression: "The end thereof (of the sanctuary, the +sacrifice and the oblation) shall be with a flood," Dan 9, 26. As if +he had said, The first paradise was laid waste and utterly destroyed +by the mighty deluge, and the other, future paradise, in which +redemption is to be wrought, shall be destroyed by the Romanists as by +a flood. + +244. We may carry the analogy further by stating that as Babel was the +cause of the destruction of the Jewish people, so this disaster had +its beginning with Cain and his offspring, who settled in that part of +the earth where, at a later day, Babylon was founded. These are my +thoughts and views, derived partly from the fathers. Though they may +not be true, they are yet probable, and have nothing ungodly in them. +And there can be no doubt that Noah, after the flood, saw the face of +the whole earth altogether changed from what it was before that awful +visitation of the wrath of God. Mountains were torn asunder, fountains +were made to break forth and the courses of the rivers themselves were +wholly altered and diverted into other channels, by the mighty force +of the overwhelming waters. + + +VII. GENERATIONS OF CAIN AND OF THE RIGHTEOUS. + + A. IN GENERAL. + + 1. Why Cain's generations were described before those of the + righteous 245. + + 2. How the Holy Spirit is interested more in the generations of + the righteous than in those of Cain 246-247. + + 3. Why the Holy Spirit gives this description of both 248. + + 4. The relation of the two to each other 248. + + 5. How the generations of the righteous are attacked and + conquered by those of the godless 249. + + * Of Cain's marriage. + + a. Who was his wife, and the question of his being married + before he committed the murder 250-251. + + * How to read the writings of the Jews 251. + + b. The question of his being married after the murder + 252-254. + + * That some of his posterity were saved 254. + + +VII. THE GENERATIONS OF CAIN AND THE GENERATIONS OF THE GODLY. + +A. The Posterity of Cain in General. + +V. 17. _And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and +he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of +his son, Enoch._ + +245. It is worthy of admiration that Moses describes the generation of +the sons of Cain before the generation of the sons of God. But all +this is done according to the fixed counsel of God. For the children +of this world have in this life and in this their generation the +advantage of the children of God (Lk 16, 8) with reference to the +first promise. The spiritual seed of the woman indeed possess the +spiritual blessing, but the seed of the serpent arrogate to themselves +the corporal, or temporal, blessing, and they bruise the heel of the +blessed seed. In this respect the temporal has precedence over the +spiritual. + +246. But a great difference comes to the surface at a later day. +Although Moses records the history of the posterity of Cain before the +posterity of the righteous, yet we afterwards see that the latter are +more especially the care of the Holy Spirit. He does not confine +himself to a bare registration of their names, but he carefully +numbers their years, makes mention of their death, and not only +chronicles their own doings, as he chronicles in this passage those of +the sons of Cain, but also the transactions and the conversations +which Jehovah had with them, the promises he made, the help rendered +in danger, and the blessings vouchsafed. + +247. None of these things are recorded of the wicked posterity of +Cain. When Moses has said that Cain begat a son named Enoch, and that +he built a city to which he gave the name of his son, calling it +Enoch, the sacred historian immediately cuts off the memory of Cain +altogether and, as it were, buries him forever with these few short +words of record. He seems to entertain no further care or concern for +either his life or his death. He merely records temporal +blessings--that he begat a son and that he built a city. For as the +gift of reproduction was not taken away from the murderer Cain, +neither was the gift of dominion taken from him. But he lost all the +rich blessings of the earth because it had drunk the blood of his +brother, as we have shown above. + +248. The Holy Spirit records these things in order that we may see +that there was, from the very beginning, two churches: one the church +of the sons of Satan and of the flesh, which often makes sudden and +great increase; and the other the church of the sons of God, which is +usually weak and makes slow progress. Although the Scriptures do not +relate how these two churches lived together in the beginning, yet, as +it was declared by God to Satan, "I will put enmity between thy seed +and her seed," it is certain that the church of Cain was ever hostile +to the Church of Adam. 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 God. For in the +great flood, only eight souls of them were saved; all the rest of the +human race perished in the waters on account of their sin. + +249. And this is a calamity of the true Church, common to all ages: as +soon as she begins to increase, she is compelled to oppose with all +her might Satan and the ungodly. She is at length tired out by the +wickedness of her enemy, and is then either obliged to yield to her +enraged foe, overcome by the cross and its afflictions, or she sinks +under the seductions of pleasures and riches. So it was with the +posterity of Adam. Broken down, at length, under so long a war with +the sons of men, they yielded, being reduced at last to eight souls +only, who were saved. Ungodliness having so far prevailed, and the +godly losing ground, the Lord at length interposes and saves the few +righteous remaining; but all the rest, both the seduced and the +seducers, he punishes, including them in the same judgment. And we +hope and believe the Lord will do the same in the judgment at the last +day. + +250. Many questions arise here. Some inquire respecting the +circumstances connected with the wife of Cain: at what time the murder +was committed; whether Cain murdered his brother before he was a +husband, or after he was married. And the Jews, moreover, say that Eve +brought forth twins at every birth, a male and a female; and they +assert that Cain married his sister Calmana, and Abel his sister +Debora. Whether these things be true or not I cannot affirm. I know +not. But they are not vital to the interests of the Church, and there +is nothing certain known concerning them. This one thing is certain, +that Cain had a sister for his wife. But whether or no he had her as +his wife when he committed the murder, cannot with certainty be +proven. However, the text before us greatly tends to the conclusion +that Cain was married when he committed the murder of his brother; 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 Cain. I, therefore, am +inclined to believe that both of the brothers were married. + +251. This conclusion is favored also by the statement made above, that +Cain and Abel "in the process of time" brought their offerings. This +has been explained in the following manner: At the end of the year, +the two newly married husbands brought as offerings the new fruits +which God had given them in this first year of their marriage; Cain +brought the first fruits of the earth, and Abel the first fruits of +his flock. And the time was probably the autumn of the year, the time +when the fruits of the earth are gathered, the same season in which +the Jews afterwards held the feast of expiation. Moses, in his +Levitical law, seems carefully to have noted and collected the +ancestral patterns, and to have reduced them to a code. When, +therefore, the new husbands came to render their thanks to God for his +blessings and to offer their gifts, and Abel's offering was accepted +of God and not the offering of Cain, Cain's heart was immediately +filled by Satan with hatred of his brother; and upon this hatred +afterwards followed the horrible murder. This is the opinion of the +Jews, which I thus relate because it does not appear to be at all far +from the truth. But, as I have often said, the interpretations of the +Jews are to be read with critical discrimination, so that in their +teachings, we may retain the things consistent with the truth, but +condemn and refute all fictions of their own making. + +252. If Cain was not married when he slew his brother, it is still +more wonderful that after such a wicked deed he obtained a wife at +all; and certainly that damsel was worthy the highest praise who +married such a man. For how could the maiden rejoice in a marriage +with her brother who was a murderer, accursed and excommunicated? She, +on her part, no doubt supplicated her father, and expostulated with +him and asked how he could give her, an innocent one, in marriage to a +man thus accursed, and force her into banishment with him. Nay, the +very example of her brother's murder must have naturally filled her +with terror, lest the crime which her husband committed on his brother +he might also dare to commit on her, his sister and his wife. + +253. In bringing about this marriage, Adam obviously had to exercise +marvelous eloquence. It was for him to convince his daughter that the +father's command was not to be disobeyed, and that while Cain, +curse-ridden, would have to bear the penalty of his sin, God would +still preserve and bless her, the innocent one. + +Nor do I entertain the least doubt that God conferred many personal +blessings upon Cain, down the whole line of his posterity, for the +sake of his wife, who, from motives of faith toward God and of +obedience toward her parents, had married her murderous brother. + +As Christ was the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, +to establish the certainty of the promise made unto the Jewish +fathers; and as, in the absence of a promise, he was the minister of +the Gentiles, because of the mercy of God, (Rom 15, 8-9), so the like +uncovenanted mercy was shown also to the posterity of Cain. These two +opinions have been expressed concerning the marriage of Cain, but +which is the truth I know not. If Cain was married after he committed +the murder, his wife is most certainly worthy of all praise and of all +fame, who could thus yield to the authority of her parents, and suffer +herself to be joined in marriage with an accursed murderer. + +254. To myself, the first opinion appears to be much nearer the truth, +that he murdered his brother after his marriage with his sister; +because we have so clear a testimony in the text concerning the +division of the inheritance. And in that case, the necessity lay on +the wife to follow her husband. As wife and husband are one body and +one flesh, Adam had no desire to separate them; moreover, the wife is +bound to bear her part of the calamities of her husband. Just in the +same manner as the posterity of Cain enjoyed a part of those blessings +which were bestowed of God upon the innocent wife, Pharaoh, king of +Egypt, was saved in the time of Joseph, and the King of Nineveh was +saved in the time of his calamity, although neither of them belonged +to the people of God. And so I also believe that some were saved out +of the posterity of Cain, although Cain himself had utterly lost the +promise concerning the blessed seed. + + +B. THE POSTERITY OF CAIN IN DETAIL; THE GENERATIONS OF CAIN. + + * The names were given to the descendants of Cain, not by accident, + but by special thought and with a definite meaning 255. + + 1. Of Enoch. + + a. The meaning of his name 255-256. + + b. Is the first in Cain's posterity and the beginning of the + temporal blessing 256. + + * Why Cain built a city 257-258. + + 2. Irad and the meaning of his name. It was not given without a + purpose 259. + + 3. Mehujael and the meaning of his name 260. + + * The means the false church uses to suppress the true Church 260. + + 4. Methushael and the meaning of his name 261. + + 5. Lamech. + + a. What his name signifies 262. + + * Cain's descendants persecute the true Church. Yet some of + Cain's posterity were saved 263. + + b. The reason he took two wives 264. + + c. Who were his wives 265. + + d. His sons, Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-cain, and his daughter Naamah + 266-268. + + * Why Moses mentions the various arts of Cain's descendants + 269. + + * Whether poverty drove Cain's descendants to the arts 269-270. + + * As the false church was before the flood so is she still, and + will remain so to the end of the world 271. + + * How the Cainites increased and oppressed the true Church 272. + + * Why the Scriptures do not mention that some of the Cainites + were saved 272. + + e. Of his haughty speech, "I have slain a man etc." + + (1) This is difficult to understand, and has been poorly + treated by interpreters 273. + + (2) The fable explanation of these words by the Jews refuted + 274-275. + + (3) How others explained them 275. + + (4) Luther's understanding of them 276-277. + + f. Whether Lamech slew Cain, and thereby made himself famous + 278. + + g. How he attempted to be ruler upon Adam's death 279. + + * How the Church is oppressed from both sides 279. + + * Why Moses mentions the blood descendants of Cain with such + care 280. + + h. Cain is not sorry for his deed, but even boasts of it 281. + + * The nature of the Cain church 281. + + i. How he seeks to avoid being slain by others 282. + + * The pope has the conscience of Cain and Lamech 282. + + j. He is a type of all the children of this world 283. + + * How the devil drives the Cainites to rage against the Church + under the guise of being holy 284. + + * The true Church from the very beginning had to shed her blood + 285. + + * The tyranny of Popes Julius II and Clement VII 285. + + * God at all times severely punished the persecutors of his + Church 286. + + k. How Lamech still wished to defend his deed 287. + + l. He had no Word of God, but was filled with pride 288. + + +B. THE POSTERITY OF CAIN IN DETAIL. + +255. As regards the names of Cain's offspring, I believe that, in +common with those of the holy patriarchs, they indicate not an absence +of purpose or a random selection, but a definite purpose and a +prophecy. Thus "Adam" signifies a man of, or taken out of, the red +earth. "Eve" signifies the mother of life, or of the living. "Cain" +signifies possession. "Abel" signifies vanity. And we find that also +among the Gentiles many names have such a significance; not seldom +names are found which are truly prophetic. "Enoch" is a prophetic +name, expressive of hope in the future as a relief to Cain's mind, or +rather to his wife's, for it was the latter who called the son she +bore Enoch, from the Hebrew _Hanach_, which signifies, "she +dedicated," or "she devoted." + +256. This is a word frequently used by Moses. As when he says, "What +man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? +let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and +another man dedicate it," Deut 20, 5. The verb in this passage, which +signifies originally to dedicate, here signifies to possess, or to +enjoy; and when this possession or enjoyment begins, it is attended +with happy signs and auspicious invocations. So when the wife of Cain +brought forth her first son, she said to her husband, Enoch; that is, +"Dedicate him, devote him:" for the verb is in the imperative mood. As +if Cain had said himself, May this our beginning be happy and +prosperous. My father Adam cursed me on account of my sin. I am cast +out of his sight. I live alone in the world. The earth does not yield +me her strength; she would be more fruitful to me, had I not thus +sinned. And yet God now shows me uncovenanted mercy in giving me this +son. It is a good and happy beginning. + +As in the generation of Cain the corporal blessings begin with Enoch, +so it is another Enoch in the generation of the righteous under whom +religion and spiritual blessings begin to flourish. + +257. That which is added by Moses concerning the city Cain thus built +belongs to history. But I have before observed that Cain, when +separated from the true church and driven into banishment, hated the +true church. When, therefore, Cain thus first built a city, that very +act tended to show that he not only disregarded and hated the true +Church, but wished also to oppose and oppress it. For he reflects +thus: Behold I am cast out by my father and I am cursed by him, but my +marriage is not a barren one; therefore I have in this the hope of a +great posterity. What, therefore, is it to me that I am driven by my +father from beneath his roof? I will build a city, in which I will +gather a church for myself. Farewell, therefore, to my father and his +church. I regard them not. + +258. Accordingly, it is not through fear, or for defense, that Cain +"built a city," but from the sure hope of prosperity and success, and +from pride and the lust of dominion. For he had no need whatever to +fear his father and mother, who at the divine command had thrust him +out to go into some foreign land. Nor had he any more ground of fear +from their children than from themselves. But Cain was inflated with +pride through this uncovenanted mercy of God, as I have termed it; +and, as the world ever does, he sought by means of his "city" an +opportunity of emerging from his present state into future greatness. +The sons of God, on the contrary, are only anxious about another city, +"which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God," as we have +it described in the Epistles to the Hebrews 11, 10. + +V. 18a. _And unto Enoch was born Irad._ + +259. What opinion to form concerning this name, I really know not, for +its origin is very obscure; and yet I believe the name is not +accidental but prophetic. In the book of Joshua we have a city called +Ai; and this same term is used elsewhere as an appellative. Now, the +proper name Ai signifies, "a heap," as a heap of fallen buildings. And +if with this name you compound the verb _Irad_, the word thus +compounded will signify increase. Although the posterity of Cain, on +account of their excommunication, were at that time like a great heap +of ruins, it was his prayer that they might not altogether perish, but +be preserved and greatly increased by means of this son Irad. If +anyone can offer a better interpretation, I will by no means despise +it; for on obscure points like the present, conjecture is quite +allowable. + +V. 18b. _And Irad begat Mehujael._ + +260. This name is formed from the verb _mahah_, which signifies "to +destroy," and from _jaal_, "he began," or "he attempted or dared." +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 it; so +mightily should it prevail by its wealth, wisdom, glory and numbers. +These, indeed, are for the most part the influences through which the +true Church is always overcome by the world and the false church. + +V. 18c. _And Mehujael begat Methushael._ + +261. _Meth_ signifies "death," and _schaal_ means "to ask," or "to +demand." Hence we have the name Saul; that is, demanded. This name +indicates a spirit haughtier than any of the others. I understand it +to signify that Methushael threatens that he will avenge his parents, +who are dead, whom the other church--that is the true Church--has +punished with excommunication and exile. + +V. 18d. _And Methushael begat Lamech._ + +262. Hitherto the Cainites seem to have insulted the true Church with +impunity and to have triumphed over them. But the name "Lamech" +signifies that God, at the time in which Lamech was born, inflicted on +the posterity of Cain their due punishment. The name Lamech is derived +from the verb _makak_, which signifies to humble, to diminish, to +suppress. Or, it may be understood actively, to mean that in the time +of Lamech the posterity of Cain so greatly increased that the true +Church was quite overwhelmed by them. + +263. Such was the posterity of Cain; men, no doubt, renowned for their +wisdom and greatness. And I also believe that some of them were saved +by the uncovenanted mercy of God, as I have above explained. But far +the greater part of them most bitterly hated and persecuted the true +Church. They could not brook inferiority to the sons of Adam, the true +Church; therefore they set up their own forms of worship, and +introduced many other new things for the sake of suppressing the +church of Adam. And because the false church was thus kept separate +from the true Church, I believe that Cain married to each other his +sons and daughters. Accordingly, about the time of Lamech, Cain's +posterity began to multiply exceedingly. And it is for this reason, I +believe, that Moses here terminates the list. + +V. 19. _And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was +Adah, and the name of the other Zillah._ + +264. Here again a twofold question arises. In the first place divines +dispute whether Lamech married these two wives on account of lustful +passion or for some other cause. My belief is that polygamy was not +entered into for the sake of lust, but with the object of increasing +his family, and from the lust of dominion, and especially so if, as +his name imports, the Lord at that time had been punishing the +Cainites, or the posterity of Cain, by pestilence, or by some other +calamity. In this case, Lamech probably thought by such expedient to +retrieve his greatness. Thus barbarous nations retain polygamy to +strengthen and establish both home and State. + +265. As regards the names of these two wives, the name of one is Adah; +that is, adorned, or, having chains on the neck. _Adi_ signifies a +neat, or elegant woman, and _adah_, the verb, signifies to adorn, or, +to put on. And perhaps this name was given to her, not only because +she was the mistress of the house, elegantly adorned or clothed, but +because she was also beautiful. The name of the other wife, Zillah, +signifies, his shade. + +V. 20. _And Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in +tents and have cattle._ + +266. The name Jabal is derived from the verb _jabal_, which signifies +to bring forward, or to produce. + +V. 21. _And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all +such as handle the harp and pipe._ + +267. And the name Jubal has the same origin and signification; for it +means produced, or introduced. Both these names, therefore, contain a +wish or prayer of Lamech concerning the increase of his family. The +posterity of Cain always entertained the object and expectation of +surpassing in numbers. And, no doubt, 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 God, but were the very people of God. + +V. 22. _And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every +cutting instrument of (an artificer in every workmanship of) brass and +iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah._ + +268. Tubal-cain signifies, produce property. So the Romans gave such +names as "Valerius" (from valeo), and "Augustus" (from augeo). And +Naamah received her name from her sweetness, or beauty. This posterity +of Cain increased infinitely; hence Moses breaks off at this point. + +269. Now, when he not only chronicles names but makes mention also of +the deeds and labors of each one, the Jewish explanation is to be +rejected that the offspring of Cain was compelled to follow other +occupations because the earth was cursed, and hence gained their +livelihood, one as a shepherd, another as a worker in brass, and +another as a musician, obtaining grain and the other fruits of the +earth from the offspring of Adam. But if the Cainites had been so +severely pressed by hunger, they would have forgotten the harp, organ +and other instruments of music in their extremity; for the enjoyment +of music is not characteristic of the hungry and thirsty. + +270. Their invention of music and their efforts in the discovery of +other arts is proof that they had the necessaries of life in +abundance. The reason, therefore, that the descendants of Cain turned +to these pursuits and were not contented with the simple food the +earth produced, like the descendants of Adam, was that they wished to +rule, and aimed at the high praise and glory of being men of talent. I +believe, however, that some of them passed over to the true Church and +followed the religion of Adam. + +271. And such as Moses here describes the generation of the wicked, or +the false church, to be, from the beginning down to the mighty flood +of waters, so we find it ever, and such it will remain until the final +flood of fire. "The sons of this world are for their own generation +wiser than the sons of the light," Lk 16, 8. Therefore it is that they +ever advance and increase, and commend themselves and their own, and +thus acquire riches, dignities and power; while the true Church, on +the other hand, always lies prostrate, despised, oppressed, +excommunicated. + +Vs. 23-24. _And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my +voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a +man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me. If Cain shall be +avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold._ + +272. Thus far Moses has given us a history of the generation of the +children of this world, and having brought down the list to the time +of Lamech and his wives and children, he buries them, as it were, +altogether in silence, leaving them without any promise, either of the +life which is to come or of the life that now is. For except that +uncovenanted blessing of offspring and of food, the Cainites possessed +nothing whatever. Yet they so increased in power and in multitude that +they filled the whole world, 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 life, and sunk them +into so deep a hell of wickedness, that eight men only remained to be +saved when the flood came upon the whole world of the ungodly. And +though there is no doubt that some of the generation of Cain were +saved both before the flood and in the flood, yet the Scriptures do +not mention them, to the end that we might the more fear God and walk +according to his Word. But hard as the diamond are those human hearts +which fail to be moved by such an example as the flood, than which +nothing more dreadful is to be found in the whole chain of time. + +273. Moses, therefore, having buried in silence the entire generation +of Cain, records only one unimportant fact respecting Lamech, but what +the real import of that fact is, Moses does not explain. I know not +that any other passage in the Holy Scriptures has been so diversely +interpreted, and so rent and wrested, as this text. For ignorance at +least, if eloquence is not, is fruitful of surmises, errors and +fables. I will mention some of the vulgar views upon the passage now +before us. + +274. The Jews compose the fable that Lamech, when he had grown old and +was blind, was led by a youth into the woods to hunt wild beasts, not +for the sake of their flesh but for their skins; circumstances which +are altogether absurd, and at once prove the whole fable to be a lie. +And they hold that Cain was there, concealed among the bushes, and in +that solitude he not only exercised repentance but sought security for +his life. The young man who directed the spear for Lamech, thinking he +saw a wild beast in a certain thicket, told Lamech to hurl his spear, +and Lamech hurled his spear and, contrary to all thought, pierced +Cain. And they add that after Lamech had been made conscious of the +murder he had committed, he immediately speared the youth himself, who +also died under the wound he received. It was thus, say the Jews, that +the "man" and the "young man" were slain by Lamech. But such +absurdities as these are utterly unworthy of refutation. Indeed, Moses +himself completely refutes them; he records the fact that Cain, far +from fleeing into solitude and concealment, "built a city," which +implies that he governed a State and thereby established for himself a +kind of kingdom. Moreover, the ages of Cain and Lamech would not +accord with this explanation, for it is not at all probable Cain lived +to the time Lamech became old and blind. + +275. There is still another Jewish invention. After Lamech had killed +Cain, his wives would no longer live with him, through fear of the +punishment they foreboded would come upon him, and therefore Lamech, +to comfort himself and to induce his wives to live with him, +prophesied that whosoever should kill him would assuredly be punished +"seventy and sevenfold." The Jews invent like absurdities also +concerning the sons of Lamech, whom they say he taught to fabricate +arms for the destruction of men. Other commentators, again, will have +it that the sense of this text is to be taken negatively, thus: If I +had killed a man, as Cain killed his brother, I should have been +worthy of your reprobation. + +276. My interpretation, accordingly, is that the words, "If Cain shall +be avenged sevenfold," etc., are not to be taken for the Word of God. +For that generation did not have the Word; how, then, could Lamech be +believed to have been a prophet? Thus, even such a man as Jerome +produces the vagary that, inasmuch as, according to Luke, +seventy-seven generations can be counted between Adam and Christ, it +was after this space of time that Lamech's sin was taken away by +Christ. If such vaporings are legitimate, anything can be proved from +the Scriptures. Jerome even forgets that Lamech represented the +seventh generation from Adam! The word under consideration then, is +not to be placed upon the same level with the former, spoken to Cain; +for that was the Word of God. It is, on the contrary, the word of a +wicked murderer; not true, but an audacious fiction, based upon that +spoken by Adam to Cain. But why does he deliver his discourse not +before his church but at home, and only before his wives? + +277. It is probable that the good and pious women were greatly alarmed +on account of the murder committed by their husband. The wicked +murderer, therefore, to appear equally safe with Cain, endeavored in +this way to reassure his wives concerning his safety from death. This +is what the wicked church is accustomed to do; it prophesies out of +its own head. But all such prophecies are vain. This one thing, +however, we can gather from the present text, that Lamech did not +utter the contents of his prophecy from the Word of God, but out of +his own brain. + +278. In respect to Cain, I do not think that he was killed by Lamech, +but that he died long before the time of Lamech. 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 is, that Lamech killed some eminent +man and some distinguished youth of the generation of the righteous, +just as Cain, his father, had killed Abel. And I believe that, having +committed such murders, he wished to protect himself from being killed +by uttering the words of the text, after the manner of the protection +vouchsafed by God to his father Cain. For Lamech was no doubt a man of +very great abilities and the chief man in his day and State. He had +also strengthened his cause by a novel venture, for he was the first +man who married two wives. And he harassed the Church of the godly in +various ways, as men are wont to do who combine talent with malice. +Therefore he furnished his men with arms, riches, and pleasures, that +he might overcome the true Church on every side, which alone held the +holy faith, the pure Word, and the pure worship of God. To all else he +paid little attention. + +279. It is very probable that the patriarch Adam died about this time, +this being the first patriarchal death; and there is no doubt that +Lamech seized this opportunity of transferring the whole government of +the world at that time to himself, that he might have all things under +his own rule. This is the manner in which the world acts to this day. +The Church of God, therefore, placed as it were in the midst, is +oppressed on either side; by tyrants and blood-thirsty men on the one +hand, and by those who are devoted to the concerns and pleasures of +this world on the other. As tyrants use violence and the sword to +destroy the Church, so the latter entice her by their allurements. + +280. 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 pursuits. And hence it is, also, that Christ +expressly shows that much blood was shed even before the flood, by +testifying "that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the +earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of +Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the +altar," Mt 23, 35. Moses testifies subsequently (Gen 6, 1-13), that +the earth before the flood was filled with iniquities; and he is not +speaking of the iniquities and violent deeds of thieves and +adulterers, but describes particularly the tyranny of the Cainite +church, which pursued with all the violence of the sword the holy +posterity of Adam. And it is for this same reason that the sacred +historian describes the descendants of Cain by the name "giants." +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 son. + +281. It was certainly an evidence of the greatest tyranny in Lamech, +that, when he had been discovered by his wives, he did not grieve for +what he had done, but held in contempt the punishment which he had +just cause to dread. As if he had said: I have killed a man 'tis true, +but what is that to you? The wound of that belongs to me; I shall be +wounded for it, not you. I have indeed killed a young man, but it is +to my own hurt. I shall be punished for it, not you. What utterances +could evince more contempt than these in the face of open sins? + +These are my thoughts on the passage now before us. The text shows +that the Cainites were tyrannical men, proud of their success, and +given to pleasure; and the very words of Lamech prove him to be a +proud man, not grieving at all for the murder he had committed, but +glorying in it as in a righteous cause. The Cainite church always +excuses that tyranny which it exercises over the godly, as Christ +says: "Whosoever killeth you shall think that he offereth service unto +God," Jn 16, 2. This is expressed in the additional words of Lamech: + +V. 24. _If Cain shall he avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and +sevenfold._ + +282. Here Lamech sets himself above his father Cain, making it appear +that he had a more righteous cause for the murder he had committed, +and fortifying himself against those inclined to avenge the murders +perpetrated by him. For the words of the text are not the words of the +Lord, as we have said, but the words of Lamech himself. Just so the +pope fortifies himself by violence, tyranny, threats and anathemas, to +make himself secure against avengers, for he has the conscience of a +Cain and a Lamech. Let him, says the pope, who shall do anything +contrary to these my decrees know that he shall incur the indignation +of St. Peter and St. Paul. + +283. Lamech, therefore, is an example of this world, and Moses points +to him to show what kind of a heart, will and wisdom the world has. +Just as if he had said in reference to Lamech: Such are the actions of +the seed of the serpent and such are the children of this world. They +gather riches, follow their pleasures, increase their power, and then +abuse all these things by their tyranny, making use of them against +the true Church, the members of which they persecute and slay. And yet +in the midst of all these mighty sins, they fear not, but are proud +and secure, boasting and saying, "What can the righteous do?" (Ps 11, +3): "Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?" (Ps 12, 4): "He (the +wicked) saith in his heart: God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he +will never see it," (Ps 10, 11): and other like sentiments. + +284. That such is the meaning of the passage in question the facts +recorded prove, though the words of the text do not so clearly express +that meaning. The true Church has ever Satan as its great enemy, and +he drives the Cainites into fury, disguised as devotion, against their +brethren, the Abels; as Christ also says, affirming that the devil was +a murderer from the beginning, Jn 8, 44. It is declared throughout the +Scriptures concerning the true Church, that the wicked are ever +shedding its blood. The various passages in the Psalms speak the same +things, "Precious shall their blood be in his sight," Ps 72, 14. +Again, "Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of his saints" +Ps 116, 15. And again, "For thy sake are we killed all the day long" +Ps 44, 22. + +285. As, therefore, the Church of God has at all times, and in all +ages, given her blood to be shed by the wicked and by false brethren, +so also, in that first age of the world she had to suffer from her +enemies, whom the Scriptures call "giants," and affirm that those +"giants" filled the earth with "violence." Among these giants was also +this Lamech now before us, who was one perhaps like Pope Julius II or +Clement VII who although they exercised cruelty in the highest degree, +yet wished to be called and appear as most holy saints. Just so Lamech +here wishes to make it appear that he had a most righteous cause for +the murder he had committed, 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 father, the murderer +Cain. + +286. In this manner, the Church was vexed with the cross and with +persecutions from the very beginning of the world until God, compelled +by the wickedness of man, destroyed the whole world by the flood. Just +so, also, when the measure of Pharaoh's malice was full he was drowned +with all his host in the Red Sea. Just so, again, when the measure of +the malice of the Gentile nations was full they were all uprooted and +destroyed by Moses and Joshua. 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 Jerusalem. Other instances are the +Babylonians, the Medes, the Persians, the Grecians, and the Romans. + +287. The Scriptures therefore do not record whom Lamech killed. They +only record that two murders were committed by him, and that Lamech, +in his impenitence, wished to protect himself in the same manner as +his father Cain had been divinely protected, by issuing his +proclamation, thereby making it appear that he had righteous cause for +the murder he committed. And if this interpretation be not the true +one, it is at least certain that the generation of the Cainites was a +blood-thirsty generation, and hated and persecuted the true Church. + +288. And it is, moreover, true that Lamech had not the Word, and that, +accordingly, his utterance is not to be considered in the same light +as that word which was spoken to his father Cain; for the latter was +the voice of truth, but the word of Lamech was the voice of his own +pride, expressive of the rule of Satan and of a church of hypocrites, +which sins securely and yet glories in its sins as if they were deeds +of righteousness. + + +C. THE POSTERITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN DETAIL; THE GENERATIONS OF THE + RIGHTEOUS. + + 1. Of Seth. + + a. Why Seth is described in detail 289. + + b. Why Eve at Seth's birth recalled Cain's murder 290. + + * How and why the first parents after Abel's death refrained + from bearing children 291. + + c. Seth's birth was announced before in a special way by God + 291-292. + + * The uncovenanted grace of the Cainites. Also, why God did not + mention that some of them would be saved 293. + + d. How Eve manifested special faith and obedience in Seth's + birth 294-295. + + * Why the Romish church never canonized Eve 296. + + * The idle fables of the Jews about Lamech and his wives, and + about Adam's abstinence and Cain's increase, are to be + rejected 297. + + e. A new generation springs from Seth, in which the promise + shall be fulfilled 298. + + 2. Of Enoch. + + a. What his name means, and why it was given to him 299. + + * The names of the holy patriarchs originated not by chance + 299. + + b. How true worship began under Enoch 300-302. + + * Of true worship. + + (1) In what it consists 301. + + (2) Why it was not in use before 302. + + * The meaning of "the name of Jehovah" or the proclaiming + of the name of Jehovah 303. + + (3) The right course to take in the doctrine concerning + divine worship 304. + + * God always ministered comfort to his Church under the + cross 305. + + (4) What is the true worship according to the first table of + the law 306-307. + + (5) How true worship according to the second table follows + from the first 308. + + (6) People are to be instructed first and chiefly in the + worship of the first table 309. + + (7) Whether visible signs were present in these days in their + worship, and to what end they were necessary 310-311. + + (8) The worship of which Moses speaks is to be understood not + of the Cainites but of Seth's posterity 312. + +* A summary review of the contents of the fourth chapter of Genesis + 313. + +* Why the fifth chapter was written 314. + +* Why the Jews cannot see the unity in the first five chapters of the + Bible 315. + + +C. THE POSTERITY OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN DETAIL. + +V. 25. _And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called +his name Seth: For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed +instead of Abel; for Cain slew him._ + +289. Hitherto Moses has spoken of the generation of the wicked only, +the whole of which he buries as it were with the above brief catalog. +The historian now turns to the description of the godly and of the +true Church. And first of all, we are to observe the manner of +expression Moses uses in reference to the name given by Eve to her +son: "And she called his name Seth." Moses does not speak thus +concerning Cain when he was born, nor concerning righteous Abel, nor +with reference to Enoch, nor with reference to any of the others. 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 paradise. So Eve is to +be understood when she assigns the reason for giving her son this +name. Eve manifests her surpassing godliness and faith in giving her +son such a name. + +290. 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 churches, and that she had witnessed and suffered many evils +and indignities from the Cainites. Because of this she now called to +mind the awful murder which had been committed, whereby Cain wished to +destroy the righteous seed that he might reign alone. But thanks be to +God, says she, who hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel. + +291. Moses here, as is his usual manner, embraces in the fewest +possible words the mightiest things, that he may incite the reader to +the most diligent consideration of the works of God. Of the pain and +righteous grief of the parents at the murder of Abel by his brother we +have spoken before. 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 Seth; for it is most probable that the awful peril +of a recurrence of a calamity like that which they had just +experienced, induced the godly parents to abstain from connubial +intercourse. I believe, therefore, that by a particular promise made +to them by an angel, their minds were again comforted and confirmed, +and that they were influenced to believe that a son of the description +of Seth would now be born unto them, who should hold fast the promise; +and that, although the generation of Cain should utterly perish by +their sin, the generation of him about to be born should be preserved +until the promised blessed seed should come into the world. + +292. 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 sermon, 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 children: "And +she called his name Seth." Seth is derived from the Hebrew verb +_sath_, which signifies he placed, or he established, and was intended +to show that this son would be, as it were, the foundation on which +the promise concerning Christ would rest, even though many other sons +should be born unto the parents. Eve does not give him an exalted +name, such as "Cain," yet she gives him a name signifying that the +posterity of Seth should never be suppressed or destroyed. + +293. The Cainites, cast out from the sight of their parents, are left +under a curse, without any promise whatever, and have only so much +mercy as they receive from the generation of the righteous as beggars, +not as heirs. This is the mercy we above called uncovenanted mercy. +But who, of the posterity of the Cainites, obtained that mercy, Moses +does not mention, and his design in this omission is to keep separate +the two churches: the one the Church of the righteous, which had the +promise of a life to come, but in this life was poor and afflicted; +the other the church of the wicked, which in this life is rich and +flourishing. + +294. Eve, the mother of us all, is highly to be praised, as a most +holy woman, full of faith and charity, because in the person of her +son Seth she so nobly lauds the true Church, paying no regard whatever +to the generation of the Cainites. For she does not say, I have gotten +another son in the place of Cain. She prefers the slain Abel to Cain, +though Cain was the first-born. Herein praise is due, not only to her +faith but to her eminent obedience; for she is not only not offended +at the judgment of God concerning righteous Abel, but she also changes +her own judgment concerning God. When Abel was born she despised him, +and magnified Cain as the first-born, and as the possessor, as she +thought, of the promise. But now she acts in all things quite the +contrary. As if she had said: After God's acceptance of him and of his +offering, I had placed all my hopes on my son Abel, because he was +righteous; but his wicked brother slew him. But now God hath appointed +me another seed instead of Abel. + +295. She does not indulge her maternal affection for Cain. She does +not excuse or lessen the sin of her son. But she herself +excommunicates him, already excommunicated of God; and she banishes +him, together with all his posterity, among the polluted mass of the +Gentiles who live without any sure mercy of God, laying hold only as +they can of that uncovenanted mercy which, as we have said, they +receive as beggars, not as heirs. + +296. It is a great marvel, surely, that the church of the pope, having +made up so great a list of saints, has not yet inserted in that +catalog Saint Eve, a woman full of faith and love, and with an +infinite number of crosses! But perhaps we are to gather from this +omission that it would rather follow the church of the Cainites than +the holy Church. + +297. I am inclined to say nothing here about that absurd and idle +fable of the Jews, that Lamech brought his disobedient wives to Adam +as judge, 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 Eve. These fablers say that Adam, who had refrained from the +bed of his wife from the murder of Abel to that time, again lived with +her as man and wife, in order that he might not by his example induce +others to maintain perpetual continence, and thus prevent mankind from +being multiplied. All these fables show how impure the thoughts of the +Jews were. Of the same description is the like argument of these Jews, +who hold that when Seth was born, which was within a hundred years +after the death of Abel, the children of Cain had increased unto the +seventh generation. Such absurdities do wicked men invent to bring +reproach upon the Holy Scriptures. And of precisely the same +description is the opinion that Cain was born in paradise, while, as +yet, the original righteousness of his parents remained. What is the +object of this lying invention but to cause us to do away with Christ +altogether? For take away original sin, and what need is there of +Christ at all? These things are indeed, as we have intimated, unworthy +of being mentioned here. But they are worthy the enemies of Christ and +the enemies of grace. + +298. In Seth, therefore, we have a new generation, which arises from +and comes to pass in accordance with the great original promise, that +the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. Appropriately +the name Seth is bestowed, so that Eve may felicitate herself upon the +fact that this seed is established, safe from overthrow. David uses +the same verb: "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the +righteous do?" Ps 11, 3. And the Hebrew word forms a perfect rhyme +with its German equivalent: "Seth--steht." + +V. 26a. _And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called +his name Enosh._ + +299. The verb _yikra_, he called, is in the masculine gender, by which +you are to understand that it was the father who gave this name to his +son. In the former case the verb was feminine, because Eve gave to her +son Seth his name. The expression in each case is different, which +difference of gender in a verb the Latin language does not indicate. + +Enosh signifies a man afflicted or full of calamity. "What is man that +thou art mindful of him," Ps 8, 4. Seth, accordingly, intimates that +at that time there was some persecution or affliction of the Church. +That "old serpent," who had cast man out of paradise and had killed +Abel, the man beloved of God, was neither asleep nor idle. Therefore, +upon the consolation enjoyed in the birth of Seth there soon follows +another trial or tribulation, which the godly parents Adam and Eve +signalize by giving the name Enosh to their son. The names thus given +are by no means to be considered accidental. They were either +prophetical or commemorative of some particular event. + +V. 26b. _Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah._ + +300. The rabbins understand this as having reference to idolatry. They +think that about this time the name of Jehovah began to be given to +creatures: to the sun, the moon, etc. But Moses is not here speaking +of what the generation of Cainites did, but what the godly generation +of Adam did. The sacred historian is testifying that after the birth +of Enosh there began the true worship of God, the calling upon the +name of Jehovah. + +301. Here Moses most beautifully defines what it is to worship God, to +call upon the name of Jehovah; which is, as it were, the work of the +first table and concerns the true worship of God. Now, calling upon +the name of Jehovah embraces the preaching of the Word, faith, or +confidence in God, confession, etc. Paul beautifully joins these +things together in the fourteenth verse of the tenth chapter of his +Epistle to the Romans. True, the works of the second table also belong +to the worship of God, but these works do not refer directly and only +to God as do the works of the first table. + +302. After the confusion made in the house of Adam by Cain, the +generation of the godly began to multiply by degrees and a little +Church was formed, in which Adam as the high priest governed all +things by the Word and by sound doctrine. Moses here affirms that this +took place about the time of the birth of Enosh. Although this name +implies that the Church had been overwhelmed by some terrible +disaster, yet God raised her up again by his grace and mercy, and +added the great spiritual blessing of godly assemblage in a particular +place, with preaching, prayer and the offering of sacrifices, +blessings which had hitherto perhaps been either hindered or forbidden +by the Cainites. We have here, then, another evidence of the promised +seed warring with the serpent and bruising its head. + +303. Furthermore, as Moses does not say: Jehovah began to be called +upon, but the name of Jehovah, the reference to Christ recommends +itself to our approval, since also in other passages the Schem Jehovah +(the name of Jehovah) is so to be understood. This expression, "then +men began to call upon the name of Jehovah," contains a meaning most +important. It signifies that Adam, Seth, and Enosh taught and exhorted +their posterity to expect redemption and to believe the promise +concerning the seed of the woman, and to overcome by that hope the +snares, the crosses, the persecutions, the hatred and the violence of +the Cainites, and not to despair of salvation, but rather to give +thanks unto God, assured that he would at some time deliver them by +the seed of the woman. + +304. What could Adam and Seth teach greater or better than that the +great deliverer, Christ, was promised to their posterity? And this is +quite in keeping with the proper principle to be observed in religious +instruction. The first care should ever be directed to the first +table. When this table is well understood, the right understanding of +the second table will soon follow; yea, it is then easy to fulfil the +latter. For how is it possible that, where pure doctrine is taught, +where men rightly believe, rightly call upon the name of Jehovah, and +rightly give thanks unto God, the second and inferior fruits can be +wanting? + +305. 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 future. We see throughout the pages of sacred history a perpetual +succession and change of consolations and afflictions. Joseph in Egypt +keeps alive his parents and his brethren when divinely visited by +famine. After this, when these people were oppressed by wicked kings, +they were again delivered from their cruel bondage. And Cyrus delivers +them when captives in Babylon. When God permits his own people to be +oppressed by the violence and guile of the devil and the world, he +always lifts them up again and gives them prophets and godly teachers +to restore his sinking church, and to break for a while the fury of +Satan. + +306. Furthermore, 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 men, in the erection of statues, +or the performance of other sport suggested by reason, but in calling +upon the name of Jehovah. Worship in its truest meaning, well-pleasing +to God, and subsequently made mandatory in the first commandment, +embraces the fear of God, trust in God, confession, prayer and +preaching. + +307. The first commandment of the Law demands faith, that we believe +God is the only helper in time of need, Ps 9, 9. The second +commandment demands confession and prayer, that we call upon the name +of Jehovah in times of peril and give thanks unto God. The third +commandment requires that we teach the truth, and that we guard and +defend sound doctrine. + +These are the true and appropriate acts of the worship of God, and +they are those which God requires. He requires not sacrifices nor +money nor anything of the kind. As regards the first table, he +requires that we hear, consider and teach the Word; that we pray to +God and fear him. + +308. Where these things exist, the observances and works required by +the second table follow, as it were, of their own accord. 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 also. +David saith: "His delight is in the law of Jehovah; and on his law +doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by +the stream of water; that bringeth forth its fruit in its season, +whose leaf also doth not wither." Ps 1, 2-3. These things are evident +consequences of the right worship of God, according to the +commandments of the first table. He who believes God, who fears God, +who calls upon God in tribulation, who praises God and gives thanks +unto him for his mercies, who gladly hears the Word of God, who +continually contemplates the works of God, and who teaches others to +do the same things--do you think that such a one will harm his +neighbor, or disobey his parents, or kill, or commit adultery? + +309. The first table, therefore, is to be set forth first of all, and +instruction as regards the true worship is to receive precedence to +all else. This means, first to make the tree good on which good fruit +is to grow. Now, our adversaries take the diametrically opposite +course; they want to have the good fruit before they have even the +tree. + +310. Moreover, I believe that about this time there was added some +visible ceremony of divine worship, for God is ever wont thus to do. +He always joins with the Word some visible sign. When Abel and Cain +presented their offerings God showed by a visible sign from heaven +that he had respect unto Abel and his offering, but not unto Cain and +his offering. And so, in all probability, it was in this case and at +this time. When the Church began to flourish and the Word of God was +publicly taught with considerable success, God added also some visible +sign, that the Church might assuredly know that she pleased God. + +311. But whatever that sign was, whether fire from heaven or something +else, God withheld it until the third generation, that men might learn +to be content with the Word alone. Afterwards, when men had comforted +themselves by the Word alone against the Cainites, in all +tribulations, God of his great mercy added to the Word some visible +sign. He established a place and appointed persons and ceremonies to +which the Church might gather for the exercise of faith, for preaching +and prayer. By means of these things, the Word or the first table and +then a visible sign ordained of God, a Church is constituted, in which +men undergo discipline through teaching, hearing, and the partaking of +the sacraments. Then upon these things will assuredly follow the works +of the second table, which are acceptable, and acts of worship, only +on the part of those who possess and practice the first table. + +312. This gift of God, Moses sets forth in the few short words of the +text before us, when he says, "Then began men to call upon the name of +Jehovah." For this beginning to call upon the name of Jehovah was not +on the part of the Cainites, as the Jews explained the passage, but on +the part of the godly posterity of Adam, which alone was then the true +Church. If any of the posterity of Cain were saved, it must of +necessity have been by joining this Church. + +313. The sum of the first four chapters of Genesis is that we are to +believe in a resurrection of the dead after this life, and a life +eternal through the Seed of the woman. This is the blessed portion of +the godly, of them that believe, who in this life are filled with +afflictions and subject to injuries at the hands of all men. To the +wicked, on the contrary, are given, as their portion, the riches and +power of this world, which they use against the true Church of God. + +In the first chapter it is shown that man was created unto +immortality, because he was created "in the image of God." + +The teaching also of the second chapter sets forth the same thing, "In +the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." It follows +that the first created man and woman could not have died if they had +not eaten of that fruit. By their sin of eating they fell from +immortality to mortality, and they begat an offspring like unto +themselves. + +In the third chapter immortality is set forth anew, as restored by the +promise of the Seed of the woman. + +In the fourth chapter we have an especial example of immortality set +before us in Abel, who, after he had been slain by his brother, was +received into the bosom of God, who testified that the voice of the +blood of Abel cried unto him from the ground. + +314. And the fifth chapter, which now follows, is expressly written to +set forth the immortality of Enoch, who was taken up into heaven by +the Lord. Although the following chapter is necessary as a chronicle +of the number of the years of the generation of the righteous, yet its +most remarkable feature is its record that Enoch did not die like +Adam, nor was slain like Abel, nor carried away, nor torn to pieces by +lions and bears, but was taken up into heaven and translated into +immortality by the Lord himself; all which was written that we might +believe in the Seed of the woman, Christ our Redeemer and Satan's +conqueror, and that through him we also might expect a life immortal +after this mortal and afflicted life. + +315. This harmony of these five chapters the Jews see not, for they +are destitute of that sun which sheds light upon these things and +makes them manifest; which sun is Christ, by whom we have the +remission of sins and life immortal. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +I. THE BOOK OF THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF MAN, AND THE GLORY OF THE + CAINITES. + + A. THE BOOK OF THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF MAN. + + 1. The reasons why Moses records the generations of Adam 1. + + 2. Why he so particularly gives the years, and in the case of + each patriarch adds "and he died" 1-2. + + 3. Why Enoch is placed in the records of the dead 3-4. + + * Was Enoch a sinner, and do sinners have hope of eternal life + 4. + + * Of death. + + a. How we are to comfort ourselves against death 5. + + b. How reason views death, and how the best heathen + philosophers viewed it 6. + + c. The knowledge the Scriptures give us of death 6. + + 4. How we may be greatly profited by the book of the generations + of the ancient world 7. + + 5. Why the book of the generations of Cain is larger than that + of Seth's 7. + + * How terrible that both lines were totally destroyed, except + eight persons 8. + + 6. The aim of Moses in writing this book of the generations of + Adam 9. + + * The glory of the first world 10. + + a. What was this glory 9-10. + + b. Why this glory was revealed 10. + + c. Profitable and interesting to meditate upon it 11. + + d. The patriarchs of the first world the most holy of all + martyrs 12. + + B. THE GLORY OF THE CAINITES. + + 1. The Cainites greatly tormented God's Church, especially after + Adam's death 12. + + 2. To what end their hatred and persecution served the holy + patriarchs 13. + + * Why Moses did not record the zeal of the holy fathers against + the Cainites 14. + + * Why Moses gives such a short description of the deluge 15. + + * The character of the first world 16. + + * Luther's lamentation over the character of the last world; + its approaching destruction, and an earnest prayer to God + 16-18. + + +I. THE RECORDS OF THE GENERATIONS OF MAN AND THE GLORY OF THE +CAINITES. + +A. The Records of the Generations of Man. + +V. 1. _This is the book of the generations of Adam._ + +1. This chronicle has been arranged by Moses for two reasons. First, +on account of the promise of the seed made to Adam; and second, on +account of Enoch. Moses writes still another genealogy in the tenth +chapter, after the flood, from a far different motive than the +present. In the present chapter, he gives the number of the years of +the righteous and adds with a special purpose in the case of each one, +the words, "and he died." + +2. This little phrase may at first thought appear superfluous. After +the historian has said, "All the days that Adam lived were nine +hundred and thirty years," what seems to be the use of his adding the +few words, "and he died"? The statement as to the number of his years +connotes also the time of his death; for had he lived longer, the +additional years would have been contained in the enumeration. + +Moses, however, does this with the definite purpose of pointing out +the unspeakable wrath of God against sin, and the inevitable +punishment of it, inflicted by him on the whole human race, on the +righteous as well as on the wicked. So does the Apostle Paul pursue +his argument, drawn from this very portion of the Holy Scripture: "As +through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin; and +so death passed upon all men, for that all sinned," Rom 5, 12. This is +a consequence perpetuated through all generations. Adam died, +therefore Adam was a sinner. Seth died, therefore Seth was a sinner. +Infants die, therefore infants partake of sin and so are sinners. This +is what Moses intends to set forth when he says, concerning the whole +line of patriarchs, that, though they were all sanctified and renewed +by faith, yet, "they died!" + +3. Nevertheless, from this line of the dying there flames starlike a +most lovely light of immortality when Moses here records concerning +Enoch that "he was not;" that is, he no longer appeared among men, and +yet he did not die but was taken up into heaven by the Lord himself. +By this glorious fact is signified that the human race is indeed +condemned to death on account of sin, and yet the hope of life and +immortality is left us, that we need not abide in death forever. + +4. For this cause God thought it needful, not only that the promise of +life should be given to the original world, but that immortality +should be demonstrated by an object lesson. Accordingly Moses said of +each patriarch that he fulfilled so many years of life and "died": +that is, suffered the punishment of sin, or, was a sinner. But the +divine historian does not use these expressions concerning Enoch. Not +because that patriarch was not a sinner, but because, even unto such +sinners as he, there was left a hope of eternal life through the +blessed seed. Therefore all the patriarchs, who died in the faith of +this seed, held fast the hope of eternal life. + +Enoch, therefore, is the second object lesson by which God makes it +manifest that it is his will to give unto us life eternal after this +life. The Lord says that Abel, who was killed by his brother, still +lived, and that his voice cried from the ground. In the present +instance, Enoch is taken up by the Lord himself into heaven. + +5. We will not despair, therefore, though we see death, derived from +Adam, extend to every one of the whole human race. We must, indeed, +suffer death because we are sinners. But we shall not abide in death. +We rather have a hope in a divine purpose and providence whereby God +designs our deliverance from death. This deliverance has begun with +the promise of the blessed seed, and has been demonstrated by Abel and +Enoch as object lessons. Wherefore we possess the first fruits of +immortality. The Apostle Paul says, "For in hope were we saved," Rom +8, 24. Hope saves us until the fullness of immortality shall be +brought unto us at the last day, when we shall see and feel that +eternal life which we possessed here in faith and hope. + +6. Now, the flesh does not understand this. The flesh judges that man +dies like a beast. Men, occupying the front rank of philosophers have +felt accordingly that by death the soul is separated and delivered +from the prison of the body, to mingle, free from all bodily +infirmities, in the assembly of the gods. Such was the immortality +dreamed of by the philosophers, though steadfastness of grasp and of +vision was out of the question. The Holy Scriptures, however, teach +differently concerning the resurrection and eternal life; they place +this hope so plainly before our eyes as to leave no room for doubt. + +7. Next in order, we find in this chapter a reflection of the +condition of the primitive world. The ten antediluvian patriarchs +belonging to the lineage of Christ, with their descendants, are +enumerated. Nor is it a useless study to put these data before one's +eyes on paper, according to the directions given by Moses, to see who +the patriarchs were, who were their contemporaries, and how old they +became, as I have taken the time to do. Cain also has his line, as +Moses has shown in the preceding chapter, and I have no doubt that the +posterity of Cain was far more numerous than that of righteous Seth. + +8. From these two families, as from roots, was the world peopled, down +to the deluge, in which both branches, with their two classes of +descendants (that is, the posterity of the wicked and that of the +righteous) were rooted out of the earth, eight souls only being left, +and even among them one was wicked. Accordingly, as in this chapter a +magnificent picture of the primeval world is presented to our view, so +we behold also the incalculable wrath of God, and the horrible event +of the reduction of the total offspring of these patriarchs to eight +souls. + +9. We will reserve this awful record for its proper time and place. +Let us now do that which Moses does in the present chapter, who wants +us to consider the exceeding splendor of this primeval age of the +world. Adam lived beyond the age of his grandson Enoch, and died but a +short time before Noah was born. A hundred and twenty years only +intervened between the death of Adam and the birth of Noah. Seth died +only fourteen years before Noah's birth. Enosh and the rest of the +patriarchs, except Enoch, lived at the same time with Noah. Thus by a +comparison of the figures, we shall ascertain that quite a number of +gray-headed patriarchs, of whom one lived seven hundred, and another +nine hundred years, were contemporaries, and teaching and governing +the Church of the godly. + +10. The exceeding glory of the primitive world consists in this, that +it contained so many good and wise and holy men. We are by no means to +think that all these are merely common names of plain and simple men. +They were the greatest heroes and men of renown that the world ever +witnessed, next to Christ and John the Baptist. In the last day we +shall behold and admire the real majesty of all these worthies, and +then we shall truly behold the mighty deeds which these mighty men +wrought. Yes, it will then be made manifest what Adam did, what Seth +did, what Methuselah did, and the others; what they suffered from the +old serpent; how they comforted and fortified themselves, by their +hope in the promised seed, against all the harm and violence of the +world, that is, of the Cainites; what craft they experienced; what +injuries and hatred and contempt they bore for the glory of the +blessed seed to be born from their lineage. We are assuredly not to +imagine that these great and holy men lived without severe afflictions +and innumerable crosses. All these things, I say, shall be revealed at +the last day. + +11. And it is an undertaking, as I said, full of profit and pleasure +now to contemplate with our minds, as with open eyes, that happy age, +in which so many patriarchs lived contemporaneously, nearly all of +whom, except Noah, had seen and known their first father, Adam. + +B. The Glory of the Cainites. + +12. Also the Cainites had their glory. Among them were men most +eminent in the liberal arts, and the most consummate hypocrites, who +gave the true Church a world of trouble, and harassed the holy +patriarchs in every possible way. We may justly call all those who +were thus oppressed by them most holy martyrs and confessors. The +Cainites, as Moses before intimated, very soon surpassed the other +descendants of Adam in numbers and activity. Although they were +compelled to revere their father Adam, yet they adopted all possible +means of oppressing the Church of the godly, and especially so after +the death of the first patriarch, Adam. By such wickedness, these +Cainites helped to bring on the flood as retribution. + +13. This power and malice of the Cainites caused the holy patriarchs +to teach and instruct their Church with increased zeal and industry. +What numerous and powerful sermons may we suppose were preached by +them in the course of these most eventful years! There is no doubt +that both Adam and Eve testified of their original state of innocence, +described the glory of paradise and warned their posterity to beware +of the serpent, who, by tempting them to sin, had caused all these +great evils. How constant may we suppose them to have been in +explaining the promise of the blessed seed! 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 afflictions. + +14. All these particulars Moses omits to record, 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 glory! + +15. Likewise the flood, in spite of its horror, is described with the +greatest brevity because he wished to leave such things to the +meditation of men. + +16. For the same reasons Moses has purposely given us, in these first +five chapters, as briefly as possible, a picture of the original and +primeval world. It was an admirable condition of life, and yet that +primeval age contained a multitude of the worst of men, in consequence +not more than "eight souls" were saved from the destroying flood! What +then, may we conclude, will be the state of things before the last day +shall come, seeing that even now, under the revealed light of the +Gospel, 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 altogether. + +17. Awful is the voice of Christ when it utters the words, +"Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the +earth?" Lk 18, 8. And in Matthew 24, 37-38, our Lord compares the last +days with the days of Noah. These utterances of our Lord are indeed +most awful. But the world, in its security and ingratitude, is a +despiser of all the threats as well as all the promises of God. It +abounds in iniquities of every kind and becomes daily more corrupt. +From the time that the popes ceased to rule among us, who had ruled +the whole world by means of the mere dread of their vengeance, sound +doctrine has been despised, and men have degenerated into all but +brutes and beasts. The number of holy and godly preachers of the Word +is becoming less and all men are indulging their desires. The last +day, however, shall assuredly come upon the world as a thief, and will +overtake these men in all their security, and in the indulgence of +their ambition, tyranny, lust, avarice, and vices of every kind. + +18. And let it be remembered that it is Christ himself who has +foretold these things, and we can not possibly imagine that he would +lie. If the primitive world, which contained so mighty a multitude of +the greatest patriarchs, was so wholly corrupted, what may we not have +cause to dread in the weakness of our nature? May the Lord our God +grant that we may be gathered, as soon as possible, in the faith and +confession of his Son Jesus Christ, unto these our fathers; yea, if it +please him, that we may die within the next twenty years, and not live +to see the miseries and calamities, both temporal and spiritual, of +the last time! Amen! + + +II. ADAM AND HIS SON SETH. + + 1. The name Adam, and why given to the first man 19. + + 2. The Jews' fables of Adam's cohabitation with Eve 20. + + * Purity of doctrine cannot be expected from the Jews 20. + + 3. Why Moses so carefully describes the times of Adam 21. + + 4. Why it is said of Adam that he was created in the likeness of + God 21-23. + + * The likeness of God. + + a. The difference between "Zelem" and "Demuth" 22-23. + + b. How the likeness of God was lost and how it is restored 24. + + c. Whether it can be fully restored in this life 25. + + 5. The prating of the rabbins about the name Adam 26. + + * Why Moses here mentions the blessing 27. + + * Why he did not refer to the blessing in the descriptions of Cain + and Abel 28. + + 6. How long it was before Adam begat Seth 29. + + * Abel's age when murdered 29. + + 7. How and why Adam mourned so long for his son Abel, and therefore + refrained from bearing children 29-30. + + 8. The Jews' fable of Adam's vow of chastity refuted 30. + + 9. How we are to understand that Adam begat a son in his own + likeness 31. + + 10. Whether Adam's son Seth had God's likeness 31. + + 11. How Adam acquired again the lost image 32. + + 12. How Seth secured the likeness of God 32. + + 13. Why Adam gave his son the name Seth; its meaning 33. + + * The long lives of the first men. + + a. Longevity a part of the happy state of the first world 34. + + b. The causes of such long lives 34-35. + + * Men's bodies were much stronger and healthier than ours 35. + + c. Whether the climate, food and holy living contributed to this + end 36-37. + + * The creatures given to man for food after the flood were + inferior to those before, and they injured the body more than + nourished it 37. + + d. Luther's thoughts on this theme 38. + + 14. Which is the first or chief branch born from Adam and Eve 39. + + 15. How long Adam lived after Seth's birth 39. + + * The glory of the first world 40. + + * The histories of the first world were most excellent, but they + were destroyed in the flood 41. + + * Eve's age and experiences 42. + + * The age of the first world is called the golden age 43. + + +II. ADAM AND HIS SON SETH. + +V. 1a. _This is the book of the generations of Adam._ + +19. "Adam," as will be stated further on, is the common name of the +whole human race, but it is applied to the first man more expressly as +an appellation of dignity, because he was the source, as it were, of +the whole human family. The Hebrew word _sepher_, "a book," is derived +from _saphar_, which signifies "to narrate" or "to enumerate." +Wherefore this narration or enumeration of the posterity of Adam is +called "the book of the generations of Adam." + +V. 1b. _In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made +he him._ + +20. 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 created, and that she conceived in that same day. Fables +of this kind are numerous among them, nor may anything sound or pure +in the matter of scriptural interpretation be expected of them. + +21. The intent of Moses, in this clause, is to record the complete age +of Adam, and to number the days of his life from the day of his +creation, and, at the same time, to show that before Adam there was no +generation. Generation is to be clearly distinguished from creation. +There was no generation before Adam, but creation only. Adam and Eve +were not born but created, and that directly by God himself. Moses +adds, "In the likeness of God made he him." We are to understand, +then, that when he afterwards mentions that Adam begat Seth, he +numbers his years from the very day of his creation. + +22. In respect to Adam's having been made in the likeness of God, we +have shown above in its place what that "likeness" of God was. +Although almost all commentators understand the expressions, "the +likeness of God," and "the image of God," to mean one and the same +thing, yet so far as I have been able from careful investigation to +reach a conclusion, there is a difference between the two terms. +_Zelem_ properly signifies "an image," or "figure," as when the +Scripture says, Ye shall break down their images, Ex. 23, 24, in which +passage the original term signifies nothing more than the figures, or +statues, or images erected by men. But _demuth_ signifies "a +likeness," or "the perfectness of an image." For instance, when we +speak of a lifeless image, such as that which is impressed on coins, +we say, This is the image of Brutus or of Caesar. That image, however, +does not reproduce the likeness, nor exhibit every single feature. + +23. Accordingly, when Moses says that man was created also in the +likeness of God, he points out that man resembles God not only in the +possession of reason, or of intellect and will, but that he has also +the likeness of God, that is, a will and an intellect, with which he +knows God and wills what he wills. + +24. If man, having been created both "in the image" and "in the +likeness" of God, had not fallen, he would have lived forever, full of +joy and gladness, and would have possessed a will joyfully eager to +obey the will of God. But by sin both this "likeness" and this "image" +were lost. They are, however, in a measure, restored by faith, as we +are told by the apostle, Col 3, 10; Eph 4, 24. For we begin to know +God, and the spirit of Christ helps us, so that we desire to obey the +commandments of God. + +25. Of these blessed gifts we possess only the first-fruits. This new +creation within us is only as yet begun; it is not perfected here in +the flesh. The will is in some measure stirred to praise God, to give +him thanks, to confess sin, and to exercise patience, but all this is +only the first-fruits. The flesh, obeying the law of its nature, still +follows the things of the flesh, while it opposes the things of God. +The result is that the restoration of such gifts in us is only in the +initial stage; but the full tithe of this likeness in all its +perfection shall be rendered in the future life, when the sinful flesh +shall have been destroyed by death. + +V. 2. _Male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called +their name Adam, in the day when they were created._ + +26. I have above observed that the general name "Adam" was applied to +Adam alone, by reason of his superiority. I omit to mention those +vagaries of the rabbins, who say that no man can be called "Adam" +unless he has a wife. Likewise, no woman can be called "Adam" unless +married. The thought may have been drawn from the teachings of the +fathers, but the Jews have corrupted it by their foolish fancies and +opinions. + +27. Moses aims to show this blessing was not taken from man because of +his sin, since the blessing of bearing children and ruling them +continued with Cain though he had murdered his brother. + +28. Moses mentions not Abel, for he had died without an heir and is +presented to us as an example of the resurrection of the dead. Neither +is Cain mentioned, who because of his sin was cut off from the true +Church. + +29. Scripture says nothing of what Adam and Eve did during the one +hundred years. Some of our writers add a hundred years longer Adam +should have lived with Eve before Cain slew his brother Abel, which +makes Adam two hundred and thirty years of age when Seth was born. It +seems to me plausible that the godly parents passed one hundred years +in sorrow and mourned the great dishonor that befell their family. +After Adam was expelled from paradise did he first beget children, +sons and daughters, who were like him, and Abel was perhaps thirty +years of age when he was slain. It appears the children were not much +younger than their parents, who were not born, but created. + +30. I believe, accordingly, that the godly parents indulged their +grief, and abstained from connubial intercourse. This abstinence, +however, was not maintained with the intent which the Jews fable, who +absurdly affirm that Adam vowed perpetual chastity, like our monks, +and that he would still have kept his vow had he not been commanded by +an angel from heaven to live together with his wife. Such a story as +this is only fit to be told to a Roman pontiff of the age of forty, +who alone is worthy of listening to such fables. No, Adam was not so +wicked as thus to refuse the gift and command of God! Such abstinence +would have been taking vengeance on himself for the grief he had +endured, 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 +state. + +Moreover, this was a matter not left in the power of Adam. As Moses +has clearly shown, God had created him a male. He had, therefore, need +of a female, or wife, because the instinct of procreation was +implanted in his nature by God the Creator, himself. If therefore Adam +abstained, he did so for a reason only, intending to return to his Eve +after giving vent to his grief for a time. + +31. Moses here expressly adds, concerning Adam, that he "begat a son +in his own likeness, after his image." Theologians entertain various +opinions as to the real meaning of those expressions. The simple +meaning is, that Adam was created "in the image" and "after the +likeness" of God, or that he was the image of God, created, not +begotten; for Adam had no parents. But in this "image of God" Adam +continued not; he fell from it by sin. Seth, therefore, who was +afterwards born, was begotten, not after the image of God, but after +the image of his father Adam. That is, he was altogether like Adam; he +resembled his father Adam, not only in his features, but he was like +him in every way. He not only had fingers, nose, eyes, carriage, +voice, and speech, like his father, but he was like him in everything +else pertaining to body and soul, in manners, disposition, will and +other points. In these respects Seth did not bear the image of God +which Adam possessed originally, and which he lost; but he bore the +likeness of Adam, his father. But this likeness and image were not of +God by creation, but of Adam by generation. + +32. Now, this image included original sin, and the punishment of +eternal death on account of sin, which God inflicted on Adam. But as +Adam, by faith in the seed that was to come, recovered the image of +God, which he had lost, so Seth also recovered the same after he grew +up to man's estate; for God impressed again his own "likeness" upon +him through the Word. Paul refers to this when he says to the +Galatians, "My little children, of whom I am again in travail until +Christ be formed in you," Gal 4, 19. + +33. Of the name Seth I have spoken above. It denotes command, and +voices the sentiments of one praying and prophesying good news, as if +Adam had said: "Cain has not only himself fallen, but also caused his +brother to fall. May God, therefore, grant that this my son Seth shall +stand as a firm foundation which Satan shall not overthrow." Such +blessing or prayer is implied in the name. + +Vs. 4-5. _And the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred +years and he begat sons and daughters. And all the days that Adam +lived were nine hundred and thirty years and he died._ + +34. This is another part of the happiness of that age, that men +attained to so long life. Such longevity, when compared with the +length of our lives, seems quite incredible. A question naturally +arises as to the cause and theory of such old age. I am not at all +displeased with the reasons assigned by some, that the constitutions +of men were then far better than ours are now, and also that all +things then used for food were more healthful than those now used. To +these particulars we must add that important requisite for a long +life, the greatest moderation in the use and enjoyment of food. To +what extent the latter conduces to health, is needless to explain. + +35. Though the body was sounder than at present, yet the general vigor +and strength of limb which men had in paradise before the advent of +sin, had passed away. It is true, however, that their bodily +well-being was enhanced when, after the fall, they were renewed and +regenerated through faith in the promised seed. For the same reason, +also, sin was weakened through faith in the seed. As for us, we have +lost their strength and vigor just in proportion as we have departed +from their righteousness. + +36. With reference to food, who cannot easily believe that one apple, +in that primeval age, was more excellent and afforded a greater degree +of nourishment than a thousand in our time? The roots, also, on which +they fed, contained infinitely more fragrance, virtue and savor, than +they possess now. All these conditions, but notably holiness and +righteousness, the exercise of moderation, 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 life. + +37. Now, if we turn to consider thoughtfully our present mode of life, +we find that we are much more corrupted than nourished by the meat and +drink we consume. In addition to the immoderation characterizing our +life, how much have the fruits themselves lost in excellence? Our +first parents lived moderately, and chose only those things for their +meat and drink calculated to nourish and refresh their bodies. There +can be no doubt that after the deluge all the fruits of the earth +deteriorated greatly. Even so, in our own age, we find all things +deteriorate. 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 sea. + +38. These causes, with others which many assign for the great +longevity of the primeval patriarchs, I by no means disapprove. But +this one reason is quite sufficient, in my opinion, that it pleased +God to give them such length of life in the best part of the world. +Yet we see, as Peter strikingly says, that God willed not to spare the +old world, no, not even the angels in heaven that sinned; so horrible +a thing is sin. Sodom and Gomorrah were the choicest portion of the +earth, and yet, on account of sin, they were utterly destroyed. In the +same manner the Holy Scriptures everywhere set forth the greatness of +sin, and exhort to the fear of God. + +39. We have now the root, or rather the source, of the human race, +namely Adam and his Eve. From these Seth is born, the first branch of +this tree. But as Adam lived eight hundred years after the birth of +Seth, Adam saw himself in possession of numerous progeny. This was the +period of the restoration of righteousness through the promise of the +seed to come. Afterwards, however, when men increased, and the sons of +God mingled with the daughters of men, the world gradually became +corrupt, and the majesty of the holy patriarchs became an object of +contempt. + +40. It is an attractive sight, to view the number of gray-headed +patriarchs living at the same time. Only a little ciphering is +required to do it. If you compute carefully the years of our first +parent, Adam, you will see that he lived over fifty years with Lamech, +Noah's father. Accordingly, Adam saw all his descendants down to the +ninth generation, having an almost infinite number of sons and +daughters. These, however, Moses does not enumerate, being satisfied +to number the trunk and the immediate branches down to Noah. + +41. There were, without doubt, in this mighty multitude, many very +distinguished saints, whose history, if we possessed it, would exceed +in marvelousness all the histories of the world. Compared with it, the +exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, their passage through the +Red Sea and through Jordan, their captivities and returns, would be as +nothing. But as the primeval world itself perished, so did its +history. In consequence, the first place in the annals of history +belongs to the account of the flood, in comparison with which the +others are only as sparks to the fire. Of the former world we have +nothing but names, but these are, so to speak, great histories in +miniature. + +42. It is probable that also Eve lived to the age of 800 years and saw +this great posterity. What must have been her concern, how great her +labors, how devoted her toils, in visiting, in teaching, and in +training her children and grandchildren. And what must have been her +crosses and sighs, when the generation of the Cainites opposed with so +much determination the true Church, although some of them were even +converted by the uncovenanted mercy of God. + +43. Truly that primeval time was a "golden age," in comparison with +which our present age is scarcely worthy of being called the age of +mud. During those primeval centuries, there lived at the same time +nine patriarchs, together with their posterities, and all of them in +harmony concerning the faith in the blessed seed! All these glorious +things Moses just mentions, but does not explain; otherwise this would +be the history of histories. + + +III. ENOCH. + + 1. Why Moses writes the history of Enoch and not that of the other + patriarchs before the flood 43-45. + + 2. How it is to be understood that Enoch led a godly life and how + the monks interpret this falsely 46. + + 3. Enoch's prophecy cited by Jude and where Jude received it 47. + + 4. Enoch's exceptional courage and how he opposed Satan and the + world 48. + + 5. The length of time he led a godly life; and Moses justly praises + him 49. + + 6. Why Enoch is so greatly praised 50. + + 7. The tenor of his preaching 51. + + 8. He by no means led the life of a monk 51. + + 9. How he was missed. "He was not" 52. + + * Enoch's ascension a proof of the resurrection of the dead 52. + + 10. The effect of his ascension upon his father and grandfather + 53-55. + + 11. Whether the other patriarchs living then at once knew that he + ascended; and how such news affected them 54-56. + + * The cross must always precede consolation 54. + + 12. Why God took Enoch 55. + + * The news of Enoch's ascension must have quickened the holy + patriarchs 56. + + 13. Enoch's ascension a sign that a better life is offered to man + 57. + + 14. How Enoch walked and lived before God 58. + + 15. Enoch a man as we are and yet God took him 58. + + * The great sorrow of the patriarchs at Enoch's disappearance and + their great joy over such an experience 59. + + * Seth at the time was high priest, old and tired of life, and + died soon after Enoch was taken 60-63. + + * What Luther would do if he knew in advance the day of his death + 61. + + * This temporal life full of want and misery 62. + + * The results of Seth's preaching after Enoch's ascension 63. + + * The longing of the holy fathers for eternal life, and how it + should serve us 64. + + * Lamentation over the great corruption inherent in our flesh 65. + + 16. Enoch's ascension was great comfort to the holy patriarchs in + meeting death 66. + + * Of death. + + a. It is not death to believers, but a sleep 66. + + b. In what way death is a punishment of sin, and how it is + sweetened 67. + + * Luther's thoughts of Enoch's ascension 67. + + 17. Enoch's ascension extraordinary, and well worthy of + consideration by all 68. + + 18. The rabbins' foolish thoughts of Enoch's ascension refuted 69. + + 19. Enoch doubtless had many temptations 69. + + 20. Enoch ascended even bodily, and not with that life which he now + lives 70. + + * How and why God willed that the world should have in all times a + sign of the resurrection, and hence in the first world Enoch + ascended, in the second Elijah, and in the third Christ 71. + + * Lamentation over the unbelief of the world 72. + + * Christ's ascension more significant than Enoch's or Elijah's 73. + + * The chief doctrine of the first five chapters of Genesis 74. + + * How and why death and the resurrection of the dead are set forth + 74. + + +III. ENOCH. + +44. There is one history, however, that of Enoch, the seventh from +Adam, which Moses was not willing to pass over for the reason of its +being extraordinarily remarkable. Still, even in this case he is +extremely brief. + +In the case of all the other patriarchs he mentions only the names and +the number of their years. Enoch, however, he delineates in such a +manner that he seems, in comparison, to slight the other patriarchs +and, as it were, to disparage them as if they were evil men, or at +least slighted of God. Did not Adam also, and Seth, and Cainan, +together with their descendants--did not all these, also, walk with +God? Why, then, does Moses ascribe this great honor to Enoch only? And +is the fact that God took Enoch to be understood as if the other +patriarchs are neither with God nor living? Yes, they all, like Enoch, +now live with God, and we shall behold them all, at the last day, +shining equally with Enoch, in the brightest glory! + +45. Why, then, does Moses discriminate in favor of Enoch? Why does he +not bestow the same praise upon the other patriarchs? Although they +died a natural death, and were not taken by God, yet, also they +"walked with God." We have heard above concerning Enosh that in his +times, likewise, mighty things were done. It was in his days that "men +began to call upon the name of Jehovah," that is, that the Word and +worship of God began to flourish; and as a result holy men once more +"walked with God." Why is it then, we repeat, that Moses does not laud +Enosh equally with Enoch? Why does he bestow such high praise on the +latter only? For his words are these: + +Vs. 21-24. _And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat +Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three +hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch +were three hundred sixty and five years. And Enoch walked with God: +and he was not; for God took him._ + +46. When Moses says that Enoch "walked with God," we must beware of +taking the monastic view in the premises, as if he had kept himself +secluded in some private corner, and there lived a monastic life. No, +so eminent a patriarch must be placed on a candlestick, or, as our +Saviour Christ expresses it, set as a city on a hill, that he may +shine forth in the public ministry. + +47. It is as a bearer of such public office the Apostle Jude extols +him in his epistle, when he says: "To these also Enoch, the seventh +from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten +thousands of holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict +all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness, which they have +ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have +spoken against him," Jude vs. 14, 15. From what source Jude obtained +these facts I know not. Probably they remained in the memory of man +from the primitive age of the world; 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 tradition. + +48. It is this public ministry that Moses lauds, exalting the pious +Enoch as a sun above all the other patriarchs and teachers of the +primeval world. Wherefore, we may gather from all these circumstances +that Enoch possessed a particular fullness of the Holy Spirit, and a +preeminent greatness of mind, seeing that he opposed with a strength +of faith excelling that of all the other patriarchs, Satan and the +church of the Cainites. To walk with God, is not, as we have before +observed, for a man to flee into a desert, or to conceal himself in +some corner, but to go forth in his vocation, and to set himself +against the iniquity and malice of Satan and the world, and to confess +the seed of the woman; to condemn the religion and the pursuits of the +world, and to preach, through Christ, another life after this. + +49. This is the manner of life led for three hundred years by the +greatest prophet and high priest of his generation, Enoch, the man who +had six patriarchs for his teachers. Most deservedly, therefore, does +Moses extol him as a disciple of greatest eminence, taught and trained +by many patriarchal masters, and those the greatest and most +illustrious; and, moreover, so equipped with the Holy Spirit that he +was the prophet of prophets and the saint of saints in that primeval +world. The greatness of Enoch, then, consisted in the first place in +his office and ministry. + +50. In the second place, he receives preeminent praise because it was +the will of God that he should be an example to the whole world in +verifying, and showing the comfort of, the faith in the future life. +This text, therefore, is worthy of being written in letters of gold +and of being deeply engraven in the inmost heart. + +51. Here we have another view of what it means to walk with God. It is +to preach the life beyond this present life; to teach concerning the +seed to come, concerning the serpent's head that is to be bruised and +the kingdom of Satan that is to be destroyed. Such was the preaching +of Enoch, who nevertheless was a husband, and the father of a family; +who had a wife and children, who governed his household, and procured +his subsistence by the labor of his own hands. Wherefore say or think +no more about living in a monastery, which has merely the outward show +of walking with God. When this godly man had lived, after the birth of +Methuselah, 300 years in the truest religion, in faith, in patience +and in the midst of a thousand crosses, all of which he endured and +overcame by faith in the blessed seed to come, he appeared no more. + +52. Mark how pregnant these words are with power! He does not say, as +he expresses himself concerning the other patriarchs, "and he died," +but "he was not," an expression that all scholars have come to regard +as a pure proof of the resurrection of the dead. In the Hebrew this +meaning is most strikingly brought out. And Enoch walked with God, and +_veenenu_, "he was not." The original signifies that Enoch was lost or +disappeared, contrary to the thought or expectation of all the other +patriarchs, and at once ceased to be among men. + +53. Without doubt, at the severe loss of so great a man, both his +father and his grandfather were filled with grief and consternation; +for they well knew with what devotion he had taught the true religion, +and how many things he had suffered. When they had thus suddenly lost +such a man as Enoch, who had strong testimony of his godliness both +from men and from God himself, what do you think must have been their +feelings? + +54. Find me, if you can, a poet or a fluent orator to do justice to +this text and to treat it with power! Enosh, Seth, and all the other +patriarchs knew not by whom or whither Enoch was taken away; they +sought him, but found him not. His son Methuselah sought him, and his +other children and his grandchildren sought him, but they found him +not. They suspected, no doubt, the malice of the Cainites, and they +probably thought that he was killed, as Abel was, and secretly buried. + +At length, however, they learned, through a revelation made to them of +God by an angel, that Enoch was taken away by God himself, into +paradise. This fact they probably did not know the first or the second +day after the translation, and perhaps not till many months, or it may +be many years, afterwards. In the meantime the holy men bewailed his +wretched lot, as if he had been slain by the Cainite hypocrites. It is +always the divine rule that the cross and affliction should precede +consolation. God never comforts any but the afflicted, just as he +never quickens unto life any but the dead, nor ever justifies any but +sinners! He always creates all things out of nothing. + +55. It was a severe cross and affliction to the patriarchs when they +saw taken away from them, to appear nowhere among them, him who had +governed the whole world by his doctrine, and who had done so many +illustrious deeds in the course of his life. While these patriarchs +were mourning and bewailing the misfortune of the holy man, behold! +consolation was at hand, and it was revealed to them that the Lord had +"translated" Enoch! Such an expression we have not concerning any +other man than Enoch, except Elijah. God willed, therefore, to testify +by an object lesson, that he has prepared for his saints another life +after this life, in which they shall live forever with God. + +56. The Hebrew verb _lakak_ does not signify "translated" according to +the impression conveyed by our use of the word, but "received to +himself." These words are, accordingly, words of life, revealed by God +through some angel to the patriarch Enoch, and to the whole of that +generation of saints, that they might have the consolation and promise +of eternal life, not only through a word, but also through an act, as +before in the case of Abel. How delightful must have been to them this +proclamation, when they heard that Enoch was not dead, nor slain by +wicked men, nor taken away from them by the fraud or snares of Satan, +but translated; that is, "received to himself" by the living and +omnipotent God. + +57. This is that bright gem which Moses sought to display in the +present chapter--that the omnipotent God did not take unto himself +geese, or cows, or blocks of wood, or stones, but a man, even Enoch, +to teach there was reserved for men another and better life than this +present one, so filled with evils and calamities of every kind. +Although Enoch was a sinner, yet the manner of his departure from this +life proved that God had prepared for him and brought him to another +and eternal life; for he entered upon the life with God, and God took +him to himself. + +58. Accordingly, 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 seed. This is what living with God means, +not the mere animal life subject to corruption. Inasmuch as Enoch +constantly preached this doctrine, God verified and fulfilled this +preaching in the patriarch himself, that we might fully and surely +believe it; in that Enoch, a man like unto ourselves, born of flesh +and blood, as we also are, of the seed of Adam, was taken up into +heaven by God, and now lives the life of God, that is, an eternal +life. + +59. Before the generation of patriarchs knew the facts in the case, 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 ken. Great, therefore, was the grief of the pious +parents and elders. 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 life. + +60. This consolation God made known to Seth, 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 before, Seth having then +arrived at about his eight hundred and sixtieth year. Seth, being now +an old man and full of days and without doubt fully confirmed in the +faith of the blessed seed to come, and anxiously awaiting deliverance +from the body and earnestly desiring to be gathered to his people, +died with greater joy about fifty-two years afterward, because of the +translation of his son Enoch. Fifty-two years were indeed but a short +time for an old man wherein to make his will and visit all his +grandchildren, 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 God. +In this manner, doubtless, the aged saint employed his time among his +descendants, bidding farewell to and blessing each one. Full of years +and full of joy, he no doubt thus taught and comforted both himself +and them. + +61. If I knew that I were appointed to die in six months' time, I +should scarcely find time enough wherein to make my will. I would +remind men of what had been the testimony of my preaching, exhort and +entreat them to continue and persevere therein, and warn and guard +them as far as my powers of mind could do so, against the offense of +false doctrine. All these things could not be done in one day, nor in +one month. Those fifty years during which Seth lived after the +translation of Enoch, formed but a very short period for him (for +spiritual men have an altogether different method of calculating time +than the children of this world) 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 life, a hope which God revealed to +his saints by the marvelous fact of his having taken to himself Enoch, +who was of the same flesh and blood with ourselves. + +62. "Follow not," said he, "the evil inclinations of your nature, but +despise this present life and look forward to a better. For what evil +exists that is not found in this present life? To how many diseases, +to what great dangers, to what dreadful calamities, is it not subject? +to say nothing now of those evils which are the greatest of all +afflictions, those spiritual distresses which burden with anguish the +mind and conscience, such as the Law, sin, and death itself. + +63. "Why is it then, that ye so anxiously expect such great +consolations from this present life as to seem incapable of ever being +completely satisfied? Were it not for the fact that God wants us to +live to proclaim him, to thank him, and to serve the brethren, life is +such as to suggest its voluntary termination. This service, therefore, +let us render unto God, with all diligence. Let us look forward with +continual sighs to that true life to which, my children, your brother +Enoch has been translated by the glorious God." + +These and like things the aged saint taught his people after his great +consolation had been revealed. There is no doubt that after it was +understood that Enoch was translated alive into immortality, they +longed for the time when they also might be delivered out of this +afflicted life, in the same manner, or at least by death. + +64. If, then, those godly patriarchs of old so anxiously looked +forward to the eternal life and desired it to come, on account of Abel +and Enoch, whom they knew to be living with God, how much greater +ought to be our expectation and desire, who have Christ for our leader +unto eternal life, who is gone before, as Peter says in Acts 3, 20-26. +They believed in him as one to come; we know that he has become +manifest, and has gone to the Father to prepare for us a home, and to +sit at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us. Ought we not, +therefore, to sigh for those future things, and to hate those of the +present? It is not an Enoch or an Abel who sets before us, as those +patriarchs did before their people, the hope of a better life to come; +but Christ, the leader and author of life himself. It becomes us, +therefore, firmly to despise this life and world, and with swelling +breast to pant after the coming glory of eternal life. + +65. 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 come. How is it possible that a fact +should not be most certain which has for witnesses not only Abel and +Enoch and Elijah, but also Christ himself, the head and the first +fruits of those that rise? Most worthy, therefore, the hatred of both +God and men are the wicked Epicureans; and most worthy our hatred also +is our own flesh, when we wholly plunge into temporal cares and +securely disregard the eternal blessings. + +66. Worthy of note and carefully to be remembered is the statement +that Enoch was taken up and received, not by some patriarch or angel, +but by God himself. This was the very consolation which rendered the +deaths of the patriarchs endurable; yea, which enabled them to depart +from this life with joy. They saw that the seed which had been +promised them warred, even before he was revealed, with Satan, and +bruised, through Enoch, his head. Such was the hope entertained by +them concerning themselves and all their believing descendants, and, +in perfect security, they despised death as having ceased to be death, +as having become a sleep from which they were to awaken into life +eternal. "To them that believe," death is not really death, but a +sleep. When the terror, the power, and the sting of death are taken +away, it can no longer be considered death. The greater the faith of +the dying man, the weaker is death. On the other hand, the weaker the +faith of the dying man, the more bitter is death. + +67. In this text we are also reminded of the nature of sin. If Adam +had not sinned, we should not have been dying men, but, like Enoch of +old, we should have been translated, without fear or pain, from this +animal life to that better and spiritual life. But although we have +forfeited that life, the present history of the patriarch Enoch +assures us that the restitution of paradise and of eternal life is not +to be despaired of. Our flesh cannot be free from pain, but where +conscience has obtained peace, death is no more than a swoon, by means +of which we pass out of this life into eternal rest. Had our nature +remained innocent, it would not have known such pain of the flesh. We +should have been taken up as if asleep, presently to awaken in heaven, +and to lead the life of the angels. Now, however, that the flesh is +defiled by sin, it must first be destroyed by death. As to Enoch, +perhaps he lay down in some grassy spot and fell asleep praying; and +sleeping he was taken up by God, without pain; without death. + +68. 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 world. What fact could possibly inspire more +wonder and admiration than that a man, a corrupt sinner, born of flesh +and blood, as we are, and defiled as we are by that sin and +corruption, so obtained the victory over death as not to die at all! +Christ himself is man, and righteous, yet our sins caused him to +suffer the bitterest of all deaths; but he is delivered on the third +day, and lifts himself up unto life eternal. In Enoch there was the +singular fact that he died not at all, but was caught up, without +death intervening, to the life spiritual and eternal. + +69. Emphatically deserving of aversion are the rabbins. The sublimest +passages of the Scriptures they shamefully corrupt. As a case in +point, they prate concerning Enoch that, while he was good and +righteous, he very much inclined toward carnal desires. God, +therefore, out of pity, prevented his sinning and perishing through +death. Is not this, I pray you, a shocking corruption of the text +before us? Why should they say concerning Enoch in particular, that he +was subject to the evil desires of the flesh? As if all the other +patriarchs did not experience the same. Why do they not notice the +repeated testimony of Moses, that Enoch "walked with God"? That is +certainly evidence that Enoch did not indulge those evil inclinations +of his flesh, but bravely overcame them by faith. The Jews when +speaking of the corrupt desires of the flesh have reference to lust, +avarice, pride, and similar promptings. Enoch, however, without doubt, +lived amid mightier temptations than these; like Paul, he felt that +"thorn in the flesh"; day by day he wrestled with Satan; and when, at +length, he was completely bruised and worn out with every kind of +temptation, God commanded him to depart from this life to the blessed +life to come. + +70. What that life is which Enoch now lives, we who still continue to +be flesh and blood cannot possibly know. It is enough for us to know +that Enoch was translated in his body. This the patriarchs must have +clearly understood by revelation, and about to die, they needed this +comfort. This much we know also. But what that holy patriarch is now +doing, where he is, and how he lives, we know not. We know that he +lives; and we also know that the life he lives is not like unto this +animal life, but that he is with God. This the text before us +distinctly declares. + +71. This fact, then, makes the narrative under consideration so +memorable that God intended to use it for the purpose of setting +before the old, primeval world the hope of a better life. Likewise, to +the second world, which had the Law, God gave the example of Elijah, +who also was taken up into heaven and translated by the Lord before +the very eyes of his own servant Elisha. We are now in the New +Covenant, in a third world, as it were. We have Christ himself, our +great deliverer, as our glorious example, who ascended into the +heavens, taking with him many of his saints. + +It was God's will to establish for every age a testimonial of the +resurrection of the dead, that he might thereby allure our minds by +all possible attractions from this corrupt and in many ways wretched +life, in which, however, we will gladly serve God as long as it shall +please him, by the faithful performance of all public and private +duties, and especially by instructing others in holiness and in the +knowledge of God. But, as the apostle says, we have here "no certain +dwelling-place," 1 Cor 4, 11. Christ, our forerunner, is gone before +us, that he might prepare for us, the eternal mansions, Jn 14, 2-3. + +72. Just as we find many among us by whom such things are considered +absurd, and not sufficiently worthy of faith, so there is no doubt +that this account was deemed ridiculous by most people. The world is +ever the same. For that reason these things have by divine authority +been committed to writing and recorded for the saints and the +faithful, that these might read, understand, believe and heed them. +They present to our sight a manifest triumph over death and sin, and +afford us a sure comfort in Enoch's victory over the Law, and the +wrath and judgment of God. To the godly nothing can yield more grace +and joy than these antediluvian records. + +73. But the New Testament truly overflows with the mercy of God. While +we do not discard records like these, we have others far superior. We +have the Son of God himself ascending to the skies, and sitting at the +right hand of God. In him we see the serpent's head completely +bruised, and the life lost in paradise restored. This is more than the +translation of Enoch and of Elijah; still, it was God's will in this +manner to administer comfort to the original world and also to the +succeeding one, which had the Law. + +74. The paramount doctrine contained in these five chapters is, +accordingly, this: that men died and lived again. In Adam all men +died. But believers lived again through the promised seed, as the +history of Abel and Enoch testifies. In Adam, death was appointed for +Seth and all others; hence it is written of every one: "And he died." +But Abel and Enoch illustrate the resurrection from the dead and the +life immortal. The purpose intended is that we should not despair in +death but entertain the unwavering assurance that the believers in the +promised seed shall live, and be taken by God, whether from the water +or the fire or the gibbet, or the tomb. We desire to live, and we +shall live, namely the eternal life through the promised seed, which +remains when this is past. + + +IV. LAMECH AND HIS SON NOAH. + + A. LAMECH. + + 1. He lived at the time Enoch was taken to heaven 75. + + * To what end Enoch's ascension served the holy patriarchs 75. + + 2. Why Lamech called his son Noah 76-77. + + * The erroneous comments of the rabbins taken by Lyra without + any good reason 78-79. + + 3. On what Lamech's heart was centered at Noah's birth 79-81. + + 4. How and why Lamech erred in the case of his son as Eve did at + Cain's birth 80. + + * The longing of the patriarchs for the Messiah was of the Holy + Spirit 81. + + * Complaint of the world's ingratitude 82. + + * The patriarchs' greatest treasure and desire 82. + + * Comparison of the three worlds 83-85. + + * Why the present world so lightly esteems Christ, whom the + patriarchs so highly revered 84. + + * The first world was the best, the last the worst 85. + + +IV. LAMECH AND HIS SON NOAH. + +A. Lamech. + +Vs. 28-29. _And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat +a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us +in our work and in the toil of our hands, which cometh because of the +ground which Jehovah hath cursed._ + +75. Only incidentally Moses adverts in this account to the name of +Noah, which certainly deserves a somewhat careful examination. Lamech +was living when Enoch was taken away by God out of this life into the +other immortal life. 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 us, a husband, a man with +family, having sons, daughters, household, fields and cattle, 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 promise. +That Enoch was taken up living, to be with the Lord, appeared as a +salient display of divine mercy. + +76. As Adam and Eve, after the reception of the promise, were so +absorbed in their hope that, in their joy to see a man like +themselves, they identified Cain with the promised seed, so in my +judgment Lamech committed a similar pious error when he gave his son +the name Noah, and said: This same shall comfort us, and shall deliver +us from the labors and sorrows of this life. Original sin, and the +punishment thereof, shall now cease. We shall now be restored to our +former innocent state. The curse shall now cease which rests on the +earth on account of the sin of Adam; and all the other miseries +inflicted on the human race on account of sin, shall also cease. + +77. Such considerations as these prompted Lamech to base upon the fact +of his grandfather's rapture into paradise unaccompanied by pain, +sickness and death, the hope that presently the whole of paradise was +to be ushered in. He concludes that Noah was the promised seed by whom +the earth was to be restored. This notion that the curse is about to +be lifted is expressed in unmistakable terms. Not so; neither the +curse of sin nor its penalty can be removed unless original sin itself +shall have been removed first. + +78. The rabbins, those pestilent corrupters of the Scriptures, surely +deserve aversion. This is their interpretation of the passage in +question: He shall bring us rest from the toil and labor of our hands +by showing us an easier way of cultivating the earth. With a +plowshare, by a yoke of oxen, the earth shall be broken up; the +present mode of digging it with man's hand shall cease. + +I wonder that Lyra is satisfied with this interpretation, and follows +it. He ought to have been familiar with the unchanging practice of the +Jews to pervert Scripture by substituting a material meaning for a +spiritual one, in order to gain glory among men. 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 belly? + +79. No; it was a much greater concern than this which filled his mind +with anxiety. It was the wrath of God, and death, with all the other +calamities of this life. His hope was that Noah, as the promised seed, +would put an end to these evils. And therefore it was that he thus +exulted with joy at the birth of this his son, predicted good things, +and called upon others to join him in the same hope. His thoughts did +not dwell upon the plow, nor upon oxen, nor upon other trivial things +of the kind pertaining to this present life, as the blind Jews rave. +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 +paradise, in which there was no curse. As if he had said: Now we feel +the curse in the very labors of our hands. We toil and sweat in +cultivating the earth, yet it yields us in return nothing but briers +and thorns. But there shall arise a new and happy age. The curse on +the earth which was inflicted on account of sin shall cease, because +sin shall cease. This is the true meaning of the text before us. + +80. But the holy father was deceived. The glory of bringing about that +renewal belonged, not to the son of a man but to the Son of God. The +rabbins are silly. Although the earth is not dug by the hands of men, +but by the use of oxen, yet the labor of man's hand has not ceased. +Enoch, by his translation, does not disclose the solace of bodily +easement, agreeable to the belly, but deliverance from sin and death. +Lamech hoped, in addition, for the restoration of the former state. He +believed to see the inauguration of this change in his grandfather +Enoch, and felt assured that the deliverance, or the renewal of all +things, was close at hand. Just so Eve, as we have already observed, +when she brought forth her first-born son Cain, said, I have gotten a +man with the help of Jehovah, one who shall take away all these +punishments inflicted on sin, and bring about our restoration. But, +like Eve, the good and holy Lamech was deceived in his ardent longing +for the restoration of the world. + +81. All these anxieties plainly show how those holy patriarchs longed +for, hoped for, and sighed for, that great "restitution of all +things," Acts 3, 21. Although they herein erred, even as Eve erred and +was deceived with respect to Cain, this desire for deliverance in +itself, was of the Holy Spirit, and proved the truth and constancy of +their faith in the promised seed. When Eve named her son Cain, and +when Lamech called his son Noah, these names were but birth cries, as +the apostle represents them, of the whole creation, groaning and +travailing in pain together, and earnestly expecting the resurrection +of the dead, deliverance from sin, the restoration of all things, and +the manifestation of the sons of God, Rom 8, 19-23. The simplest and +true meaning, accordingly, is that Lamech, after seeing the reality of +the future life demonstrated by the translation of Enoch from the +afflictions and toils caused by sin, has a son born to him, whom he +calls Noah, which means rest, an expression of the hope that +deliverance from the curse of sin and sin itself shall take place +through him. This interpretation accords with the analogy of faith, +and confirms the hope for a resurrection and a life eternal. + +82. Such longing for the future life on the part of the holy men whose +shoes we are unworthy to clean, contrasts strangely with the horrible +ingratitude of our time. How great the difference between having and +wishing! Those patriarchs were men of transcendent holiness, equipped +with the highest endowments, the heroes of the world! In them we +behold the strongest desire for the seed which is to come; that is +their greatest treasure; they thirst, they hunger, they yearn, they +pant for Christ! And we, who have Christ among us, who know him as one +revealed, offered, glorified, sitting at the right hand of God and +making intercession for us--we despise him and hold him in greater +contempt than any other creature! O, the wretchedness of it! O, the +sin of it! + +83. Note the difference between the several ages of the world! The +primeval age was the most excellent and holy. It contained the noblest +jewels of the whole human race. After the flood there still existed +many great and eminent men--patriarchs, and kings, and prophets; and +although they were not the equals of the patriarchs before the flood, +yet in them also there appeared a bright longing for Christ, as Christ +says: "For I say unto you, that many prophets and kings desired to see +the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things +which ye hear, and heard them not," Lk 10, 24. And then there is our +own age, the age of the New Testament; to this Christ has been +revealed. This age is, as it were, the waste and dregs of the whole +world. It holds nothing in greater contempt than Christ, than whom a +previous age knew nothing more precious. + +84. What is the cause of this grave state of affairs? To be sure, our +flesh, the world, and the devil. We altogether loathe what we have, +according to the proverb: + + _Omne rarum carum; vilescit quotidianum._ + "All that's rare, is dear; vile is what is here." + +And apt is the poetic truism: + + _Minuit praesentia famam._ + "Sight levels what fancy has exalted." + +As far as the revelation is concerned, we are far richer than the +patriarchs. But their devotion to a comparatively inferior revelation +was greater; they were lovers of the bridegroom. We, on the other +hand, are that fat, bloated, wanton servant, Deut 32, 15; for we have +the Word and are overwhelmed by the abundance of it. + +85. In the same degree as the first world was excellent and holy, the +latter-day world is evil and wicked. In view of the fact, then, that +God did not spare the first, primitive world, and destroyed the second +world by overturning kingdom after kingdom, and government after +government, what shall we expect to be the end of this latter-day +world which in security despises the Christ, the desire of nations, as +he is called by Haggai, in spite of the fact that he urges himself +upon us to the point of weariness! + + +B. NOAH. + + 1. Remarkableness of the fact that Noah refrained so long from + wedlock 86. + + 2. He was fit to marry, but had reasons for abstaining 87. + + 3. What his reasons were 88. + + 4. His chastity is highly praised by Moses in few words 89. + + 5. The Jews' lies about the reasons for his chastity refuted 90-91. + + * The Jews' lies as to why Shem was called the first-born 91. + + * Papists without reason take offense at Moses relating so much + about the birth of the children of the patriarchs 92-93. + + 6. Noah shines like a bright star as an example of chastity among + all the patriarchs 93. + + 7. Noah remained single, not because he despised marriage; and why + he finally married 94. + + 8. How his sons were born one after the other 95-97. + + * Why Shem was preferred to Japheth 96. + + * How to meet the objections to the birth of Noah's sons 97. + + 9. Noah an excellent example of chastity 98. + + * The threefold world. + + a. The first world a truly golden age and the most holy. How and + why it was punished by God 99-100. + + b. The second world is full of idolatry, and will be severely + punished by God 100. + + c. The third world is the worst, and hence can expect the + hardest punishment 101. + + d. The punishment of these three worlds portrayed in the colors + of the rainbow 101. + + e. How believing hearts act upon considering sin and the world's + punishment 102. + + +B. NOAH. + +V. 32. _And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, +and Japheth._ + +86. Here again we meet with surprising brevity. As is his custom, +Moses expresses in the fewest possible words the greatest and most +important things, which the ignorant reader passes by unobserved. But +you will say, perhaps, Of what import is it that Noah first begat sons +when he was five hundred years old? Why, if Noah had no children all +those 500 years, he either endured that length of time the severe +trial of unfruitfulness or, as appears to me more likely, he abstained +from marriage all those years, setting an example of most marvelous +chastity. I do not speak here of the abominable chastity of the +Papists; nor of our own. Look at the prophets and the apostles, and +even at some of the other patriarchs, who doubtless were chaste and +holy. But what are they in comparison with this man Noah, who, +possessed of masculine vigor, managed to live a chaste life without +marriage for five hundred years? + +87. Now you will scarcely find one in a thousand among the men of our +age who, at the age of thirty, has not known woman. Moreover, Noah, +after he had lived a single life for so many centuries, at length took +to himself a wife, and begat children; which latter fact carries its +own proof that he was in a state appropriate for marriage prior to +this, and had a definite reason for practicing continence. + +88. In the first place, it is evident that such unequaled chastity +must necessarily have been a peculiar gift of God. It evinced a nature +almost angelic. It does not seem a thing possible in the nature of man +to live 500 years without knowing a wife. In the next place these five +centuries of chastity in Noah manifest some signal displeasure with +the world. 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 tyrants, filling the world with +violence? He thought in consequence, that he would rather have no +children at all than such as those. 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 +angel. He who had refrained from marriage for 500 years might have +refrained during all the rest of his life. + +89. In this manner Moses explains in brief words exceedingly weighty +facts, and, what the ignorant reader would never observe owing to the +failure of chastity being mentioned in express words, he commends the +chastity of Noah above that of all the other inhabitants of the +primeval world, setting him up as an example of all but angelic +chastity. + +90. The Jews, according to their custom, play the fool, and fable that +Noah for centuries denied himself a wife because he knew that God +would destroy the world by the flood. If, therefore, Noah had married, +like all the other patriarchs, in the earlier part of his life--that +is, when he was about a hundred years old or less--he himself would +have peopled the world in the space of 400 years; and then God would +have been compelled to destroy both the father himself and the whole +of his progeny. To this fable they add the other, that Shem was called +the first-born for the reason that he was the first to receive +circumcision. + +91. In a word, these Jews corrupt everything and twist it to suit +their own carnal bent and ambition. If Noah abstained from marriage +for the reason which they assign, why did not all the other +patriarchs, for the same reason, abstain from marriage and fatherhood? +These comments of the rabbins are accordingly frivolous and +nonsensical. Why do they not rather urge the real cause, that it was a +special gift that Noah, a vigorous man, abstained from marriage for +five hundred years? Throughout the course of time no instance of such +continence is found. + +92. The book of Genesis highly offends the Papists because it mentions +so often that the fathers begat sons and daughters. 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 +wives; and they consider it obscene that Moses should make mention of +such things with such attention to detail. But, in the impurity of +their hearts, they can not refrain from befouling the most exalted +chastity. + +93. If you would really behold the brightest examples of chastity the +whole world contains, read Moses as he relates that the patriarchs did +not marry until they were of advanced age. Among them Noah shines +forth a star of first magnitude, inasmuch as he did not marry until he +had reached the five hundredth year of his life. Where will you find +such eminent examples of chastity in the papacy? Although there are +some among the Papists who do not actually sin with their bodies, yet +how foul and filthy are their minds! And all this is judgment upon +their contempt for marriage, which God himself has designed to be a +remedy for the corruption of nature. + +94. Another reason why Noah refrained from marriage has been +mentioned. He did not condemn marriage, nor did he consider it to be a +profane or impure manner of life; but he saw that the descendants of +the elder patriarchs had degenerated to the level of the ungodly +generation of the Cainites. Such children as these he felt he could +not endure; he rather waited, in the fear of God, the end of the +world. When afterwards he did enter into marriage, and begat children, +he no doubt did it by reason of some particular admonition and command +of God. + +95. Here a question naturally arises concerning the order in which +Noah's sons were born. It will be worth our while to inquire into this +matter, so that our computation of the years of the world may have a +reliable basis. The common opinion is that Shem was the first-born of +Noah, because his name is mentioned first in order. The testimony of +Scripture, however, compels us to conclude that Japheth was the +first-born, Shem the second, and Ham the last. The truth of this is +proved in the following manner: Shem begat his son Arpachshad two +years after the flood, when he was 100 years old, Gen 11, 10. Hence +Shem was 98 years old when the flood came, and Noah, when Shem was +born, was 498 years old. But Japheth was evidently born before Shem, +for he was the elder brother, Gen 10, 21. It plainly follows, +therefore, that only Ham, the youngest brother, was born when Noah was +500 years old. + +96. The reason why Shem is mentioned before Japheth is not because he +was first circumcised, as the Jews, who always are hunting carnal +glory, falsely claim, but because it was through him that Christ, the +promised seed, was to come. For the same reason, Abraham, the +youngest, is given precedence to his brothers, Haran and Nahor. + +97. But you will perhaps say, How does this agree with the text which +positively says, "Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begat +Shem, Ham and Japheth"? Harmony is restored if you make out of the +preterit a pluperfect, and read the passage thus:--When Noah was five +hundred years old he had begotten Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Moses does +not record the particular year in which each son was born, but merely +mentions the year in which the number of sons born to Noah reached +three. Thus the biblical record is reduced to harmony. + +98. As conclusion to the fifth chapter Moses presents the finest and +most noteworthy example of chastity. Saintly and continent throughout +his career, Noah had just rounded out his fifth century when he began +married life. Thus far, he had renounced matrimony, repelled by the +licentiousness of the young, who were drifting into the depravity of +the Cainites. Notwithstanding, at the call of God, he obediently +entered upon marriage, although it was quite possible for him to +remain chaste, as a celibate. + +99. Such is the description given by Moses of the first, the original +world, in five brief chapters. But it is readily seen that in the +beginning was the real golden age of which poets have made mention, +their information being doubtless the traditions and the utterances of +the fathers. + +100. But as the sins of men increased, God spared not the old world, +but destroyed it by a flood utterly, even as he did not spare it when +under the dispensation of the Law. Because of its idolatry and the +impiousness of its worship, he not only overturned one kingdom after +another, but even his own people, the Jews, having been severely +punished at his hands by various afflictions and captivities, were at +length utterly destroyed by the Roman armies. + +101. Our age, which is the third age of the world, although it is the +age of grace, 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 them. This age therefore shall not be punished by temporal +punishment, but by eternal death and eternal fire, or, if I may so +express it, by a flood of fire. The very rainbow even, with its +colors, contains a prophetic intimation of these things. The first +color is sea-green, representing the destruction of the first world by +the waters of the flood, because of violence and lust; the middle +color of the bow is yellow, prefiguring the various calamities by +which God avenged the idolatry and wickedness of the second age; the +third and last color of the bow is fiery red, for fire shall at length +consume the world, with all its iniquities and sins. + +102. Wherefore, let us constantly pray that God may so rule our hearts +by his fear and may so fill us with confidence in his mercy, that we +are able with joy to await our deliverance and the righteous +punishment of this ungodly world. Amen. Amen. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +I. THE SINS OF THE FIRST WORLD, THE CAUSE OF ITS DESTRUCTION. + + * How this chapter and the preceding one are connected 1. + + * It is terrible that God destroyed by a flood the first world, which + was the best 2. + + * Of pride and the proud. + + 1. How God humbles what is high and grand in the eyes of the + world and has the best gifts 3-4. + + * How man can meet the judgments of God 4. + + 2. The more gifts man has the greater his pride 5. + + 3. The most terrible examples of punishment God gives in the + case of the proud and such examples should be diligently + pondered 6-7. + + * The complaint that the world is hardened by reason of God's + judgments 7-8. + + 4. How the ancient world was misled into pride through its gifts + 9-10. + + 5. Pride is the common weakness of human nature 11. + + 6. In what ways man is moved to pride 12-13. + + a. The chief sin of the old world 14-15. + + * Pride is the spring of all vices 15. + + b. How the old world sinned against the first table of the + law, and brought on the sins against the second table 16. + + c. How and why God punished the old world 17. + + * From the punishment of the first world we conclude that + the last world will be also punished 18. + + d. Whether the first world was wicked before Noah's birth; on + what occasion its wickedness increased 19. + + * Noah the martyr of martyrs 20. + + * Why Lamech called his son Noah 21. + + e. How sin greatly increased in the days of Noah 22. + + * Why Noah remained unmarried so long, which was his + greatest cross 23. + + f. When the wickedness of the old world began 24. + + * Concerning unchastity. + + (1) It is the foundation of all want and misery 24. + + (2) It is the spring of many other sins 25. + + (3) How to remedy it 25. + + (4) Whether bearing children is in itself to be reckoned + as unchastity, and how far Moses denounces it 26. + + (5) Unchastity makes the bearing of children difficult 27. + + g. The reason the sons of God looked upon the daughters of + men 28. + + h. Why the sin of the first world was not so terrible as the + sin of the second 29-30. + + i. How the first world changed through the marriages of Adam + and the other patriarchs 30-32. + + * The sons of God. + + (1) What is understood by them 32. + + (2) The rabbins' fables about the sons of God, how to + refute them 33-34. + + * What is to be held concerning the "Incubis" and + "Succubis" 34-35. + + (3) How the deluge came because of the sons of God 36. + + (4) To what end should the fall and punishment of the sons + of God serve us 37-38. + + * Should the Romish church be called holy 37. + + * How the children of God became the children of the + devil 38. + + * How Noah had to spend his life among a host of + villains 39. + + * The conduct of the world when God sends it righteous + servants 40. + + +I. THE SINS OF THE PRIMEVAL WORLD IN GENERAL THE CAUSE OF ITS +DESTRUCTION. + +1. 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 it. In these five chapters the chronicles as +in the first book, so to speak, the happiest period of the whole human +race and of the world before the flood. Now we shall begin what may be +termed the second book of Genesis, containing the history of the +flood. It shows the destruction of all the offspring of Cain and the +eternal preservation of the generation of the righteous; for while +everything perishes in the flood, the generation of the righteous is +saved as an eternal world. + +2. It is appalling that the whole human race except eight persons is +destroyed, in view of the fact that this was truly the golden age; for +succeeding ages do not equal the old world in glory, greatness and +majesty. And if God visited with destruction his own perfect creation +and the very glory of the human race, we have just cause for fear. + +3. In inflicting this punishment, God followed his own peculiar way. +Whatever is most exalted he particularly overthrows and humiliates. +Peter says in 2 Peter 2, 5: God "spared not the ancient world;" and he +would imply that it was, in comparison with succeeding ages, a +veritable paradise. Neither did he spare the sublimest creatures--the +angels--nor the kings ruling his people, nor the first-born of all +times. But the more highly they were blessed with gifts, the more +sternly he punished them when they began to misuse his gifts. + +4. The Holy Spirit says in the ninth verse of the second psalm, +concerning kings: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou +shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." But is it not the +Lord himself who has ordained kings and wills that all men should +honor and obey them? Here he condemns and spurns the wisdom of the +prudent and the righteousness of the righteous. It is God's proper and +incessant work to condemn what is most magnificent, to cast down the +most exalted and to defeat the strongest, though they be his own +creatures. He does this, however, that abundant evidence of his wrath +may terrify the ungodly and may arouse us to despair of ourselves and +to trust in his power alone. We must either live under the shadow of +God's wing, in faith in his grace, or we must perish. + +5. After the fall it came to pass that the more one was blessed with +gifts, the greater was his pride. This was the sin of the angels who +fell. This was the sin of the primitive world, in which the grandest +people of the race lived; but because they prided themselves in their +wisdom and other gifts, they perished. This was the sin of the +greatest kings. This was the sin of nearly all the first-born. But +what is the need of so many words? This is original sin--that we fail +to recognize and rightly use the great and precious gifts of God. + +6. That the greatest men must furnish the most abhorrent examples is +not the fault of the gifts and blessings, but of those to whom they +are intrusted. God is a dialectician and judges the person by the +thing,[1] meting out destruction to the thing or gift as well as to +its possessor. + +[Footnote 1: _ut arguat a conjugatis._] + +7. It is expedient to give heed to such examples. They are given that +the proud may fear and be humbled, and that we may learn our utter +dependence upon the guidance and will of God, who resisteth the proud +but giveth grace to the humble. Lacking the understanding and practice +of these truths, man falls continually--kings, nobles, saints, one +after the other, filling the world with examples of the wrath and +judgment of God. The Blessed Virgin sings: "He hath scattered the +proud in the imagination of their heart. He hath put down the princes +from their thrones, and hath exalted them of low degree." Lk 1, 51-53. + +8. Full of such examples are all ages, all princely courts, all lands. +Yet, by the grace of Saint Diabolus, the prince of this world, our +hearts are so hard that we are not moved by all this to fear; rather +to disdain, though we feel and see that we also shall incur +destruction. Blessed are they, therefore, who heed, and are moved by +such examples of wrath to be humble and to live in the fear of God. + +9. Consider, then, the preeminence of the old world, that perished in +the flood. It possessed apparently the best, holiest and noblest men, +compared with whom we are as the dregs of the world. For the +Scriptures do not say that they were wicked and unjust among +themselves, but toward God. "He saw," says Moses, "that they were +evil." The eyes of God perceive and judge quite differently from the +eyes of men. He says in Isaiah 55, 8-9: "Neither are your ways my +ways.... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways +higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." + +10. These tyrants and giants were esteemed and honored among +themselves as the wisest and most just of men. So in our day kings and +princes, popes and bishops, theologians, physicians, jurists and +noblemen occupy exalted places and receive honor as the very gems and +luminaries of the human race. More deservedly did the children of God +in the old world receive such honor, because they excelled in power +and possessed many gifts. Nevertheless, falling into pride and +contempt of God while enjoying his blessings, they were rejected by +God and destroyed, together with their gifts, as if they had been the +lowest and vilest of the human race. + +11. And this is a common failing of our human nature. It necessarily +puffs itself up and prides itself on its gifts unless restrained by +the Holy Spirit. I have often said that a man has no more dangerous +enemy than himself. It is my own experience that I have not without me +so great cause for fear as within me; for it is our inner gifts that +incite our nature to pride. + +12. As God, who is by nature most kind, cannot refrain from gracing +and showering us with various gifts: health, property, wisdom, skill, +knowledge of Scripture, etc., so we cannot refrain from priding +ourselves upon these gifts and flaunting them. Wretched is our life +when we lack the gifts of God, but twice wretched is it when we have +them; for they tend to make us doubly wicked. Such is the corruption +of original sin, though all but believers are either unaware of its +existence or regard it a trivial thing. + +13. Such corruption is perceptible not only in ourselves but in +others. How property inflates pride though it occupies relatively the +lowest place among blessings! The rich, be they noblemen, +city-dwellers or peasants, deem other people as flies. To even a +greater extent are the higher gifts abused--wisdom and righteousness. +Possession of these gifts, then, makes inevitable this condition--God +cannot suffer such pride and we cannot refrain from it. + +14. This was the sin of that primeval world. Among Cain's descendants +were good and wise men, who, nevertheless, before God were most +wicked, for they prided themselves upon their gifts and despised God, +the author. Such offense the world does not perceive and condemn; God +alone is its judge. + +15. Where these spiritual vices exist and flourish, the lapse into +carnal ones is imminent. According to Sirach 10, 14, sin begins with +falling from God. The devil's first fall is from heaven into hell; +that is, from the first table of the Law into the second. When people +begin to be godless--when they do not fear and trust God, but despise +him, his Word and his servants--the result is that from the true +doctrine they pass into heretical delusions and teach, defend and +cultivate them. These sins in the eyes of the world are accounted the +greatest holiness, and their authors alone are reputed religious, +God-fearing and just, and held to constitute the Church, the family of +God. People are unable to judge concerning the sins of the first +table. Those who despise God sooner or later fall into abominable +adultery, theft, murder and other gross sins against the second table. + +16. The purpose of my statements is to make plain that the old world +was guilty, not only of sin against the second table, but most of all +of sin against the first table by making a fine, but deceptive and +false show of wisdom, godliness, devotion and religion. As a result of +the ungodliness which flourished in opposition to the first table, +there followed that moral corruption of which Moses speaks in this +chapter, that the people polluted themselves with all sorts of lust +and afterward filled the world with oppression, bloodshed and wrong. + +17. Because the ungodly world had trampled both tables under foot, God +came to judge it, who is a consuming fire and a jealous God. He so +punishes ungodliness that he turns everything into sheer desolation, +and neither government nor the governed remain. We may, therefore, +infer that the world was the better the nearer it was to Adam, but +that it degenerated from day to day until our time, when the +offscouring and lowest filth of humanity, as it were, are living. + +18. Now, if God did not spare a world endowed with so many and great +gifts, what have we to hope for, who, offal that we are, are subject +to far greater misfortune and wretchedness? But if it please God, +spare the Roman pontiff and his holy bishops, who do not believe such +things! I now come to my text. + +Vs. 1-2. _And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face +of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God +saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives +of all that they chose._ + +19. This is a very brief but comprehensive account. The text must not +be understood to mean that the world did not increase until the five +hundredth year of Noah. The more ancient patriarchs are embraced in +this statement. This is demonstrated by the fact that Noah had no +daughters. The reference in the text to "daughters" certainly must be +understood as referring to the by-gone age of Lamech, Methuselah, +Enoch and others. The world, accordingly, was corrupt and evil before +Noah was born, particularly when licentiousness began to prevail after +the death of Adam, whose authority, as the first father, they feared. + +20. I have said that Noah was a virgin above all others; I may add he +was the greatest of all martyrs. Our so-called martyrs, compared with +him, have infinite advantage in strength received from the Holy +Spirit, by which death is overcome and all trials and perils are +escaped. Noah lived among the unrighteous for six hundred years, and +like Lot at Sodom, not without numerous and dire perils and trials. + +21. This was, perhaps, one reason why Father Lamech gave his son the +name Noah at his birth. When the holy patriarch saw evil abounding in +the world, he entertained the hope concerning his son that he should +comfort the righteous by opposing sin and its author, Satan, and +restoring lost righteousness. + +22. However, the wickedness that began then, not only failed to cease +under Noah, but rather grew greater. Hence Noah is the martyr of +martyrs. 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 +wickedness? + +23. The opinion before expressed I maintain, 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 +saints. This sight of man's wickedness was his greatest cross, as +Peter says of Lot in Sodom (2 Pet 2, 8): "That righteous man dwelling +among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day +to day with their lawless deeds." + +24. Accordingly, the increase of humanity of which Moses speaks has +not reference alone to the time of Noah, but also to the age of the +other patriarchs. It was there that the violation of the first table +commenced--in the contempt manifested for Jehovah and his Word. This +was followed later by such gross offenses as oppression, tyranny and +lewdness, which Moses explicitly mentions and names first as the cause +of evil. Consult all history, study the Greek tragedies and the +affairs of barbarians and Romans of all times, and you find lust the +mother of every kind of trouble. It can not be otherwise. Where God's +Word remains unknown or unheeded, men will plunge into lust. + +25. Lust draws in its train endless other evils, as pride, oppression, +perjury and the like. These sins can be attacked only as men, through +the first table, learn to fear and to trust in God. Then it is that +they follow the Word as a lamp going before in the dark, and they will +not indulge in such scandalous deeds, but will rather beware of them. +With violation of the first table, however, the spread of passions and +sins of every description is inevitable. + +26. But it seems strange that Moses should enumerate in the catalog of +sins the begetting of daughters. He had found it commendable in the +case of the patriarchs. It is even enjoyed by the ungodly as a +blessing of God. Why, therefore, does Moses call it a sin? + +I reply, he does not condemn the fact of procreation as such, but the +abuse of it, resulting from original sin. To be endowed with royal +majesty, wisdom, wealth and bodily strength is a goodly blessing. It +is God who bestows these gifts. But when men, in possession of these +blessings, fail to reverence the first table, and by means of these +very gifts do violence to it, such wickedness merits punishment. +Therein is the reason for Moses' peculiar words: "The sons of God saw +the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of +all that they chose," without consideration of God or of law, natural +or statutory. + +27. The first table having been despised, the second shares the same +fate. Desire occupies the principal place and in contempt for +procreation it becomes purely bestial; whereas God has instituted +matrimony as an aid to feeble nature and chiefly for the purpose of +procreation. But when lust in this manner has gained the upper hand, +all commandments, those that go before and that follow, are ruthlessly +broken and dishonored. Parental honor becomes insecure; men do not +shrink from doing murder; from alienating property, speaking false +testimony, etc. + +28. The word _jiru_, "saw," does not merely signify "to view," but "to +view with pleasure and enjoyment." This meaning often occurs in the +psalms, for instance: "Mine eye also hath seen my desire on mine +enemies," Ps 92, 11; that is, shall with pleasure see vengeance +executed upon my enemies. The meaning here is that, after turning +their eyes from God and his Word, they turned them, filled with lust, +upon the daughters of men. The sequence is unerring that, from the +violation of the first table, men rush to the violation of the second. +After despising God they despised also the laws of nature and, as they +pleased, they married whom they chose. + +29. These are rather harsh words, and yet it is my opinion that lust +continued hitherto within certain limits, inasmuch as they neither +committed incest with their mothers, as later the inhabitants of +Canaan, nor polluted themselves with the vice of the Sodomites. 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 lust, selecting only as passion directed and against the +will of the parents. + +30. It seems the patriarchs had strictly forbidden to contract +alliances with the offspring of Cain, just as, later, the Jews could +not lawfully mingle with the Canaanites. Though there are not wanting +those who write that incestuous marriages existed before the flood, +blood-relationship being held to be no barrier, I yet infer from the +fact that Peter has extolled the old world, that such incestuous +atrocities did not exist at that time, but that the sin of the ancient +world consisted rather in men marrying whom they pleased, and as many +wives from the Cainites as they chose, ignoring parental authority and +controlled alone by passion. It is, therefore, a harsh word--"All +which they chose." + +31. I have shown, on various occasions, that the two generations, or +churches, of Adam and Cain were separate. For, as Moses clearly +states, Adam expelled the murderer from his association. Without +doubt, therefore, Adam also exhorted his offspring to avoid the church +of the evil-doers and not to mingle with the accursed generation of +Cain. And for a while his counsel or command was obeyed. + +32. But when Adam died and the authority of the other patriarchs +became an object of scorn, the sons of God who had the promise of the +blessed seed and themselves belonged to the blessed seed, craved from +the tribe of the ungodly, intercourse and espousal. He tersely calls +the sons of the patriarchs the "sons of God," since to them was given +the promise of the blessed seed and they constituted the true Church. +Yielding to the corruptions of the Cainite church they indulged the +flesh themselves and took from the tribe of Cain, as wives and +mistresses, whom and as many as they chose. This Lamech and Noah saw +with pain, and for that reason, perhaps, deferred entering upon +marriage. + +33. In reference to this point the Jews fancy foolish things. They +interpret the sons of God to signify demon-lechers by whom that +impious generation was begotten, and that they were called the sons of +God by reason of their spiritual nature. The more moderate ones, +however, refute such folly and represent the sons of the mighty. This +has been aptly disproved by Lyra; for the punishment of the deluge +befell, not alone the mighty, but all flesh, as shall the doom at the +last day. + +34. But as regards the demon-lechers and strumpets (incubi and +succubi), I do not deny--nay, I believe--that a demon may be either a +lecher or a strumpet, for I have heard men cite their own experience. +Augustine says that he heard this from trustworthy people whom he was +constrained to believe. Satan is pleased when he can deceive us in +this manner, by assuming the form either of a young man or a young +woman. But that anything may be begotten by a devil and a human being +is simply false. We hear of monstrous births of demon-like features, +and I have even seen some. I am of opinion, however, that they have +been deformed by the devil, but not begotten: or that they are real +devils with a human body either simulated or purloined. For if the +devil, by divine permission, may take possession of the whole man and +change his mind, is it strange that he may disfigure also his body, +causing men to be born sightless or cripples? + +35. Hence, the devil may so deceive frivolous people and such as live +without the fear of God that when the devil is in bed, a young man may +think that he has a girl with him, and a girl that she has a youth +with her; but that anything may be born from such concubinage I do not +believe. Many sorceresses have at one time or another been subjected +to death at the stake on account of their intercourse with demons. If +the devil can deceive eyes and ears so that they fancy they see and +hear things which do not exist, how much easier is it for him to +deceive the sense of touch, which is in this nature exceedingly gross! +But enough! These explanations have no bearing upon the present text, +and we have been led to them merely by Jewish babbling. + +36. The true meaning is that Moses calls those men the sons of God, +who had the promise of the blessed seed. This is a New Testament +phrase and signifies the believers who call God, Father, and whom, God +in turn, calls sons. The flood came not because the generation of Cain +was corrupt, but because the generation of the righteous who had +believed God, had obeyed his Word, and had possessed the true worship, +now had lapsed into idolatry, disobedience to parents, sensuality, +oppression. Even so the last day shall be hastened, not by the +profligacy of Gentile, Turk and Jew, but by the filling of the Church +with errors through the pope and fanatical spirits, so that those very +ones who occupy the highest place in the Church exercise themselves in +sensuality, lust and oppression. + +37. It is a cause of fear for us all, that even those who were +descended from the best patriarchs, began to grow haughty and depart +from the Word. They gloried in their wisdom and righteousness, as +later the Jews did in circumcision and Father Abraham. 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 +God, his Word and his worship. The Roman Church was truly holy and +adorned by the grandest martyrs. We, at this day, however, are +witnesses how she has fallen. + +38. Let no one, therefore, glory in his gifts, however splendid! The +greatest gift is to be a member of the true Church. But take care not +to become proud on that account, for you may fall, just as Lucifer +fell from heaven and, as we are here informed, as the sons of God fell +into carnal pleasures. They are, therefore, no longer sons of God, but +sons of Satan, having fallen alike from the first and the second table +of the Law. So in the past, popes and bishops have been good and holy, +but today they are of all men the worst and, so to speak, the dregs of +all classes. + +39. Among this rabble of decadent men who had departed from the piety +and virtues of their ancestors, godly Noah lived in the greatest +contempt and hatred of everybody. How could he approve the corruption +of such degenerate progeny? And they themselves were most impatient of +reproof. While, therefore, his example shone and gleamed, and his +holiness filled the whole earth, the world became worse from day to +day, and the greater the sanctity and chastity of Noah, the more the +world reveled in lust. This is the beginning; it invariably introduces +ruin. + +40. When God arouses holy men, full of the Holy Spirit, to instruct +and reprove the world, the world, impatient of sound doctrine, falls +with much greater zeal into sin and plies it with much greater +persistency. This was the situation at the beginning of the world, and +now, at the end of the world, we realize it is still the case. + + +II. GOD'S JUDGMENT AND GRIEF OVER THE FIRST WORLD; NOAH AND HIS + PREACHING. + + A. GOD'S JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OVER THE OLD WORLD. + + 1. The words of the lamentation. + + a. Interpreters have shamefully perverted these words 41. + + b. The Jewish interpretation, which Jerome follows 42. + + c. The Jews' interpretation refuted 42-43. + + d. The interpretation of Rabbi Solomon 44. + + e. The interpretation of others, especially of Origen 45. + + * Why Augustine was especially pleased with the doctrine of + the Manicheans 45. + + f. Rabbi David's explanation 46. + + * The false idea of the Jews and some Christian interpreters + that the true sense of Scripture is learned from grammar. + + (1) Thus ideas most foreign to the sense of Scripture are + defended 46-47. + + (2) This method is false and led the Jews into many + fantasies 47. + + g. The source of Rabbi David's awkward interpretation of + these words 48. + + * Why Luther has so much to say about the false + interpretation of Scripture 49. + + * What is necessary to interpret Scripture 50. + + h. The true sense of these words 51. + + * Scripture definition of "to judge" 51. + + 2. The author of this judgment and lamentation 51-53. + + * Man's conduct upon hearing God's Word preached 54. + + 3. From what kind of a heart does such judgment and lamentation + spring 55. + + * What kind of grief is the grief of the Holy Spirit 56. + + * God's severest punishment 57-59. + + * What follows when man does not possess God's Word 57-58. + + * Why the heathen are so carnal 58. + + 4. The nature of this judgment and lamentation 59. + + * The lamentation and judgment of Luther over Germany because + it lightly esteemed God's Word 60. + + * The spirit of grace and of prayer 61. + + * The office of the ministry. + + a. It requires two things 62. + + b. It is the greatest blessing of God 63. + + c. To despise it is a great sin, and what follows when it is + taken from a people 63. + + d. A complaint of its neglect 64. + + e. This office is explained by the expression "to judge" 65. + + * Every godly preacher is one who disputes and judges 65. + + * Luther's grief because of the stubbornness of the world + 66. + + * Why Ahab called Elijah a troubler of Israel 67. + + * Why the world resents being reproved by sound doctrine. It + is a good sign if a minister is reviled by the world 68. + + * The glory of people who boast of being the Church. + + a. Such glory avails nothing before God 68-70. + + b. Papists wish by all means to have this glory 68-70. + + c. Papists need this glory to suppress the Protestants 71. + + d. Christ will decide at the judgment day to whom this glory + belongs 71. + + e. Although the first world adorned itself with this glory, + it did not save them 72. + + 5. How and why this judgment and complaint are ascribed to God + 73-74. + + 6. How they were published to the world by the holy patriarchs + 75. + + 7. Why they were made 76. + + 8. In what way they have been published to the world 77. + + 9. How the world resented this judgment and complaint 78. + + * Time given to the first world for repentance. + + a. We are not to understand the 120 years as the period of a + man's life 79. + + b. The 120 years the time given these people in which to + repent 80-81. + + 10. Whether and to what end this time was necessary 82. + + 11. How the old world felt upon hearing this 83. + + * The complaint and judgment of the last world 84-86. + + * The nearer the world approaches its destruction the less it + thinks of it 86. + + * How the time of the flood is to be compared with the time God + gives man to repent 87. + + +II. THE JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OF GOD OVER THE FIRST WORLD; NOAH AND +HIS PREACHING. + +A. GOD'S JUDGMENT AND LAMENTATION OVER THE OLD WORLD. + +V. 3. _Jehovah said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for +that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty +years."_ + +41. Moses here begins by describing Noah as the highest pontiff and +priest, or, as Peter calls him, a preacher of righteousness. This text +has been mangled in various ways, for the natural man cannot +understand spiritual things. When, therefore, the interpreters, with +unwashed feet and hands, rushed into the Holy Scriptures, taking with +them a human bias and method, as they themselves acknowledge, they +could not but fall into diverse and erroneous views. It has almost +come to pass, that the more sublime and spiritual the utterances of +Scripture, the more shamefully they have been distorted. This passage +in particular they have managed so shamelessly that you would not know +what to believe, if you followed the interpreters. + +42. The Jews are the first to crucify Moses here, for this is their +exposition: My Spirit, that is my indignation and wrath, shall not +always abide upon man. I will not be angry with men, but spare them, +for they are flesh. That means, being spurred by sin, they incline to +sin. This meaning Jerome also adopts, who is of the opinion that here +only the sin of lust is spoken of, to which we are all prone by +nature. But his first error is that he interprets Spirit as wrath. It +is the Holy Spirit Moses here speaks of, as the contrast shows. "For +man," he says, "is flesh." The meaning is, therefore, that the flesh +is not only prone to sin, but also hostile toward God. + +43. Then the matter itself serves as refutation, for could anything +more absurd have been devised? They see with their eyes the wrath of +God swallowing the whole human race through the flood, and yet they +expound that God does not wish to be influenced toward the human race +by anger but by mercy, and this after a hundred and twenty years, the +very time of the flood. + +44. Rabbi Solomon expounds it thus: The Spirit which is in God shall +no more strive and wrangle. As if God in his majesty would have +disputed and wrangled about what should be done with man, whether to +destroy or to spare him, finally, wearied by man's wickedness, +determining upon his destruction, nevertheless. + +45. Others understand this of the created spirit: My spirit that I +breathed upon the face of man, that is the spirit of man, shall no +longer strive and contend with the flesh, which is in subjection to +its lusts, for I shall take away this spirit and free it from the +flesh, so that when the latter has become extinct, it may create no +more difficulties for the spirit. This is the understanding of Origen, +and it does not differ much from the Manichean error which attributes +sin not to the whole man, but only to a part. And Augustine says that +this had pleased him most in the tenets of the Manicheans, to hear +that his depravity was not altogether his, but only of that part of +the body which is evil from the beginning. The Manicheans posited two +principles, the good and the bad, just as certain philosophers have +posited enmity and friendship. Thus do men not only miss the mark, but +they also fall into ungodly delusions. + +46. Rabbi David cites Sanctes, and derives the word _jadon_ from +_nadan_, which means sheath, or shell. But as the interpretation is +very clumsy, so he clothes it also in a very clumsy word: My Spirit +shall not be inclosed in man as in a sheath. Has anything more +unnatural ever been heard? 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-points. No exposition is so absurd but that they +defend and polish it with their stale grammatical rules. + +47. But tell me, what language has there ever been that men easily +have learned to speak from grammatical rules? Is it not true that the +very languages most thoroughly reduced to rules, like Greek and Latin, +are learned rather by practice? What stupendous absurdity, therefore, +it is to gather the sense of a sacred tongue, which is the repository +of things theological and spiritual, from grammatical rules, and to +pay no attention to the proper signification of things? And this is +what the rabbis and their disciples do almost universally. Many words +and verbs may be declined for which no use is seen in the language. +While they make such things paramount and everywhere chase anxiously +after etymology, they fall into strange fancies. + +48. So here. Because the word in this passage can be derived from +_nadan_, they construct from that a prodigious meaning. My spirit, +they say, shall not be held back as in a sheath. They mean the spirit +of man contained in the body as in a sheath. I shall not leave it in a +sheath, they say, but I shall remove him and destroy the sheath. Such +absurdities originate in the stale grammatical rules, whereas usage +rather should be considered; it is that which trains the grammarian. + +49. But I recite all this at length, in order to admonish you, when +you come upon such silly commentators, not to follow them and admire +such singular wisdom. For great men even have found delight in the +folly of the rabbis. They are not unlike the Sacramentarians, who do +not deny the words of Christ, This is my body, this is my blood; but +explain it thus: Bread is bread, and yet the body of Christ, namely, +his creature; this is my blood, namely my wine. This passion of +distorting texts no sane man tolerates in the exposition of the fables +of Terence, or of the eclogues of Virgil, and, forsooth, we should +tolerate it in the Church! + +50. We need the Holy Spirit to understand the Holy Scriptures. For we +know that the same Spirit shall exist to the end of the world who +existed before all things. We glory in possessing this Spirit through +the grace of God, and, through him, we have faith, a moderate +knowledge of Scripture and an understanding of the other things +necessary to godliness. Hence we do not invent a new interpretation; +we are guided not only by an analogy of Holy Scripture but also by +faith. + +51. Through the Holy Scriptures in its entirety, the verb judge, +_dun_, signifies almost invariably a public office in the Church, or +the office of the ministry, through which we are corrected, reproved, +instructed and enabled to distinguish the evil from the good, etc. +Thus, Psalm 110, 6: _Jadin bagojim_, "He will judge among the +nations;" which means: He will preach among the nations. The word +found in this passage is evidently the same. And in the New Testament +this phrase, originally Hebrew, is very much in vogue, especially in +Paul's writings, who uses the Hebrew idiom more than the others. + +52. I understand this passage therefore as words spoken by Lamech or +Noah as a new message to the whole world. For it was a public message +proclaimed at some public assembly. When Methuselah, Lamech and Noah +saw that the world was hastening straight to destruction by its sins, +they resorted to this proclamation: My Spirit shall no longer preach +among men. That means: we teach in vain, we admonish in vain; the +world has no desire to be better. + +53. It is as if one in the present perverse times should say: We teach +and make ample effort to summon the world back to sobriety and +godliness, but we are derided, persecuted, killed, and all men, in the +end, rush to destruction with blind eyes and deaf ears; therefore we +are constrained to desist. These are the words of a soul planning +appropriate action and full of anxiety, because it is clear that the +human race, at the height of its peril, cannot be healed. + +54. This exposition conforms to faith and Holy Scriptures. When the +Word is revealed from heaven, we see that some are converted, who are +freed from damnation. The remaining multitude despises it and securely +indulges in avarice, lust and other vices, as Jeremiah says (ch 51, +9): "We should have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake +her, and let us go everyone into his own country." + +The more diligently Moses and Aaron importuned and instructed, the +more obstinate Pharaoh became. The Jews were not made better by even +the preaching of Christ and the apostles. The same befalls us who +teach in our day. What, in consequence, are we to do? Deplore the +blindness and obstinacy of men we may, correct it we cannot. Who would +rejoice in the eternal damnation of the popes and their followers? Who +would not prefer that they should embrace the Word and recover their +senses? + +55. A similar exhibition of obstinacy Methuselah, Lamech and Noah saw +in their day. Therefore there bursts from them this voice of despair: +My Spirit, namely the Word of healing truth, shall no longer bear +witness among men. For inasmuch as you refuse to embrace the +Word--will not yield to healing truth--you shall perish. + +These are the words of a heart filled with anxiety after the manner +that the Scriptures say God is anxious; that is, the hearts of Noah, +Lamech, Methuselah and other holy men who are filled with love toward +all. Beholding this wickedness of men, they are troubled and pained. + +56. Such grief is really the grief of the Holy Spirit, as Paul says, +"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the +day of redemption," Eph 4, 30. This means that the Holy Spirit is +grieved when we miserable men are distracted and tormented by the +wickedness of the world, that despises the Word we preach by the Holy +Spirit. Thus Lot was troubled in Sodom, and the pious Jews in Babylon +under the godless king Belshazzar; also Jeremiah, when he preached to +the ungodly Jews and exclaimed (Jer 15, 10): "Woe is me, my mother, +that thou hast borne me." So in Micah 7, 1: "Woe is me! for I am as +the grape gleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat." + +57. The wrath of God is most fearful as he recalls the Word. What man +would not prefer pestilence, famine, war--these being mere bodily +calamities--to a famine of the Word which is always joined to eternal +damnation? An example of the horrible darkness into which Satan can +lead men when God is silent and does not speak, is furnished by the +Gentiles who have been bereft of the Word. Who is not horrified by the +Romans, men of exemplary wisdom and famous before other nations by +reason of their dignified discipline, who observed the custom of +letting the worthy matrons worship and crown Priapus, the foul idol, +and of leading bridal virgins before it? What is more ludicrous than +that the Egyptians adored the calf Apis as the supreme godhead? + +58. 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 virgins, before their nuptials, for purposes of +prostitution. Such monstrous infamies were accounted religion and +righteousness among the Gentiles. There is nothing, in fact, so +ridiculous, so stupid, so obscene, nothing so remote from all +propriety, that it cannot be foisted as the very essence of religion +upon men who have been forsaken by the Word. + +59. This is, therefore, the greatest penalty, that God, through the +mouths of the holy patriarchs, threatens no longer to reprove men by +his Spirit; which means that henceforth he will not give his Word to +men, since all teaching is vain. + +60. Like punishment our times will bring also upon Germany. For we see +the haste, the unrest, of Satan, and his efforts to defraud whom he +may of the Word. How many sects has he roused during our lifetime, and +this while we bent all our energies toward the maintenance of pure +doctrine! What is in store after our death? Surely, he will lead forth +whole swarms of Sacramentarians, Anabaptists, Antinomians, Servetians, +Campanistans and other heretics who at present, conquered by the pure +Word and the constancy of faithful teachers, keep out of sight, but +are ready for every opportunity to establish their doctrines. + +61. Those, therefore, who have the Word in its purity, should learn to +embrace the same, to thank God for it and to call upon him while he +may be found. For when the spirit of knowledge is taken away, the +spirit of prayer is also gone. Zechariah says (Zech 12, 10): For the +spirit of prayer is joined to the spirit of grace. It is the spirit of +grace which reproves our sins and gives instruction concerning their +remission, which condemns idolatry and instructs concerning the true +worship of God, which condemns avarice, lust and oppression, and +teaches chastity, patience and charity. This spirit, God here +threatens, shall no longer continue his work of instruction, since men +refuse to hear and are incorrigible. The spirit of grace having been +taken away, the spirit of prayer has also been taken away. For it is +impossible for him to pray who is without the Word. + +62. Accordingly, the office of a priest is twofold; first, that he +turns to God and prays for himself and for his people; second, that he +turns from God to men through instruction and the Word. Says Samuel: +"Far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to +pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way," +1 Sam 12, 23. He is aware that this is his proper office. + +63. Therefore, the ministry is rightly praised and esteemed as the +highest favor. When this has been lost or has been vitiated, not only +prayer becomes impossible, but men are simply in the power of the +devil, and do nothing but grieve the Holy Spirit with all their deeds, +and thus fall into mortal sin, for which it is not lawful to pray. +Such other lapses as occur among men are trivial, for return is open +and the hope of pardon is left. But when the Holy Spirit is grieved +and men refuse to receive the witness and reproof of the Holy Spirit, +the disease is desperate and incurable. + +64. But how common is this sin today among all classes! Princes, +noblemen, inhabitants of city and country, refuse to be reproved; they +rather reprove and sit in judgment upon the Holy Spirit in his +servants. They judge of the office of the ministry by the lowliness of +the person. They reason thus: This minister is poor and despised; why +then should he reprove me, a prince, a nobleman, a magistrate? Rather +than endure this, they trample under foot the ministers, together with +their office and their message. Should we not, then, fear the judgment +of God, such as he here announces to the old world? + +65. These, therefore, are the words of a father who disinherits his +son, or of a severe schoolmaster in wrath ejecting a pupil, when God +simply fixes a hundred and twenty years as the time in which +opportunity is granted for repentance. He threatens, should it not be +improved, his Spirit shall no longer reprove and strive. + +This word pertains properly to the office of the ministry and, in a +certain sense, describes it. For every preacher or servant of the Word +is a man of strife and judgment, and is constrained, by reason of his +office, to chide whatever is vicious, without considering the person +or office of his hearer. When Jeremiah does this zealously, he incurs +not only hate but also the gravest dangers. He is moved even to +impatience, so that he wishes he had never been born, Jer 20, 14. + +66. And if I had not been particularly strengthened by God, I should +have been wearied and broken down ere this by the contumacy of an +impenitent world; for the ungodly so grieve the Holy Spirit in us, +that, with Jeremiah, we wish often we had never made a beginning of +anything. Hence I often pray to God to let the present generation die +with us, because, after our death, the most perilous times are to +come. + +67. For this reason Elijah is called by Ahab the godless king of +Israel, the disturber of Israel; because he openly reproved the +idolatry, violence and passions of his day. Likewise we today are +deemed the disturbers of Germany. + +68. But it is a good sign when men condemn us and call us authors of +strife, for the Spirit of God strives with men, reproves and condemns +them. But men are so that they wish to be taught only what gives them +pleasure, as they frankly admit in Micah 2, 6-7: "Prophesy not to us; +for confusion has not seized us, says the house of Jacob." The latter +they use as an argument; because they look upon themselves as the +house of Jacob and the people of God, they decline chastening, and +will not take to themselves penalties and threats. So today the pope +and his accomplices plume themselves solely upon being the Church, and +declare that the Church is incapable of error. But notice this text +and it will appear how frivolous such an argument is. + +69. Are not those whom God threatens to no longer judge by his Spirit +likewise the sons of God? What can be more splendid than this name? +Beyond doubt they gloried in this name and rebelled against the +patriarchs when they opposed, or at least despised, their preaching. +For it does not seem likely that God should be thrown into a rage +against the whole human race on account of a few sins. But the +magnificent name did not save them, nor did it avail that they were +strong and great in number. Six hundred thousand marched out of Egypt, +and two only entered the land of Canaan; all the others were prevented +by death on account of their sins. + +70. Evidently God will in no way inquire about the magnificent titles +of the Church, pope and bishop. Other testimony will be needed when +they desire to escape the wrath of God than to boast of being the +Church. For it is written (Mt 7, 20): "By their fruits ye shall know +them." And verse 21: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, +shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." + +71. 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 Church, +but propped up by this alone they will condemn and oppress us. +Different shall be the judgment, when the Son of man shall come in his +glory. Then it shall appear that among the members of the holy Church +have been John Huss and Jerome of Prague. The pope, however, and the +cardinals, the bishops, doctors, monks and priestly mountebanks, shall +appear as the church of evil-doers, enthroned in pestilence, and as +veritable henchmen of Satan, rendering aid to their father in his +lying and murdering. + +72. Such judgment of God we see also here. He does not deny that the +offspring of the saints are sons of God. This magnificent title in +which they took pride and securely sinned, God leaves to them. And yet +these very sons of God who took in marriage the daughters of men, he +warns that he not only will take the Word from their hearts and minds, +but that he will take from their eyes and ears also the ministering +Spirit who preaches, prays, reproves, teaches and sighs in holy +servants, and because they refuse to be chastened and reproved; +knowing themselves to be the sons of God they despise the Word and its +teachers. But they do not escape punishment because of their name. The +same shall likewise befall the papists and other enemies of the Word. + +73. In accordance with this I hold that the sentiments of pious men +are here attributed to God himself, according to the usage of the Holy +Scriptures; for instance in Malachi 3, 8, where the Lord says that he +is pierced through, or, as the Hebrew has it, that violence is done to +him because the people were unfaithful in rendering to the priests the +first-fruits and the tenth. + +74. But why, you may say, should God need to complain thus? Can he not +when it pleases him suddenly destroy the whole world? He surely can, +but does not do so gladly. He says: "I have no pleasure in the death +of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live," Ezk +33, 11. Such a disposition proves that God is inclined to pardon, to +endure and to remit the sins of men, if only they will come to their +senses; but inasmuch as they continue in obduracy, and reject all +help, he is, as it were, tormented by this wickedness of men. + +75. The words "And Jehovah said," I attribute to the holy fathers, who +testified through a public decree that God should be compelled to +exercise vengeance, for they taught by divine authority. When Noah and +his ancestors had preached nearly a thousand years, and yet the world +continued to degenerate more and more, they announced God's decision +to an ungrateful world and disclosed this as his thought: Why should I +preach forever and permit my heralds to cry in vain? The more +messengers I send, the longer I defer my wrath,--the worse they +become. It is therefore necessary for preaching to cease, and for +retribution to begin. I shall not permit my Spirit, that is my Word, +to sit in judgment and to bear witness forever, and to tolerate man's +wickedness. I am constrained to punish their sins. Because man is +flesh, he is opposed to me. He is earthly, I am spirit. Man continues +in his carnal state, mocks at the Word, persecutes and hates my Spirit +in the patriarchs, and the story is told to deaf ears. Hence it is +necessary that I should cease and permit man to go his own way. This +contrast he desires to indicate when he says: "For he is flesh." + +76. Noah, Lamech and Methuselah were very holy men, full of the Holy +Spirit. Accordingly they performed their office by teaching, +admonishing, urging and entreating, in season and out of season; as +Paul says, 2 Tim 4, 2. But they reproved flesh and did unprofitable +labor, for the flesh would not yield to sound teaching. Should I, says +he, endure forever such contempt for my Word? + +77. This proclamation, therefore, contains a public complaint, made by +the Holy Spirit through the holy patriarchs, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah +and others, whom God took away before the flood that they might not be +spectators of so widely diffused wrath. All these, with one voice and +mouth, admonished the giants and tyrants to repent, and added the +threat that God would not endure forever such contempt of his Word. + +78. But the flesh remained true to its nature; they despised faithful +exhortations in their presumption and carnal security, 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 Church, +namely, the heirs of the promise of the coming seed. + +79. The added clause, "yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty +years," Jerome affirms must not be understood as referring to the +years of human life, nor to the age of individual men; for it is +certain that after the flood many exceeded the two hundredth year. If +you refer it to the years allotted to individuals, the promise would +be that individuals should complete so many years, which, however, is +false. Therefore he speaks of the time conceded to the world for +repentance until the flood should arrive. + +80. This interpretation agrees with what precedes. God shows that he +is displeased with the perversity of men. He is full of solicitude and +quite ready to forbear. Against his will, so to speak, he permits the +flood to rage. Therefore, he decided upon a fixed and adequate time +for them to come to their senses, and to escape punishment. All this +time Noah admonished men to repent, making it clear that God could not +longer endure such wickedness, while he was yet so kind as to grant +adequate time for repentance. + +81. There is a beautiful cohesion between the words and their +significance. A former proclamation threatens: I cannot endure longer +contempt for my Word; my preachers and priests attain nothing with +their infinite labor except derision. Nevertheless, as a father or +good judge would gladly spare a son but is compelled by his wickedness +to be severe, so, the Lord says, I do not destroy gladly the human +race. I shall grant them one hundred and twenty years in which they +may come to themselves, and during which I shall exercise mercy. + +82. Horrible was the disaster, because neither the brothers nor the +sisters of Noah were saved. It was necessary that the most earnest +warning should precede, that, perhaps, they might be called back to +repentance. To the Ninevites Jonah announces destruction within forty +days, and they repent and are saved. + +83. It is clear, therefore, that the heedlessness of the old world was +very great, inasmuch as in the one hundred and twenty years of grace +it obstinately persisted in its lusts, even deriding its pontiff Noah, +the teacher of righteousness. + +84. In our times, at the approach of the day of the Lord, almost the +same condition obtains; we exhort to penitence the papists and our +noblemen; the inhabitants of city and country we admonish not to +continue despising the Word, since God will not leave this unavenged. +But in vain we exert ourselves, as the Scripture says. A few faithful +folk are edified and these are, one by one, gathered away from the +face of sin, and "no man layeth it to heart," as is spoken in Isaiah +57, 1. But when God, in this way, has shaken out the wheat and +gathered the grain in its place, what, think you, shall be the future +of the chaff? Nothing else but to be burned with inextinguishable +fire, Mt 13, 42. This shall be the lot of the world. + +85. But the world does not understand how it can be that through the +preaching of the Gospel the wheat should be separated from the chaff, +to be gathered into the barn, while the chaff, that is, the throng of +unbelievers sunk in idolatry and darkness, shall be consigned to the +fire. It is written: "In a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I +will preserve thee," Is 49, 8. Those who will neglect this day of +salvation, will find God as an avenger, for he will not do useless +labor in threshing empty chaff. + +86. But the world is flesh; it does not obey. Yea, the nearer and more +immediate the calamity, the more secure it is and the more readily it +despises all faithful admonitions. Though this offense provokes the +righteous, we should, notwithstanding, conclude that God does not +reprove in vain the world through his Holy Spirit, nor that the Holy +Spirit in the righteous is grieved in vain. Christ uses this as an +example when he speaks of the wickedness and heedlessness of our age: +"And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of +man," Mt 24, 37. + +87. It is to be observed here what has been an object of difficulty +for Jerome, that the flood came a hundred years after the birth of +Shem, Ham and Japheth, while here a hundred and twenty years are said +to have been the time of the flood. + + +B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING. + + 1. The time Noah began to preach 87. + + 2. Why the world took occasion to despise Noah's preaching 88. + + * Jerome's reckoning of the 120 years 89. + + 3. Why Noah married after living so long single, when the world was + to be destroyed 90. + + 4. How and why Noah was the prophet of prophets and his the + greatest of prophecies 91. + + 5. His preaching disregarded not only by the Cainites but by the + sons of God 92. + + * To what end God's complaint of the first world should serve us + 93. + + * When was the judgment of God announced 94. + + * The generation of the Cainites. + + a. Whether it still existed in the days of Noah 95. + + b. Why Moses does not record the generations of the Cainites and + of their patriarchs 95. + + c. How the holy patriarchs warned their children against the + Cainites 96. + + d. How the Cainites tormented the holy patriarchs 96. + + 6. Why God raised up Noah 97. + + 7. Noah's faith exceptionally strong 97-98. + + 8. What impelled Noah to continue his work, and not to turn to the + world 99. + + 9. How Noah's age was the wickedest and he had to oppose its + wickedness all alone 100. + + * Who of the patriarchs were still living in Noah's time 100. + + 10. What trials Noah had to experience 101. + + +B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING. + +87. But this passage shows that Noah began preaching about the +impending punishment of the deluge before his marriage, having +hitherto led the life of a celibate. + +88. Consider, therefore, what pastime he offered to a wicked world in +its fancied security. He predicts destruction to the whole world +through the flood, nevertheless, he himself marries. Why? Was it not +sufficient for him to perish alone, that he must join to himself a +companion for the disaster? Oh, foolish old man! Surely if he believed +the world was to perish by a deluge, he would rather perish alone than +marry and take the trouble to beget children. But if he himself will +be saved, why, so shall also we. + +In this manner they commenced to despise the preaching concerning the +flood with the greater assurance because of the marriage of Noah, +ignorant of the counsel of God, who moves in a manner altogether +unintelligible to the world. How absurd to promise Abraham posterity +through Isaac, and yet to command Isaac to be sacrificed! + +89. The divine Jerome argues against the view that God had fixed the +time for the flood at a hundred and twenty years, but saw himself +compelled, later, when wickedness had waxed strong, to shorten the +time. + +90. But we shall not make God a liar; we rather give it as our +conviction that Noah had hitherto preached, while in a state of +celibacy, that the world was to be destroyed through the flood, and +later, by a divine command, had taken a maid as a little branch, so to +speak, from the race of women, and begotten three sons. Below it is +written that he had found grace with the Lord; otherwise he who had +refrained from marriage so long, might have continued to do so still +longer. But God, in order to restrain his wrath, wants to leave a +nursery for the human race; therefore, he commands marriage. This the +wicked believe to be a sign that the world shall not perish; they live +accordingly in security and despise the preacher, Noah. But the +counsel of God is different--to destroy the whole world and to leave +through this righteous Noah a nursery for the future world. + +91. Noah was, therefore, the greatest prophet; his equal the world has +not had. First he teaches the longest time; then he gives instruction +concerning a universal punishment coming upon the world, and even +fixes the year of its advent. Likewise Christ prophesies concerning +the last judgment, when all flesh shall perish. "But of that day," he +says in Mark 13, 32, "or that hour knoweth no one, ... but the +father." + +Jonah foretells punishment for the Ninevites within forty days; +Jeremiah foretells seventy years of captivity; Daniel, seventy weeks +until the coming of Christ. These are remarkable prophecies, in which +time, place and person are accurately described. + +But this prophecy of Noah surpasses all others, inasmuch as he +foretells through the Holy Spirit that within a certain number of +years the whole human race shall perish. He is worthy to be called the +second Adam and the head of the human race, through whose mouth God +speaks and calls the whole world to repentance. + +92. It is terrible, however, that his message was despised with such +assurance that not only none of the Cainites, but not even any one of +Adam's progeny underwent a change. Therefore Noah was compelled to +witness the destruction of brothers, sisters, relatives and kindred +without number, and all these made a mock of the pious old man and of +his message as an old woman's tale. + +93. This awful example is held up to us lest we persist in sin. For if +God did not spare the primitive world, which was so magnificent--the +very flower and youth of the world--and in which had lived so many +pious men, but, as he says in Psalm 81, 12, "gave them up unto their +own hearts' lust," and cast them aside, as if they had no claim upon +the promise made to the Church--if he did this, how much less will he +spare us who do not possess such prerogatives? + +94. Therefore, the decree cited in this passage that God would grant +men a hundred and twenty years for repentance, was rendered and +promulgated before Noah had begotten children. + +95. With reference to the generation of the Cainites, no mention is +made of their patriarchs at the time of the flood, nor does Moses even +deem them worthy of being named. Previously he has brought down the +generation of Cain as far as Lamech, but whether his sons or nephews +lived at the time of Noah is uncertain. This much is certain, that the +offspring of Cain existed to that time, and were so powerful as to +mislead the very sons of God, since even the posterity of the holy +patriarchs perished in the flood. + +96. Before this time the holy patriarchs--the rulers of the true +Church, as it were--admonished their families to beware of the +accursed generation. But the Cainites, incensed at being condemned, +made the attempt to overturn the righteous with every kind of +mischief; for the church of Satan wars perpetually against the Church +of God. + +97. Therefore, as the righteous begin to waver and wickedness gains +ground, God raises Noah to exhort to repentance and to be for his +descendants a perpetual example, whose faith and diligent, patient +devotion to teaching, his offspring might admire and imitate. A great +miracle is it and a case of illustrious faith, that Noah, having heard +through Methuselah and Lamech the decree that the world is to perish +after a hundred and twenty years, through the flood, does not doubt +its truth, and yet, when the hundred and twenty years have almost +expired, marries and begets children. He might rather have thought: If +the human race is to perish, why should I marry? Why should I beget +sons? If I have refrained these many years, I shall do so henceforth. +But Noah does not do this; rather, after making known God's purpose +respecting the world's destruction, he obeys God, who calls him to +matrimony, and believes God that, though the whole world may perish, +yet he with his children shall be saved. An illustrious faith is this +and worthy of our consideration. + +98. There was in him first that general faith, in common with the +patriarchs, concerning the seed which was to bruise the head of the +serpent. He possessed also the singular virtue of holding fast to this +faith in the midst of such a multitude of offenses, and not departing +from Jehovah. Then, to this general faith he added the other, special +faith, 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 sons. Beyond a doubt, to this faith his grandfather Methuselah +and his father Lamech earnestly incited him; 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 God. + +99. This faith taught him to despise the presumption of the world +which derided him as a man in his dotage. This faith prompted him +diligently to continue the building of the ark, a work those giants +probably ridiculed as extreme folly. This faith made Noah strong to +stand alone against the many evil examples of the world, and to +despise most vehemently the united judgment of all others. + +100. But almost unutterable and miraculous is this faith, burdened as +it is with strange and most weighty obstacles, which the Holy Spirit +shows in passing, without going into great detail, that we may be +induced to meditate the more diligently upon its circumstances. +Consider first the great corruption of the age. While the Church had +before this time many and most holy patriarchs, it was now deprived of +such rulers; Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch are all +dead, and the number of patriarchs is reduced to three--Methuselah, +Lamech and Noah. These alone are left at the time the decree +concerning the destruction of the world is published. These three are +compelled to witness and suffer the incredible malice of men, their +idolatry, blasphemy, violent acts, foul passions, until finally +Methuselah and Lamech are also called out of this life. There Noah was +the only one to oppose the world rushing to destruction, and to make +an effort to preserve righteousness and to repress unrighteousness. +But far from meeting with success, he had to see even the sons of God +lapse into wickedness. + +101. This ruin and havoc of the Church troubled the righteous man and +all but broke his heart, as Peter says of Lot in Sodom, 2 Pet 2, 8. +Now, if Lot was so distracted and vexed by the wickedness of one +community, how must it have been with Noah, against whom not only the +generation of Cain raged, but who was opposed also by the decadent +generation of the patriarchs, and then even by his own father's house, +his brothers, sisters, and the descendants of his uncles and aunts? +For all these were corrupted and estranged from the faith by the +daughters of men. As the text says, they "saw the daughters of men." + + +III. THE SINS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD IN PARTICULAR. + + A. THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES ENTERED INTO. + + 1. Why this is said of the sons and not of the daughters of the + holy patriarchs 102. + + 2. Why were the holy fathers so emphatically forbidden to let + their sons marry the ungodly 103-104. + + 3. How this was the beginning of all evils 105. + + * What evils have in all times come through woman 106. + + 4. The sins here sprang from despising the first table of the + law 107-108. + + * The sins of the second table follow when the first table is + not kept 108. + + 5. Everything that is called sin is embraced in this sin + 109-110. + + 6. How marriage with the children of the true Church was + despised 111. + + 7. Their desire to marry thus resembled Eve's desire to take the + forbidden apple 112. + + 8. Why the patriarchs' children took this step 113. + + 9. How these marriage alliances were formed 114-116. + + 10. Berosus' testimony concerning these forbidden marriages 116. + + B. DISORDER IN ALL BRANCHES OF SOCIETY 116-117. + + C. THE TYRANNY EXERCISED. + + 1. By the "giants" or tyrants. + + a. What is to be understood by tyrants 117. + + * The pope resembles the tyrants before the flood 118. + + b. The nature of these tyrants 119. + + c. Why called Nephilim 120-122. + + d. Whether they received their name from their size or from + their cruelty 123. + + * How the Scriptures designate true rulers 123. + + e. These tyrants types of Antichrist 123. + + f. They were raging, powerful and criminal characters 124. + + * Of authorities. + + (1) How God wants us to honor the authorities though he + terribly threatens them 125-126. + + (2) Why God wants them to be honored, when he himself does + not honor them 127. + + (3) Godless rulers are God's swine and are rare birds in + heaven 128. + + g. Whether these tyrants were rulers and why God called them + by such a shameful name 129. + + h. Moses chose the word Nephilim, which in his day designated + a wicked people, to express the tyrants of the first World + 130. + + 2. By "the mighty men." + + a. How Jerome perverts this text 131. + + b. What is to be understood by "the mighty men that were of + old" 131. + + * The meaning of "Olam" 132. + + c. Whence did they receive their power 133. + + d. Why called "mighty men" 134. + + * The character of the true church 134. + + 3. By "the men of renown." + + a. Why they were thus named 135. + + b. Who they were 136. + + * They resembled the pope and bishops 136. + + c. Lyra's false explanation of it refuted 137. + + * How Antichrist is restrained from the world, and true + doctrine maintained 137. + + D. THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT 138. + + * That one sin follows another until man reaches the highest + degree of sin 139. + + +III. THE SINS OF THE OLD WORLD IN PARTICULAR. + +A. THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES ENTERED INTO. + +102. But, I ask, why is not complaint made also of the men, or why are +not the daughters of God included in this complaint? He says merely +that they "saw the daughters of men." It was surely for this reason, +that the holy generation of Seth had received the peculiar injunction +to beware of fellowship with the Cainites, inasmuch as they had been +excluded from the true Church, and to mingle with them neither +socially through marriage, nor ecclesiastically through worship, for +the righteous should avoid every occasion of offense. + +103. In prohibiting marriage with the Cainites it was the chief +purpose of the pious fathers to maintain their generation pure; for +daughters bring into the houses of their husbands the views and +manners of the fathers. Thus, we read of Solomon in the Book of the +Kings that he was led astray through a woman who was a stranger; and +thus Jezebel introduced the wickedness of the Syrians into the kingdom +of Israel. + +104. The holy fathers saw the same would come to pass in their +generation; therefore, after they were separated from the Cainites +through the divine command, they resolved that the sons of the holy +generation should not marry the daughters of men. The daughters of the +race of the righteous could more readily be restrained from marriage +with the Cainites, while the sons were independent and headstrong. + +105. In this way Moses wishes to show the trouble began from the time +the sons of God joined themselves to the daughters of men, seeing that +they were fair. The sons of men who were proud and strong and +passionately given to pleasure, without doubt despised the plain +maidens of the pious race who had been reared by the holy patriarchs +not delicately, but simply and modestly, being arrayed in homely garb. +There was hence no necessity of making a law also for the maidens, +inasmuch as they were in any case neglected by the noble Cainites. + +106. If you study the history of nations you will find that women have +been the occasion for the overthrow of the strongest kingdoms. Well +known is the disgrace of Helen. The sacred writings demonstrate also +that woman occasioned the fall of the whole human race. This, however, +should be mentioned without reflection upon the sex, for we have a +command, "Honor thy father and thy mother," Ex 20, 12. Likewise, +"Husbands, love your wives," Col 3, 19. It is true that Eve was the +first to pluck the apple; however, she first sinned by idolatry and +fell from the faith, which faith, as long as it is in the heart, +controls also the body; but when it has departed from the heart, the +body serves sin. Guilt is not peculiar to sex but to sin, which man +has in common with woman. + +107. Thus Moses gives an account of the prevailing unrighteousness and +lust. But he gives the reader to understand that, before sin was +committed against the second table of the Law, the first had been +violated, and the Word of God treated with contempt. Otherwise the +sons of God would have obeyed the will of their pious parents +forbidding marriage with those outside the Church. + +108. Moses, therefore, concludes that, because the sons of God had +forsaken the worship and Word of God and departed from the precepts of +their parents, thereupon to fall into sensuality and lust, and to take +to wife whom they pleased, they also became violent and appropriated +the goods of others. The world cannot do otherwise. When it has +forsaken God, it worships the devil; when it has despised the Word and +fallen into idolatry, it rushes forth into all sins of passion, in +which fierceness of anger and fierceness of desire by turns are +aroused, and thus all the appetites are thrown into a state of the +greatest disorder. When the righteous reprove this, the result is +resentment and violence against them. + +109. The sin of the flood, then, embraces everything that may be +called sin, by the first as well as the second table. Wicked men first +depart from God through unbelief; then they disregard obedience to +parents, and finally become murderers, adulterers, etc. + +110. I mention this to the end that no one may believe that sex or the +marriage estate in themselves are to blame. It is chiefly +transgression of God's commandments and disobedience to parents which +are condemned. Owing to absence of fellowship between the Cainites and +the true Church, pious parents desired also social separation from the +Cainites, for fear they might be perverted by the manners of ungodly +wives. But God's command being neglected, and the authority of parents +despised, the younger generation lapsed into the passions of +concupiscence and vehemence. In this way the honor of sex and the +dignity of matrimony are conserved: accusation is brought solely +against the unrighteousness which first departs from God and then +manifests itself in injuring the saints. + +111. This is the teaching of the words: "The sons of God saw the +daughters of men that they were fair." Why did they not see the +daughters of God and desire those in the Church and possess the +promise of the seed? Are they not convicted of contempt for the +sisters of their own generation, that is the true Church, and of +mingling with the carnal and impious generation of Cain? They despise +the simplicity and reserve of their sisters and prefer the smiles, the +dress, the wiles of the daughters of Cain; the latter they crave and +cultivate, the former they treat either with neglect or dishonor. + +112. With such eyes as Eve viewed the apples when she fell into sin, +the sons of God viewed the daughters of men. Eve had seen the +forbidden tree before that, but with eyes of faith looking back to +God's commandment; for that reason she did not crave, but rather she +fled from the same. When, however, the eyes of faith were dimmed and +she beheld the tree solely with carnal eyes, she stretched out her +hand with desire and invited also Adam, her husband. + +113. Likewise the sons of the patriarchs had seen long before that the +daughters of the Cainites excelled in form, dress and elegance of +manners. Nevertheless, they did not mingle with them, 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 righteous. But the eyes of +faith having been lost, they saw no longer either the command or the +promise of God, but followed merely the desire of the flesh. The +simple, good and virtuous girls of their own generation they despised; +the Cainites they married, seeing they were polished, charming and +pleasant. + +114. It is not a sin, therefore, that they marry, nor is the sex in +itself condemned. Condemnation lies in this, that with contempt of the +divine commandment they marry unlawfully; that they permit themselves +to be led astray by their wives from the true worship to the wicked +worship of a false church; that, after the fashion of the Cainites, +they pay no heed to parental authority and become guilty of violence, +oppression and other sins. + +Moses clearly reveals their sin when he says: "They took them wives of +all that they chose," as if he said: To marry a wife is not an evil +but a blessing, if it be done lawfully. But they sinned in that they +married without judgment, against the will and purpose of the parents, +marrying whom and as many as they pleased, regardless of their own +estate, whether married or single. + +115. This is a stern word, by which Moses characterizes it as a great +sin that they arbitrarily married two wives or more, exchanged them, +or snatched them from others, after the manner of Herod, who possessed +himself of his brother's wife. It is this unbridled reign of evil lust +that Moses discloses and condemns. + +116. Berosus writes that incestuous marriages also took place among +them, so that they married even their mothers and sisters. But I doubt +whether they were so wicked as that. It is a sin sufficiently grave +that in marrying they dispensed with judgment, the authority of their +parents and even with the Word of God, following altogether the +guidance of lust and desire. They took whom they pleased and whom they +could, and by such license they brought chaos into domestic, public +and churchly relations. + +B. DISORDER IN ALL BRANCHES OF SOCIETY + +The sin of the primeval world was, therefore, an upheaval of all +established order, inasmuch as the Church was demoralized by idolatry +and false modes of worship. This condition was aggravated by those +oppressors who cruelly persecuted the righteous teachers and holy men. +Public discipline was destroyed by oppression and violent deeds, and +domestic discipline by uncurbed lust. Upon such overturning of piety +and integrity followed universal depravity; men were not merely evil +but plainly incorrigible. + +C. THE TYRANNY EXERCISED. + +V. 4a. _The Nephilim_ (giants) _were in the earth in those days,_ + +117. Moses continues the description of the sin and offense which +provoked the deluge. The first point was that the sons of God had +fallen from the fear of God, and the Word had become altogether +carnal, perverting not only the Church but also the State and home. +Now he adds that wickedness had grown to the extent of giants arising +upon earth. He clearly states that there were born from the +concubinage of the sons of God with the daughters of men, not sons of +God, but giants; that is, bold men who arrogated to themselves at the +same time both government and priesthood. + +118. Just so the pope arrogates to himself at the same time the +spiritual and the temporal sword. This would not be the height of +evil, if he would only make use of his power for the preservation of +State and Church; but the greatest sin is that he abuses his power for +the establishment of idolatry, for a warfare against sound doctrine, +and for purposes of oppression even in the State. When the Papists are +reproved with the Word of God, they spurn such reproof, claiming that +they are the Church and incapable of error. This class of people Moses +calls "giants," men who arrogate to themselves power both political +and ecclesiastical, and who sin most licentiously. + +119. Such men are described in the Book of Wisdom who say: "Let +unrighteousness be our law," 2, 11. Also in Psalms, 12, 4: "Who have +said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is +lord over us?" Again in Psalm 73. "They scoff, and in wickedness utter +oppression: they speak loftily," etc. Such were the giants who +withstood the Holy Spirit to his face, who, through the mouth of +Lamech, Noah and the sons of Noah, exhorted, implored, taught and +reproved. + +120. There are those who dispute the meaning of the noun Nephilim and +derive it from _Naphal_, which signifies "to fall." They commonly take +it in a passive sense, meaning that other men, seeing the uncouth +forms and extraordinary size, fell down from fear. Let the rabbis +vouch for the correctness of this; it is ridiculous to call them +"_Nephilim_" because others fell. Some, however, suggest the etymology +that they were thus called because they had fallen from the common +stature of men, and allege as proof-passage Numbers 13, 33, from which +it appears that giants possessed huge bodies like the Anakim and +Rephaim. Which of these are right, I do not decide, especially since +it is certain that a theory of all words can not be given, nor their +origin demonstrated. + +121. But here another question obtrudes itself: Why should those born +from the sons of God and the daughters of men alone have differed from +the ordinary stature of man? I have no other answer than that the text +says nothing of stature in this place. In Numbers 13, 33 it is said: +"There we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants: +and we were in our sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their +sight." There hugeness of body is shown, but not here; therefore they +may be called giants for some other reason than massive stature. + +122. To give my opinion of the word, I hold it is to be taken neither +in the sense of the neuter nor of the passive, but of the active, +inasmuch as the word "_naphal_" is often used in the sense of the +active, though it does not belong to the third conjugation, in which +almost all transitive verbs are found. Thus in Joshua 11, 7: "So +Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the +waters of Merom suddenly, and fell upon them." If the verb is +construed as neuter, as if Joshua and his men had fallen before the +enemies, history will object; for the meaning is that they fell upon +the enemies and suddenly overpowered them. + +123. Therefore, this passage and other, similar ones prompt me to +understand "_nephilim_" to designate not bulk of body, but tyranny and +oppression, inasmuch as they domineered by force, making no account of +law and honor, but merely indulging their pleasure and desire. +Rightful rulers the Scripture calls shepherds and princes, but those +who rule by wrong and violence are rightly called "_Nephilim_," +because they fall and prey upon those beneath them. + +Thus in Psalm 10: "He croucheth and humbleth himself and _Venaphal Baa +Zumaf Helkaim_ (falls with his strong ones upon the poor)". The Holy +Spirit speaks there of the reign of the Antichrist, whom he describes +as raging so furiously as to crush what he can, and, at all events, to +bend what he cannot crush, so that afterward he may suppress with all +his strength what has been bent. For _baazuma_ can be indifferently +rendered by "with his strength," or "with his strong ones." This +power, he says, he uses only against those who are _Hilkaim_, that is +the poor, such as have previously been in some state of affliction. +Others who excel in power, he worships so as to draw them over to his +side. + +124. Accordingly I interpret "giants" in this passage not as men of +huge stature, as in Numbers 13, 33, but as violent and oppressive; as +the poets depict the Cyclopeans, who fear neither God nor men, but +follow only their desires, relying upon their strength and power. For +the oppressors sit enthroned in majesty, sway empires and kingdoms, +and arrogate to themselves even spiritual power, but use such power +against the Church and the Word of God for the gratification of their +lust. + +125. Observe here the strange counsel of God, commanding us to fear +the authorities, to obey, serve and honor them, while at the same time +the threats and dreadful reproofs which he administers are almost +invariably directed against those in authority, against kings and +princes, as if God proceeded against them with a peculiar hatred. +Scripture enjoins upon us to honor authority, but itself does not +honor it; rather it destroys it with a threat of the gravest +penalties. Scripture enjoins us to fear authority, but itself appears +to despise authorities, inasmuch as it does not commend but threatens. + +126. Does not Mary earnestly declaim in her song against princes, Luke +1, 51-53: "He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their +heart. He hath put down princes from their thrones, and hath exalted +them of low degree. The hungry he hath filled with good things; and +the rich he hath sent empty away"? If we believe this to be true, who +would wish to be found among authorities, for whom so certain +perdition is prepared and imminent? Who would not prefer to live on a +lowly plane and suffer hunger? 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 kingdom. "Thou hast made of a +city a heap, of a fortified city a ruin," Is 25, 2. The whole Bible +abounds with like sentiments. + +127. Thus, the Bible does not honor the authorities, but threatens +them with danger, and drags them into manifest contempt; and still +with consummate care it commands us to reverence and fear them, and to +render them all manner of service. Why is this? Surely because God +himself desires to punish them, and has reserved vengeance for himself +instead of surrendering it to their subjects. Jeremiah argues in +chapter 12, 1, concerning the prosperity of the way of the ungodly, +and yet the Lord is righteous. But he concludes: "Thou, O Lord, +fattenest them and preparest them for the sacrifice." + +128. So might it be said that the authorities are God's swine, as it +were; he fattens them, gives them wealth, power, fame and the +obedience of their subjects. They are not pursued, while they +themselves pursue and oppress others; they suffer no injury, but they +inflict it upon others; they do not give to others, but rob them until +the hour comes when, like fattened swine, they are slaughtered. Hence +the German proverb: A prince is a rare bird in the kingdom of heaven +or, princes are wild game in heaven. + +129. Accordingly, those whom Moses calls here "_Nephilim_," which is +an odious and disgraceful name, were without doubt the lawful +administrators of Church and State. But because they did not use their +office as they should, God marks and brands them with this opprobious +name. As we, in this corrupt state of nature, are unable to use the +least gift without pride, so God, most intolerant of pride, thrusts +the mighty from their throne, and leaves the rich empty. + +130. I accept, then, the word "_Nephilim_" as having an active +signification, being equivalent to tyrants, oppressors, revelers. I +believe, furthermore, as has been the case with other languages also, +that Moses has transferred the usage of this word from his own times +to those before the deluge, after changing somewhat its meaning, +inasmuch as these degenerate descendants of the sons of God abused +their power and position for the oppression of the good, just as those +Anakim were tyrants relying upon bodily strength, and so Moses will +presently show. + +V. 4b. _And also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the +daughters of men, and they bare children to them; the same were the +men that were of old, the men of renown._ + +131. Jerome[1] renders: _Isti sunt potentes a seculo_ (these are +mighty men from the beginning). But the word _seculum_ (olam) does not +here signify duration of time, nor does it predicate extent. These +giants did not exist from the beginning, they were not born until the +sons of God had degenerated. But _seculum_ (olam) connotes a second +predicate, that of substance, so that Moses explains the nature of the +power in which they trusted to have been secular or worldly. They +despised the ministry of the Word as a vile office; therefore they +seized upon another office, a secular one. The very same thing our +Papists have done. It has pleased them better to hold ample revenues +and worldly kingdoms than to be hated of all men for the sake of the +Gospel. + +[Footnote 1: So also the A. V. and the R. V., while Luther has by no +means the philological science against him. Mundus, seculum, aion, and +olam are used to express the same conception. Translator.] + +132. As far as Moses is concerned, the noun _olam_ designates the +world itself, and also age or time. Hence it is to be carefully noted +when _olam_ (_seculum_) signifies duration of time, and when it +signifies "world" in the Scriptures. Here it signifies of necessity +"world," for they did not exist from the beginning. + +133. This clause, then, aptly describes the power they had received, +not from the Church, nor from the Holy Spirit, but from the devil and +the world. It is, as it were, the counterpart of what Christ says +before Pontius Pilate, John 18, 36: "My kingdom is not of this world." +The servants of the Word struggle with hunger, and they labor under +the hate of all classes. In consequence, they cannot exercise tyranny; +but those who possess kingdoms, who govern states, who possess castles +and domains, are equipped for exercising tyranny. + +134. This clause contains also a suggestive reference to the small +Church with her few souls. These are cross-bearers without wealth; but +they possess the Word. Their only wealth is what the world despises +and persecutes. The Nephilim, on the other hand, or giants, usurp as +the descendants of the patriarchs the splendid name of the Church, and +possess also kingdoms. They exercise dominion, and pursue the +miserable Church in their power. In accordance therewith Moses calls +them mighty before, or in, the world; or worldlings and temporal +potentates. + +135. What Jerome renders _viri famosi_ (famous men) is, in Hebrew, +"men of name," that is, renowned or famous in the world. Moses touches +here also upon the sin of the Cyclopeans, who, possessing everything +in the world, possessed also a famous name and were renowned +throughout the world; while, on the contrary, the true sons of God, +namely Noah and his sons, were held in the greatest scorn and regarded +as heretics, as sons of the devil, as a blot upon the grandeur of +Church and State. So is it now with us. Christ testifies in Matthew +24, 37, that the last times resemble the times of Noah. + +136. 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 +desire. They were, accordingly, such rascals as the pope today with +his cardinals and bishops, who are not only styled princes and possess +kingdoms, but also take to themselves the name of Church, so as to +subject us as heretics to the ban, and securely to condemn us. They do +not permit themselves to be called tyrants, nor wicked, nor +temple-robbers. They wish to be styled most kind, holy and reverend +gentlemen. + +137. The meaning, therefore, is not that which Lyra follows when he +understands "famous" as "notorious." As the world does not call the +pope Antichrist, 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 error, 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 world. On the contrary, +Noah with his followers was condemned as a rebel, as a heretic, as a +traducer of the dignity of State and Church. So today do bishops +regard us who profess the Gospel. + +D. THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. + +138. This passage furnishes a description of the sins with which that +age was burdened: Men were averse to the Word; they were given over to +their own lusts and reprobate minds; they sinned against the Holy +Spirit by persistent impenitence, by defending their ungodly behavior +and by warring upon the recognized truth. Yet with all these +blasphemies they retained the name and authority, not only of the +State, but also of the Church, as if God had exalted them to the place +of the angels. When this was the state of things, and Noah and Lamech +with their pious ancestor Methuselah taught in vain, God turned them +over to the desires of their hearts (Ps 81, 12) and maintained silence +until they should experience the flood, the prophecy of which they +refused to believe. + +139. This is falling away from God and Church and entering upon +illicit marriage. One sin, unless corrected at once, will lead to +another, and so on indefinitely until the state is reached which +Solomon describes in Proverbs 18, 3, "When the wicked cometh, there +cometh also contempt, and with ignominy Cometh reproach." They who +thus sin, even if afterward rebuked, do not heed. They imagine they +stand in need of no instructor, and think they represent a just cause. +They do not believe in a life after this, or even hope for salvation, +while living in open sin. Notwithstanding, scorn and shame shall +overwhelm them. It was this persistent impenitence and consummate +contempt for the Word that impelled God to visit all flesh with a +universal flood. + + +IV. GOD'S REPENTANCE AND GRIEF THAT HE MADE MAN. + + A. THE REPENTANCE OF GOD. + + 1. The Words, "The wickedness of man was great." + + a. How Luther used these words against the doctrine of free + will; how the advocates of free will falsely interpreted + them, and how they are refuted 140-141. + + * Concerning free will. + + (1) Augustine's doctrine of free will misinterpreted by + the schools 140. + + (2) The schools unreasonably defend it 141. + + (3) Man has no free will and without the grace of the Holy + Spirit can do nothing 142-143. + + (4) The reproving office of the Holy Spirit makes it clear + that man has no free will 144. + + (5) Whether there is hope, if a council be held, that the + Papists will abandon their false doctrine of free will + 145. + + (6) How the true doctrine of free will leads us to a + knowledge of sin and what we are to hold in reference + to it 146. + + (7) Why we should guard against the false doctrine + concerning free will 147. + + * The comfort for one who commits sins of infirmities + 147. + + * All endeavors without the Holy Spirit are evil 148. + + (8) We are to distinguish in the doctrine of free will + what is good politically from what is good + theologically 149-150. + + b. These words are wrongly understood by the Jews and + sophists 151. + + * How we should view the discussions of philosophers in + regard to God and divine things 152. + + c. These words should be understood as spoken not only of the + people before the flood, but of all men 153. + + 2. The Words, "It Repented Jehovah." + + a. How the repentance of God is to be reconciled with the + wisdom and omniscience of God. + + (1) The way sophists answer this question 154. + + (2) Luther's answer 155-157. + + * How man should treat questions which lead us into the + throne of the divine majesty 158. + + * How the passages of Scripture are to be understood + which attribute to God the members of a human body + 159. + + * Whether the Anthropomorphites were justly condemned + 159. + + * Why God is represented to us as if he sprang from the + temporal and the visible 161-163. + + * We cannot explore God's nature 163. + + * In what pictures God reveals himself in the Old + Testament, and in the New 164. + + * The will of God in signs and the will of God's good + pleasure, "signs" and "Beneplaciti." + + (a) How we can know God's will in signs 165-166. + + (b) Why we cannot know the will of God's pleasure, nor + fathom it 165-166. + + (c) What is really to be understood by the will in + signs 167. + + b. The way the schools explain these words 168. + + c. How they are to be rightly understood 169. + + * Disputing about God's majesty and omnipotence places man + in a dangerous position 169-171. + + * How man should hold to the signs by which God revealed + himself 171. + + * What the will of God's pleasure is, to what it serves and + how it is revealed in Christ 172-176. + + * The will of good pleasure of which the fathers speak + cannot comfort the heart 175. + + * The only view of the Godhead possible in this life 176. + + d. In what sense it can be said that "it repented Jehovah + that he had made man" 177. + + +IV. THE REPENTANCE AND GRIEF OF GOD BECAUSE HE HAD MADE MAN. + +A. The Repentance of God. + +Vs. 5-6. _And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the +earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was +only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on +the earth, and it grieved him at his heart._ + +140. This is the passage which we have used against "free will," of +which Augustine writes that without the grace of the Holy Spirit it +can do nothing but sin. The scholastics, however, the champions of +free will, are not only hard beset by this clear passage, but also by +the authority of Augustine, and they sweat. Of Augustine they say that +his language is hyperbolical, as Basil writes of one who in refuting +the other side had gone too far, that he did like the farmers; they +when trying to straighten out crooked branches bend them a little too +far on the other side; and so Augustine, in beating back the +Pelagians, is asserted to have spoken more severely against free will +in the defense of grace than the merits of the case warranted. + +141. As far as this passage is concerned, it is slandered when it is +held that it speaks only of the evil generation before the flood, and +that now men are better, at least some who make good use of their +freedom of will. Such wretched interpreters do not see that the +passage speaks of the human heart in general, and that a particle is +plainly added, _Rak_, which signifies "only." In the third place, they +fail to see that after the flood the same declaration is repeated in +the eighth chapter in almost precisely the same terms. For God says, +"The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," Gen 8, 21. +Here evidently he does not speak only of the antediluvians. He rather +speaks of those to whom he makes the promise that henceforth another +general flood of water shall never come, that is, of all the offspring +of Noah. These are words of universal application: "The imagination of +man's heart is evil." + +142. We draw, therefore, the general conclusion that man without the +Holy Spirit and without grace can do nothing but sin, and thus he +unhaltingly goes forward from sin to sin. When in addition, he will +not endure sound doctrine but rejects the word of salvation and +resists the Holy Spirit, he becomes an enemy of God, blasphemes the +Holy Spirit and simply follows the evil desires of his heart. +Witnesses of this are the examples of the prophets, Christ and the +Apostles, the primeval world under Noah as teacher, and also the +example of our adversaries today, who cannot be convinced by anything +that they are in error, that they sin, that their worship is ungodly. + +143. Other declarations of Holy Scripture prove the same thing. Is not +the statement of the fourteenth Psalm, verse 3, sweeping enough when +it says: "Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to +see if there was any that did understand, and did seek after God. They +are all gone aside?" Thus, Ps 116, 11, "All men are liars;" and Paul, +"God hath shut up all unto disobedience," Rom 11, 32. These passages +are most sweeping, and emphatically force the conclusion that we all, +without the Holy Spirit, whose dispenser is Christ, can do nothing but +err and sin. Therefore, Christ says in the Gospel, "I am the vine, ye +are the branches: ... apart from me ye can do nothing," Jn 15, 5. +Without me you are a branch cut off, dry, dead and ready for the +burning. + +144. 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 derangement. But the world remains +consistent with itself; it hears not and believes it can please God +with forms of worship of its own choosing and without the sanction of +the divine Word, and does not permit itself to be undeceived. + +145. If ever a council should be held, the final declaration and +conclusion with reference to this very point, the freedom of will, +will be that we should abide by the decisions of the pope and the +fathers. We may clamor until we are hoarse that man in himself without +the Holy Spirit is evil, that everything he does without the Holy +Spirit or without faith is condemned before God, that his heart is +depraved and all his thought; we shall effect nothing. + +146. Therefore, the mind is to be grounded in this, and we are to hold +fast the doctrine which lays before us our sin and condemnation. This +knowledge of our sin is the beginning of salvation; we must absolutely +despair of ourselves and give glory for righteousness to God alone. +Why does Paul elsewhere complain, and in Romans 7, 18 freely confess +that there is nothing good in him? He says plainly, "in my flesh;" so +that we understand that the Holy Spirit alone can heal our infirmity. +When this has been fixed in our hearts, the foundation of our +salvation is largely laid, inasmuch as subsequently clear testimonies +are given that God will not cast away the sinner, that is, one who +recognizes his sin and desires to come to his senses and thirsts after +righteousness and the remission of sin through Christ. + +147. Let us, therefore, take care not to be found among those +Cyclopeans who oppose the Word of God and proclaim their freedom of +will and their own powers. Though we often err, though we fall and +sin, still, upon yielding to reproof on the part of the Holy Spirit +with an humble confession of our depravity, the Holy Spirit himself +will be present, and not only not impute to us the sin we acknowledge, +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 one. + +148. But the words of Moses are to be more closely considered, for +with a definite purpose he has used here a peculiar expression; he has +not merely said, "The thoughts of man's heart are evil," but "the +imagination of the thoughts of his heart." Thus he expresses the +highest that man can achieve with his thoughts or with his reason and +free will. "Imagination" he calls that which man with his strongest +effort devises, selects, creates like a potter, and believes to be +most beautiful. + +But such imagination is evil, he says, and that not once, but always. +For our reason without the Holy Spirit is altogether without knowledge +of God. Now, to be without knowledge of God means to be entirely base, +to dwell in darkness and to deem that very good which, in reality, is +very bad. + +149. But when I speak of good, I do so from the standpoint of +theology, for we must distinguish between the theological and the +civil standpoints. God approves also the rule of the ungodly; he +honors and rewards virtue also among the ungodly: but only in regard +to the things of this life and in things grasped by a reason which is +upright from the civil standpoint; whereas the future life is not +embraced in such reward. His approval is not with regard to the future +life. + +150. When we dispute about the freedom of the will, the question with +us is what it may do from the theological standpoint, not in civil +affairs and in those subjects to reason. We believe that man, without +the Holy Spirit, is altogether corrupt before God, though he may stand +adorned with all heathen virtues, inasmuch as there are certainly +distinguished examples of moderation, of liberality, of love of +country, parents and children, of courage and humanity, even in the +history of the Gentiles. We maintain that man's best thoughts +concerning God, the worship of God, the will of God, are worse than +Cimmerian darkness; for the light of reason, which has been given to +man alone, understands only bodily blessings. Such is the wicked +infatuation of our evil desires. + +151. This declaration, therefore, should not be construed frivolously, +as the Jews and sophists do, who believe that the lower part of man +only is here meant, which is bestial, and that the reason longs for +better things. "The imagination of the thoughts" they apply +accordingly to the second table, like the Pharisee who condemns the +publican and says that he is not like the other persons. The words the +Pharisee uses are very fine, for to give thanks to God for his gifts +is not a sin; and yet we declare this same thing to be ungodly and +wicked, because it proceeded from gross ignorance of God, and it is +truly prayer turned into sin, tending neither to the glory of God nor +to the welfare of men. + +152. You may observe that philosophers have at various times quite +cleverly discussed God and the providence with which he rules all +things. To some, such words have seemed so pious that they almost have +placed Socrates, Xenophon and Plato in the same rank with the +prophets; yet, because in these discussions the philosophers are +ignorant of the fact that God has sent his only Son into the world to +save sinners, these beautiful utterances are, according to the +declaration of this passage, consummate ignorance of God and mere +blasphemies, for the passage states unequivocally that all imagination +and effort of the human heart is only evil. + +153. The text speaks, accordingly, not only of the sins before the +flood, but it speaks of the whole nature of man, his heart, his reason +and his intellect, even when man pretends to righteousness and desires +to be very holy, as do today the Anabaptists when they purpose in +their heart so to excel as to fail in nothing, when for a show they +attempt to attain the fairest virtues. The truth is that hearts +without the Holy Spirit are not only ignorant of God, but naturally +even hate him. How, then, can anything be aught but evil that proceeds +from ignorance and hatred of God? + +154. Another question is here raised. Moses speaks thus: "When Jehovah +saw that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart was only +evil continually, it repented him that he had made man on the earth." +If God foresees everything, why does the text say that he now first +sees? If God is wise, how can regret for having created anything +befall him? Why did he not see this sin or depraved nature of man from +the beginning of the world? Why does Scripture thus attribute to God +such things as a temporary will, vision and purpose? Are not the +purposes of God eternal and unalterable, incapable of being regretted? +Similar instances are found also in the prophets, where God threatens +penalties, as for instance to the Ninevites, and yet pardons the +penitent. + +To this question the sophists have no other reply than this, that the +Scripture speaks after the manner of men, that such things are +ascribed to God accordingly through the use of a figure of speech. +Hence they contend concerning a double will of God, the will expressed +by signs (_voluntas signi_) and the will of his good pleasure +(_voluntas beneplaciti_). The will of his good pleasure, they say, is +constant and unchangeable, while the expressed will is subject to +change. For the signs through which he expresses himself, he changes +when he pleases. Thus he has abolished circumcision and instituted +baptism, whereas the will of his good pleasure, fixed from eternity, +abides. + +155. While I do not condemn this interpretation, a simpler meaning of +the Scripture seems to be that the Holy Scriptures express the thought +of men in the ministry. For when Moses says that God sees and regrets, +this is really done in the hearts of those who have the ministry of +the Word. Thus he said above: "My Spirit shall not strive with man," +but he does not say this simply of the Holy Spirit as existing in his +own nature, or of the divine majesty, but of the Holy Spirit in the +hearts of Noah and Methuselah, that is, the Holy Spirit as officiating +and administering the Word through the saints. + +156. In this manner God saw the wickedness of man and repented; that +is, Noah, who had the Holy Spirit and was a minister of the Word, saw +the wickedness of men and, seeing such things, he was moved by the +Holy Spirit to grief. So Paul says in Ephesians 4, 30, that the Holy +Spirit in the righteous is grieved by the ungodliness and malice of +the wicked. Inasmuch as Noah is a faithful minister of the Word and an +organ of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is said to grieve when Noah +grieves and wishes that man rather did not exist than to be thus +iniquitous. + +157. The meaning, therefore, is not that God did not see these things +from eternity; he saw everything from eternity; but inasmuch as this +wickedness now manifests itself in all its fierceness, God now first +reveals the same in the hearts of his ministers and prophets. + +From eternity, therefore, God is firm and constant in his purpose. He +sees and knows everything. But only in his own time does God reveal +this to the righteous so that they, also, may see it. This seems to me +the simplest meaning of this passage, nor does Augustine differ from +it much. + +158. However, I constantly follow the rule to avoid, whenever +possible, such questions as draw us before the throne of the highest +majesty. It is better and safer to stand at the manger of Christ, the +man. To lose one's self in the labyrinths of divinity is fraught with +greatest danger. + +159. To this passage belong also other similar ones in which God is +pictured as having eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands and feet, as Isaiah, +Daniel and other prophets saw him in their visions. In such passages +the Bible speaks of God in the same manner as of a man. In +consequence, the Anthropomorphites stood condemned of heresy because +they attributed to the divine essence a human form. + +160. Because the Anthropomorphites fancied such gross things, they +have rightly been condemned. Their fancy is manifestly erroneous, for +a spirit, as Christ says (Lk 24, 39), has not flesh and bone. I am +rather of the opinion that the Anthropomorphites intended to adapt the +form of their doctrine to the plainest people. For in his substance, +God is unknowable, indefinable, inexpressible, though we may tear +ourselves to pieces in our efforts to discern or portray him. + +161. Hence, God himself condescends to the low plane of our +understanding and presents himself to us with childlike simplicity in +representations, as in a guise, so that he may be made known to us in +some way. Thus the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove; not +because he is a dove, but in this crude form he desired to be +recognized, received and worshiped, for it was really the Holy Spirit. +No one, to be sure, will say that the same passage defines God as a +voice speaking from heaven, yet under this crude image, a human voice +from heaven, he was received and worshiped. + +162. When Scripture thus ascribes to God human form, voice, actions +and state of mind, it is intended as an aid only for the uncultivated +and feeble; we who are great and learned and of discernment in +reference to Scripture, should likewise lay hold of these +representations, because God has put them forth and revealed himself +to us through them. The angels likewise, appear in human form, though +it is certain that they are only spirits; spirits we cannot recognize +when they present themselves as such, but likenesses we do recognize. + +163. This is the simplest way of treating such passages, for the +nature of God we cannot define; what he is not we can well define--he +is not a voice, a dove, water, bread, wine. And yet in these visible +forms he presents himself to us and deals with us. These forms he +shows to us that we should not become wandering and unsettled spirits +which dispute concerning God, but are completely ignorant concerning +him, since in his unveiled majesty he can not be apprehended. He sees +it to be impossible for us to know him in his own nature. For he +lives, as the Scripture says in 1 Timothy 6, 16, in an inaccessible +light, and what we can apprehend and understand he has declared. They +who abide in these things will truly lay hold of him, while those who +vaunt and follow visions, revelations and illuminations will either be +overwhelmed by his majesty or remain in densest ignorance of God. + +164. Thus the Jews also had their representations in which God +manifested himself to them, as the mercy-seat, the ark of the +covenant, the tabernacle, the pillars of smoke and fire. God says in +Exodus 33, 20, "Man shall not see me and live," therefore he gives a +representation of himself in which he so manifests himself to us that +we may lay hold of him. In the new covenant we have Baptism, the +Lord's Supper, absolution and the ministry of the Word. + +165. These are what the scholastics call _voluntas signi_, the will +expressed through signs, which we must view when we desire to know the +will of God. Another is the _voluntas beneplaciti_, the will of his +good pleasure, the essential will of God, or his unveiled majesty, +which is God himself. From this our eyes are to be turned away. It +cannot be laid hold of; for in God is nothing but divinity, and the +essence of God is his infinite wisdom and almighty power. These are +absolutely inaccessible to reason: what he has willed according to the +will of his good pleasure, that he has seen from eternity. + +166. Into this essential and divine will we should not pry, but should +absolutely refrain from it as from the divine majesty, for it is +inscrutable, and God has had no desire to declare it in this life. He +desires to show it under certain tokens or coverings, as Baptism, the +Word and the Lord's Supper. These are the images of the deity and are +his will as expressed through signs, by which he deals with us on the +plane of our intelligence. Hence, we should look to these alone. The +will of his good pleasure is to be left entirely out of contemplation, +unless you happen to be Moses, or David, or some similarly perfect +man, although even they so looked to the will of the divine good +pleasure as never to turn their eyes from the will expressed by signs. + +167. This will of God is called his activity (_effectus Dei_), wherein +he comes out to us and deals with us garbed in the drapery of things +extraneous to himself; these we can lay hold of--the Word of God and +the ceremonies instituted by himself. This will of God is not that of +his omnipotence, for though God in the ten commandments enjoins what +ought to be done it is yet not done. Thus, Christ has instituted the +Lord's Supper to strengthen in us faith in his mercy, and yet many +receive it to their condemnation, that is, without faith. + +168. But I return to Moses. He says that God sees man's wickedness and +repents. The scholastics explain this: He sees and repents, namely, +according to the expressed will, not that of his good pleasure, or the +essential will. + +169. We say that Noah's heart is moved by the Holy Spirit to +understand that God is wroth with man and desires his destruction. +This interpretation commends itself to our intelligence and does not +draw us into discussions concerning the absolute will or majesty of +God, which are very dangerous, as I have seen in many. Such spirits +are first puffed up by the devil so that they believe themselves to be +in possession of the Holy Spirit, neglect the Word to the point of +blaspheming it and vaunt nothing but the Spirit and visions. + +170. This is the first degree of error--that men, paying no heed to +the Deity as imaged and incarnate, seek after the unveiled God. +Afterward, when the hour of judgment comes, and they feel the wrath of +God, God himself judging and searching their hearts, the devil ceases +to puff them up and they despair and die. They go about in the +untempered sunlight and forsake the shade that delivers from the heat, +Is 4, 6. + +171. Let no one therefore meditate upon divinity unveiled, but flee +from such thoughts as from the infernal regions and the very +temptations of Satan. But let us take care to abide in these symbols +through which God has revealed himself to us--the Son, born of the +Virgin Mary, lying among beasts in the manger, and the Word, Baptism, +the Lord's Supper and absolution. In these images we see and find God +in a way wherein we can endure him; he comforts us, lifts us up into +hope and saves. Other thoughts about the will of the good pleasure, or +the essential and eternal will, kill and damn. + +172. However, to name this the will of "good pleasure" is a misnomer. +For that deserves to be called the will of good pleasure which the +Gospel discloses, concerning which Paul says, "that ye may prove what +is the good will of God," Rom 12, 2. And Christ says, "This is the +will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son should have +eternal life," Jn 6, 40. Also, "Whosoever shall do the will of my +Father who is in heaven, he is my brother," Mt 12, 50. Again, "This is +my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," Mt 3, 17. 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 +will, be it called the "expressed will" or the "will of good +pleasure," about the display of which at the flood and the destruction +of Sodom the scholastics dispute. + +173. On both occasions a terrible wrath is in evidence, against which +no soul could find protection, except in that gracious will, keeping +in mind that the Son of God was sent into the flesh to deliver us from +sin, death and the power of the devil. + +174. This will of the divine good pleasure has been determined from +eternity, and revealed and published in Christ. It is a quickening, +gracious and lovable will, and consequently it alone merits to be +called "the will of good pleasure." But the good fathers almost pass +the promises by; they do not press them, though they could properly be +called "the will of the good pleasure." + +175. Therefore, as they enjoin looking to the will expressed by signs, +they do well, but this is in no wise sufficient; when we consider the +ten commandments, are we not frightened by the sight of our sins? When +those terrible examples of wrath are added which are also divine will +as expressed by signs, it is impossible for the soul to be lifted up +except by looking back to the will of the good pleasure, as we call +it, that is, the Son of God, who portrays for us the spirit and the +will of his Father, who does not hate sinners but desires to have +compassion upon them through his Son. Christ says to Philip, "He that +hath seen me hath seen the Father," Jn 14, 9. + +176. The Son of God, therefore, who became incarnate, 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 forgiveness. This is the only vision +of Deity which in this life is expedient and possible. However, 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 itself. In the meantime, +it behooves us to approach the Father through the way, which is Christ +himself. He will lead us safely and we shall not be deceived. + +177. The additional statement of the text, "It repented Jehovah that +he had made man on the earth," I believe to be meant to bring out the +antithesis, that God has in mind not the earthly man, who is subject +to sin and death, but the heavenly man, who is lord over them. He +expresses his love for the latter, while he hates the former and plans +his destruction. + + +B. THE GRIEF OF GOD. + + 1. This is not to be understood of the divine nature, but of the + hearts of the patriarchs 178-179. + + 2. Abraham, Samuel and Christ grieved in like manner 180. + + 3. By whom such grief is awakened in the heart 181. + + 4. The cause of this grief 182. + + * The character of the children of God and of the world in the + face of the approaching calamity 183-184. + + * How the patriarchs and the Church were walls of defense 185. + + 5. What made the grief of the holy patriarchs greater 185. + + 6. Moses describes this grief very carefully 186. + + * How we see the grief of God in his saints 187. + + * How all is ruined on account of sin 187. + + * Why Noah did not dare to reveal the great wrath of God to the + world 188. + + * What prevents the world from believing God's threatenings + 188-189. + + * To whom God's promises do and do not apply 190. + + * Why the old world did not believe the threat of the deluge 191. + + * The fate of true doctrine in our day is the same as it was in + Noah's 192. + + +B. THE GRIEF OF GOD. + +V. 6b. _And it grieved him at his heart._ + +178. Such was the regret of God that he was pained in his heart. The +word here is _azab_, which was used before when he said (Gen 3, 16), +"In pain shalt thou bring forth children"; also in Psalm 127, 2, "the +bread of toil." This expression must be understood according to the +usage of Scripture. We must not think that God has a heart or that he +can suffer pain, but when the spirit of Noah, Lamech or Methuselah is +grieved, God himself is said to be grieved. We may understand such +grief not of his divine nature, but of his conduct. Noah, with his +father and grandfather, feels in his heart, through a revelation of +the Holy Spirit, that God hates the world because of sin and desires +its destruction; therefore they are grieved by this impenitence. + +179. This is the simple and true meaning. If you refer these words to +the will of the divine essence and hold that God has resolved this +from eternity, a perilous argument is employed to which are equal only +men who are spiritual and tested by trial, like Paul, for instance, +who has ventured to argue concerning predestination. Let us take our +stand on an humbler plane, one less open to danger, and hold that Noah +and the other fathers were most grievously pained when the Spirit +disclosed to them such wrath. These inexpressible groanings of the +best of men are accordingly attributed to God himself, because they +emanate from his Spirit. + +180. An example of such groanings we see later in the case of Abraham, +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 ones. 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 wretched. Likewise Samuel--what does he not do +for Saul? He cries and implores with such vehemence that God is +compelled to restrain him: "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing +I have rejected him from being king over Israel?" 1 Sam 16, 1. So +Christ, foreseeing the destruction of Jerusalem within a few years by +reason of its sins, is most violently moved and pained in his soul. + +181. Such promptings the Spirit of prayer arouses in pious souls. +Present everywhere, he is moved by the adversities of others, teaches, +informs, spares no pains, prays, complains, groans. Thus Moses and +Paul are willing to be accursed for the sake of their people. + +182. In this manner Noah, the most holy man, and his father and +grandfather are consumed with pain at the sight of such terrible wrath +of God. He is not delighted at this overthrow of the whole human race, +but is filled with anxiety and the most grievous pain, while at the +same time the sons of men live in the greatest security, mocking, +boasting and taunting. Thus Psalms 109, 4, "For my love they are my +adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer." Thus Paul, "I tell you +even weeping." Phil 3, 18. And what else could holy men do but weep +when the world would in no wise permit itself to be corrected? + +183. It is always the appearance of the true Church that she not only +suffers, not only is humiliated and trampled under foot, but also +prays for her tormentors, is seriously disturbed by their dangers; on +the contrary, others play and frolic in proportion as they approach +their doom. But when the hour of judgment comes, 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 wicked. So Ezekiel laments +that no one is found who will stand for Israel as a protecting wall, +saying that this is the office of the prophets, Ezek 13, 5. + +184. It is impossible for the ungodly to pray; let no one, therefore, +entertain the hope concerning the papists, our adversaries, that they +pray. We pray for them and plant ourselves like a wall against the +wrath of God and, without doubt, it is by our tears and groanings that +they are saved, if, perchance, they will repent. + +185. It is a terrible example, that God has spared not the first +world, for which Noah, Lamech and Methuselah set themselves like a +wall. What, then, shall we expect where such walls do not exist, where +there is no Church at all? The Church is always a wall against the +wrath of God. She feels pain, is tormented in her soul, prays, +intercedes, instructs, teaches, exhorts, as long as the judgment hour +is not here but coming. When she sees these ministrations to be +unavailing, what else can she do but feel grievous pain at the +destruction of the impenitent? The pain of the godly fathers was +augmented by the sight of so many relatives and kindred at one time +going to destruction. + +186. This pain Moses could not express in a better and more graphic +description than to say that God repented of having made man. Before, +when he describes man's nature as having been formed in God's image, +he says that God beheld all that he had made and it was very good. +God, then, is delighted with his creatures and has joy in them. 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 +man. + +187. It was Noah and the other fathers who felt this through the +revelation of the Holy Spirit; otherwise, they would have shared those +thoughts of joy and would have judged according to the earlier +prophecy that God had delight in all his works. Never would they have +thought that the wrath of God was such as to destroy not only the +whole human race, but also all living flesh of sky and earth, which +surely had not offended, yea, the very earth also; for the earth, +because of man's sin, had not retained after the flood its pristine +excellence. Some have written, as Lyra reminds us, that by the flood +the surface of the earth was washed away three hands deep. Certain it +is that paradise has been utterly destroyed through the flood. +Therefore, we possess today an earth more deeply cursed than before +the flood and after the fall of Adam; though the state of the earth +after the fall could not compare with the grandeur of its primeval +state before sin. + +188. These disasters, therefore, the holy fathers saw through the +revelation of the Holy Spirit a hundred and twenty years before. But +such was the wickedness of the world that it put the Holy Spirit to +silence. Noah could not venture to reveal such threats without risk of +the gravest dangers. With his father and grandfather, with his +children and wife, he would discuss this great wrath of God. The sons +of men, however, had no more inclination to hear these things than the +papists today have to hear themselves called the church of Satan and +not of Christ. Accordingly, they would vaunt their ancestors and over +against Noah's proclamations they would plead the promise of the seed, +believing it to be impossible for God, in this manner, to destroy all +mankind. + +189. For the same reason, the Jews did not believe the prophets nor +even Christ himself when called to repentance, but maintained that +they were the people of God, inasmuch as they had the temple and +worship. The Turks today are inflated with victories which they +believe to be the reward for their faith and religion because they +believe in one God. We, however, are viewed as heathen and reputed to +believe in three Gods. God would not give us such victories and +dominions, they say, if he did not favor us and approve our religion. +This same reasoning blinds also the papist. Occupying an exalted +position, they maintain they are the Church and hence they have no +fear of divine punishment. Devilish, therefore, is that argument +whereby men take the name of God to palliate their sins. + +190. But if God did not spare the first world, the generation of the +holy patriarchs, which had the promise of the seed as its very own--if +he saved only a very small remnant--the Turks, Jews and Papists shall +boast in vain of the name of God. According to Micah 2, 7, the Word of +God promises blessings to those who walk in uprightness. But those who +do not walk in uprightness are cursed. Those he threatens, those he +destroys. Neither does he take account of the name "Church", nor of +their number, whereas he saves the remnant which walks in uprightness. +But never will you convince the world of this. + +191. In all probability the descendants of the patriarchs who perished +in the flood abused quite shamefully the argument of the dignity of +the Church, and condemned Noah for blasphemy and falsehood. To say, +they argued, that God was about to destroy the whole world by a flood +is equal to saying that God is not merciful, nor a Father, but a cruel +tyrant. You proclaim the wrath of God, O Noah! Then God is not such a +being as to promise deliverance from sin and death through the seed of +woman? The wrath of God, therefore, will not swallow the whole earth. +We are the people of God. We have from God magnificent gifts; never +would God have given these to us if he had resolved to act against us +with such hostility. In this fashion the wicked are in the habit of +applying to themselves the promises and trusting to the same. All +warnings, however, they neglect and deride. + +192. It is profitable to contemplate this diligently so that we may be +safeguarded against such vicious heedlessness of the wicked. For what +happened to Moses, now happens also to us. Our adversaries ascribe to +themselves the name of God's people, true worship, grace and +everything holy; to us, everything devilish. Now, when we reprove them +for blasphemy and say that they are the church of Satan, they rage +against us with every kind of cruelty. Hence we mourn with Noah, and +commend the cause to God, as Christ did on the cross--what else could +we do?--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 Church, of +having the promises, of having the worship of God. When God destroyed +the whole original world, he manifested the promise of the seed to +that wretched and tiny remnant, Noah and his sons. + + +V. NOAH ALONE WAS RIGHTEOUS; THE WORLD DESTROYED. + + A. NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS. + + 1. What comfort was offered Noah by his righteousness in the + midst of his suffering 193. + + * To find grace before God leads to faith and excludes works + 194. + + 2. For what was righteous Noah especially praised by God 195. + + * Many great men lived in the days of Noah 196. + + 3. How righteous Noah had to contend against so much all alone + 197. + + * By what means the Papists contend against the Evangelicals + 198. + + 4. With what the world especially upbraided righteous Noah 199. + + * People then were wiser and more ingenious than now 200. + + 5. Noah may be called both just and pious 201. + + 6. Righteous Noah led a godly life, possessed great courage and + was a marvelous character 202. + + 7. By his piety Noah was a confessor of the truth 203-204. + + * It is very difficult for one man to withstand the united + opposition of many 204. + + 8. Being a preacher of righteousness Noah was in greater danger + 205. + + 9. Noah an example of patience and of all virtues 206. + + 10. How he traveled and preached everywhere in the world, and + preserved the human race temporally and spiritually 207-208. + + 11. The world takes offense at righteous Noah's marrying, and + adds sin to sin 209. + + 12. The order of the birth of Noah's sons 210. + + B. THE WHOLE WORLD DESTROYED. + + 1. Whether, as Lyra teaches, birds and animals were destroyed + 211. + + * Why the punishment of sin was visited also upon the animals + 212-213. + + 2. The meaning of "the earth was corrupt before God" 214-216. + + * The sins against the first table of the law can easier be + concealed than those against the second table 214. + + * Where false doctrine is taught, godless living follows 215. + + 3. How the earth was corrupt in the light of the first table of + the law 215-216. + + 4. How the earth was corrupt in the light of the second table + 217-218. + + * The meaning of "violence" in Scripture 218. + + * The greatest violence can obtain under the appearance of + holiness, as among the Papists and Turks 219-221. + + * Moses beautifully traces the course God takes in his + judgments 222. + + * Who can pass the right judgment upon the pope that he is + Antichrist 223. + + * How Antichrist strengthens the courage of the godly, and + whether they can check him 223. + + 5. Noah laments this corruption 224. + + * Godlessness cannot be remedied when it adorns itself with the + appearance of holiness 225. + + 6. How God views this corruption 226. + + * Luther laments the wickedness of the enemies of the Gospel + 227. + + * How we should view God's delay in punishing the wickedness of + his enemies 228. + + * God's delay is very hard for believers 229. + + 7. The first world, although corrupt, was much better than the + present world 230. + + +V. HOW NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS, AND HOW THE WHOLE WORLD WAS +DESTROYED. + +A. Noah Alone Was found Righteous. + +V. 8. _But Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah._ + +193. These are the words through which Noah was lifted up and +quickened again. For such wrath of the divine majesty would have +killed him, had not God added the promise of saving him. It is likely, +however, that his faith had a struggle and was weak. We cannot imagine +how such contemplation of God's wrath weakens courage. + +194. This novel expression of the Holy Spirit the heavenly messenger +Gabriel also uses when speaking to the Blessed Virgin Lk 1, 30, "Thou +hast found favor (grace) with God." The expression most palpably +excludes merit and commends faith, through which alone we are +justified before God, made acceptable and well pleasing in his sight. + +V. 9. _These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, +and perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God._ + +195. With this passage the Jews commence not only a new chapter, but +also a new lesson. This is a very brief history, but it greatly extols +our patriarch Noah; he alone remained just and upright while the other +sons of God degenerated. + +196. Let us remember many most excellent men were among the sons of +God, of whom some lived with Noah well nigh five hundred years. Man in +that age before the flood was very long-lived; not only the sons of +God, but also the sons of men. A very wide and rich experience had +been gathered by these people during so many years. Much they learned +from their progenitors and much they saw and experienced. + +197. Amid the corruption of all these stands Noah, a truly marvelous +man. He swerves neither to the left nor to the right. He retains the +true worship of God. He retains the pure doctrine, and lives in the +fear of God. There is no doubt that a depraved generation hated him +inordinately, tantalized him in various ways and thus insulted him: +"Art thou alone wise? Dost thou alone please God? Are the rest of us +all in error? Shall we all be damned? Thou alone dost not err. Thou +alone shalt not be condemned." And thus the just and holy man must +have concluded in his mind that all others were in error and about to +be condemned, while he and his offspring alone were to be saved. +Although his conviction was right in the matter, his lot was a hard +one. The holy man was in various ways troubled by such reflections. + +198. The wretched Papists press us today with this one argument: Do +you believe that all the fathers have been in error? It seems hard so +to believe, especially of the worthier ones, such as Augustine, +Ambrose, 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 Church. The labors of such we both laud and admire. + +199. But surely no less a difficulty confronted Noah himself, who +alone is called just and upright, at a time when the very sons of men +paraded the name of the Church. When the sons of the fathers allied +themselves with these they, forsooth, believed that Noah with his +people raved, because he followed another doctrine and another +worship. + +200. Today our life is very brief, still to what lengths human nature +will go is sufficiently in evidence. What may we imagine the condition +to have been in such a long existence, in which the bitterness and +vehemence of human nature were even stronger? Today we are naturally +much more dull and stupid, and yet men singularly gifted rush into +wickedness. It is afterward said that all flesh had corrupted its way +upon the earth, only Noah was just and upright. + +201. 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 second. "Just" he is called, because of his faith in God, 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 offspring. 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 conscience. Nor did he +permit himself to be moved by the frequent offenses of men most +illustrious, wise and apparently holy. + +202. Great was his courage. Today it appears to us impossible that one +man should oppose himself to all mankind, condemning them as evil, +while they vaunt the Church and God's Word and worship, and to +maintain that he alone is a son of God and acceptable before him. +Noah, accordingly, is a marvelous man, and Moses commends this same +greatness of mind when he plainly adds "in his generation," or "in his +age," as if he desired to say that his age was indeed the most wicked +and corrupt. + +203. Above, in the history of Enoch, we explained what it means to +walk with God, namely, to advocate the cause of God in public. To be +just and upright bespeaks private virtue, but to walk with God is +something public--to advocate the cause of God before the world, to +wield his Word, to teach his worship. Noah was not simply just and +holy for himself but he was also a confessor; he taught others the +promises and threats of God, and performed and suffered all that +behooves a public personage in an age so exceedingly wicked and +corrupt. + +204. If it were I who had seen that so great men in the generation of +the ungodly were opposed to me, I surely in desperation should have +cast aside my ministry. For one cannot conceive how difficult it is +for one man to oppose himself alone to the unanimity of all churches; +to impugn the judgment of the best and most amicable of men; to +condemn them; to teach, to live, and to do everything, in opposition +to them. This is what Noah did. He was inspired with admirable +constancy of purpose, inasmuch as he, innocent before men, not only +regarded the cause of God, but most earnestly pressed it among the +most nefarious men, until he was told: "My spirit shall not further +strive with man." And the word "strive" finely portrays the spirit +with which the ungodly heard Noah instruct them. + +205. Peter also beautifully sets forth what it means to walk with God +when he calls Noah a preacher, not of the righteousness of man, but of +God; that is, that of faith in the promised seed. But what reward Noah +received from the ungodly for his message Moses does not indicate. The +statement is sufficient, that he preached righteousness, that he +taught the true worship of God while the whole earth opposed him. That +means the best, most religious and wisest of men were against him. +More than one miracle, in consequence, was necessary to prevent his +being waylaid and killed by the ungodly. We see today how much wrath, +hate, and envy one sermon to the people may create. What shall we +believe Noah may have suffered who taught not a hundred, not two +hundred, but even more years, down to the last century, when God did +not desire the wicked to receive instruction any longer lest they +become still fiercer and more depraved. + +206. Therefore we may conjecture from the condition and nature of the +world itself, and of the devil, from the experience of the apostles +and the prophets, and likewise from our own, what a noble example of +patience and other virtues Noah has been, who was just and +irreproachable in that ungodly generation and walked with God--that +is, governed the churches with the Word--and who, when the one hundred +and twenty years were determined upon, after the lapse of which the +world was to be destroyed by a flood, in face of such a terrible +threat, entered into matrimony and begot children. + +207. It is very probable that he traveled up and down the earth; that +he taught everywhere; that everywhere he exhorted to worship God in +truth; that he, hindered by many labors, refrained from matrimony on +account of abundance of tribulations and in the expectation of the +advent of a better and more religious age. 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 destruction, then and not before, prompted by +the Spirit, did he make up his mind to marry, in order to transmit to +the new age seed out of himself. And thus the holy man preserved the +human race, not only spiritually, in the true Word and worship, but +also bodily, by begetting children. + +208. As in paradise a new Church had its beginning, before the flood, +through Adam and Eve's faith in the promise, 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 end. + +209. I stated above (para 88) that this marriage was an occasion of +great offense to the ungodly and that they made the most extraordinary +sport of it. How inconsistent that the world is to perish so soon, +when Noah, five hundred years old, becomes a father! They deemed his +act the surest evidence that the world was not to perish by a flood. +Hence, they began to live even more licentiously, and in the greatest +security to despise all threats. Christ says in Matthew 24, 38, that +in the days of Noah they ate, they drank, etc. The world does not +understand the plans of God. + +210. Concerning the order of the sons of Noah, I said above that +Japheth was first, that Shem was born two years afterward when Noah +commenced to build the ark, and Ham two years later. This has not been +clearly explained by Moses, but still it has been carefully noted. + +B. Destruction of the Whole World. + +V. 11. _And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled +with violence._ + +211. Lyra, perhaps under the influence of rabbinic interpretation, +contends here that even the birds and other animals forsook their +nature and mixed with those of another species. But I do not believe +it, for the creation or nature of animals remains as it was fashioned. +They have not fallen through sin, like man, but are, on the contrary, +fashioned for this bodily life alone. In consequence they neither hear +the Word, nor does the Word concern them. They are absolutely without +the Law of the first and the second tables. Accordingly, this passage +refers only to man. + +212. 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 altogether; not alone in body and soul, but with the +possessions and dominion which were his at creation. Instances of +similar retribution occur in the Old Testament. In the sixth chapter +of Daniel we see the enemies of Daniel cast into the lions' den, +together with their wives, children and whole families. In the +sixteenth chapter of Numbers a like incident is narrated in connection +with the destruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Similar is also an +instance spoken of by Christ when the king commands to sell the +servant together with wife, children and all his substance. + +213. In this manner, evidently, not only men but all their goods were +destroyed, so that punishment might be full and complete. Beasts, +fields and the birds of heaven were created for man. They are man's +property and chattels. Therefore, the animals perished, not because +they had sinned, but because God wanted man to perish amid all his +earthly possessions. + +214. In this passage Moses' specific statement that "the earth was +corrupt before God," is made to show that Noah was treated and +esteemed in the eyes of his age as a stupid and good for nothing +character. The world, on the contrary, appeared in its own eyes +perfectly holy and righteous, believing it had just cause for the +persecution of Noah, especially in regard to the first table of the +Law and the worship of God. The second table is not without its +disguise of hypocrisy, but in this respect it bears no comparison to +the former. The adulterer, the thief, the murderer can remain hidden +for a while, though not forever. But the sins of the first table +generally remain hidden under the cloak of sanctity until God brings +them to light. Godlessness never wishes to be godlessness, but chases +after a reputation for piety and religion; and trims its cult so +finely that in comparison with it the true cult and the true religion +appear coarse. + +215. The verb _shiheth_ is very frequent and conspicuous in Holy +Scripture. Moses uses it in the thirty-first chapter of Deuteronomy, +verse 29: "For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt +yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you." +And David says, "They are all gone aside; they are together become +filthy," Ps 14, 3. Both passages speak particularly of the sins +against the first table; that is, they accuse the apparently devoutest +saints of false worship and false doctrine, for it is impossible for a +righteous life to follow teaching that is false. + +216. When Moses says the earth was corrupt before God, he clearly +points out the contrast--the hypocrites and oppressors judged Noah's +teaching and practise as wholly wrong, and their own as altogether +holy. The reverse, Moses says, was true. Mankind was assuredly corrupt +measured by the first table. They lacked the true Word and the true +worship. This distinction between the first and the second tables +commends itself strongly to my judgment and was doubtless suggested by +the Holy Spirit. + +217. The additional statement--"and the earth was filled with +violence"--points to this unfailing sequence. With the Word lost, with +faith extinct, with traditions and will-worship--to use St. Paul's +phraseology (Col 2, 8)--having replaced the true cult, there results +violence and shameful living. + +218. The correct significance of the word _hamas_ is violence force, +wrong, with the suspension of all law and equity, a condition where +pleasure is law and everything is done not by right, but by might. But +if such was their life, you may say, how could they maintain the +appearance and reputation of holiness and righteousness? As if we did +not really have similar instances before our eyes today. Has the world +ever seen anything more cruel than the Turks? And they adorn all their +fierceness with the name of God and religion. + +219. The popes have not only seized for themselves the riches of the +earth, but have filled the Church itself with stupendous errors and +blasphemous doctrines. They live in shocking licentiousness. They +alienate at pleasure the hearts of kings. Much is done by them to +bring on bloodshed and war. And yet, with all such blasphemies and +outrages, they arrogate to themselves the name and title of the +greatest saints and boast of being vicars of Christ and successors of +Peter. + +220. Thus the greatest wrong is allied to the names of Church and true +religion. Should any one offer objection, immediately is he put under +the ban and condemned as a heretic and an enemy of God and man. +Barring the Romans and their accomplices, there is no people which +plumes itself more upon religion and righteousness than the Turks. The +Christians they despise as idolaters; themselves they esteem as most +holy and wise. Notwithstanding, what is their life and religion but +incessant murder, robbery, rapine and other horrible outrages? + +221. The present times, therefore, illustrate how those two +incompatible things may be found in union--the greatest religiousness +with abominations, the greatest wrong with a show of right. And this +is the very cause for men becoming hardened and secure without +apprehending the punishment they merit by their sins. + +V. 12. _And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all +flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth._ + +222. Inasmuch as the wrath of God is appalling and destruction is +imminent for all flesh except eight souls, Moses is somewhat redundant +in this passage, and uses repetitions, which are not superfluous but +express an emphasis of their own. Above he said the earth was corrupt; +now he says that God, as if following the customary judicial method, +saw this and meditated punishment. In this manner he pictures, as it +were, the order in which God proceeds. + +223. The judgment of spiritual people concerning the pope at the +present day is that he is the Antichrist, raging against the Word and +the kingdom of Christ. But they who censure it are unable to correct +this wickedness. Wickedness is growing daily and contempt for +godliness is becoming greater every day. Now comes the thought: What +is God doing? Why does he not punish his enemy? Does he sleep and care +no longer for human affairs? The delay of judgment causes the +righteous anguish. They themselves cannot come to the succor of a +stricken religion and they see God who could help, connive at the fury +of the popes, who securely sin against the first and the second tables +of the Law. + +224. Just so Noah sees the earth filled with wrongs. Therefore, he +groans and sighs to heaven in order to arouse God from the highest +heaven to judgment. Such voices occur here and there in the Psalms +(10, 1): "Why standest thou afar off?"; (13, 1): "How long, O +Jehovah?"; (9, 13): "Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; consider my +trouble"; (7, 6-9): "Arise, judge my cause, etc." + +225. What Moses here describes comes at length to pass, that God also +sees these things and hears the cry of the righteous who are able to +judge the world; for they who are spiritual judge all things (1 Cor 2, +15), though they cannot alter anything. Wickedness is incorrigible +when adorned with a show of piety, and so is oppression when it +assumes the disguise of justice and foresight. It is nothing new that +they who seize the wives, daughters, houses, lands and goods of others +desire to be just and holy, as we showed above in respect of the +papacy. + +226. This is the second stage then: When the saints have seen and +judged the wickedness of the world, God also sees it. He says of the +Sodomites: "The cry of them is waxed great before Jehovah" (Gen 19, +13); and above (ch 4, 10): "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth +unto me." But always before the Lord takes note, the sobs and groans +of the righteous precede, arousing, as it were, the Lord from slumber. + +What Moses desires to show in this passage through the word, "saw" is +that God finally perceived the afflictions and heard the cries of the +righteous, filling at last all heaven. He who hitherto had winked at +everything and seemed to favor the success of the wicked, was awakened +as from slumber. The fact is he saw everything much sooner than Noah; +for he is the searcher of hearts and cannot be deceived by simulated +piety as we can. But not until now, when he meditates punishment, does +Noah perceive that he sees. + +227. Thus we are afflicted today by extreme and unheard of wickedness, +for our adversaries condemn from sheer caprice the truth they know and +profess. They try to get at our throats and shed the blood of the +righteous with a satanic fury. Such blasphemous, sacrilegious and +parricidal doings against the kingdom and name of God, manifest as +such beyond possibility of denial, they defend as the acme of justice. +While contending for the maintenance of their tyrannical position they +go so far as to arrogate to themselves the name of the Church. 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 +will? + +228. But so far the Lord sleeps. He apparently does not observe such +wickedness, because he gives no sign as yet of observing it. Rather he +permits us to be tormented by such woeful sights. We are, therefore, +thus far in the first stage and this verse, stating that the whole +earth is corrupt, applies to our age. But at the proper time the +second stage will be reached, when we can declare in certainty of +faith that not only we but God also sees and hates such wickedness. +Though God, in his long-suffering, has continued to wink at many +things, he shall retain the name of One who in righteousness shall +judge the earth. + +229. How bitter and hard such delay is for the righteous, the +lamentations of Jeremiah in Jeremiah 12, 1ff., and 20, 7ff, show. +There the holy man almost verges on blasphemy until he is told that +the Babylonian king should come and inflict punishment upon the +unbelieving scoffers. Thereupon Jeremiah recognizes that God looks +down on the earth and is Judge upon the earth. + +230. The universal judgment which follows is terrible in the extreme, +namely that all flesh upon the earth had corrupted its way and that +God, when he had begun to examine the sons of men, did not, from the +oldest to the youngest of the fathers, find any he could save from +destruction. + +This strikes our ears as still more awful when we take into +consideration the condition of the primitive world, not judging by the +miserable fragments we have today. As the physical condition of the +world at that time was infinitely ahead of this age, 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 religion, righteousness and wisdom found among those +renowned men of the primitive world. + +And yet the text says that all flesh had corrupted its way, save Noah +and his offspring. That means all men were wicked, lived in idolatry +and false religion and hated the true worship of God. They despised +the promise of the seed, and persecuted Noah, who proclaimed +forgiveness through the seed and threatened to those, who should fail +to believe his forgiveness, eternal doom. + + +VI. GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN + ARK; THE COVENANT. + + A. HOW GOD DECREED TO PUNISH THE OLD WORLD IN HIS WRATH. + + 1. How punishment finally comes when God has suffered sin long + enough 231. + + * Luther's hope that God's judgment may soon break upon the + last world 231. + + 2. Whether reason can grasp the wrath and punishment of God 232. + + 3. How God's promises stand in the midst of his wrath and + punishment 232. + + 4. The first world thought itself secure against God's wrath + 233. + + * The Papal security and boldness against the Evangelicals 234. + + 5. By what means God punished the first world 235. + + * The Holy Spirit must reveal that God's wrath and punishment + do not violate his promises 236. + + 6. The causes of this wrath and punishment 237. + + * By what may it be known that God will visit Germany with + punishment 238. + + * God complains more of the violence shown to the neighbor than + to himself 239. + + * The damages of the deluge 240. + + * The ground of the earth was in a better state before the + flood than now 240. + + * The colors in the rainbow signs of the punishment of the + first and the last world 241. + + +VI. GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN +ARK; THE COVENANT. + +A. God Decides to Punish the Old World. + +V. 13. _And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before +me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I +will destroy them with the earth._ + +231. After Noah and his people had for a long time raised their +accusing cry against the depravity of the world, the Lord gave +evidence that he saw the depravity and intended to avenge it. This, +the second stage, we also look for today, nor is there any doubt that +men shall exist, to whom this coming destruction of the world is to be +revealed, unless the destruction be the last day and the final +judgment, which I truly wish. We have seen enough wickedness in these +brief and evil days of ours. Godless men, as in Noah's time, adorn +their vices with the name of holiness and righteousness. Hence, no +penitence or reformation is to be hoped for. This stage having been +reached in the times of Noah, sentence is finally passed, having been +previously announced by the Lord when he gave command that striving +should cease and issued the declaration that he regretted having made +man. + +232. Reason is incapable of believing and perfectly understanding such +wrath. Just consider how different this is from what had been. Above +we have read (ch 1, 31) that God saw everything he had made and +behold, it was very good; that he gave man and beast the additional +blessing of propagation; that he subjected to man's rule the earth and +all the treasures of the earth; that as the highest blessing, he added +the promise of the woman's seed and life eternal and instituted not +only the home and the State, but also the Church. How, then, is it +that the first world, called into being in this way through the Word, +should, to use Peter's expression, perish by water? + +233. There is no doubt that the sons of the world threw all this up to +Noah as he preached the coming universal destruction, and publicly +charged him with lying, on the ground that home, State and Church had +been instituted by God; that God surely would not overturn his own +establishment by a final destruction; that man had been created for +propagation and dominion upon the earth, not for the rule of water +over him to his destruction. + +234. Just so the Papists press us with the one argument that Christ +will be with the Church to the end of the world (Mt 28, 20); that the +gates of hell will not prevail against it (Mt 16, 18). This they vaunt +in a loud-voiced manner, believing their destruction to be an +impossibility. Swept by the waves Peter's ship may be, they say, but +the waters cannot overwhelm it. + +235. Quite similar was the security and assurance before the flood; +notwithstanding, we see that the whole earth perished. The scoffers +boasted that God's regulations are perpetual, and that God had never +completely abolished or altered his creation. But consider the outcome +and you will see that they were wrong, while Noah alone was right. + +236. Unless the additional light of the Holy Spirit is vouchsafed, man +will surely be convinced by such argument; for is it not equivalent to +making God inconstant and changeable, to maintain that he will +completely destroy his creature? Yet God gives Noah the revelation +that he will make an end of flesh and earth, not in part, but of all +flesh and all the earth. Would it not be awful enough to partition the +earth into three parts and to threaten destruction to one? 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 good. These things are too sublime to be understood or +comprehended by human reason. + +237. What is the cause of wrath so great? Surely, the fact that the +earth is filled with violence, as he here says. Astonishing reason! He +says nothing here concerning the first table; he mentions only the +second. It is, as if he said: I shall say nothing of myself that they +hate, blaspheme and persecute my Word. Among themselves how shamefully +do they live! Neither home nor State are properly administered; +everything is conducted by force, nothing by reason and law. +Therefore, I shall destroy at the same time both mankind and the +earth. + +238. We see also in our age that God winks at the profanation of the +mass, a horrible abomination that fills the whole earth, and at +ungodly teachings and other offenses which have hitherto been in vogue +in religion. But when men live so together that they disregard both +State and home, when huge covetousness, graft of every description and +manifold iniquity have waxed strong, does it not become clear to every +man that God is compelled, as it were, to punish, yea to overturn +Germany? + +239. 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 himself. We observe he maintains silence +respecting the latter, while he threatens punishment, not to man +alone, but even to the very earth itself. + +240. A twofold effect is traceable to the flood; a weakening of man's +powers and an impairment of his wealth and that of the earth. The +latter-day fruit of trees is in nowise to be compared with that in the +days before the flood. The antediluvian turnips were better than +afterward the melons, oranges or pomegranates. The pear was finer than +the spices of today. So it is likely that a man's finger possessed +more strength than today his whole arm. Likewise man's reason and +understanding were far superior. But God, because of sin, has brought +punishment to bear, not alone upon man, but also upon his property and +domain, as witness to posterity also of his wrath. + +But how is the destruction to be effected? Assuredly, by his seizing +the watery element and blotting out everything. The force with which +this element is wont to rage is common knowledge. Though the +atmosphere be pestilential, it does not always infect trees and roots. +But water not only overturns everything, not only does it tear out +trees and roots, but it also lifts the very surface of the earth. It +alters the soil, so that the most fertile fields are marred by the +overflow of salty earth and sand (Ps 107, 34). This was therefore +equal to the downfall of the primitive world. + +241. The penalty of the present world, however, will be different, as +the color of the rainbow shows. The lowest color the extent of which +is well defined, is that of water. For the fury of the water in the +deluge was so great that limits were set to its havoc, and the earth +was restored to the remnant of the godly after the destruction of the +evil-doers. But the other arch of the rainbow, the outer, which has no +clearly defined bounds, is of the color of fire, the element which +shall consume the whole world. This destruction shall be succeeded by +a better world, which shall last forever and serve the righteous. This +the Lord seems to have written in the color of the rainbow. + + +B. GOD COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK. + + * That Noah had only three children is a sign of God's mercy 242. + + 1. The kind of wood used in building the ark 243. + + 2. Its various rooms 244. + + 3. The pitch by which it was protected 245. + + 4. Why God instructed Noah so particularly how each part was to be + constructed 246. + + 5. The form of the ark, and how teachers differ on this point 247. + + 6. The place Noah occupied in the ark, and that of the animals 248. + + 7. Whether the ark had the proportions of a human body 249. + + 8. How the ark was a type of the body of Christ--of the Church 250. + + 9. The windows of the ark: + + a. Whether it had more than one window 251. + + * The Latin version is not clear here 252. + + b. What kind of a window it was, and how it could stand the rain + 253. + + c. Luther's opinion of the Jews' ideas about the window 253. + + 10. The door of the ark 254. + + 11. How to meet the various questions about the ark 255-256. + + * The deluge was a new method of punishment, hence the non + incredible 257-258. + + * God was in earnest in the threatening of this flood 259. + + +B. GOD COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK. + +V. 14. _Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the +ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch (bitumen)._ + +242. God's first thought was to save a remnant through that tiny seed, +the three sons of Noah, for Noah ceased henceforth to beget children. +This strongly attests the mercy of God toward those who walk in his +ways. + +243. _Gopher_ some make out to be pine, others hemlock, still others +cedar; hence, a guess is rather difficult. The choice appears to have +been made owing to its lightness or its resinous quality, so that it +might float more easily upon the water and be impervious to it. + +244. _Kinnim_ signifies "nests" or "chambers"; that is separate spaces +for the various animals. Bears, sheep, deer and horses did not dwell +in one and the same place, but the several species had their +respective quarters. + +245. But what is meant by _bitumen_, I do not know. With us vessels +are made water tight with pitch and tow. Pitch, it is true, withstands +water, but it also invites the flame. There is no bitumen with us +which resists water, hence we raise no objection to "bitumen" being +rendered "pitch." + +246. You may ask: Why does God prescribe everything so accurately? The +injunction to build the ark should have been sufficient. Reason could +determine for itself the rules concerning dimensions and mode of +construction. Why, then, does God give such careful instruction with +reference to dimensions and materials? Certainly that Noah, after +undertaking all things according to the Lord's direction (as Moses +built the tabernacle according to the model received on the mount), +should with the greater faith trust that he and his people were to be +saved, nor entertain any doubt concerning a work ordered by the Lord +himself, even how it should be made. This is the reason the Lord gives +his directions with such attention to detail. + +V. 15. _And this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark +three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height +of it thirty cubits._ + +247. A nice geometrical and mathematical exercise concerning the form +and dimensions of the ark is here presented. The views of writers +vary. Some claim it was four-cornered, others that it was gabled like +nearly all our structures in Europe. As for myself, I hold it was +four-cornered. Eastern people's were not acquainted with gabled +buildings. Theirs were evidently of four-cornered form, as the Bible +mentions people walking on roofs. Similar was the shape of the temple. + +248. There is a difference of opinion also concerning the arrangement +of the animals in their quarters, which occupied the upper, which the +central and which the lower places, this being the distinction +warranted by the text. No certainty, however, can be arrived at. It is +likely that Noah himself and the birds occupied the upper part, the +clean animals the central and the unclean animals the lower one. The +rabbis assert the lower part served the purpose of storing dung. But I +think the dung was thrown out of the window, for its removal was +necessitated by such a multitude of beasts abiding in the ark for over +a year. + +249. Augustine quotes Philo against Faustus in stating that on +geometrical principles, the ark had the proportions of the human body, +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 broad. So three hundred cubits are +six times fifty and ten times thirty. + +250. An application is made of this to the body of Christ, the Church, +which has baptism as the door, through which clean and unclean enter +without distinction. Although the Church is small, she rules the earth +notwithstanding, and it is due to her that the world is preserved, +just as the unclean animals were preserved in the ark. 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 ark. These are allegories +which are not exactly profound, but still harmless because they harbor +no error and serve a purpose other than that of wrangling, namely, +that of rhetorical ornamentation. + +V. 16. _A light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou +finish it upward; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side +thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it._ + +251. Behold, how diligent an architect God is! With what care he +interests himself in all the parts of the structure and their +arrangement. Furthermore, the word _Zohar_ does not properly signify +window, but southern light. The question may be raised here whether +the ark had only one window or several. For the Hebrew language +permits the use of the singular for the plural, or of the collective +for the distributive term, as for instance: "I will destroy man from +the face of the ground." Here evidently not one man but many are +spoken of. But to me it seems there was only one window that shed +light upon man's domicile. + +252. The Latin interpreter is so strangely obscure as to fail to make +himself understood. My unqualified opinion is that he was unable to +divest himself of the image of a modern ship, in which men are +commonly carried in the lower part. Nor is it quite intelligible what +he says about the door, inasmuch as it is certain that the ell-long +window was in the upper part, and the door in the center of the side +or in the navel of the ark. Thus, also, Eve was framed from the middle +portion of man's body. The whole structure was divided into three +partitions, a higher, a central and a lower one, and it was the upper +one which, according to my view, was illuminated by the light of day +through the window. + +253. You may say, however: What kind of a window was it, or how could +it exist in those frequent and violent rains? For rain did not fall +then as it does ordinarily, since the water in forty days rose to such +proportions as to submerge the highest mountains by fifteen +arm-lengths. The Jews claim that the window was closed by a crystal +which transmitted the light. But too curious a research into these +matters appears to me useless, 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 architect. It seems to me sufficiently satisfactory to assume that +the window was on the side of the upper partition. + +254. As to the door, it is certain that it was about thirteen or +fourteen cubits from the earth. The ark, when it floated, sank about +ten feet into the water with its great weight of animals of every kind +and provender for more than a year. This may suffice as a crude +conception of the ark; for, besides height and length, Moses merely +indicates that it had three partitions, a door and a window. + +255. We will dismiss innumerable other questions such as: What kind of +air was used in the ark? for such a stupendous mass of water, +particularly falling water, must have produced a violent and +pestilential stench; whence did they draw their drinking-water? for +water cannot be preserved a whole year, hence mariners often call at +ports in their vicinity for the purpose of drawing water; again, how +could the bilge-water with its obnoxious odor be drawn up? + +256. Such questions and other subordinate points related to the +experience of the mariner we may pass by. Otherwise there will be no +end of questions. We will be content with the simple supposition that +the lower part probably served the purpose of securing the bears, +lions, tigers and other savage animals; the middle part, that of +housing the gentle and tractable animals, together with the provender, +which cannot be kept in a place devoid of all air-currents; the upper +that of accommodating human beings themselves, together with the +domestic animals and the birds. This should be enough for us. + +V. 17. _And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, +to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under +heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die._ + +257. Above God has threatened in general the human race with +destruction. Here he points out the method; namely, that he intends to +destroy everything by a new disaster, a flood. Such a punishment the +world hitherto had not known. The customary punishments, as we see +from the prophets, are pestilence, famine, the sword and fierce +beasts. Men and beasts perish of pestilence. The earth is laid waste +by war, for it is deprived of those who till it. The sufferings of +famine, though they seem to be less cruel, are by far the most +terrible. With the fourth class of penalties, our regions have almost +no experience at all. Although these are severally sufficient for the +chastisement of the human race, the Lord desired to employ a novel +kind of punishment against the primeval world, through which all flesh +having the breath of life was to perish. + +258. Because this punishment was unheard of in former ages, the wicked +were slower to believe it. They reasoned thus: If God is at all angry, +can he not correct the disobedient by the sword, by pestilence? A +flood would destroy also the other creatures which are without sin; +surely God will not plan anything like this for the world. + +259. But in order to remove such unbelief from the mind of Noah and +the righteous, he repeats with stress the pronoun, "And I, behold, I +do bring." Afterward he clearly adds that he will destroy all flesh +that is under heaven and in the earth; for he excludes here the fishes +whose realm is widened by the waters. This passage tends to show the +magnitude of the wrath of God, through which men lose, not only body +and life, but also universal dominion over the earth. + + +C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH. + + * The way God comforted Noah in announcing the flood, and why such + comfort was needed 260. + + 1. The nature of this covenant. + + a. The views of Lyra, Burgensis and others 261. + + b. Luther's views 262-263. + + 2. Whether the giants or tyrants were embraced in this covenant and + how received by them 262-263. + + 3. Why it was made only with Noah 264. + + 4. How this covenant was made clearer from time to time, and why it + was needed at this time 265. + + 5. How a special call was added to this covenant 266. + + * God's judgment upon the first world terrible 267. + + * Why Ham was taken into the ark, who was later rejected 267. + + * Foreknowledge and election. + + a. Why we should avoid thinking and disputing on this subject + 268. + + b. To what end should the examples of Scripture on this theme + serve 269. + + c. How consideration of the same may help and harm us 270. + + +C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH. + +V. 18. _But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt +come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' +wives with thee._ + +260. To this comfort Moses before pointed when he declared that Noah +had found grace. Noah stood in need of it, not only to escape despair +amid such wrath, but also for the strengthening of his faith in view +of the raging retribution. For it was no easy matter to believe the +whole human race was to perish. The world consequently judged Noah to +be a dolt for believing such things, ridiculed him and, undoubtedly, +made his ship an object of satire. In order to strengthen his mind +amid such offenses, God speaks with him often, and now even reminds +him of his covenant. + +261. Interpreters discuss the question, what that covenant was. Lyra +explains it as the promise to defend him against the evil men who had +threatened to murder him. Burgensis claims this covenant refers to the +perils amid the waters, which were to be warded off. Still others +believe it was the covenant of the rainbow, which the Lord afterward +made with Noah. + +262. In my opinion, he speaks of a spiritual covenant, or of the +promise of the seed, which was to bruise the serpent's head. The +giants had this covenant, but when its abuse resulted in pride and +wickedness, they fell from it. So it was afterward with the Jews, +whose carnal presumption in reference to God, the Law, worship and +temple led to their loss of these gifts and they perished. To Noah, +however, God confirms this covenant by certainly declaring that Christ +was to be born from his posterity and that God would leave, amid such +great wrath, a nursery for the Church. This covenant includes not only +protection of Noah's body, the view advocated by Lyra and Burgensis, +but also eternal life. + +263. The sentiment, therefore, of the promise is this: Those insolent +despisers of my promises and threats will compel me to punish them. I +shall first withdraw from them the protection and assurance which are +theirs by reason of their covenant with me, that they may perish +without covenant and without mercy. But that covenant I shall transfer +to you so that you shall be saved, not alone from such power of the +waters, but also from eternal death and condemnation. + +264. The plain statement is, "With thee." Not the sons, not the wives, +does he mention, whom he was also to save; but Noah alone he mentions, +from whom the promise was transmitted to his son Shem. This is the +second promise of Christ, which is taken from all other descendants of +Adam and committed alone to Noah. + +265. Afterward this promise is made clearer from time to time. It +proceeded from the race to the family, and from the family to the +individual. From the whole race of Abraham it was carried forward to +David alone; from David to Nathan; from Nathan down to one virgin, +Mary, who was the dead branch or root of Jesse, and in whom this +covenant finds its termination and fulfilment. The establishment of +such a covenant was most necessary in view of the imminence of the +incredible and incalculable wrath of God. + +266. You will observe here, however, a special call when he says: +"Thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, etc." If Noah had +not received this special call, he would not have ventured to enter +the ark. + +267. How terrible is it that from the whole human race only eight +persons should be selected for salvation and yet from among them, Ham, +the third son of Noah, be rejected! By the mouth of God he is numbered +here among the elect and saints. Yea, with them he is protected and +saved. Nor is he distinguished from Noah. If he had not believed and +prayed for the same things, if he had not feared God, he would in +nowise have been saved in the ark; and yet, afterward he is rejected! + +268. The sophists wrangle here concerning an election that takes place +according to the purpose of God. But often have I exhorted to beware +of speculations about the unveiled majesty, for besides being anything +but true, they are far from being profitable. Let us rather think of +God as he offers himself to us in his Word and sacraments. Let us not +trace these instances back to a hidden election, in which God arranged +everything with himself from eternity. Such doctrine we cannot +apprehend with our minds, and we see it conflicts with the revealed +will of God. + +269. What, then, you will ask, shall we declare with reference to +these examples? Nothing but that they are pointed out to inspire us +with the fear of God, so that we believe it is possible to fall from +grace after once receiving grace. Paul warns, "Let him that thinketh +he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor 10, 12. We should heed such +examples to teach us humility, that we may not exalt ourselves with +our gifts nor become slothful in our use of blessings received, but +may reach forth to the things which are before, as Paul says in +Philippians 3, 13. They teach us not to believe that we have +apprehended everything. + +270. Malignant and most bitter is our enemy, but we are feeble, +bearing this great treasure in earthen vessels. 2 Cor 4, 7. Therefore, +we must not glory as if we were secure, but seeing that men so holy +fell from grace, which they had accepted and for a long time enjoyed, +we should look anxiously to God as if in peril at this very moment. In +this manner these examples are discussed to our profit; but those who +give no attention to them and chase after complex high thoughts on an +election according to the purpose of God, drive and thrust their souls +into despair, to which they naturally incline. + + +VII. ANIMALS AND FOOD IN THE ARK; NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + + A. THE ANIMALS NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + + 1. The number and kinds of animals 271-272. + + 2. The differences in the animals 273. + + a. What is understood by the "Behemoth" 274. + + b. By the "Remes" 275. + + c. Whether this difference is observed in all places 276. + + 3. Whether wild and ferocious animals were in paradise, and if + created from the beginning 276-277. + + 4. How Noah could bring the animals, especially the wild ones, + into the ark 278-279. + + * The animals at the time felt danger was near 278-279. + + 5. The animals came of themselves to Noah in the ark 280. + + B. THE FOOD NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + + 1. Why necessary to take with them food 281. + + * The kind of food man then had, and if he ate flesh 282. + + 2. God's foreknowledge shines forth here 283. + + 3. Why God did not maintain man and the animals in the ark by a + miracle 284. + + * The extraordinary ways and miracles of God. + + a. Why man should not seek miracles, where ordinary ways and + means are at hand 285. + + b. The monks seek extraordinary ways and thus tempt God 286. + + * Whether we should use medicine, and if we should learn the + arts and languages 286. + + c. Why God did not save Noah in the water without the ark, + when he could have done so 287. + + d. When does God use extraordinary means with man 288. + + C. NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + + 1. In what respect it was especially praised 289. + + * Obedience to God. + + a. How one is to keep the golden mean, and not turn to the + right or left 290. + + b. How man can by obedience or disobedience mark out his own + course 290-291. + + c. Why most people shun obedience 291. + + d. How we are here not to look to the thing commanded, but to + the person commanding 292-296. + + e. How sadly they fail who look at the thing commanded 293. + + * How the Papists neither understand nor keep God's + commandments 294. + + * What we are to think of the holiness of the Papists 295. + + f. All God commands is good, even if it seems different to + reason 296. + + * How the Papists do harm by the works of their wisdom, and + only provoke God to anger, as king Saul did 297. + + g. How in his obedience Noah held simply to God's Word and + overcame all difficulties 298. + + +VII. THE ANIMALS AND THEIR FOOD, AND NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + +A. THE ANIMALS NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + +Vs. 19-20. _And every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort +shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they +shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, and of the +cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after +its kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive._ + +271. Here again a dispute arises, as is the case when in historical +narratives one proceeds to the application and incidental features. +Our text appears to vindicate the view that here two and two are +spoken of; but in the beginning of the seventh chapter seven and +seven. Hence, Lyra quarrels with one Andrea, who believed fourteen +specimens were included in the ark, because it is written: "Of every +clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven." But I approve +Lyra's interpretation, who says seven specimens of every class were +inclosed in the ark, three male and three female, and the seventh also +male, to be used by Noah for purposes of sacrifice. + +272. When Moses says here that two and two of the several species were +brought into the ark, we must necessarily understand the seventh +chapter as speaking only of the unclean animals, for the number of +clean animals was the greater. Of the unclean seven of every species +were inclosed in the ark. + +273. It is also necessary that we here discuss the signification of +terms as "all life," "beasts," "cattle." Though these are often used +without discrimination, still at various places the Scripture employs +them discriminatingly; for instance, when it says, "Let the earth +bring forth living creatures." Gen 1, 24. "Let the waters swarm with +swarms of living creatures." Gen 1, 20. In those places the words of +the genus stand for all living beings on the earth and in the waters. +Here the constituent species are named--_chayah_, _remes_, and +_behemah_--though frequently used without discrimination. + +274. The cattle he calls here _behemoth_, though in Ezekiel, first +chapter, those four animals are called by the common name, +_hachayoth_, a word by which we commonly designate not so much animals +as beasts, subsisting not on hay or anything else growing out of the +earth, but flesh; as lion, bear, wolf and fox. _Behemoth_ are cattle +or brutes which live on hay and herbs growing from the earth; as +sheep, cows, deer and roe. + +275. _Remes_ means reptile. The word is derived from _ramas_, which +means to tread. When we compare ourselves with the birds, we are +_remasian_, for we creep and tread upon the earth with our feet like +the dogs and other beasts. But the proper meaning is, animals which do +not walk with face erect. The animals which creep and which we term +reptiles have a specific name, being called _sherazim_, as we see in +Leviticus from the word _sharaz_, which means to move, hereafter used +in the seventh chapter. The word _oph_ is known, meaning bird. + +276. Such are the differences among these terms, although, as I said +before, they are not observed in some places. The interpretation must +be confined, however, to the time after the flood; otherwise the +inference would be drawn that such savage beasts existed also in +paradise. Who will doubt that before sin, dominion having been given +to man over all animals of earth, there was concord not only among men +but also between animals and man? + +277. Though the first chapter clearly proves that these wild beasts +were created with the others, on account of sin their nature was +altered. Those created gentle and harmless, after the fall became wild +and harmful. This is my view, though since our loss of that state of +innocent existence it is easier to venture a guess than to reach a +definition of that life. + +278. But, you ask, if because of sin the nature of animals became +completely altered, how could Noah control them, especially the savage +and fierce ones? The lion surely could not be controlled, nor tigers, +panthers and the like. The answer is: Such wild animals went into the +ark miraculously. To me this appears reasonable. If they had not been +forced by a divine injunction to go into the ark, Noah would not have +had it within his power to control such fierce animals. Undoubtedly he +had to exercise his own human power, but this alone was insufficient. +And the text implies both conditions, for at first it says: "Thou +shalt bring into the ark," and then adds: "Two of every sort shall +come unto thee." If they had not been miraculously guided, they would +not have come by twos and sevens. + +279. 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 disaster. Even brute natures have premonitions and +forebodings of impending calamities, and often as if prompted by a +certain sense of compassion, they will manifest distress for a man in +evident peril. We see dogs and horses understand the perils of their +masters and show themselves affected by such intelligence, the dogs by +howling, the horses by trembling and the emission of copious sweat. As +a matter of fact it is not rare that wild beasts in danger seek refuge +with man. + +280. When, therefore, there is elsewhere in brute natures such an +intelligence, is it a wonder that, after having been divinely aroused +to a sense of coming danger, they joined themselves voluntarily to +Noah? For the text shows they came voluntarily. In the same manner +history bears witness, and our experience confirms it, that, when a +terrible pestilence rages or a great slaughter is imminent, wolves, +the most ferocious of animals, flee not only into villages, but, on +occasion, even into cities, taking refuge among men and humbly asking, +as it were, their help. + +B. THE FOOD NOAH TOOK INTO THE ARK. + +V. 21. _And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather +it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them._ + +281. Inasmuch as the flood was to last a whole year, 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 animals. +Though the wrath of God was terrible, to the destruction of everything +born on earth, the goodness of the Lord shines forth, notwithstanding, +in this an awful calamity. He looks to the preservation of man and the +animals, and through their preservation to that of the species. The +animals chosen for preservation in the ark were sound and of +unblemished body, and through divine foresight, they received food +suitable to their nature. + +282. As for man, it is established that, as yet, he did not use flesh +for food. He ate only of the vegetation of the earth, which was far +more desirable before the flood than at present, after the remarkable +corruption of the earth through the brackish waters. + +283. We observe here the providence of God, by whose counsel the evil +are punished and the good saved. By a miracle God preserves a portion +of his creatures when he punishes the wicked and graciously makes +provision for their posterity. + +284. It would have been an easy matter for God to preserve Noah and +the animals for the space of a full year without food, as he preserved +Moses, Elijah and Christ, the latter for forty days, without food. He +made everything out of nothing, which is even more marvelous. Yet God, +in his government of the things created, as Augustine learnedly +observes, allows them to perform their appropriate functions. In other +words, to apply Augustine's view to the matter in hand, God performs +his miracles along the lines of natural law. + +285. God also requires that we do not discard the provisions of +nature, which would mean to tempt God; but that we use with +thanksgiving the things God has prepared for us. A hungry man who +looks for bread from heaven rather than tries to obtain it by human +means, commits sin. Christ gives the apostles command to eat what is +set before them, Lk 10, 7. So Noah is here enjoined to employ the +ordinary methods of gathering food. God did not command him to expect +in the ark a miraculous supply of food from heaven. + +286. The life of the monks is all a temptation of God. They cannot be +continent and still they refrain from matrimony; likewise they abstain +from certain meats, though God has created them to be received with +thanksgiving by them that believe, and by those who know the truth, +that every creature of God is good, and nothing to be rejected, if it +be received with thanksgiving, 1 Tim 4, 3-4. The use of medicine is +legitimate; yea, it has been created as a necessary means to conserve +health. The study of the arts and of language is to be cultivated and, +as Paul says, "Every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be +rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified +through prayer." 1 Tim 4, 4-5. + +287. God was able to preserve Noah in the midst of the waters. They +fable of Clement that he had a cell in the middle of the sea. Yea, the +people of Israel were preserved in the midst of the Red Sea and Jonah +in the belly of the whale. But this was not God's desire. He rather +willed that Noah should use the aid of wood and trees, so that human +skill might thereby have a sphere for its exercise. + +288. When, however, human means fail, then it is for you either to +suffer or to expect help from the Lord. No human effort could support +the Jews when they stood by the sea and were surrounded in the rear by +the enemy. Hence, a miraculous deliverance was to be hoped for, or a +sure death to be suffered. + +C. NOAH'S OBEDIENCE. + +V. 22. _Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did +he._ + +289. This phrase is very frequent in Scripture. This is the first +passage in which praise for obedience to God is clothed in such a form +of words. Later we find it stated repeatedly that Moses, the people, +did according to all that God commanded them. But Noah received +commendation as an example for us. His was not a dead faith, which is +no faith at all, but a living and active faith. He renders obedience +to God's commands, and because he believes both God's promises and +threats, he carefully carries out what God commanded with reference to +the ark and the gathering of animals and food. This is unique praise +for Noah's faith, that he remains on the royal way--adds nothing, +changes nothing and takes nothing from the divine command, but abides +absolutely in the precept he has heard. + +290. It is the most common and at the same time most noxious sin in +the Church, that people either altogether change God's commands or +render something else paramount to them. There is only one royal road +to which we must keep. They sin who swerve too much to the left by +failing to perform the divine commands. Those who swerve to the right +and do more than God has commanded, like Saul when he spared the +Amalekites, also sin even more grievously than those who turn to the +left. They add a sham piety; for, while those who err on the left +cannot excuse their error, these do not hesitate to ascribe to +themselves remarkable merit. + +291. And such error is exceedingly common. God is wont sometimes to +command common, paltry, ridiculous and even offensive things, but +reason takes delight in splendid things. From the common ones it +either shrinks or undertakes them under protest. Thus the monks shrank +from home duties and chose for themselves others apparently of greater +glamour. Today the great throng, hearing that common tasks are +preached in the Gospel, despises the Gospel as a vulgar teaching, +lacking in elegance. What noteworthy thing is it to teach that +servants should obey their master and children their parents? Such a +common and oft-taught doctrine the learned papists not only neglect +but even ridicule. They desire rather something unique, something +remarkable either for its reputed wisdom or for its apparent difficult +character. Such is the madness of man's wisdom. + +292. In general it is wisdom to observe not so much the person that +speaks as that which he says, because the teacher's faults are always +in evidence. But when we consider precepts of God and true obedience, +this axiom should be reversed. Then we should observe not so much that +which is said, but the person of him who speaks. In respect to divine +precepts, if you observe that which is said and not him who speaks, +you will easily stumble. This is illustrated by the example of Eve, +whose mind did not dwell upon the person who issued the command. She +regarded only the command and concluded it to be a matter of small +moment to taste the apple. But what injury was thereby wrought to the +whole human race! + +293. He who observes him that gives the command will conclude that +what is very paltry in appearance is very great. The Papists estimate +it a slight thing to govern the State, to be a spouse, to train +children. But experience teaches that these are very important +matters, for which the wisdom of men is incompetent. We see that at +times the most spiritual men have here shamefully fallen. When we, +therefore, remember him who gives the command, that which is paltry +and common becomes a responsibility too great to discharge without +divine aid. + +294. The Papists, therefore, who look only at the outward mask, like +the cow at the gate, can make light of duties toward home and State, +and imagine they perform others of greater excellence. In the very +fact that they are shameless adulterers, blasphemers of God, defilers +of the sanctuary and brazen squanderers of the Church's property, they +powerfully testify against themselves that they can in no wise +appreciate the paltry, common and vulgar domestic and public duties. + +295. In what, therefore, consists the holiness they vaunt? Forsooth, +in that on certain days they abstain from meat, that they bind +themselves to certain vows, that they have a liking for certain kinds +of work. But, I ask you, who has given command to do those things? No +one. That which God has enjoined or commanded, they do not respect. +They render paramount something else concerning which God has given no +command. + +296. Hence, the vital importance of this rule, that we observe not the +contents of the command but its author. He who fails to do this will +often be offended, as I said, by the insignificance or absurdity of a +task. God should receive credit for wisdom and goodness. Assuredly +that which he himself enjoins is well and wisely enjoined, though +human reason judge differently. + +297. From the wisdom of God the Papists detract when they consider +divinely enjoined tasks as paltry and attempt to undertake something +better or more difficult. God is not propitiated by such works, but +rather provoked, as Saul's example shows. As if God were stupid, +dastardly, and cruel in that he commanded to destroy the Amalekites +and all their belongings, Saul conceived a kinder plan and reserved +the cattle for the purpose of sacrifice. What else was such action but +to deem himself wise and God foolish. + +298. Hence Moses rightly commends in this passage Noah's obedience +when he says that he did everything the Lord had enjoined. That means +to give God credit for wisdom and goodness. He did not discuss the +task, as Adam, Eve and Saul did to their great hurt. He kept his eye +on the majesty of him who gave the command. That was enough for him, +even though the command be absurd, impossible, inexpedient. All such +objections he passes by with closed eyes, as it were, and takes his +stand upon the one thing commanded by God. This text therefore is +familiar as far as hearing it is concerned, but even as to the +performance and practice of it, it is known to very few and is +extremely difficult. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +I. NOAH OBEYS COMMAND TO ENTER THE ARK. + + 1. Noah saw God's favor in his command 1. + + * Noah experienced severe temptations and needed comfort 1-2. + + 2. What God wished to teach Noah by calling him to enter the ark 3. + + 3. Whether God spoke this commandment directly to Noah 4-5. + + * When God speaks to us through men it is to be viewed as God's + Word 4-5. + + * The thoughts of the Jews on the seven days 6. + + * The office of the ministry. + + a. Through it God deals with mankind 7. + + b. Why we should not despise the office and expect revelations + direct from God 8-9. + + * God speaks with man in various ways 9. + + * Corruption and destruction of the first world. + + a. The ruin of the first compared with that of the last world + 10-13. + + * The need of posterity to pray that they retain pure doctrine + 12. + + b. Why so few righteous persons were found in Noah's day 12. + + * The efforts of the pope and bishops to crush the Gospel 13. + + c. First world severely punished, neither old nor young were + spared 14-15. + + d. Punishment of first world greatly moved Peter when he wrote + about it 16-17. + + * Peter's record of sermon Christ delivered to the spirits of the + first world in prison 16-17. + + a. Who are to be understood here by the unbelieving world 18. + + b. Peter here shows the wrath and long suffering of God 19. + + c. Nature and manner of this sermon 20. + + * Apostles had special revelations we cannot grasp 20-21. + + 4. How Noah was righteous before God 22. + + 5. How the world laughed at him while executing God's command, God + then comforted him 23-24. + + 6. Greatness of Noah's faith and steadfastness in executing this + command 25-26. + + * Luther's confession he would have been too weak for such a work + 25-26. + + * The great firmness of John Huss and Jerome of Prague 27. + + * We are to comfort ourselves when all the world forsakes and + condemns us 28. + + 7. God commands Noah to take the animals he names along into the + ark 29. + + * Why God so often repeats the same thing 29. + + a. What is to be understood by Behemoth 30. + + b. How many of each kind entered the ark 31. + + * The rain at the flood was exceptional 32. + + * The flood is a token of God's righteousness and from it we + conclude God will punish the sins of the last world 33. + + 8. By what may we learn Noah's faith and obedience to God 34. + + * Why God did not save Noah in some other way 34. + + +I. NOAH OBEYS COMMAND TO ENTER THE ARK. + +V. 2a. _And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into +the ark._ + +1. As soon as that extraordinary structure, the ark, was built, the +Lord commanded Noah to enter it, because the time of the deluge, which +the Lord announced one hundred and twenty years before, was now at +hand. All this convinced Noah that God was taking care of him; and not +only this, but also, as Peter says (2 Pet 1, 19), gave him an ample +and abundant word to support and confirm his faith in such great +straits. Having foretold the deluge for more than a century, he +doubtless was bitterly mocked by the world in many ways. + +2. As I have said repeatedly, God's wrath was incredible. It could not +be grasped by the human mind, in that original age of superior men, +that God was about to destroy the whole human race, except eight +souls. Noah, being holy and just, a kindly and merciful man, often +struggled with his own heart, hearing with the greatest agitation of +mind the voice of the Lord, threatening certain destruction to all +flesh. It was needful, then, that repeated declaration should confirm +his agitated faith, lest he might doubt. + +3. God's command to enter the ark amounted to this: "Doubt not, the +time of punishment for the unbelieving world is close at hand. But +tremble not, do not fear, for faith is at times very weak in the +saints. I shall take care of you and your house." To us such promise +would have been incredible, but we must admit that all things are +possible with God. + +4. Notice Moses' peculiar expression again: "Jehovah said." It gives +me particular pleasure that these words of God did not sound from +heaven, but were spoken to Noah through the ministry of man. Although +I would not deny that these revelations may have been made by an +angel, or by the Holy Spirit himself, yet where it can plausibly be +said that God spoke through men, there the ministry must be honored. +We have shown above that many of God's words according to Moses, were +spoken through Adam; for the Word of God, even when spoken by man, is +truly the Word of God. + +5. Now, as Methuselah, Noah's grandfather, died in the very year of +the deluge, it would not be inapt to infer that (since Lamech, Noah's +father, had died five years before the flood,) this was, so to speak, +Methuselah's last word and testament to his grandson, a dying +farewell. Perhaps he added some remarks as these: My son, as thou hast +obeyed the Lord heretofore, and hast awaited this wrath in faith, and +hast experienced God's faithful protection from the wicked, henceforth +firmly believe that God will take care of thee. The end is now at +hand, not mine alone, which is one of grace, but the end of all +mankind, which is one of wrath. For after seven days the flood will +begin, concerning which thou hast long and vainly warned the world. +After this manner, I think, spoke Methuselah, but the words are +attributed to God, because the Spirit of God spoke through the man. + +Thus I like to interpret these instances to the honor of the ministry +wherever, as in this case, it can appropriately be done. Since it is +certain that Methuselah died in the very year of the flood, the +supposition is harmless that these were his last words to Noah, his +grandson, who heard his words and accepted them as the Word of God. + +6. The Jews' peculiar idea concerning these seven days is that they +were added to the one hundred and twenty years in honor of Methuselah, +that therein his posterity might bewail his death. This is a harmless +interpretation, for the patriarch's descendants did not fail to do +their duty, particularly his pious children. + +7. But the first view concerning the ministry of the Word, is not only +plausible, but also practical. God does not habitually speak +miraculously and by revelation, particularly where, he has instituted +the ministry for this very purpose of speaking to men, teaching, +instructing, consoling and entreating them. + +8. In the first place, God entrusts the Word to parents. Moses often +says: "Thou shalt tell it to thy children." Then to the teachers of +the Church is it entrusted. Abraham says (Lk 16, 29): "They have Moses +and the prophets; let them hear them." We must expect no revelation, +be it inward or outward, where the ministry is established; otherwise +all ranks of human society would be disturbed. Let the pastor preach +in Church; let the magistrate rule the State; let parents control the +house or family. Such are the ministries of men instituted by God. We +should make use of them and not look for new revelations. + +9. Still I do not deny that Noah heard God speak after Methuselah's +death. God speaks ordinarily through the public ministry--through +parents and the teachers of the Church--and in rare cases by inward +revelation, through the Holy Spirit. It is well that we remember not +to overlook the Word in vain expectation of new revelations, as the +fanatics do. Such a course gives rise to spirits of error, a source of +disturbance to the whole world, as the example of the Anabaptists +proves. + +V. 1b. _For thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation._ + +10. This is truly a picture of the primitive, ancient world, as Peter +calls it. 2 Pet 2, 5. His appellation carries the thought of a +peculiarity of that particular age, which is foreign to the people of +our own. Could words be more appalling than these, that Noah alone was +righteous before the Lord? The world is similarly pictured in Ps 14, +2-3, where we read that the Lord looked down from heaven to see if +there were any that did understand, that did seek God. But he says: +"They are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; there is +none that doeth good, no, not one." + +11. Similar to this judgment upon the world was Christ's declaration +as to the last days. He says: "When the Son of man cometh, shall he +find faith on the earth?" Lk 18, 8. It is a fearful thing to live in +such an evil and godless world. By the goodness of God, since we have +the light of his Word, we are still in the golden age. The sacraments +are rightfully administered in our Churches, pious teachers proclaim +the Word purely, and, though magistrates be weak, wickedness is not +desperately rampant. But Christ's prophecy shows that there will be +evil times when the Lord's day approaches. Wholesome teaching nowhere +will be found, the Church being dominated by the wicked, as today the +plans of our adversaries are a menace. The pope and the wicked princes +zealously strive totally to destroy the ministry of the Word, +oppressing or corrupting the true ministries, that everyone may +believe whatever pleases him. + +12. So much the more diligently should we pray for our posterity, and +take earnest heed that a more wholesome doctrine be transmitted to +them. If there had been more godly teachers in the days of Noah, there +might have been more righteous people. The fact that Noah alone was +proclaimed a righteous man makes it evident that the godly teachers +had been either destroyed or corrupted, leaving Noah the sole preacher +of righteousness, as Peter calls him, 2 Pet 2, 5. Since government had +been turned into tyranny and the home vitiated by adultery and +whoredom, how could punishment be delayed any longer? + +13. Such danger awaits us also if the last days are to be like the +days of Noah. Truly, the popes and bishops strenuously endeavor to +suppress the Gospel and to ruin the Churches which have been +rightfully established. Thus does the world assiduously press onward +to a period similar to the age of Noah, when, with the light of the +Word extinguished, all shall go astray in the darkness of wickedness. +For without the preaching of the Word, faith cannot endure nor prayer, +nor the purity of the sacraments. + +14. Such, according to Moses, was the condition of the ancient world +in Noah's day, when the world was young and at its best. The greatest +geniuses flourished everywhere and people were well educated by +experience because they lived so long. What will be our fate in the +frenzy, so to speak, that shall befall the world in its dotage? We +should remember to care for our posterity and continually pray for it. + +15. As the first world was most corrupt, it was thus subject to +terrible punishment. Adults perished who provoked God to anger by +their wicked deeds, also those of an innocent age, who had knowledge +and were unable to distinguish between their right hand and their +left. Many, doubtless, were deceived by their own guilelessness; but +God's wrath does not discriminate, it falls upon and destroys alike +adults and infants, the crafty and the guileless. + +16. This awful punishment appears to have moved even the Apostle +Peter. Like one besides himself, he uses words which we today are not +able to understand. He says: Christ, having been made alive in the +Spirit, also "went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that +aforetime were disobedient, when the long suffering of God waited in +the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, +eight souls, were saved through water," etc. (1 Pet 3, 19-20). + +17. A strange declaration, and an almost fanatical saying, by which +the Apostle describes this event! By these words, Peter assures us +that there was a certain unbelieving world to whom the dead Christ +preached after their death. If this is true, who would doubt that +Christ took Moses and the prophets with him to those who were fettered +in prison, in order to change the unbelieving world into a new and +believing one? This seems to be intimated by Peter's words, though I +should not like to make this assertion authoritatively. + +18. But doubtless those whom he calls an unbelieving world were not +the wicked despisers of his Word nor the tyrants. If they were +overwhelmed in their sins, these were certainly condemned. The +unbelieving world of which he speaks seems rather to be the children +and those whose lack of judgment precluded belief. These were at that +time, seized and carried away headlong to their destruction, by the +offenses of the world, as if in the power of a rapid stream, only +eight souls being saved. + +19. In this way does Peter magnify the awful intensity of God's wrath. +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 world. + +20. How this came to pass is beyond our understanding. We know and +believe that God is wonderful in all his works and has all power. +Therefore he who in life preached to the living, could also in death +preach to the dead. All things hear, feel and touch him, though our +human minds can not understand the process. Nor is it to our discredit +when we are ignorant of some of the mysteries of Holy Writ. The +apostles had each his own revelation, and contention concerning them +would be presumptuous and foolish. + +21. Such was the revelation of Christ given to the spirits that +evidently perished in the flood, and we may perhaps, not +inappropriately connect it with that article of our creed which speaks +of the descent of Christ into hell. Such was also Paul's revelation +concerning paradise, the third heaven (2 Cor 12, 2-4), and certain +other matters of which we may be ignorant without shame. It is false +pride to profess to understand these things. St. Augustine and other +teachers give their fancy loose rein when they discuss these passages. +May it not be that the apostles had revelations which St. Augustine +and others did not have? But let us return to Moses. + +22. A truly fearful description of the world is vouchsafed in this +declaration of God that he saw Noah alone to be righteous before him, +in spite of the small children and those others who had innocently +been misled. Let us particularly note the term, "Before me." It +signifies that Noah was blameless not only as regards the second table +of the Law, but also as regards the first. He believed in God, and +hallowed, preached and called upon his name; he gave thanks to God; he +condemned godless teachings. For, to be righteous before God means to +believe God and to fear him, and not, as they taught in popedom, to +read masses, to free souls from purgatory, to become a monk, and like +things. + +23. This term "Before me" has reference also to the condemnation of +the ancient world. Having neglected the worship demanded by the first +table, they criminally transgressed also the second. Not only did they +mock Noah as a fool, but they went so far as to condemn his teaching +as heresy. Meanwhile they ate, drank, and celebrated festivals in +security. Before the world, accordingly, Noah was not righteous; +measured by her code he was a sinner. + +24. Hence God, or the grandfather, Methuselah, consoles Noah with the +Word of counsel to disregard the blind and wicked verdict of the +world, neither to care for her views and utterances, but to close eyes +and ears while heeding alone the Word and verdict of God, believing +himself to be righteous before God, or approved and acceptable to him. + +25. And Noah's faith was truly great; he could rely upon God's +utterance. I, forsooth, should not have believed. I realize what +weight the whole world's hostile and condemnatory judgment must carry. +We are condemned in the judgment of the Pope, the Sacramentarians, and +the Anabaptists, but this is mere play and pleasure, compared to what +the righteous Noah had to bear, who found not a single person in the +whole world to approve of his religion or life, except his own sons +and his pious grandfather. We have, the endorsement of many Churches, +by God's grace, and our princes fear no danger in defense of their +doctrine and religion. Noah had no such protectors, and he saw his +enemies living in peaceful leisure and enjoyment. If I had been he, I +surely should have said: Lord, if I am righteous, if I am well +pleasing to thee and if those people are wicked and displeasing to +thee, why, then, dost thou enrich them? Why dost thou heap upon them +all manner of favors, while I, with my family, am greatly harassed and +almost without assistance? In short, I should have despaired in such +great afflictions unless the Lord had given me that spirit which Noah +had. + +26. Therefore, Noah is a brilliant and admirable example of faith, 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 wicked. + +27. Often when I think of those most holy men, John Huss and Jerome of +Prague, I view with astonishment the courage of their souls, as they, +only two in number, set themselves against the judgment of the whole +world, of pope, emperor, bishops, princes, universities and all the +schools throughout the empire. + +28. It is helpful often to reflect upon such examples. Since the +prince of the world battles against us, endeavoring to kindle despair +in us with his fiery darts, it behooves us to be well armed, lest we +succumb to the enemy. Let us say with Noah: I know that I am righteous +before God, even though the whole world condemn me as heretical and +wicked, yea, even desert me. Thus did the apostles desert Christ, +leaving him alone; but he said (Jn 16, 32): "I am not alone." Thus did +the false brethren desert Paul. Hence, this is no uncommon danger, and +it is not for us to despair; but with courage to uphold the true +doctrine, in spite of the world's condemnation and curse. + +Vs. 2-3. _Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and +seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean +two, the male and his female. Of the birds also of the heavens, seven +and seven, male and female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all +the earth._ + +29. It is evident that God takes pleasure in speaking to Noah. Hence, +he does not confine himself to a single command, but repeats the same +things in the same words. To human reason such repetition appears to +be absurd talkativeness, but to a soul struggling against despair the +will of God cannot be repeated too often, nor can too exhaustive +instruction be given relative to the will of God. God recognizes the +state of a soul that is tempted, and hence makes the same statements +again and again, so that Noah may learn from frequent conversations +and conferences that he is not only not forsaken though the whole +world forsake him, but that he has a friend and protector in God who +so loves him that he never seems to weary of conversing with him. This +is the cause of the statements being repeated. However, as has been +explained, God spoke with Noah not from heaven but through men. + +30. In respect to the language, this passage shows that _ha-behemah_ +signifies not only cattle, the larger animals, but also the smaller +ones which were commonly used for sacrifice, as sheep, goats and the +like. The custom of offering sacrifices was not first instituted by +Moses, but was in the world from the beginning, being handed down, as +it were, by the patriarchs to their posterity; as shown by the example +of Abel, who brought of his first fruits an offering to God. + +31. As to the remainder of the passage, 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 there. To repeat is not +necessary. Since Noah was saved by a miracle, he thought that a +seventh animal should be added to the three pairs of clean beasts as a +thank-offering to God, after the flood, for his deliverance. + +V. 4. _For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth +forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made +will I destroy from off the face of the ground._ + +32. Here you see God's care to give Noah complete assurance. He sets a +limit of seven days, after which will follow a rain of forty days and +forty nights. God speaks with peculiar significance when he says that +it shall rain. It was not a common rain, but fountains of the deep as +well as the windows of heaven were opened; that is, not only did a +great mass of rain fall from heaven, but also an immense amount of +water streamed forth from the earth itself. And an immense amount of +water was necessary to cover the highest mountain tops to a depth of +fifteen cubits. It was no ordinary rain, but the rain of God's wrath, +by which he set out to destroy all life upon the face of the earth. +Because the earth was depraved, God despoiled it, and because the +godless people raged against the first and second tables of the +commandments, therefore God also raged against them, using heaven and +earth as his weapons. + +33. This story is certain proof that God, though long-suffering and +patient, will not allow the wicked to go unpunished. As Peter says (2 +Pet 2, 5), if he "spared not the ancient world," how much less will he +spare the popes or the emperors who rage against his Word? How much +less will he spare us who blaspheme his name when our life is unworthy +of our calling and profession, when we freely and daily sin against +our consciences? Let us, then, learn to fear the Lord, humbly to +accept his Word and obey it; otherwise punishment will overtake also +us, as Peter threatens. + +Vs. 5-10. _And Noah did according unto all that Jehovah commanded him. +And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon +the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons and his wife, and his sons' +wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of +clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of birds, and of +everything that creepeth upon the ground, there went in two and two +unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. And it +came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were +upon the earth._ + +34. This is clear from what precedes. Noah's faith is praiseworthy in +that he obeyed the Lord's command and unwaveringly entered the ark +with his sons and their wives. God truly could have saved him in +innumerable other ways; he did not employ this seemingly absurd method +because he knew no other. To him who kept Jonah for three days in the +midst of the sea and in the belly of the whale, what do you think is +impossible? But Noah's faith and obedience are to be commended because +he took no offense at this plan of salvation divinely shown to him, +but embraced it in simple faith. + + +II. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION BY FLOOD. + + * Why Moses so often repeats and expresses in few words what other + writers describe at length 35-39. + + * Noah's grief because of the approaching calamity 38. + + * The way of coarse and satiated spirits 39. + + 1. When did the flood commence. + + a. Some think it began in the spring 40. + + b. Others think it began in the autumn 41. + + c. Which is the more probable 42. + + * What to think of the Jews reckoning the year has two + beginnings 44. + + 2. How the flood continued. + + a. Must distinguish the fountains of the earth, the windows of + heaven and the rain 45. + + * Of the earth and the water. + + (1) Why the water does not overflow the earth since the earth + floats in the water 46. + + (2) Why the water above the earth does not fall and overflow + the earth 47-48. + + (3) How the prophets wondered at this as a miracle, but we in + our day give it little thought 49. + + b. How were the fountains broken up, how can such a work be + ascribed to God 50-51. + + * Overflowing of the German fountains at Halle 51. + + c. How were the windows of heaven opened 52. + + (1) What is meant by the windows of heaven 53. + + (2) Why such words used here 53. + + 3. Flood covered and destroyed the whole earth 54. + + 4. Why God sent the deluge 54. + + * Why God so often repeats the same thing 55-60. + + * What is meant by Zippor 55. + + * How God's wrath as seen in the deluge was very great 56-57. + + 5. The deluge was a terrible spectacle; Noah and his sons took + courage from it 58-60. + + * Noah's glorious faith at the sight of the deluge 60. + + * Noah's long ship voyage; how he was comforted 61. + + 6. How the world's destruction harmonizes with God's promises: how + the promises to the Church agree with his threatenings 62ff. + + * God's threatenings and man's unbelief. + + a. Why the first world believed not the threatenings about the + deluge 62ff. + + b. Why the Jews believe not the threatenings of the prophets 63. + + c. Why the Papists believed not the threats against them 64. + + * God's Church and her maintenance. + + a. The world understands not how the church is maintained 66. + + b. What is the true form of the true Church 66. + + c. God's promises not rescinded when rejected; who bear the name + of the Church 67-68. + + 7. Whether God fully rescinded through the flood the rule over the + earth he once gave man 69. + + * How God preserved his Church through the deluge 69. + + 8. The deluge was apparently against God's promise 70. + + * God allows nothing to hinder the punishment of the impenitent + 71-73. + + * By what means Papists adorn themselves and how it is all in vain + 72. + + * Why we should not rely on present, temporal things, but upon + God's Word 73. + + * The marks of a true Church. + + a. What they are not and what they are 74-76. + + b. Papists have characteristics Holy Scriptures give as marks of + Antichrist 75. + + c. Church born of God's Word and is to be known by that Word 76. + + d. Rule to be observed in the marks of the true Church 77. + + e. How far one may consider the Papists the true church, and how + far not 78-79. + + f. The true church is where the Word is, although few belong to + it and it has no temporal power 79. + + g. Whether the Evangelicals can justly be accused of falling + from the old church 80. + + h. How and why the Evangelical or Gospel Church is really the + true Church 81. + + * How Noah retained all and remained lord of the world although + the deluge destroyed everything 81. + + +II. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION. + +Vs. 11-12. _In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second +month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all +the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven +were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty +nights._ + +35. We see that Moses uses a great many words, which results in +tiresome repetition. How often he mentions the animals! how often the +entrance into the ark! how often the sons of Noah who entered at the +same time! The reason for this must be left to the spiritually minded; +they alone know and see that the Holy Spirit does not repeat in vain. + +36. Others, however, who are more materially minded may think that +Moses, being moved, when he wrote the passage, by the greatness of +God's wrath, desired to enforce its truths by repetition; for +reiteration of statements is soothing to troubled minds. Thus did +David repeat his lament over his son Absalom, 2 Sam 18, 33. So viewed, +this narrative shows depth of feeling and extreme agitation of mind. +This example of wrath so impresses the narrator that for emphasis he +mentions the same thing again and again, and in the same words. + +37. This is not the custom of poets and historians. Their emotions are +factitious; they are diffuse in their descriptions; they pile up words +for mere effect. Moses husbands his words, 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 another. + +38. Evidently Moses did not only wish to convey by persistent +repetition the extreme agitation of his own mind, but also of that of +Noah himself, who, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and burning with +love, necessarily deplored the calamity when he saw that he could not +avert it. He foresaw the doom of the wisest and most distinguished and +eminent men. Thus did David mourn when he could not call back Absalom +to life. So Samuel mourned when he despaired of saving Saul. + +39. The text is not a mere tautology or repetition. The Holy Spirit +does not idly repeat words, as those superficial minds believe, which, +having read through the Bible once, throw it aside as if they had +gathered all its contents. 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 year, the +second month and the second day of his life. + +40. Opinions differ as to the beginning of the year. One is, that the +year begins at the conjunction of the sun and the moon which occurs +nearest to the vernal equinox. Thus this month is called the first by +Moses in Exodus. If the flood set in on the seventeenth day of the +second month, it must have continued almost to the end of April, the +most beautiful season of the year, when the earth seemingly gathers +new strength, when the birds sing and the beasts rejoice, when the +world puts on a new face, as it were, after the dreary season of +winter. 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 life. This view is substantiated by the +words of Christ in Matthew 24, 38, where he compares the last days of +the world to the days of Noah and speaks of feasting, marriage and +other signs of gladness. + +41. A second opinion makes the year begin with that new moon which is +nearest to the autumnal equinox, when all the harvest has been +gathered from the fields. Its advocates declare this to be the +beginning of the year, because Moses calls that month in which such +new moon occurs, the end of the year. They call this autumnal equinox +the beginning of the civil year, and the vernal equinox the beginning +of the holy year. The Mosaic ceremonies and festivals extend from the +latter season up to the autumnal equinox. + +42. If Moses in this passage is speaking of the civil year, then the +flood occurred in September or October, an opinion I find Lyra held. +It is true that fall and winter are more liable to rains, the signs of +the zodiac pointing to humidity. Again, as Moses writes further on, a +dove was sent forth in the tenth month and brought back a green olive +branch. This fact seems to harmonize with the view that the deluge +began in October. + +43. But I cannot endorse this argument of the Jews, assuming two +beginnings of the year. Why not make four beginnings, since there are +four distinct seasons according to the equinoxes and solstices? It is +safer to follow the divine order, making April the first month, +starting with the new moon which is nearest to vernal equinox. The +Jews betray their ignorance in speaking of an autumnal beginning of +the year: the autumnal equinox is necessarily the end of the year. +Moses so calls it for the reason that all field labors had then ceased +and all products had been gathered and brought home. + +44. Hence, it is my belief that the flood began in the spring, when +all minds were filled with hope of the new year. Such is the death of +the wicked that when they shall say, "Peace and safety," they perish. +1 Thes 5, 3. Nor is any inconsistence shown in the fact that the green +olive branch is afterward mentioned, for certain trees are evergreen, +as the boxwood, fir, pine, cedar, laurel, olive, palm and others. + +45. But what does Moses mean by saying that the fountains of the great +deep burst, and that the windows of heaven were opened? No such record +is found in all pagan literature, although the heathen searched with +zeal the mysteries of nature. One discrimination should be made as +regards the abysses of the earth, the floodgates or windows of heaven, +and the rain. Rain, as we know it, is a common phenomenon, while that +of bursting floodgates and abysses is both unfamiliar and amazing. + +46. Almost all interpreters are silent on this point. We know from +Holy Writ that God, by his Word, established a dwelling-place for man +and other living beings on dry land, above the water, contrary to +nature; for it is opposed to natural law that the earth, being placed +in water, should rise up out of it. If you cast a clod into the water, +it sinks at once. But the dry land stands up out of the water by +virtue of the Word, which has set bounds for the sea, as Solomon (Prov +8, 27) and Job (ch 38, 11) declare. Unless the water were restrained +by the power of the Word, with a bound, as it were, they would +overflow and lay waste everything. Thus is our life guarded every +single moment, and wonderfully preserved by the Word. We have an +illustration in partial deluges, when at times entire states or +regions are flooded, proving that we should daily suffer such +unpleasant things if God did not take care of us. + +47. But just as there are waters below us, and beneath the earth, so, +too, are there waters above us, and beyond the sky. If they should +descend, obeying natural law, destruction would result. The clouds +float as if suspended in space. When at times they descend, how great +the terror they cause! But imagine the result of a universal collapse! +How they would burst, in obedience to the law of their nature, did +they not remain in place above us, suspended, as it were, by the Word! + +48. Thus we are girt about on all sides by water, shielded only by a +frail ceiling of unsubstantial material--the air that we +breathe--which bears up the clouds and carries that weight of water, +not in obedience to the laws of nature, but by the command of God, or +by the power of the Word. + +49. When the prophets think of these things they are lost in +admiration. It is contrary to nature that such a weight should remain +in suspension above the earth. But we, blinded by daily witnessing of +such wonders, neither observe nor admire them. That we are not at any +moment overwhelmed by waters from above or from below, we owe to the +divine majesty which orders all things and preserves all creatures so +wonderfully, and he ought to be the object of our praise. + +50. Startling and significant are the words Moses uses--the fountains +of the great deep were broken up. The conception he would convey is +that they had been closed by God's power and sealed, as it were, with +God's seal, as today; and that God did not open them with a key, but +rent them with violence, so that the ocean, in a sudden upheaval, +covered everything with water. It is not to be supposed that God moved +his hand, because the fountains of the deep are said to have been +broken up. It is the custom of Scripture to adapt itself to our +understanding in the phraseology employed, 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 nature. That is the reason +the ocean seemed to swell and boil. In the salt works in our +neighborhood there is a spring named after the Germans, which, if it +is not pumped out at certain times, swells and overflows with terrific +force. + +51. They say that in olden times the town of Halle was once destroyed +by a violent overflow of a spring of the kind described. If a single +spring could work such destruction what would be the result of the +uncurbed power of ocean and seas? Thus mankind was destroyed before +they even knew their danger. Whither should they flee when the waters +poured in upon them with such force? + +52. But this is not all: the windows of heaven also were opened. +Moses' word implies that to that time the windows were closed as they +are closed today. Indeed, the world thought such opening impossible; +their sins, however, made it possible. + +53. Moses' use here of the word "windows" signifies the literal +opening of heaven. With rain as we know it, the water appears to fall +by drops from the pores of the rain-clouds, but at the time of the +flood it came down with great force, not through pores, but through +windows, like water poured from a vessel with one movement, or as when +water-skins burst in the middle. Moses uses this figure of speech for +the sake of effect, so that those occurrences are brought to our +vision. + +54. A volume of water, therefore, swept over the earth, from the sky +as well as from the innermost parts of the earth, until at last the +whole earth was covered with water, and the fertile soil, or the +entire face of the earth was destroyed by the briny flood. A like +instance occurs nowhere in any book. The Holy Scriptures alone teach +us that these things were visited upon the world sinning in imagined +security, and that to this day the waters suspended in the clouds are +restrained only by the kindness of God. Otherwise they would descend +in vast volume, as in the flood, according to the law of their nature. + +Vs. 13-16. _In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and +Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and three wives of his +sons with them, into the ark; they, and every beast after its kind, +and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that +creepeth upon the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, +every bird of every sort. And, they went in unto Noah and the ark, two +and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life. And they that went +in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him._ + +55. Here Moses begins to be remarkably verbose. His wordiness hurts +tender ears when he so often and apparently without any use repeats +the same things. It is not sufficient to say "all birds," but he names +three kinds of birds. Of these, the term _zippor_ is usually said to +mean "a sparrow," but this passage shows clearly that it is a generic +term, doubtless so called from the sound, _zi, zi_. He also names +three kinds of beasts. Also, when speaking of the flood itself, he is +very wordy, saying that the waters prevailed, that they increased, +that they flooded and covered the face of the earth. Finally, when he +tells of the effect of this flood, he makes similar repetition: "All +flesh expired, died, was destroyed," etc. + +56. But I said above (para 37) that Moses repeats these things +contrary to his style, in order to force the reader to pause and more +diligently learn and meditate upon this great event. We cannot fully +comprehend the wrath which destroys, not man alone, but all his +possessions. Moses wishes to arouse hardened and heedless sinners by +such a consideration of God's wrath. + +57. Hence, these words are not idle, as a shallow and unspiritual +reader might judge. They rather challenge us to fear God, and call +attention to the present so that, sobered by the thought of such +wrath, we may make an earnest beginning in the fear of God, and cease +from sin. For not without many tears does Moses appear to have written +this account! 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 again. Doubtless he does this with the purpose to +thrust such darts of divine fear, so to speak, into the souls of pious +readers. + +58. It may be well to transport ourselves in thought into the time of +the event. What do you think would be our state of mind if we had been +put into the ark, if we had seen the waters spreading everywhere with +overwhelming force and the wretched human beings perishing without +possibility of help? Let us remember that Noah and his sons were also +flesh and blood; that is, they were men who, as that person in the +comedy (Terence, Heaut. 1: 1, 25) says, thought nothing human was +foreign to themselves. They were in the ark for forty days before it +was lifted off the earth. In those days were destroyed all the human +beings and animals living upon the earth. This calamity they saw with +their own eyes; who would doubt that they were violently stirred by +the sight? + +59. Furthermore, the ark floated upon the waters for one hundred and +fifty days, buffeted on all sides by the waves and winds. There was no +hope for any harbor, or for any meeting with men. As exiles, +therefore, as vanished from the earth, as it were, they were driven +here and there by currents and winds. Is it not a miracle that those +eight human beings did not die from grief and fear? Truly, we are made +of stone if we can read this story with dry eyes. + +60. What outcry, sorrow and wailing if from the shore we see a small +boat overturned, and human beings miserably perishing! Here, however, +not one boat-load, but the entire world of men perish in the waters; a +world composed not only of grown persons, but also babes; not only of +criminal and wicked ones, but also simple-hearted matrons and virgins. +They all perished. 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 event. Noah's +faith was truly of a rare kind, 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 world. + +Vs. 16-24. _And Jehovah shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon +the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was +lifted up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and increased +greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. +And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high +mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. Fifteen +cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. +And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both birds, and cattle, +and beasts, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and +every man: all, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of +life, of all that was on the dry land, died. And every living thing +was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and +cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were +destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were +with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred +and fifty days._ + +61. For forty days the ark stood in some plain. By that time the +waters had risen to such an extent that they lifted the ark, which +then floated for one hundred and fifty days. A long sea voyage indeed, +and one of great mourning and tears. Yet the occupants upheld +themselves by faith, not doubting the kindness of God toward them. +They had experienced his goodness when building the ark, when +preparing the food, when getting ready other things needful for this +occasion, and finally when the Lord closed the ark after the flood +came in its power. + +62. The question arises, how can God be truthful here? He had set man +as master over the earth to cultivate and rule it. God did not create +the earth to lie waste, but to be inhabited and give its fruits to +men. How can we reconcile such purpose of the creator with the fact +that he destroyed all mankind except eight souls? 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 flood. How can we harmonize God's promise to Adam and +Eve, "You shall rule the earth," and his words here to Noah, "The +water shall overpower all men, and destroy them all." So the +unbelievers decided that Noah's preaching was wicked and heretical. + +63. 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 kings, who knew this grand promise: "This is my +resting-place forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it," Ps +132, 14; and that other, by Isaiah: "Here is my fire, and my +hearth-stone," Is 31, 9. To them it was incredible that either the +State or the temple should be overthrown by the gentiles. And the +Jews, miserable outcast though they be, even to this day hold fast the +promise that they are God's people and heirs of the promises given +Abraham and the fathers. + +64. Thus is the pope puffed up with the promises given to the Church: +"I am with you unto the end of the world," Mt 28, 20; "I will not +leave you desolate," Jn 14, 18; "I made supplication for thee, that +thy faith fail not," Lk 22, 32; and others. Though he sees and feels +the wrath of God, yet, caught in these promises, he dreams, and +likewise his followers, that his throne and power are secure. Hence +the Papists blatantly use the name of the Church to overwhelm us, +promising themselves the utmost success, as if they could force God to +establish the Church according to their dreams and desires. + +65. Fitly, then, do we here raise the question how the flood, by which +all mankind perished, agrees with the will of God, who created human +nature and gave it the promise and endowment of dominion. The answer +to this question will likewise settle the one concerning the Church. +It is this: God remains truthful, preserving, ruling and governing his +Church though in a manner transcending the observation and +understanding of the world. He permits the Roman pontiff and his +adherents to think that the pope is the Church. He suffers him to feel +secure and to enjoy his dignity and title. But in fact God has +excommunicated the pontiff, because he rejects the Word and +establishes idolatrous worship. + +66. On the other hand, God has chosen for himself another Church, +which embraces the Word and flees idolatry, a Church so oppressed and +shamefully afflicted that it is not considered a Church but a band of +heretics and the devil's school. Thus Paul writes to the Romans (ch 2, +17) that the Jews do not fear God yet they glory in the Law and in +God, at the same time denying, blaspheming and offending God. And +while the Jews, who take pride in being God's people, are doing this, +God prepares for himself a Church from the gentiles, who truly glory +in God and embrace his Word. + +67. But who should dare to accuse God of untruthfulness because he +preserves the Church in a manner unknown and undesired by man? Of +similar nature were the promises concerning the preservation of +Jerusalem and the temple. These promises were not violated when that +city and temple were laid waste by the Babylonians. For God +established another Jerusalem and another temple in the Spirit and by +the Word; Jeremiah promised (Jer 29, 10-11) that the people should +return after seventy years and that then both the temple and the +nation should be re-established. + +68. As regards the Jews, these were destroyed at that time, but not as +regards God who had promised in his Word that they should be rebuilt. +The Jews argue correctly that God will not desert the nation and +temple; but God keeps his promise in a way foreign to the thought of +the Jews, who believed that the nation would not be destroyed because +the promise said: "This is my resting-place forever." God permitted +destruction in order to punish the sins of his people, and yet he +preserved and protected the Church when the pious were brought back by +Cyrus and built the temple. + +69. In like manner, dominion over the world was given to man in the +beginning of creation. This is taken away in the flood, not forever, +but for a time, and that not altogether. Though the greater part of +the world perishes, yet man retains his mastery; and this mastery is +preserved to mankind, not as represented by a multitude, as the world +desired and believed, but by a few persons--eight souls--a thing which +seemed incredible to the world. + +70. Hence God did not lie; he kept his promise, but not as the world +would have had it. He destroyed the sinners and saved the righteous +few, which, like a seed, he thereafter multiplied in many ways. + +71. The Papists should keep before their eyes this judgment of God. It +teaches that neither numbers nor power nor his own promise is allowed +to prevent him from punishing the impenitent. Otherwise he would have +spared the first world and the offspring of the patriarchs to whom he +had granted dominion over the earth. Now he destroys all and saves +only eight. + +72. Is it wonderful, then, that he deals with the Papists in the same +way? Though they boast of rank, dignity, numbers, and power, yet, +because they trample the Word of God under foot and rage against it, +God will cast them away, choosing for himself another Church, which +will humbly obey the Word and accept with open arms the gifts of +Christ which the pope's Church, trusting in its own merits, haughtily +spurns. + +73. Therefore none should trust in the good things of present +possession, though they be promised by the divine Word. We must look +to the Word itself and trust in it alone. Those who set the Word aside +and put their trust in present things, will not go unscathed in their +fall from faith, however much they may boast of power and numbers. +This truth is shown by the flood, by the captivity of the Jews and +their present misfortune, and by the seven thousand men in the kingdom +of Israel. + +74. The proof is sufficiently strong, that great numbers do not make a +Church. Nor must we trust in holiness of origin, in forefathers, or in +the gifts of God which we enjoy. We must look to the Word alone and +judge thereby. Those alone who truly embrace the Word will be as +immovable forever as Mount Zion. They may be few in number and +thoroughly despised by the world, as were Noah and his children. But +God, through these few, preserved to man the truth of that promised +mastery when he had not even room to set his foot upon the earth. + +75. Our enemies, setting aside the Word, make much of number, outward +appearance, and persons. But the apostles foretold that the Antichrist +will be a respecter of persons, that will rely upon numbers and +ancient origin, that he will hate the Word and corrupt God's promises +and that he will kill those who cling to the Word. Shall we, then, +consider such people to be the Church? + +76. The Church is a daughter born from the Word, not the mother of the +Word. Therefore, whoever loses the Word and looks to men instead, +ceases to be the Church and lapses into utter blindness; nor will +either great numbers or power avail. They who keep the word, as did +Noah and his family, are the Church, though they be few in number, +even but eight souls. The Papists at this time surpass us in numbers +and rank; we not only are cursed, but suffer many things. But we must +endure until the judgment, when God will reveal that we are his +Church, and the Papists the church of Satan. + +77. So, then, we must observe that rule in 1 Sam 16, 7, where the Lord +says to Samuel: "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his +stature; because I have rejected him: for Jehovah seeth not as man +seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh +on the heart." + +78. Let us not, therefore, give heed to the greatness and might of the +pope, who boasts that he is the Church, proclaiming the apostolic +succession and the majesty of his person. Let us look to the Word. If +the pope embraces it, let us judge him to be the Church; but if he +does violence to it, let us judge him to be the slave of Satan. + +79. Paul says (1 Cor 2, 15) that the spiritual person judgeth all +things. If I were the only one on the face of the earth to keep the +Word, I should be the Church, and rightfully pass judgment upon all +the rest of the world that they were not the Church. Our enemies have +the office without the Word, and really have nothing. We, on the other +hand, have the Word, though we have nothing; yet we have everything +through the Word. Therefore, either let the pope, the cardinals and +the bishops come over to our side, or let them cease to boast that +they are the Church, which they cannot be without the Word, since it +is begotten only by the Word. + +80. We bear a great load of hatred, being accused of having deserted +the ancient Church. The Papists, on the other hand, boast that they +have remained true to the Church, and they want to leave everything to +the judgment of the Church. But we are accused falsely. To speak the +truth, 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 Word. + +81. Therefore though in their judgment they rob us of the title of the +Church, still we retain the Word, and through the Word we have all +ornaments of the true Church. For whoever has the Creator of all, must +needs also possess the creatures themselves. In this sense Noah +remained master of the world, though the waters prevailed, and the +earth perished. Though he lost his property, yet, because he retained +the Word by which everything was created, it may truly be said he +retained everything. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +I. NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK; THE WATERS ABATE. + + A. NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK. + + 1. How Noah and his family anxiously waited for God's promise, + and lived in faith, which is a hard life 1-3. + + 2. He had a hard time in the ark. What sustained him 2-4. + + 3. How he suffered in two ways 5. + + * Whether God can forget his saints 6. + + * Severest temptations are when man thinks he is forsaken by + God 7. + + 4. Noah's condition became more miserable because of his + family's distress 8-10. + + 5. Noah and family with difficulty overcame their temptation 11. + + * Christians need steadfastness 12. + + * Why God for a time conceals himself from his faithful ones + 13. + + * Temptations severe when saints imagine God has forsaken them + 14. + + B. THE WATERS ABATE. + + 1. The time the waters abated 15. + + 2. How the wind blew upon the earth and dried it. 16-17. + + 3. The abating of the waters was a sign by which God comforted + Noah 18. + + * Noah's Ark. + + a. When it began to float, how long it floated and when it + rested 19. + + b. On what mountain did it rest 20. + + c. What to think of Josephus' testimony 21. + + 4. When the mountain tops first seen 22. + + 5. How Noah learned the deluge had ceased. + + a. Why Noah sent forth the raven, and how the error arose the + raven never returned 23-24. + + * The Jews' unclean thoughts of the raven 24. + + b. Noah sent forth a dove, and if at the same time with the + raven 25. + + c. Noah sent out a second dove, which assured him that the + flood had ceased 26. + + (1) Dove returned with an olive leaf 26. + + (2) Whether it did this of its own impulse, and what God + thereby wished to indicate 27-28. + + (3) The Jews' ideas on where the dove got the olive leaf + 27. + + (4) Why an olive leaf 28. + + 6. How long Noah and family were in the ark 29. + + +I. NOAH IN ARK--FLOOD ABATES. + +A. NOAH'S CONDITION IN THE ARK. + +V. 1a. _And God remembered Noah, and all the beasts, and all the +cattle that were with him in the ark._ + +1. When that horrible wrath had exhausted itself, and all flesh with +the earth had been destroyed, the promise made by God to Noah and his +sons, that they were to be the seed of the human race, began to be +realized. No doubt this promise was to them an object of eager +expectation. No life is so hedged about with difficulties as that of +faith. This was the life lived by Noah and his sons, whom we see +absolutely depending upon the heavens for support. The earth was +covered with water. Bottom on which to stand there was none. It was +the word of promise that upheld them, as they drifted in this welter +of waters. + +2. When the flesh is free from danger, it holds faith in contempt, as +the claims of the Papists show. It loves showy and toilsome tasks; in +these it sweats. But behold Noah, on all sides surrounded by waters, +yet not overwhelmed! Surely it is not works that sustain him but faith +in God's mercy extended through the word of promise. + +3. The difficulty besetting Noah is hinted at in the words: "God +remembered." Moses thus intimates that Noah had been tossed on the +water so long that God seemed to have forgotten him altogether. They +who pass through such a mental strain, when the rays of divine grace +are gone and they sit in darkness or are forgotten by God, 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 monk. + +4. Hence, it is not a meaningless expression when the Holy Spirit says +that "God remembered Noah." He means that from the day Noah entered +the ark, no word was spoken, nothing was revealed to him; that he saw +no ray of divine grace shining, but merely clung to the promise which +he had accepted, while in the meantime the waters and waves raged as +if God had certainly forgotten. 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 ark. And though the holy seed by the +aid of the conquering Spirit overcame those difficulties, the victory +was not won without vexation of the flesh, tears and stupendous fear, +felt, in my opinion, even by the brutes. + +5. Thus a twofold danger beset them. The universal flood which +swallowed up all mankind could not vanish without stupendous grief to +the righteous, particularly as they saw themselves reduced to so small +a number. Further, it was a serious matter to be buffeted by the +waters for almost half a year without any consolation from God. + +6. The expression used by Moses, "God remembered Noah," must not be +short of its meaning by calling it a rhetorical figure, signifying +that God acted after the manner of one who had forgotten Noah, whereas +God cannot in truth forget his saints. A mere master of rhetoric, +indeed, does not know what it means to live in such a state as to feel +that God has forgotten him. Only the most perfect saints understand +that, and can in faith bear, so to speak, a God who forgets. Therefore +the Psalms and all the Scriptures are filled with complaints of this +nature, in which God is called upon to arise, to open his eyes, to +hear, to awaken. + +7. Monks possessed of a higher degree of experience, at times +underwent this temptation and called it a suspension of grace. The +latter may be experienced also in temptations of a slighter nature. +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 Spirit. +Similarly, at a more mature age, impatience and the desire for revenge +can nowise be overcome unless God tears them from the soul. How much +more liable is the soul to fall into the darkness of despair, or into +ensnaring predestinarian tenets, when more severe temptations beset us +and the suspension of grace is felt. + +8. Hence this expression is not to be passed by as a mere rhetorical +ornament, according to the interpretation of the rabbis. It is +intended rather to portray the state of soul which feels despair +coming on amid unutterable groanings of heart, with just a spark of +faith left to wrest victory from the flesh. In the same way that Paul +suffered from Satan's messenger, we may believe that Noah felt himself +stabbed in the heart, and that he often argued thus within himself: +Dost thou believe that thou alone art so beloved of God? Dost thou +believe that thou will be kept safe to the end, when waters are +boundless, and those immense clouds seem to be inexhaustible? + +9. When, then, such broodings found their way also into the weak souls +of the women, what cries, wails and tears may we surmise to have been +the result? Almost overcome by sadness and grief, he was forced to +lift up and comfort those with the cheer his own heart did not feel. + +10. It was, therefore, no jest or frolic for them to live so long +locked up within the ark, to see the endless downpour of rain and to +be carried to and fro floating upon the waves. This was the experience +of having been forgotten by God which Moses implies when he says that +God at last remembered Noah and his sons. + +11. Though the occupants of the ark overcame this feeling by faith, +they did not do so without great vexation of the flesh; just as a +young man who leads a chaste life overcomes lust, but surely not +without the greatest vexation and trouble. In this instance, where the +trial was greater, where all evidence was at variance with the fact +that God was gracious and mindful of them, they indeed triumphed, but +not without fearful tribulation. For the flesh, weak in itself, can +bear nothing less patiently than the thought of a God who has +forgotten. Human nature is prone to be puffed up and haughty when God +remembers it, when he vouchsafes success and favor. Is it a wonder, +then, that we become broken in spirit and desperate when God seems to +have cast us away and everything goes against us? + +12. Let us remember that this story sets before us an example of +faith, of endurance, and of patience, to the end that, having the +divine promise, we should not only learn to believe it, but should +also consider that we are in need of endurance. Endurance is not +maintained without a great struggle, and Christ calls upon us, in the +New Testament, to acquire it when he says: "He that endureth to the +end, the same shall be saved," Mt 24, 13. + +13. This is the reason why God hides for a time, as it were, seeming +to have forgotten us, suspending his grace, as they say in the +schools. As in this temptation not only the spirit but also the flesh +is afflicted, so afterward, when he again begins to remember us, the +perception of grace which during the trial was evident only to the +spirit and most faintly at that, is extended to the flesh also. + +14. Hence, the word "remembered" indicates that great sadness beset +both man and beast during the entire time of the flood. It must have +been by dint of great patience and extraordinary courage that Noah and +the others bore this lapse from God's memory, which is simply +unbearable to the flesh without the spirit even in slight trials. +True, God always remembers his own, even when he seems to have +forsaken them; but Moses indicates that he remembered his people here +in a visible way, by a sign, and by openly fulfilling what he had +previously promised through the Word and the Spirit. This is the most +important passage in this chapter. + +B. Waters Abate. + +Vs. 1b-3. _And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters +assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven +were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters +returned from off the earth continually; and after the end of a +hundred and fifty days the waters decreased._ + +15. Moses said above (ch 7, 11-12) that the deluge raged in three +different ways; for not only were the fountains of the great deep +broken up and the windows of heaven opened, but also the rain +descended. When these forces ceased on the one hundred and fiftieth +day, quiet was once more in evidence and the fact that God remembered, +and Noah with his sons and their wives, as also the animals, was +refreshed after terror so great and continuous. If a storm of two days +duration causes seafarers to despair, how much more distressing was +that tossing about for half a year! + +16. The question here arises, how the wind was made to pass over the +earth, which as yet was entirely covered with water. It is nothing new +that winds have the power to dry, especially those from the east, +called by our countrymen "hohle winde," and by Virgil "parching +winds," from the drouth which they bring upon the earth. These are +mentioned also by Hosea 13, 15. The explanation, accordingly, is +simple. Moses says that the wind was made to pass over the earth, that +is, over the surface of the waters, for such a length of time that at +last, the waters being dried up, the earth again appeared. So, in +Exodus, a burning wind is said to have dried up the Red Sea. Now, God +might have accomplished this without any wind, yet he habitually +employs a natural means to attain his purposes. + +17. Up to this time Noah had lived in darkness, seeing nothing but the +waters rolling and raging in a terrifying volume. Now the delicious +light of the sun bursts forth once more, and the winds cease to roar +from all points of the compass. Only the east wind, calculated to +reduce the waters, is blowing, and gradually it takes away the +stagnant flood. Other means also are effective; the ocean no longer +hurls its waves upon the land, but takes back the waters which it had +spewed forth, and the floodgates of heaven are closed up. + +18. These are outward and tangible signs by which God consoles Noah, +showing him that he had not forgotten, but remembered him. This is a +practical and needed lesson also for us. When in the midst of dangers +we may with certainty look for God's help, who does not desert us if +we continue in faith, looking forward to the fulfilment of God's +promises. + +V. 4. _And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day +of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat._ + +19. The waters increased for forty days, until the ark was lifted from +the earth. Then for one hundred and fifty days it floated upon the +waters, driven by the winds and the waves, without a sign of God's +remembrance. At length the waters began to decrease, and the ark +rested. + +20. The point of dispute among the Jews here is the number of months. +But why waste any more time upon immaterial matters, particularly as +we see that the suggestions of the rabbis are not at all wise? It is +more to the purpose for us to inquire where the mountains of Ararat +are to be found. It is generally believed that they are mountains of +Armenia, close by the highest ranges of Asia Minor, the Caucasus and +the Taurus. But it appears to me that more likely the highest of all +mountains is meant, the Imaus (Himalaya), which divides India. +Compared to this range, other mountains are no more than warts. 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 Lebanon, Taurus, and Caucasus were uncovered, which +are, as it were, the feet or roots of the Himalaya, just as the +mountains of Greece may be called branches of the Alps extending up to +our Hercinian Forest (Harz). To anyone who surveys them with care the +mountains seem to be wonderfully related and united. + +21. Josephus has wonderful things to tell about the mountains of +Armenia, and he records that during his time remains of the ark were +discovered there. But I suppose nobody will judge me to be a heretic +if I occasionally doubt the reliability of his statements. + +V. 5. _And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in +the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the +mountains seen._ + +22. Moses said before that by the seventh month the waters had fallen +so far that the ark rested upon Ararat. In the third month thereafter, +the tops of the lower mountains began to appear, so that Noah, looking +down from the mountains of Ararat as if from a watchtower, saw also +the peaks of the other mountains, of the Taurus in Asia, the Lebanon +in Syria, and the like. All these were signs of God's remembrance. + +Vs. 6-7. _And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah +opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a +raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up +from off the earth._ + +23. So far the history; the allegorical significance we shall discuss +at its proper place. The carelessness of a translator has caused a +dispute upon this part of the story. The Hebrew text does not say that +the raven did not return, as Jerome translated; hence there was no +need to invent a reason why he did not return--because he found dead +bodies lying about everywhere. They claim that abundance of food +prevented him. + +24. On the contrary, Moses says that the raven which had been sent +forth, returned; although he did not permit himself to be again +imprisoned in the ark as the dove did. Moses implies that Noah sent +forth the raven to find out whether animals could, by that time find +dry land and food. The raven, however, did not faithfully carry out +his mission, but rejoicing to be set free from his prison, he flew to +and fro, and paying no attention to Noah, he enjoyed the free sky. The +swinish Jews, however, show the impurity of their minds everywhere. +For they suppose that the raven had fears concerning his mate, and +that he even suspected Noah concerning her. Shame upon those impure +minds! + +Vs. 8-9. _And he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were +abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no rest for +the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to the ark; for the +waters were on the face of the whole earth: and he put forth his hand, +and took her, and brought her unto him into the ark._ + +25. When Noah's hopes had been set at naught by the raven, which flew +about wantonly but brought no tidings concerning the condition of the +earth, he took a dove, thinking that she would more truly perform the +mission. The text almost authorizes us to say that those two birds +were sent forth at the same time, so that Noah might have two +witnesses from whom to gain desired knowledge. The raven enjoying the +free sky, flew round about the ark, but did not want to return into +it. The dove, however, fleeing from the corpses and corruption, comes +back and permits itself to be caught. This story, as we shall hear, +offers a fine allegory concerning the Church. + +Vs. 10-12. _And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent +forth the dove out of the ark; and the dove came in to him at +eventide; and, lo, in her mouth an olive-leaf plucked off: so Noah +knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet +other seven days, and sent forth the dove; and she returned not again +unto him any more._ + +26. The dove, being a faithful messenger, is sent forth once more. +Moses carefully describes how the waters decreased gradually, until at +last the surface of the earth, together with the trees, was laid bare. +We do not believe that the dove brought the olive leaf intentionally, +but by the command of God, who wanted to show Noah, little by little, +that he had not altogether forgotten but remembered him. This olive +leaf was an impressive sign to Noah and his fellow-prisoners in the +ark, bringing them courage and hope of impending liberation. + +27. The Jews dispute sharply in respect to this matter of where the +dove found the olive leaf, and some, in order to secure special glory +for their homeland, make the ludicrous assertion that she took it from +the Mount of Olives in the land of Israel, which God had spared from +the flood that destroyed the remainder of the earth. But the saner +Jews rightly refute this nonsense by arguing that if this were true, +the olive leaf could not have been a sign for Noah that the waters had +fallen. Others have invented the fable that the dove was admitted to +paradise and brought the leaf from there. + +28. But I have (ch 2, para 39-42) set forth at length my views +concerning paradise, and this nonsense is not worthy the effort of a +refutation. It serves a better purpose to remind you that all these +things happened miraculously and supernaturally. 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 waters. +God ordained these events. Other trees had leaves at that time, +particularly the taller ones which rose sooner from the waters. The +olive tree is comparatively short, 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 state. Of this he had more certain proof +however, when the dove, having been sent out the third time, did not +return: for not only did it find food on earth, but was able to build +nests and to flit to and fro. + +Vs. 13-14. _And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in +the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up +from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and +looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dried. And in the +second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the +earth dry._ + +29. Here we see that Noah was in the ark an entire year and ten days; +for he entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month, and +came out again, after a year had passed, in the same month, but on the +twenty-seventh day. Poor Noah, with his sons and the women, lived in +the ark more than half a year in sore grief, without a sign of being +remembered by God. Afterward God gave him gradual proof, through +various signs, that he had not forgotten him, until at last, after the +lapse of a year and ten days, he was again given dominion over the +earth and sea. On this day of the second month, the flood had not only +disappeared, but the earth was dry. This is the story of the flood and +its abatement. After this fearful wrath, there ensues an immeasurable +light of grace, as is shown in the following sermon addressed to Noah +by God himself. + + +II. NOAH COMMANDED TO LEAVE THE ARK; HIS OFFERING TO GOD; GOD'S + RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN. + + A. NOAH COMMANDED TO LEAVE THE ARK, AND HE OBEYED 30-32. + + * Man should do nothing but what God commands 30-32. + + * Is it right to start a new worship without God's command to do + so 33-34. + + * The examples of saints and special works. + + 1. Should we imitate the works of the holy patriarchs 34-35. + + 2. The result among the Jews of a reckless imitation of the + saints 36. + + 3. Should have regard here, not to works but to faith 37-38. + + +II. NOAH LEAVES ARK, HIS SACRIFICE AND GOD'S PROMISE. + +A. Noah Obeys Command to Leave the Ark. + +Vs. 15-17. _And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth from the ark, +thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring +forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, +both birds, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon +the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth._ + +30. Up to this point the narrative is only a record of facts, or the +description of a divine work. Though the works of God are not mute but +eloquent witnesses, and present to our vision the will of God, a still +greater comfort is vouchsafed when God links to the works the Word, +which is not manifest to the eye but perceptible to the ear and +intelligible to the heart through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. +So far God had given proof by his work that he was appeased, that the +God of wrath had turned into a God of mercy, who turns back the waters +and dries up the earth. Such comfort he now amplifies by his Word in +that he lovingly accosts and enjoins him to leave the ark with the +other creatures, both men and animals. + +31. In the light of this passage the frequent and emphatic application +of the principle is justified that we should neither design nor do +anything, especially in respect to God's service and worship, without +the initiative and command of the Word. As above narrated, Noah enters +the ark upon God's command; and he leaves the ark upon God's command +to leave it. He does not follow superstitious notions, as we see the +Jews do, who, when they establish anything temporary by command, +endeavor to retain it forever, as if it were essential to salvation. + +32. Noah might have argued thus: Behold, I built the ark by the +command of God; I was saved in it while all other men perished: +therefore I will remain in it, or keep it for a place of divine +worship, since it has been sanctified by the Word of God and the +presence of the saints, the Church. But the godly man did nothing of +the kind. The Word had commanded him to go forth, therefore he obeyed. +The ark had done its service during the flood and he left it, assured +that he and his children were to live on the earth. So must we +undertake nothing without the Word of God. In a holy calling, which +has the Word and command of God, let us walk! For whosoever attempts +anything without the command of God, will labor in vain. + +33. To deny this, some one might cite as example the act of Noah, +described below, when he built an altar without God's command, and +offered a burnt-offering thereon to God from the clean animals. If +this was permitted to Noah, why should we not be permitted to choose +certain forms of worship? And, in truth, the Papacy has heaped up +works and forms of worship in the Church without measure, just as it +pleased. But we must hold fast to the principle, which is a theorem of +general application, that whatsoever is not of faith, is sin, (Rom 14, +23). But faith cannot be separated from the Word; hence, whatsoever is +done without the Word, is sin. + +34. Furthermore, it is plainly dangerous to take the acts of the +fathers as models. As individuals differ, so also do their duties +differ, and God requires diverse works according to the diversity of +our calling. Accordingly the epistle to the Hebrews fitly refers the +various acts of the fathers to the one faith, in order to show that +each of us must imitate, in his calling, not the works, but the faith +of the fathers. Heb 11. + +35. 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 Benedict, the gown of Francis, the shoes of Dominic and the +like. Men become apes who imitate without judgment. The monks try to +ape the works, but know nothing of the faith of the fathers. + +36. Abraham was commanded to slay his son. Afterward his descendants +most wickedly believed they should follow his example, and they filled +the earth with innocent blood. In a similar manner the people +worshiped the brazen serpent and offered sacrifices before it. In both +instances the people wanted to justify themselves by the example of +their forefathers; but since they established these forms of worship +without the Word, they were righteously condemned. + +37. Let us, therefore, remember not to establish anything without the +Word of God. Duties differ, and so must the works of individuals. How +foolish it would be for me to proclaim that I must follow Caesar's +example, and that others must obey my laws! How wicked it would be for +me to assert that I must follow the example of a judge, condemning +some to the cross, others to the sword! Then, we must look, not upon +the works, but upon the faith of individuals; for the faith of all +saints is one, though their works are most diverse. + +38. Think not that because Noah built an altar, you may do likewise; +but follow the faith of Noah, who thought it right to show his +merciful Savior that he understood his beneficent gifts, and was +grateful for them. Follow Abraham, not in slaying your son, but in +believing the promises of God, and in obeying his commandments. The +epistle to the Hebrews fitly refers the deeds and acts of the fathers +to their faith, setting forth that we should follow their faith. + + +B. NOAH'S SACRIFICE. + + 1. Whether Noah was commanded to offer a sacrifice and in what way + sacrificing is justified 39-41. + + * Have monks divine command to support their order 40. + + * Shall we find fault with the works of saints, for which they + apparently had no command 41. + + * How in all works we should have respect for God's command 42. + + * Lyra's unfounded thoughts on the words, "Be fruitful" etc. 43. + + * Why Moses said so much about their leaving the ark 44. + + 2. Noah's sacrifice proves Moses did not originate the idea of + sacrifice 45-46. + + 3. Why Noah's sacrifice was pleasing to God 47-48. + + * The meaning of "sweet savor" 47-48. + + 4. How it can be said God "smelled the sweet savor", and why this + form of speech used 49-50. + + +B. NOAH'S SACRIFICE. + +39. The objection under consideration can be invalidated by the +rejoinder that Noah did have a command to erect an altar and offer +sacrifices. God approved the rite of sacrifice by ordering that more +of the clean animals--suitable for sacrifice--should be taken into the +ark. Nor was Noah permitted to cast aside the office of the +priesthood, which had been established by the Word before the flood +and had come down to him by the right of primogeniture. Adam, Seth, +Enoch and others had been priests. From them Noah possessed the office +of the priesthood as an inheritance. + +40. Therefore Noah, as priest and prophet, was not only at liberty to +offer sacrifice, but he was under obligation to do so by virtue of his +calling. Since his calling was founded on God's Word, in harmony with +that Word and by God's command he built an altar and offered +sacrifices. Therefore let a monk prove it is his office and calling to +wear a cowl, to worship the blessed Virgin, to pray the rosary and do +like things, and we will commend his life. But since the call is +lacking, the Word is not the authority and the office does not exist, +the life and works of the monks in their entirety stand justly +condemned. + +41. Finally, even if all other arguments should fail, this argument, +according to which man judges the cause by the effect, remains; +namely, that God expresses approval of Noah's deed. Although such +reasoning from effect to cause may not be unassailable, it yet is not +without value in respect to such heroic and uncommon men, who meet not +with rejection but approval on the part of God, although they appear +to do what they have not been expressly commanded. They possess the +inward conviction that they are guilty of no transgression, though the +disclosure of this fact is delayed until later God expresses his +approval. Such examples are numerous and it is noteworthy that God has +expressed approval even of the acts of some heathen. + +42. Let this maxim, then, stand, 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 God. Hence they who abide in their divinely +assigned calling, will not run uncertainly nor will they beat the air +as those who have no course in which they have been commanded to run, +and in consequence may not look forward to a prize. 1 Cor 9, 24. + +But I return to the text. Noah, with his sons and the women, is +commanded to leave the ark, and to lead forth upon the earth every +species of animals, that all his works may be sanctified and found in +keeping with the Word. Concerning the animals Moses now expressly +states: + +Vs. 17-19. _Be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went +forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: every +beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, whatsoever moveth upon +the earth, after their families, went forth out of the ark._ + +43. The Lord speaks of the propagation of Noah and his sons in the +ninth chapter and that, I believe, is the reason why he speaks here +only of the propagation of the animals. From the expression here used, +Lyra foolishly concludes that cohabitation had been forbidden during +the flood and was now again permitted after the departure from the +ark, since God says, "Go forth, ... thou and thy wife." Such thoughts +belong to monks not to God, who plans not sinful lust, but +propagation; the latter is God's ordination, but lust is Satan's +poison infused into nature through sin. + +44. Moses here uses many words to illustrate the overflowing joy of +the captives' souls, when they were commanded to leave their prison, +the ark, and to return upon the earth now everywhere open before them. +In recounting the kinds of animals, however, he arranges them in a +different order, distinguishing them by families, as it were, to let +us see that only propagation was God's aim. It must have been a glad +sight when each one of the many beasts, after leaving the ark, found +its own mate, and then sought its accustomed haunt: the wolves, the +bears, the lions, returning to the woods and groves; the sheep, the +goats, the swine, to the fields; the dogs, the chickens, the cats, to +man. + +V. 20. _And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every +clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on +the altar._ + +45. This text shows conclusively that Moses was not the first person +to introduce sacrifices but that, like a bard who gathers chants, he +arranged and classified them as they had been in vogue among the +fathers and transmitted from the one to the other. Thus also the law +of circumcision was not first written by Moses but received from the +fathers. + +46. Above (ch 4, 4-5), where Moses mentioned the sacrifice of Abel and +Cain, he called it _minchah_, an offering; here, however, we find the +first record of a burnt-offering, one entirely consumed by fire. This, +I say, is a clear proof that the law of sacrifices had been +established before the time of Moses. His work, then, consisted in +arranging the rites of the forefathers in definite order. + +V. 21. _And Jehovah smelled the sweet savor._ + +47. It is set forth here that Jehovah approved Noah's sacrifice which +he offered by virtue of his office as a priest, according to the +example of the fathers. However, the differences of phraseology is to +receive due attention. Of the former sacrifice he said that Jehovah +"had respect" to it; here he says that "Jehovah smelled the sweet +savor." Moses subsequently makes frequent use of this expression. The +heathen also adopted it; Lucian, for example, makes fun of Jove who +was conciliated by the odor of meats. + +48. The word in the original, however, does not properly signify the +"savor of sweetness," but "the savor of rest", for _nichoach_ meaning +"rest", is derived from the verb _nuach_, which Moses used before, +when he said that the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat. +Therefore it is the "savor of rest," because God then rested from his +wrath, dismissing his wrath, becoming appeased, and, as we commonly +say, well content. + +49. Here the question might be raised why does he not say, Jehovah had +respect to Noah and his burnt offering, rather than, Jehovah smelled +the savor of rest, which latter certainly sounds shocking, as though +he were not commending the man for his faith, but merely for his work. +This objection is usually answered by saying that the Scriptures speak +of God in human fashion. Men are pleased by a sweet savor. But it +seems to me there is still another reason for this expression, namely, +that God was so close at hand that he noticed the savor; for Moses +desires to show that this holy rite was well-pleasing to God: Solomon +says (Prov 27, 9) that perfume rejoiceth the heart. Physicians +sometimes restore consciousness by sweet odors. On the other hand, a +violent stench is extremely offensive to our nature, and often +overpowers it. + +50. In this sense, one may say that God, having been annoyed by the +stench of wickedness, was now refreshed, so to speak, when he saw this +one priest girded himself to perform holy rites in order to give proof +of his gratitude, and to manifest by some public act he did not belong +to the ungodly, but that he had a God whom he feared. This is the real +meaning of a sacrifice. As it had pleased God to destroy mankind, he +is now delighted to increase it. Moses uses this expression for our +sake, that we, through the experience of God's grace, may learn that +God delights to do us good. + + +C. GOD'S RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN. + + 1. God solemnly and earnestly means it 51. + + * How understood "it repented God that he had made man" 52-54. + + * Experiences in spiritual temptations and how God helps us to + bear them 54. + + 2. The meaning of "God will not again smite the earth" 55. + + +C. GOD'S RESOLVE NOT TO CURSE THE EARTH AGAIN. + +V. 21b. _And Jehovah said in his heart._ + +51. Moses points out that these words were not spoken by God without +heart and feeling, but from his very vitals. This is the meaning of +the Hebrew text which has it that God spoke to his own heart. + +V. 21c. _I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake._ + +52. God speaks as if he were sorry for the punishment inflicted upon +the earth on account of man, just as formerly he expressed regret for +his creation, reproving himself, as it were, for his fury against man. +This must not, of course, be understood as implying that God could +possibly change his mind; it is written only for our consolation. He +accuses and blames himself in order to rouse the little flock to the +certain faith that God will be merciful hereafter. + +53. And their souls stood in real need of such consolation. They had +been terrified as they witnessed God's raging wrath, and their faith +could not but be shaken. So now God is impelled to so order his acts +and words that these people might expect only grace and mercy. +Accordingly he now speaks with them, is present at their sacrifice, +shows that he is pleased with them, blames his own counsel, and +promises that he will never do anything like it in the future. In +brief, he is a different God from what he had been before. While God, +indeed, does not change, he wants to change men, who have become +altogether habituated to thoughts of wrath. + +54. They who have experienced trials of the spirit, 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 wrath. One +day, a whole month, perhaps is not enough for this change. Just as it +takes a long time to recover from bodily disorders, so such wounds of +the soul cannot be healed at once, or by one word. God sees this, and +tries by various means to recall the terrified souls to a certain hope +of grace; he even chides himself, speaking to his own heart, as in +Jeremiah 18, 8, where he promises to repent of the evil he thought of +doing, if the offenders also repent. + +55. It should furthermore be noted that he says, "I will not again +curse the ground." He speaks of a general destruction of the earth, +not of a partial one, as when he destroys fields, cities, or kingdoms. +The latter instances are for a warning; as Mary says, "He hath put +down princes from their thrones." Lk 1, 52. + + +III. MAN'S NATURAL DEPRAVITY AND HIS NATURAL POWERS. + + 1. Natural depravity crops out in infancy 56. + + 2. It is seen as the years advance 57-58. + + 3. Whether those who would drown it have reason for doing so 59-60. + + 4. There is none untainted by it 61-62. + + 5. The godless yield to it, believers resist it 62. + + * Can God be charged with being changeable 63-64. + + 6. The knowledge of natural depravity is very necessary 65. + + 7. What moves sophists to ignore natural depravity 65-66. + + 8. How to view those who lightly regard natural depravity, and how + to refute them 68-69. + + * Meaning of "the imagination of the heart" 70. + + * True theological definition of man 71. + + 9. The proof of natural depravity and that the natural is not + perfect 72-73. + + 10. Consequence of false teaching on natural depravity and the + natural 74-75. + + * What sophists understand by Merito congrui and condigni 74. + + 11. How Scotus tried to prove that man's natural powers were all he + had, and how to refute his opinion 75-76. + + * Value of the Scholastics and their theology 77. + + 12. How teachers in these things lead astray 78. + + * The virtues of the heathen. + + a. Estimate of them 79-80. + + b. How they differ from the good works of the saints 81. + + c. What they lack 82-83. + + 13. Natural depravity may sleep in youth, but it will awake as the + years advance 84-86. + + 14. Those who ignore natural depravity may be refuted by experience + 87. + + 15. Philosophy manifests its vanity and blindness in its attitude to + this doctrine 88-89. + + 16. Experience confirms natural depravity 89-90. + + 17. Whether natural depravity can be completely eradicated: how to + check it 91. + + * How to understand "God will not smite the earth again" 92. + + * Nature thrown into great disorder by the deluge 93. + + * Seasons of the year again put in their order 94. + + * The people's talk about the signs of the last times 95. + + * The days of earth to be followed by the days of heaven, and we + should prepare for them 96. + + +III. MAN'S NATURAL DEPRAVITY AND HIS NATURAL POWERS. + +V. 21d. _For that the imagination of man's heart is evil from his +youth._ + +56. This is a powerful passage, relating to original sin. Whoever +weakens its force, goes straying like the blind man in the sunlight, +failing to see his own acts and experiences. Look at the days of our +swaddling clothes; in how many ways sin manifests itself in our +earlier years. What an amount of switching it requires until we are +taught order, as it were, and attention to duty! + +57. Then youth succeeds. There a stronger rebellion becomes +noticeable, and in addition that untamable evil, the rage of lust and +desire. If one take a wife, the result is weariness of his own and a +passion for others. If the government of a State is entrusted to him, +an exceptionally fruitful harvest of vice will follow--as jealousy, +rivalry, haughtiness, hope of gain, avarice, wrath, anger, and other +evils. + +58. It is true, as the German proverb has it, that sins grow with the +years: Je laenger, je aerger; je aelter, je kaerger (worse with time, +stingier with age). All such vices are so blatant and gross as to +become objects of observation and intelligence. What, then shall we +say of the inward vices when unbelief, presumption, neglect of the +Word, and wicked views grow up? + +59. There are those who are and desire to be considered powerful +theologians, though they extenuate original sin by sophistry. But +vices so numerous and great cannot be extenuated. Original sin is not +a slight disorder or infirmity, but complete lawlessness, the like of +which is not found in other creatures, except in evil spirits. + +60. But do those extenuators have any Scriptural proof to rest upon? +Let us see what Moses says. As I pointed out in explaining the sixth +chapter, he does not call such things evil, as lust, tyranny, and +other sins, but the imagination of the human heart; that is, human +energy, wisdom and reason, with all the faculties the mind employs +even in our best works. Although we do not condemn acts which belong +to the social or civil sphere, yet the human heart vitiates these +works in themselves proper, by doing them for glory, for profit, or +for oppression, and either from opposition to the neighbor or to God. + +61. Nor can we escape the force of this passage by saying that those +are meant who perished by the flood. God uses a generic term which +denotes that the heart of man, as such, is meant. At the time this was +spoken there were no other people than those saved in the ark, and yet +the declaration is: the imagination of man's heart is evil. + +62. Therefore, not even the saints are excepted. In Ham, the third +son, this imagination of the heart betrayed its nature. And the other +brothers were no better by nature. There was only this difference, +that they, believing in the promised seed, retained the hope of +forgiveness of sin, and did not give way to the evil imagination of +their hearts, rather resisting it through the Holy Spirit, who is +given for the very purpose of contending against, and overcoming, the +malignity of man's nature. Because Ham gives way to his nature, he is +wholly evil, and totally perishes. Shem and Japheth, who contend +against it in their spirit, though being evil, are not altogether so. +They have the Holy Spirit, through whom they contend against the evil, +and hence are holy. + +63. It would seem here that God might be accused of fickleness. +Before, when he was about to punish man, he assigned as a reason for +his purpose the fact that the imagination of man's heart is evil; +here, when he is about to give unto man the gracious promise that he +will not thereafter show such anger, he puts forward the same reason. +To human wisdom this appears foolish and inconsistent with divine +wisdom. + +64. But I gladly pass by such sublime themes, and leave them to minds +possessed of leisure. For me it is enough that these works are spoken +to suit our spiritual condition, inasmuch as God points out that he is +now appeased and no longer angry. So parents, having chastised their +disobedient children as they deserve, win again their affections by +kindness. This change of mood is not deserving of criticism but rather +of commendation. It profits the children; otherwise they, while +fearing the rod, might also begin to hate their parents. This +explanation is good enough for me, for it appeals to our faith. Others +may explain differently. + +65. We should give diligent attention to this passage because it +plainly shows that man's nature is corrupt, a truth above all others +to be apprehended, because without it God's mercy and grace cannot be +rightly understood. Hence, 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 say, not +that the imagination of man's heart is evil, but that it is inclined +to evil. Upon this authority the quibblers distort or set aside those +passages of Paul where he says that all are children of wrath (Eph 2, +3) that all have sinned (Rom 5, 12) and are under sin (Rom 3, 9). They +argue from our passage as follows: Moses does not say that human +nature is evil, but that it is prone to evil; this condition, call it +inclination or proclivity, is under the control of free will, nor does +it force man toward the evil, or (to use their own words) it imposes +no constraint upon man. + +66. Then they proceed to find a reason for this statement and declare +that even after the fall of man, there remains in him a good will and +a right understanding. For the natural powers, say they, are +unimpaired, not only in man but even in the devil. And finally they so +twist Aristotle's teachings as to make him say that reason tends +toward that which is best. Some traces of these views are found also +in the writings of the Church fathers. Using Psalms 4, 6 as a basis, +where the prophet says, "Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy +countenance upon us," they distinguish between a higher part of reason +which inquires concerning God, and a lower part employed in temporal +and civil affairs. Even Augustine is pleased with this distinction, as +we stated above when discussing the fall of man. + +67. But if only a spark of the knowledge of God had remained +unimpaired in man, we should be different beings by far from what we +now are. Hence, those quibblers who pick flaws in the plain statements +of Paul are infinitely blind. If they would carefully and devoutly +consider that very passage as they read it in their Latin Bible, they +would certainly cease to father so bad a cause. 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 youth. This is +the case especially in the sixth chapter (vs 5) where he says that the +whole thought of his heart was bent on evil continually, meaning +thereby that he purposes what is evil, and that in inclination, +purpose and effort he inclines to evil. For example; an adulterer, +whose desires are inflamed, may lack the opportunity, the place, the +person, the time, and nevertheless be stirred by the fire of lust, +unable to dwell upon anything else. In this manner, says Moses, does +human nature always incline toward evil. Can, then, the natural powers +of man be said to have remained unimpaired, seeing that man's thoughts +are always set upon evil things? + +68. 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 works, +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 +teach, contrary to Scripture, that man's natural powers are uninjured, +and that man, by nature, is not under wrath or condemnation. +Notwithstanding, it appears that they turn against their own +absurdity. Although the natural powers of man are uninjured, yet they +maintain that, to become acceptable, grace is required; in other +words, they teach that God is not satisfied with man's natural +goodness, unless it be improved by love. + +69. But what is the need to argue longer against the madness of the +sophists, since we know the true meaning of the Hebrew text to be, not +that man's mind and thoughts are inclined to evil, but that the +imagination of the human heart is evil from youth? + +70. By imagination, as I stated several times before (ch 6, para 148), +he means reason itself, together with the will and the understanding, +even when it dwells upon God, or occupies itself with most honorable +pursuits, be they those of State or Home. It is always contrary to +God's law, always in sin, always under God's wrath, and it cannot be +freed from this evil state by its own strength, as witness Christ's +words: "If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free +indeed," Jn 8, 36. + +71. If you wish a definition of the word "man" take it from this text +teaching that he is a rational being, with a heart given to +imagination. But what does he imagine? Moses answers, "Evil"; that is, +evil against God or God's Law, and against his fellow man. Thus holy +Scriptures ascribe to man a reason that is not idle but always +imagines something. This imagination it calls evil, wicked, +sacrilegious, while the philosophers call it good, and the quibblers +say that the natural gifts are unimpaired. + +72. Therefore this text should be carefully noted and urged against +the caviling quibblers: Moses declares the imagination of the human +heart to be evil. And if it be evil, the conclusion is natural that +the natural gifts are not unimpaired, but corrupted: Inasmuch as God +did not create man evil, but perfect, sound, holy, knowing God, his +reason right and his will toward God good. + +73. Seeing we have clear testimony to the fact that man is evil and +turned away from God, who would be mad enough to say that the natural +gifts in man remain unimpaired? That would be practically saying that +man's nature is unimpaired and good even now, whereas we have +overwhelming evidence in our knowledge and experience that it is +debased to the utmost. + +74. From that wicked theory there have sprung many dangerous and some +palpably wicked utterances, for instance, that when man does the best +in his power, God will unfailingly give his grace. By such teaching +they have driven man, as by a trumpet, to prayer, fasting, +self-torture, pilgrimages and similar performances. Thus the world was +taught to believe that if men did the best that nature permitted, they +would earn grace, if not the grace "de merito," at least that "de +congruo." A "meritum congrui" (title to reward based upon equity) they +attribute to a work which has been performed not against but in +accordance to the divine law, inasmuch as an evil work is subject not +to a reward but a penalty. The "meritum condigni" (a title to reward +based upon desert) they attribute not to the work itself but to its +quality as being performed in a state of grace. + +75. Another saying of this kind is the declaration of Scotus that man +by mere natural powers may love God above all things. This declaration +is based upon the principle that the natural powers are unimpaired. He +argues as follows: A man loves a woman, who is a creature, and he +loves her so immoderately that he will imperil his very life for her +sake. Similarly, a merchant loves his wares, and so eagerly that he +will risk death a thousand times if only he can gain something. If +therefore, the love of created things is so great, though they rank +far below God, how much more will a man love God who is the highest +good! Hence, God can be loved with the natural powers alone. + +76. A fine argument, indeed, and worthy of a Franciscan monk! For he +shows that, though he is a great teacher, he does not know what it +means to love God. Nature is so corrupt that it can no longer know God +unless it be enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God; how then can +it love God without the Holy Spirit? For it is true that we have no +desire for what we do not know. Therefore, nature cannot love God whom +it does not know, but it loves an idol, and a dream of its own heart. +Furthermore, it is so entirely fettered by the love of created things +that even after it has learned to know God from his Word, it +disregards him and despises his Word. Of this the people of our own +times are an example. + +77. Such foolish and blasphemous deliverances are certain proof that +scholastic theology has degenerated into a species of philosophy that +has no knowledge of God, and walks in darkness because it disregards +his Word. Also Aristotle and Cicero, who have the greatest influence +with this tribe, give broad instructions concerning moral excellences. +They magnify these exceedingly as social forces since they recognize +them as useful for private and public ends. In nowise, however, do +they teach that God's will and command is to be regarded far more than +private or public advantage (and those who do not possess the Word are +ignorant of the will of God). Quite plainly the scholastics have +fallen victims to philosophical fancies to such an extent as to retain +true knowledge neither of themselves nor of God. This is the cause of +their lapse into such disastrous errors. + +78. And, indeed, it is easy to fall after you have departed from the +Word; for the glitter of civil virtues is wonderfully enticing to the +mind. Erasmus makes of Socrates almost a perfect Christian, and +Augustine has unbounded praise for Marcus Attilius Regulus, because he +kept faith with his enemy. Truthfulness indeed is the most beautiful +of all virtues, and in this case another high commendation is added in +that there was combined with it love of country, which in itself is a +peculiar and most praiseworthy virtue. + +79. You may find men of renown not famous for truthfulness. +Themistocles, for instance, did not have this virtue though he was a +heroic man and did his country great service. That is the reason why +Augustine admires Attilius, finding his reason and will to be utterly +righteous, that is as far as it is possible for human nature to be. +Where, then, is vice in this case? Where is wickedness? The hero's +work surely cannot be censured. + +80. First, Regulus knew not God, and, although his conduct was right, +it is still to be seen whether a theologian should not censure his +motive. For to his zeal in behalf of his country is added the thirst +for glory. He evinces contempt for his life so as to achieve immortal +glory among those to live after him. Contemplating, therefore, merely +his life's dream, as it were, and the outward mask, it is a most +beautiful deed. But before God it is shameful idolatry; because he +claims for himself the glory of his deed. And who would doubt that he +had other failings besides this thirst for glory? Attilius cannot +claim the great virtues of truthfulness and love of country without +tending violently and insanely toward wickedness. For it is wicked for +him to rob God of the glory and to claim it for himself. But human +reason cannot recognize this spoliation of the Deity. + +81. A distinction must be made between the virtues of the heathen and +the virtues of Christians. It is true that in both instances hearts +are divinely prompted, but in the former ambition and love of glory +afterward defile the divine impulse. + +82. If now, an orator should come forth, who would dilate upon the +efficient cause, but disguise the ultimate and vicious one, would it +not be apparent to every one that with the two most potent causes, the +formal (that which gives moral value to an act) and the ultimate one, +disguised, an eloquent man could extol such a wretched shadow of a +virtue? But a man apt in logic will readily discover the deception; he +will observe the absence of the formal cause, namely the right +principle, there being no true knowledge of God nor of the proper +attitude toward him. He sees, furthermore, that the final cause is +vicious, because the true end and aim, obedience to God and love of +neighbor, is not taken into consideration. But what kind of virtue is +that where nearly every cause is lacking except the natural cause, +which is a passion, an impetus or impulse, by which the soul is moved +to show loyalty to an enemy? These impulses, as I said, are found also +in the ungodly. If exercised for the good of the country, they become +virtues; if for its injury, they become vices. This Aristotle sets +forth very skillfully. + +83. I refer to these things that students of sacred literature may +make special note of this passage, which advisedly declares human +nature to be corrupt. For those make-believe virtues, found among the +heathen, seem to prove the contrary--that some part of nature has +remained as it was originally. Hence there is need of careful judgment +in order to distinguish in this matter. + +84. Moses adds, "from his youth," because this evil is concealed +during the first period of life and sleeps, as it were. Our early +childhood so passes that reason and will are dormant and we are +carried along by animal impulses, which pass away like a dream. Hardly +have we passed our fifth year when we affect idleness, play, +unchastity, and evil lust. But we try to escape discipline, we +endeavor to get away from obedience, and hate all virtues, especially +of a higher order as truth and justice. Then reason awakes out of a +deep sleep, as it were, and sees certain kinds of pleasure, but not +yet the true ones, and certain kinds of evils, but not yet the most +powerful ones, by which it is held captive. + +85. Where, then, the understanding has attained to maturity, not only +the other vices are found to have grown strong, but there are joined +to them now sexual desire and unclean passion, gluttony, gambling, +strife, rape, murder, theft, and what not? And as the parents had to +apply the rod, so now the government must needs use prison and chains +in order to restrain man's evil nature. + +86. And who does not know the vices of a more advanced age? They march +along in unbroken file--love of money, ambition, pride, perfidy, envy, +and others. These vices are so much the more harmful as at this age we +are more crafty in concealing and masking them. Hence, the sword of +government is not sufficient in this respect; there is need of hell +fire for the punishment of crimes so manifold and great. Justly, then, +did Moses say above (ch 6) that the human heart, or the imagination of +the heart, is only evil each day--or at all times--and here again, +that it is evil from youth. + +87. The Latin version, it is true, makes use of a weaker term; yet it +says enough by stating that it is inclined toward evil, just as the +comic dramatist says that the minds of all men are inclined to turn +from labor to lust, Ter Andr 1, 1, 51. But those who try to misuse +this expression for the purpose of making light of original sin, are +shown to be in the wrong by the common experience of mankind; chiefly, +however, that of the heathen, or ungodly men. For if spiritual men, +who surely enjoy divine help from heaven, can hardly hold their ground +against vices and be kept within the bounds of discipline, what can +any man do without this help? If divine aid contends against the +captivity of the law of the flesh only with fierce struggles (Rom 7, +22-23), how insane is it to dream that, without this divine help, +human nature can withstand corruption? + +88. Hence reason of itself does not decide upon the right, nor does +the will, of itself, strive after the same, as a blind philosophy +declares which does not know whence these fearful impulses to sin +arise in children, youths, and old men. Therefore it defends them, +calls them emotions or passions only, and does not call them natural +corruption. + +89. Furthermore, in noble men, who check and control these impulses, +it calls them virtues; in others who give the reins to their desires, +it calls them vices. This is nothing less than ignorance of the fact +that human nature is evil. The Scriptures, on the contrary agree with +our experience and declare that the human heart is evil from youth. +For we learn by experience that even holy men can scarcely stand firm; +yea that even they are often entangled by gross sins, being +overwhelmed by such natural corruptions. + +90. The term _ne-urim_ denotes the age when man begins to use his +reason; this usually occurs in the sixth year. Similarly, the term +_ne-arim_ is used to denote boys and youths who need the guidance of +parents and teachers up to the age of manhood. 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 teachers, how +diligent we were in studying, how persevering we were, how often our +parents punished our sauciness. Who can say for himself that he was +not much more pleased to go out for a walk, to play games, and to +gossip, than to go to Church in obedience to his parents? + +91. Although these impulses can be corrected or bridled to a certain +extent by discipline, they cannot be rooted out of the heart +altogether, as the traces of these impulses show when we are grown. +There is truth in that unpolished lie: "The angelic youth becomes +satanic in his older years." God, indeed, causes some persons to +experience emotions which are naturally good; but they are induced by +supernatural power. Thus Cyrus was impelled to restore the worship of +God, and to preserve the Church. But such is not the tendency of human +nature. Where God is present with his Holy Spirit, there only, the +imagination of the human heart gives place to the thoughts of God. God +dwells there through the Word and the Spirit. Of such, Moses does not +speak here, but only of those who are without the Holy Spirit; they +are wicked, even when at their best. + +V. 21e. _Neither will I again smite any more everything living, as I +have done._ + +92. Moses clearly speaks of a general destruction, like that which was +caused by the flood. From this it does not follow that God will also +abstain from partial destruction, and that he will take no heed of +anybody's sin. There will also be an exception in the case of the last +day, when not only all living things will be smitten, but all creation +will be destroyed by fire. + +V. 22. _While the earth reigneth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and +heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease._ + +93. Following this text, the Jews divide the year into six parts, each +comprising two months, a fact which Lyra also records in this +connection. But it seems to me that Moses simply speaks of the promise +that we need not fear another general flood. During the time of the +flood such confusion reigned that there was no season, either of +seedtime or harvest, and by reason of the great darkness caused by the +clouds and the rain, day could not readily be distinguished from +night. We know how heavy clouds obscure the light. How much greater, +then, was the darkness when the waters, lying under the clouds like a +mirror, reflected the darkness of the clouds into the faces and eyes +of the beholders! + +94. The meaning, accordingly, is simply that God here promises Noah +the imminent restoration of the earth, so that the fields might again +be sowed; that the desolation caused by the flood should be no more; +that the seasons might run their course in accordance with regular +law: harvest following seedtime, winter following summer, cold +following heat in due order. + +95. This text should be carefully remembered in view of the common +notions concerning the signs before the last day. Then, some declare, +there will be eclipses of I know not how many days duration. They say +foolishly that for seven years not a single woman will bring forth a +child, and the like. But this text declares that neither day nor +night, neither summer nor winter, shall cease; therefore these natural +changes will go on, and there will never be an eclipse which will rob +human eyes of an entire day. + +96. Nor is it a phrase devoid of meaning when he says, "While the +earth remaineth," for he gives us to understand that the days of this +earth shall sometime be numbered, and other days, days of heaven, +shall follow. As long, therefore, as the days of the earth endure, so +long shall the earth abide, and with it the rotation of seasons. But +when these days of the earth shall pass, then all these things shall +cease, and there shall follow days of heaven, that is, eternal days. +There shall be one Sabbath after the other, when we shall not be +engrossed with bodily labor for the purpose of gaining a livelihood; +for we shall be as the angels of God, Mk 12, 25. Our life will be to +know God, to delight in God's wisdom and to enjoy the presence of God. +This life we attain through faith in Christ, in which the eternal +Father may mercifully keep us, through the merit of his son, our +Savior, Jesus Christ, by the ruling and guidance of the Holy Spirit. +Amen. Amen. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +I. GOD BLESSES NOAH AND THE RACE. + + A. MARRIAGE STATE BLESSED 1-5. + + 1. Why this blessing necessary 1. + + 2. Wedlock established twice 2. + + 3. Evidence of God's love to the human race 3. + + 4. Did this blessing pertain to Noah 4. + + * Bearing of children a special blessing of God unknown to the + heathen 5. + + +I. GOD BLESSES NOAH AND THE RACE. + +A. Marriage State Blessed. + +V. 1. _And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be +fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth._ + +1. This consolation was indeed needed after the whole human race had +been destroyed by the flood and only eight souls were saved. Now Noah +knew that God was truly merciful, since, not content with that first +blessing which he had bestowed upon mankind in the creation of the +world, he added this new blessing, that Noah might have no misgivings +whatever in regard to the future increase of his posterity. And the +joy brought by this promise was all the greater for God's emphatic +promise on a previous occasion, that he would never again visit +mankind with such severe punishment. + +2. In the first place, then, this chapter renews the establishment of +marriage. God, by his Word and command, joins male and female for the +purpose of repopulating the earth. Inasmuch as God had been roused to +anger before the flood by the sin of lust, it was now needful, by +reason of that fearful proof of wrath, to show that God does not abhor +the lawful cohabitation of man and woman, but that it is his will to +increase mankind by this means. + +3. The fact that God had expressed it as his will that the human race +should be propagated through a union between man and woman, an end +which could have been attained from stones had he failed to approve +such union as lawful, after the manner of Deucalion of whom the poets +fable--this fact tended to furnish Noah sure evidence that God loved +man, and desired his welfare, and that now all anger was at an end. +Therefore this passage illustrates the dignity of wedlock, which is +the foundation of the family and State, and the nursery of the Church. + +4. 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 afterwards, and +therefore this promise was valueless. To this I reply that this +promise was given, not to Noah alone, but also to his sons, even to +all mankind; so that the expectation of offspring was entertained even +by the grandsire Noah. + +5. This passage, furthermore, tends to convince us that children are a +gift of God and a result of his blessing, as is shown in Psalms 127, +3. The heathen, who know nothing of God's Word, ascribe the increase +of mankind partly to nature and partly to chance, in view of the fact +that those who are evidently most fit for procreation often remain +without offspring. Hence, they do not thank God for this gift, nor do +they receive their children as a blessing from God. + + +B. MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS 6-31. + + 1. Whether animals feared man before the flood 6-7. + + 2. Relation between this use and dominion and of what they give + evidence 7-9. + + 3. This use and rule a special blessing of God 8-10. + + * Whether the custom of slaying cattle dates from the beginning of + the world 10-11. + + 4. Whether Adam knew of this use and dominion 12. + + 5. This use of animals is evidence of God's love to the human race + 13. + + * God's blessings greater than his wrath 13. + + 6. Whether this use extends to unclean animals 14-15. + + 7. How man's fear of animals and their wildness and cruelty can + exist with this dominion 16-18. + + * New sins accompanied by new punishments 19-20. + + * Sodom before and after its destruction 21. + + * God's punishment of Wittenberg, Bruges and Venice, and the cause + 22-23. + + * God's command not to eat blood. + + a. Why given 24. + + b. How to treat this text, which contains God's Word 25. + + * Meaning of Nephesch and Basar 26. + + c. Right understanding of the command 27. + + * The words, "Surely your blood will I require" etc. + + a. Lyra's and the Rabbis' explanation, 28-29. + + b. Their true meaning 30-31. + + +B. MAN'S USE OF AND DOMINION OVER ANIMALS. + +V. 2. _And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every +beast of the earth, and upon every bird of the heavens; with all +wherewith the ground teemeth, and all the fishes of the sea, into your +hand are they delivered._ + +6. It would seem that the dominion of man is here increased for his +greater consolation. For though after the creation man was given +dominion over all animals, yet we do not read that the beasts feared +and fled from him according to the description of Moses. The reason is +found in the fact that heretofore the animals were not destined to be +man's food; man had been a kind ruler of the beasts, not a killer and +eater. + +7. Here, however, they are subjected to man as a tyrant with unlimited +power of life and death. Since the servitude of the beasts is +increased and the power of man over them extended, the animals are +harassed by terror and fear of man. We see even the tamed ones do not +readily allow themselves to be handled; they feel the mastery of man +and have a constant instinct of danger. I do not believe that such was +the case before this Word of God was spoken. Before that time, men +used suitable animals for their work and for sacrifice, but not for +food. This increase of power also is a token of God's favor; he +confers a privilege unknown to the patriarchs, as a token of his love +and interest in man. + +8. We must not undervalue this boon authority over the beasts; for it +is a special gift of God, of which the heathen knew nothing, because +they lack the Word. We are the ones who derive the greatest benefit +from this gift. When this revelation was given to Noah, and such a +privilege granted, there was really no need of it. A few men possessed +the whole earth, so that its fruits were to be enjoyed by them in +abundance and it was not necessary to add the flesh of beasts. But we +today could not live altogether on the fruits of the earth; it is a +great boon to us that we are permitted to eat the flesh of beasts, of +birds and of fish. + +9. This word, therefore, establishes the butcher's trade; it puts +hares, chickens, and geese upon the spit and fills our tables with all +manner of dishes. Necessity makes men industrious. Not only do they +hunt the animals of the forests, but carefully fatten others at home +for food. God in this passage establishes himself a slaughterer, as it +were, for by his word he consigns to slaughter and death those animals +which are suitable for food, as recompence to God-fearing Noah for his +tribulations during the flood. For that reason would God feed Noah +with lavish hand. + +10. We must not think that this privilege was not divinely ordered. +The heathen believe that this custom of slaughtering animals always +existed. Such things are established, or rather permitted, by the Word +of God; beasts could not have been killed without sin if God had not +expressly permitted it by his Word. It is a great liberty for man to +slaughter all kinds of beasts fit for food and eat them without +wrong-doing. Had but a single kind of beasts been reserved for food, +it would still have been a great boon; how much more should we value +this lavish blessing, that all beasts suitable for sustenance are +given into the power of man! + +11. The godless and the gentiles do not recognize this; nor do the +philosophers. They believe that this privilege has always been man's. +As for us, however, we should have full light on the subject, in order +that our consciences may enjoy both rest and freedom in the use of +what God has created and allowed, there being absolutely no law +against such food. There can be no sin in their use, though the wicked +priests have criminally burdened the Church on this subject. + +12. In this passage, then, the power of man is increased and the brute +beasts are committed to him, even unto death. They fear man and flee +him under the new order, running counter to the experience of the +past. Adam would have been averse to killing even a small bird for +food. But now, since the promulgation of this Word, we know that, as a +special blessing, God has furnished our kitchens with all kinds of +meat. Later on he will also take care of the cellar by showing man how +to cultivate the vine. + +13. These are sure proofs that God no longer hates man, but favors +him. This story bears witness that, as God's wrath, once aroused, is +unbearable, so his mercy is likewise endless and without measure when +it again begins to glow. But his mercy is the more abundantly +exercised because it is the very nature of God, while wrath really is +foreign to God; he takes it upon himself contrary to his nature and +forced thereto by the wickedness of men. + +V. 3. _Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the +green herb have I given you all._ + +14. Here a question arises. In chapter 7, 2, Moses showed the +difference between clean and unclean beasts; here, however, he speaks +of all animals, without any distinction. Did God, then, permit man to +use also the unclean animals for food? + +15. The statement as such is general: every moving thing that moveth +upon the earth. There are some who believe that men at the time of +Noah made no distinction between clean and unclean animals as regards +food. But I hold a different opinion. For since such difference had +been established before that time and was carefully observed in the +Law afterward, I believe that men used only clean beasts for food; +that is, such as were offered in sacrifice. Hence the general +declaration must be understood with a modification: Everything that +liveth and moveth, of clean beasts, is to be food for you. For, in +general, human nature loathes serpents, wolves, ravens, mice, and +dormice, though certain tribes may be found who relish even these +animals. The fear and terror of man is upon all beasts of the earth, +because he is allowed to kill them; but it does not follow that man +uses them all for food. It is probable that Noah ate clean beasts +only; and only clean beasts, he knew, were acceptable to Jehovah in +sacrifice. + +16. But there is another thing hard to understand. How can it be that +the terror and fear of man is upon all animals when wolves, lions, +bears, wild boars, and tigers devour men, and are rather a terror to +men? So with the entire family of serpents, from which we flee at a +glance. What shall we say here? Is the Word of God untruthful? I +answer: Though we, being aware of our danger, flee from such beasts +and are afraid of them, yet they, likewise, fear man. Even the +fiercest beasts become terrified and flee at the first sight of man; +but when they become enraged they overcome man by reason of their +bodily strength. + +17. But, you say, why do they fear when they are stronger? I answer: +They know that man is endowed with reason, which is more powerful than +any beast. The skill of man masters even elephants, lions, and tigers. +Whatever man's bodily strength is unable to do, that he accomplishes +by his skill and his reasoning powers. How would it otherwise be +possible for a boy of ten years to control an entire herd of cattle? +Or for man to guide a horse, an animal of singular fierceness and +strength, to go in whatever direction he desires, now urging it +forward and then compelling it to a more moderate gait? All these +things are done by man's skill, not by his strength. Hence, we do not +lack clear proofs that the fear of man remains upon the beasts, which +harm man when they become enraged, and for that reason are feared by +him. + +18. I have no doubt, however, that at the time of Noah and the +patriarchs immediately succeeding, this fear in the beasts was +greater, because righteousness then flourished and there was less of +sin. Afterward, when holiness of life declined and sin increased, man +began to lose this blessing, and the wild beasts became a punishment +for sin. Moses threatens in Deut 32, 34 that God would send upon them +the teeth of beasts. How fearful, also, was the plague of the fiery +serpents in the desert! Num 21, 6. Bears tore to pieces the lads who +mocked the prophet, 2 Kings 2, 24. Why did the beasts here lose their +fear of man? Why did they rage against man? Was not sin the cause? + +19. Therefore, as stated before, when new sins arise, new punishments +will also arise. So we see that in our day disease and misfortunes +heretofore rare become general, like the English sweat, the locusts +which in the year 1542 devastated great stretches of land in Poland +and Silesia, and other examples. + +20. In like manner, God promised seasons of seeding and of harvest, of +heat and cold, and yet he does not so close his eyes to our sins that +the seasons, both of seeding and of harvest, are not subject to +climatic disturbances, such as the fearful drouth of the year 1504 and +the almost unending rains of the two following years. Considering the +wickedness of our age, why should we wonder that the blessing gives +place to a curse, so that the beasts, which would fear us were we not +wicked, are now a terror unto us and harmful? + +21. The country of the Sodomites was like a paradise; but by reason of +sin it was turned into a sea of asphalt; and those who have seen that +country tell us that most beautiful apples grow there, but when they +are cut open they are found to be filled with ashes and offensive +odor. The reason for this is that the Sodomites did not acknowledge +the gifts of God who blessed them, but misused them according to their +own will. Furthermore, they blasphemed God, and persecuted his saints, +being haughty by reason of those good gifts. Therefore the blessing +was taken away, and everything became curse-ridden. This is the true +explanation of the fact that, though there are signs of terror in wild +animals, we are nevertheless afraid of them, and they inflict harm +upon us. + +22. I am quite certain that very wicked men once lived in this country +of ours; how could we otherwise explain the parched soil and barren +sands? Names also show that the Jews at one time peopled this country. +Where bad people live, there the land gradually grows bad by the curse +of God. + +23. The city of Bruges in Flanders used to be a renowned port; but +from the time when they held King Maximilian captive, the sea +retreated, and the port ceased to exist. Of Venice they say the same +thing today. Nor is this very astonishing, since to the numberless +sins of rulers of the State, defence of idol worship and persecution +of the Gospel was added. + +V. 4. _But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, +shall ye not eat._ + +24. What we have heard so far, referred to domestic matters; now God +adds a commandment pertaining to civil government. 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 herb, growing in the field, 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 blood. Hence, he now adds a new law, +that human blood must not be shed, and at the same time he curtails +the liberty of eating flesh; he forbids them to eat flesh which has +not first been drained of blood. + +25. The Hebrew text presents many difficulties, and, for this reason, +interpreters are at variance. It is needless to recite all renderings +of this verse. I steadily follow the rule that the words must explain +the things, not the things the words. Hence, I spend no time upon the +ideas of those who explain the words according to their own +inclinations, making them serve the preconceived notions which they +bring to their literature. + +26. Let us first look at the meaning of the words. _Rephesh_ properly +denotes a body with a soul, or a living animal, such as the ox, the +sheep, man, etc. It denotes not merely the body, but a living body, as +when Christ says: I lay down my life for the sheep, Jn 10, 15. Here +the word "life" means nothing else than the life animating the body. +_Basar_, however, means flesh, which is a part of the material +element, and yet has its breath and its energy, not from the body, but +from the soul. For the flesh or the body, of itself and without the +soul, is an inanimate thing, like a log or a stone; but when it is +filled with the breath of the soul, then its fluids and all bodily +forces assume activity. + +27. God here forbids the eating of a body which still contains the +stirring, moving, living soul, as the hawk devours chickens, and the +wolf sheep, without killing them, but while still alive. Such cruelty +is here forbidden by Jehovah, who sets bounds to the privilege of +slaughtering, lest it be done in so beastly a manner that living +bodies or portions thereof be devoured. The lawful manner of +slaughtering is to be observed, such as was followed at the altar and +in religious rites, where the beast, having been slain without cruelty +and duly cleansed from blood, was finally offered to God. I hold that +the simple and true meaning of the text, which is also given by some +Jewish teachers, is that we must not eat raw flesh and members still +palpitating, as did the Laestrygones and the Cyclopes. + +V. 5. _And surely your blood, the blood of your lives, will I require; +at the hand of every beast will I require it: and at the hand of man, +even at the hand of every man's brother, will I require the life of +man._ + +28. Here the Hebrew text is even more difficult than in the foregoing +verse. Lyra, quoting the Rabbins, finds four kinds of manslaughter +indicated here; he divides the statement into two parts, and finds a +twofold explanation for each. He understands the first part to mean +those who lay murderous hands upon themselves. If this is correct, +then this passage is a witness for immortality; for how could God call +to account a person who, being dead, no longer exists? Hence, +punishment of sin after this life could be indicated here. But it +seems to me that philology militates against this explanation. Though +I do not lay claim to a perfect knowledge of the Hebrew tongue, yet I +am certain that such a meaning is not here apparent. + +29. The second kind of murder, he illustrates by the custom of +throwing human beings before wild beasts, as was done aforetime in the +theatres, truly a barbaric spectacle, repulsive to all human feeling; +the third kind is murder at the instigation of another; the fourth, +murder of a relative. + +30. This distinction would be quite satisfactory if it could be proven +from the words of the text; but it is a Jewish invention born of their +hatred of the Roman laws. It is much simpler to understand this +passage as a general prohibition of murder, according to the fifth +commandment, which says, "Thou shalt not kill." God desires not even a +beast to be killed, except for a sacred purpose or for the benefit of +man. Much less does he permit taking the life of man, except by divine +authority, as will be explained hereafter. + +31. In the first place, then, wilful and wicked slaughter is +forbidden. Culture is opposed to the wanton killing of animals and to +the eating of raw meat. In the second place God forbids homicide of +any description; for if God will require the blood of a murdered human +being from the beast that slew him, how much more relentlessly will he +require it at the hand of man? Thus this passage voices the sentiment +of the fifth commandment, that no one shall spill human blood. + + +II. LAW CONCERNING MAN'S SLAUGHTER; GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH; THE + RAINBOW 32-68. + + A. LAW CONCERNING SLAYERS OF LIFE. + + 1. If it existed before the flood 32. + + 2. Relation of the flood to this law 33. + + 3. This the source of all human laws 34-36. + + 4. When and how this law can be executed 35. + + * Why is it well to observe that government was instituted by + God 36-37. + + 5. In what respect is it a great blessing from God 37. + + 6. How is government a proof of God's love to man 38. + + 7. Why God gave this command, and why he punishes man-slaughter + 39. + + 8. Hereby a new police and a new order are instituted 40. + + * Verdict of philosophy and of reason on civil authority 41. + + * Verdict of God's Word 42. + + 9. This law applies to all men 43. + + 10. Why God is such an enemy of man-slaughter, and so earnestly + forbids it 44-45. + + 11. The conclusion that God loves life 46. + + +II. THE LAW AGAINST TAKING LIFE; GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH; THE +RAINBOW. + +A. The Law Against Taking Life. + +V. 6a. _Who sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed._ + +32. Here the carelessness of the Latin translator deserves reproof; +for he omitted the very necessary expression "by man." The difference +between the time before and that after the flood is thus brought out. +When Cain had murdered his brother Abel, God revered human blood so +highly that he threatened to visit sevenfold punishment upon anyone +who should kill Cain. He would not have the slayer of man put to death +even by due process of law; and though Adam punished the sin of his +son severely by casting him out, he did not dare to pronounce sentence +of death upon him. + +33. But here Jehovah establishes a new law, requiring the murderer be +put to death by man--a law unprecedented, because heretofore God had +reserved all judgment to himself. When he saw that the world was +growing worse and worse, he finally enforced punishment against a +wicked world by the flood. Here, however, God bestows a share of his +authority upon man, giving him the power of life and death, that thus +he may be the avenger of bloodshed. Whosoever takes man's life without +due warrant, him God subjects not only to his own judgment, but also +to the sword of man. Though God may use man as his instrument in +punishing, he is himself still the avenger. Were it not for the divine +command, then, it would be no more lawful now to slay a murderer than +it was before the flood. + +34. This is the source from which spring all civil laws and the laws +of nations. If God grants man the power of life and death, he +certainly also grants power in matters of lesser importance--power +over property, family, wife, children, servants and fields. God wills +that these things shall be under the control of certain men, who are +to punish the guilty. + +35. We must remember well that between the power of God and of men +there is this difference: God has the power to slay us when the world +cannot even accuse us--when before it we are innocent. Sin is born +with us; we are all guilty before God. Men have no authority to slay +except where guilt is apparent and crime is proven. 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 passed. + +36. Heed, then, this passage. It establishes civil authority as God's +institution, with power, not only of life and death, but jurisdiction +in matters where life is not involved. Magistrates are to punish the +disobedience of children, theft, adultery, perjury--all sins which are +forbidden in the second table. He who grants jurisdiction over the +life of man, at the same time grants judgment over lesser matters. + +37. 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 power, for the purpose that license may +be curbed and anger and other sins inhibited from growing beyond all +bounds. Had God not granted this power to man, what kind of lives, I +ask you, would we lead? He foresaw that wickedness would ever +flourish, and established this external remedy to prevent the +indefinite spread of license. By this safeguard God protects life and +property as by a fence and a wall. + +38. We find here no less a proof of God's great love toward man than +his promise that the flood shall never again rage, and his promise +that flesh may be eaten for the sustenance of human life. + +V. 6b. _For in the image of God made he man._ + +39. This is the powerful reason why God does not wish men to be killed +by private arbitrament. Man is a noble creature, who, unlike other +living beings, has been fashioned according to the image of God. While +it is true that he has lost this image through sin, as we have seen +above, it is capable of being restored through the Word and the Holy +Spirit. This image God desires us to revere in each other; he forbids +us to shed blood by the exercise of sheer force. But he who refuses to +respect the image of God in man, and gives way to anger and +provocation, those worst counselors of all, as some one has called +them, his life is surrendered to civil authority in forfeit, by God, +in that God commands that also his blood shall be shed. + +40. Thus the subject under consideration teaches the establishment of +civil authority in the world, which did not exist before the flood. +Cain and Lamech--and this is a case in point--were not slain, though +the holy patriarchs were the arbiters, judges, of public action. But +in this Scripture they who have the sword, are commanded to use it +against those who have shed blood. + +41. Thus the problem is here solved that worried Plato and all sages. +They concluded that it is impossible to administer government without +injustice, because all men occupy the same level of dignity and +position. Why did Caesar rule the world? Why did others obey him, +since he was only human like themselves--no better, no stronger and +liable to die as soon as themselves? He was subject to the same +conditions as all men. Hence it seems to be tyranny for him, who was +quite similar to other men, to usurp rulership among men. If he is +like other men it is the highest wrong and injustice to ignore this +similarity, and to foist his rule by force upon others. + +42. This is the conclusion at which reason arrives and it cannot +entertain any view to the contrary. But we, having the Word, can see +that we must oppose to such reasoning the command of God, the author +of this order of things. Accordingly, it is for us to render obedience +to the divine order and to endure it, so that to our other sins this +may not be added, that we are disobedient to the will of God at the +very point where we derive benefit in so many ways. + +43. To sum up, this passage permits the slaughter of animals for +religious and personal use, but it emphatically forbids the taking of +man's life, because man is made in the image of God. Those who violate +his command he gives into the hands of the authorities to be slain. + +V. 7. _And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly +in the earth, and multiply therein._ + +44. The slaughter of animals having been granted, not only for +sacrifice, but also for food, and the killing of human beings having +been forbidden, we are given the reason why God regards the shedding +of human blood with so much aversion. He desires mankind to multiply +on the earth; but the slaughter of men lays the earth waste and +produces a wilderness. We see this in case of war. God did not create +the earth without purpose. He intended it to be inhabited, Is 45, 18. +He makes it fruitful by rain and sunshine for man's benefit. Therefore +he is displeased with those who remove from the earth its inhabitants. +His will is life, and not death, Ps 30, 5. + +45. These and similar sayings of the prophets are based upon promises +like we find here, that God commands man to multiply. Plainly he is +more inclined to give life and to do good than to be angry and to +kill. If it were otherwise, why should he forbid the taking of human +life? Why should pestilence be of rare occurrence? Pestilence and +general epidemics occur scarce once in ten years. Men are born, +animals grow, and crops without end are growing continually. + +46. All these facts go to show that God loves, not death, but life. He +created man, not that he should die, but that he should live; "but +through the envy of the devil did death enter the world," Sap 2, 24. +But even after the fall, the blessings which remain are so guarded as +to render the conclusion inevitable that God loves life rather than +death. + +It is well for us to ponder these matters very often; thus, as Solomon +has truly said, Jehovah shall be to us a fountain of blessings. Prov +18, 22. + + +B. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH 47-55. + + * Why the same thing is repeated 47. + + 1. Whether this covenant applies to man alone or also to the + animals 48. + + 2. Whether this covenant applies to the men and animals of that day + only 49. + + * God always connected signs with his promises 49. + + * The significance of these to our first parents 49-50. + + 3. Nature of this covenant 51. + + * Characteristics of a humble heart and God's dealings with it + 52-54. + + 4. This covenant given for man's comfort and as a proof of God's + love 53-54. + + 5. It is a comfort to us at present 55. + + +B. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH. + +Vs. 8-11. _And God spake unto Noah, and his sons with him, saying, And +I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after +you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the +cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of +the ark, even every beast of the earth. And I will establish my +covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the +waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to +destroy the earth._ + +47. Previously we at various times explained this massing of words. +When the Holy Spirit is prolix, there is a cause for it. Let us +therefore, consider what fear, 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 frequency. + +48. When, in addition it is remembered that the covenant here spoken +of does not pertain to man alone but embraces every living soul, we +recognize that the promise does not relate to the seed but merely, to +this bodily life, enjoyed by man in common with the beasts; this God +will not destroy by another flood. + +Vs. 12-16. _And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I +make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, +for the perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it +shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it +shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow +shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is +between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the +waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow +shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember +the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all +flesh that is upon the earth._ + +49. The term "perpetual generations" deserves particular notice; it +embraces not only man and beast at that time, but all their offspring +down to the end of the world. We learn another thing from this +passage. God usually confirms his promise with an outward sign. 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 +guardianship. + +50. Some offer the following apt allegorical explanation. As the skin +of the dead sheep keeps warm our body, so Christ, having died, keeps +us warm by his Spirit, and will, on the last day, raise us up and give +us life. Others say that the skins were selected as a sign of +mortality. But this seems unnecessary; all our life reminds us of +mortality. More expedient was a token of life, suggesting the blessing +and favor of God. The office of such tokens is to console, not to +terrify. So was the sign of the rainbow given, a supplement of the +promise. + +51. In chapter 8, 21-22, God says in his heart that he repents of that +terrible punishment, and promises that he will not repeat it, because +the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. If he should +desire to so punish evil, there would be need of a flood every day. +Here he again sends forth his Word to mankind, through an angel, or +possibly through the mouth of Noah, promising that no flood shall +hereafter come upon the earth. That the promise is repeated so often +is evidence of God's endeavor, in loving kindness, to remove man's +fear of punishment and to set before him a hope of blessing and utmost +mercy. + +52. Such consolation Noah and his loved ones required. One who has +been humbled by God cannot forget the wound and the pain. Chastening +is longer remembered than blessing. Boys are a case in point. The +tender mother, having chastised her child with the rod, endeavors to +calm him with toys and other allurements, yet the memory of pain +lingers, and the child cannot restrain frequent sighs and bitter sobs. +How much more difficult for the conscience to accept solace after +having felt the wrath of God and the fear of death! So firmly fixed +are these in the mind that the soul trembles and fears in spite of +gifts and consolations offered. + +53. So God here shows his good will in manifold ways and feels +singular joy in pouring forth mercy. 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 face. + +54. Hence figures are employed, and words are massed and the subject +is presented in a clearer and clearer light, in order to adapt the +consolation to the needs of the wretched people who, for an entire +year, had been witnesses of the immeasurable wrath of God. They could +not be delivered from fear and terror by an occasional word. There was +need of repeating the promise with much exposition to dry their tears +and to soften their grief. For, though they were saints, they were +flesh, even as we are. + +55. Likewise we in our day need this consolation. At all times when +the elements rage, 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 God. +The rainbow shows itself to this day for the purpose of symbolizing +that, henceforth, there shall never be another general flood. And this +promise requires, on our part, the faith that we trust God, in his +mercy, will never bring another great flood upon us. + + +C. THE RAINBOW. + + 1. Can it be assigned to natural causes 56-58. + + * What to think of the fiery meteors 59-60. + + 2. Can it be caused by the position of the clouds 60. + + 3. The rainbow witnesses of God's wrath and of his goodness 61. + + 4. Did it exist before the flood? + + a. Opinion of those believing it did, and their reasons 62. + + b. Luther's opinion that it was a new creation 63. + + c. Solomon's words, "There is nothing new", do not apply here + 64. + + 5. Rainbow to be viewed as a new creature and as God's sign-board + 65. + + 6. Colors of the rainbow. + + a. What are they and their number 66. + + b. What do they signify 67. + + 7. To what end should the rainbow serve us 68. + + +C. THE RAINBOW. + +56. They further dispute whether the natural causes in the rainbow +signify this. It is well known that philosophers, especially Aristotle +in his book on Meteors, use all sorts of arguments on the color of the +rainbow, on the character of the clouds where it is produced, and on +its curvature. Quite appropriately the resemblance is noted between a +mirror, which reflects an image, and the moist and arched cloud, which +catches the rays of the sun, and by reflection produces the rainbow. +Reason sees in such phenomena what appears to it most probable, but it +does not discover the truth everywhere. That is not in the power of +the creature but of the Creator alone. As for me, I have never given +to any book less credence than to that on meteors, the basic principle +of which is the assumption that natural causes explain everything. + +57. Some declare the rainbow to be a forerunner of a storm lasting +three days, which I am ready to admit, but this much is certain, that +it signifies that there will never be another flood. However, it +derives this signification, not from any natural causes but only from +the Word of God. Its meaning is such, only because God orders and +declares it to be so through his Word. Circumcision was a token that +the seed of Abraham were the people of God; yet circumcision did not +have this meaning in itself, but only through the Word which was +joined with it. Again, the clothing of skin signified life and safety, +not because they contained this guarantee by nature, but because God +had promised it. So, the significance of the rainbow that the flood +shall not return, is not based upon the Word of God. + +58. I do not altogether ignore theories along the lines of natural law +concerning these matters; but since they are not substantiated, I +place little trust in them. The reasoning of Aristotle regarding the +humid and hollow cloud as the cause of the rainbow is not reliable, +such clouds may exist without producing a rainbow. Again, according to +the greater or lesser density of the medium, the bow may appear wider +or narrower. I have seen here at Wittenberg a circular rainbow, +forming a complete ring, not simply an arch terminating on the surface +of the earth, as rainbows generally appear. Why, then, do rainbows +assume different forms at different times? A philosopher, I suppose, +will think of some reason; for he will consider it a disgrace not to +be able to assign a reason for all things. But indeed, he will never +persuade me to believe that he speaks the truth. + +59. The only consistent and incontrovertable view to take is that all +these phenomena are either works of God or of evil spirits. I have no +doubt that the dancing goats (stars), the flying serpents, fiery +lances, and the like, are produced by evil spirits, which thus gambol +in the air, either to terrify or to deceive men. The flames which +appear on board of ships were thought by the heathen to be Castor and +Pollux. Sometimes the image of a moon appears above the ears of +horses. It is certain that all these things are due to the antics of +evil spirits in the air, though Aristotle believes them to be luminous +air, just as he also declares that a comet is shining vapor. + +60. To me it appears that we shall move with greater security and +certainty, when, arguing from cause to effect, we conclude that the +comet blazes, when it pleases God, as a sign of calamity, just as the +rainbow glows, when it pleases God as a sign of mercy. Who can compute +all the causes which produce the appearance of the rainbow in such +diversity of beautiful color, and in the form of an arch of perfect +curvature? The arrangement of the clouds alone surely does not produce +this perfection. Hence it is by the will and the promise of God, and +fulfilling his pleasure, that the rainbow is a sign to man and beast +that there will nevermore at any time be a flood. + +61. In recognition of this token we ought to give thanks to God. As +often as the rainbow appears, it proclaims to the world with a loud +voice, as it were, the story of the wrath of God, which once destroyed +the world by a flood. And it proclaims solace for us, so that we may +conclude that God is propitious to us henceforth and will never again +visit upon us so fearful a punishment. It teaches both the love and +the fear of God, the highest virtues, of which philosophy knows +nothing. Philosophy only disputes about material and formal causes. It +does not know the final cause of this most beautiful creation. But +theology does explain it. + +62. In this connection also the question has received much attention +whether the rainbow existed from the beginning. And in this +controversy much force has been displayed. Since it is written above +(ch 2, 23) that God created heaven and earth in six days, and then +rested from all his works, some conclude that the rainbow existed from +the beginning. Otherwise it would follow that creation extended beyond +those six days. What, however, occurred in Noah's time is this, that +the rainbow, created in the beginning, was selected by God and made, +through a new word, a fixed symbol, having existed hitherto without +special significance. To support this view, they even quote the word +of Solomon that "there is no new thing under the sun," Ec 1, 9. On +this they base their argument that after those six days no new thing +has been created. + +63. My opinion is quite the contrary--that the rainbow never had +existed before; it was then and there created. Thus, the coats of skin +with which God clothed the first parents certainly were not created in +those six days, but after man's fall; hence, they were a new creation. +The statement that God rested, must not be interpreted to mean that he +created nothing thereafter; for Christ says, "My Father worketh even +until now, and I work," Jn 5, 17. + +64. Solomon's statement that there is no new thing under the sun, has +given much trouble to the learned. But is it not apparent that it +refers not to the works of God, but to original sin, meaning that the +same reasoning powers Adam had after the fall are found in man +today--the same debates concerning morals, vices, virtues, the nurture +of the body and the transaction of business? As the comic poet has it, +speaking of another matter, "Nothing is said that has not been said +before." Really, within the sphere of man's activity and effort there +is nothing new; the same words, thoughts, designs, the same emotions, +griefs, affections and incidents exist now which always existed. +Consequently it is quite inappropriate, in consequence to apply this +aphorism to God and his works. + +65. Therefore, I believe that the rainbow was a new creation, not seen +in the world before that time. It was established to remind the world +of the bygone wrath, traces of which are still seen in the rainbow, +and to give assurance of the mercy of God. It is a record, or picture +in which both the bygone wrath and the present mercy are revealed. + +66. There is also a difference of opinion as to the colors of the +rainbow. Some say there are four colors: the fiery, the bright yellow, +the green and the color of water, or blue. But I think there are only +two, those of fire and water. The fiery color is above, unless the +rainbow is seen reversed; then, as in a mirror, that which is above is +seen below. Where the hues of fire and water meet, or blend, yellow +results. + +67. The colors have been thus arranged by God for a definite purpose. +The blue should be a reminder of bygone wrath; the fiery color, a +picture to us of the future judgment. While the interior or blue +portion is restricted, the outer and fiery color is without bounds. +Thus, the first world perished by the flood, but an end was set to +God's wrath. A remnant was preserved and a second world arose, but +bounds are set to it. When God shall destroy the world by fire, this +bodily life will never be restored. The wicked will suffer the +everlasting punishment of death in the fire, while the saints will be +raised up unto a new and everlasting life, which, though in the body, +shall not be of the body, but of the spirit. + +68. Let this sign teach us to fear God and to trust in him. So may we +escape the punishment of fire, even as we have escaped the punishment +of the flood. It will be more practical to think of these things than +to consider those philosophical arguments concerning the material +cause. + + +III. ALLEGORIES 69-132. + + A. ALLEGORIES IN GENERAL 69-81. + + 1. Luther at first given to allegories 69-70. + + 2. How and why monks and Anabaptists esteem them so highly 71. + + 3. How we should regard them 72. + + 4. Are they to be entirely rejected 73. + + 5. Some are, and others not 74-76. + + 6. How to regard Origen's, Augustine's and Jerome's allegories + 77-78. + + 7. Pope's allegories of the sun, moon and ark 79-80. + + 8. What to think of the doctrine of these allegories 81. + + +III. CONCERNING ALLEGORIES. + +A. Allegories in General. + +69. At last we have finished the story of the flood, which Moses +satisfactorily describes at great length. It is a fearful example of +the immeasurable and all but boundless wrath of God, which is beyond +the power of human utterance. There remains to be said a word or two +concerning its allegorical meaning. I have often declared that I take +no great pleasure in allegories, although in my younger days they had +such a fascination for me that I thought everything ought to be shown +to have an allegorical meaning. I was influenced in this respect by +the example of Origen and Jerome, whom I admired as the greatest of +all theologians. I may add that Augustine also uses the allegory quite +frequently. + +70. But while I followed the example of these men, I discovered at +last that, to my great loss, I had followed a shadow, and had +overlooked the very sap and marrow of the Scriptures. Thereupon I +began to hate allegories. They are pleasing, to be sure, especially +when they contain happy allusions. They may be compared to choice +pictures. But as much as real objects with their native hues surpass a +picture, even though it should glow, as the poet has it (stat silo V. +1, 5), with Apelles-like colors, closely copied from nature, so much +the historical narrative itself is superior to the allegory. + +71. In our day the ignorant mob of the Anabaptists is as much filled +with immoderate craving for allegory as are the monks. They love to +delve in the more mysterious books, such as the Revelation of John, +and that worthless fabrication passing under the title of the second +and third books of Esdras. For, there you are at liberty to follow +your fancy as you please. We recall that Muntzer, the seditious +spirit, turned everything into allegory. But true it is, that he who, +without judgment, makes allegories or follows those made by others, +will not only be deceived but sustain deplorable injury, as there are +examples to prove. + +72. Allegories must either be avoided altogether or be worked out with +the best judgment. They must conform to the rule followed by the +apostles, of which we shall soon have occasion to speak. Let us avoid +falling into those ugly and baneful absurdities, not only of those who +are misnamed theologians, but also of the Canonists, or rather +Assinists, of which the decretals and decisions of that most +detestable master, the pope, are an example. + +73. This statement, however, must not be taken for a general +condemnation of all allegory. Christ and the apostles made use of +allegories at times. These, however, were in keeping with the faith +according to the injunction of Paul (Rom 12, 6) that prophecy, or +doctrine, should be according to the proportion of faith. + +74. When we put the allegory under the ban, we confine ourselves to +that species which, with the setting aside of scriptural warrant, is +altogether the product of man's mind and fancy. Those which are tested +by the analogy of faith, serve not only as ornaments of the doctrine +but also as consolation for the soul. + +75. Peter turns this very story of the flood into a most beautiful +allegory, saying that baptism is symbolized by the flood, and saves +us. For, in it not only the filth of the flesh is washed away, but +conscience makes good answer toward God through the resurrection of +Jesus Christ, who is enthroned at the right hand of God and has +destroyed death in order to make us heirs of eternal life; who, +moreover, is gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being +made subject unto him, 1 Pet 3, 21-22. This is, indeed, a theological +allegory, in accordance with faith, and full of solace. + +76. Such is also the allegory of Christ in John 3, 14, concerning the +serpent lifted up in the wilderness and the healing of those bitten by +the serpent's tooth who gazed upon it. Again, there is that one by +Paul (1 Cor 10, 1), All our fathers did drink from the same spiritual +rock, etc. Such allegories as these not only agree with the matter +itself, but also instruct the heart in faith and are a help to the +conscience. + +77. But take a look at the ordinary allegory of Jerome, Origen and +Augustine. These men, when they create an allegory, leave faith +altogether out of consideration, and merely air philosophical +opinions, foreign alike to the sphere of faith and to that of morals; +not to speak of the fact that they are quite silly and a mass of +absurdities. + +78. In a former chapter (ch 3. paras 61, 298, 304), we heard of +Augustine's allegory concerning the creation of man and woman, by +which he illustrates the higher and the lower attributes of man, that +is, reason and the emotions. But, I ask you, what is the value of this +figment? + +79. The pope, however, carries away the real honors for piety and +learning when he thunders from his high seat as follows: God made two +great lights, the sun and the moon; the sun represents the authority +of the pope, from which his imperial majesty borrows its light as the +moon does from the sun. Away with such rash impudence and vicious +ambition! + +80. In a similar style the ark, of Noah's story, is compared to the +Roman Catholic Church, in which is found the pope with his cardinals, +bishops, and prelates, while the laymen are swimming in the sea. That +is, the laymen are altogether given to earthly business and would not +be saved did not those helmsmen of the ark, or Church, cast boards and +ropes to the swimmers, drawing them into the ark by these means. +Pictures of this nature were frequently painted by monks to represent +the Church. + +81. Origen shows more sanity than the papists, in that his allegories +conform to moral standards, as a rule. Yet, he ought to have kept in +view the rule laid down by Paul, who demands that prophesy is to be +the guardian of faith; for faith is edifying and the proper sphere of +the Church. Rules governing morals can be laid by even heathen +philosophers who know nothing whatever concerning faith. + + +B. ALLEGORIES IN DETAIL 82-132. + + 1. Allegory of the baptism of the Israelites under Moses; the ark + and the flood 82ff. + + * Points of likeness and unlikeness in the death of believers and + unbelievers 84-86. + + * In what way is death to be conquered 87. + + * How all temptations are to be overcome and believers be + preserved 88-90. + + 2. Allegories of the ark's proportions 91-92. + + 3. Allegories of the sun and moon 93. + + * To what all allegories should point 94. + + 4. Allegory of the cup 95-96. + + 5. Allegory of the dove Noah sent out of the ark 97-99. + + 6. Allegory of the raven Noah sent forth. + + a. Thoughts of the fathers on this point 100. + + b. The correct allegory of the raven 101-116. + + * The law and the teachings of the law 101-116. + + (1) How illustrated by the raven 102-105. + + * Luther's opponents falsely accuse him of forbidding good + works 106-107. + + (2) They are no better than the intelligent moralists among + the heathen 108-110. + + (3) They cannot quiet the conscience 111. + + * The raven a perfect representative of the Papists + 112-113. + + (4) How the Papists make the unrighteous righteous and + condemn the righteous 114-115. + + 7. Allegories of the doves in detail 116-124. + + * Characteristics of the dove 116. + + a. First dove sent forth. + + (1) A figure of the office of grace 117. + + (2) A figure of the Old Testament prophets 118-119. + + b. Second dove returned with the olive leaf. + + (1) A figure of New Testament preachers 120-122. + + * The fanatics and Anabaptists wait in vain for new + revelations 121. + + * Nature of true Gospel preachers 122. + + (2) A figure of the New Testament 123. + + c. Third dove did not return 124ff. + + 8. Allegory of the seven days Noah waited after he sent forth the + first dove 125. + + 9. Allegory of the evening the dove returned 126-127. + + * Several things to be remembered in this connection. + + (1) Allegories are not to have a world-wide treatment like + the articles of faith 128. + + (2) Defects in the allegories of the fathers 129-130. + + * Lyra is to be preferred to all commentators 131. + + (3) Right use of allegories 132. + + +B. ALLEGORIES IN DETAIL. + +82. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul says (1 Cor 10, 2) that the +Israelites "were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." +If you regard only the outward circumstance and the words, even +Pharaoh was baptized, but he perished with his men, while Israel +passed through safe and unharmed. Noah and his sons were saved in this +baptism of the flood, while all the rest of the world, being outside +of the ark, perished thereby. Such a way of speaking is appropriate +and forcible. "Baptism" and "death" are interchangeable in Scripture. +Paul says (Rom 6, 3): "All we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were +baptized into his death," and Jesus says, "I have a baptism to be +baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" (Lk +12, 50). And to his disciples he said, "Ye shall ... be baptized with +the baptism that I am baptized with" (Mt 20, 23). + +83. In this sense the Red Sea was a baptism indeed. It represented to +Pharaoh death and God's anger. Yet though Israel was baptized with the +same baptism, they passed through it unharmed. So the flood is truly +death and the wrath of God, and yet, the faithful are saved in the +midst of the flood. Death engulfs and swallows all mankind; for, the +wrath of God smites both the good and the bad, the pious and the +wicked, without distinction. The flood was sent upon Noah the same as +upon the rest of the world. The Red Sea that engulfed Pharaoh was the +same as that through which Israel passed unharmed. But in both cases +the believers are saved while the wicked perish. That is the point of +difference. The ark was Noah's salvation, and it was but an expression +of the promise and Word of God. In these he had life, but the wicked, +who believed not the Word, were left to perish. + +84. This is the difference which the Holy Spirit desired to bring out, +so that the righteous, warned by this example, might believe and hope +for salvation through the mercy of God in the very midst of death. +They consider baptism as bound together with the promise of life, as +Noah did the ark. Therefore, though the wise man and the fool must +suffer the same death--for Peter and Paul die, not otherwise than Nero +and other wicked persons die--yet the righteous believe that in death +they will be saved unto eternal life. And this hope is not vain, for +they have Christ, who receives their souls, and will, on the last day, +raise up also the bodies of his believers unto eternal life. + +85. This class of allegory is of great service, and tends to comfort +the heart when you consider the contrast in the ultimate outcome. The +testimony of the material eye would seem to confirm the statement of +Solomon (Ec 2, 16) that the wise man dieth as the fool, that the +righteous man dieth as though he were not the beloved of God. But the +eyes of the soul must view this point of difference, that Israel +enters into the Red Sea and is saved, while Pharaoh, pressing upon the +heels of Israel, is overwhelmed by the waves and perishes. It is the +same death, then, which takes away the righteous and the wicked, and +almost always the end of the former is ignominious, while that of the +latter is attended by elements of splendor and power; but in the eyes +of God, while the death of sinners is deplorable, that of his saints +is precious, for it is consecrated by Christ, through whom it becomes +the beginning of eternal life. + +86. As the flood and the Red Sea were instruments to save Noah and +Israel from death, so to us, death is but the instrument to give us +life, if we remain in faith. When the children of Israel were in +utmost peril, suddenly the sea parted and rose on the right side and +on the left, like an iron wall, so that Israel passed through without +danger. Why was it? In order that so death might be made to serve +life. Divine power overcomes the assaults of Satan. Thus it was in +Paradise. Satan purposed to slay all mankind by his venom. But what +happens? By reason of the truly happy guilt of our first parents, as +the Church sings, it comes to pass that the Son of God became +incarnate to free us from evil. + +87. This allegory, then, beautifully teaches, strengthens and consoles +us, enabling us to fear neither death nor sin, but to despise all +perils, giving thanks to God that he has so called and dealt with us +that even death, the universal destroyer, is compelled to be a servant +of life, just as the flood, an occasion of destruction to the rest of +the world, was one of salvation for Noah; and the Red Sea, when +Pharaoh met his doom, served to save the children of Israel. + +88. What has been here expressed, finds application to the subject of +temptation in general, so that we learn to despise dangers and be +hopeful even where no hope seems to remain. When death or any other +danger is imminent, we should rise to meet it, saying: Behold, here is +my Red Sea; here is my flood, my baptism and my death. Here my +life--as the philosopher said of the sea-farers--is removed from death +barely by a hand's breadth. But fear not; this danger is as a handful +of water opposed to the flood of grace which is mine through the Word. +Therefore death will not destroy me, but will lift me and bear me to +life. Death is so utterly incapable of destroying the Christian, that +it constitutes the very escape from death. For bodily death ushers in +the emancipation of the spirit and the resurrection of the flesh. +Thus, Noah in the flood was not borne by the earth, nor by trees, nor +by mountains, but by the very flood which destroyed the total +remainder of the human race. + +89. Well may the prophets often extol those wonderful works of +God--the passage through the Red Sea, the exodus from Egypt, and the +like. For the sea, which by its nature can only devour and destroy, is +forced to part and rise and protect the Israelites, lest they be +overwhelmed by its tides. That which in its very nature is wrath, +becomes grace to the believer; that which in reality is death, becomes +life. Therefore, whatever calamity comes--and this life has it in +infinite measure--to threaten our property and our lives, it will all +become salvation and joy if we only are in the ark; that is, if by +faith we lay hold of the promise made in Christ. Then even death, by +which we are removed, must be turned into life, and the hell, which +swallows us, into a way to heaven. + +90. Therefore Peter says (1 Pet 3, 21) that we are saved by the water +in baptism, which was prefigured by the flood. The water which streams +about us, or the plunge into it, is death, and yet from this death or +plunge, life results by virtue of the ark of safety--the Word of +promise to which we cling. The inspired Scriptures set forth this +allegory, which is not only free from weaknesses but of service in +every way, and worthy of our careful attention, since it offers +wonderful consolation even in the utmost perils. + +91. The fathers have added another allegory taken from the form and +dimensions of the ark. The human body, measured from the top of the +head to the sole of the foot, is six times as long as it is wide. Now, +the ark, which was fifty cubits wide, measured six times as much in +length, namely 300 cubits. Hence, they say, the ark typifies Christ +the man, in whom all promises center. Therefore, those who believe in +him are saved even in the midst of the flood, that is, in death +itself. + +92. This conception is both appropriate and beautiful; above all, it +agrees with faith. Though there may be a mistake in the application, +the groundwork is strong and secure. There is no doubt that the Holy +Spirit found various ways to illustrate the promises to be fulfilled +in Christ, and the wonderful counsel of salvation for mankind through +faith in Christ. Hence, allegories of this nature, though lacking in +aptness, are not necessarily wicked and a source of offense. + +93. If one were to say the sun represents Christ, while the moon +represents the Church, which receives its light by the grace of +Christ, he might possibly be mistaken in his choice of illustration, +yet his error is based, not upon an erroneous, but upon a sure +foundation. But when the pope declares the sun represents the papal +authority, while the moon represents the emperor's, then not only the +application is inapt and foolish, but the very foundation is evil. +Such allegories are not conceived and invented by the Holy Spirit, but +by the devil, the spirit of lies. + +94. Allegories must have some application to the promises and the +doctrine of faith if they are to comfort and strengthen the soul. +Peter's allegory teaches us this. Because Peter saw that Noah was set +free in the midst of death and that the ark was an instrument of life, +the ark was rightly applied to typify Christ. Only divine power can +save in the midst of death and lead unto life. The Scriptures declare +that to God belong the issues from death, (Ps 68, 21), and he makes +death the occasion, yea, even an aid to life. + +95. This has given rise to expressions used in Scripture, where +afflictions and perils are likened to a cup that intoxicates. This is +an apt and vivid figure of speech. So the passion of Christ is called +a draught from a brook (Ps 110, 7), meaning that it is a medicinal +draught or mixture, which, though bitter, is healing in its bitterness +and gives life by causing death. Such soothing words serve to console +us that we may learn to despise death and other perils and meet them +with greater readiness. + +96. Satan, also, has his cup; but it is sweet, and inebriates unto +nausea. He who, attracted by its sweetness, drinks it, loses his life +and dies the eternal death. Such was the cup the Babylonians drained, +as the prophet has it (Jer 25, 15-27). Let us, therefore, accept the +cup of salvation with thanksgiving, and, as Paul declares of +believers, rejoice in tribulation (Rom 5, 3). + +97. Having explained this figure of the ark and the meaning of the +flood according to the canonical Scriptures, we will say something +also about the other features of this story--about the raven which did +not return, and the doves, the first of which returned because she +found no resting-place for her foot, while the second brought back +with her a twig from an olive tree, and the third did not return +because the earth was no more covered by water. + +98. In our treatise on the narrative proper, we stated that these +things occurred to be a consolation for Noah and his sons; to assure +them that God's wrath had passed and that he was now pacified. The +dove did not bring the olive branch of her own volition. She +miraculously obeyed divine power. So the serpent in paradise spoke, +not of its own volition, but through the inspiration of the devil, who +had taken possession of it. As, on that occasion, the serpent, by the +devil's prompting, spoke, with the result that man was led into sin, +so, on this occasion, it was not its own volition or instinct which +moved the dove to bring the olive branch, but the prompting of God, in +order that Noah might gain comfort from the pleasant sight. For the +olive does not supply the dove with food; she prefers the several +species of wheat or pease. + +99. The incident of the dove, then, is a miraculous occurrence with a +definite meaning. The prophets in their messages concerning the +kingdom of Christ, frequently make mention of doves (Ps 68, 13) and +(Is 60, 8). Solomon also in his Song seems to mention the dove with +particular pleasure. Therefore, we should not despise the picture this +allegory holds before us, but treat its truth skillfully and aptly. + +100. The allegory of the raven, invented by the doctors, is well +known. Because ravens delight in eating dead bodies, they have been +taken as a likeness of carnal men, who delight in carnal pleasures and +indulge in them. The Epicureans were an example. A very fair +explanation but inadequate, because it is merely of that moral and +philosophical sort which Erasmus was in the habit of giving after the +example of Origen. + +101. We must look for a theological explanation. In the first place, +those moralists fail to observe that Scripture commends the raven for +not leaving the ark of his own will. He went out at the bidding of +Noah, to ascertain if the waters had ceased and if God's wrath was +ended. The raven, however, did not return, neither did he become a +messenger of happy omen. He remained without the ark, and, though he +came and went, yet he did not suffer himself to be taken by Noah. + +102. In all these points the allegory fittingly typifies the ministry +of the Law. Black, the color of the bird, is a token of sadness, and +the sound of his voice is unpleasant. This is true of the teachers of +the Law, who teach justification by works. They are the ministers of +death and sin, Paul calling the ministry of the Law a ministry of +death, (2 Cor 3, 6). The Law is unto death (Rom 7, 10). The Law +worketh wrath. (Rom 4, 15.) The Law entered that trespass might +abound. (Rom 5, 20). + +103. And yet, Moses was sent forth by God with the Law, just as the +raven was sent out by Noah. It is God's will that mankind be taught +morality and holiness of life, and that wrath and sure punishments be +announced to all who transgress the Law. Nevertheless, such teachers +are naught but ravens wandering aimlessly about the ark; nor do they +have the certain assurance that God is pacified. + +104. For, the Law is a teaching of such character that it cannot +assure, strengthen and console an uneasy conscience, but rather +terrifies it, since it only teaches what God requires of us, what he +wishes to be performed by us. Our consciences bear witness against us +that we not only have failed to carry out the will of God as set forth +in the Law, but that we have done the very contrary. + +105. With all justice, therefore, we may say of the teachers of the +Law, in the words of Psalms 5, 9: "There is no certainty in their +mouth." Our translation has it "There is no faithfulness in their +mouth." Their teaching at its best can only say: If you do this, if +you do that, you will be saved. Christ speaks ironically when he +answers the scribe who had grandly set forth the doctrine of the Law, +by saying, "This do, and thou shalt live" (Lk 10, 28). He shows the +scribe that the doctrine is holy and good, but since we are corrupt, +it follows that we are guilty, since we do not, and cannot, fulfil the +Law. + +106. Hence, we declare rightly that we are not justified by the works +of the Law. By the works of the Law we mean, not the ceremonial +commandments, but those highest commandments of all, to love God and +our neighbor. The reason we are not justified is that we cannot keep +the commandments. We have reason, however, 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 works. +This would be true if we did not admit that the raven was sent forth +from the ark by Noah. But we do say that the raven was sent out from +the ark. And this we deny, that it was not a raven, or that it was a +dove. All the clamor, the abuse, the blasphemy of our opponents have +no other purpose than to force us to declare that the raven was a +dove. + +107. But now examine their books and carefully consider their +doctrine. Is it anything but a doctrine of works? This is good, this +is honorable, they say; this you must do; the other is dishonorable +and wicked, hence you must not do it. On the strength of such +teaching, they believe themselves to be true theologians and doctors. +But let them show us the person who either has done or will do all +those things, especially if you present, not only the second table of +the Law, as they do, but also the first one. + +108. He who takes his stand upon this doctrine of the Law, then, is +truly nothing but a hearer. He does not learn anything except its +demands. Since such persons have no desire to learn anything further, +it should suffice for them if they are given the poem of Cato, or +given Esop, whom I consider a better teacher of morals. These two +writers are profitable reading for young men. Older persons should +study Cicero, who, to my astonishment, is considered by some as +inferior to Aristotle in the sphere of ethics. This would be a +rational course of study. So far as imparting moral precepts is +concerned, the good intentions and the assiduity of the heathen must +be commended. Yet they are inferior to Moses. He sets forth not only +morality, but also teaches the true worship of God. Nevertheless, he +who places his trust solely in Moses has nothing but the raven +wandering aimlessly about outside of the ark. Of the dove and the +olive branch, he has nothing. + +109 The raven, then, represents not only the Law given by God, but all +laws and all philosophy which are the product of human reason and +wisdom. They tell us no more than what ought to be done and do not +provide the strength to do it. The judgment of Christ is true: "When +ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are +unprofitable servants" (Lk 17, 10). + +110. True the raven is sent out. God desires the Law to be taught. He +reveals it from heaven; yea, he writes it upon the hearts of all men, +as Paul proves (Rom 2, 15). From this inherent knowledge originated +all writings of the saner philosophers, of Esop, Aristotle, Plato, +Xenophon, Cicero and Cato. And these are not unfit to set before +untrained and vicious persons, that their vile tendencies may be +curbed to some extent. + +111. If, however, you seek for peace of conscience and for certain +hope of eternal life, such philosophers are like the raven, which +wanders around the ark, finding no peace outside, but not looking for +it within. Paul says of the Jews, "Israel, following after a law of +righteousness, did not arrive at that law" (Rom 9, 31). The reason for +this is in the fact that the Law is like the raven; it is either the +ministry of death and sin or it produces hypocrites. + +112. Now, let those who wish, follow out this allegory by studying the +nature of the raven. It is an impure bird, of somber and funereal +color, with a strong beak and a harsh, shrill voice. It scents dead +bodies from a great distance, and therefore men fear its voice as a +certain augury of an impending death. It feeds upon carrion and enjoys +localities made foul by public executions. + +113. Though I would not apply each and every one of these +characteristics to the Law, yet who does not see how well they fit the +servants of the Pope, the mass-priests and the monks, who were not +only richly fed upon the slaughter of consciences by their false +doctrines, but also used the dead bodies to obtain their livelihood, +since they made a paying business out of their vigils, their +anniversaries, their purifying water used in burials, and even of +purgatory itself. And surely, this devotion to the dead was more +profitable to them than their care of the living. + +Truly, then, they are ravens, feeding on corpses and sitting upon them +with wild cries. Not only may the popish priests be fitly likened to +the ravens, but indeed the whole ministry of the papacy, where it is +at its best, does nothing but to gash and murder consciences. It does +not show the way to true righteousness, but merely makes hypocrites, +as does the Law. + +114. Among other crimes of false prophets, Ezekiel enumerates (ch 13, +19) the fact that, for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, +they slay souls that should not die, and save the souls alive that +should not live. This is true of these ravens, the teachers of the +Law. They call those righteous who live according to the letter of the +Law, and yet these are the very souls which do not live. On the other +hand, they condemn those who violate their traditions, just as the +Pharisees condemned the disciples when they plucked ears of corn, when +they did not wash their hands and when they failed to fast. This is an +outcry, fierce and dismal, reminding us of ravens which sit upon +corpses. + +115. When cursing a wicked person, the Greeks said, "To the ravens!" +Similarly, the Germans use the expression, "May the ravens devour +you." If we make this curse an element of the allegory, its serious +character becomes evident. For what is more deplorably disastrous than +to have teachers, the outcome of whose best teaching is death, and who +ensnare the conscience with difficulties that cannot be disentangled? +Though some say this allegory of the raven is inaptly applied to the +priesthood, it is true nevertheless and agrees with the fundamental +truth, and it is not only most apt, but very profitable for +instruction. + +116. On the other hand, the incident of the dove is a most delightful +picture of the gospel, especially if you carefully consider the +characteristics of the dove. Ten of these are usually enumerated: 1. +It is without guile. 2. It does not harm with its mouth. 3. It does +not harm with its claws. 4. It gathers pure grains. 5. It nourishes +the young of others. 6. Its song is a sigh. 7. It abides by the +waters. 8. It flies in flocks. 9. It nests in safe places. 10. Its +flight is swift. These ten characteristics have been set forth in six +verses, as follows: + + Free from guile is the dove; the bite of her beak does not injure; + Wounds her claws do not strike; pure is the grain that she eats. + Frequent and swift is her flight to shining courses of water. + List to her voice, and lo! sighs you will hear but no song! + Other nestlings she rears; in swarms she flies through the ether. + Safe is the place and high where she prepares her abode. + +117. The New Testament tells us the Holy Spirit appeared in the form +of a dove (Mt 3, 16). Hence, we are justified in using the dove as an +allegory of the ministry of grace. + +118. Moses implies that the dove did not fly aimlessly about the ark, +as did the raven, but having been sent out and finding no place to +rest, it returned to the ark and was seized by Noah. + +119. This dove is a picture of the holy prophets sent to teach the +people; but the flood, that is, the time of the Law, had not yet +passed away. Thus David, Elias, Isaiah, though they did not live to +see the time of the New Testament, were yet sent as messengers with +the tidings that the flood would eventually be brought to an end, +though that time was at a distance. Having delivered their message, +they returned to the ark; that is, they were justified and saved +without the Law, by faith in the blessed seed, in which they believed +and for which they longed. + +120. After this, another dove was sent forth, which found the earth +dried, and not only the mountains, but also the trees, standing free +from water. But she alighted upon an olive tree, plucked a branch, and +brought it back to Noah. + +121. The allegorical meaning of this incident is interpreted by the +Scriptures. The olive tree is very often used as a symbol of grace, of +mercy or of forgiveness of sins. The dove brings the branch in her +beak, thus typifying the outward ministry, or the spoken Word. For the +Holy Spirit does not teach by new revelations aside from the ministry +of the Word, as the enthusiasts and Anabaptists, those truly fanatical +teachers, dream. It was the will of God that a branch from a living +olive tree should be carried to Noah in the mouth of the bird, to +teach that in the New Testament, the time of the flood or anger being +past, God desires to set his mercy before the world by the spoken +Word. + +122. The messengers of this Word are doves; that is, sincere men, +without guile, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 60, 8, likens +ministers of the Gospel or of grace to doves which fly to their +windows. And, though Christ commands them to imitate the harmlessness +of doves, Mt 10, 16, meaning that they should be sincere and free from +venom, yet, he admonishes them to be wise like serpents; that is, they +should be wary of false and cunning people, and cautious like the +serpent, which is said to shield its head with special skill in a +fight. + +123. The green freshness of the olive branch, also, is a type of the +Word of the Gospel, which endureth forever and is never without fruit. +Psalms 1, 3 likens those who study the Word to a tree, the leaves of +which do not wither. We heard nothing like this above concerning the +raven, which flew to and fro near the ark. This second dove which was +sent forth is a type of the New Testament, where grace and the +forgiveness of sins are promised openly through the sacrifice of +Christ. This is why the Holy Spirit chose to appear in the form of a +dove in the New Testament. + +124. The third dove did not return. After the fulfilment of the +promise given the whole world through the mouth of the dove, no new +teaching is to be looked for, but we simply await the revelation of +those things which we believe. Herein is certain testimony for us that +the Gospel will endure unto the end of the world. + +125. The text, furthermore, specifies the time Noah waited after he +had first sent forth a dove, namely, seven days. These seven days +typify the time of the Law which, of necessity, preceded the period of +the New Testament. + +126. We read, likewise, that the second dove returned at dusk, +carrying the olive branch. To the Gospel the last age of the world has +been assigned. Nor should we look for another kind of doctrine, for it +is to an evening meal that Christ compared the Gospel (Mt 22, 2; Lk +14, 16). + +127. True, the doctrine of the Gospel has been in the world since the +fall of our first parents, and the Lord confirmed this promise to the +patriarchs by various signs. The first ages knew nothing of the +rainbow, nor of circumcision, nor of other signs afterward ordained by +God. But all ages have known of the blessed seed. Since it has been +revealed, there remains nothing else than the revelation of that which +we believe. With the third dove, we shall fly away to that other life, +never to return to the life here, so wretched and so full of grief. + +128. These are my thoughts concerning this allegory. I have set them +forth briefly, for we must not tarry with them as we do with +historical narratives and articles of faith. + +129. Origen, Jerome, Augustine, and Bernard seek diligently for +allegories. But this practice has one drawback. The more attention +they direct to allegories, the more do they draw it away from the +facts of sacred history and from faith, to the exclusion of these more +important things. Allegories should be employed for the purpose of +inducing and increasing, of explaining and strengthening, that faith +of which all the stories treat. It is not to be wondered at, that +persons who do not seek faith in the stories of the Bible, look for +the region of allegorical shades as a pleasant playground in which to +stroll about. + +130. Just as in the popish Church false and unscriptural words are +rendered in sweet music, so learned men have too often spoiled the +good meaning of a Bible story, which contains a useful lesson of +faith, by their childish allegories. + +131. I have often spoken of the kind of theology that prevailed when I +began to study. Its advocates said that the letter killeth (2 Cor 3, +6). Therefore I disliked Lyra most of all interpreters, because he +followed the literal meaning so carefully. But now I prefer him, for +this very reason, to all interpreters of Scripture. + +132. I advise you as strongly as I can to fully appreciate the great +value of the Bible history. But whenever you wish to employ allegory, +take pains to follow the analogy of faith; that is, make the allegory +agree with Christ, with the Church, with faith, with the ministry of +the Gospel. If constructed in this manner, allegories will not go +astray from faith, even though they may not be genuine in every point. +This foundation shall remain firm, while the stubble perishes. But let +us return to our story. + + +IV. NOAH AND HIS FALL. + + A. NOAH. + + 1. Noah's character before the flood 133. + + 2. Noah's character after the flood 134. + + 3. Way Noah executed his office as bishop 135. + + 4. Way he executed his office as a civil ruler 136. + + +IV. NOAH AND HIS FALL. + +A. Noah. + +Vs. 20-22. _And Noah began to be a husbandman, and planted a vineyard; +and he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within +his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his +father, and told his two brethren without._ + +133. What manner of man Noah was during the flood, is shown +sufficiently by the story of the flood itself. What manner of man he +had been before the flood, is shown by Moses' declaration that he was +righteous and perfect. Great as this man was, we hear nothing else +about him, 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 age. This very fact shows that +human nature was by far stronger in its integrity at that time, and +that the Holy Spirit held more perfect sway in the holy men of the +early world than He does in us who are, as it were, the dregs and the +remnants of the world's production. + +It surely was a commendatory record for Noah to be accorded righteous +and perfect before God; that is, full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, +adorned with chastity and all good works, pure in worship and +religion, suffering many temptations from the devil, the world, and +himself, all which he overcame triumphantly. Such was Noah before the +flood. + +134. Of his life after the flood, Moses tells us very little. But is +it not apparent that so noble a man, living for about 350 years after +the flood, could not be idle, but must have been busy with the +government of the Church, which he alone established and ruled? + +135. First of all, then, he performed the duties of a bishop. Beset +with various temptations, his foremost endeavor was to resist the +devil, to console the troubled ones, to bring back the erring to the +true way, to strengthen the doubting, to cheer souls in despair, to +exclude from his Church the impenitent, and to receive back with +fatherly gladness the repentant. For, these are the duties a bishop +must perform through the ministry of the Word. + +136. Moreover, he had civil duties in establishing forms of government +and in making laws, without which human passions cannot be held in +check. To this was added the rule of his own household, or the care of +his home. + + +B. NOAH'S FALL. + + 1. Why Moses omitted many important things about Noah and related + his fall 137-138. + + 2. Lyra tries to excuse Noah's fall 139. + + 3. Noah's fall cannot be excused 140-141. + + 4. His fall caused a great scandal 142. + + 5. Ham scandalized himself through it 142-143. + + a. Real root of this scandal 144. + + b. Thereby Noah greatly sinned 145ff. + + * Original sin develops presumptuous people 146-148. + + c. This scandal reveals Satan's bitterest enmity against God's + Church 149. + + * Papists are Ham's disciples 150. + + * David's enemies rejoiced over his fall 151. + + 6. To what end should Noah's fall serve us 152-154. + + * The godless are not worthy to see God's glory in believers 155. + + * Why we should not be vexed at the infirmities of believers + 156-157. + + 7. The conduct of Shem and Japheth in this connection 158-173. + + a. They still honored their father, though they approved not his + deed 158. + + * Origin of outward sin 159. + + * How to avoid offense 160-162. + + * Luther aware of his own infirmities 163. + + * Attitude of the opponents of the Word to true preachers 164. + + * Why Moses never mentioned many great events in Noah's life, + and thought of his fall 165-166. + + b. How the sons covered their father's shame 167. + + c. Herein they had regard for God's will and were therefore + pleasing to God 168. + + * Ham's scandal. + + (1) It was a wilful and grievous sin 168-169. + + (2) The lesson we may learn from it 170. + + (3) Reward of this scandalous deed, and why Canaan is here + mentioned 172-173. + + +B. Noah's Fall. + +137. Though reason tells us that Noah was burdened with these manifold +duties after the flood, yet Moses does not mention them. It appears to +him sufficient to confine his remarks to the statement that Noah began +to plant a vineyard, and that he lay in his tent drunken and naked. + +This, surely, is a foolish and very useless tale in comparison with +the many praiseworthy acts he must have performed in the course of so +many years. Other things might have been recorded for edification and +for teaching righteousness of life. But this story even seems to +endorse an offense, by abetting drunkards and those who sin in +drunkenness. + +138. The purpose of the Holy Spirit, however, is apparent from what we +have said. 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 are, +therefore, cast down. In them we are to find proofs of our own +shortcomings, that we may come to humble confession and, at the same +time, seek and hope for forgiveness. This is the real and +theologically true reason why the Holy Spirit records, rather than +seemingly more important matters, the great fall of this grand man. + +139. Lyra states as excuse for Noah that he knew not the power of wine +and was deceived into drinking a little too freely. Whether wine had +been known before or whether Noah began to cultivate it by his own +skill and by divine suggestion, I know not, but I believe that Noah +knew the nature of this produce quite well, and that he had often made +use of wine in company with his family, partly for his own person and +partly also in his offerings or libations. I think that in making use +of wine for his own refreshment, he partook of it too freely. + +140. His action I excuse in no way. Should anyone want to do so, there +would be weightier arguments than those Lyra uses. According to him +this aged man, tired out by the great number of his daily duties and +cares, had been overpowered by the wine although he was already used +to it. For wine overcomes more easily those who are either exhausted +by much work or burdened with age. Persons of mature age, on the other +hand, and such of care-free mind, can drink considerable quantities of +wine without greatly impairing their reason. + +141. But he who makes this excuse for the patriarch, wilfully casts +aside that consolation which the Holy Spirit considered needful for +the Church, that even the greatest saints sometimes fall into sin. + +142. Transgression like this may seem to be slight, yet it causes +great offense. Not only is Ham offended, but also the other brother, +possibly also their wives. And we must not imagine that Ham was a boy +of seven years. Having been born when Noah was five hundred years old, +he had reached an age of at least one hundred years and had one or two +children of his own. + +143. Hence, it was not boyish thoughtlessness which caused Ham to +laugh at his father, as boys will do when surrounding a drunken rustic +in the street and making sport of him. He was truly offended by his +father's sin and thought himself to be more righteous, holy and +religious than his father. Noah's deed was an offense not only in +appearance, but in very truth, since Ham was so far tempted by the +knowledge of it that he passed judgment upon Noah, and found in such +sin an occasion for mirth. + +144. If we wish to judge Ham's sin aright, we must take into account +original sin, that is, the wickedness of the heart. 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 parents. + +145. Noah had been considered a fool before the flood, by the majority +of mankind, and had been condemned as a false teacher and despised as +a man of wild ideas. Now he is laughed at by his son as a fool, and +condemned as a sinner. Noah was sole governor of the Church and State, +and ruled his own household with tireless care and labor. He had +doubtless therein offended the proud and haughty spirit of his son in +many ways. But the depravity of his heart which now, that the father's +sin had become manifest, leaped to the surface, had so far been +successfully concealed. + +146. When we consider the source of Ham's sin, its hideousness first +appears in its true light. One never becomes an adulterer or commits +murder until he has first cast out of his heart the fear of God. A +pupil does not rebel against his teacher unless he has first lost due +reverence for that teacher. The fourteenth Psalm, verse 2, says that +Jehovah looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if +there were any that did understand, and that did seek after God. When +he saw there was none he adds there was none who did good; that they +had all become worthless, sinning tongues, sinning with their hands, +fearing where there was no need of fear, and the like. + +147. So Ham, in his own estimation, was wise and holy. In his judgment +his father had often acted unrighteously or foolishly. His attitude +discloses a heart that despised, not only the parent, but also the +divine commandment. Hence, nothing remains for the evil-minded son but +to grasp an opportunity for obtaining evidence to betray his father's +foolishness. He does not laugh at his drunken father as a boy would, +nor does he call his brethren merely that they may look upon a +laughable spectacle. He means that this shall be open proof that God +has withdrawn from his father and has accepted himself. Therefore, he +takes delight in disclosing his father's sin to others. As I said +before, Ham was not a boy of seven years, but had reached the age of +at least one hundred. + +148. Original sin shows its depraving tendency in that it makes men +arrogant, haughty and conceited. Paul admonishes in Romans 12, 3, to +think of one's self soberly, "according as God hath dealt to each man +a measure of faith." But, original sin does not permit Ham to occupy +this lowly level; hence, he presumes to go beyond his station in +passing judgment upon his father. + +149. We observe the same attitude in Absalom. Before he stirs up a +rebellion against David, his father, he passes unrighteous judgment +upon David's government. This dissatisfaction with his father's rule +was afterward followed by unconcealed contempt and open violence, with +David's destruction as the object. Ham's heart being full of poison +which he had gathered from his father as a spider gathers poison from +the fairest rose, precisely such a result had to follow. + +150. These examples serve to call our attention to the battle waged +from the beginning of the world between the Church and Satan with his +followers, the hypocrites, or false brethren. This deed of Ham must +not be looked upon as a result of boyish love of pranks, but of +Satan's most bitter enmity, wherewith he inflames his followers +against the Church. Particularly does he incite them against those in +the ministry, leading them to close watch at all times for material +available for purposes of slander. + +The Papists at present have no other business than to watch our +conversation for the purpose of slander. Whenever we fall into human +error (for we are truly weak and are beset by our failings), they +seize upon our moral uncleanness, like famished swine, and find great +delight in publishing and betraying our weaknesses, like Ham the +accursed. They truly hunger and thirst after our offenses. Although by +God's grace they cannot fasten adultery, murder or like errors upon +us, unless by their own fabrication (this shameless class of people +abhor no kind of lie), yet they gather up smaller matters, which they +afterward exaggerate to the public. + +151. David's experience is well known. He was surrounded on all sides +by enemies who eagerly sought out every opportunity for persecution. +They were envious because he had been called to the throne by God; +hence, they triumphed over his horrible fall. + +152. His case, however, serves for our instruction. God sometimes +permits even righteous and holy men to stumble and fall into offenses, +either really or apparently, and we must take heed lest we pass +judgment at once, after the example of Ham, who, having secretly +despised his father long before, now does so openly. He declared that +his parent, being imbecile by age, had clearly been deserted by the +Holy Spirit, since he was unable to guard against drunkenness, though +the government of the Church, State, and household lay upon his +shoulders. O wretched Ham, how happy art thou, having found at last +what thou soughtest--poison in a most delightful rose! + +153. Everlasting praises and blessings be given to God, whose dealings +with his saints are wonderful indeed. While he permits them to be weak +and to fall, to be overwhelmed with disgrace and offenses, and while +the world judges and condemns them, he forgives them their weaknesses +and has compassion upon them; whereas he delivers into Satan's hands +those who regard themselves angels, and utterly rejects them. + +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 +infirmities. + +154. In the second place, the case of Ham is a fearful example of +divine judgment, to teach us by Ham's experience not to condemn at +once, even when we see rulers of State, Church, or household--such as +our parents--fall into error and sin. Who can tell why God so permits? +Such sins must not be excused, yet we see that they are of value for +the consolation of the pious. They teach us that God can bear with the +errors and sins of his people and that even we, when beset with sins, +may trust in the mercy of God and need not lose heart. + +155. But what is medicine for the righteous, is poison for the wicked. +The latter do not seek to be taught and comforted by God. Their +unworthiness prevents them from recognizing his glory in the saints. +They see nothing but the stumbling block and the snare, with the +result that they fall and are left to perish alone. + +156. Let us, therefore, truly respect those in authority over us. If +they fall, we must not be offended. We must remember that they are +human, and that God's ways are wonderful in his saints, because it is +his will that the wicked shall be offended and provoked. Thus Moses +threatens the Jews: "I will provoke them to anger with a foolish +nation" (Deut 32, 21). Because, during the whole period of the +kingdom, they refused to hear the prophets, God gave the offense of +casting away a wise and religious people, which had the promises and +was descended from the patriarchs. In its place, he chose the filth +and dregs of the world, a foolish people; that is, it was without +piety, without religion, without worship, without that divine wisdom +which is his Word. This offense roused the Jews to insane anger. + +157. This will be the lot of the papists. Some great offense shall be +given them by God against which they shall find themselves helpless, +and thus they shall come to grief like Ham. Renouncing the reverence +due both to God and his father, in deeming himself more capable of +ruling the Church than Noah, in secretly deriding or censuring his +parent, he finally presents the spectacle of disclosing his wicked and +irreverent attitude before others. + +158. The two other brothers, Shem and Japheth, did not follow Ham's +wicked example. While conscious of the scandalous fact that their +father was drunk and lay in shameless nakedness like a little +boy,--while recognizing that this ill became the ruler of Church and +State, they remained mindful of the reverence due a parent. They +gulped down the offense given; they hid the offense and gave it a +worthier aspect, so to speak, by covering their father with a garment, +approaching him with eyes averted. They would have been incapable of +this fine outward expression of reverence for their father, had they +not occupied a correct attitude toward God in their hearts and +believed their father to be both priest and ruler by right divine. + +159. It is a fearful example, this one of Ham. Though one of the few +saved during the flood, he forgets all piety. It is profitable to +carefully consider how he came to fall. Outward sins must first be +committed in our minds; that is, before sins are visibly committed, +the heart first departs from the Word and from the fear of God. It +neither knows God nor seeks after him, as we read in Psalms 14, 2. As +soon as the heart begins to set aside the Word, and to despise the +ministers and prophets of God, ambition and pride follow. Those who +stand in the way of our desires are overborne by hatred and slander, +until finally insolent speech ends in murder. + +160. Those who are to become rulers of Church or State, should daily +pray earnestly to God that they may remain humble. It is the object of +stories of this character to set this duty before us, for it is +evident what occasioned Ham's frightful fall. + +161. If, then, the saints fall into sin, let us not be offended. Much +less should we rejoice over the weakness of others, haughtily +esteeming ourselves braver, wiser, or holier than they. Let us rather +endure and cover up, and even put a good construction upon and excuse +such errors in so far as we can, remembering that perhaps tomorrow we +may suffer what happened to them today. For we all constitute a unit, +being born of the same flesh. Let us then heed the advice of Paul, +"Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10, +12). In this way the other two brothers looked upon their drunken +father. Their thoughts were these: Behold, our father has fallen. But +God is wonderful in his dealing with saints, whom he sometimes permits +to fall for our instruction, that we may not despair when afflicted by +kindred infirmity. + +162. Let us imitate their wisdom! The sins of others give us no right +to judge them. Before their own master they stand or fall (Rom 14, 4). +Furthermore, if the downfall of others displease us (since, in truth, +many acts neither can nor ought to be excused), let us be so much the +more careful lest something like it overtake ourselves. Let us not sit +in proud and haughty judgment, for this is original sin in all its +corruption: To lay claim to exceptional wisdom and to hunt for the +moral lapses of others in order to gain the reputation of +righteousness for ourselves. + +163. We truly are weak sinners and must freely confess, being human, +that our conversation is not always free from offense. But while we +share this weakness with our enemies, we nevertheless do our duty +diligently, by spreading God's Word, by teaching the churches, by +bettering the evil, by urging the right, by consoling the weak, by +chiding the stubborn, and, in brief, by doing whatever duty God lays +upon us. + +164. On the other hand since our adversaries strive after nothing but +hypocrisy and an outward show of holiness, so they add to the frailty +which they have in common with us, the most grievous sins, because +they do not follow their calling, but concern themselves with their +honors and emoluments. They neglect the churches and suffer them to +miserably decay. They condemn the true doctrine and teach idolatry. In +short, in public life they are wise, but in their own sphere they are +utterly foolish. This is the most destructive evil in the Church. + +165. This is the first part of the story, and, in the preparation of +his record, Moses has confined himself to the same. It is certain that +Noah was a righteous man, gifted with many heroic virtues, and that he +accomplished most important things both for the Church and for the +State. It is not possible either to establish political communities or +to found churches except by diligent effort. Life, in both these +manifestations (I will say nothing of the management of the home) is +beset with many dangers; for Satan, a liar and murderer, is the most +relentless enemy of Church and State. + +166. But Moses passes by all these achievements, not so much as +alluding to them. He records but this one circumstance--that Noah +became drunk and was scoffed at by his youngest son. He intended it as +a valuable example, teaching pious souls to trust in God's mercy. On +the other hand, the proud, the lovers of cant, the sanctimonious, the +wise-acres,--let them learn to fear God and beware of passing a +reckless judgment upon others! As Manasseh the king declares, God +displays in his saints both his wonders and his terrors "against +wicked and sinful men." This is illustrated in the case of Ham, who +did not now first come to his downfall but had cherished this hate +against his father for a long time, afterward to fill the world with +idolatry. + +Vs. 23-27. _And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both +their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their +father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's +nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his youngest +son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of +servants shall he be unto his brethren._ + +167. It is truly a beautiful and memorable example of respect to a +father which Moses records in this passage. The sons might without sin +have approached their father and covered him, while turning their +faces toward him. What sin should it be if one, happening upon a nude +person, should see what is before him without his will? Still the two +sons do not do this. When they heard from their haughty and mocking +brother what had happened to their father, they laid a garment upon +both their shoulders, entered the tent with faces turned away (how +admirable!), and lowering the garment backward, covered their father. + +168. Who can fail to observe here the thoughtfulness of the will and +Word of God, and reverence before the majesty of fatherhood, which God +requires to be honored, not despised or mocked by children? God seems +to approve this reverence and accept it as a most pleasing offering +and the very noblest worship and obedience. But his utmost hatred +rests upon Ham, who might have seen without sin what he saw, since it +came to his view by chance, if only he had covered it up, if only he +had remained silent about it, if only he had not shown himself to be +pleased by the sin of his father. But he who despised God, the Word, +and the order established by God, not only failed to cover his father +with a garment, but even derided him and left him naked. + +169. In describing the act of the two brothers Moses emphasizes the +malice of Ham, who was filled with violent and satanic hatred against +his father. Who of us, on finding a stranger lying by the wayside +drunk and nude, would not at least cover him with his own coat to +forestall disgrace? How much greater the demand in this case of a +father! Ham, however, fails to do for his father, the highest ruler of +the world, what common humanity teaches us to do for strangers. +Moreover he publishes the circumstance joyfully, insulting his drunken +father and making the sin of his father known to his brothers as if he +had a piece of good news. + +170. Moses, therefore, sets Ham before us as a fearful example, to be +carefully taught in the churches, in order that young people may learn +to respect their elders, rulers, and parents. Not on account of Noah, +not on account of Ham, but on account of those to come--on our +account--is this story written, and Ham, with his contempt for God and +father, pictured in most repulsive colors. + +171. Also the punishment of this wickedness is carefully set before +us. Noah, looked upon by his son as a foolish, insane, and ridiculous +old man, now steps forth in the majesty of a prophet, to announce to +his son a divine revelation of future events. Truly does Paul declare +that "power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12, 9); for the +certainty characterizing Noah's utterance is proof that he was filled +with the Holy Spirit, notwithstanding that his son had mocked and +despised him as one utterly deserted by the Holy Spirit. + +172. I will not attempt here to settle the question above referred to +(ch 5, para 95) concerning the order of the sons of Noah, as to which +of them was the first-born and which the youngest. 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 name, but calls him Canaan +after the name of his son. Some say that, because God had desired to +save Ham in the ark as one under his blessing the same as the others, +he had no wish to curse him, but cursed Canaan instead, a curse which, +nevertheless, could not but recoil upon Ham who had provoked it. Thus +Ham's name perishes here, since the Holy Spirit hates it, whose hatred +is, indeed, a serious hatred. We read in the psalm, "I hate them with +perfect hatred" (Ps 139, 22). When the Holy Spirit exercises his +wrath, eternal death must follow. + +173. Although Ham had sinned against his father in many ways, 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 bare. When, with +this sin, the previous ones had attained to fullness of power and +growth, the Holy Spirit condemned him, and, as a warning to others, +also announced the infliction of impending, endless servitude. + +V. 26. _And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem; and let +Canaan be his servant._ + +These are two sublime prophecies, worthy of close attention. They have +significance in our time, though they were grossly garbled by the +Jews. The Jews observe that Ham is cursed thrice; this fact they wrest +to the glory of their own nation, promising themselves worldly +dominion. + + +V. HAM CURSED; SHEM AND JAPHETH BLESSED. + + A. THE CURSE PRONOUNCED UPON HAM 174-188. + + 1. Why Ham was thrice cursed 174. + + * Disrespect of parents, pastors and authority signs of + approaching misfortune 175. + + 2. Way Ham disregarded the curse 176. + + 3. Why Ham disregarded the curse 177-178. + + 4. Ham's temporal prosperity continued with his curse 179-181. + + * Faith alone grasps God's threatenings and promises 180-181. + + * Reason God postpones punishment and reward 181-182. + + * The Papal Church is not the true Church 183. + + * Believers have comfort in their tribulations 184-185. + + * The pious have their kingdom here in faith 186. + + 5. From this curse it is clear Noah was enlightened by the Holy + Spirit 187. + + * Were all Ham's descendents cursed? 188. + + B. BLESSING PRONOUNCED UPON SHEM 189-191. + + 1. This is an exceedingly great blessing 189. + + 2. Why is it clothed in praise to God 190. + + 3. This blessing proves that Noah possessed a precious light + 191. + + C. BLESSING PRONOUNCED UPON JAPHETH 192-224. + + 1. Why the form of Japheth's blessing differed from that of + Shem's 192. + + 2. Herein lies a special secret 193. + + 3. The Jews' false interpretation of this blessing 194. + + 4. Relation of these two blessings to each other 195. + + * The Jews' false notion about Shem's blessing 196. + + 5. The order in which these blessings are enjoyed 197-198. + + * The form God's Church takes in this world 199. + + * Divine promises and threatenings to be understood in a + spiritual sense 199-200. + + * Ham and Cain resemble one another in their positions and + works 201. + + * The Turk and the Pope. + + a. What strengthens them in their opposition to the true + Church 202. + + * How a Christian should conduct himself in times of + misfortunes 203. + + b. The power and advantages of the Turk and Pope of no avail + 204. + + c. Attitude of Church members to their pride 205-206. + + * Why Ham's name was not mentioned when he was cursed + 207-208. + + 6. The word dilatet the Latins use in explaining Japheth's + blessing 209-210. + + a. It is not in harmony with the Hebrew 209-210. + + b. Why all Latin interpreters use it 211. + + c. It does not fully express the sense of the Holy Spirit + 212. + + d. What explanation should be given here 213-215. + + 7. All descendents of Japheth partake of this blessing through + the Gospel 216-217. + + 8. Translations of Latin interpreters of this blessing are to be + harmonized with the original text 218-219. + + * Ham's name 220-221. + + a. Its meaning and reason his parents gave it to him 220. + + b. The hope of his parents in this name disappointed 221. + + 9. It is ascribed to this promise that Germany in these last + days received the light of the Gospel 222. + + * Abraham had Noah as his teacher 223. + + * The temporal prosperity of Ham's family, and their wickedness + 224. + + +V. HAM CURSED; SHEM AND JAPHETH BLESSED. + +A. The Curse Pronounced Upon Ham. + +174. But there is another reason for this repeatedly uttered curse. +God cannot forget such great irreverence toward parents, nor does he +suffer it to go unpunished. He requires that parents and rulers be +regarded with reverence. He requires that elders be honored, +commanding that one shall rise up before a hoary head (Lev 19, 32). +And, speaking of ministers of the Word, he says, "He that despiseth +you, despiseth me" (Mt 10, 40; Lk 10, 16). + +175. Hence disobedience of parents is a sure indication that curse and +disaster are close at hand. Likewise is contempt of ministers and of +rulers punished. When the people of the primitive world began to +deride the patriarchs and to hold their authority in contempt, the +flood followed. When, among the people of Judah, the child began to +behave himself proudly against the old man, as Isaiah has it (ch 3, +5), Jerusalem was laid waste and Judah went down. Such corruption of +morals is a certain sign of impending evil. We justly fear for Germany +a like fate when we look upon the prevailing disrespect for authority. + +176. Let us, however, bear witness of a practice to which both Holy +Writ and our experience testify. Because God delays the threatened +punishment he is mocked and considered a liar. In this practice we +should see the seal, as it were, to every prophecy. Ham hears that he +is accursed; but inasmuch as the curse does not go into immediate +effect, he securely despises and derides the same. + +177. Thus did the first world hold Noah's prophecy in ridicule when he +spoke of the flood. Had they believed that such a punishment was close +at hand, would they have gone on in a feeling of security? Would they +not rather have repented and begun a better life? If Ham had believed +that to be true which he heard from his father, he would have sought +refuge in mercy and, confessing his crime, craved forgiveness. But he +did neither; rather did he haughtily leave his father, to go to +Babylon. There, with his posterity, he gave himself up to the building +of a city and of a tower, and made himself lord of all Greater Asia. + +178. What is the reason for this feeling of security? It lies in the +fact that divine prophecies must be believed; they cannot be perceived +by our senses, or by experience. This is true both of divine promises +and of divine threats. Therefore the opposite always seems to the +flesh to be true. + +179. Ham is cursed by his father; but he lays hold upon the greater +portion of the earth and establishes vast kingdoms. On the other hand, +Shem and Japheth are blessed, but in comparison with Ham, they and +their posterity are beggarly. + +Where then are we to seek the truth of this prophecy? I answer: This +prophecy and all others, whether they be promises or threats, cannot +be understood by reason, but by faith alone. God delays both +punishments and rewards; hence there is need of endurance. For "He +that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved," as Christ says (Mt +24, 13). + +180. The life of all pious people is wholly of faith and hope. The +evidence of our senses, history, and the way of the world, would teach +us the opposite. Ham is cursed, yet he alone obtains dominion. Shem +and Japheth are blessed, yet they alone bear reproach and affliction. +Since both the promises and the threats of God reach out into the +future, the issue must be awaited in faith. Habakkuk says (ch 2, 3), +"It will surely come, it will not delay." + +181. Great is the wrath of the Holy Spirit which here prompts him to +say of Ham, "A servant of servants shall he be;" that is, the lowest +and vilest of slaves. But if you let history speak, you will see Ham +rule in Canaan, whereas Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and others who +followed, and had the blessing, lived like servants among the +Canaanites. The Egyptians are Ham's offspring, and how cruel was the +servitude Israel suffered there! + +182. How, then, was it true that Ham was cursed and Shem was blessed? +In this way: The fulfillment of the promise and of the threat was in +the future. 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 repentance. On the other hand, when the righteous +suffer at the hands of the unrighteous and become the servants of +servants, they undergo such trial and discipline for the purpose of +increasing in faith and in love toward God; so that, trained in +manifold vexations and tribulations, they may attain the promise. + +When the time was fulfilled, the might of Ham's posterity was not +great enough to withstand the posterity of Shem. Then, indeed, was +fulfilled that curse which Ham and his posterity had so long despised +and disbelieved. + +183. It is much the same with us today. We have the true doctrine and +the true worship. Hence we can boast that we are the true Church, +having the promise of spiritual blessings in Christ. As the pope's +church condemns our doctrine, we know her to be not the Church of +Christ but of Satan, and truly, like Ham, a "servant of servants." And +yet anyone may see that the pope rules, while we are servants and the +off-scouring, as Paul says (1 Cor 4, 12). + +184. What, then, shall we poor, oppressed people do? We are to comfort +our souls meanwhile with our spiritual dominion. We know we have +forgiveness of sins and a gracious God, through Christ, until also +temporal freedom shall be vouchsafed on the last day. And we are not +without traces of temporal freedom even in this life; for while +tyrants stubbornly oppose the Gospel, they are cut off from the earth, +root and branch. + +185. So was the Roman empire destroyed after all the other +world-powers perished; but God's Word and Church remain forever. +Likewise, Christ weakens the Pope's power, little by little; but that +he may be utterly removed and become a servant of servants with wicked +Ham is a matter for faith to await. Ham is shut out from the kingdom +of God and possesses the kingdoms of the world for a time, just as the +pope is shut out from the Church of God and holds temporal dominion +for a time. But his dominion shall vanish. + +186. The divine law and order is that the righteous have dominion, but +by faith, being satisfied with such spiritual blessing as a gracious +God and the certain hope of the heavenly kingdom. Meanwhile, we leave +possession of the kingdoms of the world to the wicked until God shall +scatter also their worldly power, and, through Christ, make us heirs +of all things. + +187. Furthermore, we learn from this prophecy that Noah, by a special +illumination of the Holy Spirit, was enabled to see, in the first +place, that his posterity would remain forever, and in the second +place, that the family of Ham, though they were to be rulers for a +time, would perish at last and above all would lose the spiritual +blessing. + +188. However, the explanation given above (ch 4, para 182) with +reference to the descendants of Cain, applies also here. I do not +entertain the opinion that the offspring of Ham were doomed, without +exception. Some found salvation by being converted to faith, but such +salvation was not due to a definite promise but to uncovenanted grace, +so to speak. Likewise the Gibeonites and others were saved when the +children of Israel occupied the land of Canaan. Job, Naaman the +Syrian, the people of Nineveh, the widow of Zarephath, and others from +the heathen were saved, not by virtue of a promise, but by +uncovenanted grace. + +B. Blessing Pronounced Upon Shem. + +189. But why does Noah not say, "Blessed be Shem," instead of, +"Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem"? I answer that it is because of +the magnitude of the blessing. The reference here is not to a temporal +blessing, but to the future blessing through the promised seed. He +sees this blessing to be so great that he cannot express it; hence, he +turns to thanksgiving. It seems that Zacharias was thinking of this +very passage when he said, for a similar reason, "Blessed be the Lord, +the God of Israel" (Lk 1, 68). + +190. Noah's blessing takes the form of thanksgiving unto God. God, he +says, is blessed, who is the God of Shem. In other words: It is +needless for me to extend my blessing over Shem, who has been blessed +before with spiritual blessing; he already is a child of God, and from +him the Church will be continued, as it was continued from Seth before +the flood. Full of wonderful meaning is the fact that Noah joins God +with Shem, his son, and, as it were, unites them. + +191. Noah's heart must have been divinely illumined since he makes +such a distinction between his sons, rejecting Ham with his posterity +and placing Shem in line with the saints and the Church because the +spiritual blessing, given in paradise concerning the seed, would rest +upon him. Therefore, this holy man blesses God and gives thanks unto +him. + +C. Blessing Pronounced Upon Japheth. + +V. 27. _God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; +and let Canaan be his servant._ + +192. This prophecy is wonderful for the aptness of each single word. +Noah did not bless Shem, but the God of Shem, by way of giving thanks +to God for having embraced Shem and having adorned him with a +spiritual promise, or the blessing of the woman's seed. But when he +mentions Japheth he does not employ the same manner of speaking as in +the case of Shem. His words are chosen for the purpose of showing the +mystery of which Paul speaks (Rom 11, 11) and Christ (Jn 4, 22), that +salvation is from the Jews and yet the gentiles also became partakers +of this salvation. Shem alone is the true root and stem, yet the +heathen are grafted upon this stem, as a foreign branch, and become +partakers of the fatness and the sap which are in the chosen tree. + +193. Noah, seeing this through the Holy Spirit, predicts, in dim +allusions but correctly, that Christ's kingdom is to spread in the +world from the root of Shem, and not from that of Japheth. + +194. The Jews prate that Japheth stands for the neighboring nations +around Jerusalem which were admitted to the temple and its worship. +But Noah makes little ado about the temple of Jerusalem, or the +tabernacle of Moses; his words refer to greater matters. He treats of +the three patriarchs who are to replenish the earth. While he affirms +of Japheth that he does not belong to the root of the people of God +which possesses the promise of the Christ, he declares that he shall +be incorporated through the call of the Gospel into the fellowship of +that people which has God and the promises. + +195. Here, then, we have a picture of the Church of the Gentiles and +of the Jews. Ham, being wicked, is not admitted to the spiritual +blessing of the seed, except as it happens by uncovenanted grace. To +Japheth, however, though he has not the promise of the seed, like +Shem, the hope is nevertheless given that he will, at some future +time, be taken into the fellowship of the Church. Thus we Gentiles, +being sons of Japheth, have no direct promise, indeed, and yet we are +included in the promise given to the Jews, since we are predestined to +the fellowship of the holy people of God. These matters are here +recorded, not for Shem and Japheth so much as for their posterity. + +196. We learn why the Jews are so haughty and boastful. They see that +Shem, their father, alone has the promise of eternal blessing, which +is given through Christ. So far, so good. But when they believe that +the promise pertains not to faith but rather to the carnal descent, +they are in error. This subject has been splendidly treated by Paul +(Rom 9, 6). There he establishes the fact that the children of Abraham +are not his carnal descendants but those who have his faith (Gal 3, +7). + +197. The same thought is suggested here by Moses, who says in so many +words, "Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem." This shows that there is +no blessing except by the God of Shem. Hence, no Jew will share this +blessing unless he have the God of Shem; that is, unless he believes. +Nor will Japheth share the blessing unless he dwells in the tents of +Shem, that is, unless he associates himself with him in faith. + +198. This is a grand promise, valid unto the end of the world. But +just as it is limited to those who have the God of Shem, that is, who +believe, so the curse also is limited to those who abide in the +wickedness of Ham. Noah spoke these words, not on the strength of +human authority and feeling, but by the Spirit of God. His words then +refer not to a temporal, but to a spiritual and eternal curse. Nor +must we understand him to speak of a curse that is a curse only in the +sight of the world, but rather of one in the sight of God. + +199. The same statement has been made heretofore (ch 4 para 182) +regarding the curse of Cain. Judged by outward appearances, Cain +obtained a greater earthly blessing than Seth. God desires that his +Church in this world shall apparently suffer the curse pronounced upon +the wicked and that, on the other hand, the wicked shall seem to be +blessed. Cain was the first man to build a city, calling it Enoch; +while Seth dwelt in tents. + +200. Thus did Ham build the city and tower of Babel and ruled far and +wide, while Shem and Japheth were poor, living in lowly tents. The +facts of history, then, teach that both the promises and the curses of +God are not to be understood carnally, or of the present life, but +spiritually. Although oppressed in the world, the righteous are surely +heirs and sons of God, while the wicked, though flourishing for a +season, shall ultimately be cut down and wither; a warning often +uttered in the Psalms. + +201. There is a striking similarity in the conduct and the lot of Cain +and Ham. Cain killed his brother, which shows plainly enough the lack +of reverence for his father in his heart. Having been put in the ban +by his father, he leaves the Church of the true God and the true +worship, builds the city of Enoch, giving himself up altogether to +worldly things. Just so does Ham sin by dishonoring his father. When +also he subsequently receives as sentence the curse whereby he is +excluded from the promised seed and the Church, he parts with God and +the Church without misgivings, since the curse rests not upon his +person but upon that of his son, and migrates to Babylon, where he +establishes a kingdom. + +202. These are very illustrious examples and needed by the Church, +Turk and Pope today; allow us to boast of the heavenly and everlasting +promise in that we have the Gospel doctrine, and are the Church. They +know, however, our judgment of them, that we consider and condemn both +Pope and Turk as very Antichrist. How securely they ignore our +judgment, confidently because of the wealth and power they possess, +and also because of our weakness in character and numbers. The very +same spirit we plainly see in Cain and Ham, in the condemned and +excommunicated. + +203. These truths enforce the lesson that we must not seek an abiding +city or country in this bodily existence, but in its varying changes +and fortunes look to the hope of eternal life, promised through +Christ. This is the final haven; and we must strive for it with sail +and oar, as eager and earnest sailors while the tempest rages. + +204. What if the Turk should obtain sway over the whole world, which +he never will? Michael, as Daniel says, will bring aid to the holy +people, the Church (ch 10, 13). What matter if the Pope should gain +possession of the wealth of all the world, as he has tried to do for +many centuries with all the wealth at his command? Will Turk and Pope +thereby escape death, or even secure permanence of temporal power? +Why, then, should we be misled by the temporal blessings which they +enjoy, or by our misfortunes and dangers, since we know that they are +banished from the fellowship of the saints, while we enjoy everlasting +blessings through the Son of God? + +205. If Cain and Ham, and Pope and Turk, who are as father and son to +each other, can afford to despise the judgment of the true Church on +the strength of fleeting and meager successes in this life, why can +not we afford in turn to despise their power and censure, on the +strength of the everlasting blessings which we possess? Ham was not +moved by his father's curse. Full of anger against him, and despising +him as a crazy old man, he goes away and arms himself with the power +of the world, esteeming this more highly than to be blessed with Shem +by his father. + +206. This story should give us strength for the similar experiences of +today. The priests and bishops heap contempt upon us, saying, What can +those poverty stricken heretics do? Priest and bishop are puffed up +with their wealth and power. But let us bear this insolence of the +wicked with undisturbed mind, as Noah bore that of his son. Let us +take consolation in the hope and faith of the eternal benediction, of +which, we know, they are deprived. + +207. I said above (para 172) 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 curse. And it is true, as the punishment shows, that Ham +sinned grievously. The other reason mentioned above as not at all +unlikely, I will here repeat: Ham had been called and received into +the ark by the divine Word, and had been saved with the others, and +Noah wanted to spare him whom God had spared in the flood. Therefore, +he transferred the curse which Ham merited, to Canaan, his son, whom +Ham doubtless desired to keep with him. + +208. The Jews offer a different explanation: Canaan, the son, having +been the first to see his grandfather Noah lying naked, announced it +to his father, who then saw for himself; hence, Canaan gave his father +cause to commit the sin. Let the reader judge what value there is in +this exposition. + +209. But there is also a philological question which must be discussed +in connection. Scholars call translators to account for the rendering, +"God enlarge Japheth," when the Hebrew words do not permit it, though +not only the Hebrews but also the Chaldeans, are mostly agreed that +the word _jepheth_ means "to enlarge." Technical discussions of this +kind, however, are sometimes very useful to clear up the precise +meaning of a passage. + +210. Some scholars derive the name _Japheth_ from the verb _jephah_, +which signifies _to be beautiful_, as in Ps 45, 2: _japhjaphita mibene +Adam_, "Thou art fairer than the children of men." But this may easily +be shown to be an error; for the true origin of the word is the verb +_phatah_, which means "to persuade," "to deceive with fair words" as +in Ex 22 16: _ki jephateh isch betulah_, "If a man entice a virgin, he +shall surely pay a dowry for her." And in Jer 20, 7: _pethithani +jehovah va-epath_, "O Jehovah, thou hast persuaded me and I was +persuaded;" Prov 1, 10: _Im-jephatukah_, "If sinners entice thee." +There is no need of more examples, for the word occurs frequently, and +I have no doubt that it is derived from the Greek word _peitho_, for +it has the same meaning. + +211. But let us turn to the question: Why have all translators made it +read, "God enlarge Japheth," while it is not the word _pathach_, which +means "to enlarge" or "to open", but rather the word _pathah_? I have +no doubt that the translators were influenced by the harsh expression. +Since this is a promise, it seemed too harsh to state that Noah had +said, "God deceive Japheth." This would appear to be a word of +cursing, not of blessing. Hence they chose a milder term, though it +violated the rules of language. And since there is but a slight +difference between _pathach_, and _pathah_, they used one for the +other. They meant to preserve the important fact that this is a +promise. + +212. But there is no need for us to alter the text in this manner, and +to violate its grammatical construction, since the word _pathah_, +offers a most suitable meaning. Being a word of double meaning, as the +word _suadere_ in Latin, it may be accepted either in a bad or in a +good sense. Hence, it is not irreverent to apply this word to God. We +find it clearly so used in Hosea 2, 14, where the Lord says: +"Therefore, behold, I will (_mephateha_) allure her (or, entice her by +coaxing), and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably +unto her." I will suckle her, speak sweetly unto her, and thus will I +deceive her, as it were, so that she may agree with me, so that the +Church will join herself to me, etc. + +In this sense the word may here rightly be taken to mean "allure," +"persuade," "coax by means of friendly words and flattery." God +suckle, persuade, deceive Japheth by persuasion, so that Japheth +himself, being allured, as his name signifies, may be invited in a +friendly way and thus be beguiled. + +213. But you say, what will be the meaning of this? or why should +there be need for Japheth to be beguiled or persuaded, and that by God +himself? I answer: Noah makes the names to serve his purpose in this +prophecy. He gives thanks to God that he establishes them to stand +like a firm root from which Christ was to spring. For the verb _sum_, +signifies "to place," "to put in position," "to establish." + +214. For Japheth, however, he prays that he may become a true Japheth. +Since he was the oldest son, who ordinarily should have been given the +right of the first-born, he prays that God would persuade him in a +friendly manner, first, not to envy his brother this honor, nor to be +dissatisfied that this privilege was taken from him and given to his +brother. Furthermore, because this matter touches the person of +Japheth only, God includes his entire offspring in the blessing. +Though the promise was given to Shem alone, yet God does not shut out +from it the offspring of Japheth, but speaks to them lovingly through +the Gospel, that they may also become _jepheth_, being persuaded by +the Word of the Gospel. This is a divine persuasion, coming from the +Holy Spirit; not from the flesh, nor from the world, nor from Satan, +but holy and quickening. This expression is used by Paul in Gal 1, 10, +where he says, "Am I now persuading men or God?" And Gal 3, 1, "Who +did bewitch you that ye should not obey the truth?"--that ye do not +agree to the truth, that ye do not permit yourselves to be persuaded +by that which is true? + +215. Viewing the name Japheth in this case, it signifies a person of +the kind which we call guileless, who believes readily, permitting +himself to be easily persuaded of a matter, who does not dispute or +cling to his own ideas but submits his mind to the Lord and rests upon +his Word, remaining a learner, not desiring to be master over the +words and works of God. + +Hence it is a touching prayer which is here recorded, that God might +persuade Japheth; that is, that he might speak fondly with him. Noah +prays that, though God does not speak to Japheth on the basis of a +promise, as he does with Shem, yet he would speak with him on the +basis of grace and divine goodness. + +216. This prayer of Noah foresees the spread of the Gospel throughout +the whole world. Shem is the stem. From his posterity Christ was born. +The Church is of the Jews, who had patriarchs, prophets, and kings. +And yet God here shows Noah that also the wretched Gentiles were to +dwell in the tents of Shem; that is, they were to come into that +heritage of the saints which the Son of God brought into this +world--forgiveness of sins, the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life. He +prophesies clearly that also Japheth will hear the sweet message of +the Gospel as his name suggests; so that, though he have not the same +title as Shem, who was set to be the stem from which Christ was to +spring, yet he should have the persuader, namely the Gospel. + +217. It was Paul through whom this prophecy was fulfilled. He almost +unaided taught the Gospel doctrine to the posterity of Japheth. He +says: "From Jerusalem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have +fully preached the Gospel of Christ" (Rom 15, 19). Almost all of Asia, +with the exception of the oriental peoples, together with Europe, +belongs to the posterity of Japheth. The Gentiles, therefore, did not, +as the Jews did, receive the kingdom and the priesthood from God. They +had neither the law nor the promise. Yet by the mercy of God they have +heard that sweet voice of the Gospel, the persuader, which is +indicated by the very name of Japheth. + +218. The interpreters failed to recognize this as the true meaning, +and God permitted them to make this mistake. Still they did not miss +the true meaning altogether. For the verb _hirchib_, which means "to +enlarge," means also "to give consolation," just as conversely in +Latin the word _angustiae_ (narrow place) signifies also "pains," or +"perils," or "disaster." Thus we read in Psalms 4, 1: "Thou hast set +me at large when I was in distress." The only real enlargement, or +consolation, is the Word of the Gospel. + +219. Thus the several expositions are harmonized by proper +interpretation. But the primary meaning of _enlarge_, which conveys +the idea of _persuasion_, is the native and proper one. It sheds a +bright light upon the fact that we Gentiles, although the promise was +not given to us, have nevertheless been called by the providence of +God to the Gospel. The promise pertains to Shem alone, but Japheth, as +Paul has it in Romans 11, 17, was grafted into the olive tree, like a +wild olive, and became a partaker of the original fatness, or the sap, +of the olive. The older portions of the Bible agree with the newer, +and what God promised in the days of Noah, he now carries out. + +220. "Ham" signifies "the hot and burning one." This name was given to +him by his father, I believe, because of the great things he hoped for +his youngest son. To Noah the other two were cold men in comparison. +Eve rejoiced greatly when Cain was born (Gen 4, 1). She believed that +he would restore whatever had been wrought amiss. Yet he was the first +to harm mankind in a new way, in that he killed his brother. + +221. Thus God, according to his unsearchable counsel, changes the +expectations even of the saints. Ham, whom his father, at his birth, +had expected to be inflamed with greater zeal for the support of the +Church than his brothers, was hot and burning, indeed, when he grew +older, but in a different sense. He burned against his parent and his +God, as his deed shows. Hence, his name was one of evil prophecy, +unsuspected of Noah when he gave it. + +222. This is Noah's prophecy concerning his sons, who have filled the +earth with their offspring. The fact, therefore, that God has +permitted the light of the Gospel to shine upon Germany, is due to the +prophecy anent Japheth. We see today the fulfillment of that which +Noah foretold. Though we are not of the seed of Abraham, yet we dwell +in the tents of Shem and enjoy the fulfilment of the prophecies +concerning Christ. + +Vs. 28-29. _And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty +years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and +he died._ + +223. History shows that Noah died fifty years after the birth of +Abraham. Abraham, therefore, enjoying the instruction of so able and +renowned a teacher until his fiftieth year, had an opportunity to +learn something of religion. And there is no doubt that Noah, being +filled with the Holy Spirit, cared for this grandchild of his with +special care and love, as the only heir of Shem's promises. + +224. At that time the offspring of Ham flourished, spreading idolatry +throughout the regions of the East. Abraham was in touch with it, and +not without danger to himself. He was saved, however, by Noah, being +almost alone in recognizing the greatness of a man who was the only +survivor of the early world. The others, forgetful of the wrath which +had raged in the flood, taunted the pious, old man; particularly Ham's +progeny, puffed up by wealth and power. They heaped insults upon +Father Noah, and--frenzied by success--they divided the curse of +servitude pronounced upon them as a sign of his dotage. Amen. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Commentary on Genesis, Vol. II, by Martin Luther + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMENTARY ON GENESIS, VOL. 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