seems to have been universal, with the exception only of the family of Noah. Not that all were equally wicked; but all had sunk so deep in vice and sin, that God saw it best to sweep them all away. Probably this is always the case when nations are extirpated by divine judgments. Sodom and Gomorrah, the Canaanites, Jerusalem and Judea, are all examples of this conduct of God towards nations incorrigible in great wickedness.

Should it be doubted, whether unrestrained bodily appetites would produce that depravity of manners, which is necessary for God to extirpate man from the earth, one family excepted; let it be considered, that sensual indulgence always produces selfishness; that selfishness will increase, as bodily appetites become stronger in the same proportion as they are indulged; that it is the property of selfishness to arrogate all enjoyment to itself; that its natural effect is jealousy of every one who may interfere with its pleasures, and envy against all who appear to enjoy largely the good things of this life. Accordingly, it is remarked of man, in the chapter of the Text, "that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil continually"that "the earth was corrupt before God, and filled with violence.'"*

Should it be thought strange that the whole race of men should become so corrupt and wicked; I apprehend the fact is accounted for in the same chapter, and that it arose from the corruption of religion, or more properly, from a total disregard to all religion. The origin of this irreligious state is also pointed out, though in obscure terms. In the beginning of the chapter, there is a distinction made between the " daughters of men, and the sons of God." They are spoken of, as two different classes of people, which then first began to have a connection with each other.

In the last verse of the fourth chapter, after giving an account of the birth of Enos, it is added, " then began men to call upon the name of the Lord;" or, as it is

Gen. v. 5. 11.

translated in the margin of our Bibles, " to call by the name of the Lord." It is not to be supposed, that men then first began to call on, that is, to worship God. Cain and Abel offered sacrifice long before; and sacrifice implied prayer and confession, and thanksgiving. But, about the time of the birth of Enos, men began to he called " by the name of the Lord;" that is, men began to call the true worshippers of God " by the name of the Lord"-" the sons," or children " of God."

Various has been the interpretation of these obscure phrases. What I suppose to be the best, is the following-That by "the sons of God," is meant the family of Seth, in which the true religion and worship of God was preserved, and the practice of virtue supported, by the instructions and examples of Adam, Seth, Enos, and other good men-that by the " daughters of men, is intended the family of Cain-that this distinction began to be made about the time that Enos was bornthat the family of Cain is described by his daughters, because they first formed the connection with the descendants of Seth-that they are called " daughters of men," because the family of Cain were men merely of this world, and paid no regard to God and another life -and, that the "sons of God" intermarrying with the " daughters of men," the descendants of Cain, were led by them into a total disregard of God and religion. "Evil communications," we know, "corrupt good manners."* An instance we have in kind in the Israelites, who were corrupted in their religion, and led into idolatry by the fair daughters of Moab.t

When Cain was banished from the family of Adam, it is not necessary to suppose he went far. A few days journey, when men were so few, would be a sufficient separation. From what is said of Cain, he must have been an irreligious and violent man, morose and milicious, and destitute of the soft feelings of humanity. It would not be strange, should he have neglected to inculcate on his children those religious and moral princi

1

ples, of which he himself seems to have had but little impression. Without religious education, they would grow up to be mere men of this world, altogether fleshly, and without the sense of God or goodness.

... From the great length of human life at that period, the inhabitants of the old world must have increased very fast; and the families of Cain and Seth, and of the other children of Adam, spreading every way, might, by the time mentioned in the Text, have become so near neighbours as to have ready intercourse with each other. "The sons of God seeing the daughters of men that they were fair," and probably as free in their manners as they were engaging in their persons, were enamoured of them, and " took them wives of all which they chose." The Text following immediately after the account of these marriages, shews that they had great influence in producing that corrupt and degenerate state, in which men were sunk so deep in sensuality, as to be altogether fleshly.

The next verse remarks, that "there were giants in the earth in those days." And afterwards, the issue of the marriages of the sons of Seth with the daughters of Cain, were " mighty men"-" men of renown." The word translated giants, does not necessarily signify men of great bulk of body, though that may be its primary meaning. It sometimes signifies men of great fierceness, violence, and wickedness; and that probably is its meaning in this place.* There is no natural reason why the marriages, of which we are treating, should produce men above the common size; but there is a natural reason why they should produce violent and wicked men.

The mother's influence, in forming the manners of children, is much greater than that of the father. Her tender and constant attentions call forth their first affections, and open their minds to any impressions she may choose to make on them. It is most probable that the daughters of Cain would educate their children in their own way; nor is it likely, the fathers who, though of the family of Seth, had shewn so little attachment to religious principles as to marry into the family of Cain, would give themselves much trouble about the matter. The consequence was, the children became giantsmen of fierce, vindictive, and violent tempers---unrestrained by any moral or religious principles. As these marriages became more numerous, the family of Seth was more and more corrupted; till the degeneracy becoming universal, "the earth was filled with violence" -injustice and cruelty, rapine and murder.

By the giants mentioned in the fifth verse, the descendants of Cain are intended...fierce, bloody, and lawless. By the "mighty men of renown," in the latter part of the verse, is meant the issue of the marriages of the sons of Seth with the daughters of Cain, which, under the evil principles and examples of the mothers, became giants like the Canaanites..." mighty men" in rapine and violence..." men of renown" in war and bloodshed. And should it be supposed that the family of Seth was conquered; and the best and most religious who might have endeavoured to restrain those sons of violence, were murdered by them, there can be no ab. surdity in the supposition. Man was become altogether "flesh"..." and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually"..." the earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence."

If this be the true meaning of the passages under consideration, they give a dreadful picture of the old world. God and religion, virtue and morality banished from the earth; good men murdered; law and civil government destroyed, or the governors and judges become as abandoned as the rest; appetite, and lust, and passion, anger, and malice, and revenge let loose to ravage the world, as any one had strength and opportunity to do it.

What could be done with a race so abandoned; sunk so deep in sensual indulgence, that the Spirit of God could no longer strive with them? The sentence of de

1

struction passed against them, yet with the merciful suspension of " an hundred and twenty years." So long God determined to wait for their repentance, that he might have mercy on them. The threatenings of God, therefore, however absolute in their terms, are suspended on the behaviour of the sinner. If he repent, the threatening has answered the purpose of God better than the execution of it could have done, and becomes of none ffect. If he return to his wickedness, the threatening recovers its force, and is again armed with all its terrors. The instance of the Ninevites will serve for an example. By the command of God, Jonah pronounced inevitable destruction against them, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." They repented and humbled themselves with fasting, and God withheld his destroying hand. Again they returned to their evil courses, and total destruction came on them, about two hundred years after---The Medes and Babylonians joining their armies, took the city after a siege of two years, and so entirely destroyed it, that, when a few centuries had passed, its situation could not be known.

And, that God would have forborne the destruction of the old world, had they repented of their wickedness, we have reason to suppose, not only from instances of similar conduct, but from his so long delaying to execute his vengeance on them; from his employing Noah to preach repentance and righteousness of life to them; and from his commanding him to build the ark, to be a manifest token, that he at least, believed the threatenings he had denounced against them.

From these circumstances we get also a sure proof, that the meaning of the expression in the Text, " My Spirit shall not always strive with man," is not that God withdrew his Holy Spirit from them, and left them under an incapacity of repenting, but that he would not always bear with them; and that unless they did repent under the preaching of Noah, he would, at the end of