meaning and defign of them. It fhews us that facrifice had an evident reference to the promised Redeemer, and being inftituted on the first declaration of mercy through him, and carefully observed by the first family of the human race, was by them tranfmitted to all mankind. Hence we may easily perceive, how the notion of expiating fin, and appeafing the offended Deity by facrifices, became fo univerfal, and spread itself into the most distant ages and countries. When the fons of men began to multiply, and to disperse themselves in colonies upon the face of the whole earth, they never failed to carry these facred rites along with them, as well knowing how precious a treasure they contained; and that in the religious and due ufe of them, they might humbly expect the forgiveness of their fins, and the favour of God, through the efficacy of that all-fufficient facrifice, which they typically reprefented, and which was in the fulness of time to be offered for the fins of the whole world. We need not wonder then, that in these primitive ages, men were fo tenacious of fuch important rites, and took all due care to evince the high opinion they entertained of them, as the appointed emblems of that ftupendous tranfaction, on which rested all their hopes of pardon, and peace with God.

After the account, which the inspired historian gives us, of the acceptance of Abel's offering, and the rejection of Cain's, who in confequence of "the voice of his brother's blood crying from the

"ground,

"ground, went out from the prefence of the Lord, a "fugitive and vagabond in the earth," we meet with little, except Enoch's tranflation, that is particularly defcriptive of the character of God's faithful people, till the day arrived, when "by faith, Noah

being warned of God, of things not seen as yet, "moved with fear, prepared an ark to the faving of "his house, by the which he condemned the world, " and became heir of the righteousness, which is by "faith."* Such was the effect afcribed by an apostle to the faith of Noah, who, notwithstanding every appearance to the contrary, being firmly convinced that the flood would come, according to the Divine warning, went on with his awful preparation, and found that fafety and protection in his righteous course, which were denied to the world of the ungodly. "His friends and neighbours, who had "either neglected, or prefumptuously derided his pious admonitions, looked in vain to him for help! There was no hiding place, no refuge from "the ftorm, but within the ark-and God had fhut "the door. The waters, which foon rose above "the highest hills, bore all away with irrefiftible "force; the day of acceptance was over, and the night of judgement closed in for ever, on a cor"rupt and perverse generation."

F 2

• Heb. xi. 7.

But even then, though

See this fubject treated with uncommon ftrength and elegance of expreffion, in Sermons preached at Laura Chapel, Bath, during the feafon of Advent 1799, by the Rev. Francis Randolph, D. D.

=

though the pillars of the earth were fhaken from their foundation, and its apoftate and rebellious inhabitants were swept away by the overwhelming deluge, the building of God, the work of redemption was not overthrown. The church of the Redeemer, now confined to eight perfons, remained safe and fecure:* And as foon as Noah had gone forth out of the ark, and he and all that it contained were placed again upon a new world, we find him entering on the renewed duties of life, with an act of worship to his merciful preserver. "Noah builded an altar "unto the Lord, and took of every clean beast, and "of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings "on the altar."t From the distinction of clean beasts and fowls, which is here fo particularly men. tioned, it is evident, that these offerings, as well as this diftinction, must have been made by divine appointment; and the life of these creatures was taken away, and their blood fhed, as a memorial of that everlasting covenant, through the blood of which, life was to be reftored to man. It was this divine life-giving covenant, the establishment of which was promised to Noah before the flood, and the promise repeated

There is a beautiful allufion to this circumftance in one of the prayers of the Office of Baptifm, wherein we beg of that " Almighty God, who of "his great mercy did fave Noah and his family in the ark from perishing by "water, that the child-or infant voyager, being delivered from his wrath, "may be received into the ark of Christ's church, and fo pafs the waves of "this troublesome world, that finally he may come to the land of everlasting "life."

+ Gen. viii. 20.

repeated after it to him and his fons, in the fame ftrong expreffive terms." And I," fays God, "behold I establish my covenant with you ;"t thus challenging an exclufive property in it, and pointing it out as his own act and deed; not as a thing, which had then only begun to take place, but had been of long standing, and was now by this folemn promise fo ratified and established, as to give the ftrongest ground of affurance that it could not fail, but would stand faft for ever.

We have feen how the terms of this covenant were proposed to Adam after his fall, and means appointed for preserving the remembrance of them, and confirming a dutiful dependence on them.-With the fame view they were renewed to Noah, both before and after the flood; and God, we are told, was pleased to set his bow in the cloud, as a token of his covenant, a pledge of his mercy to man, through the merits and mediation of that mighty One, whom St. John faw fitting" on the throne in "heaven, and there was a rainbow round about

the throne."* Yet with this emblem of God's power and goodness ftaring them in the face, the defcendants of Noah foon began to forfake the ways of the Lord, and at laft filled up the measure of their iniquity, by that idolatrous confederacy, which occafioned their difperfion at Babel. Thus "fcat"tered abroad upon the face of all the earth," they departed

departed also from the worship and service of the true God; and all would again have been loft in idolatry and corruption, had not the divine mercy interpofed for the preservation of truth and righteoufnefs. For this purpose, the wisdom of heaven judged it neceffary to separate some one individual from the degenerate mass of mankind; and the perfon felected was the patriarch Abraham, called by God to be the father of the church of the Hebrews, and of the promised feed, which was to bruise the head of the ferpent. The history of this diftinguifhed character exhibits, as might well be expected, many wonderful interpofitions of divine providence, tending to confirm the "precious promises," which had been made to Adam and Noah, and still affording a clearer intimation of the counsel of God, and a stronger pledge of the immutability of his gracious purpose towards all the families of the earth.* We are affured by St. Paul, that "the gospel was "preached unto Abraham," when it was not only revealed to him, but that revelation was alfo confirmed by an oath, that "in his feed all the nations "of the earth fhould be bleffed." And the fame apoftle, reasoning on this important fubject, in his Epiftle to the Hebrews, tells us, that "when God "made promise to Abraham, because he could "fwear by no greater, he sware by himself. For

men

See Dr. Randolph's excellent Sermon on the character of Abraham.

+ Gal. iii. 8.