November 30

tion of faith—and faithful as stewards of the manifold grace of God—each aiming to be accepted of him.

But there are partners in privileges, and this applies entirely to Christians. They are all “partakers of the benefit.” “Partakers of Christ.” They “are all one in Christ Jesus.” Jude speaks of “the common salvation:” and we read of our being called by God “into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” We read also of “the fellowship of his sufferings,” by which we understand an equal right to all the blessings derived from his cross,—reconciliation, redemption, justification, and satisfaction. In the ministrations of the Word, the ordinances of religion, the influences and comforts of the Holy Ghost, we have fellowship one with another, and are heirs together of the grace of life.

This partnership may be judged of by the privileges they share in. These privileges are distinguished by four characters. They are spiritual in their nature. They are inestimable in their value. They are free—without money and without price in their bestowment. And they are in their possession secure from loss and injury—“the sure mercies of David.”

Am I a partner? There is not a better evidence in your favour than your anxious concern to determine this; and your being able to say with Paul—the partner here spoken of, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; that I may win Christ and be found in him.” David also could say, “Thou hast given me the heritage of them that fear thy name:” and how was it with him? What was his prayer? “Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.”

And if you are a partner, how should this encourage and comfort you, that in all your obscurity and affliction you have “the communion of saints”—an interest—an equal interest with all the blessed of the Lord, whether on earth or in heaven, in all the enjoyments, riches, and glories, which constitute their portion for ever!

And should you not be concerned to bring in others to share with you? Surely there is enough, and to spare. Your claim will not be diminished by an increase of partakers. Yea, your happiness will be augmented by it, if you are likeminded with angels—for they rejoice over every sinner that repenteth. So the first Christians who had drunk so immediately at the spring-head of benevolence and love, could not keep the blessedness to themselves: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

NOVEMBER 30.—“This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed.”—Genesis 5:29.

This leads us back to the malediction denounced in consequence of sin—“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the

ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Lamech, who here complains of the ground, had been cotemporary with Adam during more than fifty years; and therefore he had doubtless heard from him in what a happy condition man was originally placed in Eden, where indeed he dressed the garden, but without vexation or fatigue. How different from this delightful residence was the wide wilderness world in which he now was, where the spontaneous productions were only briers and thorns, while the good things he wished for could only be procured by wearisome efforts, and amidst frequent disappointments? Yet it seems strange that those who could settle wherever they chose, should talk of the difficulty of subsistence, and the hardships occasioned by the barrenness of the soil. Two things would contribute to this. They seem not to have been allowed animal food before the Flood; and therefore they depended for support entirely on the fruits of the earth. And they had not that skill in agriculture we have, nor many of those implements of husbandry which save and soften labour now. Men were therefore engrossed in the drudgery of clearing the soil from nuisances, turning it up by hand, fencing it off from beasts so numerous and near, manuring it, sowing it, reaping it, carrying it home, beating it out and preparing it for use under a thousand inconveniences—Lamech speaks like one weary of a life consumed not only in work, but toil to relieve the low wants of animal appetites—and having come in exhausted from the field, he takes up his new-born babe, and looking at the mother, calls "his name (so Noah signifies) refreshment, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed."

It is obvious from hence that he expected for himself and others some relief, rest, or consolation from this child. What was it? And how is the expression to be understood?—"This same shall comfort us." First, we may take it as an emotion purely parental. Lo! children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. It is therefore natural to rejoice at their birth. "A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world." Jeremiah speaks of the man that brought tidings to his father, saying, "a man-child is born unto thee, thereby making his heart glad." And though children are certain cares and uncertain comforts, it seems—for the future is wisely concealed from our view—impossible for the parental heart not to indulge hopes as well as wishes. This same shall grow up into a pleasing companion—he shall continue our name and our family—he shall reward our expense and care by returns of gratitude and attention—and when we are old and gray-headed he shall be the stay and solace of age and infirmity. He may also increase the number of the faithful, and be a part of the seed which shall serve the Redeemer. We are nursing this

child for God; and what joy will it afford us to see him an heir of glory, walking in the truth, and a blessing to all around him!

Secondly, as a prophetic intimation of Noah's usefulness. Though he spake according to his natural affection, we have reason to believe he spake as he was moved by the Holy Ghost. He therefore announces that this was to be an extraordinary child; a deliverer; one who should serve his generation, and prove a benefactor to the human race. Accordingly, he not only, as Jarchi says, improved agriculture much, and reduced human labour, and planted vineyards, and produced wine which strengthens man's heart; but he prepared an ark for the salvation of any who would avail themselves of it. In him the race of mankind was revived after the Deluge. He was the father of the new world, and from his loins the whole globe was peopled. For his sake the face of the earth was renewed, and an assurance and a pledge obtained, of its safety from drowning, and of its enjoying the regular succession of the seasons. All this Lamech here foretold, and much of it he lived to see realizing: for he lived after the birth of Noah five hundred and ninety-five years. He therefore saw his son not only good but great; and as he lived till within five years of the Deluge, he could see the ark nearly finished, and would often doubtless go down to the scene, and sit and lean upon his staff, and watch the workmen. Noah also was a preacher of righteousness, and heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Thirdly, as an evangelical reference to the Saviour. Why should this be deemed a thing incredible or improbable? Even in these early days an expectation prevailed, derived from the promise of the woman's seed in Paradise, of a Redeemer of the human race, from the effects of the Fall; and many were raised up to hold him forth, imperfectly indeed, but really and usefully. God said to Abraham, "In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." This seed was immediately Isaac, but, finally and principally, the Messiah that should descend from him. Abraham therefore derived his hope and consolation from him, whom his son preceded as his ancestor, and prefigured as a type. It was the same with Lamech. He predicts that in his seed the world would experience a greater deliverance than from the Flood; and that one, of whom Noah was only an emblem, should be raised up to bless us with all spiritual blessings, even Jesus, which delivers us from the wrath to come. Say not, this all-important event was then too far off—a thousand years with the Lord are as one day. Say not, it is improbable that Lamech was enlightened enough to be aware of this. The prophets were not acquainted with the degree and extent of their own communications; and therefore studied them after they had delivered them; "searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

And blessed be God, we know who is the true Noah. "His rest shall be glorious." "Come unto me," says he, "all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Let nothing divert us from him. "This is the rest wherewith ye shall cause the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing." Come what will—"THIS SAME SHALL COMFORT US."

VOL. II