had kept to their closets and families, but now they began to meet together. Some make the then here to refer, not to the birth of Enos, but to the whole foregoing story. Then, when men saw both in Cain and Lamech the sad fruits and effects of sin, then they began to consider what would be the issue of sin; then they began to be religious indeed. It is a good thing when God's judgments to others are warnings to us to take heed of the ways of sin, and to mend our pace in the ways of holiness. As one said, when his friend was suddenly snatched away by death, Should not such a sight as this make me religious? Then began men, that is, godly men, to call themselves by the name of the Lord. So the margin reads it. When Cain and his progeny had built a city, and began to declare themselves for wickedness, the people of God declared themselves for God, calling themselves the sons of God. chap. vi. 2. Then began the distinction between professors and profane, the servants of God and the servants of sin; a distinction that hath been kept up in the world ever since, and will be while the world stands. Nay, the division of them into wicked and godly, is a division that will last through eternity, when other divisions and subdivisions shall be known no more. 141 CHAPTER. V. The first words of this chapter give us the title or argument of the whole;-this is the book of the generations of Adam; that is, the catalogue of the posterity of Adam during the first age of the world; namely, to the flood. Not of all Adam's posterity, but only of the holy seed, which were the substance thereof, Isa. vi. 13; and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came. Rom. ix. 5. The contents of this chapter we have in 1 Chron. i. 1, 2, 3, 4. But that which is there set down in short, is here at large recorded, and left to the church as the only authentic history of those primo-primitive times. HIS is the book of the generations THIS of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him ; 2 Male and female created he them ; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. How largely and expressly are the generations of these antediluvian patriarchs recorded! Thus much matter, one would think, might have been delivered in fewer words. But 'tis a principle we are to abide by, that there is not an idle word in God's book, whatever there are in men's. These generations are thus largely set down, partly to make the computation of years the more plain and clear, and partly to show how God delights to speak of his saints and servants. It was observed before how Cain's generation is numbered in haste, as if the Holy Ghost took no delight in the mentioning of his race. But Seth's posterity, the godly race, is written here in a larger scroll, and in more legible characters; as if the blessed Spirit, who delighted to dwell in their hearts, did also delight to dwell upon their history. We are told how long they lived that lived in God's fear; and when they died that died in his favour; but as for others it is no matter. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot. Prov. x. 7. The life of every one of these patriarchs is expressed by days, to note the shortness of the life of man, even then when it is at the longest. If their lives, who fulfilled their hundreds, must be reckoned by days; surely ours, that can scarce attain to scores, should be computed by hours. Jacob had learned the art of reckoning his life by days. Gen. xlvii. 9. What reason have we to pray with Moses, teach us to number our days. Ps. xc. 12. Concerning each of these patriarchs (except Enoch) it is said, he died; which is repeated over and over again; to show that when sin did by one man enter into the world, death came in with it; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Rom. v. 12. All of them lived exceeding long. Not one died. till he had seen the revolutions of almost eight hundred years, and some of them lived much longer. That was a great while for the precious jewel of the soul to remain inclosed in the cabinet of the body. To those that see eighty, ninety, or a hundred years, (some few instances of such there are,) what a long time doth it seem in the reflection; and how much longer do those periods seem to those that are young, and have their time before them. 'Tis doubted by some whether these years were of the length that ours are, or not. Some have fancied that they were lunary years, such as the Egyptians did sometimes reckon by, counting every month a year. But if so, they had children when very young, when only six, seven, or eight years old, which is not at all credible. Reasons are given why the antediluvian patriarchs did live so long:- as, 1. God might order it so for the greater increase and multiplication of mankind; and that the earth might be the sooner filled, and the world (especially the church of God in it) peopled. 2. They might themselves by their great temperance, sobriety, and other virtues, be instrumental in prolonging their own lives; especially as they were no doubt strangers to the luxury and intemperance of later ages, which do so much shorten life and hasten death. 3. Probably the earth was more fertile, the fruits of it more nourishing, the air more healthful, and perhaps the influences of the heavenly bodies more benign, before the flood than after. 4. The wise God prolonged their lives for the sake of piety and religion. There being then no written word, all things were delivered by tradition; the revealed will of God was handed down from father to son by word of mouth. Now it was expedient that men should live so long, to prevent the mistakes and errors which commonly attend such traditions; in order to the keeping of the stream of tradition clear and untainted. All the patriarchs mentioned in this chapter, except Noah, were born before Adam died, |