(Gen. 6:) A GOSPEL ADDRESS.

This chapter gives us the climax of man's history under the first administration of time, and covers a period of over 1600 years. This was the age that God tried and tested man in the light of conscience. From the fall in Eden to the Flood we read of no law, no government, but man left to the dictates of his conscience. Many people to-day say that conscience alone is their guide, and that it is good enough to walk by. The anarchist who clamors for no government can learn a solemn lesson from this chapter, because we see that man left to his own conscience became an utter wreck; so much so, that God had to sweep the earth with a deluge. The moral state of man is given in the fifth verse:"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

What makes this chapter so interesting and solemn is that the Lord Jesus Christ tells us that what transpired before the Flood shall happen again before He returns to set up His Millennial government. The flood of waters in Gen. 6 is but a faint type, or shadow, of the woes and tribulations described in Revelation, chapters 6:to 19:

In ver. 2 we see God's sons, the professing people, uniting themselves with the daughters of men-a union of godly and ungodly, a corruption, by mixture of what was professedly God's people with the wicked world, the result of which is disastrous, and which, if we cared to see, can be noticed to-day in the union of the Church and the world. God's testimony by this is corrupted, and it will end in judgment.

Note God's patience for 120 years. They could righteously have been destroyed at once, but God loves to save, so waits, warns, strives by His Spirit, and by Noah's preaching for 120 years, with these antediluvians. Judgment, the Scripture tells us, is God's strange work; His heart finds no delight in it; He loves to save; and only when men will not accept salvation does He destroy.

Note that before the Flood we get giants and mighty men of renown (ver. 4). Great as they were in the eyes of men, they were not great enough to escape the Deluge, and so to-day man is fast becoming a giant in many lines,-learning, inventions, etc.,-and making many gigantic strides. But what about the spiritual state of these men ? Read the 5th and nth verses:"Evil continually," and filling the earth with violence. They used their brute strength to gain their ends, regardless of right or wrong; and such are the actings of the world to-day, as illustrated in selfish greed and injustice.

Fair as the world might seem to its people, yet God had doomed it; and so God's judgment hangs
over this scene, as Christ said, "Now is the judgment of this world." One of these days that judgment will be put into execution. (See i Thess. 5:3; also, 2 Pet. 3:3-7.) It will take the world by surprise.

Before God's awful judgment falls, He in His love provides a way of escape and salvation. That is blessedly true now. Judgment will come, but God has a way of salvation. He has provided a Saviour for a lost world (John 3:16), blessed be His name, and this salvation and Saviour is what we have prefigured in Noah's ark.

Let us look at this wonderful figure, or type, of Christ.

It was God Himself who planned the ark. He knew what was needed-knew the awful storm the ark must weather, and He, the great Architect, planned a seaworthy refuge. The Lord Jesus Christ alone, God's beloved Son, is God's plan to save. All human plans and devices perished in the Flood; that will be the history of every soul who does not rest on God's Rock of salvation. Your thoughts and plans, nice as they may appear, are deceptive and unsafe. Have you God's planned salvation ? or are you leaning on some human invention ?

God said, "Make thee an ark." Just one ark- not two, nor six, but one. Only one way of escape! One way for all-rich and poor, high and low, young and old-only one. Jesus said, "I am the way." The only way, He meant. Men often say there are many ways and gates to heaven, and they pick ways to suit their own foolish hearts; but Jesus is the only way. '' No man cometh unto the Father but by Me." Soul, hast thou Christ?

The ark was to be made of a certain tree-not every kind of timber would do; it must be a wood that would be safe and seaworthy; one which was flawless, and which would not leak. The gopher wood, we are told, was the finest wood the world possessed, and that time did not bring decay upon it; it was almost incorruptible. What wondrous grace on God's part to provide so safe a refuge! So God has provided His own beloved Son, the spotless, perfect and holy Man, Christ Jesus, to save a ruined world. He was the sinless One, over whom God could open the heavens and say, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." God never did or could do that over any other man. It is this One who saves, and is love's provision for a ruined race.

But ere the ark can be made, the gopher tree must be cut down; it must die, ere Noah can escape death in the flood. It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). So ere we could escape death and judgment Christ must suffer the death and judgment due to us; our penalty must be paid by Him. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone." Christ is the corn of wheat, and had He not died and suffered He alone would have entered heaven; we could not go there. It is His death and His blood alone which saves. Some people take Christ as a pattern, sample, and ideal; but the soul needs the blood.

Pitch is the life of the tree. And now we see that to make the ark truly safe God ordered it to be pitched within and without with pitch. In Ex. 12:13 we see the blood of the paschal lamb was a token to the sheltered Israelites, and also a sign for God Himself:"And the blood shall be to you for a token; and when I (God) see the blood, I will pass over you." God's eye rested on the blood, and He was satisfied. Surely the soul that rested beneath it should have been satisfied also. How many Christians doubt their safety and salvation simply because they do not value the blood according to God's estimate ! See what provision there was-pitch outside, blemishless gopher wood in the center, and then pitch inside! They were as safe as God could make them-as every true believer now is. The ark never leaked. God's provision was perfect, and He was their pilot also. Christ "is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him."

The next detail is the way of access to the ark. "And the door thou shalt set in the side thereof." Only one door. All who will, must enter thereby. The Son of Man is not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. One class alone are saved-lost sinners. Can you come as such ? You must, or perish. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." If you will come as a lost but trusting sinner, Jesus will save you. Jesus says, "Come unto Me." Come as you are. Wait not to improve yourself, because yon never can do that. A dying thief was not rejected, and you He will not cast out.

Inside, the ark was fitted up, the 14th verse tells us, with rooms, or nests. (See better translation in margin.) A nest is where a bird finds rest from all its toil. The Lord Jesus offers rest to all who trust in Him. He said, " Come unto Me, all ye that labor (for salvation), and I will give you rest." He did the work on the cross, and you are asked to rest on that finished work. He never said, Come to Me, and I will give you some work to do, and if you do it well and faithfully you shall be saved. No! He offers rest-salvation first, and then work becomes the fruit, not the price, of salvation. It is a gift, not something God will sell. No price, however great, can buy it.

The ark had three floors-lower, second, and third stories (ver. 16). This may be used to describe God's family. John's epistle tells us that in God's family there are three classes-little children, young men, and fathers; showing the various stages of growth in the Christian life. All dear to God; not one dearer than another. Some more intelligent than others, but all redeemed by the same precious blood. If one class can perish, they all must go. down, and the ark with its cargo, to the bottom. The thought is monstrous. Yet some Christians believe it. No! all were as safe as the ark; their security depended on the power of the ark, and its ability to carry them. The history tells us that all who entered it reached mount Ararat in safety; not one died on the voyage. Ararat means "holy ground," and is a figure of heaven. (See John 10:27-29.) Christ says of His own, they shall never perish.

One more detail ere we close the description (ver. 16). "A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above." A window is for light, and speaks of communion. The man who lived in the third story enjoyed the light of that window. The number three reminds us of the day Christ rose from the grave-from among the dead; and it is the Christian who lives in resurrection atmosphere who can and does enjoy heaven's light and sunshine. See Paul in Phil. 3:10:"That I might know Him and the power of His resurrection." The Christian's soul can find no joy, no food, save in the scene beyond the tomb.

And now, dear friend, God has shown you in picture His Son Jesus, and His salvation. All who stepped into the ark trusted their welfare to its keeping, and were safe :it mattered not what worthless creatures they might be, the ark covered and kept them. All outside the ark, whether moral or immoral, religious or irreligious, good or bad intentioned people, respectable or otherwise, were unsafe, and I would ask you where are you? Confiding in Jesus, or confiding in your own merits ? When the flood came, all the nice people as well as the others perished. To be outside the ark is to be lost; to be inside, is to be safe. And remember, the ark is not the Church-the ark is Christ. I plead with you to flee to the ark. Confiding in Christ alone makes the sinner safe. The ark stands open now, and none who come are rejected. God provides food for all who enter (ver. 21). Until you come to Christ you will not know what real joy is.

One of these days the door will shut. God waited seven days after Noah went in (7:4); but God's mercy ended, and He shut the door. When Jesus comes (and we know not how soon that may happen), many will be shut in, safe with Himself to spend eternity in heaven, and many shut out. How would His coming affect you -were it to happen now ? (See Luke 13:24, 25.) " Many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in and shall not be able, when once the Master of the house has risen up and shut to the door.' '

Hasten, sleeping sinner; judgment is gathering fast. Remember, it was not the man who admired the ark and its construction, neither the man who could describe its details, who was saved, but the one who by faith entered, and trusted his perishing soul to its care. " Look unto Me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved." E. W. M.