A. That Christ should destroy the wicked works and designs of the devil, and thereby save mankind from the sin and death which were brought in among them by his temptation, 1 John iii. 8. Heb. ii. 14, 15. 29 Q. Whence came the skins of the beasts with which God clothed Adam and Eve?

A. It is likely God taught Adam to offer sacrifices at this time, and that these were the skins of the beasts that were offered in sacrifice.

Note, Whether flesh was eaten by the religious families before the flood, is uncertain; but it does not appear that God had given Adam express leave to eat flesh, Gen. i. 29. ii. 26. and ix. 23, and then there could be no skins to be had from beasts killed for food. But the sin of man deserved death; and it was probably at this time that God appointed beasts to be sacrificed or put to death, to shew that sin deserved death, and to make a sort of typical atonement, or answer for the sin of man; since cutting and burning God's living crea tures does not seem to be a contrivance of man himself to appease God for his own sin. Then it is natural to suppose, that God clothed Adam and Eve with the skins of those beasts which were sacrificed; to shew them in a typical or figurative way, that as clothes covered the naked body from shame and harm, so sacrifices, offered according to God's appointment, should in some sense protect them from the punishment which sin had deserved.

And it is very possible, God might inform Adam that all these appointments were only a figure of Christ the great sacrifice, the Seed of the Woman, who should make a real and effectual atonement for sin hereafter by his own Death. I confess all this does not so evidently appear in the writings of Moses, nor could it be expected, where the account of things in these early times is so exceeding short; though it is very agreeable to the discoveries made in the following parts of Scripture. I add yet further, that sacrifices might be instituted at this time with this view and design, even

though Adam himself might not be informed of it; for the great God does not always immediately reveal to his creatures the reason and design of all his precepts or his providence, Job xxxiii. 14.

30 Q. What was the religion of man after the fall or sin of Adam?

A. All the duties of the light of nature which were required before: and besides these, he was now called to repentance for sin, faith or trust in the mercy of God, expectation of the promised Saviour, and offering of sacrifices. This is called the Adamical Dispensation of the covenant of grace, and it reached to Noah's flood.

31 Q. Who were Adam's first children? A. Cain and Abel, Gen. iv. 1, 2.

32 Q. What was Cain ?

A. Adam's eldest son, and he was a tiller of the ground, Gen. iv. 1, 2.

33 Q. But what mischief did Cain do?

A. He killed his brother Abel, who was a keeper of sheep, Gen. iv. 2. 8.

34 Q. Why did Cain kill him?

A. Because his own works were evil, and God did not accept his sacrifices; but his brother's works were righteous, and God gave some token that he accepted him, Gen. iv. 4, 5. John iii. 12.

35 Q. Whither went Cain when God reproved him for this murder?

A. He went out, and departed from the presence of the Lord, and from his father's family, where God was worshipped, Gen. iv. 16.

36 Q. What were the posterity of Cain?

A. Some of them are famous for inventions of music, and handicraft-trades, but they are supposed to have neglected religion, Gen. iv. 20. 22.

37 Q. What other son had Adam?

A. Seth, who was born soon after the death of Abel, and several others after him, Gen. iv. 25,

and v.

4.

38 Q. Did the children of Seth neglect religion

too?

A. Religion was publicly maintained for some generations in 'Seth's family, for they distinguished themselves from the wicked sons of men; they prayed to God, and were called the sons of God, Gen. iv. 26, and vi. 2. 4.

*

39 Q. Did they grow degenerate afterwards?

A. All mankind grew so wicked, except a very few, that God saw it proper to manifest his righteous judgment, and his anger against sin, by destroying them, Gen. vi. 5—7.

40 Q. Who were some of the chief persons of Seth's posterity mentioned in scripture in those early times? A. Enoch and Methuselah, Lamech and Noah, were the most remarkable.

41 Q. Who was Enoch?

A. The man who walked with God and pleased him in the midst of a wicked world, and foretold the judgment of God on sinners, Gen. v. 22. Jude 14,

15.

Note, When Enoch and Noah are said to walk with God, some learned men have supposed, that it does not only signify that they behaved themselves always as in the presence of God, and conversed with him by meditation and prayer, and walked in his ways: but that God appeared of old to these pious men, as he did to Abraham, and walked and conversed with them in a bodily form; and this was the original of that phrase, Walking with God, to signify the practice of religion.

42 Q. What became of Enoch?

A. God took him to heaven without dying, as a peculiar favour and honour done to him, Gen. v. 24. Heb. xi. 5.

43 Q. Who was Methuselah?

A. The son of Enoch, and the oldest man that we ever read of, Gen. v. 21.

44 Q. How long did he live?

A. Nine hundred and sixty nine years, Gen. v. 27. 45 Q. Who was Lamech?

A. Noah's father, who prophesied of the blessing the earth should find in his son, which had been laid under a curse for the sin of Adam, Gen. v. 28, 29.

CHAPTER II.

Of Noah, Abraham, and their Families after the Flood.

SECTION I.

Of Noah and his Sons.

1 Q. WHO was Noah?

A. The righteous man who was saved when the world was drowned by a flood, Gen. vii. 23.

2 Q. How did God drown the world?

A. When mankind had provoked him by their "sins, which were exceeding great, Gen. vi. 5, 6, 7, he broke up the fountains of the great deep under ground, and caused it to rain forty days and forty nights, Gen. vii. 4. 11.

3 Q. How was Noah saved?

A. In an ark, or great ship or vessel, which God taught him to build, Gen. vi. 14, &c.

Note, Noah had warning of this judgment of God one hundred and twenty years before it came to pass, Gen. vi. 3.; and as he was a preacher of righteousness, 2 Pet. ii. 5, so we may justly suppose he gave continual warning to a sinful world while the ark was building, 1 Pet. iii. 19, 20. Heb. xi, 7.

4 Q. Who was saved with him?

A. All his family, and some living creatures of every kind, namely, two of every unclean beast and bird, which were neither fit for food nor sacrifice : and seven of every clean creature, which were fit for one or both uses, Gen. vii. 2, 3. 13, 14.

5 Q. How long did Noah tarry in the ark?

A. At nine months end he sent forth a dove, which brought in an olive branch, to shew him that the waters were abated; and at the end of twelve months and ten days he came forth, and the creatures which were with him, Gen. vii. 11. and viii. 5—13. 6 Q. What commands did God give Noah?

A. The offering of sacrifices was continued, Gen. viii. 20, 21. Flesh was given to man for food, as herbs were before, Gen. ix. 2, 3. Blood was forbidden to be eaten, the blood of man was expressly forbidden to be shed, and murder was to be punished with death, Gen. ix. 4, 5, 6.

Note, The religion of Noah was the same with that of Adam after his fall, (See chap. 1. Q. 30.) with these few additions here mentioned. And this was the NOAICHAL DISPENSATION of the covenant of grace, whereby all men, from Noah to Abraham, were to seek salvation; and whereby all besides the family of Abraham were to be saved, even all the heathen. world, till they hear of Christ..

7 Q. What promise did God make to Noah?

A. That the world should never be drowned again; and it pleased God to appoint the rainbow to be a token of it, Gen. ix. 13-15.

8 Q. Was there no rainbow before the flood?

A. It is probable that there was no rain before the flood, for the earth was watered daily by a thick mist, Gen. ii. 5, 6, and then there could be naturally no rainbow, for it is made by the sun-beams shining upon falling rain.

9 Q. Who were Noah's three sons?