Vse. This may serve to admonish us, betimes to pray for deliverance from our sins, which then we shall obtaine when we do flye unto Christ, who gives deliverance unto the Captives; Luke 4.18. Doct. 7. The extreamest punishment of sinners is deferred unto the last judgement of God.
Use. This may serve for instruction, that no man should please himselfe therein, that he suffers afflictions in this world, as if therefore he should escape free in the world to come, which is the miserable comfort of some men.
Verse 5. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth person, a Preacher of righteousnesse, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.
The Analysis.
The second and third example of Gods justice towards sinners are not barely propounded, as the first was, but are illustrated by different examples, or by examples of Gods mercy, which he shewed towards the godly, while he destroyed the wicked. The reason is, that both parts of the conclusion, which is set down, verse 9. might be fitly inferred; where the deliverance of the godly is joyned together with the destruction of the wicked. In the former of these examples is set downe, 1. The object of Gods justice, materially, the old world, which is more formally explained by the adjunct of impiety, whence it is called the world of the ungodly. 2. This justice is also illustrated by the instrument thereof, namely, the bringing in of the flood upon the world of the ungodly. The object of Gods mercy is made to be Noah with his family: who are described, 1 By their small number, wherein his family was contained, which is said to be eight. This Peter shewes, 1 Epist. c.3. v.20. 2 By the effect, that he was a Preacher of righteousnesse. For the office or duty is not here commended, but the act or exercise of this duty. For the duty was common to him with many more, but the exercise of it was proper unto himselfe.
