ature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more
become a flood to destroy all flesh."[662] In the provision, here
announced simply as an appointment of providence, all flesh is
interested. Noah and his family were interested in the good promised, as
a covenant blessing. With Noah the Lord had established his covenant
before the flood. "And, behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters
upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life from
under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with
thee will I establish my covenant."[663] For the benefit of the human
family were given the following instructions:--"And thou shalt come into
the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with
thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt
thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be
male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their
kind; of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind; two of every
sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee
of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it
shall be food for thee and for them."[664] After the flood, by the
mandate of heaven, had retired, and left them in possession of the first
fruits of the gracious federal grant made to him, "Noah builded an
altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean
fowl, and offered burnt-offerings upon the altar. And the Lord smelled a
sweet savour: and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the
ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is
evil from his youth: neither will I again smite any more every thing
living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seed-time and
harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night,
shall not cease."[665] And having blessed Noah and his sons, and made
sundry new grants to them, he again declared, "I will establish my
covenant with you,"[666] and gave his announcement of the bow in the
cloud as its appointed sign. To mankind alone, of all flesh, that could
prove a token. For their encouragement alone it was provided. As if God
had taken sure means that his promise should be fulfilled, he uses the
language, "And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it,
that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every
living creature of all flesh that is upon the