Wesley Corpus

Chapter VIII We have here, The earth made anew, by the recess of waters, and the appearing of the dry land a second time. The increase of the waters is stayed, ver. 1, 2. They begin sensibly to abate, ver. 3. After fifteen days ebbing the ark rests, ver. 4. After sixty days ebbing the tops of the mountains appear, ver. 5. After forty days ebbing, and twenty days before the mountains appeared, Noah begins to send out his spies, a raven and a dove to gain intelligence, ver. 6 - 12. Two months after the appearing of the tops of the mountains the waters were gone, and the face of the earth was dry, ver. 13. tho' not dried so as to be fit for man 'till almost two months after, ver. 14. Man placed anew upon the earth. In which, Noah's discharge and departure out of the ark, ver. 15 - 19. His sacrifice of praise which he offered to God upon his enlargement, ver. 20. God's acceptance of his sacrifice; and the promise he made thereupon not to drown the world again, ver. 21, 22. And thus at length mercy rejoiceth against judgment. And God remembered Noah and every living thing - This is an expression after the manner of men, for not any of his creatures, much less any of his people are forgotten of God. But the whole race of mankind, except Noah and his family, was now extinguished, and gone into the land of forgetfulness, so that God's remembering Noah was the return of his mercy to mankind, of whom he would not make a full end. Noah himself, tho' one that had found grace in the eyes of the Lord, yet seemed to be forgotten in the ark; but at length God returned in mercy to him, and that is expressed by his remembering him. The waters returned from off the earth continually - Heb. they were going and returning; a gradual departure. The heat of the sun exhaled much, and perhaps the subterraneous caverns soaked in more. And the ark rested - upon the mountains of Ararat - Or, Armenia, whether it was directed, not by Noah's prudence, but the wise providence of God. The tops of the mountains were seen - Like little islands appearing above water. They felt ground above forty days before they saw it, according to Dr.