eft to himself reproduces
this picture, as may be seen in those lands where there is no light of
the gospel of the grace of God.

#The chief characters# of this period are Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel,
Enoch, who "walked with God: and he was not; for God took him," Noah
and his three sons--Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

#11. Period Two.#--This lasts from #Noah to Abraham#. God blots out
the human race as it then existed and begins it anew. So far, all that
we know of the human race lived in the Euphrates valley, and all
modern research confirms the Bible statement with regard to this. It
need not be maintained that the flood was universal, in the sense that
it covered the whole world, as we now know it. All that is needful to
believe is that the "known world" was subject to a devastating flood
that caused the human race to perish, with the exception of Noah and
his family. Warned by God Noah builds the ark, and embarks in it. The
rains descend and the fountains of the great deep are broken up, and
the land is submerged. In due time, the rains cease, and the floods
dry up, and Noah sends out first a raven, which returns not. Then he
sends out a dove, which comes back to the ark, not finding any
resting-place. In seven days he sends out another dove, which returns
bringing an olive-leaf in her mouth. The third time he sends forth a
dove, which returns not. Then in due time Noah goes forth from the
ark, which had rested on Mount Ararat in Armenia.

#12.# Now follows the beautiful story of the sacrifice that Noah
offers, and the promise of God never again to send a deluge on the
earth. This promise is confirmed by the symbol of the rainbow. Of
course there had been rainbows before this, but this time God takes
the rainbow and makes it a symbol of his mercy to sinful man.

#13. The Tower of Babel.#--In this period we there is a great advance
in civilization, as may be seen by a careful reading of Genesis
10:1-32. Cities are built and nations are founded by the descendants
of the Patriarch Noah. But the evil tendency of the human heart again
shows itself, and the pride of man's achievement fills the heart of
the descendants of Noah. Then comes the story of the tower of Babel,
and in this we read most significantly, "And they said, Come, let us
build." To this God's reply is "Come, let us confound." Man's pride is
to be abased, and put to confusion. So the human race is scattered
abroad and its cherished plans are broken up. For