e, is dear; vile is what is here."

And apt is the poetic truism:

_Minuit praesentia famam._
"Sight levels what fancy has exalted."

As far as the revelation is concerned, we are far richer than the
patriarchs. But their devotion to a comparatively inferior revelation
was greater; they were lovers of the bridegroom. We, on the other
hand, are that fat, bloated, wanton servant, Deut 32, 15; for we have
the Word and are overwhelmed by the abundance of it.

85. In the same degree as the first world was excellent and holy, the
latter-day world is evil and wicked. In view of the fact, then, that
God did not spare the first, primitive world, and destroyed the second
world by overturning kingdom after kingdom, and government after
government, what shall we expect to be the end of this latter-day
world which in security despises the Christ, the desire of nations, as
he is called by Haggai, in spite of the fact that he urges himself
upon us to the point of weariness!

B. NOAH.

1. Remarkableness of the fact that Noah refrained so long from
wedlock 86.

2. He was fit to marry, but had reasons for abstaining 87.

3. What his reasons were 88.

4. His chastity is highly praised by Moses in few words 89.

5. The Jews' lies about the reasons for his chastity refuted 90-91.

* The Jews' lies as to why Shem was called the first-born 91.

* Papists without reason take offense at Moses relating so much
about the birth of the children of the patriarchs 92-93.

6. Noah shines like a bright star as an example of chastity among
all the patriarchs 93.

7. Noah remained single, not because he despised marriage; and why
he finally married 94.

8. How his sons were born one after the other 95-97.

* Why Shem was preferred to Japheth 96.

* How to meet the objections to the birth of Noah's sons 97.

9. Noah an excellent example of chastity 98.

* The threefold world.

a. The first world a truly golden age and the most holy. How and
why it was punished by God 99-100.

b. The second world is full of idolatry, and will be severely
punished by God 100.

c. The third world is the worst, and hence can expect the
hardest punishment 101.

d. The punishment of these three worlds portrayed in the colors
of the rainbow 101.

e. How believing hearts act upon considering sin and the wor