d not endure forever such contempt of his Word.

78. But the flesh remained true to its nature; they despised faithful
exhortations in their presumption and carnal security, and the holy
patriarchs they treated as men in dotage and as simpletons because of
their threat that God would move in wrath even upon his Church,
namely, the heirs of the promise of the coming seed.

79. The added clause, "yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty
years," Jerome affirms must not be understood as referring to the
years of human life, nor to the age of individual men; for it is
certain that after the flood many exceeded the two hundredth year. If
you refer it to the years allotted to individuals, the promise would
be that individuals should complete so many years, which, however, is
false. Therefore he speaks of the time conceded to the world for
repentance until the flood should arrive.

80. This interpretation agrees with what precedes. God shows that he
is displeased with the perversity of men. He is full of solicitude and
quite ready to forbear. Against his will, so to speak, he permits the
flood to rage. Therefore, he decided upon a fixed and adequate time
for them to come to their senses, and to escape punishment. All this
time Noah admonished men to repent, making it clear that God could not
longer endure such wickedness, while he was yet so kind as to grant
adequate time for repentance.

81. There is a beautiful cohesion between the words and their
significance. A former proclamation threatens: I cannot endure longer
contempt for my Word; my preachers and priests attain nothing with
their infinite labor except derision. Nevertheless, as a father or
good judge would gladly spare a son but is compelled by his wickedness
to be severe, so, the Lord says, I do not destroy gladly the human
race. I shall grant them one hundred and twenty years in which they
may come to themselves, and during which I shall exercise mercy.

82. Horrible was the disaster, because neither the brothers nor the
sisters of Noah were saved. It was necessary that the most earnest
warning should precede, that, perhaps, they might be called back to
repentance. To the Ninevites Jonah announces destruction within forty
days, and they repent and are saved.

83. It is clear, therefore, that the heedlessness of the old world was
very great, inasmuch as in the one hundred and twenty years of grace
it obstinately persisted in its lusts, even deriding its ponti