test of prophecies 91.

5. His preaching disregarded not only by the Cainites but by the
sons of God 92.

* To what end God's complaint of the first world should serve us
93.

* When was the judgment of God announced 94.

* The generation of the Cainites.

a. Whether it still existed in the days of Noah 95.

b. Why Moses does not record the generations of the Cainites and
of their patriarchs 95.

c. How the holy patriarchs warned their children against the
Cainites 96.

d. How the Cainites tormented the holy patriarchs 96.

6. Why God raised up Noah 97.

7. Noah's faith exceptionally strong 97-98.

8. What impelled Noah to continue his work, and not to turn to the
world 99.

9. How Noah's age was the wickedest and he had to oppose its
wickedness all alone 100.

* Who of the patriarchs were still living in Noah's time 100.

10. What trials Noah had to experience 101.

B. NOAH AND HIS PREACHING.

87. But this passage shows that Noah began preaching about the
impending punishment of the deluge before his marriage, having
hitherto led the life of a celibate.

88. Consider, therefore, what pastime he offered to a wicked world in
its fancied security. He predicts destruction to the whole world
through the flood, nevertheless, he himself marries. Why? Was it not
sufficient for him to perish alone, that he must join to himself a
companion for the disaster? Oh, foolish old man! Surely if he believed
the world was to perish by a deluge, he would rather perish alone than
marry and take the trouble to beget children. But if he himself will
be saved, why, so shall also we.

In this manner they commenced to despise the preaching concerning the
flood with the greater assurance because of the marriage of Noah,
ignorant of the counsel of God, who moves in a manner altogether
unintelligible to the world. How absurd to promise Abraham posterity
through Isaac, and yet to command Isaac to be sacrificed!

89. The divine Jerome argues against the view that God had fixed the
time for the flood at a hundred and twenty years, but saw himself
compelled, later, when wickedness had waxed strong, to shorten the
time.

90. But we shall not make God a liar; we rather give it as our
conviction that Noah had hitherto preached, while in a state of
celibacy, that the world was to be destroyed through the flood, and
later, by a d