oah entered
the ark, no word was spoken, nothing was revealed to him; that he saw
no ray of divine grace shining, but merely clung to the promise which
he had accepted, while in the meantime the waters and waves raged as
if God had certainly forgotten. The same danger beset his children and
also the cattle and all the other animals throughout the one hundred
and fifty days they were in the ark. And though the holy seed by the
aid of the conquering Spirit overcame those difficulties, the victory
was not won without vexation of the flesh, tears and stupendous fear,
felt, in my opinion, even by the brutes.

5. Thus a twofold danger beset them. The universal flood which
swallowed up all mankind could not vanish without stupendous grief to
the righteous, particularly as they saw themselves reduced to so small
a number. Further, it was a serious matter to be buffeted by the
waters for almost half a year without any consolation from God.

6. The expression used by Moses, "God remembered Noah," must not be
short of its meaning by calling it a rhetorical figure, signifying
that God acted after the manner of one who had forgotten Noah, whereas
God cannot in truth forget his saints. A mere master of rhetoric,
indeed, does not know what it means to live in such a state as to feel
that God has forgotten him. Only the most perfect saints understand
that, and can in faith bear, so to speak, a God who forgets. Therefore
the Psalms and all the Scriptures are filled with complaints of this
nature, in which God is called upon to arise, to open his eyes, to
hear, to awaken.

7. Monks possessed of a higher degree of experience, at times
underwent this temptation and called it a suspension of grace. The
latter may be experienced also in temptations of a slighter nature.
The flame of lust found in young people is altogether unbearable
unless it is held in check by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.
Similarly, at a more mature age, impatience and the desire for revenge
can nowise be overcome unless God tears them from the soul. How much
more liable is the soul to fall into the darkness of despair, or into
ensnaring predestinarian tenets, when more severe temptations beset us
and the suspension of grace is felt.

8. Hence this expression is not to be passed by as a mere rhetorical
ornament, according to the interpretation of the rabbis. It is
intended rather to portray the state of soul which feels despair
coming on amid unutterable groa