heaven and earth. From the time that it was written in the Book of
Genesis, that the Lord Jehovah said in his heart, 'I will not again
curse the ground for man's sake: neither will I again smite any more
anything living, as I have done, while the earth remaineth--seed time
and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and
night, shall not cease'--from that time the Jews were bound not to
fear the powers of nature, or the seasons, nor to fear for them; for
they were all in the government of that one good God and Lord, who
cared for men, and loved them, and dealt justly by them, and proved
his love and justice by bringing the children of Israel out of the
land of Egypt.


God treated these heathens, St. Paul says, as we ought to treat our
children. His wrath was revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men. All wilful disobedience and actual sin
he punished, often with terrible severity; but not their childish
mistakes and dreams about how this world was made; just as we should
not punish the fancies of our children. The times of that ignorance,
says St. Paul, he winked at till Christ came, and then he commanded
all men everywhere to repent, and believe in the God who gave them
rain and fruitful seasons, filling their hearts with food and
gladness.

For he had appointed a day in which he would judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he had ordained; of which he had given
full assurance to all men, in that he had raised him from the dead.

Some, who were spoilt by false philosophy, mocked when they heard of
the resurrection of the dead: but there were those who had kept