And, doubtless, Noah had his inward temptation many a time; no doubt
he was ready now and then to believe God's message all a dream--to
laugh at himself for his fears of a flood which seemed never coming,
but in his heart was "the still small voice" of God, warning him
that God was not a man that he should lie, or repent, or deceive
those who walked faithfully with him; and around him he saw men
growing and growing in iniquity, filling up the cup of their own
damnation; and he said to himself, 'Verily there is a God who
judgeth the earth--for all this a reckoning day will surely come;'
and he worked stedfastly on, and the ark was finished. And then at
last there came a second call from God, "Come thou and all thy house
into the ark, for thee have I seen righteous before me in this
generation. Yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the
earth, and every living substance that I have made will I destroy
from off the earth." And Noah entered into the ark, and seven days
he waited; and louder than ever laughed the scoffers round him, at
the old man and his family shut into his ark safe on dry land, while
day and night went on as quietly as ever, and the world ran its
usual round; for seven days more their mad game lasted--they ate,
they drank, they married, they gave in marriage, they planted, they
builded; and on the seventh day it came--the rain fell day after
day, and week after week--and the windows of heaven were opened, and
the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the flood arose,
and swept them all away!



SERMON XI. THE NOACHIC COVENANT