ne, though they seem to be less cruel, are by far the most
terrible. With the fourth class of penalties, our regions have almost
no experience at all. Although these are severally sufficient for the
chastisement of the human race, the Lord desired to employ a novel
kind of punishment against the primeval world, through which all flesh
having the breath of life was to perish.

258. Because this punishment was unheard of in former ages, the wicked
were slower to believe it. They reasoned thus: If God is at all angry,
can he not correct the disobedient by the sword, by pestilence? A
flood would destroy also the other creatures which are without sin;
surely God will not plan anything like this for the world.

259. But in order to remove such unbelief from the mind of Noah and
the righteous, he repeats with stress the pronoun, "And I, behold, I
do bring." Afterward he clearly adds that he will destroy all flesh
that is under heaven and in the earth; for he excludes here the fishes
whose realm is widened by the waters. This passage tends to show the
magnitude of the wrath of God, through which men lose, not only body
and life, but also universal dominion over the earth.

C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH.

* The way God comforted Noah in announcing the flood, and why such
comfort was needed 260.

1. The nature of this covenant.

a. The views of Lyra, Burgensis and others 261.

b. Luther's views 262-263.

2. Whether the giants or tyrants were embraced in this covenant and
how received by them 262-263.

3. Why it was made only with Noah 264.

4. How this covenant was made clearer from time to time, and why it
was needed at this time 265.

5. How a special call was added to this covenant 266.

* God's judgment upon the first world terrible 267.

* Why Ham was taken into the ark, who was later rejected 267.

* Foreknowledge and election.

a. Why we should avoid thinking and disputing on this subject
268.

b. To what end should the examples of Scripture on this theme
serve 269.

c. How consideration of the same may help and harm us 270.

C. GOD'S COVENANT WITH NOAH.

V. 18. _But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt
come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons'
wives with thee._

260. To this comfort Moses before pointed when he declared that Noah
had found grace. Noah stood in ne