eon a sacrifice consisting of victims of
every species of clean bird and beast. The fragrance of this
sacrifice, such as the world had never seen before, was pleasant to
Jehovah and he visited Noah with a promise that he would not again
send such a flood upon the earth. The rainbow was given as a pledge of
the promise made him. It was to be the constant seal of mercy on God's
part, and it is not necessary to worry over the question as to whether
there had never been a rainbow before or whether it was simply
appropriated as a sign. In this new covenant the earth was put under
Noah, as it was under Adam at first. He was, however, allowed to eat
flesh, only mans blood was not to be shed and the seasons were to
continue in regularity. Thus the race started anew as a saved group,
rescued through the faith of Noah.

Confirmation of Tradition and Geology. Perhaps no other event of
scripture history has found so large a place in ancient traditions and
legends as has the flood. It is found in each of the three great
races-the Semites; the Aryan; and the Tutarian. It is found alike
among savage and civilized races, and as might be expected is most
accurate in the countries that were nearest to where the Ark rested.
Among the most important of these early traditions are those of
Babylon. Greece, China, and America. In a general way these traditions
may be said to agree with the Biblical story in the following
particulars: (1) That a flood destroyed an evil world; (2) That one
righteous family was saved in a boat and that animals were saved with
them; (3) That the boat landed on a mountain; (4) That a bird was sent
out of the boat; (5) That the saved family built an altar and
worshiped God with sacrifice. All these stories tend to corroborate
the Biblical story and to show that the whole race must have spring
from this common home from which they have been scattered abroad.

Geology has also done much to confirm the flood story. Geologists are
well acquainted with facts in world history that bring the flood
"entirely within the range of natural phenomena." The Scripture (Gen.
7:11) speaks of the fountains of the deep being broken, language that
could refer to the inrushing of the sea upon a depression of the earth
which later rose again. Such elevations and depressions have occurred
many times. An example is the elevation of the coast of Chile by an
earthquake in 1822. Such an explanation by no means destroys the
miracle of it, s