Part 28 (1/2)
* The greatest violence can obtain under the appearance of holiness, as among the Papists and Turks 219-221.
* Moses beautifully traces the course G.o.d takes in his judgments 222.
* Who can pa.s.s the right judgment upon the pope that he is Antichrist 223.
* How Antichrist strengthens the courage of the G.o.dly, and whether they can check him 223.
5. Noah laments this corruption 224.
* G.o.dlessness cannot be remedied when it adorns itself with the appearance of holiness 225.
6. How G.o.d views this corruption 226.
* Luther laments the wickedness of the enemies of the Gospel 227.
* How we should view G.o.d's delay in punis.h.i.+ng the wickedness of his enemies 228.
* G.o.d's delay is very hard for believers 229.
7. The first world, although corrupt, was much better than the present world 230.
V. HOW NOAH ALONE WAS FOUND RIGHTEOUS, AND HOW THE WHOLE WORLD WAS DESTROYED.
A. Noah Alone Was found Righteous.
V. 8. _But Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah._
193. These are the words through which Noah was lifted up and quickened again. For such wrath of the divine majesty would have killed him, had not G.o.d added the promise of saving him. It is likely, however, that his faith had a struggle and was weak. We cannot imagine how such contemplation of G.o.d's wrath weakens courage.
194. This novel expression of the Holy Spirit the heavenly messenger Gabriel also uses when speaking to the Blessed Virgin Lk 1, 30, ”Thou hast found favor (grace) with G.o.d.” The expression most palpably excludes merit and commends faith, through which alone we are justified before G.o.d, made acceptable and well pleasing in his sight.
V. 9. _These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations; Noah walked with G.o.d._
195. With this pa.s.sage the Jews commence not only a new chapter, but also a new lesson. This is a very brief history, but it greatly extols our patriarch Noah; he alone remained just and upright while the other sons of G.o.d degenerated.
196. Let us remember many most excellent men were among the sons of G.o.d, of whom some lived with Noah well nigh five hundred years. Man in that age before the flood was very long-lived; not only the sons of G.o.d, but also the sons of men. A very wide and rich experience had been gathered by these people during so many years. Much they learned from their progenitors and much they saw and experienced.
197. Amid the corruption of all these stands Noah, a truly marvelous man. He swerves neither to the left nor to the right. He retains the true wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d. He retains the pure doctrine, and lives in the fear of G.o.d. There is no doubt that a depraved generation hated him inordinately, tantalized him in various ways and thus insulted him: ”Art thou alone wise? Dost thou alone please G.o.d? Are the rest of us all in error? Shall we all be d.a.m.ned? Thou alone dost not err. Thou alone shalt not be condemned.” And thus the just and holy man must have concluded in his mind that all others were in error and about to be condemned, while he and his offspring alone were to be saved.
Although his conviction was right in the matter, his lot was a hard one. The holy man was in various ways troubled by such reflections.
198. The wretched Papists press us today with this one argument: Do you believe that all the fathers have been in error? It seems hard so to believe, especially of the worthier ones, such as Augustine, Ambrose, Bernard and that whole throng of the best men who have governed Churches with the Word and have been adorned with the august name of the Church. The labors of such we both laud and admire.
199. But surely no less a difficulty confronted Noah himself, who alone is called just and upright, at a time when the very sons of men paraded the name of the Church. When the sons of the fathers allied themselves with these they, forsooth, believed that Noah with his people raved, because he followed another doctrine and another wors.h.i.+p.
200. Today our life is very brief, still to what lengths human nature will go is sufficiently in evidence. What may we imagine the condition to have been in such a long existence, in which the bitterness and vehemence of human nature were even stronger? Today we are naturally much more dull and stupid, and yet men singularly gifted rush into wickedness. It is afterward said that all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth, only Noah was just and upright.
201. From these two words we may gather the thought that Noah is held to be ”just” as he honored the first table and ”upright” as he honored the second. ”Just” he is called, because of his faith in G.o.d, because he first believed the general promise with respect to the seed of woman and then also the particular one respecting the destruction of the world through the flood and the salvation of his own offspring. On the other hand he is called ”upright” because he walked in the fear of G.o.d and conscientiously avoided murder and other sins with which the wicked polluted themselves in defiance of conscience. Nor did he permit himself to be moved by the frequent offenses of men most ill.u.s.trious, wise and apparently holy.
202. Great was his courage. Today it appears to us impossible that one man should oppose himself to all mankind, condemning them as evil, while they vaunt the Church and G.o.d's Word and wors.h.i.+p, and to maintain that he alone is a son of G.o.d and acceptable before him.
Noah, accordingly, is a marvelous man, and Moses commends this same greatness of mind when he plainly adds ”in his generation,” or ”in his age,” as if he desired to say that his age was indeed the most wicked and corrupt.