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Spiritual Gifts, Volume 3
right, but if he could prevail over his neighbor by reason of strength, or
by putting him to death, he did so, and exulted in his deeds of violence.
They loved to destroy the lives of animals. They used them for food,
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and this increased their ferocity and violence, and caused them to look
upon the blood of human beings with astonishing indifference.
But if there was one sin above another which called for the destruc-
tion of the race by the flood, it was the base crime of amalgamation of
man and beast which defaced the image of God, and caused confusion
everywhere. God purposed to destroy by a flood that powerful, long-
lived race that had corrupted their ways before him. He would not
suffer them to live out the days of their natural life, which would be
hundreds of years. It was only a few generations back when Adam had
access to that tree which was to prolong life. After his disobedience
he was not suffered to eat of the tree of life and perpetuate a life of
sin. In order for man to possess an endless life he must continue to
eat of the fruit of the tree of life. Deprived of that tree, his life would
gradually wear out.
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