46
Spiritual Gifts, Volume 3
The different apartments prepared for the reception of different ani-
mals were so made that the window in the top gave light to all. The ark
was made of the cypress or gopher wood, which would know nothing
of decay for hundreds of years. It was a building of great durability
which no wisdom of man could invent. God was the designer, and
Noah his master-builder.
After Noah had done all in his power to make every part of the
work correct, it was impossible that it could of itself withstand the
violence of the storm which God in his fierce anger was to bring upon
the earth. The work of completing the building was a slow process.
Every piece of timber was closely fitted, and every seam covered with
pitch. All that men could do was done to make the work perfect;
yet after all, God alone could preserve the building upon the angry,
heaving billows, by his miraculous power.
A multitude at first apparently received the warning of Noah, yet
[67]
did not fully turn to God with true repentance. There was some time
given them before the flood was to come, in which they were to be
placed upon probation—to be proved and tried. They failed to endure
the trial. The prevailing degeneracy overcame them, and they finally
joined others who were corrupt, in deriding and scoffing at faithful
Noah. They would not leave off their sins, but continued in polygamy,
and in the indulgence of their corrupt passions.
The period of their probation was drawing near its close. The
unbelieving, scoffing inhabitants of the world were to have a special
sign of God’s divine power. Noah had faithfully followed the instruc-
tions God had given to him. The ark was finished exactly as God had
directed. He had laid in store immense quantities of food for man and
beast. And after this was accomplished, God commanded the faithful
Noah, “Come thou, and all thy house, into the ark, for thee have I
seen righteous before me.” Angels were sent to collect from the forest
and field the beasts which God had created. Angels went before these
animals and they followed, two and two, male and female, and clean
beasts by sevens. These beasts, from the most ferocious, down to the
most gentle and harmless, peacefully and solemnly marched into the
ark. The sky seemed clouded with birds of every description. They
came flying to the ark, two and two, male and female, and the clean
birds by sevens. The world looked on with wonder—some with fear,
[68]
but they had become so hardened by rebellion that this most signal