SECOND AGE OF THE WORLD.

FROM THE DELUGE ΤΟ THE VOCATION OF ABRAHAM, A SPACE OF 367 YEARS.

A.M. 1656 to 2023.] Lesson Fourth. [A.C. 2344 to 1977.

THE DELUGE.-NOAH AND HIS FAMILY SAVED.

What was the Deluge?

A great inundation that covered the whole earth with water to the height of fifteen cubits above the tops of the mountains.

For what reason was the deluge sent ?

In punishment of sin.

How was so great an inundation produced?

The fountains of the deep were broken up, the floodgates of heaven opened, and rain fell in torrents for forty successive days and nights.

Were any saved from the deluge?

Yes, Noah and his wife, his three sons, and their wives; eight persons in all.

Were any animals preserved?

Yes; all kinds of birds, beasts, and creeping things; of birds and clean beasts seven and seven, male and female; of unclean animals two and two; with food suited to each.

How were they preserved ?

In the Ark, which Noah built by the command of God. Describe the Ark?

It was like a great ship, except that instead of a flat

deck on the top, it had a sloping roof, which saved it from being sunk by the torrents of rain, and was pitched within and without. It was three hundred cubits long, fifty broad, and thirty high, having lower, middle, and third stories; it had one window and a door, which God secured on the outside as soon as Noah and all with him had entered.

How long was the Ark in being built?

One hundred years.

How old was Noah when he entered the Ark?

Six hundred years.

How long was Noah in the Ark when the waters began to abate?

One hundred and fifty days.

In what month did the Ark rest?

In the seventh month, on one of the mountains of Armenia, generally supposed to be Mount Arrarat.

In what month did the tops of the mountains appear? On the first of the tenth month.

How did Noah ascertain that the waters had subsided? He first sent out a raven, and then a dove: the raven did not return, but the dove finding no place to rest her foot, returned to the Ark. After seven days he sent her out again, and she came to him in the evening, bringing an olive branch with green leaves in her mouth, which he joyfully received as a proof that the waters were dried up.

How long was Noah in the Ark from the time he entered till the time he came out?

About twelve months.

A.M. 1656 to 2023.] Lesson Fifth. [A.C. 2344 to 1977. NOAH'S SACRIFICE.

What was Noah's first act on quitting the Ark?

He built an altar and offered up holocausts to God of all cattle and fowl that were clean.

How did God testify His approval of Noah's piety and gratitude?

By promising that He would not again curse the earth or destroy it as He had done.

What sign did God give of his covenant?
The rainbow.

Of what should the rainbow remind us?

Of the infinite mercy and forbearance of God, who though often outraged, is ever mindful of the covenant He made.

What should we learn from the fate of those who were drowned?

To avoid sin which was the cause of their punishment; and to lead holy lives, that when death comes we may not be unprepared to meet it.

Of what do the Holy Fathers consider the Ark a figure? Of the Holy Catholic Church, which, like the Ark, has triumphantly risen above floods and storms, and which carries secure within her pale all people, tribes and tongues.

What change did God make in man's diet after the Deluge?

66

He permitted the use of animal food, save flesh with

the blood in it."

Name the three sons of Noah?

Sem, Cham, and Japheth.

Why did Noah bless Sem and Japheth, and not Cham? Because on one occasion Noah having drank wine, of the intoxicating effects of which he appears not to have been aware, was found uncovered by Cham, who, instead of concealing his aged father's weakness, published it to his two brothers; these with more regard for filial piety, immediately threw a cloak over him.

Who was Cham's son?

Canaan, who was cursed by Noah for his father's want of filial respect.

What should children learn from this?

To pay that honour and respect to their parents which God commands, and carefully to avoid exposing them to ridicule or contempt for any private failings they may discover in them.

A.M. 1656 to 2023.] Lesson Sixth. [A.C. 2344 to 1977

In what did the descendants of Cham distinguish themselves, when people became numerous after the Deluge? In building great cities, and establishing themselves in great possessions.

Name their principal possessions?

Babylon and Nineve, both built by Nimrod; the land which was named after Canaan was divided between some of his sons.

Why was the Tower of Babel commenced?

When the people became numerous and were about to disperse, they proposed to build a tower the top of which should reach to heaven, as a lasting monument of their greatness; and it is supposed that they designed it as a place of security from the effects of any future deluge. Why was the tower called Babel?

Babel signifies confusion; for God, to counteract the project of the builders, confounded their language, so that they could not understand each other.

Whom did Almighty God select as his faithful servant, with whom to establish His Covenant?

Abraham, a just and holy man, descended from Sem, and a native of Ur, a city of the Chaldees, where he dwelt until Thare, his father, removed his family to Haran, a city of Mesopotamia, in which place, after a residence of some years, he died: and Abraham, at the age of seventyfive years received a coinmand from God to leave his country, and his father's house, and go to the land which He would show him.*

Names and ages of the Patriarchs of the second age.

FROM THE VOCATION OF ABRAHAM TO THE DELIVERANCE OF THE JEWS FROM EGYPT, A SPACE OF 430 YEARS. A.M. 2023 to 2048.] Lesson Seventh. [A.C. 1977 to 1952.

HISTORY OF ABRAHAM TO THE BIRTH OF ISAAC.

Did Abraham obey the command of God without delay? Yes, taking Sarah his wife, Lot, his brother's son, and all the substance they had acquired in Haran, he left his father's house, and set out on his journey.

* Abraham received this command three hundred and sixty-seven years after the Deluge.