Notwithstanding the wickedness of the antediluvian world, that age was not, as has often been supposed, an era of ignorance and barbarism. The people were granted the opportunity of reaching a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment. They possessed great physical and mental strength, and their advantages for acquiring both religious and scientific knowledge were unrivaled. It is a mistake to suppose that because they lived 83 to a great age their minds matured late; their mental powers were early developed, and those who cherished the fear of God and lived in harmony with His will continued to increase in knowledge and wisdom throughout their life. Could illustrious scholars of our time be placed in contrast with men of the same age who lived before the Flood, they would appear as greatly inferior in mental as in physical strength. As the years of man have decreased, and his physical strength has diminished, so his mental capacities have lessened. There are men who now apply themselves to study during a period of from twenty to fifty years, and the world is filled with admiration of their attainments. But how limited are these acquirements in comparison with those of men whose mental and physical powers were developing for centuries! | |
Patriarker og profeter kapitel 7. 42. Fra side 82 i den engelske udgave. | tilbage |
Trods ondskaben i tiden før syndfloden var folk ikke, som det ofte antages, uvidende og barbariske. De fik anledning til at nå vidt i moralsk og intellektuel henseende. De havde store fysiske og forstandsmæssige evner, og deres muligheder for at tilegne sig både religiøs og videnskabelig viden var uden sidestykke. Det er forkert at tro, at de modnedes senere åndeligt, fordi de levede så længe. Deres åndsevner var tidligt udviklede, og de, dem elskede Gud og levede i harmoni med hans vilje, forøgede deres kundskab og visdom hele livet. Hvis fremragende videnskabsmænd fra vor tid kunne stilles over for jævnaldrende personer fra tiden før syndfloden, ville de vise sig at stå langt under dem i åndelig såvel som fysisk henseende. Efterhånden som menneskets levetid er aftaget og dets fysiske styrke er blevet mindre, er dets åndsevner aftaget tilsvarende. I vore dage er der mennesker, som benytter fra tyve til halvtreds år til studier, og verden er fuld af beundring for det, de opnår. Men hvor er deres kundskaber begrænsede i sammenligning med deres, hvis fysiske og åndelige evner udvikledes gennem århundreder! |