Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-04-28

now eager they were TO begin life
again on the dry land.
NAY, my sons" Noah Armly
replied, I'VE must wait until God bids
US leave. We entered the ark at His
bidding. and surely He will call us
forth when the earth is ready to re-
ceive u.s."
But Ham, whose later conduct re-
vealed his true character, was obdu-
rate, and would have openly rebelled
against his fathers judgment, had not
his brothers restrained him. And the
weeks dragged YEARLY on, and they
waited. but no sign or word came
from God. Nearly two months thus
passed, and only the firm faith of
Noah, and his unwavering obedience
TO God, kept the impatient. rebellious
spirit OF Ham from stirring up
trouble.
AS the days dragged on, the deter
mination to leave the ark with or
without his fathers consent took pos
session OF Ham. For the last few
days he had been secretly preparing
TO go, and had told his wife his plans.
and won her reluctant consent TO go
with him. The morrow was the time
he set for action. He was astir early, for
he planned TO get away before the
others were up.
AS he crept by his fathers room he
heard voices, and paused to listen. II
was a strange voice speaking. and he
heard the words:
Go forth of the ark, thou and thy
wife and thy sons, and thy sons wives
with thee"
He waited to hear no more, but
fastened TO find his wife and tell her
what he had heard.
1T must have been God speaking to
your father" said Mrs. Ham. Let
us wait and see what your father will
say to-day"
Thus il came to pass that Ham was
saved from his wicked folly. and his
father and the rest OF the family never
knew what he had planned to do.
Presently he heard his fathers voice
calling. and when he and his wife
reached the place where Noah was
standing they found the others there
before them listening TO the glad mes
sage.
THE Lord hath spoken, children"
Noah triumphantly and joyfully said,
land has bid us go forth this day, with
all that are in the ark. Let us pro-
coed at once"
The creatures in the ark were no
less eager to be free from their narrow
quarters than were Noah and his fam
lily, and the work of Decentralization
was speedily accomplished. But ere
they moved down the mountain side
into the valley below, Noah took OF
the stones ling about and builden an
altar unto the Lord He then took OF every
clean beast and of every clean fowl,
and offered burnt offerings on the al
tar. Thus at the very beginning OF
the new life on the earth was there
the confession Of mans sinfulness be-
fore God, and the need of cleansing
through the shedding OF blood
And the Lord smelled sweet sa-
vor: and the Lord said in His
heart: Il will not again curse the
ground any more for mans sake
though the imagination OF mans
heart is evil from his youth neither
will again smite any more everything
living, as | have done While the
earth remaineth. seedtime and har-
vest, and cold and heat. and summer
and winter, and day and night shall
not cease"
While Noah stood thus ministering
at the altar, and the others were
Ill.
there came a cloud and overshadowed
them. and a voice spoke out of the
cloud, and Ham instantly recognized
IL as the same which he had heard
speaking with his father early that
morning And God said, as He
blessed them:
BE fruitful, and multiply, and re-
plenish the earth" Long and earn
estly God communed with them, and
spake Of the laws which should govern
the new life on the earth.
The voice ceased, but the cloud still
overshadowed them. and as they gazed
upon II a rainbow OF the most dazzling
brightness spanned it's white folds.
How beautiful" they all ex-
claimed. as they Toasted their wonder
ing eyes on the splendor of the scene.
I'm the long years OF my life" said
Noah, II have seen many rainbows,
but none which could compare with
this one. God has some message for
our hearts in this glorious display"
While they stood beholding and
talking together, the voice of God
again came out of the cloud, saying:
"And |, behold. / establish My COW
enant with you, and with your seed
after you. And this is the token OF
the covenant which | make between
Me and you, and every living creature
that is with you, for perpetual genera
tions: | do set My bow in the cloud.
and il shall be for token OF a COW
enant between Me and the earth. And
it shall come TO pass when | bring
a cloud over the earth. that the bow
shall be seen In the cloud: and will
remember My covenant. which is be-