Introduction.

...and original light; thus this one expressed some glimmer of the Heavenly Sun A common metaphor for Christ. that had not yet risen; he also demonstrated God’s righteous judgment Gen. 7:1 over the unrighteousness of mankind, and the preservation of the believers, who committed themselves to God’s Ark under His merciful protection.

In the year 1760. After the earth was renewed again by the descendants of Noah, many different paths were taken; the human race for the most part gravitated toward the mists of sin, and turning away from the living source original: "Fonteyn-ader," literally a fountain-vein or spring., they inclined themselves toward the stagnant pools of idolatry. Audacity and pride began to rule; they seemed to want to climb to Heaven and Gen. 11:4. present themselves as Gods. And that being impossible, they exalted themselves on earth as much as they could, establishing a monarchy in the eastern lands In the year 1790. of Assyria: These mighty ones of the earth named one Saturn, another Jupiter, a third Mars, and so forth, attributing immortal honor to them all. This they certainly did in blindness, yet they testified by it that there was an all-ruling Deity, and that one ought to be subject to a monarchy; they only erred in the name, person, essence, and nature of the Divine attributes—which are His righteousness, holiness, wisdom, unfathomable love, and a kindly benevolence toward all people, just as His creatures and handiworks give constant testimony. From these attributes, those [false gods] were far removed, and therefore they were false gods; those who served them were led away from the true Divine essence and His noble nature. Meanwhile, the holy wisdom of God, standing firm in His In the year 2042. purpose, has—in order to advance the same—turned the face of His grace toward Abraham in Ur of Chaldea, the sa-