This strikes our ears as still more awful when we take into consideration the condition of the primitive world, not judging by the miserable fragments we have today. As the physical condition of the world at that time was infinitely ahead of this age, so we may conclude that the majesty and pomp of our rulers and the show of sanctity and wisdom on the part of the popes are not to be compared to the show of religion, righteousness and wisdom found among those renowned men of the primitive world. And yet the text says that all flesh had corrupted its way, save Noah and his offspring. That means all men were wicked, lived in idolatry and false religion and hated the true worship of God. They despised the promise of the seed, and persecuted Noah, who proclaimed forgiveness through the seed and threatened to those, who should fail to believe his forgiveness, eternal doom. VI. GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK; THE COVENANT. A. HOW GOD DECREED TO PUNISH THE OLD WORLD IN HIS WRATH. 1. How punishment finally comes when God has suffered sin long enough 231. * Luther's hope that God's judgment may soon break upon the last world 231. 2. Whether reason can grasp the wrath and punishment of God 232. 3. How God's promises stand in the midst of his wrath and punishment 232. 4. The first world thought itself secure against God's wrath 233. * The Papal security and boldness against the Evangelicals 234. 5. By what means God punished the first world 235. * The Holy Spirit must reveal that God's wrath and punishment do not violate his promises 236. 6. The causes of this wrath and punishment 237. * By what may it be known that God will visit Germany with punishment 238. * God complains more of the violence shown to the neighbor than to himself 239. * The damages of the deluge 240. * The ground of the earth was in a better state before the flood than now 240. * The colors in the rainbow signs of the punishment of the first and the last world 241. VI. GOD DECIDES TO PUNISH THE FIRST WORLD; COMMANDS NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK; THE COVENANT. A. God Decides to Punish the Old World. V. 13. _And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth._