But there is one special lesson
which we may learn from the history of the flood, of which I may as
well tell you at once. The Bible account of the flood will teach us
how to look at the many terrible accidents, as we foolishly call
them, which happen still upon this earth. There are floods still,
here and there, earthquakes, fires, fearful disasters, like that
great colliery disaster of last year, which bring death, misery and
ruin to thousands. The Bible tells us what to think of them, when
it tells us of the flood.
Do I mean that these disasters come as punishments to the people who
are killed by them? That is exactly what I do not mean. It was
true of the flood. It is true, no doubt, in many other cases. But
our blessed Lord has specially forbidden us to settle when it is
true to say that any particular set of people are destroyed for
their sins: forbidden us to say that the poor creatures who perish
in this way are worse than their neighbours.
'Thinkest thou,' he says, 'that those Galilaeans whose blood Pilate
mingled with their sacrifices, were sinners above all the
Galilaeans? Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell,
and killed them; think you that they were sinners above all who
dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you nay.
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