1058. That 'God said to Noah' means that the Church would know this is clear from the train of thought, which is not evident except from the internal sense in which these details are knit together in this way. First the subject was the regenerate spiritual person inside the Church; secondly it was everybody throughout the whole world; and thirdly everyone who is able to be regenerated. The present verse is the conclusion to these considerations, namely that the Church would know this. That 'Noah' means the Church has been shown already, and here more especially the spiritual Church in general since Noah's name alone is mentioned. What the Church would know follows next.