fourtie dayes, and fourtie nights] The pitie and patience of God appeare in this soft and slow pace of his judgements compared with the worke of his goodnesse and power in making the world, which in sixe dayes space he perfectly finished, but he tooke fourtie dayes space when he meant to destroy it, after he had given an hundred and twentie years warning, Genesis 6:3. And when he threatned the Ninevites, he premonished them of their perill fourtie dayes before it was to fall upon them, Jonah 3. 4: who tooke warning by words, and so Gods displeasure against them went not on unto deeds, Jonah 3:10.