CHAP. I.

the truth of the Mosaical geology, and with PART III. much sarcasm, because it assigned a date of not more than about four thousand years ago for the period of a revolution, which was able to cause marine substances to be imbedded in all parts of this habitable earth; even in places the most remote from the sea, and in elevations very considerably above its level. But, the progress of physical research, during the last few years; conducted by naturalists of acute, sober, and honest minds; has at last terminated in so signal a concession to the testimony of the Mosaical record in this particular, that, added to the authority of Bacon's and Newton's philosophy, it renders that testimony paramount, as the rule by which all inquiries, concerning revolutions general to the globe, ought henceforth to be conducted. For, the mineral geology has been brought at length, by physical phænomena alone, to this conclusion; "that the soils of all the plains were de

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posited in the bosom of a tranquil water; that "their actual order is only to be dated from "the period of the retreat of that water; and "that the date of that period is not very an"cient1." Dolomieu, Saussure, De Luc, Cuvier,

1 D'AUBUISSON, i. 252.

СНАР. І.

PART III. and the most distinguished naturalists of the age, have coincided in this conclusion, to which they have been led by the evidence of various monuments, and natural chronometers, which the earth exhibits; and which remain perpetual vouchers for the veracity of the Mosaical chronology, with respect to the epocha of the revolution which the Mosaical history relates. Let us, therefore, prosecute the thread of that history, until it brings us to the relation of the Revolution in question.

1

CHAPTER II.

CHAP. II.

THE first act of Almighty God, after the work PART III. of Creation was completed; and when, by the formation of a female, he had provided for the perpetuation of the race of man, under the sacred bond of matrimonial union; was to prescribe a moral rule to those highly favoured beings, whom His goodness had called to a happy existence, and to whom He had granted the "DOMINION" over his earthly system, in subordination only to HIS OWN SUPREMACY. For that purpose, and in perpetual evidence of that subordination, He reserved and prohibited one, and only one object, out of the universal grant; the reservation and prohibition of which, though trivial in itself, was amply sufficient for the end designed, which was, to prove whether the moral being, thus bountifully endowed, acted with a due sense of his subjection; or whether he aimed to act in chief, and without respect to his divine Sovereign and Benefactor. That slight and solitary privation, was imposed upon the declared principle of divine judgment: "He who is faithful in that which is LEAST,

CHAP. II.

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PART III." is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust "in the LEAST, is unjust also in much." Under that trial, MAN failed; he was found “unfaithful in that which was LEAST;" he was, therefore, ejected from the state of happiness, of which a perfect obedience was rendered the indispensable condition; he fell, and in his fall brought down a curse upon the new earth, from its offended Creator.

.

After a period of 1656 years, the principle of disobedience, which had been introduced by the first, created man, had spread its destructive influence through the whole of his descendants, one family alone excepted; and this enormous disproportion between obedience and disobedience, by which "God saw that the "wickedness of man was great in the earth, and

that the imagination of his heart was only "evil continually," caused Him "to repent that "He had made man," and to determine upon his "destruction." Therefore, God said to Noah, who alone had "found favour in His sight; "I will destroy MAN, whom I have created, from "the face of the earth; both MAN, and BEAST, "and the creeping thing, and the fowl of the air;

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for it repenteth ME that I have made them. "The END OF ALL FLESH is come before ME: "because THE EARTH is filled with violence through "them, behold, I will destroy THEM, TOGETHER

WITH THE EARTH !”—καιρος παντος ανθρωπου ήκει PART 111. εναντιον μου· ὅτι επλησθη ‘Η ΓΗ αδικιας απ' αυτών, και

ιδου

εγω καταφθείρω ΑΥΤΟΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΗΝ ΓΗΝ.

The execution of this tremendous threat, produced that universal revolution of the globe which the historian proceeds to relate; it is therefore of the utmost consequence, that we should understand, correctly, the import of the threat, before we proceed to investigate the details of its execution.

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The climax of the threat, is awfully remarkable: "I will destroy man:-I will destroy man and beast:-I will destroy all flesh: "I will destroy all flesh, together with the earth!” But, the reason of this conclusion will be found declared in the text, if it be correctly rendered, and punctuated : "because the earth is replete "with wickedness through them, (therefore) I "will destroy them together with the earth." The construction of the original is exactly the same as in chap. iii. 14 and 17, " because thou hast done this, (therefore) thou art cursed above all cattle because thou hast eaten of the "tree, (therefore) cursed is the ground."

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The sum of the threat, is comprised in the

I will destroy - הנני משחיתם את הארץ,last clause

"THEM, (i. e. all flesh) together with THE EARTH:" the correct interpretation of which important passage, depends entirely upon the true and

CHAP. II.