rael, was as proper a miracle wrought in their favour, as if the immediate word or will of God had done it. And

if the general deluge was brought on by some pre-established natural means, it was no less a Divine judgment upon a race of creatures, whose wickedness was forseen, than if it had been caused by the immediate exertion of Omnipotence. What constitutes a particular wonderful event, a proper miracle, in a theological sense, is, its being expressly appealed to by some person, as a confirmation of a new pretended doctrine or mission from heaven. The general deluge was accordingly foretold, and the people of those ancient times forewarned of it by Noah, but in vain. Should a person, pretending to a Divine mission, foretel an earthquake some months or years before, and an earthquake should happen exactly at the threatened time, all reasonable men would yield that measure of assent to his assertions and pretensions, which might be thought justly due to the authority of one single miracle, taken in conjunction with the other circumstances of his own character, and that of his doctrine. Yet earthquakes are effects of natural causes. And if any person thinks it disparages the miracle of the flood to say, that it was brought about by the instrumentality of an intervening cause, the objection is the same, taking it for an immediate effect of Divine Power. For the end being the destruction of a race of degenerate mortals, it may as well be said, Why were not all struck dead in a moment by a word from the mouth of God, without the instrumentality of the suffocating element of water? as, Why was the flood brought on by the means of any intervening cause? No one doubts, whether the old world was destroyed by God, as an exemplary punishment for their wickedness. Why should any one think it less a Divine judgment, for its being brought about in a consistency with the reg ular and uniform procedure of nature, than if it had been an effect quite detached from, and unconnected with the universal scheme; which is not so beautiful, so masterly, nor so worthy of an universal Governor.

Since the decision of the question of the cause of the tides, which puzzled all antiquity, and has been shown by our incomparable philosopher to be the effect of the mutual gravitation of the earth and moon; it is very

easily conceivable that a nearer approach of the moon toward our earth, by a third part of her whole distance, would cause an enormously high tide. If therefore

we suppose the moon, or any other celestial body, to ap proach very near to the earth, the effect must be such a tide, as would rise higher than the highest lands, and, rolling round the globe, would wash down all terrestrial creatures into the deep where they must perish. As we know that comets, from time to time, come from all parts of the heavens, and enter into the planetary regions; it is no unnatural supposition, to imagine that a comet, passing near the earth at the time of the deluge, might have been the appointed instrument of the Divine vengeance, by producing, by means of attraction, a disruption of the outward shell of this earth, under which it is probable a great collection of waters was lodged; which being by attraction raised into an excessive tide, must occasion the immersion and destruction of all land animals. And which might in great part be afterwards absorbed into vast empty caverns in the earth, which might by the same means be opened for its reception, and thus the present dry land left. The scripture account, of the "breaking up of the fountains of the great deep," seems to countenance this notion; which whoever would examine thoroughly, may read Whiston's Theory of the Earth. That it is made very probable in that work, that a comet did pass near the annual path of the earth, about the time of the general deluge, is acknowledged by the most judicious astronomers. That, upon every theory, the account of the flood is attended with difficulties, must likewise be confessed. But I think it a satisfaction, that upon the supposition of its being brought about by a comet, the possibility of it is fairly made out, and even a sort of analogy to the com. mon course of nature, in the tides, which at times rise to such heights as to produce partial deluges.

However the flood was brought about, there are too many visible and unquestionable marks of a general disruption of the outside of this our planet, in the hideous mountains, mishapen rocks, hollow vales, and other ruinous appearances, with quantities of sea-shells, bones of animals, and large trees, found at a great depth in the earth; there are, I say, too many marks of a general con

cussion and ruin over the whole face of the earth to leave any room to doubt that it has undergone some very great, and universal change; which we have all the reason in the world to conclude, was no other than that of the gen eral deluge, which, as it is described in scripture, seems fit to have produced exactly the effects we observe.

It is true, that telescopes discover, on the face of the moon, and the planet Venus, irregularities and roughnes ses, which make an appearance somewhat like to those which we may suppose might be observed from the moon upon the face of our earth. But we cannot be certain, that those inequalities have not been part of the original make of those bodies; unless we could examine them, as we can those of our own planet. So that what we ob serve of this sort upon those bodies, does in no degree affect what has been said with respect to the probability that a general deluge was the cause of the visibly ruinous state of our earth; for we cannot be sure, that the inequalities on the face of the Moon and Venus are of the same ruinous kind with those of our world. The Moon, especially differs from our planet in two essential particulars. For it is certain beyond all doubt, that she has neither sea, at least on the face which is always towards us, nor atmos phere of air. So that we cannot reason on any minute circumstances from one to the other; but may judge of what we find in our own world, the state of which seems perfectly to answer to what might have been expected to be produced by such a deluge as Moses describes.

One particular, with regard to the flood, is too remarkable to be omitted. We have in the book of Genesis an exact account of the measures of the ark in cubits. In the time of Moses, it is not to be supposed, that the world was so well known, or natural history carried such a length, that the variety of different species of terrestrial animals should be guessed at to any nearness. So that it was to be expected, the measures of the ark should be taken either too small or too large, if the calculation of the room necessary for the lodging seven of every clean species, and two of every one of the others, had been taken according to mere human knowledge, or conjecture. Instead of which, it is found by calculations made in our times, when it is, by means of our extensive commerce over the world,

known how many different species of terrestrial animals there are in all different climes and countries; that the measures we have of the ark would have afforded just sufficient room for all the creatures to be stowed in it, and one year's provision. No human sagacity could, in those early times, in which there was so little intercourse among the inhabitants of different countries, have guessed at the true number of different species of land animals in all the vari ous climates of the world, every one of which almost has its peculiar set. It is therefore evident, that the size and capacity of the ark was ordered by Divine appointment. For a human architect would undoubtedly have given its measures too large or too small.

There being somewhat seemingly difficult in the scripture account of those degenerate beings, the fallen angels, it may be proper to throw together a few thoughts on that head.

Whether the angelic species were, at the time of their fall, in a first stage of trial, such as that in which we are at present, or whether they had gone through their first state of discipline, and deviated afterwards, as it seems inconsistent with the nature of finite moral agents to suppose them in any state out of all danger, or possibility of deviation; whatever particular state, I say, they were at that time in the possibility of their degenerating into disobedience may be accounted for in a way comprehensible by us; though we cannot be sure, that we have the true and full account of that whole matter. The most probable account of the transgression and degeneracy of those once illustrious beings, may be, That they disallowed of the just pretentions of the Messiah to be the general Governor of their whole order; as the perverse Jews afterwards rejected him, when he came in the flesh. To suppose that the angels, now fallen, were capable of resolutely and deliberately opposing themselves to Omnipotence, or raising rebellion against God, as God, is absurd. But it is no way inconceivable, that they might at first question the Messiah's pretentions to authority over them; which might, for any thing we know, be disputable, as his mission appeared to some even of the sincere, thought not sufficiently considerate, Jews. In consequence of this we can easily enough conceive the possibility of their being misled, by pride, by example, and persuasion of Satan, the leader of

1

the adverse party, who probably himself had aspired to a superiority over his fellow beings, and could not brook a rival. As to the difficulty of supposing a set of beings of such superior wisdom as we commonly suppose they possessed, capable of error; scripture itself expressly af firms, that the angels are chargeable with folly. Besides, we pronounce rashly, when we pretend to assert, that the angels were at the time of their fall greatly superior to the most knowing of our species. We find indeed those who kept their integrity, spoke of in scripture as raised to very high degrees of elevation. But nothing can from thence be argued with respect to those who fell many ages before, when perhaps they might not be risen to any such degree of perfection as the good part of that species now enjoy, which my be the reward of their virtue and fidelity. Besides, supposing those beings to have fallen from a state of happiness to which they were raised in consequence of their having with success passed through one state of trial or discipline, we know not whether one stage of discipline was all that was allotted them. We know not but they were to pass through two, or more, as one properly speaking seems appointed for us, though, as observed before, no state of freedom can be wholly secure from all possibility of deviation, but only more and more so, according to the increasing experience, longer habitude, and greater wisdom of moral agents. We know not, but the angelic species were raised to the happiness, from which they fell, in consequence of their going through a more advantageous and easy first stage of probation, than what is appointed us; and that, to balance that advantage, the happiness they were raised to was more precarious than that which is destined for those of our species, who shall acquit themselves with honour of a more difficult one. This seems no more than equitable, and natural, that the consequence of an easier state of trial passed through with success should be a lower degree, and more precarious kind, of happiness; and of a more difficult one, a higher and more certain kind of happiness. And besides, it is very probably the nature of all moral agents to value most, and be most afraid of losing, what has cost them the greatest pains to attain, and what only a few have attained. However it be, there is plainly no absurdity in the scripture