render the diftant fummits of the mountains difcernible out of the ark *.

Thus doth the narration appear to be confiftent: Nor is it unufual, in the fcripture-ftile, to make references, which pass over what immediately goes before; and to have respect to what is more remote.

To proceed: On the first day of the first month, answering to our twenty third of October; in the fix hundred and first year of Noah's life, he removed the covering of the ark, to have a more extended and unconfined view of the whole horizon; and he faw the waters were gone, and behold the face of the ground was dry. Howeyer, he did not think it advisable to remove out of the ark; but continued in it, till the twenty feventh day of the fecond month, or the eighteenth of December, near two months more; when, by God's command, he came out of it;

*The dove most probably discovered land, before they in the ark did.

together with his family, and all the crea tures that were with him; having continued in it a year and ten days, according to the ante-diluvian computation: Or a complete year of 365 days, according to the present reckoning *.

This is the purport of the history, which Mofes gives us of the univerfal deluge. With regard to this great event, three questions seem proper to be resolved; The one of moral, the other two of natural confideration.

1. What were the motives which induced the Creator thus to deftroy the work of his own hands?

2. Where fuch a vaft collection of water was lodged, as was neceffary for the purpose of an univerfal deluge?

3. By what means it was brought to over-flow the world?

With regard to the first of these queftions: The ends for which the Creator

* Gen. vii. viii.

was

was moved to deluge the world, we may reckon to have been chiefly two, the first refpecting the old world, the fecond refpecting the new. The former is attended

with no difficulty.

The history itself exprefsly informs us, That the old world was destroyed for the wickednefs of them that dwelt therein. Thus we are told, That God faw the wickedness of man was great in the earthThat every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually-That the earth was filled with violence, and all flesh bad corrupted his way upon the earth; and had infected even the earth itself with corruption likewife: For that God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt: And its corruption is afcribed to that of man, as the caufe of it. For, because, all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Hence it appears, that the very matter of the earth was polluted by the impurities of its inhabitants.

For this caufe, It repented the Lord, that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart; and being therefore determined to cut off that generation, he declared, the end of all flesh was come; and that he would deftroy them with the earth*.

3

This was the motive which induced God to destroy the old world. This world was made for man, and he was invested with the poffeffion and dominion of it; but by the enormity of his tranfgreffions, he incurred the forfeiture of his charter, and of his life; and therefore was punished with the lofs of both together."

No other being could complain of injury: The Creator had the abfolute, and fole right to his creation; and if he had thought fit to annihilate it, who could have said to him, What doft thou?

But God in judgment, remembered mercy, towards fuch as were fit objects of it. Noah, and his family, found favour in his fight; and were faved for the peo * Gen. vi. 5-13.

pling of the earth anew: And the earth itfelf, for the better accommodation of its future inhabitants, was purged from its former pollutions, and endowed with many advantages, which the old world had not the benefit of, as will appear hereafter: So that the flood, which was the deftruction of the one, was the enriching of the other; and the curfe on the earth, in confequence of which it was drowned by it, was productive of a bleffing; and proved to be for its good in the end.

t

It was the opinion of many of the antients, that the deluge was, magnum mundi καθάρσιον, the great luftration of the world, and its expiation from the impurities with which it had been defiled by its former inhabitants*. Jews, heathens, and chrif

*Water hath fo natural a property of cleansing, that it hath been made the fymbol of purification by all nations; and ufed as fuch in the rites of all religions.

To vdwp dyvice, says Plutarch. Quæft. Rom. And the heathens ufed feveral kinds of baptifm to expiate their crimes. Tert. de Baptifmo. The religious application of it by Jews and Chriftians is well known.

tians,