848 Thoughts on the Deluge. 



the mind of man here, on whom talents have been bestowed for 

 that purpose ; and they, if pursued with a proper feeling and 

 desire of spiritual improvement, all tend to lead him to a more 

 elevated idea of the almighty power and beneficence of his 

 Maker, the great First Cause, — " to look from nature up to 

 nature's God."*' 



We generally find in the Scriptures, that on subjects con- 

 nected with natural philosophy, the expressions are adapted 

 to the popular ideas, and infant state of man's knowledge at 

 the time they were written. Had it not been so, a revelation 

 would have been necessary to make their language intelligible 

 to man, which, however, was only given to explain to him those 

 more important truths regarding his immortal soul. 



In the Bible the terms earth and zvorld, very often compre- 

 hend only the then known parts of the globe, — as indeed has 

 been the case in more modern times, so that, after the discovery 

 of America, it was called the New World, to distinguish it from 

 that previously known, — which terms of the " New" and 

 " Old World " are still in frequent use. 



In Scripture these words are often used, even in a still more 

 limited sense, to express that part under the dominion of the 

 Jews or of the Romans. — In the same limited acceptation I 

 understand it to be taken in the account given us of the de- 

 lyge, and that this catastrophe was not universal, but confined 

 to that district of the globe which was then inhabited by man, 

 on whose account it was so visited. 



Noah was directed to take with him into the ark certain ani- 

 mals, which would be of use to him when he left it, — to serve 

 him for food, and to replenish that part of the earth which he 

 would otherwise have found destitute of provision for him, all 

 other animals there having with man been destroyed. 



According to the history of the deluge given by Moses, 

 the rising and retreat of the water appears to have been very 

 gradual, and therefore I do not conceive that it can have had 

 much effect in altering or destroying the surface, which would 

 thus have been rendered unfit for the habitation of man, or even 

 for that of animals, as all vegetation would be destroyed by 

 such convulsions. — That it was very gentle, even so as not to 

 have uprooted the trees, may perhaps be inferred from the 



