New Puhlkaitmia. 205 



thcred the waters together into one place, and caused the dry 

 land to appear. The cause of this universal deluge and dark- 

 ness is not stated by Moses ; but, according to the view which 

 has been taken of the state of the earth preceding this period, it 

 must have suffered a most important revolution. Land and 

 water had existed during the deposition of rocks, and, in order 

 to the accomplishment of the universal deluge, a sinking or ele- 

 vation of strata seems to be necessary, or the interference of that 

 Power which, in after ages, again encompassed the earth with 

 floods ; and the same Power which brought the waters over the 

 globe, covered it with darkness, which was in all probability 

 transient ; as we know that the sun and planetary bodies, which 

 act so important a part in conveying light to the world, were 

 certainly created. Much has been written concerning the word 

 lOM, translated in this place day. The word has various ac- 

 ceptations in Scripture ; as used by Moses, in describing the 

 second creation^ the word evidently refers, says our author, to 

 a single revolution of the earth on its axis. The earth being 

 in darkness at the commencement of the days, God first calls or 

 recalls the light ; for there is nothing in the Mosaical statement 

 that precludes the idea that light in the same form as it was now 

 exhibited had existed before ; but, on the other hand, every 

 thing to strengthen the opinion. On the second day, God cre- 

 ated the firmament, and divided the waters which were under 

 the firmament from those which were above. On the third day^ 

 the waters under the heavens, which had hitherto covered the 

 whole earth, were gathered together into one place, and the dry 

 land appeared. On the same day the earth was decked with its 

 living green, and it brought forth the herb and the tree, each 

 yielding fruit after its kind. In order to the gathering of the 

 waters together, some great convulsion must have transpired. 

 We are led to suppose, from passages in Scripture and natural 

 phenomena, that there was a sudden upheaving of a conside- 

 rable portion of the solid crust of the earth. Let us suppose 

 for a moment that some of the immense chains were elevated, 

 or the whole continents of which they form a part. The mighty 

 waters, which so calmly flowed over the surface, would be thrown 

 into inconceivable agitation, and roll their disturbed waves from 

 shore to shore, until they had found that bound which they 



