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argil hardens by contradlion, but thofe found in limeftone retain 

 their primitive fliape, as thefe harden chiefly by infiltration. 



I NOW proceed to the Mofaic account of ihefe events, " In 

 " the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," that 

 is to fay, the firft event in the hiftory of this globe v^^as its 

 creation, and that of all the planets then known. 



" And the earth was without form and void," that is to fay, 

 that the earth at the time of its creation was without form, &c. 

 therefore another terraqueous globe did not previoufly exifl in a com- 

 plete ft ate out of the ruins of which the -prefent earth was formed, 

 as fome have lately imagined; without form and void the Hebrew 

 has Tohu and Bohu, Ainfworth remarks that Tohii fignifies a ftate 

 of confufion, and Bohu a ftate of vacuity ; fee Pool's Synopfis. 

 That is to fay, that the earth was partly in a chaotic ftate, and partly 

 full of empty cavities, which is exadly the ftate, which from the 

 confideration of the fubfequent phenomena, I have fliewn to have 

 been neceffarily its primordial ftate. 



" And darknefs was on the face of the deep," confequently light 

 did not at firft exift. The deep^ or abyfs, properly denotes an im- 

 menfe depth of water, but here it fignifies, as Mede and Eftius 

 obferve, the mixed or chaotic mafs of earth and water. — David, 

 whofe knowledge was derived from Mofes, and who probably pof- 



VoL. VI. LI fefled 



