THE EARTH. 25 



burning globe ; next which is placed a heavy 

 terrene substance, that encompasses it ; round 

 which also is circumfused a body of water. Up- 

 on this body of water the crust of earth which 

 we inhabit is placed : so that, according to him, 

 the globe is composed of a number of coats, or 

 shells, one within the other, all of different densi- 

 ties. The body of the earth being thus formed, 

 the air, which is the lightest substance of all, sur- 

 rounded its surface ; and the beams of the sun 

 darting through, produced that light which, we 

 are told, first obeyed the Creator's command. 



The whole economy of the creation being thus 

 adjusted, it only remained to account for the ris- 

 ings and depressions on the surface of the earth, 

 with the other seeming irregularities of its present 

 appearance. The hills and valleys are considered 

 by him as formed by their pressing upon the in- 

 ternal fluid, which sustains the outward shell of 

 earth, with greater or less weight : those parts of 

 the earth which are heaviest, sink into the subja- 

 cent fluid more deeply, and become valleys; those 

 that are lightest, rise higher upon the earth's sur- 

 face, and are called mountains. 



Such was the face of nature before the deluge : 

 the earth was then more fertile and populous than 

 it is at present j the life of man and animals was 

 extended to ten times its present duration ; and 

 all these advantages arose from the superior heat 

 of the central globe, which ever since has been 

 cooling. As its heat was then in its full power, 

 the genial principle was also much greater than at 

 present : vegetation and animal increase were car- 



