38 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



black. He cut off a few chips with his knife, 

 and was so good as to give me one of them. So, 

 mamma, if the stratum of earth which now 

 covers this submarine forest was deposited there 

 by the deluge, *it is clear that the tree my uncle 

 saw was antediluvian ; and that the oak chip in 

 my possession was of the same growth of timber 

 as that of which the Ark was constructed. 



16th, Sunday. A question, that Wentworth 

 asked, about the object and meaning of the pro- 

 phecies contained in Deuteronomy, led to some 

 observations of my uncle's, which I will endea- 

 vour to give you. 



" The prophecies of Moses increase in number 

 and clearness towards the close of his writings. 

 He appears to have discerned futurity with more 

 exactness as he approached the end of his life. 

 To be convinced of this, you have only to com- 

 pare the records of history with his prediction of 

 the successes as well as the dispersions and 

 desolations of the Israelites ; compare the rapid 

 victories of the Romans, and the miseries sus- 

 tained by his besieged countrymen, with his 

 denunciations ; and particularly compare his 

 prophecies relative to the future condition of 

 the Jewish nation, with their accomplishment 

 which is still going on under your own observa- 

 tion, and which, indeed, may be called a standing 

 miracle," 



