CREATION OF ANIMALS. 23 



principle might be so stationed as to counteract 

 it, and keep the earth's crust at its assigned dis- 

 tance. To compare great things with small, he 

 who made the rain-drop made also the air- 

 bubble, the one to fall, the other to rise. 



The word of God, in many places, speaks of 

 an abyss of waters under the earth, as distinct 

 from the ocean though in communication with 

 it, 1 and also as contributing to form springs and 

 rivers. 2 Scientific men, in the present day, 

 appear disposed to question this ; the Geologist, 

 though he may regard the granitic strata as 

 forming the base, as it were, of the crust of the 

 earth, seems rather to view it as containing a 

 focus of heat, than a magazine of infinite waters ; 

 from whence are partly derived the springs and 

 rivers that water the earth's surface, and ulti- 

 mately make good to the ocean its whole loss by 

 evaporation. 3 " Springs," says the author above 



. quoted, " are so many little reservoirs, which 

 receive their waters from the neighbouring 



* ground, through small lateral channels." He 

 allows, however, that the origin of springs 

 cannot be referred to one exclusive cause, and 

 associates with that just mentioned, the precipi- 

 tation of atmospheric vapours attracted by high 

 lands, the dissolving of ice, the filtering of sea- 



1 Comp. Job, xxviii. 14, xxxviii. 16, 17. Genes, xlix. 25. 

 Deut. xxxiii. 13. Jonah, ii. 6, &c. 



2 Ps. Ixxviii. 15, 16. Prov. viii. 24. 3 See Appendix, note 9. 



