APPENDIX. NOTES. 383 



necessary to fulfil the Divine decree. It seems not clear 

 whether the forty days during which the rain fell are in- 

 cluded in the hundred and fifty days that the waters are 

 stated to have prevailed. If they were included, the 

 period would be five lunar months and ten days ; and if 

 they were not, it would extend to six such months and 

 twenty-two days. What a time, even according to the 

 shortest calculation, for the continued action of such a 

 body of fluctuating waters, continually increasing, till they 

 left no peak or pinnacle of the most elevated mountains 

 of the globe visible! Who can calculate the effects of 

 that action ? 



During this period of the increase and prevalence of 

 the waters, when the mountains were covered, all ingress 

 of the atmosphere into the earth by the chimneys of the 

 volcanos, if that is the meaning of stopping the windows of 

 heaven, would cease ; and the abyss, at or before the end 

 of it, no longer vomit forth its waters by its innumerable 

 mouths. 



Having considered the secondary causes to which the 

 Word of God attributes the rise and prevalence of the 

 deluge, I must next make a few observations upon the 

 means to which Divine Wisdom, Power, and Goodness 

 had recourse to effect this, and to cause the waters to 

 return to their ancient receptacle. At the first creation, 

 The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. The 

 consequence of which was that order arose out of con- 

 fusion. The motion was then begun, by which the wind 1 

 bloweth where it listeth, the light shines forth, heat 

 expands, the clouds are formed, and the physical che- 



ert 7r\/>> atjp TTO\UC pt&v OTIC 

 \eytTctt. Aristot. De Mundo. 



