Iftature'e /llMracles* 



entirely through the coal and high up into the 

 other strata. All of these facts lead us to the 

 firm conclusion that when the trees were 

 grown that formed these beds they were above 

 the surface of the ocean. This, taken in con- 

 nection with the fact that the vegetable fos- 

 sils that are found indicate a tropical growth 

 of great size, drives us to the conclusion that 

 the climate at the time these coal measures 

 were formed was much warmer than it is now. 

 As already remarked, this extra warmth 

 came from the earth itself before it had cooled 

 down to its present temperature, rather than 

 from the heat of tl e sun. There is nothing 

 inconsistent in the thought that the sun may 

 have been warmer in a former age than now. 

 We may conceive that the earliest coal forma- 

 tions took place when the land stood above the 

 surface of the water, and that the conditions 

 were favorable for a rapid and luxuriant 

 growth of vegetation; after this had gone on 

 for a very long period of time, by some con- 

 vulsion of nature the land surface was sub- 

 merged under the ocean, when other mineral 

 substances were deposited on top of this layer 

 of vegetable growth, which hardened into a 

 rock formation. At a later period the earth 

 was again elevated above the surface of the 

 water and the same process of growth and de- 

 cay was repeated. These oscillations of the 

 earth up and down occurred at enormously 



