Part II. Z;^ />6^ C R E A T I o N, 213 



ing (as the Pfalmifl phrafes it) founded upcn or 

 above the Seas, and eJiabliJISd above the Floods ^ 

 Plal. xxiv. 2. and this in fuch manner, that not 

 only on one fide of the Globe, but on all fides, 

 there were probably Continents and Iflands, rai- 

 fed fo equally as to counterbalance one another, 

 the Water flowing between them, and filling the 

 hollow and depreflTed Places; neither was the 

 ^ dry Land only raifed up and made to appear, but 

 fome Parts (which we call Mountains) were high- 

 ly elevated above others, and thofe fo difpos'd 

 and fituated (as we have fhewn) in the mid-land 

 Parts, and in continued Chains running Eajl and 

 Weji, as to render all the Earth habitable, a great 

 Part whereof otherv^ife would not have been fo ; 

 but the Torrid Zone mull indeed have been fuch 

 a Place as the Ancients fancy 'd it, unhabitable 

 for Heat. Let us now confider how much be<:ter 

 it is that the dry Land fiaould be thus raifed up, 

 and the Globe divided almoft equally between 

 Earth and Water, than that all its Surface fiiould 

 be one uniform and dark Body of Water j I fay 

 Water, becaufe that naturally occupies the fupe- 

 rior Place, and not Earth ; for were it all Water, 

 the whole Beauty of this inferior Vv^orld were 

 gone; there could be no fuch pleafant and deli- 

 cious Profpeds as the Earth now aftbrds us ; no 

 Diftindlion, and grateful Variety of Mountains 

 and Hills, Plains and Vallies, Rivers and Pools, 

 and Fountains; no (h ad y Woods, ficr'd with 

 lofty and towring Trees for Timber, lowly and 

 more fpread ones for Shade and Fruit ; no ami- 



P ^ able 



