Baltic, and Mediterranean Seas, by Arguments drawn from very inconclufive Experiments made upon a Pan of Water. But when I apply'd myfelf to the Study of the Hebrew Language, a new Light beam'd in upon me; and I receiv'd the Satisfaction I had in vain fought for in the Writings of Philofophers. No longer dazzled with the Parade of the great Names of a Des Cartes, or a Newton, I now acknowledge Mofes as my only Mafter in Philofophy. Had thofe great Men applied to the Study of this most expreffive and moft energetic, as well as moft an. tient of all Languages with their ufual indefatigable Affiduity, I am perfuaded that the Mofaic Philofophy would have appear'd in its genuine Luftre; and if the Gentlemen who write in Defence of Revelation, would pursue this Study, all the Objections and Cavils of Unbelievers would disappear like "Dew before the Morningfun." By Mofes I am convinced, that thofe dreadful Commotions in the Earth and Water, take their Rife from the Tebom, great Deep, through these vaft Apertures call'd the Fountains; that the Shell is the Seat of thefe Commotions; and that their Progrefs is through the Fiffures which abound in every Part of this Shell, and in all Directions:-That the chief inferior Agents are, the Air or Æther, and Light including Fire;-that they are under the immediate Direction of the Ruahh, fo as beft to answer the wife Purposes of God in His moral Government of the World; and confequently,

that

that these Commotions are, in the ftristest Senfe of the word Judgments;-that they are Partial only, when fent to alarm, and total, when appointed to destroy an impenitent People; when the Measure of their Iniquities is accumulated to the height, and the Patience and long Suffering of God is exhaufted.-Can the most able of our Naturalists point out any Spot upon this habitable Globe where we may be fecure?-Can they insure us Safety at either of the Poles more than at the Æquator?-Can we dwell any where but upon the Surface of this Shell, and is not the great Deep every where beneath us? Where then can we poffibly fly for Safety when God's Judgments are abroad?-The Earthquake, by all the Accounts we almost daily receive, still continues its rapid Progrefs, and fcatters Terror and Defolation through the affrighted Nations; and fhould the Ruabh change the Line of its Direction, in how fmall a Portion of Time might the Bowels. of the Earth be the Grave of this Ifland!Is there then (I know you will ask me) no Criterion, no diftinguishing Mark, by which we may judge of the Approach of this moft terrible Scourge? I anfwer, Yes; but it is to be taken not from the "Signs in the Heavens, Ethers," but from the Signs of the Times; not to be deduc'd from natural, but from moral Caufes.

-To do this, let us compare the prefent State of our own Country with that of thofe Nations who are now fuffering under this fevere Stroke

of Divine Vengance: When we have done that, let us compare all with the State of Sodom and Gommorrah at the Time of their final Doom, when all the Elements joined in completing their Destruction; as we are informed they seemed to do at the late shocking Catastrophe of the City of Lisbon.-If we examine the State of the antediluvian World, as described by Mofes, we fhall find that "all Flesh was corrupt;" that "the "Earth was fill'd with Violence; that the whole "Bent of their Inclinations, the whole Study of "their Thoughts was inceffantly at Work, either "in contriving or perpetrating Evil, either by "Fraud or Force:" That there were Giants in thofe Days, Men who knew no Law but their own Will, and were the Leaders in those inhuman Scenes of Blood and Rapine. These lawless Men are call'd in the Hebrew, Nephelim, Emim, Rephaim, and Gnanakim, Words all deriv'd from Roots which imply the Idea of Terror, not only from their fuperior Strength and Stature, but from their Impiety towards God, and their Inhumanity to their Fellow-creatures. Thefe firft mighty Butchers of Mankind, were call'd Men of Name or Renown; that is, Heroes, an Appellation afterwards frequently given to those powerful Murderers and Robbers of Mankind, whofe Names are recorded in prophane History, and seem to have acted upon the fame Principles with their antediluvian Predeceffors; but in Reality is a Title only due to those truly great Men,

who humanize and protect a People; and who bravely hazard their Lives against a rapacious Invader; or invade a faithlefs Enemy to procure Reparation for Wrongs done to their injur'd Country. Idolatry, that is, transferring the Adoration due only to the Creator, and paying it to His Creatures, and Murder or fhedding the Blood of an innocent Fellow-creature, are Crimes of the blackest Dye in the Sight of God, and by Him commanded to be punished, even by Man, without Mercy. That these were the prevailing Crimes before the Flood, is plain from the severe Prohibitions of them fo immediately fucceeding. As it could not be fuppofed that fo righteous a Man as Noah, with his fmall Family, would immediately run into Idolatry after so signal a Judgment inflicted upon the reft of Mankind, of which they themfelves had fo lately been Eyewitneffes; the firft Prohibition after the Flood was, "Not to commit Murder;" a Crime which might have been of the most fatal Confequence to that infant Colony. To enforce the Obfervance of this Precept more ftrongly, they were abfolutely forbidden to even eat the Blood of Animals, which God had granted them for Food; that every Incitement to Acts of Cruelty might be remov'd; for I don't in the leaft doubt but that eating promiscuously all kinds of Animals, with their Blood, was one of the numerous Crimes committed by thofe Sons of Blood and Rapine among the Antediluvians. Nor do I doubt

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but that the eating animal Food was granted to Man under proper Restrictions after the Fall, when the Adamah, Mold proper for Vegetation was curs'd with a certain Degree of Barrennefs, and confequently the Vegetables of every kind render'd much more unfit for Nutrition than they were at the Creation. If this was not the Cafe, to what End or Purpose did God grant Adam the abfolute Dominion over every Kind, and Species of Animals, Beasts, Birds, Fishes, &c.? Though fome Kinds of Animals might be highly serviceable to Man. by being employ'd in various Kinds of Labour, and even by fupplying him with that wholfome Aliment Milk, which was undoubtedly a Part of his Food; yet of what Ufe would Fowl have been to him, if he was forbidden to eat any Thing which had Life? For upon this Principle, Eggs too muft have been equally forbidden; fince every Egg contains a vital Principle, in the Embryo of its refpective Species of Fowl, gradually increasing till it comes to its proper State of Maturity: And of what poffible Ufe his Dominion over the Fishes in the Sea could have been, or what End his fubduing them (as he was empower'd to do) would have anfwer'd, unless it had been to make Use of them for Food, is, I must confefs, paft my Comprehenfion. We fee the Diftinction of clean and unclean Animals; that is, which Kinds were us'd for Food and Sacrifices, and which were not, was known by Noab before the Flood; fince in

Gen,