Job, in which the friend of Job, reasoning with him, says, "Hast though remarked the old way which wicked men have trodden; who were cut down out of time; whose foundation was overflowed with a flood;" which passage the Greek interpreters render yet more decidedly, "their foundations are become an overflowing flood," and Michaelis interprets it, "A flood OBLITERATED their foundations." In the very curious and interesting work, called the book of Enoch, referred to by St. Jude, v. 14, which had long been looked upon as lost, but which was at length discovered in the Ethiopic language by Bruce, in Abyssinia, who brought home three manuscript copies of it, one of which was presented to the Royal Library at Paris, a second, to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and the third, retained by himself; we find a very remarkable corroborative testimony to the above view of the subject of the deluge. In quoting, from this apocryphal book, it is not necessary, in this place, to enter into the question of its actually being, what its title professes it to be, a prophetic work of the antediluvian Enoch. This point has been clearly settled by Dr. Laurence, to whom we are indebted for an English translation of the copy in the extended with much effect; for he seems, in this part of his general epistle to the new Christian church, prophetically to describe some of the opinions now held by modern philosophy. "This second Epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which (Epistles) I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance : "That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first, that there shall come, in the last days, scoffers, walking after their own lusts: "And saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that, by the word of God, the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the waters, and in the waters: Whereby" (viz. by the word of God,)" the world that then was, being overflowed with waters, perished. "But the heavens, and the earth, which now are, by the same word (of God) are kept in store, reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is, with the Lord, as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."-Second Epistle of Peter, iii. 1, &c. This short passage contains lessons in philosophy, as well as in morality, which we should do well most seriously to consider. Bodleian Library. But, although, in the opinion of the learned-translator, this original Hebrew, or Chaldee work, was composed subsequent to the Babylonish captivity, it must be admitted to be a very interesting and curious piece of antiquity, though not worthy of a place among the canonical books of Scripture. The passage I am about to quote, however, will serve to show the prevailing opinion on the subject of the deluge in the times of the author of it, and is quite consistent with the passage in St. Peter's Epistle, and with the above passage in the book of Job. In the 82d chapter of the book of Enoch, and the 5th verse, we find the writer pròphetically describing the destruction of the "earth, that then was," in the following manner: "And falling to the earth, I saw likewise the earth ABSORBED BY A GREAT ABYSS, and mountains suspended over mountains, hills were sinking upon hills, lofty trees were gliding off from their trunks, and were in the act of being projected, and of SINKING INTO THE ABYSS. "Being alarmed at these things, my voice faltered. I cried and said, THE EARTH IS DESTROYED! Then, my grandfather, Malalel, raised me up, and said to me, Why dost thou thus cry out, my son? And wherefore dost thou thus lament? "I related to him the whole vision which I had seen. He said to me, confirmed is that which thou has seen, my son: "And potent the vision of thy dream respecting every secret sin of the earth. ITS SUBSTANCE SHALL SINK INTO THE ABYSS, and a great destruction take place. "Now, my son, rise up; and beseech the Lord of Glory, (for thou are faithful,) that a remnant may be left upon the earth, and that he would not wholly destroy it. My son, all this calamity upon earth comes down from heaven, upon earth shall there be a great destruction." In another part of the book, purporting to be Noah's vision of the deluge, we find the following, to the same effect: "On account of their impiety have their innumerable judgments been consummated before me. Respecting the moons have they inquired, and they have known that the EARTH WILL PERISH, with those who dwell upon it, and that to these there will be no place of refuge for ever."-Chap. lxiv. v. 9. These passages, from such authorities, decidedly show, that the destruction of "the earth that THEN WAS," formed a part of the effects of that awful judgment; and the phenomena presented to our view over the whole "earth that Now is," establish the truth of the historical record in a manner the most conclusive. We have thus given us most important data on which to form a judgment of the mode by which this great event was brought about; but, as the mere laws of nature will be found utterly incompetent to it; and as the deluge was evidently an operation as completely preternatural, as either the creation itself, or the gathering together of the waters of the ocean, we must come to the same conclusion with regard to it which we have already done with regard to these events, viz. that it was in the power of God alone to bring it about. Many disputes have arisen, and theories been formed, among philosophers, respecting the mode by which a deluge might have been brought about by natural causes; but, like the theories of first formations, they lead the mind, at every step, into obscurity and contradiction. Some have supposed the earth to be hollow, and to contain water, which, issuing out by some incomprehensible means, deluged the earth, and again retired to its hidden abode. Others have supposed that by a great earthquake, a heaving up of the superincumbent mass of one portion of the earth might have raised the waters of the ocean, so as to form one vast wave on the surface, which swept over the remaining parts of the earth. In supporting this theory it is truly stated, that during partial earthquakes, an agitation of the sea, somewhat similar, takes place, the effects of which have often been most destructive in low countries. But this theory implies one sweeping convulsion which could have lasted but a short time, and been but partial in its effects; whereas, both history, supported by the traditions of the most obscure nations, and physical facts, tend to convince us that the deluge must have lasted some considerable time, and been universal in its destructive effects. As to the theory of the cavous nature of the globe, in order to contain water for the purpose of one particular deluge of a few months duration, we have, amongst other powerful objections, this especial one; that such an arrangement would be in contradiction to all the general laws of the Creator, in the study of which we perceive an economy of means, if I may use the expression, which is most remarkable. The means employed for any end are never greater than are absolutely necessary to attain that end; and thence the just balance which we so much admire throughout the creation. When the mandate was issued, on the third day of the creation, "Let the waters be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear," which "gathering together of the But if we insist on discovering or inventing a mode by which * Chapter i, page 37, note. t Would not a hollow glass globe, of one foot in diameter, contain infinitely more water than would be necessary slightly to moisten its exterior surface? + How dore Hats consist with the followly po sayes wind to pass over the car tht, d a until the were drink up from off the earth! 8. CHAPTER VII. Mosaic Account of the Deluge.-The Mountains of Ararat.— Having thus, by a variety of evidence, convinced ourselves * The preservation of one family, at the deluge, may be looked upon as one of the most remarkable instances of divine wisdom and providence: for there could have been no greater difficulty to the Almighty power, in forming, in this instance, an entirely new creation, than in doing so in the beginning of the world. But if all mankind had perished, a new race could not have been so deeply impressed with the terror of this great event, as we now find the most distant nations are: and if we had only historical evidence of its having happened, unsupported by tradition and facts, the recital would be found to make but a slight impression upon our minds. # which record simply tellious, "all the ligh hell, were covered "Gu.7.19!" and the ark niet m mom loins (which had been, on then w |