fequence of the Infufficiency of proper Supplies from Herbs and Fruits, to fupport the future Multiplication of the Animals on the Earth.

The Changes therefore by the Deluge must be very confpicuous, and may admit of a Philofophical Enquiry into the Nature of them, in which I fhall take proper Care to form no Hypothefes or Suppofitions that will not bear a Scriptural Senfe.

And now the different Difpofition of the Earth's Atmosphere before, and after the Flood, may be obferv'd by the Effects; for after the Flood we find that the Air becomes ftill more infectious, and inftils the fame Infections by degrees into the Fruits of the Earth, and thereby the former Strength of Nature in both Man and Beaft begins to grow lefs, and the Length of Life to abate, and to come to very short and uncertain Periods, in proportion, we may reasonably imagine, to the more Infectioufness of the Air's Qualities, that it was further tainted with by the Deluge; from the Effects of which we may form an Idea of the lefs Impurity of the Air in the Antediluvian State than in the prefent; for allowing Men to live as naturally now to an hundred Years, as they did then to nine hundred, it is nine to one odds, which must prove the Air to be fo much more infectious now than then; and how this comes to be occafioned by the Occurrences of the Deluge I come now to confider.

And

1

;

And upon fuppofition of this Globe being involv'd in a Comet's Atmosphere at the Deluge, it may be made probable that the Effects that follow'd it would be naturally produc'd from fuch a Caufe; and the Exiftence of any Caufe is always prov'd by its Effects; and the Effects that follow'd the Deluge do naturally prove that the Earth has undergone fuch a Flood as the Holy Writings acquaint us with; and that that Flood has been the Occafion of the aforefaid Alterations in Nature cannot remain doubtful: The only Question then is, which way this Flood might be brought upon the Earth which in the first place must be allow'd to be done by the Appointment of God, for fuch Reasons as were confiftent with infinite Wif dom and Goodness; and if by natural Occurrences he should appoint to execute his Ends and Defigns herein, how unfearchable must that Wisdom be in the Creation and adjusting fuch natural Causes ás fhall thus exactly correfpond to the Execution of his Judgments at that very Time, that an immediate Interpofition of divine Power would otherwise have been neceffary to have effected it? And as God in infinite Wisdom commonly adjufts Causes in Nature as Inftruments to fulfil his Will, fo in the Confequences of all fuch Caufes we may trace the Footsteps of Goodness and Mercy, all his Judgments being defign'd to teach us Obedience, whereby we may escape the Wages neceffarily due to incorrigible and irreclaimable Wickednefs; in which the World

had

had involv'd themselves before the Flood came and took them away.

Now let us fuppofe the Deluge to be occafion'd by the Earth's being involv'd in the Atmosphere of a Comet, and thence fee what Effects might be produc'd by fuch a Cause; and whether or no the Confequences it would naturally occafion be not found upon enquiry to fucceed.

And if we confider the Way and Manner of a Comet's Approach to its Perihelion, and that thereby it cuts the Orbits of all the Pla-. nets of our System, it will not be difficult to imagine but that in its Paffage it might be fo adjusted as to dafh its Tail or Atmosphere upon the Earth, which Comet's Atmofphere, being in its Chaotical Fluidity, might leave fo great a Quantity of its ununiform'd Substance throughout the Atmosphere, and upon the Surface of the Earth, (which it might be involv'd in by its Diurnal Rotation in the Comet's Paffage by it,) as should require forty Days before the Commotions of the Vapours thereby rais'd and hurried up and down, could come to any Settlement, fo as to cease their Convulfions and Agitations: In this Confufion and Disorder all the Matter that this Comet's Atmosphere was created of, in its feveral refpective Parts, would naturally diffuse themselves throughout our Earth, Air, and Waters, according to their feveral Qualities, but not in an Exactnefs of the Laws of their fpecifick Gravities, but in fuch wife as the

Nature

Nature of that Hurry would admit: For tho' this Globe might have been a Comet before its Formation into a Planet, and confist of the fame Parts of Matter that this Comet did, yet in its firft Formation there was no Hurry or Diforder, but proper Care taken (as I have before obferv'd) to prevent any Offenfiveness either in its Surface or Atmosphere; but in this Disorder all faline and fulphurous Particles join with, and diffuse themselves into the Atmosphere of the Air, and form themselves into deftructive Bodies, which, being in their Infancy, would take up a proportionate Time to grow to a Maturity of Deftructiveness, as would answer to the Age of the World after the Deluge; and as it had its Infancy, fo Maturity and Age muft fucceed; agreeable to which the * Heavens are faid to wax old as doth a Garment, and as a Vefture will be folded up. Of which more when I come to treat of the last and final Change of Things. So the further Changes, that have fucceeded the Deluge, have naturally reduced Things to a State of more Uncertainty, and and Inftability, whereby all things created here tend still much fooner to Corruption, and are now drawing towards a Conclufion, groaning under Bondage and waiting for a Reftitution.

It may be obferv'd likewife what Changes the Infection of the Air has wrought in Animals

That is, the Atmosphere of the open Air, which is frequently in Scripture call'd Heaven, wherein the Fowls are said to fly.

mals and Vegetables; for where there was proper Conftitutions and Natures in either, the different Streams of its Infectiousness have acted upon whatsoever is capable to give it Entertainment. Hence have proceeded the Fiercenefs and Voracity of fome Animals, according to the Constitutions and different Qualities that these infectious Effluvias had to act upon, nay and alfo poisonous Qualities where there was fit Entertainment for them, either in Animals or Vegetables; but as we see these things are common only to fuch and fuch Species of either kind, fo Man that is still endu'd with Reason, should be fo far guided by that, as to imitate the greatest Innocence amongst his Fellow-Creatures, which are often in Scripture fet forth as Examples of Imitation, and not entertain the poifonous Qualities of those who have not Reafon to direct them, or Power to avoid what the natural Corruption of things has laid them under a Neceffity (not Choice) to partake of. For even the fmalleft and minutest Infects, not vifible to the unaffifted Eye, in the Air and Waters, which we commonly now take in with our Meat, Drink, and Breath, partake of fome degree of Noxioufness, and become offenfive and decaying to Nature.

Thus all things by Man's Tranfgreffion are receded from the Purity of the Creation; fome Animals are become voracious, while others that had not thofe Qualities in them to be wrought upon, fo as to feek any Food that

way,