were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water : whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same word, are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter, iii. 3-7.

It is, perhaps, presumptuous to hazard a single comment on this passage; yet the volcanic theory of Davy points out the cause of "fire" as existing probably at no great depth below the surface,the "elements of things" reposing quiescent, or only partially disturbed, and forming the base of this verdant animated crust, yet ready at a word to enter into combined action, and melt into one glowing mass the terraqueous sphere. Fancy, too, might vaguely speculate whether the matter of the globe shall be annihilated, or dispersed and scattered to the four winds of heaven-whether another earth shall phoenix-like rise out of the ruins, and what aspect this new world shall bear; whether it shall be a more genial and perfect habitation than the present, with verdant valleys, and calm breezes-the abodes of beatified saints, or new existences of more perfect and obedient natures, without sin and without suffering; or whether it will be of a more rugged and terrible aspect- now flaming with scorching heat, and now freezing with deadly congellation—the prison the hell of irreclaimable beings-where

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no redeeming virtues may blend with or soften the savageness of vice, but where reckless depravity shall reign triumphant !

The very limited duration of the earth was an opinion prevalent among the Jews before the birth of Christ, and was adopted by the apostles, and many of the early Christian fathers. Barnabas, the pupil and immediate successor of St Paul, entertained this opinion, and we find traces of the same belief of a speedy termination of the world, in the works of Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and St Cyprian. Lactantius, who lived in the fourth century of the Christian era, thus writes, "Quando tamen compleatur hæc summa, (6000 ann.) docent ii qui temporibus scripserunt, colligentes ex litteris sacris et ex variis historiis, quantus sit numrus annorum ab exordio mundi. Qui licet varient et aliquantum numeri eorum summa dissentiat; omnis tamen expectatio non amplius quam ducentorum videtur annorum." ""**

Time has, of course, shewn all these opinions to have been fanciful. Nor is there in revelation the slightest data for making any calculation of the

* At what time this period of six thousand years shall be completed, they inform us who have written of those periods, collecting from the Sacred Scriptures, and other sources, what is the number of years from the commencement of the world. And although there be some discrepancy amongst these, yet the general computation does not exceed two hundred years.-Divin. Institut. Lib. vii.

kind. As there are physical circumstances, however, which prevent us from contemplating the stability of the present surface of the globe for an indefinite period, (alluded to in Part I. sec. vii.) so certain moral suggestions present themselves to the mind, as if the present system of things might only have a continuance in some sort proportioned to the period which has already elapsed.

Of this kind are the gradual fulfilment of the ancient prophecies, and the bringing in of the Jews previous to the final accomplishment of all things.

For it would be somewhat difficult to imagine that this singular remnant of an ancient race could remain distinct, through millions of millions of generations yet to come. The very lapse of such periods as these, too, accumulating the annals of myriads of dynasties, on a mind so limited and circumscribed as is the human-the diversities of creeds, the taints of superstition, the casualties of language and written records, and the immense. distance to which it would throw back the sacred events, so fresh and momentous to men as at present contemplated,—would, on a general view of this subject, almost compel us to anticipate a more limited consummation. And yet the past teaches us remedies for even such indefinite extension. The march of civilization, though, on the whole, perhaps, tending to progression, yet suffers singular revolutions and interruptions. The migra

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tion of mankind, the diversities of language, the feuds and animosities excited by selfish ambition, and the national antipathies which these engender, are all causes conducive to these interruptions and retardations. In the history of nations, how many periods of utter darkness have succeeded to short gleams of light-and how often has the accumulated labours of ages been swept into oblivion, and man has been left to build up the structure of science and of facts almost anew. What a drawback on the interchange and progress of knowledge is the diversity of language alone. Yet this seeming obstruction may, in reality, be some great safety valve in the machinery of human existence.

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SECTION III.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

We have thus endeavoured to shew in how far the disintegrating causes at present in operation may have been sufficient, in former periods, to have accumulated the existing strata of the earth within a moderate period of time, especially if we have grounds for supposing that these causes in the early history of the globe may have acted under more favourable circumstances for such accumulation than at present.

We have shewn, too, that there is considerable difficulty in estimating the actual thickness of many of the stratified beds; that great inequality takes place in them, often occasioned by drifting of rivers and currents; and that the extreme depth is more frequently estimated than the average; while, as in relation to the elevated surface of the crust of the globe, the stratified rocks bear an exceedingly small proportion to the great masses of igneous formation, which have been the actual cause of the elevation of the surface above the level of the ocean.