at firft, or fucceffively, was forty Days in falling.

Ver. 19. And the Waters prevailed exceedingly upon the Earth, and all the high Hills that were under the whole Heaven were covered.

Ver 20. Fifteen Cubits upward did the Waters prevail, and the Mountains were covered.

The Mountains, whether shattered, or diffolved, were yet fubfifting, newly covered, and not yet taken up into the Water. This is mentioned to defcribe the Means by which all Flesh perished.

Ver 23. And every living Subftance was deftroyed which was upon the Face of the Ground, both Man and Cattel, and the creeping things, and the Fowl of the Heavens; and they were destroyed from the Earth, &c.

"He deftroyed all Substance, Junius and Tremellius, which stood [ftabat,] Oleafter, which fubfifted (m). Whether this has any Relation to the Fragments, Parts of the Earth, that which fubfifted of the Earth, or only to Animals, has not been fufficiently cleared by late Writers. This was the time which feemed to be fixed, and, 'tis like, they went together: but Job feems to fay, the Earth went first (n). "The Air fhot down Torrents from above, the Earth fet at large the Abyffes from beneath, and whilft the Waters burst out, created Things were reduced to the elementary Waters. No Diftinction now of Dry-land and Sea; every thing lay in the Channel of one River. No Springs, or Lakes, no pleasant Fountains; but all things were fwallowed up of the huge Waves. No Plants, Flowers or Trees; no Cities, no Plains, no Mountain Tops, but all Things had suffered Shipwrack and were buried in one common Sepulchre. Orat. vi. p. 31. When the Deep and Darkness had got Poffeffion of the Earth again, and things tended to the firft Confufion-Daufqueius's Notes p. 329,

19

(m) Synopfis Crit. Tom. p. 99. Gen. vii. 23. (z) Sancti Bafil. Orat. 5. p. 28. Ibid. in Max. Bibl. vet, Patr. T. 8. p. 428. Ibid. in Mag, Bibl. vet.

Patr.

-is bringing the World [oxios] back again to its firft Principles, from which Principles the whole of the Creation [Genefews] was compofed (0)." "The Wrath of God, to speak with Cenforinus, reduced the World to Water [exaquefcebat] (p). "There was no City or Kingdom, but the whole Globe of the Earth was deftroyed, [deletus] with all its Inhabitants, Riches and Ornaments (q). "

A Flood fhall Earth diffolve, th' Almighty faid, And all its foul Pollutions wash away. To its old Chaos let the Globe return, The Waters feek again th' Abyss, Dry-Land Subfiding fink beneath the formless Deep: To Man's Apoftate Race be this the Term · Prescrib'd, and this the End of finful Flesh! Devoting thus to univerfal Wreck

His guilty Works, did God (th' Event foreseen) Through the wide World the wafting Deluge pour.

* Mean Time the mighty Sea, ftill rolling on Its Weight of Waters, foftly fiole away,

Re

Patr. T. 5. Pars 3. p. 416. Ibid. in Joh. Conradi Dieterici Antiq. Bibl. p. 105, 106.

(0) Joh. Conradi Dieterici Antiq. Bibl. Gen. vii. p. 106.

(p) Leonh. Leffium 3. de perf. moribufque div. S. p. 371.

(q) Mag. Bibl. vet. Patrum. Tom. 6. p. 404. Alcimi Aviti de Diluvio Mundi. Ibid. Bibl. vet. * Ibid. v. 553.

Patr.

Retreating to its Bounds, 'till at th' Abyss, Their Seat of Old, the Floods again arriv'd. Then 'gan the Mountains huge their lofty Heads Abroad difplay; nor long, e'er far beneath, Difpers'd around, the bumble Hills arofe.

*Thus when the Sea within its Shores retir'da
And Ocean, gather'd to his fpacious Bed,
Within his own Domain content to stay.
From all his Watry Sons (that, now reftor'd,
Purfu'd their wonted Courfe, again receiv'd
His antient Tribute, leaving each his Share,
By Meafure due reftraining wild Excefs;

And ev'ry vagrant Stream at length recall'd
Within its Channel ran: Forthwith emerg'd
The new-form'd Surface, and Dry-Land appear'd.

Job xiv. 19. Fortruly the falling Mountain diffolved, and the Rock (the Strata of Stone) was removed out of its Place. The Waters wore the Stones to Pieces, the Duft of the Earth swallowed up the Fruits of it. And thou destroyeḍft the Hope of Man. Interpret. LXX. The Waters [levigarunt] loofened the Stones, and the Waters drowned the Hills [ Jupina CumuliTerra] overturning them. As Sebaftian Caftalio interprets it;

Patr. per

La Bigne Tom. 8. p. 608. Alcimi Aviti Viennenfis Archiepifcopi.

* Ver. 553.
VOL. I.

when the weakened Mountains fell, and the Rocks were lifted out of their Place, when the Water wore the Stones to Pieces, its Waves washing away the Duft of the Earth, thou cutteft off the Hope of Man." 2 Efdras viii. 23. Whofe Look drieth up the Depths, and Indignation maketh the Mountains to melt away, which the Truth witnesseth. Judith xvi. 18. For the Mountains shall be moved from their Foundations with the Waters, the Rocks all melt as Wax at thy Prefence. The Defcriptions of the Diffolution by feveral great and learned Men are clear, and as expreffive as they can be writ. An Angel could write it no plainer, if he fill'd a large Volume in Folio, than by faying the Earth was reduc'd to its firft Elements, to Genefews *; nor any more of the Exuvia + than that they were all buried in one Sepulchre. The Tranlations of Job exprefs the Manner clearly, and fully; and thofe from the Apocrypha want either to have no Tenfe, or the Tenfe corrected, to make them clear in our Language; and there are many more not cited, if right render'd, would

&c.

The Condition it was firft created in.

Remains, viz. Trees, Plants, Bones, Shells,