preferve the Race of Mankind, and to restore loft Piety and Virtue to the World...

2dly. The Wisdom of Providence in deftroying the Old World is very visible in the manner of doing it.

Ift. For it was a Miraculous and Supernatural Deftruction, and therefore an undeniable Evidence of the Power and Providence of God. There are no visible Caufes in Nature to do this, and therefore it must be done by a Power Superior to Nature.

Some Men think it fufficient to difparage the Mofaical Account of the Deluge, if they can prove the natural impoffibility of it; and others, who profess to believe the Story, think themfelves much concerned to give a Philofophical Account of it, without having recourse to Miracles, and a Supernatural Power, which they fay unbecomes Philofophers: But if it unbecomes Philofophers to believe Miracles, I doubt they will think it very much below them to be Chriftians, which no Man can be, who does not believe Miracles; and if they will allow of Miracles in any cafe, methinks they should make no fcruple to attribute the Deftruction of the World to a Miraculous and Supernatural Power.

The Comfort is, the truth of the Story does not depend upon any Philofophical Hypothesis; we do not believe that the whole World was drown'd, because we can tell by what Natural Causes it might be drowned, but because Mofes has recorded it in his Writings, who, we know, was Divinely infpir'd: And we know alfo, that there has been no fatisfactory account given yet from the Principles of Nature and Philofophy, how the whole World could be drowned; at

leaft

leaft none that will agree with the Mofaical Hiftory, either of the Creation, or of the Deluge; and it is better to have no Account, than fuch an Account as confutes Mofes, could any fuch be given; for this confutes, or at least difcredits the Story it felf, for which we have no Authentick Authority, when the Authority of Mofes is loft. But indeed it is no fervice to Religion to feek after Natural Caufes for the Deftruction of the World, any more than it is to refolve the making of the World into Natural Causes; for it is great good Nature in Men to own a God, if they can make and deftroy a World, without him; there can be no fuch thing as Natural Causes, till the World is made, and every thing endowed with its Natural Virtues and Powers, and united into a regular Frame, with a mutual dependance and connection; and therefore it is a vain thing to talk of making the World by Natural Caufes, when it is demonftrable, that there can be no Natural Caufes till the World is made: And it is as certain, that Nature must move unnaturally, and be put into an univerfal diforder, before the World can be deftroyed; for while Natural Causes keep their Natural Course, they will preferve, not deftroy the World; and therefore the Deftruction of the World is not owing to Natural Caufes, but to preternatural Disorders; and what Philofophy can give an account of that? What can put Nature into fuch an univerfal Disorder, but the fame Divine Power which put it into order, and gave Laws to it?

And this is what God intended in the deftruction of the Old World, to give a visible and lafting proof of his Being and Providence to the New, by fuch a Miraculous Deluge, as

could

could be attributed to no other Cause, but a Divine Vengeance.

That Univerfal Corruption of Mankind would perfuade us, that the very Belief and Notion of a God was loft among them; or if it be hard to conceive how that should be, when the World, by Computation, was not Seventeen Hundred Years old; and Lamech, Noah's Father, lived Fifty Years with Adam himself, that it feems impoffible that the Tradition of God's Creating the World, fhould have been loft in fo fhort a Time; yet at leaft they could have no Senfe of God's Juftice and Providence; they could not believe that God took any Notice of their Actions, or would execute fuch a terrible Vengeance on them for their Sins. We do not read of any one A&t of Judgment, which God exercised before the Flood; and it is not improbable, that his fparing Cain, when he had killed his Brother Abel, might encourage them with Hopes of Impunity, whatever Wickedness they committed: And therefore the Divine Wifdom faw it neceffary to put an End to the Old, and to begin the New World with a visible Demonftration of his Power and Juftice, to teach Men the Fear, and Reverence, and Worship of that God, who not only made the World, but has oncè deftroyed it, and therefore can deftroy it again, with all its wicked Inhabitants, whenever he pleases.

Now to make this a lafting Proof of God's Power and Juftice, it must be evident beyond all Contradiction, that it was God's doing; and therefore it was neceffary, that God fhould deftroy the World in fo miraculous a manner, as could be attributed to no other Caufe; for it is the true Spirit of Atheism and Infidelity, to at

tribute

tribute nothing to God, which they can afcribe to any visible Caufe.

Had all Mankind, excepting Noah and his Sons, been destroyed by Plague, or Famine, or Wild Beafts; tho' fuch a General Deftruction would have convinced Wife and Reasonable Men, that the Hand, and the Vengeance of God was in it; yet if we may judge of the reft of Mankind, by the wonderful Improvements in Wit and Philofophy, which our Modern Atheists have made; they would think Scorn, to attribute Plague, or Famine, or fuch like evil Accidents to God, tho' all Mankind were deftroyed by them. But when they hear of a World drowned, and know not where to find Water to drown it, without a miraculous Diffolution of Nature; they muft either laugh at the Story, (which Men in their Wits can't well do) or they muft believe a God, and a Providence. But whatever Shift the Infidels of our Age may make, to disbelieve the Univerfal Deluge, it must be confefs'd, that it was a very wife and moft effectual Means, to convince that New 'Generation of Men, while the uncorrupted Tradition of the Deluge was preserved.

2dly, The Wisdom of the Divine Providence was feen in destroying that wicked Generation of Men, without deftroying the Earth. God did not intend to put a final End to the Race of Mankind, but the Earth was to be again inhabited by a New Generation; and a Deluge of Waters was beft fitted to this Purpose, which did no Hurt to the Earth, when it was dried up again, but rather moistened and impregnated it, with new Seeds and Principles of Life.

There

There are but Two Ways we know of to deftroy this Earth, either by Water, or Fire: It has already been deftroyed by Water, and will be destroyed by Fire. And it is enough to fatisfy any Man, that this is not Accident, but a wife Design, to confider, that a Deluge of Water was made ufe of to purge and reform the World, but Fire is referv'd for the final Deftruction of it. Whereas, had this Order been inverted, as it might have been, had it been mere Chance; it is evident, that the Earth could neither have been preserved from Fire, nor utterly deftroyed by Water, without a perpetual Deluge. A Deluge of Water does not deftroy the Earth, nor make it uninhabitable after the Deluge ceases; but Fire deftroys the Frame and Conftitution of it, and melts all into one confused Mafs. There is fome Defence against a Deluge; Noah and his Sons were preferved in the Ark, to people the New World; but there is no Defence againft Flames : The whole Earth, and all the wicked Inhabitants of it, muft burn together. And this is one wife Reafon, why God chose to drown the World, not to burn it; because the End of all Things was not yet come.

3dly, There is great Variety of Wisdom to be obferved, in God's Preferving Noah and his Sons, in the Ark, from perifhing by Water.

For first, as I obferved before, this was very neceffary to preferve the Race of Mankind, to new-people the World, which much more became the Divine Wisdom, than to have created Man a-new. When all flesh bad corrupted his ways, it became God to try new Methods of Reforming the World; for this opens new and

furpri