not be suspended in the air, but must instantly be precipitated to the earth by the force of its own gravityTo this agent we shall appeal, as the instrument by which the general deluge might have been produced.

As we have before hinted, we shall adopt the language of Moses, in its plain and obvious sense, which asserts that "the windows of heaven were opened, and the fountains of the great deep were broken up." By opening the windows of heaven, we have already remarked, was obviously intended, the liberating and pouring out of the waters which were held suspended in the atmosphere; and the breaking up of the fountains of the great deep, we have been led to conclude was the opening of all those passages through which the subterranean waters might find their way to the surface of the globe. Now as both these sourees are said to have been opened in producing the deluge, it is by no means unreasonable to suppose that the same natural agent was employed to produce the whole effect which Moses has described, both upon the air and the earth.

:

The agent of which we are speaking is of modern discovery, though its existence is as ancient as the creation of the world for it cannot be supposed that so important an agent as electricity, was overlooked by the Deity, in bringing into existence the constitution of nature.

"It is certain, (says the editor of the Encyclopedia,) that by means of it, immense quantities of water can be raised to a great height in the air. This is proved by the phe nomena of water-spouts. Mr. Foster relates, that he happened to see one break very near him, and observed a flash of lightning proceed from it at the moment of its breaking. The conclusion from this is obvious. When the electric: matter was discharged from the water, it could no longer be supported by the atmosphere, but immediately fell down.

Though water-spouts do not often appear in this country, yet every one must have made an observation somewhat similar to Mr. Foster's. In a violent storm of thunder and rain, after every flash of lightning or discharge of electricity from the clouds, the rain pours down with increased violence: thus showing, that the cloud, having parted with so much of its electricity, cannot longer be

supported in the form of vapour, but must descend in rain. It is certain, (for it has been proved by experiments,) that evaporation is promoted by electrifying the fluid to be evaporated." The theory, therefore, deduced from these plain and undeniable facts, "that the electric fluid contained in the air is the agent by which it is enabled to suspend the water which rises in vapour,' " will not be rejected as a groundless chimera, nor pronounced an impossibility, by men of reflection and science.

"Again, (says this same author,) we are assured from the most undeniable observations, that electricity is able to swell up water on the surface of the earth. This we can make it do even in our trifling experiments; and much more must the whole force of the fluid be supposed capable of doing it, if applied to the ocean, or any other large bodies of water. The agitation of the sea in earthquakes is sufficient proof of this. It is certain, that at these times there is a discharge of a vast quantity of electric matter from the earth into the air; and as soon as this happens, all becomes quiet on the surface of the earth."

From the facts which have now been stated, it must clearly follow, that whenever the atmosphere is deprived of a due proportion of the electric fluid, rain will, of course, fall in prodigious quantities.

A multitude of observations have long since rendered it apparent, that there is a constant passage of electric matter from the air into the earth, and from the earth into the air. We will now apply this theory to the Mosaic history of the flood, in the language of the ingenious author before quoted.

"There is therefore no absurdity in supposing the Deity to have influenced the action of the natural powers in such a manner that for forty days and nights the electric matter contained in the atmosphere should descend into the bowels of the earth.-But by whatever cause the descent was occasioned, the consequence would be, the breaking up of the fountains of the deep, and the opening of the windows of heaven. The water contained in the atmosphere being left without support, would descend in impetuous rains; while the waters of the ocean, those from which fountains originate, and those contained in the solid

earth itself, would rise from the very centre, and meet the waters that descended from above. Thus the breaking up of the fountains of the deep, and the opening the windows of heaven, would accompany each other, as Moses tells us they did; for, according to him, both happened on the same day."

By the cause which is here assigned, it is easy to see, that the flood would come on and advance gradually, without that violence to the globe which the admission of other theories must involve. And it is equally easy to discover, that an abatement of the waters would be the natural consequence of a return of the electric fluid to the atmosphere, which would enable it again to absorb its original quantity of water. And the discharge of the electric fluid from the deep recesses of the globe, would again give place for the return of its original waters, and the flood would be stayed and removed from the face of the earth, and nature would resume its pristine appearance.

I have now attended to the principal, and indeed, to the only objection, of any force, that has ever been urged against the fact of a general deluge; and shown that the only important reason which skeptics urge to justify their unbelief, is totally destitute of any foundation in truth: For the quantity of water has been shown to be abundantly more than sufficient to deluge the globe to a much greater depth than the history of Moses has described. Having before proved by the united and universal voice of history and tradition, besides the undeniable indications of such an event, scattered throughout the globe, the validity of the sacred history; I must again appeal to your reason, and demand-What evidence have unbelievers produced to disprove this faithful record of the flood? Can they appeal to the voice of history-to the voice of tradition, or to the undeniable evidences of nature? No-they will never make the attempt, for they know it would be hopeless. They may indeed, scoff at religion; deny the truth of holy writ, and dispose of the whole in gross; curse its authors, and anathematize the ministers of religion-nay, even exhaust upon them the ebullitions of unmanly invective: But they will never offer you an equiv

alent for the sacrifice which they demand-a surrender of your religious hopes.

In closing, I must beg your indulgence, while I pay a passing tribute of attention to a popular acknowledgment of modern skeptics, which admits that the earth has been partially inundated at different periods. To this acknowledgment they are driven by the undeniable evidence of marine substances, deposited throughout every continent of the globe.

But we deny the fact of such partial inundations; they are altogether inadmissible; because it is impossible that any considerable body of water should remain upon a single continent, since from its specific gravity, it must be immediately discharged into the ocean. The advocates of such a theory, must therefore resort to a greater miracle than revelation records, respecting the general deluge: for they must raise the oceans which enclose such a continent, several miles above their common level, to prevent the water from retiring on a sudden from the land! Nor is this the only difficulty attending a partial deluge; for the oceans, when thus raised, must equally overflow the whole globe! The very fact which they deny and ridicule. Thus, my hearers, you see, that the theory of partial inundations, becomes at once impossible, ridiculous, and absurd.

Unbelievers have offered other objections to the deluge, but they are too unimportant to justify me in detaining you with their recital or their refutation. The main arguments upon this subject are before you; weigh them in the even balance of reason, and judge for yourselves.

LECTURE VII.

II. PETER ii. 6.

"And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly."

In this chapter, the apostle very justly concludes, that as there were "false prophets among the people," in ancient times, so there would, of course, arise among them, false teachers; bringing in heresies of the most dangerous tendency; even" denying the Lord that bought them;" and assures us that they would bring swift destruction upon themselves: Nay, more, that by their seductions, many would be led to abandon the paths of true wisdom, and that through their influence the way of truth would be evil spoken of," or be treated with that contempt which is the just desert of imposture. And my Brethren, if we carefully survey the records of all ages since the first promulgation of the gospel of Christ, we shall see that the prediction of the apostle has been verified, even to the letter. Nor need we appeal to the history of former ages for the fulfilment of his prophecy; for examples daily present themselves, of a character too plain and forcible to leave any doubts of its truth upon the mind.

From the language of our text, the evidence is undeniable, that at a period as late as the apostolic age, the story of the fearful and astonishing overthrow of Sodom and the cities of the plain, was currently believed and appealed to with confidence by the writers of the new Testament, as a fact of undisputed authority. Nor are we informed that the fact referred to by our text, was called in question by any of the profane writers, so late as the period in which the New Testament was written.

By the Mosiac history, we are informed that it became necessary for Abraham and his nephew, Lot, to separate,