that it is impossible to avoid being struck with them; and, if others appear less obvious, they may be omitted without weakening the testimony of the remainder. There will still be a sufficient degree of evidence to prove, that all ancient history, whether it be sacred, or whether it be profane, uniformly relates the very same facts. The sole difference is, that the one, because inspired, is plain, simple, and unadorned; while the other has mingled traditional absurdities with real events, and has thus weakened its own credibility. Scripture serves to explain profane History, and profane History confirms and demonstrates the authenticity of Scripture. Thus even pagan traditions may be made subservient to the cause of truth, religion, and happiness.

G

VOL. I

IT is perfectly agreeable to those notions of retributive justice, which we have early been in the habit of forming, that, while mercy is extended to the humble and the faithful, a continued perseverance in resolute wickedness, and an habitual contempt of God's commandments, should terminate in a signal example of vengeance upon the impenitent. Exactly conformable to this idea is the Scriptural account of the deluge. The old world is said to have gradually arrived at such a pitch of wickedness, that God destroyed it by a supernatural influx of waters. One family alone. was excepted, which, on account of its exemplary piety and steady adherence to the cause of religion, was saved from the general calamity.

Now, if this event ever really happened, it is natural to expect that some traces of it will be. found in the records of pagan nations, as well as in those of holy Scripture. The magnitude and singularity of the circumstance, if it be indeed agreeable to truth, must have left such an impres

sion upon the minds of the survivors, as could not easily be eradicated from the traditions of their posterity. For it is scarcely probable, not to say possible, that the knowledge of so great a calamity should be utterly lost to the rest of the world, and should be confined to the documents of the Jewish nation alone. We find however, that this is by no means the case; a tradition of the deluge, in many respects accurately coinciding with the Mosaical account of it, has been preserved by most ancient nations.

I. Let us begin with adducing the narrative of the Chusdim or Babylonic Chaldeans: a narrative peculiarly worthy of our attention; because they were the descendants and successors of those, who were mainly concerned in founding the first great empire after the deluge.

According to their account, a mighty inundation took place in the days of an ancient prince named Xisuthrus; who, like Noah, was the tenth in descent from the protoplast. Warned by a prophetic revelation of the Deity, this person constructed an immense vessel; and, having sufficiently stored it with provisions of all kinds, he entered into it with his wife, his children, and his friends. Nor was the brute creation forgotten. A sufficient number both of birds and of beasts was directed to be preserved amidst the impending universal destruction. The flood now commenced, and the whole world perished beneath its waters. After it began to abate, Xisuthrus sent out some of the birds; which, finding neither food nor resting

place, returned immediately to the ship. In the course of a few days, he again sent out birds; which returned to him with their feet besmeared with mud. A third time he sent them out, and saw them no more. From this he conjectured, that the waters had now abated from off the face of the earth; and, having made an aperture in the side of the vessel, he perceived himself driving towards a mountain. Here at length disembarking with his wife, his daughter, and his pilot, he adored the Earth, built an altar, and sacrificed to the gods.'

With regard to this narrative, it is impossible to avoid believing, that it relates to the same event as that which Moses describes. The minute resem→ blance between the two accounts, in a variety of particulars, precludes all possibility of doubt respecting their identity.

II. Not less remarkable than the Babylonic is the Syrian history of the deluge, as we have it preserved by Lucian.

According to this author, the antediluvians ar rived by degrees at such a pitch of wickedness, that they became guilty of every species of injus tice. They paid no attention to the obligation of oaths; they were regardless of the rights of hospi tality; and they shewed no mercy to their suppliants. The patience of the gods was at length exhausted; and a great calamity befel them. From

Syncel. Chronog. p. 30. Euseb. Præp. Evang. lib. ix. c. 12. Joseph. Ant. Jud. lib. i. c. 3. § 6.

the vast central abyss the earth poured out an abundance of water; and the rain descended in torrents from the heavens. The rivers soon overflowed their banks; and the sea became swollen to so tremendous a degree, that an universal deluge took place, by which all men were destroyed. Deucalion alone, for the sake of his prudence and his piety, was reserved to another generation. In obedience to the commands of heaven, he caused his children and his wives to enter into a capacious ark, which he had constructed for their preservation; and embarked likewise on board of it himself. Immediately swine, and horses, and lions, and serpents, and all other animals which are bred upon the face of the earth, came to him by pairs; and he admitted them into the ark. There they lost their savage natures, and became perfectly innoxious; a change, which took place in them by a special interposition of the Deity. Thus they all sailed together peaceably in one ark, so long as the waters prevailed over the surface of the globe,'

The same Author adds, that he was told at Hierapolis in Syria, that there was a chasm in that country once of considerable dimensions, through which the waters of the flood descended into the great abyss; and that Deucalion, upon his safe disembarkation, built an altar, and consecrated a temple to Juno over the chasm. This aperture was yet to be seen in his days, though at that time only of small size; and he describes a ceremony,

Lucian. de Deâ Syr.