mov'd upon the Waters, and infus'd vital Warmth and Virtue through all the fluid Parts, but purg'd downward all the black, cold, and grofs Dregs, that were Enemies to Life; then laid the Foundation of all Things, and gather'd together like Things to like, so that the Elements were feparated in their feveral Places, and Earth hung felf-balanc'd upon her own Centre. GOD faid let there be Light! and heavenly Light, the first of Things, pure Quinteffence, fprung from the Deep, and began to país from her native East through the gloomy Air, and being inclos'd in a bright Cloud, dwelt a while in a fhadowy Tabernacle. (for as yet the Sun was not) GOD faw that the Light was good, and by the Hemifphere divided the Light from the Darkness; and GOD call'd the Light Day, and the Darknefs he call'd Night, and the Evening and the Morning were the firft Day: Nor did it pafs uncelebrated or unfung by the Angels, when they beheld fhining Light first exhaling from Darkness, in the Day that Heaven and Earth were made: They fill'd the Universe with Shouts of Joy, and play'd upon their golden Harps, praifing GOD and his Works with Hymns; they fung his Praise both when the first Evening was and the firft Morning. AND GOD faid, let there be a Firmament in the. Midft of the Waters, and let it divide the Waters from the Waters. And GOD made the Firmament of expanded Air, liquid, pure, tranfparent, and elemental, diffus'd and extended to the uttermoft Parts of this new Creation; which was a firm and fure Partition, dividing the Waters underneath from thofe above: For he built the World like the Earth floating in a calm, wide, pure Sky, far remov'd from the Mafs of the mix'd Elements; left fierce Extremes being too near, might damage the whole Frame; and R he he nam'd the Firmament Heaven: So the Evening and the Morning were the feccond Day. THE Earth was now form'd, but involv'd as yet in the great Mafs of Water, and not yet thoroughly prepar'd, did not appear: The main Ocean flow'd all over the Earth, not without Virtue, but foftening all her Globe with warm prolifick Humour, fermented the Earth, now full of kindly Moisture to conceive; when GOD faid, let the Waters be gather'd together, and to one Place, and let the dry Land appear! immediately the great Mountains appear'd, rifing up above the Water, and lifted their Tops into the Clouds, as high as the Hills rofe, fo low funk down a hollow Bottom, broad and deep, a proper Receptacle for the Waters; thither they flow'd fwiftly, Part rifing in a Chrystal Wall or direct Ridge for Hafte; fuch Flight the great Command had imprefs'd on the Floods: As Armies at the Sound of the Trumpet (which, as thou haft heard me fpeak of our Armies, thou underftand'ft fomething of) make up to their Standard: So the Waters Wave after Wave, wherever they found Way; if fteep, they flow'd with rapid Torrent; if through Plains, ebbing foftly; nor could Rock or Hill withstand them; but they, either under Ground, or in wide Circuit winding and wandering, at last arrive at the Place defign'd for them, and wore deep Channels upon the washy and flimy Ooze; which was very cafy for them to do, before GOD had bid the Ground be dry; (except within those Banks where the Rivers now continually flow) And GoD called the dry Land Earth, and the gathering together of the Waters called he Seas; and GOD faw that it was good. And GOD faid, let the Earth bring forth Grafs, and the Herb yielding Seed, and the FruitTree yielding Fruit after her Kind, whofe Seed is in herfelf upon the Earth! He had fcarcely fpoke, when the Earth (which 'till then was bare, barren, un unfightly, and without Beauty) brought forth the tender Grafs, whofe Verdure cover'd her all over with a pleafant Green: Then all Sorts of Herbs fmelling fweet, and opening with Flowers of various Colours, fuddenly appear'd: And before these were well blown, forth flourish'd the thick clustering Vine; forth crept all Kinds of fmelling Gourds, Reeds, Bushes, and humble Shrubs; laftly arofe the ftately Trees, and fpread their Branches hung with Plenty of Fruit, or elfe gave forth their beautiful Buds and Bloffoms: The Hills were cover'd with high Woods, and the Vallies with green Turf, and each Fountain and River Side with Borders of Flowers; that now the Earth feem'd like Heaven, a Habitation where Gods might dwell, or love to wander in with Delight, and frequent fuch facred Shades: Though GoD had not yet caus'd it to rain upon the Earth, and MAN was not as yet to till it, but there went up a Mift from the Earth, and water'd all the Ground and each Plant of the Field; which GOD made before it was in the Earth, and every Herb before it grew upon the green Stem; and GOD faw that it was good: So the Evening and the Morning were the third Day. THE ALMIGHTY spoke again, and faid; let there be Lights high in the Firmament of Heaven, to divide the Day from the Night; and let them be for Signs, for Seafons, and for Days, and for revolving Years; and let them be for Lights, as I ordain their Office in the Firmament, to give Light upon the Earth; and it was fo. And GOD made two great Lights; (if not great with Regard to other Bodies, yet fo for their Ufe to MAN) the greater to rule over the Day, and the leffer to rule the Night, and each by Turns divide Light from Darkness. GOD overlooking his great Work, faw that it was good; for of the celeftial Bodies he firft made the Sun, (a very great Globe) which though of etherial Matter was without any Light: Then made the Moon, another great Globe, and Stars of every Degree of Magnitude, with which he fill'd the Firmament, thick as Seeds are fown in the Field. He took the greater Part of Light, tranfplanting it from the Cloud, in which at its firft Creation it was plac'd, and remov'd it into the Sun's Orb, being made porous to receive and take it in, and yet firm fo as to retain its gather'd Beams, it being now the great Repofitory of Light: Hither the Stars repairing, as to a Fountain, draw additional Light, and from hence the Morning Star gathers more Brightnefs; and though feen with great Diminution, being fo far remote from human Sight, they augment their own peculiar Light, either by Tincture or Reflection. The glorious Sun was first seen in the East, ruling the Day, and invested all the Horizon round with bright Rays, chearfully feeming to run his Course through the high Courfe of Heaven; the Morning Star and other Conftellations moving with him, fhedding fweet Influence. The Moon was fet oppofite in the levell'd Weft, lefs bright than the Sun, as his Mirrour, with full Face, borrowing her Light from him; for in that Afpect fhe needed no other; and ftill keeps that Distance 'till Night; then fhe fhines in the Eaft, in her Turn, revolving on Heaven's great Axle, and holds her Reign, dividing it with Thousands of leffer Lights, a thousand Thoufand Stars, that then appear'd fhining in the Hemifphere, then firft adorn'd with these bright Luminaries, that fet and rofe: And the Evening and the Morning were the fourth Day. AND GOD faid, let the Waters bring forth abundantly the moving Creature that hath Life, Reptils, with Spawn abundant, and let the Fowl fly above the Earth, with Wings in the open Firmament! And GOD GoD created great Whales, (f) and every living Creature that moveth, which the Waters brought forth abundantly after their Kind, and every wing'd Fow! after his Kind: And GoD faw that it was good, and blefs'd them, faying, be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Seas, Lakes, and running Streams! and let all Sorts of Fowls of the Air increafe alfo. Forthwith the Seas, the Sounds, and every Creek and Bay swarm with innumerable Fry, and Shoals of Fish, that with their Fins and fhining Scales fwim under the Waves in Multitudes, large enough to make Banks in the Ocean: Part fingle, or with Mates, graze upon the Sea-weed, their Pafture; or fporting among Coral fhew their beautiful Scales of various Colours, mix'd with Gold, to the Sun; or elfe lying at Eafe in their pearly Shells, attend moift Nourishment; or under Rocks, cover'd with Shells like Armour, watch for their Food; the Dolphins (g) and Seales play upon the calm Seas, while other larger Fish wallowing unwieldy, and prodigious in their Motion, make a Tempest as they fwim; there the LEVIATHAN, hugeft of living Creatures, fleeps or fwims on the Sea, ftretch'd like R 3 It cred Fish; becaufe it was confe- |