ever fince in the ecliptic; this event, and this difpofition of it, could not be recorded and defcribed in a more emphatical manner, than by this noble are, drawn by the finger of God in the heavens. For we really find, that the best method which astronomers and geographers have been able to invent, to delineate the line of the true ecliptic on their on their globes and maps, is by an artificial circle, which fo much resembles that of the rain-bow, as if the first hint of it had been taken from it. Be that as it may; if this conjecture be allowed to carry any probability, it will confirm what hath been advanced, concerning an alteration made in the position of the earth at the flood; and will raise our admiration ftill the more, in contemplating the use and defign of this bright meteor; which, by striking our senses in the vivid manner which it doth, not only reminds us of the deluge, and cause of it; but likewife furnishes a remarkable in ftance ftance of what extraordinary and adorable methods the great Creator makes ufe of, to instruct and imprefs upon mankind, in all ages, the knowledge of his difpenfations, and of himself, the author of them *. This fhould difpofe us, with the wife son of Sirach, when we look upon the rain-bow, to praise him that made it: Very beautiful it is in the brightness thereof. It compaeth the heaven about with a glorious circle; and the hands of the most high have bended it. Ecclus xliii. 1, 12 * How wonderful are the ways of his wifdom, in making that which threatens rain the harbinger of fair weather; and the watery cloud, which is fraught with the means that drowned the world, the merciful token of the prefervation of it! It justly merited the name of Wonderful, as well for the defign, as the conftruction of it; which is more than the heathens knew, who gave it that name. HOUGH the memory of many Tevents which happened in diftant ages, is liable to be worn out and effaced by time and accidents, to that degree, as to leave few, and perhaps no traces of them remaining: Yet an event, which affected the earth and mankind in general, in which the fate of the whole world was involved, muft furely have left fuch marks and impreffions, as would withstand all the injuries of time, and would not be wholly obliterated by any means whatsoever. The whole face of nature undoubtedly bore bore teftimony to the univerfal deluge for fome ages; and veftiges of it, of feveral kinds, are still to be feen in many places. Some traditions concerning it have been met with in all parts of the world, which verify the Mofaic account of its univerfality; and his hiftory of it is confirmed by many other antient writers. The ark refted on Ararat, a mountain in Armenia: And Jofephus informs us, that the Armenians called the place where Noah and his family went out of it, Apobaterion, or the place of defcent. " We read, says he, of this deluge, and the ark, in all the writers of barbarian hiftories ; as in Berofus, the Chaldean for one, who, speaking of this flood, writes to this effect. They say that there are some remains of this veffel to be feen upon the mountains of the Cordyeans in Armenia to this very day; and that feveral people, living upon the place, fcrape the pitch off the planks as a rarity, and carry it about them for an amulet. U 3 Hieronymus, the Egyptian, in his Phenician antiquities, Mnafeas, and a great many others, fay fomewhat of this matter too: But Nicolaus of Damafcus, in the 96th book of his history, fpeaks to this purpose, In the province of Minyas in Armenia, there is a high mountain, called Baris; to which place there fled a great many people, as the story goes, in the time of the deluge, for fanctuary. There is a tradition alfo, of a certain man in a veffel, that ftruck upon the top of this mountain; and that feveral pieces of the timber were to be seen there a long time after. This, fays he, probably was the man that Mofes makes mention of *" Jofeph. Antiq. Book i. ch. 4. Eng. by L'eftrange. Jofephus quotes Berofus again, in his book against Apion. This Berofus, fays he, after the manner of the moft antient hiftorians," who it feems in general recorded this event," wrote the hiftory of the deluge, juft as Mofes relates it. He mentions the ark likewife, in which the firft father of our race was preferved, and carried to the mountains of Armenia. He runs through the genealogy of the fons of Noah likewife; their names and ages." Jof. contra Apion, lib.i. Eufebius |