III. Scripture ferves to explain profane History, CHAP. and profane Hiftory confirms and demonstrates the authenticity of Scripture; thus even Pagan traditions may be made fubfervient to the cause of truth, religion, and happiness. VOL. I. K CHAP. CHAP. IV. PAGAN ACCOUNTS OF THE DELUGE. I. CHAL- Pagan accounts of 8. CARTWRIGHT. X. TRADITIONS RESPECTING THE DOVE AND THE RAINBOW. XI. NUMBER OF PERSONS PRESERVED IN THE ARK. XII. REPRESENTATION OF THE DELUGE ON THE SPHERE. It is perfectly agreeable to those notions the deluge. of retributive justice, which we have early been in the habits of forming, that, while mercy is extended to the humble and the faithful, a continued series of refolute wickedness, and an habitual contempt of God's commandments, should terminate in a fig nal 1 IV. nal example of vengeance upon the impe- CHAP. nitent. Exactly conformable to this idea is the Scriptural account of the deluge. The old world is faid to have gradually arrived at fuch a pitch of wickedness, that God deftroyed it by a fupernatural influx of waters. One family alone was excepted, which, on account of its exemplary piety and fteady adherence to the cause of religion, was faved from the general calamity. 1 If this event ever really happened, it is natural to expect that fome traces of it will be found in the records of Pagan nations, as well as in thofe of holy Scripture. The magnitude and fingularity of the circumstance, if it be indeed agreeable to truth, must have left fuch an impreffion upon the minds of the furvivors, as could not easily be eradicated from the traditions of their posterity. A deficiency in the memorials of this awful event, though perhaps it might not ferve, entirely to invalidate its reality, would certainly contribute much to weaken its claim to credibility. For it is fcarcely probable, that the knowledge of fuch a calamity fhould be utterly loft to the rest of the world, and should SECT. be confined to the documents of the JewI. ifh nation alone. We find however, that Chaldee ac deluge. this is by no means the case; a tradition of the deluge, in many respects accurately coinciding with the Mofaical account of it, has been preferved by moft ancient na tions. I. I. The Chaldeans relate, that in the days of Xisuthrus, who, like Noah, was the tenth in defcent from the first created man, the catastrophe of the deluge took place. Pursuant to the commands of the Deity, this perfon constructed an immense veffel, and having fufficiently stored it with provifions of all kinds, he entered into it with his wife, his children, and his friends. Nor was the brute creation forgotten. A fufficient number both of birds and of beafts were directed to be preferved amidst the impending univerfal destruction. The flood now commenced, and the whole world perished beneath its waters. After it began to abate, Xisuthrus fent out fome of the birds; which, finding neither food, nor refting place, returned immediately to the fhip. In the courfe of a few days, he again fent out birds, which returned to him with their feet befmeared with mud. A third A third time he fent them out, and faw CHAP. them no more. From this he conjectured, IV. that the waters had now abated from off the face of the earth, and having made an aperture in the fide of the veffel, he perceived himself driving towards a mountain; where at length difembarking with his wife, his daughter, and his pilot, he adored the earth, built an altar, and facrificed to the Godsa. With regard to this narrative, it will be fufficient to obferve, that it is impoffible to avoid believing, that it relates to the fame event as that which Mofes defcribes. The minute resemblance between the two accounts in a variety of particulars, precludes all poffibility of doubt refpecting their identity. The Greek II. The Grecian hiftory of the deluge is II. not lefs remarkable, than that of the Chal- account. deans; and its authority is the more uncontrovertible, as being preferved in the page of Lucian, a profeffed fcoffer at all religions. The antediluvians, according to a Syncel. Chronog. p. 30. Eufeb. Præp. Evang. lib. ix. c. 12. et Jofeph. Ant. Jud. p. 12. |