chapter, refpecting the form of God, and the divine prefence in the fhekinah or fupernatural cloud; we may conclude, that the firft difpofition of the creation, anfwerable to a principle, fuch as that we have alluded to as being moft apparent in the cloud, or the state of the elements, firft iffuing from the fountain of the divine will; muft be that which we term fluid. And, to an attentive observer of the forms of the various materials which compofe this globe, it would seem apparent, that the folids were formed originally of fluids.-This certainly is agreeable to the view given of the first state of the creation, in the firft chapter of Genefis; and the elements in fuch a ftate, unseparated, would be, as there defcribed, a great deep, without form and void, and the face of it would be covered with darkness.

The frame of the creation, according to the principle in view, muft exift by a rela tive motion of the elements, which, fimply, is the idea of a feparation in the fluid: I fhall, therefore, call this feparating motion.

To an attentive obferver of the operations of nature, particularly of thofe which are fo apparent in the forming and difplaying of the clouds; it may be obferved, that among the conftituent elements, there is one which appears to take the command, as the govern ing agent in thofe movements. The element or party moving, according to this natural view, is that wonderful agent in nature, named Electrical Fluid; and the party moved upon, or to which this relates in motion, in

the ftate in which we now contemplate it, may be properly denominated waters, or vapours, fuch as, together with the electrical fluid compofe a cloud,

The primary relation of the electrical fluid to waters or moistures, may be traced in its every motion. To ufe the original word respecting the agency of the Spirit of God in creation, Gen. i. 2. brooding, or hovering upon the waters is the natural or first state of this great agent in nature, which we may call the vital spirit of the creation. It is known of this moft fubtile and active power, that it will never rest or be tranquilized, until it most perfectly embraces this object.

Again, one fluid moving in or upon another, muft produce a mutual undulatory or vibratory motion. This is the known philofophy of light.

Here then we have our theory complete; a party moving, a party complying with the motion, and a glorious refult, viz. the light of the natural world. Moreover, this movement of the fluid, when completed, will form a fphere, or circle; for it is a given point in this theory, that whatever moves, moves in a circle; which first rotation, illuminating the whole sphere, forms one day.

The fphere being thus formed, according to the nature of this moft active power, a fecond movement will exift in another direction; for it is well known of this moving fluid, that, formed into any particular sphere, it will powerfully attract what is within a certain line, (call it a central line) and repel

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what is without it, which is evidently owing to a movement commencing at that line in every direction; and which, we may natur ly fuppofe, is but the progreffion of the fame moving body: Wherefore, from that line there muft open a firmament, and the waters within or underneath would be formed into an orb, and thofe without into a concave above the firmament.

This movement has been called by various names, fuch as attraction and repulfion, or pofitive and negative; but, in order to give the idea familiarly, let it be called here expanding motion. This fecond relative motion, according to the principle, must also be circular, but in a direction fomewhat wide or tranfverfe from that first described.—It is evident, that in continuance of motion, a movement of the fluid muft take place in this direction; for we are to conceive of the channel of the first direction being full, and the fluid ftill acting, iffuing and progreffing from its first fource, it muft diverge from this course and take the direction we call expanding.-Thefe two movements conflitute the idea of dimenfion, height and depth, and length and breadth.-Moreover, we observe, that the motion of the waters here defcribed, and the positions they affume, is merely from their yielding to the commanding fluid.

Here, again, we view our theory; a fluid expanding, a fluid yielding every way to the expanding power, and a refult, a firmament, or the wide expanse of heaven. And will it be thought irrational and imaginary, that

the work of creation fhould afford emblems of the Divine Being? This operation, when carried through the fphere, filling the whole expanse with light, as it is a fecond progreffion in the courfe of the first movement, implies a fecond day.

This expanding movement of the fluid meeting with refiftence from the water, or vapour, now every way encircled and compreffed, a third movement will be produced, which I fhall name, from the general appearance, fprangling motion. This motion, from the expanding or tranfverfe direction of the commanding fluid being refifted, and therefore terminating, is the philofophy of the folids. From this movement, which will be in directions inconceivably various, may be traced out the multiform of the folids.-In fome directions it will move in fireams, and more in lines. In these will be formed the minerals more or less perfect, as these streams and lines are more or less perfect and direct; thefe, however, will be comparatively few, and in the sprangles, or moft indirect movements will be formed the fubftances moft oppofite to the minerals. But I muft not enter into this field, it is boundlefs, and the obfervations which might be made in it would fill volumes.

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It is moft evident, that the folids were formed from fluids, all the minerals, ftones and various earths, and formed too under an operation of this nature. Here it will be proper to obferve, that the expanding fluid teaching in this direction the vaporous fluid,

would not immediately fprangle, but being in full ftrength, it would, for fome diftance, enter and make its way through it, by a direct, an undulatory, and a circling and whirling motion, such as is called an eddy. This may be eafily demonftrated by experiments, and this is the philofophy of the atmosphere

of the earth.

. Farther, let it be obferved, that as the fprangling of the fluid is evidently owing to its expanding force being refifted, and overpowered by obftruction, (which obftruction may be chiefly from itself, being too much compreffed by converging to a centre,) it will ceafe much fhort of the centre of the waters. I have been led to think, that it would occupy about the fame space or width as that of the atmosphere; and, hence, it will be found that the folids, or earth, exifting from this motion, are formed into an arch over the waters, which will have their place in and under the earth.-This philofophy of the earth is confirmed by the fcriptures in their moft literal sense.

Moreover, as in this ftate of the fluid is the termination of its motion, in this expanding direction; to be, as confidered, still progreffing, it will, from hence, commence its return to the grand point of motion, which may be called the centre of the system ;which return will be, in a like manner, reversed, as it reached and entered the waters, i. e, firit direct, and then in the lower region of the atmosphere, fprangling and circling; and, as it rifes, circling and vibrating until it