lower parts of the land will become sea. After these various changes upon the surface of the earth, from a climate hot beyond anything now existing, from a surface rocky and full of fissures and inequalities, studded with islands and continents, abounding in marshes and swamps--from a state of atmosphere in which the higher animals could not live--to the present division and separation of land and water, of oceans and seas, of islands and continents, well supplied with rivers to drain off the superfluous fluid and supply highways easy to traverse in boat or canoe, the world remains, a fitting habitation for the creatures God has placed upon it on every hand. Forests to shelter the wild animals from the rains and heat of the sun; waters for those who dwell or delight in them; metals, stone, earth, and wood for man to exercise his ingenuity upon, and other innumerable things contributing to his comfort or luxury--all freely given by the hand of his Heavenly Father for his well-being and delight, that he may lack no excuse to worship and adore Him, and this delightful earth, as Milton says:-- Brought forth the tender grass, whose verdure clad Her universal face with pleasant green, Then herbs of every leaf, that sudden flower'd Opening their various colours, and made gay Her bosom smelling sweet: and these scarce blown, Forth flourish'd thick the clustering vine, forth crept The swelling gourd, up stood the corny reed Embattled in her field, and the humble shrub, And bush with frizzled hair implicit: last Rose as in dance the stately trees, and spread Their branches hung with copious fruit, or gemmed Their blossoms; with high woods the hills were crowned. With tufts the valleys, and each fountain side, With borders, long the rivers: that earth now Seem'd like to heaven, a seat where gods might dwell Or wander with delight, and love to haunt Her sacred shades. After all these various elevations and depressions, the land remains at this present time in the form of large tracts occupying about a third of the superficial area of our globe. The largest tract is made up of Europe, Asia, and Africa, which constitute one continuous area, Africa being almost severed from the others, but still united by the Isthmus of Suez; the tract next in size to this is made up of North and South America, these again are nearly severed, but still united by the Isthmus of Panama or Darien; next come Australia and Greenland, but these, although very large, are yet not to be compared in size with the former two; there are numerous other large islands, as Borneo, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, Iceland, England, Ireland, &c., and scores of smaller ones.