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The Works of Thomas Traherne from Appendix
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2016
And God said, Let the Waters under the Heavens be gathered together unto one Place, and let the dry Land appear, and it was so. And God called the dry Land Earth, and the gathering together of the Waters called he Seas ; and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the Earth bring forth Grass, and Herb yielding Seed, after his Kind, and the Tree yielding Fruit, whose Seed was in it self, after his Kind ; and God saw that it was good : And the Evening and the Morning were the third Day.
Now consider, O my Soul, that tho’ the Waters were an immense Body, yet in a Moment Almighty God gathered them together, and reduced them all into one Place, which he called the Seas, and all those great Waters being led by his Power, keep their own Bounds and Channels, out of which they do not pass. Thou, O Lord, hast set them Bounds which they shall not pass, neither turn again to cover the Earth.
He sendeth the Springs into the Rivers, which run among the Hills. All the Beasts drink thereof, and the wild Asses quench their Thirst. Psal. 104.10. v. 11.
Suppose now, my Soul, that thou hadst then had a Being, how wouldest thou have been amazed to have seen the Waters that cover'd all the Face of the Earth, as a Garment, on a sudden to have retired and withdrawn themselves into the Channel assign'd them by Providence? How wouldest thou have trembled at the Power and Majesty of God, to have seen them flee at his Rebuke?
How glad wouldest thou have been at this Appearance of Earth, which thou now seest ; how unuseful to thee was it before, how profitable, how pleasant is it now? See by that universal Deluge, the Wisdom, Power, and Goodness of Almighty God in this Separation.
O God, how wonderful art thou in all thy Works? In Wisdom hast thou made them all. At thy Rebuke the Waters fled. They go by the Mountains, they go down by the Valleys unto the Place which thou hast founded for them. They turn not again to cover the Earth. Psal. 104.
None, O Lord, but thine own Omnipotent Hand could thus order that unruly Element.
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