"But I thought," said Harriet, "that the whole material universe would then be destroyed."

"There is no evidence of that, my child," said Mr. M. "The Bible no where intimates, that our day of judgment is the appointed day of judgment, for the inhabitants of other systems."

66

'But," said Harriet, "if our system only is burned up, does it not show, that what you have said cannot be true?"

"Here is a piece of wood," said Mr. M. "Suppose I put it upon the fire and burn it, what takes place? Is it destroyed?"

"It is reduced to ashes," said Harriet.

"But, besides the ashes, a part is converted into vapor and smoke, and thus passes into the air. It is not then reduced to nothing."

"Oh! I recollect," said Harriet, "that my Philosophy tells me, that were we to collect the ashes, the vapor, the smoke, the soot, &c. they would together weigh as much as the wood did."

"The state of the wood, then, or the matter of which it is composed," said Mr. M. "is only changed -not annihilated, or reduced to nothing. So, at the

day of judgment, this world will cease to be what it now is it will be burned up-be dissolved-be purified, and again be fashioned into another beautiful world."

"Another beautiful world!" exclaimed Harriet"Father, do you mean as you say?” "Surely, I do, my child."

"But, what evidence have you of this?"

"Let us turn to Rev. xxi, 1, 2. 'And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.'

"The Apostle is here speaking, my children, of events which are to take place after the day of judgment. In the preceding chapter, he had told about that solemn event. His words are (verses 11, 12.) 'And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged

out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.'

"The judgment being passed, from the ruins of the present world is to be fashioned a world so beautiful, as to be compared to a bride adorned for her husband. This is a beautiful image. The apostle Peter speaks of this same event, when he says (II. Peter iii, 13.) 'Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.' The new world, then, will be a holy and happy place."

"Who will inhabit it, father ?" asked James.

"I cannot certainly say," said Mr. M. "Some suppose that it will be the abode of a new race of inhabitants, which God will create. Others think that it will become the delightful and eternal residence of those of the children of men, who repent and turn unto the Lord. But, on this subject, it is wise not to be confident, in any one opinion."

"But, father," said Harriet, "if the matter of this world is not to be annihilated, but only changed in its form, after the day of judgment, may it not have been the abode of a race of inhabitants, previous to the present race?"

"I will tell you" said Mr. M. "what many learned and wise men suppose on this subject; for you must understand that nothing is known about it. It would not be right to assert as true what cannot be proved -nor is it proper to allow our imaginations to wander too far.

"You asked me, my child, 'Whether this world may not have been the abode of a race of inhabitants previous to the present race?'

"There is nothing in Scripture to forbid this idea.” "But is there any evidence," asked Harriet, "that it was so?"

"No proof surely," said Mr. M. "but it has been thought, that if the earth is to be refashioned, after it shall have answered its present purpose, it may well be that a race of inhabitants lived upon it, before the present that it answered its purpose in respect to them was dissolved-became without form, and void,' and was again molded into the present world, in which we live, about six thousand years ago, as Moses tells us, in the first chapter of Genesis."

"This could not have been," said James, "if the matter of the earth was created at that time ?"

"Certainly not," said Mr. M. "But I have given you some reasons to believe, that it was not then created, but many millions of years before-at the time the universe was created."

"Is this all the evidence that we have, that the earth was inhabited, before the present race was created ?"

"Not all," said Mr. M. "On the contrary, bones are sometimes found in the bowels of the earth, entirely different from those of any animals, which now exist. Some of these are supposed to have belonged to animals, which might have existed before that world was destroyed, from the ruins of which the present world was refashioned."

"Might they not have belonged to animals, which were destroyed, by the deluge?" asked Harriet.

"That is possible," replied Mr. M. "but the reasons for a different opinion are quite strong. When you are older, you will be better able to understand the force of these reasons."

"But," said James, "if that world, from which this is supposed to have been fashioned, was dissolved by fire, would not the bones have been consumed?