be happy without work. We therefore believe that it was wise and kind in
God, independent of Adam's sin, to make impassable morasses, and barren
deserts, &c., to exercise man's powers of mind and body in _draining_
the morasses, and _fertilizing_ the deserts. We believe that the earth
was very good; but we believe that the rough and rugged rocks, the
horrid precipices, huge chasms, dreary caverns, with the deep impassable
morasses, and the deserts of barren sands, were _parts_ of the earth's
goodness,--were manifestations both of the wisdom and goodness of God.

Wesley thinks there _were_ mountains on the earth before sin was
committed, but that their sides were not _abrupt_ or _difficult of
ascent_; that they rose and fell by almost _insensible degrees_. This
passage also goes on the false supposition, that whatever things would
be likely to render great exertion necessary on the part of man, would
be an evil; whereas such things are among man's greatest blessings.

Wesley farther tells us, that there were no agitations within the bowels
of the earth, no violent convulsions, no concussions of the earth, no
earthquakes, no eruptions of fire, no volcanoes, or burning mountains.
There is proof however, that there were _all_ these things, not only
_before sin was committed_, but _before man himself was created_.

Nor do we regard earthquakes and volcanoes as evils. They are calculated
even at the present to answer good ends. They tend to make men feel
their absolute dependence upon God, and thus lead them to obey His law.
They are sinking revelations of God's power, and perpetual lessons of
piety. And they have other uses.

He says, "If Vesuvius, Etna, or Hecla, existed before sin was committed,
they were covered with a verdant mantle from the top to the bottom." But