or mov'd him more conveniently for the Service thereof, as I could eafily make appear by the Inconveniences that would follow upon the Suppofition of any other Situation and Motion, fhew forth the great Wisdom of him who fo difpos'd and mov'd him.

Secondly, The Moon, à Body in all Probability fomewhat like the Earth we live upon, by its conftant and regular Motion, helps us to divide our Time, reflects the Sun-beams to us, and fo by illuminating the Air, takes away in fome Measure the difconfolate Darknefs of our WinterNights; procures, or at leaft regulates, the Fluxes and Refluxes of the Sea, whereby the Water is kept in conftant Motion, and preferv'd from Putrefaction, and fo render'd more falutary for the Maintenance of its Breed, and useful and ferviceable for Man's Convenience of Fishing and Navigation; not to mention the great Influence it is fuppos'd to have upon all moist Bodies, and the Growth and Increase of Vegetables and Animals: Men generally obferving the Age of the Moon in the planting of all Kinds of Trees, fowing of Grain, grafting and inoculating, and pruning of Fruit-Trees, gathering of Fruit, cutting of Corn or Grafs; and thence alfo making Prognofticks of Weather, becaufe fuch Obfervations feem to me uncertain. Did this Luminary serve to no other Ends and Ufes, as I am perfuaded it doth many, especially to maintain the Creatures which in all likelihood breed and inhabit there, for which I refer you to the ingenious Treatifes written by Bifhop Wilkins, and.

Monfieur

Monfieur Fontenelle, on that Subject; yet thefe were enough to evince it to be the Effect and Product of Divine Wisdom and Power..

Thirdly, As for the rest of the Planets, befides their particular Ufes, which are to us unknown, or merely conjectural, their Courses and Revolutions, their Stations and Retrogradations, obferv'd conftantly fo many Ages together in most certain and determinate Periods of Time, do fufficiently demonftrate, that their Motions are inftituted and govern'd by Counsel, Wisdom and Understanding.

Fourthly, The like may be faid of the fix'd Stars, whofe Motions are regular, equal and conftant: So that we fee nothing in the Heavens which argues Chance, Vanity, or Error; but on the contrary, Rule, Order, and Conftancy; the Effects and Arguments of Wisdom: Wherefore, as Cicero excellently concludes, Caleftem ergo admirabilem ordinem, incredibilemque conftantiam, ex qua converfatio & falus omnium omnis oritur, qui vacare mente putat, næ ipfè mentis expers babendus eft: "Wherefore who"foever thinketh that the admirable Order, and "incredible Conftancy, of the Heavenly Bodies, " and their Motions, whereupon the Preferva "tion and Welfare of all Things doth depend, is

not govern'd by Mind and Understanding, he " himself is to be accounted void thereof." And again, "Shall we (faith he) when we see an "Artificial Engine, as a Sphere or Dyal, or "the like, at first Sight acknowledge, that it is a Work of Reafon and Art? Cum autem impe

tum cæli, admirabili cum celeritate moveri vertique videamus conftantiffimè conficientem viciffi tudines anniverfarias, cum fummâ Salute & Confervatione rerum omnium, dubitare quin ea non folum ratione fiant, fed excellenti quâdam Divinâque ratione: " And can we, when we see the "Force of the Heavens mov'd and whirl'd about "with admirable Celerity, moft constantly

finishing its anniversary Viciffitudes, to the "eminent Welfare and Prefervation of all Things, doubt at all that these Things are perform'd not only by Reason, but by a cer"tain excellent and divine Reafon?

To thefe Things I fhall add an Obfervation, which I must confefs my felf to have borrow'd of the honourable Perfon more than once mention'd already, that even the Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon, tho' they be frightful Things to the Superftitious Vulgar, and of ill Influence on Mankind, if we may believe the no less fuperftitious Aftrologers, yet to knowing Men, that can skilfully apply them, they are of great Ufe, and fuch as common Heads could never have imagin'd: Since not only they may on divers Occafions, help to fettle Chronology, and rectifie the Miftakes of Hiftorians that writ many Ages ago; but which is tho" a lefs Wonder, yet of greater Utility, they are (as Things yet ftand) neceffary to define with competent Certainty, the Longitude of Places or Points on the Terraqueous Globe, which is a Thing of very great Moment not only to Geography, but to the most useful and impor

tant Art of Navigation. To which may be added, which I fhall hereafter mention, that they ferve to demonftrate the spherical Roundness of the Earth: So that I may well conclude with the Pfalmift, Pfal. xix. 1. The Heavens declare the Glory of God, and the Firmament fheweth his Handy-work.

Of Terrestrial and Inanimate Simple Bodies.

I come now to confider the Terreftrial Bodies. I fhall fay nothing of the whole Body of the Earth in general, because I referve that as one of the Particulars I fhall more carefully and curiously examine.

Terrestrial Bodies, according to our Method before propounded, are either inanimate, or animate; and the inanimate either fimple, or mixt; Simple, as the four Elements, Fire, Water, Earth and Air: I call these Elements in Compliance (as I faid before) with the vulgarly-receiv'd Opinion; not that I think them to be the Principles or component Ingredients of all other fublunary Bodies: I might call them the four great Aggregates of Bodies of the fame Species, or four Sort of Bodies, of which there are great Aggregates. Thefe, notwithstanding they are endued with contrary Qualities, and are continually encroaching one upon another, yet they are fo balanc'd, and kept in fuch an Equilibrium, that neither prevaileth over other, but what one gets in one Place it lofeth in another.

First, Fire cherisheth and reviveth by its Heat, without which all Things would be tor

Part I. pid, and without Motion, nay, without Fire, no Life, it being the vital Flame refiding in the Blood that keeps the bodily Machine in Motion, and renders it a fit Organ for the Soul to work by. The Ufes of Fire (I do not here speak of the Peripateticks Elementary Fire in the Concave of the Moon, which is but a mere Figment, but our ordinary Culinary) are in a Manner infinite for dreffing and preparing of Victuals, bak'd, boil'd and roaft; for melting and refining of Metals and Minerals; for the Fufion of Glass, [a Material whose Uses are fo many, that it is not eafy to enumerate them, it ferving us to make Windows for our Houfes, Drinking-Veffels, Veffels to diftil and preferve all Sorts of fermented Liquors, diftill'd Water, Spirits, Oils, Extracts, and other Chymical Preparations, as alfo Veffels to diftil and prepare them in; for Looking-Glaffes, Spectacles, Microscopes and Telescopes, whereby our Sight is not only reliev'd, but wonderfully affifted to make rare Discoveries] for making all Sorts of Inftruments for Husbandry, mechanick Arts and Trades, all Sorts of Arms or Weapons of War defenfive and offenfive; for fulminating Engines; for burning of Lime, baking of Bricks, Tiles, and all Sorts of Potters Veffels, or earthen Ware; for cafting and forging Metaline Veffels and Utenfils; for Distillations, and all Chymical Operations hinted before in the Ufe of Glafs; for affording us Lights for any Work or Exercise in WinterNights; for digging in Mines and dark Caverns; and finally, by its comfortable Warmth

fecu