PHYSICS. fyftems of Ptolemy and Tycho fuppofe. For the fix'd ftars, planets, or all the mundane globes, whether lucid or opake, together bear but a small proportion to the interftellar part of the univerfe. And tho' I fhould allow all thefe globes to be folid, yet it must be confefs'd, that each of them fwims in a fluid of much greater extent than itself. So that the fluid portion of the univerfe will, in bulk, almoft incomparably exceed the folid. And if we confider the nature of a fluid body, we fhall find it confift in having its minute parts perpetually and variously moved; fo that tho' the whole body of a liquor feems to be at reft, yet its component parts are in a perpetual motion; continually fhifting places amongst themselves.

And because the quantity of motion fhared by the corpufcles that compofe fluids, is not ufually reflected on by philofophers; I fhall add, that we may guefs how great and vehement a motion there may be in the parts of fluid bodies, perhaps, when the aggregates of thofe particles appear to be at reft, by obferving them when their ordinary motions happen to be disturb'd, or to be extraordinarily excited by fit conjunctures of circumftances. Thus we fee the ftrange force and effects of boifterous winds and whirl-winds, which are but ftreams and whirl-pools of the invifible air, whofe fingly infenfible parts are by accidental caufes determined to have their motion made either in a ftrait line, or, as it were, about a common centre. Thus when a mine of gun-powder is fprung, the flame, or fome fubtile ethereal substance, that is always at hand in the air, tho' both are fluids, and the powder perhaps be kindled but by one spark of fire, inftantly exerts a moft rapid and furious motion.

The velocity of thefe difcharged flames may appear from that which gun-powder impreffes on a bullet, fhot out of a well-charg'd gun; and this Merfennus, after feveral trials made to measure it, defines to be about 450 feet in a fecond. If, then, we admit the probable opinion of the Cartefians, that the earth and planets are turn'd about their own axes by themotion of the refpective ethereal vortices in which they fwim; we fhall eafily grant, that the motion of the celeftial matter, which moves, for inftance, upon the remote confines of the earth's vortex, is by a vaft excefs more rapid than that of the furface of the earth. But if we chufe the Tychonic hypothefis, which makes the firmament, with all the vaft globes of light that adorn it, to move about their common centre in four and twenty hours, the motions of the celeftial matter must be allow'd a far greater, and indeed a scarce imaginable rapidity.

Hence we may have more enlarg'd conceptions of the power and wifdom of the great Creator, who has both put fo wonderful a quantity of motion into the univerfal matter, maintains it therein, and is able, not only to fet bounds to the raging fea, but fo to curb and moderate thofe ftupendously rapid motions of the mundane globes and intercurrent fluids, that neither the unwieldinefs of their bulk, nor the celerity of their motions, have made them fly out, for many ages. And if the firmament itfelf, whofe motion, in the vulgar hypothefis, is by much the most rapid in the world, fail of exactly completing its revolution in four and twenty hours; that retardation is

fo

fo regulated, that fince Hipparchus's time, who lived above 2000 years ago, PHYSICS. the first star in Aries, which was then near the beginning of it, is not yet come to the last degree of that fign.

The wifdom of God is exprefs'd in two different manners. Sometimes The wisdom of it is fo manifeftly display'd in familiar objects, that even fuperficial specta-exprefs'd. God differently tors may take notice of it. But there are many other things, wherein the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" may be faid to lie deep.

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contrivances of

The contrivance of every animal, and efpecially of a human body, is fo In the various curious and exquifite, that 'tis almoft impoffible for any one, who has not animal bodies. feen a diffection well made, and anatomically confider'd, to conceive how much excellent workmanship is difplay'd in that admirable engine. Nay, the meanest living creatures of God's making, are far more wifely contrived, than the moft excellent pieces of workmanship that human heads and hands can boaft. No watch or clock is any way comparable, for exquifitenefs of mechanifm, to the body of an afs or a frog.

But God's wisdom is recommended, as well by the variety, and confequently the number of the kinds of living creatures, as by the fabric of each of them in particular. The skill of human artifts is, for the most part, limited to one, or to a few forts of contrivances; whilft the great author of nature has not only created four principal forts of living engines, beasts, birds, fishes, and reptiles; which differ exceedingly from one another, as the feveral regions, or ftages, where they were to act their parts, required they should; but under each of thefe comprehenfive genus's are compriz'd many fubordinate fpecies of animals, which differ exceedingly from others of the fame kind, according to the exigency of their particular natures; as the hog and the hare, the parrot and the batt, the whale and the ftar-fish, &c.

And what greatly enhances the excellent contrivances to be met with in these automata, is the fymmetry of all the various parts whereof each of them confifts. For tho' an animal, confider'd in his ftate of intireness, is justly look'd upon as one engine; yet, really, this whole machine is a complex thing, made up of feveral parts, which, confider'd feparately, may pafs, each of them, for a fubordinate engine, excellently fitted for fome particular ufe. It ought, therefore, highly to recommend the wisdom of the great" former of all things," that he has fo framed each particular part of animals, as not to let the skill beftow'd on that, render the other lefs perfect which manifefts, that this great artist had the whole fabric under his eye at once; and did, at one view, behold all that was beft to be done, in order to compleat the whole animal, and all its parts, at once: whilft many excellent artificers, who can make a fingle engine very compleat, may not be able to make it a commodious part of an aggregate of engines. Thus, tho' feveral can make pendulum-clocks go very regularly on fhore, they cannot yet fit them to measure time, exactly, in a fhip, at fea.

But how much more wonderful than the ftructure of the grown body, must be the contrivance of the Semen animatum; fince all the future parts, the functions, and many actions of the animal to be produced, muft be

durably

In the mutual usefulness of his

each other.

PHYSICS. durably delineated, and couch'd in a little portion of matter, that seems homogeneous, and is, unquestionably, fluid? And what much increases the wonder, is, that one of thefe latent impreffions, or powers, namely, the prolific, is to lie dormant, perhaps, above thirty or forty years, and then to be able to produce many more fuch engines, as is the animal itself. Another way whereby God manifefts his wisdom in his corporeal creatures, is their mutual usefulness to one another, in a relation either of dependence, or co-ordination. This ferviceablenefs may be confider'd, either as the parts of the animal have relation to one another, and to the whole body they make up; or, as intire, and diftinct bodies, which have a regard to, or dependence on each other. To the firft fort of utility belong the offices of the parts of the body, which fome of them exercife for the good of the whole; as, the ftomach for concocting the aliment; the brain for fupplying animal fpirits; the kidneys to feparate the fuperfluous ferum of the blood. There are, alfo, many other particular parts that have a great fubferviency to one another. And feveral confents of parts, and utilities, that accrue from one to the other, are farther difcovered by dif eases; which, primarily affecting one part, or member of the body, difcover that another has a dependance on it, or a particular relation to it. To the second kind of utility belong those parts that discriminate the sexes of animals; which have fuch a relation one to another in the male, and the female, that 'tis obvious they were made in order to propagate the fpecies.

It were endless to obferve, the wifdom and goodness manifeft in the works of creation; the fituation of the fun, its motion in the ecliptic, trade-winds, ftated rains, &c. with regard to the welfare of men, and other animals. Thus, too, we fee, that, according to the ufual courfe of nature, lambs, kids, &c. are brought into the world at the fpring of the year, when tender grafs, and other nutritive plants, are provided for their food. The like may be abferved in the production of filk-worms, whofe eggs are hatch'd when mulberry-trees begin to bud; whereon these insects are to feed; the aliment being tender whilft the worms themselves are fo; and growing more ftrong and fubftantial, as the infects increase in vigour and bulk.

And in forming I have hitherto taken notice only of the productions of God's power other items be-and wisdom obferved in the vifible world. But, perhaps, as the fun, the and governing fides the folar. nearest fixed ftar to us, has a whole fyftem of planets that move about him;

fo fome of the other fixed ftars may be centres of other fyftems of celeftial globes: fince we fee, that even fome planets, determined by aftronomers to be much inferior in bigness to the fixed ftars, have other globes, that do, as it were, depend on them, and move about them; the earth has the moon for its attendant; Saturn is not unattended; and Jupiter has no less than four fatellites. But none of these fecondary planets, that move about Saturn and Jupiter, are vifible to the naked eye; and were, therefore, unknown to the aftronomers who liv'd before the invention of telescopes. Now, in cafe there are other mundane fyftems, befides this vifible one of ours; I think it may be, probably, fuppofed, that

God

God has given peculiar, and admirable inftances of his inexhaufted wif- PHYSICS. dom in the contrivance and government of fyftems, that, for ought we know, may be framed and managed in a manner quite different from what is obferved in that part of the universe known to us.

However, we need not fly to imaginary ultra-mundane fpaces, to be convinced, that the effects of the power and wifdom of God are worthy of their causes, and not adequately understood by us; if, with fufficient attention, we confider that innumerable multitude, and unfpeakable variety of bodies, that make up this vaft univerfe. For there being among thefe, a ftupendous number, that may be juftly look'd upon as fo many diftinct engines, and many of them very complex; to know that all thefe, with the reft of the mundane matter, are every moment fuftain'd, guided, and govern'd, according to their refpective natures, and with an exact regard to the general laws of the universe; to know that there is a Being, who, every where, manages all things, without either aberration, or intermiffion; is a thing, that if we attentively reflect on, ought to produce in us great wonder, and adoration.

The Epicureans of old did, with fome colour of reafon, urge againft the belief of a divine providence, that 'tis incredible the gods fhould be fufficient for fuch differing and diftracting employments, as, according to the exigencies of nature, to make the fun to fhine in one place; the rain to fhower down in another; the winds to blow in a third; the lightning to flash in a fourth; the thunder-bolts to fall in a fifth; and other bodies to. act and fuffer, according to their respective natures. We, therefore, who, upon good grounds, believe God really does what they thought impoffible, are much wanting in our duty, if we do not admire an all-pervading wifdom, that reaches to the utmost extent of the univerfe; and, with ease, actually performs what these philofophers profefs'd they could not fo much

as conceive.

We have feen God's wifdom and power in his corporeal works; but still greater inStances of power fome of the divine perfections could not be fo well exprefs'd, or copied, and wisdom, in upon corporeal creatures, as upon the rational and immaterial foul of the formation man, and other intellectual Beings: as the picture of a plain fimple thing of immaterial and government is not capable of receiving, or containing, fo much of an excellent painter's Beings. skill, as he could exhibit in a piece wherein the paffions of the mind, and the laws of cptics, &c. may be fully exprefs'd. And it may well be prefumed, that if we were as familiarly acquainted with God's incorporeal creatures, as with his visible ones; we fhould perceive, that as fpirits are incomparably more noble than bodies; fo the divine wifdom employ'd in the government and conduct of them, is more glorious than that which we juftly admire in the conduct of his corporeal works. And, indeed, let a portion of matter be ever fo fine, and ever so well contrived, it will not be more than an engine deftitute of understanding and will; and' whofe excellency, as well as its diftinction from other bodies, even the groffeft, and moft imperfect, can confift but in mechanical properties ;. which neither excite themfelves into motion, nor regulate and ftop the mo

PHYSICS. tion they once are in: whereas, true fpirits, or immaterial fubftances, have, by God's appointment, belonging to their nature, understanding, will, and an internal principle, both of acting, and of arbitrarily ceafing from action. And tho' God, as the fole creator of all fubftances, has, and may exercife, an abfolute dominion over all his creatures, as well immaterial as corporeal; yet, fince he thinks fit to govern fpirits according to the nature he has given them; to create fuch intelligent, free, and powerful Beings, as good and bad angels; and to govern them on fuch terms, as effectually to make them inftruments of his glory, which multitudes of them fubtily and obftinately oppofe; requires a wifdom and providence tranfcending any that can be difplay'd in the formation and management of merely corporeal Beings. For inanimate engines may be contrived, to act as we pleafe; whilft angels, and human fouls, are endow'd with a freedom of acting, in moft cafes, as they please themfelves. 'Tis far easier for a watch-maker to regulate the motions of a watch, than the affections and actions of his fon.

Angels, whether good or bad, are very intelligent and active Beings; and each of them is endow'd with an intellect capable of numberless notions, and degrees, or variations of knowledge; with a will capable of no lefs numerous acts; of having various influences upon the underftanding, and of being variously affected by the dictates of it. So that each particular angel, being fucceffively capable of fo many differing moral states, may be look'd upon, as, in a manner, a diftinct fpecies of the intellectual kind. And, the government of one dæmon, may be as difficult a work, and, confequently, may as much declare the wifdom and power of God, as the government of a whole fpecies of inanimate bodies, whofe nature determines them to a ftrict conformity to thofe primordial laws of motion, once fettled by the great creator; and, from which, they have no wills of their own to make them fwerve.

The fcripture tells us, that, in the economy of man's falvation, there is fo much of the "manifold wifdom of God" exprefs'd, that the angels themfelves defire to pry into the mysteries of it. When our faviour, having told his apostles, that the day and hour of his future coming was not then known to any, fubjoins, no not to the angels of heaven, he fufficiently intimates them to be endow'd with excellent knowledge, fuperior to that of men which, perhaps, may be one of the reafons why the fcripture ftyles them "angels of light." It alfo teaches us, that the good angels are vaftly numerous; and that, as they are of differing orders, God affigns them very differing, and important employments, both in heaven, and on earth; and, fometimes, fuch as oblige them, in difcharge of their refpective trufts, to endeavour the carrying on of interfering defigns. The fame fcripture, by fpeaking of the devil, and his angels, and of the " great dragon, that drew down with his tail the third part of the ftars from heaven to earth;" and, by mentioning a whole legion of devils that poffeffed a fingle man, c. gives us ground to conclude, that there is a political government in the kingdom of darkness; that the monarch of it is exceeding powerful,

whence