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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37987	A demonstration of the existence and providence of God, from the contemplation of the visible structure of the greater and the lesser world in two parts, the first shewing the excellent contrivance of the heavens, earth, sea, &c., the second the wonderful formation of the body of man / by John Edwards ...	Edwards, John, 1637-1716.	1696 (1696)	Wing E201; ESTC R13760	204,339	448

the Idols of the Gentiles that can cause Rain or can the Heavens of themselves give Showers Art not thou he O Lord God The Old Jews express'd their Sentiment concerning it thus One of the Keys proper to God and kept in his own Hand is that of Rain thereby reckoning it a singular and immediate Gift of the Almighty And they used to join it with two other Keys viz. of giving Life and of Raising from the Dead which shews that they thought it peculiar to God alone And then the known Vsefulness of this Blessing is an Argument of its Author This is with great Elegancy set forth by the Inspired Poet Psal. 65.9 Thou visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly enrichest it with the River of God i. e. the Clouds or Rain which is full of Water thou preparest them Corn when thou hast so provided for it by vouchsafing seasonable Showers thou waterest the Ridges thereof abundantly thou settlest the Furrows thereof thou makest it soft with Showers thou blessest the Springing thereof thou crownest the Year with thy Goodness and thy Paths the Clouds wherein God is Poetically said to walk Psal. 18.9 drop Fatness They drop upon the Pastures of the Wilderness and the little Hills rejoice on every side The Pastures are clothed with Flocks the Valleys also are cover'd over with Corn they shout for Ioy they also sing This they do thus they behave themselves being as it were drunk with the Bottles of Heaven as the Clouds are call'd Iob 38.37 being abundantly satisfied with Ioresh and Malkosh the former and the latter Rain the first of which is necessary after the Seed is sown the second before Harvest to set it forward to fill the Ears Wherefore St. Paul proves a God from the Clouds Acts 14.17 He left not himself without Witness i. e. of his Divine Power and Providence in that he gave us Rain from Heaven and as the Consequent of that fruitful Seasons For it is this Celestial Water that makes the Ground fruitful it hath a peculiar Faculty to do it and no other Water doth the like Thence that Talmudick Saying Rain is the Husband of the Earth because it impregnates it and makes it fructify Therefore Showers are rightly call'd by Pliny the Food of Plants the Meat as well as the Drink of all Vegetables But this is effected by the Divine Blessing and is a singular Testimony of God's Care of the World Thus from the Earth we prove there is a God in Heaven even from the Grounds and Fields refresh'd with Rain and thereby made fertile we argue a Divine Benefactor And now when I am speaking of the Clouds I must not forget the Rain-bow which is a Party-colour'd Cloud whose fine and gay Paintings are the various Reflection and Refraction of the Sun's Beams in that watry Substance This gaudy Mixture of Light and Shade arises naturally from the Difference of the Superficies of those Parts that constitute the Cloud and therefore without doubt it appear'd before the Deluge though we find it not mention'd till afterwards when it was appointed to be set in the Skies as a Sign of a Covenant between God and Man and ever since it hath continued and shall so to the last Period of all things a visible Token and Assurance of God's good Will to Mankind Wherefore as often as we view this Cloud made so remarkable by the Diversity of its Colours the Variety of its Tinctures let us thence be confirm'd in our Belief of a God and look upon this Beautiful Spectacle as an illustrious Symbol of the Divine Mercy and Beneficence Or to speak in the Words of the Wise Son of Sirach Look upon the Rainbow and praise Him that made it Very beautiful it is in the Brightness thereof It compasseth the Heaven with a glorious Circle and the hands of the most High have bended it Ecclus. 43.12 To the Clouds belong Thunder and Lightning and therefore may pertinently be spoken of here for when a Cloud breaks asunder by reason of hot and dry sulphureous and nitrous Vapours enclos'd and compass'd about with cold ones and so set on Fire and consequently extending themselves and violently making their way the Noise caus'd by this Rupture is that which we call Thunder and the flashing out of the Fire is Lightning Both which are comprehended in those Words Psal. 29.7 The Voice of the Lord divides the Flames of Fire And the former of them is call'd the Voice of the Lord upon the Waters ver 3. This is no other than his Thundring in the Clouds which usually turn into Rain when they are broken and scattered And perhaps to this may refer ver 10. The Lord sitteth upon the Floods i. e. upon the Clouds which are justly stiled Floods because of the abundance of Water contain'd in them And as Thunder is bred by Fire and Water in the Clouds so the Effects of it are of the like Nature for Lightning and Rain generally accompany the Thunder Wherefore we find this particularly taken notice of by the Pious Observers of Providence He maketh Lightnings for the Rain Psal. 135.7 He maketh Lightnings with Rain Jer. 10.13 And this is mentioned in Iob 37.2 5. 38.25 26. and not without great Reason for herein the Goodness and Mercy of God are seen because Rain is serviceable to connect and qualify the Thunder and by its Moisture to prevent the Hurt which otherwise might be done by the scorching Flashes which attend it Who is not sensible that Thunder is the more signal Operation of a Divine Cause and therefore is so frequently call'd God's Voice as in Exod. 20.18 Psal. 18.13 77.18 Ier. 10.13 Yea no less than seven times in the 29 th Psalm it is call'd the Voice of the Lord Which may not only signify a Great and Loud Voice for the Voice or Noise of Thunder is such especially in some Regions of the World as in some Parts of Africa and in the Southern Countries of Asia and America where it is much more Terrible than it is among us yea as a Learned Gentleman observes it as much exceeds the Thunder of these Northern Climes as the Heat there exceeds that of these but it more particularly denotes the Wonderful Author of it viz. the Almighty Being Which was the very Apprehension of some Men of the deepest Philosophy among the Gentiles Even they acknowledg'd this Fierce Meteor to be the Effect of no less than an Extraordinary and Divine Power Plutarch informs us that some of the Best Philosophers made it the Matter of their Wonder and Astonishment that Flames should proceed from watry Clouds and that such a Harsh Noise should be the Product of that Soft Matter I find a Great Natural Philosopher taking notice of the falling down of the Lightning from Heaven as a Wonderful thing because Fire naturally ascends It seems he did not think that the Motion of it downwards is sufficiently solved by the Violence of the

Rupture for else he would not have imputed it to a Divine Virtue as he doth And more fully and expresly in another place he declares his Mind thus The Effects of Thunder if you consider them well are of that Wonderful Nature that we cannot possibly doubt but that there is a Divine Subtile Power in them And then he proceeds particularly to reckon up the Strange Phaenomena of this sort of Meteor which indeed are very Surprizing and Amazing and would be thought altogether incredible if several Other Writers of good note had not attested the same and if at this very day we had not Instances of the Truth and Reality of them This Naturalist adds further that Thunder is made partly to Scare and Affright the World This Terrible Noise saith he was for this purpose viz. That we might stand in awe of something above us Horace confesses that he felt this in himself he acknowledges that this Voice from Heaven made him disown Epicurus's Notions and repent of all his Atheistical Principles and Practices See Lib. 1. Ode 34. It is a very Remarkable Example and I heartily wish that the Wild Sparks of this Age who are very well pleas'd with other Parts of this Author's Writings and are ambitious to imitate him would seriously read and consider of this and thence with their Brother Poet and Pagan be induced to assert a God and Providence in the World It is not to be denied that sometimes by this Dreadful Sound God is pleased to rouze and alarm the careless Part of Mankind and sometimes to give Proof of his Judicial and Avenging Power Moreover by this is discovered his Goodness to Mankind for this Violent Shaking of the Air is of great Use to us because it corrects or dispels its noxious Qualities and renders it pure and wholesom By means of this are convey'd to us Showers of Rain which most seasonably cool that Element as fast as the Fulgurations heat and inflame it Then as for the Colder Meteors they have their proper Use for which they are generated Snow is a dissolved Cloud that is somewhat condens'd in its coming down and therefore falls in light Flakes like the scatter'd Pieces of a Fleece whence it is said He giveth Snow like Wool Psal. 147.16 To which it is compared because of the Configuration of its Parts and because of its Whiteness and Softness nay I must add because of its Warmth This last is thus express'd in few words by Theophrastus The Snow produces a Fermentation in the Earth by shutting in the Heat upon it which the Earth takes into it self and is thereby made strong and hearty The Husband-man who inters his Seed in hopes of its rising again delights to behold this Winding-Sheet upon it he rejoices to see it thus buried in Woollen because he knows that this is a Safeguard to it and shelters it from the Winter-Winds and Storms This keeps both the Earth and the Grain warm and preserves the Blade fresh and verdant and afterwards when it dissolves it kindly moistens them and is a Preparative to a farther Fermentation Hail is such another dissolved Cloud as Snow but much more thickned and hardned by the lower Region of the Air as it comes down through it The Treasures of this Congealed Rain for so I may call it are mention'd by God himself Iob 38.22 which he saith he hath reserved against the time of Trouble against the day of Battel and War ver 23. Then this Weapon is brought forth and is of singular Use to punish Offenders and accordingly we read that Armies have been defeated by it Iosh. 10.11 Isa. 30.30 Frost and Ice are other Cold and Watry Impressions which God owns himself the Author of Iob 37.10 By the Breath of God i. e. by a Cold Sharp Wind which He sendeth Frost is given and the Breadth of the Waters is straitned is so contracted and congeal'd that they flow not they spread not themselves as usually In very significant and apposite Terms but very briefly this is described in ch 38.30 The Waters are hid as with a Stone i. e. the Waters in Ponds and Rivers and in some Parts of the Sea are covered with Ice which is hard and as 't were Stony and may be call'd a Pavement of Ice That this and the like Operations of the most High are of considerable Use in the World beside what hath been mention'd before we gather from chap. 37. ver 12. They are turned round about by his Counsels that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the Face of the World in all the Earth i. e. all the World over they are made use of in their several Vicissitudes to effect the wise Designs and Purposes of God And ver 13. He causeth it to come whether for Correction i. e. the Punishment of Men or for his Land i. e. more universally for all Creatures particularly the Ground or Earth or for Mercy i. e. in a way of Blessing It were easy to give Instances of all these for Histories readily furnish us with them So in another Place of this Book ch 36. v. 31. where the foregoing Discourse had been concerning the Clouds Rain Lightning c. it is said By them he judgeth the People i. e. to some they are made use of for Punishment and he giveth Meat in abundance i. e. to others they are sent for Good for their real Benefit and Advantage and more particularly they are someways instrumental towards the procuring of Fruitfulness and Plenty call'd here Meat I had almost forgot to mention Dew which is of great Advantage especially in the Eastern Countries which are hot and where little Rain falls It is by the singular Care of the Divine Providence that they have very Great Dews which are hugely beneficial to the Earth Therefore you find these taken notice of as a particular Largess of the Divine Goodness Iob 38.28 Mic. 5.7 and in several other Places Thus much concerning the Lower Heavens or Atmosphere that is the Space between the Ethereal Heavens and the Earth and the several things which are Observable in it as the Air Winds Clouds c. all which proclaim a Wise Powerful Just and Merciful Deity CHAP. V. The Frame of the Earth argues a Godhead A particular Account of the Torrid Zone and of the two Temperate and two Frigid Zones especially the two latter are shew'd to be Testimonies of Divine Providence The present Position of the Earth is the same that it was at first whatever the Theorist who confutes himself suggests to the contrary Against him it is proved that the Shape of the Earth at this day is not Irregular and Deformed and that the Primitive Earth was not destitute of Hills and Mountains These are of considerable Vse The particular Advantages of them are recounted and thence the Wise Disposal of the Creator is inferr'd NOW let us pass to the Earth that Part of the World where we are placed where the

the other Places before-mention'd where there are long and cold Winters there is reason to believe that they are most sutable to the Constitutions and Tempers of the Persons who inhabit them The great Disposer of all things placed such Inhabitants there as were fit for that Region and no other For they could not dwell in these Countries where we inhabit as we could not dwell there So that the placing of those People in that dark cold and frozen part of the World is so far from being a Detraction to Divine Providence that it is a singular Proof of it and shews the Wisdom of the World's Maker in a sutable choosing of Places for Persons according to their particular Temperament and Exigencies And both with relation to these and the Polar Regions we may truly say that the excessive Coldness of these Parts is useful and serviceable for the good of others that are near to the Sun and have need sometimes of cooling From these remote Treasuries the Winds are fetch'd for the rebuking of the scorching Heats of Summer of which we can give no Natural and Philosophical Account unless we derive them from these great Store-Houses This acquaints us with the true cause of that excessive Sharpness and Rigour of the Air which we feel sometimes and that of a sudden This solves the unexpected change of Weather yea sometimes the sudden and unlook'd for checking of Pestilential Diseases and Infections which is known to happen Inconsiderate Minds are apt to think that the Regions that are seated under the Poles are altogether useless and thence perhaps may be tempted to question the Divine Conduct But if we will consider those Places we shall find that they are as Necessary as any parts of the World It is true they are for the most part Unhabitable but their being so makes others Habitable for these are the common Receptacles of Cold whence it is dispersed by Divine Providence to those Parts where it is wanting at any time that is when the Sun's Fierceness calls for a Check And several other ways those Polar Receptacles and Nurseries of Cold are serviceable yea necessary for the welfare of the World Lastly The wise framing and ordering of the Sun's Motion and Progress of which I have spoken before necessarily infer this Difference of Places on the Earth as to Heat and Cold. Unless we will remove this Luminary from its Ecliptick and thereby disorder the whole Course of the World and destroy the various Succession of Times and Seasons which upholds Mankind as well as all other Creatures whatsoever we must be forced to confess that the several Zones and Climates tho differing so much in Heat and Cold are useful in the Creation and that the Position of the Globe of the Earth is most wisely and discreetly ordered The late Theorist boldly contradicts this and tells us that the Situation of the Earth is not the same now that it was before the Deluge It did not stand Oblique to the Sun as it doth at present whereby we have a great Difference of Seasons as Spring Summer c. but it had a right or parallel Situation insomuch that there was a Continual Equinox And yet this Person who is so curious about the Idea of his First Earth hath given it us with a very great Blemish yea much worse Fault than any that he pretends to find in this present Earth for they are his express Words The Paradisiacal Earth had a Torrid Zone which was Vninhabitable All this great Portion of Earth was burnt up and wither'd and had no Grass Tree or Plant upon it and so no Creature could find any Sustenance there This is his fine Paradisiacal Earth as he calls it And yet it is worth our observing that he saith in another Place in express Terms All the Earth is green and a Perpetual Spring is over it all meaning his Paradisiacal Earth When he hath thus confuted himself there is no need of any Body else to do it But we may grant him his Theory that there was a Primitive Earth of a different Form from the present It is partly true that the Earth is not what it was for there are the Marks of Sin and of the Fall even on the Earth and we read of a Curse denounced against it Gen. 3.17 though he is pleas'd to turn that Chapter into mere Allegory and thereby to null the main Points of our Religion and afterwards by the violent Irruptions of the Flood it is most probable that the Earth underwent some Alteration But what is this to the changing the very Situation and Posture of the Earth How is it proved hence that the First Earth had another Situation to the Sun and had a perpetual Equinox and Spring These things are asserted by him but no where proved Wherefore I look upon it as a precarious and groundless Opinion The Variety of Seasons before the Flood may be gather'd from Gen. 8.22 I will not again curse the Ground nor smite any more every living thing as I have done While the Earth remaineth Seed-time and Harvest and Cold and Heat and Summer and Winter and Day and Night shall not cease As much as to say Though during the time of the Deluge these Alterations of the Seasons were interrupted and the Sun's Heat and Light were as if they were not because they could have no Effect upon the Earth as long as it lay under Water yet now having restored things to their pristine Course and Order I assure you they shall continue so to the end of the World Thus it is included in these Words that there were the same Vicissitudes of the Year before the Flood that there are now And this appears to be a Truth from what I have already shew'd viz. that the present Position and Situation of the Earth are very convenient useful and in some Respects necessary for there is a necessity of a Vicissitude of Seasons and a Variety or Exchange of Heat and Cold because the Fruitfulness of the Earth depends upon these and Heat and Cold generated in the Air are the two Hands of Nature as my Lord Bacon rightly saith by which she doth all her Work It is unreasonable to conceive an Equality of these and consequently an Equal and Unvariable Temperature of the Year before the Deluge Which is thus lately represented by an Admirable Pen A Man can hardly at first imagine what a Train of ill Consequences would follow from such a Condition and Posture of things of which it would not be the least that such a Mediocrity of Heat would deprive the World of the most beautiful and the most useful Parts of all the whole Creation and would be so far from exalting the Earth to a more happy and Paradisiacal State that it would turn it to a general Desolation and a mere barren Wilderness to say no worse Such an Heat would be too little for some sorts of Vegetables and too great for others The

visible Footsteps of a Godhead are easily to be traced The Frame of this Spatious Round for this Figure of it is proved from its Shadow cast upon the Moon in an Eclipse which shews that the Earth and Sea make one round Body for the Shadow renders the true Form of the Body which causeth it the Frame I say of this Spatious Globe is excellent and astonishing if we contemplate the Hills Valleys Lakes Rivers Rocks Promontories Woods Islands Peninsula's Continents of which 't is composed the Mixture of which renders it not only useful but beautiful Nature proceeds not always in the same Track and Path but as Philo observes delights in the Variety and Diversity of its Artificial Works And the wonderful Skill and Art of the Author who framed them thus are to be admired But more especially the Diversity of the Situation and Position of the Earth is remarkable It was the Wise Contrivance of the Creator to place it in that Oblique Posture that it is now in it being most convenient for the Good of Mankind He that made of one Blood all Nations of Men to dwell on all the Face of the Earth hath determined the Bounds of their Habitation Acts 17.26 Hence there are Different Zones as they are call'd into which the Earth is divided There is first that which is call'd the Torrid Zone because the Influence of the Sun is very vehement and active in this Part of the World but this is no Hindrance to its being Inhabited as some of old vainly fancied This is all that Space of Earth which is between the two Tropicks But there is a great Latitude as to the Inhabitants of this Zone for some of them live directly under the Equator And these only of all the Dwellers on the Earth have a Right Sphere and always have an Equinox i. e. their Days are exactly 12 Hours in length and so are their Nights neither more nor less They have the peculiar Privilege to see both the Poles at the same time And all the Fixed Stars rise and set to them They have 2 Summers and 2 Winters in a Year the Sun going directly over their Heads twice a Year i. e. when he is in Aries and when he is in Libra so that their 2 Summers are then and their Winters are when the Sun is in Cancer and Capricorn Thus are situated some parts of the East Indies and some part of America and the Islands of Sumatra And though they are so liable to the Perpendicular Rays of the Sun yet by the special Providence of Heaven it happens that the Inhabitants of these Hot Countries have Cool Briezes that constantly fan and refresh them in the Afternoons and their Nights are both long and cool which makes amends for the excessive heat of the Day Other Inhabitants of this Zone are seated between the Equinoctial and the Tropicks and these likewise have a double Summer and Winter only their Days and Nights are more unequal than those under the Equinoctial Line Thus are situated the Philippine and Molucca Islands part of East India in Asia Ethiopia in Africk Mexico in the North of America and Peru Brasil Guinea in the South of it And it is well known that there is not a more temperate Region than Peru in the World the Nights cold tempering the Days heat and Rains being frequent and cool Winds blowing constantly Again there are others of this Zone that live right under the Tropicks These have but one Summer and one Winter in a Year and their Situation is very convenient and upon several accounts desirable Before I leave the Torrid Zone I will take notice of a very Remarkable Thing which Travellers of good Credit inform us of viz. That in most Places belonging to it there are vast Exhalations constantly from the Earth which are condens'd into moist Vapours and though they seldom fall in Rain-Showers yet they affect the Region of the Air which is under them and render it very moist in the Day-time and in the Night very cool and fresh And this abundant Mass of Vapours caus'd by the excessive heat of those Countries affords matter for Dews which are exceeding plentiful and copious so that they serve instead of Rain-Waters and are of great use for the Fertility of the Ground and Plants But Secondly There are 2 Temperate Zones which lie between the Tropicks and the Polar Circles the one between the Tropick of Cancer and the Artick Circle the other between the Tropick of Capricorn and the Antartick It is the peculiar Lot of the People that dwell in these parts of the World to have 2 Solstices and 2 Equinoxes in a Year but one Summer and one Winter and the Sun is never vertical over their Heads They have an Oblique Sphere as all have besides those that live under the Equator We in England are situate in this Parallel so is all Europe yea the greatest part of the habitable World is in the Northern Temperate Zone It was the pleasure of the Great Founder of the World that this part of the Earth should be the Principal Stage of Action It was his Will and Appointment that this should be the Seat of the greater and better part of Mankind There are also two Frigid Zones the one between the Artick Circle and the North Pole the other between the Antartick Circle and the South Pole The Inhabitants are of three sorts 1. Those who live under either of the Polar Circles Those that inhabit under the Artick Circle have one Summer and one Winter in a Year When the Sun is in Cancer their Day is 24 Hours long and they have no Night And when the Sun is in Capricorn their Night is 24 Hours long Under this Parallel are Lapland Finmark part of Russia Iseland c. And here it might be observ'd as a Testimony of a singular Providence that these Countries which are extreme Cold are furnish'd with the largest Wood and the most and best Furs 2. Those that dwell between the Polar Circles and the Poles have sometimes continual Day and no Night From the Sun's being in Cancer their Day is in some places a Month long in others two and the farther they live toward the North the longer are their Days till you come under the North Pole where it is half a Year long without Night In the other half of the Year beginning when the Sun is in Capricorn the Nights exceed proportionably and last a Month two Months c. In this part of the World is Nova Zembla Green-land c. 3. Those that live right under the Poles and these only of all the Dwellers on the Earth enjoy a Day that continues six Months compleat which is succeeded with a Night that lasts as long So that they may be said to have but one Day and one Night in a Year By reason of this latter the Countrey is so cold and dark that it is not inhabited in this part of the Year But as for