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
several Antient Natural Philosophers viz. That the outward Signature or Impression which is on some Plants shews their inward Virtue and that from the Resemblance which they have to the parts of a Man's Body we may gather their secret Power and know to what particular part they are appropriated Thus the Squill and Poppy are good against the Head-ach they themselves resembling a Head The Walnut hath upon its Fruit the Signature of the Head and Brain and accordingly it is beneficial to them Which is taken notice of and thus represented by the Excellent Cowley in his Fifth Book of Plants Nor can this Head-like Nut shap'd like the Brain Within be said that Form by chance to gain Or Caryon call'd by Learned Greeks in vain For Membranes soft as Silk her Kernel bind Whereof the inmost is of tenderest kind Like those which on the Brain of Man we find All which are in a Seam-join'd Shell enclos'd Which of this Brain the Scull may be suppos'd This very Scull envelop'd is again In a Green Coat his Pericranion Lastly that no Objection may remain To thwart her near Alliance to the Brain She nourishes the Hair remembring how Her self deform'd without her Leaves doth show On barren Scalps she makes fresh Honours grow This Natural Stamp is observable on other Vegetables Thus the Leaves of Balm resemble a Heart which Signature shews it to be Cordial and a great Refresher of that part Eye-bright hath the plain impress of the Eye and 't is with Success made use of against the Maladies of that part Kidney-Beans call'd so because they represent the Kidnies particularly affect those Vessels The Multiplicity of Joints and Knots in the Root of the Herb call'd Solomon's Seal which is denoted by its Greek Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews that it is available against Ruptures and that it joins and knits green Wounds it doth close and seal them up as 't were whence perhaps it hath its Denomination And Liver-wort and other Simples might be mentioned which are Medical for that part whose Signature and Resemblance they bear Some think this to be fanciful but upon due consideration it will be found to be very serious and solid For these Marks and Impressions are real things and go along with the whole Species and are never alter'd Two very Eminent Persons to mention no more at present who were not guilty of indulging their Fancy and Imagination and who were great Enemies to Vulgar Errors and Prepossessions freely own the significancy of these External Resemblances on the Bodies of the Plants The one is the Learned Hugh Grotius who among his Arguments for a God and Providence assigns this as one The other is the Famous Dr. Willis who hath I remember these Words in his Pharmaceut Some things are found good against the Iaundice by a similitude of Substance and as it were by a Signature viz. as being endowed with a yellow Iuice as Rhubarb Yellow Sanders Saffron c. These visible Characteristicks of Plants were impressed upon them by the singular Favour and Goodness of Heaven to let us understand by the bare looking upon them what they are useful for to let us read in the Colour Figure and Proportion of them what their intrinsick Nature is In short there is not the least Plant though never so contemptible and trodden under our Feet but was made for some use and purpose as our late Improvements in this Study partly have discover'd and as succeeding Ages if they be not over-run with Sloth and Ignorance will further manifest to the World and therein display the abundant Goodness and Benevolence of God to it CHAP. VII God is to be found in the Subterraneous World Where are Waters Fires Metals Minerals to which latter belong Earths Salts Sulphurs Stones both common and Precious The Loadstone particularly considered and the Author's Opinion concerning it He disapproves of the Total Dissolution of the Earth at the Deluge and gives his Reason for it His Iudgment touching Earth-quakes and Trepidations of the Earth He invites the Reader to reflect with great seriousness upon the late Instance of this kind and to that purpose offers some Remarks upon it Which he closes with a Devout Address to Heaven to supplicate the averting of the manifestation of the Divine Displeasure in this kind for the future IF we descend into the Subterraneous World as Kircher stiles it the deep places of the Earth as they are called by the Psalmist these also will supply us with Arguments to the same excellent purpose Here we shall be transported with the Contemplation of the strange Make and Composure of those various Caverns that are hid from common Eyes those Unseen Rarities of the Under-ground World for what is unseen of this Earth is most astonishing Here is a vast Receptacle of Waters called by Moses the Fountains of the great Deep Gen. 7.11 This great Collection or Abyss of them is placed in the Central parts of the Earth as Dr. Woodward hath probably asserted Here are Millions of Aqueducts to convey Water from the Sea Here are Springs and Fountains that supply the Land with Brooks and Rivers Here are Medical Waters and Baths for the relief of the Diseased Here are also the vast Treasures of Fire that is that Combustible Matter wherein those subtile Particles are shut up that engender Fire and likewise here are Magazines of Actual Fire as appears from those Volcano's those firy Eruptions which are taken notice of in several Places And that there is Fire in the Earth may be proved from this that the Bottoms of the deeper Mines are very sultry and the Stone and Ores there are very sensibly hot even in Winter Here are lodged Metals the 7 Terrestrial Planets as the Chymists are pleas'd to call them Gold the Sovereign and Chief of all because of its transcendent Purity Brightness Solidity and Weight Silver Steel which is but the harder Part of Iron Copper Quicksilver Tin Lead As for Brass Orichalcum aes it is a mixt Metal viz. of Copper and Lapis Calaminaris Pewter is a Compound of Tin and Lead The Property of Metals whereby they are distinguish'd from other Terestrial Bodies is that they may be melted and are malleable Especially Pure Gold is ductile above all other Metals for an Ounce of it may be so extended by Malleation that it will take up ten Acres if Dr. Charleton may be credited As for the use of Metals none is wholly ignorant of it they were made for Defence and War for Instruments to work with for Medicine for Ornament for Vessels to be used in eating and drinking and all other Services whatsoever for Money and Coin and in a word they are some way or other useful to all the necessary Ends of a Man's Life and consequently are Testimonies of God's Care and Concern for the Good of Mankind Accordingly you will find that these Metals are particularly taken notice of and mentioned by Iob to prove
and Happiness of the whole Race of Mankind that were to come after And which is yet more he proves that this Change this Dissolution of the Primitive Earth and the framing of another out of it is a great and singular Work and Argument of Providence of Counsel and Sagacity and he demonstrates in several Particulars that it is the Product of a Reasoning and Designing Agent We are come then at length to the Grand Matter which I was all along aiming at viz. the Proof of a Deity from the Make and Disposal of the Earth Thus that of the Psalmist is evinced to be true The Earth is full of thy Riches which he saith to convince us of the Wisdom of God in the Works of the Creation And now to close this part of my Discourse viz. concerning the Earth I will add a few Words concerning Earthquakes which are occasioned by those Spatious Cavities and Vaults which I have asserted before to be within the Bowels of the Earth Some of the old Philosophers imputed this Motion to Winds and Vapours bred in these hollow Places Others ascribe it to excessive Waters got into the Channels of the Earth by reason of excessive Rains and agitated there in those vast Caverns It was the Opinion of some of the Antients that this Motion was the Effect of the Sea 's beating on the Earth and powerfully moving and shaking it whence Neptune had the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Earth-shaker and he was call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Words are of the same import Others think it is caused wholly by the Subterraneous Fires and Sulphureous Matter in those Cavities Thus that Admirable Observer of the Works of Nature whom I have frequently cited attributes this Phaenomenon to the Elevation of the Water out of the Great Abyss which he supposes to be in the central Part of the Earth by the Virtue of this under-ground Fire He hath a Particular Notion of this Heat causing this Commotion and Disorder in the Earth But I conceive that All these are the Causes at one time or other nay it may be at the same time of Earthquakes strictly so call'd and Tremblings of the Earth which are Tendencies to them The Winds generated in the Entrails of the Earth may by extending the Parts in some Places cause a Tremour or by a sudden violent Eruption occasion a Greater Motion So by the immoderate Rains or by Inundations of the Sea the Meatus of the Earth may be washed and worn away and other adjacent Parts may give way and sink downwards and thereby cause a Motion above if with a subsiding in some of the extream Parts Also the Subterraneous Sulphury Matter of which there is great Quantity being inflamed may produce these Concussions by extraordinary Rarefaction which making more room must needs produce an unwonted Motion and sometimes a horrid Noise So that an Earthquake may be said to be a kind of a Subterranean Thunder This was Pliny's Notion of old Non aliud est in terrâ tremor quà m in nube tonitru Thus he speaks because of the Resemblance between the breaking of the Earth and of the Clouds and the Dreadful Shock that accompanies both But though Earthquakes are thus resolved into Physical Causes yet they are to be look'd upon as remarkable Testimonies of the Divine Power and Greatness We cannot but own and reverence these when we consider the Dreadful Effects of these Concussions Nay it is hardly to be solved by any of the forementioned Causes how there can be a trembling of the Earth at the same moment in Places that are so vastly distant from one another There was an Universal Shock almost all the World over in the Emperor Valentinian's time about the Year of our Lord 369. In the Year 1601 there was a shaking of the Earth in Asia Hungary Germany Italy France at the same time In Peru as Acosta relates this Tremor oftentimes reaches near six hundred Miles from North to South This must have an Extraordinary Cause and that Man must strain his Philosophy who undertakes to give a Satisfactory Account of it from Common Principles and the Natural Efficacy of Things This unusual Exertment of Divine Providence we of this Nation as well as others have lately felt with Surprise and Astonishment And I hope it will be thought no Digression if I here remind the Reader to reflect upon it with great Thoughtfulness and Seriousness and to consider and weigh the true Nature and Design of this amazing Event I know there are some Persons that slight all such Occurrences and tell us that they are from Natural Causes and therefore it is Weakness and Vanity to trouble our selves about them Men of Philosophy say they are acquainted with the Spring and Source of these Accidents and therefore are not possess'd with Fear and Dread and cannot be perswaded that Nature acting in its own way and according to its due Laws intends us any Mischief But the Reply to these Men is easy for though I most willingly grant that Earthquakes and the lesser Tendencies to them as Tremblings of the Earth are the Product of Natural Causes yet it is as true that the God of Nature when he is provoked by the Sinful Enormities of a People may and oftentimes doth turn these Natural Effects into Punishments and Iudgments So that both Philosophy and Divinity are concern'd here and they are very well consistent We may as Naturalists search into the physical Reasons of these Events but then as we are Students in Religion we are bound to make a farther Enquiry and to take notice of the Design of Heaven in these great and wonderful Effects that happen in the World With Philosophers and Physitians we are ready to grant that Scarcity and Famine Plague and Pestilence are naturally produced and yet we are ascertain'd from the Sacred and Infallible Records of Scripture that these were oftentimes inflicted by God on purpose as the Recompence of Mens heinous Sins So it is in the present Case which makes it very plain the Motion and Shaking of the Earth are to be attributed to Causes in Nature and I have before assigned what they are yet we must likewise acknowledg that there is a more than Ordinary Hand to be taken notice of in this Matter and as Understanding and Devout Christians we are to observe what the Purpose of Divine Providence is at such a Time Pursuant to this I offer these brief Remarks on that Signal and Stupendous Dispensation 1. The Antients have thought that this was ever attended with something that was Boding and Ominous Thus Socrates the Ecclesiastical Historian pronounces concerning the Earthquake which happen'd in the Days of the Emperors Valentinian and Valens that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a certain Sign of the Shakings and Convulsions which afterwards were in the Christian Churches And I could produce other very Grave Writers who speak to
is baffled by it 2. From their Excellent End and Designs the chief of which is to be serviceable to Man Both Animate and Inanimate Creatures conspire in this being actuated by a Divine Director and Disposer This ruines Monsieur Des Cartes's Opinion whereby he attempts the solving of all things by Mechanick Principles This also confounds his Denial of Final Causes in Natural Philosophy pag. 1. CHAP. II. The Author proceeds to a Particular Proof of the Divine Existence and Providence from the Consideration of the Heavenly Bodies The unrivall'd Beauty of the Sun The Vniversal Vsefulness and Benefit of it It s Vast Dimensions The transcendent Swiftness of its Motion It s Regular Course through the Heavens Where is largely discuss'd the Copernican Hypothesis concerning the Earth's Motion and is proved to be precarious because 1. It is grounded on this Vnphilosophical Notion that it is difficult and troublesom to the vast Heavenly Bodies to be continually journeying and posting and therefore the Copernicans would free them of this great Trouble by laying it upon the Earth which they fancy can bear it better 2. It confronts that Historical part of the Bible Jos. 10.13 Isaiah 38.8 In such a plain Narration of Matter of Fact and that of a Miracle it is not to be supposed that Words are spoken any otherwise than according to the Real Nature of the thing and the Propriety of Speech 3. It proceeds upon an erroneous and mistaken Apprehension concerning the Nature of the Earth and the chief Inhabitant of it Man for both of them are far greater than the Heavens in real worth and value 4. We may as well imbrace the Doctrine of Transubstantiation which is an absolute Defiance to our Senses as this Opinion Objections and Evasions framed from Custom and the moving in a Ship answered 5. If the Trembling of the Earth may be felt as all grant then the Violent Whirling of it about must needs be more sensible Objections against this answered Demonstrations which depend on the Eye-sight are fallible and have been question'd by the best Artists The Modishness of the Copernican Notion tempts most Men to follow it This is no Temptation to the Author who for the Reasons premised holds that the Heavens continually roll about the Earth from that effectual Impulse which they at first receiv'd from the Almighty Hand p. 19. CHAP. III. The Oblique Course of the Sun being the Cause of the Vicissitudes of Day and Night of Winter and Summer which are so beneficial to Mankind is an Argument of the Divine Care and Providence The Powerful Influence of the Moon evidences the same So do the Planetary Stars and Fixed ones which latter are eminent for their Magnitude Number Beauty and Order Regular Course Vse and Influence all which set forth the Wisdom and Goodness of the Beneficent Creator The Study of the Stars leads us to God Astronomy Vseful p. 51. CHAP. IV. The things which are remarkable in the Space between the Heavens and the Earth administer clear Proofs of a Deity as the Air the Winds the Clouds where the late Archaeologist is rebuked the wonderful Ballancing of these latter their gentle falling down in Rain by degrees the Vsefulness of these Showers The Rain-bow Thunder and Lightning Snow Hail Frost and Ice p. 74. 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 use The particular Advantages of them are recounted and thence the Wise Disposal of the Creator is inferr'd p. 95. CHAP. VI. Vegetables are next consider'd and their Different Parts enumerated and shew'd to be Arguments of a Divine Contriver Their Fragrancy Delightfulness Beauty Their various Natures Kinds Properties Their Vsefulness in respect of Food Particular Instances of some Foreign Plants viz. the Metla the Cocus-tree They are serviceable for Physick The Signature of some of them declares their Properties and is a Divine Impression p. 117. CHAP. VII God is to be found in the Subterraneous World Where are Waters Fires Metals Minerals to which latter belong Earths Salts Sulphurs Stones both Common and Precious The Loadstone particularly considered and the Author's Opinion concerning it He disapproves of the Total Dissolution of the Earth at the Deluge and gives his Reason for it His Iudgment touching Earth-quakes and Trepidations of the Earth He invites the Reader to reflect with great Seriousness upon the late Instance of this kind and to that purpose offers some Remarks upon it Which he closes with a Devout Address to Heaven to supplicate the averting of the Manifestation of the Divine Displeasure in this kind for the future p. 137. CHAP. VIII The Sea with all its Treasures and Riches is another Evidence of an Omnipotent and All-wise Being The several Sentiments of Writers concerning its Ebbing and Flowing are examined The Phaenomenon is resolved into a Supernatural Efficiency and why The Saltness of the Sea-Waters is in order to the Preserving them from Putrefaction The Sea is kept within its Bounds by an Almighty Arm. God's Providence seen in making it both the Source and Receptacle of all Waters The Theorist's Conceit of the Primitive Earth's being without Sea refuted by Scripture and Reason The great Vsefulness of the Sea in several respects p. 162. CHAP. IX The Wisdom and Power of God are discern'd in the Formation of Living Creatures that are Four-footed which are distinguish'd according to their Hoofs or their having or not having Horns or their Chewing or not Chewing the Cud. Their Serviceableness in respect of Food and Work or Labour Instances of the latter sort Even Creeping and Groveling Animals exalt their Creator Fishes some of which are of a vaster Magnitude than any other kinds of Animals shew the distinguishing Providence of God in the peculiar Structure of their Bodies in order to the Element they live in Fowls are purposely shaped and contrived for the particular use they were designed for Their Food is sometimes extraordinarily provided for them and sometimes they are supported without it They are observable for their being Musical for their imitating Man's Voice for their Beautiful Colours Birds of Prey are generally solitary The several Incubations of these Creatures afford Matter of singular Remark The wonderful Make and Contrivance of their Nests speaks a Divine Architect p. 182. CHAP. X. In the Smallness of Insects is display'd the Skill of the Divine Artificer A Fly is of a wonderful Make. The Omnipotent Deity is discernable in a Bee and in a Silk-worm The Ant is more largely consider'd viz.
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
after made a Separation between them and in order to the parting of them there were Cavities and Channels made in the Earth to receive and convey the Water whence the Earth which subsided and was depress'd in one Place rose up in another and caus'd the Mountains This is thought to be a rational Account of the Formation of these Vast Bodies but whether it be exact or no no Man can certainly tell But this we are sure of that they existed at the first forming of all things and were constituent Parts of the Primitive Earth which this Writer's Theory utterly denies and saith it was all Champain plain and level So that whilest he avoids speaking like an Orator concerning the Earth which he is set against he saith he cannot afford to speak Truth i. e. to acknowledg what the Holy Scripture it self attests in plain and intelligent Terms concerning the Original of Mountains viz. that they were a part of the first Creation of the World And being so they are questionless of Vse for the Great Creator made nothing in vain Because we cannot possibly see how Great the whole Body of the Earth is therefore there are some Parts of it purposely lifted up above the rest to give us some Intimation and Knowledg of this Huge Globe whereon we stand That Body which is 7000 Miles in Diameter and above 20000 in Circumference is as it were abbreviated by this means into lesser ones some of three or four some of ten or twelve others of twenty or near thirty Miles in Height By beholding these Eminent and Exalted Parts we may guess at the Gigantick Proportions of the Whole Extended Mass it self and admire the Divine Providence which supports its Weight and Bulk Thus because the Earth it self was hid from us excepting what is to be seen within the Compass of our scant Horizon by reason of its Convex Figure and the Shortness of our Sight it was fitting that some Remembrances and Representations as 't were some Maps of the whole should be before our Eyes and these are the High Hills and Mountainous Eminencies which we see as Caucasus Olympus Atlas Athos Aetna Hecla Teneriff which are as 't were Epitomes of the Whole Earth Again these were design'd to be Boundaries and Limits of certain Regions and Countries Thus Taurus the biggest Mountain in the World divides all Asia into two Parts the one Northward the other Southward The Pyrenean Hills separate the Kingdoms of France and Spain the Alpes part Italy from France And several other Mountains are the Natural Barriers which God hath set between Countries and Nations though daring and ambitious Minds take no notice of it and impatiently long to have such a Miraculous Power as to be able to remove these Mountains to take away these Great Land-Marks and Distinguishing Limits Moreover these Parts of the Earth which as to outward View are generally fruitless and barren and therefore may seem useless and unprofitable contain great Riches in them Some of the Rabbins derive Har the Hebrew Word for a Mountain from Harah gravidam esse and they give this Reason because they are big with Metals and swell'd with the precious Treasures that are lodg'd in their Womb. These Places are the proper Receptacle of Minerals and all sorts of Fossiles that are useful to Mankind These Bulky Substances do not take up room to no purpose these Big-bellied Bodies are pregnant with things of the greatest Value and Worth within them are laid up the Wealth of the World But of this I shall say more when I come to speak of the Subterraneous World Again these Places are fittest for the nourishing and producing of Vegetables There is no where else as hath been observed by Botanists such Variety of Plants and Herbs Further these Elevations of the Earth are necessary for conveying Water to us for from hence by Channels under Ground are derived the Springs of this Element They serve as Alembicks to distil fresh Water for the Use of Man and Beasts and their Heights are serviceable to the more facile Descent of the Streams Nay these Streams could not flow unless the Heads of them were thus mounted above the ordinary Level of the Earth There was an absolute Necessity therefore of these Hills that there might be a Descent of these Waters If the Earth were every where level and plain there could be no running Streams or Rivers More especially in very Hot Countries these elevated Parts of the Earth are necessary to supply these Springs for on the Sides of them those abundant Vapours that are exhaled out of the Earth are condensed and turn'd into Water as is proved by a very Ingenious Gentleman And another famous Virtuoso who hath written since hath exceedingly confirm'd this Truth having with great Perspicuity shew'd that Mountains are the Heads and Sources of Springs and Rivers and that there would have been no Running Streams on the Face of the Earth if there had not been these Exaltations of the Ground for here the Waters are condensed and discharged Accordingly he observes that those Countries that are in the Torrid Zone or near or under the Line where the Heat is greatest and consequently where there is the greatest need of Water are furnish'd with Mountains answerable i. e. such as for Bigness and Number surpass those of colder Countries This he therefore concludes to be the Providential Contrivance of Heaven and to be an Argument of the Divine Conduct and Wisdom As for the Highest Mountains in the Southern Parts of the World an Ingenious Naturalist tells us that there is very great Use of them for repelling the Vapours exhaled by the Sun 's powerful Beams in those hot Regions and for hindring their Evagations Northward which he thinks is of great Advantage It might be added that the High Hills render the Earth more convenient and useful for Habitation for if it were all even and level the Houses would lie open to the Winds and to the Sun whereas by this Mixture there is a Shelter from both Furthermore this Inequality of the Earth is suted to the Difference of those Animals that live upon it to some of whom the higher and mountainous Places which are hot and dry are most agreeable yea it is observ'd that they cannot live any where else and to others those Regions that are depressed and are more cool moist and shady are most wholesom and delightful And lastly a Worthy Writer is designing to prove that even the Vulcano's or Burning Mountains as Aetna Hecla Vesuvius c. which seem to be very noxious are of Use to the Places where they are and to the Earth it self and to Mankind insomuch that they could not subsist without these or without the Agents whereby these firy Eruptions are effected Thus from what hath been said it is abundantly evident that the Mountains are a very considerable Part of the Creation and are signal Testimonies of God's Bounty as well as of his Power
changes the Nature of that Water which is salt and makes it fresh for the Water that is by the Heat of the Sun exhaled from the Sea and turn'd into Showers as was intimated before is not Salt Therefore the Heat of the Sun is not the Cause of the Salsitude of the Waters I am then of Varenius's mind in this that these salt Particles are coetaneous with the Ocean it self and therefore we ought no more to inquire into the Original of them than into the Original and Generation of the Sea it self or of the whole Earth But we may with some Satisfaction rest in the Final Cause of this Property which is that it may be serviceable to the same end that the Motion of this Element is viz. to preserve it from Putrefaction If the Ocean were either stagnated or had lost its saline Quality we should soon feel the dire Effects of it Fishes would die Navigation would be impossible because of the Corruption of that Element and the Inhabitants of the whole Earth would in a short time be infected and stifled with the noxious Steams of it Here then we cannot but own and with Reverence admire the Power Goodness and Wisdom of the Great Founder of the World that he was pleas'd thus to contrive the Ocean for the Good of Mankind and the Service of the Inhabitants of this lower World And these Divine Attributes are no less observable in the Bounding of this Vast Element For though it is true it is lodg'd in the more depress'd Parts of the Earth yet by its rapid and vehement Motion it is naturally apt to fly out of its proper Receptacles and Channels and in many Places it hath advanced it self and gained ground and is now in a Tendency to spread it self yet further and to enlarge its Dominions But the Overruling Arm of Heaven puts a stop to its Career and checks its enraged Waves and permits them to pass no further This that Pious Sufferer acknowledg'd when he was describing the infinite and unsearchable Power of God He hath compass'd the Waters with Bounds The Hebrew Verb here used is by Buxtorf rendred Circinavit and then the Elegancy of the Expression is very considerable He hath as with a pair of Compasses exactly described the Bounds of the Sea he hath with Divine Art and the most Accurate Skill and Wisdom terminated the boisterous Waves and raging Billows of the Ocean he has shut it in with Mountains Rocks and Commodious Shores This is taken notice of by another Inspired Author Thou hast set a Bound that they may not pass over that they turn not again to cover the Earth and to overwhelm the Inhabitants of it Especially those of the Islands of which We are a Part are concern'd to mention this with most thankful and hearty Resentments The Lord reigneth therefore as the same Devout Man saith let the Multitude of the Isles be glad thereof If He were not Lord and King if he did not rule and govern the World and particularly this Impetuous Element if he did not mercifully restrain and confine it it would unavoidably break in upon us and devour us It was unsufferable Presumption in Xerxes to attempt to fetter the Hellespont it was saucy Arrogance in King Canuâ—e to charge the Sea not to come in upon him And it is but a fond Superstition in the Venetian to think to espouse the Sea and marry the Adriatick on Holy Thursdays It is the Almighty Providence of Heaven only that can give Laws and Rules to the Roaring Waves It is this only that can allay and moderate the Deep when it boils like a Pot it is this alone that can curb and master its Fury So the Almighty himself informs us He hath shut up the Sea with Doors and again He brake up for it his decreed Place and set Bars and Doors and said Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud Waves be stayed And farther Proofs of this Divine Power we may take notice of in the Deep if we consider that God hath made this both the Source or Origine and also the Common Receptacle of Waters Fountains and Springs arise not only from the Great Abyss of Waters in the Center of the Earth as a late Worthy Writer hath rendred very probable but from the Ocean i. e. from condens'd Vapours or Waters themselves sent up from the Sea through the Earth and by the Subterraneous Fires exhaled up to Hills and Mountains and thereby the Cold condens'd into Waters which supply Rivers and are at last carried back to the Sea This admirable Contrivance is as I conceive meant in Psal. 104.8 They i. e. the Waters go up by the Mountains by advantage of Rise they climb up through secret Passages of the Earth they go down by the Valleys they thence fall by their natural Weight into those Places where they are most profitable for the Use of Men and so at last into the Place which thou hast founded for them they return to the Ocean their Great Repository There is a Continual Circulation of Water in the Earth as of Blood in the Bodies of Animals it constantly flows from Place to Place and never stands still From the Sea it passes to Spring-heads through Subterraneous Channels and sometimes Fish as well as Water is convey'd in these Passages if they be of any considerable largeness whence by the way I think may be given an account of Shell-fish and Bones of other Fish which are sometimes found in digging deep in the Ground it is probable they came from the Sea in these Pipes under ground from those Spring-heads the Water is derived to Rivers tho I grant these are partly supplied by Rains and Snows as when sudden Inundations happen and from the Rivers there is a Passage into the Sea again and thus the Waters run round as Blood in the Veins and Arteries of Living Creatures And the circular Motion of one is as necessary for the Good of the World in general as the other is for that of Animals in particular There is indeed a Late Ingenious Writer that fancies the Sea is a Blemish to the World and therefore he tells us that the First Earth was without any such thing But it is no wonder that he that dreams of an Earth without Clouds makes it wholly void of Seas Yet this is to be wondred at that any Man should aver with Confidence that the Antediluvian Earth was without Sea when we read in Gen. 1.21 that God created great Whales they must be Whales on the dry Land according to this Author for he allows no Sea for them nay when we expresly read that God gave Adam Dominion over the Fish of the Sea Gen. 1.26 28. Only here again our wonder must cease when we remember what the Author hath since divulged to the World viz. that the first Chapters of Genesis are not to be understood in a Literal but an
Allegorical Sense So that according to this Gentleman it was an Allegorical Sea and Allegorical Fishes too are spoken of by Moses or rather by God himself and then there is as much reason to believe that the Earth and the Air with the Cattel and Fowl in them which are mentioned in the same Place are Allegorical and he may as well say the whole World is so too But it was Unphilosophically done of him as well as against Scripture to make the Earth destitute of Sea for if we rightly scan the Nature of things we must acknowledg that these two cannot be separated because the great Mass of Earth cannot subsist without a proportionable Measure of Moisture nor can the Water be contain'd in a Place unless the Earth holds it The Water pervades all the Parts to be a kind of Bond to them that the Earth may not crack fall asunder and crumble into pieces Again the Water was made to give Drink to every Beast of the Field Psal. 104.11 and even to Man himself whose primitive Refreshment it was This must be derived mostly from the Sea by the Channels in the Earth â—or the Rains and Mists which this Author supposes before the Flood were not sufficient for this and all other Purposes of this Element Besides it is an unintelligible Mystery that there should be no Clouds and yet Rain Likewise the Sea-water percolated by its passing through the Earth and at the same time mixing with it was appointed by the Great Operator of the World to be serviceable to the Fruitfulness of the Earth for without this as well as Rain no Plants and consequently no Fruits and as the Consequence of that scarcely any Animals could be nourish'd The World then must have been in a very miserable Condition according to this Learned Author's Theory which locks up all the Water of the World in the Abyss so that no Body was the better for it According to him it was well that the Frame of the Earth broke and fell down into the Great Deep and how could it do otherwise when it was made so slight for from that Dissolution the Earth hath been eveâ— since universally water'd So it seems the Deluge was not so much a Curse as a Blessing for though the Inhabitants that then were perished by it yet ever after we have found the Benefit of it Indeed this Author hath well husbanded the Matter by his Hypothesis for it would have requir'd he saith Eight Oceans though several good Mathematicians have not been of his mind to bring that Universal Flood on the World but he hath done it with a far less Quantity of this Element So that it is plain he is a good Provident Philosopher and hath saved a great deal of Water by his Theory But where God and Nature are not sparing why should we be And why doth the Theorist imprison the whole Element within the Earth So that according to him there was no Sea for above sixteen hundred Years or if there was any it was a Sea shut up and of no use I have endeavoured to set it free and that by Good Authority even the Divine Law of the Creation mention'd once and again in Genesis 1. I have shew'd the Necessity and Usefulness of this Great Blessing to the World and I will proceed to do so yet further It cannot be denied that though the Sea seems to be very bleak and chill yet the Influence of it is Refreshing yea Warming Which Minutius Felix was sensible of when speaking of the Providence of God which is so careful of the Good of the Universe he tells us that our Britain is deficient as to the Sun but in way of Recompence is recreated and comforted by the warmth of the Sea which surrounds it This tempers the Cold and Austerity of the Winter and gently warms those Countries whose Shores it washes This Secret was not unknown to Tully as is clear from that Passage in his Writings The Seas being stirr'd with the Winds are so warm that a Man may thence easily perceive that there is a certain Heat contain'd in so great Moisture for that Warmth is not to be reckon'd as external and adventitious but as rais'd from the inmost Parts of the Ocean by Agitation It was also designed by God that it should be useful for Navigation and consequently for Travelling for though the vast Seas which are between Countries seem to stop the Traveller yet by the help of Ships a speedier Passage is made than if he went on dry Land Especially since the Invention of the Sea-map and Compass we can visit the remotest Parts of the World in a far shorter time than we could have done if there had been no Seas This the famous Americus Vespatius Columbus Magellan and our own Drake and Cavendish could witness In the next place I might adjoin this that the Sea is of great use for setting Limits and Boundaries to several Kingdoms and Nations in the World For by reason of the Interposition of this they have an intire and separated Dominion because those Parts of the Sea which is next to them do as it were terminate and confine their Jurisdiction and those neighbouring Waves are themselves part of it For though the Sea be in perpetual Flux and is not strictly and physically the same yet it is so in respect of its Channel and the Shores it washes A Man may have a Propriety in those things which are Variable and Transient he hath a right to the Air and Light and accordingly an Action lieth in case of Nusance i. e. annoying the one and obstructing the other So it is with the Waters of Rivers or of the Sea tho they are Variable yet they are subject to Propriety For as the Learned in the Law rightly tell us things may be Common as to their Use unto All and yet they may be Proper by Right to one Nation or Person Thus such and such Seas are appropriated to one certain Kingdom or Country and so become the peculiar and distinct Bounds of those Places And withal they are a very good Guard and Fence they are a strong and secure Wall especially if they surround the Region Thus the Sea is of singular Use. Moreover let us call to mind what the Pious Psalmist saith They that go down to the Sea in Ships that do Business in great Waters these see the Works of the Lord and his Wonders in the Deep They are entertain'd with variety of Wonderful Occurrences which those at Land are Strangers to on these prodigious Mountains of Waters they have a Prospect of those Admirable Things which others cannot reach the Sight of And after all they are filled with Admiration and Astonishment and must confess they cannot sufficiently enter into the Springs of the Sea and walk in the search of the Depths as God himself speaketh Lastly notwithstanding what some fantastick Men have conceited these Waters are a Great Ornament to the World The