Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	heat_n	part_n	zone_n	13	3	12.6835	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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

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