Selected quad for the lemma: rest_n
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A58185
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The wisdom of God manifested in the works of the creation being the substance of some common places delivered in the chappel of Trinity-College, in Cambridge / by John Ray ...
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Ray, John, 1627-1705.
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1691
(1691)
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Wing R410; ESTC R3192
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111,391
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260
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would he in all likelyhood have made had he seen these incredible small living Creatures How would he have admired the immense subtilty as he phrases it of their Parts for to use Mr. Hook's Words in his Microscopium p. 103. If these Creatures be so exceeding small what must we think of their Muscles and other Parts Certain it is that the Mechanism by which Nature performs the Muscular Motion is exceedingly small and curious and to the performance of every Muscular Motion in greater Animals at least there are not fewer distinct parts concerned than many Millions of Millions and these visible through a Microscope Let us then consider the Works of God and observe the Operations of his Hands Let us take notice of and admire his infinite Wisdom and Goodness in the Formation of them No Creature in this Sublunary World is capable of so doing beside Man and yet we are deficient herein We content our selves with the knowledge of the Tongues and a little skill in Philology or History perhaps and Antiquity and neglect that which to me seems more material I mean Natural History and the Works of the Creation I do not discommend or derogate from those other Studies I should betray mine own Ignorance and Weakness should I do so I only wish they might not altogether justle out and exclude this I wish that this might be brought in Fashion among us I wish men would be so equal and civil as not to disparage deride and vilifie those Studies which themselves skill not of or are not conversant in no Knowledge can be more pleasant than this none that doth so satisfie and feed the Soul in comparison whereto that of Words and Phrases seems to me insipid and jejune That Learning saith a wise and observant Prelate which consists only in the form and pedagogy of Arts or the critical notions upon Words and Phrases hath in it this intrinsical Imperfection that it is only so far to be esteemed as it conduceth to the knowledg of Things being in it self but a kind of Pedantry apt to infect a man with such odd Humors of Pride and Affectation and Curiosity as will render him unfit for any great Employment Words being but the Images of Matter to be wholly given up to the Study of these What is it but Pygmalions Phrenzy to fall in Love with a Picture or Image As for Oratory which is the best skill about Words that hath by some Wise men been esteemed but a voluptuary Art like to Cookery which spoils wholsome Meats and helps unwholsome by the variety of Sawces serving more to the Pleasure of Tast than the Health of the Body It may be for ought I know and as some Divines have thought part of our business and employment in Eternity to contemplate the Works of God and give him the Glory of his Wisdom Power and Goodness manifested in the Creation of them I am sure it is part of the business of a sabbath-Sabbath-day and the Sabbath is a Type of that eternal Rest for the Sabbath seems to have been first instituted for a commemoration of the Works of the Creation from which God is said to have rested upon the Seventh Day Let it not suffice us to be Book-learned to read what others have written and to take upon trust more Falshood than Truth but let us our selves examine things as we have opportunity and converse with Nature as well as Books Let us endeavour to promote and increase this Knowledge and make new Discoveries not so much distrusting our own Parts or despairing of our own Abilities as to think that our Industry can add nothing to the Inventions of our Ancestors or correct any of their mistakes Let us not think that the bounds of Science are fixed like Hercules his Pillars and inscribed with a Ne plus ultra Let us not think we have done when we have learnt what they have delivered to us The Treasures of Nature are inexhaustible Here is Employment enough for the vastest Parts the most indefatigable Industries the fairest Opportunities the most prolix and undisturbed Vacancies Much might be done would we but endeavour and nothing is insuperable to pains and patience I know that a new Study at first seems very Vast Intricate and Difficult but after a little Resolution and Progress after a man becomes a little acquainted as I may so say with it his Understanding is wonderfully cleared up and enlarged the difficulties vanish and the thing grows easie and familiar And for our Encouragement in this Study observe what the Psalmist saith Psal. 111. 2. The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein Which though it be principally spoken of the Works of Providence yet may as well be verified of the Works of Creation I am sorry to see so little Account made of real Experimental Philosophy in this University and that those ingenious Sciences of the Mathematicks are so much neglected by us and therefore do earnestly exhort those that are young especially Gentlemen to set upon these Studies and take some pains in them They may possibly invent something of eminent Use and Advantage to the World and one such Discovery would abundantly compensate the Expence and Travel of one mans whole Life However it is enough to maintain and continue what is already invented neither do I see what more ingenious and manly Employment they can pursue tending more to the Satisfaction of their own Minds and the Illustration of the Glory of God For he is wonderful in all his Works But I would not have any man cross his natural Genius or Inclinations or undertake such methods of Study as his Parts are not fitted to or not serve those Ends to which his Friends upon mature Deliberation have designed him but those who do abound with leisure or who have a natural Propension and Genius inclining them thereto or those who by reason of the Strength and Greatness of their Parts are able to compass and comprehend the whole Latitude of Learning Neither yet need those who are designed to Divinity it self fear to look into these Studies or think they will engross their whole time and that no considerable Progress can be made therein unless men lay aside and neglect their ordinary Callings and necessary Employments No such matter Our Life is long enough and we might find time enough did we husband it well Vitam non accepimus brevem sed fecimus nec inopes ejus sed prodigi sumus as Seneca saith And did but young men fill up that time with these Studies which lies upon their hands which they are incumbred with and troubled how to pass away much might be done even so I do not see but the Study of true Physiology may be justly accounted a proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Preparative to Divinity But to leave that It is a generally received Opinion that all this visible world was created for Man that Man is the end of
would make choice of Not of a perpendicular Posture For so both the pleasant Variety and great Convenience of Summer and Winter Spring and Autumn would be lost and for want of Accession of the Sun these Parts of the Earth which now bring forth Fruits and are Habitable would be in an incapacity of ever bringing forth any and consequently could entertain no Inhabitants and those Parts that the full heat of the Sun could reach he plying them always alike without any annual Recession or Intermission would at last grow tired or exhausted or be wholly dried up and want moisture the Sun dissipating and casting off the Clouds Northwards and Southwards Besides we observe that an orderly vicissitude of things doth much more gratifie the contemplative Property in Man And now in the second place neither would Reason make choice of a coincident Position For if the Axis thus lay in a plain that goeth through the Center of the Sun the Ecliptick would like a Colure or one of the Meridians pass through the Poles of the Earth which would put the Inhabitants of the World into a pitiful condition For they that escape best in the Temperate Zone would be accloyed with long Nights very tedious no less than Forty Days and those that now never have their Night above Twenty Four Hours as Friesland Island the furthest parts of Russia and Norway would be deprived of the Sun above a Hundred and Thirty Days together Our selves in England and the rest of the same Clime would be closed up in darkness no less than a Hundred or Eighty Days and so proportionably of the rest both in and out of the Temperate Zones And as for Summer and Winter though those Vicissitudes would be yet it could not but cause raging Diseases to have the Sun stay so long describing his little Circles so near the Poles and lying so hot on the Inhabitants that had been in so long extremity of Darkness and Cold before It remains therefore that the posture of the Axis of the Earth be inclining not perpendicular nor coincident to the fore-mentioned Plain And verily it is not only inclining but in so fit a proportion that there can be no fitter imagined to make it to the utmost capacity as well pleasant as habitable For though the course of the Sun be curbed between the Tropicks yet are not those parts directly subject to his perpendicular Beams either Unhabitable or extremely Hot as the Ancients fansied By the Testimony of Travellers and particularly Sir Walter Ralegh the parts under and near the Line being as Fruitful and Pleasant and fit to make a Paradise of as any in the World And that they are as suitable to the nature of Man and as convenient to live in appears from the Longaevity of the Natives as for Instance the Aethiopes called by the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but especially the Brasilians in America the ordinary Term of whose Life is a Hundred Years as is set down by Piso a Learned Physitian of Holland who travelled thither on purpose to augment natural Knowledge but especially what related to Physick And reasonable it is that this should be so for neither doth the Sun lie long upon them their Day being but Twelve Hours and their Night as long to cool and refresh them and besides they have frequent Showers and constant Breezes or fresh Gales of Wind from the East Seeing then this best posture which our Reason could make choice of we see really Established in Nature we cannot but acknowledge it to be the issue of Wisdom Counsel and Providence Moreover a further Argument to evince this is That though it cannot but be acknowledged that if the Axis of the Earth were perpendicular to the plain of the Ecliptick her motion would be more easie and natural yet notwithstanding for the Conveniencies forementioned we see it is made in an inclining posture If any man shall object and say It would be more convenient for the Inhabitants of the Earth if the Tropicks stood at a greater distance and the Sun moved further Northward and Southward for so the North and South parts would be relieved and not exposed to so extreme cold and thereby rendred unhabitable as now they are To this I answer That this would be more inconvenient to the Inhabitants of the Earth in general and yet would afford the North and South parts but little more comfort For then as much as the distances between the Tropicks were enlarg'd so much would also the Artick and Antartick Circles be enlarg'd too and so we here in England and so on Northerly should not have that grateful and useful Succession of Day and Night but proportionably to the Suns coming towards us so would our days be of more than Twenty Four Hours length and according to his recess in Winter our Nights proportionable which how great an inconvenience it would be is easily seen Whereas now the whole Latitude of Earth which hath at any time above Twenty Four Hours Day and Twenty Four Hours Night is little and inconsiderable in comparison of the whole bulk as lying near the Poles And yet neither is that part altogether unuseful for in the Waters there live Fishes which otherwhere are not obvious so we know the chief Whale-fishing is in Greenland And on the Land Bears and Foxes and Deer in the most Northerly Country that was ever yet touched and doubtless if we shall discover further to the very North-pole we shall find all that Tract not to be vain useless or unoccupied Thirdly The Third and Last thing I proposed was the Constitution and Consistency of the parts of the Earth And first Admirable it is that the Waters should be gathered together into such great Conceptacula and the dry Land appear and though we had not been assured thereof by Divine Revelation we could not in Reason but have thought such a Division and Separation to have been the Work of Omnipotency and Infinite Wisdom and Goodness For in this condition the Water nourishes and maintains innumerable Multitudes of various kinds of Fishes and the dry Land supports and feeds as great varieties of Plants and Animals which have there firm Footing and Habitation Whereas had all been Earth all the species of Fishes had been lost and all those Commodities which the Water affords us or all Water there had been no living for Plants or Terrestrial Animals or Man himself and all the Beauty Glory and Variety of this inferiour World had been gone nothing being to be seen but one uniform dark Body of Water or had all been mixt and made up of Water and Earth into one Body of Mud or Mire as one would think should be most natural for why such a Separation as at present we find should be made no account can be given but Providence I say had all this Globe been Mire or Mud then could there have been no possibility for any Animals at all to have lived excepting some few and those