ety throughout the World of Mens Faces (a), Voices (6), and Hand-writing. Had Man's Body been made according to any of the atheistical Schemes, or any other Method than that of the infinite Lord of the World, this wife Variety would never have been: But Mens Faces would have been cast in the fame, or not a very different Mould, their Organs of Speech would have founded the fame, or not fo great a Variety of Notes; and the fame Structure of Mufcles and Nerves, would have given the Hand the fame Direction in Writing. And in this Cafe, what Confufion, what Disturbance, what Mifchiefs would the World eternally have lain under? No Security could have been to our Perfons; no Certainty, no Enjoyment of our Poffeflions (c); no Justice be

tween

(a) If the Reader hath a Mind to fee Examples of Men's Likenefs, he may confult Valer. Maximus, (L. 9. c. 14.) concerning the Likenefs of Pompey the Great, and Vibius and Publicius Libertinus; as alfo of Pompey the Father, who got the Name of Coquus, he being like Menogenes the Cook'; with divers others.

(b) As the Difference of Tone makes a Difference between every Man's Voice, of the fame Country, yea, Family; fo a different Dialect and Pronunciation, differs Perfons of divers Countries; yea, Perfons of one and the fame Country, fpeaking the fame Language: Thus in Greece, there were the Ionick, Dorick, Attick, and Holick Dialects. So in GreatBritain, befides the grand Diverfity of English and Scotch, the different Counties vary very much in their Pronunciation, Accent and Tone, although all one and the fame Language. And the Way of the Gileadites proving the Ephraimites, Judg. xii. 6. by the Pronunciation of Shibboleth, with a Schin, or Sibboleth with a Samech, is well known. So à Lapide faith, the Flemings prove whether a Man be a Frenchman or not, by bidding him pronounce, Acht en tachtentich; which they pronounce, Act en tactentic, by Reafon they can't pronounce the Aspirate h.

(c) Regi Antiocho unus ex aqualibus- -nomine Artemon, perquam fimilis fuiffe traditur. Quem Laodice, uxor Antiochi, interfecto viro, diffimulandi fceleris gratia, in lectulo perinde

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quafi

tween Man and Man; no Diftinction between Good and Bad, between Friends and Foes, be-tween Father and Child, Husband and Wife, Male or Females but all would have been turn'd topfeyturvey, by being expos'd to the Malice of the Envious and Ill-natur'd, to the Fraud and Violence of Knaves and Robbers, to the Forgeries of the crafty Cheat, to the Lufts of the Effeminate and De bauch'd, and what not! Our Courts of Justice (d), can abundantly teftify the dire Effects of mistaking Men's Faces, of counterfeiting their Hands, and forging Writings. But now, as the infinitely wife Creator and Ruler hath order'd the Matter, every Man's Face can diftinguish him in the Light, and his Voice in the Dark; his Hand-writing can speak for him though abfent, and be his Witnefs, and fecure his Contracts in future Generations. A manifeft, as well as admirable Indication of the divine Super-intendence and Management (e):

!

quafi ipfum Regem agrum collocavit. Admiffumq; universum populum, & fermone ejus & vultu confimili fefellit: credideruntque homines ab Antiocho moriente Laodicen & natos ejus fibi commendari. Valer. Max. ib.

R

(d) Quid Trebellius Calca! quàm affeveranter fefe Clodium tulit! & quidem dum de bonis ejus contendit, in centumvirale judicium adeò favorabilis defcendit, ut vix juftis & aquis fententiis confternatio populi ullum relinqueret locum. In illâ tamen quafione neque calumnia petitoris, neque violentia plebis judicantium religio ceffit. Val. Max. ib. c. 15..

(e) To the foregoing Inftances of divine Management, with relation to the political State of Man, I fhall add another Thing, that I confefs hath always feem'd to me fomewhat odd, but very providential; and that is, the Value that Mankind, at leaft the civiliz'd Part of them, have in all Ages put upon Gems, and the purer finer Metals, Gold and Silver; fo as to think them equivalent unto, and exchange them for Things of the greatest Ufe for Food, Cloathing, and all other Neceffaries and Conveniences of Life. Whereas thofe Things themfelves are of very little, if any Ufe in Phyfick, Food, Building or Cloathing, otherwife than for Ornament, or to minifter to Luxury; as Suetonius tells us

of

of Nero, who fish'd with a Net gilt with Gold, and fhod his Mules with Silver; but his Wife Poppaa, fhod her Horfes with Gold. Vit. Ner. c. 30. Plin. N. H. L. 33. c. 11. So the fame Suetonius tells us, Jul. Cafar lay in a Bed of Gold, and rode in a filver Chariot. But Heliogabalus rode in one of Gold, and had his Clofe-ftool Pans of the fame Metal. And Pliny faith, Vafa Coquinaria ex argento Calvus Orator fieri queritur. Ibid. Ibid. Neither are thofe precious Things of greater Ufe to the making of Veffels, and Utenfils, (unless fome little Niceties and Curiofities,) by Means of their Beauty, Imperdibility, and Ductility. Of which laft, the great Mr. Boyle hath among others, thefe two Inftances, in his Effay about the Subtilty of Effluviums. Chap. 2. Silver, whofe Ductility, and Tractility, are very much inferior to those of Gold, was, by my procuring, drawn out to fo flender a Wire, that a fingle Grain of it amounted to twenty Seven Feet, As to Gold, he demonftrates it poffible to extend an Ounce thereof, to reach to 777600 Feet, or 155 Miles and an half, yea, to an incredibly greater Length.

And as to Gems, the very Stories that are told of their prodigious Virtues, are an Argument, that they have very little, or none more than other hard Stones.. That a Dia mond fhould difcover whether a Woman be true or false to her Hufband's Bed; caufe Love between Man and Wife ; fecure against Witchcraft, Plague and Poifons; that the Rby fhould difpofe to Cheerfulness, caufe pleasant Dreams, change its Colour against a Misfortune befalling, ec. that the Sapphire fhould grow foul, and lofe its Beauty, when worn by one that is Leacherous; that the Emerald should fly to pieces, if it touch the Skin of any unchafte Perfon in the Act of Uncleannefs: That the Chryfolite should lofe its Colour, if Poyfon be on the Table, and recover it again when the Poyfon is off: And to name no more, that the Turcoife, (and the fame is faid of a gold Ring,) fhould ftrike the Hour when hung over a drinking Glafs, and much more to the fame Purpose: All these, and many other fuch fabulous Stories, I fay, of Gems, are no great Arguments, that their Virtue is equivalent to their Value. Of these, and other Virtues, confult Worm in his Museum, L. 1. §. 2. c. 17, &c.

But as to Gems changing their Colour, there may be fomewhat of Truth in that, particularly in the Turcoife laft mention'd. Mr. Boyle obferv'd the Spots in a Turcoife, to shift their Place from one Part to another, by gentle Degrees. So did the Cloud in an Agate-handle of a Knife. A Diamond he wore on his Finger, he obferv'd to be more illuftrious at some Times than others: Which a curious Lady told him the had alfo obferv'd in hers. So likewife a rich Ruby did the fame. Boyle of Abfol. Reft in Bodies.

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CHAP,

ND now having taken a View of Man, and finding every Part of him, every Thing rela ting to him contriy'd, and made in the very best Manner; his Body fitted up with the utmoft Forefight, Art and Care; and this Body, (to the great Honour, Privilege, and Benefit of Man,) poffefs'd by a divine Part, the Soul, a Subftance made as 'twere on Purpose to contemplate the Works of God, and glorify the great Creator; and fince this Soul can difcern, think, reason, and speak; What can we conclude upon the whole Matter, but that we lie under all the Obligations of Duty and Gratitude, to be thankful and obedient to, and to set forth the Glories of our great Creator, and noble Benefactor? And what ungrateful Wretches are we, how much worfe than the poor Irrationals, if we do not employ the utmost Power of our Tongue, and all our Members, and all the Faculties of our Souls in the Praifes of God! But above all, fhould we, who have the Benefit of thofe glorious Acts. and Contrivances of the Creator, be fuch wicked, fuch bafe, fuch worfe than brutal Fools, to deny the Creator (a), in fome of his nobleft Works?

(r) It was a pious, as well as juft Conclufion, the ingenious Laurence Bellini makes of his Opufculum de Motu Cordis,' in thefe Words De Motu Cordis ifthec. Qua equidem omnia, fi à rudi intelligentia Hominis tantum confitis, tantum ratiocinii, tantum peritia mille rerum, tantum scientiarum exigunt, ad hoc, ut inveniantur, feu ad hoc, ut percipiantur poftquam Jacta funt; illum, cujus operâ, fabrefacta funt bac fingula, tam

Works? Should we fo abufe our Reafon, yea, our very Senfes; fhould we be fo befotted by the Devil, and blinded by our Lufts, as to attribute one of the best contriv'd Pieces of Workmanship to blind Chance, or unguided Matter and Moti on, or any other fuch fortifh, wretched, atheiftical Stuff which we never faw, nor ever heard made any one Being (8) in any Age fince the Creation? No, No But like wife and unprejudic'd Men, let us with David fay, Pfalm cxxxix. 14.

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vani erimus atque inanes, ut exiftimemus effe confilii impotem, rationis expertem, imperitum, aut ignarum omnium rerum? Quantum ad me attinet, nolim effe Rationis compos, fi tanium infudandum mihi effet ad confequendam intelligentiam earum rerum, quas fabrefaceret nefcio qua Vis, qua nihil intelligeret eorum qua fabrefaceret; mihi etenim viderer effe vile quiddam, atque ridiculum, qui vellem totam atatem meam, fanitatem,

quicquid humanum eft deterere, nihil curare quicquid eft jucunditatum, quicquid latitiarum, quicquid commodorum; non divitias, non dignitates; non pœnds etiam, & vitam, ipfam, ut gloriari poffem poftremò inveniffe unum, aut alterum, & fertaffe me inveniffe quidem ex iis innumeris, qua produxiffet, refcio quis ille, qui fine labore, fine curâ, nihil cogitans, nihil cognofcens, non unam aut alteram rem, neque dubie, fed certò produxiffet innumeras innumerabilitares rerum in hoc tam immenfo fpatio corporum, ex quibus tarus Mundus compingitur. Deum immortalem! Video prafens numen tuum in hifce tam prodigiofis Generationis initiis, & in altiffima eorum contemplatione defixus, nefcio quo afiro admirationis conciter, & quafi divinè furens cohiberi me minimè poffum quin exciamem

Ab

Magnus Dominus! Magnus Fabricator Hominum Deus! Mag-. nus atque Admirabilis! Conditor rerum Deus quàm Magnus es! Bellin. de Mot. Cord. fin.

(b) Hoc [i. e. mundum effici ornatiffimum, & pulcherrimum ex concurfione fortuitâ] qui exiftimat fieri potuiffe, non intelligo cur non idem putet, fi innumerabiles unius, & viginti forma literarum, vel aurea, vel qualeflibet, aliquo conjiciantur, poffe ex his in terram excuffis annales Ennii ut deinceps legi poffint, effici, &c. Quod fi Mundum efficere poteft concurfus Atomorum, cur porticum, cur templum, cur domum, cur urbem non poteft? Que funt minus operofa, & multo quidem faciliora. Cicero de Nat. Deor. L. 2. c. 37.