mals to gather and provide Food, Habitation, and other Neceffaries of Life; the other to reft, refrefh, and recruit their Spirits (7), wafted with the Labours of the Day. To the other of thofe Motions we owe the Seasons of Summer and Winter, Spring and Autumn, together with the beneficial Inftances and Effects which these have on the Bodies and State of Animals, Vegetables, and all other things, both in the Torrid, Temperate, and Frigid Zones.

(7) The acute Dr. Cheney in his ingenious Philof. Princ. of Natural Religion, among other Ufes of Day and Night, faith, the Night is moft proper for Sleep; because when the Sun is above the Horizon, Sleep is prejudicial, by reafon the Perfpirations are then too great. Alfo that Nutrition is moftly, if not altogether, performed in time of Reft; the Blood having too quick a Motion in the Day: For which Reason, weak Perfons, Children, &c. are nourished moft, and recruit beft by Sleep.

CHA P. IV.

Of the Place and Situation of the Terraqueous Globe, in refpect of the Heavenly Bodies.

A

Nother thing very confiderable in our Globe, is its Place and Situation at a due Distance from the Sun (†), its Fountain of Light and Heat;

(†) It is a manifeft Sign of the Creator's Management and Care, in placing the Terraqueous Globe at that very Distance it is from the Sun, and contempering our own Bodies, and all other things fo duly to that Diftance. For was the Earth farther from the Sun, the World would be starved, and frozen with Cold: And was it nigher, we fhould be burnt, at leaft the most combustible things would be fo, and the World would be vexed with perpetual Conflagrations. For we fee that a few of the Rays of the Sun, even no more than what fall within the Compafs of half an Inch, or an Inch in a Burning Glass, will fire combuftible Bodies, even in our own Climate.

and

and from its neighbouring Planets of the folar Syftem, and from the fixt Stars. But these things I have spoken more largely of in my Survey of the Heavens, and therefore only barely mention them now, to infift more largely upon

T

HE Diftribution of the Waters and the dry Land, although it may seem rude and undefigned to a carelefs View, and is by fome taxed as fuch (1), yet is admirably well adjufted to the Ufes

and Conveniencies of our World.

For

(1) The most eminent Author I have met with, that finds fault with the Diftribution of the Earth and Waters, and indeed with the whole prefent Structure of the Globe, is the learned and elol quent Theorift, Dr. Burnet, who frequently exclaims on this Point, Tellus noftra, fi totam fimul complectamur, non eft ordinata & ves nufta rerum compages fed moles aggefta vario, incertoque firs partium, nullâ ordinis aut venuftatis habitâ ratione. Theor. Sacr 1. 1. c. 7. Ecquis autem à Deo hæc ita facta? &c. ib. Quo autemi Herculeo labore opus effet ad excavandam terram in tantum hiatum?

Si immediatè à caufà prima effectus fuiffet hic alveus, aliquem faltem ordinem, menfuram, & proportionem notare locuiffet in ipfius formâ,& partium difpofitione; fed confufa omnia, &c. ib. c. 8. Tellus noftra cum exigua fit, eft etiam rudis: Et in illà exiguitate multa funt fuperflua, multa inelegantia. Dimidiam terra fuperficiem inundat Oceanus ; magnâ ex parte, ut mihi videtur, inutilis. And then he goes on to fhew how this Part of the Creation might be mended, ib. c. 1o. All this is to me furprizing from an Au thor of great Ingenuity, who feems in his Book to have a just Opinion of, and due Veneration for God. But certainly such Notions are very inconfiftent with the Belief of God's creating, efpecially his governing and ordering the World. Bur fuppofe the Terraqueous Globe was such a rude, confufed, inconvenient Mais, as he pretends, yet it is well enough for a finful World. But be fides, what others have long ago abundantly answered, the fol

For in the first place, the Diftribution is fo well made, the Earth and Waters fo handfomely, fo Workman-like laid, every where all the World over, that there is a juft æquipoife of the whole Globe. The Northern balanceth the Southern Ocean the Atlantick the Pacifick Sea. The American dry Land, is a Counterpoife to the European, Afiatick and African.

In the next place, the Earth and the Waters are fo admirably well placed about in the Globe, as to be helpful to one another, to minifter to one another's Ufes. The great Oceans, and the leffer Seas, and Lakes, are fo admirably well diftributed throughout the Globe (+), as to afford fufficient Vapours (2) for Clouds

lowing Survey will, I hope, fufficiently manifeft it to be the Work of a wife and beneficent, as well as omnipotent Creator.

(†) Some have objected against the Diftribution of the Earth and Waters, as if the Waters occupied too large a part of the Globe, which they think would be of greater Ufe, if it was dry Land. But then they do not confider that this would deprive the World of a due Quantity of Vapours and Rain. For if the Cavities which contain the Sea, and other Waters, were deeper, although the Waters were no lefs in quantity, only their Surfaces narrower and leffer, the Evaporations would be fo much the lefs; inasmuch as thofe Evaporations are made from the Surface, and are, confequently, in proportion to the Surface, not the Depth or Quantity of Water.

(2) I took notice before in Book I. Chap. 3. Note 1. That the Va pours conftituting Clouds and Rain, are Vefcule of Water detatched by Heat. The manner of which I conceive to be thus ; Heat being of an agile Nature, or the lightest of all Bodies, easily breaks loofe from them; and if they are humid, in its Paffage, carries along with it Particles, or little Cafes of the Water: which being lighter than Air, are buoyed up thereby, and swim in it; until by knocking against one another, or being thickened by the Cold, (as in the Note before cited,) they are reduced into Clouds and Drops.

Having mentioned the manner how Vapours are raised, and there being more room here than in the Note before cited, I fhall, for the Illuftration of Nature's Procefs, take notice of three Things obfervable to our purpose, in Water over the Fire. I. That the Evaporations are proportional to the Heat af

cending

Clouds and Rains, to temperate the Cold (3) of the Northern frozen Air, to cool and mitigate the Heats

cending out of the Water. A fmall Heat throws off but few Vapours, fcarce vifible: A greater Heat, and afcending in greater Quantities, carries off groffer, larger, and more numerous Veficulæ, which we call a Steam: And if the Heat breaks through the Water with fuch a Fury, as to lacerate, and lift up great quantities or Bubbles of Water, too heavy for the Air to carry or buoy up, It caufeth what we call Boyling. And the Particles of Water thus mounted up by the Heat, are vifible Sphærules of Water, if viewed with a Microscope, as they fwim about in a Ray of the Sun let into a dark Room, with warm Water underneath; where fome of the Vapours appear large, fome fmaller Sphærules, according (no doubt) to the larger and leffer Quantities of Heat blowing them up, and carrying them off. 2. If thefe Vapours be intercepted in their Afcent by any context, especially cold Body, as Glafs, Marble, c. they are thereby reduced into Drops, and Maffes of Water, like those of Rain, &c. 3. These Vapours in their Ascent fi the Water, may be observed, in cold frofty Weather, either to rife but a little above the Water, and there to hang, or to guide on a little above its Surface: Or if the Weather be very Cold, after a little afcent, they may be seen to fall back again into the Water; in their afcent and defcent describing a Curve fomewhat like that of an Arrow from a Bow. But in a warmer Air, and ftill, the Vapours afcend more nimbly and copioufly, mounting up a loft, till they are out of fight. But if the Air be warm and windy too, the Vapours are fooner carried out of fight, and make way for others. And accordingly I have often obferved, that hot Liquors, if not fet too thin, and not frequently ftirred, cool flower in the greateft Frofts, than in temperate Weather, especially if Windy. And it is manifeft by good Experiments, that the Evaporations are lefs at those times, than thefe: lefs by far in the Winter, than the warmer Months.

om

(3) As our Northern Islands are obferved to be more tempe rate than our Continents, (of which we had a notable Inftance in the great Froft in 1703, which Ireland and Scotland felt less of, than moft Parts of Europe befides; of which fee Book IV. Chap. 12. Note 3.) fo this Temperature is owing to the warm Vapours afforded chiefly by the Sea; which by the preceding Note mult neceffarily be warm, as they are Vapours, or Water inflated by Heat.

The Cause of this Heat, I take to be partly that of the Sun, and partly Subterraneous. That it is not wholly that of the Sun, is manifeft from Vapours, being as, or more copiously raised when the Sun beams are weakest, as when strongeft, there being greater

E

Rains

Book II. Heats (4) of the Torrid Zone, and to refresh the Earth with fertile Showers; yea, in fome measure to minifter fresh Waters to the Fountains and Rivers. Nay, fo abundant is this great Bleffing, which the moft indulgent Creator hath afforded us by means of this Diftribution of the Waters I am fpeaking of, that there is more than a fcanty, bare provifion, a mere fufficiency ; even a Plenty, a Surplufage of this useful Creature of God, (the fresh Waters) afforded to the World; and they fo well ordered, as not to drown the Nations of the Earth, nor to ftagnate, ftink, and poifon, or annoy them; but to be gently carried through convenient Channels back again to their grand Fountain (5) the Sea; and many of

them

Rains and Winds at the one time than the other. And that there is fuch a thing as Subterraneous Heat (whether Central, or from the meeting of Mineral Juices; or fuch as is Congenial or Conna. tural to our Globe, I have not time to enquire, but, I fay, that fuch a thing is,) is evident not only from the Hot-Baths, many fiery Eruptions and Explofions, c. but alfo from the ordinary Warmth of Cellars, and Places under Ground, which are not barely comparatively warm, but of fufficient Heat to raise Vapours alfo: As is manifeft from the smoking of perennial Fountains in frofty Weather, and Water drawn out of Pumps and open Wells at fuch a Time. Yea, even Animals themselves are sensible of it, as particularly Moles, who dig before a Thaw, and against some other Alterations of the Weather; excited, no doubt, thereunto by the fame warm Vapours arifing in the Earth, which animate them, as well as produce the fucceeding Changes of the Weather.

(4) Befides the Trade Winds, which ferve to mitigate the exceffive Heats in the Torrid Zone; the Clouds are a good Screen against the scorching Sun-beams, efpecially when the Sun paffeth their Zenith; at which Time is their Winter, or coolest Season, by reason they have then most Clouds and Rain. For which Service, that which Varene takes notice of, is a great Providence of God, viz. Pleraque loca Zona Torride vicinum habent mare, ut India, Infula Indica, Lingua Africa, Guinea, Brafilia, Peruvia, Mexicana, Hifpas nia: Pauca loca Zona Torride funt Mediterranea, Varenii. Georg. L. 2. C. 26. Prop. 10. §. 7.

(5) That Springs have their Origine from the Sea, and not from Rains and Vapours, among many other strong Reafons, I

conclude