To this

Summer, and Autumn to bring forth, ripen and yield up the Fruits of the Ground, and Winter to prepare the Soil and the Grain fown in it for fresh Productions. The Sun again occafions the Exhalation of the Vapours and fuperfluous Moisture of the Earth, which, when form'd into Clouds, defcend in grateful and enlivening Showers, in large Drops both of the former and latter Rain, which water and refresh the Ground. general Theory I would fubjoin one Circumftance: It has been calculated what Disadvantages would accrue to the Earth, if the Course wherein this annual Motion is performed, was either directly from Weft to East, or from North to South, and the Refult has been found in both Cafes very great; but the Disadvantages in the latter Cafe are three times greater than those in the former. The wife Providence therefore of the Almighty, who fettles all things according to Weight, and has made that annual Orbit ftand obliquely to both those Directions, and has adjusted the Degrees of its Obliquity in Proportions agreeable to this Computa

tion, by making it three times more inclin'd to the eaftern and western, than it is to the northern and fouthern Direction. Moreover, the conftant and quick Succeffion of Night and Day are of wonderful Relief to the Plants and Fruits of the Earth; as after the Business and Fatigue of the Day, our Bodies call for the Repose of the Night, to recruit our wafted Spirits in quiet Reft and Sleep, fo are the cooling and refreshing Dews of the Night not lefs neceffary to the purely vegetative Part of the World after the Heat of the Day and the warmer Influences of that glorious Fountain of Vegetation. Thus fimple is the Almighty in his Operations; and nothing fure can fo greatly recommend the Works of Nature as their Simplicity. The Thoughts and Works of Man in the moft common and trivial Affairs, are full of Confusion and Perplexity. The Almighty and All-wise One in the most extraordinary and momentous Concerns displays himself in the moft plain and fimple Methods of Operation. This certainly is the Power of Omnipotence, the Confummation of Wif

dom

dom, to call all Nature in to fulfil the Pleasure of his Will, and yet to make it act in so easy and obvious a Manner. My Subject has led me to confider this Point a little Philofophically, and perhaps in Confequence a little obfcurely; though I endeavour'd to exprefs myself with as much Plainnefs as the Nature of it will allow. But the great Goodness of God will discover itself more evidently and particularly, when we confider the large and glorious Effects which are produced by those Means and Inftruments of his Acting. And here the whole Earth is but one great Evidence of the Almighty's Goodness; He hath spread forth the Surface of the Ground with the Riches of Encrease, and fill'd it with the Fatnefs of Plenty. Abundance of Provision hath He ftored up in the Bowels of the Earth, to fupply all the Generations of Men with the Neceffaries and Comforts of wholefome and delightful Food: With useful, with an ornamental Variety doth the indulgent Goodness of God fpring up in the whole Earth, bringing forth Grafs for the Cattle, and green Herb for the

Service

Service of Man: Wine to make glad the Heart of Man; Oil to make him a chearful Countenance; and Bread to strengthen Man's Heart: So beautiful are the Lillies of the Field, that even Solomon in all his Glory was not arrayed like one of them: So grateful a Profpect do the Vallies of Corn afford, that they seem even to sport through the Glory of their Plenty, and laugh and fing in the Abundance of their Encrease Enlivening are the Odours which the Flowers fhed round about them: Delightful to the Tafte as well as neceffary for our Suftenance, are the Fruits, which are fo largely fupplied in every Kind; highly ferviceable as well as pleafing is the conftant Succeffion of them in their feveral Seasons, not cloying and burthening us all at once with one full and general Harvest of the Fruits of the whole Year, but opening upon us one after another in a delightful Series of different Products; one Sort of Fruit bloffoming only, when another is haftening to Maturity, and when a third is full ripe and fit to gather. Thus gracious and benign is the Almigh

ty

ty to Mankind; thus largely did He feed us with the Plenty of his Goodness, and enrich us with the Overflowings of his Bounty: Thus wife is He in every Contrivance; thus good in every Execution of his Power: But to Man doth He particularly fhew his loving Kindnefs; other Creatures do likewife receive their Food from God; but it is Man, whose Happiness is principally intended by the Fruits of the Earth.

IN this lower World Man is the Sovereign; to Him is given Dominion over the reft of this lower Creation, and to his Ufe all the other Parts of it are fubjected. The Inanimate World is utterly incapable of Happiness, but the Animate World is capable of Happiness in such Degrees as are proportioned to the Extent of their Faculties: And here the wife and good Providence of the Almighty has fo ordered it, that that Part of the Creation which can receive no Happiness, shall adminifter to the Service and Happiness of that which can, and that they all contribute to the Good and Welfare of Man, the Lord and Go