glowing and red, and Phosphorus lay at the Bottom of the faid Water; the Furnace itself was made narrower than it fhould be for other occafions, but the Fire-place had its entire Magnitude, to the end, that it might afford as ftrong a Heat as poffible; and to prevent the Diminution of it by the frequent Addition of fresh Turf, it continually was fupplied at laft with thofe burnt ones that are used to be kept in the extinguishing Pots.

SECT. XXVII. Convictions from the foregoing Obfervations:

BUT to return to the Bufinefs: Since we fee in this Phosphorus fuch a Fire, which upon the acceffion, of any Warmth cannot only not be extinguished by Water, but may be kindled and burn therein; fince likewife we fee fomething of the fame Nature to happen in Lightning, which, altho' furrounded by fo many thick watry Clouds, yet is not hinder'd from being kindled in the midft of em, and from fetting on Fire every thing about it: Since we see farther, that this Fire of the Air mingles itfelf with Salt-Waters, and in the Summer time, causes them to flash and fhine; and befides, makes Gun-powder and Sait-petre, when fet on Fire, to burn in Water juft as they would do out of it: To fay nothing of the fubterraneous Fires, that rage fo terribly, tho' they lye under the deepest Sea: I fay, if an Atheist would confider all thefe things, is it poffible for him to acquiefce in fo poor an Evasion as this, that the Water when once it is put into a general Operation, can fecure him either from the Etherial or Subterraneous Fires.

CONTEMPLATION XXII,

Of Beafts, Fowls, and Fishes.

SECT. I. Tranfition to the Beafts.

HAVING already contemplated Mankind un

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der fo many Circumftances, namely, with refpect to the Air in which we breath; with refpect to Water that ferves us for Drink; with refpect to the Earth that yields us both Food and Dwelling; and laftly, with refpect to Fire, whereby fuch great things are brought about, it hardly feems credible, that any one can reflect upon all the foregoing Particulars with due Attention, without being convinced of the Existence of a wife, powerful and gracious GOD. And in Cafe all this be not fufficient to difengage him from his deplorable Scepticism, let him proceed farther on with us, and filently and ferioufly contemplate the Beafts that inhabit the Earth, the Birds of the Air, and the Fishes of the Waters, and perhaps the Creator of all thofe Beings may vouchfafe to bring the Proof of his adorable Perfections, that shine forth therein, powerfully home to his Heart and Understanding.

We have already treated concerning Men, and the wonderful Structure of their Bodies (which otherwife ought to have had the first Rank here) for which reafon we fhall not enter farther into that Matter now; we fall likewise pass by every

thing in Beafts that have any Analogy or Likeness with Men, fuch as the Structure of their Bowels, Mufcles, Cirqulation of the Blood, &c. So that after one or two General Remarks, we fhall only here propofe fome Particulars of Birds, Fithes, and other kinds of Animals; leaving the farther Enquiry, wherewith many large Volumes have been filled, to the Study of thofe that examine them with a defign of Learning, to know GoD from thence.

SECT. II, and III. Concerning Tame aad Wild Beafts; and the Text in Genefis, Ch. ix. v. 2. relating to the fame.

To come then properly to the Matter; we are wont to diftinguifh the Beafts into Tame and Wild: Can then any Body imagine, that he is able to prove, that it is owing to Chance, or to any Caufes neceffarily refulting from the Structure of Animals, that the Tame Beafts, which are so useful and ferviceable to Mankind, either for Cloathing o Feeding them, or for other Purposes, fuch as Kine, Sheep, Horfes, and the reft, feem difpofed by Nature to be Domeftick Animals, and to live among us: Whereas the Wild, fuch as Lyons, Bears, Tygers, Wolves, Serpents, and the like, delight to dwell in Woods and Solitary Defarts, and of their own accord feem to avoid the Company of Men? Now if this were quite the Reverse, tand the devouring and poisonous Creatures fhould keep together in Flocks, and exert their Violence againft Mankind, how much Pains and Trouble would it require in many places to defend ourfelves against their Affaults.

We ought therefore to confider with no lefs Amazement than Attention, that Text in Genefis Ch. ix. v. 2.; where GoD fays to Noah and his VOL. II. Qq2

Sons,

f

Sons, The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every Beaft of the Earth, and upon every Fowl of the Air, upon all that moveth upon the Earth, and upon all the Fishes of the Sea; into your hand are they delivered. And to obferve how many Thousands of Years this Word has continued true. Could a Man that had feen an Elephant, a Bull, or a wild Horse provok'd, enraged, and then let out to do what Mifehief he would (and who did not know after what manner People used to Tame these furious Animals, and many others, and render them ferviceable) ever believe the fame without looking upon the above-quoted Text as a wonderful Prophecy? And not to mention Birds and Fishes (without even excepting the greatest Whales) in which the fame is very plain and manifeft, it is well known, from a multitude of Examples, that this has place in the moft devouring and pernicious Creatures: For not to repeat what we have already faid, that of their own Nature they chuse to live in Wilderneffes and uninhabited Countries, "we may meet with a very remarkable Evidence thereof in the Ephemer. German. 9th and 10th Year, P. 453; namely, that a Lyon will never affault a Man, unlefs compell'd thereto by Hunger, Self-defence, or the Discharge of a Gun against him; and in relation to Tygers, we read the following Paffage; they are afraid of white and naked Men, like (which is very remarkable) all wild Beasts of Afia and Africa, and avoid them as it were a kind of Reverence; and it is without example that they attacked any fuch. After having understood all this, let an Infidel himself tell us, whether Mofes, whom he muft account a great Politician, would not have acted against common Prudence, when he pretended that thofe Words which at that time when they were spoken, were fo little probable, proceeded

from

from GOD, whom he ferved, and whom he defired that Ifrael fhould likewife ferve.

SECT. IV. The Structure of Beafts in general, and Convictions from thence.

1

To come now to fome Particulars: If we fhould contemplate all Beafts, Great and Small, Wild and Tame, and at the fame time fuppose that there was but one of each Kind in the World: Then, fhould any one view with a Microscope the Structure of the least, even of the moft contemptible Fly, or smallest Mite in a Cheese; could he forbear acknowledging each of them to be a Miracle of Nature; and not be fufficiently convinced, that He who had formed all the Members of them, fo ufeful, with respect to each other, must have been very wife; and that in providing them with a Mouth, Feet, and other Parts, he did it with a Design that they fhould eat and walk, and difcharge other neceffary Functions therewith!

It is wonderful again, that these unhappy Philofophers, feeing an artificial Moufe or Fly, by the help of Springs and Wheels, like a Watch, enabled to perform fome of the most common and rudeft Motions of thofe Creatures, think they can never füfficiently commend the Skill and Contrivance of the Maker And yet when we see the Original, the living Creatures themselves, in which they are forced to confefs there is infinitely more Skill and Judgment to be found, do yet maintain, that He that formed them, was endowed neither with Wifdom nor Understanding.

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