6 The Exiftence of G O·D. ~ Means and it, and to contrive them in fuch a manner as to accomplifh it. Now if we ~ furvey rhe Uni.verfe, and all the Beings it contains, their Proportion, Dependence and Harmony, it will fully appear that antecedently to its Ex1flence, there was a per!OO: Mind that deGgn'd it, and difpofed the various pacts in that exact order, that one •y;,,.., P•if. ? eauti!ul World is compos'd of them. The* Philofopher conjeCI:ured truly, who bet.•. mg il11pwrackt on the llland ofRhodes, and come to the fhore, fpyingfome Mathematical figures drawn on the Sand, cry'd out with joy, Vifligia hominum video, I fee the Footfleps of Men, and comforted his defpairing Companions, that they were not cafl into a Defert, or place of Savages, but of Men civil and wife, as he difcovered by thofe impreffions of their Minds. And if we obferve the frame of the VVorld, the concatenation of the fuperiour with the middle, and of the middle wicl1 the lower parts, whereby ' tis not an accidemal aggregation of Bodies, but an intire Univerfe; jf we confi.der the jufl: difpoGng them conveniently to their nature and dignity, the inferiour and lefs noble depending on the fuperiour, and that fo many contrary natures with that fidelity and league of mutual love embrace and affift each other, that every one working according to its peculiar quality, ytt all unite their operations for one general end, rheprefervation and benefit of the whole, mufl we not flrongly conclude that 'tis the work of a deGgning and mofl wife Agent ? ------Pulchrum pulcherrimJH' ipfo Mundum mentegerens, jimilique ab imagine formaus. To make this more evident, I willproducefome Jn{(ances. The Sun, of all Celeflial Bodies the mofl excellent in beauty and ufefulnefs, does in its Gtuation, motion, effects, poblifh the glory of a mofl wife Providence. 1, In its Gmation. .The wifefl Providence could not deGgn to place it better wid1 refpeCI: to its Dignity, or with refpeCI: to the Celeflial Bodies, or the benefit of the lower Xovh~~;geF~~ 'tl,J'~:~rw~~~::~~;,t•;hebto~~~i~~f t~';lr ~~;~~~~ L!J7~· in3~h~ri~~~f the Planets, to enlighten themwith his brightnefs, and enkindle them with his fire, and thereby derive to them fuch benign qualities and aB:ivities, tbat make them beneficial to mixt Bodies. 'Tis the Heart of the VVorld, wherein all the vital Spirits are prepared, and ' tis fo conveniently feat<d as to tranfmit to all, even the moO: diflant parts of that vafr Body, by perpetual irrndiations, the mofltemperate various and effectual influences, necelfary for the produB:ion and prefervation of innumerable fpecies of beings in it, If the Sun were rais'd to the Stars, the Earth for want of its quickning heat would Jofe its prolifick venue, and remain a carcafs. The Air would be fill'd with continual oppreffing vapours, the Sea would overflow the Land. If it were as lowas the Moon as dangerous effects would follow, The Ai r would be inflam'd by its exceffive heat: the Sea boyling , the Rivers dryed up, every Mountam a Vtfi~iru or .lEtna ; the whole Earth a barren ma\s of Afhes, a defer t of Arabia, But in th1s due diflance, it purifies the Air, abates the fuperfluity of Waters, temperately warms the Earth, and keeps the Elements in fuch degrees of power, as are requirite for the aB:ivity of mixt bodies depending on them. It cannot be in another place Without the diforder and injury ofuniverfal Nature. Befides, there is a fenGb le proof of a wife DireCI:or in its 11 Motion, from whence fo ~~~mr,mooem many and various EffeB:sproceed. The Diurnal Motion from Eafl to Wefl caufes the h,.; ~~~':d. Day. The Sun is the fir(\: Spring and great Original of Light, and by his prefence dif- ~"·" •he ""'" covers the Beauties of the mofl of viGblc Objecl:s. From hence all the pleafant variety of ~u~~~h~~~~r Colours, to whkh Light is the Soul that gives Vivacity. Without the World would be '"' unh o< the Sepulcher of it felf, nothing but Si lence and Solitude, Horrour and Confi1Gon. The ~~~[;: ~~erhe Light guides our Journ:ys, aw~kens and direCts our lndu~ry, pn:f(.rves mu.tual Conworld, the verfation. And the wn:hdrawmg of the Sun from one Hemifpbere to another IS as bene- ~';';!"[~of,j~ ficial to the World bycauGng Night. For that has peculiar advantages. Its darknd.S mirab!e, nor enlightens us to fee the Stars, and to underfland their adm1rable Order, AfpeCI:s, Influr~e- commerce ences; their Conjun8:io~, Oifrances, Oppofition, from which proceeds their different ~eg1~a.rr~~efs effetl:s in all paffive Bod1es. Now what can be more pleafant than the Ornaments and lo!loo~';"ci"g DiverGties of thefe Twins of time? Befides, by this diflinction of the Day and Night :iCe ~~~~r there js a fit fucceffion ofLabour and Reft, of the Wor~s and Thoughts of Men; thofe ft.:un'd it; proper to the Day,aa:ive and dear; the other to the N1ght, whofe ob[c~arity prevents the wand ring of the Mind through the Senfes, and Silence fitvoms its calm Contemplations. Aud theconflantrevolutioh of Oay and Night in thefpace of twenty four hours, is of great benefit, If 1l1<y fhould cominue fix entire Months together, as under the Poles, , though
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