CHA P. III.

The Univerfality and Uniformity of the Figure of the feveral Globes of the Univerfe is a Sign of their being the Work of GOD, not of Chance or Neceffity.

WH

HEN we fee divers Pieces of curious Device and Workmanship to bear the fame Marks of Art, to have the fame masterly Strokes of Painting, Clockwork, Architecture, &c. we conclude with great Reason fuch Pieces were made by the fame skilful Hand. So when we fee the fame commodious Spherical Figure to be imparted to the Earth, and all

the

the Heavenly Bodies, we have as good Reason to conclue them to be Pieces of the fame Hand, Contrivances and Works of the fame skilful Architect. For if the Univerfe had been a Work of Chance, all the feveral Globes would have been of feveral Forms, one of this, another of a quite different Figure : One fquare, another multangular, another long, and another of another Shape. Or if all the feveral Globes had been a Work of Neceffity, and their Figure had been owing to the natural Tendency, or Gravity of Matter, viz. that the self-attracting Power of Matter did make all the Solids and Fluids of all the feveral Globes, as naturally run into a globofe Form, as a Drop of Quickfilver doth: Yet ftill we may demand, how came Matter by this fo commodious a Power? What made

it

it affect fo proper a Form but the infinite CREATOR's Fiat ?

But not to conteft that Point, but granting Gravity to be congenial and coeval with Matter, without enquiring how it came by that Power, and allowing that every Globe of the Universe had its Form from the self-attracting Power of its Matter, yet ftill we have undeniable Marks of final Causes, of wise Order, and an over-ruling Power in the Cafe. For let us imagine our terraqueous Globe in its Chaotick-ftate; all its Matter, every particle of it divided, and floating about, and ready, by its Self-attraction, to run together into its natural Form, that of a Globe: In this hurly-burly, this jumble of unguided Nature, made by Attraction only, a confused globofe Mass can be supposed to be formed; but without any Order, without that convenient Lodgment of its Parts, as the

necef

neceffities of an habitable World require. But inftead of any fuch Signs of Disorder, or of Nature's acting with an unguided Power, we have the clean contrary; all the Signals of a wife Contrivance, and excellent Art; as will appear in the following Chapter.

CHA P. IV.

The Terraqueous and other Globes, appear to be the Work of GOD, from the wife Difpofition of their

Parts.

As

S the Earth, and all the other Globes, would have been of various Forms, if they had been made by Chance, or would have been confufed Maffes, if made by Necef

2

Neceffity, according to the last Chapter: So in this I fhall fhew them to be the Work of a wife and a kind Agent, from the commodious Structure and Difpofition of their Parts, fo far as we have any Knowledge of them. Thus the Moon, hath great Appearances of being no lefs commodiously, than the Earth, divided into Hills and Valleys (as I have set forth in the 2d Chapter ;) into Drylands, and great Collections of Waters (a), and to be encompaffed with

an

(a) That there are Seas, or great Collections of Waters in the Moon, is highly probable from the Moon's Spots, which plainly feem to be Water on these two Accounts. 1. Because those Spots appear to be in ftrait and level long Planes, when viewed about the Moon's Quarters, or at fuch times as one half of them are enlighten'd, the other half in darkness. In this Cafe, when we do not look directly upon the Planes, or fee them wholly enlighten'd, but view them in a manner fideways, their Surfaces look as the Sea doth, when we view it from the Shore, viz. a large level Plane: Only we may now and then difcern a bright shining Part ftanding a little out

of