Thus the great CREATOR hath made the Moon to be of admirable Use to our Earth. And fo wifely hath he contrived his Works, that they are mutually ferviceable to one another, fo that what good Services one doth, the other as readily returneth again. Thus as the Moon is a Moon to us, fo the Earth is with great Reason concluded by the Philofophers, to be a Moon to the Moon; not indeed a secondary Planet moving periodically about her, but fuch a Planet, as reflects the Light of the Sun to her, and perhaps makes fuch like returns of Influx, as I faid the Earth receives from her. For it is not to be doubted, if the Earth reflects Light, and gravitates to the Moon, as well as the Moon to the Earth (which is highly probable) but that there is a mutual intercourse, and return of their Influences, and good Offices. And this

is ftill more probable from the Likenefs difcernible between the Earth and the Moon, which is a ftrong prefumption that the Moon may have the fame Occafions for the Earth, as the Earth for her. For that she is an opake Body, and that her Surface is covered in fome meafure with Hills and Valleys, is manifest beyond all doubt to our Eye (d) as I before faid: And that fhe hath an Atmosphere is what hath been not long fince (e) difcovered: And that there are large Oceans and collections of Water is what I have before made

probable (f). And therefore agreeing thus in Conftitution and Make, their Occafions for, and Influences upon each other are in all probability mutual, and much the fame.

(d) See Book 5. Chap. 2. Note c.

(e) See before, Chap. 3. Note a.

(f) Book 5. Ch. 4. Note a, as alfo the Preface.

And

And after this Manner, the infinitely wife Contriver of the Universe feems to have tranfacted throughout that immenfe Space, by making all the feveral Globes useful to one another. Thus all the Planets of our Solar System are of confiderable Use to us, all of them reflect Light unto us, and some of them a Light fo bright and ftrong (as particularly Venus and Jupiter) that they are a good Supply of the Moon's Abfence in the Night, as well as the Sun's. Nay the very Secondaries (which I fhall shew are of greatest Use to their primary Planets) have their Ufes too amongst us; not only as being evident Demonftrations of the great Works of God, but also in ministring to the Discovery of the Longitude of the most distant Places upon the Earth. So for the Fixt Stars, which I have before fhewn to be (probably) fo many Suns, miniftring to as

many

many Systems of Planets; it is certain they are of great Use to us in supplying the Absence of the Sun and Moon by Night. And there is no great Doubt to be made, but that the like Returns are made to them, and their Systems by our Sun. So that here we have an admirable Oeconomy obfervable throughout all the vifible Regions of the Universe, in the mutual Affiftances, and Returns, which one Globe affords the other, even at the greatest Distance.

CHAP.

Of the Moons, or Secondary Planets in general, which are obferved about fome of the Primary Planets.

H

AVING taken a View of the

And

Methods which are used for the accommodating the Earth with Light and Heat, let us caft our Eye to the reft of our Solar Syfteme, and examine whether any Thing of the like kind is to be found there. here we fhall find a no lefs admirable Scene of the great CREATOR's Care and Wisdom, than we difcovered in the Earth and Moon. In Mars indeed, we can discern a great Similitude with the Earth, in its Opacity and Spots, but we have not yet O been