who affirm, that all thefe Arguments about the Usefulness of fuch Glorious Parts of the World, have no manner of Foundation in the Things themfelves, but only in the Littlenefs of the Underftanding of thefe Cavillers; and that if the Ends which the Creator had in view, were made known to them, what they urge against the Greatnefs of that Supream Director, would become a Demonftration of his Goodness.

SECT. XXXV. Egypt moiften'd by the Nile with out Water.

I MUST confefs, that it has many Times appeared to me as a fenfible and vifible Proof of the gracious Providence and Government of GoD, namely, what has been published and confirmed by the General Teftimony of all that have travelled there, concerning the particular State and Condition of Egypt: This Land, which is all Flat, and without any Mountains, as Monconys and others write, is feldom or never water'd by Rain: it lies in the middle of dry Countries, and is almoft furrounded with the most barren Defarts, infomuch, that of itself it is entirely unfruitful, and confequently would be uninhabited.

Now can any one imagine, that it comes to pafs by mere Chance, that the Mountains of the Moon are placed in thofe Parts of Africa, where the Countries are burnt up with the Sun, and that from the faid Mountains there flow fuch mighty Streams, which, being collected together, make the Sea or Lake of Zaire, from whence proceeds the River Nile, which running thro' all Egypt, difcharges itself by many Mouths into the Mediteranean Sea; and, which is moft for our prefent Purpose, that it yearly fwells and rifes over its Banks, and overflows all the Country; fo that the

Towns

Towns that are built upon any Eminences, appear like so many Iflands, whilst the Flat Country lies under Water; and by fuch Inundations, this Country, which is otherwife dry, and almoft burnt up, becomes as fruitful as any other that is usually water'd with Rains.

J

!

SECT. XXXVI. The Fertility of Egypt.

IT is wonderful what the Geographers, and among them Mr. Robbe, in his Defcription of the World, mentions of the Fertility of this Coun try; namely, that thefe Waters of the Nile, with which all Egypt is over-flown, are wont to leave fuch a Slime and Mudd behind 'em, as being dried, renders the Ground fo very fertile, that the Trees are almoft laden with Fruits; and that if the Egyptians themselves were not fo lazy, but would Cultivate and Sow their Lands after the first Harvest, and Collection of the Produce, they would yield a fecond Crop in the fame Year: This is certain, that by reafon of the Strength and Fatness of their Country, the Inhabitants are oftentimes obliged to moderate the fame, by mixing Sand with the Earth. Many do likewife afcribe it to this Caufe, that their Flocks are more numerous than in other Countries, and that their Sheep bring forth Young twice a Year, and the like: Some Authors fay the fame of their Wo men, that they have often Twins, and fometimes more at a Birth.

SECT. XXXVII. Convictions from the foregoing Obfervations.

To return now to that Caufe of the Rivers, the Collection of watry Vapours upon Mountains: They that are ftill fo ftark blind or ftiff-necked,

Gg 4

that

that they cannnot, or will not, fee any Tokens of Divine Wisdom and Goodnefs in each of thefe Wonders; Let them again Contemplate fome of them with us, and return to Tab. XV. Fig. 1.

- Let them then fuppofe, that upon the Globe W KRS, there dwell a Number of Men and other Creatures, in the Structure and Compofition of each of which there appears, as has been fhewn before, an amazing Skill and Contrivance.

Let them next own, as it is true, that unless the Earth CX YT, were moisten'd with Water, and that fresh too, the faid Earth would be entirely Barren, and all the Living Creatures upon it would perifh with Hunger and Thirft; and tho' an abundant, Procreation might feem capable of making good the Lofs, yet not one of their Young could live a Month after it was brought forth.

Let them confider, that those great Seas, and vaft and deep Lakes CWS, how great a Quantity foever of Water they may contain, would not be able to render the smallest Tract of Land fruitfül; nor to afford to one fingle Man or Beaft fo much Drink as were neceffary to keep them alive, by reason of their Saltness.

Can they then in this difmal State of Affairs imagine, that it is by Chance, and without any Wifdom, that fuch a glorious Body as the Sun, befides the Light and Warmth it communicates to us, does alfo render us this Service, that the Waters of the Sea at P, being rarified by its Beams, are exhaled and afcend in Vapours to g and F; and leaving their Salts behind them for other Ufes, do compofe the Clouds, F, I, G, K d, above in the Air; which falling down again in Rains or Fogs, in Dews, Hail or Snow, afford a frefh and fertilizing Moisture to the Earth, and Drink to Men and Beast?

Can

Can he daily fee this Afcent of Watry Vapours, and fay, that it is performed by Chance and without Wisdom? Notwithstanding the Manner by which 'tis brought about, is allowed to be wonderful, by the greatest Naturalifts, fuch as thofe learned Perfons, Dr. Halley and Mr. Mariotte, who are not afhamed to acknowledge the weakness of their Understanding in that Matter, and fo must every one befides. And yet all this great Preparation would have been in vain, if a certain fluid Matter, which we call Air, had not been placed round the Globe at B A D...

But that which here feems to prove undeniably the Being of a GOD is, that notwithstanding the Terreftrial Globe be thus furrounded with Air, and that the Sun does continually shine upon the Sea and the Rivers, yet there would scarce arise from thence the smallest Vapours, if the faid Air were as thin and as much rarified below at FP, as it is above, between B and F; and on the contrary, if the Air were as thick above, between B and F, as we now find it between P and F, few or none of the exhaled Vapours would ever defcend in Rain or Dews, but floating in the Air, like Oil upon Water, would continue there; in which cafe alfo, the whole Earth would be dried up, and every thing living perish with Thirst.

Let me now again ask thefe miferable Philofophers, whether they can imagine, that all these things are thus difpofed by mere Chance, and without a View towards any End? And that the Air, by its Weight and Elafticity, becoming more Compreffed and Thicker below than above, was thus difpofed with refpect to the exlialed Watry Particles, that the Vapours would be feldom or never in an Equiponderating State therein, before they be raised to the heighth of the Clouds For K. Whereas otherwife, in cafe the Air

were

were of the fame Thinnefs at P, or juft above the Earth, as it is higher at F, to fay nothing of the Diftempers which would be occafion'd thereby, the continual Cloudy Weather, Fogs and Mifts, would take away, or at leaft embarrass the use of our Sight.

To add one thing more; Is it brought about by ignorant Caufes, and without Knowledge and Forefight, that whereas fo many other Kinds of Salts are incomparably lighter than Water, yet the Sea-Salt is heavier? which would otherwife, by afcending along with the Vapours, render all the Waters of Rain and Rivers useless and unneceffary, both to Living Creatures and Piants. Is it by Chance, that the Sun is placed at just such a Distance from the Globe, as to be able by its Warmth to caufe the Waters to afcend in Vapours; and yet not fo near as to finge and burn up thofe tender Plants which received their Nourifhment and Encrease from those Waters, and do chiefly confift thereof?

Have the Sun, the Sea, the Air, and the Salt, met one another in fo fmall a corner of the World, which, with regard to the whole Extent thereof, is but a Point; I fay, have they thus met by mere Chance, in order to furnish all the Inhabitants of the Earth with Meat and Drink? Is it owing to Igncrant Causes, that they are endowed withfo many neceffary Qualities as have been before enumerated, and as are required for this only Purpofe? If this be not fufficient; if no other Causes concurred, in order to water the Earth with the Vapours defcending from the Air, than the Lightnefs and Thinnefs of the faid Air, or the Winds that drive them together, it is plain to every Body, that all the Parts of the Earth, without any Difference, would be equally water'd; and that the Sea, which has no occafion for these Vapours,

as