that they form the most important Parts of those mighty Engines; which, adapting themselves to the Play of mechanic Powers, dispatch more Work in a fingle Hour, than could otherwife be accomplished in many Days.—At the fame Time, their Pressure is so light, that they float upon the Waters; and glide along the Surface, almost with as much Agility, as the finny Fry glance through the Deep. Thus, while they impart Magnificence to Architecture, and beftow numberless Conveniencies on the Family; they constitute the very Basis of Navigation, and give Life, give Being to Commerce.

Amidst the inacceffible Depths of the Forest, an Habitation is affigned for those ravenous Beasts, whose Appearance would be frightful, and their Neighbourhood dangerous to Mankind. Here, the fternly majestic Lion roufes Himself from his Den, and awes the favage Herds with his Roar. Here, the fiery Tyger springs upon his Prey, and the gloomy Bear trains up her Whelps.

Here, the fwift Leopard ranges, and the grim Wolf prowls, and both in quest of Murder and Blood.-Were thefe horrid Animals to dwell in our Fields, what Havock would they make? What Confternation would they spread? But they voluntarily bury themselves, in the deepest Receffes of the Defart: while the Ox, the Horfe, and the ferviceable Quadrupeds, live under our Infpec

VOL. III.

C

tion,

tion, and keep within our Call: profiting Us as much by their Prefence, as the others oblige Us by their Absence.

If, at any Time, thofe fhaggy Monsters make an Excurfion into the habitable World, it is when Man retires to his Chamber, and fleeps in Security. The Sun, which invites other Creatures abroad, gives them the Signal to retreat. The Sun arifeth, and they get them away, and lay them down in their Dens *. Strange! That the orient Light, which is fo pleafing to Us, fhould ftrike fuch Terror on them! Should, more effectually than a Legion of Guards, put them all to Flight, and clear the Country of thofe formidable Enemies!

If We turn our Thoughts to the Atmosphere, We find a moft curious and exquifite Apparatus of Air. Which, because no Object of our Sight, is feldom confidered, and little regarded; yet is a Source of innumerable Advantages. And all these Advantages, (which is almost incredible) are fetched from the very Jaws of Ruin. My Meaning may be obfcure, therefore I explain myself.

We live plunged, if I may fo fpeak, in an Ocean of Air. Whofe Preffure, upon a Person of moderate Size, is equal to the Weight of

*Pfal. civ. 22.

of twenty thousand Pounds. Tremendous Confideration! Should the Ceiling of a Room, or the Roof a House, fall upon Us with half that Force, what deftructive Effects must enfue. Such a Force would infallibly drive the Breath from our Lungs, or break every Bone in our Bodies. Yet, fo admirably has the divine WISDOM contrived this aerial Fluid, and fo nicely counterpoifed its dreadful Power, that We receive not the slightest Hurt; We suffer no manner of Inconvenience; We even enjoy the Load. Inftead of being as a Mountain on our Loins, it is like Wings to our Feet, or like Sinews to our Limbs.-Is not this common Ordination of Providence, thus confidered, fomewhat like the Miracle of the burning Bush; whofe tender and combustible Substance, though in the midst of Flames, was neither consumed nor injured *? Is it not almost as marvelous, as the Prodigy of the three Hebrew Youths? Who walked in the fiery Furnace, without having a Hair of their Head finged, or fo much as the Smell of Fire paffing on their Garments +?-Surely, We have Reason to say unto GOD; O! how terrible, yet how beneficent, art Thou in thy Works!

The Air, though too weak to support our Flight, is a Thoroughfare for innumerable Wings,

* Exod. iii. 2.

+ Dan. iii. 27.

Wings. Here the whole Commonwealth of Birds take up their Abode. Here they lodge and expatiate, beyond the Reach of their Adverfaries. Were they to run upon the Earth, they would be exposed to ten thousand Dangers, without proper Strength to resist them, or fufficient Speed to escape them. Whereas, by mounting the Skies, and lifting themselves up on high, they are fecure from Peril, they fcorn the Horfe and his Rider *.-Some of them perching upon the Boughs, others foaring amidst the Firmament, entertain Us with their Notes: Which are mufical and agreeable, when heard at this convenient Distance; but would be noify and importunate, if brought nearer to our Ears. Here, many of those feathered Families refide, which yield Us a delicious Treat; yet give Us no Trouble, put Us to no, Expence, and, till the Moment We want them, are wholly out of our Way.

e Air, commiffioned by its all-bountiful AUTHOR, charges itself with the Adminiftration of feveral Offices, which are perfectly obliging, and no lefs ferviceable to Mankind. -Co-operating with our Lungs, it ventilates the Blood; cools and qualifies the vital Warmth, promotes and exalts the animal Secretions. Many Days We might live, or even whole Months, without the Light of the Sun,

*Job xxxix. 18,

or

or the Glimmering of a Star. Whereas, if We are deprived, only for a few Minutes, of this aerial Support, We ficken, We faint, We die. -The fame univerfal Nurfe has a confiderable Hand, in cherishing the feveral Tribes of Plants. It helps to transfufe vegetable Vigour into the Trunk of the Oak, and a blooming Gaiety into the Spread of the Rofe.

The Air undertakes to convey to our Noftrils the extremely fubtil Effluvia, which tran fpire from odoriferous Bodies. Those detached Particles are so imperceptibly fmall, that they would elude the most careful Hand, or escape the niceft Eye. But this trufty Depofitary receives and escorts the invisible Vagrants, without lofing fo much as a single Atom. Entertaining Us, by this means, with the delightful Sensations, that arife from the Fragrance of Flowers; and admonishing Us, by the Tranfmiffion of offenfive Smells, to withdraw from an unwholesome Situation, or beware of any pernicious Food.

The Air, by its undulating Motion, conducts to our Ear all the Diversities of Sound; and, thereby, discharges the Duty of a most seasonable and faithful Monitor. As I walk across the Streets of London, with my Eye engaged on other Objects; a Dray, perhaps, with all its Load, is driving down directly upon me. Or, as I ride along the Road, mufing and unap