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creeping innumerable, both small and great Beafts, &c. How doth it exactly compofe it felf to a level or equal Superficies, and with the Earth make up one Spherical Roundnefs? How doth it conftantly obferve its Ebbs and Flows, its Spring and Nepe-Tides, and ftill retain its Saltnefs fo convenient for the Maintenance of its Inhabitants, ferving alfo the Ufes of Man for Navigation, and the Convenience of Carriage? That it should be defined by Shores and Strands and Limits, I mean at firft, when it was natural to it to overflow and ftand above the Earth. All these Particulars declare abundance of Wifdom in their primitive Conftitution. This laft the Pfalmift takes notice of in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Verfes of this Pfalm. Speaking of the Earth at the firft Creation, he faith, Thou coveredft it with the Deep as with a Garment, the Waters flood above the Mountains. At thy Rebuke they fled, at the Voice of thy Thunder they bafted away (the Mountains afcend, the Valleys defcend) unto the place thou haft prepared for them. Thou haft fet a bound that they may not pafs over: That they turn not again to cover the Earth. But what need was there (may fome. fay) that the Sea fhould be made fo large, that: its Superficies fhould equal if not exceed that of the dry Land? Where is the Wisdoin of the Creator, in making fo much ufelefs Sea, and for little dry Land, which would have been far more beneficial and ferviceable to Mankind? Might not at least half the Sea have been spar'd, and added to the Land, for the Entertainment

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and Maintenance of Men, who by their continual ftriving and fighting to enlarge their Bounds, and encroaching upon one another, feem to be ftraitned for want of Room.

To this Objection against the Wisdom of God in thus dividing Sea and Land, Mr. Keil in his Examination of Dr. Burnet's Theory of the Earth, p. 92, 93. thus, anfwers, This as most other of the Atheist's Arguments, proceeds from a deep Ignorance of Natural Philofophy. For if there were but half the Sea that now is, there would be alfo but half the quantity of Vapours, and confequently we could have but half so many Rivers as now there are to supply all the dry Land we have at present, and half as much more. For the quantity of Vapours which are rais'd, bears a proportion to the Surface whence they are rais'd, as well as to the Heat which rais'd them. The wife Creator therefore did fo prudently order it, that the Sea fhould be large enough to Supply Vapours fufficient for all the Land, which it would not do if it were lefs than now it is.

But against this it may be objected, Why fhould not all the Vapours which are rais'd out of the Sea fall down again into it by Rain? Is there not as much reafon that the Vapours which are exhaled out of the Earth fhould be carried down to the Sea, as that thofe raised out of the Sea be brought up upon the dry Land? If fome by Winds be driven from the Sea up Land, others by the fame caufe will be blown down from Land to Sea, and fo balancing one another, they will in

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qually upon Sea and Land; and confequently the Sea contribute nothing to the watering of the Earth, or the maintenance of Rivers.

To which I answer, That as to the watering of the Earth there needs no Supply from the Sea, there being fufficient Water exhaled out of it felf to do that; there is no more return'd upon it by Rain fo as to reft upon it, than an equivalent Quantity to what was rais'd out of it.

But the Rivers must be fupplied otherways. • Our Opinion is, That they have their Supply from Rain and Vapours. The Question is, Whence thefe Vapours are brought? We anfwer, From the Sea. But what brings them up from the Sea? I answer, The Winds: And fo I am arriv'd at the main Difficulty. Why should not the Winds carry them that are exhaled out of the Earth down to the Sea, as well as bring them up upon the Earth, which are rais'd from the Sea? Or which is all one, why should not the Winds blow indifferently from Sea and Land? To which I anfwer, That I must needs acknowledge my felf not to comprehend the Reafon hereof. God is truly faid, Pfal. 135. 7. To bring the Wind out of his Treasures. But the Matter of Fact is moft certain, viz. that the Winds do bring abundantly more Vapours up from the Sea than they carry down thither.

First, because otherwife there can no Ac count be given of Floods. It is clear, that Floods with us proceed from Rain; and it is often a vaft Quantity of Water they carry down G

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to the Sea. Whence come those Vapours which fupply all this Water? I hope those who bring up Springs and Rivers from the great Abyss, will not bring thofe Vapours, which unite into Drops and defcend in Rain from thence too. Should they rife from the dry Land only, they would foon render it dry indeed; more parch'd than the Defarts of Libya. We fhould quickly come to an end of Floods, and of Rain too, if nothing were return'd from the Sea again, not to mention that the Sea muft needs in fuch a cafe overflow its Shores, and enlarge its Bounds.

But this way there is an eafy Account to be given. It is clear, that the Sun doth exhale Vapours both from Sea and Land; and that the Superficies of Sea and Land is fufficient to yield Vapours for Rain, Rivers and Floods, when heated to fuch a degree as the Sun heats it: So that there wants only Wind to bring up fo great a proportion of Vapours from the Sea as may: afford Water for the Floods; that is, fó much as is return'd back again to the Sea.

Some may perchance demand, To What purpofe ferve the Floods? What ufe is there of them? Lanfwer, To return back to the Sea the furplufage of Water after the Earth is fated with Rain. It may be further ask'd, What need more Rain be poured upon the Earth than is fufficient to water it? I reply, That the Rain brings down from the Mountains and higher Grounds a great quantity of Earth, and in times of Floods fpreads it upon the Meadows and Levels, rendering them thereby fo fruitful as to

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ftand in need of no culture or manuring. So we see the Land of Egypt owes its great Fertility to the annual overflowing of the River Nilus and it's likely the Countries bordering upon the River of Ganges may receive the like benefit by the overflowing thereof. Moreover, all Rain-water contains in it a copious Sediment of Terreftrial Matter, which by ftanding it pre-. cipitates, and is not a fimple Elementary Water. This Terreftrial Matter ferves for the nourishment of Plants, and not the Water it self, which is but a Vehicle to derive this Nutriment to all the parts of the Plant: and therefore the more Rain, the more of this Nutritious Matter may be precipitated upon the Earth, and fo the Earth render'd more fruitful. Befides all this, its not unlikely, that the Rain-water may be endu'd with fome vegetating or prolifick Vertue, deriv'd from fome Saline or Oleofe Particles it contains: For we fee that Aquatick Plants, which grow grow in the very Water, do not thrive and flourish in dry Summers, when they are not alfo water'd with the Dew of Heaven.

Secondly, Another Argument to prove, that the Winds bring up more Vapours from the Sea than they carry down thither, is, Because the Winds do more frequently blow from the Sea than to the Sea. This appears from the Trees which grow on and near the Sea-fhores all along the Western Coaft of England, whofe Heads and Boughs I have obferv'd to run out far to Landward, but toward the Sea to be fo fnub'd by the G 2 Winds,

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