58 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



nature is wonderful, as well as various, 

 in her operations ; and we ought to fub- 

 due our incredulity, when, upon fearch- 

 ing into her works, we find fo many ap- 

 pearances diflPerent from what we are ac- 

 cuflomed to in common life. 



Having thus eftablifhed, that there 

 is a power inherent in matter, by which 

 every particle tends to be united to every 

 other particle, and which power is in con- 

 tinual adion withqut ever being fufpend- 

 ed even for a moment ; the curvilinear 

 motion of the heavenly bodies, as well as 

 the defcent of bodies towards the centre 

 of the earth, are obvioufly the effedls of 

 that power. With regard to any particu- 

 lar planet, the earth for example, we 

 have no more to fuppofe, but that it is 

 fet in motion by the hand of the Almigh- 

 ty: It will endeavour to prefer ve itfelf in 

 the fame degree of motion by the njis injl- 

 ta. Having likewife a tendency to the 

 fun, thefe two powers conilantly acling 

 in different directions, carry it round 

 the fun. At the fame time, the propor- 

 tion of thefe two forces is fo adjufted, that 

 the earth, as well as all the other planets, 



defcribcs 



