34 



THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER. 



the property of afterwards resuming its natural 

 weight. Were it not for this property, evapora 

 tion could not be produced ; and, consequently, no 

 clouds, rain, nor dew, could be formed, to water 

 and fertilize the different regions of the earth. 

 But, in consequence of this wonderful property, 

 the ocean becomes an inexhaustible cistern to our 

 world. From its expansive surface are exhaled 

 those vapours which supply the rivers, and nourish 

 the vegetable productions of every land. &quot; The 

 air and the sun,&quot; says an elegant writer, &quot; con- 

 ititute the mighty engine which works without 

 intermission to raise the liquid treasure ; while 

 the clouds serve as so many aqueducts to convey 

 them along the atmosphere, and distribute them, 

 at seasonable periods, and in regular proportions, 

 through all the regions of the globe.&quot; 



Notwithstanding the properties now sta ed, 

 motion was still requisite, to ensure all the advan 

 tages we now derive from the liquid element. 

 Had the whole mass of waters been in a stag 

 nant state, a thousand inconveniences and dis 

 astrous consequences would have inevitably en 

 sued. But the All-wise Creator has impressed 

 upon its various masses a circulating motion, 

 which preserves its purity, and widely extends 

 its beneficial influence. The rills pour their 

 liquid stores into the rivers ; the rivers roll their 

 watery treasures into the ocean ; the waters of 

 the ocean, by alibratory motion, roll backwards 

 and forwards every twelve hours, and, by means 

 of currents, and the force of winds, are kept in 

 constant agitation. By the solar heat, a portion 

 of these waters is carried up into the atmosphere, 

 and, in the form of clouds, is conveyed by the 

 winds over various regions ; till, at last, it de 

 scends in rain and dew, to supply the springs 

 &quot; which run among the hills.&quot; So that there is 

 a constant motion and circulation of the watery 

 element, that it may serve as an agent for carry 

 ing forward the various processes of nature, and 

 for ministering to the wants of man and beast. 



In fine, were the waters in a state of perpe 

 tual stagnation, the filth of populous cities would 

 be accumulated to a most unwholesome degree; 

 the air would be filled with putrid exhalations ; 

 and the vegetable tribes would languish and die. 

 Were they deprived of the property of being 

 evaporated, (in which state they occupy a space 

 1400 times greater than in their liquid state,) 

 rain and dew could never be produced, and the 

 earth would be turned into &quot; a dry and parched 

 wilderness ;&quot; neither grass nor corn could be 

 sufficiently dried to lay up for use ; our clothes, 

 when washed, could never be dried ,* and a variety 

 of common operations, which now conduce to 

 our convenience and comfort, could never be 

 carried on. But the infinite wisdom of the 

 Creator, foreseeing all the effects which can 

 possibly arise from these principles of nature, 

 has effectually provided against such disasters, 



by arranging all things, in number, weight md 

 measure, to subserve the beneficial ends for 

 which they were ordained, &quot; He causeth the 

 vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth . 

 hesendeth the springs into the valleys, which run 

 among the hills. They give drink to every beast 

 of the field ; the wild asses quench their thirst. 

 By them the fowls of heaven are refreshed, 

 which sing among the branches. He watereth 

 the hills from his chambers, and the earth is sa 

 tisfied with the the fruit of his works.&quot; 



Let us now attend to the atmosphere, in the con 

 stitution of which the wisdom of God is no less con 

 spicuous than in the&quot; other departments of nature. 



The atmosphere is one of the most, essential 

 appendages to the globe we inhabit, and exhibits 

 a most striking scene of Divine skill and omni 

 potence. The term atmosphere is applied to the 

 whole mass of fluids, consisting of air, vapours, 

 electric fluid, and other matters, which surround 

 the earth to a certain height. This mass of 

 fluid matter gravitates to the earth, revolves with 

 it in its diurnal rotation, and is carried along 

 with it in its course round the sun every year. 

 It has been computed to extend about 45 miles 

 above the earth s surface, and it presses on the 

 earth with a force proportioned to its height and 

 density. From experiments made by the ba 

 rometer, it has been ascertained, that it presses 

 with a weight of about 15 pounds on every 

 square inch of the earth s surface ; and, therefore, 

 its pressure on the body of a middle-sized man, is 

 equal to about 32.000 Ibs. or 14 tons avoirdupois, 

 a pressure which would be insupportable, and 

 even fatal, were it not equal in every part, and 

 counterbalanced by the spring of the air within 

 us. The pressure of the whole atmosphere up 

 on the earth, is computed to be equivalent to 

 that of a globe of lead 60 miles in diameter, or 

 about 5,000,000,000.000,000 tons ; that is, the 

 whole mass of air which surrounds the globe, 

 compresses the earth with a force or power equal 

 to that of Jive thousand millions of millions of 

 tons. * This amazing pressure is however, 

 essentially necessary for the preservation of the 

 present constitution of our globe, and of the ani 

 mated beings which dwell on its surface. It 

 prevents the heat of the sun from converting 

 water, and all other fluids on the face of the earth, 

 into vapour ; and preserves the vessels of all orga 

 nized beings in due tone and vigour. Were the 

 atmospherical pressure entirely removed, the 

 elastic fluids contained in the finer vessels of 

 men and other animals, would inevitably burst 

 them, and life would become extinct ;| and most 



* See Appendix, No. II. 



+ The necessity of tlie atmospherical pressure, for 

 the comfort and preservation of animal life, might 

 be illustrated by the effects experienced by those 

 who have ascended to the summits of very high 

 mountains, or who have been carrie/ to a great 

 height above the surface of the eartV in balloon* 



