Chap. II. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 121 



CHAP. ir. 



General Survey of the War Id ^ ift, The Firmament and its Luminaries : 

 — The/e exhibit a glorious fpc6laclc; — arc alfo of necejfary ufe to us. 

 — 2d, The Jour Elements of ivbich our Planet is compofed, — 3d, 

 The Animal Race. — Thtfe to be ajterwards conftdered. 



I Will begin with the works of Nature in this part of the Uni- 

 verle in which we Uve. The firft of thefe is the Luminaries in 

 our firmament, which, at the fame time that they exhibit to us a 

 moft glorious fpedlacle, are, as 1 have fhown, of the grsateft ufe, 

 and are perfectly fifted to anfwer the ends for which they are in- 

 tended, VIZ. tiie viciflitude of day and night, the fucceflion of fea- 

 fons, and the produdtion of vegetables, by which all the animals on 

 til is earth are nourilhed. 



The next thing to be confidered, with refpeft to our earth, is tlie 

 four Elements, the air, the water, the fire, and the earth itfelf, which 

 arc intended for the nouriihmcnt, the health, and prefervation of all 

 the animals of this earth, and of the vegetables upon which they lub- 

 fjfl ; and fo perfedlly are they adapted for thefe purpofes, that no- 

 thing, more proper could be imagined. 



The only other produ'flion of nature on this earth that I fhall here 



mention is Minerals, which, as it is well known, are of the greatcft 



Vol. VI. Ct ufe 



