120 



lo transport themselves, to and fro, as their various 

 occasions require ! 



7. Another instance of the wisdom of Him that 

 made and .Governs the world, we have in the balance 

 of creature?. The whole surface of the terraqueous 

 globe, can afford room and support, to o more than 

 a determinate number of all serts of creatures. And 

 if they should increase to double or treble the number, 

 they must starve or devour one another. To keep 

 the balance even, the great Author of nature has de- 

 termined the life of all creatures to such a length, and 

 their increase to such a number, proportioned to 

 their use in the world. The life indeed of some hurtful 

 creatures, is long; of the lion in particular. But then 

 their increase is exceeding small : and by that means 

 they do not overstock the world. On the other hand, 

 \vheretheincreasc is great, the lives of those creatures 

 are generally short. 'And beside this, they are of 

 great use to man, either for food or on other occa- 

 sions. This indeed should be particularly observed, 

 as a signal instance of divine Providence, that useful 

 creatures are produced in gro i at plenty : others in 

 smaller numbers. The prodigious increase of insects, 

 both in and out of the waters may exemplify the former 

 observation. For innumerable creatures feed upon 

 them, and would perish, were it not for this supply. 

 And the latter is confirmed by what many have re- 

 marked : that creatures of little use, or by their vo- 

 raciousness, p< -melons, either seldom bring forth, or 

 have but one or two at a birth. 



8. How remarkable is the destruction and repara- 

 tion of the whole animal creation ? The surface of 

 the earth is the inexhaustible source whence both 

 man and beast derive their subsistence. Whatever 

 lives, lives on what vegetates, and vegetables in their 

 turn, live on whatever has lived or vegetated c it is 

 impossible for any thing to Iive 3 without destroying 



