S T R O L O G Y. 
3 afi> 
will csnflaidiy point towards the north pole ; and, though 
it be ever to far diftant, or though rocks and mountains, 
or even the earth’s body, intervene, yet it retains this di¬ 
rective-property in to extraordinary a degree, that it will 
-continue precifely in the fame direction, unlefs violence 
be tiled to prevent it; and, even after it has been remo¬ 
ved by force, it will of itfelf return to its former fituation, 
without the lead fenfible difference. The properties of 
the load (tone in many other retpects are to very inexpli¬ 
cable, that the experiments of our mod celebrated modern 
mathematicians have not been able to afford us a fatisfac- 
tory definition *of them. This however is certain, that it 
could not poffibly imbibe thefe miraculous properties with¬ 
out the aid of feme celedial matter, which is communica¬ 
ted to it by the influence of the pole-dar, or fome other 
of the heavenly .bodies within the polar circles, from 
whence it is manifed the loaddone receives thefe fecret 
and admirable qualities. Another adoniffiing effe'fl of 
this influence may be obferved in the natural production 
of life and motion ; how it darts up and grows, and con¬ 
tinues in the lap of heat and moittnre, proportionally con¬ 
joined, and perfect in all its parts, beyond the utmod of 
our comprehenfion whence it comes, or which way it is 
maintained, unleis by the operation ctf this fecret and in- 
vifible influence. And, if this be denied, I would widi 
to alk, Whence the role, furroutided by ill-fcented weeds 
and thirties, derives its fragrant fmell ? or how the plan- 
tane, by the path-way fide, acquires its admirable virtue 
of healing fores? or which way the lily, handing up to 
its middle in mud and mire, receives its coat of many co¬ 
lours, fo beautifully wrought, as many times we fee it is ? 
or bow a grain of wheat, thrown into the cold earth, pu¬ 
trefies and dies, (St. John xii. 24.) and then darts up into 
new life, and multiplies into an ear of thirty or forty grains 
for one? or tell me how the matter of an egg, by the fit¬ 
ting of the hen, is in a few weeks.animated, and converted 
into a chicken, that will eat, and walk, and chirp, the 
moment it emerges from the (hell ? or by what means the 
feed in the womb, without any art, or (kill, or knowledge 
of the mother, coagulates, and turns into fledi and blood, 
receives life, and is lo admirably formed into a pedeCt 
child, that learns to cry, and fpeak, and call ? You will 
fay, nerhaps, That this is the immediate worktnandup 
and effect of God. But this we already know ; the only 
quedion is, how he does it; whether by means, or with¬ 
out? If without means, then every child that is born, 
and every feed that grows out of the ground, mud of ne- 
ceffity come to pafsby a new creation; for to bring things 
into exigence without means, is the fame as to produce 
them without matter ; and requiies no mote but foi the 
Almh’hty to fay, Let there be men ; or, Let there he 
leaves and flowers ; and, as the "Word fays, tlipy come to 
pals. But we are certain there never was more than one 
creation, which was'at the beginning of the world, and 
ever (ince that time all things have come to pafs by a 
re cnilar courie of nature; and hence it follows that there 
mud be a natural and efficient means for the production 
of all things* And, if fo, then mud thefe things come 
to pafs by°an earthly means alone', or elfe by the aid and 
aflidance of fome celedial influence. But by an earthly 
means alone, it is evident, they cannot come to pafs ; for 
we know experimentally, that neither, fire, earth, air, or 
water, can of fihemfelves infufc into the rofe its grateful 
and fragrant fmell; it hmd therefore proceed from the 
agency of fome fpiritual or material fubdance, far fuperior 
in efficacy and virtue to any earthly element. If it pro¬ 
ceeds from a fpiritual fubdance, it is effefled either by the 
angels, or by the foul of the world. But by the angels 
wedenow it cannot be ; for they have their peculiar offices 
allotted them in another way ; and, though they are fub- 
jefts of the world, yet are they no part of the great frame 
pf nature, from whence all things in their order are form¬ 
ed. And, if it be effeTed by the foul of the world, then 
certainly mud there be fuel) a foul fomewhere exiding, 
which at pfefent is a matter in difpute among the learned; 
and this foul mud have -a fpecial feat in the world, wor¬ 
thy ot itfelf, from whence it may inform and actuate every 
minute particle of the creation. If this be admitted, then 
it undoubtedly dwells among the celedial matter, and from 
thence iupplies the earth, through the medium of the hea¬ 
venly bodies, with all that power and virtue, which brings 
to pafs that variety of (hape, colour, fmell, life, and in- 
creafe, which we daily fee come to pafs. But if this hy- 
pothefis be denied, and it is infilled that the earth is fup- 
plied with all her fecret virtues by fome fu'pernatural ma¬ 
terial fubdance ; then name any one tiling befides the 
heavenly matter, and the dars of heaven, that can be 
fuppofed to form that fubdance, and the argument ceafes ; 
for either way it proves an influence and adrology in the 
heavens, beyond contradiction 1 , and there will remain only 
one quedion to be decided, which is, Whether thefe ee- 
iedial inflnences.create the fucceffion of earthly things by 
an immediate power from God, or whether there exids a 
general foul in the world, through the means of which 
they come to pafs in a due order and courfe of nature ? 
'Utrum horum mavis a-ccipe ; I contend for no more. “ In 
the beginning God created the heaven and the earth ; and 
the earth was without form, and void, and darknefs was 
upon the face of the deep, and the l'pirit of God moved 
upon the face of the waters.” "Here, when there was no¬ 
thing but earth and water, and darknefs overfpread all, 
the fpirit of God maintained that chaotic niafs, and ma¬ 
naged the earth by the water, and the water and darknefs 
by himfelf. But now both the earth and water are under 
the face of heaven, and the light is upon this heaven, and the 
fpirit of God moveth upon the face of the Leavens in that 
light ; and, as he actuates the earth and the waters by the 
heavens, fo doth he afhiate rite heavens by himfelf. And 
agreeably to this idea (peaks the prophet Hofea, when he 
fays, God will hear the heavens , and they fliall hear the earth, 
and the earth the corn and wine and oil, and they Jezrccl ; 
(Hofea ii. 21,22.) wherein he (hews us, that, as man lives 
by corn and wine, fo they by the earth, and the earth by 
the heavens ; and, if fo, then by the heavens is it that the 
earth receives all its efficacy and virtue, whereby it brings 
forth fmell, colour, tafte, and life. Modes alfo tells 11s, 
that God fall open his good treafure the heavens, to give rain 
unto the land, and to blifs ell the works of our hands ; (Dent, 
xxviii. 12.) whence it is evident that there lodges in the 
celedial influences a faculty of fortunating civil affairs, as 
well as of managing natural tilings ; and that the root of 
all .earthly biddings is from heaven. Mofes fays again, 
that the fun, moon, and fan, God hath difributed unto all 
nations under heaven ; and the Pfalmift, fpeaking of the fun 
and heavenly bodies, fays, they declare the glory of God, and 
Jhew forth his handy-work ; day and night do continually tell of 
them, and their voice is heard in all languages, and their words 
are gone into the ends of the world ; by which we learn that 
the heavens, and all the dars therein, are full of fuch vir¬ 
tues as the whole world hath need of; and that thefe vir¬ 
tues God hath lodged in the heavens, to be dealt out for 
the comfort and happinefs of his creatures upon earth. 
His fpirit (faith Job) hath garuificd the heavens ; and by the 
fpirit of his mouth was the zohole army of heaven made. 
“ T. he notion, or idea, that there is one general foul 
actuating the whole world, as there is one foul informing 
every man’s body, was not only the opinion of the Plato- 
nids and ancient philofophers, but alfo of many learned 
men in later ages : and 1 mud confefs, it appears very rea- 
fonable to believe that the world has fuch a foul. For, 
were there not one and the fame general living virtue, 
comprehending the whole fydem of nature, from the ex¬ 
terior circumference of the heavens to the inmob centre 
of the earth, how could the fympathies and antipathies of 
nature pollibly work fuch compliances and differences as- 
vve know they do, at the amazing diftances we fee them, 
and without any vifible or imaginable contact; unlefs 
fome faculty exids in the world, that is capable of fuftain- 
ing this invifible correfpondency between one creature and 
another? Where life is, thefe things are eafily effected ; 
ax 
