are fubordinate to the fun's influence, exceed the earth one thousand times in magnitude. Thefe, which were at firft fuppofed to wander in the heavens without any fixed path, and that took their name from their apparent deviations, have long been found to perform their circuits with great exactnefs and ftrict regularity. They have been discovered as forming with our earth a fyftem of bodies circulating round the fun, all obedient to one law, and impelled by one common influence.

Modern philofophy has taught us to believe, that, when the great author of nature began the work of creation, he chofe to operate by fecond caufes; and that, fufpend. ing the constant exertion of his power, he endued matter with a quality by which the univerfal œconomy of nature might be continued without his immediate af fiftance. This quality is called attraction; a fort of approximating influence, which all bodies, whether terreftial or celeftial, are found to poffefs, and which in all increases as the quantity of matter in each increases. The fun, by far the greatest body in our fyftem, is, of confequence, poffeft of much the greatest share of this attracting power; and all the planets, of which our earth is one, are of course entirely fubject to its fuperior inAuence. Were this power, therefore, left uncontrolled by any other, the fun muft quickly have attracted all the bodies of our celeftial fyftem to itfelf; but it is equally counteracted by another power of equal efficacy; namely, a progreflive force which each planet received when it was impelled forward, by the divine architect, upon

its firft formation. The heavenly bodies of our fyftem being thus acted upon by two oppofings powers; namely, by that of attraction, which draws them towards the fun; and that of impulfion, which drives them ftrait forward into the great void of space; they purfue a track between thefe contrary directions; and each, like a stone whirled about in a fling, obeying two oppofite forces, circulates round its great center of heat and motion.

In this manner, therefore, is the harmony of our planetary fyftem preferved. The fun, in the midft, gives heat, and light, and circular motion to the planets which furround it: Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, perform their conftant circuits at different distances, each taking up a time to complete its revolutions, proportioned to the greatness of the circle which it is to describe. The leffer planets alfo, which are attendants upon fome of the greater, are fubject to the fame laws; they circulate with the fame exactness; and are, in the fame manner, influ. enced by their respective centres of motion.

. Befides thofe bodies which make a part of our peculiar fyftem, and which may be faid to refide within its great circumference; there are others, that frequently come among us, from the most diftant tracts of fpace, and that feem like danger. ous intruders upon the beautiful fimplicity of nature. These are comets, whofe appearance was once fo terrible to mankind, and the theory of which is fo little underftood at prefent: all we know, is, that their number is much greater than that of the planets; and that, like thefe, they roll in orbits, in

fome

fome measure obedient to Solar influence. Aftronomers have endeavoured to calculate the returning periods of many of them; bat experience has not, as yet, confirmed the veracity of their inveftigations indeed, who can tell, when thofe wanderers have made their excurfions into other worlds and distant systems, what obitacles may be found to oppofe their progrefs, to accelerate their motions, or retard their return?

But what we have hitherto attempted to sketch, is but a fmall part of the great fabric in which the Deity has thought proper to manifeft his wisdom and onnipotence. There are multitudes of other bodies difperft over the face of the heavens that lie too remote for examination: thefe have no motion,, fuch as the planets are found to poffefs, and are, therefore, called fixed stars; and from their extreme brilliancy, and their immenfe distance, philofophers have been induced to suppose them to be funs resembling that which enlivens our fyftem as the imagination alfo, once excited, is feldom content to stop, it has furnished each with an attendant fyftem of planets belonging to itself, and has even induced fome to deplore the fate of those fyftems, whofe imagined funs, which fometimes happens, have become no longer vifible.

But conjectures of this kind, which no reasoning can afcrtain, nor experiment reach, are rather amufing than useful. Though we fee the greatnefs and wisdom of the Deity in all the feeming worlds that furround us, it is our chief concern

to trace him in that which we inhabit. The examination of the earth, the wonders of its contrivance, the hiftory of its advantages, or of the feeming defects of its formation, are the proper bufinefs of the natural hiftorian. A defcription of this earth, its animals, vegetables, and minerals, is the most delightful entertainment the mind can be furnished with, as it is the moft interesting and useful. I would beg leave, therefore, to conclude thefe common-place fpeculations, with an observation, which, I hope, is not entirely fo.

An ufe, hitherto not much infifted upon, that may refult from the contemplation of celeftial magnificence, is, that it will teach us to make an allowance for the apparent irregularities we find below. Whenever we can examine the works of the Deity at a proper point of diftance, fo as to take in the whole of his defign, we fee nothing but uniformity, beauty, and precifion. The heavens prefent us with a plan, which, though inexpreffibly magnificent, is yet regular beyond the power of invention. Whenever, therefore, we find any apparent defects in the earth, which we are about to confider, instead of attempting to reafon ourselves into an opinion that they are beautiful, it will be wifer to fay, that we do not behold them at the proper point of distance, and that our eye is laid too close to the objects to take in the regularity of their connexion. In short, we may conclude, that God, who is regular in his great productions, acts with equal uniformity in the little.