II.

Sermon perfectly understood by the Learned from what Caufes it proceeds? Whether from One or Many? Whether by a Heat or Fermentation only, or by a Menftruum or Liquor? If by the Latter, Hath any Man yet dif covered the Nature of that Liquor or Men Aruum which diffolves the Food? or, Can any Chymift, Phyfician, or Anatomift imi tate it, or prepare the Like? This would be a noble Discovery indeed; when Nature was decayed, and could afford no longer the Means of Digeftion and Nutrition Art could! Of what Efteem would fuch a Medicine be? Of what Advantage to the World? And yet if fuch a Thing be, it is, perhaps, as remote from human Discovery, as the Philofopher's Stone.

Art.

Pafs we on to the Blood, which, by the Help of Organs, is formed out of our Food and, furely, this is a ftrange Liquor, for out of it, undeniably, are formed and repaired all the Parts of our Bodys; out of This are made Spirits, Nerves, Mufcles, Bones, and all the Solids, as well as Fluids. And,What a Compound is the Body of Man? Made of how many different diffimilar Parts and yet, That one Liquor fhould fupply All repair; anfwer the Ends of that muft appear wonderful to the moft Knowing in that Faculty.

All; is, I fancy, a Cce,

This laft Age hath difcovered the Cir- Sermon culation of the Blood, and this Discove- II. ry (as all other good Ones do) fince it is made, appears fo obvious, that one would wonder what the World, for fo many Ages, had been doing. Well! but now, fince the Discovery is made, and the Fact appears incontestable, Can any Man affign, with Certainty, the Caufe of it? Yes, the Heart. But what gives the Heart this Motion, its Syftole and Diaftole, as learned Men term it? Men have offered plaufible Conjectures about this, but the different, repugnant Sentiments of the Curious, exclude Certainty and Demonftration here. But let this be no longer a Secret neither; I dare fay, whofoever is admitted into it, fhall not cease to admire the Wisdom of the Defign; and his Knowledge, inftead of abating (as in other poor Things) will encreafe his Admiration. lov

What a common Thing is Refpiration, or Breathing? And yet there is more of Myftery, more of Art and Curiofity in this, than common Men dream of, I might add, than the Ingenious can well explain.

I muft not ftay to inftance in many other Particulars, deemed lefs rare and furprizing, which yet, when the Men of Art come attentively to confider, and sunder also take

Sermon take to account for, they find Difficulty and II. Entanglement enough in.

What a Scene doth the Anatomift open to our View, when he fheweth us the mar vellous Structure of human Bodies! When the Joining and Locking of the Bones is difcovered! When the Arteries, the Veins, the Nerves are traced! What a Piece of elaborate and curious Work is the Brain! How much of thefe Things, by reafon of their exquifite Fineness and Delicacy, is altoge ther undiscoverable by us! and yet so much appears, as to ftrike us with Surprize and Admiration.›

To conclude this Head: What a strange Invention are the Senfes, and especially the Sight and Hearing! I fpeak not fo much here of the Organs, by which outward Objects are admitted, (although furprisingly fine and curious, for, What a Contrivance is the Eye! How marvellous in its Structure and Frame!) but of the Design its felf. And as to what we term Sight, That the different Motions and Stroaks of fome very fubtil Matter upon the optick Nerves, fhould let in upon us the Knowledge of the Univerfe; fhould make Discovery of Objects at fuch remote Distance; fhould lay open to us the Wonders and Riches of Nature; affect us with fuch various and delightful Colours and Sentiments; Is not all

II.

this wonderful? And efpecially when we con- Sermon fider it in its Caufes? That the Bottom, I fay, of all this, according to the best Ac counts, fhould be nothing but the Action of fine Matter upon the Organ of Sight; That this fhould make fuch a glorious Difplay, fhould let in upon the Soul fuch innumerable Objects; How marvellous is this! What a vaft Distance are we from the fixt Stars! and, How came we to know there are fuch Objects? How came there any Communication or Correfpondence between Things at fuch an immenfe Diftance? It is really furprizing there fhould be any at all; but that delicate Stroaks or Touches of a refined Body (which we term Light) fhould perform all this, convey all this Knowledge to us, eftablish this Intercourfe; if I mistake not, the more any Man confiders this, the more wonderful it will appear to him.

What shall we fay of Hearing? Of what Ufe as well as Delight is this Senfe? without it, How difficult and unedifying would human Society and Converfation have been? What imperfect Difcovery of Thoughts? and, What a heavy, dull, melancholy Thing would human Life have been, when found Senfe, Sharpness of Wit, and other noble Talents of the Soul, had been com municable only by Looks, and Motions of VOL. I.

D

the

II.

Sermon the Hands and Feet? Upon Hearing depends Speech, Language, Eloquence, Politenefs, good Breeding, and many other Sciences; and, What a poor Figure would human Nature have made without these? yea, How fhould we have wanted Mufick? for, What Charms hath this? How variouf ly doth it affect the Soul? How many Paffions doth it infpire?

Who hath not felt the Power of agreeaable Sounds, or can ftand infenfible at them? What a Help, as well as Ornament is this to human Life? yea, What a Help to Devotion? But when a Man confiders upon what, all this Good, all this Pleasure depends; upon what, Speech, Eloquence, Logick, Mufick, with all its various Notes; I fay, when a Man reflects, that all these arife from a peculiar and different Motion, or Undulation of the Air, That this is the Medium of conveying Thoughts, and of so differently affecting the Soul; Muft not the Contrivance hereof appear most amazing? It does to me, I confefs. A wonderful Contrivance, indeed, is the Body of Man! A wonderful Machine, not only in its felf, but in regard to other Things, to the Universe, of which it is a Part: When the Motions of the Light, and of the Air, fhall raife fuch inftructive, delightful Senfations in us! How nicely adapted muft

our