Reflux; fuftain the augmented Weight; and facili tate a Progress to the grand Receptacle. This auxiliary Contrivance comes in, where the Blood is conftrained to climb; but is difmiffed where the fteep Afcent ceafes, and fuch a Precaution would be needlefs.

Here are Glands, whofe Office it is, to filtrate the paffing Fluid. Each of thefe Glands is an Affemblage of Veffels, complicated and intervolved, with feeming Confufion, but with perfect Regularity. As fome Kind of Sieves tranfmit the Duft, and retain the Corn; others bolt out the Meal, and hold back the Bran; fo, fome of thefe glandulous Strainers draw off the fineft, others the groffeft Parts of the Blood, Some, like the Distiller's Alembic, fublimate; others, like the common Sewers, defocate t. Each forms a Secretion, far more curious than the most admired Operations of Chemiftry; while all are neceffary for the Support of Life, or conducive to the Comfort of the Animal. Mufcles, wove in Nature's niceft Loom; composed of the flendereft Fibres, yet endued with incredible Strength; fashioned after a Variety of Patterns, but all in the highest Tafte for Elegance, Conveniency, and Ufefulness.-Thefe, with their Tendons annexed, NASET

* The glandulous Subftance of the Brain; which fecretes the animal Spirits.

†The Liver and Kidneys. The former of which feparates the Gall. The latter drains off a Fluid, which, being fufficiently known, need not be named. I could wifh, it had not been fo explicitly and coarfely mentioned, in our Tranflation of the best of Books. Bat that We had rendered the Original in 1 Kings xiv. 10. Every Male; in Ifai. xxxvi. 12. Eat and drink their own Excrements.

annexed, conftitute the Inftruments of Motion. The former, contracting their Subftance, operate like the Pulley in Mechanics. The latter, refembling the Cord, are faftened to a Bone, or fome Partition of Flesh and, following the mufcular Contraction, actuate the Part into which they are inferted. This, and all their Functions they execute, not like a fluggish Beaft of Burden, but quick as the Lightning-Nerves, very minute Tubes; derived from the Brain, and permeated by an exquifitely fubtle Fluid. Which, gliding into the Mufcles, fets them on work; diffufes the Power of Senfation through the Body; or, returning upon any Impreffion from without, gives a needful Intelligence to the Soul.-Veficles, diftended with an unctuous Matter; in fame Places, compofe a foft Cushion for Nature; in other Places, they fill up her Vacuities, and fmooth her Inequalities. Inwardly, they fupple the feveral Movements of the Machine. Outwardly, they render its Appearance plump, well proportioned, and graceful.

active Mac

It is faid of the virtuous Woman; She is not afraid of the Snow for her Houfbold; for all her Houfhold are clothed with Scarlet t; or, as We read in the Margin, with double Garments. Whether the admitted

or

*The Calf of the Leg, for Inftance. Whofe large Collection of Mufcles, intermingled with Fat, is of fingular Service to thofe important Bones. It flanks and fortifies them, like a frong Bastion. It fupports and cherishes them, like a Soft Pillow. What is no lefs pleafing to obferve, it accommodates and defends them on that very Side, where they most frequently reft their Weight, and where they are leaft capable of being guarded by the Eye..

+ Prov. xxxi. 21.

↑ See Gen. vi, 19, 20. Where the Word M 4

occurs in

or the ejected Translation is best, I am not a competent Judge. But that the ever-bountiful GOD has, in this moft warm, comfortable, and fecure Manner, clothed our vital Parts, is an undoubted Fact. One of the two Garments, the Flesh, has already been examined. Another, the Skin *, lis ftill to be confidered. This is a Kind of Surtout, exactly fitted, and fuperinduced over the Whole. Like our LORD's Vesture, it is without Seam, from the Top throughout. It confifts of the moft delicate Net-work; whofe Mefhes + are minute, and whofe Threads are ‡ multiplied, even to a Prodigy. -The Meshes fo minute, that nothing paffes them,

which

in this Signification. Which may, in the Place quoted above, not improperly be rendered, with Pairs or with 1-wo Suits.

* There are two Coats of Skin on the human Flesh. Though Theron feems to take Notice of one only; or elfe to comprise them both in one Reprefentation. The outermoft is ftyled Cuticula, or the Scarf-fkin. The innermoft, called Cutis, is the true and proper Skin. The frit is that foft whitish Tegument, which rifes in the Puftule of a Blifter. The other is that reddish and very tender Part, which appears, when the Blifter is broke, and the dead Skin taken off. The former is totally void of Senfe; and very happily provided to fcreen the latter. Screen it not only from the Stroke of Injuries, but even from the Impreffions of the Air. Which, mild as it may feel to the sheathed, would be too rough and sharp for the naked Nerves.

There seems to be an Allufion to this Particular, in that remarkable Expreffion, Skin for Skin, y Job ii. 4. Skin even unto Skin; the very inmoft Skin, which cannot be taken away, without the greateft Lofs, and feverest Pain. Yet, even this Los a Man would fuffer, this Pain He would endure, in order to preferve precious Life.

The Pores of the Cuticula.

The nervous Fibres, and other Veffels of the Cutis.

1

which is difcernable by the Eye; though they difcharge, every Moment, Myriads and Myriads of fuperfluous Incumbrances from the Body. The Steam, arifing from the warm Bufinefs tranfacted within, is carried off by thefe real, though imperceptible Funnels. This Evacuation conftitutes, what We ufually call, infenfible Perfpiration.-The Threads fo multiplied, that neither the Point of the smallest Needle, nor the incomparably nicer Spear of a Gnat, nor even the invifible Lancet of a Flea, can pierce any fingle Part, without caufing an uneafy Senfation and a Suffufion of Blood: confequently, without wounding, even by fo fmall a Puncture, both a Nerve and a Vein +.

The Veins, either pervading, or lying parallel with, this fine transparent Coat, beautify the human Structure; those Parts especially, which are most confpicuous, and intended for public View. The pliant Wrift, and the taper Arm, they variegate with an Inlay of living Sapphire. They fpread

Ver

Thefe are fomewhere prettily ftyled, cutaneous Chimnies; and no Wonder they are imperceptible, if, as Mr. Lewenhoeck affirms, a fingle Grain of Sand will cover no lefs than 125,000.

+ A Blood-veel at leaft. Compared with thefe Veffels, the fine filmy Threads, which, on fome bright autumnal Morning, float in the Air, or hang on the Stubble, must be large as a Bell-rope, or bulky as a Cable.

Such Tubes, One would think, fhould burst at every Breath We draw, or even break with their own Fineness. Yet, they are the Conduit-pipes, which convey the vital Fluid from and to the grand Refervoir. And fo admirable is their Texture, that they will out-laft the Strength of Lead, or the Heart of Oak: thefe wearing away, thofe growing ftronger, by Use.

W

Vermillion over the Lips*, and plant Roses in the Cheeks. While the Eye, tinged with gloffy Jet, or sparkling with the Blue of Heaven, is fixed in an Orb of polished Crystal +. Infomuch that the earthly Tabernacle exhibits the nicest Proportions, and displays the richest Graces. Such nice Proportions, as afford the most correct Model for Statuary and Architecture: fuch rich Graces, as the Canvafs never bore, as Painting imitates in vain.

Afp. How just in itself, and how pertinent to our Purpose, is that well-known Acknowledgment of the facred and royal. Anatomist; “ I am curiously “wrought ‡! There is a Variety, a Regularity, "and an Elegance, in the Texture of my Body;

"in

Thy Lips are like a Thread of Scarlet, Cantiv, 3. Like a Thread, for their delicate Shape; like a Thread of Scarlet, for their glowing Colour.

+ Solomon has compared the Eyes to The Fish-pools in Hefhbon. A Comparison, as juft, as it is noble.-Obferve the Eye in the human Structure, and a fine Piece of Water in the rural Profpect. Each is a very fmall Part, yet eminently ornamental to the Whole.-Each enlivens the Scene. Without Water, the Landfchape is dull and dreary; without an Eye, the Countenance would be blank and hagged.A fhining Kind of Luftre, fparkles in one; trembles in the other; radiants from both. Both are a Source of innumerable Advantages, to their respective Subjects. Tis probable, thofe Fish-pools in Hefbbon, being artificially made, were exactly correfpondent in Size, in Form, and Situation. If fo, the Parallel is remarkably perfect, and the Simile receives the highest Finishing. See Cant. vii. 4.

The Original nap fignifies finely wrought, or ele gantly flourished with a Needle.The Tranflation adopted by our Liturgy is, in this Place, flat and inexpreffive. The Englife Word fashioned, has juft the fame Inferiority to the beautiful Hebrew Phrafe; as the Badge, tacked upon fome poor Penfioner's Coat, has to the Star embroidered on a Nobleman's Breast. Pfal. cxxxix. 14.