Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

How delicious is the sap of the Vine, when turned into Wine, above that of a Crab? Both have the same Womb of Earth to conceive them, both agree in the nature of Wood and Twigs, as Channels to convey it into fruit: What is that which makes the one so sweet, the other so sower, or makes that sweet, which was a few weeks before unpleasantly sharp? Is it the Earth? No: They both have the same soil; the Branches may touch each other; the strings of their Roots may under ground entwine about one another. Is it the Sun? both have the same beams: Why is not the taste and colour of the one as gratifying as the other? Is it the root? The taste of that is far different from that of the fruit it bears. Why do they not when they have the same Soil, the same Sun, and stand near one another, borrow something from one another's natures? No reason can be rendered, but that there is a God of infinite Wisdom, hath determined this variety, and bound up the nature of each Creature within it self.^* [Everything follows the Law of its Creation, and it is worthy observation, that the Creator of them hath not given that power to Animals, which arise from different species, to propagate the like to themselves; As Mules that arise from different species: No reason can be rendered of this, but the sixth determination of the Creator, that those species which were Created by him should not be lost in those mixtures, which are contrary to the Law of the Creation.] This cannot possibly be ascribed to that which is commonly called nature, but unto the God of nature, who will not have his Creatures exceed their bounds or come short of them.

How delicious is the sap of the Vine, when turned into Wine, above that of a Crab? Both have the same Womb of Earth to conceive them, both agree in the nature of Wood and Twigs, as Channels to convay it into fruit: What is that which makes the one so sweet, the other so sower, or makes that sweet, which was a few weeks before unpleasantly sharp? Is it the Earth? No: They both have the same soil; the Branches may touch each other; the strings of their Roots may under ground entwine about one another. Is it the Sun? both have the same beams: Why is not the tast and colour of the one as gratifying as the other? Is it the root? The tast of that is far different from that of the fruit it bears. Why do they not when they have the same Soil, the same Sun, and stand near one another, borrow something from one anothers natures? No reason can be rendred, but that there is a God of infinite Wisdom, hath determin'd this variety, and bound up the nature of each Creature within it self.