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powers and affections of the mind, and affirming, that its operations are governed by no regular principles.

That a perfect knowledge of the nature and faculties of the mind is not to be acquired in our prefent condition, cannot poffibly be denied. Neither can the contrary be affirmed of any subject of philofophical inquiry. Yet our internal feelings, our obfervation and experience, fupply us with rich materials, fufficient to animate our love of knowledge; and, by enabling us to profecute our researches, to extend the limits of human understanding. Neither can we affirm, that our thoughts, feelings, and affections, are in a ftate of anarchy and confufion. Nothing, you fay, feems wilder and more incoherent, than the images and ideas continually fluctuating in the mind: Like the "gay motes that people the fun-beams," they know no order, and

are

are guided by no connection. We are conscious of no power that regulates their motions, reftrains their impetuofity, or compofeth their diforder. No lefs irregular and disagreeing are the feelings and emotions of the heart. We are alike acceffible to love or hatred, confidence or fufpicion, exultation or defpondency. These paffions and difpofitions are often blended together, or fucceed each other, with a velocity which we can neither meafure nor conceive. The foul that now melts with tenderness, is inftantly frantic with rage. The countenance now adorned with complacency, and beauteous with the smile of content, is in a moment clouded with anxiety, or distorted with envy. He must therefore be more than mortal who can reduce this tumultuous and diforderly chaos to regularity."Lift up thine eyes to the firmament," faid a countryman to a philosopher, "number

;

number the ftars, compute their diftances, and explain their motions. Observe the diverfity of feasons, and the confufion occafioned by the changeablenefs of the weather: The fun and refreshing showers cherish the fruits of the earth but our fields are often blighted with mildews, the sky is fuddenly overcaft, the ftorms defcend, and the hopes of the year are blafted. Prefcribe laws to the winds, and govern the rage of the tempefts; then will I believe, that the course of nature is regular and determined." Thus, even external phaenomena, to an uninstructed perfon, will seem as wild and incongruous as the motions and affections of the mind. On a more accurate, infpection, he finds that harmony and defign pervade the univerfe; that the motions of the stars are regular; and that laws are prescribed to the tempeft. Nature extends her attention to the most infignificant productions: The prin

principles of vegetation are established immutable in the texture of the meaneft bloffom; the laws of its exiftence are accurately defined; and the period of its duration invariably determined. If these observations are juft, and if we still maintain that the mind is in a ftate of anarchy and disorder, we are reduced to the neceffity of affirming, that nature hath exhaufted her powers in the formation of inferior objects, and neglected the most important; that she hath established laws and government in the inanimate creation, and abandoned the mind to mifrule; and that she hath given us a body fuited to our condition, fashioned according to the most accurate proportions, and adjusted to the niceft rules of mechanics; and left the animating principle, the mover and director of this wonderful machine, to be actuated by random impulfes, mishapen, and imperfect. Shall we acquiefce in this opi

nion,

nion, and afcribe negligence or inability to the Creator? The laws that regulate the intellectual fyftem are too fine for fuperficial attention, and elude the perception of the vulgar. But every accurate and fedate obferver is fenfible of their exiftence.

Difficulty in making just experiments is the principal reason why the knowledge of human nature has been retarded. The materials of this study are commonly gathered from reflection on our own feelings, or from obfervations on the conduct of others. Each of these methods is expofed to difficulty, and confequently to error.

Natural philofophers poffefs great advantages over moralifts and metaphysicians, in fo far as the fubjects of their inquiries belong to the fenfes, are external, material, and often permanent. Hence they can retain them in their presence till they have examined their motion, parts,

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