courses of conduct, dissimilar, yet equidistant as paths from point to point, may present themselves to an intelligence; and that these hundred courses, though by the hypothesis they possess precisely equal recommendations, both to the rational and moral faculties, may be not only unlike in themselves, but may lead the being that pursues them to vastly distant or opposite points of his possible destiny.*

Now this supposed range, or scope, or liberty, if so it must be called, removes the idea of unvarying uniformity from the notion of a high degree of wisdom and goodness: it enlarges the conception of supernal existence, and opens before the meditative mind an unbounded field of various opulence. And although, in the case of created minds, this field is narrowed by the limitation both of knowledge and of power,--for a created mind neither knows all actual existence nor all possible, nor does its power extend even so far as its knowledge,—yet, on the other hand, the range of its agency is enlarged in one direction, as well as confined in another, by the limitation of its knowledge. For though it has not before it all really equidistant paths, many that are not so in fact may seem so to be; and it may happen that, without fault or culpable folly, it may take the longer for the shorter course, believing the two to be equal. There may be apparent equations where there are no real ones; and if many of the real are unknown, many unreal may be supposed.

We think that from this source the sphere of the agency of wise and holy beings is incal

See note L L.

culably widened; and yet without admitting at all the notion of contingent volition. An attentive reference to consciousness will convince any one that it is the law or usage of the mind, on occasions when an alternative must be taken, where there is no perceived reason which should determine the choice, to throw itself back upon the laws of its lower nature; that is, to be guided by the involuntary suggestion that arises at the instant of volition might we say, as a man whose eyes are bandaged gives his hand to a child to lead him in the path? We have before likened the perpetual flow of ideas through the mind to the operation of the fly-wheel in a machine; and here it is seen to maintain the unceasing velocity of action, on occasions when an impulse from the higher faculties is wanting, and when otherwise the machine must stand still. may well presume that this fact has its analogy in a higher sphere of beings; and that so an inconceivable diversity, a voluminous variety, is thrown in upon the theatre of celestial life.

We

And now in reference to the Divine agency, or the exercises of infinite power, let it, with becoming modesty, be affirmed, that the universe of things possible being present to the Divine omniscience, there are contained in it innumerable hypotheses of being, strictly equivalent one with another, so far as benevolence or wisdom are concerned. To advance even a conjecture as to the mode of determination in such instances, would be in the last degree presumptuous and absurd. It is enough to know, that as time, or succession of being, is not the condition of the Divine existence, such

determinations are always actual, not future, and therefore not either unknown or contingent. Is it allowable to say, that the idea of the exercises of supreme power and wisdom is enlarged and enriched by this doctrine of hypothetical equivalents?

The meditative mind, in looking abroad upon the vastness of the universe, and in observing that the edifice of the material world is broken into innumerable portions, far separated one from another, naturally entertains the supposition that the infinite resources of the Divine ingenuity (if the word may be allowed) are copiously unfolding themselves around us, in all possible modes. And again, when the mind turns from the infinitude of space to the infinitude of duration, and entertains, vaguely, the inconceivable idea of eternity, a parallel supposition arises and flits before the imagination, that this unbounded ingenuity- this richness of conception, which exhausts all forms of existence, and all combinations of those forms, will, through an endless series of successive creations, give expression in turn to each, and run the round of its cycle of wisdom and power, until whatever may be has actually seen the light of life. And is it then true that human nature is destined to be the immortal spectator of these never-ending developements?

III. It only remains to speak of the THIRD CLASS of causes and effects; or those connexions, of which the bond is either ambiguous, or absolutely inscrutable.

To enumerate all the instances of this sort (or all that present themselves in the system known to us) would not be difficult. But it is

enough for our immediate purpose to mention, as illustrative of our meaning, the most conspicuous, namely, the principle of gravitation, and of corpuscular attraction and repulsion; the principle of chemical affinity, that is to say, of attraction as belonging not to all solid masses alike, but to particular bodies; electrical agencies (of both kinds); the principle of vegetable life (unless it be resolvable into chemical or electrical action); the principle of animal life (unless this also may be so resolved); and, lastly, the power of mind over matter and over itself. In all such instances of action, movement, or change of place, or of quality, or of bulk, or offunction, we observe the invariable antecedent and consequent; and are able to reason with precision upon the laws, or, as we might say, modes, of the hidden power; but the link or tie is deeply concealed. The reason why b succeeds to a, is not to be assigned: the most perfect science pretends to no knowledge of this ultimate connexion. And, indeed, in all branches of knowledge, Science is deemed to have fulfilled her task when she has proved herself to have left nothing unknown-except these occult powers.

Metaphysical science has nothing to do with them, except to abstain from assuming the gratuitous hypothesis, that in such inscrutable facts there is no real connexion, or nothing beyond actual sequency. We affirm, that the presumption gathered from all parts of science is altogether against such an hypothesis, and, on the contrary, strongly favours the suppo

* See note M M.

sition, that the great mechanical laws of the universe, and the chemical affinities and aversions of particular bodies, and probably the principles of vegetable and animal life, are relations, or rather the consequences of relations; so that each effect is connected with its cause by the same absolute bond which secures the result of a mechanical contrivance, or which makes the two members of an equation inseparable. We venture to say, that the course of modern chemical discovery tends towards the belief that chemical action is the necessary consequence of the relation subsisting between the elementary structure of bodies, and that if the occult form of c and d could be exposed, it would become manifest that their juxta-position must issue in the compound e.

In regard to the hidden powers of nature, the whole question lies between contrivance, or relation, and power,—that is, immediate Divine power; not between contrivance, power, and mere juxta-position, or arbitrary sequency; for as, on the one hand, the testimony of natural science goes to establish the general truth, that causation rests upon real relations; and as, on the other, Divine science establishes the truth of a first and intelligent Cause, we are free to choose between the two, in all cases of a hidden or ambiguous sort, and can never be compelled 'to take up the hypothesis of contingent or accidental sequency, which is neither natural to the human mind, nor confirmed in any single instance by the results of experimental philosophy. In turning to the world of animal and intel

* See note N N.