the emphasis of the term the climax in the narrative-the transition to intellectual through animal creation from that of substances purely material.

We shall revert to this subject hereafter, as it involves much interesting discussion. It is noticed at present as affording a general conception of the manner, in which the system of the geognost may be approximated, in its sounder views, to that of the Hebraic record. This however has been announced as a partial consideration of the former, our belief remaining uncompromised of the exertion of creative power, and of the entire subservience of second causes to the volitions of a pure Intelligence. It is due to the Scriptural narrative to observe that, in those its defined characters, it is removed to an infinite distance from the efforts of unassisted reason; which discountenances, from its inability to attain them, their reception as legitimate principles of physics.

It is due, moreover, to the same to remark, in the more obvious circumstances of its detail, the singular propriety of its language, the precision of its nomenclature, and the accordance of its fundamental principle with the matured convictions of the experimentalist. Commencing with this latter, we proceed to offer such attestations in its behalf, as may suffice for the establishment of our general position. A distinct

research shall be allotted to the former in our succeeding lectures.

In the thirty-first of the Queries subjoined to his Optics, Newton expresses himself thus with respect to first formations:

"It seems probable to me that God, in the beginning, formed matter in solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, moveable particles; of such sizes and figures, and with such other properties, and in such proportions to space, as most conduced to the end for which he formed them."

"By the help of this principle, all material things seem to have been composed of the hard and solid particles abovementioned variously associated in the first creation, by the counsel of an intelligent Agent: for it became him who created them, to set them in order. And if he did so, it is unphilosophical to seek for any other origin of the world, or to pretend that it might have arisen out of a Chaos, by the mere laws of nature: though being once formed, it may continue by those laws for many ages."

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Space being infinitely divisible, and matter not being necessary in all places, it may be also allowed, that God is able to create particles of matter of several sizes and figures, and in several proportions to space, and perhaps of dif ferent densities, and forces, and thereby to vary the Laws of Nature, and make worlds of several sorts in several parts of the Universe.

At least I see nothing of contradiction in all this” (*1).

We perceive the same spirit dictating his four admirable Letters to Dr Bentley (**). It were needless recapitulation to multiply instances of the conviction impressed on his mighty intellect, of the strict accordance of the Mosaic metaphysics with common sense and sound philosophy; or to prove how deeply that intellect was imbued with the Apostolic doctrine, that "The invisible things of God are made known from the creation of the world by the things that are made, even his eternal Power and Godhead."

Newton's animadversions on the unintelligible hypothesis of a Chaos,-which seems to have been introduced by commentators impressed with their classical remembrances, and derived from them on trust, for the support of their hasty inferences, by certain philosophers of a later era, are in precise conformity with another part of his system, which maintains in express terms the origin of planetary motion to be due to causes not mechanical (3). The meaning of this it were superfluous to explain to my present audience. Equally unnecessary were it to advertise you of the principles, which have originated with his illustrious Disciple the grave charge of "deviation from the method so happily applied in other parts of his writings” (*4).

"Could not," says Laplace, "the Supreme Intelligence, which Newton makes interfere, have caused celestial mechanism to result from a more general phænomenon"? (25) It is granted that he could; and we may fairly deem it improbable, that the philosopher who ascended in the scale of causes to the principle of universal gravitation would impugn the possibility. Yet, until the existence of this "more general phænomenon" is demonstrated by experiments, equally appreciable with those which the British philosopher has bequeathed us in his Optics, or has its laws developed with the same precision as its supposed secondary principle, universal gravitation, in his ever memorable work, we must esteem it the sounder philosophy to adhere to Newton's doctrine, and permit our faith to grow in proportion as our Master's decisions confirm the Record of Creation.

Newton, it is true, supposed the possibility of ultimate derangements in his created system, which might ultimately demand the interference of the First Cause (26). Yet we cannot perceive, in this hypothetical announcement, any impeachment of the saneness of his philosophy. If we contemplate it merely in its physical aspect, we perceive therein no traces of an attempt to invest it with the semblance of a demonstrated truth: if we regard it as a mixed conception, one in which his Science has bor

rowed from his Religion, it is ours to admire the sacredness of feeling which enshrined the sentiments of this great man, and taught him, in the midst of his material contemplations, "to ascribe unto the Lord the honour due unto his name." The homage thus rendered to a mind so regulated, and to conceptions so preservative of purity in their scientific views, becomes in persons of a kindred character a quickening and a growing principle. It acquires strength, not by comparisons instituted, but by appreciated effort. The one it withholds from contemplation as an unfair standard of opinion; the other it ever does, and ever will, attend, as the embodied excellence of all-subduing mind.

We apply this principle to the instance we have cited. Modern Science has ascertained the fact, that certain elements of the planetary orbits remain unaffected by disturbing forces, and that all their inequalities are accurately compensative (**); and by its establishment have the philosophers of the Institute added one more link to the chain of our moral induction (28). Yet what does this conclude, but the superior refinement of analytical investigation? What in the conduct of Newton's science does this impeach, which resulted not altogether from the infancy of its auxiliary ? Are not those sublime truths but scions themselves of the elder stem-the matured growth of our