172 The consequences of the

power, by the following rude comparison.Let us suppose a lever twenty or thirty soot

long

to admire that Power which is able to make good suchan effect, and that too by a method so different frontwhat our weakness would force us upon, though we areentirely ignorant of the formal manner how this isbrought to pass. If we act strongly we act destructively'-hut here the power is exerted in another manner. It actswith strength and vigour , and yet with safety ; the forceapplied is guarded and restrained , and therefore, thoughimmense, it does no mischief. What if this is done byway of a string of bladders ? This neither diminishes thepower exerted, nor the contrivance. We saw beforethat a slender film of air supports a mighty weight, andthat without contact. This but increases the wonder»for matter cannot resist above its vis inertiœ y nor, beinginert, multiply the force impressed upon it; and the so'perplus of force exhibited must come from another hand*In short, a weight cannot be suspended but by an equa-lity of re-action either from the inactivity of matter, oifrom a living power.

If we knew the mechanical manner of muscular mo-tion, could we cease to admire, or immediately ass»S sta new power to matter to answer the appearance ? Th lSwould be quite wrong. As I have said above, wetrace power and wisdom in any of the works of naturea great way, to shew us the perfections of the cause >but we cannot pursue the inexpressible subtilty os con-trivance and machinery to an end, to teach us to adm^ebeyond what we can formally conceive. And this lSas rational in right philosophy (that is, where finite i st '

tellig ent