2 70 Thesoul necessarily livings

when we are under no indisposition, or ratherno great indisposition of body; and any per-son, on trial, may be familiarly convinced ofit. What torture would it be to an infant, tokeep it from stirring hand or foot? Nothingcan stop the activity of the soul, but beingclogged with an ill-disposed organ. Whenwe are sick, or heavy with sleep, or fatigue,it becomes easy to abstain from action of thebody, or mind; and only then. In the pre-sent incumbered state, we find it is as easy to•will (which is the only proper action of themind) as not to mil , not to mention the ne-cessity we are under $ and there is a pleasurein reflection, variety, and changing the actsof the will, as we shall see when we cometo examine the nature of consciousness; sothat though it were in our power not tochange the acts of the will, it would requirean inconceivable care and solicitude (r). I £

f

(i) A man may at his leisure consider these seversquestions, which relate to this subject. By the exerciseof what power is it that the foul could effect that itshould not act at all? Is this the power of action, or 0inaction? Is not inactive power a contradiction, or applicable only to dead matter? Doth it require but

i act, or the continued exertion of this Power? Can 3

being