Chap. I. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 357 



ry thing flowed like a river, and that our apprehenfions were fuch as 

 the nature of things ; fo that, as we could not bathe twice in the fame 

 river, neither could we have twice the ikme apprehenfion of the fame 

 thing, idly^ Of this kind, likewife^ are immaterial fubftances, whofe 

 qualities and energies are various and fucceffive ; for to them Time 

 may likewife be applied. But, though immaterial fubftances, in this 

 way, maybe thefubje6t of Time, as well as material, yet, without body, 

 and body moving by a motion revolving into i-tlelf, we cannot con- 

 ceive any ftandard or meafure of Time, 



A confequence of the principles here laid down Is, thr.t, if the vi- 

 fible world had a beginning, and was not from all eternity, then, ac- 

 cording to the hypothefis of genuine Theifm., time was when there 

 was no Time. And, again, if this world fb.ould be totally deftroyed and 

 annihilated, Time will be when there wfti be no time. For, in both 

 thefe cafes, there neither is a fubjeQ, to the duration of which Time 

 can be applied ; nor is there any ftandard or meafure for it. It is on- 

 ly, therefore, during the exiftence of the material world, that there 

 can be fuch a thing as' Time. But, though Time do then exift:, it can* 

 not be applied to the eternal and unchangeable Being, becaufe he is 

 not a fa bje^Il Vs'hofe exift'^^nce can, in that way, be meafured. 



This, I know, v^ill appear incomprehennblc to moft: of my readers, 

 and a contradiction in terms, that time was when there was no time* 

 And it muft be owned, that this notion is fo remote, both from com- 

 mon apprehenfion and common fpeech, that it is not very eafy to find 

 words to exprefs it, which do not feem, at leaft, to imply a contradic- 

 tion. For our bodies, and the fenfitive part of bur nature, are lo ef- 

 fcntially connedled with Time, and fo necefl'ariiy carried on with it, that 

 it is very difticult for us to conceive any notion of a timelefs eternity, 

 or of any Being whofe duration is not to be meafured in the fame 

 manner as ours is. But, if we are fo far advanced in this philofophy, 



as 



