2t6 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IV. 



But, if he is a philofopher, he will not only know that it is fo, but 

 he will know that, of neceflity, it mu/i be fo ; becaufe he will fee 

 it, as a philofopher fhould fee things, in its caufes. 



It remains now only to inquire into the Final Caufe of Dreaming, 

 without the knowledge of which there could be no philofophy of 

 Dreams: For philofophy is the knowledge of Caufes; and the Final 

 Caufe, as I have obferved, is the Fiift and Principal Caufe, and may- 

 be faid to be the Caufe of Caufes. The works of man nobody pre- 

 tends to underftand, unlefs he knows the purpofe for which they are 

 intended ; and the fame is true of the works of God. 



I will begin with thofe Dreams which I hold to be in the ordi- 

 nary courfe of Nature. Thefe, I think, I have fhown to be necefla- 

 ry ; fo that, unlefs the nature of our Minds and Bodies be al- 

 tered, there muft be Dreams. They are therefore a part of the 

 fyftem of Nature ; and, if that fyftem be the work of Infinite Wif- 

 dom, it is impoffible but that fome end muft be propofed and attained 

 by them : For every thing in Nature is for fome end ; and, though 

 there may be many things in Nature, of which we cannot difcover 

 the end, our limited underftandings not being able to comprehend 

 the whole fyftem, thefe things, for the greater part, are out of the 

 common courfe of Nature ; but it would be ftrange if we could dif- 

 cover no purpofe or defign in what happens every day, and with 

 refpe6t to ourfelves too, and in our own little world. Every body muft 

 acknowledge that our philofophy of Man would be ridiculoufly im- 

 perfe£t, if we could give no account for what purpofe we are in this 

 world, and to what end we live while we are waking. Now, our 

 Sleeping Life is nearly equal to our Waking ; and, therefore, 

 if we could give no account of it, we fhould know but half of hu- 

 man life. 



If 



