16 HEAD. 



for this purpose. They are very remarkable, and 

 you may be somewhat particular. 



A. Anatomists speak with admiration of the car- 

 pentry and architectural contrivances exhibited in the 

 head, for the security of the brain. In the first place, 

 the skull is a hollow bone. A carpenter cases a deli- 

 cate article in a close, firm, solid box. It is the more 

 remarkable in the skull, because a bony case is not 

 the covering which is generally adopted in the body. 

 All the great cavities of the system are principally 

 sacs, formed chiefly by skins or membranes. But the 

 one which encloses the brain is hewn out of a bone. 

 The heart, the lungs, the stomach, the bowels, are 

 not equally tender, and have no such security. We 

 can see the wisdom of this arrangement. But we 

 discover no natural reason for it, besides design. 

 The brain requires a stronger protection. Its su- 

 preme delicacy and importance render such a protec- 

 tion necessary. But this is no cause ivhy a more 

 solid case should surround it, except as we refer to 

 the agency of an intelligent Contriver. 



B. So the strength of the cover is proportioned 

 to the tenderness of the substance which is lodged 

 within it. 



A. The brain is not only protected by a solid 

 case, but is enclosed in a case by itself. The heart 

 and lungs occupy one cavity together ; the liver, sto- 

 mach, spleen, intestines, are packed in another cavity 

 below it. They are not of so soft and delicate a con- 

 sistency as to be disturbed by each other's motions, 

 or a slight degree of compression. But the brain is 



