3* 



oest.' First, be sure of the fact. Then, try if it can b<? 

 accounted for onallowed'principles. And if it can, the' 

 qualities in question are to be termed occult ne longer, 

 But there will still remain many secrets in nature, which 

 we are in nowise able to account for. Indeed to pene* 

 trate the inmost recesses of nature, is above th&'condi- 

 lion of humanity. We must therefore necessarily allow, 

 that there are in this sense mtuiy occult qualities : nay, 

 we are surrounded witli them on every side : insomuch 

 that there is scarce any thing in the universe, that has 

 not some qualities, which the wisest man on trarth is not 

 able to account for. 



11.! have now finished what I proposed. I have 

 given as short and plain an account as I could, of all that 

 is certain in Natural Philosophy : in order to direct ihe 

 whole to its proper end, I have now only to add a few 

 reflections, 



If we 1 cast our eyes up to the firmament, let us serious- 

 ly ask ourselves, what power built over our heads that 

 vast and magnificent arch a and spread out the Heaven s 

 like a curtain ? Who garnished these heavens with such 

 a variety of resplendent objects, all floating in the 

 liquid ether, and regular in their motions? Who 

 painted the clouds with such variety of colours, and in. 

 such diversity of shades and figures, as it is not in the 

 power of the finest pencil on earth to emulate? Who 

 formed the sun of such a determinate size, and placed it 

 at suh a convenient distance, as not to scorch or annoy, 

 but to cherish all things with his genial heat? For a- suc- 

 cession of ages he never failed to rise at his appointed 

 time^-or to send out the dawn as his forerunner, to pro- 

 claim his approach. By whose skilful hand is it directt \ 

 in its diurnal and annual course^ to give us the grateful 

 vicissitude of night and day, and the regular succession 

 of the seasons ] That it should always proceed in the 

 same path, and never once step aside : that it should go 

 on, in a space where there is nothing to obstruct, but 



