205 



ever do this : the disquisition concerning any one 

 part of the human body, the brain, the eye, the blood, 

 the nerves, utterly perplexed the most exact scruta- 

 tors. But suppose it were otherwise : suppose we 

 could attain a full knowledge of philosophy, that we 

 could master every branch thereof, yet three unhap- 

 pinesses attend it : 



First, that most parts of it are of little use ; they 

 are only known, that they may be known. That 

 which is of ordinary use, is soon attained, and by or- 

 dinary capacities : the rest are little better than la- 

 borious trifles, curious impertinencies. 



Secondly, that they serve only for this life : a se- 

 parated soul, or a spiritualized body will not be con- 

 cerned in them. 



But admit they should ; yet, thirdly, a greater 

 measure of such knowledge will be attained, in one 

 hour after our dissolution, than the toilsome expence 

 of an age in this life would produce. What a deal of 

 pains is taken here, concerning the motion of the 

 sun or earth : concerning the habitableness of the 

 moon, and other primary or secondary planets ; con- 

 cerning the nature, the magnitude, and the distance 

 of the fixed stars : concerning the various influences 

 of the heavenly bodies, in their oppositions, conjunc,, 

 tions, aspects ? When once the immortal has taken 

 its flight through the stories of the heavens, in one 

 moment all these will be known distinctly and evi- 

 dently. All our doubts will be resolved, and our 

 souls filled with light, without any mixture of darkless. 



