LECTURES 



LECTURE I. 



OF MATTER AND ITS PROPERTIES. 



AS the design of the first part of this course is to ex- LECT. 

 plain and demonstrate those laws by which the material ^^-~ 

 universe is governed, regulated, and continued ; and by 

 which the various appearances in nature are accounted 

 for ; it is necessary to begin with explaining the pro- 

 perties of matter. 



By the word matter is here meant every thing that Matter, 

 has length, breadth, and thickness, and resists the w 

 touch. 



The inherent properties of matter are solidity, in- its pr.per 

 activity, mobility, and divisibility. 



The solidity of matter arises from its having lergth. Soli 

 breadth, thickness ; and hence it is that all bodies are 

 comprehended under some shape or other, and that 

 each particular body hinders all others from occupying 

 the same part of space which it possesseth. Thus, if a 

 piece of wood or metal be squeezed ever so hard be- 

 tween two plates, they cannot be brought into contact. 

 And even water or air has this property ; for if a small 

 quantity of it be fixed between any other bodies, they 

 cannot be brought to touch one another. 1 



\nte 1. By solidity or impenetrability iu common language, is uu- 

 derstood the property of not being easily separated into parts, a 



r, 



