92 NATURAL THEOLOG-y. 



an incalculable variety, while the original property of the 

 muscle, the law and line of its contraction, remains the 

 same, and is simple. Herein the muscular system may be 

 said to bear a perfect resemblance to our works of art. A^n 

 artist does not alter the native quality of his materials, or 

 their laws of action. He takes these as he finds them. 

 His skill and ingenuity are employed in turning them, such 

 as they are, to his account, by giving to the parts of liis 

 machine a form and relation in which these unalterable 

 properties may operate to the production of the effects in- 

 tended. 



YI. The ejaculations can never too often be repeated, 

 How many things must go right for us to be an hour at 

 ease ; how many more for us to be vigorous and active ' 

 Yet vigor and activity are, in a vast plurality of instances, 

 preserved in human bodies, not\^dthstanding that they de- 

 pend upon so great a number of instruments of motion, and 

 notwithstanding that the defect or disorder sometimes of a 

 very small instrument, of a single pair, for instance, out of 

 the four hundred and forty-six muscles which are employed, 

 may be attended with grievous inconveniency. . There is 

 piety and good sense in the following observation taken out 

 of the " Religious Philosopher :" " With much compassion," 

 says the writer, " as well as astonishment at the goodness of 

 our loving Creator, have I considered the sad state of a cer- 

 tain gentleman, who, as to the rest, was in pretty good 

 health, but only wanted the use of these tivo little muscles 

 that serve to lift the eyehds, and so had almost lost the 

 use of his sight, being forced, as long as this defect last- 

 ed, to shove up his eyelids every moment with his own 



ber only of fibres can be affixed to any point of a bone which it is 

 designed to move ; it is therefore contrived to attach them to a cord, 

 called a sinew or tendon, which can conveniently be conducted ana 

 fixed to the bone. If we wish to move a heavy weight, we attach a 

 rope to it, that a greater number of men may apply their strength. 

 So, the muscular fibres are the moving powers, and the tendon is Uke 

 the rope attached to the point to be moved. 



