RESISTING MEDIUM. 209 



genius by asking "And chaos whence?" When 

 in his riper years he had persuaded himself 

 that this question was sufficiently answered by 

 saying that chaos arose from the concourse of 

 atoms, it is strange that the same inquisitive 

 spirit did not again suggest the question " and 

 atoms whence ?" And it is clear that however 

 often the question " whence?" had been answer- 

 ed, it would still start up as at first. Nor could 

 it suffice as an answer to say, that earth, chaos, 

 atoms, were portions of a series of changes which 

 went back to eternity. The preceptor of Epi- 

 curus informed him, that to be satisfied on the 

 subject of his enquiry, he must have recourse 

 to the philosophers. If the young speculator 

 had been told that chaos (if chaos indeed pre- 

 ceded the present order) was produced by an 

 Eternal Being, in whom resided purpose and 

 will, he would have received a suggestion which, 

 duly matured by subsequent contemplation, 

 might have led him to a philosophy far more 

 satisfactory than the material scheme can ever 

 be, to one who looks, either abroad into the 

 universe, or within into his own bosom. 



W.' 



