370 NATURVL THEOLOGY. 



when philosophically considered. We early asso- 

 ciate life and motion so intimately that the one 

 stands for the other. If we then investigate by 

 anatomy, we find a curious and minute mechan- 

 ism in operation, an engine and tubes for circula- 

 tion, and, in short, an internal motion of every 

 particle of the frame; and the anatomist is also led 

 into the error of associating in his mind life with 

 motion and organization. But when we consider 

 the subject more closely, and divest ourselves of 

 habits and prejudices associated with words, we 

 perceive that, without making any vain and even 

 dangerous attempt at definition, life is first to be 

 contemplated as the peculiarity distinguishing one 

 of two classes into which all matter must be ar- 

 ranged : the one class, which embraces all living 

 matter, is subject to a controlling influence which 

 resists the chemical agents, and produces a series 

 of revolutions, in an order and at periods prescri- 

 bed ; the other, dead matter, is subject to lapse 

 and change under chemical agency and the com- 

 mon laws of matter. 



Let us examine the body of a perfect or a com- 

 plicated animal. We find each organ possessed 

 of a different power. But there is as yet no con- 

 ventional language adapted to our discourse on 

 this subject, and that is the source of many mis- 

 takes ; for when a man even like Mr. Hunter had 

 his mind illuminated upon this science, how was 

 he to frame his language, when every word that 

 he used had already a meaning which had no re- 



