VARIOUS POWERS OF MATTER. 3 



occasion him more surprise than he had ever 

 felt concerning the means of his own existence ; 

 how he came here; how he lives; by what 

 means he stands upright; and through what 

 means he moves about from place to place. 

 Hence, we come into this world, we live, and 

 depart from it, without our thoughts being 

 called specifically to consider how all this takes 

 place; and were it not for the exertions of 

 some few inquiring minds, who have looked 

 into these things and ascertained the very 

 beautiful laws and conditions by which we do 

 live and stand upon the earth, we should hardly 

 be aware that there was anything wonderful in 

 it. These inquiries, which have occupied phi- 

 losophers from the earliest days, when they 

 first began to find out the laws by which we 

 grow, and exist, and enjoy ourselves, up to the 

 present time, have shown us that all this was 

 effected in consequence of the existence of cer- 

 tain forces, or abilities to do things, or powers, 

 that are so common that nothing can be more 

 so : for nothing is commoner than the wonder- 

 ful powers by which we are enabled to stand 

 upright they are essential to our existence 

 every moment. 



B 2 



