MENTAL AND CORPOREAL. 297 



and of water in general, and by pneumatics and 

 meteorology, the properties of the atmosphere, 

 its extraneous particles as derived from the elec- 

 tric fluid, caloric, humidity, and terrestrial exha- 

 lations, have been clearly illustrated. 



By natural history generally, the external dis- 

 tinction and character of animals, vegetables, and 

 minerals, have been broughtto his comprehension; 

 and by chemistry, the next in importance to ma- 

 thematics, the constituent parts of matter, their 

 relative action upon each other, and the pheno- 

 mena which those actions produce, have been 

 rendered familiar to the most common under- 

 standing. 



From the science of mechanics, man has learnt 

 the principles by which the moving powers are 

 regulated, so as to give an impulse to, or render 

 quiescent, inanimate bodies, by the agency of 

 which, our various machinery, and most of our 

 mechanical contrivances are governed ; and out 

 of this most useful science have emanated, a va- 

 riety of inventions most important to the arts, 

 and to society in general. 



But the human mind is not satisfied with inves- 

 tigating the laws of natural bodies only, but it 

 must inquire into its own resources also, its lead- 

 ing phenomena, and how far its spiritual is con- 

 nected with its material portion; and tiiis inquiry 

 has gradually led to the contemplation of the 

 supreme Being himself, his various attributes, his 

 probable nature, how far and to what extent he 



