LECTURE VII. 3^3 



dered that pain is Nature's monitor, and 

 contributory to the welfare of the sufferer, 

 by teaching it to avoid what is injurious. 

 Neither do they seem to have reflected 

 that it is the necessary reverse of pleasure ; 

 and that without enduring the occasional 

 penalty of the one, we should not enjoy 

 the more continued comfort and delight of 

 the other. 



It seems strange, that some minds ap- 

 pear to delight in blaming what they do 

 not understand, and feel a repugnance to 

 believe, that any thing may originate in 

 causes which they cannot comprehend ; 

 and, therefore, probably they are induced to 

 suppose a kind of necessity. All nature is 

 full, says one reputed philosopher. What- 

 ever can be, is; says another. But it 

 would be far more easy to show cause 

 why we should believe that there is a ple- 

 num of matter, than of contrivance. 



On the contrary, however, the most in- 

 telligent men who have studied the works 

 of nature to the greatest extent, and with 



. Y 2 



