PREFACE. 329 His essay on the humanunderstanding has diffused fairer light through the world in numerous affairs of science and of human life. There axemany admirable chapters in that book, and many truths in them, which are worthy of letters of gold. But there are some opinions in his philosophy, especially relating to iotellectual beings, their powers and operations, which have not gained my assent. The man who bath laboured to lead the world into free- dom of thought, has thereby given a large permission to his readers to pro- pose what doubts, difficulties, or remarks bare arisen in their minds, while they peruse what he has written. And indeed several of the essays which are published (besides the Xllth, which bears that title) are the fruits of such remarks, as will be easily observed iu the perusal of them. The essays on the various works of nature in the upper and lower parts of the creation, in the sun and stars, in plants and animals, were written at- first with a design to entertain the politer part of mankind, whose circum- stances oflife indulge them with much leisure andease,and who search not very far into the hidden principles of nature, and their abstruse springs of opera- tion. I know the philosophers of the present age have carried their enquiries to great length, beyond any of my meditations : Yet perhaps these may be so happy as to lead those persons who know them not, and who search no further than 1 do, into an exalted idea of the wonders of divine wisdom in the heavens and the earth, the vegetable and the animal world, Perhaps also they may serve to give no nnprofiable amusement to their leisurehours, as the composure of them bath given to me. [And hereI would take notice, that in the second edition, in the firstand second sections of the ninth essay, and the appendix thereto, I have added afew sentences to express my thoughts more clearly concerning the ever- lastingbut uniform agency of God on the material world, in the production of plants and animals ; and to guard against thoseobjections which the Rev. Dr. Denne offers with great civility in his preface to his late ingenious sermon of the wisdom ofGod in the vegetablecreation, and acknowledge it was my want of greater expressaess might lead him into a mistake of my sentiments. Thoughwe both pursue the same end, viz. the display of the wisdom of God in the animal and vegetable worlds, yet I beg leave to make use of a very different opinion as themeans of attaining it.] if I were to make apologies for publi'shidg any thing of this kind to the world, I would say that the chief part of these subjects are not beneath the notice and enquiry of any profession and character whatsoever. If 1 am charged with repeating the same thing several times, I would reply, that it is perhaps introduced on different occasions, or net in a different light, or at least, to speak plainly, when 1 had wrote one, i had forgot the other, these papers being written at many years distance. Andthis may serve also among persons of temperand candour to apologize for small mistakes, if there should be any appearing opposition betweea my expressions in different essays, which were written indistant parts oflife. i hope none will be found no gross, but may be well reconciled by a candid reader. Shall I he told that other writers have said the verysome thing which I have done, and in a touch better manner? I confess I know it not ;'for though I now and then look into modern books of' philosophy, yet there are many which I have never seen, having not sufficient time to peruse them ; and I am persuaded some of these essays were framed long before those very works, whence some persons may imagine 1 have borrowed several of my reasonings. If them be any hint or thought amongst them all that may assist the reader in his conceptions of God or of himself, of natural or divine strings, let biro correct or retrench, let him refine, let r*m- alter or improve it as he pleases, and make it his own, that i may thank him for it as a new acquisition. An let hint renounce whatsoever he finds disagreeable to truth, reason, or
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