CHAPTER XV. 523 The general ideas of substance and mode, cause and efect, are abstract ideas also, though they are not abstracted to that de- gree, as to make mere mental relations, or second notions, of them, since they have a reality and existence :n things them- selves. It is granted, that some of these abstractions are necessary and useful in the sciences; yet logic and metaphysics, 'as they have been taught in the schools, have been too much over-run with these secondnotions, these more refined abstractions, which have exposed them to the contempt and ridicule of the more judicious and polite part of mankind. A sign is another mental relation : It is that which being apprehended gives notice to the mind of something besides itself, and that it iscalled the thingsignified. The schools generally make a sign to be something sensible ; but I think there is no necessity for that ; for ideas that arise within the mind, are signs of outward real beings : And some thoughts may be so connected with other thoughts or actions of the man as to become signs of them. The memory of a sermon is a good sign of attention ; and pity is a sign of bene- volence. 1. Signs are either natural or instituted. Smoke is a natu- ral sign of fire. Instituted signs are either divine, as baptism is a sign of washing away sin ; or human, as a white staff is a sign of an officer at court. Instituted signs are often called arbitrary. 2. Again, Signs are either mere tokens or they are both tokens and images. Those are mere tokens which do not repre- sent the thing signified, as arainbow is a token the earthshall not be drowned again. Those are images as well as tokens, which do More or less represent the thing signified, such are pictures drawn to the life, such also are baptism and the Lord's supper in the christian religion. 3. Signs are distinguishedinto antecedent, as the gathering of thick clouds is a sign of rain : Consequent, as a funeral is a sign of death : And concomitant, as shivering is the sign of an ague: And a high pulse, with a thirsty palate, and flesh very hot, are common indications of a fever. 4. That other distinctionof prognostic, memorial and com- monstrative signs in many cases is prettymuch a-kin to the former. A hiccup with an intermitting pulse and limbs growing cold and stiff, are prognostics of death : A funeral ring is the memorial of a friend departed : And a tomb is the commonstrative sign of a person buried there. 5. Signs are appoined to put us in mind of our interest, to admonish us of our duty, to warn us of the danger of some evil, or to encourage our hope of some good. 11
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