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of being. Every being is really a subject, and so nominally is more than every being: for nothing itself will be a subject, as much as any thing, being formed of nothing. Being is a subject formed of something, v. g., of acts by acting; as speech, its representative, is formed of words by speaking; acting is its source, and acts are its simple constituents. The constituents of a subject, taken collectively, are the same with its substance or self; taken separately, with its ingredients: and the basis of all will consist in acts or accidents; in acts, as proceeding from the subject, or in accidents, as befalling the same. For these by repetition form properties; as properties by accumulation form elements, and elements by combination form parts, of which every positive subject is compounded, save one, and that is not compounded, but self-existent, and consequently unalterable. "THE ANCIENT OF DAYS" (Dan. vii. 9), they call him. But his creation is a novelty, though they say, as old as creation;" being still a series of acts or accidents, as much as its original production, the great work of six days.

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2. Relatively considered, the subject, as lately observed, is chief of three principal parts, which there are in every relation; v. g., 1, subject; 2, medium; 3, object: its attributes being also denominated thereafter as follows,

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But of these attributes of the subject, and also of the relations of the kingdom, however derived, which are the same with its particulars relatively considered, it will be soon enough to speak particularly, as their turns successively arrive: it being desirable, to explain regularly in the course of the following discussion every thing technical or difficult, under the topic to which it relates.

3. As for the accidents of a subject, and particularly of the kingdom, which are the same also in another view or type, v. g., in occurrence; the definition of this particular will be given with the constitution of the same, if its exemplification be brought forward in other modes than the present.

A subject may also be considered as a matter of discussion, and in the same particulars as a matter of existence, or as an abstract subject in the way in which it has just been considered. And, to shew at once, the quality or import of the three parts, subject, relation, accident, above mentioned, and their relation to each other in discussion by a simile that is expressive enough in itself, though not so perfect in its associations-let the SUBJECT be regarded as a drama; ITS RELATIONS, as the actors; Irs ACCIDENTS as the matter enacted by them,--and such a comparison will reflect the notion required; the general effect of this view or glance at the abstract subject being to shew what it is made of, its simple principles or simple constituents, and that, nothing more solid than acts or accidents. Man in particular, being the principal subject on earth, is formed by the acts or operation of outward causes, and of his own suffering and performance, whether inward or cutward, in thinking or in doing; and he will consist of such performance equally as of the material organs or members employed therein; as to a musical instrument its construction for sound is equally essential with the wood, strings, and other materials of which it is made. Thus a man will consist in some measure of every word that he utters, or is likely to utter, because his words are his own performance, as much as its sound when stricken is the performance of a musical instrument, and the melody of sound a performance of the musician, and his performance perhaps, the effect of another's superior skill and invention.

In one respect this may seem wonderful, v. g., that our words, and even our thoughts, which are such very slen

der materials, should help to compose the most essential and enduring part of us. And in another respect the same may appear not only wonderful, but rather extravagant, when we go to construct most punctually, step by step as it were, first properties, then elements, then parts, &c., of THESE SLENDER MATERIALS. Such, however, is our mode of considering the subject of the kingdom of God in Christ: the subject as consisting of parts; and parts, of elements, and elements, of properties, and properties, of acts continued or repeated-the whole as its life, or all the constant part of it, however. For if we impute a man's sufferings as a part of his life, they are no part of it in fact, or not so much as they are of the lives of those from whom they proceed. THE SIMPLE CONSTITUENTS OF THE SUBJECT ARE ACTS PRODUCED BY ACCIDENTS, as the going of a watch is produced by hammering, filing and measuring, being also accidents to their object.

§ 1. Thus by Accident is meant the same with act accruing and it may be either in liability, occurrence or perfection; what would be an act if it were not restrained or counteracted, as well as what is an act overcoming, or that has overcome its restraint. Therefore, while an act is only an accident broken loose, unrestrained, perfected, developed, manifested and declared, v. g., either inwardly or outwardly, in thinking, or in doing; an accident will be an act in any case or tense, as well as in any relationin præsenti, or de futuro-an act, past, present, or to come-as well as to or from, or neither particularly; and yet nothing more than an act however conceived, at last. And if we would distinguish between accidental and proper, as said by logicians; or as it is said here, between incidental and constituent; so as to understand a subject fundamentally, or, as they say, from beginning to end, we should consider the same two ways distinctly; 1, in its beginnings or accidents; 2, in its workings or acts. He who made all things considers them all, no doubt, in this manner, or rather more fundamentally, even in their de

sign; and men particularly, as David observes, "Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect: and in thy book were all my members written which day by day were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How dear are thy counsels unto me, O God: O how great is the sum of them!" (Ps. cxxxix. 15, 16, 17).

To acts or operations might be added the Tendencies from which they proceed, and the Consequences they involve, as simple constituents; but both of these being in effect the same with acts, it does not seem worth while to make any distinction on their account. And even the distinction of Operations from acts is very inconsiderable, the difference between them consisting chiefly in a relation; one as transitive, the other intransitive: so that acts, if they could be applied to irrational and inanimate subjects, as acting is, would signify the same with operations; although in some cases we are forced to deviate still further, and substitute Effects for that expression. But however designated, the simple constituents of every subject, whether rational or irrational, animate or inanimate, and, it may be added, visible or invisible, will be operations or acts, as aforesaid; we will say, acts. When a stone falls, it is as much an act as breaking stones: and the only difference between the two accidents, appears in one being the act of a man, or united to that mode; the other the act of a stone. So the simple falling of a stone is mere acting, or an absolute act, and one of the intransitive sort, if we look no farther than the falling: its falling on the ground is acting upon; a relative act, an act of the transitive sort, and more like an operation. Thus minerals taken internally will also act upon the animal frame, and some most potently: fire, the same on minerals; light, on vegetables, &c.

Therefore as an accident is considered either alone, or in reference to some other subject, it will be either, 1, absolute; or 2, relative.

1. Absolutely considered, the accident does not admit

of a division, for want of a criterion to divide by; but it may by accumulation form different states; as present, future, and past; also periods, epochs, ages and lives. For the life of any subject will only consist of unsorted accidents, or accidents in the order of occurrence; as its present character, and perhaps future destination, will be determined by the proportions of the said accidents sorted or distributed under their several heads, when the subject comes to be examined, or, as it is said, to BE WEIGHED IN AN EVEN BALANCE" (Job. xxxi. 6).

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2. As long as any accidents may retain this neutral or absolute character, they will, if singly considered, be accidents still; or, if doubly, periods, epochs, &c., as aforesaid. But on quitting its neutrality, the accident will become another thing, depending, like the verb by which it is represented, on its relation to the subject under consideration and namely, as the accident is supposed to originate either within the said subject, or its circumstances, or without, and to tend or proceed accordingly, e. g.,

1, A relative accident coming from without and towards the subject, or its circumstances, will be essentially an incidental in relation to the subject; and characteristically, a benefit or an injury, a blessing or a curse for the same, according to its nature, and the subject from which it is deduced, if the accident be single, or so considered; but essentially, fortune, &c., or characteristically happiness, &c., if complex or compound.

2, A relative accident, originating in the subject or its circumstances, whether it be substantive, i. e. stationary and intransitive, or else transitive direct, i. e. proceeding. from the subject named, or its circumstances, will be a constituent of either or both-simple, if singly considered; complex, if double; compound, if quadruple,—being thenceforward named accordingly, either a property, element or part, as it may be.

3, From this different relation of accidents, it so happens, that the acts of one subject will be accidents to

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