The wisdom and goodness of God in the formation of man : Being an anniversary sermon preached before the Royal College of Physicians, London, in the Church of St. Mary Le-Bow, on September 21st, 1751. According to the institution of Dr. Croun, and his widow the Lady Sadlier / By Stephen Hales.

  • Hales, Stephen, 1677-1761.
Date:
1751
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The wisdom and goodness of God in the formation of man : Being an anniversary sermon preached before the Royal College of Physicians, London, in the Church of St. Mary Le-Bow, on September 21st, 1751. According to the institution of Dr. Croun, and his widow the Lady Sadlier / By Stephen Hales. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Machines are fet in Motion, to perform thofe feveral Adtions, and that with the greateft Facility ? In which the fpontaneous Ani¬ mal has on!]/- the Power, not of giving but of directing Motion, to this, or any other Part of the Body. It is the bounden Duty and proper Employment of rational Beings, to contemplate and confider the Goodnefs, Wifdom, and Power of their Creator, in the comparatively very fmall Part of his various Works, which we can attain to any Knowledge of, for the Subjedt is inexhauftible. The Nerves, thofe immediate Inftruments of Senfe and Motion, are in a mo ft wonderful manner diftributed from the Brain to every Part of the Body, whereby the Soul is inftantly informed of any Objedt that touches the Body, and can at the fame Time with the greateft Facility diredt any of the Parts of the Body to move. It is very obfervable that they are moft ex- quifitely adapted to their feveral Offices, whereby they convey different Senfations to us. Thus, where they abound moft, and are moft expofed to external Objedts, there they are moft fenftbie, and convey Senfations from Impreffions of Objects of different Degrees of Senfibility. As the Eye, from Light, the moft fubtile of all Objedts. The Ear from vibrating Air, the next in Degree of Subtilty. The Smell from odoriferous Exhalations of Plants, which arife probably from their effential Oil, which are too fubtile to affedt the Nerves of Tafte, which are not only thin¬ ner fpread, but alfo fo covered, on the Tongue, (3c. as to be fenfible only to the Oils or Salts (3c. themfelves which im¬ mediately adt on them. But the Nerves which are to convey the Senfation of Touch, are, not only thin fpread on the Skin, but alfo fheathed or covered to fuch a Degree, as not to be fenfible of the lighter Impreffions of the Objedts of Light, Hearing, Smell, Tafte; but only of the immediate Impreffions of groffer, harder Objedts. For which Reafon the Senfations from Touch cannot be conveyed from diftant Objedts, like thofe of Sight, Hearing and Smell. Were any of thefe our Senfes made ftill more fenfible, they would be fo far from contributing to our greater Happinefs, that they would much incommode us. Thus juftly, in a healthy State, are Objedts and our Senfes with a per- fedt Harmony adapted to each other. We