ribes a little too much to matter to say, where there is
no body, there is nothing.

4. Why Men more easily admit infinite Duration than infinite Expansion.

Hence I think we may learn the reason why every one familiarly and
without the least hesitation speaks of and supposes Eternity, and sticks
not to ascribe INFINITY to DURATION; but it is with more doubting and
reserve that many admit or suppose the INFINITY OF SPACE. The reason
whereof seems to me to be this,--That duration and extension being used
as names of affections belonging to other beings, we easily conceive
in God infinite duration, and we cannot avoid doing so: but, not
attributing to him extension, but only to matter, which is finite, we
are apter to doubt of the existence of expansion without matter; of
which alone we commonly suppose it an attribute. And, therefore, when
men pursue their thoughts of space, they are apt to stop at the confines
of body: as if space were there at an end too, and reached no further.
Or if their ideas, upon consideration, carry them further, yet they term
what is beyond the limits of the universe, imaginary space: as if IT
were nothing, because there is no body existing in it. Whereas duration,
antecedent to all body, and to the motions which it is measured by, they
never term imaginary: because it is never supposed void of some other
real existence. And if the names of things may at all direct our
thoughts towards the original of men's ideas, (as I am apt to think they
may very much,) one may have occasion to think by the name DURATION,
that the continuation of existence, with a kind of resistance to any
destructive force, and the continuation of solidity (which is apt to be
confounded with, and if we will look into the minute anatomical parts of
matter, is little different from, hardness) were thought to have some
analogy, and gave occasion to words so near of kin as durare and durum
esse. And that durare is applied to the idea of hardness, as well as
that of existence, we see in Horace, Epod. xvi. ferro duravit secula.
But, be that as it will, this is certain, that whoever pursues his own
thoughts, will find them sometimes launch out beyond the extent of body,
into the infinity of space or expansion; the idea whereof is distinct
and separate from body and all other things: which may, (to those who
please,) be a subject of further meditation.

5. Time to Duration is as Place to Expansion.

Time in general is to dur