12.  Duration has never two Parts together, Expansion altogether.

Duration, and time which is a part of it, is the idea we have of perishing distance, of which no two parts exist together, but follow each other in succession; an expansion is the idea of lasting distance, all whose parts exist together and are not capable of succession.  And therefore, though we cannot conceive any duration without succession, nor can put it together in our thoughts that any being does now exist to-morrow, or possess at once more than the present moment of duration; yet we can conceive the eternal duration of the Almighty far different from that of man, or any other finite being.  Because man comprehends not in his knowledge or power all past and future things:  his thoughts are but of yesterday, and he knows not what to-morrow will bring forth.  What is once past he can never recal; and what is yet to come he cannot make present.  What I say of man, I say of all finite beings; who, though they may far exceed man in knowledge and power, yet are no more than the meanest creature, in comparison with God himself.  Finite or any magnitude holds not any proportion to infinite.  God’s infinite duration, being accompanied with infinite knowledge and infinite power, he sees all things, past and to come; and they are no more distant from his knowledge, no further removed from his sight, than the present:  they all lie under the same view:  and there is nothing which he cannot make exist each moment he pleases.  For the existence of all things, depending upon his good pleasure, all things exist every moment that he thinks fit to have them exist.  To conclude:  expansion and duration do mutually embrace and comprehend each other; every part of space being in every part of duration, and every part of duration in every part of expansion.  Such a combination of two distinct ideas is, I suppose, scarce to be found in all that great variety we do or can conceive, and may afford matter to further speculation.

CHAPTER XVI.

Idea of number.

1.  Number the simplest and most universal Idea.

Amongst all the ideas we have, as there is none suggested to the mind by more ways, so there is none more simple, than that of unity, or one:  it has no shadow of variety or composition in it:  every object our senses are employed about; every idea in our understandings; every thought of our minds, brings this idea along with it.  And therefore it is the most intimate to our thoughts, as well as it is, in its agreement to all other things, the most universal idea we have.  For number applies itself to men, angels, actions, thoughts; everything that either doth exist or can be imagined.

2.  Its Modes made by Addition.

By repeating this idea in our minds, and adding the repetitions together, we come by the complex ideas of the modes of it.  Thus, by adding one to one, we have the complex idea of a couple; by putting twelve units together we have the complex idea of a dozen; and so of a score or a million, or any other number.