considered, is,--HOW
THE MIND COMES BY THEM. As for the idea of finite, there is no great
difficulty. The obvious portions of extension that affect our senses,
carry with them into the mind the idea of finite: and the ordinary
periods of succession, whereby we measure time and duration, as hours,
days, and years, are bounded lengths. The difficulty is, how we come by
those BOUNDLESS IDEAS of eternity and immensity; since the objects we
converse with come so much short of any approach or proportion to that
largeness.

3. How we come by the Idea of Infinity.

Every one that has any idea of any stated lengths of space, as a foot,
finds that he can repeat that idea; and joining it to the former, make
the idea of two feet; and by the addition of a third, three feet; and so
on, without ever coming to an end of his additions, whether of the same
idea of a foot, or, if he pleases, of doubling it, or any other idea he
has of any length, as a mile, or diameter of the earth, or of the
orbis magnus: for whichever of these he takes, and how often soever he
doubles, or any otherwise multiplies it, he finds, that, after he has
continued his doubling in his thoughts, and enlarged his idea as much as
he pleases, he has no more reason to stop, nor is one jot nearer the
end of such addition, than he was at first setting out: the power of
enlarging his idea of space by further additions remaining still the
same, he hence takes the idea of infinite space.

4. Our Idea of Space boundless.

This, I think, is the way whereby the mind gets the IDEA of infinite
space. It is a quite different consideration, to examine whether the
mind has the idea of such a boundless space ACTUALLY EXISTING; since our
ideas are not always proofs of the existence of things: but yet, since
this comes here in our way, I suppose I may say, that we are APT TO
THINK that space in itself is actually boundless, to which imagination
the idea of space or expansion of itself naturally leads us. For, it
being considered by us, either as the extension of body, or as existing
by itself, without any solid matter taking it up, (for of such a void
space we have not only the idea, but I have proved, as I think, from
the motion of body, its necessary existence,) it is impossible the mind
should be ever able to find or suppose any end of it, or be stopped
anywhere in its progress in this space, how far soever it extends its
thoughts. Any bounds made with body, even adamantin