Page:The Works of John Locke - 1823 - vol 01.djvu/272

196 the rest by marks and known boundaries, have each of them a two-fold acceptation.

First, Time in general is commonly taken for so much of infinite duration as is measured by, and co-existent with, the existence and motions of the great bodies of the universe, as far as we know any thing of them: and in this sense time begins and ends with the frame of this sensible world, as in these phrases before-mentioned, before all time, or when time shall be no more. Place likewise is taken sometimes for that portion of infinite space which is possessed by, and comprehended within the material world, and is thereby distinguished from the rest of expansion; though this may more properly be called extension than place. Within these two are confined, and by the observable parts of them are measured and determined, the particular time or duration, and the particular extension and place, of all corporeal beings.

§ 7. Secondly, Sometimes the word time is used in a larger sense, and is applied to of either, as parts of that infinite duration, not that were really distinguished and measured out by this real existence, and periodical motions of bodies that were appointed from the beginning to be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years, and are accordingly our measures of time;—but such other portions too of that infinite uniform duration, which we, upon any occasion, do suppose equal to certain lengths of measured time; and so consider them as bounded and determined. For if we should suppose the creation, or fall of the angels, was at the beginning of the Julian period, we should speak properly enough, and should be understood, if we said, it is a longer time since the creation of angels than the creation of the world by seven thousand six hundred and forty years; whereby we would mark out so much of that undistinguished duration as we suppose equal to, and would