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from the fecret Effects of his Mercy and Loving-kindness.

THE Bleffed in Heaven behold him Face to Face; that is, are as fenfible of his Prefence as we are of the Presence of any Person whom we look upon with our Eyes. There is doubtless a Faculty in Spirits, by which they apprehend one another, as our Senfes do material Objects; and there is no queftion but our Souls, when they are difembodied, or placed in glorified Bodies, will by this Faculty, in whatever Part of Space they refide, be always fenfible of the Divine Prefence. We, who have this Veil of Flesh standing between us and the World of Spirits, must be content to know that the Spirit of God is prefent with us, by the Effects which he produceth in us. Our outward Senfes are too grofs to apprehend him; we may however taste and fee how gracious he is, by his Influence upon our Minds, by thofe virtuous Thoughts which he awakens in us, by thofe fecret Comforts and Refreshments which he conveys into our Souls, and by thofe ravishing Joys and inward Satisfactions, which are perpetually fpringing up, and diffufing themselves among all the

Thoughts

Thoughts of good Men. He is lodged in our very Effence, and is as a Soul within the Soul, to irradiate its Underftanding, rectifie its Will, purifie its Paffions, and enliven all the Powers of Man. How happy therefore is an intellectual Being, who, by Prayer and Meditation, by Virtue and good Works, opens this Communication between God and his own Soul! Tho' the whole Creation frowns upon him, and all Nature looks black about him, he has his Light and Support within him, that are able to cheer his Mind, and bear him up in the midft of all thofe Horrors which encompass him. He knows that his Helper is at hand, and is always nearer to him than any thing elfe can be, which is capable of annoying or terrifying him. In the midft of Calumny or Contempt, he attends to that Being who whispers better things within his Soul, and whom he looks upon as his Defender, his Glory, and the Lifter up of his Head. In his deepest Solitude and Retirement, he knows that he is in Company with the greatest of Beings; and perceives within himself fuch real Senfations of his Prefence, as are more delightful than any thing that can be met with in the

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Con

Converfation of his Creatures. Even in the Hour of Death, he considers the Pains of his Diffolution to be nothing elfe but the breaking down of that Partition, which stands betwixt his Soul, and the Sight of that Being, who is always prefent with him, and is about to manifeft it felf to him in Fullness of Joy.

IF we would be thus happy, and thus fenfible of our Maker's Prefence, from the fecret Effects of his Mercy and Goodness, we must keep fuch a Watch over all our Thoughts, that, in the Language of the Scripture, his Soul may have Pleasure in us. We must take care not to grieve his holy Spirit, and endeavour to make the Meditations of our Hearts always acceptable in his Sight, that he may delight thus to refide and dwell in us. The Light of Nature could direct Seneca to this Do&trine, in a very remarkable Paffage among his Epiftles; Sacer ineft in nobis fpiritus bonorum malorumque cuftos, & Obfervator, & quemadmodum nos illam tractamus, ita & ille nos. There is a holy Spirit refiding in us, who watches and obferves both good and evil Men, and will treat us after the fame manner

that

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that we treat him. But I fhall conclude
this Difcourfe with thofe more empha-
tical Words in Divine Revelation, If a
Man love me, he will keep my Word, and
my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our Abode with
him.

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Am the more pleased with
these my Papers, fince I

I find they have encouraged
feveral Men of Learning

and Wit to become my Cor-
refpondents: I Yefterday received the
following Effay against Quacks, which
I fhall here communicate to my Rea-
ders for the Good of the Publick, beg-
ging the Writer's Pardon for thofe Ad-
ditions and Retrenchments which I have
made in it.

THE

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HE Defire of Life is fo natural

and strong a Paffion, that I have long fince ceased to wonder at the great Encouragement which the Practice of Phyfick finds among us. Well-conftituted Governments have always made the Profeffion of a Physician both honourable and advantagious. Homer's Machaon and Virgil's Japis were Men of Renown, Heroes in War, and made at least as much havock among their Enemies as among their Friends. Thofe who have little or no Faith in the Abilities of a Quack will apply themfelves to him, either because he is willing to fell Health at a reasonable Profit, or because the Patient, like a drowning Man, catches at every Twig, and hopes for Relief from the moft Ignorant, when the most able Physicians give him none. Though Impudence and many Words are as neceffary to thefe Itinerary Galens as a laced Hat or a Merry Andrew, yet they would turn very little to the Advantage of the Owner, if there were not fome inward Difpofition in the fick Man to favour the Pretenfions of the Mountebank. Love of Life in the one, and of Money in

the

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