that is, from the comforts of it, or of feeling it only in its terrors? How pathetic is that expoftulation of Job, when for the trial of his patience he was made to look upon himself in this deplorable condition! Why haft thou fet me as a mark against thee, fo that I am become a burden to myself? But, Thirdly, how happy is the condition of that intellectual being, who is fenfible of his Maker's prefence from the fecret effects of his mercy and loving-kindnefs!

The bleffed in heaven behold him face to face, that is, are as fenfible of his prefence as we are of the prefence of any perfon whom we look upon with our eyes. There is doubtlefs a faculty in fpirits, by which they apprehend one another, as our fenfes do material objects; and there is no question but our fouls, when they are difembodied, or plaeed 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 ftanding between us and the world of fpirits, muft be content to know that the Spirit of God is prefent with us, by the effects which he produceth in us. Our outward fenfes are too grofs to apprehend him; we may however tafte 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 fouls, and by thofe ravishing joys and inward fatisfactions which are perpetually fpringing up, and diffufing themfelves among all the thoughts of good men. He is lodged in our very effence,

and is as a foul within the foul to irradiate its understanding, rectify its will, purify 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 foul! Though the whole creation frowns upon him, and

all

all nature looks black about him, he has his light and fupport within him, that are able to cheer his mind, and bear him up in the midst of all those horrors which encompafs 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 midst of calumny or contempt, he attends to that being who whifpers better things within his foul, and whom he looks upon as his defender, his glory, and the lifter-up of his head. In his deepeft folitude and retirement he knows that he is in company with the greatest of beings; and perceives within himfelf fuch real fenfations of his prefence, as are more delightful than any thing that can be met with in the converfation of his creatures. Even in the hour of death, he confiders the pains of his diffolution to be nothing elfe but the breaking down of that partition, which ftands betwixt his foul and the fight of that being, who is always prefent with him, and is about to manifest itself to him in fulness of joy.

If we would be thus happy, and thus fenfible of our Maker's prefence, from the fecret effects of his mercy and goodnefs, we must keep fuch a watch over all our thoughts, that, in the language of the Scripture, his foul 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 fight, that he may delight thus to refide and dwell in us. The light of nature could direct Seneca to this doctrine, in a very remarkable paffage among his epiftles: Sacer ineft in nobis fpiritus bonorum malorumque cuftos, et obfervator, et quemadmodum nos illum tractamus, ita et 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 we treat him.' But I fhall conclude this difcourfe

with those more emphatical words in divine revelation. If a man love me he will keep my words; and my father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Promittunt medici

I

Quod medicorum eft

HOR. Ep. i. lib. 2. ver. 115.

Phyficians only boast the healing art.

Am the more pleafed with thefe my papers, fince I find they have encouraged feveral men of learning and wit to become my correfpondents: I yesterday received the following effay against quacks which I fhall here communicate to my readers for the good of the publick, begging the writer's pardon for those additions and retrenchments which I have made in it.

THE

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 phyfic finds among us. Well-conftituted governments have always made the profeffion of a phyfician both honourable and advantageous. Homer's Machaon and Virgil's lapis 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 most ignorant, when the most able phyficians give him none. Though impudence and many words are

as

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 other, creates a good correfpondence between them.

There is fcarce a city in Great Britain but has one of this tribe who takes it into his protection, and on the market-day harangues the good people of the place with aphorifms and receipts. You may depend upon it, he comes not there for his own private intereft, but out of a particular affection to the town. I remember one of thefe publicfpirited artifts at Hammersmith, who told his audience, That he had been born and bred there, and that having a special regard for the place of his nativity, he was determined to make a prefent of five fhillings to as many as would accept of it.' The whole croud stood agape, and ready to take the doctor at his word: When putting his hand into a long bag, as every one was expecting his crown-piece, he drew out an handful of little pac kets, each of which he informed the fpectators was conftantly fold at five fhillings and fix-pence, but that he would bate the odd five fhillings to every inhabitant of that place: The whole affembly immediately closed with this generous offer, and took off all his phyfic, after the doctor had made them vouch for one another, that there were no foreigners among them, but that they were all Hammerfmith men.

There is another branch of pretenders to this art, who, without either horfe or pickle-herring, lie fnug in a garret, and fend down notice to the world of their extraordinary parts and abilities by printed bills and advertisements. Thefe feem to have derived their custom from an Eastern nation

which Herodotus fpeaks of, among whom it was a law, that whenever any cure was performed, both the method of the cure, and an account of the diftemper, fhould be fixed in fome publick place; but as customs will corrupt, thefe our moderns provide themfelves of perfons to atteft the cure, before they publish or make an experiment of the prefcription. I have heard of a porter, who ferves as a knight of the post under one of these operators, and though he was never fick in his life, has been cured of all the difeafes in the difpenfary. These are the men whose fagacity has invented elixirs of all forts, pills and lozenges, and take it as an affront if you come to them before you are given over by every body elfe. Their medicines are infallible, and never fail of fuccefs, that is, of enriching the doctor, and fetting the patient effectually at reft.

any

I lately dropt into a coffee-house at Weftminster, where I found the room hung round with ornaments of this nature. There were elixirs, tinctures, the Anodyne Fotus, English pills, electuaries, and in fhort more remedies than I believe there are difeafes. At the fight of fo many inventions, I could not but imagine myself in a kind of arfenal or magazine, where ftore of arms was repofited ag inft fudden invasion. Should be attacked by you the enemy fide-ways, here was an infallible piece of defensive armour to cure the pleurify: Should a diftemper beat up your head-quarters, here you might purchase an impenetrable helmet, or, in the language of the artist, a cephalick tincture : If your main body be affaulted, here are various kinds of armour in cafe of various onfets. I began to congratulate the prefent age upon the happiness men might reasonably hope for in life, when death was thus in a manner defeated; and when pain it. felf would be of fo fhort a duration, that it would but just ferve to enhance the value of pleasure : VOL. VIII.

G

While