think it no Difparagement to their Understandings to give way fometimes to a ferious Thought.

SIR,

N your Paper of Friday the 9th Inftant, you had Occafion to confider the Ubiquity of the Godhead, and at the fame time, to fhew, that as he is prefent to every thing he cannot but be attentive to every thing, and privy to all the Modes and Parts of its Existence : or, in other Words, that his Omnifcience and Omniprefence are coexistent, and run together through the whole Infinitude of Space. This Confideration might furnish us with many Incentives to Devotion and Motives to Morality, but as this Subject has been handled. by feveral excellent Writers, I fhall confider it in a Light wherein I have not feen it placed by others.

Firft, How difconfolate is the Condition of an intellectual Being who is thus prefent with his Maker, but at the fame time receives no extraordinary Benefit or Advantage from this his Prefence !

Secondly, How deplorable is the Condition of an intellectual Being, who feels no other Effects from this his Prefence but fuch as proceed from Divine Wrath and Indignation!

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.

Firft, How difconfolate is the Condition of an intellectual Being, who is thus present with his Maker, but at the fame time receives no extraordinary Benefit or Advantage from this his Prefence! Every Particle of Matter is actuated by this Almighty Being which paffes through it. The Heavens and the Earth, the Stars and Planets, move and gravitate by virtue of this great Principle within them. All the dead Farts of Nature are invigorated by the Prefence of their Creator, and made capable of exerting their refpective Qualities. The feveral Inftincts, in the brute Creation, do likewise operate and work towards the feveral Ends which are agreeable to them, by this Divine Energy.

Man

Man only, who does not co operate with this holy Spirit, and is unattentive to his Prefence, receives none of thofe Advantages from it, which are perfective of his Nature, and neceffary to his Well-being.

Divinity is with him, and in him, and every where about him, but of no Advantage to him. It is the fame thing to a Man without Religion, as if there were no God in the World. It is indeed impoffible for an infinite Being to remove himfelf from any of his Creatures, but tho' he cannot withdraw his Effence from us, which would argue an Imperfection in him, he can withdraw from us all the joys and Confolations of it. His Prefence may perhaps be neceffary to fupport us in our Exiftence; but he may leave this our Exiftence to it felf, with regard to its Happinefs or Mifery. For, in this Senfe, he may caft us away from his Prefence, and take his holy Spirit from us. This fingle Confideration one would think fufficient to make us open our Hearts to all thofe Infufions of Joy and Gladness which are fo near at hand, and ready to be poured in upon us; cípecially when we confider, Secondly, The deplorable Condition of an intellectual Being who feels no other Effects from his Maker's Prefence, but fuch as proceed from Divine Wrath and Indignation!

WE may affure ourselves, that the great Author of Nature will not always be as one, who is indifferent to any of his Creatures. Thofe who will not feel him. in his Love, will be fure at length to feel him in his Difpleafure. And how dreadful is the Condition of that Creature, who is only fenfible of the Being of his Creator by what he fuffers from him! He is as effentially prefent in Hell as in Heaven, but the Inhabitants of thofe accurfed Places behold him only in his Wrath, and fhrink within the Flames to conceal themfelves from him. It is not in the Power of Imagination to conceive the fearful Effects of Omnipotence incenfed.

BUT I fhall only confider the Wretchedness of an intellectual Being, who, in this Life, lies under the Difpleasure of him, that at all Times and in all Places

is intimately united with him. He is able to difquier the Soul, and vex it in all its Faculties. He can hinder any of the greatest Comforts of Life from refreshing us, and give an Edge to every one of its flighteft Calamities. Who then can bear the Thought of being an Out-caft from his Prefence, that is, from the Comforts of it, or of feeling it only in its Terrors? How pathetick is that Expoftulation of Job, when, for the Trial of his Patience, he was made to look upon himfelf in this deplorable Condition! Why hast thou fet me as a Mark against thee, fo that I am become a Burden to my felf? 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 Lovingkindness.

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 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 ftanding between us and the World of Spirits, muft 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 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 Souls, and by thofe ravishing Joys and inward Satisfactions, 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 Soul within the Soul, 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

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 Lifterup of his Head. In his deepeft Solitude and Retirement, he knows that he is in Company with the greateft of Beings; and perceives with himfelf fuch real Senfations 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 fands 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 Fulnefs 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 Soul may have Pleafure in us. We must take care not to grieve his holy Spirit, and endeavour to make the Meditations of our Ficarts 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 Doctrine, in a very remarkable Paffage among his Epiflles; Sacer ineft in nobis fpiritus bonorum malorumque cuflos, & Obfervator, & quemadmodum nos illum 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 we treat him. But I fhall conclude this Difcourfe with thofe 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.

N°

572.

Monday, July 26.

I

Quod medicorum eft,

Promittant medici

Hor.

Am the more pleased with these my Papers, fince I find they have encouraged feveral Men of Learning and Wit to become my Correfpondents: I Yesterday received the following Effay againft Quacks, which I fhall here communicate to my Readers for the Good of the Publick, begging the Writer's Pardon for thofe Additions and Retrenchments which I have made in it.

THE Defire of Life is fo natural and strong a Paf

fion, that I have long fince ceafed to wonder at the great Encouragement which the Practice of Phy

fick 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 leaft as much Havock among their Enemies as among their Friends. Those 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 Phyficians 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