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On the taking of LISLE.

T length the blow is ftruck, all Gallia feels
The blow, at which her haughty Monarch reels;
Struck, whilft his bravest troops beheld the fight,
Superior much by odds in all but FIGHT;

By fuccours fed around, whilst our Allies
Through thousand toils and dangers fnatch'd fupplies.
Where Marlborough look'd, their courages funk down,
Shock'd at the fate, which fat upon his frown.
Great Marlborough! But now the trump of fame,
Grows hoarfe in echoing round the globe his name.
Invincible Eugene, how shall we raise
Trophies and triumphs worthy of thy praife?
Who through inceffant fires and bullets past,
Midft thoufand deaths has reach'd the goal at laft;
The ball which ftruck thy head ne'er ftir'd thy brain,
Sure death to others. Thee it ftruck in vain :
Thy foul in fpight of fate its mansion will maintain.
Great Boufflers and his pow'rs, a nation brave,
(When forts and bulwarks may from danger fave)
With art fupply nature, to fecure

His men infconc'd, which might an age endure,
Ply'd all their skill; but when in dreadful form
They faw the bold affailants fixt for form;
And now they bravely must engage, away
To further ftrength they fly, not dar'd to stay,
But to our champion yield the glory of the day.

Q. Pray reconcile the feeming difference that is between thofe two expreffions in the xxxiii chap. of Exodus, ver. 11. it is faid, And the Lord (pake unto Mofes face to face as a man fpeaketh unto his friend. And in the 20 ver. it is faid, thou canst not see my face; for there is no man can fee me and live?

4. The first is a figurative expreffion, and imports no more than that God entred into converfe with Mofes, engag'd in a friendly conference, and talked with him in a kind of familiar intimacy; fo familiar indeed, that Mofes as well as Abraham may be stil'd the friend of God.

Q. In St. John xxth chapter, and the 22d verse you will find that our Saviour breath'd the Holy Ghost upon his difciples: now verse the 24" you will find that Thomas call'd Didymus was then abfent. I defire to know, whether you think Thomas receiv'd the Holy Ghost?

A. Thomas was at that time a fubject incapable of "that divine infufion, fince he was little better than an infidel, and denied the faith; denied the article of Chrift's refurrection, that principal doctrine of the Gospel; it is Chrift that died, yea rather that is rifen again. But we may probably fuppofe that he receiv'd the heavenly gift the Sunday following, when he expreft the fincerity of his faith, in this fhort but full confeffion, My Lord, and my God.

Q. Whether a person, who thro' his friends and his own neglect has never been confirm'd, but yet has been frequently a partaker of the bleffed Sacrament, be oblig'd to be confirm'd the next opportunity.

4. Since (as we prov'd lately) confirmation is a neceffary ordinance, nothing can fuperfede that neceffity, which is not repugnant to its very nature and defign.

But we are aware of an objection that may be ftarted here. Confirmation is indeed (may fome fay) both a restorer and improver of that grace we receiv'd at baptifm. But fince a participation of the holy Sacrament is a restorer of that very grace we received at confirmation, why may it not be a bestower ás well as a restorer of it?

But tho' this be a plausible objection, yet the necef→ fity of confirmation does fufficiently confute it: for tho' to him who thro' an unblameable ignorance has neglected confirmation, or for want of opportunity has not been able to obtain it, the participation of the Sacrament may be an ufeful fupply of that fpiritual vigor, he would have otherwife receiv'd in that previous ordinance, yet that he who willfully neglects a pofitive inftitution, fhall the next time he approaches the Lord's table, receive any recruit of his wasted ftrength, is what we dare not promife. If God be

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ftow unmerited favours on his creatures, fhall he not choose the manner of bestowing them? Shall he not choose the conduits of conveyance? are we not contented to receive the divine infufion, unless we prefcribe alfo the method of reception? but if we be unwilling to accept our Maker's bounty in his own way, we have reason to suspect, that he will not give it us in ours.

But tho' young perfons who have never yet receiv'd the Sacrament, fhould obey the order of the Church, and wait for an opportunity of confirmation (if there be a profpect of it) before they venture to be prefent at fo divine a banquet, it is yet enough for those who have already tafted the heavenly food, that they refolve to embrace the very next opportu nity that fhall prefent it felf. And by virtue of fo commendable a refolution, they may hope the mean while to receive fuch advantage from the holy Sacrament, as to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Q. God being incapable (because of the holy rectitude of bis nature) of committing fin, I defire to know, whether you think the devil knew our Saviour to be God? if fo, why did he tempt him to fin, when he saw there was not the leaft fhadow of probability (no, nor poffibility) of compliance ?

A. Ignatius was of opinion, that the mystery of the incarnation was in his time a fecret to the devil. But however that be, we have reafon to believe, that it was fo at the time of our Saviour's temptation, fince fo fagacious a being (as the devil must be allow'd to be, for we are not ignorant of his devices) could have propos'd to himself to tempt fo glorious a per fonage to fin, as was fo intimately united to the Divinity it felf. But we must observe to you, that you have founded your question wrong, and make no diftinction between the manhood and the godhead.

Q. Why the fame idea does at various times variously affect us, and yet admit of no alteration in its felf? 4. It must be allow'd an axiom in metaphyficks,

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as well as phyficks, that the fame thing may act differently upon different fubjects. Since therefore our bodies which strangely influence our minds, are in continual Auctuation, and the inclinations of our minds are so apt to vary, according to the diverfity of the external objects they are accuftom'd to, it thence naturally follows, that the fame idea, tho' in the fame perfon, may yet at different times have different fubjects to work upon. And therefore the fore-mention'd axiom is a folution of the question.

Q. What is the reason, that if a person has actually af cended a pair of fairs in the dark, yet as he fuppofes, he bath not, therefore lifts up his foot in expectation of more, the extended foot is ftruck with fuch force against the boards?

4. Because the fright fo unexpected an event naturally occafions, difables him from performing a gentle demiffion of his leg. And as, unless we poife our bodies, their weight will deprefs the defcending leg with the greater force, fo by the fame fright we are rendred incapable of fuch a poife.

Q. Whence proceeds that fo conftant formality of people bearing a sprig of rosemary in their hand when accompanying the obfequies of a deceased perfon?

A. That cuftom ('tis like) had its rife from a notion of an alexipharmick, or prefervative virtue in that herb against peftilential diftempers; whence the smelling thereto at funerals was probably thought a powerful defence against the morbid effluvia's of the corps. Nor is it for the fame reafon lefs cuftomary to burn rosemary in the chambers of the fick than frankincenfe, whofe odor is not much different from the former, which gave the Greeks occafion to call rosemary λιβανώτις ἃ λίβανο, thus.

Q. There is a lough in the North of Ireland, called Neugh, that a holly frick being put into, it is petrified in few years, and has no effect upon any other wood?

A. The difpofition of the Holly to be petrified in the lough (tho' no other wood is) confifts in the peculiar configuration of its pores, by which it is more

apt

apt to receive the petrefying particles of the water, and keep them fo wedg'd in, that they constitute together but one very folid and hard body: whereas the fame particles only flide upon other woods, or have a free paffage quite through them, and so can cause no alteration.

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Q. We find feveral islands not inhabited in the Indies, which abound with divers wild beasts, many of which are enemies to mankind: I defire to know how they first came there?

4. They muft either have been carried thither by men (notwithstanding their enmity to them) as we fee daily, that bears, lyons and tygers are brought over from diftant countries, or else they must have swom thither; or we may fuppofe, that these islands were not always fo, but made formerly part of the continent, which is certainly true of fome.

Q. Why does tickling produce laughter?

A. Because, when tangible impreffions pleasantly affault the fibres, the fpirits implanted there are gather'd together and delighted: and this fenfation is communicated by the nerves to the common fenfory, whence the imagination and præcordia are in fuch a manner affected.

Q. What is the cause of the cramp?

4. It is caufed by the evil difpofition of the ani mal fpirits, which being burthen'd with heterogene. ous particles, and at length irritated, attempt an expulfion thereof, but being thick and viscous, and confequently more tenacious, are fhut up within the fleshy fibres, and the longer detained in the expansion; or it may be imputed to the conftriction or ill conformation of the tendons, whereby the reflux of the fpirits from the muscular fibres is obftructed.

Q. Apollo, pray tell me, why people in fits
Are fo much the fronger than when in their wits?
Sirs, if you can folve it, I'll fay you deserve
The name of Apollo, which fame will preferve.

A. Thofe fits take their rife from a nervous default,

Which with frantick diforders the fick does affault:.

And

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