V. It may be very eafily Objected to him,

that he Screws up the Doclrine of Faith to an
Unwarrantable Pitchy Obliging Chriftians by their
very c Faith to Super fede All Recourfe to the Phy-
fician. But to take off All that Offence which
this might give, let it be confider'd here again,
that in this very Homily our Author is far enough
from Infifting upon this as a Duty Incumbent
upon All Alike. No. He Diftinguifh.es the
Ranks and Degrees of Chriftians in proportion
to the Strength orWeaknefs of their Faith. As
to thofe who are Young or Weak, Them .does
he allow the Benefit of a Phyfician, efpecially if
they Live in the World. But they that Enjoy
the Benefit and Advantage of a Reclufe Life, are
Difengag'd from the World, Know nothing of
its Cares and Perplexities, but PofTefs their Souls
in Perfect Peace > and are perfectly at leifure for
continual Prayer, which thro' Conftant Practice
is become Habitual to them : Certain it is, ac-
cording to our Author, that ifthefe are but Faith-
ful to themfelves, Grace Increafes, and Gains
ground upon them every day. Death it felf, our
laft Enemy, fhall, we are told by one Apoftle, be

\ Horn, xlviii.

Swallow' d

48 The Introduction.

i Cor. xv.fzvallow'd up of Vittory -y and by another, that
1 John, this Victory is our Faith. Suffer our Egyptian then
to Dictate to the Junior Monks under his Care,
from his own Experience. If He Overcame the
Infirmities, and Sickly Difpoiitions of his Body
by the Prayer of Faith himfelf -, it was certainly
but Faithful Advice at leaft in him, to Prefcribe
the Same to others, efpecially to fuch as were En-
dow'd perhaps with Abilities to Heal others by a
"Wonder- working Faith of their own.

1. The very Heathen, who however Incens'd
againft the Faith of Chrift, yet Borrow'd his
Morality from that very Gofpel he wrote againft,
feems to have Learnt this among other Secrets,
that the vigorous Efforts of Piety may contribute
to the v Healing of the Body. The Prefcription,
it is true, is from the School of Plato. And the
Practice or Execution of it has been lately Urg'd
by an Excellent Pen, as a Sovereign Nofirum in
11 Philofophy . It is therefore Pardonable at leaft,
if our Author fhould make no Scruple to Infift
upon it as a Gofpel Maxim or Principle, viz .That
to him that Believeth^ all things are PoJJible. Nor
much unlike to this is that Excellent Saying of
his upon another w Occafion, viz. " If want of
" Health befals you, don't Repine \ for if it be
" the Will of the Lord that you fhould be Af-
" flicted in the Body, who are you that you
tt fhould take upon you to be Angry at it ? Does
cc not he care for you in all refpects ? Or can you
M Live without him ? Bear it therefore Patiently,

.'Ext«w«5 zrvg/.vov v£f

Hierocles in Vythag.

u See Dr. Mote's Life, towards the End, concerning the La-
dy Conway.

w Apophthegm, apud Tritium, p. 233. 'Exv <pOu<ry o-oi uppu-
fim coifucjos, w chr/eogcit idt «/<&? ViAr, n ohaxroTya <r», &C„

" and

The Introduction. 49

u and Pray to Him, that He would vouchsafe you
u the things which are for your Profit. For this
" is his Will. Sit down Contented, and Rumi-
nate upon Charity, or Divine Love.

a