toaft, between whiles; had this been done very foon, there might be relief as quickly; or if the fever ftill run high, to bleed again, and wash down fome proper alexipharmic powder with a proper cordial julap, it is poffible nature would have been able to accomplish the work, and health had been again reftored. I use the word proper alexipharmic, and proper cordial julap, because the Theriaca and Mithridatium of the shops, which are commonly, almoft always ordered as an alexipharmic bole, are rather poisons than useful in a fever; and because the tincture and fyrup of faffron, the treacle-water, or any diftilled compound, are not fit cordials in the cafe; but it should be the conferva hujule in an emulfion ex fem. fr. cum amygd. in aq. bordei. This is the true alexipharmic,-and the only cordial, to be given in a fever. But it was the destructive alexipharmics and cordials of the shops they forced down Maria's throat, and this, with the other bad prescriptions and management, killed one of the finest and most excellent women that ever lived.

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other

And now to give the world a better idea of this admirable woman than any defcription of mine can exhibit, I fhall here place a few religious little Pieces, which she writ, while Mils Spence, and which I found among her papers.

MORAL

MORAL THOUGHTS: Written by Mifs SPENCE.

MORALITY.

ABSTRACT, mathematical, or phyfical truth, may be above the reach of the bulk and community of mankind. They have neither the leifure, nor the neceffary helps and advantages to acquire the natural knowledge of arts and fciences. The many calls and importunities of the animal kind, take up the greatest part of their time, thoughts, and labor, fo that the more abstract fpeculations, and experimental difquifitions of philofophy, are placed by providence quite out of their reach, and beyond their fphere of action.

On the contrary, moral truth, right and wrong, good and evil, the doing as we would be done by, and acting towards all men as they really are, and ftand related in fociety; thefe things are as evident to the understanding, as light and colors are to the eye, and may be called the intellectual, moral fenfe. Here needs no deep learning, or trouble and expence of education, but the fame truths are as evident, and as much feen and felt by the learned and unlearned, the gentleman and

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the

the ploughman, the favage or wild Indian, as by the best instructed philosopher. The divine perfections shine through all nature, and the goodness and bounty of the Creator to all his creatures, imprefs the obligation of imitating this wisest and best of Beings upon every man's heart and confcience.

But notwithstanding the maxims of morality are thus folidly established, and adapted to all capacities; and though every man has a happiness to seek, and a main end to fecure, which must be infinitely preferable to any concerns of life, yet here it is we find, that mankind in general have been most lost and bewildered, as if providence had placed their own happiness, and the way to it, more out of their power than any thing else. How this should happen, might seem unaccountable at first fight, and yet it can be no great mystery to any man tolerably acquainted with the world and human nature. It is no difficult matter to discover the reafons hereof, and it is withal highly useful to give them their due confiderarion.

1. The principal cause I take to be the prevailing ftrength and bias of private, corrupt, animal affection, and defires. Reason is filenced and borne down by brutal appetite and paffion. They refolve to gratify their sensual appetites and defires, and will therefore never talte or try the fuperior pleasures and enjoy

ments

ments of reafon and virtue. But fuch men as these having declared open war against their own reason and confcience, and being refolved at all rifks to maintain the combat, must be self-condemned, and cannot plead ignorance, or error of judgment in the cafe.

2. Another fundamental caufe of moral error, is the prejudice and prepoffeffion of a wrong education. False principles and ab, furd notions of God and religion, wrought early into the tender, unexperienced mind, and there radicated and confirmed from time to time, from youth to riper age, by parents, teachers, our most intimate friends and acquaintance, and fuch as we have the best opinion of, and confide moft in; fuch caufes make such strong impreffions, that the groffeft errors, thus rivetted and fixed, are with the greatest difficulty ever conquered or cleared off. In this cafe, men turn out well-grounded believers, and are well-armed against convic tion. Circumcifion or baptifm fixes their religion in their infancy, and their church is as natural to them as their country. Free enquiry is with them an apoftafy from the orthodox party, and as the great and fure tryal of their faith and fortitude, they will hear no reasonings about the holy religion hey have taken upon trust.

3. Then the few, who have applied themfelves to the study of morality, have done it

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for the most part in a manner confused; and fuperficial enough: and often fo, as even to build upon principles either entirely falfe, or obfcure and uncertain; either foreign to its proper business, or mixt up with grofs errors, and abfurdities. From whence it comes to pafs, that in all languages, the terms of morality, both in common difcourfe, and in the writings of the learned, are fuch as have the moft obfcure, confufed, indetermined, and unfixed ideas, of any other terms whatever, men for the most part defpifing the things which are plain and ordinary, to run after fuch as are extraordinary and mysterious; and that they either will not know, or reject even truth itself, unless the brings fome charm with her, to raise their curiofity, and gratify their paffion for what is marvellous and un

common.

In fum, the prejudices of the understanding, the illufions of the heart, and the ty ranny established in the world with relation to opinions, form a grand obftacle to the ferious study of morality; and to the attainment of a more exact knowledge of our duty. Nor is it to be expected that any will very much apply themselves to make difcoveries in these matters, whilft the defire of efteem, riches, or power, makes men espouse the well-endowed opinions in fashion, and then feek arguments either to make good