Wesley Corpus

may reasonably suppose these wise beings sometimes choose, and by their strength put in execution, is the altering some material cause that would have a pernicious effect ; the puri fying (for instance) tainted air, which would otherwise produce a contagious distemper. And this they may easily do, either by in creasing the current of it, so as naturally to cleanse its putridity ; or, by mixing with it some other substance, so to correct its hurtful quali ties, and render it salubrious to human bodies. Another method they may be supposed to adopt when their commission is not so general; when they are authorized to preserve some few persons from a common calamity. It then is probable that they do not alter the cause, but the subject on which it is to work ; that they do not lessen the strength of the one, but in crease that of the other. Thus too, where they are not allowed to prevent, they may re move, pain or sickness; thus the angel restored Daniel in a moment when neither strength or breath remained in him. thes; means, by changing either our bodies or the material causes that use to affect