virtuous Friendships among the rest, and naturally revive the fpirit of union, and the fentiment of preference, which gave them birth?

There likewife we learn in the cleareft manner, that the great body of obedient believers who entered into being in the fame region of the univerfe called Earth, who were subjected to the fame circumftances of general trial, in order to the fubfequent enjoyment of the fame common felicity, shall, after being conducted by the fame divine Leader and Deliverer through their terreftrial conflict, be raised together, judged together, acquitted together, and together established in one everlafting community of love, to inha bit jointly one capacious and undecaying metropolis known by the name of Heaven, or the New Jerufalem, or the City of the living God, the centre of his vaft immortal empire, and the eternal abode of his whole bleffed family. But, to repeat

a question which has been very properly afked on this fubject, by an amiable Divine and Philofopher, Is it poffible that "we should be happy hereafter in the "fame feats of joy, under the same perfect Εσ government, and as members of the "fame heavenly fociety, and yet remain

ftrangers to one another? Being in the "fame ftate with our prefent virtuous "Friends and relations, will they not be "acceffible to us? and, if acceffible, fhall "we not fly to them, and mingle hearts "and fouls again?"

It may be farther argued, What chriftian can doubt, that we shall fee and know the glorious body of our Saviour advanced above the fublimeft orders of angelic existence? And if one corporeal form may be seen and known, why not more? If our Elder Brother, as he has been sometimes ftyled, why not others of our facred fraternity, whose bodies, we are exprefsly affured, will be fashioned like his? If the twelve

thrones of the Judges of Ifrael fhall be fo eminently fplendid, as we must conclude from what we are told, how, it has been alfo afked, fhall we not diftinguish and acknowledge them? If the three difciples on the mount of transfiguration knew Mofes and Elias, how much more shall we know thofe illuftrious Saints in the world of perfect vifion? If even the rich fenfualift in the prison of despair, is faid to have known Lazarus and Abraham at an unapproachable distance, can we believe the inhabitants of Heaven to be endowed with lefs difcernment? Should you object, that it is only a parabolical reprefentation, you will ftill allow, that He who delivered it, not only proceeded on the prevailing doctrine of mutual knowledge in a future ftate, but had too much veracity to affirm that any thing was done which could not be done. It may be added, that when St. Paul admonished such as mourned the death of their Friends, "not "to forrow as others who have no hope," fince" them that fleep in Jefus, God will

bring with him," the argument would not appear completely fatisfactory, unless it included the prospect of recognizing, and of renewing former intimacy with, thofe Friends at the refurrection of the juft; the heart, without this, being still left to the apprehenfion of for ever losing one of its pureft enjoyments, the known communion of fuch as it had long loved and cherished from the best motives. The fame inspired man, fpeaking elsewhere of those whom he had converted to the faith and practice of Christianity, asks with a kind of friendly exultation, "What is

our hope, our joy, our crown of re"joicing? Are not even ye in the pre"fence of our Lord Jefus at his coming?" But does not this style plainly imply, that St. Paul expected to fee, and know, and triumph, with those beloved difciples at the final confummation? And may not fuch in every age, as have had the peculiar happiness of training others to virtue and glory, derive peculiar delight from the fame idea?

Having repeatedly mentioned the Refurrection, I would only obferve yet farther on this article, that if the internal character is frequently discoverable through the dufky veil of matter with which it is now enveloped, we have furely reason to think it will shine out, with an effulgence impoffible to be mistaken or overlooked, when the foul is clothed with her lucid, transparent, ethereal, and incorruptible body, at that last and brightest period.

These are a part of the reflections with which I have comforted my own mind, when it has pleafed the Almighty to take away fome precious individuals whose fociety was sweeter than the light of day; and I thought myself called upon to lay them before you, my honoured hearers, when I was recommending a connexion, which, without the expectation of meeting again in the manfions of eternity, would, on the disjunction of virtuous Friends at death, be a fource of anguish