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only augmented by fuperior worth and intellect, as the dread of it even at a diftance would be apt to embitter many of the preceding scenes. It is certain, that the fineft understandings and the warmest hearts have naturally the most exquifite feelings on the point of Friendship; and were its pleasures to terminate with a few precarious years, the very improvements which tended to heighten them on one fide, would, from fo gloomy a profpect, be in continual danger of deftroying them on another. But blessed be that Divine Religion, which, while it unites the fouls of its votaries here in the loveliest affections and the loftieft views, encourages and confoles them, under all their anxieties and fufferings, with the lively hope of an interminable existence, through which they fhall travel together, for ever undivided, for ever undisturbed, free from all imperfections, and attracted ftill clofer to one another as they approach nearer and nearer

to Him who is their common original, object, and end.

Never perhaps is the pre-eminence of Virtuous Friendship, above all unhallowed attachments, more manifeft, than when viewed in the light of eternity; a light from which, indeed, the diftempered eye of Vice turns away with aversion and anguifh. The idea of meeting hereafter, which adminifters fo much confolation to the good under the grief of parting here, the bad dare not entertain. To them the prophetic power of confcience whifpers, that fuch an interview will only aggravate their mifery.What founds of wrath and woe are those which I think I hear? They are the reproaches and upbraidings of reprobate fouls in the other world, who when they lived in this were perpetually talking of esteem, and confidence, and zeal for each other's happiness and honour. How are they fhocked and ftunned to encounter in those doleful VOL. II, K

regions, which many of them were accuftomed, at their wanton revels and infidel reforts, to treat with derifion, as existing merely in a frighted fancy! The enchantment, which united them in the hour of delirious mirth, is diffolved: they are all awake, and fober to amazement: their mutual efforts to enfnare and corrupt, of which they once boasted, appear to them now in their real malignity. Every companion in fin is transformed into an object of loathing every loft creature, that any one contributed to ruin under the pretence of kindness, turns upon his feducer with execration and rage.Say not that this is mere preaching: it is a language agreeable to the deepest convictions of mankind, when they have had no other inftructors but Nature and Philosophy.

In conformity to thofe convictions, fome of the ableft writers, both ancient and modern, have represented a variety of foolish and profligate characters formerly

known upon earth, and now in the abodes of departed fpirits, converfing together with great feverity of recrimination: nor is it probable, that the scenes introduced by thofe authors would be productive of the lively impreffions received from them by readers of the foundeft jugdement and the best taste, were the faith of futurity, on which they are founded, not the genuine. perfuafion of the human heart. If the perfonages in queftion addrefs each other in a ftyle lefs paffionate or violent than that which we believe to be employed by the forlorn inhabitants of the infernal manfions, it is no objection to our doctrine. The genius of fuch compofitions did not lead fo directly to shake the mind with folemn terror, as to place before it a fober, though ftriking picture of the fentiments which the characters they draw may be readily fuppofed to exprefs of themfelves, and of one another, when the illufions of vanity, and the temptations to flattery, are no more. Then indeed it

were fome alleviation of wretchedness, if the profligate and the foolish in general were fuffered to fly each other's hated fociety, and to mantle themselves up in impenetrable darkness. But what reason is there to hope, that thofe double offenders, who, not fatisfied with their own undoing, perfift in feducing and hardening others at prefent, fhall escape so natural a punishment as their future accufations and bittereft curfes? Let me conjure you, my beloved hearers, not to venture on the dreadful experiment; and let us quit a confideration fo big with horror.