they are, yet will not this diminish their affection for us; for, clearly perceiving, that though but babes, we yet poffefs the fair features and precious qualities of godlike fouls, they will cordially love and tenderly embrace us, as their younger brethren, and as infant angels. While meeting with no cruel obftructions to our love, as in this world, but on the contrary, finding ourselves beloved and careffed by each faint and angel, we fhall daily become more grateful and affectionate, and confequently more lovely in the eyes, and more dear to the hearts, of thofe bleffed people. And now, what words can exprefs, what fancy can conceive the various and exquifite pleasures, that we may expect to meet with, in fo wife, fo all-accomplished and endearing a fociety? If the converfation of great and good natured wits, be so highly entertaining, that men of taste would give any thing to spend an even

ing with a party of fuch; how much more defireable muft it be to spend an eternity in the company of angels? For, as in point of knowledge, wit, and eloquence, they must be far fuperior to the brightest geniufes of our world, and incomparably more affectionate, they cannot but make the most delightful company. From the vaft ftores of their wisdom and experience, they can easily draw an almoft infinite variety of the moft entertaining topics, on which fuch good and gentle fpirits, will not fail to converse in the most free and endearing manner. Then, what a heavenly converfation muft theirs be, whofe fcope is the most glorious knowledge, and its law the most perfect friendship?

WHO would not willingly leave a childish, forward and ill natured world, for the bleffed fociety of thofe wife friends and perfect lovers? And what a felicity muft it be to fpend an eternity, in fuch a noble

a noble converfation? Where we fhall hear the deep philofophy of heaven communicated with mutual freedom, in the wife and amiable difcourfes of angels, and of glorified fpirits, who, without any referve or affectation of myftery, without paffion or peevish contention for victory, do freely philofophize and impart the treasures of each others knowledge? For fince all faints there are great philofophers, and all philofophers perfectly faints, we may conclude, that knowledge and goodness, wifdom and love, will. be most charmingly intermixed throughout all their conversation, and render it delightful in the highest degree. When therefore we fhall leave this vain and unfociable world, and on our landing on the shores of eternity, shall be met by all our good old friends, who are gone to heaven before us, and who now with infinite joy for our safe arrival, receive and conduct us into the

fplendid

fplendid fociety of all the good and ge nerous fouls, who ever lived in the world: when we fhall be familiar friends with angels and archangels; and all the fhining courtiers of heaven fhall call us bretheren, and welcome us into their glorious fociety, with all the tender endearments and careffes, of those heavenly lovers, O how will all these mighty honors and joys, fwell our bofoms with tides of transport almost too big to bear! BUT love not only renders us thus happy, by adorning us with fuch graces as give us a hearty welcome to the fociety, and joys of angels; but, O godlike power of charity! it even enables us to make all their joys our own.

It is a natural property of love, when fincere, to unite fo closely the hearts of lovers, as to make their interefts common, and thus to render the joys of the one, the joys of the other. Every man carries in his own bofom a proof of

this delightful truth. Do not the vir tues of a dear brother, give us as exqui fite joy, as if we ourselves were adorned with them? Have not the high commendations bestowed on a beloved fifter, thrilled through our hearts, in as pure ftreams of pleasure as if we ourselves had been the honored subject of them ? Now, if love, which is a native of hea ven, produces, even in the cold foil of the human heart, fuch delicious fruits of joy at the fight of our neighbour's happinefs, how much more copious and exquifite must be its growth and flavour, when restored to heaven, it enjoys all the energies of its native foil and climate? If therefore, while here on earth, we make fuch progrefs in brotherly love, as to relifh our neighbour's happinefs as 66 our own, heartily rejoicing with him when he rejoices;" we may reft affured, that on going to heaven, and entering into the fociety of blessed:

angels