nearer, that the correspondence may be continued with infinite advantage to all eternity.

A person who dies thus, needs never to object either to the time or manner of dying; he can never be so attached to other friends, can never be so busy, either with them or for them, but it must be worth while to throw up all, and go at God's summons. To depart and be with God must to the Friend of God, be far better than to remain here in any imaginable circumstances of happiness or usefulness. Nothing can be lost to him, by finding himself in God's arms, no pleasure lost, by entering into his master's joy, his father's house, his friend's embrace.

Now what a view of death is this! The friends of God's friend need not say as Thomas did with respect to Lazarus. Let us also go that we may die with them, he has the best of all friends, not dying with him, but living for him, living to receive him and eternally to bless him.

This is the true friendship in death. This is dying safely. Then out of friendship with God may be said, not so properly to die as to be slain with death, of them death makes an utter end; so far as relates to hope and happiness, the friend of God survives the blow and triumphs beyond it.

This is dying comfortably. This friendship softens the dying pillow, delights in the agonies of death, and gilds the hovering shadows of the grave. With the Divine friendship death will be

* Deuteronomy xxxii. 49, 50.

no more to us than it was to Moses. God said 'go up into that monntain and die,'* and his servant did it. No more than Jacob's descentinto Egypt, 'fear not Jacob, to go down into Egypt, for I will go with thee, and will surely bring thee up again.'* With God as our friend we may as cheerfully go down to our house of bondage, and with an equal certainty of being brought up again. In his own time he will remember us, and will send us deliverance from death. When that solemn and interesting period which he has appointed shall be come, and all persons and things in the upper and lower worlds shall be ready, he will give commandment concerning our bones; the dead shall arise, his own friends first, and the world, like a theatre that has answered the purpose for which it was erected, and which was no other than the transacting the wonderful work of human redemption, shall be broken to pieces and consumed. A certain emperor,† having on a great occasion opened his prisons and released his captives, is said to have expressed himself in the following humane, though inefficacious wish, and now would to God I could open the tombs and give life to the dead.' This our divine and heavenly friend, both can do it and will do, 'Our friend Lazarus sleepeth (said Jesus Christ), but I go to awake him out of his sleep.' So will God awake his Friends from death-raise them by his power and adorn them with his glory. And what accounts should we make of death when * Genesis xlvi. 3, 4.

+ Theodosius.

John xi. 2.

it is to be followed by such a resurrection? Come when, and how it will, death will be our friend while God is such. The first attacks may startle and alarm us, but as the power of death is broken our safety and comfort are ensured. At the beginning of the storm the disciples were affrighted, but as soon as they knew that it was Jesus they took courage. Something of this kind will happen to us at death; the first onset will dismay and terrify, for which reason death is called the failure of our heart as well as of our flesh, but as soon as our relation to God as Friends is recollected, the tumult will subside, we shall venture unto the world of eternity at his call, as Peter walked upon the sea at the call of Christ-shall find all firm and stable under us and shall get to the haven where we would be. Compared with this, how mean is the ambition of dying rich! Or in any of those circumstances of distinction and advantage over others, which are so highly valued and so vehemently coveted by the children of men! A man may have all the comforts of this life, and yet die comfortless; in death as well as at the resurrection. The upright shall have the dominion.' Let them die upon a solitary mountain or in an unfrequented wood, nothing is lost in point either of safety or benefit-the way to God will lie open to a ready and well prepared spirit from whatsoever place, and short will its journey be to that world where all are Friends of God, where the sacred flame is reflected from breast to breast and all disaffection banished for ever.

CHAPTER VII.

SOME GENERAL REFLECTIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD. WE SEE WHERE TO PLACE THE REAL DIGNITY OF HUMAN NATURE,WE LEARN THAT LIVING IN THE BODY IS ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH A VERY NOBLE AND EXALTED KIND OF LIFE, AND WE SHOULD ASPIRE AFTER THAT LIFE,-IT BEING NO MORE THAN THE EXCELLENCE AND HAPPINESS OF OUR FIRST ESTATE.

I.—WE see where to place the real dignity of human nature. A capacity for this Friendship, and most of all, the cultivation of it raises us above the brutes, and puts us upon a level with angels. Do angels converse with God?-so may we,--are they blessed in his Friendship and favour? we may be the same. Upon this let us value ourselves, and the more we do value ourselves upon this honour, the less shall we be in danger of over-valuing ourselves upon other and inferior considerations. Men usually rate themselves high enough, but they do it for things that are very remote from true greatness, and which can never constitute it.

Some value themselves upon form and figure and other graceful ornaments of the body,—these

and engage

to be sure attract the eyes the inclinations of men: the world admires them, and gallantry adores them, but they that have the greatest share of them are daily subject to altering diseases, and to ghastly death, such as are worshipped for these advantages to day may not be known by them to-morrow. They shall not say this was Jezabel, or this was the daughter of a King.'

Others value themselves upon their wealth,we have so much prosperity in this world which we inhabit,-let such know that the world acknowledges no proprietor but the Lord that made it; it changes its owners daily, serves one man, or one generation of men as contentedly as it has served another and is perpetually receiving into its bowels proud creatures, who fancied themselves to have dominion over it. The Most High is the possessor of heaven and earth as well as the Creator.

Others value themselves upon honour,-upon an airy title,―upon gaudy insignia, which have no meaning but what a weak and fantastic conceit gives them,-upon a star, or a ribbon. A man lifts up his head on account of these things and cries I am such or such a dignified person amongst my fellow mortals!

Many value themselves upon their descent and ancestry, we are of such a line, noble or royal blood runs in our veins, and we are the honourable of the earth, as if any merit belonged to them for what they could neither order or hinder.