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tions of excellence, on the other, the fentiments of admiration and esteem: here, the communications and expreffions of kindness; there, attention and gratitude; and thus form fome idea of the celeftial fociety. Your conceptions are especially affifted, concerning the intercourfe of the faints, if on earth have experienced the many nameless endearments of virtuous and pious friendship. Your complaints, I fear too frequent, of difguife, imperfection, interruption, mutability, feparation, death; of whatever embitters and extinguishes the joys of friendship, enhance the value of the regions of love. No fuch complaints or fears, or forrows, are known in heaven. The obfcurity, that hangs over these bleffed regions, is not fuch as to reprefs the ardour of our defires to be admitted into the general affembly and church of the first born that are written in heaven.

On this fubject, I cannot but obferve that our experience of the delights of the friendfhip of the excellent of the earth; our intimacy, our peculiar obligations, our tenderness and proofs of affection, fuggest and endear the idea that we fall again meet with the

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the objects of our love; in the celestial regions, we fhall renew and increase the fatisfactions of the pureft and most exquifite amity. I do not say that this expectation, natural and peculiarly foothing and comfortable as it is, is effential to the happiness of hope; for furely if all the blessed are perfect, if all love and are loved with the ftrength and purity of the best affection, there must be happiness; yet the prefumption is high, the expectation is rational, and more than probability fays, It fhall not be disappointed.

WHILE We are in this world we cannot diftinguish the angelical from the human inhabitants of heaven, as a fociety who are all perfect, and all well affected towards every one who is received among them. We well know that, among men, are many gradations in faculties, in exertion, in attainments: we know that there are many gradations in moral qualities, alfo, and that, therefore, esteem and admiration are proportioned to that excellence, in those who know them and enjoy their friendship. Revelation informs us that the angels are a fuperior order of beings: Man was made a little lower than the angels:

The

The angels excel in ftrength, they do the commandments of GoD, hearkening to his word. We know that the angels have been employed in the moft diftinguished and honourable offices, in the government of the world, and of the church. Their miniftry was repeatedly employed under the law: they proclaimed the incarnation of the Saviour: they miniftered unto him: they are fent forth to minifter to the heirs of falvation. We shall be introduced into the company, the innumerable company of angels. Now, fuperior powers and knowledge, and excellence, excite veneration, impart knowledge, infpire confidence angelical friendship, then, how precious must it be!

With more emphafis, with higher exultation, we exclaim, How exceedingly, how unspeakably, blissful, must be the presence and the love of Him that fits upon the throne and of the Lamb!

SWEET were the hours of tender friendship, but fweeter far the hours of devout meditation; of lifting up the foul to GOD; of intercourfe with heaven; of pious affection; X X 2

of

of every fentiment, which the glory and grace of the Father and of the Son, when aright perceived and confided in, infpire. Recollect alfo, the happiest state and the best employment of our best and happiest friends, human or angelical, is their uniting in the praise, and in executing the commands, of their God and Saviour.· Alas! you who have experienced the delights of devotion, and of the purest and most exalted joy, in worshipping before GOD, and promoting his glory, know and complain of the coldness, the infrequency, the interruptions, of holy affection; and of many imperfections in your beft fervices. Diftracting thoughts, fufpicion, languor; an anxious mind, a diftempered body, unholy companions, untoward circumftances, are water mingled with your wine. All these mixtures, interruptions, imperfections notwithstanding; devout men experience, in ferving GOD, a joy unfpeakable and full of glory; what must be their bleffedness who fee his face, who enjoy his favour, who are transformed into his image; whofe every best affection and fentiment is perfect, and is gratified; who are for ever with the LORD!

III. IN

III. IN heaven, the faint attains exertion and employment fuperior to his best attainments on earth, as thofe of age exceeds the moft perfect of early life.

It is in exertion and employment, in a very particular manner, that mature age differs from childhood. Feebleness is fucceeded by strength, awkward inexperience by the facility of habit: mere efforts and imperfect imitations, give place to perfect labours. The employments of enlarged minds, and of pure affections, are peculiarly active, and cheerful, and zealous. But we often find, when every internal quality is favourable for exertion, which infrequently happens, many things prevent or thwart the actions and conduct that would correfpond, either with our abilities, or with our inclinations. With every thing favourable for exertion in youth, age is ftill fuperior: One man also rises far above another. Were there no weakness in the body, no depreffion on the fpirit, no difficulty in knowing, no incapacity of performing, what we are called to do, and to delight to do; fhould enemies not oppofe; fhould friends encourage, affift and applaud; should

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