entombed in the body for its fins.-EPICHARMES fays, "if your foul be endued with virtue, death can have no dominion over you, but but you will live to all eternity in heaven." This was the opinion of the philofophers in general, and scarce any of the ancients were fo hardy as to maintain the contrary.

The noblest testimony, however, of this great truth may be collected from the difcourfes of SOCRATES, recorded by Plato, which no doubt, produced the defired effect on those who heard them; fince he confirmed what he afferted, by the refignation of his life with the greatest presence and tranquility of mind.-As the death of Socrates may furnish many of our contemplative hearers with useful reflections, we fhall venture at an abstract of that affecting narrative, without further apology.-Socrates was condemned to die by his countrymen, the Athenians, for too presumptuously attempting to give them a more awful and adequate idea of the Deity, than what they had received from their poets and philosophers :-He paffed great part of the day appointed for his execution among his friends, and entertained them with his ufual chearfulness.-The subject of their converfation was the immortality of the foul :-What gave rife to this discourse, was a queftion started, in a manner, by mere accident; namely, Whether it was not the part of a true philofopher to covet death.-As this propofition, taken too literally, implied, that a philosopher might be justified in the act of self-murder; Socrates endeavours to demonstrate, that nothing could poffibly be more unjust, or more abfurd, than the indulgence of such a notion; and that, as man was wholly dependent on God, who formed and placed him with his own hand, in the fituation he poffeffes, he could not abandon his poft without his permiffion, nor lay down his life without his abfolute injunction :-What is it then that can induce a philofopher to entertain such a longing after death ?—Nothing, doubtless, but the hope or rather the profpect of that happiness which he expects

pects in another life; and that hope can be founded upon nothing less than a firm belief of the foul's immortality.

In the profecution of his difcourfe, he explained to his friends all the arguments that could be advanced in favour of what he had afferted, and refuted all the objections of his gain fayers.-And upon fumming up the evidence, he concludes, in terms to this, or the like effect:-" If what I advance upon the immortality of the "foul should prove true, the belief of it cannot but be highly ad"vantageous; and if, after my death, it should prove false, I should "still have the fatisfaction of being lefs fenfible here of the evils " which generally attend this tranfitory life. If what I fay be true, "my gain is immenfe, my hazard but a trifle; if false, my lofs "inconfiderable, and not worthy of regard ;-nay, even then I

fhall be a gainer.--My friends, continued he, there is one thing "ftill which justly deserves our most serious attention: if the foul be "immortal, it requires to be cultivated with the utmost care, not only for its happy state in this present life, but that which is to

come, I mean eternity; and the least neglect in this one par"ticular may be attended with fuch confequences as may prove "fatal, and beyond repair. Were death the final diffolution of "our beings, the wicked would be thereby confiderable gainers; "inasmuch as they would be delivered at once from their bodies, "their fouls, and their vices; but fince the foul is immortal, it ❝ can no other be freed from its evils, nor can there be any fecurity for it, through any other means than by the perfon, "whom it animates, becoming very good, and very wife; for it

ways

can carry nothing away with it, except its good or bad deeds, "its virtues or its vices, which are commonly the confequences "of the cultivation it has received, and the grounds on which its "eternal happiness or misery principally depends.

“When the dead are arrived at the fatal rendezvous of departed fouls, to which their DEMON Conducts them, they are all judged. VOL. III.

P

Thofe

"Those who have led their lives in a manner neither wholly "criminal, nor abfolutely innocent, are transported to a place "where they fuffer torments in proportion to their demerits, till

being thoroughly cleanfed from all their impurities and after"wards released from their confinement, they receive the reward "of the good actions they have done in the body. Such as are judged to be beyond all cure, on account of the heinous nature " of their crimes ;-fuch as have been guilty of facrileges, mur"ders, and other offences of fo black a dye; the fatal deftinies, "who pronounce fentence upon them, hurl them headlong into "Tartarus, from whence they can never be discharged. Such,

however, as are criminals indeed, but whofe tranfgreffions are "remiffible; to wit, fuch as have committed violences only in "the transports of their rage, or have even killed their antagonists "in a heat of paffion, and afterwards repented of their outrage; ❝even fuch are punished, and configned to the fame gloomy place "with the last; but then it is for a time only, till by their prayers and fupplications, they have obtained forgiveness from those "whom they have fo unfortunately injured.

"But as for those whofe confciences are clear and blameless, "who have faithfully discharged their duty, as far as in them lay, "both to the gods and to their fellow-creatures, fuch are admitted ❝ into a more refined region; where, as philosophy has fufficiently purified them, they live difencumbered from their bodies, through all eternity, in such an uninterrupted series of delights as is not easy to be described, and which the shortness of my time will not permit me to explain more, at large.

"What I have faid, however, will fuffice, I prefume, to prove "that it is our bounden duty to ufe our utmost endeavours, throughout the whole courfe of our lives, to acquire virtue and "wisdom; for by this time you must be fenfible, how great a reward, and how high an hope is proposed to us.

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And though s the

"the immortality of the foul were a matter of debate, which to "us does not appear fo, every wife and confiderate man ought to "think it highly worth his trouble to run the risk. And, indeed, "what more glorious rifk can we poffibly run?-This bleffed hope ought to fill our hearts with joy and transport; for which "reason I have extended my discourse to a greater length than I "at first proposed."

When Socrates had ended, one of his friends defired him to give his last instructions in relation to his children, and the fituation of his temporal affairs; that by the due discharge of them, they might contribute to his ease of mind, and teftify their unfeigned veneration." I shall request nothing of you to day, replied Socrates, but what I have done all along; and that is to "take care of yourselves. You cannot do yourfelves a greater "service, nor me and my family a greater pleasure." The fame friend having asked him afterwards, in what manner he thought fit to be buried:" Just as you please, faid he, smiling; if you can lay ❝ hold of me, and I cannot difengage myself out of

your hands." Scarce had he finished these words, when the executioner entered; and having informed him that the time for drinking the poifon was come, which was at fun-fet, he took the cup without the least emotion, or change in his countenance, and viewing the man with a wishful eye :-" Well, said he, what say you of this potion; may one make a libation of part of it." The reply was, that there was enough for one dofe and no more." At "least then, continued he, we may offer

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gods, as it is our bounden duty fo to do, "render our laft moments perfectly happy;

up our prayers to the

and implore them to which is what I now

"do with the utmoît fervency and fincerity of heart."-After having spoke these words, he kept filence for a while, and then drank off the fatal potion with an amazing tranquility, and a ferenity of afpect not to be conceived.

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Till

Till then his friends had, though with much ado, fuppreffed their tears; but after he had emptied the cup, they were no longer able to contain their forrow, but wept aloud.-Socrates alone remained unmoved, and even reproved them for their weakness, though with his wonted mildness and good-nature." What are you doing, faid he to them?-I am surprised at your conduct."What is become, my friends, of your fortitude?—Ought we "not to die in peace? Ought we not to bless the gods at our departure?—I entreat you to be compofed, I beseech you to shew greater conftancy and refolution."-Thefe words filled them with confufion, and obliged them to give a check to the grief that almost overwhelmed them.

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When Socrates found the poifon begin to operate, and touch his vitals, he lifted up his eyes, which he had covered for fome fhort time before, with a view, no doubt, to prevent any external objects from disturbing him in his last moments.-" Crito, faid "he, we owe a facrifice to Efculapius; discharge that vow for me, do not forget it."-Thefe were his laft words, and in a few moments after, he expired without a figh or groan. Crito immediately went up to him, and closed his mouth and eyes.— Such was the end of Socrates.-Cicero fays, he could never read the melancholy ftory of his death without tears. Now if the dim light of nature, and the weak aid of philosophy, could make Socrates look the king of terrors in the face with fo much ferenity of mind, and refignation to the divine will, what transports would he have been in, had he been bleffed with the true light from. heaven?-Had he been, acquainted with the christian doctrines, what would then have been his confidence ?-How would he then have delighted his hearers with the praises of his. maker ?-Inftead' of a gloomy Tartarus, to purify the foul from the fins committed in the body, how would his exalted mind have admired his dear Redeemer's love, and dwelt upon the hopes of a full and perfect

remiffion