ter death; for that by the initiated were meant "those who philosophized in a right manner (op9ws) "and that whether he had succeeded or not, it had "been his endeavour through life to do so."

According to this, the great mass of mankind have no more interest in a future state than brute animals. But the gospel makes no difference in favour of philosophers, or any other class of men. According to this, all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the son of man, (John. v. 28.) and shall come forth; they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. Then too (Rev. xx. 15.) the sea shall give up the dead that is in it, and every man shall be judged according to his works.

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SECTION VI.

Of the Damon of Socrates.

Much has been advanced on the subject of the dæmon, as it is commonly called, of Socrates, or that divine voice, as he termed it, which gave him warnings about what he was about to do, if it was

Improper for him, and which was evidently something different from divination, to which he often had recourse, or from any casual omen that might occur to him. This he said had accompanied him from his youth; but though it forbad him to do certain things that he was deliberating about, it had never prompted him to any particular action. (ib.) This divine voice did not respect his own conduct only, but sometimes that of others; and he declared that whenever he had, from this warning, signified the will of the gods to any of his friends, he had never been deceived by it. (p. 370.)

Speaking of his general manner of life, and plan of conduct, in devoting his time and talents to the instruction of others, he said, (p. 32.) it had been enjoined him "by the gods, by oracles, by the "god" (probably meaning that particular deity from whom he had the hints above mentioned) "by "dreams, and every other mode in which, by di"vination, they order things to be done." This was said by him in his address to his judges; and he added that, though the deity had checked him in the smallest things that he was about to do, if they were improper (p. 44.) yet that when he was thinking of his defence, the deity had thus forbidden

him to make any, and this not only once, but twice, (p. 365.) nor, while he was then speaking did he perceive any check with respect to any part of his conduct. (p. 44.) He therefore concluded that, since this divine voice had not interfered on this occasion, it was best for him to await the sentence of his judges, though they should condemn him to death. "The situation I am now in," he said, "did not come to me by chance; for nothing can happen amiss to a good man with rete spect to life or death; since the gods never ne

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glect him. It is, therefore, better for me to die "now, and to be exempt from all farther labours." (p. 47.)

These intimations, in whatever manner they were communicated, are now, I believe, generally thought to have been a mere illusion, when nothing really supernatural took place. Had these sugges tions occurred only once or twice in the course of his life, the hypothesis of their being an illusion, or mere imagination, might have been admitted. But they had attended him, he said, from his youth, and had given him hints not only respecting his own conduch (which by his account had been very frequent) but sometimes that of his friends; and because he had received no check from this quarter

with respect to his conduct at his trial, he concluded with certainty that it was right, and would have the best issue.

Besides the admonitions of this kind which were communicated while he was awake, he had others he says, given him in dreams. One of these he mentioned just before his death; which was that he should apply to music. On this he had put various constructions; and lest he should not have hit upon the true meaning of it, he composed while he was in prison, a hymn in praise of Apollo, and turned some of the fables of sop to verse, which were always recited in a musical recitative. (p. 77.)

This might have been nothing more than a common dream, on which he put an uncommon construction, in consequence of imagining that there was something supernatural in it. But this could not have been the case with respect to the hints that he received when he was awake, whether by the medium of a real voice, or in any other way.

In no other respect does Socrates appear to have been an enthusiast. On the contrary, he was a man of a calm and everr temper, not distinguished by any peculiarity of behaviour, or extravagance of any kind. And though he seems to have addresF. sed

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sed himself to every person to whom he imagined that his advice would be useful, he was never charged with being impertinent, so as to give offence to any. On the contrary, his address was insinuating and pleasing; so that his hearers in general were delighted with his conversation, and this through the course of a long life.

Since, then, he persisted in his account of these admonitions to the last, and in the most serious situation that a man could be in, and his veracity was never questioned, though I am far from forming any fixed opinion on a subject of so great obscurity, I think it may admit of a doubt, whether they may not be supposed to have come, in whatever manner they were given, from God. I do not see any thing unworthy of the Divine Being in his distinguishing this extraordinary man in this way. Being no judge of the propriety of the divine conduct, we must be determined in every case of this kind by the evidence of facts, according to the established rules of estimating the value of testimony. in general.

These admonitions are said to have been proper to the occasions on which they were delivered; so that leading to good, if they came from any superi[ or being, it must have been a wise and benevolent

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