a few at any period could poffefs poetical reputation, a man of genius could now hardly acquire it. "That (faid Johnfon) is one of the moft fenfible things I have ever heard of Goldfmith. It is difficult to get literary fame, and it is every day growing more difficult. Ah, Sir, that should make a man think of fecuring happiness in another world, which all who try fincerely for it may attain. In comparison of that, how little are all other things! The belief of immortality is impreffed upon all men, and all men act under an impreffion of it, however they may talk, and though perhaps they may be scarcely fenfible of it."

When Johnson paid a vifit at Oxford, he furprized the company not a little, by acknowledging, with a look of horror, that he was much oppreffed by the fear of death. The amiable Dr. Adams fuggefted that God was infinitely good.-JOHNSON. "That he is infinitely good, as far as the perfection of his nature will allow, I certainly believe; but it is neceffary for good upon the whole, that individuals should be punished. As to an indivi dual therefore he is not infinitely good; and as I cannot be sure that I have fulfilled the conditions on which falvation is granted, I am afraid be one of those who shall be damned.' DR. ADAMS.

I

may

"What do you mean by damned ?"

T 2

66

damned?"—F. (paffionately and loudly) "Sent to Hell, Sir, and punished everlastingly." Dr. A. "I don't believe that doctrine.". "Hold, Sir; do you believe that fome will be punished at all ?"-Dr. A. " Being excluded from Heaven will be a punishment; yet there may be no great pofitive fuffering."7. Well, Sir; but if you admit any degree of punishment, there is an end of your argument for infinite goodness fimply confidered; for infinite goodness would inflict no punishment whatever. There is not infinite goodness phyfically confidered; morally there is." BOSWELL. "But may not a man attain to fuch a degree of hope as not to be uneafy from the fear of death?"-7. "A man may have fuch a degree of hope as to keep him quiet. You fee I am not quiet, from the vehemence with which I talk; but I do not despair."MRS. ADAMS. "You seem, Sir, to forget the merits of our Redeemer."-7. " Madam, I do not forget the merits of my Redeemer; but my Redeemer has faid, that he will fet fome on his right hand and fome on his left." He was in gloomy agitation, and faid, "I'll have no more on't." If what has now been ftated should be urged by the enemies of Chriftianity, as if its influence on the mind were not benignant, let it be remembered, that

Johnfon's

Johnson's temperament was melancholy, of which fuch direful apprehenfions of futurity are often a common effect. When he approached nearer to his awful change, we have feen that his mind became tranquil, and he exhibited ast much fortitude as becomes a thinking man in that fituation.

From the fubject of death they paffed to difcourfe of life, whether it was upon the whole more happy or miferable. Johnfon was decidedly for the balance of mifery.

They then talked of the recent expulfion of fix ftudents from the Univerfity at Oxford, who were methodists, and would not defift from publickly praying and exhorting. Johnfon faid, "Sir, that expulfion was extremely juft and proper. What have they to do at an Univerfity who are not willing to be taught, but will prefume to teach? Where is religion to be learnt but at an Univerfity? Sir, they were examined, and found to be mighty ignorant fellows."-BOSWELL. "But was it not hard, Sir, to expel them, for I am told they were good beings?"-JOHNSON. "Sir, I believe they might be good beings; but they were not fit to be in the Univerfity of Oxford. A cow is a very good animal in the field; but we turn her out of a garden." This was an uncommonly happy illustration.

Of preaching, and of the great fuccefs which thofe called Methodists have, Johnson faid, "It is owing to their expreffing themselves in a plain and familiar manner, which is the only way to do good to the common people, and which clergymen of genius and learning ought to do from a principle of duty, when it is fuited to their congregations; a practice for which they will be praised by men of sense. To infift against drunkenness as a crime, because it debafes Reason, the noblest faculty of man, would be of no fervice to the common people; but to tell them that they may die in a fit of drunkenness, and fhew them how dreadful that would be, cannot fail to make a deep impreffion. When the Scotch clergy fhall give up their homely manner, religion will foon decay in that country."

He at another time repeated, that the established Clergy in general did not preach plain enough; and that polished periods and glittering fentences flew over the heads of the common people, without any impreffion upon their hearts. Something might be ncceffary, he obferved, to excite the affections of the common people, who were funk in languor and lethargy, and therefore he supposed that the new concomitants of methodifm might probably produce fo defirable an effect. The mind,

like the body, he obferved, delighted in change and novelty, and even in religion itself courted new appearances and modifications. Whatever might be thought of fome methodist teachers, he said, he could scarcely doubt the fincerity of that man who travelled nine hundred miles in a month, and preached twelve times a week; for no adequate reward, merely temporal, could be given for fuch indefatigable labour.

Mr. Bofwell once told him, that having objected to keeping company with a notorious infidel, a friend of his faid to him, "I do not think that men who live laxly in the world, as you and I do, can with propriety affume fuch an authority. Dr. Johnson may, who is uniformly exemplary in his conduct. But it is not very confiftent to fhun an infidel to-day, and get drunk to morrow."-JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, this is fad reasoning. Because a man cannot be right in all things, is he to be right in nothing? Because a man fometimes gets drunk, is he therefore to fteal? This doctrine would very foon bring a man to the gallows."

After all, however, Mr. Boswell feems to think it a difficult queftion how far fincere Christians fhould affociate with the avowed enemies of religion; for, in the first place, almost every man's mind may be more or lefs corrupted by evil communications ;' fecondly, the world may very naturally

T 4