LECTURE LIII.

THE MEETING OF FRIENDS.

EXODUS Xviii. 17.

They asked each other of their welfare."

As the present is a season more remarkable, perhaps, than any in the year, for the meeting of friends, there may be a degree of appropriateness in a text like this. It mentions part of what occurred at the meeting of two such friends as could not meet without being, on both sides, the better for it. Happy! if this were a description. generally applicable to the meeting of friends. These two were, though of very different ages, very old friends, for Moses had lived forty years with Jethro in Midian. that they had been combined in all the domestic interests; the welfare of each was a concern in common; there had been ten thousand acts of mutual kindness and respect.

So

To have had a man like Moses so long an associate and inmate must have been a privilege of the highest order,"all the wisdom of the Egyptians," combined with a larger measure of divine wisdom than was possessed by any other man on earth, and all this softened and dignified, by the mild virtues, and a devotional spirit. For such a man to go away, must have been an incalculable loss; and a loss which so long a residence with his friends would have precluded all apprehension of. But, he had a higher destiny, and was summoned away. It was not ambition. that prompted him to go. It may be presumed that his friend would understand the nature of that mandate which

compelled him to depart. No information is given to assist conjecture what degree of knowledge of the true God might be possessed in this family of Midian. It might have been extremely imperfect, and mixed and confounded with heathen superstition, before Moses came there. But it is quite impossible to believe, that he should not have faithfully, earnestly, and habitually, endeavoured to impart and inculcate his knowledge of that essential subject ;impossible, too, that he could have so long remained happy among them, and have been so reluctant to leave them, if they had been idolaters. And, at this interview, Jethro makes the most explicit and animated avowal of his faith in the God of Israel.

When this inestimable friend and sojourner went away, a profoundly affectionate regard would follow him, accompanied by an unceasing inquisitiveness respecting the progress of his enterprise; a conjectural inquisitiveness, for probably there were little means of knowing. But, all conjecture would fall immensely short of what he was to become, and to accomplish, in the land of Egypt. No human imagination, the most elated, the most enthusiastic, could have divined that the gentle domestic associate, the contented keeper of the flocks, the contemplative solitary of the desert, was soon to rise up, a majestic and portentous representative and agent of the Almighty ;-to confound all human wisdom, and baffle all the diabolic power, in the land of Egypt;-to dictate to a proud monarch;-to give the signal for the most astonishing and tremendous judgments;—and, at length, to lead out a great people, triumphantly delivered, and to be miraculously sustained in that very desert on the border of which he had tended the flocks of Jethro.

But, may we not presume, that if, amidst these magnificent transactions, there was any room for remembrance in the mind of Moses, Jethro would not be forgotten? There

might be moments in which his thoughts would glance back to the peaceful scene, and he might even imagine his excellent friend supplicating the Almighty to protect him. At length Jethro heard that the grand enterprise was accomplished, and that Moses was in the wilderness at the head of an innumerable host. He made a journey to see him, taking with him the family of Moses. The account of the greetings and discourse is a delightful picture of primitive friendship between wise and pious men. We might par

ticularly observe upon it, that the highest order of excellence inspires confidence. Jethro was now almost at an immeasurable distance below Moses; but it is evident that he had not the slightest apprehension of not being received with the utmost kindness by the man now become so elevated and illustrious. And he felt he could express himself with the most perfect confidence in pointing out to him a defect of judgment in the administration of his high office. Nothing more palpably betrays littleness, meanness, of soul, than a supercilious looking down on estimable friends, of inferior order, after a man has attained some unexpected elevation.

The account of this meeting may suggest, too, the worthiness of the social affections, when accompanied by wisdom and piety. Moses spared some portions of time from his high employments to indulge in the kind sentiment and intercourse; and felt it quite in harmony with his most solemn duties. The time was occupied in asking and communicating information. Moses related to his father-in-law what he has recorded for us; but imagine the history given. by his own voice, and in the evident spirit of humility and adoring gratitude to God! But, the mind has not power to put itself in the condition of imagining, effectually, how strange and striking, to have heard the narration, as of just recent events, in which the relater was the chief

human agent. Jethro expressed his congratulations in a fervent strain of devotion. After a short time, he returned to end his life where Providence had cast his lot, probably from its beginning. Both would remember this interview with a peculiar and perfect complacency; they had tasted the best feelings of friendship, and had contributed to each other's instruction and religion.

Leaving now this illustrious example of friendship, we may proceed to make a few general observations.

of

One obvious one is, that this world is not a scene adapted or intended to afford the pleasure and benefit of friendship entire. Jethro was to lose his inestimable friend, after long, and what must have been the happiest intimacy;was to see him once again;-again to lose him, to see him on earth probably no more. What a measure, we may almost say, of his vital existence, this was to lose! Providence has, in numerous instances, interposed wide spaces land, or even sea, between persons who might be inestimable to one another in near and habitual association. The one mind, and the other, and the third, and many more, are filled with exercises of thought, with emotions, with affections, which would glow with social and sympathetic animation if they could be one another's companions. But they have, each, their own assigned positions to occupy,-their own moral tract to cultivate,-their own duties, labours, trials—and sometimes little happy in their actual associates : they have to fulfil their vocation amidst coldness, perversity, or imbecility, thinking, sometimes, how different the case would be if such, and such, were their companions and co-operators.

How many, again, there are, who are total strangers to one another, even in name, who would be happily congenial if they could be brought into communication--but never will, in this world. While, perhaps, amidst their unpar

ticipated sentiments and unaided projects or efforts, for improvement, or for the promotions of some good cause, they are musing, at intervals, on such imagined beings as would be congenial co-operators; "if such wisdom, such courage, such piety, such zeal, such superiority to selfishness, were with me here!"--and somewhere, they are sure, there are such, but not for them. Many that are acquainted, but far asunder, and would be happy to obtain even an interview, of any moderate duration, are destined to meet no more. Their different paths into another world are never even to cross each other again in this; though perhaps in youth they had with sanguine confidence formed their scheme for inseparable society and co-operation through life; but some unthought-of cause, some sudden emergency, some compulsion of temporal circumstances, arose to give their schemes and hopes to the wind. There are some who would be of great value to one another, if they were placed so as to be within reach of easy and familiar access,-for counsel, for aid, for mutual stimulus,-who can have this advantage but occasionally, seldom, and transiently.

But, it is right, after all, that the case should be thus. They see they cannot draw and retain around them whomsoever they would, as the most desirable co-operators for obtaining the good of life, and for averting its evils. They cannot collect and keep an assemblage of congenial spirits, to constitute, as it were, a bright social fire, ever glowing, ever burning, amidst the winter of this world. They have no magical power, to bring to their side whenever they will, the clearest-sighted instructors and counsellors, the most disinterested and generous benefactors, or the bravest allies. They cannot surround themselves with the selectest portion of humanity, so as to keep out of sight and interference the general character of human nature. They are left to be pressed upon by an intimate perception of what a depraved