i/S RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS 215 



i William'* death, "parted with her little 

 property," and M thought at that time aha should not 

 live a twelvemonth." She lived for twenty-six yean 

 after. M alone" and disappointed. During tliat long 

 period ahe gave expression to hopes which may be 

 y regarded as echoes of sentiment* expressed by 

 her brother. Unquestionably her mind was a in 

 that truly reflected his. It is evident also fron 

 conversation with Thomas Campbell thai ha enter- 

 tained a I jKxa-isy, which may have imposed 

 silence on him when he would otherwise have spoken 



Once, in a philosophical paper, he did speak out 

 on a future state of rewards and punishment* Had 

 the matter not lain very near his heart, he would 

 scarcely have written as he did. The subject of the 

 paper was the Constitution of the Sun. Referring 



views of certain writers on the place of punish- 

 ment for the wicked, he says 



.< sun. viewed in this light, appears to be nothing 

 else than a very eminent, large, and lucid planet, 

 evident ly the first, or in strictness of speaking, the 



primary one of our system ; all others being truly 

 secondary to it I to similarity to the other globes of 

 the solar system with regard to ito solidit; 

 atmosphere, and ito diversified surface; the rotation 

 upon ito axis, and the fall of heavy bodies, leads us on 

 to suppose that it is most probably inhabited, like 



rest of the planets, by beings whose organs are 

 adapted to the peculiar circumstances of thai vast 

 globe. 



Whatever fanciful poets might say, in making the 



the abode of blessed spirit*, or angry moralists 

 devise, in pointing it out as a fit place for the punish- 



