The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1816-11-13

be following is copy OF on iginei Letter
from The venerable fpssKLrS, 10 . minis
ter Of a church IN The south par, OF New
Jersey, which has been recently discovered
there smong some old family papers. X
isa composition perfectly in the manner
snd spirit OF ,hsi grea, and worthy man.
PAiodeihAia, Jane 6, 1888.
DrAn Sra--i received your kind leuer of
The I'd Inst. and am glad TO hear that you in
crc,Se in sIsngth--I hope you will coptinue
mcndlps until you receives your formcr healih
asd. frmness. Let me know whe,her you
still use the cold ba,i,, and what efleu IL has.
AS the kindness you mention wish i,
could have been &C more serious .efvica
TO you butif il had, The only thanks / should
&c SIRE, are, ihG, you ycoum ais-nys be reoop 10
s.rve any o.hrr frrssn that may need your
aSsistanee and so le, good ct.iccs 60 round
Tor mankind are all OF family. For my own
.-r,, when am employed in serving others,
! DO not lcok upon myself as comforting e.
YOURS, but as paying debts. In my travels
and since my settlement, kavc received
much Kindness from men, 10 whom shall
never have al opportunity CT making The
least Girect return and nnmbeIless mercies
FROM God, who is intimately above being ben-
chucd by our services. These kindnesses
can, therefore, only return TO their fellow
men; and cen only show my gratitude 10
God by readiness 10 help his other children,
and my brethren, for | do not ihnS tha.
thanks and compliments, though repeated
weekly, can discharge our real obligations 10
each other, and much less our Creator.
You will see, in this, my notion of coed
works, that am far from expecting to mcr.
j, heaven by hem. By hesven we under
stand state of happiness, infinite IN degree
and eternal in duration. can do nothing TO
deserve such areward..--iie that for giving a
deaUght of water 20 a thirsty person should
exp-c, 10 be paid with a good plantation,
would be modes, in his demands compared
with those, who think they deserve heaven
for ,he little good they 10 on ear,h.--Even
the MKT, imperfect pleasure, we enjoy iri
this wcrid, ste rather from Gods goodness
Than OUR merit, how much more so the hap
pinsss of heaven. For my own part, I-bave
nor The vanity to think deserve IL, the folly
10 expect nor the ambition TO desire il, bar
contcn, myself in submi,.;ng 10 the disposal
Of tina, God who made me, (who has hitherto
preserved and blessed me, and in whose "a.
lhcr'y goodness may well conhde) that ho
will never make me miserable, and tho, tho
sfl,c'ion may at any time suffer, may tend
to my b.nelt. -
The faith you mention has, doubtless, its
use in the world. ! do no, desire TO see il
diminished, nor would desire 70 lessen il in
any man, bui wish it we're more productive
Of good works Than have generally seenn.
] mean real good works, works Of kindpess,
charity mercy and pubick spirit no, bolydsy
keeping, sermon hearing or reading. perform
ING church ceremonies, or making long pray
ers S'led with fla,teres and compliment, des-
pised even by wise men ard much less capa-
bic Of pleasing the Deity.
Tho worship of God is tu'y--,he hearing
and reading may be useful but if men res, in
hearing and praying, as too many do, it is a.
il the tree should value itself on being water.
ed and putting forth leaves, though !, never
produced aoy fruit.
Your good master thought much less of
these outward appearances than many Of his
modern disciples. He preferred the doors Of
the word 10 the hearers the son that SEEM
ingly refused Ia obey his father aDd yet per-
formed his com mmands, 10 him tha, prclessed
his readiness, bun neglected the work tho
heretical but charitable Samaritan. 10 the
nneha'irsb'e but orthodox priss, end soncti-
fed Lcvitc. And those VINO give food to ,he
hungry. drink to The thirsty and rairen, tn
the naked, entertainment, 10 the stranger, and
never heard Of his name, lie declares shall, IN
the las, dav. be accepted when those who
cry Lord Lord who value themselves on
their faith. though great enough TO pe'Fo'm
miracles, but have neglected good works.
shall be rejected. He proicssed that he
came no, .c call the righ'eous but sinners 20
repentance, which implied hi, modest op'n-
ion that there were some in his time so good
'hs, they need no, hear hin for Improvement.
Bu, nowadays we have scarcely little par
son ,ha, does no, think it the duty OF every
man within his reach 10 sit under his petty
uini.'rs,ion, nnd ,ha, whoever omi,s this OF.
fcnds God. wish ~ such more humility,
and 10 you heal:h and Grmness.
Being your friend and servant.
BENJAMIN FRANKLING.