Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-09-20
FIFTH AND LAST LETTER OF THE LAT.
DIR. WITHERsPOON ON EDUcAAAoN'
(Concladed.

VI, WITHERsPoON ON EDUCATIoN'
(Conciaded.)
I only further observe, that l kho" ~
circumstance from which your opn'on ol
the necessity Of religion will appear WIN
Wv orearcr cIeorness or carry it in greater
snrcs @ than YOUR behaviour towards and
,rso,mcnt of your children in time OF dan
eerous sickness. Certainly there is no
,;o,s in their whole lives when The necessity
sppears more urgent or the opportunity
more favourable, for impressing their minds
with sense of the things that belong TO
their peace. What shall we say then of
those parents, who, through fear Of alarm
ino their minds, and augmenting their dis
order, will not suffer any mention to be
made to Them Of the approach Of death, or
the importance OF elerntyf | will relate
10 YOU am example of this. A young gen.
,le,nan of estate in my parish, was taken Ill
of dangerous fever in friends house at
q dfs,ance. WENT to see him in his illness,
and his mother, widow lady, intreated
me no, 10 say any thing alarming to him,
and not to pray with him. but to 60 to
PRAYER in ano her room, wherein she wisely
observed, It w. uld have the same effect.
The Young man himself soon found that |
did not act as he had expected, and was
30 impatient that it became necessary to
give him the true reason. On this he in
sisted, in the most positive manner, that all
restrictions should be taken off, which was
done. What was the consequence He
was exceedingly pleased and composed !;
and If this circumstance did not hasten. It
neither hindered nor retarded his recovery.
Be pleased to remark, that the yong
gentleman here spoken Of neither was at
that .ime, nor is yet, SO far as | am able 10
Judge, truly religious; and therefore, have
formed fixed opinion, that in this, as in
many other instances, the wisdom Of man
disappoints itself. Pious advice and con.
ISOLATION, if bu, tolerabIy administered in
sickness, are not only useful to the soul,
bu, serve particularly to calm an agi'ated
mind, to bring the animal spirits 10 an easy
flow, and the whole frame into sucha state
as will best favour the operation Of medi.
cine, or the efforts of the constitution, to
throw of or conquer :he disease.
Suffer me to wander little from my
subject, by observing to you, that as do
not think the great are to be much envied
for any thing. so they are truly and heartily
70 be pitisd for the deception that is usually
put upon them by aattery and false tend.
erness. Many Of them are brought up
with so much delicacy, that they are never
suffered to see any miserable or amct'ng
object, nor, SO far as can be hindered, to
hear any affecting story of distress. lfthey
themselves are sick, how many absurd and
paIpable les are told them by their friends
aud as for physicians, may safely say,
few Of them are much conscience bound in
this matter. Now, let the success Of these
measures be what 1t win, the only fruit to
be reaped from them is to make poor dy-
ing slnner mistake his or her condition, and
valnly dream of earthly happiness, while
fastening to the pit Of perditon. But, as
said before, men are often taken IN their
own craftiness. II ofenti,nes happens that
such persons, by an ignorant servant or
ofticious neighbour, or some uulucky accl.
dent, make a sudden discovery Of their
true situation, and the shock frequently
proves latal.-Oh how much more desira-
bic is it--how much more like the reason
of men, as well as the faith of christians
TO consider and prepare ior what must ine-
vitality come to passs icannot easily con.
ccive any thing more truly noble. than for
person in health and Nignur, in honour and
opulence, by voluntary reflection 10 sympa.
thize with others IN distress: and by well
founded confidence 10 divine mercy, 10 OBJ
tai n'he victory over the fear of death.
2. You ought to 1--we SO as to make reitg-
ion appear respectable. Religion is a ven.
cradle thing in itself, and it spreads an air
efdigniiy over persons whole department.
have seen common tradesman, merely
because he was a man Of true ptsty and
undeniable worth, treated by his children,
apprentices aud servants, with much
greater degree ofdefefence and submission,
than is commoBly given to men of superior
station, without that character. Many Of
the same meannesses are avoided, BY gen.
tleman from principle of honour, and by
a good man from principle of conscience.
The first keeps out ofthe company Of com.
mor people, because they are below him
the las. is cautious of mixing with them, be-
cause of that leyity and profanity that is to
be exp cted from them. If, then, religion
is reully venerable when sincere, respec-
table conduct ought to be maintained. as a
proof Of your own integrity, as we'll US to re.
commend tito your children. Tothis add,
If you please, that as re, eIence is the pc.
culiar duty Of children to their parents, any
thing that tends 10 lessen it is more deeply
felt by them than by others who observe
i. When have seen parent, in the pre-