New-York daily tribune., 1842-11-05
letter of Franklin.

Letter of Franklin.
The November number Of the Southern Literary
Messenger publishes the following excellent and
interesting letter written by DR.. BENJAMIN FRANK
LIN to 8 minister of the Gospel in New-Jersey,
among whose papers it was recently discovered.
It has never before been published.
PHILADELPHIA, June s, i765.
DEAR SIR: | received your kind letter of the
I'd inst, and am glad to hear that you increase in
strength. hope you will continue mending un-
I'll YOU recover your former health and 6rmness.-
Let me know whether you continue the cold bath.
and the effect it has. AS to the kindness you
spoke of, | wish it could have been of more real
service to you; that you would always be ready to
serve any other person that may need your assist
ance and SO let good Offices 60 round; for man
kind are all Of family. For my own part when
am employed in serving others, do not look
upon myself as conferring favors, but as paying
debts. In my travels, and since my settlement,
have received much kindness from men, to whom
shall never have an opportunity of making the
least direct return, and numberless mercles from
God, who is infinitely above being benefited by
our services. For the kindnesses of men. l can
therefore only show my gratitude to God, by
readiness to help his other children and my brett
ments, though repeated weekly, can discharge our
real obligations to each other, and much less to
our Creator.
You will see in this my notion of good works
that do not expect to merit heaven by them
By heaven, we understand state of happiness,
infinite in degree, and eternal in duration; we
can do nothing to deserve such q reward. lie
that, for giving draught of water to thirsty
person. should expect to be paid with great
plantation, would be modest in his demands, COM
pared with those who think they deserve heaven
for the little good they do earth. Even the
mixed imperfect pleasures we enjoy IN this world
are rather from Gods goodness than our merit
how much more so the happiness OF heaven For
my part, have not the vanity to think deserve
it, the folly expect it, or the ambition to desire
it; but content myself in submitting to the dlspo-
sal of that God who made me, who has hitherto
preserved and blessed me, and in whose fatherly
goodness may well con6de, that he never will
make me miserable, and that the ahiction may
a. any time suffer, may tend to my benefit.
The faith you mention has doubtless its use in
the world. | do not desire to see it diminished
nor would desire to see it lsssened in any man
but wish it were productive of more good works
than have seen; mean real COED works-work.
of kindness, charity, mercy and public spirit--nc
holydaykeeping, remembering, or reading, per-
forming church ceremonies, or making long pray
ers, filled with batteries and compliments, de-
spised even by wise men, and much less capable
Of pleasing the Deity.
The worship of God is a duty; the learning and
reading may be useful; but if man rest in hearing
and praying, Gas too many do,) it is if the tree
should value itself on being watered, and putting
forth leaves, though it never produced any fruit
Our Good Master thought less of these outward
appearances than many Of his modern disciples
He preferred the doors of his word to the hear
ers the son that seemingly refused TO obey hi.
father, and vet performed his commandments. tt
him that professed his readiness, but neglected
his work The heretical, but charitable, those wht
gave food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, ant
rainaent to the naked, entertainment to the stran
ger, who never heard of his name, he declare:
shall, in the last day, bs accepted. when those
who cry Lord! Lord, who value themselves OF
their faith though great enough to perform mira
eles, but have neglected good works, shall be neg
leeted. He professed that he came not to cal
,ne righteous but sinners to repentance, which in
Phed ms modest opinion, thst there were some il
his time SO good tha, they needed not to hear ever
ier improvement; but now w-a-days, we have scarce
y little parson who does not think it the duty
every man within his reach TO sit under his pst,,
ministration, and that, whoever omits this, offend
God. wish to such more humility, and TO vol
health and Firmness-being yeur friend and ser
want, bESJAM,s FRANKLIN.
10 We learn frox the Cincinnati Gazette tina
% miles of the Little Miami RAILROAD. extepa;r
from that City to Phillips's Mills, will be compile
red in the course of the presen, month. Tho iro
which i. to be laid down on this road is Of Amer
can manufacture. The Gazette states that it Coz
the Company 500 2.s per ton Of s24e lbs. lai
down in Cincinnati, which in Ohio per cen
bonds at the par value is equal TO about nifty do
lars per ton actual cost.
Dxowsxp.-Benjamin Smith, Of this villag
was drowned Yesterday in Jamaica Bay. He vi
kicked overheard blythe discharge Of his gun, an
did not succeed in an attempt to swim to the sher'
Jamaica Farmer.