The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-18

Philadelphia Bible Tract and Periodical Office
1,qOo Ckesnut ST., January 26, 1883.
DEAR DocroR: Nearly thirty years have
passed, since we and one of our friends attend.
ed the lectures at Jefferson Medical College, in
this city. Our temporal destinies soon diverged.
The friend alluded to became and continues a
Mississippi planter and stakeholder; you have
long been known as an Anti-Slavery editor /;
and l am still struggling on as an unsectarian
preacher and publisher. The Lord grant that
our eternal destinies may mercifully converge
at His Throne
Notwithstanding public positions and pro-
tracted labors-unless in cases preeminently
commsnding-our great country is too great for
much general knowledge of individuals. We
touch society, as rain-drops touch the sea, and
melt into the mass. Not only recently. matured
natives, and immigrants from all parts of the
world, have never heard of us; but our kindred,
schoolmates, and later companions in church
and state, dispense interdistantly over the con.
tinent, push into the strife of noisy and dusty
capitals, or hide among the peaceful beauties of
rural seclusions, and so become lost to us as we
to them. short time since, received let.
ter from lady in Wisconsin-as though it had
been message from another sphere-honoring
me with expressions of pleasure at having acct.
dentally met my name once more, reminding
me of our friendly relations nearly quarter of
century ago in the District of Columbia, in
forming me of her marriage to a graduate of
sold YALE" describing her daughter, now seven
teen years of age, charming me with the poetic
designations of her roseate home and its emerald
surroundings, giving evidence moreover of con.
frmed Christian character and happy heavenly
hope, and, finally, inquiring for somewhat of
our own history in the interval-alluding par.
ticularly to our Z" lively wee daughter" who.
in reality, grew to womanhood, married and,
alas for us in less than q year went down to
the grave, with her babe on her bosom. and
mere mas rested Tor seven years gone
Meanwhile, other children have thronped the
house, some of whom now paas ont and in as
young men and maidens," and, in a word. a
whole world of plans and efforts, gains and
losses, amenities and anxieties, hopes and fears.
Joys and sorrows, has swept around its orbit
year after year, impressively enough to us. but.
like an undiscovered planet to nv fair CORES.
pondent beneath the brisk brightness of her
northwest sky.
So much for distance, retirement, and new
associations. To these occasions of loss. how
many others might be added How often silly
arrangements occur, because of conditional
changes How often bitter alterations, because
OF party controversies And how often pain
fui and permanent bereavements, because of
resistless death This last statement is affect.
cd fo hy l.
Within 9 few days, the papers have brought
word OF the decease of the venerable CHARLES
AVERY, of Allegheny city. am not informed
OF particulars, but his life was sure guarantee
OF glorious transition from earth to heaven.
CHARLES AVERY was one of the princes of Penn.
sylvania, one of the mobiles of the nation, one
OF the models of mankind. In his family. he
was full of love and kindness; in society, radi-
ant with benignity and politeness; in business.
judiciously enterprisiDg, his word as good as
his bond" and his bond as good as thou
sand banks; in the church, a spiritual exem-
plar, fervent preacher, q prudent reformer,
and perpetual bs nefactor in the state, an
enlightened and undertaking patriot; and in
all relations Of philanthropy, especially in i'm
provement OF the colored race, an almost une.
qualled contributor and promoter. The last
ship from Europe brought news of the death of
number of distinguished persons; but what
corrupt and paltry characters the most of them
were, in comparison with such a patriarch of
piety and charity as CHARLES AVERY "Be.
hold what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon US, that we should be called the
sons of God therefore the ,corld knosoeth as
not, because 1t knetc him not" But what diff.
ference does it make, whether the world knows
us or not, if We can only live and do good.
" The Lord kno,oeth them that are his" and this
is enough. The time is coming, when such a
life as that of CHARLES AVERY will be honored
az one of the chief glories of the social universe
You, Doctor, will be prepared to excuse this
digression-if, indeed, it be one-Brother Ave-
ry was one of my main helpers in olden agen.
cies for the church, and has been at the head
of my friends in the work in which am now
engaged. How shall l supply his place
The truth is, even in the midst of our days,
with many plans but half fulfilled, and others in
waiting to challenge the future, we begin to
feel lonely, and are constrained to look around
for some modest and yet efficient means of
finding our fellows, Of rallying those who are
like us, OF concentrating coincident principle
and thought, OF kindling new ardors of sympa-
thy, and opening new sources of strength.
Communion and cooperation seem essential to
happiness and usefulness.
As an old and intimate friend, You allow me
to state my own case and take advantage of
the opportunity, in hope that other editors, to
some extent, will copy the observation-disclosures
ing in it, as trust they will, not only the per-
sonal frankness, inofensive at the freside, but,
also, matters of substantial public interest,
which cannot be too well or widely known
On some accounts, it were best to initiate
telegraphic-not telegramic-brevity; and yet
the following enumeration Of points may prove
welcome and useful
!. After a ministry of the Gospel for twenty
eight years, in this city and others, South and
West, have returned to Philadelphia, whence
started, with these two objects l. To do
good and 2. BY doing good, to make living
This is the Christian order. Seek first the
kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be added unto you"
2. cannot conscientiously seek the Sec
ond object, therefore, except in its due de-
tendency upon the first ; and thus am at once
cut of from the most popular, profitable, and
easy resorts. Not q business man, always In
delicate health, now in my fftieth year, without
regular pastoral charge or support, and with
little UNCONVENTIONAL encouragement, having
never saved q cent, and being consequently
without capital, the prospect, to the natural
eye, is not very aattering bat there is no such
wealth on earth a. ia stored in Gods promise,
and he who rightly trusts it is rich enough.
For myself, it is marvellous how completely and
persistently am shut up to thisi