Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-12-08
MOMM VI pm WBgKIY RBRAbD.
of love and respect for your husband and


father.
And beseech the God Of my fathers
to open all your eyes to the discovery Of
the truth. You cannot imagine how
much you may soon need the consultations
of the Christian religion. Circumstances
like my own for moro than month past
have convinced me beyond all doubt, of
our great need Of some theories treasured
up when our prejudices are excited. our
vanity worked up to the highest pitch.
Oil do not trust your eternal all upon
the boisterous ocean, without even helm
or compass to aid you in steering. / do
not ask any of you to throw away your
reason | only ask you to make candid,
sober use of your reason.
My dear younger children. viii You lis.
ten to this last poor admonitien Of one
who can only love you? Oh be deter
mined at once to give your whole heart
to God. and let nothing shake or alter
that resolution. You need have no fears
of regretting it. Do not be vain and
thoughtless, but sober minded and let
me entreat you all to love the whole
remnant of our once great family. Try
and build up again your broken walls,
and to make the utmost of every stone
that Is lett. Nothing can so tend to make
life blessing, as the consciousness that
your life and example bless and leave
you the stronger. Still, it is ground of
the utmost comfort to my soul to know
that so many of you az HMve had the op.
portunity, have given some proof of your
fidelity to the great family of men. Be
faithful unto death; from the exercise of
habitual love to man, it cannot be very
hard to learn to love his Maker.
I must yet insert the reasons for my
firm belief in the divine inspiration of
the Bible, Notwithstanding | am perhaps
naturally skeptical, certainly not credu
louS. wish all to consider it most
thoroughly when you read that blessed
book, and sec whether you cannot dis.
cover such evidences yourselves. 1t is
the purity of heart feeling our minds as
well as work and actions, which is every
where insisted on, that distinguishes it
from all the other teachings. that COM
mends it to my conscience. Whether my
heart be willing and obedient or not, the
inducement that it holds ont is another
reason of my convictions of its truth and
genuineness, but do not here admit this
my last argument on the Bible that eter-
nal life is what my soul pants after this
moment. | mention this as a reason for
endeavoring to have valuable copy of
the Bible to be carefully preserved in
remembrance of me, to see many of my
poSterity instead of some other book at
equal cost.
/ beseech you all to live in habitual
contentment with moderate circumstances
and gains of worldly store. and earnestly
to teach this to your children and chill
dren's children after you. by example as
we'll as precept. Be determined to know
by experience as soon as may be whether
Bible instruction is of divine origin or
not. Be sure to owe no man anything,
but to love one athother. John Rogers
wrote to his children, Abhor that ar.
rant whore of Rome" John Brown
writes to his children to abhor, with I'M
dying hatred also, that sum Of all william.
ies-slayery. Remember be that is slow
TO anger is better than Me mighty, and
he that ruleth in spirit than he that
taketh city. Remember, also, that they,
being wise, shall shine, and they that turn
macy to Righteousness as the stars for
ever and ever.
And now, dearly beloved family, to
God and the work of its Grace l com
mend you all.
Your affectionate husband and father,
10uN pD0WN