Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-02-25
Original Letter G,om DIR. Franklin

! Original Letter from DIR. Franklin.
The following letter (says the Chris
ahaa Register was written by DR.. Frank
I'm to Alexander Giles Frobisher, with
whom he correspondent for many years.
1t is believed that it has never before
been published, and it is certainly very
interesting as giving a view Of The spirit
Of benevolence and active usefulness by
which DR. Franklin was governed, and
also Of the general tendency of his re-
! ligious opinions We are greatly in
debted to the friend who has allowed US
to publish it.:
PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 1863.
Dear Sir l received your kind letter
Of the ID instant, and am glad to hear
you increase in strength hope you
will continue mending till you recover
your former health and frmness. Let
ne know whether you still use the cold
bath, and what effect it has.
AS to the kindness you mention, /
wish it could have been of more service
to you, but if it had, the only thanks |
should desire is, that you would be equal
/ y ready to serve any other person that
may need your assistance, and 50 let good
Offices 60 round, for mankind are all of
a family.
For my own part, when am employ
( ed IN serving others, do not look upon
myself as comforting favors, but as pay
| ing debts Inmy travels and since my
settlement, I Have received much kind
ness from men to whom / shall never
have an opportunity to make the least
direct return, and numbcrless merces
from God, wEo is infinitely above being
benefited by our services. Those kind
nesses from men | can only return en-
their fellow-men; and | can only show
my gratitude for those mercies from Coo
1 by readiness to help his other children
and my brethren; for DO not think thai
thanks and compliments, though repeat,
ed mooAly, can discharge our real obi
cations to each other, and much les,
those to our Creator.
You will in this see my notions o
good works, and that am far from ex
pectiug Heaven by them. BY IIeavel
we understand state Of happiness inf
mite in degree, and eternal in duration
! can do nothing to deserve such reward
/ He that for giving a draught Of water tC
a thirsty person should expect to be re-
warded with a good plantation, would BE-
modest in his demands, compared with
/ those who they think deserve Heaven BY
the good they do on earth Even the
mixed, imperfect pleasures we enjoy in
this world, arc rather from God > good
ness than our merit; how much more
then The felicity Of IIeavenl For my
own part [ have not the vanity to think
/ ] deserve il; the folly to expect, or the
ambition to desire it but content myself
in submitting to the will and disposal OF
Him that made me, who has hitherto
preserved and blessed ne, whose paternal
goodness | may well conGde in that he
will never make me miserable, and that
even the affection / may at any time
suffer shall tend to my benefit.
The faith YOU mention has doubtless
/ It's use IN the world / do net desire to
see it diminished nor would / lessen il
in any man; but ! wish twas more pro-
ductiye Of good worl,s-worls Of kind
ness charity mercy, and public spirit:
/ not holiday keeping, sermon reading, OF
having performed church ceremonies, o.
making long prayers filed with nattcries
and compliments, despised even by wise
men, and much less capable Of pleasing
the Deity. The worship Of God is a
/ duty, the hearing or reading Of sermons
mug be useful but Il man rests in
hearing or praying, as too many do, it is
as if tree should value itself upon being
watcred and putting forth leaves, though
it never produced any fruit.
Your great Master thought much less
Of these outward appearances and pro.
lossions than many Of his modern disci.
Pics; he preferred the doors to the mere
hearers; the son who seemingly refused
10 obey his fatIrgt and yet performed ilis
commands, to him that protested II,
readiness and yet neglected the work
the herotoal though charitable Samari.
tan, to the uncharitable though sauctified
priest; and those who gayo food to the
hungry drink to Tie thirsty, raimcnt &c
the naked, entertainment to the stranger,
and rbliof to the sick, though they never
heard Of His name, He declares shall be
IN the last day accepted when those who
cry Lord, Lord, who value themselves
on their faith, though great enough ia
perform miracles, but have neglected "a
perform the work Of benogolcnee, shall
be rejected
lie professed he came not to call The
righteous but sinners to repentance,
which implied his modest opinion, that
there were some 10 his time so good that
they needed not hear even him; but
now. a-days we have scarce a parson who
does n9tthink it the duty Of every man
within bis reach to sit undor bis wretched
ministrations, aud that whoever refuses
oGcnds God. ] wish to them moro hui
nifty, and 20 you, sir, more health and
happiness, being, etc.
BENJ FRANELIS.
Tears AXD LAUGHTER God made
both tears and laughter, and both for kind
purposes; for rs laughter enables mirth
I - a,..s.,:e,. D., lrrotLa fsooI, "a toan.