Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-12-16

giyingly meet me, though very great way
off
Oh my dear wife and children would to
God you could know how have been travail
ing in birth for you all, That no one Of you
may fail Of the grace Of God.
Through Jesus Christ--that no one of you
may be blind to the truth and glorious light
Of his Word, in which life and immortality
are brought to light, beseech you every one,
to make the Bible your daily and nightly
study, with childlike, honest candid teach
able spirit Of love and respect for your hus-
band aud father.
And / besooch the God Of my fathers to
apen all your eyes to the discovery Of the
tru@ You cannot imagine how much you
may soon need the consolatons Of the Christ
ian religion. Oh, do not trust your eternal
all upon the boisteruua ocean without even a
helm or compass to aid YOU in steering l do
not ask any Of you to throw away your rea-
son 1 only ask you to make a candid, sober
use Of your reason.
My dear younger children, will you listen
20 this last poor admonition of one who can
only love you; Oh be determined at once
to give your whole heart to Col, and let moth
ing shake or alter that resolution. You need
have no fears Of regretting it, DO not be
let me entrcat 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 left.
Nothing can so tend TO make life a blessing
( as the Consciousness that your life and ex-
( ample bless and leave YOU the stronger
Still, it is ground of the utmost comfort to
my mind TO know that so many of you as have
had the opportunity have given some proof of
your great fidelity to the great family Of men.
BE faithful unto death from the exercise of
habtual love to man it cannot be very hard
to learn to love his Maker.
| must yet insert the reason for my firm be-
lief in the divine inspiration of the Bible,
notwithstanding am perhaps naturally skep-
teal, certainly not incredulous. | wish all to
consider it most throughly when you read
that blessed book, and see whether you can
not discover such evidence yourselves. 1t is
the purity Of heart, feeling, our minds as well
as work and actions, which is everywhere
insisted on, that distinguishes it from all the
other teachings, that commends it to my con
science Whether my heart be willing and
obedient or not, the inducement that it holds
out is another reason of my conviction Of its
truth and commences but do not here
omit this my last argument on the Bible that
tttIldl Aitt Is what Soul - lahbiuS hltOi
this moment. | mention this as a reason for
endeavoring to leave valuable copy of the
Bible, to be carefully preserved in rcmem
brance Of me, to so many of my posterity, in.
stead of some other book at equal cost.
| beseech you all to live in habitual con
) tentment with moderate circumstances and
gains of worldly store, and earnestly to teach
this to your children and children's children
: after you, by example as well as precept. Be
' determined to know by experience, as soon
as may be. whether Bible instruction is o
, divine origin or not. BE sure to owe no mar
anything, but to love one another Johr
Rogers wrote to his children, 'Abhor tha
arrant whore of Rome John Brown writes
TO his children to abhor, with undying hatred
also, that sum Of all yillainies-slavery. Re
member, he that is slow to anger is better
, than the mighty and he that ruleth his
2 spirit than he that taketh a city. Remember
also, that they, being wise, shall shine. anC
they that turn many to righteousness as the
{ stars for ever and ever.
D And now, dearly beloved family, to Goo
and the work Of His grace l commend yo'
! all
d Your adectionate husband and father,
. JOHN BROWN