The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-20
From the New York sun.
A PHILOSOPHERS RELIGION.
a Letter from Benjamin Franklin to George
Whitefeld.

pr. Franklin, addressed TO the great and
eloquent Methodist revival preacher OF the
last century, George Wh,efield, who ad-
dress ed and electrified audiences of from
10000 to 10000 people. This letter seems
to be applicable at the present time of re-
vval preaching and praying.
The kindness alluded to in the letter as
done by Franklin to Whitefield, referred to
the fact that Franklin had relieved White
field in a paralytic case by the application
of electricity
The prayer Of Dr. Franklin, which send
L find is hardly known at all, and | think
republication of it might be welcome to
many
FRANKLIN's LETTER
PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 1876.
SIR | received your kind letter Of the
ID inst, and am glad to hear that you in
crease in strength. | hope you will con-
tiDue mendng I'LL you recover your former
health and firmness. Let me know wheth
er you still use the cold bath, and what eff
feet it has. As TO the kindness you men
ton, l wish it could have been Of greater
service to you But il it had, the only
thanks should desire is, that you would
always be equally ready to serve any other
person that may need your assistance, and
so let good Offices 60 round, for mankind
are all of & family. For my own part.
when am employed in serving Others, ]
do not look upon myself as comforting IA
vors, but rs paying debts.
In my travels and since my settlement,
have received much kindness from men,
to whom l shall never have any opportun-
ity of making the least direct return, and
numberless mercies from God, who is inf
nitely above being benefited by our SER
vices. Those kindnesses from men can
therefore only return on their fellow men,
and | can only show my gratitude for those
mercies from God, by a readiness 10 help
his other children and his brethren. For |
don't think that thanks and compliments,
though repeated weekly, can discharge our
real obligation 10 each other, and much less
those to our Creator. You will see in this
my notion of good works, that | am far
from expecting to merit heaven by them.
BY heaven we understand a state OF happi-
ness infinite in degree and eternal in dura-
ton; | can do nothing to merit such re-
wards. He that for giving draught of
water to thirsty person, should expect to
be paid with good plantation, would be
modest in his demands, compared with
those who think they deserve heaven for
the little good they do on earth. Even the
mixed imperfect pleasures we enjoy in this
world, are rather from Gods goodness than
our merit . How much more such happi-
ness Of heaven for my part, | have not
the vanity to think deserve it, the folly TO
expect it, nor the ambition to desire it, but
content myself IN submitting to the will
and disposal Of that God who made me,
who has hitherto preserved and blessed me,
and in whose fatherly goodness l may well
confde, that he will never make me mis-
cradle, and that even the affections l may
nj Qnv Time suITpr abnll fnn6 IN INV hnpoit
The faith you mention has certainly its
use in the world. ! do not desire to see it
diminished, nor would | endeavor TO lessen
it in any man. But wish it were more
productive Of good works than have gem
orally seen 1t. | mean real good works,
works of kindness, charity, mercy, and
public spirit; no holy-days keeping, sermon
hunting or bearing, performing church
ceremonies, making long prayers, filed
with ,hltteries and compliments, despised
even by wise men, and much less capable
of pleasing the Deity. The worship Of God
is duty. The hearing aud reading of
scripture may be useful but if men rest
in hearing aud praying, as too many do, il
lie as if a tree should value it.elf on being
wstered and putting forth leaves, though
it never produces fruit. Your great Master
thought much less OF those outward APP
pearances and professions than many OF his
modern disciples. He preferred the doors
of the word to the mere hearers the son
that seemingly refused TO obey his father,
and yet performed his commands, to him
that proiessed his readiness but neglected
the work the herlical but charitable
Samaritan to the uncliaritable though Or
thodox priest and sAnctified Levi,e and
those who gave food to the hungry, drink
TO the thirsty, raiment to the naked, enter
tainment to the stranger, and relief to the
eick, though they never heard of his name,
he declares shall in the last day be accepted,
when those who cry Lord Lord, vino value
themselves upon their faith, though great
enough to perform miracles but have neg
lecied good works, shall be rejected.
He professed that he came not to call the
righteous, but sinners, to repentance, which
implied his modest opinion that there were
some in his time who thought themselves
30 good that they did not hear even him
for improvement; but now days we have
scarce little parsOn that does not think 1t
the duty OF every man within his reach to
sit under his petty ministrations, and who
ever omits them offends God | wish to
such more humility, and to your health and
happiness, being your friend and servant.
PRAYER OF DIR. FRANKLIN.
Merciful God! Wonderful Power In
crease in me that wisdom which discovers
my truest interest ; strengthen my resou-
ton to perform what that wisdom dictates,
and accept my kind Offices to Thy other
creatures, as the only return in my power
for Thy infinite goodness to me-
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