The daily gazette., 1876-05-09
A Philosophers Religion d.
a Letter from Ii Bejsmin FrsnLlin "a
George ~ hite field

The following letter of DIR. Frank
lin is addressed to tho great and
eloquent Methodist and revival
preachcrof the last century, Geo.
Whitefield. who often addressed
and electrified audiences of from
10000 to 10000 people. This letter
seems to be applicable at the pre-
sent time of revival preaching and
praying.
The kindness alluded to in tho
lotter as done by Franklin to
Whitefeld, referred to the fact
that Franklin had relieved White
field in paralytic case by the
application of electricity.
The prayer of DR.. Franklin is
hardly known at all. and repub-
lication Of it might be welcome to
many:
FRANKLIN's LETTER
PHILADELPHIA, June 6, 1853.
Sir: received your kind letter OF
the I'd ints., and am glad to hear
that you Increase in siren 9Th.
hope you will continue mcndinc
till you recover your former
health and tirmness. Let me know
whetherlyou still use the cold bath
and what effect it has. AS to the
Kindness you mention, | wish it
could have been of greater service
to you. But ifit had, the only
thanks | should desire is, that YOU
would always be equally ready to
serve any other person that may
reed your assistance, and SO let
good offices go round for mankind
are all ofa family For my own part
when | am employed in sewing
others, l do not look upon myself
as comforting favors, but as paying
debts.
In my travels and since my
settlement, | have received much
kindness from men, to whom |
shall never have an opportunity
of making the least direct return,
and numberless mercies from God,
who is infnity above being
benefited by our services. Those
klndnesses from men | can there
fore only return on their fellow
men, and l can only show my
gratitude for those mercies from
God by readiness to help his
other children and my brethen.
For l don't think that thanks and
compliments, though repeated
weekly, can discharge our real
obligations to each other, and
much less those to our Creator.
You will sec in this my notion of
good works that | am far from ex-
pecting to merit heaven by them.
by heaven we understand a state
o; happiness infinite in degree and
eternal in duration; can do moth.
ing to merit such rewards He
that for giving a draught Of water
10 thlrs'y person should expect
TO DC paid with a 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 en-
JOY IN this world are rather from
Gods goodness than our merit,
how much more such happiness
OF heaven. For my part, | have
not the vanity to think | deserve
1t, the folly to expect it, nor the
ambition to desire it; but content
mys9lt in submitting to the will
and disposal of that God who
made me, who has hitherto pye.
served and blessed mo, and in
whose fatherly goodness | NAV
well contde; that he will never
make me miserable, and that even
the afflictionsI may at any time
suffer shall tend to my benefit.
The faith you mention has ccr-
talnly its use in the world. lido not
desire to see it dismissed nor
would | endeavor to lessen it in
any man. But | wish it were more
productive of good works than I
have generally seen it. / mean real
good works, of kindness, charity.
mercy any public spirit; no holy
days keeping, sermon hunting or
hearing, performing church GER
emonies; making long prayers,
nlled with batteries and compH.
ments, despised even by wise men
and much less capable of pleasing
the Deity. The worship of God is
duty. The hearing and reading
OF sermons may be useful; but if
men rest in bearing and praying
as many do, it is as ifa tree should
value itself on being watered
ana pvtting forth leaves, though
| 1T never produces fruit Your ,,roo+