Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1902-12-16
river and rest under the shade OF the
trees. trust eve w,ll all meet there
Yours Very Truly.
t1Ko. BAYLOR.
Charles Town, w. Va.
April 3. 1865
Ny Dear Rouss

Ny Dear Rouss:
must premise.this letter by reminding
you that | am lawyer. and am far iron
reaching ia ethics the altitude to which
! aspire. Ardentlv wish it were possible
for-me to live on that high plane, which
| SO much covet an admire. but human
weakness Is constantly casing me to fall
below til. mark Of my high calling. | re-
alize that am 'uneo weak and little
to be trusted" DON'T judge me by what
| am. for as ST. Paal says the things
would do, | do not and the things
would not do. that I do. NY faith is
superior to my practice. do not vaunt
my righteousness, but hunbly acknowl-
edge my weakness and Fl ,ilties. Like the
poor Publican. am ready to exclaim,
God be merciful to me sinner.
! received your letter yesterday and
was much gratified with your commenda-
ton, but more with the assurance it bore.
that we are not very far apart--one step
more and we will be fighting under the
same banner. You admit there is God
and that we are immortal, and ask what
will this being be in the next hundred or
thousand years ~ We are flute creatures
in our present existence. and our vision
is necessarily limited If one from the
realms of bliss were to appear to us and
offer to portray what we shall be, our
finite minds could not grasp the situation.
This know, my reason tells me, we shall
fill the position for which we have fitted
ourselves IN this probationary life, Could
you expect me without any training
therefor, to enter upon your duties and
run the great Broadway store, or that
you without training therefor could enter
on my professional duties We must pre-
pare ourselves for the life we are to lead
in eternity. IT we accept Gods atone
ment made for man and strive to live in
accordance with his Holy Will and COM
mandments we shall reap lite of eternal
happiness, it matters not in what shape
or form It come, and if | reject that atone
ment and pursue sinful course of life,
| cannot reasonably expect to be reward
ed Do men gather grapes of thorns or
figs of thistles So every good tree bring
eth forth good fruit, and evil tree evil
fruit,
Read the I4th CHI. of ST. John and be-
lieve. Have faith. You have faith in
your fellow man-have faith in God. You
are deprived of sight--do you not walk
amid dangers by faith IN the guidance Of
your fellew-man? The God that made
you loves you more than your earthly pa
rents-yet you trusted them. | see you
are in a state of unrest-you are seeking
after light Accept Gods promises, as
revealed IN His holy word. and find that
rest your soul is longing for. Others
have ffoundered in the mire in which YOU
now find yourself, and have found rest in
the Scriptures. Accept the advice and
assurance of friend. will feel proud
er of your conquest than all the actions
of my life.
Listen to the burning words of one who
longed for the truth and for rest:
:" Oh Lord, speak that may hear, Be-
hold the ears of my heart. open them and
say unto my soul, am thy salvation. /
will follow after this voice of Thine. I
will lay hold on Thee The temple of
my soul, wherein Thou shouldst dwell is
narrow, do Thou enlarge it. 1t talleth in
to ruins, do Thou rebuilt it. Woe to that
soul which hopeth. if if do but let Thee
go. to find something better than Thee.
Thou only art rest Whithersover the
soul of man turnsth, it fndeth sorrow. ex-
cept only in Thee. Fix there thy resting
place, mysoul. Lay up in Him. whatso-
ever thou has rec eIyed from him. Com
mend to the keeping Of the Truth what
ever the Truth has given thee and thou
shalt lose nothing, and thy dead things
shall revive and thy weak thinks shall be
made whole. .
Accept my faitll-it brings comfort and
consolation. You have nothing to Of
fer in its stead. The wisest and best Of men
live and die in it. Will you follow the
steps of the illustrious multitudes or will
you grope on in darkness7 Your accep-
lance will bring JOY e gour many friends.
and none more so than
Your eomrade.
GEo.