I do not dwell upon these subjects, thinking to communicate any new ideas; but because I know from experience, that we are such stupid creatures, that when engrossed in the cares or pleasures of the world, we have need to be often reminded of the things with which we are well acquainted. Truths, that so intimately concern the well-being of our immortal souls, are not the less important for being common. Oh let us, my dear children, have our minds always deeply impressed with these all-important things, that when our Lord and Master shall call for us, we may not be found sleeping with the foolish virgins in the Gospel, but watching with the faithful servant, having our eyes in heaven, the earth under our feet, and Christ as it were in our arms. Let us have our loins girt about with truth, our lamps trimmed and burning, and continue in the attitude of expectation and readiness; that, when called to appear before the bar of God, we may boldly launch forth into the Jordan of death, confident of finding a kind Advocate interceding for us at the right hand of God, who will conduct us to a happy seat, eternally to drink full draughts of immortal pleasure. May God, of his infinite mercy, through the merits of his Son, grant that this may be your wisdom and happiness, and that of all your children. This is the daily prayer of your affectionate Father,

S. COLEMAN.

TO HIS SON E B

AT CANANDAIGUA, N. Y.

MY DEAR CHILD,

Amherst, May 18, 1807.,

I HAVE lately received your favour, dated April 29, and esteem it a happy circumstance in your location, that we can have such direct and quick conveyance to each other, over such a length of way, and so speedily sympathize with each other in affliction. I sent a lengthy letter by the last mail, which you will doubtless receive before this comes to hand. In that, I endeavoured to lead your mind to some salutary reflections, and influence you to seek that divine support, which would soothe and comfort you. But by the tenour of your letter, I fear that you are in danger of suffering your passions to overpower your better judgment, and yielding your spirits a prey to excessive grief, until your health will sink under it, and your future usefulness be greatly restricted, if not entirely destroyed. We may (and many actually do,) mourn for the loss of friends, to that degree, and with that spirit of disobedience, that destroys their health, and provokes a holy God to inflict new judgments on them. His stripes are usually repeated upon his children, until they submit quietly to the punishment due to their sins. I do not say this, my child, because I think you feel a disposition to murmur and complain of the providences of God toward you. But I would

warn you of the danger, and persuade you to perfect acquiescence. Be careful that you do not wound the cause of religion by a conduct that will, in the eyes of the world, excite imputations of a murmuring spirit. The pious Psalmist, when bereft of his darling child, anointed his head, and washed his face, and sat down and eat bread. In the 131st Psalm he saith, "Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother. My soul is even as a weaned child." This is admirably descriptive of Christian submission.

We cannot live with the dead: our business is with the living and when the will of the Lord is made known to us, it is our duty to submit quietly, however we may have our fleshly passions crossed, I pray God, that this heavy stroke of affliction may prove a stimulus to us all to be more assiduous in a preparation to follow those, who, through faith and patience, are now inheriting the promises. Of this number, we have just reason to believe, your dear consort is one. You ought to consider what an insupportable weight would be added to your load, if you were obliged to mourn without hope and what grateful returns you should make to the Disposer of events, that he was pleased to give you such satisfactory evidence of her faith in Christ, before her death. He might have deprived her of the exercise of her reason, and taken her away in delirium, and not suffered her to pray the benediction of Heaven on you and the dear babe, in her dying

moments. If we will exercise our reason, we can always see many alleviating circumstances in our severest afflictions. Judgments are seldom unmingled with mercies; and we should be ungrateful, indeed, to be so absorbed with the one, as to forget the other. Our heavenly Father knows our weakness and infirmities, and will never lay upon his children one stripe more than he sees necessary to bring them home to himself.

You have frequently mentioned, how many kind friends you have found among entire strangers. I congratulate you upon the goodness of God to you in such an essential blessing; and hope you may also experimentally know the truth of the wise man's observation, that "there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

Just as I had written the above, I received yours, which brings intelligence of the death of your babe. What I greatly feared, is come upon you. Oh that you may be enabled to say with good old Eli, "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good!" God, in his most holy providence, is causing you to drink deep of the wormwood and the gall, in the early period of life. It may be that he is trying you in the furnace of affliction, to fit you for more eminent usefulness in his service; and I hope you may come out as gold seven times purified. Many of God's servants of old had to encounter trying circumstances, to gain qualifications for his service. I hope you will

not fail to make a wise and profitable improvement of these afflictive dealings. Let them serve to wean your affections from all terrestrial enjoyments, and fix them more firmly upon heavenly and divine things. Your experience has been amply sufficient to convince you of the fleeting nature of earthly happiness, and the uncertainty of human prospects. May the lesson effectually preserve you from ever being flattered with the most promising appearances of present enjoyment. Let your hopes and expectations be fixed above. Aim at an invariable walk in the path of duty, and, without solicitude, leave events and consequences with Him, who has a perfect knowledge of what is best for us, firmly believing that his justice is equal to his knowledge, and that the Judge of all the earth will do right.

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If love to God prompt you to a studious fulfilment of his commandments, you need fear no evil; for his promise is sure, that all things shall work together for good to those who love him.

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BEING ever fond of gratifying your innocent desires, and especially your filial affection, I was unwilling to let so favourable an opportunity pass unimproved. I have no very