To the Editors of the MASSACHUSETTS MISSIONARY MAGAZINE. GENTLEMEN, THE following are extracts from a letter of a worthy and pious gentleman, fince deceased, written in the year 1794, to his brother, who was engaged in the Gefpel miniftry, then about two hundred miles dif tant, labouring under confumptive complaints, which, foon after, terminated in his diffolution. As they exhibit a vein of picty, and an high degree of fraternal affection, it is conceived, if you think them worthy of a place in your ufeful magazine, they may contribute to the inftruction and improvement of your young readers. L. My Dear Brother, I AUGUST 17, 1794. cannot yet give up the hope, the expectation, that you will recover your health-that your ufefulnefs will not yet end-that God has work for you to perform in this world. But perhaps I am vainly flattering myfelf; God knows what is best, and how we can beft ferve him; and we ought to acquiefce in his difpofal of all events.-I hope, my efteemed brother, that you have ftill that comfortable hope of future felicity, which you have, in fome measure, and, as I hope, on good grounds, been bleffed with, which is as an anchor to the foul in all trials, and is fufficient to remove from death its terrors, and to clothe him with a friendly afpect, as liberating us from a world of mifery, and introducing us into a world of uninterrupted happinefs and peace: The hope, my ever-loved brother, that death will be thus bleffed to you, has been an inexpreffible confolation to your parents, brothers and fifters, under the profpect of your, feemingly fast, approaching diffolution. Another fource of confolation, my dear brother, is the harmony and fraternal affection which have always fubfifted among us all. Had there ever existed between you and us, any of those bickerings, enmities and ftrifes, which we have witnessed among members of fome families, it would afford us most uncomfortable reflections at fuch a folemn time.-Bleffed be God, this is not the cafe ;-We have lived in harmony and peace, loving and beloved of each other; willing to affift each other in every difficulty, and not fo attached to the mammon of unrighteoufnefs, but that we have been ready to share what we have poffeffed with each other.Speaking on this head, though I would not arrogate to myself any merit, as I did nothing but what fraternal affection required, it affords me fincere fatisfaction, that I was enabled by Providence to be of fome fervice to you in fitting yourself to ferve God God in his Church: and I fhall never regret what I thus did.— I don't know but I have before obferved it to you, but I can truly fay, you have been more dear to me, fince I had in fome measure the care of you; you feeming to me not only as a brothery but as a child. As God only knows, my beloved brother, whether I shall ever fee you again, I have one request to make to you; It is this— that you would order fome perfon to collect the letters that I have written to you, thofe your other relations have written, your fermons, and the journal which I partly read, when I was with you, and having well fecured them, to fend them to *** di-. rected to me; as they will afford me and your other friends a melancholy fatisfaction, when you are gone. On writing this laft word, my heart almost breaks at the thought of a feparation. Oh, my brother! fhall we never more meet here ?-Very afflicting is the thought that we fhall not.-But fhall we not meet hereafter? Could I firmly, and on good grounds believe this, it would be my comfort.-And, my dear brother, I do hope for it; I do not despair of it—and, oh, may I make it, as I hope I have, in a faint measure, hitherto done, my earnest endeavour and prayer to God, that I may be prepared for his heavenly glory. I know that I live where the great concerns of religion are, in general, treated as trifling, if we may judge from appearances: yet not a day of my life paffes, whatever be my employment, but that the confideration of a future world, and the vanity of this, is the fubject of serious thought—and I feel more fenfibly the unfatisfactoriness of the world and lefs attached to it. Yet, my dear brother, I have strong ties to the world; the wife of my bofom and a dear babe, for whose future, much more than for their prefent, felicity, I am anxiously concerned, bind me to life, hoping I may be a mean of fpiritual good to them. Thefe ties, my brother, you have not ; and fhould you now be called, your parting, for this reafon, will not be fo fevere; and you fhould blefs God for this, as well as for every circumftance that smooths the paffage from time to eternity. I commend you to God, my dearest brother-and folicit an intereft in your prayers, as long as you live, and be affured I never forget you in mine. If we are not to meet again in this world: may we meet hereafter, in that blissful state which God has prepared for thofe who love him. Adieu, my dearest brother. ORDINATION. SALEM, April 24, 1805. THE Rev. BROWN EMERSON was ordained Colleague Paftor with the Rev. Mr. HOPKINS over the third Church and Con gregation gregation in this town. After a thorough examination of the Candidate by the Council, the refult of which afforded complete fatisfaction, the ufual folemnities took place at the New South Meeting House in the following order, viz.-The Introductory Prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. SPRING, of Newburyport; a Sermon, appropriate, ingenious and folemn, was delivered by the Rev. Mr. PAGE, of Hancock, N. H. from 2 Cor. vi. 1.We then, as workers together with him, befeech you alfo that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.-The Rev. Dr. EMMONS, of Franklin, made the Confecrating Prayer; the Rev. Mr. HopKINS gave the Charge; the Rev. Mr. WORCESTER of this town the Right Hand of Fellowship; and the Rev. Mr. AUSTIN, of Worcester, made the concluding Prayer. An appropriate anthem, and other pieces of mufic, were performed with tafte and judgment. A very large and refpectable audience attended, and the greatest attention and good order prevailed. Liberal public and private entertainments were given to the Rev. Clergand other ftrangers attending. ANECDOTE. THE phyfician of the Duke of Orleans, being fent for to attend Voltaire in his illness at Paris, the deiftical philofopher faid to him, Sir, I defire you will fave my life, I will give you half of my fortune if you will lengthen out my days only fix months. If not, I shall go to the devil. POETRY. LINES Compofed by a poor woman who could neither read nor write, and had fuffered much affliction. T ELL me no more of earthly toys, Of finful mirth, and `carnal joys, The things I lov'd before; Let me but view my Saviour's face, And I defire no more, Tell Tell me no more of praise and wealth, Tell me no more of lofty tow'rs, Tell me no more of crowding guests, My little table only spread With wholesome herbs, and wholesome bread, Will better fuit my taste. Give me a Bible in my hand, Evan. Mag. |