Letter VIII

LETTER VIII.

November 10, 1781. JVIy Dear Child,

WHEN your mamma and I come to see you, it must be pn a Monday, for more reasons than one} which it is not necessary for you to know : and as there is but one Monday in a week, something or other may prevent oftener than I wish. However I promise to think of you when I cannot see you, and sometimes we talk of you. " Christmas will soon be here ; then " we shall have her at home, and then who knows " but she will be so improved, and behave so nicely, " that we shall be sorry to part with her again." When we talk thus, I hope you will make good what we say.

Lately, for about a week, I was attacked by a company of pains. Some seized my face and teeth, some took possession of my back, and some got into my sides ; but they are all gone now, and they did me no harm. You know little about pains and cares yet. You are now at the time of life when you are especially called upon to remember your Creator and Redeemer, and have the greatest advantages for doing it. But, if your life is spared, to you likewise the days will come when yoji will say, " I have no pleasure in them." But I hope long before they come, you will have some ^experience of pleasures which do not at all depend upon youth or health, or any thing that this world can either give or take away. Seek the Lord, and you shall live ; and you have not far to seek for him : he is very near you ; he is. all around you ; about yourbed by night, and your path by day. He sees, he notices all you say and do- But I do not wish you tcv conceive of him so as to make the thought of him uneasy to you. Think of him according to the account the evangelists give of him when he was upon earth ; how gracious, compassionate, and kind he was. If he were upon earth now, would you not wish that I should lead you to him, that he might lay his hands upon you and bless you, as he did the children which were brought to him ? If he were here, and I could go with you and say, "Lord, bless my child likewise!'' I am sure he would not frown at you, and say, " Take her away, I will have nothing to do with her '." No, my dear child, he has promised, them that come to him he will in no wise cast out. Go to him yourself ; though you cannot see him, it is sufficient that he sees and hears you. Tell him, that you hear and believe he is a Saviour to many, and beg him to be your Saviour too. Tell him it was not your own choice, but his providence that removed you from C ■, and put you under my care, which gave

yon En opportunity of knowing more of his goodness, than yotr would otherwise have done ; and beg of him to give you his grace, that the advantages you have had may not aggravate your sins, but lead you to his salvation ; and do not let a day pass without thinking on his sufferings in Gethsemane and on Mount Go'gotha. Surely his love to poor sinners, in bleeding and dying for them, will-constrain you to love him again ; and if once you love him, then every thing will be easy, and you will account it your greatest pleasure to please him.

1 thank you for your letter. I conceive a hope from it, that you will improve in your writing. [ wish you not only to write a good hand, but a good letter ; and the whole art is to write with freedom and ease. When you take your pen in hand, pop things downjust as they come to your mind; just as you wouldspeak of them without study. Tell me something about the fowls in the yard, or the trees in the garden, or what you please; only write freely. The Lord bless you, I love you dearly, and wish you to believe me to be

Your affectionate.