"My dear Sir," 66 Kingston, June 3d, 1777." "I wrote you a few lines this morning, by an express to the delegates of this state in Congress; but he is not to return immediately, and such is my solicitude to hear from my dear Johnny, that the bearer goes on purpose with this letter, and another to Mr. Smith, to bring me news from him. Is he yet among the living, or is he numbered with the dead?-tender and solemn questions, indeed, respecting an only son, and a favourite child! But it is the Lord, and it becomes me to submit. Pray dispatch the bearer as speedily as possible." "My dear Sir," 66 Kingston, June 11th, 1777." "With inexpressible solicitude I am waiting the return of the express I dispatched to Philadelphia, last week, to hear the fate of my dear son. I expect him to-day. O! that he may bring me favourable accounts; but the will of the Lord be done! I hope the express will bring me a line from you. I beg you will be kind enough to give me as particular a, state of his case, as your time will admit, by the first post, whether dead or alive." "I shall only add an extract of a letter I received from the Doctor, after he heard of the recovery of his son." 66 "Kingston, June 16, 1777." Accept, I entreat you, of my most cordial and affectionate gratitude, for your care of my dear son, in his late dangerous illness. I shall never forget it. And pray thank his kind landlady, and his fellow-students, most affectionately in my name, for their kindness to him. O that I had it in my power to reward them all! My God, however, I trust, will. I most a dently pray He may! Give my love to Johnny. My heart is too full to write to him, by this post; and he, perhaps, is too weak to read a letter from me. Tell him we are well!" "With great respect, I am, dear Sir," 66 your sincere friend," "Rev. Dr. Miller." "BENJAMIN RUSH." A request similar to that which is above recorded, as addressed to Doctor Rush, was also addressed to the reverend Doctor Livingston, the venerable President of Queen's College, New Brunswick, and Professor of Theology in the Reformed Dutch Church, in the United States. The letter from which the following extracts are taken, was intended as an apology for not complying with this request; and of course, was not designed for publication. But it is presumed that every reader will concur in opinion with the compiler, who was not able to reconcile it either with his judgment or his feelings, to conceal from the public eye such paragraphs as these. "With affectionate regard and tender emotions I attended to your letter. I entered fully into your meaning, and felt happy in the hope that it might be in my power, in some measure, to meet your wishes. I owe to you a compliance with every request. I owe to the memory of your venerable Colleague, to assist in rendering the history of his exemplary life acceptable and useful. And I owe to the cause of the Divine Redeemer to suggest, if possible, such reflections and observations as ought to be blended with the memoirs of a man, who served his Lord so long with diligence and success. Under the impression of all these motives, which upon reading your acceptable favour, were indulged without restraint, I immediately viewed the sub ject, with an ardent desire to recollect and arrange something which might answer your expectations. But I find myself disappointed. The most eminent characters, and perhaps the most profitable in their stations, are, for the greater part, so uniform in their course, and exhibit so few changes, that there is scarcely a prominent point to be discovered, on which the biographer can rest, or an insulated spot to which particular remarks can suitably apply." "A river which for ever flows in one direction, "and is always of the same depth, without a "cataract, cascade, or angle, is justly considered the most profitable stream, and may be eulo gized as a source of wealth in commerce; as a "treasure to a nation; but it can never employ "the detached touches of the pencil; it absolutely ❝evades all partial descriptions." "I placed my old Friend full before me, and viewed him distinctly as a Man, as a Christian, as a Divine, and as a Preacher. In every article he appeared conspicuous, amiable, and excellent; but in all of them he was for ever the same. One general encomium comprises the whole, and includes all that can be said. Few of the human family have passed through a long life so blameless and unimpeached, so undeserving of reproof, and shielded even from slander. Few of the followers of Immanuel have lived more habitually by faith, or taken up their cross and followed their Master with more cheerful and signal obedience. Among divines there may be those whose opportunities for obtaining information, whose extensive reading, and perhaps stronger powers of mind, have rendered them superior to him in science; but there are not many who have surpassed him in clear and decisive views of the doctrines of grace, or an ardent and persevering attachment to the fundamental truths of the gospel. In the pulpit there are prodigies of eloquence, men who soar above the ordinary standard; whose elocution, energy, and pleasing address, astonish and captivate their audience; but these of necessity must be few, and are not always the most powerful or successful in converting sinners, or edifying believers. Our departed Friend was never classed among celebrated orators. An impediment in pronouncing some words prevented him frequently from indulging in a full and uninterrupted flow of speech; but he was always in earnest; he believed what he spoke; and with a feeling heart, sus |