APPENDIX, No. VI.

LETTERS FROM MRS. RAMSAY.*

"ON Sundays I always think of you more earnestly than on other days. All that regards you regards me; but what regards your religious concerns, deeply interests me. I hope my dear child, in the midst of business or pleasure, never forgets that she is born for eternity. Never omit praying to God; and if you would live safely or happily, never content yourself with the devotions of the morning or evening; but often, in the course of the day, send up the prayer of the heart to God. This may be done in company, in business, in the midst of innocent pleasure; and is a delightful exercise of the heart, and a great guard on the conduct. Oh,

* As Mrs. Ramsay did not keep copies of her letters, a selection could only be made from the originals in her domestic circle. Others, who are in possession of her letters, will confer a favour by furnishing the editor with copies. The following effusions of the heart are extracted from extemporaneous letters written by her to her daughters, when only absent for a few days, on short excursions to the country, in the vicinity of Charleston, and are without date or address. The subsequent letters being dated and addressed, speak for themselves. EDITOR.

how happy should I be, to have you, my darling child, thus to live in the fear of the Lord all the day long."

"I suppose you will keep church at home, as it does not look weather fit for travelling. I always think of you with more than common tenderness on Sundays. I think the serious observation of the Sabbath, is not enough attended to, even among professing families; but, in other cases, it is often a day of the greatest folly, because a day of the greatest leisure. In proportion as a respect for that day, and its institutions, are neglected or carelessly attended to, in the same proportion will the religious principle decline, and the practical concerns of eternity be carelessly managed. As a parent, then, full of anxiety for my children, in every respect, but most of all for their eternal interests, I cannot but regret every Sunday, which I think they spend in a manner not the best calculated to promote those interests; and feel it my duty to warn you never to forget, that the Sunday is not common time, and according to existing circumstances, to do all that you prudently can, not only to observe it yourself, but to make a conscience of not being ashamed of such observance."

"God bless you, by dear child; may you all love your dear father-love me-love dear Miss Futerell-love one-another. While the social affections thus fill your hearts, you will never

be very bad children; but the moment you perceive yourself deficient in these sacred feelings, dread the encroachments of vice, in some form or other; make a solemn pause, and ask yourself, What am I about ?-Where is my conduct tending and pray to God to guide your feet into the right way, by keeping your heart from evil.”

"As the eldest, I write to you, to intreat you to remember the laws of hospitality, and be kind to Mr. Montgomery ;* to remember the laws of gratitude, and be assistant to your very dear and valuable friend, Miss Futerell. A great deal, my child, depends on your good example: on the observation which the younger children make, whether you curb your temper, whether you begin wisely to observe those laws of self-denial which will make you happy to yourself and pleasant to those about you. I persuade myself I shall hear good accounts of you. If I do of you, I shall of all the rest."

"I beg you never to make any excuse for writing badly to me, because the time spent in writing the excuse, would have enabled you to do better. Besides, errors excepted, you really write a pretty letter, and I delight to hear from you."

"Mrs. P. has joined the church to-day, and I

* A sick young gentleman, who came to Charleston for his health, but died at Baltimore, on his return home. EDITOR.

believe another sister of Mrs. P. Happy those, who, in affliction, look to the Lord to be their comforter, and do not slight his chastisements, by renewing their pursuits after happiness in a world where it can never be found; but so far as we improve it, as a state of preparation for a better state of existence, and then its prosperities will not delude us, and its very tribulations shall give us a cause for rejoicing.'

"I have felt more about P. and E. to-day than the rest of you. Such Sabbaths as they now are passing, would, without great care, soon tend to weaken in their minds the obligation to keep the Sabbath-day holy. Such Sabbaths as you are passing, would impress on your minds the necessity, when we are distant from places of public worship, for calling our families together, and beseeching God, by his presence, to make our houses sanctuaries for his service."

I

"I felt it very solitary in church on Sunday without you. But we had excellent sermons. did not go out any where; and not having my morning bible readers, my noon-day catechumens, or my evening hymnists, I had more than usual leisure to read and pray for myself, which includes every one with you; and I tried to make a good use of it.”

"I am very much mortified at being deprived of the horse when I most want him. But what

wise person ever frets, and what fool ever mended any thing by so doing? I shall comfort myself by saying, "If I do not go out, I shall do the more work at home.'

"Mrs. H. is dead. These breaches in our congregations are felt by those, who know the value of religious characters; and make them earnestly pray, that others, from among our young people, may be raised up in their place, to keep up the honour and credit of religion in the world, and to set an example to those who shall come after them."

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"Poor Mrs. S. is very much burnt; poor little S. scorched but you will be shocked when you come to learn the particulars, and know how near they were perishing. What a lesson, never to sleep without committing our souls to God in Christ for we can never know in which world we shall awake!"

"I dont know whether you have read Robertson's America. In this doubt, I have sent to the library for Anquetil, or the first volume of Rollin, an author who, although prolix, and in some degree credulous, ought by all means to be read. I could wish you, before you proceed much farther in history, to read Priestley's Lectures on that subject, which I think you will find very useful. Bear always in mind, that he is a Socinian; for his principles tincture every thing he