5?4 Collect ions from Amcricm Literature. [Jan. 1, 



These kindnesses from men I can only ing loii^ prayers, filled with flatterirs 



return on llieir fellow-men, and I can and compUments, despised even by A^ise 



only shew my gratitude for tiiese mer- men, and nnicli less capable of pleasing 



cies from God by a readiness to help his the Deity. The worship of God is a 



other children and my brethren ; for I a duty, the hearing or reading of Ser- 



do not think that thanks and couipli- moiis may be useful ; but, if a man rests 



wents, though repeated weekly, can on hearing or praying, as too many do, 



discharge our real obligations to each it is as if a tree should value itself upon 



other, and much less to our Creator. being watered, and putting forth leaves. 



You will in this see my notion of though it never produced any fruit, 

 good works, and that I am far from Your great Master thouglit inuch 



expecting Heaven by them. By Heaven lc>s of these outward aj)pearances and 



•Kc understand a state of happiness, piolessious than many of his modern 



infinite in degree, and eternal in dura- disciples: he preferred the doers of the 



tion. I can do nothhig to deserve such word to the mere hearers ; the sou 



rewards; he that, for giving a draught of that seemingly refused to obey his 



water to a thirsty person, should expect father, and \ct performed his commands, 



to be paid with a good plantation, would to him that jirofessed his readiness ; the 



be modest in his demands, compared heritical though charitable Samaritan, 



with those who think they deserve to the uncharitable thougli sanctified 

 Heaven by the good they do on earth. 

 Hven the mixed imperfect pleasures we 

 #njoy in this world are rather from 

 God's goodness than our own merit : 

 bow much more so then the happiness 

 of Heaven. For my own part, 1 have 

 not the vanity to think I deserve it ; 

 the folly to expect, nor the ambition to 

 desire it ; but content myself in submit- 



priest ; and those wlio gave food to the 

 hungry, diink to the thirsty, raiment to 

 the naked, entertainment to the stranger, 

 and relief to the sick, though they never 

 heard of his name, he declares shall, in 

 the last day, be accepted, when those 

 who cry Lord, Lord, who value them- 

 selves on their faith, though great 

 enough to perform miracles, bu( have 

 ting myself to the will and disposal of neglected good works, shall be rejected. 

 Him that made me, who has hitherto He professed that he came not to call 

 •preserved and blessed me, and in whose the righteous, but sinners, to repentance ; 

 fatherly goodness 1 may well confide, which implied his modest opinion, that 

 that He will never make me miserable, there were some in his time so good 



and that even the ainictions I may at 

 any time sutler, shall tend to my benefit. 

 The faith you mention has, doubt- 

 less, its use in the world ; I do not de- 

 sire to see it diminished, nor would 1 

 endeavour to lessen it in any man, but 

 I wish it was more productive of good 



works : works of kindness, charity, more health and happiness, bein , 

 taercy, and public spirit; not holiday Your friend and humble servant, 



keeping, sermon reading or hearing, (Signed) Benjamin Tranklin 



performing church ceremonies, or mak- 



that they needed not hear c\en him; but 

 now a-days we have scarce a little 

 parson who does not think it the dutj of 

 every man, within his reach, to sit under 

 his petty niinistratious ; and that who- 

 soever omits them offends God. I wish 

 to such more Immilitj', and to }ou. Sir, 



COLLECTIONS FROM AMEIUCAX LITERATURE. 



EDUCATIOX OF THE DEAF AND DUMB. 



Letter frx)m Wm. Lee, esq. Consul of the 

 U. States at Bordeaux, to Dr. M it- 

 chill, of New York. 



DEAR Sir — I beg leave to enclose 

 yon a letter from Mr. Gard, profes- 

 sor at the Deaf and Dumb College in this 

 city. He is considered in this country a 

 phenomenon •,for, though deaf and dumb, 

 he is familiar with every branch of litera- 

 ture and science. He wrote the en- 

 closed himself, and brought it to me fo 

 correct, bnt I thought it best to make 

 ^0 afteration in it. ^ can assme yon he 



is considered far superior to the Abl)6 

 Sicard, who has acquired ^;o much cele- 

 brity in Europe for instructing the deaf 

 and dumb. Being but twenty-eight 

 years of age, and of excellent constitu- 

 tion, he has a large margin for imj)rove- 

 menf. and would probaldy live to see 

 his pro[)Oscd inslitulion carried to the 

 highest perfection. — I have the hcuiour, 

 &-C. Wm. Lee. 



f, Gard, of Bordeaux, to Samuel L. 

 Mitihill, of Neio York. 



Bordeaux, April 9, 1816. 

 Sir— You will, perhaps, be surprised 



at 



