CHARACTERS. 



379 



the vanity to think I deserve it, 

 the folly to expect it, nor the am- 

 bition to desire it ; but content 

 myself in submitting to the will 

 and disposal of that God who made 

 me, who has hitherto preserved 

 and blessed me, and in whose 

 fatherly goodness I may well con- 

 fide, that he will never make me 

 miserable ; and that even the af- 

 flictions 1 may at any time suffer 

 shall tend to my benefit. 



The faith you mention has cer- 

 tainly its use in the world; I do 

 not desire to see it diminished, nor 

 would I endeavour to lessen it in 

 any man. But 1 wish it were 

 more productive of good works, 

 than I have generally seen it ; 1 

 mean real good woiks ; works of 

 kindness, charity, mercy, and pub- 

 lic spirit ; not holiday-keeping, 

 sermon-reading, or hearing; per- 

 forming church ceremonies, or 

 making long prayers, filled with 

 flatteries and compliments, de- 

 spised even by wise men, and much 

 less capable of pleasing the Deity. 

 The worship of God is a duty ; 

 the hearing and reading of sermons 

 may be useful ; but if men rest 

 in hearing and praying, as too 

 many do, it is as if a tree should 

 value itself on being watei'ed 

 and putting forth leaves, though 

 it never pro(hiced any fruit. 



Your great Master thought 

 much less of these outward ap- 

 pearances and professions, than 

 many of his modern disciples. He 

 preferred the doers of the word 

 to the mere hearers ; the son 

 that seemingly refused to obey his 

 father, and yet peifoinied liis 

 commands, to him that pro- 

 fessed his readiness hut neglect- 

 ed tlie work ; tlie heretical but 

 cliaritable .Samaritan, to the un- 



charitable though orthodox priest, 

 and sanctified Levite ; and those 

 who gave food to the hungry, 

 drink to the thirsty, raiment to 

 the naked, entertainment to the 

 stranger, and relief to the sick, 

 tliougli they never heard of his 

 name, he declares, shall in the last 

 day be accepted ; when those who 

 cry Lord ! Lord ! who value tliem- 

 selves upon their faith, though 

 great enough to perform miracles, 

 but have neglected good works, 

 sliall he rejected. He professed 

 that he came not to call the righ- 

 teous, but sinners to repentance j 

 which implied his modest opinion 

 that there were some in his time 

 who thought themselves so good 

 that they need not hear even him 

 for improvement ; but now-a-days 

 we have scarce a little parson that 

 does not think it tlie duty of evei y 

 man within his reach to sit under 

 his petty ministrations ; and that 

 whoever omits them, offends God. 

 1 wish to such more humility, and 

 to you health and happiness ; 

 being 



Your friend and servant, 



E. Franklin. 



TO THE KEV. DK. PKIE5TLEY. 



Reflections on the Conduct of Man- 

 kind to each other. — Apologue. 

 Dear Sir, Passy, June, 7, 1782. 



1 received your kind letter of 

 tlie 7th of Aprd, also one of the 

 od of May. I have always great 

 pleasure in liearing from you, in 

 learning that you are well, and 

 that yuu continue your exjjeri- 

 mcnts. I should rejoice much if 

 ] t:ould once more recover the lei- 

 sure to seai-cli with you into the 

 works of nature ; J mean tlic in- 

 aniui.'ite^ not the animate or mo- 



lal 



