320 A DECADE OF WORK AT HOME. [1844, 



of my ambition being higli and laonorable, as well as 

 moderate. . . . 



Though I feel that I often — always — fail to do 

 my whole duty, yet I do not feel, nor believe, that a 

 perfectly consistent Christian course would expose me 

 to persecution ; nor that obloquy is a test of Christian 

 character. These are to be borne like other evils, 

 when they are incurred in the course of one's duty ; 

 but surely they are not to be sought, nor viewed as a 

 test. Under the circumstances under which we are 

 placed, would our unexpectedly meeting with obloquy 

 be any test to us that we were doing right ? Wovdd 

 it not lead us to suspect we had been at least unwise? 

 Such men as Payson or Edwards, though they may 

 often have been pitied, I suspect, were never perse- 

 cuted. But, while I think you take a one-sided view 

 and assume an unscriptural test, in your own case, I 

 thank you most sincerely for your kind admonition to 

 me, and will try to profit by it. My sheet is fairly 

 fuU. 



I need not say how delighted I should be to see you 

 here ; but you must not come till the spring has fairly 

 commenced, at least. The weather is excessively un- 

 pleasant, the roads almost impassable ; it snows every 

 three or four days, and not a speck of green is yet to 

 be seen. A month later it will be comfortable here. 

 I fear I shall not have a place to receive you before 

 autumn, as a house is yet to be built for Dr. Walker. 

 But I should still like to have a visit from you in the 

 course of the summer. 



Dr. Gray was always deeply interested in the reli- 

 gious thought of the day ; reticent in regard to his own 

 religious feelings and sensitive about any exhibition 



