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had or could bestow—it was his support under suffering hu¬ 
manity, and had taken from him all fear of death.” 
“ His natural benevolence was also greatly increased, 
being much engaged in devising liberal plans to succor and 
remove the sorrows of poverty and affliction, and while the 
tear of gratitude bedewed the cheek of the widow and or¬ 
phan, their silent benediction ascended to heaven for their 
benefactor, a for to do good and to communicate he forgot 
not” 
i6 While speech remained he continued to use it for the 
Christian benefit of those around him, particularly for his 
near relatives, to whom nature had united him by the dear¬ 
est cords of love : these ties were now soon to be broken, 
and as his last and best legacy he besought them, to seek 
religion, through redeeming love, as a source of happiness 
here, and a foretaste of their better portion in the life to 
come.” 
u These were his religious sentiments, and these like the 
top-stone of a building, will add a grace and a glory to this 
highly finished character of Christian, friend and patriot.” 
Thus we behold in Robert R. Livingston, the three high, 
characters of statesman, a promoter of agriculture and the 
arts, and the Christian. As a statesman, he obtained all that 
a statesman can reasonably expect, a present high and hon¬ 
orable fame. As a promoter of agriculture and the arts, he 
ardently anticipated the gratitude and the affectionate re¬ 
membrance of posterity s as a Christian, he died in hope of 
eternal bliss. And from the whole we may learn, that if 
our only wish is after the mushroom popularity of a day, 
then politics should be our whole business : If we expect 
the blessings of succeeding ages, let us be useful to our fel¬ 
low creatures in all honorable and useful pursuits; and if 
eternal happiness be our aim, then let us bestow our chief 
attention to the duties of religion* 
