which are not small, and which then he will not fail to grant us in the measure which he sees will be best for us. If we continue submitting ourselves to him, and looking and praying to him, he will in his own time, bring light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, and in his own way make the light afflictions of this life, which are but for a season, work for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory. Considering these things, and remembering that we are strangers and sojourners on earth, whose time of continuance here is short and most uncertain, let us moderate our grief for the loss which we feel from the removal of those who were so valuable and dear to us; and let it be our principal concern, to be followers of our departed christian friends, and of all others, who through faith and patience are gone to inherit the promises; so that with them we may, in due season, meet in that better world, where pious friends, shall, without any fear of a separa tion, dwell together for ever with their Lord; and mortality, with all its evils, shall be swallowed up in everlasting life and joy.

I desire to be thankful, my dear sister, for the supports and consolations, which you, and my dear wife, and I trust, others of the family, have experienced under this heavy and distressing trial. And we shall, I persuade myself, continue mutually to remember our obligations to pray for each other, that as we are partakers of the same afflictions, we may also be partakers of all seasonable and needful support and comfort, and find, that, as our day is, so is our strength; and that the grace of our Redeemer may be found sufficient for us, to enable us to do and suffer the will of God, with a truly christian temper, to his praise, to the benefit of

others, and to the furtherance of our own salvation! May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, who comforteth his people in all their tribulations, be the widow's God, and the Father of all her fatherless children, and make his consolations abound to all of us, as our sorrows abound in this vale of tears. And as we shall successively be called hence, may we, by his grace, be prepared for the time of our departure, so that when we are dismissed from the body, we may be admitted to dwell for ever in the presence of our Lord; receive the crown of righteousness, and enjoy that eternal life which he has promised to all his humble faithful followers.

That God may be with you, and bless you, and all the dear afflicted family, is the sincere prayer of your affectionate, sympathizing friend and brother,

MY DEAR FRIEND,

ISAAC S. KEITH.

TÓ REV. DR. G.

CHARLESTON, MARCH 1794.

YOUR very valuable packet, by Capt. G. was received on the third of this month: together with a letter, by the same conveyance, from our dear sister S. In what temper of mind these truly accepta ble favours found us, and how they affected us, Solomon has described much better than I could, when he says, "Hope deferred, maketh the heart sick but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." Nearly three months had passed, since the date of our last in

telligence from our friends in Philadelphia. During a great proportion of that time, we had been looking out, I fear with some measure of anxiety and impatience, for fresh information; and not without the painful apprehension, from the tenor of our last accounts, that the next might be in some respect or other, again afflictive. What thanks do we owe to our good God, who has so kindly disappointed our fears, and exceeded our hopes, in permitting us once more to hear good tidings, of the health and welfare of yourself and family, and of the remaining members of our own poor family, who had escaped alive from the jaws of the devouring grave, which has swallowed up so many of our best and dearest friends, among the multitudes of your mourning city, whom death has carried away with the desolating violence of a wide spreading flood! After all the messages of pain and sorrow, which for many months past we have been accustomed to receive and expect from poor Philadel phia, to hear that God had stayed his hand in the way of judgement, and seemed to have returned in the exercise of mercy, to our surviving friends and connexions, was welcome news indeed, and a most desirable cordial to our hearts. Blessed be the Lord, and with new and everlasting thanksgivings and praises, be his name exalted, who is merciful and gracious, and will not always chide, nor keep his anger for ever; bút though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies, and make his suffering servants glad, according to the days wherein he has afflicted them!

Concerning the sermon ;* perhaps Mrs. K. and myself, are too deeply and tenderly interested, in the sol

The funeral sermon on the death of Dr. Sproat.

emn and affecting occasion of it, to form an impartial judgement of the merit of the performance. To us it appears to be an excellent discourse, such as might be expected from the superior talents of its ingenious author, judiciously adapted to the peculiar circumstances in which it was delivered, and furnishing a just, honorable, and instructive testimony to the piety and worth of the dear departed friends, whose characters it particularly displays; and in a manner which tends to give all the glory of what they were, to the distinguishing grace of God, and persuasively to invite others to become followers of them, as they were of Christ. Your kind expressions, of the high esteem, and filial affection, which I am well assured, your heart felt for your venerable colleague, and his amiable consort, who were to us the best and dearest of parents, have served to enliven and strengthen the feelings of our friendship for you, and to increase the satisfaction, with which we were before cordially disposed to acquiesce in your claim, of being considered as a child of the family, together with ourselves. O that we might all approve ourselves, through grace, the worthy children of such worthy christian parents! And that you and myself, as well as those who are their natural offspring, may be known among the people, as the heirs of their faith and virtues, so that all who see us, may acknowledge, that we are the seed which the Lord hath blessed! May you, and I in particular, my dear friend, be blessed, not only with a large and increasing portion of the christian spirit, which formed the temper and conversation of both those excellent one's of the earth, those precious servants of the Lord, who walked so exemplarily in all the commandments and ordinances of the

Lord, who were so lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death, were scarcely divided but also of the ministerial gifts and graces, with which our dear father was so richly furnished, and so honorably distinguished, as a faithful, tender, and useful pastor! When such labourers are removed from their work, to their reward; we who are left in the vineyard, should be awakened to double our diligence, that we may, as far as possible, supply the want of their services and to this we should be animated by the thought, that if, like them, we are found faithful unto death, we shall, like them, in due time, be relieved from the burden and heat of the day, which it is yet our lot to sustain, and be graciously ordered home, to rest with them from our labours, and receive the promised crown of everlasting life.

What a mournful scene, what a gloomy change, did your poor city exhibit, in consequence of that awful dispensation of a righteous Providence, with which it was visited! In what solemn language did that visitation say, "Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he has made in the earth!" With what a loud voice did it speak, not only to those who were suffering under it, but to all to whom the tidings of it were published! "Hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly, lest some worse thing come upon you !" And how much is it to be lamented, that such a correction is likely to produce no better, or more lasting effects, even in your city, which was brought so low under the chastising hand of God! And that other cities and parts of our country, partakers with you in the same sins, have, in general, already wholly forgotten, if they ever manifested any disposition to consid