After long silence I take my pen in hand to address a few lines
to you. Yours of 13
th July was delivered by
Mr Lea
and ought to have
been answered sooner. I was
glad to hear that you and family were generally well. You requested me
to write shortly giving information of my
health &c. I have abundant reasons to thank the Father of Mercies for the
enjoyment of his rich and unmerited blessings amongst which are health of body
and cheerfulness of mind.– The language of
Scripture asserting that it is
appointed for man to die
2 is verified
in the occurrences of each day & in every part of the world without
limitation to place or church. This place is remarkable for its healthy
Situation But its inhabitants are doomed to share in the effect[s] of sin, and
partake of the woes common to the human family. They are neither secure from
sickness nor exempt from Death. The Flux
3 has prevailed
considerably in these parts Several of the students have had it; but only one
has been dangerous with it. He has been down about six weeks & for some
time appeared to be as it were in the arms of Death; He is now on the mend
& there seems to be hope of his recovery. In the course this past week two
negroes have been consigned to the grave; The one an
d old man The other a lad about 18 years of
age (belonged to
Mr
Clopton
)
Mr
Clopton's
boy died of the pulmonary complaint, and tho' he lingered
several months after his recovery was despaired of by others and several weeks
after he despaired
Page 2
of
his restoration to health Yet he departed this life under awful
apprehensions of his condition in the next giving no reasonable ground to hope
that he obtained reconciliation with
GOD. I conversed
with him some days previous to his decease on the subject of Death & a
future state. He appeared much alarmed confessed himself a great sinner &
said that he should be miserable if he died as he was He wept in apparent
anguish & unfeeling as I generally am I could scarcely refrain from weeping
in sympathy for his condition. For his concern seemed to
be founded on the dread of future punishment
and his tears appeared to indicate the desparation of the affrighted sinner
more than the GODly sorrow of the truly humble penitent.– How awful must
be the case of a sinner on [w]hom the wrath of
GOD abideth while
in life to be forced to enter the Gloomy vale of Death & launch into an
unknown world to
be
appear in the more immediate presence of an
angry Judge and experience the realities of eternal despair! What folly is it
to spend the days of youth & health in the pleasures of sin or the persuit
of earthly treasures to the neglect of immortality & the concerns of
Eternity. It is the approach of Death that most fully exhibits the comparative
nothingness of time & the true worthlessness of this worlds Goods. It is
there we discover (in regard to the sinner) that "all a man hath will he
give for his life".
4 Yet men prefer
the toys of the world & the pleasures of sense to the treasures of heaven
The salvation of
GOD The enjoyment
of everlasting happiness. They defer for the performance of a Death bed
repentance the great preparation for
Page 3
Eternity,
which should be the work of a whole life [time] and for which exclusively life
is allowed to them—
In regard to
my course after
leaving College I have not fully determined the manner in which to proceed. It
is probable you have calculated on my attempting to preach the Gospel &
could my prospect for usefulness in the ministry appear reasonably good it is
presumable that you would have no objections to my engaging in that most
exaulted & responsible calling. It is my greatest earthly desire to preach
& I believe my feelings on the subject are such as to justify me in saying
"woe is me if I preach not the Gospel".
5 My views
until late were to engage in teaching school in some place which would admit of
my preparin[g for] the study of D[iv]inity & preaching as a loca[t]ed
min[ister.] But I am now strongly impressed to become a Missionary to bear the
tidings of Salvation to the destitute parts of this country or to some heathen
land. If these impressions prevail & I enter on such a resolution I will
immedi
ately put myself under the care &
direction of of the Missionary Society after graduating—I expect to go
home in the next vacation & if so shall wish you to send for me; but I
will write some time before that & let you
know whither to send & when Present
my love
to
Mother & Brothers & my respects to all enquiring
friends