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state of "holy matrimony"! Instead of being a subject of sport and pastime, what more serious and affecting, than to realize a connexion formed for life, which, yet, must soon, very soon be dissolved! What occasion less calculated for thoughtless mirth, than the one which fanctions this important union! I can not cordially join with you in that warm, though temperate, euloqium on wedlock which you communicated to me, as the fruit of your happy experience; and can clearly percieve the insipid boyish levity, with which I ventured to congratulate you , on that joyous event. Come and see us, my friend, with the dear partner of your bosom; and we will mutually felicitate each other in a manner, which may words may assist, but must fail, to express. My prospects, --- I cannot tell, what they are. So what is our increasing remissness in religion tending, but to its entire extirpation? I know, it has ever been fashionable among sober moralists, since the days of Cicero, to exclaim, O tempora!, O mores! But never, in my opinion, was the exclamation more proper, than at the present day. How fashionable has it become among those, whose example regulates all fashions, to treat the best institutions of our holy religion with cold neglect, if not with pointed contempt. Perhaps, my near situation to the Capital subjects me to more evidence on this head, than you personally attest, or wish ever to possess. I should rejoice, could I say, that within the precincts of my little parish, there were no examples of this nature.
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But the "Lord reigneth"; and why should we distrust his providential government.
I am happy to find, my friend, that you have contributed your aid in support both of religion and good government. Your Thanksgiving sermon I accidentally saw at Dorchester; and have read it with great satisfaction. I hope, you will not fail to transmit me one of them by the first opportunity. Dr. Tappan, in a visit to me the other day, brought your discourse for my perusal, and I assure you, spake of it in terms, which afforded me, as your friend, great pleasure. Who would not be proud of his approbation? As to the society of [ ] Illuminati; I hope, we shall have more certain information; as it has become a very interesting object of attention. People, I find, decide on its authenticity according to their wishes. Even the great Parsons has said, in my hearing, that the leading facts appear to him fully authenticated.
My good friend, tomorrow I dine at Wales's Villa. How happy should I be to meet you there! If not, I shall send on this letter with my best wishes to yourself and lady. Kiss little Adeline for me, and believe me, as ever, your affectionate friend, and brother in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, John Pierce.
Improve, I beg you, the very first opportunity in writing, and expect from me a speedy return. Your last was No 19.
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Brookline, Sep. 30th 1800.
My dear friend,
Your letters have always afforded me peculiar pleasure. But your No 21, from the consolation it breathed and the sympathy, it expressed, was more than ever acceptable. It did "good, like a medicine." It did not probe the wound, which the friendly hand of time was beginning to heal; and thus cause it to bleed afresh. Like a mollifying plaister, it allayed irritation, and produced a sweet temporary relief. Why is it, that friends do not oftener come forward in seasons of distress to bestow consolation? "A brother is born for adversity." They tell us, 'we 'are sensible; your loss is great; we heartily sympathize with 'you; but on a subject so trite we can say nothing new.' Mistaken friends! They have not learned the first lesson in the school of affliction. Ah! little do they think, that, while the bosom is swelling with anguish, it is no time to address the head with novel and dry speculations. Little do they imagine, that the most effectual sympathy, we can afford, is when "out if the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." I do not say this to complain of my freinds. Heaven be praised! I have had all the consolation, which can be derived from sympathy. My parish in particular have for these eight months quite overwhelmed me with kindness. I feel almost oppressed with my obligations to gratitude from the fear, that I shall never properly discharge them. Oh! my friend, I have had an example, you will permit me to whisper it, I have had an example in my dear departed wife, which gives me still greater grounds of despair. How can I ever attain her re-
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ligious assurance? How can I acquire that patience, which possessed her soul through every trying scene of a long and distressing illness? How can I gain that sweet composure of mind, with which she bade adieu to the world, and all, she held most dear? Often have I heard and discoursed of the power of religion in sickness and at death. Often have I been with those, who, in near view of eternity, have expressed rather a willingness to die, than any cheering unclouded hope of future felicity. But never did I hear, or was I witness of an instance of a more perfect submission to the will of Providence, than my Abigail constantly manifested, and, at the same time, of such unshaken conviction of divine acceptance. During her tedious disorder, she had 33 different watchers, most of them heads of families; and I have reason to hope, that the impression, which her conversation and example made upon their minds, will prove of lasting benefit. O! could my barren preaching but second this effect, I am persuaded, it would have the happiest tendency.
But I feel almost disheartened, when I reflect not only on my own weakness and deficiencies; but on the common obtacles, which oppose, and on the new obstacles, which threaten to oppose ministerial success. We have daily evidence, that the principles of Jacobinism are gaining strength in our land. Already do its friends realize with melancholy grounds of assurance the completion of their wishes. The Essex Junta, (I pray heaven our country may never have more designing foes,) feel assured, on the most moderate computation, that Jefferson will have as many, as 72 votes, while the highest federal candidate will have but 69. I find, also, it is the opinion
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of the best informed men, that the next house of national representatives will be decidedly Jeffersonian. The Chronicle and Telegraph are daily teeming with the most violent and groundless invectives against the clergy; and, however respectable the order, they oppose, we have the assurance of the wise man, that "a continual dropping weareth away the stones." The language, which these pretended Republicans use, clearly evinces, that if they employ their power, when they obtain it, as they do their reason, the friends and, especially, the preachers of revealed religion will have little to hope, every thing to fear. But your reply for our mutual comfort, that a wise [...]d good Being overrules all events. True, my [ ] [...]ut the existence of his cause, and the fulfilmen[ ] [...]s promises may be consistent with our n[ ] al destruction. You further reply, why dwell on such gloomy prospects, when we have long enjoyed and continue to enjoy so many invaluable blessings. We have, indeed, every reason to be grateful for divine mercies. But have we not, also, the greatest reason to dread divine judgements? Should my life be spared, I may yet have occaison to be thankful, that, in the strictest sense of the phrase, my dear wife was "taken away from the evil to come."
In hope, that our correspondence may be continued as frequently, as possible, with desiring an affectionate remembrance to your wife, and expressing my best wishes for yourself & children, I am, &c J Pierce.
