Monday Morning 21^st April 1861

 

My dear Henry,

                        Youth is so full of bright & happy anticipations, that it is in vain to try and turn your thoughts to the sad realities about which you are now entering on, but my duty to you is to raise a warning voice against that which I know will make you shrink back with awful dread when death lays its cold and withering grasp on your body and it is the sin of unbelief oh remember Oh remember you have a God to serve, as well as your Country, a never dying soul to save!! Life is the time to serve the Lord, the time to ensure the great reward. You have been instructed (not faithfully I fear on my side) in the truths of the Bible. now it rests with you to recept the offer of salvation through a crucified Saviour don't you truly believe that God reigns! and that Jesus Christ came into the world to die for sinners? if you truly believe this? if you do and / will accept him as your Saviour the captain of your salvation, you need not dread to face death, Hell and the grave, and I will, having that assurance, if you will give it to me in sincerity & truth, yield you up willingly & cheerfully, and feel as if I have not raised children in vain. these are awful times I fear God is about to pour out the vials of his wrath on us for our base ingratitude as a people—for he has certainly blessed us hereto fore as no other nation & all the thanks we have returned has been rebellion. no sons have ever had such a loving, kind devoted Father, as you all have had up to this time. I see and witness the agony of his mind under these trying circumstances and the effort he makes to appear calm & resigned fills me with such grief, that some days I feel ready to expire. try and comfort his lonely & desolate hours by writing to him, if you ever have / a chance—and if you see our dear John tell him our tears and prayers are daily offered up for his salvation in this world, but more especially for the world to come. farewell my son—my heart is too full for another word—May God preserve & bless you for ever & forever—

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