Daily National Intelligencer

ORIGINAL LETTER FROM DOCTOR FRANKLIN.

The following is an original, and was sometime since published in the Port Folio. It will excite it is presumed, no ordinary degree of attention. It will be read by some with eagerness, because it is from the pen of Dr. Franklin; and in the opinion of his disciples, it is no superstition to venerate every thing from him, as a precious relic. It will be read by others, as a curious specimen of the doctor's liberality of sentiment on religious subjects.

Pet. Intel.

Philadelphia, June 6, 1753.

SIR--I received your kind letter of the 2d inst. and am glad that you increase in strength; I hope you will continue mending till you recover your former health and firmness. Let me know whether you still use the cold bath and what effect it has.

As to the kindness you mention, I wish it could have been of more service to you. But if it had, the only thanks I should desire, is that you would always be equally ready to serve any other person that may need your assistance and so let good offices go round, for mankind are all of a family. For my own part, when I am employed in serving others, I do not look upon myself as conferring favors, but as paying debts. In my travels, and since my settlement, I have received much kindness from men to whom I shall never have an opportunity of making the least direct return. And numberless mercies from God who is infinitely above being benefited by our services. The kindness from men I can therefore, only return on their fellow men, and I can only shew my gratitude for these mercies from God by a readiness to help his other children and my brethren. For I do not think that thanks and compliments, though repeated weekly, can discharge our obligations to each other and much less those to our creator You will see in this my notion of good works, that I am far from expecting as you suppose, to merit Heaven by them. By Heaven we understand a state of happiness, infinite in degree and eternal in duration : I can do nothing to deserve such reward. He that for giving a draught of water to a thirsty person should expect to be paid with a good plantation would be modest in his demands compared with those who think they deserve Heaven, for the little good they do here on earth. Even the mixed imperfect pleasures we enjoy in this world, are rather from God's goodness than our merit; how much more such happiness of Heaven. For my part I have not the vanity to think I deserve it, the folly to expect it, nor the ambition to desire it; but content myself in submitting to the will and disposal of that God who made me, who has hitherto preserved and blessed me, and in whose fatherly goodness I may well confide, that he will never make me miserable, and that even the afflictions I may at any time suffer shall tend to my benefit.

The faith you mention has doubtless its use in the world I do not desire to see it diminished nor would I endeavor to lessen it in any man. I wish it were more productive of good works than I have generally seen it--I mean real good works-works of kindness, charity, mercy and public spirit-not holiday keeping, sermon reading or hearing, performing church ceremonies, or long prayers, filled with flatteries and compliments, despised even by wise men, and much less capable of pleasing the Deity. The worship of God is a duty, the hearing and reading of sermons may be useful, but if men rest in hearing and praying, as too many do, it is as if a tree should value itself on being watered and putting forth leaves though it never produced any fruit. Your great master tho't much less of these outward appearances and professions, than many of his modern disciples. He preferred the doers of the word to the mere hearers, the son that seemingly refused to obey his father and yet performed his commands, to him that professed his readiness but neglected the work-the heretical but charitable Samaritan, to the uncharitable though orthodox priest and sanctified Levite and those who gave food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, raiment to the naked, and entertainment to the stranger, and relief to the sick, though they never heard of his name, he declares they shall in the first day be accepted, when those who cry Lord, Lord, who value themselves on their faith, though great enough to perform miracles, but have neglected good works, shall be rejected. He professed he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; which implied in his modest opinion that there were some in his time so good that they needed not to hear him even for improvement; but now a days we have scarce a little parson that does not think it the duty of every man within his reach to set under his petty administration, and that whoever omits them, offends God. I wish to such more humility, and to you health and happiness, being your friend and servant,

B. FRANKLIN.