FRIENDS’

REVIEW.

4 Religions, Witerary and Miscellaneous Journal.

 

Von. XV.

PHILADELPHIA, EIGHTH MONTH 30, 1862.

No. 52.

 

EDITED BY SAMUEL RHOADS,
To whom all Communications may be addressed.

PUBLISHED WEEKLY,
At No. 109 N. Tenth street, Philadelphia.

Price, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE, Two dollars per annum, or six copies
for Ten dollars.

Postage on this paper, When paid quarterly oryearly in advance,
18 cents per annum in Pennsylvania, and 26 cents per annumio
other States.

For Friends’ Review.
NOTICES OF DAVID COOPER.
NO. XXII.

blessing upon meritorious exertions, had been
enabled to pay what was due to the creditors of
his deceased father, and to lay the foundation of an
estate for himself, wrote to D.C. a statement of his
affairs, concluding his letter with this pious
ejaculation: ‘ Lord, grant I may be equally zeal-
ous to improve the talent received from Him ;
and that I may be furnished with a sufficiency
of his grace and good spirit so to act as to be
worthy of the continuance of his blessings and
favors, which infinitely surpass all earthly enjoy-
ments, is my fervent unfeigned breathing.”

Years revolved, and with the increase of riches
the person above referred to became so unmind-
ful of the Author of all his benefits, as to live in
apparent forgetfulness of God, and was in danger
of accepting sceptical views, so as even to doubt if
not to deny the Lord who bought him. David
Cooper lamented the irreligion of one from whom
he had received substantial evidences of friend-
ship, and when, one day, on assorting his papers,
the old epistle came to his view, he perused it with
tender and painful emotion; and dwelling under
the exercise which overspread his mind, he re-
turned it to the writer with a letter from which
the following is an extract:

‘¢ Looking over my letters I met with one from
thee, the reading of which affected me much on
thy account, in consideration of the abundant
and distinguishing favors thou hast received since
that time from the Giver of every good, far, as
I conclude, beyond what, in that humble situa-

|to bitterness in the end?

me?
but if thon continue to provoke me, then will I

 

tion, thou hadst the least expectation of, or dare
have asked. What, my friend, have been thy
returns? Thou wast then very sensible from
whence blessings came, and what an earnestness
and fervor of soul is there expressed that thou
mightest be a grateful receiver; that thy anxious
care to increase heavenly treasure might be equal
to what thou felt in pursuit of earthly riches.
Has it been so ?—or, has thy love to the Giver,
and thy care to please him, decreased and grown
cold, when his multiplied favors so loudly called
for very different returns? Must not this lead
Has he not several
times spoken to thee in a very uncommon man-

_ , »}ner, with the voice of affliction, like a tender
A valued personal friend who, by the Divine.

father, saying :—‘ My son, consider from whom
all thy good flows; see how little thou canst
do for thyself; how dependent thou art upon
my will. Oughtest thou not to love and honor
Then would I continue to favor thee;

east thee off forever.’

‘What were thy reflections in those seasons ?
Didst thou find thyself prepared to give an ac-
count of thy stewardship with joy, or didst thou
not rather see that thy day’s work was far be-
hind? Oh, my friend, until our corrupt natures
are changed, we are very unfit, and therefore we
may be assured we can never inherit the king-
dom of heaven.

“ T feel an earnest desire for thy good. I have
divers times seen what hath occasioned sorrow,
and could haye shed many tears for thee, because
I assuredly knew whither it must inevitably
lead. .... J cannot show a greater strength
of affection than to desire thou mightest become
a sharer of

‘ The soul’s calm sunshine, and the heartfelt joy,

Which nothing earthly gives or can destroy :

Tis Virtue’s prize.’

“Often think of thy end, which cannot be
very distant. Suffer not the deism and inf-
delity so rampantin youreity to infect thy mind.
Follow not the multitude to do evil; but labor.
to be one of the happy few who pursue the
things that give peace, and whose treasure is in
Heaven: for thou and I are drawing near to the
tomb, and when we know this to be the case,