Yours, etc."
Writing to her brother Dr. Marshall, she alludes to the prevalent neglect of the voice of God in his judgments, and notices the death of Washington.
"NEW YORK, March 3, 1800.
"Here comes a letter of woe from my dear brother, on a subject almost already forgotten in New York, the yellow-fever. Strange as it may seem, the disease, and all that it carried off, seem entirely out of mind. No mention made of the past, no apprehensions for the future. Country retreats are multiplying around, and people appear as if they had made a covenant with death. Potter's Field is filled with our principal citizens; the prison and prison limits with many of the survivors. The rest are feasting, dancing, and revelling, or weeping over feigned woe in the theatre — a few excepted, who have fled for refuge to the hope set before them, whose eyes have been opened to discern the danger and accept the offered Saviour: among which number, I dare, through grace, reckon your sister and her children. 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.'
"The city, indeed the United States, have been
swallowed up in the loss of Washington. The utmost stretch of human eloquence has been called forth in panegyric. His eulogium has been sounded in every possible mode — not excepting our pulpits. The 22d of February, his birthday, was set apart to his memory. Two of our ministers were appointed to pronounce an eulogium on his character: one of whom was Dr. Mason, the other Dr. Linn. The last I admired; it had its due influence over me; but of my own minister I could form no judgment: the church, the pulpit, the man, the words, seemed so connected with the 'Lord Jesus Christ,' his favorite theme, I could not realize the mere orator.
"Great things were said of Washington, and they were due.
"The Lord himself called him by name, girded him, subdued great armies before him, with handfuls, like Gideon. He gave him wisdom in counsel, and prudence in executing justice. A nation blessed him while he lived, and with all the power of language lamented his death. Ah, human depravity, how striking. Bursting with gratitude to a creature — with enmity to a Saviour God; to God, who 'so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life; and to as many as receive him gives power to become the sons of God,' by putting his Spirit within them, and causing them to love and walk in his statutes. But alas, the carnal unrenewed mind is enmity against God and his Christ. O that men were wise, and could see their disease, and the remedy.
"What misery is in the world at this day. It is only equalled by the wickedness. How does potsherd
dash against potsherd, mutually destroying each other. How consoling to the Christian 'that the Lord reigns. The Lord sits King among the nations,' even our own Jesus, 'Head over all principalities and powers, and dominions, and every name that is named in heaven and in earth;' all these shakings, turnings, and overturnings, shall prove subservient to the real prosperity of his church."