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The Philander Chase letters were written in the 18th and 19th century and therefore may contain language that we understand today as harmful or offensive. You may encounter paternalist descriptions of Native Americans, racial slurs, or sexism. For more information, see our policy page.
Description
Philander Chase consoles Mary Olivia Chase on the death of her parents.
Date
2-20-1837
Keywords
Philander Chase, Mary Olivia Chase, death
Recommended Citation
Chase, Philander, "Letter to Mary Olivia Chase" (1837). Philander Chase Letters. 1061.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/chase_letters/1061
Rights Statement
Transcript
Robinsnest 20 Feb. 1837
My dear Grand Daughter;
Any thing is “interesting,” that comes from under your hand: your honoured and dear Father my once most beloved Son now in Abraham’s bosom is represented to my fond imagination by you and every thing that concerns you.
Time so far from effacing his memory and the sweet countenance and pleasing cheerful mind he bore about him. That I seem to think of him and dream of him more and more as it rolls along. Would that you could copy his virtues, particularly his cheerfulness and sweetness of temper. But this perhaps you never can do till your heart can be embraced by the heavely grace that he enjoyed. It was the love of Jesus his Redeemer who he was ever conscious had died for him that made him so lovely in his manners. Till this was [?] abroad in his heart his temper was no better than that of any of us. Seek this and you will be like him. Copy from the same [original] of heavenly love in Christ Jesus our Lord and you will have the same features in your character as once & henceforth so conspicuously in him.
I am grieved at your loss of so able and excellent a teacher as Mrs. S. but it is matter of unfeigned consolation that you are under the guidance of a Heavenly teacher the ever Blessed Spirit of God who will not fail to bring to you remembrance when you most need it, the gospel teaching of your very spiritually [mind]ed Step Father and the sweet instructions of your dear ever dear Mother. But you must be ever mindful of one thing: that the promises of heavenly instruction and assistance are based on the very reasonably condition of your asking for them. Ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall find. Now do you fulfil this condition Dear Mary? Do you pray and that heartily and sincerely & without [?] that God’s Holy Spirit would teach you and guide you? If you do not you can never expect to be such as your Maker would have you to be. If you say you have a cold heart given to vanity and the things of this world, I answer This is nothing more than we witness in every unrenewed heart. It only shews you that the Scriptures are true in representing all men as alienated from God and in their natural hearts averse to hearing any thing or doing any thing that is for their spiritual benefit just as persons who have certain diseases in them which affect the mind they are always averse to the sight of the Physician and to all his remedies. Ask your Parents and they will tell you if you have never witnessed the sad spectacle yourself, how persons under the influence of the hydrophobia hate and flee from all things that are proposed for their care.
Thus it is with us our aversion to holy duties only proves the more clearly that we have need of the Physician who alone can heal our infirmities and rectify our dispositions and change our hearts. Being assured of this you can pray first of all that God for Christ’s sake will give you a heart to pray and all will be right. But I fear I have s’d perhaps too much on this subject-- which others treat of in your hearing in a much better way.
I am every thankful for being remembered kindly by [?] especially by your Maternal grand Parents whom I so much esteem, and love. Will you thank them in my name. I had thought that they quite forgotten so unworthy a person as myself.
Tell your dear Mother that we grieve to hear she has been so ill in her bodily health, and devoutly pray she & he may be blessed with a long continuance of her recovered spirits. Give my particular love to her and also to dear Mr. Morse your honored and much esteemed Parent. To your Aunts Misses Anne and Sarah you will present me most respectful & affectionate regards. Many English Ladies have I seen since I saw them who reminded me of of their dear persons, and whose piety I wish your loved relatives could exemplify. In short tell them tha tI think the standard of unfeigned piety in the English female character of the higher rank in society worthy of invitation. Not that I like [?] in Religion: but I would wish to see females especially looking unto Jesus and take care to imitate [him] they admire.
My dear Mary your Aunt is applying herself very sedulously to her studies to make for lost time in the acquisition of an education.