Letter from Daniel Muir Sr. to Daniel H. Muir, 1865 ? 18

[1]Town of Buffalo 18th 1865. Dear Daniel I recieved yours of the 3d that we were thinking you were long of writing but we were glad to hear you were both well in body. I should like to give you a good advice but it is god only that can by his Spirit through the attonement of Jesus Christ accompanying my pray and advice & that can make it profitable unto you, for you know by the three first chapters of Romans what man is of himself and what he may be by grace Rom 3 - Rom 1:25-52 Now your earthly fathers advice is that you take your heavenly Fathers I John 3-23. advice and Seek first the kingdom of heaven and his righteousness and all other things shall be added. I should like better to hear you saying to me that doing the will of your heavenly fathers will on earth [deleted was the] as it is done in heaven by Angles was your element exactly instead of saying to put new idias of your own into form would your element exactly. O what a difference of mans ideas when god by his spirit lets light into his mind by faith regenerating grace. My Son may god for Christs sake incline you to ask for light of him and you will understand the Scriptures when you read them. And he will change your Idias wonderfully, would you be perfictly ready to meet your god were you as quickly & unexpectedly cut off from this world by death as president Lincoln was If you do not live in Christ you cannot die Christ my Son your mother & I are daily praying for all our children meet us my children at 2 o\u27clock & pray for us also. [2]We are much revived in our little church and we are all praying for each other digly read the Isa 55. prayerfully read the Bible much we cannot be benefited by it if we do not know it. And having food & raiment let us their with be content, mind not high things but condisend to man of low estates do not seek the honour that comes of man but that which comes of god. Their is nothing in the world but vanity and vexation of Spirit and the love of money is root of all evil which some have coveted & have thereby [illegible]ced themselves through with many sorrows, Try to mix with good company as much as possible & keep out of bad thing. Keep Faith & a good conscience for Christ hath died for us leaving us a good example that we should follow his steps. Keep all his commandments give up all rash gudging evil speaking, back biting whispering and do to others as you would like them to do unto you, Trust not to anything you can do or have done for Salvation but only to what Christ hath done & to what he has promised to do in you by his Sirit in Subdincing an your corruptions keep always humbling views of yourself & seek all your goodness in Christ black with sin in yourself but white by Christ impated righteousness in him, let him work all your works in you by his Spirits power and then your works will be well for there is imperfection in our own wisdom. righteous sanctification etc but all perfection in Christs I think if you had Christ and a good farm to make your bread upon you would be supplied the best I will either have to sell my farm or let it, there is nothing doing on it now receive all our loves & write soon (all well) love to [illegible]) Daniel Muir