What They Say About THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
Taken altogether, this book is deserving of hearty approval as a valuable contribution of material towards the proper understanding of the work of a past generation, and of the life of one who, whatever may have been his errors, developed in his life many of the characteristics of true greatness—an indomitable worker, a ready writer; a powerful preacher, whose strong practical sense, boundless energy, and earnest devotion to his work would have made him a man of mark in any department of life; and which in his chosen department, lifted him out of poverty and obscurity to a position of great influence and successful leadership, and won for him the admiration and affection of multitudes.
The publisher has done his work in creditable style. The book ought to have a large sale.—Isaac Errett.
Life and Times of Elder Benjamin Franklin.—We have just received a copy of the above work, from the office of the publisher, John Burns, St. Louis, Mo. It is a very handsome volume of 508 pages, good, plain type, on nice, white paper, and neatly bound in cloth.
We were very anxious to see the book, and rejoice that it has been published. We regard it as a valuable addition to our Christian literature, and think a copy of it should be put into every Christian library, by the side of the lives of Stone, Smith, Johnson, the two Campbells, Walter Scott, and others. These biographies of our great and good men should be read and studied by all, and especially our young preachers.—J. M. Mathes.
The work comprises a biography of Elder Franklin from his childhood—embracing his early life and surroundings, his conversion, consecration to the work of preaching; his early efforts, trials, sufferings and encouragements. There are in this portion of his life some touching and pathetic incidents concerning his wife’s struggles with poverty. His labor and growth as a preacher are recorded, his mistakes and faults are presented with fairness. His career as a writer is given, his connection with the various questions that presented themselves as matter of controversy with the denominations and among the disciples, his positions, changes and arguments are presented with fairness. Short sketches are given of many of the associates of Elder Franklin.
The style is plain, direct and very attractive. We found it difficult to lay the book aside when we had once looked into it until we finished it. Our readers will find it an interesting and instructive volume. We hope all of them will get it and read it.—D. Lipscomb.
The publisher has done his work well. There is nothing flashing nor fanciful in its make up. The man whose deeds it records was a plain, practical man. On pages 68 and 71 is a very just tribute to the humble, patient woman, the wife of Benjamin Franklin, who waits a little longer until the summons comes to call her home. The paragraph is a just and beautiful tribute from an affectionate son to a pious and devoted mother. Read it.
I hope that the book will have a very wide circulation. Let every one who can do so buy and read the Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin.—B. B. Tyler.
We are much pleased with a cursory glance at its contents. The tribute of love and affection which Joseph Franklin pays to his mother, when reciting her trials and tribulations as the wife of a poor and struggling preacher, and when recalling her devotion and self-sacrifice in the darkest days of a pioneer’s life, starts tears unbidden from our eyes, and causes us to thank God that he has given to the Church such peerless and faultless mothers.—John F. Rowe.
We have received from the publisher, John Burns, “The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin.†It is a very neat and attractive volume of 508 pages. The publisher deserves much praise for the mechanical execution of the work. It is printed on good paper, and in large type, and old persons can read it with pleasure. We will speak of it again when we shall have read it.—Dr. W. H. Hopson.
Benjamin Franklin was a great man. He was one of nature’s noblemen. He was not a favorite of fortune. The golden gods never wove a chaplet around his brow, nor emptied their treasures in his lap. He was one of the hardy sons of toil. His greatness was not the greatness of accident. He made himself great by the nobility of his life. He loved God and the truth. He never trimmed his sails to popular breezes. He was always on one side or the other of every important question, and generally on the right side. Though you might not always agree with him, you always knew where he stood. He gave no uncertain sound. He was a man for the people. His simplicity, his faith, and his devotion to the truth were simply sublime. In this lay his power.—Frank G. Allen.
There is a real charm in biography, especially when the deeds and struggles of a valuable life are recorded. Few studies are so fascinating to a thoughtful man as that of the growth of a human soul, the upbuilding of a noteworthy human life. We cannot think of a man who has made his mark in the world, without wishing to know the processes of his development; to mark the conflict of forces within, and limitations without, under the moulding power of whose interactions he became, at last, what we know him to have been. In this case it is the world-old story of struggle and conflict of a strong, earnest nature, grappling bravely with adverse surroundings, and pressing forward with indomitable energy to final victory. The world is full of instances, doubtless, which illustrate the power of man over outward circumstances; but there are few such which are more satisfactory, I think, than that of the life traced in the volume before us. From the materials now accumulating, the historian of another generation will be able to do the chief actors of the last twenty-five years the justice of impartial judgment. Since each shall be present in the grand assizes of heaven, he can the more willingly commit his reputation on earth to the care of impartial posterity.
The enterprising publisher, John Burns, deserves much credit for the handsome shape in which the book is brought out.—G. W. Longan.
It might be thought, by some who read the work, that there is too much of the “Times†and not enough of the “Life†of Benjamin Franklin; but as the author justly claims, it could not have been done otherwise and be faithful. I regard the book as a faithful portraiture, which, indeed, should be allowed by all, especially since in the statement of propositions and differences, the author gives both sides.
A good part of the life of Bro. Franklin was the life of an editor, and my pen is uneasy to say something about the manner in which he conducted religious periodicals, but I must restrain it. Editors and preachers now-a-days think theirs is a toilsome, weary lot. Dear me! Well, let them read the Life of Benjamin Franklin and become ashamed of themselves.—L. B. Wilkes. O. A. Carr.
Address all orders toJOHN BURNS, Publisher,717 Olive Street, St. Louis, Mo.
Transcriber's Notes:The cover image is in the public domain.Antiquated spellings or ancient words were not corrected.Errors in punctuation and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected unless otherwise noted.Typographical errors have been silently corrected but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered.
Transcriber's Notes:
The cover image is in the public domain.
Antiquated spellings or ancient words were not corrected.
Errors in punctuation and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected unless otherwise noted.
Typographical errors have been silently corrected but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered.