[draft] Philadelphia Nov r 14 1794 My dear Sir It is with great grief that Mr Knox and myself learn the death of your dear child_ Having been repeatedly called upon [inserted: to sustain] this truly severe trial, our feelings for the affliction of you, and Mr Hammond, are the sympathies of experience, as well as of friendship. Yes, we know too well the Agony of Soul Such aloss excites, not to participate in your sorrow. [inserted: But] Such blows while they shake our hold of the world, do not usually affist our piety. We See aged persons by the order of nature pass away, but we see no reason why the young existence should be terminated before it scarcely be realized - The more we resolve or ponder on such events the more deeply are we plunged into a chaos of perplexity, out of which; we can never emerge but by adopting and carrying into [illegible] some such ideas as the following [2] That we are involved ina System of wonders. Connected in the great chain of nature by links, if which our perceptions are not sufficiently accute [inserted: to take] either a retrospective or a prospective [inserted: view] of any other link than our own our present existence. That the complicated Machinery of all nature, animate, and inanimate, is one organized and beautiful whole, arranged an operating harmoniously by invisible principles established by the Supreme Head of the Universe. That our duty is to adore and acquiesce in events, which we can nether prevent nor control. Our opposition is of no avail It is the opposition of an atom to the movements of a planet_ We may inquire and destroy ourselves by the conflict; but our sorrowing will over recall the dear departed object.