صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

enced person asserted that, "it was more to him than his necessary food," and another has recommended it as pecu. liarly agreeable to the taste, "sweeter than honey or the honey comb." One circumstance I had almost forgotten, namely, that, those who have not laid aside all attention to the form of religion, if they are subject to the Sunday sickness, generally, feel somewhat chill, and listless about the hours of secret retirement, and family devotion.

From some symptoms, in the families where this disease has made its appearance, there is reason to fear that it is contagious. If I am not strangely mistaken, some chil. dren have received the infection from their parents; and I expect every week to see it more prevalent in the vicinity of a great family who are dreadfully under the power of the disorder. The symptoms of yawning are evident in some, and of lethargy in others, who are not yet so far gone as to be kept from public worship.

I was willing to hope the Sunday sickness was a new complaint, and peculiar to these parts; but, it seems, there are but few places where the malady has not reached; and weariness of the Sabbath appears to have been a raging disorder among the Jews, in the times of their commoawealth; though it is to be feared, it never was more prev. alent and contagious than at present; and, I am sorry to say, its prevalence is, not a little, owing to the late at tempts of a gentleman to prove that its effects are not to be dreaded.

In searching for the causes of these symptoms, I have met with considerable difficulty; but am now convinced, after the closest investigation, that they are generally brought on by excessive indulgence, and feeding without

*serve on the sour fruits of the flesh, and the windy diet the world. Persons, who sit for many hours together lose rooms, with vain and carnal companions, arc pearly liable to the malady; and I have observed that a lect of family and social religion on working days; a it delight in cards and other games; a frequent atten. ace upon balls, drinking clubs, and stage plays, are its common forerunners.

I am desirous that these particulars should be laid before the public, that they may serve to cá ution some persons of their danger, and that the skilful may be excited to seek out a remedy for the disease. Some have thought that the complaint is a moral rather than a natural one; it is, how. ever, argued on the other side, that the patients generally complain of a natural indisposition. What is to be done? It is high time that physicians or divines should attend to the malady. I have sometimes thought of prescribing draughts and bolusses to those who have told me that they cauld not come to church, or not come in time, or not keep awake while they were there; but when I have found them well, and active in their business, I have declined it for fear it should seem like forcing medicines. Had I been sure that worldly business or pleasure had detained them, I should have recommended the clergyman to attend to their case; but when they talk of their infirmities and indispositions, I do not know how he could address them. Perhaps it is necessary to hold a consultation of physicians and divines, that it may be determined to whom the patients belong, and whether the complaint is seated in the body or in the soul.

As the following admonition to sleepers is in some degree connected with the above paper, and I know not VOL. I.

*23

whether it has been before printed, I shall recommend it, as worthy of attention, to those whom it may concern. It was drawn up by a minister of great zeal, and I shall faith. fully transcribe the copy before me, because, though it may be rather in the rough, the style is peculiarly characteristic of the writer.

"The horrid habit of sleeping in some is the source of infinite pain to others. It damps, more than any thing else, the vivacity of a preacher. Constant sleepers are public nuisances, and deserve to be scourged out of a religious assembly, to which they are a constant disgrace. There are some, who have regularly attended a place of worship for seven years twice a day, and yet have not heard one whole sermon in all the time. These dreamers are a constant distress to their preachers, and could sober reason operate on them, they would soon be reclaimed.

"In regard to health, would any but astupid man choose such a place to sleep in? In respect of character, what can be said for him, who in his sleep makes mouths, and wry faces; and exhibits strange postures, and sometimes snores, and starts, and talks in his sleep, and renders himself ridiculous to the very children of the place? Where is his prudence, when he gives malicious persons occasion to suspect him of gluttony, drunkenness, laziness, and such like causes of sleeping in the day time? Where is his breeding? He ought to respect the company present. What an offensive rudeness to sit down and sleep before them! Above all, where is his piety and fear of God? There will come a period in the existence of this easy-drone, in which he will awake, and find the Philistines punishing the idler who was shorn in his sleep.

"Ministers have taken a number of methods to rid our assemblies of this odious practice. Some have reasoned; some have spoken louder; some have whispered; some have threatened to name the sleeper, and have actually named him; some have called fire; some have left off preaching; Dr. Young sat down and wept; Bishop Aylmer took out his testament and read Greek. Each of these awaked their audience for the time; but the destruction of the habit belongs to the sleeper himself; and if neither reason nor religion can excite him, why, he must sleep on till death and judgment awake him.”

A SERIOUS REPARTEE.

SAID Frank to his sister, "I heard t'other day,
You pious folks always believe, when you pray,
The Almighty is sure to attend to your prayer,
And grant you your wishes whatever they are.'

[ocr errors]

"No, brother, we do not;” she meekly replied,
"Some are granted in grace, some in justice denied.

If heaven had answer'd my fervent desire,

You'd have long since been snatch'd as a brand from the fire."

EPIGRAM I.

ON A RAMBLING PREACHER, WHO LAID HIS BIBLE BEHIND HIM AS SOON AS HE HAD READ HIS TEXT.

WHEN Ralph has read his text,

You'll see it if you mind him;

He shuts his Bible up,

And lays it down behind him.

No wonder, Spintext cries,
He'll do as well without it;
For when his text is read,
He'll say no more about it,

[blocks in formation]

WHEN the last solemn trumpet loud shall blow,

And wake the dead to endless bliss or wo,

Amid the bless'd, that favor'd, ransom'd throng,

Prepar'd to join the everlasting song;

When saints, like Watts, my Savior's triumph grace,

Content I'd occupy the lowest place.

And now, if e'er my feeble virtue fail,

Or when my vain ambitious thoughts prevail,

I'll view this image of the wond'rous man;
For while my muse in vain attempts to scan
His just preeminence, abas'd I feel,
And mourn the lagging efforts of my zeal;
My powers are lost, when I would fondly trace
His moral worth, rich wit, and heav'nly grace.

Unwearied he drew forth a brilliant store,
From mines of science unexplor'd before;
With skill revealing nature's hidden laws,
He trac'd effects to their Supreme First Cause;
His thoughts expansive stretch'd from pole to pole,
So nobly soar'd his elevated soul;

« السابقةمتابعة »