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A PICTURE OF INGRATITUDE,

AN ALLEGORY.

A

CERTAIN great perfon was of fo noble and generous

a difpofition, that he delighted to communicate happinefs to all around him; among those whom his bounty raised, we will diftinguish one by the name of Orlando. This man he took from a condition low as the mire in the ftreets, clothed him and fed him, placed him in a convenient habitation, and beftowed on him an ample provifion to fupport life with comfort and fatisfaction; and as he lived in a country where assaults and many accidents were frequent, this kind benefactor used often to fend a party of his own fervants (for he kept a vast number in his retinue) to guard him, particularly when he went on any dangerous expedition. When he was fick, or in any affliction, he never failed to vifit him, to administer relief and comfort to him; there was not a day, in fhort, in which he did not confer upon him fome new obligation, and as if all this was too little, he faithfully promifed him that if he did not make an ill ufe of the favours he had already received, he would, after trying him a while in his prefent circumftances, bestow on him a much greater eftate, fituated in a moft delightful country, where he should live in an elegance and fplendor he had then no conception of: and in return for all thefe mighty obligations, his patron only expected that he fhould pay him frequent vifits, fometimes in publick, along with other company, who attended his levee, but more frequently in private; that he should behave himself in a sober orderly manner, neither hurting himself by being guilty of any exceffes, nor fetting an ill example to others. He also made him fteward of fome fmall part of his revenue, which he ordered him to diftribute according to his own difcretion among a set of his lower dependents, and affured him that if he discharged this office with diligence and humanity, he should look on it as a favour done to himself.

And now would one think it poffible that Orlando fhould in a little time grow negligent and forgetful of this noble friend? That when he was abfent from him he should engross but little of his thoughts, and ftill lefs of his conversation; that if by chance he was led to talk of him he fhould prefently fly off from the fubje&t, as if he was afhamed to mention the

perfon

perfon to whom he owed his all. Nay, could one believe that he would even liften with a patient ear while others spoke difrefpectfully of him, and found fault with his acts of bounty, because they were not diftributed exactly in that manner which they thought beft? He vifited him fometimes it is true, but his vifits were fhort and not frequent, and his behaviour fuch as plainly fhewed that he went because it was expected from him or out of cuflom, more than from any real veneration or love to his benefactor. If he afked a favour either for himself or any one elfe, he did it with fuch a careless air as if he did not much trouble his head whether it was granted or not; fometimes he would make profeffions of gratitude, but with fo much coolnefs and indifference as fhowed he was very little fenfible of the obligation he had received. All who attended on publick days were expected to behave with great decorum and gravity, for on those occafions the leaft degree of levity was looked upon as a breach of refpect to their patron; but Orlando was fo far from obferving these rules, that he used frequently to be talking and laughing with fome of the company, and even in the middle of an addrefs to his friend he would break off to take notice of fomebody's new fuit of clothes, or any other fuch trifle that happened to catch his eye. But there was one part of his behaviour more unpardonable than any of the reft, which was his neglect of thofe perfons whom his generous benefactor had entrusted to his care, he feldom visited them, never troubled his head to enquire into their wants, nay, would hardly grant them a fmall favour when they folicited him.

After going on for fome time in this manner, if either the admonitions of a friend, or the consciousness of his own mind, awakened him to a fenfe of his ingratitude, he would then vouchsafe to make fome acknowledgments, and to afk his patron's pardon in a fupplicating manner; when this inimitable friend, not to be tired out with any provocations, would receive him with open arms, and affure him that if he would be more careful to please him for the future, all that was paffed fhould be buried in oblivion; but that if he perfifted to abufe his kindnefs, he would (if he did not withdraw his prefent bounty) yet certainly difinherit him of the noble eftate he had in reverfion, which was not to be given him till he had undergone a fevere operation, which had fo much of fancied terror in it as made him very willing to keep what he then enjoyed, without looking out for any thing better; but this was not permitted him, for at the expiration

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of a certain term of years, he was either to be put in poffeffion of the promifed inheritance, or elfe to be punished for not having deferved it.

Again and again he offended, and yet fuch was the forgiving goodness of his benefactor that upon his humbling himfelf he as often received him to favour, til at last he sent his grim meffenger to acquaint him that the appointed hour was come, the leafe of his houfe was expired, and he muft prepare to enter a new habitation; though at firft he expreffed fome reluctance, yet the fentence was immediately executed: but whether he arrived at the delightful country that was promifed, or whether he fuffered for the folly and careleffness of his paft life, is a queftion yet unrefolved; however thus much is certain, that when he was just going to make trial of fo great a change, he heartily wifhed he had made it the bufinefs of every day of his life to please his noble friend.

NARCISSA.

ON THE CROWN OF THORNS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

SIR,

MAGAZINE.

S every thing which relates to the Scriptures is of con

A fequence, I beg leave to offer you the following ob

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fervations. In reading the account of our Saviour's fufferings, it struck me that, notwithstanding what has been painted and written on the fubject, the crown of thorns" was not of that kind as to give pain. First, because in the prophetical enumeration of the Meffiah's fufferings, this is not mentioned, and again, becaufe the foldiers of themselves could have no power to inflict fo fevere a punishment as this muft neceffarily be, tho' they might be fuffered in allufion to what he had declared of himself, to endeavour to turn him into ridicule by this mock adoration. The original expreffions you will recolled are σέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθων and ἀκάνθινον ςέφανον, which if I had not seen the tranflation, a crown of thorns" I fhould have imagined to have been a crown or fillet of the acanthus, which

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E

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from its adorning or crowning the chapiters of pillars, would naturally occur to the Roman foldiers.*

The foldiers are reprefented as whitales, weaving or platting this crown, which if the materials had contained very ftrong and fharp thorns could hardly have been effected. When this was done, imena, they placed it upon his head, which expreffion could hardly imply that kind of force, which if it had been in reality a crown of thorns would have been neceffary, in order to have lacerated the membranes.

If you think these obfervations, though trifling, of fufficient confequence to occupy a corner in your excellent magazine, you will very much oblige

Jan. 14, 1808.

Your obedient Servant,

THE CURATE OF IR-TER.

The translation proposed by our correspondent is not new, but we think the original will hardly bear it, for if a crown of acanthus be meant, the original would assuredly have been olɛpavov ακανθώ and not ακανθών. However the subject is curious and not trifling, and we shall be glad to receive further communications thereon. ED.

METHODISM IN AMERICA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

MAGAZINE.

SIR,

Bca

Y way of supplement to the state of religion in America, given in your number for June 1807, page 464, the following extract of a journal kept in Maryland, during a tour in that country in 1805, may be acceptable to many your readers.

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"I have been," says the journalist "to the Methodist chapel in Reifler's town in the morning; to a feminary where a Mr. Armstrong preached in the afternoon, and again to the chapel in Reifter's town at night. It was a watch-night. Three or four elders exhorted in turns, and from the accom

paniment

paniment of fighs, groans, gesticulations, and ejaculations, I am at a lofs for a comparifon, to give my English friends any idea of it. No public house, or even Bedlam, can equal the noife, nonfenfe, and extravagancies I heard and faw exhibited. Ten years ago I was in the Methodist chapel at Baltimore, on a watch night, and there were two converfions; however, they had not proceeded far, before I was literally frightened away; but it was nothing to what I now saw exhibited. I thought, in the general uproar, that I heard diftin&tly the words "hark forward, hark forward!" from a ruddy old man in a night cap, probably an old foxhunting finner. A young woman foon after began to feel the fpirit of converfion, and then a young man, whom I had obferved in the fore part of the day to be in ftrange convulfions. The tunes to the hymns would suit jigs and reels, and the congregation worked themfelves into fuch a phrenzy by finging and stamping, that at laft, they literally danced, taking hold of each other's hands. The young woman, who could not have had a better opportunity of fhewing her attractions at the opera, was at laft totally exhaufted, but a little reft enabled her to rejoin the dance and fandango. Gracious God! said I to myself, do not thefe people thus qualify themselves for Bedlam? I believe this is oftener the cafe than at first fight one should be apt to think. The converfion is the most dangerous crifis to women, but that got over, they are perfectly at cafe respecting their falvation.

* These watch nights were first instituted by Mr. Wesley, at Kingswood, and were afterwards extended through the whole of his connection, being then held once a month, but since his death only once a quarter. The service is opened with singing and prayer, and then a long harangue is delivered by the senior preacher, who is followed by another and another, with alternate singing and prayer, till the feelings of the people are so excited as to break out in violent expressions of grief or joy. Amongst the general uproar, the preachers and leaders of classes are seen going from pew to pew, encouraging, exhorting, or endeavouring to calm down the confusion they have themselves occasioned. These watchnights, however, so disgraceful to the Christian character, and dangerous to the virtue of youth, are said not to be very common in the metropolis, but are frequent in Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, Macclesfield, and other large towns. Some fix upon these seasons as the era of their conversion to Methodism, and many, it is to be feared, may assign their ruin to the same midnight meetings of spiritual revelling and disorder

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