table disposition are almost all the Methodists; who, as Hudibras says, " Compound for sins they are inclin❜d to, By damning those they have no mind to." The frequency of newly-opened graves, which we saw from our windows, furnished me with opportunities for descanting on the uncertainty of life and all sublunary enjoyments; I assured them that nothing deserved attention but what related to our everlasting state, and that they might on their repentance receive in one moment the pardon of all their sins, have a foretaste of the joys of heaven, and know that their names were enrolled in the book of life. I farther protested that they had no time to lose, that they all stood on the very verge of hell, and the breaking-brink of eternal torments, with a great deal more of such edifying stuff. The youngest brother soon became a convert, and Miss Betsy was "born again” soon after. "Lo! in the twinkling of an eye, Their souls were frank'd for kingdom come." But I had a tight job to convert my friend John; he held out, and often cursed me heartily, and sang prophane songs all day long. But about four or five weeks after my re-conversion, John was also converted, and became a favourite of heaven, so that we considered ourselves as a holy community, "Who knew the seat of Paradise, HUDIBRAS. A laughable affair happened during my residence here. A captain of a ship one day brought a parrot as a present to a family, the mistress of which, being a Methodist, happened to have one of the preachers call 66 in just as the dinner was putting on the table, so that the captain and the preacher were both asked to stay. As soon as the table was covered, the preacher began a long grace, in the midst of which Poll, who had been put in a corner of a room, cried out, "D-n your eyes, tip us none of your jaw." This, with the immoderate laughter of the captain, entirely disconcerted the pious chaplain; at last he began his grace again, but he had not got to the end before Poll again interrupted him with, 'You d-d canting son of a b-h." By the above it appeared that the captain had tutored Poll on purpose to have some fun in this canting family; however, the good lady of the house made it a point of conscience to have Polly converted, but found it utterly impossible to effect that great change in the methodistical way, that is, instantaneously, as after she had scolded her six months for speaking bad words, and had actually taught her a part of the Lord's prayer, yet Poll would not entirely leave off her sea language, so that it often happened while the good lady was teaching her to pray, Poll would out with, "D-n your eyes, tumble up, you lubbers;" and even after she had preached to her several years, she would not venture to say that Poll was in a state of grace; but be that as it will, Poll obtained the name of Methodist, being called by the neighbours the Methodist Parrot. I must inform you also that the poor preacher above mentioned was but just come out of Wales, and understood English but very imperfectly, and in the course of his sermon one day he had forgot the English for the word lamb, and after hammering a good while about it, he out with-" Goddymighty's little mutton, that took away the sins of the world," which caused a good deal of diversion among the ungodly. I am, dear friend, yours. " LETTER XIV. He was a shrewd philosopher, DEAR FRIEND, HUDIBRAS. MR John Jones and myself were now greater friends than ever, so that one would on no account stir out of the house without the other. Mr Jones had the advantage of me in temporals, he could get more money than I could, but as to grace and spiritual gifts I had much the advantage of all our community, so that I was their spiritual director; and if they thought that any of their acquaintance held any opinions that were not quite sound and orthodox, such were introduced to me, in order that I might convince them of their errors. In fact, I was looked upon as an apostle, so that whatever I asserted was received as pure gospel, nor was anything undertaken without my advice. We all worked very hard, particularly Mr John Jones and I, in order to get money to purchase books, and for some months every shilling we could spare was laid out at old book-shops, stalls, &c., insomuch that in a short time we had what we called a very good library. This choice collection consisted of Polhill on Precious Faith, Polhill on the Decrees, Shepherd's Sound Believer, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Bunyan's Good News for the Vilest of Sinners, his Heavenly Footman, his Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners, his Life and Death of Mr Badman, his Holy War in the town of Mansoul, Hervey's Meditations, Hervey's Dialogues, Roger's Seven Helps to Heaven, Hall's Jacob's Ladder, Divine Breathings of a Devout Soul, Adams on the Second Epistle of Peter, Adams's Sermons on the Black Devil, the White Devil, &c. &c. Colling's Divine Cordial for the Soul, Pearse's Soul's Espousal to Christ, Erskine's Gospel Sonnets, the Death of Abel, the Faith of God's Elect, Manton on the Epistle of St James, Pamble's Works, Baxter's Shove for a Heavy-a***d Christian, his Call to the Unconverted, Mary Magdalen's Funeral Tears, Mrs Moore's Evidences for Heaven, Mead's Almost a Christian, the Sure Guide to Heaven, Brooks on Assurance, God's Revenge against Murder, Brooks's Heaven upon Earth, the Pathway to Heaven, Wilcox's Guide to Eternal Glory, Derham's Unsearchable Riches of Christ, his Exposition of Revelations, Alleine's Sure Guide to Heaven, the Sincere Convert, Watson's Heaven taken by Storm, Heaven's Vengeance, Wall's None but Christ, Aristotle's Masterpiece, Coles on God's Sovereignty, Charnock on Providence, Young's Short and Sure Guide to Salvation, Wesley's Sermons, Journals, Tracts, &c.; and others of the same description. We had indeed a few of a better sort, as Gay's Fables, Pomfret's Poems, Milton's Paradise Lost, besides Hobbes's Homer, and Walker's Epictetus, mentioned in my last letter But what we wanted in judgment in choosing our library we made up in application; so anxious were we to read a great deal, that we allowed ourselves but about three hours sleep in twenty-four, and for some months together we never were all in bed at the same time. (Sunday nights excepted.) But lest we should oversleep the time allowed, one of us sat up to work until the time appointed for the others to rise, and when all were up, my friend John and your humble servant took it by turns to read aloud to the rest, while they were at their work. "Such there are, denied by stars unkind, Should watch occasions, and attend the hours, But this mad scheme of ours had nearly been attended with very serious consequences. Óne night, it being my turn to watch, I removed to the fire-side, to read some particular passage, and the candlestick which we worked by not being convenient to move about, and there being no other at that time in the room, I set up the candle against the handle of a pewter pot, and was so extremely heavy (owing to much watchfulness) that I fell fast asleep, and had like never to have awaked again, for the candle burned down to the handle of the pot, melted it off, and then fell on the chair on which it stood; so that Mr Jones found me in the morning fast asleep, and part of the chair consumed, which alarmed us all very much, and made us more cautious. But still we continued our plan of living, so that we made a rapid progress in what we called spiritual and divine knowledge, and were soon masters of the various arguments made use of by most polemical divines, &c. And the better to guard my pupils from what I called false doctrines, I used often to engage them in various controversies, in which I sometimes took one side of the question, sometimes the other, in order to make them well versed in controversy, and acquainted with the strength of their adversaries. So that I was, by turns, a Calvinist, an Arminian, an Arian, a Socinian, a Deist, and even an Atheist. And after they |