Here was a young man who had but about a year to serve, belonging to the Presbyterian church; he attended to the reading of his bible, and prayed thrice or oftener daily, with other spiritual exercises, such as reading the bible, meditations and singing, &c.; went to church regularly twice or thrice on Sundays, and occasionally at night during the week. His name was Richard Cole; by his example and conversation I was much edified and benefited, and took likewise to prayer thrice a day on the loft, where he used to retire to. I read the bible with more attention and profit than I had for some time before; 1 also attended church and prayer meetings regularly, and made more progress in the divine life. I now again took the sacrament once or twice, and had some refreshings from the presence of the Lord; for a while this new mode of life continued, but it gradually wore off again, and from my having been a strict observer of the Sabbath, I became a Sabbath-breaker; and for money would work all Sunday until night on the bills of the Senate, which Mr. Wyeth had engaged to print. O, that the Legislature would put a stop to having so much of their printing executed on the hallowed day of the Lord! They must certainly be aware that a great amount of work is done, and therefore, many hands employed on the Sabbath, who might, and surely ought to be more usefully engaged, even in the salvation of their immortal souls, and worshipping and honoring the Lord of the Sabbath. "They that honor me 1 will honor, but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed," says the Lord of Hosts. There was no excuse for me, as I had my free will; only being enticed, I presume, by the devil, and not sufficiently confirmed and watchful unto Godliness, 1 consented for filthy lucre's sake, but to my shame and sorrow whenever I think of it, as my bad example induced Mr. Cole also to take up his composing stick and desecrate the sanctified day of rest. O, how watchful young christians ought to be, lest the adversary gains some advantage over them, and although they may ་ repent and be forgiven afterwards, yet will cause them, at times, sorrowful moments, hours and days, all their lives. The summer following the beginning of my apprenticeship, the holy Lord laid his hand upon me and brought me to the gates of death; "whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth." I was taken by a fever and lay about four weeks; it set in with violence at the start, but not without a prospect of success to the attending physician, but towards the four weeks he thought it might cause me to sink under it and go the way of all flesh. All this while I was in a terrible state of mind; there was no peace for my poor miserable soul; Heaven seemed to be as brass, at least I could not now realize its joys and happiness through a crucified Saviour, which surpass every thing here below, and consequently I was not willing to launch forth; my soul clave to the earth and I wanted to live and enjoy the life of this world, and was, therefore, in a dreadful way. O, to be always prepared for the dissolution of the body, to make a happy exit and ascend triumphantly to the realms of glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. I made many a good resolution and vowed to live a holier life should it please the good Lord in mercy to spare me, and others also felt concerned, and held prayer meetings in the house, and sent for the minister of the church to which I belonged; he kindly attended several times and prayed for me. The blessed Lord was pleased to raise me up again at about the end of four weeks, so that I could accompany my father home 3 miles in a gig; where 1 continued in a weak state, just able to walk about the house, for nearly six weeks longer, when I felt sufficiently recovered, blessed be God, to enter on my engagement again. The scene is also described in the poem alluded to, thus: "And when this frame press'd with sickness, Sore disease and deep distress; The groan of anguish thou did'st hear, And lend'st thyself a willing ear; To defeat the grave of its prey, Did'st thy Almighty power display, That I might know thee more and more." I now enjoyed pretty good health as long as I stayed with Mr. Wyeth, which was until within six months of the end of my contract. As he had but little work to do that summer, and hands sufficient, I compromised and paid him for the unexpired term. A few weeks after I became a partner in one of the first Jackson papers in the State, printed at Reading, where I was concerned about six months, then sold my interest, and visited Philadelphia and New York, where I worked some weeks; after which 1 returned to Harrisburg, where, and at Lancaster, York and Liverpool, and in divers visits to the different cities, my time was consumed until I left for Europe in 1833. The greatest part of the time I passed at Harrisburg, where I had much success in business. Previous to this I studied medicine for about six months at Liverpool, with an eminent physician, who of ten said that I would make a good physician; but the practical part was not congenial to my feelings, and therefore I left him with a good prospect of doing well in the brokerage business, wherein I also had considerable success, and accumulated a small fortune in a few years. My sole object now was to make money-get wealthy-until I began to study the divine art of painting, in the spring of 1830. The way this precious gift or blossom was brought to bud and expand, is this: two traveling painters of a little home reputation, from Marietta, came to town and took up their lodg ings at the house where I boarded. Now I frequently before had a hankering to know how the effect was produceda desire to see a portrait taken; I was therefore, persuaded to have mine taken, and to encourage them and get them into business; the delineations were made, but the finish did not come up to nature; 1 however, paid him, thinking he might improve in time. In the meantime his partner arrived, who also found it faulty, and after a week or so persuaded me to let him try his hand, to which 1 also consented; he succeeded somewhat better. I had been exercising in my office with a lead pencil, as I had done on many former occasions. Well, seeing him one day copying from an engraving a landscape, 1 looked on awhile, then intimated that I thought I could imitate it; upon which some conversation followed in relation to drawing, &c. He requested me to show him one of my pencil sketches. I did so; it was a very correct copy of a print of Gen. Jackson. As soon as he saw it, he said 1 would make a painter, and advised me to study the art. 1 agreed with him for fifty dollars, to give me some insight in the mixing and use of colors, which he did as per his abilities, as he was merely medium in the profession. During the two weeks he remained from this time, I was chiefly in his room, and copied a few portraits that he had painted from nature, and also one from nature, a lady, which was a tolerable likeness. I now felt enraptured with this pleasing study, and purchased very expensive works treating on this accomplished art, for one of which, in two vols. 1 paid $28; another one vol. $11,50; another one vol. $6,50, &c. &c., and in the purchase of engravings I spent a considerable sum, being determined to excel in this exalted profession; particularly when the painter, Raphael-like, chooses the most sublime subjects, such as abound in the Old and New Testaments. I therefore visited Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore and Washington at different times, to examine the best pictures from the Italian Masters to be seen in this country; and also those of West, and other modern artists.Thus I imbibed new views and principles, and my genius expanded more and more. I was now better able to proceed with the vast design of Christ Preaching and Healing Discases; which began the fall following I first used paint, and was my fifteenth production; the preceding ones being only single portraits, small things. I made a tolerable finish of it and had it exhibited in Philadelphia the succeeding summer; it was favorably noticed in some of the papers, as "forcibly illustrating the passages from which it was designed; that many of the heads were finely executed, and that it indicated 2 an indubitable and high order of genius," &c. This production was burned in the Lutheran Church of Harrisburg, in October, 1838, when that building was consumed. 1 am sorry for it; it was my first production in the historic department, and had caused me a great deal of meditation and study, but not in vain; although the painting is no more, it caused my soul to be refreshed, to be nearer Christ than be. fore, while engaged on it; and it afforded me some comfort to know that others who called to see it were likewise more or less affected, particularly an old lady, who said, while tears trickled down her cheeks, that from all the sermons she ever heard, she was not made so sensible, or impressed so forcibly with the divine goodness of our blessed Redeemer, and that she often read and heard of his meritorious acts of mercy, but now she saw them. She was really deeply affected, and I hope that it was as seed sown upon good ground and brought forth perfect love to our "Beloved," whose serene, divine, and heavenly appearance she so much admired; with his acts of benevolence to the blind, the lame, the deaf, the dumb, and to the possessed of devils, in restoring them to their right mind. It was a complex and great achievement, not, however, handled and finished as I could now, had I the same design under way. I executed a small one from recollection of the same subject, with some variations for the better; less in figures, however, by fifteen or twenty. On the large one were upwards of a hundred, on this not a hundred. After this I designed another at Harrisburg, subject "the head of John the Baptist," containing six or seven figures, size of life, length below the knees, besides the head of John, which one of the executioners is handing in a charger to the damsel. 1 afterwards finished it in London, and it was exhibited in the Royal exhibition, Pall Mall. The next design was the battle of New Orleans, an enormous subject, which I arranged different from any other I ever saw; the canvass is 14 by 22 feet; figures the size of life; the painting I could finish so as to be worth consider. |