THE DISTRESSED WIDOWS. 21 who have attended on my ministry, and are now confined to their beds. One is an aged widow, who is pious, and who, I believe, will recover, to limp alongthrough life, on two crutches, to everlasting glory. She will recover, to suffer more pain, and hawk pincushions to procure some of the conveniences of life, which cannot be distributed in public Almshouses. O! it is astonishing that the heirs of heaven should be found in such circumstances; that the friends of Jesus, who are to share the felicity of heaven with him, should be made meet for glory, through extreme humiliation! The other person is a younger widow, whose hands and feet, having been frozen, are now in the state of progressive putrefaction. She sent me a message, requesting me to visit her; but it was apparently in vain. Her agony was unutterable. Her eyes were swollen, and horribly wild, as if ready to burst from their sockets. I asked if I should pray with her, and she shrieked out, "O yes! yes! yes!" but while I spake, her agony and groans must have excluded both hearing and reflection. Such an hour of human misery as this, I never before witnessed. But if such are the torments of this life, what must be the excruciating agonies of the accursed in the life everlasting? Friday, January 11th. At the moment of my entering the Hospital, this morning, D***n died. Intemperance in drinking was the cause of his premature death. About three weeks since he lost his appetite, and continued to drink for several days, until he could retain nothing on his stomach. While he was a servant in the Institution, the superintendent often warned and entreated him. He denied that excess was the cause of his 22 THE EFFECTS OF INTEMPERANCE. sickness; but when he found that he must die, he became greatly alarmed, and confessed the sin of slow and certain suicide. Since his last sickness, I have once preached in the ward where he lay, and sung the 107th psalm, third part, of Dwight's edition. The second verse was a probe which reached to his heart; but it was necessary. "The drunkard feels his vitals waste, "Yet drowns his health to please his taste; I could not serve the dead, and therefore I directed my attention to the living. Mrs. B. B. desired to see me. She is a woman of too fair a face and form for any one to possess in this licentious city, who is not, by a refined education, or by the fear of God, guarded against temptation. Such has been her conduct, that her husband has some time since refused to protect her. When I approached the unhappy woman, she began to weep aloud, and appeared to see in me the messenger of death, instead of a minister of peace. She has probably seen the ministers of Jesus at the bed of death, and in few other places. "O sir, it is too late for me now? I have rejected religion, and it's too late now!" Such were her exclamations. They induced me to state the character and faith of Mary Magdalen, and the penitent thief. "The hour of sickness is indeed a miserable time to transact the business of eternity; but while life remains, it is never too late to consider, believe, repent, and escape to the Ark of a sinner's safety." She promised to pray. Should she really pray for mercy, she will be saved. HUMAN MONSTERS. 23 The Asylum for maniacs, in this city, is an appendage to the New-York Hospital. Both Institutions are under the same honourable Governors, and the same Superintendent. Consider them both as one establishment, and one more benevolent, or better regulated, for the relief of the sick and insane, cannot be found in America. The Asylum was opened for the reception of patients on July 15th, 1808. Yesterday it became the asylum of Miss L****, who may never leave it, until she takes her silent departure to the grave. The circumstances which produced her insanity are interesting. She was born in England, and last week arrived in New-York. Her mother, with four children, of whom this young lady, of about eighteen years of age, is the eldest, came to this country in pursuit of her husband. On the passage, Miss L**** was much reduced by the sickness incident to a long voyage. In addition to this, there were in the ship's company two Comedians, who played a very censurable farce; which may terminate more tragically than they wonld wish. What were their motives I know not; but the part they acted shall be recorded to their infamy. Shortly before their arrival in this country, these "teachers of morality" by mimicry, ornamented themselves with the glory of their art, masks and touchwood; and with the disguise, or in the real character of villains, entered the female apartment in the darkness of midnight. Miss L**** was aroused from her feverish slumbers, and frightened into paroxysms, of frequent return, and long continuance. She had not recovered from these fits, when she landed in America. Then they, who sought a husband and a father, had to learn, that a few days since he embarked for England. Such was the anxiety of the eldest 24 THE FEMALE MANIAC. daughter, for herself, for her mother, and her sisters, that while the mother was gone to the theatre with the newly imported actors, and the daughter was left in a strange land, her fits returned, and a delirium supervened. She is now so frantic, as to be confined to the maniac's chair. Consolation cannot be offered; but the hearts that feel can pray that the God of mercy -would pity the lost female maniac. As for these actors, it is their trade to beguile the people of their senses, or frighten them to madness. I would ask the wise, if these mischievous lunatics ought to go at large? Could one of these comedians take Miss L****'s place, and deliver her from the strait waistcoat, it would be a mild retribution. In the Asylum are many persons not more insane than those who, during the present season, support a drunken buffoon, to the tune of FOURTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER ANNUM. Any sober countryman will pronounce this as incredible, as that a Frenchman in yonder walls should believe every dirty scroll of paper which he finds, either a bank-note, or obligation in his favour. Both cases of delirium, however, actually exist. The afternoon of this day I devoted, in part, to the instruction of two persons in Bridewell, who are under sentence of death, for the crime of murder. One is a German, of seventy-seven years, and the other a man of colour. The first had his Testament in his hands, ap-peared very devout, and while I prayed, wrung his hands, smote them together, and gave repeatedly the loud AMEN; but denied the crime of which he stood legally convicted. The man of colour was very ignorant, and a short time since did not know, that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are one God. He sat THE MURDERERS. 25 pensive on the floor, with his back against the wall, and his feet chained, directly opposite to his companion. He confessed that he was worthy of death, because he did stab a man, while he did not positively design to kill him. In this respect he acted as those do, who reject offered mercy, continue in sin, abuse the day of grace, and rivet their chains by unbelief, while they do not positively design to murder their own souls. They destroy themselves, because they are willing to continue impenitent and risk the consequences. The black man, however, appears much more like a penitent, than his wretched fellow-prisoner. Would to God that all sinners could believe that they are really condemned already! Did they know this, they would know also, that their future salvation depends upon the acceptance of pardon through the blood of Jesus Christ. Impenitent sinners are not only under condemnation, but imprisoned, or shut up to the necessity of being delivered by ONE mighty to save. They are shut up to the hope of the Gospel, and excluded from every other hope. January 13th. "Want, and incurable disease, (fell pair,) YOUNG. ABOUT one hundred persons were present while I preached in the Hospital this morning, and the door of the ward opposite to that in which I stood, was open, C |