Curiosities of Street Literature. Various

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СКАЧАТЬ and rain, he recovered the use of his faculties. It appears that the unfortunate man’s wife and friends had been assiduously watching him since August the 14th, and early on Tuesday morning, September the 25th, whilst a violent storm of wind and rain was raging, his limbs were observed to lose their rigid appearance, and his wife immediately ran to him, when, in a few moments he opened his eyes, looked around, and clasping his hands together, raised his eyes to Heaven, and exclaimed, “My God! my God; what have I done?” and immediately fell to the earth in a swoon. They raised him from the ground, and applied restoratives to him, and in a short time had the pleasure of seeing him come too, when they conveyed him home and put him to bed, and we are happy to say under the kind attention of his wife he rapidly recovered.

      The unfortunate man states that when he went off in his death-like trance he had, for the first few days a perfect knowledge of all that was passing around him, and, oh! it was impossible to describe the horrible anguish that he experienced at the thought of standing in that position for ever (he says he never expected to be relieved from his awful position), as a warning to the unrighteous wicked blasphemer; then to hear the remarks of some of his Christian friends, many of whom had tried to persuade him to alter his evil course of life, but whom he had treated with scorn, was doubly terribly horrible. He says, that after he went off in a stupor, and had lost his sense and feeling, as far as regards this earth, he thought he was carried along by some unseen power, and alighted in a dark dismal barren looking region, where the smell of brimstone was almost suffocating, and the horrible noises that surrounded him was enough to drive any person mad. He was now carried along by the same unseen power till he came to a dark narrow passage, at the end of which a sight the most horrible met his view. There was an immense abyss in the earth which the eye could not command, which was filled with an immense number of human forms, all writhing and twisting amidst the horrors of liquid fire.

      Now and then a troop of young demons could be seen putting some miserable wretch to horrible torture by tossing him about in the flames with forks, or picking the skin and toe nails from his body; the cries and shrieks of the miserable wretches were so heartrendering that he fell down in a swoon, and on coming to himself, he thought he was in a room at home, with a bible in his hand, when an angel appeared to him, and said, “What you have seen is the reward of unrighteousness and wicked blasphemers, and other sinners, and may this be a warning to you to alter your evil course.” He held a blazing torch in one hand, and a flaming torch in the other, and shook them as he departed. The unfortunate man shortly after began to return to a conscious state, and came to himself, as we have before stated.

      He has been visited by a number of religious people, and is quite an altered man. He reads his bible, and is extremely happy in the company of an elderly Divine, who reads and explains the holy book to him. He has expressed himself ready to give lectures when he has thoroughly recovered.

      It is a shocking thing when we come to contemplate on it, that a man, who was in an independant station of life, should, for the sake of gaining a few more pounds out of an acre or two of land, make use of such an impious expression. It is not as if he would give any share of the abundance to the poor and needy, but it was a selfish sordid spirit that the man possessed, prompted by the workings of the evil one; and, now we can see, that the Almighty, although invisible to the human eye can see and hear, and know our most inmost thoughts, and punishes us at a moment when we least expect it, and in a manner that we should never think of. We must not forget the punishment of Lot’s wife, mentioned in the bible, who, for disobeying the instructions of the Lord, was turned into a pillar of salt. Let us hope this will be a warning to all persons against blaspheming.

      Lines written by the unhappy Sinner since his release.

      All you that blaspheme against the Lord, O hear this tale of woe,

      While I relate the sufferings the wicked undergo;

      I live’d a life of comfort, and riches soon would gain,

      Until I blasphemed against the Lord, which has caused me misery and pain.

      It rained for weeks, and then for months, it my temper sorely tried,

      I cursed the raging elements, my Maker I defied,

      I called upon some wicked friends, and soon their aid was given,

      I wished that God might sleep six weeks, and no rain descend from Heaven!

      That instant I was petrified, and almost turned to stone!

      The angry elements roared aloud, and there I stood alone,

      My limbs became quite rigid, the blood froze round my heart,

      I struggled hard within my soul, yet I from this life must part.

      While I was in this dreadful state, three visions came to me,

      My poor mind was a wandering, far, far across the sea!

      Satan there sat on his throne—how I prayed to be forgiven,

      And there appear’d beyond my reach, the beauteous plains of Heaven!

      The Angels sang such beauteous songs, and praised the glorious sight,

      I stood above the great abyss, and there beheld a sight,

      Their wailing sounds was horrible—dreadful oaths were said and sung,

      Thousands prayed for water, to cool their parching tongues!

      Again I cast my poor eyes up, and there among the best,

      I saw all those I loved on earth lay on their Saviour’s breast;

      Something whispered in my ear—repent—it’s not too late,

      And pointing to the abyss below—such is the blasphemer’s fate.

      The vision changed to Heaven’s gate, so beautiful and bright,

      God waiting for the Judgment Day sat on his Throne of Light;

      I thought that I was there forgiven in this most beauteous land,

      And with my little family I stood at His right hand.

      I awoke with cold and trembling, the Lord had heard my prayer,

      My blood ran through every vein, with hope and poor despair,

      I fell down on my knees and prayed, as I ne’er had done before,

      I gave my word to Him above, I would never blaspheme more.

      All is done for our good, we should not rebuke His will,

      In spite of all bad weather, the heads of corn did fill;

      The harvest was most bountiful, with abundance we were blest.

      Take warning now and do not swear, God does all for the best.

      H. Disley, Printer, 57, High Street, St. Giles, London.

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