Mr. Wesley, and those associated with him, now suffered the entire loss of Mr. Morgan, who had been the foremost in promoting their pious endeavours to do good. He left Oxford on the 5th of June, and died in Dublin on the 26th of August. That this is the true time of his death, is evident from a letter of Mr. Morgan the father, to Mr. Charles Wesley, dated September the 5th. He says, "From the intimacy which I understood to have been contracted between you and my dear son, I make no doubt but you must have some concern upon you at reading the account of his death, as I have the greatest in writing it. His distemper threw him into a fever, of which he died the 26th past, about four in the morning. This is the soonest that I could attempt writing any thing about him, since my affliction was consummated.—You see I make very free with you, but the candour and generosity which I have heard you commended for, embolden me to it; and I shall, I hope, find some opportunities to make amends, and beg you will, upon all occasions, let me know, when I can be serviceable to you in this kingdom."

As we believe the following Elegy on the Death of this pious and amiable young gentleman, published in Mr. Wesley's Journal, will be acceptable to our readers, we give it a place in this Work.

ON THE DEATH OF MR. MORGAN, OF CHRIST-CHURCH; BY THE REV. SAMUEL WESLEY.

"WE FOOLS COUNTED HIS LIFE MADNESS."

IF ought beneath them happy souls attend,
Let Morgan hear the triumph of a friend,
And hear well-pleas'd. Let Libertines so gay
With careless indolence despise the Lay;

a reign that began with preserving our religion, and ended with creating a Corporation for promoting it, among infidels, to the remoter parts of the earth. The Bishops, and Clergy, contributed liberally to it. Upon Queen Anne's accession to the Crown, she continued to them the same favour and protec tion. See Burnett's History of his own Time, vol. v. page 90, &c.

Let critic wits, and fools for laughter born
Their verdict pass with supercilious scorn;
Let jovial crowds, by wine their senses drown'd,
Stammer out censure in their frantic round;
Let yawning sluggards faint dislike display,
Who, while they trust to-morrow, lose to-day;
Let such as these the sacred strains condemn ;
For 'tis true glory to be kissed by them.

Wise in his prime, he waited not for noon,
Convinced that mortal never Iiv'd too soon.
As if foreboding then his little stay,
He bade his morning bear the heat of day.
Fix'd, while unfading glory he pursues,
No ill to hazard, and no good to lose,
No fair occasion glides unheeded by ;
Snatching the golden moments as they fly,
He by few fleeting hours ensures eternity.

Friendship's warm beams his artless breast inspire,
And tend'rest rev'rence for a much lov'd sire,
He dar'd for heav'n this flatt'ring world forego,
Ardent to teach, as diligent to know.
Unwarp'd by sensual views, or vulgar aims,
By idle riches, or by idler names.

Fearful of sin in every close disguise, Unmov'd by threat'ning or by glozing lies, Seldom indeed the wicked came so far, Forc'd by his piety to defensive war ; Whose zeal for other men's salvation shown, Beyond the reach of hell secur'd his own. Gladd'niag the poor, where'er his steps he turn'd, Where pin'd the orphan, or the widow mourn'd Where prisoners sigh'd beneath guilt's horrid stain, The worst confinement and the heaviest chain. Where death's sad shade th' uninstructed sight Veil'd with thick darkness in the land of light. Our Saviour thus fulfilled his great design, (If human we may liken to divine) Heal'd each disease that bodies frail endure, And preach'd th' unhop'd for Gospel to the poor. To means of grace the last respect he shew'd, Nor sought new paths, as wiser than his God: Their sacred strength preserv'd him from extremes Of empty outside or enthusiast dreams;

Whims of Molinos, lost in rapture's mist,

Or, Quaker, late reforming quietist.

1

He knew that works our faith must here employ,
And that 'tis heaven's great business to enjoy.
Fix'd on that heav'n he death's approaches saw,
Nor vainly murmur'd at our nature's law;
Repin'd not that his youth so soon should go,
Nor griev'd for fleeting pleasures here below.
Of sharpest anguish scorning to Complain,
He fills with mirth the intervals of pain.
Not only unappall'd but joyful sees
The dark, cold passage that must lead to peace;
Strong with immortal bloom secure to rise,
The tears for ever banish'd from his eyes.

Who now regrets his early youth would spend
The life so nobly that so soon should end?.
Who blames the stripling for performing more
Than doctors grave and prelates of threescore)
Who now esteems his fervour indiscreet,
His prayers too frequent, or his alms too great?
Who thinks, where blest he reigns beyond the sky,
His crown too radiant, or his throne too high?
Who but the fiend, who once his course withstood
And whisper'd- Stay till fifty to be good?"
Sure, if believ'd, t' obtain his hellish aim,

66

Adjourning to the time that never came.

During the course of this summer, Mr. Wesley made two journeys to Epworth. In these excursions he often went considerably out of his way, to spend a night and sometimes two or three, with a friend; most frequently with the parents or relations of some of his pupils. In the first journey, while he was standing on the garden wall at a 'friend's house, it fell flat under him: but he escaped unhurt. His second journey was in order to meet his brother Samuel, &c. at Epworth, and that the whole family might once more assemble together, before their final separation by death. This meeting must have been very affecting : as their father was grown infirm, and his son Samuel was now going to reside wholly at Tiverton, in Devon, it was not probable they would ever see each other again.—Mr. Wesley returned to Oxford on the 23d of September; and as soon as it was known there that Mr. Morgan was dead, a

report was propagated, that the rigorous fasting he had imposed on himself, by the advice of Mr. John and Charles Wesley, had hastened his death. As this report was highly prejudicial to their character, and might hinder their usefulness; and as it was probable it would reach the father, and might afflict him, and prejudice him more deeply against his son's conduct, and the persons with whom he had been connected, Mr. Wesley thought it best to write to him, and state the matter as it really was. His letter is dated the 18th of October, this year." * "The occasion (says he) of giving you this trouble, is of a very extraordinary nature. On Sunday last I was informed, as no doubt you will be ere long, that my brother and I had killed your son: that the rigorous fasting which he had imposed upon himself by our advice, had increased his illness and hastened his death. Now, though considering it in itself, it is a very small thing with me to be judged of man's judgment; yet as the being thought guilty of so mischievous an imprudence, might make me less able to do the work I came into the world for, I am obliged to clear myself of it, by observing to you, as I have done to others, that your son left off fasting about a year and a half since, and that it is not yet half a year since I began to practise it.

2.

"I must not let this opportunity slip of doing my part towards giving you a juster notion of some other particulars, relating both to him and myself, which have been industriously misrepresented to you.

"In March last he received a letter from you, which not being able to read, he desired me to read to him; several of the expressions I perfectly remember, and shall do till I too am called hence.—In one practice for which you blamed

* In all the printed copies of this letter which we have seen, the date is 1730; but in a manuscript, in Mr. Charles Wesley's hand-writing, the date is 1732; which is the true date of it, as appears from Mr. Morgan's account of his son's death. The true date may be collected from the letter itself, compared with Mr. John Wesley's Short History of Methodism, which fixes the time when they became acquainted with Mr. Clayton.

your son, I am only concerned as a friend, not as a partner.—Your own account of it was in effect this: He frequently went into poor people's houses about Holt, called their children together and instructed them in their duty to God, their neighbour, and themselves. He likewise explained to them the necessity of private as well as public prayer, and provided them with such forms as were best suited to their several capacities; and being well apprized how the success of his endeavours depended on their good will towards him, he sometimes distributed among them a little of that money which he had saved from gaming and other fashionable expences of the place.This is the first charge against him, and I will refer it to your own judgment, whether it be fitter to have a place in the catalogue of his faults or of those virtues for which he is now numbered among the sons of God.

"If all the persons concerned in that ridiculous society, whose follies you have so often heard repeated, could but give such a proof of their deserving the glorious title which was once bestowed upon them, they would be contented that their lives too should be counted madness, and their end thought to be without honour. But the truth is, their title to holiness stands upon much less stable foundations; as you will easily perceive when you know the ground of this wonderful outcry, which it seems England itself is not wide enough to contain,"

He then gives Mr. Morgan a short history of their little society, informing him what their practices were, and of their care to consult wise, learned, and pious Clergymen, in every step they had taken, in the manner described above. He subjoins," As for the names of Methodists, Supererogation-men, and so on, with which some of our neighbours are pleased to compliment us, we do not conceive ourselves to be under any obligation to regard them, much less to take them for arguments. To the law and to the testimony we appeal whereby we ought to be judged. If by these it can be proved we are in error, we will immediately and gladly retract it if not, we have not so learned Christ,