Cijeap iReposttoti?. 
 
 •j | J t .JL i i 1 - 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE HISTORY OF 
 
 XOM WATSON, 
 
 THE UNNATURAL SON ; 
 
 BEING A WARNING TO ALL CHILDREN 
 
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I 
 
THE 
 
 THUNDERSTORM, &c. 
 
 IN the parish of Stokes-Newton, lived Mrs 
 Watson. In the course of fifteen months she 
 lost a husband and two children; one son, how- 
 cv«r, wis spared to her prayers, who, she fondly 
 hoped, would prove the comfort of her declining 
 years, Mrs. Watson, through various misfor- 
 toces, was reduced to very narrow circumstances, 
 yet she was never heard to complain ; she turned 
 all her thoughts to bring up her child in the fear 
 and favour of God. But being of a tender spirit, 
 she often wanted power to chastise her son as se- 
 verely as his faults demanded; for Tom was a 
 J 7 a sulle n and stubborn nature, and had the 
 whirl! c ? ncealin S th ese vices from his mother, 
 
 neioolf ^ r ° Ved Ver y troublesome to hU 
 wherka i • Was about twelve years old * 
 
 a sma n r atlon of Jj is mother's died, and left her 
 
 to Wdsnn Stat p , a ICga °y t0 Tom ' Wh ° WaS 
 
 whenhe V5i t0 fit him ° Ut Ul business > 
 
 «t not tho I , be ! f pr °P er a S e - Mrs - W atson 
 we least pride of heart, as many people 
 
~~( 4 ) 
 
 are apt to do, who unexpectedly acquire,:, 
 felt great thankfulness, since she S&^i 
 abled to assist many of her poor neichU ^* 
 wants she had often seen with an 11 
 When she had it not in her power to re K S 
 But Tom's vanity was highly gratified t t 
 casion ; and he hoped his mother would taS] 
 house in another part of the country, and ii^ 
 
 /< Why, Tom/' said this g od woman, «dJ 
 Wish I should ouit my 'humble dwelling since 
 is clean, comfortable., and convenient? I amj 
 ashamed my neighbours should recollect til 
 have known great distresses, since there is B 
 shame m poverty, provided our own extravaai 
 does not bring it upon us." Mrs, Watson n 
 now desirous to give her son the best e'ducal 
 in her power ; but Tom had been so long used! 
 indulgence at home, that he hated his school; 
 and as his mother could "have no influence over 
 him, it was not likely that his master should; | 
 flier reason nor correction could soften Tom's si 
 "ky temper. Fie had made an acquaintance wli 
 wicked unprincipled boy, who was articled to ai 
 attorney. 'Tom now resolved on studying the to : 
 likewise: this unwise" determination ofTohjl 
 a great affliction to his mother, who, in spite of 
 her fondness for him, had sulficient judgment to 
 lkno-.v, that iK:i<her ivs education or his understat- 
 ing fijted hi hi for such a profession ; but the more 
 Tom saw his' present scheme was displeasing to his 
 rnShc\; ; the more it made him resolve to. p^j 
 in ox:-Mtion. Mrs. Watson finding she could not 
 co*r ^u) her son's inclinations, now thought it m 
 diuy, however, to give him the best advice B» 
 
! is) . . .\ 
 
 er- nnd wfien he came to take leave of her, on 
 |i3 going to settle with his master, she spoke to hfift 
 
 as follows: < 
 « My dear child, you are now gomg to enter up- " 
 
 on a world therein much ev 1 abounds : let me beg 
 you often to reflect- upon your alrectonate mother's 
 advice. In every situation, my son, you will find 
 yourself beset with strong and powerful tempta- 
 tions, which you can only resist by daily prayer to 
 God for his grace to strengthen you, for of yourself 
 yoil can do nothing. Let me warn you to make 
 no friends with a bad man, s'nre " evil communi- 
 cation corrupt good manners." Render evil for 
 evilto no man. Make it your constant endeavour 
 to fear God and keep his commandments; then 
 ftld evil reports go forth against you, it will be 
 your support that you have done nothing to de- 
 serve them, Be ever faithful to your employers, 
 ^ long as their commands are lawful; and ever 
 form mind that you have also a Master in hea~ 
 Be ever watchful that the pleasures of the 
 
 f%shall- bear the reflection of the morning 
 at you may chearfully enter on the business 
 
 ^ or the sting of guilt in voir heart. - 
 
 Won°J aS !t° rt time a PPeared to pay atteftttai 
 1 H o mother's advice; but by fail.ng into bad 
 
 every Z } ° U ™ beCame fointer ™d Winter 
 ^torli, i q l Ulte dr6 PP ed hi * tmmi of 
 fends, whidV 01 ^ i-* 8 had m !;0ok * P ut in( ° Nte 
 | dt there wa i reasoned him out of the belief 
 to Punish r ei r a heave r" to regard, or a hell 
 ' ' greedily swallowed these pcrni- 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 clous doctrines, and at once gave himstlf up 
 his own heart's lusts." 
 
 Although the study of the law had been Tom's 
 own choice, he at length hated the profession, as be 
 would have done any other which would have re- 
 quired his attention. His master treated him with 
 great kindness, out of respect for his excellent mo- 
 ther, but Tom had no gratitude in his nature, He 
 who fears not God, is not likely to be dutiful to his 
 master. 
 
 It happened once, upon the fair-day, 'that someof 
 Tom's young friends resolved to run a couple cf 
 ponies against each other. This much-talkeW 
 race proved, as usual an interruption to all tie 
 business which was going on in the neighbourhood; 
 to this race ran fathers of families, and mote 
 with babies in their arms, although they were ce^ 
 tain of returning home supperless to bed at if"/ 
 from having spent the day in idleness. 
 
 When the sport was over, the party met at a 
 public house to sup, and talk over the pleasures . 
 the day. Nothing but noise and confusion was 
 be heard. They eat, they drank, they swore, 
 at length, by excessive drinking, their brains s 
 ed inflamed to madness. Tom was always 
 quarrelsome when he was very drunfc, ^ 
 the lie to one of his companions, which ro 
 resentment of all the rest: a violent J 
 now arose among the parties: and sucn ■ , 
 riot ensued, that the landlord quietly^ r 
 and procured a constable, who secure ^ 
 leaders, and lodged them, for Aatn^ ^ 
 lock-up house in the town. J he , f began 
 Tom, being restored to his soter 3«» 
 
 tH 
 
I 9 ) 
 
 L»U«i4'«to of his last night's frolic, and 
 h of his tender mother's advice then returned 
 
 to his 
 were 
 
 s Collection. But Tdm'* good thoughts 
 soon interrupted by the arrival of the consta- 
 ble ino'derto conduct him and the rest of his black* 
 rod and bloody-nosed companions before the mag- 
 istrate, who bound the parties over to their future 
 ood behaviour: and released them, on their pay- 
 ing the landlord for the damage done to his house 
 and furniture, besides a fine of three guineas each 
 for the poor of the several parishes in which thejr 
 resitted ; the justice concluded he whole of the bu- 
 si; ess by saying, that trans. erring the money of 
 k offenders to the poor, was che only method he* 
 could devise to bring good out of evil. 
 
 Tom's pride was now mortified to the quick* 
 tell knowing he could not command a shilling 
 without rtiaking application to his mother; with 
 peat difficulty she advanced the money, with 
 the sad comfort that the poor were to receive 
 the benefit of her son s frolic, and he only the 
 shame. 
 
 , Horn's outward shew of penitence, for some 
 to^i fairly took in his acquaintance; but Mrs. 
 Watson knew her son's character too well to be 
 Reived by appearances; she moiirned inwardly 
 prayed fervently 
 
 ♦;hen Tom's clerkship wasexpiitd, he set up 
 undeT- ^ himself ' but fie had profited so little 
 fli fat i latC ma9ter ' s instructions, and his pro- 
 pl| f h eha ^cter was so well known, that few peo- 
 
 Hich t0 trust their alFairs in his hand *> b y 
 
 whose c^ im he rarel y 6 ot a chent, except one 
 the Waa t0 ° bad for an attorney, who had 
 
 Ration, to take in hand, Although 
 
Tom's 'business came i'n very slowly, yethe 
 Used every sort of low dirty cr.una^Sn.^to obtaif/v 
 but he gained little, though he spent largely, taji 
 
 length his debts became so /numerous, that he wa 
 i threatened with -an-an est. This made him resolve 
 to try a last desperate experiment oh his aiother 
 which war- to pre.v-i.il on her to m engage he r estate 
 t o pay off his debts. • , : 
 
 Tom, when he made this proposal to his mother, 
 dreadfully, as prophage and loose people commonly 
 dy> eai\v -on (jbxl to witness' it should be the last 
 time he would ever ask her for sixpence, adding, 
 also, he hoped his future good behaviour would 
 soon blot from her thoughts all remembrance of 
 the past. 
 
 "Tom," answered this afflicted parent, " thy 
 repentance never comes forward but when thy 
 wants are pressing.. No man's reformation can 
 advance without a change of principle on his heart, 
 of which thou hast hitherto given me no proofs.— 
 If people cannot live on their estates, how are they 
 to live without them ? And as to raising a sum of 
 money to relieve thy present distress, which 
 
 own extravagance, not thy misfortunes, have 
 brought upon thee, it is what I neither can or 
 do. No, Tom, whatever money I can save b 
 
 will 
 
 be applied to the maintenance ofthat wretched babe, 
 whose mothenhou didst basely abandon, alter thou 
 hadst made her the most solemn promise of W 
 rkgc, for another young woman, wb^,J»^ 
 could give her more money. O Tom . T >n1, . 
 crimes, sooner or later, must bring down tne 
 geancc of Heaven on thy guilty head' ^ ^ 
 " Whatever may be my punishment, 
 
seeir, 
 nei 
 
 ( 9 ) 
 
 ]^ in a transport df rage, (for he was very drank) 
 ti i j 10 pe you will not live to see it." Then giving I 
 u r . a blow on the side of her head, which brought 
 her to the ground, he reeled off. 
 
 Mrs. Watson would willingly have kept her son's 
 unnatural behaviour a secret, but her servant maid 
 sir.g what had happened, ran and called in the 
 ighboUrs, who were grievously afflicted when 
 they saw so good a woman in the state above de- 
 scribed. As she had been long in a very ill state 
 of health, her present sorrow of heart wrought so 
 rapidly upon her, that at the end of a fortnight, 
 her life was thought to be in great danger. Her 
 kind neighbours, in turn, attended her day and 
 night; and happy were they now to have it in their 
 power to render her that assistance which they had 
 experienced at her hand when under afflictions 
 themselves. 
 
 "Your tender pity, my kind neighbours," said 
 mlo some. of them, who were sitting round her 
 H u is a great comfort to me in this my Hour of 
 
 ™« 1 feel I shall not long survive the shock; 
 
 iwtvery son, in whom I placed all my hopes of 
 a PPiness,by his cruelty and unkindness sends me 
 || e grave with a broken heart. Heaven is pleased 
 astise me for having set my affections, to the 
 
 I - : ^ 0n earthI y ob J ect When my 
 *g S T Slck hoxv have iMmdly thought every 
 biAf f 1011 WQUW bG of loosing 
 
 forhim k HU , a Chlld> he sMv m f ""governed love 
 Jlim >») which means 1 soon lost authority over 
 
 WeflKr?V ° ngSeCn ' WJth -"^-^vof spirit, the 
 %Wear * y ,ndu 'eencc; and whilst I confess 
 vc tes to you, my frfefcjfc I acknowledge 
 
( I® ) 
 
 the tender mercies of Heaven towards me- IV 
 had no secret grief destroyed my hopes, at the m 
 moment when I abounded w rh all the good and 
 
 pleasant things of this world, I might have grown 
 slack in my endeavours towards obtaining abetter 
 therefore I can only say, it is well for me I have 
 been afflicted. While I doated on my son, and 
 looked to him for happiness, I almost forgot try 
 Saviour, but my merciful Father has brought had 
 iny wandering heart to himself, by disappointing 
 me in the object of my vain hope. J have lost my 
 son^but God is the strength of my heart, and my 
 portion for ever.' 
 
 Here Mrs. Watson grew so faint she could not 
 proceed. It will now be necessary to report what 
 befel Tom Watson : on quitting h : s mother he gal- 
 loped away to beg shelter of an acquaintance, who 
 lived some miles off. Tom had now no hope of 
 preventing the arrest, but by marrying the girl out 
 of hand in spite of her parents ; although he to' 
 such a breach of duty in their only child, would 
 go well nigh to break their hearts. They had been 
 heaping up riches for her, which she was now re- 
 solved to throw away upon a worthless fellow.—* 
 But Tom was resolved on carrying his point with 
 the daughter j for still he did not doubt but the old 
 folks would come down with the cash, when the 
 thing was done, and could not be helped. These 
 golden thoughts made's Tom's confinement sit ea- 
 sier upon him than it would otherwise have done. 
 — " Money,' 7 he would say, "was the very m 
 and soul, and spirit, of ewery thing, then money 
 must be had at any rate; a short life and a meiiy 
 one is my notion of the thing ; and drink and oi 
 
( n ) 
 
 jlm be my toast, so I am resolved W 
 C3re SSngas 1 can. 'Tis true, I caa't promise 
 keCP Ich happiness with the woman I am about 
 :^f. ; for a P disobedient daughter will never 
 l °f I'Zd wife: well, no matter; for if 
 m ?, «tV fortune into my possession, I can 
 S!£i and find I p ease 
 
 Tom h ad no ^ tt f o h S o "meet her ; her 
 voun^ woman, t nan ne iuiu> ^ *• 
 
 B living within a mile * 
 
 whence they proposed to set off, and get mamed 
 tSSSi morning. Tom, full of the joyous 
 expectation of soon meeting his intended wife ar 
 rived at Stokes-Newton church- yard, about eleven 
 o'clock. The night was exceedingly hot and sul- 
 try, and the sky seemed to threaten an approaching 
 tempest. Tom sat himself down on a tomb-stone 
 to rest.-" Mercy on me ! Mercy on me I cried 
 he; "it looks as dark as if the end of all things 
 were approaching ; and am I fit to die ? kvea 
 whilst lam sitting here on the grave of the dead 4 
 lam plotting evil against the living. How I trem- 
 ble! But hold, I must not talk of dying with such, 
 golden prospects as I have before me." Here a 
 loud clap of thunder was succeeded by quick 
 flashes of lightening. u Why should 1 be thus 
 alarmed?" cried Tom. " Yet when the terrors 
 •f the Almighty threaten, the stoutest hearts 
 will shake. O, for mercy 1 with what violence 
 the storm rages 3 I will pursue the scheme no 
 father, 'but go back, and marry the other young 
 w oman to whom I am bound by the most so- 
 lemn promise." A few minutes after Tom had 
 l| fcft this good resolution, the sky seemed t« 
 
( 12 ) 
 
 brighten, and his good resolutions vanished f 
 course. i( I am now quite my own man a»a 
 
 cried lie ; " how could I be such a fool as to be 
 frightened at a little thunder and lightening? l v 
 now pursue my journey." Then starting up, ^ 
 was about to depart, but sunk down again almost 
 breathlesswith apprehension ; a flash of lightening 
 passing over his eyes, for a time, made himneam 
 blind. " O my poor mother!" exclaimed Tom, 
 now quite conscience struck, " I wish I had yout 
 forgiveness. > I now remember the text says, " that 
 " whoso cursethhis father or his mother, his lamp 
 " shall be put out in obscure darkness!" What;; 
 dreadful sentence is that! Suppose to-moircw 
 morning 1 was to go and humble myself before 
 her: I have often heard her say, that tears of re- 
 pentance on a sinner's cheek, are more becoming 
 than crowns of gold upon a sinner's head.— TW 
 wise King Solomon says " make not too much 
 " haste to be rich, my son." Now, what an actof 
 injustice am I about to commit, in order to obtain 
 riches? Why, I shall perjure myself in the sight* 
 God, in marrying one woman, when my most so- 
 lemn promise was given to another ! " — VV hilstthese^ 
 thoughts were passing in Tom's mind, the rage 01 
 the tempest seemed to have spent itself; and t e 
 moment things began to wear a brighter aspe>> 
 Tom's repentance again vanished, and again he iose, 
 sincerely resolved to pursue his journey, and 
 mg at his own superstitious fears. Butat°n 
 violent gust of wind, accompanied by thunder^F 
 a large elm in two, not far from him ; at the 
 time a screech-owl fled from the hollow °^ e J OIl . 
 tree under which he had sheltered hirnsclt ; ill ^ 
 bled conscience made him conclude it was 
 
messenger of death; and he was making off as fast 
 as possible, when, looking about him, he perceived 
 nothing- " W> ljo.w true it is," cried he, " that 
 thewickedflee when no man pursueth. I fear to 
 go, yet dread to stay. What a coward is a bad 
 man, when the wrath oi God is about to fall on him ? 
 And what a coward am I thus to give way to child- 
 ish fear? How shall I despise myself for them to- 
 morrow when the sun shines upon me. After all, 
 'tis nothing but a thunderstorm, so common at this 
 season of the year My spirits begin to rally 
 again; adieu then to all fear. Ill on, faint heart 
 ne'er won a fair lady." Tom had not proceeded 
 many steps, after having formed these courageous 
 resolutions, when the moon again suddenly dipping 
 Wind a cloud, all nature seemed wrapped in total 
 darkness, till the quick return of lightening, fol- 
 low by a most tremendous chip of thunder, made 
 wm fancy the moment was arrived, when the 
 earth and the sea were to render up their dead, and 
 the just with the unjust were to stand at the judg- 
 W-seat of Christ. As Tom was hastening by 
 h€ ***dOor he fancied he saw a light and 
 <*rd a noise within the church. Terror struck^ 
 f jreamed aloud. At that instant, old Jacob 
 
 edbvi SeXt0nj Came 0Llt ofthe church follow- 
 who tt 7 C * rrylng a Iaatho * n ' on seeing 
 
 scream i a ; ed Tom wh lt had occasioned him to 
 *3i* fu t0 Wht< * he replied, that on sec 
 MaS* ' e Chllrch ' at such a timc of nioht, 
 ghost 1 aS much **fW- as if he had seen a 
 " Y 
 
 Jacob «S l '? st "suredv Mr. Watson/'uiuwered 
 
 ^neJnn n 0IK ' e tlie 801,1 has "f the 
 
 avenly things, it will never journey 
 
( 14 ) • 
 
 back again to this bad world; but some Pe0 nU u 
 Watson, are apt to fancy they see and hearth 
 quite out of nature, when fear holds ud th* r!!f 
 of truth to their consciences." 1 andle 
 Here Tom told J acob the various conflicts which 
 had passed in his mind since he had been detained 
 in the church-yard. He then asked Jacob what had 
 kept him to so late an hour in the church? Jacob 
 replied, he had a funeral late in the evening,—, 
 " And what brings you here, Master Watson?"-, 
 Tom said, during his fright he had resolved togo 
 3nd say his prayers on his father's grave, and ask 
 Heaven to forgive his sins. fe As we must pass 
 that way/ 1 answered Jacob, "you may fulfil your 
 intention ; you have much cause for prayer, and re- 
 pentance also, Mr. Watson."— Being arrived at 
 the grave, Tom asked the occasion of all the loose 
 rubbish he saw about it? " Because, thou undu- 
 tiful young man," said Jacob, " the precious re- 
 mains of thy honoured mother were buried in that 
 grave not more thai) two hours ago; and what, I 
 hope, will sting thy guilty soul, the neighbours re- 
 port that thy brutal behaviour towards her hastened 
 her death." 
 
 Terror for a while renderjed Tom speechless.- 
 At length, after fetching a deep groan, and during 
 the most tremendous clap of thunder that ever was 
 heard, he uttered these words :— " O my mother, 
 to what corner of the world shall your g* uilt j|f 
 fly to escape the threatened vengeance which \ 
 
 x\lmighty has denounced against disobedient 
 rebellious children ? From God I can expect 
 
 mercy, from man no pity. O Lord sUS Pj^ ^ 
 
 re 
 
 unprepared heart. . ." At that iustam i 
 
 whilst I say one prayer— O Lord, prepaie ; 
 
 wrathful displeasure but for a nioi 
 
{ I? ) 
 
 fc f thunder struck him; he dropped down dead on 
 
 the grave; and his boe;y scorched by lightening, 
 became a shocking spectacle, to die great dismay 
 fl f Jacob and his son. 
 
 This surprising story fiew about like wild fire ; 
 and people fiocked iron all pa ts h vu w the spot 
 whereon the wr a th of Heaven had poured its sud- 
 den vengeance on the undutifu] ch-.ld.. he fol- 
 lowing Sunday has been appointed for preaching 
 Mrs. Watson s funeral serrnon ; it was the day ap- 
 pointed for her son's burial* 
 
 The corpse of T<.m Watson was brought into 
 church just as the Rev. Mr, Morgan had named 
 the text; the words were, " Blessed are the dead 
 which die in the Lord." I n this sermon Mr, Mor- 
 gan made it less his aim to praise the dead than to 
 exhort the livmg; " although Mrs Wagon's cha- 
 pter, v he said had been a truly christian one, 
 m to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly 
 » her God, by the assistance of his grace, had 
 
 J e n her daily endoavor. After this, Mr. 
 
 wganaddr< ssed the younger part of the congre- 
 ganonjn the following words < 
 
 mvl P ' £ e,10ld . 1 say, how suddenly you 
 
 ffcbf fr0m l , he land 01 the U ™ & ^en 
 daybetiS a ™ ° f y ° Ur ltti< PH<3W your bright 
 rnlnv Zl ,nto n, S ht Vernal, and your joyful 
 
 ^nLtr, , , tend now * y e y° uih > to the 
 
 H WhiW • °? Whi€h b '*°ught down this youm* 
 Hmdy ^!L n ? n 1 i , W the Wlkl ™ee of sin, and be ye 
 hueZr b >f hi. example, that profane 
 
 %hemed h- ''A tdy cursed his m °&e«*. and 
 ms <j0d ^ HMlU «oyv be heard «o more. 
 
That rash hand of his, which so fctcty siftoteti 
 venerable parent, was burnt almost to a -cinder. £ 
 -a sudden Mash of lightening from Heaven, y 
 again," proceeded Mr. Morgan, poi ritmrtgr'witli ^ 
 linger to the We r, ; whereon the body Jay, <4 there 
 licsthe ill-fated youth, wrapped in a wimf in ^. sheet 
 who hoped, ere this, to have become a happy bride', 
 groom." 
 
 Mr. Morgan afterwards, at the request of many 
 friends, wrote the following 
 
 EPITAPH: 
 
 " Here, by red light; nh>g struck to earth, 
 * The b<vld' blasphemer lies, 
 o : V. That mother smote, who gave him 
 \ **\ And on ' ^rave dies. 
 " Ye children all, who view .this sod, 
 fc Betimes beam well this truth : 
 Fo benQur paroiis, loveyotir God, 
 Now in your days of yoiU.l?/ 5 •