hymns exchanged for the lustful songs he heard the past night-the holy and tranquil deportment of the people contrasted with the boisterous shouts and disgusting indecencies lately witnessed-the solemn prayer of the devout minister compared with the horrid blasphemies with which his ears had recently been assailed-and the affecting detail of a beloved Saviour's agonies, blood-shedding, and death in Gethsemane; his resurrection, intercession, and love; his calls, invitations, and promises, to Sailors, while it is called to-day-These wondrous themes, connected with the freeness, the fulness, and the abundant encouragements of the Gospel of Christ, so surprise, amaze, and melt the sun-burnt and storm-beaten tar, that he labours in vain to repress his feelings. His eyes, like the arid regions of the south, are melted by the terrible monsoon of his soul. His rock-built heart yields and breaks to the surging tempest of his passions. Tears rush forth in copious streams; and, totally unprepared for such an event, he applies the sleeves and the corners of his jacket, and his coloured neck handkerchief, until they are literally wetted through with the briny flood. Thus is he softened, if not converted; and though no dependence can be placed on emotions so suddenly raised, and perhaps as rapidly quelled, yet he will not easily forget the scenes that occasioned them, or the violence of their impression while they lasted. Like the greatest storm, or the utmost danger to which he was ever exposed, they will leave those deeply engraven traces on his mind, that he will often insensibly recur to them, and not unfrequently brood over them with a melancholy sort of pleasure. In the stillness of the midwatch at sea, when far, far removed from land and noise, while his shipmates are sleeping round him, he will silently stand at the helm, and think of such things as these, until "Busy meddling memory" will revive them all afresh in his mind, the starting tear shall hide the compass from his view, and he shall be ready to fall upon his knees before the binnacle, and cry, "O that it were with me as in months past, prayer meeting in Shadwell Market. Some were appointed as conductors to hand the sailors picked up from one to another, and others were stationed near the door of a dwelling-house as receivers. Each one had a few religious tracts in books or sheets. One of the most abandoned seamen cried out, " Hallo, here's fine work, a parcel of Jack Tars shipped in the service of the Playhouse, and lying in tiers along the street with play bills in their fists." He was quickly accosted and invited to a sailor's meeting. "Whip me," he cried, with most horrid oaths, "if I have got a skurrick to jingle upon a church stone." "O," said the inviter, "I'll frank you;""Well then, come along Bob, here goes, gallery or pit, my boy." In this way forty-two most shocking characters were picked up, who entered the house with unusual profanity. The service instantly commenced, as many as could fell on their knees, and the wicked sailors were confounded to see blue jackets prostrate before God, and with many tears imploring salvation for them. About the middle of the service the above swearer who had talked of "a skurrick," sung out while one was in prayer, " Well, shipmates, good luck to you, I must be off," and endeavoured to press his way through, but the leader was standing on the stairs and stopped him, saying, "Hallo, my lad, where are you going?" Why," said he, "all this is about religion, is'nt it ?" "Yes, but you must not go, for you may never have such another opportunity." He then used every possible argument to prevail on him. "But," said the sailor," did I not promise my shipmates to go with them to the Spread Eagle, and I suppose we shall be all drunk enough to night, it wont do therefore for me to stop here." The good mau however succeed. ed, and he staid the whole time and was much affected. when the candle of religion shone round about me." And should Aimighty Grace breathe on his soul the heavenly gales of mercy, he will, under the conviction of the Holy Ghost, retire to his hammock when his watch is over, and, falling on his face, pathetically exclaim, But should not this most desirable end be accomplished, he will, in some future storm or shipwreck, find this circumstance a savour of death unto death to him, so that God will be glorified. A sailor once strolled into St. Paul's Church, and accidentally heard the words read, "Pray without ceasing ;" and though he embarked careless of their import or authority, yet they proved instrumental in his conversion many weeks afterwards when he thought of them at sea, and subsequently settled on shore, as a most respectable, active, and useful Deacon of a Christian Church. "This shall be known when we are dead, And left on long record, That Sailors yet unborn may read, And trust and praise the Lord." Many seamen who have been gathered on the Sunday afternoon_voluntarily attend the chapel in evening, and others accompany the Sea Missionaries to Stepney, and meet with them for prayer in the evening. On their return to Stepney they continue the impress service, and stop each sailor they meet. The Bethel Mission-House is generally crowded to excess at night, and several of the neighbours have become truly converted under the prayers of the sailors, and from being the most depraved and guilty Sabbath-breakers, are now the most eager to serve God on that day, and join in the impress to pick up sailors for divine worship wherever they can meet them; so that looking round on some who once professed zeal and boldness for the cause of Christ, but have settled down at ease in Zion, it may be truly said, "the last have become first, and the first last." How strange that Jehovah should raise up sailors, who have been so long neglected by the religious world, and make them instrumental in the conversion of landsmen, and the quickenings of the church of Christ on shore, so that by their zeal they shame some and provoke many others to go and do likewise. "And Jesus lifted up his eyes to Heaven, and said, I thank thee, O Father, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes; even so, Father, for it seemed good in thy sight." Kind and gracious Saviour, we thank thee that thou hast not forgotton thine ancient, thine early companions, the seamen. Thou dost, from the height of thy throne, as the high and lofty one who inhabiteth Eternity, look down still upon poor sailors with pity and with love. Thou hast still, by the banks of the sea, thy Johns, and Andrews, and Peters, and Thomases, whom thou art determined to make fishers of men. Lord, teach them how to cast the net; Lord, tell them where to fish; Lord, attend their labours with success; and, O Lord, dispel their fears, and encourage their hearts, by saying unto them, "Fear not, ye shall henceforth catch men." (To be concluded.) THE WHALEMEN. In a late number we published a letter from our worthy correspondent at Nantucket, relative to the religious condition of the great number of men employed în the whale fishery. We have received some further information respecting them, and at present shall add the following extract. "A revival has taken place on board one of our whale ships, immediately after sailing on a three years voyage. The Scriptures are read and prayers attended night and morning by the crew-among whom are three Heathen youth, who had previously belonged to our Sabbath School, and given evidence of capacity to learn and do good. One of the mates had engaged to teach them during the voyage; and I hope they will be safely returned, educated in the Cornwall School, and sent to carry the Gospel to their countrymen of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. "I have been anxious for the establishment of a Bethel Union here, but it seems utterly impossible at present: yet, perhaps it might be effected, if your Society would forward us a Bethel Flag. Had I a little help, I could preach to hundreds at our wharfs who will not enter a church, and perhaps never have. "If there is a missionary ground on earth it is here." REMARKS.-If the friends of seamen in Nantucket will form a Bethel Union, we are authorised to say, the Bethel Union here will present them with a Flag if they then desire it. We feel confident that such an institution might be formed in every sea-port town on our coast. Let a meeting of the friends to the cause be called at some convenient, central place. Let Seamen and Captains be invited-have a plan of the intended union ready, and we doubt not it would be adopted at once. And further, in almost every such place twenty-four persons will be found ready to contribute, each fifty cents, and this sum would furnish them with a Flag, which is the principal expense of such a Society. There should be no delay in this business, for DESTRUCTION COMETH UPON SEAMEN. See what horror attends the life of the Sailor! If he is a child of God, he is ready to meet the summons-if he is out of Christ, God is to him a consuming fire! "We have had," says our London correspondent, "dreadful gales here for a long time-numbers of ships lost, and all hands perished. A captain of one of the Packets says, about eight hundred dead bodies were picked up on the coast of Jutland!' These are loud calls to activity on the part of Christians, all over the world, to promote religion among seamen." GREENOCK BETHEL UNION. To the Editor of the Seaman's Magazine. Greenock, Scotland, Jan. 8, 1822. THE Committee of the Society having requested that I would write you in reply, I beg to convey to you, in their name, our best thanks for your communication, and the assurance that its contents afford us unfeigned pleasure. It is very encouraging to those who are engaged in promoting the Kingdom and cause of God, that he is not permitting them to work alone. He is raising up labourers in every quarter of his vineyard-men who are actuated by the same spirit, and aiming at the same object, and bound together in the same fellowship and hope of the Gospel, though far separated from each other on earth. In the exertions of your respected societies to extend the religion of our common Lord among seamen, it is our earnest desire, in as far as He enables us, to strengthen their hands and encourage their hearts. With this view, we send them the assurance of our cordial interest in their proceedings, and of our fervent prayers for their success. At a time that the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit is cheering your favoured country, and causing the wilderness and solitary place to rejoice, it is our hearts' desire and prayer that your seamen, through your instrumentality, may be made rich partakers of the same inestimable blessing. I have pleasure in being able to inform you, that of late there has been a little revival in our Society of a pleasing nature. I trust the interest which has been awakened may be permanent, and be productive of good. We are not desirous of saying much with regard to any success which may have attended our exertions; but we trust the Lord has acknowledged them, and that by his grace some poor sailors have, through them, been brought to the knowledge of the truth. Sir, very truly yours, JOHN DENNISTON, President of the SUMMARY. The Union Prayer Meeting was held on the 20th of last month in the Rev. Mr. Phillips' church. It was well attended, and the exercises were conducted in the usual manner. The sixteenth monthly U. P. M. was held last Tuesday in the Mariner's Church in the afternoon. The Rev. JOHN TRUAIR, minister of that church, presided. The Rev. Messrs. Chace, (of the Baptist Church,) M Murray, Williams, and Patton, engaged in prayer. The presiding minister read Psalm exxxiv., and made a short address. The next meeting was appointed to be held in the Metho. dist Church in John-street on Wednesday evening, the 17th instant. Installation--On Tuesday evening, the 2d inst. the Rev. ROBERT M'CARTEE, late of Philadelphia, was installed Pastor of the Presbyterian Church and congregation in Orange-street, in this city. The Rev. Dr. Romeyn presided, and delivered the charge to the pastor. The Rev. S. N. Rowan preached the Sermon from the following words: "Who is sufficient for these things?" The Rev. Dr. Spring delivered the charge to the people. The exercises were solemn and interesting. Revival of Religion in this City-We intimated in our last number, that a work of grace was happily begun in several of our churches; and we now rejoice to add, that it still continues. We have reason to believe the Lord has heard the united prayers of his people for the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on our churches and congregations, and we believe he will increase and extend this greatest of all blessings in proportion as Christians labour and pray for it. Just as our last sheet was going to press, we received our French and English Magazines. They contain much interesting intelligence from various missionary stations, which we shall notice in our next number. DONATIONS TO THE NEW-YORK BETHEL UNION. Life Members. Divie Bethune, Rev. John Ellis, William G. Hooker (Middlebury, Ver.) (by D. Bethune,) $5.00 5 00 5 00 Matthew Clarkson, (by L. Bleecker,) 6.00 Richard Varick, do 5. 00 "An aged Clergyman in Connecticut," (by Knowles Taylor,) John Clark, (by L. Bleecker,) 5 00 5 00 John Pintard, (by do.) 5 00 Annual Members. From thirty-one subscribers of 50 cents each annually, From Charles Morrell, (by L. Bleecker,) Collection at the annual meeting in the Brick Church, 15 50 Donations. 00 50 91 05 $147 05 March 29th, 1822. C. PRINCE, Treasurer. II. A second reason for this union for prayer for the general outpouring of the Holy Spirit is, THAT IT IS, IN A SPECIAL MANNER, BY HIS GRACIOUS AND POWERFUL INFLUENCE THAT THE KIngdom of our Lord JESUS CHRIST IS TO BE ESTABLISHED. In the wonderful plan of love and mercy, devised by Almighty God for saving a ruined world, his first great promise was, to give his Son as a sacrifice for sin, that, through the merits of his atonement and perfect righteousness, "God might be just and the justifier of him who be lieveth in Jesus." His next promise was, for the sake of his Son, to give his Holy Spirit, to make this gift effectual. The first promise has already been fulfilled; God has given his only begotten Son, and he, by his one offering for sin, has obtained eternal redemption for all who believe in his name. For accomplishing his work, the Lord Jesus has every requisite. The divine and human natures are united in His person, and all power in heaven and in earth are given unto Him. The Holy Spirit, also, has the most abundant fulness for performing his gracious part in our salvation: for He is one in essence with the Father and the Son; He is God the Holy Ghost; He is eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent; all hearts are open to Him, and all creatures are subject to His will. When He moved upon the face of the waters, light arose out of darkness, and order out of confusion. Further: as, in the economy of our salvation, the eternal Son of God humbled himself and took upon him the form of a servant, that He might accomplish the will of His heavenly Father-so the Holy Ghost, in this divine economy, has been graciously pleased to undertake various offices for fulfilling the purposes of mercy contained in the Gospel. So that He can not only effect all things by his absolute power, as God, but he has so condescended that He can accomplish whatever is now needful for our salvation, by virtue of His gracious undertaking. Is it needful, for instance, that a man should be born again before he can see the kingdom of God; it is His gracious office to create the soul anew, to quicken those who are dead in trespasses and sins. Or is it requisite, in order that manking should heartily apply to the Saviour, that VOL. VIII. 3 |