ised to give him a copy of it; but death put a stop to that, as well as to many other intentions. His longest poem, which consists of nearly two thousand lines, is entitled "The Flower Knot, or Guide Post." In a short preface, he states, that, "twenty lines or thereabouts were the most I could compose in a week; and sometimes I have written none for half a year or longer." The chief subjects of his poem are thus arranged by himself: "Introduction, holiness, prudence and reason, wit, honesty and decency, sympathy, gratitude, hope, humility, temperance, chastity, passion, power, truth, wisdom, love, faith."

The particulars which I have been enabled to gather of my humble friend's history, in addition to what has al ready been related, are very few. He was a name-sake of the Ettrick Shepherd, and a fellow-countryman, but I am not aware that they were related. He was brought up, I find, in a religious family; and in his youth had serious impressions of eternal things upon his mind. These, however, grew feebler by intercourse with the world, although they do not appear ever to have entirely forsaken him. He left his home at an early period of life, and for some time carried hardware about the country. This business becoming unproductive, about fourteen years since he took to the employment in which I found him engaged, making scissor-chains and skewers. Twenty-nine long years had passed, he told me, since he had visited his native place; nor could I learn what had alienated him from his family and friends.-A hedge, or a stable, were to him an asylum of peace-the habitation of contentment; for he carried *that tranquillity within him which was not to be ruffled by the adventitious circumstances of life. The vagrancy of his life necessarily exposed him to much hardship; and his pious soul must have been frequently "vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked." Whether he had the habit of boldly reproving the sinner, when he daringly violated the laws of his God, I cannot affirm, not having been present on any such occasion: but judging from his ordinary freedom in expressing his mind, and from his courage in sustaining many of the ills of life, I should imagine he would suffer few opportunities to pass of reproving or exporting, where prudence and discretion marked out the

duty. Sometimes, doubtless, his mind must have been depressed by anxious fears, or disappointed hopes. There were seasons when the "candle of the Lord" did not shine so clearly upon his path as at other times: during such periods he used to sing Addison's beautiful version of the 23d Psalm, to which he added a verse of his own composition, which I have in vain endeavoured to find. He called it the Traveller's Song. It was peculiarly appropriate to his own case, exposed as he was, solitary and wandering, with none to look up to for support or protection, but the Helper of the friendless.

Thus have I presented a faithful, though imperfect, history of a poor man, who, in the lowest depths of poverty, evinced such remarkable contentment and cheerfulness under severe sufferings, as may well excite us to godly jealousy, and animate us to aspire after like precious faith; a man who showed no symptoms of a desire to hurry from life, yet was ready at all times to obey his great and final summons, and the practical language of whose life was, "To me to live is Christ, to die is gain."

Reader! how does this simple tale call upon you to adore the Father of all mercies, who graciously furnished a poor object, in the lowest depths of earthly misery, with principles capable not barely of supporting him, but of enabling him to soar far above the afflictions of mortality? No one, I feel assured, can doubt whence this man obtained his transcendent faith. It was of no common stamp: it was not the spontaneous growth of the human heart: it must have come from heaven.

Permit me, then, to remind you, that the same faith which supported him, the same principles by which he was actuated, may be obtained by you. The Divine Spirit, who implanted them in the subject of this memoir, offers to produce them in you. And can I wish you a richer gift? Can I take my leave of you in a more affectionate manner, than by praying that the same Spirit would make you likeminded, with this humble, but exemplary follower of a suffering and crucified Saviour?

END.

AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY,

AND SOLD AT THEIR DEPOSITORY, NO. 144 NASSAU-STREET, NEAR THE CITY-HALL, NEW-YORK; AND BY AGENTS OF THE SOCIETY, ITS BRANCHES, AND AUXILIARIES, I

THE PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS

IN THE UNITED STATES.

H2

ADDRESS TO SEAMEN.

To every one, who possesses a particle of the spirit of our Saviour, it cannot but be highly gratifying to contemplate the gradual expansion of Christian benevolence ;the wide, and still wider circle of objects, which it has progressively extended its arms to embrace, during the last half century. At the commencement of this period, scarcely a solitary individual was heard to raise his voice, in favour of the much injured and enslaved Africans. Now their cause is pleaded with success before Parliaments and Senates; and powerful States make it an object of attention, in their negotiations with foreign powers. Then, excepting in this country, the numerous children of the poor were left, without education or moral instruction, a prey to ignorance, and to every species of vice. Now, in many parts of Europe, national societies are formed, and schools established on an extensive scale, to improve, at once, their morals and their minds. Then, the circulation of the Scriptures was confined within comparatively narrow limits; and of those by whom they were possessed, very few even thought of sending them to the destitute. Now, thousands of hands are open to distribute, and tens of thousands extended to receive, the inestimable gift. Then, the religious interests of the heathen were neglected. Now, the heralds of the cross preach to them, in many different languages, and in widely distant parts of the world," the unsearchable riches of Christ." Then, no provision was made for the spiritual wants of our own destitute countrymen. Now, means are in operation, to furnish them with able and faithful religious instructers. Then, the descendants of Abraham were forgotten, or remembered only to be despised. Now, vigorous and widely extended efforts are made, to effect their conversion to

Christianity. Then too, mariners, composing a numerous and highly useful class of citizens in every commercial country, and forming a kind of connecting link between the different nations and parts of the world, were left to suffer, in their full force, all those moral and religious privations, to which their occupation subjects them; so that they might, with very few exceptions, have exclaimed:-We are men, " whom no one seeketh after: no man careth for our souls." Not only Christian nations, but Christian individuals, while enjoying the foreign productions, procured for them by the toils and perils of their seafaring brethren, seemed to forget, that they were feasting on the price of blood;" the blood of neglected and perishing immortals.

But to this long neglected class of society also, Christian benevolence now extends her hand. Now, the spire of the Mariner's Church" rises in the midst of commercial cities, pointing the tempest tossed sons of ocean to a haven of rest above. Now, "the Bethel Flag," under which seamen and landsmen unite to worship Him, who governs earth and sea, waves in many of their harbours. Now, Marine Bible Societies are formed; and the chest of every sailor may contain, if he will accept of it, that inestimable treasure, the Book which makes men 66 wise unto salvation."

We rejoice to see, in the "Portland Marine Bible Society," a proof, that this recently awakened spirit of concern for the religious interests of seamen, lives and breathes among ourselves. We rejoice, my seafaring friends, to see so many of you assembled here, on this occasion. Most cordially do we bid you welcome, a thousand times welcome to the temple of Him, who is no less your God than ours. Welcome, welcome, weary, weather-beaten sailor, to the place, where rest is offered to the weary in the name of Jesus Christ. For you this place is now opened. For you this Bible Society was formed. For you this meeting was appointed. For you our united prayers have now ascended before the mercy seat of Heaven. You it is, whom, as friends and brothers, the speaker now purposes to address.

And why does he address you? Why have we invited