roadsteads, and out of which he had sold to British seamen upwards of 5,000 Bibles and Prayer Books, and by means of which he had circu. lated his lending library in every quarter of the globe. Thus a work, which had been carried on for upwards of sixteen years, in a population of greater extent and importance than is found under the care of any clergyman on shore, and which had been so signally owned and blessed of the Lord during the years of its operation, was brought to a close. The chapel was withdrawn from the roads; the busy scene of boats proceeding with their crews to attend divine service, was no longer witnessed; and the boat conveying the clergyman about for lectures on board their own vessels, and to supply books, disappeared from the fleet." Dr. Ashley now consented to address meetings in various parts of the kingdom, for the purpose of giving information, awakening a spirit of enquiry, and resuscitating, if it was the Lord's pleasure, the good work in which he had been engaged. The paper in which we have made the above extracts, says that his efforts were attended with the greatest success, and something like a national spirit was evoked in behalf of the Mission.

Dr. Ashley was succeeded as Chaplain by the Rev. T. C. Childs, for several years Chaplain to emigrants at Plymouth, who continued to labour with great zeal and success-having resigned his incumbency of St. Mary's. But the friends of the long-neglected seamen must not only be asked to supply more missionaries, but floating churches also, to be carried into the midst of the windbound fleets, where accommodation for religious services cannot always be had, and if it could, the chaplain cannot always proceed in open boats to hold them. Often the ships to be visited lie several miles out to sea, and the state of wind and waves renders such a mode of conveyance highly.perilous, either going or returning. It is computed that small decked vessels, such as are required to be manned by two sailors and a boy each, would scarcely be more expensive than the boats and boatmen which must now be hired at every disadvantage of weather and distance, and which of course must be paid for accordingly. But we know that in this, as in all other cases, the Lord will provide.

It is a subject of satisfaction to the supporters of this Mission, that out of it has sprung that excellent institution, "The Thames Church Mission Society," commenced in 1844. Adapting our system of sending the gospel to seamen afloat, the committee employ a cutter, the Swan, lent them by the Lords of the Admiralty, and fitted up as a church capable of containing upwards of a hundred and twenty men at public service. The Chaplain resides on board, holds two services on Sunday, and is all the week engaged visiting the ships in the river Thames, especially the colliers, and holding weekly evening services for as many men as will come on board the Mission Ship. Bibles, Prayer Books, and religious tracts are supplied; and books from the Mission Library lent out to read. Who can calculate the amount of spiritual and moral good such agencies may effect? The Lord's time for the poor seamen seems to have come. May the followers of Jesus every where recognise

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Bristol Channel Sailors' Episcopal Mission Work.

His signs, and hasten to trim their lamps. The Lord is coming.

It happens that at times hundreds of merchant ships are wind-bound in our roadsteads, and this for several days together. During such seasons the crews of these vessels pass many a weary hour, waiting for the breeze that is to carry them to their destination. These hours of ennui to them are our seasons of missionary activity. Not only does the grouping together of so many ships and their crews offer us the chance of a large congregation, but the irksomeness of a weather-bound state disposes the minds of the men to hail the visit of the Chaplain as an agreeable interruption to the monotony of their existence-to embrace with alacrity the opportunity of congregating on some friendly deck, and of listening with interest to the message of life eternal from the lips of the visitor. It is a subject of thankfulness and great encouragement, that wherever missionary attempts have been made under such circum. stances, they have invariably justified the calculations under which they have been undertaken; and this we trust our little periodical will frequently exemplify from the Journals of our Chaplains.

The peculiarities of the sailor are admitted by all, and have frequently served to point an anecdote and to promote laughter; but they did not appear suggestive of any modification in the plan of gospel effort as affecting them. Seamen did not form part of our ordinary congregations; indeed, for ten months out of twelve, on an average, they could not, owing to their sea-going habits, and they seem not to have been missed. The way of salvation was proclaimed from our pulpits, but not to them, and no one asked the reason why; consequently they were not subject to the training which our church-going people must be more or less un. dergoing; but they were undergoing a training nevertheless, such as made them the peculiar class which they are known to be. Thy were learning during their long voyages to be reckless, drunken, profane, and depraved; and when they came ashore they claimed a sort of immunity too often granted as a matter of course, for the indulgence of the gross habits which they had been cultivating among their shipmates afloat. In point of fact, it was generally thought, both by their admirers and by themselves, that so essential was every vicious propensity to the charac ter of a sailor, that he would no longer be his country's boast and its enemies' terror without them-that they were peculiar attributes of the genus Jack Tar; and that you might as well extract the tusks of the lion, or denude the bull of his horns, as deprive honest Jack of his grog, and his licentious companions, or exchange his insane prodigality for carefulness and foresight.

To those who laughed at the degrading eccentricities of our seamen, and to those who pandered to them for their own pecuniary profit, there naturally appeared no necessity for any effort for the improvement of their moral character, or for placing them on a par with their fellow sinners in the way of spiritual privilege and opportunity, but that it should not have occurred to the minds of Christian men and women in these kingdoms seems strange indeed. The present" Mission to Seamen," has grown out of the Bristol Channel Mission Society," which com

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menced with building of the Mission cutter, "Eirene," in the year 1839. And we can only account for it, while confessing our national sins in this respect, by the fact that God's time had not yet come, and that nothing effecting man's welfare or the glory of his Creator can ever be attempted without the grace from above that alone stimulates the effort and crowns it with success.

But God's time for favouring our poor seafaring brethren in sin and condemnation seems to have arrived. The Christian mind of this coun try is, we have reason to believe, ready to be acted upon in this direction; and it would appear as if we had but to put in the sickle and reap prayer, encouragement, and help on every hand. Already something has been done with very little effort, sufficient to announce it as the will of our gracious God that we should "Go forward." Our desire, we trust, is but to do His bidding, to proclaim His love in His dear Son to perishing sinners-to cast the bread of life literally on the waters, where it may be gathered by "them that go down to the sea in ships;" and who, quickned by the Spirit, will find it to be meat indeed to their souls. Ours is the only department of the good work going on among the heathen, the Mahometan, or even the Jew-a class through whose labors and perils we derive, instrumentally, safety to our shores, and a large proportion of the social and domestic comforts which we enjoy-our countrymen, and yet, alas! for the most part heathens; going forth from our midst to distant lands, and bringing discredit on the religion which they profess, and the country to which they belong. The commission is given to us-we cannot hesitate. May the God of all grace endue the agents in this movement with the necessary qualifications for the important service, and draw out the sympathies of Christians every where for its support. If it be His work it must be successful, and they cannot but share His blessing who pray and labour for its prosperity. Extracted from the "WORLD ON THE WATERS" Magazine, No. 1, January, 1st, 1858. Bristol Channel.

Liverpool blessed Meeting of the Mersey Missions to Seamen. Glory be to God for this wonderful assembly and advocates of the Church of England, as published in the Northern Daily Times, Thursday, December 22nd, 1859, at 13, John Street, Liverpool, and sent to G. C. Smith, at Penzance, by Mr. James Haughton, of Eccles Street, Dublin, the worthy and zealous advocate for Temperance for sailors and landsmen in the nation and the world, and soldiers with their families.

A public meeting, to bring before all who are interested in the shipping and commerce of Liverpool the urgent claims of this valuable society, was held in the large hall of the Sailors' Home, yesterday afternoon. The attendance of seafaring men was considerable; and a number of gentlemen who take an interest in the religious, moral, and social welfare of our seamen, were also present. His Worship the Mayor, T. D. Anderson, Esq., presided on the occasion; and on the platform were Messrs. R. C. Crosbie, W. J. Tomlinson, S. R. Graves, George Grant, Ralph Brockelbank, F. A. Clint, W. Benn, Christopher Bushell, A. Balfour, W. Gregson, S. Job, David Rowlands, Robert Rankin, R. A.

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Liverpool blessed meeting for Seamen.

Payne, W. R. Con brough, A. Boyd, Dr. James, George M'Corquodale W. Cliff, Adam Hodgson, Parnell, W. Armstrong, Barry, Simpson, B. Darbyshire, Andrew Conborough, James M. Wood, Richard Fry, R. Wright, Charles Bushell, Charles Tomlinson: the Reverends Rector Campbell, Dr. M'Neile, Thring, J. J. Butler, A.M., R. Dandy, Buch, C. Lawrence, Cowan, Welsh, Maynard, Carter, Warr, F. More, A. Grove, Lane, and French. After prayer by the Rev. Mr. Butler, the Chaplain of the Sailors' Home, the Chairman said

Gentlemen and fellow townsmen, there is perhaps no society connected with this great seaport town, the first in the kingdom, over whose proceedings the mayor might with more propriety be called upon to preside, and whose inhabitants ought to be more ready to come forward to take - a lively interest in than the one whose claims we are met to advocate to day-the Mersey Branch of the Missions to Seamen. Feeling this, I have had very great pleasure in accepting the invitation of the committee to take the chair upon this occasion, and I sincerely trust that the merchants of this great town may heartily respond to the appeal that is to be made to them this day. I need not say that there is no community in the world which is more indebted to the seamen than that of Liverpool, or who ought to be more ready at all times to come forward to assist in everything that is possible to be done for their welfare. And, although Liverpool has done something towards the object in forming a Mariners' Church, a Bethel Union, and the noble institution in which we are this day met, yet I think we must admit that she has not discharged fully her obligations, or relieved herself of her responsibilities to those to whom she owes so much, as the seamen connected with this port. The title of the society declares its object-Missions to Seamen-and its printed appeal explains its character. The society, through its chaplain, visits the seamen as soon as he enters the river, and again immediately before he leaves it. It shows an interest not only in his temporal welfare, but also in his eternal welfare. It warns him of the dangers that he will meet with in coming on shore, to advise him to place his money in the savings' bank, to recommend him to respectable lodging houses in the town, or to our own excellent institution, the Sailors' Home; and in every way tries to assist the sailor on coming into port. And, gentlemen, when we know there are 40,000 British sailors entering this port annually, we can at once realise the vastness of the field upon which this society has to operate, and its importance. I believe, the first to think of the establishment of a Sailors' Home in this town; one whose name and whose memory will be always held in grateful remembrance by this community, and more especially by sailors, and those connected with the shipping of the port. I need not say I allude to the late Mr. Coatesworth. It was only a few days before his death that he met me at the. Underwriters' rooms, and he showed me the testimonials of the late excellent chaplain to this institution, and said he thought he had found the man that was exactly suited for our society; and he was admirably suited indeed. Although he has left us, I believe we have got a gentleman in every way as well fitted for the office. I will not occupy your

Liverpool First Sailors' Missions, and Birmingham Aid.

It is now 42 years since, when preaching at York Street Chapel, in Manchester, I exchanged one Lord's-day with a minister at Liverpool, and by special appointment, and public advertisements by bills throughout Liverpool, I had the happiness to preach the gospel specially to a multitude of seamen, in the chapel of the late Rev. Samuel Medley, who had, like myself, been a sailor before conversion. Since then, the following has been published to the kingdom and the world, in the Sailors and Soldiers' monthly Magazine:

"G. C. S. having commenced the Thames' Preaching Mission in the tiers of ships at the Lower Pool, in 1817, visited a respectable and pious merchant at Liverpool, in 1818, to inform him of the plan he had commenced in London for a Floating Chapel; and in 1820, having established the Bristol Seamen's Friend Society and Bethel Union, with a Floating Chapel, he was sent for to Liverpool, to commence a society and floating chapel in that great seaport also, which, by the blessing of God, after preaching through the dock every night, was accomplished; and in 1824 he was appointed by the Liverpool committee of ministers and merchants to visit Birmingham, with Mr. Matthews, from Holland, and plead the cause, with the following letter from Samuel Hope, Esq., merchant and banker, to the ministers and congregations of Birming ham, by the appointed deputation:- Liverpool, October 8, 1824. The Rev. W. Matthews,-Our friends of Birmingham having kindly consented to give you and the Rev. G. C. Smith an opportunity of communicating from the pulpit some particulars relative to the object and proceedings of the Liverpool Seamen's Friend Society and Bethel Union, with a view to a future application being made there for contributions, in the event of the Society continuing to require foreign support; and the committee will feel themselves much obliged by your undertaking this friendly office. The committee may possibly be considered partial judges of the merits of a cause committed to their own management; but, from being connected with many other excellent institutions in this town, the friends at Birmingham, to whom I have the pleasure to be known, will, I think, place some confidence in my testimony, when I affirm, that I firmly believe no benevolent undertaking, in this town, has ever accomplished anything like so much good as the one in question. In many cases partial evil must be submitted to, in endeavours to accomplish undertakings of extensive and lasting benefit to fellow men; but in the present instance, I am ignorant of any such sacrifice having been either made or called for; and I am mistaken if even your short stay amongst us has not fully satisfied your own mind of the Society's labours having been greatly blessed, both in the reformation of the moral habits of the seamen visiting the port, and, in many instances, of conversion to God on the part both of this deserving and neglected class of the community themselves, and of the members of their families, who have attended the means of grace in their company. I need not tell you that the manufacturers at Birmingham have a direct and important interest at stake in the moral character of our seamen. Had the latter been for the last

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