beams, which defied the power of the pencil to imitate. The ocean, which has been often the subject of poetry and song, both by sacred and profane wide canopy of heaven, with all its writers, presented an almost unwonted appearance of stillness and peace. And the grandeur above our heads, inspired us with awe and reverence for the name of Him, who fills heaven and earth with his glory. It seemed as if all nature had been hushed into breathless silence, to listen to the melody of praise bursting forth from the lips of the sons of the ocean. It will be unnecessary for me to mention our meetings at Miramichi, as I mentioned them in my former letter. There was one more interesting service we held on our passage home to England, which I shall now mention. The Bethel Hour,' as you are aware, we attended to during the whole of our voyage, circumstances permitting. On the night previous, I mentioned about attending to the 'Bethel Hour,' however the wind and weather frustrated our intention. But towards the evening, the weather a little subsided. After having received a little refreshment after a day's hard toil, in clearing away the fragments of shattered sails, &c., we met together with cheerful hearts to praise him whom winds and seas obey. It was a solemn and impressive service, which will be long remembered, I believe. The limits of my letter preclude the possibility of com ment. DARTMOUTH BETHEL UNION. It is with unfeigned satisfaction that we give insertion to the following article of intelligence. Nothing gratifies us more than to be made acquainted with local operations, on whatever scale, or by whatever portion of the christian church they are carried on. The society is not in a state to provide for every port, and therefore if the work be done by local associations we therein rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. We trust that other places will imitate our friends at Dartmouth. Our pages are ever open to record their proceedings, if in harmony with our constitution : Au anniversary meeting of any of our religious institutions seems to say to us, "Call to remembrance former days!" We lately, at another meeting, endeavoured to call to your remembrance a period in the history of the churches in this town when they had no missionary societies attached to them. This was a foul blot, but it is now wiped off. We bring to your recollection this evening a series of years, (how many we know not, but too many) when the churches of Christ in this town made no provison for the spiritual welfare of seamen. How must the spirit of religion have declined since the days of Flavel, as indicated by the neglect of the maritime population of this port. For many years, seamen of Dartmouth had occasion to utter the complaint," We are perishing! Our souls are perishing! but no one careth for us!" It was not thus in Flavel's days. He preached ro seamen-pray. ed for seamen-and laboured to rescue them from eternal death. We have the sermons he preached to sailors still extant, and we can scarcely fail to receive the impression, while reading them, but that he must have lived with them all his days, so well acquainted does he appear to have been with their peculiar habits, with the science of navigation-with every thing, in short, that pertains to this important class of the community. Did you, my seafaring brethren, ever read a little work, entitled " Navigation Spiritualized," by the Rev. J. Flavel? In it, you have a Compass whose guidance, if followed, will conduct you safely o'er the boisterous ocean of life to the shores of eternal rest. Get this book, and let it be your companion in all your future voyages. We recal to your memory the day in which the Bethel Union was first formed. On the 27th of November, 1821, a public meeting was held at the Assembly Room in this town, for the purpose of establishing a Society for the promotion of religious instruction among sea Dartmouth; and afterwards the Methodist minister's name was added, he not being present on the occasion. In looking over the list of this committee we find some of them numbered with the dead, whose spirits, we hope, are happy with God: namely a Harris, a Shillibeer, and a Cole, of the laity, and a Windeatt of the ministers, whose name is still dear to us. Six then of the original committee still live, inclu. ded in which number are two of the ministers, but one, whose public labours being ended, is like good old Jacob, "waiting for the salvation of God.' We have now reached a period in the history of the town in which we dwell when the complaint can no longer be uttered by our sailors," No man careth for our souls." For the space of nineteen years, the ministers of Christ have been preaching to them "words whereby they may be saved." Private christians have been pleading with God on their behalf, to save them from perishing; religious tracts, and the sacred Scriptures, which are able to make them wise unto salvation, have been distributed among them; and it is hoped, that not a few, but many, have, through this instrumentality, by grace divine, been made wise unto eternal life. Let us bless God in his house tonight, that neither we, as ministers, nor the churches of which we are pastors, are any longer chargeable with neglecting the souls of those who traverse the mighty deep, and whose lives are often in jeopardy. And let the prayer of David be adopted by us all, in the anticipation of resuming our efforts for the eternal welfare of our seamen for the present season,-" 8ave now, I beseech Thee, O Lord! O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity!" And let all the people say, Amen. [To be continued.] SERMONS AND PUBLIC MEETINGS. WEST BROMWICH.-On the second Sabbath in November, the Rev. G. R. Hewlings presented the claims of the Institution to the various congregations of the town; and on the following evening (Monday) a public meeting was held, which was well attended. It is hoped a deeper and stronger impression has been produced in that locality, in favour of the Society. MANCHESTER.-This large and flourishing city was also visited, at the same time, by Mr. Hewlings, with several surrounding towns and villages. There is the prospect of something more fixed and permanent being established here. Hitherto, there has been no organized association in Manchester for the Sailors' Society; but surely, considering how dependent even our manufactures are on the sailor for exportation, we feel confident that the effort which has been made to found an Auxiliary will be successful. BRADFORD. We might apply the same remarks to this place. Here Mr. H. preached. It is true we have an annual return of subscriptions, from both Bradford and Manchester, but still we wish to see Auxiliaries in both. We would just remind the kind friend who undertook to collect the subscriptions and donations at Bradford, that as yet we have had no remittance. SOUTHAMPTON.-Here sermons were preached by Mr. Hewlings, on the third Sabbath in January, and collections obtained. The friends have kindly promised to form an Association in May next. LEWES.-On Sabbath the 24th ult., Mr. H. preached here, and introduced the claims of the Society, after which the collection amounted to £8. 16s. Another effort is to be made in April. To the ministers and friends in these various places, the Directors beg to tender their best thanks for the favour and support extended to the Sailors' cause. DEPUTATION TO THE NORTH OF ENGLAND. These are to certify, that the Rev. E. E. ADAMS, A.M., Seamen's Chaplain at Cronstadt, Russia, and Captain B. PRYNN, Senior Thames Missionary, have been appointed by the Board of Directors to visit the Counties of YORK, NORTHUMBERLAND, Durham, WESTMORELAND, CUMBERLAND, and others in the MIDLAND, on their return, on behalf of the Institution. They are affectionately commended to the favour and support of christians of all denominations, in the prosecution of their sacred design. On behalf of the Board, ROBERT FERGUSON, Secretary. Printed by J. W. Maddox, Dockhead, Bermondsey. THE seasons of the year, while they all testify, though with various voice, the attributes of the Almighty, have also analogies to the condition of man; and every language is full of those similitudes which arise from the progress of the year and the progress of human life. Its first and most obvious analogy is to that of old age; to the darkened eye, and the decaying frame, and the hoary head, upon which the snows of time have fallen. You have arrived, like the year, at the winter of your days; but, as in the annual revolutions of time, He that formed you has not decayed. The same power which first called you into being, and spread the blossoms of your spring, is now, in his great system, conducting you to the termination of your days, and resolving your material frame into the dust from which it sprung. It is indeed a season of solemnity, but let it not be to you a season of gloom ;-it is the same goodness which first led you into life, which is now withdrawing you from it; it is the same unwearied care which presided over the hour of your birth that will finally preside over the hour of your dissolution. Amid the desolations of winter, the voice of nature tells you that spring will return, and the earth will be again covered with the glory of the Lord :-amid the weakness and weariness of age, the voice of Revelation tells you that another spring shall visit the grave; "that the dead shall rise, and they shall be changed;" and that in the great destiny of the virtuous soul, the frailty of man shall put on "incorruption;" and the infirmities of age shall put on "immortality." The second great relation which the season of winter has to the condition of man, is to that of those that mourn;—those who, in this imperfect and unfinished state of being, are suffering under the apparent influences of chance and time. How many are there to whom the similitude may apply?—they who labour under the pressure of disease, or struggle with the hardships of hopeless poverty,-or weep over the many unforeseen miseries of domestic life;-they who have once known better days, and are now consigned by the cruelty of the world to obscurity and neglect ;-and they, far more, who bend over the ashes of those whom they loved, and bereaved of all they held dear, refuse the voice of comfort. To such mourners, the great language of consolation is doubtless that of the gospel. It is such tears which faith alone can dry; and it is upon such secret chambers of resigned distress, that the Spirit of God descends "with healing in his wings." Yet let me also remind you, that nature too has its voice of consolation; and that the same God who made summer the emblem of the duties of prosperity, has made winter also the emblem of the graces of adversity. You have arrived, then, at the moral winter of your being,—the night of sorrow is closing over your heads,---and the sun, which brightened your former days, seems to be withdrawing from your view. It is the kindred spectacle which nature now presents to your eyes. Yet the sun, you know, will again return unto his place in the heavens ;---the clouds that shroud the face of the earth will disappear, and the voice of joy will be heard amid the promises of another season. Think not that the Providence which thus watcheth over material nature, is regardless of the moral happiness of man; think rather, that he thus the laws opens to you of his government, and that he makes the year of nature the emblem of your immortal year; think, far more, that in his moral system there is no evil to the virtuous; and that it is not the momentary state, but the final issue which is to disclose his eternal design. While therefore you see the storms of winter preparing the earth for the blossoms of another spring, let these be the sign to you of those kind severities by which he prepares |