spite of the loudest warnings, and never awake, till they lift up their eyes in hell! It was not Jonah's happiness, but his misery, that he was now asleep; and it was a mercy to him, and to all on board, that God did not suffer him to sleep on, till he and they had sunk beneath the waves.

While we condemn the thoughtlessness of Jonah, we cannot but commend the laudable concern of the shipmaster for the welfare of those entrusted to his care. Missing his Israelitish passenger, who had not appeared on deck since the commencement of the storm, he went down to seek him; and finding him asleep, he calls him up to engage in prayer. The conduct of this heathen may furnish a lesson to many captains who are called Christians. Every master of a ship should consider his crew and passengers as his family, and feel it his duty to attend to their best interests. He has not only the charge of their bodies, but, to a certain extent, the charge of their souls; and may do much for promoting their spiritual and eternal good. As this Tarshish captain called up Jonah to pray, so should every captain encourage prayer, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, on board his ship. By giving countenance to religion, and setting his face against all manner of profaneness and immorality, a master may be eminently useful, by the blessing of God, in edifying the good and reclaiming the vicious and thoughtless. It is the interest, as well as the duty, of all officers, to encourage piety and virtue among those who are under them; for the latter will be found dutiful and faithful, in proportion as they are impressed with the fear of God, and acquainted with the doctrines and duties inculcated in his word. When masters countenance swearing rather than praying, and drunkenn essand disorder instead of sobriety and decorum, it is no wonder if they find themselves despised and disobeyed. Teach men to fear God, and they will then respect their superiors, and be faithful to their employers.

The reproof which Jonah received from the captain was very just and reasonable; "What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God; if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not." How effectually does sin degrade us! Jonah might have been reproving the Ninevites, the lords of the world, and admonishing the king of Nineveh himself; but now, having deserted his duty, he meets with the reproofs of a heathen seaman. Yet it was good for the prophet, that God sent him this seasonable rebuke, even through the mouth of a heathen, as it served to bring him to his senses. Well might the master expostulate with Jonah on the madness of his insensibility: "What meanest thou, O sleeper?" Art thou alone indifferent about the wrath of heaven, and the approach of death? Art thou only without a God, without religion? What meanest thou by this strange unconcern?' “Arise, call upon thy God; if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not."

Probably the master knew, or suspected, that Jonah was an Israelite; and as, in trading to Joppa, he might hear something about the greatness of the God of Israel, he might expect that Jonah's God would prove superior to the gods whom he and his crew had been adoring, and would be better able to help them in this extremity. He therefore exhorts the drowsy prophet to arise and call upon his God, in the hope that he might have mercy upon them. Amidst difficulties and dangers, it is good not to let go our hope; for where despair enters, exertion is at an end. The captain's prospects were dark in the extreme, yet a ray of hope faintly shone through the gloom. Escape was next to impossible; yet, who could tell but that the God who raised the tempest so suddenly, might as quickly still it? The deities already invoked had rendered no assistance, yet relief might be obtained from Jonah's God. "Arise, call upon thy God; if so be that God will think upon us, that

we perish not." The words in which his hope is expressed are remarkable : "if so be that God will think upon us." The same kind of language is often used by the people of God, to express their humble expectations of his mercy. Thus Nehemiah prayed: "Think upon me, my God, for good:" and the dying prayer of the converted malefactor was, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." If the Lord have gracious thoughts towards us, and remember us with that favour which he bears unto his people, all shall be well. We must not prescribe to him any particular plan of operation, but leave it to himself to accomplish our deliverance in his own way.

The hopes of the shipmaster were far from being sanguine; there seemed to be no more than a possibility of escaping; and yet he urges Jonah to pray, though the prospect of success was extremely faint. A bare chance of deliverance appeared sufficient to warrant the most fervent prayers and most strenuous efforts. O that men were as eager for the salvation of their immortal souls! Did the gospel merely state, that peradventure we may be saved by coming to Jesus, even this would justify every possible endeavour to obtain a redemption so invaluable. How inexcusable then are we, if we neglect this great salvation, while there is not merely a possibility or a probability, but a full assurance given us, that he who believeth shall be saved, that he who cometh unto Christ shall in no wise be cast out; and while we hear the voice of a redeeming God, beseeching us to accept the offers of his grace, proclaiming to lost sinners, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely !"* What meanest thou then, O careless hearer of the gospel? Arise, call upon God, lest thou perish for ever. Shake off thy spiritual sloth; awake from thine unwarrantable slumbers; and flee for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before us. Is not the salvation of thy soul at stake? Is not eternal life freely offered thee? Art thou not hanging between life and death; ready to fall into everlasting perdition, if mercy prevent not? Why then despise the offers of infinite love? Why refuse to flee from the wrath to come? O reject not this great salvation, procured by the blood of the Son of God, and generously granted without money and without price! Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."

RICHARD HOODLESS, THE HORSE-SWIMMER.

(From Chambers' Edinburgh Journal.)

We supposed we had heard of all sorts of heroes, but find ourselves to have been mistaken. A hero in humble life has been made known to us of quite a new order. This brave man, by name Richard Hoodless, following the occupation of a farmer near Grainthorpe, on the coast of Lincolnshire, has for many years devoted himself to the saving of mariners from drowning, and this without any of the usual apparatus for succouring ships in distress. Unaided by such appliances, and unaccompanied by any living creature but his horse, Hoodless has been the means of saving many unfortunate sailors from perishing amidst the waves.

Cultivating a small piece of ground, which is, as it were, rescued from the sea, and almost cut off from the adjacent country by the badness of the roads,

* Mark xvi. 16. John iii. 16; vi. 37. 2 Cor. v. 20. Rev. xxii. 17.

this remarkable man may be said to devote himself to the noble duty of saving human life. On the approach of stormy weather, he mounts to an opening in the top of his dwelling, and there, pointing his telescope to the tumultuous ocean, watches the approach of vessels towards the low and dangerous shores. By night or by day he is equally ready to perform his self-imposed duty. A ship is struggling amidst the terrible convulsion of waters; no human aid seems to be at hand; all on board give themselves up for lost, when something is at length seen to leave the shore, and to be making an effort to reach the vessel. Can it be possible?—a man on horseback! Yes, it is Richard Hoodless, coming to the rescue, seated on his old nag, an animal accustomed to these salt-water excursions! Onward the faithful horse swims and plunges, only turning for an instant when a wave threatens to engulf him in its bosom. There is something grand in the struggle of both horse and man-the spirit of unselfishness eagerly trying to do its work. Success usually crowns the exertions of the horse and his rider. The ship is reached; Hoodless mounts two or three mariners en croupe, and taking them to dry land, returns for another instalment.

That a horse could be trained to these unpleasant and hazardous enterprises may seem somewhat surprising. But it appears that in reality no training is necessary: all depends on the skill and firmness of the rider. Hoodless declares he could manage the most unruly horse in the water; for that, as soon as the animal finds that he has lost his footing, and is obliged to swim, he becomes as obedient to the bridle as a boat is to its helm. The same thing is observed in this sagacious animal when being hoisted to the deck of a ship. He struggles vehemently at first against his impending fate; but the moment his feet fairly leave the pier, he is calm and motionless, as if knowing that resistance would compromise his safety in the aerial passage. The only plan which our hero adopts is, when meeting a particularly angry surf or swell, to turn his horse's head, bend forward, and allow the wave to roll over them. Were the horse to face the larger billows, and attempt to pierce them, the water would enter his nostrils, and render him breathless, by which he would be soon exhausted.

In the year 1833, Hoodless signalised himself by swimming his horse through a stormy sea to the wreck of the Hermione, and saving her crew, for which gallant service he afterwards received a testimonial from the Royal Humane Society. The words of the resolution passed by the society on this occasion may be transcribed, for they narrate a circumstance worthy of being widely known. "It was resolved unanimously, that the noble courage and humanity displayed by Richard Hoodless for the preservation of the crew of the Hermione from drowning, when that vessel was wrecked near Donna Nook, on the coast of Lincolnshire, on the 31st of August, 1833, and the praiseworthy manner in which he risked his life on that occasion, by swimming his horse through a heavy sea to the wreck, when it was found impossible to launch the life-boat, has called forth the lively admiration of the special general court, and justly entitles him to the honorary medallion of the institution, which is hereby unanimously adjudged to be presented to him at the ensuing anniversary festival."

As it may not be generally understood that a horse can be made to perform the office of a life-boat, when vessels of that kind could not with safety be launched, the fact of Hoodless performing so many feats in the manner described cannot be too widely disseminated. On some occasions, we are informed, he swims by himself to the wreck; but more usually he goes on horseback, and is seldom unsuccessful in his efforts. About two years ago he

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saved the captain of a vessel and his wife, and ten seamen-some on the back of the horse, and others hanging on by the stirrups. Should a vessel he lying on her beam-ends, Hoodless requires to exercise great caution in making his approach, in consequence of the ropes and rigging concealed in the water. On one occasion he experienced much inconvenience on this account: he had secured two seamen, and was attempting to leave the vessel for the shore, but the horse could not move from the spot. After various ineffectual plunges, Hoodless discovered that the animal was entangled in a rope under water. What was to be done? The sea was in a tumult, and to dismount was scarcely possible. Fortunately, he at length picked up the rope with his foot, then instantly pulled a knife from his pocket, leaned forward into the water, cut the rope-no easy task in a stormy sea-and so got off with safety!

All honour to Farmer Richard Hoodless, who still, in his own unostentatious way, performs acts of humanity as singular as they are meritorious ! Only by accident have we become acquainted with his name and deeds of heroism, and we could not deny ourselves the pleasure of giving them all the publicity in our power.

Correspondence.

FLOATING CHAPEL, GIBRALTAR.

We insert the following letter received from Rev. T. Dove, Wesleyan Missionary at Gibraltar, in acknowledgment of a box of tracts and books forwarded to his care for the use of seamen. It is deeply to be lamented that British Christians should be so feebly impressed with the necessity and importance of the work of evangelising seamen as to deny us the means of responding to appeals such as the following. We would it were otherwise; but with our restricted resources what can be done?

Wesleyan Mission House, Gibraltar, 14th Feb., 1849. MY VERY DEAR SIR,-I feel much pleasure in acknowledging the receipt of a "Bethel Flag," library, and tracts, for the use of British and other seamen who frequent the port of Gibraltar. For this act of kindness and of Christian liberality you have our warmest thanks. The Bethel ship in Gibraltar Bay is now comfortably and respectably fitted up, and is now used exclusively as a place of worship; the entire deck, from stem to stern, is covered with a new and substantial roof; therefore, we have room sufficient to accommodate a congregation of at least from 300 to 400 persons. We have regular services on Sunday mornings (weather permitting). Our congregations at this season are not large, on account of vessels from England and elsewhere being, on their arrival, placed under quarantine for the space of eight days. Such untoward circumstances necessarily prevent our having so large an attendance as we otherwise should have had; however, when such regulations cease to be in force, we have ground to hope for better days. It appears that annually no less than from 4,000 to 5.000 vessels anchor in this Bay from various parts of the world, and thereby offering the very best facilities for sending copies of the Holy Scriptures, tracts, &c., to every nation almost under heaven.

The magnitude and importance of this station induces me to suggest the necessity of an agent being appointed, if possible, by the "British and Foreign

Sailors' Society," exclusively for this work of highest mercy to the thousands and tens of thousands of seamen of all nations. He might reside on board the Bethel, preach the Gospel to seamen and others, visit the various vessels, sell and otherwise dispose of the sacred Scriptures and tracts in various languages, and thus be the means of sending, by the blessing of God, Gospel light and truth unto the very ends of the earth. As a Wesleyan missionary, I find that I cannot do justice to this great work, as both myself and excellent colleague, the Rev. George Alton, have much to do with the Spanish and English work on the Rock, in preaching, superintending schools, &c., which demands much attention, and leaves but little time for the work so needful to be done in the Bay. Will you, therefore, have the kindness to direct the attention of your committee to this all-important subject? See if they can so arrange as to send a pious, zealous, intelligent, laborious, and self-denying man; we shall be happy to put him in charge, and give him possession of the Bethel ship, and at the same time render him all the assistance in our power, in the prosecution of his great and important work. I shall be glad to furnish you with every particular, in reference to the Bethel, at a future time; and believe me to remain, with kindest regards to the members of your committee, dear Sir, yours very truly and affectionately,

THOMAS DOVE.

To Mr. Thos. Aug. Fieldwick, Sec. B. & F. Sailors' Society.

A WARNING TO SWEARERS.

MY DEAR SIR,-Since my leaving the sea I have considered the sad propensity that sailors have to the dreadful sin of swearing, often calling on their Maker to curse their eyes, limbs, and souls; and I once was a witness of the prayer being instantly answered, serving as an awful warning to others. I regret much that your valuable magazine is not more generally circulated among the ministers of our holy religion, that the seamen might have a share of their prayers and those of their congregations, as well as foreigners and Jews. Surely they ought, for they are the defenders of our country, and without them we should be in a deplorable state; our missionary societies would be puzzled to find a balloon or railroad to convey their agents across the Equator to the South Sea Islands, &c. But to my subject. After the battle of the 23rd June, 1794, one of his Majesty's ships being off the Isle of Groa with the fleet, the officer on watch, perceiving by the atmosphere that a squall was coming on, ordered the men aloft to hand the top-gallant-sails. The captain of the maintop, vexed at what he deemed unnecessary labour, was heard to say, on going up the rigging, "God strike a thunderbolt through my soul." The words were scarcely uttered, when the ship was struck by lightning. The said seaman was killed, and the man who heard him utter the awful imprecation, himself greatly alarmed, could give no account of him. The first officer was killed in the wardroom, four seamen on the maindeck, several wounded in the tops and about the ship, and the mainmast was dreadfully shattered. The ship was ordered into port to refit, and shortly afterwards assisted in obtaining a victory over the French fleet; to the survivors of which our gracious Queen has lately awarded a handsome medal.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,

AN OLD MAN-O'-WAR'S MAN.