Miscellaneous.

THE BOOK IN THE FORECASTLE.

A horrid oath was uttered by a wild and heedless sailor boy, as he dashed a small volume across the forecastle of a whale-ship, adding, "Whoever wants, may have it." It was a copy of ——, which had been placed in his trunk by a pious friend, and which, on being taken out, as he was "overhauling his things," on a stormy day, had been hurled against the wall, in the presence of his shipmates, with the expression of an oath, as just stated.

The volume, as it fell, was picked up by an officer of the ship, himself a profane, and, as to religious subjects, an utterly thoughtless man. With the single remark to the young sailor, that "he ought not to treat any book in that way," he put it in his pocket, without even noticing its title, and soon went to another part of the ship.

For days the book was forgotten, until at last, in an idle moment, it was drawn forth by its possessor. At once, as he glanced at its pages, he became interested, and more and still more so as he went on, until the entire volume was finished before he left it. And it proved to him an arrow from the quiver of the Holy Spirit: it was blessed of God to his conversion; so that in a short season he could rejoice in Christ as his portion.

As the voyage wore on, his example and exhortations were blessed to the conversion of one or two of his shipmates; and at its close he was returned in safety to his wife and two children. That wife, like himself, had long been impenitent; and nothing could exceed the astonishment she felt when, on preparing to retire for the first night after his return, he kindly, but earnestly said, "Mary, shall we not commend ourselves to God's care, and ask his blessing? They knelt in deep emotion; and, as his humble and fervent prayer was poured forth at the throne of grace, she wept and sobbed in agony of spirit, feeling that she was a guilty and unworthy sinner, and wishing that she had the blessed portion she saw her husband had found. Aided by his counsel, it was not long before she too was rejoicing in the Saviour; and, after a proper delay for self-examination and prayer, both were received, on the same Sabbath, as members of the same church.

In a few months, he sailed on his next voyage, from which he never returned. His body rests beneath the billows of the ocean; his spirit, we trust, in the bosom of his Saviour. Years have passed away. His widow still lives, leading a life of humble and useful piety: few have done more good in the proper sphere of a woman's influence. His children have grown up to years of intelligence; and the eldest has already become hopefully a child of God, and a member of the church. The youngest is the subject of many serious thoughts, which may God bless to salvation. How far, through them, the influence of that one volume may yet reach, eternity only can reveal.

That book was but a single one of the millions published and sent forth by the American Tract Society. If we could follow and trace the influence of every one of its publications, even as imperfectly as we can of this, should we not more deeply feel the blessedness of the institution, and do all in our power to aid it? How blessed a thing to write a good book; how blessed to multiply copies of it, and send them to the ends of the earth.-American Messenger.

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE.

On the last voyage home of the royal mail steamer Teviot, a miraculous escape from sudden death occurred. On the 13th of January," says our informant, "it was blowing great guns, as the sailors say-that is, half a hurricane; in fact, as hard at times as it can blow in the Atlantic Ocean, about the southern edge of the Gulf Stream, when it was thought prudent to closereef the foretopsail, and reef the foresail. The hands were turned up for the purpose, and, as the exertions of every one on such an occasion are necessary, a smart young officer (Mr. Woolcot), amongst the rest, jumped up aloft to what is considered on board ship the post of honour-viz., the weather-earing of the foresail. In the process of reefing, and in hauling out the earing, by some unfortunate circumstance, in his anxiety to get it done quickly, he did not haul the first turn tight, and after taking the second, and taking a good pull on it, the first rended suddenly, and, losing his balance, he fell over the yard. By the greatest mercy, he in his fall caught, or rather kept hold of, the earing, and was suspended by it about nine feet from the yard-arm. His situation at this moment was most perilous, being twenty feet outside the ship, and sixty feet from the deck. He felt his hands giving way from the weight of his body, but managed to get hold of the earing with his teeth. In this situation, between life and death, he was suspended for at least three minutes. The cry of 'a man overboard' echoed through the ship, and in a second every soul was on deck to save the life of a fellow-being, if possible. The sight was horrifying; our shipmate for two years was, to all earthly appearance, gone for ever. An attempt was made by the man next him to give him the end of a rope, but the wind was too strong; it was blown away to leeward from him. The cries of horror and despair from the whole crew (100 men) at this moment can be more easily imagined than described. The commander's orders to make a running bowline knot round the earing were drowned altogether by the cry of horror from the crew. At this moment, his teeth giving way, and his hand paralysed, he let go his hold, and, as the ship lurched heavily to leeward, fell on the forecastle. The carpenter, to whom much credit is due, with great presence of mind, jumped forward as his feet touched the deck, and caught him in his arms. For all this, only his ankle-bone was broken, and he is now, we are happy to hear, doing well."--Hants Independent.

Monthly Chronicle.

"THE time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land," and with the return of vernal life and loveliness, do not all Christian hearts beat with reviving zest and joy in the sacred cause of God and truth, and are not all our anticipations of this lively character regarding the approaching festive solemnities, when the blossoming garden of the Lord will be presented to our admiring

eyes, promising rich fruits of the Church's labours? Yes! the Church seems to catch the enlivening song of nature, and to

"Rouse up every tuneful note,
To praise the Eternal King,'

for the dew of his blessing on the seed it bas sown in faith and hope. And it is only because we ourselves are preparing for one of these happy seasons of refreshment, that we are compelled, very reluctantly, to give but a passing notice of some truly interesting meetings which have been held during the past month, on behalf of the men whose "home is on the deep." We the more regret this, as it becomes due to acknowledge more definitely than time allows us, the valuable help we have received from the efficient working of recently-formed Auxiliaries in the neighbourhood of London; associations the value of which cannot at present be fully appreciated. At another time we shall more fully call attention to such systematic and co-operative efforts, with the view of stimulating those of our friends, who through the proneness of our nature to "despise the day of small things," have not, as yet, even "done what they could." As an instance of what can be effected over and beyond the largest expectations of our most devoted friends, it is with great gratification we have to report of the Sailors' Church Auxiliary, which was formed last year-that with only some ten or twelve collectors, in a congregation in which there are no opulent Christians-the treasurer has turned into the Parent Society the sum of £36.

The Report of the Clerkenwell Ladies' Association will also show that, in the first three quarters of their Auxiliary, they have realised £23. Similar efforts are proportionately encouraging in connection with the Tabernacle, Finsbury, and Bow; while our long-standing Auxiliaries in Islington, Camberwell, and East London, are " renewing their youth like the eagle's." May many more have to be as gratefully chronicled in the pages of the Society's Magazine during the forthcoming year! Meetings have been held during the month at Islington, Hammersmith, Colchester, and Romford.

Mr. Timpson has found the friends in Norfolk fully alive to the claims of the Society; and while it is not easy for officers and a body of Directors to pursue their onward work with a heavy debt hanging over their heads, yet it is sometimes difficult for them to tell which feeling preponderates, that of anxiety for the Society to be entirely disencumbered of its difficulties, or that of grateful satisfaction at the manifest desire of the churches to sustain them in their arduous work, by their enlarged sympathy and liberality, such as has been so kindly manifested in the readiness with which their late appeal has been responded to.

:

6

:

20 12 25

Missionary Operations,

PORT OF LONDON.

CAPTAIN PRYNN'S REPORT.

In presenting our reports of monthly labour amongst our brother sailors, much sameness necessarily appears, from the very nature of our engagements; yet the various incidents and circumstances connected with those labours greatly differ-not so much from time or distance, but from the varied methods of operation of the grace of God upon the hearts of those men amongst whom we are engaged.

Often has the bold blasphemer been brought to lisp the praises of our Redeemer, and sing the songs of Zion; often has the obdurate heart been broken and subdued, and, in the spirit of true contrition, led to seek for mercy. And often has the doubting and desponding heart been cheered and refreshed, whilst those who have already believed have been strengthened in their heavenly way, by an increase of faith, of love, and of grace. I have found, this past month, cases wherein all that I have thus referred to has taken place. At a Bethel meeting on board the Launceston, lying in Battle Bridge tier, after the usual invitation to the sailors to attend, I heard a sailor making use of very unbecoming language. I stopped short, and going to him, said, "Do you mean what you have just said?" He was silent for a moment, but, as though seeking for an answer, soon replied, "What have you to do with me?" I said, "I have much to do with you; I have to warn you of the evil of your ways, and to persuade you to leave your sins, and not to perish in them; and now I wish you to attend with those sailors, and come to the Bethel meeting." "No," was the answer. A few more words of entreaty passed, but in vain. We retired to our Bethel meeting, which was a very delightful one. I referred to the case of the sailor at the commencement of the meeting, and begged our praying sailors to make his case a matter of prayer before God. This was done, and I trust not in vain.

The following evening, when about to hold a Bethel meeting on board the A and E——, of F I met the same young man, conversing with two other sailors, and on my requesting them to attend the meeting, the reply was, Yes, sir.' Calling my young friend aside, I said, "I hope you will be with us to-night." With a faltering voice, and a look which nothing but guilt could produce, he replied, "I am sorry for what I did last night; I behaved very bad to you-do pray for me. I have been very differently brought up. My mother and father are pious persons; but I have been a wicked son." Tears began to flow from his eyes whilst I spoke a few words of encouragement to him. Very soon we had the happiness of seeing him at the meeting, as he had promised. Whilst praying for him, he wept aloud, and was often heard to cry, "Lord have mercy upon me.' He appeared to feel the burden of sin. I have had much conversation with him since. great change seems to have taken place; and I trust this blasphemer will become the humble follower of Christ.

A

At my meeting on board the P--, of Hull, the captain, who is a pious man, and takes a lively interest in the spiritual welfare of sailors, being present, gave a short address, which was kindly received by those who were present. Two days after, I met three men who had been present, and who all