inasmuch as what is most visible of the character of the sailor to the public view, is that which proclaims his degradation. My missionary intercourse among our seamen, however, affords a very different impression, or rather a conviction, that true religion is gradually, and in some instances, rapidly spreading amongst them; and as to the spirit that prevails, where to go on earth in order to find more of the original simplicity of the gospel, I know not. It is a thought in which I have frequently indulged of late (and I believe not a groundless one) that even among sailors, the great head of the church is raising up a people that were before considered the outcasts of men-a people who shall stand a living testimony of the transforming power of the gospel. The time has arrived when our converted seamen are to be found in far distant ports and continents, and by the very shores where darkness and superstition have long held their reign-even there our pious and brave captains are to be seen with their praying crews around them-lifting up the standard of the cross-and without the laying on of hands (unless it be that of the Holy Spirit) preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to the astonished multitudes declaring the wonderful works of God! What but this means the poet : Flow on sweet stream, for ever flow, During the past two months, I have been enabled to hold forty-one Bethel services, twenty-eight on ship-board, and thirteen on shore. My services afloat have generally corroborated the preceding statements. My ship meetings have been attended by 606 sons of the ocean, upwards of 150 of whom engaged in earnest supplications at the throne of grace for the conversion of the whole. To say much in few words, I may state, that the meetings have been very rare in which there have not been some scriptural marks of good being done. May I just notice one or two cases at a meeting held on the 31st October, on board the Peace, capt. H. R. Cabin and steerage crowded with earnest souls ;-finding myself unable to preach from severe coughing, (arising from the crowded state of the meetings of late,) capt. Anderson of the Yacht being present with his crew, (a young man of excellent abilities, and zealous in the cause of Christ and for the souls of his brethren) kindly assisted me by giving an affectionate address; in the course of which he remarked, that some persons may think that our meeting together in this humble manner in a ship's cabin, is a great weakness; indeed, by some it was considered insignificant. After his address, we returned to prayer, when a fine robust sailor broke forth in strains of grateful thanks, that he had lately been induced to attend these insignificant meetings, (so called) turning the word over again and again. He closed by intreating that none might call those insignificant meetings that were honoured with the presence of God, and made effectual to the salvation of his poor soul. A second meeting of much interest was held on the 6th instant, on board the Unity, capt. Bulmer; there were fortyone present, with six or ten captains in the company-what was most affecting, the greater part of the forty-one had become praying seamen of late-" what hath God wrought?" my own heart filled (at the commencement of the sacred service) as a brand plucked from the fire --with them, as with many grateful, cheerful voices, we sung the following appropriate lines :— Suffice that for the season past, Hell's horrid language filled our tongues, We all thy words behind us cast, But O, the power of grace divine! In hymns we now our voices raise; Loudly in strange Hosannalis join, And blasphemies are turned to praise. I have visited the shipping in the various docks and canals as usual, including the river;-I have distributed about 2000 tracts, giving a word of instruction as circumstances called for, and have obtained for the Society's agents for evening services 55 ships; have visited the seamens' lodging-houses, and the wounded sailors in London hospital;-in this latter place I have been gratefully received. To one poor sailor that lies there with a broken limb, far from home, I hope the books and tracts given, and the various visits, have been useful to his soul. of persons, sailors, and others; many of which attend no place of worship,—and tracts have been distributed generally at all those services, to such characterssome of the profligate females of the neighbourhood have been found to attend -persons passing and repassing from their work have come and stayed during the service. Many foreign going sailors, loitering along Ratcliff Highway, have turned in with us, seeing the Bethel flag displayed, and their minds have been seriously impressed-one belonging to the crew of a large East Indiaman, particularly, who was thereby induced to attend the Rev. Mr. Hyatt's chapel afterwards, while in port, until he left this countryon a voyage to Madras, a different man, (to use his own words) to what he was before. A Roman Catholic girl, about twenty years of age, who was passing by, and came in merely for curiosity, the instruction communicated proved profitable to her. She afterwards attended the chapel regularly, threw away her mass book-requested a New Testament which gave her-speedily read it through, and is now, I believe, serving God in spirit and in truth. The preached word appears to have had a good effect on the mind of a journeyman carpenter, who attended these means, first with his bag of tools, and whose soul was seriously influenced by a reference in the sermon to the death of a man, who, it appeared, had died in his sins, of cholera, after only eight hours illness, and who was buried in the same Mr. J. PALMER, for Nov. 1842.I do remember my faults this day, was the language of Pharoah's chief butler respecting Joseph, who afterward became the second ruler of the land of Egypt. These words are applicable to me. Having failed to give in my report last month, not that I had nothing to state, but because I was engaged in working, and had not opportunity for writing. However, I can say, (time having since passed on) deliberately and advisedly, that I have had a laborious but encouraging four months. My services have been various; several sabbaths at Long Reach-ditto at Billingsgate some on board the large Scotch steamers-at the sailors' chapel, week-days and sabbaths-several sabbaths at the London Dock gates-similarly engaged in the open space of ground fronting the Rev. Mr. Hyatt's chapel, at Shadwell. Also, every Wednesday evening under the Bethel flag, from the month of June to the end of September. Some of these services were attended by hundreds wonderfully preserved in the life-boat off ground on the afternoon of the day. A woman likewise, just recovered from the cholera, stated the saving benefit she received by the preaching there. Several circumstances peculiar to our operations may be now recorded, in connection with my services, from ship to ship. I attended a meeting near London Bridge, and conversed with the sailor, whose life was so Whitby, which overturned in a violent storm, and enclosed him for two hours in the month of October, 1841. He is a man of prayer, a decided, devoted christian, and prayers morning and evening are performed in the ship to which he belongs. Captain M. of the A. one night much interested me and others by a recital of his course and conduct for several years at sea. He is one of our oldest friends, and for a lengthened period has been identified with the Bethel cause. His efforts have been blessed of God, not only to the conversion of some of his crew, but of passengers also, who sailed with him on different voyages from England to New York. He states, there was a great revival one voyage particularly, which will be eternally remembered by many who were at that time on board his ship; and personal testimony has since been borne to the good effect thereof, at different times in America, to the captain himself and others. He once sailed in a vessel which sprung a leak in the midst of the western ocean, the ship was loaded with iron. All means were used that could be used to save her. The captain worked hard-the crew laboured-the passengers assisted to the utmost of their power the leak increased the wildness of the storm-the rushing of the sea through the vessel from stem to stern, was fearful in the extreme, beyond the possibility of description-and when all hope that they should be saved was taken away from the captain's mind, he felt as a christian, he had an imperious duty to discharge to all on board, and he severally addressed them one by one. He told them that they would soon die. He asked them whether they were prepared to die. He earnestly exhorted them to prepare. Immediately one caught him and threw his arms around his neck, and could not believe it. Another went raving mad. The scene was tremendous, terrific, and appalling. There was one man, said the captain, that I addressed, as I did the rest, I shall never forget, who since I know as a primitive methodist preacher, and when I asked him if he were prepared to die, clasped his hands together, and with eyes uplifted to heaven, exclaimed with emphasis, which God alone inspires-"Yes, I am, and have been long prepared." O what a change was evidenced-I never shall forget the pleasure that beamed in his countenance when he answered my enquiry. In the midst of this some asked, can anything be done? The captain said a signal of distress can be hoisted. This was done at the mast head, but hope deferred made their hearts sick. They then in great agony and despair cried out, can any thing more be done? Nothing, answered the captain, but to hoist another signal to the other mast-head. Oh let it be done let it be done, said they,-for God's sake let it be done. "It was done." The signals of distress were flying drearily in the storm. All was suspense -breathless anxiety-when lo! a vessel hove in sight-she saw us-she bore down to us-they took us all on board, and when we were safe, we looked to the ship from which we had just escaped, when she filled-she foundered-she sunk in the midst of the great western ocean, to rise no more. I have been removed from my station in the Upper Pool to the Lower Pool, two months since, and review my Bethels on shipboard with high gratification. I first commenced with a general sailors prayer meeting for divine success; the time was filled by prayer for me from captains, master and seamen. Soon after this, I held a service aboard a new Bethel ship, when the captain prayed for the first time. His language was as follows: Lord, I have never prayed; help me to commence thy ways-teach me to pray. This was followed by his apprentice, encouraged by the captain's example, and At who appeared to approach God with a broken and contrite heart. Then broke silence one of the crew, whose mind for a length of time had been religiously influenced. He uttered broken accents which interested angels-animated us, and were accepted of God. The captain has since attended a chapel on shore, and is obeying God's commandments. another Bethel, (the captain of the ship, a devoted and energetic young man,) two sailors spoke for the first time, who had been at sea thirty years, and during that time, drunken and profligate men. I have also held meetings to promote total abstinence among seamen, which were interesting, and well attended. At one meeting, nine pledges were obtained, and at another sixteen pledges; and total abstainers, not only continue st-adfast, but more firm in their principles. I cannot close my report without refering to the increasing good effected by the sailors fellowship meetings on a Monday night, at Bell Wharf chapel; and it would be ingratitude on my part not to speak of the operations of our captains and others, who have accompanied me from night to night, and from ship to ship, to promote our great cause. May our good Lord bless them in port and at sea, at home and abroad-with strangers, and with friends. May we all meet in heaven. I have held, since my last report, 64 meetings on shore, and 40 on shipboard ;-sailors present at the different servics, from 15 to 50. LASCAR BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION, IN CONNECTION WITH THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN SAILORS' SOCIETY. We are happy to state that the above Institution has been regularly organized, and a Committee formed to carry into effect such measures as may be deemed most expedient for the temporal improvement and religious instruction of the Lascars and other Asiatics visiting the port of London. 1 A special fund is now opened for this specific purpose, and the Committee respectfully beg the liberal support of the British public. They acknowledge with best thanks the following subscriptions: |