possible, of the opportunities thus afforded them of assembling together to worship Almighty God, who ought to be honoured and exalted by sea and by land; for in Him we live, and move, and have our being;" and "He so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." All, therefore, young and old, are earnestly exhorted "to seek the Lord while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near;" assured "that there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth," and "that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin," Those who "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy," will find that obedience to the Divine commands, in this as well as in everything else, will bring a blessing on them, soul and body, for the Scripture declares, "that godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come."

Gloucester, February, 1849.

PRESENTATION TO T. G. BELL, Esa.

It is highly gratifying to find that the friends of seamen in Scotland appreciate the disinterested labours of the honorary secretary of our Newcastle Auxiliary. That society has now existed for the last three years, and the following is a brief synopsis of its operations: -4,613 Bibles sold amongst seamen, 424,356 tracts distributed, 21,800 vessels boarded, 1,587 Bethel meetings held, 2,916 visits to sailors' families, 19 seaports on the north coast are under regular visitation, 47 loan libraries have been furnished to ships, and 50 is the average attendance at the school for seamen's children.

We hesitate not to say that this vast amount of work has been accomplished to a great extent through the energy and perseverance of our esteemed friend, who, in his efforts to further the interests of this mission, has sustained much expense, and undertaken several long journeys into Scotland to present its claims. In our last number, we gave the particulars of a meeting held at Carlisle on behalf of this cause, and addressed at length by this gentleman; and we have now the pleasure of recording that two valuable oil paintings of sea views-"The Calm," and "The Storm,"-in rich gilt frames, have just been purchased, by subscription amongst a few friends in Scotland, and presented to Thomas George Bell, Esq., Honorary Secretary of the Newcastleon-Tyne Auxiliary Sailors' Society, as "an expression of respect for his valuable gratuitous services to the cause of missions amongst seamen, in the north of England, and along the east coast of Scotland."

We trust that our friend will long be spared to prosecute an object so well worthy of bis regard, and to which he has so warmly attached himself; and that the blessing of God will abundantly reward him for his devotion to the cause of the sailor.

Monthly Chronicle.

The past month has been an encouraging one, both with regard to the operations of the Society, as seen from the Agents' Reports, and also with respect to the increased interest felt in these operations by the friends of the sailor, as will be seen from the additional meetings held on behalf of the funds, and the great readiness with which the appeal of the Directors for extra contributions towards the debt has been responded to.

The cards have been cheerfully accepted by a great number of friends, who are already engaged as collectors; and in some cases more than twice the amount asked has been immediately forwarded.

Our friends at Camberwell have held an interesting meeting, during the month, of their Auxiliary, at the Lecture Hall. It was well attended. The Rev. Mr. Watson, minister of the Episcopal Chapel, Beresfordstreet, presided, and in a most appropriate address laid before the meeting the claims of seamen on the highest sympathies of the Church. He was followed by another clergyman of the Establishment, who had himself seen much of seamen, and attested to the facility with which their hearts can be reached by the simple force of kindness. A deputation from the Parent Society attended; and throughout the meeting an evident interest was felt, which, as Captain Hasted, one of our Bethel captains, facetiously observed, "it is believed will not be so evanescent as the cheerfulness of the swallow, who in the sunny hours of spring is joyous and gay, but on the approach of winter seeks refuge in more congenial spheres."

We greatly wish that Auxiliaries may spread throughout London, and we are happy in being able to state that this desire is meeting with the hearty concurrence of some of the leading ministers in the metropolis. On Tuesday, the 15th, a meeting was held at Finsbury, and an Auxiliary set on foot, under the auspices of the Rev. Dr. Fletcher.

On the 21st, the Rev. G. Smith, of Poplar, preached a powerful discourse on behalf of the Society, at the Tabernacle, City-road, after which an Auxiliary was formed, under the sanction of our long-tried friend, Dr. Campbell.

The friends at St. Alban's are hereby requested to accept the grateful acknowledgments of the Directors for their kind reception of our deputation, Messrs. Finch and Lonsdale, and for the determination at which they have arrived to form an organised Auxiliary in that town. The meeting was presided over by the Rev, W. Upton; and addresses were delivered by E. Gibson, Esq., and the ministers of that neighbourhood of various denominations.

At Wisbeach, the anniversary of the Auxiliary went off with uncommon interest. Our secretary, Mr. T. A. Fieldwick, formed the deputation, and has returned to his duties in London, refreshed with the growing zeal of the friends in those parts.

Our friends, the Revs. E. Adey, Leighton Buzzard, and H. L. Adams, Newark, are only just returned from a tour in Notts and Derby; and an account, from the pen of our worthy deputation, will be found in another place.

The honorary secretary, the Rev. T. Timpson, is now occupied with a tour in Staffordshire and Shropshire, with encouraging prospects of success in his deputation work.

We shall feel greatly indebted to our friends for names of persons to whom collecting cards for the debt can be forwarded.

CIRCULATION OF BIBLES, TESTAMENTS, PARTS OF SCRIPTURE, TRACTS, AND OLD MAGAZINES.

16 174 131

9 11

23 148

20

Yarmouth

5

130 30 450

680

400

60 60

67

Total

49 1005 129 1081 2762 660 651

87 262 211

Missionary Operations.

PORT OF LONDON.

CAPTAIN PRYNN'S REPORT.

Called upon, at the expiration of another month, to give an account of my labours amongst my brother sailors, I do so with much satisfaction, being assured that the Lord is carrying on his good work in their hearts by the mighty power of his converting grace. It is indeed a cause of rejoicing, when the hard and stubborn heart is subdued, and the powers and influence of the mind yield to the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit, and men, thus renewed in the spirit of their minds, are found seeking in earnest the salvation of their souls.

Of His presence and influence, in our constant labours amongst sailors, we are not without many pleasing manifestations; and it is this, we have reason to believe, which causes our Bethel meetings to be made as the house of God and the gate of heaven to many souls. At these meetings we have seen the sailor (probably for the first time) listening with rivetted attention to the word of grace, wondering at, and often powerfully impressed with, the earnest supplications of his brother sailors, and at times under such convictions as to cause tears to bedew his manly cheeks.

In this state he is brought, as an humble, contrite sinner, to seek mercy through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of his sins, according to the riches of his grace. Thus, the gospel tidings of salvation, taken to sailors, at our Bethel meetings, has proved the power of God, to the salvation of many immortal souls.

In my visitations on the river Thames, the London, St. Katharine, and West India Docks, together with the Surrey and Regent Canals, I have had to employ both prudence and affection, in warning and reproving many a wanderer, and the careless; and I trust these admonitions have not been given in vain. Circumstances of a pleasing nature have taken place, where I have met pious captains, mates, and sailors, with whom I have taken sweet counsel, and have then bowed my knees, and in prayer approached the mercy seat.

A Bethel meeting, held on board the S, of W- -, was well attended. The pious captain commenced with prayer, and one expression struck me forcibly; it was, "Lord, save my ship's company, I beseech thee; there are some far from holiness. Oh! Lord, bring them near to thee, and deliver them from the bondage of sin; for thou hast found a ransom. Oh, Lord! let thy love rule in all their hearts, and enable me to live before them as becomes the gospel." One ship carpenter, one mate, and three sailors, engaged in prayer at this meeting; and it was, I trust, a profitable season to all present. At its close, a captain said, "Sir, whenever my vessel is in the Pool, I shall be happy to see you on board, to hold a Bethel service; for I much approve of these means of grace."

The following evening, a meeting was held on board the J— and Aof S. This also was a very profitable season to many present. Here I met three sailors, who are in attendance at the Sailors' Church, Wellclosesquare, when in London; and who, in conversation at the close of the meeting,

gave me a brief account of their being brought to a knowledge of the truth. Two of them had received their earliest impressions at Bethel meetings, and one had been first awakened by a sermon at the Sailors' Church, about eighteen months since, from the text, "The great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" To use his own words-" For awhile these words were constantly sounding in my ears, The great day of his wrath is come, &c.' I was led to read the Scriptures, and, with many tears and strugglings, to pray in my poor feeble way; but, on a voyage to Jamaica, God, in his mercy, brought my soul out of bondage, and led me to rejoice in his salvation. I was much strengthened and supported in my mind whilst in Jamaica, by meeting the missionary there, and attending the meetings at the chapel." This man is now a member of a Christian church at Hull.

At another Bethel meeting I observed one of the sailors, who had exercised much power in prayer; and, at its close, I said to him, "Well, my brother, how long have you been sailing towards heaven?" "Why," said the hardy, heaven-bound sailor, "Sir, you ought to know, for you made out my indentures." "I made out your indentures," I replied; "why, you never sailed with me." "Well, Sir," said he, "I'll soon make you sensible how it is;" and, going to his chest, he brought me a communion ticket, in connection with the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, dated at Bell Wharf Chapel, July 4, 1842, and made out in my handwriting. I was glad to see this, and the following day gave him a new ticket of communion, at the Sailors' Church, Wellclose-square. I was very happy thus to meet this good old sailor, after a lapse of six years and upwards.

On board the M-, of D——, a very pleasant meeting was held. Several here related their Christian experience, which is sometimes very encouraging to weak believers, and calculated to do good. The captain gave me a hearty welcome to hold a Bethel meeting whenever the vessel was in the Pool, and hoped I would come again before he sailed. I did so; the meeting was better attended than on the former occasion, and, I trust, with better results. In this way, the Lord appears to open our way, and we have reason to praise his name for the manifestations of his grace.

I have also had the happiness of holding a religious service on board the barque Calcutta, off Gravesend. This vessel is commanded by one of my sons, and is bound to Port Adelaide, with passengers and cargo. This service was held on Sabbath afternoon last, when about seventy passengers and the crew, twenty-nine in number, met in the twixt-decks. There were several pious persons amongst the passengers, and three pious sailors amongst the crew, who kindly assisted in the singing, and listened most attentively to the word spoken, from the words, "Oh! that they were wise; that they understood these things; that they would consider their latter end." I trust the word was applied by the Spirit's power to the hearts of those who heard it. I gave tracts to the passengers and the crew, which were thankfully received. After a kind and hearty shake of the hand, I bade my brother sailors farewell; and, when in the boat, and leaving the ship, the crew, with some of the passengers, stood up, and with one voice exclaimed, "Good-bye, Sir; good-bye." I felt their kindness, as I have often done on similar occasions; but here my son was amongst them, as the commander, and I felt the circumstances more keenly. I could only say, in return, "May the blessing of God rest upon you all. Adieu!”

SAILORS' CHURCH.

The services at the Sailors' Church continue to be encouraging, and several persons have been of late admitted as members of the church. During the past