25 34

:

:

57 999 104 563 1991 500 54 72 85 49

Missionary Operations.

PORT OF LONDON.

MR. S. LONSDALE'S REPORT.

I am happy to be able to state that the work of the Lord is making progress amongst our seamen, and, at present, the signs of the times are cheering. Of late our services have not only been well attended, but I trust gracious results have followed. I will take the liberty of giving a few extracts from my journal, which I trust will be pleasing to all who desire the spread of Gospel truth and salvation amongst sailors.

On the 4th February, after boarding 41 vessels, I held a service on board the Perseverance, of Stockton, Captain White. 20 seamen were present, five of whom engaged in prayer, and a happy feeling prevailed. Before we separated, a pious captain wished to say a few words. He addressed himself more particularly to his brother captains (several of whom were present), and endeavoured to impress their minds with the necessity of not only being kind to their men, but of seeking their salvation, and of having the Bible read, and prayer on board their ships. My prayer is, that his good advice may be adopted.

came.

February 5th, on board the Maria and Elizabeth, Capt. Carr, our meeting was attended by 25, eight or nine of whom were captains. After the address, five engaged in prayer. One of them was the master of a vessel lying near; we were lads together, and born in the same town. I have always had free access to his vessel, to hoist the Bethel flag, but he never made any pretensions to religion. When I went over the tier to invite to the service, I found him and two others studying navigation in a ship's cabin. He knew my voice, and called me down. I invited them to the service, and they put away their books and The Gospel found its way to his heart; he said he had never shed a tear for many years, either at the death of a relative, or for anything else, but that he had been melted down, and had wept then; and he expressed his thanks that he had been invited there. May these impressions be lasting, and effectual to the salvation of his soul. In my last report, I remarked that a pleasing opening had been made to hold Bethel meetings on board the Newcastle traders. Since then I have had the ship promised to me, and others also. On the 11th, I had the pleasure of holding a meeting on board the D—, Capt. B.; he was most willing to fulfil his promise. The service was attended by 20 seamen and captains, three of whom engaged in prayer. Our hearts were gladdened by the Divine presence. The Gospel seemed to make a deep impression on the minds of those present. When the service was closed, another captain, in the same trade, unsolicited, said, "You are welcome to my ship any time when she is at liberty." His friend said, "Bravo! that's right! hoist up the bunting!" I called on board next morning, to remove the Bethel flag to his ship. As I went towards the cabin, the captain was coming on deck to go on shore. He expressed his pleasure at seeing me, and invited me down into his cabin, where we had some pleasing conversation. He said he was glad we had begun to hold meetings among them, for he had enjoyed and profited by them. He added, "Last voyage you made one remark, which, though simple in itself, was applicable to me-speaking of people setting out with good resolutions, and, because they fail to accomplish their object, give it up. You said, if you fall down, get up again; don't lie there. That just suited me. I have formed resolutions for good, and have fallen, and have laid there. You gave

me a tract last night; I have read it this morning, and it exactly describes me." (Its title was, "The First Prayer in the Family.") I gave him all the advice and encouragement I could, and there is every reason to hope that good has been the result of our efforts.

The following night, 13th, I had the happiness of accepting the offer of the captain referred to above, and he bade me a hearty welcome on board his ship. An interest in favour of [the services seemed to be excited, and we had a refreshing season. After the address, four engaged in prayer. The cabin was crowded. One captain said there were 35 present; I numbered 28, of whom eight were masters, and, at the conclusion, another captain, in the same employ, offered his ship. I also held a delightful service on board his vessel. I have not space to enter into particulars, but I will just say, such is the interest felt by those captains who have had the services, that they have taken the trouble to recommend us to their fellow-captains, and have given us names of other ships, in the same trade, that we are to have. Some of them have already had the Bethel flag flying, and service held on board. I will just name a fact or two more in connection with our Bethel services.

On the 4th of March, at a meeting on board the Wear Packet, Captain Dunn, 14 were present, and six prayed, most of whom belonged to the ship, and had been very recently brought to a knowledge of the truth. It appeared that the mate had attended a service I had held some months before, on board a vessel lying in the Lower Pool, and the truth had made a deep impression on his mind. He prayed, and he told the Lord, in his own peculiar way, about the service above mentioned, and the impressions he had then received. He observed to me, that he had never seen me since until that night. At this meeting, the master of a vessel alongside, who had been heard swearing only a day or two previous, was heard to ask God to be merciful to him a sinner. Capt. Dunn informed me of the following particulars of the usefulness of a tract I had given him several months ago (27th of September last):-I was holding a service on board the Neptune, of Whitby, (the last ship I went to sea in,) then lying in Regent's Basin. While going over the ships to invite the sailors, I met this captain, who was then mate; I asked him to come to the meeting, and gave him the tract entitled, "An Address to Seamen, by the Portland Marine Bible Society." He put it into his pocket, and came to the service. A short time after he went master of a vessel. His crew were shipped, and they went to sea. He had not called his men into the cabin for prayer since they had left port. One evening, one of the men (not a religious character) went to him and said, "Master, I don't know what you think, but I think you ought to have called us aft to prayer." The captain said, "I have done wrong; let you and me go down just now and ask God to forgive us." This they did, and, from that time, family prayer was held at all opportunities. One night the captain's eye caught the title of the tract I had given him; it attracted his attention, and he read it to his crew before prayer. Such was the effect, that three of his men burst into tears. After their devotions, they took the tract into the forecastle with them, and read it again and again; and the master said he believed that, by the blessing of God, that tract was the instrument of the conversion of three of his men, and he prized it so much that he would not give it to any body, not even his wife. He had put it into his Bible and locked it in his chest, and was very much gratified the other Sabbath when I gave him two more of the same sort.

On the 5th I held a meeting on board the Barnard Castle, our old friend Capt. Hasted: 23 present. After the address, seven prayed. I hope the happy influence that was there experienced will not soon be forgotten. The mate of the vessel engaged in prayer for the first time in public, and when the service was over the master said, "Thank God, I have been blessed with a praying mate to-night." I had often asked him to engage at our private worship,

but could not prevail on him. I have attended to the visiting of ships on the river and in the docks, and also the sailors in the lodging-houses. I have distributed tracts and sold Bibles, and endeavoured to do all the good I could. I met with several Greeks and Italians at one lodging-house, and I have supplied them with tracts in their own languages, which they received very gladly. Last month I held 16 services afloat, attendance 268, and 2 services on shore. I paid 431 visits to vessels, and 167 to sailors' lodging-houses. I sold 24 Bibles, and 9 Testaments; distributed 1,630 English, and about 50 foreign tracts.

PROVINCIAL OPERATIONS.

FALMOUTH.

MR. J. TROTTER'S REPORT.

According to promise, I now send another report of our operations here; and it is my growing conviction that it was a providential arrangement when you appointed a seaman's missionary in Cornwall, especially to the port of Falmouth. The consideration that more than 2000 vessels visit this harbour annually, which vessels contain at least about 25,000 seamen, will fully justify my impression. When I look sometimes at the magnitude and importance of the work, I am ready to give it up. Hitherto, however, the Lord hath helped me, and I know that "God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty."

Since my last report, we have had many interesting and refreshing services in our Bethel. It continues to be as well attended as the first day it was opened. We have three preaching services every week, two on the Sunday, and one on the Thursday evening; also a prayer meeting every Monday evening, when an extract or two is generally read from your interesting magazine. A short time ago, we held a sailors' fellowship meeting in the Bethel, which was well attended. Several sailors stated their Christian experience, how they were brought to God, how religion supported them in the midst of danger, and how they had succeeded in persuading others of their shipmates to enlist under the banners of the cross. Many interesting facts were stated, one of which I will take the liberty of relating. An old veteran for Jesus Christ, who is a sailmaker, said :-"I once joined a vessel in this port, and after being on board a day or two, was engaged in doing a small job on the top-gallant forecastle, when one of the crew came up to me and said, 'Are you the sailmaker? 'Yes,' said I, 'in the place of a better.' 'You are a Methodist, too,' said the man. Yes I am,' said I, 'pray what are you, my friend?' To which the man said, 'I hardly know what I am.' 'But I will tell you,' said I, 'you are of Peter's gang; you have run away from Jesus Christ.' How do you know that?" said the man. 'I know it, I can see it,' said I. The man at once acknowledged he was a backslider, and began to weep like a child. Two days after, we met again, and joined conversation on the same subject, when I said to him, ' Come, my friend, we have had enough of talk, let us try to find a place for prayer,-a praying heart never wants a praying place.' We at once crept upon our hands and knees under the forecastle, and while I prayed, the man groaned and wept for redemption. He became a true penitent. The vessel went to sea, and after we had been out four days, I was up earlier than usual one morning, and saw my friend coming down from the fore-top with his countenance shining with joy. Suspecting what he had been after, I said to him, 'Is your soul happy?' 'Yes,' said he, I shall have to bless God that ever you came on board this ship.' The man had been pleading with God on the fore-top for pardon, and God had there and then spoken peace to his soul. We continued to meet under the top-gallant

6

forecastle for prayer and Christian fellowship during the whole of the voyage, in the midst of much persecution; and what is more cheering still, nine others of the ship's company were converted to God through our instrumentality, and joined us in our social worship. One of the nine was a black man, who had long been confined to his berth by affliction, but such was his thirsting for the water of life, that he got four of his shipmates to lift him out of his bed and carry him on their shoulders to the place where we held our meeting. About three weeks after this, he professed to find peace in believing." Our fellowship meeting was held on New Year's eve, and many of the old seamen said, at the close, it was the best New Year's eve they had ever spent, and would like to have kept it up all night. The following is a brief summary of our labours since my last report. I have held services at Penzance, Deveron, St. Ives, Hayle, Tuckingmill, and Camborne. Altogether, 306 visits have been paid to vessels; 1,585 English, 585 foreign, and 165 Welsh tracts, and 66 old magazines distributed; 50 visits have been paid to the sick and dying; and 77 services held.

A large and valuable parcel of useful books has been received from a friend at Cheltenham, and another from a friend at Richmond, also a parcel of magazines from Captain Allen, R.N. The esteemed donors have our warmest and best thanks, as well as the good wishes and prayers of many a son of the deep. May they long be spared for the benefit of those useful men who go down to the sea in ships.

YARMOUTH.

REPORT OF MR. J. VALLINS.

Since my last, I have seen proofs that the truth as it is in Jesus is getting hold of the mind and heart of several sailors and fishermen, as well as some others whom I have been called to visit, and I have observed, more clearly than ever, how circumstances (painful though they be) occur in the providence of God to render that truth effectual in deepening religious convictions, and converting the soul. I will name a few cases with which I have had and still have to do.

The first I notice is of a sailor, who, to use his own words, has "tried to send his soul to hell, if ever a man did," so reckless has he been. I observed this man at the Mariners' Chapel occasionally, twelve months ago, when he would just creep within the door, and often seemed affected during the service. But of late he has been to almost every meeting when in port, and often seemed deeply distressed, but hastened from the chapel at the close of every service, so that I could get no private intercourse with him. At length I met with him in the town, when he told me he had for months past been groaning beneath a load of sin. I invited him to my house, and in the evening he came and unbosomed all his care; when I again directed him to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. He now seems more at ease, enjoying the means of grace, and is, I trust, a new creature in Christ Jesus. His history would be interesting, but my report would be too long were I to give the whole of it; still there is a point or two which I cannot pass without noticing. He said, among other things, "I have had many hair-breadth escapes from death. I can scarcely tell how, but had it been allowed, I must surely have been in hell. Yet it appears God would not suffer me to perish,-I see it now. Only last voyage, the captain fell overboard, and I took the bite of a rope, whipped it round me, and jumped over to his rescue. I succeeded in catching him with one hand, but I slipped out of the bite, yet kept hold with one hand, while I maintained my grasp of the master with the other. But our united weight was too much for one hand, and in hauling us up the ship's side, my arm was injured, and I am forced to stay on shore till it is restored. But this event has led me to decide for God, and has given me an opportunity of attending His house to pay my vows