"Then think on the mariner tossed on the billow, Afar from the scenes of his childhood and youth— No father to counsel, no sister to soothe. Pour, pour on his path-way of tempest and gloom, And Bethlehem's star shall his passage illume, To the haven where darkness and tempest shall cease." I call upon the pastor to interest his people in this cause; upon the christian merchant to consult his own temporal good, by seeking the spiritual welfare of those to whom his wealth is intrusted; upon the patriot to do justice to those who serve their country in the midst of danger and death; upon the parent whose son may be a storm-driven wanderer on the deep,--and upon the child whose brother may at this moment be surrounded by all the terrors of shipwreck,—to attempt by every method which the gospel proposes, the present and eternal salvation of seamen. Some may be here to day, who have been bereaved by the recent visitations of Providence at sea. Your tears flow; your hearts bleed; but there is consolation for you in the gospel. This affliction is for your good; that you may more implicitly trust in God; that you may be more deeply impressed with the uncertainly of mortal hopes and affairs; and that with your own souls, those of your friends who still remain, may be more than ever, objects of your solicitude. O, let the sympathies you feel for the dead, be exhausted in blessings upon the living, in as much as the former can no longer be profited, either by your labour or love;— and when you and they shall appear before the "great white throne," there shall be no reproaches, and no regrets. The sea hath spoken to CHRISTIAN SEAMEN. The dangers of your calling have been again impressed upon your hearts. Let not these repeated instances harden you to the interests of your brethren. The influence of disasters, of all sorrowful and tragical scenes is bad, unless their first impression be preserved and acted upon. It is worse than useless for feelings of mercy and sympathy to be excited if they are suffered to act only for a moment upon the heart, and then die. We may weep over the imaginary sufferers of romance,-but because they never appear in reality before us, and we are not permitted to embody our sympathy in action for their good, the heart is less susceptible when its mercies are demanded by real woe. Such is the effect of the novels, and much of the poetry of our age. Such also is the influence of the system of beggary by which England is cursed; and shall I add, such too the result of what is called religious ex citement" in connexion with, and for the support of our various benevolent associations. Depend not, my brethren, upon extraordinary appeals, or upon alarming visitations, for the constant exercise of pious principles. Let the flame of your love never go out,—let the ardour of your ́zeal never abate,—so long as your comrades and yourselves are liable to death so sudden and dire! Your own conversion testifies to the adaptedness of God's truth to the hearts of sailors, and encourages you and us in our work. Be it your employ to commend the gospel to your brethren. Speak with them, when at sea, about their souls and duty. Visit them in ports; give them tracts and bibles; proclaim to them salvation in Jesus Christ. Go to their chambers of sickness and pour into their spirits the consolations of hope, or warn them of danger and urge them to preparation. Seek them in their haunts of sin, and plead with the eloquence of deep concern and pious love, that they flee from the paths of death. Tell them that the dead are there! Take your stand by the vortex of ruin,—and as you behold the multitudes crowding toward it, lift up your voices and warn them back! "He which converted the sinner from the error of his ways shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins!" Let your example speak. Nail your colours to the mast, and never take them down. Let your piety be more manifest as the greater importance of time and place may demand. Thus, dear brethren, encourage us who pray and labour for your good. Thus aid us in the accomplishment of our great desire,—“ the conversion of all seamen to God" Think of those seamen whom our Saviour called to be his disciples, and whilst their love, and zeal and energy are before you, pray to be like them. ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ! !” The sea hath spoken to UNGODLY SEAMAN. Often do you hear the voice of warning. You are familiar with danger and death.-O forget not your own mortality. If an object be "Go too near the eye it cannot be distinctly seen. Death is so near, so much the companion of mortals, especially of seamen, that it is often unnoticed; its presence is not realised. Their is danger how- ever in this blindness. A louder voice comes now upon your ear. During the present month, a thousand of your fellow sailors have been lost at sea! Almost to a man they were impenitent! Many died with curses on their lips, and hearts rankling with hatred to God! We may weep for their temporal sufferings, but oh, we have greater reason to weep for you, if you purpose to be sinners still! We may see their tears and hear their cries, but those tears are not such as may ever flow and ever fall" from your eyes and theirs, "but not in mercy's sight!" Those cries are not the 66 Some of you wailing of the lost, with whom you and they may ultimately dwell! Some of you may be candidates for the next disaster. may cling to the mast until a wave sweeps you away. may perish in sight of home and almost within the hearing of friends who cannot save you! And when another year revolves, and a similar occasion, shall call together a congregation like this, hearts may be bursting, and tears flowing for you! Are you prepared! If not, are you wise? Are you safe? Will you "Push reason out of life, And to the mercy of a moment leave. The vast concerns of an eternal scene!" Sailors fill up the measure of their iniquity earlier than other men. Their career is more brief, and its circumstances are most unfavourable. Temptations throng their way; and so peculiar are they, so adapted the sailor's weakness, that he is almost sure to become their victim. He surrenders himself to senseless improvidence, and wreckless indulgence, until with awful suddenness the summons from eternity comes, and not a moment is left for preparation ! 66 Let me beseech you to listen to the voice that comes from the sea,from its dark cold depths;-nay, from the mansions of sorrow in another world! Oh, how do the departed speak! And if the dead address you; and if God speaks thus in his Providence, with what emphasis are his commands spoken in His holy word. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. Repent, and forsake your sins. Bow at the foot of the cross. Cry for mercy. Seek him who preached to sailors on the sea of Galilee, who heard their prayer when the wind and waves were contrary. Who walked on the sea and spake its billows into stillness. Set your sails for the world which eye hath not seen, where tempest and danger and sin are no more. "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near !" I close with one remark. The period is coming when God shall speak to the sea, and call forth the dead that are in it! “The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat!" The voice of the archangel and the trump of God shall be heard in the deepest caverns, and the sealed ear of every slumberer shall be opened." Oh, what a revelation will the sea make then! What an army shall come forth! The myriads drowned by the deluge! The hosts which the Red sea engulphed! the armada of Spain, and other millions slain in naval battles and drowned by accidents and wrecks! A few "to everlasting life," but the great majority "to shame and everlasting contempt!" Gladly would they lie for ever in their cold beds, and welcome darkness and the occan caves;-but they must come to the light of eternity! to the trial of the judgment! to the doom of the ungodly! Where shall I be then! where will you be, my fellow inmortals! what will be the scene of your unending future! what will be your thoughts, and feelings, and volitions! Ask conscience! ask your own present life! ask your Bible! Time does not wait! Death does not tarry! The judgment is near! Retribution is before you! Prepare to meet your God! "NOTHING TO PAY."* BY REV. E. E. ADAMS. Nothing to pay, my brave— Word, prayer and hymn are free; I'll find a scat for thee. Oft hast thou given thy gold, For banquet, song, and wine; Fall sweetly on the ear. On faith's far-sceing eye. Here may you learn to sail, Secure o'er time's dark sca; A calm eternity! A holier temple waits In the immortal land; Angels will lift its gates, And bear you to its band. Before Immanuel's seat ; Take off your dazzling crown And lay it at His feet. *Is there anything to pay ?" asked a sailor, whom our Senior Thames Missionary invited into the chapel to hear Mr. Adams preached the above discourse. "No, nothing! all free," was the reply. "Well then, ," said the sailor to his shipmate,we may as well go in-there's nothing to pay.' 66 STATE OF THE LASCARS. LETTER FROM THE VENERABLE THOMAS CLARKSON, ESQ. The following invaluable communication needs no comment. It comes from the pen of one whose name is dear to every British heart, and whose memory (long after he is removed from this world of conflict and suffering) will be cherished and revered with feelings of thrilling interest. May we be permitted to urge our friends to some adequate effort to encourage the committee in their benevolent exertions. The subscriptions amount but to a mere trifle. The object is good and worthy of support. Let the great philantropist speak: DEAR MR. CHARLESWORTH*-I have nearly read through your little book on affliction and spiritual distress, though my eyes are very weak, and believe it will do good and give comfort to the minds of those who are in that melancholy situation, if they will but seriously attend to its contents. I have received, and read also, the magazine you sent me. I rejoice at the measures the committee of the Sailors' Society are taking for the LASCARS. They are most judicious-better, I think, could not be devised-such as building proper places for those poor people-having visitors to inspect the quantity of food, treatment, and providing spiritual instruction, &c. I never knew a plan better devised for the purpose. And now, after this, the way is quite plain and easy. The very first step to be taken is, to apply to Parliament by petition, to amend any Act or Acts of Parliament now existing in their favor, and these Acts to be found out. The petition must contain their grievances, their sad and destitute condition-destitute also, as it relates to spiritual instruction. I think it impossible to state it better than in the excellent words of the magazine you sent me. I am sure they would pierce all hearts. The petition should be presented to Parliament, I think, by Lord Ashley, as a popular and good man. I think he would not hesitate, at least (it * Addressed to the Rev. J. Charlesworth, A.M. Rector of Flowton, near Ipswich. B |