and they have to do with us all. We all have necessarily a connexion with them, and it should be with us all a matter of consideration to show them kindness and to do them service. They labour for us all, and suffer for us all, and jeopardize their lives and peril the happiness of their homes for us all; therefore, it should be the object and aim of every one to do the utmost to discharge the obligations under which we are laid to them, and an institution like this furnishes a medium through which we can do it. But, in addition to these general considerations, it is the connexion, which seamen have with distant nations, and their connexion thus with the interests of our common christianity, which give them their most powerful claim upon our sympathies, our exertions, and our prayers. We have had an important lesson given to us on this subject; for in the politico-religious drama acted in Polynesia, who is one of the principal characters brought into view? The drunken riotous sailor!-not of this country, but another, professing christianity, and which, I regret to say, instead of stamping his conduct with the indignation it merited, has thrown over him its protection! The drunken and riotous sailors go from our own land to our missionary stations; but, sad to say, neutralize the effects of our efforts, and frustrate our exertions, and thus, in many instances, undo what the missionaries have been attempting to accomplish for many years under many privations, with many prayers and anxieties. Independently of all other considerations, there is something in the sailor's character which renders him a subject of peculiar interest, which seems to call for our efforts to turn that character into a right direction, and to make it of the best avail.

The Rev. J. W. Richardson moved the second resolution.

"That the sailors' cause, viewed in whatever light or relation, presents a just claim to the enlarged support and exertions of the christian church."

I am free to confess that I should not have been here to-night, for I have a call westward, if I had not felt myself under peculiar obligation to this society; and it was for the purpose of paying a debt of gratitude that I resolved to take my seat on this platform. For nine years I had the happiness of labouring in the ministry of the gospel in the port of Sunderland, and the sailors of that port stand very nearly connected with this most important society. Often have I heard them speak of the labours of its agents, by which they have been enlightened, and cheered, and animated, while lying in the river Thames for weeks, but denied the opportunity of attending public worship on shore. They have come home to tell what has been done for them through your instrumentality, and, therefore, you will readily admit that it was my duty to be present. The resolution speaks of the claims which the society presents to the enlarged support and exertions of the christian church. The first speaker has already touched upon some of the claims of seamen ; there are, however, others which suggest themselves to my mind to

which I will direct your attention. The character of sailors, I conceive has oft-times been very seriously misrepresented. There are not a few who imagine that sailors are insensible and stoical, and that you cannot get at them. It is true they present a roughness of exterior to our view, but they have hearts that are susceptible, and which may be moved; and frequently have I been delighted, when ministering in the gospel, to see the tear roll down the cheek of the sailor. It has, however, been thought by many that it was not an idle and vain attempt to endeavour to effect their conversion. I myself have been privileged to witness many individuals brought to a saving acquaintance with the truth amongst this class of men. One may look around on them now, and reiterate some of the crimes enumerated in the catalogue presented by the apostle when writing to the Corinthians, and say "Such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." But there are other considerations which should prompt us to carry on our labours amongst this peculiarly interesting class of men. Reference has already been made to the dangers to which they are exposed; and while we on land must admit that there is but a step between us and death, and that there is propriety in the exhortation of the Divine word—“ boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth;" we cannot but conclude that there is special danger attaching to those "that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters." Again, we are reminded of the peculiar temptations to which this class of individuals is exposed, arising from their situation, shut up together, as they often are, for weeks and months, as godless individuals, far away from the house of God and from the public opportunities and means of religion. There are also temptations provided for them on shore ; individuals, whose occupation it is to labour to seduce, to ensnare, and to destroy our seamen. They have also claims arising out of the influence they exert, which, as the preceding speaker has said, is baneful indeed in distant lands, on our missionary stations. But I would refer to the beneficial influence sometimes displayed. It is a remarkable feature in the character of a converted sailor, that he becomes emphatically zealous for the conversion of others. We have frequently to weep and mourn over those on land brought to a saving acquaintance with the truth, that they sit down and eat their morsel alone. They will not look on the multitudes around them who are sitting in darkness and the shadows of death. But I have invariably found, that when sailors have experienced the power of the gospel, they have begun to labour for the conversion of others, and have given themselves no rest until their friends and relatives have been brought to partake of like precious faith with themselves. Yes, I believe that if the world is to be converted to the truth as it is in Jesus, our sailors must materially contribute towards that end; it is by them that the gospel will be rolled on every billow, and wafted by every wind. These are important considerations, and in connexion with them we have the prophetic intimation, which is surely a claim upon our energies, and sympathies, and prayers for these individuals.

We do not go on a warfare here at our own charges. There is nothing like doubt as to our ultimate success; God has said, and therefore it shall be accomplished, "the abundance of the sea shall be converted to me." What are the claims which our fellow men around us generally have upon our exertions for their conversion? Do we not see that all these claims appear in connexion with our seamen, and indeed that they present a multiplicity of claims? We would remember, also, notwithstanding the whole of the considerations which have been presented to our view, that sailors have souls that must live for ever in joy and the beatitudes of heaven, or amidst the blackness and darkness of the pit of woe. We are bound to care for them, to labour for them, to contribute to their salvation. We ought to rejoice in the success that has followed the labours of this society; but we should not be satisfied with that amount of it which it has already received. I know that it is desirable that we should understand the value attaching to but one soul, and that we should indeed be thankful for being privileged to rescue but one soul from going down to the pit of darkness; but we should not be satisfied with this, if we could be instrumental in saving more. It is sometimes truly mournful to listen to the statements of individuals as they congratulate themselves upon the success of their efforts in the conversion of a single soul, and we should remember that there is culpability attaching to us, if, when we could save hundreds, we are satisfied with one. Let us be up and doing; let us see that the duty is binding upon us to save all that we can, and that it should be our object, when God crowns our efforts with success, to regard that as a reason for calling forth more extensively our energies to pluck sinners as brands from the burning.

The Rev. E. E. ADAMS, M.A. (late chaplain to seamen at St. Petersburg), seconded the resolution.

This new and splendid hall was first consecrated to the high purpose of its erection by a sympathy for shipwrecked mariners; and it is this evening, by the generosity of its proprietor, opened for the reception of those who deeply concerned for the spiritual salvation of seamen, as well as for their temporal comfort and safety. And I know not of any association which appeals to the mind of the philanthropist, the statesman, or the christian, with arguments more tender, more rational, or more scriptural, than the one for which we are met. And who is the sailor? He is that youth, who, impatient of parental restraint, has left the scenes of his childhood for a life at sea-who now roams from port to port, from continent to continent, in the freedom of crime, unseen and unheard of by those who watched, and wept, and prayed over his infancy, and for whose return they have waited long months in vain. Who is the sailor? He is that romantic boy whose spirit has been stirred by the tales of some daring adventurer, who has been lured from the walks of healthful training, and won to the daring exploits of a sailor's life,-to become aged in vice whilst young in years, to boast of his depravity,-to attach an importance to the desperation which familiarity with danger, crime and death,

first precedent of the kind, since the Lascars first began to visit this country, which, it is well known, they have annually done for the last twenty years. As these events are full of encouragement, and as the students who are already engaged, have hitherto given their leisure time gratuitously to the object, and it is the leisure of pious young men only that is wanted, those young men who have two or three hours a day, which they are disposed, on like terms, to bestow on the object, will doubtless find their reward in their work; and out of 2500 Lascars, according to the riches of divine grace, have their humble endeavours crowned with success, in some one or more of them being converted and saved in Christ Jesus our Lord, with an everlasting salvation. Death has already made great ravages among them, and still more may be expected from the change of climate, and the diseases brought on by their own depravity and the guilt of others. On an average 130 died annually prior to 1810. Another person is of opinion, that on an average one Lascar dies every day in the year. The Lascars themselves say, in six months prior to February last, from 120 to 130 died. During the late severe winter nine were found dead one morning, and eight the next; and at other times four and five have been put into the grave in a day. An annual average of 130 deaths in twenty years, gives the number who died to be 2600. They died in a land surrounded by christians; and most, if not all of them, had probably never heard the gospel of him by whom they alone could be saved. No friendly visitor attended them in their sick and dying moments. And no tongue proclaimed to them the ministry of reconciliation. Let us pray and exert ourselves, that not another winter may close before both opportunities and persons may be found to perform these valuable and christian offices for them. A last and solemn consideration precedes the extracts which have been promised. Those who are already engaged in the work, are as mortal as those whom they seek to rescue from the second death-the punishment of the wicked in everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. It is to be hoped that their lives will be made long, consistent, and useful; but all flesh is as grass; the silver cord is soon loosed, and the golden bowl broken; for in the midst of life we are in death, and who can tell what a day will bring forth? It is not proper their knowledge should descend to the grave with them, or they should be left to labour alone, in this part of the Redeemer's vineyard. The things which they have learnt, they desire also to commit to faithful men, able to teach others, that the work itself may go on and prosper, when they have neither powers of body or mind to serve it, and after they are removed from it. The invitation is given to you, ye young men, the hopes of our British Israel!-Come then to the help of the Lord! And having acceded to the call, "be ye stedfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know, that your labours shall not be in vain in the Lord.'

INTEMPERANCE A HINDRANCE TO TRUTH,

BY THE REV. J. LONGMUIR, A.M. ABERDEEN.

Let us seek to ascertain what powerful antagonist principle is so awfully retarding the progress of Messiah's reign. That there is a powerful, subtle, and malicious spirit contending for the mastery and dominion over man, in frantic opposition to the wisdom, and might, and mercy of the glorious Redeemer, is evident to all that have read the bible, and is readily admitted by all that believe the bible. That this usurper has a powerful ally in the lusts of the flesh that war against the Spirit of God, is as plainly declared on the page of revelation. There an apostle has told what was to be expected from the sagacity and experience of this malignant enemy, that he has many devices by which he lulls his victims into a false security, and teaches them to sing of peace, when destruction is impending over their devoted and insensible heads. It might prove interesting to ascertain his principal devices at different times and in various parts of the world, between the extremes of worshipping him and of ridiculing the doctrine even of his existence. The one extreme we should find in the devil-temples of Ceylon; the other, in the infidelity of Britain and France. In the one case, he leads men captive as his worshippers; in the other, by deceiving them with the belief that the enemy has left the field.

But let us confine our attention to our own highly favoured and professedly christian country, and ask, what, in the present day, is most effectually hindering the progress of Messiah's kingdom, both at home and abroad? From an anxious consideration of this important question, we have no hesitation in answering,—

THE LOVE OF INTOXICATING DRINK:

and if you will indulge us, we shall endeavour to show that this answer rests upon no sandy foundation.

1. Let us then, consider first, to what extent the vice of intoxication hinders the progress of the kingdom of grace at home. As to individuals, the word of God expressly declares that the drunkard shall not inherit the kingdom of God, Gal. v. 21. In the religion of Jesus, God deals with us as rational and intellectual creatures, capable of being aroused to a sense of danger by the terrors of the Lord, or of being allured to holiness by the attractions of his love. But the drunkard expels his reason during the fit, and gradually destroys its power, till he becomes either a degraded sot, or a raving madman. Was it a sin in Adam to efface from his soul the moral image of his Maker? Let the groans of creation, and the blood shed on Calvary answer. In the midst of this moral wreck, was it in great mercy that God preserved much of his natural image on the soul of man; so that, as a rational being, he might be persuaded to return to the Lord, with whom there is mercy and plenteous redemption? Oh, then, who does not see the magnitude