and help forward the good of the British Navy? If common sense, and common decency, and all that is holy, and just, and wise, and good, condemn these things, what shall we think? what will the nation at large by and by think of those inen whether clergy or laity, naval or military, who threaten to complain to the higher powers against all those officers who see and lament the desolating plague of naval wickedness, and wish by every wise and prudent means to remove the evil from our navy, and the heavy curse from our nation? In the estimation of these antisaints sin is a mere trifle. They have imbibed the Jesuit's creed, that things morally evil may be politically right, and ought to be maintained. In their calculation, the wisdom of man is higher than the wisdom of God. Prophets, in various ages were sent by an offended God to pronounce judgment on various cities and countries for their sins; and as facts and history at this day prove, He was true to his threatenings; for wrath overtook those cities and countries, and vengeance, just and terrible, swept them with the besom of destruction, and now only enough remains to show what sin has done; and yet, almost without exception, the sins of our seamen on shore, and the crimes and abominations tolerated in many of our ships of war afloat, are the same as brought down vengeance from heaven, and laid cities and nations in the utter desolation we now find them. And shall we escape if we continue thus to offend ? Shall we with all our means and mercies live for ever to offend against heaven, and not receive the due reward of our deeds? No. Shall the licentious seaman, and his "anti-saint" apologists wrest the sceptre of government from the Almighty, and change the decrees of heaven? No. He whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and whose kingdom, and will, and de

fany

crees change not, has established that the unrepenting sinner, and city, and ship-company, and nation shall perish. If then there be any thing like real love to our country, our kindred and fellow men, if a fear of God, any love of order, morality, and holiness, any belief in Scripture, any expectation of death, judgment, and eternity, let us go forward, and meet the frowns and calumny, and brave the reproach and hatred of all ranks and orders of men who would shut up our seamen in that awful state in which they have so long lived, and in which so many of them are still living. Let us bear in mind that the Judge standeth at the door, and that soon the stigmatized "saint" and the haughty "anti-saint" must depart and give an account, and be judged, not according to the opinions and policy of a world which lieth in wickedness, but according to righteous judgment. Yes, we and every naval officer have to appear before a Judge in heaven who has said, "If any man shall be ashamed of me and of my Gospel, in this sinful and adulterous generation, of him will I be ashamed when I come in the glory of my Father, with his holy angels." &c. This great and glorious Judge cannot be deceived, and will not be mocked. His commands are paramount to all the commands of men. If, therefore, any superior in church or state, in the army or navy attempts to frown or threaten us from a duty which God has plainly and positively called us to discharge, we must obey God rather than man. And will this line of conduct, Sir, slacken the cords of naval discipline, or detract from the honours and dignity of our national church? Will Bibles and the fear of God on board of ships lead to insubordination and mutiny, as some of our old-schoolmen are still silly enough to maintain? or can a union of good men of all denominations in this Christian work disgrace or endanger our

establishment? Just as soon might darkness be produced by the rising of the sun, and ignorance and confusion ensue as the consequences of instruction and wise government. Nay, Sir, it requires no spirit of prophecy to foresee that the day will come, wherein our country must look to Christian principles, to Bibles, and Bible religion, for the subordination, the peace, the possession of our navy. So active are the disciples of infidelity and revolution in sowing the seeds of discord and evil, so wise and unwearied in propagating every sentiment which can sap the foundation of the fear of God, the honour of the king, and the love of order, peace, and conscience, that unless Christian instruction, and Christian religion be urged in good earnest throughout the whole mass of our seamen, I feel confident that no fears or terrors, no bonds or punishments will by and by hold them in control. It is not in the power of all the officers on the list of the navy, with the Admiralty Board at their head, to prevent the march of concealed mischief which infidel agents are disseminating on the Thames, and in every convenient situation among our seamen; but, Sir, the Admiralty and Naval Officers can, and if they are wise they will, do much to counteract this evil. They will circulate the Holy Scriptures, promote moral and religious instruction, and obey those articles of war* which at present are so awfully disregarded and trifled with. They will exclude abandoned women

*The Articles here more especially alluded to, are the two first in the code of naval laws, which prohibit all oaths, execrations, drunkenness, and every species of conduct which is derogatary to God's honour, and corrupting to good manners. And they enjoin and command the orderly and reverent observation of the sabbath. The neglect of these commands, and the commission of the crimes above mentioned, are punishable by court-martial, on all officers, marines, and soldiers in or belonging to the Royal Navy, who shall be guilty of the same.

from their ships, and proclaim liberty of conscience among their crews, prohibit the language of blasphemy ; observe the sabbath

day to keep it holy, and teach men that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

In

There is something so mean and pitifully persecuting in this threatening system, that it deserves the highest reprobation. It may have deterred a few naval characters from coming forward and acting up to their views and wishes, but I am not aware of its having produced any serious effects. deed an intelligent and serious naval officer is not the sort of man to be driven from this post of sacred duty either by the threats or deeds of any set of men, especially, as on a moment's consideration, he must know that both the laws of God and of his own country are on his side. But were it possible for any set of 'anti-saints," or number of men, to threaten and persecute all our serious officers into silence, it would behove these threateners, whether naval, clerical, or otherwise, to remember that there are others, and that not a few, over whom they happily hold no control in this matter; men, Sir, who like myself, feeling that

"They want but little here,

Nor want that little long."

have no favours to ask, nor any frowns to fear from those in power and office. I am aware how very cavalierly some of these men in office may treat what I say, and with what supreme contempt they affect to look on the "saints." But, Sir, we know that the nation is already in part awakened from its slumbers, or rather from its ignorance of the awful state of our seamen, and of the tolerated wickedness of many of our ships of war-and we know what this awakened portion of our country think-and we feel confident, that ere long, the subject will engage

the attention of the nation at large, as much as the subjects of missions to the heathen, and of instruction for our rising generation now do; and then, Sir, the voice of the nation will be heard-the laws of our navy will be forced into obedience and respect, by those whose especial duty it is to obey and respect them; and then our seamen will find an asylum from sin, and an enjoyment of morality, and religion, and order, on board of our ships and vessels of war, instead of that exposure to every disgusting and brutalizing practice which hitherto has so extensively prevailed.

True, some hundreds of promising young midshipmen, and many thousands of thoughtless ignorant seamen may be carried down the awful vortex, and perish as the victims of our reigning naval vices, before the desired reformation becomes general. But that consummation so devoutly to be wished, will, we trust, one day arrive, and leave behind it only the record of such sins as now reign almost triumphant. All things are possible with God, and God has promised, that the abundance of the sea shall be given to his Christ. Let not the friends of religion in general, and of seamen in particular, be weary in well doing; for they shall certainly reap if they faint not. Already has the Lord blessed our labours far, very far beyond our most sanguine expectations. We have received the earnest, and the future, and the full accomplishment will follow. In confirmation of this, permit me to inform you, Sir, and many of your readers, of what has taken place at the port of Sunderland, on the Yorkshire coast. There, as in all other places, the work and progress of religion among seamen was at first small and slow, but He whose blessing can make the feeblest efforts effectual, and the humblest instruments strong and wise in his service, was pleased to smile on every exertion until many

seamen, once as ignorant as profligate and profane, as any in the kingdom, became new creatures in Christ Jesus; and as such not only learnt to read, and hear, and sing, and pray, as men born for eternity ought to do: but they learnt to be wise and frugal, industrious and charitable, on a scale that will astonish and delight your readers. No less than one thousand prime seamen have for more than two years been formed into a Benevolent Society, solely for the purpose of relieving its members in cases of shipwrecks, deaths, sickness, &c. and since its commencement, they have paid to shipwrecked and other distressed members, the sum of one thousand four hundred and fifty pounds! A prayer meeting is also established in the club rooms of this society every Thursday evening, where upwards of one hundred religious tracts are distributed every time. A letter of the Secretary of this Society is now before me, wherein the writer says, alluding to the above circumstances, "I have reason to bless God that much good has been done through the instrumentality of these means; and many sailors belonging to this port have reason to bless God that ever they assembled with us at our prayer meetings; and I can assure you that many a sincere prayer has been offered at a throne of grace for the divine blessing to rest on your Society.* Many of the seamen belonging to this Society that I have conversed with, state to me that they date their conversion from the preaching of the gospel in the Mariners church ashore; and on board the floating chapel moored in the Thames, some years ago. What a mercy!-Praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

*The Society and establishment lately called The Mariners Church Society, but now designated “The British and Foreign Seaman's Friend Society, and London Mariner's and Riverman's Bethel Union.”

I am sure it would gladden your heart to be present at our prayer meetings, to see so great a number of weather-beaten sailors singing hymns of praise to Almighty God for his goodness towards them; many of whom, a little while ago, were drunkards and blasphemers; in fact some of the most notorious characters. . . This evening we have had a crowded prayer meeting; no less than twenty-seven seamen exercised in devout prayer, with a cry 'What shall we do to be saved.’ -I sincerely hope the time is not far distant, when every British ship will become a Floating Chapel, and every seaman's heart a Temple for the Living God. Dear Sir, we have distributed a great number of Prayer Books to the seamen, as well as tracts; the tracts that we have distributed within these three months have cost us ten pounds, purchased by the funds of this Society."

Perhaps, Mr. Editor, I ought to inform you that the writer of the above letter is a seaman: and that after twenty years labour at sea, and surviving seven melancholy shipwrecks, as a hardened impenitent sinner it pleased God to convince and convert his soul under the preaching of the word, on board a collier ship in the river Thames.—In a subsequent letter, he says "I have to inform you that this Society is not a Combination* but a Benevolent Society. We have paid up to this day the sum of £1450 to shipwrecked seamen, and the widows of deceased members.-This Society has been established since October 1824. The number of widows left by deceased members are thirty three, with one orphan. Our present number of members are one

* Combination Societies have been formed by many of our north country seamen, with the view of raising their wages and obtaining other advantages. They have been the source of much riot and disorder, and loss of property, and of some lives, and deserve the reprobation of every Christian.

thousand prime seamen; and I firmly believe, that out of our great number of members, there are nearly 500 pious souls.-Glory be

to Jesus.

66

At times when I take a view of the great number of places of worship in this large town, and so little done for seamen, I am astonished. I beg leave also to inform you, that I have applied to the Rev. R. Gray, Rector of the parish of Sunderland, for Prayer Books for the seamen; and thank God, I did not apply in vain, for he immediately sent me a large quantity, and I have distributed them. Thank the Lord, since I made application for Prayer Books, the Rev. R. Gray has opened a large school-room for the purpose of preaching a sermon every Monday evening to seamen, and has commenced; and I bless God much good has already been done."

Such, Mr. Editor, are a part of the effects of religion among the seamen at Sunderland; but I have not told you all for again this battered, shipwrecked, but now Christianized seaman and secretary, writes, "Rev. Sir, I have to inform you that we have purchased a remarkably fine ship, whose name is the Loyal Standard,' solely for the purpose of raising a capital to enable us to make provision for the widows, the fatherless, and the orphans, left by deceased members of this Society, and have given the captain orders never to refuse the Bethel flag being hoisted, and to let all praying companies have free access to the cabin, &c. for divine worship. God bless you, Sir: I hope you will denominate our ship Loyal Standard' your floating chapel. She is now on her second voyage to London, and we are thinking of preparing a Bethel flag for her."

I had intended, Sir, to have given some account of the loyal and excellent rules of this Sunderland Maritime Benevolent Society, and

to have made a few remarks on such effects of religion among seamen, but as I have already intruded far on your pages, I must postpone my intention to another number of your work. I will only stay to observe, in a general way, that no floggings at the gangways, nor any of the more dreadful floggings inflicted by sentence of courts-martial, nor hanging of seamen at the yardarms of their ships until they were dead; no, nor any indulgence in their lustful practices, did ever, or

will ever, produce such prudence in conduct, or such loyalty in principle, as the simple introduction of real religion has here done. Here, however, I must for the present lay down my pen, leaving you, and every Christian reader to rejoice and praise God, at this proof, among many others, that his blessing is going with our labours, to instruct and Christianize the long-neglected and profane seamen of this realm. Yours truly, R. MARKS.

THE return of this day both oppresses and rejoices my spirit, because it brings recollections of very conflicting kinds. The object of my tenderest love, of my anxious care, of my unceasing solicitude, is removed from my house and from my embrace; and often do I look, with a pensive mind, to the place where for months her feeble frame reclined; where her faith and patience were exercised; where hope lighted up her eyes with heavenly brightness; where true Christian love, emanating from its divine author, diffused a holy unction through her soul, and was exhibited in the fruits so beautifully and strikingly described by St. Paul, in 1 Cor. xiii. Yes, my beloved child, grace wrought in thee a great and visible change; old things did indeed pass away, and all things became new. Thy sanctified affections were completely lifted up above earth, and fixed upon heaven, the abode of peace and joy, because it is the abode of Him who is our peace. Thy desires were for the extension of his kingdom and the promotion of his glory; and intelligence of either was more cheering to thy mind, than the increase of oil and wine to the lovers of a vain world. Thy

Thy

heart, brought into discipline by the infinitely wise Teacher of his people, possessed sweet submission to his will, which was evinced by meekness and gentleness. mind, enlightened by the sacred Scriptures, through the almighty agency of the Holy Spirit, was stored with such lessons of heavenly wisdom as fall to the lot of few; and in thee a refutation was given to the unfeeling assertion that the gospel is only for the wise or the learned, or those commissioned to give or to withhold it at their pleasure. Blessed be God, its

doctrines made thee wise unto salvation; its precepts directed thy paths; its promises supported thee under pain and infirmity, gilded with sacred light the dark valley of death, along which thou didst pass without a doubt or a fear, and opened a prospect of the glory into which thou hast entered. Well do I remember the moment when the ministering spirits of our covenant God conveyed thy pardoned and purified soul from its earthly prison into the wide courts of heaven, there to remain for ever and ever; there to be joined in eternal fellowship with the Saviour who loved thee, drew thee to himself, and became thy wisdom, thy righteous