Page images
PDF
EPUB

all would probably have perished, had another vessel not providentially been near. A vessel with a very valuable cargo, and a number of passengers, fell in with breakers at night somewhere about the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The captain came up from the cabin, where it was said he was drinking with some of the passengers, but too late to save the ship from striking. He, however, ordered the men to back the sails, and throw her off the rocks. The mate earnestly represented that this course would be certain destruction, but the captain accused him of mutiny, and commanded all to obey his orders. The vessel was backed off the rocks, and sunk amid ineffectual efforts to run her on again, and all on board perished, except two or three. But there is no need to adduce particular instances, since every experienced shipmaster or underwriter, will, I believe, testify, that a majority of all the losses that occur at sea, grow out of the use of intoxicating drinks in one way or other. Some say threefourths, some four-fifths, and some even go so far as to say that nine-tenths of the losses are caused in this way. The number of British vessels wrecked or stranded in six years was, by official documents, 2,687; and the number of persons drowned 3,414; the value of the property is not stated. Now, if even the half of this enormous loss be attributable to the custom of using intoxicating drinks on board ship, is it not time to discountenance that custom ?

Monthly Chronicle.

Our pages are but seldom occupied with appeals for pecuniary aid. The strongest appeal that can be made is founded on the evidence furnished of labour performed, and good effected. If it can be shown that the great work of evangelizing our seamen is faithfully and zealously carried on, a discriminating and liberal public will not withhold its support. Under that conviction, we acted throughout the past year of our society's labours, and we were not disappointed. Our agency was sustained in efficient operation, our efforts for the good of sailors were multiplied, and our funds in the same proportion were increased. In appealing to our friends on the present occasion for increased activity and aid, we are actuated, not by a fear of inability to meet our present liabilities, but by a desire to increase those liabilities, by extending our operations, and adopting new plans of usefulness. The income of the society on which they may reasonably depend, will enable the directors to meet, honorably and promptly, every claim as it may arise. But they are not satisfied with their present resources, because not contented with the extent of their present efforts for the good of seamen.

The larger ports of England are supplied with efficient agencies, but there are various maritime towns, even in England, as well as Scotland and Wales, where no adequate means are employed. And what has Ireland hitherto done for sailors? and, without referring to the ports on the continent of Europe, how vast the field of labour in India, in China, in the new world, in places where our sailors have been a curse, and where the zealous labours of our missionaries will not, for years to come, efface the remembrance of deeds of darkness, cruelty, and vice, perpetrated by British and American seamen. If, therefore, the committee ask for increased support, it is, that they may be enabled to carry out into prompt and vigorous action, the plans which their knowledge and judgment convince them ought to be employed for the interests of men, praised but neglected, the instruments of our commercial greatness, the defence of our island home, but the disgrace of our religion, and the reproach of our benevolence.

AGENTS' MEETING HELD FRIDAY EVENING,
AUGUST 1, 1845.

During the past month, no circumstances have occurred in the agency of our society demanding special notice. The number of services on shipboard have been 78, attended by 1140 seamen; on shore 22. Ships visited, 609. Tracts distributed, 2908, exclusive of covered magazines and hand-bills. The missionaries have visited, during the month, a number of lodging houses, conversing with the sailors, and circulating amongst them useful publications. At the sailors' church, the attendance is cheering. It is probable that nearly a thousand seamen hear the word of God there during the month, and scenes of the deepest interest have occurred at the close of the service, when the missionaries or the preacher have conversed with some weeping penitent upon the things that make for his peace. The state of the day schools calls for no special remark. The average number of children in attendance is about equal to that of former months. In the following report from Captain Lowther, we have pleasure in introducing to our readers our recently appointed missionary. May he long be spared to be a useful servant in his master's cause.

AGENTS' REPORTS.

CAPTAIN LOWTHER'S REPORT.-In preparing a report I find myself moving in a fresh and entirely new sphere. It is true that I have for years been labouring gratuitously to promote religion amongst my fellow seamen, and I humbly hope that my feeble efforts have not been in vain; but I have not been in the habit of giving an account of my labours. The case however is altered. Before I was accountable only to the head of the church in those labours; and to him I could relate my hopes and fears, confess my faults and sins, and in His holy presence I could rejoice if

success

But

attended my endeavours. When I saw the feeling tear, or heard the halfsuppressed sigh, it was joy and gladness to my soul; it was then I delighted to point them to the sinner's friend. It was with a glad heart and free I could cast myself at His footstool and cry "not unto us but unto Thy name be all the glory;" and there the matter rested, except that occasionally for my personal profit I wrote in my private diary. now I am set apart and employed as a missionary, and it is right I should give account of my proceedings; and since I have been fully employed in this great and blessed work I am thankful to say that my mind has been kept in peace, sweetly trusting in and supported by Him who hath said "I will never leave nor forsake thee." Though I have sometimes met with discouragements when visiting from ship to ship and tier to tier in the mornings, to obtain ships to hold meetings on board for myself and others. Often has the word of truth occurred to my mind "they all with one consent began to make excuse;" yet thank God there is a good number who are not ashamed of him nor of his cause, but who take pleasure in hoisting the flag, and also themselves assist us in the services, and taking up the cross go from ship to ship to get the men to the meetings. We are under great obligations to many of the captains for their good will and efficient aid in this respect; in short, if the captains and mates and pious sailors do not come forward we cannot

get on as we should. Much depends on the captains. They have it in their power either to help or hinder this great work; we hope and pray that the Lord may give them to see their responsibility, and stir them up to unite with us and his people in our endeavours to promote the best interests of those brave men. There is great need for all that love and fear God to exert themselves in giving their influence and aid to the furtherance of our object. Much remains yet to be done before the abundance of the seas will be converted unto God. It is painful to see the fearful indifference that yet exists in the greater part of our seamen about the salvation of their souls.

It is

a pleasing truth we do not meet with much persecution, nor hear much profaneness amongst them. It is their backwardness in attending to the means of grace we complain. We go from ship to ship in the evenings, before we begin the services, to invite and try even to persuade them to join us, but few will be at the trouble to come when the flag is in the same tier; others go on shore careing for none of these things. We are ready to cry out in the words of one of old "O Lord by whom shall Jacob arise for he is small." But we have looked long enough at the dark side of the subject; let us look at the bright side. It is true that sometimes our numbers are not great at our Bethel meetings, but we have much simplicity and godly sincerity amongst our praying sailors; and in answer to their earnest supplications in those means of grace we have much of the manifested presence of God; and if any credit is due to what they say on these occasions, they go away happier and better than when they came. It is frequently the cry "It is good to be here ;" and so say some of our friends who occasionally meet with us from the land. It is a truth that I seldom if ever experience so much of the divine presence at any of the means on shore as I do at our meetings in our ships, unless it be at our sailors' prayer meetings at the church. It is in Bethel meetings that they find themselves at

On

home, and there they pour out their souls before the Searcher of hearts. The good I get and see at those means overbalances the discouragements I meet with; and in this I sweetly prove "He that is for us is greater than all that are against us;" and though oft I return home at night fatigued and weary in body, yet happy in soul, praising God and resolving by his grace to go on in my work of faith and labour of love. the last day of July, after considerable trouble in endeavouring to get a ship for myself, and not being able to succeed, I united in a service with brother Palmer, in a large ship belonging to called the C. We opened the service by singing; then I engaged in prayer; a portion of the word was read; then two sailors prayed; after that Mr. Palmer preached from the 19th chapter of Luke, 10th verse; and called on me to follow. I did so, and spoke a short time on the necessity of accepting offered mercy of God, and on the danger of procrastination. The Lord was there to bless his word. As a proof of this statement, the captain of the ship at the close of the address desired that we would kneel down; we did so, and he began to pray by saying "O Lord thou knowest this is the first time I ever attempted to pray; but hope by thy grace it will not be the last." He was so powerfully affected as not long to be able to proceed; his eyes were bathed in tears of contrition. After him an old tar that went with me prayed; and after Mr. Palmer concluded the old man desired permission to tell his brother sailors what a sinner he had been; and by what means God had brought him to a knowledge of the truth. At the close the captain shook us by the hand, saying "It will be long before I forget you and this meeting." This he said as he sat in his chair weeping; and desired us and a pious sailor to stay a little time with him. He then told us that he had a wife who had been a member of a Christian church twentyone years, and that her greatest cause of grief had been his neglect in giving his heart to God; but he hoped that he should after this be a new man. prayed with and for him, and left the ship happy and thankful. There have

We

other things come under my notice which have been interesting and pleasing to me; but the report of which would occupy much room. Such pleasing tokens of success tend greatly to support and comfort my mind. I can be reconciled to my cross and difficulties if the Lord will but bless our labours in the salvation of our sailors; if not, my hands would hang down, and I should be ready to repent that I ever gave myself this great and glorious work. During the last month, I have had fourteen services afloat and nine ashore; at the former, 420 persons have attended. This does not include Sabbath evening prayer meetings. Sixty-five have engaged in prayer. I have given away 1,200 tracts, and great numbers of hand bills, of which I have kept no account; also forty-one covered magazines, which are much thought of by the captains and mates, and which will no doubt be an inducement to them to hoist the flag again; I make a practice of giving one to every ship that hoists the flag. Three hundred and ninety-five ships have been visited, and also a number of sailors' lodging houses. I have several times been in the London docks and once in the Regent's Canal; also in St. Catherine's docks. I have put books and tracts on board two ships bound to China, some to Bombay, Calcutta, and to many other parts of the world. Have given great numbers of tracts and bills to sailors in Ratcliffe Highway, Gravel Lane, and along the water side, which are generally well received. Our church services are well attended, and great interest and attention are pleasingly manifested by our sailors. The ministers seem to have liberty in speaking; and at our sailors' prayer meetings and lectures we have the promise fulfilled, "Where two or three are met in my name, there am I in the midst of them;" and surely it is not too much to expect that God will give his blessing to means so scriptural and so suitably adapted to accomplish the end and object we have in view, the salvation of those men for which I labour and pray.

REV. J. PALMER'S REPORT.-Since my last report I have met with several disappointments in the order of my

services, arising from various causes,the removal of ships unexpectedly, the smallness of their number, &c., &c. ; but I have, notwithstanding this, experienced much to cheer and encourage me. A captain said to me, after a Bethel I held on board his ship, "I feel obliged and thankful to the directors of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society in providing such meetings as these for us sailors, because my ship, and others engaged as I am, are so busily employed in delivering our cargoes while in the port of London and leaving the river immediately afterwards, that however much we might wish to attend places of public worship on shore, we have not the opportunity; but this deficiency is abundantly supplied by religious services being brought to us, even in our very ships." Some of our best friends (Bethel captains) scarcely go on shore at all, wishing to avoid all temptations, particularly as it occurs in Ratcliff Highway and the neighbourhood. I had four such captains as this at a service in Mill Hole one night, and each of them engaged in prayer during the hour. One of them is a spiritually minded, excellent Christian, and one that fears God above many, a great blessing to his crew, two of whom have been brought to Christ lately by his instrumentality. This captain did not know it respecting one of them until he heard him break forth in prayer publicly for the first time. These two sailors attended at two services I held in Mill Hole during the same week, and their spirit and language appeared to be Christian like, suitable, and scriptural. I held a meeting on board the F

M-, Capt. D, who told me he had been a Bethel captain thirty years; his son is a Bethel captain also, and a useful man; he is gone to Quebec, where he acts a decided part; may God bless his labours to his brethren of the sea. At this season of the year, the captains bring with them to London their wives and children; and of such as these frequently the company is composed. Many of the Scarborough captains have long been identified with the good cause. I rejoice to know that some of the captains from Whitby also are following their example.

[ocr errors]

Several meetings I have had on board their ships of the most encouraging kind. "Welcome on board the St. Hsaid the captain of the ship to me, "I thank God for Bethel meetings." There was reason for his saying so, as it appeared by his statement that he was brought to the Saviour at such a meeting held on the Thames four years ago. My address that night was founded on the parable of the prodigal son. After the service was over, in conversation with the captain in the cabin, he remarked, "It was very singular you should take that subject to night." Why?" said I. "Because one of my men who was present was just such a character as you described; he had property to the amount of thirteen hundred pounds, the whole of which he squandered away in three years and was reduced to beggary. None of his old companions would assist him; and again and again, when my ship returned home he begged and entreated me to take him with me to save him from starving. I did so as an act of compassion. He has been with me eighteen months; he behaved very well at the beginning, but lately his conduct had been altogether altered. I hope what you have said to night may be the means of reclaiming and restoring him to a proper state of mind." It is satisfactory not only to know that our seafaring brethren begin well, but continue well. An instance in proof of this: one night a ship was provided for me in Bell Wharf tier, where I had not been for a long time; here I met with many old friends and inquired for others who were about, particularly a young sailor, who. in this tier three years ago was saved from drowning in the afternoon, and his mind seriously impressed at a Bethel service the same night. They told me, he not only soon after joined a Christian society, but is now a preacher of the gospel and we only wish said they that our conduct as Christians was as eminent as his. We have not only to attend to the living and vigorous, but the sick and dying. This was the case with me a fortnight since. The captain of an adjoining vessel to the Bethel ship was ill, and his sickness no doubt was unto death. I visited him in his cabin after the

« EelmineJätka »