less? How many reasons exist why we should earnestly inquiring what they must do to use all our efforts to promote their know- be saved. During the past year we have ledge, piety, and comfort. But how can had many happy meetings here, when good we get at them as they shift about from I know has often been done; but my own place to place, and are never at one stay? feelings have fluctuated more during the Why, we must try and catch them at every past year, than in any previous year of my port as t ey enter. Thanks be to Go, life. Sometimes happy in seeing my lathis is do e to a considerable extent; still bors blessed, and sometimes sorrowful at there remains much to be done, and why disappointments which I have experienced. can it not be done? The eye is watching From my journal of December the 14th. to catch the sailor as he comes in sight; I read of a young man, a sailor, standing the feet are plodding to many of the ports, against my house, about 100'clock at night and on board of many ships; the tongue evidently under deep conviction of sin, and is often employed in telling of the Saviour's almost in a state of despair; he had a pious love; but are all the members of the body mother, but she was now dead, many had of Christ actively engaged in this glorious been the prayers she had offered to God work of enlightening the sailor's mind, on behalf of her prodigal son, and many converting his soul, of rendering him hap-had been the tears she had shed over him, py in this world, and safe for that which whilst she warned him of his danger, and is to come; we wish we could answer this counselled him to turn from his evil ways; question with an unhesitating 'yes,' for but all had been in vain. Now she could then eyes and feet and tongue might be counsel and pray no more-she was dead. multiplied to a greater extent in this god- Her death being hastened by his prodigallike work of healing ruined souls. Some, ity and sin:-"and now" said he "there is however, have done their duty well, and no mercy for me, for there is not a sin but already have part of their reward in an I have been guilty of, though only twenty approving conscience. Some who have seven years old; what makes it so bad" been brought to Christ through their li- said he'is I have sinned with my eyes open berality or labors of love, have lately gone in spite of my mother's prayers and tears; home to glory, and are now waiting to I have been to Bethel meetings; I have welcome their benefactors into everlasting been to different chapels, but that only habitations; and many who have been makes my misery worse; at length I faithfully warned, bnt appeared not to thought I would have my fill of sin—I heed, have also gone the way whence they went up to the chapel door and listened shall not return. My own mind is op- till I could stay no longer-then to the pressed with facts of this kind whilst I public house, to my shipmates, who tried write these things. About a month since to make me cheerful; but I am a miserathe Master of a Sunderland brig came for ble man, there is no mercy for me, and me to preach on board his ship, and asked no comfort for me." I related my own me "Do you remember preaching on board conversion and that of some others that a ship lying in the Bite, where my ship I knew, then pointing him to the greatnow lies, the subject was the 'Brevity and ness of the Saviour's love, quoting scripuncertainty of human life,"" I answered ture after scripture, till at length the cloud "yes I do." "Well" he said, "I was there disappeared, light broke in upon his mind, and some of the remarks you made that and he began to hope for mercy-thanked night, I never have forgotten to this day, God that he had been cast in my way, and and never shall wholly forget whilst my promised to seek in earnest the knowledge memory lasts; what served to fix the sub- of salvation by the remission of sins. The ject so lastingly on my mind was, that tracts I have given have also proved blesstwo persons who were present at that ings in several known instances. I have meeting, were shortly after drowned." I also lent some of the back Magazines and went and preached that night, and a bless- the Child's Bethel Flag, before I have ed season we had; three captains were given them to the sailors; and they seem present, seven persons engaged in prayer, to have produced good feelings towards among whom was the master of the ship; the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, and I believe there were two young men as well as towards sailors themselves.

BY THE SEAMEN'S MISSIONARY AT NEWCASTLE,
MANY YEARS A CAPTAIN OF MERCHANT VESSELS.

"THE Sabbath was made for man." This is the gracious declaration of our blessed Saviour. It settles, at once, the character of the institution and its universal obligation. The Sabbath was made for man as a blessed privilege, and not simply imposed upon him as an arbitrary injunction. The Sabbath was made for man— that is for all classes, for man, under every circumstance and in all ages. Alas! how many of our fellow-creatures either deprive themselves, or are by others deprived, of all the blessings contained in the right observance of this merciful institution. No class, perhaps, of the inhabitants of this country, have so little of Sabbath privilege, as that numerous and important class who "Go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters." The employment of seamen, in some degree, necessarily deprives them of many opportunities for rightly observing and enjoying the Sabbath. There are, doubtless, times when, in God's providence, the sailor is placed, on the Sabbath, in circumstances calling for the ordinary duties of other days. He is on a long voyage, and the ship must be steered, gales may come on, and all hands be re

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quired to keep the ship in proper order, or repair accidents as soon as they occur. The sailor, then, has many religious privations which are the necessary result of his calling, and this very circumstance should both make him an object of the Christian's deepest sympathy, and make him himself to prize, with tenfold value, the religious opportunities which may be afforded him. But the purpose of this tract is not so much to speak of seamen who are necessarily deprived of the Sabbath, as to offer an affectionate remonstrance to those who by choice, without any plea of necessity, deprive themselves of the Sabbath. The writer, during many years' active employment, as the Captain of Merchant Vessels, has seen much of the evil of "Sabbath Sailing." In many parts along the coast, he has seen not only worldly men, but professing Christain captains, choosing the sacred day of God for setting sail, when they might easily have made ready for the previous day, or remained in port until the following one. It is a general custom, and points out in a very pointed manner the slight hold which God's laws have upon our hearts. Do those ship-masters, who habitually sail on the Sabbath day, ever consider the words “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy?" Do they remember that it is God who speaks, that he requires obedience from all his creatures, and will assuredly punish all who disobey? Doubtless, there have been men so blinded by Satan and their own corrupt hearts, as to argue against the obligations of the Sabbath, and to say that it was only binding upon the Jews. Very few words will suffice to expose such foolish ideas. The fourth commandment occupies a central position in the moral law of God; it is on a precisely similar foundation, and possesses a precisely similar authority as the other nine commands of the decalogue. If, therefore, the Sabbath was only binding on the Jews, image and idol worship was only forbidden to them, and we may make to ourselves other gods besides the one living and true God; if the Sabbath was not meant to bind us, but only the Jews, then we may give way to all our passions; for "Thou shalt not steal;" "Thou shalt not commit adultery;" "Thou shalt do no murder;" "Thou shalt not covet," was ment only for the Jews, and has no authority on us. Ah! how Satan leads captive the foolish heart of man. Dear reader, if you could pick out and destroy one command of God's all-perfect law, you would have taken out

the key-stone of the arch, the whole would tumble to the ground. The writer would urge another argument which has often been powerfully brought home to his own mind, by circumstances which have occurred to him, again and again, during his seafaring life. The main argument has been already mentioned. The authority of God's law is the foundation on which we must begin. What God requires, man must obey. Yes, if even the greatest worldly loss—if even death itself presents itself in our path-duty is clear, our God must be obeyed. At the same time, it is interesting to notice in God's merciful dealings with his creatures, how often the declaration is proved true, that "Godliness is profitable for all things, having the promises of this life, as well as that which is to come." The writer has often felt the truth of this, when, at all hazards, he has refrained from "Sabbath Sailing." After having, in the rich mercy of God, been brought to a knowledge of his perishing condition as a sinner, and after having found peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, he was called upon to go again to sea as master of a coasting vessel. He knew the little attention paid to the Sabbath, by his seafaring brethren, and he determined, with God's grace, at all times to observe it. He had been led to call the Sabbath a delight, he hailed its approach with feelings of sincerest pleasure, esteemed that day "The best of all the seven." The first voyage he made to Newcastle, from the North of Scotland, being a stranger to the port and having a cargo to dispose of, he was much behind some other vessels who came into the port with him, and had come from the same place. They left Newcastle before him, but were detained at Shields by a contrary wind, until he arrived, on a Saturday afternoon. Early on Sabbath morning a fair wind sprung up, and the mate called him, saying that the other vessels were going to sea. Accordingly, to sea they went, but he remained until Monday morning; when he sailed, and arrived at home three days before them. Another time, having to sail from Inverness to Aberdeen, with a cargo of grain, the writer got his vessel, on Saturday night, moored and anchored at Kessock Roads, and went on shore until Monday morning. On the Sabbath, the owner's son met one of the sailors, and inquired why they were not away to sea. "Our captain never sails on the Sabbath," was the reply. The other immediately rejoined, "Why there is the J

just away, and her captain is a religious man." It so happened that the vessel alluded to was also going to Aberdeen. The writer sailed on the Monday morning early, with a fair wind, and had a quick run. He made it his first business to go round the quay, and seek the "religious" captain of the Jn, to have a word with him on the subject of Sabbath Sailing. However, that vessel had not arrived, and did not come in until the following day. Many captains have only themselves to blame for the Sabbath Sailing, having no special orders to that effect from their owners. The Sabbath is a day they do not love, their hearts are not right with God, and they can take no delight in his service; and not being able, from a regard for appearances, to spend that day ashore as they would another day, they away to sea, to get away from what is to them a weariness and burden. Oh that the grace of God might touch their hearts, that they might receive the glad tidings of a Saviour's death, and that a sense of the abounding love of God would draw them into all holy obedience to His commands, which are holy, just, and good. Sometimes the blame lies with owners. The writer has frequently seen the owners of ships, and some of them professors of religion, (alas! for the inconsistency of God's people,) standing on the deck of their vessels, until seven or eight o'clock on a Saturday evening, urging on the work, afraid of losing the Sabbath Sailing. They see their vessels dropping down the river on a Sabbath morning, whilst the bells ring for church; they watch them away to sea, and then turn away to church or chapel, and join their familes there with every appearance of devoutness-never reflecting that sailors have souls as well as they souls as valuable as theirs-souls immortal as their own, and which must be either lost or saved to all eternity, Does it never occur to such individuals, that great responsibility attaches to masters, and that for their conduct, in relation to all their dependants, they will be required to give account before the judgment-seat of Christ? A great deal more might be said on this important subject, and the writer might relate many more instances of the goodness of God, whereby he has made good his gracious promise, "They who honour me, I will honour." But having reached the proposed limits of the present tract, he must for the present leave the subject upon the consciences of his readers, earnestly praying for the Divine blessing, so that the effort humbly made, with a sincere desire to promote God's glory, may not have been made in vain.