AGENTS'

Senior Thames Missionary.-CAPT. PRYNN. Another year has nearly run into eternity. How many its mercies and deliverances! And yet amidst the fulness of divine grace and love, I have to mourn over want of faith and zeal in the cause of him who loved me even unto death. How many souls are there to whom I might have been rendered useful! They have passed the narrow bounds of time. Solemn thought! Shall their blood be required at my hands? Pause, my soul, and ask, Have all my powers been dedicated to the important duties of my office? I have to plead guilty, and pray for the remission of my sins.

Still, I trust, I have in some humble measure been enabled, by the Holy Spirit, to point sinners to Christ as the only hope set before them in the gospel, and there are those who have found redemption through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins through the riches of his grace. This is a sufficient proof that the work is of God, and that he is with us to strengthen our hands.

Hundreds of sailors during the year have finished their voyage. After having braved the storms and billows of time, have by strict attention to the directions given by the captain of their salvation, cleared the lee-shore, and in full sail, wafted by the gales of sovereign grace, entered the port of eternal rest.

Since my return home, the state of my health has prevented my labouring on the river as I could wish. I have held eight services in the sailor's chapel. In this place of worship, the sabbath services continue to be well attended.

Ship Libraries.-Five ship loan libraries have been sent out to the Cape of Good Hope, Calcutta, South Australia, Algoa Bay, and the Mauritius. Two

REPORTS.

libraries have been returned with most pleasing accounts of good resulting from the perusal of the lent volumes. I have visited about two hundred and sixty sail of vessels, and distributed tracts and back numbers of the Pilot, and sailor's Magazine, which have been kindly received.

Visiting Sailor's Boarding-houses.— Many sailors have been prevailed upon to attend the sailor's chapel, and hopes are entertained, that some have not attended in vain. As a proof, at a weekevening service, while standing at the door of the chapel inviting sailors and others, a sailor came up and said, 'Sir, I have a few of my shipmates coming to see you this evening, we all come from one boarding-house. My shipmates were going to some other meeting, but I have prevailed upon them to come here, because sir, on Sundays, you kindly call and give us tracts. Here come the sailors-now sir, we are all ready.' I welcomed them all into the chapel (twelve in number,) and as the time for divine service had arrived, we commenced our service. It was a soul-refreshing season. Two of those sailors prayed, and truly God was in our midst to bless us.

Visitation of the Sick.-I have been called upon to visit the sick room, where in some instances, lay the aged sinner, writhing under a load of sin without a ray of hope. I have pointed their faith to the cross of Christ-the sacrifice and atonement of the Saviour. This in one instance was not, I trust, in vain; for after four visits when entering the room one evening, the poor man cried out with tears in his eyes,' I can believe in Christ-I can believe in Christ.' I saw him once more after this,

and he gave me satisfactory evidence of a change of heart. He died the following day.

Another case was that of a dying saint. On my first visit she scarcely knew me; but the following day, being a little revived, she recollected me, and wept much whilst expressing her humble dependance on the Saviour. In one of my last visits I asked her," Is Christ precious to you?" She lifted up her emaciated arms, and exclaimed,'Precious?-he is precious!' She died soon after, trusting in the merits of Christ, and is now numbered with the redeemed in glory.

Fifth and Sixth Stations.-MR. BENSON.-During the past three months I have enjoyed much pleasure, and can assure the committee, that the amount of good resulting from their benevolent efforts, cannot be calculated. Every month brings fresh discoveries of good. The instances of shipwreck and sudden death so frequent among our seamen, have not been without benefit to the souls of some. I have met with several instances of this kind, one was of a nature peculiarly striking. One evening, met my little congregation on board ship. I was more than ordinarily impressed; and previous to my going on board, had fixed upon the subject in the 53rd of Isaiah, but from some cause unknown to myself, was diverted from my intended subject, and having turned over the pages of my bible, my attention was riveted to Psalm xc., which I read; founding my address on the 12th There was present, a young sea

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man who seemed greatly agitated, and at the close of my remarks, presented to me a note embodying the very language of the text. The note was as follows:

"Dear Sir, I request to be remembered to God our heavenly Father, for his kind mercy shown to me this afternoon by lengthening my days, which I trust will be a warning to me, to number them and apply my heart unto wisdom. Remember me in your constant prayers for my future safety.Yours; A Seaman." Upon enquiry, it appears he had been knocked down in his duties, and was taken up insensible; and, in his own language, thought "it was all over."

Another instance was that of a captain and his mate who had narrowly escaped a perilous voyage; both seemed deeply affected from the consideration of the mercy shown them. The captain said he had been notorious for swearing, he hoped he should overcome that habit, -indeed, he said, he felt it 'an heinous sin." The mate said 'none had been so wicked as himself,' and so deeply sensible were they both of their preservation, that they fell on their knees and thanked God, and sought forgiveness;-their language was Lord thou hast heard us when we cried to thee upon a lee-shore, and delivered us, and now we seek forgiveness for our sins.' The captain said 'he always considered it unman!y,—and especially in a seaman, to shed tears, and he could not recollect that any of the difficulties of life ever produced such an effect, but now his sins often made him cry and shed tears in abundance,'

My labours for the season in Cronstadt are now at an end; and in reviewing them, whilst I find great reason to

mourn over my inefficiency, my heart is gladdened by the conviction that God blesses his truth; and that the retro

spect is not entirely free from instances in which souls have evidently been refreshed and born again.

During the month of October, business has been so urgent as to break up the regularity of our prayer-meeting in mid-week; but the attendance on the sabbath has on the whole been better. As one friend of the Redeemer has left the port, another has succeeded; and not a week has passed away in which I have not experienced the happiness of communion with some pious seaman. God has blessed the word preached and distributed.

On one occasion, as I was about to engage in the services of the sabbath on the deck of a vessel, a sailor came to me, wishing to tell me something,which was this- You did me a great deal of good, when you preached on board the Zest. I was then awakened to a sense of my guilt and danger; and on my way to England, as I was on the watch at night, I found my Saviour, and trust he has forgiven me.' He had now returned on a second voyage. The demeanour of this sailor was such as to convince all who saw him, that he was a christian. The tone of his voice, in the smile that lighted up his face,spake of 'something heavenly within. Even those who cared not for divine things, gazed at him, as if conscious that his soul was animated with no earthly spirit.

A young man, who had well nigh lost his life by a fall from the topmast,

was obliged, from the seriousness of a fracture in his leg, to endure amputation. He had not been in the habit of thinking about death and his soul, but this accident seemed to awaken him. I conversed with him, and endeavoured to lead him to submit to Christ. He became deeply interested; and soon expressed a hope in the pardoning mercy of God. But not finding sufficient evidence that his heart was truly renewed, I gave him the tract entitled

'the Great Change,' which he read with eagerness, and I trust with prayer. When I saw him again, I asked him'Do you still feel that your sins are forgiven you?' 'O,' he replied, 'I am a very great way from heaven!' I then endeavoured to show him that Christ was ready to forgive sins; and urged him to cast his soul upon the divine mercy. I saw him but once more, and then he was calm and happy. ‘O,' said he, 'I have reason to praise God for my accident, for by it he has led me to see my need of him; and although a wife and child depend on me for support, yet I am confident that God will take care of them.

There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repentelh. If this one soul, out of the multitudes that visit this port, has been saved by the grace of God-a cargo has been rescued from destruction, more precious than the merchandize of gold and silver. Let us bless our God for his unspeakable mercy, and be encouraged to labour still.

KINDRED

We are happy to understand, that the Mariner's Church, Aberdeen, which had been shut up for several years, has been opened again for divine ser

vice. It has now been erected into a parish church; but ample accommodation has been reserved gratis for seamen. A flag is hoisted as the signal for divine

worship on sabbath; and a prayermeeting is held on Wednesday, for the benefit of mariners.

The Rev. Mr Longmuir, who has been elected minister, is peculiarly fitted for his charge, by his long connexion with seafaring men, among whom he has several near relations; and we sincerely wish him God speed in his

important and interesting labours. We trust that our nautical readers, when visiting the port of Aberdeen, will avail themselves of the opportunity afforded, in Mariners' Church, of paying their vows to Him that 'ruleth the raging of the sea, and stilleth the waves thereof when they arise.'

During the month of August, two Bethel meetings were held on board vessels then lying at our harbour. The first of these meetings took place on board the American barque, Lewis, Capt. Perkin. About thirty sailors and several ship's officers were present. The sailors seemed to listen with undivided attention to the truths of God's word. Many of them seemed to join in the devotional parts of the service, with animation and fervour.

It was truly a refreshing scene, to witness a company of seafaring men, called together, after the labours of the day, to hear about 'the things that belong to their peace.' The text was taken from 1 Timothy i. 15,-'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' The services of the evening were concluded by prayer and praise, and the usual benediction.

Capt. Perkins had very readily and politely granted the use of his vessel for divine service; and I took occasion, in my own name, and in the name of the directors of the society, to thank him for the very handsome manner in which he had met our wishes, as well as for countenancing our first Bethel meeting with his presence, thereby setting a christian example to his officers and crew. He endeavoured to persuade me that the obligations were all on the other side; and added,

that if, in the course of providence, he should ever return to this port, we should be heartily welcome to hold a similar meeting on board again.

The second Bethel meeting was held on board the Iris, Capt. Dickson. This gentleman, in conjunction with one of the principal owners of the vessel, kindly permitted us to hold a meeting on board, which was attended by about thirty sailors; and (if I mistake not) by a number of labourers about the harbour. It was, if possible, still more interesting than the former. Those present-particularly the sailors-listened with more than ordinary attention. Two of their number were observed to kneel down, and engage in prayer of their own accord, previous to the commencement of divine service. For my own part, I am not sure if ever I spent a more solemn, and, at the same time, a more agreeable evening. All of us, I trust, were ready to exclaim-'It is good to be here!' The praises of God were sung with much animation and spirit. I am fully of opinion, that every one who was present will bear me out in saying, that our most sanguine expectations were more than realized. The text was taken from Isaiah lv. 6, 7,—'Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found.' The deepest attention seemed to pervade our little audience, during the exposition of divine truth, and indeed during the entire service. At the con

clusion of the meeting, one master of a vessel (Capt. Edwards, of the Lady of the Lake,) shook me very warmly by the hand, and congratulated me on our meeting. I took occasion to thank him for his attendance, when he said'Who would come, if those who have experienced the loving-kindness of the Lord, would fail to attend such meetings?' He added, loud enough to be heard by all present-'I have too long sailed with sin and satan, but am determined, by God's grace, henceforth to sail with the Lord.' I asked if he

would fa vour us with the use of his vessel for a Bethel meeting on some future occasion. His open-hearted and seaman-like answer, was- All I have is the Lord's; and you shall be heartily welcome.'

These meetings were certainly an auspicious commencement to these 'works of faith, and labours of love,' on the part of the society. Let us regard this attempt to benefit the 'sons of the ocean,' as an earnest and a pledge of good things yet to come. Let us thank God and take courage.'

On board our men-of-war the whiskey part of the ration is not allowed to the junior officers or the apprentices. Of the crew, two thirds perhaps receive in lieu of it, by their voluntary consent, a commutation in money of twice its cost, which they usually spend in port, for fruits and other delicacies of the season. But the only way to put an effectual stop to this use of whiskey on board of our national ships, is for Congress to strike it from the ration, and to enlist our crews on those terms. This, I think, will be done before long; and it will be productive of the most beneficial results. The greater portion of the offences and consequent punishments which occur on board our vessels is ascribable to the use of intoxicating drinks.

In our merchant service, about one half the vessels engaged in foreign trade go to sea without intoxicating liquors on board. Many of our regular packets, and most of our whale ships have banished the article entirely. Insurance is obtained in all cases, at a less premium, where articles of strict

temperance have been signed by the captain and crew. The progress of reform in this department of our national marine, has been steady, and without a retrograde movement. Still a vast deal remains to be done: we have only made a commencement.

A thorough reformation will never be effected, in the habits and character of the sailor, till he has been provided with a suitable home when on land.Some provision in this respect has been made for him, but nothing commensurate with his wants. Not one in ten, even were he disposed, could find at the end of a voyage, or cruise, any other accommodation, than a low tavern or boarding-house, filled with the victims of intemperance. In such a place, and with such associates, the sailor finds himself, in a few days, swindled of all his hard earnings, and is obliged to reship to obtain the means of subsistence. The remedy is, a comfortable hometemperate associates-the society of respectable females,-and sources of inamusement, tempered with moral and religious influences.

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