The Seaman's Magazine.

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. They cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.-Psalms.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY AND BETHEL UNION.

(Continued from page 637.)

Rev. C. Hyatt, said, "I agree that attention enough was not given to them, and let any thinking man inquire the reason, and he will find one great reason was, there was not accommodation for them in our places of worship, and no Christians found to lead them there, but rather a disposition to push the sailor out again, if he did go in. I speak matter of fact, and it is well known to be so. My public labours have been confined now for nearly 20 years to Ratcliff-highway, where I have seen much of these men. I have marked their character; but I am sorry to add, that many of these years passed without my paying that attention to them that I ought to have done. I hope to obtain forgiveness for it from the God I serve, and that my future conduct will discover my repentance for the past. We all feel anxious that something should be done for seamen in the congregations in the neighbourhood where I reside. I am sure this meeting will forgive me, if I say, I rejoice in the success of this Society, and the Port of London Society also: we are not rivals, but friends and brethren. I am happy to hear this Society has so far succeeded, and I wish it may succeed more and more. (Applause.)

Mr. Smith has said that seamen are not much acquainted with isms, such as Calvinism, and Armenianism.* I believe this to be the fact, they are better acquainted with Rheumatism; but if they do not know what these are, they know what Christianity is, and they know how to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God: and if ever this Society, or the Port of London Society, attempt to turn these men into any party or sectarian spirit, to baptism, independency, or presbyterianism, or any other, it will be in vain to expect any success or any happiness from their efforts. A sailor is an open, generous, noble-spirited man; talk to him of any sects or opinions, he is at a loss, he is confined; but point him to christianity, he finds himself at home, and he opens his heart to receive it; from the time a British seaman enters a place of worship, he begins to appear better than he did before. I have observed in my congregation, for near two years, a man of colour, with a blue jacket very much worn. I had watched this man, and, whenever the

ship was in port, he was sure to attend. I inquired if any person knew any thing about him, but no one seemed to have spoken with him, or to know any thing more of him than by seeing him there. I determined to speak to him myself, and it happened very happily that the very day I had made up my mind to speak to him, his old jacket was laid aside, and he had a new coat, a blue one, as they are fond of blue; it is almost impossible to turn a sailor from his colours; true blue is what he delights in. (Applause.) After asking this man a few questions about his attendance, I said, "you appear very respectable to-day; you have a good coat on your back." "Yes, Sir," said he, "and I owe every thing to religion and to you." I asked him, as he appeared so respectable, what situation he was in; he informed me he was a cook, which is not a very high station; but this man, from attention to religion, is not only improved in other respects, but his religion has benefitted him in his apparel and his deportment altogether. A man came to me, whom I perceived to be a sea-faring man, while we were erecting our place of worship, stating that he was glad to see we were about to erect that place, and regretting he could not be at the opening of it, as he was going to the East Indies. He took a note out of his pocket, I saw it was a 51. note, and was about to give it to the cause. I said to him, "Can you spare this?" he said, "Yes, I think I can. I am Captain of a little vessel, and I have reason to be thankful that, instead of spending my money in a useless way as I once did, I have been taught better, and I am now saving the money, instead of wasting it, and I think I can very well spare 51. to this good object." I mention this to show that seamen are generous men, and when they receive good they will return it again.

R. H. Marten, Esq. The idea of ship preaching I first received from a friend at my left hand, (pointing to the Rev. G. C. Smith.) I was pleased with the thought; and from the time I had the first conversation with him, it pleased God to put it into my heart, and I could not go tosleep upon it, nor rest till it was accomplished; and we have now seen the accomplishment of that great promise, which our friend Mr. Marks preached from yesterday. The times of the Fathers were not greater than ours; they never had the honour of seeing a gallant Admiral, as we do here, at the head of an Institution, formed for conveying the glad tidings of salvation to poor seamen: and when we perceive that God has touched the hearts of the noble of the land, and that the same spirit is pervading the hearts of every rank and class of mankind, then we see that religion is what God said it should be; like the dew it penetrates every heart, and every pore, and does good every where. (Applause.)

I never before had the honour of hearing one preach who had been a Lieutenant, but when I heard him yesterday, I felt I lived in those times which ought to call my mind to give God immortal thanks for what he has done, not only in England, but in other places; that such efforts are making for the conversion of sailors; that their hearts are so opened and disposed to hear the Gospel; and that they receive it as it were with open arms, and are saying, "Come, and we will receive you." (Applause.)

I consider that I have put my hand to the plough, and I cannot look back: it cannot be done by my efforts, or by those of my colleagues, but by the finger of God alone; and I think from what we see, this time can be called little less than the time of miracles not yet ceased; but let us remember, that every kind of privilege we have imposes on us a corresponding obligation: it is not merely to hear that we assemble on these occasions, but when we come, and look, and know, and learn, what is doing, and what is to be done, we are to go back and practise it. We are all bound to do what we can: it is now, my Lord, if I may use a phrase with which you are well acquainted, "our watch upon deck." Let us take care we dont go to sleep upon our watch; for if we do, those, who know more of maritime law than I do, can tell what would be the consequence; and if we are not punished for it here, he who has his eyes continually upon us, will punish us hereafter; but let us take care of trusting to our own strength, let us wait patiently, and work diligently, but not be precipitate; he that runs himself out of breath cannot get to the end of his journey. Let us wait till we have the early and the latter rain; and, if our lives should be spared, we shall see greater things than these; and if our lives should be cut short, and shorter than perhaps we have any expectation, let us remember, that it is not he that has been most successful, but he that has been most faithful, that shall be approved by our Master. If any one have but a talent, only half a talent or a quarter of a talent, it cannot be withheld with impunity. It ought to be employed for God's honour and man's eternal felicity.

Rev. Mr. Smith." Before the resolution is seconded, I beg to state, that we are favoured on this occasion with the company of an American Chief, whom I beg leave to introduce to you. The gentleman now before you is the son of one who was eminently a friend of the Bible, and the Indians of the Colonies of North America. He has come on busi ness of the tribe of Mohawk Indians, and he is here to-night to see what we are about. When he goes back he will have a noble fund of information for his countrymen."

The American Chief." My Lord, from the connection of my late father with this country, I gained in my youth a little acquaintance with the English language. We reside on the great river Erie, and we have many seamen on our lakes. As I was coming to this country, supported only by a plank from the deep below us, I could not but think how vain and how insufficient were the efforts of man without the blessing of God! I am happy to be present on this occasion, where you are labouring to promote the happiness, not only of British seamen, but of the seamen of every country, and I sincerely hope that Almighty God will grant you success." -(Great applause.)

For the Seaman's Magazine.
MARINE SOCIETY.

The Fifty-second Annual Meeting of the Marine Society of the City and State of New-York, was held on Monday evening the 14th Feb. at Mitchell's Hotel, in Fulton-street. The Meeting having been opened, Capt. JAMES LOVETT, from the Standing Committee, presented the following

REPORT.

YOUR Committee, to whose management the concerns of this Society for the past year have been intrusted, beg leave to state, that by the aid of the funds of this humane institution, they have been enabled to contribute to the relief of seventy indigent widows of deceased members, many of whom have young and helpless children, who must otherwise have suffered great privation and distress. That number still remains on the list, on annual donations. The funds of the Society amount to a little more than $30,000, which is well secured by mortgages. In the offering this Report to the Society, the Committee cannot avoid taking a review of the past, and calling their attention to the future. This institution was incorporated in the year 1770, and was intended solely to relieve the wants of the suffering widows and fatherless children of deceased members. Up to the year 1796, the amount expended in donations was $14,185-from that time, until 1821, the amount was $63,143, to which may be added, the sum of $1,685, disbursed for the education of the children of deceased members, between the years of 1808 and 1812, making a total of $79,013, which has been applied in the most judicious manner, and in a way most congenial to every heart that " feels for others' wo."

This Society was intended as a permanent charitable fund, and it is with regret that your Committee are compelled to state, that its resources are declining, whilst deserving objects for its relief are increasing. At the same time, however, they indulge the most sanguine hope, that this fact being known, will stimulate its generous members to renew their exertions; not only by punctually paying their quarterly dues, but by inducing others to unite with them in this noble cause of charity. It is presumed that every respectable shipmaster, at least those who have families, will at once enrol his name as a member, when he is reminded that an institution exists, which will secure to the partner of his joys and the children of his love, a refuge from want and distress, in the event of his misfortune and death, to both of which, his calling so imminently exposes him. If they should never need it, he will have the consolation of knowing that his charity will be faithfully applied, to relieve the families of those who, like himself, have encountered the dangers of the sea, and like him been exposed to the peltings of the pitiless storm. But if, on the contrary, he should be wrecked by wayward fortune, and those dependent on him be deprived of their support, to know that his wife and children are not to be wholly destitute, must afford him unspeakable consolation, even in the hour of death. It is also to be hoped, that an appeal to our respectable and wealthy merchants, would not prove unavailing. Although they can derive no pecuniary benefit from the institution, yet when it is considered that it is for the advantage of the helpless families of those whose labours have been spent, and whose lives perhaps been lost in their service, it is natural to expect they will feel no small degree of solicitude on the subject, and be induced to follow the example of the great Father of his Country, who early became an honorary member of this Society. Your Committee feel confident, that by adopting the means recommended, they cannot fail of success; and they look forward with pleasing anticipation to the time when this Society, by an increase of its funds, shall be enabled not only to alleviate the bodily sufferings of the Widow and the Orphan, but to instruct the minds of the latter, so as to render them useful members of the human family. In behalf of the Committee,

CHRISTOPHER PRINCE, Secretary.

JAMES LOVETT, Chairman.

LIVERPOOL BETHEL UNION. REPORTS.

An interesting case lately occurred. One of the Bethel friends, seeing the door open of a house of ill fame in the neighbourhood, looked in, and saw there, sitting by the fire, a young man, an American. He said, if the youth was not particularly engaged, he would wish to speak to him. The young man came to the door. The friend then observed, "We have at hand in the next street a meeting for sailors, and should be glad of your company." "A meeting! what to do?" "For prayer: will you go, shipmate? it will do you more good than stopping here." After some hesitation, he said, " to be sure, I ought not to be here in such a place as this; God has been very good to me, for I was washed overboard in a gale of wind in the passage from America to this port, and was preserved from death by a miracle. I ought not to forget to be grateful for such mercy; but, this girl! oh, this girl, she got hold of me, and was hurrying me to destruction. I ought to thank God for his mercies." He then burst from the girl, turned a deaf ear to her invitations, locked his arm within the arm of our Bethel friend, stowed himself away in the Bethel prayer meeting, and appeared much affected at the solemn service, and thankful that he had escaped the snare.

Thursday, Oct. 25.-Some of the Bethel Members, in passing through a street, where were many abandoned characters, and seeing a door open, looked in. Several young females were there, and three or four seamen, whom they had allured into their nursery of misery and guilt. The members addressed them thus, " If none of you are particularly engaged this evening, there is a Sailors' meeting just at hand, and we should be glad of your company." The same invitation was given to the girls. One excused herself by not having shoes. Another had no apron; she was advised to borrow one; she went up stairs and brought down a piece of coarse cloth and tied it before her. Thus equipped, she and another of the women entered the prayer-meeting with the Bethel friends. They behaved with the greatest seriousness and decorum, and returned home, but not with the same depraved feelings they brought with them. The next evening some Bethel friends called at the same house, when one of the girls stated that her sister, who had accompanied her to the prayer-meeting, was so affected and alarmed that she would no longer remain with them, but had returned home to her friends. She was entreated to inform them where her friends resided, but she would not: she appeared in great confusion, conscious, as it was supposed, that she had been the guilty instrument in prevailing upon her sister to forsake the home of her parents and join with her in the works of iniquity.

N. B. Upon later inquiry, the above conjecture appears correct, and it has been satisfactorily ascertained that a change has been effected in the life and conversation of the girl who had returned to her parents.

Oct. 29.-Two sailors waited upon a member of the Bethel companies to be informed of the evenings and places where the Bethel prayermeetings would be held. They were asked if they had just arrived in port.-" No, sir, we have been here these two weeks; we do not expect to go to sea immediately, having no employment; and we conceive it will be more comfortable to spend our evenings at a prayer-meeting than in a pot-house. We were unacquainted with these meetings before last