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.

THE PRESS GANG;

OR, WAR PROCLAIMED BY THE PRINCE OF PEACE AGAINST THE PRINCE

OF DARKNESS.

(Concluded from p. 700.)

IN number 198, we made several extracts from a new tract, bearing the above title, which we understand has been read with some profit; if so, not less may be expected from those that follow. Let the pious captains and sailors in this port unite in visiting our wharves, vessels, and sailor boarding-houses, on sabbath mornings, and at noon, and invite their shipmates to attend the Mariners' Church, and we should soon see all the pews filled.

Last Saturday a merchant called on board a ship consigned to him, and invited the captain and all his crew to attend church next morning, urging on them, in a kind manner, the importance of this duty. On Sunday morning, at half past ten o'clock, the captain with his mate were observed entering the Mariners' Church, followed by the crew all neatly dressed, in the most orderly and decorous manner. This excellent example we hope will be followed by other merchants, who may not have thought on the subject before, or have not known how easy it is to persuade captains and seamen to place themselves under the preaching of the Gospel. We rejoice, and are thankful that there are so many of our merchants who are friendly to this object, and have given liberally to its support; but at the same time, we would ask a little more: we would ask them to use their influence with masters and seamen, to attend on the means of grace. If they will show them this tract, some among them may be found willing to follow the example of the Stepney sailors, and not only go to meeting themselves, but spend a part of the Sabbath in procuring hands for the BETHEL SHIP.

Another object of this Stepney mission has been to extend its inflaeuce to Wapping-wall and its vicinity. A pious man lives here in a large public-house, who declines business on the Lord's day. The largest rooms in this house have been opened for a Sailor's Prayer Meeting on Sabbath evenings. To procure hands for this place, the Sea-missionaries enter on the impress in the fullest sense of the word. One party takes a street, another does the same; they form a regular line of communication to the house where the Bethel flag is hoisted; there some are stationed to arrange the crowd as they enter. The men in the advance, as they pick up the careless sailor, march him along in a smiling friendly way to the next link of the chain, and thus they are passed on until they reach the house, when they are urged forward, and placed at the head of the room, that they may not prematurely escape if they feel disposed, as

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'the entrance about the door soon becomes blocked up when the service begins.

Each party on the impress is provided with religious tracts, and they always present one first to a strange sailor, and in the kindest way invite him to attend a meeting for sailors at a public-house near hand. The sailor generally complies. Sometimes in a kind and affable way they lay hold of the jacket or the arm of the hesitating sailor, and gently urge him onward; such, it is presumed, was the idea our Lord had when he said "compel" them to come in, not by violence or persecution, but by mild and gentle persuasion, for the everlasting welfare of their precious souls. A constable lately came up, and swearing said, "what are you going to do with these men ?" A pious sailor put "the Swearer's Prayer," a religious tract in his hand; he looked at it, felt confounded, and quietly walked off to a public-house. One sunday evening a gentleman of the neighbourhood had watched these proceedings for a considerable time, and not knowing what to make of them, he fancied it was the evening service, and resolved to interfere and protect the sailors who were then impressed by their zealous brethren; he crossed the street, and approaching a person who was leading a sailor along, he said, "Sir, I insist upon knowing what you mean to do with these men; we live in a free country, and no man has a right to be forced any where against his will; the war is over, and as we are all at peace, men are not wanted for the navy, and I must insist on knowing what you mean to do with them." The good man instantly replied, " Sir, there is an everlasting war proclaimed against the kingdom of darkness, and we are on the impress service for the King of kings; we are commanded by him to go out into the highways, and lanes of the city, and compel poor sinners to come in, that they may be saved." He then entered into the fullest explanation of their objects, their proceedings, and the blessing of God that had followed the exertions hitherto made. The gentleman was perfectly astonished. "Well," said he, "I have lived here many years, and seen a great deal of the wickedness of sailors, but never had an idea of such a method to reform them; well, God bless you, go on."

Sometimes the sailors are surrounded or accompanied by bad women; here the pious men endeavour, if possible, to draw them off from the latter, and very often succeed, so that the sailor, who was going to a most infamous brothel, finds himself suddenly transported to a sailor's prayer meeting. At other times the women cleave to them, the good men then give each girl a religious tract, and invite her to attend also, and sometimes they have walked in company with the sailors they had picked up for their purposes, and staid the whole time with great seriousness. When the time to commence service arrives, all the different parties fall in from the streets and lanes, and the service begins by those very men who have been labouring on the religious impress. They consist of captains, mates, and seamen, and they give out hymns and pray alternately in an extemporary manner with great fervour, affection, and zeal, for the salvation of their brother sailors whom they have now pressed to serve the Lord Christ. Ten or twelve persons usually engage in prayer, and the service closes with a hearty shake of the hand, and an invitation to attend on board the ships at the week evening meetings.

The greatest good has already resulted from this plan of itinerating; and though our good sea missionaries have met again at the Mission-house prior to boarding the ships for the night, and have expressed themselves exhausted beyond measure with the fatigues of the day, yet they have rejoiced at the fruit of their labours with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

Deeply impressed with a conviction of the great importance of those efforts, a few friends to the cause felt desirous that a society should be formed to embody all those exertions, and provide means for the support of this good work. For this purpose the large and respectable room be longing to Mr. Fitch, and used by him for his academy, near Stepney church, was hired, and the meeting was publicly announced.

On Friday evening, September 28th, the chair was taken at six o'clock by the Rev. G. C. Smith of Penzance, and -, minister from Falmouth, engaged in prayer.

Captain Wilkins, and Cuthbert Ward, a seamen, stated some particulars of the sailors' meetings. 'The Rev. Mr. Upton, jun. of the Baptist meeting at Poplar, and the Rev. G. G. Scraggs of Union Chapel, then gave their most hearty concurrence to the object of the meeting, and delivered a most interesting and affecting testimony to the exertions of the pious seamen from what they had seen in their own chapels. The Rev. Mr. M'All followed in the same strain, and concluded with this beautiful and impressing anecdote.

A military officer being in a dreadful storm, his lady, who was sitting in the cabin near him, and filled with alarms for the safety of the vessel, was so surprised at his composure and serenity, that she cried out, "My dear, are you not afraid? How is it possible you can be so calm in such a storm?" He arose from a chair lashed to the deck, and supporting himself by a pillar of a bed-place, he drew his sword, and, pointing to the breast of his wife, he exclaimed, "Are you not afraid?" She instantly replied, "No, certainly not." "Why?" said the officer. "Because," rejoined his lady, "I know the sword is in the hand of my husband, and he loves me too well to hurt me." "Then," said he, "remember I know in whom I have believed, and that he holds the winds in his fist, and the water in the hollow of bis hands."

Captain Stephenson, from Rio Janeiro, declared his firm conviction of the importance of this work, and related his exertions with a Bethel flag at Rio.

The Rev. Messrs. Lockyer of Shadwell, and Grant of Lambeth, added their zealous advocacy of the cause; and Mr. T. Philips, Secretary of the parent society, from his long and intimate acquaintance with this division of the work among seamen, powerfully urged all possible cooperation to accelerate its progress and ensure increasing success.

TO READERS AND PATRONS.

THIS number closes the EIGHTH VOLUME of our work. The occasion presents an opportunity to say much on the success of Christian efforts during the past year, and to record the expression of that gratitude to God, which we deeply feel for the favours he has bestowed upon us, and upon you; but we have deemed it best to devote the page usually allotted to the "conclusion," to the interests of seamen, and the accounts of that work of grace with which some parts of our country are favoured.

We have cheerfully bestowed much labour and expense on this volume, and although neither have received a pecuniary remuneration, we would hope that a more extensive circulation of the next volume, will supply the deficiency and encourage us in our future labours.

For the future plan of our work, and the testimonials to its character, we must refer to the circular which accompanies this number.

A copious Index to this volume, will be issued with the next number.