mercy she and they were preserved by Divine Providence. After landing her cargo she was surveyed, found unseaworthy, and condemned. A few of us, who were under concern for the souls of seamen, bought her, fitted her up as a Floating Chapel, at an expense of about £800, £600 of which we have succeeding in begging, (no easy task, these distressing times,) and she is, I think, now as complete, commodious and elegant a place of worship, capable of seating about 800, as ever you would wish to occupy. We have lately opened it, and our seamen are delighted to have a place of their own. On the day the Chapel was opened two excellent sermons were delivered to overflowing audiences, and three the following Sabbath, when the deck was crowded with perhaps 500 more than could be well accomodated. We had provided 48 brevier bibles with "Bristol Seamen's Chapel," in gold letters on the cover, which were laid on the seats, and it would have done your heart good to have seen the veteran tars find the chapters, read after the ministers, and then search for the text; their cheeks running down with tears while they were addressed on the momentous concerns of eternity! We have now preaching morning and evenings; the afternoons are devoted to teaching seamen and sea boys to read the holy scriptures; knowing that the term school might prove offensive to these dear high spirited fellows, we call it a "Reading Society for perfecting Seamen, and teaching Sea Boys to read the Holy Scriptures;" this obviates their prejudice. Our five Bethel Companies have been itinerating from ship to ship every evening except Saturdays for about twelve months, thus preparing these poor fellows to hear the joyful sound. I had the pleasure on Wednesday to read on board, in commitee, six letters from, I trust, converted seamen, giving a detail of their religious experience, dating their conversion to these humble efforts, and the preaching of the Rev. G. C. Smith while here: "Are not these brands plucked from the burning?" Rejoice with us, and pray the God of the harvest that these may prove not the gleanings, but the first fruits of a harvest of souls which no one can number:- one of them is (since writing his dying testimony) called into the joy of his Lord.

You would have been delighted to have seen the promptitude with which tradesmen contributed, each in his own line, to supply our wants. COTTLE, the Christian poet, presented us with an elegant Pulpit Bible and Hymn book, new, in excellent binding, and covered with Morocco blue envelopes-Christian females made and presented an elegant purple velvet pulpit cushion-the Bible Society, the 48 Bibles-a patriotic cooper, with a large new suit of colours-a mast-maker made the mast and tops gratis-Captains gave the poles-an anchor-smith the chain cables to moor her—and few have withheld what we have asked.—Is not the good hand of God upon us, to touch all hearts with Christian sympathy for our poor neglected seamen, who feel that they are now no longer numbered either among the dead or living but among those who, though dead in trespasses and sins," are to live for ever. It is important to remark, that though God in mercy saved the lives of the crew and the ship herself, from the great deep-yet, in his inscrutible providence, the greater part of her cargo of iron, which was transhipped into the Tom Hazard, was lost in the deep waters of the great Atlantic, she having foundered about midway to America! Well may we exclaim, “What hath God wrought?”

DURING a short journey to I enjoyed the happiness of associating with a Christian of no common order. Her early life had been devoted to the instruction and improvement of the minds of youth, and her declining years were consecrated to the service of her Heavenly Father. She was blessed with the spirit of a "Pilgrim and stranger on the earth," and gave no more attention to worldly concerns than was requisite to the strict performance of her duty, and by her deep devotedness evidenced to all around, that she was sincercely "seeking a better country, that is an heavenly." 'Her conversation was not of this world, and it was impossible to be long in her society without really becoming better, and feeling the soul elevated above this "little sphere of things," to the contemplation of scenes holy and sublime. She appeared to me like one "walking thoughtfully along the shore of eternity," -glancing an eye of faith over its depths unknown, and returning to earth with a heart feeling its vanity, and a mind expanded by its heavenly employment.

One day, while conversing on the subject of an appearance of a revival among the people with whom she resides, she gave me the following relation respecting one of her neighbours.-He was formerly a very worldly man, much engrossed by the cares of life, and particularly distinguished for his hostility to religion-seldom entered the sanctuary of the Lord, and ridiculed those who did. Some time since there was considerable attention to religion in the school which his children attended-they were impressed-he withdrew them immediately, saying, "he would prefer that the plague should enter his dwelling to having his children spoiled by religion." His wife was a plain sincere Christian, and had long mourned in secret over the hardness of heart which he manifested.

In a small female prayer meeting, which she attended, the heads of families were particularly remembered. The husband of one of the members had repeatedly conversed with him respecting the concerns of his soul, but apparently with no effect. Soon after one of these conversations, two brethren, from New-Haven, attended a meeting in the place, and gave an account of the animating state of religion among that VOL. VIII. 61

people. Mr. was there, induced, as he afterwards said, by the solemn admonitions of the friend above mentioned. The Lord's time had now come, in which to melt his stubborn heart and bend his aged knees in supplication for that mercy of which before he had never felt his need. He retired from the meeting in great agitation of mind; his sins, particularly that of opposing the truths of the most high God, weighed him down with fearful horror. Some time he remained thus deeply distressed, when he found a Saviour willing to receive the returning sinner.

He immediately called on the good man, and, while tears of penitence rolled down his furrowed cheeks, thanked him for his faithfulness in reproving him, in which duty, let me remark, Christians are commonly most deficient.

Now, while occupied in the field, for he is a farmer, the grateful emotions of his heart are continually ascending to the throne of the Eternal, for his sovereign mercy in thus calling him at the eleventh hour, and he can say, while thus employed in worshipping his God—

"The calm retreat-the silent shade,
With prayer and praise agree;
And seem by thy sweet bounty made
For those who follow Thee."

The air of deep so

I was present when he united with the church. lemnity and sweet humility which he wore, deeply interested me, and induced a fervent prayer, that his might be the path of the just, resembling the "light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” In this hasty sketch, you will perceive, it is my design to impress upon the reader the importance of special prayer and Christian conversation. I rejoice that these subjects are frequently presented to the mind by abler writers; but we require constant instruction by precept and example, and if this account is so blessed as to animate even one soul in the performance of those positive duties, I have not written in vain. LACOMAR.

DIRECTIONS FOR VISITING THE SICK.

To the Editor of the (London) Evangelical Magazine.
SIR,

As there are now many Societies laudably employed in visiting the sick, for the purposes of administering both spiritual instruction and temporal support, the following directions may, I trust, afford some assistance. They are taken from a sermon in the Morning Exercises, preached at Cripplegate Church in the year 1661, by the Rev. Matthew Poole, the famous author of the Annotations, only that I have a little abridged and modernized the language.

The subject discussed in this excellent discourse is "How ministers or Christian friends may, and ought, to apply themselves to sick persons for their good, and the discharge of their own consciences ?" The text is-(Job xxxiii. 23, 24.) "If there be a messenger with him, one among a thousand," &c.; from which the preacher derives this doctrine"That the seasonable instruction of sick persons is a work of great ad

vantage, but of great difficulty." Having proved this, he proceeds to the following directions :

1. Endeavour to understand the state of the sick person. As physicians take pains by conference with friends, and by examining the patient, so should ministers by discourse with religious acquaintance, and by searching conference with the sick persons, endeavour to find out the truth for why should we not be as accurate in healing men's souls as their bodies?

2. The great business is to bring the sick person to a true sight of his state and condition; indeed this is a happy thing, whatever his condition be. If his condition be good, then it is a happiness to know it, that he may have the comfort of it: if it be bad, yet it is a happiness to know it, that a man may be capable of counsel, and put into the way to amend it. It is true, evil men, like persons much in debt, care not to look into their books and understand their debts; but they must be brought to it. And the worse thy condition is, the more art thou concerned to discover it: for to be ignorant of thy condition, if it be good, only hinders thee from comfort; but if it be bad, it hinders thee from salvation: you and they must both consider, that as the heart is always deceitful, so then more especially. Then men are unable to examine themselves, their natural parts are weakened, and their mind diverted by bodily pains, that it cannot attend, and so may sooner be imposed upon.--Then also men are slothful and listless, as to all spiritual exercises if even good men are slothful in their most healthful times, how much more evil men in times of sickness ?-In times of sickness men are greedy of comfort, and so will catch even at a shadow. On all these accounts there needs the more caution, to set before their eyes the folly and misery of self-deceit, especially in eternal concerns.

3. Ministers and others must take care, lest, while they avoid one extreme they run into another, which is a common error in practice. Some for the prevention of despair, have made such unseasonable applications of comfort, as have created presumptuous hopes. Others again to prevent presumption, have so indiscreetly aggravated things, as to render them hopeless, and so careless, &c. There must therefore be a prudent mixing of things together: as the wise physician mixeth several ingredients, he puts in some things of a sharp and corroding nature, which may eat out or remove the noxious humours'; but addeth to them things of a more gentle temperature, which by their lenity may correct the acrimony of the former. God himself sets us a copy by the mouth of Samuel, (1 Sam. xii. 20.) "You have done all this wickedness:" there is the corrosive, he faithfully discovers that; yet, lest the disease should rather be exasperated than removed, he adds this healing counsel, "Yet turn not aside from following the Lord." And this cordial is added, (ver. 22.) "The Lord will not forsake his people:" and Ezra thus follows it, (ch. x. 2.) "We have trespassed against God, and have taken strange wives: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this; now, therefore, let us make a covenant with God."

4. The same methods are not to be used to all sick persons: you might as well give the same pill to all diseased persons, whereas that which would cure one will kill another; discreet physicians diversify their applications, according to the difference of the patient's disorder

and condition; so here. And there are many differences to be remarked here.

(1.) Difference of tempers, whether tender, or rough and stubborn ; as you read it is the husbandman's discretion, "that the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is the cart wheel turned upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod ;" (Isa. xxviii. 27.) so it must be the discretion of a minister, to have respect to the different tempers of men, in his applications to them. It is said of Christ, he taught the Disciples as they were able to bear.

(2.) Difference of education and conversation. Some have been muzzled in ignorance, others brought up in the knowledge of the truth. Not considering this, occasions much mischief. Discourse to an ignorant person of the necessity of faith and repentance, and ofttimes you lose your labour; he conceits he hath believed and repented; for he takes faith to be a believing, though without any grounds, that God hath pardoned him; and repentance a crying "God have mercy." We must consider where foundations are to be laid; and where we need only raise superstructures. Some have a loose an dprofane education, others civil and religious; the former require more terror, the latter more caution, lest they deceive themselves.

(3.) Difference of guilt. Though all sinners, yet great difference is to be made in the treatment of moral characters and gross sinners: as God expects, so ministers must endeavour, that sorrow, may bear some proportion with the sin :-" Peter having sinned grievously, wept bitterly," (Mat. xxvii. ult.)

5. It is very improper to follow the counsels or desires of sick persons, or their carnal friends. It fares with faithful ministers, as with honest and able physicians, that are many times ill thought of by the sick man and his foolish friends. When they put him to pain or trouble, they are charged with cruelty, and delighting to torment the poor man unnecessarily; and it may be think of discharging him, and getting a physician that will deal more gently with him: whereas, indeed, he is the sick man's best friend, and many times should he not pain him, he would kill him: so it is here. Come to a sick man, he cries, "Comfort, for God's sake!" So say his friends, and they think all is done, if they can get comfort. Why, you shall have it, but in due time: you would have ease, health, &c.; but you must be contented to wait for it, and expect it in due order: first you must be sick; ofttimes that physic is the best which makes you sickest. You shall be healed; but if you would proceed regularly, and have a true cure, you must first have your wound searched, and then healed, else you have only a palliative cure, and the wound will fester inwardly.-It is a sad mistake of sick persons, that they think comfort is all they are to look after. It is not present comfort, but everlasting happiness you must seek. It is not to die quietly like a lamb, (as the vulgar phrase is.) but to die the death of the righteous: it is not so much a calm, and sweet, and easy passage, but a safe harbour one may go to heaven in a storm, and to hell in a calm; and which is better? judge you: those wretches in Ps. lxxiii. 4. have no bands in their death, and yet death hath dominion over them. Comfort is not the great thing you need.