Our Steam-Boats have no excuse whatever. The steam "Ship Robert Fulton" has always been advertised to sail on the Sabbath. It seems, however, that the Lord has lately prevented it by boisterous weather. The monthly "Liverpool Packets" sail on such a day, whether it be the Sabbath or not. Why not say in their advertisements, when it falls on the Sabbath, the day after? It must make much bustle and confusion to have such vessels sail on that day.

I have lately seen a calculation how far the steam-boats between NewYork and Albany sailed last year. I did think of publishing a calculation how many persons these boats had been the means of conveying away from the house and worship of God, the past year-but did not know how near correct my calculation was, and declined it. The captain of such a boat must have his conscience seared, or he could not himself consent to be continually employed in business on that day. Cannot this custom of steam-boats sailing Saturday evening, be dispensed with ? Will not the Christians of New-York and Albany make a mighty effort to do it before the next season opens? The time must and will come when these customs will be done away -when the Sabbath will be remembered and kept holy. And this must be brought about by human agency, by the agency of Christians. Now when shall Christians begin this work in earnest ?

LETTER FROM A SAILOR.

To the Editor of the Seaman's Magazine.

DEAR SIR-I send you an extract of a letter from a seaman, dated St. Barts, to his sister in this city. I am personally acquainted with him, and believe him to be truly pious. He sailed from this port in the ―, Capt. -- in December last. You are at liberty to insert it in the seaman's department of the Christian Herald. Your's truly,

New-York, Jan. 22, 1822.

HENRY CHASE.

St. Barts, December 22, 1821. DEAR SISTER-We arrived at our destined port this day after a passage of twenty days, and with the divine assistance of my Lord and Saviour, I will give you a short sketch of our passage. With pleasure I embrace the opportunity of addressing these few lines to you, and I return my grateful acknowledgments to God for his kind protection of us through a vast and trackless ocean, and I hope for a welcome and happy return to my native shore.

I will now inform you of the strict attention that is paid to Divine Service on board our little bark. Once a day we assemble to address the Throne of Grace, and have done so ever since we left New-York, with the exception of one or two days during a dreadful gale of wind. The worship was led by our dear and affectionate captain. It is generally commenced by reading a chapter and an exhortation on the important subject of it.

It was pleasing to witness the orderly conduct of our seamen through the gale, there was not an oath heard or an improper word used, but all was calm and silent, waiting the command of our highly honoured captain.

After expressing a wish to be remembered to his friends, and especially the several ministers who had preached in the Mariner's church, and the other Christian brethren who had assisted in conducting the worship at that place; and after transcribing the principal part of the parable of the ten virgins, he concludes his letter thus:

"And then the foolish virgins came to the door and said, Lord! open unto us. But he said, no! Depart from me, I know you not !" O! my friends, don't let this be the case with any one of us. Let us always keep a supply of oil in our vessels, and always be prepared to meet our Lord. May you all live to see the fruit of your labour, and be abundantly blest, and finally arrive at the haven of eternal rest, to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb with all the children of God, and partake of that felicity which is without interruption and without end. JAMES MORAN.

For the Seaman's Magazine.

AFFECTIONATE ADDRESS TO SHIP-MASTERS,

In a letter from E. L. to Capt. G. B.; dated on board the ship at sea, February 15, 1817.

T

DEAR SIR-My unfaithfulness to the souls of those with whom 1 associate, has given me as much unhappiness as almost any thing else whatever. I look back on many opportunities where I might have been the means of doing good, and have neglected to improve them aright. Perhaps if I had been faithful, and done all I might have done while crossing the Atlantic with R. and with C., God might have blessed my feeble efforts, and made the means effectual to their salvation.

I frequently find it difficult to say all I wish to say. My heart is often full, when my tongue can utter but little. I often fear lest I should be too forward, and weary or disgust, when I would wish to benefit. Often too, when duty appears plain, I find it hard to do it.

I hope, my dear sir, that you will bear with me, and believe me when I say, that I have your best interests in view in writing this letter, which I hope will be well received.

I rejoice, and would feel grateful that on the voyage commenced, and which we presume will be a long one, I find myself with a commander who avoids profanity, who respects religion, and who has acquiesced in my wishes relative to asking a blessing at our meals, and attending to the worship of God on the Sabbath. Allow me also to say, that in no instance whatever has your conduct towards me been in the least different from what I could have wished. Besides, I anticipate, without the smallest fear of disappointment, a perfect agreement with you in every thing that relates to the business of the voyage; and promise myself a continuance of the happiness I have hitherto enjoyed in your society.

But, my dear sir, we are bound for eternity, and will soon have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ: the business, and cares, and enjoyments of this life will then be at an end; the friendships that have been formed will be dissolved, and every tie that binds us to this world be sundered for ever.

May I then ask, with affection and respect, whether you are prepared for the solemn scenes of death, judgment, and eternity, in which we both will soon have to act a part? Have you good evidence that you are a child of God—that you are indeed interested in the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ?

If not, will you not be entreated to set yourself immediately about the great business of life; nor give over until you have found the pearl of great price, and become possessed of the one thing needful?

You know what we all are by nature and by practice, and what it is necessary for us to be in order to our salvation. You know the fulness and freeness of the salvation provided by Him who was "wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities-who, though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich." You know that it is offered most freely to you and to me: You know the means God has commanded us to use, and that if we use these means, depending wholly on Christ, we shall certainly be blessed -be made happy in time, and happy in eternity.

Our souls are valuable beyond all conception: shall we not strive for their salvation? We would exert ourselves to amass a fortune; and shall we not be in earnest, when our all is at stake? Shall we not make some exertions to obtain what will give us something of true happiness in this life, which will disarm death of its sting, and the grave of its terrors, and which will infallibly conduct us to permanent happiness and substantial joys?

There is nothing I so much desire, as that God would glorify himself in the salvation of my own soul, and the souls of others. For this I pray daily; and for this my desires are so strong, that tears often force themselves from my eyes; not tears of sadness, but of interest and tender solicitude for precious souls; and could you have seen my heart and all my wishes with regard to you and yours the short time we have been together, you would know my sincerity in all I now write.

Permit me now to make a request: It is, that every evening before retiring to rest, at any time that is most agreeable to you, I may sit down by your side and read a few verses in the Book of Life, and then kneel with you and devote a few moments in worshipping the God who made us. Will it not be a pleasant, a proper, and a profitable way of spending a very little time at the close of the day? And may we not hope that He who feeds the ravens and hears the young lions when they cry, will for the sake of his dear Son, hear our petitions, and save our precious, our invaluable souls ?

In prayer, we have always this peculiar felicity, that we may ask the richest blessings for ourselves and others; and with confidence too; for we approach a prayer-hearing God, and who is more ready to give than we are to ask.

Shall we ever be deterred from duty by the fear of man? The time is near at hand, when it will be of little consequence to us, what men may have said or thought of us. It now matters not to you or me, whether during the time we were in Europe, we were considered as jolly fellows or as enthusiasts. Besides, is it not cowardly for a man to act contrary to reason, Scripture, and conscience, simply because some remarks might be made? We do not act thus in the affairs of common life.

The language of Scripture is: "Fear not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." And what, said our Saviour? "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake"

But I must conclude. Let me however ask, what is there so desirable as that you should return to C., a true Christian, a sincere and humble disciple and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? Would not this, in such a case, be the most profitable and the best voyage you ever made? What would add more to the joy that would swell the bosom and moisten the eyes of an affectionate wife, on your return home, than to find that her husband had chosen that good part, which will never be taken from him? Then you would know the happiness of offering up the morning and the evening sacrifice upon the family-altar; and sometimes when your little prattlers were climbing about their father's knees, they would hear from a parent's lips, the way of life and salvation, and the preciousness of Jesus Christ. Then you would daily commend your family to God's blessing, and pray that you might all serve the Lord here, and finally meet around his throne in a better world.

Who knows but what through your instrumentality and prayers, your children might all remember their Creator in the days of their youth, become eminently useful in life, and at length take a seat above, with the apostles and prophets?

Who can tell but your Christian example and good regulations in future voyages, might lead some one or more careless tars to attend to their soul's best interests, and they again be blessings to their shipmates or their families at home?

That this may be the case, and that we may both ever live the life of the righteous, and finally be made happy for ever, is the fervent prayer of, Yours respectfully and affectionately,

E. L.

TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS.

We have long contemplated "a summary review or short character of the various new publications that are of a nature to merit such a notice," as a desideratum in the religious literature of our city. To guard the public on the one hand, against those publications which, making their appearance under the specious garb of some "catching title," lead the unwary into error, and to destruction; while on the other, to recommend and endeavour to aid the circulation of those which will tend to im prove the mind and taste, and the temporal and spiritual happiness of those who read them and follow their precepts, is a labour of great importance. We shall endeavour to derive benefit from the "useful hint" of our respected correspondent "L. E.," (see p. 588;) and having the promise of such aid, as we feel confident will enable us to occupy a few pages more of our work for short reviews, we shall endeavour to render our work more useful and interesting to our readers. The publishers of Sunday School, and other small books for children, will oblige us by sending copies of each, (free of expense,) if they wish to have them noticed in our work. We love and admire the spirit which we believe dictated the reply of our Roman Catholic friend, to the answer, in our last, to his former communication. It is our desire and aim "to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints," and to avoid that worship spoken of by John the Divine, Rev. xiii. 12; and this by God's help we shall endeavour to do, without regard to the dogmas of any sect,. even though the number of their followers may be "hundreds of millions."

The request of "several subscribers," relating to the attack on the character of the Rev. WILLIAM WARD, could not be complied with in this number, for the want of some of the documents; they are now before us, and shall have a place in our

next.

The proceedings of the American Jews' Society are unavoidably deferred. "CLEMENTIA;" " T.;" "Amicus;" are received.

The late venerable Greenland Missionary, who served in that Mission forty-three years.

(Translated from the German for the Christian Herald.)

I WAS born June 7, 1706, at Creuzendorf, about two miles from Leobshitz, in Upper Silesia. My grandfather, Jacob Beck, was a native of Gottsdorf, near Jagerndorf. A violent persecution arising in his time against the inhabitants of his town, many for religion's sake, emigrated into Lower Silesia, that there they might enjoy liberty of conscience; but he determined to abide where he was, to serve the Lord and gain his livelihood there. Shortly after, however, he was put in irons and cast into prison. There they beat, tortured, and detained him till they had made him quite a cripple; and in the end, he happily fell asleep in Jesus. My grandmother, however, with her two sons, (my father, Caspar Beck, and his brother,) were at last compelled to leave the place, because they neither could nor would consent to turn Roman Catholics, although urged to do so. They emigrated to Leobshitz, where she indeed was suffered to retain her religion, but her two sons were soon compelled to embrace the catholic persuasion. Not long after, the younger departed this life.

My father, having early imbibed the principles of pure religion, so soon as he came to years of discretion, sought and cherished the company of those who retained a spark of the Saviour's love in their hearts, and frequently read the Bible and other religious books with them. He himself taught us, his children, to read, and instructed us, to the best of his knowledge, in the word of God, that we might not be contaminated by wicked company, nor imbibe their erroneous principles. I was put out as a servant among strangers, and whenever I paid a visit to my father, he would charge me, saying, " My son, always set God before your eyes, then you will fare well in time and in eternity!" These words afterwards recurred to my mind very frequently, in my solitary hours.

In 1726, I was under serious convictions, but soon after I relapsed into my former unconcern respecting my soul's salvation, till in May, 1731, when I entered the service of Michael Damel, a Catholic minister, in the capacity of his coachman.

Being prohibited the reading of Lutheran books, on pain of a severe VOL. VIII

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