tlemen who were on the Committee, to be transformed into a chapel for the use of the numerous seamen frequenting the Port of Greenock. The whole main deck has been lifted several feet the gun-deck is the floor of the chapel, which now occupies the entire length of the vessel, and several hundreds can be commodiously seated within the reach of the preacher's voice. Preaching is always once a week on board; and when opportunity will permit, more often. Seamen attend willingly, listen attentively, and the sight of hardy faces bedewed with the tears of contrition is not unfrequent. The vessel is moored near to the new Customhouse. When the vessels which took out the numerous emigrants to America were about to depart, these were collected, and with the seamen in the port, formed large assemblies, to whom the Rev. Mr. Edwards, and other ministers in Greenock and the neighbourhood, preached with manifest effect. It is intended to form a Sunday School on board the chapel, for the evening instruction of the lads training for a sea life. The Committee have in purpose, and are taking the necessary steps, to prevent, if possible, the enticing of seamen, newly arrived, to houses where their property and their morals are equally endangered; and to induce them to use in preference other lodging-houses on shore of far better character, and on the good conduct of which dependence may be placed. The Committee, following the example. of the London Merchant Seamen's Auxiliary Bible Society, add also to their other good efforts, an inspection of vessels outward bound, that the crews take to sea for their instruction, and for the improvement of their many leisure hours, a suitable supply of the holy scriptures, and of the religious tracts. May the blessing of God rest on these labours, and the pleasure of the Lord abundantly prosper in their hands! HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THE Committee of the Home Missionary Society, feeling deeply for the condition of the neglected Gipsy race, of whom eighteen thousand are wandering through this country, earnestly entreat the Christian world to come forward ia support of measures for the amelioration of their condition. This people have been wonderfully preserved, a distinct people, for the space of four hundred years, having been expelled from India about that space of time, and scattered all over Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is ascertained by Oriental scholars, that they speak, not a cant language, but the same as that spoken by the Suder caste of India, whom they resemble in person, manners, and habits. The circumstance of their speaking the same language amongst all their tribes in every country, as well as that of their aborigines in the East, may be most favourable for the circulation of the scriptures, and diffusion of oral instruction; and being so widely scattered among all nations, whose languages are spoken by their different tribes, they may also be the instruments of much good among others, and well repay the privilege of sojourn ing among them, by scattering among them that wealth which surpasses the riches of Golconda and Peru. It is proposed to form a Branch Society to that for Home Missions, which will both leave the funds for village preaching untouched, and afford an opportunity to those persons to contribute, who may be favourable only to the promotion of morality and education. Any information or subscriptions, forwarded to the Home Missionary Rooms, 18, Aidermanbury, will be gladly received. BAPTIST ITINERANT AND BRITISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Thomas Tilly to the Secretary, dated January 8, 1821. "MY DEAR SIR, "I write to acknowledge the receipt of a parcel of Reports, Tracts, &c. which were very acceptable, and will, I hope, prove very useful, as the Tracts will be distributed among those who never hear the gospel, and may gain access where a living teacher cannot. I am happy to inform you, that we have at length ac complished an object at which I have been aming for years past; i. e. the formation of a Baptist Itinerant Society for this county, (Hants.) You will be pleased to hear that at Anmore, Southwitch, and several other places which are regularly supplied, the attendance At is very good, and would be much larger Yours most affectionately, It is always with peculiar pleasure that we report the formation of District Societies in the country, being fully persuaded that those who reside on or near the spot, have the best means of ascertaining the moral and spiritual wants of their own neighbourhood; and also of aiding and encouraging those who go forth to labour under their own immediate inspection, with an interest and feeling which no testimony of others can produce. The Committee have to acknowledge with gratitude the following contributions, and regret that it is not yet in their power to state where the "Extra Itine. rant" will be stationed, as the claims of different places appear equally urgent and deserving of regard, while they have not yet met a suitable minister who is disengaged. They would therefore most earnestly implore their Christian friends to "pray the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth more labourers into his harvest ;" and also continue and in crease their liberal contributions for the support of those who now are or may hereafter be called to the work. The following donations are for the support of an Extra Itinerant. (See our Report in the Number for December last.) BEHOLD this little drooping flower, The transient beauty of the bower. But piercing winds its power disarm. It fain would blow, our eyes to charm, Is not this flower an emblem true, My christian friends, of me and you? But courage, friends, the text stands Your life is hid with Christ in God. Woolwich. H -T. Irish Chronicle. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Stephen bishops were again conducted to the altar, Davis. MY DEAR SIR, and disrobed in great ceremony, and the assembly was dismissed. The priests afterwards dined together at the inn. But you will be particularly grieved to understand that the shops (without any exception) were all closed upon this day also, and the day was more religiously observed than the Sabbath is at any time. Indeed the Protestants are very few, and it would certainly have offended their neighbours, and it might have injured them in their business if the shops had been opened: but it is most lamentable that such a countenance should be afforded to the delusion of purgatory, as though a departed soul could be benefited by such fooleries; and I greatly fear the example of the Protestants must have a tendency to confirm their Popish neighbours in their dangerous superstitions. Indeed I am sorry to say, that after all the preaching they have heard, there are scarcely any of them that can bear to hear a word I mentioned in a late letter to our esteemed friend Mr. West, which I expect he forwarded, that the Popish archbishop who resided at Thurles was deceased, and the church, chapel, nunnery, and markethouse bells were kept ringing night and day, from Saturday until his funeral on Tuesday, to our great annoyance; and all the shops in the town were closed, especially on the day of his burial; and notwithstanding the day was very wet, the body was carried round the town in a slow procession, attended by about forty priests in white scarfs, with the Protestant minis ters, one on each side of the new archbishop, and a numerous concourse of people; after which he was buried with great ceremony under the gallery which the nuns occupy in the chapel. I did not go against Popery, in public or private; and to the funeral, that I might not be consi- if any conversation (however mild) is held dered as countenancing in any manner upon those subjects, and a Popish servant their superstitions. But on the abovecomes into the room, it is invariably hushmentioned day, (the 17th,) there was the ed in a moment, lest they should be offirst month's mind, (as it is called,) and fended, though the papists are by no high mass was said at the chapel for the means so cautious and timid. The truth soul of the deceased prelate, by an arch- is, and it ought to be seriously considered, bishop, assisted by four bishops, and more that in every direction within the compass than 100 priests; and a vehement oration of my knowledge, and of others Prowas delivered from the pulpit, in English,testantism is rather on the decline than in praise of Dr. Bray: after which the otherwise; for if we have done something, bishops, who were previously robed at the the papists have done, and are doing much altar before all the congregation, which more, and are increasing in respectability consisted of some thousands, were conand favour in the eyes of their Protestant ducted within a railing in the body the neighbours every day and unless they chapel, where a coffin was placed upon are met with something like correspondtrestles, to represent the deceased, when ing exertions on our part, and, above all, fresh prayers were offered by the archunless" the Spirit is poured out from on bishop, and chaunted by the choir; after high," "the man of sin" must continue to which a procession was made round the reign, and be more triumphant than our empty coffin, and the archbishop sprinkled brethren in England seem to imagine. holy water in profusion, and then made another procession with the holy incense; and when all was gone through, the : Attempt great things, and expect great things," was the motto of the venerable Carey; for unless prayer and exertion go together, no success can be expected. I am a most weak creature, and I feel it increasingly, and sometimes in a most op. pressive way; but I can truly say, I have done what I could, and I love my work, and am desirous to spend and be spent for Christ; but we want more labourers for Ireland, and England must bear the chief expense, and thus secure to herself the honour, while God has all the glory. The Schools are certainly doing good, and we know also the gospel will not be preached in vain, but must in every instance be the savour of life or death, and sooner or later Jesus will take to himself his great power, and reign over Ireland, and all the earth. Let us, therefore, hear his own direction, by his Spirit, in the apostle, "Be ye steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," &c. I intended to notice my late excursion, but must leave it to the next letter. Letter from a Sabbath Irish Reader. Colloomey, Jan. 2, 1821. REV. SIR, The happy effects produced by the last quarter's Sabbath Reading, impels me to lay before you an abstract of the mode I adopted. I called meetings at the houses of Thomas M'M. and B. L. where I classed them, holding the Irish Bible in my hand, and each of them looking into their Irish and English Testaments, desiring them in their turn to ask me any question concerning their eternal welfare; and referring them to their Testaments to know whether the answers I gave them were correct or not. Question by Thomas MM. "Will good men be saved for their obeying the commandments ?" Answer. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God, for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. iii. 20. Question by B. L. " Why were the commandments given, as they could not save us?" Answer. "They were added because of transgression, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God." Gal. iii. 19. Question by P. Q." Why do men think that they are to be saved by their moral virtnes?" Answer. "Because the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; and again, they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, bave not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God." Question. "How can we ever expect to be saved, in that case?" Answer. "There is hope in the Gospel, which God has sent to give light unto them who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; to guide our feet in to the way of peace." Jer. xvii. 9. Rom. x. 3. Luke i. 79. Question by A. M'M. "What is the Gospel?" Answer. "It is good tidings of great joy. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Luke ii. 10. 1 Tim. i. 15. Question by J. R. “How can Christ's salvation come to us?" Answer. " By faith: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. To him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. He redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, thereby fulfilling the whole law, that his righteousness might be imputed to us, and we in him become perfectly righteous.” Acts xvi. 32.—x. 43. Gal. iii. 13. Rom. iv. 24. Question by E. M. "How can the righteousness of Christ come upon us?" Answer. "By faith: Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Rom. x. 4. Question by J. F. "How can one who is a great sinner have peace of mind if he does not confess to a priest?" Answer. By believing in Christ, who says, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt.xi. 28. Question by B. H." Will Christ accept of all who come to him for salvation?" Answer. "The invitation is, Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Rev. xxii. 17. Luke vii. 37. Jane M'M.'s question. "While we continue in wilful sin, will Christ's salvation profit us?" Answer. Except we repent, we must all perish." Luke xiii. 3, 5. Question by T. M. "Was that to do penance?" Answer. "No; there is in true repentance a change of heart, a godly sorrow for sin, a forsaking of it, that we may serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness. And again;-to have Christ formed in us, to put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and put on the new man, which, after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Zech. xii. 10. Luke i. 75. Eph. iv. 23, 24. Question by A. C. "How may we learn to behave so as to please God always." Answer. "From the holy scriptures, which are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; for faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." 2 Tim. iii. 16. Rom. x.17. Question by P. K. "How can men understand the scriptures who don't go to college?" Answer, "If any lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." James i. 5. It would fill a volume to state all their questions, which they study to meet me with, on every Sabbath. These means have been particularly blessed, to the edification of the above persons, who are all convinced of the error of their ways, (except K. and F.), and three of them converted to the clear light of the gospel, who now plead their own wretchedness, and his atoning blood for acceptance; and are neither afraid nor ashamed to declare to their neighbours, that God is well pleased in the way of salvation he has appointed, whereby his justice is satisfied, his law fulfilled, his mercy reigns, his grace triumphs, the sinner is saved, and God in Christ glorified. Those in this vicinity, who were formerly brought to a knowledge of the truth, adorn the doctrine of their Saviour to the present moment. I visited a priest, at William Moor's request, who told me, as long as he should be continued in the priesthood, he would neither please men, nor deceive the people; but would publicly announce that Christ was the way, the truth, and the life; and that none cometh to the Father but by him: and that there was no salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. He reproved me for not coming to see him often, said that he should soon be removed, and that he would find himself happy in conversing with a man who loved the scriptures. I remain, with very high esteem, Rev. Sir, in best bonds, your faithful and very humble servant, JOHN O'BRIEN. A Report of the State, Condition, and Number of the Schools in the County of Clare, and Town of Nenagh, in the County of Tipperary, established by the Baptist Irish Society, made by their Inspector James Vaughan, to the first Day of January, 1821. |