One of her

reconciliation_through the mediation of Christ crucified. sons has for eleven years "followed the seas." Much has she prayed for her "poor sailor-boy," and many a letter has she written him rich with maternal counsel and solicitude. When at home, she has taken unwearied pains, such as none but a pious mother would take to withdraw him from all improper associations, and to interest him in whatever things are pure, and true, and lovely.

At length she has received letters from him, which breathe a new spirit and speak a new language. I have just listened to the voice of that mother, as with "joy unspeakable," she has read to me three of those letters, richly expressive of the views and feelings of a newborn soul. In them all he acknowledges his special indebtedness to her faithful warnings, and her persevering prayers. In one he speaks of the condition and prospects of her children who still remain impenitent, and in order to encourage her to do for them as she had done for him he says, hold on, mother; your prayers may yet be answered in their

conversion."

What better counsel can I, or can any one give to every praying mother in the land? ،، Hold on, mother." Your children may not be converted to-day or to-morrow, this year or the next; but "be not weary in well-doing." .” “ Hold on ” to the divine promise, and the divine faithfulness, and "be not faithless but believing."

"It sha'nt be said that praying breath

Was ever spent in vain."

DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

EDINBURGH AND LEITH SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY.

NEW MARINER'S CHURCH.

We are happy to announce, that the New Mariner's Church in connexion with this Institution, the foundation stone of which was laid in May, 1839, is now finished, and opened for worship. Of the building itself, and the various apparatus connected with it, for carrying into effect the great design of the Society, we have the following statement:

The church is a plain gothic edifice, with tall arched windows continued throughout the building. Its front is to the east, with two lofty octagonal towers or minerates, finished with obelisks at the height of 85 feet, in which are contained the stairs to the galleries; the space

between the towers being formed into a deep arched recess, which overshades a handsome mullion window, and the entrance door. The interior is very handsomely finished, with a gallery on three sides, and an elegant ribbed ceiling. It contains 800 sittings; and whilst the seatrents are all of them low, 106 are altogether free for seamen; and where more than two sittings are taken by one family, to be occupied by members of that family, a reduction of one half is made for every sitting above two.

Adjoining the church, and forming part of the same building, are three School-rooms;-one on the ground floor, 40 feet by 28 feet, and capable of accommodating 160 boys; one in the upper floor, 40 feet by 28 feet, capable of accommodating an equal number of girls; and an Infant School, 26 feet by 20 feet, capable of containing 80 children. All these Schools are spacious, suitably furnished, and lighted with gas; and are provided with small retiring rooms, for the use of the teachers.

The branches taught in the boy's school, are English grammar, geography, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, and navigation; and in the girl's school,-English_grammar, geography, writing, arithmetic, and sewing and knitting. None are allowed to join either of these two advanced schools, unless able to read the Testament; and the instructions in both schools embrace regular lessons from the Bible and Shorter Catechism. The Infant School is for both boys and girls, from three to six years old; and is intended not only, like other Infant Schools, for training them in habits of obedience, cleanliness, and order,—imbuing their minds with the knowledge of divine truth,-storing their memories with portions of the Bible, and Divine hymns, but also for preparing them to join the advanced schools.

None but the children of seamen, or of those connected with the shipping, can be admitted to these schools, without regular application, by the teachers; but if the schools are not full, others may be admitted on the first Monday of each month, if they give in their names a few days before; and ship-masters as well as sailors are invited to send their children to these schools-the establishment being the common property of the whole seafaring class.

The fees are two-pence for the Infant school, and three-pence for the other schools, per week; but one-half only payable for children of seamen's widows, and destitute orphans are educated gratuitously.

As the great object of the Society is to give, not merely a general, but a religious and moral education, the teachers are required to keep this object steadily in view, in all that is taught. They are to open and close the schools with prayer every day,—to keep the school open all the year, with the exception of a vacation not exceeding six weeks, -to enter the names of the scholars in a book for that purpose,-to have the Bible read regularly every day in school,-to accompany the children to church, and take care that they conduct themselves there properly, and to assemble the children on the sabbath evening for religious exercises. In addition to these instructions, the teachers are expected to take every opportunity of storing the minds of the children,

not only with interesting and useful information on general subjects, but above all with the principles of the christian religion, and the duties which it enjoins, agreeably to the statement of these in the Confession of Faith, and catechisms and standards of the established church,to see that the children, in reading the Scriptures, do so reverently,that they understand the exercises in which they are engaged, by putting suitable questions to them as to the meaning of the words and sentiments contained in the lessons of the day, especially such as relate to religious truths. The teachers are appointed by the Directors of the Society, and are expected to devote their time exclusively to the school, to be circumspect in their conduct, and set an example of the practical influence of that religion which it is their peculiar duty to instil into the minds of the children. They shall, every year, previous to the examination of the schools, (which is to be appointed by the Directors,) make a report of the state of the schools.

Such are the means which have been, and still are, employed by the Society in prosecuting the objects for which it was instituted. It is an Institution peculiarly designed for seamen; and it is the earnest wish of the Directors, that the establishment, being now complete, may be the instrument of reviving universally among seamen's families the work of pure religion, that the buildings which have been erected may accomplish, to the full extent, the design of their erection-that the CHURCH may be a tabernacle which shall not speedily be taken down, a quiet habitation—beneath whose roof seamen, after being tossed on the dangerous ocean, may find sweetest rest and refreshment to their soul,— the very gate of heaven, through which they shall be conducted from all the misery and sinfulness of time, to all the happiness and bliss of immortality:—and that by the SCHOOLS, successive generations of seamen and seamen's children may be taught those lessons of wisdom and piety, which, along with the power that all knowledge confers, will give also the purity and holiness that is peculiar to BIBLE KNOWLEDGE alone. The Directors trust, that both the one and the other of these erections may stand as monuments of christian liberality, and as sure pledges that the sailor shall no more be left unheeded and abandoned; and, in their respective departments, may contribute to hasten forward the long-predicted era, so bright with unspeakable blessings--when the merchandise of Tyre shall be holiness to the Lord— when the abundance of the sea shall be converted to God-and when maritime enterprise and enthusiasm, so justly renowned, shall become still more justly renowned, by being consecrated to the service of Him whose is the kingdom and the power, and to whom alone belongs all the glory.

BOSTON SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY.

From a private letter just received from a valued friend in Massachusets, we learn that the Anniversary of the State Seamen's Friend Society was held at Boston, in the last week of May; and not only

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was the meeting "extremely interesting, but the cause is evidently increasing in the affections of the people."

And since the progress of the seamen's cause is inseparable from the general prosperity of the church, it is truly refreshing to hear, that "the present has been a year of glorious, but noiseless revival of religion in the United States."

SIXTEENTH ANNIVERSARY

OF THE

GUERNSEY BETHEL UNION & SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY.

The Committee of the Bethel Union and Seamen's Friend Society present their Report to the Sixteenth Anniversary Meeting, with feelings of unabated attachment to the Institution, and a deep conviction of its growing importance and utility.-They have indeed no variety of interesting and striking facts to narrate, relative to the operations conducted during the past year; but, notwithstanding this paucity of incident, there is abundant cause of gratulation and praise, the ordinary routine of Christian services having been uniformly carried on in the several departments of the Society in the spirit of zeal and fidelity, and, through the Divine blessing, there is reason to hope, with success. Although no event, either of a peculiarly painful or joyous character, has transpired in the Bethel Union-further than the anxieties and blessings attendant on the common course of events,-yet the committee are constrained, from the general peacefulness and prosperity which have marked the year, reverently to render devout acknowledgments to God, for his superintending care and manifested presence and love. At no very distant period in the retrospect, do the committee well remember when the Institution had comparatively but feeble energies at its command, its funds being limited and its labourers few, and when on this account it was necessitated to relinquish a favourable opening for its usefulness, and the work of the Society devolved upon a few individuals; but they are happy to state, that the days of its infancy are gone by, that it is supported by most of the religious denominations in the island, that its character, importance, and claims are more correctly understood, and meet with a corresponding appreciation -and that there are, at present on the preacher's plan, the names of no less than eight Christian ministers, and of fourteen lay preachers, besides the fourBethel Companies and Prayer-leaders," comprising nine Christian brethren, who engage to attend the sabbath and weeknight public services at the Bethel-room, and to invite the sailors, pilots, boatmen, etc. to attend also. The Committee therefore anticipate the future with a degree of confidence and pleasure, but at the same time in the spirit of humble and powerful reliance on the promised blessings of the Divine Redeemer.

The Committee feel most happy to announce, that during no previous year have the public services of the Bethel Union been, on the whole better attended, if even as well, as during the year which terminates

with the present Anniversary. The average congregations are satisfactory in number: they consist of sailors and boatmen, with their families and connexions, together with frequent visitants from various churches in this town-who all listen with the greatest attention, and apparently with deep feeling, to the preaching of the saving truths of the glorious gospel. The Bethel-room,—which is well situated as to its locality, though inconvenient in its construction and form as a chapel, and, it must be acknowledged, peculiarly uninviting in its appearance, is regularly the scene of pleasing devotions; and offers its best welcome as a haven of rest, and an humble but honoured house of God, to the still too-much-neglected, the ignorant and spirituallydestitute mariners, in immediate proximity to the harbour.

This important and interesting class of men, whose dwelling is principally on the briny wave,-to whom Guernsey owes an almost unbounded debt of gratitude, for her safety, her happiness, and her affluence,--form a peculiar caste-distinct in habits, feelings, and character, from a resident community. And no sanctuary can present such attractions to them as that which, however inelegant in its appearance, bears their own name, and is specially appropriated to their

own use.

Many a brave tar, of robust and hardy frame, may have visited our shores, and by hearing the word of life in the Bethel-room, have had his conscience convicted and his heart impressed, and again floated away upon the surface of the trackless waters, perhaps never to return; but with a feeling in his soul, which, deepening and growing, may terminate in the most blessed results. This hope is strengthened, by an instance which recently came to the knowledge of the committee, of a sailor, who a few weeks since happened casually to visit the island, and who then informed one of the members that his attendance at the sabbath-school services of the Bethel Union, some years ago, led to his conversion to God. Many similar facts, though yet unrevealed, it is fondly hoped will become known, when the secrets and characters of all men shall be disclosed before the congregated worlds, who, by the mandate of God, shall be summoned to his bar.

During the year many hundreds of tracts have been distributed, no account of the precise number of which has been kept, nor any regular periodical distribution taken place; but as opportunity served, they have been frequently, prudently, and largely scattered abroad. Seven new libraries have also been issued to ships leaving the island, for the use of their respective crews, and two others have been exchanged; making a total of 103 libraries which have been issued since the commencement of the Institution.

The committee feel great pleasure in publicly acknowledging the gift from the Guernsey Auxiliary to the British and Foreign Bible Society, of a Bible and a Testament with each library, or box of books, lent to ships leaving the island;-a donation deserving their special thanks, and showing the harmony and mutual subserviency to each other's holy objects with which benevolent and Christian societies of a kindred character co-operate.