borrow the emphatic language of inspiration, the mariners having "cried to the Lord in their trouble," he had not "made the storm a calm," and given them strength to exert persevering efforts to keep the ship afloat, till they put into the port of Halifax, and repaired the injuries that Lad been sustained. Once more the vessel went to sea, yet without her passengers. They were pressed for time, and availed themselves of another ship bound to North America; and it was well for them: men unused to endure cold and hardships could hardly have borne the exposure to intense suffering which awaited the hardier sailors. Storms were abroad, and icebergs, as already noticed, floated thick and fast: fogs, too, crept stealthily over the tossing waves, and obscured every distant object, bewildering to the senses, yet still permitting the appalling view of icebergs, rising in grotesque shapes; terrible indeed, yet looming more terrific because of the uncertainty in which they were enveloped. It was terrible to hear the fearful grinding and loud noises that ensued whenever two of these rocking and undulating masses came in contact. At one time a sound louder than that of the loudest thunder bellowed over the wide expanse of ocean; at another came a sudden crash, which announced that some lesser iceberg had gone to pieces, in its contact with a larger. Still went on the vessel, with strong hands and hearts on board, cautiously guided through the mazes of those terrible icebergs, which moved continually from place to place. the utmost diligence, and left the event in the hand of God. He ordered the boats to be in readiness for a moment's launch, and had a small stock of provisious placed in each, keeping his station at the wheel, and seeing that every man was at his appointed place. Morning dawned on the third day; and the captain, looking out as usual, presently observed that a very large and dangerous iceberg threatened to cross the only place where the ship could pass as yet the light was doubtful, but it sufficed to show that "shape of horror," while the faint gleams of the rising sun, reddened by their passage through the fog, seemed to tinge every huge mass of ice that lay piled around them; and the more distinct the scene became, the more evident was their exceeding danger. But halt they must not, and warily went on the brig. The iceberg rolling majestically forward till it grazed the keel with one of its huge projections, the captain sought to evade it by a dexterous movement of the rudder, but in vain. The shock was tremendous; and with a force that stunned every person on board, the ship and iceberg came in contact. For а brief space the vessel became stationary, and then began rapidly to fill with water. What an awful moment! The captain was preserved in peace, and his men in obedience. The boats were cut loose in an instant: the sailors one after the other dropped into them, nine into one boat, five into another: the captain was the last man to leave the vessel, and then he took his place in the smallest of the two. Scarcely a The captain now felt the consolations of that re- minute had elapsed since from the deck of his galligion which he had loved in the days of his pros-lant vessel he looked down into the little boat; perity. When gliding over smooth seas, with a favourable wind, he uniformly sought to direct the attention of his men to that sacred volume which now afforded them a sure support. He had regularly assembled them for morning and evening prayer in every period of their voyage; and, when dangers were on every side, they well knew how to plead for preservation through Christ Jesus. They had not turned away, nor refeed to hear the voice of their heavenly Father in fairer times; and they had no reason to fear that he would hide his face from their supplications, or disregard their prayers when all hope of deliverance seemed to fail. One morning, when the day broke, their terrible condition became fully apparent; and all the following day and night, and the dismal day which succeeded a night of utmost peril, did the captain remain at the wheel by which the rudder is governed, steering his ship through the huge icebergs that enclosed her on every side. Another right passed, and the danger seemed even more imminent another day succeeded, and the captain never left the deck. To the eye of reason there appeared no probability of escape:" to proceed, to return, to remain stationary, seemed equally perilous." But what cannot the eye of faith discern, to encourage the believer who does his best, as seeing him who is invisible, conscious that a tender Father looks apon him, and that his ear is ever open to the supplications of his people? The captain knew that it was his duty to make every possible exertion in order to save his own life and that of his men; he therefore worked with the next he looked up to it, for the deck of his fine brig lay lower than its edge, and instead of descending he actually ascended into the latter: the sailors pushed off, and scarcely had they cleared the vessel than the top of the masts alone remained above the water-another second, and they were gone. The situation of the mariners was dreadful when in their good sheltering ship: what must it have been when exposed to every peril in two small puny boats, that scarcely bore them above the surface of the water? How helpless and how hopeless seemed their condition, surrounded by towering icebergs, which could easily bear down a fleet of noble vessels! The men looked up, but scarcely might they discern the heavens above their heads: instead of a blue sky or hurrying clouds were the overhanging edges of trozen crags, forming a terrible arcade: they felt the grating of their boat upon the slippery base of each contiguous iceberg. Yet still the fog prevented them from clearly seeing the masses by which they were surrounded. To hoist a sail was impossible: all that remained was to row with the utmost caution in the direction of the land, which they conjectured to be about eighty miles distant. Onward therefore went the sailors, hoping against hope, yet cheered by their excellent commander, who encouraged himself and his men by the blessed promises of holy writ. Onward they went through the terrible icebergs of the bay of Gaspe; and, strange to them as was their fearful condition, the mercies of the Lord were not restrained; and they might exclaim in the words of the psalmist, "Thy mercies are new every morning, thy faith fulness every night." All that fearful day they continued to pass unharmed amid the icebergs through the night too, when dimness was around them, and it seemed as if portentous masses were every moment looming onward to their destruction. Yet one passed, and another came; that too hurried by, till, emerging from amid the thickest of those icy rocks, the icebergs became less numerous, though dashing one against another in a fearful manner. Summer was at its height, yet the air was intensely cold by reason of so much ice; but though cold no wind was stirring; and having, according to their custom at the close of evening, committed themselves to the especial guardianship of One, to whom the night is clear as the day, they sang, as they were wont, a hymn of praise. Morning came, and cheering indeed it was: a long line of coast appeared in the distance, stretching before the mariners, and presenting all the luxuriance of vegetation. Very little ice remained in sight; but it was fearful to look back at the dangers which they had escaped, while masses occasionally floated by, which, had they not been mercifully warded off, must instantaneously have wrecked them. Gladly then, and full of hope, did they eagerly row forward under a full press of canvas. Presently the wished-for harbour came in view; and the two frail barks, thus wonderfully preserved, glided safely in, amid the shouts of the inhabitants. But who, it may be asked, was the captain of the brig? He was a man who feared God, and desired to do his will-the captain of a merchant vessel that traded between the eastern and western shores of the Atlantic. It had often been his lot to take out missionaries--messengers of mercy to neglected heathens; and most probably from the instructions given by them did the captain become acquainted with the glorious truths of Christianity. Certain it is that he was a pious man, as appeared by his conduct; for he not only felt the blessedness of religion, but fervently desired the eternal well-being of his men. Therefore it was that, when stepping from his sinking vessel, "he felt," to use his own expression, that he was in the Lord's hands;" that he was enabled to support the drooping spirits of the sailors, and to preserve his own peace unbroken during a period of the utmost peril. MISSIONS AT HOME. No. XXI. "No man loves God who doth not love his neighbour: nor can any love his neighbour truly who doth not first love God." EMIGRANTS.-The value of associated means and labours must be felt by all who have watched the successful operations of our religious societies; and the following affords a striking instance in proof. It is selected from the correspondence of the Prayer-book and Homily Society, whose useful work among emigrants was begun many years before any other society took compassion upon their spiritual necessities: "Having on Friday and Saturday visited the government ship us. which was about to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, and having made the necessary arrangements with various parties, I accompanied the very rev. the dean of Bangor on board, on Sunday, June 23. One of the officers from her majesty's commissioners, the captain, who is also the owner of the vessel, and other gentlemen, received We found the poop and quarter-deck handsomely fitted up; a canopy of canvas, a sail on the larboard, and a large union-jack on the starboard side, together with two sails athwart ship, made the most complete enclosed church I ever witnessed on board ship: forms brought from the depôt at Deptford provided the emigrants and their friends with seats. Precisely at eleven o'clock the dean came upon the quarter-deck from the cuddy. Having obtained his permission to address a few words to the people before service was commenced, according to our usual custom, I reminded them of the solemn character of the work in which we were about to engage, the wor ship of him who is a Spirit, and must be wor shipped in spirit and in truth; and then invited them all in private prayer to seek the gracious presence and assistance of God's Holy Spirit to tranquillize their minds and fit them for this sacred duty. After a solemn pause we commenced by singing the first and last verses of the 100th psalm The dean then proceeded, appropriate psalms an lessons being read. After singing part of the 340 psalm, 'Through all the changing scenes of life, &c., the dean gave out his text, taken from th second lesson, Luke vii.,And he said, Youn man, I say unto thee, Arise,' and preached most solemn and affecting discourse; the substant of which will, I trust, be long remembered b many who heard it. After the service was co cluded, and whilst preparations were making the emigrants' dinner, the dean minutely ex mined every part of the ship, and expressed mat gratification at the pains taken both for the bodi comfort and health, and for the moral and spirit edification of the people during their vo After dinner, at which the captain hospitably a tertained us, the dean and party proceeded to t depôt at Deptford, of which the apparent health ness, cleanliness, and good order were admired. Having returned to the ship, the de retired to a cabin which had been appropriated his use, until the ship's bell again announced th the hour of divine service was approaching. six o'clock we commenced, and proceeded in ! same manner as in the morning. On this oc sion the text selected was John xiv. 1-3, not your heart be troubled: ye believe in G believe also in me. In my Father's house many mansions,' &c. The sermon was listened with deep attention; and the solemn and affe tionate appeal with which it was conclud seemed to sink deeply into their minds. T service ended, I addressed the people for a fe moments, and took the opportunity of thankit the dean for his kind attendance, as well as the persons who had exerted themselves to enable to enjoy so pleasant, and, I trust, so profitable sabbath. My own customary addresses to t persons assembled in the various compartments the ship were given on Monday: after each them a very general feeling of gratitude was e pressed for the privileges of the preceding day. MAYNOOTH COLLEGE.-I have shown, from highest authorities with the church of Rome the class-books used in this seminary, that a And in this, the nineteenth century too, so unRomanist is clearly absolved from keeping faith changed and unchangeable are the character and in any transaction whatever with heretics. I polity of the Roman see, even the infliction of will now show what are the tender mercies in torture continues to form part and parcel of its store for the protestants of the United Kingdom, cruelties, and is inculcated accordingly at Mayshould it ever be reduced again to Roman bond-nooth. In support of this, Cabassutius, a colage. They are stated without reserve in Reiffen- lege class-book, appeals to the canon-law stuel's Decretals, Tit. vi.: "The temporal of his church, and lays down that the truth punishments of beretics, in compendium, are the is to be elicited by tortures, and that "the relifollowing: 1. Infamy; and, following from this, gious torturer ought to draw it forth from its incapacity for all civil acts. 2. Intestability, hiding-places by various torments; that, while both active and passive; i. e., heretics can neither their bodies are subjected to punishment, those make a will nor inherit. 3. Loss of all paternal things which have been done may be faithfully power over children. 4. Loss of dowry, and all and truly brought to light." And Cabassutius's privileges granted by law to females. 5. Con- dictum is confirmed by Van Espen, who states that fiscation of all their property. 6. Vassals and "by the force of torments the confession of crime servants, and all others, are freed from all obli- may be extorted from the accused"! gations, even though sworn as due to their lord, or master, or any other person. 7. Corporal punishments, and especially death, and perpetual imprisonment." And, further, with regard to their protestant brethren and fellow-subjects, the aspirants for the sacred office of Maynooth are told by their teachers, "Impenitent heretics" (such as will not deny Christ), or, as Rome says, "who are unwilling to be converted, but obstinately persevere in their heresy, are to be put to death (ultimo supplicio afficiendi sunt), whether they be clergy or laity; but so that the heretical (protestant) clergy first be degraded, and afterwards delivered to the secular power to be punished with death" (Reiffenstuel). The kalendar of sentences and executions under this law of the papacy is to be found in "Fox's Book of Martyrs." And Devoti, whose text is reserved for the endoctrining of the Maynooth teachers, lays down this principle as the justification of his church for the extermination of protestants: "Therefore, saith Jerome, in his comment on Gal. v. 9, the spark as soon as it appears is to be extinguished, the damaged corn to be removed from the neighbourhood of the heap, the mortified flesh to be cut off, and the scabby sheep to be driven from the fold, lest the whole house, the mass, the body, the flock, should be set on fire, &c. It is not cruelty but piety, as Jerome saith, to punish crimes for God"! To protest against Rome, to deny her infallibility or her false doctrine, to refuse submission to her and cast off her dominion, these are what constitute heresy against her, and are therefore crimes, the punishment of which constitutes piety to God, not cruelty! That this is no obsolete custom, but one which has always been carried into vigorous effect by the Roman pontiff and his agents, is proved by one of their favourite authorities, Van Espen, who says, "Formerly, indeed, he retics were rarely punished with death; and Augustine disavowed in his time that this punishment was decreed against heretics. But of later years it has prevailed every where, that obstinate heretics were to be punished with death; nay, and to be burned alive with fire, which kind of punishment signally began in these twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and afterwards more and more prevailed when the inquisition was established, in which to this day this rigour of punishment is still retained." This startling admission is made by a writer who counts for one of the THIRST FOR THE BOOK OF LIFE.-Westray, Orkneys, Aug. 22, 1851.-During the summer season, numbers of the fishing sloops of Shetland visit our island, sometimes in quest of meal, sometimes to take advantage of the safety of our quiet bay, in order to lay their vessels ashore to be cleaned. On these occasions we are sure of a visit from the fishermen for tracts and books. We are very thankful that we have it in our power thus to circulate thousands of these valuable messengers. During last month we were visited by many of these poor men, asking for tracts, as usual. It was made known to them that we had bibles and testaments to dispose of. Some of them said, "O if we had only known that we would have brought some money with us." Others said, "We have a little money we brought to buy meal, but we would rather embrace such an opportunity to buy a bible." The different bibles and testaments were shown them. How eagerly they looked at the largest-sized bibles, and then shook their heads, saying, "O we would like these, but we will not have money enough." Mr.- aud I came to the conclusion, that, in these circumstances, it would be cruel and wrong to withhold the bibles, and we gave them at greatly reduced prices. After the men were, as we thought, all supplied, an aged thoughtfullooking man came in, saying, "Are all the bibles and testaments sold?" "O no," was the answer. He took from his pocket a small well-rolled-up parcel, and displayed one shilling and eightpence, saying, "I brought this money to buy meal; but, hearing that there were bibles here, I came to see what I could get for that sum. I have a family of twelve: a number of them are at school, and they have not a whole bible among them. Their mother's eye-sight is very bad; and I would like a large printed testament for her." What could I do, dear sir, but supply the poor man with what he wanted? ENGLAND AND WALES.-The following exhibits the increase of the population at each successive period of the censuses taken during the last fifty years. In 1801, the return was 8,872,989; in 1811, 10,150,615; in 1821, 11,978,875; in 1831, 13,897,187; in 1841, 15,930,000; and in 1851, 17,977,000. The increase in the last ten years has therefore been 2,047,000, which is equivalent to 204,700 every year, 51,175 every quarter, and 3,937 every week; so that we have here no less than 3,937 souls added to the popu lation of England and Wales each week for the last ten years. Again, it appears that the population of London has in about the same interval received an augmentation of 424,520 souls; showing that the mere increase of the metropolis during that interval forms in itself a larger population than that of any other city or town in the United Kingdom. Much has undoubtedly been done for the training and spiritual nurture of this rapidly-growing population; but has the church, or the legislature, or any one individual amongst us, come up to the responsibilities which the Lord has herein imposed upon us? Who can place his hand upon his heart without confes-ing, "Lord, I have come wretchedly short of that which thou hast given me to do." O that none of us may stand idle in the great market-places, but each seek to bring back some lost sheep to the fold of its heavenly Owner and Herdsman! He that has sent us this increase has likewise given those who know him this labour of love to do. week he distributed 4,083 copies daily. His en- by the greater part with cheerfulness and de .... INFIDELITY. An incumbent for whom the Church Pastoral Aid Society provides a curate (one among the 280 it has furnished in various parts of the kingdom) writes to the society as follows: Infidelity has engaged much of our at-light." tention during the past quarter, and we have made THE RAGGED-SCHOOL. "Religious instiit a prominent subject in our pulpit ministrations, tutions are a kind of spiritual solar system, not, I am happy to say, without some effect. The bookseller here informed me the other day, that, deriving light, motion, and order from Jesus, where, at the beginning of the year, he sold the great Sun of Righteousness. Amongst these is one-a small one it is true-moving twelve to fifteen copies of the 'Reasoner,' edited in an orbit at a remote distance from the by the socialist he now sold but one; and, though himself has lately been lecturing in great Source of spiritual light and life, bordering the neighbourhood, he has attracted but little atupon the very regions of outer darkness. It is called the Ragged-school.' The sphere of its tention here, except amongst a small knot of confirmed infidels. This is cheering. And, though it operations is indeed dark and gloomy, unaprequires a vast amount of time and labour to pre-stitution; yet its light is dispelling that gloomy proached by any other benevolent or religious insent the subjects succinctly and clearly before the shade, which all but hides the line of demarcation congregation, it is time and labour well spent: between the regions of hope and mercy and those But what could I have done without help? of despair; for the beings it seeks to save are the must have left things almost to their own course. Whatever, then, has been done, is due, under wretched, the hopeless, and the helpless. These God, to the society. I owe it, therefore, my vilege to advocate. We ask for them neither & are the institutions, brethren, which it is our pri warmest thanks, and pray that God may bless its labours more and more, till the gospel of our Lord Joseph's coat nor a Benjamin's portion; but we Jesus Christ has run through the length and would enlist your sympathies, and secure for them breadth of our land, and all are brought to aca share of your liberality, your labour, and your knowledge him as their Saviour and King." I prayers. And shall they not have them? Yes, close this solitary evidence of the amount of good it cannot be that the child of Christian benevolence should become what its name imports, which the Church Pastoral Aid Society is enabled to accomplish with a brief view of the extensive ragged-school,' instead of continuing to be what agency by which it is accomplished. The present it really is, a school for the ragged. The fruit of grants of the society have raised its annual lia- ragged-school instruction is already appearing. bility to £37,232, and extend to 280 additional Ask those who have been engaged in the work. curates for populous parishes; 3 chaplains for They have seen the dissolute reclaimed, the indoboatmen, mariners, and railway labourers; 27 inlent and dishonest taught to obtain a livelihood cumbents supported in whole or in part; '97 lay-by honest industry, those who were once the pest assistants for parishes; and 2 lay-assistants for railway labourers and mariners: thus there are supported, with almost a nameless exception, 310 clergymen and 115 lay assistants at the expense of this one society. THE GREAT EXHIBITION AND THE BIBLE The missionary of the Bible Society distributed an average per day of 815 English, and 161 foreign "specimens of the types of the society's bibles and testaments." These specimens consisted of important texts printed in different types, and thus forming a scriptural tract. During the last of society in the mother country, emigrate to the colonies, and become useful members of the new communities, and the depraved and heartless afford substantial evidence of their having become the subjects of grateful and affectionate feeling" ("Ragged-School Union Magazine)." THE REFORMATION IN IRELAND.-The rev. P. Foley writes from Bellmullet, in north Mayo: "You recollect I stated to you, that sixteen priests, headed by a Roman-catholic bishop, were prowling for two days through my district, going from house to house of the converts, and trying cast down, and thy righteousness may flourish. Grant to them the fear of thy name; let their lips, O Lord, preserve knowledge, and their lives shine in holiness, to the stopping of the mouths of their adversaries, and drawing men by their example to thy blessed and holy religion. Grant these things, O Lord of power and Father of mercy, for thy Christ's sake, to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (Compiled from a Prayer for the estate of Christ's Church." Ordered to be read on Sundays. Anno 1580). MARCH. 14. Third S. in Lent 15. Monday 16. Tuesday MORN. LESSONS. ........ 17. Wednesday 18. Thursday 19. Friday ... 20. Saturday. ...... ....... John i. Judges viii. EVEN. LESSON. to seduce them from their faith. I am happy to be able to state now, that their visit and opposition to the Lord's work has been productive of mach 'good,' as a spirit of inquiry and religious agitation has been created by it-even in villages where apparently little had been done hitherto, and where we may expect, in God's time, to reap an abundant harvest. Thus we see that the wrath of man shall praise God, and that his truth shall finally prevail. I am happy also to be able to state that the armies of Rome are becoming more powerless every day, and that the power of her priesthood is on the wane; for, in proportion as the people learn truth, in the same proportion is the influence of the priests broken and powerless. Though they have cursed any Roman catholic who should speak to a convert, they are not obeyed. A respectable and intelligent Roman catholic told a priest a few days since that he 'would speak to the converts in spite of him.' Similar things occur every day. And, notwithstanding the priest's interdicts, often repeated, the readers (employed by the Irish Society) are frequently invited to meet and discuss with them at the (Romish) stations, and are treated with the priests' fare. I am often comforted with the faith and constancy of these poor converts. I "The church of England, like the early Chrissaid yesterday to one of them, 'Why does not tian church, implores God to keep his church your daughter attend more regularly at church? and household in the true religion'; to extend his I fear the Romanists are not serving her.' They gracious influence to every member, since by cannot injure her,' he answered: she is produc- his Spirit the whole body is governed and sanctiing a change in all the Roman catholics in Ru-fied'; to keep his household, the church, in nasunnagh" (a large village): my house is full “ continual godliness.' She prays that the church of Roman catholics every night, reading the bible of God may always be preserved from false apostill twelve o'clock, and then arguing; and, as for Mickien, he is reading his bible day and night."tles, and be ordered and guided by faithful and true The bishop of Cashel has likewise borne his testi- pastors.' It is a holy church, instructed by true mony to this blessed work: "It is one of the doctrine'; a structure which God himself has raised " on the foundation of the apostles and prophets'; features of our work, which our Christian friends do not sufficiently understand, that our success is by whose doctrine we are so to be joined together in ruinous, unless increased funds can be got for in-unity of spirit, as through him, who is the chief creased expenditure: if we will not let the work corner-stone,' to become an holy temple, ac go backward, we must push it forward; and this ceptable unto God. Finally, it is the one com munion and fellowship of the elect, knit together we cannot do, unless you furnish us with the in the mystical body of our Lord'; and therefore means of employing the new agents that are profrom God, grace vided for new localities." My readers may judge of the extent of the reformation by the fact that blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, one society alone (the Irish Society), had, as its that, at the last, we may come to those unspeakinstruments in January last, as many as 28 orable joys which God hath prepared for them that love him'" (Bp. Jebb). dained missionaries, 200 lay-agents, scripturereaders, &c., and more than 600 itinerating teachers. Weekly Almanac. H. S. "We are not of the night, nor of darkness.”—1 THESS. v. 5 For the Church and Clergy.-"Good Lord, we pray unto thee, for this church of England, that thou wilt continue thy gracious favour still towards it, to maintain thy gospel still amongst us, and to give it free passage. Thou that art the Lord of the harvest, send forth labourers into thy harvest, and double thy Spirit upon thy servants, giving them courage and boldness to do thy mesSage. Good Lord, make thy word sharp in their mouths to an effectual operation, that sin may be we are to seek so to follow his "For the church of England, I am persuaded that the constant doctrine of it is so pure and orthodox that, whosoever believes it and lives according to it, undoubtedly he shall be saved; and that there is no error in it which may warrant any man to disturb the peace, or renounce the communion, of it" (Chillingworth). H.S.. |