The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-10-21 00:00:00

to have the opportunity of ennOestulating the meeting on the pro-
of dab wonderful institution. He called it wonderful, because
it bad sprung up in a wonderful manner. Humble as woe its ori-
gin, it bad arisen long ago to a height that itt most smiguine friend*
could am have anticipated. In every quarter of the globe the
Dame of this society was known, and its object approved and sup.
ported. They must not look at the amount of the money ex-
pended by the society 13 order to form an idea of ins astooi•hing
effects ; it they did. what would fIOOL a year do ? It was the cur.
respondence which it had excited throughout dl part. of the woria.
It sets the warmth of feeling it haul cherished, and called forth into
pcode pewee" persons of all natione, and the zealous rivalry in the
work of Chtivian love it bad so powerfully excited, that an pe-
owl, dietinguiehed this soelets. It was this true principle of
scoop at had enabled it to erect the wonders they had hard re-
„rood is their Rupert ; se that, though their accouto of receipts.
ono expenttore was fejt og wren compared with other institutimuo
stjl their degree of meteloesi was ant properly to be estimated laml
each a criterion. They bed the happiness frequently, in this
eighly.fasailrod land, to suggest something good, mid which mimes,
mere competent had artery/map taken el, and acted upon. It was'
maim them to enjoy so Molt a wiener, and if they could only
spook or thinp which werebettelleial in their nature, while abets
vent disposed to wry them into effect, they might rejoice. It was.
titivate, tear that money was necetaary to the accomplishment of
my great object. midi though much teal service might be rendered
to their eeample, yet it was eqoalle desirable that they should pos.
sew the meanoefeatryineor their own objects into as extensive en
&c; as pomilAM Out though their inetchant shire from abroad
bell ndt ado's beset laden with gold dust, yet they had brougot
hone to them something that was more valuable still, for they.,
isrmunt the ghsd intelllootte of the great good that was diffusing
Steen unang all the duff rent nations of the earth, in consequence of
tee imeitunem of this Society. Such intelligence must ever be
',oiled by theft' at that which Providence had been especially
pleased to return to thomms the reward for their humble exertions.
jet them have their Jae reward—and what was it ? It was the se-
attiaoefeciton to fed that they had been engaged in the cause of
God. At the same time they did not mutt themselves any
thing more than hie ononefltable servants.—((gear, hear, hear.)-..
There ass no danger that they should be puffed up in their
nonds at this material testimony oftheir usefulness, hut there was
this to bitch from h; It would make them feelastituulosts to further
elution; and aettnite them etill to apply therriselve• to do more
this they had yc accomplished, that by so doing they might be
toning en crimple ie this country which might, peradventure, be
imitated ty throe who went front hence to foreign lands, so that ,
better samples of true Christianity might be exported than had ;
hitherto ben done. (Hest, hear.] The Rev. Gentleman con-
eluded by moving the first Resolution.
The Rev. Mr. Bye Lon (a Weelemary returned from New
&steed) sail if ever he rose with exqeisite feeling, of pleasure to ,
copier his gratitude to God for any ef all those iiinurneratoc sod ,
imiasale blessings which were on richly enjoyed in this highly
femoral country, upon which God's goodness so peculiarly
Hued. it was en the present occasion. The? were assembled
nether to legroom the temporal and everlasting welfare of
.tut Wass of men who hod circumnavigated the world to bring 1
home to them the luxurtm of the earth ; who hail bled for their 1
motoeisa. that they might be enabled to enjoy In peace the good
gooey dole rocked. His vessel, it was trite, was conducted by a
very doll sailer. bet the bark was a good one, and the thought of '
heel: gym Admiral in the van, had led him to determine that in the '
perinea solar undertaken with the view to overthrow the weeks
of the Devil, his little vessel should sail by the si le of the gallant
Admiral, end share in the &apneas combat. But they had no.
thug to fear, for the lord of Hoeft was with them. The thunder of I.
an, rid and the weicht of their mood (the word of (Ind he nir'Oir)
was sodeicto for the light. He hived the British sailors, and knew
one hearts were staseeprildo of religions impressions. He had
soled 'oh thou forty thousand miles, and he had never asked a
islet to do anything the him but he did it whit the greatest readi-
ness and pleasure. Ile had visited them in their sie..esa, and con-
versed with thatu in taltl,"' mid he had had many opportunities
or Muteming also leliciiirds Streets of the Gospel being preached
among then. If be gain been allowed to carve for himself,
he 'Mule have chetah to hate spent hie time in preaching to
them Ms bad seesea_veasono for wishing to do so ; but one
only should suffice. While all nations, both Jews and Gentiles.,
Terks met Infidels, Heathen* and Hottentots--from all parts of the
earth, and of all creeds, colours, and degrees—had partaken—large)
pmeakin_of British philanthropy, the sailors, the Eriglieh
sailors, the bulwarks and towers of defence of this island, had
bens cast by, neglected, and forgotten. But for seamen the
gospel would no: have come to the shores of England. He
hsid unloosed their oriels, the reivations they underwent, the hard-
ships they enrounteeed, and, indeed, had in some degree shared
thew—the terrace of the sea, the horrors of shipwreck, tnreatming
them evaty seasent—all these were scenes calculated to excite emo.
dews wain sbe bottom, that no language could express, and draw
firth a etmgelothetic regard for sufferers, towards whom those who
were iron& of these things could hardly be expected to feel
Whets he considered the nteny hundreds and thousands that weve
wrecked on our own shores every year, was it not to be leered that
Leh, of them gent adderly.down to the chambers of death, with.
met say erring ;imempledge et God or of Jams Christ, the only Si.
*New elf shows P That hand Most be • withered branch in the vine
Was (isomilo that was not wretched out Se relieve them. Had not
miles immortal soak, Mother men had ? Was it not designed by
= 1514 ed that they should partake of the saving grace of the
seathests? Then surely if they did not odor unto thee)
*rum of Wearier, heaven itself would reveal their Iniquity.
Ho eta mil aware that many ignorant people would say, that to
seen ilet tailings et the sailors by the influence of Christianity
mull destroy their enrage: but this was contrary to all expert.
oess. It woeld. tee was isedy to admit, take away their brutal and
endidised feedegs,elliteh wee- tee often exhibited by them ; but it
wield at the seme timeinapies them with a greater degree of real
etrarar, for in the fear of do Laid was great strength. 'reach them
disk *oly ho OW and dm wheaten that was in Christ, and then
Mek is eseibl be feedied Item the tenors that peculiarly be.
issiglit their Ips,• ;When this Wei done. the victory would be on
Wads. lt ndwattted to be feared that the temporal welfare of
Mom wu .raises Ileglected in this country, and if this he so, how
meett more blesitlttly spiritual welfare forgotten. In thin respect
411 b had turned the world upside down ; the sailor having firm
illorot it to us, and yet we haul hitherto withheld the benefits of it
Aft hien, while extending it to all other people. But blessed. be
Willt memo sot quite forgotten them. Sailors had been the first
. 41enflospei. Peter, Andrew, James, and John, were
get
- Jaw Christ was fond of fishing for men and after the
tidy : had came, Peter came with his drag-net, and
. Illthe thousand at one haul.—(lmughter and opplause.t—
Mum
••• Wad this great and mighty nation do without seamen?
t it have done long ago without them? What would
eilijirtailm of all our plans of spreading the gospel through the
oteillomileif evangelizing mankind ? And would not the arts and
tedineef have most materially suffered but for seamen ? They
=a great chain wheel in the great machine of our national
acid power, and of our grandeur and independence. Should
keels forget them? No; we would wipe oft the stain from
y, and do all we could to send the gospel to every port
.Meis
known world. The success of this Society was very great,
wooed 'hew them greater things than these. There were
1111111teallors in the River Thames every day, and yet there was
Ilidees chapel epecilicilly for seamen. There wu nothing done
In oomparsoo of what remained to be done ; and he would say to
Alhadllossing come forward and throw your bread on the waters,
-mak shalt find again after tinny days. He from his beam
wiieisesees to the Rethel Union, and hoped to see its flag wave
ofremem sea from one end of the world to the other. (Cheers.)
Tire Rev. U. C. SMITH read a statement of a great number of
shipwrecks on the .eibiz Of Penzance, within the lost 12 mouths,
and in which no less•than three thousand seamen were wrecked.
One of the vessels only left the port of tendon last week. In con-
clusion. the Rev. Gentleman observed. that he should only say the
toms that could live in London and pretend to call himself an )rig.
lama God • Christian, and yet would attempt to impede the
rarliif tide Society, and raise objectioos to its usefulness, he
rat believe that such an one could have either the heart of a
Brims or the soul of a Christian. (Cheers, and thee of bravo.)
The Rey. Mr. Itlemes moved eat second Resolution, in doing
which he observed, .bat after 13 years constant intercourse wild
sailors, it was natural foe him to carry about with him very wow
feelings towards them, and all that concerned them. The hind et
God lad been set on the Bethel Union in a most peculiar manner,
but still there remained much to be done, and he hoped the meet.
int would net mks their endeavours to continue to extend the use.
fuJness of the institution. He was sorry to tine: there was such ea
apathy among mime persons with regard to this Society' ; that such
was the case wan et 'dent from the present state of its fund.; for
surely if env real feeling existed in its behalf, members oral' deno-
minumis of Christians would come forward and retrieve its re-
sources. 800 however, since he had come to town he had been
sorpriaot to find there was much acepticisra prevailing aa to the
extent of the degradation and morel deformity of seamen. He had
hentashed • tether the Terrteeentatnins which had been made were not
highly coloured and exaggerated. Ile had been this day told that
many famed that flue statement respecting the want of moral feeling
among she seamen bad ken overurained. Ile had had thirteen
yew' experience with those men; he had a character to support as
a man. a gentleman, and a minister ; and he now would soy to any
man that would come forward in the face of the world and express
lan disbelief in those representations that had been made, he
would tell that person., thst let all the accounts that had been given
of thespiritual wants and degradation of the tailors be put alto.
gether, that still so far from its being highly coloured. that not
area mohair had ever been told, nor could one-half be ever
told ; fur there was too much belonging to the character of
an unenlightened sealer ere, to bear to be committed to print.
Well did he remember when such oaths were so common
on the seamen's lips, that no conscientious man could let those
impressions come over his lips, even when speaking of the tie.
madation of a seaman. W nere Chtistgleity was not reached there
the same horrid things were 'till utterW, and the same holy name
profaned. But it might be ph wird uan excuse for the apathy of
toe religious world that they were unacquainted with these things.
Well, be it so; but it wan theirduty to learn these things. (Cheers.)
This they might do by taking in the Sailors' Mogoziee, a little
blue-jaeketted monthly visiter, that come only sixpence. They
could learn from that little book marks of the consequences of the
interfereme of Providence that would compel them to become the
trionds of the seaman. He wu happy in having the opportunity to
cane torrent to give his humble testimony in contradtction to the
str•Ol,ul upHoor entertained as to the representation of the de-
-1 twfrel mote of the unconverted seaman, and to the profanation and
cenuotieseas belonging to that character before he was made a
,sellout.
The Item. 31r. LLOYD seconded the Resolution. As there
egos a set time appointed by the Almighty for everything under
'leaven, so it appeared that this was the set time favourable fur
lirlttth len3len. .rots nation owed the seaman much, both in •