The Directors have much pleasure in announcing the Rev. John Morrison, D.D., and the Rev. John H. Evans, M.A., as the preachers of their next Anniversary Sermons, particulars of which will be given in the PILOT for May.

C. WOOD, PRINTER, POPPIN'S COURT, FLEET street.

OR

SAILORS' MAGAZINE.

NEW SERIES.

FOR MAY 1836.

A SAILOR'S APPEAL TO MERCHANTS, SHIPBROKERS, AND WHARFINGERS.

"SUNDAY Sailing," from the port of London, is a serious reflection on the Christianity of those who perpetuate the practice. That this prevailing custom is a fearful violation of the Lord's day, none can doubt; and there are not a few, both seamen and others, who groan under this enormity. That it might be remedied without difficulty, or the least injury to trade, is the conviction of many; and it is hoped, that the "Society to prevent Sunday Trading will again call the attention of the public to this serious evil, with a view to the relief of the increasing number of pious seamen, for the honour of our country, and, above all, for the glory of our God.

In the mean time, the following plain, but sensible paper, from an excellent aged seaman, will not fail to produce some good impression on the minds of those for whom it is designed; and in that assurance we gladly give it a place in the "PILOT."-Editor.

"In addressing so respectable a body of gentlemen, I feel my incompetence for the task, as I know that, generally speaking, you are persons of cultivated understandings, and that myself am a poor sailor. No doubt but some of you will say, 'Oh, it is only a sailor who is speaking.' True but though a sailor, may I not entreat your good sense and reason to bear with me, and hope that you will read this humble appeal; and I earnestly beseech you, in the name of sailors in general, not to cast it away because it is written by one in an inferior station,-a sailor.

"You are aware that sailors are men who are ready to brave the ocean at all times, and to serve their country by

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day and by night. By them are brought from other countries many of the various delicacies of your table, and upon them the millions of our country depend for the treasures arising from trade and commerce. Imagine that you see them toiling to bring you the comforts of life; at sea, full of fears and anxieties to gain their passage, enjoying no regular rest like those who live on shore. You can retire to your beds without any fear of a storm, or a sudden shifting of the wind, or any of the numerous dangers to which sailors are constantly exposed. If a sailor lies down in his hammock, he does it with fear; he seldom takes off his clothes at sea; and very frequently he has hardly laid himself down to rest, before a storm commences, or a ship is coming in contact, or he is in shoal water, or endangered by a shift of wind; and when any of these occur, there is a cry made, Jump up, my lads; bear a hand.' As soon as the alarm is made, they answer, not merely with their voices, but with their presence, ready to act as they are commanded. I need not remind you of the difficulties they undergo in a gale of wind, of their being drenched to the skin, with split sails, a leaky ship, or a lee-shore. The greater part of you

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know that more or less of these troubles come upon them every voyage. Sundays, and all other days, it is the same with them. At sea they enjoy no Sabbath; while you on the shore are favoured to attend the house of the Lord, and join with those that worship God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent to save mankind from the wrath to

come.

"Sailors' troubles do not end at sea; after gaining their passage, and arriving at their desired ports, the no small part of them feel it a great affliction to be obliged, as soon as they arrive, if it be on the day of the Lord, to work all the day preparing to unload their cargo, making scarcely any difference between the Sabbath and any other day; and as soon as their cargo is out, they take in another. Oh, that I had it not to say, they are often idle the fore part of the week; and when Saturday comes they have to load, and must sail on the Sunday. On account of the goods coming so late in the week, they are obliged to finish loading on Sunday morning, and then have to proceed immediately to sea. I refer you to many of the wharfs, both in inland towns as well as sea-ports. See the busy scenes, the hurry and bustle, and hear the oaths and curses at these wharfs on Sunday mornings. And as soon

as the wharfinger and merchant have their goods shipped, and have seen the vessel leave the wharf, they go home and observe the remainder of the Sabbath, either by visiting the house of God, or taking their rest at home.

"Sailors, therefore, labour under painful disadvantages; and I humbly ask, Has He not said, 'Thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, nor thy servant, nor thy maid servant, thy cattle, nor thy stranger.' What are the sailors to you but your servants? What are they doing? are they enjoying their Sabbath, worshipping the Lord of the Sabbath? No; they are at work as yesterday, stowing their cargo and going to sea. They know it is a Sabbath, but they know little of the pleasures of the Sabbath. Their minds are unhinged; there is within many of them a sting of conscience and bitter remorse. They complain, and say, 'We are not like other people; those that live on shore can observe the Sabbath, but sailors cannot enjoy this privilege.' Many times during the day they cast reflections on you that are the cause of their being forced to work on the Sabbath, and say, 'You are our hard task-masters. You are forcing us to act contrary to our consciences and to the laws of God.' Many of you, if you hear a sailor murmuring, say, 'We do not force you to go to sea. If you do not like it, leave it; there are plenty that will.' So the poor man must go on in this course, or leave his situation. On you they lay this heavy charge of Sabbath-breaking. Sailors say, 'If you would send your goods earlier in the week, we should get loaded earlier, and sail on Saturday.'

"Permit me respectfully to ask you, Can you give an account to the Almighty for this heavy charge of Sabbathbreaking? You not only break the Sabbath yourselves, but are the cause of so many more doing the same; such as clerks, seamen, watermen, lightermen, and pilots. All of these, more or less, are obliged to work on the Sabbath at the peril of losing their situation, and thus they hazard the eternal welfare of their souls. You may excuse yourselves by saying, you cannot purchase your goods sooner than the markets will allow. I admit it; but you can keep them till the Monday, and then send them down to the wharfs for the next sailing day. You may say, 'The markets are up; I cannot lose a good market.' But what availeth it for you, should you gain the whole world, and lose your soul in eternal darkness? Your soul is in danger of being lost for ever.

"Bear with me while I point out to you various passages of Scripture alluding to the keeping of the Sabbath. Isaiah Ïviii, 13, 14, it is said, 'If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth.' Jeremiah saith (xvii, 21, 22), 'Thus saith the LORD, Take heed that ye bear no burden on the Sabbath day; neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.' The Almighty says, I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctifies them.-And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.' Ezekiel xx, 12, 20, 21. The Saviour, when upon the earth, honoured the Sabbath, and showed us an example at Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.' And when he came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, he observed the same, and taught them on the Sabbath days. It was the custom of the Apostles to meet together on the first day of the week. They called it the Lord's day, as it is now called by all professing Christianity. And we are exhorted by the Apostles to keep the first day of the week, or the Lord's day, in honour of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead on that day. Many are the signal blessings which God has given to his church on that day; as the ascension of our Lord on that day, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If you say, I know all this; and it is very good in its place to be religious but this sort of arguing does not suit in all cases.' I answer again, this is poor reasoning. Respectfully I entreat you to make the laws of God your laws; and not your laws the laws of God. I am persuaded you know all this, and much more. It is written, 'Cursed is he who knoweth his Lord's will and doeth it not.' I beseech you, in the change your system of making sons, work on the Lord's day. man, change your system. change your system. If you

name of the Lord, that you

sailors, or any other perIf you have any love for If you love your own souls, believe there is a God, which