necessities, or trying to drown their sorrows in the midst of rioting and drunkenness,-which only adds ten-fold to their miseries: many of them with hearts ready to break with sorrow, are found seeking the shelter of a hospital, for the sake of supporting life, or of hiding their shame; and some we trust, because through the depth of their sufferings, they have, by God's mercy, been brought to repentance. But what a world of misery do the wretched sufferers endure! and sin is the cause of all this; they have listened to the seducer; he has led them into sin, and sin has. plunged them into all this misery. And thus we read the dreadful account of women destroying their own children, and sometimes destroying themselves,-a proof of the horrible state of wretchedness to which they are brought. And though all may not be driven to such dreadful crimes as these, yet if any are, it is a strong proof of what all must suffer,-all, that is, whose feelings are not wholly destroyed within them, a state perhaps of all others, the worst. And what must those suffer, who have led these poor creatures into their sin, and been the cause of their sufferings? What must be their feelings, if they think of the consequences of their crimes? And what must be their danger if they do not?

V.

ALMANACKS.

We do not expect that the "British Almanack," which appeared at the beginning of this year, will take the place of Moore's Almanack, and others which have so long been in the hands of the public, but we cannot help hoping, that it will have the

effect of leading to an improvement in these standard works; that they will no longer be disgraced by the vile trash with which many of them abound. There is much in them that is absolutely indecent, and a great deal of folly and imposition, as well as impiety, in pretending to foretell future events, the affairs of nations, the weather, and such things as are in the hands of Providence, and wholly unknown to the wisest of mortals. From what has happened,from certain causes producing certain effects,-a probable conjecture may be made as to what is likely again to occur under similar circumstances. But this is totally different from pretending to have the gift of prophecy-and as to all the pretended calculations from the position of the stars at the time of a man's birth, for the sake of finding out what will be the course of his life,-or how the position of the planets is to affect the affairs of nations,—is an imposition by which the people of these days ought not to be deluded. The science of Astronomy, teaching us the nature, and distances, and situations of the heavenly bodies, is a sublime and important study, highly calculated to exalt the mind of man, and to raise it to the praise of the great Creator of all things; but the absurdity of Astrology, which pretends to the power of prophesying, from the position of the heavenly bodies, is a piece of folly by which we should hope few people are taken in: it ought, however, no longer to appear in works which are in so many hands.

We take the liberty of extracting the following advice for February, from the new Almanack."The generally damp state of the atmosphere in this month renders the habit liable to diseases of checked perspiration; it is therefore of great importance to keep up a uniform action of the cutaneous vessels (vessels of the skin) by wearing flannel next the skin, regulating the bowels, and avoiding all sudden changes of heat and cold. No person

Liverpool Mariner's Church Society.

89

should take medicine in this month without advice. Croup is a frequent consequence of the cold easterly winds, which sometimes prevail in this month. It runs its course very rapidly, and often requires the most energetic practice of the most experienced physician to prevent it from being fatal. When medical aid cannot immediately be obtained, an emetic should be given, leaches applied to the throat, and doses of calomel taken at intervals; but in this disease, as in others, we caution parents from any attempt to cure it without the best medical advice.

There is indeed often much harm done by people attempting to act the part of the doctor without the requisite knowledge. It is, however, useful to know so much of the nature of diseases as to prevent those mistakes into which well-meaning people often run through ignorance, often giving wine or spirits, in cases where they are all likely to lead to the greatest danger, and often even to death.

V.

LIVERPOOL MARINER'S CHURCH
SOCIETY.

WHILST the dominion of sin appears, in some quarters, to be spreading to a fearful extent; whilst the destructive promoters of unbelief and of wickedness are using their dreadful exertions to extend their deadly sentiments, and to add to the number of those that shall be lost; it is truly consoling to see, that, in other quarters, there is a good work going on, and that the servants of God are exerting them selves to extend their Master's kingdom, and to be the instruments, in the hands of God, of adding to

the number of those that "shall be saved." The number of persons engaged in this good cause, the different opinions as to the best method of promoting it, and the different methods actually adopted for this purpose, all serve to shew that there is an activity and zeal at work, which cannot fail, through the Divine blessing, of producing an important effect.

Persons employed in sea affairs are, by the nature of their engagements, shut out from those opportunities of public worship and instruction, which the Church offers to others; but the spiritual wants of this race of men is now not overlooked by their Christian brethren; and exertions are making, in many of our principal sea-ports, to give these our countrymen the same opportunities as we ourselves enjoy.

A meeting of the Mariner's Church Society was lately held at Liverpool, at which the Mayor presided. From the interesting statements which were there made, it appears that the Society has been the means of producing a very great deal of good. It appears, from the Report, that there is a congregation of about "eight hundred persons, of whom from five to six hundred are sea-faring men;" that their behaviour is such, that not a single instance has been observed of levity and indecorum, but, on the contrary, the behaviour has been excellent. The Society appears likewise to have in view "the circulation of Bibles, the institution of schools for the children of seamen, and the discovery of creditable lodging-houses for the resort of seamen themselves.” A society like this, calculated to train up a number of persons, who would otherwise be neglected, in habits of public worship according to the doctrines of our national Church, and our truly Christian Liturgy, and encouraged by a Christian Bishop, cannot fail of the good wishes of every one who desires to see the religion of Christ flourishing, and whose

Liverpool Mariner's Church Society.

91

delight it is to bring the ignorant and the careless to a knowledge and a love of the truth.

The Bishop of Chester truly said, "that the Report which had been read furnished ample matter of religious thankfulness and satisfaction to every one who was desirous of setting forth the glory of God, and the best interests of his fellow-creatures. The simple statement, that, within the last year, an opportunity of worshipping God in his sanctuary, and of hearing his word faithfully preached, has been afforded every Lord's day to more than six hundred persons, who were before debarred of that privilege, is of itself sufficient to excite our thankfulness; that thankfulness is greatly heightened by the reflexion, that those persons are of that class to whom the restraints and conditions of the Gospel are of peculiar importance, (if indeed there can be any comparison of importance in that which is unspeakably important to us all), and, at the same time, the most diffi cult of access; and, lastly, our satisfaction receives its fulness and completion, when we reflect that it is our own venerable and scriptural Church which has wrought this good work, and wrought it, let us be persuaded, under the influence and guidance of that eternal Spirit, who, in proportion as he sanctifies the believer's heart, fills him with a livelier concern for the salvation of his brethren." We have not space to give any thing like a fair notion of the Bishop's excellent speech, but we were truly glad to find his Lordship combating that strange and unchristian assertion, which it appears that some have had the rashness to make, namely, "that a seaman was better without religion." If it were true that a man could not be a good sailor, and at the same time a good Christian, this would at once prove" that a seaman's occupation was unlawful;" this, says his Lordship, is the severest censure and the most unwarrantable calumny that could be uttered against the character and calling of a seaman. But, says