Christmas Day, Outcries against Drunkenness, &^.

29

adopted them to their forms and ceremonies; hence we have Christmas, or the special season when they appointed mass in honor of the birth of Christ. And how is it kept in England? Why, we have not had tavern feasts, and toastings, and drunkenness enough, all the year, with nobles, and gentlemen, and merchants, and tradesmen, and agriculturists, and all the working classes, and, so, to fill up the measure of our national iuiquities, we must close the year with more horrid scenes of drunkenness, gluttony, and debauchery, and call this Christmas and Christmas holidays, as if the nation had a more general license to sin now. Thus, in a manof-war, the most horrible sins prevailed at Christmas, and "No complaints on the quarter-deck" for two or three days, because all hands were wallowing in drunkenness and uncleanness-officers and men; so that I wonder not at mutinies and murders in what was then most properly designated a floating hell, or a British man-of-war. Bless the Lord there is a change in some respects there, but not very much on shore, for this week most families will glory in feasting and intemperance, and Satan will triumph in the vast increase of his victims during the Christmas holidays. This determined me to have nothing but plain meals with our orphans, and to have much prayer and communion with God for our most depraved country, as we can prove by public-houses, gin-palaces, theatres, and brothels all around us. Alas! ministers think but little of these things; their church, or chapel, or meeting house, occupy most of their concern, with their denomination or party-so that I thank God I belong to neither, but to the universal church of Christ. I warned the people last Lord's day about these dangerous times; aud, last night, preached from Matthew i.-" And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins;” and spake of this mighty deliverance from the penalty of sin, the guilt of sin, the power of sin, and finally, in death, from the very inbeing of sin altogether-so that they may sing, by grace divine.

"Sin, my worst enemy before, My inward foes shall all be slain, Shall vex my eyes, and ears no more; Nor Satan break my peace again.' This morning we had a fire lighted, and assembled in our new Mariners' Church, at 6 a.m., and had a most blessed meeting, until 8, reading the scriptures, singing, and exhortation, and solemn prayer to God. Two sailors told of divine mercy to them. I preached at half-past ten from Heb. ii.-Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He, also, himself took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who, through fear of death, were sll their lifetime subject to bondage. I consider 1st. The objects of divine love-Children chosen of God in Christ, by grace, as Eph. i; adopted into his family, as Rom. viii; and regenerated by grace, as 1 Peter, i. 2nd. The incarnation of Christ, as, substitute, surety, and sacrifice, to save from the curse, the wrath of God and hell. 3rd. The triumphs of Christ, that he might destroy him who had the power of death; and 4th. The glorious deliverance of his children from the fears of death, through Christ. It was a blessed season to my soul. This afternoon held a Bethel meeting, and

30

Guilty London, and Minister Commanded to Work

described a man-of-war, and the state of sailors during the mutiny of the Nore, in 1797, when I was signal midshipman, in Admiral Lord Duncan's fleet, blockading the Dutch fleet, where the mutiny commenced in our ship, the Agamemnon 64, when they run us up to Yarmouth and the Nore; and, also, the mutiny in the Temeraire, 98, in 1802, when some were hung of the "unhappy_Temeraires," as they called themselves, in another of my old ships. Past nine, p.m. I have just concluded my day's work with preaching from Heb. ii. and three last verses, concerning Christ preferring the seed of Abraham to fallen angels, and becoming a merciful and faithful High Priest, in making reconciliation for the sins of the people; and, that having suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Praise the Lord for his presence and blessing this day in all our four services. Some dissenters wont preach on Christmas-day or Good-Friday because these are days appointed by man. What is that to me?-my business is to preach every day, if people can be brought to hear; so that I care not what day any man or set of men may appoint-if I can have a congregation I will preach. He that regardeth a day let him regard it to the Lord; and I have always gloried in dissenting from all the dissenters in the world, in seeking by all means to save sinners. One is my Master, even Christ, and I know no other master-all the rest are merely brethren. Let every man be persuaded in his own mind in doing good. Bless the Lord from five to nine we have been pretty well engaged to-day; and, oh! what pleasure in doing good; no pleasure in the world like it. The parcel from an old friend at Bristol, this morning, greatly rejoiced and cheered my heart. There was brown stuff enough for three frocks for our orphan girls-so that we have sent for two poor widows, the mothers of two, and have given them the stuff to make the frocks. One is a black woman, and she has gone away much pleased. We have prayed to night that this cup of cold water from Bristol may have its reward from Him, who will say, "Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these orphans, ye have done it for me." But it is getting time to retire to rest. Bless the Lord, O, my soul, for a good day. The Lord grant us many more.

GUILTY LONDON, AND MINISTERS COMMANDED TO WORK.

Wednesday, Dec. 26. What hosts of drunkards were rolling through the streets at midnight, shouting, cursing, and swearing, on their road to hell. Alas! for London the most wicked city in the whole world. O! that ministers and people would give up their idle gossip in family parties, and waste of time, and chief concerns about eating, drinking, and parties, and look more after the souls of drunkards and their families. Heal the springs, and the rivers and streams will be healthful. Those springs are in London, the streams are in the United Kingdom, and the rivers of vice and crime from London flow through the whole world to curse the inhabitants thereof. Ministers and members should give up idle company, and the hours spent in useless, unprofitable reading, conversations, contentions, and politics, and devote themselves to prayermeetings, wrestling with God for the outpouring of his Holy Spirit upon guilly London, that we may influence the kingdom and the world at

Ships, and Docks, and Theatres, and Temperance Hall. 81

large. Nothing like prayer; we want more prayer. Preaching, reading, and talking, will be to little purpose, without more prayer. Cry aloud, O ye people, in the ears of your ministers, and compel them to have early morning and evening prayer meetings, They have not, because they ask not; God will be enquired of ;

"Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;

And Satan trembles when he sees, Prayer makes the Christian's armor bright; The weakest saint upon his knees." Let every minister be compelled to meet a few persons for prayer at half-past six every morning; and, unless lawfully and scripturally engaged, every night, also, in the week, at seven o'clock. Those who pay ministers should make ministers work for their wages. Jesus Christ says "Son, go work in my vineyard." It is the workmen, and not the idlers or the gossipers, who are worthy of their meat. We are to pray for laborers, not idlers. The harvest is great, gentlemen, and talkers and preachers we have plenty, but laborers are few. Paul was a workman, who needed not to be ashamed, and he said, "He that wont work," as a minister or member, "neither should he eat." Jesus Christ was a laborer, who went abont continually, not to pay idle visits, or fight about church or parties, but to do good to the souls and bodies of men, women, and children, and he said, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day." The night cometh! O! call upon preachers and people not merely to preach, and talk, and make speeches, write reports, and boast, bnt to work for Christ and souls, while they have strength to do it. Don't be afraid, speak out, be respectful, be kind, be Christian, be liberal,' help all you can, but demand and insist upon having work for your money, and then you must have it. Ministers of fortune will do as they please; but men who depend on your purses should earn what they want, by fighting manfully for God, and enduring hardships as good soldiers. SHIPS, AND DOCKS .AND THEATRES, AND TEMPERANCE HALLAmong the several engagements I have had this month of December besides my daily work, are the following:-Thursday, walked down to Blackwall, with orphans. Went into Regent's Basin, at Limehouse, and gave back numbers of magazines, and temperance papers to about fifty ships, and barges, and canal boats. Went to the Sailors' Home, and gave some there, also; and then went through the East India Docks, and did the same. Went on board the Retribution, one of the largest government steamers-sang hymns, and gave papers to about fifty men in this immense ship of eight-hundred horse power. Gave some, also, to officers and sailors on the road, and got back to Bethel meeting. Tuesday, went to the Queen's Prison, and gave books to the governor and turnkeys. Went to Surrey Chapel, to sit, where I have often sat when a young man, and look at the place, near the organ gallery, where I sat as a sunday-school boy. Heard Mr. Sherman preach to a full congregation a sermon on topal abstinence. Thought much of my pious father and mother, who offered up many prayers for me here; and, also, when he spake of reformed drunkards, I reflected upon myself when a drunkard, and in a man-of-war, and in sea-ports, particularly Plymouth Dock, and North Yarmouth, and in London playhouses and streets, before conversion, and was hum

32

Ships and Docks, and Theatres, and Temperance Hall.

bled in the dust before the Lord, and full of admiration at the sovereignty, freeness and fulness of divine grace, throngh the redemption in Christ Jesus. Wondered to think that all the London ministers were not preaching total abstinence, to save the hosts of poor drunkards who are sinking into hell all around us. Alas! it is party, and the moderate glass, and the foreign heathen, and worldly-mindedness, or idle contests, that distract and divide the religious world, and destroy usefulness. Wednesday, attended the Tea meeting, and public meeting, at the opening of the City Temperance Hall, in Milton Street, that was a theatre. It was at one time a large dissenting chapel, where the Rev. Mr. Buck preached, and, after him, Mr. James, brother of Mr. James of Birmingham. I have often preached here, and formed the first London City Mission in this place-but, alas, through the supineness of dissenters, they lost it, and it became the horrid Grub Street Theatre, where hundreds of young persons have been eternally ruined. The dissenters have lost nearly twenty chapels in London, through lukewarmness and other causes; and, yet, they boast and cry out against the church. Let them look at home, and go out in streets, and lanes, and highways, to compel thieves, publicans, and Magdalens to come in, that God's house may be filled. Let them give up all intoxicating drinks, and come out boldly, as missionaries of Christ, for "every creature," and not merely for a denomination, but seek out precious souls in hospitals, workhouses, prisons, and the worst parts of London and the country. This theatre was uncommonly well arranged, and crowded, in boxes, pitt, and gallery, and stage, with tetotallers. It was certainly a noble sight, and Mr. Buckingham, in the chair, pleaded nobly about the duty of all religious societies to aid the temperance cause by precept and example. I determined, if I get the Danish church again, to take in the vestry, and convert it into a noble temperance hall, as well as a church of God, and invite all East London to make it their chief and cheapest place of public meetings, for Gospel, temperance, and moral reform of our guilty, depraved, drunken population. Mr. Buckingham gave an interesting account of his first public teetotal meeting in the Mariners' Church, in 1835, when T. A. Smith and others joined. The Lord bless this cause abundantly. Thursday, advertised a lecture, by bills, respecting the awful prevalence of drunkenness at home and abroad, and the absolute necessity of ministers, and all religiouus and benevolent persons and societies, promoting and encouraging the temperance movement, on the scripture principles of expediency, and self-denial, and Christian compassion, and from the apostolic conclusion, drawn from worldly pursuits, and the brevity of human life, and proud and vain boasting,-" Therefore to him that knoweth to do good," and rescuing drunkards must be doing good, as well as aid to prevent the manufacture and traffic of intoxicating poison drinks, by refusing to use or to buy any,-" and doeth it not, to him it is sin."-James iv. The drinker then lives in sin.

MINISTERS AND MEMBERS SIN IF THEY ARE NOT DOING GOOD Here, then, we must be faithful to every minister and professedly religious person, declaring, from God's Holy Word, that, if they do not aid the temperance cause, by example and advocacy, all such persons, in the

Ministers and Members' Sin if they are not doing good.

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particular, neglect and reject the following Scriptnre admonitions :-" Depart from evil and do good.-Psalm xxxvii. "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land; and verily thou shalt be fed." "Bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them."-Matt. v. "Then said Jesus, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful to do good? (Luke 6.) to save life, or destroy it?" "There is no good, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life."-Eccl. iii. "Jesus said, ye have the poor with you always, and, whensoever ye will, ye may do them good."-Luke 6. "Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same." Rom. xiii. "Let us not be weary in welldoing, for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not." Opportunities are thickly strown in our way, and the Holy Ghost has commanded, that, “As we have, therefore, opportunity, do good unto all men."-Gal. vi. It was a solemn command of an apostle to Timothy, " Charge them that are rich that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches. That they do good, that be rich in good works.-1 Tim. 6" But to do good, and communicate, forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”— Heb. xi." He that will love life, and see good days, let him eschew evil, and do good.-Psalm xxxvi. With such serious and powerful impressions on my mind from the Spirit of God, I humbly and earnestly ask of God, and of the public, to grant me means to print and publish, for extensive circulation, the work of which I have just issued the following prospectus. If persons would order the work of their several booksellers, there would be encouragement to publish it, as the materials on hand are most abundant, and I am as confident as I am of the bible that total abstinence must at last prevail universally, in every pulpit, and church, and chapel, and religious and benevolent society. A temperance advocate has issued the following paper:-"The Temperance Jubilee Trumpet!! Respectfully addressed to Ministers and Congregations, and to the Sunday School Union, the National School Society, the British and Foreign School Society, the Religious Tract Society, and all other Religious Tract Societies, and also to the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Naval and Military Bible Society, and to the District Visiting Society, and the Christian Instruction Society, and the London City Mission and all Town Missions, and the Home Missionary Society, and the Baptist Home Missionary Society, and the Church Missionary Society, and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and the Moravian Missionary Society, and the London Missionary Society, and the Baptist Missionary Society, and the Wesleyan Missionary Society, and the Episcopal Floating Church Society, and the Sailors' Home Society, and the Free Church of Scotland, and to all other Religious and Benevolent Societies, humbly entreating them to promote and establish the temperance principles of total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks, for the good of mankind, the glory of God, the stability of the throne, the honor of the nation, and the universal influence of Christianity and morality through the world;-Conducted by George Charles Smith, R.N., and Editor of forty volumes of Sailors and Soldiers' Magazines, and Religious and Uni