A HUSBANDMAN was walking through his fields and surveying them with anxious interest. Weeks had elapsed since the precious seed had been scattered on the well-tilled land, and yet the heavens refused to yield the needful moisture. The sun was shining in its strength, and the parched and hardened soil was opening in gaping fissures all around, as if it panted for the refreshing drops. The farmer, as he gazed on such a scene, anticipated the dreaded evils of a future day. He thought of the months of spring, but saw no verdant blade spangling his fields with beauty. He anticipated the brilliant summer's sun, but the well-filled ripening ear was missing from his prospect. The time of harvest, too, would come, but there would be for him no gathering home of golden fruit. His thoughts were sad and painful, and he halted in his burning path, to wipe from his fevered brow the drops that had gathered thick upon it. But, as he paused, he noticed that the sun was hidden by a dark and lowering cloud, the vaulted arch above had lost its brightness, and the expectant earth was longing for the promised shower. And now one heavy drop descends upon his upturned countenance, and as it falls, the gloomy visions perish from his view, and scenes far different present themselves. In that one drop of promise, he reads the gladsome future. It tells of the early blade glittering resplendent with the morning dew, of fields of ripening grain

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waving in the summer's breeze, and it shows him too, the reaper putting in his sickle to gather in a plenteous store to his capacious barns; aye, he even marks the bands of busy gleaners and the groups of merry children, as they are scattered over the extended grounds, or gather round the high-piled creaking wain of harvest-home.

The single drop has done it all, has banished all his gloomy care and conjured up the scenes of brightest hope and richest promise. The drop is followed by a copious shower, and thus the early rain is harbinger of scenes of gladness and days of plenty, and stimulates the husbandman amidst his present anxious toils, and cheers him in the intervening months of busy labor.

It was such a drop that fell last Sabbath, at the Sailors' Church, producing like effects on those who witnessed its descent. We cannot say that since the seed had there been scattered broadcast on the soil, no precious rain, no heavenly dew has fallen from above; far otherwise, all glory be to Him from whom descendeth every good and perfect gift; we have often found it good to meet together there, and we have reason to believe that there is many a plant now growing up to ripeness, which has been nurtured in that same enclosure; but the shower had not descended, and we were longing for a great outpouring of God's Holy Spirit and a glorious revival of His gracious work. We were longing, laboring, praying, for such an end, yea, watching for the promised blessing. Last Lord's day was the first in another year. Our eyes were up to heaven and our desires were there, and while we waited we felt the drop descend. The afternoon service was concluded, and the congregation separating, when a sailor was observed to lag behind. He approached the writer, and he came to ask what he must do to be saved. He told of a troubled conscience and a restless spirit, of sins that cried for vengeance, of a heart that longed for pardon. He had been to the throne of mercy, but his prayers were still unanswered. "Oh tell me what I must do to be saved," was his earnest inquiry. He was directed to a compassionate Redeemer, and exhorted to forsake his sins and believe on Him who died for the ungodly. The Missionary pressed him to attend the evening service, and also to meet him at his house for further prayer and converse. He came at night, and after the usual prayer meeting, I bade him, at the door, farewell, to which he heartily responded by a cordial shake of my proffered hand. Again he met the Missionary, and to him he freely opened all his heart; told him his doubts and fears, his hopes and

prospects, determined to be Christ's alone. Since then he has left this port, and we have good hope concerning him that he has set sail for glory.

We feel this drop of early rain, this new year's gift, is but the pledge of good things yet in store, the forerunner of a shower of heavenly blessings to descend upon us in this now opening year. Never was the cause more prosperous, never were the prospects brighter. Our hearts are cheered, our hopes are raised-may the Lord our God remember us for good, and make us faithful to the work we have to do.

How may our Missionaries and Agents be encouraged in entering on the labors of another year. Let them survey with joy the gathering clouds, anticipate the coming shower, scatter freely the good seed of the kingdom, in season as well as out of season, cry day and night unto the God of harvest for His blessing, and ere this year shall close, we shall rejoice over an abundant crop, the seed producing some sixty, and some a hundred fold.

May not the Committee too be stimulated in their interesting work, may they not be reassured that God is with them, that He looks down from heaven, beholds their doings and approves them well, and bids them, by the descending drops of present blessings, know that He has not forgotten them in their untiring work, or lost sight of His own gracious promise, that the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto Him.

And let the friends of the Society, and especially our subscribers and collectors, rejoice with us; but let our opening brightening prospects only stimulate them to continued energy and renewed exertion. When the desire of our hearts, the aim of our lives seems about to be realized, when prospects brighten and the future gleams with promise, this is not the time to grow lax in duty or permit our efforts to decline. No, if we love encouragement, if we seek a stimulus, then let us prize it highly when bestowed and employ it for its lawful end, to cheer and aid us in our onward course, and to encourage us to run that we may win the prize.

Let us all "behold the husbandman who waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth," and like him labor, and like him pray, and like him wait until we receive with him, both "the early and the latter rain."

T. A. F.

January 8, 1846.

Entelligence.

REPORT

OF THE

GLASGOW SEAMEN'S FRIEND SOCIETY, 1845.

Among the many institutions that adorn our country, few, if any, have stronger claims upon the Christian community, than that of Seamen's Friend Societies, The great ends contemplated are the temporal, and especially the spiritual, welfare of a class of our fellowmen very numerous, vastly important, peculiarly interesting, imminently exposed to dangers, and yet, generally speaking, but too indifferent to their own best interests, besides, for the greatest part of their time, far removed from the means of grace.

The Glasgow Seamen's Friend Society has now arrived at the year of their majority, this being its Twenty-first Annual Report. May it be found that many have been truly converted to God by its instrumentality! May its future history be more signally honoured with tokens of the Divine approbation!

During the past year and a half, the operations of the society have been very extensive, and no part of its plans has been unexecuted; and with gratitude the Directors would acknowledge the good hand of God that has rested upon the labours of their agents during that period. They would, therefore, "thank God and take courage."

Mr. Simpson, the chaplain, thus writes::—“About eighteen months have elapsed since I entered upon my duties as Chaplain; and, in taking a re-view of that period I have great reasons to be thankful for the measure of health I have enjoyed, the amount of work I have been enabled to perform, and the degree of success that has attended my labours.

"With regard to the nature of my work I have nothing new to communicate, having been going on just in the usual way, preaching on the Sabbaths, and on the Tuesday and Thursday evenings, in the Chapel; sometimes at Port Dundas station, and occasionally on ship-board; visiting families of seamen, and sometimes the shipping and boarding-houses, along with Captain Graham.

"During the time I have been labouring here, I find I have delivered between 300 and 400 discourses-preaching regularly four times, very frequently five times a-week; the number of visits I cannot tell,

"I may add that, during the fine weather, I have sometimes been in the habit of delivering a short sermon in the open air, in the neighbourhood of the chapel, on the nights of our meetings, and then inviting the people into the chapel; and the result has been that, on these occasions, the meetings have been greatly enlarged, while the people have manifested deep interest in the other address delivered to them within doors.

"I may also notice an opportunity, enjoyed several months ago, of preaching to a considerable number of seamen. A man-of-war vessel being for a short time in the harbour, Captain Graham and I applied to the officers for liberty to preach to the crew. It was at once granted; and the sailors made every preparation in the cabin, and a very delightful meeting was obtained. There were about three dozen of seamen present, including two of the officers, and a more attentive audience I never addressed. It was truly a solemn occasion. Both before and after the services several of the men expressed their gratitude for the privilege; and so long as they remained in the port, it was delightful to see a goodly number of them attending chapel. From one of the crew we afterwards learned that one of their number was given to infidel notions. He also told us that after the meeting some of them asked him what he then thought, when he answered by a sea phrase( which I now forget), signifying that his sceptical speculation had got a shaking. Even this was gratifying.

"It is to me cheering to know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord. Things wear a very different aspect now from that which they wore eighteen months ago. The meetings, both upon the Lord's days and week nights, have very much improved, the audiences having become more than double in number.

"I have much pleasure also in saying that among the hundreds visited, with very few exceptions, the people have received the visits with thankfulness, many of them wishing to be visited often.

"Coming in close contact with the people, of course, I find a great variety of character; from the open profligate, to the experienced christian. There are many cases of the most distressing kind; individuals manifesting the greatest carelessness and ignorance about their eternal welfare, whilst there are others, however, of a more cheering description; several of whom seem to be in a hopeful state, others appear to have peace and joy in believing on the Son of God. O, that the number and usefulness of such were very mightily augmented!

"A goodly number, too, seem to have been greatly benefitted, and others, I have no hesitation in saying, have become decidedly pious, by means of the instructions they have got both in the chapel and privately. I have had a very good opportunity of knowing their minds, as I not only see them at their own houses when I visit; but having been in the habit of inviting any inquiring after the truth to converse with me privately, a very considerable number has done so; both seamen and landsmen have come to me for private conversation, and at these times I have had excellent means of knowing their state of mind.

"I have already found this a useful plan, thereby giving to anxious persons an opportunity of revealing their minds, and then the truth can be made to bear more particularly upon their personal experience. And the result has been that several seem to have been brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.

"Perhaps very briefly to refer to a few cases may not be out of place here. "Several seamen expressed themselves to CaptainGraham as having been