-4>?>* V, 5- .( I" > ' 1 , i . ''' ' • •' ' M <: 1. 1 > Mil CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT OF Dr. C. P. Biggs BV4465 .B88"l859""' '""'"^ C°",X!.9*.,S!?ip..: a narratiye of the result olin 3 1924 029 343 443 The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://archive.org/details/cu31924029343443 THE CONTICT SHIP, A NARRATIVE OF THE RESULTS OF SCRIPTURAL INSTRUCTION AND MORAL DISCIPLINE ON BOARD THE " EARL GREY." BY COLIN ARROTT BROWNING, M.D., SURGEON, ROYAL NAVT. JFrom t^£ jFouilf) ^n^lisl 3S&itioit. WITH A PREFACE BY THE REY JAMES H. FOWLES, fiEOTOfi OF THE ontrncn op the epiphaitt, PHELADELPHIA. " My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."— Hosea iv, G. *' The gospel of Christ .... is the power of God unto salvatioD to every one thai believeth. "— KOM. i. 16. " It is the Spirit that quickeneth."— John vi. 63. NEW YORK: PRINTED BT EGBERT CRAIGHEAD, 85 CENTRE STREET. 1859. Entered, according to the act of Congress, in the year 1850, by Lindsay & Blaeiston, in the clerk's office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylyania, n. CEAIOnEAD, Piiiiler, Siereoiypur, nnti Electrolyper, CTaitQix liuiltiing, •81, S3, an4 55 Centre iSCrect. PEEFAOE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. This little volume will fill the heart of every benevo- lent reader with wonder and gratitude. Its author is an intelligent, pious and zealous Surgeon of the Royal Navy — who was placed in charge of some two or three hundred English convicts, during their transportation, on hoard the Earl Grey, to the penal colony of Van Diemen's Land. His work consists of a narrative, told in a per- spicuous and interesting style, of a successful attempt to elevate these unpromising subjects out of that state of ignorance and sin in which they were found. The means employed were simple, yet enlightened, self-denying and kind ; and their results are of a character bo encouraging, that they will scarcely be anticipated by the believer, and cannot be understood by the infidel. At their debarka- tion, nearly all the prisoners could read the Word of God, and upwards of one hundred gave hopeful evidence of a change of heart. Nor were these hopes unfounded. In the Appendix, which consists of extracts from another production* of the same pen, in relation to this'and simi- lar voyages, will be found satisfactory proofs of the per- * England's Exile. IV PEEFAOE TO THE AMEEIOAN EDITIOSr. manent and saving nature of that work of grace, whicn ■was begun on ship-board. The Comforter would indeed seem to have hovered over this vessel as she pursued her long and trackless way upon the bosom of the deep, and to have imparted to a large portion of her refuse freight His richest blessings. Dr. Browning's account of such unprecedented success among these outcasts has been very popular and effective in his own country ; and it was thought that the republi- cation of its Fourth English Edition here might serve many usefal purposes. Among other good ends, it may obviously contribute to such as these : — The revival of a general confidence in the power of the simple Gospel, when accompanied by the Spirit of God, to renew and save the most abandoned and profane. Is not our author's example, likewise, worthy of being held up for Imitation before a Laodicean Church ? His direct and zealous efforts for the glory of Christ, in the salvation of souls — his unmixed reliance upon the only appointed and effectual means, as they are recorded here with all singleness of mind, portray an instance of faith and love, which is but too rare in these days. What valuable aid, also, may this volume afford to the pious visiters of our Penitentiaries, and Houses of Refuge ! Such self-denying labourers will not only be encouraged by this narrative, but derive from it important suggestions in the prosecution of their work. PEEFACE TO THE AMEKICAN EDrriON. T Place tills book, moreoyer, in every convict's cell — and it will show that it is admirably fitted to inspire the wretched inmate with the best desires and hopes, and to point out to him a feasible, and tried way of escape from the miseries in which he is involved. On board of our immigrant ships, too, with such a modification as the circumstances would suggest to any pious officer, or influential' Christian passenger, the sys- tem of doing good, which is here described, might in its main features be wisely introduced. In short, there is scarcely any department of evangeli- cal effort, that might not receive an impulse from what is recorded in these pages. There is no son or daughter of Adam, who may not be personally instructed, and profited by that work of God which is here disclosed. For the same change which these convicts experienced, must be wrought upon every fallen man, or he can never see the kingdom of heaven.* Except all repent, they shall likewise perish.t Unless all be washed in the blood of that Lamb, which was slain before the foundation of the world,| their sin cannot be taken away.§ It was in accordance with these Scriptural allusions, that a poet,|| whose character was as unexceptionable as that of any reader of these lines, sung — " The dying thief rejoiced to see That fountain in his day ; * John iii. S. f Luke xiiL 1 — 5. J 1 Peter i. 18—20. § John i. 29. || Cowper. Tl PEEFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITIOS. And there may ], tho' vile as he, Wash all my guilt away." And tte London Christian Obserrer, in a favonrable review of onr work,* has well remarked : " Human nature, whether in towns or villages, in courts or cottages, in hospitals or prisons, in ships or camps, afloat or on shore, is essentially the same ; corrupted by the same fall ; needing the same remedy ; and open, by divine grace, to the same blessed influences." PLiladelphia, February Ist, 1860. • April, 1847. PREFACE. When, in the year 1831, on being appointed to the Surrey, the duties and responsibilities involved in a sur- geon-superintendency of a convict ship, were, for the first time, imposed upon me, my inexperience of the nature of the service, and of the details of its duties, caused me no small degree of anxiety. I had, it is true, a copy of the printed official instructions; which gave a general view of my duties, but which supplied me with nothing like a scheme of education and discipline, and necessarily left the minuticB of duty to my discretion. Much of the time occupied by my first voyage, was expended in observation and experiment, and was there- fore in some measure lost as to the moral improvement and instruction of the prisoners. I entered on my second charge, in 1834, in the ship Arab, prepared with a system of instruction and govern- ment, the result of my experience, and to which some additions suggested themselves, during our progress to the Colonies. As my third voyage, in the Elphinstone, advanced, my plan received still farther improvements ; and in this matured state it is now exhibited. Its fitness for the management oi female convicts was ascertained in the year 1840 ; when (having in the mean time served in Till PREFACE. a sHp-of-war) I accomplished, in the sliip Margaret, my fourth voyage. The narrative of the " Convict Ship," depicts the happy results of this system in operation among 264 convicts, in my fifth voyage, on board the Earl Grey ; and a still more abundant blessing attended my sixth and seventh voyages, in the Theresa and the Festonjee Bommjce. My chief object in first publishing this volume, was the hope that it might supply some useful hints to officers engaging in the service to which it refers. Several individuals, experienced in the Christian instruction of the neglected masses of our population, consider this system calculated to be useful, not only in convict ships, but, with suitable modifications, in emigrant ships, as well as in our country prisons and houses of cor- rection : perhaps also in large manufactories. We hoar much in our days of the separate, solitary, and silent systems of prison discipline ; but unless the Christian system be brought to bear, with Divine power, on the understandings and consciences of criminals, every other system professedly contemplating their reformation, must, to the disappointment and confusion of its pro- jectors, prove an utter failure. If we would see efficient moral discipline prevail in our prisons, penitentiaries, and convict hulks, we must provide for the effectual instruc- tion of their inmates in the great facts and doctrines of Christianity ; and must take care, that not only those intrusted with their religious instruction, but all who are connected with their management, from the governor down to the humblest warder, be spiritual and consistent Christians, fitted by their temper and general demeanour to cgmmend the gospel of Christ to all around them. We wUlingly concede to various systems of prison dis- PEEFACE. IX cipline their just measure of importance ; but to expect that human machinery, however perfect, can take the place of God's own prescribed method of reformation, involves not only ignorant presumption, but practical infidelity. To all who are intrusted with the education or govern- ment of human beings, in any rank or condition of life, — at sea or on shore ; in the army, navy, or in civil life ; in schools or private families, — the narrative contained in this volume may afford matter of interest, stirring them up to fervent prayer, and unwearied exertion in the work of Scriptural instruction and Christian discipline, seeing that their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord ; while the boundless riches of the grace of God in Christ Jesus, here displayed towards degraded criminals, may encou- rage sinners of every class to delay not, but hasten their flight to the one and only Refuge for the guilty, the defenceless and the lost. It may be worthy of remark, that, on a review and comparison of my seven voyages, I find the amount of reformation amongst the convicts strikingly to correspond with the degree of diligence and zeal with which the gospel, in its divine simplicity, was brought to bear, from the hour of embarkation, upon their understandings, con- sciences, and hearts. During the first voyage, there was less of Christian instruction, and much less apparent improvement : on one occasion I was induced to yield to the judgment of the officer of the guard and master of the ship, and sanction the infliction of corporal punish- ment upon three convicts, which, how clearly soever deserved, I have ever regarded as unwise and impolitic, and as casting a stigma upon the management of my first charge. As experience grew, and practical Christianity 1* A PEEFACE. was from the beginning relied upon, punishments of any kind became less and less called for ; and during my last two voyages, not only were no lashes inflicted, but not an iron was used, nor a convict placed under a sentry. To the honour of the blessed Saviour, who " hath done such great things for us," is this small and feeble work humbly and devoutly dedicated. May He forgive all that is man's, and abundantly bless all that is His own ; and to the Father, the Son, and the Holy GtHOst, the one only true God, be ascribed all glory, and honour, thanksgiving, dominion, and praise, now and evermore, world without end. Amen, Bloomseuiit-plaoe, Beighton, November lai, 1848. OONTEK^TS. CHAPTER L Paoe InspectioM and embarkation of the prisoners — ^Their moral positiou — Scriptui'al instruction the means of refor- mation . . . ■ , . . • .13 CHAPTER n. State of the priaonera' education — Formation of sehoola — Subject-matter of instruction — The impressive position occupied both by the prisoners and the naval officer set over them .... . . . . .21 CHAPTER m. Grati^fing behaTiour of the prisoners — Conversion to God the only foundation of true reformation — Some mani- festations of spiritual change — A thunder-storm ; its influence on the prisoners — Several profess faith in Christ — George Day — John Williams — ^A Socialist 87 CHAPTER IV. Account of "W. B. — Special prayer — Converts increase — ^F. M.— S. S 68 XU COJSTiCNTS. CHAPTER V. Page More earnest prayer for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit — Hospital patients, J. H., W. C, T. G., and John Walker— Written statements from James B. , Eobert T. , R. E k 94 CHAPTER VX All Christians required to promo e the knoTvledge of Christ — Reformed prisoners employed on this principle — Prayer and zealous labour to be conjoined — Death of Edward Harlow — Christmas Day — The Author receives a poisoned ■wound — Superior behaviour of the prisoners — Letters of J. W n, T. C— — y, and John M'D. . . .119 CHAPTER VII. Death of Abraham Button— brief account of A. J. , J. H. , A. D. , J. J. , and others- — Extracts from Journal con- tinued — Resolution adopted by prisoners — Meetings for social prayer — Arrival at Hobart Town — Prisoners' ad- dress to the surgeon-superintendent — Tfumber of appa- rent conversions — Farewell Address — Debarkation — A prisoner's letter ........ 143 CHAPTER VnL Concluding statements — Summary of apparent good, accom- plished — Extract from a prisoner's letter, after he had been some time in the colony ■ . . . . 169 APPEKDIX. . . . isl General outline of Scriptural instruction . . . .215 Colonial Testimonies— ooncermng convicts by the "Earl Grey" and former ships . , o .^ THE CONVICT SHIP. CHAPTER I. Inspection and Embarkation of the Prisoners — Their moral Position — Scriptural Instruction the Means of Reformation. At Brighton, Sept. 3d, 1842, I had the honour to receive a letter, " on H. M. Service," from Sir John Barrow, Bart., Secretary to the Admiralty, acquaint- ing me with my appointment as surgeon-superinten- dent on board the ship Earl Grey^ destined to embark male convicts for the penal colony of Van Diemen's Land. I instantly set about making the best possible pro- vision for the education and instruction of the prisoners during the voyage, in addition to the religious books supplied by Government, by the aid of kind Christian friends and benevolent societies. On the 13th I re- ceived my instructions, joined my ship at Deptford, and directed the necessary preliminary arrangements for the approaching embarkation. On Saturday, the 17th, the ship dropped down to Woolwich ; and on Monday, the 19th, ninety prisoners were inspected and embarked from the Warrior hulk, and ninety- 14 THE CONTIOT SHIP. four from the Justitia. The day following we sailed for PlytQOuth Sound, where we arrived on the 25th ; and on the 26th, eighty prisoners were inspected and embarked from the hulk Stirling Castle: complet- ing the number for whom accommodation had been prepared, namely, two hundred and sixty-four men. The system of management which I had found, under the blessing of God, successful in five preced- ing voyages with convicts, I pursued from the first moment of entering upon my present charge. Addresses were delivered to the prisoners after in- spection, in the hulks,* which were listened to with breathless attention, — the men seemed to be brought at once under the moral influence of the system of management then referred to, and of the encouraging hope set before them : a hope calculated to generate moral life, to rescue from the cliilling and destructive influence of despair, and to invigorate and prepare the mind for future usefulness and enjoyment. The embarkation from the hulks took place exactly in the style I wished ; with the solitary exception of one of the prisoners from the Justitia having been allowed by the petty ofiicer in charge, to play his vio- lin until the boat carae within hail of my voice from the EaH Orey, when the ill-timed music was instant- ly stopped. Such a practice appeared to me to be highly indecorous, wholly at variance with the posi- tion of the prisoners, and of injurious influence, not only on them, but on all the observers on shore, — espe- • See Appendix. FEEST ADDRESS EST THE " EAEL GEET." 15 cially that class of persons to whicli convicts belong. This incident became a subject of seasonable instruc- tion, not only to the prisoners, but to the petty officer, who acknowledged on the quarter-deck that the fault was wholly chargeable on him, as he had desired the prisoner thus to act. Such embarkations as these, it is almost unnecessary to observe, ought ever to be conducted with the greatest possible solemnity. The prisoners having been received on board, duly arranged, and disposed of in their respective berths, they were assembled on the quarter-deck, and re- ceived \h&\v first address in the Ea/rl Orey* But before we proceed further in our narrative, it, will be profitable to pause a little, and consider who they are that are thus assembled on the quarter- deck of a transport. Every one of these men is in possession of a spirit of immense value — a spirit on which He alone who called it into being can set the fair, the proper price : that price which He himself paid to redeem it from sin, pollution, and death, unto pardon, holiness, and life. Let it also be remembered that these men, with very limited exceptions, are the victims of the dark- est ignorance of Scripture truth ; and although it would be unkind and destructive to \h& prisoner him- self to palliate crime, and we are ever to regard all manner of sin either in ourselves or others, with the most perfect abhorrence, — yet are we to look upon the transgressor with Christian pity and the tenderest • See Appendix. 16 THE CONTICT SHIP. compassion, to recollect who it is that mateth us to differ, (wherein we do indeed differ!) and to bear m inind, that no man acquainted with tlie depths ot de- ceitfulness in his own heart, as discovered in the light of God's word and Spirit, will take up the stone to throw at the convict. The man who, in the presence of the holy Lord God, can say to the prisoner, " Stand by thyself; I am holier than thou," gives but fearful demonstration of his own moral distance from God, and would probably be nearer the truth, were he to regard himself as more guilty and polluted in the sight of the Searcher of hearts, than the self-degraded and despised convict. These prisoners assembled on the quarter-deck of the Earl Grey, have not only, however, in common with all men, violated the law of God, but they have despised and trampled upon the laws of their country, stained themselves witli crimes committed against society and the state ; rendered themselves a burden and a curse to those to whom they were bound to prove a help and a blessing, — and, notwithstanding all the imtoward circumstances that may mark their lot in the world, some of them have heard the calls of the gospel and neglected the great salvation, while all have more or less resisted the light of reason and conscience. They are all, nevertheless, the " prison- ers of hope." They form a portion of that family whom Christ came to redeem by his blood ; for he came to seek and to save the lost ; not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The gospel of the grace of God reaches to them all, and is able to THE MOEAL POSITION OF THE PEISONEBS. 17 meet and to relieve the worst cases which may be found amongst them. It is only the _ spiritual knowledge of a crucified Kedeemer that can inspire these men with hope, and make them worthy of our confidence, and safe and useful members of the community. " It is in vain," observes a distinguished servant of Christ, " to pluck the leaves off a tree ; they will grow again : lay the axe to the root, and the leaves will all fall oflf, and will appear no more." Grappling with particular sins and vices merely, cannot warrantably be expected to produce any radical improvement of heart or re- formation of life. To deal faithfully and efl^ectually with men, we must begin where God in his word be- gins with them. We must clearly and impressively set before them their apostasy and depravity ; their ignorance and utter helplessness ; their need of a Di- vine and justifying righteousness, and the sprinkling of the blood of atonement. "We must urge on their consideration the necessity of a change of heart, and the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, to produce in them, through the knowledge of Christ, that godly sorrow for sin which worketh repentance not to be repented of; to lead them into all Divine truth ; to subdue their iniquities ; and to cause them to love the Lord their God with all their heart, and soul, and strength, and mind, and their neighbour as themselves. Accordingly, our first and grand object is to set be- fore these men the inspired Scriptures. The voice which they require to hear is the voice of God the Spirit, speaking to their consciences and hearts from IS THE CONVICT SHIP. his word, convincing them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come, — causing them to feel their guilt, to apprehend its deservings in the ago- nies of the worm that never dies ; and giving them to perceive and feel the everlasting love of God mani- fested in the gift of his Son, that " whosoever believ- eth in him might not perish, but have eternal life." The outpouring upon them of that Spirit of promise is to he sought by believing, earnest, and persevering prayer. We must not be contented with moving on the surface. We must not be satisfied with attacking Satan's out-works. We must boldly, fearlessly, and in the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus, assault the citadel. Thither must Divine truth be carried and immovably lodged by the Spirit of truth, the Lord of hosts ; thence, by his almighty power, must the prince of darkness, with all that is unholy, be driven, and there must the Lord Jesus be enthroned. Do these prisoners now, like the Jews of old, ask, " What shall we do that we might work the works of God ?"* To that question the great Prophet of the church himself replies, " This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath sent." f To believe on Christ is " the work of God ;" not only be- cause the faith that unites to Him, unto present and everlasting salvation, is the work of the Holy Spirit, but because it is the beginning of all holy and accept- aUe obedience. Until we receive Jesus, we are in a state of rebellion,— dead in trespasses and sins,— living not • John tL 28, 29. | Il,ii THE MEiNS OF EEFOEMATIOK. 19 only in habitual violation of the Divine law, but in the act of rejecting the Son of God, the only Saviour from sin and wrath, resisting the Holy Spirit, and putting away from us that perfect salvation which Jesus accomplished, and is ever, in His Word, urging upon our immediate, thankful and cheerful reception. "Without faith in Christ it is impossible to please God ; and it is by faith in Christ Jesus that we become His children,* and are enabled to render Him acceptable service. Coercion, and even punishment, may, through the sinful neglect and rejection of the gospel, become necessary to restrain the evil passions and ar- rest the lawless and destructive career of man ; but it is not by such means, or by any apparatus of man's construction, physical or moral, that the heart can be brought back to God, or men be qualified for fulfill- ing the oflices of social life. God has shown us in His written word what is necessary to accomplish these great and paramount objects ; and let us beware of presumptuously attempting to accomplish any one of them by other means than those of Divine appoint- ment. The period allotted to the voyage to the penal colo- nies, when rightly improved, is most favourable, under the Divine blessing, to the reformation of the guilty, and their recovery to God and to happiness ; therefore thB instruction and discipline of the people, according to the Scriptures, in the exercise of fervent and believ- ing prayer, is to begin with their embarkation, and to • Heb. xi. 6 ; Gal. iii 28. 20 THE CONVICT SHIP. be continued during the wliole of tlie passage. Should I, as the officer intrusted by government with the " entire management" of tliese men — in opposition to my instructions from the Admiralty, neglect thus to improve this opportunity, with a view to their reforma- tion and happiness, I should prove myself unworthy of the confidence reposed in me, and inflict a great injury on souls, and therefore upon my country. EDUCATIOH. 21 CHAPTEE II. State of prisoners' education — ^Formation of schools — Subjeot-naatter of instruction — The impressive position occupied both by the pri- soners and the naval oiEoer set over them. On the day immediately following that of their em- harkation, the prisoners were assembled again on the quarter-deck to receive their second Address ;* and various preliminary and necessary arrangements having been made, we forthwith proceeded with our system of organization. The earliest opportunity was embraced to ascertain, by a close and personal examination, how the people stood as to their ability to read and write ; and the following is the result : Head and write, 53 ; read only, 23 ; read a little, Q5 ; know their letters, 45 ; ignorant even of the al- phabet, Y7. Therefore, in a very limited sense of the expression, there were found — educated, T6 ; uneducated, 187. The prisoners were now formed into twenty-four schools ^ the two highest of which consisted of those who could read and write ; the third, of those who could road only ; six, of such as could read a little ; Jime, of those who knew their alphabet ; and ten, of such as did not know their letters. * Appendix. THB CONVICT SHIP. The schools having been fully organized, and teach- ers and inspector appointed, the whole of the prisoners were assembled on the quarter-deck ; the inspector and schoolmasters were drawn up in lines, and placed be- fore their pupils, when they were all addressed with reference to the new and interesting relations in which they now stood to each other as teachers and pupils. Nothing could be more deeply interesting than the appearance which our decks now presented, above and below, — all was order, life, and activity. The hum of twenty -four schools, containing 263 pupils, from seventeen to fifty-eight years of age, had an effect upon my ear far surpassing that of the finest music. "Wherever a school could be conveniently as- sembled, there the busy group were to be seen sur- rounding their teacher, eagerly vying with each other in application and zeal. There was of course great diversity of aptitude, both in communicating and re- ceiving instruction ; but almost «very countenance betrayed thoughtfulness and attention, and was soon lighted up with more or less of hopeful animation. The diligence and zeal with which the prisoners in the Earl Grey set about the acquisition of useful knowledge, as well as the ability to read, exceeded anything of the kind I have ever witnessed. While learning to read, they were all at the same time acquiring useful knowledge also ; for all our school-books were instructive, and the sacred Scrip- tures were used from the beginning by several of the schools, and by all of them as the voyage advanced. An abimdant variety of religious tracts, and of SCHOOLS ON DECK. 23 valuable little works published by tbe Tract Society, were in constant circulation, and diligently perused ; by the great body of the people who could read when they embarked, and by others as they acquired the ability, were the Scriptures studied in private : morning and evening they were read publicly to the whole of the people assembled, and they were made the subject of catechetical examination, and of solemn and faithful exhortation, every evening, and as often in the morning as other duties admitted. On the Lord's day, the prisoners were always as- sembled for " church" at 10 o'clock, a. m. ; and as on former occasions, the first and second, lessons were selected with reference to their present circumstan- ces. Our sermons were selected from four volumes by the Eev. Charles Davy, which uniformly secm-ed the most Hstening attention. At 2 o'clock, p. m., we met again, as during preceding voyages, for the re- cital of portions of Scripture, catechetical instruction, and exhortation. The number of men who gave in their names for public recitation, and repeated weekly their chaptera to their respective school- masters, was considerable. Of course, our time did not permit Tne to hear the whole of these volunteers ; I was compelled to rely on the testimony of the teachers and inspector, — who, I believe, never at- tempted to deceive me, — and to call upon as many to stand up and recite the passage assigned them, as our time would permit. The Old Testament types were often explained at the afternoon service, and they furnished the most clear and impressive illus' 24 THE CONVICT SHIP. trationoftlie great doctrines of Christ and of His cross. The "singing of psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs," had its proper place in our public worship on the Lord's day, as well as in our daily social and devotional exercises. It is difficult to imagine any spectacle more im- pressive than that of 263 outcasts, consigned by the violated laws of their country to all the horrors of transportation, closely seated on the quarter-deck of, a transport, under sail to a remote quarter of the earth, with scarcely a hope ever again to tread their native shores, or to behold, in the flesh, those who are the dearest to their hearts, — and the ship's com- pany, the soldiers, their wives and children, all in their sabbath-day's costumes, arranged in their proper places on deck, all seriously engaged in the solemn worship of the Most High. There is some- thing in the appearance of such a congregation which I am not able to describe, and the recollection of which is, at this moment, most touching to my feelings. The diversity of countenance, age, and apparent character, among the prisoners ; the sol- diers under arras ; the ship's crew, with their officers ; the women and their children ; all contributed to increase the interest, and add to the solemnity of our engagements. No congregation could exhibit more decided marks of extreme attention. Almost every countenance bespoke a mind engaged, and more or less impressed, especially those of the prisoners; and if at any time the attention of a prisoner seemed doubtful, an observant look, accompanied SUBJECT MATTEE OF INSTEUCTION. 25 sometimes with a short pause, "was sufficient to recall it. Our prisoners were now in daily and constant con- tact with Divine truth ; they were the subjects of earnest prayer — secret, and in their presence : the Holy Spirit* was, by means divinely appointed, gra- ciously striving with their understandings, their con- sciences, and their hearts, and bearing witness to Christ, the Almighty Saviour of sinners, who waits to Jbe gracious, and rejoices to pardon and to save. The whole counsel of God was, in the Scriptures, declared to them. To the prisoners in the Earl Qrey, though guilty rebels against God, he had commanded his overtures of forgiveness, reconciliation, and life, to be pro- claimed as freely as to the rest of mankind. In the first epistle of John, it is written, " And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment, "f Oh, how merciful, how unutterably gracious is this cotmrnand of God laid on all sinners before whose eyes Christ Jesus is set forth according to the Scriptures, that they looh unto him arid he earned ! X — saved from sin and from death, unto holiness and life. How completely does such a Divine command strip all sinners of every plea * Throughout this chapter, and elsewhere, our excellent author inseparably connects the Holy Spirit and the written or preached word, in a way, which has no authority from Scripture, or expe- rience, and is, moreover, liable to Bome grave objections. J. H. F. f 1 John iii. 23. % Is*- ^''- 22- 26 THE CONVICT SHIP. tliey can possibly urge iii defence or in palliation of their unbelief,~of their refusal to put on Christ as all their salvation and all their desire. However desperate their case may be, they are commanded of God to receive his beloved Son for pardon and peace, purification and life. How desperate soever their case may be, their refusal to believe on Jesus ren- ders it still more desperate; their final rejection of Christ is their ultimate and unalterable resolve to perish for ever ! , At what time is Cod's command, that we receive Christ, to be obeyed ? Does the Divine authority allow any delay? Do our desperate circumstances as sinners sentenced to death — to eternal death, and every moment liable to suffer the full execution of that awful and just sentence, in any degree favour delay ! Does not every moment's delay aggravate our guilt and our danger ? It was with these men as it is with any other body of people assembled in any place, whether at sea or on shore, where Christ, the unspeakable gift of God, is scripturally set before them ; not an individual amongst them can quit the place which he occupies but in one of two characters ; either that of a man who has been induced to throw down the weapons of his rebellion, to comply with the overtures of his rightful and benignant Sovereign, ac- cept the Son as his divine surety and his peace, and so enter upon an interminable course of holy and cheerful obedience : or he retires, still clad in the ar- mour of his apostasy, a rejecter of mercy, because a rejecter of Christ ; more opposed to God than before ; SUBJECT MATTER OP INSTRUCTION. 27 more hardened, more guilty, more dead ; more un- likely ever to return to God by the reception of his Son. The command of God to every sinner to whom His gospel is published is, that he do immediately believe it. His inspired words are, " Behold now is the ac- cepted time ; behold now is the day of salvation."* The proclamation of the gospel of the grace of God knows nothing of to-morrow, — nothing of the next hour, in respect of the sinner's duty to believe it. To-morrow may come — the next hour may come, and to me there may be no gospel. This night my soul may be required of me ! The next hour may leave me in that place where there is nothing but the fiery blackness, and darkness, and tempest ; the ceaseless consciousness of that guilt which J refused to wash away in the precious and atoning hlood of Christ, — the intolerable, but never-failing i-emem^brance of a despised, rejected, and benignant Saviour ! Only mark our blessed Lord's lamentation over Jerusalem : " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the pi'ophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee ; how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chick- ens under her wings, and ye would not."f Why perished these "murderers of the prophets?" Be- cause they refused to receive the Messiah ; and in re- jecting Him they rejected pardon, peace, and life. And why do sinners now perish under the sound of the * 2 Cor. vi. 2. t Matt, xxiii. 7. us THE CONVICT SHIP. gospel ? Because they choose to imitate them in re- jecting Christ. They refuse to be gathered hy the good Sliepherd into his fold, to enjoy the security and bliss of his protection and smile for ever. Still it is true that the ''would I" of Christ invites the sinner to; come to him; and makes it binding on his con- science to look to him and be saved. And the most desperate ingredient in the sinner's rebellion, — the most appalling feature in his character, is the way- ward and criminal "■ viould not^'' which he continues to oppose to the most merciful and gracious " would I" of the Son of God. While the unbelieving sin-, ner passes along to tlie gates of death, the compas- sionate " would /" of the Lord Jesus Christ ceases not to follow him to the very verge of time ; and he enters into eternity to take his place among the un- beheving and undone associates of his choice, still opposing his desperate and ruinous " would not,'^ to the long-suffering and gracious " would /" of our Divine Emanuel !* The people gathered together in the Earl Grey, from all parts of the kingdom, are not only, in com- mon with all men, urged to flee at once to' the Lord .lesus Christ as the only refuge for the guilty and the lost, but, being now placed in circumstances pecu- liarly favourable to their instruction and reformation, they are the more emphatically called upon to avail themselves without delay of their inestimable privi- leges, at once to yield a believing obedience to the « See the effect of thU text on the mind of a Socialist, chap. 3. SUBJECT MATTER OF mSXEUOTION. 29 gracious calls of Divine mercy, and turn their feet into the path of holiness and life. In placing them- selves in the position of convicts, they have volunta- rily degraded themselves to an extent which defies all language to express, and thq .moral influence of their degradation, and of the circumstances by which they will he encompassed in the colony, if not over- ruled by sbriptural instruction and prayer,' and the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit, will tempt them to give themselves up to the power of sin and of Satan, and willingly to seal their eternal destruc- tion. There is, therefore, no time to be lost. They are hastening to a colbny whfere the elements' of spiritual and eternal death abound, and where there are but few of the elements of spiritual and everlast- ing life. But more than this : these men are on their way to death — ^to judgment — to eternity ; they must sustain for ever the character in which they die, and experience all the misery or the bliss involved in that character, whether it shall be that of the unre- newed rejecter of Christ, Or the regenerated and sanctified believer in His name ; according as it is written, "He that is unjust, shall be unjust still ; and he who is filthy, shall be filthy still ; and he that is righteous, shall be righteous still • and he that is holy, shall be holy still."* Impurity and guilt must be ever linked with wretchedness, and pardon and holiness with peace. Not only are these men on their way to death, judgment, and eternity, but /, • Rev. xxii. 11. 30 THE OONTICT SHIP. too, hasten on with them— thither do I accompany them. "With them, I must appear before the judg- ment-seat of Christ, to answer for the fidelity with which I watch for their souls, as well as for my own, and improve the opportunity afforded me of winning these my fellow-sinners to Jesus, and to a participa- tion in the blessings of His great redemption. The eyes of men are upon them — the eyes of angels are upon them— the all-seeing eye of God is upon them ! They are the subjects of a mighty con- test. Satan desires and labours to retain and hold them fast in his bondage, that they may share with him in the pains of eternal fire. The Lord Jesus, who created and redeemed them, and whose proper- ty they are, seeks their confidence and their hearts ; desires to rejoice over them as his ransomed, liberat- ed, and sanctified children, the trophies of his vic- tory over sin and Satan, and to present them to the Father with exceeding joy. And the contest of which these men are the subjects cannot terminate without the exercise of the will of each one of them. If they continue the slaves of Satan, they choose so to continue ; they prefer his slavery before the Re- deemer's liberty. If they renounce Satan, and be- come the faithful followers of Christ, they give them- selves to Him willing with a willing mind. His love constrains them ; they see the glory of Jesus, and believe on Him; they willingly and gladly choose him for their Lord and Saviour, and rejoice as giving themselves to him to be " formed for him- self, for showing forth his praise." Their salvation, STmrKOT MATTEE OF mSTEUCTION. 31 from first to last, they attribute to His rich and free grace; and to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, they, with devout and grateful ardour, for ever ascribe all the glory and all the pra;ise. From the commencement of the voyage to its ter- mination, the prisoners breathe a moral and a spirit- ual atm.ospliere. They are in constant contact witli Divine truth ; God, as revealed in the gospel of His Son, is continually set before them, together with the great realities of time and eternity. Christianity — Bible Christianity, is kept perpetually in their view. Every hour carries its report to heaven ! every hour records there the decision of every mind ! The peo- ple are taught that God sends to each one of them a message — a message to which they cannot possibly fail every moment to reply, and the reply of each is either in accordance with, or in opposition to, the Divine will ! From the question they cannot escape for a day or an hour, " WTiat answer do you purpose to give to the message of God V "What answer are you giving, and giving every instant ?" " ■ The Holy Ghost is striving with each of them, — convincing them of truth, testifying to them of Christ and his great and finished salvation, and persuading them to choose, and to choose now^ — the things which belong to their peace, lest they should be for ever hidden from their eyes ; and to his gracious influences they willingly yield, or they wickedly resist them — and, persevering in their wilful resistance, they must ulti- mately quench the Spirit, and so destroy themselves under an accumulated load of aggravated guilt. 32 THE COKYIGT iSHIP. With the true nature of the salvation of Christ they become more and more familiarized ; they are taught that it is a salvation not nierely from hell— - from wrath — from the remote consequences of sin ; but a, present salvation from guUt and impurity — from the love, power and practice of all manner of sin ; a salvation to holiness of heart and life, — a salvation unto God ! They are taught to maintain a watchful and spiritual discipline over their feelings and affec- tions, their tempers and dispositions, their looks and manners, their words and conduct. All unholy sel- fishness and contention, all unjustiiiable noisiness and unhallowed strife, are to be for ever banished fi'om amongst them. They are now to become meek and lowly followers of the Lamb : the time past of their life is to suffice to have wrought the will of the fleslj. In seeking to win souls to Christ, it is absolutely necessary that our minds be deeply impressed with the scriptural truth of man's spiritual deadness and dislike to God and his truth, as well as of our owij utter inability to convey to the mind of a fellow sin- ner a single spiritual thought. The grand instrument which God hath been pleased to ordain for effecting man's conversion to himself, is the truth concerning Jesus, as set forth in the holy Scriptures.* The Lord hath, both by precept and approved example, requiredf aU his believing people * 1 Pet. i 23; James i. 18; £ph. i. 13; 1 Thess. ii. 13, U; Joha vi 63; Jer. xxui. 29; Acts viii. 1—4; Rom. x. 17;.l Cor i 24 JIr^°l "^ ^°' ^'^- '"■ '' ' °''°- ^'- 8! ^Tlia ii. 24-26; James v. 19, 20 ; Rev. xxu. 17 ; Psalm xcvi. 2. 8 ; cv. 1 ; cxlv.; Numb. i. 29 • 2 APPOINTED MEANS OF SAVIMG KNOWLEDGE. 33 to make known the gospel of his grace to perishing sinners, as opportunity is afforded;; and has graciously promised concerning His word, " It shall not return unto me void ; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it."* But even the inspired word of God concerning Jesus Christ and him crucified, derives its saving effi- cacy from the accompanying influences of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the great promise of God to His Church ;f spiritual illumination, con- version of heart unto God, vital union by faith to Christ Jesus, is His sole and peculiar work. How impressive is this view of the state and con- dition of the prisoners in the Earl Orey ! How im- pressive and humbling this view of our own agency ! How necessary to wrestle without ceasing, in earnest and believing prayer, for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon ourselves, and upon all the people whom we seek to instruct and to win to Christ ! How much is involved in this work of proclaiming Christ ! how much that relates to the glory of God and the eternal welfare of souls ! Oh ! it is sacred, impressive, self- instructing, and most responsible work, to be moving, as it were, between time and eternity, between hea- Kings V. 3, Ac; John i. 85—51; iv. 4 — i2: Acts viiL 4; Matt, xiii, 31—33; Mark V. 1—20; Jamea v. 19, 20; Matt, vii 12; v. 16. * Isa. \y. 10, 11. f Isa. liv. 13 ; Jer. xxxi. ; Joel il 28-32 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 27 ; xxxvii. 13, 14; Luke xxiv. 49; John vi. 63 ; iii. 3—8 ; xiv. ; xvi. ; Acts x. 44 ; ii. ; Zech. iv. 6 ; 1 Cor. iii. 1—17 ; iL 4, 5 ; 2 Cor. iv. 3—7 ; John iv. 23, 24 ; fral. r, 16—26 ; Rom, viii. 9—16 ; Phil. L 19 ; 1 Thesa i. 5, §. 2* 34 THE CONTICr SHIP. ven and hell, between God the Saviour and Satan the destroyer, with reference to the salvation of pur fel- low-men ! With a heart oppressed with a sense of its own unworthiness, and utter inability to afford saving aid to men, who are themselves not only helpless, but appalUngly indifferent to spiritual deUverance ; to visit often the throne of Divine mercy and implore the out- pouring of the Spirit upon these men ;, devoutly to look up for an answer of peace, and earnestly to watch for indications in their temper and conduct, of th«ir reception or rejection of the gospel ; to go again and again to the throne of grace, to pour out the heart to God, and in the dust to indulge either^ in humiliation and bitter lamentation, or devout praise, according as the Holy Spirit shallappear to be yield- ed unto or resisted ! Oh, it is solemn work to be thus continually approaching God with reference to guilty men, under a deep impression of the nature of sin— the sufferings and death of Christ — the agonies in- separable from the eternal consciousness of guilt, that especially of rejecting God's " unspeakable gift," to- gether with the joy, peace, and everlasting bliss which the believing reception of Christ secures ! Oh. it is holy and peculiar work, to be continually coming to Jesus for a word of instruction — a message of mercy from His inspired Scriptures to the souls whom He hath made and redeemed ; to be as often returning to the footstool of His throne, in bended lowliness of lieart to tell Jesus, like the disciples of old, what we have done ; and to leave the people and Plis truth in His own hands, imploring Him to glorify His name, POSITION OP NAVAL OFFIOEE AS TO PEISONEES. 35 find magnify the riches of His grace, in their present ai-d everlasting salvation ! Many and fervent^ without doubt, were the prayers ofi'erted up unto God in behalf of these men in the Earl Grey, by his believing people in many parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, especially by those who so liberally supplied them with books, and by pious persLVJS acquainted with individual cases among them. We 4re assured that the Lord Jesus hath en- tered into th& holiest of all, in heaven, with His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us, and that he sLwll see of the fruit of the travail of His soul, and bt satisiied. We know that His grace is omnipotent — t^at His blood hath power to cleanse from all sin: it i& joaanifest that the redemption which is sufficient to metit the case of cmy sinner, is fully adequate to meet th^ condition of the sinners embarked in the Earl Qrey ; tind therefore we look and wait for Divine results amongst our isolated and now in- structed exiles. WiU Jeeas illustrate the efficacy of His atonement, and the power of his word and Spirit, in the conversion aud salvation of some, or many, or all of these n^eh ? For what great purpose, having been brought together in the Earl Grey, are they instructed in the way of pardon, holiness, and life ? Will not the Lord, in his wisdom and mercy, overrule all their wickedness for good ? Would not such a result be in harmony with the history of the Divine dispensations, and the immutable principles of the Divine government ? May not God magnify the riches and the freeness of His grace, by plucking these 36 THE CONVICT SHIP. men as brands from the fire ; and so remind us, that no flesh shall glory in His presence, but that whoso- ever glorieth shall glory only in the Lord ? Shall there be joy in heaven over some of these prodigals hrought to themselves, and returned to their heavenly Father ? Jesus is willing to save them ; will they be made willingMinder the Divine influence of His*mani- fested willingness, and of His everlasting and un- changing love ? Oh the intensity of the interest that is- felt by the faithful in these men ! How vast their influence on the souls of other immortals ! How inconceivable the influence of their decisions on the moral universe 1 Q.aATHfriNG bkhayioujj of the pbisonkjjs. 37 CHAPTER III. G»atifying behaviour of the prisoners — Conversion 1 o God the only foundation of true reformation — Some manifestations of spiritual change — A thunder-storm — Its influence on the Prisoners — Several profess faith in Christ — George Day — Jolin Williams — A Socialist. We now proceed to record the effects produced, under the Divine blessing, by our system, in tlia character, the tempers, and the general conduct of the prisoners during the voyage. In the Earl Grey, not only did the number of instances of individual refor- mation and apparent conversion to God exceed those which occurred in any of my former ships, but the be- haviour of the people, as a hody, surpassed anything I had ever witnessed in any class of men at sea. From the day of their embarkation — indeed, from the hour of our first interview in the hulks, these men were manifestly xinder the influence of an intellectual and moral, if not of a spiritual power. One man who had been, contrary to my regulations, put in circumstaiices of temptation, had his irons re- placed for a given period, for theft and drunkenness ; three youngsters, who, impelled, as they alleged, by an unwarrantable curiosity, were found to have quitted their proper place on the decks, were also for several days subjected to the degradation of having their irons replaced ; one man, for incorrigible and most perni- cious levity, was dismissed from his office of school- 38 THE CONVIOT BHIF. master, and was repeatedly separated from tlie rest of the people ; another man, who had been detected in using improper language, was once or twice placed in a state of separation ; and there were two or three of peculiar and excitable temper, with whom it was found necessary to deal oftener than once, on account of a tendency to indulge, during the first part of the voyage, in noisy disputation, which, though of momen- tary duration, can never be permitted to pass without an adequate expression of disapprobation and whole- some rebuke. But with the exception of seven, who might, perhaps, be justly pronounced indifferent characters, and from 13 to 19 more, with whom I was in Some respects dissatisfied, no impropriety of conduct appeared amongst the whole 264: prisoners worthy of notice. On two or three occasions a few of them manifested a disposition to slaoJcness, or other irregu- larity in the performance of duty, which gave rise to practical addresses, and impressive appeals to the understanding and conscience, with a viewnot only to the benefit of the individuals in fault, but that of all the people : and perhaps some of our most useful lectures were founded upon similar incidents manifesting some wantof principle, or imperfection of character ; butthe general conduct of the prisoners was uniformly so supe- rior, that the mere allusion to these very few excep- tions tends to throw too dark a shade over the picture, and prevents the reader from distinctly perceiving tlie delightful order and harmony, the animating diligence and industry which everywhere pervaded our prison, both above and below ; the studious atten- GKATIBTDfG BEHAVIOUB OF TBE PRISOUEKS. 39 tion of the people to our established regulations ; and their courteous consicleration and brotherly kindnes3> in all the relation's in which they stood to one another, ■whether as petty officers and men, schoolmasters and pupils, or fellow-prisoners and fellow-sufferers. Not only was the general behaviour of the prison- ers from the beginning remarkably pleasing, but a thoughtful seriousness obviously pervaded them, which intimated that more was going on in their minds and hearts than was yet fully manifest, and which en- couraged the most hopeful expectation. It, was not mere outward decorum and correctness of moral de- portment that could satisfy our mind, not a meresuper- ficial reformation of speech and manners ; we desired to see that change effected which would ensure future good conduct upon right and divinely-approved princi- ples — that change which involves the safety and hap- piness of the soul in a future world, as well as consis- tent behaviour and usefulness in the present ; our hearts' desire and prayer was, that all our prisoners might be, by the power of the Holy Ghost, converted ■unto God, through the knowledge and faitli of His beloved Son. "While, therefore, our daily observation was watchfully and anxiously directed to the whole of the people, it took especial cognizance of those indi- viduals whose temper and conduct gave any indica- tions of spiritual life ; and such observation gave an interesting, arousing, and useful turn to our occasional addresses and daily expositions of Scripture. We sailed from Plymouth Sound for Hobart Town, Tasmania, on Oct. 5th, and had proceeded but a short 40 THE CONVICT SHIP. way on our voyage, when I received a letter from one of the prisoners, in which, after expressing his views of himself as a sinner and a convict, he proceeds to lament the injury he had inflicted on his country, the disgrace he had brought upon his relatives andfriends, and, above all, that he had so offended and grieved that blessed Saviour who had suffered and died upon the cross, that he, a guilty transgressor, might not perish, but have everlasting life. He goes on, with much apparent honesty of feeling, to speak of the number and aggravation of his sins, of the punishment which he deserves, and also of the encouragement with which he sometimes thinks on the Saviour's loving- kindness and forbearance. In alluding to his crimes, Jie particularizes those of drunkenness, profane swear- ing, and lying ; and admits that his guilt is vastly in- creased by his privileges having exceeded those of many in his station in life, as he had been sent to school, taught to read, and had even received instruc- tion at a sabbath-school ; and I may observe that he was one of the very few convicts who I ever ascer- tained had attended such an institution. After no- ticing the kindness of his sabbath-school teachers, he makes the most touching allusions to his mother, and dwells on a mother's kind affection, — a mother's " walk in the ways of godliness," — a mother's prayers poured out " over" him at her bedside in secret, — a mother's faithful and beseeching advice rejected by her wayward son — a inother's iroken heart ! — " I was the cause," says he, " of breaking her heart ;" — it was broken " through my disobedience !" — " But, blessed A PEOTTENTIAL LETTEK FEOM A COMTIOT. H be God, she is in glory now ! — She was so familiar with death, she was prepared to die at' any moment. She died in my absence, and knew not where I was, nor how I was getting on. "What has God done for me, a hell-deserving convict !" He mentions the in- fluence which a treatise on the " barren iig-tree" had produced upon his mind since he came on board, and the insight it' had given him into his own character ; and then alludes to some of the great and precious promises of the gospel ; those especially in Matt, xi., the chapter we had read in our usual course the pre- ceding evening. He makes also grateful reference to the first chapter of Isaiah. His interesting and really affecting letter concludes with thankful and even joy- ous reference to the marvellous dispensations of the providence of God in bringing about his embarkation in the S^arl 6rrey, where provision was made for the spiritual instruction of himself and the other " poor ignorant convicts ;" — -and expresses an earnest desire for his own growth in grace, and the success of our labours among his fellow-prisoners. Any appearance of improvement in a convict, we are disposed to view with suspicion. In everything relating to their reformation, we are apt to set limits to the Holy One of Israel. But while we regard with prudent caution and circumspection all mere profes- sions of repentance and change of views, we must at- tach a just degree of weight to evident and unques- tionable improvement in temper and conduct. To doubt the power of God to convert by his Spirit a convict, through the knowledge of Jesus Christ his 42 THE OOimOT SHIP. Son, is to dishonour God, to deny the sovereignty and omnipotence of his grace, and to place ourselves, who are made to differ only by the same grace, beyond the reach of his gospel, and of the consistent exercise of his mercy. The letter, just referred to, I received with thankfulness to the Father of mercies, not only as it regarded the writer himself, but as " a token for good," respecting the people, among whom I hoped a work of grace was begun. I may add, that, in private conversations with this man, for the purpose of giving him suitable counsel, he evinced such knowledge of the plague of his own heart, soundness of views con- cerning salvation, and apparent thirst for Christ and the sanctifying influence of His truth, as warranted the conclusion that he was taught of God. From another prisoner I had previously received a written communication calculated to awaken hope ; and there were many whose entire carriage and con- duct comported with the knowledge and love of Di- vine truth, — although they had not yet, in words, de- clared themselves " on the Lord's side." The foresro- ing pages will show that the whole of the prisoners were in abiding and immediate contact with the gospel of Christ, — were ever, so to speak, moving in the Di- vine presence, which is promised to accompany the reading of His word, scriptural exhortation, and prayer ; but though we are thus warranted to look for the Divine blessing, yet we may be required to wait long in the exercise of believing patience. About two o'clock on the morning of the 2nd of November, and when nearly in 9° north latitude, and A THUNDER STORM. 43 21<> west longitude, the thermometer ranging from 82" to 83°, and the barometer as high as thirty inches, I was suddenly roused from sleep by the most rending peals of thunder, the most vivid flashes of lightning, and in an instant I sprang. from my bed, and stood upon the deck. I was then suffering from a violent affection of the heart, and was unable to leave my cabin ; but if I had been able, it was, at that moment, the most suitable place for me. My presence elsewhere could have proved of no advantage to any one. The hour was one in which all were as from heaven called to the foot-stool of the throne of mercy and grace, — even those whose duty required them to be either ac- tively or passively engaged in works of necessity and mercy, were called to lift up, in the faith of Jesus, their hearts unto God. ISTo language can possibly describe the scene in the midst of which I then stood, and by which I saw and felt myself encompassed. All creation seemed on fire. Thunder, the loudest that ever fell upon my ear, pre- vailed in every quarter ; — peal upon peal followed in rapid succession ; — the distant roar contrasted with that in which I felt myself enwrapped, and the one or the other never ceased : — sometimes several peals, either close to us, or at various distances from us, pre- vailed together. The lightning's flash was too vivid for the eyes to look upon, and, both near and at a distance, scarcely allowed a moment's intermission. The thick Egyptian darkness which intervened was but for a moment ; but even that moment gave to the senses and the mind no repose, — it was darkness that was 44 THE eONVIOT SHIP, t'errific in itself, and gave to the winged thunderbolts and the electric coruscations that covered the face of the heavens, a more piercing glare — a more overpow- ering vividness. The rain fell in torrents,— the breath of heaven had died away,— all things appeared to lis- ten in awe to the voice of the Eternal, and to watch the manifestation and direction of His power. The ship was alone on the face of the wild ocean, and in the midst of threatening and destructive elements ; Cre- ation appeared to be breaking up,— all things were full of the Divine power : the angry elements testified to the guilty the Divine displeasure, and powerfully suggested " the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the ele- ments shall melt with fervent heat." The soul — the conscience, was confronted with God : — and the truths of reason, and the inspired truths of revelation, writ- ten on the tablets of the heart by the Holy Ghost, were read by the awakened spirit in the light of living fire ! The voice of God, heard in the thunder of His power, was heard also in the awful sanctions of His holy law, and in the immutable requirements Of a neglected gos- pel. The scene was well fitted to carry us to the foot of that mount which, in the sight of Israel's hosts, was covered with the thick cloud — was encompassed with thunders and lightnings, from the midst of which proceeded the sound of the trumpet, waxing louder and louder, and the voice of God, when He had de- scended in fire, to deliver to man that holy law which announces naught but death to the transgressor • whose guilty mind can know no true and lasting peace A THUNDER gTOEM. 45 until he find it on Calvary, nnder tlie sprinkling of tha atoning blood of the Divine Lawgiver Himself— our blessed Emanuel, on the accursed tree slain for us !* The hour — ^^the very hour of death, was felt at hand — the monient of the soul's unclothingf and appearance in the immediate presence of the Judge, — to be seen in its true character, — i-in the character then worked out, — ^to be dealt with in perfect accordance with that character by God Himself in the midst of the seen and felt realities of the eternal world, — free from all guise, ^stripped of all pretence,— disrobed of all garments of human texture, — to be fixed, — -for ever fixed, — ac- cording to .the choice made in life, — ^made in the body, —unalterably fixed for ceaseless ages, in sorrow or in joy, — -according as Christ shall have been, in life, ac- cepted or put away, — according as the Holy Spirit shall have been, in life, received to renewal unto holi- ness, or criminally resisted, and pollution and death preferred. . Oh, what is man, — what is sinful and guilty man, when viewed in the light of God's fiery law, — of the Divine perfections, — the all-pervading light of Oniniscience,-^and surrounded with all the realities of the eternal world 3 : When we feel ourselves encom- passed with the Divine presence, and experience the fiery consciousness of His perfect knowledge of us, or of our utter vileness in his sight, — ^when the soul is about to quit its clay tenement, to be removed from the sound of the Gospel for ever I and to have its own chUsen state for ever fixed, — what then can avail » Exod. xix XX. ; Heb. xiL f 2 Cor. v. 46 THE cosncrr ship. us anything but a personal,— a saving interest in Christ ? What can give peace to the conscience, and cover all our iniquities, but His precious blood, shed upon the cross as a sacrifice for sin, and effectually applied to our souls, through faith, by the power of the Holy Ghost? What can secure us from shame before Him at His coming, and inspire us with holy and child-like confidence when he appeareth, but the anointing* of the Holy Spirit of promise setting His Seal upon us,t and bearing witness with our spirits that we are the children of God % by faith in Christ Jesus ? What then sustains and comforts the mind in reference to our beloved relatives and friends, but scriptural evidence that they have fled for refuge to lay hold uppn the hope set before them in the gospel, and have become the subjects of a heavenly birth? And, oh, how awful — how absolutely insupportable, the conviction then, that we — now . about to die, — • have neglected them — ^have not been faithful to them concerning their souls — have not with all our might, by consistent example, and in the power of prayer in the Holy Ghost, urged them to flee to Jesus, to flee at once, and in Him take refuge from the wrath to come ! Oh, how true it is that dying moments should have nothing left for them to do but the work of dying !— of dying in peace, to the glory of our Ee- deemer, and to the benefit of souls,— dying in the con- fidence of Him in whom we have believed, and still do » 1 John ii. 20, 2"?— 29. f Ephesians iv. 80. X Romans viii. 16. Read theae three chapters. A THUNDER STOEM. 47 believe; whom wehaveloved, and still do love ; whose service we have felt to be our perfect freedom, — in whose presence we have experienced joy, — and hope to experience fulness of.joy ; and at whose right-hand, through free and sovereign grace, we have the well- grounded hope of enjoying pleasures for evermore ! Tlie storm continued to rage, in all the terribleness of its fury. No human voice was heard, save the voice, and that but rarely, of the officer carrying on duty. The mind was kept in solemn and awful watch- fulness ; the annihilation of the ship, the destruction of all on board, seemed at hand ; we lay on the borders of eternity ! At length a body of electric fire, com- monly called a "thunder-bolt," struck the fore-royal mast, shivered it into pieces, melted the copper in the sheave-hole, passed down the masts and the iron chain halliards, and having partially diii'used itself through theparts of the vessel immediately adjoiningthe comb- ings of the foremast, struck, though not fatally, three men: after doing various damage, it entered the pri- son, passed round the decks amongst the prisoners, and then disappeared. For some time, until the car- penter sounded the well, it was doubtful whether or not the ship was about to go down, and for awhile she seemed on fire. I stood watching with my feet the indications of the deck, whether the vessel was sinking or not, and with breathless solicitude listened for the prisoners' shriek when they should feel the water rising upon them, and the ship descending into the deep, to be buried'with all on board, under the waves. Tlie scene now appeared to have reached its 48 THE CONnCTT SHIP. climax: of awful impressiveness. The manifestations of Omnipotence were now unutterably overwhelming to the mind, the realities of the unseen world now threatened to open on our view, and to appear before us in the light of the fire of God's own kindling. The prison, as testified by two hundred and sixty- four men, exhibited a scene that no language can de- scribe. The prisoners were laid prostrate ; most, if not all of them stretched on the deck,— every object seem- ed lighted up with electric fire ! — the broad-headed iron nails with which the bars placed around the hatch- ways are studded, were almost brilliantly illuminated, and appeared as if consuming. The prisoners lay along under their burdens of sin arid guilt, — their past lives were placed before them in more than the light of the fierce thunder-bolts, for they had by this time been instructed in the scriptures, they had all in some degree learned the requirements, and the penalties of God's " holy law" — they had all heard of His love, — ■ of the unspeakable gift of His love, of His revealed " long-sufiering, and unwillingness that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance ;"* all had heard of the Divine eificacy of the blood of Christ to wash away all sin, and speak peace to the guiltiest conscience ; and they had heard the invitation and com- mand of God that they should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ for present and everlasting life, and love one another as He gave us commandment.f They thought that the hour of final account, the great * 2 Peter iii. 9. f 1 John iii. 2S. A THUNDER STOKM. 4:9 day of judgment was come, at least that to them time should be no longer, and that their eternal state would now in a few moments be for ever fixed ! They al- ready felt that God was dealing with them as his re- fiponsible creatures, and with solemn, perplexing, and unquiet anxiety were they now compelled to deal with themselves, and that in the midst of the most fearful tokens of the Almighty power and all-searching know- ledge of that holy, merciful, and just God whom they had despised, and whose beloved Son, together with His great salvation, they had wickedly put away. The things of time they now saw in all their unsatis- fying vanity, and felt the paramount importance of an interest in the friendship of Him who alone is the efficient friend of sinners, — who laid dovra His life to redeem them, and who alone " is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him, seeing that he only ever liveth to make intercession for them." All that passed at this time through the minds of the prisoners, all the communication which took place between them and God, is known only to Him who searcbeth the heart and tries the reins of the children of men. After a period of about two hours, the flashes gra- dually became less vivid, the thunder more distant ; all was ultimately hushed into serenity and peace, and the mind was left to its thoughts, to make a suitable improvement of God's fearful yet merciful visit, and lay to heart all the solemn lessons which He ever in- tends to teach, when He thus passes by in the whirl- wind, the earthquake, or the fire. 50 THE OOimCT SHIP. On the following morning, when I visited the prison , deep seriousness seemed to pervade every mind. All the prisoners appeared to have been deeply affected, and all were disposed to dwell upon the scene they had witnessed, and to make it the subject of solemn conversation. "We assembled below for reading the Scriptures, and prayer ; and in addition to our proper chapter for the morning, which was Matthew xvlii., we read Job xxxvi. and xxxvii. ; and endeavoured, in a solemn address to the people, to make a suitable and practical improvement of the previous night's dispen- sation, and of God's marvellous manifestation of long " suffering and sparing mercy. In the evening, we again made seasonable allusion to the momentous and impressive subj ect. With several of the people I con- versed in private on the things belonging to their peace, and with much satisfaction. The instructions received from the Bible seemed to have been much more deeply impressed on the heart than I had hither- to imagined. To understand Christianity had from the day of their embarkation been their great busi- ness, and with one accord they now seemed to feel that it was a business of which they ought not to be asham- ed, and their attachment to which it was consistent to avow, — sinful and unsafe to conceal. The manifesta- tion of the Divine power, and intimations of a coming judgment, had rendered it, in their view, quite rea- sonable that the everlasting concerns of the immortal soul, together with the glory of God, should be made the great business of life. The melancholy intelli- gence received from the ship Duchess of Xorthum- ■WRECK OV THE WATEKLOO. 51 herlcmd, with which we communicated shortly after the thunder-storm, of the wreck of the convict ship Waterloo at the Cape of Good Hope, and the conse- quent loss of one hundred and eighty prisoners, and fifteen soldiers, made a deep impression upon all our minds, and afforded subject of touching ad- dress and admonition to the people in the Earl Orey. From this time our occasional addresses and daily expositions of sacred Scriptures became more pointed and personal, our dealings with the conscience more close and pressing. The gospel was now exhibited in its most encouraging aspect to the most depraved and unworthy among depraved and despised convicts ; — redemption was more closely aiid impressively set forth in its relation to the fixed and immutable prin- ciples of the moral government of the universe ; close, personal and regular examinations of the people on their acquaintance with Scripture, and particularly with reference to their views of the way of salvation, were commenced, and proved most interesting and instructive to the people, all of whom were, on these and all other occasions of meeting for devotional ex- ercises, assembled and closely seated together, either in the prison, or on the upper deck. The application of the prisoners to their Bibles and other good books, and the manliness and correctness of their behaviour, were most remarkable and pleasing. Private conver- sations with those who desired to converse with me respecting their personal salvation, became more fre- quent Seven of my men I felt warranted to regard 52 THE CONVICT SHIP. as being taught of God ; and shortly after /ow were added to their number. By the 7th of December, to my joyous satisfaction, I was able to regard eleven of my prisoners as disposed by God's grace to submit to the authority ot Christ, to take up His cross and follow Him. On the follow- ing day, these eleven men met in; the widest part of the prison, in which our daily worship was conducted when the weather prevented our being on the upper deck; and in the presence of all the people, after prayer to God, they were solemnly addressed as men who professed, through grace, to bewail the plague of their own hearts, the wickedness of their past lives, their lawless conduct and evil example, to feel their desert of everlasting condemnation, and need of Di- vine deliverance ; — as men who, by the teaching of God's word and Spirit, had, through His infinite mercy, been led to perceive the all-sufficiency of the obedience and death of Christ to give peace and ac- ceptance with God and to save the chief of sinners ; as men who had obeyed the command of God to believe on His Son Jesus Christ, and desired henceforth to be tlie Lord's — to live to His honour and glory, to cast in their lot with His people, — ^and thankfully to submit to the promised teaching of the Holy Spirit, to quali- fy them for all the duties of life, and prepare them for the glory and the rest of heaven ! Thus were these eleven men voluntarily formed into a Christian society for the worship of God, and obser- vance, as far as present circumstances allowed, of His appointed ordinances ; for mutual edification and com- ADDEESS ON THE CASE OP ONESIMTJS 53 fort, and exhibition of the light of Divine truth to the prisoners around them. To the Lord we looked up in prayer and faith for direction in the selection of a suitable portion of Scripture for this solemn and most affecting occasion, and were unexpectedly led to Paul's epistle to Plii- leraon, which furnished the naost impressive and encouraging instruction to us all, particularly that portion of it which more immediately relates to the history and conversion of Onesimus, a servant or slave, who had unlawfully absconded from his mas- ter, after having, as some think, robbed him. In the all-wise and gracious arrangements of Divine Provi- dence, he had been led to Rome, where, through the preacliing of the Apostle Paul, he was brought to the saving knowledge of Christ, of which he gave immediate evidence by his affectionate attendance, as a Christian " 5(W," on that spiritual father, through whose means, by the power of the Lord, this criminal runaway had been begotten again to a lively hope. The Apostle, much to his inconvenience, sends him back to his master, requesting that he may be re- ceived not now as a servant or slave, but as a "brother beloved," even as Paul himself; and in the true spirit of Christianity generously charges his friend Philemon, " If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account : I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it." The case of Onesimus admitted of the most happy and encouraging application to that of the prisoners. 54 THE CONVICT faHEP. Without interfering witli their responsibility, the holy providence of God was overruling their wicked- ness for good : — they, like Onesimus, were brought under the preaching of the gospel even in a prison ; like him they were shown by the Holy Spirit, from the inspired writings of the same Apostle, that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, and that now they are, by God, commanded to repent and believe the gospel, and obtain, as the free gift of the Most High, without money and without price, the forgiveness of all their sins, the renovation of their nature, the new heart and the right spirit; to be " no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of Ood^'' — to be, each of them, like Onesimus, " a hi'other leloved" to the praise of the unsearchable riches of Christ ! Although our meeting was special and peculiar, our exercises, as usual, consisted in prayer, reading of the Scriptures, exposition, exhortation, praise, and thanksgiving ; the psalms and hymns being selected for the occasion. Before the address was delivered, the names of the professing disciples of the Lord Jesus were distinctly announced in the hearing of all present. The meeting was most solemn and aifect- ing. The visible obedience of these eleven men, in thus confessing the name of their blessed Lord and Saviour before their fellow-prisoners, and not forsak- ing the assembling of themselves together, as the manner of some is, made a strong impression on the minds of observers.* * Matt. X. 32—39; Heb. s. 19—25. BRIEF NOTICE OF GKOKGE DAT. 55 Their confession of the faith of Jesus was made not only in the presence of men, but of angels ; and Ood himself was witness ! — witness of the state of our hearts, the agreement of which, with tliat which the human eye beheld. He alone could see, who will continue to witness the agreement or disagreement of our entire succeeding life and conduct, with the solemn and public profession we made on the eighth day of December, 1842 ; and where shall we find power to walk in peace and holiness, but in the influ- ence of the Holy Spirit, and in continual dependence on the precious blood of Jesus ? The complexion of our meetings for Divine wor- ship was, from henceforth, changed. Besides the congregation, consisting of all the other prisoners, there were the professing disciples, who, through grace, had by faith and holy obedience been separated from the rest,*— who now desired to follow Christ, through evil report and good report, according to His word, — and who, feeling that they had " much forgmen " them, were under the highest obligation to " love much^'' and henceforth to dedicate themselves, body, soul, and spirit, to Him who redeemed them to Himself by His blood. A prisoner named George Day, who had for some time been ill, was confined to his bed, which hap- pened to be near the place where I was standing when speaking from the Epistle to Philemon. He was not in my sight, for a number of the people * Acta T. 12- -14; xix. 9; 2 Thess. iii. 6—16; 1 Tira. vi. 1—6; Eom. xvi. \1; 2 Tim. iii. 1—5; Epli. v. 11. 56 THE CONVICT SHIP. were seated in front of his berth, but I afterwards learned that he had listened most earnestly and anx- iously to all that was said. And when he heard of Onesimus's character and conversion, he exclaimed to the following effect, unheard, as he thought, by any around him : " What 1 a runaway slave, that had robbed his master !— he converted !— he brought to Christ !— he received back and pardoned ! — ^he saved ! — a runaway slave saved !— and why not a convict '<" breathed out the soul of poor George Day ; — " why not a poor Avretched convict ? Will not Jesus receive me too? Is not His blood able to wash away all my sins? — May not /be saved ?" And in this state of mind he continued ; sometimes filled with joy, some- times with anxiety and fear. He passed almost a sleepless night. His mind could not now rest until he knew that his soul was safe, and that ho had obtained an interest in Christ; for as yet he had obtained no settled peace. But he was perplexed by the inquiry, " when am I to obtain the salvation of my soul ? When may I expect to be put in pos- session of the salvation in which Onesimus rejoiced ?'' In this state of anxious perplexity, and longing for deliverance, he continued, almost constantly in prayer until the following evening, when we as- sembled for our usual devotions ; John v. happened to be our appointed portion for that evening, and I was led to dwell on the urgent priactical application of the 24th verse, viewed in connexion with John iii. 36. To all that was said, George Day, whilst lying in his bed, was listening with the most eager atten- BKEEF NOTICE OF GEOEGE DAT. 57 tion and devout appropriation. But he shall speak for himself, in the following brief and somewhat unconnected statement, which I received some time after he had openly confessed the; name of Jesus. It -was dictated by himself, when still confined to bed, and suffering severely from old and confirmed dis- ease, and was written from his lips on a slip of paper, by a fellow-prisoner, who afterwards gave it to me :* * * * "I bless and praise the Lord that ever I came on board this vessel ; for here the Lord has had mercy upon me, and brought me to feel myself a guilty sinner in His sight. I have been greatly afflicst- ed ; but I hope my afflictions have been greatly bless- ed to my soul. I, for many years, have been living in the service of the devil. I was what might be termed a travelling thief, and remained hardened, though arrested for my crimes, imprisoned, and now transported, — until I came on board the Earl Grey, bound to Hobart Town. Blessed be God, the kind instruction from God's holy word has been the means of my soul's salvation. I was very ill, but remained quite unconcerned until I heard the Epistle to Phile- mon read. I was then led to compare my last life with the life of Onesimus, the runaway servant, who found pardon and became a new man ; and it power- fully came to my mind, that the same Saviour could and would save even me, if I came to Him by faith * The preceding account was written from the report I received at the time. This statement was written shortly before tlie debarkation took place : I transcribe it, with the alteration of only one word, which correctness required. 3* 68 THE CONTICT SHIP. and repentance. I hope I prayed, but found but little peace until I heard the doctor pressing upon our at- tention the words of God, contained in the 3d chap- ter of John, verse 36, and 5th chapter, verse 24. \ could scarcely believe it to be true at the time ; for it seemed as though a voice spoke to me, ^He. that le- lieveth in the Son hath everlasting life P I was as- tonished! I sprang up in my bed,— I said to myself, 'Hath everlasting life !' What ! me, Lord ? so unholy ! so unworthy! Eath itl— Hath it!— Can it be so? Blessed be the Lord, I found the promise true, — I be- lieved ; I cast myself at the feet of Jesus ; I found mercy. I can rejoice in the Lord Jesus; I have no hope but in Him. I am very ill still ; but, I trust though my illness is painful at present, it will soon ter- minate in the Lord's way ; either T shall go to inherit life everlasting, or shall live supported by my Lord, who is my life, my joy, my trust, my everlasting All. His will be done ! If I live, may I live to the Lord : if I die, may I die unto the Lord ! Oh, may I meet my Benefactor in heaven — with my dear fellow-pri- soners who have believed through Divine grace! Glory to the Lord for what He has done for so many of us ! May He keep us through all the trials we may have to pass through in our sad situation as prisoners ; may we be kept from sin, and be helped to let ' our light so shine before men, that others seeing our good works may glorify our Father who is in heaven.'— Amen." This man was born in the army ; and having learned no trade, entered, in process of time, on a very irreo-u- BEIEF NOTICE OF aEOEGE DAT. 59 lar course of life. Unhappily, too, for liimself, as it re- spected botli soul and body, he was for some time en- gaged in the service of the Queen of Spain. He was a great invalid during fully the last half of our voy- age, and on arrival at Eohart, ho was sent to the Colonial Hospital ; in which a truly pious, judicious, and zealous medical officer* of the army ofhciated, whose Christian interest in his patients, and unwearied labours for their temporal and spiritual good, indicated the power of the gospel on his own heart, and througli the Divine blessing, could not fail to prove most sooth- ing and beneficial to tliose who were placed under liis care. In this hospital, as soon as nly health permitted, I visited Day, and ever found him in the most blessed frame of mind, though in the midst of great affliction. He appeared never for a moment to have lost his con- fidence in the Saviour, — and his rejoicing in His finished redemption was ever accompanied with the deepest humility, self-abasement, and self-distrust. His feet seemed fixed on the Eock of Ages ; his joy was in the freeness and the riches of Divine grace ; his consolations were evidently the promised consola- tions of the Holy Spirit. Some time before I left the colony he ^^et^and died, there are the best reasons for believing, holding fast Christ, the beginning of his confidence, and the rejoicing of his hope, stead- fastly even unto the end.f The paper containing the foregoing statement of George Day, was accompanied with a short note from t Bf. Mair, Staff Surgeon. •[■ Hgb. iii. 60 THE CONVICT SHIP. the prisoner wlio transmitted it to me, from wliicli I make the following brief quotation, in order to sJiow, in some degree, the writer's state of mind, with refer- ence to himself and the other prisoners : » * * " Please to allow me in behalf of the great body of my poor dear fellow-snfferers, — espe- cially those to whom the cross of Jesus has been made the power of God unto salvation,, and to whom the Word of the Lord is precious and consoling, to thank ydu with all our hearts, and the kind people to Eng- land, for their pity and aid in supplying us so richly with those blessed words of God." * * * This note anticipates in a measure our report of the gracious work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of an increasing number of our prisoners. Day after day saw another and another of the men apparently ^'■plucked " by the hand of Sovereign mercy, as "a hrand out of thejlre,''* and added to the number of the monuments of rich and free grace in Christ Jesus, adorning the gospel by consistent conduct, unceasing and earnest prayer, and by active and well-directed zeal, for the spiritual instruction and salvation of all around them. On the night of Dec. 13th, about ten o'clock, a heavy sea fell aboard the ^arl Grey^ and a great body of water poured through the main and after- hatchways into the hospital and prison. I was at the time engaged in abstracting blood from the arm of a prisoner suffering under a severe inflammatory affec- * Zech. iii. 2. BEIEF NOTICE OF JOHN WILLIAMS. 61 tloii, aud could not well make my escape from the torrents. To the minds of most of the prisoners tlie scene was terrific. Nearly all of them were asleep at the time the sea fell on the deck, and awoke up in a state of great alarm ; and their agitation continued for some time, through the fearful noise made by the water flowing down the hatchways, washing from side to side by the rolling of the ship, and carrying with it every thing that had not been securely fixed, dash- ing it against the sides of the prison. To get rid of my wet clothes and prepare for attending properly on my patient, I was carried through the water to tlie prison-door on the back of one of my men. A con- siderable time elapsed before the water obtained an exit from our decks. The men who occupied the lower range of berths, particularly in the after-part of the prison, fled, and took refuge for the night in those above them, leaving their wet bedding to be dried, if possible, during the ensuing day. The person and bed- ding of one poor man, named John Williams, who was at the time suffering from consumption of the lungs, were so wet that a cold chill came on, the effects of which bade defiance to all remedies, and on the morn- ing of the 15th he died. The scene of the night of the 13th, the death of Williams two days after, — ^his funeral — the portions of Scripture read, and the ad- dress delivered on the occasion, made a strong and deep impression on the minds of many of the prison- ers, and seemed more or less to affect them all, lead- ing many of them to Ood^ through the power of the Holy Spirit, by the faith and obedience of the gospel. 62 THE CONVICT SHIP. Poor 'Williams, up to a short period before his death, gave no satisfactory evidence of change of heart. During the last few days of his life he exhibited some promising symptoms of contrition and repentance, and during the twenty-four hours immediately preceding his death, he ceased not to acknowledge that he was a most guilty and helpless sinner, referred to the Lord Jesus as the only object of his trust, and seemed to cast himself humbly and devoutly on his pardoning mercy. But here we must, in awful and most painful uncertainty, leave him. Of a death-bed repentance ■we are scarcely authorized to speak, except when it is accompanied with some very special circumstances, some strong and decided manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, — some clear and distinctive marks of his Divine and saving teaching. Tlie Bible en- courages no man to delay, for a single moment, his reception of Christ, when once set before him in the proclamation of the gospel ; which is ever accompanied with the command of God, that every one who hears it do immediately believe it, for pardon, purification, and life. It is most true, that whosoever, even in the last moment of life, beheveth in the Son of God, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. But man can know nothing of the change of the heart but by the fruits of the life. "When circumstances admit not of the production of the unquestionable fruits of righteous- ness, then circumstances allow not man to form a judo-- ment. The Lord looketh upon the heart ; He knows its state and all its exercises; and if he should be NOTICE OF J T . 63 gracio\isly pleased to give, at the eleventli hour, a liv- ing faith in Jesus, He will save the soul on which He hath, in his abundant and loug-suflfering mercy, con- ferred such a gift. But when life is not prolonged, to afford opportunity of manifesting that faith in holy and consistent obedience, we cannot look beyond the veil which is spread before our view. All that the Bible affirms is true, and will most assuredly be accomplish- ed-; every divine promise will be fulfilled to the believ- er in Jesus; but it is an awful sin, involving the most fearful danger, for any man to delay his believing re- ception of Christ and of the Holy Spirit, and the pro- duction of those fruits of holiness which prove the pos- session of that faith which overcomes the world, and works by love ; and of that blessed hope which leads its possessor to purify himself even as Christ is pure. One prisoner from amongst the first seven who ap- peared to have received the truth in the love of it, and to take up the cross to follow Christ, was named J — y — . This man, I found, at the time our schools were or- ganized, so well educated that I appointed him one of my teachers. But I was not aware of the destruc- tive principles he had imbibed, or the pernicious habits he had formed, otherwise I should not have placed him in such an important and responsible situation. His appearance and general deportment being rather pleasing, his scholarship and willingness to teach, induced me to select him, with others, for the important office of teaching the people to read the Bible — never dreaming that he was prepared to 64 THE CONVICT SHIP, avail himself of that position to substitute for food the most destructive poison, and to pervert the opportu- nity offered to him of serving God, into an opportu- nitj of promoting the work of Satan, by reducing souls to licentiousness, infidelity, and death ? Ut Ins principles and character I heard nothing, until 1 learnt that he was under anxious concern for his soul. The following confession of his principles and h±e, made soon after he was brought under the miluence of the gospel, and written down from his own lips, by a fellow-prisoner, will best set forth the fearful danger to which he was exposed, and from which his complete rescue could be effected by nothing short of the almighty power of the Word and Spirit of God: " J ^y desires with all his heart and soul to bless the Lord for bringing him on board the Earl Grey.'" He says, " I came on board what I had been for a long time, in my principles, a confirmed Social- ist Having embraced Owen''s doctrines, I took every opportunity of instilling them into the minds of others. I made an attack upon one of the schoolmasters on board, and concluded, after a long tussle with him, — even with the Bible in hand, — that I had gained a most decisive victory. This encouraged me to do all the mischief I could, by bringing my fellow-prisoners to my faith : and it is a mercy indeed that I was stopt in my mad career ; or the mischief I would have done might have been great. In tlie way I have mentioned I went on until the night of November 2d, when the thunder-bolt came upon us. I was terrified, — my THE COKVEESION OF A SOCIALIST. 65 principles did not support my mind; but in the morning I attempted to laugli it off, and called my- self a fool for being so fearful. But at the time of prayer, we were spoken to in a very kind, but faithful manner, and warned to flee from the wrath to come — unto Jesus, the only security and peace of a perish- ing sinner. " One Scripture was repeated which went like a dagger to my heart, namely this, ' O Jerusalem, Jeru- salem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.'* ' Ye would not^ struck upon my heart all day long. I remembered how God had been calling to me by many providences, — and still ' I would nof The Lord Jesus seemed to say to me from the cross, ' Why will you not come to Me T — ^I could get no rest. I was horrified by my wickedness, and the abomina- ble system I had embraced, and could not indulge a hope of mercy. But the Lord sent the same word time after time to my mind, and every time with more power — ' Why will you not come to Me T — Thank the Lord ! — after some days I found my mind humhUng, and felt a stronger desire to know Jesus, whom I persecuted. I prayed as well as I could ; and He, at length, did bring me to cast myself down, as it were, at his feet, and cry out, ' Lord, save me, a guilty sinner !' I had for some time only a Aope— and • Matt. xxiiL 87. THE CONVIOT SHIP. that very faint ; but He soon lifted up upon me tlie light of His reconciled countenance ; and that brought peace to my mind, which I shall enjoy. And my earnest prayer is, that I may spend the remnant of my days as a true and humble follower of Jesus." Such is the confession, — such a brief view of, 1 trust, the conversion of a Socialist. His spirit and conduct, from this time, were unexceptionable in every respect. Not the breath of a complaint affect- ing him ever reached me, or any of my petty oflacers or schoolmasters. As a teacher, he was most useful, and most exemplary. He became a diligent student of the Bible, and of other useful and devotional books. He appeared to grow in grace as well as in knowledge : his prayers evinced his acquaintance with the doc- trines of redemption and an experimental knowledge of his own spiritual wants and necessities. He now laboured more strenuously to cast down the kingdom of Satan than ever he had laboured to build it up, and was more zealous and unwearied in promoting the reign of Jesus in the hearts of his fellow-sinners, than he had ever been in opposing it. Should this brief statement meet the eye of any one unhappily entangled by the debasing and de- structive principles and practices of Socialism, we would pray and hope that it may arrest his attention, — ^lead him to reflect seriously on the fearful tendency of that pernicious system in which he has involved himself, — dispose him to commence, without a mo- ment's delay, the devout, candid, and diligent study of the writings of inspiration, the sixty-six sacred. THE CX3NVEKSI0N OF A SOCIALIST. 67 books, which God has graciously given to us as the only rule of our ielief, our practice, and our hope / and if he begin and continue his inquiries in a teach- able and child-like, or, if he please, in a tn^uly manly spirit, with an honest desire to know the will of God, manifesting itself in a ready, and cheerful perform- ance oi that will, at whatever cost, the moment it is ascertained, — and if he look up to the Father, through Jesus Christ, for the pi'omised gift of the Holy Spirit, and rely wholly on His teaching and guidance, he will assuredly be rescued from the entanglements, pollution, guilt, and wretchedness of Socialism, from the power of sin and Satan, and be found, like the maniac of old, sitting at the feet of Jesus, his gracious Deliverer — clothed, and in his right mind, enjoying that blessed and holy liberty wherewith He makes all His people free ; and prepared to spend the re- mainder of his days in the service of God, a blessing to his country, and wise in winning souls to Christ, who will preserve him and them in the faith and obedience of the gospel, even unto His everlasting kingdom and glory ! 68 THE CONVIOT SHIP. CHAPTERIV. Account of "W. B.— Special prayers— Converts increase— F. M.— J. & Among the prisoners who embarked at "Woolwich was one named W B , about thiriy years of age, a man, as it afterwards appeared, of a dehcate constitution, and subject to a variety of bodily ail- ments. When proceeding down the English Channel, he was taken ill, and confined to his bed. Having inquired into his case, I did not consider him a fit sub- ject for a long voyage in a crowded ship, and resolved to apply for his debarkation on our arrival at Ply- mouth. When charged with acting in neglect, if not in defiance, of the advice which I had positively given to the whole of the prisoners on board the hulks, he assured me, from his knowledge of his constitution, that a milder climate would prove very advantageous to his health, and that he hoped soon to get well, and make himself useful to me in any way I might think fit to employ him. I was still determined, however, according to the spirit of my instructions, to have him sent on shore, apprehensive that the voyage might prove hazardous to his life. On the following morn- ing he sent me a note, in which he im^plorer? me to allow him to remain in the Earl Grey ; and a further investigation of his case ultimately satisfied me that I A BEIEF ACCOUNT OF W- — B . 69 might with propriety permit him to proceed on the voyage. By the time we reached the latitude of Ma- deira, his health improved ; he became one of my most useful teachers ; and gave, in process of time, the most satisfactory and pleasing evidence that he was a true child of God by faith in Christ Jesus. He evinced talents of rather a superior order, had been pretty well educated, exhibited great manliness of deportment, and possessed a most remarkably sound judgment, great discernment of character, and considerable ac- quaintance with Scripture, and the peculiar doctrines of the gospel. Hispersonal piety seemed deep, influen- tial, and abiding ; his interest in the salvation of the souls around him ardent and practical. After he had been about two months on board, he never ceased to care for his fellow-prisoners, and was always ready to attend to my instructions, and aid me in every possible way. When our voyage was well advanced, I re- quested him to give me in writing a few particulars of his past life, and received the following statement: ***** " It is with great sorrow of mind I write, when I reflect upon the errors and wickedness of my past life ; but also, I trust, with great love and grati- tude to God, when I take, as I now do, a retrospective view of the undeserved mercy of my Creator and Re- deemer towards me. If my heart is not deceiving me I can unite sincerely with David, saying, ' Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy name, and forget not all His benefits.' "I was born December 27th, 1812, in London. Iwas not favoured with God-fearing parents, and was 70 THE CONVICT BHIF. brouglit up in sin, until I arrived at the age of twelve years, when my father, who had carried ou a respect- able and rather extensive trade, became embarrassed through a variety of trials and losses in trade, which broke his spirits, and he soon became the tenant of the tomb,— dying, I fear, without an interest in Jesus Christ. My mother was left in trouble, but the Lord graciously raised up kind friends. A change of circum- stances, however, caused her to leave her hitherto com- fortablehome, and to labour for hermaintenanceinthe service of a private gentleman. My lot was to be sent into the country, my dear grandfather taking charge of me. The Lord, I trust, when I was at the Sabbath- sclionl, In the village of S IST , jSrstled me to see my ruined state by nature, and, I hope, notwithstand- ing my subsequent shameful and painful departure from the way of peace, that, at the age of thirteen years, I was, in rich mercy, brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Oh, how sweet the memory of the peaceful and happy hours I then spent in walking humbly with the Lord, — and in sweiet communion with liiin ! With pain of mind I must tell you, I became united with God's people ; I do not grieve that I joined the Christian Society, but that by my wickedness I have disgraced my profession, wounded the holy and blessed Saviour, who had done so much for my soul, grieved the Holy Spirit, and brought the Lord's dear people into affliction. Oh, what evil have I done ! Oh, that my repentance may prove to be that which is unto life, and which shall never need to be repented of! A EEIEF ACCOTJNT OF W — B . Tl " But to proceed. I remember when my teacher was, one sabbath, contrasting the happiness of the be- liever with the misery of the wicked, I thought of my dear departed father, who, I feared, could not go to heaven as he died. This led me, through the Holy Spirit's teaching, to consider the state of my own soul ; and I hope the work of grace then commenced in my heart. (I was about thirteen years of age.) From the age of sixteen, when I became a member of a Christian Church, up to my twenty-second year, I continued at S , and was engaged in the Sabbath- school, and in various other efforts with God's people, to advance his glory. During that time, I, to the praise of the Lord, can say that I was truly enabled to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, and to walk as becometh the gospel. At the age of twenty-two, I came to London ; and being in bad health, and my trade laborious, my friends obtained for me a situation in a tradesman's office. For three years I was enabled to maintain a character consistent with the Christian profession ; and being anxious to get on in life, I ap- plied myself diligently to my master's interests, and was, at the end of that time, made his town-traveller, and succeeded in my efforts to increase his connexion. But my new sphere of business brought me ipJ;o more frequent intercourse with worldly minds ; and being exposed, as a matter of course, to the temptation of drinking with my customers, in time — to my shame and sorrow— that which I had disliked, namely, ar- dent spirits, I became fond of Many struggles, sharp and distressing, passed in my poor disordered mind be- 72 THE CONVICT 6HIP. tween the powers of grace and sin : but, alas . it be- came a confirmed habit with me to drink, and to min- gle with some who, though respectable in society, proved enemies to my poor soul. Several of these were my best customers, and my anxiety to increase trade through them brought me at first into contact with them, and led me to court their society, which ultimately accelerated my sad and awful fall. "But the great evil, and that which lay at the foun- dation of all others, was my neglect of the means of Divine grace, and, most particularly, my fearful ne- glect of secret prayer. Oh, T mourn when I remem- ber how 1 was wedded to the soul-destructive habit into which I had fallen of drinking to excess ! I feared to approach that footstool of mercy where I had often poured out the desires of my soul, and found sweet access to God, and experienced covenant love manifested to my soul. " One evil led to another: to deceive my best and iriy Christian friends, and most of all to deceive the wife of my bosom, who is (blessed be God !) a true Christian, I admit was hard work. I had to call forth all my wicked ingenuity and craft to do the work of the devil ; and a dreadful drudgery I found it. Oh, it is an evil and a bitter thing to sin against God ! I have found it to be so. May the Lord preserve my soul from evil desires, and enable me fully to yield my- self unto Him as one that is alive from the dead, and my members as instruments of righteousness unto God ! I madly pursued the desires of the flesh. As I just said, one evil gave birth to another, and I was carried A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF W— B . 73 down the torrent, and plunged at length, into the vor- tex of iniquity, — indulging in other vices besides in- temperance of drinking; but all of them, the com- panions of my easily-besetting and darling sin. My heart aches ; and I need not enumerate the many crimes of which I soon became capable. Oh, the holy Lord only can judge of their aggravation and turpi- tude ! But sweet is the truth of the gospel. It now makesmy heart tranquil and peaceful from day to day. I find it not only in 1 John ii. 1, 2, but in many other parts of Scripture. It is a precious cordial to my weak and wavering mind. Were it not for this blessed assurance, I think the remembrance of my past awful career against light, and my most desperate and pre- Siiimptuous sins against the Holy Lord, and the blessed Saviour who died, I hope, even for wretched me, — rlsay, were it not for this hope,! think I -should sink into utter despair ; and especially when I think of the consequences of my sins, as they affect my dear and pious wife, and sweet child, and a whole circle of most respectable friends. . . . But I will, in few words, dose a history which is most grievous to my ihind ; and hope you wjjl excuse my uncon- nected way of writing ; but. I feel more than I can express. ■ "I went on until I found my income would not support my extravagance ; and at length, to meet difficulties of my own seeking, I added dishonesty to all my other crimes ; and used various sums of money to my own purposes that I had collected from my master's customers. Being at length discovered, 4 7i "the convict ship. and being a considerable defaulter, my employer, most reluctantly, was compelled to prosecute. ^ I bad been six years in bis service. Previous to taking his situation, I held one for a short time in the city, at Messrs. , and I am happy to remember that I Was preserved from every dishonest act up to the time I have mentioned. No jpraise to me. I thank the Lord, I was, in His mercy, restrained from outward crimes, so that on my trial I had the benefit of ajpre- mous good character, and was therefore sentenced to only seven years.* The Eecorder of London, who tried me, most humanely told me he would afford me every opportunity in his power to redeem my forfeited character and respectability. I 7iqpe I shall ; but am helpless in myself. But I believe that those holy principles wlucli the gospel of Christ creates in the renewed mind, will, in the use of means, preserve me in His fear, and make me once more an honourable, us;eful man and Christian. Gracious Lord ! keep me hiimble before Thee, and watchful ; and grant me the true spirit of prayer, ' that I may break Thy laws no more ; but love Thee and my fellow-men better than before.' , " During my stay in the Justitia, I felt the loss of privileges I once enjoyed of a religious nature ; but I bless God for those I here enjoy. Previous to taking my trial, and whilst a prisoner in Horsemonger Jail, I met with great kindness from the Rev. Mr. B , the pious chaplain. I am sorry to say, I was dread- fully hardened up to this time ; but his serious and earnest converse with me, together with his daily in- FtJBTHEfiACCOTJNT OF W B . 75 Btructions from the pulpit, by God's blessing, brought me to a better state of mind. ****(( Pear Sir, I thank you for all your kindness to me, and I thank the Lord for all the good I have enjoyed through you ! May the Lord bless you, is the humble prayer of me, a poor, but I trust, a saved sinner I (Signed) " W. B." This statement is full of instruction. While it re- minds all Christians of tlj<3 Divine injunctions, " By faith ye stand;"* "Watch and pray;"t "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall,":]: it loudly warns all my countrymen to beware of sin, — of all violation of the laws of God and of their country ; and exposes the t^dhleness of crime a/nd its often- attendant punishment — tramsportation to the p-enal colonies. On a later occasion, ^L B. put into my hands the following succinct acco^R of his recovery to the Lord ! " Salvation is of the Loed." "Tlie Lord has been pleased in His rich and free mercy to accwKpany the word of His grace with the power of His Iloly Spirit, read and expounded on board this ship, the Ea/rl Grey May the Lord bless and keep us all, and help us to grow in grace, and to persevere in the way of holiness and peace ! The Lord has made us the monuments of His "* 2 Cor. i. 24. f Matt. xxvi. 41. % 1 Cor. x. 12. 76 THEi CONVICT .SHIP. mercy. Some of ns, the vilest and most hardened, have been liumbled, and brought to repentance. In some of us His grace has been displayed in a most wonderful manner. ;. ITot unto man but ujito Thy name, O Lord, be all the glory I " I came on board this ship very hardened and reckless, having no hope, and destitute of the peace and consolation the gospel only can afford ; and for some time I continued in this unhappy state of mind. " I was taken ill with severe rheumatism, and con- fined to the hospital; and continued unconcerned about my spiritual and eternal interests until one evening, when two men were reported for improper conduct. It was thought proper to deal with these men in the hospital, instead of d^ng so agreeably to the usual practice, on the quarter-deck, and I heard them spoken to most solemnly with reference to the evil nature of sin, and its ^gadfnl consequences if persisted in* My mind becme very agitated ; I was led to think upon my own wickedness and impeni- tence in the sight of God. I could not sleep or rest. I remembered I had once professed to be the Lord's, but had fallen by my iniquity. I trembled before a holy God ; and the remembrance of•[^y wilful and foolish departure from J^sus Christ, and that my sins had again pierced Him, filled me with misery and despair ; in which state I continued until the follow- ing morning, when it pleased tlie Lord, I trust, in answer to earnest prayer, to bring to my mind that of which I had been so long destitute, namely, pfioae. I remembered that Jesus died even for the chief of FUETHE^ ACCOUNT OF W B — -, ' f T sinners; and He was pleased, by His Holy Spirit, to send to my mind His own consoling words, — ' Peace I leave with you ; My peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth give I unto y-Ou.' Blessed be the Lord ! ' He helped me to lay hold of His promise, and with deep heartfelt sorrow, I believe, I poured out my soul in the feelings and language of sincere repent- ance ; and was, by His grace, brought to the Cross, and enabled to put my trust in Himj|lio died thereon : and He gave me that peace, whicnj blessed be His name, I now enjoy, arising from faith in His justifying righteousness, and precious cleansing blood. I can now rejoice in the Lord, and my heart is desirous still more' to love Him who first loved me, and hath drawn me bv His cords of love to receive Him as the Father's unspeakable gift. To Him, I look, and on Him de- pend, for salvation from the power and indwelling of sin. I have Jio other hope or Saviour but Jesus, neither do I desire to have. If I know myself, my anxious inquiry is. Lord, what vMt Thou have me to do ? Oh, that He would make use of me as an in- strument of good to my dear fellow-sinners, and help me to glorify my heavenly Father by bringing forth much fruit ! May I be kept by his power, through faith, unto salvation ! My own wisdom, strength, and righteousness, I feel, by daily experience, will not a,vail ; for I have nothing to tnist in but the Lord Jesus, who of God is made unto me wisdom, right- eousness, sanctification, and redemption. 1 can trust in the Lord generally, though fear and unbelief some- times creep in, and rob me of my peace. But, thanks 78 THE CONVICT SHIP. to the Lord for his Divine mercy to me, a vile sinner ! " I am not troiibled for the future, even in my pre- sent unhappy situation as a prisoner. The Lord, I believe, will support and comfort me, for he has said so : ' Casting all our care upon Him, for He careth for yon,' is a stay to my mind. Oh, may I be watchful and prayerful, and enabled to cleave unto him ; and may I meet deacDr. B in heaven, to enjoy and praise our glorious Lord in one perpetual rest for ever, . through sovereign grace! Amen, and Amen." It will be remembered how my purpose, that this man should not sail in the Earl Grey, was overruled. In the course of the voyage he stated to me, that, be- fore he had seen me, or knew anything of the system of instruction and discipline that would be in operation in that transport, his desire to embark in her was so strong and peculiar that he could no.t express it in language. ' Although by the tenderest ties his heart was knit to home, he could not repress his extraordi- nary, and at the-time unaccountable, wish to embark in the Earl Grey, for conveyance to the laud in which he was justly doomed to pass seven years of most dis- honourable and revolting bondage. His gratitude for the goodness and mercy of the Lord towards him during the voyage was most deep, ardent, and devout ; and I had scarcely less cause of thankfulness to the Father of mercies for his assist- ance in the spiritual instruction and improvement of the people. It will be remembered that wesailed from Plymouth NEED OF PEAYEE. 79 Sound on the 5tli October. It was on December 8th Ihat the eleven men made a public profession of their faith in Christ, and of their purpose in His strength, TO cultivate holiness in heart and life. Up to this period, W — B — was employed as a schoolmaster, and I believe that he had not neglected opportunities of drawing the attention , of his fellow prisoners to the gospel, although he had not yet manifested that re- njarkable zeal by which he was afterwards distin- guished. This may have been caused by the delicate state of his health, and by. his sense of peculiar guilt as a backslider from that God and Saviour whose love he had early tasted. In addition to our morning and evening reading and exposition of sacred Scripture, with accompany- ing devotional exercises, I had commenced a series of popular lectures on Geography, &c., in order to lead the people to contemplate the perfections of God in the material creation, in connexion with the study of His Divine attributes in the pages of inspiration, I had also begun, an explanatory and practical exposi- tion of the Epistle to the Romans. Our examination of the people one by one, in regular order, 1l)ok place as often as other urgent duties admitted ; and in no instance did we neglect to make special inquiry into their acquaintance with the scriptural way of salva- tion. For some time my mind had been greatly oppress- ed by the consideration that our voyage was rapidly advancing towards its termination, and that, although their general deportment was so serious and pleasing, 80 THE CONTICT SIPP, such scanty evidence of a dectided character had as yet been afforded of a work of Divine grace in the hearfe of the prisoners. From the period of my appoint^ ment my mind had been more or less deeply inlpreW ed by the great truth, that the conversion of the soul to God by the faith of Christ is. exclusively the work of the Holy Spirit, and in our daily intercourse and prayers, I do not think that this Divine truth had ever- been lost sight of. But the necessity of fecial, earnest, andbelievingprayer for the abundant effusion of the Spirit of all grace, was, as the voyage advanced, more deeply felt; and as individual prisoners turned to the Lord, they were implored to make the promised gift of the Holy Spirit the special subject of their suppli- cations at the throne of gi-ace. Thus prayer, both secret and social, with a particular reference to this subject, became more prevalent and fervent. What an event is the conversion of a soul unto God ; for the accomplishment of which the beloved Son of God came into the world and died, and for which the Holy Ghost was promised and sent. What is the planting of an earthly monarchy, when compared with the deliverance of an immortal soul from sin and death — excepting, indeed, as such'a monarchy may be made subservient to the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom ? What is the grand end supposed to be answered in the Divine dispensations by this voyage ? Not the mere conveyance of 264 men, for their crimes, to a remote corner of the world. The ei*eat design, whatever subordinate ends may be secured, is unques- tionably the advancement of the reign and glory of EEMAEK8 ON INSTRUCTIOH' OF THE PEOPLE. 81 Christ, in the conversion of souls through the power of His gospel. The people were more and more closely and ear- nestly dealt with in reference to their individual and personal safety in Christ Jesus. They were urged to bring their belief, their hearts, their practice, to the test of inspired Scripture ; to be faithful to each other ; ■ to recollect that each is his " brother's keeper ;"* that they are responsible to God for their influence upon one another; that each is bound to give himself to Christ without delay ; and, without delay, labour to win to Christ all to whom he has lawful access. The glory of God in the salvation of the soul, and its advancement in Divine knowledge and holiness, obviously became the all-absorbing concern of a great body of the people. All things else took their proper place in our consideration, and in the employment of our time. My private conversations with the im- pressed and inquiring, became more frequent, and passing incidents were earnestly turned to the highest account. Practical, solemn addresses on seasonable and ap- propriate subjects from Scripture were delivered as frequently as strength and other engagements per- mitted, and the blessing of the Lord, which alone maketh rich, and with which he addeth no sorrow,f was not withheld from us. Blessed and praised for ever be His holy name ! On Dec. 14th, the people seemed impressed by an * Gen. iv. 9 ; Lev. six. 17. \ Prov. x. 22. 83 THE CONVICT SHIP. address founded on Ezek. Xxxiv., particularly verses 11—16. On the day following, the subject of solemn address was Death; sugge^ed by the death of John Wilii-ams, referred to Chap, iii.; and on the 16th, 1st Corinth, xv. was, expounded at morning and evening worship. On this day the number of men who ap- peared truly to have embraced Christ as all their sal- vation and all their desire, and to have taken up His cross to follow Him, had increased to Pwenty-four. On Saturday, the 17th, between two and three o'clock in the afternoon, thirty-five of the people as- sembled in the ward, all of whom had either received Christ in truth or expressed a desire to be found among His true and faithfal followers. They wer6 all briefly addressed in reference to the profession they had made, considered in its relation to Ood and to man^ especially to their fellow-prisoners. Yesterday and to-day, one of the people, at my request, engaged in prayer, and with peculiar propriety and great acceptance. Dec. 18th was the Lord's day ; and a most solemn and memorable day it was to us on board the Ea/rl Grey. The state of the weather rendered it neces- sary that we should assemble for church below in the prison. Nearly the whole of the people had met of their own accord in the morning, immediately after breakfast, to read the Scriptures, and engage in social prayer for the Lord's gracious presence, and the out- pouring of His Spirit upon us when assembled at church. As I entered the prison for church, I found one of the petty officers just concluding the third EEOITAL OF SOEIPTUEl;, ITTO. 83 cTiapter of Malachi. They had begun their worship with singing the Morning Hymn. My mind was most agreeably impressed by this voluntary demonstration of the people's desire to worship God, to edify one another, and to seek the salvation of souls on board. The scene, as I entered the door, was truly impres- sive. A deep seriousness pervaded the assembly. We prayed the Litany ; and I hope the Lord was with US, and was truly worshipped. In the afternoon service, the captain of the second division recited, with the most perfect accuracy, the» whole of the Sermon on the Mount. Being called to attend to other duties, the meeting was concluded by W. B — r reading to the people a section of my address to the Irish women transported to Sydney, under my care, in the year 1840. In the evening, after some remarks on 1 John iii., which had been recited in the afternoon, the people's attention was drawn to certain expressions in their communications to me, which clearly implied great legality of sentiment and feeling, in reference to their salvation — such as, " I have re- solved to do my utmost ;" " I mean to commence a new course ;" " I have resolved" to do this, and to do that, and the like, which expressions imply a want of perception of \he presentness, freeness, a,x\A perfection of the salvation of the Son of God, as set forth in the Scriptures, for example in Romans x. and John iii. — a blindness to the truth, that Jesus the Savioxir is the free and unspeakable gift of the Fatlier to guilty, lost, and helpless sinners. The subject was illustrated by reference to a debtor offered a full and free discharge 84 THE CONVICT SHIP, from his debt. Tlie discharge is held out to him ; it is close to him ; he is simply to accept of it as a gift ; it is offered to him now, it is pressed upon his acceptance, and he is required without a moments delay to accept of it, for the purposes for which it is given. A man is perishing of hunger : bread, without money and without price, is set before him ; he is implored to re- ceive it, to eat and live : does he say, "Well, I am de- termined, when I get on shore, or to the colony, or am placed in other circumstances, I will most strenu- ously labour to obtain this bread, that 1 perish not ? Why, it is presented to him now / He needs it now / It is a gift / It cannot be bought. It is the free gift of liis Sovereign. And so is the salvation of the gospel. Tlie serpent-bitten Jew in the wilderness looks, simply looks, in faith, to the serpent lifted up on the pole, and in looking is healed and lives ! The Philippian jailer, overwhelmed with guilt and fear, cries, " What must I do to be saved?" He is told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; he believes, and is saved, and immediately obtains peace and joy. . Divine worship concluded on this most interesting day with singing the hymn, — Not all the blood of beasts On Jewish altars slain, Could give the guilty conscience peaces Or wash away the stain. But Christ the heavenly Lamb I Takes all our sins away, A sacrifice of nobler name. And richer blood than they. THE GOSPEL AT EVENING WOESHIP. 85 From my; Journal, I make the following extract : " The number of prisoners on hoard the Eturi Orey who have either believed on tlie Lord JesuTOiirist, or profess to be earnestly seeking an interest in His great salvation,- amounts, this day, to forty-seven ; all of whom regularly meet together at stated times for the reading of the Scriptures, social prayer, and praise. " All glory be ascribed to the Father", and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, both now and for evermore, Amen." On the day following, I received information of another man being under deep concern about his best interests, but my numerous and»urgent duties not per- mitting me to converse with him myself, I could only appoint W — B— to do so in the mean time : and it was a great relief to my mind that the Lord had been graciously pleased to provide and qualify a man whom I could employ in such sacred work, and in whose spiritual discernment, judgment, and integrity, I could place such entire confidence. The peculiarities of individual cases afforded subject of general instruc- tion, calculated, under the Divine blessing, to benefit all the people, as well as the persons more immediately in view. But whatever might be those peculiarities, we never ceased to keep before the minds of all, the scriptural answer to that all-engrossing question, "How can Ood he just in justifying the ungodly who ielieve iii Jesus f" Their responsibility for the exer- cise of their will and affections is urged upon them ; and the iniquity, folly, and danger of delaying, for an instant, their grateful and joyous reception of Christ 86 THE coNVicrr ship. for all the ends for which He is given, is ao unceasing- ly pres^ upun them, that they cannot escape from tlie thoT^t that either they have received the Son of God, or are rejecting Him every hour ; that they are voluntarily yielding to the Holy Spirit's per- suasive dealings with them, or are resisting Him, and most wickedly putting Him away from them. This chapter I shall conclude with brief notices of two men who appeared to have turned to God, by the faith of His Son, Jesus Christ : F. M., twenty-seven yeai-s of age, and brought up in the habits of a farm-labourer, was one of those men who received their entire education on board the Earl Grey. On Oct. 11th, he was taken ill, was for some time confined to the hospital, and lay close to John Williams ; whose death has been noticed. Of himself he says, — " All my life I have been living in sin and crime, a hardened man. But I have reason to be thankful that I came here. The Lord afiBicted me and brought me very low : but, thanks be to His name ! He has raised me up again. I thought nothing about my soul until I was getting well ; and when serious things troubled me I put them out of my mind as soon as I could. I had often talked to John Williams, who lay near me in the hospital ; but nothing particular occurred until the day on which he was hurled in the sea. I was then very much affected ; and I thought, had it been me instead of Williams, I must have been lost for ever ! These thoughts led rae to pray, and, I hope, sincerely. My feelings I cannot describe ; I never felt the like BKIEF NOTICE OF J S . 87 before. But I remembered what had been often told ns on board, and I was reading in my testament every day, ' that Jems died to same sinners, even, the chi^^ But I did not know how to pray; the distress in- creased, until I felt forced to cry to Him — O Lord, save me, and wash me in thy Wood ! I seemed in- stantly a new man — I could ieliem on Him ! I feel still very weak, and disposed often to do what is evil. Blessed Lord! keep me near to Thee; and make me a true and living servant of-Thine." Tliis poor man had been taught to read his Bible on board ; and although his mind had not greatly expanded, his power of thinking, and of thinking profitably-, had greatly increased ; his whole appear- ance, had most -obviously improved, and his spirit, manners, and conduct, corresponded with his profes- sion of the Christian faith. Towards the end of the voyage, when suffering severely from the effects of fatigue and care, I re- ceived the following letter from a young man, about twenty-two years of age, who had received some education, and whose appearance and manners were rather prepossessing, but who, though so young, had, by his great folly, and criminal waywardness, brought a heavy load of guilt upon his conscience, and sub- jected his relations to much shame and suffering. The letter is dated Dec. 23, 1842 ;— " My father died when I was about two years old. My dear mother, who still lives', and who fears the Lord, endeavoured to bring me up in His ' fear. I was sent to Mr. J.'s sabbath-school ; and I 88 THE CONVICT SHIP. shall not forget the instructions I there received in my youthful days, while I have the power of memory. My dear mother used to direct my mind to the Scrip- tures, and especially to the book of Proverbs. She was acquainted with the family of Mr. L — , and used to send me to their house when I had got off any- thing by heart from the Bible, when Mr. S. L, used to hear me and give me very good advice ; which if I had but takes, how happy I might have been ! " At twelve years of age I was: apprenticed. My master was far from being a religious man, and cared not how I' spent my sabbaths,— whether I went to a place of worship or not. I forgot all the good advice of kind friends, and used to break the sabbath by going on the water, and pursuing many bad ways. At nineteen years of age, I left him, and was pushed into the wicked world, without any care for my soul. ■ At this time I was working for a Mr. J. L — . Mrs. L. senior noticed me, and wished me to go and see her, which I did. She gave me some very good counsel, which, though I sadly neglected, I can never forget, and have often reflected upon it since I came on board this ship, and am grieved at my heart I have acted so contrary to it. That kind and very pious lady recommended mie to go to Mr. B.'s cha- pel ; which I did for some time. But my heart aches Nvlien I think how I forsook the house of God, where I had found profit,— closed my eyes to the light, and my ears to the instruction of the Holy Scriptures, and of Divine ordinances ; and, although I was get- ting a very honourable living at my trade, working BRIEF NOTICE OF J S . 89 for a good master, and might have done as well as any young man in every respect, yet I, like a mad- man, threw away every privilege and advantage, and brought misery upOn myself, and on my best friends I brought sorrow ; and most of all u^pon my mother! " I joined some wicked companions ; was soon led into all manner of wicked ways ; became dishonest ; got into prison ; came out again, wo hettev ;• and was very soon taken up again for another robbery, was tried, and sentenced to seven years' transportation : and here I am grieved; and now, I hope, humbled before God. " Up to the night of ITov. 2d, when that dread- ful storm was sent by the Almighty, I continued, not- withstanding all I suffered, quite hardened, and as thoughtlessas ever. But on that night I was very frightened, and expected the thunder and lightning were sent to destroy all of us wicked creatures, and I expected to die ; but I knew I was not fit to die, and should go to hell with all nyr sins on my head, un- pardoned. The terror of mind I felt, I cannot tell. All the day following my past sins stared me in the face ; and I felt I needed some one to save me from the dreadful doom which I richly deserved. " It was then I thought of Jesus Christ, of whom 1 had heard, but had-almost entirely forgotten : and to the Lord Jesus Christ I was directed to lift up my soul, by my messmate, who lay by my side, and ex- horted me to search the Bible, that I niight there read of His ^eat love to the worst of sinners. I 90 THE CONYICT SHIP. read the 1st, 3rd, and 15tli chapters of John's Gos- pel ; and I thank and praise the Lord, I have found to my soul's comfort and peace, Him of whom Mo- ses in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus Christ, to whom I was enabled to come, just the vile wretch I felt myself to be ; and he did not turn me away, but enabled me to receive and embrace Him by the faith He was pleased to give me. And now I love Him, I hope, and put my whole trust in Him for my salvation ! " I feel very weak and very ignorant ; but I bless God I feel I get fresh strength as I am enabled daily to come to the Lord, with humility, I hope. I sin- cerely thank Him for the great good I received through your instrumentality. I delight to hear you explain the Scriptures to us, and find great profit and comfort ; and I trust through grace to persevere in this good way. And I believe that to all eternity I shall have cause to praise God that! was placed under your care on board the EaH Grey. ■ " Please let me ask you to pray for me, that I may be kept holy, humble, and useful to my fellow-men. Oh, may I be a useful and respectable man where I am going, and wherever I may spend my days ! " May the Lord support you under all your sor- rows, and give you peace, and make you a great blessing to us all, is the prayer of your grateful, and humble, and obedient servant, " J. S." Of one thousand cmd sixty-fme prisoners who have, in five different voyages, been conveyed under my EEMAKKS ON THE PKECEDING NOTICE. 91 ■ superintendence to tlie Penal Colonies of Australia, fourteen only had been educated at a sabbath-school ; of which J. S — was one. His liistory reminds us of the duty and responsi- ; bility of masters in reference to their apprentices and shopmen. How immense the amount of good which the truly pious, prudent, and zealous master may be the means, through believing prayer and the supply of the Holy Spirit, of effecting for those whom God has placed under his autliority and moral i:ifluence ! Thifl is a subject which all masters are called to con- sider ; to consider in the light of Scripture — in the lighfof the judgment day, — in the light of a guilty world on fire, and melting with fervent heat, — in the light of hell, — in the light of heaven — the light of an endless eternity ! "We see what great benefit one messipate, — ^one fel- lovr-apprentice, or fellow servant, — one shipmate, or comrade, — ^one schoolfellow, — one acquaintance, or friend,— one fellow-prisoner, may, under the blessing of God, confer upon another. And we are solemnly reminded that God requires all men, in their respect- ive stations in life, to be habitually on the watch for opportunities of winning souls to Christ. The following short paper, chiefly relating to the change in this young man's views and character, was put into my hands by one of his fellow-prisoners, and although it repeats some of the statements contained in his letter, it appears to deserve a place in this narrative : J. S — says, " I have spent the whole of my life in 92 THE OONVIOT SHIP. the service of the wicked one, foUowing after the pleasure of this world, and living without so much as a thought of my condition as a sinner in the sight of God. In this state I continued until I came on board this ship. I had no concern about_ my soul, or the course of sin and crime I had so eagerly pursued. " On the night of November the 2nd, during our voyage, we were visited by a dreadful thunder-storm. The lightning descended upon the ship, which ap- peared to be on fire ; and had not the Almighty dis- persed the electric fluid, we must have perished.. As it was, the visitation was very awful. I was so alarmed that I durst not stir, and every moment I expected death! In this state I continued for some time, fearing to die. A messmate who lay by me begged of me to pray, and to flee to the only refuge of sinners, Je^us Christ ! I had never prayed in real- ity in my hfe. But now I was, I hope, for the 'first time, taught of God to pray from the heart, and to cry out, ' God be merciful to me a sinner ! ' I was very unhappy for some days ; but still I prayed that I might know Jesus Clirist, and put my trust in Him. One evening, when at prayer, I felt something like a load removed from my heart, and I was enabled to come unto the Saviour, who promised that He would in nowise cast out any that come unto Him. I was deeply wounded on account of my past wickedness ; but I was glad in Him who died to save sinners. I had an humble hope that He died for me, even for me! " I desire still to cleave unto the Lord, and to love HIS CONSISTENT OHAEACTEB. 93 and serve Him who has done so mucli for me. I thank God my soul is often refreshed by the worship of the Lord on board. The Bible I once disregarded I now love. I am truly thankful I ever came on board this ship. God's providence directed me here. I ti'ust never to forget the kind instructions I daily receive on board the Earl Grey : I thank the Lord for the officer placed over us. May I, through grace, be enabled to go on in the strength of Jesus Cln-ist, as one of His true and devoted followers !" This»yi#ung man, from the day his heart was opened to receive the Gospel, up to the day he landed in the colony, was enabled to maintain a most consistent md irreproachable character. 9i THE CONVICT SHIP. CHAPTER v. More earnest prayer for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit— Hos- pital patients, J H., W. C, T. G., and John Walter— Written statements from James B., Robert T., K. R — ^k. ]S"oTwiTHSTANDraG that we had now great cause of gratitude and praise to the God of all grao» rfbr His infiuite mercy vouchsafed to so many of the prison- ers, through the knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ, and were daily sent to His footstool to adore Him M the manifestations of His love and pardoning mercy to one prisoner after another, and although nearly the whole of the people seemed more or less under Di- vine influence, and concerned for their best interests, yet the consideration that so many still afforded no decided evidence of being " brought to themselves," and of turning heart and feet towards their Father's house, tended to fill the mind with deep anxiety, to excite to more earnest, wrestling prayer for the fur- tlier outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and to call forth still greater efforts to instruct them in the HolyScrip- tures, and to urge upon their consciences thffir re- sponsibihty and spiritual danger. On Tuesday, Dec. 28, at two o'clock in the after- . noon, the people were assembled below for eastra ex- amination on their possession of saving knowledge. Before our catechetical exercises commenced, we were EXAMINATION OF PlilSONlfiKS. 95 incidentally led to address the whole of the prisoners, on Christianity viewed unde#^Ae aspect it wears to convicts, and to impress upon them not only that all they have to comfort and sustain them in their sufl'er- ings, during the remainder of their life, and in the hour of death, is to be found in the Divine system of Christianity ; but that it tends to make all who are brought under its sanctifying power, kind and faithful friends to them. Men of the world may treat them harahly, and at this they must not be surprised, but submit without even " answering again ;" but real Christians will ever, when acting in character, deal with them truly and tenderly, and will seek to pro- mote their truest happiness. They were solemnly cautioned against professing Christianity hypocritical- ly, or merely for the sake of any worldly advantage. We learn, indeed, from the Scriptures, the immense advantages which even in this life, are infallibly secured to all who, in very deed, are vitally united by faith to Jesus Christ ; because " godliness is pro- fitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is," as well as " of that which is to come."* But it is the Lord Himself we are urged to choose as our present and eternal inheritance ; while we are faithfully reminded, that if any man will live godly in Christ Jesus, he shall suffer persecution ; and that it is; through much tribulatio#that Christians are to enter the kingdom of God. Our catechetical examinations became more and * 1 Tim. iv. 8. 96 THS CONVICT 6HIP- more interesting ; tending greatly to increase my ac- quaintance with the spiritual wants, as well as the at- tainments, of the people ; and enabling them to make a more just estimate of themselves. These examina- tions seemed not only deeply to excite the interest of the people, but to afford them much more distinct and available knowledge than mere lectures and addresses. My hospital, at this time, presented a most interest- ing, and really affecting appearance. Each of its six sleeping-berths was occupied by a patient from the prisoners. In one berth lay a most unhappy young man,, named J — H — , who was' a source .oi great vexation and perplexity to me during the last two thirds of the voyage. He was excessively ignorant ; of a most wayward disposition ; indolent in the ex- treme ; irregular in his habits ; and ever ready to break through established regulations. At length, his depravity having assumed a most unhappy and threatening aspect, he became, in my view, a proper subject for hospital care and watchfulness. I often reasoned kindly and solemnly with this man, with the hope of bringing him to a right state of mind ; and the most intelligent of the prisoners, who had some influence over him, often exerted them- selves to bring him to think and act aright ; but all in vain. Jo speak to him seemed speaking to the air. His mind was fortified l^ainst all the arguments of reason, and all the declarations, threatenings, and pro- mises of Divine revelation ;— and his conscience seem- ed lulled into the sleep of death ! He had been brought up amongst a people who had filled his mind NOTICE OF J — H— r. 97 with prejudices against the word ol God. For the one and only object of Divine worship and adoration, the great Jehovah, he had been taught to substitute my- riads of created beings, male and female, who them- selves were called into existence to.give glory to God, not to rob Him of His due ; and who have no power to deliver, even if they could hear his idolatrous cry. For the absolution of his sins, he had been directed to look also to sinful creatures, who can neither ab- solve themselves nor the unhappy beings whom they delude ; and who, by their daring presumption, only augment the fearful amount of their guilt, while they consign to perdition the souls whom they deceive. The thought of a simple, direct, and believing appli- cation to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine and only High Priest of the one Church of the living God, for pardon, peace, and acceptance with God, was one wholly alien to his misled and benighted mind. The kingdom of God, which consisteth not in meat and drink, but in righteousness,, peace, and joy in theHoly Ghost, he seemed to have been religiously instructed devoutly to oppose ! In a word, he was in the tram- mels of a system which is diametrically opposed to the revealed will of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Head of the Church ; a system which substitutes the doctrines, ordinances, and commandments of men for those of God ; and which tends ignominiously to prostrate the human mind, to destroy the bonds of so- cial confidence, and to engender aU thatis oppressive, cruel, and revolting ; a system which is inimical to tl^ best interests of society, to the prosperity of any 5 98 THE CONVICT SHIP. country, the security of any Govemment, and the stability of any earthly empire ; which originated in darkness, tendak,to darkness, loves darkness, and hates that " True Light" before which it cannot stand ; a system from the entanglements of which it is the l^urest benevolence to alford 'deliverance. Let the people of God, in fervent prayer and de- vout adherence to inspired truth, watch against the wiles of Satan, the father of lies, as he is now stealth- ily manifesting himself among us as an angel of light, spreading his net with consummate art, to en- trap the unstable of every class, particularly those per- sons whose pride and vanity, whose feelings and imaginations, render them peculiarly liable to be taken in his toils, and as peculiarly fit to become his instru- ments in the fearful work of entangling souls, and ensuring their everlasting perdition. Here is the consolation of the saints : " When- the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."* And the " man of sin," that "wicked one," the whole "mys- tery of iniquity," " shall the Lord consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the bright- ness of His coming."f How diiferent the character, condition, and hopes of the remaining five men, who, at this time, occupied the other berths in my hospital, to those of poor J. H — ; whom we could only pity and pray for, while we used every means to impart good both to his body and his soul. » Isa. lii 19. j 2 Thess. ii. 3, 1, S—11. DHJQENOE OF W — Or—. 99 One bertli was occupied by George Day, to whom we have already made the most gratifying reference. ■ He always appeared humble, contented, and resigned ; grateful to God for the abundance of His mercies ; frequently engaged in praying, reading, or listening to his Bible ; and ever happy in the faith of Jesus Christ his Lord. In a second berth lay "W". B — tt, ■^ho was recover- ing from a dangerous attack of inflammation : his mind had been gradua,lly enlightened by Divine truth ; he always seemed remarkably contented, and experienced much spiritual joy and peace, A third bed was occupied by a lad named W — ■ C — , about nineteen years of age ; who had lain for a considerable time apparently at the gates of death, and whose recovery was very remarkable. Although he was one of those who did not know their letters when they embarked ; and though he was cut on from his school. and his book by sickness, for a considerable portion of the voyage ; he was able, long before it ter- minated, to read the New Testament with fluency. The zeal of this youth was quite extraordinary. The book seemed never out of his hand, I have often been amused and gratified, on entering the hospital at night ; Tf . 0. was sure to wake up at the light of my lantern, and quietly slipping his New Testament from under his pillow, he did not close it till the light was withdrawn. His disposition was meek and amiable. He seemed to have been divinely taught the deceitfulness of his own heart, and to have been drawn by the chords of 100 THE CONVICT SHIP. love to the feet of Jesus, there to confess his Iniquities, and obtain the forgiveness and peace which His aton- ing blood alone can give. His conduct was marked, by child -like simplicity, and uniform consistency, while he remained under ray authority and observation. A fourth berth was occupied by T — G— , a man who had been of considerable use to me as a teacher, and who, from his sedate appearance, his manly car- riage, good sense, and habitually excellent behaviour, had obtained considerable influence amongst his fel- low-prisoners. In a short note which he wrote to me some time before the debarkation took place he says : " I was born at Ch— n, a small village in Warwick- shire ; of honest, kind, and godly parents, who did all in their power to bring me up to: love and to fear the Lord, and gave me a very good education, in teach- ing me to read the Bible with ease and comfort to myself, and to the approbation of those who heard me ; a circumstance which, in the early part of my life, seemed to yield them great comfort. But it pleased the Lord to deprive me, by death, of both my parents when I was yet young ; and thus was I left without an earthly friend ! But the Lord was a friend to me, and I was very well respected by all the good people in the village. On the Lord's day I always attended Divine worship, and was induced to join the choir, and play the clarionet.* I continued to be re- * I T^ould remind Christians of the impropriety of employing un- converted men or women, to assist in conducting the music with which the church.cssays to worship God : a practice most unseriptu- ral and unapostolic, converting immortal and accountable beings, NOTICE OF T 101 spected by the good and pious people in the parish for severaH'^ear^; when I thought proper to enter into the marriage state. But my respectability did not continue, for during the last six or seven years I have led a very wicked course of life, which began by my joining a band of musicians ; a step which brought great disgrace upon my character ; and I became so fond of music, that I was always at some club-feast or election ; some wake or fair ; or was at some public-house, playing at a ball or dance ; by which conduct I greatly degraded myself. Instead of being at my work as I used to be, I was never found there when I was wanted, and by so acting I lost all my business ; and this proved fatal to me ; for I soon found that I could not get work to do, and speedily I had no food in the house to support life ; and ere long, by this wicked course, I was led to steal, and soon found myself in the county jail : to which, for my fii-st offence, I was sentenced for «ix months. " "When I obtained my liberty, my circumstances were not improved, for the people saw no reformation in me. I could scarcely find any work to do, and was soon led again to break the laws of my country ; and for this I received sentence of transportation for seven years ;~ a sentence which took some effect upon my mind : but when I came to the hulk and saw so (often the dissipated and licentious,) into mere musical instruments to be used in Divine worship. Bring them to Jesus, let His spirit- ual reign be set up in their souls, and then, with the whole body of • true worshippers, they will sing the song of sanation and praise, with a cheerful voice, and a sanctified hear* 1 Cor. xiv. 16. 102 THE COlfV^ICT SHIP. mucli wickedness, my heart became more hardened ; for I thought if other people live ii^sin, fcnay live so too. But when I came on board the Earl Orey, under your kind instruction, and heard the gospel sounded in my ears, I began to see and feel myself a sinner, and that I needed a Saviour to pardon my sins, and to give peace and comfort to my guilty soul : and I have great reason to thankt God that I was placed under your care ; for it was by your prayers and reading the Holy Scriptures, that I was brought to a knowledge. of that Saviom: who is able to make us wise unto salvation." This brief history is fall of instruction, and affords much seasonable warning and caution: 1. It may warn Christian parents" not to be satis- fied with any improvement in their cliildren that falls short of conversion to God: nothing else can keep them from falling into sin. 2. It is calculated to impress the minds of magis- trates with the awful responsibility which attaches lo their office ; and calls upon them seriously to consider the probable effects of imprisonment upon the; cha- racter and future prospects of those who are brought before them, those especially who are accused of some petty offence — their first, or second, it may be ; committed, too, perhaps, (however unjustifiably) through the pressure of starvation. The question should be, not merely what does the law require; but what will it admit of,* as calculated to recover • If the law of thg IJhd should not in every instance admit of the IMPKISOlfMENT IN T — ■ G 's CASE. 103 the oifender, and promote tlie best interests of socie- ty ? If the man's history be duly inquired into and considered — if he be judiciously and kindly repi-i- manded and advised ; a faithful subject may be pre- served to the Queen, and a useful member to the community. If, on the other hand, the magistrate send the transgressor 'to prison, an immortal being may be ruined for ever ! The prison niay be to him tlie charnel-house of souls ! The bolting of the prison door may be, in the relation of moral cause and effect, the barring upon him for ever of the iron gates of hell ! He is stripped of nearly all he most values as an Englishman. He feels he has lost the respect of his friends and neighbours, and of mankind, and there- fore loses all respect for himself. When freed from imprisonment, he is not freed from infamy, scorn, and self-contempt. The means of providing for his wife and family are gone ; and being a stranger to Chris- tianity, he is criminally induced again to steal ; and the result is, that awfully destructive punishment of transportation — a punishment which tends, in ordina- ry circumstances, and especially if the transgressor be a woman, to the eternal loss of the soul. 3. This case further shows us the importance of providing prisoners with suitable employment, when restored to freedom, until they can obtain work for themselves. offender being ■wisely dealt Tith, our legislators are called to lay tli« matter to heart. 104 . THE CONVICT SHIP. Lastly : Let all men beware of forsaking or ne- glecting the duties of their proper calling : of associ- ating with companions, or indulging in habits, which lead to penury, dishonesty, and crime ; which involve infamy and suffering, and the untold terribleness of transportation, if not even death ; and which habits tend to the eternal destruction of the soul ! The carriage of T. Q. was most satisfactory, as far as ray observation extended ; and it wafa pleasant to join with him in devotional exercises, for, as far as man could see, he possessed both the gift and the grace of social prayer. John Walker, a man who always appeared deeply aifected and depressed by the disgrace he had brought iipon himself, was the remaining prisoner of the six who occupied the hospital at the time to which I rcr fer. He had served for many years in the army, and belonged to a regiment of cavalry, in which he rose to the rank of troop-sergeant. He was in the battle of Waterloo, served for some time in India, and was engaged in the last Burmese war. Although he was only fifty-six years of age, he had a much older ap- pearance ; and his constitution had evidently suffered much from hard service and tropical climates. His tall figure (about six feet three inches high) and his military gait tended to arrest attention, and he be- came a special object of observation, by invariably taking up his position at church close to the after- side of the mainmast, against which he leaned, pre- ferring to stand during the whole time of Divine worship ; and being very deaf, he kept his liand be- BRIEF NOTICE OF JCitlN ■WAIKEE. 105 hind his ear to facilitate the collection of sound. Among the prisoners on the quarter-deck he was, therefore, a prominent figure ; and to all that was read or spoken he seemed to listen with an unrelaxed and devouring attention. He occasionally suffered from derangement of the digestive system during the voyage, and on Dec. 1st was entered on the sick list arid received into the hospital. It was then he came more immediately under my close and daily observation ; and no lan- guage of mine can describe the interesting state of his mind, or the satisfaction and delight with which I watched his progress in Divine knowledge and grace. He knew not the way of salvation when he embarked in the I^arl Grey, and possessed no sound and salutary knowledge of himself He stated to me that pride and ambition had been the ruling passions of his hfe. His heart had been set on nothing but rising in the army, and securing approbation and applause as a soldier. I had such respect for his feelings, that I could never so remind him of his degradation as a convict, as to inquire into the cir- _ cumstances which led to it. Tiie immediate cause of his transportation was, if I mistake not, some act of petty larceny. No conduct could be more circum- spect and manly than his uniformly was, on board the transput. And now. that his heavenly Father had, in a double stroke, laid upon him his chastening hand, and was leading him by His word and Spirit to see his true character as a guilty, depraved, and helpless sinner, and to perceive the beauty and -ex- 5* i06 THE cojsvig;' s:xii'. cellency of Christ, the suitableness, freeness, and nearness of His groat salvation,— disposing hira to look up from the dust into which he had been pros- trated, and by faith to behold His beloved Son suffering and dying upon the accursed tree as a sacrifice for the sins of men,— I do not think I ever witnessed such a beautiful mixture of humility^and self-abasement, with believing confidence, and grati- tude, and peace, and entire resignation to the Divine will, as appeared in this worn and outcast soldier. It was an unspeakable pleasure to all around him to siiow him kindness and attention, and his deep and grateful sense of every kind service was at once gratifying to his attendants and: illustrative of his Christian character. Although it was very difiicult to converse with hin), on account, of his deafness, it was always most delightful to do so. No heart could remain unmoved under the contemplation of this old and once proud warrior, now exhibiting the spirit of a little child; looking to Jesus, as at once his fortress and refuge, and the almighty Captain of his salvation, the large tears involuntarily running down his wea- ther-beaten cheeks, while- he spoke of his blessed Sa- . viour's love and sympathy, and magnified the riches of His grace. He marvelled at the movement of the wheels of holy Providence, placing him in the Earl Orcy, to hear that blessed Gospel which tbe Spirit of all grace liad made effectual to the saving of his soul, although he had so long despised and neglected it. Of this exhausted and emaciated sufferer it could be truly affirmed, thaf " the joy of theLord was Ms strength.''^ NOTICE OF A COM VICT, JAilES B . 107 On arrival at Hotart, he was sent to the Colonial Hospital, where, under the tender and watchful care of the Christian medical officer formerly alluded to, he died, in the continued enjoyment of that peace which the atoning blood of Christ can alone impart. From this time my hospital was never without two or three men, or more, who, taking the places of thdSe now alluded to, appeared to derive their chief happiness from the enjoyment of God, in His word, and in prayer and other spiritual exercises. Never, in any ship, did I enter daily my hospital with such peculiar and happy feelings ; I ever felt I was minis- tering to members of the household of faith, plucked by the Eternal Spirit as brands out of the fire ; and constituted monuments of mercy, that all who hear of such manifestations of Divine grace might be rescued from the sin and danger of despair, and throw themselves on the mercy of God in Christ, the Divine Head of the better covenant.* A notice of each of the prisoners on board the Earl Grey, who were apparently brought back unto God by the faith of His Gospel, could not fail to interest all who feel the value of the so-iil and a concern for the glory of Christ : but my unceasing and anxious labours did not afford me time to make memoranda of all the cases of reformation which presented them- selves; and even from J;hose I possess, the limits of this narrative do not allow me to select many more. To one young man, named James B — , ,1 must 108 THE CONVICT SHIP. allude, whose entire life, from his boyhood till he came on board the Ea/rl Grey, seema to have been filled up with vice and crime, and affords a most melancholy exemplification of that saying of the wise" and inspired monarch, " One sinner destroyeth much good,"* and therefore inflicts much evil. Vast, then, must be the benefits, which the conversion to God of even one sinner, confers upon his country and upon the moral world. After he came under spiritual instruction in the transport, his evil principles and habits seemed for some time to have disputed every inch of ground, both with reason and conscience ; and for several weeks he continued to vacillate under convictions of right and wrong between the iondage of sin and Sa- tan, and the Jioly liherty of the Son of Ood ; but after reciting, one Sabbath afternoon, the fifty-third of Isaiah, he began to cry to the Lord more earnestly than before, and continued daily thus to pray, until he obtained some measure of help and deliverance. In this way he went on lentil the fearful night of the 2nd of November, when God's voice in the fierce thunderbolt met Ilis'.voice in His inspired word, and made the guilty and wretched transgressor deeply to feel that nothing could avail him but " Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.'''' In a written communication t(J me, this young man gives the following account of himself : " I am a native of S — , near Huddersfield, and * Eooles. ix. 18. HOTICB OF A YOONG CONVICT, JAMBS B . 109 was born in 1819. I am a weaver by trade. My mother was a very pious woman, and.took delight in sending me to the Sunday-school, and bringing me •up in the knowledge and love of God. On the con- trary, my father was a very great drunkard and a very wicked man, and more is the pity. My mother died in 1832. Up to that time, I was brought up undter the rod ; q|ter this, my father got worse awd worse. Myself and a yo'unger brother were the main support of the family. My father used to spend part of our earnings, and-caused us to go short of food ; it used to grieve me, and I got so hardened that I thought I would not work any more, and I used to go gambling, and began to steal apples, and from that to fowls. After that, I thought it was time to give up such wicked ways, and that I would go to my married brother and see if he would let me live with him. Pie received me kindly, and got me a job of weaving ; but after a considerable time my father fetched me home again. I had not been there long, before I fell into my old thievish tricks, and got more wicked than ever ; so I went to one of my acquaint- ances, and we agreed to rob a public-house. We got away without suspicion : but after that, I never went to bed without conscience telling me I had done wrong ; every footstep I heard, for months, I thought was the constables after me. At this time I was about sixteen years of age. "Well, I thought if I could only once more make myself safe, I would give up such ways ; so I went to my brother's, worked very hard, and earned a great deal of money : but I 110 THE COimOT SHU". took to going to pilblic-houses and spending my mo- ney at cards, till trade failed, then I came to be in want of what I had spent at cards. I then got acquainted wi|Ji bad company, and started oif on my old thievish ways, and became worse and worse. . . . The robberies I have committed are so nume- rous, that I scarce can describe them all. •" Now all the time I was carrying on these wicked and notorious deeds, I never'once thought that I had a soul to be saved. I waited twenty weeks at York Castle, for trial, and used to go to prayers once a day, but was so very wicked, I could scarce tell one word after being at chapel. Till the time that I came on board the Earl Grey, I was one of the most wicked and thievish men in existence. After I came under instruction I began to reflect on my past life ; sometimes I would go into my berth, and cry to the Lord to forgive my sins ; at other times I would go among the wicked prisoners like myself. 1 continued in that state, first thinking on my souV and then on my sinful desires, iip to the day that you. gave out Isaiah liii. to be committed to memory. I was called on to repeat it on the quarter-deck. I was struck with trembling and shame after I came down into my berth and reflected on it, and I thought, — ^if so little a matter as repeating a chapter terrifies me, what would be my state if the Lord called on me to give an account of my sins ? I then began to pray to God to forgive me my sins ; and I prayed till I found, by God's help, that I could leave off all evil ways and shnn bad companions. HOncaE OF A YOUNG CONVICr, . ^ATmr a b — , 111 " I went on in this way till the; Lord sent the first •warning to ns ;* and then I found that nothing else ■would do, hut to seek salvation through faith in Jesiae ■ Christ, seeing He is the only Name under heaven whereby men can be saved. After reading the ' Ex- planation of the Lord's Prayer,'f I understood what to pray for, and I never knew the meaning of it be- fore. " I thank God for placing me undei* your protection, for instruction in Ttis holy word ; and I have reason to think I shall be saved, through His calling me out of darkness into His marvellous light, for my entire thoughts are on Christ, and His salvation. I have al- ready experienced the difference between my former and my present stat-e, for I find pleasure in reading the word of God, and attending to the promises set before me, and the encouragement to come to Christ, the bread of life, and obtain that bread without money and without price. In concluding, I beg leave to give you my thanks for showing me that there is forgiveness for the vilest of einnerSj through Jesus, according to God's holy word. (Signed) « James B—." This youth is one of the few I have ever found amongst prisoners who received Christian instruction in a Sabbath-school. Although he appeared to have resisted and forgotten that instruction, many fervent • The thunder Btorm, Kovember 2nd. f Published by the Religions Tract Society, Paternoster-row. 112 THE CONVICT SHIP. prayers had doubtless been offered for him by hia teachers, which were now answered, as well as those of his pious mother. Our next notice is of a man named Eobert T — , aged tJiirty-semn years. Although he had passed through many vicissitudes, he appears to have main- tained a respectable ciiaracter up; to a late period of his life ; but after living happily for several years in the marriage state, he was brought into contact with people addicted to intemperance, by whose example he was much inj ured ; and the work of moral devasta- tion appears to hav^e been completed, by his entering the service of a master who gave his servants too libe- ral allowance of strong drink. It was while in a state of partial intoxication that R. — T — agreed with some of his wicked associates to engage in a larcenous transaction, which brought him to prison, to convic- tion and to banishment. He says, " I thank the Lord, I took care of my family, so as to have my children iu- structed, as it was my duty to do ; and it grieves me to leave behind me a good wife, five dear children, and a comfortable home. My dear wife has, I believe, become a Christian since I was separated from her. And I thank God, that He hath so ordered it that I should sail in the Eafl Grey, for- 1 can truly say I have learned more during the three months I have been favoured with kind instruction through you, than I learned in all my life before ; for I have not only learned to read better, but to love my Bible, and to put my trust in that dear Saviour, whom it makes known to us poor sinful men. I hope never to forget BBIEF NOTICE OF EGBERT T . 113 the solemn warnings we have had both from fire and water, and also from the death of my fellow-men. I shall have cause to bless God for ever, that I have heard the Gospel from your lips. Onc^I thought that my outward good conduct was enough ; but I trust I have learned, that I cannot be, saved without true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I trust in the Lord to sustain and support me. I have no strength in myself to keep me from sin, and guide me through this wicked world, and to make me a good and useful man wherever I may spend the renaainder of my days. I have thought very much about you," [at this time I was suffering under an affection that threatened to prove fatal,] " and do fqel for you in your present afiiiction. I hope the Lord will sustain you, and comfort your heart .... Please, sir, I hope you will not be offended, and will exclise my free way of writing. This letter Ipcould not write in the English language myself," [he was accustomed to speak in the "Welsh tongue,] " and have got a friend to write it, but every word expresses the true feelings of my mind. I conclude with wishing you every blessing both of Providence and grace ; and may we meet in heaven, where we shall sin and suffer no more for ever, is the humble prayer of (Signed) " Eobeet T — ." This man was one of my most valuable petty offi- cers. To a staid gait and gentle manners, he added a most quiet and amiable disposition. Amongst those around him he exerted considerable moral influence, being admirably fitted to perform the office of peace- maker, and possessing unquestionable soundness of 114 THE CONVICT SHIP, judgment, and the power of calm and patient inqui- ry ; he was aq^pointed a member of my " Court of In- vestigation" in which capacity he always did his duty to my entire satisfaction, as well as that of all the peo- ple. He exhibited in a remarkable degree the meek- ness and gentlenesj of Christ, united with great firmness in the performance of his duty. The history of Robert T — again warns all men of the incalculable evils involved in the debasing and destructive sin of drunkenness. This unhappy man keenly felt the severity of his punishment, the most insupportable poignancy of which consisted in the consciousness that he had hrought it upon himself, by acts which at once dishonoured God, agonized the heart of his wife, deeply injured his . children,. and with crimson guilt stained his own soul. For ever blessed be the Lord for that Divine Fountain in which he found cleansing and peace? and which is ever ac- cessible to the chief of sinners, who are invited and urged to wash therein and be clean, and live in holi- ness for evermore. To the Christian philanthropist and the Magistrate, the following short history of one of my men, written ■ by himiself, will suggest some important and practi- cal thoughts : ..." It pleased the Lord to bring my parents to the knowledge of Himse]/when I was about five years old. "When six, I was sent to a Sabbath-school. In 1819, the Lord visited the school I then attended, with a revival of religion ; and I thank God I trust I then felt in some degree its influence. After being a scho- BEIEF NOTICE OF R. K — K. 115 lar aljout six years, I was made a teacher ; and re- mained in that capacity many years. ' "I served an apprenticeship to my dear father, as a table-fork maker and grinder. In 1827, 1 was I'uar- ried to a very prudent young woman — an event which proved a great blessing to me; she was one of tho, best of women. ' She became the mother of six chil- ■ dren, iive boys and a girl ; four of whom, I trust, are ^ow living. Here I beg to state that the Lord called to me by the death of one of my children. Having to attend a meeting connected with the trade, I took my dear boy in my arms, and after caressing each other for awhile, I went to the meeting, but had been there • a very short time only, when I received the sad news, that my dear son whom I had just embraced was nearly scalded to death! I made all speed to my child ; whom, after _s.uifering about thirty hours, it pleased the Lord to take to himself " My dear wife it was God's will often to afflict, but I never heard her complain. In 1839, it pleased the Lord to take her also to himself; and she left be- hind her such evidence as admits of no doubt that she is now ' with the Lord.' In losing my dear wife, I lost my best earthly friend, and my poor children lost a most kind and affectionate mother. . . . With grief I must now state how I forsook the living Fountain. " First, I began to neglect secret p'ayer^ and very soon after to neglect also other means of grace ; and last of all, I gave up the penisal of my Bible, Then came trouble upon trouble ; and I, tnisting to my own strength, alas ! alas ! fell ; and great was my fall. 116 THE CONVICT SHIP. " My trade became very bad, and I became entan- gled ill many difficulties ; and instead of returning to- Cheist, alas ! I took to tlie use of intoxicating liquors. To" attempt to describe my feelings at times, when returning home to my dear children, is out of the question ; it is impossible. May the Lord pardon all my past sins ! Oh, how thankful ought 1 to be that He did not then cut me off! " During the end of 1840, and beginning of 184% I was entirely out of employment. What I and my dear children suffered that winter, the Lord and we only know ! I was willing to work at any kind of employment, but could not .get' a job. I applied to a certain gentleman, who gave me some labouring work to pertbrm. I received one shilling a day for twelve • hours' daily labour for the space of six weeks, and then I received sixpence in addition to my wages. I worked for this gentleman till the 24th July, when I asked him to raise my wages, and he told me he could not, as he knew I would leave him so soon as my trade, mended. At this I was very much dis- tressed, as I desired to majntain my dear family with- out burdening my father and mother. That night I went to rest, but my spirit was broken. I knew not what steps to take. The devil began to tempt me most dreadfully ; and I, having forsaken Christ, fell, ' and committed the crime for which 1 am now most justly suffering. On July 2Sth I committed a rob- bery, was made a prisoner, for the first time in my life, and committed for trial." [Here lie gives an account of a dream which appears to have impressed BRIEF NOTICE OF E. E — K. 117 Hs mind while in.prison, with views oihell, and of the agency of wicked spirits ; and the dream ended with striking views of the power of Christ, and the influ- ence of believing prayer. Awaking from his dream, he tinds himself shut up in his narrow cell in ifork Castle.J " I was tried, -sentenced to ten years' banishment; sent back to York Castle for a sliort time, then re- moved to the Warrior Hulk, Woolwich, wlfere I re- mained about ten months ; and then, thank God ! was, in His good Providence, put on board the Marl Greym " The Lord has here met with me in mercy ; and I shall have cause to bless Him through all eternity for placing me under your care. Through your prayers and the Gospel proclaimed by you, my mind was drawn to look again to a crucified Saviour, and to grieve that by my sins I have pierced ffim afresh. " To Jesus I am now humbly looking for a full sal- vation. My only plea before God is, — my Saviour died to save the chief of sinners ! Oh, may ray future days be all devoted to his service ! The Lord has often been very merciful unto me, in saving me from death. My trade being a grinder, and our stones running at a great speed, if one break, and the man is not killed, it is considered wonderful. "With ra^fioe stones have broken, and 1 still live ! What a mercy ! "That dreadful thunder-storm, which, by God's permission, visited us on the night of tlio 2d of N'o- vember, has, I trust, bad also tlie effect of awakening my soul to prayer and self-searcliing before the Lord. 118 THE CONVICT BHIF- Blessed be his name. for orerruling all these things for my soul's good ! " Now I conclude this poor account of the life of a wretched sinner, whose only hope of present and everlasting peace and joy is in the Jmished salvation of Jesus Christ. May He be still more and more pre- cious to your soul and mine, is the humble prayer of (Signed) » E. E— k." Tills narrative forcibly reminds individual Chris- tians and Christian churches, of the duty they owe to their professing brethren when reduced by, what- ever cause, to poverty, or when they appear to back- slide from the Lord, either in heart or conduct. PKOCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL. 119 CHAPTER YI. All Christians required to promote the knowledge of Christ — Re- formed prisonera employed on this principle — Prayer and zealous labour toJae conjoined — Death of Edward-Marlow — Christmas-day : — The Author feceives a poisoned wound — More are impressed — ■ Letters of J. W— n, T. C— y, and John M'D. It has long appeared to me that, in addition to an admirable efficiency, there is a most striking sublimi- ty in the very simplicity of the means appointed by the great Head of the church, for the sacred purpose of diifusing throughout the world the knowledge of His truth, and establishing His spiritual reign in the hearts of men. To no part of the economy of gra(;e has this remark more obvious reference, than to the obli- gation laid upon every believer, to use his influence to the utmost in making known that " glorious Gos- pel of the blessed God," which, through grace, he has received for h^is own personal salvation. It is writ- ten, Kev. xxii. 17, " And let him that heareth say, Come." These words constitute it both the privilege and duty of every individual who has heard the joyful sound of salvation through faith in Christ, to commend to his fellow-sinners the Kefuge to which he hath fled, saying unto them, by example and conversation, by the fervent prayer'of faitj) and love, and by tender and judicious entreaty, "We are journeying to the place " — -the heavenly Canaan, "of whicli the Lord hath 120 THE CONVICT SHIP. said, I will give it you. Come thou with us and we will do thee good, for the Lord hath spoken good con- cerning Israel."* It was thus that the first disciples acted of whom we read in John i. Thej tell each other of the Divine Saviour they had found, and bring one another to hear from His lips the words of eternal life. It was thus that the woman of Samaria acted, on experiencing the Divine power of the Messiah's words ; she instantly went and called her townsmen, *iying, " Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did ; is not this the Christ? And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him for the saying of the woman. "f It was thus that the members of the Christian church at Jerusalem acted, when driven by persecution, from that city ; " they that were scat- tered abroad, went everywhere preaching the word.":]: And, thus it is that every true Christian approves himself as salt appointed by God, to preserve from moral corruption and death all that comes under its holy influence. No encouragement, however, is given to private Christians to interfere with the office w^Apeculiar duties Of the scrip turally -appointed min- ister,§ or to neglect the proper duties of their respec- . tive stations in the church or in the world. The faith- ful minister of Christ will rejoice to find in every one who is rescued through his ministry from the bond- age of sin, a wise, praying, humble, and efiicient help ; and the multiplication of such hdp^ will he regard as the most satisfactory evidence of the success vouch- * Numbers x. 29. f John vr. 28—39, \ Acts viii. 4. § 1 Tim iii. ; Titus i. ; Acts xx. 17, 28. APPOINTMENT OF ItELIGIOUS mSTEtTCTOES. 121 safed by the Great Head of the church to his minis- terial labours. Although the serious attention of the great body of the people had been for some time arrested by the facts and doctrines of the Bible, and although so many had given scriptural evidence that they had received Christ, and taken up His cross ; neverthe- less, daily close examination proved that there still prevailed amongst ns a deplorable amount of igno- rance of the sacred writings, and want of a clear perception of the plan of redemption. The nature and multiplicity of my duties not permitting me to labour for the spiritual interests of the prisoners to the extent I desired, and which their circumstances required, I felt myself called upon to turn to the highest possible account the agency of those prison- ers, who seemed to have received the truth in the love of it, and to be 'fitted by spiritual gifts and graces, for dealing solemnly, faithfully, and prudently with the understandings and consciences of their fel- low-prisoners. Accordingly, the most intelligent, spiritual, and prudent of the people, particularly of the petty ofiS- cers and schoolmasters, were spoken to on this inte- resting and momentous matter, and one of them was appointed to every one or two messes, the members of which he engaged to consider the objects of his special care, with a view to the instruction of each in the things belonging to his present and everlasting peace. Thus the prison, to adopt the language of Dr. Chalmers, was localized, and not one of my peo- 6 122 THE CONVICT SSIV. pie left without a spiritual instructor, who charged his own conscience with the furtherance of their hest and highest interests. In communication with these spiritual monitors was my efficient " help," "W. B., who was in daily and constant correspondence with me. This arrangement was made Dec. 21st, on which day, in addition to our usual morning and evening meeting, we, to the great satisfaction of the prisoners, set apart an hour for spiritual exercises, from one to two o'clock, p. m.; and this practice the people, of their own accord, and with great apparent seriousness and the most pleasing outward decorum^ kept up to the termination of the voyage. On the day following, the schoolmasters were as- semhled and solemnly addressed with reference to the spiritual state of their pupils, and were urged to take the utmost pains to instruct them in tlie funda- mental facts and doctrines of the Bible, and the pious amongst the prisoners manifested a desire to meet together, to lift up their hearts in prayer for the out- pouring of the Holy Spirit upon themselves and their fellow-sufferers : especially on such as were yet under the influence of the powers of darkness. Dec. 22d,* we had further evidence of several being deeply impressed. A few, who caused me painful apprcliension, were solemnly and faithfully addressed as to their igno- rance, folly, and danger ; and means were adopted •lu the remainder of my narrative, circumstances induce me to quote ocoaBionally from my rough journal, and to give dates. StrPPLIOATIONS FOR THE HOLT SPIBIT. 123 for more efficiently advancing the education of such as had made the least progress. In the Acts of the Apostles,* we read of " certain lewd fellows of the baser sort" who hindered the work of the Lord even under the ministry of the in- spired Apostles. Among the prisoners in the Earl Grey there were one or two, to whoso understandings and consciences a very faithful and strong appeal was made from the text now quoted, and I trust, througli the blessing from on high, not without good effect. Dec. 23d, besides our usual devotional exercises and examinations, the whole of the people were engaged for a considerable time in the evening, in the reading of the Scriptures, and in special prayer and praise. Our supplications had particular refer- ence to the jyromised influences of the Holy Spirit. Those who knew the Lord were again earnestly ex- horted to work while it is day, for the benefit of immortal souls. It was the practice of the Apostle of the Gentiles to teach not only " publicly," but also " from house to house." The spirit of this apostolic practice admitted of introduction even into the internal eco- nomy of a transport. "We could not indeed teach, " from house to house," but from mess to mess, anfl from ierth to herth, we could ; and those who seemed most earnestly and devoutly concerned for the in- struction and salvation of the people, were exhorted * Chap. xvii. verse 5. 124 THE CONVICT SHIP. to be most fervent in prayer, and strenuous and pru- dent in their labours ; to converse quietly, unosten- tatiously, and in the spirit of fervent and believing prayer, with every member of the several messes assigned to their special care, so that there should not remain one man to whom the Divine plan of our redemption had not been explained, and upon whom the reception of Christ had not been closely and faithfully urged with reference to his immediate and eternal salvation. Dec. 24th, was a solemn and impressive day. About half-jiast one, p. m., all those who seemed to have embraced the Gospel, or . who were inquiring after salvation, assembled in the ward, to unite in earnest prayer for the still more abundant effusion of the Holy Spirit upon us all ; and for the conversion to God of our fellow-sinners around us. I was able to be present ; three successively conducted the de- votional exercises, of whom two were prisoners ; and I embraced the opportunity, to address all present from Malachi iii. 16, 17 ; Matt. xxi. 22 ; and Rev. xxi. 17 ; with special application to our present cir- cumstances. The Lord, I trust, was graciously pre- sent with us. But, alas ! every scene under the sun is chequered. Edward Marlow, who served long as a soldier, and passed many years in India, is suddenly seized with a disease, most obscure as to its character, and which bids defiance to all remedies.. His hours are evi- dently numbered, and his mind remains enveloped in thick darkness. The most anxious and prayerful AITECTrNG STATE OF EDWAED MAELOW. 125 effort is made to exhibit to him, in the simplest and most encouraging form, that truth, the reception of which is essential to his salvation. But he tries to cloak himself under excuses, alleging that he is " not learned." It is attempted to iix two ideas in his mind ; first, " lam a guilty sinner j" second, " tlesus , is an all-sufficient and willing Saviour /" — Oh, how fearful is -the condition of that person who delays to take refuge in Christ ! How awfully dark is this poor man's mind ! How successful are the efforts of Satan, on an unenlightened and deceitful heart, averse to the holiness of Divine truth ! How long may people sit under the most affectionate and urgent calls of the Gospel, and manage effectually to exclude every ray of its saving light from their benighted souls ! At every turn we are reminded of the necessity of the omnipotent influences of the Eternal Spirit, without which, every soul of man must perish in the wilful and most sinful rejection of Christ, the unspeakable gift of the Father's love. Oh! when will men take heed how they treat the strivings of the Holy Ghost ? Poor Marlow tells me he was often affected, even to distress, by what he heard from the Scriptures since he came on board ; that sometimes he was under the deepest convictions and compunctions, but always managed, after much struggling, " to get rid of serious thoughts and not to come to Christ." I con- tinue to deal gently and truly with him ; and, to- gether with faithful and scriptural views of himself set before him the clearest, most simple and 126 THE CONYICT SHIP. encouraging views of Christ Jesus and His work. Tlie poor afflicted man seems to try to look unto Je- sns, and sometimes lie seems to pray. He says he has been " a very wicked liver," and professes a desire to trust in the Saviour. Oh, how the dread of death distracts the mind, and gives not even one calm moment to perceive, understand, and believe the Gospel ! Is not the work of dying, work* enough for any hour? Should any thing be left to the hour of death, 'hwi just to die ? Should leliev- im,g, regeneration, repentance, justification, sanctifica- tion, anA giving evidence of our faith hy the fruits of righteousness, be left to one brief, one agitated, one distracted hour? Oh, the folly, the perversity, the wickedness of men ; how incomprehensible ! Sal- vation brought to our very door, — free, complete, most suitable, —is rejected till the last moment of life, when the soul fears to put forth her hand, and lay hold upon it, (thongh still in mercy urged of God to grasp it,) and so perishes in criminal unbelief! Life is fast ebbing ; the eternal world opens on his view ; the dying man " thinks he can trust in Christ for forgiveness.'''' He " thinTcs," he can ; he only thinks he can, and has scarcely power to think, at least with calmness. The state of his heart, his real treatment of the Saviour, is known only to Him "unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid." We have no satisfactory scriptural evidence that he, by faith, laid hold on Christ — that he received the Holy Ghost, and was renewed in the spirit of his mind ; and, E5EECISES ON CHRISTMAS-DAT. 12T therefore, we have no satisfactory and scriptural proof, that he was a partaker of the great salvation proclaimed in the Gospeh We cannot take a step beyond scriptural evidence ; but this we know, " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life : and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him."* And again, " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."f And, " The tree is known by its fruit.":]: This poor man's death was traced to the physical effects of a wicked and licentious life. His case warns us to beware of indulging in any sin, and to delay not for a moment our believing, obedient, and thankful acceptance of Christ and of the Holy Spirit. Dec. 25th, (Christmas-day,) was the Lord's-day ; our religious exercises were all marked by solemnity. Isdeed a becoming seriousness has uniformly charac- terized the men when assembled at church, and they have always made good use of their prayer-books, and generally, if not unanimously, joined in the re- sponses. A hymn was composed by one of the prison- ers, to be sung on this day ; which, though it makes no pretensions as to poetry, is interesting as the song of praise of a poor convict : A CHRISTMAS HTMK Awake, awake I this is the morn On which the Lord of life was born ; Kow banish elumbor from year eyes, To join the triumph of the skies. • John iii. 36. f John iii. 3. % Matth. xii. 88 ; Key. xxL 27. 128 THE COUVICT SHIP. What charming news the angels bring — That Christ, our Prophet and our King, Was born to save our souls from death: Oh, blest for ever be his birth ! When Christ in human flesh appear'd. What heav'nly music then was heard I The valleys echoed -with the sound. And heavenly glory shone around. All glory be to God on high, Proclaim the seraphs through the sky ; Good-will to men, and peace on earth. The angels sung at Jesus' birth. Considerable portions of Scripture were recited by the prisoners in the afternoon. A young man who had deserted from the army, and who did not know his letters when he embarked, recited the Parable of the Ten Virgins with correctness and fluency. He now reads the New Testament very well. The whole of the Sermon on the Mount was also recited by three prisoners. Some time before the hour appointed for church, all the people assembled, of their own free will, for prayer and reading the Scriptures ; and in the afternoon they voluntarily continued together for a while, and listened to W — B — , reading M'Ewen's work on the Types. Conversed privately with E — d ^ — n, a lad aged 18 years. He decidedly appears to have received that knowledge which no man can impart to his brother ; and with his simple child-like spirit I was much pleased. He is a remarkably interesting youth, and of very pleasing manners. Like many of his TWO MOEB CONYEKTS. 129 nnhappy companions, he appears most completely out of his place in a transport. He states that he is the son of pious parents, and that his mother is still living. Conversed also with a man named A — A — , whose heart, I trust, Divine grace has changed. He has the appearance of a respectable country farmer. I was greatly pleased with his manners, and gratified by his spirit and conversation. In the evening the people are addressed on Edward Marlow's death, which took place this morning, and they appear, deeply impressed. They are again forci- bly shown that the whole human race resolves itself into two classes — believers and unbelievers : the people of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and the chil- dren of the wicked one who live in sin and in oppo- sition to the Divine will ; and they are faithfully and affectionately urged to make their choice, A choice they aremaking, but they are entreated to make that choice which accords with the dictates of true wis- dom, and which will receive the approbation of all eternity ! A desire to ascertain the cause of poor Marlow's death induced me to get up at daylight, which was soon after three o'clock, (being the southern Midsum- mer, Dec. 26th,) for the purpose of performing a,post mortem inspection. This duty I attempted to exe- cute in most unfavorable circumstances, and, just as I discovered that the disease was one over which medicine could have no control, I inflicted a punc- ture, and, as I had reason to apprehend, a poisoned wound, on my finger. A fire was lighted as speedily 6* 130 THE CONVICT SHIP. as possible, the wound thoroughly cauterized, and other remedies used ; and with my arm in a sling I endeavoured to keep upon my legs, and proceed with my active duties, which had all along been intensely interesting. Though suffering very severely, I managed to spend some time in prison, instructing and exhorting the people. My life was now in jeopardy, and I knew not how many hours I might be permitted to be with them. Our subjects were, the first part of Ezek. xxxvii. ; Job xxxiii. 14—24 ; xxxiv. 29—32, and wc made seasonable reference to the Lord's special and impressive visits to us; twice by the elements, — the thunderbolt, and the waves of the sea ; twice by death, — in the removal of Williams and Marlow. A young man, accused of neglecting school, was brought before me, with whom I had most serious conversation in private. lie had now been upwards of three months under instruction ; and our conver- sation closed with this solemn and kind demand ; — " Tell me, L — , what is there now in your character and conduct which furnishes me with matter of thanksgiving to God ? For what, in you, can 1 re- tire to my cabin, and fall down on my knees, and thank the Lord ? " The young man is perplexed ; he feels in a position in which he never felt himself before ; he is taken by surprise ; he knows not what to say. At length he breaks silence, admits them is nothing in him on account of which I can praise God ; and acknowledges he has been a great sinner. TWO YOUTHFUL CONVICTS L. AND J. W N. 131 Christ cracified is set before him. Shortly after, this youth gave evidence of being impressed by Divine truth, attended regularly tlie meetings for prayer, and so conducted himself as to v^arrant the hope that he had taken up the cross, and set out in that way of holiness that leads through the gates into the eternal city. Eeceived several written communications from the prisoners respecting the state of their souls ; and heard of many more being concerned about eternal things, among whom was one of my hitherto worst youngsters, J — W — n ; from whom I afterwards received the following letter. It shows that " the grace of our Lord" is as "exceeding abundant" now, as in the days of Saul when he persecuted the Church ; and reminds us of that gracious truth, " In Thee, the fatherless findeth mercy : " " Sir, — I feel that I should make known to you how I am come to see, that I was a guilty sinner be- fore God and man. Ever since that night of the thunderbolt, I was afraid on accovnt of my sins, for they found me out ; but by your kind treatment and good advice, I was brought to see that I was in the hands of mercy, and that the blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ was sufficient to wash my guilty stains away, and to make me a new creature in Christ Jesus. I was like Paul. I was a persecutor of the people of God ; but, thank God, through your teach- ing and the grace of God, I hope that I shall become a child of God. When I was about fourteen years of age, I first began to break out, insomuch that I 132 THE CONVICT SHIP. left my home, and became so wicked that I lost all fear of God, and did not care for either soul or body, and I broke every commandment of God ; but I hope that I have now found grace in God, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. I am led to see that anything that I could do of myself is but as the spider's web. " My father died when I was a year old, and I was only five years of age when my mother died, I was left to the mercy of God ; and I hope tliat He has laid His hand upon me, and brought me to His one fold, and one Shepherd, Jesus Christ. " Sir, I would like to have a little private conver- sation with you, if it was consistent with your will. (Signed) " J. W— n." From the letters of prisoners received at this time, I select two more, which may be useful in pointing out to the young the first steps in that downward path which led eventually to prison and a convict ship ; and useful also in strengthening the faith of parents, the fruit of whose prayers and Christian training may be delayed, even till they ai'e laid in the grave : " Dear Sir, — I was born at C— , in 1810. I was favoured with pious parents, who opened their house to the preaching of the word of God. I am the son of many prayers ; but, to my grief and sor- row, I have neglected to pray for myself. " Up to the age of eighteen, I was enabled to con- duct myself with propriety, and, I hope, consistently with my profession as a Christian ; but my parents J. W ., AlTD T. C- — . 133 died, and left considerable property, which caused very much disturbance in my family, and had a very bad eifect upon my mind. One trouble brought on another, and instead of carrying my griefs to the Lord, who alone could give me peace, and support me in my difficulties, I madly took to drinking, to drown my sorrows : but ' many sorrows shall be to the wicked, '^and so I found it to my cost. I got worse every day, until I broke the laws of my coun- try ; for which I am now most j ustly suffering. When I was at the Justitia hulk, I thank God, I thought upon my ways, and took to reading the Scriptures, — but am not able to say I was turned to the Lord and in Him relied ; but since I have been on board this ship, I bless God that your kind instruction has been very useful to me. I believe, through grace, my soid is saved. I desire to come to Jesus as a guilty sinner ; I trust I have found peace in Christ. A little book you lent me, called ' The Two Apprentices,' was very much blessed to me. I have no other hope but in the finished work of Christ. I wish to love and serve Him, and may I enjoy His smile for ever. (Signed) "T— C— ." " Sir, — .... My parents were pious ; they did their duty to me, as parents ought to do to a son ; they gave me a simple education, and instructed me in the paths of peace. My father made it his duty to see that I always attended Divine worship, — likewise school : biit alas ! when I grew up, I began to turn my back to my parents and their instructions. " I was sent to a good master, a brass-founder. I 134 THE CONVICT SHIF. Stopped with him about a year ; but Edinburgh, sir, you are aware, is a city wheru there are many temp- tations. I became acquainted with bad boys, left my trade, and turned a deaf ear to the many supphcations of my dear parents. At last I left the peaceful roof that sheltered me from the storm, and went to sea. But I was always changeable : I left my ship after a voyage out to America, and came home once more to my parents. I saw that I had been wrong, and I complied with the wishes of my father ; but, oh, sir, I am afraid to tell you ! — Satan is always ready to tempt us, — I again fell into the snares of evil company. My friends disowned me ; I became an outcast, and a va- gabond on the face of the earth. Tired of such a life, I was resolved to leave my country ; and for that purpose committed the crime for which I am exiled. " Even after I knew my doom, I never once reflect- ed on my state ; I did not think on the God I had so often offended, till I came under your charge. The constant reading of the Scriptures, together with your kind instruction, brought me to think of my state. I considered I had a sovl to save, and that it would be saved if I believed on Jesus. But when the Almighty visited us in his mercy with that thunderbolt, and also that sea we shipped, I then thought more of my situ- ation. Ever since those visitations, my conscience tells me I am a vile wretch, unfit to do any thing for myself but to come to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. I hope God will give me grace to come to Him, and never to depart from Him. GBNKBAL SOOD AND DBTOUT BBHAVIODE. 135 " Sir, I have to return my sincere thanks for your kind instruction, and likewise for tlae Bible you were pleased to give me I will ever pray to God, to direct my steps never to go out of the narrow path that leadeth to life. (Signed) Jomr M'D— ." On the following day, Dec. 27th, my symptoms had not improved ; yet I considered it my' duty, and cer- tainly my great privilege, to be as much as possible at my post amongst the people, but was compelled to make large use of the services of W. B., whom I now released from the duties of a schoolmaster, directing him to devote his entire time and energies to the spi- ritual instruction of the prisoners, with the view of " winning their souls" to Christ ; and the most suita- ble among those who appeared to have dedicated themselves to the Lord were conjoined with him in this sacred work. In the evening I was absolutely not able to attend in the prison, but was informed by one who was present, that the spontaneous meeting of the people for reading the Scriptures, mutual ex- hortation and prayer, was truly aifecting : that the prayei-s presented to God for me were most affec- tionate and fervent ; and that he never observed such a solemn silence in his life, as prevailed when W. B. was speaking to his fellow-prisoners. A great body of the prisoners appear now literally to live upon the word of the Lord and prayer ; and the affectionate feelings they manifest towards me, and the deep inte- rest they take in my recovery, are truly touching, and alro.ost too much for my strength to bear. Oh, may all these prisoners be Christ's free men ! 136 THE CONVICT SHIP. Deo. 28th brought me no relief from bodily suifer- ing, which compelled me to remain in my cabin ; but in the afternoon an accusation was brought, by certain persons on board, against two of my men, which com- pelled me, at all hazards, to go down into the prison to investigate the report. It proved entirely false ; and the well-sustained evidence I received of the good behaviour of the prisoners was most satisfactory. I took the opportunity to exhort all, and especially the petty officers and schoolmasters, to be habitually most careful of their conduct and carriage towards every person on board — to observe strictly our standing regulations — not on any account to quit, for a mo- ment, the portion of the decks assigned them — to per- form every duty with exactness and in the spirit of the Gospel — to watch against the appearance of evil, and beware of everything that tends to bring a blot on Christianity, or afford gratification to the great enemy of souls. The good feeling, diligence, and zeal manifested in the performance of their various duties, and, above all, the Christian seriousness which marked the spirit and deportment of a large body of the peo- ple, were in the highest degree gratifying; and though I returned to my cabin with aggravated symp- toms, my mind was exceedingly soothed and encou- raged. Between two and three o'clock on the morning of Dec. 30, I awoke in great suffering, and ascertained that the most threatening inflammation surrounded ray wound, which began to ascend towards the trunk. My danger could not be concealed ; a fatal termina- ZEAL AKD APFEOTION OF THE PEISONEES. 137 tion in such cases is a common occurrence, and I was "warranted to regard myself as probably now drawing near to the end o^ my earthly pilgrimage. The cir- cumstances in which I was placed in the Earl Grey were unprecedented both in my experience and knowledge ; but I do not see that any good end could be answered by my entering into a detail of those circumstances. It is, however, necessary to the unity of my narrative to state, that, being cut off from im- mediate communication with my men, I had no alter- native but to direct my removal to my hospital, where a berth was instantly prepared for my recep- tion. Here I received, night and day, the unwearied and devoted attention of the prisoners ; and nothing could exceed the zeal, the good feeling, and the sleep- less watchfulness with whicli they waited upon me. They seemed to identify my life with their own. If anything could be more gratifying than their kind-, ness and sympathy towards me personally, it was their manly, consistent, and admirable behaviour, without, to my knowledge, one single exception. The most fervent prayers were, I believe, with tears, offered up for my life and restoration to health, and to my post amongst my now af&icted people. Such of them as I desired to read the Scriptures to me, came to my bed-side, and their conversation and prayers were most edifying and soothing. Nothing could appear more opposite to the supposed charac- ter of a convict ship, than was the general aspect of the Earl Orey, as respects the spirit and conduct of the prisoners. I felt myself surrounded by people 138 THE CON'\-ICT SHIP. who feared and loved God, and were influenced by a Christian spirit; and their treatment of me was like that of the oldest, most faithful, and devoted friends. The power of the Gospel of Christ upon these men's hearts and minds was most manifest, and aflbrded matter of earnest thanksgiving. The petty officers and schoolmasters continued to carry on the duty in my absence, and the routine was as regularly and efficiently conducted, as if I had been mingling as usual amongst them. Jan. 1st, 18-13, was the Lord's day ; and though not yet out of danger, and quite unable to conduct the i-e- ligious exercises of the prisoners, I was present when they assembled below for church, W. B. read the lessons and the sermon. After sermon, I was just able to say a few words to the people, with reference to the fearful language implied in the refusal of any of them to return to God by the believing reception of Chi'ist : is it not this ? — " I have resolved that there shall never be joy in the presence of the angels of God over my conversion ! I have purposed that Jesus shall never see in me the fruit of the sore travail of his soul! It is my resolu- tion that the ranks of Satan shall never be thinned by my going over to Immanuel, and submitting to His authority ! My utmost I will dp to frustrate His grace, and resist His Spirit ! It is my purpose that the Divine Saviour who died upon the cross to make atonement for tlie sins of the world, shall never present one to the Father with exceeding joy ! You tell me of the finished righteousness of Christ ; that God is FAVOUEABLE STATE OF THE PEISONEES. 139 just in justifying even the most ungodlj^ -nrho avail tliemselves of tliat righteousness ; that He is beseech- ing me to be reconciled to Him, and that He is long- suffering to us-ward, not willing that any of us should perish, but that we all should come to repentance, but / have resolved to adhere to my sins, to retain my guilt, — to abide by Satan, and to perish with him for ever ! — and, more than this, I propose that my ex- ample and influence shall continue to be such, as are calculated to induce the greatest possible number of my fellow-transgressoi-s to put Christianity away from them also, and with me to endure the torments of a conscience, and of felt and chosen depravity, through the ceaseless ages of eternity !" Such is the appal- ling language of the mau who perseveres in the rejec- tion of Christ ! In the afternoon, the people assembled for recital of Scripture : thh-t}- are prepared to repeat Luke xv., othei-s are learning the Sermon on the Mount, Matt, v., vi., vii. Many of my men come into the hospital, to converse with me about their souls. Oh, how does God overrule evil for good, and make even the wrath of man to praise Him ; although man's evil is still man's evil ; man's wrath still man's wrath ; for which he must give an account unto him, who shall in righteousness judge the world by Jesus Christ, Acts xvii. 31. There is an appearance of general concern about salvation amongst the people. A very few only seem hardened in iniquity, and even these are marvellously restrained from outward improprieties. The Spirit liO THE ooNVicrr ship. of grace and supplication appears to be poured out upon many, and an earnest desire to win souls to Christ. Several youths, almost mere boys, seem to haye received the truth in the love of it, and are most strenuous in their endeavors to spread the gos- pel net, with great prudence and propriety ; not pre- suming to teach those who are older than themselves, but giving useful information to our most experienced Christian men, respecting prisoners who are begin- ning to be anxious about their souls, or are held under some entanglement of the enemy, and whom these youths are most desirous to bring into contact with the truth. They act as a little body of piquets, whose watchful eyes guide the movements of our veterans in rescuing souls from the ranks of Satan. Jan. 2nd. — ^Visit the people assembled in the pri- son, and instruct them on the fearful tendency of an arhitrary forgiveness of sin or of such a forgiveness as would have no respect to the requirements of law, the claims of justice, the principles of sound govern- ment, the best interests of the universe, or the cha- racter of Him who pardons. They are also shown what are the essential elements of hell, and the essential elements of heaven. In the evening, a cloud was brought over us all. Three of the youngest prisoners were found guilty of disobedienoe of orders. Disobedience to lawful au- thority being one of the most heinous and destructive crimes which any man can commit, the three unhap- py offenders are placed before the assembled pri- soners, and their sin, after presenting fervent prayers ILLUSTEATION OF JtJSTIFIOATION. 141 at the throne of Divine mercy, is made the subject of a serious and earnest address. All are fervently- entreated to turn this act of disobedience — an act which was not repeated during the voyage — to the best possible account, and to learn from it the cha- racter and tendency of sin, and the necessity of abso- lute conversion to God. "Satan must be disap- pointed! he must lose his object, the lawful captives must be delivered! Christ Jesus the Lord must have His own! Let all His children amongst us devote this night to wrestling in the most earnest prayer to God for the promised out-pouring of the Holy Spirit upon us all, for the conversion of these three offenders, and of all amongst us who have not yet returned to the Lord by the belief of the Gospel. We are to agonize in praj^er, and, as it were, to tra- vail in birth, like the apostle of the Gentiles, till we see Christ, the hope of glory, formed in the heart of every fellow-sinner intrusted to our care." The unconcealable appearance of impression on the minds and hearts of the people cannot be de- scribed : dead silence, sorrowful or averted counte- nances, and other symptoms of sadness of heart, mark the depth of their feelings. All retire to their berths for the night. On the following day, (Jan 3d,) though my unfa- vourable symptoms had multiplied, I visited the sick amongst the prisoners, and again earnestly exhorted the assembled people from last evening's painful but most instructive text. The night appears to have been in a great measure, if not entirely, spent in 142 TEDE CONTICT SHIP. earnest prayer and heart-searching — by those at least who know and love the truth. The prisoners are examined on their knowledge of justification, sancti- fication, and the natnre and extent of the redemption of Christ. Eefer, for illustration, to a prisoner placed at the bar, — he is guilty or not guilty. If found guilty, he is condemned : if not guilty, he is discharged as innocent of the crime with which lie was charged. All men are found guilty before God ; and are, therefore, condemned — condemned to death ! On what ground can any man be discharged ? not on the ground of his innocence, for he is convicted, lie can be treated an if ho were, righteotui, and discharged from the bar, on the ground only of the obedience and death of His Divine Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ, relied on by faith ; a faith which purifies the heart, and reforms the life. Jan. 4th. — All our meetings to-day were marked by peculiar solemnity. All who profess to be on the Lord's side, were exhorted to follow him fnlly — to beware of being ashamed of their Lord and His cross. Eeferred to Exod. xxxii. 26 ; Acts xix. 1—9, 20 ; Josh. xxiv. 14 — 28 ; 1 Kings xviii. 21, &c. ; Acts xx. 7 ; V. 13 ; Eph. v. 11 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 25. At our meeting in the afternoon, a solemn address was given on decision of Christian character ;* espe- cially directed to those who seemed to have turned to the Lord. * Mark viii. 38 ; Rom. i. 16 ; Acts xxrii. 28. DEATH OF ABB A HAM BUTTOlf. 143 CHAPTEE VII. Death of Abraham Button — Brief account of A. J — , J. H — , A. D — ; J, J — , and others — Extracts from Journal continued — Resolution adopted by prisoners — Meetings for social prayer — Arrival at Ho- bart Town — Prisoners' address to the surgeon superintendent — Number of apparent conversions — Farewell address — Debarkation ^Prisoner's letter. The number of men who had been brous'b.t under o conviction of sin, and whose inquiries after salvation had, to all appearance, issued in a believing reception of Christ, and in consistent and holy living, had now increased to eighty-one. These being assembled to- gether in tlie prison, are, in the presence of their fellow-sufferers, briefly addressed, as now sustaining the character of professed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The by-standers are also addressed, and further proceedings deferred to our next meeting, in the evening, when the portion of the Scripture read, after singing a hymn, was 2 Cor. vi. and vii. 1, together with some of the texts last referred to, on tho duties and privileges of Christians. All are faithfully exhorted with reference to the duties which they owe to themselves, to their Christian brethren, to the peo- ple of the world, and more immediately to God and His cause in the world. 144: THE CONYICT SHIP. An opportunity is taken to speak again on the sub- j ect of temperance ; the evils connected wi h the abuse, frequently even with the use of ardent spirits ; and the fearful dangers attending drunkenness, especially in the colonies. We explain the nature of the usual temperance pledge^" "We agree to abstain from the use of ardent spirits, excepting for medical purposes, and to discountenance the causes and practice of in- temperance ;" which was submitted to them on the ensuing day, for voluntary subscription by those who care for their souls, or even desire restoration to cha- racter and to virtuous society, and who have wisdom and resolution to enter into the engagement, anfl set to their names. The great body of the people cheer- fully enter into the proposed agreement. This has been a day of calm and peacefu enjoyment in the soul, and truly a great day on board the Earl Grey. I humbly trust that the Lord Jesus is ho- noured this day, and His rich and free grace magni- fied ; — that there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over these sinners, who have this day publicly professed their adherence to His cause ; and that this solemn profession will be found connected with a holy and useful life, and terminate in the full enjoyment of everListiiis: bliss. Jan. 5th. Abraham Button, a prisoner, aged 21 years, died this aftternoon. He was a quiet, simple- minded, inoffensive, and industrious man, had the ap- pearance of a hard-working country labourer ; and was one of those prisoners who, since they embarked, appear to have been brought to repentance through FUNERAL OF ABRAHAM BUTTON. 145 faith in Christ Jesus. His views of himself and of the Saviour were truly scriptural. All fear of death had been mercifully removed by the power of the Gospel believed, and he died in the soothing enjoyment of a calm and settled peace, his puriiied heart evidently resting in his Saviour's love. I communicated with him as often as I was-able, and was always much gratified by his happy state of mind. He had made an open declaration of his faith iu Christ several weeks before his death, winch seemed to affect the whole of the prisoners, those especially who watched over him daring his illness ; the character and spirit of whose attentions, united with the general tenor of their con» versation and life, tended to evince that their own hearts were u^^er the influence of Divine truth. Jan. 6th, the funeral of Abraham Button took place. While I previously visited the sick, the people as- sembled of their own accord in the prison, for devo- tional exercises ; and nearly the whole of them volun- tarily continued in prayer until the bell tolled for the funeral, when they all repaired in a body to the upper, deck. The funeral service I undertook to read my- self; and on no occasion did I perform this solemn and inpressive duty with more comfort in my own mind, though we were all much affected by the deceased's death, and, the nature of our devotional exercises. I had the most pleasing conviction that God had taken to Himself the soul of a Christian brother, whose body (pe were committing to the deep, to await the morn- ing of the resurrection — when the sea shall give up her dead, and the bodies of the saints shall be fash- 7 14:6 THE CONVICT SHIP. ioned like unto tlip Saviour's glorious body, and made fit for an indissoluble union with the soul ; that all the members of Christ, their everliving Head, may serve and enjoy God through the endless ages of eternity! At the afternoon meeting, "W" — 33 — gives us all a very interesting and most satisfactory account of the state of Ahraham Button's mind, both before and after he was taken ill. His opportunities of becoming intimately acquainted with the deceased were much greater than mine ; and his statelnents perfectly tally with what came under my own observation. The people's attention is called to those texts, yliich set forth the state and character of God's children, and likewise of the ungodly. Further ad- ditions are this day made to the numb^ of those who confess Christ. Jan. 7. — The people are again seriously addressed on the svibject of temperance. Eight more of the prisoners atow their relinquishment of sin and Satan, and j)rofess their devotedness to Christ and to holiness, through grace. Ninety of my people have now pub- licly avouched the Lord to be their God, and have professedly taken Up the cross to follow Him fully, in His own Divine strength. They are very attentive to their duties, and seem to be under the abiding in- fluence of the Gospel of peace. "W. B. occasionally reads to the people portions from "England's Ex- iles." The prisoner A — ■ J — has been hitherto a source of great grief to me, and to the well-disposed among his companions. Nothing seemed to produce a perma- CASE OF A — J — '_. 147 nent impression upon his mind. The effects of the thunder-storm had gradually died away ; and although he was much alar]:|jed when the sea fell on board of lis, — awoke from his sleep in a terrible fright, and came running to me in the hospital, in almost a state of phrensy, apprehensive that the ship was going down under his feet,^yet the impression made at that time also was permitted to die away. How true it is, that no permanent or saving change can be effected in the human heart by any cause short of the almighty power of the Holy Spirit. At length, ob- serving the prisoner T — G — one day condi^cting, in prayer, the devotions of his fellow-prisoners, his mind was forcibly struck; and he could not lielp secretly exclaiming, What ! T — G — pray ! Can he pray ? Has T — G — come to Jesus ? and is he accepted ? Then why not I? said he to himself, and bu|pt into tears. He continued deeply affected ; and throughout the night was in a state of great concern about the safety of his soul. Two or three of the converts to Christianity spent' almost the whole night with him, successively or together, praying with him, instruct- ing him, and endeavouring to lead him to Christ, who will not v/pbraid sinners, or ungraciously cast their sins in their face (James i. 5), when they draw near in lowly self-abasement to His feet. One of these men acquainted me with this poor prisoner's case, begging that he might be allowed to see me ;, and the result of my intei-view with him this day, and of my inquiries concerning liim is, that I dare not refuse to recognise A— J — as a man whose 148 THE CONVICT SHIP. heart the Lord hath touched, and disposed to bewail Ink past life, embrace the Saviour, and live according to His commandments, under thepurifying influence of His love. J — H., one of my most active and efficient petty- officers, a man of great natural firmness, who has been most useful to me and to his fellow-prisoners, observing every thing that may be going on both above and below decks ; and whose conduct during the voyage has been most unexceptionable, communi- cated with me to-day on the subject of his spiritual and eiernal interests ; and gives evidence of being brought back to God tlirouglit the faith of His dear Son. This prisoner is a very tnanly person in his dis- position, habits, and carriage ; and the proofs of his sincerity are peculiarly satisfa^ory. Oh, I trust the Lord ^e Spirit is performing all this work 1 If so, all win stand — even to the end. That which He does not do, will come to naught, and the spiritually con- victed sinner will remain under an awfully increased load of guilt ! January 8th, The Lord's day. — A prayer-meeting was voluntarily hold this morning, before breakfast, by all the professed followers of Christ. A — D — and J — J — used literally to hate one another, and were perpetually betraying a disposition to quarrel when below. Observing J — amongst those who had professed to turn to the Lord, the mind of D — was arrested : he began to reason from J-^'s case to his own, and thence to draw encourage- ' ment. The sight of his companion in iniquity, in the Bra'BCT OK A KKSSMATe'b BX AMPLE. 149 midst of those who had turned their backs on sin and Satan, ^id were enjoying happiness in theserdceot' God, tilled D — with amazement, and led liim also to seek pardon, peace, and life at the foot of the cross: and now D — , as well as J — , is reckoned among the humble followers of Christ. Oh the ti-iumpiis of Divine grace ! The whole mess (consisting of eight persons,) of which these two men are members, is now most happily changed in its character. Three ^ four of the prisoners have on three ocea- sions lately manifested their purpose to adhere to the service, or rather the sla/oery of Satan, by placing themselves during divine worship as far from the sound of God's word as they can, without (as they vainly imagined) exposure to detection. Tliese mfen, when it happens to blow fresh, and there is much " tumbling motion" in the ship, are observed to be most terribly frightened, and get up to the top of one of the ladders on the weather-side of the vessel, which leads from the prison to the main deck ; foolishly fancying, in their state of alarm, that they are safer there than on the lower or prison deck ! Oh, the folly, as well as danger of living in sin, and refusing to come to Christ for pardon and peace, which would remove the fear of death and fill the heart with holy joy ! . I am told that none of the prisoners, not even the most thoughtless and depraved, ever showed the smallest disposition to absent thernselves, or to skulk behind backs in the outskirts of the assembly, all the time my life was in danger. After dinner the people assembled in the prison for' 150 THE CONTIOT SHIP. recital of Scripture : but I am compelled to employ W — B— , to occupy part of the afternoon in reading to the people from Angell James's Young Man from Home / a book which has deeply interested the prison- ers, and has been in such constant request, that it is literally wQrn out. This work, and the little book called .7%^ Two Apjprentices, appear to have been really blessed to those who have perused them.-s-Ia the evening our subject of instruction was the Pro- digal's return. Luke xv. This morning I received from three of the prison- erg a written intimation of the change that has taken place in their views, and of their desire to unite with us in the service and worship of G-od, as His people ; and this evening, my sufferings and excessive exhaus- tion having compelled me to retire to my cabin, I have received a note from W — B— , in which he says, with much joy of heart, that he believes " the Spirit of the Lord has been working upon many souls this day by His holy work. Since tea," he continues, " I have been beset by those who desire to have conver- sation on the siibject of their soul's salvation. I am only sorry that I am not able to converse with every awakened soul to-night ;" — alluding to his being worn out by fatigue ; for he is a very delicate man, and is much affected by the spiritual work going on around hiin. — " In the morning I hope to be able, through the Holy Spirit's aid, to speak a word of advice and comfort to all of them. I am sure you will unite with me, and with all who are acquainted with these good ■ tidings, ia pouring out our hearts in earnest and be- mTBEESTESG CASE OF J: C . 151 lieving prayer for the souls born of His Spirit on tliis lioly day. Oh, that the Lord may pour out into our souls an abundant supply of the Spirit ; that we may wrestle with Him on behalf of those who appear to be anxious to know what they are to do to be saved. I believe there are seven or eight., or more, who are now under deep and anxious concern about the safety of their souls.— Glory to God ! (Signed) W.B." A man, named J — — , of rather feeble intellect, seems to be under Divine teaching, and most unex- pectedly to me, and almost to every body, declares his renunciation of sin, through grace, and devoted- ness to Christ. He has, for some mne past, been diligent in reading' books, calculated to make hirfl wise unto salvation. During the iirst part of the voyage he was troublesome, partly from downright want of mind ; but now he seems to possess quite " another spirit." Oh, how Christianity tends to improve all the faculties of the mind, and the affec- tions of the heart ! All my local labourers continue at their posts. Our '■'■City Mission " is in full operation. Ja,n. 9th. — Much spiritual and anxious concern appears amongst the whole of the prisoners. From the earliest hour in the morning to the latest in the evening, private prayer meetings are held amongst the people, while ihey guard against the slightest infringement of our standing rules and regulations. Several of the worst characters have renounced their former habits and manners, and appear to be under tlfe blessed iniiuence of the Holy Spirit. At a very. 152 THE CONVICT SHIP. early hour one morning, W — B— is aroused by hearing voices jn a distant part of the prison. He feels anxious, not knowing what may be going on ; leaves his berth,, and creeps silently along the side of the ship towards the bo\vs, froni whence the sounds proceed. -What is his astonishinent to see there, three of tlje very worst of the prisoners (one of them a most noted character for his wickedness, and a special cause of grief to the well-disposed,) on their knees; withdrawn to that part of the ship where there is the greatest quiet and seclusion from obser- vation ; offering up, in short' and broken prayers, their deep confessions of sin, and: their earnest cries *for mercy, — ^pleading the suiferings and death of the Lord Jesus. Many of the .people awakened by the sounds, stand round, in silent astonishment, to see these men so engaged. It seems to be^ indeed the very work of the Spirit of God in their hearts. This afternoon we had a case of Christian disci- pline. A young Welshman was ^taken by surprise, and suffered himself to'be betrayed into sin by speak- ing in a manner unbecoming the Christian character. He appeared very penitent, and evidently values very highly the privilege of uniting with us in spiri- tual exercises. He was solemnly, faithfully, and kindly admonished and "rebuked before all," as the offence was public; and he remains the object of kind and brotherly sympathy. The following texts were read on this occasion : Lev. xix. 17 ; 1 Tim. v. 20 ; Gal. vi. 1 ; Matth. xviii. 15--20 ; Luke xvii. 3, 4 ; James v. 19, 20 ; 2 Pet. ii. 1, 3 ; 1 Cor. v. 4 ,*2 • HAEDENED SINNEES BECOME COHTKITE. 153 Cor. ii. Y. We are to study for edification,' 1 Cor. xii. xiv. * • Eighteen men are this day added to the number of those who appear to have taken up the cross, and set out on pilgrimage to the Zion above ! Thus the number of professed and apparently sincere followers of the Lamb amongst the prisoners, has increased to one hundred and eight. Oh, what hath God wrought ! For ever magnified be the riches of His fi:ee and Sovereign grace ! Jan, 10th. — My continued indisposition, and ur- gent official, as well as professional dvities, oblige me to make much use of the services of tjie most pious and consistent of the prisoners. The evening meet- ing was exceedingly interesting and encouraging, and "W — B.'s prayers most seasonable, scriptural, and consoling. Tliere is something in the' pouring forth of the heart of a prisoner in prayer, in the midst of his fel- low-prisoners, that is deeply touching and impressive. The minds of the people are evidently solemnized by the prayers of their former associates in crime — their present companions in suffering. The meeting con- cluded with a special prayer for the continuance of a work of grace amongst us ; for the Governor of Van Diemen's Land ; and for the Divine guidance of his Excellency's heart and mind in the disposal of the prisoners in the Emi Grey. All assemble three times a day for reading, expo- sition of the Script#i"e, and other devotional exer- cises. Their private prayer-meetings are generally 7* 154 TUB CONVICT SHIP. held, before breakfast, soon after break of day. Practical and impressive instruction is, this day, drawn from Hebrews vii. — x. Jan. lith.— At our meeting at one o'clock, p. m., the people, throjigh M — F — P — , submitted to me a reso- lution, which, should it receive myapproval, they had agreed to adopt, and of which the following is a copy : " We, the undersigned, prisoners by the jEarl Grey, have resolved, should it meet the appi;o- bation of those placed in- authority over us, to lay by a portion of our earnings until we have saved the sum of Ten Pounds sterling each, to be placed in the hands of His Excellency, the Governor of Van Diemen's Land, for transmis- ' sion to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Eng- land ; as a practical expression of our sorrow for the injury we have inflicted on our country and on society, by our former irregular and illegal conduct ; and, at the same time, as a small»con- tribution which is most justly due from us, to- wards the defraying of those expenses to which we have most unhappily put our country and Government ; and further, as a proof of the change that has taken place, during our voyage, in our character and views ; as well as an inti- mation of our humble determination, with Di- vine aid, to live and act, in future, as loyal and obedient subjects, and as it tfecomes reformed, up- right, and useful members t)f,tlie community."* * This document bears the signatures of one hundred and thirty- two of the prisoners. ADDEESS TO THE IMPENITENT. 165 I expressed my approbation of the spirit and ob- ject of this resolution, and promised to submit it to the consideration of his ExcellQncy, Sir John Frank- lin, the Lieutenant-Governor of Yan Diemen's Land. Verily, Jesus was felt to be in tlie midst of us, at our evening service, according to his laithful word of promise. Never did I, at any former period of my life, receive such illustrations of the following texts, as since I embarked in the Earl Grey : Eph. vi. 18 ; Eom. viii. 26, 27; Jude 20. Observe also, Isa. Ixv. .24 ; IVIatt. xxi. 22. "We concluded with a fervent address to those who continue to put Christ away from- them, — even now, at the end of the voyage — now that the hills of their new country are in sight ! — the country in which they all, with perhaps one or two exceptions, are, from the unhappy choice of their past lives, destined to spend the remainder of their days ! " Do you purpose to land on these shores the enemies of God, in the very act of rejecting His beloved Son, who died for you ; and of resisting the Holy Spirit that seeketh to dwell in you ? Do you purpose using your influence to corrupt and destroy the colony, as you have your native land!" The_ Gospel is again faithfully and affectionately declared to them. They are urged not to frustrate the prayers now offered in their behalf; not to live in sin and under sentence of death another hour, but this night — this moment, to flee to Jesus, and take refuge under the sprink- ling of his atoning, peace-speaking and purifying blood. 156 THE CONVICT SHIP. Jan. 13tli. — The prisoners appear most anxious to make the most of their remaining days and hours on board. They very frequently select for singing, pgr- tions of the 51st Psalm. It seSms well to accord with their own views and feelings. Conversed prij'a'tely this evening with two very interesting lads, about seventeen years of age, who seem very anxious about their salvation, and expre^ their desire to follow the Lord Jesus. Conversed also with a young man who appears to have wounded the mind of a fellow-prisoner by an offensive remark. He seems truly sorry, and offers a becoming apology to the person offended ; thus peace is restored, and both parties are edified. Jan. 1 th. — After morning worship I proceed to the distribution of Bibles, Testaments and prayer- books amongst the people ; in which I am assisted by my petty officers and school-masters. The following extracts from the letter of a prisoner, afford a specimen of the value put upon these copies of the Scriptures, as well as of the change wrought in his own heart : .... "Here like a penitent I stand, and here con- fess my sins : for the Lord has ' searched me out and found me,' Psa. cxxxix. ' Be sure your sins will find you out,'' Num. xxxii. O 'sir ! I am like the prodi- gal son, and like the lost sheep, and now I am found. .... I humbly thank you, and kind friends, for the books which they have placed under your care, to give to a sinner like me. If you had placed a large sum of money in my hands, it would not have AEEIVAL IN HOBAET TOWN. 157 pleased me stvwell as tliat blessed Bible which you gave me. I kindly thank you for it, and hope you will pray for me." About noon, the ^arl Grey, through the preserv- ing care and boundless mercy of God, safely anchored in Hobart Town harbour. , * An officer of the army, who is also a justice of the peace, came on board to visit me and joined in our social worship in the evening, when he delivered an address, in which the men appeared much interested. He specified tlie ternptations*to which they would be especially exposed in the colony ; gave them sea- sonable advice, particularly respecting' the use of intoxicating liquors, and earnestly exhorted them to become members of the Temperance Society. This officer is very much struck, and higldy delighted' with the appearance of the people. After prayer and reading of the Scriptures, J — *R — , my inspector of schools, rises and begs leave to address me ; and in a very pathetic and appropriate speech requests my permission to read an Addre^, which he describes as an unanimous expression of the sentiments of the prisoners on board the Earl Grey^ without one single exception. The address is as fol- lows : TO DE. COLIN A. BROWNING, E.N. " Honoured Sir, — ^The thought of being separated from our friends casts a gloom over the mind ; but to be parted from one wlio has taken such a deep inte- rest in our present and. eternal welfare, is peculiarly painful. 158 THE CONVICT SHIP. "As an officer, a gentleman, and a Christian, from the first moment you came among us in the yards of our respective hulks, your manner to us has been that of a fond and an affectionate father to his long- lost and prodigal offspring. You addressed us, though a disgrace to our friends and our country, and degraded in our own and the public estimation, as fellow-sinners,.and as subjects of God's moral gov*n- ment. To ensure the instruction of our .minds, you daily poured on our hearts a flood of comfort and consolation, from the- encouragements of the G-ospel to the chief of sinners. Your fervent prayers, we hope, have been heard and answered, and your in- structions applied. You clearly showed us from Scripture, and our own experience, the effects of ■ disobedience and of a profligate life, and the con- nexion that subsists between sin and suffering. " By your unwearied exertions, the word of God, which comparatively few could then read, is now no longer a sealed book to any one of us. Self-govern- Aent, and an implicit compliance with the lawful in- junctions of our superiors, have been inculcated and strongly recommended to our observance. Nor have our social and relative duties been overlooked or for- gotten, in the ^lidst of your multifarious avocations ; for whatsoever things are true, honest, pure, lovely, and of good report, have been set before us, and impressed upon our minds. " Confessing our unworthiness before God, we de- sire with heartfelt gratitude to bless Him for pre- serving us from the fury of the thunder-bolt, the ADDRESS TO THE SUEGEON-SUPlmiNTENDEaJT. 159 storm and tlie tempest ; from the rage of conflicting elements, and the .power of disease ; but in an espe- cial manner, we praise him for making known to us by His word and Spirit the way of everlasting life, through the mediation' of His dear Son, our only hope and Redeemer ; and as we know your aversion to every thing like adulation, your conviction that al]*spiritual illumination and impi-ovement are alone effected by the Eternal Spirit — are fully aware of the dread with which you regard the very thought of rrferring to any creature that which is to be wholly attributed to the Almighty power of the Holy Ghoft — we would, while we 'thank God for your instrumentality, desire to unite witli yoix in rendering to Him all the glory of all the saving work, Vhich He hath been graciously pleased to accomplish in any of our hearts diu-ing our passage from England to these colonies. "We would congratulate you on your recovery from your late illness and imminent danger, and pray to God to perfect, - in His goodness, your health, and to comfort your soul with the joys of His Holy Spirit. " We beg to express our warmest thanks for your patient, careful, and successful attention to the sick ; for your earnest efforts to instruct our minds, to en- large our understandings, to extend our knowledge, to improve. our morals, and to persuade us at all times,- particularly during our present unfortunate situation, to be most attentive to our respective du- ties. For these, and for every other act of kindness 160 THE CONVICT SHIP. experienced at your hands, we feel sincerely grate- fd: and deplore that any one of^ us should, at any time, have caused to your mind the slightest uneasi- ness ; or should have done or said any thing to meet your disapprobation, or demand your censure. "Whilst we lament our misconduct and misfor- tunes, we confess the justness of our sentence, and beg leave to profess our attachment and loyalty to our Sovereign, and attachment to her Government ; our resolution, by a willing submission to the laws of her representatives in the colonies whither we are bound, to approve ourselves as reformed from our vices and follies ; and we earnestly implore that Divine grace may enable us to submit in a proper form,'to do all things as unto- Christ Jesus. " We also beg to acknowledge the kindness of the Admiralty in providijig for our wants and comforts on our way hither. " Honoured Sir, we cannot .take our last leave of you without feeling a deep sense of sorrow, that our crimes were the cause of our meeting, and must also be the cause of our separation, and that to opposite sides of the world, in all human probability, never to meet more on this side of the grave ! Oh, may we all, through rich and free grace, meet in heaven ! " We beg to be affectionately remembered to the kind and Christian.friends and benevolent societies, who aided you in making so careful and liberal a provision for our spiritual wants. May you all par- take largely of the blessings, the peace, and the' joys of the Holy Ghost in Christ Jesus : to whose care ADDHESS TO THE STJEGEON-SUPEEINTENDENT. 161 we commit jou, and wisli you, with all our hearts, a safe and happy i-eturn to the bosom of your beloved family, and to your friends ! " And that the peace of God may rest and abide on you all, now and for evermore, is the unanimous and earnest prayer of us all ; in whose name, and by whose permission, I am, " Honoured Sir, your most obliged, "Most dutiful, and obedient Servant,' (Signed) «J_E— , "Inspector of School*," Submitted on board the Earl Grey in the Harbour ' of Ifobart Thum, January Uth, ISO. The address I received as containing an expi'ession of the sentiments and feelings of the prisoners in reference to their sovereign the Queen;' her Majes- ty's representative in the colony; the LoVds Com- missioners of the Admiralty ; the laws under which they live ; and to those benevolent societies and friends in London, BrightoUj and other places^ who liad so liberally contributed the means for furthering their intellectual and spiritual improvement, and se- curing their highest interests. In this address I trace the power of Christianity, and regard it as a tribute of praise to God, the giver of all good, and not at all to me, who am but an imperfect " earthen vessel," of which he is graciously pleased to make use, for conveying to those men His written word, which is effectual through the Spirit of truth alone, unto the present and everlasting salvation of their souls. 162 THE CONTICT SHIP. The number of prisoners on board the Earl Qrey who have given in to me their names as professed disciples of Christ, and are observed to regulate their temper and speech, their spirit and behaviour, ac- cording to the requirements of the Gospel, now amounts to oTie hundred and fourteen; exclusive of Abraham Button, who is believed to have entered iiito the joy of his Lord. The personal .inspection of the prisoners in the usual way, and by the proper authorities, com- menced on the morning of the l;7th, and closed on the 19th. The registrar expressed much pleasure at the appearance and answers of the men ; and ob- served how striking were the effects produced on the minds, the countenance, and carriage of men, by even a few months' scriptural instruction and sound moral discipline. Our uffual routine was conducted as regularly as the state of my health and our new engagements would allow. The examination of the schools was finally closed, and the people's progress ascertained and recorded. On the evening of the 16th, they as- sembled to receive from me their farewell address* and to worship God together for the last time on board the Earl Grey. Our last songs of praise were Psalm li, : " Have mercy, tord, qd me, As thou wert ever kind ;" * Appendiic APl'KOBATION BY THE GbTEKNOE. 163 And Cowper's hymn : ' " There is a fountain fiU'd with blood. Drawn from Immanuel's veins : And sinners plunged beneath that flood Lose all their guilty stains." At three o'clock on the morning of Jan. 20th, 1843, the boats came alongside agreeably to previous inti- mation, when the debarkation immediately , com- menced, and was speedily and orderly conducted, in thfignost perfect silence. At the hour and place appointed, I made an effort to attend ; when Plis Excellency, Sir John Franklin, inspected and addressed the prisoners, drawn up in open square, andspoke in high terms of approbation of their appearance, and their behaviour on board the Earl Grey : he endeavoured to impress -their minds with just views of the advantages they had enjoyed with respect to instruction and discipline during the voyage ; and assured them that their future conduct would be expected to be in unison with the privileges they had jDossessed on board the Earl Grey. It requires a particular knowledge of the circum- stances under which the prisoners are about to be placed on shore, to enable the reader fo contrast them with those ^rom which they are now removed forever, and information on this point I cannot attempt to sup- ply in this place.* For the present I would only *A letter, in the Appendix, froraW — B — , a convict often referred to in these pages as being a valuable assistant to me among his fel- low-prisoners, will give some idea of those .circumstances. It was written on the expiration of his two years' "probation" in the colony. 164: THE CONVICT ShIp. observe, that it is perhaps impossible for us to con- ceive the feelings our prisoners experienced under the immediate prospect of landing, and when they v?ent over the ship's side, and actually, set their feet, for the first time, on the penal shores of Tasmania. For a period of four months they had been under the constant influence of scriptural instruction and prayer, and of a system, of intellectual and moral go- vernment, founded on the grand principles of Chris- tianity, and in unison with its spirit and precepts. They had all been eye-witnesses of the blessefflreffecte which the knowledge, faith, and love of Christ are, under the power of the Eternal Spirit, able to pro- duce ; and these effects many of them had experienced to the praise and glory of God. If they follow the in- structions they have received, they will prove holy and useful men, wise to win souls to Jesus, and to hea- ven, by conversation, example, and prayer, and will be kept by the power of God unto the everlasting king- dom of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ; but it will not be manifest till that day when God shall take account of His people, how many souls on board the £'arl Grey were " born again "—^orn of the Word and Spirit of God. This chapter I shall close with extracts from a letter, which one of the prisoners put into' my hands, as he was about to step over the ship's side into one of the boats appointed to o»nvey him and his com- panions to the shore. He appears to have availed himself of the light of the midnight lamp, and to have occupied his last hours on boa,rd, (which he was EXTKACT OF A LEri'EK FKOM A CONVICT. 165 neither able nor disposed to give unto sleep,)- in at- tempting to give utterance to la heart whicli was too full for utterance, and -whose emotions must be far beyond the sympathies of those who have not felt the plague of their own hearts, nor experienced the sweet influence of pardoning love : ■*■******" Allow me to thank you most sincerely for every expression of kindness I have received from yoi^tt acknowledge with gratrful love ' to the ever-blessedGod,- that to Ilim alone belongs the glory and the praise for every new-covenant bless- ing bestowed upon the undeserving and the guiltjr, such as we poor sinners are, through -whatever chan- nel lie may be pleased to convey his precious and free gifts, the tokens of His everlasting and unchang- ing love ; yet I must thank you for all the kind and anxious care you have exercised towards us all, and towaxAi myself , a& an individual. It might have been with us as with many poor men in the like situ- ation with ourselves, to have " no man that would naturally care for our state," as God's creatures, and as offenders against His holy laws. But thanks be to the Lord for the manifestation of His abundant goodness 1 Oh, sir, if I know my heart at all, I feel that it overflows, as it were, this night with sincere gratitude and love to my Lord and your Lord, to my Father and your Father, for all His goodness to my soul and body, and to us all, from the time we first stepped upon the decks of this highly-favoured ship. "What shall I render unto the Lord for having ' made you the instrument of good to my soul, and to 166 THE COirVICT SHIP. the sonls of many of my poor dear companions in affliction! I am sure, dear kind friend of us poor convicts, your heart will respond, we shall bless and praise the Lord for ever !" '• It is midnight now, and I feel that I could, did prudence not whisper, like Paul and Silas, break out into a song to my Eedeemer, upon taking a retro- spective view of all the Lord's mercy and goodness which iiave followed us througM^r lives, and espe- cially during our voyage .... Ifelt, though nearly heart-broken by the thought of parting from my wife and child, — I felt, when in the hulk, such a strong desire to sail in- this ship as nothing could repress, and I left no stone unturned to accomplish my object, so far as I was concerned, though very ill. But I see now, without abating aught from my sin and guilt, and moral responsibility, God would have it so. He intended good ; He had thoughts of peace and not of evil towards me, a then careless creature. " I bless and adore Him for His providential deal- ings with me. I thank Him,^oh: ! I do indeed thank Him, this night, that Pie brought me on board this ship ! I cannot tell what He has done for me, through your faithful and affectionate instrumentality. But He has brought me low at His footstool to exalt me in the righteousness of the holy Jesus, who is very precious to my soul : and in His dear nam'e I can re- joice, some days, all the day long. Oh, sir, I believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ you and I, and many of my dear fellow-men here, will be saved, and when we get to heaven, salvation will be the subject of our praise : EXTKACT OF A CONYICT's iETTEE. 167 'Then shall we eing more sweet, more loud, And Christ shall be our song I' " May the Lord make and keep me very humble, , and make and keep me faithful unto death ! I need not remind you that I have no strength to resist sin and gladly follow my Lord, bearing His cross, but wbat I derive from our exalted and ever-blessed Lord himself. Ifeel it ! Oh, my sq||^ longs to love Him more ;— I long to be made useial to poor sinners! Oh, that I may have the opportunity ! I can do it in one way, I know, by showing forth the Saviour's praise and power to save, in my life and walk, spirit and temper. The Lord open doors for me to speak to my fellow-sinnera of Jesus and His great salvation ! The Lord grant me wisdom and a sound judgment, and a warm heart, and an enlightened mind ! " Oh, sir, pray for me, — I will pray for you ! I cannot forget you and mSV your kindness, and the kindness of your and our kind friends in England, who have taken so much interest in our welfare. Oh, do tell them, to the honour of our Lord, that one poor wandering sheep has been brought to the Good Shepherd who laid dov^'n His life for' the sheep, He loved them so dearly ! . . . I hope to meet with you, kind sir, where Jesus is ; and it will be heaven where He is ... . Oh, I feel a heaven in my soul when He dwells in me by faith, and visits nie with His love ; and He will never leave me : — He cannot — for He is formed in my heart the hope of glory : I dare not doubt it ! Blessed be God there are many more be- 168 THE CONVICT SHIP. side me ! The Lord has His own sheep amongst ns ;— and now we must part ! I feel the smart. Blessed be that dear uniting love that binds us together I " May God preserve you homewards, and restore you to your family in health and safety ! I have been very much comforted by these words, as I have thought of you leaving us — the precious words of Je- sus, which discover His relation to His believing people, and remindj||iem of His: never-ceasing care for them, — ' My Father and your Father ; my God and your God !' I have been reading the twentieth chapter of the Acts, and found great benefit .... Excuse me in taking so much liberty as I have, in addressing to you this short letter before I quit the EaA Grey. Farewell." OONCLUDINa STATEMENTS. 169 CHAPTER Ym. Oonclnding statements — Letter from Inspector of Schools — Summary ol apparent good accomplished — Extract from a prisoner's letter, atter he had been some time in the colony. In perusing the foregoing narrative, tlie reader cannot fail to be struck with the quiet, orderly, and superior behaviour of the prisoners, the punctuality and clffeerfulness with which they performed the du- ties involved in our daily routi;i >, and especially with the diligence and zeal with which they attended to the great and important business: of their education. It will be observed that we had no infliction of cor- poral punishment ; a mode of dealing, at- least with adult offenders, which generally tends but to debase, and harden, and to extinguish every remaining spark of virtue, self-respect, and manliness of feeling. It will be seen that the prisoners in the Earl Orey were governed by daily Christian instruction, accompanied with fervent prayer, and by uniformly kind and manly treatment, — that they were ruled by a con- sistent discipline, which uniformly requires i close and pimctual observance of all established regula- tions ; a prompt, cheerful, and courteous obedience, given on right principles, to every lawful command ; a becoming and respectful carriage ; and the habitual use of correct and iiTeproachable language in all 8 ITO THE CONVICT SHIF. their communications witli each other, and witli all men. Thus we have an additional illustration of the soundness of the scheme of instruction and moral discipline which had been framed during my former voyages, and which has been detailed in another work. " Tlie entire management, as well as the medical treatment of the convicts," is very wisely, and indeed, considering that he is engaged on naval service, is necessarily intrusted to "the surgeon-superintendent," the only naval officer on board, who is also held responsible for the care and expenditure of Her Majesty's stores ; is commanded " to issue suali rules and regulations for the promotion of good order on the part of the convicts, as he may judge proper, inserting copies thereof in his Journal ;" and " to appoint from among the convicts in health, those whom he niay think most fit and trustworthy to act as .attendants on the sick." " As it is highly desira- ble to keep the minds of the convicts as constantly and usefully employed as possible, he is to exert his best endeavours to establish schools, under such regu- lations as circumstances will permit ;" is "to read the Church Service every Sunday to the convicts .... and also a Sermon ;" and, finally, is required " to use every possible means to promote a religious and mo- ral disposition in the convicts:' The authority with which the surgeon-superintendent is thus invested, and the instructions which he is required to carry into effect, fully and distinctly determine his position in the ship, at the same time that they afford tha FORMATION OF SCHOOLS. 171 most gratifying proof of the interest with which the Admiralty .regards the convicts, and the soundness of the views entertained of their condition and moral wants. Nevertheless I had to encounter obstructions to tlie performance of my duty in the Earl Grey which were comparatively unknown to my former experience ; and some important provisions of the system of management already referred to, were thus rendered unavailable, and its working Jess efficient, and far more trying to nay mind and health, than on any former voyage.* Still, as already hinted, its character was fully sustained, and my confidence in its soundness and practicability strongly confirmed. The twenty-four schools into which the whole of the prisoners were classified, were kept in active and regular operation till nearly the end of the voyage, when some changes were made, more effectually to help forward those individuals who were still inca- pable of reading the New Testament with ease and comfort. The patient diligence of the teachers, and persevering application of the pupils, were most gra- tifying ; and the active and untiring zeal of my In- spector of Schools excited my admiration. To him, to W — B — , to my chief Captain, to the other petty officers and school-masters, and to many who were not called to fill office, I have cause to feel most grateful : and it will be an unhappy day for me when • Measures have been -wisely adopted to prevent, in future, any Buoh unwarranted interference with the duties of the Surgeon-Su- perintendenl as that to wliich allusion has here been made. 172 -THE CONVICT SHIP. I find myself capable .of forgetting them and their exiled associates at the throne of grace. My monthly examination of the schools took place in the manner mentioned in "England's Exiles;" but the formation of a Board of Examiners at the termination of the voyage, as on former occasions, to wind up by a general examination, and award prizes, was, in the Sari Grey, morally impossible. The duty was therefoi-e executed by myself, assisted by the most fit and intelligent of my petty officers and schoolmasters. A Table, showing the result of our final examina- tion, will be found in the Appendix ; it presfflits, also, a view of the state of education in my other ships. The number taught to write in the JEarl Grey was unusually small, and for this reason: — the number who, when they embarked, were Unable to read, was very considerable, and a great many of them got on very slowly, and required extra attention. I could not, therefore, spare my schoolmasters, either to teach or learn to write. It was far more important that the whole of tlie people should be taught to read the Bible, than'that either few or many of them should be taught to write. Those who desire to learn to write may do so in the colony ; but if a prisoner land unable to read the sacred Scriptures, the probability is that he will never learn. After the statements made in the foregoing pages, it is unnecessary to add many words with reference to the amount of good actually or apparently accom- plished, through the Divine blessing, during our STJMMAKY OF APPA=E]tNT GOOD ACCOMPLISHED. 173 voyage. The whole of the prisoners were, on land- ing, with one exception, able to read the Ploly Scrip- tures ; and, with two exceptions, they all landed in the possession of a Bible or TeStamfent, aiid other valuable and instructive books : most of them re- ceived also a Prayer-book. Even those who gave no decided evidence that they had received the truth in the love of it, re.ceived, nevertheless, "no inconsiderable benefit from_ the sys- tem of instruction and discipline followed out during the voyage ; and though they may have hitherto, in their unbelief, put away from them the salvation of the Gospel, and thus increased their guilt and danger, yet the instruction they have received may, at some future time, either in, health or sickness, be Tnade effectual through grace to their conversion toGrod. The great body of the prisoners gave unequivocal evidence of improvement, both intellectual and moral. Their behaviour towards each other, and towards all on board, was highly satisfactory. ISTearly all of them had, in some degree, acquired a habit of application and the love of useful knowledge^ Tliey became thoughtful, learned to command their temper, to be obliging and courteous, and, generally speaking, con- ducted themselves in a manner that would have done credit to any 'portion of the labouring community of England. "With scarcely an exception, their conver- satiowwas remarkably correct and manly ; only on. one or two occasions, during the whole voyage, did I hear an improper expression proceed from their lips : and I hesitate not to say, that I should rejoice to see 174 THE CONTICT SHIP. every little community of men, whether at sea or on shore, characterized by a similar tone oi decorum. With reference to those men [114 in number,] whose enmity to the Gospel appeared to have been subdued — who professed to take up the cross and to follow Christ, and whose temper and conduct, conversation, tastes, and habits, while on board, tallied with their profession ; we dare not doubt their convictions of sin, their pei"siiasion that in the Lord Jesufe alone they had pardon and life; that they derived peace and- consolation from the truth which they appeared to believe, and that by that truth their spirit and conduct were influenced ; but to which of the classes specified in Matt. xiii. they positively belonged, it is not for us to saiy; "They shall be known by their fruit." " They had no encouragement to act the part of the hypocrite ; quite the reverse. Of such unworthy and perilous conduct they were constantly warned to be- ware, and were faithfully shown that the couree of the hypocrite only involves him in greater guilt and wretchedness, and that his hope must perish forever 1 But whatever may be said of the sincerity or insin- cerity of any of the prisoners, in their profession of faith in Christ, and of obedience to Him, they must stamd iy the decision of their lives, and of the great day. Here it ought to be stated, that I never report a prisoner as a reformed character unless his spirit and . conduct, and experience of the power of Divine truth, correspond, as far as can be perceived, with the re- cords and requirements of the sacred Scriptures. EFFECTS OF THE PEOBATION SYSTBil. 175 Were the temper and behaviour of some people, es- teemed respectable, who make a great profession of Christianity, and are regarded by many as Christians, to be transferred to one of my convicts, that convict I could not conscientiously report as being a reformed man. It has been liinted that the prisoners, on debark- ing from the Earl Orey, vrere placed in circumstan- ces most unfavourable to the furtherance of their moral and spiritual improvement. The Probation system which has been for several years in operation in Tasmania, places convicts In masses of 300 or 400. And when we remember the lamentable paucity of faithfnl labourers in the Gos- ■ pel in our Penal Colonies, the extreme difficulty, i^ not impossibility, of obtaining pious and suitallUr men to fill responsible situations at Probation Sta- tions ; the character and habits of a vast majority of convicts, and their corrupting influence, when not placed under an efficient system of scriptural instruc- tion and moral discipline, we shall not be surprised if many of the prisoners by the Earl Orey, even of those who appeared to have been reformed, should be again seduced for a time into sin, and subjected to punishment. In all circumstances the people of God need to be upheld by a Divine power. Severed from Christ, (John xv. 4, 5,) they can do nothing. But there are special circicmstances in which they stand in need of special grace ; and such are the cir- cumstances in which the prisoners are now placed. It is indeed difficult to imagine any position under 176 THE CONVICT .SHIP. the sun in which a Christian can more urgently need the never-ceasing watchfulness and care of the Good Shepherd. The i^reservation of even an advanced Christian in siich circumstances would strikingly illustrate the power of Divine grace. *. . Little, however, can be learned from the official re- ports of our prisoners under the Probation system, which can lead to any just and satisfactory conclusion respecting the steadfastness with which they adhere to the principles and requirements of Christianity. This they will strive to do in whatever circumstancea they arc even now placed, if they cleave to Christ aa His true and humble followers; but when their pro- bation servitude is finished, and^ in virtue of their ^Probation Pass,'" they have found their way into 'Ufie employ of a godly and consistent master, they may endeavour, with increased probability of success, to carry their instruction into practice, and to evince the genuineness of their faith by the scriptural cor- rectness of their lives. "We can now only leave them in the Lord's hands, bear them on our hearts at the throne 6f Divine mercy, and implore the Great Shepherd of the sheep to take care of them, and to raise up spiritual and faithful men, who may lead them into a closer and more influential acquaintance with the blessed Savi- our in the cheerful and habitual, obedience of faith and love. When we commend to God's fatherly goodness " all those who are anyways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate ;" and when we implore the Lord " to show his pity upon sXi prisoners THE GOSPEL EEACHE9 TO CONVICTS. lYT and oaptimes ;" let us have a special regard to all -despised and unhappy convicts.^ whether men or wo- men ; who sliould ever be the subjects of the most earnest and believing prayer. ^ I am fully aware of the extent to which there pre- vails a chilling, heartless, proud, and ignorant skepti- cism with reference to the conversion of a convict. But are the word and Spirit of (^od omnipotent ? If the atonement and finished righteousness of the Mes-' siah availed for the pardon and salvation of a Saul of Tarsus, a condemned malefactor, an Onesimus, of many even of the depraved Corinthians, and of the betrayers and murderers of the Prince of Life,* — shall they not avail for the forgiveness, purification, . and life of a Convict — of every convict who believes in Christ, and honestly submits to his authority? "Why should not He who died on the cross to ransom convicts, experience the promised satisfaction in pre- senting them to the Father with exceeding joy? It would materially aid us in forming a just esti- mate of that unhappy and degraded portion of the community, and in cherishing becoming sympatliy towards them, were we to tliink more correctly of the character and parentage of the wliole human race. What epithets should we hear applied to the first offending human pair, were they spoken of as certain persons speak of modern convicts? They were united in an act of gross disobedience, in the per- petration of a theft — of a base, ungrateful robbery, a * Luke xxiii. 32 — 43; Acts viii. ix..; Gal. i. 23; 1 Tim. i.; Phile- mon; 1 Cor. vi. 9—11 ; Acts ii. 37—41; vii. 61 — 53. 8* 17S THE CONVICT SHIP. most aggravated hreach of trust ! Were they not detected, brought to justice, arraigned at the bar of their omniscient, just and mercifulJudge ? and were they not convicted, and condemned to death ! They were reprieved, it is true, and a full, free, and consi^ tent pardon was provided for them ; nevertheless, it was necessary that they should be lanished — . banished from their first happy residence, and sent forth into the wide, wild, and unsubdued world, doomed, by hard labour and the sweat of their brow, to eat their bread, until the earth in which they toiled for their subsistence, should receive their sinful and weary dust, in pursuance of the sentence so justly passed upon them. — (Gen. iii.) When we speak of convicts, lament over their folly, and condemn their crimes, let us remember the history of Eden ; let that history duly affect our hearts; let us bear in mind, also, how closely our conduct and character resemble those of the pair in wh(3se fall we are so fearfully interested ; let us re- collect, moreover, that in all the rich, free, and cove- nant provision contained in Gen. iii. 15, the whole of mankind are most deeply concerned ; and that they are, without exception, invited and required to lay hold of all that provision, for present pardon and peace, for holiness of heart and conduct, and for everlasting life and glory. When prisoners on board a convict ship write to their relatives and friends, they send in their letters CHAKACTEK OF rElSONIiKS'' LKTTEK8. 179 unsealed to the surgeon-superintendent, who — having thus had the opportunity to examine their contents, shot^d he deem it necessary — seals, and despatches them. On our arrival in the colony, the prisoners in the Earl Grey expressed to me a strong desire to write to their relations. I accordingly' supplied them with paper ; and their letters, as usual, were forwarded to me. Although their number was very considerable, I was induced to glance at their contents, for the* purpose of observing what subjects had been select- ed, in addressing friends, from whom, in most cases, the writers were separated for ever; and having good reason to hope, that most of these letters were written out of the abundance of their heart, their character was certainly most gratifying. With very few exceptions they were impressive sermons, whether long or short. They recounted the mercies of God vouchsafed to all on board ; referred to the power of the thunderbolt, and of the waves of the sea, as experienced by the prisonp.rs during the voy- age ; acknowledged their sin and need of a Saviour ; set forth Christ as the only refuge of the guilty and the lost ; and urged the relations and friends not to delay, .but to flee to the blood of the cross for pardon and life, adding suitable exhortations on reading the Bible, the observance of the Sabbath-day, avoiding iinproper companions, and so forth. These letters reaching ^^ngland, would, of course, be scattered over the country, among that class of the com- munity to which the writers belong, and, with 180 THE CONVICT SHIP. the Divine blessing, were calculated to enforce the importance of spiritual and eternal things, and of turning to the Lord by the receptian of His Son Jesus Christ. From none of the letters to which I refer did I make any extracts. But from one which was writ- ten some time after our arrival iri the colony, to a near relative in England, I am induced, considering that I can do so warrantably, to make a long cita- •tion ; which will prove the more acceptable to the reader, because it was not written under the re- motest apprehension that it would ever meet the eye of the public. It will be in keeping, however, with the spirit which the writer: evinced while on board the transport, and afterwards in the colony, if we use his letter to promote the cause of His Lord and Saviour more widely than he had contemplated. It was written at a Probation Station, at a con- siderable distance from Hobart, and was forwarded through the proper channel for transmission home. The extract is as follows : '• My Dear, — ^Tlianks to the Lord, I once more am permitted to write to you in the enjoyment of excel- lent health, though in a foreign land, and in bond- age, the desert ^ of crime • a fact which I wish ever to bear upon my mind, and which, with the Divine blessing, tends to humble me, and render me com- paratively contented in my present sjtua'tion. " * * * I have found the Scripture declaration true, tliat I have a desperately wicked and deceitful LETTEE OF A CONTICT. 181 heart, out of which has proceeded all that wicked- ness which man, or Satfin, or my owl conscience charges upon me, which to the Divine Being must appear exceedingly sinful, and must have sunk me to the lowest depth of m.isery here aud hereafter, but for the hand of mercy bearing me up, but for that Sinner's Friend who bled upon the cross, that the vilest of the vile might have life, and might have it more abundantly ; but though man may deem rrife, and that justly, a very scandal and curse to the earth, yet there is, I find,- in God's word, one infalli- hle rule by which I can judge of myself; viz., — • 'Tliey that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the aflfections and lusts.' I trust I really do hate sin and love holiness. It makes my heart bleed to think what a rebel I have been, although Jam hut a wonn,! I am at times, I confess, rather dejected, when I think what distress I have brought, especially upon you, dear -, and sweet child, and upon a number of dear relations and4"riends who loved me, and who, may I yet indulge the fond hope, still love me, though now an exile. Beloved friends, next to the deepest wound I feel in my heart, — the remembrance of my base ingratitude to God my Saviour, who had al- ways been doing me good — (and, oh ! may I always while I live feel its smart, rather than do such great evil again towards the Lord !)— next to this, I say, is the remembrance of theinjury I have inflicted upon ymib. What I have passed \SxrQVi^ personally, is but a trifle to me : the sorrow I have caused you is my. greatest grief. But I hope you pray for me. Your 182 MCE CONVICT SHIP. Saviour prayed for his bitterest enemies. So do as He did; bfar me— all of you— upon your hearts before the Lord. " I am surrounded by very wicked men ; but the lord has kept me, and will still keep the soul that trusts in Him. There aro a few, I believe, who fear His name, in this notoriously wicked colony. I have here with me some of my companions who came over with me in the Earl Grey^ to whom the instructions they received froni our dear friend, Di'. Browning, the surgeon-superintendent, were blessed. I believe they are Christians. They are walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. We often speak one to another of His great goodness to such bad men as we have been : aiid it is good thus to converse. Means of grace are not so plentiful with us, as they once were, and as you have them. Oh ! my dear , do prize them ; and tell any, who ybu think undervalue or neglect them, to be diligent, or they may be deprived of them, smd it will pierce them then, to think of former misimprovements. — I feel it! I do indeed feel it! " My dear , the time will arrive when, if it please God, we shall have a prospect of meeting again," [alas, a feeble prospect !*] " At present, let us wait, and put our confidence in the Lord, who causeth all things to work together for good to those who love Him : 'Be still, and know that I am God.' May He grant us patience and submission to His will ! I trust * It is supposed that the proportion of convicts who return from the Penal Colonies to Great Britain and Ireland, is about one in a huiidred. LETTEK OF A CONVICT. 183 my friends will not disown me. An over-anxious de- sire to increase my master's connexion led mo into company, wliich brought 6n habits of drinking and ' treating,' and led to my ruin ; and, being heedless, ' like those at the ' Slougli of Despond,' I fell in. Oh, that my fall may be a warning to all who know me ! Oh, that I could restore to one of the best of masters, what I wasted of his property in profligacy ! But I am content to suffer this banishment ; and on my own part this is the lightest of what I do suffer : I feel that I deserve ten times more. Tell Mr. , you have lieard from his unworthy servant. I hope he is pros- pering, and that he will never give another journey- man the liberty he gave me. I say not these things to extenuate ni}'^ guilt. Tell my dear • to be a father to my dear child as much as he can, and the I Lord will not forget his labour of love. " Weak and prone to err, and constantly in the midst of the grossest and most terrihle wiolcedness, I often tremble, knowing that I possess the elements of all that is evil in my own breast, .which, did not grace prevent, would take fire, and then I should be capable of doing all that is soul-destructive r yea, which would involve soul and body in wretchedness and ruin for ever ! God be thanked, He has hitherto helped me ; and, though beset with snares, still I stand a monu- ment of His mercy ; and, •How can I sink with such a Prop, Which bears the world and all things np !' "Dearest , my imagination takes wing, and 184 THE CONVICT SHIP. carries me 18,000 miles across the great sea, and places me by your side in your own humble dwelhng. The first thing that rises in my mind is, How is it with your soul's concerns? are the consolations of God small with you? Your health,— the health of my child— the manner in which you get your living,— the welfare of all my dear friends and relations, — are all questions I should propose, and are important ; but my great concern is to know as to the health of your precious and immortal soul. TRe love of Christ is to the humble penitent the never-failing source of true comfort. Nothing else but the Gospel of Christ received into the heart by faith can give us a happi- ness that will remain uninjured by all the changing scenes of this changing life — that will enable us to rise above the trials and troubles of this world. This happiness alone is built on the true Foundation, and it will abide for ever ! It will not deceive us nor desert us in the time of need. Blessed be God ! I find it so. I trust you do ; I cannot wish you a greater blessing. In diiSculties and distresses this source of happiness will be our refuge and consolation, will outlive the ruins of a dissolving world, and -our happiness will flo.urish through eternal ages. However tried, per- secuted, afflicted, tormented we may be, if our souls are under the protection of Jesus, nothing can hurt them. His peace, you know, my dear , is not to be destroyed by the varying circumstances of life. Peace reigns in the heart, where the powers of man cannot reach ; it cannot fail us, it is fixed on the Eock of Ages, and will last for ever ! . . . LETTEK OF A CONVICT IN THE COLONT. 185 "To my deep regret (and I attribute my downfall to this cause,) I was not diligent in the use of all the means of grace, especially watchfulness and prayer, and have been wisely permitted to feel and to suffer the sure consequences of my own conduct. Once more, —it may be for the last time, — let me entreat all who profess to believe in, and follow Christ, to value pri- vate and public means of grace. Though there is an inexhaustible fulness of grace and blessing treasured up in Christ for all who hunger and thirst after right- eousness, yet we often, like Hagar in the wilderness, sit weeping near the well of consolation, and will not lift up our eyes to see, nor raise our hands to receive from the Fountain of Life the waters of comfort, to the joy and refreshing of our souls. . . . May you, dear , draw from Him by faith, who is the Fount of every blessing, daily supplies; and the water He will give you shall be in you a well, of water, spring- ing up unto everlasting life. So prays your truly affectionate,. «*** **** *» It is impossible to tell with what trying severity transportation, though rendered by Divine grace sub- servient to the soul's everlasting welfare, operates on all convicts, and especially upon such men as the writer of the above letter, — a letter which is calcu- lated at once to show the sustaining power of vital Christianity under such an overwhelming and ago- nizing chastisement, and to warn every man and wo- man in Great Britain and Ireland against violating in any way the laws of the land, and thus voluntari- 186 THE CONVICT SHIP. ly subjecting themselves to a punishment, the nature and tendency of which so few persons seem fullj to understand, but which is, in everj respect, so terri- ble, — so likely, in ordinary circumstances, to pi-ove disastrous to the soul, that it ought ever to be regard- ed with tlie utmost dread I APPENDIX. FIR3T ADDRESS TO THK PRISONEKS IMIBEDIATELT ON THEIR EMBARKATION, AND BEFORE THKV ARE PERMITTED TO QUIT THE QHARTER-DEOK. « * This day commences a new »ra in your existence. The moment you set your feet on tlie decks you now occupy, you came under the operation, and, T trust, will speedily come under the influence, of a system which contemplates you as intellectual and moral be- ings ; as beings who necessarily exert an incalculdfole influence, good or bad, upon each other, upon man- kind, and upon the moral universe ; as beings, more- over, who can never cease to exist, in a state of per- fect happiness or of unutterable wretchedness. The present moment is the link which connects the past with the future ; — a moment calculated to bring the past most vividly to your recollection, to awaken in your bosoms a deep and anxious solicitude respecting your future career and experience ; — a moment so full of intense interest to you and to me — so pregnant with result to every individual now before me, that I feel it difficult to determine what points of considera- tion I ought, to select. It is your advantage, your individual, present and everlasting welfare, that 1 now desire^ seek ; and perhaps, you cannot, at this 188 THE CONVICT S^BIP. instant, be.more profitably exercised, than in honest- Ij and solemnly calling up to your recollection the* days of your life that are gone. Permit me, then, to ask you, in order that you may put the question, every one of you, secretly to himself. What views do yo.u now entertain of your past life ? "What think you of the period of your infancy?— when you hung a helpless, and, as it respects guilt personally contracted, a guiltless babe on your mother's breast — tRe tender object of a mother's care ; over whom she watched day and night, with a sleepless solicitude, only known to the faithful mother? Can you think on the fond embraces of a nijpther's love, and the unutterable feelings awaken- ed in a mother's bosom, when she gaz«d with delight on the child of her aifectiqn ? — I ask, is there a man now before me, who can thus think on the days of his infancy, and compare them with the present mo- ment, and his heart remain unmoved ? Do you now consider how your father and mother toiled to pro- cure, with the sweat of their brow, bread for you to eat, raiment for you to put on, a bed for you to sleep upon, and a house to shelter you from the cold, the rain, and the storm ? — can you remember all this, and not put to your own hearts the question, How have I requited my parents' labour, their soli- citude, their love? Oh, could they for a moment have imagined that they were rearing up children to bring dishonour upon their jjame, to be the in- mates of prisons and of convict hulks, a|g,to appear, FIE8T ADDEESS ON BOAED. 18& covered with the badges of infamy, as you now do, on th^ decks of a transport, to be removed with forfeited liberty from their native land, to some dis- tant corner of the world, there to reap the bitter fruits of folly and of crime, what would have been the agonies of your parents' hearts I Perhaps there are before me the children of pious parents — two or three, it may be. You who are thus privileged, remember that you are the su^ects of many fervent prayers. Your parents carried you, in the arms of their faith and love, to the throne of grace ; and there, in the fervour of secret devotion, when no eye saw, but the eye of Him whose help and blessing they implored for you, did they dedi^te you to that compassionate Redeemer, who came to i3eek and save the lost ! Do you remember how they taught you the Sci"ip- tures, and led you forth on the day of holy rest to the house of God ? Do you now remember the daily worship of God in your father's family, his morning and evening sacrifice of prayer and praise, his read- ing of God's holy Word? When the hour "of rest arrived, the arms of a fond mother placed you in the couch which her atfection and industry had prepared ; and you fell asleep, listening to the tenderest expres- sions of maternal love. By the bedside of her slum- bering and unconscious child she kneels in prayer. Her heart's desire and that of her husband is, above all things, to see their children become the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and thus make choice of that good part which shall never be taken away from them. 190 THE CONVICT SHIP. Do you recollect, as you advanced in years, how you set at nought all their counsel, despised their entreaties, frustrated their prayers, and, by your dis- obedience and ingratitude, grieved their spirit, and stung their hearts ? They saw the first outbreakings of the corruptions of your nature, and laboured to see those corruptions uprooted. They observed your disposition to turn .your back upon them and upon God, and they tenderly remonstrated with you on the fearful choice you were making. They saw your choice of corrupt associates, and they reminded you that he wlio walketh with wise men shall be wise, but that the companion of fools shall be destroyed ^ yet all was of no avail. Your parents fought and labouredybr you and/br God ', you fought and con- tended against yourselves, against your parents, against God ! You cared not for a father's grief or a mother's broken heart ; you heeded not their coun- sel, you steeled your heart against their love , you were wedded to the companions of your iniquity — to your unhallowed enjoyments, and after tlaem you were determined to go. "When the messengers of peace beckoned you to return to the paths of hoU- ness, you sullenly turned your backs, determined to tal?e the full draught of sin, though you knew that death was in the cup. Thus you ran greedily in your own ways, reckless of all consequences, until justice laid her iron hand upon you, and awarded you what ly your deeds you demanded, and the inte- rests of society required— namely, that ijou should be removed from the land of your iirth, and be placed FIRST ADDRESS ON BOAED. 191 i/n oiroumstances corresponding with your character and your crimes. But although few of you may have enjoyed the privilege of being brought up by consistent Christian parents, there are, nevertheless, many advantages which all of you have possessed. Have you not, ever since yoii opened your eyes upon the world you inhabit, had visible proofs of the power, wisdom, and goodness of God ? Do no.t the heavens declare the glory of God, and the iinnanient show his handiwork ? Do not your own bodies de- clare to you the perfections of Him who made you, and who has fed and upheld you all your life to the present moment? Hath he not been continually doing us good ; giving us rain from heaven and fruit- ful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness, giving us life, and breath, and all things ? And what have you to say to conscience — which God has placed in every man's bosom, by which to distinguish between right and wrong? Have you been careful to enlighten conscience ? and have you listened to its voice? Do you remember, when a child,-with what a clear and distinct voice conscience spake to you ; told you of some immediate duty, some good act to be done, and bade you make haste and do it ; or remonstrated with you as to some sin- ful omission, or some evil deed, warning you of con- sequences? And do you recollect with what con- scious sophistry you laboured to turn aside her reasonings, to silence her voice, to impose upon yourself, and so to gratify your sinful desires ? In 193 THE CONVICT SHIP. this way conscience became seared as with a not iron, and you have gathered the bitter fruits of your triumphs over her remonstrances — you have reaped an abundant harvest of guilt, infa,my, and suffering. Have you not also received many warnings from the dispensations of Divine Providence f Have you not been visited, perhaps, again and again, with affliction? — brought, it may be, to the very gates of death ; but your life was in great mercy prolonged, to give you time and space to return unto God. And how have you improved these kind chastisements? PlavG they produced ijie effect for which they were designed by a gracious God? Let conscience and your presence here answer tlie question. Which of you, moreover, cannot recollect a near relative, an intimate associate, cut down by death, perhaps suddenly, or at the close of a lingering dis- ease, during which he was, by his sufferings, preach-; ing a loud and intelligible sermon to all around him ? Was he carried off in the midst of his iniquity, while rejecting the mercy published in the Gospel? Oh, how loudly does such a death speak to your con- science ! And could you but hear the voice, how loudly doe^ your friend, at this moment, address you from the regions of despair and everlasting burning-? Or, was he a faithful follower of Christ? How does he now beckon to you from the mansions of eternal rest, and call upon you to turn at once from paths that lead down' to the abodes of death ! Has your attention never been arrested by the holy and useful lives of godly men, rich or poor— men FIEST ADDRESS ON BOAitD. 193 who live above tlie world, liiimble, consistent Chris- tians, who press forward to a blessed and glorious eternity ? Why did you not, then, follow their exaftiple, and secure to yourselves their happiness ? As to your telling me that you reckoned all the avowed followers of Christ hypocrites, this is too absurd to deserve, our notice. If there were no good shillings, there could be, in circulation, no bad ones ; and if thei*e were no real Christians,- there would be no hypocritical professors of Christianity. Your conscience tells you, it was because you hated the Lord, that you hated his faitliful servants ; and pre- ferred the broad way and the wide gate leading down to the chambers of death, before tlie narrow path and strait gate which conduct unto life. But again : Have you never heard of a book called the Bible? I ask yon, most solemnly, how have you treated it? You know that it was written by men inspired by the Spirit of God, and that by the Bible, God Himself speaks to your understanding and your heart. And when God addresses us, has He not a right to be heard ? Your Maker graciously sent to tell you of your rebellion and your danger, of His love, afid the provision He has, in His great mercy, made for your deliverance, and recovery to Himself and to happiness ; and what reception have you given to His message, and to His Bible, through which that mes- sage was conveyed ? His message have you not re- fused to receive ? His Bible have you not treated with indignity and neglect ? You know that you have not made it'your business to search it diligently, and in a 9 194 THE corner ship. right spirit ; nor yielded to it the obedience which it is joul- dutj and privilege to yield ; and, therefore, it is, you are this da,y standing on these decks in jour present unhappy and degrading circumstances. Obe- dience to your Bible would have prevented all the evil you have brought upon yourselves, and which you now of necessity must endure, Are there many of you who tell me you cannot read, and that, therefore, you do not deserve blame for not reading the Bible ? I ask you, why cannot you read ? You knew that a written message to you from heaven must deserve to be examined j and that it must be worth your while — to say nothing of your duty — to use your utmost endeavours to be enabled to read and understand such a message. But what ef- forts, what streniMus exertions have you made ? Had you no access, by any means, at any period of your life, to a school ? How many did you beg and entreat to give you lessons ? Hqw many refused to afford you help ? Have you not manifested a shameful indif- ference about the matter, preferring any amusement, however low or pernicious, to the manly exercise of learning to read the Scriptures ? I can scarcely sup- pose that there is among you one individual, who might not have been able this day to read, had he done his duty, in using the means of instruction within his reach. For" such wilful ignorance, and for all the crimes and sorrow that spring therefrom, is that man answerable to his conscience, to society, and to God ! Once more: You had access to ^places of public worship where the sacred Scriptures were read FIEST ADDEES8 ON BOARD. 196 prayers offered to God, and the Gospel of salvation freely published 1 Did you thankfully avail your- selves of every opportunity of there meeting with the people of God, to wait upon Him in His appointed ordinances ? How have you employed the first day of the week — the Lord's day f Look back upon your Sabbaths ! What speak they now ? Are you prepared to hear their vcroe at the judgment-seat of Christ ? What do they witness ? Do you tell me they witners against your parents, or your masters ? These are not re- plies to my present questions. What testimony do your Sabbaths bear to you ? Have you used them for the ends for which He graciously gave them to you ? Did you regard the day of holy rest as the day of slothful indolence ? How much of God's holy day did you spend in idleness : how much in sinful and gross indulgences ? Where were you when you heard the tolling of the bell, when the people were gather- ing themselves together to hear the word of pardon and peace, of holiness and life? What said you to the loud call, or to the whispWs of conscience, when your neighbours and their families were proceeding to the house of prayer ? Whither did your feet carry you f — ^To the place where the blessed Jesus hath pro- mised to meet, to receive, and pardon sinners, and to fill them witli the joys of His great salvation ? or did they bear you to the haunts of vice, the abodes of dark- ness arid of the children of darkness — the gates of death, which lead down to hell? The Tdmern wiis more suited to your dispositions, than the place of 196 THE CONVICT SHIP. Divine Worship ; the destructive draught from the poisoned cup was swallowed with a greedy relish, while the rich provisions of the Gospel table, and the pure water of life, were utterly loathed and rejected ; dust, the serpent's meat, was preferred to the bread of heaven ; low and corrupting ribaldry was more pleas- ing to the ear of your licentiousness, than were the truths of the G-ospel. The song of the drunkard was preferred to the hymn of salvation ai^ praise. Shame, poverty, disease, and death, were chosen ra- ther than respectability, competency, health, and life ; and you are this .day reaping some of the fruits of your choice. Finally : you knew the laws of your couni/ry ; and that you were bound, both by the laws of God and man, to speak truth, to be honest and upright, and to wrong no man. You knew that it was your duty to be industrious and frugal ; to provide, by some lawful calling, for yourselves and your families ; you were perfectly aware that the peace of society required that the laws of the land should be enforced ; yet these laws you deHberately,*nd the greater number of you probably oftener than once, violated. This course of conduct you moreover followed, in the face of many practical warnings, furnished to you by thousands of your countrymen, who, by their unprincipled and law- less conduct, rendered themselves obnoxious to jus- tice and paid the penalty. Thus liave you forgotten the tender care of your parents, despised their coun- sels, and frustrated their prayers ; the voice of faithflil conscience you have stiiled ; the warnings of Divine FIE8T ADDEISS ON BOAED. 19f Providence you have turned aside ; the holy example of God's children only excited the enmity of your car- nal minds ; the word of God you either neglected or perverted ; the house of prayer you forsook for the abodes of sin and death ; on the sound of the Gospel of peace you closed your ears; the Lord's day you profaned ; the laws of your countryyou have trampled under your feet. The judges of the land have de- clared, on the verdict of a jury of your own country- men, that the peace of society demands your being placed under restraint, and forthwith removed to a distant corner of the empire ; and you cannot fail to acknowledge-^rOT*(^e<^ you are now in a heooming and hopeful state of mind — that your sentence is just, and that the Judge of all the earth, who knows your heart, and all your ways, hath acted towards you, not only in righteousness, but likewise in wisdom, and in^lf^at mercy. These reflections may be painful to your minds, but they are profitable. You are, at this moment, entering upon a new career ; you now come under a system of moral discipline, which contemplates, not only your present, but your future character and enjoyments through endless ages; and it is of the utmost importance that you should entertain just views of the past, and be duly prepared to enter upon what lies before you. Should there be — the case is ^possible — one indivi- dual amongst you, who has in i/ruth reason to con- clude that he is not guilty of the crime imputed to him, let him remember, that however much spch 198 THE GONYIOT SHIP. an evil is to be lamented, and however much mam, may have sinned in tearing him from his friends and the land of his birth, that there are other crimes with which he is justly chargeable before God, which de- serve at his hand a far severer cliastisement ; and that, viewing the infliction as an evil which the All- wise and Sovereign Euler of the universe has per- mitted to overtake him, it may be so improved as to advance his best interests for Time and Eternity ! I merely admit the possibility of snch a case, knowing that it is not a rare thing for men in your situation to allege that they are guiltless suiferers ; but the probability is, that there is not among you one, individual who is not guilty of tlie crime or crimes with which he is charged, and on account of which he is now suffering. You now withdraw to your berths, and you will do so in deep and solemn thought. Let eyam man's mind retire within himself Let there be no talking, but let all be. deep consideration. Look back upon your lives ; silently meditate upon, and faithfully apply, every man to himself, what has been now spoken in great kindness to you all. Let every one consider, that to talk to his neighbour on retiring from this place, is to invade his neighbour's rights, and to interrupt that solemn and secret communion that he is now required to hold with his own heart, and with Him who is the Searcher of all hearts, and from whom no secrets are hid. BIBST PART OF SECOND ADDBESS. 199 SECOND ADDEESS TO THE PRISONEESl The following day "is chiefly occupied with the or- ganization of the people. They are formed into three divisions, and placed under the superintendence of three captains, cautiously selected from amongst their fellow prisoners, according to the character given them in the hulks and prisons, and my own obser- vation of their countenances and general demeanor. Besides the appointment of captains of divisions, as many more of the petty officers are nominated as can be fixed upon consistently with prudence. In the afternoon, just in time to conclude before mustering the people below, for the night, they are assembled on the quarter-deck^the guard being on the poop — to ffeceive the second address ; of which the following is the substance : BEGOND ADDRESS AFTER THE EMBARKATION OF THE PRISONERS. In my first address, I endeavoured to assist your recollections of your past lives, in order' to aid you in the secret examination of your hearts, and I would hope that you have solemnly and prayerfully reflect- ed upon what I said ; and tBq,t He to whom the night is as the day, hath seen your unfeigned con- trition; observed your self abasement in His sight; and recorded, in the book of His remembrance, the 200 THE COKYICT SHIP. earnest longing of your souls to be delivered from sin and death, and recovered to holiness and life. I. I now call your attention, in the first place, to the exercises in which you are to be occupied during the voyage ; "and I do not address you merely as prisoners, but as m,y fellow-merh. Of the causes which have brought you here, I say nothing. All that I have to do with at this moment, are the facts, that I fimd you here, and that I find myself here, charged with the care of your persons, your health, improvement and happiness. I look upon you as so many members of that family to which I also belong — the offspring of our common and almighty Parent, the Creator and the Preserver of the universe. He made you, and lie made you for Himself He made you, at the first, in His own moral image, and under His blessing ; yoii have lost that image, and have fallen under His disaiiprobation. Still you are accountable to Him for all you think ; for your be- lief and unbelief ; for all you say, and- for all you do. Kot only are you accountable, but you are likewise immortal beings. Every one of you is in possession of a deathless spirit ; a spirit which must soon quit the tabernacle of clay it now inhabits, and, leaving it to return to the dust from which it was taken, must appear before God, to receive at His hand, according to the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or evil. But He who is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He should repent, hath an- nounced to a guilty and desolate world, the joyful riBST PAET OF SECOND ADDBBSS. 201 tidings of a Divine Deliverer. The eternal Word, by whom all things were made — even the beloved Son" of the Father — clothed Himself in the natare of the fallen and the lost, and appeared as the " Prince of Life ; " vanquished the great adversary, and accomplished a complete salvation for the human race. This great salvation was exhibited to the Patriarchs, and to the nation of the Jews ; it was preached by the Apostles of the Lord ; and in the Scriptures these glad tidings of great joy are pro- claimed, at this day, to all the sinful and perishing children of men, without distinction of rank or con- dition ; proclaimed to you^ — ioryour de^verance from sin and its bitter fruits, for your recovery to God and to holy and blissful obedience. According to your treatment of this message of mercy and peace, will be your eternal conditiofi. If you receive it, you receive pardon, life, and glory everlasting ; if you reject it, you choose condemnation, death, and never- ending wretchedness. But the Holy Scriptures not only reveal to you the way of pardon and life, but- all that you really require to know in the present world respecting God and yourselves; what you are to "believe, and what you are to practise ; the duties you owe to your Maker, to your fellow-men, and to your- selves. Tliey inform you on what principles, and from what motives, you are .to act, so as to please God. These inspired writings constitute the chart by which you are to steer your course, through the present life, to the shores of a boundles|(Jp;ernity ! They are the magazine, wherein; is laid up the whole 9* 202 THE CONYIOT SHIP. Christian armo\ir with which you are to meet, and to vanquish, all your spiritual enemies. They set before you the Bread of life, of which if a mart eat he shall never die ; the raiment, which waxeth not old; the robe of righteousness ; the garments of sal- vation and praise. They supply you with gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich. They conduct you to that great andgracious Physician, who is able and willing, without money and without price, to heal all your wounds ; to remove all your diseases ; to enable your eyes to see, your ears to hear, and your hearts to receive the things belonging to your present and everlasting peace. When you are cast down, they will raise you up ; when bewildered and perplexed, they will give you counsel ; when in doubt as to your path, they will say to you in a language you will understand, " This is the way, walk ye in it." When your heart is disconsolate, they will fill you with that joy with which a stranger intermeddleth not ; when in darkness, they will give you light ; when weary and faint, they will supply you with strength and courage, and fit you for all the demands of the day ; when filled with self-loathing, they will show you in whom the Father regards you as " complete ;" when elated with the joys of salvation, they will keep you humble at the foot of the cross. In health they will quicken you in the work your heavenly Father hath given you to perform ; in affliction, they will enable you to exercise resignation and hope ; and holding fast theill^ith concerning Jesus even to the end, you will, through faith in Him who died and rose again, FIKST PABT OF SECOND ADDRESS. 203 be made more than conquerors over the last enemy, and partakers of that eternal life and glory which the Lord hath promised to all who love and obey Him. Your principal exercises during the voyage, then, will be to read the Scriptures, to search them diligent- ly ; to commit them to memory ; to store your minds with their precepts and doctrines ; and especially to study that grand remedial system there made known for the restoration of sinful men— and therefore otyou — to the Divine favour, to holiness, and to bliss. It is necessary that you should be made acquainted with some of the evidences of the truth and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, that you may be able to defend yourselves from the attacks of the wicked ; we sliall therefore devote a portion of our time to that subject. Tour attention will also be directed to the investiga- tion of the works of creation, especially the world we inhabit, and our solar system, which is calculated to elevate our souls to God, and to fill us with wonder, admiration and praise. . But it is the Bible itself which I am most anxious that you should read and study ; and you will all, I trust, be able, at the termination of the voyage, to read with so much accuracy, as to warrant my giving each of you a copy previously to your debarkation. Past experience leads me to expect to find a large proportion of you totally uneducated. If so,- you will find at school abundance of employment during the voyage. Idleness can have no place with us; the whole of our time will be in demand. The most wil- ling, cheerful, and active exertioiis wiU be required 204 THE CONVICT SHIP. on your part, to remove the calamity under which you now lie, of not being able to read, or not with facility ; and to acquire useful knowledge, especially the knowledge which God communicates to you in his word. So actively engaged will you be in the busi- ness of your education, that the period of your voyage will insensibly glide away ; and you will feel that it has been too short for the delightful and profitable exercises in which you have been engaged. When you shall have learned to read well, you will be allowed the additional privilege of learning to write and cypher. A number of you, moreover, will be occupied during a portion of your time, in teaching, and in discharging the duties oi petty officers accord- ing to instructions which, in due time, will be issued. II. I have, in the second place, to set before you the character of that discipline nnder which you are to be placed in this transport. It will be, as much iis possible, a moral discipline, approximated in princi- ple and end to the Divine government, or moral discipline of the universe. God is a holy God ; His throne is established in holiness; His law is a holy law. In His government there is to be found nothing, properly speaking, ariitrary. His acts are all found- ed upon immutable principles of truth and justice, and dictated by infinite wisdom and love. God will- eth, that is, desireth, the happiness of all His crea- tures ; but their happiness must, in the very nature of things, depend on the conformity of their charac- ter and conduct to Plis revealed will. Your happi- SKCOND PAKT OF SECOND ADDEESS. 205 ness, then, is necessarily involved in your accomplish- nlent of tho revealed will of God. From these considerations it is very evident, that whatever laws and regulations are enacted by man, for the government of his fellow-men, in order to be sound, safe, binding, and conducive to the happiness of. the community — they must be in perfect harmony with the revealed will of the Sovereign of the universe. All human legislators are bound to bear solemnly in niind, that they are legislating for beings who are al- ready the subjects of a governmentinfinitely superior to all other governments ; the subjects of a I^og, who has an inalienable right to their supremSkfFeOTon and unlimited obedience ; whose law is, in its authority, infinitely above all the enactments of the creature, and renders null and invalid every opposing or conflict- ing decree or command. In laying down rules, then, for the regulation of your conduct on board this transport, it will be my care to see, that such rules are in perfect keeping with the revealed will of your Maker ; so that you shall not be required to do or omit anything which would im- ply an infringement of His laws ; but that in obeying me, you shall be found yielding obedience to the great Ruler of us all. It is required of you, therefore, that your language, your manners, and the whole of" your conduct to- wards each other, be in keeping with the spirit and precepts of Christianity. The grand rule for your guidance is so .summarily and beautifully expressed by our Lord, that when once heard it is understood ; and with the slightest desire to remember it, can pever 206 TIIE CONVICT SHIP. be forgotten: " All things whatsobvee ye would THAT MEN SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO YE EVEN SO TO THEM. Keeping this rule in view, and carrying it out in the whole of your intercourse with one another, you can- not fiiil to secure the approbation of your owia minds,' and give satisfaction to me, and to all who act with me in the public service. In accordance with its spirit, it is enjoined upon you to regard each other as hreth- ren, to cherish those feelings of kind and aifectionate interest in each other's happiness, which become you as the oifspring of one common Father, and which ought ^derive a peculiar tenderness, from the cir- cumst^;es m which you are placed, aa fellow-trcms- gressors, reaping the bitter fruit of your crimes. Al- though there are amongst you, unquestionably, de- grees of guilt, yet you must remember that you are all guilty, and consigned to the same punishment; ft is fit, therefore, that you should all sympathize with each other under such a heavy calamity. The least depraved amongst you, however, will regard the calamity of being guilty, and having merited punish- ment, as far more severe, and calling forth deeper and more tender sympathies towards each other, than the mere endurance of it. Compassionate and bro- therly afiection ought therefore to stamp the whole of your social intercourse, as companions in offence and in suffering, who are tiow giving your hearts uiito God. The opportunities, during the voyage, of exercising the best and kindliest feelings will be ample. United together as one large family, not only personal but relative duties must be every moment recurring. I SECOND PAST OF SECOND ADDRESS. 207 request, therefore, that you will be continually on the watch to ascertain the duties immediately incumbent upon you ; and that you will set about the perform- ance of them with a cheerful alacrity. I entreat you to get rid at once of the debasing principle of selfish- ness. In seeking deliverance from it, you seek in the most effectual manner your own peace, and the com- fort of all with whom you have .to do. But if, on the contrary, .you suffer yourselves to be influenced by this repulsive and degrading principle, you will not only banish peace and serenity from your own breasts, but you will excite and foment discord amongst your associates; and thus counteract all my efforts to ad- vance their best interests. Let me,- then, see every one of you habitually influenced by a spirit of self-de- nial and universal benevolence. • Let every one pre- fer his brother before himself, seeking first of all his welfare and convenience, and then his own ; or at least let his own and his brother's interest have an equal share in his regard and attention. Should you at once come under the influence of such a generous, elevating, and ennobling principle of action as this, how delightful will be the discharge of the task — if task it coi^li then be called — which devolves upon me ! Why, your government will be your own !-t- your own spontaneous rule ; a government springing up out of the rule which each member of our large family exercises over his own heart and mind ; the government of brotherly affection, and disinterested regard to the general good; the government of supreme love to God ! This being the character of our little commynity. 208 THE CONVICT SHIP. our ears will never be assailed by the boisterous Ian- gnage, or our eyes pained by tlm savage J-ug ot a grasping and all-appropriating selflshness'. The calm- ness of our moral atmosphere will not be disturbed by, the revolting contest for personal mastery, and per- sonal enjoyment, and the appropriate language of a sordid self seeking. We shall have' no angry and sel- fish contests about supposed or real personal rights and privileges ; but we shall hear the language of bro- therly affection. Self-denial will take the place of self-indulgence, and the strife among us will be the strife of brotherly love ; not whp shall do least, but who shall do most for others' comfort; not who shall have this or that good thing, but who shall be most ready to waive tlie privilege in behalf of another. You will not only be careful of each other'd com- forts, but you will be kindly watchful over each other's speech and behaviour, as weU as your own. None of you will suffer evil .upon his brother, but will " in anywise rebuke him ;" only these rebukes will be in soft and gentle language — language suitable to one who feels himself to be more weak and erring than the brother whom he corrects, and thus his words of reproof will be like soft oil, r^j^pshing and salutary, and which will not break the head or wound the feelings of the reproved. You will not only be attentive to each other's com- fort, language, and behaviour ; but you will, with a prudent and affectionate zeal, embrace every oppor- tunity of doing the greatest possible good to one another, and study to promote, to the utmost, your mutual happiness and highest interests. SECOND PAET OF SECOND ADDEESS. 209 To my instructions respecting your demeanour to- wards your petty officers and your schoolmastere, who will be chosen from amongst yourselves, you will be, in an especial manner, attentive. You will not only bear in mind that they act for me, but that the object of their appointment is your advantage, your improve- ment and happiness ; and you will so act as to ensure to them the enjoyment of unmingled satisfaction in the discharge of their official duties. I shall always regard any act of disobedience or im- propriety of conduct towards a petty officer or school- master, as more aggravated, than if such conduct were manifested immediately towards myself; and it will therefore be visited with severer expressions of my. displeasure. Offences committed directly against petty officers, not merely imply that dereliction of principle which is involved in every offence, biit are aggravated by more or less of meanness of spirit and baseness of disposition ; they will therefore be visited with that degree of punishment which not only I, but all the sound-thinking among yourselves, must feel they deserve. With regard to your demeanour towards the officers of the guard, and the soldiers under their command, the master of the ship, and the ship's officers and crew, let it ever be influenced by the same spirit which you have been enjoined to cultivate towards each other. Let your language be always becoming and respect- ful, your manners most unequivocally polite, and your whole conduct consistent with the dictates of sound reason, and the regulations laid down for your guidance. The guard have duties imposed upon them, 210 THE CONVIOT SHIP. Xith which, you are not, in the slightest degree, on any account whatever, to interfere. To none of the soldiers do I allow yon to speak, unless in cases*of necessity, and in the discharge of your duties. And when, at any time, you are addressed by any of the soldiers, yeu will uniformly reply in language the most becom- ing and creditable to you, and most citable for them. To the sentries you are, on no occasion, to utter a word without my permission ; none under the Crown are more sacred than the person and office of a sentry. Towards them you will therefore ever manifest the most watchful respect, and promptly attend to all their prohibitions. But it will be your business so to . conduct yourselves, as to avoid ever coming into contact with the sentries at all, or with any of the guard, excepting in the performance of the duties required of you. With the working of the ship or with any of the ship's duties, you are never to presume to interfere, except when your assistance may,, from time to time, be required ; which to avoid interference with your assigned duties, and especially your school-hours, must always be with my permission, and which you will then cheerfully and readily afford. In one word, towards all on board, you will ever cultivate the best and most kindly feelings. At present I shall only further remind you, that I most distinctly and most positively prohibit every tbjng that in the slightest degree tends to corrupt the mind, destroy social harmony, and retard intellect- ual and moral improvement. AUindecent language, low unmanly vulgarisms ; all offensive slang ; all SECOND PAET OF SIX30ND ADDRESS. 211 profane oathsj cursing, and execration; all expres- sions derogatory to the honour of God, and calcu- lated to pain the ears of tliOse who love and reverence His name, bat familiar and not displeasing to men of an opposite cliaracter; all such speech, let it be remembered, I most, solemnly forbid. A regard to your best interests, present and future, a .respect to good order, and a due regard to the pro- tection which every man and boy amongst you has a right to expect from me, demand that all such language be wholly and entirely banished from amongst you. On the same grounds, I forbid the . use of all irri- tating and provoking speech or gestures, in your intercourse with each other ; the employment of all vulgar epithets and unmanly " nicknames," the use of which always indicates a low and undisciplined mind. In a word, I most earnestly request, that you always speak to each other in plain and chaste lan- guage, such as can give no possible offence to any one, even the most virtuous and refined. If you duly recollect that you are men, who, though de- praved, are still the highest order of beings in this world ; and if you keep in mind what every man has a right to expect from another, as well as tho respect which every one owes to himself, it will be- come easy and natural to you to employ, in all your intercourse with each other, the most becoming and respectful language. I do desire, that I may nevar, during the voyage, have cause to reprove any of my people for any thing unbecoming in speech or beha- viour. 212 THE CONVICT SHIP. As nothing is more subversive of confidence and social order than falsehood and lies, it is most strict- ly enjoined upon you, that you do always speak TRUTH. At all hazards, whatever may be the conse- quence, speak nothing but what you do really be- lieve to be true. "What is more base, more wicked, than to tell a lie ? What more dishonouring to the God of truth? What more injurious to society — ■ what more deserving of punishment? With us, lying must, like other crimes, be ever visited with disapprobation ; in other words, with some appropri- ate infliction. Hearing yalse witness, is lying, accompanied with high aggravations ; and therefore merits a severe punishment. You are required to cultivate the strictest habits of honesty, and, according to the golden precept laid down to you, to respect your brother's property, aa you would desire him to respect yours. If you are wise and virtuous enough to act on these principles, we shail not have a single case of theft during our voyage ; not one case to cast a stigma upon you, or cause grief and disaj^pointment to me. I do not, at present, remember one instance of theft, committed by my people, during any voyage, escaping detec- tion sooner or later. But honesty arising'from the fear of detection and punishment, is not honesty. To be honest, you must be honest on principle ; h«nest, because the Sovereign of the universe com- mands it. Such is the honesty which I desire to see the whole of you cultivate and practise. SECOND PAET OF SECOND ADDRESS. 213 Again I have to request, that you unite cordially with me in endeavouring to secure the calm and pro- fitable observance of " the Lord's day." I can have no authoritative control over your spiritual observ- ance of that holy day ; but it is my imperative duty so to arrange our aft'airs as to preserve quiet and peace, and prevent, as far as in me lies, every thing calculated to annoy or disturb those who desire to honour the Lord on His own day. The observance of the Lord's day for spiritual exercises and enjoy- ment, is every rrharCs right • and it is my incumbent duty to preserve to every man under my care, tlie uninterrupted eiyoyment of that right. To you God has given the day ; and.to you I am bound to se- cure, as far as possible, the opportunity of availing yourselves of His gift. I shall therefore take care that nothing be done on that day, save works of absolute necessity and mercy ; and it will give me peculiar pleasure to see that you faithfully and voluntarily dedicate the Lord's day to the cheerful and delightful pursuit of biblical knowledge, and the harppy observance of all Divinely-appointed ordinances, as far as circumstances permit. Playing at cards, and every species of gambling, on any day of the week, are most positively pro- hibited. It is quite unnecessary for me to state here, the many strong reasons which might be iirged for this prohibition. To the more reflecting and ex- perienced among you, some of these reasons must be familiar. By all men of sound mind and good principles gambling is, in all circumstances, con- sidered as a crying evil, and must certainly be re- 214 THE CONVICT SHIP. garded in this light by us ; for it is a practice both' dishonest and injurious, and totally at variance with the law of brotherly love. But even were it lawfal to gamble, we have no time for such trifling, or for any unprofitable amusements, much less for those which are sinful. Just views of the value of time, and of the account which " at that day" we must all render of its use and of its abuse, will not permit us to divert any portion of it from the purpose for which it is given to us. You will enjoy abundant .relaxation in your night's rest, and in constant change of duty. And you will have wholesome exercise in your marches, by divisions, around the decks every evening, or as often as the .weather and other cir- cumstances will permit. Such of you as may be called to fill the situation of petty officers, will find that the zealous discharging of your duties secures to you abundance of exercise. The youngest amongst you must now, in some measure, imderstand that it is in the strictest sense a moral discipline which I desire to see in operation on board this transport. In further proof of which I shall give orders that those irous — the badges of your disgrace — with which you are at present fetter- ed, be removed from the whole of you, at as early a period as is consistent with the discharge of other duties ; and I do most ardently hope, that when I have once caused them to be struck off, you will not, by your conduct, demand^eiv being again replaced ; for what can be more disgraceful to you, and painful to me, than the clanking of these irons as you walk along the decks ? GEN"EEAL OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURAL INSTRUCTION. OiTR main business, is with the Bihle ; its evi- dences, external and internal, its momentous doctrines and holy precepts, its appalling, yet righteous and even merciful threatenings, and its exceeding great and precious promises. Besides the course of instruc- tion contained in the lessons appointed for the service on the Lord's day, the Scriptures are read in regular order at our daily worship ; a chapter from the Old Testament in the morning, and from the !N"ew Testa- ment in the evening, accompanied with prayer and a psalm, and by practical application to the heart and life. The catechetical mode of instruction on these and otiier occasions, is found in the highest degree advantageous. The men are called on in rotation,' by my list, and when unable to reply, an appeal is , made to "the next on the list. This plan, besides securing the attention of all the people, mak^s the instructor acquainted with the state of their minds, and amount of their knowledge, or rather, in the first instance at least, of their ignorance, and so directs him in their instruction. As there is not time to read 216 THE CONVICT SHIP. through the whole Bible, the most important chapters are selected, in regular course, and the summary only is given of the intermediate ones, which the men are directed to read in private, and in the schools. Be- ginning with the books of Moses, we proceed through the most remarkable passages in the history of the Jews ; the. Psalms and Proverbs follow ; portions of Job ; the most doctrinal chapters of Isaiah, those especially which refer prophetically to the Messiah aiid His kingdom ; a few chapters of Jeremiah, as xvii. and xxxi.; and Ezekiel ix., xviii., xxxiii., xxxiv., xxxvi., and xxxvii.; a considerable part of Daniel; and select portions of the minor prophets. Of the New Testament, we read the whole of the Gospels by St. Matthew and St. John, portions of those by St. Luke and St. Mark, the whole of the Acts, and several of the Epistles ; those to the Komans and Hebrews are particularly dwelt upon and applied. The attention of the people is directed to the nature and perfections of God, especially to the great and fundamental doctrines oi the Godhead — ftlie personali- ty of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in con- nexion with the unity of Jehovah ; to the Divinity of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit ; to the authenti- city, genuineness, credibility, integrity, and inspira- tion of the sixty-six books of Holy Scripture ; to the creation of the world, — man's primitive character, — his moral relation to God and to the universe, — ^his apostasy by disobedience, — in a word, to the inspired records of the garden of Eden. After considering the history of man's fall, we proceed to give the people a OOITESS OF SOEIPTUEAL INSTKUCTION. 217 broad, impressive view of our giiilt, depravity, and helplessness, as set fwth in the sacred pages, as well as in those of uninspired history, and confirmed by daily observation, — especially by the experience of our own hearts; and having thus seen our absolute need of Divine deliverance, we turn to the provision of that better covenant, of which the Lord Jgsus Christ, — the second Adam, — the Lord from heaven, is the ever-blessed and immutable Head. Beginning: with Genesis iii. 15, and passing onwards, we observe the recorded faith, confession, and hope of the patri- archs and prophets ; and consider many of the pre- dictions concerning the Messiah, His Divine and human natures, united in the one person of Emmanuel, — rllis character, offices, work, and reign, and the nature and extent of His kingdom, as revealed in the Old Testament writings, particularly in the Mosaic ritual, and other types and figures. Our daily peru- sal of the New Testament leads us at the same time to the consideration of His incarnation and birth; His doctrines and pjecepts ; Hjp miracles and prophe- cies ; andlpianner of teaching ; His omniscience, for- bearance, lowliness, and power ; His holiness, com- passion, zeal, and faithfulness ; His obedience, suffer- ings, and rejection; His death, as the Divine and voluntary Substitute for sinners ; His burial, resurrec- tion, promises, and especially the great promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit ; His Appointment of the Apostles, His ascension in the presence of ordaiwed wriNESSES, and entrance into the .heavenly, holy place with His own blood, to appear as our great High 10 2i8 THE CONVICT SHIP. Priest in the presence of God ; the all-prevailing effi- cacy of His intercession, the eternity of His kingly, priestly, and prophetic offices, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the iinivej=sal proclamation of -the Gospel, and ' the conversion of sinners hy the power of the truth aiid of the Holy Ghost ; the formation and constitu-. tion of Christian Churches, and their Divinely^ap- pointed ordinances and ministers. Man's relations and duties to God, to the churches of the saints, to his relatives, friends, neighbours, and country ; to his sovereign, and all in authority, to all mankind, and to himself, come under our consideration, as well as the solemn subjects of death, judgment, and the final conflagration of this world ; of hell, heaven, and eternity ; and the unalterable condition of the chil- dren of God and the children of Satan after death ! But to give a view of the instructions imparted to the people in the style and maimer in which they are delivered, is quite impossible. Occasional manifesta- tions of principle and character by one Or other of the prisoners, and all the^ incidents which occur on the voyage are made to supply useful and pj^ctical in- struction. When I ascertain, qither by my own observation or otherwise, that a prisoner is under serious impres- sions, 1 privately send for him to' some place of retire- ment, on deck, in the prisoiv or in; the hospital; and converse with him on his state of mind, with a view of giving him suitable instruction, and discovering as much of his past history, and present feelings, as may be useful to us both. Such interviews, besides afford- msTEtrcmoN suited to convicts. 219 ing me an opportunity of dealing closely with indi- vidual souls, serve to direct my choice of subjects for general instruction, and my illustrations and applica- tion of Divine Ath. The people are occasionally assembled to hear an address on various other subjects of great practical importance ; such as the vast value of their souls, — their immense moral infl.uence,^-the inconceivable extent to which they may yet prove a blessing or a curse to society, and be instrumental in promoting the salivation or the ruin of immortal souls ; — on the extent of the intellectual and moral empire of God, the pos- sible influence of man's example and history on all observant intelligences, and the awfully-important and responsible position in the universe, occupied by the most humble and obscure of the human race, even by the depraved and despised prisoner ; — on the moral tendency on man, ajid on all observant and intelligent beings, of such a pardon of transgression, as should have no respect to the requirements and penalties of law ; — on the intercourse and influence of holy angels and of apostate spirits, with this world's inhabitants ; — on' the great question. How cam, God be just, while he pa/rdons and justifies the ungodly who believe in Jesus f^on the necessity of regeneration and sancti- fication, as well as of pardon and justification, for happiness and safety ; — on the question, "What is the Scripture doctrine concerning heaven and hell? and what do these terms import as essentially constituting heaven and hell, besides the idea of mere locality ? A somewhat extended experience of the sentiments, 220 THE CONVICT SHIP. habits, and character of convicts, has taught me the necessity and im^jortance of instracting them also very minutely, and very familiarly and impressively, on such points as the following, \^ich I specify as they occur to me at the moment, without much regard to order, either as it respects their nature or importance: namely, . _ 1. On the nature of obedience and disobedience to lawful orders and lawful authority. 2. On the evil and criminality of lying. 3. On using improper speech of any kinfl. 4. On theft. The amount of guilt not determined merely by the value of the property stolen, but by the nature of the violence ^ffered to law, whether the law of God or of. man. 5. On the misimprovement or theft of tiine. Eob- bing people of the time which belongs to them, and which is their bond fide property, 6. On carelessness. The true nature of the majo- rity of those incidents commonly, but most incor- rectly, called accidents^ — the amount of guilt which most of them involve ; and the vast importance of watchful and habitual conscientiousness. 7. On the crime of drunkenness, whether viewed in relation to God, to the drunkard, or to the com- munity. ■ I 8. On the fact that no one can bring guilt upon any man's conscience, but that man himself.* "Who * Our esteemed author's intention here was no doubt good ; but hw language and iHustrationa are unguarded. It would be contrary to the whole tenor of his views and of the contextj to consider him a^ INSTEUCm)lf SUITED to CONTIOTS. 221 brought guilt on the conscience of Ike f—KERSEiF. Who brought guilt on the conscience of Adam f — Himself. Temptation is to the teinpter an aggravated sin, but to those- tempted, not a sin; but a trial ; and the tempted contract no guilt, so long as they faith- fully and firmly resist the temptation. It is yielding to temptation that involves the tempted in sin ; for no one can stain my conscience with guilt but Tnyself. The guilty stain can reach my conscience only through the medium of my own will, my own consent. 9. On the disposition often manifested by prisonei-s, both male and female, to charge their being " brought into trouble," as they call it, and to punishment, upon others. Does a Magistrate send a man to prison, or to the treadmill, because his master starved him, treated him cruelly, or would not allow him to attend, on any Lord's A&j, a place of Divine worship ; and does he assign such reason in his " warrant " to carry the punishment into effect ? — Or does he send a wo- man to prison, or to the cells, because " her mistress kept her sawing and splitting heavy wood, would al- low her neither clothes nor shoes, but beat her on the head, broke her comb into pieces, and tore her hand- kerchief from iier neck ?" And are these the facts stated by the Magistrate in his " warrant," as fur- nishing the immediate ground for punishment ? No ! When prisoners encounter such treatment, (and of which one view only can be entertained,) they are tempted, it may be, to do or say something that is in this passage, assailing the great doctrines of Original Guilt, and Ifatural Corruption. J. H. F. 222 THE 'CONVICT SH<||i wrong, and not in keeping with prudent and meek suljniission, and so commit themselves, and supply- some real or ostensible ground of punishment. They have, unhappily; forgotten 1 Peter ii., and similar portions of Holy Writ, — they have not acted with prudence. 10. On the practice of prisoners dbscondmg^ or ab- senting themselves without leave ; and the attempt to justify such practice on"the ground of the object which the absentee has, or professes to have, in view, — such as to visit a child or some other relative. Abscond- ing is not only bad iiiorality but bad 'policy ; the run- away can never feel secure or at peace, and is always living in the violation of law : a Christian, acting in character, cannot, of moral possibility,- abscond. Should a convict be tempted to depart from the Christian cliaracter, and absent himself without leave, of should he become a Christian after he has abscond- ed, he could not rest until he gave himself up to justice. The period of servitude to which we have voluntarily subjected ourselves, must be faithfully served ; unless a remission of the whole or of a part of the sentence be lawfully obtained. The laws of God must not be violated : we must do wrono: no more, but only do that which is right and well-pleas- ing to the Lord. "What is tlie condition of an abscond- ed convict on his death-bed ; — of a convict dying in the very act of resisting or evading the just laws of men, and therefore of violating the law of God ? To die while persisting in the refusal to give himself up to justice in this world, is to die in the position of mSTEUCTION SUITED TO CONVICTS. 223 the man who, with a stolen purse of gold under his pillow, refuses to restore it to its rightful owner. 11. Oh the notion that convicts are not cared for. God cares for them ! Christianity cares for them ! all truly godly people care for them! the angels of heaven care for them ! Not ou^y is Christianity their never-failing friend, but it inclines all who embrace it, to treat them justly, mercifully, and kindly, and with a benignant and prayerful regard for their truest comfort and happiness. «2. On the fearful tendency which prisoners but too juently manifest, to become recMess, and to give themselves up to all manner of insubordination and crime. No treatment they receive can furiiish any apology .for such recklessness, however it may ope- rate as an exciting cause of theirToUy and their sin. 13. On the proneness of prisoners to forget tlie im- mense value of their souls, and the incalculable amount of good they may be the means, in the hand of God, of conferring on each other, on their master and his household, on the community, the world, and the church ; and, on the other hand, the extent of evil they may lend themselves to perpetrate or promote. 14 On the liability of prisoners to forget Ijpw hrief -—how very hrief, is the period of their existence that is past, — ^how brief that entire portion of their exist- ence which belongs to the present life ! How readily do they lose sight of eternity, and of the eternal dura- tion of their being ! 15 On the fact, that no class of persons have it in their power by conversation, consistent Christian ex- 224 IHE CONVICT SHIP. ample, believing prayer, and holy zeal, to contribute so largely, and under the Divine blessing, so effectu- ally, to the spiritual instruction, reformation, and Jiap- piness of -^Yi&ouQVSy sis prisoners themselves, conti mi- ally living in the presence of each other. Prisoners are accountable to Gc^ior the use they make of their influence, to whomsoever that influence may extend. Let all think, with good effect, on 2 Kin^ v. 2—15 ; John iv. 28 — 39 ; and Eev. xxii. 17. 16. On the amount of suffering which vice inflicts iipon the transgressor, and all his relatives and frienfj^ and on the vast mimier of relatives and other persons affected by the conduct arid condition of our convicts. 17. On the grand end which Government has in view in removing convicts to a remote colcJny ; and the regard which prisoners are bound to pay to the attainment of that end, — thus improving their trans- portation for the highest purposes. 18. On the prayers which have been offered up to God for their salvation : a father's — a mother's prayers — a father's, a mother's, and it may be, a husband or wife's hroJcen heart/ 19. On the necessity of wholesome government and sound discipline ; and the fearful effects which would certainly result from the absence of such restraint. Just punishment is an unspeakable mercy to the State — to the World — to the Universe f 20. On the duty of prisoners, as well as free ser- vants, to cherish a proper respect orf their inaster, and a due regard for his interests : to be not only frugal of time, but punctual, methodical, and careful' mSTETJCTIOTI SUITED TO CONVICTS. 225 in the performanoe of their work ; recollecting how much their own comfort, and that of a family, or of any establishment, depends on every servant — every member of that family or establishment — accurately • moving in his own proper sphere, and punctually performing his assigned and proj^er quantum of duty. They are to be faithful in going messages, — not turn- ing out of their proper path either to the right or left, — never loitering by the way, and most carefully avoiding all communication with improper and dis- reputable persons. In a word, they are conscientious- ly and watchfully to obey lawful orders, and never to speak disrespectfully of their master, or of any mem- ber of his household; they are to repudiate the character of a tattler^ a tale-hearer, a Imsy-iody, and a7i idler j they are to pray for the peace and pros- perity of the family or establishment to which they belong, and are to use every legitimate effort to promote both. 21. On the importance of personal and habitual cleanliness, tidiness, moderation, and modesty in their dress, which should ever be in keeping with their sta- tion in life, and in harmony with the spirit and pre- cepts of Christianity. They are never to accept of mcmey, or presents from any one, unless it clearly, and without all doubt, appear that'sucli are offered on proper grounds, and with good and honourable mo- tives. 22. On the importance of giving no more time to sleep and rest, than duty to God and man require and ifflow, maintaining as far as possible the practice of .10* 226 THE CONVICT SHIP. devoutly reading a due portion of the "Word of God daily, and storing their minds with its facts and doc- trines, its precepts and promises ; of engaging two or three times a day in the solemn exercise of prayer, and carrying about with them the spirit of true devo- tion ; of making every possible and lawful arrange- ment in order to assemble with the family for the wor- ship of God, and to enjoy the privileges 'of domestic piety. ' . . . 23. On the duty of co-operating with their master and fellow-servants, for the momentous purpose of se- curing the scriptural observance of the Lord's Day. They are first to give tliemselves to Christ, and then to the church of Christ, and thankfully avail them- selves of every lawful opportunity of meeting with His people in all those holy ordinances of His house, which were instituted by Him, and which His word requires us to observe. 24. On the vast — the unutterable importance of the uniform observation of the Seventh Commandment, and all the other commandments of the Most High, as set forth in the Scriptures, and especially in the New Testament. On the nature and design, the awful sanctions, the duties, obligations, and privileges of the marriage covenant; which is to be entered into law- fully, prudently, with a supreme regard to the Divine glory, and a due respect to mutual comfort, happiness, and usefulness. The bearings of that solemn cove- nant on the engaging parties themselves ; on their temporal, spiritual,- and eternal interests ; and, be- yond all human calculation, on the temporal ana mSTEUCTION SUITED TO C0NVICT3. 227 everlasting welfare of others. The positiye injimc- tion which God hath, in His word, laid on all his be- lieving people not to enter into marriage alliances with the paople of the world — the unregenerate cliil- dren oLthe wicked one. 25. On the necessity of cflnvicts cultivating an Inim- hle, meek, and gentle spirit — being submissive, con- tented, and thankful ; of ever remembering the inj ury they have inflicted on their country ; the expense to which they have put the Government ; the connexion which subsists between crime, and shame and suffer- ing; and the reproach to which they have subjected themselves. Although persons under the influence of vital Christianity will think and feel corj-ectly concern- ing prisoners, and will seek to do them all possible good, they must remember that mere nominal Chris- tians, who know not the plague of their own hearts, and li^ve not felt the power of the love of Christ, can- not be expected to have the same Christian sentiments towards them ; so that they must lay their account to meet with much reproach, scorn, and contempt from the people of the world ; and must learn meekly to submit to it, — never answering again, but secretly, in faith and prayer, committing themselves to Him who judgeth righteously, and who, even in their low and degraded estate, will never leave— never forsake them, They are now to seek, according to the Divine will, tliat the evil which they have brought upon them- selves be overruled, and, in great mercy, made subr servient to the advancement of God's glory, and their own and each other's good. They are to keep always 228 THE CONVICT SHIP. in their hearts those gracious words, " Cast thy burden upon the LoKD, and He shall sustain thee ;"* " In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths ;"t " When a man's ways please the Loed, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with^im fX " Cease from anger, and forsake wrath ; fret not thy- self in any wise to do evil."§ They should study closely the whole of Psalm xxxvii.; and while they make a proper use of Psalm Ixxxix., especially of verses 30 — 34, they must be constantly familiar with that most valuable and suitable chapter, 1 Pet. ii., and ever abide under the sanctifying and conforming influence of the example of Christ, and of all the precepts and promises of His Gospel. But the points on wiiich the prisoners are most fre- quently and prayerfully urged, are their individual guilt and danger as sinners in the sight of God ; the perfection, suitableness, and freeness of the •salva- tion of Christ ; the scriptural facts, that it is command- ed to be proclaimed to every member of the human /amily, and that every individual who hears it, is by the Lord himself C07nmanded to believe it, and obtain pa,rdon and purity, life and joy. The momentous but neglected doctrine, that all men, as subjects of the Di- vine government, are under a moral obligation to give an immediate and unhesitating credit to the testimony of the Most High, to whatever subject it may relate, aiid are therefore bound to believe his testimony con- cerning the Lord Jesus Christ, as the all-sufficient and * Psa. Iv. 22. % Prov. xvi ?. \ Prov. iii. 6. § ,Psa. xxxvu. 8. mSTBTJCTION 8UITBD TO CONVICTS. 229 only Saviour of sinners, — is continually kept before the minds of the people, and pressed upon their under- standing and conscience. To refuse to believe the testimony of God is, to adopt with reverence the lan- guage of an inspired apostle, " to make Him," or pro- nounce Him to be, " a liar !" and therefore fearfully to increase our guilt and danger. Jesus, the Son of God, is revealed -in the Scriptures, as the Substitute for sinners, who by His obedience and death hath brought in everlas i g righteousness ; and sinners of every class and condition are authorized and required in the Scriptures to avail themselves of it, and Tsy faith to put on that glorious righteousness for justification, and acceptance, for present and everlasting peace. This robe of rigliteousness, this wedding garment, this linen clean and white, is exhibited in the inspired Scriptures to these " prisoners of hope,"' and they either by faith throw off the filthy rags of their own righteousness, and put it on ; or they hold fast their own unseemly rags, and choose to continue and to perish in the attire of their iniquity, rather than be saved in the Divinely -provided raiment of the believ- ihgr children of God. Those who have been enlightened by Divine truth, must be deeply arid firmly convinced, that nothing is capable of producing a radical and permanent im- provement in the character and habits of man, but just views of himself and of his Maker ; and that such views are to be obtained only from that revela- tion which the Father of mercies has be^ graciously pleased to give us. Even the most amiable and moral 230 THE CONTICT SHIP. among us are, in the sight of God, dead in trespasses and sins, until, through belief, of the Gospel, they become a new creation in Christ Jesus, by the quick- ening influences of thp Spirit of truth and holiness ; and the same Almighty power is necessary for the conversion to trod of a convict. And not only mast both the moral and the vicious experience that saving change before they can do any- thing upon right principles / iut, even Tceeping their eternal salvation out of view, little good is, in my apprehension, to be expected from what is commonly called " the crime class of our population," until brought under the illuminating and sanctifying power of the Scriptures, and the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit ; for they will, with few exceptions, per- severe in a course of iniquity, the bane of social order, and totally unworthy of confidence, until they are brought back to God and'to godliness, by the faith of the Gospel. Change of heart is the only ground on which I expect satisfactory change of conduct. So accustomed are some of them to vice ; so hardened in iniquity ; so utterly devoid of all sense of propriety and decorum ; so insensible to the excellencies and attractions of virtue ; so sunk in their own estimation, and {as they apprehend) in the estimation of mankind; that, if we desire to see these ujihappy men become worthy of that degree of trust, without which they cannot be safely permitted to mingle in general socie- ty, we shall aim at nothing short of their conversion to God. I||[s my sober conviction, that nothing less than a saving change of heart will warrant our plac- OHKISTIAIT MOTIVES ^EEf6eMATI0N. 231 ing confidence in the more, hardened and depraved of those who suffer transportation, or furnish a suffi- cient guarantee that tliey will prove safe and useful members of the community. The same observations will, I believe, equally apply to thousands of our population; who escape the punishments both of imprisonment and transportation. Bwpreme love to God is not only the principle upon which alone we can perform even a single work ac- ceptable in His sight, but it also secures active and unwearied obedience to the whole of His revealed will. Supreme love to God admits of no siibstitute. But let this holy and heavenly principle be, by the Spirit of God, generated in any man's heart, and, from that moment, he is under the jpfluence of a mighty and transforming power ; — a power, the tendency of which is, to diffuse itself throughout his whole nature, and reduce to its own holy character all that he is and feels, thinks and does. Entertaining these sentiments, — held in common, I believe, by all true Christians, — it is incumbent upon ns to use every possible means, in dependence on the Spirit of all grace, to bring the minds and hearts of the prisoners into contact with the momentous truths of the Gospel. He alone, who created the soul at the first, can create it cm&io in Christ Jesus unto good works. The same Almighty power which called into existence an archangel, is requisite to turn the apostate heart of man back again to God, and to restamp upon it the Divine image. Salvation is wholly of the Lord. In dealing with convicts, it is necessary that our 232 THE COHVIOT stap. minds be constantly under the influence of these views. We cannot too completely set aside sdj^ as nothing—' less than nothing — sinful dust and ashes; nor too deeply feel that it is utterly impossible for us to impart to the mind of a fellow-sinner a single truly spiritual idea. We must consent to become as the rQugh un- polished horn of the priests before the walls of Jericho, and, as it were, to be merely spoken through, to our fellow-sinners, by the Spirit of all truth and grace. And we cannot put too much confidence in God, that He will give efficacy to His own word ; nor too ear- nestly plead with Him, in humble and scriptural prayer, on behalf of those whom at His command we seek to bring to Himself. Proceeding thus, we are warranted to expect that the God of all mercy will, through our humble instrumentality, speak ^to the heart of the convict, and by the moral renovation of his nature and principles, ensure the conformity of his life to the spirit and precepts of the Gospel, as well as to the laws of the land : " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake." (Psalm cxv.) LAST ADDRESS. After tracing the gracious providence of God in any circumstances of the voyage which may aiford occasion for special thanksgiving, I proceed nearly as follows : OtJE eventful voyage has come to a close, and our interesting sojourn together on board this transport LAST ADDEESS ^EFOEE DEBAEKATION. 233 terminates with to-morrow's dawn. The tame which has been thus occupied, forms a most important period of your existence. The providence of God has been conspicuously and graciously exercised towards you. You have been collected from all quarters of the British empire, — some of you from foreign nations, — and placed for four or five months under a course of instruction, the grand object of-. which is to restore you to the knowledge, favour, and likeness of God, and to fit you for serving and enjoying Him forever ! There is not among you, to the best of my know- ledge, a man or a "boy who has not declared, in the Divine presence, that he believes himself to be a guilty, lost sinner, and Jesus to be the only Saviour from sin and from the wrath to cortie. The question now is, What, has been" secretly transacted between your owfl hearts and God ? Have jouj^eltthe enor- mity of your guilt ? Have you been made deeply sensible of the depravity of your nature ? Have you been humbled to the very dust under a just appre- hension of your crimes, committed against your country's laws, against society, and against God? And have you, in very deed, come, jn deep contri- tion of heart, to " the Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness" — even the fountain of tMe" blessed Kedeemer's atoning blood — and, by washing in that fountain, have you had your sin all taken away, and obtained deliverance from its wages and it's power? Think now on all the truth which has been declar- ed to you ; think on the tenderness of your heavenly Father's love, the unsearchable riches of Christ's 234: THE CONVICT SHIP. redeeming grace, the faithful and gracious strivings and long-suffering of the Holy Spirit ; think on the blessedness you secure to yourselves by receiving tlie salvation published to you in the Gospel, and the ceaseless wretchedness which by your rejeotion of the Saviour you deliberately choose. I have endeavoured, though in much weakness, to declare unto you the whole council of God ; and have kept back from you no truth He hath revealed for your instruction and salvation, ^and which time and ability have permitted me to declare, invariably entreating you to bring all I have said to the test of His w^rd — thereby to prove all things ; rejecting whatever is at variance with its spirit and precepts, and holding fast only that which is in accordance with the Divine mind. I humbly trjist that I am free from the blood of all of you as it resp&cts your instruction. With Jesus Christ set lief ore you in the Scriptures, and the command of God ihat you should ielieve in Mim, for Salvation, addressed to yoti — if you perish, you perish ! But know that you perish vn the wilful rejection of Ood^s deliverance ! Let us remember, that a fearful responsibility at- taches to us all. I am responsible for my fidelity in teachin^you the way of life ; and you are responsi- ble for the use you make of all the truth that has been set before you, because it is written, (Luke viii. 18,) " Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required ;" — " Take heed, then, how ye hear," (Matt. xi. 24,) Oh, take heed how you treat • the Son of God ! Not one of you can go on shore LAST ADDRESS BKFOEE DEBAEKATTOH'. 235 as you came on board ! You all disembark to-mor- row morning, either improved in character, or fear- fully ha/deued. All of you have had the salvation of Christ fully and freely pressed upon your accept- ance ; and every one of you Ifeaves this vessel in the character of one who has either accepted or rejected it ! Oh,, let me beseech you to lay this to heart, and to remember, that you carry along with you that Bible, according to which you shall he judged at the last day ! You, who have professed to embrace Christ as all, your salvation and all your desire, I most earnestly beseech^to be very watchful over your future con- duct! Recollect that you are hot your own, but bought with a price, and are under the highest obli- gations to serve Him who purchased you to Himself by His precious blood. Remember what is required of him whom the Scriptures denominate a temple of the Holy Ghost. Keep steadily in mind the tenden- cy of your exanrple ; and recollect that your indivi- dual example must be productive of incalculable good or evil. The eyes of men and of angels are upon you ; God Himsejf is the constant witness of your thoughts, temper, and conduct ; and the believ- er's Qod is a consuming fire, and cannot spare, in the objects of His new covenant love, the dross of cor- ruption and sin. Oh ! remember that He requires all His children to be holy, even as he is holy — holy in heart, holy in speech, holy in conduct. Remem- ber that the tendency of holy living, is, to win souls to Christ and to a participation in the blessings of 236 THE CONVICT SHIP. everlasting life; and that tlie tendency of unholy living, is, to destroy souls, and. consign them to the regions of eternal fire. Forget not that you have no evidence of the reality of your faith in Christ, if it sanctify not your heart and life.— If the tree is good, the iruit must be good ; if the fruit is had, the tree must he also bad. If you are living branches of the true Yine, you will exliibit, not merely the green leaves of a scriptural profession, but such fruit of holy living, as will redound to the glory of your . Father who is in heaven. Beware of the first approaches of temptation to sin, whether in thought, desire, word, or deed. .Oh ! be on your guard against neio temptations ; ana let me earnestly beseech you, ever to bear in mind, that your only safety lies in habitually abiding in Christ, and relying on His strength. Be assured, that severed from Christ you have no security ! If He does not hold you up, and keep you clinging to Hina in faith, love, and holy obedience, you will most as- sure^j^ fall, bring fresh guilt upon your conscience, grieve the Holy Spirit, destroy your peace, give the enemies of God occasion to blaspheme, endanger your future usefulness, and perhaps infiict such spirit- ual injury upon yourselves, that you may perfol-m the remainder of your journey halting, even to the borders of your grave ! Take heed, then, watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Keep your hearts with all diUgenee, and, with the heart, keep the door of your lips. At the very first approaches of sin, flee away^flee to the Cross, escape to your lAST ADDRESS EEFOEB DEBAEKATION. 237 knees, wrestle in prayer for the needed delirerance, and cease not, until, thi:ougli Pivine grace, you /uwe obtained the victory f' for be yo well assured, that if you do not destroy your spiritual enemies, they will destroy you ! It is not enough that you offer up cold, heartless petitions, and then return to the in- fluence of the temptation, you must agonise in prayer, you must keep aloof from the temptation, in thought, in look, and in approach ; it must be drivfen far hence from your soul, or your soul must flee far hence from the temptation. You must ahide in Cheist ; &ia.A walh in the Spieit ; you must tliink on your HEATENLT Fathee's love ; have your conversa- tion in heaven ; and not lift off your eyes from Jesus, but contemplate Him in His sufferings, and in His ^ory ; looking forward to 1[j|e period, when you shall see Him as He is, and when He shall present to His Father, without spot and blameless, all who ■while on earth cultivated holiness, and followed Him In the regeneration of their hearts. KecoUect the duties which Jesus Christ hath' been graciously pleased to enjoin oil all his followers : your duties* to God and: to man. With considerable mi- nuteness they have been set before you during your voyage.- Tou will find them ail in the pages of your Bible, which you are required diligently and prayer- fully to search. In all things follow out your Bible, and you will be a blessing to all with whom you may ^Come in contact, and therefore to the whole, colony. Be faithful to God, according to the requirements and spirit of His word, and you will be faithfiil also to mam. 238 THE CONVICT SHIP. I particularly urge upon you the necessity of cul- tivating great tenderness of conscience, and extreme exacPiiess in the discharge of duty. Be conscientiously attentive to every minute circumstance connected with your duty. Guard against inattention to what may be considered Utile things, which go to make up . a great deal of the sum of human life, and a due regard to which will contribute, in no small degree, to stamp your character, and affect the comfort of all with whom you have to do. The great fault of that valuable portion of the community called " servants," • generally, is, the neglect of the minor points of their . duty — negligence as to "little things." The con- sistent Christian will, in everything, scrupulously guard against every just cause of offence. He will l)e thoughtful, attentive, considerate ; accustom him- self to reflect, and remember every injunction laid, upon him ; and will perform every duty heartily, and to the best of his ability, to the Lord, and not mere- ly to man. Leib me beseech you to walk humbly, closely, and habitually with God.'- Manifest the spirit of your Lord and Master, doing good to them that lia'te you, praying for them that despitefuUy use you, and che- rishing love and good- will even to your bitterest ene- ' mies. It is through much tribulation that you are to enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but to Him who died for you, and is now exalted at the right hand of the Majesty on high, be ye faithful; and although you may be called, while in this world, to pass as it were through fire and water, He will, according to LAST ADDRESS BEFOEB DEBAEKATIOlir. 239 His promise, bring you at last into a wealthy place. To you who have, up to the present moment, put the gift of God, Christ Jesus, away from you, and have refused to accept of pardon and of life, I can say only a few words. Remember that the free and unfettered salvation of the Gospel has been fully de- clared to you. You have now " no cloak for your sin." Tou have heard the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you in the words of His servant John, " Behold the Lamb of God who talceth away the sins of the world ! " You have heard His words by the Apostle of the Gentiles, " Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ;"* and again by John, " He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlast-' ing life ; and he that believeth not the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."f Oh ! be persuaded to accept of Him, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctifi-cation, and redemption. Can it be that there stands before me a man or a boy who has formed the ungrateful and desperate resolution, that his last act on board this transport shall he a repeti- tion of his EEJECTioN OF Cheist ; and that in setting his foot on these shores, he will do so in the character of' an enemy of God, a contemner of His mercy, a despiser of His covenant, and a slave of sin, who re- fuses to be a partaker of the glorious liberty of the children of God? Let me entreat you to improve the moments you * Acts xvi. 31. f John iii. 36. 240 THK CONVICT SHIP. are yet permitted to spend on board. Let this night record your submission to God by the belief of Hia testimony concerning His Son Christ Jesus. Let there be this night joy among the angels in heaven over the return of every wandering prodigal among us. Eemember, that, wherever you are in this world, whatever you may be engaged in, it is still true that Jesus is the Saviour of sinners ; and that him who Cometh to Him, He will in no wise cast out. But oh ! recollect, it is also true, that every hour you live in sin, and in the neglect of the mercy of God published in the Gospel, you render your heart harder and harder, fearfully increase the sum of your guilt, and make your conversion to God, morally, more and more improbable. If you listen to the dictates of heavenly wisdom, you will now credit what God saith unto you in His Word : you will at once flee for refuge to Jesus, and yield yourselves wholly up to the Lord, to be qualified by His Spirit for sei-ving and en- joying him for ever ! Then, indeed, will your stay upon the earth, whether of short or long duration,be marked by the blessed effects of Divine love upon your hearts; your light will shine before men, and commend to all around you the glorious gospel of the blessed God. But if you persist in refusing to submit yourselves unto God in the faith and obedience of the Gospel, you not only consign your souls to eternal destruction, but give no reason to calculate on your ever proving trust- worthy members of society. I tell you candidly, I myself could place no unhesitating confidence in any of you as members of my family, unless your temper LAST ADDBES5 BEFORE DKBABKATION. 241 and conduct gave scriptural evidence of your conver- sion to God. And I am quite prepared to hear, that such of you as have no fear of God, nor conscientious regard for his approbation, will not be many days in the colony before you yield to temptation, fall into Bome crime, bring more infamy upon your character, and subject yourselves to additional sufferings. All I can now do for you is, to warn you, beseech you, and pray for you. I solemnly repeat my warning respecting disobe- dience to any lawful command of those in authority over you. Keraember that disobedience to lawful commands is one of the greatest am,d most pernicious erimes of which you can ie guilty. What expelled angels from heaven, and converted them into derails? — ^Disobedience. What separated our first parents from God, and subjected them and their offspring to the loss of holiness and happiness ? — Disobedience. What is the cause of all the misery and death that aboimd in the world ? — Disobedience. What is the cause of your present and future sufferings ? — Disobe- dience. What was it that prepared hell ?— Disobe- DiENOE. And what did man's disobedience require ere man could be restored to purity and to bliss?— Nothing less than the incarnation, sufferings and obedibncb, even unto death, of the Son of God ! Can any of you, then, think lightly of disobedience ? Let the oc- casion of your disobedience be what it may ; let the thing about which you are disobedient be as insignifi- cant as the turning of a straw ; if the command be lawful, and you disobey that command, you are guilty 11 242 THB CONVICT SHIP. of the HEttTOUS TRANSGEESSION OF DISOB-EDIEITCE— you are chargeable with that sin which expelled the angels from heaven, and which lost a world ! Study 1 Sam. XV. 22, 23. I would also entreat you to remember what has been said to you respecting improper and dangerous associates. Avoid, as much as possible, the company of wicked men, the tendency of whose example must ever be to destroy you. Let them feel the benign in- fluence of good example and of good counsel, but re- main not in their society when it can be avoided. When it cannot, then recollect that you owe it to God, to them, and to yourselves, to \y% faithful. Be faith- ful to your Bible, and you will not only be kept from falling yourselves, but your conduct will call the at- tention of your associates to Him, who can effectually save both you and them from sin and death. The greatest snare to which you will be exposed on shore is the use of intoxicating liquors • no vice is more calculated to lead you into the practice of other vices than drunkenness ; it proves the overthrow of more prisoners than any other evil habit whatever. Take heed, then, that you never permit one drop of the intoxicating and destructive poison to cross your lips, unless prescribed by a medical practitioner for disease — a circumstance which is not likely often to happen. With reference farther to your future conduct, let me hope that you will all benefit by past experience. You have already had sufScient proof of the connex- ion between evil-doing and sniff ering • you have now LAST ADDEESB BEFOEE DEBAitKATION. 243 found out that " the way of transgressors is hard ;"* and that the tendency of their " perverseness" is to " destroy them :"f I trust you will now experience, that wisdom's " ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.''J Most, if not all of you, are now able to compare the peace and comfort con- nected with well-doing, with the infamy and wretch- edness which spring from evil-doing ; and I beseech you to profit by the experience. Some of you have long felt the pain and remorse that are the fruits of ig- norance, irregularity and crime ; why then should you desire to drink deeper in the cup from which you have already taken so many bitter draughts ? Remember the gracious remonstrance of the God of Israel with his ungrateful and rebellious children : " Hear, O heavens ; and give ear, earth ; for the Lord hath spoken : I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me. .... They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward ? Why should ye be stricken any more ? ye will revolt more and more : the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it ; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores : they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oint- ment. "§ The people for whom God had done so much, remained insensible to His goodness and mercy, turned their backs upon Him, and subjected them- selves to severe and repeated expressions of the Divine * ProT. xiii. 16. f ^'°^- xi- 3. if Pro v. iii. 11. § laa. i. 2, 4—6. 244 THE CONVICT SHIP. displeasure. And did their character improve under the chastening hand of God? Did they seek, in deep humility and contrition, the sanctified use of their multiplied afflictions ? No ; they persevered in the obstinacy of their rebellion, and called for more strokes from the rod of their Almighty and long- suffering Father, until they were smitten aU over, and covered from head to foot with wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores. And have not yau long abused the loving-kindness and sparing mercy of the Lord ? Have not you la- mentably misimproved the repeated chastisements to which your repeated offences have subjected you, and grievously provoked the Divine displeasure? "Why should you subject yourselves to be stricken any more? Why should you be imprisoned any more? Why should you be ironed any more ? Why should your flesh be lacerated by the scourge any more? Why should you subject yourselves to any more of the penalties of the law ? Have you not already tasted enough of the bitterness of transgression? Have you utterly cast off all desire for the approbation of God? Have you calculated the consequences of perseverance in rebellion against Him ? Oh ! have you thought of the agonies which you are laying up in store for your- selves, by your volwntwry rejection of the Son of God ? Are your hearts not affected by the consideration of the pernicious influence of your example ? A world that has broken loose from its proper orbit may carry far and wide physical ruin and confusion among sur- rounding worlds ; but the irregular course of one sin- LAST ADDEESS BEFORE DBBAKKATION. 245 ner, of one convict, may be productive of far greater evil, — his patli may be marked by a more fearful de- vastation : his lawless progress away from the Sun of Righteousness, must be seen in the terribleness of its moral havoc among the immortal souls of men ; per- haps among beings also of ahigher order ; and his cha- racter and destiny are those of the " wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever !"* Hear, then, all ye whose hearts, up to the present moment, have been stout against the Lord : hear ye again the proclamation of mercy, " As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked turn from his way and live : turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways ; for why will ye die, O house of Israel ? "f " Be ye reconciled unto God. For He hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteous- ness of God in Him.":]: — " He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation ; but is passed from death unto life."§ Suffer me to implore tlie whole of you, not to add another hour to the pe- riod of your rebellion and unbelief Look unto Jesus, and live ! Cleave to him with purpose of heart ; fol- low Him fully ; holding fast the beginning of the con- fidence, and the rejoicing of the hope ftem unto the END. II To-morrow morning you quit this vessel ; a vessel * Jude IS. t Ezek. xxxiiL 11. X2 Cor. v. 20, 21. § John T. 2f. B Heb. iii. 6, 14. 246 THE OONVIOT SHIP. the remembrance of which must be forever associated ■with your future destinies, be they what they may ; whether the destinies of the despisers of mercy, or of the humble followers of the Lamb of God. Of our conduct on board this ship, of our treatment of Christ, and of His great salvation, you and I must render an account ! "We shall all meet again— I say that we shall all meet again ! It may not be in this life. But we shall meet with an assembled world, together with holy and ^\\h. fallen angels. We shall form part of that awful assembly which will be present on the Day of Judg- ment, and in the proceedings of thatday we shall not be mere spectators ; no ! but we shall be personally and intensely interested. Let us now choose the position we shall occupy in the presence of the Judge. Let us now decide whether we shall look up with joy, and behold in Him our blessed Advocate and High Priest, engaged in His new-covenant love to save us, and to bring us to glory ; or whether, under the overwhelm- ing power of conscious guilt, we shall cry to the rocks to fall on us, and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb, and from the glory of His power. Oh! let every one of us now choose, whether our abode shall be with the unbelievers and the unholy, in everlasting iurn- ings* or with the sanctified in Christ Jesus, whose names are written in Heaven, and whom the blessed Saviour will present faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy.f * Isa. xxxiii. 14. f Jude 24 ; Matt, xsx ; Isa. xxxr. LAST ADDKES3 BEFOHH DEBAEKATION. 247 May God, in His abundant and great mercy, grant that all the prisoners whom He hath been pleased on repeated occasions to commit to my care, during the passage to Australia, and all those whom I have ad- dressed in the Colony, may be graciously led " into all truth ;" and, under the abiding influence of the Saviour's love shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, be preserved i i the faith and obedience of the Gospel to everlasting life, unto the praise of the glory of tlie riches of Divine grace. And may all other prisoners be duly instructed in the knowledge of the sacred Scriptures, and as " prisoners of hope "* flee for refugef to the atoning blood of the Cross, giving evidence that they have surrendered their hearts to the Lord, by walking in His footsteps, under the sanctifying influences of His Spirit, and in accordance with His blessed will, as set forth in His written and inspired "Word, COLONIAL TESTIMONIES. COWCEBNING COHTICTS BT THE " EABL GKET," AND FOEMEE SHIPS. iNQTirKiES have frequently been made in England respecting the behaviour, after their arrival in the co- lony, of prisoners who made a profession of faith in Christ while under my charge. But it is not possible for me to give a satisfactory reply to such inquiries, because circumstances do not admit of my obtaining • Zech. ix. 12. t ^^a. Ix. 8; Heb. vi. 18. 248 THE CONVICT SHIP. adequate information, which ought to be not only cor- rect, but minute and circumstantial. My stay at Ho- bart Town has always been so short as to give me little opportunity of tracing their history ; for they are scattered about at different, and sometimes distant sta- tions, and when they obtain their freedom they some- times withdraw from Yan Diemen's Land, and settle i» some of the other Australian colonies. I am thankful to be able to state, however, that all I have learnt concerning those men who gave evidence of reformation on board, has in general been most satisfactory. One gentleman sent me a message, to the effect, that if I had brought out any more suoh men as those he obtained from one of my former ships, he wished to have two of them,ybr he never had suoh servants on his /arm before. Another gentleman, who engaged a man from my earliest ship, has for many years entrusted him with the superintendence of some works, at a large salary ; and he assured me, that he believes there is not a better man in the country. Several of my men have been placed also in confidential situations under Go- vernment officers. A minister of Christ lately testified to me, on his own knowledge, that one of my men by the Elphinr- stone, a shepherd by occupation, had walked most consistently according to the spirit and precepts of the Gospel, for a period of three years and a half prior to the date of his communication ; and, that in the district in which his lot was cast, he was known amongst the COLOOTAL TESTIMONIEB. 249 people as " the good shepherd,^^ so singularly excellent was his Christian character. Through private channels I have received most gra- tifying information respecting other individuals who had been under my care ; but that information is not so extensive as I could desire, nor is it communicated in such a shape as to warrant my giving it to the pub- lic. Having no memoranda at present within my reach, many men, of whom I had a good report, have escaped my memory ; but I can count up between forty and fifty whom I know to have been conducting themselves with great propriety, and to be doing well in various situations, under private masters — in go- vernment employ — or in trades and business on their own account. Of the men who arrived by the Earl Grey, I re- ceived when last at Hobart Town, after they had been two years and a half in the colony, the most pleasing reports. Several of them, including two who were most active and useful during the voyage, I saw, and was delighted with their apparent stead- fastness in the faith and obedience of the Gospel ; moreover several of those men who did not appear, while on board, to have been deeply impressed by Divine truth, were credibly reported to me as hav- ing turned to the Lord since they landed, or rather since they had been emancipated from the baneful influence of the Probation Gang. A letter is sub- joined, from one of the men who had been most active and useful to me in the Ea/rl Grey, written after he had finished his term of probation, which, 11* 260 THE CONVICT SHIP. along with other evidence which I have received, proves the satisfactory tone of his mind, and that he had so far stood the test of close contact with un- reformed convicts of the most wretched and debased character. It was the intention of the late Comptroller-Gene- ral, Captain Forster, to supply me with a list of my men, exhibiting their colonial character as it stood in his books ; but that ofiicer was removed by death before his intention was accomplished ; and those who understand the nature of such official reports, know that they can but imperfectly assist us in form- ing a just estimate of the moral principles and character of the men to whom they refer. I must, tlierefore, content myself with giving a few extracts from various authentic documents, and would only observe that in giving these extracts respecting the prisoners, I am placed under the painful necessity of including portions which allude to myself; but I hope they will be viewed as referring to ihs system of instruction and discipline which I endeavour to carry into effect, rather than as alluding to me jp&r- sonally. " PROBATION " DESCEIBED BT A CXiNVIOT. 251 EXTEACTS FROM A LETTEE OF A CONVICT WHO WENT OTTT BY THE " EAEL GEEY ;" DESCEIBING " PEOBATION." The following letter was written ~by W. S., a convict often referred to as one of my most efficient heljpers on hoard the " Earl Grey" and contains the his- tory of some of my men after they landed. It is fitted to excite a spirit of prayer for unhappy con- victs, and to open the eyes of some in our land, who are so deluded as to count transportation a hoon ! ..." SuEELY it becomes me to unite with the church as she sings, Isa. xii., ' O Lord, I will praise thee ; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation ; I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song ; he also is become my salvation.' Oh, it is heaven in the soul of the poor sinner, deserving only present and eternal misery, when he can say and feel, with- out presumption and without hesitation, ' God is my salvation !' "A new scene in life has just begun with me. For two years and upwards I have been serving under ' Probation,' and a trying fowl found it ; but, thank the Lord, I can now breathe a purer air, and can lift up my bead {as far as a convict can) once 252 THE CONVICT SHIP. more in society, having just escaped from the dread- ful society of the Probation Gang. ... I need not attempt to describe the anxious solicitude I have felt about you and my child. My heairt has often ached when I have thought of you. Most of ray letters, (which I doubt whether you ever received,) were written ' in the Bush,' with a flat stone for my table, and a sheet of bark, from the peppermint-tree, for my seat — -a spot rendered dear to me, as the place of retreat where I often foimd the Lord's saving and consoling presence. " My object in now giving you a history of my past sufferings, is to give you a true description of the poor prisoner when banished in consequence of crime, and to awaken your tenderest sympatliies and most earnest prayers for your suflering brethren and sisters here ; 'tis not to utter a, complaining word, for I feel I deserve tenfold more punishment, or rather chastisement, than any which I have as yet received. Thanks to the Lord, I am not in hopeless misery in hell! " On Jan. 14, 1843, we arrived here ; and in a few days were separated, and most of us sent into the in- terior, to our appointed stations. Previous to our dispersion, we had an opportunity of assembling for reading the Scriptures and prayer, as we had been wont to do on board the ship. "We all lodged in one poor sorry outhouse, near the barracks, the first night we spent on shore in Van Diemen's land. My dear companions were all asked if they would unite once more together, most likely for the last time, — a "peoeation" desceibed bt a convict. 253 proposal to which they all agreed without one dis- sentient voice ; and earnest were tlie prayers, and deep the feeling, on behalf of our kind friend and patron we were about to part with ; and fervently, too, we sought Divine wisdom and grace, to guide and bless us in all our future steps. " The time soon came for us to be marched ofi". Myself and five more shipmates, with twenty old hands, were yoked to carts loaded with picks and other heavy goods. An overseer took command, and at the well-known sound, ' Go on !' off we started, not knowing where ; all we knew was that we were going to form a new station, fifty miles up the country. We had not proceeded many miles before I began to feel exhausted ; for just stepping on shore, after a long voyage, you may suppose I was unfit for hard travel- ling ; added to this, my health was but delicate ; but journey on we must, up rugged hills, beneath a scorch- ing sun, and amid the hellish oaths and imprecations of our new companions. My ears were unaccustomed to such wicked words as proceeded from their lips. One particular oath, the first time I heard it uttered, made me shudder, and that was from a poor gray- headed man when oppressed with dragging those heavy carts. It is too awful and too grossly blas- phemous to admit of being written ; its purport was a wish that he might die that moment, if he moved another step ; but the Lord had mercy on him, and did not grant his request, for he still moved on. I earnestly asked the Lord to stay the poor thing in his progress to perdition. Surely, I thought, I shall 254 THE CONVICT SHIP. never hear such language again ; but in this I was greatly mistaken, for it is common, awfully common, to hear prisoners, and officers too, swear the same oath. The Lord have mercy on this devoted colony ! " "We arrived at , and were put within the pri- son ; and a sad night I spent as to outward circum- stances. We were nearly covered with , and other filth, so that we could not lie down. My friend and shipmate who was with me on board the hulk, de- sirous of doing good, proposed to read a chapter from ' God's word ;' but oh ! I shall never forget the dread- ful cry they set up ! ' You old hypocrite ! There's no God in Van Piemen's Land, nor shall there be !' were the blasphemous words vociferated. Poor things ! they had no kind and pious surgeon-superin- tendent to bring them out, to instruct and reform their minds, as we had. How thankful should we be, and how great our responsibility ! I^ot till then did I find banishment such a heavy chastisement. To be obliged to hear and see what has passed before me, the past two years, is a severe and heart-rending af- fliction. " Morning came, and we pursued our journey. "We had to traverse the Bush, with scarcely a track to guide us. Here and there we saw a tent, or met a settler. The country became more rugged, but we were compelled to drag and labour on, a very hot day, until we were nearly exhausted. Night came on ; and truly thankful I was to lie down upon the ground, to obtain a little repose. "We encamped in the Bush, with no other shelter but God's own beautiful sky, be- " PROBATION " DESOEIBED BT A CONVICT. 255 spangled with stars. Here we found water, — a great blessing to us, for we were parched with thirst, from the want of water during the day. Next day, on we went. The Lord was very merciful to me, for I began to feel myself more fit for the remainder of the jour- ney, and early in the evening we arrived at the spot to which we were -ordered. I have been particular in describingthis journey, for the circumstances connect- ed with it made a powerful impression on my mind. Never did I see beings sunk so low. Here I beheld the fearful effects of the fall. It led me to look at my own character and condition, as set forth in the Bible. The blasphemous expressions respecting the Holy Comforter produced horror in my mind for the mo- ment ; but I hope they also led me more earnestly to implore His gracious presence and power in my soul. " At we commenced our work. . . . Then began the course of government and discipline to which I have been subjected. Gangs marched to the sta- tion as it enlarged, from , and , and other Se- cond Sentence stations. These men are supposed to have been reformed ; but, alas ! their conduct soon evinced that the treatment they had received was cal- culated to harden, rather than to soften their moral feeling. They soon broke out. Officers commenced their work, bringing many of them to trial for vari- ous offences. The ' triangle ' was erected ; the horrid ' cat ' I saw with grief and pain, flourished about the station by a fellow-prisoner, appointed fiagellator. It was soon laid upon the backs of the unhappy con- 256 THE CONVICT SHIP. victs. Then my sorrows began ; I was disappointed that a milder system was not in operation. From what I conceived probation to be, I expected men would have been instructed and drmjon, not driven ; encouraged, not at once coerced. " I should have told you, that for three or four months we were tolerably comfortable, owing to the influence of a pious visiting magistrate, who was over us during that brief period, and paid great attention to our spiritual interests, and instructed us, and led our worship on most sabbaths ; but his stay was short. There was no flogging during his time ; but he would come and talk with us, as a tender father to his chil- dren, and encourage us in every possible way, in the pursuit of useful knowledge. After he left us the scene changed ! Thirty boys, incorrigible, as their conduct afterwards proved, were sent to us ; and in- stead of being kept separate from the men, and put to suitable work, they, to my great surprise, were allowed to mix with the men, many of whom were depraved in the extreme " Oh, let me call forth your pity and your prayers for your fellow-creataros, destined like ourselves to exist forever, either in heaven or in hell ! They are daily passing out of time into eternity, in most cases, I fear, unprepared ! . . . . Never did 1 feel myself so degraded, never were my feelings so hurt as now. What my mind has suffered through the wickedness of my fellow-men, I will not attempt to tell you, for I cannot : nevertheless, these things humbled me, and brought me low in the dust of self-abasement. Thank "pbobation" desokibbd by a convict. 257 God, I believe they have induced a tender feeling for the souls of these poor creatures ; and though it would be worse than useless in me, to reason with them, or to speak to them on their danger, yet I have prayed for them, and still pray for them. With few excep- tions, no man careth for their souls ; our illegal con- duct made us convicts, and our rulers have placed us in such circumstances as render the commission of crime easy ; they put forth no counteracting influence, to bear against the evil spirit that is in man ; little instruction is afforded to the mind, and that not, in my opinion, in the proper mode. I should rejoice to gee Dr. Browning's plan adopted. It would be an invaluable boon to us men and women in bonds, and an extensive blessing in this community. . . . Thanks be to God, there are some pious men amongst the thousands of 'England's Exiles;' but we are all lumped together, and held to be a set of rascals and vagabonds, and are sometimes called so, by those who ought to instruct and encourage us when any good signs appear. ... All this does us no good. I never saw a man or a boy softened and improved by flogging or other harsh measures. A very wise man once said, you know, (and he spoke by the Spirit,) ' Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar amongst wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him :' and so it is -with, flogging / it only renders the feelings more callous, and the effects on the minds of others are anything but salutary. I hope some- thing will be done speedily for the bondmen and women in this part of the world. I am sure the 258 THE CONVIOT SHIJP. present system is most ruinous both to soul and body. Habits of idleness are contracted, they assemble in groups telling each other of the robberies and murders they have committed ; and at night in the tents, the scene is truly awful. Let me ask you to pray for us, that God would, by suitable means, send out His light and His truth amongst convicts ; that they may be saved in the Lord, with a present and an everlasting salvation ! " You see what I have gone through mentally / for what are outward inconveniences, when compared with the distress of mind endured in such a state of things ? Transportation is a terrible evil, to be dread- ed above all temporal evil. Under such circumstan- ces the strongest mind becomes dejected, and the spirit broken. Oh, that men and women would take warn- ing, and shun the commission of crime, which entails upon the offender such indescribable misery ! " Thank God, I am now in more favourable circum- stances. I feel a new man in a new world, though I feel the effects of a two years' coniinement in the Bush, under probation, hanging about me ; but, Tlie gospel bears my spiritc up, A faithful and unchanging God Laj-s a foundation for my hope, In oaths, and promises, and blood ! I have now many privileges, for it is with Christian masters that I am placed, and I sit under a gospel ministry ; and although I liave but a prisoner's Avages. I meet with kindness and encouragement " TESTIMONIES CONCEENINa CONVIOTS. 259 TESTIMONIES CONOBRNING CONVICTS BROTTOHT OUT BT THE "ARAB," 1834. No, l.-~Extract from His Excellency the Oovemor's Certificate. "It is a most gratifying duty to record the expression of the very high approbation I entertain of Dr, Browning's efforts in the discipline and reformation of the convicts during the voyage, the success of which has surpassed any thing I could have anticipated to have been accomplished in so short a period. His mode of classifying the convicts, and the plain and simple manner in which he has imparted religious instruction to them, has given an appearance and a mind to these prisoners which I have never observed on any former occasion; and I strongly recommend that the approbation of His Majesty's Government may be evinced by his being, at the earliest period, sent out in charge of another transport. (Signed) "Geo. Arihue." No. 2. — Extract from a Report, by a Board appointed by his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, to inquire into the conduct of the Convicts by the " Arab," after they had resided five months in the Colony. * * * "In obedience to your letter of the 7th Inst., requesting us to report upon the conduct of the convicts who arrived per Arab, compared with that of other prisoners, together with our opinion as to the effect produced by the discipline and system of instruction persevered in by the surgeon-superintendent during the voyage, we beg leave to state, for His Excellency's information, that, having attended the public examination of those men the day after their arrival, we were much pleased by the manner in which the convicts exhibited the instruction which 260 THE CONTICT SHIP. they had received under Dr. Browning's tuition during the voyage ; and it is really astonishing that so much could be imparted in so short a time, — particularly to a great many of them, vcho could neither read nor write previously to their being sent on board the vessel. " It appeared to us that Dr. Browning had been very successful in his classification of the men, by which means a number who possessed some rudiments of learning were enabled greatly to assist the surgeon, by communicating to the more ignorant the knowledge which they themselves possessed ; and the whole of the method pursued by Dr. Browning has led us to entertain the most favourable opinion of his assiduity and attention in every respect, but particularly to the religious and moral instruction of the prisoners. And wo cannot avoid remarking upon the very judicious impressions made upon the minds of these prisoners by the surgeon-superintendent; and that these have not been thrown away, is best shown by the exemplary condiict of the convicts who came by the Arab, since their arrival. " The superintendent of the barracks reports, that they have been invariably clean, sober, and regular, whilst at the same time none of them have yet been brought before magistrates, for punishment, — a fact which has never before occurred within the knowledge of the chief police-magistrate or principal superin- tendent, it usually happening that convicts, after ttieir first landing and assignment, meet old comrades on the road to their several ma.sters, and fall into the crime of drunkenness and other Irregularities. (Signed) "M. Foester, Chief Police-Magistrate. "JosiAH Spode, Principal Superintend- ent of Convicts. P. Palmer, Rural Dean." TESTraONTEg OONOERNTPia CONVICTS. 261 TESTIMONIES CONCERNING CONVICTS BROUQHT OUT BY THE SHIP " ELPHINSTONE," 1836. No. 4. — Extract from His Excellency's Certificate. * * * "It is truly pleasing to contemplate the gratifying results of his exertions for tho reformation of the convicts placed under his charge ; the peculiar excellency of tho system of moral and religious education adopted on board, as set forth in his Journal, having been strongly evidenced in the general demeanour of the prisoners on landing. ******* (Signed) "Geo. Arthur." No. 6. — Extract referring also to the men by the " Elphirir- stone." * * * "I cannot avoid availing myself of this opportunity to dravif the attention of His Majesty's Government to the very able system of education pursued by Dr. Browning during the voyage. His firm but conciliatory manner has ensured for him the respect of tho convicts ; and his unwearied exertions for their moral and religious improvement have called forth such evidence in their conduct, of their gratitude and esteem, as is almost incredible. " Whilst on tho voyage, men and boys were taught to read, and were so far instructed in the Scriptures as to be able to answer satisfactorily on any essential doctrine of the Christian religion. * * * " CArTAiN Adams,* of His Majesty's 28th regiment, who • Nothing could be more gratifying than the spirit and bearing of this officer during the whole of the voyage. Not only did Cap- tain Adams sonipnlously guard against all interference with me, as the naval-officer in charge of the convicts, but he ever gave his most cordial co-operation. The discipline of the soldiers under his commond, and their general conditct during the passage, were admirable. 262 THE OONTICT SHIP. commanded the guard on board the Elphinstone, has assured me, that such was Dr. Browning's influence over the convicts, that during the whole voyage there was not a dispute amongst them ; and they appeared to dread nothing so much as giving offence to their surgeon-superintendent. * * * * * * * (Signed) " Geo. Arthur." It may here be added, that when the Lieutenant Goveenok, Sir John Franklin, addressed the prisoners debarked from the Earl Grey, in the presence of a number of the colonial ofRc-ers, His Excellekct made frequent allusions to the superior conduct of the men who had been transported in the Elphinstone in 1836. 263 LESSONS AHD SERMONS READ ON BOARD THE EARL GRET. Lord's Day. LESSONS. SERMONS.* Sept. 25 . . Ez. xxxiii. Matt. i. 18—26, il. fterni. i. vol. i. Text. Ps. li. 5. Oct. 2 . , . Geu. i. Luke i. Serm ii. vol. i. John iii. 16. Oct. 9 . . . Geu. li. Luke ii. bunu. Ill, vol. i. Hebr. il S. 0«t 16 . . Geu. iii. Luke iii ISerui. iv. vol. L Acts xvi. 30. Oct. 23 . . Gen. iv. Luke iv. Serui. V. vol. i. 1 Tim. i. 16 Out. 30 . . Gen. vi. Luke V. berni. vi. vol i. Hebr. vii. 25. Kov. 6 . . Gen. vii. JSerm. i. vol. ii. Luke vi. Is. Ixiv. 6. Nov. IS. . . Gen. vii. Serm. ix. vol. i. Matt. XXV. Isa. Ixiv. 6. Nov. 20 . . Gen. ix. 2 Peter iii. Serm xii. vol. i. 2 Cor. V. 10. Nov. 27 . . Isa. i. Jolin xix. Serm. ii. vol, ii. Eplies. T. 14. Dec. 4 . . . Exodus xii. Acts ii Serm. iii vol. ii. Matt, xxii. 5. Dee. 11 . . E.xodus xiv. Acts iii. Serm iii. vol. iv. Zeeh. ix 12. Dee. 18 . . Deut- iv. Acts iv. Serm. vii. vol. i. Gal. V. 24. Christmas day Proper Lessons. Serm. ii. vol. i. John iii. 16. Jan. 1 . . . Isa. liii. Luke xxiv. An Address. Jan. 8 . . . Deut. iii Acts ix. Serm. x. vol. i. Phil. iv. 5. Jau. 15. . . Isa. li. Matt. xiii. Serm. viii. vol. i. Titus ii. 11, 12. * From " Cottage Sermons," by the Rev. 0. Davt, 4 vols. -^ .... J '-^.