SEAMEN'S

DEVOTIONAL ASSISTANT.

By the grace of God, the number of seafaring men, who are desirous of maintaining the worship of God or board of their vessels, is continually increasing, it was the lamentation of a pious master of a merchant brig, that for want of some help, he was frequently at a loss how to lead the devotions of his ship's company. To supply this want, in some measure, is the intention of the following brief collection of devotional exercises. It is hoped that it may be the means of persuading and assisting many of our seafaring brethren to engage in the delightful and important duty of WORSHIP AT SEA.

I. SABBATH DAY SERVICE.

The master and as many of the crew as can be spared from the duty of the ship, being asserabled in the cabin, or other convenient part of the vessel, the person appointed to take the lead may stand up and offer prayer to Almighty God, in a slow, solemn, and distinctly audible voice, saying,

O LORD God, to thee belong mercies and givenesses, though we have rebelled against e; do thou enable us from our very hearts,

each to say for himself, "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, 1 have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son." "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified."

The Leader of the worship may then address him self to those about him in the following manner:

Or, if more agreeable, the service may begin here:

MY dear friends, it is our bounden duty to attend to that word of God, which in so many places encourages and commands us to meet ogether, to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness. If we attempt to dissemble or cloak our sins from the face of our Heavenly Father, we shall only deceive ourselves, and mock God. But if, under a feeling sense of our guilt and misery, we do confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart, we are assured, that we shall obtain forgiveness of the same, through his infinite goodness and mercy. This is certain, because the word of him who cannot lie hath declared, that if we thus confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Wherefore, let us with humble and contrite hearts bow down before the Lord. who hath promised to hear and answer in mercy all who call upon him.

looking for salvation only through his Son Jesus Christ, who hath died for sinners.

Here while all kneel down, the Leader may pronounce the following general confession, which every one present may repeat after him:

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep: we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts: we have offended against thy holy law: we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us.

But

thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders: spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults: restore thou those who are penitent; according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

We know that thou art ready to pardon and forgive all those that truly repent and unfeignedly believe thy holy gospel, wherefore we beseech thee to grant us true repentance, and thy Holy Spirit; that those things may please thee which we do at this time, and that the rest of our lives hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may

come to thine eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who himself hath taught us thus to pray-" Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen."

Here all rising from their knees, may join in reading, verse and verse, with the Leader, the 95th Psalm, as follows:

Leader.-O COME let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

Crew.-Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

L.-For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

C.-In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is his also.

L.-The sea is his, and he made it; and his hands formed the dry land.

C.-O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

L.-For he is our God; and we are the

people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

C.-To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart; as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.

L.-When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

C.-Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways.

L.-Unto whom I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest. C.-Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

L.-As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Here a portion of Scripture may be read at the discretion of Leader, or the Leader and Crew may repeat, alternately, the following selections:

Leader.-THE law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John i. 17.

Crew.-The Spirit of God, like a dove, lighted upon him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt. iii. 16, 17. L.-The voice out of the cloud said, “Hear e him." Matt. xvii. 5.

C.-We believe, that through the grace of