for it is a

totally at

But even

all circumstances, considered as a crying evil, and must certainly be regarded in this light by us; practice both dishonest and injurious, and variance with the law of brotherly love. were it lawful 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 circumstances 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, understand 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 irons--the badges of your disgracewith which you are at present fettered, 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 their 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?

GENERAL OUTLINE

OF

SCRIPTURAL INSTRUCTION.

OUR main business, is with the Bible; its evidences, 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 instruction. 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 New Testament 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 other 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, makes 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. there is not time to read 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. Beginning 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 and 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 Romans 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 of the Godhead-the personality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in connexion with the unity of Jehovah; to the Divinity of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit; to the authenticity, genuineness, credibility, integrity, and inspiration 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 apostacy 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 broad, impressive view of our guilt, depravity, and helplessness, as set forth 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 Jesus 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 patriarchs and prophets; and consider many of the predictions concerning the MESSIAH, His Divine and human natures, united in the one person of Emmanuel,-His 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 perusal of the New Testament leads us at the same time to the consideration of His incarnation and birth; His doctrines and precepts; His miracles and prophecies; and manner of teaching; His omniscience, forbearance, lowliness, and power; His holiness, compassion, zeal, and faithfulness; His obedience, sufferings, and rejection; His death, as the Divine and voluntary Substitute for sinners; His burial, resurrection, promises, and especially the great promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit; His appointment of the Apostles, His ascension in the presence of ordained WITNESSES, and entrance into the

heavenly, holy place with His own blood, to appear as our great High Priest in the presence of God; the all-prevailing efficacy of His intercession, the eternity of His kingly, priestly, and prophetic offices, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the universal proclamation of the Gospel, and the conversion of sinners by the power of the truth and of the Holy Ghost; the formation and constitution of Christian Churches, and their Divinely-appointed 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 children 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 manner in which they are delivered, is quite impossible. Occasional manifestations 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 practical in

struction.

When I ascertain, either by my own observation or otherwise, that a prisoner is under serious impressions, I privately send for him to some place of retirement, on deck, in the prison, 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