14.1831. DISCOURSES TO SEAMEN. WOTHER ·BOD BY THE REV. WILLIAM SCORESBY, CHAPLAIN OF THE MARINERS' CHURCH, LIVERPOOL; "Jesus sat down, and taught the people out of the ship."— LUKE V. 3. LONDON; JAMES NISBET, BERNER'S STREET: SOLD IN LIVERPOOL BY D. MARPLES. MDCCCXXXI. PREFACE. SEAMEN, in general, have fewer opportunities than almost any other class of men amongst us, of benefitting by the institutions for public worship and religious edification, so numerously established in our privileged country. From this deprivation, necessarily arising out of their peculiar occupation, they have been apt to excuse themselves for their neglect of religion, or to overlook the fearful responsibilities attaching unto those "that forget God." And this awful indifference as to eternal things, we, who ought to have, been to them as watchmen, too long, with unchristian apathy, suffered. For whilst, under Divine Providence, we were reaping national prosperity through their instrumentality, and often national security or aggrandisement through the price of their blood,-the country, at large, seemed content to enjoy their own civil and religious privileges, without remembering the religious deprivations of those through whom these privileges were secured to them. And whilst all were aware of the thoughtless and reckless character and ungodly habits of our Seamen, as a body, 'no man seemed to care for their souls '-little or no effort was made to |