eagerly inquired, "Sir-how ?-where ?-by what means ?-pray inform me what I must do; I am willing to undertake any thing within any abili ty, in order to be restored." As to your doing,' replied he, it is impossible, from the situation in which you are, to obtain relief from any thing which you can do. There is but one way in which you can safely hope for deliverance from your misery; and, by attending to my advice, you will assuredly succeed.' He then observed" There is now lying at this port (for the town of Desperation is a sea-port, from whence thousands in a year embark, and sail down the channel, which empties itself into the Gulph of Hades, or Hell) a ship called "The Good Hope;" she is commanded by "Captain Salvation," and is destined to the Celestial Lands. Go then immediately to the Captain, make known all your case to him, and implore his assistance: ask him to take you on board his ship, for Now is the accepting time," and he hath given me full authority to declare, That whosoever makes application, he will in nowise, on no account whatever, reject." This unexpected intelligence much surprised me; nor could I easily persuade myself that all I had heard from Evangelicus was true. I felt many objections, which I stated to him ;-as that I had no money to pay my passage. That,' replied be, is no ground of objection, for his terms are "without money and without price.' Again I objected; that my clothes were so mean, so ragged, and filthy, that my appearance would disgust the Captain, and disgrace the ship's company. To which he replied, Let not that discourage you; for he does not take the decent and respectable, but mean and despised persons; whom, as soon as he receives, be always clothes in garments of his own providing.' In short, Evangelicus answered every objection I could bring, in such a satisfactory manner, that I at length came to the resolution, and said, "I will arise and go" to this Captain; "who can tell" but I may be accepted, and taken under his protection to the desired haven. Not that I expected to be received as a passenger; but I was determined, if he would only admit me as a menial servant, not to lose the opportunity. Accordingly I went; But how difficult did I find it to reach the ship! At length, between hope and fear, I arrived, and inquired for the Captain, and was directed to "knock" at his cabin door, and it would be opened. I did so, but with a trembling hand; and, to my great surprise, the Captain himself came to speak with me. It is impossible to describe what I felt the moment I beheld him ;- the majesty and beauty of his person overpowered me. Never before had I such a view of my own meanness! I appeared so deformed, so filthy, and contemptible, that I said within myself," Behold, I am vile." Notwithstanding the vast disparity between us, he condescended to speak to me! and O what gracious words flowed from his lips! Looking at me with so much tenderness as would have broken the hardest heart, he said, "What wilt thou that i should do for thee?" With my cheeks covered with tears, and my heart palpitating with fear. I tremblingly replied, "Be not angry with me, good Sir. for my boldness in coming bitber: I am a poor miserable creature, who have reduced my self to the greatest necessity and wretchedness by my wicked conduct, and had even premeditated my destruction; when one whom you had commissioned met with me; and by his advice, I am come to entreat your pity, and beg a passage on board the ship which you command, as I am told she is bound to that haven of rest which I earnestly wish to reach. I have no money, nor any thing to recommend me. I throw myself on your mercy, dear Captain; "save me, or I perish!" Can you believe what I am about to relate? He made not the least objection to my request, nor did he at all reflect on me for my past folly, but immediately said, "Come, for all things are now ready." I was now clothed with the richest robe you ever beheld; I sat down at a delightful repast with the rest of my fellow passengers, whose joy appeared much increased by my coming on board. After being refreshed, and honoured with our Captain's company, we could not suppress our feelings, but began to sing, "Jesu, at thy cominand, we launch into the deep," &c. Ah, my dear friends, now it was I began to be happy; and O, how earnestly I wished for you on board. O that the day may soon come, when you will petition our gracious Captain to take you, being willing to "leave the world and sin behind!" Since I have been at sea, I have experienced much distress: Indeed, sometimes, I have been greatly afraid that, after all, I should perish; yet, praised be my gracious Captain, his skill and kindness, have hitherto been equal to all my dangers and necessities. I intended to have given you some account of the trials I have experienced on my voyage, arising from sickness, tempests, and the attacks of enemies; but this must remain for my, next, which I shall embrace the first opportunity of sending. At present I conclude, wishing you all desirable blessings; and am, my dear friend, Yours affectionately," At Sea, on board the Good Hope.' HOPEFUL. FOR THE CHRISTIAN Herald. Extract from a metrical Epistle, written some years ago by the Rev. Whitefield, since our contention's at an end, Whose trumpet sounded-"For the faith contend!"* 66 - Foes to the truth, can you, in conscience, spare?" "Tear them," (the Tempter cry'd,) " in pieces, tear!"- So thick the darkness, so confus'd the noise, We took the Stranger's for the Shepherd's voice: Rash nature wav'd the controversial sword, Fraternal love from ev'ry breast was driv'n, And turn our arms against the common foe; And jointly lab'ring on with zealous strife, Flew through the wat'ry world, and reach'd the shore.. WIE Urg'd to pursue the work by thee begun, cadaho Nor torture fear'd in such a glorious cause.beno To sever friends, who never yet were foesses at 7. Confound our pride, and cover us with shame To make us blush beneath his short-liv'd power, buck But lo! the snare, is broke, the captive's freed, bod... Kindled anew the never-dying flame, vola: " The storm of life subsides-the sea is still- PHILADELPHIA CHARITY SCHOOLS. Annual Report of the Board of Managers of the Philadelphia Society for the establishment and support of Charity Schools. The Board of Managers in presenting their Annual Report, congratulate the Society on its growing prosperity, and extended usefulness. From an income of less than twenty dollars per annum, it has increased its revenue sufficiently to maintain two schools, in which more than three thousand poor children have received the rudiments of an English education. From the number of nine or ten members at its foundation, it has witnessed an increase to four hundred; and a disposition manifested by the benevolent, to fill up the places of those whose labours have ceased. Within the last year a measure long contemplated by the Society, has been accomplished. The liberal donation of the executors of Robert Montgomery, deceased, mentioned in our last report, has enabled the Board, with the assistance derived from scholars paid for by the county commissioners, to open two schools, one for boys and one for girls, on the Lancasterian System, in the District of Southwark. In these schools are three hundred and fourteen children, of whom two hundred and thirty-four are paid for by the County Commissioners, and the remaining eighty educated out of the funds of the Society. The annual expense of educating the children of the poor, returned by the assessors to the County Commissioners, had become so enormous as to awaken the attention of the Board as well as that of very many of our fellow-citizens. It was believed that these children could be educated' at about half the sum then paid; and the Commissioners; anxious to lighten the public burthens, agreed with the Board, to pay six dollars per annum for every child sent by their order to the Southwark Schools, to a number not exceeding three hundred. The prices heretofore paid by the Commissioners, to all the teachers employed by them, have in consequence of this arrangement been much reduced. All the Schools under our care are now conducted on the Lancasterian plan; and the Board on this occasion, renewedly approve of this system, and testify to its beneficial effects, as well as to its superiority over every other system hitherto known for the education of the poor. Pursuant to a resolution of the Society, the Manual of the Lancasterian System published by the British and Foreign School Society, has been republished, with a concise history of our own Society prefixed, and also the Lancasterian Lessons, very much amended and adapted to the Schools of this country; both of which are now offered for sale. From the re-publication of this book, highly beneficial results will be likely to ensue. The details of the Manual are such as to enable a person of moderate capacity to establish the system in places where a regularly instructed Lancasterian teacher could not be procured, and it is hoped from the general concern manifested by the friends of education and sound morals, that ere long every village in our country will contain a well arranged Lancasterian School. The Board have the pleasure to state, that in the Walnut-street schools, there are 268 boys, and 182 girls, and in the Southwark schools, 194 boys, and 120 girls, making the total number of scholars at present under the care of the Society, 764. ...The teachers in the schools in Walnut-street, are Thomas Walter and Elizabeth Wilson-those in Southwark, are Samuel F. Watson and Sarah Morton. The Board have now closed their seventeenth Annual Report. They rejoice to see the views of the founders of the Society accomplished. A general attention seems to be excited in the public mind on the subject of the education of the poor. Charity schools, on enlarged and liberal principles, have within a few years past, |