it is brought by violations of conscience, and of God's will. And I have seen, that, even where the moral nature seemed to be dead, utterly dead, it is very possible, by feeling long and patiently about the heart, that some pulsation may be found there to indicate, or even to prove, that the principle of moral life, and the capacity of moral feeling, are not, in truth, wholly extinct. While God, then, shall continue life, shall we not continue our efforts, and our prayers, as the ministers of his mercy? Besides, even if, in regard to many, we must, to carry out the rule that human nature is never to be given up, hope against hope, and labor without making even the smallest apparent progress, still, if we shall persevere, some occasion may be given in the providence of God, in which a way will be opened for us that we thought not of; and in which a success, to call forth our eternal gratitude and praise, will follow our cares, our prayers, and our exertions. Would, indeed, that I had a warning voice, by which I could carry home to every soul, especially of the young, a conviction of the extent and fearfulness of the desolations to which the human soul may be, and is brought, by abandonment to intemperance, to falsehood and dishonesty, or to a life of profligacy! I can hardly conceive of the degradation, and the misery, which I have not witnessed, as the consequences and the wages of these sins. And I have seen many, very many, who, having resisted all reasonings, and all persuasions, have gone, into eternity, moral suicides, to stand before their Judge in the fulness of their unrepented sins. But I would still repeat, let human nature, let a fellow sinner never be given up. Let a minister of Christ

never be weary, and never discouraged with a transgressor, even though all the world beside should forsake, and give him up as hopeless. I have seen that there may be at least an apparently real restoration, even in a case apparently as desperate as any one to which the moral nature may be brought; and I have seen those recovered to temperance, and faithfully maintaining it, who were once broken down, were the scourge and misery of their families, and were threatened with premature death, by their habitual and lawless excesses. To God, then, let us look in every step of our way, seeking his guidance and aid; remembering our own dependence on mercy, and exercising the mercy, which, could we imagine ourselves to be in the condition of our fallen brother, we could wish should then be extended to ourselves. This is plainly the rule of the gospel, and it should never be forgotten by a minister of the poor.

I might state other principles, which have, I think, a peculiar bearing upon this ministry. But I forbear. I must however observe, that I do not forget that here, at least as much as in any other department of the administration of our religion, we need the light and power which God only can communicate; the influences of his spirit; and that here, too, if any one is an instrument of good to a fellow-being, to God we are to ascribe the success, and to him we are to render the glory. I know not, indeed, the sphere of human action, in which human need of divine aid is more impressively taught, than in the services of this ministry. Strangely constituted must be that mind, which, amidst the spectacles that are here daily witnessed, at once of

human weakness, and exposure, and want, and suffering, and of the power of human propensities and habits, and amidst the embarrassments and trials which are here daily to be met, shall not often and strongly feel its personal insufficiency for the objects, for the attainment of which the gospel yet calls for human interest, and sympathy, and coöperation. But, blessed be God, this very gospel assures us, that he will not withhold his holy spirit from those who ask him for it. This is the first and the last, the beginning and the end, of the encouragements to this ministry; nor can I conceive that any one who should attempt this service, independently of this divine aid, would long obtain the remunerations of his work, which would induce him to continue in it.

But while I plead for a special ministry for the poor, I am fully aware that our religion knows of no substitute, and that its believers should not think of proposing any, for that extended and personal connexion between the wise and the ignorant, the rich and the poor, the virtuous and the vicious, at which our Lord aims in the sentiment addressed to them without discrimination, all

ye are brethren. No one, indeed, I think, who has watched the operations of this ministry, can doubt whether it have done much in our city, to quicken and extend a sense of the relations into which Christianity would bring the classes of society with each other. And, let me here observe, that something will also I hope, be done in this cause by the publication of Degerando's Visitor of the Poor.' I commend this work to the readers of my Reports, in the belief that it is suited to do much to make the service to which it calls

its readers profitable at once to those who may engage in it, and to those to whom this service may be extended.

The past winter, it will be remembered, was one of unusual severity. It was also a season of unusual sickness. But although there was a proportionably unusual demand for fuel, and although its price was one third higher than in several preceding winters, there yet was not, I think, any unusual suffering among the poor, from a want of the means of warmth and comfort. The cold weather of the winter began very early, and public sympathy with the suffering was strongly excited among us. The rich were liberal in their contributions for the necessitous, and the distributors of their bounty were faithful in the appropriation of it. Much moral evil, I believe, was thus prevented, and much moral, as well as physical good, was promoted. There are, without doubt, cases of an unwise and injurious distribution of alms among us. But I believe there is as little ground for complaint, or for apprehension on this subject, in our city, as in any city of equal numbers in our country, or in the world.

Of my own services, during the last six months, I can only say, that I have endeavored to do what I could. At the close of the last December I was taken from my work by a dangerous illness, which confined me to my house for five weeks; and I have recently been absent from the city for eight days. My visits, therefore, for the last half year, have been but thirteen hundred and twentyone, and these have been divided between four hundred and fifteen families. I have been obliged also, from inability to preach, wholly to relinquish the services of the chapel. A recurrence to this last circum

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stance, and to the fact, that twice, during the last year, I have been admonished by sudden and severe illness of the tenure by which I hold my life in this world, constrains me to urge again my strong desire, that some one should take my place in this ministry, to whom I may act as an assistant from house to house, and on whom may devolve the whole duties of the chapel. Not only would my life be rendered far happier, could I pass the remnant of it in this relation with one who could bear the full heat and burden of the day, but with far greater happiness should I then look to its close. 'But all is in His hands, whose praise we seek.' Six, beside myself, are now employed wholly as ministers of the poor in this city; and, not less active than either of us in this field of duty, is Mr Taylor, the seamen's preacher and friend. We have good reason therefore to believe, that this ministry will be one of our permanent institutions. It has conduced to very great good; and, if fit instruments shall be obtained for it, and it shall be wisely conducted, it will never want either public approbation, or patronage. May the Lord of the harvest raise up for us, and send forth, new, and more efficient laborers, into this department of his harvest ! Respectfully,

JOSEPH TUCKERMAN.

BOSTON, MAY 5, 1832.