The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-07-04 00:00:00

BIBLE SOCIETY MEETING.

The annual tueeting of the Weymouth auxiliary of the
British and Foreign Bible Society was held on Monday
evening, at the National schoolroom, where on the plat,
form were—Capt. Russell, R.K. the flew. W. Lewis
(Hope Chapel). the Rev. E. BoltontGloucester-etreeth the
Rev. Ralph Lyon, and the deputation, the Rev. John
Graham• rector of St. Chard's. Lichfield.
. .

The meeting first sang the hymn, commencing—
" How precious is the Book divine."
The Rev. W. Law's offered prayer.
Captain Itusehm. deplored their three-fold less in the
absence of the rector, the president, also of the secretary
and the treasurer, who, however, they could not dlubt
were with them in spirit lie read the annual account,
in the absence of the treasurer :
wielders.

C s. a.
Balance ot last account .. ~ .. .. .. 0 9 91
Collection at annual niecting .. .. .. .. 910 10
Collection at lieltsenbc Rwus church .. .. .. 20 0 8
AbboMbury emociation. free contribution .. .. 3:1 3 18
Chickercl ~ .. .. 6 12 9
.. ..
lialipole „ .. .. 10 II 11
~ „
leington Herring „ •,.. .. I 7 6
~
Ladles Association .. .. 13 16 3
Preston ~.. .. 6 16 II
Sales at Depositories .. .. .. .. .. 60 10 II
Subocriptions, as per list .. .. .. .. .. 67 It II
Upwey Association .. .. .. .. .. 18 10 0
Collection atter sermon at Wyke .. .. .. 3 IS 6

£243 1 Ok

rArmazTs.

L d.
Expenses of meetings, and other small payments .. 2 In 7
!Wades of depositazice, and expenses of Wes .. II 5 11
Remitted to Emmy Association, on free account .. 13 10 0
Remitted to Parent Society, on purchase amount .. II
Ditto, on free account . •. o

1:21:1 1
The sales at depositories during the put year have been
bibles, finn, testaments and portions of scripture, in.s ; total,
1,071.

The Rev. E. BOLTON wa.s very glad to re-unite with them
in re-aiti g our strong attachment to the word of fled,
and our increased desire that all should he in possession
of that word, free from any special interpretation, note,
or comment, for when they came to interpretation they
met with their dithculties • but all could unite in the
circulation of the pure word How the Bible had lessened,
if it had not removed, the evils under which the people
used to groan ! How it has become the basis ef all
lation! How it has touched the throne, anal swayed the
heart of that lady who site thereon ! The hook has been
chained and imprisoned ; but it has endured the chains
and imprisonment, anal has come forth free, a living
thing, a mighty power ; like its Lord and Master, it has
risen again to triumph over the sins anal sorrows that
affect humanity. What has it not alone for us! Did it
not lead us till we came to the cross, and there Nall' our
hurden taken away by the crucified one Thank God
that it has been so precious and so helpful. It then
becomes our duty to do all we can for the circulation of
the Bible. We recognise it as • national duty to surround
our coasts with lighthouses, to give bread to the hungry,
anal clothe the naked. Here is the lighthouse that shall
guide, the bread that shall satisfy a more terrible hunger;
anal it is our duty to commend the book, to give the book,
to spread it abroad in the world. But we need to be
cautioned against the danger of depending upon the fact
that so many Bibles are distributed, fur the Bible is not a
mere charm to do everything for the 111411 : we need to
encourage Bible thousht, to get people to renal the hook.
to think the book, to let it influence all our lives.

...
The Rev. RALPH LYON, formerly curate of this parish,
had a very affectionate remembrance of St. Nary s. and
could not refuse to say a few words on the subject. lie
could hardly believe it was Li years since his connection
with this parish was dissolved, and everything seemed
changed, but the Word of God continued the Marne
••to.day, yesterday, and for ever." Were they endeavour-
ing to learn more of that Saviour whom they professed
to love above all? The times are disheartening when we
think of the state of the Church at home, but very
encouraging in connection with the Church abroad, and
the Book of God still remained to comfort no able to
guide us over the treubled ways of this world, by the
direction of God's Holy Spirit. Let us he careful we do
not turn snide from the paths of Evangelical Protestanism.
(lIow.) Never was a tame when no much proof of God's
presence was seen in mission work. Nor* west, toast,
or south, there are abundant openings, and. thank God,
there is a more abundant missionary spirit—more
labourers being raised up, and everywhere there is proof
that the Spirit of God is blessing the proclamation of
His Gospel. But how helpless would all our inissionaries
be without the Bible to read and teach from, and to give
copies to the converts that God gives them ! Ile thanked
God for being allowed again to speak in this school-ruotu' •
might they ever be together in the bonds of the Gospel.
(Applause./
Ilymn, " Holy Bible, book divine
Rev. Dr. GRAHAM, rector of St. Chad's, the deputation.
said it was very pleasant to meet old acquaintancts in the
work of the Lord. but he felt regret at missing conic old

"(hang, and decay in all around I see;
Oh Thou who cbangest not, abide with me."
The past history of the Society has proved that God was
with them in truth. It had now expanded into ten
thousand societies, scattered all over Christendom, all
seeking to be centres of light and blessing. The ineome
was .e2.39.00P, and into about till languages and dialects
the Bible was translated, making it accessible to about
7111tOnellisi of the human rice, or half the population of
the world. blight Pod continue the blessing till the
whole should become His inheritance, and utterinuet
parts of the earth His possession ! Italy had been
supposed to be the most helpless of all countries as to the
Bible, for there was the centre of the Papacy; but •
Bible meeting had lately been held in Rome under the
very walls of the Vatician, and the Pope himself, in his
inner chambers, might have beard the cheers. Forty
thousand Bibles bad been circulated last year in Rome,
and 50e,001) within the last few years had been circulated
in Italy and the North of Africa opposite. The Govern-
ment of Italy itself had no sympathy whatever with the
narrowness of view shown by the Church of Reine in
that part of the world, and the entrance of thaw 500,000
Bibles had been greatly intluenti al in the change. Into
Spain the Bible Society made a raid after the Revolution,
and scattered half-a.million Bibles, and one of the states-
men bad made ill favour of liberty and Protestant
principle a speech which electrified Europe. In India
Sir Bartle Frere had found in the Deccan a village of
Christians who had never seen a missionary, and had no
teacher but the Word of God. This had been repeated
over and over agile, and in Madagascar the life of the
Church had been supported by the Bible alone, in the
presence of persecution, which drove away all the
English teachers, The missionary societies, except the
Baptist. are all indebted to the Bible Society for the
majority of the Bibles in the languages of their converts.
Speaking of the value of the Bible, even without •
teacher, he spoke of the comfort given to patients in
hospitals by "Bible quilts,' which have texts of Scrip-
ture in plain letters on the patches. One of them was
the means of the conversion of several wounded and
sick soldiers in hospital, until it came to the very son of
the lady who sent it; he was converted also, and the
prodigal was brought home to his mother's arms, his
Saviour. his God, by that single text. (Applause.)
The meeting was closed with the doxology and bene-
diction, and a collection was made at the doors.