Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1814-05-30

bible ASSOCIATIONS.

olDIG fASSOCldtlOllSs
"wednesday se'nnight, there wss meeting Of
.,o.t 500 persons in the riding school Of the life
s,.rds barracks, in King street, portman.sqdsre,
ssoayeaed for the purpose of taking into consid.
s..,;cn the proprety Of forming fourth Associ
ION 10 the north west district flhe Auxiliary
ana Society, to comprehend that neighborhood
more particularly, with the hope Of enabling the
.oc;ety TO extend It's benefits to the soldiery.
The Rey. Mr. Basil Wood was in the chair.
The Rev. Mr.. Wsugh and The Rev. Mr..
Newton IA Wesleysn) proposed that such an as.
.oc;.tion be formed tor the immediate ncighbo
sood. east, west, and south, snd ending north.
I'D - far IS Scotland ifposible (Mr. w. being
, native of that country y and thM certain regu-
iss;ons, ~ TO committees &c. be adobted. Com.
mit.ees Of management were then appointed.
nme Of the members being life guards
zen. Alter much appropriate speaking had
aiken place. and their business was concluded =
orivs,e soldier from amongst the company, ad
1ressed the meeting with great peculiarly and
6rce. An outline Of what fell from such char.
eeter can not be un'nteresteg.
Corporal Jones. OF the train Of artillery, wished
% give his humble support 10 plan which had
MI met with such general and deserved aPpro
iation. and in moving that the thanks of the
eeeting be given to the Rev. Mr.. Basil Wood,
b would Avsil himself Of The opportunity Of say
IL very few words on the ines,imsble advanta-
ees resulting from the Bible associations, He
v,s soldier, and he had seen what had been
1oae amongst his brother soldiers by the intro
dresion Of the Bible. He spoke only of the train
q which he belonged. -Eseh man had now his
1;ble it was 10 be found IN each mans knapsack
and il vas invariably to be seen in his room, or
In his haads. When they passed examination
IN the parade, together with the implements q
~ar.esch man wss expected to produce his Bible.
The eject wss, tia, order, sobriety, and punctu.
,Ety. wese promoted amongst them. A few
Avs snce, Fifty Of his CONF ades. left head quar-.
iefs. 70 embark for foreign service, and with the
uen,,rnen.s Of the one true living God fixed IN
lhelr minds, and Bibles in their knapsack, they
vent 10 reap honour in 6gh.ing the battles Of
cir county and everlasting happine ~, spread.
;pr the word Of the Most High. They would
indeed, act IS missionaries ofglory 1, had been
aaad. that soldier, from the moment that he
sprued Christian, became coward but this he
would deny What reason was there tor . man
Aene coward, when he was armed within -
vel % without So FAR from making him
coward, il made him better soldier, tor be was
iort,6ed against all the accidents by Rood and
1eId" the caismities Of war, and the changes Of
climate. Living, he was prepared to die. Thus,
y vent forth tdoubiy armed" to fight the
Asules Of his king and church and il in such
cause, he met with sudden death, TO him, il
would be sudden glory (Gren APPLAUSE After
dwelling on The advantages that wuuld result to
the great cause from an extensive -circNla,ion
oflhe Holy Scriptures among tbs soldiery, -
IL foreign countries. they would act ss mission.
aries, the ar,ille'ym concluding his effective
apd interesting speech amidst locd pl,udts.
The motion was approved. and the meeting
hen adjourned.