Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1815-11-29
THE BIBLE....N No. vi,

H.,
A poor woman subscribed to Bible ass ociation
at Dorhing, whose husband had not for many years
attended any place Of worship; he was frequently
in state of intoxcation, and spent so much of his
money at the public house, drinking and play ing
cards, that he brought very little home to his wife
VINO had been sometimes in such distress (having
large family of young chdren) that she borrowed
three pence or sirpence of neighbor to buy bre ad
for the day. whilst her husband was continually
seen fighting and quarrelling in the street,
Sunday. Nearly Eve months since, she obtained
Bible, which she laid in his way hoping he might
be tempted to take it up and read This was, short
y afterwards the and the effect upon his mind
was soon visible in his conduct he began TO attend
church once, then twice in day, taking one of his
little children with him, and has since only missed
one Sunday morning from urgent necessity. He
reads to his family in theBb on aSunday coming,
hears them repeat the collect for the day, and has
requested the neighbour who kindly assisted his
wife in her distress, to give his children some rei-
gious instruction in the week, as his employment
keeps him late from home, and his wife can read
but very imperfectly. He brings home all the mon
ey ne earns; and the poor woman says they have
never been SO happy since they were married, and
cannot be sufficiently thankful that she was indu-
ced to subscribe to the Association, and for the
blessing that has attended her obtaining Bible.
The foregoing is taken from the Report of the
Oorhing Bible Association. The following is from
the first report of the Bible Association of Bristol
After enumerating some pleasing facts the re-
port proceeds" Another instance was that of
aoor sailor who had lain very i'll and in great dis
tress for six weeks, during which time he laboured
under great remorse of conscience for the abandon
ed life he had lived he acknowledged that he had
been guilty of cursing, swearing, and other most
horrid crimes. Now being brought low bv the hand
Of Omnipotence, he could find no source of consola
ton till his thoughts turned toward the Bible and
even this seemed to him to be shut up, as he
neither possessed nor had the of procurngone
At last neighbor, who had few tatte red leaves
OF an old Bible, readily proffered the use of them
They were gladly received, and eagerly and re-
peatedy used, till one day being called upon by
was found, with the children seated round him,
reading to them those fragments of sacred truths
which he possessed.
He was after this supplied with Bible, and he
became an altered character, paying due attention
to divine worship, and observing good order and
decorum in his family. What renders this circum-
stauce still more interesting is that this poor man
and another sailor, formerly of similar character,
in possession of the borrowed leaves only, met al
ternately at each others house, the Sabbath, to
contained.v
These anecdotes, with the contents of the two
preceding numbers, were taken from an appendix to
the Report concluded in No. s.
1t is now the intention of the writer to notice
the reports of Bible Socie ties in the United States
which are inserted in the same work.
1. The third Report Of the Bible Societyo Of Massa-
chusehs, June 8, 1913.
ExTRkcT.-" A gentleman from Maine states,
the Bibles sent into this region, have, from great
numbers, met grateful reception. myself have
heard families express their thankfuness to the
Massachusetts Bible Society, and l have good evil
dence, that after being for years without Bible,
ii has become family book, and is read with
good degree of attention" Another writes, Per-
haps no other present SO uniformly excites undis-
sembling joy and gratitude, as that of the Bible
ave should remember that Gods blessing on
our suffering nation is not obtained by giving up
the few exertions which we have hitherto made for
the diffusion of christianity. Perhaps one cause
of the frowns of Providence upon our land is this,
that we have SO ungratefully neglected to employ
our prosperity and connections with other nations,
for the religious Improvement of the world
In the present coDvulsed and disordered state of
the world it is most consoling and cheering to see
so many christians of different countries and differ
eat denominations forgetting their divisions, and
uniting in one great effort, for making known the
scriptures to every nation under heaven. Like the