Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-10-01
FoR THE vIRGINIAN.
TRACT Y SCNDAY SCHOOL SOCIETY.

FOR THE vIRGINIAN.
TRACT x SUNDAY SCHOOL. SOCIETY.
The Annual Meeting of the Tract and Sunday
School Society, attached Ia the NJ. T.. Church, in
Lyuchbn1g, was held Oh "Wednesday evening, the
26tl September.
At the hour appointed Mr.. John Thurman, Pres
ldent of the Society, took the chair and the meet
lng WAS opened with prayer by the Rev. James A.
kiddick.
The Annual Reports of the Secretary and rrca-
surcr were then read, adopted, aud ordered to be
published.
Rev. Messrs. Riddick and Early and M. ]. w.
Morgan, {Superintendeut oil the Sabbath School)
addressed the Soeieiy-setring forth its utility aud
importance, and strongly urging lis claims TO the
support OF the community.
a public collection was taken up, and the Society
then elected the following officers for tho ensuing
wear: John Thurman, Irtsi8cHt; Dir. John II.
paiteson. ice President Nathan b. Thurman,
TREASURER Richard II. Ioler' .secrtf"y; aud
lanes ". Morgan, james Bcnaeh, Rev. s. d.
TompAins, Rev. Thomas Jones, Rev. Josiah Cole,
JOSEPH y. Evans, Henry O. SchoolGrld, Il. l..
Leckir, and George Valentine, Managers.
The proceedings of the meeting were direcied
10 be published IN the Iynchbuls Nirginlan and
Conference journal.
JOHN THURMAN, PresL.
RICHARD II. ToLtR, $ee.y.
ANNUAL REPORT.
In compliance with the acquisitions Of HE Con-
stiiutiou, the Secretary aud Treasurer make known
10 the Society that the amount OF receipts into its
Treasury. during the last Year, WAS SlOl p, and
that the sum discussed, MIS- sos 25, leaving a bal
ance on baud Of So, as will more fully appear BY
tle separate Report Of tire Treasurer, hereto APP
pended.
The objects Of this Society are of a character so
important, tiat it may not be amiss To make an el-
tori To cilclt a deeper interest and To excite a more
general co operation in ther promotion. Hitherto,
lis operations have been citcnmScIlbed and trdmmcl-
led By the scanty sum contributed TO lis Treasury
a sum obviously poftioned To the numbers
and resources OF the Church atone, and still more SO
to the numbers of those out OF It's pale, who share so
largely in lis benefits, and who are 50 deeply interest
ed in lis pctnancnce and efficiency.
The design of tins Society is Two fold. First, TO
promote the distribution OF Ttacts-those seemingly
insignificant but really most influential lIttle vol
umes, which, cmbodying III a cheap and captivating
form. the most valuable Christian instructions, SO
often reach the heart, when other means have failed
to affect IT,. For ii is well known that many midi
viduals who have turned il deaf ear 10 the eluquencc
of the pulpit, and who pcrchance could never have
Accn induced TO open the pages OF the Bible, have
vet been touched by The still small voice. which
whispered to their conscienees and their Judgments,
in these unprciendlng pages, taken up perhaps in a
careless II God, and not ltnpfobably with a DISPOSE
ton to st off at then humble contents.
This oh lcct is itself of sufficient magnitude and
interest 10 awaken al our tetle, feelings, to excite
our generosity, and to secure our hearty co-opcra-
ton but when, c|nnblned with this, is The promo
ton of the Sabbath School cause, the appeal to
out sympathlts aud 10 our ald presses upon US win
irresistible ioIcc.
= Sabbath Schools have never been properly appre-
ciatcd by the unrenrcIing crowd. 1t is not uncom-
mon to hear it SAID that they are over-ralod IN lnpor-
lance by heir Jealous irIcHds-thoneh II Is easy to
see that this oplniCn proceeds nom very SUI etilcidl
aconai.tance both With their design and with their
acinaI results. Those who urge II evidently look
only at the amount OF instruction IN letters, mn
parcel to the pupils, which they truly assume must
be exceedingly limited. Yet, even III tins point OF
view. how vastly iml olldnt are these institutions 10
that unfortunate and numerous class, who, compel
led to labor throughout the week Tor Il scaniy sub
sislcncc, have no other opportunity to acquire even
the rudiments of knowledge! Is 1t OF no impor-
lance that they should be furnished with the lucen-
tive. as well as the means, 10 improve their minds,
and POSSIBLY To Use above their seeming destiny i
Who can tell how many, through the instrumental
" of this institution, have had the thlck bandaSe re-
moved from their mental VISION, aud whose anlbl-
ton has been aroused and stimulated by The liant
glimpse which they were enabled to catch oil the H.
limitahle and varicgaicd field, which was spread out
before them How many, who have risen to en'I-
hence as Statesmen and As Scholars, have III thelf
torches at fountains as dim even as this nay, al
this very fountain "Tle short and SIMPLE annals
of the poor are thickly studded with stars oil the
first magnitude, furnishing brilliant illustrations OF this
observation. They shine forth with a lustre render
ed brighter by the contrast OF their latter glory WIN
their obscure aud humble origin; and tins TACT is
well calculated to stimulate the zeal OF the advo-
Gates of Sabbath Schools, and to kindlc the latent
fires &C emulation in he minds OF those who receive
their lrst, and perhaps their onIy. instruction III 'n'Se
institutions. Even regarded merely as schools OF
instruction inlcttcrs, therefore, the Sabbath Henooi
deserves the support of the community. bnt "hcn
we look at il as a moral agent, how wondcluiil Is us
importance maeniiied II it be essential 10 untold
the ample pages of knowledge to the gaze OF
the unlettereI poor, how much mole essential
is il to unscal their moral vision, that they may
be turned from wee by the contemplation oil
their solemn obligations and OF then eternal ucS-
,;nies, And how many thousands OF tue cn''-
I,e, of pcnurv arc thus gathered INTO a io'a' on
every turning Sabbath and periodically she 1T ,ns
-, i ve,,,. from the communicating influence oil the'
- *. ociations, are rescued, for ii tlnic at least
from ,l,e contsct of vicious habits, and are t'uenl
,o reverence yirtte by the beauty oil her preG'P's
many of them, PEI laps, RECEIVING an '"'P"',e ~
, aa' ,,,,hs If moral excellence which will be tel and
ira, in many instances, PERHAPS IN a large ,naJor'y'
the counteracling effects OF Sabbath ociion' In''' ~
non = moi powerful enough TO coiieGi the un,ot
+. tith ~ 49, ~ - tia r mi