Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-09-18
10 the Baptist Churches IN Vermont (:

hand,. permit me, through the medium of
the Telegraph, 10 call your attention to
the Interests of the Baptist General Tract
Society, whose Agent am, and in the
prosperity of which, in common with
yourselves, | feel deep solicrude. The
many interesting seasons passed by your
social tresldes, in addressing the throne
OF grace, and performing the duties of nv
agency the past winter-the greeting of
frlends-the hearty cooperation of breth-
ren-and thousand pleasing associations
at once spring up in the mind and were
1t consistent | would gladly enjoy those
seasons again. But the extended field of
labor assigned me renders it impractica-
bic for me to do so. By permission of
kind Providence, however, | shall be
present at the meeting of the Convention.
when hope to receive fresh token of
your liberality in supporting this noble
enterprise, and in extending the Redeem
er's kingdom on earth. During the past
year, about $4,000 have been paid into
the Treasury of the Society; but even
that sum was found to be greatly made.
quate to answer the pressing solicitations
Tor Gad from our Missionaries who are la
boring in the dark portions of the earth.
hlled with the habitations of Cruelty.'-
1t is true that in the manner of the opera.
tons of this society there is nothing i'm
posing. No circumstances of outward
parade give eclat to its movements and bv
vivid appeals to the imagination attract the
excited multitude to its support. Humble,
silent, unobtrusive, its influences like the
drops OF the summer shower descending
In minute and isolated portions-but like
them clothe the waste places of the will
derness with verdure and beauty. Indeed
the circulation of religious truth in small
and detached portions has in everv aoe
been one of the most efficient means of
lnstructing and saving men. The scrin-
lures themselves were originally promul-
gated In this manner. In the times of
primitive christianity, the Gosrels and the
Epistles written separately on rolls of
parchment-were in this form widely
scattered abroad, and under the blessing
of God exerted no feeble agency in spread
ing through the darkest nations the light
OF eternal life. In the evangelical enter
prlses OF later days, the same instrument
tally has been found eminently powerful.
1t has rendered important assistance to the
missionary in heather lands, and without
them half of the glorious results of his la
6ors would hardly be accomplished.
Portions of the Word of God. and brief
exhibitions of scripture truth in the shane
| of tracts, have been distributed amono
thousands of benighted pagans. and have
proved the means of deepening the i'm
pressions produced by the voice of the
living teacher, and often of carrying the
knowledge of salvation to regions far re-
mote from the scene of his labors. And
how many immortal souls have been res
cued from the gloom and wretchedness
of Idolatry, or what amazing results this
form Of evangelism is destined to achieve
| in the approaching conversion of the
world, is known only to Him who ap-
points the instruments and clowns them
with success.
In our own country the circulatin OF
religious tracts is not less demanded by
the wants of the community, or less full
of promise. They are fitted in their very
nature to act upon vast multitudes whose
situation places them beyond the more
public means of grace. or who are too re-
CARELESS of religion to attend to them
To the neglected population of our great
cities-to those who "go down to the sea in
ships and do business in the great waters
Ito travellers in our steamboats,, in rail-
road cars, and at our public hotels-to
the sick in our hospitals-to the soldier
in his barrack-to the inmates of prisons.
and alms-houses-to the lone settler on the
frontier--these silent messengers find
their way accompanied by the influences
70
J, Of the Holy Spirit, conveying the lessons
J of everlasting truth. With this convis-
ton Of the importance Of this department