Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-07-07
For the Spirit of the Age.
Colporteur Meeting at Salem. N. C.

Through the kindness OF the Moravlan
Brethren, we were cordially welcomed to hold
our humble meeting in their spacious church
at Salem. On Friday night the 18th inst, an
appropriate and encouraging Introductory
sermon was preached by Rev. G. F. Bahnson,
the pastor, from the 10Th verse Of the 10th
chapter of Mark, go ye into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature"
The object Of the meeting was to give the
General Agent an opportunity of seeing as
many Of the Western Colporteurs as possible
for mutual. instruction and encouragement
Most of the Colporteurs within 10 or II coun-
ties around were present. In order to carry
out the object of the meeting, after opening
by religious exercises at 3 o'clock the 18th,
public sessions of about three hours each
were held in the morning and afternoon of
Saturday and Monday. Much time of each
session was occupied with personal narratives
by the Colporteurs, giving their early reli-
gious advantages, by what means they were
led to Christ, how exercised for usefulness
after conversion, what led to their engaging
in this self-denying and sacrificing work, to
what extent they found their fields destitute
of church privileges and religious books, their
manner of Colporteur work from house to
house, amount of work done, and some Of the
known good resulting from their personal la
bors and books distributed. In hearing these
unpretending narratives of christians from
five denominations, one could not fail to be
impressed that God had providentially
brought these men into this work. There
was a striking unity in the fact that nearly
gll had b@kn blessed with the instructions of
religious parents.
Several attributed their first religious con-
Germ to the example and lessons Of a pious,
praying mother, and by reading some book
or tract they had been led to Christ. All
alike had felt themselves ruined by sin and
saved only through faith in the Lord Jesus.
Most of them had given up secular occupa-
tons of far greater ease and pecuniary profit,
to engage in this work, for the privilege of
carrying the bread of life to the destitute and
pe~rishing--one who was making over 81 a
day, of choice went into this work for so
cents per day. The most satisfactory evil
dence was given that a work Of this family
UiSiting character is indispensable to the sal
walton of our scatter ed country population
and especially in our more mountainous
counties so difficult of access bv the usual
church advantages. The known glorious re-
suits of their humble labors, by Gods bles-
sing, would fill a volume. The following
will serve to illustrate the need and good of
the work.
In one county, one of the laborers visited
about 1920 families, nearly 500 of whom
were without the Bible, over 700 without all
other religious books, more than 600 neglect
ing church, and nearly 1000 families stated
that they never had a religious visit and
prayer at their iresides until by this Colpor
teur. There was but one Sab. School in the
whole county, except the town, when he be-
gan, and now there are "a Sab. Schools with
about 400 scholars-most of which he aided
in forming and supplied with books by sale
or grant. Scores have been reformed from
vice, and converted by '''Doddrige's Rise AM
Progress" "Baxter's CalP' anxious Inqui
rer' and other books. In another county
\ the Colporteur visited $500 families, fount
! $50 of them without the Bible, 700 destitute
of all other religious books, and from thei
inability to buy he gave to families and Sab
Schools $3.50 29cts worth of books. Nor
than 80 Sab. Schools are now in tina
county, through which means grown persons
have learned to spell and read, been CONVEX
ted, and are now Sabbath School teachers.
AT different stages of the meetings the e K
|, e~rcises we've varied with singing and prayer
and instructions as to the history, principle:
and workings of the Society, and more thar
an hour was spent on Monday in answering
} more than so questions, calculated to brinG
out the whole of Colporteur work in an i'm
p~ressive manner, as to duties in visiting fam
lilies, the best manner of treating errorists, tn,
ignorant and prejudced, the distribution o
books, reporting %punctually the LIST of eacl
month and quarter-the duties of which shOV
clearly that we can have no men for Colpor
tours but pious, prudent, persevering, well
informed christians, willing to scale noun
tains, thread v~allies, and wade swamp
through cold or heat for the sake of soul
rather than money.
On Sabbath there were several addreSSe
on the history, necessity and effects of Co
portage in n. c.. In these exercises we wer
greatly encouraged by the interest anifeS
ted in the large, attentive audiences, especia
e " of nights when general meetings were hel
e and addressed by the clergy and laborers.-
e The different addresses of Rev. G. F. Bahnso
e were suggestive, impressive and soul-stirrins
= showing that his own heart was filled wit
b love for the work, for the sake of Gods pei
i ishing poor. He stated that he clearly sa'
the Am. TT. Soc. pressing forward as til
! heLser to every work of God i'll our ow
and foreign lands, in bringing out the plot
u laity to aid the ministry, carrying the Bib
to the destitute, promoting education, TT
e Temperance cause, causing Sabbath Schoo
II to spring up, contributing much in producir
christian love, union and action among dltte
ent denominations and that he and tt
n brethren of Salem should feel it both a dut
and privilege to remember in their praye
r such a work, with it's officers, in so respons
, bic positions and its hard-toiling Colporteur
IL and to make and save of their means to gil
in helping to support this work of God f
carrying "the gospel to every creature" I
made some encouraging closing remarks
to the spiritual influence of the meeting upc
i: his congregation, reminding US that we hs
at Christ Eor our example in going about to
Id good, an like the Saviour we might expe
I'd trials and sacrifices, but that we would
n abundantly rewarded in the good done
en- souls, and finally by the glorious welcome
God to an incorruptible inheritance.
After singing, "Blest be the tie that binC
&C." with OVERLOOKING hearts the meetil
closed about 4 o'clock Monday evening, al
lg- each laborer marched off with renewed enc
gy, frightened armor and strengthened fai
is to continue spreading printed gospel trut
of free of se~ctarianism, from door to door, as d
Ter Luther in the earlier days of the ReformatiC
We could not fail to express our gratitu
re- for the kind, hospitable provisions for Il
Of laborers and their horses. One gentlem
bt- proposed to keep so horses, if necessary.
ner And we were kindly allowed a free passa
red on the Stage between Salem and High Poi
ms, The pastor and citizens exhibited their inter,
in Sncb maet;ppc NV yr0ip0 that tho Socia