Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-03-09
For The Standard.

| 81 God has been our refuge and strength through
another colportage year. and now at its close we are
still greatly encouraged to rely upon Him as very
present help in this time Of trouble in our country
AT no period have we seen and felt the importance
of this work to be greater than now; in fact It is
an indispensable aid to the ministry in a thorough
diffusion of the enlightening and saving truths of
the Gospel of Christ which should be pressed upon
the minds and hearts of ALL North, South, East and
West, and not only in the public congregation but
also by conversation and the printed page, in fam
lies, rich and poor, in stores, workshops, Offices
grog-shops, streets and ways, through the week
as well on Sabbath and this should and must be
done with faith in God, love for souls the simplic-
| ty and earnestnesS that characterized Christ and
hundreds of His true followers who have thus labor
ed successfully
| This kind of effort must be resorted to more by
Christians, that the eternal interest of thousands of
souls may not be neglected and forgotten, who are
being kept from hearing and reading Gods word on
account of their restitution and ignorance, their
citing anxiety in temporal business in making haste
to get rich, in politics. in Seeking worldly pleasures
and honors, forgetting and neglectng the counsel Of
| Infinite WISDOM that they should seek first the
kingdom and Righteousness O. God with the promise
that all needful things should be added unto them.
Surely every christian and patriot will give to
God anew their hearts, efforts and MEANS that those
who are in neglect and error, causing present and
eternal ruin, may be speedily brought under the
| spirits power to the Rock, the only sure founda
ton, the Righteousness Of God through Christ by
which the soul, as well as the nation, is exalted.
| STATISTICS.
During the year ending March 1st visited 1903
families in 43 counties, with most of whom had
religious conversation and prayer Only sixty-three
| OF this number were in the habit of holding family
| prayer. Of the 1903 families, 427 said they never
| had religious visit and prayer before; 800 habi-
| tually neglected church; 1O3 without the Bible;
| 322 destitute of all religious books We also held
md ed in
in sections where they could not would not go to
| preaching.
few Sabbaths ago we held four of these meet
ngs and had personal conversation with fifty -four
individuals and only three professors of religion;
one of whom, the head ot family, and member of
a church for many years. had Bible and not
page in his house about Jesus. We supplied those
families and got them to meet together for worship
and instruction.
To those able to buy we have sold over $50, 900
pages; to the poor and needy we have given over
253 900 pages supplied more than 300 Life Direct
ers and Life Members of the American Tract Socie-
ty in \. c. with 1863, 500 pages as annuities most
of which they have given to their needy neighbors:
making total OF over 1879 900 pages during the
year.
LIFE MEMBERS WORKING.
a Life Member told US, that after receiving 800
pages of tracts, he visited every family within five
miles of him, and gave them to parents, children
and servants and in three months there were forty
two converts among the white people and fifty
seven among the blacks, many of whom attribute
their awakening to the reading of those tracts.
This gentleman recently sent US 500 to make one of
his children Life Member, by which he will draw
1900 pages every year for that child to read and
give away. He also states that they have employed
a minister in his neighborhood for their servants
this year, besides their own pastor.
Another Life Member writes that the reading of
one tract has been greatly blessed to two families,
vhn cto ofr ohaIp ho, g
giving them his personal attention. an6 recently got
his tracts for this year.
lady is scattering her tracts through the coun-
try, gave to prominent gentleman one, 1.-The Door
was Shut" which he states was blessed of God in
the conversion of himself and two others.
One of the Socety's oldest Life Members, whose
heart is ready for every good word and work, re-
Gently sent for us and gave 500, by which five
ministers made Life Members, and can now
draw 800 pages every year gratis.
Three grandchildren were recently made Life
Members by their grandparents, whose hearts are
deeply interested in the tract work.
Two Sewing Societies have secured Life Member
ships to several young ladies, who being inter
ested in the good work by reading their books and
loanng them to other young persons
An active, pious lady, (wbo is a Life Director
by donation Of $50, emitting her 10 5000 pages
annually sent us $50, to be expended in German
Swedish and Danish Bibles and Tracts for the desti
tute in Wisconsin; which being scattered
there by an excellent minister, to their great Joy
and good This lady has also sent over 800 to
supply poor Sunday Schools in North Carolina with
books and 1.-The Chd's Paper" and to get books
to scatter herself Many souls have already been
led to Christ by the truths which She with others
OF similar spirit in the town. have been inStru
mental in thus sending out. May God speedily give
our State nation and the world more such laborers
to be light" and salt" to guide and in this
time of darkness and corruption.
An old gentleman who is also Life Member
sent $lO0 to give the bread Of Life to distant heathen
poor boy, fifteen years old, was made Life
Member by gentleman who gave us 500, requesting
that select the youth. His first lot of books
made blessing to his soul, and he is being made
the means Of great comfort and benefit 10 his afict
ed, widowed mother, and his younger brothers and
sisters.
POOR WIDOWS TWENTY-FIVE CENTS
This excellent woman earned the twenty-five
cents by sewing each day for this amount, land has
two small children to support,) which she gave me
for packet of Temperance tracts, that were dis
tributed by herself. One of Them Address to
young men," by Bishop McIlvane was the means
OF rescuing young man Of promise from interper-
ance and for several months he has led consistent
Christian life. great many are thus buying tracts
regularly, saying, am greatly concerned for the
salvation Of my neghbors and | want tracts to aid
me in talking to them on religion" Those who
have but limited means, with hearts trusting God
frequently His instruments for greatest good
In the tract work all may do something Ten cents
will put page Of gospel truth in 100 families
which 100 pages may be read by 500 persons. Let
each Christian these facilities for sowing gospel
seed " in the morning, and in the evening withhold
not thy hand" warming them with thy prayers and
watering them with thy tears, and God will attend
to the fruit from such sowing sooner or later.
FEMALE TRACT SOCIETIES.
These Societies organized in several of the
more prominent towns in North Carolina, in which
many of the most pous and Intelligent ladies are
engaged in monthly tract distribution from house to
house of every class, which God has sgnaly bless
ed in bringing the ignorant and neglected to the
Sabbath School and public worship, and those who
will not attend cannot make the charge "that no