Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-12-29
BIBLE SOCIETY


Mr. EDITOR Permit me through your
columns, to address a few facts to the friends
of the Bible cause in Vermont.
The American Bible Society is now in the
ffsieth year of its operations, having been or
gan'zed en- the I'd Wednesday of May, 1916.
Just as the year has opened upon us, God in
his Providence has summoned us to several
new endeavors Of great Importance and mag
ntude, thus crowning and honoring our hum
BILE labors in the past
We seem to be thus called upon TO cele-
brate our Jubilee Year by undertaking the
following extraordinary enterprises:
/. The re-supply of the South, where a
vast proportion are now without Bibles and
anxious to receive them, and where measures
are inaugura,ed for circulating at least ,000,-
900 copies
2. The supply OF such Freedmen as are
able 20 read, multitudes Of whom are rapidly
learning for the purpose of perusing the in
spired Word before they die To meet the
wants of the aged among them, an edition Of
the Gospel OF John, in large print, is just pre-
pared
Having labored the past year as army agent
of the Bible Society among the soldiers. oiti-
zens and freedmen of Virginia and North
Carolina, the subscriber can testify to the in
teresting character aud vast Importance Of
these Efforts.
8. The circulation of the Spanish Scrip
lures in Mexico and South America, where
agents are at work aud where hundreds of
thousands of copies will be gladly received
and read by the people. ''s9i i' Afo"
4. The printing of the new version Of the
Arabic Scriptures, the first edition OF which,
~ . No ~ tha al.
type plates, will cost the society this year
from seventy to eighty Thousand dollars
The Arabic is the spoken language of one
hundred and twenty millions of people. If,
after the plates are finished, we can print two
hundred thousand copies annually for one
hundred and twenty years, we should just
put our Bible in each family Provided the
race remains numerically the same, 10 six
hundred years we could furnish Bible to
each individual fta n
While called to these unusual efforts. the
ordinary work cannot safely be neglected.
The Bible has been wisely pronounced the
Charter of Liberty othe world, and our re-
cent national experience teaches US, in every
possible way, to develop and strengthen the
elements of free government. To do i, we
must keep the Bible in the hands Of the mas
ses. hFHp eN-F iHai ttala
II Is thought important that every commu-
nifty should be canvassed and supplied once
in five years. II is much more than that
since this work has been done throughout
this State. At its annual meeting the Ver-
mont Bible Society voted to re-canvsss the
State. Two agents are already in the field
for this purpose, and others will be employed
as soon as suitable men can be found.
Ia. Al
voice ofProvidence calling us to increased
liberality Massachusetts, Bible sjciety has
appropriated Ave thousand dollars for tho
Arabic Scriptures. A county society in New
Jersey has voted to raise twenty dve hundred
dollars, more than doubling it's former sub
scriplions Indiana is endeuvoring 10 raise
ten thousand dollars among her Sabbath
School children. Illinois is endeavoring 10
make her special Jubilee Offering fifty thou-a
sand dollars Others are making similar eff
forts. 1hi "aIlf nena 81 h1A
We trust Vermont will not be behind her
sister States in this sublime effort. A large
increase Of funds seems indispensable to the
discharge of our obligations. slsa sHH
The agent can visit comparatively few Of
the churches. May we not rely upon pastors
OF every name, TO bring the cause faithfully
before their peoples And will not every
lover of the Bible, however humble his mesns,
contribute his mite, and those Of larger
stewardship give as God hath prospered
We do not ask you to turn aside other be-
Devolent objects which the Bible has devel-
oped, but do not forget this time -honored
and Heaven honored Institution in this most
interesting crisis Of its history. - h.iesa' 'lq.
hgo WA. II. GILBERT. n
sal Agent Am. aud w. Bible Soc's.
Brattleboro, Dec IA, 1868. ~ aiN aai
One Of the cheapest roofs 10 made Of boards
batteued with good slabs from the saw-milL 1,
PIT 'aFori .fa an1iuIrn $40 hrI afnrliIfl l..