The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-07

W -0taeeFS and -teacfferss -ffts0e65
scholars. 1859, 525; volumes in linra-
~. 2.737, 1874; number of conversions,
81. 27tg; increase for the'year schools,
l.4l6; officers and teachers, $685.;
scholars, 102,739; volumes in Library,
38.489; number OF conversions r.
874. lf
The increase in schools, officers.
and teachers, and of scholars. is much
greater than in any previous year.
The decrease in conversions is an In
dication that the spiritual growth of
our Sunday Schools has not kept pace
with their numerical progress eaq q
INCOME AND EXPENDITURES. =
The income of the Union was $23,
1877, an increase Of $3,577.4 The ex-
penditures were $21 1893. Our treas
ury is still in debt to the amount Of
$3,472 sc, owing to the unprecedented
number Of schools which applied for
aid in 1866; consequently we are una
bic to meet the wants of the work as
they should be met in these eventful
times. H fn mf s---
PUBLICATIONS.
The Sunday School journal reached
a circulation of $4,000; increase,
1900 The maximum circulation Of
the Sunday School AdUOcdte was
1862, 500; 156, 800 at New York. 1O1,-
600 at Cincinnati, 81 900 at Chicago,
1000 at Toronto; increase, 24,0OO.
The average circulation was 3O6,5OO;
average increase, 1900. The num-
Der of copies printed was 7,356, 900.
This is exclusive of the Canada edi-
ton. The relative increase Of this
little paper is shown by the fact that
twelve years ago its Fcirculation was
lis, 900, or about nineteen per cent. of
the number Of scholars then in our
schools. Now it is 352, 500, or thirty
two and one half per cent. of the
scholars under our care.
Forty eight new publications we're
added to our libraries and requisites.
The printing for the department
amounted to 574. 227, 600 pages; the
binding to 1,343,000 books, etc.
KENTUCKY Conference STATS
TICS Members, 1865, an increase
Of 1872; probationeFs, 2,578. a de-
crease Of 296; local preachers, 155,
an increase of 16; adults baptized,
], 597-children, 566; amount of col
lections for missions, 1925 n;
Church Extension, 1928 IS; Tract
Society, So 80; Bible Society,
$207 20; Sunday School Union, 81 4
number of Sunday Schools, Sc;
officers and teachers, GIG; scholars, !
5,086. Ma l1s Z
SUNDAY READING.-Much that is |
properly published ina religious pa
per is Inappropriate to Sunday read
ing, just as large part Of Christian |
labor is not proper Sunday labor. |
The miscellaneous newspaper reading /
secular as well as religious-which /
is so common to Sabbath hours, tends |
to dwarf and deaden spiritual life. 1t
was we'll enough to swing off from !
some of the old legal Puritanio no.
tions of Sabbath observance. They |
gendered bondage. But there is an |
ever. present danger of losing a just
reverence for that holy day. Espe- |
cially is the caution needed against |
the growing neglect of Sunday Bible |
study. Work is the popular watch
word. Visit the impenitent, teach |
Sabbath School, attend prayer-meet-
ing. How we cram our Sundays with |
doing But where are those hours |
of r. BILE study, that feeding on the |
Word, which made the Christians
of a previous generation so robust |
ia their faith? We are slipping away.
Who studies his Bible as the lawyer
studies Blackstone? Who sits down
to it for an hour of absorbed reading? |
Who opens it, save In a formal way
at family prayers, from Sunday night |
till Sunday morning? Multitudes do |
we bring no loose accusation
but many do not. The old folks, |
benignant faced, who filed the Sab
bath intermission with that nutritious
:" feasting on the Word, whose pray
ers were Scripture texts threaded In
devotion, who wove Bible phrase into
everyday speech, are passing out of
sight. All this light to our feet, this
lamp to our path. Is it all to US it
ought to be? The mariner might suf- |
fer dust to settle on his charts, the wife
let the absent husbands letters lie
unopened, the patient throw aside the |
doctors prescription unread, but 10
be thumb-worn and leaf loose is the
right and glory of the Christians
Bible.-AdVance.
THE Church at Michigan City have
engaged for another year, the services
of Rev. j. j. Ward, their present
minister. He is doing greatly need
ed work in behalf of the cause Of
temperance.
THE Independent Presbyterian