Daily Republican., 1879-10-03
i. After the reading Of the minutes


Of the afternoon session by Rev. 7. !.
Plummer, Secretary Of the Bible Socie-
ty, land the appointment Of officers, ETC.,
for the ensuing year, Rev. A. M. Keig-
win Of the West Presbyterian church,
was introduced as the speaker for the
occasion. His remarks were on the BIZ
BILE and Its work; good subject, and
one that was well handled. We can
only briefly allude to the address which
would be read with the greatest inter
est could it but appear in full. The
object OF the Bible Societies he stated,
was to evangelize the world by circu-
lating the word of God. The first in
this country was organized in 1904.
To-day there are l50,000,O00 copies
in the world, but yet not near enough
to reach all earth's inhabitants.
Only 500 years ago was the bible first
translated into the English tongue and
now it is printed in two.hundred and
ten different Languages. 1t is through
the bible that God teaches us the hu.
man heart and the remedy tor sin. We
all remember when we were FIRST
brought to Christ that it was some
passage from the word Of God that TOOK
root in cur hearts. Teachers may ex.
ert their tender sympathy, but they car
do nothing without this word OF the
Spirit. There are those who have been
converted by reading one passage. a
little girl in o hsathen land had learn
ed that verse, "God SO loved the world,
etc." and that one verse was the means
of christianizing the whole tribe.
The Bible was the fountain OF all
pure literature; it was this that had
inspired a Milton, Tasso and Eng
lands greatest bard. Take out the
Bible and you take out the inspiration
Of all literature. 1t was this that had
given themes for the grandest inspira-
tion of music and song. 1t was the
only book Of the early history OF man
on which We depend for historical
truth. Tonight in Wilmington, there
is to be a'lecture on the origin Of man;
but in the first chapter of Genesis there
is an account given which scientists
had never been able to refute. But
more than this: the Bible meets the
wants of the human heart; nothing
else does. One Of the grandest senten
ces that ever came from that Christian
scientist, Joseph Cook is this. 1t is
the book you would have on your PHI
low when you die.
When Sir Walter Scott came to die
he told his attendants to bring the
book. They asked, "What book r.
He replied, "There is but one book"
Go into homes where the blinds are
closed and the stiffness OF death is ovel
the house. What do they want then
The sure words Of prophecy that there
is "a house not made with hands eter'
nal in the heavens,'' and when w
hear the solemn words, earth Y
earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashss,'
we need the consolation that Is breathec
| in the words Of Christ, ~ am the re-
surrsction and the lite, he that believ
eth In me though he were dead ye
shall he live."
The speaker closed by dwelling OF
the fsct that there was among Chris
tians too little study Of this book
There was danger Of depending to-
much on the preaching Of the word
instead Of having it supplemented BY
an earnest, patient and critical stud!
Of tie Bible. We ought to use IL mor'
| in our churches. There ought to be
Bible in every pew in the church, anc
the people read alternately with tn
pastor.
The next annual meeting was ap
pointed to be held in the First Presby
terian church, in this city, after which
the benediction was pronounced oJ
Rev. DR.. Stevenson.