The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-01
Eagerness of the Russians to OBJ
tain the Scriptures.

The statements already quoted from
the reports of the Russian Bible Society
are fifty supplemented by other accounts
of its colportage work, which we find in
the Baptist Missionary Magazine.
A colporteur came to Greek convent
near Moscow. He laid his Testaments
on the table in the refectory, and offered
them for sale. Immediately he was sur
rounded by all the nuns. One of them
wished to buy Testament in large type,
but had not the money necessary for its
purchase. Seeing her great desire to
have the book, the colporteur told her
ne could easily wait for the money the
nun was very much astonished that the
man without knowing her, acted thus.
Some time after, he came again into that
same convent. The nun paid her debt
most thankfully, and said she could not
lind words to express the comfort she
found in reading that book. at is life |
it is freedoml" she exclaimed; and this
time she bought Bible.
The same olporteur went with load
of Testaments down the Don to a priest
living there; and while travelling he
sold In villages, to the value of fifty
roubles, partly Testaments, to people be-
longing to the Malakan sect. A Rus
sian peasant bought Bible, having to
borrow the money in four different
houses; police-oficer also bought a
few Testaments, and expressed a desire
to be member of the Bible society.
Travelling farther, at station the col
Porteur was unpacking his Bibles in the
railway carriage, when man approached
him, asking what the books were. Pur-
chasing one of them, he showed it to the
other passengers in the carriage and in
q quarter of an hours time all the ten
Bibles were sold, and the people said,
do bring us some more another time"
In town he met with man who
seemed so pleased to get Testament in
the Russian language, as till now he only
had 1t IN the SlaVonic language; he said,
We will read together with nv wife.
God has sent you among u.s." The Tes-
taments brought to that priest by the
colporteur were accepted with delight:
he was surprised that anv one had taken
such trouble as to bring them over so far.
AS that priest has several parishes under
his care, he will be able to sell the Cos
pels among the people, and he thinks of
having Bible depot at his house. The
colporteur visited many other different
places, where he sold a number of his
books.
The Bible society sent good stock of
Testaments for sale to priest living in
village. On the following Sunday, after
church service was over, the priest told
his parishioners that Testament ought
to be found in every household He
added, " In it you will find Gods love to
man, and spoke highly Of the efforts of
the Bible society in spreading the gospel
all over Russia, and selling It at a very
low price. BE urged the people to buy
the Testaments, and told them to take
them when they went in the fields, etc..
adding, You will find in Gods book
the salvation Of your souls" In two
weeks the priest had sold fifty Tesla
ments, children from ten to thirteen buy
ing them also, and with much 10y taking
them to their homes. Another priest
took great interest in spreading the sales
OF the Testaments. In another village a
priest passing one Sunday afternoon close
by the windows of a cottage heard some
one reading aloud it was master