Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-02
The Connecticuf Bible Society,


 The public anniversary exercises of the Connecticut Bible society were held at the Park church. Hartford, Sunday evening, the address being delivered by Rev. Dr. Barbour of Yale College. Rev. Dr. A. J. Sage, of the First Baptist church, vice president of the society, presided. The Scriptures were read by Rev. Graham Taylor of the Fourth church and prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Thompson of the Theological Seminary. The secretary of the society, Rev. William H. Gilbert, presented the report of the be- nevolent work accomplished by the organiza- tion during the year. Over 100 towns and cities have been visited, and the society has supplied ,517 destitute Protestant families with the scriptures; and sold over 19,OOO volumes and donated over 5, 1000, and has fur nished Roman Catholic families with 92O vol umes. Of about 72, 900 families visited, 56,- 900 were Protestants, and of these more than onefifth reported themselves as never repre- sented in any of the churches. Mostly in these families were found 13, ,OOO children be- tween four and sixteen years of age who at tended no Sunday school The anniversary address was delivered by Rev. Dr. Barbour, and was listened to with intense. interest by the large audience assembled at the church. In concluding his address Dr. Barbour said
 ''If society has a right to exist, in order to prosecute certain end 1t is natural ex- pectation on the part of the public that its business be conducted in the spirit of it's own endeavor. We expect the business of board of trade to be uprightIy conducted temper ance societies to be reasonably temperate in their methods churches to be religiously sus- tained In like manner in the circulation of the Bible 1t would appear to be eminently proper that those engaged in the work should see it done not in the letter only, but in the spirit of the book circulated. This is the more urgent 8 society like this because we do not believe that the book called the Bible has any magical power in it as book. The volume of the book is not fetish that will bring divinity into the house if the truth in it lies unread and unappropriated. Even the word of God should come in audible form from the skies. It would do no man good unless he heard it, understood it, and put it in practice in his life.
 My closing word is this, and it is to the possessors of the Bible and to the believer in it's power. My friends, our Lord does not ask us to spend our time and strength in de- lending the Bible or in apologizing for it. He has taken that upon himself the gates of hell shall prevail against it never. But he does not ask us to circulate it, to bear witness to it in our own lives If we bear the testi mony he will see to it's preservation. Let our faith be calm in his work; let our anx- iety and activity be spent upon our own. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear that word, These cannot be broken , and that other word also, 'Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.''' ,
 The closing prayer was offered by Rev. Joseph H. Twichell of the Asylum Hill church, and the benediction pronounced by Dr. Barbour. The annual meeting of the society will be held at the Center church lec- ture room Wednesday.
 A lady tells us ''the first bottle has done my daughter great deal of good, her food does not distress her now, nor does she suf- | fer from that extreme tired feeIing which she l did before taking Hoods Sarsaparilla." A | second bottle effected a cure. No other | contains such concentration of l vitalizing, enriching, purifying and invigor- ating properties as Hoods Sarsaparilla