The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-12
BIBLE SOCIETY.
Az INTERESTING ANNIVERSARY CEL
EBRATION LAST NIGHT.
ADDRESSES BY DR. CURRY AM
Mr. JACKSON.
Al tXirsTIys REVIEW OF Bible
ISFLuENCE.
4 Large Attendance and Much intete''
Nanife-ted- nearly All Of the 'ier2y
OF the cts Present "A Liberal
Collection.


The public anniversary OF the \ltgl-
MIA Bible = iciefy was held last night IN
81 PAM. Church 4 large cougrega-
ton was present i'm the spacious edihce.
i'm the chancel were President Read ana
Drs Lambert llOge, Curry, DashieIl,
Kerr. Jackson. and others. The reiie-
IONS exercises consisted of the singing of
HYMNS. prayer. and the reading of the
l1fh Psalm. beginning, The Heavens
declare the glory of God.
The secretary, Mr. T. J.. d. Naliom,
read the report The income was Sl.l34
Ahout 10000 volumes of the Bible had
been sold or given away I'm the lasl
three months one cOlporteur had soii
G3s Bibles in Richmond and Manchester
alone. Applications were received from
all sides and what was wanted was
nean, t0 carry on the work.
Rev. n. VI. Jackson, d. D., was the
first speaker lie said that the existence
ofthis Society aud the presence here OF
80 many of iis friends is an evidence OF
fine hold tine Bible has In the affections of
mankind. The word Bible means book.
ON the first Bible printed appeared the
work "Bibha." or little books, under
n.,th the word Bible" Later on the
plural was dropped, and the singular
word. Bible, alone retained.
Ueaskcd first that we look at the ioun-
dafl0n. 10 lakes you 10 cloud-capped
Sinai. 90 the TWO tables OF stone wmch
were the first written communication OF
God to man In the forty years IN the
wilderness Moses wrote the law; then
through tine LONG periodoi time came The
histories and the prophecies written by
insnired men, In the schools OF
line prophets, those mOn1slaIies
.of the Jews, these sacred
books were kept preserved and studied.
Then came The time when there was no
longer "A written revelation 90 man no
communication came from God. The
lew. preserved these records OF "A past
communication from Heaven. \ rever-
ence for the sacred word grew. Scriucs
copied them with scrupulous care. Each
Synagoge had copy. They were read
and taught After "A long lapse
of centuries God again spoke
This time hy his Son. The
nen of the writer was again brought
into Use to write down this precious
communication. They wrote history,
biography prophecy and prccept, the
story Of the cross and ii- teaching, and
then Gods communications were com
plctc. The fulI Bible was Gods work,
the will of God to man
Look neNtat the unity of the book.
II Won should gather the writings OF
Adam Bede tO TonnysOn and pun them
together in one book you would have
mit a heterogeneous mass, giving the
story OF nothing but the development OF
language But The Bible. Those
little books TO make it mp We're written
centuries apart by law giyers. shepherds,
kings, h-hemen students, soldiers,
chroniclers. physicians. 10 gives MS
poetry. narrative. law. precepis, proverbs,
history, biography yet all ls One
harmonious whole. wrought after a
heavenly pattern. each little book lifting
into the other. and making one complete
and perfect whole. La Jerusalem, when
The temple was built not the sound of 20
hammer or chi4el was heard The stone
and the wood was carved iu distant
places. and when brought 90 the site Of
the temple each fitted into lbs place. and
made one harm0uious whole. 50 VITA
the Bible. each part written 40 diilereut
times hv different men, fitted together
under one experimenting heavenly me
ilucnce.
An oriental king coming % England
was a-t0unlcI at the extent and glory
of Enrnnd's civilization He asked the
reason why. Queen Victoria handed
him handsomely bound copy OF The
Bible and said This is the secret OF
England greatness Let us reflect On
lbs influences. in the art, Tie sciences. on
well balanced government on virtue and
morality, on the elevation OF woman
hood. on the sanctity on marriage, the
LearthsfOne. ON charity. the tender care
for the weak and afflicted ON the justice
of courts. Can you say that an these
can Doe based on this little book. Yes
YOU can Eradicate This book from the
knowledge of mankind, you VIII
set torch tO the churches and school
houses. tear down yOur a-yiums and hos
pitfalls. wreck all that is yiruous, lacerate
the hearts tendrrest affections siiiie the
feelings. throttle the aspirations OF man.
unbrid.e license. lct lust and passion
rule. and bring 10 . reign 0f vice. You
will 20 tO the graveyard and cUt away
lie cross and crown from the tombstone,
and AZ the dcath-bed make 10 "a human
he'll.
Since the Bible appeared empire after
empire has risen and disappeared, but
the book remained, and remains soften
ing ihe ills OF life Can such q book be
of human production, 10 has come down
from the past. Generation has trans
mitted 10 10 generation with scrupulols
care What must re do with ny 10 has
been translated into 81 languages. of
Europe, ls Asia lsj, Africa, "
Oceanica. a. The people Of most OF the
world can read 10 in their own tongue.
Ii has gone forth the cornerstone Ot "A
new civilization. We must keep it Up.
way up in The Arctic regions. \ mis-
sionary was sitting in bis hut, when in
walked silently Gle OF Indians
and sat down The missionary asked
what they wanted They handed him a
book printed In their own language.
they had learned 90 read and some
things i'm 10 were enigmas So this dele
CATION had walked for fourteen days over
racklcss snow 10 learn the meaning of
Gods word Oh, what shame, % re-
buke, this must be 10 yen Who have al
homs your dustcoyered Bible, seldom, il
ever opened He spoke of the Islands
where Christian natives read the Bible
by stealth. and closed with an eloquent
appeal 10 all 10 help on the word of God
i'm its glorious career
Hon. J. J. VI. Curry. D d. spoke
next. lie said that ia the English litera-
ture of the present day you md a conde-
scending acknowledgment OF the Chris
tian religion. and the willingness of many
writers 10 place il IN an equal footing
with all other religions in the matter of
acceptance OF course there is in all re-
ligi0ns something in common What is
in the heart of man will reveal itself in
the methods. aims and ends Of religious
worship God Is the creator OF all man
kind They are unit Whatever
may be said OF evolution, of pro-
gressiye Advancement from the high
est 10 the lowest Of creation.
there has been no retr0gre.sion from the
man 10 the brute, from the souls i'm
mortality 10 the lite OF earth This long