The Portland daily press., 1893-05-29
THE BIBLE SOCIETY.
The s4th Annual Meeting at High Street
Church.

The Bible Society OF Maine celebrated
it's S4th anniversary at High street
church last evening. q The church was
packed to repletion and many were
turned away.
The pulpit recess was filled with the
clergymen of the city, most of whom
gave up their evening meetings on ac-
count of this anniversary. Rev. DIR. Fem
presided. There were the usual exercises
of scripture reading, prayer and singing
by the choir, report of the work of the
society the last year, delivered by Rev.
MI. Hayden, former pastor of the New
Jerusalem church, music by the choir,
reading of the resolutions passed by the
society to the late president, Deacon
Larrabee-which were printed in the
PREss-by DR.. Dalton, and the annual adj
dress aud benediction. In the course of
his prayer Rev. Mr.. Hughes of Chestnut
street spoke fee1ingly of the late Deacon
Larrabee.
Mr.. Hayden, in his report, said the
collections last year amounted to S6,-
096.19, income from invested funds S275.-
%, salaries and expenses $3,4S2. 66. cost
of Bibles distributed S726.4o balance on
hand 80, 1852. Said the speaker:
''Since our last annual meeting we are
called upon to mourn the loss of one of
our oldest members for fourteen years
our president, Deacon Larrabee. The
cause of the Bible Society was always
nearest his heart, He used to say he
wished he had no other business to at
tend to but this. Must we not believe
that he has been transferred to a higher
life? The speaker then gave an ex-
haustiye sketch of the society from its
incedtion, spoke of the $4,000 families in
Maine without the. Bible today, and
hoped soon to see Bible house erected
in the city that would as thoroughly
answer the religious needs of the people
as the Maine General Hospital does the
physical needs.
Rev. DR.. Jenkins, of State street church
delivered the address. He said :I"Writing
Of the Bible Dean Trench wrote, 1.-THE
Book is laid out to be the nourisher and
| teacher of all men, and of all men in all
ages, and in all parts of their complex
| being" The address was devoted to the
| last specification, the Bible, the nourish-
or and teacher of men in all parts of their
| complex being. In the course of the adj
| dress DR.. Jenkins said:
take an illustration fit to our near
ness to Memorial day. Low of country
| is an attribute of humanity This part
| of mans complex being the Bible most
| abundantly nourishes. 1t is a book
| stepped in patriotism. 1t has more illus
trations of genuine love of country, race,
| land, than any other dozen books its
| equal in bulk / recall one story. that of
Nehemiah. What patriot he was! At
| the court of a great king, in high Office,
on good salary, but he did not forget
| walking outside the capital, he saw a
band of wanderers, heard them speaking
| Hebrew. He went to them, his
eountrymen, asked after those at Je-
rusalem, had mournful reports and
| burst into tears at the
sad tidings. He was not man contented
with tears His patriotism did not ex-
| haust itself in weeping. He got leave of
| absence, went to Jerusalem, was there
70 years, rebuilt the walls, refused to
| take pay, withstood brides and threats,
acted from first to last as a patriot. Why
| is this affecting story in the Bible? Be-
cause its fitness to nourish in men a love
of country. And it did this. Where
his good work was not forgotten his ex-
| ample was not powerless. In the Apoc-
| rypha is a book, Ecclesiasticus, written
| about B. G. 200. 1t is made up largely OF
Communications of patriotic Jews. The
| author compiler was the son of Sirach,
| and this is what he wrote of Nehemiah
seven hundred years after his time:
among the elect was Nehemiah, whose
renoun was great, who raised up for us
| the walls that were fallen down and set
up the gates and the bars and raised up
our voices again.
Josephus, who lived in the first century
after Christ, and who is described as
s'the Great military historian and arch8
| ologist of the Jewish nation,' wrote in
his day: Though Nehemiah lived to a
| good old age and performed
many other noble acts yet the
| eternal monument to himself which he
left behind him was the circuit of the
walls of Jerusalem To rebuild the
capital city of ones nation is a genuinely
patriotic act. 1t has rightful place in
| national annals, where generations may
be inspired by it, and by it be made pa
triotic.
About two centuries after Nehemiah
there appeared another restorer, rebuild.
er of Jerusalem, Judas Macabaeus. He
it is said, celebrated the completion Of
his patriotic work in the same manner in
which Nehemiah did. 1t was a victory
of this man, inspired by Nehemiah
which has been immortalized in great
oratorio, in which is chorus which it is
said has greeted every British warrior
since, ''See, the Conquering Hero
Comes To nourish and teach patriot
ism is lofty and most needful service
and this service is not better promoted
than by familiarity with the Bible. Som'
day this will be seen and when it is there
will be little question as to the place oil
the Bible in public schools. Much of tn,
difference on this matter has arisen fro n
an inadequate notice of the Bible, from
the notion that it nourishes, trains blu
one part of mans nature and not all
Man is made to be patriotic: with RICH
education will be, but not without it
The right educator is impossible at thu
best without the Bible. Its exhibition
| and approval of patriotism are most in