Middletown transcript., 1914-12-26
TOO MANY MERCIES

were bondsmen, slaves were freed al
the altar. Where today, indeed, can mer
enslaved by the sorer bondage of sir
find so noble freedom as at Gods al
tars?
This olden manumission was always
bought; our English sires, just as q
few years ago few lucky black slaves
here in America, unlocked their fetters
with a golden key-'with great sum
obtained this freedom" precisely as
the Chief Captain told Paul he had got
ten his. But in our happier day men
enslaved by evil habits can get this
greater liberty without money and
without price. "
Why then are not all men free the
churches filled, instead, many of them
one-half, and some of them two-thirds
empty? Is it because the price of free
dom is so small, that many prefer to
wear their chains?
Men do commonly value a thing at
what it costs them. Can it be, then.
that the moderns neglect salvation be-
cause it is to be had for the asking?
Did it cost property, liberty and often
life itself as in the bitter days of Nero
and Diocletian, perhaps the vast num-
bers that from one years end to the
other never darken a church door,
might in that case enter them.
1t is just so with reading the book
we style holy-the Bible. Now that
one can be bought for trihe, or be had
as a gift to be read at pleasure without
peril whatsoever few, as a fact do read
it! The latest trashy novel is vastly
more in request.
In the early English days, those Puri-
tan times not less marked by distinguish
ed deeds abroad than by righteous liv-
ing at home, Bibles were few and costly,
so precious, indeed, that they were
chained to the church lecterns whittier
crowds would flock around the Occa-
sional scholar, that is, one able
to read, and stand for hours in their
hunger tc receive the living treasures
from the Word of God.
Hear description from that great
est of all the histories of England,
Green's History of the English Peo-
ple''-the last word in its title is the
sure prophecy and source of its great
ness, that, plus the genius and heart
OF its author:
''No greater change ever passed over
a nation than passed over England dur
ing the years which parted the middle
of the reign of Elizabeth from the
meeting of the Long Parliament. Eng
land became the people of book, and
that book was the Bible. 1t was as
yet the one book which was familiar to
every Englishman; it was read at
Churches, and read at home, and every
where its words, as they fell on ears
which custom had not deadened, kin
died startling enthusiasm.
When Bishop Bonner set up the first
six Bibles in St Paul's, many well
disposed people used much to resort to
the hearing thereof, especially when
they could get any that had audible
voice to read to them. One John Por-
ter used sometimes to be occupied in
thah goodly exercise to the edifying of
himself as we'll as others"
Or read the touching story of the
poor Welsh girl Mary and her long
struggle to save enough out Of the pit
tance she earned, to buy the prize she
covetel most in all the world Bible.
Read how she walked barefoot 20 miles
and back and brought it home in an &C.
stacy of joy to be read constantly as
long as she lived!
Again, we wonder how many to-day
saints or sinners would, for the privi-
Iege of reading the Bible, write out
a copy of it for themselves, as did John
Marbeck in 1897 from borrowed copies
of the just issued Matthew's Bible?
Or once more-read the tale of how
in 1882 four Flathead Indians came
5000 miles over the Rocky Mountains
to St. Louis as delegation from their
nation in Oregon to inquire about "the
white mans God and the Book that
told about him..
1t is not dangerous today to own and
read Bible. It was so many time
in the old days in England For exam
pie, undar Bloody Mary, 300 men, wo-
men and children were burned alive at
the stake in three and half years for
their Bible reading etc. 1t was worth |
ones life then to be caught with a copy
of the Bible!
Franklin in his autobiography tells |
how his great grandfather used to sta
tion one of the family to watch for the
coming of the informer while he was
reading the family Bible aloud. which !
at a warning would be hidden under the
bottom Of joint stool to which it was
held by tapes.
Finally, for curiosity ask 100 of your
friends, those you think most likely to
be Bible readers if they have once read