Page images
PDF
EPUB

THE

97856

HRISTIAN HERALD.

BD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and s of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Isaiah L11. 10.

VOLUME IV.

NEW-YORK:

EDITED AND PUBLISHED, ONCE A WEEK.

BY

JOHN E. CALDWELL.

J. Seymour, printer.

......

1817.

[ocr errors]

THE CHRISTIAN HERALD.

V.] Saturday, September 27, 1817.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

(No. 1.

y summary sketch of the celebration of the Thirteenth Anniverthe above Institution was given in No. 21 of our last volume. We ace received from our obliging correspondent at Liverpool a full of that meeting, together with authentic copies of the severa s delivered on the occasion. These speeches are too excellent and Eng to admit of much abridgment. We shall insert them nearly cnhe present and subsequent Numbers of this publication. The Rev. son's speech we have already given in No. 24 of the last volume.

VILBERFORCE, Esq. Vice-President, in moving the adoption of the (after apologizing for bodily indisposition) said,

Lord,-I should, I confess, be sorry not to express, however ectly, the delight with which I have listened to the recital e just been hearing, and with which I propose that the be adopted and printed, under the direction of the Com

Te are called on, my Lord, to offer up our humble acknowents to the Almighty; and while we offer our cordial thanksto Him, to pour forth, at the same time, our congratulations a other, that we are rendered the honoured instruments of ng throughout the world such a tide of light and happiness. The glories of our Society, which we are now celebrating, are which will last for ever. And it is delightful to observe, eir merit is duly appreciated in other countries. I find, by ssage in the Report, that in Switzerland there are many ve entered on the same course, and are following in the path ch we have gone before them. This will be peculiarly grato those who like myself, feel a more than ordinary mea fcordial attachment to that land of liberty. Germany also, ch the great religious Reformation first had its rise, is prosethe good work of circulating the Holy Scriptures with more ommon ardour. Germany is imitating our example, and ting us with a rivalry which knows nothing of base or vulgar etition. The blessed flame, which we have thus happily ed on the Continent, we see infusing life and action throughe immense mass of the Russian Empire, and awakening Siherself into motion, and communicating to it a kindly warmth. My Lord, I must not attempt, for I am unable, to express the gs which animate me; but I cannot sit down, without stating yself, and it is a feeling in which I doubt not every one else participate, that I propose the printing of this Report with ore pleasure, from the kind manner in which it mentions our

Α

4

Speech of the Bishop of Gloucester at the

dear and excellent friend, whose absence we so much regret; I mean the Rev. Mr. Owen. In that afflicting dispensation, which has prevented him from having the gratification of continuing to labour in our cause, we must, at the same time, recognize the mercy of Providence, which did not lay him by till he had gone through an almost unequalled amount of labour and service. He laid the foundation; he was permitted to see the superstructure rise to heaven itself; and still more, he was enabled to complete the History of our achievements, in a work which, though taborious, could not, even to the compiler himself, be without gratification. For it is always gratifying to trace any great work from its outset to its consummation; to trace its gradual progress; to see the obstacles it has overcome: and this work of our friend's will hereafter, I doubt not, be justly accounted through succeeding ages an imperishable record of one of the most extraordinary dispensations of Providence, which ever was vouchsafed to enlighten and to bless the world.

Under this impression, it is with delight I see the Report pay this tribute of affection and gratitude to a man to whom we owe so much; that when he is no longer able to come to us. we go, as it were, to him, into our sick friend's chamber, and there endeavour to pour the strains of gratitude and consolation into his ear, when that tongue, which has so often delighted us, is silent."

Thanks to the President were moved by the BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER, Vice-President, and seconded by Sir T. D. ACKLAND, Bart. The BISHOP of GLOUCESTER :

[ocr errors][merged small]

"The modesty of my Noble Friend forbids me to dwell upon those particular features of his character, which this resolution recalls especially to our minds; but I cannot forbear expres-ing the particular pleasure with which I pay my humble tribute of respect to those public merits, which I know to be so consistently associated with eminent private virtues. But, my Lords and Gentlemen, this very connexion between public services and individual character, leads me to a train of thought, in which, with your permission, I will for a few moments indulge.

"I gladly leave to those who are far better qualified the delightful task of expatiating upon the various interesting particulars which our Report, the annals of the year, has presented to our contemplation, and must content myself with venturing to press earnestly upon the attention of this highly respectable assembly my view of the feelings which such a Report should excite.

"The first feeling should surely be, that of joy and gratitude to the Giver of so good a gift ;-to Him, who, in the midst of such unexampled difficulty and universal distress, has still maintained the spirit of our friends, and drawn forth even, as it were, out of deep poverty abundant liberality.

"In the second place, we may justly expect, that a determination to persevere in patient hope, will arise from the consideration

· Anniversary of the Br. & For. Bible Society. 5

eport. Have difficulties arisen? Has opposition increased part of our sphere of operations? Have our funds in any appeared to lessen, and to be directed to other channels? we shall derive from these little checks the right lesson of , and only become the more anxious to pursue our work ristian spirit, and to compensate for any failures by more us efforts, and, if possible, by greater sacrifices. In due we shall reap, if we faint not.

th this determination to persevere must surely be assohe firm principle of faith and implicit dependence upon of the Bible. Have all our astonishing successes been in is it nothing, that bigotry in one part of Christendom, and ition in another; is it nothing, that Mahometan pride and idolatry bave begun in various quarters to give way? Has hand of God been almost visibly with us for good, and his ce among us of a truth? Has the Sun of Righteousness shone with uninterrupted splendour, and shall a little cloud make t his continued favour for a moment? Shall we not rather rselves still more simply and unreservedly upon his long exced protection, and be assured that the cause of his word d in him a rock which shall never be shaken--the rock of gainst which all the force or the devices of the powers of ess shall never prevail?

ut, lastly, though I am conscious that I tread here upon and delicate ground, I desire to press home, as upon my eart, so upon that of every individual in this vast assembly, lowing considerations: This blessed work of spreading far vide the Scriptures of salvation engages our admiration, our ons and exertions. Is this word thoroughly known, and duly 1, as dear and precious to our own selves? Have we made t and profitable use of this treasure, so long in our possesAre we in the daily habit of devoutly studying and applying rown cases a portion of Holy Writ? Have we sought with st prayer to derive the genuine saving doctrines from it? Are ving in any measure conformably to its standard ?

Are our spirit and temper such as are inculcated by the word d, the wisdom which is from above: 'pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated; full of mercy and good fruits; without ality, and without hypocrisy

I venture to suggest these questions for a special reason, coned with the success of our Society.

The infidel, the careless, and the worldly minded, are apt to sure the value of our cause, and their own obligation to contrito it, by the effects which this professed regard to the Bible upon the life and conversation of its adherents. Let there be evailing consistency in our character and conduct. Let the ruments appear (humanly speaking) in some little measure worof the work; and all may be led to appreciate, to admire, and support a cause, so obviously productive of the best and hapst results.

« EelmineJätka »