vation." That great man, Patrick Henry, left in his will the following testimony in favor of the religion contained in the Sacred Scriptures :-" I have now disposed of all my property to my family; there is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion. If they had that, and I had given them nothing, they would be rich, and without it, if I had given them all the world, they would be poor."

Robert, king of Sicily, said, "The holy books are dearer to me than my kingdom, and were I under any necessity of quitting one, it should be my diadem." When on his death bed, Salmasius, a very learned man, said, "Oh! I have lost a world of time! If one year more were added to my life, it should be spent in reading David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles." Dr. Harris, an Englishman of distinction, inserted in all his wills, "Item, I bequeath to all my children, and to my children's children, to each of them a Bible, with this inscription, 'None but Christ.'"

Such is the value of the Bible, and such the estimation in which it is held by the wise and good. How important then, that this sacred book should be in the possession of every son and daughter of Adam!

Secondly. It is a matter of joy and thanksgiving, that such facilities for the distribution of the Scriptures are possessed, and that such efforts are made to impart the word of life to the destitute.

Within a few years past, Bible Societies have been formed in various parts of Christendom, to disseminate the Sacred Scriptures throughout the earth. Millions of copies of this holy book have been carried, by the four winds of heaven, to those who were perishing "for lack of knowledge." How different now from what it was in the sixteenth century! "best ministers of that

The

day seldom saw the Bible."

very

One of eminence was asked,

"What were the Ten Commandments? and he replied, There was no such book in the library." Martin Luther never saw a Bible till he was twenty-one years of age, and had taken a degree of arts. Carolstadt had been a doctor of divinity eight years before he read the Scriptures. By a law in the 34th of Henry the VIII. it was enacted "that no women, except noblewomen and gentlewomen, might read to themselves alone, or to others, any text of the Bible; nor artificers, apprentices, journeymen, husbandmen, nor laborers, were to read the Bible or New Testament, in English, to themselves or to any other person, privately or openly." Blessed be God, that those times of darkness have passed away! "The Scriptures are now not only translated into all the languages of Europe, but into almost all the languages of the world. The spirit of Bible Societies, like the angel in the Apocalypse, has come down from heaven, and the earth is lighted with its glory." The British and Foreign Bible Society has taken the lead in this important work. To the praise of the God of the Bible would we speak of this noble institution. The American Bible Society has been second to none other but this. The great work of supplying every family in the United States destitute of a Bible, speaking in general terms, has been accomplished. And now may be said, what never before could be said, that a whole nation has been furnished with the word of life. But what these Societies have wrought, could never have been done, had it not been for the facilities now enjoyed of printing the Bible and sending it forth. How unavoidably slow and expensive must have been the work of distributing the Bible, when a single copy of it, written on vellum, cost five hundred dollars! This was the case before the art of printing was invented in 1440. But this, (I had almost said divine art,) facilitates most wonderfully the spread of divine knowledge, and is rapidly imparting the

Scriptures to the destitute throughout the world. The Bible was the first book ever impressed on movable types, and when printing was first invented, a copy would have sold for sixty crowns. Now it may be purchased for less than a single dollar. And this Book of God, bought at so cheap a rate, may now be wafted, through the discovery of the magnet, and the invention of the mariner's compass, from land to land, borne upon the waves of the seas, till it shall reach every clime and every nation under heaven. Let it be remembered, too, that Christians are bound to send the Bible to every destitute family on the face of the globe. One hundred millions of families, at least, are destitute. These must be supplied, that Christ, the sun of righteousness, may rise upon them in his light and salvation.

In conclusion, I remark, that the signs of the times indicate it to be the duty of the different Bible Societies, in this and other lands, to fix on some definite period, in which they will endeavor to send a copy of the Sacred Scriptures to every family on the face of the earth. The signs in relation to this subject are, the establishment of Bible Societies throughout Christendom; the openings in Divine Providence for the dissemination of the Sacred Scriptures; the excitement in the minds of the community on this subject. Christians are rapidly preparing for such an effort as is here contemplated.

A definite time should be fixed upon, as this would centre the views and operations of all concerned in the benevolent design. Aiming at a definite object, they will be much more likely to accomplish the end in view.

The methods to be adopted in the accomplishment of this object are, correspondence between the different Bible Societies and influential individuals in the Christian community; employment of persons to visit the managers of the different Bible Societies, in this and other countries, that some plan may be devised, matured, and published as

soon as possible; selection of individuals to translate the Scriptures into those languages in which a version has not as yet been made. If none can be found prepared for the work, let some persons acquire forthwith the knowledge needed; arrangements should immediately be made for printing the Bible in large numbers of copies in all those languages into which it has already been translated; appointment of agents to address the community and collect funds. Appeals, too, should be made from the press. One hundred millions of dollars would probably provide the Bibles required. Many individuals may be found who would contribute a hundred thousand dollars each, were they satisfied that this work could and would be accomplished; and agents should be appointed, whose special business it should be, to see the Bible disseminated among all people, that they may be able to read in their own tongues the wonderful works of God.

Appendix A,

DISSERTATION II.

DISTRIBUTION OF TRACTS.

THE benevolent Creator has endued man with rational and moral powers, and made him capable of endless progression in knowledge, holiness and happiness. He has furnished him with the means of knowledge, and presented before him the most weighty motives to its attainment. Knowledge is desirable, as conducive to usefulness and enjoyment. Of this opinion was Solomon. He says, "that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good." Knowledge is valuable, as it expands, strengthens, and ennobles the mind, and prepares it for successful effort. This is true of knowledge in medicine, law, politics, philosophy and divinity; in all the arts and sciences. But man is a moral, responsible, and immortal being. Most of all, therefore, is knowledge valuable, on moral and divine subjects. It would be important were our existence measured only by time. How greatly, then, is its importance magnified, when we view our existence as commensurate with eternity! Great happiness in the life that now is, and all the happiness in that which is to come, depends on our acquaintance with true vital godliness. How important, then, that all men should have, not only a speculative, but also an experimental, knowledge of the