University of South Carolina Libraries
I ' ' ' f. I SffrH N VOL. 2. ABBEVILLE. S. 0., TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 188(3. NO. 48. SUPPLYING THE WORD. FAMILIES WITHOUT THE BIBLE ARE GIVEN THE WORD OF HOD. The Sixty-Third Animal Session of the Abbeville Bible Society--Good Sermon, Fine Address and Interesting Memorial Exercises. Minntes of the Abbeville District Bible Society. The sixty-third annual meeting of the Abbeville District Bible Society convened in the Methodist church at Abbeville C. H. at 11 o'clock a. in., on thu rtf .liilv 1 fii-Ui PrnKidimt \V_ \f Griei* 1).D. in the chair. Opened with prayer bv Rev. S. A. "Weber, of the M. Iv Church South. The roll of the membership for the Inst three years was called, the majority of whom failed t > answer. The minutes of last meeting were read and approved. The Kcv. \V. G. Neville of the Presbyterian church principal and | Kev. \V. 1). Kirkland of the Methodist j church alternate, preachers, having removed beyond the limits of the county declined to fill the appointment of annual preacher, and Kev. S. A. Weber consented to deliver the sermon, but subsequently he asked the Directors to allow iiim to give way to the llev. G. H. Wiley D.D., the Superintendent of the Bible Cause for North and South Carolina, who was with us for the first time since his appointment. Or. Wiley's sermon was Vased on the . 3Uth verse of the 18th Psalm, "The Word of the Lord is tried and immediately afterwards he gave to the Society an exceedingly interesting account of the operations of the Parent Society,?the American liible Society in the United States. A hat collection was taken up immediately after the sermon, amounting to $11.10. J. C. Klugh, Esq. delivered the an- i nual address, upon the work and benefits of the American Hibie Society. it ii i v U[>Ull till? iaIU iwi i L'lM. u ill i/i inuiu u?m ship forty-three paid their tines of $1 each. A large number of the old members have not jet paid. One new member was enrolled. The following branch societies reported : Long Cane and Cedar Springs. Delegate :?J. L. Pressly, .J. B. Mus a, 1). W. Jay, John Lyon, and Leltoy 1'urdy. Contributions, $0.80. Troy. Delegates :?J. 1). Xeel, J. K. "Wideman, W. T. Bradley. Contribution, $11 Greenville Church. Delegates :? Andrew .Stevenson, \V. T. Cowan and J. L. McCord. Contribution, $5 Lebanon Church. Delegates :?A. .J. "Woodhurst and Sam'l Kvans. Contribution, $9. Due West. Delegates :?llev. W. L. Pressly D.D., J. L. Miller. Wm. Hood, It. S. Galloway, J. P. Kennedy and il. 10. Bonn :r. Contribution, $29.(?5. The following branch societies made no report, Lowndesville, Ninety-Six, Greenwood and Cokesbury. The following contributions were received through Dr. J. 0. Lindsay. Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church $1 ; Willi ngton Church $2 ; Hopewell Church $1.10 Judge J. ?. Cothran, chairman of the committee appointed to prepare and report a suitable minute to the memory of the Hon. Armistead Burt, made his report which is hereto appended. Capt. J. T Parks, chairman of the committee appointed to prepare and reporf a suitable minute to the memory of ('apt. W. V.. McUee, made his report, hereto appended. It was resolved that the reports of the said committees be adopted, and that a iinrri? in our mimito linnk }> > inui'riliml in the memory of ench of the subjects of the said reports. Further resolved, that the newspapers be requested to publish the reports. The Corresponding Secretary made the following report : That in obedience to the resolutions of the Society at its last annual uieeting he had invited the Superintendent of the / merican Dibit* Society to attend this annual meeting of the Society, that he had responded favorably and he is now present in person. That he had written to the Parent Society in regard to the life membership of J)r. H. T. Sloan, and had received the following letter in reply : New Yokk, July 0, 18BG. 31r. L. W. Wkite. Cor. tSec'y, Dkau Sm : Your favor of the 1st. was received this morning. I find that the Rev. H T. Sloan, D.l). is recorded hero, on our books as a life member of this Society, j As such, he is entitled to the B. S. Record and one dollars worth of liibles annually, (to be drawn within each year) each upon application. We have over 40,000 life members scattered all over the United States, a large mujority of whom do not care to apply for annual dues, and unless they do so, you see how impracticable it would be for us to find them and address thum. Therefore, & standing notice has been published for many years requesting members desiring the Record, etc., to give in their address annually. They have only to drop uRt postal, stating that they desire live ' Record'" and dues in "books," either or both, when they are pare of a response, and we shall be tjlad so to respond to Dr. Sloan on receipt of his address. Yours Ttuly, C. T. Ho wo. A letter from I)r. Jas. Boyce was read expressing regrets on account of his inability to at*end the meeting of the Society. Dr. Boyce's excuse was sustained. The Treasurer and Librarian made the following report which was referred to an auditing coiniinuec consisting 01 J. F. Lyon and J. 1). Xeel : To cnsh balance on hand July 1885... J 45 68 " from hat collection 1:100 " " Societies nud churches 45 00 ' " Little Mountain through Rev. II. C. Fennel... 2 40 To cash from sale of books 19 20 $203 08 By cash sent American Bible Society and exn^nses .. .$120 HO lly cash paid freight on books 5 10 " sent American Bible Society and expenses.... 7010 $20236 3 32 Balance credit in New York $01-18 To Books ou hand July 29, 18SG. $ 56 07 To bill of books Oct. 1885 93 97 $150 04 By books donated and sold. $ 7G 34 By books on hand July 28, 1886 73 70 $150 01 Judge McGowan offered a resolution of thanks to l)r. C. II. Wiley for his able and instructive sermon. And to J. C. Klugh. Ksq? for his entertaining address. Adonted. The Auditing Committer reported the report of the Treasurer and Librarian correct and properly vouched. Adopted. Itev. S. A. Weber was elected the principal preacher for meceting in 1887 with J. L. Wilson, l).l).. his alternate. Prof. George C. Hodges was elected the principal, with Prof. .F. 11. Miller, hts alternate, to deliver the annual address. It was resolved that this Society remit to the Parent Society sixty dollars to purchase two life memberships. And that we now proceed to elect the members to receive them. Under this resolution Judge Samuel' McGowan and Prof.Jv4?. Kennedy, were designated. Upon motion of Prof. Hood il wus directd that the letter from the General Agent of the Parent Society regarding life members be published. (hi motion of Dr. Sloan it was resolved that this Society is greatly gratified in having the Superintendent of the Parent Society, Dr. C. 11. Wiley with us, and that We request his attendance with us at our future meetings. On motion of Prof. Hood it vas iesolved that, the surplus funds on hand be c xpended in the purchase of books by the Librarian and Treasurer, with the advice of the corresponding and recording Secretary. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year : Rev. AV. M. Grier, D.D., President.R. II. Wardlaw, J. S. Cothran, S. McGowan, Rev. il. T. Sloan, 1).I)., and Rev. J. O. Lindsay, D.D., Vice-Presidents. Directors?Gen. P. II. Brandley, Rev. \V. K. Pearson, Jaiues Boyce, D.D., T. T. Cunninghain, Jos. L. Press ley, G. McD. Miller, John T. Parks. \X. K. Rlake, J. P. Kennedy, J. D. Xeel, Rev. \ W. 11. Hanckel, Rev. R. F. Bradley, Rev. \Y. T. Matthews, T. C. Lipscomb, and Charles Kvans, vice W". G. Neville removed out of this County. 'I'li.i ....... i j a iiu uicv.uiib, ?? ii."> nun u y JI1UJ UJ by ltov. C. II. Wiley, i).l). \Y. M. GUI EH, L. W. Priiiun, President. Recording Secretary. Tlie Sermon. I)r. Wiley's sermon was upon the text taken t'roin Psalm 18:30 : "The Word of the Lord is tried." He said that there were three great and distinct periods which he would mention, in which the Bible had been tried. 1 1 n ifo *irl?nn /? nil human appearances, on the efforts of a few poor, uneducated and unrenowned adherents, it went forth to battle with the combined hostile forces of Philosophy, religion and sociology?and passed through strengthened. 2nd. When Luther emerged from his cloister with his Bible in his hand and agnin defied the religious and pagan world successfully. 3rd. What is known as the pamphleting and newspaper period. A hundrod years ago it was prophesied by these profane writers that it would not he long before the Bible would be a very rare book, to be found only in large libraries and collections of curious books. Upon the contrary, the effusions of such writers which-were in numbers sufficient to till the church building, are scarcely ever seen and are only known by their I titles, and there are now 10,(XX) times as ! mar.y Bibles in circulation as there were lthen. j The Bible emerges from every cod fiict and trial with enlarged power and influence. It demands a trial from every ono. It courts investigation and even imposes terrible pains and penalties on those who refuse or neglect to study and try its sacred prayer. He was not here to defend the Bible. It was able to take care of itueir. but tc assist in putting it into the hands ol every >>no to be searched and tried by them. r .< ' . .A ?V i/ii'fw&k fiwlKilB?8? Acfi .'?S V *_. Address by J. C. Kluurh, Esq. The American Bible Society has been at its work for seventy years. The idea o<* circuiting the Holy Scriptures was not a new one in 1H16 ; it is as old as the history of the church. The spreau of Christianity has in all ages carried with it the recorded Word, and the seasons of 1 greatest growth of the church have ever been marked as periods when wider dissemination and closer study have been bestowed upon God's word. Indeed the history of Christianity and of the Jewish faith before Christianity had had a beginning, proves that the reading and study of the Bible itself is essential to the maintenance of purity in the worship of God. Humanity cannot hope to preserve its religion incorrunt ami at the samo Mine forgc-t or ignore the sources from which it derives the tenets of its faith. The best systems of religion that have prevailed in the heathen world?and of some them, in .heir purity, are beadtful and simple and grand enough to suggest the idea of divine origin?have degenerated into the lowest forms of paganism when their adherents have consented to take their doctrines at second-hand. A live Christianity deman (/a a lively knowledge of the foundations on which its faith is built. And so we see with what eagerness in the earlier days of the church the written account of the Lord's sojourn and teaching among men together with the letters of advice and warning written by llis apostles were read and circulated. In those days of "uncial" characters laboriously scrawlod on parchment, it was of course impossible to place a copy of the Bible in every man's hand, and yet the needs of the masses for its teachings was felt, and to bring it in the reach of all, to learn its precepts and blessed tenets was a labor of love which early found its way even in the imperial hearts of Home. We are told that the Emperor Constantino ordered at one time an edition of llftv copies to be pre pared at his own expense for use in the churches of his capitol. It would be instructive to follow the history of the Kngish Bible for a thousand years from Alfred the Great, through the centuries when Wycklifle and Tyndolx and ('nni?r<li\Ii> mid tlu> (Jenr-vnn Exiles caused the light to shine in dark places, and in giving the Bible to the mass of English people gave to English literature itself a beginning, it was re?* served for the eighteenth ccnturj-, however, to witness the inauguration of a movement so beneficent in its character, so far reaching in its aims, so beneficent in its result?, as to stamp the era in which it exists with the name of evangelical. We live in the midst of that era. That movement in its progress inspired the design in English and American hearts to extend the circulation of the Holy Bible, and thus was originated the work which through its two chief agencies, tiie British and Foreign and the American Bible Societies, with their enlarged plan of putting the Bible into the hand of every man in his own language, has become one of the marvels of our time. With the opening year of the nineteenth century there appeared in London a Welsh minister who came to solicit aid in obtaining a supply of Bibles for his own countrymen. He turned naturally to the benevolent organizations of the of the metropolis, and soon found the executive committee of the religious tract fociety. In response to his appeal came the reply, "If for Wales why not for the world ?" It was a live thought, a great thought. In its devolopement came the organization in 1804 of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The leaven worked and soon found its way across the ocean to the great English spcaKing empire, men lairiy equipped lor its place in the march of modern civilization. In 1808, in Philadelphia, was organized the first Uible Society on American soil. Others followed in quick succession throughout the United .States. Out of the union of these local organizations came the American Bible Society. The sole object of its institution was to encourage a wider circulation of the Holy Scriptures without note or t m r? n fr fIMnc lino Iwmn i\iiwi.mia<1 uv/ili I1IUII t. M UIO vujvvif UUO puiourru with ft singleness of aim that amounts to principle. Rigidly unsectarian, the Society invites and receives the earnest support of nearly every protestant donoinination. The record of jts life through seventy years is one of contintinuous growth and glorious achievement. In that time it has published 47,IXXUXJO volumes of the Holj' Scriptures. Those have been distributed in every quarter of the globe. It has issued the I Bible whole or in part in more than eighty languages. For the past thirty years its expenditures have averagod over #500,000 yearly, and since its foundation it has expended $23,000,0(XJ in its work of publishing and circulating the Scriptures. Us publications are sold at the mere cost of production, and are so cheap that every person may own a copy of the Bible. Designed in its conception for circulating the Scriptures t 1\ n I ! ni t/wl Cl n f/.r ?> %/! | ll|I WU^IIUUb H?c V llliwvi UIAIUA IIIIU VIICII tenitorios, this Society proclaimed in its j organic law the intention to extend its | influence to other countries whether j Christian, Mohammedan or Pagan. In carrying out these principles it haa brought out through auxiliary associations of our land and endeavors t<i leave no family or individual without freest access to the fountain ol !> God's truth. The homes of tho pool ' and tl e lonely aro the objects of iti special attention, fnto the fastnesses of the mountains, through the swampi and sickly regions of the Southwest amongst the wilds of the Western bolder, into the heart of the African, t< the "Heathen Chinee" of the I'ucith Slope, amongst the fierce and warliki tribes of native Indians, again and agaii the Society has sent in its colporteun marching forward in hundreds, evei ! bearing the precious Word of Cod and it! .,P I.I. : ? \> i (Jiriiwu m UH!"S Willi US SVVl'U1 influences all the homes an<l Ftiiu Iiok <> our land. In the p.ist four years ii barvisited four million homes of this country and has carried the Bible to over half r million families and individuals wh< had it not before. And this great worl shall jpo forward under its auspices, witl the help ot good tuen and women everywhere till no person willing to receive and kjtow the truth shall be found with out it.; In foreign fields, whether Christian Moliajhinicduu or I'agan, the Kociet) professes to be "Simply a sower of seed It bupliy.es no converts, it builds ur churches, it founds no schools, it teaches rijp industrial arts. it. maintains ik hospitals, it publishes no comments and treaties, it edits no newspapers."' Itswork, is preparatory for all these. It has established and maintains agents foi general superintendence in Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Lal'lata. in the Levant, l'eru, China, and .Japan. In the past year it has employed nearly four hundred persons in the work of distiibuting the Scriptures in foreign lunds. It gives the aid of its money and its Bibles to missionary organizations in man) fields. By these and other agencies it is now aiding in circulating the Holy Bible in France, Spain, Cieimany, Austria. Italy, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Siberia, and the Amoor, Greece, Turkey, Sj'ria, Russia, India. Statu, China, Japan. Mexico, and Central America, Brazil, Uruguay, the Argentine Republic, Chili. Bolivia, Peru, Africa, the West Indies and tlft; Islands of the Northwestern Pacific. These all receive- the Word at the Society's hands in their several tongues and dialects, without note or comment. In the prosecution of its work the American Bible Society knows no rivalry but with the apostles of error. It gladly receives aid from every helpful source and as willingly lends its co-operation tc similiar organizations. It is a labor of love which it is engaged in and it hails Wifk joy the success of other Bi'ble "^Societies* whether in its chosen fields or in those to which it is unable as yet to t-xtend its labors. Thus il joins hands with its great congeuor the ilie British and Foreign Bible Society, and these two lend willing hands to help along nearly a hundred others of latei or less vigorous growth. The result of the combined eil'orts of these Societies 11... lunl >huw>u\iuii kJt ? IV>U HIU J Uttl XUVT ailiUUlll LU *.WV/,UVA/,*AAj volumes of the Scriptures which have been curried to over 8U0,000,tXMJ people, more than half the entire population of the globe. And yet this statement, stupendous though the figures be, conveys the faintest idea of the suggestions ol the actual work done, it speaks but little of the labor and perils which have be in met by the faithful and zealous colporteuis uud missionaries working this way through all lands, through every form of ignorance and prejudice and bigotry. It accounts in ample manner for the millions of money which have been contributed to the cause. But what can figures tell of the years of patient study, and the devotion of the profoundest learning to the task of translating the Word of God into the native language of all those people ? What of the diplomacy with Mohammedan and Pagan and even socalled Christiau governments , to aeour; for the Bible Societies the poor .privilege of of olFering to their nations. thn Word ''without note or coinmurtt r What of the influences that have thu? wrought, upon thu minds and hearts and lives and character of all those individuals and families and nations ? But is it a great work that has beei accomplished bj* those Societies whicl have been thrusting' themselves upon the world's notice for three quarters o a century ? See. Before their Uegin ning eighteen hundred years of christian} had given to the world scarcely inort than four million Bibles. Before the wa: of the Revolution no copy of the ling lish Bible had ever been printed ir America, and so late as 18lil "the cheap est Bible in this country cost about tw< dollars in even the poorest type ant binding. Now it is the cheapest book ii the world." 1 hen it was a thing un heard of to give away copies of th< Bible generally. Now the Book is car ried by the hundred thousands to thi very doors of the poor in many land! and given aw'ay without money and witl out price. i)uring tha Civil War, th< American Bible Society redoubled it: ott'orts,. bestowing the benefit of its labor; with equal zeal upon either side in tha conflict. At least 3,000,000 volume were given to soldiers during thi period, and it is said that at one time ai average of nine testaments per ininut for every hour of daily working tim were produced in the Bible house, li other conflicts of arms before and sinct its object of circulating the Bible ha been consistently and zealously pur i sued. In 1804 the Bible existed i some languages, ancient aod moderr > Since that time nearly three hundre t vorsions have been made, for which creii f it is largely due to Bible Societies. It ih scareely possible to speak of thi i work without associating it with tli h missionary cause. The two go hand i a hand and are mutually dependent upo S't "-''X'-'v.v . k.&&!-J&V' &'iUkiA*% , each other. Without the Bihle the cause - of missions could not exist, while the 1 Bible Socieities would find their progn ress exceedingly slow even at home, but 2 especially so in?foreign lands without i the missionaries. The Bible cause is < essentially a missionary cause, and the r Bible itself a missionary. There are nu< | inerous iustances recorded where this t silent teacher has found its way unherr allied into pagan communities and with i none to voice the gospel it reveals nor press its claims to recognition as the i Word of the living Ciod, has s?*nt its > simple truths straight to the heart of ; the lamest seeker after truth and led to i the conversion of hundreds of souls to the worship of God and to the christian > religion. Of our English IJible, one has said, '*lt lives on the ear like music that can , never he forgotten. Its felicities often ' seem to be almost things rather than . words. It is part of the national mind, > and thy author of national seriousness. - The memory of the dead passes into it. > The power of all the griefs and trials of [ a man aie laid beneath its wouls. It is i the iepresentative of his best moments. ; and all th.it there his been about him of i soft and gentle and pure and penitent | and good, speaks to him forever out of -1 his Protestant Bible.*' It is the mirror of our human nature in which we may behold the heart of man swayed and mm Kv iVif. livil !...? ...... > w. . w J %I*\< v? * ? a v/ no kllivc ill l* UUlh , by inheritance, throbbing will* the impulses and aspirations and longings of the soul that lain would stand ever pun: before the eyes of its Maker,?the buttle ground of good and evil through all the a^es. The truths of that Book have power to make the heart quake with tear or ache with keen remorse or melt with the tenderness of christian charity. All ! that is good in our nature lnnv be called forth to active life by a single line from its pages. Some years ago three small children, aged respectively ten. seven and four, were compelled'to go from Eastern LViussia to the United States to rejoin their parents who had found a home in the new world by the banks of the Missouri. There was no older person to accompany them, and they must therefore make the journey alone. A female relative in Berlin gave to each of > them a small volume in which she wrote on the first page the name, age, birth> place and destination of the bearer, and below in German antl French and Kngi lish she wrote a single sentence, taken from that Book. She told the children if at any time they were in need of as! sistance just to stand still ami open , their little Books and hold them up be' fore them. The young travelers started " from their German^ Home, reached the seaport, embarked on board the steamer, i rrnsxcii thr> irrfiit AllnnHr Inmln/l ir> ' America, traveled by rail over a thousand miles westward into the hoart of 1 Missouri and safely reached their, home in that far oil' land. Whenever needfnl they showed their little passports to all with whom they came in contact, and ' every where they received every kind ness and protection and tenderest care. All hearts wirmed with love and every hand stretched forth to help the little ? ones thus cast upon the kindness ol i passing".strangers. That hook was a t copy of the .ilew Testament, that l>ne ' which proved for them the open passport to the human breast was the saying of our Saviour, "Inasmuch as ye have ' done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me." For the heathen n.ind enslaved in darkness, environed by a wall of ignor ance, lost in the labyrinth of superstii tio.i ami error which the evil one knows so well how to weave out of the waywardness and fears and depravity of the heart. of man. the Bible is u rrroat li?rht # ' # O C I ; and a guide to free him from his thmldom and bring him to a knowledge of 4 the Way. the Truth and the Life. For I civilized society it is a treasure liou.se where .may be drawn object lessons in all the-virtues that make up the Christ1 ian life, and warnings and terrible ex1 amples of all the vices that draw in their 1 train the decay of civilization, the severI ance of '.he social tie, the destruction of the family, the death of patriotism, the ? overthrow of government and the night ' of human despair. Given a civilizatm. i* built upon the principles inculcated by a general and constant reading and study 1 of God's Word,?a civilization whose germ is in the bosoin of the' family ; i whose bulwark is the purity of the 1 homo ; whose ethics is the observance ? of the Sabbath, the sacredness and bind ing power of the marriage tie, and free dom and temperance and fair dealing - and adherence to that rule of right con duct which the whole world has named A Tk/% rL/\1rlnn a vi 1 i 9 tk t inn fcKncn Jiim. '* 1 I1U UV1UI/I1 ? W VI ? latwMvavif " iiudu bVUll ? pies are reared by laymen ordained of o God to a life of virtue and purity and s tender, watchful and compassionate rea gard for the well-being of all their felt low men, whose sacrifices are a meek s and quiet spirit and an open confession a of that Saviour whose life thrills through n the heart of tho centuries like the divine e strains of heavenly music ; a civilization e whoso polity recognizes the universal n brotherhood of man and contains the S hospitable entertainment of strangers s whose politics in submission to the established authority and loyalty to the n government that secures to us our life i. and liberty and all the sweet enjoymnnte d of individual rights, whose economy is I- public and private enterprise and the promotion of industry and frugality ; a in civilization which recognizes in liberal ie oducation, in refinement of manners and n tho gracefulness of art, in a broad and >n deen culture, in the richness and growth of literature and the meditations of deep philosophy, agents and influences for pood to the spirit of man that shall build up the soul and bring it nearer to the godlike state ; a civilization which laya broad and ieep its foundations in domestic virtue and gives the place of honor to parents, filial and social obligations ; whose teligion is the worship of that nil powerful, all wise, ever present. supremely just and good and loving Reing whom alone the intelligent mind of man is willing to call God ; given such a civilization, and we have that state in which man can best realize the | ond of his creation, a state of society ; ever pure and enduring perpetually to the coming of that Kingdom and that J)ay to which the good in all ages look forward with anticipations of holy joy. l)o we need to give reasons and arguments, Mr. President, to persuade men to lend their aid and their sympathy to the cause of propagating that Bible on whose precepts such a civilization is builded ? The best and greatest minds of our country and of Christendom have ! esteemed it not the less a duty, indeed, but one of the highest privileges vouchsafed to man to be permitted to engage in this work so free from every suspicion of selfishness or hope of material, gain. To the American citizen who loves l his country and desires to see our insti tutions perpetuated, and the blessings ! of a free, enlightened, (Sod-fearing civi! ilizatinn secured to generations yet uui born, a study of late developments in | our history do?*s indeed suggest peculiar : inducements to redoubled efforts in | spreading forward this cause. It is a fact that compels serious thought, that in the past thirty years ten milions of foreigners have sought homes in the United States ; add to these their immediate oil-spring, numbering not less than live milions more. Fifteen "millions of people, foreign in character, ideas and sympathies thus incorporated into our national life." Add to these the six or seven milions of negroes who have in the same period been received as factors in the political life of our country. Over one third ol the entire population of our country at the present time to be assimilated in one genera'ion and made like unto ourselvts in opinion, in character, in sympathies of government, of society, of morals, of religion, of law, of God. In this Held the work of the American Bible Society has been a boon to our country. Hundreds of thousands of Bibles liave been furnished by it to these newly arrived iinigrants, and the Book has gone with them to their western homes and become the chart and guide of their new i;r? ..i.. > ? ? II1U 111 U1V.-II .It ? IJ IUUIII1 IIUIUCK. tv IIKI wonder that Illinois law, as reoently proclaimed from the Bench of that State is strong enough to deal with the annihilist outhreakers ! What wonder that the new formed society of the Western States can stand the shock of social upheavals ! The:.r institutions are strong and vigorous and elastic with the allpersuasive, life-giving principles of the Bible. Dreamers in politics and socialogy in forecasting the future of our country are accustomed to say that the genius of our people will save us from political and social ruin. It may he and probably is true, hut that that genius is a live, political, evangelical Christianity, and the Bible is her chief handmaid. Mr. President, travelers among the Alps tell us in glowing language of the magnificence of the dawn ami sunrise as viewed from those towering, snow-covered summits. So we to-day stand here at the apex as it were of our nineteenth century civili: a ion and view the shadows of spiritual darkness steal away atlown the hillsides and inlo the valleys of this fair earth soon to disappear before the advancing sun of righteoushess, and as we look forward to the coming brightness of that perfect day we, in unison with all the workers in this great Bible cause, breathe with renewed hope and a deeper, inore solemn meaning that prayer which in all ages has gone up as the soul's highest aspiration from anxious, waiting hearts, and shall ascend with increasing frequency and fervor from the over increasing millions of hearts that throb with christian love till .1 mighty, joyous shout of triumph and i-.-Aliz ition shall resound throughout mo world : Thy Kingdom come ! VjV In 3Iemoriani. It was not my privilege to attend the last meeting of the Abbeville District Bible Society, being engaged at that time in holding a term of Court in an>other part of the State, hence the delay in presenting this tribute to the memory of the late Armistead Burt. Mr Rnrf urKnon nrucn liflA ?tl> ? ? on those occasions was seldom wanting, was born in Edgefield District on the 16th day of November 1802, and departed this life on the 30th day. of October, 1883. This is not lime, nor the occasien for an extended sketch of his long and eventful life. By reason of habits of temperanceamounting almost to abstemiousness^ 'M preserving a strong physical constitu- "r? tion, he was spared to attain by morethan half a score of years the alio ted period of man's existence on the earth, * and even in hi? case may it be trul^r said of this eXeess of years, yet is their- ^ strengin laoor ana sorrow. It was surely a spectacle worthy of 'd our highest admiration to see him uir ? the days when the reapers of the house ''r$| shall trehible and the strong men shall ?? bow themselves," fighting with heroic^ M courage the battles of life. Reduced. . (Continued on last page*) y||