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paper: then every child that comes for a little thread, will find it wrapped up in a paper, containing a little impressive hymn addressed to its heart.' J. B.

ANECDOTE.

Awful Death of a Swearer.

On Saturday morning, August the 10th, 1816, a man of the name of Moody, a prisoner in the Coldbath Field's prison, whe had just been uttering a volley of oaths and imprecations, and wishing he might drop down dead, dropped dead while drinking some gruel, and thus became an awful warning to those who are accustomed to invoke the just vengeance of Jehovah to descend upon their guilty heads. These things are recorded for the timely admonition of the young and inexperienced, and loudly call upon them to beware of contracting evil habits, and of associating with bad company. The unhappy individual who was thus cut off in his sins, would, at one time, undoubtedly have been as much shocked at the thought of such a catastrophe, as themselves: for, had he resisted temptation, avoided immoral companions and dissolute practices-above all, had he become truly religious, by seeking with his whole heart after those things which belonged unto his peace, he would not have fallen a prey to vice and misery in this world, nor have been summoned into the next, under circumstances of overwhelming horror and despair.

MAXIMS.

It is a great a matter of joy to the godly, that God reigns; as it is of terror to the wicked. (Psalm xcvii. 1.)

They that fear God least, have the greatest reason to be afraid of Him.

In heaven, holiness is their everlasting temper; and happiness their everlasting portion. In hell, sin is their eternal temper; and sorrow their eternal portion.

For the Christian Herald.

TREMBLING Soul, almost despairing,
Raise once more thy languid eye,
See, there is a ray of mercy
Beaming through the clouded sky.

Has the voice of Sinai's thunder,

Has its bright terrific flame,
All thy crimson guilt displaying,
Fill'd thee with dismay and shame!
Hear the voice of consolation
Gently sounding from above,
Sweeter than the harps of angels,-
"Tis the voice of peace and love.

He, who gave himself a Ransom,
When on Calvary he died,
He, who from the grave ascending,
On a glorious cloud did ride,

Now, before the throne of mercy,
Pleads his death that man may live;
There repeats his dying accents-

Father, for my sake, forgive.'
Trembling soul, thy doubts dismissing
Fix the eye of faith on him;
He beholds thee with compassion,
He is mighty to redeem.

God, tho' just, and sin avenging,
Yet in mercy takes delight;
Wisdom, justice, mercy, bleeding,

Into noon-day change thy night.
Silent be the voice of mourning,

Let thy joys in praises rise;
Pass'd e'er long, this vale of sorrows,
Thou shalt rest above the skies.
SPRINGFIEL

CHRISTIAN HERALD.

VOL. II.] Saturday, January 4, 1817.

[No. 15.

THE TWELFTH REPORT OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

(Continued from page 222.)

[The New Auxiliaries formed in England, Scotland and Wales, since their last anniversary, is stated to be 22, exclusive of Branches; making the total number of Auxiliary and Branch Societies in the United Kingdom and adjacent Islands to be 544. The contributions from Auxiliary Socies ties during the same period, amounted to 55,450l. 38. 9d. sterling: (a sum exceeding two hundred and forty-six thousand dollars.)

With the following we conclude the Extracts taken from the body of the 12th Report. In our next we shall commence the insertion of some of the highly interesting documents contained in the Appendix to that Report.]

YOUR Committee cannot record this gratifying detail of the public liberality, without expressing their obligations to Almighty God, who has disposed the hearts of the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, notwithstanding the pressure of the times, and the various calls of a kindred nature, to administer so bountifully to the spiritual wants of their Christian brethren at home and abroad.

In this pure disinterested benevolence, which can arise, it is presumed, from no other source than love to God and man, and which has no other object than to promote his glory, and the temporal and eternal good of his creatures, your Committee recognise, with heartfelt pleasure, the influence of that holy Book, the circu lation of which it is directed so essentially to promote.

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The Auxiliaries have justified their claim to the title of Benefactors of the Society in the most extensive interpretation, as, independently of their liberality to the Parent Institution, and their local efficiency in distributing the Scriptures, they have contri buted, by their influence and example, to excite an attention to the establishment of other Auxiliaries, of Branch Societies, and of Bible Associations-the whole exhibiting a system of benevolent co-operation for the best end, and through the purest means. these gradations the lowest orders of society become connected with the highest, in one great work of Christian charity; and the bounty of all, accumulated into one stream, is again poured forth to enrich the spots from which it flowed, or to fertilize the barren tracts of distant regions.

VOL. II.-No. 15.

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Your Committee think it unnecessary to repeat what has been said on former occasions respecting Bible Associations, further than to certify, that their experience has again confirmed all that has been asserted in their favour in former Reports. They acknowledge with gratitude the great efficiency which the Parent Institution has derived from their assistance, while they contemplate with admiration and delight the moral effects which have resulted from them, in the encouragement of religious habits, and in the increase of kind affections and brotherly love; and they are persuaded, that nothing is better calculated to extend the influence of the Holy Scriptures, to excite a personal interest in the knowledge of revealed truth, and (what is the natural consequence of such knowledge) an anxious desire to make others partakers of it, than these most laudable and efficacious Associations.

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Your Committee have also the pleasure to report several additions to the funds of the Society, by Legacy or Donation; among which are the following:-A Legacy of 100l. from the late Miss Abigail Franks, a Jewess, paid by Edward Goldsmid, Esquire, &c. &c. &c.

To the friends of the Society in Scotland, your Committee have again to express their obligations for a liberality, which marks their continued attachment to the Institution, and a deep interest in its success. The several contributions from that part of the Island have been already specified; but your Committee cannot omit expressing their particular obligations to the Reverend the Presbytery of Glasgow, which first gave the example of an Annual Collection in Scotland.

The Hibernian Bible Society have continued their exertions during the past year to circulate the Scriptures among all classes and denominations of their countrymen. Between 20 and 30,000 Bibles and Testaments have been issued from their Depository since their last Anniversary, in addition to more than 200,000 copies antecedently dispersed. Many thousands more were called for, which the depressed state of their funds, from the unexampled pressure of the times, rendered it impossible for the Society to supply.

It now becomes the duty of your Committee to state, that they have recently accomplished an object which had long been considered as highly desirable, and had at length become absolutely indispensable the union of all the offices of the Society in one Establishment. The inconvenience arising from having the Library and Depository in one place, the Accountant's Office in another, and the Committee Room in a third, had been severely and injuriously felt both by the officers and members of the Society: add to this, that the officers of the Society had no place of common resort, and were destitute of the accommodations required for the correct and systematic transaction of their business, which has for a considerable time past been progressively increasing, both in complicacy and importance; and the risk and trouble oc

casioned by the frequent removal of the Records of the Society, now accumulated to an immense mass. In the mean time, the expenses of the Depository, from the Commission upon sales of Bibles and Testaments, which, though voluntarily reduced by Mr. Seeley to the lowest rate that justice to his family would allow, had, upon such extensive issues, necessarily arisen to a great annual amount, and formed an additional reason for looking to an Establishment as a measure of economy no less than of accommodation.

The offer of suitable Premises in Earl Street, Blackfriars, on advantageous terms, afforded the Committee an opportunity of carrying their purpose into effect. When the arrangements, which are now proceeding, shall have been completed, the Society will be in possession of a set of commodious offices for carrying on the business in every department, centrally situated, and combining every proposed convenience, at an immediate expense, which, by the annual saving in the Depository, Commission, and other expenses, will be gradually and finally replaced.

Among the accommodations afforded by the Establishment in Earl Street, not the least important, is that which regards the Society's Biblical Library. The books of which it consists, numerous and valuable as they are, would, there is reason to believe, have been considerably augmented by the liberality of the public, if it had been correctly known what the Society really possessed, and in what respects therefore its collection was deficient. In the new Establishment, a commodious Room is allotted for the reception of the books; they will be suitably classed and arranged; and a Catalogue of them will be printed, and annexed to the ensuing. Report.

Under these circumstances, the Committee feel themselves at liberty to solicit from the friends of the Institution, both abroad and at home, such Versions of the Scriptures as may be likely to assist in promoting the general design; and they would add a request for a regular supply of the Annual Reports of all Auxiliary, or kindred Societies in every part of the world.

It only remains for your Committee to advert to the distribution of the Scriptures. Under this head they have to state, that, excluding what has been effected through the agency of Auxiliary and Branch Societies, and Bible Associations, the mere list of collective bodies and individuals, to whom the Scriptures have been consigned for distribution, by sale or gratuitously, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, would occupy a considerable space their Report. The detail will appear in the account annexed to it; but your Committee cannot deny themselves the satisfaction of exhibiting the following summary: only premising, that they have received many pleasing proofs, that the benevolence of the Society has been attended with the happiest effects.

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Copies of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, have been furnished to the following places.

EUROPE.

Christiana, in Norway; Dantzig, Brussels, Ostend, Cleve, Netherlands Bible Society, Geneva Bible Society, Bern, France, Waldenses, Constantinople, Madeira, Malta, and other parts of the Mediterranean.

DOMESTIC.

Isle of Sheppy, for Foreigners visiting Sheerness, poor Germans in England, prisoners in Giltspur Street Compter, London Society for converting the Jews, Lascar Committee of the Missionary Society, Forest of Dean, Gosport, Newry, in Ireland, Hibernian Sunday School Society in Dublin, 500 Bibles, and 5000 Testaments at half the cost price; Hibernian Society in London, for their numerous schools in Ireland.

ASIA.

Bengal Corresponding Committee, Tranquebar, Ceylon, VanDiemen's Land, New South Wales, 1000 Bibles, and 3000 Testaments,

AMERICA.

Surinam, Newfoundland, Louisiana Bible Society, Philadel phia Bible Society, Nova Scotia Bible Society.

WEST INDIES.

Jamaica, Trinidad, Berbice, St. Domingo,

AFRICA.

Cape of Good Hope, and various Missionary stations in the interior of South Africa, Goree.

The general statement of the copies of the Scriptures issued from March 31, 1815, to March 31, 1816, of the present year, is 138,168 Bibles, 110,068 Testaments; making the total issued from the commencement of the Institution, to the last mentioned period; 654,427 Bibles, 828,546 Testaments; in all, 1,482,973 copies, exclusive of about 75,500 copies circulated at the charge of the ociety, from Depositaries abroad, making a total of ONE MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-SEVEN THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE Copies, already circulated by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Your Committee might now conclude their Report, leaving the facts, which it has exhibited to make their obvious impression.

It is indeed impossible to contemplate the effects produced by the British and Foreign Bible Society, so conspicuously displayed in the attention which it has excited to the supreme importance of the Holy Scriptures, in the unparalleled efforts for the diffusion of them, and in the extension and enlargement of charitable feeling, without emotions of the purest delight, the warmest gratitude, and the most cheering anticipation.

In humble dependence on the favour of Almighty God, deriving efficiency from the public bounty, and with no other recommendation than the simplicity of its principle, and the benevolence

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