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me reluctantly to apply once more to your benevolent Institution for relief. I am enabled hitherto to serve the same curacy, by rising at five o'clock in the morning, and travelling twenty-seven miles before I return home, after performing two morning and one evening duty; salary 70%. My dear wife and six children are all pretty well in health, God be praised. I rejoice greatly in the midst of my afflictions, because the word of the Lord runs, and is glorified in the salvation of sinners. With that view, I hum-, bly thank God for accounting me worthy, (who am the unworthiest of all), by putting me into the mi nistry. With resignation of myself and all my concerns to the Divine will, I humbly refer my case to your consideration."

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have been; and to these likewise the readiest aid has been afforded consistently with the state of the funds and other circumstances. The Committee here advert with a peculiar interest to those highly bene ficial establishments, the regimental schools, to which the Scriptures have been distributed with no spar ing band. Here surely they may be allowed to anticipate a period when the good seed now sown in these youthful minds, may shew itself strong in the ear,' and to look forward to an abundant har-7 vest, fruitful in good works.

"From this prospect the Committee turn to another of considerable moment, and which they trust will so be felt, when they mention the very urgent demands for the sacred Scriptures made by the Irish regiments of militia serving in Eng-> land. These corps, composed of Pro

NAVAL AND MILITARY BIBLE SO. testants and Catholics, have evinced

CLETY.

We are happy to perceive that this Society, in the course of the last year, has much increased both its patronage and its funds. About 3500l. were raised on the day of Thanksgiving in January last; and this sum enabled the Society, after meeting the various demands upon them, to invest near 3000l. in exchequer bills. The distribution of the Scriptures to ships and regiments, from Lady-day, 1813, to 6th May 1814, amounted to 3776 Bibles, and 5003 Testaments. The following extract, from the annual Report, cannot fail to prove gratifying to our readers.

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"The Committee have the gratification of mentioning, that in every instance the demands from the Navy have been complied with; and to these demands they were induced, more immediately to accede, from the uncertainty as to the ships, from, whence the applications proceeded,, remaining any considerable time in, port. They have not been less attentive to requisitions from his Majesty's land forces numerous as they

the most earnest desire to possess the Word of God, and they have? been amply furnished: nor have your Committee been unmindful of 7 such corps of English militia as weren proceeding to Ireland, which also have been supplied with the In-03 spired Volume, as far as the regi ments ordered on this service could be ascertained. In the distribution of Bibles and Testaments to regimental depôts, your Committee have the satisfaction of reflecting that the detachments on embarka tion from thence for foreign, service, carried with them these invaluable testimonials, and it is to be hoped that by such means were cherished and maintained any favourable impress sions which they might before have excited. Until lately the channel. above alluded to was almost the only one which had presented itself to this Society whereby the Word of God could reach our brave coun trymen engaged in the field or con foreign service; and, for this chan nel, although so circumscribed, were? your Committee most grateful, having been taught not to despise thei—day of small things. This confi

dence has been rewarded, and a recent opportunity afforded for the introduction of the Scriptures to the British Army in Spain, through the exertions of some officers in that country. By their means a communication was opened early in March last with the chaplain at the head of his department with that army, who having obligingly undertaken to attend to the distribution of such Bibles and Testaments as might be forwarded to him, upwards of 1000 copies of the Scriptures have been already consigned to his care; a part of which, it is hoped, has been ere this placed in the bands of our gallant countrymen actually in France, who may now have leisure to gratify the desire they have long and extensively expressed of perusing the Word of Ged. It has appeared very important to the Committee that regiments on the eve of embarkation from this country for stations abroad, should be supplied with the Scriptures in their own language, as a source of instruc tion and consolation in foreign lands; yiekling to this sentiment, a very ample issue of Bibles and Testa ments has always been made to corps so circumstanced, at the particular instance of the officers commanding, and in compliance with the pressing application of their

men."

the very gates of Paris on that im portant day? The contrast is now to be remarked, and is displayed in that day, no less important, which followed; when, as if the general arm of war had been palsied, the noise of cannon ceased, the hostile sword was returned to its scabbard, and the hand recently uplifted for destruction was at once extended in brotherly amity. What less than Almighty Power could have effected this? Surely it must be ascribed to Him alone, who rebuked the winds, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still."

Whilst our own countrymen have their full share of the glory, which, under the Divine blessing. has attended the armies of the Allies, and whilst a cessation from war allows them leisure to reflect on the miseries they have witnessed in other countries, and to feel still more attached to their own, your Committee entertain the fond hope, that the Bible, distributed amongst our sailors and soldiers in the din of war, may have conveyed to their hearts a knowledge of the Prince of Peace,' whose errand was, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. May we not all unite in the further hope that the Word of God distributed by this Sos ciety may have awakened, or may an The Report, which was read on yet awaken, in the minds of many the 10th of May, in the presence of of our brethren in arms, a real love m the Duke of York, the Duke of for that Prince of Peace,' whose Gloucester, and many other distin-kingdom is an everlasting kings14 guished characters, thus concludes: dom, who is over all, God blessed t "The events that have lately oc- for ever,' and who having given curred in a neighbouring kingdom, peace in this our day, can alone by are of a description so novel, so en- his consolations give us peace at tirely without the pale of human the last. combination, that it is impossible but to contemplate them with awe, and to acknowledge in them the arm of Omnipotence. Where does 1. From a lieutenant-colonel com- de history point out, at the termina- manding a regiment of militiabong da tion of abwäre exceeding twenty "I have now the honour, in reply w years, such a conflict as took place to your letter of the 18th. ultimo mar between France and the Allied to state, for the information of the rog Powers on the 30th of March last? Naval and Military Bible Society.evi: ➡where such a contest as Taged at that there are at present in the v -A700 2T "Leguias llame to gas

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We subjoin a few brief extracts st from the correspondence contained in the Appendix.

B D- militia under my command, three hundred and seventy-three men who can read; that fifteen of those have Bibles or Tes taments; and that of the remaining number, two hundred and sixtythree, bave expressed a desire to be supplied with either Bibles or Testaments."

2. From a military corrspondent, "A non-commissioned officer came running after me yesterday, as I was visiting the guards, with a request in behalf of the men of the different guards, that I would put them in the way of procuring Bibles for the use of the different guard-rooms, saying, that the men sooner than be without them, would subscribe together to purchase them. I was so much pleased to find amongst them so earnest a desire to possess the Scriptures, that I promised the non-commissioned officer that I would endeavour to procure for them a copy of the Scriptures for each guard-room, by writing to the Committee of the Naval and Military Bible Society in their behalf. I am, therefore, come once again as a suitor to your liberal Committee for further supplies of the water and bread of life." "If I am not asking too much, I should request that a large Bible and Testament may be given to each guard room; and I promise, if my request is, granted, to distribute them my self, and, charge the serjeants of the different guards to deliver them carefully over when relieved."

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piety, among a class of men whose lives may be said to pass away in hourly jeopardy; but it is to be hoped the circulation of the holy Scriptures will awaken them to a sense of the necessity of being good men and Christians, and prepare them to meet, with composure and humble hope, that moment which must arrive for all."

4 From a correspondent military station.

It is not from impatience that I write again respecting the appli cation from the Irish regiment for Bibles; but these poor fellows evince their sincerity in such a way, that I thought it would be pleasant to thee to hear. One or other, and some.. times two or three of them, call als most daily to know if I have re ceived a reply, and I don't recollect to have met with any instance where a stronger desire for the Sa cred Volume has been manifest: their continued application has af forded me very great pleasure, which, with the simplicity of their manners, and solidity of their coun tenances, induces me to believe that they deserve the peculiar notice of the Society...I could not be satis fied without, adding this testimony to my former application."

5. From an agent at a military station.

"The Fregiment of militia has been in barracks bere about three months. At their first coming, I made inquiry to know, whether they had many Bibles among them; having reason to believe they pos sessed but few copies of the precious Word of God. Some non.commis sioned officers and privates of the regiment have been with me, ear nestly entreating for a supply of the Word of Life. I asked a serjeant who seemed a sober intelligent man, to make me out a statement of the number of men in the regiment, and get what information he could res specting their want of Bibles: three days ago he gave me the following account.

"The regiment consists of six

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companies; total amount of men 499; of these, 370 are Protestants, 129 Catholics: all of them are very desirous of having the Scriptures to read; and hearing that the N and SD regiments have been supplied by the Society, begged that application might be made for them. In no one of the six companies, the serjeant informed me, were there more than four Bibles, in some only two, in others not one."

HIBERNIAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL SO

CIETY.

WE rejoice in the efforts which are making to promote the religious education of the poor in Ireland. We have now before us, the Third and Fourth Reports of the Hibernian Sunday-school Society, containing a view of its proceedings from April 1812, to April 1814. The patronage which the Society has obtained is highly respectable. We observe among its guardians, the names of the Countesses of Kingston, Charleville, Meath, and Bandon; the Viscountess Powerscourt; Lady Norwood; Mrs. P. La Touche; Mrs. Shaw; the Earls of Meath and Bandon; the Bishop of Ferns; the Count de Salis; Mr. W. W. Pole; Mr. Peel; Messrs. La Touche; Mr. Parnell, &c. The Third Report states, that in the first two years of the Society's existence, forty-four schools had received assistance; seventy-three more had been added in the third year, making an aggregate of one hundred and seventeen schools, in which upwards of 15,800 children were instructed. To these had been given, during the three years, 436 Bibles, 5293 Testaments, upwards of 13,000 spelling-books, 3781 alphabets, &c. and 1024. 6s. 6d. in money.

.. During the fourth year, eightythree schools had been assisted, with 275 Bibles, 2489 Testaments, besides spelling-books, alphabets. The number of schools in connecCHRIST. OBSERV, APP.'

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tion with the Society, was, in April last, 172, containing 23,529 children.

The Committee, in closing their Report of this year, express "their sober conviction, grounded on experience, that whether the political, civil, or individual happiness of man be considered, Sunday-school institutions have a powerful tendency to restrain, or remove, that moral turpitude which infuses misery into the cup. of life, and to establish on the firm basis of principle, and early formed habit, those dispositions, the offspring of which is peace within, and good-will to all around. The French revolutionists, when rising amidst the awful devastation which marked their progress, sought to involve in one common ruin every political edifice which the wisdom of ages had erected in surrounding nations, and to introduce that anarchy of which they had given so woeful an example. As they, to accomplish their dire purpose, laboured to snatch the sacred Scriptures from the hands of men, and sent forward as their heralds, the missionaries of infidelity; thus, when it is our anxious wish, to establish civil order and political stability, is it not our wisest policy, deeply to infuse into the minds of our countrymen, by the early study of the Word of God, those happy principles, which, like their Divine Author, are the principles, not of confusion, but of order, which incline every soul to be subject to the higher powers, and to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake? Thus will Ireland be blessed with a wise and an understanding people, taught, by the wholesome discipline of judicious instruction, that liberty consists not in an unrestrained indulgence of unbridled desires, but in the prudent regulations of well-digested, and equally-executed laws; at once, protecting the meanest from oppres sion, and controuling the power of the most exalted.

"That the education which it is 5 S

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they embitter the minds of those within reach of their influences! 5

recting and reforming these, to win the habits to the causes of virtue, to convince the young and easily im pressible mind of the value of cleanliness, regolarity, and order, and above all to endeavour, with the Divine blessing, to simplant in the heart the principles of that wisdom which is from above; such are the objects which this Society are las bouring to accomplish."

The whole amount of the funds of this admirable Institution, during the last year, consisted, in subscriptions, 1851.; donations, 50h; a colfection after a sermon, by Rev. Mar Mathias, 1547 in all, 3891. Copen

mestic life, and to promote social To become instrumental in corpeace and happiness, must be evi. dent from its tendency to prove an antidote to those destroyers of family peace, unbridled tempers, and Vicious disorderly passions. Were we to follow, through the week, the child blessed with early instruction, may we not expect to see it often exerting its influence in communicating to other members of its family, the lessons it had learned at sehool, and dwelling with grateful recollection, on every kind attention it had received from its teacher. Instances, indeed, have not been wanting, Vin which the principles and good conduct of the child have won the parents to the love of order and virtue. If we look forward, may we not expect to find the objects of our care, moving equably in the regular and respectable discharge of every social duty, strongly contrasted with those who are slaves to undisciplined and uncontrouled tempers and passions, as well as with the uninstructed peasant, who fabours under all the disadvantages of profound ignorance.

"But if it be the wish of the benevolent mind that these children should become not only useful but happy, not only the source of comfort to others, but of enjoyment to themselves, may it not be presumed that this also is in a degree the result of that education which the So ciety desires to promote?

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It has been the wisdom of Pro vidence to make honesty, sobriety, and other civil and social virtues, not only beneficial to our country and our connections, but also materially conducive to our own interest and welfare, the conscientious discharge of relative duties, like the vapours which the earth exhales, breaks forth into refreshing and reviving showers of comfort and peace to the mind, whilst the dis content and evil tempers which em broil civil life, corrode the heart which fosters them, no less than

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We subjoin a few extracts from the correspondence in the Appendix to these two Reports.

Newry, Jan. 6, 1812.-The number of our children is still in creasing, and it is highly gratify. ing to us that we have the pleasure of informing your Committee, that we see this good work prosper in our hands: several of our elder children have, like Mary, chosen the better part.

"We are happy also to have it in our power to inform you, that parents, who never knew a letter: themselves, are now with pleasure hearing their children read the sa») ered Scriptures, and repeat by heart: those passages which appear to us best calculated to afford profit and instruction to those who are possess ed of inferior capacities. These are only a part of the blessings that are already the visible effects of this Institution."

"Youghal, March 7th, 1812.-: I would not that it should savour of vanity, but for your encouragement, and you have provoked me to it by the kind freedom wwith which you have written, that I should mention. a Sunday school begun by myself and brother (now a missionary im the East Indies), and a few other lads, with our pocket-money, subse scribing a penny a week, has gone - no 910m hot tuons bac Reeb

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