honored in being entrusted to move it upon such an occasion as this-the anniversary of the AMERCAN AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. This is a day which cannot, and will not, be forgotten by those who have been thus privileged to meet, for the purpose of "taking counsel together," in regard to the dissemination of GOD'S WORD, and of strengthening each other's hands in this "work of faith and labor of love"-linked as it is, and as it will be, with the record of those important transactions which have taken place. To me, at least, the remembrance of it will be associated with many a hallowed reminiscence, regarding it as a spiritual oasis in the desert pathway of life, where I have been cheered, and strengthened, and refreshed. The pleasurable emotions which I feel upon this occasion are enhanced from the fact that I have been permitted, for the first time, to gaze upon your venerable countenance, and that of many other longtried and fast friends of the Society, who have labored with a self-consuming zeal to promote its best interests, and who have now grown old in its service,-some of whom have but lately returned from the missionary field, bearing those scars of honor which they have received in many a well-contested struggle with paganism. It is befitting, Sir, and every way appropriate, that there should be occasions like the present, in order that the friends of the Bible, and the lovers of a Bible Christianity, may come together to recount the victories which they have been enabled to win, in wielding the "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God," against the gigantic powers of the Prince of darkness;-to consult as to the best methods to be adopted, in order to flood the dark portions of the earth, whose inhabitants are "sitting in darkness, and in the region and shadow of death," with the light of eternal truth;-and to encourage each other in the laudable and Christian work of giving to the perishing the bread of life. We come to these meetings not merely to go through the formal routine of anniversary business— not merely to exchange greetings and hail each other as brethren-but to warm each other's hearts, and strengthen each other's hands, in the prosecution of a noble work, the success of which secures at once the glory of God and the salvation of men. Inspiration has declared, that "where there is no vision, the people perish," and the solemn truth thus enunciated has been corroborated by experience, observation, and facts, in all ages of the world's history. It has pleased God to give to his Church a revelation of his will, and he has commanded them to "write the vision and make it plain, that he may read that runneth;" and this the Church cannot neglect, and yet be guiltless before God. He who has given this command knows well the extent of our ability, and the consequent measure of our accountability to him, as the Master and Judge of his servants. Our willingness to labor, and, if need be, to sacrifice in this respect, should always be commensurate with the measure of our ability; otherwise, we render ourselves obnoxious to the curse of Meroz, who "came not up to the help of the Lord-to the help of the Lord against the MIGHTY." Our responsibility in this matter is great, and, however neglectful we may be of our duty, we cannot plead ignorance of the fact. Neither can we lose sight of the important consideration, that He whose all-seeing eye takes note of the labors of his faithful ones with unerring accuracy, takes cognizance of the conduct of the unfaithful stewards. "If thon forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, behold we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul-doth not he know it? and shall not he render unto every man according to his works?" It is a pleasing reflection, Sir, that the office-bearers and members of such a society as this have no desire to shrink back from the duty which God has devolved upon them; nor yet to shirk the responsibility which is inseparably connected therewith. Judged by their profession and the past history of their lives and labors, they stand before the world as men-the noblest aspirations of whose ambition is to give to the nations of the earth the priceless treasure of his truth; as men who, having received the light of truth themselves, are desirous to communicate it to others, in order "that both he that soweth and him that reapeth may rejoice together." The resolution which I have the honor to move, opens with the declaration that the present is an eventful period of the world's history, and one which calls loudly upon the friends of freedom and the lovers of a pure Bible Christianity, to exert all their energies, in order to multiply and circulate faithful translations of the Word of God, in those countries and nations which are now opening to receive them. The position here taken is one which no man of intelligence will have the hardihood to question or deny, as the facts which go to substantiate it are patent and open to all the world. The spell of caste is broken, the temples of idolatrous worship are tottering to their base, the ghostly power and selfarrogated supremacy of Rome are openly questioned, and millions of men who have long submitted to the galling domination of priestcraft are now groaning after spiritual and political emancipation. Mohammedanism is being shaken out of its place, and has already lost much of the power which it formerly exercised over its deluded votaries. In multitudes of instances, the Bible has taken the place of the Koran, and there are few depositories of the Scriptures which receive and send out a larger number of copies of the Word of God, annually, than the Bible Depository of Constantinople, the chief city of the Ottoman Empire. It is impossible to glance at the state of the world at the present period, without being struck with the fact that three of the mightiest and most warlike nations upon earth, are plunged in a war with a fourth, the final results of which it is impossible for us to discern correctly and unmistakably. Protestant England, Revolutionary France, and Mohammedan Turkey are allied against the despotic government of Russia. The struggle has been long and fierce on both sides, and notwithstanding the hard-fought fields of Alma, Inkermann, and Balaklava, the end is not yet. The war, so far, has been one which has caused much bloodshed and wretchedness abroad, and much misery at home; and yet while reading the harrowing details of the war in the Crimes, we are but too liable to lose sight of the grand mainspring of the movement, or, if I may so term it, the principle involved in this fearful contest. It is not a question of territory, merely-whose it shall be and whose it shall not beneither is it to be regarded as a war about the Holy places; it is in reality a struggle between democracy and despotism, between freedom and serfdom, light and darkness. Ere the final end comes, absolutism in Europe will have received a blow which may send it reeling to the shades; and whatever may be the precise nature of the final terms of peace, one grand result will assuredly be secured, viz. that egress will be afforded to the Word of God, to circles and scenes where before it was hopelessly debarred. The autocrats of Europe are already beginning to feel and to fear the influence which is being exerted by the circulation of the Word of God within the boundaries of their Empires. Germany, that nation towards which so many eyes have been turned of late years with interest and hope, is like "a city set on a hill, that cannot be hid." Divine truth has wrought wonders there, and promises ere long to change the entire aspect of things. Persecution for Christ's sake and conscience sake is neither so flerce, nor yet so formidable as it was wont to be; and although our brethren there do not enjoy the same religious freedom and equality as we do in this country where there is no State churchism, or religion established by law, yet their position, as it now is, is favorable indeed, when contrasted with what it was but a few years ago. Prussia is following in the wake of Germany, and even rock-bound Sweden and frozen Finland and down-trodden Poland, are feeling the benign influence of the Word of God, which, although in many instances is bought and read in secret, is, nevertheless, exerting a silent and powerful influence on the minds of the peasantry, in revealing to them the errors of the times, and leading them to a correct appreciation of their duty and their privileges. If the ruinous restrictions which are now laid on the people of these countries were only done away-if they could only be privileged to enjoy and exercise the right of private judgment in matters of religion, as it is in enjoyed here, we should all be taken aback, more or less, by the actual results. It is said that after the passing of the act of religious toleration in England, "the Baptists sprang up and showed themselves in all parts of the kingdom;" and I opine that a somewhat similar result would follow, were religious toleration conceded to those countries I have named. We do not assert that Baptists would everywhere appear; but we do assert that the Lord's freemen would stand forth before the world in such numbers as would astound us all. When Ahab and Jezebel persecuted Israel, Elijah thought that all God's altars were hewn down, and all his prophets slain, himself only excepted; yet God had even his chosen ones who were hidden, to the number of seven thousand, "whose knees had not bowed to Baal, and whose mouths had not kissed him." This state of things is attributable to the spread of religious truth, through the medium of Bible circulation, as carried forward by colporteurs and scripture readers. Nor is this to be wondered at when the facts in the case are taken into account. Look at the report rendered for the year 1854 by the Rev. J. G. Oncken. He has expended on this behalf for the last year the sum of $14,950, including some $6, 00 received by him for Scriptures sold. This large amount of money has put in circulation more than 76,000 copies of the Holy Scriptures, besides furnishing support for from fourteen to twenty colporteurs. Truly the hand of God is visible here. If we turn our attention to New Mexico, New Granada and China, the state of things is equally astonishing. The Spano-American States, which are whelmed in the thick fog of superstition and idolatry, are calling aloud for the bread of life. New Granada in particular is open to the Bible colporteurs, and there this Society, if its means will allow it to do so, may put forth, unrestricted and unrestrained, its best efforts to give the Bible to the common people. It is a noticeable fact, that while last year this Society expended but about $25,000 for the foreign department, this year the sum of $30,000 is urgently required in order to meet the pressing demands which are made upon its treasury. That department of the Society's work which is carried on in Burmah, is one of continually-increasing interest and promise. We are informed, the publishing committee of the missionaries had lately voted more than 30,000 volumes of Scriptures, printed in the three or four languages of Burmans, Karens and Peguans, 15,000 being Burman and Karen New Testaments, for which there is a constantly increasing demand. Casting our eyes toward China, "the land of Sinim" spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, our minds are staggered at the wondrous revolution which has taken place within the boundaries of the Celestial Empire. Tae-Ping-Wang, the new Emperor of the rival dynasty, has done much to destroy idols and images, and circulate the Word of God; and although he and his court ministers have doubtless been guilty of many gross extravagances, yet there can be no doubt but that he has already done much to illustrate the folly of idolatry, and open the way for the reception of the Word of God by the teeming millions of that vast empire. The days of the Manchau or Tartar dynasty are numbered and well-nigh finished, to all human appearance, and should the insurgents eventually prevail, and Tae-Ping-Wang be permitted to consolidate his power as the Emperor of the Chinese people, we may expect to see wonders effected by the blessing of God in the circulation of his Word. The prospect in China now is bright, exceedingly bright so much so, that we dare scarcely to gaze upon it; and the appeals which come to the ears of British and American Christians from the Missionaries who are toiling there, are, or ought to be irresistible. Chinese cities which were bolted and barred against the entrance of the Missionary and the Bible are now open to both. . . . The spiritual wants of China have not been unrepresented before the Board of this Society, for the Chinese Missionaries, connected with our denomination, who are in the field, have written; and those now in this country have pleaded, that this Society should employ a special agent, together with assistant native converts, as Bible colporteurs, to go through the towns and cities now accessible, and scatter broadcast "the leaves of that tree which are for the healing of nations." The sainted GODDARD has gone to his rest, and entered upon the enjoyment of his reward, and while we mourn his loss, as well we may, we cannot otherwise than be struck with the good providence of God, which permitted his servant to live long enough to finish his incomparable Chinese Testament; which is like to be more useful than any version previously made.. May it be widely circulated, even if it should require, as is alleged, the extra sum of $2,000 per annum. Two thousand dollars per annum extra, may appear a large sum to devote to this field, but the means required dwindles into comparative insignificance, when we attempt to take into the account the field itself upon which this money is to be expended, embracing as it does THE HALF OF ASIA! The writings of Confucius will yet be supplanted by the inspired Word of God; and the legendary myths of Zoroaster are destined to be dislodged from the Chinese mind, by the sober realities and solemn verities of God's Word. Already have the temples of idolatry been thrown down-images broken and idols demolished-by men in high places, who have become iconoclasts from a deep-seated sense of the folly of idolatry. These, Sir, are some of the events which have transpired and are now transpiring among the nations of the earth; and they are only a tithe of what might be mentioned, did time permit and necessity require; yet, without further trespassing on your patience, in alluding to this part of the resolution, I submit in all candor and seriousness, that these events, and such a state of things, fully justifies the language contained in the latter part of it, viz., that the Church of Christ is called upon in view of them to exert all her energies, and call into requisition every available instrumentality in order to give to those nations the Word of Life, translated into their own vernacular tongue, so that they may read in "their own tongue wherein they were born the wonderful works of God," "that thus they may become wise unto salvation by faith that is in Christ Jesus." A certain writer once said, in reference to the Bible, that it was "the best book ever written against popery." We are prepared not only to endorse this statement, but we wish to amplify it so as to give it a wider scope and a more general bearing and application. It is a book the utterances of which were made by the all-wise God, in view of all the errors of ages past and ages yet to come. The truths of revelation are the very antipodes of error of every type-and hence it is that every system of heresy, falsehood, and imposture, shows itself to be the foe of Bible-truth. "That which maketh manifest is light," and there is no faise system of morals or religion which can pass the scrutiny of the unerring standard of truth unharmed and unscathed. Gaze on those men who first went out as Missionaries of the Gospel into the foreign field. A CAREY, 8 MARSHMAN, and a WARD, from the other side of the great Atlantic; and a JUDSON, a NEWELL, and a RICE, from this. See them as they toil on for years, amid many discouragements, breasting difficulties and rising superior to obstacles, before which common men, engaged in a worldly enterprise, would have given way, until, at last, the scene begins to change the arid soil of paganism becoming as the garden of the Lord. What was the secret of their power? and wherein did their great strength lie? Not in their naturally strong and vigorous minds; not in their skilful and well-directed efforts. These all had their proper and legitimate influence, but these did not of themselves secure the accomplishment of those raighty results which accrued from their labors. It was the weapons with which they fought, which were made effectual by God in "pulling down strongholds, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of Christ." The simple truths of the Gospel, as unfolded by the Evangelists and Apostles, and enunciated by the Missionaries of the cross have been, and still are, the grand means of overthrowing paganism, in storming the citadel of Satan, and driving him from his fastnesses. What is true of the victories of the truth over pagan, is likewise true of its victories over popish errror, ROME trembles at the Bible. The old man with the triple tiara, fears more the influence of that one book, than the whole number of those others whose names he and his predecessors have entered in the Index Expurgatius of Romanism. Luther might have read all the books in Wurtemburgh which were then extant, and yet he would never have been known beyond his own cloister, as aught else than a monk, had he not fallen in with the Bible, and carefully noted its precious contents. It was the simple, sublime, and saving truth of the Gospel which enlightened his mind, and saved his soul, and made him the great Reformer of his day-for as D'Aubigne says, with great justness and force, "The Reformation lay in that Bible which Luther found." Rome has an inveterate hatred against the Bible, and solemnly interdicts the use of it by the common people, simply because she knows its potency in enlightening the benighted and unfettering the manacled slave. Nothing speaks more forcibly the potency and power of the Bible to dispel Popish ignorance and superstition, than the jealousy and hatred with which it is regarded by the Pope and his Cardinals, and, in short, by the whole constabulary of Rome. Yes, Sir, Rome fears the influence of the Bibleand well she may, for the deadliest blows she has ever received were from the "sword of the Spirit." Nothing will ever tend to enlighten men and elevate nations in the scale of excellence and virtue, more than attention and adherence to the teachings of the Holy Bible. Tyrants and Despots cannot live where there is a free press and free Bible. Tyranny and Despotism find nothing in that book which encourages or winks at oppression. Ignorance, and consequent mental vasalage, is the befitting state of an enslaved and down-trodden people. Vastly different is the condition of a free and Bible-reading Sabbath-keeping people; among whom the Gospel is preached, and to whom the Bible is a treasure-in whose hearts is God's love, and before whose eyes is his fear. "Happy is the people that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord." "Blessings abound where'er he reigns, The joyful prisoner bursts his chains; And all the sons of want are blest." How striking is the contrast which presents itself to the eye of an observer, between the condition of those countries which have the Bible, socially, politically, and morally, and those which have it not Compare the condition of Catholic or Infidel-France with Protestant-England-Priest-ridden Italy with Bible-reading Scotland-Mahommedan-Turkey with British America-and idolatrous-Chins with the free States of the American Union. These latter countries are those where life and property are truly safe-where public morality is conserved, and the public weal promoted. In them religion and literature prosper and prevail-and a free press and a free Bible are neither muzzled nor vetoed. Well might a certain writer exclaim when dwelling on this subject, "Tell me where the Bible is and where it is not, and I will write you a moral geography of the world." It is even so. The people who sit in darkness are those who have not the torch of truth to illumine their path, or the Sun of Righteousness to shine upon their benighted souls. These are the men that "walk in darkness and grope for the wall at noonday like them that have no eyes:" while those who having the light walk in the light, are those, and those alone, who are truly free and happy here, and prepared for blessedness and glory hereafter in heaven. Are we desirous, then, to aid in bringing about that glorious epoch in the history of the church militant, when "the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters do the sea"-"when one shall not say to another, know the Lord-because all shall know him, from the least even to the greatest." Let us aid to the utmost extent of our ability to give to the famishing nations the bread of life. In no other way can the great ends of man's salvation and God's glory be so effectually secured as in this. Brethren, it rests with you to a certain extent, to say whether this shall or shall not be done. The closing scenes of the world's history are soon to pass in array before the gaze of mortals; soon, very soon, our opportunities to labor in this good-this God-honored cause, will be at an end. Let us, therefore, "gird up the loins of our minds," buckle on the armor of salvation afresh, and renewing our strength at the throne of grace, address ourselves to our work, with an energy and a perseverance which will rise superior to every obstacle; and a heroic courage which will enable us to face down every foe. So shall we aid in ushering in that blessed time of which prophets have written and poets sung. That time, when "Kings shall be nursing fathers, and Queens nursing mothers in Israel." When the name of Jesus "shall be great among the Gentiles, from the rising of the sun until the going down of the same." Then will be heard the victorious exclamation-"The Lord, the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth"-for then he will be "King of nations as well as King of saints." The millennial glory will have burst upon our earth, to shine with undiminished splendor-and the graphic and glow ing vision of the poet will be realized-who exclaimed in the language of lofty verse: "One song employs all nations, and all cry, DR. MASON'S ADDRESS. MR. CHAIRMAN:-The first earnest prayer I ever offered, was, "Lord, I am in darkness-grant me light!" and on rising from my kpees I turned spontaneously, almost unconsciously, to the Bible. My attention was arrested by the first chapters of John's Gospel, and to them I seemed enchained for several days. I read them till the letters seemed, to my vision, to glow with a supernatural halo. I was, I trust, a converted man, and all without having a word spoken to me, after the first impulse to pray, by any human being. The reading of the written word, then, was the only instrumentality in my own conversion; and with such an experience, it is not remarkable that as soon as I reached Burmah, I began to look around for something with the Word of God in it, to give the people before I could preach to them. A few small Scripture tracts had just been issued, without note or comment, and of these I secured many thousands, distributing them broadcast from Tavoy to Mergui, calling upon the people as I traversed the towns and villages, to ponder upon the words of the "unknown God." It was, I think, in the second year of my mission life, that a person who came into the zayat at Tavoy, where I was sitting, remarked in conversation, "There is a man in my village who has got one of your paper books, and believes it." I noted the name of the village, and when opportunity offered, made it a second visit. I soon found the man whom all the people said believed in Ye shee khreet. Though not very elderly, he was one of the fathers of the village; and while his sons in the houses around were quite indifferent, his heart was touched. He felt that there was a Divinity in those little sheets. All opposition to the truth, with which we have usually so much to contend among the Burmans, had melted away, and he was as teachable as a little child that yearns after knowledge. He was baptized in due time, and for fifteen years, up to the time of his death, never threw a doubt by his conduct or conversation, on the genuineness of his conversion. Several years ago, on the outskirts of a little obscure village in the interior of Tavoy Province, I observed a frail bamboo house in a swampy field, half under water. It was during the wet monsoon, for in those days I was strong, and frequently made an excursion into the villages during the rains, as well as in the dry season. Thinking there were people there with souls to be saved or lost, who had perhaps never heard the name of Christ, I walked through the water to their house, beneath a zenith sun; and was surprised to find it inhabited by an intelligent Burman and his wife, a woman of more than ordinarily polished manners. When I began to speak to him on religion, I was not a little astonished to discover that he was quite well acquainted with the great features of the Christian system, and approved them. Yet he knew nothing of Christianity but what he had learned from a tract which he showed me, containing numerous extracts from the Bible. The next year, calling on them again, I found both the man and his wife apparently sincere believers in Christ, and in prayer both devoutly joined. I have never seen them since. In the providence of God I was not permitted to visit their village again; yet I hope to meet them in heaven. I recollect a Pwo Karen assistant that I had in my school, attributed his conversion to reading the Gospel of Matthew in Sgau, having learned to read Sgau in a village school before he had an oppor |