followers of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The following places in this State, are named as having been more especially favoured with the merciful visitations and quick. ening influences of Divine Grace; viz. Sagharbour, EastHampton, and Bridgehampton, on Long-Island; several places in Orange and Delaware Counties; the towns of Augusta and Troy. In all the Eastern States, particularly those of RhodeIsland, Connecticut, and Vermont, there appears to be a great movement in the Christian Churches. In the City of Philadelphia, and especially in the Northern Liberties, there has been a considerable awakening. We have also cause of praise to God for having, in some good degree, visited a part of this City with special tokens of his presence.

Of particulars concerning the above-mentioned revivals, we have not sufficiently authentic documents to warrant a relation of them. If any such are received, we shall feel much pleasure in publishing them. We may, however, soon expect highly interesting reports of the state of religion throughout the States, from the great Ecclesiastical Conventions, at their approaching annual sessions. With accounts coming through such channels especially, it will delight us to fill the pages of this publication, concerning the progress of the cause of Christ in our beloved country.

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THE following lines are the production of a young Christian, at the age of 15.

BREAK forth, ye sighs, as well ye may;

Fall fast, ye tears, from day to day:

For, cause indeed have I to mourn

With bitter pangs my heart is torn.
My soul is wearied out with care,
And dark despair.

A weary pilgrim here, I stray,

With nought to guide me on my way;
With not a ray of heavenly light
To lead my wand'ring feet aright.
Oh! shall I never, never find
Sweet peace of mind!

Blest Sun of Righteousness Divine,

Arise upon this soul of mine;

Take, take away this sinful heart,

And bid my doubts and fears depart.
Oh! purify my sin-sick soul,

And make me whole.

THE

CHRISTIAN HERALD.

VOL. I.]

Saturday, April 13, 1816.

[No. 3.

AT the General Convention of Delegates from the Bible Societies in the United States, to be held in this City on the 8th of May next, the question respecting the expediency of establishing a National Bible Society for this country, will doubtless occasion some interesting discussion. The following Memoir was written with a view to throw some light on that important subject. The facts which it contains, are considered not only to have a material bearing upon that question, but to be of such a character as to make the communication of them to the public through the medium of this paper not unacceptable to the greater part of its readers. Any appropriate remarks on the subject which may be offered for insertion in the Christian Herald, will receive all due attention.

A Memoir on the subject of a general Bible Society for the United States of America.

IN a country possessing as many Bible Societies as the United States, it cannot be necessary to prove, that every Christian is under an obligation to promote the universal diffusion of the sacred records of his religion. The obligation is felt and acknowledged; and if the efforts of American Christians to disseminate the Scriptures, have not been proportionate to their abilities, it has arisen from their ignorance of the great want of Bibles, and from a want of concert among themselves, in consequence of the plan they have unfortunately adopted, of establishing independent local Bible

Societies.

To convince the Christians of America that greater exertions are necessary than have hitherto been made, and to induce them to adopt a new system for the direction of their exertions, by showing the utter inefficacy of their present system, is the object of the following Memoir.

To prove that greater exertions are necessary, it will be sufficient to show,

First, the number of Bibles wanted at home and abroad; and then,

To ascertain the number we have distributed.

On entering upon the first inquiry, our hearts sink within us at the recollection, that while the population of those countries in which the religion of Christ is professed, is no more than 213 millions, it is computed that there are in the world no less than 550 millions of souls, who have never heard of his

name.

But while we lament the darkness of the heathen world, let us not think that the light of the Gospel is freely diffused in those lands on which the Sun of Righteousness has risen ; for, on examination, we shall find that thousands and millions are hid from the brightness of his beams.

The whole number of Bibles which, in 1807, had ever been printed for the immense empire of Russia, whose population exceeds 50 millions, was about six thousand; and so late as 1811, there were in the provinces of Esthonia and Livonia, 400,000 families without a Bible.

In 1812, the number of persons speaking the Finnish language was not less than 1,300,000; and yet for 30 years before, not a Bible had been printed for their use; and scarcely a single copy was to be purchased.

In 1811, there were upwards of 1,500,000 Protestants in Hungary, possessed of but few Bibles.

In 1813, it was computed that four out of five in Denmark were without Bibles.

In 1807, in Iceland, whose population is about 50,000, there were only 40 or 50 Bibles.

In 1810, there were of the Persian Christians (so called) 200,000 who had never seen a Bible in their own tongue; and in Ceylon 350,000 professors of Christianity equally destitute.

In 1805, it was computed that in the southern part of Ireland two thirds of the Protestant families were without Bibles, and among the Catholics it was supposed that not more than one family in 500 had a copy of the Scriptures.

Let us now direct our view to Great Britain, where we are apt to suppose that "the darkness is past, and that the true light now shineth.”

In Wales, there are 350,000 people speaking the Welsh language; but for 30 years before 1793, not a Bible had been printed for their use.

In 1807, among 4000 persons in a certain parish in Scotland, there were found but 12 Bibles.

In England so late as 1814, of 960 families in the town and neighbourhood of Southampton, 415 families, containing 1784 individuals, were found, on examination, to be without Bibles.

In 1810, it was computed that there were 10,000 families in the County of Norfolk without Bibles.

From an actual inquiry made by order of the Bishop of Durham, it was found that in that diocese there were 5800 families without a Bible; estimating the rest of England and Wales in this proportion, they must contain 350,000 families destitute of the Scriptures.

If such be the famine of the word of God in Great-Britain, where Protestantism and religious zeal have so greatly tended to diffuse it, how grievous must be the scarcity in France, Spain, Italy, and other Catholic countries!

Let us now look at home, and let us begin our inquiries with a State which has long been distinguished for the religious habits of its citizens. The Report of the Connecticut Bible Society for 1812, informs us, that there were more in that State without the Scriptures than the funds of the Society could supply; and let us remember, that this is one of the most able Societies in the United States, and the State probably better supplied with Bibles than any other district of the same population in the world. The Report of the Massachusetts Bible Society for 1813, asserts, that there are many settlements in the District of Maine, in which only one or two Bibles could be found. During the year preceding this Report, the Society had distributed within the Commonwealth no less than 2296 Bibles and 532 Testaments; and they declare that," however improbable it may seem, this number was needed.”

In 1814, it was estimated that there were in Ohio 13,000 families destitute of the Scriptures; 12,000 in the Territories of Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri; 5000 in the Mississippi Territory; 8000 in Louisiana; 10,000 in Tennessee; and 30,000 in Kentucky!

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Such is the dearth of the Scriptures both at home and abroad. Surely darkness has covered the earth, and gross darkness the people." But while we wonder at and lament this darkness, let us examine what we have done to dissipate it.

Owing to the want of a centre of religious intelligence in the United States, it is impossible to ascertain with exactness the number of Bibles which have been distributed by the American Societies: we may, however, arrive at some general conclusions.

The Report of the Connecticut Society for 1813, states the whole number of Bibles distributed by that Society since its establishment, at 7644; and adds, that this is a greater number than had been distributed by any other Society in the United States. There were in the United States, at the commencement of that year, 24 Bible Societies: of these, four were formed in the course of the preceding year, and cannot be supposed to have distributed many Bibles during the few first months after their organization. Let us admit that the remaining twenty had each distributed as many Bibles as the Connecticut Society, (although we are assured of the contrary,) and the whole number which would have been distributed at the commencement of 1813, would have been but 152,880. But when we recollect that the Connecticut Society, with one exception, is the oldest in our country; that two of the above Societies are Bible and Prayer-Book Societies, and it is believed distribute most copies of the latter book; and that another of the twenty is a Bible and Tract Society, and therefore devoting only a part of its funds to the distribution of the Bible, we shall perceive how very distant the admission we have made is from the truth. Since 1813, the number of Bible Societies has greatly increased; but the new Societies have been chiefly confined to towns and counties, and embracing but small districts of country, their funds have been proportionably limited; and many of them are likewise of very recent date. If, therefore, we state the whole number of Bibles which, at the beginning of 1816, had ever been distributed by the American Societies, at about 150,000, we shall probably overrate the actual amount. The whole amount of Bibles, then, which Christian America has distributed, is not more than sufficient to supply each individual in Kentucky who is now destitute.

But to love others besides ourselves, is the peculiar characteristic of Christianity. Let us therefore inquire to what extent we have diffused the light of Revelation beyond our own borders? In order to send the Bible to foreigners, we must publish it in other languages than our own. It is believed the American Societies have not distributed the Bible in more than four languages, viz. English, French, Dutch, and German. The exact number of Bibles which have been sent out of the country cannot be ascertained; but it is most probable that, with the exception of some sent to Canada, no considerable number, in any language, has been sent beyond our own territories; and that the French, Dutch, and German