taining. In the fulness of her heart, she loudly exclaimed-"The Almighty has now seen how His Word, bedewed as it was with my tears, has always, been my best consolation and refuge." HANOVER. BIBLE SOCIETY. GÖTTINGEN. Great Scarcity of the Scriptures. DR. Pinkerton, when at Göttingen in September last, thus wrote on -this subject: sity and Secretary of the Society, told Dr. Pott, Pro-Rector of the Univerme, that persons would hardly believe what he knew respecting the scarcity of the Sacred Scriptures in the surrounding country. He mentioned a village in the neighbourhood, consisting of from thirty to forty families, in which only two Bibles were found! one in the hands of the Pastor, and the other in the hands of the Schoolmaster. Here, in the city of Göttingen, it has been found, that young persons had borrowed Bibles, during the period of their instruction before their Confirmation; and that when this was over, the Bibles were returned to their owners. As a further proof of the want of Bibles in the surrounding country, the Counsellor of the Consistory, Professor Staudlin, and Dr. Trefurt, told me, that the more immediate sphere of the Society's operations included eighteen Dioceses; and that the 700 Bibles, formerly mention ed, had not been sufficient to supply the wants of four of these EIGHTEEN. following picturesque description of his visit to the venerable Pastor Oberlin. In order to enter into the full spirit of it, the Reader should turn, either to Article xv in the Appendix to the First Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society, or to Mr. Owen's Abstract of it in pp. 151-154 of the First Volume of his History of the Society. warmest affections, that I can scarce Waldbach has completely filled my ly bring myself to think, or speak, or mind, and laid such hold on my lin, and his Ban de la Roche. You write, on any thing but Pastor Oberwill remember, that the first Foreign Letter which awakened an interest in our minds, the Letter which made its way most directly to our hearts, and which, at the celebration of our First Anniversary, produced the strongest and (if I may judge of others from myself) the most lasting impression upon us all, was that, wherein this venerable Pastor reported the distribution that he proposed to make of the Bibles assigned to him; and drew, with the hand of a master, the chawith him in the Gospel, and to whom, racters of those women who laboured could bestow and their ambition coas the highest remuneration that he veted, a Bible was to be presented. I cannot describe the sensations with which I entered the mountainand three churches) in which this ous parish (containing five villages Primitive Evangelist (who for more than half a century has occupied this station) exercises his functions; and still less those with which I entered his residence, and approached his venerable person. The reception which he gave me was such as, from the profound humility of his character, might have been anticipated. My visit to him and his flock was wholly unexpected; and, when I announced to him, on my introduction, that I appeared before him as the Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, to testify, on their part, the respect and affection with which they regarded him, as one of the earliest and most interesting of their Foreign Correspondents, the good man took -228 FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. me by the hand, and drew me gently towards the seat which he usually occupies, exclaiming, but without any turbulence of either voice or manner "Sir, this is too great an honour: how shall I answer words like these?" After the first emotions had subsided, our conversation became familiar; and, as it never ceased, from that time to the moment of our separation, to turn, more or less, upon the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God, as they appeared in the small scale of his own or the great scale of the Bible Society's Labours, it never ceased to be deeply interesting, and pregnant with edification. The Sunday exhibited this venerable man in the pastoral character, under which it had been so much my desire (might it but be permitted me) to see him. As he makes the circuit of his Churches, the turn on this Sunday belonged to Belmont, distant about half a league from the Parsonage of Waldbach. At ten o'clock we began to move. Mr. Oberlin took the lead, in his ministerial attire, a large beaver and flowing wig; mounted on a horse, brought for that purpose, according to custom, by one of the bourgeois of the village, whose turn it was to have the honour of fetching his Pastor, and receiving him to dinner at his table. I rode as nearly beside him as the narrow track would allow. Mr. Rönneberg, accompanied by Mr. Daniel Le Grand, followed. The rear was brought up by the bourgeois before mentioned, carrying a leathern bag, slung across his shoulders, which contained the other part of his Minister's dress, his books, &c. and a respectable peasant as an attendant on the general cavalcade. I will not detain you by particulars, which, however interesting, would draw me too far from the main object of my attention. I will only say, that the appearance of the Congregation, their neat and becoming costume, their order, and their seriousness, together with the fervour, tenderness, and simplicity, with which the good Minister addressed them, both in his Sermon in the morning and his Catechetical Lecture in the afternoon, conveyed to my mind the most delightful impression-that of a sincere and elevated devotion [MAY was passed, partly in dining at the The interval between the Services house of the happy bourgeois (for the duty of fetching and entertaining their Pastor, is, in the estimation of this simple people, a privilege of the highest order), and partly in visiting some of the excellent individuals, both men and women, but particularly the latter, bounds. The affability and graceful in which this part of the parish acondescension with which the Pastor saluted every member of his flock, wherever he met them, and the affecand old returned the salutation, were tionate reverence with which young peculiarly pleasing: it was, on both mony of the heart. sides, if a ceremony at all, the cere evening was passed in edifying conOn our return to the Parsonage, the versation, and concluded by a French Hymn, in which all the household united. On the ensuing morning, I had the host, amidst the bowings of his pahonour of conveying my venerable rishioners (who gazed with wonder at Pastor seated in a travelling carriage) the unusual sight of their stationary to the house of Messrs. Le Grand in Fouday, another of the villages in this extensive parish. fasted; and, after much pleasing conHere we breakversation with this amiable, benevolent, and well-informed family, I had the high honour of being introduced Scheidegger! to Sophia Bernard, and Catherine Maria Schepler, the trio, had, I found, been removed to second on the list of this memorable her rest: the two whom I have mentioned, and who now stood before me, remained to fill up the measure of Lord. Never shall I forget the mantheir usefulness in the work of their sants received me, when, addressing ner in which these interesting peathem by name, I told them that I had known them nearly fourteen years; and that the account of their services, communicated to us by the Pastor whom they so greatly assisted, had been instrumental in stirring up the zeal of many to labour after their example. nard, the tears filling her eyes at the "O Sir," said Sophia Bertime, "this does indeed humble us;" adding many pious remarks in relation to their obscurity, the imperfec tion of their works, and the honour which they considered it to labour for Him who had done so much, yea, every thing, for them. The scene was truly affecting. It was not without many an effort that I tore myself from it, and hurried from Ban de la Roche, that seat of simplicity, piety, and true Christian refinement, to resume my journey along the beaten road; and to pursue my object among scenes, which, whatever pleasures I had to expect, would suffer in the comparison with those which I had left behind me. Paster Oberlin has been, from almost the commencement of our Society, a distributor of our Bibles: and such have been his industry and exactness, that all the Protestants in his extensive parish, and as many Catholics as were willing and permitted to have them, are, it is believed, in possession of the Scriptures. His exertions have also extended beyond the bounds of his own immediate jurisdiction: he is accustomed to attend to the wants of the whole of the Steinthal; and his house is, therefore, a depôt for Bibles and Testaments, in both the Protestant and Catholic Versions. WINTERTHUR. Interview of Mr. Owen with Leander Van Ess. Our Readers must have imbibed a measure of regard for the character and labours of Leander Van Ess, which will give great interest to the following passage from Mr. Owen's Letters: On the morning of the 20th [of September], we started at five o'clock from Meinfield; and, by great exertions, reached St. Gall in the evening. The next day, we arrived, and took up our quarters, for the night, in the neat and quiet town of Winterthur. Scarcely had I seated myself in an upper chamber at the hotel, when a voice at the door announced the approach of a stranger; and, equally to my astonishment and delight, in rushed Leander Van Ess! Our meeting, thus casually effected, when every expectation of its taking place had been abandoned on both sides, was reMay, 1819. garded as providential; and we felt it our duty to do our utmost to turn it to a profitable account. We, therefore, commenced without delay, and continued without intermission, an interesting conversation on the object to which this extraordinary man is. consecrating his time, his talents, and his labours, with a degree of vigour and devotedness almost without a parallel. Leander Van Ess is now in the prime of life. He appears to be about forty years of age. His countenance is intelligent and manly; his conversation fluent and animated; and his whole manner partakes of that ardour and vivacious energy, which so remarkably characterize all his writings and operations. The dissemination of the Scriptures, and the blessed effects with which it is attended, are the theme on which he delights to discourse: they seem to occupy his whole soul, and to constitute, in a manner, the element in which he exists. With what activity and vigilance he prosecutes this object, may be inferred from his having distri 'buted, on his rapid journey from Mar. burg to Bâsle, 2500 of his Testaments; and, while waiting the chance of my arrival at Zurich, he made arrangements with the Directors of the Convents, and with other persons in the neighbourhood, for the distribution of several thousand more. When I considered the eminent qualifications of this illustrious Catholic for the work in which he is engaged, the favourable state of the times for employing them to advantage, and, finally, the precariousness of present opportunities and of a life so often endangered by exertions and exposure, I felt it my duty to encourage, in the strongest manner, the sperse the Sacred Oracles in those efforts which he is making to dichannels from which Protestants are naturally excluded. happiest effects. He related to me BASLE. Meeting of the Committee. Mr. Owen gives the following description, under date of Bâsle, Oct. 6, 1818, of a Meeting of the Committee of the Basle Bible Society, held on occasion of his visit to that place. I have so few opportunities of bringing under your view transactions which exhibit any new features of interest, that I seize, with avidity, and I hope too with thankfulness, the transaction of yesterday; which, if my hasty and imperfect representation of it do not defeat my intention, will fill you and our Committee, as it has done all parties here, with the sincerest admiration and joy. At five o'clock in the afternoon, the Committee of the Bâsle Bible Society held an Extraordinary Meeting, for the purpose of receiving such communications as the different per sons concerned in the distribution of the Scriptures, and whom the Providence of God had at that time brought together, might be prepared and disposed to impart. On taking the chair, (a distinction conferred upon me, as usual, out of respect to the Society which I had the honour to represent,) I found myself supported, on the right hand, by Antistes Falkeisen, Superior of the Basle Clergy, and Burgomaster Wenk, the Civil Governor of the City; and, on the left, by Dr. Pinkerton, and the Rev. Mr. Blumhardt. Next to these latter sat the celebrated Catholic Professor Van Ess; and over against him a Catholic Dean, of siniilar reputation, who has distributed the Scriptures very largely through the forty-two parishes within his jurisdiction. The rest of the company consisted of Protestant Divines, Professors, Students, and respectable Laymen. After invoking the God of the Bible to vouchsafe to the Meeting his presence and blessing, the Antistes bly rose, and the Rev. Mr. Von Brun FRENCH PROTESTANT BIBLE SOCIETY. The Committee of the Society have circulated the following Address to the Consistories, and the Members of the Protestant Churches, of France. It is dated Paris, January 5, 1819. A PROTESTANT Bible Society has just been formed at Paris, with the intention of disseminating, either at a low price or gratuitously, the Holy Scriptures, without note or comment, and in the Versions received by the Protestant Communions. The first step of its founders was to obtain from Government the authority to assemble, in order to give themselves up unitedly to the labours required by the religious end which they propose. This authority has been granted them, in a Letter from His Excellency the Minister of the General Police, dated October 9, 1818. Assured of the countenance of Government, they hastened to make known their project to their Brethren of the Consistorial Churches of Paris; and they soon had the satisfaction to see a great number of the most distinguished Members of these Churches, co-operating with them in the execution of their plan. The Society, thus formed, has commenced its operations by establishing Regulations, according to the tenor of which the Society admits to the number of its Members all persons who subscribe, annually, any sum whatever. It receives, also, with gratitude, all donations which pious persons may please to bestow; and will mention them in the Reports which will be presented to the General Meeting of the Subscribers every year, in the month of December, and published through the medium of the press. They have confided the administration of the affairs, in the interval between one General Meeting and another, to a Committee; all whose functions are gratuitously discharged. The first duty of this Committee is to make known the existence and the end of the Society, to the Protestant Churches of the Two Communions. They address themselves, to this effect, to all their Christian Brethren; and principally to you, the Presidents and Members of the Consistories of France; assured of your co-operation, and the zeal with which you will exert yourselves to contribute to the success of so useful an Institution. They request, in consequence, that you will be pleased to distribute copies of this Circular among your Fellow Christians; and to collect and remit to the Society the annual subscriptions, or gifts, which you may have kindly obtained, together with the names of the respective benefactors. Nor is this the only way in which the Committee think they may hope for your concurrence. Anxious to make our Christian Brethren partakers of the blessings of which the Bible Society will, by the help of God, become the source, they wish you to find out those who are destitute of Bibles; and to request them to apply, in order to procure them, either to the nearest Consistory, or to the most zealous Members of your Church, who would take upon themselves the office of obtaining them from the Society, and distributing them. The Committee will hasten to meet such applications as speedily as possible. May you then, Gentlemen, who are equally convinced of the importance of this work, and who pray every day to God that His Kingdom may come, labour with success, in union with us, to carry the Word of Life, and its sweet consolations, into the cottage of the poor, unhappily deprived of it and unable to procure it! May that zeal in this cause, which we see produce such glorious fruits in all parts of the world, and the example of which has been given by that generous Society which has served as a model for all others, manifest itself likewise in our country! Shall France, so richly endowed by Providence, so distinguished for arts and for learning, shall she alone be backward in spreading the Word of God, and bringing souls to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, when the means of instruction given to all classes of people have increased in them the desire to draw the sacred principles of morality and religion from this purest source? Without doubt, the time is arrived, when the distribution of the Holy Scriptures cannot fail of producing the happiest effects; when all those who assist in this work, will spread inestimable blessings among their brethren and countrymen; and thus |