Bible Depository.—

We are extremely gratified with the fact, that so many Bibles have been purchased in this settlement during the past twelve months. We rejoice that the efforts of the Bible Society, and private individuals, to supply a known and felt desideratum, and to introduce in larger quantities the “Word of Life,” have been so fully appreciated. We are delighted to see that so many heads of families have done honour to themselves and to their dwellings, by the introduction of an elegant Family Bible,—that so many of our young men and young women are seen carrying beautiful copies of the Scriptures to the House of God—and that so many children are supplied with plain but good copies of that book, which is able to make even them wise unto salvation. We earnestly pray that this state of things may continue and increase, till there shall not be in this community a family, calling itself Christian, without a Family Bible, in perfect keeping with the best of their household furniture,—not a young man or a young woman entering page 357 the house of God without a copy of the Scriptures, in every respect in keeping with the most elegant portion of their dress,—and not a child who is able to read, or willing to learn to read the Scriptures, who does not possess a copy of the Word of God. This is the age of cheap and beautiful Bibles. O let them have universal circulation! Fourteen centuries and a half ago, the celebrated Chrysostom, bishop of Constantinople, who rejoiced to witness the translation and circulation of the holy oracles, especially among the Gothic tribes, finished a climax exultingly by saying, “Britain possesses the Word of Life!” He earnestly exhorted his hearers to possess the Bible. No one in his opinion was excused from reading the Bible. The business of the forum, or the market, and the cares of a family, were no apology for neglect. “The Bible is a plain book,” said he, “the artizan, slave, and widow may understand it, yea, the earnest reader will profit by it, although no one be near to expound it.”^*