day in a draught of the tears of repentance. Those who have tried this declare that it cannot fail: it is health to the spirit and marrow to the bones.
God the Holy Ghost helping you to practice the rules of the heavenly Physician, you will soon become fat and flourishing in the courts of the Lord. Turn to the old book called the Bible, and see what is the path of rectitude, for be sure that is the way of safety.
IV. I WOULD CONCLUDE, IF THE LORD ENABLE ME, WITH AN EXHORTATION.
O my brother Christian, is it a small matter to be weak and feeble? Amid all thy contests thou wilt need all the vigor thou canst gain. Wilt thou let thy heart be untended, thine infirmities unregarded? Surely no. Wilt thou not go to Calvary with weeping, and cry to him who giveth more grace ? And now, sinner, a word with thee. I also am a man as thou art; suffer me to address thee lovingly. Thou art dead — I insult thee not — thou art dead in sin, and thou knowest it not; but the dead are ever senseless. Thou art dead, and dost thou think there will be corpses in heaven? In Egypt we are told they sometimes sat a skeleton at a feast, to remind the guests of death; but. there shall be none such in heaven. It is the land of life. Thou canst not enter there: thou wilt be cast out as worthless carrion, to be fed on by the worm that never dies. Yet hear me. There is life in Christ: there is balm in Gilead. May God help thee now to seek it of him who gives freely to all applicants. Help, O Lord.
cannot be done by friends in a district, smaller donations will aid the work.
The engraving will bring the worker in this form of service the more vividly before the reader's eye, and perhaps suggest a prayer for' the success of the enterprise. With these few words we ask an attentive reading for the first report, of the Colportage Association.
Our Colportage movement was originated by a member of the church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, who had became acquainted with the great success of the Religious Tract and Book Society of Scotland, which from a small beginning has in ten years so much increased that it now employs in Scotland and the North of England about 160 Colporteurs. Our friend was willing to contribute freely towards the support of a similar agency in the south of England, and requested Mr. Spurgeon to organize an Association for the purpose of spreading good wholesome literature, and, as far as possible, counteracting the influence of the pernicious trash so prevalent on every hand, and so injurious to the moral and spiritual condition of our countrymen. Mr. Spurgeon, recognizing the importance o£ such a work, notwithstanding his existing heavy responsibilities, at once sought the cooperation of brethren who would be ready to undertake the management of a society; and they, having formed themselves into a committee, held their first meeting on September 4th, 1866, and proceeded to obtain all possible information relative to the nature and requirements of the work.
After carefully arranging their plans (in which they were materially assisted by the Scotch Society), the first agent was appointed, and commenced his labors in the East of London, on 1st November 1866. In the district there has been so much poverty that the people, in many cases longing to
purchase of the Colporteur, have been unable to do so, being in want of the commonest necessaries of life Notwithstanding this, there have been
circulated monthly (besides Bibles and other good books), about 500 periodicals all of a sound moral, and most of them of a religious character.
This being the case, the committee have been loath to remove their agent, although his sales have contributed little towards his support, as they cannot but believe that his efforts must result in a great blessing to the people, many of whom, there is much reason to fear, would never have sought this class of literature for themselves The total sales amount to 100pounds 5s. 5d. for the fourteen months, and the cost of the agency, after allowing for profit, on sale, was 57pounds 12s. 6d. On the 1st December, 1866, and 1st January, 1867, agents were started in
Cambridgeshire and East Kent, and their experience goes to show that
while the rural districts are most in need of our help, they at the same time afford the best prospect of success; at least, in a pecuniary point of view. In Cambridgeshire the total amount of sales during thirteen months was 149 14s. 7d., and the cost to the society 34 15s. 6d., and in East Kent the sales for twelve months amounted to 189 2s. 5d., and the cost to the agency was 27 18s. 7d. It will be observed that the maintenance of these agents has been met, to a large extent, by profits on their sales. These two localities have afforded the greatest encouragement to the committee, and the success which has resulted proves that with zealous indefatigable men as Colporteurs, away may be found into the homes and hearts of those who are too often destitute of spiritual advantages, whose knowledge of the present life is con- fined to hard work and harder living, and whose sense of duty to God and man is fulfilled, they think, by a respectful bow or courtesy to the squire and the parson. On the 1st February, 1867, three Colporteurs commenced to work in Wilts, Leicestershire, and Oxford respectively. The two first have been continued, not so successfully as those last alluded to, but there is re,on to believe that much good has been done. In Wilts the villages are at considerable distances from each other, and the time taken in traversing the country doubtless accounts for
smallness of sales, the total amount of which for eleven months was 78 4s.
2d., and the cost of agency 37 10s. 7d.; 20 of this amount has been contributed by friends in the neighborhood, through Mr. Toore, of Warminster, to whom the committee are much indebted for hearty sympathy and cooperation. In Leicester the sales have not been satisfactory, having amounted to only 68 17s. 3d., and the coat of the agency was 43 17s. The work was discontinued in Oxford after a five months' trial, but the indirect results of it remain to this day, and will continue, we trust for many years to conic, On 1st June another agent was appointed in Manchester, his sales for the seven months have amounted to 51 2s. 9d., and the agency has cost 25 6s. 7d. In making this appointment the committee acted upon information that there was a good field for their operations in Manchester, but their opinion, based upon the result of their first year's experience, is that the efforts of the society should in future be directed chiefly to the villages and hamlets, and not to the cities and large towns. The aggregate results of our business operations are as follows:
114,193 house-to-house visits have been paid; the agents have sold 1,670 Bibles, 1,806 Testaments, 657 portions of Scripture, 6,117 Mr. Spurgeon's Sermons, 1,326 "Pilgrim's Progress," 696 "Sword and Trowel," 1,613 Religions Tract Society's works, 2,504 copies of the "British Workman,"
and 6,125 Children's Magazines, which, with other books and periodicals, make a total of 39,270 publications. This has been done at a gross outlay of 507 9s. 1d., and the receipts have been — By profits on sales, 190 2s.
0d.; by subscriptions and donations, 335 17s. 0d. The Committee rejoice that, while their ostensible purpose has been to sell good books, they have, at the same time, been privileged to send out men of n missionary spirit, ever eager to point the sinner to the only source of salvation and eternal life; and several instances have been brought to notice in which the word spoken has brought forth fruit to God's glory. The following extracts from the agents' journals will speak for themselves. An agent from the North of Scotland commences his .journal thus : —
"I left Portsay (Scotland) for London, and arrived 17th December. I was so sick on board the steamboat I was only able to distribute a few tracts; hand a book to a man. and tell a soldier that he had a soul to be' saved' or lost.
While in London, I distributed six hundred and fifty tracts, and attended the Tabernacle services.
"Sometimes there are many discouragements, and I feel that it needs the grace of God to uphold one in such a work as this.
"To-day I know what it is to be hopeful and cast down. Another anxious soul [found thirsting for the-water of life. O that I was always in a right frame of mind to deal with such.
"I had thirteen hours' hard work to-day, besides indoor work. After getting ray calls through, I felt completely tired. ' The appearances of a spiritual harvest more than makes up. for my tiredness.
"Today I went to — — , and enjoyed the Lord's presence all day. At night, I addressed a large cottage meeting.
"To-day I am ready to ascribe glory, praise, and honor to our God for his blessing on the work until now; this month far better than I had expected have
been my sales and engagements."
As to the need for such men let the following extracts speak: —
"A family of eight persons without a Bible for two years — gave them one, then almost next door an old man said, ' It's no use 'to talk to me, I don't
understand anything about it.' In answer to my question,' Are you converted?' he said, 'I have never been converted to the chapel.' I then explained to him that he was a sinner, and must perish without Christ;
when
he said, ' I never heard that before !'
"The clergyman is a Romanist out-and-out, and so ,'we some of his flock.
"The clergyman is quite indifferent to his flock.
"Light reading very common."
With regard to the reception of agents they say: —
"The people gave a hearty welcome.
"The day,. has been wet and rather discouraging; again I am cheered by the welcome given me on my rounds.
"One man accused me of insulting him because I left the tract, 'Young man, who is the foot?' at his house, and threatens violence if I call again.
Another says that my tracts are the thing, and he learns more from them than
by going to his church for twelve months.
"The clergyman is not favorable.
"At L
I had an interview with the clergyman, who is much offended with my visits.
"I called at a house, and it happened to be the clergyman's; he purchased a Bible and several texts.
"I sold a few books to a drunken squire.
"I called on the squire again, and he bought a few more books.
"The squire had another deal.
"Here is an old man paralyzed, so that he cannot speak; prayed with him — whilst doing so the old man and his wire sobbed aloud; never shall I
forge[it. When I rose from my knees to wish him 'Good-bye,' the old man took my hand and squeezed it with his own, so that it was with difficulty I got him to let me go. He could not speak, but the woman said ' Come again, no one comes to talk to us.'
"In my rounds I find the people much more willing to converse than when I first went amount them, they then seemed suspicious of me; but now I find them very different; but this winter they have been very poor, so that I could not sell many books among them. My great desire is to do all the good here for my Savior. seeing there is a great deal to do. and little time to do it in." The spiritual results are thus spoken of by the different agents: —
"In my rounds, I met a young man who was ill with consumption; I read to him the fifty-third Psalm, and pointed him to Jesus as the friend of sinners.
I thought he was very indifferent about his soul, very anxious to get better.
I tried to show him that to get ready to die was in reality getting ready 'to live; for if we put our sours into the hands of Jesus, we have peace, and then the medicine has every chance of benefiting the body; therefore, both body and soul were safe in the hands of Christ. He kindly asked me to come again. I continued to visit him until he died; every time I visited him, he wished my visits to he more frequent, and often said he would sooner that I should come to talk to him than anybody else. His end was peace, trusting in ,Jesus.
"All through last summer on Sunday afternoons, and Wednesday evenings, I had the pleasure, in conjunction with two or three young men, to hold an open-air service at the corner of the police station, on a piece of ground which is always at our disposal just opposite the rector's house. He very cordially wishes me good success, and if sinners are saved, he cares not whether they are Baptists or church people, if they but love the Savior — that is the principal thing with him. The result of my services there is that I have sold several Bibles to policemen, who would not otherwise have bought them."
The committee think that, upon the whole, there is much cause to thank God and take courage. The first period has been necessarily one of much anxiety, as the work was commenced without any practical acquaintance with its nature; and all the Colporteurs have had to break up fresh ground,
to familiarize themselves with the people, and to overcome the jealousies of some who have regarded them as intruders. This having been to a very great extent accomplished, the way has been cleared for future action, and with God's blessing, and the largely increased support of his people, the committee hope that a grand and noble future is in store for the Society.
Various plans have from time to time been suggested, with a view to augment our funds, so that more laborers may be sent into the vineyard. An officer of the church has recently offered ten shillings a year, per man, for any number not exceeding twenty, and suggests this plan to the committee as a practical and efficient means of promoting the interests of the Society.
The committee commend the work as one worthy of the sympathy, prayers, and cooperation of all who are anxious for the extension of the Master's kingdom, and they trust that such material aid will be speedily forthcoming, as will enable them to multiply the number of their agents, until they shall be found in every part of our land.