Bible in their dwellings. The Board have had to regret that they could not until lately furnish those with Bibles who were found destitute. Soon after the Society was organized, the Board appointed a Committee to make a purchase of Bibles. The Committee contracted for six hundred to be forwarded from Hartford before the first of November. But accidental circumstances prevented the shipment being made in season to get up the river last fall-they did not arrive until April. The board, immediately after their arrival, ordered the Treasurer to deliver 100 to the Department of Troy; 60 to Lansingburgh; and 50 to each of the other Departments, making in the whole 450. It is not known how many of the Bibles which have been delivered to the Departments have been distributed among the destitute. It appears by the Treasurer's account, annexed, that he has received $570 90, and expended $417 06, leaving a balance of $153 84 in his hands on the last Tuesday of May.

The quarterly meetings of the Society have been held at Greenbush, Sandlake, and Pittstown, at which Sermons were preached and collections raised.

In obedience to a resolution of the Society, the Board appointed a delegate to represent this Society at the Convention of Delegates of different Bible Societies holden, in the city of New-York on the second Wednesday of May. The Board have learnt with much satisfaction, that a respectable number of delegates assembled, and with great unanimity agreed on the Constitution of a general society to be styled The American Bible Society. This Society, as will be seen by its Constitution, is not intended to abolish the local Bible Societies; but is calculated to aid and stimulate them in their operations. The Board are persuaded that most salutary effects will be produced by this National Institution. The correspondence which will take place between the American Bible Society and the various other Bible Societies in the United States will furnish a mass of information in relation to the Bible cause highly interesting and useful. When the local Societies have supplied the wants of the districts in which they exist, they can place their surplus funds at the disposal of the American Bible Society, to aid in the noble charity of sending the Scriptures to such parts of the land as are unable to supply their own wants. And while we feel the strong obligation we are under to supply the destitute among ourselves, surely our charity should not be so narrow as to prevent our bestowing something to feed the famishing souls scattered along our frontiers with the Bread of Life.

Impressed with the great importance of building up this National Institution, the Board do most strongly recommend to the Society to authorize the placing of its surplus funds, after supplying the wants of the people in this county, at the disposal of the American Bible Society.

The Board are aware that for some time to come the funds of this Society will be absorbed in supplying the destitute in this county-But we trust the time will arrive, when, by the blessing of Providence, this Society will not only be enabled to put the Scriptures into the hands of all who will read them among ourselves; but also lend its aid in spreading them among the needy throughout the globe. Our blessed Saviour in the parable of the Good Samaritan has given a most striking illustration of that diffusive charity which should animate a Christian's heart. May not the Christian cherish the belief that his joy in Heaven may be increased, in beholding those whom he never knew or saw on earth, made subjects of converting grace by means of Bibles, in the distribution of which he bore a part!

The first Annual Report of the Cayuga (N. Y.) Bible Society, February 21, 1816.

Ir cannot be reasonably expected, so soon after the Bibles have been, by your purchasing committee, delivered to the Board, that many interesting facts, which relate to our own society, can have come to our knowledge.

From the Treasurer's report it will be perceived, that a sufficient sum has been collected to purchase 200 bibles, and to defray the expense of transmitting the same from Hartford to Auburn. These have been received. One box containing 100 has been opened, and some partial distribution has been made. Viz:

16 copies have been sent to Mr. Parsons, Marcellus. 6 do. Mr. Rice, Skaneateles. 4 do. Mr. Parsons, Scipio. 10 do. Mr. Phelps, Cato. 10 do. Mr. Church, Wolcott. 3 do. individuals, Brutus. 2 to the common Prison. 12 to the Female Charitable Society, in Auburn. 4 to Mr. Tracy, a Missionary. 5 to poor families and fatherless children.

The Board has received a donation from the Hartford Bible Society, consisting of one hundred Bibles for gratuitous distribution. This act of munificence we record with great satisfaction, as it came timely, at the commencement of the Society, when their funds were small, and when they needed help. And we desire to acknowledge with gratitude the Providence of God, which has enabled them to extend their be

nevolence and that the poor and destitute in this region of country, have engaged their attention. It may be true,. that the inhabitants of some other country are more destitute of the word of life-yet it is equally true, that there are many, too many, who are living themselves, and bringing up their families, without the Bible in their habitations. This we believe will be found more extensively true, than has been apprehended, even by the most inquisitive.

Your distributing committee, notwithstanding every exer tion which they have been able to make, find the means of distribution altogether inadequate; and recommend most earnestly to the Society, to adopt some measures more effectually to examine into the destitute situation of the inhabitants, and to afford them a supply.

At a time when exertions the most unparalleled are making, by numerous associations, both male and female, by societies and individuals, by almost every religious sect, and in almost every clime, it would be most criminal for us, who are under such great advantages to distribute the bread and waters of life, to be remiss; to suffer hungry and thirsty souls to famish with the bread and water in our hand. The accounts of similar institutions are very numerous and interesting.

The following selections are introduced chiefly with a view to extend the information among the people generally in this region of country. Those of our own country may claim our first attention. The oldest of these societies in America, is the Bible Society in Philadelphia, organized the 12th of December, 1808.-Connecticut followed the example in May, 1809. Massachusetts, in July-New-York, in SeptemberNew-Jersey, in December. From these, like parent stocks, new and flourishing branches have arisen, strong and numerous, and spreading till they have overshadowed the whole land.

It is to be hoped that this society will put forth all its energies, for procuring and distributing the word of life; and that particular exertions will be made by every member of the society, to effect a general use of the new testament at least in our common schools.

In contemplating the day when the heathen shall come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, when the Jews shall acknowledge him the true Messiah; when the Saviour shall rule from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the end of the earth; as we see the day approaching, let us do what our hand findeth to do with our might, and may we REJOICE FOR EVER WITH THE LORD.

Sabbath School Associations.

À FRIEND has kindly submitted to the Editor extracts of two letters from a young lady in Philadelphia, from which, and other sources, it appears, that almost every Church in that city has a Sabbath School Association, for the instruction of poor children. In this laudable employment, the Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, and different denominations of Presbyterians, are all engaged. The Associations consist generally of pious young ladies, who form a constitution for themselves, and then seek the destitute and ignorant for their pupils. They attend on the children generally in rotation, by a committee; but in some instances, all the members are constant teachers. Testaments are obtained for these Schools from the Bible Society, and other religious books from the Tract Societies. Each young lady takes the charge of ten or twenty scholars, and instructs them in one corner of the Church, while another does the same in another part; and frequently, during the public worship of the Sabbath, she is seen at the head of her band, preserving order, and attempting to enforce attention. The blacks are not excluded from the care of any association, or of any member of it; and the writer of the letters has not been ashamed to appear at the head of a class of little chimney-sweepers. The same young lady was also the prime mover of Schools for the adult poor in Philadelphia; and she has had the happiness of knowing that several aged black people, who were under her care, have not only learned to read the Bible, but to know Jesus Christ, so as to inherit eternal life. In one of these Schools, a young lad has repeated the greater part of the New-Testament.

Before these Sabbath School associations were contemplated in this country, the Evangelical Society of Philadelphia sent forth its members two and two, to collect and superintend Schools in the poorer and more vicious parts of the city. This Society still continues its labours, and in some measure assists the Female Associations. It was particularly instrumental in collecting the children of several Schools, to the amount of four or five thousand. The place of meeting was the Rev. Dr. Brodhead's Church. The number was so great that, many of them had to remain outside of the building. Dr. B- delivered an appropriate discourse to them, and their teachers. So large a collection of children as this was never before seen in the city, assembled for any purpose, much less for religious improvement.

The plan on which the Evangelical Society had long proceeded, of rewarding the children for each lesson with a coloured card, on which is printed some passage of Scripture, was adopted by the School Associations, and continues to be highly useful. A given number of cards of one kind entitle the pupil to one of another colour; and five or ten of the last description will procure him a book, which commonly is some selection of hymns, a Psalm Book, or a Testament. It has the double advantage of exciting the attention of the poor children, and gradually storing their minds with a knowledge of the word of God. It is most cordially recommended to those who have the charge of such Schools.

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Extract from the first annual Report of the Newark Sun day School Institution.

Our institution commenced in May, 1815; it gradually increased during the summer season to an average of about four hundred and forty scholars. It is proper to observe, however, that a considerable proportion of these could not come under the denomination of poor children; for many of them were blessed with the advantage of attending the ordinary Schools in the week days. It was pleasing and encouraging to witness the attention and ardour of this interesting group in the attainment of religious knowledge; it was pleasant to listen to them while repeating from memory passages of Scripture; answering questions in the catechism, or reciting psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. In such exercises their advancement was rapid, and their diligence as gratifying, as the themes which they lisped were delight

ful. So sweet and heavenly is the voice of religion breathing from infant lips! As the winter approached, it was deemed expedient to make new arrangements, and to confine the attention of the teachers to poor children and adults and particularly, to the people of colour. The beneficial effects of thus combining the efforts of the teachers, and directing them exclusively in behalf of those who had none to befriend or impart to them religious instruction, soon became manifest; and although in the improvement of all, the hopes and expectations of the instructors were more than realized, yet they would more especially present to their patrons and the public, the progress of the blacks, because these poor and almost forsaken creatures comprised by far the largest portion of the School, and because it is believed that this was the first Sunday School instituted for the coloured people, ever established in the United States. Their number amounted to upwards of two hundred of both sexes, and of all ages, from infancy to gray hairs. In general, such as could not read, as was the case with almost all of them, evinced a persevering and anxious desire to be enabled for themselves to look into the blessed word of God. Some of those who commenced at the alphabet, have already attained to that important acquirement; and the rest are speedily following on. ny who could spell in one, two, and three syllables, have also been brought to read the Bible. The rapid advancement of this part of our destitute fellow-creatures, can be better understood when we consider their very slender advantages; that from the nature of their occupation, they can have but few and transient opportunities for study, such merely as they can occasionally seize from their daily routine of labour, or take from their usual hours of rest. The little time which they employ every Sabbath in the School, furnishes their principal opportunity; and yet their improvement has been extraordinary. Judging from facts and observations, it would seem to be vain any more to oppose the cultivation of the mind of the coloured people on the ground of inferiority of intellect, of incapacity, or of an untractable and unteachable disposition: for if the regular six days tuition of those more highly favoured be put in competition with the simple two hours on a Sunday which these enjoy, where would the comparison lead us?

Ma

The exertions of the instructers have not been confined merely to the intel lectual improvement of their charge; they have also constantly endeavoured to improve the heart; to enforce, with suitable exhortations, the practical import of such texts as "Servants, obey your masters;" "Children, obey your parents" and, generally, to inculcate the sublime principles of the blessed religion of Jesus. And they with deference, yet with confidence, appeal to the candour and the observation of the public, whether or no some amendment at least has not been discovered in the outward behaviour, the public and private walk and conversation of some of this class of society? Whether or no, some have not by these means, been rendered more pliant and tractable; more sedate and humble, and, in general, become better and more useful servants. Some, we are well assured, have been reclaimed from a habit of profaneness, and from the vice of intemperance. Besides, prayer meetings have lately been set up among them which have been well attended; and their spiritual offerings seemed to flow warm from the heart, and to breathe the pure spirit of devotion.

The Schools are now in a prosperous state; with a zeal characteristic of the sex, some pious young ladies have kindly contributed their aid; and have recently undertaken the management of the female department of the coloured people.

FROM THE RELIGIOUS REMEMBRANCER.

Extracts of a Letter from a lady in the State of Delaware, to her friend in Philadelphia.

Fairfield, June 28, 1816. "I MUST hasten to tell you how far the Lord has prospered his own cause through a weak, unworthy instrument. In New-Castle there are four Schools.