Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

From London Piper.

Bible Associations.

On Wednesday se'nnight, there was a meeting of about 600 persons in the riding school of the Life Guards barracks in King-street, Portman-square, convened for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of forming a fourth Association in the north-west district of the Auxiliary Bible Society, more particularly, with the hope of enabling the Bible Society to comprehend that neighborhood society to extend its benefits to the soldiery.

The Rev. Mr. Basil Wood was in the chair.

The Rev. Mr. Waugh and the Rev. Mr. Newton (a Wesleyan) proposed that such an association be formed for the immediate neighborhood, eastward as far as Scotland if possible (Mr. W. being a native of that country :) and that certain regulations, as to committees &c. be adopted. Committees of management were then appointed, some of the members being life guardsmen. After much appropriate speaking had taken place, and their business was concluded, a private soldier from amongst the company, addressed the meeting with great peculiarity and force. An outline of what fell from such a character can not be uninteresting--

Corporal Jones, of the train of artillery, wished to give his humble support to a plan which had just met with such general and deserved approbation, and in moving that the thanks of the meeting be given to the Rev. Mr. Basil Wood, he would avail himself of the opportunity of saying a very few words on the inestimable advantages resulting from the Bible associations. He was a soldier, and he had seen what had been done amongst his brother soldiers by the introduction of the Bible. He spoke only of the train to which he belonged.--Each man had now his Bible; it was to be found in each man's knapsack and it was invariably to be seen in his room, or on the parade, together with the implements of war in his hands. When they passed examination were, each man was expected to produce his Bible. The effect was, that order, sobriety, and punctuality, were promoted amongst them. A few days since, fifty of his comrades, left head quarters, to embark for foreign service, and with the sentiments of the one true living God fixed on their minds, and Bibles in their knapsacks, they went to reap honour in fighting the battles of their country, and everlasting happiness inspiring the word of the Most High. They would indeed, act as missionaries of glory. It had been said, that a soldier, from the moment that he turned Christian, became a coward; but this he would deny. What reason was there for a man being a coward, when he was armed within as well as without? So far from making him a coward, it made him a better soldier, for he was fortified against all the accidents "by flood and field" the calamities of war, and the changes of climate. Living, he was prepared to die. Thus, he went forth "doubly armed," to fight the battles of his king and church; and if in such a cause, he met with sudden death, to him, it would be sudden glory (Great applause). After dwelling on the advantages that would result to the great cause from an extensive circulation of the Holy Scriptures among the soldiery, as in foreign countries, they would act as missionaries, the artilleryman concluding his effective and interesting speech amidst loud plaudits.

The motion was approved, and the meeting then adjourned.