The language of my heart on such occasions, always is "O that my Lord would count me meet N.B.-This was the first religious tea meeting ever held in Warminster Common, and I believe also, the first in this part of England; if not in the whole kingdom. They have been continued by us, without intermission, ever since. Tea meetings afterwards becoming so general, I thought that it would be interesting to the religious public to know their origin. As they commenced among the members of the Methodist society, I therefore sent a copy of the above to the editor of the Methodist Magazine: the answer on the cover of the said Magazine, February 1844, is "The piece by Mr. W. Ď—i would not be generally acceptable." [I am sorry to state that a practice has lately arisen (1850), of holding large tea meetings on the solemn day on which the grand atonement was made, and "Christ our passover was slain” Surely, if we truly love him, we ought then to be contemplating nothing else but specially "His agony and bloody sweat, his cross and passion, his precious death and burial;" all caused by our sins: all submitted to for our salvation. I can never reconcile my mind to believe that, this can be pleasing either to him or to his holy angels. Certainly we should not think it very consistent, on the anniversary of the death of a beloved friend, of set purpose, to invite a large and indifferent party to assemble to eat and drink and to be joyful. Holy mourning, deep self-examination, suitable public services and prayer, would be far more likely to procure a sense of his most sacred and adorable presence and blessing, both then and afterwards. "Well may heaven be clothed in black, And solemn sack-cloth wear; Jesu's agonies partake, The hour of darkness share: Mourn the astonished hosts above; Silence saddens all the skies; The God of angels dies."] BIBLE ASSOCIATION FORMED. ON January 1st, 1816, a Public meeting was held at the Independent chapel, Warminster Common, for the purpose of establishing a Bible Association, and thenceforward it commenced its long and valuable operations. "The Report made by the Committee of the Warminster Bible Society, at the opening of the new Bible Association, at Warminster Common, January 1st, 1816.— MR. CHAIRMAN-The Committee of the Warminster Bible Society, having sometime ago deputed us to investigate the state of the poor of this parish, with regard to their want of Bibles and Testaments, and also authorized us in their name and behalf to distribute the Bibles and Testaments already received: We beg leave respectfully to state the result of our proceedings, and the views we now entertain generally of the work, as well as of the state of the persons who are as yet unsupplied. And, first, we would remark that we always observed among the poor a disposition rightly to appreciate the Bible, and thankfully to acknowledge their obligations to their benefactors; and this disposition gradually increased in proportion as they were supplied, so that the Bibles already distributed evidently produced a desire for more. We also always found it easy to obtain the stipulated price; and never yet could we supply the pressing demand which existed. We have frequently felt a mixture of pleasure and pain in the discharge of our important duty, not easily described: pleasure, at seeing the gratitude manifested by the poor on receiving the Bible, (which was generally heightened by contemplating the commencement of an era, the most important that had ever yet appeared in the world- -we mean, the efforts now made to supply all the poor with this treasure, and the hope of its being speedily accomplished): pain, at witnessing the sensations of grief manifested by the numerous applicants, to whom, we, for want of funds, were obliged to refuse a supply. : It is upwards of two years ago that our investigation from house to house was made, and already most of the families, then destitute, are partially supplied but many yet remain in a state which requires further assistance. New families have been formed, and fresh ones come to reside in the parish, all of whom are desirous of sharing in the aid afforded by this blessed institution. The length of time which has elapsed since we first promised some of the poor a Bible, we believe has almost made them despair of ever receiving it. But we are happy to witness with the new year, the beginning of a new institution, which no doubt will meet with the most ample support, and fully accomplish the desired object. As to the good already done by the Bible Society in this town, we have to observe that many evident proofs are existing, which satisfy the minds of the subscribers-many families and individuals have been benefitted thereby: but the full extent of good done can never be ascertained by us. The present is the seed time; the future only can determine the harvest. Suffice it to say, that there has not been an instance come to our knowledge, in this parish, of the Bible furnished, being treated with contempt, or either sold or transferred. Some have said they would part with every thing else they possessed, rather than with their precious' Bible. As to the obstacles which may appear to this Institution, and in answer to those who may say "Who shall roll away the stone for it is very great?" we would answer, Mr. Chairman, that the stone is rolled away already; we are credibly informed that there are present in this assembly, scores of persons waiting, this evening, to contribute their first penny. I met with an aged widow last night, who was so anxious to begin with "her mite," that she insisted on my taking her two-pence at once, (and here it is), and, Sir, she really has the honor of having the first contribution-ticket issued by the Warminster Common Bible Association: presently, no doubt, we shall see who will have the second. Friends-you who live at the Common, especially, be awake to your best interests; exert yourselves to wipe away the reproach which for ages has attached to this unfortunate place: it certainly is already partially removed. Seize the present opportunity. Only get a Bible, and read it. The Bible will raise you from comparative disgrace, and place you in all the respectability of virtue. You will then be honorable, though poor: you will shine with a lustre hitherto unknown; and Warminster Common will soon be as remarkable for virtue and morality, as it has been for vice and immorality." Attendance was now given every Monday morning at the said chapel, to receive the contributions; seventy-seven pounds was collected the first year, and the committee had the satisfaction to find on another perambulation of the parish, that every poor cottage therein had either a good bible or testament in it: excepting one solitary case, which it may be worth while to relate. At a certain obscure part of the parish there lived an old shepherd and his wife; on offering them a testament gratis, he replied, "We don't want your books." We stated that it was the word of God which we supplied the poor with. "We don't want your books I tell you.' "My good friend, you seem to be advanced in years, and we think that as you have not yet had the scriptures in your house, you should now have them." I tell you, we don't want your books, and we wont have them." We replied, "but perhaps you don't E دو know that we are willing to make you a present of a good testament; we don't want your money." "I tell you I wont have your books, take them away"getting into a bad temper. We then stated that all the neighbourhood had been thankful for our calling on them, we hoped he would not refuse. "Don't I tell you I wont have them, my dame and I have done very well without your books all our life, and we wont have them now." So we left them in despair. A few months after this took place, I heard that this old heathen died suddenly in an ale-house. But I have something better to relate of his widow. Two or three years after, another perambulation of the parish took place; when we came near to the said house we felt a difficulty as to how we were to proceed, especially as it was our particular wish to report at the coming anniversary, that every cottage had, at least, a good testament in it. With some fear and trembling we advanced to the door, and to our great surprize we found it open, but not a living being in it. Glad enough with the opportunity, without hesitation we laid a testament on the table in the name of its Great Author, and hastily started off, fearing that it would be known that we had been there, and the book would be returned. Nothing was heard relative to this transaction, for I suppose three or four years; when, one day, in a grocer's shop in this town, a woman thus addressed one of the committee of the association, "Sir, I am very glad to have an opportunity of returning my most sincere thanks to you and the gentlemen for the great good which you have done me. The question was asked, "Who are you my good woman, and what is the good which you refer to?" "Why I will tell you,—I am the widow of who lived at the cottage at where the gentlemen called several years ago and left a testament on the table, when I was not at home. O Sir, when I saw the book, I took it into a neighbour's house and got her to tell me what book it was, (for I could not read myself,) she |