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THE BIBLE PEINTEES. 
 
 Did you ever think of the great 
 mercy you now enjoy in having a 
 cheap Bible in your 3wn language? 
 Before the art of Drinting was 
 known it took muo^ more than a 
 
2 THE BIBLE PBIKTERS. 
 
 man could earn in a whole year 
 to buy a Bible. Now a poor man 
 as well as a rich merchant may 
 have one for tenpence ? or a New 
 Testament for fourpence. 
 
 There are many lands now in the 
 same dark state as England was 
 in former times. But missionaries 
 have <?one to them, and have 
 worked hard to give the holy 
 word to the people. You shall 
 hear about some of these Bible 
 printers, in one of the South Sea 
 islands. 
 
 These servants of Grod got from 
 England a printing press, and 
 type, and paper, and soon set to 
 work. When the natives found 
 what was going on, they ran to 
 the place There they were in 
 crowdfe every day, blocking up 
 
TJIE BIBLE PEINTEBS. 3 
 
 the door, sitting by the windows, 
 or climbing on the backs of others, 
 all eager to get a look at what 
 was going on, and crving out, 
 "O Britain, land of skill! 5 ' 
 
 The noise and interest were 
 like as it is in England when a 
 balloon is to go up for the first 
 time, or a new railroad is to be 
 opened. " When will the books 
 be ready?" they cried. ""We will 
 mve cocoa-nut oil for a book." 
 
 One evening, as the sun was 
 setting in gold and purple clouds 
 on the sea, there came a canoe 
 with five men in it, from another 
 island. They pulled down the mat 
 which served for a sail, jumped 
 on shore, and ran quickly to the 
 Bible printers. " What is it you 
 have come for ?" they were asked* 
 
* THE BIBLE PRINTERS. 
 
 "Lulca" or "Te Parau na LuJca" 
 Luke, or The Word of Luke, 
 was the reply. They then held 
 up large bamboo canes filled with 
 cocoa-nut oil, which they had 
 brought to pay for the books. 
 They w^ere told none were ready, 
 but if they would come in the 
 morning, they should have them. 
 Night came on, and the Bible 
 printers went to rest. In the 
 morning they looked out of win- 
 dow, and there they saw the 
 five men lying along the ground, 
 their only bed being a few leaves, 
 " Why did you not go and find a 
 lodging somewhere ? Why have 
 you lain out of doors all this cold 
 night ?" they were asked. " Oh/' 
 they said, " we were afraid if we 
 had gone away some one might 
 
/ 
 
 THE BIBLE PRINTERS. 5 
 
 have come before us in the morn- 
 ins:, and all the books would have 
 been gone." 
 
 The men then went into the 
 house, and gave their oil for 
 nve Bibles. They asked for two 
 copies more, one for a sister, and 
 another for a mother. Each book 
 was now nicely wrapped in a piece 
 of white native cloth, and put in 
 the bosom. They did not stop 
 to take any food, but pushing 
 their canoe' from the shore on to 
 the sea, they raised their matting 
 sail, and steered away, rejoicing, 
 to their native island. 
 
 Now, what shall be said to those 
 who can obtain the Bible without 
 any trouble, and perhaps for 
 nothing ? Not a part of it only, 
 as the Gospel of St. Luke— but 
 
(5 THE BIBLE PHIKTEES. 
 
 the whole of the Old and New 
 Testaments, nicely and strongly 
 bound, and of a size which a boy 
 may put in his pocket, or a girl 
 in her little bag. 
 
 Some children do not value any- 
 thing which costs a small sum, or 
 which they have got with ease. 
 But if the young in England had 
 to travel many miles, or over deep 
 seas, for a copy of the Bible, they 
 would learn to value it more than 
 they do now. 
 
 And when r, Bible is obtained, 
 what is done with it ? It is very 
 sad to see it thrown aside and 
 unread ; or hid in a corner of a 
 room, all over dust, and its leaves 
 torn and soiled. Young reader, 
 where is your Bible ? Is it kept 
 neat and clean, or is it torn and 
 
THE BIBLE PRINTERS. 7 
 
 laid aside ? "When did you last 
 read it ? Have you read a chapter 
 to-day, or any day this week? 
 How many verses have you 
 learned during this last month ? 
 When did you pray that God 
 would give to you his Holy Spirit, 
 to teach you from his word ? Do 
 you seriously read in your Bible 
 of the great love of Jesus Christ 
 in dying on the cross to save sin- 
 ners ? Can you repeat what he 
 said when he invited little children 
 to come to him ? Do you re- 
 member any text about the evil 
 and misery of sin ? or on the na- 
 ture and duty of repentance ? or 
 on being born again ? or on being 
 saved through faith in the Son of 
 Grod ? or on the joys of heaven ? 
 or on the woes of hell ? Take 
 
8 THE BIBLE PRINTERS. 
 
 your slate, or a piece of paper, 
 and write them down ; look at 
 them carefully, and then pray to 
 God to bless them to your soul. 
 
 Oh ! sad indeed will it be for 
 many children born in a Christian 
 land, watched over by piou* 
 parents, and taught by godly 
 teachers, when they are called 
 before the " great white throne, 5 ' 
 to answer for the way in which 
 they have ased the Bible- May 
 you read it, and love it ! May it 
 be your treasure and your guide ! 
 May it be a lamp to your path, 
 and direct you through this sinful 
 world to the glory of heaven ! 
 
 Let us be thankful that we may 
 
 Read the Bible every day :— 
 'Tis God's own Word, which he has given 
 
 To guide us in the way to heaven. 
 
 -. . ' -' ■ — — — — — 
 
 Benjamin Pardon, Printer/ Paternoster Row, 
 
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 What a strange and wondrous story 
 From the Book of God is read, 
 
 How the Lord of life and glory 
 Had not where to lay his head ; 
 
 How he left his throne in heaven, 
 
 Here to suffer, bleed, and die, 
 
 That my soul might be forgiven, 
 And ascend to God on high. 
 
 Father, let thy Holy Spirit 
 Still reveal a Saviour's love, 
 
 And prepare me to inherit 
 Glory, where he reigns above. 
 
 to. 
 
 There, with saints and angels dwelling, 
 May I that great love proclaim, 
 
 And with them be ever telling 
 All the wonders of his name. 
 
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