,transcribed from the #ahgj edition by  
,david ,price4                          
,,christian ,,literature4               
,a ,sermon                ,,delivered   
,,may #h,,th1 #ahgj1 ,,in ,,kensington  
,,chapel1 ,,at                     ,,the
 ,,seventy-,,first ,,anniversary ,,of   
,,the                                   
,,religious ,,tract ,,society4          
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,,by ,,the                              
,,rev4 ,j4 ,,stoughton1 ,d4,d4          
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,,published ,,by ,,request4             
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,,london3               #ef1            
,,paternoster ,,row2 #fe1 ,,st4         
,,paul',s ,,churchyard2                 
,,and #afd1 ,,piccadilly4               
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,,london3                               
,,pardon ,,and ,,son1 ,,printers1       
,,paternoster ,,row4                    

,,christian ,,literature4          8,and
 there are also many other things which 
,jesus did1 the which1 if      they     
should be written every one1 ,i suppose 
that even the world      itself could   
not contain the books that should be    
written40--,,john xxi4      #be4        
,,the chapter before us is plainly a    
supplement to the main history4  ,st4   
,john concluded that history under a    
deep conviction that it was far from  a 
full account of his ,master's wonderful 
ministry4  8,many other signs10  said   
he1 8truly did ,jesus1 in the presence  
of his disciples1 which are  not written
 in this book40  ,but in this           
supplementary chapter1 added to  the    
,gospel1 perhaps1 after a lapse of      
several years1 the inspired  ,evangelist
 returns to his subject1 and relates    
with singular minuteness  of detail the 
miracle of the draught of fishes4  ,he  
then appends to the  whole narrative an 
asseveration of its truth2 and still    
feeling1 as he  had done before1 that   

there remained an inexhaustible fulness 
of facts  and lessons in the life of his
 adorable ,lord which defied every      
attempt  at recording them1 he at last  
finishes his ,gospel--inclusive of the  
appendix--in the same spirit in which he
 had concluded what he wrote  before4   
,persuaded of the impossibility of doing
 perfect justice to such  a life as that
 of the ,word made flesh1 he employed a 
strong ,oriental  hyperbole to express  
the impossibility1 whilst his heart     
overflowed with  adoring love and       
wonder--8,and there are also many other 
things which ,jesus  did1 the which1 if 
they should be written every one1 ,i    
suppose that even  the world itself     
could not contain the books that should 
be written40    ,it is not unusual for  
an author to return to the perusal and  
examination  of a work composed by him  
in bygone years with a deepened belief  
of the  truth of its contents1          
accompanied by an overwhelming          
conviction of its  want of completeness4

  ,another chapter may be added to what 
was written  before1 and then1 when all 
is done1 the pen may be laid down1 with 
the  feeling that not one-half of all   
the beautiful truth to which the book   
relates has yet been told4  ,a          
circumstance so common in connection    
with  efforts of genius finds something 
of a parallel here1 in connection with  
the higher and nobler exercises of      
inspiration4  ,it is to the last degree 
affecting to behold the aged ,evangelist
 reading over his own ,gospel1  dwelling
 with delight upon sacred memories of   
the ,divine ,friend who so  graciously  
loved him1 and whom he so gratefully    
loved in return1 thinking  of one act of
 his after another1 one word of his     
after another1 never  written1 and      
realizing the impossibility of producing
 a perfect portrait  of the ,divine     
original1 yet folding up his own ,,ms4  
with the devout  assurance that in      
giving it to the ,church he was an      
instrument1 in the  hands of the        

,spirit1 of bestowing upon mankind one  
of the richest  treasures of wisdom and 
knowledge4        ,i4      ,the         
,evangelist here speaks of books--of the
 possibility of writing an  immense     
number of them on one subject2 and thus 
he calls to our mind the  saying of the 
wise man1 that 8of making many books    
there is no end40  ,they were very      
numerous in the ancient world4  ,the    
library of the  ,ptolemies at           
,alexandria was of such prodigious      
magnitude that it numbered  half a      
million volumes4  ,large public and     
private collections were not  uncommon  
in ,st4 ,john's time2 and in ,rome1 at  
that period1 the  bookseller's trade    
signally flourished4  ,in the shop doors
 lists of new  publications were        
exhibited2 nor were the prices of some  
by any means  immoderate1 a considerable
 proportion of the ,,mss4 being so small
 as to  come under the modern           
denomination of pamphlets or tracts4    
,thus early  existed multitudes of those

 productions which ,milton eloquently   
describes  as 8not dead things10 but    
such as 8contain a potency of life10 as 
8active  as the soul whose progeny they 
are10 preserving1 8as a vial1 the purest
  efficacy and extraction of that living
 intellect which bred them10 as         
8vigorously productive0 as the 8fabulous
 dragon's teeth10 and which1  being     
8sown up and down10 may1 like them1     
perchance1 spring up into armed  men4   
,throughout the civilized world1 in the 
first account of  ,christianity1 were   
there books containing 8the life-blood  
of master  spirits10 that 8ethereal and 
fifth essence1 the breath of reason40   
,and  besides these1 there existed1     
among the elect people of ,god1 a       
literature  incomparably superior to    
anything else--a literature furnished by
  historians1 poets1 and moralists1 who 
far surpassed merely classic ones4  ,for
 now1 in the fulness of time1 the       
,greek1 as well as the ,hebrew          
language1 had become enriched by        

inspired contributions1 and four        
peerless histories or biographies       
appeared--four lives of the             
divinely-incarnate and ever-living      
,one--followed by another history1      
recording the acts of his ,apostles1    
accompanied by epistles or letters      
which explained the meaning of the life 
of ,jesus1 and the acts of the  first   
preachers of his incomparable and       
blessed ,gospel4  ,these books came     
into the world1 stamped with            
unmistakable signs of a ,divine origin  
perfectly unique4  ,they were sons of   
,god amongst the children of            
men--,divine wisdom visiting the earth  
in human form1 thought after  thought1  
like angel after angel1 coming down from
 heaven1 with a  countenance like       
lightning1 with raiment white as snow1  
yet speaking in  tones of meek assurance
 to affrighted souls1 telling them not  
to fear1  because the crucified         
,redeemer of mankind had risen from the 
dead4  ,such  books have1 indeed1 a life

 within them2 a life truly1 and without 
any  hyperbole1 immortal1 to attempt to 
kill which would be as idle as it  would
 be impious1 for it would be to strike a
 blow at that which1 above  everything  
else on the face of the earth1 is an    
image of ,god4    ,and numbers of books 
since then1 without pretending to rival 
them1 have  caught more or less of their
 divine spirit4  ,human minds           
replenished with  instructions derived  
from these unparalleled sources have    
communicated  their thoughts to         
mankind--thoughts of such a character1  
so morally and  religiously superior to 
anything known in lands unblessed by    
these gifts  of inspiration1 as to      
declare their lineage and descent to be 
of that  divine race of which the       
ancestors were the first-born children  
of  celestial light4  ,a precious       
inheritance of ,christian literature has
 thus  descended to modern times1       
surrounding us with intellectual and    
spiritual  advantages1 which many are   

slow to acknowledge1 because unable to  
estimate4  ,yet it is the heirloom of   
our churches and our families1 laid  up 
on the shelves of our libraries1 and    
what is still better1 ,i hope1  that its
 effect upon us mingles with our daily  
life4    ,the discovery of printing1 in 
the providence of ,god1 although it     
cannot  add to the immortality of       
,christian thought in itself1 has       
contributed a  new method1 first of     
perpetuating in their original forms all
 expressions  of truth1 whether human or
 ,divine1 and next1 of multiplying such 
expressions1 in the same original form1 
so as to fill the world with  them1 and 
to give to immortal wisdom a sort of    
visible and palpable  ubiquity4  ,and   
extremely interesting it is to notice1  
that the ,bible1 or  the ,psalter1 was  
certainly the first book of any         
considerable size which  came forth from
 the press1 whence 8we may see in       
imagination this  venerable and splendid
 volume leading up the crowded myriads  

of its  followers1 and imploring1 as it 
were1 a blessing on the new art1 by     
dedicating its first fruits to the      
service of heaven40  ,a mighty          
revolution has1 no doubt1 been wrought  
by the invention of printing4  ,it  has 
not diminished the force of spoken      
words1 it never can supersede the       
necessity of the living voice as the    
chief means of proclaiming the  ,gospel 
of ,christ1 it never can destroy the    
enchantment of human  eloquence2 but it 
narrows the sphere of instruction from  
the pulpit1 it  supersedes the          
continuance of the ancient practice when
 preachers at  ,paul's ,cross took up   
the questions of the day1 and discussed 
them in  their homilies2 it hands over  
to the press1 as a more convenient field
  for discussion1 a number of           
instructive and important topics1 whilst
 it  provides for the diffusion of      
religious knowledge in all sorts of     
ways1  and in all sorts of places1 far  
beyond the reach of any preacher's1 or  

any missionary's voice4  ,at the same   
time it gathers up in the best form1    
and perpetuates to the latest age1 and  
circulates to the end of the  world1 the
 richest utterances of the ,christian   
ministry4  ,the voice from  the pulpit  
has lost somewhat of its range of       
themes2 it cannot now  announce         
ecclesiastical and political news1 as it
 did once2 but it has a  special work   
still to do1 through the human          
countenance1 the human eye1  the human  
lips1 as it exhibits well-known truth   
and inculcates familiar  lessons1       
appealing to the heart and calling forth
 our sensibilities and  sympathies as   
nothing else can ever do4  ,and after   
all the lamentations  poured forth by   
some1 and all the taunts flung out by   
others1 the pulpit  still remains an    
unrivalled power--unrivalled in the     
demand for its  exercise1 and unrivalled
 in the supply of its proper spiritual  
effects1  even the conversion and       
edification of souls4  ,but the press1  

although we  do not count it a rival1   
but rather as a helper1 in the one great
 field  of ,christian instruction1 is   
doing1 and will do a work1 which all the
  preachers and speakers in ,christendom
 can never overtake and accomplish4     
,its power in the dissemination of the  
,gospel is surprising beyond what we    
can imagine1 until we come to deeply    
ponder the subject in our minds2 and    
the obligation resting upon us to employ
 such power for this sacred  purpose is 
most obvious1 most solemn1 most         
pressing4        ,,ii4      ,the books  
to which ,st4 ,john particularly refers 
are books about ,christ4    ,he is      
thinking chiefly of his own ,gospel1 and
 of the other three ,gospels  to which  
he intended this to be a supplement2    
these four evangelical  records being1  
in modern phrase1 four historical       
tracts--tracts such as  had never been  
written before1 such as have never been 
written since4  ,it  is an inexpressible
 blessing to have the four together1 to 

have them  bound within the same covers4
  ,they constitute a perfect unity1 a   
harmonious whole2 but the unity must not
 render us unmindful of the  distinct   
and characteristic impress borne by     
each4  ,on dwelling upon the  whole1 we 
must be careful to assign its proper    
individual character to  every part4    
,four distinct witnesses supply their   
respective  contributions of knowledge  
respecting our ,divine ,lord and        
,master4  ,each  relates what he knows  
from his own point of view2 each gives  
his own  impression of the manifold life
 and mission of the world's ,saviour2   
each  leaves in his own monograph the   
signature of his own habits of thought  
and of expression2 each paints the      
,divine portrait in his own style4  ,and
  most precious is it to the intelligent
 and devout ,christian to have a  clear 
and distinct idea of the main           
peculiarities of the four1 looking at   
them carefully one by one4  ,harmonies  
of the ,gospels have their use2 but     

they are not used as they ought1 they   
are much abused1 if they are  suffered  
to soften down the lines of distinction 
between ,matthew and  ,mark1 between    
,mark and ,luke1 between ,luke and      
,john4  ,any attempt made to  put       
together four portraits of one person1  
painted from different points  of view1 
placed on the canvas in different       
positions1 brought out in  different    
relations of light and shade1 so as to  
destroy what is peculiar  to each       
artist1 would be a mischievous process1 
and would diminish the  extent of our   
knowledge1 instead of promoting the     
correctness of our  conceptions4  ,we   
value four pictures of a great hero     
painted by four  different masters2 we  
do not wish to blend the memories of    
them in our  minds1 so as to merge their
 varied ideals of one reality2 we would 
not1  on any account1 sacrifice in any  
of them a single line of drawing1 a     
single tint of colour4  ,we should      
deprecate the endeavour to destroy a    

touch here1 and a stroke there1 under   
pretence of making the pictures  exactly
 alike4  ,we would infinitely rather    
have them left unaltered1 in  all the   
freshness of their original colouring1  
than have a single  engraving1 however  
carefully and exquisitely executed1     
which aimed at a  harmonious rendering  
of the four4  ,we prefer these divine   
productions as  they separately stand1  
each taken by itself1 each a beautiful  
tractate  complete in itself1 given from
 ,god1 through the hands of the human   
writer1 to a single volume1 made up of  
the four1 cut into fragments1 and       
patched together under a very fallible1 
although a very skilful  editorship4    
,the ,acts1 the ,epistles1 the          
,apocalypse1 form a second  division of 
divine tracts explanatory of the        
,gospels--or illustrative of  the       
impressions and effects produced by them
 upon the hearts and minds of  ,christ's
 earliest followers--or inculcatory of  
the glorious doctrines of  the          

evangelical revelation in their         
practical bearings on human  characters 
and consciences--or poetically prophetic
 of things to come in  the kingdom of   
our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ--a
 ,divine hand in them  opening a window 
upon the scenes of futurity1 some of    
which strike the  heart with terror1    
others of which make it leap for joy4   
,this collection of tracts forming the  
,new ,testament1 or ,new ,covenant of   
man's redemption1 it is the duty of     
every one of us diligently and  devoutly
 to examine2 not simply taking it up by 
fragments1 by little  bits1 by pieces   
torn out of their proper places1 and    
without any respect  to the connection  
in which they stand2 nor studying it    
chiefly through  the medium of other    
books1 whether paraphrases or           
commentaries1 or  through the medium of 
sermons1 lectures1 or other modes of    
oral  instruction4  ,let the ,divine    
tracts be studied themselves4  ,let them
 not  only be read from time to time1   

chapter by chapter alone1 but sometimes 
let them be read throughout             
continuously1 ,gospel by ,gospel1       
,epistle by  ,epistle1 so that an       
impression1 complete and distinct1 of   
each  ,evangelist's history and each    
,apostolic letter1 may be left upon the 
memory4  ,above all1 let them not be    
read cursorily1 in haste1 as one  might 
read a novel1 but slowly1 patiently1    
thoughtfully1 weighing word by  word1   
sentence by sentence1 paragraph by      
paragraph2 and with all this  reading   
and pondering1 let there be combined    
earnest prayer to the great  ,author of 
revelation1 that he would open the      
reader's eyes to see the  riches of his 
own comprehensive word4    ,but beyond  
these books or tracts are others1 thank 
,god1 in abundant  numbers1 which also  
relate to ,christ4  ,in our devout      
gratitude for the  supreme gift of      
,scripture1 let us not be unmindful of  
the subordinate  gifts of human         
literature1 imbued more or less with the

 spirit of  ,scripture4  ,we would      
insist upon the marked difference       
between the ,bible  and all other books1
 between ,divine writ and humanly       
written divinity2  yet would we         
constantly remember that genius and     
talent employed in the  service of the  
truth are endowments conferred by the   
,father of lights1  and that to think we
 can exalt the ,bible by running down   
other books1 and  to imagine that we    
honour the ,god of inspiration by       
depreciating the  learning and the      
thoughtfulness which he has given to his
 children1 is  one of those wretchedly  
ignorant and fanatical mistakes by which
  well-meaning and pious people do      
almost as much mischief as the most     
irreligious enemies of ,christianity4   
,and beyond the limits of ,divinity1    
properly so called1 whether doctrinal or
 practical1 there are immense  regions  
of literature capable of being touched  
and beautified as with new  sunshine    
through the influence of ,gospel truth4 

,science may thus be  improved and      
hallowed1 so as to bear witness--as most
 assuredly nature  ever silently does1  
whether we notice or not1 to a ,divine  
order  underlying the constitution of   
all things1 and to a ,divine ,sovereign1
 a  living1 glorious1 infinite ,person1 
who is the foundation and the           
administrator of all that order--so as  
to bear witness to a reign of law1  or  
rather to the reign of ,him who is the  
,author of nature1 and who1  through    
those laws which we are enabled to      
decipher1 is reigning over all  time and
 all worlds4  ,history1 also1 may be    
improved and hallowed1 so as  to record 
events in the light of a ,divine        
providence1 and to exhibit  character in
 the light of revealed truth1 and so as 
to show1 in human  judgments of men and 
things1 the justice1 the impartiality1  
and the  genial good-will which         
,christian morality alone can inspire4  
,poetry1  also1 may be improved and     
hallowed1 so as not only to contribute  

to the  service of song in the house of 
the ,lord1 but so as to perpetuate the  
memory of the good1 to create ideals of 
truth1 wisdom1 and holiness2 to  bring  
out those hidden streams of harmony     
which flow through invisible  channels  
in nature2 and to repeat and explain    
those whisperings of the  soul which are
 confirmatory of the highest truths4    
,in short1  ,christianity may set its   
stamp on all literature1 not by printing
 the  ,divine name here and there1 not  
by patching upon the pages of a book    
texts of ,scripture irrelevant to the   
subject in hand2 but by the presence  of
 a conscientious1 honest1 true1 devout1 
and sweet spirit1 which cannot  fail to 
make itself felt wherever it exists4    
,,iii4      ,and now1 looking at the    
multitude of books existing or coming   
into  existence--such an immense1 such  
an ever-increasing multitude1 that we   
may  adopt the hyperbole of the text1   
and say it seems as if the world could  
not contain them--what is the use which 

we ought to make of them8    ,a taste   
for literature is a natural instinct in 
some1 and an  accomplishment acquired by
 others2 and the duty of creating it if 
we have  it not1 and of nurturing it if 
we have1 is plainly recognised in the   
,new  ,testament4  8,give attendance to 
reading40  ,if the exhortation primarily
  applies to those who are teachers of  
their fellow-men1 it cannot fail to     
belong also to others in their measure  
and degree4  ,numerous methods of       
obtaining knowledge no doubt there are2 
but many of the forms of  knowledge1    
many of the benefits of knowledge1 many 
of the pleasures of  knowledge1 can be  
secured only by means of books4  ,the   
person deficient  in a taste for reading
 misses a large amount of benefit and   
enjoyment  familiar to those who are    
blessed with this endowment--an         
endowment which1  though1 as intimated  
already1 in some cases a natural        
instinct1 may in  other cases be        
acquired and won as a studious          

accomplishment4  ,tastes may  be formed 
by study1 by attention1 by desire1 by   
effort1 by  practice--tastes of all     
kinds1 and this amongst the rest2 and   
looking at  the rich heritage of        
blessedness which it brings1 it must    
appear1 to  every one who sufficiently  
thinks of it1 worth the sacrifices of   
other  and inferior things1 when such   
sacrifices are found essential to its   
attainment and culture4  ,upon the young
 especially ,i would enforce the  duty  
of which ,i speak1 begging and          
beseeching them to contrast it with     
those vain1 frivolous1 worthless        
employments1 not to mention the very    
worst1 to which fashion and example in  
the present day invite so many          
thoughtless crowds4    ,when ,i speak of
 a taste for reading1 let me explain    
myself4  ,it is  sometimes supposed to  
exist where it does not4  ,there may be 
a fondness  for certain books1 which in 
no way implies the possession of what we
 are  commending now4  ,there are       

fictions in the present day1 properly   
termed  sensational1 and other kinds of 
books of a similar description1 to the  
perusal of which many are addicted      
without any idea of self-improvement1   
without any love of knowledge whatever1 
without a single care respecting  truth1
 without an atom of taste1 or a         
scintillation of what can be called     
intellectual pleasure4  ,i cannot call  
that a taste for reading2 it is  simply 
a craving after excitement1 and may be  
as sensuous and sensual as  are certain 
desires confessedly vicious2 and when it
 does not reach such  a depth as that1  
it may be a feeling almost as vain1     
frivolous1 and  worthless as some other 
tendencies which never clothe themselves
 in  literary costume4  ,where a pure   
taste and a genuine predilection for    
reading exist1 it will be               
discriminating1 such as all pure tastes1
 all  genuine predilections ever are4   
,a taste for painting is a taste for    
good  pictures2 a taste for music is a  

taste for good singing and for good     
instrumental performance2 so1 likewise1 
a taste for reading is a taste  for what
 is worth reading4  ,i have no narrow   
views as to the class of  books which   
may be perused4  ,some persons are      
qualified and required to  take a wider 
range than others in this respect--to   
make excursions into  fields of thought 
where it may not be wise for others to  
follow4  ,as to  this matter1 no        
universal rules can be laid down4       
,individual capacities1  habits1 and    
callings1 must determine the question as
 to the extent to  which inquisitiveness
 and curiosity should go4  ,but one law 
as to the  judgment of what we read     
there is1 fixed and unalterable4        
,whatever  relates to morality and      
religion must be tested by ,divine      
authority upon  such subjects4  ,the    
,bible is not intended to teach us      
science1  philosophy1 and profane       
history2 but it is intended to teach us 
what is  moral and religious1 and1      

therefore1 to it should questions       
involving  these peerless considerations
 be always brought4  ,as ,christians1   
taking  the ,bible for your ride1 how   
can you subscribe to the doctrines of   
any  teacher of divinity or of ethics   
who contradicts the teaching of the     
,word  of ,god8  8,to the law and to the
 testimony3 if they speak not according 
to  this ,word1 it is because there is  
no light in them40  ,with care and      
discrimination should we sift out       
whatever is false or erroneous in the   
writings of men4  ,i do not say that we 
are not to read what is false or        
erroneous2 for how1 until we have read  
it1 can we tell whether any book  be    
discoloured or disfigured with these    
dark stains8 but having candidly  and   
honestly examined the contents of a     
work1 let us judicially1 with a  pure   
heart1 a clear head1 and a firm hand1   
separate the precious from the  vile4   
8,what is the chaff to the wheat80 saith
 the ,lord4    ,and further1 it is      

manifest that in our reading we should  
have respect to  the nurture of our     
spiritual life4  ,secular instruction   
and mental  improvement are proper ends 
to be sought by us all2 but that which  
constitutes pre-eminently the welfare of
 our souls ought to receive our  most   
serious and conscientious attention4    
,to strengthen within us  ,christian    
faith1 hope1 and love--to bring         
ourselves into closer union with  our   
blessed ,saviour--to devote ourselves   
more thoroughly to his service  and     
glory1 ought to be the first and chief  
design of every one4  8,seek ye  first  
the kingdom of ,god1 and his            
righteousness2 and all these things     
shall be added unto you40  ,but as to   
the course of reading to be adopted  for
 these high and incomparable ends1 it is
 difficult and even impossible  to lay  
down rules2 because1 as men's minds are 
so differently  constituted1 as         
dispositions are so differently formed1 
the class of  books adapted to promote  

the welfare of some may not be suited to
 the  needs of another4  ,biography1    
perhaps1 most stimulates one person2    
psalms  and hymns and spiritual songs1  
perhaps1 most inspire another2 plain1   
practical addresses to the heart and    
conscience may1 perhaps1 better stir    
and animate a third4  ,let each consult 
his own peculiarities1 and choose       
accordingly what he shall read for his  
spiritual edification4  ,we are  quite  
sure that to mark out the same course of
 religious reading for all  kinds of    
people is labour lost2 it betrays great 
ignorance of human  nature1 of the      
wonderful varieties of spiritual life1  
and of the  diversified exigencies and  
wants of different minds4  ,what any one
 finds  most helpful to himself1 he is  
very apt to think will be found equally 
helpful to another2 but this may prove a
 serious mistake1 and may lead to       
injury where benefit was designed4      
,then1 beyond stimulus and  inspiration1
 there is needful for the healthful     

development of  ,christianity in human  
experience1 character1 and conduct1 a   
plain1  simple1 solid acquaintance with 
the things of ,god--an acquaintance to  
be  sought in a proper direction1 in    
quarters1 perhaps1 where there is little
  to regale the fancy or gratify the    
taste1 but much to feed the soul with   
knowledge and understanding4  ,surely no
 ,christian man1 no ,christian  woman1  
can neglect to consult in these ways the
 wants of spiritual life4  ,individuals 
who never ask in reference to what they 
read1 8,will this be  beneficial or     
injurious to my highest interests80 are 
culpably negligent  and careless1 and   
are running immense risks4  ,they are in
 danger far  greater than that of       
persons who1 with delicate              
constitutions1 set at  defiance medical 
caution and advice1 and are determined  
to eat and drink  whatever they please4 
,and before quitting this point1 let me 
add that it  is of the last importance  
we should apply to ourselves            

conscientiously1  and in the sight of   
,god1 what we learn from the stores of  
,christian  practical literature4  ,for1
 whilst recreation and amusement may be 
wisely  sought at times from other      
departments of reading1 recreation and  
amusement are not the objects to be     
sought in the reading of strictly       
religious books3 far higher objects come
 before us there--even the  purification
 of our thoughts1 the lifting our       
affections upwards to the  supreme      
,author of all ,good1 and the fastening 
of our hearts on ,christ1  the only name
 given under heaven whereby we can be   
saved2 and to secure  these objects a   
different frame of mind must be         
maintained from that in  which we       
indulge when we take up a volume simply 
to relieve a jaded mind  or to while    
away an idle hour4        ,,iv4      ,if
 one use of the many books in the world 
be our own edification1 another  use to 
be made of them is the spiritual welfare
 of others4    ,although it follows as a

 necessary consequence that if          
,christian  literature be available for 
the first of these purposes it is       
available  also for the second1 we find 
it very difficult to impress some minds 
with  a due conviction of the value and 
importance of such instrumentality in   
promoting the highest interests of our  
fellow-men4  ,there are many whom  it is
 hard enough to inspire with zeal for   
the direct conversion of their  friends 
and neighbours by means of circulating  
religious tracts2 but  there are more   
whom it is still harder to convince that
 spiritual benefit  may be indirectly   
communicated to large classes of society
 by purifying  the streams of general   
literature1 and by promoting the issue  
and  circulation of good books of       
various descriptions4  ,yet the former  
kind  of zeal--zeal in circulating      
tracts for strictly religious ends--is  
supported no less by facts than by sound
 reasoning4  ,a good man1 ,richard      
,knill1 used to say in his own simple1  

emphatic1 earnest style1 8,one tract    
may save a soul40  ,that simple saying  
he was wont to establish and  illustrate
 by incidents which had occurred under  
his own notice2 and  incidents full of  
this evidential force1 and fraught with 
heart-stirring  influence1 are          
accumulating every year4  ,and as to    
zeal in the second  direction1 a        
conviction of the good which may be     
effected by the  circulation and        
diffusion of works upon instructive and 
interesting  subjects1 imbued with a    
,christian tone and spirit1 is deepened 
by a  consideration of the present state
 of the world1 with all its mental      
activity and inquisitiveness2 the habit 
of reading now on the increase in  all  
circles2 and the instances frequently   
occurring1 through the means  just      
indicated1 of the removal of prejudice1 
and the commenced  preparation for      
something better in certain minds       
athirst for knowledge4  ,i am perfectly 
sure1 and my confidence is the result of

 long reflection  and experience1 that  
,christians have not yet paid one tithe 
of the  attention which it deserves to  
this pressing claim of the present day4 
,a  great deal of money now             
injudiciously but benevolently frittered
 away  with the hope of some immediate  
brilliant spiritual results1 would1 ,i  
am  satisfied1 be invested far more     
wisely1 and1 in the end1 with a deeper  
and wider return of advantage1 if       
devoted to the less imposing object of  
leavening our current literature more   
and more with the sentiments and        
principles of genuine ,christianity4    
,and now we are brought face to face    
with the ,religious ,tract ,society and 
its very powerful claims upon our       
sympathy and support4  ,it has been in  
existence upwards of seventy years1 and 
is one of those vigorous  institutions  
which struck their earliest roots into  
the ,christian mind of  ,england when   
our fathers were terrified by the storms
 of the ,french  ,revolution4  ,those   

institutions were not the seedlings of a
 fanatical  panic2 rather did they arise
 as healthy offshoots from ,god's ,tree 
of  ,life1 to be planted by the hands of
 disinterested charity and cheerful     
hope4  ,it was a movement of ,christian 
philanthropy1 taking a specific  form1  
but instinct with large-hearted and     
manifold zeal2 for out of the  early    
conferences of its friends sprung the   
idea of the ,british and  ,foreign      
,bible ,society2 and it was in the      
committee-room of the ,tract  ,society  
that the memorable words were uttered1  
8,bibles for ,wales0--8,why  not for the
 world80  ,the ,tract ,society may be   
regarded1 if not as the  mother1 yet as 
the nurse of the ,bible ,society4  ,the 
elder breathes the  unsectarian temper1 
the ,catholic spirit so pre-eminently   
manifested by  the younger2 and1 like   
it1 it aims only at bringing souls into 
the  all-comprehensive flock of the one 
all-sufficient ,redeemer4  ,it eschews  
controversy on controversial questions1 

and throws its energies into a  great   
crusade against infidelity1 falsehood1  
sin4  8,controversy at  times10 it was  
remarked in the report for #ahfi1 8may  
arise1 or local  circumstances may exist
 which tend to divide sections of       
,christians one  from another2 but      
should not this tendency be resisted in 
presence of the  weightier controversies
 which the whole ,church in all parts is
 called to  wage against ignorance and  
error--against superstition and         
unbelief--against the practical         
godlessness of the pleasure-seekers and 
mammon-lovers amongst all classes80     
,this last is the only controversy in   
which the ,tract ,society engages2 and  
it may be expected1 therefore1 to  rally
 to itself all those who deem the spread
 of the truth of higher  importance than
 similarity of opinion on the           
politico-ecclesiastical  questions which
 are disturbing ,european society4  ,and
 this the ,committee  have no doubt that
 it will do4  ,the ,society's motto     

is--8,christ ,jesus1 and  ,him          
crucified10--the only ,saviour of the   
lost1 the only and the  all-sufficient  
,prophet1 ,priest1 and ,king of his     
,church4  ,to bring every  thought of   
both young and old1 rich and poor1      
scholar and teacher1 into  subjection to
 ,him1 is its one object4  ,and it      
therefore claims the  prayers and the   
support of all who love the ,lord ,jesus
 in sincerity and  in truth4    ,the    
object of the ,society is               
twofold--embracing both the purposes    
which ,i  have just been                
enforcing3--,the conversion of souls1   
sought by direct and  appropriate means2
 and the general benefit of all classes 
of society1 by  a supply of works in    
general literature purified by the      
presiding power  of ,christian truth1   
righteousness1 love1 and wisdom4    ,the
 first object was originally the only   
one1 and has ever been the  chief2 and  
the good done by the religious tracts   
which the ,society has  circulated1     

nobody can calculate4  ,who can tell the
 blessings conveyed in  8,the           
,dairyman's ,daughter0 and 8,the ,young 
,cottager10 tracts which1 though  old1  
can never be out of date--tracts which  
have been very rarely  equalled1 and1 ,i
 believe1 never surpassed8  ,others less
 striking have  been the instruments of 
vast usefulness4  ,the annual           
circulation from the  ,london depot1 ,i 
see1 is #da1jdd1ggb2 the total of       
issues1 including those  which are from 
foreign societies1 connected with this1 
#di1jjj1jjj4  ,the  total circulation of
 tracts for seventy-one years reaches   
the enormous  amount of nearly          
#a1cce1jjj1jjj4  ,it would seem1 looking
 at these almost  incredible numbers1 as
 if the world could not contain so many 
books  written of ,him2 and yet how     
many1 many millions of the men and women
 in  the world know nothing of ,him1 and
 have never yet been reached by any of  
these publications6  ,what shoals have  
been and still are coming forth on  the 

other side1 full of infidelity and      
superstition and vice6  ,so that1  after
 all1 the work of this ,society is not  
half done4    ,the second object--the   
hallowing of literature with a          
,christian spirit--has  increasingly    
occupied the attention of the ,society  
of late years1 but  never1 in the       
slightest degree1 to the neglect of the 
first4  ,the  catalogue of its published
 books includes1 besides solid divinity1
 lively  histories1 pleasant            
biographies1 sparkling fictions1        
religious1 moral1  and descriptive      
poetry4  ,old works are brought out in  
modern dress under  the care of         
competent editors2 works entirely new   
are issued under the  sanction of the   
,committee1 which renders itself        
responsible for their  contents4  ,the  
pencil of the artist1 the burin of the  
engraver1 are  employed in the          
illustration and adornment of many of   
the publications2  and in an artistic as
 well as literary respect1 8,the        

,leisure ,hour0 and  the 8,sunday at    
,home0 stand deservedly high amongst our
 popular  periodicals4  ,they are making
 way amongst the intelligent and the    
tasteful1 conciliating prejudice1       
producing favourable impressions of     
,christian truth1 and guiding the young 
into right paths4    ,the prophet       
,ezekiel stood in the court of the      
,temple at ,jerusalem1 and  watched the 
flow of waters issuing 8from under the  
threshold of the house  eastward10 and  
descending the slope of ,zion into the  
,valley of  ,jehoshaphat2 he watched and
 followed the man with the measuring    
line in  his hand through the waters1   
which were first ancle and then knee    
deep1  and which1 as they proceeded     
along the limestone gorge1 rose up to   
the  loins1 and then became waters to   
swim in--a river which could not be     
passed over4  ,when it reached the ,dead
 ,sea it healed the waters of it1  and  
where it came everything lived4  ,then  
the prophet saw1 in vision1  groves1    

orchards1 gardens1 rising on each side  
of this river4  ,such is  the ,old      
,testament type of the ,gospel of       
,christianity4  ,it may be applied  to  
all forms of its influence and action4  
,we venture to employ it as a  figure of
 what this ,society is doing4  ,it      
issues fertilizing1  life-giving1 and   
healing streams1 because it is filling  
the world with  books written about the 
many things which ,jesus did1 and is    
doing1 and  will do for the sons of men4
  8,and by the river1 upon the bank     
thereof1  on this side and on that side1
 shall grow all trees for meat1 whose   
leaf  shall not fade1 neither shall the 
fruit thereof be consumed3 it shall     
bring forth new fruit according to his  
months1 because their waters they       
issued out of the sanctuary2 and the    
fruit thereof shall be for meat1 and    
the leaf thereof for medicine40         
,,abstract ,,of ,,the ,,seventy-,,first 
,,report  ,,of ,,the  ,,religious       
,,tract ,,society1  ,,for ,,the ,,year  

,,ending ,,march #ca1 #ahgj4      ,,the 
object of the ,,religious ,,tract       
,,society1 like that of the public      
ministry of the ,word1 is to impress the
 contents of the sacred volume--its     
doctrines1 its precepts1 its promises1  
its prospects--separately1 or in  varied
 combinations1 upon the consciences and 
affections of men according  to their   
spiritual needs4  ,in pursuing this     
object1 it strives to imitate  the      
,divine book itself1 and to teach1 not  
by doctrine only1 but by  history1      
biography1 poetry1 parable2 and to tinge
 its information or  instruction1 as to 
the events of every-day life1 with the  
spirit of pure  and undefiled religion  
before ,god and the                     
,father--disinterested  benevolence and 
personal holiness4    ,there have been  
issued1 during the year1 ,,three        
,,hundred ,,and ,,eighty-,,three  new   
publications1 of which ,,one ,,hundred  
,,and ,,thirty-,,one were ,tracts4  ,the
  ,books include a revised ,quarto      

,paragraph ,new ,testament1 and two     
,parts of  the ,old2 a historic ,survey 
of the ,papacy2 a ,grammar and          
,vocabulary of the  ,greek ,testament1  
and many of a general character adapted 
for both adults  and youth2 and amongst 
the ,periodicals1 a new one entitled    
8,the ,true  ,catholic40                
,,foreign ,,operations4      ,,europe   
,,france4      ,to the ,,paris ,,tract  
,,society1 the ,committee have voted    
#ajj to reduce the  price of the        
,almanach des ,bons ,conseils1 #abj     
towards the free  circulation of        
#ajj1jjj tracts1 including a monthly    
grant to the agents of  the ,home       
,missionary ,society1 and #cjj for the  
publication of various  tracts monthly  
in editions of #aj1jjj each4    ,to     
,toulouse1 #cjj has been given2 and to  
,m4 ,puaux1 #ajj4    ,grants have also  
been made to the ,strasbourg ,society of
 #aj2 to ,m4  ,jenkins1 of ,morlaix1 for
 ,breton publications1 #ai #ajs4 #e;d42 
and to ,pastor  ,maillard1 of ,la       

,mothe1 #bj1 for the publication of a   
,hymn ,book4      ,,belgium ,,and       
,,holland4      ,the ,committee have    
furnished the ,belgian ,evangelical     
,society with the  means for publishing 
an edition of #c1jjj of a new           
translation of the ,rev4  ,newman       
,hall's 8,come to ,jesus10 and #e1jjj   
each of eleven ,flemish tracts4  ,they  
have also continued their subsidies to  
the ,flemish ,christian monthly         
periodical1 and1 for a period of the    
year1 to the ,french ,chrtien  ,belge4  
,,rotterdam4--,m4 ,,herklotts has issued
 from the auxiliary--,tracts1 #eg1aha2  
,books1 #a1gdg2 ,handbills1 #ac1jej2    
total1 #ga1igh4  ,the 8,sinner's        
,friend0  has been reprinted1 and #g1jej
 copies issued4    ,,amsterdam4--,during
 the past year1 a ,workmen's ,exhibition
 was held in this  city1 and the        
,committee sent to ,pastor ,adama v4    
,scheltema #aj in ,english  tracts1 #aj 
in foreign1 and #aj in ,dutch tracts4   
,a handsome kiosk was  erected for their

 reception4  ,they were wisely          
distributed and well  received4         
,,switzerland4      ,grants voted to    
,switzerland1 #adf #ads4      ,,russia4 
,,st4 ,,petersburg4--,twenty-three new  
tracts have been printed--#aba1jjj      
copies--at a cost of #hj to the         
,society4  ,they are chiefly            
translations  from ,english tracts1 and 
all contain the ,gospel of our ,lord4   
,the sales1 including nearly #h1jjj     
,german tracts and books1 have reached  
during the past year #aae1hbc copies4   
,the gratuitous circulation has  been1  
in addition1 #b1fjj tracts4    ,at      
,,riga1 ,m4 ,,loeswitz still pursues his
 tract publication in the ,german1      
,lettish1 ,esthonian1 and ,polish       
languages4  ,his scheme involved the    
printing of #ij1jjj tracts and books in 
these tongues at a cost of over  #cjj1  
towards which the ,committee contributed
 #ajj4      ,,sweden ,,and ,,norway4    
,the ,stockholm ,missionary ,union1 of  
which the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,wiberg is         

,secretary1 has issued sixteen new      
tracts1 in editions of #aj1jjj each1 at 
a cost of #dd1 towards which the        
,committee have voted #bj4    ,the      
gratuitous circulation during the year  
amounts to #hj1jjj1 by the  hands of    
sixteen agents employed in various parts
 of the kingdom4    ,through the ,rev4  
,j4 ,,storjohann1 the ,norwegian        
,chaplain to the ,port of  ,london1 the 
,committee have printed six tracts in   
,norse1 amounting to  #ae1ejj copies4   
,,germany4      ,,hamburg4--,the ,lower 
,saxony ,tract ,society has received the
 usual grant of  #cej4  ,it has printed 
during the year #hgj1jjj publications1  
and  circulated by sale and gift        
#a1jfj1jjj4    ,mr4 ,oncken's           
circulation for the year ending ,march  
#ca1 #ahgj1 was  #a1jcj1cjf4  ,the      
grants made to him have been #cjj for   
tract printing1  #ajj for the purchase  
of tracts from other ,german ,societies1
 and #ac for  ,spanish and ,russian     
tracts4    ,the ,bremen ,society1       

conducted by ,dr4 ,jacobi1 has received 
#he1  principally for ,german versions  
of the ,society's ,english tracts4      
,the miscellaneous grants are two of #bj
 each to ,mr4 ,lehmann1 of ,berlin1  one
 of whose distributors has been         
imprisoned for giving away a tract      
under prohibited circumstances2 #cj to  
,dr4 ,adelberg1 of ,erlangen2 #aj to    
,pastor ,tretzel1 ,nremberg2 #bj to     
,nassau2 #cj to ,baden2 and #bj ,english
  books for the daughter of the late    
,dr4 ,fliedner1 at ,hilden4             
,,hungary4      ,the sums expended in   
this field amount to #dfj3--ce1jjj      
copies of tracts  in ,hungarian have    
been printed1 and #ac1jjj in ,slavonian4
      ,,italy4      ,the books printed  
at the ,typographia ,claudiana1 at the  
cost of the  ,society1 during the past  
year amounted to #dj1ejj copies4        
,grants voted to ,italy1 #hai #ds4      
,,spain4      ,from ,november1 #ahfh1 to
 ,february1 #ahgj1 #a1ejj1jjj tracts    
have been  printed at ,madrid1 at a cost

 of #a1dij4    8,tracts are a mighty    
power rightly used1 but tracts can be   
wasted and  the tract brought into      
contempt4  ,the rule we desire to see   
carried out  in ,spain is1 tracts given 
to all who purchase ,gospels2 an        
assortment to  purchasers of ,bibles and
 ,testaments1 given to those who can    
read1 or  who have sons or children who 
can read for them40      ,,turkey4      
,the works printed during the past year 
at the cost of the ,committee by  the   
,american ,missionaries in              
,constantinople1 who have received the  
usual  grant of #cjj1 have amounted to  
#ac1jjj copies in ,arabo-,turkish2      
#h1jjj in  ,armenian2 #c1jjj in         
,armeno-,turkish2 and #f1jjj in         
,bulgarian4      ,,asiatic ,,operations4
    ,,india4      ,the report from      
,india speaks of movement and progress  
both in printing  and circulation4      
,madras writes3--8,the past year records
 the largest number of distinct         
publications that have ever been        

published in any one year4  ,the average
  number of new publications has only   
been seven3 this year  seventy-seven    
distinct publications have been issued1 
sixty-four of  which are new tracts and 
books4  ,the printing is about the      
average40    ,from ,,bombay1 ,mr4 ,bowen
 says3--8,our circulation is much in    
advance of what  it ever was4  ,our     
financial condition is good40    ,from  
,,colombo ,mr4 ,murdoch says3--8,the    
subscriptions are somewhat in advance   
of the preceding year2 but the most     
encouraging feature is the great        
increase1 amounting to #de per cent4    
beyond former sales40    ,the amount of 
paper granted to the various printing   
presses during the  past year has been  
considerably increased1 being #c1jfb    
reams2 while  #ged1aaj books and tracts 
have been printed during the year by the
 various  ,indian ,auxiliaries4         
,,china4      ,the total grants during  
the year have amounted to #bdg4         
,returns of  publications printed not   

received in time for the ,report4       
,,british ,,north ,,america4      ,the  
grants of tracts and ,sunday-school     
libraries made to this part of the      
field amount to #edf4      ,,west       
,,indies1 ,,etc4      ,including        
,jamaica1 ,antigua1 ,turk's ,island1    
,demerara1 ,cuba1 ,brazil1  ,honduras1  
,mexico1 have received grants to the    
amount of #afi4      ,,australia1 ,,new 
,,zealand1 ,,tasmania4      ,the grants 
during the year to our brethren in these
 distant parts of the  globe were as    
follows3--    ,adelaide1 #ce #ads42     
,goulburn1 #e2 ,hobart ,town1 #ac2      
,melbourne1 #aj2                        
,victoria--,miscellaneous1 #bb2 ,sydney1
 #ajd #ajs42 ,launceston1 #f2           
,queensland1 #g #aes42 ,miscellaneous1  
#aj2 ,total1 #bjd4      ,,africa4       
,the grants made to this continent      
amount to #gc4        ,,funds4      ,the
 benevolent receipts1 including         
legacies1 amount to #ae1dgi2 but as     
#ejj of this sum is by the will of the  

testator1 ,mr4 ,william ,hollins1       
directed to be kept distinct1 the       
dividends upon it have alone been       
available1 thus reducing the amount to  
#ad1igi4    ,the grants for the year1   
including money1 paper1 and             
publications1 have  amounted to #ag1bbc1
 making the excess of grants over the   
receipts  #b1bdd4        ,,circulation4 
,the total circulation for the year is  
about forty-one millions of             
publications from the ,home ,depository2
 and about eight millions more from     
,foreign ,depts4        ,,privileges    
,,of ,,subscribers4      ,all           
,subscribers to the ,parent ,society are
 allowed a discount of #be per  cent4 on
 all their purchases2 while the         
,subscription itself is  appropriated to
 the ,society's ,grants at ,home and    
,abroad4                                
99 99 99 99 99          ,,depositories3 
#ef1 ,,paternoster ,,row2 #fe1 ,,st4    
,,paul',s ,,churchyard2                 
#afd1 ,,piccadilly2 ,,and #ca ,,western 

,,road1 ,,brighton4                     
,,society',s ,,periodicals4             
,,the ,,true ,,catholic4                
,,published ,,in ,,the ,,interests ,,of 
,,scriptural ,,truth4  ,one ,penny1     
,monthly4                               
,,the ,,cottager ,,and ,,artizan4    ,a 
,,monthly ,,periodical ,,for ,,the      
,,labouring ,,classes4  ,in large type1 
with fine                               
,illustrations4  ,price ,one ,penny4    
,the ,volume for #ahfi1 with cover      
printed in oil colours1 #as4 #f;d4      
,,new ,,series ,,of                     
,,the ,,tract ,,magazine4               
,monthly1 price ,one ,penny4  ,,for     
,,loan ,,circulation ,,and ,,family     
,,reading4     ,volume for #ahfi1 #as4  
#f;d41 with coloured ,frontispiece and  
,engravings4                  ,,the     
,,child',s ,,companion ,,and ,,juvenile 
,,instructor4      ,published ,monthly1 
price ,one ,penny4  ,printed in small   
quarto size1 and    embellished with    
large tinted and other ,engravings by   

the best ,english                       
and ,foreign ,artists4    ,the ,volume  
for #ahfi1 #as4 #f;d41 fancy cover2 #bs4
 extra cloth1 gilt4                     
,,the ,,leisure ,,hour4        ,a       
,,family ,,journal ,,of ,,instruction   
,,and ,,recreation4  ,coloured and ,wood
           ,engravings4  ,weekly1 ,one  
,penny2 ,monthly ,parts1 ,sixpence4     
,,the ,,sunday ,,at ,,home4      ,a     
,,family ,,magazine ,,for ,,sabbath     
,,reading4  ,coloured and ,wood         
,engravings4                 ,weekly1   
,one ,penny2 ,monthly ,parts1 ,sixpence4
    ,,paragraph ,,bible1 with           
,emendations4--,,the ,,holy ,,bible1    
according to the  ,authorized ,versions1
 in ,paragraphs and ,sections1 with     
,emendations of the  ,text2 also ,maps1 
,chronological ,tables1 and ,marginal   
,references4  ,royal  #dto1 large type4 
,part ,i41 ,genesis to ,deuteronomy1    
#fs4  ,part ,,ii41 ,joshua  to ,esther1 
#hs42 together in boards1 #afs4  ,part  
,v41 ,the ,gospels1 #ds4  ,part  ,,vi41 

,the ,epistles1 #ds4 #f;d4  ,the ,new   
,testament1 complete in one vol41 #ajs4 
#f;d41 boards4    ,this important work1 
upon which several eminent scholars have
 been  engaged1 has been in course of   
preparation for many years4  ,the aim   
has been to give to ,english readers the
 benefit of all such emendations  of the
 text as are valuable1 and have the     
sanction of the best  authorities1 while
 avoiding such as are either doubtful or
 trivial4    ,,the ,,annotated          
,,paragraph ,,bible4--,the ,,old and    
,,new ,,testaments1 according to  the   
,authorized ,versions1 arranged in      
,paragraphs and ,parallelisms1 with     
,explanatory ,notes1 ,prefaces1 and ,new
 ,selection of ,references4  ,maps and  
,engravings4  ,super-royal #hvo4  ,old  
,testament1 #ads4 boards2 ,new          
,testament1  #gs4  ,complete in one     
vol41 #bjs41 boards4  7,for other styles
 and prices1  see ,catalogue47          
,,tracts ,,published ,,by ,,the         
,,society4 i      ,,first               

,,series--consisting of doctrinal       
statements1 appeals to the heart and    
conscience1 refutations of ,romanism and
 infidelity1 addresses to various       
classes and ages1 etc4  ,about #hjj     
sorts1 at the rate of #djj pages for    
,one  ,shilling4    ,,second ,,series1  
principally intended for sale by hawkers
 and other  itinerant vendors4  ,also   
suited for general distribution4  #adj  
sorts1  each consisting of #h pages1    
sold at #bs4 #d;d4 per #ajj4            
,,biographical ,,series are of a larger 
size1 each containing #bd pages1 and    
consist of memoirs of eminent           
,christians4    ,,narrative             
,,series--containing true narratives and
 sketches of character1  specially      
suited for loan circulation4  ,about    
#bdj sorts1 sold at the rate  of #djj   
pages for ,one ,shilling4    ,,every    
,,week4--,a new ,tract is published     
every ,wednesday in the ,year1  entitled
 8,,every ,,week10 designed for         
systematic or occasional distribution   

among all classes4  ,each consists of   
four pages1 with illustrations or       
ornamental headings1 and is sold at #as4
 per #ajj4  #agh are issued4  ,also  in 
,sixpenny ,packets4    ,,tracts in      
,large ,type1 a considerable variety1   
suited to the aged and  those who can   
read but little4  ,sold at the rate of  
#djj pages for ,one  ,shilling4         
,,wayside ,,books1 in packets1 suited   
for general distribution1 and for       
inclosure in letters4  ,price #f;d4 per 
,packet4    ,,the ,,separate ,,series1  
for circulation among the fallen1 etc41 
#bh in  number4    ,,book ,,tracts1 in  
neat covers1 and ,,envelope ,,series1   
for circulation amongst  the higher     
classes1 through letters1 etc4          
,,children',s ,,tracts1 #aib in number1 
printed in #cbmo1 with engravings1 and  
sold at #f;d4 per #ajj4    ,,handbills1 
illustrated1 at #aj;d4 per #ajj1 and    
without illustrations at #f;d4  per     
#ajj4        ,catalogues of the         
,society's ,publications4      #a4      

,general ,catalogue of ,books--         
,containing numerous valuable           
,works--,,biblical1 ,,doctrinal1 ,,and  
,,practical    ,,theology--,,devotional 
,,and                                   
,,experimental--,,anti-,,romanist--,,ant
i-,,infidel--,,biographical--,,domestic 
,,life--,,for    ,,soldiers ,,and       
,,sailors--,,for ,,the ,,afflicted ,,and
 ,,bereaved--,,for ,,the                
,,aged--,,sermons1 ,,etc4  ,also a large
 variety of ,,books ,,for ,,the ,,young1
 suited    to all ranks of society1     
bound in various styles1 and at prices  
ranging    from ,one ,farthing to ,ten  
,shillings2 ,,picture ,,cards1 etc4     
#b4  ,a ,classified ,catalogue of       
,books--      ,arranged according as the
 ,works are designed for ,adults or the 
,young4    #c4  ,catalogue of ,tracts1  
,handbills1 ,sermons1 etc4    #d4       
,catalogue of ,foreign ,books and       
,tracts--      ,,french1 ,,german1      
,,dutch1 ,,spanish1 ,,italian1          
,,portuguese1 ,,danish1 ,,swedish1      

,,modern ,,greek1 etc4                  
99 99 99 99 99           ,a ,copy of any
 of the above may be had on application 
at the                                  
,depositories4          ,,footnotes4    
i  ,in the printed pamphlet this section
 comes before the title  page4--,,dp4