216 ANECDOTE OF GENEROUS FRIENDSHIP. Their name, their years, spelt by the unletter'd muse, And many a holy text around she strews, For who, to dumb forgetfulness a prey, On some fond breast the parting soul relies, ANECDOTE OF GENEROUS FRIENDSHIP.. DIONYSIUS, the Emperor of Syracuse, had passed sentence of death upon Damon; and the day for his execution was fixed. The poor man requested but one favour from the tyrant, which was, that he might be permitted to visit his family, who were at that time at a considerable distance from him, promising faithfully to return on the day appointed. This Dionysius refused, unless some person could be found who would consent to suffer death in his stead, if he did not perform his promise. The thing appeared so improbable, that Damon gave up all hopes of ever seeing his family again, It so happened, that Pythias, the friend of Damon, heard of the Emperor's proposal; and unknown to Damon, offered himself as a surety for his friend. Dio nysius accepted him. Damon was liberated, and Pythias was put in prison in his stead. Various unfavourable circumstances occurred to prevent the return of Damon at the appointed time. The very morning of the day of the proposed execution had dawned upon Syracuse before his arrival. Dionysius had the curio sity to visit Pythias in the prison, as the day of the intended execution drew near, that he might learn from ANECDOTE OF GENEROUS FRIENDSHIP. 217 him what he now thought of his folly in becoming surety for a man who had already broken his promise. He found the generous man full of joy at the prospect of death, that he might thereby save a life, abundantly more valuable than his own. At the same time, he ex pressed his hopes that unfavourable winds might prevent his friend's return. When the hour arrived, Pythias was led forth to the place of execution. Dionysius was present to feast his eyes with the sight. In a short speech, he told the surrounding multitude, that his dear friend Damon would soon arrive, but he hoped not before his death had saved a life so valuable as Damon's was to his family, his friends, and his country. He begged them to consider, that from contrary winds, which had blown from one point many days past, it was impossible for his friend to have returned. But, since yesterday, he observed, the wind was changed, and Damon would soon be here. "Make haste, therefore," said he to the executioner," and do your office." At that moment a voice was heard from among the crowd, "Stop, stop the execution." The people joined in the cry, and it was soon echoed from all quarters. It was Damon. He was mounted on a horse covered with foam, from the rapidity with which he had rode. He leaped from his horse, and ascended the scaffold in a moment. He could say no more, but you are safe, you are safe, my friend, and I am happy." Pythias, on the other hand, said, "Oh! fatal haste, that hath brought you here too soon!" Dionysius, who was a cruel and a hard-hearted man, saw what passed between these two friends, and, for the first time in his life, he felt the force of generous friendship. He descended from his throne of state, mounted the platform, and, from a conviction not to be resist ed, cried out, "Live, ye generous friends, both of you, and form my mind, by such an example of generous friendship, to imitate a virtue so truly noble."A higher instance of human friendship never was exhibited, and cannot easily be conceived. But the Bible teaches us, that "there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother," and that this friend "laid down his life for his enemies.". Let the love of Christ, who died that L 218 THE MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETIES. we might live," constrain us to live no more unto our selves, but unto Him who thus died for us and rose again:" And let us be ready to resign our all, and even our lives, if ever it shall be necessary to make such a sacrifice, for his sake and the Gospel's. THE MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETIES. It is on the authority of the divine testimony that we are informed, that "this is life eternal, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent," and that "there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved," but the name of Christ. -These statements are not more explicit than the inference to which they directly lead, as to the necessity and importance of Christianity to the present and future happiness of the human race. Yet what a small proportion of mankind have hitherto been favoured with the light of the Gospel, in comparison with the thousand millions of people by whom it is supposed that the globe is now inhabited! The greater part by far are still sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. Upon the best of all evidence, however, we are taught to believe that the day shall come when there shall be one Lord, and his name one," throughout all the earth. -To promote this object, and to hasten this happy period, great exertions are at present making, by the employment of those means which God has appointed for the accomplishment of his purposes of mercy to wards his fallen creatures. The two great instru ments for the propagation of Christianity are the preaching of the word, and the circulation of the Holy Scriptures; and no means can be better adapted to an end than these are to their proposed object. There is something in the communication of knowledge and instruction through the medium of spoken lan guage, which is peculiarly consonant with our natural constitution and character; and when it proceeds from a deep sense of the value and importance of the truths which it is employed to convey, and an honest THE MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETIES. 219 desire for the good of those to whom it is addressed— when it is directed at once to the understanding and the heart, and uttered with energy and fervour, it seldom fails to produce a powerful impression on the mind. It was in this way that the Gospel was at first made known by Christ and his apostles; and by the same agency it was introduced into our own country, and into every part of the world which it has hitherto reached. And it is not only sanctioned by such experience, and by so great an example, but proceeds upon the express command of the Author and Finisher of our faith, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature," accompanied with his gracious promise, "Lo! I am with you alway, even to the end." Man is, however, a mortal and short-lived being. "All flesh is as grass but the word of the Lord endureth for ever," and is transmitted from generation to generation by means of the permanent record of it which is contained in the Bible, and which having been originally dictated by the Spirit of God, was committed to writing, for the very purpose of preserving and perpetuating the knowledge of his revealed will, amidst all the vicissitudes that should occur to the end of time. The invention of the art of printing has tended, in an astonishing degree, to increase the force of this instrument for the propagation of Christianity; and it would be as possible to pluck the sun from the firmament, as now to expel the Bible from the world. Man is, besides, a fallible being, and his verbal communications to his fellow creatures, are liable to error. But there can be no error in a book which proceeds from God; and by having the Holy Scriptures in our hands, we are possessed of the most certain channel for attaining the knowledge of divine truth, without any mixture of those prejudices or mistakes which may arise from the imperfection of human nature. It is in the work of carrying into vigorous and extensive operation these two great instruments for the diffusion of Christianity, that the Missionary and Bible Societies are at present so zealously employed. By means of the former, the glad tidings of salvation are proclaimed in heathen and infidel lands, where such a joyful sound was never be 220 THE MISSIONARY AND BIBLE SOCIETIES. fore heard; and by the latter, copies of the Scriptures are multiplied in all languages, and dispersed through out the nations. There are at present (1822) in operation, thirteen different Missionary Societies, occupying nearly two hundred different stations, and employing more than four hundred Missionaries, including native preachers. Of these, 87 Stations, and 190 Missionaries, are in Asia ; 68 do. 151 do. do. do. America; Africa; Europe, T on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The British and Foreign Bible Society was instituted in the year 1804, and commenced its operations in 1805 since which period, it has received in contributions, from the pounds of the wealthier, and the pence of the poorer classes of the community, the sum of £1,048,047. 3s. 5d., and expended £998,393. 16s. 10d. It has at present 291 Auxiliary, and 438 Branch Associations, making together 729 subsidiary Bible Societies in Great Britain. It has, besides, been the means of establishing in other parts Of Europe......56 Societies, and 452 Auxiliaries In whole 95 Societies, and 771 Auxiliaries; and thus there is a grand total of 1595 Bible Societies in the world. There have been purchased, and issued for the Society on the Continent of Europe, 135,795 Carried forward, 536,192 |