BIBLE IN THE WORLD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16424, 7 May 1924, Page 3

BIBLE IN THE WORLD.

yiftlT OF BIBLE SOCIETY’.S WORLD SECRETARY.

The war wounds of Europe, declared Dr. J. H. Rilson, world secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, an the course of a public address a,l- Dunedin. had become festering sorec, hut he believed tliait God was going to bring blessing out of -tibfe catastrophe, and His instrument once again would he the Bible. No democracy would ever he safe for the world until it recognised the absolute autocracy of Christ—(applause) —mid he believed that the only way in which the democracies of the world would lie won for Christ was through the Word of God. The Gospel could now b°, read in their own language fcy three onti of every four of the human race.— (Anphvuso.) Thev turned out 30.000 volumes of the Bible either in whole or in part on every working day in the v-fiar. They need' not worry about the Bible. It would take care of itself. It wias never so popular as it was to-day. There was no corner of Europe that yvas not being provided for by the Bible Society. When be had crossed Siberia not long after- the- Russo-Japanese war he saw the Bible from end to end of that country. It was ealgerly bought co by the Russian soldiery, and the Bible Setae ty had access to- the penal sett'e-rne-nts where, the Word of God 1 brought right and liberty to the condemned captive® there. The Bible was being taken to the nomad desert tribes to whom no missionary couul go. Speaking of the work in China-, Tie said the Bible Society win's soiling more Scriptures myw in China —three and a huff million cmnudly—than in England. China needed leaders, and if they could scatter the Word of God in every part of that vast country China, would!bn won for Christ. In Japan they had had a, great loss. At, the time of the earthquake their safes had been burst open and stereos bad betm'* destroyed to tin: value of £14.000 for which thieve was no recoinnense from insurance companies. Dr. Ritson outlined the great work .going on ?n Korea-, in Malaya., in India-, which is being leavened with the Bible. Kind in Thibet, Persia, Arabia,, and Palestine. In Jerusalem lie had recently secured a, site for a Bible house rib a. cost of £4OOO. In vivid phrases lie sketched typical colporteur agents of the Bible Society whom lie had met and who were giving splendid- and courageous service. Tn Africa- the society win« distributing the Scriptures in 160 different languages. Hie related moving Cories of the utter generosity of poor natives who gave almost their a,’l to the Bible Society so that the Bible might be sent to others who were stid worse off. In conclusion, lie briefly indicated the progress of the work of the society in Soul'll, and North America, and in the Pacific Islands.