THE WORK BEGUN.
Henceforward, then, the olive-leaf plucked off,
Carried to every nation,
Shall promise be of re-awakening life,
Our sinful world's salvation.
WE have seen that the incident recorded in the last chapter made a
deep impression upon the mind and heart of Mr. Charles. The thought of
that bare-footed child, her weary journey, her eagerness to spend her
six years' savings in the purchase of a Bible; then her bitter tears
of disappointment, and her sweet tears of joy—all these came back to
his recollection again and again, came blended with the memory of the
ignorance and darkness of too many of his countrymen, and with the cry
that was ascending all over Wales for the Word of God.
The girl's story was only an illustration of the terrible sense of
spiritual death that prevailed during this famine of Bibles; and none
could know so well as this good man—whose influence was, from the
nature of his work, very widely diffused—how deep a want lay at the
root of the people's degradation and impiety, against which he seemed,
with all his earnest striving, to be making such slow progress. What
wonder, then, that the question how to secure the publication of
sufficient copies of God's Word for Wales, occupied his mind almost
without cessation?
In the winter of 1802, Mr. Charles visited London, full of his one
great thought and purpose, though not as yet seeing how it was to be
accomplished.
It was while revolving the matter in his mind one morning, that the
idea occurred to him of a Society for the diffusion of the Scriptures,
a society having for its sole object the publication and distribution
of God's Holy Word.
Consulting with some of his friends who belonged to the Committee of
the Religious Tract Society, he received the warmest sympathy and
encouragement, and was introduced at their next meeting, where he spoke
most feelingly and eloquently about Wales and its poverty in Bibles,
bringing forward the story which forms the subject of our little
book, and which gave point and pathos to his appeal on behalf of his
countrymen.
Nor was the appeal without effect. A thrill of sympathy with a people
that so longed and thirsted for the Word of God, ran through the
assembled meeting. An earnest desire took possession of Mr. Charles's
hearers to do something towards supplying the great need which he so
touchingly advocated; and the hearts of many were further stirred,
and their sympathies quickened, when one of the secretaries of the
Committee, the Reverend Joseph Hughes, rose, and in reply to Mr.
Charles's appeal for Bibles for Wales, exclaimed enthusiastically: "Mr.
Charles, surely a society might be formed for the purpose; and if for
Wales, why not for the world?"
This noble Christian sentiment found an echo in the hearts of many
among the audience, and the secretary was instructed to prepare a
letter inviting Christians everywhere, and of all denominations, to
unite in forming a society having for its object the diffusion of God's
Word over the whole earth.
Two years passed in making known the purpose of the Committee, and in
necessary preliminaries, but in the month of March, 1804, the British
and Foreign Bible Society was actually established, and at its first
meeting the sum of £700 was subscribed.
Unfortunately Mr. Charles was unable to be present at this meeting.
He was hard at work at home in Wales, but he heard the news with
the greatest joy; and it was owing to his exertions and to those of
his friends, as well as to the efforts of other Christian workers
who deeply felt the great need of the people at this time, that the
contributions in Wales amounted to nearly £1,900; most of this sum
consisting of the subscriptions and donations of the lower and poorer
classes.
In the foundation of the Bible Society all denominations met, and were
brought thus into sympathy by a common cause, and an earnest wish to
serve one common Master. Hence we see representatives of all Christian
Churches working together for the good and enlightenment of the world.
Meanwhile, wherever Mr. Charles was at work, wherever his influence
extended, there was awakened the longing, and thence arose the
petition, for the Word of Life; and wherever he told the story, either
on Welsh or English platforms, of the little maiden of Llanfihangel,
the simple narrative never failed to carry home some lessons to the
heart of each hearer.
[Illustration: MONUMENT TO MR. CHARLES AT BALA.]
Great was the joy and thankfulness of this single-minded and
hard-working minister of Christ, when he learnt that the first
resolution of the Committee of the Bible Society was to bring out an
edition of the Welsh Bible for the use of Welsh Sunday schools; and his
delight was greater still when the first consignment of these Bibles
reached Bala in 1806.
Among the most useful workers in the early years of the Bible Society
was the Reverend John Owen, who soon became one of its secretaries, and
proved a most earnest and able promoter of the glorious enterprise.
Associated also with this time of the great Society's childhood are
the honoured names of Steinkopff, of Wilberforce, and of Josiah Pratt;
while in Wales, among its earliest supporters, were Dr. Warren, Bishop
of Bangor, and Dr. Burgess, Bishop of St. David's, who united cordially
with Mr. Charles and others in the good work. As to Mr. Charles
himself, he evinced the deepest interest in the new spheres of labour
and usefulness opening in all directions,—an interest which showed
itself in many practical ways up to the time of his death.
But in following the operations of the Bible Society, we must not
forget our friend Mary Jones, who during this time had passed from
early girlhood to womanhood.
On leaving school, she worked as a weaver, and we conclude that she was
still living with her parents.
Of one thing we may be sure: that her precious Bible was as dear to her
as ever, and that she was intensely interested in the founding of the
Bible Society, and in the news of the first edition of Welsh Bibles
having been received at Bala.
But in addition to her weaving, and the household help she gave her
mother, who was not so well or strong as formerly, Mary had developed a
talent for dressmaking, which stood her in good stead when she wished
to earn a little extra money.
All who could afford it came to her to cut out and make their dresses,
and though Mary never wasted a moment, she sometimes found it quite
difficult to do during the day all that she had planned.
As for Jacob, he was more and more a martyr to asthma, and when the
winter winds and fogs came his sufferings were very great, though they
never exceeded the quiet patience and fortitude with which he bore his
affliction—bore it, as he said, "for the dear Lord's sake," who had
borne so much for him.
Occasionally Mr. Charles would visit Abergynolwyn, and every now and
then Llanfihangel, and at such times he and Mary Jones met again, and
she would learn from him how the Society in London was going on—that
great London which was a strange, distant, untried world to her, such
vague ideas had she of its size and its distance from the little,
quiet, secluded place where she lived.
And so, up in London, the great tree of life went on spreading, and
growing, while the root from which it had sprung remained in Wales
unperceived almost beneath the soil. And thus we see in this life that
God has need of the high and the lowly, the great and the small, the
gold and the baser metal; and "out" of all, and "through" all, and "in"
all, He works His wondrous way, and permits His creatures to join, as
it were, with Him in the turning of the world from darkness to His
marvellous light.
[Illustration: _Manet._ _"It remains."_
(_From a Bible in the Society's Library._)]
[Illustration: LLAN-Y-CIL CHURCH.
(_The Burial-place of the Rev. Thomas Charles._)]