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Since its
f
oundation the Society has sent out over
320,000,000 copies of the Scriptures. It has printed,
published, or circulated at least so1ne book of the
Bible in 553 different languages and dialects, which
are current among three-quarters
of
the human race.
I
t
is now issuing the Gospel in some fresh tongue
on an average about once every six weeks.
.
The Society maintains depots in nearly a hundred
principal cities of the world.
Its 900 colporteurs
carry cheap copies of God's book into the remotest
corners of the earth, and sell them at prices which
even the very poor can afford to pay.
It
has inade the Bible the cheapest and most
accessible of books.
It supplies the over-seas mis–
sions of almost every Reformed Church with the
Scriptures which they need.
It co-operates with
the missionaries
in
preparing the versions ; it prints
the editions, bears the loss involved ín their sale at
reduced prices, and pays tbe carriage of the volumes
to the farthest mission-stations. Its popular editions
supply the Suriday-schools and home missions of
nearly every Christian denomina.tion, and all the
varied agencies of religious and philantbropic
activity.
The world-wide sprea<l of education is raising up
m~llions
of new readers every year. The vast modern
movements of emigration create linguislic
n
eds
which no other institution can meet. The triun:iphs
of ChriRtian missions
in
volve ever-increasing claims
upon the funds of the Bible Society.
On the whole, out of every
±:1
which the Society
spends in producing and distributing the Scriptures,
it is receiving back less than
7
s.
as the proceeds
o~
sales.
The Society stands in urgent need of
more generous support from lovers of the Bible,
so
that
it
may continue its sacred inission.
Gifts may be sent to the Secretaries, British an
Foreign Bible Society, 146, Queen Victoria Street,
London.
144