THE BIBLE AS A MISSIONARY.
One day a colporter entered the village of Montalborejo, in the Province of Toledo, in Spain, and offered his goods for sale. Among others he also sold a large Bible. Already the priest had been informed of the transaction. He rushed out of the church standing in the market-place, swiftly approached the colporter, tore the book out of the buyer’s hand, cast it upon the ground, and angrily exclaimed, “These books of the devil shall never enter my parish.” He roused the people, and especially the pious women, to anger, and they took up stones and cast them at the inoffensive man, causing him to flee, thankful to escape with his life. Six weeks later the colporter was again on the road to the self-same village. To his astonishment, the first man he met at the gate detained him with the question,— “Are you not the man who sold the Bible?” With fear and trembling he answered, “Yes, I am the man.” “Then come to our village; every one of us desires to purchase your book,” was the amazing reply. This was how the change was wrought. A merchant of the village picked up the book in the market-place, concluding that the paper might be used. Accordingly leaf after leaf was torn out to serve as wrappers for salt, sugar, rice, or other groceries, thus entering every hut. And so it was that when the leaves were scattered throughout the village, the pages were eagerly scanned, and one by one the people came to the merchant, requesting additional stray leaves to satisfy their thirst for knowledge concerning the Bible. The joy of the man as he heard this wonderful tale may well be imagined. In less than two days he had disposed of all his books, and was even compelled to tarry some time longer in order to teach the people the way of salvation.—Missionary Review of the World.