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FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY.

time, that has sewed up the slashed sleeve, and reduced the large trunk hose to a neat pair of silk stockings, has left human nature just where it found it. The inside of man at least has undergone no change. His passions, appetites, and aims, are just what they ever were. They wear, perhaps, a handsomer disguise than they did in days of yore; for philosophy and literature will have their effect upon the interior; but, in every other respect, a modern is only an ancient in a different dress. W. C.

Facts, Hints, Gems, and Poetry.

Facts.

POPULATION AND RELIGIONS OF THE

WORLD.

SUPPOSING the entire population to be
about 1,000,000,000, they may thus be
distributed as to religions :-
Protestants
Roman Catholics

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or sixteen times twenty-four thousand miles, or sixteen times round the world.

It is believed that two thousand heathens die every hour; therefore, seventeen millions four hundred and twenty-two thousand heathens die

Hints.

70,000,000 every year! 130,000,000 56,000,000 THERE ARE FEW more pleasant 8,000,000 things in the world than pleasant 6,000,000 thoughts. Seek for and cherish them; 100,000,000 they are worth more than money 630,000,000 by far.

Or, supposing the population to be 970,000,000, there are

In Europe

Asia..

Africa

America

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Australia and Polynesia..

Of these there are

Jews..

Mohammedans
Brahmists

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TEARS OF COMPASSION for the sufferings of others, are more precious than 230,000,000 morning dew-drops falling from bloom630,000,000 ing roses. PERFECT HAPPINESS is not now our 60,000,000 47,000,000 portion, but every one of us may have such a taste of it as to make us desire 3,000,000 to enjoy it with God in heaven.

TRUE KINDNESS seeks not to parade Nominal Christians, about 270,000,000 its doings in the glare of day, but, like 5,000,000 the glow-worm, shines the brightest 100,000,000 when no eyes but those of heaven are 70,000,000 upon it. 335,000,000 GOLD IS AN IDOL, and though without a single temple, receives more worship than any other false god: and it is remarkable that there is not one hypocrite among all its worshippers.

Buddhists
Various other inhabitants 160,000,000
More than 600,000,000 of the popu-
lation of the globe are in spiritual
darkness and death. A million of men,
standing one behind another, would
reach 647 miles, i.e., from one end
of England to the other; therefore
600,000,000 would reach 388,200 miles,

GAMBLING.-It is as impossible that a wise and good man should be a gambler, as that a gambler should be a wise and good man.

FACTS, HINTS, GEMS, AND POETRY.

THE CLOAK OF FRIENDSHIP is sometimes made of such poor thin stuff that it is easily rent or seen through. It ought to be strong and warm, and wide enough to cover your friend too, if needful.

FORTUNE TELLING is a barefaced impudent imposture to extort money under false pretences. But which is the bigger fool, the impostor or his dupe?

ENVY is the most self-tormenting and unsatisfying of all bad passions. It came into our world from hell along with the devil, and its only reward is vexation.

THE HARDEST PILLOW is that in which sin plants a sharp thorn. Jacob's pillow was a stone, but he fell fast asleep, and had a vision of angels.

Gems.

ON THE LOVE OF GOD TO YOU.

Nothing can be more certain. God loved a world of sinners. You are one, and therefore God loved you and gave his Son to save you.

You are a sinner. God knows that better than you, and yet, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

It is your soul that God loves, not you sins; he hates them, but he does not hate you. Jesus came to save your soul from sin.

Don't think that the death of Christ made God love us. It was the love of God which sent Jesus to suffer and die for us.

And don't imagine that God will not love you until you do some good thing to induce him. This is a grand mistake. He does love you already.

The only way for you to know that God does really love you, is to come to him just as you are, with all your sins, and ask Him, for Christ's sake, to blot them all out.

So coming to God in the name of Christ, you will not only obtain pardon, but by the Holy Spirit given unto you

God will so assure you of his love that you cannot doubt it.

Then, with unspeakable joy, you will say of the Father, "I love him because he first loved me;" and of the Saviour, "He loved me and gave himself for me."

Remember, then, that Christ did not die to purchase the love of God; but the Father sent him to show how much he already loved us. The death of Jesus was not the cause of God's love, but the proof of it.

Reader! Have you been stumbling? Read these thoughts again, and you will find the way is so plain that you need not go wrong.

Poetic Selections.

NEARER HOME.

ONE Sweetly welcome thought Comes to me o'er and o'er; I'm nearer home to-day

Than I've ever been before.

Nearer my Father's house,

Where many mansions be; Nearer the great white Throne, Nearer the Crystal sea:

Nearer the bound of life

Where we lay our burdens down;
Nearer leaving the cross,
Nearer gaining the crown.

But lying dimly between,

Winding down through the night, Lies the dark and uncertain stream Where there seems not a glimmer of light.

Saviour, increase my trust!

Strengthen my feeble faith!

Let me feel as I would when I stand
On the shore of that river of death-
Feel as I would where my feet

Even now dipping into the brink;
For it may be I'm nearer home,

Nearer now, than I think!

But sooner or later, whene'er

I am called to enter the river, Be with me, Lord Jesus, and then I shall go to be with Thee for ever!

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

The Children's Corner.

A KISS FOR A BLOW.

I once lived in Boston, says Mr. Wright, and was one of the city school committee. One day I visited one of the infant schools. There were

about fifty children in it, between four and eight years old.

"Children," said I, "have any of you a question to ask to-day?"

"Please tell us," said a little boy, "what is meant by 'overcoming evil with good?'"

"I am glad," said I, "you have asked that question; for I love to talk to you about peace, and show you how to settle all quarrels without fighting."

I tried to show them what the precept meant, and how to apply it and carry it out. I was trying to think of something to make it plain to the children, when the following incident occurred.

A boy about seven, and his sister about five years old, sat near me. As I was talking, George doubled his fist, and struck his sister on her head, as unkind and cruel brothers only do. She was angry in a moment, and raised her hand to strike him in return. The mistress saw her, and said, "Mary, you had better kiss your brother." Mary dropped her hand, and looked up at the teacher as if she did not fully understand her. She had never been taught at home to return good for evil; therefore, she thought if her brother struck her, she must return the blow. Her teacher looked very kindly at her, and at George, and said again, "My dear Mary, you had better kiss your brother. See now how very unhappy he looks!" Mary looked at her brother, and he looked very sullen and wretched. Soon her resentment was gone, love for her brother returned to her heart, and she threw both her arms about his neck, and kissed him! The poor boy was wholly unprepared for such a kind return for his blow; it broke his heart, and he burst into tears. The gentle sister took the corner of her apron and wiped away his tears, and sought to comfort him, by saying, with most endearing sweetness and generous affection, Don't cry, George; you did not hurt me much." But he cried the harder; and no wonder, for her conduct was enough to make anybody cry. This was a better answer to the boy's question than any I could have given.

GOING TO THE BANK.

"Он, yes," said the aged woman, "we're sure to get it if we be earnest enough." We had been speaking of forgiveness of sin, and a place in the family of God; and these she thought were to be got only by her earnest praying.

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And have you got them yet?" I asked.

She shook her head mournfully, and replied, "No, I'm fear't I hae na got it jist yet."

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What! have you not been asking for it?"

Surely, surely, but I dout I ha'ena been sae earnest as I wad need to be."

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And when do you think you will be as earnest as you need to be?"

After a pause, she answered, "Ah, weel! I dinna ken; but I'm sure we'll get it if we be earnest enough."

"Are you needing any money?" I inquired.

Looking both pleased to have done with the worry of such troublesome questioning, and surprised at the sudden change of subject, she faintly smiled and said, "Oh, ay, I'm ne'er abuve the need o' that."

"Would twenty pounds do you any good?"

"Hoots! the half o't wad mak me a leddy."

"Well, you had better go down to the bank, and ask for twenty pounds from the banker."

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Oh, ye're jokin' me noo; the banker wad think I was gane wrang i' the mind if I did the like o' that."

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But ask earnestly; be earnest enough and tell him that he must give it, for you cannot do without it."

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What wad he care for my earnestness? He wad send for the police!"

"And why would he not care for your earnestness? why would he not give you the money ?"

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Na! what wad he gie me the money for, when I ha’e nane in his bank?"

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Oh, then he gives money only to those that have it in his hands?"

"I'm sure ye ken that brawly," said she, quite knowingly. "Yes, I know it. The banker is there to do what is right, and he will give money to no one except to those who have a right to receive it. Is not this the case?"

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GOING TO THE BANK.

"Yes," she said, "I believe it is."

"Then you cannot get any money from the banker for your own sake. Now, suppose that you know a kind and wealthy gentleman who has plenty of money in the bank, and who, besides, is interested in you. Well, suppose you go to him and tell him your need, and after he has heard you out, he smiles and says,Now you have done me the greatest favour you could have done me, for I feel it such a pleasure to help you.' And so saying he fills up an order out of his bank-book instructing the banker to pay you twenty pounds on demand, and to charge the sum to his account. Now, what would you do with that little bit of paper that he gives you?"

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"I wad tak' it to the bank, and get the siller wi't," she said. "But would you not need to ask for the money very earnestly?" Na, na, the bit o' paper wad be plenty o' itself, I'm thinkin'." Yes, certainly, everything depends on that bit of paper, and the name that is written on it. If you take the paper with you, you will at once get the money for the sake of him whose name is written at the bottom of it; but if you go without the paper, all your earnest asking will be quite useless, and why? because it would not be right in the banker to give it to you. The banker, you see, will give you nothing for your own sake, but he will give you any amount your friend pleases, for your friend's sake. "And now I wish you to attend very carefully to the application of this little parable to the subject we were speaking about. Do you know that you have nothing at all in God's bank, and that it is quite out of the question for you to expect such great blessings as forgiveness of sins, and such like, when you ask them in your own name, however earnestly you may ask? Ah, my friend, your name has as little weight in God's bank as it has in man's. Now, it is a blessed fact that God is willing to give to the sinner, -nay, that he delights in giving; but then he will give us only in a way that is just and righteous. In order that there might be such a way for God to forgive our sins, he sent his beloved Son to bear our sins himself, and thus to become the author of eternal salvation to all who believe in his name. And now, since the Lord Jesus has done all this, God is quite ready to pardon and to bless any sinner at once; but it must be clearly understood that what he gives us, he gives us only for Jesus' sake, and not for our own. Now, you have been all along completely setting aside the name of the Lord Jesus; and when you did go to ask

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