Isaiah ii. 2.-" AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THE LAST DAYS, THAT THE
MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD'S HOUSE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED IN THE TOP

OF THE MOUNTAINS, AND SHALL BE EXALTED ABOVE THE HILLS; AND
ALL NATIONS SHALL FLOW UNTO IT."

1845. The Spiritual Magnet.-There is an Eastern fable about a great mountain of loadstone out in the middle of the sea, that attracted all the ships which came near it, by the iron nails and bolts which fastened their timbers together, and then, drawing these out, left the vessel to strew the waves, a mass of beams and boards and spars. This mountain of the Lord's house is a grand spiritual magnet, and it draws souls, not to destruction, but everlasting life.-Rev. John Edmond, D.D.

Psalm lix. 14, 15.-"AND AT EVENING LET THEM RETURN; AND LET THEM MAKE A NOISE LIKE A DOG, AND GO ROUND ABOUT THE CITY. LET THEM WANDER UP AND DOWN FOR MEAT, AND GRUDGE IF THEY BE NOT SATISFIED.

1846. Dogs in the East.-No words can better describe the miserable condition of the dogs as found in the East at the present day; and no one at all conversant with these countries can for one moment be startled in reading the Bible account of these voracious animals tearing the flesh and bones of the impious queen Jezebel, till no more remained of her but the skull, and feet, and palms of her hands.

A lady, travelling with her children in a palanquin in India, gives us the following account:-" We had been warned, in leaving the station of a certain village which we should soon have to pass through, that it was a village of thieves. On arriving there, and, indeed, long before our arrival, we were assailed with a yelping and howling which appeared to proceed from a large troop of these pariah dogs. No sooner was my palanquin set down on a bank outside the village, and the bearers departed a little way for the purpose of cooking their rice, than the palanquin was surrounded by these most miserable of animals. They sprang on the top, tearing off the cloths the bearers had left, and pulling down every single thing, ravenous with hunger. They then proceeded to try and force open the doors, tearing and scratching them with their teeth and claws. I had succeeded in fastening one, and then held them with all my strength from the inside. The yelping continued, and numbers were evidently increasing. They seemed ravening as

wolves for prey, and it was certain that I could not much longer have held out if the bearers had not returned. Even these fourteen men, in the clamour and hunger of these animals, were scarcely able to lift up the palanquin and proceed on their journey. It was my impression that if I had been unable to withstand their attacks, that not only would the palanquin have been completely ransacked, and its contents utterly destroyed, but that my children and myself would also have fallen a sacrifice to them. It was a village of thieves indeed, though not of the sort we expected, and we were thankful enough to leave it, and its most troublesome inhabitants, far behind."

Proverbs xiii. 6.

C. W.

WICKEDNESS OVERTHROWETH THE SINNER.

1847. Evil Habits.-An Indian once brought up a young lion, and, finding him weak and harmless, never attempted to control him. Every day the lion gained in strength and became more unmanageable, until at last, when excited by rage, he fell upon the Indian and tore him to pieces. Our evil habits and passions very much resemble that lion.

Ephesians iii. 17.-"THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS

BY FAITH."

1848. Christ in the Heart.-The Wounded Soldier.-A soldier of Napoleon's great army was wounded one day by a bullet which entered his breast above his heart; he was carried to the rear, and the surgeon was probing the wound with his knife, when at length the guardsman exclaimed, "An inch deeper, and you will find the emperor." And the Christian soldier, even when most sorely pressed and pierced by his foes, is conscious that were his heart laid open by their wounds, it would only discover the name of his great Captain deeply engraven there.-Independent.

Psalm cxix. 24.-"THY TESTIMONIES ALSO ARE MY DELIGHT AND MY

1849. Love to God's Word.-The Rev. J. C. Brown states, that in 1838 a regiment in Russia was ordered on a long march; and one man was observed packing a New Testament into that space of the knapsack allotted to bread and provisions for the way; and when spoken to on the subject, he said he would beg his bread by the way rather than leave the word of God behind.

Gems.

8. Anger. As Plato, having taken his man in a great fault was of a sudden exceedingly moved, and having gotten a cudgel as though he would have beaten him, notwithstanding desisted, and used no further punishment, one of his friends standing by him and seeing this thing, demanded of him why he had gotten such a cudgel; to whom he answered, that he had provided it to correct and chastise his own anger, which seemed to rebel against him and would no longer be ruled by reason; in like manner should we do when we are troubled with this passion of anger, and get either a knife or a sword to cut the throat of it when it beginneth, and is as it were in its infancy; for we may easily at the first oppose ourselves against it, as against a tyrant, and not permit it to have rule over us; but if we suffer it to increase and to fortify itself, it will, by little and little, overrule us, and at length become invincible.

9. Cares of the World.-Like as, when a river or fountain is troubled, there can no water be taken or drawn out of them but such as is full of mud; even so, when the mind is troubled and choked with the over-careful and unquiet savour of the mire and dirt of this peevish world, there can neither holy prayers nor any godly exercise be found there.

10. False Appearances.-Certain minerals, when rubbed against each other, or exposed to a considerable degree of heat, or to the light of the sun and then removed to a dark place, will emit light for some time. This is called phosphorescence.

How common is it to see a man who never seems to feel any interest in a good cause until brought under the influence of others. But as the light of the phosphorescent mineral fades and soon disappears when the extrinsic heat is taken away, and daylight is let in upon it, so do the ardour and zeal of these men depart when foreign stimulants are withdrawn.Hitchcock.

11. Heaven worth the pains of Attaining.-Like as, if a man were assured that there were made for him a great purchase in Spain or Turkey, so, as if he would but come thither, he might enjoy it, he would not forbear to adventure the dangers of the sea, and of his enemies also if need were, that so he might come to his own; even so, seeing that Christ Jesus hath made a purchase for us in heaven, and there is nothing required of us but that we will come and enjoy it, we ought to refuse no pains or fear in the way, but carefully strive to get in.

12. Conversion, what it does not do.-It imparts no new faculty. The trees of December and the trees of August are the same; only the unregenerate man is the tree in December-there are no leaves of profession, no fruit of godliness.-Rev. Thomas Jones.