A YEAR OF MERCIES.

I HAVE read of a little boy, very clever at figures, who heard so much about the goodness of God, that he thought he would try to reckon up how many mercies God had given him in one year. So he took his slate and pencil,

and began to set them down.

"Let me see: 365 days, 365 mercies. No; surely every hour has been a mercy, by day and by night; that then makes 8,760. But I think I should count the minutes the moments: for God is always doing me good. How many moments are there in a year? What a vast number! But let me count my greater mercies. There are my dear parents, who have been spared to me all the year, two marks for this; health preserved, another; food, another; clothing, another; teachers, books, cheerful companions, and merry play, more still; the Bible, a broad mark for that; Sabbaths, fifty-two. O dear! I cannot reckon; my slate is becoming too full of figures and marks, and yet I keep thinking of more mercies. I must give it up."

And this was just what King David himself was obliged to do. I do not know that he tried to reckon the thoughts of God's love to him in the way the little boy attempted. But I do know that he felt the task too hard for him; for here, in the 139th Psalm, are the words, "If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand."

Think of them, reader, more and more; and pray, not only that God's mercies may still come, but that you may be always mindful and thankful, and never forget the Giver while you receive the gift. And above all, do not forget the unspeakable gift," even Jesus Christ, who is God's "chief mercy" to sinful men.-Early Days.

THE QUEEN AND THE PRAYER-MEETING.

Ir is said that lately, at a week-day prayer-meeting held at Crathie, the Queen gave express orders to the royal household that any one who felt disposed to attend, would for a time be freed from any duties he or she might have to discharge.

"IF YOU PLEASE, MAKE ME A CHRISTIAN." I WELL recollect, in the course of my labours, a poor. Hindoo youth, who followed me about the garden of the school, asking of me to make him a Christian. I said, "It is impossible, my dear boy; if it is possible to do so at all, it is possible only through the Lord Jesus Christ to make you a Christian. Pray to him." How well I recollect the sweet voice and sweet face of that boy, when he soon after came to me and said, "The Lord Jesus Christ has come and taken his place in my heart!" I asked, "How is that?" He replied, "I prayed, and said, O Lord Jesus Christ, if you please, make me a Christian!' and he was so kind that he came down from heaven, and has lived in my heart ever since." How simple and how touching! "Lord Jesus Christ, if you please, make me a Christian! Can you say that you have made a similar prayer, in such a spirit, as this poor Hindoo boy? -Rev. Dr. Boaz, of Calcutta.

GOD MAY FORGET YOU.

IF you forget God when you are young, God may forget you when you are old.-John Mason.

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SATURDAY NIGHT.

A TEXT FOR OUR TEACHER.

December 1861.

Dec. 7. God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ

died for us.-Rom. v. 8.

14. How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not-Matt. xxiii. 37.

21.

28.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus.-Phil. ii. 5.

The night cometh, when no man can work.
-John ix. 4.

JOHN POUNDS.

JOHN POUNDS was a poor lame shoemaker who lived and died in Portsmouth, a great sea-port town in the south of England.

John's heart was full of two things-love to Christ, and love to children. These made him a true teacher. He used to gather poor boys and girls from the streets into the small narrow room where he sat making and mending shoes, and in every way tried to do them good. He did not pick out the gentle and well-behaved children, whom everybody loved, but he used to get hold of the most wild and ragged in the town, for whom nobody else would care. He was very poor, and so his books and school furniture were of the simplest kind. He would gather the broken slates when a house was being built, for his scholars to set down figures upon; and he would cut out large letters from posting bills, and paste them together for a lesson board when he was teaching the A B C.

For more than thirty years John carried on his humble school, and God greatly blessed it. He was the means of leading many a poor neglected boy and girl into the ways of pleasantness and peace.

Here is a picture of the good old man and his Ragged School. What a kind look he has! and see how the scholars are listening!

John Pounds died in 1839. We suppose his was the first Ragged School in this country. Many have been set agoing since then. Sheriff Watson in Aberdeen, Dr. Guthrie in Edinburgh, Lord Shaftesbury in London, and others in other places, have done much for Ragged Schools. May the blessing of God more and more rest upon them all!

NOTES OF REVIVAL.

Meeting in Manchester.

A FRIEND in Manchester writes, in "The Revival,"-"The meetings in the Free Trade Hall were a complete success; it was crowded to excess. Many were broken down. In the Corn Exchange, on the following Tuesday, a meeting was announced by Mr. Radcliffe, for all the converts and anxious souls. It was crowded to excess-2000 present. It was a refreshing time, to see the fruits of our dear brother's labours in this city."

"A Change this Morning."

I SHOULD not have taken this privilege of troubling you, only through a sense of duty in returning thanks to Almighty God for what he has done for our poor souls in bringing us from darkness into his marvellous light. Oh, sir, I remember the time when, if that dear missionary had called in my friend's house, he would have found me there as he did to-day; but there would have been a cold welcome; we would have told him, when there came a convenient season we would call for him, and could not have his company because he would neither stand a quart of ale, neither would he play us a game for one. But, thank God, there was a change this morning. We were just singing a few of your hymns, and regretting for your leaving Manchester, when he came in. We did not ask him for a quart of ale. Our request was a prayer, and before he left we concluded on holding a prayer-meeting once a week in my friend's house, and he kindly consented So now

to assist us.

"We'll form a singing band,

And shout aloud throughout the land,
Christ for me."

,,

Some people may say, "Well, it's all very fine; it will only last for a little season; as I've heard them say about two years ago in the north of Ireland. May God turn their hearts as he has turned ours, and then they will see, "For in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he