CAN months speak? can years teach knowledge? Moses thought they could, and that properly to number our days, is to apply the heart unto wisdom. The ancients, who were ingenious in giving bodily representations of abstract ideas, called me Janus. With the Romans I was supposed to be a young man, to preside over the whole year, and my temple had four sides, and in each side three windows -the number of months in a quarter of a year. I had various names and insignia. Eanus, from a Latin word, meaning, to proceed, because the revolution of the earth round the sun makes a year. Consivius, from another word, signifying to sow, as the year is productive; Martialis, as controlling war; and what I wish you especially to remember, Patuleius and Claucius, because the gates of my temple were open during war, and closed when there was universal peace. Was it not wonderful, that although my gates had been closed only twice before for 700 years, they should have been shut when Jesus Christ was born into this world, to bring "peace on earth and good will to men!"

a

two faces.

"then you I do not,

Some described me as having four heads, to show, that you should always think in season; but I was most commonly exhibited with "Well," you exclaim, must be a hypocrite!" indeed, deserve this name; yet so many will be deceived by me; they will not believe that December comes so soon after January, that, like Misfortune, I am often blamed for their own folly.

You must know, then, that I have two faces, because I can look both on the past and on the future. The face that looks over the old year, I call Memory; that which is turned to the new year, bears the name of Expectation. I would rather, however, remind you, that wherever you may be, and however employed, through the month and the year, there is an eye that always looks upon you. "Whither can you go from his presence?" Often then, my dear young friends, ask your

selves, what God sees you do with your companions, at home with your books, or when you should be reading them, and at family and private prayer, what he sees in you at school and in chapel.

Does he behold you forsaking wicked boys and girls; and behaving affectionately and dutifully towards your parents, brothers, and sisters? Behold you anxious to enderstand and to walk in the way of salvation? Do you intend that he shall see in you, through the year, improvement in behaviour, learning, and above all, true piety and godliness.

I must now just tell you that very old astronomers called me Capricornus, or the goat, because a cluster of stars through which the sun is viewed at this season, bears that name. A great many heathenish fancies have been indulged in as reasons for my having this name. That reason, however, which best commends itself to your good sense, is that the sun begins to rise higher every day from the 21st of December, or the shortest day, and that its rise is evidently seen in January. Now goats are very fond of climbing, and thus represent the sun. My exhortation to you, therefore is, that you not only reflect on the past, and think how you will act for the future, but that you will climb as the goat, or, rather rise and shine as the sun. The beginning of the year is the time for resolutions. Resolve, therefore, my young readers, to rise. Exert yourselves in every proper way to ascend-to reach higher in general knowledge, especially in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ; to read the bible and to hear the gospel, whether from your teacher or minister, with greater attention and more earnest prayer-to rise in heart till you really love Jesus Christ, the Saviour of sinners, both adult and children. Like the sun, rise higher each day, till your piety shall wear a summer's brightness, and bring forth a summer's fruits. Wishing you, my dear young friends, a profitable and happy year, I remain, your's to serve, JANUS CAPRICORNUS JANUARY.

THE NEGRO'S HAIR.

It is

THE hair of the Negro has been thought the most decidedly different from that of other human races. commonly said that the substance which grows on the head of the African races, and of some other dark coloured tribes, chiefly inhabiting tropical climates, is wool, and not hair.

In order to determine this point, it would be requisite to form a clear idea of the difference between hair and wool.

Hair, although sometimes covered with scales or rugosities, has no serrations or tooth-like projections; the hair of a tiger is covered with scales like those on the back of a sole; while in the wool of the same animal the serrations are distinct and numerous. The wool of a rabbit is fine, with sharp angular serrations, to the number of 2,880 in an inch. The hair of a rabbit varies from the to the part of an inch in diameter, and is covered with a scaly incrustation, which cannot be said to be serrated.

The wool of the bear which is very fine, has serrations which, as Mr. Youatt says, resemble so many spines projecting at irregular distances and at a very acute angle.

It appears certain from the observations of Mr. Youatt, that merino wool, and some other kinds of wool, consists of filaments having serrated edges. But there are many kinds of wool produced by other breeds of sheep, in which this property cannot be discovered. In these, however, the filament is very different from that of hair, being of unequal thickness, and having rough uneven edges; whereas the filament of hair is a smooth and uneven-sided tube, and nearly of equal calibre.

A careful observation, with the aid of the microscope, will convince every body who makes it, if I am not much mistaken, that the hair of the African is not wool, but merely a curled and twisted hair. I have seen and examined the filaments of hair belonging to different races of men, and have compared them with the filaments of wool from the Southdown sheep, with the assistance of Mr. Estlin, who is

skilful and long practised in the use of the microscope, with the aid of glasses magnifying 400 times. Hairs of a Negro and of a Mulatto, of Europeans and of some Abyssinians, sent to me by M. d' Abbadie the celebrated traveller, were, together with the wool of a Southdown sheep, viewed both as transparent and opaque bodies. The filament of wool had a very rough and irregular surface, though no serrations, distinctly so termed, were perceptible. The hair of the negro, which was extremely unlike that of wool, and of all the other varieties mentioned, had the appearance of a cylinder with smooth surface; they all appeared more or less filled with a dark colouring matter, which, however, did not entirely destroy their transparency. The colouring matter was apparently much more abundant in the hair of the Negro than in the others. The filament of European hair seemed almost entirely transparent; it had the appearance of an empty tube, coated internally with something of a dingy or dusky colour, which only prevented it from being quite pellucid.

From these observations I am convinced that the Negro has hair properly so termed, and not wool.-DR. PRICHARD'S NATURAL HISTORY OF MAN.

THE RHINOCEROS, OR UNICORN

OF SCRIPTURE.

Or the rhinoceros there are four varieties in South Africa-two white and two black. Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are extremely fierce and dangerous, and rush headlong and unprovoked at any object which attracts their attention. Their food consists almost entirely of thorny branches. Their horns are much shorter than those of the other varieties, seldom exceeding eighteen inches in length. They are finely polished with rubbing against the trees. The skull is remarkably formed, its most striking feature being the tremendous thick ossification in which it ends above the nostrils. It is on this mass that the horn is supported.

The horns are not connected with the skull, being attached merely by the skin, and they may thus be separated from the head by means of a sharp knife. They are hard and perfectly solid throughout, and are a fine material for various articles, such as drinking cups, mallets for rifles, handles for turners' tools, &c. The horn is capable of a very high polish. The eyes of the rhinoceros are small and sparkling, and do not readily observe the hunter, provided he keep to leeward of him. The skin is extremely thick and only to be penetrated with bullets hardened with solder.

During the day the rhinoceros will be found lying asleep or standing indolently in some retired part of the forest, or under the base of the mountains, sheltered from the power of the sun by some friendly grove of the umbrella-topped mimosas. In the evening they commence their nightly rambles, and wander over a great extent of country. They usually visit the fountains between the hours of nine and twelve o'clock at night, and it is on these occasions that they may be most successfully hunted and with the least danger. The black rhinoceros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked fury, often ploughing up the ground for several yards with its horn, and assaulting large bushes in the

most violent manner. On these bushes they work for hours with their horns, at the same time snorting and blowing loudly, nor do they leave them in general, until they have broken them into pieces; the rhinoceros is alluded to by Joв, chapter xxxix, verses 10 and 11, where it is written, "Canst thou bind the Unicorn with his band in the furrow? or, will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? or, wilt thou leave thy labours to him?" Evidently alluding to an animal possessed of great strength and of untameable disposition, for both of which the rhinoceros is remarkable. All the four varieties delight to roll in the mud, with which their rugged hides are generally encrusted. Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are much smaller and more active than the white, and are so swift that a horse with a rider on his back can rarely overtake them. Mr. Cumming, the African traveller, gives the following account of his being chased by a rhinoceros. Shortly after this I found myself on the banks of the stream, beside which my waggons were outspanned. Following along its margin, I presently beheld a black rhinoceros, standing within a hundred yards of me. Dismounting from my horse, I secured him to a tree, and then skulked within twenty yards of the huge beast under cover of a large strong bush. rhinoceros hearing me advance, came on to see what it was, and suddenly protruded his horny nose within a few years of me. Knowing well that a front shot would not prove fatal, I sprang to my feet and ran behind the bush. Had his activity been equal to his ugliness, my wanderings would have terminated there, but by my superior agility I had the advantage in the turn. After standing a short time, eyeing me through the bush, he got a whiff of the wind passing me, which at once alarmed him. Uttering a blowing noise and erecting his insignificant, yet saucy-looking tail, he wheeled about, leaving me master of the field.'

The

FEARFUL ENCOUNTER WITH

A LIONESS,

In the neighbourhood of one of the Missionary Stations in South Africa.

"THE lioness having had a long start of me, we went over a considerable extent of ground before I came up with her. She was a large, fullgrown beast, and the bare and level nature of the plain added to her imposing appearance. Finding that I gained upon her, she reduced her pace from a canter to a trot, carrying her tail stuck out behind her, and turned a little to one side. I shouted loudly to her to halt, as I wished to speak with her, upon which she suddenly pulled up, and sat on her haunches like a dog, with her back towards me, not even deigning to look round. She then appeared to say to herself, "Does this fellow know who he is after?" Having thus sat for half a minute, as if involved in thought, she sprang to her feet, and facing about, stood looking at me for a few seconds, moving her tail slowly from side to side, showing her teeth, and growling fiercely. She next made a short run forwards, making a loud, rumbling noise like thunder. This she did to intimidate me; but, finding that I did not flinch an inch, nor seem to heed her hostile demonstrations, she quietly stretched out her massive arms, and lay down on the grass. My Hottentots now coming up, we all three dismounted, and, drawing our rifles from their holsters we looked to see if the powder was up in the nipples, and put on the caps. While this was doing, the lioness sat up, and shewed evident symptoms of uneasiness. She looked first at us, and then behind her as if to see if the coast were clear; after which she made a short run towards us, uttering her deep-drawn murderous growls. Having secured the three horses one to another, we led them on as if we intended to pass her in the hope of obtaining a broadside. But this she carfully avoided to expose, presenting only her full front. I had

given Stofolus my Moore rifle with orders to shoot her if she should spring upon me, but on no account to fire before me. Klemboy was to stand ready to hand me my Purdey rifle, in case the two-grooved Dixon should not prove sufficient. My men as yet had been steady, but they were greatly afraid, their faces having assumed a ghastly paleness; and I had a painful feeling that I could place no reliance on them.

"Now, then, for it! She is within sixty yards of us, and she keeps advancing. We turned the horses' tails to her. I knelt on one side, and taking a steady aim at her breast, let fly. The ball cracked loudly on her tawny hide, and crippled her in the shoulder, upon which she charged with an appalling roar, and in the twinkling of an eye, she Iwas in the midst of us. The lioness sprang upon the horse Colesburg, and fearfully lacerated his ribs and haunches with her horrid teeth and claws; the worst wound was on his haunch, which exhibited a sickening, yawning gash, more than twelve inches long, almost laying bare the very bone. I was very cool and steady, and did not feel in the least degree nervous, having fortunately, great confidence in my own shooting; but I must confess, when the whole affair was over, I felt that it was a very awful situation, and attended with extreme peril, as I had no friend with me on whom I could rely.

"When the lioness sprang on Colesburg, I stood out from the horses, ready with my second barrel for the first chance she should give me of a clear shot. This she quickly did, for, seemingly satisfied with the revenge she had now taken, she quitted Colesburg, and turned her tail to one side, trotted sulkily past within a few paces of me, taking one step to the left. pitched my rifle to my shoulder, and in another second, the lioness was stretched on the plain, a lifeless corpse." -Travels in the Interior of Africa.

I

THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL A FREE GOSPEL. By JOHN Cox. Second Edition. Ward & Company. pp. 136.

Those whose memory goes back to the commencement of this century, and who were acquainted with the state of the christian world at that period, remember how prevalent were the notions combated in this small volume. Many who loved the doctrines of grace, could not see how they harmonized with the doctrines of duty: how divine, sovereign influence could accord with human responsibility. Such persons seemed incapable of perceiving how grace reigns through righteousness.

There was too much of this distortion of the glorious gospel among our independent brethren; more of it, in proportion to our numbers, in our own, Connexion, and the most with the Baptist body, to which the author belongs.

Dr. Gill, and inferior writers, had warped the minds of thousands: and they thought that preaching the gospel was merely stating its doctrinal truths, and exhibiting their glory to men dead in tresspasses and in sins; as if the dead could both perceive truth and its beauty, though they could not hear the call of mercy to repentance and faith!

When Andrew Fuller began to promulgate other and more liberal sentiments in his own community, it was like throwing stones into stagnant water, and numerous inhabitants of the pool rose up to its surface and croaked. It is painful to reflect on the treatment with which such a man met at first. To be a Fullerite was a prohibition from many a pulpit, and we believe, was to hazard admission to church membership in numerous parts of this community.

Happily the case is altered for the better in all evangelical bodies; and it becomes them all to take care that the ballast is not shifted too far on the other side of the vessel, and that they do not remove from sovereignty to its practical denial, in an undue stress on man's accountability.

The work before us, however, shows, that the hyper-leaven has by no means entirely spent itself among the Baptist Churches. We were indeed not prepared to meet with the following statement: "If other parts of England have an equal number of anti-invitation preachers with those counties with which I am acquainted, there is reason to fear that more than one-third of the churches belonging to the Baptist denomination sustain a fettered ministry."

Should this statement prove true, and congregations of other denominations injured by this practical error-this ringing of Zion's bells, cast in a gospel mould, a muffled peel,-it will show that Mr. Cox has done well in warning his brethren of an evil, from which he deems himself happy to have escaped.

It would afford us great pleasure to accompany our author through the four chapters of his work, but we must forbear. We generally approve of his remarks on systems as they are qualified by Mr. Cox, and consider that he has exposed completely, and refuted triumphantly, those crude notions which have been attempted to be founded on past ages of the holy writings, notions which rather say, Depart; or at best, Stand still, than repeat the words of love and mercy," Come unto me."

While a free invitation, says our author, is given, let a full gospel be also preached. Let us endeavour to preach" the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth," the truth in proportion, and the truth in love. Let the glories of Christ be constantly exhibited; the offices and undertakings of the Holy Ghost be much dwelt upon, the stores of the everlasting covenant be brought forth, and salvation be traced to God's eternal purpose of grace, and shewn to issue in his highest glory. While some are justly complained of for not inviting as many as they find to the marriage," those are equally guilty who obscure the gospel, or dole out its blessings with a niggardly hand.

Those who are zealous for the freeness of the gospel, and who are most ready to protest against its being restricted, had need be careful of the opposite extreme. They should not overlook the fact, that some ministers who do not come up to the Scripture mark as regards freeness, are yet more honoured of God than some who do. The reason no doubt is, that they preach with more unction, earnestness, and prayerfulness. That there are a goodly number of such among those from whom I differ, I rejoice to bear my humble testimony, and such I can but love for the truth's sake.

He is coming soon, who once pleaded with and wept over sinners, and in whose stead the Apostles besought men to be reconciled to God. In the full anticipation of coming, and of the account which they will then have to give, let all preach