MURDERS AND SUICIDES DURING THE PAST YEAR.

A prominent secular paper is in the habit of collecting the yearly statistics of death by violence, and presenting them to its readers with such comments as may occur to the editor. It is significant that even such an authority can get scant comfort from these dark features.

In general, murder is steadily on the increase; a slight diminution during last year being more than made up by the enormous increase of the previous one over its predecessor. There were 7852 murders during last year, 8275 during 1900, which was an increase of 2050 over the preceding year (1899).

Think of 8000 murders in a year ! Cain's crime multiplied eight thousand fold! and that in a single country, at the head of the nations in civilization. Imagine a city of 8000 inhabitants massacred in a single night. All would be horror stricken; is it less terrible that the violence is wide-spread, persistent, and increasing ?

But the record of death by suicide is even more significant, as showing an effect which may be directly traceable to the civilization which is the boast of the age. In 1890 there were 2040 suicides; in 1891, 3531; and the increase each year has been steady and rapid. In 1900 there were 6755, and last year 7245 murdered themselves!

Of the causes assigned for suicide, the chief one is significant-despondency, 2980. Oh, how it tells of the emptiness of this poor world-three thousand who find nothing to live for, utterly disheartened ! Beloved fellow-believer, do you forget upon your knees to thank our God for giving you an object to satisfy every craving of the heart for all eternity ?

But who, as he ponders these dark and ever-growing figures, can think of the world as growing better? What has the prosperity, civilization-even education of the world done for it? Let these figures give their answer, and turning to that blessed Word of God, let us see the end of it all-more and more open apostasy, the working of the "mystery of iniquity "-until full-blown rebellion against God will meet its doom. Then having been swept clean by judgment, the blessed reign of the Prince of Peace will begin.