Page:China's spiritual need and claims.djvu/21

Rh be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far, and, lo, these from the north, and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim (China)."

One of the results of the settled form of government enjoyed by China for the last forty centuries, has been its gradual growth and extension to its present gigantic proportions; and this notwithstanding the rebellions and dynastic changes which have taken place. The Chinese empire, far exceeding in extent the whole continent of Europe, comprises one-third of the continent of Asia, and one-tenth of the habitable world. The following statistics will give the reader some idea of the size of this empire, as compared with other portions of the world:—



By way of illustrating the extent of the above continents, we give the accompanying lines, which may assist the mind to grasp their relative size. Many fail to realise how small Europe is compared with other continents; and still more are insufficiently impressed with the dimensions and importance of the Chinese empire. It will be seen from this diagram, that to benefit China means to benefit a much