unto Christ, that they may have life," and hewing the timbers and driving. the nails of the ark, which they are too proud or too careless to enter. Perhaps they think they will be safer on the "rudder;" but they may find too late that when they would ride they must swim; that when they would float they must sink, with all their good deeds, unmixed with faith, as a millstone about their necks.

From the Central Presbyterian.

SHORT METHOD WITH THE BAPTISTS.

BY JOHN ARROWY.

THE question between us and you, is not so much as to the mode of Baptism, but as to the stress laid by you upon the mode of Baptism. We can well maintain the lawfulness of our mode of Baptism against the exclusive claims of yours. It has been maintained in all ages of the Church. The first, but smaller question is, whether the submersion of the whole body in water is the only scriptural Baptism. There are tremendous probabilities against you on that point. They are found in the various meanings of the word, in the various places of the administration of Baptism, deserts, houses, the temple, wells, and so on. You can run the whole size of a man's body along in between any scriptural expression about the act of baptism on the one hand, and your submersion on the other. There is the whole width of the human body, for example, between "going into the water," and "being put under the water," and so of your other catch-phrases. But arguments on that question are not congenial to us. We think there is too little religion, substance, or im-. portance in the question, to argue much about it. But the question is congenial to you. You have an advantage over us, not in the result of the argument, but in the nature of the question.

But the second and greater question, has reference to your tenacity of your mode of Baptism; whether that tenacity of a mode of baptism is a scriptural tenacity? That is the great, the really important question between us. Upon that question the whole mass of the New Testament Scripture is unequivocally against you. There are a great many sayings of our Saviour preserved by the four Evangelists on a great variety of subjects. But not a word or hint about the importance of the mode of Baptism, or the tenacity with which it should be held up in the Church. His Spirit rather seems to lean away from any importance in the ordinance itself. "Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples."

Then, there are the fourteen Apostolic Letters of St. Paul; but not a single word, and not a single hint anywhere, in any of St. Paul's fourteen letters, and letters, too, most of them, to Christian Churches, all of them upon religious subjects, and full of warnings and encouragement on matters of practical importance-not a single word or hint about the propriety of being tenacious and exclusive about any mode of Baptism.

Then there are the one letter of James; the two letters of Peter; the three letters of John; the one letter of Jude. They have a very great variety of contents. They are all of authority in the Church. They are all on religious subjects. They contain warnings against pre

sent and coming evils-encouragement to present and coming duties. But not a word is to be found in them all, about the proper tenacity in standing up for a particular method of Baptizing. This appears to be a complete settler. Moral probability can hardly rise higher than that this omission of all exhortation about the mode of Baptism would not have occurred in these twenty-one letters of the Apostles to the churches, if these Apostles had been modern Baptist ministers. And this probability rises still higher when we find the same absence of tenacity about a mode of Baptism in the messages of the seven churches of Asia Minor in the Apocalypse.

Then what a painfully small matter you are witnesses for! The Methodists seem to be witnesses for the Arminian doctrines and for a lively spiritual tone of practical religion. The Episcopalians seem to be witnesses for the Episcopal power of church government, and for decent and imposing forms of practical worship. The Presbyterians are witnesses for deep-toned and vital doctrines and experience of practical religion. The Baptists are witnesses for the mode of Baptism!

"You hold to sound doctrine as much as any one.' Grant it for this time. Still it is not a vital, or a spiritual, or an experimental doctrine of grace, or of truth, for which you refuse to join with other Christians at the Lord's Supper. No, it is about the mode of Baptism!

The more you become witnesses, then, for Immersion, or Submersion, the more thoroughly Baptist you become; and the less like the spirit of the New Testament you become. The more you become witnesses for sound doctrinal and practical religion, the less of Baptists you become; and the more you grow into the spirit of the Gospel. That is, the more of the spirit of the Gospel you imbibe, the less strenuous Baptists you And the more strenuous Baptists, the less of the spirit of the Gospel. Another settler.

are.

JESUS ALL-SUFFICIENT.

"The Lord is my portion, saith my soul."-SAM. 3:24.

Hennich Jhu Nur Habe.

Ir only He is mine,

If only this poor heart
Never more in grief or joy

May from Him depart,

Then farewell to sadness,

All I feel is love, and hope, and gladness.

If only He is mine,

Then from all below,

Leaning on my pilgrim staff,

Gladly forth I go

From the crowd who follow

In the broad, bright road their pleasures false and hollow.

If only He is mine,

Then all else is given;

Every blessing lifts my eyes

And my heart to heaven;

Filled with heavenly love

Earthly hopes or fears no longer tempt or move.

There, where He is mine,

Is my fatherland;

And my heritage of bliss

Daily cometh from His hand.

Now I find again

In His people love long lost and mourned in vain.

[From the German.

MONEY-GETTING-CAUSES OF FAILURE.

Ir is said that the proportion of successes to failures in the mercantile line is but three per cent. A momentous question here presents itself for the consideration of the business adventurer and every parent. Why this unsuccessful termination of ninety-seven out of every hundred mercantile undertakings? There is evidently some general defect here, unnoticed by the young and inexperienced. Not only the poor, but the comparatively rich, who, by kind parents, have been placed in possession of every advantage, are wrecked upon this dangerous sea; and thus it becomes of momentous interest to every parent that a minute survey be made, and every shoal be clearly mapped out. Can such a chart be secured? It would be a more enduring legacy than whole blocks of real

estate.

It is said that "not more than one per cent. of the best class merchants succeed without failing in Philadelphia," and that not more than two per cent. of those of New York ultimately retire on an independence, after having submitted to the usual ordeal of failure.

In commencing business, men are apt to count upon success as a sort of "foreordained" necessary consequence of their supposed plenary talent. They look upon failures as the lot of others as the exceptions rather than the rule. To suppose that self is thus liable is "out of the question." This conceit or self-assurance is ofttimes a "decoy duck," leading to danger and final ruin.

A haste to grow rich-an over-impatience to be "respectable"-to acquire in a short time what is properly the work of time and industry, is often a vortex of folly and ruin, into which many fall. It is better to "make haste slowly," and so be sure in our getting. "What is worth doing, is worth doing well." To do all things well will require all our time; and in proportion as we slight our work do we make work for the future. A house poorly built is ofttimes worse than none. Should it prove unsafe, and crush its owner in the fall, surely it will be labour lost. Not only will the labour be lost, but the old walls and rubbish are to be removed before the work can be begun anew. Thus a failure generally leaves its victim worse off than in the beginning. He has not only lost time and his first investment, but, worse than all, his reputation as a man of busi

ness.

The first thing to be gained in business is reputation. This will generally serve as capital to the young aspirant. Time, industry, and a constant practice of righteousness in all things, alone will achieve this great boon. A slight taint upon it is hard to remove. Like the stain upon the murderer's garment, it eats into the fabric, and stands an indelible mark of weakness or crime.

There are a class of failures which deserve a general condemnation;

we allude to those which follow a reckless, unprincipled determination to become rich by fair means, if convenient, and foul, if necessary. These are the highwaymen of trade. With too little ambition and patience to labour honestly for the boon, and an avariciousness which knows no bounds, they rush into the highways of commerce, and resolve upon an easy acquisition at every hazard. They are reckless in the extreme; they "cut a figure," make a great noise, secure a "name," and suddenly "stop," to the surprise of all. By taking advantage of deficient laws, and feeing unprincipled attorneys, they swindle themselves into affluence upon the earnings of others. These have secured what they bargained for; but did they know it-they have bartered away, with suicidal recklessness, a jewel of more value than gold-infinitely more precious and necessary to life's enjoyment than all the real estate that it is possible to possess. He has "victimized" his fellow, but he has more effectually robbed his own immortal individuality of its greatest adornment and capacity to enjoy life.

A disposition to speculate beyond their means has been a prevalent cause of failure with many. In doing this we hesitate not to risk our creditors' interest with our own. Many failures can be traced to this cause. In speculation we should ever observe a cautiousness proportionate with our means. It is questionable whether we have a right to risk either our creditor's or our family's interest in uncertain speculation. These are some of the causes of failure. There are other and greater ones, which may be mentioned hereafter.-Phila. Ledger.

HOW TO BE USEFUL.

By your Example.-Without exhibiting this in the first instance, all your other exertions will be utterly useless. Your own example sets a seal to your sincerity, and gives weight to every counsel you may offer. You then become a living epistle, that may be known and read of all men; and who does not know that men are more deeply impressed by living epistles, inscribed by the Spirit of God, than by epistles written only by pen and ink?

By Conversation.-Few men were more blessed in the conversion of souls than the celebrated Harlan Page. Yet he was not a minister, but a man in the common rank of life. Now, by what instrumentality did he accomplish so much good? It was simply by conversing earnestly with all whom he met on the great concerns of the soul. Go, in a similar spirit, and do likewise, and you shall be alike useful.

By Correspondence.-There are few men who do not write to some friends; but how many are there who write without any right or serious aim? They write about the news of the day, but say nothing about the news of salvation. If you wish to be useful, make it a rule never to let even the smallest note pass from your hands without containing something savouring of the truth, and leading to Christ.

By Contributions. It has been well remarked, "Numerous channels are now opened up in the providence of God, through which we can carry our Christian influence, not only over our own land, but to the most distant and degraded spot on earth. Our charities can take wing, and light

upon every place where we think they are most needed." In such channels let your money freely flow, for in no way can you be more eminently useful if with your money you give the prayers of faith.

By Distribution of Tracts.-It is impossible to tell the amount of good which has been done in this way. The instrumentality may be humble, but not less to be valued; for sinners innumerable have thereby been led to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Some of the most eminent pastors of the Church have been converted by tracts. Give them in faith, and many are the sheep and lambs whom you may be made instrumetal in leading to the fold.

BEAUTIFY YOUR HOME.

EVERY man should do his best to own a home. The first money he can spare ought to be invested in a dwelling, where his family can live permanently. Viewed as a matter of economy, this is important, not only because he can ordinarily build more cheaply than he can rent, but because of the expense caused by frequent change of residence. A man who early in life builds a home for himself and family, will save some thousands of dollars in the course of twenty years, besides avoiding the inconvenience of removals. Apart from this, there is something agreeable to our better nature in having a house that we can call our own. It is a form of property that is more than property. It speaks to the heart, enlists the sentiments, and ennobles the possessors. The associations that spring up around it, as the birthplace of children,-as the scene of life's holiest emotions, as the sanctuary where the spirit cherishes its purest thoughts, are such as all value; and whenever their influence is exerted, the moral sensibilities are improved and exalted. The greater part of our happiness in this world is found at home; but how few recollect that the happiness of to-day is increased by the place where we were happy yesterday; and that, insensibly, scenes and circumstances gather up a store of blessedness for the weary hours of the future!

HINTS TO PROMOTE HARMONY IN A FAMILY.

1. WE may be quite sure that our will is likely to be crossed in the day-so prepare for it.

2. Everybody in the house has an evil nature as well as ourselves, and, therefore, we are not to expect much.

3. To learn the different temper of each individual.

4. To look upon each member of the family as one for whom Christ died.

5. When any good happens to any one, to rejoice at it.

6. When inclined to give an angry answer, to lift up the heart in prayer. 7. If from any cause we feel irritable, to keep a strict watch upon

ourselves.

8. To observe when others are suffering, and drop a word of kindness and sympathy suited to their state.

9. To watch for little opportunities of pleasing, and to put little annoyances out of the way.