his happier days in the sweet and quiet scenes of a country life, by another. The whole course of life receives its colour and cast by the direction which is given to it at that eventful moment when the choice is made. has chosen. There is not a situation in his life which will not be affected by this choice; and the effects of that selection will not only meet him in his way through this world, but they will meet him in the interminable state of existence beyond the tomb. We may add here, that the importance of this choice is manifest from another circumstance. It usually determines a man's destiny not only in this life, but, in an important sense, in the life that is to come. It is not only the starting point which is to determine the The first which we mention is, amount of wealth, honour, and hap- that the most should be made of life piness which he is to possess in this that can possibly be made of it; and world, but it strikes ever onward that that profession or calling should into those unknown regions which be selected wherein life can be best are beyond the grave. For it is turned to account. Life is short at rarely that men change their calling most; and we have no exuberant in life. It is never done but with powers of mind or body to waste. disadvantage. Once done, it subjects "We all do fade," says the Bible, a man to the charge of fickleness," as a leaf;" in the language of the and does something to weaken the bard of Avon, as "the seared and confidence of others in the stability yellow leaf." Our day, even in its of his principles. Twice don or highest meridian glory, "hastens," thrice, it seldom fails to ruin his as Wolsey said his did, "to its setcharacter. Success in any calling, ting." In the arrangements and deor in life at large, depends, probably signs of Divine Providence, life is more than on anything else, on sta- crowded with vast and important bility of purpose and settled inten- purposes. All the interests of sotion. Disaster follows in the train ciety, of learning, liberty, and order, of revolution of character and of of science, public morals, and reliplan. When the magnet points gion, are to be preserved, and to be steadily in one direction, the ship constantly augmented. We are to glides safely over the heaving bil-maintain our hold on what has been lows; when it is unsettled and vacil- delivered to us from the past, and we lating, everything is in danger. are to transmit it unimpaired and When a man has once, therefore, augmented to future times. made choice of a profession, every consideration of honour, of selfrespect, and even the hope of success at all in life, will demand of him perseverance in the course which he It is of great importance, therefore, to understand aright the principles on which the choice of a profession should be made. To some of those principles we now invite your attention. Everything in life, therefore, depends on the right direction which shall be given in the choice of a calling. Nearly all the evils which have resulted from perverted and wasted talent, or from slumbering in wild and ruinous enterprises. energies, might have been avoided The second which we suggest is, by a proper direction in the com- that where there is a fitness for mencement; and all might have either of two or more courses of life, been avoided by a settled purpose to a young man should choose that in make the most of life. "You are a which he can do most to benefit his great fool," said a fellow-student to fellow-men. Society is organized on Paley, when he was wasting his early the principle that any lawful emyears in a course of dissipation. ployment will not only not injure, "You have talent which might raise but will advance the happiness of you to the highest distinction. I the whole community; as the movehave none, and it matters not how ment of each part of a well-conmy life is spent." Paley took the structed machine will not only not hint so roughly given; and his sub- embarrass, but will promote the sequent course is well known. There harmonious and regular operation is no name in the English church, of every other part. A man comperhaps, that should stand higher monly chooses a calling with a prithan his; there are few in the vast mary reference to his own interest, circles of English literature whose with a view to a livelihood, or to a just fame will be more extensively well-earned reputation. And the or permanently recorded. And so Great Author of human happiness in all cases of perverted and ruinous has so arranged the various relations talent. The author of "Childe Ha- and dependencies of society, that rold" might have sung in strains as while this is the main object, yet pure, as full of sweet benevolence, in any lawful employment the weland as much fitted to benefit men, as fare of the whole shall be promoted. the author of the "Task;" and the The farmer, the lawyer, the merauthor of "Waverley," that mighty chant, the physician, the clergyman, man whose productions are so far at the same time that he may be in diffused, and which exert now such the main pursuing his own interest, an influence-an influence which is the source of benefit to all the must wane when the world shall other departments of society. For come to love truth more than fiction illustration, it is undoubtedly true -might have employed his talents that every man might be his own in productions that should have physician, and in some way prescribe gone down to remotest times with for his own maladies and those of the "Novum Organum," the "Trea- his family. But it is a saving in tise on the Understanding," or the time, expense, and happiness, that "Paradise Lost." there should be men regularly trained in the healing art, and who should devote their time to it. Although the principles which prompted the man to embrace the medical profession may have been, in the main, the promotion of his The first principle, therefore, which should guide in the choice of a profession is, that the most should be made of life; that talent should not be suffered to exhaust itself for naught, and should not be expended own welfare, the securing of an honest livelihood, and the earning of an honourable reputation, he is at the same time promoting the happiness of others, and the welfare of Society at large. So it is with all other lawful professions. Nor are there any callings which are an exception to this, except those which involve a violation of the laws of God. And, perhaps, there is no more direct way of deciding on the propriety of any calling in life than by determining the question whether it will or will not advance the happiness of others. Any man in a lawful occupation will be, at every step of his life, contributing to the welfare of all the other departments of society. It is to be an elementary principle in the choice of a profession, that this world is to be converted to Jesus Christ. This is to form the basis on which such choice is to be made. It is to be one of the points which are assumed as true; and to promote that object is yet to be one of the main purposes which are to influence young men in making that choice. Whatever is needful for that is to be done; whatever would retard that-whatever would not in some way promote it-is to be deemed a course of life that is a departure from the Divine purposes, and an object which lies out of the appropriate sphere of human effort. And the time will come, at no distant period-and should be now regarded as already come by every young man-when it shall be acknowledged that no one has entirely correct views in the choice of his profession who has not admitted it as an elementary and a leading principle in his choice, that all the miseries of men should be alleviated, and will be alleviated, by the prevalence of the Gospel of Christ, and that his talents are to be consecrated in their appropriate sphere in augmenting human happiness, in removing the evils of cruel laws, and degrading rites, and bloody institutions-of ignorance, and superstition, and pollution throughout the entire world. Be it a fixed principle, that the light of truth, like that of a clear summer's morning, is yet to be diffused over all the darkened hills and vales of this world; that the banner of salvation is to float in broad and ample folds, "all covered o'er with living light," everywhere on earth; and that, under the influence of well-directed effort, every pagan temple is yet to be left without a priest, and every pagan altar without a sacrifice. Che Fragment Basket. THE LITTLE GIRL AND At an annual meeting of the Cambridge Bible Society, many years ago, the Rev. Professor Scholefield related the following anecdote of Mr. Hone, the well-known author of the "Every Day Book." Mr. Hone, in the days of his infidelity, was travelling in Wales on foot, and being rather tired and thirsty, he stopped at the door of a cottage, where there was a little girl seated reading, and whom he asked if she would give him a little water. "Oh, yes sir!" she said; "if you will come in, mother will give you some milk and water." Upon which he went in, and partook of that beverage, the little girl again resuming her seat and her book. After a short stay in the cottage, he came out and accosted the child at the door: "Well, my little girl, are you getting your task?" "Oh, no sir," she replied; "I am reading the Bible." But," said Mr. Hone, "you are getting your task out of the Bible, "Oh, no sir; it is no task to me to read the Bible, it is a pleasure.' This circumstance had such an effect upon Mr. Hone, that he determined to read the Bible. And he was now (said Professor Scholefield) one of the foremost in upholding and defending the great truths contained in that holy book. too." " SALVATION. The serpent was confessedly lifted up for all that were bitten (Numb. xxi. 8). Christ is lifted up for all who have been bitten by that old serpent, the devil. The serpent was lifted up with the intention that all bitten might be healed. Christ is lifted up "that the world through him might be saved." Does it follow, then, that if this were His intention, all must be saved? Not at all; any more than that all bitten must be cured. The cure depended on looking. Salvation depends also on looking or believing. "Look unto me, and be ye saved." And this is a fruit of the Spirit, wrought in God's elect through sovereign grace, overcoming their obstinate contempt of the remedy provided. If any Israelites who were bitten refused, through unbelief and contempt of such a strange mode of healing, to look to the serpent, they perished. If any sinner refuse, in the same unbelief, to look on Christ, he perishes, because of unbelief. But, in both cases, the intention of God in lifting up was the healing of all that were diseased. He excluded not a single creature from the merciful provision.-Goode. ELECTION. 99 66 With respect to the doctrine of election, I would state it in Scripture terms, and obviate the Antinomian interpretation, by remarking that man, as man, is said to be chosen to obedience, to be conformed to the image of God's Son, etc., and not on a foresight of his faith or obedience; as also that the distinction betwixt true believers and others is often expressly ascribed to God: "Thou hast hid these things;""To you it is given not only to believe; As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." As the doctrine of election, however, occupies but a small part of the New Testament revelation, it should not, in my opinion, be made a prominent point in the Christian ministry. It is well to reserve it for the contemplation of Christians, as matter of humiliation and of awful joy; but in addressing an audience on the general topics of religion, it is best, perhaps, to speak in a general strain. The Gospel affords ample encouragement to all; its generous spirit and large invitations should not be cramped and fettered by the scrupulosity of system.-Hall. ISAIAH SAWN ASUNDER. Tradition, whether truly or not we cannot decide, asserts, that 698 years before Christ Isaiah was sawn asund er Cruel close to such a career Harsh reply, the sawing asunder, to all those sweet and noble minstrelsies. German critics have recently sought to imitate the operation, to cut our present Isaiah into two. To halve a body is easy; it is not quite so easy to divide a soul and spirit in sunder. Isaiah himself spurned such an attempt. The same mind is manifest in all parts of the prophecy. Two suns in one sky were as credible as two such flaming phenomena as Isaiah. No; it is one voice which cries out at the beginning. "Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth!" and which closes the book with the promise," And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come and worship before me, saith the ordinances. "Enter into thy cham Lord." LIGHT, THE SHADOW OF GOD. Light makes some things invisible. Were it not for darkness, and the shadow of the earth, the noblest part of creation had remained unseen, and the stars of heaven as invisible as on the fourth day, when they were created above the horizon with the sun, and there was not an eye to behold them. The greatest mystery of religion is expressed by admiration, and in the noblest part of Jewish types we find the cherubim shadowing the mercy-seat. Life itself is but the shadow of death, and souls departed but the shadows of the living. All things fall under this name. The sun itself is but the dark Simulachrune, and light but the shadow of God.-Sir Thomas Browne. SECRET RELIGION. ber," said He, "and shut thy door about thee." "Shut thy door" means much; it means-shut out not only nonsense, but business; not only the company abroad, but the company at home; it means-let thy poor soul have a little rest and refreshment, and God have opportunity to speak to thee in a still small voice, or he will speak in thunder. I am persuaded the Lord would often speak more softly if we would shut the door!-Cecil. A WORD TO MOTHERS. In the evening, when your children have prayed for pardon and peace, endeavour to infuse the spirit of that beautiful expression in the Psalmist, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety." At no time is the influence of a mother more valuable than when her chil God is often lost in prayers and | dren are retiring to rest. Poetry. THE VOICES AND THEIR TEACHINGS. FROM every beauteous flower we see; The lovely hues that deck the rose- There comes a voice that GOD IS GOOD. What glory in the rising sun! What beauty in the harvest moon! The rainbow arch that spans the sky; And pealing thunder's awful tone; The stars that deck the midnight sky; The changing seasons; night and day; The snow-crown'd mountain's solemn state: Where'er His wondrous works we see, When man, the image of his God, Descending from his throne above, Oh may we serve him while below |