all."

here, and try to teach you about one burst of tears throughout the the blessed Saviour, who loves us class; and Ellen herself, as she

held that stricken young sinner by The girl was staring in her face, the hand, was overpowered with and while she spoke the bold eye wonder, thankfulness, and praise. quailed, and the sturdy frame be- Never again did anything but gan to tremble, and the lately words and looks of obedient affecinsolent lip quivered with strong tion greet her appearance in that emotion. Ere the last loving word class; and the ringleader of evil had fallen from Ellen's lip, and took the lead in all improvement. her tearful eyes could turn away And never again did Ellen need to from the object to whom they were be reminded that the work was not addressed, a proud struggle was hers, but God's, and that the over; the girl rushed forward and master-key to the human heart is threw herself with sobs of agony love ; for God has used, is using it into her teacher's arms, covering Himself, in the Person of His Son ; her hands with kisses, and striving and God is love. to implore forgiveness. There was

BECKONING TO PARTNERS.

BY MRS. H. L. HASTINGS.

The religion of Christ is the grandest system of partnership this world bas ever seen. The terms “ fellowship” and “communion" are the words used to express the common participation, common responsibility, common labour, and common reward connected with the gospel of the Son of God.

This partnership commences on high. First, “our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ;" then if we walk in the light " we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin ” (1 John i. 3, 7).

Involved in a common ruin, partners of a common redemption, heirs of a common salvation, sharers in each other's sorrows, helpers of each other's joys, co-workers with God in common labours, and joint-beirs to a common heritage, the household of faith becomes in its development, both inward and outward, both present and future, a partnership—the closest, the broadest, the dearest, and the purest that humanity has ever known.

No man liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. A constant interdependence, and an intertwining of the tenderest and most vital interests and necessities, unites God's children by the strongest bonds. Against this unity Satan works incessantly, while above the jars and tumults of a discordant world, above the strifes, schisms, and dissensions of a distracted Church, the Saviour spreads His pierced hands, and prays for His people, “ that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” (John xvii.).

Nowhero is the necessity and utility of the Christian's partnership

more manifest than in the work of saving men. The unity of Christ's followers is the token by which the world may know " that God has sent them; and on this knowledge depends the acceptance of their testimony and the success of their mission. Every division impairs this testimony ; but when the people of God are in close and intimate fellowship, their testimony comes with convincing power.

The partnership of the people of God is not only a fact, but it is a necessity. In union there is strength, and that strength is needed in order to cope with the hosts of darkness that assail on every side. Labouring alone they are weak and inefficient, while by uniting they mass their forces and achieve success.

When our Lord had preached the gospel from the little fishing-boat of Simon as it lay idly upon the sunny waters of Gennesareth, he said to Peter, “ Launch forth into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." Simon objected that they had spent the whole night in fruitless toil, but said, “Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." Tbey did so, and instantly the swaying of the struggling mass informed them that they had “ enclosed a great multitude of fishes," and under the strain, the meshes of the net began to tear away, and the fishes were pouring out and escaping. Something must be done at once, or the “haul” was gone. “And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both ships, so that they began to

sink."

“They beckoned." They did not need to wait, and talk, and call, and frighten the fish, and delay the work ; one wave of the aplifted hand, one beck of the outstretched finger was enough, and the hardy fishermen bent to the oars, rounded to, and were ready to haul in the net and save the fish.

“ They were partners." The bargain was already made, and they bad no need to stop and adjust terms of co-operation. Many a good catch has been lost while men were disputing as to how the fish should be divided.

They were honest men, for without honesty partnership is the poorest ship a man ever sailed in. If they had quarrelled over the division of the last catch; if one boat's crew had covetously insisted on having the whole draught; if one boat's crew had claimed all the big fish, and the best fish, and the gold fish and the silver fish, and left the other boat's crew only dace, and shiners, and sculpins, and horopout, and horse-mackerel, no beckoning would have brought their partners round with such quick and steady oar. But there was no such trouble as this; they were ready for work, “ they were partners," and they saved the fish.

o They filled both sbips, so that they began to sink." There were fish enough to load both boats to the water's edge—no trouble about that- and both crews bad all they could do to take care of them; and here were as good fish left in the sea as those they had taken out.

And what about Simon Peter ? Did he start off to find the local editor of the Capernaum Chronicle or the Galilee Gazette and give them each a string of fish, get them to insert in their columns a little potice which he had prepared, intimating that “ Simon Peter, the eminent fisherman, had, by a masterly exhibition of piscatorial skill, succeeded in securing two boat loads of fish at a single hanl-a thing never before known on the Sea of Galilee;" and advising all who wanted fish caught to “send for the firm of Simon Peter, Zebedee, and Sons, to bring their boats and nets and have the business done at once" ? “ Simon Peter, Zebedee, and Sons !" Why, they had toiled all night and had not caught a fish ; and no wonder, their net was so foul that when daylight came they bad to take it ashore to wash it; and the first haul they caught, the old thing began to break, and they came near losing all the fish. No, they put no such nonsense as this in the Galilee Gazette. But " when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken. And so were also James and Joho, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men."

"I will make you fishers of men " is the promise ; but how poorly We succeed in the work. And what is the reason ? Dirty nets that need washing ; nets with holes in them that need mending; rotten nets that would rip and break if they ever got a haul of fish in them —which they never have had, nor are likely to have ; and, worse than all, no partners to help to bául in the nets, but rather a set of fishermen who try to scare the fish away from each other's nets, and who, if they ever fish in partnership, are liable to wind up with a grand quarrel when they come to divide the catch!

Then there are so many different boats on the lake, that there are not fishermen enough to man them, and so they have got aboard a lot of land-labbers who do not know how to fish, but who will fight and quarrel, and scare the fish, and dispute when they come to divide them; and so each boat has to go by itself, and catch what it can, and get ashore with them the best way they know how. Some of the big boats are manned by crews who have splendid nets and nice tackle, but they are afraid of getting them wet; and as for fish, they do not know a mackerel from a muskalonge; and as for fishing, they mostly raise their own fish in their private ponds, and never let them out for fear they will never be able to catch them and get them back.

Then there are others who dare not “launch forth into the deep and let down their nets"_they are afraid of water, and would not get wet for anything, but they have built a splendid fish house upon the top of a high bill in a central location, and have issued proclamations for all the fish, especially the big fish, and gold fish, and silver fish, to come ashore, and crawl up through the sand half a mile to their fish

house and be caught, and promising that they shall be well taken care of.

Away with all this nonsense. Go into partnership with each other, ye fishers of men. Send your land-lubbers and bullies ashore, and get some of those old fishermen in their dorys whom you have driven off the grounds, to come and show you how to catch fish. Do not quarrel over your catch. Stop scaring away the fish. There are fish enough to fill all your boats if you will only behave yourselves. You "- ist” boat, make a little less noise and do a little more pulling, and you will catch more. You " ian" boat, better not be quite 80 much afraid of water, you will have to spoil some fine clothes before you catch many fish. You "- ist” boat there, those carpets look very nice on the bottom of the boat, but if you do ever get a load of fish your Brussels will be in a sorry plight before you get them ashore. You -i - ist” boat there, your craft is a little narrow, and you are a pretty straight-laced crew; but never mind, come into the partnership, you will learn, and there will be some fish caught if you toil faithfully. You "- ian” crew, do you not think it would be as well for you to try and lay aside your starch and propriety, and catch a few fish yourselves, as to hang around the other boats and pick out the best fish, and especially the gold fish, after they have caught them ? You 66 -ist" crew, your net needs mending, and washing too ; it is in a horrible condition ; better pull ashore and get in fishing order, and then you will be able to catch fish.

Fishing is rough work, and hard work, and unpleasant work. The fish will not come to you, you must go to them; they will not climb into your boat, they must be hauled in: and fishing for men is very different business from the picnicking and pleasuring which daintyhanded kid-gloved gentry so greatly enjoy.

Hark! The Great Teacher, He whose head has pressed the fisherman's hard pillow, and whose wisdom has guided their weary toils, says, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.” Listen to His word. Pull away ! there—not too close together-give plenty of sea-room, don't get foul of that little boat! Now pull away! there, let down your nets, mind ! “on the right side of the ship.” There you have them ! now beckon to your partners ! see them bend to the oar! now all hands to the work, haul in the nets and fill the boats, and rejoice that the Lord has made you " fishers of men !"

217

“WANTED—A BOYI".

FOR THE YOUNG. WANTED – A BOY TO RUN caps, and boys who kept them on.

V ERRANDS and make himself And still they kept coming. generally useful.

"Hold on!” said Mr. PepperMR. PEPPERGRASS came out, with grass. " This will never do !" his cap on the back of his head So he took down the notice and and his spectacles pushed high up bolted the shop door. on his forehead, to wafer this “Now, I will proceed to business," written notice on the side of his said Mr. Peppergrass, rumpling up shop. And five minutes afterwards his hair, and adjusting his spectacles (it might have been less or it might so as to make his keen grey eyes have been more) a crowd of eager sharper than ever. little lads assembled round it, A few penetrating glances, half a standing on tip-toe to read every dozen questions, and the number of word.

boys was speedily reduced to our Johnny Jarvis had just been dis- three little friends-Johnny Jarvis, charged from his place in a shop, Charlie Warner, and Louis Brown. because business was dull and They were all three willing customers few. He was a fine, tall and anxious to work; all three boy of twelve, with bright black brought good recommendations, eyes and a laughing mouth, and had honest faces, wanted to enter he didn't at all like having nothing on the situation at once, and wrote to do.

neat, round hands. Charlie Warner wanted a situa- “Humph! bumph!” said Mr. tion because there were a good many Peppergrass, with his hands locked little Warners, and nothing to feed under his coat-tails behind. “There's them with since their father died. three of you, and I can't find work

Louis Brown had been out of for three boys!" regular employment ever since the The little lads said never a word, china factory closed in the autumn. but looked eagerly at the grocer,

For these little fellows belonged each one hoping that he might be to the innumerable army of boys the boy selected "to run errands who cannot play and enjoy the and make himself generally usebright hours as they go by, but ful." must work and drudge, and count Mr. Peppergrass stared at the every day lost that does not bring spice - boxes and preserve - bottles in its corresponding wages.

in the window, frowned at the Children, did you ever think how cracker-boxes, and finally made up hard the world is on these poor his mind. little toilers ?

“Brown!” said he. It was not long before Mr. “ Sir!” said Louis Brown. Peppergrass's shop was full of boys "I'll try you on a few sums. I who wanted to “run errands, and want my boy to understand the make themselves generally useful.” | first principles of arithmetic !"

Big boys and little boys, tall boys! "I am good at figures, sir !" and short boys, well-dressed boys cried Louis. and shabby boys—boys who leaned "Are you?” said Mr. Pepperup against the flour and potato grass. " Very well ; I'll give you barrels, as if they had left their a trial.” backbones at home; boys who stood He wrote down a labyrinth of straight up; boys who took off their figures on a slate, and then opened