“Alps o’er Alps arise.”

The folly of this is apparent.  The sums thus lavished go for mere show, and neither refine the mind nor improve the heart.  They gratify vanity, that is all.  By the practice of a wise economy, most families might, in time, entitle themselves to such luxuries; and then indulgence in them would not be so reprehensible.  If there are two men, each making a clear two thousand a-year, and one lays by a thousand at interest, while the other spends his entire income, the first will have acquired a fortune in sixteen years, sufficient to yield him an income equal to his accustomed expenses, while the other will be as poor as when he started in life.  And so of larger sums.  In fine, any man, by living on half of what he annually makes, be it more or less, can, before he is forty, acquire enough, and have it invested in good securities, to live for the rest of his life in the style in which he has been living all along.  Yet how few do it!  But what prevents?  Extravagance! extravagance! and again extravagance!

Wives and carpets.—­In the selection of a carpet, you should always prefer one with small figures, for the two webs, of which the fabric consists, are always more closely interwoven than in carpeting where large figures are wrought.  “There is a good deal of true philosophy in this,” says one, “that will apply to matters widely different from the selection of carpets.  A man commits a sad mistake when he selects a wife that cuts too large a figure on the green carpet of life—­in other words, makes much display.  The attractions fade out—­the web of life becomes weak—­and all the gay figures, that seemed so charming at first, disappear like summer flowers in autumn. This is what makes the bachelors, or some of them.  The wives of the present day wish to cut too large a figure in the carpet of life.”

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Selected.

EVERY PRAYER SHOULD BE OFFERED UP IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

Through Him alone have we access with boldness to the throne of grace.  He is our advocate with the Father.  When the believer appears before God in secret, the Savior appears also:  for he “ever liveth to make intercession for us.”  He hath not only directed us to call upon his Father as “Our Father,” and to ask him to supply our daily need, and to forgive our trespasses; but hath graciously assured us, that “whatsoever (we) shall ask in his name, he will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”—­(John 14:13.) And saith (verse 14), “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”  And again (John 15:23, 24), “Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you.  Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”

All needful blessings suited to our various situations and circumstances in this mortal life, all that will be necessary for us in the hour of death, and all that can minister to our felicity in a world of glory, hath he graciously promised, and given us a command to ask for, in his name.  And what is this but to plead, when praying to our heavenly Father, that Jesus hath sent us; and to ask and expect the blessings for his sake alone?