CHAPTER XI.

"He comes the broken hearts to bind,
The bleeding souls to cure,

And with the treasures of His grace

T'enrich the humble poor."

ANONYMOUS.

"INDEED, Sir, I did not know there was any difference in church or chapel schools. Little Bessie and Amy have always attended the church school at Nutleigh, and when I left the church I didn't see any reason to remove them. They teaches them their Bible up there, and I thought that was all right enough; but they can go to yours, Sir, if you thinks fit."

These words were uttered by a poor woman who kept a small shop in the village of Nutleigh, and were addressed to Mr. Faithful, the Independent minister of that place, who had called upon her to inquire why, as a member now of his congregation, she still continued to send her children to the church-school.

"Yes, Mrs. Goodman," replied Mr. Faithful, "they teach them the Bible, as you say, yonder; but they mix up a good deal they need not, with it. Our children have nothing to do with church catechisms, etcetera, and all that. The sooner we have

them free of all bondage the better, excepting the yoke of Christ.”

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Well, Sir, if you please, I will withdraw them. As I said before, it is not long, you know, since I have joined membership with your chapel, so you must please to excuse my knowing no better, Sir. I am a deal upset, too," she continued; "I have not long come in from my good neighbour, Margaret Lindsay; I was with her all night; and she's just lost her only daughter, Mabel, as pretty a girl as ever you'd see, Sir, but perhaps you's seen her afore. Well, Sir, she's dead. She died this morning; ah, Sir, without any hopes, without any peace, any joy! She was one of Mr. Priestly's congregation. Much good his preaching did her!-much good all her church-going did her! Oh, it would melt your heart, Sir, to see her poor old mother; she's heartbroken, and no one to go in and say a word of comfort to her. Poor soul! I was a going to take the liberty, Sir, of saying if you would just call in. Oh, Sir, it would be a comfort. Mrs. Lindsay loves her Bible; ah, that she does! but it is not Mr. Priestly's visits as will comfort her."

Mr. Faithful readily consented to make Margaret a call, and expressed himself very sorry to hear of her affliction, adding, "that's where it is, you see; the Church Establishment ordains those who are ill fitted for their charges, besides laying its members under bondage, not according to Scripture." And so saying, he took his leave.

He found Mrs. Lindsay's cottage easily enough. As we have before mentioned, it was one of the prettiest in the village of Nutleigh; and although old Margaret was in the deepest affliction, she rose from the armchair in which she had been rocking herself in her anguish, and requested Mr. Faithful to be seated.

"Your neighbour, Mrs. Goodman, has just acquainted me," he began, "with the sore affliction the Lord has been pleased to lay upon you-a very heavy one-and I feel very much for you, Mrs. Lindsay; but you know, I hope that He who has seen fit to smite you so grievously, is mighty to heal and bind up your wound." And he took the chair offered to him, as he spoke. "You know the widow's friend, our merciful and compassionate High Priest?"

"Ah, Sir, I do know Him." And the heavy tears rolled down her cheek as she spoke. "If the Lord, my Saviour, had not taught me to know Him, and to love Him too, what should I do now? He took my all when He saw fit to call my child. Would that I had been the first to go! If she could but have told me that she died in peace, Sir, it would have softened the blow, and I could have better said, 'The Lord's will be done!""

"We must believe where we do not see, sometimes; and perhaps, Mrs. Lindsay, your poor daughter's removal was to be a call to others. She was a member of the Church Establishment—was she not?"

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"Yes, Sir, and so am I, and a very ber of the Church of England; but it is no Church of England, or any other Church, that'll save us, out of Christ; and we are apt, Sir, to make any congregation to which we belong the one that's to save us-that's where it is-and to make a deal too much of the creature and ourselves, and so take the glory away from Christ. Now we have God's Word, Sir, with the teaching of His Holy Spirit, to keep us humble; and I feels it is no matter to which form of worship we belongs, so as we worships in spirit and in truth; but I prefers the Church of England, because I was bred up in the Church; I first learnt to know my Saviour in the Church of England, and I have never seen any reason to leave her. I am of those, in my humble way, Sir, that am grieved to think of them who bring shame and dishonour on our good Church, by bringing in new customs and new ways, puffed up with their own selves, losing sight of their Master's glory. It is that that led my poor, poor girl, wrong-that's what it was; but it is no reason for going away from the Church because one is imperfect. We shall find imperfection everywhere, Sir; only in Christ all is perfect-in nothing else and humility is, I think, a first grace."

"You, Mrs. Lindsay, have certainly learnt the truth," said Mr. Faithful, much struck with the gospel simplicity of all she said; "and it is a great mercy, in the moment of such deep affliction, to know where to look out for support. As you say,

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all is perfect in Christ. If in Him, we are indeed safe; out of Him, all is lost."

A gentle knock at the door here announced another visitor, and before old Margaret could rise to see who it was, Mr. Priestly introduced himself.

"Well, Mrs. Lindsay," he began, "I have but just heard of your poor daughter's removal, and I lost no time in making you a call. You know I told you to send for me if you wanted me ;" and as he spoke his eye glanced uneasily on Mr. Faithful, who he immediately recognized to be no other than the dissenting minister of Nutleigh.

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I require no interference in my parish," he began, "being ever ready to attend the call of any of my parishioners who wish to see me, as well as being fully equal to the need of those entrusted to my charge."

Mr. Faithful, at so unceremonious a greeting, here rose, and kindly shaking old Margaret by the hand, with a slight bow-unreturned, however, by Mr. Priestly-took his leave.

"Your daughter," began the latter, as he took the vacant seat, "it must be a comfort to you to remember, was a regular attendant at church, and died in the true faith of our holy Church. It is not by those delirious ravings, the effects only of the progress of disease, when I saw her last, that we are to judge of a person's state when they die; it is their life-their previous life; and your daughter's was a bright example," continued Mr. Priestly.