"Why could you not say, laying them at the Bishops' feet, Mary?" asked Emma laughing.

"Before that plan could be carried out, in a manner that would please the proposers of it," replied Mr. Sidney, "the whole bench of Bishops must hold unanimous opinions, and those opinions, to say the least, must be very high church, and I should greatly prefer the present method of devoting money to the service of God, to the probable destination of the vast heap, which might then be collected on the communion-table. It would perhaps-"

"Prove a fine addition to Peter's pence," interrupted Emma.

"I am not sure of that," (returned Mr. Sidney smiling.) "But whether the new doctrines are opening the way for return to Rome, or whether they are intended to make the chair of Augustine and Lanfranc vie with that of St. Peter, it matters little, if man, and man's authority be permitted to thrust themselves between the sinner and his Lord, and any one church, (be it the apostate of Rome, or the hitherto scriptural one of England,) presume to say, 'beyond my pale there is no salvation.' Out of Christ there is no salvation. In him there is a safe refuge for all; for Jew, and Gentile; Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Independent, or Methodist."

When Mary reached home, she found a few lines from Edward, in answer to her long, and anxiously written letter. She read them eagerly, but though she felt pleased with his warmly-expressed disapprobation of the errors she most dreaded he might be led into, she thought his words savoured of selfconfidence, and was but imperfectly reassured, although he said-" Fear not for me, dear Mary; I

am too thoroughly alive to the follies and mistakes
of the Tractarian party ever to be be caught by them.
The errors in their works are too glaring for there to
be any danger in my plucking a few flowers from
among them.
So rest satisfied, my own sister, a
Puseyite I never can be, but I trust before many
years have rolled over our heads, you will have the
comfort of knowing that I am an ordained minister
of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is still the first, best
wish of

"Your affectionate Brother,

"EDWARD Spencer."

"THAT Wondrous volume, the charter of human hope, the anchor of human faith, affords instruction definite, and expectations precise. Jesus Christ is linked to our world by ties less fragile than those which human theology has framed. Surely He will COME AGAIN,' and exhibit those ties in all their beauty, and in all their strength.”—Townsend.

NOT NOW.

"EARLY piety," it has been remarked, "is usually eminent piety;" youth is ardent and enthusiastic, and whatever the object of pursuit may be, it is generally sought with warmth and earnestness: very happy are they, whose young hearts are anchored securely on him who changeth not, before they are launched forth on the world's glittering and restless tide, or wander into the broad paths of sin, laying up in store for themselves many an agonizing reflection, when they begin to be in want, and think mournfully of the blessedness of the Lord's house. hold.

The way of holiness, is a way of "pleasantness and peace"-eternity is brightened, and life endeared to the child of God, for he has One to serve, whose constraining love he feels in every sunbeam which lightens his path, and every promise that makes the word of truth unspeakably precious; he has a Master to follow who purchased his willing service with the costly price of his own blood-no longer his own, he delights to glorify Him, in whose "favour is life," and when the night draweth nigh in which no man can work, he feels the loving-kindness of his God to be better than life, and rejoices in hope of the glory to be revealed.

But there are few who choose the Lord for their portion while life is in its spring, and the allure

ments the world offers to an unsanctified heart derive additional charms, from the buoyancy of spirit with which they are entered on. In general, we refuse to be led Zionward by blessings, and we need our earthly joys to be embittered before we give a preference to heavenly delights; vain are all the declarations of the sacred law by which we profess to be guided, vain the solemn warnings, by which, He, who willeth not the death of a sinner," speaks still to those who have ears to hear; we see the wicked "driven away in his wickedness," but the stony heart continues alike impervious to the ray of divine love, and the bolt of provoked vengeance. Still, we would not like to die thus God-forgetting; and we intend at some indefinite future period to become Christ's disciples; yielding every day to temptations, we struggle not to resist, though we know them to be evil, we assure ourselves that in a little time those pleasures will lose their power to attract us, and then it will be much more easy to take up our cross, and deny ourselves;— -we hope we shall arrive in heaven at the end, but we do not want it by the way, and, like Augustine, the prayer of our hearts is frequently-"Sanctify us, Lord, but, not yet," and with all this daring trifling, we see, and hear, and admit, that "we know not what a day may bring forth," and this night our souls might be required of us. When Paul preached to the Athenians, "Some mocked, but others said, we will hear thee again of this matter." When "he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled,” but deferred the consideration of these subjects to a "convenient season.' When he made his defence before Agrippa, he was almost per

suaded to be a Christian, but Paul departed from Athens, Felix forgot to tremble, and Agrippa was never quite persuaded. Acts xvii. 32; xxiv. 25; xxvi. 28. "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found." "For what is your life, it is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Prov. i. 32. Isa. lv. James iv. 14.

It is a sorrowful thing to see immortal souls passing into eternity, with only the intention to serve God, formed in their hearts. Memory clings fondly round the loved and the lost, but Christian hope can only cast a faint and shadowy ray around the grave where they repose; and the heart which has lost a treasure from its earthly store, sickens beneath the vague apprehension, that it may not be laid up in that abode where the spoiler cannot come. Amongst the few, whose friendship has been permitted to gladden my way, there is one standing out with peculiar brightness in the remembered past. I was but a child, when Charlotte Mansergh became my chosen companion; like herself, a giddy child, but not idle or unreflecting, for we pursued our studies with eagerness, and roamed together in many a classic region, till our hearts became interwoven together, with all our occupations and enjoyments. Singularly gifted in talent, disposition and person, Charlotte was also the favoured child of fortune; the only daughter of a high and wealthy house, never had she known an ungratified desire, scarcely ever formed a wish that was not almost anticipated; but there is no defence against the visitations of afflic