"What can you mean, Ellen?" said Constance. "You speak as if I were taking a more decided step than leaving the Church." "Well, it is a step towards that," replied Ellen. "Do not distress yourself," said Constance, almost laughing; "I am only going while we are here; and I would not go at all, if the gospel were preached in any Church. I took great pains last Sunday to find a gospel preacher, and I hear now there is not such a thing in the place. You see I have not done it hastily.' "Ah! but you do not consider how wrong, how very wrong it is, Constance, to join with those who cause divisions in the Church, and divide the body of Christ," said Ellen, seriously. "It is worse for us, who belong to the Church, to do so, than for those who have been brought up dissenters. know that schism is a sin: do you not think so, Constance?" We "I know from Scripture that I am to love all those who love the Lord Jesus; and while I am worshipping and hearing the word with His despised followers, I cannot be very sinful, I think." This was said in a tone which Ellen found difficult to answer. She said, however, "But we must follow with those who follow Christ, and obey his word." 66 Do you mean to say that those among whom are my dearest friends, the salt of the earth, the faithful and devoted servants of the cross, do not follow and obey Christ?" Ellen was surprised that one so unimpassioned as Constance usually appeared, should be so much moved, and was grieved to have hurt her feelings by any remark on those she esteemed. "I do not know any of your friends," said she; "they may be, and I dare say are, good and pious people, acting up to their light; but we must not follow any to pak the least of Christ's commands." "What commands do they break?" asked Con stance. "It depends upon what sect they are," replied Ellen; "each sect must break one or more of Christ's commands." "By that rule you ought to be a papist," said Constance; "because the Protestants schismatized from the Romish Church at the Reformation." "No, I ought not," answered Ellen; "but there is no time for that now, and it is nothing to the purpose. You ought not, Constance, to separate from the Church you have been baptized into, and belong to, without some very grave reason." 66 Well, it is for my soul's health, and that is a very grave reason," returned Constance. "I cannot live a month without spiritual subsistence." “Then you know the preacher you are going to hear?" said Ellen. Constance replied that she did not know him, but had heard of him as a pious, faithful minister, who preached the word. "And really you are going to take such a serious step for the sake of hearing a stranger, of whom you know nothing yourself, and who may be a heretic?" "Ellen," said Constance, "you make yourself very silly it is not the first time I have been to dissenting places of worship, nor will it be the last. I am not one of those half-hearted professors, whose heart still clings to ordinances; it is my wish and my prayer to get free of such narrow prejudices." Then, Constance, you must not pretend to obey the Bible, and receive the word of our Lord and his Apostles." "Give me one text, Ellen, that forbids me to go to this meeting," said Constance, impatiently," and I will turn back." "Mark those that cause divisions, and avoid them," replied Ellen. She added nothing, and waited for Constance's reply. After a little hesitation, Constance answered, "But we do not know what divisions mean; it may be the Church, as you call it, that makes divisions by ordaining needless tests." 66 Well, Constance, all I say is, that till you know, or try to find out, what 'divisions' do mean, you ought to defer joining with those who may be sinning, as this passage implies." 66 So you think, but so I do not, Ellen," returned Constance. "I am very sorry," said Ellen, despondingly; " and sorry, Constance, if I have vexed you." "I am used to be tempted from the straight path," replied Constance. "I am not likely to be vexed at such a thing.-Good-bye," and in a moment she turned the corner, and was gone. Ellen did not think of following her, for she saw it was of no use to attempt more, and feared she had done too much already. "How strange it is," thought she, "that what seems so plain to me, and the express word of Scripture even, should not be so to one like Constance, who is really religious, and thinks she takes the Bible alone for her guide. Surely she must be following the traditions of men, though she does not think it!"-From "The Lost Brooch." STILL constant in her worship, still Wordsworth. CHURCH IN THE COLONIES. No. 3. THE following extracts from various Reports, sent by the clergy of his diocese, at the beginning of the present year, to the Bishop of Nova Scotia, will illustrate the labours, trials, and encouragements, of the missionaries in their several spheres of labour. From the Rev. Dr. James Shreve, Missionary at Chester. "....I travelled, by land and by water, two thousand three hundred and eighty-five miles, to separate settlements. I made forty-four missionary visits, and pastoral visits two hundred and eightytwo. To the sick and afflicted, two hundred and thirty-nine. In addition to the above, the Rev. W. A. Weinbeer, who continued until the 13th of November to be an active, zealous, and laborious assistant in the arduous work of this extensive parish, has preached sixty-six times, baptized thirty children, and one adult, pastoral visits ninety-four, missionary visits thirty, and travelled one thousand, four hundred and seventy-four miles. I have given an account of Mr. Weinbeer's labours to the 13th of November, when he was obliged to call in medical aid. My daily, humble, and earnest prayer to God is, that He would not take him away in the midst of his days, but spare him yet a little longer to do Him better service, and bring Him greater glory than time has yet allowed him. His readiness at all times to labour in his Heavenly Master's service soon led him to such over exertion and exposure, and he now lies upon his bed of sickness. In consequence of his illness, my care, anxiety, and labour, are not a little increased." From the Rev. Henry L. Owen, Missionary at regiment was stationed in New Bruswick, and whose heart God had been pleased deeply to impress with a sense of his guilt and danger, was recommended by a religious friend to visit this place, for the sake of greater retirement. He remained here three weeks, and I afterwards visited him at his station. Last month he sailed with his regiment for Ireland; and I rejoice to say, that his conduct during the twelve months of his renewal unto holiness, has been very exemplary, and becoming his Christian profes sion. MISSIONARY LABOURS-CHURCH IN THE FOREST. From the Rev. J. C. Cochran. "Lunenburg, 25th January, 1844. I HAVE not been absent from my parish any Sunday during the year, and have continued my usual course of divine service twice each Sunday in the parish church, and once in the country, alternately at St. Matthew's, Upper La Have, and at St. James's, Mahone Bay, beside a week-day service at some country station, of which I have twelve, varying in distance from seven to thirty-three miles from Lunenburg; I have also renewed our Thursday evening lecture in the parish church. ". . . . I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that in the course of the past season we have been enabled to raise, and externally finish, a little temple of the Lord in one of our 'solitary places.' At New Germany, among the ancient trees which God's right hand hath planted, and man has never disturbed, may now be seen our 'house of prayer,' as a token that the great Creator is not forgotten even there and that the poor settler who comes to take up his abode in those wilds may hope to be cheered in his toils by the consoling ordinances of the Church of CHRIST. We have to thank the Venerable Society for the |