?

Lucy, dearest Lucy,' said Mark Wentworth, regardless of those whose presence had hitherto been a painful restraint. Tell me who has troubled you Who has disturbed your peace? You look ill-unhappy'

'Distraught with fanaticism, you should say, sir,' exclaimed Sir Humphrey in an angry tone.

'I am not ill. None has disturbed my peace. I am not worthy of their malice,' said Lucy, without regarding her uncle. But I have learned to read dark sentences, and I know there will be danger for thee, Mark. Then keep thine eye upon thy God, and give thy confidence to no man.' With these words she left the room; and Wentworth, perplexed and distressed, walked slowly towards his solitary dwelling.

6

'Why did Lucy not tell me what I have to fear, and from whom?' he asked himself more than once. 'Why did she speak in riddles that must have been equally offensive to her uncle as the plainest warning she could have given. But she is unhappy. They are unkind to her. I will take her from among them.'

The last resolution was made while Mark Wentworth overleaped in imagination, all the obstacles that stood in the way of his immediate union with Lucy Camden, and his step grew light, and his heart glad, as he drew near that part of the village in which the greater number of his parishioners lived. 'These are immortal souls,' he thought, and their blood, if I warn them not, will be required at my hands.'

6

With this thought, and before less profitable ones had time to return, he began the labour of enforcing God's fourth command from house to house. In some cottages his advice was received as a message from the Lord, and the inmates still resolved to "Remember the

sabbath day, and keep it holy." In most he met with greater opposition than he had expected. One met him with sneers and scoffing; another murmured that it was hard the poor, who labour for six days, should be deprived of their sport on the seventh.

He left the last cottage with a heavy heart, and was beginning to give way to all the sorrow which the sin of his flock occasioned, when a few words of sympathy from a stranger again raised his sinking spirits; and, like St. Paul, when he met the brethren at Appii Forum, he "thanked God and took courage."

The stranger was a young man. His figure was tall and graceful; his dark eye gave powerful expression to the genius which directed its eloquence, and his manners, though highly polished, seemed perfectly simple and unaffected.

'I am grieved,' he said, advancing courteously towards Mark Wentworth, to see all things preparing for the introduction of sinful folly and revelry into this otherwise peaceful, and happy village.'

'Our great foe,' replied Wentworth, 'is ever vigilant to bring in evil, and destroy all that is good. Much need we have to "gird on the whole armour of God," and to remember that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." But,' he continued, 'It gives me joy to meet with one who has respect unto all the commandments of his God. May I inquire who thus mourns with those who mourn for the iniquities of our nation?'

My name,' replied the stranger, is not worth a niche in thy memory. I am altogether unknown in these parts, and without fame in any, being but a pilgrim and sojourner on the earth, as all my fathers

were. Yet I have heard of Mark Wentworth, and how hard he has striven to teach his flock the true doctrine of God's blessed word, and therefore it grieved me to the heart to see the booths making ready round the very house of God for the revels on next sabbath.'

Mark Wentworth started when he heard this, and after vainly pressing the young stranger to accompany him home, he took an affectionate leave of him, and hurried back to the church which, only an hour before, he had left with feelings of joy and thankfulness. He found the church-yard strewed in various places with rolls of tarpauline, stakes, and cords, while groups of the most idle, and profligate people in the parish stood ready to give their assistance in the work of setting up the booths.

Mark Wentworth walked boldly forward into the midst of them, and assuming the authority which his office gave him within the precincts of the consecrated ground, he desired that the obnoxious preparations might be at once removed. Some of those whom he addressed, looked ashamed, and began to move slowly away, but without attempting to obey the command which their minister had given. Others firmly stood their ground, and muttered something about orders from the hall, but Hobbes the churchwarden, after giving the men orders to proceed with their work, walked up to Wentworth, and said with an air of mock respect, 'You see Master Wentworth its no use disputing this matter. Sir Humphrey is a magistrate, and has given his positive orders that there shall be a Church-ale held in Laytonfield church-yard to-morrow after morning prayers; and if you'll listen to the advice of a friend, you'll shorten your sermon, and let the people out to their sports, for I know to a certainty that Sir Hum

phrey's backed by higher authority. You see the council has been informed touching the sacrilegious breaking up of the old chancel window.'

To reason with this man Mark Wentworth knew would be useless. He was elated with the triumph he had just gained. He was surrounded by scoffers who would but trample the pearls of divine truth under their feet, and he was supported, as he said, by high authority. With a saddened heart the minister of Laytonfield returned to his home, where, like good king Hezekiah, he spread his troubles and his difficulties before the Lord.

CHAPTER IV.

THE Sabbath day had hitherto been a day of joy and peace to Mark Wentworth's soul, but on this Sunday, contentions and disputations had clipped the wings of his faith, and it was "in weakness and in fear and in much trembling," that he went into the pulpit of Laytonfield church, but when he had given forth his message, "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the Holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." When he had given forth this message the spirit of God came upon him, and he rebuked the sin

of the Sabbath-breakers before him, with a power which made their hearts tremble, though it failed to win many from their sinful purpose. He told them that early in the morning he had received an order to read to them the King's 'Declaration to encourage recreations and sports on the Lord's day;' but added, that he dared not read it since it lacked the signature of the King of kings. From the requirements of the fourth commandment, he turned to those of the second, and reminded them how for centuries had been sinfully retained in their church, a pretended similitude of the eternal God" who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see."

Just as he pronounced these words he looked in the direction of Sir Humphrey Clive's pew. It was empty when the service commenced, but now, to his great surprise, the interesting stranger whom he met the day before, sat in it. His eye was fixed upon the preacher, and his whole bearing gave the idea of earnest attention. Wentworth continued his sermon. Again he reproved idolatry, and all sinful trifling in a Christian church that led to it; again he condemned sabbathbreaking, and its accompanying vices, idleness, and profligacy, and again he looked towards the stranger. There was an expression dying away from his countenance-a glance in his eye which seemed to have been forced there against his will by powerful inward feelings. A momentary fear of, he scarcely knew what, struggled for a place in the Christian's calm bosom, but he 66 encouraged himself in the Lord his God," and subdued the rising suspicion which he condemned as unjust and uncharitable.

By the time the service concluded, Mark Wentworth