28 SKETCHES OF RUBAL AFFAIRS. 



most of these humble sons of labour enter the village 

 church, might read a lesson to the children of fashion, 

 flaunting in gay attire. 



" When once thy foot enters the church, be bare,. 

 God is more there, than thou, for thou art there 

 Only by his permission. Then beware, 

 And make thyself all reverence and fear. * 



Besides the great privilege of assembling to worship 

 God, and to hear his Holy Word explained, Sunday 

 brings with it other privileges and pleasures. The la- 

 bourer has little leisure during the week to talk to his 

 children, or to enjoy a comfortable meal with them. 

 But on this day he does both. He hears his children 

 read a chapter or two in the Bible, and he tries to 

 teach them a few simple lessons therefrom. He and 

 his wife take care that they are sent neat and clean to 

 the Sunday school, and that no vain excuses keep any 

 one of the family from attending church. The wife 

 perhaps stays at home one part of the day to cook the 

 food, or to attend to an infant, but she takes care not 

 to lose both services, unless sickness in her house keeps 

 her away. 



Religion affords the only true consolation a mortal 

 can have through life, and in the hour of death ; there- 

 fore it behoves every one of us to seek above all other 

 things to become deeply and truly religious. God has 

 given us public and private means of grace, all of which 

 it is our bounden duty to use in dependence on his 

 blessings. It is a happy thing for the poor and un- 

 learned that not to the wise and mighty alone, but to 

 the poor the Gospel is preached ; but if they withdraw 

 themselves from that preaching, forsake the assembling 

 of themselves together in the House of God, and ne- 

 glect the reading of the Holy Scriptures in their own 

 homes, what reason have they to hope for any blessing 

 from the Lord ? what expectation can they have, indeed, 



* George Herbert. "The Church Porch." 



