THE PLOUGHMAN'S REST. 27 27 latent pride of the roughest ploughman. The flowers in his horses' bridles, the network on their ears, the new gay-coloured tape with which their manes and tails are braided, betray the little feelings of honest pride in the ploughman's bosom. *** Such meetings, moreover, teach even the most ignorant the importance of such affairs, that there is a strange difference in the neatness, style, and profit to the farmer, in the manner in which the ploughmen execute their work; and they are pretty sure to convince even the most listless that there is more skill required in a ploughman than many persons would readily believe." Thus it seems plain that a ploughman has many good reasons to be contented and happy in the station God has placed him in, and many great encouragements to be sober, honest, and industrious. If his toils are arduous, he has his seasons of rest, and especially the weekly day of rest, so mercifully appointed for man. It is one of the pleasantest of country sights to witness the clean, well-dressed labourers repairing with their families to the village church. Traversing the high-road, or lane, or bye-path, they come from various quarters to the house of God; their honest sun-burnt faces gladdening one's heart to look upon. The reverent air with which 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, 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 labourer has little leisure during the week to talk to his children, or to enjoy a comfortable meal with them. + George Herbert. "The Church Porch." 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; therefore 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 blessing. It is a happy thing for the poor and unlearned 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 neglect 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, but that their hearts will become hardened against every holy influence, and their condition become worse and worse, both for time and for eternity? "Godliness is profitable for all things; having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." (1 Timothy iv. 8.) THE promise of the Lord standeth sure, that, SO long as the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter shall not cease." There are, indeed, years of comparative scarcity, when the earth does not yield her full increase, but there are also years of great abundance and plenty, when the ground brings forth " some thirty, some sixty, some an hundred fold." It is man's business to sow the seed: it is God's prerogative to give the increase: "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that."-Eccles. xi. 6. |