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 THAT HAD A GREAT DEAL OF TRUTH IN IT; 
 
 A FEW HINTS TO CHURCH-GOERS. 
 
 By E. M. 
 
 Eioentg^stxtfj Ei^ousantf. 
 
 
 »Sjv««*^itfM<3» 
 
 LONDON: 
 JOHN HUGHES, 12, AVE MARIA LANE. 
 
 M.DCCC.LI.
 
 ^f^t ISream. 
 
 As I sat on a grassy bank, dear reader, one fine sum- 
 mer evening, beneath a spreading oak, surrounded with 
 sweet rural sights and sounds, I began to meditate on 
 many things which the scene brought to my mind. The 
 pastures clothed with verdure ; the browsing sheep and 
 cattle ; the copse on the hill-side ; the neat farms ; the 
 labouring poor occupied in their various work ; the 
 cheerful, pleasant, English - looking village with its 
 street of cottages, some of which were also dotted about 
 the neighbouring fields, and most of them with a well- 
 filled garden ; and above and in the midst of all, as if 
 to remind every one of Him whose house it especially 
 was, the church, with its old grey-looking tower, en- 
 gaged my notice, and led me to many thoughts both 
 pleasant and profitable. Now while I was thus musing, 
 lulled by the soft air and the sound of a brook that ran 
 at a little distance, I fell asleep ; and in my sleep I thus 
 dreamed. 
 
 I seemed to be standing within a little space of that 
 old parish church, while from its grey tower the bells 
 were sending forth their Sunday chimes, clear and loud; 
 for it was the Lord's day, and a fine sunny morning, 
 inviting every creature, from man to the smallest fly, to 
 come forth into its warmth and brightness. I heard the 
 lark carol on high, the thrush and blackbird warble in 
 the hedge, the bees hum amid the blossoms ; while the 
 flowers, yet moist with the dews of night, filled the air 
 with fragrance. There was a stillness and calm around, 
 such as marks the Sabbath morn in our own dear land, 
 (and long, O good and gracious Father of mercies, 
 may it mark it !), arising from the absence of the usual
 
 THE DREAM. 
 
 weeR-day sounds of labour and industry. As I tl.u^ 
 stood, and there came over my soul a mingled solemnity 
 and joy in the Lord, there seemed to speak, or rather to 
 breathe forth in soft and most sweet notes, a kind of 
 voice (yet not like any speech or language) from every 
 flower, shrub, and tree, from every field, copse, and gar- 
 den, rom each winged insect and all cattle, from creep- 
 ing things and flying fowl, from the sun in the blue 
 sky arching over me, and the dew-drops on the grass of 
 the earth spread around me ; and it said, Praise the 
 Lord; Jor the Lord is good: oh, sijig praises unto 
 His Name ; Jor it is lovely. Nor could I forbear joining 
 in this chorus of all nature to her Maker and Lord, fo? 
 
 Tv^ '?' ''^^""^ "*"^^ ^'^'^^^^ up ^^ith love and praise • 
 and thus 1 sung in my dream : — 
 
 The heavens, Lord ! Thy power proclaim. 
 And the earth echoes back Thy Name ; 
 len thousand voices speak Thv might, 
 And day to day, and night to liight, 
 Utter Thy praise, Thou, Lord, above — 
 Ihy praise, Thy glory, and Thy love. 
 
 All things I see, or hear, or feel, 
 ■Thy wisdom, goodness, power reveal : 
 The glorious orb that shines on high,' 
 The clouds that float across the sky 
 The lowliest flower that cheers the dells, 
 I he ripphng wave, the stream that swells. 
 
 The breeze that o'er the garden plavs, 
 Ihe farthest planet's glimmering ravs. 
 The dew upon the distant hill. 
 The vapours that the valley fill. 
 The grove's untutor'd harm'ony,— 
 All speak, and loudly speak, of Thee. 
 
 And we, creation's princes, we, 
 
 The children of the Deity ; 
 
 The favoured race, whose thoughts can soar 
 
 Heaven's brightest, highest, concave o'er • 
 
 And hold above created things ' 
 
 Communion with the King of Kings,— 
 
 Shall we not praise and worship Thee 
 Thou infinite Divinity ? *
 
 4 THE DREAM. 
 
 Thank Thee for what we know, and own 
 Thou hidest what is best unknowTi ? 
 Sliall we not swell the harmony 
 Wliich all creation tunes to Thee ? 
 
 Yea ; our whole heart, and soul, and voice. 
 
 Shall in this general praise rejoice, 
 
 And join the ever-during hymn 
 
 With cherubim and seraphim, 
 
 And all to whom a tongue is given, 
 
 To worship Thee, the Lord of Heaven, 
 
 And now the church-chimes died away, and a single 
 bell gave warning that the worship of God would soon 
 commence within those ancient walls. And I saw that 
 the congregatio-n were coming together; and as they 
 passed through the little wicket -gate and along the 
 smooth gravelled walk of the churchyard, I knew most 
 of them as my neighbours and fellow - parishioners. 
 There came Joseph Smith, the old pensioner, hobbling 
 along with the help of two sticks; and Ralph West, with 
 his white hairs, and bent down with age and many years 
 of hard labour, leaning on one staff; and two or three 
 very old women creeping feebly and slowly onward. 
 These had realised the Psalmist's words (Psalm xc. 
 J 0) : The days of man are threescore years and ten ; and 
 though men he so strong that they come to fourscore 
 years^ yet is their strength then hut labour and sorrow. 
 And there came, walking two and two, the school-chil- 
 dren, clean and tidy in their Sunday clothes, and look- 
 ing healthy and happy, but, I feared, most of them 
 with little thought beyond the present hour or day. 
 Then I remembered, that childhood and youth are 
 vanity (Eccles. xi. 10); and that prayer of David 
 (Psalm XXV. 7), Oh, remember not the sins of my 
 youth ; and that advice of the wise preacher (Eccles. 
 xii. 1), Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy 
 youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw 
 nigh, when thou shall say, I have no pleasure in them. 
 There came many of various ages between these, and of 
 all ranks : the squire of the parish, with his lady and 

 
 THE DREAM. O 
 
 daughters, and their servants ; three or four farmers, his 
 tenants ; the two village shopkeepers, with their families ; 
 Edward Rose also, the blacksmith; Walter Main, the 
 carpenter; and several of the labourers. But I saw not 
 many of their wives : and I tliought that some could not 
 leave their young families, and I hoped it was so ; while 
 others had chosen, perhaps, to lie so late in bed on the 
 Sunday morning, that they had still their household 
 work to do ; and I feared it was thus with some. Nor 
 could I see Frank Holmes, the keeper of the beer-shop; 
 though I knew he was not only a very stirring man 
 about his worldly business, but lived hard by the 
 churchyard. But I observed Dame Burgess, whose 
 cottage was a full mile from the church, and she was 
 sickly, and had a good big family about her; which 
 brought to my mind the old saying, " Where there's a 
 will, there's a way ;" and I saw how very true it was as 
 respects going to church. 
 
 Now as I thus stood in my dream, there came up to 
 me one whom I could not recollect to have seen before. 
 He was a very grave and reverend-looking person ; yet 
 withal so peaceful and calm, and with such a devout 
 joy in his countenance, that I felt a mingling of awe and 
 delight, of fear and love, as I looked on him. And it 
 came into my mind that perhaps he was an angel (for 
 you know, dear reader, that we have strange thoughts 
 in dreams), and I had learnt from holy Scripture that 
 angels are attendants (1 Cor. xi. 10) on the worship- 
 ping assemblies of Christians. Then he asked me, 
 " Knowest thou wherefore this people are coming toge- 
 ther ?" "Sir," said I, "to worship God in His house 
 are they meeting, and to find that promise of Jesus, 
 their Lord and Master, fulfilled to tliem (Matt, xviii. 
 20), Where two or three are gathered together i?i My 
 Name^ there am I in the midst of them." Then he said, 
 " Is it not also written in the word of the Lord (James 
 iv. 8), Draw nigh to God, and He will draw fiigh to 
 you?" And I answered, "Of a truth, sir, it rs : and 
 surely these persons will find it so." Then said he,
 
 6 THE DREAM. 
 
 " Every word of God is true, and will be fulfilled in 
 Christ Jesus to them that believe and obey ; but is it 
 not also written of some (Isaiah xxix. 13), This people 
 draw near to Me with their mouth, and with their lips do 
 honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me .?" 
 Then I replied, " Sir, God forbid that this should be the 
 case of any whom we see coming together." Then he 
 said, " God is a Spirit^ and they that worship Him 
 must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John iv. 24-). 
 But I am now come to shew thee some of the wrong- 
 doings and carelessness of this people regarding the 
 house of God and His worship, for thine own instruction, 
 and that thou mayest admonish others, that all may 
 henceforth come together for the better and not for the 
 worse." Then I began to be much concerned, and to fear. 
 And he said to me : " What I shall shew thee are not, 
 indeed, the most flagrant and sinful of the abominations 
 which are committed by man against the sanctuary of 
 God, but yet are things very evil and ruinous to souls." 
 Now I saw in my dream, dear reader, that he led me 
 a little aside up a small garden to the door of a neat 
 cottage, wherein sat a middle-aged man, and he was 
 reading, not his Bible or Prayer-book, or a sermon, but 
 a newspaper. And, as he read, he sometimes laughed 
 aloud, and sometimes looked very full of cares, as one 
 that \vas much taken up with what he read. Then I 
 heard one, who I thought was his wife, say to him, 
 " John, do pray put aside the news, for you have done 
 nothing but read it all this morning; and make haste 
 and get ready for church, for there is but a little time 
 ere the prayers begin." With that, I saw that he shortly 
 arose, and, throwing by the newspaper, took up his hat, 
 and hurried out of the house. But he neither went up 
 into his chamber, that he might pray in secret to God 
 for a blessing on what he was going about ; nor so 
 much as stopped to recollect himself and get rid of his 
 wandering worldly thoughts ere he went into his Lord's 
 presence ; nor did he look serious, as one about to ask 
 for thin<z;s needful for this life and the next : nor seemed 
 
 !
 
 THE DREAM. / 
 
 grave and earnest, as a sinner invited to hear, for ]iis 
 own soul's good, of a Saviour's love and sufferings. 
 But he was so full of what lie had been reading, that he 
 began to speak of it to one and another whom he over- 
 took ; and I noticed in particular a steady-looking young 
 man, who was just entering the church-porch with his 
 Bible and Prayer-book under his arm, to whom he step- 
 ped up and said, " Thomas, there is a deal of news this 
 morning :" whereupon this young man ceased to be 
 grave and thoughtful as he was before, and began also 
 to ask and talk about it at the very church-door. 
 Then I thought. Evil communications corrupt good 
 manners ; and my companion said to me, " Hast thou 
 not read (Eccles. v. 1), Keep thy foot when thou goest 
 to Hie house of God, and he more ready to hear than to 
 pay the sacrifice of fools ; for they consider not that they 
 do evil? Also (Job xi. 13), If thou prepare thine heart, 
 and stretch out thine hands toward Him ; if iniquity he 
 in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness 
 dwell in thy tahernacles ; for then shalt thou lift up thy 
 face without spot." Then I remembered, how carefully 
 Moses caused the people of Israel to sanctify themselves 
 in drawing near to God at ^Nlount Sinai ; and I felt 
 much grieved that this man should put such a contempt 
 upon God, His house, and its sacred services. I 
 thought also, what a loss he was causing his own soul, 
 by thus hurrying up to church thoughtless, irreverent, 
 and prayerless, and with his heart and mind full of the 
 cares, follies, and probably sins of this world. And I 
 saw that this was one great evil as respects divine wor- 
 ship in the house of God, that many go to it without 
 first earnestly praying in their own houses that He would 
 be pleased to meet them there with grace and mercy, 
 such as sinners need. And as they thus go up to wor- 
 ship God irreverent and unprepared, so they commonly 
 remain inattentive and unaffected, and come away with- 
 out any blessing. 
 
 Now we seemed in my dream to enter the church, 
 where the clergyman was kneeling at the prayer-desk.
 
 8 THE DREAM. 
 
 praying silently for a blessing on the sacred duties he 
 was about to commence. And those words came to 
 my mind : 
 
 " Lo ! God is here ! let us adore, 
 And own how dreadful is this place ! 
 Let all Avithin us feel His power, 
 And silent bow before His face ! 
 Who know His power, His grace who prove. 
 Serve Him with awe, with reverence love." 
 
 Now, as I was repeating these lines to myself, my 
 companion directed my notice to a well-dressed, re- 
 spectable-looking man, who was just entering his seat. 
 And I observed that when he got to his place, instead 
 of kneeling down, or standing up with his hat before 
 his face (as I saw some do, who, I thought, had better 
 have knelt), he sat down at once, put his hat under him, 
 and gave a look about him to the right and left, and 
 then threw himself back in the seat, as much as to say, 
 " What care I where I am, or what I am come about ?" 
 I hoped, indeed, that he had other and better thoughts, 
 but it seemed to me as if he came into the house of 
 God, and sat before Him, with far less reverence, care, 
 or thought, than he would have gone into Squire Wor- 
 thy's servants'-hall, or Farmer Wilson's parlour, or to 
 a vestry or club-meeting. Then I saw also a little boy 
 and girl in the same seat with him (I thought they were 
 his own children, but could not be sure), who got up 
 and began to stare about them, and to play with their 
 books, when they saw this man make so light of the 
 church, and of what they had been told people came 
 to it for. Then said my companion to me, " Did not 
 God say to Moses, when he drew near to where He was 
 (Exodus iii. 5), Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for 
 the place whereon thou standest is holy ground^ and is 
 it not written (1 Sam. vii. 3), Prepare your hearts to 
 the Lord, and serve Him? also (Heb. xii. 28), Let us 
 have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with 
 reverence and godly fear ; for our God is a consuming 
 fire f Then it grieved me to think how this man, in-
 
 THE DREAM. if 
 
 stead of devoutly seeking a blessing on the means of 
 grace, was setting so light by them, and behaving as 
 if he cared not whether he profited by them or not, 
 and as though he thought it duty enough to be pre- 
 sent in body in the church, and not in spirit. And I 
 saw this to be a second evil as respects the house of 
 God, that many attend it without praying, as soon as they 
 are in it, that He would assist them by His grace to 
 draw near with a true heart, in faith and repentance, in 
 fear and love, keep them from hurtful and distracting 
 thoughts, and accept them and their poor weak services 
 for Christ's sake. So they are commonly merely for- 
 mal outside worshippers while there, their minds being 
 wandering and unsettled, and their hearts cold and un- 
 devout; and they come away no better, but rather 
 worse ; for their service has more of mockery in it than 
 reality. 
 
 Then my companion said to me, " I will shew thee 
 d greater evil than this." So he made me observe a 
 young man and young woman seated near the centre 
 of the church, talking together. Sometimes they whis- 
 pered, sometimes spake loud enough to be overneard 
 by those near; sometimes they smiled, and pointed to 
 this or that person. I could hear them make remarks 
 upon the looks of one, and the gown or coat of a second, 
 and the bonnet of a third. In particular, the young wo- 
 man remarked how plain the Miss Worthys were dressed, 
 which she said, she believed, was only that they might 
 save their money. Then the young man proposed that 
 they should go in the evening to the dissenting chapel, 
 and see what was going-on there. And thus they 
 went on till the service began. And I observed that as 
 they talked, and nodded, and smiled, some of the Sun- 
 day scholars, who had sat quiet and grave hitherto, 
 began also to talk together and laugh ; when the master 
 gave one of the little boys a sharp rap with his cane, 
 on which I heard him say to another, " Why does he 
 not rap Ned Littlemore and Miss Perkins, for they talk 
 both more and louder than we ?" And I thought it 
 b2
 
 10 THE DREAM. 
 
 would, indeed, have been only what those two ill-be- 
 haved persons deserved. Then my companion said to 
 me, "Is it not written (Lev. xix. 30), Ye shall keep 
 My sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I am the 
 Lord? and again (Psalm Ixxix. 1), My holy temple 
 have they defiledT* Then I remembered, also, how 
 Jacob said (Gen. xxviii. 16), Surely the Lord is in, 
 this place, and I knew it not. And he was afraid, and 
 said, How dreadful is this place ! this is none other but 
 the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And 
 I prayed for these persons, that their sin might be for- 
 given them. And I saw this to be another great evil, 
 that some persons, if they a?'e in church before the 
 service begins, pass the time in talking and chatting 
 together, as if tliey were in their own house, instead of 
 sitting silent and praying in their hearts, or reading in 
 their Bible or Prayer-Book. And as they thus despise 
 God, and profane the place where He has said He will 
 meet His people, it may be expected that He will lightly 
 esteem them, and shut up towards them His loving- 
 kindness in displeasure. 
 
 Now 1 saw in my dream that the service began, and 
 the minister having finished the sentences and exhorta- 
 tion, knelt down to make the general confession of sin. 
 And I saw that most of the congregation very properly 
 knelt and repeated it after him, as the Prayer-book 
 directs. And it seemed a beautiful sight to see so 
 many, high and low, rich and poor together, devoutly 
 kneeling before God, humbly confessing their sins, and 
 earnestly asking mercy and grace for Jesu's sake — that 
 most loving Saviour, who came into the world and died 
 to save sinners and enrich their souls with His bless- 
 ings. I observed, indeed, that Matthew Robinson, 
 from the almshouse, knelt not, but then I knew that he 
 had long been a cripple; neither did old Mary Hobson, 
 but I recollected that she had the rheumatism ; and both 
 of them leaned forward also in their seats, and covered 
 their faces with their hands. Then I recollected that, 
 if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according
 
 THE DREAM. 11 
 
 to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath 
 not (2 Cor. viii. 10). But just then my companion 
 made me observe a seat where sat two young men 
 leaning back, as if they were quite at their ease as to 
 confessing their sins, or asking for pardon, or even seem- 
 ing so to do. They were neither feeble, sick, nor lame, 
 but hearty and stout, and there was a kneeling-board be^ 
 fore them in the seat ; though, indeed, they had better 
 have knelt on the floor, than not at all. While all around 
 them knelt, these men sat, or rather lolled back, as if 
 they had been by their own firesides, or in the tap of 
 the Green Dragon, instead of the house of God, and at 
 the footstool of His throne, to seek mercy and forgive- 
 ness as guilty helpless sinners. The clergyman looked 
 very hard at them, and I thought he motioned once 
 or twice with his head, as if reminding them to take a 
 more reverent and becoming posture of body ; yet they 
 heeded not, but remained sitting till the congregation 
 rose up again. And while I was doubting whether it 
 Avas from pride, or indolence, or fear of ridicule from 
 others, or of spoiling their Sunday clothes, or mere ig- 
 norance, that they so misbehaved, my companion said 
 to me, " Rememberest thou not those words (Malachi 
 i. 6), A son honoureth his father, and a servant his 
 master : if then I he a Father, where is Mine honour? 
 and if I he a Master, where is My fear ? saith the Lord 
 of hosts ? And did not Daniel, even in his own chamber 
 (Daniel vi. 10), kneel upon his hues three times a day, 
 when he prayed and gave thanks hefore his Godf* 
 Then I also remembered how Jesus when on earth 
 (Luke xxii. 41), kneeled down and prayed to His Fa- 
 ther: how King Solomon, also (2 Chron. vi. 13), was not 
 ashamed to kneel before the whole assembly of his sub- 
 jects. I remembered, too, that it is written (Romans 
 xiv. 11), As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall 
 how to Me. And I saw^ that this was a fourth great 
 evil as respects the house of God, that many seldom, if 
 ever, kneel where the Prayer-hook enjoins them so to 
 do, but sit all the time as if they vrere there to listen to
 
 12 THE DREAM. 
 
 prayers read to them, and not to pray themselves ; and 
 I could not but fear, that they who are too careless to 
 kneel before God now in reverent fear and humble 
 love may one day be compelled to kneel in constrained 
 submission and hopeless terror. God, who has said, 
 (Isaiah Ixvi. 2), To this man tvill I look, even to him 
 that is poor and of a contrite spirit^ and that trembleth 
 at My word, cannot but be much displeased with those 
 who neglect even all outward signs of humiliation and 
 sorrow for sin. 
 
 Now while I was listening in my dream to the abso- 
 lution or remission of sins, as it was pronounced by the 
 priest alone, standing, and was pondering that solemn 
 declaration of Christ to His ministers, WJiosesoever sins 
 ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosesoever 
 sins ye retain, they are retained (John xx. 23), so full oi 
 comfort to each truly penitent worshipper, the church 
 door was suddenly flung open, and in came one of the 
 principal farmers of the parish, followed by his wife, 
 son, and daughter. I thought they looked a good deal 
 confused and ashamed, as they bustled up the aisle tc 
 their seat: and well they might, for they sadly dis- 
 turbed the worship of God. The farmer, who was 
 a large burly man, trod on two of the little Sunday- 
 scholars, which set them crying ; and then his coat, 
 catching the corner of a movable form, pulled it down, 
 which made such a terrible noise that it disturbed 
 nearly the whole of the congregation. At this he and 
 his family looked very red and vexed, and scarce, in- 
 deed, recovered themselves through the whole service. 
 And I could not pity them, because I knew that they 
 had been as late almost every Sunday since I had been 
 in the parish, and had been often spoken to by the cler- 
 gyman to come in time, and lived but a very short dis- 
 tance from the church, at the end of the village-street 
 and had no other cause for their lateness but want oi 
 care to be in time ; and that the farmer himself was 
 always punctual to time at market and at parish-meet = 
 ings, be the weather what it might. And I observed
 
 THE DREAM. 13 
 
 that this family had scarce got into their seat before the 
 church-door was opened again, and in came two of the 
 farmer's labourers, who no doubt thought that they 
 should be in time enough, if they were as soon as their 
 master: according to the old saying, "Like master, like 
 man." On the whole, the service of God was sadly in- 
 terrupted in one of its most beautiful and solemn parts, 
 and many who should have been devoutly listening to 
 those sweet words of comfort, " He pardoneth and ab- 
 solveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly be- 
 lieve His holy Gospel," began to get up, look about, 
 and ask what was the matter, and to think of other 
 things, and felt vexed and angry with those who had 
 so disturbed them. Then it came to my mind, how 
 one si?iner destroyeth much good (Eccles. ix. 18). And 
 my companion said, " Is it not written (Psalm Ixxxix. 
 7), God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of His 
 saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are 
 about Him ? also (Proverbs xix. 15), An idle soul shall 
 suffer hunger? and, He that despiseth his ways shall 
 die ? but (Prov. viii. 17), They that seek Me early shall 
 find Me? and again (Psalm v. 7), In Thy fear will 
 I worship toward Thy holy temple ?" Also I recol- 
 lected how David said (Psahn Ixxxiv. 2), 3Iy soul 
 lo?igeth, yea^ even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; 
 and (Psalm cxxii. 1), I was glad when they said unto 
 me^ Let us go into the house of the Lord. Then I was 
 much pained that this man and his family should be so 
 otherwise minded, and should be like those of old who 
 said of the service of God (Malachi i. 13), What a 
 weariness is it ! and snuffed at it. And I saw this to be 
 a fifth and very prevalent evil as regards the house of 
 God, that many take no pains or care to be in time be- 
 fore the service begins, but will come in sometimes at 
 the general confession or absolution, sometimes when 
 the Psalms are reading, and even a good deal later; and 
 this does not happen occasionally, from some accidental 
 hindrance, but is their usual practice. They who give 
 God such a defective half-service cannot surely try to
 
 14 THE DREAM. 
 
 love Him with their whole heart, nor may they expect 
 to be loved of Him. 
 
 And now the clergyman began the morning psalms 
 for the day of the month. And I noted in my dream, 
 that many of the congregation repeated the alternate 
 verses ; and that at the end of each psalm the organ 
 played, and a small choir sung, " Glory be to the 
 Father," &c. ; and that most of the people joined in the 
 chant. Indeed, there were few who might not, if they 
 chose ; as the chant was simple, grave, and plain, as 
 chants in church should be. And so. after the first 
 and second lessons, were chanted those hymns that are 
 appointed to be then used, which was not only more in 
 the spirit of those most devout songs of praise, but 
 made the whole service more pleasing and affecting, 
 and so more likely to be profitable, than when they are 
 only read. So the worship of God proceeded, till the 
 clergyman commenced the Litany, which seemed to me 
 a more beautiful service than ever on that morning ; so 
 simple, yet so devout, and so full and comprehensive of 
 all the wants and woes of all men, especially of those 
 who have been taught of God the Holy Ghost to know 
 the evil and misery of sin ; and so highly exalting and 
 honouring the Divine Saviour, for to Him the greater 
 part of it is addressed. And I thought with myself, 
 " Blessed Jesus I Thou now seest in some measure of 
 the travail of Thy soul, and receivest some recompense 
 of Thy sufferings in the loving dependence and the 
 adoring supplications of so many thousands of Thy 
 worshipping people throughout the earth, met this day 
 before Thy throne of grace, and joining with heart and 
 voice in this devout form of prayer. As the sweet 
 odour of incense are the prayers of Thy saints, and as 
 a strong cry that entereth into Thine ears, thou Lord of 
 hosts !" While 1 was thus musing, my companion 
 touched me and said, " Let us pass through this con- 
 gregation and hearken to their cry." So we seemed in 
 my dream to move, invisibly, as it were from seat to 
 seat. When, alas ! from hor/ few did I hear any sovna
 
 THE DREAM. 13 
 
 of prayer I heard, indeed, the chiidren repeat the 
 responses ; but of the grown-up people scarce one in 
 ten joined in them audibly. A few muttered, and a 
 few whispered them ; but most were as silent as if they 
 had no part in this service but to listen. Some who 
 had begun to answer, left off before the Litany was half 
 gone through, or only answered occasionally. Some 
 were only half-kneeling : and before the clergyman 
 ended the Litany, it was left to a very small number; 
 for the school-children, finding the rest of the congre- 
 gation took so little part in the responses, gave up one 
 by one to make them ; supposing it must be a task set 
 them to do, and not a privilege of all to call upon God. 
 And I felt less wonder than I had before that some 
 complained of the Church prayers as dull and formal ; 
 though I saw it was no fault in the prayers, but in those 
 who should use them. And my companion whispered 
 to me, '^ Is it not written (Matt. xi. 12), The Kingdom 
 of heaven siiffereth violence.^ and the violent take it by 
 force ? and (Isaiah Ixii. 6), Ye that make mention of the 
 Lord, keep not silence ; give Him no rest, till He esta- 
 blish Jerusalem a praise in the earth 9 And did not 
 Jesus, in the days of His flesh, offer iqy prayers and sup- 
 plications, with strong crying unto Him that was able to 
 save, and was heard in that He feared T' (Heb. v. 7.) 
 And 1 saw that this was another evil in the house of 
 God, that so few are careful to join heartily and audibly 
 in the worship carried on there, but leave it to the 
 clergyman and the clerk (if there is one), or to a few 
 children. I thought within myself. If they truly felt 
 their wants as sinners, they would not be so indifferent 
 and slow to express them ; especially seeing that their 
 mother, the Church, bids them to speak out. Surely 
 they do her an injury, causing her good to be evil 
 spoken of, deprive their own souls of much benefit, and 
 dishonour God. 
 
 Now I saw in my dream that, morning prayer being 
 ended, the clergyman himself gave out a psalm (the 
 100th Psalm, old version, I think it was), to be sung by
 
 16 THE DREAM. 
 
 the congregation. Then the organ in the gallery over 
 the west door began to play, and the choir with the 
 people standing up, to sing it. And it seemed then aa 
 though I heard also the voices oF glorified spirits, and 
 of angels above and around me, joining in the praises 
 of God. And I called to mind part of an hymn which 
 [ had heard sung in a church where I had in former 
 /ears worshipped God : 
 
 The Church triumphant in Thy lave. 
 
 Their mighty joys we know; 
 They sing the Lamb in hymns above, . . : 
 
 And we in hymns below. - ; 
 
 Thee in Thy glorious realm they praise, 'S 
 
 And bow before Thy throne; 
 We in the kingdom of thy grace : 
 
 The kingdoms are but one. 
 
 But now my companion bid me observe a young 
 woman, showily drest, who stood up very conspicu- 
 ously, and was singing with a very sweet voice indeed, 
 but so much above the voices of those around her, as 
 to make many listen to, and others look at, her. And 
 he said to me, " Now I will shew you something for your 
 instruction :" and with that he bid me observe a tliin 
 and light column of smoke, as it were of incense, rising 
 up from the church, and ascending through the air, 
 even to the highest heaven. And there it seemed to 
 pass through ranks of shining ones, till it came even 
 before the mercy-seat. And I saw that there came 
 One at whose presence these shining ones bowed the 
 head and worshipped, and sprinkled something that 
 made this incense-cloud manifold more fragrant, and 
 cleared it from every defilement. Only the light that 
 shined was far too bright and dazzling for me to see, 
 except dimly : and I should have fallen on the ground, 
 had not my companion sustained me. Then he said to 
 me, " Dost thou understand this ?" And 1 said, " Sir, 
 I know that the worship of the Lord's people on earth 
 is set forth as incense before God, but that it needs the 
 merits of Jesus to remove its defilements and give it
 
 THE DREAM. 17 
 
 acceptance with Him in whose sight the very heavens 
 are not clean." Then he bid me observe that little cloud 
 more closely ; and lo, 1 saw that, as it went up from the 
 congregation, there was mixed with it a stream of thick 
 dark smoke, which had no fragrance, but was exceed- 
 ing noisome, and ascended not with it to heaven, but 
 quickly fell back again upon the earth, and seemed to 
 go under the earth, and to be received into the bottom- 
 less pit. And I saw that this smoke came from the lips 
 of that young woman as she sung. " Sir," said I, " explain 
 this to me." And he said, " This young woman sings 
 not for the glory of God, but to be observed and praised 
 of men. Her lips repeat the most sacred words, which 
 she neither feels nor believes : she is saying in herself, 
 not ' Let God be honoured,' but ' Let me be admired.' 
 Is it not written (1 Corinth, x. 31), WJiether ye eat w 
 drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God ? 
 And did not the seraphim cover their faces and their 
 feet with their wings, as unworthy to look upon God, or 
 to be seen of Him, as they cried one to another^ Holy, 
 Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts T (Isaiah vi. % 3.) 
 Then I remembered how our Lord condemned the 
 Pharisees, because all their works they did to be seen oj 
 men (Matt, xxiii. 5). And I saw how great this evil 
 was in the house of God, that some who are forward in 
 leading or joining in the singing of His praises are only 
 careful to please men, and to be flattered by them ; 
 being vain-glorious, and loving the praise of men more 
 than the praise of God : and they have their reward : 
 but it is not the favour of God. For often that which 
 is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the 
 sight of God. 
 
 Now, as I dreamed on, I saw that the clergyman 
 went up into the pulpit, and having given out his text, 
 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, 
 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 
 (1 Tim. i. 15), began to preach. And much he said 
 on the guilt, misery, and peril of sinful men, and on the 
 compassionate love of God towards them, and on the
 
 18 THE DKEAM. 
 
 sufferings of Jesus, and on His readiness to save all who 
 truly repent and come to Him. And I saw that my 
 companion stood in fixed attention when the preacher 
 spoke of this love of God in Christ Jesus, as if he would 
 search into the depths of this amazing mystery ; and I 
 remembered it is written (1 Peter i. 12), which things 
 the angels desire to look into. Also I saw many of the 
 congregation very attentive ; and not a few attentive 
 indeed, yet apparently little interested; as if the truths 
 spoken concerned others, rather than themselves. But 
 I saw that a poor lone widow, Mary Byers, who had a 
 weekly allowance of half-a-crown from the Union, was 
 weeping : I saw also the tears run down the cheeks of 
 Joseph Wilson, who was once the greatest drunkard and 
 Sabbath-breaker in the parish, but had been for many 
 years converted from the error of his ways^ and become 
 a new creature in Christ Jesus : and that both of these, 
 as they listened, with their lips blessed and praised God, 
 as if in their hearts rejoicing in the Lord, with a joy 
 which the world can neither give nor take away, even a 
 joy unspeakable and full of glory. But as I was observ- 
 ing them, my companion said to me, " Let us go near 
 to that seat." Then I saw that it was Farmer Mog- 
 gridge's, who was sitting there with his family; and as I 
 came near (we seemed to move invisibly to the congre- 
 gation),! overheard him muttering as it were to himself, 
 and it was about his farm-buildings, and how he meant 
 to sow his upper nine acres M'ith wheat this next au- 
 tumn, and what he should ask for some beasts he should 
 send to Whinston Fair on the morrow ; and so he went 
 on talking to himself of one thing and another, till at 
 last from muttering he became silent, and then he 
 nodded, and then he fell asleep, and would have snored 
 too, if his daughter had not jogged his foot. But so 
 he slumbered on, till, the sermon being ended, and the 
 congregation moving from their seats on their knees for 
 the last prayer and blessing, he woke up, rubbed his 
 eyes, and began to look for his hat. Then my compa- 
 nion said to me, " I will shew thee something further
 
 THE DREAM. 19 
 
 respecting this sleeper." Then it seemed as if he led me 
 just opposite to the farmer's house. And it ^vas the Sun- 
 day after the one that we had been in church. And I 
 saw come forth from his house eight of his labourers, 
 each with a blacli hatband, and then six other men 
 brought out a large heavy coffin, which was put on the 
 shoulders of these eight; and I saw the farmer's wife 
 and sons, and daughters, come out all in black, and 
 many others, some looking sad, and some quite indif- 
 ferent. And so the coffin and all the train moved on 
 through the village into the churchyard and church. 
 The farmer was dead ! Then my companion said to 
 me, " Is it not written (Pro v. xv. 31), The ear that 
 heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise ; but 
 (32) he that refuseth instruction, despiseth his ow?i soid 9 
 This sleeper has lost to-day the last opportunity of 
 hearing that word of God ivhich is able to make wise 
 unto salvation, through faith ivhich is in Christ Jesus. 
 Is it not also written (Psalm vii. 12), If a man will not 
 turn, He will ivhet His sword ; He hath bent His bow, 
 and made it ready 9 and. To-day if ye will hear His 
 voice, harden not your hearts ?" Then I remembered 
 how the Lord had wept over Jerusalem, because she 
 would not know the day of her visitation (Luke xix. 
 41); also how it is written (Matt. xxiv. 44), Watch, 
 for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man 
 Cometh; and (Proverbs xiii. 13), Whoso despisith the 
 Word shall be destroyed. And I saw that this is, 
 therefore, a fearful evil in the house of God, that some 
 do not try to keep their thoughts from vaiti or worldly 
 matters when in it, but often make the time of prayers, 
 and especially of sermon, a time for thinking of them ; 
 while as to others who are at first attentive, by not 
 being watchful, their minds soon get to run off to other 
 things, so that the word of God is as profitless to them 
 as the voice of the charmer to the deaf adder, which 
 stoppeth her ears, and refuseth to hear (Psalm Iviii. 4). 
 
 Now, I saw again in my dream, that the congrega- 
 tion were beginning to quit the church. And my com-
 
 20 THE DREAM. 
 
 panion said to me, " I must shew thee one thing more 
 ere we go out also." So he pointed me to a seat where 
 sat two or three persons, well dressed, and seemingly of 
 the better sort. And as I saw that they were not, like 
 too many, in a hurry to get out of the church, I hoped 
 that they were waiting to ponder over in their hearts 
 what they had been hearing, or to put up a prayer that 
 it might be blessed to themselves and others, or to re- 
 call to their thoughts the love of God in permitting 
 them to worship Him in His house, as His dear children 
 in Christ. But scarce had I thought this, before I ob- 
 served these persons begin to whisper and talk together; 
 and then there came up to them, from the next seat, two 
 or three more. And they all began to shake hands, 
 and talk together, and smile. And I thought the 
 clergyman must hear them in the vestry, they talked 
 so much and so loud, as they passed down the centre 
 aisle of the church to go out; it was all about the wea- 
 ther, and who had been at church, and who had not, and 
 where they were going in the afternoon, and many such- 
 like matters. And I saw the school-children — who, of 
 course, stayed till the rest of the congregation was out 
 of church — begin, directly these persons had passed, to 
 talk and laugh and play together. And some of them 
 snatched the books away from the rest; while others 
 said, " Why mayn't we talk and laugh, as well as the 
 Miss Summers's and the Miss Belwood's? It ain't ser- 
 mon or prayers now." And so, if the schoolmaster had 
 not come out of the vestry just at the time, there would 
 have been nothing but disorder among the children ; 
 and all owing to the ill example of their betters. Then 
 said my companion, " Is it not written (Prov. xiv. 33), 
 Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath under- 
 standing^ hut that ivhich is in the midst of fools is made 
 known? also (Prov, iv. 13), Take fast hold of instruc- 
 tion ; let her not go, for she is thy life ?" Then I saw 
 that this is a ninth evil as regards the house of God, 
 that some who attend it very regularly, and are very de- 
 corous while the service lasts, as soon as it is over seem
 
 TEE DREAM. 21 
 
 to forget where they are^ and what they have been about, 
 and make tlie church like their own houses, or the street, 
 or market-place, — a place for salutations and inquiries, 
 and gossipping about divers common matters. Thus 
 they check and destroy seriousness of spirit in them- 
 selves and others, and dishonour the courts of the Lord 
 in a way they would not dishonour their earthly sove- 
 reign's presence-chamber. And these too have their 
 reward. 
 
 Now I perceived further in my dream, that when 
 we had left the church, and were passing through the 
 churchyard, we overtook three or four small companies 
 of persons on their way homeward. And, as they were 
 closely engaged in conversation, I hoped that, like the 
 two disciples going to Emmaus, they were talking to- 
 gether of those things which so greatly concerned their 
 salvation, and of which they had been hearing. For 
 then I trusted that Jesus Himself would draw near to 
 them, and go with them in the power of His grace and 
 love to their homes, and talk to their hearts, and give 
 them godly compunction for sin, joy and peace in be- 
 lieving, and holy desires and resolutions. For I knew, 
 from blessed experience, that they who treasure up the 
 word in their hearts, and water it with earnest prayer 
 and meditation, and self-application, never fail to profit 
 by hearing it, and by the public means of grace. But 
 I was greatly grieved, when I overheard most of these 
 persons, as I passed by them, conversing about such 
 matters as the weather, or their gardens, or the market, 
 or their own worldly concerns, or those of their neigh- 
 bours. And, in particular, I heard Francis Robson the 
 carrier, telling Farmer Burns and his wife, and Mr. 
 Hales the shopkeeper, of a robbery that had taken place 
 overnight in a neighbouring town, and how he and some 
 others meant to go after dinner, and see the spot where it 
 had been committed, instead of coming to the afternoon 
 service ; and they, though rather grave and very steady 
 people, seemed quite taken up with this matter. Then 
 my companion said to me, " Is it not written (Heb. ii
 
 22 THE DREAM. 
 
 1 ), We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things 
 which we have heard, lest at any time we should let 
 them slip; and again (Luke xi. 28), Blessed are they 
 that hear the word of God and keep it; and, again, 
 respecting that seed which is the word of God (Luke 
 viii. 12), Those by the wayside are they that hear; 
 then Cometh the devil, and taketh away the ivord out 
 of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved V 
 Then I perceived that it is as needful to keep the foot 
 when we come from as when we go to the house of God. 
 And that this is a tenth evil as respects attendance at 
 church, that fetu are careful to guard their thoughts 
 and words when they come out of it, but forget that the 
 devil lieth in wait to sow tares among the wheat, or to 
 snatch away the seed sown, and to hinder God's holy 
 messages from being laid to heart, and believed and 
 obeyed. And so it comes to pass that some who are 
 tolerably attentive hearers of sermons, and even form 
 many solemn and good resolutions while hearing, yet, 
 from this most culpable negligence and carelessness, 
 continue unprofitable, ay, and unconverted also, from 
 one year's end to another, till death puts an end to their 
 hearing and their opportunities of being converted, and 
 they die in their sins. And I remembered the exhorta- 
 tion (James i. 22, 23), Be ye doers of the word, and not 
 hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be 
 a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a 
 man beholding his natural face in a glass : for he be- 
 holdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway 
 forgetteth what manner of inan he loas. 
 
 Now it came to pass, that as I looked once more 
 in my dream, I saw that the congregation had most 
 of them reached their homes, and that old Perry, the 
 sexton, had locked the church-door, and was fastening 
 the little wicket-gate till the afternoon prayers, that rude 
 and idle children might not play among the tombstones 
 and graves. And turning to thank my companion for 
 what he had shewn me, and the instruction which he 
 had given, lo, he was gone from me ; nor could I see
 
 THE DREAM. 23 
 
 him any more, or find him again. And being much 
 concerned at this, as I turned this way and that to look 
 if I could espy him, I awaked. 
 
 But I remembered my dream ; and as I rose up from 
 the grassy bank whereon I had been sitting, and walked 
 home, while the setting sun gilded the western sky, and 
 the shadows of evening fell on the hillside copse, on the 
 verdant fields, and the neat farms, and the cheerful 
 English-looking village, and the labourers going to their 
 homes, and the old church with its grey tower, I resolved 
 to write it down for my own admonition and that of 
 others, in our attendance on the house and worship of 
 God : for I knew that though it was only a dream, yet 
 it was one that had a great deal of truth in it. 
 
 And I hope and pray that you, dear reader, may lay 
 it to lieart. Examine yourself, I beseech you, as in the 
 sight of God, who searches ail hearts, respecting each 
 of those evils which have been noticed. Ask yourself, 
 " How am I in the habit of passing Sunday morning, 
 before I go to church ?" " Am I careful (before I leave 
 my own dwelling) to seek God's blessing on the means 
 of grace I am about to attend ?" " When I first enter 
 God's house, do I seriously and devoutly kneel in my 
 place, and beg of Him to assist me to worship Him in 
 spirit and in truth, and to accept my poor, but due 
 services?" " Do I religiously abstain from speaking to 
 others the whole time that I am within the sacred walls ; 
 and if any necessity requires me to speak, do I so in a 
 low voice or whisper, as remembering of the place I am 
 in, this is none other than the house of Godf " Do I 
 reverently kneel in all those parts of the service where 
 the Prayer-book enjoins me so to do ?" " Am I very 
 particular to be in church before the service begins, 
 and in sufficient time for private devotion and medita- 
 tion before it ?" " Do I join, not only with my whole 
 heart, but with my voice also, in ail those parts of the 
 service where the Church calls upon the congregation 
 to join ?" " And do I persevere in this proper and 
 edifying duty, whatever others may do ?" " While
 
 2i4 THE DREAM. 
 
 joining in the chanting and singing, am I watchful 
 against the temptation to do this rather to please my- 
 self or others, than to honour God by praising Him?" 
 " Do I endeavour most attentively to listen to God's 
 holy word, M'hile read by His minister, and to the in- 
 structions he delivers from the pulpit, keeping strict 
 watch over my thoughts that they do not wander, and 
 over my senses that they do not steal away my heart 
 and mind from that which it is for the life of my soul 
 to give heed to?" " When divine service is over, do 
 T, after private prayer in my place, leave the church 
 silently and reverently ?" and, " as I return to my 
 dwelling, do I watch over myself that I lose not any 
 grace or good thing I may have received, by idle or 
 much speaking, or light thoughts ; not caring that T 
 may be thought by others precise or particular, where 
 my duty to God, the honour of His name and religion, 
 and the welfare of my own soul is concerned ?" Now, 
 if your conscience, dear reader, shall tell you that you 
 are one of those who are guilty of any wrong-doing in 
 the house of God and in attendance at His worship, I 
 trust that you may heartily repent, and stedfastly re- 
 solve, by His grace, to avoid the evil for the time to 
 come. Especially let me entreat you to prove the sincerity 
 of your purpose by beginning your amendment on the 
 very next Sunday ; and when the bells from your own 
 parish church warn you to prepare to meet your God 
 within its hallowed walls. So may all your services in 
 His house be Holiness unto the Lord (Zech. xiv. 20). 
 
 J. & \V Hider, Printers, Bartholomew- Close. Loudon.
 
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