LESSON 13
RESPECT FOR THE SABBATH REWARDED

1. In the city of Bath, not many years since, lived a barber who made a practice of following his ordinary occupation on the Lord's day. As he was on the way to his morning's employment, he happened to look into some place of worship just as the minister was giving out his text—“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” He listened long enough to be convinced that he was constantly breaking the laws of God and man by shaving and dressing his customers on the Lord's day. He became uneasy, and went with a heavy heart to his Sabbath task.

2. At length he took courage, and opened his mind to his minister, who advised him to give up Sabbath work, and worship God. He replied that beggary would be the consequence. He had a flourishing trade, but it would almost all be lost. At length, after many a sleepless night spent in weeping and praying, he was determined to cast all his care upon God, as the more he reflected, the more his duty became apparent.

3. He discontinued his Sabbath work, went constantly and early to the public services of religion, and soon enjoyed that satisfaction of mind which is one of the rewards of doing our duty, and that peace which the world can neither give nor take away. The consequences he foresaw actually followed. His genteel customers left him, and he was nicknamed“Puritan” or “Methodist.” He was obliged to give up his fashionable shop, and, in the course of years, became so reduced as to take a cellar under the old market house and shave the poorer people.

4. One Saturday evening, between light and dark, a stranger from one of the coaches, asking for a barber, was directed by the hostler to the cellar opposite. Coming in hastily, he requested to be shaved quickly, while they changed horses, as he did not like to violate the Sabbath.This was touching the barber on a tender chord. He burst into tears; asked the stranger to lend him a half-penny to buy a candle, as it was not light enough to shave him with safety. He did so, revolving in his mind the extreme poverty to which the poor man must be reduced.

5. When shaved, he said, “There must be something extraordinary in your history, which I have not now time to hear. Here is half a crown for you. When I return, I will call and investigate your case. What is your name? ”“William Reed, ” said the astonished barber. “William Reed? ” echoed the stranger: “William Reed? by your dialect you are from the West.” “Yes, sir, from Kingston, near Taunton.” “William Reed from Kingston, near Taunton? What was your father's name? ” “Thomas.” “Had he any brother? ”“Yes, sir, one, after whom I was named; but he went to the Indies, and, as we never heard from him, we supposed him to be dead.”

6. “Come along, follow me, ” said the stranger, “I am going to see a person who says his name is William Reed, of Kingston, near Taunton. Come and confront him. If you prove to be indeed he who you say you are, I have glorious news for you. Your uncle is dead, and has left an immense fortune, which I will put you in possession of when all legal doubts are removed.”

7. They went by the coach; saw the pretended William Reed, and proved him to be an impostor. The stranger, who was a pious attorney, was soon legally satisfied of the barber's identity, and told him that he had advertised him in vain. Providence had now thrown him in his way in a most extraordinary manner, and he had great pleasure in transferring a great many thousand pounds to a worthy man, the rightful heir of the property. Thus was man's extremity God's opportunity. Had the poor barber possessed one halfpenny, or even had credit for a candle, he might have remained unknown for years; but he trusted God, who never said, “Seek ye my face, ” in vain.

STUDY GUIDE

A. Word Definition

1.consequence:result.

2.apparent:plain to see,easily understood.

3.genteel:belonging to polite society,well-bred.

4.reduced:brought to poverty.

5.hostler:person who cares for horses at an inn or stable.

6.violate:break,profane.

7.investigate:enquire into with care.

8.dialect:local form of speech.

9.confront:face,stand before.

10.attorney:lawyer.

11.extraordinary:most unusual.

12.transferring:making over possession of.

13.extremity:greatest need.

14.opportunity:favorable time.

B. Comprehension Questions

1. The city of Bath is in England. Why is it called Bath?

2. What day of the week is the Sabbath or Lord's day?

3. Fill in the gaps in the test with these words:

occupation dress groom hair work surgery dentistry

A barber is a person whose__________ is mainly to cut, dress, _____, style and shave men's and boys' ____. A barber's place of ____ is known as a “barber shop”. In previous times, barbers performed _____ and _________.

4. What is the moral of “Respect For the Sabbath Rewarded”?

5. Why was the barber reluctant to give up working on the Sabbath?

6. Which of these are religions?

a. Islam

b. Biology

c. Christianity

d. Bedlam

7. What was the stranger's profession?

8. Do you think this is a true story? Explain.

C. Writing Work

Write a letter to your parents about a profession you would like to pursue.