George Herbert:
"The Church-Porch"

George Herbert, The Temple, "The Church-porch," Stanza 18 [for discussion].

These poems by George Herbert, the Seventeenth Century divine, instruct us to a better, more spiritual life. These are the first part of his book The Temple. Collectively they are called "The Church-porch" and intended as ethical and moral instructions preparing us for our spiritual encounters with the Divine in "The Church." A Tip from the Church Porch      There are 77 stanzas, "The Dedication," and 2 other small poems.  Of these 80 stanzas, one can be read in the morning and another in the evening. For those who never liked spelling, the stanzas themselves are printed with the original spelling, but the sense still comes true for the modern reader. Although Herbert, because of his time, usually refers to “man,” “he,” “his” and “mankind”; women and ladies should consider themselves included in all references, sins and hope of Heaven. These moral suggestions apply to all Christians, particularly, but in “The Church-porch” the discipline is universally helpful.

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