I venture the following as the meaning of the curious stanza in George Herbert's _Church Porch_, referred to by your correspondent S. SINGLETON:
"God made me one man; love makes me no more, Till labor come and make my weakness score."
If you are single, give all you have to the service of God. But do not be anxious to make the gift larger by toil: for God only requires that which is suitable to the position in which He has placed you. He bestows a certain "estate" upon every man as He bestows life: let both be dedicated to Him. For if you give first yourself, and then what He has given you, this is sufficient; you need not try to be more rich, that you may be more charitable. But if you choose a life of labour to gain an "estate" beyond the original position assigned to you in the providence of God, then you must reckon yourself responsible for the "one man" which God "made" you, and for _the other_ which you make yourself besides.
I conceive the stanza to be a recommendation of the contemplative life with poverty, in preference to the active life with riches.
As your well-known correspondent from Clyst St. George has addressed an inquiry to you on this subject, it may not be uninteresting to some of your readers to learn that the practice of kneeling at funerals still exists in this neighbourhood. On a cold December day have I seen men, women, and children bend the knee on the bare sod, during the Lord's and the other prayers used in the outdoor portion of our service, not rising till the valedictory grace concluded the service. Indeed, I have never known (at least the _majority_ of) those attending our funerals here, omit this old custom.
That of dressing graves with flowers, at Easter and Whitsuntide, prevails here as in Wales: and the older folks still maintain the ancient practice of an obeisance as often as the Gloria occurs during the ordinary services. The last railful of communicants are also in the habit of remaining in their place at the altar rails till the service is concluded; but whether these observances are widely spread, or merely local, I have not had sufficient opportunity to judge.
At the church of South Stoke, near Arundel, I have heard the clerk respond after the Gospel: "Thanks be to God for the Holy Gospel."