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1. Let there be no favoritism manifested in regard to them. The pastor should visit all his people; and he should do this, so far as he can, impartially. As a minister is of like passions with other men, it is impossible that he should not love some families among his people better than others. Perhaps he ought to do this. families may be much more worthy of his love. But let him be careful not to manifest his partialities, in such ways as to come under the charge of favoritism. No part of his flock will be satisfied to be neglected. If he has occasion to visit some families more than others, let it be for good and obvious reasons; such as, when inquired for, will be sufficient to satisfy impartial minds.

2. As he prosecutes his visits from house to house, let the pastor keep a bridle upon his tongue. Let him be constantly guarded as to his conversation. He will hear, of course, a good deal of gossip, some of which it may be well to remember; but let him by no means consent to become a retailer of it. He must speak evil of no man. He should say nought of any one absent, that he would not be willing to say, if that person were present. For whatever he does say, he may rest assured will be remembered and reported; and if he does not set a guard upon his tongue, his visits will be productive of more mischief than benefit.

3. I would recommend to every pastor to keep a private journal of his visits. In this journal should be noted, not only the times of his visits, but the character of them;— what was said—what done-how particular individuals appeared-anything peculiar in the circumstances of the family-important changes that had occurred in it-in short, every thing of special interest to be remembered. I have said that this should be a private journal. It must be strictly so; the object of which should be to assist the

recollections of the pastor in keeping up an acquaintance with his flock, and to prepare him the better to repeat his visits to the same household.

Without enlarging farther, at present, on visits strictly pastoral, I proceed to consider the third class of visits proposed; viz: those to the sick and the afflicted. These are important, not only as a token of sympathy and friendship, but as affording a precious opportunity of doing good. At the same time, they constitute a class of duties of great responsibility, and in some cases of peculiar difficulty.

When repairing to the bed-side of the sick and dying, the pastor is to feel that he goes down to the confines of the grave, and very near to the world of spirits. He goes to deliver his last messages to immortal beings who are shortly to appear before their God. He is about to offer his last prayers for those, who will soon be, either beyond the need of prayer in heaven, or beyond the reach of it in hell. The faithful pastor will feel, under such circumstances, that he stands in a solemn, awful place, and that he needs preparation and assistance from on high.

When informed that any member of his flock is very sick, or otherwise deeply afflicted, the good pastor will not wait at all to be sent for. He will feel that it is incumbent on him to repair directly to the house of sorrow, that he may afford such assistance and counsel-that* he may administer such instruction and consolation, as the case may require.

In approaching the scene of sickness and affliction, the pastor will remember, that he is not now to make a visit of sociability or ceremony, but one of Christian condolence and fidelity. And when he enters the house, he will not take up time with remarks upon the weather, or the common topics of the day, but will enter, as soon as pos

sible, upon the great errand for which he has come. If the case is one of sickness, he will need to learn something respecting the bodily state of the sufferer;-whether he has the exercise of reason; whether he is able to converse, or to hear conversation; and what opinions are entertained as to the nature and probable termination of his disease. He will make inquiries of this sort, not at all as a medical adviser, but that he may the better know how to proceed in accomplishing the important object of his visit. He may also think it necessary to inquire respecting the sufferer's state of mind. Of course, these preliminary inquiries are to be made, not of the sick person himself, nor (if it can be avoided) in his presence.

And now, having gained all the light that is needful, he will enter more directly on the object which he has in view. If his sick friend is in a situation to receive him, and to be profited by his conversation, he will go at once to his bed-side, expressing in his whole appearance and manner the deep sympathy which he feels for him, and his readiness to afford him any assistance or consolation in his power. He will inquire tenderly, and in a way not to create embarrassment, into the state of his feelings and exercises. Is he resigned to his situation, calmly reposing his soul on God? Or is he restive, impatient under his affliction, inclined to murmur and complain? Has he light, hope, comfort, enjoyment, sufficient to overbalance the pains of sickness, and raise him above the fears of death? Or are his views clouded, and his heart distressed with painful anxieties, so that death appears to him as the king of terrors? Or has he been laid upon this bed of sickness without any hope in Christ? Has he been called to look death and eternity in the face, with no better prospect than that of being driven away in his wickedness, and going down at once to the miserable abode of

hypocrites and unbelievers? And is he sensible of his awful situation, and filled with terror and alarm in view of it? Or (what is more discouraging and dreadful) is he evidently clinging to some unfounded hope, and sheltering himself under some refuge of lies? Or is he hardened, stupid, unfeeling, insensible, ignorant of his situation, or (if he knows it) caring nothing about it?

The cases which present themselves to the faithful pastor, as he visits among the sick of his flock, are exceedingly various. No two will be found exactly alike. Some of them will be interesting and comforting to him, in the highest degree. They will be an honor to religion, evincing to all beholders its reality, and its sustaining power. The death-bed of the rejoicing, triumphing believer, will be to the pastor a privileged place. On leaving it, he will often feel that he has derived far greater benefit, than he has been able to impart.

Other cases of sick-bed experience will be perplexing and trying to him. He will hardly know what to think of them, or what to say or do in respect to them. Still others, though less perplexing, will be more painful. The pastor is at no loss what to say, but is distressed to find that nothing he can say is likely to have any good effect.

It is not my purpose here to give directions as to what a minister ought to say to the different classes whom he is called to visit. This part of the subject will be considered in another place; He must, of course, diversify his counsels, to meet the different cases which come before him. He must exercise his best judgment in this matter, and pray that his judgment may be wisely directed.

The pastor will have strong temptations, often, to deal unfaithfully-temptations which he will find it hard to resist. He may know, in some cases, that if he says what he believes to be true, and what he thinks it incum

bent on him to say, he shall wound the feelings of friends, and in all probability give offence. He may be charged by physicians, and others, not to say anything that will be likely to disturb the feelings of the sick; and yet he is bound to deal faithfully and truly, under all circumstances, and to obey God rather than men.

The benevolent pastor will have no disposition to trifle with the interests of the body. He will not willingly say or do anything, that will be likely to turn to the injury of health. But then the soul is worth infinitely more than the body; and of this precious, immortal soul he has been put in charge. With such a trust committed to him, he cannot trifle. He must discharge his conscience faithfully. Of the blood of ruined souls, he must be permitted to clear his own skirts.

The visits of a pastor in the sick room should not ordinarily be long. Having said as much as circumstances permit or require, he should pray with the sufferer, and retire. And he need not wait to be asked to engage in prayer. When the proper time arrives for the discharge of this duty, if the subject is not proposed by others, the pastor should propose it himself.

The prayer, like the other services of the sick room, should be short. The pastor should come directly to the case in hand, and with all fervency, humility and devotion, should spread it before the throne of grace. He may often convey an idea in prayer, which he could not so well do in direct conversation. In his prayer, too, he may generally produce an impression, not only upon the person sick, but upon the other members of the family (whose benefit is to be consulted) which could be produced in no other way.

As to the frequency of visits to the sick, the pastor will be guided, in great measure, by circumstances. If the