case is urgent, and is within a convenient distance, his visits will be repeated often. Under other circumstances, they will be less frequent. He will cheerfully subject himself to almost any inconvenience, where his sympa thies are needed, or where he has a favorable opportunity of doing good. He will prefer rather to bestow superfluous attentions, than to incur the imputation of coldness and neglect.

When individuals who, in their sickness, have been often visited, and been made the subjects of frequent prayer, are raised up; it is proper that some particular attention should be shown them, subsequent to their recovery. They should be carefully watched, and (if need be) faithfully cautioned and warned, lest they forget that goodness which has spared them, hurry back into the world, lose good impressions, and become more hard and insensible than ever.

I only add, under this head, that the sympathies of a pastor should be manifested, not only in cases of sickness, but in other afflictions. In worldly losses and disappointments; amid the contradiction of enemies, and the desertion or bad conduct of friends; and more especially in seasons of bereavement; afflicted families should be made to feel, that they have at least one friend who sympathises with them, and prays for them, and into whose faithful ear they may be permitted to unbosom their sorrows :— and this friend is their pastor. He will visit them at such seasons, and hear their complaints, and endeavor to sooth and sustain them with words of consolation. In times of bereavement especially, when the hearts of surviving friends are solemn and tender, a faithful pastor will seize the favorable moment, to suggest important truth to the mind, to deepen good impressions, and if possible to impart saving benefits to the soul.

His stud

It may be thought that so much visiting as has been recommended in this, and the preceding Lecture, will leave the pastor time for almost nothing else. ies, his sermons, must of necessity be neglected. But experience has proved that such may not be the result. So far from this, I have no doubt that the minister, who is faithful to visit his people, and makes himself acquainted with them, will not only preach better sermons-better adapted, more appropriate and effective; but ordinarily he will make them easier. His intercourse with his people will suggest subjects for sermons, and indicate the manner in which they should be treated. When the minister, prepared in this way, sits down to write, he has a specific object in view. He writes, not merely for the purpose of preparing a sermon, but because he feels interested; he wishes to write. He has an important end to be accomplished by writing; and he addresses himself to the task, like a man in earnest. A sermon prepared after this manner can hardly fail to be effective. It will be, not like an arrow shot at a venture, but like a nail driven in a sure place. It will reach and affect at least some in the congregation, and may prove the instrument of their salvation.

There is but another topic to which I wish, in conclusion, to direct attention, and this in only a few words. It is that of a pastor's receiving visits from his people.That he should be not only hospitable, but "given to hospitality," is an express injunction of the Scriptures. That he should be ready, at all times, to welcome his people to his house, to share with him his bed and his board, as his circumstances permit, and their necessities require, admits not of a question. Or if he has relations and connections among his people, he has the same right to see them together at his house, that other people have to entertain their family friends. But is it incum

bent on him to appoint set visits, to send out his invitations, and to entertain, from time to time, large companies at his house? Is this to be expected of him, by those from whom he has received like invitations, and whom he has visited in a similar way? These questions I answer in

the negative; and for the following reasons.

1. A minister ought to see all his people in this way, if he does any of them. He must show no partiality. Of all men, it least becomes him, and that within the circle of his own parish, to be a respector of persons. But,

2. If a minister were to undertake, by a succession of set visits, to see all his parishioners at his house, an unreasonable portion of his time would in this way be consumed. An expense, too, would be incurred, which, without a large increase of salary, he would be unable to bear. Besides; he would be in danger of bringing those together at his visits, who might not be perfectly happy in each other's society, and thereby of exciting unpleasant feelings.

On the whole, I think such a course of receiving visits ought not to be expected of a pastor. It should not be attempted by him. His situation in life is so peculiar, so different from that of friends around him, that it fairly exempts him from those laws of etiquette, by which others consider themselves as bound, in the matter of receiving and returning visits.

LECTURE VI.

Treatment of different Characters;-the ignorant-the degraded and viciousheretics and infidels-personal enemies-inquiring sinners-the desponding and melancholy-the self-deceived-the elevated and rejoicing.

He

IN my two previous Lectures, I have discussed at some length, the general subject of Pastoral Visiting. In his visits among the people of his charge, a pastor will of necessity come in contact with persons in all the conditions of life, and of almost every variety of character. will meet parents and children, old and young, heads of families, and persons without families, and those employed in families as laborers or servants. He will meet the learned and the ignorant, the moral and the vicious, friends and enemies to himself personally, and to the cause of evangelical truth. He will meet the careless and stupid, as well as the anxious and inquiring sinner. He will meet the melancholy and desponding, as well as the confirmed and rejoicing believer. Perhaps no person has so fair an opportunity to see human nature in all its formsthe foulest and fairest, the least and the most promising-as the Christian pastor. A good judgment, sound discretion, plain, practical common sense, the whole being under the guidance of the word and Spirit of God, will be a ministers best dictionary, in regard to his intercourse with those various characters which go to constitute his flock. A few hints with respect to some of the different forms of character which he will be likely to encounter, may not,

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however, be out of place. And this is all which I shall here attempt.

1. In the first place, a minister will find those among his people who are ignorant on all subjects, and specially so on the subject of religion. They may not be vicious or untractable; but they have had few advantages, and those they have not improved; and the consequence is that they are ignorant. How shall such persons be

treated?

First of all I say, let them not be despised or neglected. They have souls which are worth looking after-worth saving; and they must by no means be neglected. It is the more important that persons of this character should be privately instructed, since the generality of preaching will be above their comprehension. They must have private religious instruction, else, though surrounded with gospel privileges, they will be likely to perish for lack of vision. Let, then, the pastor see them as he can, and converse freely and familiarly with them. If he must go into a hovel in order to see them, or find his way into a barn, or a kitchen, no matter. When visiting families where servants are employed, the pastor should make it a point frequently, if not always, to see them; either in the kitchen or the parlor, as shall be most agreeable.

The conversation with such persons should be plain, kind, level to their understandings, and chiefly on the most important subjects. The pastor should endeavor to draw out from them, by plain and easy questions, the amount of their knowledge on religious subjects—the views and feelings which they entertain; and he should studiously adapt his conversation to their condition and wants. His object should be to interest their feelings in the general subject, and to instruct them on the more important points. And he will endeavor, not only to