since those committed to his care must at some time be visited with sickness, and be brought down even to the gates of death-great must be the gratitude of both parties to those wise and holy men who composed the office for the Visitation of the Sick, for the effectual assistance therein rendered them on those trying occasions and proportionably responsible are they for duly availing themselves of it. To repress the presumption of the hardened sinner-to inspire faith and hope into the breast of the timid penitent-to lead him to the foot of the cross and direct his almost closing eyes to that Star in the East, which can pour light and life and comfort even around the bed of death, are tasks so difficult and yet so requisite, that he whose heart is most in his duty, will be the most glad of any help in the accomplishment of themand after all will most readily exclaimWho is sufficient for these things?-He will not, however, be discouraged by the answer which a sense of his own per sonal inability must draw from himwhile he feels assured that though with men this may be impossible, with God all things are possible-who having appointed it to be his duty, will, on his earnest desire and endeavour after it, afford him the necessary strength to perform it. Such, then, being the duty of Pastors, it seems almost unnecessary to say, that to call for their direction and support, in the hour of sickness, must be a corresponding duty in their flocks: for diligently as he may and as he ought, to seek them out when thus smitten and afflicted-in many cases (especially in large parishes such as those to which we belong) he must be unconscious of their being so and therefore only prevented from cheering the gloom of their sick room with that ray of comfort which, with the Divine assistance, the appointed Minis ter of religion may hope to inspire.-It has been said-but surely with little consideration of the glorious attributes of the Almighty-All-merciful and All-wise God -- -that if our souls are not in a fit state. before we are laid on the bed of disease, nothing we can then do will make them so, even supposing our illness to be such in kind and degree as to allow of our doing any thing. Happy indeed is the man, if any such there be, who does not require the chastening hand of God to call him to a sense of his duty! but happy. also is he who is thereby reclaimed from evil and taught to do good-and shall we say that that faith and holiness which are the offspring of affliction, sanctified by Divine grace, are unacceptable in the sight of God, when we have every reason to hope and believe that the affliction, was sent for this very purpose, "to correct "and amend in us whatsoever doth of"fend the eyes of our Heavenly Father??? -The whole tenor of Scripture leads us to suppose otherwise: and the creed of that man is not to be coveted which would thus deprive the cup of misery of the chief ingredient that can render it palatable. But granting to the fullest extent the inefficacy of a death-bed repentance, (of which, however, who shall dare to do ought but conjecture, either for or against it?) the sickness in many cases may not be unto death: and then, no one will deny, if it be the instrument in the hands of God to lead us to the knowledge of Him and practice of our duty, so that the residue of our life is spent in his fear and to his glory-that it must turn to our profit, and help us forward in the right way that leadeth to everlasting life. But to prove to you the benefits of sickness is not the purpose of this little book, which is intended,-1st, to encourage you freely to send for your appointed Minister, and, 2ndly, to aid not only in rendering his attendance upon you really useful to your eternal happiness but that of your friends or other attendants to your present comfort.These objects I thought would be best attained by throwing my observations into the form of short rules: besides, that they may be more easily remembered than a continued address-they more rea→ dily allow me a liberty, which I have not scrupled to take in enlarging upon each, of elucidating the necessity or benefit of any single rule by an example drawn from my past or present experience as a Parish Priest. That experience has taught me that several things affecting the temporal as well as religious interests of the sick, are very commonly ne glected—or at least not regarded in the serious light they deserve: and during a late absence from you, in the discharge of my duties elsewhere, I have employed myself in arranging a few observations* * My younger brethren in the Ministry will not, I trust, deem me presumptuous, in here mentioning a practice which I have uniformly observed for many yearsand which I will venture confidently to recommend as a very useful assistant in the discharge of their duty-that of committing to paper every evening, the chief parts at least of the several conversations that have passed in the day, between the sick persons and themselves.-This, by enabling them to take up their examination or discourse where they left off, renders every visit connected as it were with the one before, and thus makes the work of visitation progressive. In the same book may be kept an account of the Communion money, and other Alms. |