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Carlow, Waterford, Bandon, Lurgan, Dromore, and Aughnacloy. And when, through affliction, he was no longer able to attend to his accustomed duties, he settled at Moira, not far from the birth-place of Mrs. Waugh.

In all the stations above mentioned, Mrs. Waugh lived in great unity with the societies, rising high in the esteem of the more influential members, while she was as a ministering angel to the poor and the afflicted. She never shrank from any duty that devolved upon her as the wife of a Wesleyan Minister; and, in many cases, was abundantly laborious, taking a full share of the good work in which her excellent husband was engaged. But it was her delight to seek out every form of distress; to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to succour the destitute, and to cause the widow's heart to sing with joy. And when her own resources failed, she would apply, and seldom without success, to the more wealthy of her friends. She also employed her talents, and her extensive influence, for the promotion of the hallowed objects of the Missionary Society. "Thus she persevered," says Mr. Waugh," until a fine constitution was fairly worn down, in the service of God and his church."

During the Belfast Conference of 1839, Mr. Waugh was seized with paralysis, of which, before his leaving home, he had had some premonitory symptoms. Mrs. Waugh, who was in Aughnacloy, nearly fifty miles from her beloved husband, was instantly sent for to Belfast. She bore the trial with great fortitude, and calm submission to her heavenly Father's will; but the shock was too great not to have an effect upon her frame; and, in consequence of this, and of the fatigue occasioned by her ceaseless attendance on her husband, a serious inroad was made upon her health, and it was soon perceived that she had begun to decline. For some months, indeed, she pursued her usual course; but it was obvious that that course was rapidly approaching its termination.

The last time she met her class was in December, 1840; but she had not strength to offer up the concluding prayer. She met in class a few times subsequently, and spoke clearly and strongly of the peace and joy she felt, and of the prospect she had of a blissful immortality. Indeed, it was noticed that she used much stronger language when relating her experience, than in former years she had been accustomed to employ. She evidently rejoiced "with joy unspeakable, and full of glory."

In the beginning of the winter she had a distressing cough, which was followed, in the early part of the spring, by bilious fever, entirely prostrating her remaining strength. As the warmer season advanced, a few favourable symptoms appeared; so that her friends, for a time, cherished the expectation that she would even yet recover; but these hopes were delusive, and gave way to the strongly-marked evidences of confirmed pulmonary disease.

During her protracted and painful illness, Mrs. Waugh possessed her soul in patience. She "endured as seeing Him that is invisible, and as having respect to the recompence of the reward." Her conversion had been strongly marked. She received, at that time, the clear and distinct witness of her adoption into the heavenly family; and, in her illness, she frequently adverted to this with grateful, and even exulting, emotions. She then yielded her whole heart to God; and was enabled, by the power of grace, steadfastly to adhere to the choice she had made. Alluding to this, not long before her death, in conversation with Mr. Waugh, she said, "When I was enabled to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, I gave him my whole heart, and it has never been taken back. I still can say, through his all-sufficient grace,' My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, and give praise."" She would sometimes exclaim, "O, what should I do now without Christ? He is my all in all." To the last she retained and exercised the spirit of prayer; and, until her strength failed her, poured out her soul in rich strains of fervent supplication and intercession.

She was very graciously preserved from mental disturbance throughout her affliction. Once, but only once, was the tempter permitted to assault her faith. Calling her husband to her one day, she said to him, in a subdued, but firm, tone, "My dear, the tempter would have me doubt whether I shall get to heaven at last. But I know the suggestion is from the enemy, and I will not entertain it." She then added, "I know whom I have believed: My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I shall sing, and give praise.'" Thus was the victory secured to her.

At another time she said to Mr. Waugh, "I have been examining myself for some time back; and the language of mere hope is scarcely sufficient to describe the comforts I feel: the prospect of heaven is so bright, the foretaste so refreshing, that it is as if I tasted the pleasures there. I feel such a lively sense of the presence of Christ my Saviour, that I can with difficulty remain quiet." One day, soon after this, when she had read her portion in the New Testament, she laid down her spectacles, and, looking up to heaven, with a countenance beaming with devotion, said, "My, my!" Mr. Waugh, who was present, said, "Can you not add something more? Can you not say, for instance,

'My faithful, unchangeable Friend ?""

She replied, "O yes, I can say, 'My Saviour!' for he has saved me from all my sins."

Although her end was now evidently drawing near, yet hitherto she had entertained, occasionally, hopes of recovery, and had seldom directly adverted to the subject of her death, knowing how painful it would be to Mr. Waugh. But one evening, while her step-daughter, Mrs. Frazer, to whom she had been, if possible, more than a mother,

was attending her, she fell into a short slumber; out of which when she awoke, she said, "I believe I have slept a little: but my heart was awake; for I was singing,

'Friends dear to my heart, adieu, adieu!

I can no longer stay with you,

My glittering crown appears in view :
All is well!""

After this she spoke freely and frequently of her dissolution. She called her afflicted husband to her, and said, "My dear, you must give me up; for I am persuaded the Lord will not leave me long in this furnace." Two nights after this interview she suffered severely from her cough. Mr. Waugh said, "You have great difficulty in breathing; but it will not continue long." Her countenance brightened up, while she calmly replied, "I am glad to hear that from you. Shake hands with me. Those are sweet words. I thank you for giving me up: you will let me go to heaven." She added,

"In doing and bearing the will of our Lord,
We still are preparing to meet our reward."

"Ah!" she continued, "I have no claim to reward,-only the reward of grace."

In the afternoon of Saturday, August 14th, 1841, it was evident that she was now on the verge of eternity. She spoke little; but her countenance indicated her inward triumph. A little before six o'clock, Mr. Waugh gently moved one of her hands into what he thought would be a more easy position; when she smiled affectionately on him, and feebly whispered, "Thank you, my dear." These were the last words she was heard to utter. In a few minutes afterwards she quietly fell asleep in Christ, her countenance retaining its placid sweetness even in death,

Thus lived and died Mrs. Helena Waugh; in life and death a witness of that blessed truth of the Gospel, that "the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin." Beloved and honoured in the Christian society of which she had been, for nearly half a century, a distinguished and useful member, her removal was-but for their own sakes, not hers-lamented by all who had the privilege of her acquaintance; and who will cherish, through life, the pleasing remembrance of her Christian virtues.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

REMARKS ON PASTORAL VISITATION,

BY A SENIOR MINISTER.

(To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.)

My brethren in the Christian ministry will not be offended at the writer of the following remarks on a subject always important; but which, at the present time, appears to demand more than ordinary attention. The topic to which I refer is pastoral visitation. Several reasons are presented why it demands our special notice. The first, and most important, is the command of our Lord, as laid down by St. Paul: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." It is well known that the Greek word, which is translated overseers," is compounded of two, signifying the care, the intense care, which must be taken of the church. The charge comprehends all the flock, including even the oversight of each individual; and when we add to this the solemn engagement into which every Christian Minister enters, when he is ordained to that sacred office, what can be more important, inasmuch as the engagement is not merely made to man, but to God? voluntarily undertakes to watch over the flock of Christ.

He

When he enters upon this work, he is also aware that its concerns are connected with eternity. The failure or negligence of duties which are connected with time, however disastrous, is but temporary in its consequences; but such delinquency in those of a Christian Minister, is associated with eternity. If one soul perish through his neglect, the awful denunciation applies to him: "His blood will I require at the watchman's hand." What, we ask, can be more appalling, than the knowledge of an immortal spirit

perishing through the neglect of a Christian Pastor?

It is stated, that the flock were purchased with the blood of Christ, Then of what value are souls thus redeemed! It was not the life of an angel, or an archangel, or even that of a world, that was paid for it; but the life of the Son of God! However low or abject one of those immortal spirits may appear in the estimation of man, it is, in the view of Jehovah, of infinite value. An eternity of happiness or of misery awaits it; and, immediately on quitting the tenement of clay, it partakes of the everlasting joys of heaven, or the never-ending torments of the lost.

In the pulpit the Christian Minister may have an attentive audience around him, listening with eagerness to the word of life, for whose salvation he may feel an intense and ardent desire; nevertheless, when that congregation enters upon the common concerns of the world, in the cares and vicissitudes of business, how apt are they to forget the important realities of eternity! so that the impressions which were made on the Sabbath are, alas! speedily effaced, and the soul becomes as careless as ever On the Lord's day the Minister felt acutely for the people; and we may imagine that many of the congregation were deeply impressed with the importance of eternal things; but, during the ensuing week, the chilling influence of the world too frequently destroys the effect of the Sabbath services. Hence, then, the importance of pastoral visitation.

Immediately on the Minister entering the habitation of one of his flock, the remembrance of the topics of discourse on the preceding Sabbath will be refreshed; the mem

bers of the household who can conveniently be assembled, will be ready to listen to what their Pastor has to say who, with a gentle, humble, yet faithful, demeanour, will enter upon the purport of his visit; and, after suitable advice and encouragement, adapted to the capacity and state of those who are around him, will engage in prayer; while all, prostrate before the throne of grace, will not fail to experience the heavenly influence resting upon each. There the seed which was sown on the preceding Sabbath is nurtured, and the dew of heaven descends upon the family. Parents delight in these visits of their Minister; and the children become more prepared, on the ensuing Sunday, to listen attentively to the voice of their teacher. If all the family cannot enjoy this privilege, they, when returned from their daily labour, will listen with pleasure to the account which will be given, by the more favoured branches of the household, of the visit of the Minister; and will, in some measure, become partakers of the benefit.

Poorer families will consider it an honour thus to be regarded. They will be soothed in their sorrows, comforted in their distress, cheered in the midst of privation, and encouraged in the heavenly way. To these it becomes the imperative duty of a Minister to pay particular at tention; their sufferings require it; and the situation in which the Lord hath placed them seems to demand such consolation at our hands. Others, who are more opulent, will hail such a visitation with joy. There he will have an opportunity of meeting with some portions of the family at least; and, when on the eve of engaging in prayer, he may request that some of the domestics should be permitted to be present, upon whose hearts serious impressions might be made. If there be some families who, though regular hearers, are neither members of the society, nor, as far as buman observation testifies, spirituallyminded; nevertheless, when thus visited, they will not fail to regard

such attention as an act of kindness, and be more prepared, in the house of God, to listen with attention to the word of truth.

My brethren in the ministry are too well acquainted with the writings of Mr. Wesley, to render it necessary that I should quote any passages from his Works on this important subject: it is, however, possible some may not have the privilege of possessing them, or may have read the passages alluded to prior to his entering upon the work of the ministry, and, consequently, did not see or feel their full import.

In the Minutes of the Conference, (vol. i., pp. 62-64. 8vo. edit.,) the subject is fully stated; a few passages are quoted.

"We must instruct them from house to house: till this is done, and that in good earnest, the Methodists will be little better than other people."

"Can we find a better method of doing this than Mr. Baxter's? If not, let us adopt it without delay. His whole tract, entitled Gildas Silvianus, is well worth a careful perusal. Speaking of this visiting from house to house, he says, We shall find many difficulties, both in ourselves and in the people.

"1. In ourselves, there is much dulness and laziness; so that there will be much ado to get us to he faithful in the work;"" and, after some other remarks, he adds, "Some of us have also a foolish bashfulness. We know not how to begin, or to speak plainly. We blush to speak for Christ, or to contradict the devil, or to save a soul.""

He states the difficulties which arise from the ignorance, negligence, and worldliness of many of the people; and adds, "But as great as this labour of private instruction is, it is absolutely necessary. For after all our preaching, many of our people are almost as ignorant as if they had never heard the Gospel...... How few there are that know the nature of repentance, faith, and holiness! Most of them have a sort of confidence that Christ vill justify

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