that you have not "the root of the matter in you;" or that you "have departed from first principles." You are discouraged; perhaps you really meant the same thing that he did, but you felt that you had often used such words without any meaning; that sickness especially had revealed this sin to you; that you could not truly express yourself just so, though you felt as if in reality you meant the same thing, but were perhaps afraid of appearing better than you feel yourself to be. Or, it may be that you were confused or frightened, because you had not been accustomed to be asked many questions about your own inmost thoughts. You may have had many things in your mind which you wished to speak of, or questions to ask, but you felt that you should not be understood. Or, you may have an entirely formal visit, and be made to feel that it is so completely a matter of business, that you find it hard to take any part in it. If you are in the house of a clergyman, you will perhaps see many clergymen, but will not often, probably, be much better off for pastoral visits. Generally they will tell you that they do not come to "visit" you, but merely as a friend; that they know how well you are already provided for in your own house, and much better visited than you can be by them. a Job xix. 28. It is a natural supposition. But when it is remembered that if you are one of the family of a clergyman, and he has much to do, he will rarely have time to bestow on you; he thinks that he can see you at any time; but when you see him there are often so many personal and domestic subjects to be spoken of, that all the very little time is absorbed in them. You know that he is ever ready at hand; in any emergency you would ask his help, but you, of all others, perhaps the best know how overtasked his strength is-it would be a mere pain to you to add any weight to his burden. Moreover, it rarely happens that members of a family can so throw aside other relationships as easily to merge all in the shepherd and the sheep. They may have delightful spiritual intercourse, but not exactly pastoral. Therefore, do not expect what in fact cannot be. What you want is, to be encouraged by your pastor to lay your troubles and afflictions before him, and to receive his counsel and help. You want to feel that you shall be understood; that you may have perfect confidence in him, withwords will ever be heard out any fear that your by any one else. You want to meet with ready sympathy, not a dry, cold, abstracted hearing, or a misunderstanding of your words. You want to feel that whatever you say which is wrong he will point out to you, but not that he should suppose errors in you, which do not exist; not talk to you of "the errors of the present day," and warn you against them, but point out your own errors to you. You want to have sin pointed out to you; to have plain honest truth spoken; to be exhorted more than comfortednot merely to be told of the blessings of sickness, and that "whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth,"a but to learn that it is chastisement. You want to be directed how, practically, to "believe in the Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of Saints;" to be shown how truly you are still a member of the Church-not cut off, though a "sick member," still "preserved in the unity of the Church." You want to be instructed as to the best way of joining all the members of the Church, and how to find that the Services are for the sick, as well as for those who can go to church. You feel that there are "green pastures and still waters,"b and you want to be led into them. You want to be told what is your "part and duty," and how so to "fulfil your course" that you shall indeed let your "joint supply" that which is appointed for it to do. A great help to profiting by the visits of clergymen is, to remember that they are "God's ■ Heb. xii. 6. Acts iii. 25. b Ps. xxiii. 2. d Eph. iv. 16. ministers" His priests; that they come to us in another character to ordinary men. "They are called of God as was Aaron."b Like Moses, they may be "slow of speech and of slow tongue." They are "men of like passions. with ourselves;"d yet have they a special work and calling, which fits them to be teachers, and the more willing we are to learn of them, and to "remember them who have the rule over us, and submit ourselves;"e the more shall we find that they do bring us a message, to which we "shall do well if we take heed." We may learn much from those whose words are not pleasing to our taste. We pass by many excellent words because they do not seem to suit us at the time; we are provoked with them because they do not suit us. The day may come when they will return to us, and "leave a blessing behind"s them. IV. MEDICAL ADVICE AND MEDICAL VISITS. THERE is another trial which often gives rise to feelings of great discontent in the minds of a Rom. xiii. 6. b Heb. v. 4. d Acts xiv. 15. • Heb. xiii. 7. Joel ii. 14. f 2 Pet. i. 19. the sick. It shows itself in two opposite forms; sometimes they fancy because their friends let them go on without seeming to wish that they should have any additional medical advice, or any change of medical men, therefore they do not care for their recovery, or wish to try all means. This fancy preys upon their spirits, and gives a feeling of deep dissatisfaction. Were they to speak the truth, or rather, if they knew their own hearts, they would see how much they themselves are wishing to try some new treatment, or to have some new doctor. Visitors often propose and urge them to try some one in whom they have special confidence; perhaps they stir up the desire in their minds, and even produce a feeling of dissatisfaction with their present attendant. The sick person ponders it in his heart, and wonders why his friends are so heedless and indifferent about it. Why it is their love and kindness, generally speaking, that makes them so; they see that little or nothing can be done, and they kindly forbear to tease you with asking you to try fresh plans, which may only give you much pain, and end in disappointment. They think it kinder to leave you merely to the soothing remedies which are generally resorted to when all others are ineffectual, than to put you to the pain of undergoing many of the same remedies that have been tried already, without success. If you |