generally too apt to be occasioned, when he is required to attend to the whole at once, as it now stands. By adopting the aid with which we have been furnished by some of the best and wisest of our divines, (and to some laymen too are we very much indebted for similar assistance). I have ventured to make the attempt; and have accordingly divided "the Order for the Visitation of the Sick" into four Visits, so contrived as in the first to take in the first prayers and part of the Exhortation;-in the second, to proceed with the remainder of the Exhortation, and to examine the Sick Person's faith, as the church directs; proposing the use of the Creed in some short questions after it;-in the third after reading to him another serious exhortation, to inquire into the truth of his repentance by proposing some such questions as may be proper to call his sins to remembrance, and to lead him to a confession of them:-and in the fourth, to speak to him on the nature and benefit of

Absolution,

Absolution, after a sincere profession of his faith, repentance, and satisfaction of injuries;—in each Visit making use of such prayers, exhortations and interrogatories, as seemed to me most likely to produce the effect aimed at in the Visitation of Sick Persons, viz. such sincere repentance towards God, and true faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, as may, thro' the merits of our blessed Redeemer, be available towards obtaining the pardon of their sins, and the salvation of their souls.

I must further observe, that it is expected that these Visits should be paid, when the Sick Person is capable of admitting them to his advantage; which, unfortunately for him, and much to the embarrassment of the Minister, is too frequently not the case; for every one who has the care of a large, or even a small parish, knows that the Visits of the Clergyman are often not required, till those of the Physician are become needless; And then of what service can the Minister's be

to

to the Sick? At such times the Clergyman can only act as the exigency of the case requires, having little time for exhortations and prayers, and less to inquire into the Sick Man's faith and repentance. In that case he must have recourse to his own discretion, as indeed the church allows him at other times, and act as "he shall think most needful and convenient," according to the present exigency; for it is scarcely possible, I think, to lay down any general rules for visiting the Sick in such extremity.

But as it is more than probable, that every one who has the care of souls will one time or other be called upon to visit those who are almost at the point of death, before they will see a Minister, I recommend him to be provided beforehand against such perplexing Visits with a suitable short form which he may find it neces

sary to dispatch in a little time from the very weak state which the person may be in, whom he is summoned thus hastily

to

to visit *. For even at so late an hour of life what can be done, ought to be

done here however the

Minister must

soothe the late

use great care, neither to penitent with ungrounded hopes of par don, nor to drive him to despair. And he ought to be particularly cautious not to say any thing which may induce the standers-by, who perhaps may not yet have begun the great work of repentance, to think that they may go on in a course of sin, till they are brought to the condition of their dying friend, and that then by uttering a few ejaculations, and hearing a few prayers from the Minister, hastily sent for, but never before thought of, all shall be well; that God is all-merciful, and will forgive their sins; without considering that through their whole lives they

In Dr. Stearne's "Tractatus de Visitatione Infirmorum" may be seen " Forma interrogationum ex ANSELMO descripta," and "Forma prolixior ex LAUDO deprompta:" which I have subjoined in page 139, for the sake of those who have not an opportunity of referring to that treatise.

have

have been provoking his justice, and perhaps never had him in all their thoughts, but when they have uttered his name from their mouths in profane cursing and swearing.

In order however to guard against a frequent return of applications for such fruitless pastoral Visits, I shall here give the advice of Dr. Stearne in his "Tractatus de Visitatione Infirmorum;" and in our own language, rather than in that of his treatise, because I think it possible that this little book may fall into the hands of some who are not clergymen, and who by this may see the propriety of sending for a Minister at the beginning of sickness, and not when nature is so far exhausted, that they can neither attend to his exhortations, nor join with him in prayer.

"Every one who has the care of souls "should frequently admonish the people "committed to his charge, either in his

46

more private conversations, or in the "discourses which he delivers from the "pulpit, that they should take care to "have

a