ON VISITING AND SHOWING RESPECT TO THE PASTOR. The Priests lips should preserve knowledge, and the people should ask the law at his mouth.-Mal. ii. 7. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church.-James v. 14. Thou shalt come unto the Priests, the Levites, to inquire; and thou shalt do according to the sentence which they shall show thee.-Deut. xvii. 9-11. Shew a proof of your love.—2 Cor. viii. 7. Know them that labour among you. Esteem them highly in love for their works sake.-1 Thes. v. 12. Let the Elders who labour in word and doctrine, be counted. worthy of double honor.-1 Thess. v. 17. He that despiseth, despiseth not men but God.-1 Thes. iv. 8. 1. It is therefore the duty of the people to visit and shew respect and kindness to their pastor. 2. Are any anxious to know of the doctrines whether they be of God, or to know how they can be saved, or are they in any spiritual distress, it is their manifest duty to wait upon the minister and to ask the law at his mouth. 3. The minister however, is not to be involved in any worldly matters, or mere temporal affairs, except where the christian principles to be exemplified, in such circumstances are sought for. Thus Christ said to him who asked him settle a dispute, man "who made me a judge over other men's matters." 4. Are any sick, or bed-ridden, or otherwise prevented from waiting on their ministers, then let them call for him or the elders of the church, and inform them of the circumstances of the case, and let no one expect them until so informed. 5. Ministers ought never to be expected to pay visits merely as an expression of respect, nor should the infrequency of their visits when not spiritually needed, be regarded as evincing any want of kindness and regard. 6. When any member of the church visits his Pastor, let him have some object in view-let him introduce that object-and when his business is through, let him retire and not occupy his minister's time by a protracted visit and by idle and irrelevant conversation. Mr. Cotton, the grand-father of Cotton Mather, after such a visiter (and they are not uncommon) had departed, would express his regret by saying, "I had rather have given this man a handful of money." Time as Seneca says, and above all the time of a minister, is perhaps the only thing of which it is a virtue to be covetous. These should be regarded as imprinted over a minister's study, "No admission or interruption except on business." Such visits at any time, and to any per son, except when there is an intimate familiarity are unprofitable and wrong. 7. When can advice be sought from the minister? The hours of ministerial study are until one o'clock, P. M. and generally in the evenings. The minister is open for the reception of visiters after one o'clock, or in the evening, if the visiter could find no other suitable time. Conversation on any points of difficulty might be very properly held with the minister after any of the services of the church in the place of meeting. In conclusion, let no one ever smother convictions, or stifle doubts, or repress spiritual anxieties; but at once fully and freely communicate with the minister, who is set over him in the Lord, and whose duty and privilege it is to guide all inquirers in the way of salvation and holiness. FINIS. |