A Visitor's Book of Texts

A Vital Tool for Pastoral Visitation.What we say to the sick
should be brief: and when we pray with the sick we should be short in our
prayers. One who for some weeks lay within the shadow of eternity, though
afterwards restored, writes, ÈFew things are more injurious than very long
prayers at sick-beds. I am persuaded that short, frequent, and, I may add,
fervent prayers at a sick-bed, are most suitable.' He says again, ÈI am
persuaded that those that visit the sick would do well to confine themselves to
the simplest view of Scripture truth; and it may be well, also, that these
views should be embodied in some select texts of Scripture. It was in this way
that Dr. C. treated me when I was under those fears, and I have admired his
wisdom. He approached my bedside, and after hearing my views, he repeated the
text, This is the record, that God has given us eternal life; and this life is
in his Son. He again repeated it until he that I held it in my mind.' He adds,
that when other mental strength failed him, The exercise of faith in the
Saviour never fatigued him. Like the hand, it retains its grasp firm in death.
ÎThoughts in the Prospect of Death. This book is formed upon this
principle; for the testimony quoted is not a solitary case. Indeed, it
originated in the feeling of two Christian friends, that something which would
help a visitor to deal thus with the sick was most desirable. A Book of Texts,
while it may furnish ready materials to some, will lead on others to passages
of a like kind which are not given, and which the visitor may feel to be all
the more interesting and fresh, because he has himself lighted on them, without
the help of foreign suggestion. The same principle applies to our
dealing with the Sorrowful to a considerable extent. When we succeed in
arresting their thoughts so as to fix them on one single text, we have not
laboured in vain for their comfort. One text sunk in the mighty waters of their
sorrow may be an anchor dropped. It was this that Cecil sought when he was
watching with intense anxiety over a friend; ÈAll I can do is to go from text
to text like a bird from spray to spray.' Many, however, from long experience
in such cases, have found it good occasionally to do a little more, though
still with the help of a text or portion of the Word. And at times they have
found it useful to ask the sick or the sorrowful to ponder the text left with
them, after their visitor is gone; and they speak of it at the next visit. The
effect of your suggesting that possibly at next visit it may be referred to is
this, the person keeps it in memory, and feels interested in it more than would
otherwise have been the case. Recommended € 11,90