The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

SERMONS. 47that tliey who have believed in God, might be carefulto maintain good works; thefe things are goodand profitable unto m.en. If thou put the brethrenin remembrance of thefe things, thou {halt be a goodminifter of Jefus Chrift, nourifhed up in the wordsof faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou haftattained."Another part of your work is to vifit the familiesIn your Parifh, and to vifit the fick: The firft is oftenmore laborious than ufeful ; the laft is an office of humanity,of Chriftian compaflion, and part of a minifter'sduty ; and you will be happy in pouring thebalm of confolation into the foul of the dying Chrifrtian, and in rivetting good impreffions on the heartsof thofe who fhall recover. But when you vifit thefick, who are alfo poor, (and, no doubt, you will findmany fuch in your wide and populous Parifh,) yourbrealt will heave with all the feelings of compaffion ;when you go into the difmal cottages of the ftarvingand dying poor, the fight of human woe, the gloomyimage of hunger, of agony, of death, will ftrike allyour fenfes ; with a glowing pity, you will have roomin your breaft to take in a concern for your fellow-Chriftians in diftrefs ; and you will regret that it isnot in your power to relieve them as you would : butwhen you find that they have lived by faith, you will,by encouraging them to look unto Jefus, who hathtaken away the fting of death, caufe them to rejoiceand be glad, that they are foon to find the gravenay, your very fympathifing with them, will comfortthem in fome degree ; and from the claimant viev/ ofindigence and mifery, your fpirit will be ftirred upto " charge them that are rich in this world, thatthey be ready to diftribute and willing to communicate"to the neceffities of the poor, in this time ofgeneral diftrefs.I fay nothing about your condu6l in Church judicatories; in this age, thefe Courts are lefs and lefs