Hints and helps in pastoral theology by William S Plumer (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapters 23 (Pastoral visiting) and 24 (Visiting the sick).
Now we read two chapters on pastoral visitation.
In Chapter 23 Plumer gives some general principles on visiting for the following types of people:
(i) the aged;
(ii) the young;
(iii) the family;
(iv) the domestics;
(v) the middle-aged;
(vi) the husband and wife.
Then Chapter 24 provides teaching on how to visit the sick. Included is:
(i) an exposition of James 5:14-17 (including arguments against Roman Catholic dogma);
(ii) principles to follow when visiting the sick;
(iii) the types of people who are found in the sick room.
A gripping account of a pastoral visitation to a sick girl: '"A minister called to see a sick young lady, whom we will call Chloe. He engaged in prayer. During the season of prayer she made very little interruption, either by groans, sighs, or struggles. But as soon as the prayer was ended, she recommenced the same affecting and heart-rending outcries as before: 'Oh, I am dying unprepared; do pray for me again. I am going to hell! Oh, I am going to hell ; do pray for me again!' My impression was that she needed instruction as well as prayer. I therefore presented to her consideration the Lord Jesus as her only helper, and directed her in what manner to look to him and seek his salvation in this case of awful emergency. After listening to the Gospel offers of salvation a few moments, she turned to her mother, who sat on the other side of the bed in constant attendance on her daughter. ' Oh, mother (said she), I am dying. Do pray for your dying child. I never heard you pray in my life. Mother, I am going to hell. Do pray for my poor soul.' Oh, how was my heart affected with this appeal to a mother ! The whole company, apparently, were melted into a burst of feeling, which was manifested by sobbings and overflowing tears. These were moments of deep impression. Death had fixed his relentless grasp on the trembling victim. Before us lay the struggling, agonizing, dying Chloe, inwardly burning to death with the raging fires of inflammation ; her mind excited to the highest degree of anxiety in view of the terror of approaching death ; while she felt the horrible consciousness of being unprepared for the solemn exchange of worlds. The minister had prayed, but no relief was found. The mother had been entreated to pray ; but overflowing tears from a soul full of distress and terror comprised all the assistance she could afford a child sinking in despair. The attendants were weeping, but none of them could help the dying Chloe. And what was very remarkable, she made no attempts to pray for herself, while her cries for prayer to save her from hell were almost incessant. Under such circumstances, I addressed a few words to her in substance as follows : ' Chloe, evidently you have but a short time to live, and it is a matter of the utmost importance that you should be prepared to die. Doubtless it is the anxious desire and prayer of all present, who know how to pray, that God would have mercy on your soul, prepare you for death, save you from hell, and fit you for heaven. But there is something which God requires you to do. The Lord Jesus Christ has died on the cross of Calvary to atone for sin, that guilty sinners through faith in his name might be saved from destruction. God requires you now to believe this truth, and accept of the righteousness of his atoning blood as your covering from the guilt of sin. You are convinced that you are a sinner ; you fear the wrath of God, and are afraid to die. The Lord Jesus, your only helper, your only Saviour, has opened the door of mercy, and invites you now, on your dying-bed, to look to him for salvation. He requires you to repent of your sins, to believe in his name, and seek his pardoning mercy. Submit, yield up your heart, and resign yourself now into his hands, and Christ is able and ready to pardon your sins and save your soul from death.' During these remarks, she listened like one astonished. But here I observed a material change in her appearance. She stretched herself in her bed, fixed her eyes on the wall above, and trembled. Still her rational faculties were apparent. " Believing that Death was about to cut short his work, I proposed to her the following question : ' Chloe, will you now accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your only Saviour from sin and hell, and submit your soul into his hands for salvation ?' With a faltering voice she answered, 'No, I cannot!' Astonished at the answer, I rejoined once more by inquiry, ' Why, Chloe, why are you not willing, and why can you not now, with dying breath accept of Christ for salvation?' With evident appearance of being in full possession of her rational powers, with a still more feeble and tremulous articulation, looking me full in the face, she answered, ' It is too late !' These were her last and dying words. Not another word was spoken to her, nor another syllable did she attempt to utter. She shuddered, groaned, gasped, ceased to breathe, and the immortal spirit took its flight in less than two hours after I first entered the room. I closed her eyes in death, amid the outcries of almost frantic relatives, and the sobbings of a deeply affected circle of attendants. Thus died the once gay, but now despairing Chloe." '
Do not think that you can leave accepting Christ to your death bed. It may be too late. Accept him now.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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