described; but for you I feel much, lest any of you should be called to your solemn account of judgment before you have by faith secured that interest in the Lord Jesus Christ, which alone can enable you to render that account with joy and not with grief. Let me again and again beseech you to repent and turn to the Lord, and to do works meet for repentance; and then should God's visitation reach you personally, it would only prostrate your bodies in the dust, but leave your souls safe in the sure salvation of the Lord Jesus. Let me beg of you to give heed to these lines from one who has now for nine years addressed you, and who, though compelled by reason of his own precarious health, to be absent, still desires to present to your consideration, even through the imperfect medium of a letter, the calls and the offers of the Gospel.

"To all of you who, in the midst of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, and the sickness that destroyeth at the noon-day, are yet privileged to meet together for prayer and supplication, let me urge the necessity of a deep and heartfelt humility in the sight of God. 'Rend your hearts, and turn unto the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, long-suffering, and of great goodness, and repenteth him of the evil,' peradventure he will hear and leave a blessing in answer to your prayers. Wherever the providence of God may find me on the day you assemble, I shall strive to be with you in spirit, though not in bodily presence; and under any circumstances shall not fail to pray for you, that the Lord may keep you safely; and that though thousands fall beside you, and ten thousand at your right hand, no plague may come nigh you or your dwellings. And I trust that in your prayers and supplications you will not fail to remember him who needs the benefit of your most ardent and persevering prayers, both for his bodily and spiritual health.

"Through the medium of my friend and assistant, to whose discretion I have entrusted that portion of the concerns of our Church which fall to my lot, I shall frequently hear of your welfare. May the Lord be with him and you, and may the Holy

Spirit so sanctify this afflictive dispensation to us all, that our souls may reap the intended benefit, both in time and throughout eternity. I remain, dearly beloved brethren,

Your Friend and Pastor."

One of the most difficult duties of the private friend, or the Christian pastor, is the administration of necessary reproof to those who err. Dr. Bedell was especially calculated, from the very peculiar delicacy and sensitiveness of his character and temperament, to feel this difficulty deeply, and to shrink from the proper discharge of the duty. But the spirit of love by which he was governed, and the full and sincere consecration of himself to the duties of the ministry, sustained him in this also, and 'enabled him to exercise this office with fidelity. The letter

below, a copy of which was sent to individuals among his people, as occasion required, presents a singular and beautiful illustration of the delicacy with which this painful duty was discharged by him, and the way in which he used, with experience and skill, "the sword of the Spirit," which is the word of God, in contending with difficulties which arose around him.

"My dear Friend :

(PRIVATE.)

"Among the duties of the ministry laid down in the Scriptures, I find the following, 'to reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.' I have frequently found, that a hint given in a spirit of love, has been effectual to remove an error or to rectify an abuse; and that such a hint, if given in Scripture

language, carries with it peculiar weight, I purpose to adopt this plan. Sometimes I wish to rebuke, sometimes to commend. I shall do both without offence, if I do them in the words of God. To illustrate my meaning: If I send this letter to one of my communicants, and simply quote at the bottom Luke x. 41, 42, I mean that one to understand that I think him or her neglecting the soul for worldly concerns. If I quote Hebrews x. 23-25, it will be understood that I think the individual to whom it is sent, negligent in attendance at the lectures or prayer-meetings. If I quote

2 Corinthians vi. 17, it will be understood that I consider the person addressed entirely too much disposed to enter into follies and amusements inconsistent with the Christian calling. If I quote 1 Peter iii. 3, 4, it will be understood that I allude to dress, &c. If I quote Proverbs xvi. 32, it will be understood that I consider the individual under the influence of an improper spirit. These I mean as mere specimens for explanation, and will be sufficient to show my meaning. The passage I mean for you may be different from any of these, and you will see it at the bottom of the page. I pray you to turn to it at once; ascertain what I mean, pray over it, and see if the hint thus affectionately given, may not, by a divine blessing, conduce to your spiritual and eternal good. No one knows that I have addressed this letter to you. It is meant as entirely of a private character. May the Lord bless you, and keep you by his grace, through faith unto salvation. "Your Friend and Pastor."

The following pastoral letter, addressed to the congregation, will show the fidelity of his watchfulness as a shepherd of the flock, under another aspect. Whatever was the difficulty before him, he had no fear in meeting it, and was able always, with "an open face," and a sincere and affectionate spirit, to go through the emergencies of trial to which

A

he was called. The circumstances attending the present letter, will be sufficiently explained in itself.

"Dearly Beloved Brethren :

Hav

"It is probable the most of you are aware that it will not be in my power to attend to the usual evening services of our Church until the weather shall become more moderate and settled. ing suffered much this season from exposure to the night air, in consequence of the peculiar severity of the winter, my physician, in whose judgment I place implicit confidence, has thought it best that I should not attempt my customary duties on Friday ⚫ evenings, until I can do it with more probable safety to myself. To this arrangement I submit, because I feel that my own most earnest desires are not to be put in competition with the medical advice formed on mature deliberation. God be praised, I feel that my health is very materially improved from what it was three weeks ago;, and I rejoice in the prospect of not being prevented from discharging my duties on the Lord's-day.

"When I found that I should be compelled to relinquish the idea of lecturing for the space of at least five or six weeks, my mind became painfully exercised as to what was the course of my duty in relation to the Friday evening lecture. I regret to be compelled to say that I felt, as if it might be my duty to close the lectures, because I did fear that the attendance might be so diminished as to be observed by those who would kindly assist me in the period of my absence. On mature reflection, however, I came to the conclusion, that let those who were accustomed to attend, take what course they might, it was my obvious duty not to close up the opportunity of religious instruction. The intention of this pastoral letter, is to express my opinion on a subject which has never ceased to give uneasiness to my mind, viz: the unchristian disposition manifested by many to forsake the instruction of the Lord's house, whenever the preacher may not be one

who in all respects may gratify their tastes.

This is an unwhole.

some state of feeling which I have long known to exist among ourselves, to a considerable extent; and which cannot be too strongly reprobated as inconsistent with a right state of feeling towards the worship and the word of God. Where the minister

who preaches is known and believed to preach the truth as it is in Jesus, there is no excuse which can justify a feeling of dislike to his ministrations. It is a direct and positive proof of the want of a sound spiritual state. Under no circumstances, unless the character of the minister be such as may not be approved, or unless he is not believed to deliver the message of the Gospel in simplicity and godly sincerity, is it justifiable to feel a disrelish to his ministrations. And though it is natural and cannot be avoided, to be more gratified with one than with another, yet wherever providential circumstances place a minister before the people, reverence for the word of God ought to ensure him a respectful attention.

"I have felt these things most painfully, because I have seen and known many who will not attend either on Sundays or at the lectures, unless they are first assured who is to be the preacher. This is peculiarly distressing to myself, because, when any of my brethren in the ministry assist me, it is purely because they desire to render me the aid which my health requires; and what ought to give me more pain than the reflection, that my own people are not willing to appreciate the services done from the spirit of kindness to their own minister?

"I am happy to say, that both in relation to the services on Sundays, and in relation to these lectures, there has been a manifest improvement, and apparently a much better state of feeling than formerly existed. And I do not write these things so much. to complain of what at present exists, as I do to caution you on a subject which I fear is not as much thought of as it should be. Especially by those accustomed to attend the lectures, and still more particularly by those who are the professing members of this Church, I expect a course of conduct conformable to the