quest of souls, and that the message of the Lord is no jest. But his
experience was that in that strange "lapsed" population the _rapport_
between man and man set up by an honest laugh was important as the first
step to something very different which was to follow.

COME TO THE POINT.

In the ordinary pastoral round no such ingenious merriment will be
necessary; though you will of course aim not only to be but to be seen
to be _happy_ in your work, and in your Master; _bright_ with a light
which is as natural in its influence as it is divine in its origin. In
the ordinary round one great principle to be remembered, if I am right,
is that you should _come to the point_ as soon as possible. Some earnest
men greatly shrink from this, and aim at the souls of their people by
very circuitous routes. As a rule, I am sure, there is little need to do
so; we are "expected" to be about our Master's business, and to deliver
His messages without needless delay. I would not counsel the general
verbal adoption of one good country Parson's salutation, who always
opened the cottage door with, "_How are you? How is your soul?_" But I
have no doubt it was a good greeting for many a parishioner of his; and
the _principle_ of it is good for almost every pastoral visit. Yes, we
shall do well to take people very much for granted, coming before them
as we do (unless we quite forget our true character) as the Lord Jesus
Christ's messengers and delegates, whatever else we are.

KEEP IT ALWAYS IN VIEW.

Most certainly and obviously the Pastor will often allude to common
human interests, and should indeed know something and have something to
say and do about temporal problems, things of body and estate. But then
I do hold that he should "draw all things this" supremely important
"way." All his pastoral intercourse should bear somehow upon the
question of the state before God of the person or persons visited; upon
conviction of sin, or comfort in grace, or Christian conduct; upon
Christ and the soul, upon holiness and immortality, as the Gospel
"brings them out into the light." [2 Tim. i. 10.]

A DIFFICULT CASE WELL MET.

There are cases most certainly where this has to be done with peculiar
tact and caution unless quite obvious mischief is to be done instead of
good. But let the man be always _lying in wait_, and he will very seldom
do so quite in vain. An instance occurs to me, in the work of a most
honoured veteran in the Ministry. He cal