Concerning Your Behaviour in the Home Where You Lodge
1. On your arrival, get as speedily as possible to private prayer; and earnestly beg God to bless your coming; — to bless you to the family, and to the congregation, so that you may leave that place with an increase of spiritual life, and idth the comfortable satisfaction of having been a messenger of peace to that house, and to the people of that place.
2. Show yourself satisfied with everything you Teceive. Be not nice in your food. Do not keep .at a lordly distance from the family: be so familiar with them as to gain their confidence; that you may the better succeed in talking with them concerning their souls. At the same time keep a due distance, that, while you are esteemed as a brother in Christ, you may be acknowledged as his minister. There is much truth in that proverb, “Too much familiarity breeds contempt.”
3. Speak closely and lovingly to every person in the fiamily; but let it be as much apart as possible; for members of the same household seldom speak fireely before each*other.
He who despises little things, shall fall by little and little. Do not, therefore disregard the following small advices.
4. Give the family where you lodge as little trouble as possible: never desire any of them, not even the servants, to do anything tor you that you can conveniently do for yourseh. It is an odious thing to see a person, whose character should be the servant of all, pressing everybody into his service; giving unnecessary trouble wherever ho comes; turning a house upside down; and being, dissatisfied with everything that is done for him. I have always seen, that those who require most attendance are the most difiicult to be pleased: for they are generally of a proud or discontented
6 — 3 spirit; and such a spirit is nevQr satisfied. A man of a truly Christian and noble mind, finds it his highest interest to have few wants; and esteems it a luxury to minister to his own necessities.
6. Never pull off your boots, shoes, or gaiters, in a parlour or sitting-room. Leave your hat, whip, great coat, &c., in the hall, lobby, or some €uch place. Do not leave your foul linen, dirty <jlothes, shoes, &c., about in the room where you lodge. After having left your bed uncovered for some time to cool and air, lay on the clothes neatly when you quit the room; and always throw up your windows when you go out. Empty the basin in which you have washed your hands, &c., and leave it always clean. Don’t splash the walls nor the floor. Wipe every drop of water oflF the washstand, and spread your towel always to dry; and when dry, fold it loosely up, and place it on the head of the water-bottle. Never comb out your hair in a sitting-room, or before company; this is an unpardonable vulgarity: nor brush your clothes in a bed-room; this spoils the furniture. See that you spill no ink on the floors, tables, &c. Leave everything in the place where you found it; and habituate yourself to put every chair you sit on in its proper place when you rise. Our deceased father used often to say, “He who Kves not byrole, lives not at all.” I would just observe, that a role for every part of a man’s conduct is not easily obtained: but example teaches more forcibly, and more effectually. Thirty- three years ago I was appointed to travel in the Plymouth circuit with the late excellent Mr. J. Mason. I never met with a more upright, orderly, regular, decent man.*
* Mr. Maaon made it the study of his life to maintain his character as a Frea«;her, a Christian, and a Man, the latter irord taken in its noblest sense: and he did this by cultirating his mind in every branch of useful knowledge within his reach; and his profiting was great. In the History of the World, and the History of the Church, he was very extensively read. With anatomy and medicine he was well acquainted; and his knowledge of Natural History, particularly of Botany, was very extensive. In the. latter science he was inferior to few in the British Empire. His botanical collections would do credit to the first museum in Europe; and especially his collections of English plants, all gathered, preserved, classified, and described by himself. But this was his least praise. He laid all his attainments an natural science under contribution to his theological stu< dies; nor could it ever be said, that he neglected his duty as a Christian minister, to cultivate his mind in philosophical pursuits. He was a Christian man; and in his life and ^irit adorned the doctrine of God his Saviour. The decency, propriety, and dignity of his conduct, through the whole of his life, were truly exemplary. And his piety towards Ood, and his benevolence towards man, were as deep
From his conduct I learned more on the above subjects, than from all the precepts I ever received, or from all the books I ever read. When you meet with such a person, thank God for the privilege, and endeavour to profit by it.
6. Observe rule and order in everything; and it will not only be much ta your own comfort, but will acquire you credit wherever you come. Remember, that cannot be considered as a small thing to you, which either prejudices a family against you, or is instrumental in acquiring you their good
7. Shun tea drinking visits: these, in general, murder time, and can answer no good purpose either to your body or soul. If you go out in this way at any time, let it be only where you have every reason to believe your visit is likely to be useful to the souls of the people. But is it likely to be very useful where there is a large party?
Thirty-seven yeard ago, I met with Mr. Wesley’s Letter on Tea. I read it, and resolved from that hour to drink no more of the juice of that herb
as they were sincere. I am constrained to add, “he was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his liks’ again*.”
till I could answer his arguments and objections. I have seen that tract but once since; yet from that day until now, I have not drank a cup of tea or coffee. For these things I mostly found a substitute in the morning; and when I could not, I cheerfully went without breakfast: and in their place, I never took anything in the evening. By this line of conduct, I have not only joined hands with (rod to preserve a feeble constitution; but I can demonstrate that I have actually saved several whole years of time, which otherwise must have been irrecoverably lost; and perhaps my soul with them: for I have often had occasion to observe, that tea-drinking visits open the flood-gates of various temptations.
How can those exclaim against needless self-indulgence and waste of time, who go out on such occasions in the evenings! It is a mystery to me which I never wish to unravel, how men can act in this way, and preach afterwards! I have often wondered that this matter is never spoken of to the young preachers when they are admitted. But who can with propriety, warn them against this evil? Only those who are guiltless: and where are they? Alas! alas! do we not make a great outcry against evils, however discreditable to us as
GhristiaQS and ministers, which are in themselvea snd in their necessary consequences, of little moment in comparison of this epidemic and dangexousdisord 1 But if our own conduct in this rei>e€t reproach us,, should we, while honest men, withhold the word of caution and advice from our breather?
8. Gkp out as little as possible to eat and drink* Why is the positive conmiand of Christ, on this head, so generally disregarded 1 Go not &om house to house,” Luke x. 7. The acting contrary to this precept has often brought great disgrace on the gospel of Grod. Stay in your own lodgings as much as possible, that you noay have time for prayer and study. I have heard pious people (who received the preachers of the gospel into their houses) remark, that they always found that preacher to be most useful, who kept most in his closet.” Seldom frequent the tables of the rich or great. If you do, it will unavoidably prove a snare to you: the unction of God will perish from your mind; and your preaching be only a dry, bairen repetition of old things. The bread of God in your hands will be like the dry, mouldy, Gibeonitiah crusts, mentioned Joshua ix. 5. Visit the people and speak to them about their souls, aa often and as much as you can; but be not at the mercy of every invitation to go out for a morsel of bread. If you take not this advice, you will do no good, get no good, and utterly evaporate your influence and consequence. The people should see to it, that such a provision be made for their preachers at home, as to lay them under no necessity of going out for a morsel of bread; but this is not always the case. When you do go out, let your visits be short. The only time that a man of study and business can spare is the evening, after nil his work is done. But take care, if you sup out never to do it to the prejudice either of early lising, or morning preaching.