visiting
them, to prevent coldness, or to recover them from backsliding. 2. To
counsel and advise them in family affairs, in their business, and in
spiritual matters. 3. To keep up that loving familiar intercourse,
which is so desirable between the saints and those who have the
oversight of them.--These visits should be, if possible, frequent; but
in our case there have been several obstacles in the way.

II. The particular obstacles in our case are: 1. The largeness of the
number who are in communion with us. One hundred would be quite as
many as we have strength to visit regularly, and as often as would be
desirable; but there are nearly 400 in fellowship with us. 2. The
distance of the houses of the saints from our own dwellings, as many
live more than two miles of. 3. The Lord's blessing upon our labours.
Not one year has passed away, since we have been in Bristol, without
more than fifty having been added to our number, each of whom, in
general, needed several times to be conversed with before being
admitted into fellowship. 4. That brother Craik and I have each of us
the care of two churches. At the first sight it appears as if the
work is thus divided, but the double number of meetings, &c., nearly
double the work. 5. The mere ruling, and taking care, in general, of
a large body of believers, irrespective of the other work, takes much
more time, and requires much more strength, than the taking care of a
small body of believers, as we, by grace, desire not to allow known
sin among us. 6. The position which we have in the church at large
brings many brethren to us who travel through Bristol, who call on
us, or lodge with us, and to whom, according to the Lord's will, we
have to give some time. 7. In my own case an extensive needful
correspondence. 8. The weakness of body on the part of both of us.
When the preaching is done,--when the strangers who lodge with us are
gone,--when the calls at our house are over,--when the needful
letters, however briefly, are written,--when the necessary church
business is settled;--our minds are often so worn out, that we are
glad to be quiet. 9. But suppose we have bodily strength remaining
after the above things have been attended to, yet the frame of mind
is not always so, as that one could visit. After having been
particularly tried by church matters, which in so large a body does
not rarely occur, or being cast down in one's own soul, one may be
fit for the closet, but not for