300 PSYCHOLOGY AND PREACHING
only following a general trend of human nature in doing so a trend which manifests itself just as often and just as objectionably in men of other occupations. But it is espe cially sad and hurtful when preachers yield to this tendency ; for they are moral mentors and guides on whom devolves an exceptionally heavy responsibility. Nowhere will they find more inspiration to resist this narrowing tendency than in the example of their great Master. To a greater extent than many realize the tragedy of the life of Jesus grew out of his struggle against such a narrow and devitalized stand ard of righteousness.
But if the preacher be on his guard against this unfor tunate tendency and cherish a higher and more vital stand ard, the very practice of measuring actual life by an exalted standard may, and not infrequently does, produce in him a pessimistic view of the world; though such a tendency does not seem so strong with men of this class as with those whose ideal is cast in the narrow mould of " churchianity." The reason doubtless is that the influences of modern life are much more favourable to the larger, saner ethical ideal of religious life than to the formal ideal of churchliness. The man who cherishes the higher ideal is more likely to feel himself to be fighting with the trend of the age. Moreover, he feels himself to be more in harmony with God. But notwithstanding this, the en thusiastic minister who contemplates the imperfections of actual moral achievement and the snail-like progress of the world in the light of a great and glowing ethical ideal will often need to resist a tendency to discouragement, and does not always escape the spiritual tragedy of crystallizing in a mental attitude of pessimism, which means the decadence of his power and finally the ending together of his useful ness and of his spiritual vitality. The best preventives, and the best remedies, if the disease has been contracted, are a deeper sympathy with the mind of Jesus, a more vital real ization of God s presence in the world, a closer and more sympathetic touch with the lives of his fellow men, A weak
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