MEN AND THEIR PROFESSIONS.
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��second sees roses where the other discov- ered thorns ; does not live in fear of be- ing spirited away by the evil genius; is satisfied that on general principles the world is not so bad as some would like to make it appear, and that by the exercise of a little judgment and discrimination it is possible to be pretty cheerful for the most part of the journey from the cradle to the grave. When the first speaks on the questions at issue in this paragraph, he oftends and shows that his vision is exce' dingly narrow; his estimate of the wants of the multitude and what it will have, whether or no, considei'ed from the wrong standpoint, and his knowledge of the secret institutions painfully out of keeping with the facts. The votaries of the former deny him the poverty of thanks, while the patrons of the latter close their lips and way down in their hearts pity his weakness. When the sec- ond speaks he shows that he has rubbed against the people of the world, knows what they want and what they cannot be prevented from obtaining, and is deter- mined to so educate and refine the mass- es that good taste shall prevail and the very things which the first condemned become a power for good. He is a warm- hearted brother with the men who meet in secret conclaves, and, like Father Tay- lor of blessed memory, and many anoth-. er eminent minister to guilty men, he counts it no sin and no shame to kneel with them and beseech God to bless and continue them in fraternal fellowship and in the faithful service that men are likely to need at their hands. The first avoids the crowd as he would the plague, and the latter is always seeking admittance to places where men congregate, and he will tell you that he is always welcome; that men grasp him warmly by the hand ; that the class who have something mean to do and therefore repel the minister, is small, very small, so small indeed, that he never blundered into their company.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A MINISTER?
But why do we speak of the profession of the minister as second to that of the teachers in public schools and other in- stitutions of learning? Let us be un- derstood as saying, ' we do not place this
��exalted office second because of any pre- conceived purpose to underate it, but simply on the ground that its opportuni- ty, in our judgment, is second — the com- petent and conscientious teacher being first to impress the mind with those prin- ciples and examples which mould the character and are most lasting. But we had purposed to conclude this theme with a summary of some of the observations we would make to young men concern- ing the ministry : —
They, the candidates, must have spe- cial training in addition to that of the college and theological school ; they must possess traits of character unlike the multitude, and it will not profit this gen- eration if they are deep in books and nothing in ' common with everyday life.' They must understand human nature and have the proper methods of approaching . widely different minds, else all their ef- forts will miscarry, and they will be the constant recipient of rebuffs that will rob them of their peace of mind and make their life short and of little service to their fellow men. They must be a con- noisseur in the art of knowing just what to say and how and when to say it, for — although they may think otherwise— this is one of the great secrets, in fact the only secret, of the successful man in all professions. They must have a good con- stitution—for it is a well known fact that a sickly minister preaches sickly ser- mons, and sickly sermons are not what a healthy people will naturally be satisfied with. Sentiment may satisfy those of a congregation who are at that interesting period of human affairs when cupid is the controlling medium, but it will never do for the old folks who pay the bills. They will cry out that it is veal, and be- come hungry for something that is large- ly made up of practical common sense. They must make up their minds to be dil- igent workers ; to submit to privations ; to be subjected to occasional persecu- tions ; to be a servant rather than a mas- ter ; to endure all sorts of trials of their own and for others ; to be cheerful when overworked, and of even deportment when afflicted with the ills that flesh is heir to. They must expect to meet with
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