292 PSYCHOLOGY AND PREACHING
soning inductively from the actual facts, we should find con siderable difficulty. What a variety of things he is called upon to do ! In these later days he is supposed to be obliged to dabble in some way in almost everything that goes on. But setting aside the faddist notions that are current as a result of the idea, very true in itself, that the preacher should relate his work to all phases of life, we still have difficulty in making out exactly the range of the modern min ister s legitimate activity. It is sometimes jestingly declared that, to meet the demands of a large congregation in a modern community, he must make more public addresses and of a vastly more varied character than a lawyer, read as much as a learned scholar, visit more people than a busy physician, exercise as much executive ability as the head of a great corporation, travel nearly as many miles as a " drummer," cultivate as much tact and adaptability as a politician, and withal must spend as much time in prayer and meditation as a saint. And there is almost as much truth as jest in the remark. No other occupation demands the exer cise of so great a variety of talents. Thinking upon this aspect of his work, one is tempted to say that he can be a specialist only in an indefinite sense of the word, if at all. Indeed his function must be quite broadly defined ; and yet, though broad in scope and varied in details, it is definite enough in principle. Ideally it is to bring the whole mes sage of Jesus to the whole life of men. It would seem, then, that his occupation is well adapted to develop a full and well rounded personality, a broadly human type. This is quite true. He needs to know all truth, as far as is humanly possible; to meet and deal with all classes and conditions of men; to enter into intelligent sympathy with all human activities and varieties of character. Surely an occupation which is full of such varied demands and stimulations will mould a large and noble human type.
There is, however, great danger that it will develop a mental type that is versatile but shallow. Unquestionably this occurs so often that critics who make this charge against
�� �
