The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-08-09
ADVICE TO A YOUNG CLERGYMAN.

q
sured that you are mentally and phys
ically and spiritually fitted for the min
istry?
Well, about the best way to get at this
is to size yourself up honestly and con-
vince Yourself that while there are hum
dred other things you can do, ten of
which you can do well, you can preach
better than you can do any thing else.
But before you enter the ministry be
thoroughly convinced that you can
make good living at something else.
Don't wait until you have preached five
or ten years and all but wrecked two or
three churches before you find out that
Providence was advertising for life in
surance agent or lawyer when YOU
Jumped up and said: Here am T. and
went straight to the theological depart
ment If you know how, or can learn
how to
Mix kalsomine and put it on the walls
in. reasonably good shape; or,
Groom horse and put on harness;
or,
Beat carpet twice a year and lay
the same after the fifth year so as to
bring all the holes under the sofa and
bookcase; or,
Plow, drop corn, bind after o reaper
or feed thrasher; or,
Help a blacksmith; or,
Sell goods on the road; or.
Clerk for a carpenter; or,
Make shoes; or,
Practice medicine or law; or,
Work hydraulicpump in milk fac.
tory; or,
Write in an insurance office; or,
Pound sand; or,
Write novels; or,
Grind poetry; or,
Run ward caucus, and pack State
Convention; or,
Shave yourself and polish your own
boots; or,
Go to the Legislature; or,
Drive cattle; or,
Brake on freight train; or,
Run stationary engine; or,
Serve in the army; or,
Steer steamboat; or,
Drive street car; or,
Teach school;
Then, my dear young brother, IL you
prefer it, if you honestly feel that you
have something TO say in the pulpit
-fhat people must hear, then preach.
But:
Il you can't do anything else; if you
can't plow or reap If you know moi
how either to fish or cut bait; if at any.
thing else you would starve, then, in
heaven name, keep out of the pulpit
God never yet established church al
apension agency for anybody. And il
you have made up your mind thal
you'll have to preach or starve, yot
will confer favor upon the commu
nifty by starving.
vi, you can edit newspaper, which
is respectable way of doing thu
same thing. Anybody can edit paper
except the editor: He doesn't know
the first principle of his business. ANY
man whom he has had occasion tx
bring into the dissecting room for dem
onstration will tell you that.
You see, my son, we want men in thu
pulpit to-day-real men, who would be
men among men anywhere; men wht
can help the world carry its every-da,
burdens, if need be; men like Paul, tht
tent-maker; Luke, the physician; Peter
the fisherman; Matthew, the collector o
customs {who must have been an actiy,
and successful politician@ real men
There We're, doubtless, dudes in Israe
when God took Gideon away from tht
threshing-floor and made him the de
llverer of His people; but Thousand
dudes would not make one Gideon, al
thousand naughts will not make on,
unit. So David was taken from th,
sneep-fold, and Moses was taken from
the palace, because, you see, men wht
are good for something are good fol
something else. Save only in the cas-,
o. fiddler; believe fiddler is usu
ally good for nothing else under th.
SKIES save only to fiddle, nor doth h,
Know aught else. But, as a rule,
real man amounts to reality whereve
you place him or find him, and dude
y me ordinary walks of life, win be
aude IN the desk; and Paul in the sail
,oit or a Gideon in the pew would b
raul and Gideon in the pulpit. Dom
p.saeh. II you think you would b
a,terly good for nothing at any thin,
Ion see,n said the Pew, slidin.
uoWn into an easier position, ..yol
preach clear over my head.
1t isn't that replied the Pulpit
you dodge under my preaching. Nov
llslen Just . minute longer till tell yo,
now man last week made $40, 600 Il
itoaisiana swamp lands IS
And the Pew sat up so quickly and s,
setaight that its back cracked.
1 gu see, my inexperienced brother
. soa nave entered a profession of al
salllhgs, even from worldly point o
view, most difficult. You could kee,
sm .as rev wide, awake and bolt uprigh
-: - me time If you would. talk about fh
pangs the Pew wants to hear about
@ na, that isn't your mission. You mus
y: make the Pew want to listen to III
iAings You talk about. And your worl
: gong to be hard. wearying, depres
'ag a. times. discouraging.
lou win find that men oons;da, ~
twenty y-ilYe-Tninufa sar,,,s,v, 49,, g.. = II