The midland journal., 1908-11-27

pathetic heart, but is the outgrowth
of community of interest? 1t is the
pastor to deal with the problems of
his people, to point out the principles
governing their solution and to keep
as possible to the Source of all help.
point Of view We can conceive Of but
SO simply stated. The question is a
complicated one For the Christian
pastorate to-day is no more what it
was half century or century ago than
farming is what TT was half century or
more ago. To-day farming is busi-
i ness, not simply a way of making
"a man of the goth century. He
works as hard as the old farmer did
but in higher way. He uses the
Ms-mind, money, machinery and mus
il His hermit days are over-he is
man among men. The railway, the
per put him In touch with the whole
| world. In fact, his business has be-
i come SO complex and many sided that
| he touches civilization. at more points
/ and lives longer life than If he were
one of the atoms of crowded city.
So the demands that such people
from the demands made upon the pas
/ tor of their forefathers. He mustNbe
wide awake, progressive, aggressive,
abreast Of the times. A stiff hat, frock
tcoat or even ecclesiastical ordination
are not sufficients to qualify him as
/ their leader in spiritual or any other
the pulpit Sabbath after Sabbath to the
satisfaction of thinking congregation
that he. has message; that he knows
tative from the Source of ali Wisdom; that
| he has learned the mind of the Master
of men and has the training and abili-
| ty to in turn apply it to the lives lived
/ The modern pastor must be man
| acquainted with methods. For the
multiplied machinery of the modern
the voice. If his people did not read,
it might not be SO necessary for him
| to read. But woei to the preacher or
the modern farmer who is not stu
1 dent of books.
He must be student Of men, and
prove his own manhood day by day
manliness exempliffed by the Man of
men nor to the eternal fellowship
ton to all this. there are numberless
calls upon mans time, such as funer-
ais, weddings, the sick and social du-
ties @ that INA. may not not, be denied There are re
higher courts; until one wonders
/ whence is to come the time in which,
and also strength with which to do
| Now, if in addition to this is added
the business of the farmer, when farm
ing has. grown into science. the IL
brary Of which is second to that of no
other science, and whose trade jour
nails number 700 or more; when the
problem of labor on the farm has
| proved so serious as to. cause many
| farmers in despair to rent their farms
and move from the country to towns
and villages; when the price of feeds
i and fertilizers are so diSproportionate
Il to their convertible value as to make
profits practically impossible; when the
task of putting products Of the soil upon
| nipulation of prices by the middlemen
as to yield minimum of profit to the
producer and to place at its maximum
/ the cost of living to the consumer
Il one would ask, who is sufficient for
i these thingS?"
Do not misunderstood me- I am not
making complaint. do not think
or believe my lot is the most difficult
have simply stated problem that
faces many man. Many proverbs
the question of unification of purpose
Il versus versatility. Weare told ito. fear
the man of one book" The explana-
/ ton of many failure is given tersely
in the words, too many irons in the
fire." 1t is an age of specialists One
need not go out of this club member
L Can l, in my work of the Gospel
ministry, serve you and your families
i as acceptably and as efficiently by CIV
Il books, thus enabling me to furnish
Il finer finish to my pulpit preparations
and allowing me more time for devel-
II
Il gregation, as by pulling off my coat
Il and taking my place among you as a
tiller of the soil?
i In response to comments on tie
. essay several members spoke at
some length and all were unsparing
in their praise of the hosts pro
duction The consensus of opinion
was that the dual vocation ot
preacher and farmer fitted the host
for his duties in ministering to his
Pensioners much better than sub
stitution of book study for nature
study.
| Messrs. Wilson, Balderston and
Biles were appointed committee
on inspection of premises and an
adjournment was taken for dinner.
The bountiful repast gave un
mistakable evidence that the hostess
was a farmers wife as we'll as a
Ipreacher's helpmeet and was lack
ing in no detail to class it with the
renowned farmers club dinners.
| After an inspection of the
premises the members reassembled
and the committee reported First
on the literary treat from the host
with his essay, followed by the
lculinary treat from the hostess,
after which came the further pleas
ure of viewing the fine, thrifty
looking stock which consisted Of
two>horses unsurpassed for general
utility and driving, two milk cows
and four heifers, five shoats, fine
brood SOW with five pigs, fine
flock of poultry consisting of 25O
hens and 15O chicks of Plymouth
Rock and White Leghorn strains,
16 plump turkeys, geese and g1in
oas The vonltrv honsa wos hniIt