joyously summon his own sons, or the sons of his church, to enter the profession that leads through so many Gethsemane experiences.

Moreover, choice young men looking forward to life's work, inevitably consider these things as factors entering into their decisions. What more natural than to ask-"Why should other men have so much and the minister so little? Is the minister being treated fairly? Why should I sacrifice the material goods of life or demand such denials upon the part of my family?" The truth is, every thoughtful man, whether of the clergy or laity, should face the question:-"Is it right to ask the minister to contribute so much to the welfare of the nation and the uplift of humanity; to brighten the lot of all men, and yet to have for himself or his loved ones no adequate share in the material benefits that flow from these improved conditions of society?"

2. The second reason that is discouraging many excellent young men is the assumption and assertion that the minister has no worthy place in the community; that his contribution to society is not of any great value; that his task is not

a man's sized job. This feeling, widely prevalent in certain circles of society, has been the subject of discussion and re-emphasis lately in some of our popular magazines.

In opening his Yale Lectures, Dr. A. J. F. Behrends called attention to the effects upon the individual of such suspicions concerning the worthiness of his vocation, and enforced the necessity of the worker maintaining the conviction that his labor was necessary to the welfare of the world. "No man can achieve solid and satisfactory success in any calling, who is not convinced that the services which he renders are of substantial benefit to the public, and that what he gives is a full equivalent for what he receives. He who suspects that he is merely tolerated, or that he occupies the place of a dependent, or who discovers that he is retained when he has ceased to supply a living demand, inevitably suffers in the consciousness of manly independence; and where manhood shrivels, work loses its dignity and power." "To this wholesome law," Dr. Behrends adds, "the pulpit is no exception."

The present propaganda of suggestive suspicion and distrust concerning the ministry, has resulted in just such mischievous reactions in both men already in the ministry and sturdy youths who have been considering it as a possible calling. Why enter a profession where manly qualities are at discount? Why remain in a calling that is not rendering worthwhile service-especially when other and more essential occupations yield greater rewards of material good?

It is perfectly legitimate to ask the reasons. for the minister's existence in the community, to question what his place is in modern life, and what is his real contribution to the welfare of mankind.

All trades and professions are subjects for such questioning and must justify themselves to society.

The danger point in such questioning of the minister's task is in the character of the questioner. Too often, men, who by nature and prejudices are unfitted to pass judgment upon the higher values of life, sit in the seat of the

judges. They do not understand the nature of the minister's task; they cannot see or realize that he is dealing with intangibles, with processes and results so largely in the realm of the spiritual that their evaluation is difficult, and to the man who looks for material tokens almost impossible. When the carpenter builds a house, or the shoemaker completes a pair of shoes, you see the thing he has been doing; the finished product is evident; but the minister is working with minds and spirits, he is molding character, and much of his work must be unseen by human eyes. The passing of time, however, is certain to reveal the comparative values of such occupations.

The maker of sandals in ancient Capernaum filled an important place, but the fame of that city rests, not upon the maker of sandals, but upon its association with the name of the Nazarene prophet and teacher. The tent-maker of Corinth, in whose workshop Saul of Tarsus earned his living, did a worthwhile work, but we have forgotten his name, while his employee, the preacher, proclaimed a message whose influ

ence sapped the foundations of Imperial Rome and built a new civilization.

The Great Teacher said long ago: "Man shall not live by bread alone." Men must have ideals, visions and hopes that they endeavor to realize for themselves and in society. Character is built, not of brick and stone or bread and meat, but of the things we call dreams, visions and ideals. Character is the fruitage of principles, and principles are the blossoming of dreams and ideals. The foundations of a nation, the structure of its society, is not laid in wealth or territory, but in the character of its citizenship.

The minister's task is to give the people the stuff out of which character is formed, and to guide and inspire them in the use of this character material. This is not a task that can be esteemed lightly or measured with yardstick or scales.

It is far easier to build a cathedral, to erect a factory, to lay an ocean cable, or to construct a railroad, than to mold a life into a thing of beauty and nobility, to regenerate the slum section of a great city, or to overthrow the igno