272 THE WHENCE ASD THE WHITHER OF NAN 



and learning, are to burn like torches to light their 

 march. Finally, my young brothers, do not be bitter- 

 ly disappointed if you are not "popular preachers." 

 Do not let too many people go to sleep under your 

 preaching, even if one young man did go to sleep under 

 one of Paul's sermons. But if now and then someone 

 is angry at what you have said, do not worry too 

 much over it. Preach the truth in love. If Elijah 

 and John the Baptist, and Peter and Paul, were to 

 preach to-day I doubt greatly whether they would be 

 popular preachers. I cannot find that they ever were 

 so. They would probably be peripatetic candidates, 

 until someone supported them as independent evan- 

 gelists. After their death we would rear them great 

 monuments, and then devote ourselves to railing at 

 Timothy because he was not more like what we im- 

 agine Paul was. 



Even Socrates found that he must bid farewell to 

 what men count honors, if he would follow after truth. 

 You may have the same experience. You will have to 

 champion many an unpopular cause, and your people 

 will not like it. They will say you lack tact. Now 

 Paul was a man of infinite tact. Witness his sermon 

 on Mars' Hill. But if his letters to the church in Cor- 

 inth were addressed to most modern churches, they 

 would soon set out in search of a pastor of greater 

 adaptability. 



If you play the man, and fight the good fight of 

 faith, I do not see how you can always avoid hitting 

 somebody on the other side. And he will pull you 

 down if he can ; and will probably succeed in some- 

 times making your life very uncomfortable. Remem- 

 ber the teaching of scripture and science, that the up- 



