BEEF-STEAK FOR MINISTERS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 486, 11 August 1871, Page 3

BEEF-STEAK FOR MINISTERS.

Under this title, a recent- American “exchange;” thus discourses on the subject of ill-paid Minister* of ilia Gospel. As some one remarks, “ The point of a tale is in its application.” “There have been lately several elaborate articles remarking upon what th> y call the lack of force and lire in tiro clergy” The world wonders that, with such a rousing thems as the Gospel, and with such a gran. word as saving souls, the ministry should ever be nervcle s. Sme ascribe it to alack of piety, and some (o timidity or temperament. We believe that, in a great number of cases it is from the lack of nourishing food. “ Congregations sometimes mourn overdull preaching when themselves are to blame. Give year minister more beef-steak and he will have more fire. Next to the divine unction, the minister needs blood; anl he cannot make that out of tough leather. One reason why the Apostles preacho 1 so powerfully was that they had had healthy food. Fish was cheap along Galilee, and this, with unbolted broad, gave them plenty of phosphorus for brainfood. These early ministers were never invited out to late suppers, with chicken salad and dough-unis. ih.hody ever embroidered slippers for the great feet of Simon Peter, the fishermen preacher. Tea parties, with hot waffles, at ten o’clock at night, make mamby-pamby ministers; but go d hours and substantial diet, that furnish nitrates for the muscle, and phosphates for the brain, and carbonates for the whole frame, prepare a man for effective work. When the wafer is low the' millwheel goes stow; but a full race, and how fast the grists are ground. In a man, the arteries are the mill-raco, and the brain is the wheel, and the practical work of life is the grist-ground. The reason our soldiers failed in some of the battles was because their stomachs had for several days boon innocent of anything but ‘hardtack.’ See that your minister has a full sack. Feed him on gruel during the week, and on Sunday he wall give you gruel. What is called ‘parson’s nose’ in a turkey or fowl is an allegory, setting forth that, fn many communities, the minister comes out behind. “ A frail piece of sausage trying to swim across a river of gravy on the breakfast, plate, but drowned at last : “ the linked sweetness bug drawn out ” of flies in tbe mola ses cup ; the gristle of a tough ox, and measly biscuit, and buckwheat cakes tough as the cook's apron, and old peas in wdiich the bugs lost their life before they had time •to escape from the saucepan, ami stale cucumbers cut up into small slices of cholera morbus, are the provender out of which we are trying to make Sons of Thunder. Sons of mush 1 From such depletion they s'ep gasping into iho pulpit, and look so heavenly pale that the mothers in Israel are afraid they will evaporate getting through the sermon. “ Do not think that all your minister needs is a Christmas p- esent of an elegantly bound copy of “Calvin’s Institutes.” He is sound already on tho doctrine of election, hnd it is.,a ipaor consolation if in Ibis way yon remind him that yo has been (

{ol*o-ordained to starve to death. Keep your minister on articnokos and pttrslain, and ho will bo lit to preach nothing hut funeral sermons from the text “All flesh is grasa.” While feeling most of all our need of the life that comes from above, let us not ignore the fact that prayer cannot keep a hot five in tire furnace with poor fuel and the damper turned.” TErgrrr- wjrßjirm 1 |