2. Social gatherings in the church, in which the people shall have opportunity for acquaintance and for the exercise of the social feelings. These differ in plan. (1.) They are sometimes purely social, in which the object is conversation, music, and such forms of recreation as may be innocent and healthful. The tact of the pastor will here be required to give the right tone and spirit to the gathering, to promote general acquaintance and sociability, and to guard against doubtful forms of amusement. (2.) They sometimes add to the social the literary element, and a part of the time is occupied with readings, recitations, essays, poems, and the discussion of subjects in history, biography, general literature, and science. These, when carefully managed, are often of great value in advancing the general culture and intelligence, and in calling out, especially in the young, talents which would otherwise be undeveloped. The successful working of such an organization of course presupposes broad intelligence in the pastor and not a little careful thought and labor. (3.) Sometimes the object is not only social and literary, but also missionary, and the exercises consist in part of reports on missionary work, home and foreign, correspondence with missionaries, and essays on the lives of eminent missionary characters and topics relating to the missionary enterprise. The organization might also engage in different forms of actual mission work, such as mission Sunday-schools, religious meetings at destitute points, and personal labor, young men among young men, young women among young women, to bring them to church and otherwise help them in entering and prosecuting a Christian life. The social element is so mighty a force that no pastor can afford to ignore it; nor should he imagine that it will take care of itself, for, left unguided, it will almost certainly take a false direction and destroy much of his work. His true position is as its inspiring leader, thus linking its power to those forces which shall ensure his success.