How to Preach

How to Preach
Mr. Jones letter to a young minister:
“Two things are necessary to be a successful preacher: first, to pray much in secret—to be there many times in the day, wrestling with God—to wrestle each time as if it were the last, and not to rise from your knees until you have a proof that the Lord has heard you. Ask the Lord in faith, and with great fervency, what to say to the people. Go straight from your closet to the pulpit each time, (like Moses from the mount to the camp,” then will the anointing follow your preaching, and every word you say will be received as from an angel of God. Another thing is, to preach pointedly and rousingly—aiming at the conscience each time—telling the people their sins to their faces—caring nothing for the good or bad opinion of men, but to keep ‘a conscience void of offence toward God and men;’ and beware of displaying yourself in any of your sermons. I try to aim at two things in studying and preaching: one is, not to say anything to show off myself; another is not to say anything to amuse the people. I would wish to preach each time as if I had to die in the pulpit when I had done preaching—as if I had to go direct from the pulpit to judgment. If we are not in this frame, we shall do very little good.”
-pp. 9-10
Excerpts from “The Welsh Revival” by Thomas Phillips, Banner of Truth Trust 1989 (First published 1860)