“The kind of sermon which is likely to break the hearer’s heart is that which first has broken the preacher’s heart, and the sermon which is likely to reach the heart of the hearer is the one which has come straight from the heart of the preacher.”
“Surely if men’s heart were right, short sermons would be enough.”
“If you always enjoy sermons, the minister is not a good steward. He is not acting wisely who deals out nothing but sweets.”
“You are listening to a man who professes to speak by God, and for God, and to speak for your good and his heart yearns over you. Oh, it is solemn work to preach, and it should be solemn work to hear.”
“It is not the bigness of’ the words you utter, but the force with which you deliver them.”
“The preacher’s work is to throw sinners down into utter helplessness that they may be compelled to look up to Him who alone can help them.”
“The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher; otherwise men would be the conveners of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher’s learning; otherwise it would consist in the wisdom of men. We might preach until our tongues rotted, till we would exhaust our lungs and die, but never a soul would be converted unless the Holy Spirit be with the Word of God to give it the power to convert the soul.”
“We hear complaints that the minister speaks too harshly and talk too much of judgment. Saved sinners never make that complaint.”
“If some men were sentenced to hear their own sermons, it would be a righteous judgment upon them; but they would soon cry out with Cain, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.”
