Preaching

"There is no such thing as preaching patience into people, unless the sermon is so long that they have to practise it while they hear."

"And pulpit, drum ecclesiastic, Was beat with fist instead of a stick."

"Oh, for a forty-parson power to chant Thy praise, Hypocrisy!"

"I venerate the man whose heart is warm, Whose hands are pure, whose doctrine and whose life, Coincident, exhibit lucid proof That he is honest in the sacred cause."

"Would I describe a preacher, * * * * I would express him simple, grave, sincere; In doctrine uncorrupt; in language plain, And plain in manner; decent, solemn, chaste, And natural in gesture; much impress'd Himself, as conscious of his awful charge, And anxious mainly that the flock he feeds May feel it too; affectionate in look, And tender in address, as well becomes A messenger of grace to guilty men."

"The things that mount the rostrum with a skip, And then skip down again, pronounce a text, Cry hem; and reading what they never wrote Just fifteen minutes, huddle up their work, And with a well-bred whisper close the scene!"

"He that negotiates between God and man, As God's ambassador, the grand concerns Of judgment and of mercy, should beware Of lightness in his speech."

"Alas for the unhappy man that is called to stand in the pulpit, and not give the bread of life."

"It is prohibited to preach out of manuscript. Sermons are to be delivered without the help of any writing before the preacher."

"But in his duty prompt at every call, He watch'd and wept, he pray'd and felt for all."

"Judge not the preacher; for he is thy judge: If thou mislike him, thou conceiv'st him not. God calleth preaching folly. Do not grudge To pick out treasures from an earthen pot. The worst speak something good. If all want sense, God takes a text, and preaches patience."

"Sir, a woman preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well: but you are surprised to find it done at all."

"When a person comes to love God, it is an eternal change more remarkable than the most remarkable event in the world. Whether it happens, when it happens, no one can tell him. The preacher of repentance in his inner being can help him to become aware, can help him in self-concern to seek the certitude of the spirit as God’s Spirit witnesses with this person’s spirit that he loves God. But only God can give him this certitude. Keep him awake in certitude in order to seek after certitude, this the preacher of repentance can do; he says: All things serve you for good when you love God."

"[H]e was often interrupted by the deep hum of his audience; and when, after preaching out the hour-glass, which in those days was part of the furniture of the pulpit, he held it up in his hand, the congregation clamorously encouraged him to go on till the sand had run off once more."

"So clomb the first grand thief into God's fold; So since into his church lewd hirelings climb."

"He of their wicked ways Shall them admonish, and before them set The paths of righteousness."

"Preaching is the primary apostolate. Our ministry, Venerable Brethren, is before all else the ministry of the Word. We are well aware of this, but it is good to remind ourselves of it at the present time so as to give the right orientation to our pastoral activities. We must return to the study, not of human eloquence or empty rhetoric, but of the genuine art of proclaiming the Word of God."

"And truths divine came mended from that tongue."

"Sermons in stones and good in every thing."

"Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, And recks not his own rede."

"He who the sword of heaven will bear Should be as holy as severe; Pattern in himself to know, Grace to stand, and virtue go."

"It is a good divine that follows his own instructions; I can easier teach twenty what were good to be done, than be one of the twenty to follow mine own teaching."

"By thy language cabalistic, By thy cymbal, drum, and his stick."

"With a little hoard of maxims preaching down a daughter's heart."

"A little, round, fat, oily man of God."

"Of right and wrong he taught Truths as refined as ever Athens heard; And (strange to tell) he practis'd what he preach'd."

"I met a preacher there I knew, and said, Ill and overworked, how fare you in this scene? Bravely! said he; for I of late have been Much cheered with thoughts of Christ, the living bread."

"I preached as never sure to preach again, And as a dying man to dying men."

"Faites ce que nous disons, et ne faites pas ce que nous faisons."

"For the preacher's merit or demerit, It were to be wished that the flaws were fewer In the earthen vessel, holding treasure, But the main thing is, does it hold good measure? Heaven soon sets right all other matters!"

"Hear how he clears the points o' Faith Wi' rattlin' an' thumpin'! Now meekly calm, now wild in wrath, He's stampin', an' he's jumpin'!"

"Take time enough: all other graces Will soon fill up their proper places."

"But Cristes loore, and his Apostles twelve, He taughte, but first he folowed it hymselfe."

"There goes the parson, oh illustrious spark! And there, scarce less illustrious, goes the clerk."

"The priest he merry is, and blithe Three-quarters of a year, But oh! it cuts him like a scythe When tithing time draws near."

"A kick that scarce would move a horse, May kill a sound divine."

"Go forth and preach impostures to the world, But give them truth to build on."

"God preaches, a noted clergyman, And the sermon is never long; So instead of getting to heaven at last, I'm going all along."

"The proud he tam'd, the penitent he cheer'd: Nor to rebuke the rich offender fear'd. His preaching much, but more his practice wrought; (A living sermon of the truths he taught:) For this by rules severe his life he squar'd: That all might see the doctrines which they heard."

"They shall knaw a file, and flee unto the mountains of Hepsidam whar the lion roareth and the Wang Doodle mourneth for its first born—ah!"

"Even ministers of good things are like torches, a light to others, waste and destruction to themselves."

"And he played on a harp of a thousand strings, Spirits of just men made perfect."

"As pleasant songs, at morning sung, The words that dropped from his sweet tongue Strengthened our hearts; or, heard at night, Made all our slumbers soft and light."

"Skilful alike with tongue and pen, He preached to all men everywhere The Gospel of the Golden Rule, The New Commandment given to men, Thinking the deed, and not the creed, Would help us in our utmost need."

"It is by the Vicar's skirts that the Devil climbs into the Belfry."

"The gracious Dew of Pulpit Eloquence, And all the well-whip'd Cream of Courtly Sense."

"He was a shrewd and sound divine Of loud Dissent the mortal terror; And when, by dint of page and line, He 'stablished Truth, or startled Error, The Baptist found him far too deep, The Deist sighed with saving sorrow, And the lean Levite went to sleep, And dreamt of eating pork to-morrow."

"His sermon never said or showed That Earth is foul, that Heaven is gracious, Without refreshment on the road From Jerome, or from Athanasius. And sure a righteous zeal inspired, The hand and head that penned and planned them, For all who understood, admired— And some who did not understand them."

"The lilies say: Behold how we Preach without words of purity."

"I have taught you, my dear flock, for above thirty years how to live; and I will show you in a very short time how to die."