Solemnity in Preaching.
By Baxter
The importance of our matter condemns coldness and sleepy dullness. Our spirit should be awakened, that we may be fit to awaken others. If our words be not sharp and piercing, they will hardly be felt by strong hearts. To speak lightly and coldly about heavenly things, is as bad as to say nothing of them. All our work must be managed reverently, as becomes them that believe in the presence of God; not treating holy things as common. The more God appears in our duties, the more authority will they have with men. Reverence is that affection of the soul which proceeds from deep apprehension of God, and denotes that the mind is much conversant with him. To manifest irreverence about the things of God, is so far to manifest hypocrisy, and that the heart agrees not with the tongue. I know not how it is with other persons, but the most reverent preacher, who speaks as if he saw the face of God, does more to affect my heart, though with common words, than an irreverent man, with the most accurate preparations, though he bawl it out with ever so much seeming correctness. If reverence be not equal to fervency, it has but little effect. Of all preaching in the world I hate that which tends to make the hearers laugh, or to affect their minds with such levity as stage-plays do, instead of the name of God. We should suppose, when we draw near him in holy things, that we saw the throne of God, and the millions of glorious angels attending him that we may be awed with his majesty, lest we profane his service and take his name in vain.—Baxter.