p. 28 | HOW TO PREACH

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 23, 1879

HOW TO PREACH.

Bishop Simpson, in the following extract from his Yale Lecture No. 5, on preaching, published in the Independent of Jan. 9, 1879, gives his “experience” on sermonizing. In motive, sincerity of purpose, earnestness, directness of effort, and determination to secure results, it should have more imitators than we find at the present day:—

“As to sermonizing, I feel my incompetency to advise. I have never been a systematic sermonizer. I have already said to you that in my early ministry I never had any hope of becoming a successful preacher, in the sense of being an orator. In addition to this, my health was very delicate, and I didn’t expect to live long. In that time there were no theological schools of the church to which I belong in this country, and no theological school of any character in the West had gained much reputation. Hence, I commenced my ministry without any specific theological training. I had read my Bible from earliest childhood—indeed, I do not remember the time when I could not read—and my study of the original languages of the Bible, especially the Greek, had been for years a delightful occupation. But no one had told me how to prepare a sermon. I had listened to good preachers, but the only sermons I had ever read were those of Mr. Wesley. I did not know there was such a thing as a skeleton or a book of skeletons of sermons. In my youthful innocence, I would as soon have stolen money from a bank as to attempt to appropriate anything from a sermon which I had either heard or read. I remember an old minister once put into my hands and offered to loan me a book of sermon sketches; but I happened to have common sense enough to decline the offer.”

“So I began to preach. I did not try to make sermons. I felt that I must, at the peril of my soul, persuade men to come to Christ. I must labor to the utmost of my ability to get sinners converted and believers advanced in holiness. For this I thought, studied, wept, fasted, and prayed. My selection of texts, my plan of discourse, was only and always with the aim to persuade men to be reconciled to God. I never spoke without the deepest feeling; and unless I saw a strong divine influence on the congregation or knew of some soul being converted I felt sad and sought retirement to humble myself before God in prayer. My sermons were not well arranged. Sometimes I had divisions; for I had heard ministers say firstly, secondly, and thirdly. Sometimes I had a line written out here and there, and sometimes a few catchwords on a scrap of paper, which, however, I seldom took into the pulpit. My ministry was one of exhortation rather than of sermonizing; and I looked for immediate results.”

“So my early ministry was formed. Whatever method I had, it was purely my own and was adopted to bring men to God. None could have been more surprised than myself when I began to find, not only that souls were awakened and converted, but that my friends began to speak kindly of my simple talks as sermons. So I finished my first year. My second year I was stationed at Pittsburgh, where I was compelled to preach three times on Sunday and at least once during the week. I was so driven it seemed as if I could not change my plans. At the end of my first year in that city I expected to be relieved; but I was disappointed, and returned to the same congregation. In addition to my preaching, I led the public prayer-meeting one evening a week, conducted two classes, took a deep interest in the Sunday-school, and formed a class of young men, whom I helped in some degree to prepare for the ministry. And so, not expecting to be a preacher, I preached on; not expecting to live, I lived on. Many a time I resolved I would prepare better; and yet I found myself brought up to Saturday evening with comparatively slight preparation for the Sabbath. But I studied intensely. I rose early and spent my forenoons in mastering theology, philosophy, and the natural sciences, in which I was deeply interested. I worked on my feet, and found my sermons among the sick and the poor, in garrets and in cellars. Not expecting ever to do much in the pulpit, I spoke to men everywhere of Jesus and his love, and had the satisfaction of seeing many scores brought to the foot of the cross. I expected by-and-by to find leisure to make better sermons; but I have never found it. My boat is on the stream, and I have been borne down the rapid current without the time to rest, until I can almost see the mouth of the river and the boundless ocean beyond. I would not advise any man to do what I have done. I would breathe into you the devotion of my early ministry; but I would urge you to make better preparation and become a workman more approved both by God and man.”