PREACH CHRIST by James Strong

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 24, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 37.

PREACH CHRIST.

By James Strong

THE world is as hungry as ever—nay, vastly more than ever before—for the true bread of life; it longs for the genuine Gospel, for the simple message of eternal life. These were the staple of His sermons, and to the end of time they will attract and win and save men at large. Preach Christ, live Christ, be Christ, and you cannot fail to induce others to do the same. The New Testament term for preaching is heralding Him, and the Hebrew and Greek words for the Gospel tidings both mean merely the good news of salvation. If you have found this yourselves, it ought to be easy and delightful to tell it to others. The earliest form of preaching, accordingly, was the narration of personal experience, and he who is deeply versed in the "things of God," which only the Bible, the Spirit, and his own richly stored heart can reveal, has but to pour forth the full stream of his convictions and emotions in order to impress his hearers most forcibly and effectually. Learning and culture may powerfully aid in this, but nothing can be a substitute for it. It is the soul of Christian eloquence, the very life of Gospel oratory. A sermon that is not full of Christ is not preaching at all; it may be an elegant essay, an erudite discourse, a masterly oration, but it will never convert a sinner nor edify a saint.—Prof. James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D.