George Herbert on Preaching

"When he preacheth, he procures atten- tion by all possible art, both by earnestnesse of speech, it being naturall to men to think, that where is much earnest- ness, there is somewhat worth hearing; and by a diligent, and busy cast of his eye on his auditors, with letting them know, that he observes who marks, and who not; and with particularizing of his speech now to the younger sort, then to the elder, now to the poor, and now to the rich. This is for you, and This is for you; for particulars ever touch, and awake more then generalls..."

"Sometimes he tells them stories, and sayings of others, according as his text invites him; for them also men heed, and remember better then exhortations; which though earnest, yet often dy with the Sermon, especially with Countrey people; which are thick,and heavy, and hard to raise to a poynt of Zeal, and fervency, and need a mountaine of fire to kindle them; but stories and sayings they will well remember."

"the character of his Sermon is Holiness; he is not witty, or learned, or eloquent, but Holy...it is gained, first, by choosing texts of Devotion, not Controversie, moving and ravishing texts, whereof the Scriptures are full. Secondly, by dipping, and seasoning all our words and sentences in our hearts, before they come into our mouths, truly affecting, and cordially expressing all that we say; so that the auditors may plainly perceive that every word is hart-deep."

"The Parson exceeds not an hour in preaching, because all ages have thought that a competency, and he that profits not in that time, will lesse afterwards, the same affection which made him not profitbefore, making him then weary, and so he grows from not relishing, to loathing."

George Herbert "The Country Parson" chapter 7 The Parson's Preaching

More from Baxter, this time on preaching.

Baxter had a lot of reasons for why churches weren't growing, here is one of them.

If we were heartily devoted to our work, it would be done more vigorously, and more seriously, than it is by the most of us. How few ministers do preach with all their might, or speak about everlasting joys and everlasting torments in such a manner as may make men believe that they are in good earnest! It would make a man’s heart ache, to see a company of dead, drowsy sinners sitting under a minister, and not hear a word that is likely to quicken or awaken them. Alas! we speak so drowsily and so softly, that sleepy sinners cannot hear. The blow falls so light that hard-hearted sinners cannot feel. (Reformed Pastor chapter 3, section I, part 3, section 2)

A breakthrough!!

I don't know if anybody still reads this but....I found out that if something is explainable by natural means or as a natural phenomenon that it should have no ethical bearing and deserves little if any further thought.

Thank God for that. I now no longer have to trouble myself over issues involving war, famine, sex trafficking, or the potable water crisis. My life has just been simplified.

Theodicy

I read this debate, it's betwixt N.T. Wright and Bart Ehrman.

I have these thoughts:

1) God probably does not need to be answered for.
2) People who have believed the gospel in the past and today have maintained rationality while facing suffering.
3) The bible does give multiple answers to the problem of suffering.
4) Christians should be willing to give up their rights, even their precious American ones, to alleviate suffering, even if it means being uncomfortable or having to suffer themselves.
5) Since Christian theology typically presumes that God is all just, all wise, and all loving hell might not be a problem for theodicy. If anybody ends up in such a place certainly it will have been, in some sense, the most just thing. But I often question whether hell can actually qualify as a place, since evil seems to have no ontological status, I'd assume that the manner of disposing of evil is entirely incomprehensible to us.
6) People smart enough to make it in the academy and write books about theodicy should probably be spending themselves on learning to alleviate suffering, alleviating suffering, or teaching others to alleviate suffering. Richard Baxter and George Herbert thought that pastors, having learned Greek and Hebrew, could easily become physicians on the side.

Richard Baxter Quote

"Another sad discovery that we[pastors] have not so devoted ourselves and all we have to the service of God as we ought, is our prevailing regard to our worldly interests in opposition to the interest and work of Christ. This I shall manifest in three instances:

1) The temporizing of ministers...But it is not the least reproach of ministers, that the most of them, for worldly advantage, do always suit themselves to the party which is most likely to promote their ends. If they look for secular advantages, they suit themselves to the secular power; if for popular applause, they suit themselves to the Church party that is most in credit. This, alas! is an epidemical malady...how should it come to pass that ministers, in all countries of the world, are either all, or almost all, of that religion that is most in credit, and most consistent with their worldly interests? Among the Greeks, they are all of the Greek profession: among the Papists, they are almost all Papists: in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, they are almost all Lutherans: and so in other countries. It is strange that they should be all in the right in one country, and all in the wrong in another, if carnal advantages did not sway much with men, when they engage in the search of truth. The variety of intellect, and numberless other circumstances, would unavoidably occasion a great variety of opinions on various points. But let the prince, and the stream of men in power, go one way, and you shall have the generality of ministers agree with them to a hair, and that without any extraordinary search. How generally did the common sort of ministers change their religion with the prince, at several times, in this land! Not all, indeed, as our Martyrology can witness, but yet the most. And the same tractable distemper doth still follow us; so that it occasioneth our enemies to say, that reputation and preferment are our religion and our reward.
2) We too much mind worldly things, and shrink from duties that would injure or hinder our temporal interests...
3) Our barrenness in works of charity...ministers with larger incomes should be larger in doing good..." (The Reformed Paster ch 3, section 1, pt 3)