CHRISTIAN LEADERS OF THE 18th CENTURY - ( CHAPTER 4 ) - { PT. 10 }
( CHAPTER 4 ) - { PT. 10 } Oh, the righteousness of Jesus Christ! he would often say. I must be excused if I mention it in almost all my sermons. Preaching of this kind is the preaching that God delights to honor. It must be preeminently a manifestation of truth. FOR ANOTHER THING, WHITEFIELD'S PREACHING WAS ESPECIALLY CLEAR AND SIMPLE. His hearers, no matter what they thought of his doctrine, could never fail to understand what he meant. His style of speaking was simple, plain, and conversational. He seemed to abhor long and involved sentences. He always saw his target and went directly at it. He seldom troubled his hearers with complicated arguments and complex reasoning. Simple Bible statements, relevant illustrations, and applicable anecdotes were the more common weapons that he used. The result was that his hearers always understood him. He never shot above their heads. Here again is one great aspect of a preacher's success. He must labor by all means to be understood. It was a wise saying of Archbishop Usher, To make easy things seem hard is every man's work, but to make hard things easy is the work of a great preacher.
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