This week we continue with the chapter on the Parson Preaching. I’ll take a break for 2-3 weeks from George Herbert as I will be traveling to Scotland and Ireland for research. During that time I’ll be posting about my trip.

But it [i.e. Holiness] 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. Thirdly, by turning often, and making many Apostrophes to God, as, Oh Lord blesse my people, and teach them this point; or, Oh my Master, on whose errand I come, let me hold my peace, and do thou speak thy selfe; for thou art Love, and when thou teachest, all are Scholers. Some such irradiations scatteringly in the Sermon, carry great holiness in them. The Prophets are admirable in this. So Isa. 64 [:1]. Oh that thou would’ st rent the Heavens, that thou wouldst come down, &c. And Jeremy Chapt. 10 [:23]. after he had complained of the desolation of Israel, turnes to God suddenly, Oh Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, &c. Fourthly, by frequent wishes of the peoples good, and joying therein, though he himself were with Saint Paul even sacrificed upon the service of their faith. For there is no greater sign of holinesse, then the procuring, and rejoycing in anothers good. And herein St Paul excelled in all his Epistles. How did he put the Romans in all his prayers? Rom.1.9. And ceased not to give thanks for the Ephesians, Eph. 1.16. And for the [II] Corinthians, chap. 1.4. And for the Philippians made request with joy, ch.1.4. And is in contention for them whither to live, or dy; be with them, or Christ, verse 23. which, setting aside his care of his Flock, were a madnesse to doubt of. What an admirable Epistle is the second to the Corinthians? how full of affections? he joyes, and he is sorry, he grieves, and he gloryes, never was there such care of a flock expressed, save in the great shepherd of the fold, who first shed teares over Jerusalem, and afterwards blood. Therefore this care may be learn’d there, and then woven into Sermons, which will make them appear exceeding reverend, and holy. Lastly, by an often urging of the presence, and majesty of God, by these, or such like speeches. Oh let us all take heed what we do, God sees us, he sees whether I speak as I ought, or you hear as you ought, he sees hearts, as we see faces: he is among us; for if we be here, hee must be here, since we are here by him, and without him could not be here. Then turning the discourse to his Majesty, And he is a great God, and terrible, as great in mercy, so great in judgement: There are but two devouring elements, fire, and water, he hath both in him; His voyce is as the sound of many waters. Revelations 1 [:15]. And he himselfe is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12 [:29]. Such discourses shew very Holy. The Parsons Method in handling of a text consists of two parts; first, a plain and evident declaration of the meaning of the text; and secondly, some choyce Observations drawn out of the whole text, as it lyes entire, and unbroken in the Scripture it self. This he thinks naturall, and sweet, and grave. Whereas the other way of crumbling a text into small parts, as, the Person speaking, or spoken to, the subject, and object, and the like, hath neither in it sweetnesse, nor gravity, nor variety, since the words apart are not Scripture, but a dictionary, and may be considered alike in all the Scripture. 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 profit before, making him then weary, and so he grows from not relishing, to loathing.

The chapter on preaching continues with a discussion of what brings the character of Holiness into the sermon. His line of thought is that this is something the great rhetorician Hermongenes could not have taught so it should be dealt with here. He lists three things.

• Choose a text that will benefit the people’s spiritual life, not a controversial text. I know I have been tempted at times to preach in a way that is more of debate with another sermon I’ve heard that actually benefiting my hearers. Obviously we need to teach our congregation and guard against erroneous teachings, but the sermon should speak to them directly rather than seem like half an argument they are overhearing.

• I’m not sure I understand ‘dipping, and seasoning all our words and sentences in our hearts, before they come into our mouths’ but I think he means that preaching is not merely an intellectual exercise. We don’t simply understand the logic and communicate information, but we communicate truth with passion. We show how these lofty doctrines of incarnation and Trinity are ‘hart-deep’ and relate to the world of work and chores, of laughter and tears.

• The third method, of making side comments directed to God in the middle of the sermon, would probably seem pretty strange to us today. However, the basic purpose of it is to remind us that preaching is done in the presence of God. This would certainly develop holiness in our preaching. It is not simply public speaking about a religious topic, it is the ministry of a Holy God who is present and active. How would our preaching change if we were constantly reminded that we are in the presence of God? How would our congregation’s attention change if they were reminded of the same? I wouldn’t be comfortable making the ‘apostrophes’ to God as Herbert suggests, but I wonder if there might be another way for us (preacher and congregation) to be continually reminded that a Holy God is present.

Herbert goes on the discuss two ways the preacher should handle his text. These don’t require much comment. 1. Treat the text’s own plain and evident meaning. We don’t need to give social analysis, metaphorical or psychological spins on the text, we just need to understand what it means…as intended by the author. 2. I take Herbert’s caution against crumbling the text to pieces as a reminder to deal with each section as a whole within its context. Although we do need to break down parts to understand the whole at times, we should always interpret those parts in relation to the whole. He reminds us that it is the words together that form the scriptures, the words apart are simply a dictionary. Herbert the poet had a deep understanding of this.

He closes with a reminder to keep the sermon brief…don’t go over an hour!

The pic is me in Bemerton, at the country church George Herbert served from 1630 until his untimely death in 1633.