Power of the Pulpit - Spring - IX - Chapter 12 (Every thing subservient to the pulpit)

Required reading
The Power of the Pulpit by Gardiner Spring (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 12 (Every thing subservient to the pulpit).

My summary
Today Spring teaches us that the preacher must hold preaching above all other work: 'the great object of every minister of the Gospel ought to be to give the services of the pulpit the pre-eminence over every other department of ministerial labour.'

So, for example, Spring suggests that the preacher should subject to preaching their:
(i) observations;
(ii) reading (including that of infidels);
(iii) art;
(iv) personal experience.

What grabbed me
I enjoyed the chapter, a good reminder to keep my focus on preaching: 'Let every minister of the Gospel, therefore, select his object, and let that object be to give the services of the pulpit the first and paramount claim. Every young man, when he enters the ministry, ought humbly, and with a grateful and encouraged dependence on God, to aim at this important end, patiently, and with a strong and undivided purpose. No matter what the temptations to do otherwise, nor what the labor, nor what the temporary mortification ; let him be assured of this one thing, that it is only by so doing that he will best accomplish the great end of his solemn and delightful vocation, accomplish most for God and the souls of men, possess an approving conscience, and finish his course with joy.'

So true.  There are so many distractions in ministry that beg for your time, one must always work at keeping preaching primary.

Next week's reading
Read Chapter 13 (The preacher's interest in his immediate subject).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.