Theology Thursday - The More You Read, the Better You Preach

J.C. Ryle, the great Anglican preacher, continues to explain how to attain simplicity in preaching:1
And now bear in mind that my five points are these—
- If you want to attain simplicity in preaching, you must have a clear knowledge of what you are going to preach.
- If you would attain simplicity in preaching, you must use simple words.
- If you would attain simplicity in preaching, you must seek to acquire a simple style of composition, with short sentences and as few colons and semicolons as possible.
- If you would attain simplicity in preaching, aim at directness.
- If you would attain simplicity in preaching, make abundant use of illustration and anecdote.
Let me add to all this one plain word of APPLICATION. You will never attain simplicity in preaching without plenty of work—pains and trouble, I say emphatically, pains and trouble. When Turner, the great painter, was asked by some one how it was he mixed his colors so well, and what it was that made them so different from those of other artists—”Mix them? mix them? mix them? Why, with brains, sir.” I am persuaded that, in preaching, little can be done except by trouble and by pains.