Here are more quotes from Charles Bridges’ “Christian Ministry”:
11. Need to pursue life with the eyes of faith: “Daily experience reminds us the extreme difficulty of maintaining spiritual perceptions of eternal things. The surrounding objects of time and sense spread a thick film over the organs of spiritual vision, and the indistinct haziness, in which they often appear, is as if they were not” (180).
12. Importance of Preaching: it is “the primary instrument in the Divine appointment for the conversion of the world” (189).
13. Do the hard work of sermon prep yourself: “There is no greater hindrance to solid learning, than to make such use of other men’s resources, as to neglect of our own” (198).
14. Know what not to say: “It requires as much reflection to know what is not to be put into a sermon, as what is” (200).
15. The vast repository of Scripture for content: “The Scripture is the inexhaustible storehouse of our most valuable materials—whether of clear instruction; convincing argument; powerful or melting address; or even the higher strokes of eloquence—‘thoughts that breathe in words that burn.’ Any just complaint therefore of the barrenness or sameness of our preaching, must arise (as we have hinted) from want of industry in our research, not from the want of opulence of our resources” (202).
16. Profitability of reading: “The habit of reading will furnish many illustrations and trains of thought, which are insensibly molded into our minds, and become our own by our individual method of application” (207).
17. LAW/GOSPEL: “The law, partially at least, (as in the case of the heathens,) is discoverable by the light of nature; whereas the Gospel is “the hidden mystery of God,” which could only be known by the light of Revelation. We find, therefore, man in his natural state partially acquainted with the law; but wholly unacquainted with the gospel” (230).
18. More LAW/GOSPEL: “Let the power of the law first break and bruise, which is a necessary preparative for the plantation of grace; and then pour in (and spare not) the most precious oil of the sweetest Evangelical comfort. But many, very many, mar al with missing this method…Let none speak against the preaching of the law; for it is the wholesome way, that God himself and his servants in all ages have taken. The law first humbles; then the Gospel comforts” (234).
19. Preaching: “The correct view of Scripture Preaching implies, that it be full and distinct in its statements, unctional in its tone, popular in its mode of address, experimental in its sympathies, direct and practical in its enforcement—in fine—deeply impregnated with the very language and spiritual of Scripture, so that we may be able to turn onto our people with a warranted confidence, and say—We have the mind of Christ” (246).
20 Practical Implication/Applications in Preaching: “Let not therefore the dreaded imputation of being thought moral preachers, deter us from inculcating the requirements, as well as illustrating the doctrines, of the Gospel. Practical preaching is needed to sift the false professors of religion, and to quicken sincere Christians” (268).
21. Pastoral Work: “The Pastoral work is the personal application of the pulpit Ministry to the proper individualities of our people—looking upon them severally, as having a distinct and separate claim upon our attention, cares, and anxiety; urging each of them, as far as possible, to the concerns of eternity; and commending to their hearts a suitable exhibition and offer of salvation” (344).
