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Chapter 8HerbertParson.1.8

CHAP. VII. The Parson preaching.

Winning Attention

The Parson preaches constantly and uses every skill—earnestness, eye-contact, particular application, stories, and warnings about judgment—to gain his hearers' attention.

The Country Parson preaches constantly; the pulpit is his joy and his throne. If he ever takes a break, it is either for want of health, or before some great festival so that he may celebrate it better, or for variety among the hearers, so that when he returns he may be heard more attentively.1 When he does take a break, he's always well supplied by some able man who treads in his steps and won't tear down what he has built; he also asks this man to press some point that he himself has often urged with little success, so that in the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth may be more firmly established. When he preaches, he wins attention by every skill he can: both by earnestness of speech—since people naturally think that where there's much earnestness, there's something worth hearing—and by a careful, busy glance over his hearers, letting them know that he notices who pays attention and who doesn't; and by directing his words now to the younger sort, then to the older, now to the poor, and now to the rich. "This is for you," and "This is for you"—for particulars always touch and wake people more than generalities. In this he also makes use of the judgments of God—those of ancient times, and especially recent ones, and most of all those nearest to his parish—for people are very attentive to such talk, and think they ought to be, when God is so near them, even over their heads.2 Sometimes he tells them stories and sayings of others, as his text invites him; for people heed those too, and remember them better than exhortations, which, though earnest, often die with the sermon, especially among country people, who are thick and heavy and hard to raise to a point of zeal and fervency, and need a mountain of fire to kindle them; but stories and sayings they'll remember well. He often tells them that sermons are dangerous things; that no one goes out of church as he came in, but either better or worse; that no one is careless before his Judge; and that the word of God will judge us. By these and other means the Parson wins attention; but the character of his sermon is holiness. He is not witty, or learned, or eloquent, but holy.

The Character of Holiness

The hallmark of the Parson's sermon is holiness, gained by choosing devotional texts, speaking from the heart, addressing God directly, and rejoicing in the people's good, following prophetic and Pauline examples.

It's a style that Hermogenes never dreamed of, and so he couldn't give any rules for it.3 But it's gained, first, by choosing texts of devotion, not of controversy—moving and captivating texts, of which the Scriptures are full. Second, by dipping and seasoning all our words and sentences in our hearts before they come into our mouths, truly feeling and heartily expressing everything we say, so that the hearers can plainly see that every word is heart-deep.4 Third, by turning often and making many direct addresses to God—as, O Lord, bless my people, and teach them this point; or, O my Master, on whose errand I come, let me keep silence, and speak yourself; for you are Love, and when you teach, all are scholars.5 Some such flashes of light, scattered through the sermon, carry great holiness in them.6 The Prophets are admirable in this. So Isaiah 64:1. Oh, that you would tear open the heavens and come down, and so on.✦ And Jeremiah, chapter7 10:23. After he had complained of the desolation of Israel, he turns suddenly to God: "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself," and so on.✦ Fourth, by often wishing for the people's good, and rejoicing in it, even if he himself were, like Saint Paul, sacrificed in the service of their faith. For there is no greater sign of holiness than seeking another's good and rejoicing in it. And in this Saint Paul excelled in all his Epistles. How did he include the Romans in all his prayers?✦

Pauline Affection in Preaching

The Parson models his preaching on the affectionate pastoral care of Saint Paul, who prayed for, rejoiced with, and even agonized over his flocks, following the example of the great Shepherd.

Romans 1.✦ 9.✦ And he never stopped giving thanks for the Ephesians, Eph. 1.✦ 16.✦ And for 2 Corinthians, chapter 1. 4. And for the Philippians he made his request with joy, ch.✦ 1. 4. And he is torn for them—whether to live or die; to be with them, or with Christ, verse 23.✦ which, if you set aside his care for his flock, would be madness to doubt. What an admirable letter the second to the Corinthians is! How full of affection it is! He rejoices, and he is sorry; he grieves, and he glories. Never was such care of a flock expressed, except in the great Shepherd of the fold, who first shed tears over Jerusalem, and afterward blood.✦ Therefore this care may be learned there, and then woven into sermons, which will make them appear exceedingly reverent and holy.8

An Awe of God's Presence

The Parson often urges the presence and majesty of God, warning that God sees hearts and is a consuming fire, to instill a holy reverence in his hearers.

Lastly, by often urging the presence and majesty of God, with these or similar words: Oh, let us all take care 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 are here, he must be here, since we are here by him, and without him we couldn't be here. Then, turning the discourse to his Majesty: And he is a great God, and terrible—as great in mercy, so great in judgment. There are but two devouring elements, fire and water; he has both in him. His voice is as the sound of many waters.9 Revelation 1:15.10 And he himself is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12:29.✦ Discourses like these show themselves very holy.

The Method of Handling Scripture

The Parson uses a simple method of explaining the text and drawing observations from the whole passage, avoiding fragmentation, and limits sermons to one hour.

The parson's method for handling a text has two parts: first, a plain and clear explanation of what the text means; second, some choice observations drawn from the whole text as it lies entire and unbroken in Scripture itself. He considers this natural, sweet, and grave.11 By contrast, the other way of crumbling a text into small parts—as the person speaking or spoken to, the subject and object, and the like—has in it neither sweetness, nor gravity, nor variety, since the words taken apart are not Scripture but a dictionary, and can be treated the same way in all of Scripture. The parson never goes beyond an hour in preaching, because every age has thought that long enough; and a hearer who doesn't profit in that time will profit even less afterward—the same disposition that kept him from profiting before then makes him weary, and so he grows from not relishing the sermon to loathing it.12

Read the original English

THe Countrey Parson preacheth constantly, the pulpit is his joy and his throne: if he at any time intermit, it is either for want of health, or against some great Festivall, that he may the better celebrate it, or for the variety of the hearers, that he may be heard at his returne more attentively. When he intermits, he is ever very well supplyed by some able man who treads in his steps, and will not throw down what he hath built; whom also he intreats to press some point, that he himself hath often urged with no great success, that so in the mouth of two or three witnesses the truth may be more established. When he preacheth, he procures attention by all possible art, both by earnestnesse of speech, it being naturall to men to think, that where is much earnestness, there is somewhat worth hearing; and by a diligent, and busy cast of his eye on his auditors, with letting them know, that he observes who marks, and who not; and with particularizing of his speech now to the younger sort, then to the elder, now to the poor, and now to the rich. This is for you, and This is for you; for particulars ever touch, and awake more then generalls. Herein also he serves himselfe of the judgements of God, as of those of antient times, so especially of the late ones; and those most, which are nearest to his Parish; for people are very attentive at such discourses, and think it behoves them to be so, when God is so neer them, and even over their heads. Sometimes he tells them stories, and sayings of others, according as his text invites him; for them also men heed, and remember better then exhortations; which though earnest, yet often dy with the Sermon, especially with Countrey people; which are thick, and heavy, and hard to raise to a poynt of Zeal, and fervency, and need a mountaine of fire to kindle them; but stories and sayings they will well remember. He often tels them, that Sermons are dangerous things, that none goes out of Church as he came in, but either better, or worse; that none is careless before his Judg, and that the word of God shal judge us. By these and other means the Parson procures attention; but the character of his Sermon is Holiness; he is not witty, or learned, or eloquent, but Holy.

A Character, that Hermogenes never dream'd of, and therefore he could give no precepts thereof. But it 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.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Isa.64.1 — Oh, that you would tear open the heavens and come down—so that mountains would quake before you—as when fire kindles brushwood and fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations would tremble before you.
  2. ↩Jer.10.23 — I know, O LORD, that the way of a man is not his own; it is not for a man who walks to direct his own steps.
  3. ↩Rom.1.9 — For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that I constantly remember you
  4. ↩Rom.1.9 — For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that I constantly remember you
  5. ↩Rom.1.9 — For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that I constantly remember you
  6. ↩Eph.1.16 — I do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
  7. ↩Eph.1.16 — I do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers,
  8. ↩Phil.1.4 — always in every prayer of mine for all of you, making my prayer with joy
  9. ↩Phil.1.23 — But I am hard-pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for it is far better;
  10. ↩Luke.19.41 — And as he drew near, when he saw the city, he wept over it,
  11. ↩Heb.12.29 — For our God is a consuming fire.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Early modern 'against' here means 'in preparation for / before,' not opposition.
  2. 2 ↩Idiom meaning 'avails himself of / makes use of,' not self-service in a selfish sense.
  3. 3 ↩Character here means a rhetorical quality or type of style (holiness), not a person. Hermogenes of Tarsus wrote on the characters of style; Herbert's point is that classical rhetoric never catalogued holiness as a preaching character.
  4. 4 ↩Source hart-deep is an early spelling of heart-deep: every word felt and spoken from the heart's depth.
  5. 5 ↩Apostrophes are rhetorical turns of speech addressed to God within the sermon, not punctuation marks.
  6. 6 ↩Irradiations means sudden bright outbursts—here the brief direct addresses to God that light the sermon.
  7. 7 ↩Early modern 'Jeremy' is the ordinary English form of Jeremiah; rendered with the modern book name.
  8. 8 ↩Source 'reverend' means worthy of reverence / solemnly devout, not the clerical title; rendered 'reverent'.
  9. 9 ↩Source 'terrible' keeps its older sense of awe-inspiring dread before God, not mere quality of being bad; retained for biblical gravity.
  10. 10 ↩Source has plural 'Revelations'; modern book title is singular 'Revelation'.
  11. 11 ↩sweet here names a pleasing, gracious quality of style, not mere sugariness; grave means weighty and serious.
  12. 12 ↩competency rendered as a sufficient length: here a measure thought enough, not professional competence. affection rendered as disposition: the hearer's inward frame of mind, not fondness.

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