Proverbs 22:6 Children

Proverbs 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Given what this proverb suggests every pastor must giive attention to children in his orbit. He can make quite an impact on them, if he is wise. He can bear them in mindwhen preaching to all, with a children's talk before the sermon and through arranging Sunday School and special meetings. He must not neglect the children. Spurgeon says

To a rational preacher and all are not rational it must seem essential to interest all his audience from the eldest to the youngest. We ought not to make even children inattentive. Make them inattentive say you who does that? I say that most preachers do and when children are not quiet in a meeting it is often as much our fault as theirs. Can you not put in a little story or parable on purpose for the little ones? Can you not catch the eye of the boy in the gallery and the little girl downstairs who have begun to fidget and smile them into order? I often talk with my eyes to the orphan boys at the foot of my pulpit. We want all eyes fixed upon us and all ears open to us. To me it is an annoyance if even a blind man does not look at me with his face. If I see anybody turning round whispering, nodding or looking at his watch, I judge that I am not up to the mark and must by some means win these minds. Very seldom have I to complain and when I do my general plan is to complain of myself and own that I have no right to attention unless I know how to command it.

Proverbs 24:27 Priorities

27 Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

The proverb has a very agricultural turn but its underlying message is things need to be done in the right order. One has to have priorities. This is true in the monistrry as much as in any other sphere. At any given moment one can be doing one of several useful things - reading, praying, evangelising, visiting, sermon preparing, etc. If we lack a proper sense of priotrities we will not do well. Some years ago Brian Croft wrote a book called The Pastor’s Ministry: Biblical Priorities for Faithful Shepherds (Zondervan, 2015). There he says

“Many pastors, myself included, will go week after week until eventually that soft but necessary voice calling us to stop and pray just fades out. If enough time passes, the voice of conviction and desire will go away. When that happens, prayer gets squeezed out of our life. Ironically, a pastor can be so busy caring for his people that he never makes time to stop and pray for them. But this isn’t right. It reveals a lack of faith and a problem with misplaced priorities.”

Proverbs for Pastoring

I recently heard Phil Heaps speak on Proverbs for pastoring and he made these helpful points.

1. It lays out three basic issues

Be teachable, wisdom involves effort, bear in mind that there are competing voices

2. It encourages every day application

3. It models memorable language

One liners, portraits, etc

4. It employs multiple methods

Discursive, punchy one liners, different types of proverbs

5. It forces uus to teach creatively

Proverbs 18:13 Listening first

Proverbs 18

13 To answer before listening - that is folly and shame.

In most preaching situations there is no opportunity to listen to what others have to say first but it is good to do some research beforehand. If I assert that there is a God, how will people react? If I say Jesus can save you, how will they react? Although we will not want to argue over every statement we make, there is merit in taking time to argue the case, at least from time to time.

Proverbs 26:8 Honest and without Flattery

Proverb 26:8 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

When we preach we must preach the truth and we must not flatter people. If we focus on expounding the Word then we will be preaching the truth. When we want to use a story for illustration purposes it is important that we do all we can to get the details right and not to tells stories that are untrue. So take stories of thunderbolts hitting churches. That certainly happened but do not assume that the time it is said that it happened and what was being said are correct. Check it out carefully. We have all heard the story of the professor asking a class if they would recommend abortion for a woman with syphillis who already has eight children of whom three are deaf, two blind and one educationally subnormal. They are then told they just killed Beethoven but the details do not fit the facts. Beethoven was the third of eight children his older siblings dying in infancy.

As for flattering people in preaching, it is an important rule of rhetoric to identify with one's audience but we must not flatter them. In Romans 16:18 Paul warns against false teachers saying For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. in 1 Thessalonians 2:5 he reminds them how he never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed - God is our witness. 

Calvin says

The preachers of the gospel have .. their courtesy and their pleasing manner, but joined with honesty, so that they neither soothe men with vain praises, nor flatter their vices: but impostors allure men by flattery, and spare and indulge their vices, that they may keep them attached to themselves.

Proverbs 15:1, 2, 7, 23, 28 Gentle, apt, right arguments

15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 

15:2 The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. 

15:7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not upright. 

15:23 A person finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word! 

15:28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

Part of the task of the preacher is to present good arguments for his case. A wise preacher will spread knowledge and adorn it by his arguments. He will not gush folly or speak from a heart that is not upright. His arguments will be characterised by gentleness, aptness and well weighed answers. He will not stir up anger by his harsh approach or disappointment by failing to give an untimely word or gush the evil the wicked speak.

The story is told of a preacher finding the sermon notes of the previous preacher in the pulpit adn noticing that at certain points in the margin of his manuscript this preacher had written the letter PWSL. The second preacher wondered what PWSL could stand for and so when he had the opportunity he asked. "Oh" said the first preacher, rather embarrassed, "It stands for point weak, shout leader!". Rather than running to such expedients we should rather be seeking to argue the case in an apt, well weighed and gentle way.

Proverbs 15:4 Tenderness not harshness

The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
It is easy to fall into scolding a congregation, using what this proverb calls a harsh, bitter, rough or grievous tongue. Much better to use soft and soothing words, ones that are wholesome and healing not to ingratiate oneself with a congregation but in order to win them over - in order to be a tree of life  This is the fourth and final time Proverbs uses the phrase tree of life (see 3:18, 11:30, 13:12). It is referred to wisdom and understanding, the fruit of righteousness and to a longing fulfilled.If we can speak of these things in a winning way, what good may result. Proverbs 12:18 and 16:24 are similar - The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing and Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. In Matthew Henry's words a healing tongue is "healing to wounded consciences by comforting them, to sin-sick souls by convincing them" and, we may add, healing to despairing hearts by pointing them to the Saviour. Our preaching should not be harsh but we should speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)

Preaching on Psalm 103:13, 14 Spurgeon once said

The drift of this lesson, is this - s your heavenly Father has pity on you, have pity on one another. He remembers that we are dust; remember this of others. You, who live in the same house, do not fall out with each other. You, who are members of the same church, do not criticise and judge each other so severely ... Preacher, mind you learn your own lesson - be as tender towards those who sin as the Master was.

Proverbs 26:23-26 Fervency

Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart. Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbour deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts. Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
It is generally agreed that preachers ought to speak fervently. There ought to be a zeal and an ardour when they preach the Word. That is most appropriate. One danger for those who know this and yet lack fervour is to work it up, to pretend that there is more enthusiasm than there is. This is the mark of an enemy not a friend. It is a deceitful and wicked way to proceed.

You have heard it said, perhaps, "strike while the iron is hot not to make the iron hot". Practically, if you are not striking oil it is perhaps best to quit boring.

Here in Proverbs 26:23 the picture is of earthenware that has been glazed with silver dross. It can look very pleasant but no-one is fooled. They are not drinking from a silver cup. Few people will think a preacher who works himself up is really full of spiritual fervour. They will see through him as Lonnie Donegan made clear in 1957 singing an old American folk song that includes this verse

Preacher in the pulpit roars with all his might

Sings "Glory Hallelujah" puts the folks all in a fright.

Now you might think he's Satan that's comin' down the aisle

But it's only our poor preacher, boys, it's puttin' on his style.

Merely putting on the style won't save sinners or comfort saints. What is needed is genuine, heartfelt, God given fervour. Away with disguise, with mere charm. Expect to be found out if you merely pretend.

Proverbs 26:7, 9 Poor preaching useless and dangerous

Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. ... Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

It is not enough to know proverbs in order to be wise. You need to know how to apply the proverbs found in the Book of Proverbs. Similarly, it is not enough to know Scripture in order to be a good preacher. You need to know how to preach Scripture. There is a school of thought that says that preaching is just a matter of telling them what the Bible says. It is akin to the idea that simply reading oriverbs will make a person wise. No, there is more to it than that. And so just as a fool quoting a  proverb can be as useless as a man who is lame and as dangerous as a drunkard with a thornbush (wath out!) so those who know their Bibles but can't preach are both useless and dangerous.

Talking about the Puritans Dr Lloyd-Jones says

What was it that turned the world upside down? Was it just theological teaching? Was it mere enunciation of correct doctrine? Over and above that there was this mighty ‘demonstration of the Spirit and of power.’ How did those people turn the world upside down? The answer is that in the Book of Acts we have an account of a great revival, of the Spirit outpoured. What happened could not have happened otherwise. How did all these churches come into being? Was it merely that the apostles taught correct doctrine? Of course not! It was the Spirit’s demonstration and power which accompanied the correct doctrine. Correct doctrine can leave the church dead; you can have dead orthodoxy, you can have a church that is perfectly orthodox but perfectly useless. Over and above, there was this demonstration, this unction, this authority, this outpouring of the Spirit’s power. It is the only explanation of the astonishing things that happened.

Proverbs 19:2 Knowledge as well as enthusiasm

Desire without knowledge is not good - how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

Paul tells us that to desire to be an overseer is a good thing. To wnat to be a preacher is good. It is right that Christan men should want to see people converted and the saints built up. If that desre is to be met, this proverb reminds us, then knowledge is necessary. If a preacher is to be of any use then he needs to know certain things. He needs to know his Bible and a knowledge of systematic theology, church history, pastoral work and other matters will also be a great asset. In the rush to be out there sharing the gospel, it would be foolish to fail to get the requisite training simply becasue a man cannot wait the few years it takes to get such a training.

Proverbs 20:5 Drawing people out

The purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.

One thing a good preacher should be able to do is to draw people out. It is important that we remember that those who hear us may well have all sorts of things hidden in their hearts - ambitions and desires and sins and fears - that we will certainly not see in their faces and are not likely to discern simply by talking to them briefly. If we are able to preach as we ought, however, then we will be able to bring these things to the surface and begin to deal with them in ways laid down in Scripture. We need to learn to be searching preachers.

Thomas Prince writing about Gilbert Tennent in The Great Awakening in America in the 18th century characterises it as a searching ministry. He says his ministry was "frequently both terrible and searching." He wrote
"Such were the convictions wrought in many hundreds in this town by Mr. Tennent's searching ministry: and such was the case of those many scores of several other congregations as well as mine, who came to me and others for direction under them. And indeed by all their converse I found, it was not so much the terror as the searching nature of his ministry, that was the principal means of their conviction. It was not merely, nor so much, his laying open the terrors of the law and wrath of God, or damnation of hell; (for this they could pretty well bear, as long as they hoped these belonged not to them, or they could easily avoid them) as his laying open their many vain and secret shifts and refuges, counterfeit resemblances of grace, delusive and damning hopes, their utter impotence, and impending danger of destruction; whereby they found all their hopes and refuges of lies to fail them, and themselves exposed to eternal ruin, unable to help themselves, and in a lost condition. This searching preaching was both the suitable and principal means of their conviction."
Ezekiel Hopkins referring to Psalm 26:2 and noting how "God, indeed, hath many ways of trying us; but especially by the word and ministry" asks his readers
"Do you love the word of God, because it is a searching word because it brings home convictions to you, and shakes your carnal confidences and presumptions Do you love a soul-searching ministry, that speaks as closely and particularly to you, as if it were another conscience without you; a ministry, that ransacks your very souls, and tells you all that ever you did Do you delight in a ministry, that forceth you to turn inward upon yourselves; that makes you tremble and look pale at every word, for fear it should be the sentence of your damnation ? This is a sign, that your condition is good, because you are so willing to be searched. He, that doeth evil, saith our Saviour, John iii. 20. hateth the light; neither cometh he to it, lest his deeds should be reproved. But, if you are pleased only with a formal, general ministry; and such prophets, as sing only pleasant songs to you; such, as never touch the conscience to the quick, that keep aloof off, and, instead of brandishing the word that is sharper than a two-edged sword, rending the heart with it, only make a flourish of it: if you can brook no other, but such a quiet, unconcerning ministry as this is, this is a bad sign, that yet you are unsound.£

Proverbs 20:4 Be warned against laziness

Sluggards do not plough in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.

This proverb against laziness and drawing on agricultural metaphors is applicable to many situations. The pastoral ministry is a particularly obvious one, especially given that the work of the minister is chiefly one of ploughing (and sowing) with the prospect of a harvest in due time. One clear disadvantage is if the pastor is lazy and neglects the work. There can be no harvest then.

Martin Luther has written

It is the devil, it is the world, it is our flesh that are raging and raving against us. Therefore, dear sirs and brethren, pastors and preachers, pray, read, study, be diligent. Truly, this evil, shameful time is not the season for being lazy, for sleeping and snoring. Use the gift that has been entrusted to you, and reveal the mystery of Christ.

And

Some pastors and preachers are lazy and no good. They rely on these and other good books to get a sermon out of them. They do not pray; they do not study; they do not read; they do not search the Scripture. It is just as if there were no need to read the Bible for this purpose. They use such books as offer them homiletical helps in order to earn their yearly living; they are nothing but parrots and jackdaws, which learn to repeat without understanding, though our purpose and the purpose of these theologians is to direct preachers to Scripture with such books and exhort them to plan to defend our Christian faith after our death, against the devil, the world, and the flesh.

Proverbs 20:29 Preachers young and old

The glory of young men is their strength, grey hair the splendour of the old.

The point of this proverb is not to suggest that the young are better than the old or the old better than the young. The point is that each has his glory, his particular contribution. If you want help moving house then get a young man in. He will probably be best able to help you. But if you want advice on how you can handle arguments you are having with your wife, you might be better to consult an older man. When it comes to preaching there are differences too and although young and old can have their weaknesses they also both have their strengths.

We are in danger of caricaturing but we can say two things.

Firstly, the young can be nervous, too quiet, poor at dividing the material and not very good at application. They can be insensitive and too cerebral. However, ideally, there is a zeal and a directness, a freshness and excitement that older preachers can often lack. The younger man takes no prisoners and hearers are disarmed by the powerfully exaltation of Christ and the eager call to follow him. His thorough preparation and his careful exegesis give him authority. 

Older preachers, on the other hand, can ramble, have too many illustrations, lack exegetical rigour and make applications that are off the mark. Ideally, however, they speak with a depth of experience, a warmness and love that melts the hearts of their hearers in a way that too often does not happen with younger preachers. They avoid exegetical and homiletic pitfalls that younger preachers do not and avoid wasting the congregation's time on theological points of interest only to seminary students.

It is useful for preachers old and young alike to rightly assess their strengths and weaknesses. Young men will preach young me's sermons and old men old men's sermons but is they can be the best that they can preach that is all to the good.

Proverbs 21:5 The importance of preparation

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. 

More than one proverb recommends the importance of proper planning and preparation. Most preachers know that this is an essential if their preaching is ever to be successful. This proverb puts things both in a positive and a negative manner. Positively, The plans of the diligent lead to profit; negatively, haste leads to poverty.

If we take them in reverse and apply them to preaching, we can summarise like this - hastiness when preparing to preach leads to a poor sermon and careful planning with a diligent use of means will lead to a profitable sermon.

The need for preparation applies both to preparing the sermon and preparing oneself. Tim Keller has written “The temptation will be to let the pulpit drive you to the Word, but instead you must let the Word drive you to the pulpit. Prepare the preacher more than you prepare the sermon.”
E M Bounds says

We have emphasised sermon-preparation until we have lost sight of the important thing to be prepared - the heart. A prepared heart is much better than a prepared sermon. A prepared heart will make a prepared sermon ... It would not do to say that preachers study too much. Some of them do not study at all; others do not study enough. Numbers do not study the right way to show themselves workmen approved of God. But our great lack is not in head culture, but in heart culture; not lack of knowledge but lack of holiness is our sad and telling defect - not that we know too much, but that we do not meditate on God and his word and watch and fast and pray enough. The heart is the great hindrance to our preaching ....

Both long term and short term preparation is needed. A man needs to prepare himself for a life of ministry and with each time of preaching that he has in mind.

Proverbs 22:3 Know when to stop

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

A very practical proverb like this one has more than one application for the preacher. It is undoubtedly good to preach series of sermons from books of the Bible but if you find your series wearying the congregation, better to leave it and move on to something else. One reason Spurgeon gave for avoiding lengthy series was his boyhood experience with a preacher's interminable series on Hebrews.

He recalled

I have a very lively, or rather a deadly, recollection of a certain series of discourses on the Hebrews, which made a deep impression on my mind of the most undesirable kind. I wished frequently that the Hebrews had kept the Epistle to themselves, for it sadly bored one poor Gentile lad. By the time the seventh or eighth discourse had been delivered, only the very good people could stand it: these, of course, declared that they never heard more valuable expositions, but to those of a more carnal judgement it appeared that each sermon increased in dullness. Paul, in that Epistle, exhorts us to suffer the word of exhortation, and we did so. I also recollect hearing in my younger days long passages out of Daniel, which might have been exceedingly instructive to me if I had obtained the remotest conception of what they meant.

I heard of a man who never announced a series but would always say he was preaching from Chapter 1 and see how it went.

The same danger lurks in the individual sermon. Martin Luther warns “Some plague the people with too long sermons; for the faculty of listening is a tender thing, and soon becomes weary and satiated.” Prayers are another area where the proverb could apply. Spurgeon again complained about people who "pray us into a good frame of mind and heart, and then, by their long prayer, pray us out of it again". He recalls John MacDonald saying “When I am in a bad frame of mind I always pray short prayers, because my prayer will not be of any use, and when I am in a good frame of mind and heart, I pray short prayers, because if other people are in a good frame too, I might, if I kept on longer, pray them into a bad frame.”
An anecdote is told of D L Moody that in one of his meetings in the East End in 1885 someone was leading in prayer but went on too long. After a while, Moody stood and said, "Let us sing a hymn while our brother finishes his prayer." The source of the story is Dr. W. T. Grenfell. In his autobiography, A Labrador Doctor he tells how the prayer had so wearied him he was about to leave. Moody's prompt action kept Grenfell there and he was converted and went on to be a great medical missionary. 

Proverbs 23:9 Ignore fools

Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words

When we preach we want to cast the net as widely as is possible. However, we need to recognise that there are some whom it is impossible to reach through the ordinary preaching of the Word. Fools, that is those who are morally deficient and without faith and here wilfully and persistently deaf to the gospel, cannot be reached by this means. Such people will scorn your prudent words. They will not listen. This is why Jesus (Matthew 7:6) warned his disciples not to throw pigs to pearls or what is sacred to dogs. Indeed, he suggests that it may be worse than the proverb intimates - they may turn on you and harm you. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing and so although God himself can break through preaching to fools cannot of itself. From time to time people will turn up at church who have no intention of doing anything but scorning the Word. They will not be persuaded.

Proverbs 24:26 Be honest

An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips

Honesty is the loving way, the right thing to do. Paul calls it speaking the truth in love. If a preacher fails here, he fails entirely. We must tell it like it is. That does not mean being insensitive but it does mean preaching sin and death and hell in biblical proportion. It may not be the way to universal popularity but it is the loving way. Horatius Bonar quotes Rowland Hill. in his Words to winners of souls, "Rash preaching disgusts; timid preaching leaves poor souls fast asleep; bold preaching is the only preaching that is owned of God."

Philip Jensen preaching on the need for boldness has said

We are still in spiritual need of prayer, to preach the gospel fearlessly with boldness. The same fears of shame and persecution, of put-down and ridicule, are there in me and in you as they were in the apostle in chains. So we need to pray for one another - and I need you to pray for me - that we may speak the mystery of the gospel fearlessly as we ought.

The same attitude should be in all preachers. 

Proverbs 24:11, 12 Rescue; hold back

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

If you are a gospel preacher then you are something like a lifeguard rescuing people from the sea, a firefighter saving them from a burning building or a secret serviceman charged with protecting the president who is under fire. You are involved in a vital rescue mission. The people before you, unless they are converted, are those being led away to death the death of hell. They must be rescued. Your work is to hold back those staggering toward slaughter. Of course, for the preacher to say “But we knew nothing about this,” and pretend ignorance will not do. God who weighs the heart will perceive it if you make such a false claim. The one who guards your life, he knows the truth. The fact is that God will repay everyone according to what they have done and so the work of rescue, the work of holding back is vital. Those who preach faithfully want to turn sinners away from sin and see them saved. Peter Jeffery has written that "The task of the gospel preacher is the salvation of souls, and he should be satisfied with nothing less." He is right. We must be desperate to see sinners saved.

Proverbs 24:6 Take advice

Surely you need guidance to wage war, and victory is won through many advisors.

Reformed pastor Tom Ascol has written that "preaching is spiritual warfare and it is a rare Lord’s Day that I do not go home painfully aware of the attacks of our enemy that have come before, during and after my efforts in preaching. I suspect that most preachers know something of what I am talking about."
When a man preaches God's Word he is going to war, as it were. He is storming the strongholds of Satan, seeking to win people to Christ. If he is to be successful in this war, if he is to win any battles tat all, hen he needs to get all the help he can. First, you need guidance on waging war. Read books on how to preach, listen to a variety of preachers and see how they approach the task, ask questions, study the subject. It will all help you to wage war. If you want to be victorious, it is useful to get the help of many advisors. Get the commentaries out, consult the systematic theologies and other Christian books. Simply looking to ourselves is foolish indeed. Rather, under God, we must make the best use we can of all the resources available to us.

Proverbs 26:6 Fools need not apply

Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.

It is important that a preacher is not a fool, that is a moral reprobate, one who is unable to do what he is asked. Putting a fool in the pulpit to preach is like cutting off your feet so that you cannot walk or drinking poison so that you will no longer live. A preacher is meant to bring a message from God. If he is a fool he will be unable to do so. Preachers need, therefore, to be converted men who are properly trained and who thoroughly prepare to preach.

Considering the call to the ministry R L Dabney gives balance to this point by writing that while on one hand

we freely assent that Christ has no use for fools in the pulpit. The impotent, beggarly, confused understanding should not undertake to teach other minds. And the very noblest capacities are desirable, and will find ample scope in this glorious work.

Nevertheless some young men wrongly

excuse themselves by profess­ing a doubt whether they have natural talents adequate to so responsible a work as the ministry

(Dabney that's he fears that "in many cases, if their friends were to concur candidly in this doubt, their vexation would betray the insincerity of the pretended hu­mility"!).

He goes on to say that

nothing more than respectable good sense and justness of mind is requisite to secure such usefulness in the ministry as should decide any pious heart, if that mind is used to the best advantage. Let the heart be warmed and en­nobled with Christian love, the good common mind will be ex­panded and invigorated, and a conscientious diligence will give it an indefinite and constant improvement. Love and labour will make the small mind great.

He refers to a then recent memoir of Dr. Daniel Baker as containing an instructive testimony on the point. "His energy and success in the gospel" Dabney says

led some to remark how emi­nent he might have been in worldly pursuits; what a millionaire, if a merchant; how eloquent, if a lawyer; how popular, if a statesman! But his biographer, who is his own son, says: “No; it was his religion that was his strength; grace alone made him great.” Blessed be God, the church has often found that plain talents, faithfully improved for God, by love and zeal, have ac­complished the largest good.

Dabney concludes

Let the young Christian, then, judge his own qualification by these truths. It is clear that, in the general, the church must always expect to find her ministers precisely among those who honestly appraise their talents mod­erately. For who would like to see the young Christian come forward and say “that he felt called to preach because he con­sidered himself so smart!”