Let us suppose that the pastor has fixed his hours and made them sacred
to severe, thorough mental labor; what shall he study? I answer: Not
his sermons only. A grave mistake is often made here. The whole time is
devoted to sermon preparation, leaving no room for general culture,
biblical investigation, or theological studies. As the result, the mind
becomes empty and barren. It lacks material for thought. The man is
perpetually pouring out, but never pouring in, and the vessel becomes
empty. He faithfully grinds at the mill but puts nothing into the
hopper. Some conscientious, hardworking thinkers in this way fail as
preachers. They have no freshness. The mind runs perpetually in the
same grooves and moves always in the same narrow circle, whereas, if
they were reading, investigating, looking on subjects from new
standpoints and receiving the mental impulses which contact with other
thinkers gives, the mind would be ever growing, ever enriching itself,
and the sermons would be full of fresh and interesting views of truth.
Three objects are to be sought in the study: general culture, biblical
and theological investigation, and sermon preparation.