# Looking for a quote on preaching



## Romans922 (Oct 23, 2008)

I'm looking for a quote on preaching that could be paraphrased like this:

Before you preach to others, you must preach to yourself.

Could be puritan, could have thou, thys, etc. I forgot.. Help please


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## Contra_Mundum (Oct 23, 2008)

John Owen "A man preacheth that sermon only well unto others, which preacheth itself in his own soul. And he that doth not feed on and thrive in the digestion of the food which he provides for others will scarce make it savoury unto them; yea, he knows not but the food he hath provided may be poison, unless he have really tasted of it himself. If the word do not dwell with power _in_ us, it will not pass with power _from_ us."

Vol 16. p.76


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 23, 2008)

Richard Baxter, _The Reformed Pastor_ (1830 ed.), p. 223:



> My second particular exhortation is this: Content not yourselves to have the main work of grace, but be also very careful that your graces be kept in life and action, and that you preach to yourselves the sermons that you study, before you preach them to others.



Arthur Stephen Hoyt, _The Work of Preaching_ (1905), p. 97:



> You must preach to yourself before you can preach to others.


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## Wannabee (Oct 23, 2008)

There are several good quotes in Spugeon's Lectures - Vol 3, Lecture 8. Pick one 



> If he knows nothing of
> the inward power of the truth within his own heart, if he has never tasted
> 144
> and handled of the good word of life, how can he be enthusiastic? But if
> ...



Isaiah 6 - I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amongst a people of unclean lips.


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## Romans922 (Oct 23, 2008)

Baxter's is the one I knew of. The others are great as well, thanks.


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Oct 23, 2008)

Pastor Barnes:

Not exactly what you're looking for, but along the same lines:



> We can preach the Gospel of Christ no further than we have experienced the power of it in our own hearts.


-- George Whitefield


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## py3ak (Oct 23, 2008)

When Lloyd-Jones' wife asked him how he knew he could preach to others he replied, "I can preach to myself."


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