Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students: Sermons - Their Matter

Advice to his students by the Prince of Preachers on the general 'matter' of sermons. His headline points are worth remembering:

1: "Sermons should have real teaching in them, and their doctrine should be solid, substantial and abundant"

2: ".......their must be abundance of matter in sermons, and next, this matter must be congruous to the text"

3: "Take care that your deliverances are always weighty, and full of really important teaching"

4: "........guided by the Holy Spirit to give a clear testimony to all the doctrines which constitute or lie around the gospel"

5: "........in your pulpit utterances to deal with important verities, you must not for ever hover around the mere angles of truth"

6: "........do not overload a sermon with too much matter"

7: "Our matter should be well arranged"

8: "Your doctrinal teaching should be clear and well arranged"

9: "Endeavour to keep the matter of your sermonising as fresh as you can"

10: "Let you teachings grow and advance"

11: ".......it must be our aim to use the subject in hand with energy and effect......."

12: "PREACH CHRIST!"

These points are well amplified with Spurgeon's usual illustrations drawn from personal experience, and his emphasis on the need for clarity and simplicity in gospel preaching.