Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students - On Spiritualizing

It is very rare to hear a sermon on the subject of the spiritualizing of a text from Scripture. Here, however, Mr Spurgeon opens up his remarks to his students by stating - "Many writers upon Homiletics condemn in unmeasured terms even the occasional spiritualizing of a text." He then goes on to comment - "Within limit, my brethren, be not afraid to spiritualize, or to take singular texts", quoting as he does, examples of the appropriate and inappropriate use of such a method within a sermon.

He presents his observations, amongst the several things he says about this subject, to include the following cautions:

1: ... "do not violently strain a text by illegitimate spiritualizing"

2: ... "never spiritualize upon indelicate subjects"

3: ... "never spiritualize for the sake of showing what an uncommonly clever fellow you are"

4: ... "never pervert Scripture to give it a novel and so-called spiritual meaning"

5: ... "in no case allow your audience to forget that the narratives which you spiritualize are facts"

In closing, he reasserts his opinion - "that guided by discretion and judgement, we may employ spiritualizing with good effect to our people....".