The Best Method of Preaching

by Petrus Van Mastricht

In this appendix to his Theoretical and Practical Theology, Petrus van Mastricht presents pastors with the best method of preaching available. Dividing the task of preaching into four basic aspects (planning, arrangement, parts of a sermon, and delivery), he gives analysis to show how each is meant to work, gives rules for working through each one, and discusses how each part is to aim at and interact with the affections of the hearers. Throughout the piece, he uses Colossians 3:1 as an example to show his student how to progress through this method of preaching. Van Mastricht's work on preaching demonstrates the concern of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Reformed theologians that even the most precise and technical theology is meant to aid preachers in addressing the church with God's Word. It also provides preachers today with encouragement to treat the biblical text faithfully and in a way that most benefits those listening to their sermons.
Table of
Petrus van Mastricht
The Advantages of Using a Theoretical-Practical Method of Preaching
1. The Basics of Sermon Arrangement
2. Preaching Sermon Introductions
3. Exegeting and Explaining the Text
4. Preaching Doctrinally
5. Preaching to Comfort Believers
6. Preaching against Sin
7. Preaching for Self-examination
8. Exhorting unto Good Works
9. Cautions, Handling Lengthy Texts, and Delivery
10. Why This Is the Best Method of Preaching

80 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2013

Reviews

[Maxime N. Georgel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Court traité sur la prédication et les manières de l'organiser.

Organise son propos selon les 5 canons de la rhétorique (Cf. ce qu'en dit Victor Ferry sur YouTube dans sa playlist "cours complet de rhétorique") :
1) Invention
2) Disposition
3) Style
4) Performance

(Il ne cite pas la mémorisation qu'on situe entre le style et la performance car elle est implicite).

Il décrit les différentes parties d'un sermon : introduction, partie exégétique, dogmatique, élenctique et pratique en montrant dans chaque cas les différentes parties, les affections qui doivent être suscitée et l'importance relative de chaque partie aux autres.

Il conclut par des remarques générales (que chaque partie n'apparaitra pas dans chaque sermon parce que ça ne se prête pas au texte ou à l'assemblée, par exemple).

Bon conseil sur le fait qu'il ne faut pas déterrer d'anciennes polémiques ou faire connaître des polémiques inconnues.

Il donne quelques arguments en faveur de sa méthode pour les prédicateurs, les auditeurs et le sujet lui-même. Je note avec intérêt qu'à la suite de William Ames, il note que tout l'intérêt d'un sermon réside dans le fait qu'on puisse le retenir et l'exposer à nouveau en famille. L'aspect familial m'a intéressé évidemment mais aussi la notion qu'un sermon qui ne serait qu'une performance émouvante sur l'instant dont on ne retient rien n'est qu'une usine à faire des auditeurs oublieux, attitude que l'Écriture condamne en divers endroits. Or, si la puissance et l'intérêt d'un sermon tient au fait que les auditeurs le gardent en mémoire afin de pouvoir le méditer, on comprend tout l'intérêt d'une structure facilement reconnaissable.

J'ai trouvé aussi particulièrement puissant l'application de la structure systématique à l'organisation d'un sermon. Chaque texte analysé ainsi donne toute sa substance théorique et pratique.

Van Mastricht insiste fortement sur le fait que l'exhortation pratique est le but principal du sermon et que les autres parties doivent être ordonnées à ce but.

Enfin, tout son propos est illustré par l'exemple de Colossiens 3:1 dont il fait l'exégèse, l'analyse dogmatique, élenctique et pratique, ce qui rend son traité plus compréhensible et édifiant.

Je lis en parallèle une collection de sermons de John Flavel [The Fountain of Life] où ce puritain suit vraisemblablement cette méthode de manière assez exacte et cela la rend plus convaincante !

[Peter Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

An helpful short introduction to preaching that was an appendix to a Van Mastricht's book on practical theology. The best part of this book is that he walks you through a passage showing exactly how he puts in practice the suggestions he makes. There is tremendous benefit is seeing the method worked out. He is also very balanced. He encourages addressing controversies, but only those that must be addressed. If they are dead or irrelevant to your people let them be. He also strikes a nice balance when he talks about preaching to sinners and comforting saints. He encourages preaching with particulars in application, which is often a lost art today.

His suggestions about how to deliver the sermon are great. He says that the preacher's style "Should not be pompous, courtly or prone to use lengthy words; nor excessively vulgar and debased, so that it would be unclean, but it should be manly and spiritual." And "A monotone expression greatly reduces the favor and efficacy of the sermon."

[Justin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was okay. I just didn't get much usefulness out of it. Thankfully, the book is short, and the points are well delineated, in typical scholastic fashion. Most of the principles are fairly well worn ideas now, although there is a heavy emphasis on time spent in doctrinal preaching. It's hard to know whether that's something pastors need to rediscover, or whether our more superficial doctrinal touch points, and heavy applicatory focus is based on the shallow docrtrinal grounding of the vast majority of our context, in 21st century western world.

One helpful practical pointer I found to be how to structure an introduction on a passage from poetry. In narrative, he recommends using the introduction to place the topic of the passage in its historical, redemptive context. With poetry, he recommends using the introduction to place the topic in its systematic context, within the larger framework of doctrinal teaching and the flow of redemption. I thought this was helpful, because it saves the trouble of trying to qualify or backtrack in preaching on, say, pslams, or proverbs, where bite sized pieces can easily be taken out of context, but don't have a full "context" of their own within the chapter.

[Michael Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful little book on preaching. Like all older Reformed and Puritan works, this one takes some thought to work it into today's setting. But well worth it.

[Vincent Lemieux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and filled with wisdom

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than Chapell.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bought on high reviews from a friend. There are much better books out there.

[Kevin Sheth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book on the best method of preaching provides some helpful insights into effectively structuring and preaching sermons. Mastricht masterfully adapts his understanding of the theoretical-practical method of doing theology to his methodology of preaching. Being an appendix to a more significant work, it does suffer from being unable to elaborate on some of the ideas contained in the larger work that influence and shape the present content. Nevertheless, it’s an essential contribution to preaching in the context of Reformed scholasticism and offers a helpful map for preaching sermons that isn’t overly complex or burdensome.

[Andre · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book.The author never defined what he meant by Theoretical - Practical Preaching.