Danger of Excessive Emotion

Impression by God's Word, Not Feeling -- It is through the Word -- not feeling, not excitement-- that we want to influence the people to obey the truth. On the platform of God's Word we can stand with safety. The living Word is replete with evidence, and a wonderful power accompanies its proclamation in our world.-- 3SM 375.

Emotional Preaching -- If the preaching is of an emotional character, it will affect the feelings, but not the heart and conscience. Such preaching results in no lasting good, but it often wins the hearts of the people and calls out their affections for the man who pleases them. They forget that God has said: "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils."-- 5T 301.

Trust in God, Not Man -- I am pained beyond measure to see the little discernment existing among our people who have had so great light. They listen to a sermon that stirs their emotions, and the language of their hearts is, "Evermore give us the ministry of this man; he moves our hearts, he makes us

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feel." They forget God, and praise and exalt the man, to his injury and the injury of their own souls . When will those who claim to believe the truth cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils? When will they trust in God, make Him just what He is-- all and in all?-- Lt 8, 1889.

Temporary Nature of Impulsive Decisions -- There are in the ministry men who gain apparent success by swaying minds through human influence. They play upon the feelings at will, making their hearers weep, and in a few minutes laugh. Under labor of this kind, many are moved by impulse to profess Christ, and there is thought to be a wonderful revival; but when the test comes, the work does not endure. Feelings are stirred, and many are borne along by the tide that seems to be setting heavenward; but in the strong current of temptation they quickly float back as driftwood. The laborer is self-deceived, and he misleads his hearers.-- GW 382.

Real Intelligence in Preaching -- A man may preach in a spirited manner and please the ear, but convey no new idea or real intelligence to the mind. The impressions received through such preaching last no longer than while the speaker's voice is heard. When search is made for the fruit of such labor, there is little to be found.-- 1T 447.

Unnatural Use of the Voice -- Some raise their voices to an unnatural key when they speak in the

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desk; others talk very rapidly, and the people cannot hear what is said. This works disaster to themselves, as well as to others, for their unnatural use of the voice results in injury to the vocal organs. They needlessly exhaust their strength, and make their efforts painful to their congregation. They should exercise self-control, that quality so essential for them as ambassadors of Christ, and overcome their pernicious habits. If they would but do this, they would be able to leave a pleasant impression on the minds of their hearers, and the preaching of the truth would become attractive.-- RH Oct. 28, 1890.

Intensity Without Emotionalism -- God would have all move calmly, considerately, choosing our words in harmony with the solid truth for this time, which requires to be presented to the mind as free from that which is emotional as possible, while still bearing the intensity and solemnity that it is proper it should bear. We must guard against creating extremes, guard against encouraging those who would either be in the fire or in the water.

I beseech you to weed out of your teachings every extravagant expression, everything that unbalanced minds and those who are inexperienced will catch up, and from which they will make wild, immature movements. It is necessary for you to cultivate caution in every statement you make, lest you start some on a wrong track, and make confusion that will require much sorrowful labor to set in order, thus diverting the strength and work of

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the laborers into lines which God does not design shall be entered. One fanatical streak exhibited among us will close many doors against the soundest principles of truth.-- TM 227, 228.

Being Heard, but Not by Shouting

Wearing Out of the Vocal Organs -- From the light I have had, the ministry is a sacred and exalted office, and those who accept this position should have Christ in their hearts and manifest an earnest desire to represent Him worthily before the people in all their acts, in their dress, in their speaking, and even in their manner of speaking. They should speak with reverence.

Some destroy the solemn impression they may have made upon the people, by raising their voices to a very high pitch and hallooing and screaming out the truth. When presented in this manner, truth loses much of its sweetness, its force, and solemnity. But if the voice is toned right, if it has solemnity, and is so modulated as to be even pathetic, it will produce a much better impression.

This was the tone in which Christ taught His disciples. He impressed them with solemnity; He spoke in a pathetic manner. But this loud hallooing-- what does it do? It does not give the people any more exalted views of the truth and does not impress them any more deeply. It only causes a disagreeable sensation to the hearers and wears out the vocal organs

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of the speaker. The tones of the voice have much to do in affecting the hearts of those that hear.

Many who might be useful men are using up their vital force and destroying their lungs and vocal organs by their manner of speaking. Some ministers have acquired a habit of hurriedly rattling off what they have to say as though they had a lesson to repeat and were hastening through it as fast as possible. This is not the best manner of speaking. By using proper care, every minister can educate himself to speak distinctly and impressively, not to hurriedly crowd the words together without taking time to breathe. He should speak in a moderate manner, that the people may get the ideas fixed in their minds as he passes along. But when the matter is rushed through so rapidly, the people cannot get the points in their minds, and they do not have time to receive the impression that it is important for them to have; nor is there time for the truth to affect them as it otherwise would.

Speaking from the throat, letting the words come out from the upper extremity of the vocal organs, all the time fretting and irritating them, is not the best way to preserve health or to increase the efficiency of those organs. You should take a full inspiration and let the action come from the abdominal muscles. Let the lungs be only the channel, but do not depend upon them to do the work. If you let your words come from deep down, exercising the abdominal muscles, you can speak to thousands with just as much ease as you can speak to ten.

Some of our preachers are killing themselves by

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long, tedious praying and loud speaking, when a lower tone would make a better impression and save their own strength. Now, while you go on regardless of the laws of life and health, and follow the impulse of the moment, do not charge it upon God if you break down.-- 2T 615, 616.

Prayers That All Can Hear -- To those who are planning to enter God's work as ministers, I would say: Strive with determination to be perfect in speech. Ask God to help you to accomplish this great object. When in the congregation you offer prayer, remember that you are addressing God, and that He desires you to speak so that all who are present can hear and can blend their supplications with yours. A prayer uttered so hurriedly that the words are jumbled together is no honor to God and does the hearers no good. Let ministers and all who offer public prayer learn to pray in such a way that God will be glorified and the hearers will be blessed. Let them speak slowly and distinctly and in tones loud enough to be heard by all so that the people may unite in saying, Amen.-- 6T 383.

Loud Talking a Danger to Health -- [* AN IMPROMPTU DIALOGUE DURING ELLEN WHITE'S TALK TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AT LAKE GOGUAC IN MICHIGAN. JULY 14, 1890.] ELDER FARNSWORTH: "DON'T YOU THINK, SISTER WHITE, A GREAT MANY OF OUR MINISTERS HAVE RECEIVED GREAT INJURY FROM THEIR MANNER OF SPEAKING?"

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Ellen White: "Oh, yes, indeed; I have seen it over and over. My husband got in the way of sometimes raising his voice very loud, and it seemed as though he could not get out of that way. And there is a brother in Texas, Brother A, that is dying just as sure as if he put a knife to his throat. Now since I have come here I have thought of that and I must write to him."

ELDER KILGORE: "HE HAS BEEN TOLD ABOUT THAT."

ELDER FARNSWORTH: "THEY ARE ALL AROUND IN EVERY CONFERENCE."

Ellen White: "In my younger days I used to talk too loud. The Lord has shown me that I could not make the proper impression upon the people by getting the voice to an unnatural pitch. Then Christ was presented before me, and His manner of talking.

There was a sweet melody in His voice. His voice, in a slow, calm manner, reached those who listened. His words penetrated their hearts, and they were able to catch on to what He said before the next sentence was spoken."-- Ms 19b, 1890.