Meditate, Practice, Pray
The sermon emphasizes the importance of meditating, practicing, and praying over what we read to enrich our spiritual lives.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the importance of meditation, practice, and prayer in the life of a believer. He argues that true enrichment comes not from the quantity of reading or hearing, but from the depth of meditation on divine truths, which leads to a lasting impression on the heart. Brooks warns against the futility of reading without practicing, likening it to hunting without catching, and stresses the necessity of prayer to seek God's blessing on our understanding. He encourages Christians to keep one eye on their reading and the other looking up to heaven, ensuring a holistic approach to spiritual growth.
Text
You must meditate and dwell upon what you read;
otherwise your pains and mine will be lost. The more any
man is in the contemplation of truth, the more deep and
firm impression is made upon his heart by truth. Heavenly
meditation brings out the sweetness that is in divine truths.
Not those who get most--but those who keep most, are
richest. So not those who hear most, or read most--but
those who meditate most, are most edified and enriched.
You must also practice and live out what you read. To
read much and practice nothing--is to hunt much and catch
nothing. Ah! what cause have most to sigh, that they have
heard so much, and read so much--and yet done so little!
You must also pray over what you read. Many read much,
and pray little, and therefore get little by all they read. Galen
writes of a fish called Uranoscopos, that has but one eye,
which looks continually up to heaven. When a Christian has
one eye upon his book--the other should be looking up to
heaven for a blessing upon what he reads!
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Importance of Meditation - Deepening Understanding of Truth - Sweetness of Divine Truths
- II points: - Necessity of Practice - The Danger of Inaction - Value of Application
- III points: - Role of Prayer - Connection Between Reading and Prayer - Seeking Divine Blessing
Key Quotes
“The more any man is in the contemplation of truth, the more deep and firm impression is made upon his heart by truth.” — Thomas Brooks
“Not those who get most--but those who keep most, are richest.” — Thomas Brooks
“When a Christian has one eye upon his book--the other should be looking up to heaven for a blessing upon what he reads!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Dedicate time each day to meditate on scripture to deepen your understanding.
- Actively apply the teachings you read to your daily life to avoid spiritual stagnation.
- Incorporate prayer into your reading routine to seek God's guidance and insight.