I laid hold of the great themes, and I found a half hour of earnest prayer was more helpful than two or three hours of study.

It sometimes let a flash from the Throne flame over the page I was writing.
To me, when preparing my Sabbath messages, God's Holy Word was the sum of all knowledge, and a "Thus saith the Lord" was my invariable guide.

I found that in theology the true things were not new, and most of the new things were not true.

I remember how a visitor in New Haven was looking for a certain house, and found himself in front of the residence of Professor Olmstead, the eminent astronomer, whose stoves were then very popular.

The visitor inquired of an Irishman, who was working in front of the house, "Who lives here ?" The very Hibernian answer was, "Shure, sur, 'tis Profissor Olmstead, a very great man; he _invents_ comets, and has _discovered_ a new stove." In searching the Scriptures I used the very best spiritual telescopes in my possession, and gladly availed myself of all discoveries of divine truths made by profounder intellects and keener visions than my own; but I leave this self-styled "advanced age" to invent its own comets, and follow its own meteors.
In one respect I have not followed the practice of many of my brethren, for I never have wasted a single moment in defending God's Word in my pulpit.