The Preacher’s Deeds and His Voice

But in the midst of all this, the eager desire of love brings us back to what we have already said earlier: that every preacher should make himself heard more by his deeds than by his words, and should rather leave footprints for people to follow by good living than show them the way to walk by speaking. For that rooster too, whom the Lord in his way of speaking takes to stand for a good preacher, first shakes his wings when he is getting ready to crow, and by beating himself makes himself more awake. So it is surely necessary that those who speak words of holy preaching should first be wide awake in earnest good living, so that they do not rouse others with their voice while they themselves are sluggish in doing. They should first shake themselves up by lofty deeds, and then make others eager for good living. They should first beat themselves with the wings of their thoughts. Whatever in them is uselessly sluggish they should discover by anxious searching and correct by strict rebuke, and only then set the lives of others in order by speaking. They should take care to punish their own faults with weeping, and then denounce what calls for punishment in others. And before they give voice to words of exhortation, they should proclaim in their deeds all that they are about to say. [a]