Preachers Preach to Their Own Souls

From John Owen:

Unless preachers experience of the power of the truth which they preach in and upon their own souls...they will themselves be lifeless and heartless in their own work, and their labor for the most part will be unprofitable towards others. . . . A man preacheth that sermon only well unto others which preacheth itself in his own soul. And he that doth not feed on and thrive in the digestion of the food which he provides for others will scarce make it savory unto them; yea, he knows not but the food he hath provided may be poison, unless he have really tasted of it himself. If the word do not dwell with power in us, it will not pass with power from us. And no man lives in a more woeful condition than those who really believe not themselves what they persuade others to believe continually.