authorities), and “dead men unwinding their own sheets” (speaking of the necessity of regeneration prior to any activity toward God). Apart from the help of the Spirit, Spurgeon believed a preacher’s words “glide like oil over a slab of marble.” He warned against the abuse of illustrations or using them as substitutes for more important content. He noted that older and more mature preachers typically use fewer illustration and anecdotes, for their content is as clear as it is profound.