The Voice in Speech and Song Ellen G. White 1988 Copyright © 2014 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. Information about this Book Overview This eBook is provided by the Ellen G. White Estate. It is included in the larger free Online Books collection on the Ellen G. White Estate Web site. About the Author Ellen G. White (1827-1915) is considered the most widely translated American author, her works having been published in more than 160 languages. She wrote more than 100,000 pages on a wide variety of spiritual and practical topics. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she exalted Jesus and pointed to the Scriptures as the basis of one’s faith. Further Links A Brief Biography of Ellen G. White About the Ellen G. White Estate End User License Agreement The viewing, printing or downloading of this book grants you only a limited, nonexclusive and nontransferable license for use solely by you for your own personal use. This license does not permit republication, distribution, assignment, sublicense, sale, preparation of derivative works, or other use. Any unauthorized use of this book terminates the license granted hereby. Further Information For more information about the author, publishers, or how you can support this service, please contact the Ellen G. White Estate at [email protected]. We are thankful for your interest and feedback and wish you God’s blessing as you read. i ii Introduction Ellen White’s formal education ended when she was only nine years old, so she never had the privilege of studying under the speech or voice professionals of her day. Nevertheless, taught by the Lord, she became one of America’s outstanding women preachers. For more than 70 years, long before the days of microphones and public address systems, she spoke to large audiences of up to 20,000 people. Always ready to speak, especially on the subject of temperance, she declared, “When asked to speak on temperance, I have never hes- itated” (MS. 31, 1911). Once she met the competition of Barnum’s Circus in Battle Creek, Michigan, with a 90-minute temperance lecture delivered to 5,000 eager listeners. She spoke in a city hall in Haverhill, Massachusetts; in a prison in Salem, Oregon; on an improvised platform composed of beer tables in Norway; and at open-air meetings and in churches, halls, and tents on three con- tinents. She was in constant demand as a camp meeting speaker. Ellen White was a powerful evangelist. Were it not for her books, Ellen White no doubt would be best remembered today for her pulpit ministry. But she did more than preach; she wrote— prolifically. Some 70 books currently carry her [6] byline. Nearly all have sold in the tens of thousands, some even in the millions. The present work joins this long line of best sellers. It will be welcomed by ministers, teachers, musicians, and all others who are especially concerned with the use of the voice. The counsels published here are God-given; they are trustworthy and reliable. This volume is sent forth with the prayer that it will bring a blessing to all who seek to improve their voice talent for the glory of God and the benefit of humanity. The Trustees of the Ellen G. White Estate [7] iii Contents Information about this Book . .i Introduction . iii Section 1—A Gift From God . .7 Chapter 1—A Heavenly Talent . .8 Chapter 2—Design for Communication . 10 Chapter 3—A Tool for Evangelism . 14 Chapter 4—Importance of Speech Education . 19 Chapter 5—The Role of Parents . 21 Chapter 6—The Role of Teachers . 23 Chapter 7—Students and Speech . 27 Chapter 8—The Influence of Words . 31 Chapter 9—Persuasion Through Speech . 38 Chapter 10—Misuse of the Gift . 41 Section 2—Christ the Ideal Speaker . 45 Chapter 11—Nature of His Voice . 46 Chapter 12—Effectiveness of Presentation . 49 Chapter 13—Love, Sympathy, and Kindness . 52 Chapter 14—Patient Calmness . 54 Chapter 15—Simplicity . 55 Chapter 16—Power, Authority, and Earnestness . 58 Chapter 17—Words of Truth . 62 Chapter 18—No Complicated Reasoning nor Argument . 64 Chapter 19—Christ’s Study of Countenances . 65 Chapter 20—Adaptation to His Listeners . 67 Chapter 21—Illustrations, Symbols, and Figures of Speech 69 Chapter 22—The Worker’s Model . 72 Section 3—Christian Attitudes in Speaking . 75 Chapter 23—Revelation of Christ . 76 Chapter 24—Modesty, Truthfulness, and Discretion. 79 Chapter 25—Kinds of Negative Speaking . 81 Chapter 26—Love and Kindness . 86 Chapter 27—Effect of Words on Oneself . 89 Chapter 28—Discernment in Reproof . 92 Chapter 29—Praise and Thanksgiving . 97 iv Contents v Chapter 30—Care in Speaking of Others . 99 Chapter 31—Hope and Encouragement . 102 Chapter 32—Faith a Topic of Conversation . 106 Chapter 33—Simplicity in Our Speech . 108 Section 4—Voice Culture . 113 Chapter 34—Importance of the Subject . 114 Chapter 35—Clarity and Purity of Utterance . 119 Chapter 36—Importance of General Health . 125 Chapter 37—Proper Use of the Voice . 127 Section 5—Effective Methods of Public Speaking . 133 Chapter 38—Love and Kindness . 134 Chapter 39—Simplicity and Clarity . 138 Chapter 40—Pure Language . 143 Chapter 41—Earnestness and Assurance . 145 Chapter 42—Conversational Manner . 150 Chapter 43—No Harsh Words nor Debating Spirit . 154 Chapter 44—Brevity . 160 Chapter 45—Speed and Tone . 167 Chapter 46—Anecdotes and Humor . 174 Chapter 47—Illustrations and Visual Aids . 178 Chapter 48—Oratorical and Theatrical Display . 182 Chapter 49—Danger of Excessive Emotion . 187 Chapter 50—Being Heard, but Not by Shouting . 189 Chapter 51—Refinement and Solemnity of Demeanor . 192 Chapter 52—Every Person an Original. 193 Chapter 53—The Real Proof of Preaching . 194 Section 6—Content of Our Discourses . 199 Chapter 54—Christ the Sum and Substance . 200 Chapter 55—Promise of the Holy Spirit . 204 Chapter 56—Eternal Truth . 206 Chapter 57—Testing Truths . 210 Chapter 58—Soon Coming of Christ . 217 Chapter 59—The Way of Salvation. 219 Chapter 60—Practical Godliness . 224 Section 7—Examples of Effective Speakers . 227 Chapter 61—Men and Women of the Bible . 228 Enoch . 228 Jochebed . 229 vi The Voice in Speech and Song Moses . 230 King Saul . 231 Abigail . 231 Elijah . 231 Children of Israel . 231 John the Baptist . 232 Mary, the Mother of Jesus . 234 The Apostles . 234 John the Apostle . 236 Peter . 237 Stephen. 238 Paul............................................ 239 Timothy . 245 Chapter 62—Medieval Reformers . 246 Wycliffe . 246 Huss ........................................... 246 Jerome . 247 Luther . 247 The Wesleys and Whitefield . 249 Humble Men of Reformation Times . 250 Chapter 63—Adventist Pioneers . 252 William Miller . 252 James White . 252 W. W. Prescott . 254 God’s Modern Messenger . 254 Section 8—Use of the Voice in Singing . 263 Chapter 64—The Power of Song . 264 Chapter 65—Christ’s Singing . 267 Chapter 66—Voice Culture and Song . 269 Chapter 67—Wrong Use of the Voice in Music. 271 Chapter 68—Singing That Is to God’s Glory . 278 Chapter 69—Song a Part of Worship . 281 Chapter 70—Singing a Means of Witness . 286 Chapter 71—Singing in Israel’s Experience . 288 Chapter 72—Song at Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension 297 Chapter 73—Song in the Last Great Crisis . 299 Chapter 74—Songs of the Redeemed . 301 Section 1—A Gift From God Chapter 1—A Heavenly Talent A Supreme Blessing for Good—The power of speech is a talent that should be diligently cultivated. Of all the gifts we have received from God, none is capable of being a greater blessing than this. With the voice we convince and persuade, with it we offer prayer and praise to God, and with it we tell others of the Redeemer’s love. How important, then, that it be so trained as to be most effective for good.—Christ’s Object Lessons, 335. Voice and Tongue Divine Gifts—The voice and tongue are gifts from God, and if rightly used, they are a power for God. Words mean very much. They may express love, devotion, praise, melody to God, or hatred and revenge. Words reveal the sentiments of the heart. They may be a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. The tongue is a world of blessing, or a world of iniquity.—The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 3:1159. A Power in the Communication of Knowledge—We may have knowledge, but unless we know how to use the voice cor- rectly, our work will be a failure. Unless we can clothe.