"When ministers preach of hell, and warn sinners to avoid it, in a cold manner—though they may say in words that it is infinitely terrible—they contradict themselves. For actions, as I observed before, have a language as well as words. If a preacher’s words represent the sinner’s state as infinitely dreadful, while his behaviour and manner of speaking contradict it—showing that the preacher does not think so—he defeats his own purpose; for the language of his actions, in such a case, is much more effectual than the bare signification of his words."
–Jonathan Edwards, Distinguishing Marks of A Work of the Spirit of God, The Complete Works of Jonathan Edwards (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth), Vol. 2: p. 675.
