Wesley on 'Tending to the Life of the Mind'

A good friend of mine yesterday, during a discussion on the role of reading to grow the soul, led me to a quote in an Appendix at the back of John Piper's The Pleasures of God (A must read, honestly). The man quoted is the great John Wesley, "A leader in the Great Awakening in England of 250 years ago... not an impractical ivory tower inhabitant."
Wesley is counseling (although gives this word new meaning I think) another preacher about a "proper esteem for tending to the life of the mind"--

"What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear, to this day, is want of reading. I scarce ever knew a preacher read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it. hence your talent in preaching does not increase... It is lively, but not deep: there is little variety; there is no compass of thought. reading only can supply this, with meditation and the daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it; anymore than a thorough Christian. Oh begin!
... Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is your life: there is no other way: else you will be a trifler all your days, and a pretty superficial preacher."

Totally politically incorrect counseling indeed; yet I can confirm seeing the reality of this. I have heard preaching that never seems to bring fresh thought, thought far greater and broader then their own when they speak.
Yes it is often lively, but the depth and variety is certainly amiss.
Preacher or not, take these strong words to heart from a man who made a startling difference to the face of Christianity in a generation.

Simon