tihravy of Che trheological ^tminaxy PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY FrcHi the Library of Prof. B.B. Warfield 1923 BX6495.S7 S4 1892 Shindler, Robert. From the usher's desk to the tabernacle pulpit; the liffa nd labors OF Charles Haddon Spurgeon^ t^rom the Usher s Desk to The Tabernacle Pulpit THE LIFE AXD LABORS CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON By rev. ROBERT SHINDLER AUTHOR OF "XORTHERAM HALL," ETC. A. C. ARMSTRONG AND SON 51 E4ST lO"" Street, near Broadway 1892 All Rights Reserved Copyright, 1892, By a. C. Armstrong and Son. (9[ui\)cvsttg ^3vfss: John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. PKEFACE. " 'THHIS people have I formed for Myself ; they X shall show forth My praise," is Jehovah's declaration concerning His people Israel. It has been wonderfully fulfdled in the history of that peo- ple from their beginnhig. The world owes much to God's ancient people, the Jews ; more, indeed, than to any nation, people, or race. But if the words have been fulfilled in the history of Israel as a people, they have been even more eminently true of the fathers and leaders of that people. Among the former, we must rank Abraham, Joseph, and Moses ; and among the latter, Joshua, Samuel, and David. All these men were exceptional in their personality, character, and work. No two of tliem were in all things alike, and no one of them could have done the work of any one of the rest. The like is true in relation to the Christian Church. In even a more real and exalted sense, the Church of Christ is God's workmanship, God's building ; and the Divine handiwork may be seen, more or less conspicuously, in all its human vi Preface. • founders and leaders. In proof of this, we need only mention the names of the apostle Paul, of the great Augustine of Hippo, of Wycliffe, of Luther, of Calvin, and in later times, of Whitefield and Wesley, and in our own day, of the apostolic Charles Haddon Spurgeon. And as we may truly say of the above- named worthies who have gone to their rest and reward, that they were, in a very high and eminent sense, God-made men, so may we truly affirm of the last-mentioned, whose name is now a household word throughout the whole world. The writer's personal knowledge of Mr. Spurgeon dates back to the year 1855, the year after his settle- ment in London. Since that time the often-mistaken public have proclaimed we cannot tell how many Spurgeons. There have been many second Spurgeons, besides Scotch Spurgeons, Welsh Spurgeons, and American Spurgeons. And yet, after all, there is but one Spurgeon ; thoua-h we shall have to make honorable reference to at least four or five genera- tions of Spurgeons. The student of history, and even the ordinary reader, does not need to be told that all the great leaders of the Church have been men unique in their personal and other characteristics, — men who were divinely fitted for their work, and divineh^ aided and sustained in its performance, doing that which no other men could have done, or done so well. What other man could have done the work of the apostle Paul, or of Augustine, or Luther, or Calvin ? And wliat man is there who could have done the w^ork Mr. Preface, vii Spurgeoii has done ? It is on every side abundantly evident that he is God's man ; that God has made him what he is, and done all for His own glory, and for the o'ood of the Church and the world. If we look at David in his early life, we see him the fair and ruddy son of a Bethlehem farmer, occupied with the care of his father's sheep. But God took liim from the sheep-folds, and made him one of the greatest of kings ; a prince among poets^ prophets, and seers ; one of the mighty men of valor, and yet more, one of the strongest of believers, and one of the greatest of saints. The early days of Mr. Spurgeon gave indications of more than average capacity and energy, penetration and mental ])ower, but there were no certain foreshadowings of his future greatness. And even when he had become popular, there was no one who could have predicted the wide and varied usefulness or the multifarious labors to which he has attained. In the hall at " Westwood " there hangs a picture of considerable size, containing the portraits of one hundred and ninety-two men of mark, almost ex- clusively divines of the Protestant Church, in the centre of which is a larger portrait, that of Mr. Spurgeon when about twenty-four or twenty-five, and when hardly tlie promise of a beard adorned his face. The portraits were pieced together in a very neat and ingenious manner by the Rev. Joseph Mountford, then of Sevenoaks, and afterwards of Leighton Buzzard, where he died in 1867, the funeral being conducted and the funeral sermon preached by viii Preface. the present writer, one of his closest and firmest friends. Mr. Moiintford presented the picture to Mr. Spurgeon, and it was photographed and sold for the benefit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Fund, when the building was in course of erection. In the picture Mr. Spurgeon stands in the attitude in which he was commonly represented at that time, the right arm raised, and the fore-finger of the right hand pointing upwards. (See portrait on page 87 of the present volume.) It might have seemed to some too great an honor conferred on the young pastor to place him so conspicuously among the learned doctors and great divines of the Puritan and later times ; but his subsequent career has fully justified the honor then conferred upon him. He has eclipsed in popu- larity and usefulness the greatest of them all, though no one could have dreamed at that time to what vast dimensions his influence, his fame, and his varied and marvellous usefulness would extend. But all are accounted for by the divine declaration, specially applicable to God's ministerial servants, tliat they are formed for Himself, and that they shall show forth His praise. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. Mr. Spdrgeon's Ancestry 1 II. Mr. Spurgbon's Grandfather 4 III. C. H. Spurgeon's Father and Mother .... 19 IV. Birth and Early Life of Mr. Spurgeon ... 22 V. Mr. Spurgeon's Conversion and Baptism ... 34 VI. Mr. Spurgeon's First Sermon 51 VII. Mr. Spurgeon's Proposed College Training . . 57 VIII. Mr. Spurgeon's Call to London 62 IX. The Church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle 71 X. Early Years of Mr. Spurgeon's Pastorate . . 85 XI. The Metropolitan Tabernacle 109 XII. The Pastor's College 129 XIII. The Society of Evangelists 151 XIV. The Stockwell Orphanage 164 XV. Mrs. Spurgeon's Book Fund 18& XVI. Mr. Spurgeon's Jubilee 202 XVII. Mr. Spurgeon as a Preacher and Author . . . 240 XVIII. Mr. Spurgeon as a Hymn Writer 256 XIX. Various Agencies in connection with the Tab- ernacle Church 265 XX. The "Down-grade" Controversy 270 XXI. Mr. Spurgeon at Home 275 XXII. Mr. Spurgeon's Long Illness 283 XXIII. Mr. Spurgeon at Mentone 297 XXIV. Conclusion 303 XXV. Mr. Spurgeon's Translation 305 Index 313 ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Rev, James Spiirgeon 5 The Old Manse and Meeting-house, Stambourne 13 Mrs. James Spurgeon IG Rev. John Spurgeon 21 Mrs. John Spurgeon 21 IMr. Spurgeon's Birthplace 23 Kev. Richard Knill 26 The Arbor in its Present Condition 29 Isleham Ferry — Baptizing Place 43 Cottage at Tevershani, where Mr. Spurgeon First Preached ... 53 The Old Chapel at Waterbeach 55 New Park Street Chapel 63 Benjamin Keach 72 Benjamin Keach in the Pillory 73 Rev. John Gill 77 Dr. Gill's Pulpit 79 Carter Lane Chapel 80 John Rippon 81 C. H. Spurgeon (1857) 87 "Brimstone and Treacle" 92 *'Catch-'em-Alive-0!" 93 Music Hall, Surrey Gardens — Exterior 95 Music Hall, Surrey Gardens — Interior 99 Surrey Gardens Memorial Hall 107 The Metropolitan Tabernacle — Exterior Ill The Metropolitan Tabernacle — Interior 115 The Pastors' College 133 xii Illustrations. PAGE Rev. George Rogers ~ . . . . 135 J. A. Spurgeou 144 Charles Spurgeon 147 Thomas Spurgeon ... 147 W. Y. Fullerton 153 J. Manton Smith .153 Tulloch Memorial Hospital, Tangier 159 Bird's-eye View of Stockwell Orphanage 164 Entrance to Stockwell Orphanage 172 Your Heavenly Father feedeth them 173 The Boys' Side of the Orphanage 174 The Girls' Side of the Orphanage 176 The Orphanage Infirmary 178 Mr. Spurgeon amid the Boys at the Orphanage 180 V. J. Charlesworth 187 Mrs. C. H. Spurgeon 189 The Lemon Plant 191 The Man at the Pump 198 Metropolitan Tabernacle Almshouses 267 Helensburgh House 275 New Park Street Chapel Staircase 277 The Lawn, Helensburgh House 278 Entrance to " Westwood " 279 Lawn at "Westwood" 280 Mr. Spurgeon's Study 282 Fac-siniile Letter 290 Hotel Beau Rivage, Meutone 298 LIFE AND LABORS OF PASTOR C. H. SPURGEON. CHAPTER I. MR. SPURGEON'S ancestry. No life of Mr. Spurgeon would be complete if it did not contain some account of his godly an- cestors. There was much in the piety and con- scientiousness of those who came before him which Avill help to account for his sturdy Christian character and unparalleled success. As the name Spurgeon imports, it is Continental rather than Anghcan. It can be traced back for about three hundred years. When Ferdinand Alvarez, Duke of Alva, died, in 1589, his wicked boast, that he had sent to the executioners no less than eighteen thousand persons, was not forgotten. That number represented the actual martyrs to the faith ; but, besides these, there 2 Life and Labors of were very many thousands who had been driven into exile, large numbers of whom found a home in England. Among these were the progenitors of the English Spurgeons, who found a shelter and resting-place in East Anglia, some settling in Essex, and others in Norfolk. These Dutch Christians brought their useful arts with them, and, like the Huguenots from France, at a later date, greatly aided in laying the foundations of those various in- dustries which have ministered to the strength and wealth and prosperity of England. The ancestors of Mr. Spurgeon were distinguished alike for their quiet energy, their business capabilities, and, best of all, their true godliness and exemplary piety. They made themselves friends among their English neigh- bours, and left their mark upon society. Everywhere they were industrious, honorable, and pious people. It is not difficult to see, even in Mr. Spurgeon's physique, a resemblance to the godly Dutchman, while in other respects he has proved himself a worthy son of the noble sires who, driven from their homes by cruel persecutions, carried with them the faith that was dearer to them than life itself. One of the Essex branch of the family. Job Spurgeon, was a prisoner in Chelmsford jail at the time John Bunyan was lying in Bedford jail, and for the same cause, — faitliful adherence to his con- scientious convictions. For fifteen weeks, in bitterly severe weather, he lay on a pallet of straw without Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. S any fire. His descendant has an easier lot out- wardly, but he is not lacking in the same spirit of Christian heroism, and he also has had his share of suffering for the truth's sake, both in the fierce ordeal through which he had to pass in the early years of his ministry in London, and in his continued conten- tion for " the faith once for all delivered to the saints." It is related that, quite early in his career in London, Mr. C. H. Spurgeon was introduced, in a bookseller's shop in Paternoster Row, to a Mr. John Spurgeon, a descendant of the Norfolk branch of the family. On comparing notes of their respective an- cestors, the same piety, uprightness, and loyalty to the truth were found to have characterized them on both sides. The great-grandfather of Mr. Spurgeon was a man of true Puritan type, and his wife was akin to him in mind, principles, and life. She took a deep inter- est in the spiritual welfare of their children, and both parents ordered their house faithfullv accordino; to the Word and will of God. They were con- temporary with the earlier years of the reign of George IIL From them we trace an unbroken line of faithful ministers of the Word, including four generations. CHAPTER 11. C. H. SPURGEON S GRANDFATHER. JAMES SPURGEOX was a son of the godly couple mentioned on the previous page, and was born at Halstead, Essex, 29th September, 1776. As a boy he was seriously inclined, and while still a youth he joined the Independent Church at Halstead. He was apprenticed at Coggeshall, in the same county, and there enjo3'ed the privilege of the pastoral over- sight of the Rev. S. Fielding. Up to the age of twenty-six he followed business pursuits, when his mind was directed to the work of the gospel ministry. He entered Hoxton Academy in 1802. After a course of two years' study, he responded to an invitation to endeavor to raise the decayed Independent cause at Clare, Suffolk. His success warranted his ordination to the pastorate, and the church continued to prosper under his care. Stambourne, Essex, was his next and final sphere. The Independent Church in this village had been distinguished for unbroken peace and unity, so that for nearly one hundred and fifty years there had been Life of Pastor C. H. Spurge on. 5 but three pastors. The death of the venerable Mr. Becldow ill 1810, left a vacancy, which James Spur- geon was requested to fill. He accepted the unani- REV. JAMES SPURGEOX. mous call of the church, and lived and labored at Stambourne for fifty-four years, enjoying unbroken harmony and more or less of prosperity. When morc 6 Life and Labors of than fourscore years of age he often remarked, " I have not had one hour's unhappiness with my church since I have been over it." Invitations from other churches were addressed to him, but the love and unity that prevailed at Stambourne decided him to decline them all. When some of his friends advised him to retire from the pastorate at eighty years of age, he replied, " No ! God has blessed me ; and I see that ' at evening time it shall be light,^ " — alluding to a sermon from that text by his grandson which was a great favorite with him. Soon after this there was a blessed revival of the work of God in the villao-e and neighborhood, and several young people joined the church at Stambourne. Frequent prayer- meet- ings were held, and much good was done, so that the good old pastor was led to say ; " I will never give up so long as God inclines people to come, and souls are saved.'' Some interesting anecdotes of his grandfather have been recorded by Mr. Spurgeon in '• The Sword and the Trowel," and others may be found in his printed sermons. Here is one, entitled — UNDER THE OAK TREE. While a youth, under conviction of sin, he fre- quently repaired to a wood in Honey wood Park, where, especially under a certain oak, then only a sapling, he wept and groaned before the Lord, and where, also, he received the gift of faith to believe Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. 7 on the Lord Jesus, and enter upon the enjoyment of peace with God. It was a lonely spot, but it was to him a Bethel, the house of God and the gate of heaven. He often resorted thither for meditation, prayer, and praise. " Some time after this happy event," writes the grandson, "having to go from Coggeshall to Hal- stead, his route lay near the hallowed spot. On the night previous he dreamed very vividly that Satan appeared to him, and threatened to tear him in pieces if he dared to go along that footpath, and pray under the oak as he had been wont to do. The Evil One reminded him that there was another way through the farmyard, and that if he took the farmyard path all would go well with him. When my grandfather awoke, the impression on his mind was overpowering, and he reasoned thus with him- self : ' Whether it be a dream or really a temptation from Satan I cannot tell, but anyhow I will not yield to it, but will show the Devil that I will not do his bidding in anything, but will defy him to his face.' This was the good man all over. Like Luther, he had a vivid impression of the reality and personality of the great Enemy, and was accustomed to make short work with his suggestions. " One day, when in the pulpit, it came into his head that the place where the sand was kept for sanding the brick floor of his manse ought to be boarded in. His next thought was, what business had Satan to 8 Life and Labors of make me think about the sand-closet on a Sunday, and in the pulpit, too ? It shall not be boarded at all. I will let him see that he shall not have his way with me. " But to return to the story of the oak-tree. My grandfather, then a young man, went on cheerily enough till he came to the stile where the two paths diverged ; then a horrible fear came upon him, and he felt his heart beat fast. Suppose he really should meet the Arch fiend, and should find him too strong for him, what then ? Better take the farmyard path. No, that would be yielding to Satan, and he would not do that for ten thousand worlds. He plucked up courage, and tremblingly went on. The stile was leaped, the narrow track through the wood was trod- den with resolution mingled with forebodings. The oak was in sight, the sweat was on his face, the pace was quickened, a dash was made, and the tree was grasped, and there was no Satan there. Taking breath a moment, the young man uttered aloud the exclamation, ' Ah, cowardly Devil ! you threatened to tear me in pieces, and now you do not dare to show your face.' Then followed a fervent prayer and a song of praise, and the young man was about to go on his way, when his eye was caught by something shining on the ground. It was a ring, a very large ring, he told me, nearly as large as a curtain ring, and it was solid gold. How it came there it would be hard to guess. Inquiries were made, but no claim- Pastor C, H. Spurgeon. 9 ant ever appeared, and my grandfather had it made into my grandmother's wedding-ring, in memory of the spot so dear to him. " Year by year he continued to visit the oak-tree on the anniversary of the day of his conversion, to pour out his soul before the Lord. The sapling had spread abroad its branches, and the man had become the parent of a numerous family, but the song of grati- tude was hot forgotten, nor the prayer that he and his offspring might forever be the Lord's. The angels of God, we doubt not, watched those con- secrated seasons with delightful interest. " To add to the solemnity of the secluded wood, his father, while passing by the spot, was touched by the hand of God, and suddenly fell dead. He could then feel e^•en more deeply, ' How awful is this place ! ' This made the annual visitations to the tree more deeply impressive, and we believe beneficial. They would have been continued till my grand- father's last year, were it not that the hand of modern improvement ruthlessly swept away tree and wood, and every relic of the past. His last prayer on the dear spot was most ludicrously in- terrupted. As the wood was almost all felled, he judged by the pathway as nearly as possible where the long-remembered oak had stood ; the place was covered with growing wheat, but he kneeled down in it, and began to bless the name of the Lord, when suddenly he heard a rough voice from over the hedge 10 Life and Labors of crying out, ' Maister, there be a creazy man a saying his prayers down in the wheat over thay're.* This startled the suppliant, and made him beat a hasty retreat. Jacob must wrestle somewhere else ; the man of God looked at the spot, and went his way, but in spirit he still raised an altar in that Bethel, and praised the God of his salvation. " He has gone to his rest after having fought a good fight, but the prayers of Honeywood Park are blessing his children, and his children's children to the third generation at this very hour. To them and all the world his testimony is, ' Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you ; ' and equally does he instruct us to ' Bless the Lord, and forget not all His benefits.' " One or two other anecdotes may here be given of the venerable pastor. The first illustrates his upright- ness and conscientiousness in things about which many professing Christians are not always straight. When in middle life he intended to exercise his right as a voter for the county at the general election, but his qualification was disputed. The reason assigned was that all the trustees of the manse and land were dead. He was advised that, as he had had undisputed possession for more than twenty-one years, he should go home, make his will, and leave the property to his children, as it had become legally his. This tempt- ing proposal, however, he refused, and at once called Pastor C. H. Sinirgeon. 11 a meeting of the church-members and subscribers, and put the entire property in trust, according to the will and intentions of the donor. As he had a large family, and was really poor, this was a great triumph of principle over interest. An anecdote is related of the old gentleman, which illustrates alike his faith in divine providence, and God's faithfulness to him in a trying exigency. The large family and the small income of the pastor made it difficult to get along in the world ; but he loved his Master, and he loved his work, and on no account would he give up the ministry for a more remunera- tive profession : so he tried to help his income by the cultivation of a few acres of ground, keeping a cow to supply the family with milk. One day, when he went to the cow, she fell back with the staggers, and died. '- James," said Mrs. Spurgeon to her husband, " how will God provide for the dear children now ? What shall we do for milk?" "Mother," said he, " God has said that He will provide, and I believe that He could send us fifty cows if He pleased." It happened that on that very day a numljer of gentlemen were assembled for a certain purpose in London, some of whom were known to the pastor of Stambourne ; they were sitting as a committee for the distribution of money to poor ministers, and they had given something to all who had asked for help. Old Mr. Spurgeon had never asked for any ; he pre- ferred, by rigid economy, and labor on his land, to 12 Life of Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. meet his requirements without appealing to others. When all the cases had been dealt with there remained a balance of £5. What should they do with it ? "Well," said one, "there is a Mr. Spurgeon down at Stambourne, in Essex, a poor minister, who needs some help." "Oh," said another, "don't send him <£5; I will put £b to it ; I know him ; he is a worthy man." "No," said another, "don't send him <£10. I will give «£5, if some one else will add another X5, and make it £20." The next morning Mr. Spurgeon received a letter for which there was ninepence to fay. The old lady begrudged ninepence for a letter, but when it was opened, it was found to contain X20. Her husband, on seeing the money, remarked to his wife, " Now, can't you trust God about an old cow ? " In relating this anecdote, his distinguished grand- son remarked : — " I think of my dear old grandfather, and of what he used to say to me. If he were here to-night, — I am glad he is not, because he is in heaven, and that is a much better place for him, — but if he could come from heaven, and could talk as he used to do when he was here on earth, he would say, ' Ah, my boy, I did find him a faithful God.' " Old James Spurgeon was very popular with the people in Essex, where he was widely known, being frequently asked to preach on special occasions, such 14 Life and Labors of as anniversary seasons. His own chapel was of considerable size, and on the Sabbath afternoons it was well filled, the farmers for many miles around driving in for the services. A long range of stables was connected with the chapel for the convenience of such of the congregation as required it for their horses. When the venerable grand sire was eighty, his grandson was on a preaching tour in Essex. The old minister heard of it, and sent him a letter ask- ing him to call and see him once more. He arrived as early as eight o'clock one morning, but the old pas- tor had been some time on the outlook for " his boy." It was a memorable occasion, and the cheerful old gentleman was delighted with the visit, and went over some of the principal scenes in his long life, dwelling with especial pleasure on his college tutor at Hoxton, on the many trials and deliverances he had experienced, and on the many friends he had known, and who had preceded him to the better land, where he hoped soon to rejoin them. The grandson treas- ured up these reminiscences, and upon his stores we have chiefly drawn for the above incidents. In the year 1856 Mr. Spurgeon preached a sermon at Stambourne, on the occasion of his grandfather completing the fiftieth year of his ministry. The date of this interesting event was 27th May, and the ser- mon may be found, as preached at New Park Street the previous Lord's day, in Nos. 81, 82, of " The New Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. 15 Park Street Pulpit." The old man had great delight in promoting the sale of the sermons and other pub- lications of his eminent grandson, always seeking to get an early supply. The venerable pastor at Stambourne, like his elder grandson, was gifted with a large head, and there was no small stock of what was good in it. He had a good voice, and was very earnest and practical in his preaching, at the same time giving due prominence to the glorious truths of the everlasting gospel. In person he was the very picture of neatness, his dress cravat, frilled shirt, knee breeches, buckled shoes, and silk stockings, marking him out as one belonging to the past age rather than the present. He is said to have somewhat resembled Rev. John Wesley in liis manners and stature, as also in his staid, quiet, and uniform dress and habits. In this respect, as also in his preaching, he was regarded throughout his native count}^ as a venerable minister of the old school. For more than half a century he walked among the people and before the world with unblemished repu- tation. The secret of which, was, he ivalked humhly with his Grod. His affable manners, his genuine piety, and his uniform excellence of character, procured for him the good- will of his neighbors ; and, though a thorough Nonconformist, he was on brotherly terms with some of the parochial clergy, and often went to the parish church to hear the sermon, especially when the cause of missions was to be advocated. He was 16 Life ayid Labors of blessed with a wife who was a partaker with him of " like precious faith ; " she showed " piety at home," MRS. JAMES SPURGEOX. and was a true helpmeet to her husband in every good word and work. The old gentleman held firmly to Puritan theology, Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. 17 and throughout his ministry kept back nothing, but declared all the counsel of God. He was a great favorite with the young; children gathered around him, and with a strength of attachment which riper years did not unsettle ; while young people felt that they had in him a wise counsellor, a loving father, and a faithful pastor. In his last illness he was sustained and comforted by the truths of the gospel he had so long and so faithfully proclaimed. It was his desire that he might be permitted to bear witness for Christ on his dying bed, and God granted him his desire. He said the gospel was his only hope ; he was " on the Rock of Ages, immutable as the throne of God." His depart- ure from earth was marked by joy and peace in be- lieving, and with a glorious prospect of an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. During the last two years of his life, he had the assistance in the pulpit of various ministers, but he continued to preach as often as health and strength permitted; always, even to the end, administering the Lord's Supper. He ceased his labors, and entered into rest, 12th February, 1864, when in his eighty- eighth year. His remains rest near his beloved sanc- tuary, to which resting-place of the worn and wearied body an immense concourse of people, and many en- deared friends, attended him. The tears and sympa- pathy of the people showed how much he was loved 2 18 Life of Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. and respected. Funeral sermons were preached at Stambourne by Rev. !Mr. Bridge, of Ridgewell ; at Cranbrook, Kent, by his son, Rev. John Spm-geon ; and at the MetropoUtan Tabernacle by his distinguished grandson. He left eight children, seven of whom were members of Christian churches, the elder son then being a deacon at Stambourne, and the younger, Rev. John Spurgeon, pastor of the Independent Church at Cranbrook, the chief town of the Weald of Kent. The following is a copy of the memorial in the present Stambourne meeting-house. IN MEMORY OF The Rev. JAMES SPURGEON, Who for fifty-four years was the faithful and beloved Pastor of the Church iu this place, and for four years previously of the Independent Church at Clare. He departed this life on the 12th day of Februar}', 1864, In the 88th vear of his age. CHAPTER III. c. H. spurgeon's father and mother. REY. JOHN SPURGEON is taller than his son Charles Haddon, and carries a fine figure, possesses a warm heart, and is one of the most genial guests the writer has ever had the pleasure of entertaining. Though past eighty, he is still an interesting preacher. For sixteen years, while in business in Colchester, he discharged the duties of pastor to the Independent Church at Tollesbury, and it was only in middle life that he devoted all his time and energies to the ministry. Of his seventeen children, Charles Haddon is the oldest, one brother and six sisters being still living. The mother of the great preacher, who passed away two years ago, was the youngest sister of Charles Parker Jarvis, Esq., of Colchester. Wherever she has resided, she has been known and esteemed for her sincere piety. Christian humility, and various works of usefulness in connection with the cause of the Re- deemer. The prayerful solicitude and earnest care with which she trained up her children have been abundantly rewarded. 20 Life of Pmtor C. H. Spur g eon. Speaking one day to her son Charles of her solici- tude for the best interests of all her children, she said, " Ah, Charlie, I have often prayed that you might be saved, but never that you should become a Baptist." To this Charles replied, " The Lord has answered your prayer with his usual bounty, and given you more than you asked." The parents of the great preacher must have made considerable sacrifices, and exercised much self-denial to give a good education to their children, and to train them up in habits of thrift ; but how abun- dantly have they been rewarded ; and what a blessed recompense there has been, in the thousands of mem- bers of the church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the hundreds of ministers trained in the Pastors' Col- lege, the multitude of orphans cared for in the Stock- well Orphanage, and in the various other benevolent and philanthropic enterprises which have had their origin through the ministry of their renowned elder son, and which have also been greatly indebted to the efficient management of their younger son. REV. JOHN SPURGEON. MRS. JOHN SPURGEON. CHAPTER lY. BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE OF MR. SPURGEON. THE village homes of England have been justly celebrated as the cradles and nurseries of many of her greatest men. There is something in village life, much as it is misunderstood, — sometimes decried, and sometimes vaguely applauded, — which is favorable to the development of native genius. The towns are supposed to have more advantages than the country for the nurture of intelligence and the train- ing of the expanding mind, but the country has been more prolific of greatness than the towns and cities. Mr. Spurgeon was village-born. Kelvedon, Essex, a village of about two thousand inhabitants, was the place of his nativity. The house, as represented in the adjacent cut, is no noble pile, though a remove or two higher up than the common rural cottage. The birth of the great preacher took place 19th June, 1834. The parish was blessed with an incumbent who oc- cupied the sphere long enough to celebrate his jubilee. His was a life of consistent piety, and it told for good fQ 24 Life and Labors of on his parishioners. The Spurgeons were Noncon- formists, and from their earliest days liad been taught the principles of evangelical faith and Christian duty. Almost as soon as he was old enough to leave home, Charles was removed to his grandfather's house at Stambourne. A maiden aunt took the promising child into her especial care ; and there, under the immediate oversight of the grandfather, he soon de- veloped into a thoughtful boy, commonly fonder of his books than of his play. He would sometimes sit for hours gazing with childish horror at the grim figures of Bishops Bonner and Gardiner, and at the pictures of the martyrs, in " Fox's Martyrology ; " or tracing the adventures of Christian in " The Pilgrim's Progress ; " or feasting his fancy on the wonderful adventures of " Robinson Crusoe." The precocity of the child drew the attention of all around. He would astonish the grave deacons and matrons, who met at his grandfather's house on Sabbath evenings, by pro- posing subjects for conversation, and offering perti- nent remarks upon them; and there were at that early period of his life palpable indications of that decision of character and boldness of address for which he has become so remarkable. One day, before he was six years old, seeing a professor of religion standing in the village street with persons of other than good character, he went up to the big man, and astonished him by asking, " What doest thou liere, Elijah ? " Pastor Q. H. Spurgeon. 25 At the age of seven, when his father had removed to Colchester, he returned home that he might have the advantages of improved education. The develop- ment of the mind was still far in advance of his years ; and his moral character, especially his love of truth, was even more so. In 1844, when he was just ten years old, he went to spend the summer vacation at his grandfather's, when an incident occurred which had a considerable influence on the boy at the time, and still more in subsequent years. We may narrate it in Mr. Spur- geon's own words, under the title of — THE REV. RICHARD KNILL'S PROPHECY. " When I was a small boy," writes Mr. Spurgeon, ^' I was staying at my grandfather's, where I had aforetime spent my earliest days, and as the manner was, I read the Scriptures at family prayer. Once upon a time, when reading the passage in the Book of Revelation which mentions the bottomless pit, I paused and said, ' Grandpa, what can this mean?' The answer was kind but unsatisfactory : ' Pooh, pooh, child, go on ! ' The child intended, however, to have an explanation, and therefore selected the same chapter morning after morning, Sunday included, and always halted at the same verse to repeat the inquiry. At length the venerable patriarch capitulated at dis- cretion by saying, ' Well, dear, what is it that puz- zles you?' Now, the child had. often seen baskets 26 Life and Labors of with bottoms, which in course of wear became bot- tomless, and allowed the fruit placed therein to fall upon the ground. Here, then, was the puzzle : if the pit aforesaid had no bottom, where would all the people fall to who had dropped out at its lower end? A puzzle which rather startled the propriety of family worship, and had to be laid aside for explanation at a more convenient season. " Questions of the like simple and natural character would frequently break up into paragraphs the family Bible-reading, and had there not been a world of love and license allowed to the inquisitive reader, he would soon have been deposed from his office. As Pastor C. H. Sjmrgeon. 27 it was, the Scriptures were not very badly rendered, and were probably quite as interesting as if they had not been interspersed with original and curious inquiries. " On one of these occasions Mr. Knill, then of Chester, now of ' New Jerusalem,' whose name is a household word, and whose memory is precious to thousands at home and abroad, stayed at the min ister's house on Friday, in readiness to preach at Stambourne for the London Missionary Society on the following Sunday. He never looked into a young face without yearning to impart some spiritual gift. He was all love, kindness, earnestness, and warmth, and coveted the souls of men as misers desire the gold their hearts pine for. He heard the boy read, and commended him. A little judicious praise is the sure way to win a young heart. An agreement was made with the lad that on the next morning, Saturday, he would show Mr. Knill over the garden, and take him for a walk before breakfast ; a task so flattering to juvenile self-importance was sure to be entered upon. There was a tap at the door, and the child was soon out of bed and in the garden with his ncAV friend, who won his heart at once by pleasing stories and kind words, and by giving him a chance to communicate in return. The talk was all about Jesus, and the pleas- antness of loving him. Nor was it mere talk ; there was pleading too. Into the great yew-tree arbor, cut into the shape of a sugar-loaf, both went, and the 28 ' Life of Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. soul-winner knelt down, and with his arms around the youthful neck, he poured out vehement intercession for the salvation of the lad. The next morning wit- nessed the same instruction and supplication, and the next also ; while all day long the pair were never far apart, and never out of each other's thoughts. The mission sermons were preached in the old Puritan meeting-house, and the man of God was called to go to the next halting-place in his tour as deputation for the Society, but he did not leave till he had uttered a most remarkable prophecy. After even more earnest prayer with his little protege^ he appeared to have a burden on his mind, and he could not go till he had eased himself of it. In after years he was heard to say that he felt a singular interest in me, and an earnest expectation for which he could not account. Calling the family together, he took me on his knee, and I distinctly remember his saying : ' I do not know how it is, but I feel a solemn presen- timent that this child will preach the gospel to thousands, and God will bless him to many souls. So sure am I of this, that when my little man preaches in Rowland Hill's chapel, as he will do one day, I should like him to promise me that he will give out the hymn commencing, — *' God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform." ' This promise was of course made, and was followed by another, namely, that at his express desire I would THE ARBOR IX ITS PRESENT CONDITION. 30 Life and Labors of learn tlie hymn in question, and think of what he had said. " The prophetic declaration was fulfilled. When I had the pleasure of preaching the Word of life in Surrey Chapel, and also when I preached in Mr. Hill's first pulpit at Wotton-under-Edge, the hymn was sung on both occasions. Did the words of Mr. Knill help to bring about their own fulfilment ? I think so. I believed them, and looked forward to the time when I should preach the word. I felt very powerfully that no unconverted person might dare to ent6r the ministry. This made me more intent on seeking salvation, and more hopeful of it ; and when by grace I was enabled to cast myself on the Saviour's love, it was not long before my mouth began to speak of His redemption. How came that sober-minded minister to speak thus to and of one into whose future God alone could see ? How came it that he live;^ to rejoice with his younger brother in the truth of all that he had spoken ? The answer is plain. But mark one particular lesson : would to God that we were all as wise as Richard Knill in habitually sowing beside all waters ! Mr. Knill might very naturally have left the minister's little grandson on the plea that he had other duties of more importance than praying with children; and yet who shall say that he did not effect as much by that simple act of humble kindness as by dozens of sermons addressed to crowded audiences ? To me his tenderness in considering the little one was Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. 31 fraught with everlasting consequences, and I must ever feel that his time was well laid out." In a letter written by the venerable James Spurgeon to a friend, there are a few additional particulars. He remarks : " Good Mr. Knill, laying his venerable hands on the child's head, said, ' I have heard old ministers and young ones read well, but never did I hear a little boy read so correctly before. I hope he will one day fill Rowland Hill's pulpit.' " When Mr. Knill first heard of my grandson being in London, he wrote to me for his address. The reason he gave was that, being then from home, and meeting with a large party of friends at dinner, the conversa- tion turned upon a wonderful preacher who was pas- tor at New Park Street Chapel, London. Inquiring his name, he was told it was Spurgeon. ' Spurgeon, Spurgeon ? ' said Mr. Knill, ' I know him.' " ' No, no,' replied his friend ; ' I think not.' " ' Yes, I do,' returned Mr. Knill, ' I saw him at his grandfather's house some years ago, when I preached in the village for the missionary cause, and I have always been convinced that he would one day be a most extraordinary character in the Christian world. I remember taking the lad into the garden ; I con- versed with him, and prayed with him, and found that he possessed a mind far beyond his years.' " Until the erection of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, "Rowland Hill's Chapel" was the largest Noncon- formist place of worship in London, at least south 32 Lif^ ^>it7 Labors of of the Thames. It was the place for great gatherings in connection with missions, both for the London and the Baptist Missionary Societies. It was a kind of Nonconformist Cathedral, and to preach in it, especi- ally on a great occasion, was deemed no small honor. Mr. Spurgeon has preached there on several occa- sions, and during the cleaning and re-painting of the Tabernacle on one occasion, the trustees of the Chapel kindly placed the building at his disposal for week- night services. Among his published sermons there are two (numbers 767 and 768) which were preached in what was known as Surrey Chapel. There were several habits which marked the char- acter of the future great preacher from very early days. One was his love for the house of God and the worship of the sanctuary. He was not only willing to go, but it was a pleasure and a delight to be found there. Another trait in his character was his love of truth. Never did he prevaricate or deny or hide the truth, and never was there occasion to question his word. Yet another feature in his character was his love of prayer. His father says that Charles was often found in the hay-rick, or the manger, praying, or reading aloud, and sometimes talking and preach- ing to his brother and sisters. Not less was he remarkable for the depth of his feeling, and for a strong and determined will. The last was at one time a cause of anxiety to his parents, and earnestly did they pray that his strong passions Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. 33 and determined will might be properly controlled and directed. Mr. Spiirgeon's educational advantages were above those of many in the sphere of life in which his par- ents moved. He went first to Mr. Walker's school at Colchester, and afterwards spent four years in the same town in the school conducted by Mr. Henry Lewis. Here he became a personal friend of Mr. Leeding, the head usher, to whom he was indebted for a thorough grounding in Latin and Mathematics. He was also, for twelve months, at an Agricultural College at Maidstone ; and afterwards he went to Newmarket to be an assistant in the school of Mr. Swindell. There he pursued his studies with remark- able diligence. Here also his faith grew, and his zeal for the cause of the Redeemer abounded. He had to practise self-denial, too, for his means were small and his purse light ; but all was done in order to obtain knowledge, that he might therewith serve his God and Saviour. We have, however, somewhat anticipated the story of Mr. Spurgeon's conversion, which is fully described in the next chapter. CHAPTER V. MR. SPURGEON S CONVERSION AND BAPTISM. U 7E give the story of Mr. Spurgeon's conversion in his own words. Speaking of the gospel as the power of God unto salvation, he says : — " I will tell you how I myself was brought to the knowledge of this truth. It may happen that the telling of it will bring some one else to Christ. It pleased God in my childhood to convince me of sin. I lived a miserable creature, finding no hope, no comfort, thinking that surely God would never save me. At last the worst came to the worst, — I was miserable ; I could do scarcely anything. My heart was broken in pieces. Six months did I pray ; prayed agonizingly with all my heart, and never had an an- swer. I resolved that, in the town where I lived, I would visit every place of worship, in order to find out the way of salvation. I felt I was willing to do anything, and be anything, if God would only forgive me. I set off, determined to go round to all the chapels, and I went to all the places of worship ; and though I dearly venerate the men that occupy those Life of Pastor C. H. Spurgeon. 35 pulpits now, and did so then, I am bound to say that I never heard them once fully preach the gospel. I mean by that, they preached truth, great truths, many good truths that were fitting to many of their congregations, — spiritually minded people ; but what I wanted to know was, How can I get my sins for- given ? and they never told me that. I wanted to hear how a poor sinner, under a sense of sin, might find peace with God; and when I went I heard a sermon on, ' Be not deceived, God is not mocked,' which cut me up worse, but did not say how I might escape. I went again another day, and the text was something about the glories of the righteous ; nothing for poor me ! I was something like a dog under the table, not allowed to eat of the children's food. I went time after time, and I can honestly say I don't know that I ever went without prayer to God, and I am sure there was not a more attentive hearer in all the place than myself, for I panted and longed to understand how I might be saved. " At last, one snowy day, — it snowed so much I could not go to the place I had determined to go to, and I was obliged to stop on the road, and it was a blessed stop to me, — I found rather an obscure street, and turned down a court, and there was a little chapel. I wanted to go somewhere, but I did not know this place. It was the Primitive Methodist Chapel. I had heard of these people from many, and how they sang so loudly that they made people's 36 Life mid Labors of heads ache ; but that did not matter. I wanted to know how I might be saved, and if they made my head ache ever so much, I did not care. So, sitting- down, the service went on, but no minister came ; at last a very thin-looking man came into the pulpit, and opened his Bible, and read these words : ' Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.' Just setting his eyes upon me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, 'Young man, you are in trouble,' Well, I was, sure enough. Says he, ' You will never get out of it unless you look to Christ.' And then, lifting up his hands, he cried out, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, ' Look, look, look I It is only look,' said he. I saw at once the way of salvation. Oh, how I did leap for joy at that moment! I know not what else he said. I did not take much notice of it ; I was so possessed with that one thought. Like as when the brazen serpent was lifted up, they only looked and were healed. I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard this word, ' Look,' what a charming- word it seemed to me I Oh, I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away ; and in heaven I will look on still in my joy unutterable! " Mr. Spurgeon, with all his strong attachment to truths which relate to divine sovereignty, — and he has ever been bold and unflinching- in his proclama- tion of them, — has always presented the other side of Calvinism, the call of the gospel to all who hear it; hence, he says, as one of the lessons of his own conversion : — Pastor C. H. Spur g eon. 37 " I now think I am bound never to preach a sermon without preaching to sinners. I do think that a minister who can preach a sermon williout address- ing sinners, does not know how to preach.'.' Several years after his conversion, on 11th October, 1864, Mr. Spurgeon preached in the Primitive Metho- dist Chapel at Colchester, and took for his text the ever-memorable words (Isa. xlv. 22), " Look unto Me, and be ye saved,"