Phila delphia > C. H. Spurgeon

"THIS volume contains a graphic account of the Life and Labors of Rev. C. H. Spurgeon. It portrays the brilliant career of the most celebrated preacher of modern times, his matchless eloquence, his tender pathos, his ready wit, and his wonderful mastery over the human heart.

It is an interesting narrative of Mr. Spurgeon's life, and is enriched with the choicest of his sermons and lectures, and with a large collection of extracts from his most famous writings.

This comprehensive volume is divided into three parts.

• Book I. ---New Window contains the great preacher's history. It relates the incidents of his early life, shows you the boy preacher at the age of sixteen, and traces his marvellous successes in the great metropolis. It describes the immense Metropolitan Tabernacle and its vast throngs, whom were not only the poor and illiterate, but the most famous persons of the realm, including Gladstone, Bright, Shaftesbury, and multitudes of others.

Mr. Spurgeon was not merely a popular preacher; he was a sunny genial, witty, great-hearted man. He was bold as Luther or Knox, yet possessed deep sympathies, fiery zeal, loving charity, and carried on many enterprises for the welfare of the poor and unfortunate. This work describes his College, where hundreds of poor young men were educated, and his Orphanage, which. sheltered thousands of homeless children.

His last, lingering illness; the religious world watching at his bedside; the eagerness with which reports were awaited; his removal to the south of France in hope of recovery; and the final scene when he breathed his last, and both hemispheres were startled by the news, all are depicted in this volume.

CHAPTER II. ---New Window
Mr. Spurgeon's Account of his Conversion and Early Preaching.
A Desponding Penitent.-- Visit to a Primitive Methodist Chapel.-- "Look, Look!-- Preaching in the Old Place.-- Happy Days.-- Light in Darkness.-- Profession of Faith.-- Mission Work.-- Boy Preacher.-- The First Sermon.-- Cottage and Open-air Services.-- Escaping College.-- Poem.

CHAPTER III. ---New Window
The Young Preacher in London.
Speech at Cambridge.-- Invitation to London.-- Willing Hearers.-- Interesting Letters to New Park Street Church.-- Visitation of Cholera.-- Labors among the Dying.-- Publication of Sermons.-- Eagerness of the Public to Obtain the Printed Discourses.-- Description of the Youthful Preacher.-- Thronging Crowds.-- Birthday Sermon.-- Preaching in Scotland.-- Good News from Printed Sermons.-- Reports of Many Conversions.

CHAPTER IV. ---New Window
A Wife and a New Tabernacle.
Mr. Spurgeon's Marriage.-- Twelve Sermons Weekly.-- Not an Ascetic.-- Surrey Gardens Music Hall.-- The Great Metropolitan Tabernacle.-- Praying among Bricks and Mortar.-- Preaching to the Aristocracy.-- Note from Mr. Gladstone.-- Offer from an American Lecture Bureau.-- How the Preacher Appeared in his Pulpit.-- Pastors' College.-- Poem Addressed to Mrs. Spurgeon.-- Revivals and Colportage.-- Talk of Founding a New Sect.-- Visit to Paris.-- Preaching to Coster-mongers.

CHAPTER V. ---New Window
Successful Labors.
Orphan Houses.-- Impressive Spectacle.-- "On My Back."-- Liberal Gifts.-- Illness of Mrs. Spurgeon.-- Silly Tales.-- "A Black Business."-- Laid Aside by Illness.-- New Year's Letter.-- The Pastor Prostrate.-- Discussion Concerning Future Punishment.-- The Bible and Public Schools.-- A Victim to Gout.-- Visit to the Continent.-- Pastors' College.-- lngatherings at the Tabernacle.-- Colored Jubilee Singers.-- Pointed Preaching.-- Great Missionary Meeting.-- A New Corner-Stone.

CHAPTER VI. ---New Window
The Pastors' College.
The First Student.-- Call for Preachers to the Masses.-- A Faithful Instructor.-- Growth of the College.-- Efforts to Secure Funds.-- Generous Gifts.-- Unknown Benefactor.-- Provision for Students.-- Opinion of Earl Shaftesbury.-- New Churches Founded.-- Mr. Spurgeon's Annual Report.-- Milk and Water Theology.-- Rough Diamonds.-- Course of Study.-- Earnest Workers.-- A Mission Band.-- Interesting Letters.-- Help for Neglected Fields.

CHAPTER VII. ---New Window
Stockwell Orphanage.
A Large Gift.-- New Home for Children.-- Process of Building.-- Laying the Corner-Stone.-- The Little Ones Happy.-- Generous Givers.-- Daily Life in the Orphanage.-- What Becomes of the Boys.-- Rules of Admission.-- Not a Sectarian Institution.-- Successful Anniversary.

CHAPTER VIII. ---New Window
Annual Report of Stockwell Orphanage.
A Devoted Woman.-- Faith Insures Success.-- Story of an Old Puritan.-- Need of a Double Income.-- Health of the Orphanage.-- An Appeal Hard to Resist.-- Young Choristers.-- Spontaneous Charity.-- A Notable Year.-- Enlarging the Bounds.-- Girls' Orphanage.-- Liberal Response to Appeals for Help.-- The Miracle of Faith and Labor.

CHAPTER IX. ---New Window
That Great Preacher's Last Illness and Death.
Alarming Reports.-- Messages of Sympathy.-- Cheering Words from the Christian Endeavor Convention of the United States.-- Message from International Congregational Council.-- Letters from the Prince of Wales and Mr. Gladstone.-- Rays of Hope.-- Anxiety and Fervent Prayers.-- Glowing Eulogies.-- Removal to Mentone.-- Unfavorable Reports.-- The Closing Scene.-- Immense Literary Labors.

• "Book II. ---New Window contains Mr. Spurgeon's most celebrated sermons and lectures. These are plain, pithy, expressed in vigorous Saxon, and go right to the heart. Young and old alike are interested in them. He was a master of the art of illustration, and had the rare faculty of making use of the scenes, facts and incidents he met with in his ordinary every-day life. There is, therefore, scarcely a dull page in his sermons or writings. He always had something practical and interesting to say, which secured for him a multitude of hearers and readers." -taken from "Life and Works of Charles H. Spurgeon

Hands Full of Honey. ---New Window
"IT was a singular circumstance that a man unarmed should have slain a lion in the prime of its vigor; and yet more strange that a swarm of bees should have taken possession of the dried carcase, and have filled it with their honey. In that country, what with beasts, birds and insects, and the dry heat, a dead body is soon cleansed from all corruption, and the bones are clean and white: still the killing of the lion and the finding of the honey make up a remarkable story. These singular circumstances became afterwards the subject of a riddle; but with that riddle we have no concern at this time. Samson himself is a riddle. He was not only a riddle-maker; but he was himself an enigma very difficult to explain: with his personal character I have at this time little or nothing to do. We are not to-day resting at the house of 'Gaius, mine host,' where the pilgrims amused themselves with a dish of nuts after dinner; but we are on the march, and must attend to the more important matter of refreshing and inspiriting those who are in our company. Neither are we going to discuss difficulties; but as Samson took the honey without being stung, so would we gain instruction without debate. We have in these days so much to do, that we must make practical use of every incident that comes before us in the word of God. My one design is to cheer the desponding and stir up all God's people to greater diligence in his service. I conceive that the text may legitimately be employed for this purpose. By the help of the Divine Spirit, even after this lapse of time, we may find honey in the lion."

Glory! ---New Window
"A FORTNIGHT ago, when I was only able to creep to the front of this platform, I spoke to you concerning the future of our mortal bodies. 'We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' On the next Sabbath day we went a step further, and we did not preach so much about the resurrection of the body as upon the hope of glory for our entire nature, our text being, 'Christ in you, the hope of glory.' Thus we have passed through the outer court, and have trodden the hallowed floor of the Holy Place, and now we are the more prepared to enter within the veil, and to gaze a while upon the glory which awaits us. We shall say a little-- and oh, how little it will be-- upon that glory of which we have so sure a prospect, that glory which is prepared for us in Christ Jesus, and of which he is the hope! I pray that our eyes may be strengthened that we may see the heavenly light, and that our ears may be opened to hear sweet voices from the better land. As for me, I cannot say that I will speak of the glory, but I will try to stammer about it; for the best language to which a man can reach concerning glory must be a mere stammering. Paul did but see a little of it for a short time, and he confessed that he heard things that it was not able for a man to utter; and I doubt not that he felt utterly nonplussed as to describing what he had seen. Though a great master of language, yet for once he was overpowered; the grandeur of his theme made him silent. As for us, what can we do, where even Paul breaks down? Pray, dear friends, that the spirit of glory may rest upon you, that he may open your eyes to see as much as can at present be seen of the heritage of the saints. We are told that 'eye hath not seen, neither hath ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.' Yet the eye has seen wonderful things. There are sunrises and sunsets, Alpine glories and ocean marvels which, once seen, cling to our memories throughout life; yet even when nature is at her best she cannot give us an idea of the supernatural glory which God has prepared for his people. The ear has heard sweet harmonies. Have we not enjoyed music which has thrilled us? Have we not listened to speech which has seemed to make our hearts dance within us? And yet no melody of harp nor charm of oratory can ever take us to a conception of the glory which God hath laid up for them that love him."

The Luther Sermon at Exeter-Hall. ---New Window
"In Luther's day superstitious confidence in external observances had overlaid faith in the gospel; ceremonies had multiplied excessively, and the plain and simple way of salvation was obscured. There was need of some sturdy soul who, seeing the truth himself, should show it to others. When God raised up Martin Luther, who was born four centuries ago, he bore emphatic testimony against salvation by outward forms and by the power of priestcraft, affirming, that salvation is by faith, and that the church of God is a company of priests, every believer being a priest unto God."

The Best War-Cry. ---New Window
"The worst thing that can be said of any Christian community is this: 'Thou hast a name to live and art dead.' 'Thou art neither cold nor hot.' Our Lord Jesus says, 'I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.' A church without life and zeal makes Christ sick; he cannot bear it. He can put up with downright godlessness sooner than with a profession of religion out of which the life and the power are gone, since it has cooled down into lukewarmness. This, then, we should pray for continually-- the presence of God in the midst of his people."

Lecture on Candles. ---New Window
"CANDLES were far more familiar objects in my boyhood than in these days of gas and electricity. Now, fathers show their boys and girls how to make gas at the end of a tobacco pipe; but in my time the greatest of wonders was a lucifer-match. Our lights were so few that they justified the wit who declared that the word 'luxury' was derived from lux, the Latin for light. Assuredly, a good light is a high form of luxury. I can never forget the rushlight, which dimly illuminated the sitting-room of the old house; nor the dips, which were pretty fair when there were not too many of them to the pound; nor the mould candles, which came out only when there was a party, or some special personage was expected. Short sixes were very respectable specimens of household lights. Composites have never seemed to me to be so good as the old sort, made of pure tallow; but I dare say I may be wrong. Nevertheless, I have no liking for composites in theology, but prefer the genuine article without compromise."

• "Book III. comprises a very interesting collection of witty, wise, pathetic, eloquent extracts from the famous preacher's writings. These are illustrated, and are very captivating. Gems from the Spurgeon 'Note-Book,' quaint sayings of 'John Ploughman,' beautiful figures and weighty moral lessons, enrich this volume." -taken from "Life and Works of Charles H. Spurgeon

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