[music] (Spurgeon)
I had never felt so
wretched and miserable. Guilt and despair wrapped
me around like a cloak, a heavy black stifling cloak. Aye, even though I was yet a
lad of fifteen I knew well the sin and evil that
lurked in my young heart. I sought relief,
oh, how I sought it. I prayed, I read my bible,
I went to church, twice every Sunday. But instead of relief
I got the whip. Others could talk, tearful eyed
of their Lord's forgiveness, I could not. He was to me a
harsh taskmaster. I was desperate
to find shelter. I'd been to most of the
churches in Colchester, but not
Artillery Street Chapel. It was Methodist but I
was too cold to care. ♪...the trump of God
shall sound, rejoice ♪ (Preacher)
The text for the week is
from the Old Testament, and the mighty
prophet Isaiah and what a wonderful
text it is, for it is the very
gospel in a nutshell. Isaiah chapter 45 and verse 22. A dozen words dear friends, a dozen words that can save our
souls if we pay heed to them: "Look unto me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth." My dear friends, this is
indeed a simple text. For it says "look." Now looking don't
take a lot of work. It's not like lifting
your foot or your finger. It is just, "look." You don't have go to college
to learn how to look. (Spurgeon)
Strange how God takes the
most unlikely people and uses them for
His purposes. He was doing it with this
preacher, bless his heart. And little did I know then that he was planning
to do it with me in ways that my
young imagination could never have dreamed. Many of you are looking
to yourselves, there's no use looking there. You'll never find
comfort in yourselves. You will only find
darkness and despair. You need the light and there is only one
who is that light. That is why Jesus Christ
says "Look to Me. Look to me, I am all
that you need." This is Artillery
Street in Colchester, and down here is the chapel
where our 15 year old teenager sheltered from the cold. What happened here
would have an impact felt, not just across Britain,
but across the whole world. An impact, whose ripples
are still reaching us today over a century
after his death. Yet his story is
bang up to date. It's one we're all
familiar with: an unknown country boy
who arrives in the city to find fame and romance, who struggles to overcome
his weaknesses, and then is driven by his
convictions to make a stand which leaves him isolated
and ridiculed by the media. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was to
become no ordinary preacher. Our teenager was destined to
become the "people's preacher", and one of the most
influential figures in Queen Victoria's reign. On June 19, 1834, in this
cottage here in Kelvedon, nineteen year old
Eliza Spurgeon gave birth to her first
born son, Charles. Eliza had 16 children
but 9 of them died in infancy. Eliza was a source of great
inspiration to Charles. Indeed his younger brother
James once said that "she was the starting point of
any goodness, or any greatness which any of us, by the
grace of God enjoyed." But his father John
and grandfather James were also sources of
great inspiration. They were both preachers. In fact the Spurgeons came
from a long line of preachers. So right from the start
young Charles had preachers, Bibles and pulpits very
much in his blood. But the family had
financial problems. By the time Charles was
eighteen months old they just couldn't cope so they
arranged for his grandfather to look after him at his home
in Stambourne 20 miles away. James Spurgeon was the minister
of Stambourne Meeting House which was just next door. His 17 year old daughter Ann
became like a mother to Charles and her influence was as
great as a natural mother. And it was here, that he
discovered something that was to become a
major part of his life. (Spurgeon)
Books! I loved books - the smell
of them, the feel of them. My grandfather had hundreds
written by Puritan writers of an earlier age and
full of the theology that became my meat and drink. I could not yet read - it was the pictures
that captured my childish imagination. One book in particular
drew me again and again. It was written by an unlearned
tinker while in prison for preaching the Gospel. Next to my Bible, John Bunyan's Pilgrims Progress
is my most read book. Its plain language
and earthy characters left their mark upon me. (Presenter) After five
idyllic years at Stambourne the young Spurgeon
moved to Colcester. He was six. Charles' father was well
known as a local preacher, and when they moved to a larger
house here in Hythe Hill, Charles was able
to rejoin them. The original house
has long gone, but some of the buildings
still remain. Charles really missed his
Aunty Ann and his Grandfather, they'd become very close. But his new home,
which was situated just here, was just as warm and welcoming,
full of the warmth and security that all young boys need
but rarely admit to. Charles was a hero to his
younger brother and his sisters who were his
adoring congregation whenever he played at church. Did he ever dream that one day
he'd be doing it for real? (Spurgeon)
I was truly blessed. I was surrounded by love. My family all had a
lively faith in the Lord. They knew Him, and I
wished with all my heart that I could know Him too. But I was a sinner,
and I loved my sin. No one knew of my despair,
of the turmoil, the emptiness, the blackness that
possessed me. I kept it all to myself
for five long years. I yearned, I so yearned
for his loving embrace. But I feared his piercing
eye that saw the sin in me. That Sabbath morn, a battle was raging
in my broken heart. Young man, you, yes you,
you look very miserable - you always will be miserable - miserable in life, miserable in
death if you don't obey my text; but obey now, and you will
find what you are seeking. All you need do is look. There is nothing
else for you to do. He has carried
away your sin. Look and live. I heard His voice. (Spurgeon)
Aye, they may have been
the halting words of a simple country preacher
but I heard His voice. He was speaking to me -
to me. I felt His arms
wrap me around. I was enclosed in His love. Gone, gone was my despair, gone
was my guilt, gone was my fear. I was His, and He was mine,
my blessed Jesus. (Presenter)
Six months later Spurgeon
came here - the River Lark. It was used as a ferry crossing
for the people of Isleham. As he'd studied his Bible, he'd become convinced of
the need to be baptized. So, spurning his Independent
Church upbringing, which didn't believe
in adult baptism, he joined with
local Baptists and publicly and nervously
declared his faith and was baptized right
here on May the 3rd, 1850. (Spurgeon)
The wind blew down the
river with a cutting blast as my turn came to
wade into the water. But after I had
walked a few steps, and saw the people
on the ferry boat and on the river banks, I felt as if heaven and earth
and hell might all watch me, for I was not ashamed, then and there to declare
myself a follower of the Lamb. My timidity was washed away. It floated down the
river into the sea. Baptism loosed my tongue, and from that day it
has never been quiet. (Presenter)
Spurgeon was now
living in Cambridge where he continued
his studies. He was also doing some tutoring
to earn some much needed cash. St. Andrew's Street Baptist
church was his spiritual home. He quickly gained a
reputation as an excellent Sunday school teacher, so much so that his classes were
full not just with children, but also with adults. He had a rare ability for
being able to explain the deep truths of God in a way the man in the
street could understand. Spurgeon was still to preach
his first sermon on a Sunday but someone was very
keen that he should. James Vinter, affectionately
known as Bishop Vinter was president of the local
Preacher's Association. He was always on the
lookout for new recruits. He had Spurgeon in his
sights and he had a plan. Well my friend, I trust we shall have a good
congregation this evening and I pray you will know the
Lord's enabling as you preach. As I preach? You are mistaken my fiend,
you are tonight's preacher! No no, not me. I am here to encourage
you brother. Bishop Vinter told me - said
you were nervous of speaking and would enjoy some company. He told me you were to
preach - your first time. He requested I come to support
you and steady your nerves. The thought of speaking
fills me with dread and anyway, I have
nothing prepared. And I also am not
prepared. If you do not speak, these
good folks shall have nothing. Why not give them one of
your Sunday school talks? Oh now I am in dread! Brother, allow me some quiet
while I think of what to say and what I shall say to Bishop
Vinter when I next see him. (Presenter)
The service was to be held
in a farmer's cottage at the village of
Teversham near Cambridge. The people waiting had no idea
they were about to hear someone who was to become the most
famous preacher in the land. My good friends, thank you for
your very kind hospitality. We have enjoyed food
for our bodies, now young master Spurgeon
here is going to give us food for our souls. (Spurgeon)
The folk gathered were
kind and generous. They did not notice
my shaking knees, or hear my pounding heart. But as I stood up to speak
it was as though God himself stood by me and gave me a
boldness and an assurance such as I had not
known before. The apostle Peter in
his second letter declares, "To you who believe,
He, meaning Jesus Christ, is precious." He is precious! I wonder what are those things
that we hold as being precious? It is surely not those things
that are merely valuable, or those things
that are special but those things
which are unique; those things of which
there is not another and not a better. Does that not
describe our savior? There is none more valuable,
none more special, none better. But most important of all,
there is none other. In the book of Acts we read
that there is no other name given under heaven whereby
man can be saved. Are these not wonderfully
liberating words, words which free us from
the shackles of religion? Think upon this my friends;
if Jesus Christ alone saves us then it follows that no amount
of charitable works can do it. No giving of all we have
to the poor can do it, no church attending,
Bible reading, not even our prayers
can do it. Only Jesus. You may be the kindest,
most righteous person in all of Teversham. But your good
living cannot do it. You may be the greatest sinner,
and repent of your sins every day, every hour,
yet that cannot do it. Only Jesus. Only Jesus,
the precious one. But, you might ask,
how, how does He do it? How does He save us. The great prophet Isaiah tells
us: "Look to Him, and be saved." Look, look, just look. So simple. Anyone can look. The prince and the
pauper can look, the sinner and the
saint can look, the grandfather and
the grandson can look. A year ago I was such
a one, who looked. I simply looked, and trusted Him
Who is precious, to save me. Tonight in this cottage, you
can look, and you can be saved. And as you look and trust, He
will become to you precious, precious beyond measure. Bless your dear heart. And, how old are you? I am under sixty! Yes, and under 16 more like. Never you mind my age, just you think of the Lord Jesus
and His preciousness. Now let us bring our service to
a close as we sing that hymn, "Blessed be the tie
that binds." ♪ Blessed be the tie
that binds...♪ All over Cambridgeshire,
the teenage Spurgeon won people's hearts as he
preached in chapels, villages, cottages, wherever people could
get to hear him. Here at Waterbeach, the church
has been rebuilt since then, he preached on two
consecutive Sundays. He was such a hit, the people asked him
to become their pastor. He was just 17 years of age. The village was notorious for
profanity and drunkenness. But, as Spurgeon himself
was later to write... (Spurgeon)
In a short time the little
thatched chapel was crammed, the biggest vagabonds
of the village were weeping floods of tears, and those who had been
the curse of the parish became its blessing. I can say with joy
and happiness that from one end of
the village to the other, at the hour of eventide,
one might have heard the voice of song
coming from every roof, and echoing from every heart. And it was here that
Spurgeon won his first convert. She was a laborer's wife, and he saw it as God's
seal upon his ministry. The final thing I want
to say to you is Psalm 37. Delight yourself in the Lord. If anybody had said to me, someone has left
you 20,000 pounds I should not have given
tuppence for it compared with the joy I felt when I was told God had saved
a soul though my ministry. Lord Jesus thank you
for this blessed woman. Thank you for what she has
prayed today in her heart. I felt like a boy who had
earned his first guinea, or like a diver who had been
down to the depths of the sea, and brought up a great pearl. Spurgeon was now preaching
3 times on Sundays, and 5 times during the week. For someone still a teenager,
the respect and adulation could have gone to his head
and he was aware of it. He well remembered the day
that God spoke to him about the dangers
of a proud heart. It's from Jeremiah where he asks
Baruch, his ambitious secretary, "Do you seek great
things for yourself?" And then he says,
"Seek them not." The words struck right into his
soul and he remembered them for the rest of his life. But for now, with his
increasing success, some were jealous of him. If only they knew
what lay ahead! (Spurgeon)
God in His goodness blessed
my time at Waterbeach. Oh yes, I blundered,
I often blundered, but I was well loved by the people who readily
forgave their youthful pastor. My young brother James
became a Barnabas to me, full of godly wisdom
and encouragement. I had much to learn. (James)
When I drove my brother about
the country to preach, I thought then as I
thought ever since, what an extraordinary
preacher he was. What feeling and power I remember in some of
those early speeches! The effect upon the people
I have never known exceeded in after years. He seemed to have leaped
full grown into the pulpit. The breadth and brilliance
of those early sermons, and the power that God's Holy
Spirit evidently gave to him, made him perfectly marvelous. (Presenter)
On the last Sunday
of November 1853 a letter arrived which was
to change Spurgeon's life. It was an invitation from
New Park Street Chapel in south London to
preach with a view to becoming their new pastor. Surely it was a mistake. Did they realize
how young he was? A second letter
confirmed the invitation. Spurgeon had mixed
feelings about going. He loved the country. But God was calling, it
was a matter of obedience. London was the center
of the world and home for its most
powerful monarch. The young Queen Victoria reigned over a rapidly
expanding empire. International travel
was the latest thing. It was an exhilarating time. New inventions and
discoveries were being made, almost weekly it seemed. The medical world was being
transformed by the discovery of antiseptics and anesthesia. The Industrial Revolution
was in full swing, changing the lives of millions. But not always for the
better especially in London. (Spurgeon)
I hated London. I hated the noise, the rush,
the crowds, and the stink. They told me 3 million
people lived here and I saw some of them; the
rich with their fine clothes. You could smell them coming
with their fancy perfumes. And you could smell the poor
beggars they passed by. But the sight that choked
me most was the orphans, thousands of them they said. No where to go except
the streets, no one to care for them. Scrawny chickens they were,
starving, filthy, wretched, begging and thieving
to stay alive. Where was the conscience
of the people? How could they permit
such evil to flourish. Oh how I hated London. Had God called me to this? It was nearly Christmas. Spurgeon was lonely. He desperately missed
home and family. The church didn't offer
him any hospitality. They put him up in a boarding
house here in Queens Square in Bloomsbury. It wasn't nearly
so posh then. He was miserable. His room was the size
of a broom cupboard. His fellow boarders taunted him
cruelly about his appearance and his strange accent. Their boasting about London's
wonderful preachers made him feel even more
depressed and inadequate. (Spurgeon)
I had no friend in all that
city full of human beings, and to escape safely to the
serene abodes of Cambridge and Waterbeach
seemed like Eden itself. I'm at the site of
New Park Street Chapel, just south of the
River Thames. It was one of the
Baptist Union's most influential churches. For nearly 200 years it drew
a good sized congregation to its large sanctuary. But with the building of
new roads and factories its location
worked against it. It was often flooded. As one of the pastors once said
"A more depressing, uninviting "and repelling region than
where the chapel is situated I have seldom explored." The people moved out and the
church lost its congregation. It dwindled from about 1200
to just a handful. Its decline had become an
embarrassment to the Baptists. It was hoped that Charles
Spurgeon would stop the rot. And so on Sunday the 18th
of December, 1853, a very nervous Spurgeon
made his way to New Park Street Chapel. It was far bigger and grander than anywhere he had
preached before. Some of the great Baptists,
heroes to Spurgeon, had preached here. He wondered how he could
have had the temerity to accept the invitation. But the glory days had
passed and on that morning, he spoke to an
almost empty church. Good morning
dear friends. My text this morning
is from James. "Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from
the father of lights." (Presenter)
No one imagined that the
preacher would become the perfect illustration
of the text, least of all Spurgeon who
just wanted to go home. And this verse speaks
very clearly to us about Who we are to aim
our thanks towards. Not to ourselves, not to our
brothers, but to our Father. (Presenter)
But something happened. The congregation was riveted. This was preaching
the like of which they had never heard before
and they loved it. Word went out, and that evening
the church was full of people hungry for God, and here was
someone who could feed them and he a mere teenager. Psalm 37: "Delight
thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the
desires of thy heart." (Presenter)
Urged on by the
congregation, the deacons asked
Spurgeon to come again. The key is not in chasing
the desires of our heart. The key is in
chasing the Lord. (Spurgeon)
When I trudged back
to the Queen's Square lodging, I was not alone, and I no
longer looked on Londoners as hard-hearted heathen. My attitude changed. I wanted no pity of anyone;
I did not care a penny for the young gentlemen lodgers
and their miraculous ministers, nor for the grind of cabs, nor for anything else
under the sun. (Presenter)
Within 4 months
the church had decided Spurgeon was their man. He was 19. In a letter to his grandfather
at Stambourne he wrote: (Spurgeon)
You have heard that
I am now a Londoner, and a little bit
of a celebrity. No college could have put
me in a higher position. Our place is one of the
pinnacles of the denomination. But I have a
great work to do, and have need of
all the prayers the sons of God
can offer for me. In just a couple of months
the congregation increased from 200 to nearly 2,000. They mostly from the middle
class north side of the Thames. But neither the long distance
nor the bridge toll put them off. At last, they had found
someone who spoke about God in a way that they
could understand. Most preachers of the
day used the language of the intelligentsia - it was
all a bit academic and dry. Spurgeon broke the mold with
his down to earth style, using words that everybody
could understand. He made God real
and relevant in a way few preachers
of the day did. And what is the church
but the bride of Christ; you and me dear friends. We are His beloved. (Presenter)
But not everyone thought
he was so wonderful, at least to begin with. Susannah Thompson was 22,
2 years older than Spurgeon, and was most unimpressed, but still came to hear the
young man with the odd accent. Her presence didn't
go unnoticed! And that is why marriage
is such a sacred - such a sacred and
honored thing. (Presenter)
But she also
had a problem. She had doubts
about her faith and was uncertain if she
was even a Christian. Spurgeon found out, and sent her a copy
of Pilgim's Progress. But he felt that they
should get together to "discuss" her problem. The occasion was
the grand re-opening of the Crystal Palace
on the 10th of June, 1854. And Spurgeon's interest wasn't
only in her spiritual progress. My dear, I have been
reading Tupper's "Proverbial Philosophy,"
very good I must say. I wanted to show
you something. What do you think of the poet's
suggestion in these verses? Let me see. Ah "Seek a good wife
from your God, "for she is the best
gift of His providence; "Yet do not demand that
which He has not promised; "You know not what
His will is, "so be submissive
in your prayers, "and trust Him to answer
your request as He sees fit, "assured that He will
deal well with you. "If you are to have a
wife of your youth, "she is now living
on the earth. Therefore think of her,
and pray for her." Do you pray for him who
is to be your husband? I certainly pray for her
who is to be my wife! (Susannah)
The Lord surely has
a sense of humor. That I should fall in
love with this man, and with an accent that seemed
more like an affliction. But that summer,
as we went a courting, I knew in my heart I'd
never find another. God knit our
hearts together. He became to me my beloved and
my pastor, for he delivered me from my doubting by
his wise counsel. We married the
following winter, and ere long God blessed us
with our darling twins Thomas and Charles. (Presenter)
The twins were a great joy
to Susannah and Charles who had the joy of seeing
them enter the ministry, Thomas eventually
becoming pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Spurgeon's preaching
was attracting more and more people. NewPark Street Chapel was becoming dangerously
overcrowded. Without proper ventilation
it was also becoming increasingly unpleasant. The cramped and airless
conditions were by now getting on his nerves but the deacons refused
to do anything about it. Until that is,
one particular Sunday. He'd had enough. He turned round and faced
the wall behind his pulpit and shouted, "By faith the
walls of Jericho came down, and by faith this wall
will come down too." The shocked deacons gave in, and readily agreed to
extend the building. But now they had to find
another building to worship in while the renovations
were carried out. Their choice of location
caused quite a stir. It was Exeter Hall in the
heart of London's West End. Every Sunday, throughout
the renovation, the streets around the
hall were grid-locked with cabs and carriages taking
people to hear Mr. Spurgeon. The place was packed. The people loved his populist
style which many church leaders and the media
regarded as vulgar. But he didn't care. If anything the by now,
21 year old preacher reveled in his
new found notoriety. (Spurgeon)
For myself I will rejoice,
the devil is roused, the Church is awakening, and I am counted worthy to
suffer for Christ's sake. Good ballast father,
good ballast. I became that which I
disdained - famous. I was in the limelight. It was a place of danger
to my immortal soul. But God had his way of
squashing my youthful pride. Whatever gifts I possessed,
He had given me to serve Him. They were not mine. Oh there were some
who saw my confidence as pride and arrogance. They did not see my
trembling heart, so readily bruised
by a harsh word. I shall never forget
when a slanderous report against my character
came to me, and my heart was
broken in agony. I knew that in preaching the
gospel I had to be willing to become of no reputation. I said, "Master, I will not
keep back even that from You. "If I must lose it,
then I let it go; "it is the dearest
thing I have, "but it shall go if,
like my Master, "they shall say I have
a devil and am mad; "or they accuse me like Him, of being a drunken man
and a wine-bibber." Five months later, New Park
Street Chapel re-opened now much brighter
and roomier. The cabs and carriages
did a roaring trade. On a Sunday morning they'd
cruise around the city calling out, "Over the
water to Charlie," and they very
quickly filled up as did the 200
extra seats. By now they were back to square
one with as Spurgeon said, a harvest much too
rich for the barn. They put up with it for another
year and then decided to do what they should have
done in the first place, namely, build a
bigger barn. So while the money was raised
for the new building they moved back
to Exeter Hall but even that couldn't cope
with the increased crowds. So they then moved to the
biggest indoor venue in London, the Surrey Gardens Music Hall. And it was here,
that tragedy struck. This is near the site where the Surrey Gardens
Music Hall once stood. It was enormous. It could seat
10,000 people. The news that Spurgeon
was going to preach here spread through London
like wildfire. It was October 19, 1856. All day long, people
were gathering in the park waiting for the
doors to open. The hall itself was actually
packed to capacity, with thousands waiting outside. London hadn't seen anything
like this in a hundred years. Spurgeon himself almost
lost his nerve at the sheer size
of the crowd. Spurgeon was just about
to preach his sermon, when there was a disturbance
at the back of the hall. Fire, fire, the place
is falling, everybody out, the galleries are
giving way. [yelling] So often we lose the meaning
of this wonderful psalm, this wonderful poem written
by a man in trouble. [yelling] (Presenter)
The hall was so vast he had
no idea what was happening. [yelling] (Presenter)
Word eventually
reached Spurgeon and he tried to
stop the panic. Please would those nearest
the exits leave first. (Presenter)
In the stampede 7
people were killed and 28 seriously injured. Spurgeon collapsed when he
discovered what had happened. It was even rumored
that he had died. But there had been no fire, the galleries had
not given way. It was the work of hooligans intent on disrupting
the service. An already hostile press
tore Spurgeon to shreds blaming him for the tragedy. It haunted him for
the rest of his life. (Spurgeon)
Only God Himself knew the
anguish of my sad spirit? Tears were my meat by day and
dreams of terror by night. My thoughts were as jagged
piercing knives, cutting my heart to pieces. I could not be comforted. My beloved Bible
brought me no light. I could not pray. I felt my faith had died
and God had abandoned me. But then, like a
flash of lightning, my soul returned to me. I was free. The iron fetter was
broken in pieces, my prison door was open. I leaped for joy of heart. I was a man again and
what is more, a believer. Within two weeks he was back
preaching at Surrey Gardens only this time
only in the mornings. The publicity had turned him
into even more of a celebrity. Now people were coming from far
and wide to hear him preach, many out of sheer curiosity. A year later many
thousands of people were massacred in India,
Britain's "jewel in the crown". The "Indian Mutiny was
seen as a humiliation for the proud British. The nation was called to a
day of prayer and fasting. Spurgeon was invited to
preach to 24,000 people at Crystal Palace. He may not have agreed with
the politics of empire, but he made sure is
biggest ever congregation heard the gospel. Meanwhile funds had been
raised for the new building and in the summer of
1859 the foundation stone was laid on land just upriver
from New Park street Chapel. Eighteen months later,
in March 1861, here at the Elephant and Castle
the new church was opened. And here it is:
the Metropolitan Tabernacle. It's still a thriving
church today. It was enormous! It cost just over
32,000 pounds, about 2 million pounds
at today's prices. It had three galleries and
had seating for 6,000 people with room for another
500 standing. Admission was by ticket
freely available and guaranteeing a seat. Those without had to
stand in the aisles. They'd all come to
hear Mr. Spurgeon and would continue to do
so for some thirty years. (Spurgeon)
The Sabbath was exhilarating
and terrifying. Yes, terrifying. They said 6,000 people
came to hear me preach, this country yokel
from the fens. The weight of it and the honor
of it often brought me low. Many a Sabbath morn my
breakfast was vomited as Jonah from the whale
with sweats and palpitations. But my good Lord never
failed to strengthen me. The preaching of the word -
His precious word, is what the people
came to hear. And early they came,
to be sure of finding a seat. And happily they waited
until the hour: 11 o'clock on the
Sabbath morn, and half past six
in the evening. The service was simple -
an opening hymn sung without the assistance
of any musical instrument. The reading of the scriptures,
a second hymn, and then the preaching
of the word. I could not have wished for a
more attentive congregation as they listened in
reverent silence. It only made me stronger in my
determination to be faithful in my preaching of the word. The natural
heart rebels against the simplicity of the
way of salvation. What? Am I to do nothing
but simply accept what Christ has already done? Am I to do nothing but merely
look to Him who was nailed to the tree, and find all
my salvation in Him? "Well, then," says the proud
heart, "I cannot understand it." No. It cannot understand it
because it does not like it. Now, if this be your
difficulty, and I believe, in nine cases out of ten, a proud heart is at the
root of all difficulty about the sinner's
coming to Christ - if this be it
which hinders you, then go to God about it,
and seek wisdom from Him. He will show you the foolishness
of this pride of yours, and He will teach you that
simply to trust in Jesus is at once the safest and most
suitable way of salvation. (Susannah)
I oft pondered the reason
Charlie is so well liked. Especially so as he never
plays to the galleries for popular appeal. On occasion his
message is hard, though delivered
with a soft heart. I heard him once say, "We shall not adjust
our Bible to the age; "but before we have done
with it, by God's grace, we shall adjust the
age to the Bible." He seeks always to please his
God rather than entertain man. His honesty and integrity, his infectious confidence
in the holy scriptures, these, I concluded,
are what draw men to him. Ah! Poor heart, when you see
the blackness of your sin, it is no wonder that you
are driven to despair. When your sins come
howling behind you, like so many ravenous wolves
seeking to devour you, I can well understand why you
should wish to lay violent hands upon yourself. It is no strange thing
for men to lose all hope when under a sense of sin. You know not what to do. If only you could
be calm and quiet, we could tell you
the way of peace. But you are too much troubled
to hear what we have to say. Y
to everybody but you, because you are in such
a worry and a turmoil. As John Bunyan used to say, you are much troubled up
and down in your thoughts. And so I ask you then, pray - pray even out of the
depths of your despair that God will open the eyes
of your understanding. And I assure you, he will be
pleased to instruct you and bring you out into a safe
way, a way of peace and joy. Amen. God called me to feed His
people with the choicest fare. But preparing it is no
mere boiling of an egg for a few minutes. I confess that I frequently
sit hour after hour praying and waiting
for a subject, and that this is the
main part of my study. Much hard labor have I spent
in the working out of topics, thinking through
points of doctrine, making skeletons
out of verses and then burying
every bone of them in the catacombs
of oblivion. Every Saturday night I prepare
enough outlines of sermons to last me a month. But I no more dare use
them than an honest sailor would smuggle ashore a
cargo of contraband goods. But when a text grips me,
I have found the sermon. And when I have found
the sermon, I preach it, assured it will
speak to the people with power and authority. I never cease to marvel
how it touches the people and meets their needs. And blessed be His name,
it has nothing to do with me, I am only one who
listens to his master, and speaks out what he hears. For tourists, going
to hear Mr Spurgeon was a must. The Metropolitan Tabernacle became London's most
famous preaching point. But it was also pioneering
something the people hadn't heard before - preaching the
gospel not just with words, but also with social action. It was revolutionary stuff, much
criticized by church leaders who accused them of betraying God's
command to "preach the gospel." Social action, they said,
was not part of this. But Spurgeon, who was
way ahead of his time and believed the gospel
was for the body and not just for the soul. So the building was open
from early morning until almost midnight
six days a week, serving a very needy community. In fact over 60 ministries
and charitable works were begun during
Spurgeon's time at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Many of them were maintained by
the royalties from his books. Some of those works have
continued to the present day. This is Surrey
Square Mission, just a mile or so
from the tabernacle. It's one of twenty mission
stations founded by Spurgeon. He visited them regularly. In these little chapels, the gospel was preached
and practiced. Many of the chapels like
these still exist today, as do quite a few of
the works that he began. The plight of
London's street kids weighed heavily on Spurgeon. They were mostly orphans, or from families too
poor to look after them. They had to beg and
steal just to stay alive. To many people they were
no more than vermin. Spurgeon was a big fan
of George Muller, who had already opened several dormitory style
orphan houses in Bristol. Spurgeon's vision was for
smaller family based homes, housing about a dozen children
with their own matron. Thanks to a large donation
from a clergyman's widow, these homes at Stockwell
in south London were built for boys. Ten years later accommodation
was added for girls. As in the Muller homes,
children got a good education and were well prepared for
the challenges of adulthood. Today it's known simply
as "Spurgeons" helping vulnerable children
and young people find hope and fulfillment in
the 21st century. Spurgeons runs many projects, specially designed to meet the
needs of each community, not only in the United Kingdom,
but internationally. Spurgeon himself never
had any formal training for the ministry. In those days you had to be an
Anglican to go to university. But he certainly wasn't
against training. And when some young men who were
passionate about preaching, asked him for some, he started
the Pastor's College. Once again he financed it
from his own book royalties. Today it's known as
Spurgeon's College and is held in high esteem by
the evangelical community. Every Friday, the Guv'nor'
as they called him, gave his lectures, many of
them still published today including his series
on preaching: "Lectures to My Students." During his lifetime
he rejoiced to see 900 of his students graduate. And today that
tradition continues with men and women, of every
Christian denomination receiving training to graduate
level for service in the church. Today's college
has been here in Upper Norwood in South
London since 1923 and it's only a stone's
throw from where Spurgeon and his wife
Susannah came to live in 1880. Westwood was well away
from the pollution that had affected both Charles'
and Susannah's health. It was in Upper Norwood,
near Crystal palace. Spurgeon felt it
was a bit grand, but discovered that
he could buy it for the price of
his London home. It was perfect and
easily accommodated his 12,000 book library, and the
many guests that came to stay. (Susannah)
Coming here has been
such a blessing. The fresh air and sunlight
has benefited our health considerably, and Charlie
now has space to fulfill his expanding ministry
much more efficiently. We have two
secretaries to assist with the hundreds of letters
that arrive every week, and researchers to help
with the four books he writes each year. The royalties from his
writings are considerable - they have enabled us to
live without being a financial burden
upon the church. And Charlie gives all he
can to the Lord's work. These are certainly
golden years. But my, he does work so
and rarely takes any rest except when he visits
his beloved Mentone. (Presenter)
Mentone, on the
French Riviera became a regular
retreat for Spurgeon. The warm balmy breezes
of the Mediterranean were the perfect cure for the stresses and
pressures of ministry. He loved nothing more than to
stay at his favorite hotel right on the sea front:
the Beau Rivage. The hotel has long gone,
but a block of apartments, built on its site,
still bears it's name. But even here, he never
really switched off. His secretary and trusted
confidant Joseph Harrald often went with him to
assist with his writing which he was able to do free from the demands of
a thriving congregation. Susannah always
remained at home. She began to suffer
ill health and eventually
required surgery, what for, no-one knows for
sure, but it was serious enough that for a time she
became bed-ridden. While Charles Spurgeon was
preaching God's word at the Metropolitan
Tabernacle, another Charles, Charles Darwin, was preaching
his theory of evolution through his book
"The Origin of Species." The year the Metropolitan
Tabernacle opened, Spurgeon then 27, responded by
giving a humorous lecture called "The Gorilla and the
Land he inhabits". The cartoonists went
to town. Darwin's new theory,
and the German Higher Criticism were having a profound
impact on the church. Many of her leaders were
losing confidence in the authority of the Bible -
it was more and more being regarded as
just a book of myths. The divinity of Christ
was being challenged, and the gospel message
of salvation through faith in Christ alone
was being downgraded. Spurgeon urged his own
Baptist denomination to make a clear
statement of belief. But they refused. Many of their leaders had become
liberal in their theology and had joined what would
become known as the Downgrade Controversy. For Spurgeon it
was a nightmare. He hated conflict, but he felt
compelled to make a stand against the undermining of
the authority of Scripture, which was fundamental to
his evangelical faith. He wrote many articles in
the magazine he founded, "The Sword and Trowel" pleading
for an end to the downgrade. But to no avail. It all got very unpleasant with
accusations and recriminations flying around all
over the place. He felt he had to resign
from the Baptist Union which he did in 1888. (Spurgeon)
My heart is broken. I am in the depths
of despair. Is there anyone who
will stand for my Jesus? I am sick, sick at heart,
and I am weary. Oh Lord, let me go. Give me rest from
my labors. I cannot go on. And yet, I must. As long as there is
breath in me I must. Oh, I have been lifted up,
yet in your mercy your thorn keeps me low so
that I am not a proud man. You chasten me in secret. The blackness. No one knows the
awful blackness I can bare endure
it when it comes. (Presenter)
The press only added
to his woes. His short rotund figure gave
the cartoonists a field day. Sometimes they were humorous. Sometimes they were
viciously cruel. They looked for any excuse
to ridicule the world's most famous preacher. He used to smoke a cigar
on his way to preach, a doctor of all people told him
it was good for his health. The press lambasted him
for it, and he gave it up. He never smoked a pipe, that
was an invention of the media. (Susannah)
On the 7th of June 1891, Charlie preached as usual
at the Tabernacle. But I could not but notice
how aged he had become in a few short years. The troubles had taken their
cruel revenge on his body. What I would say
lastly is this: How I long that you who
have not yet enlisted in my Lord's band
would come to Him because you see what a kind
and gracious Lord He is. Young men, if you
could see our Captain, you would get down
on your knees and beg Him to let you enter the
ranks of those who follow Him. It is heaven to serve Jesus. I am His recruiting sergeant and how I long to find a few
recruits at this moment. (Susannah)
How my heart
went out to him. It would have broken if I
but knew this was to be his last sermon after 40
years - 40 glorious years. These forty years
and more have I served Him, blessed be His name! and I have had nothing
but love from Him. I would be glad to serve
him another forty years. His service is life,
peace, joy. Oh, that you would enlist
under the banner of Christ this very day. Amen. (Susannah)
In less than a month my dear
Charlie was barely conscious. His kidneys were
painfully inflamed, a condition called
Bright's disease. All this to add to the
excruciating pain of his gout. Yet I never heard him utter one
word of complaint or self pity. Oh wifie, will you read to
me the shepherd psalm. (Susannah)
I felt he had but
a few months of life in him. All across the land people
were praying for him. The newspapers were
now generous with their daily reports
of his progress. It was not good. Among the many
letters of support one addressed to me
showed the high esteem in which Charlie was held: (Gladstone)
Dear Madam,
In my own house, darkened at the present time, I have read with sad
interest the daily accounts of Mr. Spurgeon's illness and I cannot help
conveying to you the earnest assurance
of my sympathy and of my cordial
admiration, not only of his
splendid powers, but still more of his devoted
and unfailing character. May I humbly commend you and
him to the infinite stores of the divine love and mercy,
and subscribe myself, Faithfully yours,
W. E. Gladstone. (Susannah)
It was from the
Prime Minister. (Presenter)
Two months later and
having regained some strength, Spurgeon returned to
his beloved Mentone, this time under his
doctor's orders who had prescribed an extended
period of convalescence. His friend and secretary
Joseph Harrald went with him and for the first
time, Susannah. It was to be their last
few months together - and they made
the most of it. By the end of January 1892,
his health had worsened. Oh wifie, we have had
such a blessed time. God is faithful,
so faithful. He took me, a short fat man
from my beloved fenlands and made me a preacher
of His word - His glorious, precious,
wonderful word. What a Savior we have; and He
gave me you, my precious wifie, my dear precious wifie. And He gave me you,
Charlie, you dear adorable man. Yes, God has been good to us. Now you must rest my love,
rest, and be at peace. (Presenter)
Shortly after his death Joseph
Harrald saw what he insisted had been angels above
the hills of Mentone, waiting to take
Spurgeon home. Spurgeon's death
was headline news in all the national papers. Among the many tributes
and messages of sympathy was one from the future
king and queen, Edward and Alexandra. The funeral was almost
a state occasion. Along the route from the
Metropolitan Tabernacle to the cemetery
at West Norwood, shops and public
houses closed. At the untimely
age of 57 the People's Preacher
was being laid to rest. In his lifetime he had preached
to over 10 million people. But in his death, through
his published writings and his sermons, he has spoken
and he still speaks to countless millions
across the world. But more than that,
it can be said that his stand against the
downgrade that cost him so much, stopped the churches
in Britain from falling into
liberalism and unbelief as happened elsewhere
in Europe. Perhaps today's evangelical
Christians owe more than they realize to
this boy preacher, this people's preacher
from the fens. (Spurgeon)
My life seems to me
like a fairy dream. I am often both
amazed and dazed with its mercies
and its love. How good God has
been to me! I used to think that I should
sing among the saints above as loudly as any, for I owe so much
to the grace of God and I said so once in
a sermon, long ago: "Then loudest of the
crowd I'll sing, "While Heaven's
resounding mansions ring, With shouts of
sovereign grace."
