A LONDON PREACHER ON LONDON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 509, 15 December 1881, Page 2

A LONDON PREACHER ON LONDON.

♦ Mr C. H. Spurgeon, minister of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington Butts, in presiding at a weekly lecture a few days ago, observed in opening the proceedings that never, perhaps, was it more necessary for those living in London to pray earnestly than at the present time. He had heard it said that there were now 4,700,000 living souls within the metropolitan district. Such a city never before existed on the face of the earth. Ancient Rome was immensely large and magnificent, while it was difficult to accurately make out whiat was its population, but, of a certainty, in the days of its highest glory and splendor, it never even approximated the size of the London of to-day. Nor could China with its teeming millions, and its great cities, such as Pekin, boast of any city to be compared to London, to make up which would take the two largest cities in the world, while it would require five of the other foremost cities. Perhaps many of his hearers had not even an idea of what a million meant. If there were any such present he would recommend them to count a thousand, and observe the time occupied in so doing, though they had only got one-thousandth the way to the million. Then to think that this enormous multitude making up modern London was continually increasing, not only by births, but by those daily flocking into it from various parts of the country. Well might they cry out to God that the people might be blessed. There were many Abrahams to-day required to pray for such a city as this. He (Mr Spurgeon) had often heard a great deal about plans that were to convert the whole of London in a short time; but he candidly confessed that he believed in none of these “plans” whatever.

[.For continuation of reading matter see first page.]