Rev. H.C. Spurgeon.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 23 July 1891, Page 2

Rev. H.C. Spurgeon.

From 'the •• JMee 1 '^iM^ we glean the following 'particulars of the Rev. 0. H. Spnrgeori'sllife.'.iiHowaß bom 19th June, 1834, in ihaidttfashioned' village 'of Kekedon; ) He showed early that jpreeorityb-itohioh was apparentio- .who 4a?ew him and were discerning obserWrs. He was eduoated at Odltihester', and for some time filled the_positionj)f usher at Newmarket. Some /4 his relatives whoVereindepen^en)s proposed that he' &houl(l^e^r .ojie^ their colleges ana^ndergc/ft-'wvhing for the Ministry.- -ifottßgSpiiifgeon had, 'however* di#ere.iit views'. /{{He) -pas na Anabaptist iahis convictions, %§d joined the, < congregatjqn pf the ; late fioWt, m\ of $a^r|jge?\ Jere he began to feel his feet^ Hja was only a. y^u^of ,yfas,extr^r*dm'arily active" '•' $is jfi.rb.t seripfciij fris'ifae'n. ' ai( jfch'er age' of sixteen iSi .a ,tymm?k [^versnain^ ; A Bidpidly, '„ IJ6 power! ' A : Vear laifce^ ' he UHjaertoiik the pastorafe of a'cfiuyh' tft' _Wtef/---beach. In those days it' "paid^'a sttpeiid of under- ipO minister, so Mr "Spurgeon had; ao residence in the village. a The to&lti seventeen became a well knqwn character. While iHel'rtralJchuiiofi'&as enjoying the full- tide of prosperity, the historical Baptists; congregation at New Park street, .South wftrfeW so seriously declined thftt its early extinction wast -feared by its best frieiida. ' :The people had no pastor, and go few were the JwprshippQr^jt^at desolate aisles, empty pews, presented an uninviting appearance on the Sabbath. '•' In a hapjpyhanuifa) gently man who had enciounteiied Mr Spur* geon/told his London triehdsJbf the young man's powers. It was arranged that th<J L yching preacher should try' o hi3 niettle ifrm igtesk metropolis' r '' ; ' : ' Ul v » j- 'i W-f It was on a fine Sabbath morning io 1858 that fEastcp..; JWgqo^ preached' his firsV sermon in;^6ndon. The average scanty congregation as* Bemblecl^n^he morning, more vpM attracted'" in thd- evening^iand* the Btriking originality of fe, utterances canied all before thetprrSome remember the maitvellbtta w^ pression he made to the prefe^nt hoar. In two year's tkne the^oltftjicl had got too small ior< t&e ihtigea^flU 1 gregation, aud Mr Spurgetfn'diad/ift go to Exeter 'Haltji! while- 7ft t yn» enlarged. That' edifice need : ta.jbe packed, and -hundreds jwere i ttfrnad away from the iloor lik^peopiei jrojo Jenny Lind's concert. The enlarge? ments of Park^tre'et Ghapel^wire, however insufficientdfari^k^fcnrec^ increasing odngi»egation, whioh

aeemed to multiply itself every evening. The Surrey Music Hall was then engaged, but in October, 1856, a fearful calamity took place in its walls, and his followers erpcted for him the building known as the " Tabernacle." This was opened in March, 1861. The memorial stone was laid fome eighteen months Xweviously l>y Sir S. M. Peto. The main portion cost £82,000 and the site y £5,000. Many of those who took part in the opening services have r a>sed away. When all !jhe space is occupied, as is nearly always the cane, there are seats for 5,500, and about 1 ,500 then find standi' g room, so that 7,000 persons are often present on Sunday. Mr Spnrgeon is perhaps the most volaminous religious writer of the day. The weekly iasue of sermons, whi-h begnn in the first week of 1855, has gone on almost without interruption ever since. Over 80 volumes have emanated from his pen. " Morningby Morning" and *'■ Evening by Evening" are devct onal works of which over 150,000 copies have been s->ld.