Mr Spurgeon Described in Grenvilie's Memoirs.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 213, 30 July 1887, Page 3

Mr Spurgeon Described in Grenvilie's Memoirs.

February Bth, 1857. lam just come from hearing the celebrated Mr Spurgeon preach in the Music Hall of the Surrey Gardens. It was quite full — he told us from the pulpit that nine thousand people were present. The service was like the Presbyterian— psalms, prayers, expoundiug a psalm, and a sermon. He is certainly very remarkable, and undeniably a very fine character. Not remarkable in person ; in face rather resembling a smaller Macaulay, a very clear and powerful voice, which was heard through the whole hall ; a manner natural, impassioned, and without affectation or extravagance, abounding in illustration, and very often of a familiar kind, but without anything oither ridiculous or irrverent. He gave me an impression of his earnestness and sincerity, yet his discourse was evidently very carefully prepared. The text was " Cleanse me from my secret sins," and he divided it into heads— the misery, the folly, and the danger (and a fourth, which I have forgotten) of secret sins, on all of which he was very eloquent impressive. He preached for aboutthree-quartevsof an hour, and, to judge by the handkerchiefs and the audible sobs, with great efFect.

Alfred Collier's "Dorothy " is rapidly approaching its 200 th night in London, ana is a magnificent} success. There is a new and beautifully-dressed ballet and " the finest quartette of singers ever heard in comic opera,"