MR SPURGEON ON PREACHERS AND PEOPLE.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 739, 13 March 1877, Page 6 (Supplement)

MR SPURGEON ON PREACHERS AND PEOPLE.

On ' Tuesday Mr Spurgeon took part m, the proceedings .m connection with the laying of the foundation-stone of a 'how hall m George-street, Cambefwell; m which Ned Wright proposes for the future to carry on the mission service, tor, 'which his present wooden and iron structure has become inadequate. Tncre was a very crowded attendance, and Mr Wright seemed to have ninny sympathisers, by one. of the most liberal of whom— Mr R. A. Gray-^the. stone was laid. The following report of Mr. Spurgeon's, speech is from the " Daily Telegraph " :— I came to-day to help a neigh Sour. The time was when nobody would go inside any place of 1 worship unless he agreed with all that was said! and done there; but we have now come to rei oice^in' diversity of operations where we can see that they are directed to the service of the same Lord. I believe there is not half as much ground for the anxiety people feel when they look at the' various denominations m the Church, as they suppose. I have known one place m a town a» dead as death could be, and another place was opened, and then both were filled. (Hear, hear.) For my part, if Ned Wright or anybody else can run away with my congregation—fa laugh)— they 1 are uncommonly welcome: but it will take them all their tinie, for I always, think that if -there! is 'a 'new coach put on the' road the old coach should be horsed "better so as to keep the customers; (Great laughter.) What we want to do is by some means to getthegreat. mass of people to hear the Gospel. lam always, hearing it said the 'great problem is to got the' working classes to listen to the Gospel. Ido not believe that to be the problem at all, and I deny . altogether that the working classes Of London attend less at the house' of God than, other classes m London. In proportion to their numbers they; attend as well as any other class.' At least that is my experience. People come to the Tabernacle, and when they see the congrogation coming out, they say no working, classes go thei'e, because they would not be so well dressed. But why shouldvnot a working man wear as good a suit of clotßes as he possibly can get? Do you expect that on Sunday he would' wear the same clothes m which during the week he is bricklaying or carpentering, m which he is up to his nepk m dust, or m which he goes down a sewer ? One Of the first things I notice about a man when he turns from his evil ways, is that he gets a decent suit of clothes, and if ever he had such a thing before I am afraid he was m tho habit of leaving them rather long at his uncle's. ' (Laughter). I don't believe any one m Europe could tell the difference between a workman m his best clothes and any other swell; (Renewed la,cghter.) I suppose twothirds of my congregation at the Tabernacle are working men, and wherever you have a vigorous living church, you will find that the bulk of it is made up of the very men whom it is said to bo the problem to getto go to the house of God. There is a problem I should like to see solved, and that is how to get the people of the Westend into church, because although there are many places m connection with the Church of England m which tho Gospel is truly preached, I must say I do not call it going to the house of God when a man goes to witness processions and pomps and shows. And I know there are hundreds of thousands of people living m the suburbs surrounding London, . having large incomes and fine houses, who do not attend church any more than many of the work people do Let us look afc the objections people nrgß to going out on Sunday. Some say their clothes are not good enough, but they are good enough if they havo been paid for. (Laughter.) ladmt there are persons who Bhould never goto church —those who wear boots that squeak, and ladies whose umbrellas are always falling down with a snap. Then you find people who say they don't go because of the heat and the bad air. I could, indicate some places where they oould have thre« pews to themselves if they liked — (laughter)— and plenty of air. To all sextons and chapel-knepcrs I would give this wrinkleopen your windows often. (Laughter.) I often preach iv country chapels, where the people get packed like herrings m a barrel— (laughter)— and I have tried . to get the windows opened, but they woTildn't open, for they' never bad been opened. (A Jaugh.) I went into one of these places once, and it was so close and hot that I asked every gentleman near a window to smash a pane or two. (Laughter.) There was soon a very grand smash, but then tho beautiful frosh air streamed m. I paid the bill afterwards like an honest man ; but it was much better to do that than bear the cruelty of preaching m such an atmosphere, or forcing, people to listen when they are more disposed to sleep. There is a common complaint that the preacher can neither bo understood dot heard, and there is some truth m it. I wish some preachers who mumble at a very great rate would get a new set of teeth. If men have anything worth being heard, they should speak out. I have heard of clergymen m Australia and Africa— l did not say m England- (a laugh) —of whom it is said that ween you hear thorn once, you hear as much of them as you want to hear. (Laughter.) Preachers use various kinds of English— one with many syllabled words, the other the Saxon their mothers talked, and which they themselves began to use when they prattled as children. I heard a story once of a number of sailors vvho were playing cards up aloft, and had alight for the purpose. The captain sent a midshipman to tell them to put it out, and the midshipman told them to "extinguish that luminary." But the sailors, did not understand him. Then the captain called out, "Douse that glim"— and out went the candle. (Great laughter.) I should not have said that, but I should have taken a mildev. term, and said, "Put out that candle, old boys." (Langhter.) I believe "high-falutin" is too much used m the pulpit. Wo. preachers should speak so that people couid not misunderstand us even if . . they tried to do so. Some men oecassionally stay away from communion, because their wives have a large little family— (a laugh)— artd these poor women cannot leave the children. I should like to whisper m the ears of some Christian young women that they might go and take care of the children for a Sunday, arid let the mother get out. (Applause.) As for the husbands, I don't think tney always take thoir fair turn with their wives, for I see some Christian men out on Sunday whose wives never get out for a month together. I think, too, that people have a good deal to do with the filling of the churches and that they might bring, friends when they could, and certainly .when they found it necessary, to say the irood man preaching had his wits a wool-gntherinjr, they ought only to say it out m the country, when there. is no one within a mile or so of them! (Langhtov.) I'll tell you what I often find. When Igo into a street and ask for a chapel, I am told it is round the- corner by the Duke of Prussia, or the Marquis of Gmnby, or the Mother Red Cap ; but I don't find that the churches arc conspicuous places. Don't let. this happen with you. Advertise, distribute handbills, for the life of business is black ink. You ought, to distribute tracts— l mean good ones— and if I knew where you could get good onns I should tell you, for they are goncrally 'soporific articles. (Laughter). Mr Spiirgcoh concluded, after an earnest exhortations, by remarking thai) the, book numbers sold best when they were illustrated with plates, so m that meeting they were going to see what could be done- with plates. A handsome collection was taken up, Mv Spiu'geou beginning it with £10.— Brett's "Hastings Gazette."' '