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4i 


THOMAS  SPURGEON 

A   BIOGRAPHY 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


AT  THE  SIXTIETH  MILESTONE 

Incidents  of  the  Jonmey 

Six  Shillings  Net 
MARSHALL  BROTHERS,  LIMITED 


LIFE'S  DUSTY  WAY 

Old  FaUnres  and  New  Ideak 

Thbee  Shillings  Net 
MORGAN  AND  SCOTT,  LIMITED 


THOMAS   SPURGEON. 


[Frontispiece 


»  J  ,    *       ) 


THOMAS  SPURGEON 

A    BIOGRAPHY 


W.   Y.   FULLERTON 

n 

AUTHOR    OF 

AT    THE    SIXTIETH    MILESTONE,"    " LIFE'S    DUSTY    WAY' 

ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


HODDER   AND   STOUGHTON 

LONDON   NEW  YORK   TORONTO 

MCMXIX 


%7s  r<g 


Printed  in  Great  Britatn  hy  flazell,'^  Watson  i:  Vinev,  Ld., 
London  and  AyUthury. 


^)A 


PREFACE 


Three  motives  combined  to  impel  me  to  attempt 
this  book — love  to  my  friend,  reverence  for  the 
gentle  lady  who  bears  his  name,  and  gratitude  to 
the  father  whose  name  he  bore.  I  have  found  it 
impossible  to  disentangle  the  life  of  Thomas 
Spurgeon  from  his  father's,  for  he  was  truly  his 
father's  son.  The  interest  of  the  following  pages 
will  be  none  the  less,  I  hope,  because  of  the  fre- 
quent reference  to  C.  H.  Spurgeon ;  I  think  his 
son  would  be  pleased  to  have  it  so. 

My  admiration  for  my  friend  has  been  deepened 
as  I  have  examined  the  memorials  of  the  past, 
read  his  letters — ^many  of  them  quite  intimate,  and 
come  to  know  more  closely  the  inner  springs  of  his 
conduct.  His  life  had  its  limitations,  of  course, 
but  it  was  utterly  sincere  and  altogether  true. 
He  was  what  he  appeared  to  be — that  and  no 
other.  I  finish  my  grateful  labour  with  the  assur- 
ance that,  however  unworthily  performed,  it  has 
been  worth  while  to  write  this  biography — a  story 
so  full  of  interest  and  incident,  and,  in  spite  of  the 
defects  in  its  telling,  I  believe  its  readers  will  think 
it  worth  while  too. 

My  grateful  thanks  are  due  to  Mrs.  Thomas 
Spurgeon  for  her  unstinted  help  in  the  choice  of 
material,  and  her  guidance  in  various  perplexities  ; 
to  Mr.  Charles  Spurgeon  for  his  sympathetic  assis- 


507280 


vi  PREFACE 

tance  so  freely  rendered ;  to  Mr.  William  Higgs  for 
placing  his  remarkable  collection  of  contemporary 
evidence  at  my  disposal,  as  well  as  for  the  portrait 
page  of  the  Spurgeon  sons  from  infancy  to  manhood; 
and  to  Mrs.  E.  G.  Cook  for  biographical  extracts 
from  Mr.  Spm-geon's  writings  and  sermons.  I  also 
heartily  recognize  the  kindness  of  many  friends 
who  have  allowed  me  to  see  such  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
letters  as  were  in  their  possession  ;  where  extracts 
have  been  made  from  them  the  som'ces  are  acknow- 
ledged, but  they  have  all  been  helpful  in  supplying 
an  atmosphere. 

The  volume  might  easily  have  been  twice  its 
present  size,  but  enough  has  been  written,  I  think, 
to  present  the  living  figure  of  the  man  whom  many 
loved,  the  man  who  humbly  claimed  his  heritage, 
and  stedfastly  followed  in  his  father's  steps  to- 
wards their  Common  Goal.  His  memory  beckons 
us  all  forward.  ^ 

W.   Y.   FULLEBTON. 


CONTENTS 
CHAPTER   I 

THE    NAME    HE    BORE 

The  renown  of  Spurgeon — ^The  wonder  of  his  career — Other  great 
preachers — The  verdict  of  his  contemporaries — The  halo 
round  his  memory — ^His  son's  tribute — ^The  name  in  the 
forehead  ,  .  .  .  .    pp.  1  -14 


CHAPTER    II 

THE    SPURGEON   ERA 

The  Victorian  Age — Father  and  son — The  sixty-three  milestones 
—The  year  1834— The  1859  Revival— Moody  and  Sankey 
— ^The  Salvation  Army — ^The  Student  Christian  Move- 
ment—The Welsh  Revival  .  .  pp.  15-30 


CHAPTER    III 

THE    TWINS 

The  home  of  their  infancy — Boyhood's  days — ^Mother's  letters 
— Business    careers — Early    Christian    service — ^The    part- 
ing of  the  ways        .....  pp.  31-48 
vii 


viii  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   IV 


THE   FIRST   VOYAGE 


His   father's  consent — ^The  Lady  Jocdyn — ^The  diary  of    the 
three  months — Preaching  on  board — ^Incidents    pp.  49-61 


CHAPTER    V 


THE   AUSTRALIAN   VISIT 


Newspaper    greeting — His    father's    fame — Crowded    services 
— Letters  to  and  from  home — ^The  Sea-gull        .  pp.  62-81 


CHAPTER    VI 

A   YEAR  WITH   HIS  FATHER 

Preaching  at  the  Tabernacle — ^Mentone — Sketches — Pastors' 
College — ^Back  to  AustraUa — ^His  father's  sorrow — The 
night  in  prayer  pp.  82-89 


CHAPTER    VII 

THE   SETTLEMENT   IN   NEW   ZEALAND 

The  Sobraon — ^Tasmania — ^The  call  to  Auckland— The  Choral 
Hall— The  new  Tabernacle— Back  to  England    .  pp.  90-110 


CONTENTS  ix 


CHAPTER    VIII 

FIVE   MONTHS    IN   ENGLAND 

Pleading  for  the  new  Tabernacle — ^Preaching  in  the  old  Taber- 
nacle— Brighter  Britain — Gifts  from  home — Back  to  New 
Zealand  .         .         ,         .         .         ,       pp.  111-118 


CHAPTER    IX 

AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

A  quaint  telegram — ^The  opening  free  of   debt — ^Poems — ^Mar- 
riage— Sorrow  in   the  home — ^Resignation — ^Reminiscences 

pp.  11&-136 


CHAPTER    X 

THE   EVANGELIST 

Amid  the  gums  at  Ocean  Grove" — Set  apart  by  the  New 
Zealand  Baptist  Union — Journeys — ^Sermons — Lectures — 
Baptisms — ^Invitations       .         ...       pp.  137-143 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

Spurgeon  ill — His  death — Problems  of  the  Church — ^Dr.  A.  T. 
Pierson — ^Thomas  Spurgeon  back  in  London — ^Three  months' 
ministry — ^The  enthusiastic  farewell — ^The  unwilling  rivals 
— ^A  year's  probation  .  »         •         .   .     pp..  144-163 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE   FIRST  TABERNACLE    YEARS 

Thomas  Spurgeon  as  a  preacher — "  Not  a  chip  of  the  old  block 
— ^the  old  block  itself" — ^The  inner  life  of  the  time — The 
call  to  the  pastorate — ^Mrs.  Spurgeon's  arrival     pp.  164-180 


CHAPTER    XIII 

THE   CATASTROPHE 

The  Tabernacle  on  fire — Description  of  the  scene — At  Exeter 
Hall — ^The  College  Conference  in  session — A  sense  of  values 
— ^Laaanis  in  the  *'  Epistle  of  Karshish  "  pp.  181-189 


CHAPTER   XIV 

THE   NEW   TABERNACLE 

The  Basement  Hall — ^The  plan  of  the  new  Tabernacle— The 
decision  to  open  free  of  debt — ^The  sympathy  of  all  the 
Churches—Receptions— £45,000         .         .        pp.  190-199 


CHAPTER   XV 

THE  SECOND  SEVEN  YEARS 

The  Pastor  described — Sermon  extracts — Missions — ^The  Welsh 
Revival  meetings — ^Death  of  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon — ^Resigna- 
tion— ^Phonograph  message  .         .        pp.  200-213 


CONTENTS  xi 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THE   COLLEGE   CONFERENCE 

The  new  President — ^The  Presidential  Address — ^Twenty-one 
years — Extracts  from  the  yearly  messages — ^The  ship  Frtt 
6^ce— The  Memorial  Conference        .         .        pp.  214-240 


CHAPTER    XVII 

TRAVEL  SCENES 

Paris — Switzerland — ^yroX — Italy  —  Norway  —  Canary  Islanda 
— America — Holidays  at  home  .         .         .      pp.  241-250 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

TREASURED   LETTERS 

From  Church  leaders — From  his  father — ^To  his  son — ^To  many 
friends  on  many  occasions — His  great  correspondence — 
Extracts  from  many  letters  .         .        pp.  251-265 


CHAPTER    XIX 

THE   ARTIST 

Hi»  mother's  prophecy — ^Three  exhibitions  of  pictures — Sales 
and  criticisms — ^The  scenes  of  his  father's  early  life — ^The 
artist  in  colour,  in  words,  and  in  souls  pp.  266-271 


xii  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER    XX 

LITERARY  ACTIVITIES 

His  books — Contributions  to  The  Sword  and  Trowel — ^The  Editor- 
ship— His  poems        .  .  .  .  .     pp.  27^276 


CHAPTER    XXI 

THE    TRIPLE    PRESIDENCY 

The  Pastors'  College — ^Wit  and  humour — Friendship  with 
students — Stockwell  Orphanage — ^Deputation  journeys — 
Directorship — A  projected  book — ^The  Colportage  Associa- 
tion        .  .  .  .  .  .  .        pp.  277-286 


CHAPTER    XXII 

THE   CLOSING    DAYS 

The  last  year — Health  reports — Diamond  Jubilee — His  son's 
recollections — ^His  homes — His  kindness — His  father's  death 
— ^The  benediction  of  Thomas  Cox — Appreciations— His 
own  view  of  heaven — ^The  funeral  service — His  last  meeting 

pp.  287-302 

iNDEa^  ,         ,         ,         ,         ,         .         -pp.  303-304 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Thomas  Spurgeon  .         .         •         Frontispiece 

PAGE 

The  Spurgeon  Sons:    Twenty-one  Yearly 

Pictures 64 

An  Early  Caricature  .        ,        .  105 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Spurgeon  :   A  Jubilee 

Photograph 208 

At  Spurgeon's  Orphanage    ,         .         ,         .     272 


zm 


CHAPTER    I 

THE   NAME   HE   BORE 

The  name  of   Spurgeon  is  written  large  in  the 
annals  of  the  world,  and  graven  deep  in  the  heart 
of  the  Church.     But  until  that  December  evening 
in  1853  when,  in  country  garb,  with  a  black  satin 
stock,  and  a  blue  handkerchief  adorned  with  white 
spots,    a   young   preacher   came   to   London   and 
lodged  in  a  boarding-house  in  Bloomsbury,  it  was 
practically  unknown.     Then  it   suddenly  flashed 
upon  the  history  of  his  time,  the  preacher  himself, 
all  unconsciously,   being  the   best  illustration  of 
the  text  of  his  sermon  at  New  Park  Street  Chapel 
the  next  morning  :    "  Every  good  gift  and  every 
perfect  gift  cometh  from  the   Father  of  Lights, 
with  whom  is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of 
turning."     Truly  Spurgeon  was  a  good  gift  to  his 
generation,   a   light   from  the   Source   of  Light ; 
those  who  invited  him  from  his  little  corner  in 
Cambridgeshire  must  almost  have  been  inspired, 
and  long  since,  they,  and  he,  and  the  son  whose 
biography  is  the  burden  of  this  book,  know  in 
their  own  experience  the  truth  of  the  text  on  the 
evening  of  that  memorable  day  :   "  They  are  with- 
out fault  before  the  throne  of  God." 

It  would  be  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  the 
1 


2  THE   NAME   HE   BORE 

name  was  utterly  unknown  before  that  day,  for 
it  was  borne  by  Huguenot  ancestors  who  in  their 
time  were  worthy ;  worthily  borne,  too,  by  the 
godly  Congregational  minister  of  Stambourne, 
whose  grandfatherly  guardian  influence  on  the 
lad  was  so  deep  and  lasting,  and  by  John  Spur- 
geon,  his  father,  also  a  Congregational  minister, 
who  outlived  his  son,  and  exercised  a  gracious 
ministry  in  various  places.  Him  I  knew  well, 
preached  for  him  at  Ishngton,  heard  him  preach 
in  his  son's  Tabernacle,  but  neither  in  him  nor 
in  his  father  was  there  a  trace  of  the  genius  of 
the  Messenger  of  God  who  thrilled  the  world  with 
his  gospel,  became  the  acknowledged  evangelical 
leader  of  his  day,  and  made  the  name  of  Spurgeon 
an  honour  to  the  Baptists  for  all  time.  Yet  until 
he  was  fourteen  years  of  age  he  had  never  heard 
of  the  Baptists,  and  it  was  amongst  the  Metho- 
dists that  on  the  sixth  day  of  January,  1850,  he 
first  came  into  a  living  experience  of  the  grace  of 
God.  Years  after  he  wrote  :  "  Richard  Knill  says 
that  at  such  a  time  of  the  day,  clang  went  every 
harp  in  heaven  for  Richard  Knill  was  born  again ; 
and  it  was  even  so  with  me." 

The  story  of  that  snowy  Sunday  has  been  often 
told.  Perhaps  Thomas  Spurgeon  may  be  allowed 
to  tell  it  again.  "  I  stood  the  week  before  last," 
he  says  in  a  sermon,  "  with  uncovered  head  and 
throbbing  heart,  as  near  as  it  was  possible  to  get 
to  the  spot  where  my  dear  father,  your  late  be- 
loved pastor,  '  looked  and  lived.'  I  paid  a  special 
visit  to  the  Primitive  Methodist  Chapel  in  Artil- 
lery Street,  Colchester,  to  see  the  place  where  the 


THE   NAME  HE  BORE  3 

local  preacher  cried,  '  Young  man,  you  look  very 
miserable  !  Look  to  Jesus.  Young  man,  look  to 
Jesus,  look  and  live.'  They  have  erected  a  tablet 
with  an  inscription  after  this  fashion,  '  Near  this 
spot  C.  H.  Spurgeon  looked  and  lived.'  And  then 
there  is  a  quotation  from  one  of  his  sermons  de- 
scribing his  conversion.  It  was  a  sacred  spot  to 
me  and  to  many  another.  Run  and  see  it  if  you 
have  opportunity,  and  as  you  look  at  it,  lift  up 
your  heart  to  God  that  you  may  be  kept  looking 
to  Jesus,  and  that  your  loved  ones  may  be  kept 
looking  also.     A  single  look  will  save  thee. 

*'  *  I  looked  on  Him,  He  looked  on  me, 
And  we  were  one  for  ever.' 

That  is  the  briefest  description  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon's 
conversion  that  I  have  ever  seen,  and  I  do  not 
think  there  could  be  a  better." 

There  is,  I  imagine,  no  case  on  record  where  a 
preacher  so  instantly  claimed  the  ear  of  the  people, 
and  held  it  for  so  long  a  time.  He  did  not  gradu- 
ally grow  in  popular  favour,  he  descended  as  a 
star  from  heaven.  William  Pitt  is  the  only  public 
man  who  in  an  equal  degree  walked  upon  the  stage 
of  Hfe  as  one  whose  right  it  was  to  reign.  It  is  al- 
most impossible  for  the  present  generation  to 
realize  how  great  was  the  renown  of  Spurgeon  at 
his  zenith.  He  was  not  only  followed  and  admired, 
he  was  trusted  and  loved  beyond  his  fellows. 
Thomas  Binney  was  London's  greatest  preacher 
when  Spurgeon  arrived,  and  at  first  he  was  in- 
clined to  deride  the  boy  in  the  pulpit  as  a  charla- 
tan, but  he  quickly  saw  his  mistake,  and  to  a 


4  THE   NAME  HE   BORE 

gathering  of  students  he  said  :  "I  have  enjoyed 
some  amount  of  popularity ;  I  have  always  been 
able  to  draw  together  a  congregation  ;  but  in 
the  person  of  Mr.  Spurgeon,  we  see  a  young  man, 
be  he  who  he  may  and  come  whence  he  will, 
who  at  twenty-four  hours'  notice  can  command  a 
congregation  of  twenty  thousand  people.  Now  I 
have  never  been  able  to  do  that,  and  I  never  knew 
of  anybody  else  who  could  do  it." 

D.  L.  Moody  had  not  then  appeared  upon  the 
scene,  but  mighty  as  was  his  influence  his  verdict 
on  Spurgeon  was  :  "In  regard  to  coming  to  your 
Tabernacle  I  consider  it  a  great  honour  to  be  in- 
vited :  and,  in  fact,  I  should  consider  it  an  honour 
to  black  your  boots,  but  to  preach  to  your  people 
would  be  out  of  the  question.  If  they  will  not 
turn  to  God  under  your  preaching,  neither  will 
they  be  persuaded  though  one  rose  from  the 
dead."  He  did,  however,  preach  in  the  Tabernacle 
afterwards,  and  in  his  London  campaign  he  got 
Spurgeon  to  preach  for  him.  In  writing  to  thank 
him  he  said  :  "I  wish  you  could  give  us  every 
night  you  can  for  the  next  sixty  days.  There  are 
so  few  men  who  can  draw  on  a  week  night." 
Remember  that  this  was  twenty-two  years  after 
Spurgeon  had  come  to  London,  and  that  during 
all  that  time  he  was  able  at  any  time  to  command 
a  crowd  as  great  as  Chrysostom  in  Constanti- 
nople or  Savonarola  in  Florence,  though  each  of 
them  commanded  it  for  a  much  shorter  time. 

That  was  the  wonder  of  it :  he  built  a  Taber- 
nacle seating  between  five  or  six  thousand  per- 
sons, and  able  to  contain  over  seven  thousand,  and 


THE   NAME   HE   BORE  5 

for  thirty-eight  years  maintained  his  congregation 
there  and  elsewhere  in  London.  At  one  time  he 
moved  to  the  Agricultural  Hall  and  filled  it. 
Francis  and  Bernard,  Wesley  and  Whitefield 
gathered  as  great  throngs,  but  they  passed  from 
place  to  place,  while  Spurgeon  remained  rooted 
in  the  metropolis.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  and 
Canon  Liddon  were  as  popular,  but  they  did  not 
preach  so  continuously  nor  so  long.  There  are, 
indeed,  not  wanting  some  who  trace  back  through 
the  history  of  the  Church  and  only  find  Spurgeon's 
peer  in  Paul. 

The  wonder  grows  when  we  consider  that  week 
by  week  the  sermons  were  printed  and  sold,  and 
reproduced  in  countless  ways.  Ian  Maclaren  has 
told  us  of  the  Scotch  wife  who  gave  parting  in- 
structions to  her  husband  when  he  went  to  town, 
and  called  after  him  the  final  message  :  "  Dinna 
forget  Spurgeon,"  and  has  added  to  the  story  his 
own  verdict  on  the  preacher.  "  Who  of  all 
preachers  you  can  mention  in  our  day  could  have 
held  such  companies  save  Spurgeon  ?  Who  is  to 
take  their  place  when  the  last  of  these  well-known 
sermons  disappear  from  village  shops  and  cottage 
shelves  ?  Is  there  any  other  gospel  which  will 
ever  be  so  understanded  of  the  people,  or  so  move 
human  hearts,  as  that  which  Spurgeon  preached 
in  the  best  words  of  our  own  tongue  ?  .  .  .  I 
cannot  forget  Spurgeon."  In  thousands  of  homes 
these  sermons  were  read,  in  many  little  assemblies 
they  were  the  message  of  God  to  the  people,  and 
not  a  few  preachers  boldly  redelivered  them  to 
their  congregations.     So  that  all  over  the  world 


6  THE  NAME  HE  BORE 

Spurgeon  led  people  to  God,  comforted  people  in 
their  sorrows  and  stablished  them  in  their  faith. 
Little  wonder  that  he  was  venerated  and  adored. 
I  know  of  an  old  man  in  a  country  district  which 
Spurgeon  was  to  visit  who  asked  permission  from 
his  master  to  attend  the  preaching.  The  farmer 
insisted  on  the  day's  work  being  done  first,  and 
so  the  old  man  began  at  the  first  streak  of  day  to 
use  his  scythe,  and  at  every  sweep  of  it  he  said  : 
'*  Spurgeon  !  Spurgeon  !  Spurgeon  !  "  until,  hav- 
ing finished  his  task,  with  a  glad  spirit  he  got 
away  to  hear  the  man  whose  name  had  inspired  his 
heart  for  years  and  been  on  his  lip  all  the  morning. 

There  is  also  a  story  of  an  old  lady  who  was  so 
comforted  by  one  of  the  printed  sermons  that 
she  bought  twenty  copies  of  it,  and  had  them 
bound  in  a  volume. 

Dr.  MacArthur  of  New  York  tells  that  on  pass- 
ing the  cottage  by  the  gate  of  Melrose  Abbey  he 
discovered  how  Spurgeon  was  honoured  there. 
*'  I  saw  an  old  Scotch  lady,  with  white  hair  and 
the  bloom  of  heather  on  her  cheek,  and  she  was 
sitting  and  reading.  She  was  the  wife  of  the 
gate-keeper,  and  I  could  not  help  noticing,  with- 
out intending  to  be  intrusive,  that  she  was  reading 
one  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons.  I  said  to  her,  '  I 
am  glad  you  are  reading  that  sermon,  for  I  love 
the  man  and  the  sermons,'  and  I  added,  '  do  you 
know  I  expect  to  see  him  and  hear  him  next 
Sunday.'  She  looked  at  me  a  moment,  and  then 
exclaimed,  '  Oh  !  what  wadna  /  gie  to  see  his 
face,  and  hear  his  voice  ! '  She  called  her  hus- 
band that  he  might  look  at  me,  because  I  was 


THE   NAME   HE   BORE  7 

to  look  at  Spurgeon  on  Sunday,  and  she  said  : 
'  I  dinna  wish  to  envy  ye,  but  I  wad  gie  all  I  hae 
if  I  could  see  him  mysel'.'  " 

Very  pertinently  The  Pall  Mall  Gazette  said  : 
"  At  first  a  curiosity,  then  a  notoriety,  but  he  has 
been  recognized  long  since  as  one  of  the  first 
celebrities  of  the  day."  The  Spectator  gave  as  true 
a  verdict :  ''  Mr.  Spurgeon  is,  in  fact,  a  Cobden 
in  the  pulpit  preaching  a  well-understood  form 
of  Christianity  instead  of  Free  Trade."  The 
Church  Times  was  generous  enough  to  admit  that 
*'  he  was  a  master  of  an  English  style  which  many 
a  scholar  might  envy ;  the  style  could  only  have 
been  acquired  by  great  pains,  and  by  the  constant 
study  of  the  best  literary  models  which  it  recalls." 
The  Christian  Weekly  recalled  the  fact  that  "  one 
of  the  most  accomplished  literary  critics  of  our 
time  has  declared  that  '  in  Mr.  Spurgeon's  ser- 
mons there  are  many  passages  which  a  really 
catholic  anthology  of  English  prose  would  not 
omit,  and  an  informing  spirit  which  hardly  breathes 
among  us  now.' " 

Professor  Ferrier  said  to  Principal  Tulloch 
when  they  had  heard  a  sermon  in  the  Tabernacle 
— "  It  sat  so  close  to  reality."  Alongside  which 
may  be  put  the  saying  of  a  man  who  was  encoun- 
tered outside  the  Tabernacle  under  the  portico  by 
another  from  his  village.  The  second,  an  earnest 
Christian  man,  expressed  to  the  first,  who  was 
one  nobody  would  have  expected  to  go  and  hear 
Spurgeon,  his  astonishment  in  finding  him  there. 
"  Ah,"  he  answered  in  a  tone  of  unfeigned  solemnity, 
"  every  man  has  his  own  tale  told  here." 


8  THE   NAME   HE   BORE 

"  Coming  to  London,"  Dr.  Culross  wrote, 
"  scarcely  out  of  his  boyhood  he  discarded  pulpit 
twang  and  jargon,  threw  off  the  trammels  of  cul- 
ture, and  spoke  straight  out  of  the  heart  in  the 
simplest  and  clearest  language  that  he  could 
command;"  while  Dr.  Clifford  declares:  "He 
initiated  a  new  epoch  in  spiritual  reality,  of  pas- 
sionate faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  the  one 
remedy  for  sin,  of  robust  and  manly  religion,  and 
of  hatred  of  all  shibboleths,  hesitations  and  in- 
sincerities. In  preaching  he  created  a  revolution  : 
he  substituted  naturalness  for  a  false  and  stilted 
dignity,  passion  for  precision,  plain  homely  Saxon 
for  highly  Latinized  English,  humour  and  mother- 
wit  for  apathy  and  sleepiness,  glow  and  life  for 
machinery  and  death." 

In  one  of  the  latest  of  autobiographical  books 
Lord  Morley  bears  his  witness  :  "  He  had  a  glorious 
voice,  unquestioning  faith  and  ready  knowledge  of 
apt  texts  of  the  Bible,  and  a  deep,  earnest  desire 
to  reach  the  hearts  of  the  congregation,  who  were 
just  as  earnest  in  responding." 

On  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon's  visit 
to  Edinburgh,  Dr.  Alexander  Whyte  wrote  on 
May  4th,  1912  :  "  The  name  of  Spurgeon  always 
thrills  my  heart,  and  that  more  and  more  the 
longer  I  live.  Both  personally  and  as  a  preacher 
I  cannot  put  in  common  words  all  I  owe  to  Spur- 
geon. And  extraordinarily  high  as  is  the  rank 
that  Spurgeon  holds  in  the  estimation  of  multi- 
tudes, I  much  question  if,  even  so,  he  has  yet 
come  to  his  own  in  this  respect.  The  absolute 
amazing  fertility  of  Spurgeon's  pulpit  and  desk, 


THE   NAME   HE   BORE  9 

and  the  noble  and  charitable  and  educational 
movements  that  he  began  and  carried  on,  and  all 
steeped  in  the  truest  apostolical  and  evangelical 
spirit,  all  combine  to  place  Spurgeon  in  the  very 
foremost  rank  of  our  great  preachers  and  pastors. 
I  wish  much  that  I  could  have  shaken  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  hand  in  my  honour  and  love  to  him  as  the 
son  of  such  a  father." 

One  of  the  finest  tributes  paid  to  him  is  in  a 
preface  by  Sir  William  Robertson  Nicoll  to  the 
little  selection  of  Spurgeon's  sermons  published 
by  Nelson.     He  says  : 

"  There  were  hundreds  of  thousands  who  believed 
that  they  owed  to  him  their  own  souls.     What 
was  said  of  Newman  may  with  certain  modifica- 
tions  be   applied  to   him.     It   was   he   who   had 
opened  to  them  visions  of  the  unseen ;  it  was  he  who 
sometimes  half  lifted  the  very  veil  of  the  other 
Country.     It  was  he  who  made  heaven  and  hea- 
venly ministers  something  more  than  objects  of 
faith.     It  was  he  who  invested  all  the  facts  of 
the  Christian  redemption  with  new  and  entranc- 
ing certainty.     It  was  he  who  made  life  for  his 
disciples  a  more  august  thing  in  contact  with  him, 
and   made   them   capable    of  higher   efforts   and 
nobler    sacrifices.     But    even    those    who    stood 
further  away  knew  as  if  it  was  by  instinct  that 
Mr.   Spurgeon  was  a  man  of  the  stuff  of  which 
saints  are  made.     They  knew  that  whoever  else 
might  sink  into  self-seeking  or  fall  down  before 
the  golden  image  of  the   world,   that   would  he 
never.     They  knew  that  religion  was  always  the 


10  THE  NAME  HE  BORE 

prevailing  and  mastering  idea  of  his  life.  He  was 
one  of  those  elect  few  to  whom  religious  cares  and 
interests  are  what  secular  cares  and  interests  are 
to  most  men.  He  was  self- controlled,  observant, 
and  wise,  and  he  had  a  homely  shrewdness  and 
humour  which  were  very  refreshing.  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  played  his  part  well  in  the  practical  world, 
but  his  life  was  not  there.  The  growth  of  the 
kingdom  of  grace  was  his  prosperity ;  the  open- 
ing of  a  new  vein  of  spiritual  life  was  his  wealth. 
The  one  road  to  his  friendship  was  a  certain  like- 
mindedness.  This  spirituality  is  so  rare  in  men 
of  great  powers  that  it  is  invariably  the  way  to 
influence.  It  inspires  a  kind  of  awe.  Men  bow 
before  it,  feel  themselves  in  the  presence  of  the 
eternal  world,  think  wistfully  of  their  own  state, 
and  are  touched  for  a  moment  at  least  by  a  cer- 
tain sense  of  wonder  and  regret." 

How  much  further  the  influence  of  the  name 
went  in  the  minds  of  some  to  whom  it  was  but 
a  name  may  be  imagined  from  an  incident  which 
Thomas  Spurgeon  recounts.     He  says  : 

''  Being  doomed,  through  a  blunder,  to  wait  at 
a  railway  station  for  an  hour,  I  got  into  conversa- 
tion with  a  young  man.  The  prevailing  fog  served 
as  an  opening  topic,  and  I  was  able  to  assure  him, 
since  he  had  never  been  in  London,  that  this 
was  a  mere  mist,  unworthy  the  dignity  of  being 
called  a  fog.  My  companion  asked  me  if  I  be- 
lieved in  fate ;  I  answered  that  I  believed  in  a 
good  and  wise  God.     Then  the  young  man  tolcj 


THE  NAME  HE   BORE  11 

me  of  an  atheist,  who  often  spake  with  him,  and 
had  expressed  the  conviction  that  he,  too,  would 
ere  long  think  with  him  (the  which  may  God  for- 
bid !).  '  He  tells  me,'  said  the  young  man,  '  that 
he  believes  Jesus  was  a  good  man,  but  nothing 
more.'  '  Well,'  said  I,  '  you  know  how  to  answer 
that.  Tell  him  that  Jesus  claimed  to  be  God,  and 
that  if  He  was  not  God  He  was  not  good.'  '  Well, 
but,'  rejoined  my  friend,  '  he  says  there  have  been 
other  men  as  good  as  Jesus — Spurgeon  for  in- 
stance ! '  I  have  on  more  than  one  occasion  had 
to  conceal  emotion,  so  I  managed  to  keep  an  un- 
moved face.  But  I  felt  the  more,  and  I  replied, 
'  Ah  !  but  you  should  remind  him  that  Spurgeon 
would  not  for  a  moment  have  suffered  himself  to 
be  compared  to  Jesus,  and  that  he  believed  most 
firmly  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  the  unblemished 
Lamb  of  God.'  " 

That  of  course  was  a  vulgar  and  almost  blas- 
phemous estimate,  but  Spurgeon  himself  bore  a 
true  witness  that  is  almost  overwhelming  in  its 
spiritual  implication,  and  I  should  fancy  unmatched 
in  the  history  of  any  other  man.  On  Monday, 
May  26th,  1890,  he  said  in  the  Tabernacle  at  a 
prayer  meeting :  "  How  many  thousands  have 
been  converted  here  !  There  has  not  been  a  single 
day  but  what  I  have  heard  of  two,  three  or  four 
having  been  here  converted  :  and  that  not  for 
one,  two,  or  three  years,  but  for  the  last  ten 
years  ! ! " 

This  is  the  name  that  Thomas    Spurgeon  and 


12  THE   NAME  HE   BORE 

his  brother  Charles  bore.     It  was  an  inestimable 
privilege,  but  it  was  even  more  a  severe  handicap. 
With  such  a  heritage  life  was  almost  certain  to 
assume  a  bias.     He  was  almost  certainly  destined 
to  be  a  preacher,  and  when  he  became  a  preacher 
was  sure  to  be  compared,  and  compared  unfavour- 
ably, with  his  father.     It  was  as  difficult  for  him 
to  grow  up  naturally  as  for  an  heiress  to  discover 
whether    she  is  loved  for  herself   or  only  sought 
for  her  money.     He  might  so  easily  have  grown 
up  a  prig  or  a  pretender,  and  he  was  neither,  for 
never  was  a  man  more  truly  humble  and  more 
really    sincere.     The    name    helped    him    and    it 
hindered  him.     At  the  beginning  he  had  the  good 
sense  to  see  that  it  was  his  name  that  carried  him 
into  the  favour  of  the  people.     He  writes  from 
Austraha  to  his  father,  who  had  expressed  some 
fears   on  his  account :    "  I  do  not  think  that   I 
am  being  either  lionized  or  idolized  in  the  true 
sense  of  the  term.     The  attention  paid  to  me  and 
the  interest  taken  by  the  great  majority  is  out  of 
pure    Christian   love    to   the    honoured   name    of 
Spurgeon  and  the  honoured  man  who  bears  it." 

He  would  be  the  first  to  give  his  father  the  long 
precedence.  He  honoured  him  above  all  men, 
because  he  honoured  God  most.  "  My  father's 
God  !  "  he  said.  "  I  want  to  see  Him  as  father 
saw  Him,  with  eyes  opened  by  the  Holy  Spirit's 
touch,  and  to  speak  with  Him  as  friend  speaketh 
with  his  friend.  Among  the  few  treasures  I  pos- 
sess which  once  belonged  to  my  dear  sire,  I  have 
a  staff  on  which  he  used  to  lean,  a  walking-stick 
which  often  helped  him  on  the  road,  and  some- 


THE   NAME  HE   BORE  18 

times  even  on  the  platform.  But,  thank  God,  I  own 
another  staff,  which  he  too  rejoiced  in,  my  God 
and  his,  on  whom  he  leaned  in  days  of  persecution 
and  distress,  and  illness  and  weakness.  How 
hard  he  leaned  none  but  he  and  his  Helper  know. 
'  I  will  exalt  him  '  by  leaning  on  Him  as  dear 
father  did,  I  will  exalt  '  my  father's  God  '  by 
preaching  the  self-same  truths  my  father  preached, 
by  passing  on  the  message  that  was  on  his  lips  al- 
most to  the  latest  day.  I  would  rather  that  my 
lips  were  sealed  than  that  they  should  attempt 
to  preach  another  gospel." 

The  nearest  parallel  to  the  history  of  the  father 
and  son  is  in  the  history  of  the  two  Jonathan 
Edwards,  father  and  son,  both  of  them  preachers, 
both  presidents  of  a  college.  In  that  case  it  is 
more  difficult  to  say  which  was  the  greater,  though 
the  man  whom  God  used  to  begin  the  New  Eng- 
land revival  no  doubt  excelled  his  son.  In  this 
case,  while  both  are  great,  it  is  no  disparagement 
to  the  son  to  say  that  the  father  was  much  greater. 
Thomas  Spurgeon  built  two  Tabernacles,  one  in 
New  Zealand,  and  the  other  at  Newington  Butts. 
Both  are  in  the  same  style  as  the  Tabernacle  his 
father  built,  but  both  are  smaller,  though  the 
second  is  larger  than  the  first.  Thomas  Spur- 
geon was  built  on  the  same  plan  as  his  father,  but 
he  was  not  so  spacious  :  yet  he  greatened  with 
the  years,  and  even  had  he  not  been  known  as  a 
Spurgeon  he  would  have  been  loved  and  honoured 
as  a  man. 

In  later  years  he  felt  that  the  honour  of  the 
name  was  in  his  keeping,  and  sometimes  when  his 


14  THE  NAME  HE  BORE 

own  generous  heart  might  have  led  in  one  direc- 
tion he  feared,  and  rightly  feared,  to  compromise 
the  testimony  his  father  had  borne.  He  had  not 
only  to  ask  what  would  his  father  have  done,  but 
what  other  people  might  think  his  father  would 
have  done,  and  he  was  wilHng,  on  occasion,  to 
suffer  reproach  rather  than  even  run  the  risk 
of  smirching  the  name.  To  the  end  he  kept  the 
flag  flying  and  kept  it  mast  high. 

A  stranger  who  had  never  seen  him  before  once 
greeted  him  and  called  him  by  his  name,  and  when 
Thomas  Spurgeon  asked  him  how  he  knew  him 
the  stranger  gave  as  answer,  "  Your  name  is  written 
on  your  forehead."  It  was  also  written  on  his 
heart  and  in  his  life. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   SPURGEON   ERA 

Mr.  Asquith  in  the  ''  Romanes  Lecture''  for  1918 
on  Some  Aspects  of  the  Victorian  Age,  in  his 
masterly  review  of  that  period  was  only  able  to 
devote  a  few  sentences  to  Church  affairs.  *'  I  may 
say  nothing  to-day  about  the  religious  aspect  of 
the  matter.  The  rise  and  fall  of  Tractarianism ; 
the  fears  and  the  hopes  aroused  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  propaganda  and  the  so-called  Papal 
Aggression  ;  the  powerful  influence  of  that  remark- 
able set  of  personalities  who  were  rather  crudely 
grouped  as  '  The  Broad  Church  ' ;  the  sway  of  the 
Preachers,  such  as  Robertson  at  one  extreme  and 
Spurgeon  at  the  other  (for  the  Victorians  were  a 
church-going  and  chapel-going  people) :  all  these 
are  topics  which  an  historian  of  the  Age  will  have 
to  sort  into  due  proportions  and  perspective." 

As  a  contribution  to  that  study  it  may  be  sug- 
gested that  a  distinct  religious  epoch  was  covered 
by  the  two  Spurgeon  ministries  ;  an  Era  begin- 
ning about  the  same  time  as  the  Victorian  Age, 
perhaps  a  little  later,  and  continuing  longer ;  an 
Era  distinguished  by  spiritual  uprising  and  by 
ecclesiastical  reform,  marked  off  by  the  war  and 

15 


16  THE  SPURGEON  ERA 

destined  to  give  place  to  a  new  Era  in  the  days 
of  peace  that  are  to  come. 

The  two  Spurgeon  ministries  may,  for  this  pur- 
pose, be  taken  as  one.  The  influence  of  C.  H. 
Spurgeon  was  undoubted.  Mr.  Asquith,  though 
placing  him  second,  would  no  doubt  give  him  the 
premier  place  so  far  as  influence  on  the  multitude 
is  concerned.  Thomas  Spurgeon  faithfully  carried 
on  the  tradition,  and  his  years  saw  the  outwork- 
ing of  the  forces  of  his  father's  time. 

That  his  father  associated  his  son's  ministry 
with  his  own  is  clear  enough  from  occasional  refer- 
ences which,  sometimes  unconsciously,  revealed  his 
inner  mind.  Several  of  these  will  be  quoted  in 
subsequent  chapters.  Here  it  will  be  enough  to 
refer  to  two  sermons  and  one  letter. 

In  a  sermon  on  "  The  True  Apostolical  Succes- 
sion "  we  find  this  passage  :  "  How  many  there 
are  in  our  midst  who  have  been  raised  up  by  God 
to  fill  similar  positions  in  the  Church  to  those 
which  their  forefathers  occupied  !  I  hope  there 
will  always  be  a  family  succession  in  the  eldership 
and  in  the  deaconship  and,  what  if  I  were  egotistical 
enough  to  say  so,  in  the  ministry  too.  I  would 
to  God  there  might  be  in  every  single  position  of 
the  Church,  as  soon  as  one  dies,  another  allied 
to  and  descended  from  the  departed  to  take  his 
place." 

Another  passage  even  more  definite  occurs  in  a 
sermon  on  "  Now  :  a  Sermon  for  Young  Men  and 
Women  " :  **  It  may  not  be  my  honour  to  be  suc- 
ceeded in  this  pulpit  by  one  of  my  sons,  greatly 
as  I  would  rejoice  if  it  might  be  so  ;   but  at  least 


THE  SPURGEON  ERA  17 

I  hope  they  will  be  here  in  this  church  to  serve 
their  father's  God ;  and  to  be  regarded  with 
affection  by  you  for  the  sake  of  him  who  spent  his 
life  in  your  midst." 

To  his  son  himself,  in  a  letter  dated  August  26th, 
1887,  he  opens  his  heart :  "I  awoke  this  morning 
saying  to  myself,"  he  writes,  "  '  If  Tom  could  live 
here  I  should  die  happy,  for  I  should  drop  the 
reins  into  his  hands.'  Now  I  am  not  going  to  drop 
them  so  far  as  I  can  see,  but  it  shows  that  I  was 
dreaming  of  you  as  a  successor." 

If  the  son's  ministry  had  remained  alone  we 
might  scarcely  be  justified,  in  spite  of  his  father's 
judgment,  in  considering  it  as  part  of  the  same 
Era,  but  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  though  C.  H. 
Spurgeon  had  passed,  so  far  as  the  speaking  of  the 
Message  was  concerned  (and  it  may  here  be  noted 
that  he  died  at  an  age  four  years  younger  than  his 
son),  the  publication  of  his  sermons  continued  all 
along  the  course  of  his  son's  ministry.  Both  ended 
together,  and  the  sixty-three  volumes  of  sermons 
that  have  been  issued  in  regular  succession  since 
1855  (the  last  volume  not  quite  completed)  are 
the  milestones  on  the  way.  Never  in  the  world's 
history  has  there  been  such  a  record.  In  the 
original  form  the  sermons  have  been  circulated  to 
the  extent  of  over  105,000,000,  and  they  have  been 
reprinted  in  countless  ways  and  in  many  lan- 
guages. Mr.  Charles  Spurgeon,  like  his  brother, 
has  also  ministered  the  word  during  these  years, 
but  he  is  now  devoting  himself  to  the  care  of  his 
father's  Orphanage,  so  the  Spurgeon  ministry,  in  a 
very  real  sense,  may  be  thought  of  as  a  thing  of 
2 


18  THE  SPURGEON  ERA 

the  past,  ceasing  with  the  end  of  the  pubHcation 
of  The  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  Pulpit. 

When  the  last  sermon  was  pubhshed,  a  remark- 
able article  appeared  in  The  Times,  part  of  which 
may  be  reproduced  not  only  as  a  tribute  to  the 
preacher,  but  as  an  estimate  of  the  Era  the  ser- 
mons represent : 

"  The  publishers  have  announced  that  for  the 
present  they  have  terminated  the  weekly  publica- 
tion of  Mr.  C.  H.  Spurgeon's  sermons.  The  series 
began  in  January,  1855,  and  every  week  since  that 
date  a  sermon  by  the  great  Baptist  preacher  has 
been  published.  They  provide  a  contribution  to 
homiletic  literature  from  a  single  preacher  of  un- 
precedented extent  and  of  quite  special  significance. 

"It  is  instructive  to  observe  that,  since  the 
preachers  of  each  age  have  spoken  in  the  language 
of  their  times,  few  things  help  us  better  to  judge 
religious  life  and  thought  in  any  period  than  the 
sermons  of  its  popular  divines.  The  homely  style 
of  Latimer  gave  place  to  the  conceits  of  Andrewes 
and  Donne,  to  be  succeeded  by  the  ornate  splen- 
dour of  Jeremy  Taylor,  who  in  turn  gave  place  to 
the  massive  thought  of  Barrow,  to  be  followed  by 
the  flowing  style  of  men  like  Tillotson,  and  then 
by  philosophers  like  Butler,  and  from  each  we 
learn  much  of  the  days  in  which  they  lived.  The 
Nonconformist  and  Puritan  divines  were  often 
preachers  of  great  power ;  and  Baxter,  Owen, 
Bunyan,  and  Howe  not  only  give  vivid  expression 
to  their  conception  of  the  faith,  they  match  the 
needs    and    aspirations    of   their    fellows.      John 


THE  SPURGEON  ERA  19 

Wesley  and  Whitefield  began  a  new  era  in  preach- 
ing, appealing  directly  to  those  who  were  outside 
the  ministrations  of  both  Church  and  Nonconfor- 
mity. Since  their  day  English  preachers  have 
striven  to  give  their  ministry  a  directly  popular 
aim,  while  the  names  of  men  like  Newman,  F.  D. 
Maurice,  Robertson  of  Brighton,  Liddon,  R.  W. 
Dale,  Maclaren,  and  C.  H.  Spurgeon  remind  us  of 
preachers  whose  message  has  challenged  the  con- 
sciences as  well  as  appealed  to  the  minds  of  modern 
Englishmen  of  the  most  varied  religious  experi- 
ence. Among  the  preachers  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  and  remarkable  men  are  to  be  numbered 
among  them,  Spurgeon  has  a  special  place.  He 
was  from  the  first  identified  with  militant  Non- 
conformity. 

"  In  character,  thought,  religious  experience, 
speech,  and,  we  may  add,  appearance,  Spurgeon 
was  typical  of  the  Nonconformity  of  the  lower 
middle  class  sixty  or  seventy  years  ago.  A  keen 
student  of  human  nature,  thoroughly  alive  to  the 
motives  by  which  men  are  influenced,  he  was  an 
acute  experimental  psychologist,  able  without  any 
finesse  to  make  his  direct  appeal  to  the  consciences 
of  men  in  the  terms  which  they  could  at  once 
understand.  Though  he  had  considerable  intel- 
lectual gifts  he  was  not  a  man  of  any  wide  culture. 
He  had  never  been  at  a  college  and  was  a  self- 
educated  man,  but  he  had  read  diligently  in  various 
fields  of  religious  literature.  His  knowledge  of 
the  great  Puritan  divines  was  extensive  and 
accurate.  And  Spurgeon  could  always  bring  all 
his  powers  into  action.     He  was  hindered  by  no 


20  THE   SPURGEON  ERA 

hesitations  of  self-consciousness,  no  misgiving  as 
to  the  value  of  what  he  had  to  say,  no  doubt  as 
to  the  needs  of  his  hearers  ;  for  he  was  entirely 
certain  that  his  message  had  come  to  him  from 
Heaven,  and  that  he  was  bidden  to  deliver  it  by  the 
power  of  the  Divine  Spirit  for  the  conversion  of 
his  fellow-men. 

"  The  results  justified  his  confidence.  Almost 
from  the  first  crowds  flocked  to  hear  him.  The 
chapel  which  had  been  almost  empty  when  he  be- 
came its  pastor  was  soon  far  too  small  for  the  con- 
gregations, and  while  it  was  being  enlarged  he 
migrated  to  Exeter  Hall.  The  interest  he  excited 
there  was  so  widespread  that  as  a  consequence 
Sunday  evening  services  were  begun  in  St.  Paul's 
Cathedral  and  Westminster  Abbey,  where  they  have 
been  continued  ever  since.  When  Exeter  Hall 
was  no  longer  available  Spurgeon  preached  to  huge 
congregations  in  the  Surrey  Gardens  Music  Hall, 
and  it  is  claimed  thousands  of  conversions  took 
place.  At  last  the  great  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 
was  built  in  Newington  ;  and  there  until  his  last 
illness  and  death,  in  1892,  Spurgeon  retained  a 
congregation  of  about  7,000  people  who  flocked  to 
hear  him  twice  every  Sunday. 

*'  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  Spurgeon 
was  for  a  time  a  butt  of  ridicule.  There  was 
much  which  at  first  glance  seemed  to  invite  it. 
His  appearance,  his  manner  in  the  pulpit,  his 
humour,  his  homeliness  of  speech  made  him  an 
easy  prey  to  the  caricaturist ;  even  his  undoubted 
success  became  a  cause  of  offence  to  unfriendly 
critics.     He  was  described  as  '  a  clerical  poltroon,' 


THE  SPURGEON  ERA  21 

presuming  to  indulge  in  '  arrogant  declamation 
to  the  Deity,'  offering  prayers  '  most  profanely 
familiar.'  One  religious  journal  which  might 
have  been  expected  to  show  more  sympathy  stated, 
'  Solemnly  do  we  express  our  regret  that  insolence 
so  unblushing,  intellect  so  feeble,  flippancy  so 
ostentatious,  and  manner  so  rude  should,  in  the 
name  of  religion  and  in  connection  with  the  Church, 
receive  the  acknowledgment  of  even  a  momentary 
popularity.'  But  the  real  power  and  worth  of 
Spurgeon  made  itself  felt.  In  the  course  of  time 
men  of  wide  experience  and  culture  learned  to 
appreciate  his  character,  abilities,  sincerity,  and 
spiritual  power.  A  man  may  claim  to  be  known 
by  his  fruits  ;  and  no  ministry  in  modern  times 
has  affected  so  many  men  of  such  varied  experi- 
ences in  every  part  of  the  world  as  C.  H.  Spurgeon's. 
There  is  something  in  these  sermons  which  grips 
the  heart  and  challenges  the  conscience ;  and 
many  who  never  heard  the  preacher  have  read 
these  homely  but  persuasive  discourses  almost 
in  every  corner  of  the  world. 

"  Spurgeon's  life  and  character  were  all  of  a 
piece.  He  belonged  to  the  lower  middle  classes, 
and  his  ideals  were  theirs.  The  poor  preacher  who 
at  first  was  content  to  supplement  his  pastor's 
pittance  by  teaching  in  a  private  school,  when  his 
income  increased  and  the  profits  from  the  sale  of 
his  sermons  and  books  enabled  him  to  live  in  the 
comfort  of  a  prosperous  professional  man,  had  no 
hesitation  in  using  the  good  things  of  the  world 
after  the  method  of  the  class  to  which  he  belonged. 
There  is  an  amusing  entry  in  Archbishop  Benson's 


22  THE  SPURGEON  ERA 

diary  which  describes  a  visit  Spurgeon  paid  to  him, 
and  reports  the  Baptist  pastor  saying  that — '  "There 
are  some  heathen  that  won't  give  in  to  anything 
but  the  Word — it  takes  ingenuity  to  find  the 
Word  that  will  convince  them.  It's  not  the  real 
meaning  of  the  passage  that  affects  them.  It's 
the  applicability  of  the  words  themselves  to  their 
particular  case."  So  he  talked  on,  the  Antiquus 
Ego  was  ever  before  his  eyes.  But  he  made  us 
all  like  him  very  much,  and  respect  the  Ego  which 
he  respected,  and  feel  that  he  had  a  very  definite 
call  by  the  help  of  it  to  win  souls  for  Christ,  or 
rather  to  help  those  souls  to  Christ  who  were  sure 
to  come  one  way  or  other.  "  I'm  a  very  bad 
Calvinist,  quite  a  Calvinist — I  look  on  to  the  time 
when  the  Elect  will  be  all  the  world."  This  I  don't 
understand,  I  fear.  He  stayed  nearly  two  hours, 
interesting  us  all  much,  and  he  drove  away  in  a 
very  nice  brougham  with  two  very  nice  light  chest- 
nuts, almost  cream  coloured,  and  his  coachman 
had  a  very  shabby  hat.' 

"  Spurgeon's  sermons  are  nearly  always  arranged 
according  to  the  same  plan.  There  are  the  three 
or  four  main  headings  with  their  various  sub- 
divisions, presenting  repeated  and  direct  appeals  to 
the  consciences  of  his  hearers.  But  with  this  per- 
manence of  outline  there  is  the  greatest  variety  of 
subject.  He  was  alive  to  everything  that  was 
going  on  around  him,  quick  to  make  use  of  any 
notable  event,  if  by  that  means  he  could  give 
emphasis  to  his  message.  For  instance,  Londoners 
of  about  forty  years  ago  will  remember  the  way  in 
which  they  were  moved  by  the  loss  of  many  lives 


THE   SPURGEON  ERA  23 

in  the  sinking  of  the  Princess  Alice,  a  pleasure 
steamer  which  went  down  in  the  Thames.  The 
sermon  preached  by  Spurgeon  at  that  time  served 
to  give  the  disaster  a  vividness  of  spiritual  meaning 
which  affected  many.  Throughout  these  sermons, 
of  which  millions  of  copies  have  been  sold,  there 
is  constant  proof  that  the  preacher  is  in  the  closest 
sympathy  with  the  people  to  whom  he  preached. 
He  never  forgot  the  great  central  verities  of  the 
Christian  faith.  It  is  true  that  he  was  a  strong 
Baptist  and  a  Calvinist,  and  would  have  nothing 
to  do  with  liberalism  in  theology.  But  he  be- 
lieved that  the  Christ  whom  he  preached  was  able 
to  save  all  men.  He  preached  with  the  purpose 
of  conversion,  and  he  succeeded  to  a  wonderful 
degree. 

"  Spurgeon  was  a  tireless  worker,  and  his  com- 
paratively early  death  in  his  fifty-eighth  year  was 
caused  by  over- work.  Yet  the  constant  preach- 
ing which  would  have  exhausted  the  powers  of 
most  strong  men  was  but  a  part  of  his  work.  His 
sermons  and  numerous  writings  brought  him  con- 
siderable sums  of  money,  which  he  devoted  to  the 
Pastors'  College,  the  Stockwell  Orphanage,  the 
Colportage  Association,  and  other  works  which  he 
founded.  To  these  he  gave  himself  and  his  means 
without  reserve.  Some  of  his  lectures  to  the 
students  of  the  Pastors'  College  are  to  be  read  in 
four  volumes  of  Lectures  to  my  Students,  and 
they  are  to  be  warmly  commended  to  the  candi- 
dates for  the  ministry  of  all  denominations.  Few 
books  are  so  full  of  spiritual  counsel  to  preachers 
and  yet  so  thoroughly  sane  as  these.     The  Trea- 


24  THE  SPURGEON  ERA 

sury  of  David  is  another  work  of  quite  special 
importance  which  we  owe  to  Spurgeon,  containing 
as  it  does  a  vast  collection  of  the  choicest  Puritan 
literature  on  the  Psalms.  The  publishers  have 
met  the  sustained  demand  for  Spurgeon's  sermons 
by  publishing  them  in  volumes  according  to  their 
subjects  or  the  texts  from  which  they  were  taken, 
or  as  devotional  books  of  various  kinds,  so  that 
the  Spurgeon  literature  takes  many  forms. 

"  Spurgeon  was  a  Puritan  and  a  Calvinist.  In 
so  far  as  this  is  a  true  description  of  the  man  it 
would  seem  to  declare  his  inability  to  appeal  to 
the  religious  instincts  and  needs  of  the  men  of  our 
time.  But  in  fact  no  modern  preacher  has  spoken 
so  directly  to  men's  hearts  as  this  herald  of  re- 
actionary Protestantism.  The  secret  lay  in  his 
knowledge  of  God  as  He  is  revealed  in  the  Bible, 
and  his  knowledge  of  men  as  he  learned  it  in  his 
own  experience.  To  these  he  brought  an  entire 
devotion  to  his  ministry  in  the  conviction  that  in 
it  he  was  appointed  to  glorify  His  Master  and  save 
the  souls  of  his  fellow-men.  He  had  the  Calvinist's 
belief  in  the  Sovereignty  of  God,  and  the  Puritan's 
passion  for  righteousness,  but  his  humour  and  his 
sympathy  saved  him  from  the  harshness  of  both 
and  enabled  him  to  commend  to  his  hearers  the 
Gospel  which  he  preached  with  a  homeliness  that 
only  served  to  manifest  its  power." 

In  very  truth  Spurgeon  was  a  Puritan  and  a 
Calvinist — ^there  can  be  no  juster  characterization  of 
his  qualities,  and  if  we  consider  the  time  of  his 
appearance,  and  the  circumstances  of  his  day,  it 


THE   SPURGEON  ERA  25 

will  be  difficult,  in  the  review,  for  any  of  us  to 
doubt  that  it  was  God's  Sovereign  Grace  that  sent 
him,  him  and  no  other,  at  such  an  hour.  It  might 
be  said  that  he  was  the  product  of  his  time,  if  he 
had  not  been  trained  so  much  apart  from  it  and 
begun  to  influence  his  time  before  it  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  influencing  him. 

In  the  year  that  William  Carey  died,  1834,  ten 
days  afterwards,  Spurgeon  was  born,  just  as 
Carey  called  the  Church  of  Christ  to  expect  great 
things  from  God,  and  attempt  great  things  for 
God,  the  year  after  John  Wesley's  voice  was 
silenced.  Here  is  the  true  succession  of  Apostles. 
One  age  was  ending  and  another  about  to  begin. 
A  Voice  was  needed,  and  God  sent  a  man  ade- 
quately fitted  for  the  appointed  task.  It  was  the 
very  year  when  new  tides  of  spiritual  power  began 
to  flow  all  along  the  coast  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

In  the  Anglican  Church  the  Tractarian  Move- 
ment, inaugurated  the  previous  year,  had  gathered 
such  force  in  1834  that  the  Christian  Observer  raised 
the  cry  of  Romanism,  and  in  Spurgeon's  boyhood, 
under  the  leadership  of  Keble,  Newman,  and 
Pusey,  it  increased  in  volume  and  power. 

In  the  Scotch  Church  the  attempt  to  force  an 
unpopular  minister  on  the  parish  of  Auchterarder, 
in  1834,  led  to  a  struggle  for  the  independence  of 
Church  and  State,  which  in  1843  impelled  470 
ministers  to  leave  the  Church  of  St.  Andrew's  in 
Edinburgh  to  form  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland, 
with  such  men  as  Chalmers,  Guthrie,  CandHsh, 
Duff,  and  McCheyne  as  leaders — one  of  the  most 
glorious    processions    in    history.     Spurgeon    was 


26  THE   SPURGEON  ERA 

then  nine  years  of  age.  In  1885  he  wrote  :  "  When 
a  boy  we  remember  the  enthusiasm  of  the  Inde- 
pendent congregation  with  which  my  family  are 
connected.  Certain  of  the  Disruption  men  have 
been  amongst  our  choicest  friends,  and  we  hke  to 
think  of  all  they  did  and  suffered  for  the  truth's 
sake." 

Another  movement  of  a  different  order,  yet  in- 
formed by  the  same  desire  for  reality  and  freedom, 
began  in  Ireland,  and  took  shape  amongst  the 
Brethren  at  Plymouth,  spreading  rapidly  amongst 
eager  Evangelical  folk  in  this  country  and  on  the 
Continent.  Again,  1834  was  a  year  of  crisis,  for 
it  was  then  that  J.  N.  Darby  published  his  book 
on  Christian  Liberty  in  Preaching,  and  proclaimed 
that  the  Church  was  in  ruins. 

These  different  movements  seemed  to  have  no- 
thing in  common,  seemed  indeed  to  oppose  each 
other  like  contrary  currents ;  the  people  of  the 
time  could  not  guess  that  they  were  all  caused  by 
the  rising  of  the  tide,  which  on  one  side  of  an 
island  may  flow  in  a  direction  the  exact  opposite 
of  the  tide  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  though 
they  are  both  part  of  one  great  impulse.  The 
whole  nation — ^may  we  not  say  the  whole  world  ? 
— ^was  feeling  after  God,  and  God  was  not  forgetful 
of  His  people.  One  evidence  of  His  care  was  that 
He  was  preparing  a  prophet  to  speak  His  word — 
a  prophet  who  was  in  the  desert  until  the  time  of  his 
showing  unto  Israel,  who  then  came  forth,  know- 
ing well  the  Shepherd's  Voice,  and  not  knowing, 
nor  caring  to  know    the  voice  of  strangers. 

That  he  was  part  of  his  time,  though  he  was  not 


THE   SPURGEON   ERA  27 

the  product  of  it,  is  seen  in  the  harmonious  deve- 
lopments in  other  directions.  In  1859,  five  years 
after  his  ministry  in  London  began,  there  came 
the  Great  Revival  which  has  left  its  mark  on  the 
life  of  the  people  until  this  day.  Nobody  knows 
how  it  began :  its  first  manifestation  was  in 
America,  after  a  series  of  business  failures  in  that 
country,  but  whether  caused  by  them  or  whether 
they  sprang  from  the  same  cause  as  the  Revival 
cannot  be  determined.  In  the  following  year 
Ireland  and  Scotland  witnessed  the  same  phe- 
nomena accentuated  by  physical  signs,  real  enough, 
but  difficult  to  explain.  Professor  Cairns  bears 
witness  that  in  his  young  days  the  Christian  leaders 
in  aggressive  Evangelical  circles  were  largely  the 
fruit  of  '59,  and  I  can  bear  the  same  witness  as 
to  the  north  of  Ireland.  In  the  sixties  the  move- 
ment, shorn  of  its  extravagances  and  partly  bereft 
of  its  power,  reached  England,  where  it  came  as  a 
sort  of  aftermath  of  Spurgeon's  own  ministry. 

All  along  the  course  of  the  Spurgeon  ministry 
such  visitations  of  God's  grace  occurred,  not 
caused  by  it,  but  not  apart  from  it.  In  1873  D.  L. 
Moody  and  Ira  D.  Sankey  came  to  this  country. 
Mr.  Moody,  asked  to  state  his  creed,  declared  that 
it  was  already  in  print  in  the  fifty-third  of  Isaiah, 
and  Mr.  Sankey  sang  that  the  search  for  the  lost 
sheep  was  more  to  the  mind  of  Christ  than  even 
the  care  of  the  ninety  and  nine.  The  evangelists 
had  no  warmer  friend  than  the  Pastor  of  the 
Tabernacle — ^that  has  already  been  made  clear 
in  the  previous  chapter. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  Keswick  Convention 


28  THE   SPURGEON  ERA 

which  was  the  outgrowth  of  this  Revival  had  the 
support  of  either  Spurgeon,  though  both  were 
close  friends  of  many  of  its  leaders.  But  the  truth 
embodied  in  the  teaching  of  the  Convention,  that 
holiness,  like  conversion,  comes  not  by  works 
but  by  faith,  and  that  Christ  can  give  instant 
deliverance  from  sin  and  constant  victory  over 
temptation,  has  now  become  almost  axiomatic  in 
Christian  thinking,  and  was,  in  fact,  part  of  the 
Spurgeon  message. 

The  uprising  of  the  Salvation  Army  was  but  a 
symptom  of  the  same  desire  to  bring  Christ  to  the 
people,  and  to  lead  the  people  to  God.  It  was  the 
flowing  of  the  tide  into  another  bay,  with  a  head- 
land between,  which  prevented  observers  in  either 
bay  seeing  both  as  one  movement — ^that  was  only 
given  to  those  on  the  headland  or  on  the  height. 
Spurgeon  held  aloof  from  the  Army  but  greatly 
admired  the  zeal  of  both  Catherine  and  William 
Booth.  General  Booth  visited  him  on  one  occa- 
sion in  the  early  years  and  sought  his  co-operation. 
With  characteristic  adroitness  he  said  that  he 
would  not  like  to  have  it  reported  that  Spurgeon 
had  refused  him  the  Tabernacle  for  a  meeting, 
but  that  if  Spurgeon  would  hold  up  his  little  finger 
he  would  ask  him  for  it.  "I  did  not  hold  up 
my  finger,"  said  Spurgeon  to  me  afterwards.  But 
he  gave  General  Booth  his  hand,  and  in  after  years 
the  General  spoke  in  the  new  Tabernacle  on  two 
different  occasions. 

The  Spurgeon  Era  also  covers  the  rise  of  the 
Student  Christian  Movement,  with  the  consequent 
missionary  advance ;  and  the  great  manifestation 


THE   SPURGEON  ERA  29 

of  essential  unity  as  seen  in  the  memorable 
Edinburgh  Conference.  It  may  seem  to  be  a 
far  cry  from  the  Spurgeons  to  Dr.  John  Mott — 
again  it  is  only  from  the  headland  or  from  the 
height  that  the  whole  view  can  be  seen.  The 
essential  truth  is  common  to  both  of  them — "  I, 
if  I  be  lifted  up  will  draw  all  men  unto  Me."  Why, 
the  very  text  that  led  Spurgeon  to  the  light  is  a 
missionary  text,  "  Look  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved, 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth  I  "  and  nobody  had  greater 
sympathy  with  student  life  than  he. 

In  Thomas  Spurgeon's  day  there  came  the 
Welsh  Revival,  and  when  he  was  laid  aside  from 
preaching  I  could  not  forbear  comparing  him  with 
Evan  Roberts,  my  immediate  neighbour  in 
Leicester,  since  he  also,  once  so  greatly  used,  has 
been  called  into  retirement.  The  greatness  of 
both  men  is  seen  in  their  unspoiled  temper  during 
their  forced  inaction.  Neither  was  soured  by 
disappointment,  or  rendered  unsympathetic  to- 
ward those  who  held  the  field.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
visited  Wales  during  the  Revival  time,  preached 
in  a  coal-pit  to  some  of  the  exuberant  spirits,  and 
was  afterwards  through  the  instrumentality  of  the 
Welsh  students  of  the  Pastors'  College  permitted 
to  see  a  splash  of  the  tide  in  the  Tabernacle. 

That  it  is  no  mere  fancy  of  a  friendly  biographer 
which  looks  upon  the  sixty-three  years  as  the 
Spurgeon  Era  may  be  illustrated  by  some  words 
written  of  Dr.  James  Denney,  by  Sir  William 
Robertson  Nicoll,  whom  I  quote  again,  wishing 
that  he  might  even  yet  be  induced  to  write  the 
C.  H.  Spurgeon  biography  for  which  we  still  wait. 


80  THE  SPURGEON  ERA 

"  We  believe,"  he  says  concerning  Denney,  "  that 
his  wife,  who  gave  him  the  truest  and  most  perfect 
companionship,  led  him  into  a  more  pronounced 
Evangelical  creed.  It  was  she  who  induced  him 
to  read  Spurgeon,  whom  he  had  been  inclined  to 
despise.  He  became  an  ardent  admirer  of  this 
preacher  and  a  very  careful  and  sympathetic 
student  of  his  sermons.  It  was  Spurgeon,  perhaps 
as  much  as  any  one,  who  led  him  to  the  great 
decision  of  his  life — the  decision  to  preach  Christ 
our  righteousness." 

Though  the  great  controversy  of  his  life  involved 
the  Baptist  Union,  it  is  a  satisfaction  to-day  to 
find,  in  the  Entrance  Hall  of  the  Baptist  Church 
House,  a  fine  statue  of  the  great  preacher.  What- 
ever the  new  age  may  hold  for  us  it  cannot  lessen 
the  greatness  of  that  figure,  nor  lower  the  eternal 
truth  he  proclaimed  of  Christ's  Deity,  Lordship, 
Atonement  and  Reign. 


CHAPTER    III 

THE   TWINS 

Two  years  after  C.  H.  Spurgeon  settled  in  London 
twin  sons  were  born  to  him.  They  came  on  Sep- 
tember 20th,  1856,  to  his  earhest  London  home, 
217,  New  Kent  Road.  Great  was  the  joy  in  the 
home  and  in  the  church.  The  oft-repeated  story 
that  when  his  father  heard  of  it  he  said,  "  Not  i^ 
more  than  others  I  deserve  ;  but  God  hath  given 
me  more  "  is  as  apocryphal  as  that  earlier  story 
that  Carey  said  to  Andrew  Fuller  that  he  would 
go  down  into  the  mine  if  others  would  hold  the 
ropes.  No  doubt  both  sayings  would  quite  truly 
have  expressed  the  feelings  of  the  two  men,  but 
in  both  cases  they  are  the  sayings  of  others.  In 
the  earliest  instance  the  foundation  of  the  story 
is  that  Fuller  wrote  concerning  Carey  :  ''It  was 
as  if  he  had  said,  I  will  go  down  if  you  will  hold 
the  ropes,"  and  in  the  later  it  was  no  doubt  the 
comment  of  one  of  Spurgeon's  friends  who  suggested 
that  the  happy  father  might  have  said  so-and-so. 
But  there  was  no  doubt  about  the  boys — there 
they  were — the  elder  called  Charles  after  his 
father,  and  with  a  touch  of  humour,  the  younger 
called  Thomas  because  he  was  a  twin.  That  at 
any  rate  is  the  probable  explanation,  though  the 

31 


32  THE  TWINS 

said  Tom  once  in  Australia  gave  a  different  answer 
when  he  was  asked  why  his  father  had  given  him 
that  name.  "  Before  my  mother  was  married," 
he  said,  "  her  name  was  Thompson,  so  it  was  quite 
natural  that  I  should  be  Son  Tom." 

No  son  was  ever  a  fonder  lover  of  his  mother 
than  he  ;  his  earlier  letters  overflow  with  affection 
for  "  Mudge,"  became  indeed  almost  extravagant 
in  their  expressions  of  endearment,  and  he  never 
wavered  in  that  devotion.  It  was  quite  natural 
for  him  to  reply  when  a  superior  person  said  to 
him  in  the  after  years,  "  You  would  not  be  where 
you  are  if  you  had  not  been  your  father's  son," 
''  But  surely  you  will  give  my  mother  a  little  of  the 
credit  too  " — an  answer  which  stamped  him  more 
surely  as  his  father's  son  than  his  mother's. 

His  father  more  than  once  said  that  if  God 
honours  His  saints  before  the  people,  He  gener- 
ally takes  them  behind  the  door  and  gives  them 
a  whipping,  and  in  his  own  case  this  was  often 
true.  But  now  the  order  was  reversed.  God  sent 
the  great  joy  into  the  home,  and  barely  a  month 
after  sent  him  in  public  the  greatest  sorrow  of  his 
life.  On  October  19th,  there  arose  a  panic  in  the 
great  congregation  at  the  Surrey  Music  Hall  the 
first  time  he  preached  there.  Some  thieves  cried 
''  Fire,"  and  the  frantic  people  rushed  for  the 
doors,  seven  being  killed  and  many  others  injured. 
The  preacher  did  much  to  calm  their  fears,  but 
afterwards  his  own  mind  was  paralysed,  and  the 
next  month  was  spent  in  a  state  of  inconsolable 
distress.  Gradually  peace  of  heart  was  given  to 
him,  and  mother  and  children  joined  him  at  Croy- 


THE   TWINS  33 

don,  where  he  had  gone  to  get  away  from  the 
horror  that  pursued  him  amid  famihar  scenes. 
He  never  quite  recovered  his  nerve  in  the  face  of 
an  unfamihar  crowd,  but  when  the  joy  of  the  Lord 
was  restored,  he  gratefully  dedicated  his  twin 
boys,  as  far  as  in  him  lay,  to  the  Lord  and  to  His 
service,  and  the  happy  family  returned  home 
again. 

The  lads  were  a  little  more  than  a  year  old 
when  their  father  preached  in  the  Crystal  Palace 
to  the  largest  congregation  he  ever  addressed, 
23,654  persons,  on  October  7th,  1857,  the  national 
Fast-Day  for  the  Indian  Mutiny.  A  day  or  two 
before  the  service  he  went  to  the  Palace  to  test 
the  acoustics  of  the  place,  men  being  placed  at 
various  points  to  see  if  they  could  hear  his  voice. 
As  ever,  having  to  say  something,  he  said  some- 
thing worth  the  saying — ''  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  A 
workman,  hearing  the  message  unexpectedly,  re- 
ceived it  as  a  message  from  heaven,  and  was  led 
to  Christ  by  it.  On  the  day  itself  the  text  was 
"  Hear  ye  the  rod  and  Him  that  hath  appointed 
it,"  the  congregation  was  deeply  impressed,  the 
Mutiny  Fimd  benefited  to  the  extent  of  £700, 
and  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  so  exhausted  that  going  to 
bed  that  Wednesday  night  he  did  not  awake  until 
Friday  morning  !  ! 

About  this  time  the  home  had  been  moved  to 
Nightingale  Lane,  Clapham  Common,  then  in  the 
country,  now  in  the  busy  traffic  of  London ;  and 
here  the  boys,  in  the  fresher  air,  grew  apace. 
They  were  of  course  just  like  other  boys.  Their 
3 


4 


34  THE   TWINS 

father  was  once  asked  "  Which  is  the  best,  Charlie 
or  Tom  ? "  and  his  answer  was  characteristic. 
'*  CharHe  is  the  best  boy  when  Tom  is  not  with 
him,  and  Tom  is  best  when  CharUe  is  away.'* 

Their  first  education  was  given  by  a  governess, 
and  to  her  the  earhest  letter  of  T.  S.  that  has  been 
preserved  is  addressed.  It  was  sent  to  his  son 
Harold  quite  recently  by  a  lady  who  says  :  "  My 
dear  father  came  across  it  at  an  old  curiosity  shop, 
and  paid  five  shillings  for  it,  thinking  it  would 
please  me  to  have  it  :  which  it  did."  The  letter, 
in  stiff  clear  writing,  runs  ; 

"  May  6th,  1866. 

"  My  dear  Miss  Steventon, 

''  Mamma  desires  me  to  write  and  say,  with 
her  kind  regards,  that  we  shall  not  be  able  to  come 
to  school  all  next  week,  as  we  are  going  out. 
''  I  remain, 

"  Your  affectionate  pupil, 

"  Thomas  Spurgeon." 

Then  they  went  to  a  school  at  Lansdowne 
Road,  Stockwell,  and  afterwards  to  Lang's  School 
at  Clapham  Park.  For  a  while  afterwards  they 
were  tutored  by  Mr.  Rylands  Brown  when  he  was 
a  student  in  the  Pastors'  College,  the  boys  coming 
down  to  the  Tabernacle  for  their  lessons.  When 
at  Clapham  Park  they  might  have  been  seen  any 
morning  running  to  catch  Tilling's  omnibus  which 
took  City  men  to  their  work  in  those  days,  four- 
in-hand.  The  conductor  knew  them  as  Spurgeon's 
boys,  and  gladly  gave  them  a  lift  till  his  omnibus 


THE  TWINS  35 

filled  up-  Once  Thomas  missed  his  step  and  fell 
flat  on  his  face,  but  he  had  spirit  enough  to  pick 
himself  up  and  get  on  the  omnibus  after  all.  They 
were  fond  of  skating  and  of  cricket,  and  Mr. 
Higgs  bought  a  beautiful  boat  which  they  used 
to  sail  on  the  pond  on  the  Common. 

"  I  remember  as  a  child,"  he  said  in  a  sermon, 
"  earning  sixpence  from  my  beloved  father  once 
for  sitting  still  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  I  never 
found  wage  so  hard  to  earn  before  or  since.  I 
never  consented  a  second  time  to  attempt  such  a 
feat  at  such  poor  rate  of  payment." 

In  another  sermon  this  occurs — "  I  used  to  do 
canvas  work  when  I  was  a  little  boy,  and  if  I  did 
it  wrong  I  had  to  unpick  it.  I  know  I  did  not 
like  that  part.  I  would  always  rather  do  a  new 
square.  I  often  think  how  glad  we  should  be  if 
we  could  only  unpick  in  life  those  squares  that  we 
have  done  amiss." 

On  Sunday  evenings  their  mother  used  to  take 
the  boys  aside  and  talk  to  them  about  the  way  of 
life,  and  with  one  each  side  of  her  at  the  piano 
sing  the  songs  of  Zion.  "  I  like  to  tell,"  her  son 
said  years  afterwards,  ''  how  she  bade  us  sing 
'  There  is  a  fountain  filled  with  blood  '  and  of  how 
when  she  came  to  the  chorus  she  used  to  say, 
'  Dear  boys  of  mine,  I  have  no  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  you  are  yet  trusting  Christ :  you  will, 
I  hope,  in  answer  to  our  constant  prayers,  but  till 
you  definitely  do  you  must  not  say  or  sing  '*I 
do  believe,  I  will  beHeve,  that  Jesus  died  for  me." 
It  is  just  as  wrong  to  sing  a  lie  as  to  tell  one.' 
Then  she  used  to  sing  it  by  herself.     Somehow  or 


I 


36  THE   TWINS 

other  it  did  not  seem  to  me,  even  in  those  early 
days,  that  a  chorus  should  be  sung  by  one  voice 
only  !  Perhaps  that  little  thought  helped  me  to 
long  to  be  able  to  sing  it  too,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
wrought  in  my  heart  an  earnest  craving  to  be 
able  to  sing 

I  do  believe,  I  will  believe. 

That  Jesus  died  for  me. 

That  on  the  Cross  He  shed  His  blood. 

From  sin  to  set  me  free. 

Oh,  how  I  longed  for  that  !  I  remember  well  the 
bright  morning  when  as  we  came  to  the  breakfast- 
table,  I  climbed  upon  her  seat  and  put  my  arms 
round  dear  mother's  neck — ^^I  like  to  have  them 
there  still — ^and  I  said  to  her,  '  Dear  mother,  I 
really  think  I  do  love  Jesus.'  Thank  God,  she 
took  me  at  my  word,  and  said  to  me,  '  I  am  so 
glad  to  hear  it,  I  believe  you  do.'  Then  I  wanted 
Sunday  night  to  come  that  I  might  be  able  to 
sing  my  loudest  in  the  chorus.  Whatever  else 
may  fade  from  my  memory  that  scene  is  indelibly 
fixed  there.  '  I  opened  my  mouth  unto  the 
Lord  and  I  cannot  go  back.'  The  words  were 
spoken  into  the  Lord's  ear.  The  Lord  was  listen- 
ing, and  I  believe  He  also  said,  '  Dear  child,  I 
believe  you  do  love  Me.' " 

His  father's  sister,  Mrs.  Page,  about  this  time 
visited  her  brother  at  Nightingale  Lane.  She 
had  been  led  to  Christ  by  Archibald  Brown's 
mother,  but  had  only  told  two  or  three  of  her 
intimate  friends  of  the  change  in  her  life.  One 
day  her  nephew  Tom,  "  then  quite  a  little  chap 


THE   TWINS  37 

in  knickers,  climbed  on  to  my  knee,"  she  writes, 
"  and  putting  his  arms  round  my  neck,  said : 
'  Aunt  Louie,  do  you  love  Jesus  ?  '  I  said,  '  Yes, 
Tommy,'  and  then  came  the  thought  that  if  I 
had  thus  told  a  little  child,  why  should  I  not  con- 
fess it  to  others,  and  it  led  me  to  be  baptized  and 
to  join  the  Tabernacle  Church." 

Through  my  friend  Dr.  Thirtle  I  have  come  into 
possession  of  a  little  book  bound  in  purple  leather 
with  the  boy's  name  in  gold  on  the  cover.  It  is 
The  Pleasant  Catechism  Concerning  Christ,  which 
was  presented  to  him  by  Thomas  D.  Marshall,  who 
was,  if  I  mistake  not,  Newton  Marshall's  father. 
On  the  fly-leaf  he  has  written  the  words  :  "  He  is 
my  God  .  .  .  my  father's  God.  I  will  exalt  him  " 
(Ex.  XV.  2-3).  Evidently  Thomas  learnt  this 
Catechism  for  some  time,  for  there  are  marks,  about 
a  page  distant  from  each  other,  to  mark  the  lessons. 
He  went  steadily  through  the  sections,  "  The 
Person  of  Christ,"  "The  Character  of  Christ," 
"  The  Work  of  Christ,"  but  in  the  fourth  section, 
"  The  Commands  of  Christ,"  he  seems  to  have  been 
arrested — it  is  a  wonder  he  did  not  make  an 
illustration  of  it  in  years  to  come.  The  fifth  sec- 
tion, "  The  People  of  Christ,"  he  does  not  seem 
to  have  touched. 

An  interesting  episode  occurred  in  the  ninth 
year  of  the  twins.  On  March  14th,  1865,  at  the 
close  of  a  lecture  by  their  father  in  the  Metro- 
politan Tabernacle,  on  behalf  of  "  The  United 
Kingdom  Band  of  Hope,"  a  branch  was  formed  at 
the  Tabernacle,  and  the  two  boys  came  to  the 
front  of  the  platform  to  be  enrolled  as  the  first 


38  THE  TWINS 

two  members.  Mr.  Selway  placed  the  medal  and 
ribbon  round  the  neck  of  each,  and  asked  them 
to  address  a  few  words  to  the  meeting.  They 
both  made  the  same  speech,  the  first  public  utter- 
ance for  either  of  them  :  "I  hope  to  be  a  teetotaller 
all  my  life."  A  letter  of  "Son  Tom  "  is  extant, 
dated  March  1865,  which  will  be  of  interest  to 
his  friends.  Remember  that  the  writer  was  only 
between  eight  and  nine  years  old. 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Selway, 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  that 
beautiful  book  you  gave  me,  and  the  kind  way 
you  gave  me  the  medal.  I  must  thank  you  again 
and  again  for  both.  It  is  a  very  nice  book ;  I 
tried  hard  to  read  the  preface  but  found  the  words 
rather  difficult,  but  I  will  ask  Mamma  to  explain 
them  to  me.  I  send  my  love  to  you,  and  hope 
that  all  your  prayers  and  Papa's  will  be  answered 
for  us,  and  that  we  may  grow  up  good  men  and 
preachers  like  our  dear  Papa.  I  hope  to  keep 
that  book  as  long  as  I  live.  I  will  be  able  to  look 
at  it  and  will  then  remember  what  I  did  when 
I  was  a  little  boy.  I  was  very  happy  in  receiving 
the  medal,  and  thought  it  was  a  very  beautiful  one, 
and  hope  to  keep  it  a  very  long  time.  I  am  sure 
I  ought  to  be,  and  am,  very  grateful  to  you.  I 
hope  that  I  will  make  a  longer  speech  soon."  The 
last  page  is  in  praise  of  his  father's  lecture  on 
Candles,  which  he  seems  to  have  enjoyed  very 
much  ;   then  he  finishes : 

"  From  your  grateful  little  Friend, 

"  Thomas  Spurgeon." 


THE  TWINS  89 

In  course  of  time  the  house  at  Nightingale  Lane 
was  to  be  rebuilt,  and  the  household  moved  to 
Brighton  during  the  operation.  The  boys  were 
sent  to  Camden  House  School  there,  and  for  three 
years  and  a  half  were  under  the  care  of  Mr.  William 
Oldring. 

In  a  letter  to  his  mother,  dated  "  Brighton, 
February  20th,  1871,"  evidently  written  when  his 
parents  had  returned  home,  he  says  :  ''  Somebody 
sent  me  a  love  token,  and  as  the  postmark  was 
London,  S.W.,  I  suppose  I  shall  not  be  far  wrong 
in  guessing  that  the  Somebody  lives  not  far  from 
Nightingale  Lane. "  Then,  referring  to  his  mother's 
letter  of  February  14th,  he  adds  :  "  Ah  !  but 
mamma,  I  have  received  something  better  than  a 
valentine,  something  more  substantial.  If  I  could 
but  speak  to  you  in  reality  I  would  like  to  make 
you  guess  what  it  is — A  Certificate  of  Approbation 
awarded  to  T.  S.  for  good  work  and  conduct 
during  the  week.  Four  weeks  have  slipped  away 
and  your  Tommie  has  not  been  reported  yet." 
Then,  boy-like,  he  speaks  of  a  holiday  to  be  given 
to  the  school  because  some  of  the  scholars  had 
distinguished  themselves  in  the  Cambridge  Local 
Examination,  and  ends  in  triumph  by  saying  that 
there  is  going  to  be  a  clock  put  on  the  steeple  of 
the  school  chapel,  and  that  perhaps  his  father 
would  like  to  contribute  to  it ! 

He  and  his  brother  were  evidently  set  on  getting 
money  for  good  works  early  in  their  lives.  About 
this  time  they  compiled  a  magazine  entitled  Read- 
ings for  Leisure  Hours,  both  being  editors,  with 
Henry   Olney  as  foreign  correspondent.     In  the 


40  THE   TWINS 

only  issue  preserved,  Vol.  II.,  No.  5,  April  1872, 
they  state  that  they  have  already  raised  a  guinea 
for  the  Pastors'  College,  and  ask  for  more. 

For  his  sixteenth  birthday  his  mother  sends 
him  a  little  note.  ''  I  thank  God  for  sparing  you 
so  long  to  me,"  she  says;  "  and  hope  that  I  may 
live  to  see  you  a  brave,  earnest,  devoted  Christian 
man.  My  highest  wish  for  you  is  that  you  may 
be  holy." 

Five  other  letters  from  his  mother  during  the 
year  1873  have  been  carefully  guarded  by  her  son. 
In  the  first,  dated  February  11th,  she  says  : 

"  I  am  not  at  all  surprised  at  your  elevation  to 
the  monitorship,  but  I  pray  earnestly  for  you  that 
as  your  privileges  and  responsibilities  increase  so 
may  your  grace  and  wisdom,  and  your  reliance  on 
God.  You  will  be  thrown  now,  my  son,  into  the 
company  of  elder  boys  of  the  school.  Oh,  I  pray 
you,  remember  what  the  burden  of  my  heart  was 
the  night  you  took  leave  of  me  at  Brighton. 
'  Lord,  keep  my  boys  from  the  evil  that  is  in  the 
world.' 

"  You  will  hear  and  see  and  learn  things  from 
elder  boys  that  perhaps  you  never  dreamed  of 
before.  Oh,  my  darling,  my  precious  son,  turn  reso- 
lutely away  from  everything  that  looks  like  vice  or 
wickedness,  and  keep  yourself  pure  unto  the  Lord. 
Temptation  will  be  very  strong  sometimes,  but  cry 
unto  God ;  cry  mightily  and  He  will  deliver  you. 
Something  in  my  heart  compels  me  to  say  this 
to  you  to-day ;  if  you  do  not  feel  the  force  of  it 
now,   you  will  soonj    so  treasure  up  myj^words, 


THE  TWINS  41 

darling,  and  above  all,  trust  Jesus  and  c^i^trust 
self. 

"  I  shall  be  very  anxious  to  hear  what  you  do, 
and  how  you  get  on  with  your  '  Debates.'  Papa 
says  that  extempore  speaking  is  gained  only  by 
practice,  I  could  wish  my  boys  to  shine  in  this 
particular,  but  I  must  in  this  also  learn  to  say 
'  Thy  will  be  done.' 

"  God  bless  the  prayer  meeting  !  May  it  never 
become  a  mere  formal  service,  but  have  loving, 
earnest,  pleading  hearts  to  keep  it  alive,  and  well 
pleasing  to  the  Lord. 

"  Your  loving 

"  MOTHEK." 

That  this  letter  has  been  kept  all  these  years 
is  an  indication  that,  as  his  mother  wished,  her 
words  had  been  treasured.  Which  leads  me  to 
observe  that  while  the  children  of  good  fathers 
often  go  wrong,  the  wise  and  Christian  mother  can 
generally  influence  her  children  aright,  especially 
if  they  are  boys. 

About  this  time  Thomas  showed  an  aptitude 
for  drawing,  and  having  copied  a  picture  of  a 
coastguard  from  the  British  Workman  sent  it  home. 
His  mother  in  the  same  letter  says  : 

"  Your  sailor  is  shown  to  nearly  everybody,  and 
they  are  all  loud  in  its  praise.  Certainly  my 
Tommie  can  have  no  doubt  about  one  talent  which 
God  has  given  him:  how  many  others  has  he? 
May  they  all  be  devoted  to  His  service  !  " 


4^  THE  TWINS 

The  picture  is  reproduced  in  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spur^ 
geon's  biography  of  her  husband. 
On  March  19th  his  mother  writes  : 


"  I  was  very  pleased  with  the  pretty  Httle  draw- 
ing you  sent  me.  I  think  it  is  excellently  well 
done,  and  I  am  quite  proud  of  my  son.  By  the 
way,  I  did  not  know  that  you  aspired  to  be  a  poet 
as  well  as  an  artist,  but  your  verses  are  first-rate 
(except  the  first).  Papa  says  so,  and  you  know 
he  is  no  mean  critic. 

"  I  want  particularly  to  say  to  you  that  you 
are  to  be  sure  not  to  take  drawing  lessons  from 
anybody.  Last  night  a  professional  gentleman 
saw  my  sailor,  and  after  praising  it  very  highly 
he  said,  '  never  let  that  dear  boy  learn  drawing. 
Nature  will  be  his  best  teacher,  and  the  less  he 
copies  the  better.'  So,  darling,  I  advise  you  to 
try  your  hand  on  all  sorts  of  objects,  for  surely 
some  day,  if  you  wish  it,  you  will  rise  to  eminence 
in  your  art." 

Almost  a  prophecy.  In  the  next  letter,  written 
from  Deal,  where  she  was  resting  while  her  hus- 
band was  exploring  the  beauties  of  the  New  Forest, 
Mrs.  Spurgeon  quotes  a  long  description  of  the 
forest  scenery  from  one  of  her  husband's  letters, 
and  ends  wuth  :  ''  There,  dear  boys,  is  not  that  a 
fine  description  ?  that  simple  language  Papa  uses, 
and  yet  how  forcible  !  One  can  almost  see  the 
scenes  he  pictures." 

The  last  school  letter  is  to  sympathize  with  hex 


THE  TWINS  48 

boy  in  a  disappointment,  and  his  mother  gives  him 
a  very  sound  bit  of  advice,  as  well  as  good  cheer  : 

"  Don't  be  discouraged.  I  am  most  truly  sorry 
for  you,  for  it  seems  hard,  after  having  tried  your 
best,  but  another  time,  if  I  were  you,  I  would 
tackle  the  most  difficult  part  of  any  task  first, 
and  then,  that  once  mastered,  all  the  rest  would 
be  comparatively  easy.  For  instance,  if  you  had 
begun  with  the  fourteenth  proposition  and  con- 
quered it  you  would  have  been  sure  to  have  suc- 
ceeded with  the  others,  and  this  misfortune  would 
not  have  befallen  you.  Your  Papa  says  this  is 
the  right  way,  and  he  hopes  his  boy  will  follow 
it.  He,  too,  is  sorry  for  you,  but  bids  you  to  be 
of  good  courage." 

The  brothers  were  chums  all  along  their  school 
life,  and  both  were  avowed  Christians.  It  was  no 
infrequent  thing  for  them  to  be  discovered  dis- 
tributing their  father's  sermons  along  the  Parade 
at  Brighton,  and,  as  we  have  seen,  they  took  the 
lead  in  a  prayer  meeting  at  the  school.  In  honour 
they  preferred  one  another.  Mrs.  Barker,  the 
wife  of  the  minister  at  Hastings,  was  once  calling 
on  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  and  "  on  being  shown 
into  the  room  was  attracted  by  a  pile  of  handsome 
books  on  the  table,  which  she  found  on  inspection 
were  prizes  awarded  to  '  Master  Thomas  Spur- 
geon.' In  a  few  moments  the  owner  entered, 
evidently  sent  to  entertain  the  caller  until  his 
mother  was  free  to  appear,  and  she  remarked  to 
him  that  she  was  looking  at  his  beautiful  prijses. 


44  THE  TWINS 

At  once  he  replied,  '  Oh,  but  let  me  show  you  my 
brother  Charlie's  prizes.  Aren't  they  nice  ?  '  and 
took  her  to  another  pile.  The  act  of  the  boy  in 
seeking  to  draw  my  attention  from  himself  to  his 
brother  was  so  beautiful,  I  felt  that  his  disposition 
was  delightful,  and  that  he  must  become  a  great 
and  good  man."  The  correspondent  who  supplies 
the  incident  adds  :  "  When  later  on  I  had  the 
honour  of  calling  him  friend,  I  proved  a  hundred 
times  how  the  boy  was  father  to  the  man.  He 
never  desired  great  things  for  himself,  but  was 
content  '  to  fill  a  little  space  '  in  man's  estima- 
tion, that  Christ  might  be  glorified." 

School  days  over  it  became  a  question  what  was 
to  become  of  the  boys,  and  the  outcome  of  the 
discussion  was  that  Charles  started  on  a  career 
as  a  merchant  in  the  office  of  Messrs.  Frith  Sands 
and  Co.,  in  Broad  Street,  and  Thomas  as  an  artist 
in  the  office  of  Mr.  William  Ho  Hedge,  wood- 
engraver,  in  Fetter  Lane,  and  both  of  them  were 
in  a  fair  way  of  prospering  when  the  call  came  to 
devote  themselves  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word 
of  God. 

It  is  difficult  to  understand  why  their  parents, 
with  such  a  high  sense  of  the  value  of  learning,  did 
not  give  their  sons  the  opportunity  of  a  University 
career.  A  hint  of  the  reason  may  be  found  in 
the  letter  from  their  mother  when  she  exhorts 
Tom  not  to  let  anybody  teach  him  drawing. 
Deep  down  in  the  hearts  of  both  father  and  mother 
there  was,  I  believe,  a  sort  of  intuitive  faith  that 
their  sons  would  preach  the  Gospel,  and  they 
determined  that  God's  Spirit  and  Nature  (though 


THE   TWINS  45 

I  am  not  quite  sure  whether  any  distinction  should 
be  drawn  between  the  two)  should  suffice  for  their 
equipment.  Meanwhile  they  were  to  know  the 
world  they  lived  in,  and  the  men  amongst  whom 
they  would  have  to  labour. 

There  was  another  reason  if  we  search  deep 
enough  to  find  it.  Those  who  know  the  father's 
story  will  remember  how  in  his  early  days  he 
thought  of  applying  for  entrance  to  Regent's  Park 
College,  and  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Macmillan  at 
Cambridge  waited  for  an  interview  with  Dr. 
Angus,  who  in  another  room,  owing  to  the  stu- 
pidity of  a  servant,  was  waiting  for  him.  Going 
across  the  Common,  disappointed,  the  Word  of 
the  Lord  came  to  him,  "  Seekest  thou  great  things 
for  thyself  ?  seek  them  not,"  the  words  of  Jeremiah 
to  Baruch  in  the  olden  days,  the  words  which 
Bishop  Ken  wrote  in  two  books  that  he  had 
constantly  in  use: — '^  Et  tu  quceris  tibi  grandia? 
Noli  qucerere.^^  Knowing  his  father  and  some  of 
his  deep  thoughts,  I  think  that  he  deliberately 
faced  the  problem  for  his  boys  as  well  as  for  him- 
self. "  Seekest  thou  great  things  for  thy  sons  ? 
seek  them  not."  Perhaps  he  may  have  been  less 
than  just  to  them,  but  he  was  ever  more  than 
kind,  and  he  had  faith  that  God  who  called  and 
equipped  him  would  do  as  much  for  them.  Nor 
was  his  faith  disappointed. 

The  boys  joined  the  church  at  the  Tabernacle 
when  they  were  eighteen  years  of  age.  On  Sep- 
tember 20th,  1874,  their  father  preached  on  the 
text  "I  and  the  children,"  and  the  next  evening 
he  baptized  them  both.     The  right  hand  of  fellow- 


46  THE  TWINS 

ship  with  the  Church  was  theirs  on  October  4th, 
and  the  motto  given  to  them — a  motto  they  never 
forgot — was  "  Ye  are  not  your  own,  for  ye  are 
bought  with  a  price." 

They  soon  got  to  work  for  Christ,  though  it  was 
in  quite  an  unconventional  way.  Near  their 
home  a  gardener,  Mr.  Rides,  had  begun  informal 
services  in  his  own  house,  12,  Swaby  Road,  and 
the  brothers  soon  joined  him.  Charles  was  first 
enlisted,  and  he  brought  Thomas  ;  they  preached 
in  turn,  and  the  rooms  soon  became  too  small  for 
the  people  who  wished  to  attend ;  it  then  became 
necessary  to  seek  larger  premises.  No  doubt  the 
name  of  Spurgeon  was  an  attraction.  Boling- 
broke  Chapel  was  built  in  1877,  and  the  work  grew 
until  it  became  the  foundation  of  the  present 
Northcote  Road  Baptist  Church. 

But  in  the  very  thick  of  the  early  success  Tom 
discovered  that  God  had  for  him  another  way  : 
before  the  year  was  out  he  was  in  Australia,  and 
at  one  of  his  great  meetings  there  he  said  that  he 
had  not  been  frightened  at  the  services  he  was 
called  to  conduct,  for  when  at  home  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  hold,  in  a  gardener's  cottage,  a  children's 
service  in  the  morning  and  one  for  adults  in  the 
evening. 

"  It  is  nearly  twenty-seven  years  ago,"  he  said 
in  a  Tabernacle  sermon  when  he  was  Pastor  of 
that  Church,  "  since  I  preached  from  this  text 
(2  Kings  iii.  16)  for  the  first  time,  in  the  little 
mission  where  I  first  began  to  dig  for  Jesus.  I 
tried  to  urge  the  people  to  make  the  valley  full 
of  ditches,  and  I  have  lived  long  enough  to  see 


THE  TWINS  47 

the  whole  of  that  valley — for  it  was  literally  a 
valley — ^not  only  filled  with  population,  but  filled, 
as  I  believe,  with  earnest  Christian  work  and 
workers  ;  I  bless  God  that  the  little  one  has  be- 
come a  thousand,  for  God  has  made  it  to  prosper. 
We  little  thought  of  such  results  those  years  ago.'* 

That  was  the  preparation  for  all  the  service  that 
was  to  follow.  He  illustrated  it  from  his  own 
experience,  in  an  address  to  the  students  of  the 
Pastors'  College,  twenty  years  afterwards.  "  If, 
when  I  began  to  learn  the  art  of  wood-engraving, 
my  teacher  had  let  me  start  away  with  the  graver 
and  scooper  and  tint  tool  at  one  of  his  best  blocks, 
he  would  have  had  his  picture  spoiled  for  one 
thing,  and  I  should  never  have  mastered  the  art. 
Therefore  he  set  me  to  single  lines  and  facsimile 
work,  then  to  cross-hatching  and  to  various  simple 
tints.  One  thing  I  remember  on  which  he  laid 
great  stress — too  much  stress  to  please  me  at  the 
time  ;  he  would  have  me  learn  well  how  to  sharpen 
my  tools.  That  was  sharp  on  his  part,  but  I 
myself  should  have  been  a  poor  tool  if  I  could  not 
sharpen  my  instrument." 

The  earliest  letter  to  him  from  his  father  that 
has  been  preserved  is  dated  Mentone,  December 
5th.  It  has  been  twelve  times  folded  and  evidently 
carried  for  a  long  time  in  the  boy's  pocket. 

''  My  dear  Son  Tom,"  it  says,  "  I  hope  the 
engraving  business  is  becoming  an  easy  matter 
with  you.  God  bless  you,  my  boy,  and  prosper 
you  for  this  life  :  but  yet  more  for  the  life  to  come. 
Work  as  steadily  in  both  spheres  of  service ;    to 


48  THE   TWINS 

neglect  either  would  be  like  tying  up  one  of  your 
hands  or  one  of  your  feet.  God  is  glorified  in  the 
shop  and  in  the  pulpit.  May  you  see  good  results 
in  both  directions  !  I  pray  for  you  in  relation  to 
the  two.  I  hope  Bolingbroke  does  not  get  empty 
through  the  cold  and  wet.  I  must  help  you  there. 
Eass  your  dear  mother,  and  try  and  tell  her  how 
dear  she  is  to  us  all  three.  Our  angel  and  delight, 
is  she  not  ?     With  much  love, 

''  Your  affectionate  father, 

''  C.  H.  S." 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE   FIRST   VOYAGE 

But  another  way  was  opening  than  either  father 
or  son  intended.  The  first  inkhng  of  it  is  to  be 
found  in  the  next  letter  from  father  to  son  that 
has  been  preserved.  It  was  written  from  Mentone 
on  a  Monday,  but  is  undated,  save  only  that  the 
year  1877  is  added  in  the  son's  writing.  There  are 
things  in  it  that  need  not  be  quoted :  the  pregnant 
paragraphs  are  as  follows  : 

"  My  dear  Son  Tom, 

"  I  am  very  sorry  that  you  are  feeling  so 
weak,  and  as  your  dear  Mother  thinks  a  voyage 
would  do  you  good  I  cannot  but  yield  to  the  wish. 
I  am  rather  afraid  that  it  will  be  too  severe  a 
remedy,  but  I  shall  not  demur  to  its  being  tried. 
If  it  ends  in  your  going  in  for  the  College  course 
and  coming  into  the  ministry  I  shall  not  regret  it ; 
indeed,  I  shall  rejoice  if  you  went  round  the  world 
seven  times  if  it  ended  so. 

"  You  will  preach,  I  am  sure,  but  without  good 

training  you  cannot  take  the  position  which  I  want 

you  to  occupy.     Theology  is  not  to  be  learned  in 

its  amplitude  and  accuracy  by  one  destined  to  be 

4  49 


50  THE  FIRST  VOYAGE 

a  public  instructor  without  going  thoroughly  into 
it,  and  mastering  its  terms  and  details.  Perhaps 
a  voyage  may  give  tone  to  your  system  and  pre- 
pare you  for  two  years  of  steady  application. 
Only  may  the  Lord  make  you  a  great  soul-winner, 
and  I  shall  be  more  than  content. 

"  We  meet  some  awful  donkeys  when  travelling, 
but  a  lady  at  San  Remo  is  beyond  all  others.  She 
said  she  regretted  that  our  Lord  Jesus  was  a  Jew. 
When  asked  if  she  would  have  preferred  his  being 
an  Enghshman  she  replied,  '  No,  but  you  see  it 
is  such  a  pity  that  he  was  a  Jew :  it  would  have 
been  far  better  if  he  had  been  a  Christian  like 
ourselves  '  !  ! 

"  Your  loving  father, 

"  C.  H.  Spurgeon." 

Arrangements  were  made  for  him  to  sail  with 
Captain  Jenkins,  a  Christian  seaman,  in  the  three- 
masted  schooner  Lady  Jocelyn.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  the  son  of  the  artist  to  whom  he  had 
been  apprenticed,  and  the  two  "  Toms  "  set  out 
on  their  voyage  on  Friday,  June  15th,  1877.  His 
father  had  warned  him  that  "  life  on  a  ship  was 
like  going  to  prison,  with  the  added  chance  of 
being  drowned,"  but  he  seems  to  have  taken  the 
risk  gaily.  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  happily  preserved 
the  frequent  and  lengthy  letters  her  son  sent 
home  ;  sometimes  it  is  the  boy  who  speaks  and 
sometimes  the  man,  always  the  son.  This  should 
be  remembered  when  the  following  extracts  are 
read. 

"  Speaking  to  the  steward  we  found  the  pilot 


THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  51 

would  leave  us  to-night  and  then  we  should  be 
left  indeed,  so  '  what  thou  doest  do  quickly ' 
floated  across  my  mind.  The  next  moment  a  pen 
was  seized,  and  here  I  am  writing.  The  Black 
Prince  has  us  in  tow  and  the  ripple  of  three  small 
boats  astern  makes  splash-dash  music. 

"  Captain  Jenkins  has  just  come  alongside  me 
and  wants  to  be  kindly  remembered  to  Ma  and 
Pa.  '  Would  she  like  the  portrait  of  the  ship  ?  ' 
was  readily  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  here 
it  is  with  her  husband  (the  Captain)  and  the 
facetious  remark  that  a  ship  is  in  love  when  at- 
tached to  a  buoy. 

"  We  have,  I  think,  sixteen  sheep  and  any 
quantity  of  fowls  and  ducks.  Poor  things,  they 
have  close  quarters  indeed.  It  will  be  kindness  to 
eat  some  of  them  to  give  the  others  more  room. 

'*  Loneliness  has  scarcely  troubled  me  yet.  A 
kind  of  wonderment  and  a  restful  trust  in  God  is 
what  I  feel. 


"  Saturday  morning. — Our  doctor  is  a  very  young 
man  on  his  first  voyage,  so  I  am  going  to  be  ready 
to  doctor  him.  A  lady  last  evening  mistook  me 
for  this  important  individual  and  gave  me  quite  a 
lecture  as  to  my  duties  in  attending  to  her.  As 
I  told  you  the  Captain  introduced  me  to  her  by 
saying  I  would  look  after  her,  I  was  not  surprised 
at  first  when  she  spoke  of  my  responsibilities,  but 
when  she  said  that  of  course  I  should  be  wanted 
day  and  night,  and  so  on,  I  opened  her  eyes  and 
my  mouth  by  telling  her  I  was  not  the  doctor. 


52  THE   FIRST  VOYAGE 

She  seemed  rather  bewildered,  and  apologized  for 
the  mistake. 

^''Saturday  afternoon,  June  IQth,  77. — My  greatest 
friend  as  yet  is  Mr.  Keen  of  Croydon.  I  believe 
him  to  be  a  Christian  man,  and  doubt  not  I  shall 
get  on  with  him  swimmingly.  He  asked  me  this 
morning  about  services  on  board.  I  told  him  I 
hoped  to  have  the  opportunity  of  speaking,  at 
which  he  greatly  rejoiced,  being  especially  glad 
to  hear  that  the  Captain  was  a  godly  man.  It 
seems  that  since  that  he  has  spoken  to  the  Cap- 
tain about  it,  and  he  in  turn  has  spoken  to  me. 
He  said  that  he  would  leave  the  matter  entirely 
in  my  hands.  He  would  not  think  of  reading 
prayers — *  Just  do  it  in  your  own  way,'  was  the 
advice  he  gave  me,  'and we  shall  be  very  pleased.' 
What  a  chance  to  serve  the  Master  !  What  a 
responsibility  in  so  doing  !  Oh,  that  He  may 
even  guide  me  in  this  also,  and  give  me  acceptable 
words,  and  then  help  me  to  practise  what  I  preach  ! 
I  have  made  up  my  mind,  God  helping  me,  not 
to  be  discouraged  at  the  result  of  the  first  meeting, 
whatever  it  may  be." 

The  next  morning  at  half-past  six  off  Portland 
Bill,  he  writes  to  his  brother,  sending  loving  mes- 
sages to  him  and  to  the  little  meeting  in  which 
they  were  both  so  deeply  interested.  *'  I  have 
been  thinking  of  the  verse : 

All  scenes  alike  engaging  prove 
To  souls  impressed  with  sacred  love; 
Where'er  they  dwell  they  dwell  in  Thee, 
In  heaven,  in  earth,  or  on  the  sea ; 


THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  58 

and  glad  indeed  it  makes  me  to  know  that  the 
place  where  men  ought  to  worship  is  here  and 
there  and  everywhere.  God  bless  the  Mission 
Room  is  my  constant  prayer.  Seek  God  as  your 
helper.  Remember  He  is  the  Great  and  Good 
Shepherd  and  you  are  co-  or  sub-pastor.  Give 
my  Christian  love  to  all  of  the  people.  I  hope 
they'll  like  their  new  House  and  send  many  a 
prayer  from  it  to  the  old  ship. 

"  Good-bye,  dear  home  and  country  !  Farewell, 
sweet  mother  and  loving  friends !  I  cannot  help 
tears  just  now :  still,  I  think  they  are  tears  of  joy 
as  well  as  of  sadness,  an  eye  full  of  each,  for  God 
is  good  and  always  will  be." 


On  Tuesday  evening  June  19th,  1877,  another 
letter  was  written  to  his  mother  in  which  he  says 
that  owing  to  lack  of  wind  they  were  still  in  sight 
of  Land's  End.  "  Sunday  was  a  glorious  day.  I 
was  up  before  five  endeavouring  to  get  a  sermon, 
and  the  whole  day  was  anxious  because  we  were 
unable  to  have  the  service  till  seven  o'clock. 
Tom  and  myself  are  the  only  dissenters  on  board, 
but  the  Captain  would  have  none  of  the  Church 
service.  The  ladies  willingly  consented  to  help 
in  the  singing,  and  altogether  it  passed  off  pretty 
well.    I  shall  feel  more  at  home  shortly." 


It  is  a  simple,  wholesome,  modest,  unspoiled 
personality  that  is  revealed  in  these  letters,  but 
withal  a  person  sure  of  himself,  and  fixed  in  his 


54  THE  FIRST  VOYAGE 

purpose,  looking  out  on  life  unafraid,  with  a 
conscious  sense  of  God's  presence.  The  next 
letter,  written  during  the  voyage,  consists  of  no 
less  than  twentj'-two  four-page  sheets,  eighty- 
eight  pages  in  all — something  like  a  letter  that, 
to  come  into  a  mother's  hand.  It  was  commenced 
on  August  13th,  finished  on  September  1st,  is 
addressed  to  "  My  dear  Parents,"  and  at  the  head 
of  the  first  sheet  there  is  an  index  of  nine  topics — 
"  I  have  done  this  so  that  you  can  begin  where 
you  think  you  will  be  most  interested,"  he  writes. 
Perhaps  the  reader  will  think  it  was  an  Index  of 
the  Coming  Man.  There  is  of  course  only  space 
here  for  a  few  descriptive  sentences. 

"  I  have  at  no  time  been  at  a  loss  for  anything 
to  do,  and  the  monotony  of  life  on  board  certainly 
does  not  equal  that  of  hurrying  to  the  city  in  the 
morning  to  peck  all  day,  and  returning  weary 
night  after  night." 

He  records  with  thankfulness  that  he  has  not 
been  sea-sick  at  all :  "I  was  looked  upon  with 
wonder,  sometimes  with  envy,  while  day  after 
day  morning  querists  would  ask  me  if  I  still  felt 
quite  the  thing.  Unable  to  say  what  the  length 
of  the  voyage  may  be,  I  can  only  say  that  I  have 
no  desire  for  its  completion."  Several  pages  are 
given  to  a  realistic  description  of  his  fellow-pas- 
sengers ;  then  there  comes  an  inventory  of  his  own 
quarters. 

*'  Cabin  No.  5  for  some  time  had  a  notice  over 
the  door  which  bore  in  red  letters  the  announce- 
ment that  it  was  engaged  by  Mr.  T.  Spurgeon  and 
friend.     Mr.    T.    Spurgeon   and   friend   were   not 


THE   FIRST  VOYAGE  55 

sorry  to  fulfil  their  part  of  the  engagement,  but 
soon  found  that,  the  space  being  somewhat  limited, 
it  was  rather  too  much  of  a  full  fill.  It  was  there- 
fore in  a  most  friendly  way  that  I  parted  with  my 
friend's  company  on  the  fourth  night,  he  removing 
to  the  next  apartment,  the  two  being  connected 
by  a  door. 

"  Of  course  it  was  something  to  do  to  set  my 
room  in  order,  for  as  it  stood  it  looked  anything 
but  inviting.  My  first  attempts  at  house -furnish- 
ing have  been  remarkably  successful.  This  is 
owing  possibly  to  the  facts  that  the  house  was 
not  extensive  and  that  there  has  been  plenty  of 
time  for  alterations  and  improvements.  These 
have  been  effected  from  time  to  time  as  weather 
or  inclination  suggested.  No.  5  Starboard  Street 
is  next  door  to  the  residence  of  Captain  Jenkins, 
whose  high  reputation  among  Australian  travellers 
is  so  well-known.  Thus  the  neighbourhood  is 
aristocratic.  This  charming  sea-side  residence  is 
delightfully  situated  on  the  edge  of  the  ladies' 
boudoir,  and  has  in  consequence  a  curtained 
entrance.  Somebody,  too,  seems  to  have  said  to 
the  carpet,  '  Thus  far  but  no  farther  shalt  thou  go.' 
Walking  in  I  find  my  apartment  can  boast  two 
posts,  two  doors,  two  bunks,"  and  so  it  goes  on 
for  two  pages  more,  followed  by  an  equally  admir- 
able description  of  the  saloon.  The  playful  tone 
is  evidence  of  renewed  health. 

Quite  clever  accounts  of  the  wonders  of  the  ocean 
follow  on  page  after  page.  Note  this — "  Now  and 
then  the  rainbow  arched  itself  completely,  and 
gazing  at  it  we  suddenly  became  impressed  with 


56  THE   FIRST  VOYAGE 

the  necessity  of  preparing  for  the  worst.  Soon 
the  rain  reached  us,  and,  as  we  stood  on  the  com- 
panion ladder,  we  looked  westward  to  see  the  sun 
for  a  few  minutes  only  tinging  the  rain-smitten 
waters  with  a  marvellous  green.  I  never  saw  so 
magical  an  effect.  The  ocean  for  a  time  stood 
dressed  in  living  green,  and  it  required  no  stretch 
of  imagination  to  fancy  that  we  were  speeding 
past  fertile  meadows.  How  it  made  us  long  to  go 
for  a  walk  !  "  Here  is  surely  both  the  eye  and 
the  touch  of  the  artist. 

"  Father  will  be  glad  to  hear,"  he  writes,  "  that 
the  promise  I  gave  respecting  theological  works  was 
by  no  means  forgotten.  You  too  will  be  pleased 
to  learn  that  shorthand  received  due  attention." 
In  fact  they  had  a  shorthand  class  on  deck  every 
morning.  "  Nor  have  I  been  idle  in  the  Art 
department.  I  scarcely  know  how  many  charts 
I  drew.  I  also  produced  two  pictures.  .  .  .  Be- 
sides these  I  began  a  block  of  the  Lady  Jocelyn, 
but  bad  weather  prevented  its  completion." 

Each  Sunday  of  the  voyage  Mr.  Spurgeon 
preached.  On  the  third  Sunday  out,  which  was 
spent  in  the  Tropics,  he  determined  to  have  two 
services.  Sunday,  July  15th,  is  recorded  as  the 
happiest  Sabbath  spent  on  board.  "  Both  meet- 
ings were  better  attended  than  ever,  and  in  the 
evening  there  were  nearly  sixty  persons  present. 
When  you  remember  that  there  were  so  many 
Roman  Catholics,  a  band  of  men  on  the  watch, 
and  those  who  preferred  sleep  to  service,  besides 
several  absentees  through  sickness,  you  will  see 
that  this  was  a  most  encouraging  audience.     I 


THE   FIRST  VOYAGE  57 

bless  the  Lord  for  inclining  them  to  come,  for 
making  them  so  wonderfully  attentive,  and  for 
aiding  me  in  speaking.  I  spent  nearly  the  whole 
day  in  making  sure  of  my  sermons,  for  I  preach 
without  notes,  one  reason  being  that  at  night  we 
are  obliged  to  turn  the  lights  down  on  account  of 
the  heat." 

"  July  29th  was  about  our  roughest  Sunday. 
With  little  wind  to  steady  the  ship  the  rolling  was 
very  considerable  and  very  inconvenient.  Especi- 
ally so  during  service,  for  it  was  difficult  for  some 
to  retain  their  seats  and  for  me  to  retain  my  post. 
It  was  not  easy  either  to  sustain  the  thread  of  the 
discourse,  for  swinging  trays  and  an  audience 
'  moved '  in  anything  but  a  desirable  way  are  not 
conducive  to  retention  of  ideas  or  expression  of 
thoughts.  That  evening  our  largest  congregation 
met,  and  best  of  all  the  Lord  was  there. 

"  I  did  what  I  could  to  follow  up  remarks  in 
sermon  in  conversation  afterwards,  only  regretting 
that  I  found  myself  less  fitted  to  speak  with  one 
or  two."  This  paragraph  I  note  with  interest,  for 
years  ago  in  Scotland  his  father,  in  an  intimate 
talk,  made  exactly  the  same  confession.  Is  there 
heredity  in  such  things  ? 

On  August  28th  the  voyage  ended. 

Only  a  parent's  heart  can  know  with  what 
eagerness  the  news  of  the  arrival  of  the  ship 
bearing  such  a  precious  cargo  was  awaited  at 
Nightingale  Lane,  but  something  of  it  may  be 
guessed  by  the  fact  that  the  following  letter  was 
written  only  two  days  after  the  passengers  landed 
at   Melbourne.    It   is   under   such   circumstances 


53  THE  FIRST  VOYAGE 

that  the  blessings  of  telegraphy  can  be  truly  under- 
stood. 

August  ZOih,  1877. 

"  Mine  own  dear  Son, 

"  We  have  all  been  delighted  to  hear  of  the 
arrival  of  the  Lady  J.  at  Melbourne,  for  we  hope 
that  it  means  that  our  Tom  is  all  right.  By  this 
time  you  will  have  had  enough  sea,  and  when  this 
reaches  you  I  hope  you  will  have  found  that  '  the 
barbarous  people  have  showed  you  no  little  kind- 
ness.' 

"  I  have  had  a  very  loving  and  pressing  invitation 
to  come  out,  but  how  can  I  leave  home  ?  I  shall 
have  to  write  and  decline  for  I  am  anchored  here 
too  fast,  but  I  feel  very  grateful  for  the  loving 
invitation  and  wish  that  I  could  accept  it. 

"  Give  them  the  Gospel.  Study  all  you  can, 
preach  boldly  and  let  your  behaviour  be  with  great 
discretion,  as  indeed  I  am  sure  it  will  be. 

"  You  will  be  a  man  ere  this  reaches  you  :  may 
the  Lord  give  you  full  spiritual  manhood.  We 
shall  try  to  keep  your  birthday  and  Charlie's, 
and  I  must  invest  something  great  in  the  way 
of  presents  for  your  majority.  This  must  be 
placed  round  the  neck  of  the  fatted  calf  when 
you  return. 

*'  Char  is  to  come  into  the  College  in  September. 
He  will  have  a  little  start  of  his  brother :  but  he 
managed  that  at  an  early  period,  and  I  suppose 
you  must  put  up  with  it.  The  Bolingbroke  Chapel 
is  paid  for  and  will  be  a  blessing,  I  hope.  The 
people  want  their  co-pastor  back,  and  so  do  I. 


THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  59 

"  You  will,  I  trust,  find  the  Lord  open  up  ways 
and  means  for  you  to  see  the  country  and  do  good 
and  get  good.  I  am  all  right :  full  of  work  and 
in  pretty  good  force  for  doing  it.  The  Lord  bless 
thee,  my  son,  and  keep  thee,  and  be  ever  thy  guide. 
Live  to  Him,  and  you  will  be  better  than  great. 
Thy  father's  blessing  rests  upon  thee. 

"  Your  ever  loving  Father, 

"  C.  H.  Spurgeon." 

Later,  his  father  remarked  in  view  of  his  son's 
ministry  on  board  this  ship  :  "  Evidently  God  was 
teaching  his  youthful  hands  to  war,  and  his  fingers 
to  fight,  in  anticipation  of  future  battles.  Three 
months'  preaching  to  the  same  audience  amid  the 
rolling  of  the  sea  is  an  admirable  preparation  for 
addressing  crowds  on  shore." 

Evidently  his  son  agreed  with  this  opinion,  for 
in  his  preface  to  his  volume  Down  to  the  Sea  he  says  : 

"  I  have  always  loved  the  sea.  Ships  and  sailors 
have  had  a  wonderful  charm  for  me  ever  since  I  sailed 
my  boat  on  the  Clapham  Long  Pond  and  read 
Mr.  Kingston's  stories  of  adventure.  I  may  as 
well  confess  that  there  was  a  time  when  I  cherished 
a  secret  longing  for  a  life  on  the  ocean  wave. 
When  in  1877,  under  doctor's  orders,  I  voyaged 
to  the  Antipodes,  I  eagerly  hailed  the  opportunity 
for  actual  acquaintance  with  the  sea  and  its  sons. 
A  godly  captain  and  a  steady  crew,  agreeable 
passengers  and  a  happy  combination  of  weather 
— good,  bad,  and  indifferent — provided  for  me  a 
most  interesting  and  instructive  trip.  I  tried  to 
keep  my  eyes  and  ears  open,  and  to  act  on  Captain 


60  THE   FIRST  VOYAGE 

Cuttle's  advice — '  When  found,  make  a  note  of.' 
I  little  guessed  at  the  time  to  what  good  use 
nautical  knowledge  might  be  put.  Not  the  least 
of  my  joys  on  board  the  good  ship  Lady  Jocelyn 
was  the  preaching  of  the  Word.  In  saloon  and 
fo'csle  I  was  privileged  to  tell  the  story  of  the  Cross. 
I  soon  got  to  know  the  seamen  well,  and  to  admire 
much  in  them.  They  were  very  good  to  their 
'  sky  pilot.'  Since  then  I  have  had  an  increasing 
interest  in  seafaring  men.  ...  I  confess  to  a 
weakness  to  pictures.  I  ploughed  the  boxwood 
with  my  graver  before  I  ploughed  the  seas  in  a 
ship.  If  woodcuts  seem  to  detract  from  the 
dignity  of  a  volume  of  sermons,  what  matters  it 
if  they  add  to  its  usefulness  ? 

"  How  well  I  remember  when  I  set  sail  for  the 
other  side  of  the  world.     I  was  somewhat  of  a 
novice  myself  as  to  seafaring  matters,  but   X  was 
nevertheless  not  a  little  surprised  when  one  more 
ignorant  than  I  came  to  me  as  we  were  abreast 
of  the  Lizard.     The  sun  was  setting,  and  we  were 
taking  our  last  view  of  dear  old  England.     Looking 
up  to  the  spread  of  canvas  my  fellow-passenger 
exclaimed,    '  I   suppose  they   will  take  the   sails 
down  presently  ? '     I  said,  '  Do  you  mean  that 
they  will  furl  them  ? '     For  I  was  determined  to 
let  him  see  that  I  knew  a  little  of  nautical  terms 
even  then.     '  Yes,'  he  said,  '  I  suppose  they  will 
take    them    down    by-and-bye.'     '  But,'    I    said, 
'  why  ?  '     *  Well,'  he  answered,  '  the  sun  is  setting  ; 
it  will  be  dark  soon.'     '  My  good  fellow,'  I  replied, 
'  we  shall  take  twelve  weeks  to  get  to  Melbourne 
probably  if  we  sail  day  and  night,  but  what  a 


THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  61 

voyage  it  will  be  if  we  sail  only  while  the  sun 
shines  ! '  " 

To  his  mother,  in  a  letter  overflowing  with 
affection,  the  son  wrote  words  which  must  have 
set  her  heart  singing.  Remember,  the  sentences 
were  meant  for  her  eyes  alone,  and  were  written 
by  her  boy.  "  Tom  thinks  he  has  helped  to  serve 
his  Master  by  a  consistent  life  as  well  as  by  preach- 
ing, though  he  mourns  his  imperfections.  I  won't 
ask  you  to  pray  for  me.  You  always  do.  Pray 
harder  though.  Just  now  I  ask  that  I  may  be 
kept  humble  and  near  to  Jesus." 


CHAPTER  V 

THE   AUSTRALIAN   VISIT 

When  Thomas  Spurge  on  landed  in  Australia  it 
was  not  with  the  idea  of  a  preaching  tour,  but 
with  the  intention  of  continuing  his  work  as  an 
engraver.  In  bidding  good-bye  to  Victoria  he  told 
the  people  that  "  when  he  got  to  Melbourne  he 
had  meant  to  set  up  in  business  if  he  did  not  return 
by  the  same  ship.  Like  Paul  he  was  not  ashamed 
to  earn  his  living  with  his  hands.  Wisely  his  father 
had  given  him  a  trade,  and  he  would  not  object 
to  drawing  a  sketch  for  their  illustrated  paper." 

But  his  father  in  giving  him  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion had  added  the  words — "  he  can  preach  a  bit," 
and  the  Australians  were  not  slow  to  take  the  hint. 
From  Geelong,  where  he  first  went,  in  an  early 
letter  to  his  father  which  reveals  the  spirit  in 
which  he  started,  he  says  :  "  Mr.  Bunning  is  a 
right  good  fellow,  so  thoughtful  and  so  kind.  I 
did  not  intend  preaching  on  my  first  Sunday  ashore, 
but  as  I  expected  to  be  at  Ballarat  next  Sabbath, 
I  seized  perhaps  my  only  opportunity  of  helping 
our  dear  brother.  We  had  a  grand  time;  the 
beautiful  chapel  was  crowded  and  God  was  in  the 
place.  Dear  Father,  I  believe  I  have  the  way 
open  to  many  hearts  in  this  colony.     I  have  seen 

62 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  VISIT  68 

them  weep  when  I  spoke.  I  suppose  because  of 
the  recollections  that  are  raised.  God  give  the 
youthful  mind  prudence  and  discretion !  Mr. 
Bunning  says  he  thinks  there  will  always  be 
manifested  a  leniency  toward  the  young  man  as 
to  criticism,  and  he  has  given  me  kind  advice  in 
various  matters,  telling  me  that  from  last  Sunday's 
service  he  is  sure  I  need  not  mind  facing  any 
audience.  Confidence  in  God  is  the  great  thing, 
but  I  think  a  certain  amount  of  self-confidence  is 
also  necessary." 

Many  details  of  the  visit  are  available  in  the 
letters  which,  covering  a  whole  year,  he  wrote  to 
his  mother,  most  of  them  lengthy,  five  of  them 
fifteen  sheets  long  (that  is  sixty  pages),  and  also 
in  a  scrap-book  containing  newspaper  comments 
which  he  evidently  kept  with  scrupulous  care. 
Perhaps  it  may  be  as  well  to  take  the  public 
appreciations  first,  and  afterwards  to  turn  to  the 
intimate  correspondence. 

His  first  sermon  passed  unnoticed,  but  the 
second  drew  forth  the  comment  in  The  Ballarat 
Courier  that  *'  the  young  gentleman  had  studied  his 
subject  well,  and  possessed  qualifications  which 
might  make  him  in  the  future  a  finished  and 
eloquent  speaker."  But  The  Stawell  Chronicle 
the  next  week  only  said,  "  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  earnest, 
and  that  earnestness  makes  him  impressive,  but 
he  does  not  seem  to  possess  any  of  those  gifts 
which  have  raised  his  father  to  so  high  a  position." 
However  The  Southern  Cross  the  same  week  was 
a  little  more  encouraging :  "  Young  Spurgeon 
does  not  possess  the  fire  and  dash  of  his  'father, 


641  THE  AUSTRALIAN  VISIT 

but  he  has  much  originality,  humour  and  force.'* 
The  Bendigo  Advertiser  ten  days  later :  "  Mr. 
Spurgeon  is  a  very  young  man ;  he  possesses 
great  confidence  and  good  command  of  language, 
and  earnestness,"  which  The  Bendigo  Evening  News 
echoes  by  saying,  **  He  may  well  be  called  the  boy 
preacher ;  still,  he  possesses  great  oratorical  powers 
and  not  less  confidence."  One  might  almost 
hazard  a  suggestion  that  these  two  critiques  came 
from  the  same  pen. 

The  East  Charlton  Tribune  ten  days  later  says 
something  worthier :  "  While  listening  to  the 
son  one  could  detect  in  the  grand  conceptions 
and  the  clear  and  lucid  manner  in  which  the 
subject  of  the  text  was  explained,  the  master  hand 
of  the  father,  and  no  doubt  the  thought  was  more 
than  once  expressed  that  day  by  a  youthful  listener, 
'  Would  I  had  such  a  father,'  and  by  a  fond  parent, 
'  Would  I  had  such  a  son.'  " 

The  Methodist  Journal  of  November  30th : 
"  Crowds  attend  to  hear  him  preach,  and  the  im- 
pression produced  is  decidedly  in  his  favour.  He 
is  quite  at  his  ease  in  the  presence  of  the  largest 
assembly.  He  speaks  deliberately,  distinctly,  with 
considerable  force  and  animation,  and  his  voice 
enables  him  to  be  heard  in  a  capacious  building. 
Mr.  Spurgeon  has  made  a  good  start  (would  that 
thousands  of  our  young  men  would  follow  suit), 
and  as  years  and  experience  are  given  him,  we  shall 
be  surprised  if  the  pardonable  crudities  of  youth 
do  not  give  place  to  the  development  of  a  vigorous 
style,  a  good  intellectual  grasp  and  a  liberal  measure 
of  originality." 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  VISIT  65 

A  week  later  The  Advertiser  of  Moonta  says  : 
"  He  has  found  himself  welcomed  for  his  father's 
sake  and  liked  for  his  own."  The  Port  Augusta 
Dispatch  is  pedantic  enough  to  draw  attention  to 
his  pronunciation  of  "  Saviour,"  "  before,"  and 
"  fear,"  which  it  says  he  pronounced  as  "  Saviah," 
"  befoah,"  and  "  feah."  The  Beanpip  (what  a 
name  for  a  newspaper  !)  of  Gawler,  early  in  January, 
1878,  says,  "  His  manner  and  delivery  were  very 
easy  and  graceful  and  his  self-possession  remarkable 
for  one  so  young."  The  Methodist  Journal  gives 
him  a  leading  article  on  January  18th.  "  He  has 
his  father's  sincerity  and  earnestness,  his  simplicity 
of  aim,  and  not  a  little  of  his  humour  and  mother- 
wit.  Though  youthful  he  has  the  balance  and 
control  of  an  older  man,  and  we  are  thankful  that 
the  son  of  Charles  H.  Spurgeon  so  becomes  his  noble 
father."  The  Launceston  Examiner  in  April  says, 
"  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  but  a  young  man,  but  promises 
to  make  a  powerful  speaker."    So  the  criticism  runs. 

Wherever  he  went  he  had  crowds  :  his  sermons 
were  often  reported  at  considerable  length,  his 
platform  speeches  were  amusing,  and  we  find  him 
now  and  again  not  only  reciting  such  pieces  as 
"  The  Leper,"  but  actually  singing  in  a  duet.  On 
his  birthday,  when  he  attained  his  majority,  he 
was  presented  with  a  gold  watch  at  Geelong,  and 
on  leaving  South  Australia  in  January  for  Tas- 
mania, a  handsome  Emu  inkstand  in  frosted 
silver,  which  yet  graces  the  home  in  London,  was 
presented  to  him  at  Adelaide.  "  So  for  the  father's 
sake  the  son  was  dear,  and  dearer  was  the  father 
for  the  child." 
5 


6q  THE  AUSTRALIAN  VISIT 

Now  we  turn  to  the  letters.  On  September  22nd, 
1877,  he  describes  the  royal  way  his  birthday  was 
kept,  and  incidentally  says  that  his  railway 
travelling  will  not  be  very  expensive,  for  by  the 
good  offices  of  a  member  of  Parliament,  with 
whom  he  was  then  staying,  a  free  pass  over  the 
Victorian  railways  has  been  secured  for  him. 

"  Some  one  told  me  last  evening  that  I  must 
give  a  glowing  account  of  Sunday  evening  last, 
but  I  replied  that  I  should  do  nothing  of  the  kind, 
for  I  should  have  to  weary  you  with  a  somewhat 
similar  description  of  every  Sabbath." 

"  The  Mission  room  is  still  near  my  heart,  and 
great  crowds  here  have  not  made  me  unmindful 
of  that  small  assembly." 

"  Yesterday  I  received  an  invitation  to  New 
Zealand.  The  writer  urged  many  reasons,  the 
most  remarkable  of  which  was  worded  thus  : — 
'  My  father,  I  believe,  married  your  grandparents — 
you  owe  something  to  his  son  ! '  " 


On  October  6th,  he  writes  from  Quambatook, 
Victoria,  and  begins :  "  Have  you  noticed  the 
remarkable  address  which  heads  this  letter  ?  Father 
will  remember  that  he  once  received  £100,  through 
Mr.  Bunning,  from  a  squatter.  That  individual 
was  no  less  a  person  than  Gideon  Rutherford,  Esq., 
on  whose  station  we  are  now  stopping. 

"  We  started  with  the  object  of  preaching,  to  the 
shearers.  Since  September  20th  shearing  has 
been  going  on  at  Mr.  Rutherford's  station,  and  it 
is  not  yet  completed.     He  scarcely  knows  himself 


THE  AUSTRALIAN   VISIT  67 

within  a  few  thousand  how  many  will  be  shorn. 
The  woolshed  is  close  to  the  home  station,  and 
when  first  we  visited  it  the  morning  after  our  arrival 
the  men  left  off  their  work  (although  they  are 
paid  according  to  the  number  of  sheep  shorn), 
and  came  round  us  while  one  of  their  number  in 
a  few  words  welcomed  Mr.  Bunning  and  the 
Right  Reverend  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  Quambatook. 

"  I  have  such  a  deal  to  tell  you  about  our  pleasant 
week  at  Quambatook  that  I  hardly  know  where 
to  begin,  and  can't  imagine  when  I  shall  finish," 
he  says.  On  which  it  may  be  remarked  that  he 
spoke  the  literal  truth,  for  he  finished  years  after- 
wards by  marrying  Mr.  Rutherford's  daughter  ! 
He  does  not  mention  her,  however,  but  speaks  of 
Mrs.  Rutherford's  baptism  in  the  river  Avoca, 
where  he  offered  prayer  before  Mr.  Bunning 
baptized  her,  and  asks  his  mother  to  pray  for 
"  the  children,  that  they  may  be  converted." 
"  We  left  with  an  invitation  to  come  again  and 
stop  for  six  weeks  or  longer,  and  an  intimation 
that  Mr.  R.'s  house  at  some  lakes  near  Geelong 
was  entirely  at  our  disposal." 

From  Kerang  he  reports  :  "  We  left  this  place 
after  having  despatched  a  tin  of  sweets  to  Quam- 
batook addressed  to  '  the  bairns  who  stole  our 
hearts.'     Quite  a  proper  thing  to  do. 

*'  Far  from  the  streams  of  Father  Thames,  but 
near  the  Murray's  banks,  away  from  the  hills  of 
Surrey  and  traversing  the  plains  of  Victoria, 
removed  from  old  friends  but  surrounded  by  new 
ones,  your  welcome  letters  take  me  back  again,  back 
o'er  the  leagues  of  ocean,  back  to  a  mother's  side, 


68  THE  AUSTRALIAN  VISIT 

to  a  father's  blessing,  back  to  the  Mission  work  and 
its  dear  worker,  back  to  the  old  house  at  home, 
back  in  imagination  as  I  trust  God  will  bring  me 
really  in  His  own  good  time." 


A  letter  begun  at  Adelaide  on  November  24th 
contains  this  passage — "  one  name  seems  common 
in  the  city,  that  of  Day.  Connected  with  the 
principal  newspaper  are  three  gentlemen  bearing 
that  name.  They  are  thus  distinguished.  One 
of  them  preaches  occasionally  and  is  called  Sun- 
day ;  another  attends  to  the  financial  department 
and  is  termed  Pay-day ;  while  the  third  from  his 
connection  with  the  law  courts  goes  by  the  appella-^ 
tion  of  Judgment-day. 

''  I  met  up  at  Kadina  a  man  named  Kemp  from 
Waterbeach,  who  said,  '  I've  heard  your  great- 
grandfather, your  grandfather  and  your  father, 
and  now  I've  heard  you.'  " 

"  Sunday,  December  16th, — I  preached  in  the 
open  air  a  few  miles  from  Adelaide.  The  advertise- 
ment would  have  amused  you.  After  the  usual 
announcement  of  meeting  came  '  Moonlight,^ 
People  drove  in  from  considerable  distances,  and 
moonlight  aided  their  return.  We  had  a  blessed 
season  beneath  a  clear  Australian  sky,  among  the 
gum  trees. 

"  What  rejoices  me  is  that  I  am  not  labouring 
in  vain.  This  will  gladden  you  too.  By  God's 
blessing  the  Churches  are  profiting  and  souls  are 
being  saved.     I  have  ever  so  many  kind  letters 


THE   AUSTRALIAN   VISIT  69 

encouraging  me,  and  though  adverse  criticism 
appears  occasionally,  it  is  usually  in  the  Melbourne 
Argus  or  some  other  atheistical  paper." 

The  first  letter  in  the  year  1878  naturally  has 
some  paragraphs  in  the  way  of  retrospect.  On 
January  8th,  writing  to  his  mother,  he  says  ; — 

*'  Each  day  I  am  increasingly  thankful  that 
even  the  Lady  Jocelyn  had  Thos.  S.  for  a  passenger. 
We  saw  God's  hand  in  the  matter  before  I  left, 
but  I  for  one  had  no  idea  that  it  would  lead  to  such 
results.  Little  did  I  think  that  things  would 
turn  out  so  pleasantly,  or  that  such  opportunities 
would  occur  for  serving  the  Master. 

"  Father's  characteristic  remark  to  Mr.  Bunning 
that  '  he  can  preach  a  bit,'  which  by  the  way  has 
gone  the  round  of  the  papers,  seems  to  have  sug- 
gested to  many  that  C.  H.  S.  would  be  glad  if  they 
would  get  me  to  preach  more,  and  as  it  certainly 
suited  their  interests,  they  have  taken  the  hint 
and  acted  on  it. 

"  No  one  is  more  thankful  that  this  is  one 
result  of  my  severance  from  home  and  friends, 
than  I  am.  I  wanted  bringing  out  and  wondered 
what  would  do  it.  Who  would  have  thought 
twelve  months  ago  that  fifteen  thousand  miles  of 
ocean  had  to  be  traversed  first  ?  What  a  grand 
thing  it  is  to  have  a  God  and  guide — a  Father  to 
direct  I " 


Visiting  Lyndoch  Valley  he  writes  :  "  It  was 
rather  a  novel  spectacle  on  Saturday  afternoon  to 
see  Mr.  Morgan  prepare  to  give  his  horses  a  drink 


70  THE   AUSTRALIAN  VISIT 

of  water.  Very  often  he  drives  them  down  to 
a  neighbouring  creek,  but  sometimes,  as  on  this 
occasion,  he  adopts  a  more  expeditious  though 
less  economical  plan.  He  opens  the  back  door 
of  the  church,  and  as  there  is  no  vestry,  he  lifts 
a  board  that  covers  the  Baptistery,  and  while 
the  little  one  fetches  a  pail  the  horses  are  sum- 
moned and  soon  come  trotting  up.  Charlie  and 
Taby,  and  the  little  foal  and  the  foal's  mamma, 
are  soon  anxiously  peering  into  the  church  and 
casting  longing  glances  at  the  pool.  But  of  course 
they  must  not  enter  and  there  they  wait,  all  four 
contemplating  with  their  heads  poked  through  the 
narrow  doorway.  And  when  the  bucket  arrived 
they  were  each  served  in  turn  with  the  water  that 
fell  from  heaven  upon  the  roof,  and  was  collected 
in  the  Baptistery.  I  could  not  help  laughing  at 
the  novel  scene — my  only  fear  is  that  unless  it 
rains  soon  there  will  be  but  little  water  for  the 
ordinance,  at  all  events  unless  the  quadrupeds  go 
elsewhere. 

"  Perhaps  this  is  a  fitting  opportunity  to  tell 
you  how  difficult  I  find  it  to  prepare  fresh  sermons. 
I  never  see  a  commentary,  and  rarely  get  sufficient 
time  to  prepare  as  I  like.  On  the  other  hand  there 
is  this  to  be  said,  that  going  about  as  I  do  I  need 
not  hesitate  to  redeliver   sermons." 

Here  is  a  heart-touch  when  acknowledging  his 
mother's  letter :  "  Dear  Mother,  it  made  me  go  all 
goose's  flesh  to  see  you  sign  yourself  '  your  very 
own,  happy,  contented  and  supremely  thankful 
mother.'     Am  I  not  a  goose  ?  " 

Writing    from    Melbourne    on    January    22nd, 


THE   AUSTRALIAN  VISIT  71 

1878,  to  "  My  very  dear  Father,"  he  says — "  How 
generous  of  you  to  think  of  placing  my  name  and 
Charhe's  alongside  yours  as  preachers  of  the  Gospel. 
If  I  can  have  but  a  portion  of  my  father's  mantle 
I  might  be  well  content.  I  feel  the  honour  of 
serving  Jesus  more  and  more,  and  pray  for  that 
full  consecration  and  that  consuming  zeal  which 
God  has  helped  you  to." 

This  was  evidently  in  response  to  a  letter  which 
his  father  had  written  to  him  on  November  23rd, 
1877,  in  which  occur  the  following  passages. 

"  My  dear  Son  Tom, 

"  I  have  been  greatly  delighted  with  your 
letters  and  they  have  caused  great  joy  all  round ; 
especially  has  your  own  dear  mother  been  much 
cheered  and  comforted.  Write  all  you  can  for 
her  sake — though  we  all  share  the  pleasure. 

"  God  has  been  very  gracious  to  you  in  opening 
so  many  hearts  and  ears  to  you.  May  His  grace 
abide  with  you  that  these  golden  opportunities 
may  all  be  used  to  the  best  possible  result.  I  am 
overwhelmed  with  your  reception,  accepting 
it  as  a  token  of  the  acceptance  which  my  works 
have  among  the  people.  When  I  have  you  and 
Char  at  my  side  to  preach  the  same  great  truths 
we  shall  by  God's  grace  make  England  know  more 
of  the  Gospel's  power. 

"  Char  is  working  well  at  College  and  will,  I 
trust,  come  forth  thoroughly  furnished.  When  you 
come  home  I  hope  that  your  practice  in  Australia 
will  lessen  your  need  of  college  training  so  that 
one   year   may   suffice.     Still   every  man  regrets 


72  THE   AUSTRALIAN  VISIT 

when  in  the  field  that  he  did  not  prepare  better 
before  he  entered  it.     We  shall  see. 

"  I  hope  you  will  stay  while  your  welcome  is 
warm,  and  while  you  are  getting  and  doing  good, 
and  then  come  home  a  free  man  in  all  respects, 
free  I  mean  from  all  entanglements,  and  buckle 
down  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  here. 

"  Receive  your  father's  best  love  and  think  lots 
of  this  letter,  for  I  am  so  pressed  for  time  that 
it  means  a  good  deal  more  than  appears  upon  the 
paper.  May  our  God  bless  you  more  and  more 
and  use  you  in  His  Kingdom  to  the  utmost  possible 
degree  ! 

"  Your  loving  Father, 

"C.  H.  Spurgeon." 

The  son  is,  as  yet,  free  from  "  entanglements," 
but  unconsciously  he  is  preparing  the  way  for  a 
later  date.  His  next  letter,  January  29th,  1878, 
describes  a  visit  from  Geelong  to  the  picturesque 
Lake  Como,  Mr.  Rutherford's  residence,  and 
after  praising  its  beauty  he  says :  "  But  even  if 
the  place  were  only  half  as  inviting  I  should  be 
happy  there,  for  I  am  once  again  amongst  my  best 
friends.  Just  as  kind  and  hearty  as  they  were 
upon  the  plains  of  Quambatook,  just  as  hospitable 
and  friendly  as  when  amongst  the  haunts  of  emu 
and  of  kangaroo.  I  need  not  speak  their  praises, 
for  'twould  puzzle  me  to  convey  in  words  any 
adequate  idea  of  their  sterling  worth." 

An  incident  occurred  about  this  time  to  which 
he  afterwards  referred  in  his  Tabernacle  ministry 
as  an  example  of  the  joy  which  may  accrue  from 


THE   AUSTRALIAN  VISIT  78 

the  discipline  of  sorrow.  His  letter  home  on 
February  7th,  1878,  makes  guarded  allusion  to  it. 
Here  is  the  extract  from  the  later  sermon : — 

"  I  have  never  told  in  public,  scarce  ever  in 
private,  of  a  great  sorrow  that  afflicted  me  once 
when  I  was  first  in  Australia.  Whether  it  was 
the  tongue  of  slander  in  the  old  land,  or  some  mis- 
information or  mistake,  I  do  not  know,  but  there 
came  to  my  dear  father's  ears  a  story  which  did 
not  reflect  credit  upon  his  absent  son.  It  came  in 
such  a  form  that  he  was  almost  bound  to  believe 
it.  I  remember  the  grief  that  tore  my  heart  when 
I  received  a  letter  from  him,  chiding  me,  kindly 
chiding  me,  for  this  supposed  wrong-doing.  I 
knew,  before  God,  that  I  was  innocent ;  but, 
despite  that  conviction,  there  was  some  pain,  of 
course,  and  there  had  to  be  a  delay  of  many 
months  ere  my  contradiction  of  the  damaging 
tale  could  reach  him.  I  left  the  matter  with  God, 
and  He  espoused  my  cause.  In  a  few  days'  time 
I  received  a  cablegram — and  telegraphing  was 
expensive  in  those  days — which  read  thus  :  '  Dis- 
regard my  letter ;  was  misinformed.'  I  cannot 
tell  you  the  thrill  of  joy  that  filled  my  heart  to 
feel  that  I  was  restored  to  my  father's  approbation 
and  confidence.  I  will  not  say  to  his  lo\e,  for  I 
had  surely  never  fallen  from  that.  It  was  many 
months  ere  I  could  come  into  possession  of  parti- 
culars, but  to  know  that  he  had  found  out  his 
mistake  and  that  confidence  was  restored,  why, 
it  was  almost  worth  while  having  been  in  the 
sorrow  to  experience  the  delicious  thrill " 


74  THE   AUSTRALIAN   VISIT 

Writing  a  week  later  he  says :  "I  can  but 
repeat  the  words  I  wrote  to  you,  '  'Tis  welcome 
trouble  if  it  drive  me  close  to  Him.'  How  earnestly 
did  I  pray  that  God  would  point  out  the  mistake, 
and  before  I  cried  He  heard,  for  I  did  not  know 
of  it  till  February  5th,  and  Father  telegraphed 
February  2nd." 

In  the  letters  which  follow  he  gives  realistic 
descriptions  of  a  fair  at  Ballarat,  a  feast  to  the 
Governor  of  the  Colony  at  which  he  was  present, 
his  journey  to  Tasmania,  boating  on  the  river  at 
Native  Point,  Perth,  inspections  of  the  cattle  and 
sheep,  and  his  acquaintance  with  his  fellow-guest, 
Mr.  Henry  Varley,  at  Mr.  Gibson's  hospitable  home. 
Of  him  he  says,  in  spite  of  some  prepossession 
to  the  contrary,  "he  is  a  companion  of  a  very 
pleasant  and  sanctified  sort  and  really  he  has  done 
me  good."  In  a  later  letter  speaking  of  his  im- 
proved health,  he  says,  "  When  I  see  Mr.  Varley 
preaching  every  day,  I  almost  wish  I  could  do  the 
same,  and  thus  devote  my  life.  Perhaps  the  time 
will  come  when  this  shall  be  my  proper  course 
(evangelizing),  and  if  these  quiet  months'  spell  be 
the  preparation  for  it,  who  shall  call  it  wasted 
time? 

"  Most  grateful  am  I  to  father  for  his  loving 
words.  Really  it  is  worth  all  the  sadness  of  being 
so  far  away  to  have  such  sweet  loving  counsel  from 
him,  and  the  thought  that  a  recital  of  my  experi- 
ences gives  him  pleasure  makes  me  happy  in  the 
extreme.  Tell  him,  please,  that  as  to  '  starring ' 
my  one  desire  is  to  '  turn  many  to  righteousness,' 
that  I  may  '  shine  as  the  stars  for  ever  and  ever,' " 


THE   AUSTRALIAN  VISIT  75 

In  a  letter  begun  at  Hobarton  on  May  27th 
occurs  this  paragraph  :  "I  have  to-day  discovered 
in  The  Hobarton  Mercury  a  reprint  of  dear  father's 
letter  to  the  Albert  Street  Church,  in  the  Postscript 
of  which  he  says,  '  Love  my  son  Tom  if  he  comes 
your  way.'  When  I  read  it  I  was  shivering  on 
board  a  river  steamer,  and  it  warmed  the  cockles 
of  my  heart  and  no  mistake.  I  think  my  dear 
parents  vie  with  each  other  in  the  art  of  letter- 
writing  and  skill  in  correspondence.  What  a  happy 
fellow  I  should  be  to  have  such  correspondents  !  " 

On  June  23rd,  1878,  he  writes  from  Melbourne 
recounting  news  of  blessing  in  several  places  of 
which  he  has  heard,  and  adds  :  "  There  again  I 
have  to  rejoice  in  the  good  that  God  has  wrought 
in  the  homes  I  have  visited.  God  blessed  the 
house  of  Obededom  because  His  ark  was  there,  and 
I  verily  believe  that  my  kind  friends  have  had 
their  reward  for  entertaining  His  little  servant." 

The  fifty-five  page  letter  begun  at  Sydney  on 
July  11th  is  specially  interesting.  He  tells  that 
on  seeking  to  book  his  passage  to  Brisbane  the 
clerk,  after  stating  the  fare,  said,  "  You  ought  to 
wear  a  white  tie,"  and  when  asked  the  reason  told 
him  that  clergymen  were  entitled  to  reduced  rates. 
After  some  argument  the  clerk  asked  if  he  were 
willing  to  sign  his  name  as  "  Reverend."  This 
evidently  was  the  first  time  he  had  practically 
faced  the  question,  and  when  he  answered  that 
he  would  do  it  if  it  came  cheaper,  there  was  still 
debate  in  the  office  until  some  one  declared  that 
he  had  journeyed  a  considerable  distance  the 
evening  before  to  hear  Mr  Spurgeon,  and  had  been 


76  THE   AUSTRALIAN   VISIT 

crowded  out.  "  This  was  proof  pretty  positive 
that  I  did  preach,  and  it  was  decided  to  carry 
the  important  matter  to  the  manager  for  settle- 
ment. He  pronounced  in  my  favour,  and  from 
this  day  forth,  and  even  for  evermore,  a  man  can 
be  a  minister  in  the  eyes  of  the  A.S.N.Co.  without 
wearing  a  white  tie.  Marvel,  O  Earth,  and  be 
astonished,  O  Sea  ! "  This  seems  to  be  all  the 
ordination  ever  given  to  him. 

"  Hearty  grasps  welcomed  me  to  Queensland 
when  we  got  alongside  the  quay.  They  seemed  to 
say,  as  plain  as  pressure  can  speak,  '  We're  very 
glad  to  see  your  father's  son.     Selah.' 

"  Have  you  noticed  the  native  names  for  places  ? 
They  are  far  better  than  the  English  barbarisms 
that  are  so  common.  For  my  part  with  the  author 
of  the  following  verse  : 

"  I  like  the  native  names  as  Farramatta 
And  Illawarra  and  WooUoomooloo, 
Mandoura,  Woogarora,  Bulkomatta, 
Tomah,  Toongabbee,  Mittagong,  Meroo ; 
Buckobbla,  Cumleroy  and  Coolingatta, 
The  Warragumby,  Bogielong,  Emu, 
Cookbundoon,  Carrabaija,  Wingycaribbee, 
The  Woblondilly,  Yurumbon,  Bungaribbee." 

While  writing  this  letter  he  had  received  and 
has  treasured  a  letter  from  his  father  dated  June  5th, 
1878,  in  which  occur  the  following  paragraphs  : 

"  Your  letters  give  us  all  great  delight,  and  the 
readers  of  The  Sword  and  Trowel  enthusiastically 
praise  the  delicious  dishes  which  your  dear  mother 
prepares  from  your  capital  material.  Keep  on 
excelling  where  your  father  fails. 


THE   AUSTRALIAN   VISIT  77 

'*  If  only  you  were  here  a  look  at  my  Australian 
son  would  make  a  day's  delight.  Everj^^body 
seems  interested  in  your  goings  on.  How  rejoiced 
I  am  I  am  quite  unable  to  tell  you.  I  would  give 
all  glory  to  God,  but  I  may  also  praise  you  for  the 
excellent  manner  in  which  you  have  conducted 
yourself  on  all  occasions,  out  of  the  pulpit  as  well 
as  in  it.  Go  on,  dear  son,  as  you  have  done,  and 
my  heart  will  have  to  bless  the  Lord  daily  at  every 
remembrance  of  you. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  soon  to  see  you  home,  but  still 
I  should  like  you  to  see  New  Zealand.  Mr.  Sands 
thinks  you  would  be  a  suitable  successor  to  Dr. 
Culross,  who  is  leaving  Highbury,  but  the  time 
which  must  intervene  will,  I  think,  render  that 
of  no  avail.  We  will  leave  such  engagements  till 
your  course  can  be  more  clearly  foreseen. 

"  We  want  zealous,  cultured,  sound  ministers, 
and  when  one  of  these  can  be  met  with  several 
churches  will  be  after  him.  May  our  Lord  clothe 
you  with  so  much  power  that  you  may  be  very 
valiant  in  Israel  I 

"  Dear  son,  your  love  is  very  sweet  to  me.  God 
keep  you  ever  and  bring  you  back  to 

"  Your  loving  father 
"  Who  again  blesses  you  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 

''  C.  H.  Spurgeon." 

To  this  the  son  responds  :  "  How  I  value  dear 
Father's  letter  words  fail  to  tell.  Bless  him  !  a 
thousand  times.  Every  word  is  a  treasure  indeed. 
A  few  minutes  devoted  from  his  precious  time  has 
«<caused  his  wandering  son  hours  of  rare  delight. 


78  THE  AUSTRALIAN  VISIT 

Foremost  amongst  my  happiness  is  the  joy  of 
knowing  that  he  is  delighted.  To  be  able  to  add 
a  ray  of  sunshine  to  his  noble  life  is — well — I  was 
going  to  say  well  worth  living  for,  and  having 
said  it  I'll  stick  to  it,  for  I  mean  it  most  assuredly. 

"  I  was  mightily  amused  at  the  reason  of  Mr. 
Sands'  visit.  I  wonder  somewhat  that  so  prudent 
a  man  should  cherish  such  an  idea — but  there, 
we  have  known  Mr.  Sands  making  mistakes  before. 
Whatever  other  folks  may  fancy,  Thos.  S.  feels 
himself  very  incompetent  for  any  such  under- 
taking, but  nevertheless  he  feels  confident  that 
the  Potter  will  shape  the  vessel  for  the  particular 
service  in  which  He  chooses  to  employ  it,  whatever 
that  may  be." 

In  the  letter  begun  at  Brisbane  on  August  16th 
he  says  :  "  Who  would  have  expected  to  see  George 
Coulson,  our  old  coachman,  his  wife  and  family, 
at  Ipswich  ?  O  how  pleased  they  were  to  be  sure. 
Such  delight!  Talk.  Talk.  The  very  sight  of 
him  stirred  up  old  memories,  and  in  course  of 
conversation  forgotten  incidents  came  fresh  to 
mind.  Coulson  told  me  several  times  that  he  was 
surprised  1  was  the  one  to  be  preaching  and 
travelling,  and  was  incessant  in  enquiries  after 
Master  Charles.  I  told  him  that  it  was  evident 
I  had  turned  out  better  than  he  anticipated,  and 
in  admitting  that  he  explained  that  the  reason  why 
he  expected  my  brother  to  be  such  a  prodigy  was 
because  '  there  was  always  such  a  deal  of  mischief 
in  Master  Charles.'  " 

The  next  letter,  begun  on  August  16th,  is  the 
last  of  the  series  of  home  letters  which  lovingly 


THE   AUSTRALIAN   VISIT  79 

preserved  are  lengthy  enough  to  fill  this  volume. 
It  carries  him  on  to  Warwick,  August  26th,  and 
suddenly  breaks  off,  "  But  a  few  hours  after 
writing  the  foregoing,  I  received  the  dismal  news 
that  Mother  was  worse.  Oh !  may  my  gracious  God 
spare  her  till  I  return.  I  give  up  all  engagements 
except  to-night  (when  may  the  Lord  assist)  and 
hope  to  be  home  the  second  or  third  week  in 
October.  I  am  trying  to  cast  all  my  care  on  Him, 
for  I  am  His  care." 

The  dismal  news  was  contained  in  a  cable 
message,  "Mother's  worse,  return."  The  next 
morning  he  started  for  home,  preaching  at  Brisbane 
and  Melbourne  on  the  way.  At  a  farewell  meeting 
on  September  12th,  at  Melbourne,  he  was  presented 
with  a  silver  epergne  and  a  sum  of  money.  "  One 
of  the  happiest  experiences  of  that  week  was  a 
chat  with  dear  Mr.  Rutherford,  who  came  down 
from  Quambatook  although  very  busy." 

Writing  on  October  13th,  from  Aden,  whither 
he  had  come  on  his  homeward  voyage,  he  says, 
"  I  had  expected  to  be  home  by  now,  for  as  soon 
as  I  received  the  recalling  telegram  I  hastened 
down  to  Brisbane,  but  missed  the  mail  steamer 
by  about  ten  minutes,  nor  could  I  possibly  over- 
take her.  By  my  telegram  you  understood,  I 
trust,  that  the  Lusitania  is  bearing  me  across  the 
water.  She  is  considered  a  very  fast  boat,  but 
we  have  been  singularly  unfortunate.  From  Mel- 
bourne to  Adelaide  we  experienced  really  dreadful 
weather.  An  evening  congregation  at  Adelaide 
on  Sunday,  August  15th,  were  disappointed,  for 
we  did  not  arrive  till  late  that  night,  but  I  addressed 


80  THE  AUSTRALIAN   VISIT 

crowded  churches  on  Monday  and  Tuesday. 
Leaving  Adelaide  we  found  the  weather  not  in  the 
least  abated — boisterous  to  the  last  degree. 

"  Sometimes  I  half  expect  you  to  be  pretty  well 
the  day  that  '  Tommy  comes  marching  home,' 
and  then  oh,  joy!  the  vision  brightens,  but  my 
dreams  are  not  all  so  bright,  as  you  can  well 
imagine.  These  have  been  dreary  weeks  indeed  ! 
Once  only  have  I  preached,  the  other  Sundays  have 
been  too  hot  or  too  rough." 

In  several  of  the  later  letters  he  speaks  of  him- 
self as  his  mother's  "  sea-gull."  That  reference  is 
explained,  and  the  story  of  the  Australian  visit 
well  ended,  by  an  extract  from  a  sermon  preached 
some  time  afterwards  : 

"  Some  time  before  I  left  the  other  side  of  the 
world,  where  God  has  called  me  to  preach  this 
same  gospel,  I  received  from  home  a  very  beautiful 
Christmas-card,  which  I  greatly  prize,  partly  be- 
cause it  is  most  artistic  in  itself,  but  more  because 
of  the  good  mother  who  sent  it  to  me.  Across 
a  troubled  sea,  angry  and  storm-tossed,  a  sea-gull 
flies  with  its  snowy  wings  outspread  above  the 
dark  waters,  its  whiteness  standing  in  striking 
contrast  to  the  gloomy  clouds,  while  just  above 
the  picture  are  these  words :  '  I  would  take  thee 
home  to  my  heart,  but  thou  wilt  not  come  to  me.' 
I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess  that,  when  I  read  the 
inscription,  the  tears  started  to  my  eyes,  and  I 
said  to  myself,  '  O  mother  mine,  how  gladly  would 
I  come  to  thee  if  I  only  could  ! '  But  on  my  voyage 
home — for  the  way  soon  after  opened  for  me  to 


THE  AUSTRALIAN  VISIT  81 

return — I  occupied  some  of  my  leisure  moments 
in  making  as  exact  a  copy  of  this  picture  as  I  could. 
The  same  white  sea-bird,  the  same  angry  waves, 
the  same  dark  clouds  ;  but  I  did  not  put  the  same 
words  above  them.  I  sent  the  sketch  on  from 
Naples,  so  that  it  might  arrive  before  me  some 
four  or  five  days,  and  this  was  the  message  that 
it  brought :  '  I  am  coming  home  to  thy  heart  ! 
Wilt  thou  not  welcome  me  ? '  The  answer  I 
received  at  ten  o'clock  one  Thursday  night,  when 
mother's  arms  were  round  her  son  and  mother's 
kiss  was  on  his  lips. 

"  O  God,  how  often  hast  Thou  said  to  the 
prodigal,  '  I  would  take  thee  home  to  My  heart, 
but  thou  wilt  not  come  to  Me.'  Oh,  help  him  now, 
as  Thy  Spirit  only  can,  to  say  believingly,  '  I  am 
coming  home  to  Thy  heart !  Wilt  Thou  not 
welcome  me?'  Oh,  that  Thou  wilt  I  So  let  it 
be  for  Thy  mercy's  sake.     Amen." 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   YEAR   WITH   HIS    FATHER 

On  Sunday,  November  10th,  1878,  Thomas 
Spurgeon  was  suddenly  called  to  preach  in  the 
Tabernacle  m  his  father's  place.  Until  late  on 
Saturday  C.  H.  Spurgeon  had  hoped  himself  to 
take  the  services,  especially  as  he  had  asked  his 
usual  congregation  to  vacate  their  places  in  the 
evening  in  favour  of  strangers,  a  practice  observed 
for  some  time  once  a  quarter  during  his  later 
ministry.  There  was  scarcely  any  other  choice 
but  that  "  Son  Tom  "  must  step  into  the  breach, 
and  with  courage  and  modesty  he  accepted  the 
task,  commending  himself  so  greatly  to  the  people 
that  he  was  invited  for  the  following  Sunday,  and 
for  one  of  the  services  the  Sunday  after.  His 
brother  Charles  took  the  other  service  on  the  third 
Sunday. 

The  record  in  The  Sword  and  Trowel  is  tantalizing 
in  its  brevity :  "  During  the  pastor's  illness  the 
pulpit  of  the  Tabernacle  has  been  five  times 
occupied  by  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon  and  once  by 
Mr.  Charles ;  and  it  has  been  a  delight  of  no  ordinary 
kind  for  both  of  the  sick  parents  to  hear  on  all 
hands  the  highly  favourable  judgments  of  God's 
people  as  to  the  present  usefulness  and  ultimate 

82 


A  YEAR  WITH  HIS  FATHER         83 

eminence  of  their  sons.  Applications  for  the 
services  of  Messrs.  C.  and  T.  Spurgeon  are  becoming 
so  numerous  that  it  is  needful  to  prepare  the 
writers'  minds  for  a  refusal.  For  some  time  to 
come  they  would  prefer  to  lend  their  father  all 
the  assistance  he  may  require.  Godly  parents 
should  be  encouraged  by  our  experience  to  pray 
for  and  expect  the  salvation  of  their  offspring." 

His  father  recovered  sufficiently  to  preach  once 
in  December,  and  in  the  middle  of  January  he 
journeyed  to  his  favourite  resting-place  in  the 
South  of  France — Mentone,  taking  his  son  Thomas 
with  him.  After  such  long  and  distant  travels  it 
is  scarcely  surprising  that  the  son  was  not  very 
eager  to  leave  home  so  soon  again,  even  though 
it  was  in  the  company  of  the  father  to  whom  he 
was  so  deeply  attached.  In  fact  he  was  still  his 
mother's  boy.  But  the  advantage  to  himself 
when  his  father  suggested  that  he  would  guide 
his  studies  while  they  were  away,  as  well  as  the 
hope  of  rendering  some  help  to  the  invalid,  at 
length  prevailed.  His  letters  to  his  mother  during 
the  three  months  he  was  abroad  have  been  preserved, 
and  in  the  fourth  volume  of  his  father's  biography 
edited  by  his  mother,  he  himself  gives  an  account 
of  the  visit. 

Mentone,  with  its  two  bays,  of  all  the  places  in 
the  French  Riviera  was  the  chosen  retreat  during 
the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century  of  those 
who  sought  winter  sunshine  apart  from  the  gaieties 
of  fashion.  Dr.  Bennet — whose  beautiful  garden, 
"  a  veritable  paradise  on  the  side  of  a  rocky  steep," 
is  one  of  the  sights  of  the  place — was  the  first  to 


84         A  YEAR  WITH  HIS   FATHER 

draw  public  attention  to  the  charms  of  this  part 
of  the  coast,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  shared  with  him 
in  promoting  its  fame.  Indeed,  he  had  hoped  to 
issue  a  descriptive  volume  on  Mentone  and  its 
neighbourhood,  many  of  the  chapters  having 
been  published  in  The  Sword  and  Trowel  in  his 
later  years.  With  Cap  Martin  on  the  west,  the 
Italian  frontier  on  the  east,  the  Berceau  behind, 
Corsica  visible  on  fine  mornings  and  evenings  across 
the  tideless  blue  sea,  and  numberless  excursions 
possible  up  the  valleys  running  inland,  it  is  an  ideal 
place  for  an  extended  sojourn.  Year  after  year 
Mr.  Spurgeon  came  thither.  John  Richard  Green, 
the  historian,  died  here,  "  still  learning,"  as  the 
inscription  on  his  tomb  tells  us.  Here  were 
discovered  in  a  sea-cave  the  skeletons  of  some 
pre-historic  men,  which  I  was  fortunate  enough  to 
see  shortly  after  they  were  found  in  1893.  Here 
too,  in  1892,  Spurgeon  died. 

The  books  appointed  for  the  young  student  at 
Mentone  seem  chiefly  to  have  been  a  French 
History,  a  Primer  on  Political  Economy,  Carlyle's 
French  Revolution,  which  his  father  read  to  him, 
as  for  long  he  was  accustomed  to  read  it  year  by 
year  for  his  own  pleasure,  and  Hodge's  Outlines 
of  Theology,  In  the  evening  Thomas  would  read 
to  the  company  Ingoldshy  Legends.  A  curious 
medley,  but  probably  quite  effective  for  the  end 
in  view.  The  son  reports,  "The  driest  matter 
bursts  into  a  blaze  when  C.  H.  S.  puts  some  of  his 
fire  to  it." 

He  had  the  privilege  of  meeting  three  notable 
men — Hudson  Taylor,  George  Miiller,  and  Pastor 


A  YEAR  WITH  HIS   FATHER  85 

John  Bost  of  the  Hospitals  of  La  Force.  Each 
of  them  contributed  something  to  the  mind  all 
eager  for  impressions.  At  a  communion  service 
George  Miiller  prayed  for  "the  dear  son  in  Aus- 
tralia," on  which  there  comes  the  remark,  "  I  had 
great  pleasure  in  informing  him  that  I  was  the  son 
in  Australia,  and  oh  !  how  warmly  did  he  grasp 
my  hand — ^the  dear  old  man.  Little  did  we  dream 
then  that,  nine  years  after,  he  would  help  to  marry 
me  in  New  Zealand." 

Quite  a  number  of  sketches  were  made  by  him 
during  this  visit,  most  of  which  have  been  repro- 
duced and  published.  Mr.  Spurgeon,  as  was  his 
wont,  conducted  family  prayers  in  his  own  room 
morning  by  morning,  and  the  Presbyterian  service 
then  held  in  Mrs.  Dudgeon's  villa  was  taken  several 
times  by  the  younger  preacher.  During  a  later 
visit  Mr.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  opened  the  pretty  church 
where  Rev.  L.  E.  Somerville  has  ministered  year 
by  year  ever  since.  I  saw  him  as  he  passed  through 
London  the  other  week,  and  he  reports  that  in  this 
war  year  he  has  had  a  busier  winter  than  ever. 

There  was  also  the  constant  study  of  nature — 
trees  and  flowers  and  trap-door  spiders.  The 
Carnival  afforded  great  amusement.  An  invitation 
came  from  America.  "  Sometimes  Father  says  it 
would  be  well  to  accept,  and  again  that  he  would 
like  me  soon  to  be  settling  down  at  home.  When 
he  asked  me  if  I  would  like  to  go,  I  told  him  the 
simple  truth  that  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  have 
to  return  home  again  as  from  Australia." 

In  April  they  were  home  again,  and  when  father 
and  son  appeared  together  in  the  Tabernacle  pulpit 


86         A  YEAR  WITH  HIS   FATHER 

on  the  thirteenth  of  that  month,  the  congregation, 
glad  to  greet  them  both,  spontaneously  rose  and 
sang  the  doxology. 

A  little  while  after  that  I  saw  him  for  the  first 
time.  I  was  in  the  College  with  his  brother,  and 
through  the  failure  of  the  health  of  A.  J.  Clarke, 
a  call  came  for  a  helper  to  join  Manton  Smith  at 
Bacup.  Mr.  Spurgeon  asked  me  to  go,  and  sent 
the  note  by  the  hand  of  Son  Tom.  Already  I 
had  spoken  night  after  night  during  the  February 
services  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  now  I  was  to  be 
launched  on  my  life  work.  I  am  glad  it  was  from 
the  hand  of  T.  S.  that  I  got  my  marching  orders. 
Perhaps  I  may  be  allowed  to  mention  here  that 
my  first  sermon  in  England  was,  without  any 
arrangement  of  my  own,  preached  at  Teversham 
on  the  spot  where  C.  H.  Spurgeon  preached  his 
first  sermon.  It  was  on  Easter  Sunday  evening, 
1875,  when  I  was  visiting  at  the  home  of  my  friend 
Rev.  J.  W.  Campbell,  whose  father  was  then 
minister  of  Zion  Chapel,  and  the  last  time  I  visited 
Cambridge  two  persons  were  present  who  remem- 
bered both  the  occasion  and  the  sermon  ! 

During  that  year  Thomas  Spurgeon  also  entered 
the  College,  and  it  is  reported  that  he  showed 
aptitude  in  his  studies.  On  the  first  Friday  his 
father  lectured  he  saw  the  new  student  at  the  back 
of  the  hall,  and  said  he  would  like  to  see  him  at 
the  front ;  on  which  he  was  by  acclamation  elected 
as  an  "  Apostle,"  as  the  twelve  men  on  the  front 
bench  were  named.  He  made  the  thirteenth  that 
year.  At  once  he  came  to  the  top  bench,  and  as 
he  sat  down  beside  Charles  he  scored  a  round  of  ap- 


A  YEAR  WITH  HIS   FATHER         87 

plause  by  saying  that  he  would  rather  be  beside  his 
brother  than  beside  himself.  Dr.  McCaig  says :  "  At 
the  Front  has  been  his  place  ever  since :  his  gifts 
have  made  way  for  him ;  he  was  never  a  shirker. 
Sitting  with  him  in  the  Greek  classes  I  know  how 
faithfully  he  did  his  work."  But  ill-health  often 
interrupted  his  attendance,  and  ere  the  year  was 
out  it  became  evident  that  he  must  seek  his  further 
training  where  he  had  received  his  earliest — under 
the  sunny  Australian  skies. 

So  on  Thursday,  October  2nd,  1879,  he  sailed 
on  the  Sobraon,  having  as  his  companions  two  of 
the  College  men,  J.  S.  Harrison  and  R.  McCuUough. 
He  had  seen  and  admired  the  ship  at  Melbourne, 
little  expecting  that  he  would  sail  in  her  before 
long. 

His  father  saw  him  off  and  then  came  to  the 
Tabernacle  for  the  week-night  service,  which  in 
his  time  was  a  high  festival.     I  sat  behind  him 
on  the  platform  that  evening,  and  remember  the 
sermon   he   preached   from   the   text,    "  Hannah 
answered  and  said,  '  No,  my  lord,  I  am  a  woman 
of  a  sorrowful  spirit.'  "     He  preached,  as  he  ever 
did,  out  of  his  own  experience,  but  made  no  refer- 
ence to  his  own  sorrow.     Yet  those  who  knew  could 
trace  an  undertone  of  sadness  all  through  the 
discourse.     It  is  published  in  the  1880  volume. 
"  Brethren  and  sisters,"  he  said,  "  this  is  one  of 
our  hardest  lessons :   to  learn  to  give  up  what  we 
most  prize  at  the  command  of  God  and  to  do  so 
cheerfully."     And   again,   *' Take  up   your  load, 
my  beloved.    Do  not  become  murmurers  as  well 
as  mourners.    Carry  your  cross,  for  it  is  indeed  a 


88  A  YEAR  WITH  HIS   FATHER 

golden  one."  Yet  once  more,  "  This  bitterness 
of  spirit  may  be  an  index  of  our  need  of  prayer, 
and  an  incentive  to  that  holy  exercise.  When  a 
live  coal  from  off  the  altar  touches  our  lips  we 
should  preach,  but  when  a  drop  of  gall  falls  on  our 
lips  we  should  pray." 

Only  twice  in  his  life  did  C.  H.  Spurgeon  spend 
a  whole  night  in  prayer.  He  was  not  indeed  ac- 
customed to  remain  long  on  his  knees,  for  his  idea 
of  prayer  was  the  passing  of  a  cheque  over  the 
bank  counter ;  there  was  no  need  to  urge  that  it 
should  be  honoured,  all  that  was  necessary  was  to 
wait  till  the  answer  came.  But  twice  he  agonized 
all  night,  like  Jacob  "  confident  in  self-despair," 

With  Thee  all  night  I  mean  to  stay 
And  wrestle  till  the  break  of  day. 

One  of  these  nights  of  intense  supplication  was 
for  a  personal  need,  and  those  who  know  his  history 
may  conjecture  when  he  was  driven  to  his  knees, 
like  Lincoln,  because  he  had  nowhere  else  to  go. 
The  other  was  when  the  hopes  he  had  built  on  his 
son  Tom  being  by  his  side  were  shattered.  How 
deep  those  hopes  had  gone  may  be  guessed  by  the 
upheaval  of  his  life  when  they  were  renounced. 
Truly  this  bitterness  of  spirit  may  be  an  index  of 
our  need  of  prayer,  and  an  incentive  to  its  holy 
exercise. 

Did  he  get  the  victory  ?  The  next  Sunday 
morning's  sermon — and,  remember,  he  always 
preached  from  his  own  experience — was  "  Mistrust 
of  Gk)d  deplored  and  denounced."     He  was  halting 


A  YEAR  WITH  HIS   FATHER  89 

upon  his  thigh,  but  his  Bethel  and  his  Peniel  had 
made  him  a  prince  with  God ;  he  had  in  very  truth 
prevailed.  "  How  long  will  it  be  ere  they  believe 
me  ?  "  was  his  text.  "  Certain  of  us,"  he  says, 
"  have  received  special  and  infallible  proofs  of 
the  Lord's  faithfulness  to  His  promises.  He  has 
answered  the  prayers  of  some  of  us  in  a  way  that 
has  drowned  our  eyes  with  tears  of  joy."  What  a 
vista  that  opens  into  the  watches  of  that  Thursday 
night ! 

Did  he  get  the  victory  ?  Listen  to  the  closing 
words  of  the  sermon  :  "  God  the  Holy  Ghost  help- 
ing you,  resolve  in  your  hearts  this  day  that  all 
the  boasted  discoveries  of  science  you  will  doubt, 
all  the  affirmations  of  the  wise  you  will  doubt,  all 
the  speculations  of  great  thinkers  you  will  doubt, 
all  your  own  feelings  and  all  the  conclusions  drawn 
from  outward  circumstances  you  will  doubt,  yea 
and  everything  that  seems  to  be  demonstrable 
to  a  certainty  you  will  doubt,  but  never,  never, 
never,  while  eternity  shall  last,  will  you  suffer 
the  thought  to  pass  your  mind  that  God  can  ever 
in  the  least  degree  run  back  from  anything  that 
He  has  spoken,  or  change  the  word  that  has  gone 
forth  of  His  lips." 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   SETTLEMENT  IN   NEW    ZEALAND 

The  voyage  in  the  Sohraon  was  not  quite  so 
pleasant  as  that  in  the  Lady  Jocelyn,  nor  the 
opportunities  of  preaching  so  frequent.  The  eon- 
duct  of  the  Sunday  services  on  board  was  given 
to  a  curate  who  seems  to  have  been  a  rather  in- 
effective person,  and  as  one  of  his  fellow-passengers 
phrases  it,  *'  dissent  was  at  a  discount."  Still 
there  were  many  opportunities  of  service,  and  not 
a  little  good  cheer. 

In  writing  to  the  Rev.  J.  S.  Harrison  some  time 
before,  in  an  undated  letter,  Thomas  Spurgeon 
advises,  as  a  practised  traveller,  about  luggage  and 
equipment,  and  advises  very  sensibly.  Two  other 
letters  with  further  details  follow,  but  the  first 
letter  to  his  mother  is  dated  October  13th,  1879, 
"  not  far  from  Madeira,"  and  from  this  the  following 
extracts  are  taken. 

"  On  Saturday  evening  I  had  asked  and  gained 
the  captain's  permission  to  hold  a  service  in  the 
Second  Cabin,  whose  occupants  were  desirous  for 
the  same,  and  we  had  arranged  that  '  Mac '  should 
preach.     But  somehow  the  first-class  folks  got  to 

90 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND    91 

fancy  that  I  was  to  give  the  address.  Lest  any 
should  think  themselves  taken  in,  I  was  constrained 
to  promise  to  preach  the  next  Sunday." 

"  I  had  been  longing  to  get  at  the  sailors,  and 
when  I  went  for'ard  I  received  an  invitation  to 
come  at  any  time  and  address  them.  I  should  be 
welcome  morning,  noon  or  night.  Some  of  them 
had  heard  Father  preach,  one  was  at  Melbourne 
when  I  was  there  before,  and  altogether  I  found 
them  to  be  (as  they  called  themselves)  a  tidy  set 
of  men. 

"  In  all  respects  we  are  very  comfortable.  Our 
ship  is  a  beauty  to  look  at  and  a  good  'un  to  go. 
We  have  been  longer  getting  to  our  present  posi- 
tion "  (in  relation  to  the  passengers)  "  than  in  any 
previous  voyage,  but  that  is  not  the  fault  of  the 
ship.  We  seem  to  pass  everything  on  the  road, 
and  have  two  or  three  times  got  lovely  sights  of 
barques,  brigs  and  ships  running  close  alongside 
for  a  while  but  gradually  dropping  astern. 

"  I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  my  early 
morning  exercise  is  a  wise  and  health-giving  pro- 
ceeding. As  soon  as  sleep  is  over  I  arise  (generally 
between  five  and  six),  and  take  a  turn  at  the  pump 
and  have  a  sea-water  bath  in  the  tub  on  deck. 
There  are  two  small  bathrooms  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs,  but  they  are  in  such  constant  demand  and 
are  so  poorly  supplied  with  water  that  we  prefer 
to  take  it  in  turns  to  plunge  into  the  tub  and  have 
the  hose  played  on  to  us.  Before  and  after  the 
refreshing  shower  we  work  at  the  pump  which 
supplies  the  baths  and  tub  for  washing  passengers 
and  deck,  working  handles  backward  and  forward 


92     THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

as  in  a  manual  fire  engine.  Sometimes,  too,  we 
take  a  turn  at  the  brooms  and  mops  and  try  to 
develop  muscle."  Quite  a  pleasant  glimpse  this, 
of  three  wholesome-minded  men. 

"  I  think  I  shall  get  through  a  good  deal  of 
reading.  During  the  first  week  or  two  it  is  quite 
impossible  to  attempt  any  heavy  stuff,  so  I  de- 
voured The  Old  Curiosity  Shop,  Since  then  I  have 
been  perusing  a  deeply  interesting  biography  of 
honest  Hugh  Latimer.  Then  of  a  morning,  besides 
the  best  of  books,  I  read  The  Pilgrim's  Progress^ 
Miss  Havergal's  portion,  and  a  chapter  of  Never 
Say  Die:' 

On  October  20th  in  the  same  letter  he  says : 
"  I  cannot  forbear  to  tell  you  of  the  happy  Sabbath 
we  spent  yesterday.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  three 
and  a  young  man  named  Barber  assembled  for 
prayer,  and  right  heartily  did  we  invoke  the 
Master's  smile.  We  thought  of  the  blessing  vouch- 
safed the  week  before  and  hoped  it  might  be 
doubled.  We  rose  refreshed  and  strengthened  for 
work,  and  when  the  hour  came  for  service  and  a 
goodly  number  of  folks  assembled  I  felt  we  were 
ready  for  the  answer  to  our  supplications.  In- 
deed, we  had  them  part  answered  already  in  the 
presence  of  so  many  hearers  of  the  Word.  Speak- 
ing to  them  as  we  separated  I  told  them  that  I  and 
my  brethren  would  come  to  the  forecastle  in  the 
evening,  at  which  they  were  indeed  delighted. 

"  At  seven  o'clock  we  went  for'ard  and  met  with 
quite  an  enthusiastic  reception.  Having  preached 
in  the  afternoon  I  could  not  attempt  an  address, 
but  we  all  took  part  in  a  service  that  to  outsiders 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND    93 

would  have  seemed  very  rough  and  ready,  but 
which  was  to  honest  Jack  'a  real  good  time.' 
When  I  proposed  coming  to  see  them  on  Wednesday 
evening  their  unfeigned  gratification  and  gratitude 
found  expression  in  polite  '  Thank  you  Sir '  s  and 
hearty  '  God  bless  you '  s. 

"  But  the  best  remains  to  be  told.  On  leaving 
the  foc'sle  Mr.  Barber  imparted  to  us  the  joyful 
tidings  that  while  we  were  singing  he  had  been 
talking  to  and  praying  with  a  young  man  in  Second 
Cabin,  who  had  at  length  found  peace  in  believing. 
He  had  been  a  professing  Christian  and  nothing 
more,  had  given  way  to  drink,  but  during  my 
sermon  and  afterwards  the  Spirit  strove  with  him, 
and  by  our  brother's  prayers  and  conversation  he 
was  led  to  the  sinner's  Friend." 

Another  letter  of  no  less  than  152  pages  was 
begun  on  November  29th,  when  about  a  fortnight 
from  Melbourne.  In  this  the  traveller  begins  by 
contrasting  his  feelings  on  the  two  voyages,  the 
assurance  that  he  will  not  now  be  a  stranger  in 
Austral  lands,  but  his  fear  that  his  absence  from 
home  may  be  longer.  He  writes  with  satisfaction 
that  he  has  not  coughed  once  since  stepping  on 
board.  He  gives  a  long  description  of  the  captain 
and  officers  :  the  captain  being  compared  to  a 
bull-dog,  and  the  first  officer  to  a  Skye  terrier. 
Incidentally,  in  describing  the  sailmaker,  he  says 
that  "  there  are  about  two  acres  of  canvas  on  our 
masts  and  yards." 

"  Altogether  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
this  is  the  most  godless  set  of  people  that  I  have 


94    THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

ever  met — a  fair  specimen  of  the  world  at  large 
I  dare  say,  but  certainly  more  light  and  frivolous 
and  sinful  than  any  I  have  met  before.  And  yet 
on  Sundays  they  persist  in  calling  themselves 
*  miserable  sinners,'  while  all  the  time  they  are 
delighting  themselves  in  iniquity.  Saddest  of  all 
is  it  to  find  the  curate  the  ringleader  of  their 
amusements.  '  Good  morning,  Spurgeon,'  is  the 
most  I  ever  get  from  him  and  as  brief  a  reply  is  all 
he  gets  from  me,  and  we  are  mutually  edified  by 
the  conversation  !  " 

The  captain  had  his  wife  and  little  daughter 
"  Coral "  on  board,  and  on  her  fourth  birthday 
Thomas  Spurgeon  composed  some  verses  in  her 
honour  which  gave  him  the  reputation  on  board  of 
being  "  a  tremendous  poet." 

Of  the  Sunday  services  during  the  voyage  he 
writes :  "  While  I  must  admit  that  the  work  has 
been  very  discouraging  I  am  right  glad  we  under- 
took it.  During  this  voyage  I  heard  of  a  con- 
version that  took  place  during  my  first  one,  so  we 
will  hope  for  a  joyful  repetition  of  that  experience. 
Our  meetings  with  the  sailors  were  not  much  more 
encouraging.  Several  times  in  the  midst  of  a 
discourse  the  order  was  given,  '  All  hands  reef  the 
main  sheet,'  and  our  hopes  of  reaching  the  heart 
were  scattered." 

A  further  considerable  list  of  books  which  have 
been  read  is  given  as  the  shores  of  Australia  are 
neared — quite  a  creditable  report.  The  drinking 
on  board  seems  to  have  been  considerable.  "  No 
less  than  5,000  bottles  of  beer  have  been  used,  and 
the  Sohraon  can  proudly  boast  that  more  liquor 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND    95 

has  been  consumed  during  the  voyage  of  '79  than 
in  any  previous  year." 

The  lengthy  letter,  so  full  and  descriptive,  must 
have  been  a  great  joy  to  his  parents ;  its  last  three 
sheets  were  written  ashore.  "  Between  ten  and 
eleven  on  December  18th  we  cast  anchor  off  San- 
dridge  Pier,  and  soon  Mr.  Wade  and  Mr.  Garrett 
came  to  meet  us.  I  was  soon  visited  by  the 
ministers,  and  everybody  welcomes  me  most 
heartily. 

"  My  good  friends  the  Rutherfords  have  left 
Quambatook  and  have  gone  to  New  Zealand.  I 
may  have  more  to  say  about  them  after  seeing 
Mr.  Bunning  on  Christmas  Day.  In  a  week's  time 
I  shall  be  in  Tasmania." 

Rev.  R.  McCuUough  is  able  to  recall  the  pleasant 
days  of  the  voyage  in  the  Sohraon  during  which 
he  shared  a  cabin  with  Mr.  Spurgeon  and  their 
mutual  experiences  thereafter.  "  One  looks  back 
with  fondness  upon  those  days  we  three  spent 
at  sea.  We  spent  Christmas  at  Melbourne,  and 
arrived  at  Tasmania  on  the  closing  days  of  the 
year.  We  were  cordially  welcomed  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gibson  of  Native  Point,  whose  names  will 
never  be  forgotten.  They  loved  C.  H.  Spur- 
geon, whom  they  had  never  seen,  and  loved  his  son 
as  if  he  had  been  their  own.  They  consulted  him 
about  their  plans  for  erecting  places  of  worship, 
and  he  had  an  important  part  in  the  founding  of 
the  denomination  on  this  beautiful  island. 

"Mr.  Spurgeon  and  I  spent  a  good  part  of  the 
year  together  at  Native  Point.  He  did  not  feel 
fit  for  work,  he  had  first  to  get  strong:    riding, 


96    THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

rowing  and  croquet  filled  up  a  good  part  of  our 
time.  Mr.  Gibson  was  rather  stern  in  manner,  but 
his  guest's  playfulness  and  sparkling  wit  were 
irresistible.  His  life  was  good.  He  had  position 
and  gifts  which  would  have  opened  many  doors  to 
him,  and  he  was  at  an  age  when  smiles  and  flattery 
are  often  dangerous ;  but  I  never  knew  him  to 
trouble  about  society,  or  to  have  an  inclination  for 
anything  of  the  world.  He  took  a  leading  part 
in  the  laying  of  foundation  stones  and  in  the 
opening  ceremonies  of  our  church  buildings. 

"  He  visited  me  twice  at  Hobart,  but  there 
lingers  with  me  the  picture  of  him  as  I  knew  him 
in  all  the  freshness  of  youth,  with  gifts  that  gave 
promise  of  something  great,  looking  into  the  future 
and  quietly  preparing  himself  for  it,  a  knight  with 
honour  unstained,  armour  bright,  anticipating  his 
battle  with  calm  confidence." 

Those  days  also  dwell  in  the  memory  of  his 
friend  the  Rev.  Harry  Wood,  who  writes  concerning 
them  :  "He  was  the  guest  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibson 
at  Native  Point  during  his  first  visit  to  Tasmania 
in  1878.  He  soon  won  their  hearts  and  became 
more  like  a  son  than  a  visitor. 

"  It  was  during  this  first  visit  that  in  company 
with  the  Gibsons  he  went  to  Wesley  Dale,  the 
country  residence  of  the  revered  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Henry  Reed,  who  sought  to  make  known  the  Gospel 
both  in  Tasmania  and  in  the  '  Regions  Beyond.' 
Mr.  Reed  had  arranged  for  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  hold 
some  services,  and  in  this  Bush  district  large  con- 
gregations gathered  and  God  manifestly  blessed  the 
Word. 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND  97 

"  At  this  time  there  were  only  two  Baptist 
churches  in  Tasmania ;  we  have  now  thirteen 
churches  with  some  forty  mission  stations.  Our 
beloved  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gibson,  with  their 
son  Mr.  W.  Gibson,  have  given  approximately 
£70,000  in  support  of  the  Baptized  Church  in 
Tasmania.  On  the  human  side  we  owe  it  greatly 
to  the  influence  of  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon  that  this 
work  for  God  has  been  accomplished.  When  the 
large  Tabernacle  was  built  in  Launceston  it  was 
hoped  that  he  would  have  been  the  Pastor. 

"  My  first  meeting  with  our  beloved  President 
was  on  his  second  visit.  I  came  over  from  Aus- 
tralia to  spend  a  month's  holiday  in  Tasmania, 
On  arriving  at  Perth  station  a  young  gentleman 
came  to  the  carriage  window  and  inquired  for 
me  by  name.  It  was  Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  he 
got  into  the  carriage  and  rode  with  me  to  the 
next  station,  where  he  had  just  time  to  catch 
the  return  train  to  Perth.  We  were  only  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  in  each  other's  company,  but 
he  won  my  heart,  and  the  friendship  commenced 
in  the  railway  carriage  grew  and  deepened  with 
the  years. 

"  What  happy  buoyant  days  those  were.  Our 
generous  host  provided  us  with  saddle  horses,  and 
we  rode  all  over  the  country  taking  the  word  of 
life  to  most  out-of-the-way  places.  The  result  of 
my  visit  was  that  within  a  few  months  I  was  led 
to  settle  in  this — '  The  Gem  of  the  Southern  Seas  ' — 
where  I  have  now  laboured  in  the  Gospel  for  thirty- 
five  years. 

"  Mr.  Spurgeon  never  forgot  those  early  days. 
7 


98    THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

During  his  great  and  busy  life  in  London  he  wrote 
me  :  '  It  was  all  an  apprenticeship.'  '* 

In  The  Sword  and  Trowel  of  October  1880  there  is 
an  article  entitled  "  Tasmanian  Tabernacles," 
describing  the  erection  of  two  houses  of  prayer 
there,  one  at  Deloraine  where  Mr.  Harrison  was 
labouring,  and  one  at  Longford  in  connection  with 
the  work  carried  forward  by  Mr.  McCullough,  both 
of  which  were  to  be  completed  the  following  year. 

The  December  number  of  the  same  magazine  has 
an  article  on  his  Australian  experiences  entitled 
"  Warrambeen  Revisited,"  the  sheep  station  where, 
in  1878,  some  services  had  been  held. 

In  the  "  shearers'  hut,"  a  large  building  where 
in  shearing  time  the  men  sleep,  with  a  dining-room 
and  fireplace  beyond,  some  150  people  gathered 
to  the  preaching,  a  very  fine  assemblage  under 
the  circumstances,  illustrating  the  remark  of  a 
good  man  who  said,  "It's  the  son  of  your  father 
only  that  could  get  such  a  congregation."  In  the 
evening  he  preached  again  in  the  church,  and  the 
news  rapidly  spreading,  people  came  from  far  and 
near.  Then  on  to  Ballarat,  where  "  the  Academy 
of  Music  was  attended  by  the  largest  colonial 
audience  (about  2,300)  that  I  have  ever  preached 
to,  and  the  desire  for  blessing  was  evident  in  the 
rapt  attention  and  devout  feeling." 

In  the  January,  1881,  number  we  read  of 
"  Trophies  from  Toowoomba,"  a  township  a 
hundred  miles  from  Brisbane,  where  a  great  crowd 
assembled  for  the  preaching,  and  the  report  to  the 
preacher  was  "  Your  testimony  in  Toowoomba 
gave  us  a  great  lift."     The  April  number  has  an 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND    99 

article  on  "  Over  the  Ranges"  by  the  Southern 
and  Western  Railway  of  Queensland  on  Septem- 
ber 8th,  1880,  when  the  journey  to  Toowoomba 
was  undertaken  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  rode  for  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  way  on  the  engine. 
*'  The  name  of  Spurgeon  works  wonders  in  many 
circles,  and  especially  with  those  who,  like  this 
engineer,  have  *  been  to  the  Tabernacle  and  heard 
him.'  " 

Of  the  staple  of  his  ministry  at  this  time  we  get  a 
glimpse  in  an  incident  recorded  by  the  preacher 
himself.  "  Were  you  hearing  young  Spurgeon  last 
night,  and  what  did  you  think  of  him  ?  "  asked 
one.  "  Little  enough,'*  replied  the  other.  ''  It 
was  the  same  old  stuff.  He  told  us  nothing  new.'* 
But  if  he  kept  to  the  old  truth,  and  largely  to  the 
old  phraseology,  he  was  evidently  acquiring  a  style. 
From  his  writing  we  may  judge  him  to  be  in  that 
transition  period  which  is  as  awkward  for  a  speaker 
or  writer  as  the  hobbledehoy  stage  is  for  a  growing 
man. 

Early  in  the  year  1881  we  find  him  in  New 
Zealand,  whither  he  had  gone  to  supply  the  pulpit 
at  Hanover  Street  Church,  Dunedin,  which  was  at 
that  time  without  a  minister.  He  was  the  guest 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rutherford,  who  had  moved  hither 
from  Australia  to  a  house,  "  Dalmore,"  beautifully 
situated  overlooking  the  town  and  harbour.  Here 
he  remained  for  six  months,  and  it  is  not  to  be 
overlooked  that  Miss  Lila  Rutherford,  afterwards 
to  become  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  was,  as  a  school  girl,  also 
at  home  at  the  time.  The  next  call  was  from  the 
south  of  the  South  Island  to  the  north  of  the  North 


100    THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

Island,  about  a  thousand  miles  away,  the  outcome 
of  which  was  announced  in  the  January,  1882, 
Sword  and  Trowel  by  the  simple  statement :  *'  The 
President  has  peculiar  pleasure  in  announcing  that 
another  Pastors'  College  student,  his  son,  Thomas 
Spurgeon,  has  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  church 
at  Auckland,  New  Zealand,  lately  under  the  care 
of  Pastor  A.  W.  Webb." 

On  August  22nd,  1881,  he  writes  to  his  fellow- 
traveller,  Mr.  Harrison,  urging  him  to  visit  New 
Zealand.  *'  This  is  a  wonderful  country  and  well 
worth  seeing,  a  sinful  one  much  needing  the  Gospel. 
I  have  had  much  blessing  here,  but  not  as  much 
as  in  Dunedin.  I  shall  stay  about  Auckland  for 
some  while  yet,"  he  wrote,  "  it  is  such  a  lovely 
place."  To  Mr.  Harrison  he  dedicated,  about  this 
time,  his  poem  "  All  Glory,"  which  was  prompted 
by  an  incident  in  his  experience,  and  in  the  same 
letter  he  declares  his  intention  to  seek  the  ''  old 
country  "  in  the  spring  of  1883.  Of  course  that 
plan  was  frustrated  by  the  development  of  affairs. 

"  In  a  week  or  two's  time,"  he  writes  on  Oc- 
tober 21st,  "  I  shall  be  the  Pastor  (pro  tern.)  of 
this  church,  i.e,,  until  I  am  able  to  get  advice  from 
home  or  am  decided  by  other  circumstances."  So 
he  urged  his  friend  to  come  to  his  help.  On 
November  11th  things  had  developed.  *'  I  have 
accepted  the  Pastorate  here  at  least  for  a  time, 
and  mention  this  as  an  extra  reason  why  you 
should  visit  N.Z.  I  feel  sure  the  Lord  would 
have  me  stop  here  for  a  while,  nor  should  I  be 
surprised  if  I  remain  for  good.  It  depends  on  three 
things.     (1)  If  my  health  holds  good.     (2)  If  the 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  2;5;ALAND     101 

Lord  blesses  the  word.  (3)  If  my  parents  ofler  no 
decided  objection." 

In  order  to  facilitate  Mr.  Spurgeon's  acceptance 
of  the  pastorate  the  church  suggested  that  he 
should  visit  other  parts  of  New  Zealand  during  the 
summer  months,  and  that  Mr.  Harrison  and  Mr. 
Isaacs  should  help  during  his  absence.  He  writes 
to  the  former  in  Tasmania  on  November  26th 
saying  :  "  If  I  settle  here — of  course  there  is  still 
a  doubt — I  shall  want  my  books,  etc.  It  would  be 
a  wonderful  convenience  to  me  if  you  could  possibly 
bring  them.  At  the  same  time  I  should  like  to 
fetch  them  myself,  but  it  means  a  long  journey  and 
injury  to  this  church  unless  you  could  fill  the  gap. 
Then  if  you  were  here  I  confess  I  should  like  to 
work  with  you.  I  am  sure  we  should  have  some 
glorious  times." 

On  December  7th,  1881,  he  has  heard  that 
Harrison  is  coming,  and  writes  to  him  :  "I  feel 
pretty  certain  that  I  shall  remain  here  if  my  health 
holds.  A  telegram  from  home  leaves  it  all  to 
myself  and  promises  no  objection  from  my  parents." 

His  father  wrote  to  him  on  the  subject  from 
Mentone,  on  November  28th,  1881  ; 

*'  Mine  own  Dear  Son, 

''  How  your  whole  conduct  delights  me  I 
You  are  quite  able  to  judge  for  yourself,  and  yet 
you  defer  to  your  parents  in  all  things.  May  your 
days,  according  to  the  promise,  be  long  in  the  land. 
''  I  think  the  case  is  clear  enough  that  you  ought 
to  settle,  for  a  time  at  least,  in  Auckland,  but  still 
you  see,  we  know  but  little  of  the  facts  and  so  I 


102    THE  SETTLEMEJ^T  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

preferred  to  leave  you  to  your  own  judgment.  I 
know  what  that  judgment  will  be.  I  believe  the 
work  before  you  will  arouse  all  your  energies — 
which  is  good  ;  but  I  hope  it  will  not  tax  them — 
which  would  be  mischievous.  It  is  a  sphere  worthy 
of  you,  and  yet  its  excellence  lies  rather  in  what 
it  may  be  than  in  what  it  is.  All  things  con- 
sidered, it  is  full  of  promise. 

"  Do  not  come  home.  I  should  dearly  love  to 
see  you,  but  how  could  we  part  with  you  again  ? 
Stay  away  till  there  is  a  call  to  come  home.  When 
the  Lord  wills  it,  it  will  be  safer  and  will  be  better  for 
us  all.  To  come  home  in  1882  would  be  a  journey 
for  which  there  is  no  demand,  at  a  time  when  you 
are  needed  elsewhere. 

*'  I  have  thought  of  you  many  tim.es  here,  and 
especially  while  worshipping  in  the  room  at  Les 
Grottes.  How  honoured  I  am  to  have  sons  who 
preach  the  Gospel  so  fully.  I  would  sooner  this 
than  be  the  progenitor  of  the  twelve  patriarchs. 

'*  Dear  Son,  may  the  Lord  make  you  his  work- 
man wisely  instructed  in  moulding  upon  the  wheel 
a  future  empire,  as  yet  plastic  clay.  Who  knows 
what  the  southern  colonies  may  become  ?  Im- 
press your  Master's  image  upon  the  molten  wax, 
and  seal  New  Zealand  as  the  Lord's  for  ever. 

"  May  your  desires  be  fulfilled  and  your  expecta- 
tions be  exceeded. 

"  Your  loving  father, 

*'  C.  H.  Spurgeon. 

"  Son  Tom." 

A  week  later  we  get  a  glimpse  of  his  surroundings. 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND     103 

"  We,  i.e.,  two  young  men  and  myself,  think  of 
changing  our  abode  soon.  Here  I  have  no  separate 
study  and  no  stable  (for  I  possess  a  pony  now).  So 
we  talk  of  getting  a  furnished  house  a  little  way 
out  of  town.  If  we  succeed  we  shall  be  able  to 
accommodate  you  finely,  and  I  want  to  be  with  you 
all  the  time  you  can  stay  here." 

On  his  arrival  Mr.  Harrison  voted  for  Sunday 
evening  services  in  the  Choral  Hall  at  once,  and 
although  somewhat  dubious  about  it  the  Church 
agreed.  From  the  first  the  gatherings  were  an 
immense  success,  and  there  were  distinct  signs  of  a 
spiritual  movement.  From  Mount  Eden,  where 
his  home  was  situated,  the  pastor  writes  to  the 
departing  evangelist  on  February  25th :  "  The 
Choral  Hall  meetings  are  a  grand  success,  and  the 
morning  congregations  are  as  large  as  ever.  The 
Church  Census  has  just  been  taken,  and  you  will 
be  pleased  to  know  that  although  we  were  out  of 
the  Choral  Hall — it  being  otherwise  engaged — we 
had  the  largest  congregations  both  morning  and 
evening  of  any  church  in  Auckland,  547  in  the 
morning  and  over  600  in  the  evening.  The  Star 
put  a  footnote  to  our  record  saying  that  hundreds 
were  turned  away.  This  is  a  lift  for  us.  To  God 
be  the  glory.  Oh  !  that  the  hundreds  would  come 
to  Jesus  !  They  will  yet,  I  believe."  Again  on 
March  7th,  1882,  he  writes  :  "  We  are  still  rejoicing 
in  the  lift  you  gave  us.  I  have  had  Friday  evening 
meetings  with  converts  :  schoolroom  quite  full  and 
such  nice  times ;  about  seventy  have  returned 
cards,  over  fifty  wishing  to  join  Wellesley  Street. 
Regular  application  for  membership  has  been  made 


104    THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

in  only  a  few  cases,  and  I  am  not  anxious  that  they 
should  be  too  soon.  Last  Sunday  night,  although 
the  meeting  was  not  advertised,  the  Choral  Hall  was 
crammed  full,  and  we  had  a  glorious  time." 

Mr.  Harrison  returned  to  England,  partly  in 
pursuance  of  his  own  plans,  partly  to  give  a  report 
of  the  prospects  at  Auckland,  and  on  June  26th  of 
that  year  we  find  him  at  the  Metropolitan  Taber- 
nacle prayer  meeting.  *'  He  was  able  to  bear 
personal  testimony  to  the  need  of  a  new  chapel 
for  the  large  congregation  already  gathered  at 
Auckland."  There  plans  had  been  laid  on  a  gener- 
ous scale,  an  acre  of  land  had  been  purchased,  and 
a  Bazaar  projected  to  be  held  at  Christmas.  The 
glad  father  in  London  proposed  that  gifts  of  money 
and  kind  should  be  sent  out  from  the  friends  in 
London.  Some  acknowledgments  were  made  the 
following  month  in  The  Sword  and  Trowel,  with  the 
reminder  that  "  The  members  of  the  Old  Tabernacle 
at  home  should  be  the  first  to  help  the  New  Taber- 
nacle in  Auckland.  They  cannot  have  forgotten 
young  Thomas  whom  they  were  so  pleased  to  hear. 
Let  him  not  imagine  that  he  has  slipped  out  of  the 
memories  of  those  at  home." 

Tidings  now  began  to  arrive  of  the  high  success 
of  the  new  ministry  in  New  Zealand.  Such  items  as 
**  Nineteen  were  baptized,  sixteen  of  whom  were 
present  to  receive  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  on 
the  following  Sunday "  ;  "At  our  last  church 
meeting  seven  were  proposed  for  membership  "  ; 
**  Last  Sunday  week  we  had  an  overflowing  con- 
gregation at  the  Choral  Hall.  Every  chair  about 
the    building    was    placed   down   the   aisles   and 


REV.  THOMAS  SPURQEON  (a  caricature). 
From  '*Th$  01>9*rver  arvi  Fru  Lanct^"  Junt  4th,  X887. 


106  THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

occupied  "  ;  "  Wednesday  evening  prayer  meetings 
still  continue  to  draw  large  congregations  "  ;  *'  On 
Sunday  we  had  a  larger  congregation  than  ever  at 
the  Choral  Hall  "  ;  "  Congregations  keep  up  well : 
Sundays  for  the  last  five  weeks  have  been  wet  and 
cold  and  therefore  most  uncomfortable  ;  but  for 
all  that  the  people  come  to  be  warmed  in  their 
souls.  When  once  inside  the  chapel  and  the  hall, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  warming  up  the  people  in  their 
hearts,  we  then  have  a  good  time.  The  young  man 
wears  well,  no  diminution  of  '  a  new  way  of  telling 
the  old,  old  story.'  " 

In  The  Chicago  Standard  of  August  25th,  1887, 
Major  Henry  C.  Dane  gives  some  reminiscences  of 
his  visit  to  Auckland.  Speaking  of  Thomas 
Spurgeon  he  says  :  "  He  is  quite  tall,  rather  spare, 
sharp-visaged  and  spiritually  intellectual,  a  plain, 
unaffected,  strong  preacher,  often,  when  deep  in 
his  subject,  much  like  his  father  in  manner  and 
style.  There  is  that  same  deep  earnestness,  that 
same  yearning  of  soul,  that  same  sweetness  of 
spirit,  that  same  simplicity  and  devoutness  of 
manner  which  captivates  and  captures  his  hearers, 
and  that  same  boldness  of  utterance  which  com- 
mands the  respect  of  all."  Which  makes  pleasant 
reading. 

On  October  10th,  1882,  he  had  the  joy  of  wel- 
coming Joseph  Cook  to  Auckland.  "  We  were 
strangers  to  each  other,"  he  said,  "  except  that  he 
knew  my  parents,  and  I  knew  his  children — in  the 
shape  of  the  celebrated  Boston  lectures.  Having 
secured  my  prize,  it  was  my  honour  to  conduct  him 
home — ^if   Bachelor's   Hall  be   worthy  of  such  a 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND     107 

sacred  name — to  break  his  fast  and  share  our  family 
prayers."  They  climbed  Mount  Eden  together. 
"  We  had  not  travelled  far  when  something  arrested 
our  companion's  attention,  and  demanded  a  halt, 
though  I  neither  saw  nor  heard  anything  unusual. 
A  lark  singing  o'er  our  heads  had  gained  one  ardent 
admirer,  and  America  soon  listened  entranced  to 
New  Zealand's  song.  Our  young  colonial  thrilled 
the  heart  of  Boston's  noble  citizen.  '  You,  fellow, 
you,'  said  he,  '  why,  you're  worth  timing,'  and  out 
came  the  watch.  Then  we  were  told  that,  during 
his  visit  to  England,  he  was  so  anxious  to  hear  a 
lark  that  he  would  not  leave  till  in  one  of  the 
southern  counties  he  hstened  to  the  sweet  music. 
There  he  timed  the  lark's  song  for  seven  consecutive 
minutes."  Afterwards  there  was  a  lecture  which 
lasted  two  hours  and  a  half  to  the  crowded  Opera 
House.  "  Silence  reigned  supreme  over  the  people, 
and  Mr.  Cook  over  the  silence." 

Welcoming  Mr.  Harrison  on  his  return  to  the 
Antipodes,  Mr.  Spurgeon  writes  under  date  April 
Tth,  1883 :  "  The  wave  that  rose  during  your 
visit  has  not  subsided  yet.  Even  lately  I  have 
converts  applying  for  baptism  who  trace  either  their 
first  impression  or  final  decision  to  your  ministry. 
You,  too,  were  my  chief  adviser  as  to  engaging  the 
Choral  Hall,  and  you  were  right.  It  has  remained 
crowded  ever  since." 

The  circular  about  the  church  building  bears 
date  March  16th,  1882,  and  the  estimate  of  the  cost 
then  was  £3,200  for  the  land  and  £5,000  for  the 
building.  The  Church  Report  for  September  1883 
gives  the  membership  as  567,  and  expresses  joy 


108    THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

that  with  the  aid  of  a  legacy  the  last  instalment  due 
on  the  land  has  been  paid  ;  and  that  the  Church 
solemnly  covenanted  to  determine  to  open  the 
new  Tabernacle  entirely  free  from  debt.  The  old 
chapel  had  been  sold  for  £2,500,  and  the  esti- 
mate for  the  new  building  had  risen  to  £7,000, 
leaving  at  that  time  a  sum  of  £2,400  still  to  be 
secured. 

The  Christmas  Bazaar  seems  to  have  raised 
£1,000,  and  the  Stone-laying  at  Easter,  April  14th, 
1884,  brought  in  £500,  but  the  estimates  still  grew 
(as  estimates  will),  and  it  was  determined  that  Mr. 
Thomas  Spurgeon  should  visit  England  to  obtain 
help  from  the  old  country.  He  started  early  in 
May.  At  Melbourne  he  shared  in  what  Mr.  Chap- 
man declared  to  be  the  best  meeting  the  Baptist 
denomination  had  ever  known  in  that  part  of  the 
world — some  1,500  people  came  to  tea.  He  was 
present  at  the  opening  of  the  Launceston  Taber- 
nacle in  Tasmania.  On  May  27th  the  members 
of  the  newly  formed  Baptist  Union  of  Tas- 
mania marched  down  in  a  body  to  see  him  on 
board  the  Iberia,  the  ship  that  was  to  bear  him 
home. 

"  Bless  the  old  boat  that  carried  us  so  well,"  he 
says.  "  She  never  looked  so  nice  as  when  we  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  last  of  her.  At  Padding- 
ton  my  brother  met  me  and  bore  me  off  in  triumph 
to  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle.  I  was  soon  in 
the  embrace  of  the  best  man  in  the  world,  and 
soon  afterwards  bowling  along  behind  two  swift 
steeds  towards  '  West  wood.'  Weariness  was  for- 
gotten in  excitement,    especially  when  Mother's 


THE  SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND  109 

arms  were  around  the  wanderer  and  I  was  safe 
at  home. 

''  Sunday  at  the  Tabernacle  was  almost  too  good. 
Such  sermons  !  Such  singing  !  Such  a  com- 
munion service  I  Such  hearty  welcomes  !  Dear 
Father  announced  that  I  would  preach  on  Sunday 
week,  with  collections  for  the  Auckland  Tabernacle, 
and  the  people  are  delighted  at  the  prospect  of 
hearing  me  and  helping  us." 

On  July  16th  at  the  annual  fete  of  the  Stock  we  11 
Orphanage,  at  which  one  of  the  chief  items  was 
"  Welcome  home  to  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon,"  the 
guest  of  the  day  said  that  there  was  only  one  man's 
name  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand  which  was 
heard  as  much  as  the  name  of  his  dear  father.  He 
guessed  they  wondered  what  the  other  name  was. 
It  was  John  Ploughman.  Then  he  gave  his  parable 
of  the  three  telegrams,  which  became  quite  classic. 
The  first  was  the  message  which  summoned  him 
home  in  1878.  "  Mother's  worse — Return,"  on 
which  he  based  God's  call  to  sinners  to  come  back 
to  Him,  and  continued — "  Not  many  months  ago  it 
fell  to  my  lot  to  be  the  sender  of  a  cablegram. 
Amongst  other  words  were  these,  '  I  am  coming 
home.'  "  He  wanted  them  all  to  send  that  tele- 
gram to  their  Father  that  afternoon.  Then  there 
was  the  third  telegram.  A  few  days  afterwards 
he  received  an  answer  from  his  father.  There  was 
a  lot  about  business,  saying  he  would  send  a  first- 
rate  man  to  take  his  place,  though  a  second-class 
man  would  have  done  that.  But  he  put  a  sweet 
word  at  the  beginning,  "  Welcome."  Turning  to 
his  father  he  said,  ''  Bless  you,  Father.     I  knew  I 


110  THE   SETTLEMENT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND 

was  welcome.  You  had  to  pay  extra  for  it,  but 
it  would  have  been  a  thousand  pities  to  have  left 
it  out.  I  read  it  on  board  ship,  and  it  made 
assurance  doubly  sure.  So  the  heavenly  answer 
waits  all  who  come :     Welcome  !     Welcome  !  " 


CHAPTER   VIII 

FIVE   MONTHS    IN   ENGLAND 

The  five  months  Thomas  Spurgeon  spent  in  Eng- 
land in  1884  were  almost  incessantly  occupied  by- 
preaching  and  lecturing  on  behalf  of  the  Auckland 
Tabernacle.  He  occupied  the  pulpit  at  the  Taber- 
nacle in  London  on  many  occasions,  and  some  of  his 
sermons  are  embodied  in  his  first  book,  which  was 
issued  on  the  eve  of  his  return — The  Gospel  of  the 
Grace  of  God,  "  These  sermons,"  says  his  father  in 
the  preface,  "  have  given  great  delight  to  the  friends 
at  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle.  From  Brighter 
Britain  our  son  has  come  to  visit  us  in  our  best 
weather,  but  when  the  first  frosts  and  fogs  of  winter 
surround  our  misty  isle  he  must  be  gone,  like  the 
swallows,  to  a  sunnier  clime."  The  preacher's 
simple  and  picturesque  style  will  be  understood  by 
the  following  examples  : 

"I  heard  it  said  the  other  day,  in  the  Metro- 
politan Tabernacle,  that  when  God  made  the  world, 
He  did  not  wind  it  up  like  a  watch,  and  then  put  it 
under  His  pillow  and  go  to  sleep.  Not  He,  indeed. 
He  made  it,  and  then  set  it  agoing,  but  He  still 

111 


112        FIVE  MONTHS  IN  ENGLAND 

directs  its  course,  and  regulates  its  forces,   '  up- 
holding all  things  by  the  word  of  His  power.' 

"  *  He  rides  upon  the  stormy  wind, 
And  manages  the  seas.*  " 

*'  Do  you  notice  how  the  Lord  takes  unbelieving 
prayers  and  transforms  them  into  assurances  to 
stimulate  and  increase  feeble  faith  ?  As  He  treated 
this  poor  suppliant,  so  does  He  in  mercy  deal  with 
us.  For  instance,  I  say  to  Him,  '  Lord,  is  it  possi- 
ble, can  it  be,  that  such  a  sinner  as  I,  on  whose  black 
list  well-nigh  every  imaginable  sin  is  chronicled, 
should  be  washed  whiter  than  snow  ?  '  Then 
listening  for  the  answer  from  the  mercy-seat,  I 
hear  the  assuring  echo, '  Whiter  than  snow.*  '  But, 
Lord,  I  am  one  of  those  who  have  sinned  against 
light  and  knowledge.  A  mother's  tears  have  be- 
dewed my  head  as  I  knelt  at  her  knee.  A  father's 
counsels,  a  pastor's  pleadings,  and  many  a  heaven- 
sent message  have  remained  unheeded.  My  sin  is 
aggravated  and  inexcusable.  Can  it  be  that  there 
is  mercy  for  the  vilest  ?  '  And,  listening  once 
again,  the  ear  of  faith  catches  the  sweet  voice  that 
sounds  aloud  from  Calvary,  '  Mercy  for  the  vilest.' 
'  Ah,  Lord,  it  seems  too  good  to  be  true.  I  can 
scarcely  credit  that  it  is  possible  '  Hark  how  the 
everlasting  hills  echo  and  re-echo  the  assurance, 
'  It  is  possible  1     It  is  possible  ! '  " 

*'  The  natives  of  Australia  were  very  much  sur- 
prised the  first  time  they  saw  a  man  on  horseback. 
They  had  seen  a  horse  before,  and  they  had  seen  a 
man  before,  but  they  had  never  seen  a  man  and  a 
horse  together  before.     They  fancied  that  some 


FIVE  MONTHS   IN  ENGLAND        113 

unheard-of  monster  was  coming  upon  them,  which 
in  the  distance  looked  Hke  a  gigantic  emu.  But 
when  the  apparition  drew  near,  and  they  perceived 
that  the  creature  resolved  itself  into  man  and  horse, 
their  fears  were  allayed.  The  reason  why  the 
doctrines  of  Divine  sovereignty  and  human  re- 
sponsibility appear  so  inconsistent  to  some  is,  that 
they  are  not  regarded  as  quite  distinct :  the  one 
being  as  far  above  the  other  as  man  is  superior  to 
the  horse.  They  were  made  to  go  together,  though 
they  can  never  be  one.  No  one  would  think  of 
reconciling  steed  and  rider.  Seek  not  to  reconcile 
these  doctrines.  Give  each  its  proper  position,  and 
grace  and  wisdom  appear,  instead  of  inconsistency 
and  partiality.  Assign  to  God  the  honour  that  is 
due  to  His  name,  and  the  right  to  choose  and  to 
refuse,  and  at  the  same  time  feel  that  thou  thyself 
art  answerable  for  all  that  thou  dost  or  dost  not 
do.  Then,  and  only  then,  the  mystery  is  solved." 
"  But,  alas,  I  must  confess  that  in  New  Zealand, 
as  well  as  in  Old  England,  there  are  many  who, 
though  they  hear  it,  do  not  hearken  to  it.  I  will 
try  to  show  you  the  difference.  We  have  in  the 
Colonies  a  custom  in  connection  with  the  Fire 
Brigade  which  will  illustrate  my  point.  The  city  is 
divided  into  numbered  wards,  and  when  the  alarm 
has  been  sounded,  the  bell  tolls  out  the  number  of 
the  ward  in  which  the  conflagration  has  occurred. 
By  this  arrangement  those  who  are  from  home, 
attending  a  service  or  visiting  their  friends,  are 
informed  of  the  locality  of  the  fire.  Suppose  the 
system  could  be  amplified,  so  that  every  street  and 
each  house  were  indicated ;  what  eager  listening 
8 


114        FIVE  MONTHS  IN  ENGLAND 

there  would  be  !  When  the  bell  had  finished  clang- 
ing its  alarm,  would  not  every  householder  count 
the  strokes  ?  and  he  who  heard  the  number  of  his 
house  sounded  out,  would  have  wings  to  his  heels 
immediately,  and  rush  away  to  save  his  children 
and  his  goods  from  the  fiery  element.  Now,  it  is 
when  the  Gospel  comes  home  to  a  man  like  that — 
when  he  hears  his  number  rung  out,  and  feels  that 
his  soul  is  in  danger  of  eternal  burning — when  the 
finger  of  God  points  at  him  as  Nathan's  did  at 
David,  and  a  stern  voice  declares  '  Thou  art  the 
man ' — ^then  it  is  that  he  has  given  up  hearing  for 
hearkening,  and  hearkening  becomes  equivalent  to 
obeying.  Then  he  hastens  to  the  Saviour,  saying 
'  I  flee  unto  Thee  to  hide  me.'  ** 

In  subsequent  Tabernacle  sermons  he  often  re- 
verted to  his  experiences  on  the  other  side  of  the 
world,  and  the  extracts  which  follow  will  show  how 
his  later  style  developed. 

"  I  remember  seeing  on  a  remarkably  quiet 
morning  in  the  Southern  Seas,  sun,  moon  and  stars 
all  shining  together.  Perhaps  it  is  not  such  an 
uncommon  sight  as  I  have  supposed.  To  me  it 
was  novel,  and  all  was  so  bright  and  beautiful  that 
the  vision  of  it  remains  with  me  to  this  day.  The 
sun  had  only  lately  risen  from  the  sea.  The  moon, 
well  orbed,  with  silvery  light,  was  doing  her  best 
to  shine,  even  though  her  stronger  rival  had  entered 
into  competition,  and  clustering  close  to  them  was 
a  certain  lustrous  star,  bright  even  in  the  opening 
day.     I  find,  in  God's  Word,  lights  of  various  de- 


FIVE  MONTHS   IN  ENGLAND        115 

grees,  stars  of  different  magnitudes.  Sun,  moon 
and  stars  combine  to  gladden  the  devout  reader. 
The  light  is  the  same  throughout." 

"  I  remember  sailing  upon  a  wonderful  lake  in 
New  Zealand ;  the  water  of  this  lake  is  icy  cold 
and  of  a  deep  blue  colour,  but  the  strange  pe- 
culiarity of  these  dreadful  waters  is  that  men  who 
have  lost  their  lives  there — and  there  have  been 
many  accidents,  for  it  is  a  stormy  lake — have  never, 
never  come  back  again.  I  mean,  that  their  bodies 
having  sunk  into  the  water  have  never  reappeared. 
The  reason  I  do  not  know,  but  so  it  is ;  and  I  am 
glad  to  think  that  into  such  a  sea  as  that,  God 
Almighty  in  His  omnipotent  love  has  cast  my  sin 
and  yours,  so  that  they  shall  never  trouble  me  any 
more." 

'*  You  know  I  used  to  live  a  few  years  ago  in  the 
city  of  Auckland,  New  Zealand.  Well,  out  away 
in  the  distant  suburbs  of  that  city  was  the  most 
wonderful  bridge  I  have  ever  seen  in  my  life,  and 
I  do  not  care  if  I  never  see  another  like  it.  There 
had  been  some  difficulty  between  the  two  vestries, 
or  parishes,  or  whatever  they  called  them  there. 
There  was  a  short  space  of  water,  and  the  land  on 
that  side  belonged  to  one  county  or  company,  and 
the  land  on  this  side  to  another.  They  could  not 
come  to  terms — not  as  to  the  building  of  the  bridge, 
but  about  the  finishing  of  it.  I  do  not  know  how  it 
happened,  but  so  it  was,  that  on  the  further  side 
were  several  arches  or  spans  of  the  bridge,  and  on 
this  side  just  as  many,  but  the  one  that  should  have 
joined  them  was  missing;  and  there  it  stood  for 
many  a  year,  and  stands  still — stands  still  in  more 


116        FIVE  MONTHS   IN  ENGLAND 

than  one  sense — even  to  this  day,  for  aught  I  know, 
a  mockery,  a  vanity,  because  it  has  never  been 
completed." 

His  lecture  on  *'  Brighter  Britain  "  seems  to  have 
been  most  popular  wherever  it  was  given.  In 
London  it  drew  a  large  audience,  and  his  father, 
who  presided,  provided  a  pleasant  interlude  in 
which  he  described  his  own  congregation.  *'  He 
knew  them  on  Sunday  when  they  were  going  to  the 
Tabernacle.  There  was  a  difierent  kind  of  walk 
about  them  from  that  of  other  people.  He  saw 
good  people  going  along  so  (imitating  their  walk 
amidst  much  laughter).  They  were  going  to 
church  or  somewhere,  and  they  went  slowly,  as  if 
they  had  plenty  of  time  and  there  was  plenty  of 
room  when  they  got  there.  But  his  own  people 
came  trotting  along  quick  (imitating  them  also 
amid  roars  of  laughter).  They  knew  that  unless 
they  got  there  in  time  they  would  not  get  there  at 
all." 

Early  in  December,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Pastors'  College,  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon  was  received 
with  a  long  ovation  of  cheers  and  waving  of  hand- 
kerchiefs. He  told  the  people  that  this  home- 
coming had  been  one  of  the  happiest  seasons  in 
his  life.  Altogether  since  his  return  he  had  re- 
ceived £2,500.  He  had  not  got  all  that  he  wanted, 
as  whoever  knew  a  Spurgeon  that  had  ?  His 
brother's  people  at  Greenwich  had  given  him  a 
clock  to  keep  Greenwich  time,  and  his  father  had 
given  him  the  old  Bible  that  he  had  preached  out 
of  in  Park  Street  Chapel,  while  the  Tabernacle 


FIVE  MONTHS   IN  ENGLAND        117 

friends  had  given  him  a  Communion  service  for  his 
new  Tabernacle  in  Auckland. 

On  December  12th,  1884,  he  set  sail  in  the 
Ligiiria,  his  father  having  bid  him  not  to  return 
again,  for  he  could  never  bear  the  pain  of  another 
parting.  Yet  many  and  many  a  time  thereafter 
he  longed  for  his  return. 

During  this  voyage  he  had  two  travelling  com- 
panions, Mr.  H.  H.  Driver,  who  was  returning  to 
New  Zealand  after  his  course  at  the  Pasters' 
College,  and  Mr.  J.  R.  Cooper,  who  had  been  selected 
by  C.  H.  S.  to  take  charge  of  the  new  church  at 
Perth  in  Tasmania.  Mr.  Cooper  has  been  gcod 
enough  to  recall  some  of  the  experiences  of  the 
voyage.  He  took  his  bride  with  him,  and  Mr. 
Driver  shared  the  cabin  with  Mr.  Spurgeon.  "  We 
had  much  happy  fellowship,  and  his  gentle  kindly 
way  made  him  a  favourite  with  those  whose  good- 
will was  to  be  welcomed.  It  was  our  custom  to 
join  in  devotional  fellowship  day  by  day  in  Tom's 
cabin.  The  four  of  us  read  together  a  Psalm  and 
then  the  exposition  of  it  from  The  Treasury  of 
David,  At  Naples  fortune  favoured  us — we  were 
able  to  spend  eight  hours  ashore." 

A  descriptive  article,  "  Christmas  in  the  Canal," 
is  to  be  found  in  the  1885  volume  of  The  Sword  and 
Trowel  from  the  pen  of  T.  S.  "So  lovely  a  morning 
I  have  seldom  seen ;  even  Australia  and  New 
Zealand  could  scarcely  rival  it.  Happy  children 
romped  about  us  with  the  presents  Santa  Claus 
had  placed  in  their  hung-up  stockings." 

They  arrived  at  Adelaide  on  January  20th,  1885, 
and  were  heartily  welcomed,  as  also  at  Melbourne, 


118        FIVE  MONTHS   IN  ENGLAND 

and  as  the  Tasmanian  boat  did  not  leave  till  after 
the  Sunday  they  all  three  preached  in  different 
churches  in  the  city.  Mr.  Gibson,  his  son,  and  all 
the  Baptist  ministers  of  the  Island  welcomed  them 
to  Tasmania.  Mr.  Spurgeon  saw  the  newly  married 
couple  safely  installed  in  their  manse,  and  then 
continued  the  journey  to  New  Zealand.  Writing 
to  Mr.  Cooper  on  February  12th,  1885,  he  gives 
him  such  advice  as  might  have  come  from  a  Bishop, 
and  asks  for  a  letter  of  cheer  from  time  to  time. 
In  response  to  such  a  letter  he  wrote  from  Auckland 
on  January  29th,  1889  :  "  It  is  really  good  news 
you  give  me  of  yourself*  Do  you  know  I  almost 
feel  inclined  to  envy  you.  A  hundred  times  I  have 
wished  to  be  out  of  the  forefront  in  some  smaller 
and  quieter  sphere  where  peace  and  quietness  might 
be  possible.  Yet  doubtless  the  Lord  placed  me 
here,  and  I  must  tarry  till  He  moves  me.  Our 
little  one  rejoices  in  the  name  of  '  Daisy,'  her  full 
title  being  Marguerite  May.  She  is,  I  rejoice  to 
add,  very  well,  and  of  course  superlatively  lovely 
in  her  parents'  eyes."     But  that  is  anticipating. 


CHAPTER   IX 

AUCKLAND    TABERNACLE 

From  Adelaide  Mr.  Spurgeon  lost  no  time  in  sending 
a  message  to  the  Church  at  Auckland.  A  para- 
graph went  the  round  of  the  New  Zealand  papers 
to  the  effect  that  amongst  the  cable  officials 
his  ingenuity  in  squeezing  a  pastoral  on  the  ten- 
words  minimum  tariff  was  regarded  as  a  very 
astute  idea ;  the  message  when  written  out  in  full 
extended  to  no  less  than  seventeen  lines.  It  was 
reported  that  when  the  message  was  read  the 
following  Sunday  by  Rev.  W.  E.  Rice,  who  had 
occupied  Mr.  Spurgeon' s  place  during  his  absence, 
a  smile  flickered  across  the  congregation  at  "  seeing 
so  much  theology  covered  by  seven  shillings." 
The  cable  ran,  "  Romans  first  eight  twelve  Second 
Corinthians  first  eleven."  It  may  be  worth  while 
to  quote  the  Scriptures ;  their  appropriateness  will 
be  self-evident. 

"  First,  I  thank  my  God  through  Jesus  Christ 
for  you  all,  that  your  faith  is  spoken  of  throughout 
the  whole  world.  For  God  is  my  witness  whom 
I  serve  with  my  spirit  in  the  Gospel  of  His  Son,  that 
without  ceasing  I  make  mention  of  you  always  in 
my   prayers  :    making  request,  if  by  any  means 

119 


120  AUCKLAND  TABERNACLE 

now  at  length  I  might  have  a  prosperous  journey 
by  the  will  of  God  to  come  to  you.  For  I  long  to 
see  you.  that  I  may  impart  unto  you  some  spiritual 
gift,  to  the  end  that  ye  may  be  established ;  that 
is,  that  I  may  be  comforted  together  with  you  by 
the  mutual  faith  both  of  you  and  me.  Ye  also 
helping  together  by  prayer  for  us,  that  for  the  gift 
bestowed  upon  us  by  the  means  of  many  persons 
thanks  may  be  given  by  many  on  our  behalf." 

In  that  spirit  pastor  and  people  met.  On 
March  1st,  1885,  a  soiree  was  held  in  the  Choral 
Hall  to  bid  him  welcome,  and  also  to  say  farewell 
to  Mr.  Rice,  who,  at  his  father's  request,  had  come 
from  England  to  Auckland  to  shepherd  the  church 
during  the  pastor's  absence.  Mr.  Spurgeon  had 
promised  to  send  a  "  first-rate  man,"  and  amid 
great  cheering  that  estimate  was  endorsed  by  the 
meeting.  The  Church,  which  numbered  650  mem- 
bers, presented  Mr.  Rice  with  a  testimonial  and 
very  heartily  welcomed  Mr.  Spurgeon. 

As  to  the  new  Tabernacle,  "  long  after  the  hoped- 
for  time,  and  far  beyond  our  anticipated  cost,  the 
building  was  complete  in  all  its  most  important 
portions  late  in  April.  There  remained  another 
£1,000  to  raise,"  Mr.  Spurgeon  continues  in  an 
article  written  about  that  time,  "  and  our  hearts 
rise  to  our  rich  Banker  for  this  last  overdraft.  At 
length,  money  or  no  money,  we  fixed  the  day  of  the 
opening.  On  Sunday,  May  10th,  we  said  farewell 
to  the  wooden  tenement,  which  for  eight  and 
twenty  years  had  braved  the  battle  (of  the  elements) 
and  the  breeze.     Our  friend  Mr.  Cornford,  for  five 


AUCKLAND  TABERNACLE  121 

and  twenty  years  the  pastor  of  this  people,  was  the 
preacher.  He  revived  old  memories  by  preachirg 
the  old  Gospel.  At  night  the  Choral  Hall  was 
'  farewelled,'  a  great  crowd  gathering  to  pay  its 
last  respects  to  a  place  hallowed  by  sacred  associa- 
tions and  sweet  experiences." 

The  building  was  opened  free  of  debt.  "  Even 
now  I  find  it  difficult/'  the  pastor  writes,  "  to 
credit  that  in  a  few  years  we  have  succeeded  in 
obtaining  nearly  an  acre  of  land,  with  two  houses 
on  it,  one  of  them  an  almshouse  and  the  other  for 
the  chapel  keeper,  and  our  new  House  of  Prayer, 
and  still  have  enough  ground  remaining  to  realize 
between  two  thousand  and  three  thousand  pounds, 
but  destined,  I  trust,  to  accommodate  some  other 
Institution  to  our  Saviour's  praise.  The  shrewdest 
heads  among  us  could  hardly  have  '  seen  their 
way '  to  such  a  scheme,  but  we  have  had  a  Managing 
Director  whose  thoughts  are  higher  than  ours.  All 
glory  be  to  His  holy  name."  This  familiarity  of 
faith  is  recorded  with  the  utmost  reverence,  albeit 
with  primitive  simplicity. 

Tuesday,  May  12th,  1885,  was  the  day  of  the 
opening  service.  The  Tabernacle,  which  actually 
cost  £14,628,  is  a  building  which  accommodates 
1,200  worshippers,  and  "  the  interior  presents  an 
aspect  of  elegance,  of  commodiousness,  and  of 
solidity."  As  one  of  the  Auckland  newspapers 
puts  it,  it  is  "  a  credit  to  the  denomination  to  which  it 
belongs,  an  ornament  to  the  city,  and  an  enduring 
monument  to  the  self-devotion  and  energy  of  the 
gifted  young  preacher  who  initiated  the  enterprise 
and  has  carried  it  out  to  successful  fruition."     On 


122  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

the  opening  day  the  utmost  enthusiasm  prevailed 
amongst  the  people.  "  They  rejoiced  to  enter  the 
building  not  alone  as  their  gift  to  God,  but  as  His 
gift  to  them.  It  was  meet  that  the  first  sounds 
heard  within  the  walls  when  the  people  assembled 
for  the  first  service  should  be  the  familiar  strains  of 
the  Doxology."  The  sermon  Mr.  Spurgeon  then 
preached  on  "  Hear  Thou  in  heaven  Thy  dwelling 
place,"  as  well  as  the  sermon  of  the  following 
Sunday,  "  True  Worship,"  was  afterwards  pub- 
lished in  exactly  the  same  form  and  type  as  his 
father's  sermons.  The  three  thoughts  of  the  first 
sermon  were  given  in  the  hymn  which  Mr.  Spurgeon 
had  written  for  the  occasion,  two  verses  of  which 
are — 

The  "  House  of  God"  henceforth 

Shall  be  its  sacred  name  ; 
A  monument  to  prayer,  it  must 

A  "  House  of  Prayeb"  remain. 

Yet  one  more  boon  we  crave, 

May  many  through  Thy  grace. 
That  this  a  "  House  of  Mercy"  prove. 

Be  born  within  this  place. 

Meeting  followed  meeting  during  the  week,  and  on 
Sunday,  May  17th,  thronged  services  were  held,  a 
crowd  of  1,700  people  being  accommodated  in  the 
evening. 

The  next  two  or  three  years  were  of  unexampled 
prosperity  in  the  Church  life.  In  the  address  pre- 
faced to  the  Report  of  July  1886,  the  Pastor, 
pausing  at  the  milestone,  says  :  "  How  about  the 
next  mile  ?     Can  we  not  adopt  a  pace  at  once  more 


AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE  123 

swift  and  more  steady  than  before  ?  May  we  not 
hope  to  keep  more  directly  in  the  straight  Hne,  that 
is,  with  less  waste  of  energy  and  fewer  wanderings  ? 
Will  it  not  be  our  happy  privilege  to  gain  more 
companions  on  the  road  ?  And  shall  it  not  be  said 
of  us,  more  truly  than  before,  that  we  have  laid 
aside  every  weight  ?  Thus  pausing  by  the  way,  we 
hear  the  distant  bells  which  chime  of  stronger  zeal, 
and  firmer  faith,  more  fervent  faith,  holier  hving, 
and  more  spiritual  power." 

On  the  copy  which  has  come  into  my  hand  a 
traveller  has  made  the  note,  "  The  most  flourishing 
Church  I  have  visited  in  the  colonies.  A  great 
family  likeness  to  his  father  in  the  Pastor," 

Once  a  year  the  said  pastor  provided  a  social 
evening  for  the  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement 
Society,  and  on  August  31st  we  find  him  rendering 
his  own  poem  "  In  Perils  on  the  Sea,"  the  most 
ambitious  of  his  poems,  pubhshed  that  year  in  a 
separate  form.  The  following  extract  will  show  its 
strength. 

But  what  of  Paul  ?     Methiiiks  I  saw  him  leap 

Among  the  first  to  swim,  for  in  the  deep 

He'd  spent  a  night  and  day,  and  thrice  before 

Had  suffered  shipwreck  on  a  storm-beat  shore. 

Upborne  by  faith  as  well  as  strength  and  skill, 

He  battles  with  the  surging  surf,  until 

A  kindly  billow  takes  him  in  its  reach, 

And  casts  him  pale  and  panting  on  the  beach. 

With  scarce  a  moment's  rest,  behold  he  strives — 

His  ©wn  life  saved — to  rescue  other  lives  ; 

Anon  he  shouts  a  word  of  cheerfulness 

To  yonder  sufferers  in  dire  distress  ; 

Anon  he  bends  to  chafe  some  ice-cold  form. 

Or  snatches  other  trophies  from  thejstorm. 


124  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

Breast-high  he  ventures  in,  and  bravely  saves 
Exhausted  strugglers  from  the  refluent  waves. 
All  things  to  all  these  men  he  has  become, 
If  he  by  all  means  may  deliver  some. 
Nay,  nay  ;   not  some  alone,  but  all,  for  so 
Jehovah's  angel  pledged  a  week  ago  ! 
No  sailor  lost,  and  not  one  soldier  drowned, 
The  passengers  all  saved,  the  prisoners  found. 
Close  on  three  hundred  souls — a  hapless  host — 
Stand  safe,  though  shiv'ring  on  Melita's  coast ! 

What  holy  gladness  fills  the  eyes  of  Paul ; 

As  answers  to  his  prayer  he  views  them  all ; 

His  joy — though  stained  with  blood,  or  salt  with  sea. 

His  crown — or  Jew  or  Gentile,  bond  or  free  ! 

On  November  6th  of  the  same  year,  C.  H. 
Spurgeon,  leaving  his  London  congregation  for  a 
spell  in  the  south  of  France,  writes  a  pastoral,  and 
on  the  back  of  it  there  is  printed  for  the  first  time 
the  hymn  "  All  of  Grace,"  suggested  by  his  father's 
book  with  that  title,  perhaps  the  finest  of  Thomas 
Spurgeon's  poetic  writings,  certainly  the  one  which 
has  gained  most  acceptance. 


*  All  of  grace  '  — from  base  to  summit, 
Grace  on  every  course  and  stone  ; 

Grace  in  planning,  rearing,  crowning, 
Sovereign  grace,  and  grace  alone  ! 

'  All  of  grace ' — from  keel  to  topmast, 
Grace  the  hull  and  spars  has  wrought ; 

Grace  designing,  building,  launching, 
Grace  unaided,  grace  imsought  ! 

Grace  primeval !    grace  eternal ! 

Grace  foreknows,  and  grace  elects  ; 
Grace  provides  a  full  salvation, 

Grace  the  rebel  heart  affecti. 


AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE  125 

'  *  All  of  grace  ' — for  useless  strivings 
Perfect  pardon's  sweet  content! 
Light  and  life  for  death  and  darkness  ! 
'  All  of  grace '  omnipotent ! 

'  Grace  bids  Christian  quit  Destruction, 
Leads  him  to  the  Crucified  ; 
Brings  to  Beulah,  helps  o'er  Jordan, 
Welcomes  on  the  other  side  I 


*  Grace  for  grace,'  and  '  Grace  sufi&cient,* 
'  Grace  abounding,'  '  Grace  that  reigns,* 

Grace  the  guarantee  of  glory  ! 

Grace  !  Grace  !  Grace  !     How  sweet  the  strains  ! 


Chorus 

*• '  All  of  Grace,'  oh  !   '  All  of  grace,' 

*  Not  of  works  lest  man  should  boast, 
Frank  forgiveness  suits  the  vilest  ! 
Largest  debtors  love  the  most  !  " 


From  a  long  report  in  The  New  Zealand  Baptist  by 
a  visitor  to  Auckland  we  find  that  the  success  of  the 
earlier  years  was  well  maintained.  "  The  Auckland 
Tabernacle,"  it  says,  ''  is  erected  in  a  most  com- 
manding position,  and  can  be  seen  from  most  parts 
of  the  city  and  suburbs.  As  we  neared  the  church 
we  found  a  stream  of  people  from  city  and  subvirb 
all  bound  for  the  same  place,  and  we  were  forcibly 
reminded  of  many  visits  to  the  London  Tabernacle." 
Then  follows  a  realistic  description  of  what  was 
evidently  a  service  full  of  power.  *'  In  three 
minutes  the  Tabernacle  was  empty  owing  to  the 
excellent  arrangements,  and  the  writer  was  on  his 
way  home  deeply  grateful  to  God  that  such  men 
as  C.  H.  Spurgeon  and  his  twin  sons  rejoiced  to 


126  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

preach  the  old-fashioned  gospel  in  a  plain,  homely 
way  that  reaches  the  hearts  of  the  people." 

Rev.  J.  D.  Gilmore  on  his  return  to  New  Zealand 
from  the  Pastors'  College,  was  invited  by  Mr. 
Spurgeon  to  be  his  guest  and  spend  several  weeks 
with  him  in  his  bachelor  home  in  Mount  Albert. 
*'  At  his  suggestion,"  Mr.  Gilmore  says, ''  I  preached 
at  Ponsonby,  and  became  Pastor  of  the  church,  so 
I  was  his  near  neighbour  for  seven  years.  At  the 
time  I  was  in  his  house  he  had  a  dog  called  Flirt, 
well-named,  for  she  transferred  her  affections  to  me. 

"  I  went  over  to  the  Tabernacle  one  evening  for 
a  Baptism.  As  we  were  going  on  the  platform  we 
passed  a  young  woman  in  the  corridor,  and  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  always  courteous,  stopped  and  spoke  to 
her.  *  You  are  not  a  member  with  us,  I  think,'  he 
said.  To  which  she  replied,  '  Oh,  no,  I  belong  to 
the  Gathered-Outs.'  At  once  Mr.  Spurgeon  re- 
sponded, '  Do  you  indeed  ?  I  belong  to  the 
Gathered-Ins.'  He  was  always  quick  at  repartee  ; 
once  when  I  wrote  asking  if  he  were  better,  he 
answered,  '  Thanks,  I  am  not  altogether  well  yet, 
but  I  am  much  better  than  I  was  when  I  w^as  worse 
than  I  am  now.' 

The  Headmaster  of  the  High  School  at  Auckland 
regularly  took  a  class  of  his  boys  to  the  Tabernacle 
simply  to  hear  Mr.  Spurgeon  read  the  Scriptures, 
he  considered  the  enunciation  to  be  so  fine.  One 
Saturday  afternoon  he  took  those  same  boys  up  to 
Mount  Eden,  an  extinct  volcano  outside  Auckland, 
and  got  them  to  write  an  essay  on  their  experience. 
One  answer  Mr.  Spurgeon  afterwards  used  as  an 
illustration  of  looking  for  God  in  the  wrong  way  ; 


AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE  127 

the  boy  had  written,  "  And  when  we  got  to  the 
top  we  saw  the  great  creator  !  " 

One  evening  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  to  be  the  principal 
speaker  at  a  big  Temperance  demonstration  held 
in  a  large  building  with  a  corrugated  iron  roof. 
Just  as  the  meeting  was  about  to  commence,  a 
thunderstorm  burst  and  the  rain  came  down  in 
torrents.  As  it  was  impossible  to  give  an  address, 
Mr.  Spurgeon,  equal  to  the  occasion,  said,  "  My 
friends,  I  have  never  spoken  against  water  in  my 
life,  and  I  do  not  intend  doing  so  to-night." 

Rev.  W.  S.  Potter,  sometime  his  neighbour  in 
Auckland,  in  an  appreciative  letter  says  :  '*  During 
his  single  days  I  occasionally  visited  him,  and  he 
never  allowed  me  to  leave  without  praying  with 
me  :  once  when  I  was  in  trouble  he  said  in  his 
prayer,  '  O  Lord,  we  know  Thou  wilt  help  us  in 
our  troubles  or  help  us  out  of  them.'  On  two 
occasions  when  he  found  himself  too  ill  to  conduct 
the  service  in  the  Choral  Hall  I  took  it  for  him. 

'*  When  I  removed  to  the  Thames,  the  mining 
there  had  largely  failed.  During  a  visit  to  Auck- 
land Mr.  Spurgeon  inquired  about  my  work  and 
when  I  suggested  that  he  might  come  and  give  us 
a  lecture,  he  said,  '  I  will  right  heartily.'  His 
lecture  on  '  The  Truth,  the  whole  Truth,  and 
nothing  but  the  Truth  '  so  stirred  the  people  that 
they  gave  nearly  £7.  Then  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting  he  asked  the  people  to  buy  his  book  The 
Gospel  of  the  Grace  of  God,  and  the  '  annual  report 
of  his  mother's  Book  Fund,'  and  another  £6  was 
raised,  not  one  penny  of  which  would  he  take  for 
himself.  His  steamboat  expenses  were  considerable  ; 


128  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

so  I  wrote  a  letter  expressing  my  thanks,  enclosing 
£l  to  cover  his  expenses,  and  gave  it  to  him  just 
as  the  steamer  was  moving.  He  opened  it,  and 
quickly  rolled  up  the  note  in  the  envelope  and 
threw  it  at  me  on  the  wharf. 

"  Eight  years  ago  I  was  in  London,  but  he  was 
in  Switzerland.  On  his  return  he  arranged  for 
Mrs.  Potter  and  me  to  spend  a  day  in  Slough.  It 
was  one  of  the  happiest  days  I  have  spent  in  my 
life.  He  took  us  to  the  church  of  which  '  Gray's 
Elegy  '  is  written,  and  through  Burnham  Beeches, 
but  the  real  joy  of  the  visit  was  Mr.  Spurgeon  him- 
self. I  felt  he  was  conferring  a  great  favour  on 
me,  and  yet  he  put  it  all  the  other  way,  and  bring- 
ing his  hand  down  warmly  on  mine,  he  said,  *  You 
dear  old  fellow  to  give  me  this  happy  day.'  " 

The  event  which  makes  the  year  1888  memorable 
was  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Spurgeon  on  February  10th 
to  Miss  Lila  Rutherford,  at  Hanover  Street,  Dune- 
din.  Already  we  have  seen  his  friendship  with  the 
family  from  his  earliest  days  in  Australia,  and 
have  noted  the  removal  of  Mr.  Gideon  Rutherford 
to  New  Zealand,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sojourn  in  the 
home  there  before  his  settlement  in  Auckland. 
The  friendship  was  not  confined  to  the  younger 
people,  for  on  September  1st,  1881,  C.  H.  Spurgeon 
writes  to  his  son,  "  Do  give  my  love  to  Mr.  Ruther- 
ford. The  thought  of  him  touches  my  heart. 
May  the  Lord  bless  all  the  children,  and  sanctify 
family  sorrows  !  I  wish  I  could  go  to  Australia  or 
New  Zealand  if  it  were  only  for  the  sake  of  seeing 
that  loving  friend." 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  transcribe 


AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE  129 

some  half- playful  references  in  the  father's  letters 
to  "  Son  Tom  "  on  the  question  of  marriage.     At 
least  three  times  he  gave  him  the  opportunity  of 
opening  his  heart  on  the  matter.     One  letter,  dated 
"  Sweet  Home,  March  15th,"  says,  "  I  half  suspect 
you  are  getting  fond  of  some  Australian  girl,  for 
you  have  written  a  great  deal  about  a  certain 
Victoria,  but  then  there  was  almost  as  much  about 
Adelaide,     I  hope  you  have  not  two  strings  to  your 
bow,  and  yet  you  write  very  lovingly  about  both. 
Mind  your  heart,  my  boy,  or  it  will  be  gone  before 
you  know  it."     And  on  September  1st,  1881,  he 
writes,  "  When  you  see  a  lady  of  your  own  age  who 
is  at  all  like  what  your  mother  was,  be  sure  to  pop 
the  question  at  once.     If  you  get  her  and  she 
lives  to  be  what  your  dear  mother  is,  you  will 
lament  her  weakness  and  yet  reckon  her  to  be 
better  than  the  strongest  of  women."     In  another 
letter  referring  to  Brother  Charles,  the  father  says, 
"  I  fancy  he  will  soon  be  wanting  to  be  tied  to  the 
stake  which  he  now  leans  upon  very  tenderly." 

It  was  in  1886  that  Miss  Rutherford  and  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  who  had  long  been  drawn  towards  each 
other,  became  formally  engaged.  They  had  there- 
after frequent  opportunity  of  meeting,  for  an  attack 
of  rheumatic  fever  compelled  his  fiancee  to  go  to 
the  North  Island  for  treatment  at  the  Hot  Springs, 
about  forty  miles  from  Auckland.  Mr.  Rutherford 
found  here,  with  his  gun,  enough  to  occupy  his 
attention,  but  the  young  people  did  not  accompany 
him  on  his  shooting  expeditions. 

Needless  to  say  the  wedding,  which  was  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  North  at  Hanover  Street  Chapel, 
9 


130  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

was  quite  an  event  in  Dunedin.  Many  were  unable 
to  gain  admission  to  the  crowded  church,  and 
expressions  of  goodwill  on  the  occasion  abounded. 
The  marriage  was  ideally  happy,  the  qualities  of 
husband  and  wife  balancing  and  perfecting  each 
other,  and  their  mutual  love  and  devotion  grow- 
ing with  the  years.  After  their  honeymoon  they 
settled  in  Auckland  at  Remuera,  about  three  miles 
from  the  Tabernacle.  A  letter  written  to  his  father 
soon  afterwards  will  best  give  the  colour  of  the 
moment.     It  is  dated  March  22nd,  1888. 

"  My  own  Dear  Father, 

"  How  can  I  thank  you  for  the  kind  letter 
you  wrote  me  from  Mentone  ?  I  had  been  expect- 
ing it  ere  it  arrived.  My  hopes  were  high.  I  knew 
that  kind  love  and  wise  counsel  would  be  in  it, 
but  I  scarcely  ventured  to  hope  for  so  much  of  both. 
And  as  for  your  good  gift  to  mark  my  marriage 
and  feather  the  nest,  I  had  never  so  much  as  dreamed 
of  such  a  thing.  A  thousand  thanks  for  your 
gracious  generosity.  .  .  . 

"  I  thought  you  would  rejoice  that  George 
Miiller  was  at  our  wedding.  I  count  it  no  small 
matter  to  have  had  a  seat  on  Dr.  Brock's  knee  (I 
remember  it  so  well),  and  his  presence  at  our 
baptism,  to  have  had  also  Dr.  Moffat's  hand  upon 
my  head  while  he  prayed  our  father's  God  to  bless 
us,  and  to  have  had  George  Miiller' s  presence  and 
prayer  at  our  nuptials. 

"  Better  than  all  three  put  together  is  the  con- 
stant blessing  of  having  you  as  both  Father  and 
Friend.     How  I  have  sympathized  with  you  lately 


AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE  131 

— ^for  though  you  are  on  the  winning  side  the  strife 
must  be  sore.  Thousands  rejoice  in  you  and  plead 
for  you.  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  all  dear  Mr.  Miiller 
said  about  the  conflict,  and  convey,  as  it  should  be 
conveyed,  his  '  dear  love'  to  his  '  pelov'd  brudder.' 
"  My  love  and  esteem  for  you  can  never  die  or 
even  wane,  but  this  seems  poor  return  for  all  your 
goodness.  Such  as  I  have  give  I  thee.  If  I  could 
help  you  anyhow,  holding  the  horses,  or  carrying 
the  whip,  or  scraping  the  plough,  it  would  be  all 
too  great  an  honour. 

"  With  heartiest  love  and  gratitude, 
"  I  am  your  fond  and  faithful, 

"  Son  Tom." 

As  a  wedding  gift  the  church  presented  Mr. 
Spurgeon  with  a  writing-table,  a  replica  of  one  that 
the  New  Zealand  people  gave  to  the  Pope  ;  in  fact, 
Mr.  Spurgeon  received  the  one  made  for  the  Pope, 
and  the  Pope  got  the  one  begun  for  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
which  was  not  finished  in  time  for  the  presentation. 
It  is  in  the  London  home  to-day — a  very  fine  piece 
of  furniture.  At  the  same  time  a  large  china 
cabinet  made  of  all  the  different  sorts  of  wood 
grown  in  New  Zealand  was  presented  to  Mrs. 
Spurgeon :  that  also  graces  the  London  home,  and 
is  an  object  of  great  interest  to  visitors. 

On  Christmas  Day  1888,  a  little  daughter — 
Daisy — came  as  God's  good  gift  to  the  home,  but 
in  March  she  was  gone.  The  sorrowing  parents 
had  no  picture  of  her,  save  the  image  engraven  on 
their  hearts,  for  the  intention  of  having  a  photo- 
graph taken  was  postponed  until  she  should  have 


132  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

been  a  little  older.  For  this  the  father  never  quite 
forgave  himself,  he  had  been  so  engrossed  in  the 
work  of  the  Church  that  he  had  not  noted  the 
passage  of  the  months.  His  own  sorrow  made  him 
very  sympathetic  with  others.  Long  afterwards 
he  wrote  : 

''  Have  some  of  my  readers  lost  their  little  ones  ? 
Then  hear  me,  for  I  too  have  walked  that  Via 
Dolorosa.  A  certain  well-loved  text  hung  on  my 
study-wall,  illuminated  by  my  own  hand.  I  little 
thought,  as  I  drew  the  letters  and  gilded  the 
capitals,  that  the  words  would  have  a  very  literal 
fulfilment.  But  I  knew  it  ere  the  blossom  fell. 
She  had  been  sick  a  little  while,  and  none  could  tell 
how  it  might  end.  As  I  hoped,  and  feared,  the 
truth  leapt  from  the  wall  right  into  my  heart,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  :  '  Sutler  the  little  children  to 
come  unto  Me.'  Soon  after  that  my  firstborn  was 
with  the  angels.  Then,  once  more  '  was  there  a 
voice  heard,  lamentation  and  weeping,  and  great 
mourning.'  Did  we  do  wrong  to  grieve  ?  Is  weep- 
ing sin  ?  Nay,  nay ;  for  '  Jesus  wept.'  But  we 
did  not  sorrow  as  those  without  hope ;  we  did  not 
refuse  to  be  comforted.  I  own  no  foot  of  land 
save  a  little  plot  in  an  Auckland  cemetery,  and 
there,  beneath  a  drooping  acacia,  is  a  little  shell- 
strewn  mound,  and  a  simple  stone  with  this  in- 
scription— 

DAISY    SPURGEON, 

AGED    3    MONTHS. 


'*  Even  so,  Father  .  . 


AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE  133 

**  My  sorrowing  friend,  write  '  Even  so,  Father ' 
on  your  gravestones.  Your  little  ones  are  '  gone 
before.'  Do  not  push  away  the  pierced  hand  that 
holds  the  kerchief  of  consolation  to  your  streaming 
eyes.  I  pray  you,  refuse  not  to  be  comforted. 
*  The  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say  Come,'  and  if  your 
tear-dimmed  eyes  prevent  you  coming  to  the  Com- 
forter, remember  He  is  called  the  Paraclete.  He 
will  come  to  you,  if  you  will  call  to  Him." 

The  death  of  his  child  brought  to  a  crisis  the  fear 
that  had  been  growing  for  some  time  that  his  health 
was  not  equal  to  the  strain  of  the  great  church — 
the  largest  in  Australasia — that  was  now  his  care ; 
so  in  the  month  of  June  he  declared  his  intention  of 
resigning  the  pastorate.  The  Leader  of  June  7th, 
1889,  wrote :  *'  The  announcement  of  Pastor 
Spurgeon's  determination  to  resign  the  pastorate 
of  the  Baptist  Tabernacle  at  Auckland,  in  conse- 
quence of  failing  health,  has  caused  very  great 
regret,  not  only  amongst  the  members  of  his  own 
denomination,  but  amongst  all  sections  of  the 
Church  of  Christ.  It  is  acknowledged,  even  by 
those  who  have  not  seen  eye  to  eye  with  Mr. 
Spurgeon,  that  he  has  evinced  no  ordinary  ability 
and  devotion  in  welding  the  Baptist  body  in  this 
city  into  its  present  compact  form.  It  is  due  to 
his  zeal,  piety  and  pulpit  oratory  that  his  church 
has  attained  to  the  efficiency  which  has  made  it 
such  a  potent  influence  for  good  on  the  com- 
munity."    And  so  on  for  a  column. 

On  June  10th,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Church,  with 
much  regret  the  decision  was  taken  as  final,  Mr. 


134  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

Spurgeon  not  being  willing  to  accept  the  alternative 
of  a  prolonged  holiday,  but  expressing  his  willing- 
ness to  remain  until  the  end  of  the  year.  His 
father  and  Dr.  Maclaren  were  empowered  to  choose 
a  successor,  and  Mr.  William  Birch  was  sent  out 
to  what  proved  a  somewhat  unbalanced  pastorate. 
But  that  does  not  concern  us  here.  More  to  the 
point  is  Thomas  Spurgeon's  letter  to  his  father, 
dated  June  17th,  1889,  in  which  amongst  other 
things  he  says  ; 

"  This  mail  will  bring  you  tidings  of  my  resigna- 
tion, if  you  have  not  heard  of  it  previously.  I 
meant  to  send  you  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  the  Church, 
but  have  not  time  to  write  it.  But  it  is  perhaps 
as  well  not  to  bother  you.  I  gave  two  reasons. 
One  was  that  I  did  not  feel  '  able '  enough  to  do 
justice  to  all  the  work,  and  the  other  was  that  for 
some  long  time  the  blessing  seemed  to  have  been 
withheld  and  the  church  was  not  prospering  as  it 
should.  I  further  intimated  that  my  inability  to 
visit  all  the  folk  and  personally  to  superintend  all 
the  efforts  was  partly  accountable  for  the  lack  of 
success.  I  therefore  asked  to  be  released  from  the 
too  heavy  burdens  at  the  end  of  November. 

"  I  found  it  sad  work  to  do  this,  but  I  had  the 
assurance  ere  I  did  it  that  it  should  be,  and  I  am 
more  and  more  convinced  that  I  have  acted  rightly. 
If  I  were  well  and  strong  I  would  delight  to  remain, 
or  if  I  got  so  by  and  by  I  would  not  object  to 
return.  But  the  furlough  which  was  kindly  offered, 
and  the  assistant  suggested,  did  not  meet  the  case. 
I  am  sure  it  is  best  to  secure  a  successor. 


AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE  135 

"  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  the  sphere 
is  a  good  one  and  some  of  the  best  of  men  and 
women  are  here.  As  to  myself  I  have  the  vaguest 
of  plans.  Invitations  are  coming  to  me  already, 
but  cannot  be  accepted.  I  think  of  going  to  Mr. 
Gibson  after  our  Union  meetings  in  December,  of 
resting  there  a  while,  and  then  of  helping  the 
churches  in  Tasmania.  It  may  be  that  I  visit  the 
other  colonies  too.  I  feel  sure  that  the  way  will 
open,  for  in  no  matter  of  my  life  have  I  more 
earnestly  sought  direction  than  in  this.  The  ut- 
most grief  prevails  here,  and  throughout  the  colony, 
at  my  decision,  though  there  are  some  few  who  look 
at  the  case  somewhat  as  I  do  and,  regretting  it 
like  myself,  they  judge  that  I  have  acted  the  wise 
and  honest  part.  I  hope  therefore  you  will  not 
grieve  over  it.  I  shall  keenly  feel  the  parting,  yet 
cannot  help  being  glad  to  be  relieved  of  the  burden." 

On  November  8rd  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  his 
farewell  sermon.  Of  the  service  The  Leader  of 
November  8th  says  :  "  It  is  not  difficult  to  account 
for  Mr.  Spurgeon's  popularity  and  power.  We 
noticed  members  of  the  Anglican,  Presbyterian, 
Congregational,  and  other  churches  present,  and 
have  no  doubt  that  the  young  preacher's  blameless 
life,  elocutionary  power,  clear  enunciation,  good 
memory,  and  above  all  his  clear  and  fearless  preach- 
ing of  the  old  Gospel  story  of  man  the  sinner  and 
Christ  the  Saviour,  account  for  Mr.  Spurgeon's  hold 
on  such  vast  numbers.  Auckland  people  would 
soon  see  through  and  rip  up  sham  and  humbug. 
Any  young  man  who  can  therefore  pass  through 


186  AUCKLAND   TABERNACLE 

the  ordeal  which  Thomas  Spurgeon  has  stood  during 
the  eight  years  he  has  ministered  at  the  Tabernacle, 
must  have  some  grit  in  him.  Envious  detractors 
said  when  he  came  here  that  *  his  father's  name  and 
fame  do  it,'  but  being  in  no  way  connected  with  Mr. 
Spurgeon's  church  we  can  give  an  unbiassed 
opinion,  and  we  must  say  that  he  has  proved  by  his 
ministry  here  that  he  is  a  manly  man,  a  sterling 
preacher  of  no  mean  order,  and  that  if  his  name 
were  Tom  Jones  his  genuine  ability  and  aptness  to 
preach  would  have  placed  him  where  he  is  now — 
in  the  front  rank  of  all  the  preachers  in  Auckland.'* 
The  next  evening  a  farewell  soiree  was  held  when 
addresses  were  presented  from  the  Church,  the 
Auckland  Ministers'  Association,  and  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  a 
great  ovation,  and  presented  the  Church  with  a 
pulpit  Bible  to  replace  the  one  his  father  had  pre- 
sented to  him,  which  he  had  hitherto  used.  So 
closed  a  ministry  that  has  left  an  impress  on  the 
Colony  that  remains  to  this  day.  During  the 
month  of  December  Mr  Spurgeon  supplied  the 
pulpit  at  Dunedin,  and  on  January  23rd,  1890,  he 
left  New  Zealand  for  Tasmania,  "  having  given 
much  of  the  red  blood  of  his  youth  to  the  city  by 
the  W aitemata,'^  and  even  on  his  departure  being 
retained  as  Pastor  Emeritus  by  the  Church  at  the 
Tabernacle. 


CHAPTER   X 

THE   EVANGELIST 

On  January  27th,  1890,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
arrived  in  the  s.s.  Rotomahana  at  Tasmania,  where 
for  some  months  they  were  the  guests  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Gibson  at  Native  Point.  Here  they  rested 
for  some  weeks.  On  March  16th,  Mr.  Spurgeon 
preached  at  Longford,  the  following  Sunday  at 
Launceston,  giving  his  lecture  on  "  The  Apostle  of 
Burmah  "  on  the  Tuesday,  and  at  Hobart  on  the 
following  Friday.  Influenza  caused  a  break,  but 
in  April  he  preached  the  Association  Sermon  for 
the  Baptist  Union  of  Tasmania  at  Launceston,  and 
we  find  him  also  at  Latrobe,  Devonport,  and  Perth. 
In  May  he  was  again  at  Launceston,  and  on  the 
last  day  of  that  month  he  left  Tasmania,  having 
accepted  the  proposal  of  the  Baptist  Union  of  New 
Zealand,  made  at  its  meetings  in  Dunedin  on  the 
previous  December  10th,  that  he  should  devote 
himself  to  evangelistic  work  in  the  Islands. 

In  The  New  Zealand  Baptist  he  writes  :  "  To- 
wards the  end  of  my  furlough  I  was  led  to  Victoria, 
and  there  received  much  spiritual  stimulus.  At 
the  closing  meeting  of  the  half-yearly  session  of  the 
Baptist  Union  I  solicited  the  prayerful  sympathy  of 
the  brethren  on  my  own  behalf  and  for  the  work. 

137  » 


188  THE  EVANGELIST 

I  am  not  likely  to  forget  the  gathering  amid  the 
gums  of  Ocean  Grove,  when  men  full  of  faith  pleaded 
that  God  would  endue  me  with  power  and  abun- 
dantly bless  my  testimony  in  New  Zealand.  I 
humbly  believe  that  the  prayer  was  answered  then 
and  there.  So  great  was  the  interest  that  several 
of  the  leading  ministers  voluntarily  pledged  them- 
selves to  lay  our  work  before  their  prayer  meetings 
week  by  week.  I  love  to  think  that  in  Launceston, 
Geelong  and  Melbourne  those  who  have  the  ear 
of  the  King  are  pleading  our  cause — His,  rather, 
for  we  are  co-workers  together  with  God." 

In  a  letter  to  Mr.  T.  Batts,  kindly  forwarded  by 
his  daughter  Mrs.  C.  R.  Macdonald,  Mr.  Spurgeon 
writes  from  Tasmania  on  February  10th,  1890,  and 
states  his  attitude  to  certain  doctrines  which  his 
successor  in  Auckland  Tabernacle  was  preaching. 
The  extract  is  interesting  in  view  of  the  new  service 
which  awaited  him  :  "  The  best  way  to  proclaim 
holiness  is  to  preach  the  doctrines  of  grace  (so  I 
think)  and  to  exhort  to  Christlikeness.  All  boasting 
about  perfection  is  anti-scriptural.  Christ  drew 
lessons  from  sparrows  and  ravens  but  not  from 
peacocks.  They  are  mentioned  in  the  Bible  I  know, 
but  in  the  society  of  apes.  May  the  Lord  direct  his 
heart  to  something  more  practical  and  scriptural, 
for  I  fear  me  that  those  who  get  so  quickly  to 
the  top  of  the  ladder  will  have  to  step  painfully 
down  or  else  tumble  over  on  the  other  side." 

For  eighteen  months  this  evangelistic  work  con- 
tinued with  signs  of  blessing  everywhere.  While 
these  words  are  being  written  frequent  letters  are 
being  received  from  New  Zealand  recalling  the  grace 


THE   EVANGELIST  139 

of  them — "  Those  were  grand  days"  ;  *'  The  best 
workers  are  the  people  brought  in  then  "  ;  "  His 
ministry  is  bearing  fruit  to-day,"  is  the  testimony 
from  place  after  place.  Mrs.  Spurgeon  accom- 
panied her  husband  in  these  journeys  as  long  as 
she  could.  Travelling  was  difficult,  for  out-of-the- 
way  places  were  visited ;  often  the  journeys  had  to 
be  undertaken  by  springless  carts,  over  the  roughest 
of  roads,  and  frequently  on  horseback.  The  ac- 
commodation, always  kindly,  was  often  primitive, 
meals  served  on  a  clothless  table  with  the  men  sit- 
ting down  in  their  shirt- sleeves.  But  the  intrepid 
couple  only  laughed  at  their  hardships,  saw  the 
best  side  of  everything,  and  endeared  themselves 
very  greatly  to  the  people  wherever  they  went. 

In  The  Sword  and  Trowel  for  1890  and  1891  there 
are  very  readable  accounts  from  Mr.  Spurgeon' s 
own  pen  of  the  places  he  visited.  From  these  and 
from  newspaper  extracts,  happily  preserved,  can 
be  gleaned  the  following  particulars. 

Invercargill,  where  the  mission  work  began, 
was  reached  on  June  3rd  after  a  tempestuous 
voyage ;  and  on  the  following  two  Sundays  and 
on  the  days  between,  services  were  held  deepening 
in  power  each  day,  and  culminating  at  a  great 
meeting  in  the  Theatre.  "  The  population  of 
Invercargill  is  essentially  Scotch.  At  every  street 
corner  you  may  hear  the  Scotch  bodies  '  crackin* 
awa' '  in  their  broadest  brogues,  and  two  or  three 
Kirks  proclaim  that  the  majority  of  the  folk  there- 
about are  of  the  Presbyterian  persuasion."  Of  the 
outcome  of  the  meetings  the  missioner  wisely 
writes  :    ''  Without  tabulating  results — for  who  can 


140  THE   EVANGELIST 

tell  whither  the  blessing  tends,  much  less  where  it 
ends  ? — I  may  say  that  God  gave  us  to  see  signs 
following,  and  assured  us  that  a  glad  key-note  had 
been  struck  for  a  mission  which,  with  His  blessing, 
cannot  fail  to  be  an  anthem  full  of  praise  to  the 
Lord  of  love." 

The  next  centre  was  Caversham,  and  to  reach  it 
a  severe  winter  journey  had  to  be  undertaken — it 
seems  strange  to  think  of  winter  in  June.  The 
pastor  there  was  a  son  of  Howard  Hinton;  and 
Charles  Carter,  famous  in  Ceylon  in  connection  with 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  had  been  a  previous 
minister  of  the  church.  Of  the  special  services  a 
friend  reports  that  it  was — 

Christ  first,  Christ  last,  Christ  all  day  long. 
My  strength,  my  glory,  and  my  song. 

And  The  New  Zealand  Baptist  is  constrained  to 
write :  "  Better  work  the  Union  never  did  than  when 
it  committed  itself  to  this  evangelistic  campaign." 

MosGiEL,  visited  during  the  first  fortnight  in 
July,  yielded  some  fifty  confessors  of  faith.  "  More 
inspiring  meetings  I  never  attended,  more  interested 
hearers  I  never  addressed." 

The  rest  of  July  was  given  to  Oamuru,  which  is 
to  be  pronounced  Wom-a-roo.  "  A  native  name 
of  course  ;  but  an  easy  one  to  pronounce.  What 
say  you  to  Whakarewarewa  or  Nihootekisse,  or 
Tapuacharuru  ?  "  The  town  stands  on  the  east 
coast  of  the  South  Island,  about  seventy  miles 
north  of  Dunedin.  Here  the  experience  of  the 
previous  missions  was  repeated. 

A  hundred  miles  further  north  is  Ashburton. 


THE   EVANGELIST  141 

*'Here*s  your  fishing-rod,  sir,"  said  a  voice  behind 
me  as  I  was  about  to  take  my  seat  in  the  train, 
and  two  sticks  and  a  small  parcel  were  handed  to 
the  departing  Evangelist.  The  apparatus  turned 
out  to  be  a  calico  sign,  with  hems  to  take  the  eight- 
feet  sticks,  and  the  announcement  on  it  "  Spur- 
geon's  Mission.  To-night  at  7.30."  "  Alas  !  that 
this  fresh  fishing-ground  yielded  little,"  writes  the 
Mssioner.  "  For  six  nights  the  Gospel  was  pro- 
claimed, yet  only  a  few  submitted  themselves  to 
the  righteousness  of  God." 

The  next  mission  was  held  at  Sydenham  at  the 
end  of  August,  but  it  was  somewhat  hindered  by 
labour  troubles,  and  the  unrest  made  it  difficult 
to  get  away  to  the  next  place.  With  a  scratch 
crew  the  steamer  started,  but  owing  to  a  storm  it 
was  not  able  to  get  beyond  Picton ;  thence  the 
next  morning  train  was  taken  to  Blenheim,  and 
then  an  eighty-mile  road  journey  had  to  be  under- 
taken in  a  two-horse  buggy.  This  drive  through 
Marlborough  and  Havelock  occupied  two  days, 
and  at  length  the  travellers  arrived  just  in  time 
at  Nelson.  *'  The  town  lies  embosomed  amidst 
verdant  hills,  and  is  remarkable  for  its  well-kept 
gardens  and  prolific  orchards.  This  sheltered 
spot  enjoys  a  climate  of  the  mildest  sort.  A  more 
charming  place  of  residence  can  hardly  be  imagined. 
It  is  perhaps  the  healthiest  place  in  the  colony." 
Here  the  services  were  excellent,  as  they  also  were 
at  Richmond,  the  next  town  visited.  Thence, 
crossing  the  Straits  to  Wellington,  the  journey 
was  continued  to  Wanganui,  where  the  results 
were  meagre.     "  Nevertheless,  some  of  the  fruit 


142  THE   EVANGELIST 

fell  at  the  shaking  of  the  tree,  and  perhaps  more 
of  it  was  helped  in  ripening  for  a  harvest  to  be 
revealed." 

At  Wellington,  the  Empire  city,  in  spite  of  the 
weather  and  the  Wild  West  Show  pitched  im- 
mediately opposite  the  church,  good  meetings 
gathered,  and  the  Evangelist  was  glad  to  work 
alongside  the  Pastor,  Mr.  H.  H.  Driver,  who  had 
been  one  of  his  ship  companions  in  the  voyage  of 
1885.  A  journey  of  two  hundred  miles  brought 
him  to  Napier  and  to  another  happy  mission,  in 
which  the  sympathy  of  all  the  churches  of  the 
town  was  freely  given.  Toward  the  end  of  the 
year  1890  a  mission  was  held  at  The  Catlins — 
Owaki  and  Puerua,  where  in  addition  to  the  white 
people  there  is  a  Maori  settlement,  and  nearly  all 
the  score  or  so  are  consistent  Christians.  "  How 
eagerly  these  dark-skins  listened  to  the  message — 
they  said  they  understood  it  too,  and  how  heartily 
they  sang !  "  Toward  the  close  of  the  mission ' '  just 
where  a  little  creek  loses  itself  in  the  infinite  main, 
four  daughters  of  my  Puerua  host  confessed  '  Jesus 
as  Lord,'  while  some  who  witnessed  their  bold 
profession  were,  I  trust,  resolved  to  follow  their 
example,  and  Christ's,  ere  long.  As  this  was  the 
first  occasion  on  which  I  had  administered  this 
ordinance  out  in  the  open,  it  had  a  peculiar  interest 
for  me." 

In  quick  succession  came  visits  to  Canterbury, 
Oxford,  Kirwee  and  Christchurch.  At  Kirwee 
*'  a  clergyman,  having  arranged  for  a  concert  and 
a  dance  (dancing  is  one  of  the  curses  of  these  up- 
country  townships),  was  not  a  little  dismayed  that 


THE   EVANGELIST  143 

the  fiddlers  who  generally  supplied  the  music  had 
been  converted  and  declined  to  attend." 

Great  blessing  rested  upon  the  mission  at  Dune- 
din,  "  Not  only  scores,  but  hundreds,  have  received 
Christ  as  their  Saviour,"  said  The  New  Zealand 
Baptist.  There  were,  as  a  result,  forty-eight 
baptisms  the  following  month.  Similar  grace 
seems  to  have  rested  on  the  meetings  at  Ponsonby 
during  the  latter  part  of  June. 

On  July  2nd,  1891,  Thomas  Harold  Spurgeon 
was  born  at  Auckland,  and  later  in  the  month  his 
father  was  at  Thames,  the  workers  in  the  Sunday 
schools  of  the  town  largely  rejoicing  in  the  result 
of  his  labours.  During  August  the  churches  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Auckland  were  visited, 
including  the  Tabernacle,  where  the  former  Pastor 
baptized  nineteen  candidates  during  his  visit. 
Lincoln,  Greendale,  Malvern  and  Caversham 
followed  in  quick  succession,  and  so  ended  the  year, 
and  the  eighteen  months  of  evangelistic  ministry. 

In  a  little  book  the  names  of  seven  hundred  and 
seventy-six  persons  are  noted  as  fruits  of  the 
missions,  to  be  remembered  and  prayed  over  as 
the  days  went  on. 

Several  churches  during  these  months  invited 
Mr.  Spurgeon  to  accept  the  pastorate,  including  his 
old  church  in  Auckland.  To  all  of  them  he  turned 
a  deaf  ear.  Overtures  were  also  made  to  him  to 
conduct  similar  services  in  Australia,  but  events 
were  hastening  on  which  changed  the  whole  course 
of  his  ministry. 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE    TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

The  family  history  in  England  was  rapidly 
reaching  a  climax.  Spurgeon  was  ill.  Painful 
illness  had  often  been  his  lot  before,  but  this  was 
recognized  as  serious.  Clouds  were  over  Westwood, 
over  the  Tabernacle,  and  over  all  Evangelical 
Christendom.  The  clouds  grew  darker  and  it 
seemed  as  if  the  storm  must  break,  when,  doubtless 
in  answer  to  prayer  as  well  as  in  response  to  skill 
and  affection,  the  sun  shone  through  and  health 
seemed  again  in  sight.  But  it  was  only  an  inter- 
lude, a  bright  and  lovely  interlude ;  then  the  dark- 
ness gathered  once  more,  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  first  day  of  February,  eighteen  hundred  and 
ninety-two,  the  world  learned  that  the  prophet  of 
the  Lord  had  passed.  Many  of  the  contents-bills 
of  the  newspapers  had  only  one  item  upon  them 
that  morning — "  Death  of  Spurgeon."  People 
paused  as  if  stunned,  and  tears  coursed  down 
unaccustomed  cheeks.  There  has  been  nothing  to 
compare  with  it  save  the  afternoon  when  another 
generation  read  the  news-lines — ""  Death  of  Kit- 
chener." In  both  cases  a  star  had  fallen  from  the 
sky,  and  the  powers  of  heaven  were  shaken. 
Now  for  the  details  of  the  story.  Early  in  May 
144 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        145 

Spurgeon  was  taken  ill,  but  he  struggled  on  preach- 
ing occasionally,  until  the  first  Sunday  in  June. 
That  was  the  last  time  he  was  in  the  Tabernacle. 
Perhaps  I  may  be  permitted  to  recount  the  in- 
cidents from  my  own  standpoint,  as  it  all  came 
home  to  me  in  an  unexpected  way. 

There  were  two  immediate  difficulties  flowing 
from  the  illness,  which,  of  course,  was  itself  the 
greatest  difficulty  of  all.  The  first  concerned  the 
empty  pulpit  which,  for  a  while,  was  well  supplied 
by  trusted  ministers ;  the  second,  the  wider 
ministry  of  the  printed  sermons.  Happily,  Mrs. 
Spurgeon's  health  had  improved,  and  she  was  able 
to  share  in  the  responsibility,  and  the  devoted 
secretary,  Joseph  W.  Harrald,  knew  the  mind  of 
his  Chief.  But  other  help  was  needed,  and  I  was 
permitted,  in  a  working  agreement  with  them,  to 
take  the  revision  of  the  weekly  sermon.  Of  this 
task  I  have  already  written  in  my  book,  At  the 
Sixtieth  Milestone.  Many  of  these  sermons  were 
revised  at  the  Manor  House,  Newton  Harcourt, 
in  Leicestershire,  which  had  been  placed  at  my 
disposal  that  summer,  and  there  morning  by 
morning,  brought  along  the  canal  bank  by  a 
railway  porter  from  Glenn  Station,  the  telegram 
came  giving  the  latest  report  of  the  invalid — a 
bundle  of  thirty  lies  before  me  as  I  write.  But 
there  came  a  glad  day  when  the  bulletins  ceased, 
and  then,  on  occasion,  it  was  necessary  for  me  to 
see  the  preacher  to  talk  over  future  plans. 

It   was  hoped  that   a   visit  to   Mentone  would 
complete   the    cure,    which    had    been    gradually 
welcomed  from  the  beginning  of  August.     So,  on 
10 


140        THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

October  26th,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  who  was 
happily  able  to  undertake  the  journey,  he  set  forth 
to  the  place  which  I  believe  he  loved  most  in  all 
the  earth.  There  they  had  three  months  of 
"  perfect  earthly  happiness."  Mrs.  Spurgeon  was 
able  to  report  that  ""  not  a  care  burdened  him,  not 
a  grief  weighed  upon  his  heart,  not  a  desire  remained 
unfulfilled,  not  a  wish  unsatisfied."  He  was  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  an  earthly  Eden  before  his  trans- 
lation to  the  Paradise  above.  From  that  spot, 
at  five  minutes  past  eleven  at  night  on  the  last 
day  of  January,  he  went  to  God. 

Now  that  all  concerned  in  it  are  gone,  there  can 
be  no  harm  in  stating  that  a  little  while  before  the 
final  summons  came  Harrald  was  in  the  passage 
of  the  Hotel  Beau  Rivage,  where  the  end  window 
looks  toward  the  hills,  and  under  a  cloudless  sky 
he  declared  that  he  saw,  hovering  over  the  Berceau, 
a  company  of  angels.  So  convinced  was  he  of  it 
that  he  ran  to  call  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  but  when  she 
came  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen.  His  faith  in 
his  vision  remained  unshaken  to  the  end.  It^is 
easy  to  say  that  he  was  tired  and  overstrained 
and  excited.  Perhaps  it  will  be  better  to  put  his 
story  beside  the  story  of  the  angels  at  Mons,  and 
there  let  it  stand. 

Of  the  subsequent  days  little  need  be  said. 
They  are  chronicled  in  the  volume  I  was  allowed 
to  edit,  From  the  Pulpit  to  the  Palm  Branch,  Each 
day  was  crowded  with  incident.  At  first  there 
was  talk  of  a  grave  at  Mentone,  then  a  hint  of  a 
tomb  in  Westminster  Abbey,  but  the  officers  of  the 
Church  rightly  decided  that  their  Pastor  must,  in 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        147 

death,  lie  amongst  his  own  people.  After  the 
memorial  service  at  Mentone,  the  body  was  borne 
lumberingly  across  France,  was  received  by  reverent 
hands  at  Victoria  Station,  London,  brought  to  the 
Pastors'  College,  transferred  to  the  Tabernacle, 
visited  by  fifty  thousand  people  who  walked  in 
homage  past  the  coffin,  crowded  services  were 
held,  and,  after  the  vigil,  the  funeral  passed  through 
thronged  roads  to  Norwood  Cemetery.  It  was  a 
procession  of  triumph.  At  Norwood  a  memorable 
eulogy  and  farewell  was  uttered  by  Archibald  G. 
Brown,  who  will  perhaps  be  chiefly  remembered 
by  his  words  that  day.  The  only  music  was  the 
lilt  of  a  robin,  who  almost  broke  his  red  breast  in 
the  vehemence  of  his  song  as  the  people  parted. 
Near-by  the  son  now  rests,  and  many  others  of 
God's  saints  have  also  been  brought  there  for 
burial.  One  might  say  of  Norwood  Cemetery  what 
Moody  said  of  Greyfriars  in  Edinburgh  when  he 
read  the  names  of  so  many  of  the  holy  dead,  *'  I 
should  like  to  be  there  on  the  resurrection  morning." 
For  twelve  days  the  attention  of  the  civilized 
world  was  centred  on  Spurgeon's  work  and  memory, 
and  in  death,  as  in  life,  he  was  able  to  bear  a  noble 
testimony  to  his  faith.  From  the  highest  to  the 
lowest,  in  cathedral  and  in  cottage,  his  praise  was 
spoken,  and  God  was  thanked  for  so  rare  a  ministry. 
Nor  should  the  outburst  of  affection  shown  in  the 
prayer  meetings  at  the  early  stage  of  the  illness 
be  forgotten:  thousands  gathered  three  times  a 
day,  there  were  mighty  wrestlings,  and  some  who 
prayed  appeared  as  if  they  had  "  searched  the 
Bible  through  and  through,  in  order  that  they 


148        THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

might  find  promises  that  they  might  plead  at  the 
throne  of  Grace." 

It  was  not  to  be  supposed  that  such  a  man  could 
pass  without  leaving  behind  him  many  problems. 
No  ship  can  go  forward  without  a  hand  on  the 
wheel,  and  the  question  now  became  urgent — 
"  Whose  hand  ?  "  There  were  at  least  four  who 
seemed  to  have  some  claim  for  consideration. 

First  amongst  these  was  Dr.  James  A.  Spurgeon, 
the  brother  who  for  so  many  years  had  stood  as 
Co-Pastor  by  the  great  preacher's  side.  His  past 
service,  his  knowledge  of  affairs,  and  his  many 
qualities  could  not  be  disregarded.  He  was  not  a 
prophet,  but  only  by  the  possession  of  great 
pastoral  gifts  could  he  have  gathered  and  held 
together  the  great  church  at  West  Croydon  Taber- 
nacle. But  it  was  evident  that  though  the  Church 
needed  his  service  he  could  not  take  his  brother's 
place ;  quite  naturally  he  was  looked  to  for  guid- 
ance and  support.  He  could  not  be  overlooked, 
and  accordingly  at  a  church  meeting  on  March  1st 
he  was  requested  to  serve  the  Church  for  a  limited 
time  as  Acting  Pastor. 

At  the  same  meeting  the  brilliant  and  volatile 
man  who  had  occupied  the  pulpit  for  three  months 
was  asked  to  continue  to  act  as  Officiating  Minister. 
He  had  come  at  a  time  of  great  need,  and,  throwing 
himself  without  stint  into  his  task,  he  had  drawn 
vast  congregations,  maintained  the  finances,  and 
inspired  hundreds  of  lives  with  new  purposes  and 
hopes.  He  was  truly  a  man  sent  of  God  to  that 
place  at  that  time  ;  of  that  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
The  manner  of  his  coming  was  curious.      When 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        149 

Spurgeon  was  recovering  from  his  illness  in  August, 
he  cast  about  in  his  mind  as  to  who  could  occupy 
his  pulpit  during  the  coming  months,  and  remem- 
bering Dr.  Pierson,  wrote  to  him  inquiring  whether 
he  would  be  free  to  serve  him.  The  very  next 
morning  after  the  letter  was  despatched,  a  letter 
arrived  from  Pierson  expressing  his  willingness  to 
come  if  he  could  help,  and  Spurgeon  at  once  wrote 
again  and  invited  him.  If  Pierson  had  only 
waited  he  would  have  had  the  invitation  all  the 
same,  but  his  action  was  characteristic  of  the  man 
in  his  impulsiveness  and  disregard  of  ordinary 
methods.  It  was  not  egotism,  but  the  simplicity 
and  eagerness  of  a  child  which  led  him  to  volunteer 
even  though  it  meant  measuring  himself  with  the 
greatest  preacher  of  the  world,  and  it  was  these 
same  qualities  that  were  partly  the  cause  of  the 
after  trouble.  I  can  speak  of  it  quite  freely,  for  I 
came  to  know  him  well;  he  frequently  visited 
Leicester  in  the  after  years,  and  more  than  once 
preached  for  me  at  Melbourne  Hall,  and  was 
sometimes  present  when  I  was  the  preacher. 

He  was  a  great  Bible  student,  a  missionary 
enthusiast,  a  facile  writer,  a  magnetic  speaker. 
He  was  always  making  discoveries,  and  the  quainter 
they  were  the  more  he  liked  them.  When  he 
thought  of  a  striking  thing  he  could  not  help  saying 
it,  and  he  was  so  largely  the  centre  of  his  own 
world  that  he  was  rather  surprised  when  he  dis- 
covered he  was  not  the  centre  of  other  people's. 
But,  withal,  he  was  most  lovable,  and  when  he 
gave  himself  to  any  one  he  gave  himself  com- 
pletely. 


150        THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

Mr.  Spurgeon,  in  inviting  him  to  the  Tabernacle, 
did  not  foresee  the  difficulty  that  afterwards  arose, 
thought,  indeed,  that  he  had  provided  against  it. 
In  the  last  interview  I  had  with  him  on  the  eve  of 
his  departure  for  Mentone,  we  talked  of  many 
things,  and,  finally,  of  the  coming  preacher.  As 
he  was  being  carried  in  his  chair  up-stairs  I  followed 
him  to  the  hall,  and  the  last  words  he  said  to  me, 
looking  back,  were,  "  There  is  no  danger  of  him 
being  thought  of  as  my  successor,  since  he  is  a 
Presbyterian."  A  saying  which  opens  several 
avenues  into  his  mind  at  the  moment. 

In  spite  of  his  Presbyterianism,  however,  it 
seemed  a  very  good  working  arrangement  to  have 
Spurgeon' s  brother  as  pastor  and  Pierson  as 
preacher.  But  the  Tabernacle  church  is  a  Baptist 
church,  and  we  had  not  then  begun  even  to  think 
of  a  federation  of  the  Free  Churches.  Indeed,  if 
we  had,  it  would  have  been  a  dubious  expedient  to 
have  a  minister  of  another  order  than  that  in  which 
people  had  been  trained.  We  tried  the  experiment 
when  I  left  Melbourne  Hall :  a  Wesleyan  minister 
succeeded  me,  but  in  spite  of  the  points  of  contact 
there  are  too  many  points  of  divergence  to  make 
such  an  arrangement  easy. 

When  the  early  glamour  had  somewhat  passed 
the  question  rose — What  of  Spurgeon' s  sons  ? 
Neither  of  them  had  given  any  sign  or  raised  any 
question.  Charles  was  near  at  hand,  and  if 
Thomas  had  been  an  ecclesiastic,  or  a  place-seeker, 
or  a  Mr.  Worldly  Wiseman,  he  would  have  lost  no 
time  in  coming  to  England,  too.  But  he  did  not 
even  offer  his  services,  he  just  went  on  with  his 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        151 

work  and  waited,  raising  not  a  finger,  and  writing 
not  a  word  to  secure  his  recall.  It  was  one  of  the 
great  testing  times  of  life,  revealing  character  and 
trying  faith.  Only  a  disciplined  heart  could  have 
answered  the  test  successfully. 

After  a  year's  ministry  Dr.  Pier  son  found  it 
necessary  to  return  to  America.  Before  he  went 
he  was  invited  to  come  back  to  the  Tabernacle  for 
another  period,  and  it  seemed  fitting  that  in  the 
interval  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon  should  be  called 
to  occupy  his  father's  pulpit.  The  thought  of 
permanent  occupancy  seemed  barred  by  the  reports 
of  his  health,  but  the  memory  of  his  preaching  in 
former  years  caused  many  to  look  forward  to  his 
coming  with  great  expectancy.  He  was  asked  to 
preach  for  three  months,  and  he  accepted  the 
invitation.  Mr.  Moody  was  fixed  for  a  mission 
directly  afterwards,  and  then  Dr.  Pierson  was  to 
take  up  the  work  again.  All  seemed  satisfactorily 
arranged. 

On  Friday,  June  10th,  1892,  with  his  wife  and 
child,  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon  arrived  in  London. 
On  the  following  Sunday  he  was  at  the  Tabernacle. 
The  Baptist  said,  "  It  was  pathetic  to  see  him 
sitting  by  Dr.  Pierson' s  side  at  the  Sunday  morning 
service,  although  he  took  no  active  part  in  it." 
The  Sunday  after  he  preached  at  "  a  service  of 
singular  impressiveness,"  from  the  felicitous  text, 
"  Behold,  the  third  time  I  am  ready  to  come  to 
you  :  and  I  will  not  be  burdensome  to  you,  for  I 
seek  not  yours  but  you  :  I  will  very  gladly  spend 
and  be  spent  for  you."  Dr.  Pierson  sent  back  his 
good  wishes  in  the  message — "  After  eight  days 


152        THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

His  disciples  were  within  and  Thomas  was  with 
them."  Such  fanciful  use  of  Scripture  was  common 
at  the  time,  and  Dr.  Pierson  was  an  adept  in  it; 
as  witness  the  text  with  which  he  had  begun  his 
Tabernacle  ministry  a  year  previously,  Peter's 
words  to  Cornelius,  "  Wherefore  I  came  to  you 
without  gainsaying  when  I  was  sent  for  :  I  ask, 
therefore,  with  what  intent  ye  have  sent  for  me  ?  " 

That  year  had  done  much  for  the  people,  but  it 
was  a  very  different  type  of  ministry  they  had 
enjoyed.  When  the  New  Zealand  son  came,  many 
of  the  congregation  began  again  to  detect 
the  authentic  Spurgeon  note,  and  their  hearts 
warmed  to  the  younger  preacher.  The  three 
months  passed  happily,  health  was  fully  main- 
tained, and  so  greatly  did  the  preacher  win  his  way 
into  the  hearts  of  the  people  that  many  of  them 
asked  why  he  could  not  stay  with  them  always. 
Towards  the  end  of  the  term  there  was  a  great  deal 
of  suppressed  excitement  in  the  services,  and  when 
the  final  sermon  was  preached  on  October  9th, 
there  was  "  one  of  the  most  remarkable  and  affect- 
ing scenes  which  ever  occurred  at  the  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle."  At  the  end  of  the  service,  amid 
tears,  the  people  called  on  the  preacher  to  come 
back  again,  and  thronged  to  shake  his  hand  in 
affectionate  farewell. 

The  enthusiasm  of  the  people  can  be  imagined 
by  the  fact  that  a  special  steamer,  the  Empress 
Frederick,  was  engaged  to  convey  Mr.  Spurgeon 
and  three  hundred  or  four  hundred  of  his  friends  on 
October  14th  from  the  Old  Swan  Pier,  London 
Bridge,  to  Gravesend  to  join  his  ship.     The  Daily 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        158 

Chronicle  of  October  15th,  in  describing  the  scene 
said  :  "  Occasionally  as  the  steamer  went  on,  a 
hand  would  come  out  of  some  grimy  warehouse 
window  to  wave  a  farewell.  Then  Mr.  Spurgeon 
would  take  his  hand  from  the  pocket  of  his  water- 
proof coat,  and  give  his  felt  hat  a  hearty  swing 
through  the  air.  He  rose  to  the  whole  affair 
admirably." 

A  farewell  address  was  presented  to  him  on 
board,  he  made  a  speech,  those  who  had  hymn- 
books  insisted  on  getting  his  autograph  in  them, 
and  then  they  sang  that  heart-breaking  song, 
"  God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again."  Again,  to 
quote — ■''  The  final  break  in  the  good-bye  not 
unnaturally  was  the  most  pathetic,  the  most 
affecting  part  of  all.  But  for  the  absence  of  the 
Salvationists'  colour  and  the  Salvationist  music,  it 
might  have  been  the  parting  between  General 
Booth  and  a  vesselful  of  Salvationists.  Amongst 
those  who  gave  the  final  greeting  were  Charles 
Spurgeon,  William  Stott,  W.  J.  Mayers,  J.  W. 
Harrald,  and  W.  Higgs."  The  first  person  caught 
sight  of  on  the  ss.  Kaikoura  was  Mrs.  Thomas 
Spurgeon,  holding  aloft  her  little  fifteen-months-old 
boy. 

Several  letters  descriptive  of  the  voyage  have 
been  preserved  by  Mr.  William  Higgs,  to  whom  they 
were  addressed.  In  the  first  Mr.  Spurgeon  says, 
"  Now  about  that  trip  down  the  river.  I  confess 
that  I  have  been  a  little  troubled  because  I  seemed 
to  take  so  much  for  granted.  Yet,  believe  me,  I  am 
far  from  being  ungrateful.  You  have  done  me  good 
at  every  turn  and  shown  me  kindness  in  every  way. 


154        THP:   tabernacle   TEMPEST 

What  a  mint  of  money  I  must  have  cost  you  ! 
What  can  I  say  to  you  ?  I  can  only  thank  you 
agam,  and  again  and  again,  and  wonder  why  you 
should  love  me  so.  Every  turn  of  the  screw 
lessens  our  nearness  to  you  and  increases  your 
dearness  to  us.  Try  to  keep  our  party  patient. 
I  must  not  be  a  bone  of  contention.  When  all 
say  come,  I  must  return,  but  not  till  then." 

Nearing  the  Cape  he  writes  in  another  letter, 
*'  You  can  guess  that  I  often  think  of  the  past  and 
of  the  future,  too.  What  an  experience  I  have 
had  !  Do  you  know  I  don't  think  I  can  ever 
return  to  the  dear  old  Tabernacle  ;  so  I  feel  at 
present  at  all  events.  Friend  Moody's  invitation 
I  cannot  forget,  yet  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  want 
to  accept  it." 

In  a  letter  from  Dunedin  dated  January  23rd, 
1893,  he  says  :  "  It  is  probable  that  you  will 
receive  this  just  about  the  time  of  the  annual 
church  meeting.  What  can  I  say  about  it  ?  I 
have  told  you  already  my  feelings  concerning  any 
request  to  supply  on  probation.  The  only  test 
that  should  be  necessary  is  a  test  of  health  during 
the  winter,  and  nothing  but  a  twelve  months' 
pastorate  would  afford  a  fair  trial  of  that.  I  would 
not  quit  my  work  here,  and  sail  so  far  again  for 
less  than  that — at  least  that  is  how  I  feel  at  present. 
I  hear  much  of  Dr.  Pierson's  splendid  preaching, 
and  I  am  unfeignedly  glad  if  real  good  is  being 
accomplished." 

For  some  days  after  the  departure  of  Thomas 
Spurgeon  the  energies  of  the  Church  were  directed 
into  the  mission  conducted  by  Mr.  Moody,  and 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        155 

after  a  few  weeks  its  attention  was  devoted  to  the 
return  of  Dr.  Pier  son,  who  received  a  worthy 
welcome.  He  soon  discovered  that  he  had  come 
back  to  a  different  Church.  Without  a  pilot  it  had 
drifted.  It  was  impossible,  perhaps,  for  those 
inside  the  Church  to  estimate  or  to  avoid  the 
danger  ;  equally  impossible  for  those  outside  to 
warn  or  to  guide  it,  lest  they  should  have  been 
suspected  of  interested  motives.  The  disability 
attaching  to  a  Church,  even  of  the  size  and 
weight  of  the  Church  at  the  Tabernacle,  standing 
outside  its  own  denomination,  was  made  evident  ; 
there  was  no  official  channel  of  influence,  none  had 
the  right  to  proffer  advice  or  service  ;  so  the  drift 
continued,  deflected  or  hastened  for  the  moment  by 
newspaper  opinion. 

When  two  candidates  are  before  a  Church  the 
usual  result  is  that  both  find  it  necessary  to  retire, 
and  the  Church  that  has  been  unwise  enough  to 
allow  such  a  contingency,  has  to  fall  back  on  a 
third,  probably  less  suitable  than  either  of  the  two. 
The  alternative  is  that  the  Church  is  divided  into 
two  parties,  one  saying,  "  I  am  of  Paul,"  and  the 
other  "  I  am  of  Apollos."  So  it  happened  at  the 
Tabernacle.  The  Church  was  not  split,  for  it  was 
impossible  for  any  party  to  inaugurate  a  new 
assembly  worthy  of  the  Spurgeon  tradition,  but 
the  rift  in  the  ranks  of  the  membership  went  deep, 
even  to  the  severing  of  family  relationships  and  the 
sundering  of  lifelong  ties .  The  feeling  was  so  strong 
that  the  retirement  of  either  candidate  would  not 
have  been  a  solution.  If  only  the  three  Spurgeons 
could  have  been  associated  in  the  great  enterprises 


156        THE   TABERNACLE  TEMPEST 

left  as  a  heritage  by  the  departed  Pastor  and 
President,  it  might  have  made  the  Tabernacle  the 
Baptist  cathedral  of  Britain.  There  were  other 
possible  arrangements  if  only  the  minds  of  the 
people  had  been  normal,  but  any  of  them  would 
have  necessitated  the  most  delicate  adjustment 
and  called  for  a  single  controlling  mind.  Alas  !  the 
great  mind  that  had  for  so  long  controlled  such 
diverse  forces  was  missing,  and  for  some  months 
there  was  much  unrest,  freely  spoken  of  as  "  The 
Tabernacle  Tempest."  Dr.  Pierson  still  appealed 
to  a  large  congregation,  but  laid  himself  open  to 
criticism  in  the  Church.  The  British  Weekly  was 
perhaps  nearest  the  truth,  when  about  this  time 
it  said :  "  Our  own  belief  is  that  Dr.  Pierson  has  not 
had  justice  done  to  him,  that  he  has  had  bad  advice, 
and  that  his  desire  has  been  to  act  throughout 
with  a  single  mind." 

On  March  28th,  1893,  the  Church  emerged  like 
a  ship  that  had  been  through  a  hurricane,  battered 
and  shorn,  but  still  seaworthy.  In  a  meeting  of 
over  two  thousand  members  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon 
was  called  by  a  majority  of  three  to  one  to  occupy 
the  pulpit  for  twelve  months,  this  time  with  a  view 
to  the  pastorate.  Dr.  James  Spurgeon  resigned, 
and  Dr.  Pierson' s  engagement  terminated.  From 
New  Zealand  Mr.  Spurgeon  at  once  cabled,  "  I 
cheerfully  and  gratefully  accept  the  invitation," 
and  then  in  the  mode  of  the  moment  added  a 
Scripture  reference — "  Not  that  we  are  sufficient 
of  ourselves  to  think  anything  as  of  ourselves,  but 
our  sufficiency  is  of  God." 

New  heart  was  taken  by  the  church  membership,. 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        157 

and  in  reviewing  the  situation  The  Freeman  finely 
said  in  its  issue  of  April  7th  :  "  If  they  tniss  the 
music  of  the  march  to  which  they  all  kept  step  in 
former  years,  they  must  resolve  that  its  echoes 
shall  not  be  allowed  to  die  into  silence." 

Some  surprise  was  expressed  at  Mr.  Spurgeon's 
ready  response,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that 
the  whole  situation  had  been  before  his  mind  for 
months,  and  as  far  as  he  was  concerned  there  was 
no  reason  for  delay,  while  for  the  sake  of  the 
Church  a  speedy  answer  was  almost  necessary. 
Perhaps  his  position  is  best  set  forth  in  a  letter 
which  he  addressed  to  Mr.  Wilham  Olney  on 
April  19th ; 

*'  It  seemed  to  me  that  in  view  of  so  substantial 
a  majority,  and  specially  in  view  of  the  earnest 
praying,  that  I  could  not  decline  to  come,  although 
there  are  some  features  of  the  case  which  make 
me  shrink  from  the  task. 

"  Looking  at  it  from  every  standpoint  I  con- 
cluded that  I  ought  to  make  the  attempt,  and  if  I 
find  that  on  account  of  ill-health  or  for  any  other 
reason  I  cannot  stay,  I  hope  that  no  harm  will 
come  of  it,  either  to  the  beloved  Church  or  to 
myself.  I  had  some  hope  that  Uncle  James  would 
see  differently  and  that  we  could  work  happily 
together.  But  it  was  not  to  be.  Oh  !  how  I  hope 
that  this  whole  business  is  of  the  Lord  !  May  He 
prevent  it  from  coming  about  after  all,  if  it  is  not  ! 
Cease  not  to  pray  for  me  that  I  may  be  fitted  to 
bear  so  high  an  honour,  and  to  carry  on  so  glorious 
a  work." 


158        THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

Though  no  public  mention  was  made  of  it  till 
the  time  of  probation  was  over,  it  may  here  be 
recorded,  in  Thomas  Spurgeon's  own  words,  that 
on  the  last  Sunday  of  his  previous  visit,  when  Mr. 
Moody  preached  in  the  evening  at  the  Tabernacle, 
''  he  had  a  talk  with  me  in  the  vestry  in  which  he 
said,  '  You  are  yet  to  come  back  to  this  place,  and 
I  am  going  to  pray  God  here  and  now  that  it  may 
be  so.'  Now  that  it  has  come  to  pass,"  Mr.  Spur- 
geon  continued,  "  I  do  not  need  to  keep  it  secret,  as 
I  felt  when  I  had  the  call  to  come  here  it  was  the 
least  I  could  do  to  go  round  Moody's  way." 

A  further  letter,  written  on  April  18th,  1893, 
from  Ashburton,  New  Zealand,  to  Mr.  William 
Higgs,  gives  a  vista  into  his  heart  at  this  time. 

"  My  dear  good  Friend, 

''  I  feel  as  if  I  could  hardly  write  to  you — 
my  heart  is  so  full.  'Tis  done — the  great  transac- 
tion's done.  The  die  is  cast  and  the  engagement 
made.  O  Lord  1  bless  Thou  this — from  first  to 
last  !  I  could  not  say  Nay  ;  even  though  the 
experiment  will  not  be  thoroughly  successful.  If 
I  only  stay  a  year  I  may,  by  God's  help,  be  able 
during  those  twelve  months  to  bring  about  a  more 
desirable  state  of  things.     God  grant  it  ! 

''  I  am  receiving  congratulations  on  all  sides,  on 
account  of  this  great  honour  which  has  come  upon 
me;  and  no  wonder.  I  stand  amazed  that  I  am 
counted  worthy  of  such  a  call,  and  I  cast  myself 
at  my  dear  Master's  feet,  a  suppliant  for  fitness 
for  the  work.  '  O  use  me,  Lord,  use  even  me  ! ' 
"  Your  loving  friend, 

"  Tom  Spurgeon." 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        159 

Accordingly,  in  the  Alameda  he  arrived  in  San 
Francisco  on  June  8th,  exactly  three  weeks  after 
setting  sail  from  New  Zealand.  Some  articles 
descriptive  of  his  experiences  appeared  in  The 
Sword  and  Trowel  for  the  year  1893,  but  a  more 
intimate  narrative  is  available  in  several  letters  to 
his  wife  written  on  the  journey.  The  first,  dated 
"  May  23rd,  a  day's  sail  from  Samoa,"  gives  a  de- 
scription of  the  ship  and  passengers.  "  As  there  is 
no  second-class  we  have  a  good  many  second-rate 
people  in  the  first  cabin."  Then  he  describes  a 
number  of  music  people.  As  they  were  journeying 
eastward  an  extra  day  was  added  ;  "we  have 
more  evenings  than  appears,  for  the  Monday  was 
repeated."  The  clergyman  who  conducted  the 
first  Sunday  service  asked  Spurgeon  to  take  the 
next.  A  sentence  interesting  to  his  biographer 
comes  next,  "  There  is  one  nice  American,  however ; 
he  is  a  Baptist,  and  was  lately  in  the  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle  and  heard  FuUerton." 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  I  shall  leave  the  boat  at 
Samoa,  for  the  captain,  in  a  chatty  lecture  last 
evening,  declared  Apia  to  be  '  the  hottest  place  on 
earth,'  "  he  says  ;  but  he  did,  for  the  first  sentence 
in  the  letter  of  "  May  29th  over  the  line,"  is,  "  our 
run  ashore  at  Apia  brought  us  unalloyed  delight." 
Even  a  prospective  pastor  of  the  Tabernacle  may 
be  allowed  to  change  his  mind.  A  school  festival 
at  which  some  six  hundred  men,  women,  and 
children  were  present,  the  children  with  beautiful 
eyes  and  copper-coloured  skin,  hugely  delighted 
him.  "  I  conducted  last  Sunday  morning's 
service,    and    the    captain,    a    real   old   believer. 


160        THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

ventured  in.     It  was  a  good  time,  all  things  con- 
sidered." 

At  Honolulu  he  stayed  long  enough  to  preach, 
and  at  San  Francisco  spent  some  pleasant  hours, 
being  "  quite  bewildered  with  its  bustle."  Delayed 
by  an  accident  in  the  Sierra  mountains,  he  was  late 
in  arriving  at  Salt  Lake  City.  "  I  tried  to  remain 
incognito,  but  some  fellow  passengers  split  on  me, 
and  soon  the  Baptist  ministry  was  on  my  trail." 
And  that  Sunday  evening  he  preached.  At  Denver, 
which  he  reached  by  the  Rio  Grande  Railway  with 
its  wonderful  scenery,  he  visited  a  Sunday  School 
Convention  but  hid  his  identity,  and  at  Omaha 
made  another  pause. 

At  Chicago  Moody  was  on  the  look-out  for  him, 
and  he  was  able  to  speak  to  the  crowds  that 
thronged  "  The  World's  Fair."  His  host  pressed 
him  to  stay  for  the  Northfield  Convention,  and  the 
Christian  Endeavour  Convention  at  Montreal,  but, 
in  view  of  the  work  that  awaited  him,  he  was  wise 
enough  to  refuse.  Niagara  he  reports  as  "  beating 
all  that  there  is  at  the  Exhibition."  On  July  1st 
he  reached  Brooklyn  and  went  to  stay  with  the  Rev. 
A.  C.  Dixon,  "  who  invited  me  over  some  years  ago 
— such  a  dear  good  fellow.  He  and  his  wife 
lavished  kindness  on  me.  I  preached  for  him  last 
Sunday  morning  to  a  teeming  crowd  ;  in  the 
evening  I  went  over  to  New  York  to  preach  for  Dr. 
MacArthur,  whose  marvellously  beautiful  church 
was  thronged  to  suffocation." 

Of  that  visit  Dr.  Dixon,  in  his  memorial  sermon 
at  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  on  October  28th, 
1918,  said  ;  "  When,  about  twenty-three  years  ago, 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        161 

I  heard  that  Thomas  Spurgeon  was  in  America,  I 
hastened  to  invite  him  to  preach  in  my  Brooklyn 
pulpit  and  sojourn  in  our  home.  His  acceptance  of 
the  invitation  gave  the  pastor's  family  and  the 
Church  great  pleasure,  and  when  the  hour  for  the 
Sunday  morning  service  arrived,  the  house  was 
crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  hundreds,  if 
not  thousands,  were  turned  away  disappointed.  It 
was  the  reputation  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon  which,  for  the 
most  part,  drew  the  people  ;  but  after  the  sermon, 
all  felt  that  there  would  be  in  future  no  need  of 
another's  reputation  to  attract  the  people  of 
Brooklyn  to  hear  Thomas  Spurgeon  preach.  His 
text  was  :  '  I  have  need  to  be  baptized  of  Thee, 
and  comest  Thou  to  me  ?  ' — and  I  have  rarely  seen 
an  audience  more  deeply  moved.  His  humble, 
unassuming  manner,  his  heart-earnestness,  his  clear 
unfolding  of  the  text,  his  homely  and  happy 
illustrations,  his  musical  voice,  his  utter  dependence 
upon  the  Holy  Spirit,  and,  above  all,  his  exaltation 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  pre-eminent  in  all 
realms,  made  us  realize  that  we  were  listening  to  a 
truly  great  sermon  by  a  truly  great  preacher.  That 
July  morning  Thomas  Spurgeon  entered  our  hearts 
never  to  be  expelled.  We  had  esteemed  him  for 
his  father's  sake  ;  we  now  admired  and  loved  him 
for  his  own  sake.  The  closer  touch  of  our  home 
associations  for  a  week,  which  brought  out  the 
exceeding  winsomeness  of  his  character,  increased 
our  admiration  and  intensified  our  love.  When  he 
left,  we  felt  that  we  were  parting  with  a  real  friend, 
whose  friendship  it  would  ever  be  an  honour  and 
delight  to  cultivate.  When,  a  few  years  afterwards, 
11 


162        THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST 

my  wife  and  I  had  the  joy  of  spending  a  week  in 
his  London  home,  we  felt  that  we  were  visiting  old 
friends,  whose  hospitality  had  such  a  flavour  of 
heartiness,  kindliness,  and  delicate  attention  that 
we  rejoiced  to  have  our  first  taste  of  a  real  English 
home — the  little  Paradise  of  which  we  had  heard 
so  much,  and  were  now  permitted  to  enjoy." 

He  was  still  with  the  Dixons  on  the  "  glorious 
fourth,"  and  toward  the  end  of  the  week  visited 
Boston  and  Plymouth,  "  to  see  the  ground  where 
first  they  trod — ^those  pilgrims  of  whom  you  used 
to  sing  so  sweetly."  The  next  Sunday  he  preached 
at  Martha's  Vineyard,  where  at  the  close  of  the 
service  an  old  lady  rose  and  asked  to  say  a  few 
words.  She  asked  the  congregation  to  stand  en 
masse  to  show  their  appreciation,  and  it  did.  On 
the  Tuesday  he  lectured  in  Calvary  Church,  New 
York,  and  the  next  day  set  sail  on  the  Majestic  for 
Liverpool.  "  Every  baby  and  child  I  see  reminds 
me  of  mine,  you  queen  of  all  the  earth." 

In  a  letter  written  during  the  Atlantic  voyage, 
he  says  ;  "I  am  already  exercised  as  to  my  first 
sermon  at  the  Tabernacle.  '  Thy  way  is  in  the  sea,' 
asks  to  be  preached  from,  but  I  cannot  make  it 
go  :  perhaps  it  will  come  ere  it  is  really  wanted." 
Then  perhaps  the  veil  of  family  life  may  be  lifted 
far  enough  to  allow  the  quotation  of  these  sentences, 
"  There  is  discipline  in  this  separation.  Learn  its 
lessons  and  so  rejoice  in  tribulation.  As  for  our 
little  ones,  you  are  wise  and  loving  and  will  train 
them  for  God.  Oh  !  that  the  line  of  saints,  aye, 
and  of  preachers  too,  may  be  maintained.  You 
are  already  the  mother  of  an  angel ;  if  God  sees  fit 


THE   TABERNACLE   TEMPEST        163 

to  make  your  son  an  apostle  won't  it  be  glorious  ? 
And  why  not  ?  " 

On  July  27th  he  arrived  at  Sussex  Lodge, 
Clapham,  the  charming  residence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
William  Higgs,  who  have  always  been  his  staunchest 
friends.  Here  he  was  destined  to  be  entertained, 
much  to  his  satisfaction,  until  December  11th. 

His  ministry  at  the  Tabernacle  began  on 
July  30th,  the  Sunday  after  his  arrival,  when  he 
preached,  not  on  God's  way  in  the  sea,  as  he  had 
purposed,  but  appropriately  enough  on  Christ's 
call  to  the  two  brothers  beside  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 
Preparation  for  this  new  chapter  of  Church  history 
had  been  made  during  the  previous  month  by  a 
series  of  prayer  meetings  ;  the  Tabernacle  itself 
had  been  newly  painted  ;  and  August  was  ushered 
in  with  hope. 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE   FIRST   TABERNACLE   YEARS 

The  ministry  which  then  began  was  destined  to 
continue  for  fourteen  years,  but  at  first  it  was  only 
to  be  a  prolonged  experiment.  On  the  Monday 
morning  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  a  cordial  greeting  from 
the  press.  The  Sun  contained  an  article  on 
"  Spurgeon,  Junior,"  in  which  it  was  said  "  that 
the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  was  packed  from  floor 
to  ceiling."  The  prayer  meeting  on  the  Monday 
evening  lacked  nothing  in  enthusiasm.  Mr.  T.  H. 
Olney  took  the  chair  at  first,  to  welcome  the 
preacher  ;  when  he  vacated  it  the  new  leader  was 
welcomed  with  applause  and  the  waving  of  hand- 
kerchiefs. "  I  never  prayed  the  Lord  to  bring 
me  here,"  Mr.  Spurgeon  said,  "  I  never  found  it 
in  my  heart  to  ask  Him  to  put  me  in  this  place 
even  for  twelve  months.  I  thought  I  did  better 
by  just  putting  myself  in  God's  hands,  saying, 
'  Send  by  whom  Thou  wilt  send.'  Therefore,  when 
you  sent  for  me  I  felt  obliged  to  come." 

The  chief  interest  centred,  of  course,  in  his 
preaching.  Perhaps  an  extract  from  The  Christian 
Weekly  may  help  our  judgment.  "  Thomas  Spur- 
geon has  a  command  of  good  Saxon,  which  he 
knows   how   to   use   with    effect.    The   cultured 

164 


THE  FIRST  TABERNACLE   YEARS     165 

simpleness  of  speech  which  conveys  all  the  rich 
variety  of  feeling  and  phrase — ^the  rhythm  that 
gives  a  suggestion  of  poetry,  the  happy  combination 
of  phrases  imparting  a  quality  of  radiance  that 
gives  oratorical  glimpses  of  new  meanings  and 
ampler  views — are  within  his  reach.  The  common 
people  will  listen  with  ease,  for  he  speaks  their 
language.  When  last  year  he  stood  in  the  sacred 
place  for  the  first  time  he  unconsciously  courted 
comparison  with  the  prince  of  phrase-makers  by 
approximation  to  his  style.  In  voice  and  in  a 
few  familiar  gestures  he  recalls  the  dead." 

But  lest  we  should  get  a  one-sided  view  another 
verdict  may  be  recalled.  A  writer  in  The  Freeman 
a  few  weeks  after  said  :  "I  knew  of  course  that  I 
was  going  to  hear  his  son,  Thomas  Spurgeon.  If 
I  had  not  known  this  beforehand  I  should  not 
have  discovered  it  in  the  service.  There  are  some 
small  matters  in  the  manner  of  the  son,  which  with 
a  Httle  ingenuity  you  can  trace  back  to  the  father, 
and  yet  how  different  !  In  fact,  I  was  pleased  to 
find  that  there  was  not  in  the  son  one  particle  of 
mimicry  of  his  father.  Whatever  Thomas  Spur- 
geon may  be  he  is  himself — a  distinct  individuahty 
— as  his  father  was  himself  the  most  striking 
personality  of  his  day.  I  observed  in  the  son,  it 
is  true,  the  same  fervid  delight  in  the  doctrines  of 
grace,  the  same  directness  of  address  to  God  in 
prayer,  the  same  textual  treatment  of  the  subject, 
the  same  mighty  trust  in  God,  the  same  clearness 
of  enunciation  in  delivery  that  distinguished  his 
father,  and  for  all  this  I  honour  him." 

The  most  picturesque  description  is,  however, 


166    THE   FIRST  TABERNACLE   YEARS 

to  be  found  in  the  columns  of  The  Daily  News  for 
October  3rd,  1892,  and  although  the  reference  is 
to  the  preliminary  visit  the  previous  year,  the 
informed  and  sympathetic  impression  it  gives  may 
correct  and  reconcile  the  two  already  quoted : 

"  Outsiders  may  be  permitted  to  look  on,  and 
there  can  be  no  impropriety  in  our  expressing  the 
opinion  that  no  impartial  onlooker  can  fail  to 
understand  the  desire  that  has  arisen  for  another 
Spurgeon  in  the  pulpit,  as  they  sit  and  listen  to 
the  son  of  their  late  revered  minister.  The  huge 
building  yesterday,  notwithstanding  the  wet,  was 
quite  full,  and  to  the  stranger  taking  his  seat  in  the 
midst  of  the  human  mass  piled  two  galleries  high, 
before  and  behind,  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the 
left,  it  looked  to  be  very  doubtful  whether  that 
rather  young-looking  man  standing  out  prominently 
on  the  rostrum,  which  serves  for  a  pulpit  at  the 
Tabernacle,  could  possibly  hold  the  great  concourse 
of  people. 

"Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon  is  not  quite  so  young 
as  he  looks  :  as  a  matter  of  fact  he  is  thirty-seven 
years  of  age,  and  seen  from  the  floor  of  the  Taber- 
nacle he  looks  to  be  about  his  father's  height, 
though  somewhat  slighter  in  build.  As  the  great 
volume  of  the  rather  crude  unaccompanied  music, 
in  which  the  preacher  seemed  to  be  heartily  joining, 
died  down,  and  his  voice  rose  clear  and  distinct 
in  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  it  was  quite  easy 
to  understand  the  fervour  with  which  many  of  the 
congregation  had  caught  up  the  suggestion  that 
he  should  be  their  pastor.  Seen  from  the  midst 
of  the  congregation  he  is  not  very  dissimilar  in 


THE  FIRST  TABERNACLE   YEARS     167 

appearance  from  his  father.  There  is  the  frock 
coat,  the  Httle  black  tie,  the  quiet  self-possessed 
demeanour,  the  clear,  studied  articulation ;  a  voice, 
not  quite  that  of  Charles  Spurgeon,  not  quite  so 
strong  and  not  quite  so  musical,  so  marvellously 
expressive  and  flexible,  as  his  father's,  but  clear 
and  pleasant  and  melodious,  and  with  many  of  the 
late  pastor's  modulations  and  inflexions. 

"  When  presently,  after  the  manner  of  the  great 
preacher,  he  breaks  off  from  the  chapter  he  is 
reading  and  begins  to  comment  upon  it,  it  im- 
mediately becomes  apparent  that  he  has  the  same 
ready  fluency  of  speech,  the  same  easy,  familiar 
style  of  address,  and  when  he  announces  his  text 
and  plunges  into  his  sermon,  he  soon  shows  himself 
not  altogether  lacking  in  the  racy  way  of  putting 
things,  the  terse  and  vigorous  English,  and  the 
strong  sense  of  humour  that  were  so  characteristic 
of  the  Tabernacle  pulpit  for  many  a  long  year. 

"  Many  of  the  gifts  of  his  father — ^though  no 
doubt  in  smaller  measure — he  certainly  possesses, 
and  every  here  and  there  one  might  have  shut  one's 
eyes  and  fancied  that  it  was  the  old  pastor  back 
again.  When  it  is  added  that  in  doctrinal  matters 
the  son  appears  very  accurately  to  echo  the  father, 
and  not  only  avowed  his  unfaltering  adherence  to 
the  '  old  ways,'  but  every  now  and  again  displayed 
touches  of  the  characteristic  narrowness — or  what 
many  persons  regarded  as  narrowness — of  the 
famous  preacher  before  him,  it  must  be  apparent 
that  the  agitation  for  his  appointment  is  not  only 
intelligible,  but  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world. 

"  Most  decidedly  Thomas  Spurgeon  is  a  chip  of 


168     THE   FIRST   TABERNACLE  YEARS 

the  old  block.  It  has  been  publicly  stated  that  he 
himself  would  like  to  occupy  the  vacant  post. 
Nothing  seems  more  probable.  He  is  living  at 
present  in  the  old  house  at  Norwood,  and  he  finds 
himself  with  a  great  and  honoured  name,  with 
troops  of  friends,  and  an  immense  sphere  of  in- 
fluence waiting  to  be  filled.  Whether  he  is  the 
best  man  to  fill  it — having  regard  to  his  health  and 
strength  amongst  other  things — is  a  matter  entirely 
for  the  Church  to  decide.  He  himself  made  no 
direct  allusion  to  the  question  of  appointment 
during  yesterday  morning's  service,  but  he  prayed 
with  great  earnestness  that  all  their  decisions 
might  be  arrived  at  in  all  charity  and  brotherhood, 
and  the  subdued  '  Amens  '  that  rose  from  every 
part  of  the  great  congregation  displayed  the  depth 
of  the  existing  feeling." 

Though  it  was  written  almost  ten  years  later 
the  following  letter  from  Dr.  Theodore  L.  Cuyler 
will  reinforce  a  sentence  in  the  last  extract .  Writing 
from  176,  Oxford  Street,  Brooklyn,  on  May  13th, 
1903,  he  says  : 

"  Well-beloved  Brother, 

"  I  have  just  read  with  intense  delight  your 
fresh,  sunny,  and  meaty  address  to  the  Pastors' 
College.  When  I  had  finished  it  I  said  to  myself, 
'  This  is  not  a  chip  of  the  old  block — it  is  the  old 
block  itself.'  Your  blessed  father  lives  again  in 
every  racy  line,  and  in  the  spiritual  unction  of  the 
address. 

"  Give  my  earnest  love  to  your  dear  mother,  and 
tell  her  that  she  can  bear  a  great  deal  of  sickness 


THE  FIRST  TABERNACLE  YEARS     169 

as  long  as  God  is  giving  her  such  a  son  to  carry  on 
her  husband's  glorious  work. 

"  My  precious  wife  and  I  have  lately  celebrated 
our  golden  wedding  with  an  inflow  of  congratula- 
tions and  some  generous  gifts.  May  you  and  your 
dear  Australian  spouse  live  to  stand  on  the  same 
delectable  mount  on  your  road  to  the  Celestial 
City! 

"  My  health  is  not  vigorous  but  I  am  often  in 
various  pulpits,  and  on  the  platform  of  religious 
societies,  and  the  papers  kindly  say,  '  with  the 
same  old  force  and  fire.'  (When  these  two  Fs 
give  out,  then  I  want  to  be  off  Home.)" 

Then  with  a  paragraph  about  Mr.  Sankey's 
illness,  he  ends  ;  "  Send  me  a  few  lines  when  you 
can,  and  always  think  of  me  as  your  devotedly 
loving  American  brother  in  Christ  Jesus," 

"  Theodore  L.  Cuyler." 

"  Thomas  Spurgeon." 

Some  letters  to  his  wife,  written  about  this  time, 
which  I  have  been  permitted  to  examine,  throw 
side-lights  on  the  events  of  these  months.  They 
are  mostly  written  from  Sussex  Lodge,  and,  of 
course,  are  in  a  very  intimate  strain. 

On  August  3rd,  1873,  just  after  his  arrival,  he 
reports  :  "I  am  in  the  richest  and  sweetest  of 
clover.  ...  I  must  just  record  the  fact  that  we 
have  had  a  most  delightful  trip  across  the  Atlantic. 
...  On  Sunday,  in  Manchester,  we  went  to  hear 
Dr.  Maclaren  and  enjoyed  a  wonderful  treat.  He 
was  pleased  to  see  me  at  the  close  of  the  service  and 
spoke  many  words  of  cheer.  ,  .  .    I  was  awfully 


170     THE   FIRST   TABERNACLE   YEARS 

delighted  at  the  success  of  my  letter  to  Harold.  I 
had  thought  that  he  would  not  care  to  hear  it  more 
than  once  or  twice.  You  will  be  sick  to  death  of 
it  before  the  next  reaches  you. 

"  Now  for  some  tidings  of  Tom  himself.  The 
day  after  my  arrival  {i.e.  on  Friday  evening)  I 
attended  the  week's  special  prayer -meeting.  I 
came  in  as  they  were  singing  '  There  is  a  fountain.' 
But  they  all  stopped  in  the  midst  of  a  line,  and 
shouted  and  cheered  and  clapped  and  waved. 
Then  they  sang  '  Praise  God.'  The  lecture  hall 
was  packed,  and  such  earnest  prayers  !  I  spoke 
at  some  length  amidst  the  greatest  possible  en- 
thusiasm, and  after  the  meeting  had  at  least  seven 
hundred  handshakes. 

"  On  Sunday,  feeling  very  much  my  position,  I 
struggled  through.  There  were  huge  congregations 
and  great  interest,  but  I  was  anxious  and  nervous 
and  ill  at  ease.  On  Monday,  though  I  had  re- 
quested that  there  should  be  no  demonstration, 
thousands  came  to  the  prayer  meeting.  I  was 
greatly  helped  to  speak.  I  kept  them  in  roars  of 
laughter,  and  yet  maintained  the  solemn  and  de- 
votional character  of  the  meeting.  Last  night 
(Thursday)  there  must  have  been  three  thousand 
present,  so  we  have  truly  made  a  good  beginning. 
Praise  ye  the  Lord  !  As  soon  as  the  Sunday  ser- 
vices were  over  I  felt  much  relieved  and  better  in 
every  way." 

On  August  11th,  he  writes  :  "  My  second  Sunday 
was  much  more  pleasant  (to  myself)  than  the  first. 
The  crowds  were  almost  as  great,  and  I  felt  free 
and  less  constrained." 


THE   FIRST   TABERNACLE   YEARS     171 

On  September  1st :  "  We  had  a  first-rate  day 
last  Sabbath.  Dr.  John  Hall,  of  New  York,  was 
with  us  in  the  evening  :  he  came  down  to  the 
Communion  service  and  spoke  a  bit. ...  I  have  paid 
two  or  three  more  visits  to  the  sculptor  and  he  has 
at  last  finished  the  clay  model.  I  lay  claim  to  a 
good  deal  of  the  credit  for  what  success  has  been 
achieved.  The  sculptor  never  even  saw  dear 
father,  and  was  quite  prepared  to  accept  my  hints. 
He  entirely  altered  the  bust  at  my  suggestion. 
On  Thursday  I  was  studying  all  morning  ;  at  four 
I  was  at  the  Tabernacle  and  saw  no  less  than 
thirteen  applicants,  some  of  them  resulting  from 
the  previous  Sunday's  sermons.  Praise  ye  the 
Lord  ! — ^this  is  best  of  all." 

On  September  8th  :  "  Last  Sunday  was  quite  a 
memorable  day  with  us.  Some  adversaries  have 
complained  of  the  morning's  sermon,  but  the  Lord 
has  owned  it.  In  the  evening  Mr.  Thomas  Olney 
received  me  into  the  Church  with  words  which 
could  not  have  been  more  appropriate,  and  then  I 
received  thirty-nine  others  !  " 

On  December  29th  :  "  I  have  now  quite  settled 
down  at  Jubilee  House,  at  the  back  of  the  Taber- 
nacle, and  my  little  den  looks  quite  cheery  and 
home-like.  It  is  a  grand  institution,  for  I  feel  so 
much  more  like  work  in  a  workshop.  My  little 
stay  at  West  wood  was  very  pleasant,  and  I  think 
mother  enjoyed  it,  too.  My  way  is  still  hidden  from 
me.  I  know  not  what  to  do.  The  officers,  too,  are 
puzzled  as  to  how  to  proceed.  The  most  of  them 
are  prepared  to  recommend  the  Church  to  invite 
me  forthwith,  but  I'm  not  at  all  sure  they're  right. 


172    THE  FIRST  TABERNACLE  YEARS 

"  I  sometimes  think  I  must  ask  you  to  come  to 
Old  England,  even  if  I  do  not  remain  at  the  Taber- 
nacle, so  dearly  do  I  long  to  see  you.  Yet  I  must 
not  do  it  until  it  is  plain  either  that  I  tarry  at  the 
Tabernacle,  or  decide  to  work  somewhere  else  in 
England.  Really,  I  can't  see  that  it  is  likely  I  can 
work  again  in  New  Zealand.  May  the  Lord  grant 
us  a  happy  home  of  our  own  again  in  the  place  that 
He  appoints  ! 

"  Meanwhile  He  will  care  for  us,  and  even  our 
trials — and  you  have  had  many — will  not  cause  us 
to  lose  faith  in  Him,  but  rather  to  trust  the  more 
I  put  you  all  again  into  His  loving  arms." 

As  the  months  passed  the  issue  cleared.  Those 
who  desired  Dr.  Pierson  to  be  the  minister  became 
less  in  number  but  more  decided  in  tone.  A 
correspondence  was  carried  on  in  The  Daily  Chron- 
icle, as  to  "  Who  shall  succeed  Mr.  Spurgeon  ?  " 
and  the  religious  papers,  especially  The  Baptist , 
discussed  the  matter  freely.  All  this  kept  attention 
on  the  Tabernacle,  where  the  congregations  were 
wonderfully  maintained,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  grew 
in  forcefulness  of  delivery  and  acquired  a  new  ease 
of  style.  When  the  end  of  1893  came,  it  was  found 
that  two  hundred  persons  had  been  baptized,  and 
that  the  contributions  of  the  Tabernacle  Church 
to  the  Pastors'  College  had  been  £1,600,  only  £400 
less  than  the  year  before. 

So  marked  was  the  success,  that,  instead  of 
waiting  for  the  expiry  of  the  twelve  months,  a 
special  meeting  of  the  Church  was  called  for 
March  21st,  1894,  to  consider  the  resolution,  "  That 
Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon,  having  supplied  the  pulpit 


THE  FIRST  TABERNACLE  YEARS     173 

with  a  view  to  the  pastorate  for  eight  months,  be 
now  elected  pastor."  Mr.  William  Higgs  moved 
the  resolution,  declaring  that  the  election  of 
Thomas  Spurgeon  would  fulfil  his  father's  dearest 
wish,  who  had  only  mentioned  the  names  of  two 
men  as  likely  to  succeed  him,  and  "  Son  Tom's  " 
was  the  first.  "  When  I  die,"  he  said,  "  of  course 
the  Church  will  send  for  Tom." 

Mr.  William  Olney  gave  five  reasons  why  he 
should  be  elected — that  he  preached  Christ  cruci- 
fied, that  his  sermons  were  so  largely  illustrative  and 
therefore  appealed  to  the  people,  that  already  his 
ministry  among  them  had  the  seal  of  God,  that  he 
worked  harmoniously  with  his  uncle;  and  so,  with  a 
Spurgeon  at  the  head  of  the  College  and  Orphanage, 
and  a  Spurgeon  in  the  Tabernacle,  it  would  be 
like  old  times  back  again,  and  that  the  various 
works  connected  with  the  Church  were  all  pros- 
pering. There  were  nearly  three  thousand  persons 
present,  the  counting  of  the  votes  occupied  an 
hour,  and  then  the  report  was  made,  amidst  much 
enthusiasm,  that  2,127  had  voted  for  the  resolution 
and  649  against  it.  The  best  comment  on  these 
figures  was  that  of  The  British  Weekly,  "  The 
minority  is  considerable,  the  majority  is  decisive." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  was  at  St.  Leonards  at  the  time, 
and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Hall,  now  of  Toronto, 
who  were  then  his  host  and  hostess,  recall  the  scene 
in  their  home  when  the  telegram  arrived  giving 
the  result.  "  Of  the  hallowed  hour,  late  at  night, 
when  we  passed  to  him  the  telegram  from  London 
conveying  the  news  of  his  being  chosen  by  the 
great   Metropolitan   Church   as   successor  to   his 


174     THE   FIRST   TABERNACLE   YEARS 

illustrious  father,  we  cannot  trust  ourselves  to 
write.  Nor  dare  we  speak  of  the  great  prayer 
which  followed.  Our  eyes  were  dim  with  tears 
when  we  arose  from  our  knees  ;  and  it  is  one  of 
the  most  sacred  privileges  of  life  to  remember  that 
our  ears  were  permitted  to  hear  those  wonderful 
petitions  which  must  have  gone  so  direct  to  God's 
ear." 

This,  perhaps,  is  the  best  place  to  say  that  a 
very  intimate  and  true  friendship  existed  between 
the  Halls  and  Spurgeon.  A  week  before  the 
decisive  Church  meeting,  for  instance,  he  wrote  to 
them :  "I  thank  God  that  you  are  willing  to 
shelter  me.  I  thank  you,  too.  May  He  shelter 
me  in  His  pavilion  from  the  strife  of  tongues  that 
is  besetting  me  before  and  behind  just  now.  It  is 
terrible,  and  the  mist  grows  thicker,  yet  '  when  we 
halt  no  track  discovering,  etc'  "  In  a  letter  a 
week  after  there  occurs  the  sentence,  "  I  cannot 
say  I  feel  triumphant  over  my  acceptance  "  ;  and, 
as  a  sample  of  his  love  of  metaphor,  another  letter 
to  the  Halls  may  be  quoted,  though  it  is  perhaps 
out  of  place  here.  On  February  21st,  1895,  he 
writes  :  "  To-day  I  have  ventured  out  of  my  snug 
moorings  in  Blanket  Bay,  and  am  having  a  short 
cruise  in  Dining-Room  Harbour  ;  but  I  am  not 
in  racing  trim  yet,  I  can  assure  you.  Cordage  is 
slack,  the  ballast  has  shifted,  and  some  of  the  sails 
seem  rent." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  accepted  the  call  in  a  lengthy 
letter  which  was  read  to  a  large  meeting  of  the 
Church  on  April  2nd.  One  sentence  of  it  runs : 
"  In  humble  and  absolute  dependence  on  Divine 


THE   FIRST   TABERNACLE   YEARS     175 

aid,  and  counting  on  the  earnest  and  affectionate 
co-operation  of  officers  and  members,  and  hoping 
for  the  prayers  not  of  these  only,  but  of  Christians 
the  world  over,  I  do  accept  the  position  to  which 
you  have  invited  me,  with  its  glorious  privileges,  its 
stupendous  tasks,  and  its  solemn  responsibilities." 
Taking  the  chair  as  Pastor  of  the  Church  he  closed 
his  speech  by  reading  a  letter  which  he  had  had 
in  his  possession  for  years,  written  by  his  father 
in  1885,  in  which  he  said,  "  Get  very  strong,  and 
when  I  am  older  and  feebler  be  ready  to  take  my 
place." 

Ten  days  afterwards  a  public  meeting  was  held 
in  the  Tabernacle,  such  as  could  only  be  matched 
at  C.  H.  Spurgeon's  Jubilee.  Nearly  two  thousand 
persons  sat  down  to  tea,  and  at  seven  o'clock,  when 
Mr.  Thomas  Olney  took  the  chair,  the  vast  building 
was  crowded  in  every  part.  A  few  friends  who 
wished  to  show  their  gratitude  to  God  "  for  the 
election  of  their  dear  pastor,"  had  subscribed  £100, 
which  was  handed  to  Mr.  Spurgeon  to  be  used 
entirely  as  he  pleased.  He  handed  it  at  once  to 
the  treasurer  of  the  Church  "  for  those  institutions 
that  are  in  most  necessitous  case  just  now,"  and 
then  made  a  speech  which  The  Christian  Common- 
wealth  praised  as  a  most  able  utterance,  reporting 
it  in  ecctenso. 

This  settlement  meant  the  retirement,  instant 
or  gradual,  of  a  considerable  number  who  had 
become  involved  in  opposition  to  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
some  of  whom  could  ill  be  spared ;  but  the  bulk  of 
the  membership  were  ready  to  welcome  the  old 
pastor's  son  as  the  new  pastor,  and  so  the  second 


176    THE  FIRST  TABERNACLE  YEARS 

phase  of  the  Spurgeon  era  began.  The  pubUc 
voice  was  given  in  The  Echo  of  March  30th,  1894  : 
"  During  the  trying  period  through  which  he  has 
just  passed  he  held  himself  aloof  from  all  partisan- 
ship, giving  evidence  of  a  modesty  and  self-restraint 
which  must  have  made  a  favourable  impression 
even  on  his  opponents.  His  refraining  from 
bringing  his  wife  and  child  to  England,  lest  it  might 
seem  that  he  had  come  to  stay,  is  a  case  in  point. 
Take  him  for  all  in  all,  '  Son  Tom  '  is  probably  the 
nearest  approach  to  the  '  prince  of  preachers '  to 
be  found  amongst  the  younger  generation  of  Baptist 
ministers." 

The  same  year  witnessed  another  very  interesting 
gathering.  In  the  summer  Mr.  Spurgeon  invited  his 
people  to  meet  him  at  the  Stockwell  Orphanage 
on  July  14th.  "  You  have  welcomed  me  before," 
he  said,  "  at  least  half  of  me.  I  want  you  to 
welcome  the  other  half  of  me  on  Friday  afternoon." 
Mrs.  Spurgeon  and  the  two  children,  who  had  been 
left  behind  in  New  Zealand,  had  made  the  journey 
to  England  in  safety.  In  one  of  his  sermons  her 
husband  tells  how  he  waited  impatiently  at  Ply- 
mouth when  her  boat  was  due,  and  with  what  joy 
he  had  welcomed  her  on  her  arrival. 

At  the  Orphanage  meeting  Mr.  Thomas  Olney, 
who  presided,  told  him  that  they  were  all  proud  of 
him,  and  with  much  satisfaction  reported  that  not 
only  were  the  congregations  well  maintained,  but 
that  there  was  "  a  feeling  of  unity  in  the  Church 
that  we  could  scarcely  have  hoped  for  a  few  months 
ago."  Then,  in  the  name  of  his  friends,  about 
five  hundred  of  whom  had  contributed,  he  handed 


THE   FIRST  TABERNACLE   YEARS     177 

Mr .  Spurgeon  a  cheque  for  £350 .  At  the  Tabernacle 
welcome  the  pastor  had  given  to  the  works  of  the 
Church  the  £100  then  presented,  but  this  time,  in 
view  of  the  establishment  of  a  new  home,  he 
frankly  said  that  he  felt  justified  in  keeping  their 
gift  for  his  own  uses,  which  was  quite  the  desire 
of  those  who  had  given  it. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  next  year  a  series  of  very 
interesting  services  were  held  at  the  Tabernacle, 
with  the  intent  of  reaching  various  sections  of  the 
people,  and  on  the  last  evening,  in  wintry  weather, 
some  fifty  meetings  were  held  in  the  homes  of  the 
members;  the  average  attendance  seems  to  have 
been  about  a  score — "  not  a  bad  record,"  says 
The  Sword  and  Trowel,  "  for  such  a  night."  The 
church  meeting  the  following  year,  1896,  seems  to 
have  been  of  a  very  delightful  character,  the  area 
and  the  first  gallery  of  the  vast  building  being 
nearly  filled.  "  It  must  have  greatly  encouraged 
and  cheered  the  pastor,"  says  The  Sword  and 
Trowel,  "to  be  assured  again  and  again  in  the 
most  unmistakable  manner  that  the  heart  of  the 
Church  at  the  Tabernacle  beats  as  true  to  him  as 
it  did  to  his  beloved  father." 

That  such  was  abundantly  the  case  can  be 
gathered  from  a  letter,  addressed  to  the  Halls,  in 
which  he  "  let  himself  go." 

February  2(ith,  1896. 

"  My  dear  Friends, 

"  How  I  would  like  to  be  able  to  tell  you  all 
the  details  of  last  night's  meeting.     I  was  led  in 
triumph    all  the   time — i,e,   gracing    my   Lord's 
12 


178    THE   FIRST  TABERNACLE   YEARS 

triumph  and  triumphing  in  His  grace.  We  had 
hundreds  more  than  were  expected  to  tea,  and  as 
large  a  church  meeting  as  (if  not  larger  than)  ever. 
I  spoke  boldly,  as  I  ought  to  speak,  re  loyalty,  etc., 
and  was  cheered  to  the  echo.  The  utmost  enthusi- 
asm prevailed !  !  Every  speaker  made  kindliest 
reference  to  myself,  and  my  hands  are  doubtless 
greatly  strengthened.  It  was  a  sight  and  time 
never  to  be  forgotten. 

"Mr.  Higgs  made  a  splendid  speech,  ostensibly 
about  Thomas  Olney,  but  in  reality  more  about 
T.  S.  He  said  T.  H.  O.  had  seen  C.  H.  S.'s  enemies 
discomfited — their  arrows  missing  the  mark  or 
falling  blunted  from  his  shield,  or  returning  to  the 
heart  of  the  archers.  '  I  believe,'  said  he,  '  that 
Mr.  Olney  will  live  to  see  history  repeat  itself  in 
the  case  of  Great-Heart's  son — ^himself  a  great- 
heart,  too.'  Oh  my  !  wasn't  there  a  rumpus  of 
dehght  I 

"  When  it  came  to  the  proposal  as  to  an  assistant 
pastor  all  still  went  well.  Never  have  I  been  so 
helped  to  speak.  I  became  a  fool  in  glorying. 
I  insisted  that  I  had  toiled  my  utmost,  that  it  was 
part  of  the  bargain  that  I  should  have  help  ;  that 
I  had  hesitated  till  now  as  some  had  already  proved 
that  they  would  be  content  with  none  unless  of 
their  own  choosing.  I  insisted  also  that  the 
selection  must  be  my  own — the  election  theirs. 
When  I  told  them  that  the  deacons  and  elders  and 
pastor  combined  to  recommend  Mr.  Sawday  (for 
a  year),  there  was  manifest  approval. 

"  When  I  declared  the  proposal  carried  '  by  an 
overwhelming  majority '  there  was  another  huUa- 


THE   FIRST  TABERNACLE   YEARS     179 

baloo,  and  I  had  a  private  one  inside  !  Didn't  we 
sing  '  Praise  God,' — ^that's  all.  So  we've  got  a 
new  start,  and  my  heart  singeth  for  joy,  and  my 
eyes  stream  with  tears  of  thankfulness. 

"  Pardon  the  length  of  this  Hallelujah  harangue. 
I'd  hug  you  both  if  I  could  for  very  joy.  I'm  sure 
the  agitation  helped  to  this  issue,  and  your  letters 
played  their  part.     Fare  ye  well." 

"  Yours, 
"  Thomas  Spurgeon." 

So  four  years'  pastorate  happily  passed.  They 
were  not  without  their  trials,  but  joy  was  in  the 
ascendant.  Honour  on  honour  was  heaped  on  the 
minister  of  the  Tabernacle.  At  the  College  Public 
Meeting  on  May  1st,  1896,  Dr.  James  A.  Spurgeon 
suddenly  resigned  the  Presidency  of  the  College, 
on  the  ground  of  loyalty  to  the  Trust  Deed,  which 
stated  that  the  college  existed  to  train  men  for  the 
Particular  Baptist  denomination,  and  should, 
therefore,  be  associated  with  that  denomination. 
When  Thomas  Spurgeon  rose  there  was  long-con- 
tinued cheering ;  it  was  known  that  he  took  an 
opposite  view,  but  he  simply  said  :  "  Dear  friends, 
I  should  be  sorry  if  this  meeting  assumed  the  form 
of  a  demonstration — and  I  regret  to  have  to  use 
the  words — on  either  side.  I  am  not  going  to  reply 
to  the  remarks  that  have  been  made."  And  so," 
says  The  Baptist,  "  in  one  half -minute  we  had 
passed  the  quicksands."  An  admirable  instance 
of  tact.  As  a  consequence  of  the  withdrawal  of  his 
uncle,  Thomas  Spurgeon  became  president  of  the 
College,  and  shortly  afterwards  was  elected  president 


180     THE   FIRST  TABERNACLE   YEARS 

of  the  Orphanage,  and  of  the  Colportage  Society, 
too.  He  entered  fully  into  his  father's  heritage, 
for  (though  it  is  anticipating)  he  also  became 
editor  of  The  Sword  and  Trowel  in  1902.  His 
sermons  were  reported  week  by  week  in  Word  and 
Work  and  in  The  Christian  Signal ;  his  services 
were  sought  for  far  and  wide,  his  health  seemed  to 
be  re-established,  and  everything  bade  fair  for  a 
prosperous  future,  when  on  the  morning  of  April 
20th,  1898,  there  suddenly  came  the  great  catas- 
trophe— the  Tabernacle  was  burnt  to  the  ground. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE   CATASTROPHE 

The  College  burned  the  Tabernacle  down.  All 
sorts  of  rumours  were  in  circulation  at  the  beginning 
as  to  the  cause  of  the  fire  ;  it  was  said  that  some 
fanatic  had  set  the  building  alight  because  he 
thought  that  no  voice  but  that  of  C.  H.  Spurgeon 
was  worthy  to  be  heard  within  its  sacred  walls  ; 
that  the  spirit  of  faction  was  so  strong  that  it  even 
led  to  arson,  and  so  on.  The  simple  explanation, 
however,  was  just  a  defective  flue.  The  Pastors' 
College  Conference  was  in  session,  and  a  dinner  for 
some  four  hundred  ministers  was  being  prepared 
in  the  Tabernacle  basement.  The  fire  for  cooking 
overheated  a  flue,  which  set  some  dry  exposed 
wood  alight,  and  the  disaster  occurred.  The  fire 
was  caused  by  the  cooking,  the  cooking  by  the 
Conference,  and  the  Conference  by  the  College.  So 
we  may  say  that  if  there  had  been  no  college  there 
would  have  been  no  fire. 

Superstitious  people  laid  some  stress  on  the 
fact  that  Old  Moore's  Almanack  for  the  year 
predicted  that,  in  the  middle  of  April,  "  the  de- 
struction of  a  famous  building  by  fire  may  be 
expected  about  this  time.  Insurance  will  cover 
the  actual  cost,  but  historical  associations,  alas  I 

181 


182  THE  CATASTROPHE 

have  no  money  equivalent."  Practical  people  were 
scandalized  that  when  the  fire  was  first  discovered 
in  the  top  gallery  there  was  not  even  a  fire  bucket 
ready  to  quench  an  outbreak  that  at  first  could 
easily  have  been  conquered  by  a  few  quarts  of 
water.  Sympathetic  people  mourned  that  the 
place  consecrated  by  such  a  ministry  of  the  Gospel 
should  be  doomed  to  sudden  destruction,  and 
wondered  as  to  the  future. 

The  fire  was  first  discovered  about  half-past 
twelve  on  Wednesday  morning,  April  20th,  1898  ; 
in  half  an  hour  the  roof  fell  in,  and  at  a  quarter-past 
two  o'clock  the  Tabernacle  was  burnt  out.  The 
event  was  published  to  the  whole  world  :  all  the 
newspapers  and  illustrated  journals  took  notice 
of  it,  and  pictures  abounded  of  the  havoc  the  fire 
had  made.  The  best  description  of  the  scene 
appeared  in  The  Daily  Telegraph  the  next  morning. 
Same  of  the  paragraphs  are  reproduced : 

"  The  first  notification  that  something  was  wrong 
appears  to  have  been  given  by  some  people  occupy- 
ing shops  facing  the  Tabernacle,  who  remarked 
that  smoke  was  issuing  from  a  corner  of  the  front 
portion  of  the  roof.  A  few  minutes  later  persons 
were  seen  leaving  the  premises  in  a  state  of  great 
alarm,  and  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the 
vast  edifice  was  blazing  like  tinder.  The  fire 
commenced  in  the  gallery,  attacked  the  roof,  and 
then  literally  encircled  the  building  until  every 
portion,  from  top  to  basement,  was  a  prey  to  the 
flames. 

'"  A  clergyman  who  witnessed  the  scene  from  a 
neighbouring    roof    states    that    within    twenty 


THE   CATASTROPHE  188 

minutes  of  the  first  alarm  the  place  was  like  a 
seething  cauldron.  All  the  windows  had  been 
broken,  the  flames  were  leaping  forth  in  every 
direction,  and  above  all  was  the  fierce  crackling 
of  timber,  the  roar  of  a  vast  conflagration,  fanned 
fiercer  and  fiercer  by  a  gentle  breeze. 

"  It  would  be  impossible  to  exaggerate  the  scene 
of  excitement  in  Newington  Butts  during  the  pro- 
gress of  the  conflagration.  The  first  measure 
adopted  by  the  police  was  to  stop  all  trams  and  to 
divert  the  omnibus  traffic.  Vehicles  going  from 
Blackfriars  Bridge  to  the  Elephant  and  Castle  were 
unable  to  continue  their  journey  beyond  the 
Obelisk.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Tabernacle 
many  thousands  of  people  soon  assembled,  and  the 
spectacle  which  was  presented  to  them,  though 
painful,  had  many  picturesque  features.  The 
breeze  was  sufficiently  strong  to  stimulate  the 
power  of  the  flames,  but  not  to  dispel  the  great 
volumes  of  smoke  which  hung  like  a  canopy  at 
some  distance  above  the  doomed  building.  The 
gloom  of  the  day  only  served  to  heighten  the  effect. 
In  spite  of  tons  of  water  which  were  hurled  by  the 
steamers  upon  the  great  temple,  the  hose  being 
directed  from  all  the  neighbouring  roofs  and  from 
every  conceivable  point  of  vantage,  the  fire  burnt 
like  a  gigantic  furnace.  Columns  of  flame  shot 
from  every  side,  the  great  fa9ade  and  Corinthian 
pillars,  built  of  stone,  were  lapped  and  encircled 
by  the  fire,  and  then,  at  a  time  when  it  seemed 
impossible  that  the  din  could  be  more  terrific  or 
the  conflagration  fiercer,  the  majestic  roof  crashed 
to  the  ground.    It  fell  with  a  terrible  noise,  like 


184  THE   CATASTROPHE 

the  sound  of  big  artillery,  and  immediately  after- 
wards the  flames  burst  with  renewed  vigour  and 
showers  of  sparks  ascended. 

''  Soon  after  the  roof  came  down  the  firemen 
had  the  outbreak  well  in  hand,  and  by  two  o'clock 
no  danger  was  to  be  apprehended.  Nothing  re- 
mained of  the  Tabernacle — which  was  built  at  a 
cost  of  £31,362,  and  opened  in  May,  1861,  free  of 
debt — but  the  blackened  walls.  The  fa9ade  stood 
forth  as  usual,  except  for  the  grime  caused  by  the 
smoke  and  heat,  but  the  interior  of  the  building 
was  simply  a  mass  of  charred  woodwork.  The 
great  iron  pillars  which  had  supported  the  galleries 
were  still  to  be  seen,  but  the  heat  had  played  strange 
pranks  with  them.  One  was  literally  twisted  into 
a  spiral,  and  the  shapes  of  all  were  grotesque. 
Every  vestige  of  furniture  was  destroyed  :  the 
great  iron  safes  containing  many  valuable  papers 
were  kept  on  the  premises,  and  these,  it  is  believed, 
will  be  safely  recovered.  The  Communion  plate, 
and  various  important  records  kept  in  the  offices 
at  the  back  of  the  Tabernacle,  were  happily  removed 
without  injury." 

Not  only  the  valuable  Communion  service,  but 
the  oil  portraits  of  the  previous  pastors  of  the 
Church  were  fortunately  saved.  A  marble  bust  of 
C.  H.  Spurgeon  which  adorned  the  vestry  was  also 
spared.  The  deacons  tried  to  drag  it  away  from 
the  flames,  but  it  proved  too  heavy,  so  they  removed 
it  from  its  pedestal,  covered  it  with  a  carpet,  and 
hoped  for  the  best.  It  survived,  stained  so  deeply 
that  its  original  whiteness  cannot  be  restored,  and 
it  stands  to-day  a  memorial  of  the  fiery  ordeal 


THE   CATASTROPHE  185 

through  which  it  has  passed.  It  was  this  bust 
which  called  forth  one  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  caustic, 
yet  humorous  remarks,  in  the  old  days  :  when  it 
was  presented  to  him  he  thanked  the  donors  but 
declared  that  he  did  not  want  to  be  busted. 

Many  other  unexpected  things  escaped  the 
ravages  of  the  flames.  I  have  a  cancelled  cheque, 
made  out  in  my  name  for  a  month's  allowance  in 
my  old  mission  days,  which  defied  the  scorching 
heat,  long  after  the  money  it  represented  had 
melted  away. 

Almost  as  if  by  magic  the  deacons  had  printed 
announcements  displayed  that  the  Thursday  meet- 
ing of  the  College  would  be  held  in  Exeter  Hall, 
and  before  three  o'clock  on  Friday  those  bills  had 
been  removed,  and  others  displayed  giving  notice 
that  the  Sunday  services  would  also  be  held  there. 
Other  buildings  had  been  offered,  including  Christ 
Church,  which  Mr.  Meyer  generously  placed  at 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  disposal,  but  it  was  felt  that,  if 
for  nothing  else  than  old  associations'  sake,  the 
historic  hall  in  the  Strand  was  best  suited  for  the 
purpose. 

On  the  Sunday  morning  the  congregation  filled 
the  building.  Many  were  in  tears  as  in  his  opening 
prayer  Mr.  Spurgeon  quoted  the  verse  :  "  For  we 
know  that  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle 
were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building  of  God,  an  house 
not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens." 
The  appropriate  text  was  Isaiah  Ixiv.  11, 12  :  "  Our 
holy  and  our  beautiful  house,  where  our  fathers 
praised  Thee,  is  burned  up  with  fire ;  and  all  our 
pleasant  things  are  laid  waste.     Wilt  Thou  refrain 


186  THE   CATASTROPHE 

Thyself  for  these  things,  O  Lord  ?    Wilt  Thou 
hold  Thy  peace  and  afflict  us  very  sore  ?  " 

During  the  sermon  the  preacher  said,  "  We  have 
lost  a  good  many  things  as  well  as  the  structure. 
We  are  sorry  that  the  table  on  the  platform  is  no 
more,  and  that  the  Bible  into  which  my  dear  father 
so  often  looked  is  now  in  blackened  pieces.  We 
are  sorry  that  your  hymn-books  and  Bibles,  which 
you  had  stored  in  so  many  places,  have  ceased  to 
be.  It  is  a  pity  that  we  have  lost  the  little  child's 
chair  in  which  my  father  used  to  sit  as  a  boy,  and 
where  my  own  children  were  so  pleased  to  seat 
themselves.  But  it  is  a  comfort  to  know  that  the 
books,  the  accounts,  the  trust  deeds,  and  some  of 
the  pictures  have  been  saved.  If  we  have  lost  our 
hymn-books  we  have  not  lost  our  songs ;  though 
our  Bibles  are  burned  the  Word  remains.  Our 
pleasant  things  are  those  which  nothing  can  des- 
troy :  the  Church  of  God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  the 
fellowship  of  saints,  the  ordinances  of  the  sanctuary. 
I  am  glad  to  tell  you  that  the  old  copy  of  the 
Declaration  of  Faith  which  hung  in  the  pastor's 
vestry  has  been  saved,  but  even  if  it  had  been  lost 
our  faith  would  have  remained." 

A  touch  of  the  grotesque  was  given  to  the 
situation  after  the  fire  by  the  luncheon  in  the 
basement,  which,  though  saturated  with  water, 
still  remained  on  the  tables  :  a  large  pan  of  potatoes 
was  still  on  the  stove  ;  and  bottles  of  aerated  water 
were  strewn  about  the  floor. 

When  the  fire  began  the  College  Conference  was 
in  session.  A  deacon's  daughter  brought  the 
alarming  news  of  it  to  the  College  Hall,  and  whis- 


THE  CATASTROPHE  187 

pered  it  to  those  near  the  door.  Without  making 
a  fuss  they  ran  over  to  the  Tabernacle  and  dis- 
covered the  serious  nature  of  the  situation.  Mr. 
Nicholson,  of  Bedford,  thereupon  hurriedly  walked 
up  to  the  platform  and  told  the  news  to  Mr. 
Spurgeon.  After  a  minute's  pause  he  turned  to 
those  beside  him,  and  said,  *'  What  shall  we  do  ? 
Go  on  with  the  meeting  ?  "  There  was  none  to 
deny,  so  the  address  in  progress  by  Rev.  James 
Stephens,  of  Highgate,  on  "  The  Lord  is  with  you 
while  ye  be  with  Him,"  was  continued.  But  the 
people  guessed  something  was  the  matter,  so  the 
president  had  to  interrupt  the  speaker  and 
announce,  "  I  am  told,  friends,  that  the  Tabernacle 
is  on  fire.  We  can  do  no  good  by  rushing  out. 
I  dare  say  we  should  only  be  in  the  way  of  the 
firemen.  Let  us  go  on  quietly  with  our  meeting." 
Mr,  Stephens  resumed,  but  in  about  ten  minutes 
the  heat  became  so  intense  that,  closing  the  meeting 
with  prayer,  the  president  asked  the  ladies  in  the 
gallery  to  go  out  first,  and  then  the  four  hundred 
or  five  hundred  ministers  followed.  By  the  time 
the  last  had  departed  it  had  become  unpleasantly 
hot,  but,  happily,  the  College  buildings  were  never 
in  danger. 

From  the  platform  Mr.  Spurgeon  must  have  been 
able  all  along  to  see  the  tongues  of  flame  shooting 
forth  from  the  building  in  which  he  was  more 
interested  than  any  other  man  in  the  assembly ; 
yet  he  calmly  maintained  his  place,  and  kept  the 
meeting  in  hand.  As  in  a  flash  it  revealed  his 
sense  of  values.  To  him  the  sacred  exercises  in 
which  they  were  engaged  were  of  more  importance, 


188  THE   CATASTROPHE 

at  that  moment,  than  even  the  sight  of  the  burning 
sanctuary.  The  story  of  the  fire  is  interesting, 
but  far  more  interesting  to  his  biographer,  at  all 
events,  is  the  unconscious  manifestation  of  the 
soul  of  the  man.  Few  would  have  taken  the  same 
course.  I  confess  that  I  should  have  been  eager, 
and  I  think  rightly  eager,  to  see  the  spectacle,  but 
to  Thomas  Spurgeon,  not  only  were  the  eternal 
things  of  first  value,  but  the  particular  exercises 
in  which  he  was  engaged  far  outweighed  any  mere 
earthly  consideration.  In  the  light  of  the  fire 
there  stands  revealed  the  man — there  is  the  inner- 
most secret  of  his  life.  Nothing  to  him  was  to  be 
compared  to  the  spiritual  realities,  he  was  so  sure 
of  Christ  that  nothing  could  shake  his  faith,  nor 
obscure  his  sense  of  the  divine,  and  all  else  was 
vanity. 

Again  and  again  Browning's  conception  of 
Lazarus,  in  his  Epistle  of  Karshish,  seems  to  fit  his 
case  and  to  express  his  character. 

**  Heaven  opened  to  a  soul  while  yet  on  earth, 
Earth  forced  on  a  soul's  use  while  seeing  heaven  ; 
The  man  is  witless  of  the  size,  the  sum, 
The  value  in  proportion  of  all  things, 
Or  whether  it  be  little  or  be  much. 


Should  his  child  sicken  imto  death — why,  look 

For  scarce  abatement  of  his  cheerfulness. 

Or  pretermission  of  his  daily  craft ! 

While  a  word,  gesture,  glance  from  that  same  child 

At  play  or  in  the  school  or  hard  asleep, 

Will  startle  him  to  an  agony  of  fear, 

Exasperation,  just  as  like. 


THE   CATASTROPHE  189 

**  Whence  has  the  man  the  bahn  that  brightens  all  ? 
This  grown  man  eyes  the  world  now  like  a  child 
That  sets  the  undreamed-of  rapture  at  his  hand 
And  puts  the  cheap  old  joy  in  the  scorned  dust. 

*'  And  oft  the  man's  soul  springs  into  his  face 
As  if  he  saw  again  and  heard  again 
His  Sage  that  bade  him  '  Bise.' 

**  This  man  is  apathetic  you  deduce  ? 
Contrariwise,  he  loves  both  old  and  yoimg, 
Able  and  weak,  affects  the  very  brutes 
And  birds — how  say  I  ?   flowers  of  the  field — 
As  a  wise  workman  recognises  tools 
In  a  master's  workshop,  loving  what  they  make. 
Thus  is  the  man  as  harmless  as  a  lamb  : 
Only  impatient,  let  him  do  his  best, 
At  ignorance  and  carelessness  and  sin." 

It  is  Christ's  resurrection  word  that  makes  the 
saint,  and  of  Thomas  Spurgeon,  saint  and  gospeller, 
it  may  be  truly  said  as  of  Lazarus  raised  from  the 
dead,  "  Because  of  him  many  went  away  and 
believed  on  Jesus." 


CHAPTER    XIV 

THE   NEW   TABERNACLE 

Twenty  and  nine  months  was  the  Tabernacle  in 
re-building.  When  it  lay  in  ruins  on  that  April 
evening  it  took  an  heroic  spirit  to  contemplate  its 
renewal.  But  Thomas  Spurgeon  and  his  helpers 
never  hesitated.  On  that  same  evening  he  an- 
nounced to  the  public  that  it  would  be  rebuilt.  It 
needed  only  the  occasion  to  show  of  what  fine 
stuff  he  was  built.  A  man's  own  character  can 
often  be  deduced  from  the  sort  of  people  he  admires. 
Thomas  Spurgeon' s  heroes,  as  he  told  me  one  day 
on  the  Alps,  were  Oliver  Cromwell,  Joan  of  Arc, 
Abraham  Lincoln,  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  and — Paul 
Kruger  !  That  last  name  will  perhaps  be  read 
with  surprise,  but  it  is  a  singular  thing  that  there 
is  one  portrait  of  Kruger  and  one  portrait  of 
Spurgeon  that  so  closely  resemble  each  other  that 
one  might,  at  a  quick  glance,  easily  be  taken  for  the 
other  ;  and,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  there 
were  elements  of  similarity  in  their  character. 

The  new  Tabernacle,  which  cost  £45,000,  was 
opened,  like  the  first  Tabernacle,  free  of  debt.  A 
sum  of  £22,000  was  received  from  the  insurance 
companies,  who  behaved  quite  generously  in  the 
matter,  and  before  "  The  Feast  of  the  Dedication  *' 

190 


THE   NEW   TABERNACLE  191 

began— a  long  and  happily  sustained  festival,  from 
September  19th  to  October  18th,  1900— £23,300 
had  been  contributed  by  the  people.  At  no  time 
during  the  progress  of  the  work  was  there  any  lack 
of  means  to  carry  it  forward  :  the  Lord  sent 
supplies  as  they  were  needed. 

The  fire  had  scarcely  burnt  itself  out  before 
messages  of  sympathy  by  letter  and  telegraph 
began  to  arrive.  One  friend  wrote  that  if  some- 
thing startling  had  not  happened  the  son  would 
not  have  been  in  the  Spurgeonic  succession,  and 
tried  to  comfort  him  with  the  thought  that  the 
fiery  baptism  proved  his  heritage.  His  faith, 
expressed  in  a  meeting  of  the  Church  and  congrega- 
tion at  Upton  Chapel  on  Monday,  May  9th,  that 
whether  £10,000  or  £20,000  were  needed  he  did 
not  doubt  but  that  it  would  come  in  God's  good 
time,  was  a  surer  sign  of  his  calling.  Concerning 
an  earlier  gathering  on  April  21st,  he  wrote  to  his 
friend,  Mr.  William  Higgs  :  "  Last  night's  meeting 
was  overwhelming — a  tidal  wave  of  sympathy  and 
love." 

Singularly  enough  the  trust  deed  of  the  old 
Tabernacle  had  a  clause  dealing  with  the  rebuilding 
of  the  Sanctuary,  and  in  accordance  with  it,  a 
meeting  of  the  men  members  of  the  Church  gathered 
on  May  27th,  1898,  to  consider  the  matter .  Woman 
had  not  yet  gained  her  place,  either  in  the  world 
or  in  the  Church.  At  that  meeting,  it  was  felt 
that  while  temporary  accommodation  for  the  church 
services  would  be  found  in  Exeter  Hall,  the  Pastors' 
College,  and  the  Stockwell  Orphanage,  it  would  be 
in  the  best  interests  of  the  work  to  get  back  to 


192  THE   NEW  TABERNACLE 

Newington  Butts  as  soon  as  possible.    Therefore, 
on  expert  advice  it  was  decided  that  the  entire 
basement  of  the  Tabernacle  should  be  cleared,  and 
roofed  in  with  what  would  be  the  fireproof  floor 
of  the  new  Tabernacle.    In  this  way  accommodation 
could  be  provided  for  two  thousand  persons.     It 
was  expected  that  this  could  be  accomplished  in 
three  or  four  months  ;  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  first 
services  in  the  basement  hall  were  held  on  the  first 
day  of  January  the  following  year,  and  the  pastor 
then  wrote,  "  We  find  that  considerably  over  two 
thousand  people  can  be  accommodated,  and  that  they 
can  all  hear.'^     The  estimated  cost  of  this  part  of 
the  work  was  £7,866. 

So  far  good.  But  the  rebuilding  of  the  super- 
structure was  a  more  serious  business.  There  were 
those  who  questioned  whether  it  should  be  rebuilt 
at  all,  whether  the  destruction  of  the  old  building, 
permitted  by  God,  was  not  an  indication  that  the 
people  should  go  further  afield,  especially  as  the 
neighbourhood  in  Newington  was  so  rapidly 
changing  ;  whether  two  or  three  places  of  worship 
might  not  be  built  instead  of  one  ;  whether  a  much 
smaller  tabernacle  might  not  suffice  on  the  old  site  ; 
whether  it  was  necessary  to  have  two  galleries  in 
the  new  structure,  and  a  host  of  other  questions. 

In  the  minute  book  of  the  Church  a  statement 
of  the  case  was  made  in  which  occur  the  following 
paragraphs  :  "  It  seems  to  be  taken  for  granted, 
from  the  first,  that  the  Tabernacle  would  be  re- 
built, and  with  God's  help  it  shall  be  done."  "  We 
cherish  no  sort  of  doubt  that  the  Lord  will,  in  His 
own  good  time,  reinstate  us,  and  establish  the 


THE   NEW   TABERNACLE  193 

work  of  our  hands."  *'  No  words  can  set  forth 
our  grief  at  losing  a  place  endeared  to  us  by  ten 
thousand  hallowed  associations ;  but  we  are 
persuaded  that  He  Who  helped  our  late  loved 
pastor,  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  to  rear  it,  and  then  so 
successfully  to  occupy  its  pulpit,  will  enable  us  to 
rebuild  the  structure,  and  to  continue  the  good 
work." 

Finally,  it  was  decided  that  the  new  building 
should  be  on  the  general  plan  of  the  old,  omitting 
the  top  gallery  if  that  was  found  to  be  desirable. 
Three  conditions  were  imposed  on  the  building 
committee :  "  That  the  restored  building  must 
worthily  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  beloved 
founder,  C.  H.  Spurgeon  ;  that  it  should  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  times  and  be  suitable  for 
conventions  and  anniversaries,  as  well  as  for  the 
regular  services  of  the  Sabbath  ;  that  any  scheme 
adopted  should  give  effect  to  the  pastor's  suggestion 
that  he  and  his  hearers  be  brought  into  closer 
proximity  to  each  other." 

In  the  result,  the  committee  determined  to  retain 
the  top  gallery,  and  when  tenders  were  handed  in 
from  six  builders  the  estimates  ranged  from 
£36,000  to  £33,000.  Mr.  F.  H.  Ford,  the  secretary 
of  the  building  committee,  tells  that  having 
attended  at  the  architect's  office  to  see  the  tenders 
opened,  he  hurried  to  the  Tabernacle  to  inform 
Mr.  Spurgeon  of  the  result.  The  estimates  were 
greatly  in  excess  of  what  had  been  anticipated,  so 
the  news  was  imparted  gently,  the  sugar  first,  the 
pill  to  follow. 

"  You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  the  tender  of 
13 


194  THE   NEW   TABERNACLE 

Messrs.  Higgs  and  Hill  is  the  lowest,  and  that  they 
will  build  the  Tabernacle,"  to  which  the  Pastor 
responded,  "  The  Lord  be  praised."  Then  came 
the  serious  announcement  of  the  contract  price, 
and  the  pastor  answered  as  promptly,  "  The  Lord 
will  provide." 

The  difficulties  were  not  treated  lightly,  as  the 
following  letter  to  Mr.  William  Higgs,  dated 
December  16th,  1898,  will  show  : 

*'  My  dear,  dear  Friend, 

"  You  should  not  have  troubled  to  reply  to 
my  wire,  which  I  fear  only  served  to  cast  you 
down,  though  it  was  not  intended  to  do  so.  Be  of 
good  cheer.  All  is  well.  We  must  make  what 
reductions  are  possible  and  go  ahead.  Work  and 
faith  will  do  it.  I  half  fear  we  must  relinquish 
the  Temple  Street  project,  but  the  Tabernacle  must 
be  rebuilt,  and  God  will  help  us.  It  is  a  bit  of  a 
staggerer,  but  we  must  face  it  confidently.  We 
shall  not  appeal  in  vain,  and  I  will  work  with 
might  and  main  to  ensure  success. 

"  Yours,  with  ever -deepening  love, 

"  Tom." 

The  faith  of  the  Tabernacle  people  was  greatly 
sustained  by  the  sympathy  of  friends  beyond  the 
borders  of  the  Church.  The  British  Weekly  at 
once  started  a  fund  for  the  rebuilding.  *'  It  will 
be  a  grand  object  lesson  to  our  unity  as  Non- 
conformists and  our  mutual  sympathy,"  it  said, 
"if  at  this  moment  of  crisis,  and  irrespective  of 
denominations,    we    rally    together    to    put    the 


THE   NEW   TABERNACLE  195 

fortunes  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle  Church 
beyond  doubt,  so  far  as  human  aid  can  do  this. 
It  is  poor  sympathy  that  evaporates  and  ends  in 
the  passing  of  resolutions  and  in  the  writing  of 
letters.  What  is  needed  is  money,  money,  given 
kindly  and  prayerfully."  The  Echo  also  opened 
a  shilling  fund,  and  The  Christian  Herald  received 
contributions. 

At  a  meeting  on  December  19th,  1898,  it  was 
reported  that  a  sum  of  £16,000  was  still  required. 
At  a  reception  by  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  at  the 
Tabernacle,  on  February  8th,  1899,  amidst  the 
greatest  enthusiasm,  no  less  than  £6,367  was 
contributed.  When  the  sum  of  £5,000  was  shown 
on  the  notice-board,  the  stream  of  givers  stopped 
while  the  people  sang  the  Doxology,  but  until 
nearly  nine  o'clock  at  night  the  queue  continued, 
not  as  in  these  war  days  to  get  something,  but  in 
eagerness  to  give,  and  at  the  end  they  sang  "  All 
hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name,"  and  went  home, 
according  to  the  report,  in  an  "  O  be  joyful " 
mood. 

The  progress  of  the  Metropolitan  Tabernacle 
Building  Fund  can  be  followed  in  The  Sword  and 
Trowel  for  1898,  1899,  and  1900.  At  the  end  of 
November,  1899,  a  sum  of  £5,000  was  still  required. 
By  the  following  June  this  had  been  reduced  to 
£3,500,  and  this  had  to  be  raised  in  less  than  four 
months,  and  it  was  nearly  all  contributed  the 
following  month. 

A  reception  was  held  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Spurgeon 
on  July  4th,  "  the  glorious  fourth,"  as  the 
Americans  call  it.    This,  for  enthusiasm  and  gener- 


196  THE   NEW   TABERNACLE 

ous  and  general  giving,  was  almost  a  repetition  of 
the  reception  by  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  the  previous 
year.  The  morning  post  brought  £671  ;  early  in 
the  afternoon  only  £1,000  was  needed  to  complete 
the  contract  price,  and  the  people  could  not  refrain 
from  singing  the  Doxology.  Before  the  gathering 
dispersed  at  nine  o'clock  £2,772  had  been  contri- 
buted, and  only  a  sum  of  £346  more  was  needed. 

Meanwhile,  the  ministry  was  exercised  with  many 
signs  of  God's  blessing,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
various  organizations  carried  forward.  Perhaps 
the  most  memorable  days  in  the  basement  hall 
were  those  of  a  special  mission  in  February,  con- 
ducted by  Archibald  G.  Brown  and  W.  Y.  FuUerton. 
It  is  reported  in  the  April  number  of  The  Sword 
and  Trowel,  under  the  heading  "  The  Lord's  Doing," 
and  truly  His  power  was  very  evident.  Mr.  A.  G. 
Brown  was  not  able  to  be  present  till  towards  the 
end,  being  detained  on  the  Continent,  but  he  took 
charge  of  the  last  two  days  ;  Mr.  Spurgeon  himself 
made  up  part  of  lack,  and  I  was  permitted  to 
share.  The  students  of  the  College  were  there  in 
force,  and  one  of  the  elders  said,  "  During  the  time 
of  my  long  connection  with  the  Tabernacle  I  have 
never  seen  such  enthusiasm — so  many  officers  of 
the  Church  so  persistent  in  their  attendance,  or  the 
workers  drawn  from  so  many  sources."  Nobody 
was  more  thoroughly  in  it  than  Mr.  Spurgeon 
himself,  and  as  I  was  a  guest  in  his  house  all  the 
time,  we  were  able  to  rejoice  together. 

The  new  sanctuary  was  fast  rising.  Its  audi- 
torium is  thirteen  feet  less  in  length,  and  the 
vestries  so  much  longer.     The  seats  are  further 


THE   NEW   TABERNACLE  197 

apart,  and  are  meant  to  accommodate  2,703  persons, 
as  against  the  3,600  sittings  in  the  old  Tabernacle 
that  could  be  let.  Of  course  the  crowd  in  both 
buildings  often  exceeded  the  official  sittings. 
During  the  progress  of  the  work  Mr.  T.  H.  Olney, 
the  treasurer,  died,  and  his  place  was  taken  by 
Mr.  J.  E.  Passmore.  Mr.  Spurgeon  himself  took 
the  greatest  interest  in  every  detail,  and  was  often 
to  be  seen  on  the  ladders,  and  on  the  roof.  But, 
above  all  others,  Mr.  William  Higgs  is  to  be  praised ; 
early  and  late  he  devoted  personal  attention  to 
the  structure,  meeting  with  an  accident  one  day 
which  happily  did  not  prove  to  be  as  serious  as  was 
at  first  feared,  and  not  content  with  such  service, 
he  and  Mrs.  Higgs  gave  as  a  thankoffering  the 
structural  improvement  of  the  roof  and  several 
other  extra  details  of  the  building.  There  were 
others  who  made  special  contributions,  amongst 
them  the  former  scholars  of  the  Stockwell  Orphan- 
age, who  gave  carpet  and  clock  for  the  pastor's 
vestry,  while  the  vestry  chair  was  contributed  by 
a  missionary  on  the  Congo  who  was  a  former 
student  of  the  College. 

A  great  feature  at  the  opening  services  was  the 
presence  of  Mr.  Ira  D.  Sankey.  On  the  morning 
of  Wednesday,  September  19th,  a  devotional 
service,  largely  attended,  was  conducted  by  Mr. 
A.  G.  Brown,  when  a  telegram  of  greeting  was  read 
from  Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon.  The  new  Tabernacle 
was  crowded  in  the  afternoon,  and  Rev.  John 
Thomas  preached.  In  the  evening,  it  is  estimated, 
there  were  4,000  persons  in  the  Tabernacle,  and 
1,800  in  the  basement  hall :    Sir  George  Williams 


198  THE   NEW   TABERNACLE 

presided.  The  following  morning  Rev.  F.  B .  Meyer 
presided,  and  in  the  evening  Rev.  J.  H.  Jowett 
preached.  The  sermons  of  these  two  days,  as  well 
as  Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermon  the  following  Sunday 
morning,  appeared  in  The  Christian  World  Pulpit 
of  September  26th. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon  held  a  reception  in  the 
afternoon  of  September  20th,  it  being  the  pastor's 
birthday,  and  some  £600  were  brought  as  a  birthday 
offering.  Mr.  T.  A.  Denny  presided  on  the  Friday, 
and  Reuben  Saillens  paid  tribute  to  C.  H.  Spurgeon 
as  "  the  greatest  Englishman  of  the  century,"  who 
was  a  devoted  admirer  of  "  John  Calvin,  the 
greatest  Frenchman  that  ever  lived."  Mr.  Sankey 
sang  at  several  of  these  meetings,  and  on  the 
Saturday  evening,  to  a  crowded  Tabernacle,  gave 
a  service  of  song.  Mr.  Spurgeon  preached  both 
morning  and  evening  on  Sunday,  and  Mr.  Tolfree 
Parr  addressed  a  great  crowd  of  children  in  the 
afternoon.  Mr.  John  Marnham  presided  on  the 
Monday  evening,  the  workmen  met  the  next  night 
and  had  John  Ploughman's  Pictures,  the  various 
societies  gathered  on  the  Wednesday,  when  there 
were  some  presentations  ;  John  McNeill  preached 
on  the  Thursday,  with  Lord  Kinnaird  presiding. 
Mr.  Hugh  Brown  was  the  preacher  the  following 
Sunday  ;  J.  W.  Ewing  conducted  the  first  baptism 
on  the  following  Thursday ;  Rev.  Dinsdale  T. 
Young  preached  the  Thursday  after,  and  Dr. 
Alexander  McLaren  the  next  Thursday,  when  there 
was  "  a  United  Communion  Service  for  Believers 
of  all  Denominations." 

The  generosity  of  the  people  may  be  gauged  by 


THE   NEW   TABERNACLE  199 

the  fact  that,  at  the  end  of  a  month's  services,  a 
collection  of  £100  was  given  at  this  last  service  for 
the  Indian  Famine  Fund.  Here  I  take  some  pride 
in  mentioning  that  on  the  Sunday  after  the  Taber- 
nacle was  burnt,  collections  were  to  be  taken  for 
the  Baptist  Missionary  Society,  and  with  a  large- 
heartedness  which  goes  a  long  way  to  explain  the 
universal  support  accorded  to  the  Tabernacle 
Church  of  these  days,  the  collections  were  still 
taken  at  Exeter  Hall  for  the  Missionary  Society, 
and  realized  about  £80. 

It  was  a  notable  achievement  to  carry  through 
successfully  such  a  vast  undertaking,  a  tribute  to 
faith  that  without  adventitious  aid  all  the  money 
was  so  freely  given,  a  signal  providence  that  there 
was  no  serious  accident  during  the  erecting  of  the 
structure.  The  first  gift  towards  the  rebuilding 
came  from  a  man  in  the  street,  who  saw  Mr. 
Spurgeon  outside  the  ruins  shortly  after  the  fire 
and  slipped  five  shillings  into  his  hand,  saying, 
"  This  is  to  build  it  up  again,  sir."  That  five 
shillings  grew  until,  at  the  end  of  The  Sword  and 
Trowel  for  1900,  we  find  gifts  acknowledged 
amounting  to  £25,000. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  SECOND  SEVEN  YEARS 

jfe  In  one  respect  Thomas  Spurgeon  the  Twin  re- 
sembled Jacob  the  Twin — ^he  served  two  periods 
of  seven  years  for  his  reward.  In  all  else  he  was 
an  Israel,  having  power  with  God  and  with  man. 
His  experience  in  London  was  very  similar  to  his 
experience  in  Auckland — he  built  a  tabernacle  and, 
in  a  comparatively  short  time,  found  his  health 
unequal  to  the  task  the  Church  involved,  and  was 
compelled  at  length  to  resign  it.  The  great  per- 
sonal event  in  his  Auckland  ministry  was  his 
Marriage,  in  his  London  ministry  his  Jubilee. 

That  was  on  September  20th,  1906.  At  a 
reception  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
received  from  seven  hundred  guests  over  £1,000, 
which  was,  as  customary  with  the  birthday  gifts, 
devoted  to  the  various  good  works  in  connection 
with  the  Tabernacle.  The  evening  meeting  was 
enough  to  gladden  any  man's  heart.  His  friend, 
Mr.  William  Higgs,  presided,  an  oil  painting  of 
himself  to  adorn  the  walls  of  his  vestry  was  pre- 
sented to  the  pastor,  and  a  grandfather's  clock  to 
adorn  his  own  home.  To  Mrs.  Spurgeon  a  silver 
tray,  to  Mr.  Charles  Spurgeon  at  Nottingham, 
where  he  then  was  minister,  a  hearty  message  of 
greeting.    The  speakers  were  F.  B.  Meyer,  Dins- 


THE   SECOND   SEVEN   YEARS        201 

dale  Young,  and  Archibald  Brown,  and  to  the 
delight  of  the  audience  Campbell  Morgan,  just 
returned  from  America,  came  to  give  his  good 
wishes. 

This  was  the  crest  of  the  hill.  It  was  from  a 
time  of  rest  at  Deeside  that  the  pastor  came  to  the 
meeting,  and,  although  the  membership  of  the 
Church  was  still  three  thousand,  changing  circum- 
stances aroused  many  questionings.  It  was  on  a 
Sunday  during  this  interval  that,  in  spite  of  his 
pain,  Thomas  Spurgeon  wrote  : — 

Never  mind  the  why  and  wherefore, 

Never  mind  the  how  and  when ; 
For  the  thoughts  of  God  are  higher 

Than  the  thoughts  and  ways  of  men. 

Never  mind  the  peradventures. 

Never  mind  the  ifs  and  buts ; 
Jesus  holds  the  key  of  David, 

When  He  opens  no  man  shuts. 

Never  mind  the  fear  or  favour. 

Never  mind  the  ayes  and  noes ; 
He  who  sides  with  God  and  goodness 

Far  outnumbers  all  his  foes. 

Never  mind  the  weights  and  measures. 

Never  mind  the  have  and  had  ; 
Christ  can  banquet  starving  thousands 

From  the  wallet  of  a  lad. 

Never  mind  the  whence  and  whither, 

Never  mind  the  thens  and  tills  ; 
Trust  in  God's  unchanging  mercy, 

Best  upon  His  shalls  and  wills. 

Of  the  man  himself  at  this  time  there  is  no  better 
sketch  than  that  of  his  friend,  F.  A.  Jackson, 
>vhich   appeared  in   The  Baptist :    "  The  hair  is 


202        THE   SECOND   SEVEN   YEARS 

iron  grey,  and  the  striking  face  is  not  without 
traces  of  time,  and  thought,  and  heavy  responsi- 
bihty,  but  the  age  of  his  heart  is  less  than  half  the 
number  of  his  years,  for  he  is,  at  heart,  a  boy. 
Soft  is  the  hand  held  out  in  greeting,  gentle  are  the 
eyes  that  look  into  yours,  and  there  is  essential 
kindness  in  the  tones  of  the  voice.  Meeting  him 
casually  you  may  be  impressed  by  the  exceeding 
gentleness  of  the  man,  along  with  a  certain  aloofness 
which  is  not  coldness,  and,  mayhap,  a  suggestion 
of  weariness  born  of  impaired  health  and  increasing 
burdens.  But  if  you  are  fortunate  enough  to  enjoy 
a  closer  acquaintance,  and  especially  if  it  is  your 
privilege  to  become  his  fellow-worker,  you  will 
discover  an  underlying  strain  of  sternness  and  a 
flash  of  fire,  which  will  go  far  to  explain  the  personal 
force  by  which  a  thirteen  years'  pastorate  at  the 
Metropolitan  Tabernacle  has  been  maintained 
against  enormous  odds.  '  Upon  the  top  of  the 
pillars  was  lily  work.'  Strength  crowned  with 
beauty.  Massive  workmanship  and  inspired 
grace." 

An  admirable  appreciation  appeared  in  The 
British  Monthly  of  November,  1903,  in  which 
occurs  this  characterization  :  "  Mr.  Thomas  Spur- 
geon's  reputation  as  a  preacher  is  growing  steadily, 
year  by  year.  Like  his  father  he  is  an  Anglo-Saxon 
in  all  his  modes  of  thought  and  speech.  His 
simple,  straightforward  language  goes  right  to  the 
heart  of  the  people — there  is  no  London  minister 
who  has  a  richer  variety  of  striking  illustration. 
His  week-day  addresses  have  the  pleasant  healthy 
flavour  of  John  Ploughman's  Talk.     Mr.  Spurgeon 


THE   SECOND   SEVEN   YEARS        203 

is  a  Nonconformist  by  conviction,  and  has  taken 
a  prominent  part  in  the  passive  resistance  agita- 
tion :  some  of  the  most  inspiring  letters  in  the 
fight  have  come  from  his  pen." 

During  the  Baptist  World's  Congress  in  London 
in  1905,  which  he  only  attended  on  one  occasion, 
when  he  was  received  with  enthusiasm,  and  though 
asked  to  speak  only  led  the  assembly  in  prayer, 
the  president  of  the  South  African  Baptist  Union 
contributed  a  very  readable  description  of  a 
service  in  the  Tabernacle  to  the  columns  of  The 
Baptist,  It  was  a  wet  Sunday,  and  he  says  :  "  The 
congregation  at  the  Tabernacle  evoked  the  out- 
spoken wonder  of  an  American,  who  said  that  with 
such  rain  on  a  Sunday  morning  it  was  surprising 
to  him  that  so  many  were  there.  To  a  casual 
visitor  it  was  not  the  size  but  the  intention  of  the 
gathering  that  seemed  most  striking.  There  was 
a  great  preponderance  of  men,  which  was  a  very 
suggestive  item  in  itself.  The  singing  was  hearty 
and  the  listening  was  grand." 

"  One  good  soul  said  that  the  recent  ingatherings 
at  the  Tabernacle  had  done  the  pastor  much  good, 
and  the  fresh  vigour  of  these  heartening  days  was 
manifest.  After  the  Congress  one  cannot  help 
comparing  men  and  methods  ;  and  having  listened 
to  some  of  the  foremost  London  preachers  during 
the  past  few  weeks,  it  would  seem  not  too  much 
to  say  that  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon  has  the  freest 
pulpit  style  in  London  to-day.  With  ease  and 
dignity,  undisfigured  by  excessive  action,  he  deals 
with  his  theme  in  a  manner  that  makes  the  hearer 
feel  that  it  is  of  present  and  vital  interest," 


204        THE   SECOND   SEVEN   YEARS 

The  London  newspapers  frequently  made  refer- 
ence to  Tabernacle  affairs,  and  sometimes  reported 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  sermons.  The  Daily  News  of 
November  5th,  1906,  gave  a  lengthy  risumi  of  a 
sermon  on  "  Asking  wisdom,"  and  concluded  with 
the  following  paragraph :  ''  The  sermon  was 
brought  to  a  close  with  a  telling  anecdote  of 
Gordon's  confidence  in  God. — '  When  Gordon  was 
sent  to  the  Soudan  he  confessed  that  no  man  ever 
undertook  a  harder  task,  but  he  said,  "  The  task 
sits  on  me  as  lightly  as  a  feather,  for  I  have  asked 
God  for  wisdom,  and  I  know  that  He  will  give  it 
to  me."  '  " 

General  Gordon's  experience  was  his  also.  In 
one  of  his  sermons  he  opened  his  heart  to  his 
people  :  "  Do  you  know  that  when  I  had  got  thus 
far  with  the  preparation  of  my  discourse  last  night, 
I  sat  me  in  my  chair  and  said  to  myself,  '  You  are 
going  to  try  to  get  these  people  to  cast  their  cares 
on  God,  but  you  will  not  succeed  unless  you  do  so 
yourself.'  Then  I  thought  of  the  College,  where  we 
are  just  now  expending  more  than  our  income,  of 
the  Orphanage,  with  its  five  hundred  dear  orphan 
children,  of  the  fifty  colporteurs,  of  the  new  Taber- 
nacle, and  of  the  great  Church  of  many  thousand 
members,  which  we  can  hardly  minister  to  as  we 
desire.  I  thought  of  many  another  care  beside, 
and  when  I  had  put  them  in  a  great  heap,  I  prayed 
for  strength  enough  to  lift  it  to  the  Lord,  and  I 
found  it  was  too  much  for  me.  So  I  asked  Him 
just  to  lift  the  load  Himself  and  carry  it  away. 
I  believe  that  He  has  done  it,  and  will  do  it.  I 
fancy  He  has  lifted  me  as  well." 


THE   SECOND   SEVEN   YEARS        205 

Another  sermon  extract  may  be  given  as  an 
example  of  the  direct  blessing  resting  on  the 
ministry  at  this  time.  "  A  few  Lord's  days  back 
I  ventured,  in  yonder  pulpit,  to  urge  some  of  my 
hearers  to  begin  to  run  in  the  way  of  God's  com- 
mandments, and  I  went  a  little  out  of  my  ordinary 
track  by  using  such  an  illustration  as  this  :  '  We 
are  starting  a  race  this  morning ;  come  all  of  you 
who  have  it  in  your  hearts  to  begin  to  run  towards 
God.  Listen  to  me  now.  Stand  ready  for  the 
signal.'  I  cannot  exactly  remember  the  words  I 
used,  but  I  have  good  reason  to  rejoice  that  I  did 
use  the  metaphor,  for  God  blessed  it  to  the  salvation 
of  some  souls.  I  told  them  of  the  prize  that  was 
set  before  them.  I  pointed  to  the  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses that  held  them  in  full  survey.  I  bade  them, 
for  their  own  sakes,  and  for  their  loved  ones'  sakes, 
to  begin  to  live  for  God,  and  then  at  last  I  cried 
'  Are  you  ready  ?  '  '  Are  you  ready  ?  '  And 
presently,  so  to  speak,  the  flag  fell,  and  I  exclaimed 
'  Go  !  In  the  name  of  the  Lord,  go  ! '  Only  a  few 
days  later,  one  dear  friend  wrote  to  me,  and  said, 
'  I  could  not  stand  the  falling  of  that  flag,  and  the 
saying  *'  In  the  name  of  the  Lord,  go  !  "  Pray  for 
me,  for  I  have  begun  to  run  in  the  way  of  God's 
commandments.'  " 

Such  blessing  was  not  singular.  Another  bears 
witness  to  the  preacher  in  this  striking  sentence, 
"  when  you  closed  with  the  Benediction  I  closed 
with  Christ." 

The  Morning  Leader  of  August  10th,  1903,  in 
its  series  "  The  Man  in  the  Pulpit,"  had  an  ad- 
mirable and  sympathetic  sketch  of  the  Tabernacle 


206        THE   SECOND   SEVEN   YEARS 

pastor.  "  Simple  is  the  preacher,  simple  the 
prayer,  simple  the  sermon.  The  Puritan  spirit  is 
strong  in  him.  He  prays  that  simple  worship  may 
take  the  place  of  what  art  suggests  and  science 
admires.  He  prays  for  the  unaged  Gospel  and 
the  unembellished  Cross.  He  prays  for  deliverance 
from  priestcraft  and  unfair  legislation.  Let  the 
saints  of  God  be  dowered  with  the  gentle  spirit  of 
Jesus,  combined  with  adamantine  firmness." 

An  interesting  incident  occurred  on  Sunday, 
April  13th,  1907,  when  his  son  and  daughter  were 
baptized.  Mr.  Hugh  D.  Brown,  of  Dublin,  was 
the  preacher,  but  before  the  baptism  Thomas 
Spurgeon  rose  and  said  :  "I  need  not  tell  you  that 
this  occasion  is  one  of  deepest  joy  to  me.  You  can 
understand  that  this  scene  and  this  action  remind 
me  of  my  own  baptism  with  my  dear  brother  in 
this  place  at  my  dear  father's  hands.  For  that 
act  of  obedience  and  consecration  I  have  reason  to 
thank  God  from  that  day  until  now,  and  my  prayer 
is  to-night,  as  my  own  dear  children,  and  the 
children  of  other  friends  of  ours,  obey  their  Lord 
in  baptism,  that  they  may  have  a  similar  joy,  and 
that  their  example  may  have  a  similar  happy  effect, 
and  that  for  the  rest  of  their  days  they  may  know 
the  keeping  power  of  Christ." 

During  these  years  there  were  four  missions  at 
the  Tabernacle.  First  the  Simultaneous  Mission 
at  the  end  of  January,  1902,  when  Gipsy  Smith, 
John  McNeill,  and  Hugh  Price  Hughes  were  the 
missioners,  and  great  crowds  assembled.  Last  a 
mission  conducted  by  myself,  to  which  two  articles 
are  devoted  in  the  1906  Sword  and  Trowel,  and  one 


THE   SECOND   SEVEN  YEARS        207 

by  Mr.  W.  R.  Lane,  of  whom  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  the 
highest  opinion.     But  the  outstanding  mission  was 
that  which  sprang  up  after  the  Welsh  Revival,  and 
was  carried  forward  by  six  Welsh  brethren  then  in 
training  in  the  Pastors'  College,  one  of  them  now 
a   missionary   on  the    Congo,    and   the   others   in 
pastorates  at  home  :    D.   C.  Davies  ;    A.  LI.  Ed- 
wards ;    J.  R.  Edwards ;    T.  Hayward ;    Caradoe 
Jones ;     F.    Williams.     The    meetings    began    on 
March  13th,  1905,  and  continued  until  the  middle 
of  April.     Three  articles  in  The  Sword  and  Trowel 
for  1905  describe  it,  and  Dr.  McCaig  feels  that  he 
is  justified  in  calling  it   a  Revival.     Over  seven 
hundred  names  were  registered  of  those  who  con- 
fessed Christ.     The  great  features  of  these  meetings 
were  the  midnight  marches  to  gather  in  the  people, 
in  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon  shared.     He  was 
heart    and    soul    in    the    work.     Writing    to    Mr. 
Jackson  on  March  25th,  he  says  :    "At  eleven  we 
formed  up  in  the  space  between  Tabernacle  and 
railings,    and    marched    forth    about    11.30.     We 
were    four    deep,    I    know   not    how   long.      Mrs. 
S.,  Dr.  McCaig  and  his  wife,  marched  with  me  just 
behind  the  musicians.     We  sang  and  shouted  out 
the  news  of  the  meeting  all  the  way.     What  a  sight 
when   we   got    back   to   the    Tabernacle    steps — 
drunkards,   harlots,  all  sorts  of  refuse,   many  in 
drink,  but  all  singing  '  There  is  a  fountain  filled 
with  blood.'     The  meeting  lasted  till  three  o'clock  ! 
Solemn,  subduing,  wonderful.     The  end  was  strik- 
ing.    Just  as  6ne  brother  announced  the  Doxology, 
I  felt  impelled  to  step  forward  and  repeat,  '  He 
hath  made  Him  to  be  sin  for  us,'  etc.      Then  the 


208    THE  SECOND  SEVEN  YEARS 

brother  said,  '  Let  us  all  repeat  it  after  Mr.  Spur- 
geon,'  and  they  did.  This  was  no  sooner  done 
than  another  started  '  Hallelujah  !  What  a 
Saviour  !  '  and  oh,  the  power  and  grace  as  we  sang 
that  hymn  through.  Then  the  Doxology  and 
Benediction,  but  there  had  been  doxology  and 
benediction  all  the  time.  Twenty  were  gathered 
in  !  Rejoice  with  me,  and  with  God.  '  Who  is  a 
pardoning  God  like  Thee.'  " 

Again  on  March  30th  he  says  :  "  Both  meetings 
last  night  were  glorious.  I  saw  twelve  applicants 
for  membership,  and  yet  was  in  time  to  have  an 
hour  and  a  half  of  the  fresh  meeting.  There  must 
have  been  five  hundred  in  the  procession.  We 
shouted  ourselves  hoarse,  and  tramped  ourselves 
hors  de  combat.  The  Lord  has  not  removed  our 
candlestick.  How  good  of  Him  !  They  say  I  look 
haggard,  but  I  would  rather  look  haggard  than  be 
a  laggard  !  " 

One  of  the  great  sorrows  of  this  time  was  the 
death  of  his  dear  mother,  on  October  22nd,  1903. 
From  the  glimpses  into  the  early  correspondence 
between  mother  and  son  it  will  have  been  seen 
how  dear  they  were  to  each  other.  ''  On  Saturday, 
October  17th,"  he  writes,  "  I  received  a  parting 
benediction  from  her  dear  lips,  that  will  echo  in  my 
grateful  heart  till  I  also  hear  the  Master's  call. 
It  was  Christiana's  farewell  blessing  to  her  children  : 
— '  The  blessing — the  double  blessing  of  your 
father's  God  be  upon  you,  and  upon  your  brother," 
she  said  with  fervour  ;  and  a  little  later, '  Good-bye, 
dear  Tom,  the  Lord  bless  you  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen.' 


MR,    AND    MRS.    THOMAS    SPURGEOX  :      A    JUBILEE    PHOTOGRAPH. 


208] 


THE   SECOND   SEVEN  YEARS        209 

"  On  the  previous  day  she  had  said  to  her 
faithful  friend  and  companion,  Miss  Thorne,  who 
had  been  with  her  for  forty  years,  '  Whom  shall 
I  see  next  ?  '  '  Whom  would  you  like  to  see, 
darling  ?  '  was  the  response.  Then  with  a  face 
all  aflame  with  joy  of  blest  anticipation  the  exile, 
so  soon  to  be  brought  home,  exclaimed,  '  My 
Husband  ! '  But  when  the  last  moment  came  a 
fairer  vision  was  granted  to  her ;  she  exclaimed, 
'  Blessed  Jesus  !  Blessed  Jesus  !  I  can  see  the 
King  in  His  glory  1 '  " 

Mrs.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  was  a  truly  remarkable 
woman.  From  the  year  1868  she  was  a  great 
sufferer,  but  she  had  learnt  to  rejoice  in  tribulation. 
In  the  home  she  was  a  veritable  queen,  and  she 
delighted  in  the  Gospel  as  preached  by  her  husband  ; 
to  her  he  was  king,  or  as  she  playfully  called  him, 
''The  Tirshatha."  I  remember  holding  a  Sunday 
evening  service  with  Manton  Smith,  in  the 
library  of  "  West  wood,"  when  she  presided  at  the 
organ,  having  called  in  her  neighbours  to  hear  the 
word  of  the  Lord.  Her  great  work  was  the  dis- 
tribution of  books  by  means  of  "  the  Book  Fund  " — 
no  less  than  199,315  volumes  having  been  sent  to 
preachers  by  this  means.  The  story  has  been 
chronicled  in  two  books.  Ten  Years  of  my  Life  in 
the  Service  of  the  Book  Fund,  and  Ten  Years  After. 

Of  the  next  day,  Tuesday,  October  28th,  her 
son  writes,  "To-day  has  proved  the  most  trying 
experience  of  my  hfe,  but  I  have  been  helped." 
Immediately  on  the  death  of  his  mother,  it  proved 
necessary  for  his  wife  to  have  an  operation,  so  there 
was  the  double  anxiety.  Happily  Mrs.  Thomas 
14 


210        THE   SECOND   SEVEN  YEARS 

made  a  good  recovery,  and  in  two  months'  time 
was  able  to  get  about  again. 

Two  other  members  of  the  family  had  already 
passed  over  :  his  grandfather,  Rev.  John  Spurgeon, 
who  died  on  June  14th,  1902,  aged  ninety-two  years, 
and  his  uncle,  Dr.  James  A.  Spurgeon,  who  died 
on  March  22nd,  1899,  in  a  railway  carriage,  as  he 
was  on  a  journey  to  London. 

On  February  13th,  1907,  owing  to  continued 
ill-health,  a  letter  of  resignation  was  written  to 
the  Church  :  "  Only  a  strong  sense  of  duty,  I  can 
assure  you,  induces  me  to  take  this  step."  The 
deacons  replied  suggesting  a  long  rest,  to  which 
he  reluctantly  agreed.  The  London  papers,  with 
one  consent,  made  very  sympathetic  reference  to 
the  event.  But  as  it  was  necessary  for  the  work 
to  continue,  a  very  hearty  invitation  was  sent  to 
Rev.  Archibald  G.  Brown  to  become  co-pastor. 
On  May  4th  he  accepted  the  offer,  and  was  duly 
installed  at  a  great  meeting  on  June  17th. 

Meanwhile,  after  a  sojourn  at  Woodhall  Spa, 
Mr.  Spurgeon  had  been  able  to  address  the  College 
Conference,  and  almost  immediately  he  left  for 
Carlsbad,  in  company  with  Mr.  J.  Hill.  From 
thence  he  journeyed  to  Meran  ;  from  whence,  on 
February  8th,  1908,  he  sent  his  final  resignation 
to  the  Church,  which  they  had  no  option  but  to 
accept.  On  March  11th,  Mr.  A.  G.  Brown  was 
invited  as  his  successor,  and  for  three  years  he 
exercised  a  very  fruitful  and  fragrant  ministry  at 
the  Tabernacle  as  Pastor  of  the  Church.  A  com- 
petent judge  of  the  preachers  of  the  day  has  said 
that  Archibald  G.  Brown  was  the  greatest  unac- 


THE   SECOND   SEVEN  YEARS        211 

knowledged  orator  of  his  time.  Happily,  he  still 
lives  and  preaches.  He,  in  turn,  was  succeeded 
at  the  Tabernacle  by  Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon,  of  America. 

The  farewell  meeting  was  on  Monday,  June  22nd. 
The  love  of  the  people  overflowed  in  gifts,  a  cheque 
of  £450  to  Mr.  Spurgeon,  and  a  dressing-case  and 
pearl  necklace  to  Mrs.  Spurgeon.  It  was  recorded 
that  during  his  ministry  2,200  persons  had  been 
received  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Church,  but  that 
is  not  the  full  measure  of  the  ministry  of  these 
brave  fourteen  years,  so  filled  with  opportunity 
and  difficulty,  joy  and  pain,  decreasing  membership 
and  increasing  weakness. 

Once  he  wrote — it  was  on  July  26th,  1902 — to 
his  old  comrade.  Rev.  J.  S.  Harrison :  "  There 
have  been  many  and  sore  trials,  and  I  have  been 
depressed  beyond  measure.  Truth  to  tell,  I  am 
at  this  present  time  not  altogether  jubilant.  The 
difficulties  are  enormous  and  they  seem  to  increase. 
Many  of  the  people  are  loyal  and  faithful  in  a  high 
degree,  but  I  have  had  many  bitter  disappoint- 
ments in  this  respect.  My  one  dread  is  of  remain- 
ing in  a  post  of  honour  longer  than  I  should.  I 
cannot  doubt  that  God  led  me  hither,  but  I  some- 
times wonder  if  He  bids  me  stay.  I  am  opening  up 
my  heart  to  you,  for  you  are  a  true  friend  of  mine." 

Yet  three  years  later  he  was  able  to  write  and 
sing: 

In  burning  fiery  furnace,  the  glowing  coals  I  tread. 

The  flames,  though  seven  times  heated,  hurt  neither  feet  nor 

head  : 
They  bum  the  bands  that  bind  me,  they  have  no  power  to  kill, 
Th  ey  c««mot  even  scorch  m©,  for  God  is  with  me  still. 


212        THE   SECOND   SEVEN  YEARS 

My  soul's  among  the  lions,  the  den  is  dark  and  deep, 
And  yet  I  rest  securely.  He  gives  His  loved  one  sleep  : 
The  lions  cannot  hurt  me,  they  learn  to  do  my  will, 
My  God  has  sent  his  angel,  and  He  is  with  me  still. 

The  tempest  howls  around  me,  nor  sun  nor  stars  appear, 
My  comrades  lose  their  courage,  my  craft  is  stripped  of  gear ; 
Yet  I  am  calm  and  thankful,  I  have  no  thought  of  ill. 
An  angel  stood  beside  me,  and  God  is  with  me  still. 

E'en  though  I  walk  the  valley,  where  death's  dark  shadows  fall. 

Yet  will  I  fear  no  evil,  no  terrors  can  appal ; 

The  rod  and  staff  of  Jesus  my  soul  with  comfort  fill, 

I  cannot  but  be  happy,  for  God  is  with  me  still. 

Of  course  Mr.  Spurgeon  often  spoke  in  the 
Tabernacle  after  he  resigned  the  charge  of  the 
Church,  but  with  less  frequency  as  the  years  went 
on,  until  by  and  by  he  was  quite  silent.  There 
is,  however,  a  permanent  record  of  his  voice,  for 
on  August  2nd,  1905,  he  spoke  into  an  Edison-Bell 
phonograph,  first  giving  his  father's  last  words  in 
the  Tabernacle,  and  then  making  a  record  of  his 
own,  entitled  "  A  Parable  of  the  Phonograph." 
It  runs  as  follows  : — 

"  The  apostle  Paul  called  the  Corinthian  Chris- 
tians the  epistle  of  Christ.  Were  he  describing 
believers  to-day,  he  would  probably  employ  an 
up-to-date  comparison,  and  say,  '  Ye  are  Christ's 
phonographs,  Christ's  voice-recorders,  Christ's 
talking  machines.' 

'*  It  is  the  privilege  of  true  Christians  to  receive 
and  to  record  Divine  impressions,  to  register  the 
voice  of  the  Spirit,  and  then  to  reproduce  the 
heavenly  message.  That  which  has  been  spoken 
to  them  they  utter  ;     what   God  has  wrought 


THE   SECOND   SEVEN   YEARS        213 

within  them,  they  in  their  Uves  work  out.  They 
should  sound  forth  faithful  echoes  of  the  word  of 
Christ  which  abideth  in  them.  The  veriest 
whisper  should  be  recorded  by  the  sensitive  soul, 
and  the  tenderest  tones  repeated  by  a  consistent 
life. 

'*  This  thought  it  is  that  finds  expression  in 
the  lines  we  love  to  sing,  '  Lord,  speak  to  me  that 
I  may  speak  in  living  echoes  of  Thy  tone.'  At 
best  we  are  imperfect  instruments,  but  the  Master 
is  ever  at  work  upon  us,  and  we  shall  be  absolutely 
accurate  transcripts  of  Him  by  and  by.  We  shall 
be  like  Him  for  we  shall  see  Him  as  He  is." 


CHAPTER    XVI 

THE    COLLEGE   CONFERENCE 

For  fifty-four  years  the  past  students  of  the 
Pastors'  College  have  assembled  in  annual  con- 
ference in  the  Spring,  either  in  the  week  before  or 
the  week  after  the  meetings  of  the  Baptist  Union, 
the  date  being  regulated  by  the  recurrence  of 
Easter.  These  Conferences  generally  continued 
from  the  Monday  afternoon  to  the  Friday  after- 
noon, and  were  entirely  sui  generis,  C .  H.  Spurgeon 
breathed  his  own  spirit  into  them  from  the  first, 
and  a  fine  feeling  of  brotherhood  exists  between 
the  members.  Many  a  time  they  have  been 
thrilled  as  with  linked  hands  they  have  sung,  after 
the  final  Communion  service,  the  College  psalm  : — 

'*Pray  that  Jenisalem  may  have 
Peace  and  felicity. 
Let  them  that  love  thee  and  thy  truth 
Have  still  prosperity." 

Many  a  time  enthusiasm  has  risen  to  boiling  point 
as  the  assembled  ministers  have  sung  together  the 
College  anthem  : — 

**  The  Cross  it  standeth  fast. 
Hallelujah  I " 
214 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   215 

Many  a  time,  too,  they  have  been  melted  to  tears 
as  they  have  bent  before  the  Throne  of  grace,  or 
recalled  the  history  of  some  departed  brother,  or 
listened  to  some  of  their  number  setting  forth  the 
things  of  Christ.  Not  always  tears,  however; 
cheers  have  not  been  infrequent,  and  laughter  has 
often  rung  round  the  Conference  Hall  of  the 
College. 

But  nothing  has  ever  evoked  more  interest  than 
the  President's  annual  address,  and  Thomas 
Spurgeon  gave  twenty-one  of  these.  Dr.  James 
Spurgeon  three,  and  C.  H.  Spurgeon  twenty-seven. 
During  the  earher  years  the  President  also  preached 
on  the  last  day  of  the  Conference  :  on  several 
occasions  Thomas  Spurgeon  has  also  rendered  this 
service  ;  on  the  year  that  his  father  died  the  task 
fell  to  me,  the  next  year  to  Dr.  Pierson,  the  follow- 
ing year  to  Thomas  Spurgeon  ;  but  of  late  years  a 
vice-president  has  been  annually  elected  who  took 
this  as  part  of  his  office.  In  succession  to  his  uncle, 
who  was  elected  twice  to  the  position,  Thomas 
Spurgeon  was  elected  President  in  1894,  and  was 
elected  every  year  after.  Even  in  the  last  two 
years,  when  failing  health  made  it  impossible  for 
him  to  perform  the  duties  of  the  post,  he  was  still 
voted  into  the  chair,  Charles,  who  for  years  sup- 
ported his  younger  brother,  being  annually  chosen 
as  deputy  president  all  along,  loyally  making  up 
his  lack  of  service. 

In  passing  it  may  be  noted  that  there  was  a 
humorous  rivalry  as  to  which  of  the  brothers  was 
the  elder  man.  Charles  was  born  first,  but  Thomas 
always  insisted  that,  as  he  was  in  Australia  on  the 


216   THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

day  of  their  majority,  he  came  of  age  earlier  than 
his  brother — a.  contention  that  must  be  conceded. 
But  as  against  that,  it  may  be  remarked  that,  as 
in  his  final  voyage  to  England  Thomas  came  by 
the  Pacific  route  and  added  a  day  to  his  year  as 
he  crossed  longitude  180 '',  he  fell  a  whole  day  behind 
his  brother,  and  consequently  Charles  was  his 
senior  by  over  eleven  hours  !  But  a  truce  to  such 
nonsense. 

The  relation  between  the  brothers  and  the 
Conference  may  be  judged  by  the  following  letter 
of  greeting,  which  is  but  a  sample  of  many.  It  is 
dated  December  28th,  1897. 

"  Dear  Friend  and  Brother, 

"  Again   we  greet   you.     '  A   Happy   New 
Year  to  you.'     How  fares  it  with  you  and  with  your 
work  ?     Does  the  fire  burn  brightly  on  the  altar  ? 
Does  the  dew  fall  copiously  on  the  field  ?     Is  the 
old  flag  still  waving,  and  the  same  war-cry  sound- 
ing ?     And  how  goes  the  fight  ?     Can  you  let  us 
have  answers  to  these  inquiries,   short,   pointed 
replies,  as  soon  as  possible  ?     We  should  also  like 
to  know  how  you  are,  and  what  you  look  like  now. 
Send  us  a  photo  if  you  can.     As  for  us,  we  are 
toiling  on,  and  leaning  hard,  and  looking  up. 
"  Yours  very  heartily, 
"  Thomas  Spurgeon,  President 
"  Charles  Spurgeon,  Vice-President'^ 

With  pardonable  self-deception  it  was  declared 
year  by  year  that  the  last  presidential  address  was 
the  best :   even  cautious  brethren,  carried  away  in 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   217 

the  common  elevation  of  feeling,  admitted  there 
never  was  a  better.  In  a  sense  this  was  all  true: 
the  address  just  delivered  was  actually  the  best  at 
the  moment,  for  it  was  vivid  while  the  others  were 
but  dim  memories .  The  repetition  of  such  a  verdict 
year  after  year  might  have  amused  the  cynic,  but 
it  was  evidence  of  the  deep  hold  the  President  had 
on  the  six  hundred  or  more  men,  and  of  the  affection 
with  which  they  regarded  him.  The  last  love-letter 
is  always  the  best ;  and  the  man  who  is  in  love  is 
always  eloquent. 

Thomas  Spurgeon  rightly  looked  upon  these 
addresses  as  the  chief  utterance  of  the  year.  He 
did  not,  however,  deal  with  current  topics  ;  indeed, 
sometimes  his  subjects  were  quite  remote  from  the 
sentiment  of  the  time,  and  perhaps  gained  by  the 
contrast.  He  often  used  similitudes,  was  ever  fond 
of  a  parable,  broke  into  poesy  at  times,  and, 
especially  towards  the  end,  laid  his  head  on  the 
bosom  of  nature.  On  several  occasions  his  address 
was  but  a  glorified  sermon — none  the  worse  for 
that ;  nearly  always  it  was  illustrated  copiously 
from  his  own  experience,  and  more  than  once 
entered  into  the  holy  of  holies  of  the  speaker's 
soul.  Any  man  might  be  proud  to  have  produced 
twenty-one  such  addresses,  and  the  brief  greeting 
of  the  twenty-second  year,  when  further  address 
was  impossible,  was  a  fitting  crown  for  the  whole. 
The  last  two  years  the  Conference  has  been  so 
abbreviated  that  there  has  been  no  address — ^there 
is,  in  fact,  now  no  president. 

It  need  scarcely  be  wondered  at  that  such  a 
seafarer  should  have  chosen  for  his  first  address  in 


218   THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

1895  the  subject  "  En  Voyage."  It  was  felt  to  be 
the  key-note  of  his  own  ministry  when  he  said  : 
"  I  find  that  in  a  comparatively  ordinary  letter 
that  Whitefield  wrote  to  a  friend  he  says  in  the 
closing  lines — '  Free  grace  for  ever.'  Brethren,  put 
that,  not  at  the  end  of  your  ministry,  but  through- 
out it,  with  a  large  mark  of  exclamation — two  if 
you  like — '  Free  grace  for  ever  ! '  '  Free  grace  for 
ever  !  ! '" 

The  nautical  metaphor  was  carried  well  through. 
He  instances  the  Doldrums,  the  Sargasso  Sea,  and 
the  ice-fields,  as  the  hindrances  to  the  Church,  and 
the  high  tone  of  the  deliverance  may  be  judged  by 
one  of  the  closing  paragraphs.  "  Have  you  ever 
heard  of  '  the  brave  West  winds.'  I  blessed  God 
when  they  began  to  blow.  There  was  no  more 
battling  against  head  winds,  no  more  of  that 
close-hauled  sailing  which  meant  sea-sickness  to 
most  passengers.  The  brave  West  winds  !  They 
came  behind  with  mighty  force,  and  away  we  sped 
for  thousands  of  miles,  with  fair  winds  and  flowing 
sheets.  Oh  !  it  was  glorious  sailing,  that !  Fine 
weather  all  the  time ;  a  strong  wind,  with  huge 
green  seas  careering  round  us — ^the  hugest  waves 
the  world  over,  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  height. 
The  waves  in  the  Channel  are  bad  enough,  but  they 
are  only  eight  or  ten  feet  high  ;  but  with  stately 
march  these  big  waves  chased  each  other,  and 
helped  us  on  toward  the  sunny  South.  You  know 
of  Whom  I  speak,  and  of  what  mighty  power  I  tell. 
We  have  got  now  to  where  we  came  this  time  last 
year,  when  we  spake  of  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
He  is  the  brave  West  Wind.    I  dare  to  speak  of 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   219 

Him  under  such  an  emblem,  for  Jesus  did  the  same. 
Not  that  He  is  mere  breath,  but  because  the  best 
thing  earth  or  sky  affords,  with  which  to  compare 
Him,  is  this  same  mysterious  but  well-nigh  omni- 
potent wind.  Said  a  thoughtful  passenger  to  me 
on  my  first  voyage  across  the  Southern  ocean, 
'  What  a  pity  it  is,' — ^for  the  wind  was  blowing  fair 
and  fresh — '  What  a  pity  it  is  that  we  cannot  use 
it  all.'  They  were  taking  in  sail,  and  the  fresher 
it  blew  the  more  they  had  to  furl.  Soon  we  were 
speeding  along  under  little  more  than  bare  poles. 
I  liked  the  thought — '  What  a  pity  it  is  that  we 
cannot  use  it  all ! '  Suppose  a  ship  should  be 
constructed  on  which  sails  could  be  piled  the  more 
the  breezes  blew,  what  a  pace  she  would  go  at  ! 
And  oh  !  if  you  and  I  would  only  trust  the  Holy 
Spirit  more,  and  use  Him  to  the  full,  we  should  be 
sluggards  and  laggards  no  longer  !  Then  would 
we  show  our  heels,  and  speed  away  towards  heaven, 
successfully  serving  Christ  the  journey  through." 
The  subject  for  1896  was  "  Antidotes,"  suggested 
by  the  saying  of  an  old  woman,  who  stayed  at  home 
on  Sundays  and  read  Spurgeon's  sermons,  instead 
of  attending  her  chapel,  saying  of  the  preacher, 
"  It  was  antidotes,  antidotes,  antidotes,  from  be- 
ginning to  end,  nothing  but  antidotes."  This  is 
one  of  the  sermonic  addresses,  and  it  is  very 
successfully  built  up  on  the  report  of  His  mission 
which  our  Lord  sent  to  the  imprisoned  John  Baptist. 
His  estimate  of  much  of  the  modern  music  is 
evidenced  by  the  quotation  : 

"  I  cannot  sing  the  old  songs,"  they  heard  the  maiden  say, 
And  then  the  guests  with  one  accord  rose  up  and  said  "  Hooray," 


220        THE   COLLEGE   CONFERENCE 

Back  again  next  year  to  allegory,  he  spoke  in 
1897  on  "  The  Heaven-ward  Railway,"  a  subject 
which,  in  less  masterly  hands,  might  have  become 
trivial.  *'  The  membership  of  my  Church,"  said 
one,  "  is  three  hundred  and  some  odd."  "  Oh," 
said  another,  *'  I  have  only  a  hundred,  all  odd.'^ 
That  is  to  illustrate  the  thought  that  ministers  as 
guards  of  the  train  will  have  some  strange  pas- 
sengers to  deal  with.  A  memorable  passage  was, 
"  On  a  voyage  to  the  Antipodes,  it  was  my  lot  to 
sit  next  to  the  chief  engineer  at  meal-times.  He 
was  a  genial  fellow,  and  a  good  conversationalist ; 
but  every  now  and  then  he  was  as  those  that 
dream.  He  had  missed  the  last  sentence  altogether 
and  had  to  beg  pardon  for  apparent  inattention. 
'  I  was  listening  to  my  ponies,'  he  would  add,  by 
way  of  explanation.  He  called  the  engines  his 
ponies,  and  more  than  once  I  have  known  him 
quit  the  feast  because  they  didn't  trot  quite 
evenly."  The  lesson,  of  course,  is  obvious,  as  is 
also  the  suggestion  of  the  incident  that  came  soon 
after  about  Napoleon :  "  Are  you  ever  afraid. 
Citizen  Consul  ?  "  said  one  of  his  councillors  to 
him  after  the  explosion  of  a  royalist  infernal 
machine.  He  answered,  "  I  afraid — oh  !  if  I  were 
afraid,  it  would  be  a  bad  day  for  France  !  " — a 
story  well  suited  to  these  days  of  terror  in  which 
we  live. 

In  1898  the  topic  was  "  A  Letter  from  Home," 
suggested  by  the  replies  which  were  given  to  the 
New  Year's  letter  quoted  earlier  in  this  chapter. 
The  fire  at  the  Tabernacle  occurred  the  next  day, 
and  those  on  the  look-out  for  coincidences  remem- 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   221 

bered  the  references  to  "  No  strange  fire  "  in  the 
address  the  day  before.  Fire,  the  dew,  the  flag, 
and  the  fight,  occupied  the  first  half  of  the  dis- 
course. Professor  Blackie  once  said,  "  I  want 
three  things  :  first,  a  great  cause  ;  second,  a  great 
battle  ;  third,  a  great  victory."  The  second  part 
of  the  address  was  allotted  to  the  three  phrases, 
"  toiling  on  "  ;    "  leaning  hard  "  ;    "  looking  up." 

On  the  last  idea,  this — "  One  soon  becomes 
accustomed  at  sea  to  hearing  commands  sounded 
forth  in  stentorian  tones  from  the  quarter-deck  ; 
but  I  was  not  a  little  startled,  one  fine  day,  when 
the  good  ship  was  rolling  heavily,  to  hear  the  first 
mate  shout  at  his  loudest,  '  Look  up  ! '  Anxiety 
was  mingled  with  authority  in  his  tone.  And  no 
wonder.  Yonder  raw  apprentice  was  clambering 
up  the  rigging,  but  his  eye  was  on  the  deck.  I 
think  I  hear  the  warning  message  now, '  Look  up  ! ' 
The  officer  seemed  almost  angry.  The  lad  had 
doubtless  been  warned,  but  he  was  disobeying.  I 
know  the  thought  that  was  in  the  old  salt's  heart. 
'  The  young  idiot,  to  trifle  thus — didn't  I  tell  him 
of  his  danger  ?  He  deserves  to  fall,  but  I  must 
try  to  save  him. — Look  up  ! '  He  was  just  in 
time ;  another  instant,  and  there  would  have 
resounded  through  the  ship  that  awful  thud  which 
tells  of  a  fall  from  aloft,  and  of  the  spilling  of  a 
soul.  'Twas  well  that  the  first  officer  of  that  craft 
had  a  tender  heart,  a  quick  eye,  and  a  trumpet 
tongue.  Our  God  has  all  these — He  has  saved 
us  from  falling  many  a  time  !  " 

Mr.  Spurgeon's  summons  to  the  1899  Conference 
said  :    "  How  will  the  Lord  visit  us  this  time,  I 


222   THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

wonder.  Perchance  our  experience  will  resemble 
Elijah's,  '  After  the  fire  a  still  small  voice.*  "  The 
President  again  dealt  in  similitudes.  This  year 
"  Lessons  from  Lighthouses."  Quoting  Michelet, 
"  From  base  to  summit  every  stone  biting  thus 
into  its  neighbour,  the  lighthouse  is  but  one  sole 
block,  more  one  than  the  very  rock  it  stands  on. 
The  billows  know  not  where  to  assail  it  :  they 
smite,  they  rage,  they  glide,"  he  said.  "  Oh,  it  is 
wonderful  what  strength  they  have  who  trust  in 
God.  They  can  defy  all  blasts  and  billows.  A 
stranger  from  the  provinces  once  came  to  the 
Tabernacle,  and  heard  '  the  voice  that  is  still '  say, 
as  she  opened  the  door,  '  A  simple-hearted  child 
of  God  can  floor  a  dozen  devils.'  She  has  never 
forgotten  it .  Many  a  time  that  sentence  has  helped 
her.  May  it  help  you,  dear  friend,  though  I  only 
echo  it,  '  a  simple-hearted  child  of  God  can  floor 
a  dozen  devils.' 

"  In  the  United  States,  the  following  rigorous 
order  is  in  force  :  '  The  inspector's  visit  may  occur 
at  any  time,  and  in  welcoming  him  the  head  keeper 
presents  him  with  a  white  linen  napkin.'  As  he 
goes  his  rounds,  he  passes  this  over  the  lens,  the 
lamp,  and  even  inside  the  kitchen  utensils  ;  if  the 
cloth  comes  out  immaculate  from  the  test,  he 
enters  in  the  lighthouse  log-book  this  record : 
'  Service  napkin  not  soiled,'  while  the  slightest 
smirch  on  the  linen  means  a  black  mark  for  the 
keeper  !  Who  of  us  could  stand  such  a  test  in 
spiritual  things  ? 

"  Henry  Ward  Beecher  once  ridiculed  the  idea 
of  a  glow-worm  offering  itself  to  the  Government 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE    223 

as  a  lighthouse,  and  imagined  it  saying  when  it 
was  refused — *  Then  I  won't  be  anything.'  '  Is 
it  not  worth  while,'  he  inquired,  '  for  a  glow-worm 
to  be  a  glow-worm  ! ' 

"  Let  us  take  our  bearings,  and  prepare  for 
arrival.  That  Christian  nobleman,  the  Master  of 
Blantyre,  who  navigated  his  own  steam-yacht  till 
his  health  failed,  said,  as  he  passed  away,  '  Full 
steam  ahead  ! '  There  was  much  meaning  in  the 
unusual  death-cry.  He  knew  his  whereabouts. 
He  saw  the  light.  It  was  all  plain  sailing  when  he 
came  to  die.  What  bliss  will  flood  our  souls  when 
the  end  of  the  journey  we  see  !  Not  more  glad 
was  the  Ancient  Mariner  to  behold  his  native  land 
than  we  shall  be  to  hail  the  glory-shore.  His  song 
will  find  an  echo  in  our  hearts  : — 

"  Oh  !    dream  of  joy  I   is  this  indeed 
The  lighthouse  top  I  see  ? 
Is  this  the  hill  ?   is  this  the  kirk  ? 
Is  this  mine  own  countree  ? 

>  "  We  drifted  o'er  the  harbour-bar, 

And  I  with  sobs  did  pray — 
O  let  me  be  awake,  my  God  ; 
Or  let  me  sleep  alway." 

"  We  shall  be  both  sleeping  and  awake  :  '  I  sleep, 
but  my  heart  waketh.' 

"  When  I  last  steamed  towards  the  English 
Channel,  a  thick  fog  hindered  my  progress.  For 
two  or  three  days  it  kept  us  back.  Still,  we  '  felt ' 
our  way  homewards.  At  length,  we  knew  that  we 
must  be  nearing  land.  Presently  we  found  our- 
selves among  a  little  fleet  of  trawlers.     Passing 


224   THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

dead  slow  round  the  stern  of  one  of  these,  we 
looked  down  from  the  towering  deck  upon  this 
mere  cockleshell,  for  so  she  appeared.  Our  captain 
was  at  the  edge  of  his  bridge,  and  made  as  if  he 
would  speak  to  the  skipper  of  the  fishing-boat. 
Just  as  he  was  about  to  do  so,  the  latter  put  his 
hands  round  about  his  mouth,  and  shouted  the 
welcome  news,  '  Eddystone  light  right  ahead,  sir.' 
'  Thank  you,'  said  the  captain,  and  he  had  no 
sooner  put  his  vessel  on  her  course  again  than, 
sure  enough,  like  the  red  glow  of  an  incandescent 
light  when  the  current  is  first  switched  on,  there 
glimmered  through  the  fog  the  longed-for  beam. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  were  abreast  of  it,  and  in 
another,  past  it,  and — strange  to  tell — clear  of  the 
fog.  Then  it  was  '  full  steam  ahead  '  till  Plymouth 
port  was  gained. 

"  I  wonder,  will  the  mists  gather  as  we  end  our 
voyage  ?  It  may  be  so.  In  that  case,  we  shall 
be  glad  indeed  of  a  cheering  word,  whoever  speaks 
it.  If  a  liner  may  have  guidance  of  a  lugger, 
maybe  a  little  child  will  lead  us,  or  a  leaflet,  or  a 
well-worn  text.  Let  some  one  say  distinctly,  when 
the  fog  is  round  my  soul,  '  Cross  of  Calvary  right 
ahead,  sir  !  Cross  of  Calvary  right  ahead,  sir  ! ' 
Ah,  yes  !  I  was  heading  that  way  surely ;  but, 
oh  !  the  mist,  the  mist.  But  see,  the  blood-red 
glow  beckons  me — ^it  brightens  as  I  near  it.  Now 
is  my  salvation  nearer  than  when  I  believed.  The 
fog-bank  is  safely  passed — yonder  is  the  port  ! 
'  Full  steam  ahead  ! '  " 

"  Our  Holy  War,"  the  theme  for  1900,  might 
serve   for  the   present   moment.     It   was   partly 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   225 

sermonic,  partly  pictorial,  with  the  Corinthian 
text,  "  Though  we  walk  after  the  flesh  we  do  not 
war  after  the  flesh,"  as  a  starting-point.  "  Our 
feeble  frames,  our  fading  locks,  our  failing  memo- 
ries, our  fainting  hearts,"  he  cries,  "  are  welcome 
if  they  conspire  to  lift  His  glories  high."  And  with 
a  glimpse  of  self -revelation  :  "  O  brethren,  my 
heart  is  heavy  at  my  own  folly  !  What  though 
our  services  and  sermons  have  never  been  of  the 
garnished  sort,  what  though  we  have  not  departed 
from  the  old  paths  in  doctrine,  I  am  painfully 
conscious  that  I  have  not  so  fully  trusted  the  Word 
of  truth,  and  the  power  of  God,  as  I  ought  to,  and 
as  I  meant  to.  Self  has  crept  in.  Oh  !  the  folly 
of  it,  for  self  is  fatal  to  real  blessing  and  true 
success."  At  the  hearing  of  which  words  1  am 
sure  that  in  every  man's  heart  there  was  a  sigh. 

"  One  Lord,  one  Faith,  one  Baptism,"  was  the 
subject  for  1901.  Following  the  experience  of  the 
Simultaneous  Mission  of  the  Free  Church  Federa- 
tion, in  which  he  had  heartily  shared,  Mr.  Spurgeon 
emphasized  the  continued  need  for  the  Baptist 
witness.  With  McCheyne  he  said,  "  I  bless  God 
we  live  in  witnessing  times."  The  hearts  of  the 
Conference  were  moved  as  with  common  impulse 
when  he  said,  "  Thomas  Carlyle  says  that  Danton, 
when  the  tumult  in  poor  France  was  growing  shrill, 
exclaimed — '  Peace,  O  peace  with  one  another  ! 
Are  we  not  alone  against  the  world  :  a  little  band 
of  brothers  ?  ' "  Then  he  urged  that  we  should 
have  some  of  the  old-time  blessing  when  we  got 
back  to  the  old-time  practices,  and  with  an  illus- 
tration again  taken  from  the  sea,  he  re-read  three 
15 


226        THE   COLLEGE   CONFERENCE 

points  of  the  compass  which  formed  the  title  of 
the  discourse. 

The  address  of  1902  on  "  Increase  our  faith  "  is 
best  remembered  by  the  parable  of  the  starling, 
to  which  reference  was  made  for  years  afterwards. 
But  there  were  other  memorable  things.  The 
prayer  is,  "  Increase  neither  funds,  nor  friends,  nor 
fame,  unless  Thou  pleasest,  but  our  faith.^''  "  We 
can  urge  upon  them  a  generous  spirit  like  that 
which  Turner  evinced  when  he  took  down  one  of 
his  own  pictures  that  the  work  of  an  unknown 
provincial  artist  might  be  conspicuously  hung." 
"It  is  a  suggestive  thing  that  the  word  difficulty 
occurs  but  once  in  the  Bible,  and  then  it  is  in  the 
margin."  ''  I  was  the  happy  recipient,  while 
laid  aside,  of  many  helpful  messages.  I  was  glad 
of  them  all,  but  you  will  wonder  at  the  text  that 
comforted  me  most.  It  read  thus  :  '  And  after  this 
lived  Job  an  hundred  and  forty  years.'  I  cannot 
tell  you  what  a  lift  this  gave  me.  It*  made  me  laugh 
for  one  thing  ;  it  also  made  me  hope.  I  began  to 
realize  that  there  was  an  '  After  this '  for  me  also." 

Then  came  the  piece  about  the  starling.  "  May 
I  tell  you  a  parable  by  which,  perchance,  a  faint- 
hearted warrior  may  be  stimulated  ?  A  certain 
minister  had  had  influenza  with  complications. 
Lying  on  his  bed,  no  longer  seriously  ill,  but  weak 
and  low,  he  listened  to  the  birds  that  announced 
the  coming  of  the  springtime.  A  glossy  starling 
came,  morning  by  morning,  to  the  gable  of  a  neigh- 
bouring house,  and  having  announced  his  arrival 
by  a  long,  sweet  call,  like  a  note  of  exclamation 
and    one    of  interrogation   combined,    began   his 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   227 

special  tune.  He  seemed  to  look  the  invalid  in 
the  face  as  he  said  again  and  again,  '  Give  it  up ; 
give  it  up.'  '  That,'  thought  the  listener,  '  is  the 
decision  I  had  almost  come  to  ;  strange  that  a  bird 
of  the  air  should  carry  it.  The  task  is  too  great 
for  me.  My  work  is  done  in  that  sphere  at  least.' 
Just  then,  the  starling  cried  again,  '  Give  it  up ; 
give  it  up.' 

"  At  that  moment  the  door  was  opened,  and  the 
minister's  wife  entered.  '  My  dear,'  said  he,  in 
rather  dolorous  tones,  '  I  have  had  a  message 
unmistakably  from  Heaven.'  '  Indeed,'  she  said, 
perhaps  a  little  suspiciously.  '  Yes,  there's  a 
starling  on  the  gable  yonder,  that  keeps  saying  to 
me,  "  Give  it  up."  Now,  you  listen.'  She  did  not 
smile  or  blame.  She  knew  that  the  speaker  was 
in  sad  earnest.  She  listened,  and  the  bird  obliged. 
Then  she  listened  again.  (Wives  like  to  make  sure 
before  they  express  an  opinion. )  Then  the  message 
sounded  out  more  distinctly  than  ever,  and  the 
patient  was  convinced  that  no  happier  interpreta- 
tion was  possible.  But  a  radiant  face  was  turned 
upon  him,  and  a  cheery  voice  exclaimed,  '  Why,  he 
says,  "  Keep  it  up ;  keep  it  up,"  as  plainly  as  a 
starling  can.  Listen  again.'  So  they  listened,  the 
two  of  them.  '  So  he  does,'  said  the  already 
encouraged  convalescent,  'it  is  "  Keep  it  up,"  as 
plain  as  can  be.'  Whereupon  he  blessed  his  wife, 
thanked  God  and  took  courage,  and  almost  begged 
the  starling's  pardon  for  so  misinterpreting  his 
joyful  song. 

"Comrades,  we  must  'keep  it  up.'  Nothing 
must  be  given  up.     Keep  up  your  courage.     Keep 


228   THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

up  your  faith.  Keep  up  your  hope.  Keep  up  the 
Cross.  Keep  up  your  strenuous  toiling,  and  so, 
keep  up  the  blessed  cause.  It  is  not  for  long.  The 
dayspring  is  at  hand.  Jesus  will  be  where  we  are, 
till  we  can  be  where  He  is.  Oh,  for  increased 
faith,  that  we  may  hold  Him  fast  !  " 

The  topic  for  1903  was  "  Pulpit  Supplies."  After 
a  graceful  reference  to  the  preachers  known  by  this 
name  on  their  occasional  visits,  the  recent  voyage 
to  the  Canaries  on  ss.  Axion  was  laid  under 
contribution,  to  illustrate  "  the  supply  of  the  Spirit 
of  Jesus  Christ."  There  is  also  the  supply  of  texts 
for  sermons.  Tholuck  well  said  that  "  every 
sermon  should  have  Heaven  for  its  father  and 
Earth  for  its  mother."  Teneriffe  supplied  the 
thought,  "  Our  hearers  should  see  the  Mount  of 
Atonement  from  every  standpoint.  Tone  and 
temper,  new  views  of  truth,  illustrations  and  utter- 
ance will  all  be  supplied.  Holy  boldness,  too." 
Mr.  Spurgeon  then  quoted  the  divisions  of  one  of 
his  own  sermons,  and  added  that  on  the  following 
Monday,  at  the  prayer  meeting,  one  of  the  brethren 
thanked  God  for  the  word  of  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
sub-divisions,  saying  they  had  been  ringing  in  his 
ear  like  sweet-toned  bells  the  livelong  day.  **  And 
what,  think  you,  happened  next  ?  Why ! — ^those 
sub-heads  began  to  chime  for  me.  Oh,  how  de- 
lightsomely  they  rang  !  I  was  compelled  to  listen 
to  those  charming  bells .    And  this  is  what  they  said . 

What  God  has  done,  our  God  can  do — 

Can  do  what  He  has  done  ! 
Who  from  the  pit  His  chosen  drew. 
Who  all  their  glorious  vict'ries  won, 

Ockn  do  what  He  has  done ! 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   229 

Sweet  bells  of  hope,  ring  out  anew, 
He  Rahab  cut,  the  dragon  slew. 
He  can  His  former  acts  renew. 
Can  do  what  He  has  done  ! 


What  God  has  done  our  God  will  do, 

He'll  do  what  He  has  done  ! 
He  keeps  His  covenant  in  view. 
He  is  the  never  changing  One, 

He'll  do  what  He  has  done  ! 
Sweet  bells  of  faith,  ring  out  anew, 
His  mercies  are  not  small,  nor  few. 
His  love,  though  old,  is  ever  new. 

He'll  do  what  He  has  done  I 

What  God  has  done,  our  God  will  crown — 

He'll  crown  what  He  has  done  ! 
Best  wine  at  last  is  His  renown. 
The  brightest  part  may  be  outdone. 

He'll  crown  what  He  has  done  ! 
Sweet  bells,  ring  out  o'er  all  the  Town, 
Poor  Mansoul's  fears  for  ever  drown; 
God's  wont  has  been,  the  ages  down. 

To  crown  what  He  has  done." 

These  words,  set  to  music  by  Mr.  G.  W.  Gregory, 
whose  prayer  suggested  them,  were  thereafter  sung 
by  Madame  Annie  RyaU. 

"  The  Baptist  "  was  the  subject  for  1904.  "  He 
was  the  clasp  of  the  Covenants,  the  loop  which 
couples  Old  and  New  Testaments.  He  thought  and 
taught  imperially  ;  and  while  he  was  yet  speaking 
the  King  appeared."  "  O  men  of  God,  declare 
God's  truth  at  all  hazards.  It  does  not  need  toning 
down,  nor  trimming  up."  A  fine  description  of  a 
lunar  rainbow  scene  in  the  Tasmanian  bush 
prompts  the  reflection  that  "  a  solar  rainbow  at 
its  worst  outshines  a  lunar  rainbow  at  its  best." 


230   THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

After  quoting  Wordsworth  on  "  Daffodils,"  there 
comes  the  personal  witness.  *'  I  sometimes  take 
a  glance  at  a  precious  note-book,  containing  a  list 
of  those  who  professed  decision  for  Jesus  during 
my  evangelistic  tours.  I  read  the  names,  and,  in 
many  instances,  recall  the  cases  : 

*'  And  then  my  heart  with  pleasure  fills. 
And  dances  with  the  daffodils." 

"  God's  Fellow-Workers "  was  the  subject  for 
1905,  It  was  given  on  the  heels  of  a  remarkable 
time  of  blessing  at  the  Tabernacle,  and  has  an 
afterglow  in  it.  "  *  When  God  loved  He  loved  a 
world,  and  when  He  gave  He  gave  His  Son,'  said 
Peter  Mackenzie.  '  The  Master  is  come  and  calleth 
for  thee,'  said  Sister  Dora  to  herself,  every  time 
she  opened  the  hospital  gate  at  dead  of  night." 

The  next  year's  topic  was  like  unto  it,  "  Am- 
bassadors for  Christ."  Because  we  occupy  this 
high  position — "  Away  with  apologies  and  compro- 
mises. Away  with  unprepared  sermons  and  half- 
hearted prayers  and  slovenly  services.  Away  with 
untidiness  of  person  and  hastiness  of  speech,  and 
meanness  of  disposition  and  littleness  of  mind. 
Away  with  self-seeking,  and  worldly-mindedness, 
and  frivolity."  The  story  of  the  stately  Scotch 
divine  lingered  in  the  minds  of  the  meeting.  Being 
received  at  a  cottage,  as  he  thought  too  familiarly, 
he  said,  "  *  Woman,  I  am  the  servant  of  the  Lord, 
come  to  speak  with  you  on  the  concerns  of  your 
soul ! '  '  Then  you'll  be  humble,  like  your 
Master,'  admirably  rejoined  the  cottager." 

"  It  has  been  asserted  that  there  are  in  the  Bible 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   231 

no  less  than  twenty  thousand  promises.  I  hke  to 
think  of  them  as  my  Master's  carriages,  which  He 
keeps  for  His  people  to  ride  in.  '  The  chariots  of 
God  are  twenty  thousand.'  Some  one  said  to  me  a 
while  ago,  rather  superciliously  I  thought ;  '  Have 
you  many  carriage  folk  now  at  the  Tabernacle  ? ' 
'  Why,  bless  your  heart,'  I  answered,  '  we  are  all 
carriage  folk.'  Then  I  explained  the  mystery  to 
him,  for  he  was  fairly  astonished,  I  assure  you. 
One  of  my  faithful  people,  when  he  heard  the  story, 
declared  he  would  never  walk  to  the  Tabernacle 
again.  (He  evidently  had  not  been  one  of  the 
carriage  folk  until  then.)  I  related  the  incident 
at  a  public  meeting  a  few  weeks  since,  and  while  I 
was  hurrying  off  to  another  engagement,  a  good 
woman  hastened  after  me,  despite  the  rain  and 
mud,  and  exclaimed,  '  I  say,  Mr.  Spurgeon,  I'm 
going  to  come  to  chapel  in  a  carriage  now  ! '  She 
was  gone  ere  I  could  add, '  And  not  to  chapel  only, 
mind  you  ride  in  it  to  every  place,  and  to  every 
duty.'  " 

The  college  motto  "  Et  Teneo,  et  Teneor,'^  was 
the  text  of  the  address  in  1907,  the  Jubilee  year. 
"  A  critic,  who  came  to  the  Tabernacle  a  while  ago, 
was  pleased  to  declare  that  so  far  as  he  could  judge, 
there  were  not  more  than  six  persons  of  consequence 
and  culture  present.  I  will  venture  to  say  that 
there  was  not  one  person,  say  what  we  may  about 
the  culture,  who  was  not  of  consequence — to 
Jesus.  An  Indian,  who  had  been  a  Hindu,  said, 
'  When  I  became  a  Mohammedan,  it  was  I  who 
embraced  Mohammedanism,  but  when  I  became  a 
Christian,    it    was    Christ    Who    embraced    me.' 


282        THE   COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

Richard   Tange  used  to  say,  *  We  launched  the 
"  Great  Eastern,"  and  she  launched  us.'  " 

For  1908  there  was  "A  Comfortable  Vision." 
The  seven-branched  lampstand  which  Zechariah 
saw  was  the  subject.  "  I  have  been  helped  to 
word  this  by  a  sweet  poem,  which  a  brother  beloved 
forwarded  to  me  in  my  exile.  I  quote  it,  trust- 
ing it  may  help  you  also. 

*'  It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me, 

It's  raining  daffodils; 
In  every  dimpled  drop  I  see 

Wild  flowers  on  the  hills  : 
The  clouds  of  grey  engulf  the  day 

And  overwhelm  the  town, 
It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me. 

It's  raining  roses  down  I 

'*  It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me 

But  fields  of  clover  bloom, 
Where  any  buccaneering  bee 

May  find  a  bed  and  room ; 
A  health  to  him  that's  happy, 

A  fig  for  him  that  frets  ! 
It  isn't  raining  rain  to  me, 

It's  raining  violets  !  '* 

The  final  act  in  the  vision,  when  the  topstone  is 
brought  forth,  called  forth  a  peroration  which 
thrilled  the  hearers : 

"  I  have  tried  to  realize  the  scene.  The  news 
has  reached  the  City  of  the  Great  King  that  the 
last  of  the  prodigals  is  coming  home  ;  so  the  kind 
angels  are  crowding  to  the  gate.  Gay  garlands 
garnish  all  the  streets.  Fair  flags  are  fluttering 
everywhere.  The  bells  ring  merrily.  The  city  is 
en  fHe,     The  Lamb,  Who  is  the  lamp  thereof,  sheds 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   238 

His  brightest  lustre  on  the  walls  of  jasper  and  the 
streets  of  gold.  Those  streets  are  thronged  with 
ransomed  souls,  '  clothed  in  white  robes  and  palms 
in  their  hands.'  An  unusual  joy  surprises  these 
blest  inhabitants  of  Zion. 

"  And  now  the  supreme  moment  has  arrived. 
Escorted  by  a  phalanx  of  the  heavenly  host,  there 
climbeth  up  the  steeps  on  which  the  Eternal  City 
stands  the  last  believer  to  quit  the  Vale  of  Tears. 
The  crest  of  the  heavenly  hill  is  reached.  The 
cavalcade  sweeps  in.  The  gate  of  pearl  swings  to, 
upon  its  golden  pivot.  The  crowd  is  closing  in, 
and  the  long  procession  presses  to  the  Throne. 
One  word  resounds  from  every  lip — the  sweet  word 
Grace.  The  happy  angels  shout  it — Grace,  grace  ! 
The  four  and  twenty  elders  shout  it — Grace,  grace  ! 
The  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect  shout  it — 
Grace,  grace  !  The  noble  army  of  martyrs  shout 
it — Grace,  grace  !  The  glorious  company  of  the 
Apostles  shout  it — Grace,  grace  !  But  there  is  one 
voice  that  rises  high  above  the  rest — that  of  the 
prodigal  himself.  He  is  keeping  a  promise  that  he 
made  on  earth, 

"  *  Then,  loudest  of  the  crowd  I'll  sing. 
While  heaven's  eternal  arches  ring 
With  shouts  of  sovereign  grace.* 

"  And  then,  met  bought  a  reverent  silence  fell  upon 
the  multitude  that  no  man  can  number,  as  '  the 
Son  of  His  love  '  said  unto  His  Father,  '  Here  am 
I,  and  the  children  whom  Thou  hast  given  me,  I 
have  lost  none.  They  are  saved  by  grace ;  *  and 
then — and  then — ^the  innumerable  company  took 


234        THE   COLLEGE   CONFERENCE 

up  the  strain,  and  sent  the  echo  back  again.  It 
was  like  the  sound  of  many  waters.  Grace,  grace  ! 
Grace,  grace  ! 

Grace  all  the  work  shall  crown 

Through  everlasting  days. 
It  lays  in  heaven  the  topmost  stone. 

And  well  deserves  the  praise  ! " 

.  "  The  Land  of  Havilah "  was  the  somewhat 
fanciful  title  of  the  1909  address,  though  it  was 
intensely  practical.  The  artist  is  in  evidence  in 
the  illustrations.  "  A  successful  artist  told  me  the 
other  day,  that  when  he  first  turned  to  water- 
colours  as  a  medium,  he  used  no  less  than  sixty-four 
pigments.  '  Now,'  he  said,  '  I  find  five  or  six 
sufficient.'  There  is  a  story  of  Stanhope  Forbes, 
of  Newlyn.  Says  a  burly  fisherman,  who  had 
been  watching  operations  :  '  I  can  mind  you  paint- 
in'  down  here,  along  twenty  years  ago,  Mr.  Forbes. 
Ain't  you  tired  of  it  yet  ?  '  And  the  painter  laughs 
as  he  picks  up  his  kit,  and  climbs  to  his  home  at 
the  top  of  the  hill.  And  we — brethren — we  who 
love  the  Book,  are  not  tired  of  it,  but  more  enam- 
oured of  it  than  ever."  This  address  contained 
two  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  own  poems — "  I'm  happy 
all  the  time,"  and  "  What  a  beautiful  morning 
that  will  be." 

One  of  the  greatest  sermons  C.  H.  S.  ever 
preached  was  from  Job's  words,  "  I  have  yet  to 
speak  on  God's  behalf."  T.  S.  took  the  revised 
margin,  "  There  are  yet  words  for  God,"  as  the 
text  of  his  next  address  in  1910,  "  Words  for  God." 
"  For  each  of  the  Holy  Three  we  must  speak ;  for 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   285 

the  Book ;  for  the  Gospel ;  for  every  righteous 
cause  ;  for  the  missionary  enterprise."  This  was 
the  prelude  to  a  memorable  missionary  Conference. 

In  1911  the  title  of  the  address,  which  was  built 
on  the  incident  of  Joshua  and  the  man  with  the 
drawn  sword,  was  "  The  Church  and  its  Captain." 
The  Church  was  considered  in  relation  to  its  Head, 
and  to  its  inner  life.  The  illustration  which  caught 
the  fancy  of  the  men  was  of  an  artist  who  "was 
visiting  a  little  tidal  harbour  in  '  glorious  Devon,' 
in  search  of  'a  bit '  for  his  brush,  and  said  to  an 
old  fisherman,  '  Is  the  tide  making  or  falHng  ?  ' 
'  Well,'  said  he,  after  looking  round  as  if  he  had 
not  noticed  the  tide  before,  '  it's  about  half-tide, 
sir,  and  when  it  begins  to  make  again,  I  reckon 
(this  with  a  keen  glance  out  to  sea)  we'll  get  a  blow 
from  the  east'ard.  Most  mysterious  thing,  this 
tide,  sir  ;  why  the  moon  attracts  it ;  and  why  the 
wind  rises  with  it  as  it  mostly  does,  most  mysterious 
thing,  sir,  but '  (with  a  sweep  of  the  hand  toward 
the  half-empty  harbour) — '  but  there  it  is.'  And 
the  artist,  who  by  the  way,  preaches  too,  bethought 
him  of  the  Spirit  and  the  Word,  and  the  cleansing 
tide,  and  of  the  miracles  that  have  been  daily 
wrought,  and  he  said  within  himself,  '  Most  mys- 
terious thing,  but  THERE  IT  IS  ;  '  and  he  determined 
that  he  would  be  in  league  with  those  mysterious 
and  omnipotent  forces." 

The  address  ended  with  the  sentence  from  one 
of  his  father's  letters :  "  Go  on  with  the  Gospel, 
for  it  is  of  God,  and  that  which  is  of  God  will  see 
all  the  others  at  Jericho  among  the  tumbling 
houses." 


236        THE   COLLEGE   CONFERENCE 

One  of  the  greatest  Conference  addresses  was 
given  in  1912 — "  Salvation  by  Grace."  It  was  not 
only  published  in  The  Sword  and  Trowel,  but  in 
Fundamentals,  that  series  of  booklets  for  which 
Dr.  Dixon  was  responsible  in  America.  Quoting 
with  approval  the  definition  given  by  Thomas 
Phillips,  in  his  great  sermon  at  the  Philadelphia 
Congress,  "  Grace  is  something  in  God  which  is 
at  the  heart  of  all  His  redeeming  activities,  the 
downward  stoop  and  reach  of  God,  God  bending 
from  the  height  of  His  majesty  to  touch  and  grasp 
our  insignificance  and  poverty,"  and  following 
it  with  great  words  on  grace  from  Dr.  Dale,  Dr. 
Maclaren,  and  Dr.  Jowett,  he  recalled  Hart's 
quaint  verse — the  verse  which  Dr.  Horton  quotes 
in  his  biography  with  some  amusement : 

"  Everything  we  do  we  sin  in, 
Chosen  Jews 
Must  not  use 
Woollen  mixt  with  linen.*' 

"  No  article  can  be  broken  beyond  repair — the  more 
it  is  smashed  the  better  we  like  it,^^  was  the  sentence 
read  in  a  rivetter's  shop  window ;  "  and  I  said 
within  myself,  '  Thus  it  is  with  the  grace  of  God, 
and  as  long  as  I  live  I  will  tell  poor  sinners  so.'  " 

The  address  had  a  fine  passage  toward  the  end  : 
"  An  unusual  opportunity  was  once  afforded  me 
of  viewing  the  vessel  on  which  I  was  a  passenger, 
before  the  voyage  was  quite  complete.  After 
nearly  three  months  in  a  sailing  ship,  we  were 
greeted  by  a  harbour  tug,  whose  master  doubtless 
hoped  for  the  task  of  towing  us  into  port.     There 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   237 

was,  however,  a  favourable  breeze,  which,  though 
light,  promised  to  hold  steady.  So  the  tug's 
services  were  declined.  Anxious  to  earn  an  honest 
penny  her  master  ranged  alongside  the  clipper, 
and  transhipped  such  passengers  as  cared  to  get 
a  view  from  another  deck  of  the  good  ship  that  had 
brought  them  some  fifteen  thousand  miles.  You 
may  be  sure  I  was  one  of  them.  A  delightful 
experience  it  was  to  draw  away  from  our  floating 
home,  to  mark  her  graceful  lines,  her  towering 
masts,  her  tapering  yards,  her  swelling  sails — the 
white  wave  curling  at  her  fore -feet,  and  the  green 
wake  winding  astern.  From  our  new  view-point 
items  that  had  grown  familiar  were  invested  with 
fresh  interest.  There  was  the  wheel  to  which  we 
had  seen  six  seamen  lashed  in  time  of  storm,  and 
there  the  binnacle  whose  sheltered  compass  had 
been  so  constantly  studied  since  the  start,  and 
there  the  chart-house  with  its  treasures  of  wisdom, 
and  yonder  the  huge  fluked  anchors,  and  over  all 
the  network  of  ropes — a  tangle  to  the  uninitiated. 
Even  the  smoke  from  the  galley-fire  inspired  respect 
as  we  remembered  the  many  meals  that  appetites, 
sharpened  by  the  keen  air  of  the  southern  seas, 
had  fastened  upon.  And  yonder  is  the  port  of 
one's  own  cabin  !  What  marvellous  things  had 
been  viewed  through  that  narrow  peephole,  and 
what  sweet  sleep  had  been  enjoyed  beneath  it, 
'  rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep.'  Oh  !  it  was  a 
brave  sight,  that  full-rigged  ship,  so  long  our  ocean 
home,  which,  despite  contrary  winds  and  cross- 
currents, and  terrifying  gales  and  tantalizing 
calms,   had  half  compassed  the  globe,  and  had 


238        THE  COLLEGE   CONFERENCE 

brought  her  numerous  passengers  and  valuable 
freight  across  the  trackless  leagues  in  safety.  Do 
you  wonder  that  we  cheered  the  staunch  vessel, 
and  her  skilful  commander,  and  the  ship's  company 
again  and  again  ?  I  hear  the  echoes  of  those 
hurrahs  to-day.  Do  you  wonder  that  we  gave 
thanks  for  a  prosperous  voyage  by  the  will  of  God, 
and  presently  stepped  back  from  the  tug-boat  to 
the  ship  without  question  that  what  remained 
of  the  journey  would  be  soon  and  successfully 
accomplished  ?  " 

The  reputation  of  Thomas  Spurgeon  might  well 
rest  on  that  bit  of  descriptive  writing,  not  to  be 
excelled  and  seldom  to  be  equalled,  in  all  sermon 
literature,  or  in  any  other  literature ;  and  when  he 
came  to  apply  it  to  the  good  ship  *'  Free  Grace," 
is  it  any  wonder  that  the  men  stood  and  cheered, 
and  that  the  speaker  was  taken  to  their  hearts  for 
ever  ? 

''  We  have,  perchance,  a  few  more  leagues  to 
cover,"  he  said,  in  concluding.  "  We  may  even 
stand  off  and  on  a  while  near  the  harbour  mouth, 
but,  please  God,  we  shall  have  abundant  entrance 
at  last.  To-day  we  have  circled  the  ship,  and  I 
call  on  every  passenger  to  bless  her  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  and  to  shout  the  praise  of  Him  Who 
owns  and  navigates  her.  All  honour  and  blessing 
be  unto  the  God  of  Grace,  and  unto  the  Grace  of 
God  !  Ten  thousand,  thousand  thanks  to  Jesus  ! 
and  to  the  blessed  Spirit  equal  praise!" 

"  The  Preacher's  Purpose  "  was  the  theme  for 
19 13.  Speaking  of  naturalness  in  delivery, ' ' '  There 
is  room  for  a  natural  painter,'  said  Constable, 


THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE   239 

and  forthwith  filled  the  void  by  selecting  homely 
themes  and  treating  them  artlessly — by  which 
I  do  not  mean  unskilfully.  '  I  have  always 
succeeded  best  with  my  nature  scenes,'  he  said, 
'  they  have  always  charmed,  and  I  hope  they 
always  will.'  And  they  always  did  !  If  we  are  to 
preach  of  sin  we  cannot  make  it  too  sinful,  or  man's 
state  by  nature  too  desperate.  When  Turner 
mourned  the  passing  of  Wilkie,  he  painted  a 
picture  of  his  death  at  sea.  '  You  are  painting  the 
sails  very  black,'  said  Stanfield.  He  rephed,  '  If 
I  could  find  anything  blacker  than  black  I  would 
use  it.'  While  still  a  village  preacher  C.  H.  Spur- 
geon  used  to  say,  '  Souls,  souls,  souls.  I  hope  this 
rings  in  my  ears,  and  hurries  me  on.'  " 

"  Sweet   Spring "   was  a  fragrant  message   for 

1914.  Spring  in  the  soil,  in  the  sky,  in  the  sea,  at 
the  sepulchre,  in  the  soul,  in  the  study,  in  the 
school,  in  the  sanctuary.  It  would  need  to  be  all 
quoted  to  catch  its  charm. 

"  Our  Most  Delightful  Guest,"  the  address  for 

1915,  was  not  delivered  owing  to  the  President's 
illness,  but  it  had  been  printed  in  preparation  and 
was  distributed.  It  is  a  fitting  climax  to  the  series 
of  addresses,  ending  on  the  note  that  would  have 
been  chosen  had  Mr.  Spurgeon  known  it  was  to  be 
his  last.  "  Inviting  me  to  a  certain  church  to 
preach,  my  correspondent  said,  by  way  of  further 
inducement,  '  We  will  give  you  a  spikenard  wel- 
come.' I  am  sure  that  is  the  kind  of  welcome  that 
befits  the  Spirit.  When  Mr.  Moody — grand,  rug- 
ged, tender-hearted  Moody — I  having  begged  a 
corner  in  the  hearts  and  prayers  of  the  people — ^said 


240   THE  COLLEGE  CONFERENCE 

bluntly,  '  Not  a  bit  of  it,  we've  got  no  corners 
in  our  hearts  for  Spurgeon's  son.  Come  right 
along,'  I  fancy  that  was  a  spikenard  welcome." 

The  message  in  1916  was  but  a  fragment,  brief 
but  delightful :  the  topic  "  A  Bridge -Building 
Brotherhood."  ''  The  task  before  us  is  noble, 
joyful,  responsible,  and  will  be  well  paid.  Every 
stone  must  be  well  and  truly  laid.  Woe — woe  to 
the  spiritual  jerry  builder  !  '  Sir,'  said  a  builder's 
foreman  breathlessly,  '  all  that  row  of  houses  has 
collapsed.'  Whereupon,  the  master  replied,  wrath- 
fuUy,  '  Didn't  I  tell  you  not  to  take  down  the 
scaffolding  till  you  had  put  up  the  wall-papers  ?  ' 
In  just  such  flimsy  fashion  some  have  built  bridges, 
which  have  proved  refuges  of  lies." 

In  1917  the  Conference  itself,  owing  to  war 
conditions,  was  greatly  curtailed,  being  restricted 
to  one  day,  and  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  too  ill  to  be 
present.  In  1918  another  brief  session  was  held, 
and  it  fell  to  Mr.  F.  A.  Jackson  and  me  to  dehver 
memorial  tributes  to  our  friend.  In  the  corner 
sat  Mrs.  Spurgeon  and  her  daughter,  and  we  all 
shared  their  grief.  Who  can  tell  what  the  next 
Conference  will  reveal,  or  whether  there  will  ever 
be  another  ? 


CHAPTER   XVII 

TRAVEL   SCENES 

When  I  was  guest  in  the  Spurgeon  home  in  1900, 
it  was  arranged  that  we  should  visit  Paris  and 
Switzerland  together  that  summer.  So  in  July, 
only  waiting  for  the  Christian  Endeavour  Con- 
vention at  the  Alexandra  Palace,  we  set  forth — 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  Mrs.  Fullerton,  and  I.  At 
the  last  moment  a  perplexity  arose,  for  Manton 
Smith,  my  comrade  in  mission  service  for  fifteen 
years,  died  the  day  before,  and  I  scarcely  knew 
whether  to  go  or  stay.  At  length  it  was  arranged 
that  I  should  accompany  the  party  to  Paris,  and 
return  for  my  friend's  funeral.  But  on  the  way 
I  heard  that  the  funeral  had  to  be  hastened,  and 
so  it  came  to  pass  that  I  was  unable  to  show  a  last 
tribute  of  love  to  the  honoured  man  with  whom 
my  life  had  been  so  happily  linked.  Instead,  I 
had  to  content  myself  with  writing  six  or  eight 
appreciations  of  him  for  various  journals  at  odd 
times  during  our  early  Paris  days. 

My  friend.  Dr.  Reuben  Saillens,  had  kindly 
arranged  accommodation  for  us,  though  in  the 
Exhibition  year  it  was  rather  difficult.  When  I 
first  wrote  he  thought  it  would  be  impossible,  but 
one  of  his  members  at  the  church,  which  was  then 
in  the  Rue  Meslay,  going  on  holiday,  vacated  his 
appartement  in  the  Rue  Fourcroy  for  us,  and  so 
16  241 


242  TRAVEL  SCENES 

during  our  stay  we  had  a  little  suite  of  four  rooms 
three  stories  up,  with  a  housekeeper  who  came  in 
the  morning  and  left  in  the  afternoon.  Needless 
to  say,  we  came  into  close  contact :  the  dining-room 
was  so  tiny  that  those  who  came  in  last  had  to  go 
out  first,  for  there  was  no  room  to  pass.  Here  I 
had  the  joy  of  introducing  Monsieur  and  Madame 
Saillens  to  my  fellow-travellers.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
fell  ill  during  our  stay,  and  when  we  called  in 
Dr.  Monod  to  advise  us,  I  remember  amongst  other 
things  he  said,  in  his  charming  English,  "  You 
English  are  so  funny.  You  think  that  eggs  make 
you  bilious  because  they  are  yel — low  ! " 

For  a  week  we  did  full  justice  to  the  "  Exposi- 
tion," and  Mr.  Spurgeon,  unable  to  start  for 
Switzerland  on  the  appointed  day,  followed  us  there 
some  days  later,  Mrs.  Spurgeon,  on  account  of  the 
children,  being  compelled  to  return  home. 

That  prolonged  stay  at  Riederfurka  was  a  time 
of  unalloyed  joy.  I  have  been  there  so  often  that 
it  almost  seems  like  home  to  me,  but  to  him  it  had 
all  the  charm  of  magnificent  novelty.  The  chalet 
where  we  had  our  rooms,  facing  the  little  hotel, 
looks  on  one  side  to  the  Rhone  Valley,  and  on  the 
other  to  the  Aletsch  glacier,  the  largest  in  Europe. 
On  the  ridge  the  only  other  house  is  the  pretentious 
villa  built  by  Sir  Ernest  Cassel,  who  has  chosen 
his  site  well.  On  the  south  is  a  splendid  panorama 
of  snow  peaks,  Monte  Leone,  Fletschorn,  Monte 
Rosa,  and  others ;  on  the  north,  Fieschorn, 
Finsteraarhorn,  and  others  ;  and,  after  a  walk  of 
five  minutes,  the  great  stretch  of  the  glacier  to  the 
east ;    and  one  of  the  most  superb  views  in  the 


TRAVEL  SCENES  243 

Alps  in  the  west — Mischabel  and  Weisshorn,  with 
the  Matterhorn  between. 

Excursions  on  the  hillside  were  varied  by  descents 
to  the  ice.  As  my  wife  sketched,  Mr.  Spurgeon 
resumed  his  work  with  the  pencil,  which  he  had 
laid  aside  for  a  while,  and  I  read  to  both  the  artists 
as  they  vied  with  each  other  in  catching  the  glories 
of  the  view.  Across  the  glacier  is  Bel  Alp  with 
the  cottage  beyond  built  by  Professor  Tyndall 
at  the  foot  of  the  Sparrenhorn,  which,  in  their 
early  days,  Mr.  Spurgeon's  father  and  mother  had 
climbed,  afterwards  crossing  the  very  ridge  where 
we  had  our  dwelling,  then  bare  and  unappreciated, 
seven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

One  day  we  were  gladdened  by  the  arrival  of  a 
great  party  of  friends,  who  were  journeying  in 
the  contrary  direction — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Higgs  and 
family,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Amsden  and  friends,  with  a 
retinue  of  porters,  and  after  some  photographs 
were  taken,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  escorting  them 
to  the  place  where  the  ice  could  be  the  easiest 
crossed. 

Another  day  we  went  to  the  Concordia  Hut, 
high  up,  just  beneath  the  south  face  of  the  Jung- 
frau,  and  we  spent  the  night  there,  literally  under 
the  snow,  for  our  blankets  were  white  with  it  in 
the  morning.  On  the  return  journey  Mr.  Spurgeon, 
who  had  only  an  alpenstock  to  help  him,  accident- 
ally dropped  it  as  we  were  crossing  some  difficult 
ice,  and  away  it  went  glissading  towards  a  crevasse, 
where  it  fortunately  stuck,  and  was  presently 
recovered  by  our  guide.  The  traveller  sitting  on 
his  mackintosh  on  a  hummock  of  ice  the  while, 


244  TRAVEL   SCENES 

unable  to  move,  was  less  happy  than  I  have  ever 
seen  him  anywhere  else. 

We  had  a  royal  time  together,  and  afterwards, 
making  a  short  tour  by  the  Grimsel  and  the  Brunig 
to  Lucerne,  with  a  brief  visit  to  Murren,  where  we 
saw  a  double  rainbow  more  vivid  than  any  of  us 
ever  conceived  rainbows  could  be,  the  holiday 
ended  with  a  very  closely  cemented  friendship. 
When  he  got  home,  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  :  "I  shall 
never  cease  to  rejoice  over  this  happy  holiday,  the 
best  I  have  ever  had." 

A  close  friendship  also  began  with  Dr.  Saillens. 
Already  they  had  known  each  other  by  correspon- 
dence, and  Mr.  Spurgeon  had  taken  a  deep  interest 
in  the  French  students  of  the  Pastors'  College  ; 
now  he  took  under  his  wing  the  English  Auxiliary, 
which  helps  to  evangelize  France,  and  very  greatly 
helped  it  in  the  coming  years.  On  October  25th, 
1900,  he  writes  :  "  The  trustees  have  fallen  in 
with  my  suggestion  as  to  helping  Pasteur  Saillens. 
M.  Blocher  is  to  be  known  as  our  agent." 

At  the  invitation  of  M.  le  Pasteur  he  visited 
Paris  again  with  Mrs.  Spurgeon  a  few  years  later. 
'*  We  wanted  our  people  to  know  him,"  writes  the 
eloquent  French  pastor,  "  and  we  felt  that  his 
message  to  them  would  be  most  beneficial.  There 
is  another  consideration,  equally  important,  which 
prompted  us  to  urge  him  to  come.  Before  the 
war  there  were  always  a  large  number  of  English 
and  American  residents  in  Paris,  besides  the 
multitudes  of  tourists  who  come  for  a  few  days  or 
a  few  weeks  to  enjoy  the  sights  and  pleasures  of 
our  capital.     We  have  heard  an  estimate,  which 


TRAVEL  SCENES  245 

seems  fairly  accurate  :  there  were  thirty  thousand 
EngHsh- speaking  settlers  in  Paris  and  its  suburbs. 
Of  that  number  only  a  small  proportion  were  con- 
nected with  the  churches,  while  the  vast  majority 
— shop-assistants,  clerks,  art-students,  etc. — had  no 
sort  of  religious  life.  Away  from  home-restraining 
influences,  many  of  these  young  people  caught  the 
worldly  spirit,  which  was  so  prevalent  in  Paris,  even 
more  badly  than  the  real  Parisians ;  for  in  this,  as  in 
the  case  of  some  infectious  diseases,  it  often  happens 
that  new-comers  get  it  even  worse  than  the  natives. 

"  How  Paris  has  changed  since  then  ! 

"  For  all  these  reasons  we  were  anxious  that  our 
dear  friend  should  come  to  us  for  as  long  a  period  as 
possible ;  but  he  was  not  able  to  give  us  more  than 
a  week  or  so  in  the  spring  of  1902.  Our  mission 
church  was  full,  both  on  Sunday  and  through  the 
week.  Mr.  Spurgeon  was  a  most  easy  speaker  to 
interpret.  Our  people  were  delighted  with  him. 
He  also  preached  in  English  in  the  Roquepine 
Methodist  Chapel,  a  beautiful  building  situated  right 
in  the  midst  of  the  fashionable  quarter,  and  that 
place  also  was  full.     He  made  a  deep  impression. 

"  I  remember  our  trip  to  Chantilly  by  motor-car, 
which  became  so  unmanageable  by  the  way  that 
we  were  compelled  to  return  by  train  to  be  in  time 
for  the  evening  meeting.  There  are  few  men  whom 
it  has  been  so  delightful  to  welcome  under  our  roof. 
Since  then  many  have  been  the  occasions  when  we 
have  worked,  conversed,  prayed  together  in 
London.  He  was  changed  physically,  but  he  was 
as  gentle,  peaceful,  submitted — and  as  bright,  too — 
as  we  had  ever  seen  him." 


246  TRAVEL   SCENES 

It  will  be  remembered,  as  set  forth  in  Chapter  VI., 
that  his  first  Continental  visit  was  with  his  father 
to  Mentone.  Already  we  have  mentioned  the  visit 
to  Carlsbad  in  1907.  From  thence  he  moved  to 
Garmisch  and  Levico,  where  Mrs.  Spurgeon  joined 
him,  and  in  a  little  while  they  went  together  for 
a  tour  to  Venice,  Florence,  Rome  and  Genoa, 
retm^ning  to  Meran  in  the  Tyrol  for  the  winter. 
Here  the  invalid  settled  down  to  take  the  cure. 
Mrs.  Spurgeon  left  him,  as  they  had  let  their  house 
in  London,  and  there  were  many  things  there 
needing  attention  ;  but  he  was  soon  joined  by  his 
dear  friend,  William  Higgs,  afterwards  by  Dr. 
McCaig,  and  still  later,  by  Mr.  F.  A.  Jackson,  who  for 
The  Sword  and  Trowel,  March  1908,  wrote  a  charm- 
ing article  on  his  visit.  He  says  :  "  The  surround- 
ings of  Meran  are  commanding  and  interesting. 
Forst,  Naturno,  Tirol,  Schoeuna,  Lana,  Marling — 
Mr.  Spurgeon  has  made  a  sketch  in  each  place.  We 
would  go  out  in  the  morning  after  breakfast,  and 
select  a  suitable  position  for  a  picture  ;  then  I  would 
leave  him  to  his  work,  in  which  he  became  quite 
absorbed,  wander  further  afield,  and  come  back  to 
him  later  in  the  day.  The  sketching  has  been  of  real 
interest  to  him,  and  a  distinct  boon.  Levico,  Gar- 
misch, Genoa,  Bozen,  Meran,  all  bear  witness,  in  his 
portfolio,  to  his  gift  and  skill  with  the  brush."  In 
The  Sword  and  Trowel  for  the  following  month  Mr. 
Jackson  also  contributed  a  fine  poem  on  "Meran." 

Mr.  Spurgeon  returned  to  England  in  time  for 
the  College  Conference,  over  which  he  presided 
with  much  ability  and  acceptance.  In  his  pre- 
sidential address  there  are  two  references  to  the 


TRAVEL  SCENES  247 

Tyrol.  *'  Tradition  says  that  Duke  Frederick  of 
the  Tyrol,  unjustly  nicknamed  '  of  the  empty 
pocket,'  by  way  of  refutation  of  the  libel,  erected 
the  golden  roof  at  Innsbruck.  Let  those  who  are 
disposed  to  forget  how  opulent  God  is  call  to  mind 
the  golden  roof  that  He  has  built."  "  Divine  erec- 
tions are  unruinable.  I  have  sojourned  a  long  time 
in  the  Tyrol,  where  ruined  castles  abound.  A  while 
ago  a  castle  could  be  bought  for  something  less  than 
a  five  pound  note.  They  have  lasted  longer  than  the 
armies  and  the  pomp  of  which  they  are  now  almost 
the  only  relics,  but  they  themselves  have  nearly 
passed  away.     The  Spirit  builds  for  eternity." 

On  three  occasions  Norway  was  visited  :  the 
first  time  in  company  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  K. 
Slater,  of  Liverpool,  in  August,  1905  ;  the  second, 
with  Mr.  W.  Mannington,  of  Robertsbridge  ;  and 
the  third,  with  his  son  on  his  coming  of  age  in  1912  ; 
but  no  details  of  these  journeys  are  available.  In 
1904,  in  company  with  the  Slaters,  he  crossed  to 
New  York  just  for  the  sake  of  the  voyage,  returning 
by  the  next  boat.  The  Sunday  evening  was  spent 
as  listeners  in  Dr.  MacArthur's  church ;  after  the 
service,  when  they  made  themselves  known.  Dr. 
MacArthur  was  so  overjoyed  to  see  Mr.  Spurgeon 
that  he  kissed  him  on  both  cheeks.  In  1903,  in 
the  company  of  Mr.  James  Hall  of  the  Tabernacle, 
the  Canary  Islands  were  visited,  and  in  1902  a 
voyage  round  the  British  Islands  is  reported  to 
Mr.  Slater  in  a  series  of  postcards.  In  1906  a 
projected  visit  to  the  States,  to  take  the  services 
in  Tremont  Temple,  Boston,  during  July  and 
August,  had  to  be  cancelled  owing  to  ill-health. 


248  TRAVEL  SCENES 

At  one  time  Mr.  Spurgeon  indulged  the  hope  of 
visiting  the  Continental  churches — Dutch,  German, 
Scandinavian,  Russian, — and  had  gone  so  far  in 
his  thinking  out  the  plan  as  to  choose  his  com- 
panions for  the  journey ;  but  that  is  only  one  of 
the  things  that  might-have-been. 

He  always  had  the  traveller's  heart,  and  was 
never  so  happy  as  when  he  was  visiting  new  scenes 
or  moving  forward  amid  surroundings  that  were 
familiar.  He  delighted  to  watch  a  good  cricket 
match,  and  was  at  home  on  the  golf  links,  but 
even  at  ordinary  times  his  most  refreshing  holiday 
was  a  few  hours  spent  on  board  one  of  the  river 
steamers  which  go  out  as  far  as  Walton-on-the- 
Naze.  Southwold  was  his  favourite  holiday  resort ; 
here  Mr.  F.  A.  Jackson  often  spent  a  week  with 
him,  as  also  at  Ilkley,  Shankhn,  and  Brighton. 
With  Mrs.  Spurgeon  he  visited  for  holiday  Scot- 
land, Jersey,  Derbyshire,  Berwick,  Blackpool,  the 
Isle  of  Man,  and,  in  later  artist  days,  Devon  and 
Cornwall.  His  mind  never  seemed  to  turn  either 
to  the  Far  East  or  to  the  Near  East,  his  early 
colonial  experience,  perhaps,  giving  him  a  bias 
toward  civilizations  and  countries  that  were  new 
rather  than  those  that  were  ancient;  but  always 
his  chief  joy  was  the  sea,  the  wide  and  the  open 
sea.  Not  without  justification  did  his  father  in 
playful  mood  call  him  "  his  stormy  petrel." 

That  he  could  make  good  use  in  the  pulpit  of 
the  incidents  of  travel  will  be  seen  by  his  description 
of  an  experience  of  his  during  his  visit  to  Ireland. 

"  It  was  my  lot  last  Monday  to  visit  a  place  some 
twenty  miles,  I  suppose,  from  the  city  of  Dublin, 


TRAVEL  SCENES  249 

a  favourite  resort  for  pleasure-seekers  and  holiday- 
makers  ;  one  of  the  most  striking  and  beautiful 
bits  of  scenery  to  be  discovered  even  in  fair  Ireland. 
I  looked  from  the  top  of  a  gigantic  archway  down 
into  the  depths  of  a  sunlit  valley.  A  roaring 
cascade  leaped  under  my  feet,  and  far  down  in  the 
bottom  of  the  glade  I  saw  the  red  coats  of  the 
soldiery,  for  a  military  picnic,  you  must  know,  was 
in  progress,  and  the  soldiers  and  their  wives  and 
children  were  enjoying  themselves  in  this  pictur- 
esque spot.  Presently,  I  and  my  friends  descended, 
looked  up  at  the  falling  waters  and  gazed  at  the 
tall  trees  that  almost  spanned  the  gulf  and,  with 
their  bright  and  fresh  green  leaves,  beautified  and 
blest  the  scene. 

"  Walking  a  while  amongst  the  pathways  under 
the  steep  precipice,  my  eyes  presently  discovered, 
clinging  to  the  rock  half-way  up  the  cliff,  the  form 
of  a  young  man.  I  said  to  the  friend  who  stood 
beside  me,  '  See  yonder  man,  what  does  he  there  ? 
Is  he  not  in  a  most  dangerous  predicament  ?  He 
cannot  ascend,  for  the  cliff  is  too  steep  above  him  ; 
he  dare  not  look  down,  or  he  would  be  broken  to 
shivers  at  the  foot  of  the  precipice.'  And,  as  I 
looked,  my  heart  beat  high  with  anxiety,  till  I  saw 
that  he  was  calling  out  for  help,  and  that  some  of 
his  brother  soldiers  on  the  top  of  the  cliff  had 
heard  his  cry  and  were  hastening  to  his  relief. 
Even  to  me  the  seconds  seemed  like  minutes,  and 
the  minutes  grew,  or  seemed  to  grow,  to  hours. 
What,  think  you,  did  they  seem  to  him,  who  at  any 
instant  might  have  been  dashed  to  his  death  ! 

*'  There  seemed  to  me  to  be  a  good  share  of  bustle 


250  TRAVEL   SCENES 

and  confusion.  Hither  and  thither  the  men  were 
running.  Presently,  to  my  great  rejoicing,  I  saw 
one  hurry  up  the  pathway  with  a  rope.  It  looked 
to  me  to  be  all  too  thin  and  frail  and  scarcely  long 
enough,  and  so,  indeed,  it  proved  to  be  ;  for,  as 
they  tried  to  shake  it  down  to  this  poor,  clinging 
lad,  it  soon  appeared  that  it  could  not  reach  him. 
If  it  had  reached  him,  I  doubt  very  much  if  it 
would  have  borne  his  weight  and  sufficed  to  pull 
him  up  to  safety.  There  was  still  further  delay, 
but  presently  we  beheld  strong  men,  with  strong 
ropes,  hastening  to  their  comrade's  rescue.  They 
tied  a  heavy  piece  of  wood  to  the  end  of  the  rope 
and  then  shook  it  down  the  acclivity — which, 
though  very  steep,  was  cumbered  with  the  trunks 
and  roots  of  trees — that  so  the  rope  might  reach 
the  man ;  and  presently — much  to  our  joy  we  beheld 
it — ^the  rope  reached  him  and  he  reached  it,  for  you 
may  be  sure  he  strove  as  much  as  he  was  able  to 
embrace  that  saving  cord.  He  clutched  it  with 
both  his  hands,  and  then  to  my  surprise — for  I 
thought  he  must  have  been  by  that  time  exhausted 
— he  began  to  climb  the  cliff.  I  think  he  must 
have  been  a  sailor  once,  though  a  soldier  now,  for 
he  scrambled  up  that  rope  hand  over  fist,  and  I 
heard  a  cheer  and  voices  of  congratulation  when  he 
was  safe  once  more  ;  and  as  I  saw  it,  this  text  came 
more  forcibly  than  it  has  ever  done  before  to  my 
mind,  '  He  sent  from  above.  He  took  me  ;  He 
drew  me  out  of  many  waters  ' ;  for  certain  it  is 
that  this  poor  man  had  not  only  been  dashed  in 
pieces,  but  had  been  submerged  by  the  roaring 
waters,  too,  if  deliverance  had  not  arrived." 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

TREASURED   LETTERS 

When  the  Spurgeons  moved  to  their  latest  and 
smallest  home,  by  mutual  agreement  they  burned 
the  letters  they  had  written  to  each  other  during 
the  years  ;  there  were  so  many  of  them  and  such 
little  room.  They  also  destroyed  quite  a  number 
of  others  which  his  biographer  wishes  had  been 
preserved.  As  it  is,  a  few  hidden  in  odd  corners 
escaped  the  fire,  and  a  few  others  were  counted 
precious  enough  to  be  reserved  in  the  day  of 
burning. 

There  is,  for  instance,  a  note  from  George  Miiller, 
signed  "  yours  affectionately  in  the  Lord "  ;  a 
letter  from  F.  B.  Meyer,  written  on  behalf  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  ministers,  assuring  Mr. 
Spurgeon  of  their  sympathy  as  he  began  his  work 
at  the  Tabernacle  ;  one  from  J.  G.  Greenhough 
protesting  against  an  unfair  paragraph  in  The 
Freeman  in  reference  to  the  settlement  at  the 
Tabernacle,  and  expressing  in  felicitous  terms  his 
personal  good  wishes  ;  one  from  Professor  W.  W. 
Clow,  with  the  interesting  paragraph,  "  May  I 
say  that,  as  I  spent  my  boyhood  in  Auckland, 
N.Z.,   my   interest  in   your  work   has   a   certain 

261 


252  TREASURED   LETTERS 

depth  of  colour,  apart  from  the  more  enduring  and 
nobler  reasons  which  make  your  name  and  your 
ministry  of  the  Word  so  much  to  be  revered  '* ;  one 
from  Joseph  Cook,  congratulating  him  on  being 
called  to  London,  "  The  soul  of  your  sainted  father, 
I  have  no  doubt,  is  your  guardian  spirit."  There 
is  also  a  note  from  a  publishing  firm,  acknowledging 
Mr.  Spurgeon's  criticism  of  a  book :  "  No  doubt 
there  must  be  a  good  deal  in  the  view  you  have 
adopted  of  this  little  tale,  and,  whilst  I  have  had 
many  other  criticisms  from  clergymen,  I  have  none 
dictated  in  the  same  spirit  as  yours.  Still,  as  I  say, 
I  thank  you  for  it,  and  it  has  been  the  means  of 
making  me  decide  not,  under  any  circumstances, 
to  publish  it  in  any  of  our  papers  " — an  interesting 
sidelight  on  the  hidden  influence  of  a  religious 
leader.  There  is  also  a  very  grateful  letter  from 
his  grandfather.  Rev.  John  Spurgeon. 

Two  letters  may  be  transcribed  in  full :  one  from 
Dr.  Parker,  dated  December  20th,  1893  ;  the  other 
from  General  Booth,  dated  January  29th,  1907. 

"  Deab  Mr.  Spuegeon, 

"  I  want  you  to  do  me  a  favour.  I  am  tired. 
I  must  rest  a  while.  Within  the  period  of  my  rest 
one  Thursday  occurs — viz.  Thursday,  January 
11th.  I  want  you  to  take  my  12  o'clock  service 
at  the  City  Temple  on  that  day.  Do  it,  and  thus 
please  us  all.  We  divide  the  collection  into  equal 
parts,  one  for  you,  one  for  us." 

"  I  leave  the  case  with  your  generous  heart, 
"  Ever  cordially  yours, 

"  Joseph  Parker." 


TREASURED   LETTERS  258 

Mr.  Spurgeon  did  not  accept  the  invitation,  nor 
later,  at  the  opening  of  the  new  Tabernacle,  when 
Dr.  Parker  indirectly  conveyed  to  him  his  willing- 
ness to  speak  at  the  opening  services,  did  Mr. 
Spurgeon  invite  him.  But  on  December  8th,  1902, 
he  wrote  to  a  friend  :  "  Dr.  Parker  has  gone.  So 
soon  after  Hugh  Price  Hughes'  sudden  departure. 
I  was  at  the  funeral  service  in  each  case.  One 
forgets  even  the  '  open  letter  '  at  the  open  grave." 

The  Salvation  Army  letter  was  evidently  most 
grateful. 

"  Dear  Pastor  Spurgeon, 

''  I  fear  I  was  somewhat  physically  under 
the  effort  at  my  meeting  at  the  Tabernacle  the 
other  evening,  but  I  hope  a  large  amount  of  good 
was  done.  I  am  sorry  you  were  unable  to  be 
with  us. 

"  Please  receive  herewith  cheque  for  fifty  pounds 
towards  your  Spurgeon  College  Jubilee  Fund. 
May  God  give  you  and  your  fellow-workers  every 
blessing. 

*'  Very  sincerely, 

"  William  Booth." 

From  his  old  friend.  Rev.  Levi  Palmer,  of 
Taunton,  a  letter  dated  October  9th,  1900,  has 
been  preserved,  with  the  comment  in  the  corner, 
"a  Treasure,  indeed,  T.  S."  "Well  done,  my 
strong  friend,"  his  correspondent  writes,  "  you 
have  passed  through  what  not  one  minister  in  ten 
thousand  is  ever  called  to  face.     Now  remember  ! 


254  TREASURED  LETTERS 

if  thou  faint  in  the  day  of  adversity,  thy  strength 
is  small.  And  yet  God's  Elijahs  pass  from  Carmel 
to  Horeb,  and  from  victory  to  despondency. 
Maybe,  by  the  time  this  reaches  you,  you  will 
have  been  brought  down  into  the  valley  :  if  so 
do  not  forget  the  sights  you  had  when  on  the 
mountain." 

Several  letters  speak  of  blessing  through  the 
ministry  of  the  Word,  and  one  old  lady  declares, 
"  The  very  way  you  say  the  name  of  Jesus  makes 
me  love  Him  more."  In  one  of  his  sermons  he 
says  :  "I  am  by  no  means  able  to  keep  all  the 
letters  I  receive,  but  there  are  some  amongst  them 
that  never  find  a  resting-place  in  the  grate  or  the 
waste-paper  basket.  I  have  a  whole  sheaf  of  them 
by  now.  I  look  at  them  with  tearful  eyes  and 
thankful  heart  sometimes.  These  letters  tell  of 
blessings  received  through  sermons,  addresses,  and 
letters.  I  like  to  spread  them  before  the  Lord, 
and  say,  '  Lord,  the  praise  for  this  belongs  to  Thee.' 
I  am  grateful  to  those  friends  who  tell  me  of  the 
blessings  they  have  received,  but  all  glory  be  to 
God,  for  it  was  He  Who  gave  the  seed,  and  then 
made  it  fruitful."  But  that  sheaf  of  letters  has 
disappeared. 

Letters  from  his  father  have  been  drawn  upon 
in  other  chapters.  It  must  suffice  here  to  give  a 
few  extracts  from  others.  They  show  the  delightful 
relations  between  father  and  son. 

"  When  you  have  need  tell  me,  and  it  will  not 
be  in  vain." 

In  sending  a  wedding  gift  :  "I  have  never  had 
much  for  self  or  son  because  the  work  needs  it,  and 


TREASURED   LETTERS  255 

must  have  it.  In  all  your  future  way  the  God  of 
our  fathers  watch  over  you  for  good,  and  make 
you  a  blessing  to  the  nations." 

There  are  two  letters  from  Mentone  :  ''  These 
olive  groves  remind  me  of  you,  and  make  me  feel 
how  much  I  lose  by  your  distance  from  me.  Still, 
the  Lord's  work  is  all  the  better  done  by  your  being 
in  the  southern  world,  and  so  let  it  be. 

"  Your  father  in  the  flesh  and 
"  Your  brother  in  Christ, 

"  C.  H.  Spurgeon." 

''  In  this  lovely  retreat  I  cannot  but  remember 
those  happy  times  when  you  were  here  with  me, 
and  made  even  the  Riviera  sun  more  bright." 

From  Westwood  there  are  letters  on  all  sorts  of 
topics,  but  love  is  in  them  all. 

"  January  8th  is  our  silver  wedding  day.  How 
old  your  parents  are  getting  !  They  love  their 
dear  sons  more  and  more,  and  have  nothing  but 
joy  in  them.  Our  golden  blessing  rests  upon  you 
evermore.  Your  mother  loves  you  as  much  as 
Rebekah  did  Jacob,  and  we  have  no  Esau.  Your 
father  joys  in  his  absent  Jacob  as  much  as  in  his 
firstborn.  You  are  more  of  Israel  than  Jacob, 
there  will,  therefore,  be  no  need  to  suppose  that  we 
suspect  you  of  any  of  Jacob's  faults.  You  will  not 
come  home  with  twelve  sons  and  a  daughter,  for 
you  will  not  have  a  Leah  to  be  the  envy  of  Rachel, 
who  will  be  the  una  sola. 

"  All  my  heart  flies  out  to  you." 

''  I  can't  write  letters  like  you,  but  I  love  you 
as  much  as  if  I  could  write  from  here  to  New 


256  TREASURED   LETTERS 

Zealand,  and  all  in  capital  letters.  I  have  only 
joy  in  thinking  of  you.     God  bless  you  !  " 

"  You  are  daily  my  delight.  The  Lord  streng- 
then you  is  my  heart's  prayer.  Shall  I  ever  see 
you  with  these  spectacled  eyes  ?  I  see  you  now 
with  the  eyes  of  my  heart." 

"  The  Lord  spare  you  long  to  the  Church  for 
which  you  have  done  so  much,  and  to  your  parents 
to  whose  hearts  you  are  so  dear.  I  pray  heaven's 
reserved  benediction  may  descend  upon  you  in  a 
manner  beyond  that  which  any  other  has  enjoyed. 
My  love  is  ever  with  you  as  it  communes  with  you." 

"  How  I  joy  in  God  because  of  you  !  Son  of 
my  heart,  the  Lord  be  praised  for  making  you  so 
firm  in  the  faith,  so  zealous  for  souls,  so  regardless 
of  man's  opinion.  The  Lord  be  with  you  and  give 
you  long  life,  and  power  from  on  high  yet  more 
abundantly.  Be  whose  you  may,  it  will  be  all  one 
to  me  if  God  is  glorified  in  you.  My  plans  about 
having  you  to  assist  me  were  scattered  to  the  wind, 
and  I  have  never  dreamed  again  of  the  matter. 
The  Lord  has  called  you  to  stand  foot  to  foot  with 
me,  the  whole  earth  between  ;  so  keep  your  footing 
and  God  bless  you.  Yet  may  we  live  to  meet 
again,  not  once  or  twice." 

"  Dear  Son,  need  I  say  how  much  I  love  you.  I 
will  not  attempt  to  do  more  than  to  say  again, 
'  God  bless  you.'  Happy  will  be  the  day  when  my 
eyes  behold  you.  I  put  you  again  into  my  heavenly 
Father's  hand.  None  but  He  shall  have  my  son. 
May  His  presence  be  a  bright  reality  to  you  1  " 

''  I  hope  you  are  cheered  by  the  smile  of  our 
Great  Father.     He  will  not  fail  you.     You  have 


TREASURED  LETTERS  25* 

had  a  heavy  dose  of  bitters,  and  I  doubt  not  it  will 
brace  you  if  only  it  does  not  burden  your  heart* 
I  rejoice  in  you,  and  pray  the  Lord  to  bear  you  up 
and  bear  you  through,  as  indeed  He  will.  How  I 
wish  I  could  see  you.  Get  strong,  and  when  I  am 
older  and  feebler  be  ready  to  take  my  place." 

The  last  letter  is  dated  Mentone,  December  15th, 
1891: 

"  As  I  write  I  have  sweet  memories  of  your 
delightful  companionship  with  me  in  this  land  of 
the  sun.  I  seem  to  hear  your  pleasant  voice  even 
now.  The  Lord  bless  thee,  my  son,  and  thy 
spouse,  and  the  little  one. 

"  I  write  this  day  joyfully  because  I  feel  better 
than  for  many  a  month.  I  am  weak,  but  I  have 
the  hope  that  I  have  turned  the  cold  corner  and 
am  turning  to  the  warmer  side  of  the  hill.  I  am 
indeed  a  debtor  to  my  Lord  and  to  the  prayers  of 
His  people,  that  I  now  live  in  the  hope  of  perfect 
restoration  and  in  the  expectation  of  future  service. 

"  And  your  mother  is  here.  I  know  it  is  true 
for  I  see  her,  otherwise  I  could  not  believe  it.  And 
she  is — well — she  is  splendid.  I  pray  the  Lord  to 
guide  you  in  your  tried  path.  I  think  you  must 
settle  somewhere  in  the  Antipodes,  because  you 
could  not  bear  the  fogs  of  Old  England.  My  hope 
is  that  some  city  will  be  grateful  yet  for  your 
laborious  and  valuable  services.  You  have  yet 
a  glorious  work  to  do.  The  coming  of  a  family 
about  you  points  to  a  pastorate.  God  will  open 
a  door  into  '  a  large  place.'  God's  own  true 
benediction  rest  upon  thee." 

Three  other  letters  have  imwittingly  been  pre- 
17 


258  TREASURED   LETTERS 

served  ;  a  few  extracts  may  fittingly  follow  those 
other  heart  words  from  father  to  son.  This  time 
it  is  from  the  son  to  the  grandson  in  New  Zealand. 
The  first  is  written  on  board  the  Pacific  steamer ; 
the  letter  which  had  to  be  repeated  to  the  two-year- 
old  boy  innumerable  times. 

''  What  do  you  think  is  on  board  the  ship.  I 
wonder  if  mother  knows  ?  Shall  I  tell  you  ?  Two 
lovely  gee-gees  and  ever  so  many  sheep — poor 
things,  they  do  not  look  happy,  they  would  rather 
be  in  the  fields.  And  what  else  ?  Three  kan- 
garoos !  Only  fancy.  But  they  are  in  big  cages. 
The  other  day  they  let  one  out,  and  he  hopped  all 
round  the  deck  like  mother  does  when  she  plays 
at  Kangaroo  with  dear  little  Harold.  One  of  the 
kangaroos  has  died  ! '  It  was  too  old  to  go  in  the 
big  steamer,  and  felt  very  ill,  and  at  last  it  died, 
and  they  threw  his  body  overboard.  Aren't  you 
sorry  for  his  poor  wife  and  little  Joey  ?  Last  night 
a  great  big  bird  flew  on  deck,  with  such  a  funny 
name.  They  called  him  a  Booby.  We  let  him  go 
again,  and  he  said,  '  Quack,  quack,'  instead  of 
'  Thank  you.'  Good-bye,  my  dear  little  '  unmiti- 
gated humbug.'  " 

The  second  letter  is  from  London  on  August  3rd. 
"  Mother  doesn't  like  water  and  ships,"  it  says, 
"  because  they  have  taken  father  away  from  her, 
but  perhaps  they  will  bring  him  back  some  day. 
Hip,  hip,  hooray  !  When  father  comes  marching 
home." 

The  third,  written  the  same  month,  is  chiefly 
about  some  portraits  received  from  New  Zealand. 
"  Harold  looks  such  a  dear,  laughing,  loving  little 


TREASURED  LETTERS  259 

fellow  "  ;  and  the  fond  father's  heart  goes  out  in 
longing  for  the  day  they  will  soon  meet  again,  and 
sends  his  love  to  sister  Vera. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  had  a  genius  for  letter-writing. 
As  one  puts  it,  "  he  was  a  master  of  affectionate 
phrasing."  In  normal  times  he  wrote  with  his 
own  hand  twenty  to  thirty  letters  a  day ;  many 
of  these  were,  of  course,  brief  acknowledgments  o 
gifts  or  responses  to  requests  made  to  him,  but  not 
a  few  were  worthy  of  being  preserved,  as  they  have 
been,  by  many  of  his  friends. 

Between  Mr.  William  Higgs  and  Mr.  Spurgeon 
there  existed  a  very  deep  friendship  for  many  years. 
Two  letters  addressed  to  him  may  be  taken  as 
samples  of  others.  The  first  was  written  after  the 
wreck  of  a  channel  steamer,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Higgs  were  on  board ;  the  second  on  his  Jubilee. 

"Saturday,  January  5th,  1895. 

"  My  own  dear  Friend, 

"  I  cannot  describe  my  emotions  as  I  read 
this  morning's  paper,  nor  my  gratitude  when  I 
found  that  you  were  delivered  from  your  extreme 
peril.  It  has  fallen  to  your  lot  to  be  shipwrecked, 
and  you  and  yours  are  monuments  of  sparing 
mercy.     The  Lord  be  praised  ! 

"  My  eyes  swim  with  tears  at  the  thought  of  the 
danger  to  which  you  and  your  dear  ones  have  been 
exposed,  and  my  heart  swells  with  joy  that  you  are 
preserved  to  one  another,  and  to  me,  and  to  the 
work  of  God.  Ah,  me  !  how  little  do  we  know 
what  awaits  us.  I  could  not  help  fearing  that  you 
would  have  a  stormy  passage,   though  I  spoke 


'260  TREASURED  LETTERS 

cheerily  about  it  to  Mrs.  Higgs,  but  I  little  dreamed 
of  this.  How  unfortunate  you  seem  to  be  as  to 
crossing  over — yet  how  fortunate  !  It  must  have 
been  a  very  alarming  and  exciting  experience  for 
you  all,  but  I  feel  sure  your  brave  heart  would  stay 
itself  upon  God,  and  so  grow  braver  still.  How 
good  it  was  of  you  to  send  me  a  wire.  I  longed  for 
it,  but  hardly  hoped  for  it.  It  has  comforted  us 
greatly.  We  must  all  give  thanks  to-morrow  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord. 

"  I  am  lonely  without  you,  but  not  so  lonely  as 
I  was  a  year  ago.     With  loving  congratulations, 
"  I  am  thankfully  yours, 

"  Tom  Spurgeon." 

''May  I5th,  1902. 

"  My  very  dear  Friend, 

"  I  have  quite  a  large  assortment  of  pens, 
but  I  don't  know  which  one  to  use  on  this  occasion. 
Truth  to  tell  I  have  none  facile  enough,  none 
graphic  enough  to  tell  you  of  my  thought  concerning 
you  and  my  love  for  you. 

"  I  thank  God  that  you  are  spared  to  be  fifty, 
though  I  could  wish  you  were  growing  younger 
rather  than  older.  Yet  '  such  is  life.'  We  grow 
old  together.  My  heart  blesses  you  for  all  you  have 
been  to  me  and  done  for  me  and  for  my  work.  The 
paint  and  gilt  of  the  Tabernacle  owe,  if  I  mistake 
not,  their  refreshing  to  your  consideration  and 
liberality.  You  are  always  gilding  something  or 
somebody — bless  you  ! 

"  I  thank  God  for  you,  and  on  your  fiftieth 
birthday  I  greet  you  with  a  very  special  joy.     May 


TREASURED  LETTERS  261 

your  health  improve,  and  your  soul  prosper  I  May 
you  have  increasing  joy  in  your  dear  ones — wife 
and  sons  and  daughters  !  May  your  heart  be 
cheered  by  the  sight  of  the  longed-for  blessing  at 
the  Tabernacle,  and  may  you  ever  know  assuredly 
that  you  are  the  Pastor's  dearest  friend. 

"  My  better  half  bids  me  greet  you  on  her  behalf, 
and  say  all  sorts  of  kind  things  for  her.  But  she 
must  say  them  herself  when  she  sees  you.  I  am 
sure  you  will  prefer  that. 

"  May  I  ask  you  to  accept  a  little  love  token.  I 
fear  I  may  not  have  hit  upon  an  appropriate 
present.  Yet  this  is  a  special  volume,  its  main 
fault  being  that  the  builder  of  the  Tabernacle  is 
not  (for  some  unaccountable  reason)  numbered 
amongst  the  notables. 

"  With  all  kind  congratulations  and  good  wishes, 
"  I  am,  dear  friend, 

"  Yours  affectionately, 

"  Tom  Spurgeon." 

Extracts  from  the  himdreds  of  other  letters  that 
have  been  passed  in  review  must  suffice  ;  those 
sentences  have  been  selected  that  reveal  the  heart 
of  the  writer  rather  than  the  circumstances  of  the 
moment.  It  will  not  always  be  necessary  even  to 
give  dates. 

Rev.  F.  A.  Jackson  has  a  wealth  of  correspond- 
ence which  yields  the  following.  The  dates  range 
from  1906  to  1917. 

"  So  you  have  taken  to  the  woods  again  !  How 
I  would  like  to  be  the  other  Babe.     It  is  better  to 


262  TREASURED    LETTERS 

paint  one's  face  (with  wind  and  snn  and  rain)  than 
the  Matter  horn  with  water-colours." 

"  I  have  had  a  few  days  on  the  moors.  The 
heather  was  past  its  prime,  but  the  sohtude  !  oh  ! 
it  was  good  to  be  there." 

October  21st,  1914. — "  I  must  send  you  a  Hne  for 
I  have  good  news.  This  evening  I  received  a 
telegram  from  Harold  as  follows,  '  Gold  medal. 
Second  of  all.'  I  know  you  will  be  glad  to  hear 
this.  He  has  gone  to-day  to  take  up  a  position  in 
a  school  as  classical  tutor,  and  his  address  is  '  The 
Abbey,  Tipperary.'  It  is  a  long  way,  but  he  has 
got  there." 

Dr.  A.  McCaig  was  favoured  with  hundreds  of 
letters,  but  many  of  these  are  technical.  On 
January  24th,  1905,  about  the  time  of  the  Welsh 
Revival,  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  to  him  :  "  The  spirit  of 
hope  is  in  the  Metropolis.  It  is  the  harbinger  of  true 
reviving.  God  is  about  to  glorify  His  great  name. 
I  ask  constant  prayer  for  my  own  heart,  life,  and 
Church-work."  Later  in  the  year:  "My  muse 
awoke  this  morning,  and  I  wrote  '  So  Shine,'  but  I 
am  not  sure  that  she  would  not  have  done  better  to 
sleep  on."  Next  year  he  writes  :  "I  seem  always 
to  be  fixing  something  up  :  services  or  shelves  or 
sinners  or  saints  or  something  "  ;  and  again,  "  I 
have  nothing  to  say  except  thanks,  thanks,  thanks, 
thanks  to  God  for  His  wonderful  mercy,  and  thanks 
to  friends  innumerable  for  their  gulf  stream  of 
tender  sympathy," — this  with  reference  to  his 
Jubilee. 

Dr.  J.  W.  Ewing  has  treasured  some  letters.     To 


TREASURED   LETTERS  268 

him  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote,  "  Your  affectionate 
greeting  greatly  gladdened  me.  I  love  to  be  loved. 
Who  does  not  ?  "  When,  at  the  beginning  of  1903, 
Rye  Lane  Chapel  was  renovated,  this  :  "  Haven't 
you  an  extension  scheme  on,  and  won't  there  be  a 
bringing  of  grist  to  the  mill  one  of  these  fine  days  ? 
Well,  here  is  a  peck  of  rye  for  Rye  Lane,  Peckham. 
God  bless  the  miller  ! " 

"  I  myself  have  been  hors  de  combat  I  thought 
to  get  past  the  Sunday  following  the  Conference 
on  the  crest  of  the  wave,  but  I  slipped  into  the 
trough  of  the  sea.  I  was  nearly  swamped,  but 
have  been  in  dry  dock  at  Liverpool  and  Southport. 
I  managed  to  make  the  port  of  '  Sweet  Home  ' 
under  jury  rig  yesterday,  and  am  now  refitting  to 
sail  on  Sunday  next." 

"  I  have  been  useless  enough  for  two  long  years," 
he  writes  on  April  14th,  1909  ;  "  yet  I  still  cling 
to  the  hope  that  I  may  yet  speak  on  God's  behalf." 

"  I  have  just  discovered  that  you  are  off  to  the 
West  Indies.  Were  Bristol  nearer  I  should  be 
there  to  wave  farewell.  I  was  once  almost  setting 
sail  to  Jamaica  myself,  but  was  prevented,  as 
also  when  I  essayed  to  go  again  to  U.S.A.  But 
perhaps  my  travelling  days  are  done." 

To  Rev.  Phihp  A.  Hudgell  he  writes  :  "  Though 
I  am  no  longer  in  the  forefront  of  the  battle  it  is 
mine  to  wait,  and  watch,  and  make  intercession. 
The  days  are  shadowed,  but  the  children  of  light 
are  not  afraid  of  the  dark — and  the  morning  com^th,'' 
To  Rev.  C.  Douglas  Crouch  :  "I  have  had  three 
weeks'  holiday  lately  (in  a  bath-chair)  at  Bridling- 
ton."    To  Rev.   Austin  L.   Edwards  :    "I  could 


264  TREASURED   LETTERS 

wish  that  more  of  the  students  felt  called  to  serve 
their  King  and  country  in  this  desperate  time." 
To  Rev.  E.  H.  Ellis,  on  his  settlement  at  the  East 
London  Tabernacle  :  ''  '  I  will  go  in  the  strength  of 
the  Lord '  is  your  brave  determination,  and  '  Cer- 
tainly I  will  be  with  you '  is  the  starry  promise  of 
the  great  I  Am."  To  Miss  Batts,  of  Auckland  : 
"  It  is  indeed  gratifying  to  be  remembered  by 
friends  from  whom  in  the  Lord's  providence — 
strange,  yet  surely  good — we  have  been  separated." 
To  Miss  Weekes,  at  the  Tabernacle  :  "  The  texts 
were  very  helpful,  especially  '  After  this  lived  Job 
a  hundred  and  forty  years.'  " 

From  the  bundle  of  letters  written  to  me  during 
the  years,  I  find  one  dated  March  2nd,  1896, 
beginning  :  "On  Friday  last  the  following  cable- 
gram came  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Auckland 
Tabernacle,  New  Zealand  :  '  Blaikie  resigned  ;  it 
is  reported  that  Brown  and  Fullerton  contemplate 
visiting  Colonies.  Could  either  or  any  one  else 
supply  ?  How  soon,  and  for  how  long  ?  '  "  It 
was  a  baseless  rumour  in  each  case.  From  other 
communications  I  extract  but  a  few  sentences  : 
"  I  love  your  letters  because  I  love  you.  Moreover, 
they  are  themselves  lovely."  "  Many  thanks  for 
what  you  call  your  mist  of  words  in  November 
Sword  and  Trowel.  I  would  not  have  missed 
them  for  anything.  I  forgot  the  horrors  of  the 
London  '  particular,'  which  still  prevails,  while 
reading  them.  Encore  !  Encore  ! "  "It  is  a 
special  joy  to  greet  you  as  you  enter  the  pulpit 
of  the  new  Metropolitan  Tabernacle.  You  need 
not  to  be  assured  of  a  welcome  from  a  Tabernacle 


TREASURED   LETTERS  265 

audience,  for  you  have  been  greatly  beloved  among 
us  these  many  years.  Moreover,  not  a  few  of  your 
converts  are  to  be  found  in  the  flock." 

From  Bavaria  he  sent  a  spontaneous  postcard 
dated  July  12th,  1907,  on  the  eve  of  my  visit 
to  China. 

"  Dear  friend  Fullerton, 

"  I  understand  that  you  are  to  '  farewell ' 
at  the  Tabernacle.  I  am  glad  of  that,  and  wish 
I  could  be  among  the  throng  of  well-wishers.  Yejt, 
believe  me,  no  one,  in  or  out  of  that  throng,  is  more 
desirous  than  I  for  the  safe  convoy  of  yourself  and 
your  comrade,  or  more  anxious  for  an  altogether 
successful  issue  to  your  tour.  I  rejoice  that  you 
have  been  selected  for  this  honourable  embassy. 
I  wish  you  a  prosperous  journey  by  the  will  of  God. 
You  will  do  good,  and  get  good,  I  am  sure,  and 
your  dear  ones  will  be  in  the  shelter  of  His  Hand. 

"  The  Lord  send  you  good  speed  this  day  ! 
"  I  am  your  friend, 

"  Thomas  Spurgeon." 

And  since  I  have  been  at  the  Baptist  Mission 
House,  he  has  often  shown  his  interest  in  the  work 
of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society.  In  sending  a 
donation  on  February  3rd,  1915,  he  writes  :  "I 
trust  that  the  well  is  springing.  You  cannot  have 
a  drop  too  much  for  so  great  and  good  a  work. 
The  Lord  give  you,  my  brother,  colossal  strength 
for  a  gigantic  task*" 


CHAPTER    XIX 

THE   ARTIST 

The  wish  of  his  mother,  loyally  obeyed  by  "  Son 
Tom  "  at  school,  will  be  remembered — ''  I  want 
particularly  to  say  to  you  that  you  are  sure  not  to 
take  drawing  lessons  from  anybody  "  ;  and  her 
prophecy  will  not  be  forgotten — "  Surely  some  day, 
if  you  wish  it,  you  will  rise  to  eminence  in  your 
art." 

The  day  came  when  he  wished  it.  During  one 
of  his  illnesses  the  desire  suddenly  seized  him  to 
paint,  and  though  prostrate  he  produced  two  little 
pictures  which  adorn  the  walls  of  his  drawing-room 
still.  This  started  him  on  a  new  career  when  his 
preaching  days  were  over,  and  he  developed 
wonderful  skill  in  his  most  recent  vocation.  His 
father  used  to  say  that  he  could  draw  nothing  but 
a  crowd,  but  the  son,  with  increasing  success, 
produced  pictures  which  worthily  adorn  any  wall, 
and  will,  no  doubt,  increase  in  value  with  the  years. 
His  art  was  one  of  God's  alleviations  of  the  weary 
years  that  followed  his  public  work,  and  in  Scot- 
land, in  the  Tyrol,  in  Bavaria,  in  Italy,  in  Switzer- 
land, in  Devonshire,  around  London  and  his  father's 
early  haunts  in  Essex  and  Cambridgeshire,  he 
secured  admirable  subjects  for  his  brush.     He  was 

366 


THE   ARTIST  267 

able  to  have  no  less  than  three  Exhibitions  of  his 
work. 

The  first  was  held  in  Walker's  Gallery,  New  Bond 
Street,  from  October  25th  to  November  6th,  1909, 
and  consisted  of  no  less  than  eighty  pictures.  The 
next  was  in  the  same  gallery,  from  October  2nd- 
14th,  1911,  when  he  was  able  to  present  a  hundred 
pictures.  The  third  at  the  Stockwell  Orphanage, 
on  behalf  of  that  institution,  was  held  in  connection 
with  the  Annual  Festival,  from  June  21st  to  29th, 
1916,  and  it  may  best  be  described  in  the  artist's 
own  words  in  an  intimate  letter  to  Mr.  Jackson  : 
"  The  whole  proceeds  of  the  sale  goes  to  the  Or- 
phanage, and  some  £40  has  been  reaped.  I  paid 
even  for  the  framing,  so  that  the  good  work  should 
benefit  to  the  full.  Still,  what  matters  it  ? — ^the 
Lord  knows.  This  Exhibition  has  overtaxed  my 
slender  strength.  I  am  tired  beyond  measure.  I 
got  the  rest  of  my  pictures  back  on  Friday  and  have 
been  reinstating  them.  I  showed  one  hundred  and 
twenty-four  in  all,  seventy  of  which  are  for  sale." 

Mrs.  Spurgeon  amplifies  the  story  by  saying  that 
some  of  the  pictures,  which  had  been  reserved  for 
their  own  home,  were  sent  to  grace  the  Exhibition  ; 
these  were  amongst  the  earliest  sold,  and  as  no 
note  was  taken  of  the  names  of  purchasers,  it  was 
impossible  for  her  husband  to  produce  replicas  of 
them,  as  he  had  intended  to  do,  for  her.  But  she 
does  not  complain. 

To  return  to  the  earliest  exhibition  ;  its  progress 
duing  the  opening  days  is  shown  by  some  postcards 
to  his  friend.  Oct.  26th. — *'  A  day  of  incessant 
rain ;    nevertheless,   we   had  many   visitors   and 


268  THE   ARTIST 

several  purchasers."  Oct  27th, — "  It  poured  all 
yesterday,  yet  I  took  orders  and  made  sales  to  the 
amount  of  seven,  the  perfect  number.  So  that  is 
thirty-five  sales,  and  nine  or  ten  orders  already." 
Oct.  29th. — ''  All  goes  well.  We  forge  ahead,  even 
though  the  clouds  are  grey.  To-day  we  have 
reached  a  half-way  house,  having  sold  forty  out  of 
eighty.  In  addition  to  this  I  have  booked  perhaps 
a  dozen  orders." 

It  was  probably  an  unprecedented  thing  for  a 
Baptist  minister  to  have  a  gallery  of  pictures 
exhibited  in  the  heart  of  London — perhaps  any- 
where. To  Spurgeon  lovers  the  scenes  that  at- 
tracted greatest  interest  were  those  associated  with 
his  father's  early  history.  "  C.  H.  Spurgeon's 
Birthplace,  Kelvedon  "  ;  "  Isleham  Ferry,  where 
C.  H.  Spurgeon  was  baptized " ;  "  Cottage  at 
Teversham,  where  C.  H.  Spurgeon's  first  sermon 
was  preached."  There  were  two  different  pictures 
of  each,  and  they  were  in  such  demand  that  the 
artist  made  no  less  than  forty  reproductions  of 
them. 

In  a  current  number  of  The  British  Weekly,  he 
gives  a  racy  account  of  his  sketching  tour  in 
Spurgeon's  country.  He  speaks  of  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  John  Chi  vers  in  putting  a  swift  motor-car 
at  his  disposal ;  of  the  companionship  of  Charles 
Joseph,  of  Cambridge,  with  whom  he  made  a  trip  to 
Teversham  in  search  of  the  cottage,  which,  through 
Mr.  Chivers'  liberality,  has  now  become  a  Noncon- 
formist treasure,  being  used  as  a  reading-room  and 
institute.  "  I  had  scarcely  completed  the  sky, 
with  its  cumulus  clouds  betokening  a  storm,  ere 


THE   ARTIST  269 

there  came  slowly  towards  me,  down  the  narrow 
pathway,  an  old  man,  somewhat  bent.  He  came 
smiling,  however,  and  I  guessed  that  he  was  Mr. 
Foote,  of  whom  I  had  heard,  who  remembered  my 
father's  first  sermon.  As  I  had  a  spare  camp-stool 
by  me  I  asked  him  to  take  a  seat,  and  for  an  hour 
or  more  we  chatted  as  I  plied  my  sables." 

The  next  day  he  was  at  Isleham.     "  I  was  sorry 
I  had  to  miss  the  good  woman  who  was  baptized 
at  the   same  time  as   C.    H.   Spurgeon,   and  has 
attended  well-nigh  every  ceremony  since.     When 
one  put  a  finger  on  my  drawing  and  said  signi- 
ficantly,   '  It  was  just  there,^  I  was  better  pleased 
than  if  an  art  critic  had  praised  the  touch  or 
admired  the  tone."     The  third  day  was  devoted 
to  the  birthplace  at  Kelvedon.     "  I  found  myself 
quite  at  one  with  an  onlooker,  who  declared  his 
conviction  that '  Spurgeon's  side  ought  to  buy  that 
property.'     I  asked  for  an  explanation  of  the  term 
'  Spurgeon's   side,'   and  discovered  that   Noncon- 
formity was  intended.     Good  man,  /  think  so  too.'^ 
The  press  took  considerable  notice  of  the  Ex- 
hibition.    The  Baptist  Times  said  :   "  Mr.  Spurgeon 
is  an  artist  born  and  not  made  :    he  paints  '  the 
things  as  he  sees  them,'  and  he  sees  things  '  whole 
and  steadily,'  as  well  as  beautifully.     In  lending  us 
his  eyes  he  is  but  following  what  every  one  who 
knows  him  will  testify  has  always  been  the  key-note 
of  his  life,  '  Giving  out  to  others.'  "     The  British 
Weekly  said  :   "  The  pictures  I  admired  most  were 
those  from  the  Tyrol  and  the  Bavarian  Highlands. 
My  favourite  of  all  was  '  The  street  of  the  Foun- 
tains, Garmisch,  Bavaria.'     One  of  his  own  favour- 


270  THE   ARTIST 

ites  is  '  Wendover  Canal,  Bucks.'  "  The  Daily 
Graphic  said  :  "  The  drawings  show  an  aptitude 
for  colour,  and  a  happy  knack  of  seizing  the 
picturesque ;  some  have  uncommon  merit  of  feeling 
and  execution. ' '  Another  popular  paper,  that  shall 
be  nameless,  said  :  "  Rev.  Thomas  Spurgeon  is  now 
an  artist.  So  he  can  still  place  his  views  before  the 
public."  The  Westminster  Gazette  said :  "  He 
works  in  a  careful,  somewhat  old-fashioned  manner, 
with  none  of  the  affectation  that  marks  the  up-to- 
date  amateur ;  he  has  an  uncommonly  good  eye 
for  arrangement,  while  his  colour  is  invariably 
respectable,  and  often  decidedly  effective." 

As  a  glimpse  into  the  way  the  pictures  were 
produced  this — Mr.  F.  A.  Jackson,  who  was  with 
him  at  Meran,  says  :  "  Perhaps  the  most  impressive 
bit  was  a  glimpse  of  the  Dolomites  from  above 
Bozen.  We  had  a  pretty  stiff  climb  to  get  that. 
In  vain  did  I  protest  against  it,  fearing  he  would 
be  exhausted.  He  laughed  at  my  '  grandmotherly 
objections,'  and  indeed,  for  the  most  part,  he  took 
little  ill  from  the  long  tramps  in  that  delightful  air. 
When  a  sketch  pleased  him  he  would  stand  back 
and  admire  it :  the  boy  in  him  that  never  died 
delighted  with  the  touch  of  creative  work."  With 
reference  to  another  picture  Mr.  Spurgeon,  recalling 
Ruskin's  description  of  the  Alps,  writes  to  his 
friend  :  "I  have  been  working  at  a  bare  outline 
I  brought  from  Switzerland  of  the  view  from  the 
Stanserhorn.  It  is  mainly  mist  and  mountain- 
tops,  but  in  the  middle  distance  is  a  range  of 
snow- clad  peaks.  I  think  of  calling  it — what  do 
you  think  ?— '  Suddenly-Behold-Beyond.'  " 


THE  ARTIST  271 

If  one  characterization  were  needed  for  Mr. 
Spurgeon  it  would  be  "  Artist."  He  was  not  only 
an  artist  in  line  and  colour,  he  was  an  artist  in 
words.  This  was  especially  true  in  his  prayers, 
and  chiefly  in  those  prayers  in  the  home  or  amongst 
little  groups,  when,  with  amazing  wealth  of  imagery 
and  use  of  the  unexpected  but  inevitable  word,  he 
gathered  up  the  need  of  the  moment  and  felt  his 
way  to  the  very  heart  of  God.  He  was  also  an 
artist  in  souls,  eager  to  see  the  likeness  of  Christ 
reproduced  in  the  lives  of  men  and  not  satisfied 
with  anything  but  the  best.  Yes,  that  is  it  :  in  all 
realms — Thomas  Spurgeon,  Artist. 


CHAPTER   XX 

LITERARY  ACTIVITIES 

As  an  author  Mr.  Thomas  Spurgeon's  hterary 
output  is  represented  by  six  volumes — he  was 
engaged  on  a  seventh  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
but  of  that  later.  There  are  five  books  of  sermons 
and  one  of  verse.  The  latter,  a  comparatively 
early  effort,  with  a  preface  by  his  mother,  was 
published  in  1892,  printed  in  two  colours  in  keeping 
with  the  title.  Scarlet  Threads  and  Bits  of  Blue, 
It  contains  some  capital  temperance  rhymes  and 
dainty  religious  pieces.  He  had  quite  a  gift  of 
versification,  but  some  of  his  best  poems  came 
later.  Two  verses  from  this  early  volume  shall 
suffice. 

Yes,  Lord,  the  night  is  Thine  as  surely  as  the  day, 
In  silver  syllables  the  "  milky  way" 
Sets  forth  Thy  name  upon  night's  silver  scroll. 
In  one  long  line  of  light  from  pole  to  pole. 

The  night  is  Thine  !    Its  silence  speaks  of  Thee  : 
Thine  is  its  hush,  and  Thine  its  mystery. 
The  stars  are  Thine  :    the  kindUng  sparks  that  fly 
From  Thy  great  anvil,  glorious  Most  High  ! 

Of  his  first  little  volume  of  sermons,  published  in 
1884,   The  Gospel  of  the  Grace  of  God,  we  have 

272 


LITERARY  ACTIVITIES  273 

already  written  in  Chapter  V.  The  next  contained 
twenty  sermons  selected  from  the  series  published 
week  by  week  in  1897,  and  was  entitled  Light  and 
Love.  In  1902  two  volumes  appeared — My  Gospel, 
containing  twelve  sermons  on  general  subjects, 
and  God  save  the  King,  ten  addresses  concerning 
King  Jesus  and  His  Royal  Estate,  suggested  by 
the  postponed  Coronation  of  King  Edward  that 
year.  On  June  26th  a  great  streamer  was  stretched 
across  the  Tabernacle,  bearing  the  legend,  "  Fear 
God,  Honour  the  King.''' 

The  book  on  which  he  spent  most  time  and 
thought,  both  on  the  contents  and  illustration,  was 
entitled  Down  to  the  Sea.  It  consists  of  chapters 
on  themes  suggested  by  the  mighty  deep  and  the 
ships  that  sail  thereon,  and  is  full  of  material  for 
preachers,  as  well  as  interesting  homilies  for 
general  readers.  The  author  knew  what  he  was 
talking  about,  for  he  was  at  home  on  the  ocean. 
The  Chart  and  Compass,  of  September  1906,  calls 
him  "  Spurgeon  the  Sea-Rover."  Dr.  Dixon  says 
of  the  book,  "  It  ought  to  be  published  in  cheap 
form,  and  circulated  amongst  our  sailors  by  the 
hundred  thousand." 

For  almost  ten  years,  1902  to  1912,  he  was 
editor  of  The  Sword  and  Trowel,  and  he  took 
his  duties  in  this  department  seriously.  In  times 
of  ill-health  he  had  the  valued  help  of  Dr.  McCaig, 
and  many  of  the  letters  to  him  concern  his  editorial 
responsibilities.  A  very  useful  series  of  "  Chats 
with  the  Children  "  appeared  from  his  pen  during 
the  year  1904,  and  during  all  the  years  the  magazine 
was  conducted  with  signal  ability. 
18 


274  LITERARY  ACTIVITIES 

He  had  long  been  a  contributor  to  its  pages,  and 
his  writings  were  much  valued  and  highly  praised 
by  his  father.  "  You  write  better  every  time,"  he 
said ;  "  you  are  really  a  writer  of  remarkable 
excellence,  style  and  attractiveness  of  matter." 
And  again,  "  Your  Sword  and  Trowel  pieces  are  ever 
welcome  to  Editor  and  readers.  They  are  better 
and  better ;  you  will  make  a  racy  writer,  and  do 
as  well  with  your  pen  as  with  your  tongue."  His 
earliest  appearance  was  in  1877,  when  a  letter 
signed  by  both  brothers,  appealing  for  their 
"  Bolingbroke  Chapel,"  occupied  a  page.  Three 
Australian  pieces  appeared  during  1878,  and  others 
in  1879  and  1880.  In  1880  an  interesting  series 
on  "  Sayings  from  the  Sea  "  stands  to  his  credit ; 
and  in  1881  there  is  a  contribution  each  month,  his 
first  poem,  "  Jesus  for  me,"  being  one  of  them. 

This  year  also  he  began,  with  "  Ants  and  their 
Antics,"  the  natural  history  articles  which  attracted 
much  attention.  "  The  Vegetable  Caterpillar  "  fol- 
lowed in  1883  ;  "My  Birds  "  and  "My  Beasts  " 
in  1884;  "  The  Ungrateful  Bee  "  in  1885  ;  "Glow- 
worms," "  Spiders,"  and  "  Mosquitoes  "  in  1889  ; 
"  The  Kiwi,"  with  a  floral  initial  drawn  and  en- 
graved by  himself,  in  1891 ;  and  "  Snails  "  in  1893. 
These  papers  might  be  worth  repubhcation  in  days 
to  come. 

"  The  Pastor's  Page  "  was  a  feature  month  by 
month  of  the  year  1897,  and  poems  and  sermons 
appeared  at  intervals  all  through  the  years.  A 
series  of  articles  entitled,  "  An  Alphabet  of  Aphor- 
isms "  appeared  during  1913  ;  and  another  series, 
"  On  the  Wing,"  reporting  his  journeys  on  behalf 


LITERARY  ACTIVITIES  2'?5 

of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage,  during  1914. 
Memorial  notices  and  comments  on  the  topics  of 
the  hour  abound,  and  up  to  the  end  there  were 
messages  from  his  pen — in  1917  two  pieces,  "  A 
New  Song  for  the  New  Year,"  and  "  An  Invincible 
Promise.'*  Altogether,  there  are  two  hundred  and 
sixty  pieces  of  his  in  The  Sword  and  Trowel  volumes, 
a  creditable  output  for  a  busy  preacher.  In 
addition  to  these  he  contributed  occasional  articles 
to  The  Home  Messenger,  The  Christian  Endeavour 
Times,  Good  Words,  The  Quiver,  and  to  some 
American  and  New  Zealand  journals.  Descriptive 
pieces  about  the  Stockwell  Orphanage  were  also 
contributed  to  its  quarterly  magazine,  Within  our 
Gates. 

Some  of  his  poems  have  been  given  on  earlier 
pages.  Here  one  other  shall  suffice.  It  is  founded 
on  a  beautiful  saying  of  a  Russian  convert,  as 
reported  by  Dr.  McCaig  :  "I  have  loved  Jesus  a 
little  while,  but  Jesus  has  loved  me  all  the  time." 

Unborn,  His  love  was  on  me  set, 
While  still  a  child,  disposed  to  stray. 
In  youth,  averse  to  Wisdom's  way  ; 

He  loved  me  then.  He  loves  me  yet  : 

From  Spring's  bright  dew  to  Winter's  rime, 
**  Jesus  has  loved  me  all  the  time." 

When  dead  in  trespasses  and  sin. 

When  Godless,  strengthless,  lost,  undone, 

Rebellious  as  "  the  younger  son," 
The  Saviour  longed  my  love  to  win ; 

'Spite  unbeUef — that  crowning  crime, 

**  Jesus  has  loved  me  all  the  time." 

Yea,  since  He  did  my  heart  compel 
His  love  to  answer,  and  His  name  to  blesa. 
He  has  not  loved  one  whit  the  less, 


276  LITERARY   ACTIVITIES 

Though  I  have  failed  to  love  Him  well ; 
Hia  constancy  has  proved  sublime, 
*'  Jesus  has  loved  me  all  the  time.'* 

'Tis  like  a  flood — ^this  lasting  love, 
From  deeps  beneath  it  welleth  up  ; 
Forth  from  His  ever  brimming  cup 

It  poureth  on  me  from  above  : 
Beyond  its  rea>ch  I  cannot  climb, 
For  Jesus  loves  me  all  the  time. 

A  little  while  I've  loved,  but  He 

The  charming  bells  of  love  and  grace, 
Whose  music  glads  the  heavenly  place. 

Has  rung  from  all  eternity ; 

And  I  shall  ever  hear  their  chime. 

He'll  love  when  Time's  no  longer  Time. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

THE   TRIPLE    PRESIDENCY 

In  addition  to  the  Presidency  of  the  College  Con- 
ference, to  which  he  was  annually  elected,  Mr. 
Spurgeon  was  permanent  President  of  the  three 
great  auxiliaries  to  the  Tabernacle  Church — the 
Pastors'  College,  the  Colportage  Association,  and 
the  Stockwell  Orphanage.  Each  of  these  offices 
carried  a  measure  of  responsibility,  and  it  was 
little  wonder  that  at  length  the  burden  became  too 
heavy  to  be  borne. 

As  President  of  the  College  from  1896  to  the 
end,  he  sought  to  maintain  the  high  tradition  of  his 
father,  to  train  preachers  rather  than  to  make 
scholars.  "  Our  policy,"  said  C.  H.  Spurgeon, 
"  has  been  to  imitate  the  florist,  by  planting  a  large 
number  of  slips  in  the  hope  that  some  of  them 
would  strike."  To  Mr.  William  Olney,  then  in 
New  Zealand,  he  wrote  on  May  25th,  1896  :  "  Last 
Thursday  the  College  trustees  asked  me  to  accept 
the  Presidency  of  the  College.  I  feel  obliged  to 
accept  the  post,  though,  truth  to  tell,  I  have  more 
than  enough  to  do  already.  But  I  am  just  trusting 
for  fresh  supplies  as  I  need  them."  In  this  he  had 
the  seconding  of  his  brother,  and  the  valued  help 
of  Principal  McCaig  and  Professors  Hackney  and 

277 


278  THE  TRIPLE  PRESIDENCY 

Gaussen.  They  all  bear  witness  to  his  courtesy 
and  brotherliness,  and  to  his  wise  judgment  and 
sagacious  counsel.  He  presided  over  the  Selection 
Committee,  and  his  letters  bear  witness  to  the 
thoroughness  of  spirit  with  which  he  approached 
the  solemn  decisions  concerning  candidates  for 
training. 

"  His  messages  at  the  opening  or  close  of  session," 
says  Dr.  McCaig,  "  were  always  full  of  wisdom  and 
sparkling  with  wit,  and  charged  with  spiritual 
power,  an  inspiration  to  all ;  none  more  so  than 
his  latest  utterances,  which,  with  all  the  fine 
qualities  of  previous  messages,  had  a  charm  and 
pathos  arising  from  his  conscious  weakness  and 
our  sympathy  with  him." 

This  reference  to  his  wit  suggests  that  this  may, 
perhaps,  be  the  appropriate  place  to  refer  to  its 
quality.  He  had  his  father's  faculty  of  making 
play  with  words,  could  pun  quite  easily,  but  as  the 
years  advanced  avoided  this  form  of  wit  rather 
than  indulged  it,  though  many  a  time  he  must  have 
been  sorely  tempted.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  used  to  say 
that  he  was  most  humorous  in  the  pulpit  when  his 
bodily  weakness  was  greatest,  for  then  he  had  not 
the  power  to  repress  the  things  that  clamoured 
for  utterance. 

When  Thomas  Spurgeon  took  farewell  of  the 
College,  after  his  brief  studies  there,  he  uttered  a 
hon-mot  which  is  quoted  to  this  day ;  "I  have 
read  in  Scripture,"  he  said,  "that  Enoch  was 
translated  by  faith,  but  I  have  discovered  in  college 
that  Homer  can  only  be  translated  by  work." 
His  father  used  to  tell,  with  grateful  pride,  how 


,  J 


THE   TRIPLE   PRESIDENCY  279 

when  he  had  his  boys  and  others  out  in  the  country 
one  day  in  their  youth,  he  set  them  guessing  which 
trees  they  liked  best.  Thomas  was  silent  for  some 
time,  but  when  his  father  urged  him  for  his  opinion 
he  smiled  up  in  his  face  and  answered,  "  Yew, 
father,"  an  answer  that  often  brought  joy  to  his 
father's  heart  in  after  years. 

The  joke  his  father  counted  as  his  best  is  really 
worth  repeating.  Sucking  pig  was  a  luxury-dish 
very  much  esteemed  in  Nightingale  Lane.  I  am 
told  that  it  must  be  eaten  hot.  One  day  it  was 
brought  steaming  to  the  table  and  father  and  son 
were  in  their  place,  but  the  worthy  Secretary,  Rev. 
J.  W.  Harrald,  had  not  appeared ;  he  was  still  in 
the  study.  "  I  wonder  what  is  keeping  Harrald," 
the  father  said,  "  he  knows  we  have  sucking  pig." 
To  which  answered  Thomas  demurely,  "  Perhaps 
he  has  a  litter  upstairs  !  " 

To  return  to  College  matters.  Thomas  Spurgeon 
did  not  find  it  possible  to  lecture  every  Friday  as 
his  father  had  done,  but  he  managed  to  do  it 
with  some  frequency,  especially  in  the  earlier  years, 
and  often  these  lectures  made  a  great  impression. 
In  The  Sword  and  Trowel  some  of  them  have  been 
reproduced.  In  1895,  "  The  Three  Ns  "  ;  in  1898, 
"  The  Students'  Stoop  "  ;  "  Clocks  to  Mend  "  ; 
and  a  most  ingenious  talk  on  "  How  a  holiday 
yields  illustration."  In  1899,  "  A  Proper  Sort  of 
Parson  "  ;  in  1905,  *'  The  Great  Secret  "  ;  in  1907, 
"  Affectation."  There  were  many  other  lectures, 
of  course.  In  the  year  prior  to  his  death  he  spoke 
to  the  men  on  "  The  Right  Text  "  and  "  Trifles." 

Amongst  the  great  bundle  of  papers  Dr.  McCaig 


280  THE   TRIPLE   PRESIDENCY 

has  preserved  there  are  two  written  messages  to 
the  students.  One  is  dated  April  28th,  1900,  and 
conveys  to  the  men  the  hearty  thanks  of  the  Church 
for  the  help  the  students  had  rendered  in  a  mission 
just  concluded  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  impresses 
on  them  the  value  to  their  own  ministry  of  the 
experience.  The  letter  is  very  grateful  to  me,  but 
it  need  not  here  be  reproduced. 

The  second  message  to  the  students  is  a  longer 
document,  dated  August  1901,  and  greets  the  men 
as  they  reassemble  after  the  holidays.  It  pokes 
some  fun  at  the  tutors,  especially  at  Professor 
Gaussen,  who  had  just  got  married.  "  He  is  twice 
the  man  he  was,  which  is  saying  a  good  deal." 
After  praise  for  tutors  and  students  and  a  welcome 
to  the  freshmen,  he  proceeds  :  "  You  are  all  ready 
for  real  earnest  toil,  I  trust.  The  time  is  short. 
This  opportunity  will  never  recur,  nor  can  you 
expect  another  to  be  compared  to  it  in  value.  You 
hardly  need  urging  to  work — besides,  I  think  the 
tutors  are  quite  capable  of  spurring  you  on  should 
it  be  necessary.  They  are  one  with  me  in  urging 
upon  you  a  jealous  care  of  your  spiritual  life.  No 
knowledge  is  to  be  compared  with  the  experimental 
acquaintance  with  '  Jesus  Himself.'  No  books 
can  take  the  place  of  the  Book  of  books.  No  hour 
is  more  helpful  than  the  hour  of  prayer."  And 
much  besides. 

In  a  letter  to  Dr.  McCaig  on  January  22nd,  1917, 
the  year  of  his  death,  he  urges  him  to  "  tell  the 
brethren  and  tutors  how  grieved  I  am  to  be  away, 
and  wish  them  all  (if  not  too  late)  a  Happy  New 
Year ;  or,  better  still,  as  Rabbi  Duncan  said  to  his 


THE   TRIPLE   PRESIDENCY  281 

students,  '  Gentlemen,  I  wish  you  a  Happy  Etern- 
ity.' " 

In  greeting  Mr.  F.  A.  Jackson  on  June  18th,  1902, 
when  he  was  about  to  lecture  to  the  students,  he 
says  ;  "In  case  I  find  it  absolutely  necessary  to 
conserve  my  strength  in  the  morning,  I  send  a 
brief  message  to  the  brethren.  Please  assure  them 
that  it  is  a  matter  of  deep  regret  to  me  that  I  have 
been  so  little  with  them  this  year.  They  ought  to 
have  an  able-bodied  President,  instead  of  such  a 
weakling,  but  as  they  have  no  voice  in  appointing 
him  they  must  make  the  best  of  a  bad  job  till  there 
is  a  change  for  the  better.  Yet  I  am  sure  they 
could  not  find  one  who  loves  them  more."  And 
again,  at  another  time,  evidently  after  the  Revival 
services  at  the  Tabernacle,  he  writes  :  "  Tell  the 
students  that  my  soul  is  singing  '  Songs  of  Praises ' 
all  the  time,  including,  by  the  way,  a  large  part 
of  the  night." 

The  students  repaid  him  in  deep  trust  and 
affection.  He  was  their  friend,  they  felt  it,  and 
therefore  his  least  word  was  law.  Sometimes  he 
presided  at  the  Friday  lecture  when  another  gave 
it.  On  July  17th,  1905,  he  writes  again  to  Dr. 
McCaig  an  intimate  letter,  in  which  he  says : 
"  Judge  Willis  was  with  us  yesterday,  and  paid 
me  the  high  compliment  of  saying  it  was  worth 
while  coming  to  hear  me  read '  Lord  speak  to  me,' — 
and  he  is  a  judge." 

To  very  few  he  would  bare  his  soul  like  that ; 
but  he  valued  praise  and  recognition,  and  when  he 
was  quite  sure  of  his  ground  did  not  scruple  to  say 
so.    To  Mr.  Jackson  he  writes,  on  July  4th,  1905, 


282  THE  TRIPLE  PRESIDENCY 

about  an  altogether  different  matter.  He  had  been 
invited  to  speak  at  one  of  the  mission  meetings  at 
the  Albert  Hall.  So  he  says :  **  I  cannot  help 
telling  you  about  last  night.  When  Lord  Kinnaird 
called  on  me — oh  my  !  I  climbed  Torrey's  dais  as 
giddily  as  a  ship  boy  his  mast  (first  go  off).  The 
people  clapped  and  cheered  and  '  went  on '  tremend- 
oiis.  Talk  about  ovations.  I've  scarcely  slept  a 
wink  thinking  of  it.  It  has  turned  my  head  and 
puffed  me  up,  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  I  was  helped 
to  speak,  and  received  no  end  of  congratulations. 
The  Glory  Song  was  sung  gloriously,  and  some  man 
sang  the  ninety  and  nine  most  marvellously." 
Then,  in  a  postscript,  "  Pardon  my  vanity  in  telling 
you  of  my  reception,  but  I  know  you  will  be  glad, 
and  I  do  praise  God  for  giving  me  favour  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people." 

As  President  of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage  he  was 
a  prime  favourite  with  the  girls  and  boys  when  he 
visited  them — he  had  no  doubt  about  that :  they 
would  flock  round  him  to  receive  his  greeting  and 
his  blessing.  At  the  meetings  of  the  Trustees  he 
was  just  as  welcome,  and  he  took  a  very  practical 
share  in  the  guidance  and  governance  of  the 
institution.  When  he  resigned  the  pastoral  over- 
sight of  the  Tabernacle  Church  he  devoted  himself, 
as  we  have  seen,  to  painting.  But  that  was  only 
a  phase,  and  a  new  avenue  of  service  eventually 
presented  itself,  which  brought  help  both  to  College 
and  Orphanage. 

The  first  suggestion  of  it  was  made  by  Rev.  T.  LI. 
Edwards,  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  College  on 
May  7th,  1908.     It  appears  that  I  had  spoken  imtil 


THE   TRIPLE   PRESIDENCY  288 

a  late  hour  and  there  were  but  a  few  minutes  left, 
so  he  boldly  made  a  plunge  for  his  plan.  Turning 
to  Mr.  Spurgeon  he  said,  "  And  what  shall  this  man 
do?"  "Ah,  what?"  said  the  President;  on 
which  Mr.  Edwards  urged  that  he  should  take  the 
world  for  his  parish,  and  go  forth  to  plead  the  needs 
of  both  College  and  Orphanage. 

The  suggestion  took  root.  In  the  middle  of  the 
following  night  Thomas  Spurgeon  burst  into 
laughter,  and  when  his  wife  asked  the  reason,  he 
answered,  "  I  think  I  can  see  Edwards  now,  looking 
into  my  eyes  and  saying, '  And  what  shall  this  man 
do  ? '  "  Not  until  two  years  had  passed  was  the 
plan  put  into  execution ;  then,  with  Mr.  Edwards 
as  honorary  secretary,  the  "  Thomas  Spurgeon 
Deputation  Fund "  was  organized,  and  in  the 
autumn  of  1911  he  began  a  ministry  which  embraced 
Great  Britain,  lasted  for  three  years,  and,  in 
addition  to  the  spiritual  impulse  it  gave  to  the 
Churches  visited,  brought  in  some  £3,000  to  the 
agencies  it  was  designed  to  help. 

The  diaries  and  the  correspondence  connected 
with  it  are  before  me  as  I  write.  Mr.  Spurgeon 
threw  himself  without  reserve  into  the  business, 
preaching  and  lecturing  north  and  south  and  east 
and  west,  making  hosts  of  friends  for  the  Institu- 
tions and  for  himself ;  as  some  of  the  letters  sent 
to  those  who  were  his  hosts,  and  treasured  by  them, 
plainly  testify.  He  himself  writes  at  this  period, 
*'  I  found  quite  a  number  of  new  friends.  I  shall 
have  room  for  them  without  shelving  any  of  the 
old  ones." 

The  details  of  this  quest  would  be  tedious,  but 


284  THE   TRIPLE   PRESIDENCY 

almost  at  random  I  lay  my  hand  on  a  request  for 
a  visit  from  Berwick-upon-Tweed,  signed  by  Mayor, 
sheriffs,  aldermen,  councillors,  ministers,  and 
others ;  a  programme  which  announces  Mr. 
Spurgeon  as  the  preacher  in  St.  Giles'  Cathedral, 
Edinburgh,  and  lecturer  in  the  Assembly  Hall ;  a 
report  of  a  visit  to  one  place  in  these  words,  "  the 
people  are  poor,  or  else  there  is  a  copper  mine  in 
the  district — I  toiled  hard  for  £9  12s"  ;  another, 
"  All  very  good,  except  the  liberty  taken  with  my 
name.  I  am  not,  and  never  was,  the  Rev.  Tom 
Spurgeon." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  1912  Mr.  Spurgeon 
was  approached  with  a  view  to  a  visit  to  South 
Africa  and  New  Zealand,  and  for  some  time  such  a 
visit  was  seriously  entertained,  but  was  at  length 
found  to  be  impracticable;  and,  largely  on  the 
ground  of  health,  and  on  expert  advice  that 
absolute  rest  was  essential,  on  July  23rd,  1914,  he 
definitely  resigned  the  work  which  had  at  first 
seemed  to  be  within  his  powers,  and  had  already 
been  fruitful  to  a  large  degree.  On  June  14th,  1913, 
he  wrote,  "  I  am  a  sort  of  flying  machine,  but  in 
July  I  shall  turn  turtle."  The  following  July  he 
came  down  with  broken  wings. 

The  two  years'  interval  between  the  suggestion 
of  this  work  and  its  adoption  were  passed  chiefly 
in  Devonshire  and  Cornwall,  with  intervals  in 
London  largely  for  Orphanage  and  College  business. 
Two  periods  were  spent  at  Paignton — from  Nov- 
ember 29th,  1909,  to  June  14th,  1910  ;  and  from 
September  23rd,  1910,  to  April  20th,  1911.  During 
this  second  visit   Mr.   Spurgeon  preached   every 


THE   TRIPLE   PRESIDENCY  285 

Sunday  morning  and  every  Tuesday  evening  at  the 
Baptist  Church,  which  was  then  pastorless. 

On  the  death  of  the  headmaster  of  the  Orphanage, 
Rev.    V.    J.    Charlesworth,    Mr.    Spurgeon,   being 
now  free  and  somewhat  stronger,  was  appointed 
as  Director  of  the  Orphanage,  still  holding  the 
office  of  President.     Writing  to  Mr.  G.  A.  Eaton 
on  February  15th,  1915,  he  says  :   "I  shall  be  glad 
of  your  prayers  and  your  friends'  prayers  that  God 
will  set   His   seal  on  this  appointment.     It  has 
come  as  such  a  surprise,  and  is  such  a  providence." 
In  spite  of  his  physical  weakness,  he  was  able  to 
render  important  service  in  this  new  post.     He 
wrote  to  Rev.   Edward  Last  on  February  27th, 
1916  :    "I  am  thankful  to  be  able  still  for  a  little 
hedging  and  ditching  on  my  Master's  farm."   But  by 
January  26th,  1917,  he  found  this  too  great  a  strain 
and  retired  from  it.     To  his  confidant,  Mr.  Jackson, 
he  writes  :    "  You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  have 
resigned  the  Stockwell  Orphanage  directorship.     / 
could  stand  it  no  longer,  and  when  I  fell  sick  at 
Christmas-time  I  thought  it  was  my  opportunity. 
To-day  the  Board  has  regretfully  agreed  to  what  I 
insisted  on.     I  shall  remain  President  and  Editor, 
and    Special    Commissioner,    Answerer,    Matrons' 
Prayer-Meeting    Conductor,    Sword    and    Trowel 
notes  writer — isn't  that  enough  ?   C.  S.  is  to  take  up 
deputation  work,  on  a  bigger  scale  than  mine.    You 
will  be  interested  to  know  that  I  have  undertaken 
to  write  the  history  of  the  Stockwell  Orphanage  to 
its  Jubilee — not  quite  my   sort  of  writing,   this. 
Still,  I  am  having  a  shot  at  it,  and  I  hope  I  shan't 
miss.     I  must  have  an  analogy,  you  know,  as  I  am 


286  THE   TRIPLE   PRESIDENCY 

attempting  to  write  on  A  Goodly  Cedar.  It  seems 
to  lend  itself — God-planted,  its  growth,  its  glory 
and  beauty,  its  scent,  its  music,  its  shade,  its  sap, 
its  support  and  protection  and  pruning,  etc.,  etc." 

In  developing  the  idea  in  a  letter  to  his  friend, 
Mr.  William  Higgs,  he  notes  that  George  Miiller's 
work  was  compared  by  C.  H.  S.  to  cedars  of  Le- 
banon, and  that  "  fifty  is  the  youth  of  age."  After 
giving  the  outline  of  Contents,  he  says  :  "  Under 
some  such  headings  I  hope  to  bring  in  everything 
of  interest  and  use.  I  hope  the  idea  is  worth 
developing  and  will  prove  a  change  from  the 
ordinary  official  guide-book  style." 

He  did  well  that  it  was  in  his  heart,  but  the  idea 
was  frustrated  by  a  paralytic  stroke,  and  the  care 
of  the  Orphanage  has  now  passed  into  the  capable 
hands  of  his  brother,  who,  as  President -Director,  is 
making  the  Jubilee  year,  without  the  book,  a  time 
of  advance.  May  the  future  hold  for  him  and  for 
Spurgeon's  Orphanage  much  prosperity  and  grace  ! 

The  third  Presidency  was  that  of  the  Metropolitan 
Colportage  Association.  Mr.  Spurgeon's  interest 
in  this  good  work  was  evidenced  by  his  addresses 
at  the  Annual  Conference  of  the  Colporteurs.  In 
The  Sword  and  Trowel  for  1895,  we  find  one  on 
"  Constancy  and  Consistency "  ;  and  in  1896 
another  on  K.  E.  P.  T.,  while  in  the  volume  for 
1899  there  is  a  plea  for  colportage  under  the  title, 
"  A  Mighty  Weapon  "  ;  and  in  1901  another  appeal, 
"  It  is  still  perfectly  true." 

So  to  the  end  his  life  was  full  of  faith  and  of  good 
works.  Where  he  came  he  was  the  natural  leader, 
where  he  led  there  was  blessing  and  goodwill. 


CHAPTER   XXH 

THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

Of  the  last  year  of  Mr.  Spurgeon's  life  little  need 
be  said.     He  lived  in  retirement,  and  his  house  was 
taken  down,  not  suddenly,  but  brick  by  brick. 
He  saw  the  end  approaching,  but  it  came  gently, 
and  he  was  never  less  than  his  brave,  considerate 
self,  all  the  while.     "  San  Remo,"  his  charming  but 
modest  residence,  is  near  Tooting  Bee  Common, 
and  he  used  to  walk  there ;    later,  when  he  was 
partially  paralysed,  he  walked  only  in  his  own 
little  garden,  a  garden  to  which  Mrs.  Spurgeon  has 
devoted  herself  with  love  and  skill,  as  much  for 
his  sake  as  for  her  own.     She  and  his  daughter 
Vera  were  in  constant  attendance  on  the  invalid  : 
for  a  little  while  they  went  to  Tunbridge  Wells,  and 
stayed  with  his  friend.  Rev.  F.  J.  Feltham ;    but 
there  was  no  place  like  home,  and  there  the  un- 
eventful waiting  days  were  spent,  not  unregarded 
indeed  by  his  friends  outside,  but  almost  sacred  to 
his  own  family  circle.     On  the  morning  of  Oc- 
tober 20th,  1917,  he  spoke  of  a  pain  between  his 
eyes,  and  lapsed  into  unconsciousness ;   and  while 
the  sun  was  yet  high  in  the  sky  he  passed  to  his 
heaven. 

287 


288  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

The  wonder  was  not  that  he  died  at  sixty-one, 
but  that  he  lived  so  long.  He  was  four  years  older 
than  his  father.  When  it  is  remembered  that  twice 
he  had  to  flee  our  shores  because  of  threatened 
lung  trouble,  it  is  remarkable  that  there  was  no 
mischief  there  at  the  end.  All  along  he  suffered 
from  nephritis,  which  developed  into  arterio 
sclerosis,  and  the  direct  cause  of  death  was  the 
breaking  of  an  artery  in  the  brain.  Though  he 
was  always  a  good  soldier,  he  was  ever  conscious 
that  there  was  something  wrong,  and  never  felt 
quite  normal.  "  The  doctor  is,  I  think,  a  little 
disappointed  that  I  have  not  made  more  headway," 
he  wrote  to  Rev.  Austin  L.  Edwards,  when  he  was 
staying  at  Llandrindod  Wells,  "  but  I  myself  am 
not  surprised,  therefore  not  discouraged." 

Some  of  his  own  references  to  his  health  may 
perhaps  be  assembled  at  this  point.  To  Jackson 
he  wrote  on  April  2nd,  1906  :  "  The  doctor  over- 
hauled me  on  Monday  and  pronounced  me  better. 
It  was  news  to  me — but  good  news.  He  ought  to 
know.  He  counsels  patience.  Ah !  patience, 
that's  it.  Patience  sees  the  grape- juice  turned  into 
the  sweetmeat  and  the  mulberry  leaf  into  silk." 
And  on  May  8th,  1914  :  "  I  have  suffered  from 
almost  constant  headache,  and  when  I  feel  a  little 
stronger  the  next  meeting  pulls  me  off  my  perch 
again.  Terrible  slackness,  the  doctor  calls  my 
condition,  and  such  indeed  it  is." 

To  Rev.  Philip  A.  Hudgell  on  December  27th, 
1914  :  "  The  specialist  says  I  ought  never  to  have 
engaged  in  that  deputation  work,  and  must  never 
dream   of  resuming   it.    It   appears  that  to   do 


THE   CLOSING  DAYS  289 

nothing  is  the  only  hope  of  doing  some  little 
jmething."  On  February  8rd,  1915,  he  writes 
to  Dr.  McCaig  :  "  On  Sunday  evening  I  was  pressed 
in  the  spirit,  and  have  been  oppressed  in  the  body 
ever  since " ;  while  to  Rev.  Walter  Owen,  of 
Penzance,  on  January  26th,  1916,  this  is  his  report : 
"  I  am  not  much  in  the  papers  now.  I  have  had 
my  share  thereof.  I  am  grateful,  though,  that  I 
have  not  yet  figured  in  the   Obituary  Colunm." 

The  celebration  of  his  Diamond  Jubilee  on 
September  20th,  1916,  gave  his  friends  an  oppor- 
tunity of  special  greeting.  An  interviewer  of 
The  Christian  writes :  "  Looking  back  over  the 
sixty  years,  Mr.  Spurgeon's  uppermost  feeling  is 
one  of  overwhelming  gratitude  for  the  goodness 
and  mercy  that  have  followed  him  continually,  and 
particularly  for  the  special  grace  and  strength 
granted,  so  that  a  full  and  fruitful  life  has  been 
lived,  notwithstanding  severely  hampering  con- 
ditions. He  feels  himself  to  be,  not  in  midstream, 
but  in  more  or  less  of  a  backwater ;  yet  his  firm 
grip  upon  life  is  well  maintained,  and  he  is  upheld 
by  the  consciousness  of  the  affectionate  goodwill  of 
a  host  of  friends  both  in  this  country  and  at  the 
Antipodes." 

Again  we  must  draw  on  his  intimacies  with  F.  A. 
Jackson  ;  "  You  decline  to  believe  I  am  sixty. 
Oh  !  but  I  could  at  times  believe  myself  to  be  a 
hundred.  I  have  had  congratulations  galore.  The 
letters  were  lying  (only  in  one  sense,  I  think) 
seventy  deep  before  the  day  was  done,  and  the 
kind  notices  and  articles  in  The  Baptist  Times,  The 
British  Weekly,  The  Christian,  and  The  Life  of 
19 


290  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

Faith,  are  bringing  me  in  a  fresh  and  fragrant  crop. 
It  is  all  very  wonderful  and  humbling.  It  must 
be  confessed  it  is  very  gratifying,  too." 

Of  him  Jackson  writes :  "  Even  in  sickness,  of 
which  he  seemed  to  have  more  than  his  share ;  in 
sorrow  and  distress,  of  which  he  bore  a  man's  full 
load  ;  and  under  the  pressure  of  exhausting  labours 
and  solemn  responsibilities,  I  cannot  recall  an 
instance  in  which  he  was  less  than  his  lovable  self. 

"  Did  ever  a  man  so  poke  fun  at  his  own  aches 
and  pains,  or  make  his  own  sick-room  such  a  place 
of  wholesome  mirth  ?  He  was  ill  indeed  when  he 
could  no  longer  make  those  that  were  near  him 
laugh  or  smile. 

"  His  nature  was  utterly  foreign  to  subterfuge  of 
every  sort.  A  master  of  tact,  he  was  incapable  of 
pretence,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  if  ever  he  made 
an  enemy  his  enemy  never  challenged,  or  so  much 
as  questioned,  his  honour. 

"  Of  that  still  deeper  thing — his  intimate  inter- 
course with  Christ — I  must  not  write,  except  to 
say  this  :  it  was  the  ruling  passion  of  his  life. 

"  As  the  Samoan  chief  said  of  Stevenson,  so 
would  I  say  of  my  friend  :  '  The  day  was  never 
long  enough  for  his  kindness.'  " 

Rev.  Hugh  D.  Brown,  of  Dublin,  who  was  his 
intimate  friend,  writes  :  "  To  my  mind,  the  best 
sermon  I  ever  heard  from  him  was  the  somewhat 
quaint  and  suggestive  utterance,  '  Bar  and  all,' 
and  now  he  has  had  through  grace  a  '  bar  and  all ' 
salvation  into  the  presence  of  the  King. 

"  When  we  once  had  the  joy  of  a  couple  of  weeks' 
fellowship  at  Loch  Katrine,  I  remember  our  visiting 


THE   CLOSING   DAYS  291 

Glengyle,  the  home  of  the  MacGregors,  where,  in 
their  romantic  family  burial  ground,  the  inscription 
upon  the  central  tomb  ran  thus  concerning  one  of 
the  departed  heroes :  '  Who  did  his  best  for  the 
old  name ' ;  and  methinks  I  can  see  another  penman 
write  this  inspired  epitaph  in  connection  with  our 
beloved  brother :  '  Thou  hast  borne,  and  hast 
patience,  and  for  my  name's  sake  hast  laboured  and 
hast  not  fainted.'  " 

Here,  I  think,  we  may  pause,  and  let  his  son, 
Mr.  T.  Harold  Spurgeon,  speak.  He  is  good 
enough  to  write  to  me  from  his  home  in  Dublin 
with  the  characteristic  name  of  "  Bohernabreena," 
and  says  :  "  The  following  scraps  are,  I  am  afraid, 
only  trivialities  in  the  life  of  one  who  '  filled  the 
public  eye '  as  much  as  my  dear  father  did,  albeit 
to  me  they  are  very  precious  memories.  I  send 
them  along  in  the  hope  that  amongst  them  there 
may  be,  perhaps,  one  or  two  touches  that  may 
serve  :  please  do  not  feel  that  I  shall  mind  in  the 
least  if  you  think  there  is  nothing  worthy  of  in- 
clusion, for,  from  the  public  point  of  view,  I  have 
come  to  the  same  conclusion. 

"  One  of  my  earliest  definite  recollections  of 
father  dates  back  to  the  autumn  of  1899.  We  were 
in  the  train  coming  home  from  '  Westwood  '  (how 
brim-full  of  happiness  those  days  were  for  me  !), 
and,  seeing  his  eyes  full  of  sadness  and  anxiety  as 
he  read  the  evening  paper,  I  asked  him  what  was 
wrong.  '  I'm  afraid  there's  going  to  be  war,  old 
boy ;  and  it's  a  wrong  war  ' ; — ^and  he  explained 
to  me  very  simply  the  trouble  in  South  Africa,  and 
stamped  my  child's  mind  with  a  hatred  of  Jingoism 


292  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

which  has  remained,  and  will  remain,  please  God, 
as  long  as  I  live. 

"  Busy  as  he  always  was  at  the  Tabernacle,  he 
would  find  time  almost  every  day  to  amuse  and 
instruct  us.  A  great  feature  of  those  days  was  his 
'  spelling-bees,'  which  usually  took  place  at  tea- 
time,  and  it  was  exceptional  indeed  when  he  failed 
to  propound  one  word,  at  least,  which  would  baffle 
us  both.  Inaccurate  spelling  was  always  one  of 
his  bSteS'fioires,  and  he  spared  no  pains  to  ensure 
our  correctness  in  this  respect. 

"  He  took  considerable  interest  in  Biblical 
archaeology,  and  many  happy  hours  I  have  spent 
as  a  child  with  him  over  CasselVs  Bible  Dictionary^ 
while  he  explained  the  pictures  to  me.  One  of  the 
red-letter  days  of  my  life  was  when  (in  May,  1901) 
he  took  me  on  my  first  visit  to  the  British  Museum  : 
we  began  with  the  Egyptian  and  Assyrian  Depart- 
ment, and  I  don't  think  we  got  any  further  than 
that ;  I  felt  I  could  stay  there  for  ever,  and  I  think 
he  was  well  content.  In  the  afternoon  of  that 
same  day  he  took  me  for  the  first  time  to  Kenning- 
ton  Oval.  It  was  Surrey  v,  Gloucester,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  my  breathless  interest  as  he  pointed 
out  to  my  admiring  gaze  such  mighty  ones  as 
Bobby  Abel  and  Tom  Richardson,  and  G.  L.  Jessop. 
He  was  very  fond  of  cricket  all  his  life,  and  we  went 
back  together  to  the  Oval  more  than  once  in 
after  years. 

"  Another  unforgettable  day,  of  a  very  different 
sort,  is  that  on  which  my  dear  mother's  life  was 
hanging  in  the  balance  during  her  serious  illness 
towards  the  end  of  1908.     He  had  just  lost  his  own 


THE   CLOSING  DAYS  293 

dear  mother,  and  he  called  Vera  and  me  into  the 
dining-room,  and  prayed  for  Mother  and  for  us 
and  for  himself,  as  only  he  could  pray.  I  cannot 
recall  anything  he  said ;  but  the  spirit  of  that 
prayer  is  with  me  still. 

"  Ever  since  my  schooldays  began  he  used  to 
talk  a  good  deal  to  me  about  literature.  I  think 
there  was  nothing  he  really  loved  just  as  much  as 
The  Ancient  Mariner  ;  he  would  read  it  and  re-read 
it,  and  quote  it  again  and  again.  Perhaps  I  should 
not  have  said  '  nothing,'  for  I  fancy  not  even  it 
came  before  The  Pilgrim'' s  Progress.  Other  favour- 
ites of  his  were  Milton  (he  loved  to  hear  him  read 
aloud),  and  Richard  Jefferies  and  Carlyle.  He  had 
intense  reverence  for  Ruskin  as  an  art  critic :  I 
doubt  whether  he  felt  just  the  same  about  his 
Economics.  He  read  Dickens  over  and  over  again  : 
his  favourite  books  he  had  been  through  many 
times. 

"  I  do  not  recall  ever  hearing  him  speak  with  any 
appreciation  of  Shakespeare  or  of  Tennyson ;  I 
asked  him  once,  a  few  years  ago,  what  he  thought 
of  Browning,  but  he  only  replied,  '  I  can't  read 
him  ;  he's  too  deep  for  me.'  (I  fancy  it  was  the 
brusque  style  rather  than  the  deep  philosophy  that 
was  the  real  barrier  in  this  case.)  His  delight  when 
I  sent  him,  three  or  four  years  ago,  a  copy  of  Francis 
Thompson's  Hound  of  Heaven,  knew  no  bounds. 
A  year  or  two  later  he  wrote  to  me, '  Oh  !  what  joy 
Francis  Thompson's  '  Kingdom  of  God '  has 
brought  me  lately  ! '  (I  had  copied  out  the  poem 
and  sent  it  over  to  him,  thinking  it  would  be  after 
his  own  heart.) 


294  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

"  Of  his  graciousness  and  modesty  I  need  not 
say  much,  for  you  know.  He  wrote  to  me  once, 
'  It  is  sweet  to  be  loved,  even  if  one  has  to  wonder 
why.'  On  one  occasion  he  met  with  an  artist  of 
some  note,  who  subjected  his  work  to  pretty 
severe  criticism.  Father  closes  his  account  of  the 
interview  with  these  words, '  It  was  well  to  sit  at  the 
feet  of  a  Master — even  though  he  kicked  at  times ! ' 

"  Yet,  as  all  know,  he  could  hit  hard ;  I  have 
seen  bumptiousness  and  bluster  cower  on  more 
than  one  occasion  before  his  gentle  and  serene 
dignity.  '  Well,  Mr.  Spurgeon,'  said  an  influential 
host  of  his,  at  the  time  that  the  present  Premier 
was  at  the  height  of  his  unpopularity  with  the 
capitalist  class,  seven  years  or  so  ago,  '  what  do 
you  think  of  that  abominable  man,  Lloyd  George  ?  ' 
'  I  think  he  is  a  God-raised  man,'  was  the  reply. 
The  subject  was  abruptly  changed. 

"  He  was  always  an  optimist,  even  about  himself, 
but  I  think  he  knew  during  his  last  few  years  that 
the  end  (as  we  pagan-souled  Christians  still  call 
it !)  was  not  far  off.  He  wrote  to  me  in  June,  1916, 
'  How  I  wish  I  could  say  "  I  am  really  better." 
The  little  rest  has  freshened  me  up  a  bit,  but  I 
cannot  disguise  from  myself  that  (to  put  it  mildly) 
I  am  NOT  getting  better.  Yet  all  is  well,  and  I 
may  serve  another  day,  if  the  Lord  sees  fit.'  When 
I  saw  him  last,  in  August  of  last  year,  he  talked 
quite  freely  (as  far  as  his  speech  would  allow  him, 
poor  dear)  of  his  Home-going.  '  They  say  it  might 
be  any  time.  ...  I'm  ready,  .  .  .  but  we  should  all 
be  ready ;  ...  it  may  be  you  that  will  be  taken 
first,  old  boy.' 


THE   CLOSING  DAYS  295 

"  The  last  letters  I  received  from  him  (just  before 
the  first  stroke)  were  very  full  of  the  projected 
history  of  the  Orphanage,  which  he  was  just  under- 
taking. He  says  :  '  Figures  and  facts  require  a 
good  deal  of  hunting  up  and  verifying,  and  thrice- 
told  incidents  are  difficult  to  re-tell,  but  I  shall 
break  the  back  of  it  by  and  by,  if  I  don't,  in  the 
meantime,  break  my  own  !  .  .  .  It  is  not  quite  my 
sort  of  writing — still,  I  have  pleasure  in  hunting 
for  the  gold,  in  putting  it  into  the  crucible,  and  in 
trying  to  fashion  a  crown.'  " 


In  London  he  had  three  homes :  87,  KnatchbuU 
Road,  Camber  well ;  14,  Macaulay  Road,  Clapham 
Common ;  and  40,  Prentis  Road,  Streatham, 
where  he  fell  asleep.  At  intervals  during  his 
wandering  days  he  had  rooms  in  various  places, 
chiefly  at  Montrell  Road,  Streatham  Hill,  where 
he  returned  again  and  again.  In  his  last  home, 
"  San  Remo,"  his  widow  and  daughter  still  reside, 
facing  life  bravely  with  the  heritage  of  a  name  the 
world  honours  and  of  a  memory  fragrant  with 
sweetness. 

Rev.  H.  H.  Driver,  who  accompanied  him  on  one 
of  his  voyages,  says  truly,  as  reported  in  The  New 
Zealand  Baptist :  "  His  own  lovely  life  was  more 
eloquent  than  his  finest  sermon.  He  ever  radiated 
the  sunshine  of  a  singularly  unselfish  heart.  He 
found  his  chief  pleasure  in  diffusing  happiness 
around  him.  Few  men  had  a  finer  capacity  for 
friendship.  He  grappled  to  himself  with  hooks  of 
steel  the  spirits  he  found  congenial  to  his  own." 


296  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

Dr.  McCaig,  in  his  men^orial  article,  wrote  truly  : 
"  Undoubtedly  he  had  the  pastor's  heart.  Who 
could  have  been  more  sympathetic  with  the 
sorrowing,  more  tender  to  the  erring,  more  en- 
couraging to  the  downcast  ?  How  the  people 
used  to  crowd  around  him  at  the  prayer-meeting 
to  get  a  pleasant  smile,  a  cheery  word,  and  a  grip 
of  his  hand,  that  hand  which  had  so  much  of  the 
softness  of  his  father's.  The  young  were  naturally 
attracted  to  him,  and,  most  singular,  the  oldest 
people  were  the  most  attached  to  him." 

"Even  in  the  last  months,"  Mr.  F.  H.  Ford 
recalls,  "  when  his  weakness  and  pain  were  at  their 
worst,  he  constantly  thought  of  the  needs  of  others, 
and,  as  one  who  knew  him  best  remarked,  '  he  was 
always  trying  to  make  some  one  happy.'  As  the 
invalid  passed  along  the  roads  in  his  short  periods 
of  exercise,  the  little  children  would  run  across, 
kiss  his  hand,  and  speed  away.  Of  incidents  which 
could  be  mentioned  that  tell  the  kindliness  of  his 
heart,  one  little  story  is  too  tempting  to  omit.  On 
the  eve  of  Christmas  last,  the  sick  pastor  remem- 
bered the  household  of  a  worthy  minister,  where 
he  thought  the  preparations  for  the  festive  season 
might  be  inadequate.  With  his  own  hands  he 
carried  the  Christmas  dinner  to  the  house  through 
densely  dark  streets,  and  refusing  the  help  of  the 
shopkeeper  lest  a  mistake  in  delivery  might  be 
made,  handed  the  package  to  the  good  housewife." 

What  he  said  at  the  second  anniversary  of  his 
father's  death  might  now  be  said  of  himself: 
"  During  more  than  one  stormy  passage  across  the 
ocean  I  have  seen  the  captain  mount  his  bridge 


THE   CLOSING  DAYS  297 

and  stand  by  the  instrument  that  communicates 
with  the  engine-room  below.  Sometimes  he  takes 
the  lever  and  moves  it  to  '  Stand  by.'  Down  in 
the  engine-room  all  is  attention,  for  they  expect 
another  order  presently.  I  think  the  Great  Captain 
has  His  hand  upon  the  telegraphic  instrument  in 
the  case  of  some  of  you  who  have  indications  that 
you  are  nearing  the  port,  and  God  says  '  Stand  by ' ; 
be  ready  for  the  next  order  !  !  Stand  prepared 
for  what  is  coming  soon.  Then  He  moves  the 
needle  a  little  later  to  '  Slow.'  Presently  the  Lord 
Himself  will  grasp  the  lever  again  and  put  it  to 
'  Stop.'  Soon  after  that  the  cable  is  run  out,  the 
ship  is  brought  up,  and  the  voyage  is  over.  So 
has  it  been  with  our  dear  pastor.  How  could  that 
ship  maintain  such  wondrous  speed  so  long  !  " 

He  had  faced  death  and  conquered  it  long  before 
the  last  call  came,  faced  it  for  himself  and  others. 

When  Mr.  Thomas  Cox,  an  old  student  of  the 
college,  and  for  thirty-two  years  an  Elder  of 
the  Church,  died,  Mr.  Spurgeon  gave  the  address 
at  his  funeral  on  March  19th,  1914.  As  an  example 
of  the  way  he  could  call  forth  friendship  on  the 
part  of  others  because  he  gave  himself  to  them,  a 
part  of  the  address  may  be  quoted : 

"  Nor  need  you  wonder  that  I  myself  speak 
tearfully  of  him.  He  was  my  father's  friend  and 
my  own  friend.  I  could  tell  you  things,  trifling  in 
themselves  perhaps,  which  showed  so  plainly  that 
this  man  of  few  words  and  quiet  mood  was  full  of 
heart,  and  much  more  than  a  mere  philosopher. 

"  I  may  be  allowed  to  tell  of  my  last  interview 
with  my  friend.    At  my  entry  he  seemed  slow  to 


298  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

recognize  me,  but  he  gradually  awoke  to  the  fact 
that  his  message  to  the  effect  that  he  was  '  very, 
very  ill,'  had  brought  me  to  his  side.  He  was  calm, 
resigned,  and  even  cheerful,  and  oh  !  so  grateful. 
I  read  to  him  the  portion  for  the  day  in  Morning 
by  Morning,  then  offered  prayer,  and  attempted  to 
say  farewell.  Then  it  was  that,  sitting  up  in  his 
bed — a  somewhat  gaunt  figure  it  must  be  owned, 
yet  full  of  graciousness  withal — he  held  my  hand  in 
both  of  his,  and  proceeded  to  pronounce  on  me  the 
benediction  Jehovah  gave  the  priests  of  Israel  to 
bless  His  people  with  :  '  The  Lord  bless  thee  and 
keep  thee  :  the  Lord  make  His  face  to  shine  upon 
thee,  and  be  gracious  unto  thee  :  the  Lord  lift  up 
His  countenance  upon  thee,  and  give  thee  peace.' 
Then  followed  a  heartfelt '  Amen  '  from  both  of  us. 

"  I  value  that  blessing  more  than  I  can  say.  I 
believe,  with  C.  H.  Spurgeon,  that  '  God  allows  His 
people  whom  He  has  made  kings  and  priests  to  put 
His  name  upon  others,  and  to  pronounce  blessings 
upon  them  :  their  word  shall  stand,  and  what  they 
bound  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven.'  " 

In  the  early  Tabernacle  days,  when  there  were 
many  perplexities,  in  one  of  his  Conference  talks 
he  ejaculated,  "  Oh  !  when  shall  we  get  into  the 
blue."  The  College  Principal  treasured  the  sen- 
tence, and  when  the  President  departed,  wrote 
some  verses  with  the  refrain.  Two  of  them,  which 
will  find  response  in  the  hearts  of  others,  run  : — 

"  The  rocks  and  the  shoals  of  his  life  are  all  past. 
Safely  is  weathered  each  pitiless  blast. 
And  the  calm  clear  water  is  reached  at  last 
And  glad  is  the  mariner  true." 


THE   CLOSING  DAYS  299 

'*  And  we  who  have  loved  him  longest  and  best. 
Though  by  his  passing  our  hearts  are  opprest. 
Yet  may  rejoice  he  has  entered  his  rest, 

And  has  now  passed  into  the  blue." 

Hundreds  of  messages  were  sent  to  Mrs.  Spurgeon 
when  it  became  known  that  Thomas  Spurgeon  had 
passed.  Not  a  few  wrote  that  he  had  been  to  them 
the  dearest  friend  on  earth  ;  all  recalled  his  courtesy 
and  gentleness.  Three  telegrams  are  treasured. 
From  Auckland  Tabernacle,  "  Deepest  Christian 
sympathy  on  loss  of  one  held  in  honoured  memory." 
From  Hugh  D.  Brown,  who  was  so  soon  to  follow 
him,  "  Irish  Baptists  thanking  God  for  stalwart 
leader,  noble  character,  kindly  heart,  unswerving 
Calvary  loyalty,  tender  profound  sympathy.  John 
seventeen  twenty-four."  While  from  Toronto, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  A.  Hall  sent  the  message,  "  Our 
mourning  hearts  send  tenderest  sympathy.  Place 
anchor  to  dearest  of  dear  friends." 

The  Baptist  Church  of  Paris  sent  a  letter  written 
both  in  French  and  English,  and  signed  by  all  the 
members  of  the  Church  present  at  the  meeting. 
Rev.  J.  H.  Shakespeare  sent  a  fitting  message  on 
behalf  of  the  Baptist  Union.  Dr.  Charles  Brown 
said :  "It  was  a  great  privilege  to  know  him,  a 
privilege  for  which  I  shall  always  be  thankful.  One 
is  disposed  to  envy  him  now,  and  to  say  with  special 
emphasis,  '  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the 
Lord,'  away  from  this  world  which  is  plunged  in 
tears  and  sorrow." 

Miss  R.  L.  Clark  is  good  enough  to  send  me  a 
copy  of  some  verses  Mr.  Spurgeon  wrote  in  her 
album,  entitled  "  At  Home."     The  first  five  stanzas 


300  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

describe  the  scene  of  an  artist,  no  doubt  himself, 
and  a  little  maid  who  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to 
his  easel. 

"  Where  do  you  live,  my  little  maid  ?  '* 

The  artist  softly  said, 
Forthwith  she  let  her  eyelids  down. 

And  shook  her  golden  head. 

So  he,  as  if  to  say,  "  Is  this 

Or  that  your  dwelling  place  ?  " 
His  pencil  poised,  first  here,  then  there, 

The  while  he  watched  her  face. 

He  pointed  to  the  old  church  tower. 

And  to  the  windmill  hill. 
Then  to  the  red-roofed  cottages. 

But  she  was  silent  still. 

The  sketch  complete,  "  Good-bye,  good-bye, 

My  little  friend,'*  he  said. 
"  Please — Sir — I — lives — at  home,"  she  cried. 

And  thro'  the  cornfield  sped. 

They  ask  me  where  my  heaven  will  be, 

I  little  light  afford, 
I  only  know  that  I  shall  dwell 

"  At  home"  with  my  dear  Lord. 

The  funeral  service  was  held  in  the  Metropolitan 
Tabernacle  on  Friday,  October  26th,  1917.  Dr. 
J.  W.  Ewing  presided.  Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon  read  the 
Scripture.  Rev.  Dinsdale  T.  Young  led  in  prayer. 
Rev.  F.  J.  Feltham  gave  an  address  full  of  feeling 
and  grace,  the  Orphanage  children  sang,  and  then 
the  wearied  body  was  taken  to  its  last  resting-place 
in  Norwood  Cemetery,  where,  after  another  brief 
service,  it  was  laid  hard  by  his  father's  tomb, 


THE   CLOSING  DAYS  801 

awaiting  the  day  when  they  both  shall  rise  amidst 
the  multitude  of  other  saints  who  rest  in  those 
acres. 

The  last  public  meeting  Thomas  Spurgeon 
addressed  was  held  at  Tooting  on  behalf  of  the 
Pioneer  Mission.  He  came  in  late  and  at  first  sat 
in  the  congregation.  I  happened  to  be  there,  and 
when  I  had  spoken,  the  Chairman,  Mr.  John  Chown, 
called  him  up,  and  welcomed  him  with  a  dignified 
grace  and  a  tender  courtesy  that  even  at  the  time 
reminded  me  of  Mary  anointing  the  Lord  for  His 
burial.  After  some  general  references,  Mr.  Spur- 
geon spoke  from  his  deepest  heart  of  his  own 
experience  of  Christ.  And  where  did  this  champion 
of  orthodoxy  find  expression  for  it  ?  In  Francis 
Thompson  !  The  two  men  were  so  different,  and 
yet  they  both  had  suffered,  and  both  believed.  So 
it  was  with  an  accent  of  conviction  that  Spurgeon 
quoted  the  verses  : 

"  But  (when  so  sad  thou  canst  not  sadder) 
Cry  I   and  upon  thy  so  sore  loss 
Shall  shine  the  traffic  of  Jacob's  ladder. 
Pitched  between  Heaven  and  Charing  Cross. 

"  Yea,  in  the  night,  my  Soul,  my  daughter, 
Cry — clinging  Heaven  by  the  hems. 
And  lo,  Christ  walking  on  the  water 
Not  of  Gennesareth  but  Thames!" 

Other  things  he  said,  exhorting  us  all  to  the  highest, 
and  ere  he  closed  his  neat  ten  minutes'  speech,  he 
reverted  again  to  Thompson's  poem,  "  In  no 
strange  land."  It  scarcely  sounded  like  poetry, 
and  probably  most  persons  there  thought  the  words 


802  THE   CLOSING  DAYS 

to  be  his  own,  but  an  awe  fell  upon  the  people  as  he 
spoke  them  in  that  voice  so  like  his  father's,  full 
of  tone  and  tenderness,  with  a  strong  grasp  of  the 
hand  when  he  reached  the  final  clause  : 

"  O  world  invisible,  we  view  thee ; 
O  world  intangible,  we  touch  thee, 
O  world  unknowable,  we  know  thee, 
Inapprehensible,  we  clutch  thee." 

We  went  homeward  together  in  the  same  tram- 
car,  and — a  small  thing,  but  not  a  slight  thing,  for 
it  was  a  symbol — he  paid  my  fare.  I  render  him 
this  tribute. 


INDEX 


Asquith,  Mr.,  15 

Baptist    Missionary   Society,    199, 

265 
Baptist  Union,  30 
Baptist  World's  Congress,  203 
Beecher,  Henry  Ward,  5,  223 
Benson,  Archbishop,  21 
Binney,  Thomas,  3 
Birch,  WiUiam,  134,  138 
Booth,  General,  28,  253 
Bost,  Pastor  John,  84 
Brock,  Dr.,  130 
Brown,  Archibald  G.,  147,  196,  197, 

201,210,264 
Brown,  Dr.  Charles,  299 
Brown,  Hugh  D.,  198,  206,  290  299 
Bunning,  Mr.,  62,  66,  95 

Carey,  William,  25,  31 
Charlesworth,  V.  J.,  285 
Chivers,  John,  268 
Chown,  John,  301 
Clifford,  Dr.  John,  8 
Clow,  Professor  W.  W.,  251 
Cook,  Dr.  Joseph,  106,  262 
Cooper,  J.  R.,  117 
Cox,  Thomas,  297 
Crouch,  Douglas  C,  263 
Culross,  Dr.,  8 
Cuyler,  Dr.  Theodore  L.,  168 

Dane,  Major  H.  C,  106 

Denney,  Dr.  James,  29 

Denny,  T.  A.,  198 

Dixon,  Dr.  A.  C,  160, 211,  236,  273, 

300 
Driver,  H,  H.,  117,  142,  296 


Eaton,  G.  A.,  285 
Edwards,  Austin  L.,  263,  288 
Edwards,  T.  L.,  282,  283 
Ellis,  E.  H.,  264 

Ewing,  Dr.  J.  W.,  198,  262,  263, 
300 

Feltham,  F.  J.,  287,  300 
Ferrier,  Professor,  7 
Forbes,  Stanhope,  234 
Ford,  F.  H.,  193,  296 
Fullerton,  W.  Y.,  86,  146,  169,  196, 
215,  240,  264,  301 


Gatissen,  Professor,  278 

Gibson,  Mr.,  of  Tasmania,  74,  95, 

135,  137 
Gilmore,  J.  D.,  126 
Grace,  124,  218,  233,  236,  237,  238 
Green,  John  Richard,  84 
Greenhough,  J.  G.,  251 

Hackney,  Professor,  277 

Hall,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Alfred,  178,  299 

Hall,  James,  247 

Hall,  Dr.  John,  171 

Harrald,  J.  W.,  145,  153,  279 

Harrison,  J.  S.,  90,  100,  103,  107, 

211 
Higgs,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.,  153,  168, 

163,  173,  178,  191,  194,  197,  200, 

243,  246,  259,  260,  286 
Hill,  J.,  210 

Horton,  Dr.  Robert,  236 
Hudgell,  Philip  A.,  263,  288 
Hughee,  Hugh  Price,  206,  263 


303 


804 


INDEX 


Jackson,  F.  A.,  201,  240,  246,  248, 
261,  262,  267,  270,  281,  285,  288, 
289 
Joseph,  Charles,  268 
Jowett,Dr,  J.  W.,  198,  236 

Kinnaird,  Lord,  198 

Lane,  W.  R.,  207 
Last,  Edward,  285 

Macarthur,  Dr.,  6,  160,  247 

Maclaren,  Dr.,  134,  169,  198,  236 

Mckclaren,  Ian,  5 

Mannington,  W.,  247 

Mamham,  John,  198 

McCaig,  Dr.,  87,  207,  246,  262,  273, 

275,  276,  278,  280,  281,  289,  296, 

298 
McCheyne,  R.  M.  M.,  225 
McCiillough,  R.,  87,  95,  98 
McKenzie,  Peter,  230 
McNeill,  John,  198,206 
Meyer,  Dr.  F.  B.,  185,  198,  200,  251 
Moody,  D.  L„  4,  27,  151,  154,  158, 

160,  239 
Morgan,  Dr.  Campbell,  201 
Morley,  Lord,  8 
Mott,  Dr.  John,  29 
Miiller,  George,  84,  130,  131,  251 

NicoU,  Sir  W.  Robertson,  9,  29 
North,  Mr.,  129 

Ohiey,  T.  H.,  164,  176,  176,  178, 

197 
Ohiey,  WilUam,  157,  173,  277 
Owen,  Walter,  289 

Palmer,  Levi,  253 

Parker,  Dr.  Joseph,  252,  253 

Parr,  J.  Tolfree,  198 

Passmore,  J.  E.,  197 

Phillips,  Thomas,  236 

Pierson,  Dr.  A.  T.,  149,  166,  172, 

216 
Potter,  W.  S.,  127 


Reed,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry,  96 
Rice,  W.  E.,  119,  120 
Roberts,  Evan,  29 
Rutherford,  Gideon,  66,  72,  79,  95, 
99,  128,  129 

Saillens,  Dr.  Reuben,  198,  241,  242, 

244 
Sankey,IraD.,27,  169,  197 
Sawday,  C.  B.,  178 
Selway,  Mr.,  38 
Shakespeare,  J.  H.,  299 
Slater,  J.  K.,  247 
Smith,  Gipsy,  206 
Smith,  J.  Manton,  86,  209,  241 
Somerville,  E.  L.,  85 
Stephens,  James,  187 

Spurgeon,C.  H.,  1,  6,  9,  11,  17,  32, 

88,   144 

Letters,  17,  47,  58,  71,  76,  101, 

173,  175,  254,  255,  256 
Spurgeon,  Mrs.  C.  H.,  39,  79,  108, 

195,  208 
Spurgeon,  Charles,  17,  31,  44,  58, 

78,  82,  129,  153,  200,  215,  216, 

285 
Spurgeon,  Dr.  J.  A.,  148,  156,  179, 

210,215 
Spurgeon,  John,  2,  210,  252 

Taylor,  Hudson,  84 
Thomas,  John,  197 
Thompson,  Francis,  293,  301 
Thirtle,  Dr.,  37 

Varley,  Henry,  74 

Welsh  Revival,  29,  207 
Whitefield,  George,  5,  218 
Whyte,  Dr.  Alexander,  8 
Williams,  Sir  George,  197 
Wood,  Harry,  96 

Young,  Dinsdale  T.,  198,  200,  300 


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