One of the prize books in my library is a little book written in 1857 by a British contemporary of Charles Spurgeon. It was published by Sheldon Blakeman and Co., New York (his authorized USA publisher). The observations of young Mr. Spurgeon (many of which are first hand), gives us a look at him soon after he began ministry which is in many ways unique. Here is a short excerpt from this old book.
We must confess, that for ourselves, the spectacle which is presented by Mr. Spurgeon's preaching to the poor of London, is more affecting than the hearing of the most pathetic strains of his eloquence. No wonder that it cheered the sad heart of John the Baptist, when in prison he was told that Christ was preaching glad tidings to the poor, and that it prepared him joyfully to lay down his neck for his fidelity to the souls of the rich.
See what crowds of artisans are turning away from the halls of the political meetings, of the infidel lectures, and the minor theaters, to gather about Mr. Spurgeon's pulpit. See the weary laborers of Bankside going to hear him. even on the nights of the week days. See twelve thousand of the working people of Bethnal Green, flocking around him in the open field at Hackney. Take a nearer view. Fix your eyes on individuals here and there. See the poor harlot, who was a few minutes ago passing the doors of the New Parkstreet chapel, determined to cast herself off Blackfriars Bridge. She thought she would step in and for the last time hear something that will prepare her to stand before her Maker. She is just in time to hear the text, "Seest thou this woman?" The preacher speaks of Mary Magdalen, her sins, her washing the Saviour's feet with her tears, and wiping them with the hair of her head. There stands the woman, melted with the thoughts of her own past life, as she hears it described, and more melted with the description of the pardoning love of Jesus. Thus is she saved from death, temporal and eternal.
Go and hear him, ye Thackerays, who satirize the lying, the lust, and the vanity of the English aristocracy, without offering any remedy therefor.—There is a man who is offering the remedy to the vices of some even of these.
Go and hear him, ye Dickenses, whose stories of the shame, the loneliness, the misery, and the patience of London's poor, have dissolved many a fine lady in tears, without opening her hand to imploring woe. There is a man of liberal and loving soul, who actually shakes hands with all this dirt and rags, searches for the hearts that are buried beneath it, and holds them up to the light of the cross, where they fledge their wings and soar to the glories of heaven.
Go and hear him, ye who are secretly glorying in the large donations ye have made for the benefit of the poor. There you will find a man who in body, soul, spirit, and grace, is God's own donation to the poor, preaching to them the good old gospel of his grace, in good old English words, and, by the aid of his good Spirit, leading them to the Good Shepherd, "God's unspeakable gift."
From Spurgeon, Life and Ministry; Sheldon, Blakeman and Company, New York,1857. Copied from the original book. I tried to preserve the original wording and punctuation. Only the spacing has been changed. A reprinted modern printing may be available from Amazon. It has been recently printed, and this new printing assigns the authorship to George L Stephenson, 1857 (Charles Woodruff, editor of this excerpt).
