The Forgotten Spurgeon

the forgotten spurgeon

men’s hearts. Perhaps the worst sign of all was the fact that few were awake to these things. The church was outwardly prosperous enough to be content to carry on the routine of past years. One contemporary writer, lamenting this dull formality, observed: ‘The preacher speaks his usual time; the people sit patiently enough perhaps; the usual number of verses are sung and the business of the day is over; there is generally no more about it. No one can deny that this is neither more nor less than a simple statement of the real state of matters in the majority of our churches at the present day. Should the preacher let fall his handkerchief on the Psalm-book, or give one thump louder than usual with the fist ecclesiastic, that will be noted, remembered, and commented on, while there is all but total oblivion of the subject and the nature of the discussion.’ Spurgeon was soon to attack this lifeless traditionalism in more direct language: ‘You think that because a thing is ancient, therefore it must be venerable. You are lovers of the antique. You would not have a road mended, because your grandfather drove his wagon along the rut that is there. “Let it always be there,” you say; “let it always be knee-deep.” Did not your grandfather go through it when it was knee-deep with mud, and why should not you do the same? It was good enough for him, and it is good enough for you. You always have taken an easy seat in the chapel. You never saw a revival; you do not want to see it.’ 23 The evangelical sections of the church had not escaped from the prevailing tendencies of the times. The work of Whitefield 23 New Park Street Pulpit, 4, pp. 167-8. All my quotations from Spur geon’s sermons, unless indicated otherwise, are from the original New Park Street and Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit volumes . In further references I will give only volume and page numbers. From 1855 onwards Spurgeon published a sermon every Thursday; these were re-published in volume form at the end of each successive year. So until the time of Spurgeon’s death, 1892, the year in which the sermon was preached can generally be calculated, if the reader wishes, from the volume number. The title of the series was changed after the erection of the Tabernacle in 1861.

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