SPURGEON IN HIS PRIME

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 160, 8 July 1899, Page 1 (Supplement)

SPURGEON IN HIS PRIME

THIRD VOLUME OF THE PASTOR'S I . LIFE.

i INTERESTING EXTRACTS. I I ! (From Our Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, June 2.

The third volume of the monumental Life of Charles ITiuldon Spurgeon suffers like its predecessors from excess of zeal on the part of the compilers. The section cover:, the period of the pastor's prime (1856----187S), and contains a groat deal of very interesting mutter. But the narrative gets clogged with voluminous details and .unnecessary trivialities. One dreadful thing the editors have tried to do la to give us a lot of characteristic specimens of Spurgeon's humour. They meant well, but the result is extremely painful. Spurgeon's breezy personality carried off successfully trumpery jests which don't stand chronicling in cold ink. However, there Is only one chapj ter of "Pure Fun," and there are many giving vivid pictures of the great preacher's life in his prime. We got from Mr Spurgeon's own hand an account of his relations with his deacons, which appear to have been of the pleasnntest character. Among them he was called "the Governor"—"l suppose, because Ido not attempt to govern," he said; and the deacons were known as "Brother William," "Uncle Tom," "Prince Charlie," "Son of A'i." and so on. He seldom knew, he tells us, twenty-four hours beforehand the subject of any sermon ho was going to preach; but the preaching habit was so strong in him that when he began to give secular lectures he used to warn his audience beforehand not to be surprised if he ended by preaching. These lectures evoked much criticism In the newspapers of the period—the one on the gorljhrf for example, may still be remembered—but to all critics the orator replied defiantly: "Let hell roar and saints themselves forsake." On another occasion he said: "1 always like to have the hatred of the 'Saturday Review,' and the love of Cod. Xo movement can ever be established until It has had both." One of the most Interesting passages In the volume Is the account of an interview between Mr lUiskln and Mr Spurgeon. It was told by the latter to his students:—

Mr lUiskiii came to see me one day, many years ago, and amongst other things he said that the apostle Paul was a liar, and that I was a fool! "Well," I replied, "let us keep the two things separate; so, first of all, tell me how you can prove that the apostle Paul was a liar." "He was no gentleman, and he was a liar, too," answered Mr Kuskln. "Oh, Indeed!" I rejoined, "how do you make that out?" "Well," he said,

"there was a Jewish gentleman came to him one day, aud asked him a polite question, 'How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?' I. Corinthians xv., _5.) Paul began by saying to him, 'Thou fool,' which proved that the apostle was uo gentleman; and then he continued, 'That which thou sowest Is not quickened, except It die,' which was a lie."

"No," 1 answered, "It was not a He; Paul was speaking the truth." "How do you prove that?" asked Mr ltusklu. "Why," I replied, "very easily. What Is death? Death Is the resolution luto its original elements of any compound substance which possessed life." Mr Kuskln said, "That Is the most extraordinary definition of death that I have ever heard, hut it Is true."

"Yes," I replied, "It Is true; and that Is what happens to the seed when It dies; It Is resolved into Its original elements, and the living germ which Is within It becomes the centre aud source of the now life that springs from It." "Then," asked Mr Ruskln, "what do you moan when you talk of the death of the soul?" "I mean," I replied, "the separation of the soul from God; It was originally with God, and when It separates from Him It dies to God; that Is Its death, hut that death Is not nonexistence. The separation of the soul from the b'odv Is the separation from itself of that which quickened it, and it falls hack Into its original condition." "Well," said Mr Buskin, "you have proved that Paul spoke the truth, but you have not proved him to be a gentleman." "At all events," I answered, "the apostle was as much a gentleman as you were just now when you called me a tool."

Alike In his dealings with students, deacons, and church olUcers, the contents of this volume prove Mr Spurgeon to have been engagingly frank. The officers of a small church in the country applied to him for a minister; but the salary they were prepared to pay was so small that he replied as follows:—

The only individual I know who could exist on such a stipend is the angel Gabriel. He would need neither cash nor clothes; and he could come down from heaven every Sunday morning and go back at night, so I advise you to invite him.

The most popular of all Mr Spurgeon's' books has been "John Ploughman's Talk," but when these papers were appearing in his magazine, the "Sword and Trowel," even some of his most Intimate friends did not recognise their pastor in the smockfrock:— An attached friend said to their author, "Why did you put those papers of that ploughman into the magazine?" The answer was, "Well, they are lively, and they have a good moral; what is the matter with them?" "Yes," replied the unsuspecting critic; "they are rather good for a poor, uneducated person like the writer, but they are too coarse for your magazine." "Think so?" said the editor, and with a smile on his face he went his way.

In the chapter entitled "Pure Pun" there is some poor enough fun indeed. The following is rather better than the rest:—

A man who had made a special study of "the number of the beast" mentioned in the Book of Revelation wrote to me and said that he could make the names of Mr Gladstone and the Emperor Napoleon 111. agree with the mystic number 6CB; but he could, not make the numerical value of the letters. In my nam fit in with it, and he wanted me to explain how I accounted for that fact. "Why," 1 replied, "I suppose it must be because I am not the beast, and that, therefore, 6C6 is not the number of my name."

Mr Spurgeon called on Mr Gladstone in Downing-street—"the two prime ministers," they were often designated—and suggested that all the servants of the State, whether In the Church, the Army, the Navy, or the Civil Service, should be excluded from Parliament. Here is a new and curious light upon General Booth and Mr Spurgeon:—

' "General" Booth once sent an "aide-de-camp" to Mr Spurgeon to ask for an interview for himself. The hour for him to come was named.but it was several minutes past the time when he arrived. Mr Spurgeon, though sympathising with the efforts of the Salvation Army, never approved of what he called their "playing at soldiers," so he said, in a tone of gentle irony, "Oh, General! military men should be punctual." It appeared that the object of "General" Booth was to ascertain If the Tabernacle could be lent to. the army for some great gathering; but he would not ask for the loan of the building until the pastor gave him some sign that, if he did make such a request, it would be granted. There the matter rested.

The latest London mail brings news of a new play by the author of "Lord and Lady Algy," with Miss Compton (Mrs R. C. Carton), Mr Dot Boucicault, and Mr Bourchier in the principal parts. "Wheels Within "Wheels" is- full of cleverness, but it somehow failed to "catch on" when it was produced at the Court Theatre for the first time.

Mr George Rignold is now playing "Othello" in Brisbane.