THE REV. MR. SPURGEON ON LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6261, 10 December 1881, Page 7

THE REV. MR. SPURGEON ON LONDON.

3t Mr. C. H. Spuroeos, minister of the Meid tropolitan Tabernacle, Newington Butts, in ie presiding at a weekly lecture a short time rR ago, observed in opening the proceedings, Co that never, perhaps, was it more necessary ie for those living in London to pray earnestly ■y than at the present time. He had heard it >t said that there were now 4,701,000 living io souls within the metropolitan district. Such ie a c-ity before never existed on the face of the earth. Ancient Rome was immensely large ie and magnificent, while it was difficult to Ie accurately make out what was its populag tion, bu", of a certainty, in the days of its y highest glory and splendour, it never even e approximated the size of London of to-day. ?, N"or eoiild China with its teerninn millions, c and its great cities, such as Pekin, boast of •s any city to be compared to London, to make n up which it would take the two largest V cities in the world, while it would require d five of tlie other foremost cities. Perhaps e many of his hearers had not even an idea of 5 what a million meant. If there worn any - such present he would recommend them to ', count a thousand, and observe the time ■■■ occupied in so doing, though they had only i got one-thousandth the way to tlie million, s Then to think that this enormous multitude i making up modern London was continually i increasing, not only by births, but by those s daily Hocking into it from various parts of 1 the country. Well miuht they cry out, to , God that the people might be blessed. The ! worst of the matter often was that people coming to London from tlie country did not i find the usual place of worship to go to. 1 Frequently they went to live in streets the - denizens of which never went to a church at all, and, thus situated, many of them ' y i degrees ceased goin.' to church too. He • (Mr. Spur»eon) was often struck by the fact i that manv persons joining that church (the 1 Tabernacle) were those who had conic from ; country districts, and who bad ever the 1 sense of religion in them. There were i many Abrahams to-day required *o pray for such a city as this. Me (Mr. Spunjooii) had i often heard a groat deal about plans that were to convert the whole of London in a short time ; but lie candidly confessed that he believed in none of these " plans" what- ' ever. In God and the Holy Spirit were he and his hearers—was every individual, in Hict—to rely, whilst each one tried to give ight and example within his own sphere, • whatever that might be—were each one so •■ to act there would be very little need for i "plans." If they were faithful in what : was least, He would aive them charge of i what was great. At all events, when they ; looked round them they saw enough to pray for ; then let them pray earnestly.