The late C. H. Spurgeon

Waipawa Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 2716, 2 February 1892, Page 2

The late C. H. Spurgeon

Men of the Time thus traces the career of this celebrated man :

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, born at Kelvedon, Essex, June 19, 1834, was educated at Colchester, Maidstone, and elsewhere, and became usher in a school at Newmarket. Having adopted Baptist views, he joined the congregation which had been presided over by the late Robert Hal l , at Cambridge. He subsequently became |pastor at Waterbeach, and his fame as a preacher reached London, and he was offered the Pastorate of the Church meeting in New Park-street chapel, in Southwark. Mr Spurgeon first preached before a London congregation in 1853, with so much success, that ere two years had elapsed it was considered necessary to enlarge the building, pending which alteration he officiated for four mouths at Exeter Hall. The enlargement of the chapel in Park-street, however, proved insufficient, and hearers multiplied with such rapidity, that it became expedient to engage the Surrey Music Hall ; and Mr Spurgeon’s followers determined to build a suitable edifice for their services. The Metropolitan Tabernacle was opened in 1861. Mr Spurgeon has published a sermon weekly since the first week of 1855 ; and at the end of 1889 the series—inclusive of double numbers—had reached No. 2,120. The weekly circulation re about 25,000. lie has published a number of other works, the chief of which i§ “ The Treasury of David)" or an expoat*

of the Psalms, in seven volume, Bvo. Stock well Orphanage, founded by in 1867, has since been enlarged to mmodate 250 boys and bb many girls, down to 1889 more than 1,400 chiliad been received. The Pastors’ ee founded by him in 1856, has fte’d over 800 men, of whom in 1889, f ere still engaged as pastors, missionevangelists, or in some department [her in the work of the Lord. The jpolitan Tabernacle Colportage Abso,n has about seventy or eighty agents, jving districts in different parts of country, who, in addition to other ce sell pare literature in the coarse year to the amount of about £9,000. jook Fund,” carried on in Mr Spur's house, and superintended by Mrs •eon, has in ten yoars supplied int ministers of various denominations, ,f cost, with over 115,000 volumes. Spurgeon carries on a society for relists at home, and another for j„ work in North Africa. His h has about 30 Mission Halls and ,1b affiliated with it. In 1879 Mr , eo n received “A Silver Wedding” iionial of over £6,000. In 1884, on taining his 50th year, another sum out £5,000 was presented. These were almost eatirelj distributed in y £SOOO having been devoted to niowment of the Tabernacle almsB . In 1887 Mr Spurgeon withdrew the Baptist Union.