4. Anecdotes 31-40

Spurgeon's Anecdotes #31-40 31. Faithful Dealing made a Blessing At some places where Mr. Spurgeon preached, he did not have a warm reception. In one such place, instead of a kind welcome all was cool and distant. The managers were to receive pecuniary benefit from his visit. There had been a majority at the church-meeting in favour of inviting him, but the deacons did not approve of it, for they said he was not "sound in the faith." There were people there from other churches who were pleased and profited, but the people belonging to the place did not get a blessing; they had not expected it, so of course they did not receive it. When the service was over, Mr. Spurgeon went into the vestry, and there stood the two deacons, one on each side of the mantelpiece. "Are you the deacons?" asked Mr. Spurgeon.

"Yes," was their reply.

"The church does not prosper, does it?"

"No." they replied.

"I should not think it would with such deacons."

"Do you know anything against us?" they answered.

"No; but I do not know anything in your favour."

"I thought," said Mr. S., "that if I could not get at them in the mass, I would try what I could do with one or two."

One of the deacons was so irritated that he left the place, but the other was stirred up to prayer and diligent effort. The chapel had been without a minister for a long time, but better days dawned, and a man of the right stamp was settled among them, and the cause prospered.

32. Familiarity but not Vulgarity

Some men make true friendship with them impossible, because they allow a slight familiarity such license as to border on vulgarity. "There was Mr.

B—," said Mr. Spurgeon; "he was a big man in his way, and seemed very anxious to make me his friend. He was very hospitable and generous. I was friendly and agreeable with him. Then he began to call me 'Charles.' I looked at him. I did not mind it much, but had he been my father or brother he could scarcely have done more. I thought I would let him see how it looked, so I called him 'John.' He did not see my purpose, and so went on to call me 'Charley.' Then I called him 'Jack.' That cured him, and he dropped it. But I could see he had little of the sense of propriety." Undue familiarity with men of position, especially with ministers of the Gospel, calling them "Tom," or "Bob," or "Dick," is unworthy, and ought not to be indulged in.

33. Gabriel without Wings

Among Mr. Spurgeon's earliest recollections was that of attending the school for juveniles, kept by a Mrs. Burleigh. He heard a good deal about her son Gabriel, and asked, as a special favour, that when he came home from the town where he lived, he might go and see him. His wish was granted, but he was greatly disappointed. "To see Gabriel!" he says, "I don't think I had absolutely reckoned upon the largest pair of wings, but wings certainly, or something otherwise angelic. To see a young man in trousers, with no trace of cherubim or seraphim about him, was too much of a come down. 'What's in a name?' was a question not then known to me. But no one will need to ask me now."

34. Grace, or the Liver?

Mr. Spurgeon tells a story of a gentleman in a railway carriage who overheard a conversation between two of the passengers. One of them said: "Well, now, I think the Church of Rome has great power, and is likely to succeed with the people because of the evident holiness of her ministers.

There is, for instance, Cardinal—, he is just like a skeleton; through his long fasting and prayers, he has reduced himself almost to skin and bone. Whenever I hear him speak, I feel at once the force of the holiness of the man. Now, look at Mr. Spurgeon, he eats and drinks like an ordinary mortal. I would not give a pin to hear him preach." His friend heard him very patiently, and then said quite quietly, "Did it ever strike you that the Cardinal's appearance was to be accounted for by the fact of his liver being put of order? I do not think it is grace that makes him as lean as he is, I believe it is his liver."

"So," said Mr. Spurgeon, "there are some brethren who are naturally of a melancholy disposition. It is not a sign of grace, but of the liver being out of order."

35. Hard-working Men

Two intelligent working men, each looking for a chance to better himself, were overheard in the following conversation:—"I don't much care," said one, "whether I get it or not; the only thing is that it will mean a rise of two shillings a week for me, and where a man has a wife and family that's a consideration." "It is indeed," said the other, "and that's why I am here, but no doubt more money will bring more work."

"It is sure to do that," was the reply. "I consider this a very hard-working age. I do quite as much as I ought, what with my Chapel, and Band of Hope, and Sunday-school, besides my ten or twelve hours a day at my regular business; but I suppose I am not the hardest worked man of the age."

"No, you may be pretty sure of that. I wonder who is? It is certain that many of the public men we read of don't have a very easy time of it. There's Gladstone, for instance, a splendid worker he is."

"Yes; but my man works harder than Gladstone."

"Who is your man?"

"Spurgeon."

"Oh! you don't catch parsons hurting themselves with work, I know."

"Don't you, though; I believe that Spurgeon is really killing himself with overwork. Look here, I cut this out of The Sword and the Trowel. It is a bit of Spurgeon's own. It won't take a minute. This is what he says:—"'The pastorate of a church of four thousand members, the direction of all its agencies, the care of many churches, arising from the College work, the selection, education, and guidance in their settlements of the students, the oversight of the Orphanage, the editing of a Magazine, the production of numerous volumes, the publication of a weekly sermon, an immense correspondence, a fair share in public and denominational action, and many other labours, besides the incessant preaching of the Word, give me a right to ask of our friends that we be not allowed to have an anxious thought about the funds needed for our enterprises.'"

"Yes, your parson certainly does work," acknowledged the man. "He doesn't get his bread and cheese for nothing. We will call him one of ourselves—one of the working men of Old England."

"You are right! I don't believe there is any man in the world to beat him at work." The man was right. Mr. Spurgeon was all the time working at high pressure, and the terrible pain he so often suffered made the work doubly onerous.

36. Hats Off

One day, three young men entered the Surrey Gardens Music Hall when Mr. Spurgeon was preaching there, and seated themselves in a conspicuous position, with their hats on. The officials requested them to take off their hats, but they refused to do so. Presently, Mr. Spurgeon caught sight of them, and led his discourse round to show the respect which all are bound to show to the feelings and usages of others. "The other day," said he, "I went into a Jewish synagogue, and I naturally uncovered my head, but on looking round I perceived that all the rest wore their hats, and so, not wishing to offend against what I supposed to be their reverent practice, though contrary to my own, I conformed to the Jewish use, and put on my hat. I will now ask those three young Jews up in the gallery to show the same deference to our Christian practice in the House of God as I was prepared to show them when I visited their synagogue, and take off their hats." Of course, after this kind and sensible appeal, they could do no other than comply.

37. Have you ever Told Jane?

One Sunday evening, in the course of his sermon, Mr. Spurgeon said: "Now, you mothers, have you ever prayed with each of your children, one by one, and urged them to lay hold on Christ? Perhaps dear Jane is now in bed, and you have never yet pleaded with her about eternal things. Go home tonight, wake her up, and say, 'Jane, I am sorry I have never told you about the Saviour personally, and prayed with you, but I mean to do so now.' Wake her up, and put your arms round her neck, and pour out your heart to God with her." This was a bow drawn at a venture, but God directed the arrow. The very next Monday evening, a good woman, who had a daughter named Jane, came to see him in the vestry, bringing her daughter Jane with her. On the Sunday night, when she went home, she found Jane in bed. She woke her up, and began: "Dear Jane, I have not spoken to you about Jesus, as I ought to have done."

"Oh, dear mother!" said Jane, "I have loved the Saviour these six months, and wondered you had not spoken to me about Him." Are there not many such mothers and fathers? And may there not be many such Janes or Johns? Let us never be ashamed or afraid to talk to our children, or other relatives, or servants, about Him who is "The fairest of ten thousand fair," the "All in all" in every believer's salvation.

38. Hot Water

Some years ago, as is well known, Mr. Spurgeon preached on the theory of Baptismal Regeneration, which created a great stir, and occasioned no little controversy. He met a minister, one day, who said to him: "I hear, friend Spurgeon, that you are in hot water." "Oh, dear no," was his reply, "I am not in hot water; the other fellows are. I am the man who makes the water boil."

39. How his Mind was Changed In the early days of Mr. Spurgeon's ministry, many predicted his speedy collapse, but, thank God! they were not true prophets. Not a few of these were ministers, good men who held and preached the doc- trines of sovereign grace, which the young preacher steadfastly held and fearlessly proclaimed; but they objected to. his repeated fervent appeals to sinners, as such, to "Repent and believe the Gospel," to "Look and live." But this was not the case with all who held these truths. A few years since, the writer made the acquaintance of an elderly Christian man, who had been a member of the church at the Grove, Camberwell, under the ministry of Rev. Joseph Irons. Mr. Irons had been called home, and his successor was not equally satisfactory to all Mr. Irons's people. One evening a minister of the Strict Baptist order called upon this friend, who then resided in Walworth. It was Thursday, and the minister was going to hear the young preacher at New Park Street, and wished his friend to accompany him. "No," said he, "I have had enough of boy preachers." Still the minister urged him, and finally, for his sake, and that he might not seem unkind and wanting in courtesy, he consented, and went. The hymns, the exposition, the prayers, but, more than all, the sermon, so laid hold on his heart, that he took sittings in the chapel, and continued to attend all the time he remained in London. The young preacher handled old truths in a new and certainly very striking manner, and people could not help being attracted, whether they received the doctrine or otherwise.

40. "Hum, Ha!" The weekday prayer-meetings at Stambourne were well kept up, excepting at such times as haying and harvest, when the venerable pastor and a few old women were all that could be relied on. In one of his visits to Stambourne, young C. H. S. asked,—"Why, grandfather, we always sang, and yet you don't know any tunes, and certainly the old ladies didn't."

"Why, child," said he, "there is one common metre tune which is all 'Hum Ha, Hum Ha,' and I could manage that very well."

"But how if it happened to be a long or short metre hymn?"

"Why, then, I either put in more 'Hum Ha's' or we left some out, but we manage to praise the Lord."