Charles Spurgeon
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon, commonly C.H. Spurgeon, (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) was a British Baptist preacher who remains highly influential amongst Reformed Christians of different denominations, among whom he is still known as the "Prince of Preachers."
Born in Kelvedon, Essex, Spurgeon's conversion to Christianity came in January 1850 at the age of fifteen. On his way to a scheduled appointment, a snow storm forced him to cut short his intended journey and to turn into a Primitive Methodist chapel in Colchester where, in his own words: "God opened his heart to the salvation message."
He preached his first sermon in 1851 and, from the beginning of his ministry, his style and ability were considered to be far above average.
In 1852, he became pastor of the small Baptist church at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, and in 1854, after preaching three months on probation and just four years after his conversion, Spurgeon, then only 20, was called to the pastorate of London's famed New Park Street Chapel, Southwark (formerly pastored by the Particular Baptist theologian John Gill). Within a few months of his call his powers as a preacher made him famous.
The congregation quickly outgrew their building, moved to Exeter Hall, then to Surrey Music Hall. In these venues Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000 — all in the days before electronic amplification. At twenty-two Spurgeon was the most popular preacher of the day.
In 1861 the congregation moved permanently to the newly constructed purpose-built Metropolitan Tabernacle at Elephant and Castle, seating five thousand people with standing room for another thousand. Some say that the Metropolitan Tabernacle is considered the first modern "megachurch."
Spurgeon was a Baptist and a Calvinist in the tradition of the Puritans, and is especially highly regarded amongst Presbyterians and Congregationalists, although he differed with them over the issue of baptism (in 1862, Spurgeon alienated many evangelicals when he preached against infant baptism, even though he was a staunch Calvinist).
Spurgeon's sermons were published in printed form every week, and enjoyed a high circulation. By the time of his death in 1892, he had preached almost thirty-six hundred sermons and published forty-nine volumes of commentaries, sayings, anecdotes, illustrations, and devotions.
It is said that on the death of missionary Dr. David Livingstone, a discolored and much used copy of one of Spurgeon's printed sermons was found among his few possessions, along with the handwritten comment at the top of the first page "Very good, D.L." He had carried it with him throughout his travels in Africa.
In 1856, Spurgeon married Susannah, daughter of Robert Thompson of Falcon Square, London, by whom he had twin sons, Charles and Thomas. His widow and sons survived him. He suffered ill health towards the end of his life, afflicted by a combination of rheumatism, gout, and Bright's disease. He often recuperated at Menton, near Nice, France, where he eventually died in 1892.
In addition to his church, the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Spurgeon promoted two major projects:
- The Pastors' College, opened in 1857, and renamed Spurgeon's College in 1923 when it moved to its present building in South Norwood Hill, London; see
Some of Spurgeon's written works
- Able To The Uttermost
- According To Promise
- All of Grace
- An All Round Ministry
- Around the Wicket Gate
- Barbed Arrows
- C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography
- Chequebook Of The Bank Of Faith, The
- Christ’s Incarnation
- Come Ye Children
- Commenting and Commentaries
- Down Grade Controversy, The
- Eccentric Preachers
- Feathers For Arrows
- Flashes Of Thought
- Gleanings Among The Sheaves
- Good Start, A
- Greatest Fight In The World, The
- ''Home Worship, The Use of the Bible in the Home" (coauthored with Rev. Joseph Parrish Thompson)
- John Ploughman’s Pictures
- John Ploughman’s Talks — the Gospel in the language of "plain people"
- Lectures to My Students — Four volumes of lectures to students of college Spurgeon established
- Miracles and Parables of Our Lord-- Three volumes
- Only A Prayer Meeting
- Pictures From Pilgrim’s Progress
- Saint And His Saviour, The
- Sermons In Candles
- Sermons On Unusual Occasions
- Soul Winner, The
- Speeches At Home And Abroad
- Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening — a book of daily devotional readings
- Sword and The Trowel, The — a monthly magazine edited by Spurgeon
- Till He Come
- Treasury of David, The — a multi-volume commentary on the Psalms
- We Endeavour
- Words Of Advice
- Words Of Cheer
- Words Of Counsel
External links
- [Spurgeon.org], curator Phillip R. Johnson
- [Spurgeon Gems] 2,200+ Spurgeon sermons in modern English
- [Spurgeon.us], quotations, illustrations, and anecdotes
- [Christian Biography Resources] (Spurgeon biography page)
- [Pilgrim Publications] the website of the prolific Texan reprinter of Spurgeon books
- [Metropolitan Tabernacle] church website
- [Spurgeon's College] successor organisation to the Pastors' College
- [Spurgeon's Child Care] successor organisation to the Stockwell Orphanage.
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