CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

These are my notes of a biographical talk I gave on the centenary of the death of
one of my heroes.


CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

Born 19.6.1834 Kelvedon, Essex. Two generations of Independent pastors. 17th.C.
ancestors fled Catholic Europe. Melbourne then Peel P.M. Lincoln enters politics.
Early years in grandfather's manse with Puritan books, read for family prayers at 5.
1836 Chartism, Pickwick Papers.
37 William IV dies. Victoria,age19.
39 1st. Opium war.
40 Victoria marries Albert.
Back to parents, Colchester. School. Precocious. Prophecy by former missionary of
preaching future.
48 Communist manifesto.
Maidstone, Agricultural college.
49 Usher in a Newmarket school, 15 Conviction of sin.
6.1.1850 converted Primitive Methodist Chapel, Colchester. 15
3.5.50 Baptism in River Park 15 Regularly doing evangelistic visiting Teaching
Sunday school. Cambridge as student teacher Preaching in villages.
Oct. 1851 pastor, Waterbeach Baptists 17 Village transformed Forthright, witty,
disciplined Failed to gain place at Stepney Baptist College through maid's mistake
. University closed. Later it was said that college would have spoilt his education
by Bunyan, other Puritans and ordinary country people.
18.12.53 Visits New Park Street, 80 in 1200 places. Invited 3 Jan. Sundays.
Feb. 3 months trial Asked for prayer.
Apr. 1854 accepted pastorate of New Park St. Southwark 19 soon filled. Exeter Hall
, 5000 full, while chapel extended to 2000. Preaching Christ centred, direct,
applied, earthy, humour wit great amount of poetic allusion, remarkable memory.
Prayers were even more remarkable said Moody, later. Press said most remarkable
ministry since Whitfield and Wesley. Queue to get in. In depth press debate on
theology and preaching. Phenomenon of the age.
late 54 Cholera 20. Fearless visiting eventually, reputation for healing prayer,
denied any special gift.
Jan 55 Weekly sermons first published 20.
Oct. Reissued 1689 Baptist confession.
Feb-May 56 Exeter Hall 22. Left because owners could not let it become Baptist.
1856 married Susanna Thompson. Started Pastor's College, financed personally 15
years. By 66 students had founded 18 new London congregations including West
Ealing in 65. 22 19 10 56 First evening at Surrey Gardens Music Hall. Fire!!
7 dead in 12000 22. Missed only one Sunday.
57 Early disputes with Arminians and hyper Calvinists. Press ridicule. Plans for
world's biggest chapel. The saint and His Saviour, first book. From this year
health, previously good, deteriorated.
7.10.57 Crystal Palace 23654 £700 to India fund 23 after mutiny.
59 Origin of Species.
10 7 59 10000 on Clapham Common for widow of man killed by lightning.
11.12.59 left Music Hall, Revival Year. Left due to Sunday entertainments.
18.12.59-1.3.61 Exeter Hall. 24. Exhausted at 10 sermons a week.
61 Albert died.
18.3.1861 Metropolitan Tabernacle opened 26, 3600 seats + 2000 standing, precentor
led singing, 3 months paid seating tickets. Unreserved seats 5 minutes before
service.
63 American Civil War chs v anti slavery and outspoken in an unusual way.
Perhaps one reason why never went to U.S.A.
5.6.1864 Sermon on Baptismal Regeneration accused evangelicals of perjury for not
preaching it! 29 350000 copies. A saucy fellow- Lord Shaftesbury. Left Evangelical
Alliance. Temperance society at Pastor's College though C.H.S. not teetotal.
65 Lincoln assassinated, Barnardo's first home.
Jan 65 Sword & Trowel, a founder of London Baptist Assoc., 64 churches. 30.
67 Church decoration. Agricultural Hall, North London, 20000 . October ill,
exhausted, gout. Sir James Simpson operated on Mrs. S.
68 Disraeli then Gladstone P.M. Support for Gladstone disestablishing Church of
Ireland.
1869 Stockwell Orphanage 35, widow's £20000 gift. Smallpox, gout.
71 depression, 7 silent weeks instead of up to 10 sermons. Italy vacation.
1874 dispute on tobacco 40.
75 Lectures to my students. Supported Moody's first mission.
79 Zulu war. His jubilee, 66 institutions from his ministry
84 Ill in Mentone.
85 Gordon killed.
1887-9 Downgrade controversy over lack of doctrinal discipline with incipient
liberalism in Baptists. 53.
28.10.87 Withdrew from B.U. 53.
88 Weary worn and ill. July too weak to write, Mentone.
24,2,89 Back in London.
Oct. 90- Feb. 91 Mentone.
1891, 6 June, last sermon in London. 6000 congregation, 14692 members added,
20 million hearers there alone.
26 10.91 France.
1892, 31 Jan died Mentone, France 57.
50000 passed the coffin 5 funeral services no plain stone.
98 Met. Tab. burnt down.
May 1917 Last sermon published.