PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE: “We would See Jesus”.
By: Ron Woodrum
One of the greatest preachers of all time was Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He was called “The Prince of Preachers”. At the age of 19 he found himself filling the pulpit of the Park Street Baptist Church in London. The critics and press of London called him “vulgar”-(common). But the common people heard him gladly. When he first came to the church in 1854 it had 232 members. But before his ministry was over he was preaching to 6,000 plus every Sunday. Many times his regular congregation would leave in order to give their seats to those waiting outside the door to enter. As soon as they left, the entire sanctuary would fill with new people. Some of the well known people who came to hear him preach on a regular basis were Prime Minister Willam E. Gladstone; members of the Royal Family; Members of Parliament; Author John Ruskin; Florence Nightingale; General James Garfield, who later became president of the United States. Before he was 20 he had preached over 600 times. When he was ten visiting missionary Richard Knill prophesied that young Spurgeon would preach to thousands in the largest Church in London, and it came to pass. His dad was a preacher too, and he grew up in a family of 17, though several died at a young age. Spurgeon was known for his humor and his power from on high. One lady chided him for telling humorous stories in the pulpit and he responded “madam if you knew how much I restrain myself you would commend me!” He knew his power came from the anointing of the Holy Spirit, showered over him because of the prayers of his people. His favorite thing to do was to give visitors a tour of the Church and ask them if they wanted to see the Church’s power plant. Opening the door to a room that was filled people on their knees crying out to God he would tell them the secret of his success-“My people pray for me!” On one occasion a young minister asked him how to reach people like Spurgeon did. Spurgeon responded, “pour kerosene over your head, light a match, and people will come and watch you burn!” For years people came to see and hear Spurgeon burn with the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit of God. Let me share two of my favorite stories about Spurgeon. One is his conversion. One morning he was caught in a blizzard on his way to his father’s Church as a lad. He had to stop into a Primitive Methodist Church. Listen to his own words, “I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm, one Sunday morning, while I was going to a certain place of worship. When I could go no further, I turned down a side street, and came upon a little Primitive Methodist Chapel. In that chapel there may have been a dozen or fifteen people. I had heard of the Primitive Methodists, how they sang so loudly that they made people’s heads ache; but that did not matter to me. I wanted to know how I might be saved, and if they could tell me that, I did not much care how they made my head ache. The minister did not come that morning; he was snowed-up I suppose. At last, a very thin-looking man, a shoemaker, or tailor, or something of that sort, went up to the pulpit to preach. Now, it is well that preachers should be instructed; but this man was really stupid. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had little else to say, the text was ‘LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED, ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH’. He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter. There was, I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in that text. The preacher began, ‘My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says look. Now lookin’ ain’t no great deal of pains. I ain’t liftin’ your foot or your finger-it is just look. Well a man needn’t go to college to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man needn’t be worth a thousand a year to look. Anyone can look. The text says Look unto Me. Ay! Many of ye are lookin’ to yourself..no use lookin’ there! Jesus Christ says Look unto me. He went on Look unto me I am sweatin’ great drops of blood. Look unto me I am hanging on a cross! Look unto me I am dead and buried. Look unto me I rise again. Look unto me I ascend to heaven; look unto me I am at the right hand of the Father. O poor sinner look unto me!’ Spurgeon continued, “When he had spun on for about ten minutes he had come to the end of his tether. He saw me under the gallery, and with only so few people there, he knew me to be a stranger. He fixed his eyes on me as if he knew all my heart and said, ‘young man you look very miserable’, well I was but was not used to having remarks about my appearance being made from the pulpit. But it was a good blow striking right home He continued, ‘you will always look miserable. Miserable in life, miserable in death, if you don’t obey my text and look to the Lord. But if you do it now you will be saved! Then he raised his hands to heaven, and shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do. Saying, ‘ Young man look and live. Look to Jesus Christ and live. Look. Look. Look. I saw at once the way of salvation. I nearly looked my eyes away. The cloud was gone. The darkness was lifted, I saw the sun; I could have risen and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks to him only. Oh if somebody had only told me this before”.
My second story is that Sprugeon’s wife was an invalid. She was not able to come to Church much. On one occasion as he went to visit his saints, he kissed her and asked is there anything I can bring you home dear. In a jesting way she said “of course” a piping bull-finch and an opal ring. While he was visiting the first family the woman of the house remarked, “It is Mrs. Spurgeon’s birthday. Please give her a gift from me”-and handed him an opal ring! At the next home, the man of the house was dying of cancer. The woman of the house said, “Mr. Spurgeon, we have a piping bull finch that is annoying my ailing husband so. Would you and Mrs. Spurgeon like to have him for your pet? We would so appreciate it!” He went home with both gifts. He said, “Even when we ask of Him in jest, He sometimes shows His goodness to us in ways unexpected!”
My favorite quote from Spurgeon concerns lost souls. He always said, “If sinners be dammed, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. Let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them…If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let no one go unwarned or unprayed for”. That kind of burden for the lost shows to those who need the Lord. His pulpit had a sign that read-“Sirs we must see Jesus in you”. Obviously all who heard Spurgeon saw the Lord in all he said and did!
There was another great preacher in London at the same time as Spurgeon. His name was Joseph Parker. He was a more eloquent preacher than Spurgeon. A visitor came to town with the intent on hearing both Spurgeon and Parker preach. In the morning he heard Parker-and left the service saying, “What a Sermon”. In the evening he left the Metropolitan Chapel that Spurgeon preached at and was continually saying-“What a Savior!” That is what made Spurgeon great. You make much of Jesus and He will make much of us. Still true today.