There are many preachers of truth, but among them there are names known to everyone. This is how Charles Spurgeon gained respect in England in the 19th century and is still known today. The wisdom expressed in the sermons of Charles Spurgeon does not leave you indifferent and makes you return to his books. His works took up 60 volumes. Charles Spurgeon attracted more than 23 thousand people to his services and became known as the “King of Preachers.” How was he able to achieve this? Where did you get the wisdom and courage to speak directly and openly?

Let's try together to understand the secret of Charles Spurgeon's life wisdom and strength and we can summarize everything based on 3 key questions:

1) Fetus during life

2) Fetus after life

3) Personal life/ inner harmony.

The Early Years of Charles Spurgeon

Charles Gaddon Spurgeon was born on February 1, 1834 in the English county of Essex. He grew up in the family of his grandfather, who was a pastor in a small village, but was successful in preaching the Gospel. Charles s early years showed his leadership character. The Spurgeon family also included younger children, James Archer and two sisters, Eliza and Amelia. Charles Spurgeon already played the game of worship as a child, when he himself preached from an elevated place, and the younger children of the family listened to him. He originally loved to read. Already at the age of six he could pronounce texts clearly and with intonation, when other children were not yet able to do this. Charles's favorite books were Foxe's Book of Martyrs and Bunyan's books. Reading was his favorite pastime, although he was also successful in other sciences. The mother took most part in raising the children; she read the Scriptures and prayed sincerely for the children and with the children. She left a deep imprint on their personalities with her love and what she laid correct basis. From the discussions of his father's friends, Spurgeon heard many arguments for and against the basic issues of Christianity.

Prophecy about the life of Charles Spurgeon

One day, missionary Richard Neill was invited to the church that Spurgeon was visiting, who, seeing the boy reading the Scripture, his talent and abilities, taking the child in his arms, proclaimed that Charles Spurgeon would be a preacher for large quantity people will even one day preach in the largest church in England - Ronald Heal. Now such a proclamation seems natural, but only a person guided by God’s revelation could voice this to a child. In turn, Spurgeon looked forward to the day when he could begin to preach.

Spurgeon really showed excellent mental capacity. Regardless of the school or teachers. He could calculate the formula for one of the companies, which then used it for another 50 years. His favorite pastime was reading books; all other activities typical for children did not attract him, although he knew a lot about them.

Charles Spurgeon's Conversion Story

Before Spurgeon's conversion to Christ, there was a long period of reflection and search for salvation, understanding and awareness of life. Reading books, he understood more and more his sinfulness, although he never used bad words and defilements in his life. The awareness of sinfulness constantly haunted him. Blasphemous thoughts began to appear, the temptation to reject God and recognize oneself as a free person. So Charles suffered for some time until one day he was going to church and since there was a snowstorm he turned into an alley where he found a Methodist church. The preacher was absent and a thin man, reminiscent of a shoemaker or tailor, took over the pulpit. His sermon was not long, but it was effective. The words were simple but meaningful. The preacher said: “Turn to Me, and you will be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is no other” (Is. 45:22). The man behind the pulpit did not always even pronounce the words correctly, but in this moment it didn't matter. He called for one thing: “Look to Jesus.” The point is that everyone can look and for this there is no need to have an education, be an adult, or do anything. It’s important to just “Take a Look” and don’t wait for anything. Just look at Christ, not at yourself because there is nothing special there for confidence, but at Christ. It is Jesus who now says that sweat and blood are dripping from Him, it is He who hangs on the cross, it is He who has risen, it is He who sits at the right hand of God. Jesus says: “poor sinner, look at Me!” The preacher saw fifteen-year-old Spurgeon and, pointing his finger at him, said that the guy looked unhappy and would be unhappy in life and death, unless he accepted the spoken word right now. The words Spurgeon heard that day touched him deeply. He finally saw the road to salvation. Before this, it seemed like a lot of work needed to be done, but the words “Look” opened the way and made it free. Spurgeon found a simple faith with which he sang and rejoiced. As he himself said: “Oh, I began to look and look, so that it seems that I have already looked through all my eyes.” The family immediately noticed a change in Charles, and he happily told his testimony. Spurgeon truly and deeply loved Christ and sought with all his heart how to serve Him.

Tribute to Charles Spurgeon

Charles was devoted to God with all his heart, and even entered into a covenant with Him, trusting himself entirely to the Lord. Spurgeon discovered that baptism should only occur in adulthood, by faith. This position was contrary to the views of his church and the views of his family, but Charles’s attitude opened the way for him to the Baptist church, where Pastor V.V. Cantlow agreed to baptize him. Baptism Day, May 3, 1850, was an unforgettable event for Spurgeon. It seemed to him that during baptism the whole world, heaven and hell, were looking at him. He buried all his fears there in the river and gained confidence and courage. Spurgeon was already trusted to lead common prayer and on this day many were moved to tears by the truth and sincerity of his words. Spurgeon began to teach a Sunday school class, then addressed the entire school and constantly grew, as he had oratorical talent. He did not stop there, he visited about 70 people on a certain day, distributing tracts and wishing with all his heart to lead at least one soul to salvation. In his speeches, Spurgeon strove to speak like a dying person to a dying person in order to convey the main point.

Beginning of Charles Spurgeon's Sermon

One day Spurgeon was asked to help an inexperienced preacher in a village. On the way there, Spurgeon encouraged his companion, to which he heard that Charles himself would preach. I was surprised, but there was no point in objecting. This is how Charles Spurgeon preached his first sermon to ordinary peasants and their families. The inspiration was very strong, local residents asked to come to them again as soon as possible. Spurgeon rejoiced because it was his heart's desire to serve in this way. He was only 16 years old and this surprised people, he was internally mature and wise with a good sense of humor, when asked how old he was he simply answered: “Not yet sixty.” Now he began to regularly visit various villages and preach, and at that time he lived in Cambridge. It is probably impossible to overestimate Spurgeon’s work and his love for people; he walked eight miles in any weather across the fields with a lantern, lighting his way, singing hymns and meditating on the Word. Yes, there were some absurd moments in his early work, but in this he received great experience. The father wanted his son to attend Bible college, but due to the fact that he could not get to a certain person, God, as Spurgeon believed, saved him from unnecessary things. After preaching one sermon at Waterbeach, Spurgeon was asked to become pastor there in 1851. The church of 40 people grew to 400, and drunkenness and other sins almost ceased during Spurgeon's pastorate. Charles was mocked by the older preachers, but God showed His wisdom here again through Charles's answering words and made him pastor of the London Baptist Church on New Park Street.

Church in London and Charles Spurgeon

Before the start of the performance in London, Charles felt lonely. This was facilitated by comments, conversations about other shepherds, Big city, the uncomfortable room where he was accommodated, the lack of friends. But as soon as he stood at the pulpit, he immediately became interested in his favorite work. The main essence of his sermon were the words: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” His sincerity and God's truth attracted everyone. No one remained indifferent. Very soon Spurgeon became a pastor in this church with a probationary period, but early probation removed. Thus, at the age of 19, in 1854, he led the church in the Capital of England.

The power of Spurgeon's prayer was great. It was through his prayers that many came to salvation, and new ministries were opened. Charles avoided the formality of turning to God and asked to pray for himself.

Soon the church became crowded for everyone. People stood in the aisles and on the street. Thousands of people could not enter the hall. Spurgeon looked for other opportunities and meetings began to be held in Exeter Hall, which had a seating capacity of 4,000 and 1,000 standing. And still this quantity was small. He sincerely loved people, devoted a lot of time to visiting the sick during the cholera epidemic, burying the dead and supporting their relatives. Spurgeon himself almost became ill, but he used a verse from Ps. 90:9-10 “For you said: “The Lord is my hope”; You have chosen the Almighty as your refuge. No evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling.”

Marriage of Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon was not interested in girls for a long time, because he was completely focused on serving, preparing sermons and communicating with parishioners. But one day God's hand brought him together with Suzanne Thompson. They often visited the same family. A little later, Charles sent her a gift - Bunyan's book "The Pilgrim's Progress", wishing her a successful journey in life. During one walk with friends, at the opening of the Crystal Palace, they found themselves together. Spurgeon asked his companion if she was praying for her chosen one. The words excited the girl, but she could not answer. Then they walked together and a few months later, when Suzanne became stronger spiritually and was baptized, Charles proposed to her. Spurgeon's engagement was widely discussed. But he himself did not pay attention to this. Charles was so focused on his ministry that he might not even pay enough attention to his bride at general meetings. But when they got married, there seemed to be no better people for each other. Their marriage was truly a happy one.

The Ministry of Charles Spurgeon

Attitudes towards Spurgeon varied, from admiration for the wisdom in his early age, to humiliation and attacks from reporters. Newspaper headlines began to spread gossip and ridicule about Spurgeon. But he endured everything patiently. Almost every move he made was criticized. They saw him as too young for preaching, impudence, and different views on theological issues. Then, due to further attacks, it was forbidden to gather in the previous hall and it was necessary to quickly organize services in another. So they began to plan a service in a hall for 10,000 people. There were a lot of doubts, but we decided to do it. The service was planned for October 19, 1856. As a result, when Spurgeon began to pray, an incident occurred. Someone shouted that a fire had started, someone that the balcony was collapsing, a commotion began, people fell from the balcony, part of the crowd rushed into the street, trampling others on their way. Spurgeon was very upset. He recovered for 7 days. But he soon continued his work, starting by organizing a fund to help victims. The newspapers' interest in events and the constant discussion of Spurgeon's personality, albeit not with the best intentions, only increased his rating and interest in his personality. Charles had to move to his own church building, which was much smaller. God made his ministry glorious. The word that was spoken from the pulpit was wise. Charles could quote scriptures from any book of the Bible, had a sense of humor and loved people. At the age of 22, he had encyclopedic knowledge and read several thousand volumes. He could gently appeal to the very heart and immediately loudly call for the salvation of those present. He always prayed from the heart and people knew, not just in words, that they were cared for with genuine love.

Construction of Charles Spurgeon's new church

For about three years, Spurgeon held morning meetings at Sari Gardens Music Hall and evening meetings at New Park Street, although the hall was overcrowded. Spurgeon worked nonstop, and God blessed. After two years in London, Spurgeon began to develop plans for the construction of a large church building. The site was chosen in a busy part of the city, in the south of the Thames, at the junction of three highways. The building was planned to seat 3,600 and accommodate an additional 2,000 standing guests. The name chosen was “Metropolitan Tabernacle.”

Since resistance began in India in the colonies of England, Spurgeon was given the opportunity to speak to people on the day of humility. The performance took place at the Crystal Palace and it was necessary to speak without any voice amplifiers. So Spurgeon spoke to 23,654 people gathered. At that time, this was the largest gathering of people to hear the word indoors. Spurgeon's words were a condemnation of England and its colonial policies. He said that righteousness exalts a people. A donation was also collected here for those who suffered during the uprising. The performance exhausted Spurgeon so much that he slept continuously for a day and a half. Gradually, the busy schedule began to affect the minister’s health. For a month after one of his trips, Spurgeon was unable to work. Further, having recovered, he, his father and other ministers laid the Bible in a clay jug at the foundation of the new church on August 15, 1859. Spurgeon decided that no money should be borrowed to build the house of God. So finances began to come from different sources, in response to prayers. Spurgeon openly opposed slavery in the United States, after which his invitation was canceled, where there might have been financial aid for construction and even banned the printing of Spurgeon's sermons. But this did not shake his devotion to the truth. The income from the sales of his sermons in his homeland helped in financial matters. The first Sunday service in the Metropolitan Tabernacle took place on March 31, 1861.

The fruits of Charles Spurgeon's work

At twenty-six years old, Spurgeon saw his listening audience in London grow from 80 people to 6,000 or more. He built the largest nonconformist church in the world. All this was a joy for Charles, but most of all he appreciated that the church had its own building, and it would become a home for many people who would spiritually feed here and work to invite new people to accept the truth.

The new church had a seating capacity of 3,600, plus 1,000 spare and 1,000 standing room. Spurgeon, based on experience, already considered as much as possible different ways evacuation in case of emergency situations. The result of Spurgeon's work was colossal, when he became the pastor of this church there were about 313 members, less than 100 were active, and now 2000 people.

The Training of Ministers by Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon's next project was training new ministers. He found a man who could lead the "Pastor's College" - George Rogers, who prayed about his calling - preparing brothers for the ministry. It all started with the Rogers House, where students lived and studied. Spurgeon financed everything by selling his sermons. As the number of students increased, the classrooms were moved to the church building on New Park Street, and they lived with church members. The purpose of the training was to develop preaching skills among students.

New Edition and Other Ministries of Spurgeon

Beginning in 1865, the monthly magazine “Sword and Travel” (“Sword and Trowel”) was published. This is one of important points Spurgeon's activities. The key idea of the publication was the following: “A chronicle of the struggle against sin and work for the Lord.” It spoke about the work being done in the church and defended key beliefs and practices.

Spurgeon firmly defended the position that everyone should be baptized in adulthood, and not in infancy, according to their faith, and not those who bring it.

A ministry of scribes was organized to distribute Bibles and spread the Gospel. All his work brought him joy. This service was accompanied by many stories of salvation and repentance, finding joy and freedom.

6 years after the construction and constant use of the Tabernacle building, the walls were sooty and repairs were required, which took about a month at this time the church held meetings in the Agricultural Hall (Agricultural Hall). Although the hall was absolutely not intended for such events due to acoustics, Spurgeon decided to install about 15,000 chairs there. Many doubted him. But about 20,000 people came to the services.

Spurgeon also traveled widely. Everything Spurgeon did was successful. Only he himself began to suffer from illnesses due to the excessive workload. At the age of 37 in 1867, he was bedridden for a time. He had an overexertion that led him to nervous exhaustion. Charles recovered and returned to his normal rhythm. But here it opened new disease rheumatic gout, which accompanied him until his death.

And again he returned to business and took on a new project - construction of a house of mercy. It included seventeen small houses. The elderly widows who lived there were provided with everything. Nearby there was a school for 400 children who could not pay for their education. The director's house was nearby. And on the other hand they built an orphanage for Miss Hilliard, who contributed £20,000 to the orphanage, completely unaware of Spurgeon, and was the answer to prayers for the project. Even here, Spurgeon constantly visited the children and knew each one by name and had a penny for them. Ego love did not bypass anyone.

The difficult period of Charles Spurgeon's family

Since 1860, the Spurgeon family has had difficult period. Spurgeon himself wrote: “No one living knows what a burden of labor and care I have to bear... I have to supervise an orphanage, I have responsibility for a church with four thousand members, from time to time I have to perform marriages and funerals, I have to edit a weekly sermon, publishing the Sword and Travel magazine, answering an average of five hundred letters every week... But this is only half of my duties...” and that's not all House of Mercy, school and college, literary work and preaching about ten times a week. Spurgeon began to find assistants: brother James, another secretary, an assistant editor in the newspaper. All this made Spurgeon's work a little easier.

Charles refused a trip to America because of his views on the fee that was offered to him (1,000 dollars) and was able to spend time with his wife, who fell ill during this period. His wife underwent surgery, but still, despite the successful outcome, she remained somewhat disabled. Returning home, she saw that her husband had changed a lot to suit her needs, trying to take care of her as much as possible. To the point where it was hot and cold water, a rare luxury in those days. Spurgeon himself was ill and did not participate in ministries for some time because he came down with smallpox and suffered from gout and became depressed. Couldn't preach for 7 weeks. To recover, Charles headed to Italy, but his wife was unable to accompany him, which caused them pain. The couple wrote letters to each other every day. There were many sorrows in the life of the Spurgeons in the 1870s, but there were also joys. So their sons were baptized and began preaching at the age of 18.

Charles Spurgeon's wife

Charles wrote: “It may be difficult for the reader to imagine what a book mailing is like, but I will say this: - a good manager like my wife has over 6,000 addresses on her lists, and yet she remembers , to whom I sent which book from the first day until now. There is no confusion in her work, everything is done with the precision of a clockwork and at the same time with a great desire to bring joy to her recipients and not bother those interested with making unnecessary inquiries.” Recipients included pastors from various denominations. The books were distributed free of charge. People gave and the ministry spread. It all started with saving household finances and the personal motivation of Suzanne Spurgeon. She distributed 100 copies of Spurgeon's treatises at her own expense. This way she took her mind off her illness and found joy in the work she was doing. Suzanne wrote several books and received her fee, which she was happy about. She was a sincere and kind person, open to God.

Spurgeon's restoration

After a long illness and five months of absence, Spurgeon began to take more care of his health. In the summer he went to Scotland for two weeks and stayed with good friend Christian. And in winter I rested for about a month in Menton in the south of France, where I recovered well due to the climate and gained good spirits.

In 1879 there was the 25th anniversary of Spurgeon's ministry in London. Having recovered to some extent, Charles returned to ministry and held a celebration on the occasion of the anniversary. It was a joyful time. Even Suzanne was able to for a long time attend church.

One of Spurgeon's friends was D.L. Moody, an American evangelist whom Charles entrusted to speak at church services.

Personality of Charles Spurgeon

The most important foundations in Spurgeon's life that led him to success were:

1.Walking before God. Dedication.

2.Prayer as an integral part of service.

3. Sensitivity to what is happening and to other people.

4.Trust in the Lord and the responsibility of bearing the burden of service on yourself.

5. Cheerfulness, despite periods of depression.

Spurgeon had literary talent and often received certificates of gratitude for his work.

New trend and Charles Spurgeon

In 1859, Darwin's works, On the Origin of Species, were published. It denied God's creation of the world, spoke of an accidental creation, and denied the existence of God. Even among believers, a new interpretation of the Bible appeared, which cast doubt on dates, miracles, authorship and reduced everything to the fact that it was a human work. Spurgeon zealously defended spiritual truths, regardless of personalities. He left the Baptist Union.

The Last Years of Charles Spurgeon

One day, Charles Spurgeon, while in Mentone, fell down a stone staircase and was badly hurt. His cane slipped on the marble step and the rather heavyset Charles fell. He was away from home for two months, and when he returned he was warmly greeted by a huge crowd of people. And soon Spurgeon returned to his usual rhythm. His passion was saving souls.

In 1891, having recovered a little from another illness, he attended the annual membership meeting, where he participated for the last time in resolving church issues. According to the report: the number of church members was 5,328 people, 127 ministers worked, 23 missionary points were supported, 27 Sunday schools operated with 600 teachers and 8,000 students.

Spurgeon understood within himself that there was little time, but he still decided to visit his hometown of Stamborne, although he was forbidden. He actually came back very weak. His health only worsened. Then he moved to Menton with his neighbors in October 1891. Here the climate allowed him to recover a little to finish his work and work in the open air.

Spurgeon's ministry culminated with a speech in his hotel room to friends on New Year's morning. On January 31, 1892, Charles Spurgeon left this world to be with Christ.

Serving the Church Today

For many, the Tabernacle Church was the center of their lives. Their world was transformed, salvation from sin and joy came. They had great respect for Spurgeon, who did everything possible for the prosperity of the church.

In 1898 there was a fire that destroyed the church building. Many pastors changed and the church fell into decline. Among them initially were the brother and son of Charles Spurgeon. At one point, a couple hundred people were attending the services. It was not until 1970 that Dr. Peter Masters became pastor of the church, following Spurgeon's views and principles. He resumed the publication of Sword and Travel, work in relation to clergy and children. Spurgeon's theology was revived to preach the truth.

Interesting Facts:

– Even as a child, Charles firmly defended the principles of morality. So, having heard that one of the parishioners of his grandfather’s church frequented the tavern, young Spurgeon came to the beer hall and denounced him there. Thomas Rhodes was extremely touched that a child did this: “Why are you here, Elijah? You sit here among the wicked, and yet you are a member of the church! You're hurting your pastor's heart. I am ashamed of you! I wouldn’t hurt my pastor’s heart, I’m sure of that.” Having said this, he left... The parishioner left his bad habits and returned to church

– To write the work Commenting and Commentaries (Notes and Comments), Spurgeon looked through three or four thousand volumes of various books.

– Before speaking at the Palace, Spurgeon decided to check the acoustics (he had to speak in front of 20 thousand people without amplifiers). He said, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” After which an employee who was far away in the building said that this became a call to save his soul.

– At the age of fifteen, Spurgeon wrote a 295-page essay - “Exposing the Papacy.”

Spurgeon wrote about five hundred letters every week. I wrote it myself without anyone’s help, with a pen.

Quotes:

– “Who can prevent a person if he is moved by heaven itself? Who can stop him if God has touched his heart?”

“Pay attention to how God's Providence has directed our lives this year, and you will clearly see His hand in all that which other people call mere chance. God, who gives movement to the whole world, in His wide heart and mind also finds a place for you... He who knows the number of hairs on our head and protects us like the apple of His eye has not forgotten you, He continues to love you eternal love. Until the mountains are removed and the hills are shaken, we, His people, can be sure of our safety.”

“I rode and thought along the way: “How much I would like my life to be spent in kindling souls - one after another - with the sacred fire eternal life! I would like to remain, as far as possible, unnoticed while doing this, and would like to disappear into the eternal light of heaven when I have finished my work."

To sum it up, let's return to three key questions:

Fruit during his lifetime - Spurgeon's entire contribution cannot be summarized in a few sentences. He worked in preaching, publishing, communicating with people, organizing training for pastors, building churches and housing for the needy, answering letters and much more. He did what was originally valuable, he spread the truth of God's Word.
The fruit after life is all the inheritance that is listed above. His works have eternal value and therefore we still return to the works of a sincere and wise preacher of the 19th century.
Personal life/inner harmony - Spurgeon's entire ministry was his passion and joy. He could not remain sick for long, but constantly returned to his labors, through which he became a blessing to thousands, showing love.

What I wanted to convey in this article is admiration. I read the life story of Charles Spurgeon. That's why I wanted to point out more facts and stories about him. The only desire that arises in my heart is to read his books.

You understand that as people we sometimes waste time, “kill time”, idle, while others, due to illness or other reasons, have sorely lacking time to implement ideas, what will be important in 10-20 years and in the future eternity. How important it is to appreciate the life we have now. Someone, having everything (strength, time, health, money) wastes it, while someone, at the cost of a dedicated life, serves others and has a meaningful and happy life. It is important to love, to be useful where we are, to appreciate what we have, and God can do what is meaningful with it.

According to God's providence, from time to time there are born on earth extraordinary people. Like the stars of heaven, they burn, emitting Divine light and spreading the blessing of the Lord.

One of these people was the greatest Christian preacher Charles Gaddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) . He was born in the English city of Calvedon. Shortly after birth, due to family circumstances, the child was moved to his grandfather’s house, where he spent the first seven years of his life. During the second period of his childhood, Charles lived with his parents. His father was a preacher in the Methodist Church. It is known about this time that the boy studied at a village school, read a lot and attended liturgical meetings. Being good physical development, he was fond of children's games and competitions.

In 1849, Charles Spurgeon left his parents' home and became a teacher at John Swindeley's school in Newmarket. From that time on, his life changed radically: a period of spiritual quest began. Charles Spurgeon's sermon "The Quest for Christ" testifies to personal experience seeking fellowship with God and conversion.

“I remember that period of time when I was looking for God. Religious rituals and stuff external manifestation faith seemed to me, thirsty, as empty vessels, in which not a drop of life-giving moisture remained... One name filled my heart: Jesus! Jesus!"- Spurgeon later shared his experiences.

At the age of sixteen, Charles Spurgeon began his ministry for the Kingdom of God. As a Sunday school teacher, he had such a beneficial effect on children that he was invited to preach at a meeting of Sunday school teachers. Spurgeon later went to a private school in Cambridge. There his activity in preaching the Word of God expanded. In the vicinity of Cambridge there were twenty-three congregations that had no preachers and were served by self-taught preachers. Seventeen-year-old Spurgeon joined these enthusiasts. The Lord wonderfully blessed his work. Everyone loved the new minister of the word. The young evangelist was taken from one village to another, and the people followed him in crowds.

Less than a year of such activity had passed when an eighteen-year-old youth, who had no theological education, was invited as a mentor to one of the communities in Waterbeach. Spurgeon accepted this offer, but he did not leave school in Cambridge. The fruits of his preaching at Cambridge were wonderful. Every Sunday, many people, awakened by the Word of God, repented and turned to the Lord. As a result, within eighteen months the community had grown so much that the premises could no longer accommodate everyone who wanted to listen to the Word of God. Spurgeon's father, convinced that his son truly had the calling and gift of preaching, advised him to enter a Baptist seminary to receive an education and become a pastor. But Spurgeon did not want to sacrifice serving the Lord and decided to continue his studies at the school of the Holy Spirit, who was still his Teacher. Father, mother and his relatives considered this act of the young preacher not only as a mistake, but also as a disregard for their advice. But Charles Spurgeon remained obedient to the Lord and continued his ministry.

The news of Spurgeon reached London, and the leadership of one of the oldest Christian Baptist churches in Newpark Street decided to invite him as a pastor and invited him to preach test sermons. Spurgeon came to London in 1853 and preached sermons that were so successful that within a few weeks the meetinghouse, previously attended by two hundred church members, was filled to capacity. The voices of those who still insisted on his education, not trusting his youth, fell silent. Everyone unanimously decided to appoint Spurgeon to this ministry. After several months, the expanded house of prayer became small again. Community representatives decided to move the meetings to the largest hall in the city - in the Eketerhall. And what? This huge room on Sunday mornings and evenings was also crowded with people who wanted to listen to the Word of God. Some experienced, educated pastors looked with distrust at the visiting young preacher, who a short time attracted the attention of such a large audience.

However, soon this hall could no longer accommodate listeners. After much discussion and searching, a large concert hall was found in the southern part of the city, which could accommodate up to twelve thousand people. Will this room be filled? The first sermon was to take place on October 19, 1856, which was announced publicly. And what? By the time the meeting began, the hall was packed. But, unfortunately, it was not without envy and demonstrations of ill-wishers. During the sermon, someone suddenly shouted: “Fire! Fire!" And although the fire was not visible, panic began, everyone rushed to the exit. The upper gallery collapsed due to strong pressure. As a result, many were killed and injured. This tragedy caused untold suffering to the young preacher. Deeply shocked by what happened, he fell ill. Many thought that the disaster would cool the ardor of visitors for a long time. But three weeks after the hall had been put in order and Spurgeon had recovered, a sermon was scheduled. What a blessing this meeting was! The hall was again crowded. From then on, Spurgeon held meetings there every Sunday morning, attracting between ten and twelve thousand listeners. In the evenings he preached in the meetinghouse for members of his church.

The servant of God had to endure a lot from ill-wishers. He encountered envy, ridicule, slander, not only from the unconverted, but, what is most sad of all, from some believers.

In his preaching ministry, Spurgeon was not limited to London. He traveled all over England and Scotland. The preacher, who had become famous, received invitations from everywhere, so that he usually preached at least twice a day. Hundreds of thousands of souls were converted to Christ through these sermons. Charles Spurgeon's life was completely devoted to the cause of God. As he preached, thousands of people, listening to his inspired words, felt the breath of the Holy Spirit.

But Charles Spurgeon was not only a great preacher, but also an extremely gifted spiritual writer. The rare gift of spiritual vision made his sermons vivid and imaginative; in them deep spiritual truths were clothed in beautiful and accessible form. Charles Spurgeon can be called the John Chrysostom of the 19th century. The fullness of life in Christ, subtle taste, the ability to think figuratively, the ability to clearly see spiritual truths make these wonderful lights akin christian church who lived in such different time. Examples, comparisons, comparisons taken by Spurgeon from the life of the surrounding world for explanation biblical truths, can be appreciated not only by writers, poets, painters, composers, but also ordinary people who love nature. The keen eye and sensitive heart of the great preacher keenly grasped the presence of God in all nature.

“Nature is an organ of colossal magnitude. But the organist is not visible at the instrument, and the world does not know how such majestic music is born. All seasons are equally beautiful for one who has learned to see the hand of the Creator in all life paths who has accepted the gift of grace into his heart and glorifies the day of his rebirth. There is not a stone, not an insect, not a reptile, not a dry stick on earth that would not prompt a person to praise God if his soul is imbued with the consciousness of His omnipresence.”, - Spurgeon said these words in one of his sermons.

The musicality of speech and the sophistication of the form of Spurgeon's sermons were combined with deep penetration into the secret places human soul. As a true preacher of the Gospel, he waged a fierce battle against sin and mercilessly exposed the ulcers and vices that poison the human soul. At the same time, he sincerely loved people and urged them to turn to Christ, the Savior of sinners, and receive salvation and sanctification from Him. When you read Spurgeon’s works, your soul cries out: “Lord! Sanctify and cleanse me!” And our whole being embraces holy wish Open your heart wider to the Lord.

Charles Spurgeon was also a talented teacher and mentor of preachers. His famous book “Good Advice to Preachers of the Gospel” is one of the best textbooks on homiletics. Each lecture is a spiritual work. Characteristic of Spurgeon's method is the absence of dry morality, cold academicism, and abstract reasoning. A living, reverent thought fills every line. The author does not teach from the height of his position, but conducts a casual conversation, an inspired conversation with brothers in faith about the most important and difficult service - preaching the Gospel. Spurgeon prioritized the godly life of a preacher. He owns the statement that the preacher of the grace of Christ must first of all be worthy of it. This is a very simple and yet important truth. Neither scholarship nor education can replace the Divine call to evangelism. A holy life in God is an indispensable condition for success.

Particularly amazing is the fact that Spurgeon, possessing an extraordinary gift of speech and comprehensive knowledge Holy Scripture, being an extremely well-read man, prepared for each sermon with amazing care and diligence. “I admit that I often sit for hours at a time, praying and thinking about the topic of the sermon, its main points, and making a plan.”, - he openly shared his experience of working on the sermon.

Church workers, especially young preachers, should become familiar with the spiritual legacy of Charles Spurgeon. By studying it, they will find a lot of useful things there. Before going to the pulpit, - Spurgeon advises, - one should spend as much time as possible in solitary prayer in order to ask the Lord for the topic of the future sermon, and then carefully develop it. If this basic condition is met, sermons will be free from unnecessary general reasoning and cliched figures of speech, every word will carry a wise thought, every thought will be a logical link in the chain of arguments.

It is known that Charles Spurgeon was critical of theologians who were overly enthusiastic about the interpretation of complex prophetic passages of Holy Scripture. One all-consuming desire drove him - the salvation of souls for Christ. “Save at least one soul from destruction, - he said in a lecture for students, - greater gain than earning a title in theological debates. Whoever faithfully and conscientiously reveals the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ will be given credit for it. great credit, than to the one who penetrates the secrets of the Apocalypse. Blessed is the ministry of a preacher who is completely filled with Christ.”.

A man of great and subtle mind, broad views, pure evangelical life, deep spirituality, Charles Spurgeon was free from manifestations of narrowness and fanaticism. " Having a famous spiritual experience, he writes, we stop attaching importance to differences in religions, in names, in ways of manifesting spiritual life... We change when we are visited by the desire to seek Christ, wherever He may be. And having found Him, serve Him. Then, by the grace of God, intolerance disappears in us.”

In many countries, Charles Spurgeon is rightly called the “king of preachers.” It is said that there was not a single verse in the Bible that he did not cover in his sermons. His sermons were published in forty volumes. Spurgeon's writings comprise large library, which would take years to read. These are mighty force and the charm of this preacher.

Charles Spurgeon's sermon for young people, based on the words of the psalm: “O Lord!.. I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have loosed my bonds” (Ps. 115: 7) was, as it were, a spiritual testament to young people seeking the highest good. “Serving God is so blissful and wonderful, he testified, that I would like to die doing it. When we accept this ministry, we want our sons and daughters to join it. Our constant desire there becomes a desire for our household to fear the Lord and serve Him.”

Charles Spurgeon lived on this earth for only fifty-eight years. In 1892, the Lord recalled His servant to the eternal abodes. He died surrounded by family and friends. Before last minute with him was his faithful wife and friend. Throughout her life she greatly assisted Spurgeon in his blessed preaching ministry.

Charles Spurgeon's funeral turned into a grand procession. The funeral procession stretched for several kilometers. Instead of wreaths, on the lid of the coffin lay his large Bible, open to the forty-fifth chapter of the book of the prophet Ezekiel, from which he preached for the last time. The words were inscribed on the gravestone: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; and now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness...” (2 Tim. 4; 7-8).

The great herald of Truth, Charles Gaddon Spurgeon, has long passed away, but the Word of Truth that he proclaimed still sounds from the pages today wonderful books left by him.

It is not difficult to understand what makes Charles Spurgeon's sermons so popular. The secret of his success lies not only in his talent, but primarily due to the fact that the Spirit of Jesus Christ abided in him.

Spurgeon could say along with the Apostle Paul: “...woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). He preached the Gospel because he was called from above to awaken the hearts of people to the Truth, to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. And we can thank the Lord for his work (Gal. 1:24).

According to God's providence, extraordinary people are born on earth from time to time. Like the stars of heaven, they burn, emitting Divine light and spreading the blessing of the Lord.

One of these people was the greatest Christian preacher, Charles Gaddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). At the age of sixteen, Charles Spurgeon began his ministry for the Kingdom of God. As a Sunday school teacher, he had such a beneficial effect on children that he was invited to preach at a meeting of Sunday school teachers. Spurgeon later went to a private school in Cambridge. There his activity in preaching the Word of God expanded. In the vicinity of Cambridge there were twenty-three congregations that had no preachers and were served by self-taught preachers. Seventeen-year-old Spurgeon joined these enthusiasts. The Lord wonderfully blessed his work. Everyone loved the new minister of the word. The young evangelist was taken from one village to another, and the people followed him in crowds.

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Preface Charles Spurgeon - Gospel Preacher

And the wise will shine like the lights in the firmament, and those who turn many to the truth will shine like the stars, forever and ever.

According to God's providence, extraordinary people are born on earth from time to time. Like the stars of heaven, they burn, emitting Divine light and spreading the blessing of the Lord.

One of these people was the greatest Christian preacher, Charles Gaddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). He was born in the English city of Calvedon. Shortly after birth, due to family circumstances, the child was moved to his grandfather’s house, where he spent the first seven years of his life. During the second period of his childhood, Charles lived with his parents. His father was a preacher in the Methodist Church. It is known about this time that the boy studied at a village school, read a lot and attended liturgical meetings. Distinguished by his good physical development, he was fond of children's games and competitions.

In 1849, Charles Spurgeon left his parents' home and became a teacher at John Swindeley's school in Newmarket. From that time on, his life changed radically: a period of spiritual quest began. C. Spurgeon's sermon “Seeking Christ” testifies to personal experience of seeking communication with God and conversion.

“I remember that period of time when I was looking for God. Religious rituals and every outward manifestation of faith seemed to me, thirsty, as empty vessels in which not a drop of life-giving moisture remained... One name filled my heart: Jesus! Jesus!" - Spurgeon later shared his experiences.

The news of Spurgeon reached London, and the leadership of one of the oldest Christian Baptist churches in Newpark Street decided to invite him as a pastor and invited him to preach test sermons. Spurgeon came to London in 1853 and preached sermons that were so successful that within a few weeks the meetinghouse, previously attended by two hundred church members, was filled to capacity. The voices of those who still insisted on his education, not trusting his youth, fell silent. Everyone unanimously decided to appoint Spurgeon to this ministry. After several months, the expanded house of prayer became small again. Community representatives decided to move the meetings to the largest hall in the city - in the Eketerhall. And what? This huge room on Sunday mornings and evenings was also crowded with people who wanted to listen to the Word of God. Some experienced, educated pastors looked with disbelief at the visiting young preacher who had attracted the attention of such a large audience in a short time.

The servant of God had to endure a lot from ill-wishers. He encountered envy, ridicule, slander, not only from the unconverted, but, what is most sad of all, from some believers.

But Charles Spurgeon was not only a great preacher, but also an extremely gifted spiritual writer. The rare gift of spiritual vision made his sermons vivid and imaginative; in them, deep spiritual truths were clothed in a beautiful and accessible form. Charles Spurgeon can be called the John Chrysostom of the 19th century. The fullness of life in Christ, subtle taste, the ability to think figuratively, the ability to clearly see spiritual truths make these wonderful lights of the Christian Church, who lived at such different times, akin. The examples, comparisons, and analogies taken by Spurgeon from the life of the surrounding world to explain biblical truths can be appreciated not only by writers, poets, painters, composers, but also by ordinary people who love nature. The keen eye and sensitive heart of the great preacher keenly grasped the presence of God in all nature.

“Nature is an organ of colossal magnitude. But the organist is not visible at the instrument, and the world does not know how such majestic music is born. All seasons are equally beautiful for one who has learned to see the hand of the Creator in all life’s paths, who has accepted the gift of grace into his heart and glorifies the day of his rebirth. There is not a stone, not an insect, not a reptile, not a dry stick on earth that would not prompt a person to praise God if his soul is imbued with the consciousness of His omnipresence,” Spurgeon uttered these words in one of his sermons.

The musicality of speech and the sophistication of the form of Spurgeon's sermons were combined with deep penetration into the recesses of the human soul. As a true preacher of the Gospel, he waged a fierce battle against sin and mercilessly exposed the ulcers and vices that poison the human soul. At the same time, he sincerely loved people and urged them to turn to Christ, the Savior of sinners, and receive salvation and sanctification from Him. When you read Spurgeon’s works, your soul cries out: “Lord! Sanctify and cleanse me!” And our whole being is filled with a holy desire to open our hearts wider to the Lord.

Charles Spurgeon was also a talented teacher and mentor of preachers. His famous book, Good Advice to Preachers of the Gospel, is one of the best textbooks on homiletics. Each lecture is a spiritual work. Characteristic of Spurgeon's method is the absence of dry morality, cold academicism, and abstract reasoning. A living, reverent thought fills every line. The author does not teach from the height of his position, but conducts a casual conversation, an inspired conversation with brothers in faith about the most important and difficult service - preaching the Gospel. Spurgeon prioritized the godly life of a preacher. He owns the statement that the preacher of the grace of Christ must first of all be worthy of it. This is a very simple and yet important truth. Neither scholarship nor education can replace the Divine call to evangelism. A holy life in God is an indispensable condition for success.

What is especially amazing is the fact that Spurgeon, possessing an extraordinary gift of speech and comprehensive knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, being an extremely well-read man, prepared for each sermon with amazing care and zeal. “I admit that I often sit for hours on end, praying and thinking about the topic of the sermon, its main points, and making a plan,” he openly shared his experience of working on the sermon.

Church workers, especially young preachers, should become familiar with the spiritual legacy of Charles Spurgeon. By studying it, they will find a lot of useful things there. Before going into the pulpit, Spurgeon advises, you should spend as much time as possible in private prayer in order to ask the Lord for the topic of the future sermon, and then carefully develop it. If this basic condition is met, sermons will be free from unnecessary general reasoning and cliched figures of speech, every word will carry a wise thought, every thought will be a logical link in the chain of arguments.

It is known that Charles Spurgeon was critical of theologians who were overly enthusiastic about the interpretation of complex prophetic passages of Holy Scripture. One all-consuming desire drove him - the salvation of souls for Christ. “To save at least one soul from destruction,” he said in a lecture for students, “is a greater gain than to earn a title in theological debates. Whoever faithfully and conscientiously reveals the greatness and glory of Jesus Christ will be credited with greater merit than the one who penetrates into the secrets of the Apocalypse. Blessed is the ministry of a preacher who is completely filled with Christ.”

A man of great and subtle mind, broad views, pure evangelical life, deep spirituality, Charles Spurgeon was free from manifestations of narrowness and fanaticism. “Having acquired a certain spiritual experience,” he writes, “we cease to attach importance to differences in religions, in names, in ways of manifesting spiritual life... We change when we are visited by the desire to seek Christ, wherever He may be. And having found Him, serve Him. Then, by the grace of God, intolerance disappears in us.”

In many countries, Charles Spurgeon is rightly called the “king of preachers.” It is said that there was not a single verse in the Bible that he did not cover in his sermons. His sermons were published in forty volumes. Spurgeon's writings form a large library that would take years to read.

Such is the mighty power and charm of this preacher.

Charles Spurgeon's sermon for young people, based on the words of the psalm: “O Lord!.. I am Your servant and the son of Your handmaid; You have loosed my bonds” (Ps. 115: 7) was, as it were, a spiritual testament to young people seeking the highest good. “The service of God is so blessed and wonderful,” he testified, “that I would like to die doing it. When we accept this ministry, we want our sons and daughters to join it.

It becomes our constant desire that our home will fear and serve the Lord.”

Charles Spurgeon lived on this earth for only fifty-eight years. In 1892, the Lord recalled His servant to the eternal abodes. He died surrounded by family and friends. Until the last minute, his faithful wife and friend was with him. Throughout her life she greatly assisted Spurgeon in his blessed preaching ministry.

The great herald of Truth, Charles Gaddon Spurgeon, has long passed away, but the Word of Truth that he proclaimed still sounds today from the pages of the wonderful books he left behind.

Spurgeon could say along with the Apostle Paul: “... woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9:16). He preached the Gospel because he was called from above to awaken the hearts of people to the Truth, to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. And we can thank the Lord for his work (Gal. 1:24).