Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) was raised in a godly Christian family of puritan stock. He was an avid reader of solid Christian books and was an earnest seeker after a genuine conversion experience. However the forgiveness of sins and salvation seemed to evade him and his search frequently left him in a state of hopelessness and heaviness. One Sunday morning while on his way to his usual church, he was caught in a snowstorm which made him turn down a side-street where he took refuge inside an old Primitive Methodist church. Only a dozen people gathered. The preacher did not make it to the meeting so one of the old elders, a tradesman by profession, stood to preach an unprepared, un-eloquent, short message. Young Spurgeon aged 15 was converted as the old man spoke (1850).
One year later he preached his first message in a little house meeting. Later that year he was ordained pastor of a small church in, Waterbeach. In April 1854—four years after his conversion and aged only 19—he was called to London to be the pastor of New Park Street Chapel. The congregation quickly outgrew their building so had to move to various music halls while they were building a new premises. In these venues Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000. At the age of 22, Spurgeon was the most popular preacher of the day. In October 1857, he preached to more than 23,000 people at The Crystal Palace. His direct, simple and biblical message led great multitudes to salvation in Christ. In March 1861 they moved into their new building which held 5000 sitting and another 1000 standing.
These were days of spiritual revival. From his youth he had put faith in God to save souls and God was faithful to give him a great harvest of souls. While Karl Marx was promoting his Communist Manifesto and Darwin his Origin of Species, Spurgeon was printing and sending his sermons weekly into the nation. These sermons still remain one of the all-time best selling series of writings ever published by anyone in all of history. He had seen genuine revival in his church and the nation but he lived long enough to watch a terrible spiritual decline in the nation and especially in his own denomination. Men began to deny the inspiration of the Bible, the creation, atonement by the blood and the need for conversion. He entered a spiritual battle with this encroaching apostasy that led to him leaving the Baptist association and to his early death of a broken heart. After his death the Baptist union placed a statue of Spurgeon at the entrance of their headquarters. By the time of his death he had preached nearly 3,600 sermons and published 49 volumes of commentaries. He truly deserves the title Prince of Preachers.
One year later he preached his first message in a little house meeting. Later that year he was ordained pastor of a small church in, Waterbeach. In April 1854—four years after his conversion and aged only 19—he was called to London to be the pastor of New Park Street Chapel. The congregation quickly outgrew their building so had to move to various music halls while they were building a new premises. In these venues Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000. At the age of 22, Spurgeon was the most popular preacher of the day. In October 1857, he preached to more than 23,000 people at The Crystal Palace. His direct, simple and biblical message led great multitudes to salvation in Christ. In March 1861 they moved into their new building which held 5000 sitting and another 1000 standing.
These were days of spiritual revival. From his youth he had put faith in God to save souls and God was faithful to give him a great harvest of souls. While Karl Marx was promoting his Communist Manifesto and Darwin his Origin of Species, Spurgeon was printing and sending his sermons weekly into the nation. These sermons still remain one of the all-time best selling series of writings ever published by anyone in all of history. He had seen genuine revival in his church and the nation but he lived long enough to watch a terrible spiritual decline in the nation and especially in his own denomination. Men began to deny the inspiration of the Bible, the creation, atonement by the blood and the need for conversion. He entered a spiritual battle with this encroaching apostasy that led to him leaving the Baptist association and to his early death of a broken heart. After his death the Baptist union placed a statue of Spurgeon at the entrance of their headquarters. By the time of his death he had preached nearly 3,600 sermons and published 49 volumes of commentaries. He truly deserves the title Prince of Preachers.
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