Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The most widely popular of English preachers in the nineteenth century was without question, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He was born in Kelevedon, Essex, England, June 19th, 1834. Both his father and grandfather being pastors, young Spurgeon was raised in the knowledge and understanding of the Christian gospel; but it was not until a stormy January night in 1850 that he was converted. In August of the same year, Spurgeon preached his first sermon to a small gathering of farmers.

A year later he was called to pastor a village church; and in 1854 in his nineteenth year was installed as shepherd over the flock of the New Park Street Chapel, Southwark, London, later to become the Metropolitan tabernacle. In January, 1855, Spurgeon published his first sermon, a practice which would not cease until 1916, twenty-four years after his death. During his pastorate at London, Spurgeon ministered to a congregation of almost 6,000 people each Sunday, published his sermons weekly, wrote a monthly magazine, and founded a college for pastors, two orphanages, an old-folks home, a colportage society, and several mission stations.  His body wracked by pain in the later years, and his ministry attacked by his opponents, Spurgeon continued to preach the gospel until his death in January, 1892.

What was the secret to Spurgeon’s success? He was a man gifted with a powerful voice, a mastery of plain language and illustration, and a great intellect. Power, fevor of conception, and passionateness of appeal individualized his sermons, as they were saturated with Christian earnestness.  But the most important ingredient to Spurgeon’s success was his deep yet very simple trust in and understanding of his Lord and Saviour and of His great grace and love. Out of this came a great longing to have others come to know, to love and to worship the Lord Jesus as he did.