The Last Year at Waterbeach and Cambridge

I) RIGHT constellation of Jubilee’ celebrations has risen on our age:; amongst them, as one star in the: galaxy, too small to be recognized singly, was the Walerbeach Baptist Chapel Jubilee. The year 1853 beheld the: grass ol fifty years growing in the small spot surrounding the meeting-house where a crowd of willing worshippers often assembled in thememorable days of my first pastorate. ‘I he village should not be unknown to lame-, tor the records of the- Baptist Church prove that Rowland Hill first exercised in Waterbeach his gilts as a minister of Jesus, after riding over from Cambridge: by stealth between the hours of College duty. ‘I hehouse: still stands in which lie is saiel to have commenced his labours as a preacher. Long before that time:, the: sainted llolcroft, the apostle of Cambridgeshire, ejected by the: Act of Uniformity from his living at Bassingbourne, had founded a church in this village-, as in many others around. When confined in Cambridge Castle for thetruth’s sake, he; obtained favour in the: eyes of his jailor, who allowed him by night to visit Waterbeach, where he preached and administered the: ordinances of our Lord to his little: band oi followers, re-turning always belore morning light awoke: his slumbering foes. Since then, the little vessel, launched in boisterous times, has been safely steered by its Captain even until now. It has passed through rough waters and fierce storms; but it still lives, thanks to Him who sits at the helm.

(The following hymns, composed by the young Pastor, were sung at the Water beach jubilee services on Lorcl’s-clay, June; 26th, 1853: — )

Tin: ONE REQUEST.

If to my God I now may speak,

And make one short request;
It but one favour I might seek

Which I esteem the best.

(‘. II. Sl’UKCEoN S .U 1 pi;i< H iUAI’1 1 V.

I would not choose this earth’s poor wealth

I Iow soon it melts away!
I would not seek continued health;

A mortal must decay.

I would not crave a mighty name;

Fame is but empiv breath.
Xor would I une a royal claim;

l;or monarchs bow to death.

I would not bci for sinful sweets;

Such pleasures end in pain.
Nor should I ask lair learning’s seats;

Love absent, these are vain.

My dod, my heart would choose with jo,
‘1 by in-ace, Thv love, to share;

1 his is the sweet which cannot cloy,
And this my portion lair.

I M.MANUEL.

When once 1 mourned a load ol .sin,
hen conscience ielt a wound within,
hen all my works were thrown awav,
When on my knees I knelt to pray,

‘1 hen, blissful hour, remembered well,
I learned Thy love, Immanuel!

hen storms of sorrow toss my soul,
hen waves ol care around me roll,
When comforts sink, when jovs shall flee,
Y hen hopeless ^ulfs shall iape for me,

One word the tempest’s raye shall quell.

‘1 hat word, Thy name, Immanuel!

When lor the truth suffer shame,
hen loes pour scandal on my name,
hen cruel taunts and jeers abound,
hen “bulls of Bashan” <nrd me: round,
Secure within my tower 111 dwell,
That tower, Thv (>Tace, Immanuel!

(J. 11. Sl’URC.KO^N’ S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 2C)”

VluMi hell, enraged, lifts up her roar,
‘hen Satan stops my path before,
When fiends rejoice, and wait my end.
When legion’el hosts their arrows send,

Fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell

Thy battle-cry, Immanuel!

When down the hill of life I go,
When o’er my feet death’s waters llow,
When in the eleep’ning flood I sink,
When friends stand weeping on the brink,

I’ll mingle with my last farewell,

Thy lovely name, Immanuel!

When tears are banished from mine eye,
When fairer worlds than these are nigh,
When Heaven shall fill my ravish ‘d sight,
When I shall bathe in sweet delight,

One joy all joys shall far excel,

To see Thv face, Immanuel!

At our Waierbeach prayer-meetings, we used sometimes to have: very quaint uuerances from certain of the brethren who led the devotions of the assembly. once heard a. poor man offer this singular supplication: “Lord, watch over these young people during the least time, for Thou knowcst, Lord, how their enemies watch for them as a cat watches for mice.” Some ridiculed the form oi the: petition, but it appeared to me: to be natural and expressive, considering the person who resented it. When it was known that I was coming to London, I was made the subject of many remarkable requests. One: queer old man offered a very extraordinary prayer tor me. I did not understand it at the time, and I hardly think he ought to have prayed it in public in that shape. He pleaded that I might be’ able “to swallow bush-faggots cross-ways.” It was a very strange prayer; but I have often done: just what he: asked that 1 might do. and it has cleared my throat wonderfully; and there is many a man, who cannot now speak out boldly for God, who will be’ obliged to have: some of those: bush-faggots thrust doln his throat; and when those great troubles come, and he is compelled to swallow them, then he’ will grow to be: a man in Christ Jesus, who will proclaim with power to others the: truths he has tried and proved in his own experience. c. ii. STURGEON’S.

Another of my country brethren prayed lhat I might be” delivered from th

bleating of the sheep;” and, lor the life of me. I could not make out what he

am not sure that he understood it himself, but 1 quite understand it now

; the Lord that I might live above the fear of man, so that, when

ome persons said to me, - I low much we have been edified to-day!” I might not be

pulled up; or if another said, How dull the discourse was to-day!” I might not

be depressed. There is no leader of the (lock who will not occasionally wisn to be

delivered from the bleating of the.- sheep, for they bleat such different tunes

There is some old bell-wether, perhaps, that is not bleating jn thc

, and one is apt to be troubled about it; but it is a great thing- to

Now, I am not going to be influenced by the way these sheep’ bleat Tarn

set to lead them rather than to let them lead me, and’ 1 am going to be guided

by something far more reliable than the bleating of the sheep, namely, theT voice

the Great Shepherd.” 1 soon found that the best way to be delivered from

bleating- of the sheep was to seek to be filled with the spirit of the Good

Shepherd.

(On page 229, there is the Outline of the first Sermon preached by Mr. Spurgeon at Vaterbeach; the following a, c his notes of his’/W Sermon as Pastor of the little village church which had been so greatly increased under his ministry: — )

OUTLINE (VTLXV. -Ji-:srs SAVES FROM SIN.

“Thou shall call //is name J/-SVS. for lie .hall save 11 is people from their sins”- Matthew i. 21.

As this was my first text in Vaterbeach, so, by the help of God, it shall be the one with which I close my stated ministry among you, in order that Jesus may he-Alpha and Omega with us. Let us speak of-I. Till-: GLORIOUS NAME.

II. llIE WONDROUS SALVATION.

III. TllE IJLESSED PEOPLE.

I ME GLORIOUS NAME: Jesus, or Joshua, “the Saviour.”

Two men, who had borne this name before, — Joshua the son of Nun, and
Joshua the son of Jozadak, were both types of Christ.
Joshua, the son of Nun, —

Fought for Israel, and overcame.

He led them through Jordan.

He divided their inheritance for them.

(‘. II. SI’UKCIEON’S AUTOlUCXJkArilV. 297

Joshua, the son ot |ozadak, —

Resiored the priesthood, and

Rebuilt the temple;

but how much greater is our Joshua, Jesus, the Sou oi God i All that these two men did, and far more, lie has done: in llis glorious work ol saving his people.

II. Tin; loxi)Rors SALVATION.

The salvation Jesus wrought ior Ih’s people: is salvation from sin.

1. From the result of sin, -the anger of God, death,- hell, — loss ol Heaven.

He who trusts in Jesus is pardoned lor all his ollences against God.

2. From the <>’uilt and charge of sin, so that we become innocent in the siiphl ol

God, yea, and even meritorious through the righteousness ol Jesus. This justification is instantaneous, perfect, unalterable, and brings with it all the blessings which by right only belong to perfection.

3. From the very being of sin. There is in each ol us our original depravity, and our acquired habits, but these the Lore! graciously lakes away; and puts in their place a new nature, and holy desires leading to holy acts.

This is a gradually progressive work.

These three things pardon, justification, and sanctilicalion, must go together. God will not justify an unpardoned or unsanctified sinner at the last.

Oh, how glorious is this salvation! My soul, often muse thereon!

III. Tin: liLKSSKI) PEOPLE.

Xot known at first, but mingled with others; some of all countries, ranks, and characters, shall be brought in. The marks by which they are- distinguished are

1. A sincere desire alter Heaven.

2. A devout seeking” for God.

3. Diligent labour to find the way ot salvation.

4. Great abhorrence of sin.

5. Sense ol personal nothingness.

6. Humble reliance on Jesus.

And now, my Father, make Thy servant mighty at last to wrestle with sinners! Gome, O Father, to mine assistance, by the ever-blessed Spirit, for JESUS CII lUST’S sake! Amen.

Before I left Cambridge, to come to London, 1 went one day into the library of Trinity College, and there I noticed a very fine statue of Lord Byron. ‘1 he librarian said to me, “Stand here, sir.” I did as I was directed, and as I looked at it I said, “What a line intellectual countenance! What a grand genius he was! “Come here,” said the librarian, “and look at the other side of the statue.” I said, “Oh!

29’ (<- “• SlTRCKOx’s AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

wh;iL a demon ‘There stands the man who could defy the Deity.” He seemed to have such a scow! and such a dreadlu! leer on his lace-, as Milton would have painted upon Satan when he said, “Better to reign in hell, than serve in Heaven.” I turned away, and asked the librarian, “Do you think the artist designed this?” “Yes,” he said, “he wish -a to picture the two characters,- -the great, the grand, the: almostsuperhuman genius that Byron possessed, and yet the enormous mass of sin that was in his soul.” Was ever libertine more free in his vices? Was ever sinner more wild in his blasphemy? Was ever poet more daring ,n his flights of fancy? Was ever any man more: injurious to his fellows? Vet what did Byron say? There: is a verse of his which just tells us what he felt in his heart, the man had all that he wanted ol sinful pleasure, but here is his confession,

Net he found it not. lor he had no rest in (iod Ik: tried pleasure till his eyes were red with it; he tried vice till his body was sick; and he descended into his grave a premature old man

In the year 1853, 1 was asked to give an address at the annual meeting of the Cambridge Sunday School Tnion, m the Guildhall of that town There were two other ministers to speak, both of them much older than myself; and, as a natural consequence, I was called upon first. 1 do not now recollect anything that 1 said on that occasion, but 1 have: no doubt that I spoke in m usual straightforward fashion 1 do not think there was anything in my remarks to cause- the’ other speakers to turn upon me so savagely as they eliel when it came- to the-ir turn to aeldress the- large: gathering. One ol the-m, in particular, was very personal ami also most insulting in his observations, specially referring to my youth, and then, in what he- seemed to regard as a climax, saying that it was a pity that boys did not adopt the: Scriptural practice of tarrying at Jericho till their beards were grown be-fore they tried to instruct their seniors.

Having obtained the chairman’s permission. I reminded the: audience that those: who were bidden to tarry at Jericho were: not boys, but full-grown men, whose: beards had been shaved oil by the-ir enemies as the- greatest indignity they could be made- to sulle-r, ami who were, therefore, ashameel to re-turn home- until the-ir be-arels hael grown again. I added that, the: true parallel to their case could be lounel in a minister who, through falling into open sin, hael disgraced his sacred calling, and so needed lo go into seclusion lor a while until his character had been to some extent restored. As it happened, I had given an exact description of the man who had attacked me so unjustly, and for that reason all who were present, and knew the circumstances, would be the; more likely to remember the incident. There was in the hall, that evening, a gentleman from Essex, — Mr. George Gould, of Loughton, — who felt so deeply sympathetic with me in the trying position in which I had been placed, through no fault of my own, and who also was so much impressed by what he had

heard th.it, shortly afterwards, meeting in London old Mr. Thomas Olney, one ot tin: deacons of the; church worshipping in New Park Street Chapel, he- pressed him to try to secure my services as a supply for the vacant pulpit, and thus became, in the hand of God, the means of mv transference from Cambridgeshire to the metropolis.

( I he night before he came to London, M r. Spurgeon gave the folloxvino- poem, which he h;ul composed, to the ladies with whom he had lodged alter leavin<>- M r. Leeding’s school; it has probably never been published until now: )

‘I’m-: N’oia.i-: ARMY OK MARTYRS.

Rouse thee, Music! Rouse thee, Song!

Noble themes await thee long.

Not the warrior’s thund’ring car,

Not the battle heard alar,

Not the garment rolled in blood,

Not the river’s redden’d llood,

Subjects more sublime 1 sing.

Soar thee. then, on highest wing!

Sing the white-robed hosts on high,
llio m s])iend()iir suns outvie;
Sing ol them, the marlyr’d band.
With the palm branch m their hand
1’airest ol the sonp light
Midst tile bright ones doubly bright

Who are these J ( )1 noble birth .J
lrre the monarchs ol the earth:*
Kind’s ol Hal )<• s ancient slate,
Lords ol I’ei’Nia, proud and LM’eat,
Grecian heroes, bold and bra’e,
Romans, making earth their slave?

No, — but hearken! Ileav’n replies,
List the music from the skies:
“These are they who dared to die,
Champions ol our Lord on hicdi.
At Mis name they bow’d the knee;,
Sworn to worship none but lie.
Fearless ol the; tyrant’s Irown,
Mmdlul ol the- promised crown;
‘1 rampling on Satanic raye,
Conqu’ring’ still from aic to age.
( oine, the glorious host re’ie’,
March the pditterincr squadrons through.”

O O 1 *J
c. ir. STURGEON’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 301

Some, from show’rs of deadly stones,
Some, from wheels, — with broken bones,
Snatch’d by sweet seraphic might,
Borne above the tyrant’s spite,- — Wondrous in their dying- hour,
Rose: above the demon’s power.

Some by cruel racks were torn,
Others were in sunder sawn.
Hunger, nakedness, and thirst,
Sword, and axe, and spear accurs’d
Cross, and knife, and fiery dan,
All conspiring, join’d their smart;
Yet, unconquer’d e’en in death,
Triumph iili’d their latest breath.

Yonder rank in chariots came,
Blazing o’er with fiery ilame;
Now, in burnish’d arms they shine,
Glorious in the gift Divine.

Some, from jaws of cruel beasts,
Rose to Heav’n’s triumphal leasts;
Some, in dungeons long immured,
Saw in death their crown secured,
Writhing in their tortures dread,
Smiled as if on downy bed.

These, from Rome’s dark dungeons flew;
These, on Alps, the despot slew;
These, by Spanish priests were slain;
These, the Moslem curs’d in vain.

Yonder stands a gallant host,
Martyrs from the Gallic coast,
Heroes from Bartholomew,
Soldiers to their Master true.

These, again, in shining row,
Saw the fiery torments glow,
They in Smithlield kiss’d the stake,
Blest to die for Jesus’ sake.

5°2 C. II. SI’URGKOX’s AUTOBIOGRArilV.

1 hose who, further in the plain,
Lift to Ileav’n the lofty strain,
In the ocean iouncl a rave,
Plung’d by force beneath the wave

Some?, by Kno-lish prelates tried,
On the; scaffold firmly died;
Scorn’d to own prelatic swa.’,
Nobl- dared to disobc:y.

Covenanters bold are there,
Sons of Scotia’s mountains bate,
Mimded with tin; valiant band,
Heroes of mv fatherland.