Spurgeon and Reaching the People
Im these days, God, by His providence, is teaching His church how to reach the masses of the people. The colossal enterprise now headed by Chas. H. Spurgeon, in London, is an example of what may be accomplished in this direction by one man. About thirty-five years ago this young man, then twenty years old, began to preach, to a handful of people, in an ordinary modern church building in that great city. His simple, earnest xreachiug caused the congregation to grow till the house was full. One evening, in 1854, he made a plea for enlargement, and remarked: ‘’By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down, and by faith, this wall at the back shall come down, too.” An aged and prudent church officer, in a somewhat dictatorial tone, said to him at the close of the sermon: -’ Let us never hear of that again.” “What do you mean? “said the preacher; ‘you will hear no more about it when it is done, and therefore the sooner you set about it the better.” It was not long before the work of enlargement began, and meanwhile worship was carried oij at Exeter Hall, which was, of course, a very much larger place. But during the three months of the use of that place far preaching services the crowds continued, often actually blocking up the street. To return to the enlarged church on Park Street was absurd, and yet there were those who thought it too bad a waste of money and material to let such a church buildmgstand unoccupied, m order that three times as many might hear a free gospel in a hall; and so Exeter Hall was abandoned, and back they went to the remodeled edifice. It was filled, but it was so evident to all that God had attended services in the hall with a far greater measure of good, that in June, 1856, they determined to use the hall for half a day, and so Mr. Spurgeon preached in the morning at the church, and in the evening at the hall.
All went well, under the new arrangement, hut no one could fail to see that the evening service was working a far grander result, in numbers and in the class of non-church-goers reached; and so, after a two months’ trial of this method, a movement began, looking to the bmldmg of a large tabernacle, fitted to hold the masses, and with abundant room, first, for habitual attendants to find a churchhome and, secondly, for the common people at large to find free welcome. Of course, there were those who opposed this project; the idea of giving up a fine commodious church, recently enlarged and refitted, and undertaking to put up a building to hold five thousand people, was scouted as absurd. But the mass of the church felt that it was far more important to reach the people than to hold fast to the old order; and so that building was abandoned. Unable to get control longer of Exeter Hall, on October 19, 1856, this heroic pastor and his peoj)le undertook a rofiwre o//rti//i. They hired the large Music Hall in Surrey Gardens, just built for M. Jnllien’s monster concerts, and held there the first Sabbath evening service. About 7,000 persons were assembled. Some evil-disposed persons created a panic, and in the rush seven persons were crushed to death, and four times as many were seriously injured. Mr. Spurgeon’s nervous system was so terribly shocked that he was perfectly prostrated, but two weeks after was again able to preach. To avoid fear of further panic, the service at Music Hall was transferred to the morning, though the evening was regarded more favorable to large congregations. Yet for three years that immense hall was crowded by all classes. Thousands hitherto unaccustomed to attend church found their way to this free i)lace of worship, and hundreds found a Saviour. Often ten thousand souls were gathered there to hear that simple gospel preacher. And it was no worldly bait that drew them. Even the singing was congregational, and led by a tor — Mr. Spurgeon “lining out” every hymn in old-time style.
In May, 1861, regular work was begun on the New Tabernacle, which was dedicated without debt, though it cost over $150,000 in gold. It can hold, without excessive crowding, 6,000 persons, and is always at least comfortably filled. During five Sabbaths in May, 1867, while the repairs were in progress on the Tabernacle, the congregation used Agricultural Hall, which was crowded every Sunday morning by 20,000 persons.
The work of conversion goes on constantly; the Lord adds to the church daily/ such as shall be saved. The average gross increase yearly to the church-membership has been 390 — clear increase, 204>
In twenty-one years the membership ran up from 313 to 4,813; and probably fully as many converts have gone into other churches, Aud yet, had the advice of a large and respectable inmoritj’ been followed, or had the jealousy of other congregations interfered to prevent the new enterprise, that people would yet be holding service in that old Park Street church, which, at its best, would hold not more than from 1000 to 1,500
Mr. Spurgeon’s church-enteriirise does not stand alone as a proof that the early success of the apostolic church may be repeated m these latter times Mr Moody has gone through not a few cities in this country and Britain, holding free services in immense temporary buildings capable of holding from 3,000 to 20,000, and no length of time has so far made the numbers less or the interest to flag. An Episcopal Church in New York City — and it seemed to some a serious deiarture from the stateliness of their traditional dignity! — put up a free gospel tent, and the amazing success of the plan, even with a system having so little flexibility and adaptability as the Episcopal, was supposed to have startled the whole of Christendom, At one season more persons were confirmed m that one church than were ever presented in any Episcopal church in this country, at one time, Pere Hyacmthe preached every Sunday m the Amphitheatre of the Chateau d’Eau, at Pans, to more than 4,000 people.
The most marked successes in reaching the peoxle seem to have been attained in large halls, or so-called tabernacles. And there is a reason. A building that is plain, large and free, built without regard to display, and evidently intended for the multitudes, strangely attracts the multitudes. Wesley and WTiitefield discovered this long ago. And there are reasons why even size and capacity are essential helps to draw the people
1. Power goes with a multitude; there is a mysterious attraction which draws us to go where we find a crowd.
2. Individuals are lost sight of m the mass. Many a man or woman dreads to enter an ordinary church, from the feeling that all eyes are turned toward the stranger, especially if such be very plainly clad and not at home in a church; but such slip in unconsciously with the multitude,
3. In a large church there will be room enough for regular attendants to have a regular place, without crowding strangers, or making the distinction too apparent between themselves and the habitual pew-holders.
And then we feel constrained to say that there is so much that is called preaching in these days that is no more evangelical or fitted to convert men than a political harangue or a secular lecture or an historical essay, that there is the more reason why the largest access to souls should be given to any man who in simplicity and power does magnify Christ crucified. For one I rejoice when I see the man who dares in this day to know only this grand theme, having a place that will hold the people in great numbers, and having it full — if I cannot have access to the masses, or cannot hold them, God send them to hear the man who can win and save tho lost!
To one {feature of this great church enterprise it behooves us to pay special heed- This is only a centre from which radiate m every direction evangelizing influences. This church is a mother of churches, missions, Sunday Schools, preaching stations and every conceivable form of outside gospel extension and benevolent work, and this not because the church is so prosperous — this makes the church prosperous. Every effort, self-sacrifice, onward movement, looking toward the masses of the people living about m practical heathenism, has a reacting influence on the church centre. Men and women go out to carry a blessing and come back to bring a greater blessing than they bore away; they come to tell of good done, souls won, hungry fed, and the Spirit outpoured; and so the mother church is constantly warmed and fed and filled and inspired anew!
This church is a little kingdom; it has a score of departments within itself; there is the Pastor’s college, now m a separate building, with over a hundred students, and an outlay of about $22,500, raised by voluntary subscription. More than 700 of its students are now preaching the gospel in Various parts of the kingdom, and several hundred lay preachers have been furnished beside, drawn from the plow or, for aught I know, from the scissors grinders on the streets. It does not seek to maJce preachers so much as to aid and educate those who show a capacity and a devotion for that work; and during the two years’ course the aim is to help students to publish “the plain gospel in a plain way” In the metropolis and suburbs, about fifty chapels are supplied by these students or graduates of this college.
A little further off is the group of Almshouses, m which scores of the poorest, feeblest of the congregation are sheltered and fed, and this again is maintained by voluntary offerings. In connection with the almshouses is a boys’ school, where 300 pupils are taught. There IS beside a Colportage society, employing men who act as both salesmen and evangelists. Still more, there is the Stock well orphanage, founded in 1869; and it had a curious origin. Mr. Spurgeon wrote an article for the Sword and Trowel, urging the fonndinf; of an orphanaj::e, and accompanied by an illustration intended to represent Arnold, the Swiss patriot, throwing himself into the ranks of the Austrian army. The wood cut was so wretched that not a few read the article m order to read the illustration! A benevolent lady wrote shortly, oHering to give 20,000 pounds for a boys’ orphanage. This was reserved for an endowment fund, and a large enough sum raised by subscription both to build the orphan houses and to add 5,000 pounds to the endowment fund. It is a faith work, and some 500 are now in the institution, the buildings of which cover six acres.
Spurgeon himself is both a full and ready man, and his pen is always busy. He has a lecture on candles, provoked by a challenge from a student, in reply to his remark that the most unpromising of subjects might be made, in earnest hands, to yield good and interesting matter, like the German novel knitting needles, and Sterne’s sermon on the text, *’ Is there any taste in the white of an
It is no small testimony to the balance of his character that neither extravagant praise nor censure caused Siurgeon to fall from his consistency or integrity, or to falter in his evangelical work. Edward Irving, with still greater gifts, with a scholarship that was only matched by his splendid imagination and marvellous eloquence, lost his balance under the influence of similar temptations.
Mr. Spurgeon’s sermons are regularly reported by a short-hand writer and given publication m cheap form; their circulation varies from 20,000 to nearly half a million.
This great church, once in a stagnant state, began, however, to move, to move in the direction of extending its influence in the metropolis; first one new station was manned, Sunday School and preaching and prayer meeting began, God’s blessing followed unselfish efiort, and the rewards of Christian work were so rich that new endeavors were provoked and new self-denials attcmx)ted. We ought not to rest content with our present church idleness. There is many a church which has a possible future of both members and power, and may shake our citres to their centre. New churches, preaching stations, Sunday Schools, orphanages, all may grow up around us, on one condition: Toliintartj self-sacrifice for Christ, No alive minister of Christ can long remain where he cannot see the church engaged in aggressive work. AVe care little what is done if it be only done and done m the Lord’s way. O, for consecration of capital, not only of money, but of brains, and muscle, and affection and service.
There are men by the score who could i)reach the gospel in these y
cities -with imcommon power, and “they are herefin our congregations, and they rarely open their months. There are men here who are burying capital m investments and lands and bonds and buildings, who could give an impulse to new enterprises whose usefulness would be ever increasing till Gabriel blows his trumpet and declares that there shall be no longer delay ‘O for a consecrated ambition to push the chariot of the Lord forward till the Lord himself shall