The Book Fund and Its Work, 1878
By V. J. Charlesworth
PREFATORY LETTER.
Dear Friends,
3 ILL you be so good as to read this short i letter before you turn to the Report? It is exceedingly needful that you should do so, y* because otherwise, you may form a wrong judgment of the following pages. My dear viv - f’ w wife shrinks from issuing it because it contains a measure of praise as to herself, and this she very sincerely disclaims. Yet I, for one, cannot see how the commendatory paragraphs can be struck out (indeed, I know them to be well deserved), and I believe that they will not be misunderstood if the circumstances under which the Report is written are fully known.
Mrs. Spurgeon has been too ill to write for herself, and her husband, who would rejoice to have undertaken the task for her, has been also under the Lord’s afflicting hand. None of our loving friends would wish either of us to have attempted the work, for which we were equally unfitted. Moreover, my dear one has so poor an idea of her own abilities that she has almost always submitted her compositions to my revision; and though my verdict upon her writing so entirely differs from her own that I seldom alter a word, yet she cannot bring herself to the task without me, nor would she lay an ounce weight of labour upon me by asking me to look at her pages, and therefore it was determined that she would this year leave the Report to be written by a friend.
Here is the friend’s production, which I highly prize; but at the same time, Mrs. Spurgeon feels a great delicacy as to herself sending it out. I am hardly so sensitive, but I fully sympathize with her feeling, and therefore beg the subscribers to accept the Report as a friends generous effort, and not as ours. We cannot, either separately or unitedly, produce the necessary document, nor alter the present one, so as to speak by it ourselves; and I am certain that Christian love will make every necessary apology, and remember that a friend may say, and will say, that of us which we would not dream of saying, or thinking, of ourselves.
Personally, I thank every one who has helped my beloved wife; and though painfully parted from her for a while by a trying Providence, we are so united in heart, that in her name I alsa return most sincere and hearty thanks to each donor of a sum, great or small. This work becomes dearer every month to her who carries it on; she rejoices in the painful exertion which it often costs her, and counts it an honour and a delight to be the channel by which such valuable aid is conveyed to the servants of the Lord.
To feed hungry bodies is a work of common humanity; but as the benefit in this case is mental and spiritual, the beneficence rises into a higher sphere. Fewer are those who sympathize with mental hunger, hence the loftier value which the almoner sets upon the gifts of those who help her in this more elevated form of Christian charity. These donations are not to be expended in bread and fish for the multitude, though this would be most commendable, but upon the means of feeding the souls of ministers who shall afterwards feed others with the bread of heaven. There is in this department of service the more need for prayer, that the end may not be missed, since it is more easy to secure the nourishment of a body by loaves than of a soul by books. We must in this work rely wholly upon the Spirit of God. Pray, then, dear friends, for the Lord’s own blessing. The result may be marvellous if God shall favour the work with His grace; let us therefore be the more eager to secure a worthy result by our supplications.
Yours most heartily,
C. H. SPURGEON
HEN the Master bids his servants “stand still” — whether to await, in mute suspense, the command to “go forward,” or in earnest solicitude, the anointing, which is at once the secret and the pledge of all true success — there is a moral excellence in the self-restraint which obeys without a murmur, and it is equally accepted with the zeal which asserts itself in heroic deeds, for
“They also serve who only stand and wait.”
In the wide economy of grace there is a place, doubtless, for Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus —
“Rapt into still communion that transcends
The imperfect offices of prayer and praise,”
just as truly as there is ample scope for an apostolic ministry, fired by a zeal which impels to unceasing activity till it is quenched in the fires of martyrdom, or is transmuted into the ardour of the seraph. The King must have His remembrancers at home as well as His ambassadors abroad.
In the history of the Book Fund we have an illustration of the blending of these two qualities — the patience which awaits year after year in the narrow sanctuary of a sick chamber, and the zeal which, at length, converts that sick room into an armoury, from which to send forth weapons and instruments for “the good soldiers of Jesus Christ,” and “workers together with God,” to enable them to carry on the “combat with sin and labour for the Lord.”
Again and again has the “crown of life,” promised to those who “are tried,” appealed within the grasp of the sufferer, during her long years of waiting; but the baptism of suffering proved to be the chosen medium of a divine anointing for a ministry which has caused the “thanksgiving of many to redound to the glory of God.” Mrs. Spurgeon
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received a call from the Master to supply His poor servants with the bullion from which to coin the currency of their sacred ministry, and, with a zest sharpened by long retirement from active Christian service, the mission was commenced, and its existence has been fully justified by the good which it has already accomplished.
The lemon plant, so often referred to by Mrs. Spurgeon, not only served to beguile the tedium of the waking hours occasioned by a painful affliction; it furnished also an emblem of the power of vitality, and proved the symbol of a modest but useful ministry. The Book Fund, designed originally to supply a copy of “Lectures to my Students” to a few poor ministers, has, like the lemon plant, grown to goodly proportions, and hundreds have been cheered and blessed by its instrumentality.
What has been accomplished during the past year the Report will partly show; much, however must remain unrecorded until “the day shall declare it.” Anxiety for needed funds to meet increasing demands has prompted to incessant prayer, and solicitude in selecting the right persons to be assisted by the Fund has entailed an enormous correspondence, the labour of which, to an invalid, is not easily estimated. That the work is of the Lord none can deny or doubt “Sore need have I had,” writes Mrs. Spurgeon, “for His tender, pitiful care, and He has never failed me; but, in spite of almost constant ill-health, He has enabled me to accomplish even an increased amount of labour, and has extended the benefits of the Book Fupd far and wide. To His name be the praises of my heart!”
To have had any share in the good work will be a pleasing memory and a sacred solace to every donor, and the inspiration of the truest joy will be found in the Master’s recognition and reward — “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.”
To all who “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” such a work must commend itself to their sympathies, their prayers, and their generous support.
The important ministry of good books is so apparent, that it seems scarcely necessary even to state the fact; but to
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none have books such a mission as to the preacher, whose usefulness depends so largely upon the utterance of “Thoughts that breathe and words that bum.”
To a devout and honest man the possession of a good book is a priceless treasure; its study stimulates thought, which enables him, by the husbandry of reflection and prayer, to reap a harvest, larger and richer, perhaps, than that of the author from whose granary he first obtained the seed-germs of his ideas.
Bearing these facts in mind, who can forecast the issues of the Book Fund, which, during the three years of its existence, has distributed nineteen thousand one hundred and forty-three volumes of sacred literature to ministers, who have derived, from their study, inspiration and help in the work of soul-winning? In the chain of Christian service thus indicated, every link will receive its due share of the honour, and in the Spiritual Harvest Home, when the sheaves are garnered, “he that soweth and he that reapeth shall rejoice together,”
When it is borne in mind that hundreds of ministers receive a stipend below the average weekly wage of a skilled mechanic, upon which they are expected to appear in broadcloth, occupy a house suitable to their position, maintain and educate their children in a manner becoming their profession, contribute to the various societies connected with their denomination, and keep abreast of the age in their pulpit ministrations, it will be seen how much they stand in need of the help which the Book Fund affords. Burdened with the anxiety to “provide things honest in the sight of all men,” the acquisition of helpful literature is “a consummation devoutly to be wish’d,” but rarely attained by those who, in the spirit of Christian heroism, hold their ground as “good soldiers of Jesus Christ.” All honour to these brave warriors, who “endure hardness” as lone sentinels, or “die facing fearful odds!” If they have “fought a good fight,” they will receive “the crown of righteousness,” and it will be all the brighter from the fact that their weapons were the “ox-goad” or the 4t smooth stones fron the brook.” Well has the poet said —
“Strongest minds
Are often those of whom the noisy world hears least”$
and when “the fire shall try every man’s work,” the bead-roll of martyrs shall become the muster-roll of heroes, and the “well-done, good and faithful servant” will stamp with eternal fame the conquests of life long obscurity. It is a cause of thankfulness that the Book Fund has armed many of these sturdy warriors with the weapons for their spiritual warfare, and that their triumphs have been all the greater for the equipment To the Captain of our Salvation be all the praise!
One feature of the mission of the Book Fund must be mentioned: it has furnished an example of liberality to some who, while scarcely paying their minister a sufficient sum to enable him to meet his household expenses, have nevertheless required him to be a very Solon in the pulpit. John Ploughman advises all drivers, who expect their horses to go, to “put the whip into the manger” — in other words, to feed them better — and the Book Fund has urged the moral of the proverb in another direction; for, while leaving the critics of the pew to complain of the pace of the pulpit, it has put the whip into the minister’s study in the shape of goodly volumes of theology. A sparse library, to which the poverty of a minister has doomed him, should not onty disarm the unkind criticism in which some thoughtful — we had nearly written thoughtless — hearers indulge, but rather furnish an occasion, as it points to the necessity, of supplying the lack. We fear, however, that the Book Fund will not be superseded by individual liberality; for the money power of the smaller churches is severely strained to provide even the inadequate stipend of the minister. So long as the need exists, the Book Fund will endeavour to supply it, and, we are assured, the means will always be forthcoming. During the three years of its existence the amount expended has reached ^3,5 n 14s. 2d.; and in the brief statement to subscribers, issued by Mrs. Spurgeon before the writing of this Report, the following expression of thanks for their generosity occurs: — “Your gifts are received as from the Lord, often coming as special answers to prayer, and always as tokens ,of His favour and approval of the effort 5 nd when they have thus enriched my soul, they carry to the weary, toiling servants of the Master substantial blessings — divine luxuries — the worth of which only a poor * bookless ’ pastor can rightly appreciate.”
The operation of the Book Fund, discovering so much poverty, has led to the formation of “The Pastors’ Aid Fund,” by which many a needy minister has received timely assistance. A detailed report of this branch of the work is withheld, for reasons which will be apparent It is sufficient to say that many a weary heart has been cheered, and many a heavy burden lifted through the medium of this Fund; as much as ^200 a year having been received and disbursed. To a faithful minister a pecuniary burden is one of the most painful to bear, and its removal is not only a relief to his mind, but it affects every department of his ministry, and, humanly speaking, increases his chances of success. While the kind donors who thus lovingly contribute to assist the distressed servants of the Lord may cherish the gracious promise — “Your Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward you openly,” — the thanks of the almoner and recipients alike are hereby tendered, and the fervent ft God bless you” of many a grateful heart.
During the past year, village pastors, to whom the works of standard authors are known only in name, and to whom their possession has been a long cherished desire, have, on hearing of the Book Fund, told the story of their struggles and their privations to justify their appeals. Often with much reluctance, always with diffidence, the applicants have* ventured to ask for a grant of books in terms which but ill concealed their fears that they would be refused. Their acknowledgments prove that, in many instances, the arrival of the books has surprised their faith; and, as they have peeped into the volumes for the first time, through tears of gratitude, they have administered the self-rebuke — “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
The large proportion of Mr. Spurgeon’s works which are given is not to be attributed to the partiality of the almoner, but to the choice of the applicants, who express their desire to possess them. When we state that neither authors nor publishers profit by the transactions, this fact should disarm
the suspicion that the Book Fund, while benevolent in its intention, is commercial in its operation.
We cull a few extracts from the correspondence, which illustrate the necessity for the operations of the Book Fund, and express the gratitude evoked for the books received.
A Baptist Pastor, with a wife and four children to maim tain on ^60 per annum, writes thus: —
A few books would be a boon to me, but I am too poor to buy, and, unless some be given, I must go on “making my bricks without straw.”
When, in answer to this appeal, Mrs. Spurgeon’s gift reached him he says: —
I have not words which can express my heartfelt gratitude to you for the valuable present you have so kindly sent me. I could but go on my knees and bless God for thinking of me, and fervent prayer ascended for you and Mr. Spurgeon, and all who have contributed to the Book Fund. As I look at my few books, I feel that every one of them increases my responsibility, — if my heavenly Father gives me greater help, he will require better service. May your prayers be answered for my increased power and usefulness.
A minister in the far West, on receiving a grant of books, writes: —
I beg to express my heartfelt thanks to you, Madam, for sending me - five vols. of “The Treasury of David,” a work I have long desired to possess, and great, indeed, was the pleasure I felt when I found the parcel contained such a treasure. I beg also to acknowledge the receipt of a volume of Mr. Spurgeon’s “Sermons” for the year 1877, for which I heartily thank you. I would not multiply words to express my thanks.
I would only say that I feel truly grateful to our Heavenly Father that He has put such a desire into your heart as to bestow such favours upon His servants with limited means; and I am thankful that you have bestowed such a favour on me.
From the extreme northern country a minister writes: —
Having acknowledged the receipt of the parcel of books, I am utterly lost for want of suitable words and ways to express my intense gratitude. I seem like a person who has suddenly come to an unexpected and valuable possession, and is at a loss what first to admire and enjoy. From the depths of my heart I thank you for the invaluable gift. May God help me so to work in this “mine of sanctified thought and hallowed affection,” that my own personal ministry may be more useful, vigorous, and holy than it has ever been. I am thankful to possess “The Treasury of David,” by your beloved husband, and assure you that it will be prized by me as long as I live. I shall place it by the side of his “Sermons” and “Lectures to my Students,” and hold their gifted and honoured author in loving remembrance. That the blessing of Him who dwelt in the bush may rest upon yourself, your husband, and all the works of your hands, is my earnest prayer.
When Andrew found the Messiah, his anxiety was aroused for his brother, and “He first findeth his own brother Simony and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ And he brought him to Jesus.” Such an example has been copied again andagain* and the benefits received by one have led to their extension to others who were the objects of Christian solicitude. In this way the operations of the Book Fund have widened out, to the joy and rejoicing of many hearts. We give one illustration out of many.
A Devonshire minister writes: —
I have realized great help from “The Treasury” in sermonizing, and I have realized great help in my own personal living to God by the consecutive reading of it for devotional purposes. It is natural mat I should desire for others the same good I have realized myself. The case I beg very respectfully to submit to you is that of my brother, for whom I ask the gift of Mr. Spurgeon’s “Treasury.” My brother is a Wesleyan Missionary in the small Island of St. Eustatius, West Indies, the only Protestant minister in the island, and, of course, the advantages there, either of the way or the means of getting such books, iure very few.
It is scarcely necessary to add that importunity prevailed in this case, and the volumes were forwarded in due course.
Throughout the country, and from some of the most out-of-the-way places, with names which few people out of Ireland have ever heard, letters come, telling the old story of struggles and privations. One minister writes: —
I have been ministering to the spiritual comfort of a small congregation of Christians, commonly called Baptists, in this village for thirty years, struggling all the time under temporal difficulties beyond what anyone could imagine. The annual average amount of my income during that time is not more than £ 12. We kept a small shop for some years, until my wife’s health, with hard work and privation of even the common necessaries of life, completely broke down, so that for the last six years we have had to give our business up, as she could not help, and my labours for the Lord occupied my own time; and for the last Ten Years of my Life.
nine months she has been very little out of bed. You will see by this, and bringing up four children, we must have had a hard time of it, without purchasing books, and therefore that my library must be very small. You will naturally say, How did you get through? I answer — the God who feeds the ravens sent us in little by little, though sometimes our board has been very scant, and our backs but thinly clad; but we can say, “The Lord will provide.”
The utter dearth disclosed by these unaffected statements is pitiable in the extreme. How the dear good man has succeeded in teaching the same congregation for thirty years would be an insoluble mystery did we not know that “strength is made perfect in weakness,** and that the “foolishness of preaching,** when sanctified by faith and prayer, is ordained of God “to save them that believe.** Now that the six goodly volumes, sent through the Book Fund, form a cheering oasis in the barren library of the poor pastor, his ministry will, doubtless, yield a more abundant harvest than heretofore; for this law of the kingdom still remains in force — “Unto him that hath, shall be given, and he shall have more abundance.**
The donors will be glad to be informed that, when an applicant is able to purchase, books are sent on the most advantageous terms, and thus the benevolent operations of the Fund are restricted to ministers in necessitous circumstances.
The limits of this account prevent the insertion of many expressions of gratitude with which the letters abound, and the hopes which are cherished of future help and cheering testimonies to increased usefulness from the study of the books. While the agent is not overlooked, the “Giver of every good and perfect gift** is not forgotten by the writers, and no fitter words can close this brief memorial of another year’s labour for the Lord than those which place the crown of every holy enterprise on His head, who alone is worthy — “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name be the glory.”