Conduct in the Face of Death

all men, must be fought with by each one for himself. He gives us no hopes whatever that any of us can avoid it. He tells us of no bridge across the river Death; he does not give us the faintest hope that it is possible to emerge from this state of existence into another without dying: he describes the monster as being exactly in our path, and with it we must fight, each man personally, separately, and alone; each man must die; we all must cross the black stream;

each one of us must go through the iron gate. ¹ I n 1889-90, a "world-wide extension of epidemic influenza," began in Russia in October and spread over Europe, into South America and North America, and into the continent of Africa, and resulted in a large number of deaths in London in the four weeks prior to January ²⁵, 1890. Franklin Parsons wrote in the British Medical Journal that "the deaths in London from all causes taken together were ²,258 above the average of the corresponding weeks during the previous ten years." Contributing to this great increase was an especially virulent strain of influenza that seemed to bring along with it "whooping cough, phthisis,

bronchitis, pneumonia, [and] other diseases of the respiratory organs." ² The 1891 epidemic, as in 1890, was "accompanied by an excess of total mortality above that ascribed directly to influenza." In the eight weeks prior to June ²⁰, 1891, "4,584 deaths above the average have been registered in London," Parsons wrote, adding, "Thus the epidemic of the present year has

been more protracted and more fatal than that of last year." ³ Sir Peter Eades described the wide variety of manifestations of influenza in 1891 as including "sudden headache, pain of the back and lower limbs, fever, and more or less irritation of the respiratory membranes" and at times "nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, superadded." Chills and rigors occur at the beginning followed later by "catarrh, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, or indeed, irritation or inflammation of almost any or every viscus." Eades also observed, along with other medical colleagues, that "primary disorders of the brain and mind have been exceptionally common, much more so than in 1890. Every degree of

mental disturbance has been observed, from simple apathy, drowsiness, or dullness of mind, through various degrees of mental depression or of excitement, up to delirium and absolute mania." ⁴

Onset of the Final Struggle

Unlike the outbreak of the plague early in Spurgeon's ministry from which he was spared, providence did not by pass him this time. Whether this outbreak of "influenza" was named properly or not, the ravaging effects of it found a weakened host in Spurgeon. He had just returned from three months in Mentone.

While there, struggling with the debilitating illnesses that had tightened their hold on him increasingly for some years, he wrote of his hope that "the afflictions of the Editor" would be not only for his profit but for theirs. He recommended to other sufferers a viewpoint that filled his painful days with confident hope: "Let all the sons and daughters of sorrow know assuredly that the bitters of their portion are weighed and measured by covenant love; and not a drop of wormwood will be wasted if there be grace given to receive it with

believing resignation." ⁵ Suffering happened according to the will of God in accordance with God's specific design for each person. He believed that for others, he accepted it for himself.

When he preached again on February ⁸ the usual power attended his proclamation. A business meeting, at which he presided, reported a membership in the Tabernacle of ⁵,328, ²³ missions stations capable of seating ³,740, and ²⁷ Sunday Schools with 592 teachers and over ⁸,000 students in the classes. He continued his steady weekly labors for the next three months. Some extra services, as usual, pressed the time into more compact and demanding segments.

In the evening service of April ²⁶, Spurgeon was unable to preach. He arrived at the Tabernacle with a sermon in mind and heart, entered the pulpit with the full intention of preaching, when, as he related the event, "an overpowering nervousness oppressed me, and I lost all self-control, and left the pulpit in anguish." He returned the next Sunday morning to preach on that text, Psalm 40:7, "Then said I, Lo, I come." He used the event of the week before to reinforce the intended purpose. It was a classic Spurgeonic evangelistic message with the perfect integration of urgency of need, immediacy of Christ's saving presence, the universal call to embrace gospel promises, and the complete dependence on the purposes of sovereign grace. "Perhaps, also, there are some here this morning who were not here last Lord's-day evening, whom God intends to bless by the sermon," he conjectured. "The people were not here, peradventure, for whom the eternal decree of God had designed the message, and they may be here now." Spurgeon did not submit his sickness the week before to merely fortuitous circumstances. "You that are fresh to this place, should consider the strange circumstance, which never happened to me before in the forty years of my ministry," and thus he pressed the audience to consider

"whether my bow was then unstrung that the arrow might find its ordained target in your heart." As he described the utterly desperate condition of despairing sinners weary of all things, including life, and pointed out how to them Christ said, "Lo, I come," Spurgeon remarked, "Should you even lie in all the despair and desolation which I described, I would persuade you to believe in Jesus. Trust him, and you shall find him all that you want." In illustrating how Jesus comes even when unsought, Spurgeon exclaimed, "Herein is the glorious sovereignty of his love fully exercised, and grace reigns supreme. 'Lo, I come,' is the announcement of majestic grace which waiteth not for man, neither tarrieth for the sons of men." His personal experience, so frequently called upon, provided opportunity for Spurgeon to urge sovereignty as an encouragement to trust: "I know my Lord came to me, or I should never have come to him: why should he not come to you? … Why should he not draw us also? Is he not doing so? Yield to the pressure of his love." At virtually every point Spurgeon punctuated his evangelistic call with the foundation of divine sovereignty. "Because he loved his redeemed from before the foundation of the world, therefore in due time he says, 'Lo, I come.'... There is no good in you; there is no reason in you why the Lord should save you; but because of his free, spontaneous, rich, sovereign, almighty grace, he leaps out of heaven, he descends to earth, he plunges into the grave to pluck his beloved from destruction. … Without asking you, and without your asking him, he puts in an appearance in the sovereignty of his grace." ⁶

A Chronicle of Last Things

With a description of this sermon the volume that described the last nine months of Spurgeon's life began. From the Pulpit to the Palm Branch: A Memorial of C.

H., Spurgeon collected all the articles that had appeared in The Sword and he Trowel about Spurgeon's sickness during these months and the events and Spurgeon's activities at Mentone. It included accounts of all the memorial services in Mentone and London, the funeral service, texts of speeches and sermons and telegrams from a variety of persons including those written from Mentone by Susannah Spurgeon. Texts of sermons by A. T. Pierson preached from Sunday February ⁷ through Thursday February ²⁵ were included. These sermons highlighted the peculiarly notable gifts of Spurgeon in the context of scriptural examples of those gifts. A list of all persons and organizations that had sent letters of condolence and sympathy up to the time of the book's printing filled the last fourteen pages with an extra page listing fifty-nine religious

organizations that sent deputations to the funeral. ⁷ The week before May ¹⁰ included preaching at the Sunday School Union, a sermon for the benefit of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society on Thursday, and a meeting at Hendon, two hours' distance, with men from the college. He preached on Genesis 24, a sermon about the serious task of the minister in going to claim a bride for his Master. She must indeed be the bride of Christ and none other. Spurgeon had preached on this text in October, 1888, entitled "No Compromise," a sermon to which reference has been made, and would preach

the text the next Sunday evening, May ¹⁰, 1891, in his own pulpit. ⁸ After tea, a testimony meeting yielded more work for Spurgeon because two of the three

announced speakers were "laid aside by influenza." ⁹ Not only did the speaking require study, preparation, and energy in the delivery, but required follow-up work for publication of all of them. Spurgeon commented on the week and its

labors in The Sword and Trowel:

A drive of two hours there (to Herndon) and two hours back made the engagement a heavy draught

upon time. Friends will note that all the above meetings were held in one week, which also included

two Sabbath services and the great communion at the Tabernacle, besides all regular home work,

correspondence, etc. In addition, the Lord's day morning sermon had to be revised, and published the

following Thursday; and the sermons to Sunday-school teachers and sailors were received for revision

and duly attended to. Is it any wonder that the worker gets weary, and has to beg friends not to impose

further burdens on one who is already terribly overladen? 10

On May ¹⁰, 1891, in the evening, Spurgeon preached on Genesis 24, fresh on his mind, "An Urgent Request for an Immediate Answer." "I believe I am sent," he

told his congregation, "to find out some appointed for Christ in the divine

purpose and covenant, and I pray my Master that there may be many such." ¹¹ Later, as he increased in expounding the urgency of his mission, he reminded the congregation that late experience had shown how quickly life could be ended. "How many of our friends have been taken away by influenza?" he asked the audience, confirming his statement with, "This congregation has suffered from

sickness, in family after family, as I never knew it suffer before." ¹² Five days later he reported that during a speaking time in the evening he experienced "peculiar bodily weakness" and "special spiritual strength." Two days after that, consistent with the incubation time for the influenza bacilli as reported by Dr. Eades, Spurgeon "could not preach, and the doctor found him laid aside with congestion of the lungs and other matters, which forbid his quitting his chamber

for some little time to come." ¹³ Spurgeon recorded an event that happened near this time when "we entered into the pulpit on the Sunday evening, and were

obliged to hurry out of it; for a low, nervous condition shut us up." ¹⁴ This attack proved to be this strong strain of influenza. As Spurgeon himself recalled, "In

the end of May, 1891, I suffered from the virulent influenza then raging." ¹⁵ He recovered well enough in three weeks to preach on June ⁷ in the morning.

He preached on 1 Samuel 30:21-25, "The Statute of David for the Sharing of the Spoil." Spurgeon expressed concern about the "faint ones" in David's army, knowing that he spoke to many of that sort in his congregation. He was one of them and told the listeners, "That was one reason why I took this text. I felt, after my illness, most happy to come forth and meet my Lord in public. I am glad also to meet with you, my comrades. We are still spared for the war. Though laid aside for a while, we are again among our brethren." As he scanned the congregation, though, he felt compelled to notice, "I am sorry to miss so many

of our church-members who are laid aside by this sickness." ¹⁶ Deeply conscious of his own recent weakness and his many weeks, even months, of needed convalescence, Spurgeon spoke at times as if he were one of the ones that did not go with David into battle but stayed with the baggage. "I do not know whether you agree with me, but I find that half-an-hour's perplexity takes more out of a man than a month's labor." "This is one reason why certain of our Lord's loyal-hearted ones are on the sick list, and must keep in the trenches for a while." "I will be bound to say it was a great trial to them not to be allowed to march into the fight. … It is hard to brave men to be convinced to hospital, and have no drive at the foe. The weary one wishes he could be to the front, where his Captain's eye would be upon him. He pants to smite down the enemies, and win back the spoil for his comrades." "I believe the Lord will give

to the sick and the suffering an equal reward with the active and energetic, if they are equally concerned for His glory." "Some saints are constitutionally depressed and sad; they are like certain lovely ferns, which grow best under a constant drip." "We are not among those self-praising ones who have wrought such wonders of holiness; but we mourn our shortcomings and transgressions, and yet He hath not cast away the people whom He did foreknow. … If anybody had told us that we should have been such poor soldiers as we have been, we should not have believed them." As he closed the sermon, he called to mind, "These forty years and more have I served Him, blessed be His name! and I have had nothing but love from Him. I would be glad to continue yet another forty years in the same dear service here below if so it pleased Him. His service is life,

peace, joy." ¹⁷ He would not have another forty years, nor even another day with his beloved congregation.

The next day, June ⁸, Spurgeon traveled, even though ill, to Suffolk as a guest of Mr. Gurteen of Haverhill, and brought his photographer, Mr. T. H. Nash, to

take shots of scenes in Stambourne. ¹⁸ These were used in his volume Memories of Stambourne. In the course of the week, "an overpowering headache came on,"

19 he took a chill, had to return quickly to London, relapsed to an immobile state due to the accompaniment of aggravated gout. He was confined to his bed, suffering greatly. He had preached for the last time at the Tabernacle.

Watching, and Waiting, and Looking Above

A report from Westwood made the close followers of Spurgeon's condition aware that many critical moments and days had followed upon one another in wearying succession, hounding him with relentless lapses into weakness and pain, not only in bones and muscles and heart and lungs, but in mind. "For three months," Spurgeon wrote, "I suffered beyond measure, and was often between the jaws of death." ²⁰ Though physicians were ever present, "in such a struggle

between life and death, hope and fear alternate with sorrowful frequency." ²¹ Hopeful mornings followed virtually without exception by frightful evenings gave the watchers alarm and the "most gloomy forebodings." "Delirium," such as had been described as an effect of the current influenza, came and went and was especially intense at times. "Even the sacred hours of the Lord's day were invaded by the dreaded delirium, and day after day, the most trying suspense

continued." ²² Daily reports to the intense watchers in England were supplemented by the first possible report in The Sword and Trowel of August 1891. "It was not possible, last month," the writer noted, "to let our readers know how seriously ill Mr. Spurgeon was." As the July issue passed through the press, however, "his symptoms became so alarming" that Dr. Kidd was called in to consult with Dr. Miller, of Upper Norwood, who had been in attendance since May ¹⁸. After a brief respite in early July in which they believed that the immediate threats to his health were subdued, on July ⁴ the delirium returned and it became evident that "a most serious state of affairs had been reached." Dr. Miller stayed at his side every night and Dr. Kidd called each morning to consult. Spurgeon hovered at the edge of death and, even with such skilled and constant attention, death seemed certain. At this time, the entire company found hope only in the great confidence expressed in many letters, from a variety of places, stated that they had been impressed "most powerfully that this sickness was 'not unto death,' and that the Lord would raise up his servant even from the very gates of the

grave." ²³ Correspondence abounded each day to Mrs. Spurgeon with assurances of prayer and expressions of sincere sympathy with her unremitting task of watching, hoping, despairing, and wondering. William E. Gladstone, who recently had lost a child, wrote Mrs. Spurgeon, and, after conveying his deep admiration of the gifts and character of her husband, expressed his commendation of them both to "the infinite stores of the Divine love and mercy." The chief Rabbi of London, Hermann Adler, wrote Susannah "with

earnest prayer to our common Father that his precious life may be spared," and that he would "sustain the patient sufferer on his bed of languishing" and

"sustain you and yours during the period of trial." ²⁴ The Sword and the Trowel for August 1891 proclaimed that the "The prayers presented for Mr. Spurgeon have been almost, if not wholly, without parallel in the history of the church of Christ." Thousands gathered in the Tabernacle for a day of prayer; special prayer services were held three times daily for weeks during the most severe manifestations of the perfect storm of illness meeting in Spurgeon's body. Those attending insisted that they had never before "witnessed such mighty wrestlings." These public occasions for prayer ran throughout the Christian world in England, throughout the English-speaking world and in many other places where his writings had been made known. During most of this time Spurgeon was unaware of the great and universal outpouring of concern for him,

except for "the occasional intervals between the delirium." ²⁵ Notes and visits to Westwood arrived in profound numbers and regularity.

Assurances of concern and prayer from the Baptist Young People's Convention in Chicago, the Christian Endeavor Society of Minneapolis, the Ontario Home Mission Board, the Northfield Convention signed by D. L. Moody and H. L.

Wayland, the Baptist Union of Sydney, New South Wales, the Baptist Union of New Zealand, and the Jamaica Baptist Union. Correspondents and visitors to Westwood included the Prince of Wales, the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen, Earl Fortescue, the Countess of Seafield, Lord Brassey, Lord and Lady Kinnaird, Lord Kilmaine, the Dowager Lady Abercromby, Lady Massy, Lady Peto, Lady Wright, Sir John Burns, Sir Charles Lawson, Sir Wilfrid and Lady Lawson, Sir A. H. Layard, Sir Frederick Perkins, Sir Henry Peto, Sir John and Lady Simon, The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., the Right Hon. Hugh Childers, M.P.; messrs. T. A. Denny, W. J. Evelyn, F. W. N. Lloyd, D. MacLaren, E. Rawlins, J.

Herbert Tritton, and George Williams; Dr. Barnardo; a long list of the clergy of the Church of England—High, Low and Broad—headed by the Archbishops of Liverpool, Ripon, Rochester, and Winchester, the Dean of Westminster, the Archdeacons of Llandaff and Liverpool, and several Canons. Representatives of the Reformed Episcopal and Free Churches of England paid their respects as well as Dr. Hermann Adler, the Jewish Chief Rabbi. Letters and telegrams came from Spurgeon's Mentone circle, whom he soon would join, as well as other parts of France. Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Canada, the United States of America, North Africa, and other places where Spurgeon's influence was noted and they sent their inquiries after his health.

In early August, Spurgeon was able to write a brief note to his congregation

thanking them for "so wonderful an outburst of prayer." ²⁶ So many notes had continued to arrive that it has "taxed the powers of all helpers to acknowledge the numerous communications." What also taxed the energies of those attending, as well as Spurgeon himself, was how to communicate the true severity of his condition without discouraging the faith of those who had such confidence that through this sickness God would give irrefutable evidence that his power alone could bring about such a remarkable restoration of health and vigorous ministry.

Embedded in this optimistic, overly so, and transcendent vision was the conviction that, through this sickness and in light of the unity of Christians on this one issue, the Tabernacle, and perhaps the world, was on the verge of a massive revival. During the prayer meetings, people searched the Bible for

promises that "they might plead before the throne of grace." ²⁷ Spurgeon's sickness would accomplish more for the glory of God than if he "had been enabled to continue preaching all through the summer." Surely, thought his people, "there is, unquestionably, some great purpose of love and mercy in this trying dispensation, although at present it is only apparent to him who seeth the

end from the beginning." ²⁸ In the effort to convey both seriousness about the Pastor's condition as well as respect for the sense of invincible purpose spreading among the people, a note in The Sword and the Trowel said, "It was difficult, last month, to tell what ought to be written about the Editor's illness; and it is certainly not easier to know what to say this month." A great change had recently taken place in which the delirium had suddenly ceased; this change made friends "imagine that the dear sufferer was rapidly recovering, whereas, so far as the malady was concerned, there was no material alteration." His actual condition fluctuated from day to day. Efforts at honesty combined with humble gratitude and encouragement tested the ability of the writer, probably James Harrald or Mrs. Spurgeon, to

walk lithely:

At the date when these "Notes" go to the printers, that is, on August 20, the doctors are able to give a

more favourable report than they have given for several days. This is a cause for renewed thankfulness;

but the need for fervent supplication is as great as in the earlier part of this long and terrible illness;

while it ought, in every instance, to be accompanied by hearty thanksgiving that the precious life, so

dear to many, has been spared, and that the delirium, which for a while beclouded the over-wrought

brain, has been so graciously banished by the Great Physician. Colossians iv.2 is still the watchword

for all who desire the Editor's complete restoration to health and strength. 29

Spurgeon had regained enough strength to work on the final preparations of Memories of Stambourne. "I amuse myself," he related, "with arranging what had been previously prepared, and with issuing it from the press." ³⁰ His

prefatory note expressed gratitude for prayer that "lengthened the thread of my life," and for such an outpouring of "affectionate sympathy of so many belonging to all parts of the Christian church." During these same days he used the pages of The Sword and the Trowel to assure readers of his gratitude for prayer and sympathy and "of his firm belief that their petitions had been in part answered in the sparing of his life." He added that through their continued intercession, God "at the right time would fully restore him to his much-loved work." None could tell when such a mercy might ensue, but to all appearances "it must be many months before it will be possible to hold in the Tabernacle the thanksgiving service to which many are already looking forward." Again, the warning must be made that "to those who know how seriously ill he still is, thanksgivings for his 'recovery' appear very premature." The "Thankofferings" coming in from many were not discouraged, but each must realize that there still was ample time for the "maturing of any plan that may be devised for suitably

celebrating the Lord's gracious lovingkindness." ³¹ They were sure, however, that steady support of all the works connected with his name would contribute to the Pastor's recovery immensely. The next month, The Sword and the Trowel reported, "During the past month, the College and Almshouses have each received a legacy of £250 from a generous friend, who only made his will since Mr. Spurgeon was laid aside." Other large amounts also came in "since the lists were closed," acts of generosity that demonstrated the "lovingkindness of the Lord in preserving his sick servant from any cause for

anxiety about funds for the work under his care." ³² After a "long and wearisome time" of some more weeks of weakness, Spurgeon took a brief carriage ride to Westminster, and supported by two helpers tottered to Westminster Bridge and watched the missions steamer, the "Good Will," move along the Thames. A letter in The Sword and the Trowel on October ¹ thanked the readers for the massive amount of mail sent to Mrs. Spurgeon during "the dark days of my illness." Particularly did he thank readers

for the "unutterable consolation" such concern gave his wife. ³³ A visit to Eastbourne for two weeks tested Spurgeon's ability to travel; he passed. Plans for the ¹,000-mile trek to Mentone immediately were underway.

In the meantime, Spurgeon, remembering an offer made by A. T. Pierson, began inquiring early in August as to whether the American preacher from Philadelphia could come to fill the pulpit for an indefinite period. Pierson's pandenominational approach, combined with his attraction for Brethren ideas and dispensationalism, made this choice somewhat puzzling, but his love for simplicity in worship, his emphasis on evangelism to the masses, and his zealous

promotion of world missions, plus his growing openness to believers' baptism, give positive rationale for the selection. The Sword and the Trowel for October pointed to "his great love for the old truths that are so dear to us, and of his earnest labours on behalf of home and foreign missions." Also important was his work as a pastor and evangelist that "has well qualified him for the double service of feeding the flock of God, and lambs of the Good Shepherd."

Pierson responded almost immediately to Spurgeon's query. "Well now— listen!" Pierson began his reply; "for the first time, I think, since I began to preach at twenty years of age, I am entirely free of all positive engagements from October 1st." Some strange leading, he felt, had kept him clear of all engagements and eliminated "any insuperable barrier to my coming and preaching for you." After a time of fasting and prayer, and sincere hesitation, Pierson consented in the language of Paul's call to Macedonia. He had preached at the Tabernacle in December of 1889 and remembered, "the conscious demand of the congregation for the plain Word of God, with no chaff of science and art and human wisdom, falsely so-called." He felt that such a congregation evoked the best in him and that "such eloquent hearing would make any man mighty to preach." Preachers already had been scheduled for all the services through

October ¹⁸, so Pierson consented to begin on October ²⁵. ³⁴ Spurgeon was greatly relieved and impressed with the "wonder-working way of God" in giving Pierson for this time. He knew of none "more competent or more suitable," or who could display a "more unselfish desire to serve the cause of God." Pierson, Spurgeon believed, showed great "loving concern to help a brother in his hour of need." ³⁵

The Last Visit to Mentone

Accordingly, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Spurgeon, J. A. Spurgeon and his wife, accompanied by his secretary Joseph Harrald and some of the Tabernacle deacons left on October ²⁶. While waiting for the train at Herne Hill Station,

Spurgeon told one of his friends, "The fight is killing me." ³⁶ In hope of recovery, he arrived with his party at Mentone on October ²⁹. The Sword and the Trowel for November ¹, began its "notes" with the announcement, "All being well, by the time that the present number of the Magazine is in the hands of our readers, or very shortly afterwards, both Mr. and Mrs. Spurgeon will be in the South of France." Mrs. Spurgeon wanted no correspondence, either contributions or applications, on the Book Fund while she was absent. She could give no attention to it for she must give all to her husband "with whom she is

going abroad for the first time for very many years." ³⁷ Spurgeon's health improved slightly during the first week. On November ⁷, he wrote readers of his sermons that he was a "sick man physically, but in heart I am strong in the Lord." He could tell that a "great waste of life force still weakens me; but it is not so great as it was, and HE who has spared my life will in his own right time spare me this weakening of my strength by the way." He found some solace for a lost pulpit in his ability to preach through the press. The competence of his helpers in this task convinced him, prophetically so, that sermons "would continue to be forthcoming for several years even if I were taken home to God; for hundreds of manuscripts are in my publishers' stores."

By this means he was convinced that "I shall live and speak long after I am

dead." ³⁸ A week later, November ¹⁴, he wrote again, recommending the sermon preached on May ¹⁰, "An Urgent Request for and Immediate Answer." The short letter proposed with eschatological seriousness that his readers be concerned about their salvation. Spurgeon gave evidence of the severity with which an already-compromised physical condition had been subjected to the whole range of the effects of influenza. "I am a sick man who has narrowly escaped the hand of death, and I feel that the things of eternity ought not to be trifled with. To be saved at the last, our wisdom is to be saved at once." As he had done throughout his life, Spurgeon improved his immediate experience for the serious spiritual reflection of his flock. "If I had left my soul's matters for a sick bed, I could not have attended to them there, for I was delirious, and the mind could not fix itself sensibly upon any subject. Before the cloud lowers over your mind, give your best attention to the Word of the Lord … for you cannot

tell how soon the hour of life may end." ³⁹ When he read the next week in The Times that he was "rapidly improving" he sent a note that those "words exactly describe what I am not doing." He let all those concerned know that the reports from the doctor were not at all encouraging, his health had not improved, that "the disease itself was not changed from what it was in Norwood, or if any change was manifest, it was for the worse." So many prayers had been sent forth for his recovery that he felt obliged to say, "I shall recover," but he must emphatically let his friends know, in order to avoid disappointment, that this would be the "slowest of all slow

things." ⁴⁰ For the December issue of The Sword and the Trowel, Spurgeon rallied his strength to write a brief article under the suggestive title of three interrogative signs,???. He described the massive deceit that a few pain-free days gave him and applied the contrast between his brief feelings and the hard truth to the necessity of a careful examination of soul. "After a long, wasting sickness, there came a time of gracious improvement to me." A "sense of recovering" impressed him that the warmer climate of southern France had made an immediate impact and that a cure, "which had been granted in answer to the prayers of the universal church, would be carried to perfection with unusual speed." He planned a return to his pulpit "which might surprise my beloved people by its speediness." He praised God for such deliverance, his heart "began to ring out a welcome to returning health and strength," and he wrote with exhilaration and expectation and gave false hope to others through his own vain confidence. When suspicious signs of feebleness reappeared he regarded them as "mere relics of a disease which had fled" until the doctor took a more deliberate and truthful approach. Having received a full account from the physician in England of the disease and its symptoms and its history, his French attendant determined that the disease not only was not better, rather "if any change was manifest, it was for the worse. The leakage of life-power was not stopped." His resulting severe disappointment fed off of his previous unwarranted confidence.

Though his "animal spirits fell below zero," he assured the reader that "my faith in the sure result of prayer in obtaining a full restoration did not waver for a second." But had he continued in his deceived state he would surely have done something—climbing stairs or hills, giving way to excitement, talking too long with friends, extending himself too much in writing or mental labor—that would

have effected a "serious catastrophe." ⁴¹ His application of this extended personal anecdote was that each person must take the far more important step of a serious examination for signs of true

spiritual life. Every person tends to think of his spiritual condition in more exuberant terms than the evidence warrants. We must put ourselves to this task and ask the Lord to aid us. "He that fears to ring his money on the counter is not a safe man to deal with, neither is he likely to be quite innocent of carrying counterfeit coin about him." Show a man that he is low in the scale and you may stir him to action. Though Satan uses despair to hobble many Christians, "It would be better to go to heaven limping with fear all the way, than to ride proudly to hell on the high-horse of carnal confidence." After a succinct but highly suggestive exhortation in this matter, Spurgeon made the final application

of the lesson learned from his vain confidence of physical well-being:

No one, therefore, may wrap himself about with the foul ferment of self-reliance; there is safety for no

one except in the grace of God, and personal reliance upon the Lord Jesus. They are safe who are truly

in him, by a living faith, which bears fruit unto holiness; but no others can claim the privilege. To such,

the priceless boon of full assurance comes in due time. Their faith is not in frames and feelings, but in

the finished work of their Lord and Saviour; and hence they cannot have too much of it, nor can they

be too joyful in the infallibility of their foundation. If, indeed, we are dwelling in God, realizing his

presence, trusting his promise, united to his Son, and quickened by his Spirit — it is well with our

souls. But if these things be not so, the sooner we are aware of our mistake the better. 42

The Pressure of Prayer

The knowledge that people from many places and out of many denominations and even from outside the Christian faith invoked the help of heaven for Spurgeon's recovery, moved him greatly and perhaps caused him to make misjudgments in his response to this impressive outpouring of intercession. His confidence in "full restoration" and his proclamation, "I shall recover," invested an apparently unwarranted assurance in the purity and clarity of vision of those that claimed they had been given grace to pray "the prayer of faith." There was no doubting their earnestness of desire for his recovery or their faith in the ultimate triumph of God's purpose; but he mistook this impression, and perhaps felt pressured by their faith in it, as a matter of special revelation.

He referred to this outpouring of supplication in the last preface that he wrote for a bound volume of The Sword and the Trowel. After pointing to his extremely abbreviated participation in both the magazine and the Tabernacle, when "the customary voice was hushed," Spurgeon mentioned again how deeply impressive and moving was the great concern indicated for his physical renewal. "On no modern occasion known to us," Spurgeon noted, "has more supplication been made to God for the life of a minister of the gospel." In addition to his own people, "it really seemed as if all bodies of Christians, and even others beyond the pale of our holy faith, were at one in crying to God on our behalf." Revisiting themes that had characterized his short letters in recent weeks, Spurgeon took particular notice of the strong confidence some brought to their prayers. "Many children of God wrote," Spurgeon unashamedly told his readers, "that they had received in their own souls an answer to the prayer of faith, and were sure that the sick one would recover." Noting the encouragement Christians have for confidence in the graciousness of God in answering prayer, and the apologetic value this presented, Spurgeon mused, "Had the prayers remained unanswered, great occasion to blaspheme would have been taken by the enemy. As it is, the fact has greatly aided faith in candid minds." If his recovery could not be considered "miraculous," at least one must concede the phenomenon to be "a very remarkable instance of the prevalence of united prayer in a desperate case."

43 He had preached the same idea to a group gathered on December ³¹: "No case is hopeless when many pray. The deadliest diseases relax their hold before the

power of unanimous intercession." ⁴⁴ Spurgeon could not have known at the time of the writing, that they, and perhaps he, had misjudged the case. "As long as I live," he acknowledged, "I am a visible embodiment of the fact that, to the prayer of faith, presented by the Church of God, nothing is impossible." Though he believed that "it is worth

while to have been sore sick to have learned this truth," he had not seen that the divine purpose for him was distinctly different from what his fervent prayers had believed.

There was no mistaking, however, the remarkable nature of the world-wide assembly that regularly gathered before God on behalf of their mortally sick brother and friend. His worst days had provided the occasion for "a Pentecost of brotherly love." Should one have predicted twenty years before that "a Dissenting minister would have been lovingly mentioned in St. Paul's Cathedral, and in numerous Episcopal churches" he would have been deemed mad; but such had happened. Spurgeon took this as a hopeful sign of "growing unity among those who are spiritual," when unvarnished brotherly kindness pours out to one "who has been very outspoken concerning religious differences."

Final Lessons from Life at Mentone

In spite, however, of the unpromising vitality of his life, he had one peculiar joy that he had never experienced in Mentone—Wifey was there. Susannah reveled in the time they had together during those days and expressed to the readers of

The Sword and the Trowel the extent of her joy:

It is that the Lord so tenderly granted to us both three months of perfect earthly happiness here in

Menton, before He took him to the "far better" of his own glory and immediate presence! For fifteen

years my beloved had longed to bring me here; but it had never been possible. Now, we were both

strengthened for the long journey; and the desire of his heart was fully given him. I can never describe

the pride and joy with which he introduced me to his favourite haunts, and the eagerness with which he

showed me each lovely glimpse of mountain, sea, and landscape. He was hungry for my loving

appreciation, and I satisfied him to the full. We took long daily drives, and every place we visited was

a triumphal entry for him. His enjoyment was intense, his delight exuberant. He looked in perfect

health, and rejoiced in the brightest of spirits. Then, too, with what calm, deep happiness he sat, day

after day, in a cosy corner of his sunny room, writing his last labour of love, The Commentary on

Matthew's Gospel! Not a care burdened him, not a grief weighed upon his heart, not a desire remained

unfulfilled, not a wish unsatisfied; he was permitted to enjoy an earthly Eden before his translation to

the Paradise above. 45

Joseph Harrald described these drives that the couple took with each other.

Spurgeon often wanted to put together a book for visitors to Mentone that would lead them into the truly and beautifully refreshing vistas, perhaps different from the "usual tourist style." Even with such a weakened body and taxed mind, Spurgeon sought to take advantage of the time for as much refreshment as possible. One drive carried him to the Pont St. Louis that bridges the border between France and Italy. Years earlier he had given theological reflections on the nature of such a bridge that allowed easy passage from one country to another when "a deep gulf frowns beneath." "Is not the Lord Jesus such a bridge between the state of condemnation and the region of salvation?" While our sins and our spiritual inability divided us from God, the Lord Jesus, the "Divine Mediator," makes a way that is safe and unobstructed, at any hour of night or day with no guard to block the path and no toll asked, but only free passage

urged. ⁴⁶ They passed a cliff with massive rock formations that allowed the imagination to picture sculptures made by nature in the form of many a public figure. A rock quarry nearby provided the building materials for many of the buildings in Mentone, and a mature tree in "Dr. Bennet's garden" allowed Spurgeon to point out to Susannah the spot where he sat when he had sketched it for her a decade before when he described the steady growth of the book fund and its maturing influence for the glory of God. "Each outgrowth is nearer heaven, and tends to

the perfecting of the tree;" even so, "To you," he wrote "each year's work has less in it whereof you might glory, even as the tree grows less as it climbs higher; but there is to the eye of an onlooker a beauty and a symmetry about the whole of a work which is done for Jesus, and my love may rest assured that her

service is beautiful to Him whose approbation is her chief reward." ⁴⁷ A particular spectacle that provided special pleasure to Spurgeon was the "Fountain in the sea, "a spring of fresh water that forces its way right through the solid and liquid above it." Spurgeon often went out to its location in a boat. It reminded him of "the divine life within the soul of a believer to overcome all obstacles, and manifest itself to the praise of God's grace." Other places included schools for children and a particularly suggestive location consisting of a cross on a hill just near a turn and a path where one emerged from shadow and cool air into sunshine and warmth. At the particular scene, on January ⁸, 1892, Harrald instructed the photographer, Mr. Houghton, to take a candid shot of Spurgeon at some point, for when he sought to pose the photograph always was unsatisfactory. After a shot of the cross, Houghton arranged the camera to get a picture of Spurgeon in the carriage. Upon isolating and enlarging Spurgeon's face from the rest of the photograph, it became a classic likeness, Spurgeon decked with his broad brim hat, more white than dark in the beard, and a fur collar on his overcoat. A stop at the Palazzo Orengo allowed Spurgeon to get out of the carriage briefly for a conversation with Mr. Hanbury, owner of the beautiful residence. On the grounds was an olive tree through which a fountain had been routed so that one could drink water straight from the heart of the olive tree. Obviously, Spurgeon made connections between Christ as the olive tree from whom would flow rivers of living water. In this place Mrs. Spurgeon stayed subsequent to her husband's death in order to gain strength for her return home.

For February 1892, The Sword and the Trowel carried two messages by Spurgeon jointly entitled "Breaking the Long Silence." J. W. Harrald wrote, "Few, if any, who read the two addresses, published in The Sword and Trowel for February, under the title, "Breaking the Long Silence," expected the startling message that flashed around the globe soon after the last number of the

Magazine was issued." ⁴⁸ These were messages that he had preached on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day respectively. The first took the theme of Retrospect, from which he lifted some thoughts for the volume's preface. He reminded the small company that their lives had been preserved by a multitude of providential interventions to preserve in danger and from danger. They should not fail to remember their sins, for Christ has come to save sinners. "Our

sinnership is that emptiness into which the Lord pours his mercy." ⁴⁹ That led to his contemplations on the abundance of mercies that attended every day and every circumstance; "streams of mercy; oceans of mercy, mercy all, and all mercy." He felt these mercies in a very personal way but wanted all to review the record for themselves. "How wonderful is his lovingkindness! How Free!

How Tender! How Faithful! How lasting! How everlasting!" He pointed to the lessons of unity of God's people. "We mistake our divergencies of judgment for differences of heart; but they are far from being the same thing." This did not imply a softening of Spurgeon on the issues of the Downgrade, for he went on to assert, "In these days of infidel criticism, believers of all sorts will be driven into sincere unity." The unity he described was not a fellowship of light with darkness or of belief with unbelief because "between rationalism and faith there is an abyss immeasurable; but where there is faith in the Everlasting Father, faith in the Great Sacrifice, and faith in the Indwelling Spirit, there is a living, loving,

lasting union." ⁵⁰ Spurgeon's last public address—his last sermon —came on New Year's Day and put his listeners to contemplate Prospect for the future. He described the day as "one of the days of heaven upon the earth. Almost cloudless and windless, beneath the bluest of skies, the day was warm and bright with the glorious sun."

51 The sermon overflows with the theological ideas that had governed Spurgeon's ministry for forty-two years. Our finiteness precludes our having precise knowledge of the future. "We know nothing of the events which lie before us—of life or death to ourselves or to our friends, or of changes of

position, or of sickness or health." ⁵² Not only are we incapable of knowing the future, it would be unwise to probe into it if we could. Perhaps as a corrective to himself in putting too much hope in the so-called "prayer of faith" so constantly brought before his mind by his solicitous friends, he resisted the legitimacy of any desire we might have to know specifics about the future as in intrusion into the divine prerogative. Blessings would lose their freshness and troubles would cloud blessings with a foretaste of distress. "Great mercy," he reasoned, "has hung up a veil between us and the future; and there let it hang!"

And yet, all was not hidden in mystery, for the promises and purposes of God still prevailed over history and operated in the lives of his people. Spurgeon taught his listeners what he always had taught his people about God's predestining purpose. "I see a pathway made from this Jan. ¹, 1892, to Jan ¹, 1893. I see a highway cast up by the foreknowledge and predestination of God."

The future in its entirety would bow to the divine purpose and in no instance would chance play a part, including "every stone on the road, and every drop of

dew or evening mist that fall upon the grass which grows on the roadside."

God's infallible wisdom and infinite love "has ordained our path." ⁵³ Spurgeon saw also that presence of the Lord to cheer and to guide through his personal counsel. Even if all friends and family receded from view, "there is One who wears our nature, who will never quit our side." His is a felt presence in every situation in the coming year, "whether it be the time of the singing of birds, or the season of ripe fruits, or the dark months when the clods are frozen into iron." His love for Mentone made this idea of divine presence particularly

appropriate in his own perception:

In this Riviera we ought the more readily to realize our Lord's presence, because the country is so like

"Thy land, O Immanuel!" Here is the land of oil olive, and of figs, and of the clusters of Eschol. By

such a blue sea he walked, and up such rocky hills he climbed. But, whether here or elsewhere, let us

look for HIM to abide with us, to make this year truly to be "a year of our Lord." 54

By the eye of faith, Spurgeon also saw that God would provide strength for the journey. He will not provide spare strength, but just what is needed for each moment. We must not wonder if grace will be available for some future crisis, for it is not yet here; "strength will come when it is needed, and not before."

What about death? "You do not yet feel," Spurgeon proposed with deep personal investment in his own observation, "that you have grace to die with: what of that?" When you are not dying you need only grace to deal with the immediate demands of life. The time will come, "when life is ebbing out, and your only thought is about landing on the eternal shore," when by gracious instinct you will look to God "for dying grace in dying moments." Only then may the

believer "expect an inrush of divine strength when human strength is failing." ⁵⁵ Spurgeon also saw "a power overruling all things" for the good of those that are the "called according to his purpose." He told the few gathered together that he saw "a wonder-working hand which turns for us the swords of disease into the ploughshares of correction, and the spears of trial into the pruning-hooks of discipline." By the divine skill "bitters are made sweet, and poisons turned to

medicines." ⁵⁶ He closed this brief homily with that foundational driving force that had

informed his life and ministry for forty years:

One thing more, and this is brightness itself: this year we trust we shall see God glorified by us and in

us. If we realize our chief end, we reach our highest enjoyment. It is the delight of the renewed heart to

think that God can get glory out of such poor creatures as we are. "God is light." We cannot add to his

brightness; but we may act as reflectors, which, though they have no light of their own, yet when the

sun shines upon them, reflect his beams, and send them where, without such reflection, they might not

have come. When the Lord shines upon us, we will cast that light upon dark places, and make those

who sit in the shadow of death to rejoice in Jesus our Lord. We hope that God has been in some

measure glorified in some of us during the past year, but we trust he will be glorified by us far more in

the year which now begins. We will be content to glorify God either actively or passively. We should

have it so happen that, when our life's story is written, whoever reads it will not think of us as "self-

made men", but as the handiwork of God, in whom his grace is magnified. Not in us may men see the

clay, but the Potter's hand. They said of one, "He is a fine preacher"; but of another they said, "We

never notice how he preaches, but we feel that God is great." We wish our whole life to be a sacrifice;

an altar of incense continually smoking with sweet perfume unto the Most High. Oh, to be borne

through the year on the wings of praise to God; to mount from year to year, and raise at each ascent a

loftier and yet lowlier song unto the God of our life! The vista of a praiseful life will never close, but

continue throughout eternity. From psalm to psalm, from hallelujah to hallelujah, we will ascend the

hill of the Lord; until we come into the Holiest of all, where, with veiled faces, we will bow before the

Divine Majesty in the bliss of endless adoration. 57

No Task Left Undone, No Truth left Unsaid

Spurgeon's faithful "armour-bearer," J. W. Harrald, chronicled the day by day events of Spurgeon from early in January until his death. January ⁸ was the thirty-sixth anniversary of the Spurgeons' wedding day, the day of a memorable drive through Mentone, and the day of his final photograph. On January ⁹, Spurgeon revised the manuscript on Psalm 105:37, the last one that he would ever produce for The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. On Sunday, January ¹⁰, a group of nineteen met in his sitting room in the Hotel Beau Rivage for worship where they sang "Come Thou Fount" and Spurgeon read and gave a brief exposition of Psalm 73 and read his sermon on verse ²⁸ entitled "Let Us Pray."

On January ¹³, Mr. Valiant for Truth wrote his note for the February number of The Sword and the Trowel entitled "The Bible and Modern Criticism." Harrald noted that this article should serve as a positive corrective to those reporting that Spurgeon had "changed his attitude with regard to the Downgrade controversy."

Harrald was convinced, along with Mrs. Spurgeon, that that conflict had contributed in large part to the severity of the illness that eventually took his life.

Spurgeon said as much in the article when he wrote, "The position is instructive, as showing that to be free from all ecclesiastical entanglements is to the Christian minister a blessing worth all it has cost, even though an almost fatal

illness be reckoned as part of the price." ⁵⁸ Ironically, this note appeared in The Sword and the Trowel for February ¹, the day after the death of Spurgeon, so that one would know that the illness was not "almost" fatal. As Harrald inferred, however, it does show that Spurgeon had no intention of recanting the stance he had taken in the Downgrade. It was on his mind as long as he had conscious mental capacity. He had lost none of his powers of perception or expression on this issue nor any of the intent to ridicule the proponents of modern thought and their supposedly enlightened mental apparatus. He had observed that among Church of England clergy, thirty-eight men had signed a document affirming their adherence to the historic commitment of "the Church" to the "supreme authority and infallibility of Holy Scripture." While he pressed himself to place the best possible reading on their use of the term "Church," he found great satisfaction in their affirmation and in the witness this bore to his having brought the warning years earlier. "By this time," he wrote, "we shall scarcely again be charged with wantonly raising the cry of 'Wolf' without a cause, when we earnestly warned the churches that infidelity was permeating the ministry." He pointed out that even among Anglican, both high and evangelical, a fierce controversy was raging "over the inspiration of the Holy Scripture; and this is involving the Deity of our Lord, and

indeed every other truth of Christianity." Ever hopeful in the midst of distress, Spurgeon believed that love for Scripture would trump ecclesiastical loyalty and party spirit among both groups and bring unity to them over this issue at least, that they would cast over the Bible, they would defend the Scripture, and maintain reverence for the inspired volume.

Spurgeon found the union of diverse clergy on these issues interesting but equally so the way they were treated. They were assailed as bigots, their competency was questioned, and they were sneered at "as if they were a set of imbeciles." Then with his untarnished ability to select the perfect phrases and rhythm for the revelation of irony Spurgeon wrote, "It appears when skeptics vent their idle doubts, this is a brave display of freedom of thought; but if an orthodox man of learning states his belief, it is an insolent imposition of his authority in restraint of the liberty of this progressive age." To Spurgeon it appeared that the bigotry and insolence lay almost exclusively with those whose

singular talent was to impute these vices so readily to others. ⁵⁹ Other material that appeared in The Sword and the Trowel for February shows what Spurgeon learned about his world-wide concerns as well as his London ministry, and how he continued personal involvement in the spiritual lives of his flock. Book reviews that he had been gathering for sometime but had not had room to publish made their appearance in the February issue. Thirty-five reviews appeared, most of them comparatively substantial with only about four given purely as notices. In these reviews, Spurgeon kept up his relentless attack against unbelief, skepticism, and advanced thought. Commenting on a book about Christian evidences developed from the literature of the second century, Spurgeon noted that "there is among people who have read a little, and fancy that they know much, a widespread feeling that the foundations of the Scripture are insecure." While the peculiar provenance of unbelieving books sends a seductive appeal to young people who cannot bear the possible embarrassment of being old-fashioned, Spurgeon pointed out that the "whole tendency of these lectures is to make those who read them ashamed of any leanings they may have towards the ignorant pretensions of the cheap shilling books of skepticism." He then commented on the method of each author, the relevance of the literature they treated in making their arguments, and the desirability of the book being in

"the libraries of young people everywhere." ⁶⁰ Another review, The Word and the Book by George Hutton, allowed Spurgeon to issue a hearty "Amen" and affirm the author's defense of "the plenary and verbal inspiration of the original Scriptures." In addition, he could not omit the chance to condemn the "ignorance which calls this view 'mechanical'" and

urged some rich Presbyterian layman to give a copy to all the ministers of that

order, and, while thinking generously, include the Baptists. ⁶¹ Of course, Spurgeon always looked out for Baptists and used his reviews to set forth the distinctives of their ecclesiology. In a review of The Maze and its Clue, Spurgeon interacted briefly with James Tyeth Hart's argument that baptism is not "an answer to, or expression of man's faith; but faith is rather an answer to God's baptism." Spurgeon commented that the "elaborate treatise, evidently earnest and devout, omits to deal with the great commission to baptize (only) disciples, and does not even notice the inspired explanation of the ordinance given in Rom. vi. 3-6, and Col. ii.12." Spurgeon commented that if such treatises were necessary to explain the ordinances of the gospel, "simple

folk would be in a maze indeed; but verily it is not so." ⁶² A book by F. A. Fawkes looked like those of "Professor [Henry]Drummond" and shared his error of "confounding partial analogy with complete identity."

The error becomes questionable and unhealthy when the analogy of brotherhood is made to assume the Universal Fatherhood of God despite scriptural teaching that makes it clear that "it is only those who have the Spirit of adoption who

belong to the household of faith." ⁶³ Spurgeon had nothing but high marks for the 1891 Yale Lectures in Preaching delivered and published by James Stalker through Hodder and Stoughton. Stalker was a man "with a right to speak to other preachers about their vocation." He set up the prophets and apostles as patterns for ministers today and, in doing so, "set a noble ideal before the Christian preacher." Spurgeon called the book as sound in doctrinal teaching as in wise

counsel and devout spirit. "There is not a 'shoddy' paragraph in it." ⁶⁴ Begun with great interest and hope, Spurgeon put down The Sabbath in Puritan New England with disgust. "Where so much that is great, noble, and holy might have been recorded, it is not meet that such a wretched heap of foibles, peculiarities, and bigotries should have been published to the world." It is rather like an artist with opportunity to paint a lovely face and highlights only

the freckles. ⁶⁵ When he perused a review of the Revised Version of the New Testament, he felt that the author had been too harsh and would accomplish little by such "wholesale condemnation;" nevertheless, Spurgeon commented, "let us

not forsake the old for the new; for the old is better." ⁶⁶ He commended Bishop Alfred Barry's discussion of Christianity and Socialism. Barry presented a well-articulated and appropriately nuanced discussion of a variety of plans for social betterment, pointing out strengths and weaknesses, engaging each with a view to their relation to the Christian gospel, and avoided dangling "social Utopias before men's eyes," nor did he "mock the

seekers after bread with stones." Spurgeon affirmed the Bishop's "mild commendation of the gospel" as the only balm for broken hearts or cure for social ills. Spurgeon, with a life's ministry to match, commended making the "best of life's conditions for the weak, the helpless, and for all, by all means."

His premillennialism, however, reigned in his hopes for anything other than temporary and partial solutions, for "no social plans will make our earth a paradise while sin still curses it, and Satan is abroad." The perfect state exists only in the New Jerusalem and, as for the earth, "the King must come and take to himself his great power and reign ere the glowing promises of the seventy-

second Psalm are realized." ⁶⁷ Engaging another theme to which he had given much thought in his long and intense ministry, Spurgeon reviewed J. O. Bairdstow's Sensational Religion.

Bairdstow defined "sensation" and then defended "sensationalism," a totally distinct word, "suggestive of different thoughts and practices." Spurgeon had seen enough of that and would have none of it. "Our strong conviction is, that God's work should be done in God's way. After all, it is the Holy Spirit through and by whom all spiritual work must be accomplished, while his chosen

instrument is the Word of God." ⁶⁸ A biography of John Allison Macfadyen could have reminded Spurgeon of his own ministry, for Macfadyen was "well known throughout the land as an able preacher of evangelical truth," who built a "large church from which numerous institutions were worked, and other churches sprang." That which can be accomplished by "consecrated energy and sanctified common-sense" found its model in Macfadyen. He was too busy winning souls and spreading the kingdom of Christ to give time to "idle speculations" and had no love for the "vagaries of 'modern thought.'" He was a man of respectable scholarship, held the creed of moderate Calvinism from the inception to the end of his ministry "recognizing to the full the special grace of God as well as the responsibility of man in salvation." The author, Alexander Mackennal, gave a "full and faithful, but not

an exaggerated picture of his life-long friend." ⁶⁹ Another prolonged battle to which his reviews gave reference was that of the Romanizing of the Anglican church. An analysis and critique by Alfred Burton of Cardinal Newman's Apologia pro Vita Sua unveiled the cardinal's "unconscious casuistry," his "amazing self-deception," and that his theological struggle was never between evangelicalism and Romanism but Anglicanism and Romanism, considered, not scripturally, but on the basis of antiquity. "We are sorry," Spurgeon observed, "that so valuable a criticism should not have been presented in some logical order and that its style should be marred by frequent

repetitions and obscure sentences." ⁷⁰ About Walter Jerrold's biography of Michael Faraday, Spurgeon wrote that he has come nearer to the heart of the man than a "mere jotter of details" could possible have done. This led Spurgeon to observe, "Certain writers shoot out a mass of incidents which refer to a man, and call the heap a biography: they

evidently see no difference between a brickfield and a mansion." ⁷¹ While Spurgeon appreciated Jerrold's careful emphasis on Faraday's simple and childlike Christian faith, he felt compelled to remark on the emphasis Jerrold gave to Faraday's reluctance to be more public in his witness. Calling such a sentiment a half-truth, Spurgeon continued, "Our living among men is a circumstance which demands our pleading with them, for God's glory and the good of their souls."

The ethical implications of the treatment of Native Americans was not beyond Spurgeon's willingness to comment. The information contained in a documentary on the American Indian entitled Redskin and Paleface promoted Spurgeon's observation, "A thrilling story is the chronicle of the Red Man, and his dealings with the white intruders from across the sea." He believed that the so-called civilized race "has just cause to confess before the Lord its murderous

selfishness, which has nearly extirpated one of the families of the earth." ⁷² Spurgeon's reading was wide, his knowledge grew about all areas of human endeavor until the day he died. His convictions about important issues never wavered and his witness for truth was never far behind his initial observations on books, men, events, and natural phenomena.

Following his frequent practice, Spurgeon included in his last efforts as editor of The Sword and the Trowel an article about one of the faithful officers of the church. W. Payne had worked in the City Chamberlain's office for fifty years and still served as principal clerk. Payne had served as an elder but presently, because of his judicious financial skill, he accepted the office of deacon and regularly conducted audits of the various accounts of the church and its institutions. Spurgeon pointed out that Payne had been an Anglican. Under the influence of the famous minister, Baptist Noel, he left Anglicanism to unite with Baptists for "he shared that good man's views, both as to the Union of Church and State and Believers' Baptism." He was baptized by Noel and became a member of John Street Church. He came to the Tabernacle in May 1861, was installed as elder in 1865 and "his care for the sick and the poor, and his love for the services of the Lord's house, were abundantly known to all associated with that work." In 1876 he became deacon. Spurgeon expressed deep concern over the recent ill-health of Payne but noted, "The Lord has, as in the case of his Pastor, heard the prayer of the Church for him in extreme sickness, and therefore

we will pray on." Spurgeon could not afford to lose a friend "so faithful, so earnest, so tried and proved." The Pastor, Spurgeon admitted, "clings to all his old friends with a tenacity only rivaled by the way in which they cling to him."

73

Spurgeon also wanted to protect A. T. Pierson from the burden of responding unnecessarily to letters. Spurgeon had received many expressing sympathy to him in his illness, but he warned, "Friends may write as much as they please if they do not expect replies: but letters requiring answers ought not to be sent except from sheer necessity. It is murderous." Correspondents, he went on to write, "appear to be nearly as unreasonable in writing to Dr. Pierson as they have often been in their communications to the Editor." Pierson and his daughters, it appears, had to work deep into the night to answer letters, "many of which ought not to have been written." One individual had sent Pierson fifteen telegrams. The burden of serving the Tabernacle at this strategic juncture was demanding enough without the useless multiplication of labor. Spurgeon asked his readers to prove their wisdom by "abstaining from asking our friend for service which it is

impossible for him to render." ⁷⁴ Doubtless he was thrilled to receive words from some of the college men in New Zealand. The defection of valued alumni and the reorganization of the college conference had been soul rending to Spurgeon. For seven of his men, including his son, to report on their work came at a critical time for Spurgeon's spirit. From the meeting of the Baptist Union in New Zealand, they expressed their deep concern about the health of the president, being "pained about the dread thought that you were about to be taken from us to the rest you need, and the reward which by grace awaits you." They prayed that he might be spared longer. Included in the reports of the activities of all seven men, the news of Thomas must have been particularly encouraging. "Your son Thomas has just finished his second year's engagement as Evangelist of the Union, an office in which he has enjoyed singular success." Thomas had held ¹⁹ missions, 235 services, delivered ¹⁹ lectures, and, according to the letter, "had the enviable privilege of leading over 600 souls to the Redeemer's feet." Though he had been reappointed evangelist, Thomas would spend part of the year in service of his former charge, the Auckland Tabernacle. Their jointly signed letter closed with

an affirmation of truth and practice central to Spurgeon's view of ministry:

We are all anxious, dear President, according to our varying abilities and opportunities, to spread

abroad the gospel of our Lord Jesus in its fullness, purity, and power. We have not swerved aside from

the foundation truths of our holy faith, or lost faith in the ultimate triumph of the cause of Christ our

King. We are still one with you in our attachment to the truths that cluster around the cross, and in our

loving loyalty to the Crucified. 75

The seven signatures included Thomas Spurgeon at the top, followed by Chas.

Dallaston, Harry H. Driver, Jno D. Gilmore, Arthur D. Dewdney, George D.

Cox, and Edward Richards.

Labors on the monthly periodical must of necessity be sparse, as his energy waned day by day and some other activities also occupied him. At worship on January ¹⁷, Spurgeon read Psalm 103 accompanied by his usual brief expository remarks sprinkled throughout at strategic points. Rather than produce a new exposition, his friends convinced him simply to read his commentary on Matthew 25:21-28. Harrald included Spurgeon's expository text for this in his article in The Sword and the Trowel for March. He announced as the last hymn he ever lined out, "The Sands of Time Are Sinking." The hymn bore particularly relevant truth for him. This hymn also was sung by the orphanage choir at

Spurgeon's funeral:

The sands of time are sinking,

the dawn of Heaven breaks;

The summer morn I've sighed for—

the fair, sweet morn awakes:

Dark, dark hath been the midnight,

but dayspring is at hand,

And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.

O Christ, He is the fountain,

the deep, sweet well of love!

The streams of earth I've tasted,

more deep I'll drink above:

There to an ocean fullness

His mercy doth expand,

And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.

The King there in His beauty,

without a veil is seen:

It were a well spent journey,

though seven deaths lay between:

The Lamb with His fair army,

doth on Mount Zion stand,

And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.

With mercy and with judgment

my web of time He wove,

And aye, the dews of sorrow

were lustred with His love;

I'll bless the hand that guided,

I'll bless the heart that planned

When throned where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.

O I am my Beloved's

and my Beloved's mine!

He brings a poor vile sinner

into His "house of wine."

I stand upon His merit,

I know no other stand,

Not even where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.

I shall sleep sound in Jesus,

filled with His likeness rise,

To love and to adore Him,

to see Him with these eyes:

'Tween me and resurrection

but Paradise doth stand;

Then, then for glory dwelling in Immanuel's land.

The Bride eyes not her garment,

but her dear Bridegroom's face;

I will not gaze at glory

but on my King of grace.

Not at the crown He giveth

but on His pierced hand;

The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land.

Whether all these verses were sung is not clear from the notes of Spurgeon's last days and, surprisingly, the hymn does not appear in Spurgeon's selection of hymns, Our Own Hymnbook. It contains nineteen verses, some of which are clearly autobiographical for the hymn writer Anne Ross Cousin, who adapted words from Samuel Rutherford. Another verse, probably not sung on this worship occasion, Spurgeon might nevertheless have felt was somewhat true of

his own situation.

I have borne scorn and hatred,

I have borne wrong and shame,

Earth's proud ones have reproached me

for Christ's thrice blessed Name:

Where God His seal set fairest

they've stamped the foulest brand,

But judgment shines like noonday in Immanuel's land.

Death Comes Quickly

On January ²⁰, after going for his last drive, a short trek to Monti, he had to go to bed because of pain in his hand. He had complained of a difficulty with the hand on many occasions and just recently when he wrote the orphanage children that were he there he could not carve a large joint for them because of the pain in the small joints of his hand. The bed became his home until his death.

The next day, January ²¹, the pain began again in his head and he was reduced to the necessity of constant nursing, day and night. Spurgeon had been invited to lunch on Saturday, January ²³, with Arthur Phelps, a minister whose life had been greatly enriched by Spurgeon's sermons at Mentone, particularly at a crucial time in 1881. Spurgeon fell ill, and instructed Harrald to write to Phelps that "he regrets that he will be unable to meet you and the other brethren at the House of Rest on Saturday as he is suffering from gout in his right hand." He hoped that it would be merely temporary and slight, and that his "visit will not be long delayed, and he sends his kindest Christian regards to you and all the

other brethren." ⁷⁶ On that same day, he told Harrald, "My work is done." By January ²⁶, Dr. Fitzhenry, the attending physician, called the patient's condition "serious."

On the afternoon of January ³¹, his strength failed so rapidly and his cognitive powers followed suit, that he was unable to recognize friends or even his wife.

After ³:30, he slipped into unconsciousness and continually declined until ¹¹:05 when he was pronounced dead. A rumor spread that Spurgeon had quoted the Apostle Paul's words in ² Timothy beginning with "I have fought the good fight." Harrald emphasized strongly that "He did not utter them." The words were inscribed on his olive-wood casket, but his using them "would have been contrary to the whole spirit of his life." "He had far too humble an opinion of his own work and worth to use the inspired language, which," at the time of Harrald's writing, "by almost universal consent, has been put into his lips." Even G. Holden Pike, in his 1892 volume on Spurgeon, reported the supposed "last quotation from the Scriptures uttered by Mr. Spurgeon to his secretary, Mr. Harrald, before his death." Fitzhenry the physician did all that was possible in the circumstances, but for the most part Spurgeon remained unconscious, unable to give any parting words to the loved ones gathered around him or any dying testimony.

Spurgeon had envisioned a dramatic scenario in 1890, in which, during the last five minutes of his life he would rise from his bed "to bear witness to the divine sacrifice and the sin-atoning blood" with such force that he would shock his hearers. What a joy that would be, "for how could I regret that, as in heaven my

first words would be to ascribe my salvation to my Master's blood, my last act

on earth was to shock his enemies by a testimony to the same fact?" ⁷⁷ He was not surrounded by the Lord's enemies, nor anyone that would be shocked at that testimony; nor was he allowed a testimony of any sort during the last five minutes of life.

Services of Commemoration

Before the body was sent back to England, a memorial service was held in Mentone in the Scotch Presbyterian Church where Spurgeon had preached the year before at the opening of the building. In the context of the remarks of J. E.

Somerville, pastor of the Scotch Church, he said, "Only four days ago we prayed that he might be spared to us, and be allowed to labour longer; but Jesus prayed, 'Father, I will that they also whom Thou has given Me be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory.' We cannot now wish that that prayer had been denied."

Services held at the Metropolitan Tabernacle on January ³¹ were filled. The people knew from daily correspondence that their pastor's situation was grave indeed. Dr. Pierson conducted the morning service under the knowledge that news could arrive any moment of Spurgeon's death. That evening the service consisted largely of an impressive time of prayer and included an afternoon dispatch from Mentone telling of the unpromising condition of Spurgeon that tended to deepen the gloom. Forty-five minutes after Spurgeon's death, Harrald telegraphed London, "Menton, ¹¹.50. Our beloved pastor entered heaven, ¹¹.5,

Sunday night.—Harrald." ⁷⁸ February ¹ had been set aside as a day of prayer at the Tabernacle for the cessation of the epidemic of influenza. The irony of the moment was not lost that the influenza had been a major aggravating factor in the death of their pastor.

They carried on with the planned prayer; within the week the epidemic abated.

But they prayed under even a heavier burden. They prayed for their own spiritual strength and the continued blessing of God on all the ministries of the church.

Each day persons met for prayer and on Thursday, February ⁴, A. T. Pierson preached and the church testified to a great time of encouragement. "The little faith of many was rebuked; and new hope born that, though the chief worker was removed, the work of God would be established; and that the beauty of the Lord

would yet be given instead of mourning, ay, even in the midst of sorrow." ⁷⁹ On the first Sunday after Spurgeon's death, February ⁷, James Spurgeon and A. T. Pierson officiated during morning worship. Pierson preached on Revelation 14:13, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." As he consoled the congregation with the peculiar blessedness of C.H.S. as he entered into the presence of the Lord, Pierson remarked, "Think not that I make light of your grief. God knows I owe too much to Charles Haddon Spurgeon myself for whatever little power there is in my ministry, or strength in my faith, or courage and confidence in my espousal of neglected and despised

truths, not to share most keenly this sorrow." ⁸⁰ He admonished them not to look down but to look up and enjoy something now of the blessedness experienced to the full by their departed pastor.

In the evening, the Tabernacle again was filled for a celebration of the Lord's Supper. At the close of the communion service, Deacon Thomas H. Olney read a statement that came with the unanimous voice of the deacons and elders requesting, as a temporary arrangement, James Spurgeon to remain as "Pastor in Charge," while A. T. Pierson would be retained as "Officiating Minister." The only sentiment concerning this recommendation was one of "deep gratitude."

Within a year, however, some internal strife would result leading to the resignations of Pierson and Spurgeon when Thomas Spurgeon returned from New Zealand to assume the role of his father's successor. In the meantime, the church's officers and congregation could do little other than express their great love for these two interim leaders, highlighted all the more by the death of the

former pastor:

We all thanked God that though one brother had been taken, the other was left. As we had never

known how much we loved our departed Pastor until he was called away from us, we never knew how

much we esteemed and valued his brother until he was left alone. Nobly has he fulfilled his part, and

as, between him and Dr. Pierson, for whom we devoutly thank God, there exists a most fraternal union;

and between them both and the church, the heartiest sympathy; long may the arrangement last, which

has so auspiciously begun! 81

Auspiciously begun, but soon turned sour. By January ², 1893, Thomas Olney wrote James Spurgeon with a note of regret that such a serious disagreement had arisen between them—the first in twenty years—over the idea of Thomas Spurgeon's return to England to assume the pulpit of the Metropolitan

Tabernacle. ⁸² But for the present, the confidence the congregation needed in the continuity of the work was guaranteed by the presence of Pierson and Spurgeon.

With that bit of conflict yet unknown because still future, Pierson again preached a sermon of deep consolation entitled "A Door Opened in Heaven" from Revelation 4:1. Pierson described John's vision of the various scenes in heaven, it inhabitants, its enjoyments and employments, its purity and its beauty, its safety and its joy, and the nature of the faithful Christian's reward, which he likened to the booths built by the Israelites during the feast of booths commemorating their wilderness wanderings. Spurgeon's booth was built on "unselfish ministry to souls," his "triumphs over temptation," his "patient endurance and suffering," and the "manifested life of God in him." "I never knew a man whose personal love for Jesus was more tender and beautiful than his," Pierson remarked, reminding the congregation as to how his "heart beat in

response to every such tribute [to the personal majesty and glory of his

Redeemer] of personal love to his Lord." ⁸³ On February ⁸, the casket, made of beautiful olive wood, which had crossed from Dieppe during the night, arrived at Victoria Station, was loaded on a plain hearse and covered with palm branches sent by Mrs. Spurgeon from southern France. Through a driving rain storm, the hearse made its way to the Pastors' College where it was placed in the common room. Palms and lilies were placed around the room in abundance. Two small services were held, one for church officers and a second for members of the family. Pierson brought a message pointing to God's provision, in the absence of Moses, of Joshua. They were all to hope in the divine provision.

That night at ten o'clock, students bore the casket from the college to its place in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, occupying a place created by the removal of a few of the front pews. The commentary in The Sword and the Trowel observed, "The lifeless clay was deposited in the great building where the living voice had

so often been in loving persuasion, and in outspoken defence of the truth." ⁸⁴ It soon dawned on the officers and others of the congregation that the funeral and all its attendant parts would be a massive undertaking calling for some equally massive and precise plans, cool clear heads and willing, warm hearts and hands. A vast assortment of tickets for various events and venues of services, comfort and safety for those attending, thousands of condolence letters and gifts to be answered promptly, and a variety of other arrangements would be necessary for the days that followed. When all was over, "let it be said, to the praise of the presiding Spirit of God, that not one thing seems to have been

forgotten; not a single accident happened; not a jarring note has been heard." ⁸⁵ Not only did the planners need to consider the present urgencies and desires of the many involved, but they must take into account the frank outspokenness of the deceased on the issue of funerals. He had written with some fervor against pomp and expense in funerals almost twenty-three years before his death.

Spurgeon, under the pseudonym Nathaniel Plainspeech, spoke about the extravagance and waste involved in funerals. "What can possess some people to spend so much money on putting a poor corpse into the ground?" Mr. Plainspeech spoke of the brass-headed canes, the feathers, the long handled fans that he had seen in funeral processions and lamented the expense of "white satin and black cloth for the worms." He professed, perhaps as an eccentricity, that he would sooner be "eaten by crows than have pride and pomp feeding on my little savings, which are meant for my bereaved wife and children." Nathaniel Plainspeech wanted decency above all with no hired mourners, no pomp, no

"lumbering-coach riding," with not a hood worn by the women or more than a plain hatband by the men. "A plain coffin is all the dead can need, and enough help to bear the body to its last bed is all that is required." The grave is "too

solemn a place for mimicry and masquerade." ⁸⁶ Little did he realize at that time, how extended would be the time between his death and his interment, and how much public notice would need to be given just to show due courtesy to a well-meaning public desiring to express their sympathy and their honest admiration for the good he had done—for the glory of Christ and the kingdom of God as most would acknowledge, or for the wellbeing of London as many would insist. Keeping it simple, in light of the universal outflow of mourning and sympathy would be difficult indeed, and the planners did not entirely succeed in duplicating what Spurgeon had observed as Nathaniel Plainspeech. A plain coffin indeed! The beautiful olive-wood casket taken from the trees in the vicinity of Mentone made such an impression that all commented on its beauty. Spurgeon's simple views certainly gave some discipline to this occasion, but could not be implemented with unalloyed faithfulness.

The virtually universal sense of loss may be seen in the wide variety of those that desired to have something judicious and memorable to say on the occasion.

A paper that loaded him with severe criticism early in his ministry but found in him much to admire, as his constancy to truth and love refused to fade under such withering sarcasm, summarized this aspect of his ministry in a most

appropriate fashion:

From the Bible, the "Pilgrim's Progress," and the writings of the Puritan Fathers, he derived the

simplicity of utterance and nervous energy of phrase which made the common people hear him gladly,

and the educated listen with appreciation as to a half-forgotten melody charged with the pathos of the

past. To the primitive plainness and directness of English speech the dead preacher united perfect

clearness of argument. A hearer might not agree with his opinions, but he could never mistake them.

While avoiding the elaborate and formal structure which characterised the early Puritan sermons, Mr.

Spurgeon, who knew them better, perhaps, than any man now living, emulated all their higher

qualities, and brought to the emotional speech of the nineteenth century the perspicuity of severer and,

perhaps, more logical utterances. … His sterling honesty, fearless outspokenness, and unflinching

fidelity to a creed not all the clauses of which are now fashionable, should equally be remembered to

his credit. 87

Spurgeon had never been concerned that his creed be fashionable, only that it be faithful. Such faithfulness obviously had the ring of truth for thousands, for on Tuesday morning, when the Tabernacle was open for public viewing of the body from seven until seven, ⁶⁰,000 people streamed through double-file, people of every rank and station. On each end of the casket, plates bearing the following

inscription were placed:

In ever-loving memory of

C HARLES H ADDON S PURGEON,

Born at Kelvedon. June 19, 1834,

Fell asleep in Jesus at Menton, Jan 31, 1892

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 88

An abundance of cards in commemoration of the ministry of Spurgeon were placed strategically in the room along with an impressive array of floral wreaths and other arrangements of flowers. The note from Mrs. Spurgeon read, "'With Christ, which is far better.' I will follow thee, my husband. Undying love from 'the wife of thy youth.'" Cards with appropriate scripture verses from James Spurgeon, J. W. Harrald, and twin sons Charles and Tom also were placed around or attached to the casket. Harrald's stated, "In fondest memory of my dearest earthly friend, my beloved Pastor and father in the faith, and 'the good soldier of Jesus Christ', whose armour-bearer desires to be faithful unto death as his captain was." The large number of memorial flowers included a large floral harp formed of lilies sent from Belfast, a sword and trowel made of violets, an anchor composed of lilies and hyacinths, a wreath from the children of the orphanage, and a magnificent wreath sent from pastors and Christians in Paris.

The room would not have held all that would have been sent had the family and church officers not requested that memory be made in the form of gifts to the

orphanage and the college. ⁸⁹ For Wednesday morning, the planners scheduled a service specifically for the members of the Tabernacle Church to which admission was gained only by the communion cards for 1892. James Spurgeon wisely took only a brief part in the introduction of the speakers. Dr. Angus, a former pastor and the head of Regents Park College, gave "reminiscences of fifty years ago," and exhortations for the present. Pike called it "an impressive address" while one of the correspondents reporting to The Sword and the Trowel said "he was not clearly heard by everybody," but under the circumstances of the present emergency made remarks "both interesting and edifying." Angus believed Spurgeon's life "gave fresh incentive to completer consecration." His congregation should remember that the mortal remains had nothing to do with Spurgeon now, but he reminded them that "the Christian man is never put into his grave at all, but being absent from the body was immediately present with the Lord." Angus speculated that perhaps Spurgeon missed the orphans, the students, the church, the inquirers, and the converts, but "whatever be the disadvantages of the loss of earthly relationships, to be with Christ is far better." "His sins are behind him; his

weakness is behind him; his cares and distractions are behind him; and he is for

ever with the Lord." ⁹⁰ Pierson, who according to the report "immediately on rising, commanded the sympathetic attention of the meeting," began by reading a letter from Mrs. Spurgeon. She expressed sincere gratitude for Pierson's reliable and devoted leadership during the three months of Spurgeon's final illness, for it gave him assurance of the church's well-being and allowed him thoroughly to enjoy the time with Mrs. Spurgeon. She gave an impassioned expression of how joyful her husband must be in the presence now of his Lord. With sentiment and emotion overriding theological correctness she wrote, "He is not here; he is risen,' is as true of my beloved as of my beloved's Lord," and assured the reader, "Not for a moment do I wish him back, though he was dearer to me than tongue can tell."

She signed the letter, "Your Grateful Friend, Susie Spurgeon." ⁹¹ Pierson continued with an evaluation of Spurgeon as an evangelist, pastor, organizer, leader, and Christian. Pierson believed that the key to Spurgeon's power as a believer was his "overwhelming sense of the powers of the world to come." He stressed that Spurgeon's single theme, "Christ and him crucified," rather than being a weakness was the true glory of his ministry. He was a Paganini among preachers, able to do more with that one thematic string than others could with four. Spurgeon took one book, the Bible, "the whole Bible as the inspired book of God; he took Christ, the whole Christ, as the justifier, sanctifier, and redeemer; he believed with all his heart; and every utterance was a speech born

of deep conviction." ⁹² When Harrald spoke, again he insisted that no one perpetuate the falsehood that Spurgeon had quoted the words of Paul about the close of his ministry. "Let it be known," Harrald emphasized, "as distinctly as possible, the pastor did not say it at all. I have taken every opportunity I could get to say that the last message he was able to deliver to the congregation, or to anyone, was that remarkable message telegraphed to you on the very day that you were bringing in thankofferings for his partial recovery." That message had been a simple pledge of contribution of £100 as a "hearty thankoffering towards Tabernacle General Expenses." He closed with "Love to all friends." Harrald was convinced that all this was purposeful. Spurgeon even omitted from the telegram any word about his physical condition, although Harrald added that himself. As if the simplicity of these final words had not been deemed enough by other friends or members of the congregation, as if some were wanting something more heroic, or prophetic, or canonical in significance, Harrald dwelt a bit longer on this phenomenon:

This was his last message to you, and it is no use asking for any other. There is no other. We watched

day and night with him. Oh what would we not have given if we could have had another word? We

hoped against hope that there would have been some other final message, but no other was given.

There you have it all: " Hearty thankoffering. Love to all friends." 93

Harrald called Spurgeon "a martyr for the truth's sake." Harrald was convinced that the severity of that last great controversy shortened his life, but Spurgeon "would gladly lay down his life a thousand times for the sake of the gospel."

Six more speakers followed. Vernon Charlesworth, headmaster of the orphanage, read a catena of scripture passages applicable to the ministry and spirituality of Spurgeon. T. W. Medhurst, the first student of the college, prayed and subsequently left "The first Student's Wreath" as a verbal tribute to Spurgeon in The Sword and the Trowel. After his expressing his deep love for and indebtedness to Spurgeon, Medhurst wrote, "Thank God, 'the last of the Puritans' is not dead; but the best, the greatest, the noblest of this nineteenth century has gone to his rest and reward." For the nearly 700 who called him "President beloved," Medhurst vowed, "We, by God's grace, have not bowed

the knee to the modern Baal, and will not." ⁹⁴ T. H. Olney, representing the deacons, gave a remarkable testimony about Spurgeon's dealing with men and the power of his enduring impression on them. "He drew out devoted service," Olney testified, and "he always set us to work, and started us in such a happy way that we have kept on at it." He reminded the members present of the number of years that he had been serving and "with regard to the other officers associated with him, how continuous their labors have been." Joseph Passmore had been with him from the beginning also, "The Pastor won our affection and kept it." He often complimented them for their labors and praised them as the best deacons that anyone ever had, but would add,

"but do not be proud. You are no better than you ought to be." ⁹⁵ J. T. Dunn spoke representing the elders, as did W. Corden Jones of the Colportage Association, and William Olney on behalf of the Missions workers at twenty-three missions stations and twenty-six branch schools. The meeting closed with the reading of a telegram from Mrs. Spurgeon: "My heart bleeds with yours, but our beloved's joy is full. We shall see him again, and our hearts shall rejoice."

Following this meeting, James Spurgeon, as acting-president, convened a brief meeting of the members of the Pastors' College Evangelical Association. His main purpose was to inform those present of the place they would have in the funeral service the next day. They also sang and some shared testimonials concerning the impact of the late president on their lives. Many were thanked

including an especially warm word to J. W. Harrald, who "had probably

shortened his own life in his desire to spare and save his loved leader." ⁹⁶ An afternoon meeting involved around ⁵,000 ministers of all denominations.

Witnesses refer to the singing as "a gloriously elevating experience, and suggested a vision of the power the church of God would have in the world if all sections of it which are loyal to Christ were united to publish his praise." Dr. Alexander MacLaren of Manchester preached briefly before this group and said, "We gather this afternoon united in one sentiment of affectionate reverence for the greatest preacher of his age." He then noted the marvelous phenomenon that "such a gathering as this, of men more or less directly and exclusively engaged in the ministry of the gospel, differing widely from one another in opinion, forms of government, casts of mind, methods of discharging our work, and yet giving one unanimous suffrage as to the supremacy of our departed brother, is an

unheard-of thing." ⁹⁷ MacLaren emphasized that Spurgeon preached the central verities of the Christian faith and preached them in language that could be understood by all. Spurgeon's self-forgetfulness emphasized all the more the beautiful details of his message. In a passage that Spurgeon would not approve, for against its deepest implications he fought with all his might, MacLaren commended his "accent of conviction and the spirit of robust and unfaltering belief." Spurgeon, he said "was little touched by the questions and difficulties which torture some of us." But a man should preach what he knows and "let him keep to himself his doubts." He should set forth the belief that by God's grace he

has won; stick to that and "we shall not fail to learn and find more." ⁹⁸ Canon Fleming, a Church of England minister, who worked with Spurgeon in the Religious Tract Society, honored him as man who "loved everything that was catholic, good, and evangelical," whose "fruit blossomed in his youth, and then fell ripe and mellow before the frost of winter had even touched it," a great, homely, rugged teacher who never tampered with truth and never parleyed with error. Monro Gibson, the moderator of the English Presbyterian Synod spoke followed by Herber Evans, chairman of the Congregational Union. Evans portrayed Spurgeon as one "possessed by the gospel," who had "the deepest conviction of its power to save men, because he knew it had saved him." At one point in Evans's presentation the commentator wrote, "Here the speaker almost reached his native Welsh hwyl, and hundreds of strong men in the congregation

sobbed like little children." ⁹⁹ The president of the Wesleyan Conference, T. B. Stephenson, gave a sensitive and deeply insightful evaluation of the true greatness of Spurgeon, recognizing from the start that "People are already asking whether Spurgeon was a great

man, and with their Lilliputian measuring-rods they are trying to find the size of his faith, of his work, and of his character." Stephenson pointed to the unprecedented crowd of Christian ministers gathered for the event as remarkable evidence of Spurgeon's universal appeal, a gathering impossible to organize, or even contrive, had he not been "in the noblest sense a great man." He belonged to the Baptists, but he belonged to the holy catholic and apostolic church. He belonged to the Metropolitan Tabernacle but all Christians in England "claim our heritage in his great life and work." Stephenson recognized that Spurgeon had spoken of some aspects of Methodist theology "with some tartness, not to say severity" in his younger days, but through the years had developed relationships with them and "showed that he was not to be divided from those who earnestly and honestly loved the Lord Jesus Christ." Great central truths mattered much more. For that day differences were not paramount: "We think today only of his exultation of his Master, Christ; only of the passionate fervour with which he besought men to come to Christ and be saved; only of the Spirit of Christ which shone in all his works throughout his noble life." Spurgeon was the embodiment of the majesty of preaching; his manliness combined with his genuine love for his Savior allowed him to speak of the deepest things of God in such a natural and genial way that none ever felt the oppressiveness of sanctimoniousness. "What went ye out to see?" Stephenson posed to the crowd of prophetic men; a man that knew his mind, whose will was his own, and could not be bent "hither and thither by every passing breeze." He repeated, "What went ye out to see?" No comforts, no softness, no special favors did Spurgeon seek, but a man "ready to take the consequence of his deed." "His life was not devoted to having the softest bed, the pleasantest place, the healthiest work, and the largest honour." He was ready to bear the consequences of his faith and duty —ready to suffer and endure, rather than to be false to his convictions, or negligent of his opportunities." For a third time he posed the Lord's question, and answered, "A messenger whom God sent, … anxious to deliver his

message." ¹⁰⁰ The orphanage choir sang, followed by a message from Dr Pierson. The reporter of the meeting, an obvious admirer of Pierson, wrote: "Only a hero would have dared to take the line he adopted before such an audience; but he not only entered upon a cogent argument for the supernatural in the Bible, and in the

believer, he triumphantly carried his point." ¹⁰¹ Pierson divided the factors of Spurgeon's greatness, a constant theme of the meeting, into two categories, natural and supernatural. Among the natural he pointed most forcefully to his love of truth, and, in an assembly that would have been mixed in their reaction to

the Downgrade Controversy, Pierson spoke frankly:

You may not have agreed with Mr. Spurgeon in the course which he lately pursued with regard to his

conviction of doctrine and of duty; but no man is here present who can withhold his hearty admiration

from one of the most heroic acts known in the century. There are very few men that make new friends

after the age of fifty years. When a man cuts himself loose from the friends of his manhood and his

maturer life, and stands virtually isolated and alone because he feels that in some matters, which others

consider minor matters, but which he himself thinks are major matters, he is called upon to suffer, for

the truth's sake, such heroism would have led a man to the stake in the days of martyrdom. 102

In speaking of the supernatural factors of Spurgeon's greatness, Pierson dealt with the combination of Spurgeon's belief in the "full infallible inspiration of the Word of God," the operations of the Holy Spirit in inspiration with an intelligent purpose beyond the intelligence of the writers and prophets, so that we seek the meaning of the Spirit in interpretation, and the present, personal indwelling of the Spirit in the believer. The preaching that combines full confidence in an inspired volume, with the presence of its living author operating through the pure life of a preacher, brings about a ministry of "power to convert, power to

sanctify, power to edify, and power to redeem." ¹⁰³ Such was the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

A telegram from D. L. Moody was read and, with the time expiring quickly and people waiting at the door for the next service, F. B. Meyer, representing the London Baptist Association, scheduled to close this meeting, "having spoken for a brief space, wisely turned his speaking into a prayer for dedication." The commentator called this "one of the most remarkable meetings of the century."

104

An evening meeting involved Christian workers of all denominations. The building was crowded as soon as the doors opened. Several speakers from a wide variety of denominational organizations as well as non-denominational Christian benevolences and conferences spoke and told anecdotes. George Williams, president of YMCA, called Spurgeon "the gift of the great Father to the church universal" in that all denominations saw in him "a champion, a holy, mighty man of God, ready to stand in the front, and to maintain those blessed doctrines of the old gospel, which had won his heart, and which he knew would win the hearts of other men." When Sir Arthur Blackwood asked the question of Spurgeon's greatness, he dismissed his intellect, his wit, his use of language, his earnest congeniality and settled on "the unflinching earnestness and faithfulness with which he preached [the gospel], the valour with which he stood in the gap when men fled on all sides, his adherence to the doctrines of grace, and his determination to know nothing among men save Jesus Christ and him crucified."

105

Ira Sankey was present and, after attributing to Spurgeon an understanding of "how to use the voice that God had given men," sang "Sleep on Beloved, sleep."

106 Canon Palmer, Rector of Newington, the parish in which the Tabernacle was located, made perhaps the longest speech of this meeting. He spoke of the parts of the Anglican catechism upon which he and Spurgeon had affirmed their agreement, called Spurgeon "the greatest preacher of the century," a judgment that recently had been asserted by the Archdeacon of London in St. Paul's Cathedral, and testified that "he was a benefit to every denomination, for he was the great foe to indifference." He related a humorous exchange of correspondence that he had with Spurgeon on the ringing of the parish church bells during the time of worship at the Tabernacle, a clear and friendly stack of letters that gave a good start to their friendship. Other congenialities sealed their beneficent intercourse but, as a final word of testimony, the Canon pointed to a lesson he learned from Spurgeon that "over all that belongs to us, over our orthodoxy, over our eloquence, and over our energy, we must put on that one cloak or dress to which the apostle referred, if we too are to be considered amongst the elect—namely, that charity which the apostle call, 'the bond of

perfectness.'" ¹⁰⁷ A Baptist Union representative, Colonel Griffin, spoke of his twenty-five-year friendship with Spurgeon initiated by a visit he paid to the Tabernacle to hear him preach. He recognized the singularity of Spurgeon's focus on Christ and his cross as found prophesied, described, and expounded in the Bible as the true center of Spurgeon's passion and power. Griffin did not avoid the issue of the

recent strong and disturbing conflict between Spurgeon and the Baptist Union:

He and I, although occupying different positions, and sometimes apparently antagonistic, have never

had an unfriendly word, nor has he ever breathed aught else than a spirit of Christian love and fervent

charity. It is my privilege to stand here, not for my own worth or individual merit, but because of my

official position representing the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland. Mr. Spurgeon thought fit

to sever his relations with that Union. We honoured him for his sincerity of purpose, although we were

sorry he saw it wise to withdraw from us. Amongst the members of that Union today, throughout the

length and breadth of this country, there is but one common thought, one common feeling of intense

love, and earnest respect for him who was a prince in Israel. 108

Following such an affirmation of the man, with the caveat of disagreeing with his choice of separation, the atmosphere must have been a bit tense and even surreal when A. G. Barley, representative of the Baptist Union of France, read a letter from their president, R. Saillens, that said, "The same attachment to the divine revelation; the same strong, firm faith in the sovereignty of the all-wise God; the same disdain for mere human theories, traditions, and fashions; the same rock-like fidelity to the truth, however difficult to believe, however hard to

practice—these characteristics will make Calvin and Spurgeon appear before the eyes of posterity as men of the same mental and spiritual mould." French Protestants still felt great gratitude to Spurgeon for the multiplication of his sermon translations into French, for they provided spiritual, theological, and biblical instruction during days when the persecuting hand of the empire prohibited dissenting worship, a pastor could not even read the Bible in a private house with friends, and any meetings involving more than twenty persons were prohibited. Whereas Griffin expressed, understandably, regret at Spurgeon's separation from the Baptist Union, the letter from France, though not mentioning that particular event, expressed encouragement. "The recent attitude taken by Mr. Spurgeon," the letter recounted, "with regard to the New Theology has been a wonderful encouragement to those French Protestants who still hold the faith for which their fathers suffered." The struggle between faith and reason even then, so the letter continued, raged in France even more than in England. "The controversy has been long enough to show us where the new doctrines will surely lead their followers." For that reason, they felt special gratitude to Spurgeon for his witness to truth—"so clear, so uncompromising, so full of assurance!" Acknowledging the immediate impact made by Spurgeon's recent production The Greatest Fight in the World, the letter expressed the hope that more of Spurgeon's work would soon make their way into French and bless

generations to come. ¹⁰⁹ A final message for this meeting used Spurgeon's salvation text, "Look unto Me" combined with another favorite text, "Accepted in the Beloved." C. Russell Hurditch, the preacher of the hour, demonstrated the relevance of the text for evangelism and for Christian service and closed with a strong evangelistic

appeal to the congregation. ¹¹⁰ The last meeting of the day was scheduled to begin at ¹⁰:30. Immediately upon the dismissal of the previous service at ⁹:30, people began to crowd in and by ¹⁰:15 no seating was left available. The singers and speakers for the late evening came to the platform by ¹⁰:15, including the preacher, W. Y. Fullerton, his evangelistic singer, J. Manton Smith, and Ira Sankey, "the American Songster," and a few others that would have some part in the service. "Many a toiler," so the report surmised, "whose late hours make it difficult to attend ordinary services, had managed to secure his ticket for this, that he might pay his last respects to the world-loved pastor." The singing of the group produced an impressive "massiveness of sound." Smith and Sankey sang solos and told stories in connection with their songs. Fullerton spoke of the loss that all in the room felt at the passing of Spurgeon and said that he "would willingly have gone

instead of Mr. Spurgeon" if he could have secured to him bodily vigour and opportunity for longer service. Again the text for the message was Isaiah 45:22, the "Look unto me" passage "that led to Mr. Spurgeon's conversion when a lad of sixteen." Spurgeon was a man of God, a man of the people, pointed people to God, and pointed to the Christ of God. Fullerton included what the narrator called a "delightful comparison," in pointing to the astronomical curiosity of having discovered a new star in the sky on the night that Spurgeon "was called away." He urged his hearers to "receive Christ, that they might at last meet His honoured servant in glory." ¹¹¹

Finally, the Funeral

On the day of the funeral, February ¹¹, a service was held at ¹¹:00 at the Tabernacle. The pastor at Upton, W. Williams, a long-time friend of Spurgeon who said, "It was, in the good providence of God, my singular fortune and unspeakable joy to be honoured with the close and intimate friendship of Mr. Spurgeon for many years," announced the hymn, "Servant of God, well done."

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Harrald, present at virtually every service, looked worn but led in a "comprehensive and touching prayer." Archibald Brown, another long-time friend and most ardent supporter of Spurgeon in his life-sapping fight for truth, read a well-selected catena of Scriptures closing with the words at the burial of the body of John the Baptist, "and buried it, and went and told Jesus." He then turned back to his chair and said, "That is all we can do." Robert Taylor of Norwood Presbyterian Church announced the next hymn, that one selected by Spurgeon at the last worship in Menton, "The Sands of Time are Sinking."

Pierson again spoke, drawing parallels between the brothers Wesley and the brothers Spurgeon. He spoke of Charles Spurgeon's genius in the intellectual, moral and spiritual spheres and ended with an apostrophe: "We bless God for thee, my brother! We are glad that heaven is made richer, though we are made poorer; and, by this bier, we solemnly pledge ourselves that we will undertake, by God's grace, to follow thy blessed footsteps even as thou didst follow the

blessed Lord." ¹¹³ After a prayer by Newman Hall, the orphan boys choir sang as the coffin was slowly taken down the aisle.

The open hearse had, on both sides, the words, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." This silent witness covered the five-mile trek from Newington to Norwood with people crowding both sides of the road. Carriages brought his son Charles and his wife along with Archibald

Brown. ¹¹⁴ James Spurgeon rode in the carriage with the Bishop of Rochester.

Bells pealed from several churches; shops, including public houses, were closed.

Many hung portraits of Spurgeon and flew flags at half mast. While the procession moved toward the cemetery at Norwood, a meeting of the Pastors' College Evangelical Association went forward on the premises awaiting the arrival of their departed president. As the service neared its end and many walkers that accompanied the hearse started arriving, a most impressive mingling of mourners, all dressed in black, formed a curved path for the last yards of the journey. Archibald Brown, called by Fullerton "the most distinguished of Mr. Spurgeon's men," with chosen words and few, committed the body to the ground:

Beloved President, Faithful Pastor, Prince of Preachers, Brother Beloved, Dear Spurgeon,—We bid

thee not "farewell," but only for a little while "good-night." Thou shalt rise soon, at the first dawn of

the resurrection day of the redeemed. Yet is not the "good-night" ours to bid, but thine; it is we who

linger in the darkness; thou art in God's own light. Our night, too, shall soon be past, and with it all our

weeping. Then, with thine, our songs shall greet the morning of a day that knows no cloud nor close;

for there is no night there.

Hard Worker in the field, thy toil is ended! Straight has been the furrow thou hast ploughed. No

looking back has marred thy course. Harvests have followed thy patient sowing, and heaven is already

rich with thine ingathered sheaves, and shall be still enriched through years yet lying in eternity.

Champion of God, thy battle long and nobly fought is over! The sword, which clave to thy hand, has

dropped at last; the palm-branch takes its place. No longer does the helmet press thy brow, oft weary

with its surging thoughts of battle; the victor's wreath from the Great Commander's hand has already

proved thy full reward.

Here, for a little while, shall rest thy precious dust. Then shall thy Well-Beloved come, and at His

voice thou shalt spring from thy couch of earth, fashioned like unto His glorious body. Then spirit,

soul, and body shall magnify thy Lord's redemption. Until then, beloved, sleep! We praise God for

thee, and by the blood of the everlasting covenant hope and expect to praise God with thee. Amen. 115