Introduction
“Those preachers whose voices were clear and mighty for truth during life continue to preach in their graves. Being dead, they yet speak; and whether men put their ears to their tombs or not, they cannot but hear them.”[1] Although Charles Haddon Spurgeon may not have completely understood the significance of those words when he offered them (especially as it related to his own life and ministry), his voice of truth continues to sound in this modern day. Dr. J.H. Jowett once remarked of Charles Spurgeon regarding his preaching ability and achievement. He said, “He is not eclipsed even when set in radiant succession to Paul, Luther and Calvin.”[2] Of course, comparing a man to the likes of legendary Reformers and arguably the greatest man to walk this earth (besides Christ Himself) would be absurd; except it be true. Charles Spurgeon was the most popular preacher of his day in which his ministry demonstrated a global reach as he became an international figure. However, his influence did not end upon his death. Although the “Prince of Preachers” died January 31, 1892[3], Spurgeon’s voice resonates in the hearts and minds of thousands of men and woman all over the world. In fact, Charles Spurgeon is history’s most widely read preacher (except for preachers in the bible) in part because there is more material written by Spurgeon than by any other Christian author, living or dead.[4] What made this man so successful? Why is Charles Spurgeon considered one of the most prolific preachers of all time? Indeed, Spurgeon had been gifted with natural abilities as an orator and had the natural ability to mesmerize the crowds by mastering his words, yet Spurgeon’s success as a preacher was a direct result of the experiences he enjoyed as a believer in Christ and the commitments he made to necessary disciplines he valued in ministry.
Spurgeon: Enjoying His Person
His Childhood
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born June 19, 1834 in the Essex village of Kelvedon to John and Eliza Spurgeon.[5] However, when young Charles was merely 10 months old his father moved the family to Colchester.[6] John Spurgeon was a clerk in a coal yard but was better known for as a pastor of a congregational church in Tollesbury.[7] John embraced Calvinistic doctrines and preached them with conviction.[8] Eliza was a pious woman which exampled her deep faith. Although Charles was the oldest child of 17, nine of the children died in infancy. However, Eliza maintained a deep religious conviction that greatly impacted the family. Her commitment to prayer and holiness impacted the entire family, including her own husband.[9] As Charles would eventually reflect upon his upbringing, he credited his mother by saying, “I am sure that in my early youth no teaching ever made such an impression upon my mind as the instruction of my mother; neither can I conceive that, to any child, there be one who will have such influence over the young heart as the mother who has tenderly cared for her offspring.”[10] This is a significant statement considering Charles spent much of his childhood with his grandfather in Stambourne due to financial difficulties they encountered as a lower middle class family.[11]
Like Charles’ father, Charles Spurgeon’s grandfather was a Congregationalist pastor also and was committed in raising Charles to embrace the things of God. Therefore, Charles grew up in the atmosphere of the evangelical faith which contributed to his theological training. In an upstairs storeroom of his grandfather’s house, Charles frequently gave himself to the reading of literary treasures. These educational experiences of his childhood cultivated an appreciation for Protestant orthodoxy.[12] It would be in this place that Charles would discover John Bunyan’s Pilgram’s Progress. By the age of 14, young Charles was an avid reader embracing Shakespeare, Milton and Defoe.[13] By the age of 15, Charles had read Baxter’s Call to the Unconverted, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and Doddridge’s Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul.[14] Eventually, Spurgeon would study in school Greek, Latin and philosophy, yet these things of themselves would not lead young Charles to a place of peace. Unsettled his own faith Charles struggled with doubts of Christian truth. Instead of coming to faith through reading deep theological thoughts, Charles found himself at the brink of despair. God seemed elusive and Charles began to question whether or not God existed at all.
His Conversion
It was January 6, 1850 and Colchester had been hit with a heavy snow which became the reason why Charles attended a primitive Methodist on this particular Sunday.[15] Although Charles was able to make it to the service that day, the regular preacher was detained by the weather. However, in his place stood a layman from the congregation (who was a tailor or shoemaker by trade) which preached on the text found in Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.”[16] Even though there were only 12 to 15 gathering within this ministry on this particular day, the layman’s message resonated deep within young man’s heart. Spurgeon would eventually retell this experience and he made it a point to indicate that this layman was not much of a preacher. In fact, Spurgeon claimed that this man was “really stupid.”[17] He did not pronounce the words right and he really did not have much to say other than sticking to the text. Spurgeon did not want to give the credit of his conversion to any man, rather he wanted to give the credit where the credit was due. The text said to, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” It was this message that arrested his soul and captured his life. It was looking to Christ that profoundly changed him. Spurgeon wrote:
The cloud was gone, the darkness rolled away, and in that moment I saw the sun. I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard the word “look”, I could almost have looked my eyes away. I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them of the precious blood of Christ, and the simple faith that looks alone to Him. I thought I could dance all the way home. I could understand what John Bunyan meant when de declared he wanted to tell all the crows of the ploughed about his conversion…Between half past ten, when I entered the chapel and half past twelve, when I returned home, what a change had taken place in me.[18]
The joy Spurgeon experienced is in stark contrast to the many lonely hours he had spent as a child which brought about a deep dissatisfaction within his life.[19] Spurgeon wrote, “I do from my soul confess that I never was satisfied till I came to Christ: when I was yet a child I had far more wretchedness than ever I have now. I would even add, more weariness, more care, more heart-ache than I know at this day.”[20]
His Calling
Spurgeon began to study his bible earnestly and his life began to transform. Although Charles was raised by Congregational preachers, he purposely became a Baptist simply because he read the New Testament and studied the Greek.[21] He discovered that every believer in Christ should identify with Him in baptism. The example of Scripture was clear, once an individual professed faith in the Lord, the new born believer should be buried with Christ in baptism upon entering his public Christian life.[22] Therefore, Spurgeon sought out to find a Baptist minister to baptize him. His searched ended when he stumbled upon W. W. Cantlow in Isleham and on May 3, 1850 (which was Charles’ Mother’s birthday) young Spurgeon was publically immersed in the name of the Triune God.[23] Upon this event, Eliza Spurgeon said, “Charles, I often prayed the Lord to make you a Christian, but I never asked that you might become a Baptist!” Charles responded in his witty and profound form. He said, “Mother, the Lord has answered your prayer with His usual bounty and given you exceedingly abundantly above what you asked or thought.”[24]
Spurgeon’s call to ministry is tied to his conversion experience and the preaching of God’s Word. He wrote, “Personally, I have to bless God for many good books, but my gratitude most of all is due God, not for books, but for the preached Word- and that too addressed to me by a poor uneducated man.”[25] Spurgeon would further write, “The revealed Word awakened me, but it was the preached Word that saved me; and I must ever attach peculiar value to the hearing of the truth, for by it I received the joy and peace in which my soul delights.”[26] Therefore, Spurgeon began to position his life to do the Lord’s work.
Spurgeon began his ministry by first placing tracts in envelopes and sending them to people he knew.[27] When he moved to Cambridge to serve as an assistant school teacher, he united with the St. Andrews Street Baptist Church and began serving in Sunday School work which afforded him his first speaking experiences in public Sunday School assemblies. However, his first sermon was preached in a little thatched roof cottage at Teversham which was a few miles from Cambridge. Spurgeon had been sent out by his church under the sponsorship of its Lay Preacher’s Association for the purpose of conducting a worship service for a group of farm families.[28]
After this first adventure had past, the Lay Preacher’s Association sent young Spurgeon to Waterbeach to a congregation of 12 to fill the pulpit in a similar setting. The congregation was so pleased with the young Charles that the small church continued to invite him back until the day came in which they extended the pastoral call to the 16 year old. For two and half years Charles Spurgeon served that congregation faithfully. During his time serving this congregation, Charles’ impact in ministry was overwhelming. At Waterbeach, Charles practically converted the entire town to Christ. The community was known for its debauchery and sin to the extent that Waterbeach was known as one of the worst rural districts in England.[29] Spurgeon did not merely preach at the Chapel, but he would go directly to the people and engage them in the streets. By the time Spurgeon had concluded his ministry at Waterbeach, the church had grew to over 100.[30] However, the greatest impact was made on Spurgeon himself. Waterbeach had proved to be something more than a place to preach. Waterbeach was the place that God had unmistakably put His hand upon Spurgeon’s ministry. Waterbeach proved to be the place that Spurgeon was God’s man doing God’s work. As a result, Spurgeon would be offered many other opportunities to preach and pastor in which would ultimately prepare him for his life’s work in London.
New Park Street Chapel was one the leading Baptist churches in London. A member of this church had the opportunity to hear young Spurgeon in the summer of 1853 at the annual Cambridge Sunday School Union.[31] He was so impressed with his preaching, that Spurgeon was invited to candidate for their vacant pulpit. Initially, Spurgeon thought this invitation was a mistake. The New Park Street Chapel was a historic ministry which had notable pastors in its history. Benjamin Keach and John Gill were both pastors of the New Park Street Chapel. Spurgeon was aware of the church’s rich heritage and struggled to believe that the invitation was sincere. However, on December 18, 1853, Spurgeon stood in the pulpit of the famous old church which seated 1200 and addressed a congregation of 80.[32] The church was failing but his presentation created something of a sensation in that by evening the audience grew greater than its usual number. The church invited Spurgeon to occupy the pulpit for 6 month probation, however Spurgeon insisted on 3 month probation just in case the congregation did not want him any longer.[33] Finally, on April 19, 1854 a formal call was extended to Spurgeon to be the pastor of the New Park Street Chapel in which he accepted and solidified his London ministry at the age of 19.
His Character
The humility and sincerity of the young Spurgeon saved him from growing in arrogance. On April 28, 1854 just days after officially receiving the invitation to pastor the New Park Street Chapel, Spurgeon wrote in his acceptance letter:
I feel it to be a high honor to be the Pastor of a people who can mention glorious names as my predecessors, and I entreat of you to remember me in prayer, that I may realize the solemn responsibility of my trust. Remember my youth and inexperience, and pray that these may not hinder my usefulness. I trust also that the remembrance of these will lead you to forgive mistakes I may make, or unguarded words I may utter.[34]
Having the foresight to express these deep rooted sentiments allowed Spurgeon to grow more successful as a young pastor without becoming proud and overbearing within his ministry. Within a short period of time, Spurgeon generated great crowds and developed and international following. Perhaps no one would have predicted that this young teenage preacher would develop into the London’s premier voice of the Gospel, but Charles captured the hearts of people and became a phenomenon in the London Times headlines.[35]
Soon Spurgeon became known as the most popular preacher of his day, but it did not come without a price. Many have dreamed or imagined generating Spurgeon’s kind of success, but few have calculated the cost associated with such responsibility. Spurgeon’s life was marked by significant suffering in which shaped his spirituality and revealed his character. Spurgeon suffered physically and was evident within his life. Spurgeon was diagnosed with rheumatic gout and showed symptoms of kidney disease.[36] There were few days in which Spurgeon lived without pain and as time went by his physical suffering increased dramatically. There were times in which Spurgeon was effectively “shut in” at home and unable to preach. He once remarked, “My pains have at times been overpowering and I have needed Divine succor to come through them.”[37] Spurgeon’s ministry was characterized with this type of physical suffering. He also endured a great deal of mental suffering as well. On October 19, 1856, the decision was made to rent the largest auditorium in London, Surrey Music Hall in the Royal Surrey Gardens to hold Sunday services due to the fact that no other facility could handle the crowds. Once Spurgeon arrived, the 10,000 seat auditorium was to capacity with another 10,000 people gathering outside in hopes to hear the Prince of Preachers. Shortly after the beginning the service, several who premeditated their actions began to yell “fire”. Panic ensued and 7 people died and many others were seriously injured.[38] Spurgeon fell into a deep psychological despair in which many thought he would never recover. Reflecting on this incident, he said it was like a case of knives cutting his heart into pieces. He said it was a time of unrelenting misery and darkness.[39] From this time on Spurgeon experienced regular bouts of insomnia and mood swings. It was not uncommon to see joy give way to weeping, despair and/or sudden burst of violent emotion.[40] However through all these infirmities, Spurgeon believed that suffering resulted in important benefits for Christians. Through his entire earthly affliction, Spurgeon pushed on and endured to the end.
Spurgeon: Experiencing His Preaching
Recounting His Popularity
Recounting the historical events of Spurgeon’s ministry, it seems as if Spurgeon was an overnight phenomenon. Immediately after securing the pastorate at the New Park Street Chapel, Spurgeon began creating a stir. Within a few months, the church which was built to seat 1,200 people was filled to capacity. The congregation moved to Exeter Hall which could seat 4,500 people and then to the old Surrey Music Hall which could seat 10,000. Ultimately, the church built the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle to specifically house the vast numbers which gathered each week to hear Spurgeon’s sermon. For 31 years Charles Spurgeon preached to 6,000 people twice every Sunday.[41] Altogether, 14,460 people were added to the church during Spurgeon’s tenure.[42] His popularity in which he achieved never subsided from his first year in London to the day of his death in spite of not having the heavy hitting marketing strategies prevalent in this modern day.[43] During his lifetime it is estimated that Spurgeon preached to 10 million people.[44] Perhaps the circulation of his sermons helped sustain Spurgeon’s reputation and influence. His printed homilies traveled far beyond his British base. In 1865, Spurgeon’s sermons sold 25,000 copies each week and were translated into 40 different languages.[45] By the time he was 24 years of age, the North American Review was reporting that Americans returning from a trip to England were being 2 questions. First, they were being asked, “Did you see the Queen?” Second, they were asked, “Did you hear Spurgeon?”[46] This periodical reported that there was hardly a more familiar name in America than Spurgeon’s.[47]
Reviewing His Preaching
Spurgeon sought to preach to the common people with uncommon clarity. Although, his central themes followed orthodox lines he would often utilize a text in which no other preacher would have the courage to tread. Spurgeon emphasized the sovereignty of God, the cross of Christ and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to facilitate life change in the believer. In the end, Spurgeon shaped the evangelical pulpit of his day and beyond. Skinner has identified 10 perspectives of Spurgeon’s preaching that aid in evaluating his success.[48] There are many facets which can be explored to gain a better appreciation for Spurgeon’s preparation and delivery of life changing sermons. However, the most critical dynamics that account for Spurgeon’s success can be clearly identified.
First, there is the quantity of Spurgeon’s productions. The weekly sermons which sold for a penny at newsstands and railroad stations made Spurgeon a household name. Spurgeon’s sermons were in great demand, yet he never wrote them out beforehand.[49] His sermons were written by a stenographer on the day of Spurgeon’s delivery. On Monday morning, Spurgeon would review and revise the copy for print. By Thursday morning Spurgeon would have a final proof giving him one last opportunity to revise before it was sent to the printers. The following week his sermon was published in the English speaking newspapers in both London and New York.[50] Eventually, this process was repeated for publications in other periodicals. Spurgeon would ultimately use this process to publish at least 3,800 different sermons, but that was just the beginning. Spurgeon had even greater success with other works he created. For example, there were 500,000 copies of his Lectures to My Students sold along with 130,000 sets of his Treasury of David.[51] Publishers have more titles by Spurgeon in print today than by any other religious author, living or dead.[52]
The second dynamic which can aide in evaluating Spurgeon’s success in his preaching is the quality of his content. The quality of Spurgeon’s preaching helps explain his power to captivate his listeners. Most of his day was spent reading, researching and planning his sermon by utilizing his 12,000 volume library.[53] Each sermon was theologically sound, creative and carefully presented. Systematic study was essential in developing quality sermons consistently.
Another dynamic which can aide in evaluating Spurgeon’s success in his preaching was his simplicity in his message. Spurgeon’s preaching centered on the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The comfort he gave and the hope he extended were solely based upon the evangelical experience of the new birth as outlined in the Scripture. Spurgeon relied on the Scripture alone as his ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice. He held a high view concerning the inspiration of Scripture and refused to become entangled with arguments undermining its credibility.[54] On one occasion Spurgeon was asked if he would defend the Bible to those that were denying its historicity. He replied, “Defend the Bible? Would you defend a lion? Loose him, and let him go.”[55]
Perhaps the most obvious dynamic which can aide in evaluating Spurgeon’s success as a preacher was his methodology in regards to his presentation. Spurgeon’s common preaching style was to summarize a doctrine or biblical topic by selecting a single text. Theologically, Spurgeon dared to approach difficult doctrines by dealing with them masterfully. It was common for Spurgeon to speak about the truths of election, predestination, atonement, the nature and attributes of God and the perseverance of the saints.[56] Spurgeon reached into places in which few contemporaries would dare to go. As a result he mastered the art of tackling the heights of human thought and presenting mined truth in such a way that simple people would understand.
Spurgeon: Embracing His Practice
Understanding His Disciplines
Spurgeon could “play to the gallery”, meaning that he had a way about him when setting out to captivate an audience. First, he had possessed a powerful voice which some had labeled as a “bell voice.”[57] His speaking would resonate and resound so that he could literally speak to thousands without the aid of amplification equipment. No audience ever shouted, “speak up” nor did they ever accuse Spurgeon of shouting. Leveraging his bellowing voice appropriately, Spurgeon could masterfully engage the crowd. His ability to speak in perfect expression was a natural gift making him the most perfect orator of his time. He had a way about wrapping his message in the language dignified simplicity. However, these natural talents alone were not the sole cause of his success. Indeed, Spurgeon would lean upon his natural abilities and utilize them accordingly (as any other man), but his talent as an orator did not make him an international icon alone.
Spurgeon was a man with deep conviction not only about matters concerning his theology as one might suspect, but he also had strong sentiments regarding his methodology. For example, when speaking on the subject of preaching styles, Spurgeon had this to say:
Brethern, we should cultivate a clear style. When a man does not make me understand what he means, it is because he does not himself know what he means. An average hearer who is unable to follow the course of thought of the preacher ought not to worry himself, but to blame the preacher, whose business it is to make the matter plain. If you look down into a well, if it be empty it will appear to be very deep, but if there be water in it you will see its brightness. I believe that many “deep” preachers are simply so because they are like dry wells with nothing whatever in them, except decaying leaves, a few stones, and perhaps a dead cat or two. If there be living water in your preaching it may be very deep, but the light of truth will give clearness to it. It is not enough to be so plain that you can be understood; you must speak so that you cannot be misunderstood.
We cultivate a cogent as well as a clear style; our speech must be forceful. Some imagine that this consists in speaking loudly, but I can assure them they are in error. Nonsense does not improve by being bellowed…Let us be forcible by reason of the excellence of our matter, and the energy of spirit which we throw into the delivery of it. In a word, let our speaking be natural and living.[58]
Spurgeon had come to understand that a real ethic needed to exist in order to be effective in one’s preaching. Therefore, Spurgeon pursued an unrelenting work schedule in order to adequately prepare for his ministry. As a young boy Spurgeon developed the passion to read which stayed with him the duration of his life. Most days were spent in reading and research. It was not uncommon for Spurgeon to work 18 hour days all within his study.[59] The volumes which Spurgeon poured over provided him with rich resource which he needed to develop great sermons. Many of the books found within Spurgeon’s 12,000 volume library provided him illustrations for his messages. One of the reasons that Spurgeon could preach up to 12 times a week was because he had a wealth of truth stored deep within him due to the fact that he invested so much of his time to study. Due to his diligence in preparation, Spurgeon did not select a text or a theme for his Sunday sermon until Saturday evening. In like manner, his Sunday evening sermon was not outlined until Sunday afternoon. After extensive reading in biblical and theological materials, Spurgeon claimed that there were dozens of text that were striving for attention, but Spurgeon sought to discover the text that the Spirit had chosen.[60] However, once the text was identified, only a few notes were written. On the day of his delivery, Spurgeon would read the text, comment briefly and provide his interpretation and commentary. Then Spurgeon would preach without utilizing his notes. Instead, he would recall to his memory all he had learned and studied.
Understanding His Hermeneutics
In light of his own circumstances, Spurgeon came to believe that suffering in the life of believers resulted in significant benefits for Christians. He believed that Christians could experience a more intimate relationship with Christ as they endured through struggles. Spurgeon was convinced that trials and suffering positioned a believer for ministry giving them a capacity to care for those in need. This reality shaped his hermeneutical approach to Scripture. Spurgeon was so impacted by his own suffering that his preaching ministry (in terms of tone and content) would have been dramatically different if he had not suffered as he did.
Having an understanding of Spurgeon’s life and background can provide assumptions which were his guide in interpreting the Bible. Spurgeon’s foundation was the Word of God. Spurgeon placed his faith in the redeeming act of God as they were recorded in the Bible. In other words, the Scriptures were inspired and authoritative. Spurgeon had adopted the major tenants of the Puritan faith.[61] He believed that God was sovereign in creation, providence and redemption. Therefore, the trials that plagued man’s life were not by happenstance, but rather divinely ordained. Spurgeon emphasized that the fall of man had brought about sin and its consequences; misery and pain. Therefore he stressed the human responsibility for suffering and characterized it as the devil’s activity. However, he would also emphasize that the all suffering fell within God’s sovereign plan. In other words, Spurgeon would stress that others bore the responsibility for suffering in the world although God remained sovereign over it.
Spurgeon believed that Christ was man’s substitute in atoning for sin enabling man to be justified by faith in Christ. For this reason God uses man’s infirmities to reveal man’s need of a Savior. The cross of Christ was the supreme example of this principle. The cross illustrated that believers did not have to pay for their own sinfulness. It also shows that saints have not fallen in the hands of Satan; rather believers are in the hands of God. Even in the midst of hardship and overwhelming sinfulness, God is gracious in that he suffered in their place and died for their sins in order to secure their salvation. This would mean that a believer’s trial was strictly limited in its duration and scope for eventually ones suffering would give way to heaven’s guarantee of abundant eternal life.[62] Spurgeon had suffered much, but he labored to affirm what he believed to be a proper perspective as he endured his personal sufferings. He sought to declare that God’s mercies had delivered him from the penalties of sin, death and the grave.
Conclusion
Charles Haddon Spurgeon continues to resonate in the hearts and minds of thousands of men and woman all over the world. He is history’s most widely read preacher for there is more material written by Spurgeon than by any other Christian author, living or dead.[63] Spurgeon’s ministry has impacted the entire civilized world resulting in enumerable conversions and men surrendering into the gospel ministry. Charles Spurgeon shaped the theological minds of great evangelicals make their mark for Christ. Men like: Dwight L. Moody, R.A. Torrey, J.W. Chapman, John McNeill, F.B. Meyer, Henry Varley, F.W. Boreham, and G. Campbell Morgan were some of Christendom’s most notable figures of modern times that greatly benefitted from Spurgeon’s ministry.[64]
Spurgeon’s influence on Baptists in America is too enormous to fully detail. From the architecture of the Metropolitan tabernacle to the dramatic style of his sermon delivery, men in the states have sought to emulate and imitate the “Prince of Preachers.” George W. Truett once remarked concerning Spurgeon’s influence in American society, “Mr. Spurgeon’s sermons may be found in more American homes than the sermons and pictures of any other preacher of this century, or any other century.”[65]
What made this man so successful? Why is Charles Haddon Spurgeon considered one of the most prolific preachers of all time? Indeed, Spurgeon had been gifted with natural abilities as an orator and had the natural ability to mesmerize the crowds by mastering his words, yet Spurgeon’s success as a preacher was a direct result of the experiences he enjoyed as a believer in Christ and the commitments he made to necessary disciplines he valued in ministry. Charles Spurgeon experienced a considerable amount of success within his London ministry, but it was not simply because it fell into his lap. Spurgeon was reared in a home that loved Jesus. Here Spurgeon was introduced to Puritan doctrines that would ultimately guide his faith. As his parents diligently labored in Christian love to lead their children to Christ, Spurgeon found opportunity to respond to the Gospel of Christ. Ultimately, the disciplines he learned and embraced as a young child proved critical elements that developed his mind for the work of the ministry. Those things he learned as a child he diligently employed in the work of the Lord. Perhaps man naturally seeks popularity and prestige while being enamored by someone in great position. However, Spurgeon’s success was birthed from an authentic place of personal suffering not out of personal ambition to be “successful”. His struggles in life shaped his ministry behind the pulpit and enabled him to reach the people of the world. Indeed, Charles Spurgeon was a success in which young preachers would serve themselves well to learn and follow his example for his voice of truth continues to sound even today.
[1] Bob L. Ross, A Pictorial Biography of C. H. Spurgeon, (Pasadena: Pilgrim Publications, 1974), 4.
[2] John Pitts, “Genius of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.” Theology Today 6, no. 4 (January 1, 1950): 530. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2011).
[3] J.C. Carlile, Charles H. Spurgeon, (New Jersey: Barbour and Company, 1987), 266.
[4] Craig Skinner, “The preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon.” Baptist History And Heritage 19, no. 4 (October 1, 1984): 16-26. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2011).
[5] Duncan S. Ferguson, “The Bible and Protestant orthodoxy : The Hermeneutics of Charles Spurgeon.” Journal Of The Evangelical Theological Society 25, no. 4 (December 1, 1982): 457. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2011).
[6] Ross, Pictorial Biography of C. H. Spurgeon, 13.
[7] Ferguson, The Bible and Protestant Orthodoxy : The Hermeneutics of Charles Spurgeon, 457.
[10] Ross, Pictorial Biography of C. H. Spurgeon, 14.
[11] Ferguson, The Bible and Protestant Orthodoxy : The Hermeneutics of Charles Spurgeon, 457.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid
[15] E.W. Bacon, Spurgeon: Heir of the Puritans (London: Allen and Unwin, 1967), 102.
[16] Ibid.
[17] William Roscoe Estep, “The making of a prophet : an introduction to Charles Haddon Spurgeon.” Baptist History And Heritage 19, no. 4 (October 1, 1984): 3-15. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2011).
[18] Bacon, Spurgeon: Heir of the Puritans, 24.
[19] Carlile, C. H. Spurgeon, 46.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Ibid.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Ross, Pictorial Biography of C. H. Spurgeon, 28.
[28] Estep, The Making of a Prophet : An Introduction to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 7.
[29] Ross, Pictorial Biography of C. H. Spurgeon, 30.
[30] Estep, The Making of a Prophet : An Introduction to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 8.
[31] Ferguson, The Bible and Protestant Orthodoxy : The Hermeneutics of Charles Spurgeon, 458.
[34] Ibid.
[35] Ibid.
[36] Peter J. Morden, C. H. Spurgeon and Suffering, 308. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2011).
[37] Ibid.
[38] Estep, The Making of a Prophet : An Introduction to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 9.
[41] Pitts, Genius of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 526.
[42] Eric W. Hayden , Did You Know? “Christian History”, 1991, Vol. 10 Issue 1, p2, 1p. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed November 10, 2011).
[43] Ibid.
[44] Ibid.
[45] Skinner, The Preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 17.
[46] Morden, C. H. Spurgeon and Suffering, 306.
[47] Ibid., 307.
[48] Skinner, The Preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 18.
[51] Ibid., 18.
[52] Ibid.
[53] Ibid.
[54] Ibid., 21.
[55] Ibid., 25.
[56] Ibid., 22.
[57] Pitts, Genius of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 526.
[58] Estep, The Making of a Prophet : An Introduction to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 11.
[59] Skinner, The Preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 17.
[60] Estep, The Making of a Prophet : An Introduction to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 10.
[61] Ferguson, The Bible and Protestant Orthodoxy : The Hermeneutics of Charles Spurgeon, 459.
[64] Skinner, The Preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 24.
[65] Ibid., 25.
Filed under: Life of a Leader
