Charles Spurgeon

 1834-1892

British Baptist preacher. He is known as the "Prince of Preachers". Biography: At age 15, a snow storm forced him to cut short his intended journey and to turn into a Primitive Methodist chapel in Colchester where God opened his heart to the salvation message. The text that moved him was Isaiah 45:22 – "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else."

At only 19, was called to the pastorate of London's famed New Park Street. The congregation quickly outgrew their building, and moved to Exeter Hall, then to Surrey Music Hall. He then built the Metropolitan Tabernacle at Elephant and Castle.

 Achievements:

 Known as the ‘prince of preachers’.

Founded a Bible College which still operates.

A prolific author of many types of works including sermons, an autobiography, commentaries, books on prayer, devotionals, magazines, poetry and hymns. By the time of his death, he had preached nearly 3,600 sermons and published 49 volumes.

 Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000.

Quotes:

 It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.

 By perseverance the snail reached the ark.

 The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.

 Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of.

 Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.

 Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies within us.

 Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.

 None are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves.

 Of two evils, choose neither.

 Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.

 Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths

 If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company

 Nothing puts life into men like a dying saviour.

 I have a great need for Christ: I have a great Christ for my need.

 Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else.

 If Christ is not all to you He is nothing to you. He will never go into partnership as a part Saviour of men. If He be something He must be everything, and if He be not everything He is nothing to you.

 A Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

 Controversy:

 Opposed American slavery- attacked by American Baptists.

Left the Baptist Union of Great Britain: Downgrade Controversy.

 ‘Believers in Christ's atonement are now in declared union with those who make light of it; believers in Holy Scripture are in confederacy with those who deny plenary inspiration; those who hold evangelical doctrine are in open alliance with those who call the fall a fable, who deny the personality of the Holy Ghost, who call justification by faith immoral, and hold that there is another probation after death... It is our solemn conviction that there should be no pretence of fellowship. Fellowship with known and vital error is participation in sin.’

‘Progress’

Darwinism

Wellhausen Hypothesis

Inspiration

Resurrection