In an age of promotional hype and sales gimmicks, it is refreshing to occasionally discover something which has endured the "test of time" and needs no "polish" for its commendation. Few would question that this is the character of the works of the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892). Spurgeon's works were eagerly devoured during his own time and their circulation has not diminished in our own century.

Pilgrim Publications has published more of C. H. Spurgeon's WORKS than any other modern publisher today, but it is a testimony to Spurgeon's importance to note the fact that there are more publishers presently publishing his works (over 100 years after his death), than those of any other man or woman(!) whether living or dead.

Outstanding Publishers such as:  Zondervan, Banner of Truth, Kregel Publications, William B. Eerdmans, Moody Press, Evangelical Press, Soli Deo Gloria Ministries, Christian Focus Publications, Ambassador-Emerald House, Baker Book House/Fleming Revell, and others have continually reprinted Spurgeon books.

Our Pilgrim Publications imprint has always published Spurgeon's works exactly from their original, unedited editions (as produced by his main publisher of the 1800s — Passmore & Alabaster).

Spurgeon's works are also available here on the INTERNET, also new accurate SPANISH LANGUAGE translations, and with computer CD-ROM Software: C. H. Spurgeon Collection (comprehensive), Master Christian Library, Christian History Interactive, and The Online Bible, ALL excellent computer resources. It is likely, that no other author ever has been published, distributed, or sold more sermons and books... than C. H. SPURGEON.

 Spurgeon's Influence

Since his first sermon in London, the crowds never ceased growing larger and larger. His popularity and fame was immediate. Thousands attended his early ministry in London at the New Park Street Chapel and then later in the new building, Metropolitan Tabernacle, spanning the years from 1854-1892. The term "Tabernacle" was selected as the name with Spurgeon observing, "We believe this building to be temporary, meant for the time in the wilderness without the visible King."  

Millions more who never heard him preach read the weekly sermons as they went forth from the press to the world in many languages. Through these sermons, the respect of the Christian world for Spurgeon continues to grow from generation to generation. In addition to his preaching, Spurgeon founded a Pastors College (now called Spurgeon's College), orphanages for boys and girls, a Home for the elderly, "Ragged Schools" for poor children, a Colportage Association, and numerous Mission Chapels. He was a pioneer in many missionary, evangelistic, and benevolent efforts. There's a story that an American school boy was asked, "Who is the Prime Minister of England? — to which he replied, "C. H. Spurgeon."

American evangelists like the dynamic Methodist Sam Jones and the famous Dwight L. Moody were greatly influenced in their own ministries through reading Spurgeon's sermons. Jones said, "of course, my Bible was the book of all books to me, but I read and re-read that volume of Spurgeon's sermons until my soul was stirred with the spirit of the man. I owe much to this one volume of Spurgeon's sermons. If what a man does is the test of what a man is, Spurgeon was one of the grandest preachers of his century; and if I have directness and earnestness of style, I owe much of it to the sermons of this great man."

Moody himself heard and read Spurgeon's sermons before ever becoming a preacher. He said, "I have read everything by Spurgeon I can get my hands on," and advised his students to do likewise. Speaking at a Jubilee Testimonial Service for Spurgeon in 1884, he said, "You are never going to die... bear in mind, friends, that our dear brother is to live forever. We may never meet together again in the flesh, but by the blessing of God I will meet you up in yonder." His Moody Bible Institute was inspired and established after observing the work being done at Spurgeon's Pastors College and Colportage. The Moody Colportage Association's (now Moody Press) first and all-time best-selling book is Spurgeon's All of Grace.

Child Evangelism Fellowship, founded by J. Irvin Overholtzer, also owes its origin to the influence of Spurgeon. The book, The Indomitable Mr. O [written by Norman Rohrer], reveals how Overholtzer, when reading a sermon by Spurgeon, was startled by the remark, "A child of age five, if properly instructed, can as readily believe and be regenerated as anyone." Overholtzer could not get away from the grip of this statement. He met the challenge and decided to make a definite attempt at converting children to Christ and had success. He concluded, "child evangelism is REAL and Spurgeon was right!"

F. B. Meyer (1847-1929), was one of the most famous pulpiteers of England and a close friend of Moody. He said excitedly: "You may well print the Jubilee number of Mr. Spurgeon's sermons in gold! — Gold befits gold! I can never tell my indebtedness to them. As I read them week by week in my young manhood, they gave me a grip of the Gospel that I can never lose, and gave an ideal of its presentation in nervous, transparent and forcible language which has coloured my entire ministry. It is marvellous to notice, also, that the last volume, just published, seems to lack nothing in comparison with those that have gone before! What a blessed ministry this has been to myriads."

Regarding the sermon, "Accidents, Not Punishments," [delivered in 1861] Spurgeon said: "That discourse is to me the more memorable as I possess a copy of which Dr. (David) Livingstone had carried with him in his African Journeys, and on the top of which he had written, 'Very good — D.L.'  It was found, after his death, in the volume of his Diary from November, 1861, to July, 1863, and was sent to me by his daughter, Mrs. Livingstone-Bruce" [Autobiography, Vol 2, pgs. 214-215].

Such stories and testimonies of Spurgeon's influence are unending, then and today. At a past convention of the Christian Booksellers Association, a well-known minister of a large metropolitan area visited the booth of Pilgrim Publications. He said he had traveled several miles just to visit our booth and say "Thanks" for our reprinting Spurgeon's sermons. He explained that he was university and seminary graduate, had a Ph.D. degree, had pastored for several years, but only a few months before he had obtained Spurgeon's sermons and been reading them for the first time. "My preaching has completely changed," he said. "My church has changed, and I feel like I am almost a new man, and have truly just begun to preach!"

At another Christian Booksellers Convention, the well-known, late British author Dr. Herbert Lockyer was being escorted in a wheel-chair around the convention floor. Coming down our aisle, he looked up and saw the large portrait of Spurgeon which we had on display and immediately stopped and turned into our booth. He spent time commenting about the famous Spurgeon and said, "I owe my own salvation and ministry to Mr. Spurgeon... I was converted under the preaching of Mr. William Olney, one of Spurgeon's deacons."

Then he went on to tell the story of how Mr. Olney had preached at a certain place and several were saved, including Mr. Lockyer, then a very young lad. Olney had been saved under Spurgeon, and now Lockyer was saved under the preaching of Olney. It would require a large volume to relate all of the known stories such as this, witnessing to the impact of Spurgeon's ministry and his published sermons.

I know of no other book or set of books which comes with such high commendation from recognized Christian leaders. From reading these articles one is amazed at the extent of Spurgeon's influence on the lives of current Christians, especially outstanding ministers. It is doubtful that there is a handful of ministers of evangelical conviction, who have been preaching for a respectable period of time, who have not drawn from the well of inspiration in Spurgeon's sermons.

 Greatest Preacher Since PAUL!

As Thomas Armitage stated [below], for over a hundred years, the name of Charles Haddon Spurgeon has been a household word among Christians. W. Y. Fullerton, his close friend and one of his many biographers, said: "To me he is master and friend. I have neither known nor heard of any other, in my time, so many-sided, so commanding, so simple, so humble, so selfless, so entirely Christ's man. Proudly I stand at the salute!"  

B. H. Carroll, founder of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at Fort Worth, Texas, stated: "Charles Haddon Spurgeon, by common consent, is acknowledged to be the greatest preacher since apostolic times. I have seen 2,500 of his published sermons. They are as plump as a partridge, and as full of meat as an egg!" By topical arrangement, Carroll said the sermons would constitute "a complete body of systematic theology. With whom among men can you compare him? He combined the preaching power of Jonathan Edwards and Whitefield with the organizing power of Wesley, and the energy, fire, and courage of Luther. In many respects he was most like Luther; in many most like Paul."

Thomas Armitage, who during Spurgeon's time pastored the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church of New York City and authored the classic work A History of the Baptists, said in 1887, "Charles Haddon Spurgeon, whose name is a household word the world over, is the most remarkable minister of Christ now living!"

William Cathcart, another notable Baptist historian of Spurgeon's time and the editor of the deservedly famous Baptist Encyclopedia, referred to him as "the most widely known preacher of the age." Russell Conwell, another of his many biographers and author of the immortal Acres of Diamonds, called Mr. Spurgeon "the world's greatest divine." "The life of Spurgeon contains so much that is strange, unusual, wonderful, and even truly miraculous, that it will require most careful statement and most conservative reasoning to convince the reader that the record is literally TRUE."

C. H. Spurgeon began preaching near London as a lad of fifteen and in time gained the distinction of being called "The Prince of Preachers," "The Puritan of the Broad Brim," "The Heir of the Puritans," "Last of the Puritans," and like names. He himself only wanted to be a "John Ploughman," keeping his hand to the plough and ploughing a straight furrow. Like those above, many outstanding ministers of his own day — such as D. L. Moody, J. Hudson Taylor, J. C. Ryle, F. B. Meyer, the Bonar brothers, George Muller, William Robertson Nicoll — regarded C. H. Spurgeon as the most influential preacher of their time.

Nicoll (1851-1923), editor of the Expositor's Bible, is recognized as an outstanding scholar and theologian. He said: "Spurgeon was, in fact, one of the great doctors of divinity; he had an intuitive knowledge of the ways of God and of the needs of the human heart, and in all his preaching his one object was to commend God to men." Nicoll said that Spurgeon's great sermons comprised a "Body of Divinity" within themselves. Time has justified his prophetic opinion: "The continued life and power of his printed sermons show that his oratory, noble as it was, was not the first thing. Our firm belief is that these sermons will continue to be studied with growing interest and wonder; that they will ultimately be accepted as incomparably the greatest contribution to the literature of experimental Christianity that has been made in this century (19th), and that their message will go on transforming and quickening lives after all other sermons of the period are forgotten."

 Spurgeon's Sermon Series

Perhaps most Christians who have read Spurgeon would share the opinion of the late Dr. Wilbur M. Smith about Spurgeon's sermons. Dr. Smith, an authority in the field of Christian literature, considered Spurgeon's sermon series to be "the greatest collection of sermons in the English language. If I were given the choice of a set of sermons... I would certainly choose those of Charles Spurgeon." In a personal letter to the publishers, Dr Smith said, "I wish this entire set of Spurgeon was in every minister's library today. It is strange that there are really no printed sermons today to compare with Spurgeon — and I am not an idolater."

What is it about Spurgeon's sermons, many of them over one hundred years old, preached to nineteenth century London audiences, that still commands the attention of more readers than the sermons of any other man living or dead? There have been many answers proposed, perhaps all of them valid to a point. But the real answer for each person probably lies in the actual reading & experiencing the answer. In some respects, it is like the new birth — "better felt than telt."

Spurgeon was a genius, in addition to the impact of his Christian faith. He was a remarkable "speed reader" and had a "photographic memory," along the lines known as "total recall" which few human beings are so gifted. He was also a "natural" orator, a master in the use of Scripture, an artist with illustrations, a "wit" with humour and proverbs, carefree and extemporaneous. His voice was described as being "strong, clear, bell-like, which could be heard by an audience of very many thousands." Spurgeon lived a godly life, was a man of prayer, and an ardent student of the Bible. But as much as might be said about him by admirers, he must be read to be appreciated.    

No preacher in the history of Christianity has had his sermons so widely printed, distributed, read, and blessed of God. "The chief difficulty in appraising the sermons is the number of them," said W. Y. Fullerton, who helped in the editing work on the published sermons during the closing years of CHS's illnesses.  

From his sermon series and magazine, the printed sermons number close to 4,000, but there is no exact record available. His peerless and untiring private secretary, Mr. J. W. Harrald, had stenographically recorded the sermons and they were published weekly as a "Penny Pulpit" pamphlet, then released in book form at the end of each year. The first six volumes, called The New Park Street Pulpit, cover the early years of Spurgeon's ministry at the New Park Street Chapel, 1855-1860; then fifty-seven succeeding volumes were published under the title, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit — sermons recorded during his thirty-two year ministry at the Metropolitan Tabernacle from 1861-1892. The many sermons preached here were sufficient in number to furnish yearly volumes through May of 1917, 25 years after his death! The entire series from 1855 to 1917 consists of 63 volumes.

Spurgeon's ministry at the commodious Tabernacle was attended constantly by capacity crowds of more than 5,000. The church found it practical to distribute free tickets to those who wanted to attend, assuring them seats in the very large auditorium. Many who came without tickets hoped to at least find standing room, else they would request tickets for another time. The members were encouraged to alternate their visits so as to accommodate the crowds of people anxious to hear the lively sermons delivered at the rate of 140 words per minute, 20 words more than the average rate for public speaking! Thousands of hearers testified to having been converted under Spurgeon's ministry, while thousands more told of being saved by reading the printed sermons.

Without the benefit of electrical noise amplifiers, the appeal of musical attractions, methods for crowd manipulation or any sort of "gimmick," and depending solely upon the power of the Gospel of God's grace in Jesus Christ, Spurgeon's ministry was unusually effective and he heard multitudes confess Christ as Lord. He said there was not a seat in the Tabernacle but what someone had been converted in it!

The Tabernacle was one of the largest church buildings of its time. A few years after Spurgeon's death, it was destroyed by a fire during the pastorate of one of Spurgeon's twin sons, Thomas. It was rebuilt, but in World War II it was again ruined, this time by bombs. It was rebuilt a third time and the ministry of the church continues to this day, currently under Peter Masters [since 1970].

In the 1960's, a missionary remarked: "Although many selected sermons by Spurgeon have been reprinted in various forms, the amazing thing is that these original, complete volumes have never been republished." We completed it — Praise the Lord! — the entire 63-volume series in the early months of 1980. In a review of the first volume released in 1969, Prairie Overcomer Magazine said we had "launched one of the most ambitious reprint projects in the twentieth century." The Banner of Truth Magazine called the project "one of the largest religious publishing ventures of this century." This series is the largest and longest sermon set by any one man in the history of Christianity. The purpose of the present, ongoing re-publication is to contribute to the fulfillment of the prophecy of W. Robertson Nicoll when he said —

"The SERMONS preached fifty years ago are a living message today, and one dares to prophesy, will NOT be out of date when this twentieth century is drawing to its close!"

C. H. Spurgeon's mortal frame was laid aside on January 31, 1892, yet in many ways he still lives and indeed his death has been followed by an enlargement of his influence. At his funeral many spoke of his life, including A. T. Pierson. Dr. Pierson said that, so far from the limitation to the one topic, "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," being the one blemish of Mr. Spurgeon's ministry, it was in reality the GLORY of it — "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and FOREVER."

Spurgeon not only served his own generation, but by the grace and providence of God his printed sermons have perpetuated his work to the extent that it may indeed be said of him as it was of Abel, "He being Dead yet Speaketh."

As if Spurgeon knew that his own influence would continue long after departing this earthly life, a month before he died he said —

"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... Often the death of a man is a kind of new birth to him — when he himself is gone physically, he spiritually survives, and from his grave there shoots up a tree of life whose leaves heal nations. O' worker for God, death cannot touch thy sacred mission! Be thou content to die if the truth shall live the better because thou diest. Be thou content to die, because death may be to thee the enlargement of thine influence. Good men die as dies the seed-corn which thereby abideth not alone. When saints are apparently laid in the earth, they quit the earth, and rise and mount to Heaven-gate, and enter into immortality. No, when the sepulchre receives this mortal frame, we shall not die, but live."

Author: Bob L. Ross

His sermons have not only been preserved in their original printed form, but they are even being preserved by the many preachers who "preach" them, by some who are reading them for cassette recordings, and by some who print them in their magazines and books. Now they are being committed to the WorldWideWeb [and on CD-Rom].

Since we have recently gone on the Internet and have had opportunity to browse around the websites, I was somewhat overcome with joy over how others are enthused with Spurgeon and his sermons. Phil Johnson of Panorama City, California, is the dedicated man behind "The Spurgeon Archive," and is doing a remarkable job with Spurgeon's sermons and other materials, "linking" many of the other websites which feature Spurgeon. It is fun to check these links and others to see the widespread interest of Spurgeon, which is sure to grow as we all add more and more selections from his great works and sermons — may the "cult" increase! Like the opinion of others, The Spurgeon Archive is also our favorite web site! Thank God for the continued preservation of C. H. Spurgeon's blessed sermons and works!

Now, more full-length, unabridged sermons by Spurgeon are being made available by the Friends of the Spurgeon Archive. I can think of no sermons or writings that are more appropriate for world-wide display on the Web than C. H. Spurgeon's. Wouldn't it be wonderful to one day have the entire collection of Spurgeon's sermons on the WWWeb, accessible all over the world! I personally have no doubt that this will be a reality in the course of time. — Contact Phil Johnson if you wish to contribute.

In the meantime, I urge you to continually check-out the Spurgeon items on the Web; and if you wonder "how" I personally became interested in Spurgeon, read the following article — DREAMS Do Come True!

Many Sunday school teachers, children's evangelists, and others think the "WORDLESS BOOK" is a 20th-century production. These little booklets with their green covers and inside pages of black, white, red, and gold (sometimes in paper, sometimes in flannelgraph) are much, much older, though.

While pastor of Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tabernacle (1956-61), I began reading through the 63 volumes of Charles Haddon Spurgeon's sermons with the idea of producing a biography [A Centennial History of Spurgeon's Tabernacle — published by Pilgrim]. Arriving at volume 57 [produced for the year 1911], I found that on January 11, 1866, he had preached a sermon entitled "The Wordless Book" — his text being...

"Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" [Psalm 51:7].

"I dare say most of you have heard of a little book which an old divine used constantly to study, and when his friends wondered what there was in the book, he told them that he hoped they would all know and understand it, but that there was not a single word in it. When they looked at it, they found that it consisted of only three leaves: the first was black, the second was red, and the third was pure white.

The old minister used to gaze upon the black leaf to remind himself of his sinful state by nature, upon the red leaf to call to his remembrance the precious blood of Christ, and upon the white leaf to picture to him the perfect righteousness which God has given to believers through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ His Son. I want you, dear friends, to read this book this evening, and I desire to read it myself. May God the Holy Spirit graciously help us to do so to our profit!"

This early WORDLESS BOOK had but three pages; gold for heaven is missing, and so is the green cover for growth. Still, Spurgeon proceeded to preach for his customary 50 minutes to an hour on the three pages — black, red, and white. There were probably some 200 of his orphanage boys and girls present, and maybe some found the Saviour as the Prince of Preachers spoke, in all simplicity, on the WORDLESS BOOK.

Living as we do in days when people know so little of the Bible or Gospel, we should surely "take a leaf out of the great preacher's book" and dare to preach with simplicity, using visual aids. After all, that is how Spurgeon's Saviour preached when upon the earth. Coins, candles, birds, beasts of the field, and even a child "in the midst" were His object lessons. We should never be accused of preaching over people's heads.  If we are over their heads, we also miss their hearts!

May it continue to be used for the salvation of boys and girls & men and women.

Author: Eric W. Hayden

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