An outstanding gift book, taking the reader into the world of Spurgeon. Deeply moving and edifying, these remarkable letters, written from a suffering pastor to his congregation, abound in exhortations to godliness, zeal and prayer. They provide a unique insight into Spurgeon’s life, and into the fervent soul-winning activity which was, alongside the preaching, a leading feature of an historic Calvinistic church.
Throughout the book there are notes on Spurgeon’s ministry setting the letters in context. Several classic sermonettes written during sickness are included, along with 16 pages of colour pictures of original letters.
Table of Contents
The Suffering Letters of CH Spurgeon
Introduction
Laid Aside – Why?
The Letters
Part 1: 1876-83
Part 2: 1884-90
Part 3: 1891-92 The Final Year
Articles and Short Sermons
Preface to Spurgeon’s Last Annual Volume of The Sword and the Trowel
Spurgeon’s Last Close-of Year Message
Spurgeon’s Last Opening-of-Year Message
The Seven Sneezes
Satan’s Punctuality, Power and Purpose
The Numbered People
Appendix: The First ‘Suffering Letter’
About C H Spurgeon
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born at Kelvedon in Essex in 1834. He was brought up in a Christian home, and was converted at the age of 15; the call to preach the Gospel came shortly afterwards. Spurgeon displayed such rare, God-given gifts as a preacher that he was appointed pastor of Waterbeach Baptist Church in Cambridgeshire at the age of 17; the church experienced rapid growth under his ministry. Two years later, he was invited to preach at New Park Street Chapel (later the Metropolitan Tabernacle) in London in 1853. His preaching made such an impression that he was shortly afterwards called to the pastorate. His arrival soon led to such crowds thronging the chapel that services had to be moved to a vast hired hall in the Strand, and then to the Royal Surrey Gardens Music Hall, where up to 10,000 people assembled.
The present site was acquired for the Tabernacle partly because of its prominent situation and partly because it was thought to be the site of the burning of the Southwark Martyrs. For this reason our foundation-stone bears the words: ‘The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’ During Charles Spurgeon’s ministry tens of thousands were converted to God under the preaching of the Word. Today we are privileged to worship in surroundings hallowed by such a history.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon pastored the church for 38 years, founding a pastors’ college, an orphanage, a Christian literature society and The Sword and the Trowel magazine. Over 200 new churches were started in the Home Counties alone, and pastored by his students. His printed sermons (still published) fill 63 volumes. In 1887, toward the end of his ministry, Spurgeon led the church out of the Baptist Union because of the widening influence of theological liberalism in the Union. He died in 1892 in Menton, France, utterly worn out by vigorous service for the Lord whom he loved so much.
