The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-11-13 00:00:00

MR. SPURGEON AND THE PASTORS'
COLLEGE

On Friday evening in last week, the annual meeting,
which was preceded by a tea-meeting in the school-
room, of the supporters of the Pastors' College con-
nected with the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newing-
ton-butts, was held in the Tabernacle, and was at-
tended by several thousand persons, the proceedings
being of the greater interest in so far that they par-
took of the character of a farewell to Mr. Spurgeon on
his approaching departure for the South of France,
where he intends to remain fpr some weeks.
Mr. Spurgeon, in commencing the proceedings, said
the weekly offerings on behalf of the college had been
kept up to an amount which showed that the institu-
tion still had the sympathy of the congregation. Last
year the amount collected was £1,874, and, judging
from the amount already subscribed this year, he ex-
pected that at the close the number of pounds con-
tributed would be again found to correspond with the
figures denoting the year-1875. At a recent meeting
of the Congregational body accounts from various
colleges stated that the young men who come forward
to join the ministry were few in number and poor in
quality. He also sent a statement to that meeting
in reply to questions from the Congregationalists,
and in it he said, differing in that respect from all
the other replies which were read, that the young men
offering for this college were about two or three times
as numerous as he wanted, and that he believed the
quality of them was never better than at present.
There were persons applying from the United
States, from Canada, and from the Continent of
Europe, and there were in the college at the pre-
sent moment two Germans and a Dutchman, and
they had just sent away a brother from Portugal.
Applications had been received from almost every
country, and the last was from Central Russia; but
the bulk of course came from England, and espe-
cially, from Scotland. At present there were 100
students in the college, but if they could take 300
they could not meet all the applications for admission
either as pastors or as missionaries. During the
ten years the institution had been working there had
been sent out from it 322 students; and during that
time there had been a total increase to the Baptist
churches of 30,677 persons, and the clear gain to the
denomination was close upon 20,000 persons. (Ap-
plauee.) He was strongly of opinion that the great
good which was to be done by the Church would come
out of permanent institutions. He went in for re-
vivalism; he was glad to see evangelists rising up to
preach the Gospel with much power, and stir up the
people; but if ever the Church got to believe that no great
thing was t, be acsomplished by the regular ministry,
but that everything was to be done by fits and starts, it
would make a most egregious mistake, and would have
to suffer for it. The way in which Christ's kingdom was
to be built up was by the Spirit of God blessing the
Church through constant prayer and persistent effort.
He would have the Christian minister as highly edu-
cated as any man in the State, and he should be the
leader in every form of knowledge; but never, he
hoped, would God permit them to fall into the idea
that souls were to be saved by human labour and
knowledge. As he was going away immediatelyt he
wished to state that he had put the college buildings
into trust, so that if he should be suddenly taken away
the institution might still go on. (Applause.)