Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-12-23
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The Asy. W.. SuafuyOs,

TIE Ney. NJ. sparvrom.
III tafg5aa oaFr~spondent Of the Banner and
Nisn,,p1s ;sH. describes Mr.. Spurgeon:
haze frs zag gwen yon n brief sketch of Mr..
>iure"un. shs F,,ea AZ preacher of London at
lin t'ar sls i nos popular with the refined
,,hssrss = ~ mealied at Nil utter the Mel
nils u,sl,s2 a,ss d. h.. aaght but a violent con
Br.sa. A,sA 10 person and manner, to the gentle.
,8.ga-s. ~, earnest Baptist Nod. Sturgeon is
l.as Y~s twenty four years old. lie began,lik
Wilton Jay, to preach when almost boy. He
has Mt been AT college. His father is IA Baptist
minister. and he has younger brother study
ing in the Baptist College,. ut Stepney. who they
say. will be superior 10 himself Mr.. Spurgeon is
Of the middle size--thick SET in figure with n deep
oapacious chest and throat and tongue, and lip
formed for vehement orntory. His hair is black
and parted over tolerably wide forehead, his
eyes dark and deeply set.
His manner in the pulpit is energy from first
10 nst-physi energy ,impelled by veh ent
purpose a I'd determination 10 arouse from the
beginning lie reads the psalm abruptly; he
prays with startling rnpdity, md, you would
say, sometimes with irreverence. Aud yet there
Is porer in it, and n frryor and fullness, too
which commands breahless interest. Egg otisin
does come up; and yet you say he il very young
and he could not speak or pray thus Us m cxl)c-
rienced Christian, and with petitions for every
class without Divine teachings. Then CONES nm
exposition of tn" chapter What n torre mt of
words, What striking remark quaint and pith "
Aud how well he knows his Biblel 1t is not n
lecture. The English will not stand that. But
II is rapid, running commentary, which, in my
mind, whtn well done, IL the perfection of al, ex
pository reading before, and preparatory 30
the sermon.
Next comes the sermon it4elf-say that div
cred in my own church. The text il, "rhere,
they crucfed Him" LIST. The Place; ID The
Victim. Al rhn h yocuti.nar-. , hn
ment How natural the division, What vivid
clearness of illustration and force of pJhcation
on ench head! Some oddities appear. A story
half humorous, bearing ON religion, is told. and
the people smilc-almost hugh. Many shock
ed, bat hear him out, and shy. is not the eject of
the whole good extraordinary Listen, too, to
his language. How thoroughly English. vernac-
ular! scarce Il Latinized or Greek bo, rowed term.
Is it any wonder with this, and the rich, full. old
doctrine OF the Puritan nge-ccclion defended.
asserted sovere gn gruce indicated aud gloriiied,
Christ set forth cruoltird aud san. picture s.
anec dnto. that, IN spite of extravaganccs and
much OF seifthe common people hear him gladly.
Look at him rs he prepares To describe the e.
oihxion. Hear him lower his voice and ss V,
IF you have tears prepare Ia shed them now ~
All, you say that is from Shakspear. and you are
shocked So was !, but then snid. "half-- thr 90
iouiths of this crowd don't know il, and it il all
natural to them" That does not quite satis'y
me or Justify him. He goes How thrillin &
the painting of the agony of the cruciied vict IN
But see how he turns round on tho back slider,
almost an 0postdis. "fou cruelty him afrcsh
he cries, in u voice of thunder aud with flashing
eye. Then placing one hand ON the pulpit and
with the other initiating the action of man with
"A hammer driving home tho spike through the
hands or feet he charges home on the back slider
his awful guilt and thrills the whole assembly
1t would be mere acting with ordinary preachers,
With him it is natural, almost entirey SO.
lie does take liberties with his audience; he
does deal too much in stimulants; but anything
! better than that myrads of London be allowed to
! perish unwarned. and anything better than tina,
miserable uegatnn of truth. which our Younger
preachers are setting forth as u new and better
gospel. Spurgcon breaches the doctrine of grace
with great courage aud fullness; and, like Paul,
! like Berrdge, aud Rnmainc, he freely invites all
Ia on, Saviour. And fruits have appeared, al
though arcs mingle with the wheat
And again. from other authorities
"Never. since the days of George whitfield and
EdwaI Irving, has any minister Of religion 40 .
/ quired SO great Il reputation as this preacher in
short time. There is man in Great
| Britain who can draw such immense audiences;
aud mono who in his happiest efforts, 80 com
| plotely entbral the attention and delight the
minds ofhis hearers. = orrespondenf Of The In.
dependent.
''What the Jenny Lind .furore was in the mu
steal world. the Sturgeon mania seems to be in
the Calviuistic one; for wherever the young de-
clamst goes people crash TO hear him with a
sutfoca,ng. elbowng. almost fighting vehemence
amusing enough if you be sufficiently high to
overlook the crowd, but very choking and alarm
ing if you should yourself be in the midst of the
msiee. The latter was my case on Tuesday even
| ing last, and | write with ribs sore and wrists
bruised in my efforts to reach Broadmead Rooms
but only too thankful that ever got GU, with my
life Bristol (Engidndl Paper.
"lie is rated by his adherents above For or
Whitfield. Converts and bap'i>ms are frequent
! and numerous. Exeter Hall will not contain the
multitude who seek 10 catch the sound OF his
! voice. Nep Yorker.