The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-10-01

everybody knows that that is a subject on viii,
people DO not like advice, and on which tn
make up their minds on their own account
Dus tne GROWING piece of fun-that BY viii,
MS performance on that day will be most r
memoered-was towards the close of the di
course, when the speaker proposed to treat
the second part of the text-"M expectatic
Is from him." Looking significantly for a m
ment and pointing with his finger as if to SON
one on whom his eye had fixed, he said: Yo
nave grandfather, or an old grandmother,
great aunt. She has some thousands
POUNDS. VI course, you do not care for then
You torment her with your anxieties abont he
Your frequent inquiries after her health. an
the tenderness OF your embraces, are extremel
teazing. You are waiting upon her contin,
ally. Great laughter WHY is this Yor
expectation is from her. Byand.by. Won w;
hear that that health you have 80 tenderlv II
CURED after is broken down, and thenEths
she is dead. You will mourn and grieye owe
her, and dress yourself in the deepest black bu
on there will be magnificent consolation i
those thousands OF pounds that have come q
last Laughter. The Psalmist here bid
you take lesson from the ways of the world.
THE SERMON ENDED.
In the course of his closing remarks, Mr
opurgeon alluded to many deeply.solemn sub
Jects to the hour of death, and to the Chris
tlans expectation that angels would attend e
pear away his spirit to heavenly joys; but tn
spirit OF levity had done its work, and after tb
ludicrous sketch of the maiden aunt. the an
oience never recovered its propriety. 1t wa
felt that the performance was as good az over
and a restless rustling amongst the compan,
induced Mr.. Spurgeon to request them not t.
60 until he had given them his blessing. Spread
out his arms, he invoked the dews of heaven
and the grace of God upon every heart and in
hive minutes-thanks to the admirable contri
vance for egress-the whole of the vast thronp
were promenading by the lake, or stopping to
admire the interior of the building, or patiently
threading their way to the outer gates. And so
ended the most extraordinary substitute for
Divine service that it ever fell to our lot to
witness or to record.
RESULTS.
We readily accord to Mr.. Spurgeon the pos.
session OF great powers, not the least of which
Is the power OF making them appear greater by
MS great confidence; but, having conceded this,
we must deny that, as at present exercised, those
powers are likely to be of any permanent utility
TO the cause of religion. 1t is probable that
his fame may continue to win him extensive
support and large audiences, but, unless he
change his style of preaching very consider
ably, he will always be in danger of bringing
religion into contempt, and his hearers will
come together, not for the better, but for the
worse. We hear great deal said in the pres
ant day about influencing the masses, and some
have supposed that Mr.. Spurgeon has a great
,alent in that way. To deny that he attracts
huge assemblies would be absurd, but it vet re.
mains to be seen what good is done. A great
mass OF people gathered together in a ballroom,
% listen to man whose chief recommendation
8 an eccentric disregard of conventional pro-
oriety and OF the taste usually supposed to at.
end upon good education, ia not in itself a
Happy result at all, except in so far as these
people are made wiser and better. But it is
manifest, from the utter worldliness and alb.
ence OF devotion In the assembly, that religious
Improvement was not what they were in quest
=. - SPIIRGEON THE FASHION
nusic-seler told us the other day that 10 pro.
ride tickets I" for Spurgeon" is as much a
branch of his business as to supply tickets for
he opera or the French theatre-thst fashion.
.ble ladies drive to his shop, and give orders at
he same time for tickets for Albert Smith, Spur.
seon, and Christy's Minstrels. The behaviour
u VIC SoLhPouy VI Ouuuoy, thou uuuoNOue uou
her, the absence of all religious spirit, CON-
oletely confirms the impression that these great
Sunday gatherings are either gigantic impos.
.ure or an egregious mistake. Yet, there have
been those who maintain that Mr.. Spurgeon
should be allowed to tell his funny jokes and in.
bulge in his coarse personalities in the nave of
Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's cathedral, and
who hold up the clergy of the church to scorn,
because they fail to attract the like crowds or
produce the same excitement But let not the
clergy be beguiled into an imitation of Mr..
Surgeons peculiarities. Let them initiate his
care in preparing his subject-mstter, his apt
ness at illustration, his plainness of speech, and
his courage. But let them eschew his vulgari.
ties, his narrow mind, and his petty tricks Of
rhetoric. The public will do well not to rush
TO the conclusion that the gathering of crowds
is proof of genius, still less of Divine mission,
Or of Heaven-sent success. The truth is, that
the Surrey Gardens entertainment is nothing
more than very pleasant kind of Sunday dis
sipatOn.