The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-08-05

The subject was "The Wicked Mans
Life, Funeral and Epitaph." The in
PRODUCTION struck me as beautifully sim
pie and Apostle, as neither farfetohed
nor commonplace.
Here follows an abstract of the ser
mon.
Every one is surprised at Mr.. Spur
geons readiness and huency, a gift so
rare, especially among Englishmen.-|
During the whole of this long discourse,
he had not a note or a line before him.
It was purely eXtemporaneous It was
taken down in short hand, as are all his
Sunday morning sermons, and printed
in q tract form, from which I have quot
ted those passages which most impress
ed me in the delivery.
But what I admired yet more than
the fuency of speech, was the simplici-
ty of the language. There was not a
word which could not be understood by
everybody He used plain, homely
phrases, and thus the truth was brought
directly into contact with the minds of
his audience. In many points Mr..
Spurgeon reminded us strongly of Hen
ry Ward Beechor-in his hearty earn
estness, in his blunt pithy way of say
ing thing, in his touches of tender
ness and occasional CLEANS of humor,
and in his varied Imagination, which
! though sometimes STOPPING to coarse
| figures, often rises to the use Of image
ry the most delicate and beautiful.
From all this you will readily infer
that 1 came away from Surrey Hall with
a very pleasant impression. l confess l
had gone with some misgiving, for l had
so often seen a great reputation dwindle
as it was approached, that 1 dreaded to
have another illusion dispelled. But
this sermon relieved my fears. 1 had
seen Mr.. Spurgoon criticised and ridi-
culed in the English journals as a cler-
ical mountebank, and did not know
but he might appear as a theatrical per-
former in the pulpit. But the critic
who can deride Mr.. Spurgeon as a char
latan, must be insensible to any demon
strations of oratorical power. No can
did listener can deny to him the possess
sion of great talent, and when the
amount Of his labors is considered, it
appears still more remarkable.
The same evening we heard him again
in his own chapel in New Park street,
and after the service, we saw him in his
vestry and had a very pleasant inter
view 1 had a natural apprehension
that he must be breaking down from ex-
cessivo labor. But he assured me that
he was in robust health He said that
his constant speaking was the best ex-
orcise for him, and that he should die if
he did not preach h0cIye times lgeeb.-
1 asked him when he found time to
study to which he replied that he could
give but little preparation to his ser
mons, often entering the pulpit with
not more than fifteen minutes previous
thought Of his subject.
But he has lately contrived to get
some degree of leisure. He has taken a
house out by Clapham Common, at sew
oral miles distance from his church, to
avoid interruptions. His deacons do
all his visiting, and hence, in the inter
val of his public duties, he is able to
snatch few hours for study and books.
I suspect, too, that he has read largely
in former years. He appears to be very
4, familiar with the old divines, especially
with Bunyan, whom he calls "the great
est Of Englishmen." b" In this very ser
mon, when speaking of the holy dead,
he paid an eloquent tribute to the mem
ory of the marvellous dreamer. Traces
of this familiarity with the writings of
Bunyan are seen everywhere in his
, style.
Such are my impressions of Mr.
Spurgeon. I rank him very highly
among the living men Of this country
, Sometimes hear a fling at him that he
is coarse, vulgar man, and that he is
, puffed up with conceit. Perhaps he is
vain Of his popularity. / can only say
, that I did not discover it in his public
preaching, or in his private converse.
ton. AS to his low breeding, certainly
he has not aristOcratic airs. As he has
sprung out of the ground, he shows
plain marks Of his origin He is Of the
earth, earthly. But that very fact may
. give him half his power. His thoughts
and language are racy of the soil, and
thus he is fitted to be what he is--not q
, fashionable preacher, but real tribune
of the people, swaying the hearts Of
thousands Of men. L think he would
have been injured rather than benefit
ted if he had been educated at one of
the universities, and spent the years il
studying Latin and Greek, which he has
turned TO much better account in stud
ying Bunyan aud the people Of Eng
land, Let critics carp at him if they
, will. I shall still love and honor anC
admire Mr. Spurgeon, as a man Of rare
eloqueuce, and what is better still, of ,
great and noble Christian heart
heart that loves his fellow-mon, ant
seeks their good, and believe that Coo
has raised him up to be great blessing
to England.
=fob-
JENNY LIND.-Madame Jenny LinC