Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-29
spurgeon and Newman Hall.

Correspondence of the Saturday Evening Post.l
Of course our first thought on our first
Sunday in London was the long-talked
of, visit to hear Spurgeon. We took a
carriage from the hotel at half-past nine
O'Clock, and rode through Charing Cross
and several streets leading to the Thames,
over Westminster bridge, past the splen-
did new house of Parliament and West
minister Abbey; past Cardinal Wise.
mans cathedral, and Beldam-where is
still confined the man who attempted to
assassinate the Queen some years ago
through several streets where pouring
throng showed the near source of some
attraction, till presently, we found our
selves at the door of the Tabernacle"
a plain stone edifce with large pillars in
front.
q. A porter led us to side entrance, land
up narrow stairway to the secretary's
room. That official, having heard that
we were party of Americans, procured
us excellent seats on the first gallery,
about twenty feet from the desk. The
interior of the church is plain and mat
tractive. 1t is immensely long, contains
two galleries, and seats 5000 persons.
The pulpit is high, raised platform,
simply carpeted, and furnished with ta-
BILE and sofa.
At half-past ten the church was crowd
ed to its fullest capacity. Just on the
minute two gentlemen came swiftly down
the stairs back to the pulpit-they were
Spurgeon and his brother, who is now
A
delivered, hymn read, and precentor
stepped forward to lead the mighty con-
gregation, who sang as with one voice.
Mr.. Spurgeon then read the epistle of
Jude, expounding plainly and simply as
he proceeded. Another hymn was sung.
a longer prayer followed, succeeded by
yet another hymn, and then the pastor
stepped to the front of the rails and be-
gan his sermon.
Mr.. Spurgeon is short, fat, vulgar
looking man, with thick, straight black
hair, thin beard and moustache. His
face is square and heavy, his forehead
low, his nose thick and straight, his
mouth large and determined, with strong
white teeth, and his eyes are bold, am
bilious, restless, black and piercing.
He wears a long, loose, unclerical-
looking coat, white cravat, tied care
lessly, and his whole tout ensemble is
slovenly and undignifed. He has
small, well-shaped hands and feet, and
Gmps slightly in walking, and his favor
ite position is that of standing on tiptoe,
with his legs crossed and his body bent
slightly forward, leaning against the
rails. Almost his only gesture is the
upraising of his right arm and shapely
hand. His voice, once SO ringing and
sonorous, is now thick but penetrating.
+, His sermon was on hypocrisy in the
church-severe, denunciatory, scathing.
He breaches entirely without notes, is
verbose without being eloquent, has a
certain eccentricity of style-is full of
anecdotes, classical and NEUROLOGICAL,
familiar to every school girl, and is far
more calculated to frighten and awe the
simple and uncultured than he is to win
the enlightened to a higher, nobler life.
Listening to him, my =hole soul arose
in bitter refutation of the harsh, unlov-
ing manner in which he taught the di-
vine, tender truth of the Master, and
turned away unfed, uncontrolled, dis
heartened.
In the evening we went to hear New
man Hall. What change! 1t was
like a calm after storm, like peace af-
ter contention, like faith and hope and
love, after distrust and despair and ha-
tired. The calm, noble face of the speak
er glowed with enthusiasm, and the
clear, mellow voice penetrated to the
hearts of his listeners with thrill
His mournful lamentations over sin, his
earnest, persuasive reasoning, tender,
importunate entreaties, hopeful, helpful
suggestions of the right, drew one up
ward like. a heaven sent message, and
filled the soul with exceeding sorrow
and repentance