River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-03
A CURIOUS INCIDENT IN MR.. SPUR.
GE0N'S PREACHING.
BY Rev. William c. wilkinson.

BY Rev. William &. WiikinsOn.
During the spring of 1862, while in
London, / met at breakfast one Sun
day morning, in my lodgings, number
of gentlemen with whom | had formed
the travellers transient acquaintan .e
as their fellow guest for the previous
week. The conversation threatened to
become unsuited to the sanctity of the
day. / watched my chance and spoke
Of Mr.. Spurgeon, as kind OF compro,
mise topic that might possibly also
bring about some decided transition in
the nature of our talk. One after an.
other of those present expressed his
opinion or narrated his experience of
the famous preachers elequence but
young man, apparently somewhat
"fast young man, remained silent,
though a very noticeable and attentive
listener to what was said He evident
ly had a story of his own to tell, and at
length he told it. Said he
" Now, | used to brag on Spurgeon
good deal. / went very often to hear
him; and | told all my friends there
was no preaching like his. But one
Sunday, whether he had Loticed me
before-I am sure | can't say how it
was--but he spoke right straight at
me, and pointed me out so to the whole
congregation that everybody was look
ing at me. 1t wasn't right Mt all. He
was downright personal, don't you
see; and I've never been to hear him
preach since. He had no business to
single fellow out like that, and set
people all to looking right at fellow"
The young man spoke with sincerity;
but | felt, and l judged that my COM
panions all felt, that there was some
explanation of his experience that
would relieve Mr.. Spurgeon of the ina
putation of actual personality. said:
But isn't it possible that you were
mistakenl Didn'ty you take something
particularly to yourself that Mr.. Spur
geon meant for a whole class of his
hearers ?"
"Not at all, not at all, " he replied
eagerly. "No, sir; there was no mis-
take whatever about it. He meant me,
and nobody else. | don't think he
ought to have done it.
Still unconvinced, / said again:
You, of course, were looking at the
speaker and, if the speaker turned his
face toward where You were sitting,
you perhaps took it for granted that he
was looking particularly at you, when
he was not. :"
"No, sir, but it was at me he looked.
Why, sir, he described my dress. l
own | was dressed rather loud; but
that didn't make it right. He told
what color my coat was, and my waist
coat, and all that. He oughtn't to have
done it, sir.
The young man was so much in ear
nest that we all tacitly agreed to let
HIM have his say without further ques-
ton. But could not persuade myself
that his impressions were well grounded
Seven months after L was a guest at
a dinner given by Charles H. Thomp-
son, Esq, an American gentleman,
then resident at Paris, to a small party,
which included DIR. McClintock, DR.. J.
Vincent, / remember, and among
others, young minister, whose name
| cannot now recall. The conversation
at one point happened to turn upon
Dir. Spurgeon, and / related the sin.
gular experience of this young Lon
doner to the company. / added that,
the young mans confident reservations
to the contrary Notwithstanding, of
course Mr.. Spurgeon could not have
done as he represented. All agreed
but the minister above alluded to. He
said
- | was present on that occasion. /
sat near the young man. What he said
was all true. Mr.. Spurgeon did unques.
tionably point his preaching for mo.
ment directly and personally at him.
He said {: That young man, sitting
under my eye, with such and such
clothes on.
The coincidence was so remarkable
that We all had to be convinced.
Such an episode, then, in Mr.. Spur
geon's preaching must have occurred.
But it must have been extremely excep.
tional; perhaps it was entirely UNIQUE.
| have myself been a somewhat FIRE.
quent auditor of his, and certainly /
never witnessed anything at all re.
sembling this incident which | have
narrated. Possibly Mr.. Sturgeon hav-
ing his attention casually directed to
that young man, a sudden and ire
sistible impulse suggested the
hazardous expedient of personal
appeal To- him in so public a
manner, b. way of arresting his con-
science with an unexpected and unus-
ual impre ssion. The event, So far as
appeared, did not justify the preach
er's temerity. 1t was probably an I'M
wise experiment; certainly unwise, one
is tempted to say, and probably unsuc.
cessful. But the judgment seat alone
can disclose the final Issue of our ac.
tions. II is still uncertain. in the case
OF that young man, what the last effect
may prove to haze been of that singu.
lar address to his conscience. - Nc0
York Independent