, 1873-04-06


RY PROF. WILLIAM MATHEWS, OF THE uN1vE1a1T1
! OF CHICAGO.
i "Who has not seen Naples, has seen nothing,
| say the Italians; who has not heard Mr. Spur.
geon, has not heard the greatest OF living
preachers, will say hundreds, not only Of Eng
lshmen, but Of Americans, who have listened to
the burning words OF Beechcr, a Liddon, a
i PunHhon, or q Hail. To visit London without
| seeing the metropolitan Tabernacle aud lta
preacher, would be like Visiting Rome without
seeing st. Peters, or making the tour Of Amanca
| without beholding Niagara. For this reason and
a mixture Of others, We left our hotel on fine
Sabbath morning,-the 9Th of August, 1871 -
! and, mounting an omnibus bound for "The
| Elephant and CASTLE ~ we're soon on the Surrey
| side Of the Thames, and presently st our point
Of destination. The Tabernacle, so noted among
churches, We found to be plain, but massive
church Of brick, adorned With Co1tuthien
pillars, standing back from tho street, snd
inclosed with an iron fence. Although the cato
to the inclosure WAS not yet open, crowd OF
persons had already collected, half an hour be-
fore the service began, waiting impatiently for
admission. Upon stating that ne we're an AMER
ican a ticket Of admission was at once handed t.
us, and no entered the building just as it tsas
beginning to fill. CHANGING around, We wers
struck with the resemblance Of the vast audience
room to that Of large theatre At the farther
end is stage-like platform, with movable
table on casters and few chairs; and just
below it, five or SIX feet above the main floor,
there ia an orchestra-like inclosure, filed with
large number Of bright-looking and neatly
dressed boys. Running round the church are
rpf,n la
forming one of the best arrangements for seeing
and hearing that could be contriyed- Seating
ourselves in the front gallery, st just the
right distance from the speaker, wo had
an excellent opportunity both to see and
listen. The regular congregation hay-
ing been seated, tho doors we're thrown open to
surged into the aisleR, filing every standing
place sittingp1ace, nook and corner Of the build
ing, till it seemed impossible for another man or
child to squeeze himself in. Never have We seen
an audience more densely packed,-not even
when Jenny Lind sang the first night at fremont
Temple in Boston, Of the rapt attention Of the
dense throng on which occasion this strongly TO-
minded us. Even the uppermost gallery, which
is good way toward heaven, many persons ~ero
standing for lack Of seats.
The house filed, MI. spurgeon at once steps
from d back door UPON the platform. followed bv
the Elders OF tha church who sit inst behind him.
In his phyeiognomy and general appearance,
there is little to give ASSURANCE of great orator,
Short, stout: and muscular, with a somewhat
square face. small, sparkling eyes. we1I-formed
nose, mouth shaded by black 1austsche
and.a general air OF fran1nesa. straightforward
nesa and honesty, he Is good type Of the An
gio-Sa1on, and no one could possibly mistake
him for 8 native Of any other oountrv. Natur-
al, decided, and impressive in his manner. full
Of force md fire, and speaking in a loud, bell
like voice, at once clear in it's articulations and
pleasant in its toneB he riYets your attention at
tho start, though procise17 what is tho secret OF
his hold upon you, YOU are puzzled to tell Ho
begins the sarvice with prayer. and = pravar It
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And bring ali Heaven before cur eses.s
4 lesson from the Scriptures is next read, &C.
,ompanied with pitby and suggestive running
and the people throughout the
house open their Bibles, and follow the pastor
Il the reading Another hymn is given out aud
,ung AS before; and then comes the sermon.
Though fifty or sixty minutes long, it is listened