The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-09-14
spurreon,s Church in london.

We got a seat in one Of the galleries,
says the Danbury man writing Of Spur
geon's church In London, and found
ourselves in an oblong building with
several tiers Of galleries, and o wide
spread Of floor. capable in oil Of seat.
ing 10, 900 persons. II was not par
ticularly attractive building, being
merely o succession OF sittings wherever
we looked. at the end opposite the
front, and just below the galleries, was
o broad platform. This was the only
semblance OF q pulpit. There was but
afew hundred people present when /
entered, and they looked embarrassed
and insignificant in the forest Of seats.
/ Imagined there was to be but a slim
attendance.
When the doors opened the people
fairly swarmed in, and for fifteen min
utes they fairly piled into the aisles
without cessation. But still the build.
ing was far from being filed. I grew
discouraged. Still they came floating
in and filing up, but when q rather
large and oyer-fed looking gentleman
came upon the platform flom door
under the lowest back.gallery, and
everybody about me said, "There he
is, the seats were not entirely filled.
He gave out the first hymn amid the
rustic Of dresses, and the shufllng Of
feet, and II was sung with o will, but
there YVES no interruption to the in.
setting current Of humanity. I don't
exactly realize TO this day how those
seats we're filled, because Il was doneas
imperceptibly as a gentlefall Of snow
hides the earth and blocksup the ways.
The hymn was sung, the service read,
and other singing followed, and all the
while the eager admirers Of Spurgeon
raiued down upon the tabernacle, and
when he rose 10 commence his sermon
every seat was filed and the steps
which formed the passage-ways be-
tween the gallery sests were hidden
beneath perspiring but curious human
ity. In every direction but the cell.
ing was sea Of faces and clothing. On
the platform with the cause OF the
great gathering were the officers and
many Of the prominent men Of the
church. There was no choir.
Ten thousand people quietly seated,
aud filled with religious emotions and
cologne, is o spectacle rarely youchsaf-
ed TO mortal's gaze. Here they were
spread out before me like q sheet Of
ay.paper on o druggists show case /;
and all the little eccentricities Of con-
gregation, but rarely noticed in the
average gathering, swelled into vol.
ume Of startling dimensions in this
huge audience.
The change Of position, which is
but o perceptible rustic in the average
body Of worshipers, on the close Of q
prayer or hymn, here became 0 rustling
sound like the breaking away OF great
body Of water. and the preparatory
cough, or hawking, as the hymn was
given out, arose from ten thousand
throats, and became magnifed into o
clap Of prolonged thunder.
The man who steps on the end OF
q footstool and tips It up, so that 1t
frightens IN entire audience, was here
multiplied by thirty, with the most
cheering success.
And when all the ladies took out their
handkerchiefs to wipe their mouths, Il
seemed 80 much like q snow storm, that
l had put on my hat and pulled II
down over my eyes, before realizing my
mistake. The turning OF the leaves Of
ten thousand hymn books, need not be
described. Any Imagination enjoying
the most moderate health, can depict
the noise without trouble. The near
est thing can liken II TO, is the rolling
aud breaking Of the surf upon New
Hampshire coast.
Mr.. spurgeon is the main object Of
He is q large man, and o
thorough Englishman in appearance.
A broad, reddish face, light hair, and q
square form-too large for the length.
There was nothing particularly attrac-
tive about his voice. He preached
without notes.