, 1874-11-08
MR. SPURGE0N's CIGAR.


We may not be good judges Of what ought 10
constitute piety, but We viii venture to assume
that one important constituent element Of it il
reverence for the Supreme Being. We presume.
indeed, that everybody would naturally suppose
that piety and irrevezence were incompatible.
Dut We grieve to obssrye that different opinion
Seems to preyail among even some Of the most
eminent &nd enlightened OF those who mako =
profession Of roligion-to use their Own only too
accurate ph1xseology. To judge them out OF
their own mouths, they arc evidently Of the
opinion that they are not AMPLY ministers Set
apart to minister to their fellows, but the
Prime Ministers Of the Almighty, selected
by Him to speak His mind in tho most
indnitesiual mnuti@ ~ well ~ to proclaim His
DEGREES in Ill their fullnesa. The fact Of there
being 10 many Of theee presumiug Premiers
does not dsconcert them, because every one Of
them solemnly believes TINT he is the only regu-
larry and properly authorized one. So that Ne
suppose every one Of them would join III in
deprecating that impairment familiarity with the
Deity which is the characteristic Of au.
4149 " - HAAs WA eAAo AAR]k8A MIG NtA4tA 18yt
when tho Boston preacher snd the London
preacher n,ade spectacle Of themselves on the
cigar question. The question came to be It last
the theological status Of smoking, not in the
next world,-fo1 in that natter Boston aud Lon
don were agreed, but in this world They shook
hands heartily, however theoretically, over the
smoke OF those torments which ascend long
enough to suit even the Synod Of Northern ILL
nois but they washed their hands before Ill the
people of ono another's sentiments on the habit
Of smoking cigars. Nhatever the quality Of the
cigars. The Boston preacher related his views
on smoking. that had resulted from one Of his
interviews with 1.-THE Lord" to tho London
preachers' congregation He had "desred to
become more completely delivered from sin,"
and " asked the Lord to lot him know what he
tional attainment. 1t this point Gao 1uns the
repo.t), the "si1euce" Of the immense conRro-
cation was "profound." and expectation leaned
forward over the back Of every pew in the house.
"What do you think exclaimed tho preacher
at this hushed moment, ,-"W What do yuu think it
was tho Lord required of me7" 4 little more
dallying with the eagerly expectsnt throng, and
out "it" came! att" was a cigar!l "The
Lord required" his immediate and uncondition-
ii emancipation from the ahsckes Of his cigar
I" the best cigar that could be bought" But $50
unequal did he feal to the self-denial that he
took his cigar-bo1 before TIE Lord, and
cried to Him for help. Tho help Was given.
and the habit Eenouncedl" Tho congregation
heaved = Sigh ofrelief, and sank back with agn
of disappointment Ito put it no stronger) into
their pewa- Nobody proposed they should close
with singing my Last Cigar" Would the
song hava added anything to the n7everont piety
Of tho occasion2 Be- that ~ it may, tha1e WAS
m addition to the irrorerent piety Of tho oocA-
sion by the London preacher aforesaid, who WAS
no lesa . preacher than the Rev. Charles q. |
spurgeon- He must needs rise and explain then
and there that, Notwithstanding what his |
Brother Pentecost had said, he intended to smoke
good cigar to tho glory OF God before he vent |
to bad that night" This may have aatisded tho |
congregation, but it made breeze outaide Of 1t.
The worlds people snickerod- The secular |
Mr.. epurgeon rose, or rather, wrote, to |
explain again, and this time talked Ike cau- |
did, senaible man, instead Of Ike IN irreverent |
minister OF the Gospel Smoking had "relieved
his intense pain and weary brnin." It had given |
him 81 refreshing Sleep" and hs "felt grateful
to God" for 1t. II ha had said that 1t 6rst he
would have fortified himself against tho arzows
Of both the natural man of the newspapers, and
human habita- But II hs h&d kept his mouth
shut altogether. except when hs opensd It to
smoke his cigar ''before going to bed that
night h would havs escaped tbs charge, from