Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-02-28

Twenty-Five years ago there entered Lor
don from the Eastern Counties high road
young unknown and comparatively friendles
man. He has himself recorded that in viey
of the importance of his mission to the grea
metropolis he had carefully dressed himsel
in "a huge black satin stock" and that h
was further endowed with "a blue handker
chief with white spots"
We get further hints, says the Londol
Daily Neirs, that Mr.. Spurgeon was at thi
epoch youth of rustic manners and timi,
address. He was just nineteen years old
and was already pastor of little Baptis
chapel at Waterbeach, five miles from Cam
bridge. Thither had come letter ,one Sun
day morning inviting him to preach ser
mon at New Park street, Southwark, pulpi
just vacated by DIR. Rippon, n shining hgh
IN Baptist circles quarter of a century ago
Mr.. Spurgeon thought there must be
mistoke somewhere, and replied by letter tC
that effect, explaining that he was "only JUS
turned nineteen" and was in no manner
qualified to fill the pulpit of great chapel N
London. He WAS assured that there was ne
mistake, and the invitation being renewed he
set out for London with his huge black satir
stock, his blue handkerchief with white
spots, and an undeveloped capacity FOL
| preaching which even the far seeing and
dreamed of Mr.. Spurgeon tells how he
| spent the vell-remembered night at a board
| ing-house in Queens square, bloomsbury
| how his fellow-guestS were greatly tickled
that the country lad should be a preacher !;
| how they overwhelmed him with narratives
of the attainments of London diyines. what
study they devoted to the composition OF
| their sermons their herculean tolls in keep
ing together congregation as critical as 1t
was numerous, and 1.-THE matchless oratory
they exhibited on all occasions"
| Mr.. Surgeons success was Immediate and
unmistakable, land from his first sermon in
the Park-street chapel he has gone on in
ereasing in power and fame and personal in
fuence. Everybody has heard of him as a
preacher. Millions have heard him preach
| The Tabernacle on Sunday, when Mr.
| Spurgeon is IN the pulpit, is one of the sights
OF London. 1t is the one church In Eng
land, perhaps in the world, whose regular
congregation numbers 5000. and which has
never an empty bench. The weekly sermons
have even wider congregation than the
Tabernacle will hold. They are printed from
week to week, and circulate wherever the
English tongue prevails.
They have been translated into almost
every language spoken by Christians and in
some of the African missionary settlements
the natives Iead in their own tongue the
homely truths, the forcible arguments, and
the quaint illustrations which have been first
uttered on some earlier Sunday in the Taber-
aacle, Mr.. Spurgeon is first of all preach
er and it is as a preacher that he is known
throughout the civilized world But he is
something more than q preacher. He is one
of the most tremendous workers OF the day.
Few people outside ofhis congregation, or
beyond those who make it their special busi-
e
the proportion and extension OF the agencies
for doing good which Mr.. Spurgeon has es-
tablshed. controls and princiI ally maintains,
Behind the Tabernacle itself is the Pastors
College, which Mr.. Spurgeon always speaks
of as his favorite. 1t was one his earliest
enterprises, and is now past its majority.
1t commenced with single pupil, and now
numbers nearly one hundred. The classes
were first held in the rooms under the Taber-
nacle, but this was an arrangement only ac-
ceptedas temporary by Mr.. Spurgeon. In
1S1l he began to call aloud for suitable
bullding-a stately college house. He did
not ask in vain, for the handsome and COM
modious building was Immediately after
erected ibehind the Tabernacle, and five
years later Mr. Spurgeon was enabled to an
nounce that he had purchased the freehold of
the college, before held upon lease from the
Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and that the
property had been placed in trust together
with sufficient sum to pay the rates and
keep it in repair.
The first condition of admission to the col
lege is that q man shall have been engaged
for two years in preaching. This qualifica-
ton established, no special standard of lite
rary qualification or of social position is en-
forced. The course of tuition extends over
two years. though students are not necessa-
r1lt- antat At aln I'D lnft tluE ,Al
Chapels all over the country, and even in the
colonies. call on the college for q supply of
pastors. "Our policy has been" Mr. Spur
geon says, "to initiate the florist by planting
a large number of slips, in the hope that some
of them would strike" The total income of
the college last year reached close upon
5000. The expenditure was just over G7OOO.
of which more than half was the cost of
boarding and lodging the students.
In connection with the college is loan
fund, the object ofwhich is to assist, by gift
or loan, without interest, in the building or
enlargement or repair of chapels in which
former students of the college cfficiate. The
college is now on firm and sound financial
basis, the large amount required for its sus-
tentation being regularly forthcoming. Bu.
at one time it was III very low water, and Mrl
Spurgeon having exhausted all his personal
resources III maintainingit, had determined
to sell his horse and carriage to keep it going
for few months longer. He spoke of his
difficulty to his congregation, and thereupon
commenced the weekly offering at the
Tabernacle. II is q point of: honor with the
congregation that the annual aggregate of
this offering shall be maintained at the
figure ofthe date of the year. Last year, ac-
cordingly, GlS7S were forthcoming from the
boxes at the Tabernacle doors.
Darbana of oil ,Ia ,,b;ob a,,a
their origin and maintenance TO the gener-
GUS mind and dauntless spirit of Mr.. Spur
geon, the Orphanage most surely and quickly
touches chord in public feeling. The Or
phanage buildings, which stand in their own
grounds OF the Chpham road, are designed
for the accommodation of $50 children, who
are admissible between the ages of six and
ten. There Is no.preliminary trouble or ex-
pense in way of canvassing for votes. The
trustees investigate the various cases sub
mitted, and select the most worthy of relief.
At present the Orphanage is quite full
there on the books 100 claimants for ad-
mission, and 80 have been nominated TO fill
vacancies AS they arse. The system is
based as much as possible upon the model of
the family circle, and the fortunate boys Sc
lected find here what is often their first reali-
zation OF the meaning of the word home.
The school Id coducted in classes, and the
boys feed in common. But they live togeth-
in separate houses III colonies OF from
thirty to iOrty-six. These houses are, as the
inscriptions Indicate, gifts from various
sources There is The Merchants House."
The Workmens House" the funds for
which are mainly subscribed by firm of
builders aud their workmsn The Unity
House. erected by husband Yin memory
of his wife; and The Silver Wedding
ITapp. lra
in gratitude TO God for twenty-five years of
happy welded life In the spacious and
airy bedrooms rows OF little iron bedsteads
are set each boy having his own bed. La
vatorles are close at hand, aud are diligently
used morning AMI night, The boys are rung
up at quarter to seven IL the winter and
half past Blk in the summer.
Then commences the scrubblng with soap
and water after which the boys rush out into
the playground, on the wholly superfiuous
errand of inducing an appetite by half an
hour play before breakfast breakfast is nt
eight, school at hali-past nine, dinner at one
school again at half-pus two, tea at hal;-past
five, turn in at half-past seven, in bed and
lights out at nine The Orphanage being
complete IN itself, necessarily has its intirm-
ary.. But this Is Just nov comparatively empty
the principal patients being bright-eyed
urchin afflicted with chllbaIns who is priv
ileged to lie in bed all day 10y II bright fire.
and another, who broke his legs in mo-
ment Of enthusiasm on the swing.
One little cot is Just emptIed, aud its
story is told in the brief record in the in-
fimary book dickson died TO day, after
much suffering" Dickson Just lived to be ten
years of age. If he may be said to have lived
at all. HIS mother and father both died of
consumption, and the irail child left behind
WAS straightway taken INTO the Orphanage.
III the hope that his poor spark OF life might
be famed into flame. But he never had II
chance from the day he was born. Il have
seen many deaths, the doctor who attended
him says "but few so happy as his. Poor
boy | said to him, day or two before he
died. as he lay on the bed making nothing
of his bodily anguish Poor boy. With
sparkling eyes he drew my head down to his
lips. and said: am not poor boy. | am
very happy am going home" And homo
he went before the new year was II fortnight
old.
The institutions here enumerated do not
comprise the full material results of Mr.