Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-04
CITY AND SUBURBAN.
DIR. HOGE IN LONDON.
Visits 20 spuR,on's Tabernacle, s'' fhnrs
Church, and House OF Commons

IoNpoN, August 10, 1881.
Mossrs. Editors. Last sunday was Gay
~ esuecial delight 10 me. me shower
fell early IN the mcrning-tee hrst ana onIy
one since I came 10 London-bnt by III
O'Clock II was clear. and the air was iresh
and sweet. We reached the metropolitan
-Spurgeon's-hali an hour De-
fore the service commenced. j wanIcu
IN ge, In the part Of the build
ing in which | have sat during
Gve visits viz, in the first or lower
gallery there are two. one above the other
direc,Iy orposite 10 the high platform from
winch Mr.. SpurGcon breaches, and about
twenty. five feet from his. found on eu-
terinr. the same little old wOman--orc OF
the many uslers-I had seen there twenty
wears ago. She was hopping about in her
faded old black gown and crumplcd hat
with some dingy red flowers in il. smiling
and nodding and blinking in her old CHEEKY
fashion Dickens would have delighted TO
describe herr, evidently happy in being, II
not a dOOr-keeper, yet q pew-keeper in
the house Of the Lord. greeted her kind
". and she SAID she remembered me. I'm
due time was in my old seat, and the vast
audience-roOm began 10 ill up; fuller and
fuller il grew, until at last there was no
room Tor more. Exactly at III O'Clock Mr.
Spurceon entered. His invocation prayer
was rich with junction. The whole audience
was subdued by IL. Then he read the
hvnn and told us how 10 sing II.
and re-read it. verse by verse, as we
sang. The whole congregation seemed
to Join in il. II was one yas' vol
ume Of praise. His comments on the chap
ter were so striking that. lad | room, |
| could give YOU some Of them. The prayer
lefore the sermon was ore Of the most in
spring ever heard. The sermon was
| diNIHaticn Of the very sweetness OF the
Gospel Of Christ After the sermon came
| The communion. 20 which be cordially in
yited all WHO loved and served the saviour.
have long regarded MIR. SpurgeOn az
WEDDING the greatest power for good OF
! any man in the British Isles. His influence
! Is fclt through bis OTplanaee, his mission
| schools, his theological college. his preached
and printed sermons, which are read by
/ English-speaking people all over the world.
! 1t is perfectly idle 10 question the ycrsatil-
| iiy, the originality, the seemingly mex
| haUstille resources OF man who, 10:
! twenty-five years. les gathered and held
such audiences as no other Englishman
| ever addressed for such length OF time or
in such unyarying numbers.
The remark is often made that two
brothers might reside for hall 4 century in
| London without ever meeting. Ny cXpe-
riCncc in cncountering GcquaintanceS and
| friends l. so different that do not believe
| the old saving. ] always find the man
want to ste in London without looking for
him. He is sure 10 turn up on some thor
| oughfarc, i'm some museum, gallery. church,
| OF hall. was not at all surprised 10 find
a whole family Of friends from Peters
burg, Va. in the end OF the
| gallery which | entered in the Metro
| poiitan Tabernacle. nor a few min
| utes after when saw Dr. Alexander, OF
| our seminary, come IN n the same door'
During the service the whole pew 10 the
| lei, of me waS flied by some OF my fellow
passengers on the ATizons. | suppose ]
| might have found fifty acquain,ances in the
| audience that morning. As we came away
from the church DR.. Alexander told me oi
| tic meeting OF the Pan Presbyterian COun-
| ell at Belfast. and. among other things.
| Of IN excellent brother from the South
| there, who complnined that | had
not answered bis letters. | told
| Or. Alexander that | had left hum
| dred unanswered letters on my studyta5ie
| in Richmond that my negligence in This
resDect was source OF regret and mQrtil'
cation to me; that in my next commando
tion 10 the Central PrcSbVteriGn thought
would make pubic apology 10 all had
thus offended. and after humbly asking for
| giYenoss, promise amendment In future.
said DR.. Alexander, If YOU 10 make such
q confession. plca,s add mine also, for |
I'm = sinner and a penitent OF the same
kind. trust we nav both obtain abSol,I-
ton. and on our return enter on better
/ cpIstolary life.
In the afternoon we saw another spcn-
did congregation at a service Of very dill
ferent Kind. TWAS in 81. Paul's Cathedral,
and the multitude had come together 10
/ hear Canon LlddOn. had always missed
! hIm during previous visits TO London. ana
though acquainted with him through his
! published sermons, and great admrer,
/ greatly wished 10 hear him preach. regret
| TO sav, I succeeded most imperiectly.
! Owing TO the distance at which ! sat, the
led acoustic qualities Of the building. and
the indisrirct articulation ~ the speaker, !
could scarcely follow him at all, and often
| losing the connection, failed to enjoy or
profit by the discourse.
TWAS most gratifying to me to observe
the cecorous msnner in which the sabbath
was observed H. London. In gong fr m
| my lodgings near the British Museum "a
! thc sUrry side OF the Thames 10 hear Nr.
/ Spurgeou in the InOrnim and then To 1t.
. Pauls in The afternoon. traversed some
miles OF the great thorOughiares. Nearly
| every shop and place of business was
! closed. no traffic Of any kid WAS on the
streets. no ,leasurc-yChicle - only iew
| cabs and now and then an Omni-
! hus-and on some of the streets the
| sidewalks were almost descrtcd. The
po,t-oiiice is not opened ut MI in this great
commercial city on the sabbath. There
was something absolutely rostful in the
orGor and quiet which reigucd on every
side after the rush and roar of the week
/ apphed for tickets of admission 70 th,
House OF Lords to the Earl OF ShattcsDury
He had already gone to The country. bui
NV note was forwarded TO INN, and h'
| promptly answered it. saying that II wouit
show his letter 10 the messenger Of tl'
House at the door he would procure admls
sion for us.
Through the kindness Of Mr. Bercsf0rC
Hope ] obtained tickets to the House o
| Commons. where we heard spirited de
ate between Sir stafford N0rthcote anI
Mr.. Gladstone on the endless subject o
the Egyptian policy OF the Government
Ii was very racy, and | regret my wan
q time and space, for | would IKE Z
give YOU pen-ricture OF The gaiiahl ol'
! Premier, in bis light gray s'lit, lookln'
fresher and more game than when | hear'
him four years ago, with the Earl OF Bca
corsfeld sitting opposite to him, watch
ing every word and movement, Doth 0
them wonderful illustrations OF physica
anC intellectual vgOr in old age. Dlsraei
has been taken from the arena on which n
won so many victories; Nr. Gladstone stu
remains by al odds the first statesman o
England and II the world, unless, indeed
Bismarck should dispute the preeminenc
with him. SO much interested were we Il
the debate in the House Of Commons tha
when we repaired to the House Of LordS
wishing to see and hear something In Una
chamber also. to our disappointment :"
found all shut up and silent. the adjourn
ment having taken place more thah u
hour, as a policeman told rs.
would also give YOU nv impressions Q
what have seen OF the Salvation Army,
this il the only letter expect to wllte 10
the Central, but | have no more iiIle ~