The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-09-02
THEODORE ouYLER IN LONDON,


Rev. DIR. Cuyler, who is staying with
Rev. Newman Hall, ID. D., near London,
writes as follows on the Salvation Army
and on Charles H. Spurgeon:
"From what see of the Salvation Army
in London of its nativity have reached
the following conclusions: 1t is great
power; if wisely directed it may accom-
plish much good among the degraded
classes. But as it is under the supreme
autocratic control of one man, If it shou Id
find its way into the hands of an unscru-
pulous leader it might become most mis-
chievous machine. General Booth is a
skilful organizer Il believe with pure mo-
tives), and his wife is his superior in in
tellect and spirituality. Their music
when heard at its best with colossal brass
band accompaniments-is very thrilling,
and stirs the popular heart prodigiously.
The faults of the organization are its con-
tempt for churches and sacraments-its
financial system-its irreverent manifesto
tions (such as this-'knee drill at 10
o'clock--after that the outpouring of the
Holy Ghost -and it's extravagant ideas
about higher life and perfection. If these
excrescencss were pruned away it might
be great blessing to the British masses.
"Last Saturday afternoon drove down
into the southeastern end of London to
take supper with my old friend, Mr..
Spurgeon. My hospitable host, Rev.
Newman Hall: and his good wife ac-
companied me. 1t is twelve mile drive
and more from this pleasant summit of
Hampstead Hill clear across London to
Norwood--near the Crystal Palace--where
Mr.. Spurgeon resides. He has a lovely
villa, called sWestwood,' surrounded by
about twenty acres oflawp, garden, grove
and meadow. 1t would attract attention
by its beauty even at Tarrytown or r.
vington. Mr.. Spurgeon purchased it at
a great bargain, and his one earthly
luxury is this charming home he has
we'll earned it, and long may he enjoy it.
He met US in his hearty, genial way, and
we were soon out on the lawn, enjoying
the views, and listening to his inexhausti-
BILE flow of racy talk. AS he was picking
raspberries with us in his garden, he stop
ped to tell good story or to give fresh
Scripture Interpretation, or to let off
pun. Certainly, with his sallow COM
plexion and short, squatty figure, his
physique is any thing but imposing but
when his rich voice begins to pour forth
rich things out of his big sympathetic
heart, then his plain face becomes posi-
lively handsome. The longer know him,
the more love him. He tells me that he
has abandoned meat diet and lives en-
tirely on fish, vegetables and farinaceous
food and he does not suffer from govt
neuralgia as badly as he once did. He
and his noble wife are both Jealous tee
totalers.
"After supper we had family worship
together and we set off for home, and
Brother Spurgeon went into his library to
select his two texts and to prepare his
dscourses for the next day Brethren,
give me two texts for tomorrow he said
to us and from the one suggested by
Brother Hall he actually preached, for
the first time, on the next evening This
is his invariable custom-to leave the
choice of his topics until six o'clock on
Saturday evenings, and then he pre-
pares the outline of his Sunday morning
sermon in half an hour. The evening SER
mon he does not prepare until Sunday
afternoon-in his study at his Tabernacle.
He never writes out single line but re-
vises his extemporized discourses on Mon
day for publication. While speaking he
uses brief-wrtten often on the back
of an envelope. As / parted from him
and he stood in his doorway, cracking
jokes and shouting his hearty good
night, said to myself, the Lord never
made but one Spurgeon, and when He
made him He gave the world the most
extraordinary preacher Of the simple, liv-
| ing Gospel whom our modern times have
heard. He and Brother Moody have
reached more souls than any other seed
sower since Martin Luther"