Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-05

Ak. sPURGEON's TABERNACLE.
Glance 1t the Great London Preacher
HIS METHODS, MANNER AND cHuRcH-rHK
rsoPLE WHO GO TO HEAR HIM-sohE OF HIS
| a London correspondent OF the New York
1Fto"ne says: Mr.. Spurgeon and his Tabernacle
| are one OF the sights Of London, and nobody
VINO does the city thoroughly fails to pay o
sst 70 this institution" The Taberable il in
Inc Borough. as the part of the city on the Sur
reg size Of the Thames is called, and faces the
street called Newington Butts. / suppose the
street is SO named because there formerly was
.ine range In the neighborhood, but could
se od no ~, information on this point, although
know. walked to Newington Butts from St
PPamrs, going by way of London bridge and the
, Dor4agn High street The most direct route
Blackfriars' road but / was curious to 20
through the neighborhood of the bank and
hustle in that crowded quarter In the streets
| Mnere Gay or two before had found 1t almost
Itha aGg to attempt to cross, only now and
| Inen ,0us or an occasional hanson was to be
seen. The contrast was almost startling.
, Inc great preachers tabernacle Is q solid
handsome. There is a large portico in front,
supported by elk massive columns. The even
Ing service begins at $50. When arrived it
anS msre os swo ing
nigh iron gates were thrown back and the
ssoSd IN 70
| WINE otners sat on the steps or the pediment OF
NE NE. rt columns. The crowd gathered slowly.
passed In by side entrance. By 6:15 the
por sn was pretty we'll filled. there being 800
were not opened until seven minutes later, and
oy mat time the crowd had nearly doubled.
Inc hve or six doors opening from the portico
were thrown back at the same moment, and a
rush was made for the interior. There was
some some pushing and jostling, but not much.
as you can" Room enough at the bottom"
SAID another, meaning near the pulpit. l got a
good seat near the middle of the church Ut is
tentlous nameD and while others were being
i 1 1s had an opportunity TO glance about me.
rae building Is Rectangular in shape, with two
lighted, but turned low The oldest thing in
form built out on level with the bottom Of the
nrst gallery. railing extends around it, and
panr ars runs up 0 on each side Within the
Underneath this puipit-platform and extending
out . little distance is a small platform some
posed that this was the place for the choir; but
found that there is no choir. Neither is there
Is bepp ea %bst
young man who sat next to me called pre-
When looked at the pulpit again the chair
was occupied by astoutIy built man with IRON
gray hair and WHISPERS, rather closely cut,
When he arose minute or two after $50, he
| was seen 10 be above the medium height and
/ well proportioned He wore a black Prince
Albert coat, unbuttoned. He introduced the
first impression was that OF a simple, sincere,
straightforward man; and the impression was
s sd;ag ned, as the service proceeded. His
voice is easily heard throughout the huge
building, and yet he speaks without apparent
effort. He announced a hymn, reading the
first stanza and repeating the first two lines;
when that was sung he reads the second stanza,
and SO on; reminding one of the frontier preach
ers who used to line the hymn, because the
sp1rseon read entire, but t the third he
way. is favorite and familiar one in revival
meetings. Before reaching the third or fourth
stanza the preacher said: ''rhe next verse very
women alone. After the first hymn came a
preacher never hesitated for a word, and rarely
selected wrong one. The second hymn was
followed by prayer, which wi. was long and i'm
upon the railing; then he would grasp it with
both hands; at Intervals he would raise one
dible "amens" aud similar ejaculations here
and there in the congregation, which was COM
posed Of respectable people of the middle class,
After the third hymn the preacher put on his
| spectacles and read his text Then he laid them
aside, stepped forward to the railing and began
|
rantiny. His gestures were emphatic but not
numerous, and in good taste. The only man
eral times he raised his right hand to his head
and seemed to push back his hair. His lam
guage was plain and easily understood, even by
words predOminated, and all the sentences
were short There were no rounded periods.
as can, High lying and fine language seems
to me wicked when souls are perishing" He
said that large numbers of people in London
| mot hon st,f 6<lsv
good deal of the preaching isn't worth hearing
| 1t is in what may be called Latinized English
They ought to use the good old AngloSaxon
mother tongue
All his illustrations were of the simplest kind,
drawn from everyday life. He described in a
| most vivid manner the reading of will to the
heirs and relatives Of dead man; and later he
| told how he had stood not long ago under
beech tree, In which he saw squirrel, and con-
| trasted his feelings toward the tree with those
| OF the squirrel, who made his home there and
lived on the nuts. His only classical ailusion
was to Ulysses and the sirens. He used one
odd word, convincement; and once he reversed
| the usual mode OF expression, remarking quaint
y: SAY then this much and have done
| To impress the points of his sermon on his
hearers he found in his ext precept, proverb
and a promise-certainly, easy things to re-
tentively and retentively.
| Some of his expressions were singular but no
tors. May Gods spirit come to home grips
with you: "'What you fish for you shall catch.'
| ''Ihe pest preaching OF the Gospel Is when the
preacher enjoys it," He said there was ga cor
nucopia In the hand of God" and spoke Of
stepping away from preaching" He used the
| expression, run in and get a snack" and ad-
vised his people to 'take their regular spiritual
meals. No soul is fed on music, etc II have
treat g pleasure in obliging people who want to
find fault with my preaching" he said at one
| faults to find"
The sermon lasted just forty minutes The
gas was not turned up until five minutes before
| IL ended, although 1t had grown dusky and the
| preachers face could not be distinctly seen.
| The sermon ended, Mr.. Sturgeon said: II will
give you benediction," and did SO while the
The closing appeared rather abrupt The SER
vice occupied an hour and a halt, and the con-
gregatlon slowly dispersed, some staying be-
nlno 70 attend prayer meeting.
Mr. Spurgeon Is q thoroughly "wide-awake'
man. and it would seem impossible for any one
to go to sleep under such preaching. came
away nom NewingtOn Butts with y favorable
Impression Of the Tabernacle preacher. Earlier
In the day had gone to Westminster Abbey
! ana to st. Paups. II I were to make choice
among the three again should certainly cross
the Thames.
Flowers I'm Japan.
| PROPOSING MARRIAGE THROUGH THEIR NE
DIUM-HOW THE LADY REPLIES,
F. w. Buroridge In Gardeners Monthly.
In =,