Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-02
CHARLES HADDoN STURGEON.


England for burial. Mrs. Spurgeon is
bearing her aff1iction bravely.
His friends had been confident that he
would recover, because his last attack
was milder than the previous one, but
the gout reached his head, and con-
gestion of the kidneys returned. Be-
tween his attacks of suffering on Satur-
day he was able to speak, and expressed
himself as anxious to send message to
his congregation. He thought constant
ly of his wife.
Mentone is famous watering place
in the south of France, on the Mediter-
ranean. Mr.. Spurgeon had gone there
in search of health.
Biographical.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born in
the village of Ketredon, in Essex, En-
gland, on June TO- 1884 Though only ff-
ty-seven years old he lived with all his
might on the lines he chose. He began
preaching when he was sixteen years old.
He had therefore, been at it forty-one
years, and although he was still young
man when he was taken with his last ill
ness, he was an old preacher, and his
breakdown and his dying at fifty-seven is
not thing for surprise. He had over
worked himself, and he had overdone the
tasks which he felt he was called on to do.
This man, who was one of the pulpit
lions of London, the great size of whose
church and the great number of whose
audiences made him known everywhere,
was also master of two or three gifts by
which he was able to put forth such long
and strong labor for the souls of men and
women in the world. He had Puritan
ancestry. His father was preacher. His
fathers father was a preacher. His
mother was praying woman, and she
came from preaching stock. AS far
back as the time of Charles l and Charles
III the Spurgeons were hunted, beaten
and jailed because they would worship
God in a simple and direct way and would
believe that the Bible alone was their
guide,
The churches in which he first preached
became too small. Even Exeter hall was
not big enough, and he did not wish to
preach in general place anyhow. He
wanted home for himself and his peo-
pie. So Sir Morton Peto, whom large
number of Americans have met, became
the head man of those who built for Mr..
Surgeons use and for that of his people
the church in which he wrought and
taught for over thirty years. 1t will hold
about 1000 persons when crowded. 1t
cost S137, ,07S.55. Every cent of its cost
was paid before Spurgeon began to preach
in it, for he said he would not go into it
until that was done. Therein he spoke
twice every Sunday, and the place was
always filled. This was true from May,
1880, when it was opened, until the man
was laid aside by Illness
Every morning session he preached
there was printed and, as soon as enough
of them to make book had been reached,
volume was issued. Some fifty volumes
of those sermons have been published in
many languages beside the English and
they are found nearly everywhere. They
stand the test of types well. They have
about them many of the things which
make Bunym's "Pilgrim's Progress" a
book that will last forever. They are all
about the Bible, and they are very like
the Bible.
This man, however, was not merely a
talker, a thinker prose poet and mas
ter of pathos, humor snd wit. He was a
doer, also. His congregation was drilled
for work. There were no drones in that
hive, Two great things of theirs and his
will survive him and them, and will be
the best memorial of both on the earth
One is an orphanage, wherein over $50
helpless ones find home, school, trades or
other callings, and are made able to get
on in the world and to help others to get
on in it. The other thing is what is com
monty called Surgeons colleges, where
people who are religious and earnest, and
who can not afford the time or money for
regular courses, are specially taught.
Besides his sermons, Spurgeon wrote
books and kept going a monthly. One of
the books was called Treasury of
David" treaties on the Psalms, a massive
work of six large quarto volumes, great
storehouse of learning thought and feel
ing. The monthly was called 'The Sword
and Trowel," and was as straightforward
as its name. Other books of his, John
Ploughman's Talk" Morning by Morn
ing" Evening by Evening"" "The Saint
and the Saviour Types and Emblems,"
Lectures to My Students" and many
others spread this mans mind and heart
all over the world.
A great thinker, great worker, he was
always simply and wholly orthodox. He
never used his gifts for vanity or money.
He never did anything untruthful or cum
ming He never had doubts after be
dropped them once and forever, and he
never thought that there was anything in
him 10 be proud of or pulled up by.
In person Mr.. Spurua0a is short and