Year: 1879

Mr.. Samuel Morley, member of Par


liamen', presided oyer the third anniver-


sary festival of Christ Church, which is


under the pastorate OF the Rev. New


man Hall. The tea was served in


Hawkstone Hall, and the company al-


terward adjourned to the church, which


was profusely decorated with flowers
in perpetuation OF an old custom OBJ
served for many years at the Surrey
Chapel. The Rev. e. ii. Spurgeon was
present, and spoke at some length on
the subject of preaching. He remark
ed that Mr.. Morley had said that the
habit of staying away from place of
worship was getting common. He
would ask the honorable gentlemen
whether he himself would like to go
and listen to some of his reverend
brethren. He { SpurgeOn confessed
that sooner than go to hear them he


would have the g0ut. Loud laughter.


Those who had the gout would appre-
ciate what he meant. 1t was awful.
Renewed laughter. lie had the
privilege once OF hearing q reverend
brother, he would not say how, when
or where but he always considered he
should be rewarded for it at the resur>
rection Of the just. Laughter. A
preacher should try to make his preach
ing good. In Germany it must be
evangelical to the extent of sixteen
ounces to the pound if the church was
to be kept full; but regular attendance
at places OF worship there had gone
quite out of date. Would any man go
and listen to some German divines if
they preached their booksl II he were
bad with the headache, and wanted to
sleep, he certainly would 20. They
have some of the best books printed
from German, but then they had some
almighty dry books which could inter
est no persons unless they wanted to
have sin taken out of them in the same
way as Eve was taken out of Adam
when in deep sleep. Roars of laugh
ter. If preacher did not preach
well, "pray him up" added Mr.. Spur
geon. If they did not profit, let them
still 90 on praying. Any of them
would preach we'll when they preached d
to congregation coming fresh from
their knees, having prayed to God to
help them. Then they should back
the pastor up in everything as one man.
There should be no hesitancy, no ques-
tioning; it was church work; there
fore, the clergyman should be backed
up and carried through. He should
be the point of the wedge; let each be-
hind push on, and the deed would be
done. What a splendid history, ex-
claimed Mr.. Spurgeon, the Surrey
chapel people had, and if they did not
do wonders for God after Rowland
Hill they deserved to be tied to carts
tail and whipped. Laughter. They
did not know how down in the dumps
sometimes man who had to cheer
every one elee was. They should speak
kindly word to the pastor whenever
they saw him. There was a story Oft
en- told of man in the Gray's Innroad
when there was fire. The escape was
put up. but it was found to be little
short. There was woman to be res
cued who was near the window, the
fireman went up, and just as he reach
ed the top the people gave three cheers,
for they thought that he had rescued
her, and he did. But he said he could
not have done it if it had not been for
those cheers just at that moment. They
should give three cheers for the preach
er instead of giving him a greeting
which would put him in trim to preach
in dolorous manner. Cheers. When
he occupied the pulpit, and saw two or
three old ladies shaking their heads,
he always preached to perfection; those
who smiled and were pleased he
thought we're persons of great judg-
ment. Laughter. In conclusion, he
said they would ell remember verse
which he thought was by Sir Walter
Scott, and which he would apply to
them as church-workers, "On, on, on,
were the last of Spurgeon. Roars of
laughter.