present, and are panoplied Minervas leaping forth from sudden and inspiring emotions awakened by a desire to do good. The hard worker, whose life is crowded with varied experiences in the severe conflicts with sin, is always a full man and usually ready to speak effectively on the shortest notice. His daily experience supplies him with themes and his actual practice makes him an authority on the subject.

What Mr. Spurgeon said to the Sunday-school scholars who were present at the assembly, or what advice he gave to the teachers he did not himself remember in after years, and every other person seems to have forgotten. But one listener was present who did not forget the boy, and who remembered especially his originality and independent way. That listener was the instrumentality which Providence used to take Charles to London, for a few weeks later he met one of the deacons of the church in London, of which Charles afterward became the pastor, and in conversation with the deacon, mentioned this precocious young man, stating that he was greatly impressed with his spiritual power and his excellent common sense. That conversation, though for a time forgotten by both of them, was afterward recalled by the deacon and led to the invitation of which we will speak further, in the next chapter.

It was during his first pastorate, at Waterbeach, when his name had been spread abroad far and wide

as the "boy preacher," and while the aged shook their heads and the ungodly made sport, that he wrote a long and affectionate letter to his mother, the character of which may well be judged from the following extract:

"Iam more and more glad that I never went to college. God sends such sunshine on my path, such smiles of grace, that I cannot regret if have forfeited all my prospects for it. I am conscious I held back from love and His cause, and I had rather be poor in His service than rich in my own.

I have all that heart can wish for; yea, God giveth more than my desires. My congregation is as great and loving as ever. During all the time that I have been at Waterbeach I have had a different house for my home every day. Fifty-two families have thus taken me in; and I have still six other invitations not yet accepted. Talk about the people not caring for me because they give me so little! I dare tell anybody under heaven "tis false! They do all they can!"

CHAPTER V.

THE HISTORY OF HIS CHURCH.

The planting of a church is like the planting of a seed which is almost certain to grow into a tree, spreading its branches in beauty and beneficence at home and sending the fruit into every portion of the earth.

How incredulous the forefathers would have been had any prophet informed them that the New Park Street Baptist Church would become so influential for good and so widely known.

It had its origin far back in the days of persecution, when men paid for their opinions with property, pain, shame, and often death.

The founders of that Church over which Mr. Spurgeon eventually became the pastor were brave men who feared not the stake and who had often seen fires burning their co-religionists. It will be interesting and highly helpful in the study of Mr. Spurgeon's life to trace the history of this organization, in order that we may better understand the circumstances into which he was drawn when he went to London.

Mr. Spurgeon has himself furnished a complete and accurate history of the Tabernacle and the

Church, but he wrote at the time when many of the individuals were still living who welcomed him to London, and wrote when also conscious that the sons and grandsons of those who had acted a part in the history of that Church would read his book. No one writes without great restraint, under such circumstances, and while he need never state an untruth, yet all the truth is not to be spoken at all times.

One could heartily wish in the preparation of a story like this that some accurate records of the thoughts of Mr. Spurgeon himself might somewhere be found. But no such private diary seems to exist. The unwritten history of the Church, especially in the early days of Mr. Spurgeon's ministry, would furnish most interesting reading. The best, however, that can be done now is to gather up all the material he has left behind him into a connected and useful history.

Friends often forsook him, to which he indirectly refers. Enterprises promising well were often destroyed by some unkind act or by the foolishness of the managers. Expected gifts of money did not come at the time appointed, and some revivals did not furnish the harvest which was expected of them.

But, on the other side, he often received more than he expected in money, or friendship, and in every kind of success.

Such seems also to have been very largely the history of the pastorate which preceded his time.

It was ever the unexpected which was happening, and we may go further and say that such is the usual history of every Church, and human oversight is not able to arrange for the events which are almost certain to surprise both pastor and people, and yet without which there is no possible success in the work.

The successful church organization is the one which works on endeavoring to be guided by the Divine hand, and which regards nothing either encouraging or discouraging as at variance with the general Divine plan they may not then understand. The power which brought light out of the darkness brings harmony out of discord, and beauty out of wretchedness, also exhibits its characteristics in the conduct of the spiritual Church. That same power can often reverse the processes and send night or discord, and often does so in the spiritual history of mankind for reasons of good, unaccountable to us. Hence a glance at the condensed history of that Church as given by Mr. Spurgeon shows us a continued, but irregular series of advances and retreats. It will be well for the student of his life to read a portion of Mr. Spurgeon's statement concerning the history of the Church, before studying further his personal connection with it.

In his history of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Mr. Spurgeon said:

"When modest ministers submit their sermons to the press they usually place upon the title-page the