Happy birthday, Charles Haddon Spurgeon! Spurgeon was born June 19, 1834. (This morning when I mentioned this fact to my oldest son, he responded, "Spurgeon's birthday? He would have to be about 180 years old by now!" And actually, that is about right!)
Spurgeon, known as the "Prince of Preachers," was a British Particular Baptist (no clue what that is specifically--but sounds Baptist to me!) who powerfully influenced not just his generation but every succeeding generation since then. Including ours. He struggled with depression, and his transparency and trust even in the midst of that very difficult thorn in the flesh should inspire and encourage us all. I love to read excerpts from some of his wonderful sermons, and we all have heard many a great Spurgeon quote. Just a couple of my favorites:
1. "A man's life is always more forcible that his speech... If his life and his doctrines disagree, the mass of lookers-on will accept his practice and reject his preaching." Whew, might our daily work match our words. The world so desperately needs to see believers who are not just lapping up the Word (though we need that too) but who are living out the Word--doing what it says. "But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:20)
2. "Lord, send us such a flood-tide of Thy love that we shall be washed beyond the beyond the mine of doubt and fear." Wow--yes Lord, help us to know "the breadth and length and height and depth" of the love of Christ. (Eph.3:18) It is His love, His perfect love, that casts out fear. (I John 4:18) When we are fearful, we can practically ask the Lord in that very moment for an overwhelming sense of His extravagant, infinite love for us.
3. "Between here and heaven, every minute that the Christian lives will be a minute of grace." Amen again--it's all by, and only by, the grace of God!
4. "By perseverance the snail reached the ark." Don't we all need that reminder?! As Winston Churchill once famously declared in a graduation speech in the midst of World War II: "Never give in! Never give in! Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." (and then Churchill sat down. That was the sum total of his speech for that was all they needed to hear!)
5. One more reason I love Spurgeon--like my daddy, he was a cigar smoker! Now, I know many of you may not approve of, nor like, cigar smoking. God made us all different--I mean, there are inexplicably some people who don't like chocolate... though that might constitute a major character flaw. Cigar smoking, however, does not fall into that category. I don't smoke them, and I certainly don't like any other kind of smoking. But my wonderful daddy smoked cigars, and to this day, the scent of a cigar makes me smile and experience a burst of happy nostalgia and even joy. Can't help it--that's just the way it is!
But one day Spurgeon was confronted by a Methodist man who was apparently quite concerned and exercised about Spurgeon's cigar habit.
Spurgeon explained to the man, "I assure you, my good man, that if I ever begin to smoke excessively, I will quit immediately."
The Methodist man quickly questioned, "Just what would you consider excessive?"
"Why, smoking two cigars at once!" replied Spurgeon.
Somehow, I think my daddy and Charles Spurgeon are hitting it off quite well in heaven!
So Happy Birthday, Mr. Spurgeon! May your tribe increase! And might we live out our faith in our day--with our actions, with our attitudes, and with our words--as you did in yours. To God be the glory!
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