Spurgeon Charles Haddon

break out your badges for

 

CHARLES

HADDON

SPURGEON

19.6.1834 – 31.1.1892

 

 

‘As I rode along I thought to myself, “How earnestly do I wish that my life may be spent in lighting one soul after another with the sacred flame of eternal life!  I would myself be as much as possible unseen while at my work, and would vanish into eternal brilliance above when my work is done.” ‘

 

“Those who are honoured by the Lord in public have usually to endure a secret chastening, or to carry a peculiar cross, lest by any means they exalt themselves, and fall into the snare of the devil.”

 

“Be it ours, when we cannot see the face of God, to trust under the shadow of His wings.”

 

when referring to his own problem of depression -

“…there is a ‘need-be’, not only for trial, but for heaviness of heart under trial (1 Peter 1:6) for it is only felt affliction which can become blest affliction.  If we are carried in the arms of God over every stream, where would be the trial and where the experience, which trouble is meant to teach us?”

 

“…in heaviness, we often learn lessons that we could never attain elsewhere.”

 

“This evil will also come upon us, we know not why, and it is then all the more difficult to drive it away.  Causeless depression is not be reasoned with…if these who laugh at such melancholy did but feel the grief of it for one hour, their laughter would be sobered into compassion.”

 

“And yet again; this heaviness is of essential use to a Christian, if he would do good to others.  Ah!  There are a great many Christian people that I was going to say I should like to see afflicted – but I will not say so much as that…if it were the Lord’s will that they should be bowed down greatly, I would not express a word of regret; for a little more…power to sympathise would be a precious boon to them…even if it were purchased by a short journey through a burning, fiery furnace…”

 

he used to give ‘travelog’ lectures and finished one with this -

“If you cannot travel, remember that our Lord Jesus Christ is more glorious than all else that you could ever see.  Get a view of Christ and you have seen more than mountains and cascades and valleys and seas can ever show you.  Earth may give its beauty, and stars their brightness, but all these put together could never rival Him.”

 

Sources:   “The Early Years” autobiography;  “Wounded Heroes” Elizabeth Skoglund.