December 3rd: Tabernacle History of the Tabernacle (2) - Spurgeon
Speaker: Duncan Wyncoll
Lessons from the life of the Tabernacle in C H Spurgeon’s time
Introduction
. Benjamin Keach 1668-1704 (36 yrs). Dissenters meeting in wooden hut, BCofF, Family Covenant
. John Gill 1720-71 (51 yrs). Scholar, moved to Carter Lane Chapel (Tooley St)
. John Rippon 1773-1836 (63 yrs). Age 85. Moved to New Park Street. Baptist Foreign Mission.
. New Park Street had been opened 1830, Rippon had very large cong.
Then 3 relatively short pastorates:
Joseph Angus (1837-39)
Young Scotsman, only heard him preach twice & then unanimously invited
Prior to Angus, only Baptised members allowed to the Lord’s Table, but then believers of other churches baptised or not
Left to be Sec of Baptist Miss Soc, members deeply grieved & indignant!
50 members joined in 12 months
James Smith (1841-50)
Slender education, but great natural ability, sound, earnest & a good speaker
“Church low state & very small; beautiful chapel, dense population, no spirit of hearing” From his diary…
1843: 66 members, congregation x 3, prayer meeting crowded, but “I am not satisfied”
1844-46: Continued growth to 450 members, encouraged by the constant blessing
1849/50: Breathing difficulties form the London air, then resigns
Successful ministry, but returned to Cheltenham on health grounds
Wrote books++, means of conversion for many; working church model
William Walters (1851-53) – ‘Resigned for unacceptable ministry’
“The clouds gathered and no sunlight appeared”
England at this time – 19th Century
. Queen Victoria – morality of government; the empire & prosperity
. Running water, heating, electricity, medical knowledge, F Nightingale
. Class system, poverty, ignorance, sickness all remained
. State religion: C of E began its move to RC – ‘The Oxford movement
. Revival fervour of Whitefield/Wesleys had died down & religious formalism common
. Darwinism 1859 – ‘Origin of species’
. Abolition of Slavery etc -
Charles Haddon Spurgeon – ‘The prince of preachers’
b. Kelvedon 1834: 1st of 17 children (only 8 survived), but went to live with his grandmother. Infant mortality rate almost 50% - now vaccination etc
Grandfather James Sp. Minister of Congregational Church – great influence
As a boy was allowed to listen to theological debates with ministers
Dark bedroom off the manse – library, Pilgrims Progress, Foxe’s Book
Country upbringing – John Ploughman
Back to parents aged 5 - John & Eliza in Colchester
Story of his bravery – confronting Thomas Roads in tavern – sense of justice
Story: Father leaving for Ch, returning to see his wife in family devotions
Alleine’s Alarm to the Unconverted read to him by mother
Returns each summer to Grandparents in Stambourne: Puritans & other theology
His Conversion
Moved to various schools, one a boarding school in Maidstone
Argument with Teacher about Baptism…
Bottomless pit’ how could this be? – moving eternally further from God
Great conviction, temptations to deny existence of God, Free Thinker
As the HS pressed conviction upon him he realised
“His heart was fallow, covered with weeds, but the great Husbandman came, & began to play his soul. 10 black horses were His Team & it was sharp ploughshare that he used & the ploughshare made deep furrows”
(One horse for each commandment under which he stood condemned)
Wandered to many different churches around Colchester – minimal relief
1850 – Colchester, ‘Look unto me & be ye saved…’
“Sum & substance of the gospel - Substitution”
Returned to same Chapel following week –
Romans 7 “O wretched man that I am, who can deliver me from the body of this death”
Baptised 4 months later aged 15; soon after becomes a SS teacher
Mother was saddened to learn about believers Baptism. While she’d prayed for his conversion, she’d not prayed for him to become a Baptist.
CHS “Ah mother, the Lord has answered your prayer with his usual bounty & given you exceeding abundantly above what you asked or thought”
Unmistakable call to the ministry
. Moves to Cambridge for further education & learns important lessons…
Story of how he deals with abusive town woman: feigning deafness
Appointed pastor of Waterbeach @ 17 years old - Led church for 2 years
Puts up with criticism of his youthfulness
The Move to London
December 1853, 19 years old
Largest & most powerful city in the world, “pre-eminently evil reputation, with a meanness from extreme poverty & decay”
Then given 6/12 probation period, but no need…
Cong multiplied rapidly – ‘Chapel like black hole of Calcutta’ – dark, stuffy, gas-lights
“By faith the walls of Jericho came down & by faith the walls of this building will fall”
Within 10 months the building was too small.
Exeter Hall, persecution from the unflattering press encouraged attendance (p.76 – Met Tab. Its Hx & Work
New Park Street again overwhelmed ® Exeter Hall again & then to
Royal Surrey Gardens by Oct 1856, 7000-10,000 congregation
1st occasion – evil-disposed person shouted ‘fire’ – panic set in ® 7 died, 28 injured. Great effect on CHS. Catastrophe & wicked accusations of the press
Fund was set up to help those families affected
Continued there for 3 years – all classes of soc.
Oct 1957 to mark National Day of Humiliation for the Indian Mutiny, 23,000 in Crystal Palace
Building of the Tabernacle 1859
£17k raised (equivalent ~ £2 million), Act of parliament to buy the land
1861 Tab opens Total cost £31,000 – no debts, 6,000 seats, lecture hall, schoolrooms for 1000. “Too little for the work…” (one-third was CHS’s own money from books etc)
1867 Temporary housing in Agricultural Halls 20,000 attended
January 1868 – Ill for a number of times
Church appoints James Spurgeon as co-pastor - Later to become Pastor of Baptist church in Croydon
Over the 1st 15 years, grew to 4,000. By 1875 4,800 (would have been 8,500, without ‘removals’)
His Works
His Letters. Sword & Trowel, weekly sermons occ, 200k published
44 books, Treasury of David etc, lmhouses, Orphanage, College, colportage etc
His commitment to the Word & Truth
Daily Life in the Great Church – what we are trying to emulate
‘Not a popular preaching centre’ – very few SMO’s. Working church of members from the local area
Many less prominent institutions – coffee houses, blind society etc
On Jubilee – 66 institutions were mentioned. 40 missions established. Numerous local SS’s. Numerous foreign missions.
Open at 7am & close at 11pm. A centre for various annual institutions.
Hub for activities - open-air work, visiting etc. CHS ‘a hive of bees’
Getting Ready for the Winter Campaign in S & T
The downgrade controversy
. Tab was a member of Baptist Union – group of evangelical Baptists
. Evolution & Higher Criticism - By 1880 much of England had been stirred by these new beliefs
. Spurgeon was militantly opposed
. BU had to make position clear – but would not make statement of faith
. CHS wrote article – ‘The Downgrade’
. Left the BU & would not form another organisation
. This battle led to worsening of his health & Last sermon @ Tab in 1891. ® deterioration in health; his eventual death in 1892 aged 57 in Mentone. Funeral arrangements are legendary
. He was a man of vision, energy, drive & spiritual purpose
. Divided opinion of him in the US because of his Anti-slavery views
. 1860 visit to US – Southern Baptists hated him, mass book burning – incredible irony of how the Southern Baptist view him now!
. After 1863 Emancipation Proclamation from A Lincoln, Americans flocked to Tab
. Left Church of 5000 members, 127 lay ministers, 23 missions, 27 SS’s, 600 teachers & 8000 scholars
Conclusion
. ‘Just pray for Revival…more will be accomplished in 5 minutes etc’ - ?
. Tabernacle experienced massive blessing 5 years before wider revival. Why?
