Spurgeon Thursday - Ten Wonderful Quotes

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born on June 19th, 1834 and was possibly the most influential preacher of the last three centuries. He was never trained for the ministry but he read an average of six weighty books a week and could remember what he read decades later. His collected sermons run to about 25 million words, and he would preach for 40 minutes on a single page of notes He founded churches, Sunday schools, an orphanage and a theological college that still operates today. Spurgeon was such an ardent and passionate opponent of slavery that American publishers deleted those references from his books.

His style of speaking was plain and simple, no grandiose eloquence, just a simple earthy manner. He was not a technical scholar, and he never pretended to be one as he had no patience with pretension. He appreciated simple, nice things, such as his flower gardens; one gardener who professed to have attained religious perfection had to be dismissed for carelessness, and Spurgeon declared that he would have a sinner next time. He loved fine scenery, and was proud of his horses and took good care of them. He always said they were Jews, for though they took him to the tabernacle on Sundays, they always rested on Saturdays. 

He was a master of the understated retort. One time a person called at his house demanding to see him without an appointment, and when refused an interview, would not take a denial. The man sent Charles a second message that "one of the Master's servants wanted to 'see him on the Master's business." Spurgeon sent a reply that he was very sorry, but at that very moment he was engaged with the Master Himself, and had no time for the servant.

Here are ten wonderful quotes from the Prince of Preachers:

1. "The Christian should work as if all depended upon him, and pray as if it all depended upon God."

2. "A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble."

3. "You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled."

4. "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."

5. "A Jesus who never wept could never wipe away my tears."

6. "Men will allow God to be everywhere but on his throne. They will allow him to be in his workshop to fashion worlds and make stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonry to dispense His alms and bestow his bounties. they will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean; but when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash their teeth."

7. "Peruse a good book several times and make notes and analyses of it. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed. Little learning and much pride comes from hasty reading."

8. "We are not responsible to God for the soul that are saved, but we are responsible for the Gospel that is preached, and for the way in which we preach it."

9. "Free will I have often heard of, but I have never seen it. I have always met with will, and plenty of it, but it has either been led captive by sin or held in the blessed bonds of grace."

10. "The more objects you set your heart upon, the more thorns there are to tear your peace of mind to shreds."