I once preached where the great C. H. Spurgeon preached. Well almost, anyway.

Some years ago on a visit back to England, the land of my birth, I was given the privilege of preaching in a small Baptist Church in a quaint, picturesque, backwater village in the county of Devon.

I noticed on the east side of the sanctuary a golden plaque mounted on the wall. It recalled the time, well over a 100 years before, when Spurgeon came to the Church to preach. (It would have been a huge honor for this Church to have such a highly acclaimed guest speaker. In his day, he was more popular and recognizable than even the Prime Minister of England. It would also be true to say that he pastored the first mega church in the city of London. Even today, Spurgeon is known as “the Prince of Preachers”).

Well though the village itself had a population of around 300, more than 1,200 people (many from surrounding villages) came to listen to Spurgeon that day. The plaque on the wall recounted how, for that one evening, the little Church building was totally inadequate, and so the service took place in the open air, on the village green.

My first reaction in seeing the plaque was the feeling of empathy for all the pastors who have served God in that place down through the years. How intimidating it must have been to preach within eye sight of that plaque. Perhaps many pastors had thought (wrongly of course) that they were abject failures because they had never had to use the village green since then, as Spurgeon had done.

Perhaps, over the years, even a demon or two had camped out next to the plaque each Sunday, goading each preacher who stood behind the pulpit, spewing out their venomous and hostile words. I have a vivid imagination and could certainly feel the shrill of such hellish words as “Spurgeon got 1,200 to hear him here. What is the point of your ministry Mr. Preacher, with this small handful in front of you.”

Yes, all those thoughts raced through my mind as I stood beneath the plaque. My preaching and service there would be over within the hour, but the Church books recalled the names of faithful men of God who served their generation in that tiny place, heroes in my eyes.

As much as I appreciate the plaque’s history lesson, I think if I was pastor there, I would want the plaque removed. Then the thought came to me that perhaps many a pastor had actually attempted to do just that, and was unsuccessful (the congregation flexing its muscles, so to speak, and voting each pastor down who sought its removal at the annual members’ meeting). All I knew was that, quite clearly, the plaque remained. Certainly, there was still an air of triumph about the place that a man such as Spurgeon had graced this village Church so long ago.

Of course, none of this was Spurgeon’s fault. It was not his problem that he was so well liked. Actually, the more I discover about the man, the more I admire both him and his God centered ministry.

I have put together some Spurgeon quotes on the theme of TULIP (the Doctrines of Grace) and because of our present study taking place here on the blog, post them here. I find that his insights and pithy comments are often the last word on any given topic as it is hard to improve on how he puts things. As I read his words, I often find myself chuckling. Spurgeon was quite the wit. I hope you enjoy the following quotes as much as I have: Continue reading →