Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92)

 

Spugeon was a noted English Baptist praecher, sometimes referred to as the Prince of Preachers. He was born in Kelvedon, Essex. His father was a preacher and he was an excellent student. He wore pinafores at his dame school. At his subsequent school he antagonized both his school mates and an uncle who was a teacher. He went on to fame and his followers built the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. He had twin sons who wore dresses as children.

Family

Charles' grandfather and father were both preachers. Much of his religious training came from them. His parents were Congregationalists.

Father

John Spurgeon (1810-1902) was the second son of the pastor at Stambourne. The Spurgeon family had preached at Stambourne since the 17th century. Religion was apparently in the family blood. Charle's father recalled me like Job Spurgeon who endured harsh imprisonment under Charles II because of his Nonconformity.

Mother

John Spurgeon mairred Aliza Jarvis (1815- ). Charles lived with him mother's family in Colchester. His father was a pastor 9 miles away where he also did the accounts forva coal mine to make ends meet.

Brothers and sisters

Charles was no lonely as a boy. By the age of 5 he had two sisters and a brother--James. Charles was the natural leader. 

 

Education

Charles was an excellent student. He first attended a dame school in Stambourne. He recalls that it was taught by old Mrs. Burleigh. Upon learning her som was Gabriel, he was disappointed to find, when they met, that Gabriel had no wings and wore trousers. Upon returning to Colchester he attended another dame school run by Mrs. Cook until he was 10.

Charles then attended Stockwell House School which provided him a good middle class education. He was particularly impressed by a Lr. Leeding. He impressed the other boys with his academic talents, Spurgeon and his brother James were sent to a college in Maidstone in 1848 where his uncle taught. He managed to antagonized both his school mates and an uncle who was a teacher.

 He atagonized his uncle by correcting his math before the other students, after with Charles was assigned math work to do by himself. His uncle, however, when a boy was to be punished, would send Charles out to get a switch. Charles soon noticed that "I never once succeeded in selecting a stick which was liked by the boy who had to feel it. Either it was too thin, or too thick ..." He was soon threatened by the suferers "with condign punishment if I did not do better next time."

Career

Spurgeon was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the 19th century. His rise was meteoric. His sermons certainly seems to have touched the Victorians. He was said to bre greatly blessed by the Holy Spirit, his success and worldwide popularity were due in large measure to a genius intellect, natural gift of oratory, and thoroughly biblical expository messages. Spurgeon's many writings and brilliant sermons are still widely published today, testifying to his timeless appeal.

Charles was born again at Colchester January 6, 1850. He became a Baptist May 3, 1850 and was Baptized in the River Lark, at Isleham). He preached his first sermon at a Cottage in Teversham in 1850. Several of his relatives suggested that Charles Spurgeon enter an independent religious school, but since Charles held a different view, he decided instead to join a congregation of anabaptists in Cambridge. The young Spurgeon at only 17 years of age began to distribute tracts and became known as the "boy preacher" as he spoke to several small congregations in the villages nearby. In 1854, just 4 years after his conversion. 

 

Marriage

In 1856, Mr. Spurgeon was married to Miss Susan Thompson, who proved to be a Godsend in the young minister's busy life. Mrs. Spurgeon gracefully and lovingly attended to her husband in his afflictions, and later, Mr. Spurgeon was called upon to do likewise for his wife, as she became an invalid.