THE LONDON METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE

“For Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him”.

(Mark 6:20)

On this day, in 1859, the cornerstone of the Metropolitan Tabernacle was laid by the 25 years old Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Arriving to London’s New Park Street Baptist Church 6 years earlier, this son of a Congregational pastor proved to be the most fruitful preacher of his times. Even today, Spurgeon’s sermons, books and Biblical commentaries are widely read. The Tabernacle was built to hold sixty-five hundred. It was standing-room only an hour before the services began throughout the ministry of the founding pastor. He preached there until shortly before his death in 1892.

My favorite Spurgeon-sermon is the one he delivered on the morning of November 25, 1860 at Exeter Hall (the Tabernacle was opened in May of 1861). His text was Mark 6:20, and title of the message, “Preaching! Man’s privilege and God’s power!” In my opinion, in this sermon the “Lion of Preachers” summarizes his convictions about the ministry of the Word. This sermon is a testament to Spurgeon’s reliance on the work of the Holy Spirit while proclaiming Bible-truths and while listening to the same. He studied and meditated on the Word, fully trusting in the reliability of the Scriptures. At the middle section of his wonderful testimony, Spurgeon’s deep affection for and knowledge of the best expositors the Spirit had given to the Church is manifested. In his esteem, however, the old man at the small Methodist church, who called on the young (16 years old) Spurgeon to look up to Christ for his salvation, was the greatest hero. I quote that part of the sermon:

“Personally I have to bless God for many good books. I thank God for Dr. Doddridge’s Rise and Progress of Religion; I thank God for Baxter’s Call to the Unconverted; for Allyne’s Alarm to Sinners; I bless God for Jame’s Anxious Enquirer; but my gratitude most of all is due to God, not for books, but for the living Word – and that too addressed to me by a poor uneducated man, a man who has never received any training for the ministry, and probably will never heard of in this life, a man engaged in business, no doubt of a menial kind during the week, but who had just enough of grace to say on the Sabbath, “Look unto me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth.” The books were good, but the man was better. The revealed Word awakened me; it was the living Word saved me, and I must ever attach peculiar value to the hearing of the truth, for by it I received the joy and peace in which my soul delights.”

The application of the message, so practical and important a part in all his sermons, is a gem I greatly treasure. It has been my practice for years now to read it again and again, as a reminder and an encouragement regarding the importance of the ministry I was called to.

“Go home to your chamber, and say unto God, ‘I desire to believe what I have heard; I desire to trust my immortal soul in Jesus’ hands. Give me genuine faith; give me a real trust. Save me now, and save me hereafter.’ I dare avow it – I never can believe that any man so hearing the Word can by any possibility perish. Hear it, receive it, pray over it, and trust Christ through it, and if you are lost, there can be none saved. If this foundation give way, another can never be laid. If you fall, we all fall together. If trusting in Christ you can perish, all God’s prophets, and martyrs, and confessors, and ministers, perish too. You cannot. He will never fail you; trust him now.

Spirit of God! Incline the hearts of men to trust Christ. Enable them now to overcome their pride and their timidity, and may they trust the Saviour now, and they are saved for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”