Personal Recollections

Mr. Spurgeon, whose address was delivered in fiíagments during intervals whicli oocoted dnring tlie singing of various liymns )y the Evangelistic choir, referred first to his early life with Iris grandfatlier, who was a preacher, and who was in the habit of giving peppermint to c-liildieii, and who once gava hlm a hall' a pound at one time. He liad ten ehildren, and hla principal income was derivad írom tanjiing alwut twenty-eight aort oí land belonging to the chap_eí. Once when he was driving á ców into the stableyard, it took staggers and died, to the great grief of hfe grandtoothèr; but liis grandfather saiö God eould seint thcm another cv, and !,he same diiv a lt;ttnr (taine with t20, sent by severa! gentlcniaii, wlio haring a charitalilt; fuud to dispense, and eading that there was soine(lnnf over, had made it up to L20 and sent it to hini. When he became pastor of a Baptist chapel at aixteen years, the people could do veiy little for hi.s support, and therefore he was an usher in a schooi at uamiimlge at the sanie time. A ft er a time lic was obliged to give up the latter oceupation and was thrown on the generosity of the pople, and they gave him a salary ot f45 a vear, bilt as he luul to pay "for two rooms which be accupied L2s. a weck, tlie salary was not enough; büt the people, though they had not money, had produce, and he did not think thene was a P'ig killed by any one of the congregation tnat he had not some portion of , and one or another of thcin would bring him bread, sotliat lie liad enough bread and meat to pay lii.s rent with. There was án oíd man in that place who was a great miser, and it was said of hiiu that he never gave anvthing to anybody, Lmt one aftemoon he gave him three half-erowns, and as he was wanting a new hat at the time lie got it wlth the money. The following Sunday the okl inan'oaine to liim again and asked him to pray for him that he might be saved fröm the sin of covetöusness, and he said: "The Lord told me to give you half a sovereigh, and I kept half a ctowd back, and I can't ïc.st of a night for thiakina of it." " In the early part of hia miuistiy he was rather popular, and he was oftcn asked to take part in anniveraary services. On one occasion he was asked to preach in a neighboring villagf, a7id when he called on Mr. Brown, the pastor, mi the Sunday inoniino-. Mr. Brown saia to iiini: -1 du! not know vou were such a boy, or I won ld not have aeked yon to preaeh for me." "Well," he said, -I can go back." "Uut," said Mr. Brown, "the people have comí trom all parte in all kinds of vebicles;" and then he put his hands under his coat tails and asked what the jvorld was cbmina to wlieii the boys who had not got rid of taste of tlieir mother's milk wen about jirciiching. However, he did preach, and Mr. .firowu planted hirnself onthe pulpit stairs. He read i lesson firom the Proverbs, and upon coming to the passage, "Giay haira are a crown of glory to a man," he said be (loubted tlwt, for he know a man who had a gray head and who could hardly be civil. Biit passage went on to say, "IT it be foiuid in the wav of ïïghteousness," and that, he said," was a different thing. Wlíen he csnie down from the pulpit, Mr. Brownsaldtohiin: "Bless your heart I have been thirty yeara a minister, ana I was-nerer better pleased with a sermón; bat yon ure the sauciest dog that ever barked in a pulpit," and they were always good ftiends afterward. On one occasion he wasdining ar a gentjeman's in lïegent's Park hen toe Orphanage was in oourse of irection. A tliousand pounds were wantod to pay the lmilder the next inoriiiiig. Hedid not knuw where it was to come froïn, but he said he had prayed for it and had confidence tEa,t be should gei t; but Mr. Broek sa.id he tfaought they ought to speak wit'h eaution aliout sucii matters. IJuring the dinner, however, a telegram was lianded to liim stating that a gentleman liad caUéd at the Tabernacle and left L1,066 for the phanage.-