Class Two: Professor Spurgeon

It is class time again. Last Wednesday I shared a few thoughts from C.H. Spurgeon's book "Lectures to my Students." As promised today I will continue to share my notes with you.

*What follows are my notes exactly how they appear (spelling mistakes, chopped up sentences, etc.) in my notebook.*

XIX Posture, Action, Gesture, etc.

pg 274 He developed into a man to be esteemed and honoured but not listened to.

pg 275 It may happen that awkward getures arise from feeble utterances, and a nervous conciousness of lack of power in that direction.
If some of the talents are withheld the withholder knows why.

pg 279 Many men are made awkward through fear.
Practice is a great remedy, and faith in God a still more potent cure.

pg 281 We do not go into the pulpit to slouch about, and to look free and easy, but we go there upon very solemn buisness, and our posture should be such as becomes our mission.

pg 285 What force may the language of Scripture lose through the preacher's ill-delivery!


XX Posture, Action, Gesture, etc. II

pg 304 Commend yourself to every man's conscience in the sight of God, and then... posture will seldom be taken into account.

XXI Earnestness: its Marring and Maintenance

pg 305 Both great men and little men succeed if they are thoroughly alive unto God, and fail if they are not so.

pg 306 We shall be forgiven a great many sins in the matter of pastoral visitationif the people's souls are really fed on the Sabbath-day.
These who attend our ministry have a great deal to do during the week. Many of them have family trials, and heavy personal burdens to carry, and they frequently come into the assembly cold and listless, with thoughts wondering hither and thither; it is ours to take those thoughts and thrust them into the furnace of our own earnestness, melt them by holy contemplation and by intense appeal, and pour them into the mold of truth.

pg 309 Water the seed sown, not only with public, but with secret prayer.
We must by some means secure uninterrupted meditation or we shall lose power.

pg 310 Earnestness may be, and too often is, diminished by lack of study.

pg 312 If non-success humbles us it is well, but if it discourages us, and ecspecially if it leads us to think bitterly of more prosperous brethern, we ought to look about with great concern.
We must be borne onward, like ships at sea, by the constant power of the heavenly wind, or we shall make no headway.
If a man can live without preaching, let him live without preaching.

pg 314 Brother, do not begin to teach others till the Lord has taught you.

pg 316 The Spirit of prayer is even better that the habit.

pg 318 ...be on most familiar terms with those whose souls are committed to your care.
Read men as well as books, and love men rather than opinions, or you will be inanimate preachers.

Here are some Spurgeon links that will be more than helpful:

Pyromaniac's recent post about Spurgeon

Spurgeon Archive

Spurgeon U.S.

The Letters of Spurgeon

Spurgeon's Library