Lectures To My Students by Charles Spurgeon - Book Report/Review Example

? BOOK CRITIQUE-CHARLES SPURGEON-LECTURES TO MY 2 Very few books are both full of wisdom and practical advises to pursue a career, and thisbook by Charles Spurgeon is one of them. This book is composed of lectures delivered by Charles Sturgeon to the young men at Pastors' College, London, who were studying to become ministers. The world of letters would have been denied a masterpiece if these lectures had not been preserved in book form in1875, on the unrelenting insistence of the friends, well-wishers and students of C. H. Spurgeon. These lectures are full of historical data, including references from the Bible, proverbs, maxims, adages and anecdotes from the personal life of Charles Spurgeon. In the introduction of this book Spurgeon writes: My College lectures are colloquial, familiar, full of anecdote, and often humorous: they are purposely made so ,...At the end of the week I meet the students, and find them weary with sterner studies, and I judge it best to be as lively and interesting...as I well can be. They have their fill of classics, mathematics, and divinity, and are only in a condition to receive something which will attract and secure their attention and fire their hearts. 1 1. C. H. Spurgeon. Letters To My Students, Addresses delivered to the Students of Pastors' College. (London: Passamore and Alabaster. 1875), p. v 3 A book on theology by the very nature of the subject is expected to be full of complex ideas, and puzzling facts something the students often find difficult to comprehend and digest, and that is exactly what Spurgeon tried his best to avoid, so that the students were not put off and tired, but instead looked forward to his lectures at the end of the week. The book has a conversational tone and does not only encompass dry presentation of religious dogmas but is full of captivating facts about life and the world at large. It would not be wrong to say that this book gives the novice a taste of what theology is, and provides limitless potentialities to expound when in the hands of an astute teacher. Spurgeon is a and a master craftsman with words. He has a practical and commonsensical approach to religion and his writing is interlaced with interesting facts. Spurgeon's aim in writing this book was not only to teach his students the art of rhetoric and speech making__ to equip them with the tools to become a convincing commentator and orator __ only, but also to produce morally incorruptible individuals, who can amicably carry on the task of being model ministers. This book teaches the students to first morally improve themselves and only after that teach others to do so, Spurgeon advises his pupils: It will be vain for me to stock my library or organize societies, or project schemes, if I neglect the culture of myself; for books, and agencies, and systems, are only remotely the instruments of my holy calling .2 _________________________________________ 2. “ibid”. p. 3 4 A man of religion must morally improve himself first before trying to improve the lives of others. He believes that in order to preach to others the teacher or in this case the minister and/or the pastor must improve himself morally and be more pious than those he address. He asks his students to foster and nourish true love for the faith and must have true and unflinching love for God and Jesus. In fact he wants to see upright ministers who are above reproach. He wants them to be persons of high moral character because only then he believes they are fit to teach faith to others. He wants to see his students as morally and intellectually superior individuals harboring true love for their religion. He bitterly opposes those men who just pay lip service to their faith, corrupt individuals with glib tongues and complete morally bankruptcy. All through his lectures he lays special emphasis and great attention to the fact and spares no stone unturned to unfold to the uninitiated that they must devote their whole lives to the service of the Lord and to follow the precedent set by Jesus. In order to do this they must, as a prerequisite fulfill certain requirements. The most important obligation of a good Christian is to overcome his petty temptations and unholy lusts. This is the path leading to light and truth. He stress chapter after chapter or rather lecture after lecture that: True and genuine piety is necessary as the first requisite whatever 'call' a man may pretend to have, if he has not to be called to holiness, he certainly has not been called to ministry.3 3. “ibid”. p. 3 5 Throughout the book Spurgeon relentlessly attacks sham preachers and writes: God never saved any man for being a preacher nor because he was an able preacher; but because he was justified, sanctified man and consequentially faithful in his Master's work. 4 Spurgeon is aware that the ministers are shepherds, being men of God it is their sole duty to lead the people (i.e., the sheep) to the path of the good and the righteous, and the way approved by the Lord God and the way trodden by Jesus. He instructs them to remain ever vigilant against the evil doings of the great tempter, lest he leads them astray, away from the right path, and divert them from heaven to hell. The ministers are the prime targets of Satan so he employs all all that lies in his powers to stop the men of God from doing what is good and right and to lure and entice them to folly and sin. In order to save the good from the machinations of the evil Spurgeon advises his students, thus: (Referring to the minister) His pulse of vital godliness must beat strongly and regularly; his eye of faith must be bright; his foot of resolution must be firm; his hand of activity must be quick; his whole inner man must be in the highest degree of sanity. 5 Spirituality is the main theme of all his lectures, and prayer the surest way to ward off evil. Sturgeon time and again reminds us that it is not for the weak of resolve and soul to join this vocation. He further emphasizes that this is not a profession for those who are vain or for those who seek worldly reward and glory. According to him spirituality implies that a man 4. “ibid”. p. 7 5. “ibid”. p. 8 6 who offers himself to serve God must first cleanse his inner self of all doubt and worldly lusts and desires, and only when he has attained this state is he fit to become a minister worthy to take the pulpit. According to him one can only achieve spirituality through fervent prayer. This prayer is not only a mental exercise, but also the only way to attain inner peace and tranquility. He regards prayer,"...a high spiritual engagement it cleanses your inner eye that you may see the truth in the light of God ". 6 Since it was first published in the nineteenth century this book has been avidly read by the students, academicians and theologian. It is In fact because of the straightforward and lucid style of these lectures that different generation of readers has always found something new and revealing about them. Another great feature of this book is that it has been so systematically written that by the end, even a person who has no inkling of theology and the intricate issues related with it begins to have at least a basic understanding of the teachings of Jesus. God blesses only a few individuals with a wealth of secular knowledge and religious wisdom and whatever they speak from the pulpit attains the status of a masterpiece. C.H. Spurgeon is one such blessed individual, during his lifetime he addressed and wrote over 1900 lectures and each has attained the status of a classic, especially this compilation is considered a great work, unequalled by any other in its genre. 6. “ibid”. p. 42 7 It is a great book to have both for the teachers of theology in particular and the students of religion in general. This book is a great source to gain spiritual insight into the Christian faith and to learn the art of expository sermons. In conclusion there is no better way to end this review than in the words of C.H. Spurgeon, referring to the ministers and other men of God, he says," ...truth must not only be in us, but shine from us ". 7 ___________________________________________________________________________ 7. “ibid”. p. 16 8 Bilbiography. Spurgeon,C.H. Letters To My Students, Addresses delivered to the Students of Pastors' College.London: Passamore and Alabaster. 1875 Spurgeon,C.H. Lectures To My Students, Complete and Unabridged. Zondervon:Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1954. Chapell,Bryan. Christ Centered Preaching, Redeeming the Expository Sermon. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group.(2005. Read More