Spurgeon

Spurgeon Heir of the Puritans By Ernest W. Bacon

Spurgeon Heir of the Puritans by Ernest W. Bacon is a story about a man named Charles Haddon Spurgeon who became one of the greatest preachers who has ever lived.

Charles was born on June 19, 1834,in a small town called Kelvedon in Essex England. Charles father’s name was John Spurgeon and worked as a clerk in a coal yard and later became a preacher. Charles mother’s name was Eliza Jarvis and was only nineteen when Charles was born. All together Eliza had seventeen children but only nine survived infancy. Charles had eight siblings, six of which were girls. When Charles was just eighteen months old he was sent to live with his grandparents, Rev and Mrs. James Spurgeon and their daughter Ann at Independent Chapel in Stambourne. While living with his grandparents Charles discovered a large number of books in the attic, among the book was a copy of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress young Charles amazed with the books cover began to read it and becoming one of his favorite book claming to have read over one hundred times. In August 1841 young Charles, at the age of seven returned to his parents’ home in Colchester. Charles was very sad that he had to leave his Grandparents and Aunt but visited them on holidays and kept in touch for the rest of their lives. On May 3, 1850, at the age of fifteen Charles walked eight miles to a baptism service in a place called Isleham Ferry where the River Lark flows through. Not long after his baptism Charles found himself as a teacher in the Sunday school. Charles looked to the disciple Paul as one of his heroes and wanted to be just like him. Charles first preaching opportunity came when his minister asked Charles and one of his assistants to go to a little town called Teversham, when they arrived both Charles and the assistant were shocked because they each thought the other person was going to speak to the people, Charles remembered some Sunday school lessens he once told the children so he used that, the people had on idea what had happened, and no idea that they just heard one of the greatest preachers of his time. On December 17, 1853, Charles arrived in London were he was invited to preach. The congregation was so amazed that they told there