Spurgeon's Pastoral Wisdom

Spurgeon’s Pastoral Wisdom

Articles on the Church and the Ministry from The Sword and the Trowel

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Spurgeon's Pastoral Wisdom
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Dimensions 22.22 × 14.28 × 2.38 cm
ISBN 9781800405998
Format

Book
Page Count

360
Binding

Cloth-bound
The Author

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon
Subtitle

Articles on the Church and the Ministry from The Sword and the Trowel

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) was the famous pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London in the nineteenth century. Under his preaching, the once-dying church was revived and became an engine for evangelism, pastoral training, missions, and church planting. But Spurgeon wanted to see more than just his church thriving. He had a heart to see other pastors equipped and churches strengthened. So in January 1865, he launched The Sword and the Trowel, a monthly magazine named in honour of those who rebuilt the city of Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s leadership. In Spurgeon’s day, as in ours, those who would repair the walls of Jerusalem need both the sword to combat error and the trowel to build up the church, and this magazine sought to equip pastors to do just that.

This collection of articles from The Sword and the Trowel provides a first-hand look at Spurgeon’s vision for ministry. In it, readers will find Spurgeon’s convictions on church structure, including meaningful membership, church discipline, and the biblical roles of elders and deacons; his practical teaching on pastoral ministry, such as sermon preparation, leading congregational prayer, and reaching the next generation; and his counsel for facing the personal trials of the ministry, from financial pressures, to the fear of man, discouragement, and much more.

Though written more than a century ago, these articles remain a source of wisdom for today’s pastors navigating the same perennial challenges. This volume is an essential guide for any leader labouring to maintain a faithful, Christ-centred ministry in the twenty-first century.

Table of Contents Expand ↓

Introduction xiii
PART ONE: ARTICLES ON THE CHURCH
  • 1. The State of the Church 3
    • 1.1 ‘Our Aims and Intentions’ 5
    • 1.2 ‘The Discipline of the Church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle’: Introduction 6
    • 1.3 ‘Two Sights Which I Shall Never Forget’ 8
    • 1.4 ‘The Great Builder and His Work’ 11
  • 2. Church Membership and Discipline 13
    • 2.1 ‘The Discipline of the Church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle’: Church Membership 15
    • 2.2 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Baptism and Communion 17
    • 2.3 ‘The Discipline of the Church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle’: Removals and Discipline 23
    • 2.4 ‘Advice Gratis’: On Non-Attendance 25
    • 2.5 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Church Discipline 27
  • 3. Congregationalism 35
    • 3.1 ‘Who Shall Keep the Keepers?’ 37
    • 3.2 ‘Advice Gratis’: On Calling Pastors 39
    • 3.3 ‘Pastorless Flocks’ 42
    • 3.4 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Congregationalism 45
    • 3.5 ‘Advice Gratis’: On Congregational Meetings 48
    • 3.6 ‘The Discipline of the Church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle’: Church Order 50  
  • 4. Elders and Deacons 53
    • 4.1 ‘The Discipline of the Church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle’: Church Officers 54
    • 4.2 ‘A Church We Know Of ’ 58
    • 4.3 ‘The Good Deacon’ 61
    • 4.4 ‘The Hornless Deacon’ 64
    • 4.5 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Church Officers 67
  • 5. Congregational Worship: Prayer and Singing 73
    • 5.1 ‘The Forge’ 74
    • 5.2 ‘A Few Remarks upon Prayer-Meetings’ 76
    • 5.3 ‘Two Prayer Meetings’ 82
    • 5.4 ‘Two More Tabernacle Prayer Meetings’ 88
    • 5.5 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Service Leading 94
    • 5.6 ‘Look Well to the Singing’ 95
    • 5.7 ‘How Shall We Sing?’ 96
  • 6. A Working Church 99
    • 6.1 ‘Doing and Planning’ 100
    • 6.2 ‘Opening the Campaign’ 101
    • 6.3 ‘Earnest Work Not Extinct’ 108
    • 6.4 ‘Letter from Mr Spurgeon’ 110
    • 6.5 ‘Visiting the Poor’ 112
  • 7. Reaching Children 117
    • 7.1 ‘Children Offered to Moloch—A Modern Practice’ 118
    • 7.2 ‘Our Sunday Schools’: On Superintendents and Teachers 122
    • 7.3 ‘Can Nothing More Be Done for the Young?’ 129
    • 7.4 ‘A Bit for the Boys’ 133
  • 8. Training Pastors 139
    • 8.1 ‘London: A Plea’ 140
    • 8.2 ‘A Plea for the Pastors’ College’ 143
    • 8.3 ‘The Ministry Needed by the Churches, and Measures for Providing It’ 146
  • 9. Denominationalism 155
    • 9.1 ‘Spurgeonism’ 156
    • 9.2 ‘Spurgeonism Again!’ 157
    • 9.3 ‘Ourselves and the Annexationists’ 163
    • 9.4 ‘Unity and How Not to Promote It’ 167
  • 10. Revival 175
    • 10.1 ‘What is a Revival?’ 176
    • 10.2 ‘A Few Words upon Objections to Revivals’ 184
    • 10.3 ‘How to Attract a Congregation’ 188
    • 10.4 ‘Revival of the Lord’s Work in 1866’ 195
    • 10.5 ‘The Year of Grace, 1872’ 198
PART TWO: ARTICLES ON THE PASTOR
  • 11. Pastoral Calling 207
    • 11.1 ‘Anywhere for Jesus’ 208
    • 11.2 ‘Leaving Secular Business’ 214
    • 11.3 ‘Call to the Ministry’ 221
    • 11.4 ‘Better Closed than Open’ 222
  • 12. Sermon Preparation 223
    • 12.1 ‘Preparing the Sermon’ 224
    • 12.2 ‘Ministers’ Libraries’: The Need for Study 227
    • 12.3 ‘A Brief Note on Plagiarism’ 230
    • 12.4 ‘Different Styles of Preaching’ 233
    • 12.5 ‘Interruptions’ 234
  • 13. Faithful Preaching 237
    • 13.1 ‘Dr John Caird on the Declining Influence of the Pulpit’ 239
    • 13.2 ‘Peril from the Pulpit: A Warning Note’ 245
    • 13.3 ‘A Political Dissenter’ 248
    • 13.4 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Calvinism and Preaching 250
    • 13.5 ‘A Questionable Ingredient of Popularity’ 251
    • 13.6 ‘Important Trifling’ 252
    • 13.7 ‘Gold Rims’ 253
    • 13.8 ‘Less Gilding and More Carving’ 254
  • 14. Sermon Delivery 257
    • 14.1 ‘Advice Gratis’: Sermon Length 259
    • 14.2 ‘Want of Naturalness in Preaching’ 261
    • 14.3 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Preaching 263
    • 14.4 ‘Use Plain Anglo Saxon’ 263
    • 14.5 ‘Be Plain’ 264
    • 14.6 ‘Plain Directions’ 265
    • 14.7 ‘Your Best Always’ 266
    • 14.8 ‘Street Preaching’ 268
  • 15. Pastoring 273
    • 15.1 ‘Make All Sure’ 274
    • 15.2 ‘False Conversions’ 276
    • 15.3 ‘Sickening of Sin’ 277
    • 15.4 ‘Keep the Roads Clear’ 277
    • 15.5 ‘Taking the Bull by the Horns’ 278
    • 15.6 ‘Advice Gratis’: On Gossip and Scandal 280
    • 15.7 ‘The Question Oak at Westwood’: On Pastoring 282
  • 16. The Pastor’s Heart 285
    • 16.1 ‘Praise of Men’ 286
    • 16.2 ‘Give Thyself Wholly to Them’ 288
    • 16.3 ‘The Use of Wool in the Ears’ 289
    • 16.4 ‘Stand Fast’ 293
    • 16.5 ‘The Man, Not the Place’ 294
  • 17. Pastoral Support 299
    • 17.1 ‘Watching the Ebb’ 300
    • 17.2 ‘The Pastors’ Advocate’ 304
    • 17.3 ‘Ministers’ Libraries’: The Need for Books 309
    • 17.4 ‘The Pulpit as a Warming Apparatus’ 313
    • 17.5 ‘Dying Ministers’ 316
  • 18. Persevering in Ministry 321
    • 18.1 ‘Be Not Discouraged’ 322
    • 18.2 ‘The Waiter Also a Guest’ 324
    • 18.3 ‘Laid Aside, Why?’ 324
    • 18.4 ‘In My Fiftieth Year and Getting Old’ 32918.5 ‘Against Hastening to Remove from Our Post of Duty’ 335

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