Digital Logos Edition
Volume three of Spurgeon’s Lectures teaches preachers how to use illustrations and stories within their sermons. Preaching, at its most basic level, helps the congregation find their place in the narrative arc of Scripture, making storytelling an integral component. This volume reveals Spurgeon’s method of artfully integrating illustrations and stories into his sermons, along with other creative ways to make the text come alive. That thousands returned each week to hear Spurgeon preach testifies to the remarkable success of Spurgeon’s method. The Logos Bible Software edition of Lectures to my Students, Vol. 3: The Art of Illustration was originally published in London by Passmore and Alabaster in 1905.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon was born in Kelvedon, Essex, England on June 19, 1834. He converted to Christianity in 1850 at a small Methodist chapel, to which he detoured during a snowstorm. While there, he heard a sermon on Isaiah 45:22 and was saved—“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else.” He began his own ministry of preaching and teaching immediately, and preached more than 500 sermons by the age of twenty.
In 1854, at nineteen years of age, Spurgeon began preaching at the New Park Street Chapel in London. He was appointed to a six month trial position, which he requested be cut to three months should the congregation dislike his preaching. He gained instant fame, however, and the church grew from 232 members to more than five thousand at the end of his pastorate. Many of his sermons were published each week and regularly sold more than 25,000 copies in twenty languages. Throughout his ministry, Spurgeon estimated that he preached to more than 10,000,000 people. Dwight L. Moody was deeply influenced by Spurgeon’s preaching, and founded the Moody Bible Institute after seeing Spurgeon’s work at the Pastor’s College in London.
Spurgeon read six books per week during his adult life, and read Pilgrim’s Progress more than 100 times. In addition to his studying and preaching, Spurgeon also founded the Pastor’s College (now Spurgeon’s College), various orphanages and schools, mission chapels, and numerous other social institutions.
Charles Spurgeon suffered from poor health throughout his life. He died on January 31, 1892, and was buried in London.
“Illustrations tend to enliven an audience and quicken attention. Windows” (Pages 3–4)
“Thirdly, anecdotes and illustrations may be used to explain either doctrines or duties to dull understandings.” (Page 38)
“We use them, first, to interest the mind and secure the attention of our hearers.” (Page 31)
“Gentlemen, take care that your windows are not broken, or even cracked: in other words, guard against confused metaphors and limping illustrations.” (Page 13)
“Illustrate, by all means, but do not let the sermon be all illustrations, or it will be only suitable for an assembly of simpletons.” (Page 5)