The

Metropolitan Tabernacle

its

History And Work

C. H. Spurgeon

interior of metropolitan tabernacle.

Preface

When modest ministers submit their sermons to the press they usually place upon the title page the words “Printed by Request.” We might with emphatic truthfulness have pleaded this apology for the present narrative, for times without number friends from all parts of the world have said, “Have you no book which will tell us all about your work? Could you not give us some printed summary of the Tabernacle history?” Here it is, dear friends, and we hope it will satisfy your curiosity and deepen your kindly interest.

The best excuse for writing a history is that there is something to tell, and unless we are greatly mistaken the facts here placed on record are well worthy of being known. In us they have aroused fervent emotions of gratitude, and in putting them together our faith in God has been greatly established: we hope, therefore, that in some measure our readers will derive the same benefit. Strangers cannot be expected to feel an equal interest with ourselves, but our fellow members, our co-workers, our hundreds of generous helpers, and the large circle of our hearty sympathizers cannot read our summary of the Lord’s dealings with us without stimulus and encouragement.

Our young people ought to be told by their fathers the wondrous things which God did in their day “and in the old time before them.” Such things are forgotten if they are not every now and then rehearsed anew in the ears of fresh generations. “Why should the wonders he hath wrought be lost in silence and forgot?” We feel that we only discharge a duty to the present and coming generations when we use our pen for such a purpose.

Very graciously has the Lord dealt with us, and our own part of the long story is by no means the least bright with tokens of his goodness. Charged with egotism we may be, but if this be the penalty for declaring that “the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad,” we will bear it with easy patience. The Baptist character of the book may trouble some thin-skinned readers of other denominations, but we appeal to their candour and ask them, if they were writing the story of a Methodist or Presbyterian church, would they think it needful, fitting, or truthful to suppress the peculiarities of the case? In all probability they would not have been less denominational than we have been, or if they had succeeded in being so they would have robbed their record of half its value and all its interest. We do not expect in reading a life of Wesley to find his Arminianism and his Methodism left out, nor ought any one to expect us to weed out Believers’ Baptism and Calvinistic doctrine from the annals of a Particular Baptist church. We are Calvinistic Baptists, and have no desire to sail under false colours, neither are we ashamed of our principles: if we were, we would renounce them to-morrow.

All controversial questions laid aside, dear reader, ...