ONE THOUSAND POUNDS AND MORE.

39

my deep affection for your beloved wife. May the Lord bless and comfort you and your little ones abundantly. I also enclose 2s. 6d. for the Chart and Compass.

Captain Alfred Fox, of the S.S. "Lebanon," writes:

At Sea, December 24th, 1881.

Rev. E. W. Matthews, my very Dear Sir,-It is with great sorrow I learn, through the Chart and Compass, of the loss you have so recently sustained, and when to-day I opened the December number and saw those black lines and the name within them, I could not keep back a tear, not for the one who has gone, but for yourself, who is bereft of so valuable a friend.

I am not a good hand at writing letters of consolation, indeed, man's efforts are vain in such cases generally, and I am happy to say I know where you will draw consolation from-the unfailing source of all help in times of trouble; therefore can only hope that He may bind up the broken hearted and enable you to say, like Job, the "Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

The most practical way for me to show my sorrow at your loss, is to help you in a small manner in your efforts to raise such a sensible memorial to so worthy an object, and for which purpose I enclose P.O.O. for £1 Is., and 2s. 6d. for next year's magazine, which I have not yet subscribed to.

You will not remember me, but when you were in Antwerp I knew you. Am writing this at sea, as you observe, on Christmas eve, and hope to reach London New Year's eve, but as I understand you are in Genoa, I write this instead of seeing you.

This world is full of trouble and bereavement, and I am looking for that time to come when God shall wipe away all tears, and when Christ shall come to reign upon the earth and with other of His people. I pray it may be soon.

Trusting that your trip to Italy may have braced you up again for your noble work, and that you may come back refreshed and soothed,-believe me, my dear sir, yours very sincerely,

ALFRED Fox.

ONE THOUSAND POUNDS AND MORE. TOWARDS the above, we acknowledge with much thankfulness the following promises and gifts to the 12th January, 1882 :

:

SUBSCRIPTIONS PROMISED AND GIVEN TOWARDS THE MEMORIAL FUND.

AUGENER AND Co., 86, Newgate Street (E.C.); SAILOR'S INSTITUTE, Mercers St., Shadwell

MR. SPURGEON AT MENTONE.
CHART AND COMPASS."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE 66 DEAR SIR,-I arrived at the Grand Hotel in the East Bay of Mentone on the 9th November, and what was my delight and surprise to find that Mr. Spurgeon was expected at the same hotel on the 12th. He arrived according to expectation on Saturday the 12th, but I am sorry to say lame. He has now been here for a month and seems to have received decided benefit from his visit.

He returns to London in a week or so to resume his arduous, but much-loved, work. Several of us in the hotel have had the pleasure of meeting with him frequently, and having a friendly chat. He had not intended to preach or come before the public in any way during his short stay amongst us, but learning that many of the visitors in the hotel had expressed a desire to hear him speak, he gave way, and agreed to hold a short service in the hotel on Sunday evening, December 11th. The landlord, M. Giorgi, kindly gave us the use of the Salle-a-manger, which therefore, as soon as dinner was over, was aired, and then transformed from a chamber of feasting to a house of worship. About 50 were present at the service, which lasted from 8 o'clock till shortly after nine. The address lasted about forty minutes, and was delivered with Mr. Spurgeon's own energy and cheerfulness.

I send you a summary of the address, thinking that it may interest your nautical readers, few of whom have ever an opportunity of hearing Mr. Spurgeon, either at home or abroad.-I am, Dear Sir, yours respectfully, ROBT. F. FERGUSON.

Grand Hotel, Mentone, 13th Deember, 1881.

Mr. Spurgeon took for his text the passage in Luke's Gospel, narrating the miracle performed on the ten lepers.* Luke xvii. 11-14. Those who were struck down by this painful disease, Mr. Spurgeon commenced by saying, were forbidden to enter the larger towns-and though they were allowed to approach the villages, yet even in this case, they had to keep aloof from the healthy. They were ostracised members of society. There are two remarkable facts to be noticed in connection with this miracle: First, that Jesus before doing anything to these lepers, told them to go straightway to the authorities, and obtain their certificates of restoration, which would authorize them to go amongst their fellows without restraint. The second fact is that they all at once obeyed. They did not hesitate or look astonished; they did not say, as they very naturally might have said, "Shew us some signs of a cure

As Mr. Ferguson was asked to write this from memory after the sermon was delivered, we think he has done well.-ED.

42

MR. SPURGEON AT MENTONE,

having commenced, and then we will go. Let us see the white scales dropping from our skin." Not so, as they were they went, and on the road were healed.

So it is with the man conscious of sin. Jesus bids him come to him; he must therefore come at once, without waiting for signs of moral improvement, and in the act of going he receives the healing his soul requires.

Mr. Spurgeon then proceeded to deal with the errors which many fall into as to the first act of belief.

Some expect a period of terror-as a proper preliminary to the quiet which the soul feels in the haven of perfect trust. They read in the many biographies of great Christians which have been given to the world, that the soul is agitated with doubt and trembling. Witness the state of mind of the unhappy man Christian before he turned his back upon the City of Destruction. Witness the state of mind of the great author of the Pilgrim's Progress himself. Mr. Spurgeon knew of a young woman who expected an experience of this kind. Her father had been so depressed and fearful as to his spiritual state that the unfortunate man had at last to be taken to an asylum, and she was looking out for an experience of this severe kind for herself.

Others again expect to feel a great blaze of joy. What a mistake! This is putting the cart before the horse-confusing the effect with the cause-expecting to reap before one has sown.

Others expect to feel something within, they know not what, only it is "something within." They can never get to anything more definite than this. Now there is no such mysterious "something within" on which we can trust while on the deep sea of indecision. The ship out at sea, driven by stress of weather, seeks for a harbour of refuge. Suppose the captain to say, "We are safe, we have an anchor on board." He is in fact trusting to something within." We would reply to him, "My good friend your anchor is of no use to you whatever so long as it is on board; even cast it out where you are now and it is useless. Come into the harbour and cast anchor there and you are safe."

66

The fact is, the act of belief is so simple that it is difficult. This may seem a paradox, but it is true. The history of Christianity is largely a history of how men have foolishly encrusted this very simple business with layer upon layer of unnecessary ceremony and ordeal. It is also like a man looking far-a-field for what is under his nose.

Don't be like Naaman the Syrian, who when told to go and wash in Jordan, was indignant that so mean and ordinary a proceeding should be recommended to a great dignitary like him.

MR. SPURGEON AT MENTONE.

43

Mr. Spurgeon then proceeded to ask "Why are we to believe in Jesus Christ.?"

First, because God the Father has thrice by means of the attesting Spirit stated that His will is that we should "hear Him." Second, because of the character of Jesus Christ Himself. Read what Life of Christ you will-be it Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, they are all the lives we have of Him, and we shall never have another. There never was a man like Him; there never shall be another. What a life He lived on earth! His love is inexhaustible, despite the millions who draw upon it. On going through the streets of London, the question often forces itself upon me, "How are all these multitudes that I see, fed." But when I go to the food markets and see the countless tons of food which come in daily, my question becomes rather "How is all this food disposed of? Are there mouths enough for all this?" And yet we know that this enormous supply of food is not equal to the still more enormous demand of four million mouths. But the love of Jesus is inexhaustible, though a universe of worlds were to draw upon it. His is a supply which no demand can even approach. Another reason for exercising this belief is the abundance of promises, all to the same effect, which are to be found in God's word. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

And finally a conclusive reason for believing is, that all who have been saved, have been so saved. If you think to accomplish this end by setting about good works, you will fail. have nothing to do with it. God is the only worker. pride, wishes to have his finger in the work. Even his little finger. God wills otherwise, and it is bootless in man to resist.

You yourself
Man, in his

The last point to which Mr. Spurgeon drew the attention of his hearers, was the results which follow from this faith.

A great change is noticeable in a man's character, and consequently in his outward acts. Pride, envy, hatred leave him; humility, unselfishness, love characterise him. Not only is strength received for holy living, but even holy dying is now not only possible, but the only possible.

Mr. Spurgeon proceeded to say that in the course of a long ministerial career, he had seen many death-beds, and from deathbeds he had received infinitely more instruction and comfort than ever he had received from the marriage ceremonies at which he had assisted. One remarkable case, and the most recent. One of Mr. Spurgeon's congregation in London is an old lady, mother of the English Chaplain at Cannes. This old lady he left dying before he started for the Riviera a month ago. She suffered much,