No two – or no three – servants of God are exactly the same in temperament and talents. Generally speaking, they have different gifts sovereignly dispensed by the grace of the Lord. For this reason some are considered by men as more “successful” than others.
On this day in 1856 twin sons were born to Mrs. C.H. Spurgeon, and the joy of their father knew no bounds. The boys were given the names “Charles” and “Thomas.” Both inherited their father’s powerful voice, but the younger, Thomas, was otherwise weaker in health, and he chose to become a commercial artist. In order to strengthen his health, Thomas emigrated to Australia, when he was twenty-years old, but because the fame of his father preceded him, he was often asked to preach. Two years later, when he returned to London, his father asked him to became his assistant, with the unstated expectation that he eventually become the pastor of Spurgeon’s Tabernacle, which at that time was running 5,000 in attendance. But again, the younger man returned to Australia to strengthen his health, and once again, he became an itinerant evangelist.
When Charles Haddon Spurgeon passed away, the church became embroiled in problems. A.T. Pierson had been filling the pulpit for some time, but the man wasn’t a Baptist and couldn’t be considered for the pastorate. C.H. Spurgeon’s brother, James, eyed the position, but he was not nearly so gifted as C.H., and when it appeared that the church would be split if he became pastor, he withdrew. At that point, Thomas was urged to return which he reluctantly did.
Thomas inherited a variety of difficult problems, not the least of which were the shoes of the very famous pastor who preceded him. Another was the burden of rebuilding the Tabernacle after the disastrous fire of 1899, but the Lord blessed and the work of restoring the church was in many ways successful. In 1908 Thomas retired once again, becoming the leader of Spurgeon’s College until he passed away in 1917.
It was on this day in 1856 that Thomas Spurgeon was born.