Clayton KrabyB&H Academic has published The Lost Sermons of CH Spurgeon: Volume 2, a beautiful and painstaking reproduction of Spurgeon’s earliest sermon notes. To learn about Volume 1, see “The Lost Sermons of CH Spurgeon: A New Book’s 120-Year-Old Endorsement.”
The second volume contains 57 sermons, the bulk of which were preached during Spurgeon’s tenure as the youg pastor of the small Waterbeach Chapel. This was his earliest pastorate, as he began serving as their preacher in 1851 when he was just 17 years old.
Spurgeon wrote of this early period of his ministry in his autobiography, saying:
There went Into that village a lad, who had no great scholarship, but who was earnest in seeking the souls of men. He began to preach there, and It pleased God to turn the whole place upside down. In a short time, the little thatched chapel was crammed, the biggest vagabonds of the village were weeping floods of tears, and those who had been the curse of the parish became its blessing. Where there had been robberies and villainies of every kind, all round the neighbourhood, there were none, because the men who used to do mischief were themselves in the house of God, rejoicing to hear of Jesus crucified.
The Lost Sermons features high-quality scans of Spurgeon’s original notebooks which were rediscovered by Christian George, curator of the Spurgeon Center, who has taken up the task of fulfilling the Prince of Preacher’s promise to publish his earliest sermons.
In addition to the notes in Spurgeon’s own handwriting, each sermon is transcibed and heavily footnoted, with comments, biographical information, and cross references to other works and sermons. Once the 12-volume project is complete, The Lost Sermons will add about 10 percent more material to Spurgeon’s works.
As with the previous volume, The Lost Sermons of CH Spurgeon: Volume 2 is available in both a Hardcover and Collector’s edition. While even the hardcover is beautifully done, I’d highly recommend the Collector’s Edition if you can.
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
