The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

congregation, and to seek to bring to immediate decisionthose who appeared to be impressed under the preaching ofthe Word. [Bro. Cloud: Note the word ‘decision’ in Spurgeon’sdescription of this soul winner!] One brother has earned forhimself the title of my hunting dog, for he is always ready topick up the wounded birds. One Monday night, at the prayermeeting,he was sitting near me on the platform; all at once Imissed him, and presently I saw him right at the other end ofthe building. Aer the meeting, I asked why he went off sosuddenly, and he said that the gas just shone on the face of awoman in the congregation, and she looked so sad that hewalked round, and sat near her, in readiness to speak to herabout the Saviour aer the service” (C.H. Spurgeon, e FullHarvest, p. 76). us we see that Charles Spurgeon was a manwho was very zealous for the winning of souls, and hisCalvinism and his convictions about the sovereignty of Godin no wise hindered that.On the other hand, many Calvinists of that day opposedSpurgeon vehemently from their pulpits and in theirmagazines and denounced his practice of giving invitationsfor sinners to come to Christ. (He did not have the peopleactually come forward during the church service as iscommonly practiced today, but he invited them to come toChrist all the same; and he believed that a sinner was saved inevery seat in the Metropolitan Tabernacle’s massiveauditorium of that day.)For example, one popular Calvinist paper of Spurgeon’s daywas the Earthen Vessel. In one of its issues in 1857, it boldlystated that “to preach that it is man’s duty to believe savinglyin Christ is ABSURD.” Well, that was exactly what Spurgeonpreached, so to a great many Calvinists of his day, Spurgeonwas an absurd fellow!is reminds us that there are different kinds of Calvinistsand it is not wise to lump them all into the same mold.I have had the privilege of knowing, and communicating ata distance with, many godly soul winning Calvinists. ough45