It is very rare to hear a sermon on the subject of the spiritualizing of a text from Scripture. Here, however, Mr Spurgeon opens up his remarks to his students by stating - "Many writers upon Homiletics condemn in unmeasured terms even the occasional spiritualizing of a text." He then goes on to comment - "Within limit, my brethren, be not afraid to spiritualize, or to take singular texts", quoting as he does, examples of the appropriate and inappropriate use of such a method within a sermon.
He presents his observations, amongst the several things he says about this subject, to include the following cautions:
1: ... "do not violently strain a text by illegitimate spiritualizing"
2: ... "never spiritualize upon indelicate subjects"
3: ... "never spiritualize for the sake of showing what an uncommonly clever fellow you are"
4: ... "never pervert Scripture to give it a novel and so-called spiritual meaning"
5: ... "in no case allow your audience to forget that the narratives which you spiritualize are facts"
In closing, he reasserts his opinion - "that guided by discretion and judgement, we may employ spiritualizing with good effect to our people....".
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Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1854, just four years after his conversion, Spurgeon, then only 20, became pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church (formerly pastored by the...
