preaching in all parts of the country. Among other places, he paid a second visit to Halifax. On the 9th of November he preached two sermons in the Mechanics' Hall, to overflowing and delighted congregations. The morning subject was, "God's delays in answering prayer," from the text, "Go again seven times -1 Kings xviii. 43. The evening sermon was from Rom. i. 16-"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." Mr. Walters, the minister of Trinity Road chapel, Halifax, who was present on both occasions, seeing that the preacher used a scrap of paper each time, laid on the Bible, asked for them as a memento of the visit. One is written with ink, the other only in pencil; both on half-sheets of note-paper. The sermons were each about three quarters of an hour long, and were most fluently and powerfully delivered. Here are the outlines:-Morning sermon-Text, 1 Kings xviii. 43-"Go again seven times." I. EXPLANATIONS- Make sense of need deeper. Qualify for future work. II. EXHORTATIONS This is your only hope. The sureness of success. II. DIRECTIONS Ignorance to be removed. Sin to be avoided. Christ to be simply regarded. Evening sermon-Text, Rom. i. 16-"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ." I. What is the gospel? Good news. 1. In its germ. This tells us what it is not. 2. In its incarnation. 3. In its development. II. Who are ashamed of it? 1. In the pulpit. Half-hearted, timid, crack-jaw ministers. 2. Out of the pulpit. Those who do not profess it; who never carry it out, or are silent. III. Why not ashamed? 1. It is wise in itself. 2. It is divine. 3. It is all my life. 1. Out with it. 2. Hope in it. 3. Get it within. The preacher still pursues the same method. A gentleman from America, who was at the Metropolitan Tabernacle one Thursday evening in 1881, obtained from him the outline which was used that evening, and published it afterwards in the Chicago Standard. It is as follows: Thursday Evening, 22d September 1881. Many pray in trouble who never prayed before. I. A suitable example for a church in distress. It is past denying: their sins witness. It is past computing: against thee. 2. They appeal to no other argument in themselves. No hope of doing better. No strength of resolve. No abundance of repentance. 3. They make a plea out of God's name. He was their Saviour. He was the Lord of the house. He was their God. They would say He was taken by surprise. He was unable to save. He was Himself defeated. II. An instructive example for pleading sinners. Your many sins. Your sins against God. Own your undesert. 3. Own your helplessness. 4. Cast yourself on the plea of grace. To glorify Thy power, Thy grace, Thy wisdom. Father, Son, Spirit. Believe, and so implicate His fidelity. Plead salvation of another, and so His immutability. So successful was Mr. Spurgeon in collecting funds for the tabernacle, that, by January 1860, £16,868 was in hand, or more than half the amount required. In addition to home labours this year, he preached in Paris in February, and in Geneva in June. Meanwhile, the spacious structure, on the erection of which his heart was set, was steadily going forwards. Mr. Stevenson notices a very interesting incident in connection with the progress of the building:-"During the progress of the works, Mr. Spurgeon met on the ground, on one evening after the workmen had left, one of his deacons, good Mr. Cook. After some consultation and ineditation, surrounded by planks, piles of timber and bricks, in the dim twilight, they both knelt down where no eye could see them but that of God, and with only the canopy of heaven for their covering, the pastor and his friend each poured out most earnest supplications for the prosperity of the work, the safety of the men engaged on the building, and a blessing on the church. Their prayers were not offered in vain, but were abundantly answered. Out of so large a number of men engaged on the work, not one of them suffered harm; the divine protection was over them.” Towards the close of the year, a large and enthusiastic meeting was held in the building, though it was unfinished. The floors were laid, but there were no pews. Amid many discomforts, much money was given there, and more promised. Mr. Spurgeon was much cheered; for not only was the building in which he longed to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ approaching its completion, the money to pay for it was also nearly all obtained. Under date 6th January 1861, the following declaration was written in the church records, and signed by the pastor and his friends :— "This church needs rather more than £4000 to enable it to open the new tabernacle free of all debt. It humbly asks this temporal mercy of God, and believes that for Jesus' sake the prayer will be heard and the boon bestowed. As witness our hands." God heard the prayer, and honoured the confidence of His servants, as the next chapter will abundantly show. CHAPTER VI. Opening of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. HE first service in connection with the opening of the tabernacle for divine worship was conducted at seven o'clock in the morning on Monday, 18th March 1861, when more than a thousand persons assembled to offer praise and prayer to God. Mr. Spurgeon presided, and first addressed the throne of grace. During that week a most successful bazaar was held in aid of the building fund, the clear proceeds of which was £1200. On Monday, the 25th, a second prayer-meeting was held, presided over by the Rev. G. Rogers, who also spoke to the assembly on "The House of God the Gate of Heaven." In the afternoon, Mr. Spurgeon preached to a large congregation the first sermon, on Acts v. 42-"And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ." A second sermon was preached, in the evening, by the Rev. W. Brock, from Phil. i. 18-"Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice; yea, and will rejoice." On the following evening there was a public meeting, limited exclusively to the contributors to the building fund, of whom more than three thousand were present. Sir Henry Havelock took the |