A very scarce piece of Spurgeonalia. When Spurgeon first began preaching, he wrote his sermons out in a long-hand complete MSs. By the 1860's, he had moved to more full notes than manuscript. By the 1870's he was down to a single double-sided sheet [as here] and by the end, a notecard.
By his words, he found it more important to invest in preparing the preacher than that which was to be preached. So he read voraciously, studied extensively, and prayed. By his own account, this was more because of the demands of life than by choice. Spurgeon often preached 5 times per week or more. It was simply impossible to prepare full MSs for each event.
These complete sermon notes from Spurgeon are among the most desirable pieces of Spurgeonalia extant. We have handled around 5 over the last 30 years. During the same time, we have probably handled close to 100 letters, and thousands of sermon revision pages, which do contain some of his own notes. But complete, "this is what he preached from" sermons are very rare.
The present came to us as part of a small bundle of ephemera apparently used as part of a display at the Spurgeon National Centenary Celebration in 1934 held at the Royal Albert Hall. Ironically, it was put on by the Baptist Union . . . from which he was given the boot or resigned, depending on which account you read.
The lot includes a large format program from the event, the schedule of events, written history, etc., then several copies of Who are the Baptists? by Thomas Field, presumably published in conjunction with the event and perhaps distributed by the Baptist Union. And most importantly, the single 8vo sheet containing Spurgeon's original preaching notes, complete, for his sermon on Esther 9.1
The sermon, a sturdily doctrinal and experimental discourse on the Providence of God as illustrated in Esther, was later published in the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 20, as Providence - As Seen in the Book of Esther.
Good condition, and complete. Some folds, closed tears, etc., as expected from an "in use" document. Spurgeon rarely preached a sermon just once.