1870's C. H. SPURGEON. Original Manuscript Preaching Notes on Isaiah 61:3. Beauty for Ashes.

A very scarce piece of Spurgeonalia. When Spurgeon first began preaching, he wrote his sermons out in a nearly complete manuscript. By the 1860's, he had moved to more full notes than manuscript. By the 1870's he was down to a single or double-sided sheet or notecard. 

In light of his heavy speaking and pastoral demands, he found it more important to invest, as he said, in preparing the preacher than that which was to be preached. So he read voraciously, studied extensively, and prayed. By his own account, this process was forced on him because of the demands of his preaching schedule rather than by choice. Spurgeon often preached 5 times per week or more. It was simply impossible to prepare full MSs for each event.

The original, pulpit-used sermon notes of Spurgeon are among the most desirable pieces of Spurgeonalia extant. We have handled a handful 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, a double-sided sermon note are on an especially poignant text and theme, one he returned to many times throughout the years. That is, Isaiah 61.3:

. . . to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.. 

In the present sermon, Spurgeon picks up on the idea of "exchange," i.e. what He takes from us and what He exchanges for it. But not before being typically "Spurgeon," i.e he must hit on the root of the exchange, i.e. He "gives," it is grace, grace, all of grace.

The hymns selected in MSs on the rear by Spurgeon himself as usual. 

Ink a bit darker than shown, and with some moderate foxing.