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The Prime Minister of England (W. E. Gladstone) and the “Prime Minister” of the Baptists (C. H. Spurgeon) were similar in many ways. Gladstone was known as “The Grand Ol’ Man”; Spurgeon was called “The Gov’nor.” Of Gladstone it was said, “He was religious, and his religion was the secret of his power.” Both were men of principle, prayer, and belief in God.

Gladstone was educated at Eton and Oxford and became a Conservative Member of Parliament for Newark. His first important speech called for the emancipation of slaves. He became leader of the Liberal Party in 1867 and Prime Minister four times between 1868 and 1894.

In January 1882 Gladstone requested a reserved seat in the Tabernacle to hear his friend Spurgeon preach. He arrived early with his son and sat in the vestry with Spurgeon until the service. Following the visit, the Prime Minister’s enemies criticized him because he was a member of the Church of England visiting a Dissenting Chapel. This did not deter Gladstone from inviting Spurgeon, on several occasions, to Downing Street for breakfast or lunch. In 1886, however, Gladstone and Spurgeon split politically over giving Home Rule to Ireland. In 1898, when Gladstone died, a writer remarked, “Were not C. H. Spurgeon in his youth and W. E. Gladstone in his old age the most wonderful phenomena of the nineteenth century?”

Both Moody and Spurgeon were stocky and bearded. Both looked physically weary until they began preaching, when their faces became transfigured. Both could use humor and pathos to good effect. Both founded colleges, and both men began their Christian service among children. They both had a deep experience of the Holy Spirit.

On arriving in England for the first time, in 1867, Moody made straight for the Tabernacle and sat in the gallery, drinking in all he heard. Back home, asked if he had seen this or that cathedral he said, “No, but I’ve heard Spurgeon!” He only wished he could have taken the gallery seat home with him.

Moody heard Spurgeon again in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, and went back to America “a better man.” He returned to the same Tabernacle seat in 1872 when “heaven came down on his soul” and many more times later on, and on each occasion he learned more about preaching. After reading Spurgeon’s sermons for twenty-five years, Moody concluded, “If God could use Spurgeon, why not the rest of us?”

In spite of Moody’s Arminian views, Calvinistic Spurgeon preached for Moody and Sankey at their Bow Road Hall in London. And Moody was invited to preach in the Tabernacle on Spurgeon’s Jubilee (50th birthday celebrations in 1884). Spurgeon wrote of Moody that year, “He is a king of men; commanding and finding everybody eager to obey; and all the while utterly lost in his work, and as devoid of self-importance as a new-born babe.”

Spurgeon paid more than one visit to Ashley Down, Bristol, to talk with Müller, that “heavenly-minded man,” about his orphanage. He was astounded by Müller’s stories of living by faith, waiting for God to answer the needs of the orphans in response to his prayers.

Spurgeon met several times with Müller and with Hudson Taylor, the missionary to China, at Mentone, in the south of France.

In 1875 Müller preached at Spurgeon’s Thursday night service, and it was “a sermon long to be remembered,” commented the Prince of Preachers. Spurgeon once said that if he could change bodies with anyone it would be with George Müller—for time and eternity. They often spent whole days together, stimulating each other’s faith by discussing the unfailing promises of God. Perhaps Spurgeon was influenced more by Müller than Müller was by Spurgeon.

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