One Saturday afternoon in Cambridge, England, Charles Spurgeon was asked by the president of the Lay Preachers' Association to accompany another man to a preaching service the following evening in Teversham. This Association sent preaches out into the surrounding villages to preach in places where there were no permanent church buildings. The president said that the man did not want to be alone and it would be good if Charles would go with him. Young Charles accepted the invitation thinking perhaps he would be asked to lead in prayer or in the singing of a hymn. As they walked the four miles to the little cottage where the service was to be held, Mr. Spurgeon commened to his colleague that he was praying God would enable him to be a blessing to the people to whom he was about to speak. The friend, however, was shocked and assured Spurgeon that he had never preached in his life and that he would not be preaching on this occasion He told Charles that if there was to be a sermon, he would have to bring it and suggested that the Sundy School Lesson Charles had taught that very Sunday be used as the sermon. Years later Mr. Spurgeon recollected that experience and here are his comments as to his thoughts on that occasion.

"I recalled the words of the president as beinq cunningly devised. A request for me to go and preach would have met with a decided negative response, but merefy to act as company to a good brother who did not like to be alone, was a request I cheerfully complied with. He had said that 'A young man was to preach who did not have much experience and would be thankful for the company.' I admired his ingenuity.

"I walked along quietly, lifting up my soul to God, and it seemed to me that I could surely tell a few poor cottagers of the sweetness and love of Jesus, for I feft them in my own soul. Praying for Divine help, I resolved to make the attempt. My text should be, Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious (I Peter 2:7), and I would trust the Lord to open my mouth in honor of His dear Son. It seemed a great risk and a serious trial, but depending upon the power of the Holy Ghost, I would at least tell out the story of the cross, and not allow the people to go home without a word.

"We entered the low-pitched room of the thatched cottage, where a few farmers and there wives were gathered together. We sang, and prayed, and read the Scriptures, and then came my first semon. How long, or how short it was, I cannot now remember. It was not half such a task as I had feared it would be, but I was glad to see my way to a fair conclusion and to the giving out of the last hymn. To my own delight, I had not broken down, nor stopped short in the middle, nor been destitute of ideas, and the desired haven was in view. I made a finish, and took up the hymn book, but, to my astonishmemt, an aged voice cried out, 'Bless your dear heart, how old are you? My very solemn reply was, 'You must wait till the service is over before making any such enquiries. Let us now sing.' We did sing, I pronounced the benediction and then there began a dialogue which enlarged into a large friendly talk, in which everybody appeared to take part 'How old are you?' was the leading question. 'I am under sixty,' was the reply. 'Yes, and under sixteen,' was the lady's rejoinder. 'Never mind my age, think of the Lord Jesus and His preciousness,' was all I could say." (He was sixteen years of age.)