# “God’s goodness in sending a snowstorm” by Charles Spurgeon

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2026/01/25/gods-goodness-in-sending-a-snowstorm-by-charles-spurgeon/
- Published: 2026-01-25T11:30:00-06:00
- Author: tollelege

“Personally, I have to bless God for many good books; I thank Him for Dr. Doddridge’s
_Rise and Progress of Religion in the Souls_; for Baxter’s _Call to the Unconverted_;
for Alleine’s _Alarm to Sinners_; and for James’s _Anxious Enquirer._

But my gratitude most of all is due to God, not for books, but for the preached 
Word,—and that too addressed to me by a poor, uneducated man, a man who had never
received any training for the ministry, and probably will never be heard of in this
life, a man engaged in business, no doubt of a humble kind, during the week, but
who had just enough of grace to say on the Sabbath, “_Look unto Me, and be ye saved,
all the of the earth_.” (**Isaiah 45:22**)

The books were good, but the man was better. The revealed Word awakened me; but 
it was the preached Word that saved me; and I must ever attach peculiar value to
the hearing of the truth, for by it I received the joy and peace in which my soul
delights.

While under concern of soul, I resolved that I would attend all the places of worship
in the town where I lived, in order that I might find out the way of salvation. 
I was willing to do anything, and be anything, if God would only forgive my sin.

I set off, determined to go round to all the chapels, and I did go to every place
of worship; but for a long time I went in vain. I do not, however, blame the ministers.

One man preached Divine Sovereignty; I could hear him with pleasure, but what was
that sublime truth to a poor sinner who wished to know what he must do to be saved?

There was another admirable man who always preached about the law; but what was 
the use of ploughing up ground that needed to be sown?

Another was a practical preacher. I heard him, but it was very much like a commanding
officer teaching the maneuvers of war to a set of men without feet. What could I
do? All his exhortations were lost on me.

I knew it was said, “_Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved_;”(**
Acts 16:31**) but I did not know what it was to believe on Christ.

These good men all preached truths suited to many in their congregations who were
spiritually-minded people; but what I wanted to know was,—“_How can I get my sins
forgiven?_”—and they never told me that.

I desired to hear how a poor sinner, under a sense of sin, might find peace with
God; and when I went, I heard a sermon on, “_Be not deceived, God is not mocked_,”(**
Galatians 6:7**) which cut me up still worse; but did not bring me into rest.

I went again, another day, and the text was something about the glories of the righteous;
nothing for poor me! I was like a dog under the table, not allowed to eat of the
children’s food.

I went time after time, and I can honestly say that I do not know that I ever went
without prayer to God, and I am sure there was not a more attentive, hearer than
myself in all the place, for I panted and longed to understand how I might be saved.

I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now had it not
been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm, one Sunday morning, while I
was going to a certain place of worship.

When I could go no further, I turned down a side street, and came to a little Primitive
Methodist Chapel. In that chapel there may have been a dozen or fifteen people.

I had heard of the Primitive Methodists, how they sang so loudly that they made 
people’s heads ache; but that did not matter to me. I wanted to know how I might
be saved, and if they could tell me that, I did not care how much they made my head
ache.

The minister did not come that morning; he was snowed up, I suppose. At last, a 
very thin-looking man, a shoemaker, of tailor, or something of that sort, went up
into the pulpit to preach.

Now, it is well that preachers should be instructed; but this man was not a public
speaker. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had 
little else to say. The text was,— “LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED, ALL THE ENDS 
OF THE EARTH.” (**Isaiah 45:22**)

He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter. There was,
I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in that text.

The preacher began thus:—

> “My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, ‘Look’. Now lookin’
> don’t take a deal of pains. It ain’t liftin’ your foot or your finger; it is just,‘
> Look.’ Well, a man needn’t go to College to learn to look. You may be the biggest
> fool, and yet you can look. A man needn’t be worth a thousand a year to be able
> to look. Anyone can look; even a child can look. But then the text says, ‘Look
> unto Me.’ Ay!” said he, in broad Essex, “many on ye are lookin’ to yourselves,
> but it’s no use lookin’ there. You’ll never find any comfort in yourselves. Some
> look to God the Father. No, look to Him by-and-by. Jesus Christ says, ‘Look unto
> Me’. Some on ye say, ‘We must wait for the Spirit’s workin’.’ You have no business
> with that just now. Look to Christ. The text says. ‘Look unto Me.’ ”

Then the good man followed up his text in this way:—

> “Look unto Me; I am sweatin’ great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hangin’ 
> on the cross. Look unto Me; I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. 
> Look unto Me; I ascend to Heaven. Look unto Me; I am sittin’ at the Father’s right
> hand. O poor sinner, look unto Me! look unto Me!”

When he had gone to about that length, and managed to spin out ten minutes or so,
he was at the end of his tether. Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay,
with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger.

Just fixing his eyes on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, “Young man, you
look very miserable.”

Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made from the pulpit 
on my personal appearance before. However, it was a good blow, struck right home.

He continued, “and you always will be miserable—miserable in life, and miserable
in death,—if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will 
be saved.”

Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do, “
Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to
look and live.”

I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said,—I did not take
much notice of it,—I was so possessed with that one thought.

Like as when the brazen serpent was lifted up, the people only looked and were healed,
so it was with me. I had been waiting to do fifty things, but when I heard that 
word, “Look!” what a charming word it seemed to me!

Oh! I looked until I could almost have looked my eyes away. There and then the cloud
was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could
have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious
blood of Christ, and the simple faith which looks alone to Him.

Oh, that somebody had told me this before, “_Trust Christ, and you shall be saved_.”

Yet it was, no doubt, all wisely ordered, and now I can say,—

“_E’er since by faith I saw the stream_
 _Thy flowing wounds supply,_ _Redeeming
love has been my theme,_ _And shall be till I die_.”

–Charles H. Spurgeon, [_**C. H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography: Volume 1, The Early Years, Compiled from His Diary, Letters, and Records, by His Wife and His Private Secretary, 1834–1854**_](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0851510760?tag=toletaupanre-20)(
Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1887/1962), 1: 86-88. Spurgeon was converted to Christ
on January 6, 1850.

[⌊Spurgeon Autobiography Volume 1⌉⌊Spurgeon Autobiography Volume 1⌉[

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