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It was never meant to be. I can't finish this dream I have.

Not really. I gave myself six months. Ruth thought I'ld stick it out for a year.

On 1 January 1999 I began to read one sermon a day as published in Charles Haddon Spurgeon's New Park Street Pulpit (1855-1860) and his Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (1861-1917) for a grand total of 3563 sermons. For almost nine years the count was 3661 but the publishers--Pilgrim Publishing out of Pasedena TX discovered two more when visiting Spurgeon's College in London England.

My reading was a reaction to James leaving abruptly the family homestead and going prodigal. He has sorely paid for that over the years. I consider first wife Gina punishment enough for any man and then some. In years previous to that I had read the entire unabridged Matthew Henry Commentary to the Bible and thought that quite the accomplishment but the end result was a settling on my laurels to no glory brought to God after that.

Basically I was getting in touch with my Christian roots while hiding from my failures as a father since my son left us in a rage. He got much better a year and a half later but never came back to reside with us. He was 17 when he departed.

I tend to start many things and the first sign of inconvenience or boredom I give it up.

I mean who reads something for almost 10 years straight after all?!

There have been days when it been a chore, a lipservice, a gotta get it done.

There have been days when a word spoken in due season has brought peace and mercy to the soul and gave light to my own particular darkness I stroll in on too many occasions.

I was buying volumes as I needed them. There are 63 volumes to the series average voulme containing 52 sermons. Some were a bit long and on 15 days they counted for two read. I would mark the day's reading in the table of contents and the date sermon was preached to keep track. The goal is to read it sometime during the calendar day. So there were times when I would read one at 3 am and the next day one at 10 pm. Calendar days not 24 hour periods.

Yesterday the final volume arrived in the mail. It was volume 61 - a bit late from the publisher as my regular supplier out of Carlisle PA did not have a copy.

Also included was a book called Able to the Uttermost which contained 20 sermons NOT included in the set. I was not aware of the existance of this slim volume until a year or so back. Originally published 1922. So we are now at 3583 to read which I calculated Oct 7, 2008. Technically I have 98 to go plus the 20 and my dream will be realized.

Or so I thought.

Included was a current catalog which I perused later and my eyes lit with joy and a bit of alarm. There was an ad for 124 sermons in booklet form for .75 each or $69 for the run. So far so good. Alphabetized by title but the sermon number is included. I noticed #3562 and 3563 were published together for those who had the old copy of Volume 63 that were missing these two. But my eye caught a note regarding sermons not included in the MTP. There are THREE of them. Ok $2.25 and postage and handling. That's fine. October 10th then.

Not quite.

On the back cover of Able to the Uttermost there is a short list of other books by Spurgeon (by no means complete). I note the Sermon in Candles title was part of his college lectures.

Then another title catches my eye. Sermons on Special Occasions. Never heard of that one all these years. Probably taken from the MTP as there are several 'special' sermons throughout the run.

Wrong again.

The catalog identifies these as sermons published in Spurgeon's monthly magazine The Sword and Trowel and NOT in the MTP.

44 of them. I readjust my calendar and new finish date is now 23 Nov 08.

Surely I will have all his published sermons at last.

I have a much better chance of five minutes listening to Logos breathe on a phone than accomplishing that milestone.

In the introduction to Able to the Uttermost (sorely lacking in detail I might add) reprinted in 1985 the editor mentions a discovery of over 500 MORE manuscripts of sermons preached by Spurgeon that have never seen publication.

I'm sitting here over 20 years later and much wondering so where are the new books??? When might we expect them???

Sigh.

Like I said when I started I'll never be done.

But in 98 days Sep 17th 2008 by the grace of God the offical MTP will be done. God is still awesome and still good.

NEXT: Back to the usual. Report on Grand-daughter; Ruth's Texas girlfrend who made my life interesting on the 10th and the Lawnmower of Doom made a new friend.