The tenth book in the Finney and Spurgeon Face-to-Face series is "How to Hear God," where the messages of Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon come face-to-face. "How to Hear God" follows "The Sower and the Seed" in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18. It seems obvious that Charles Finney preached his sermon to college students at Oberlin College (a co-educational Christian College in his day that he helped found). Charles Spurgeon preached his sermon in the Metropolitan Tabernacle that was built so he could preach to huge crowds in England. Spurgeon preached before and after Finney’s death, but I have no evidence that Spurgeon ever read any sermons of Finney’s sermons.
Without question among Nineteenth Century preachers and revivalists, Finney was America’s greatest revivalist and Spurgeon was England’s greatest preacher. Both men led thousands to faith in Jesus Christ during their lifetimes, and both men influence students of the Bible, and Christian preachers, revivalists, and theologians today. These two great Bible expositors can be studied together by reading their sermons on the same Biblical themes. Often contrasted in secondary sources, with the books in the Finney and Spurgeon Face-to-Face series readers can compare as well as contrast these men by reading what they actually taught.
Charles Grandison Finney [1792-1875] has been considered America’s Greatest Revivalist. He also served as theological professor and president of Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, which he helped found in 1833. In 1980, I began publishing the works of Charles Finney, beginning with "Principles of Prayer," through Bethany House Publishers. More recently I have published Finney’s works through Agion Press, beginning with all of his sermons on Paul’s Letter to the Romans in three volumes, "Principles of Righteousness," "Principles of Peace," and "Principles of Joy in the Holy Spirit."
Charles Haddon Spurgeon [1834-1892] has been considered the Prince of Preachers. He founded Spurgeon’s College in 1856 in London, England, which was named after him following his death. In 1988, I published "The Believer’s Secret on Intercession," a devotional from the writings of Andrew Murray and C.H. Spurgeon, through Bethany House Publishers.
In 2014, Agion Press began the publication of a series of short books of two messages or two sermons each by these two great preachers on the same parable or scripture text. The first book in the series teaches Jesus’ parable on "The Rich Man and Lazarus" and the second book in the series teaches Jesus’ parable on "The Sower and the Seed". In "The Sower and the Seed" you will notice the emphasis that Charles Finney placed on the importance and value of the Seed, the Word of God; while Spurgeon expounded the effect of the Seed, the Word of God, in people’s lives. "How to Hear God" can serve as an application to both believers and unbelievers of the teaching in the parable of the sower and the seed.