I once shared this story with Dr. Warren Wiersbe, who is a great admirer of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, considered by many to be the 19th century’s greatest preacher. Even though Wiersbe had written of Spurgeon and probably knew as much about the man as anyone, he said he was unfamiliar with the story.

The source is an 1898 book, “The Unexpected Christ,” by Louis Albert Banks. (My online used book source–www.alibris.com–had five copies; the cost ranged from $20 to nearly $100.)

The chapter in which the story is located is headed, “Christ Cleansing the Temple of the Soul,” based from Luke 19:45-46.

“Mr. Spurgeon said that in his young ministry he received a tremendous spiritual uplift which was felt through all his later life by a strange revelation which came to him in a dream.

“He was sitting in an armchair, wearied with his work. He had fallen asleep in a very self-complacent sort of mood, as his work at the time was unusually successful. As he slept he thought a stranger entered the room, and though his face was benign, he carried suspended about his person measures and chemical agents and implements, which gave him a very strange appearance.

“The stranger came toward him, and extending his hand, said, ‘How is your zeal?’

“Mr. Spurgeon supposed when he began his question that the query was to be for his health, but was pleased to hear his final word; for he was quite well pleased with his zeal, and doubted not that the stranger would smile when he should know its proportions. Instantly he conceived of it as physical quantity, and putting his hand into his bosom brought it forth and presented it to the stranger for inspection.

“He took it and placed it in his scales, weighing it carefully. Mr. Spurgeon heard him say, ‘One hundred pounds!’

“He could scarcely suppress an audible note of satisfaction; but he caught the visitor’s earnest look as he noted down the weight, and he saw at once that the man with the scales had drawn no final conclusion, but was intent on pushing his investigation.

“He broke the mass to atoms, put it into his crucible and put the crucible into the fire. When the mass was thoroughly fused he took it out and set it down to cool. It congealed in cooling and when turned out on the hearth exhibited a series of layers which, at the touch of the hammer, fell apart, and were severely tested and weighed, the stranger making notes as the process went on.

“When he had finished he presented the notes to Mr. Spurgeon, and gave him a look of mingled sorrow and compassion as, without a word except ‘May God save you!’ he left the room.

“The astonished Spurgeon opened the notes and read as follows:

“‘Analysis of the zeal of a candidate for a crown of glory–weight in mass, 100 pounds. Of this, on analysis, there proved to be: Bigotry, 10 parts; personal ambition, 23 parts; love of praise, 19 parts; pride of denomination, 15 parts; pride of talent, 14 parts; love of authority, 12 parts; love to God, 4 parts; love to man, 3 parts. Total, 100.’

“Of all the hundred parts, according to this analysis, only seven parts, comprising love to God and love to man, were pure zeal. Mr. Spurgeon said that he had become troubled at the peculiar manner of the stranger, and especially at his parting look and words; but when he looked at the figures his heart sank as lead within him.

“He made a mental effort to dispute the correctness of the record. But he was suddenly startled into a more honest mood by an audible sigh–almost a groan–from the stranger, who had paused in the hall, and by a sudden darkness falling upon him, by which the record became at once obscured and nearly illegible.

“He fell upon his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ As he knelt there the paper with its terrible analysis became a mirror, and he saw his heart reflected in it. The record was true! He saw it; he felt it; he confessed it; he deplored it; and besought God to save him from himself with many tears, until at length, with a loud and irrepressible cry of anguish, he awoke.

“He had prayed in years gone by to be saved from hell, but his vow to be saved from himself was now immeasurably more fervent and distressful; nor did he rest or pause till the refining fire came down and went through his heart, searching, probing, melting, burning, filling all its chambers with light, and hallowing his whole heart to God.

“He declared ever afterwards that that day was the crisis in his history.”

These texts come to mind…

David prayed, “Search me O God and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Ps. 139:23-24)

“You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27)

“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (I Peter 5:4)

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)