Reasonably well-preserved first edition of the very first year of Spurgeon's periodical, The Sword and the Trowel. In addition to his weekly sermons, it provided a vehicle to engage controversies, i.e. Calvinism, Baptismal Regeneration, Sectarianism, The Downgrade Controversy, etc., to provide a platform for many of the excellent people he was surrounded by at the Pastor's College, at various conferences, etc., to promote an interest in Church history, and to resource people with both present and past works of devotion, theology, etc,. he found to be of value. 

A sampling of the contents include: A Prospectus for The Sword and the Trowel [issue integrated]; What Shall be Done for Jesus by C. H. Spurgeon; Comprehensiveness of Thought and Feeling by J. A. Spurgeon; Expositions of the Psalms [Series]; Fall of Jericho. A Poem by C. H. Spurgeon; How to Get at Inquirers by Frank White - Formerly a Student at Spurgeon College. Grace Abounding - Prayer Answered in the Conversion of Six Children by a Father; Our United Meetings during the Week of Prayer; Notes on the Great Delusion of Baptismal Regeneration; In A Fog by C. H. Spurgeon; The Prayer of Faith - The Life of Story of Dorothea Trudel and Her Ministry of Divine Healing; Sermons in Candles [True First Edition, Serialized]; Calvinism Defended by George Rogers of Spurgeon College; How to Deal with Enquirers by Henry Varley [who led D. L. Moody to Christ]; Metropolitan Tabernacle Statistics; Mr. Pepys' Religion by C. H. Spurgeon; Unity in Fundamentals. Read at the First Conference by F. White; Boldness in Distinctive Points by A. G. Brown; Fragrant Spices from the Mountain of Myrrh by C. H. Spurgeon; Oliver Cromwell's Wife by Edward Leach; Unpublished Writings of Jonathan Edwards; On Plymouth Brethrenism by G. Rogers; On Denominational Differences and the Spirit that Promulgates Them by W. T. Hayward; The Utilization of Church-Power by John Clifford; Importance to Ministers of the Study of Nature by W. R. Selway; Ten Thousand Skulls by C. H. Spurgeon; On Preaching Christ; Dr. Campbell on Mr. Morgan's Baptismal Regeneration Sermons; George Muller's Report for 1864-1865; Two Episodes in My Life by C. H. Spurgeon; William Cowper's Calvinism by Edward Leach; Spiced Win of my Pomegranate by C. H. Spurgeon; Rahab - Her Faith and Her Falsehood. Review of a Sermon by Mr. James Well's Sermon on the Faith of Rahab the Harlot; Protest of the London Strict Baptist Pastors' Conference against Certain Doctrines Propagated by Mr. James Wells; Signs of Better Days for Baptist Churches; Phoebe - Servant of the Church by W. Landels; On the Righteousness of God by G. Rogers; A Roundabout Paper by C. H. Spurgeon; Satan Considering the Saints by C. H. Spurgeon; etc. 

Spurgeon, C. H. [Ed.]. The Sword and the Trowel; A Record of Combat with Sin & Labour for the Lord for 1865. London. Passmore & Alabaster. 1865. 556pp.

Bound with:

Several Misc. Issues of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit at the Rear, viz. Satan Considering the Saints; Are You Prepared to Die; The Dove's Return to the Ark; Who are Elected? No Tears in Heaven; Jesus - The Shepherd; Simeon; and Consolation in the Furnace.  All from 1865. Variously Paginated. 

A good copy, bound in half leather that's quite rubbed, generally solid, with light foxing. Minor tide mark on binding.