Spoudaei (STrovcfaiot, zealous'), was a name given by Eusebius (Eccles. Hist, vi, 11) and Epiphanius {Ex- pos. Fid. n. 22) to ascetics, in reference to their dili- gence in fasting and prayer, and almsdeeds, etc.
Spouse (i"I^3, kalluh, croioned with the bridal chap- let,Cant. iv, 8, 9,'l 0,11,12; v, 1 ; Hos.iv, 13, 14; "bride," Isa. xlix, 18; Ixi, 10; Ixii, 5; Jer. ii, 32; vii, 34, etc.; Joel ii, 16 , elsewhere " daughter-in-law"). See Mar- riage.
Spout. The usual contrivance for throwing off
Leaden Sjiout, Woodford Church, Northamptonshire.
the water from the roofs of mediiieval buildings was by means of a carved stone spout called a gargoyle or gur^ goyle. It is (juite possible some were of lead, but none are found remaining of an earlier date than the 16th century. — Parker, Gloss. <f A rchitect. s. v.
Sprague, Benjamin F., a minister of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, was a native of Spencer, Mass., and was converted when seventeen years of age. In 1832 he united on trial with the Maine Con- ference, but was discontinued at the close of the year on account of ill-health. He spent several years in study, and acting as supply until 1839, when he was readmitted to conference and ordained elder. His la- bors were brought to a close by deatli, Aug. 18, 1860. Mr. Sprague was a man of positive character, cautii)us in his positions, firm and unyielding in their support. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, 1861, p. 122.
Sprague, William Buel, D.D., LL.D., an emi- nent Presbyterian minister, was born in Andover, Tol- land Co., Conn., Oct. 16, 1795. He went to Yale Col- lege in 1811 and graduated in 1815. The year follow- ing he entered Princeton Seminar}', and, after studying theology for more than two years, was licensed to preach by an association of ministers in the county of Tolland, convened at Andover, Aug. 29, 1818, and the next year as sole pastor. He was ordained and installed assistant pastor of the Congregational Church, West Springfield, Mass., Aug. 25, 1819. Here he labored with great assi- duity and success for ten years, but was released from his charge July 1, 1829, having accepted a call to the Second Presbyterian Church in Albanj-, N.Y., where he was in- stalled Aug. 26, 1829, At Albany he had a pastorate of forty years' duration, remarkable for the extraordinary steadfastness and warmth of attachment existing through all that protracted period between himself and his lari^^e and intelligent congregation ; and even more remark- able for the vast and varied labors performed by him. He has been well and truly described as an "illustrious man ; a cidtivated, elegant, voluminous, useful, and pop- ular preacher; an indefatigable and successful pastor; an unselfish and devoted friend ; loving, genial, pure, and noble ; an Israelite, indeed, in whom there was no guile; one of the most childlike, unsophisticated, and charitable of men." While he never relaxed his pul- pit and pastoral duties, his added literary labors were prodigious, and their fruits exceedingly great. He preached nearlv two hundred sermons on special occa- sions, the most of which were published. He also pro- duced a large number of biographies and other volumes on practical religious subjects. But the great literary work of his life was his Annals of the Anutican Pulpit. undertaken when he was fifty-seven, and finished in seventeen years. It was a herculean task, but it was nobly accomplished, and by it he has placed all denom- inations represented in it under great obligations for the faithful manner in which it is executed. (See be- low.) To this comprehensive work we have been large- ly indebted in the compilation of this Cyclopmdia. Dr. Spragiie's extensive travels in Europe brought him into delightful association with many of the dignitaries of the Old World, and many eminent persons in religious and literary circles. He was on terms of intimacy and correspondence with a vast number of distinguished men, both in the Church and in the State, in our own land. At the age of seventy-four, on Dec. 20, 1869, he was released by the Presbytery of Albany, at his own request, from the pastoral charge of the Second Church in Albany, and retired to Flushing, L. I., where he pass- ed his later years, which were a beautiful and serene evening to bis industrious, laborious, and useful life. Here he enjoyed the sunshine of the divine favor, and looked on death's approaches with a strong and placid faith. No sore disease or fierce pains oppressed him, but gently and peacefully he passed away. May 7, 1876. Dr. Sprague's writings are as follows: Letters on Prac- tical Subjects to a Laughter (1822, 12mo; Uth ed.
SPllAT
966
SPRING
16mo; republished in Great Britain; late American editions bear tlic title of the iMiuyhter's Own Book): —iMUig from Kiirojte (\H->X):— Lectures to Young Peo- ple (l«;>(i, r.'mo, several editions) :—/.«Vh/w on Reri- riiU i^\KV2, 12mo, several editions; republished in Lon- don) i—Z/i'i/.f Deshfiieil to Heyuhite the Intercourse of ChristUtns (18:54, riino) -.—Lectures Ilhistrutin;/ the Con- trast beticeen True Chnstianiti/ ami Various Other St/s- tems (Lond. 1«37, V2mo):—Life of Rev. Kihoard Dorr Oriffin t^\><A><):— Letters to Younff ^fen, Founded on the Lite of Joseph (ill ed. 1H45, r2mo; 8th ed. 1854; repub- lishetl in London, 1840, 18nio; 1851, 2 vols, in one, I'imo) : — .li(/.< to Karlij Religion (1847, 32mo) :_II'o)y/s to a Yonnt; Man's Conscience (IHiS):— Visits to European Celtbrilits (1855, limo}:— Annals of the American Pul- pit, or Commemorate Xotices of J distinguished American Clergymen of Wirious Denominations, from the Early Settlement of the Country to the Close of the Year 1855, icith //isturical Introduction (N. Y. 8vo : vols, i and ii, Trinitarian Conj^retjationalist, 185G; iii and iv, Presby- tiTian. IS5«; V, Kpiscopalian, 1859; vi, Ikptist, 1860; vii. Mcthoilist, 1801 ; viii, Unitarian, 1865; ix, Luther- an. Keformed Dutch, .\ssociate. Associate Heformed, and Keformed Presliyterian, 1869). In addition to the vol- umes thus enumerated, Dr. Spraguc published about 116 pamphlets, siiiijle sermons, addresses, discourses, and ora^ tions. He is also author i)f a Life of President Timo- thy Da-ight in Sparks's .1 mericun Biography (2d sermon, 1845, vol. iv) ; of an Essay prefixed to Kichards's Ser- mons ; of a Memoir pretixetl to Kev. 0. Bronson's Se?-- mons (1862. 8 vo); of an Introduction to the Excellent IVonuni (1863, Timo); and of Introductions to ten oth- er works. He was also the editor of Women of the Old and Xiw Testaments (1850, 8vo) ; The Smitten Iloune- /('(/</ (I ^f56-57, 12mo). Besides writing papers in various religious and literarv periodicals sutHcient to till three or four octavo volumes, he published Memoirs of Rev. John McDowell, IJ.D. (1864, r2mo). He had been a gatherer as well as a dispenser of knowledge, and among the attractions of his library was a famous col- lection of autographs of eminent men of all ages and countries. See Samuel Irena?us Prime, The Man of Business (1857, 24rao); Appleions' New Amer. Cyclop. s. v.; .\llibone, Diet, of Brit, and Amer. Authois, s. v.