Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, wife of Charles H. Spurgeon

by Ray Rhodes Jr.

Ah! How little I then thought that my eyes looked on him who was to be my life’s beloved; how little I dreamed of the honour God was preparing for me in the near future! It is a mercy that our lives are not left for us to plan, but that our Father chooses for us; else might we sometimes turn away from our best blessings, and put from us the choicest and loveliest gifts of His providence.5

“Oh, that you and I might get into the very heart of the Word of God, and get that Word into ourselves! As I have seen the silkworm eat into the leaf, and consume it, so ought we to do with the Word of the Lord—not crawl over its surface, but eat right into it till we have taken it into our inmost parts. It is idle merely to let the eye glance over the words, or to recollect the poetical expressions, or the historic facts; but it is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible until, at last, you come to talk in Scriptural language, and your very style is fashioned upon Scripture models, and, what is better still, your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord. I would quote John Bunyan as an instance of what I mean. Read anything of his, and you will see that it is almost like reading the Bible itself. He had read it till his very soul was saturated with Scripture; and, though his writings are charmingly full of poetry, yet he cannot give us his Pilgrim’s Progress—that sweetest of all prose poems—without continually making us feel and say, ‘Why, this man is a living Bible!’ Prick him anywhere; his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God.”25

“the hand of God, the means of my transference from Cambridgeshire to the metropolis.”31 It was also his means of transport to the heart of Susie Thompson.

Seek a good wife of thy God, for she is the best gift of his providence; Yet ask not in bold confidence that which he hath not promised. Thou knowest not his good will:—be thy prayer then submissive thereunto; And leave the petition to his mercy, assured that he will deal well with thee. If thou art to have a wife of thy youth, she is now living on the earth; Therefore think of her, and pray for her weal; yea, though thou has not seen her.2

Active service brings with it warmth, and this tends to remove doubting, for our works thus become evidence of our calling and election.29

“Dear purchase of a Saviour’s blood, you are to me a Saviour’s gift, and my heart is full to over-flowing with the thought of such continued goodness.”

gems may differ in size, colour, richness, and beauty, but even the smallest are “precious stones,” are they not?

“My love, were you here, how you would comfort me; but since you are not, I shall do what is better still, go upstairs alone, and pour out my griefs into my Saviour’s ear.”40

“His love in times past forbids me to think, He’ll leave me at last in trouble to sink.”

“I do believe, I will believe, That Jesus died for me; That, on the cross, He shed His blood From sin to set me free.”

“And if I e’er in Heaven appear, A mother’s holy prayer, A mother’s hand and gentle tear, That pointed to a Saviour dear Have led the wandered there.”

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die: And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die.36